Long Live the Pumpkin Queen

 I was meandering around my local bookstore when I saw 'Long Live the Pumpkin Queen', by Shea Ernshaw, sitting on a shelf. Loving all things associated with Halloween, there was no way I was going to just pass it by, especially since it was the last copy. My kids and I are die-hard fans of the movie (who isn't?!), but sometimes spinoff stories don't hold up to childhood nostalgia, so I went into this read with somewhat low expectations. Boy was I surprised when the author had me hooked from page one. Ernshaw did her homework on Halloween Land and I loved delving deeper into Jack and Sally's world. Exploring all of the other lands besides just Christmas Land was such a treat! The author does such a wonderful job at staying true to the mythical worlds that Tim Burton has created, and by the end of the book I was crossing my fingers hoping that this would be turned into a movie as well. 

The story begins with Jack and Sally's wedding. They decide to go to Valentines Land on their honeymoon and have a wonderful day exploring this new land together, for this is the only land that Jack has yet to visit, saving it just for this momentous occasion. They unfortunately can only stay away from home for 24 hours however since it very close to Halloween day and there is just so so much to do still. As soon as Jack and Sally re-enter Halloween Land they are both bombarded by holiday preparations. As the new pumpkin queen, Sally is overwhelmed by all of the new expectations that sit on her shoulders. She begins to have high levels of anxiety about being a ruler, and she desperately wishes she could just be "Sally and Jack", and not "Queen and King". When the witch sisters begin fitting her for a new royal gown, the pressure becomes too much for Sally, and she finds herself fleeing her home in desperate need for some time alone. As she is wandering around the forest, Sally discovers a hidden door that has a moon on it. Leaving the door open unleashes the beginning of a wild adventure for Sally that leads her to a shocking discovery about her past. 

This book will become a Halloween treasure that both you and your kids will enjoy reading together time and time again. 

The Impossible Quest

 

Wolfhaven Castle has been invaded unexpectedly. Every single resident has been captured and thrown into the dungeons. The takeover was done so stealthily there must have been someone helping them from the inside, but who is the traitor? And what were those monstrous beings that helped in the attack? Only four people managed to escape, but all of them are just children. How can they possibly manage to rescue an entire castle by themselves?  The witch of the castle has given them a secret spell that is said to awaken four sleeping warriors, but in order to cast the spell they need for impossible key ingredients first - the horn of an unicorn, the tooth of a dragon, the feathers from a griffin, and the scale from a giant serpent. The children don't fully believe that such creatures even exist, but one thing is for certain, if they are ever to see their loved ones again, they are going to need help. The future depends upon a pot boy from the kitchens, a witches apprentice, a knight in training, and the lady of the castle.

'The Impossible Quest', by Kate Forsyth, is a thrilling adventure that will capture the hearts of fantasy readers everywhere. These quick paced books are fast reads with many twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the very end. With so many cliffhangers, you will literally not be able to put these books down, so do yourself a favor and buy them all at once! 

** If you are interested in purchasing these books from me, you can buy them here: 

https://d4538.myubam.com/p/6054/impossible-quest-the-complete-collection-5

A Wrinkle in Time

'A Wrinkle in Time', by Madeleine L'Engle is the story of how Meg Murry travels through time and space to find her father who has gone missing. She has the help of her younger brother, a boy from school, and three strangers- Mrs. Who, Mrs. Whatsit, and Mrs. Which. Meg goes on some remarkable adventures and meets some unbelievable characters along the way.

I once had a roommate in college tell me that 'A Wrinkle in Time' was her very favorite book. It has been on my "to read list" for many years, and now that it is being turned into a movie, I figured it was time to check this one off. I went into it with high expectations, which may have been the problem, because I was somewhat underwhelmed with the plot. It felt anti-climatic to me. There was so much build up, and then it just kind of ended jaggedly. The author did a wonderful job of giving voice to her characters and detail to her settings, but it's the flow of the story that left me a little disappointed. This just may be one of those rare occasions when the movie actually turns out better then the book- I will have to wait and see on that conjecture however.  It is worth reading, but I definitely would not put this book on a list of favorites by any means.

The Princess Academy Series

Whenever the heir to the throne comes of age, the priests divine what providence the next princess will come from. A Princess Academy is then set up to teach and prepare the noble girls to meet the prince at the Academy Princess Ball. After the ball, the prince will then decide what Princess Academy graduate will be the next princess. When the priests divine that Mount Eskel is where the next princess is from, many in the kingdom are outraged. Mount Eskel is not even a providence,  just a territory. It is a small town full of uneducated, and very poor people, without any nobles. When the people of Mount Eskel learn that their daughters will be taken away from them for one year, fear grips their hearts. They barely have enough to eat, how will they survive through the winter without so many workers in the quarry, their only source of income. Miri is scared to go to the academy too, she has never been away from her family before. However, once at that academy, Miri is taught to read and she discovers a love of books she never knew she had. She loves learning, and learning opens up secrets that she never knew, and may actually save her village in the end. 

I first fell in love with The Princess Academy over a decade ago. I am thrilled that the third and last book has finally been published, it has been a long time coming! If you know me at all you know I have an obsession with Shannon Hale and all of her novels, and these three books definitely did not disappoint. I devoured them and lost many, many hours of sleep over them. They are brilliantly written and can be enjoyed by people of all ages. 

Ever After High: The Unfairest of Them All

I just finished the second book in the 'Ever After High' series by Shannon Hale and honestly, I loved it just as much as the first book. You can read my review of the first book here.

Ever After High: The Storybook of Legends

Oh hey guess what?! My favorite author, Shannon Hale has done it again! Her latest and greatest book is called, 'Ever After High: the Storybook of Legends'. This book is written for younger authors, and yes, you can tell, but it is still so cute and I enjoyed it immensely! In this book all of the famous story character's children are attending high school together. There is Raven, daughter of the evil queen. Apple, daughter of Snow White. Maddie, daughter of the Mad Hatter. Daring and Dexter, sons of Prince Charming, and many many more. In their second year of high school the children have to follow in their parent's footsteps and sign the storybook of legends, vowing to fulfill their destinies and live the exact same stories that their parents lived. If they do not sign the book, not only will the story cease to exist, but they will no longer exist either.

Everyone is excited to fulfill their destines and live out the stories of their parents, I mean, who wouldn't want a guaranteed happily every after? Everyone is looking forward to Legacy Day when they can sign the book, everyone that is, except Raven. Raven isn't so sure about following in her mother's footsteps and becoming the evil queen, one of the most hated characters of all time. Raven has a desperate desire to be good, but if she chooses to not be evil, she could make herself and everyone in her story vanish forever. Can she really be that selfish?

Honestly, I know this book is meant for younger readers, but I loved it. It is a story of choice, friendship, adventure, and good vs. evil. It is captivating and exciting, witty and funny. I fell in love with the characters and I know you will too. If you need something light and fluffy, a feel good fantasy, than this is the book for you!

Ella Enchanted

If you are ever looking for a very fast, fun, entertaining read than my suggestion would be ‘Ella Enchanted’ by Gail Carson Levine. This is a romance, fairytale, adventure and coming of age story at its finest. It is very short and you can definitely read it in less than 24 hours.

When Ella was born, a misguided fairy “blessed” her with the gift of obedience. Now Ella has to do what she is told, whatever she is told. If someone tells her to clean her room or jump off a cliff, she has no choice but to obey. Ella’s mother and housekeeper are always concerned for Ella’s life. If someone were to discover her secret she could be in great danger. When her mother dies from illness Ella’s father begins to have a stronger influence in her life more than ever. Her father is trying to control her life for his own benefits and now it’s more important than ever for Ella to find a way to break the curse that was placed on her so long ago.

This is by far one of my very favorite books. It is simple but I love it. Sometimes you just need a really quick read that doesn’t require any thinking ya know? However, don’t even waste your time on the movie. I don’t know what Disney was thinking when the created that monstrosity, but I get angry just thinking about it. It’s not even close to how the book is and I just hope that the movie hasn’t kept people from reading the book. I have heard that some ‘Ella Enchanted’ fans have to think of the movie as a completely different story than the movie so if you can separate the two than more power to ya!

Hawksmaid

Last night I finished reading 'Hawksmaid' by Kathryn Lasky. It is the story of Maid Marian and Robin Hood,  but it begins BEFORE they were Maid Marian and Robin Hood, and were just a couple of kids that happened to be best friends. The story is definitely fantasy, but is based on true historical events. The characters are seeing the awful things that Prince John is doing to his subject while his  brother King Richard is fighting in a war in France. Many people are suffering from his tyranny so this band of kids decides to do something about it. They start out small, but eventually are doing greater things and are constantly having people join their band of 'Merry Men'. This was a very entertaining story to read, but there were some parts that kind of caught me off guard with how fantastical they were, not gonna lie. However, I would read it again which means it was worth reading.

Cinder and Ella

Last night I finished reading the book 'Cinder and Ella' by Melissa Lemon. I am not going to pretend like it is amazing writing or that I overly enjoyed this book. However, it is a good story with loveable characters and a fun read. I didn't really get "in" to it like I do on other books. You know, like when you literally can not put a book down so you read while you pee. But it definitely was entertaining, and while it is not a book that is a must have on my shelf, I would probably read this again. And if you are a huge Cinderella fan, than you will definitely like this book.

'Cinder and Ella' is about two sisters who also have an older sister who is a spoiled, and a younger sister who is a brat, and their sepparate (and sometimes together) journeys of finding their own happiness after so much darkness has entered their lives after their father goes missing.

Oh, and on a sidenote, the author lives in Kaysville, Ut where I grew up! Neat huh?

The Princess Academy

In case you don't know this about me, I am a HUGE fan of Shannon Hale! I absolutely love her style of writing. I have always been a big fan of "The Princess Academy", so when I came to work one day and saw that there was a second book I was beyond ecstatic! I hurried and re-read "The Princess Academy" so  that I would be ready for when I was next on the hold list for "Princess Academy: Palace of Stone".  When I finally got it I took it home and the next day I  read before work, during my lunch break, and stayed up until three in the morning to finish it. I was not planning on reading it in one day, but there was a point in the book where I was seriously wondering how this could ever have a happy ending. I just had to find out what happened. I love books like that. The one's that are absolutely not predictable, but keep you guessing until the very end. Shannon Hale definitely did not disapoint on this sequel. I enjoyed every single minute of reading this, so much in fact, I am pretty sure I need to get onto Amazon and buy myself my own copy.

The Bridge to Terabithia

I know it's been forever since I have been on here but life has been crazy busy this last month and finding time to read has kind of been a struggle. Fortunately for me though I have recently aquired a job as a librarian, so I am surrounded by books all day, everyday. I am finding it extremely difficult to not take a few home at least every week (okay okay, sometimes it's everyday). My latest read was 'A Bridge to Terabithia' by Katherine Paterson. This book is about two lonely children who are sick of being bullied at school and decide to create a magical world for themeselves where they are king and queen. Through this magical world they learn to be brave and discover the true meaning of friendship. It is a wonderful story of imagination, family, friendship, and coming of age. I read it in about six hours (ish) so it is a pretty quick read.

After I read the book I just had to watch the movie to see if it did it any justice- and it did! I loved the movie and would highly recommend it (after you have read the book of course). You can watch the trailer for it below. And yes, it includes the hearthrob from The Hunger Games (he is such a cutie!).

http://youtu.be/3SvqEIKP4t8

A Potter Generation

This blog of mine would feel pretty empty without a tribute to Harry Potter somewhere. We are the Harry Potter generation after all. No one else, past or present, can say that they grew up with Harry. The first book came out when I was ten years old, the last, when I was twenty. I was 14 when the first movie came out and 24 when the last movie hit theaters. These books and movies were one of the strongest influences in my world, at the time of my life when I was discovering who I was, while I was learning to leave my childhood behind and become an adult. Just like Harry, Ron, and Hermione. I really did grow up with them, and somehow, they became my friends too. Unlike some book fads that have gone around where everyone was jumping on the bandwagon left and right, Harry Potter is actually GOOD literature. J.K. Rowling is a genius! All of her twists and turns, and being able to connect the last book to the first one is incredible. You know she didn't just sit down and write the first book without thinking about how the rest of the series were going to turn out. I think she knew, or sort of knew, how it was all going to end by the first books publication. She is an amazing author that captivated not only audiences of all ages, but all over the world as well. Harry Potter has been published in over 200 countries and has been translated in over 65 languages! These books really are universally loved and cherished, and if you haven't read them yet, then now is the time to start. I promise you that you will get so much more out of the books than you ever can from the movies. Don't get me wrong, I love the movies, but the books are just so much more.... magical. 

"Whether you come back by the page or by the big screen, Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home." -J.K. Rowling-

WE ARE THE HARRY POTTER GENERATION.

we defended the stone,

we found the chamber,

we freed the prisoner,

we were chosen by the goblet,

we fought alongside the order,

we learned from the prince,

we mastered the hallows.

WE OWE IT ALL TO J.K. ROWLING ♥