Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin

Grace Lin, author of the beloved Year of the Dog and Year of the Rat, returns with a wondrous story of happiness, family, and friendship. A fantasy crossed with Chinese folklore, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is a timeless adventure story in the classic tradition of The Wizard of Oz. 

In the Valley of Fruitless Mountain, a young girl named Minli spends her days working hard in the fields and her nights listening to her father spin fantastic tales about the Jade Dragon and the Old Man of the Moon. Minli’s mother, tired of their poor life, chides him for filling her head with nonsense. But Minli believes these enchanting stories and embarks on an extraordinary journey to find the Old Man of the Moon and ask him how her family can change their fortune. She encounters an assorted cast of characters and magical creatures along the way, including a dragon who accompanies her on her quest.

The stork for my little family members took a curious route and ended up in China. This is where their mother, my cousin, found her daughters and brought them home. I was glad she found them and I thought a book like this might be interesting for them since it takes place in China. Of course, me being a book-a-holic... I had to read it first.

It is a story where the parents of Minli are a bit mismatched. The father is a storyteller who always has some adventure and way of the impossible being possible. The mother is dissatisfied with her life and always wished for something more. Their daughter being caught in the middle decided that her adventure to change their fortune fell to her. She set out on a journey to do just that.

Within the story are other smaller stories. Most impart wisdom of some sort and you learn as Minli learns. However, they aren't the only one learning as we switch back to her parent's POV and find out they are also learning lessons as well. Their adventure is one of faith and looking inward.

The adventure does, at times, remind me of the movie The Wizard of Oz. The friends she meets along the way is how she learns from others and it ends up being the journey that is more important than the destination.

The story ends with an HEA and also has a bit of background from the author as to where she went traveling and how it influenced her modern Chinese fairy tale.

I give this book 4 1/2 stars. I recommend it to young children and their parents who want something different that imparts lessons like friendship, selflessness, kindness, thinking of others, thankfulness, and enjoying what you already have.

I received this book from the publisher and no compensation for my review was given.

My Bluegrass Baby by Molly Harper

A brand-new novel in an original eBook series from popular romance author Molly Harper! When Sadie & Josh compete for the same Kentucky Tourism Commission job, sparks fly—turns out Kentucky really is for lovers. 

Sadie Hutchins loves her job at the Kentucky Tourism Commission. Not only could her co-workers double as the cast of Parks & Recreation, but she loves finding the unusual sites, hidden gems, and just-plain-odd tourist attractions of her home state. She’s a shoo-in for the director’s job when her boss retires at the end of the year…until hotshot Josh Vaughn shows up to challenge her for the position.

Josh is all sophisticated polish while Sadie’s country comfort, and the two have very different ideas of what makes a good campaign. So when their boss pits them against each other in a winner-takes-all contest, they’re both willing to fight dirty if it means getting what they want. But it turns out, what Josh and Sadie want could be each other—and Josh’s kisses are the best Kentucky attraction Sadie’s found yet!

 I love Molly Harper's vampire and werewolf series so I was curious about this one when it came wandering in the review request pile. I really didn't hesitate and dove into the book quickly. Now for those that also love her paranormal books, do realize that this is chick-lit and not her paranormal fare. This is a contemporary romance set in her home state of Kentucky and it is not only a romance for our main characters but also a love letter to Kentucky itself.

In this we have Sadie who has found work that she loves promoting the state that she loves. In walks in Josh who is after her almost newly appointed job as director. She was a shoe in until Josh showed up and almost had the rug pulled out from her. Their current boss who is about to retire decide to hold a competition and let the people decide at the state fair who gets the job. With both of them having two completely different tactics no one knows who will win. Plus, with all the smexy tension, will it work out if one wins and the other doesn't?

I have to say that I did like both characters and some of the secondary ones as well. I admit I had more problems with Josh than Sadie mostly because Sadie would come clean when she flubbed up something and Josh had to be pushed to admit his failings. However, when he did come clean, he did so with complete honesty. Still, I had a bit of a problem with him at times.

I also have to say this one is a bit dry as compared to her paranormal books. Perhaps this is because you can go completely off the deep end in humor and adventure and it works. Within a contemporary you are restrained to what is believable. Still, I did enjoy the tension and romance between our two and did find myself chuckling a bit at Sadie and her snark.

I give this book 3 1/2 stars. I recommend it to those that really want and HEA and enjoy chick-lit. This book is also $1.99 for a limited time.

I received this ebook from the publisher and Edelwiess and no compensation for my review was given.

Author Blog Post: Crimson Frost Excerpt and Giveaway!

Crimson Frost
by Jennifer Estep

For a moment, a face flashed before my eyes—the most hideous face I’d ever seen. No matter how hard I tried to forget what had happened, I saw him everywhere I went. It was Loki—the evil god that I’d helped set free against my will.
I should have known that my first official date with Logan Quinn was destined to end in disaster. If we’d gotten into a swordfight, or been ambushed by Reapers, I’d have been more prepared. But getting arrested mid-sip at the local coffee hangout? I didn’t see that one coming.
I’ve been accused of purposely helping the Reapers free Loki from his prison—and the person leading the charge against me is Linus Quinn, Logan’s dad. The worst part is that pretty much everyone at Mythos Academy thinks I’m guilty. If I’m going to get out of this mess alive, I’ll have to do it myself…

CRIMSON FROST EXCERPT:

     We set off down the sidewalk. Kaldi Coffee was located on the main street that ran through Cypress Mountain, and more and more people stuck their heads outside to stare at us as we passed. The ritzy suburb and all its high-end shops were here to see to the needs of everyone at Mythos Academy, so all the business owners and workers knew the score when it came to the mythological world. Most of them were former Mythos students themselves, who’d decided to settle down near the academy. The only folks who didn’t realize what was going on were the few tourists who’d braved the cold to come shopping. They glanced out the windows at me for a moment before going back to their browsing.

     “You’re making a big mistake,” Logan repeated. “Gwen didn’t free Loki—she tried to stop it from happening. We all did.”

     “All? By that, I assume you mean you and your new group of friends,” Linus said. “Something else we need to discuss. I thought you were finally calming down and learning how to be a real fighter, but it seems like you’ve gotten yourself into even more trouble than usual. Starting with this girl.”

     I didn’t care if he was Logan’s dad and apparently some bigshot within the Pantheon. The way he kept saying this girl like I was the worst of the worst grated on my last nerve.

     “I have a name,” I snapped. “It’s Gwen, Gwen Frost. Obviously, you know it since you announced it to the whole coffee shop.”

     Linus looked over his shoulder at me. “Do not test me, girl.” 

     My hands clenched into fists, but there was nothing I could do about his cold words—or the fact that he seemed to hate me on sight. Not exactly how I’d pictured things going if I ever met Logan’s dad. Still, I drew in a breath, trying to push past my anger and fear and get to the bottom of things.

     “Well, can you at least tell me where we’re going?” I asked.

     “You’ll see,” Linus said in a cryptic tone. “It’s not far.”

BIO INFO:

Jennifer Estep is a New York Times bestselling author. Jennifer writes the Mythos Academy young adult urban fantasy series for Kensington. Crimson Frost, the fourth book, was released on Dec. 24. Visit www.jenniferestep.com for excerpts and more information about her books.

Giveaway!

So, did this whet your appetite yet for the book? I know if you have been following the series you are all ready primed for the book! You need more convincing (I doubt it... but...) my review is HERE. :) Jennifer is giving away one pb copy of Crimson Frost! It's US only due to shipping costs. To enter just fill out the rafflecopter form below:

Audio Review: Hexed by Kevin Hearne

Atticus O’Sullivan, last of the Druids, doesn’t care much for witches. Still, he’s about to make nice with the local coven by signing a mutually beneficial nonaggression treaty—when suddenly the witch population in modern-day Tempe, Arizona, quadruples overnight. And the new girls are not just bad, they’re badasses with a dark history on the German side of World War II. 

With a fallen angel feasting on local high school students, a horde of Bacchants blowing in from Vegas with their special brand of deadly decadence, and a dangerously sexy Celtic goddess of fire vying for his attention, Atticus is having trouble scheduling the witch hunt. But aided by his magical sword, his neighbor’s rocket-propelled grenade launcher, and his vampire attorney, Atticus is ready to sweep the town and show the witchy women they picked the wrong Druid to hex.

I read the first book but listened to the second. Felicia of the Geeky Blogger and Missie of the Unread Reader both praised the audio and so I had to try it. I was not disappointed.

Luke Daniels is the voice of Atticus. I can really picture his voice coming from the character perfectly. He also did a pretty good job at the female characterizations even though they obviously had a masculine quality (he couldn't change that but it still worked). His pronunciations of the various languages was superb and it helped me not flub it up in my head as I would have if I read it. For that alone I suggest trying at least one of these in the series on audio.

As with the other book Atticus is faced with some insurmountable odds but this time he doesn't know where the danger is coming from. As the mystery pulls together we start to wonder if we can start to trust others out side of our immediate circle, but like Atticus, I'm wary but willing to accept these others on a limited basis. I think that is a good plan since most magic users have a hidden personal agenda.

I also loved the secondary characters especially the widow and Oberon his faithful hound. They both had me laughing more than once. I love the widow and especially that dog! The vocal characterization of Oberon also puts a smile on his face. However, unlike Atticus I don't know if I'd want that kind of communication with my dog... especially when his vocabulary can outdo my own. Don't want to be put to shame by my own dog... ;)

I give this book 4 stars. It's a lot of fun and I really do recommend the audio.

Splintered by A. G. Howard

For sixteen years, Alyssa Gardner has lived with the stigma of being descended from Alice Liddell—the real life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s famed novel, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. But cruel jokes about dormice and tea parties can’t compare to the fact that Alyssa hears the whispers of bugs and flowers... the same quirk which sent her mother to a mental institution years before. 

When her mother takes a turn for the worse and the whispers grow too strong for Alyssa to bear, she seeks the origins of their family curse. A set of heirlooms and a moth tied to an unusual website lead Alyssa and her gorgeous best friend / secret crush, Jeb, down the rabbit hole into the real Wonderland, a place more twisted and eerie than Lewis Carroll ever let on. 

There, creepy counterparts of the original fairytale crew reveal the purpose for Alyssa’s journey, and unless she fixes the things her great-great-great grandmother Alice put wrong, Wonderland will have her head.

I honestly don't know why there aren't more retellings of Alice in Wonderland. Seriously, there is so much there to be toyed and changed and molded into a different world. This is exactly what this book has done. It molded the tale and changed elements enough to make it it's own world but by also keeping to the original tale.

In this tale, Alyssa is a descendent of the original Alice and we are quite convinced that the madness the females inherit are due to Alice venturing in Wonderland and changing things that throw off the balance and are such cursed. The bugs and flowers talk and Alyssa can't get a moments peace. Not to mention she is deathly afraid that she will end up like her mother in a mental institution. We start to question the madness as it is shared to consistently with her mother, and so we embark on our journey down the rabbit hole with her to get those answers.

Within this twisty tale we do end up with a triangle. Now this is the first triangle in YA that I have actually liked. Usually in a triangle we find one more suited to the heroine than the other and we have no doubt who she needs to and will pick. In this one both are equally suited for very different polar opposite reasons. I have to admit I still did root for one a bit more only because I found his character much more interesting than the other. Still you do know who she will pick although I admit I didn't want her to choose at all. That is unusual for me because I'm usually yelling at the heroine to just pick already. :)

I give this twisty Wonderland tale 4 1/2 Cheshire Cat smiles. I really enjoyed my time in this very alternate world. I recommend it to those that enjoy retellings of old stories.

I received this eARC from the publisher and NetGalley and no compensation for my review was given.

PS...

Happy New Year!