Mundie Moms

Sunday, October 23, 2011

In My Mailbox #94 & Weekly Feature

Happy Sunday! I hope everyone has had an awesome weekend. Thank you for the feedback on the new blog design. I'm so excited that you guys are loving it as much as I am! Here's what we've got coming up this week on the blog:

Monday: Prized by Caragh O'Brien blog tour, will include my spoiler free review & an author interview

Tuesday: The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa tour stop which will include my spoiler free review & a GIVEAWAY!

Wednesday: Don't miss our Spooktacular post

Thursday: we're chatting with the River of Time Series author, Lisa Bergren

Friday: Obsidian by Jennifer Armentrout blog stop with a spoiler free review & we're hosting the 2 author chat for The Crossroads Blog Tour!! Don't miss your chance to chat with 16 fabulous YA authors!


In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren were bloggers share the books they've received the following week for review, purchased, borrowed, won or were gifted. Here's the goodies that arrived this week:


For Review:

* A Million Suns by Beth Revis, published by Razorbill, to be released on January 10th, 2012 , this beauty also came with a poster that the book is laying on.

* Beautiful Chaos by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl, published by Little Brown, released on October 18th, 2011

* Eve by Anna Carey, published by Harper Teen, released on October 4th, 2011, I'm so excited I was sent two at the same time so I could give one away!!

* Touch by Jus Accardo, published by Entangled Publishing, to be released on November 1st, 2011


Bought:

The only books I bought this week were for my kiddos.


Thank you to Penguin, Little Brown, Deb Shaprio & Company, and Entangled Publishing for this week's awesome reads. What goodies did you receive?

Clockwork Angel Read Along Day 12: Chapter 11- Few Are Angels


It's day 12 of our Clockwork Angel Read Along! Please be sure to visit our link here for our schedule, guidelines and to fill out the form to be entered to win some fabulous prizes. Feel free to answer any number of the questions asked. You don't need to answer all of them if you don't wish to.

Today we're discussing chapter 11. Well now, that was an interesting chapter. We had a lot of action, some more twists and the plot continues to thicken. I can't believe Will bit a vampire!

* There's a lot that happens in this chapter. We learn that Camille and de Quincy had a history, de Quincy gets away, Will bit a vampire, Nate is safe, but there's still some unrest and the mystery behind what's really going on continues. Today I'll keep it simple ask, what are your thoughts on the turn of events?

Book Review: Frost, Stork #2


Published by: Candlewick Press
Released on: October 11th, 2011
Source: ARC from TLA
4 stars: I Really Enjoyed It
Purchase from: Amazon| Barnes & Noble

In this sequel to STORK, Katla Leblanc has to employ her grit, spirit, and special gifts to rescue the boy she loves.

After the drama of finding out that she’s a Stork, a member of an ancient and mystical order of women, and that her boyfriend, Jack, is a descendent of the Winter People able to control the weather, Katla Leblanc is delighted when all signs point to a busy and peaceful Christmas. That is, until the snowstorm Jack summons as a gift to Katla turns into the storm of the century, attracting Brigid, a gorgeous scientist who, in turn, attracts Jack. Between the school play, a bedridden, pregnant mother’s to-do lists, and keeping an eye on her aging grandfather, Katla doesn’t have time to question Brigid’s motives or deal with Jack’s increasingly cold behavior. But Katla’s suspicions mount when Jack joins Brigid on a research expedition to Greenland, and when the two of them go missing, it becomes clear that Katla is the only one who can save her beloved Jack from the Snow Queen who holds him prisoner. Adventure, romance, and myth combine in this winter escapade for teens who like a bit of fire with their ice. -quoted from Goodreads

I loved Stork and the magical element and rich Norse and Jack Frost mythologies that Wendy brought to life in her story. She does the same thing with Frost, but adds another great spin on a fabulous mythology, The Snow Queen. This added a whole new depth to the story and series. I liked how she introduced it into the series.

I'm a sucker for well written story that takes an existing mythology and makes it their own, and Wendy has a talent for doing that. She brings the right amount of magic into her stories. This time Wendy used all the right elements to make the magical story of The Snow Queen come to life. Being very familiar with this story I felt that is was both fitting and believable for Kat's story. Wendy did a great job at using Jack's ability, and Stanley's research he's done on Global Warming from Stork to mold this mythology into her over all plot line. Through The Snow Queen, Wendy was also able to test Jack and Kat's relationship and love for another. I of course wasn't too fond of them being apart for a chunk of the story, but I liked what she did once she reunited them. This also allowed for Kat to take a journey of her own as she sets off to bring Jack home.

Kat herself grows a lot in this story. She's stronger, and becomes a bit more sarcastic. Her inner thoughts made me laugh more than a few times. She handles some situations surprisingly well. This story isn't so much about her continuing to work on developing her abilities as I thought it was going to be. Instead Kat becomes a heroine as she's on a mission to save Jack. Jack too changes, a lot. It's not his fault he fell under The Snow Queen's spell, but I did miss having him around for a big part of the story. The Snow Queen, aka Brigid, is someone I disliked from the moment she enters the picture. With her introduction to the story it was obvious who she was, though I loved her cover and modern day fit into society.

Many of the things I loved about Stork were put into Frost's background, as Wendy developed more of what felt like a companion story for Stork. The Stork society which plays a huge role in Stork, places a minor role in this story. There's some other paralleling stories like Kat's mom's pregnancy, Stanley's research with Brigid, a new researcher from Greenland, a startling change in Jack, and Kat's try outs for the school's upcoming play, The Snow Queen, that make up the story line. There were times I felt like too much was going on and I wasn't sure why certain story lines were crucial to Frost, but in the end it all made sense as Wendy ties everything together nicely. I'd definitely recommend this to fans of the series. I love what the publisher has done with covers! It's a perfect fit for the story.

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