BOOK SPOTLIGHT: Puck by Kim Askew & Amy Helmes

Hi there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we're shining the book spotlight on the latest addition to the Twisted Lit family releasing THIS TUESDAY!  For those not already in the know, the Twisted Lit series takes the work of the Bard and gives things a here-and-now makeover with pretty amazing results.  That being said, this release re-imagines A MidSummer Night's Dream...a title I had to read back in 7th grade.  Good times!  So, if you would be so kind, gentle reader I bid thee to please join me as we shine the spotlight on today's book of choice...

Puck

A Twisted Lit Novel

by

Kim Askew & Amy Helmes

Doublet Press

About the book...

Life isn't always fair, and no one knows that better than fifteen-year-old Puck. When she's unceremoniously booted from yet another foster home, this city kid lands at DreamRoads, a rehabilitation wilderness camp for juvies. Her fellow campers include a famous pop star with a diva attitude, a geeky, "fish out of water" math whiz, and a surly gang-banger with a chip on his shoulder. The program's steely director aims to break Puck, but she knows that every adult has a breaking point, too. Determined to defy this realm of agonizing nature hikes and soul-sucking psychobabble -- even if that means manipulating four lovestruck camp counselors and the director's dim-witted second-in-command -- Puck ultimately gets much more than she bargains for in this "wondrous strange" outdoor odyssey inspired by The Bard's most beguiling comedy.

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About the authors...

Los Angeles-based writers and bffs Kim Askew and Amy Helmes have been writing together since 2007. Askew’s work has appeared in Elle, The Wall Street Journal, and other magazines as well as the anthology The May Queen. Helmes is the author of several books, including The Wisdom of Nancy Drew and Betty and Veronica: A Girl's Guide to the 'Comic' World of Dating. Her essay “Searching for Mr. Darcy” was featured in the Los Angeles Times.

Facebook  |  Kim on Instagram  |  Kim on Twitter  |  Amy on Twitter

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Special thanks to the authors squared (that would be Kim and Amy) for the heads up on this forthcoming release.  (THANKS and CONGRATS!)  For more information on this title, the series, or the authors, feel free to click through the links provided above.  Remember, this is set to release TUESDAY, November 15th, 2016, so mark your calendar or pre-order your copy today!

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!

Share with you, I will!: William Shakespeare's Star Wars is BACK!

Welcome you, I do.



Site that celebrates bookish happenings and what not 365 days a year, it is; Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.  Review we will soon the title featured today, but as with all that is too good to keep secret, SHARE WE MUST the book trailer here today.

If you haven't figured out the series featured by the dialogue, help you I can not, but perhaps this visual interlude will assist you on your path.

That's right!
This Tuesday marks the arrival of the SECOND installment of the Quirk Books Shakespearean odyssey....
 The Empire Striketh Back!



Curious you are?
*ahem*
I mean, you're curious, right?  As you should be!
Whether avid fan of the original series or the Bard himself, this quirky little trilogy hasn't disappointed thus far, and I doubt that even in a galaxy many light years away it would do any differently.

So.
Stay tuned for my upcoming review, share this post/vid with all you know and in the mean time, go hit play again.  You know you want to.
^_^

Special thanks to the one, the only, Eric at Quirk Books for the heads up on this fun viewing sequence.  Thankful, I am!  To check out more about this series, pay a visit to the Quirk Books site post haste.

Until next time...USE THE FORCE...and happy reading!

William Shakespeare's Star Wars by Ian Doescher

Hi guys!

A review on the fly today as I'm out and about so pardon the formatting...but even the lack of laptop access can not my sharing of views stop.

Confused you are? Good. Good. Tis only those strong with the Force that will predict whom I am channeling, they will. HOWEVER,  tis only those with a penchant for Shakespearen text, or at least those that like the sound of it, that will grasp the full focus of my post....at least until you continue reading because you know I'll explain everything. ^-^

Today's book of choice comes to us via Quirk Books (Hi, Eric - http://twitter.com/ericsmithrocks) and stars two fan favorites, shaken, stirred and mashed together like a big steaming bowl of Alderaan stew...at tea time.  See where this is going? Soon, clear it will be. Today we shine the collective spotlight of a thousand rebel ships on....

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE'S STAR WARS by
Ian Doescher

To read or not to read...that is the eternal question. (No lie...that was my question too when I first heard about this release.)
Is it better to have sallied forth with imaginations running on all power cells, or is it nobler to let the classics only have full reign of the Bard's particular vernacular and verse?

This reader says. ..take the journey to a galaxy far far away whilst using the tongue of a time forgotten by most but thriving in literature still.  Whether ye be a formidable fan of the infamous trilogy or of the late great works of a playwright that left his mark around the world, this unusual, unexpected, and frankly odd sounding mash up of talents and genres works rather well...something this particular publisher is also known for.  

The characters are recognizable (and I loved how R2-D2 was given a "voice" a time or two...since I don't speak beep), the scenes familiar enough, but only to the extent that they felt like old friends rediscovered after a bout of broken communication. You had things to talk about but you weren't complete strangers. The fact that it follows the "act 1, scene 1" set up also makes it easily accessible to the theater crowd...after all, once you've finished reading it, you can't help but wonder what it'd be like to see it on stage.  The costumes alone would be worth it.

Review copy received courtesy of Eric at Quirk Books (http://www.quirkbooks.com). (THANKS!) For more information on this title as well as their complete catalogue, be sure to visit them online or follow along on Twitter.  This book is available now so be on the look out for it on a bookstore shelf near you. ALSO...fan of book trailers or not, you need to seek out the one for this title...it's totally worth it.

Until next time...happy reading!

"Swift as a shadow, short as any dream...": A Midsummer Night's Scream by R.L. Stine

Hi there!

Welcome back to the place that let's you be you no matter how quirky, off beat, or out of step you might be....Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.  After all, if we WERE all the same....can you IMAGINE how boring the world would be? ~shudders~

Today, we are saying goodbye to July...and sending it off with a SCREAM!  Come with me as we step inside the Young Adult genre with a writer known the world over for his literary scare tactics and skill while revisiting a story of yesterday with a modern day twist.  As the curtain rises on today's book of choice we discover it to be....

A Midsummer Night's Scream

by

R.L. Stine

ISBN:  978-1-250-02434-3

Feiwel & Friends

About the book...

In R.L. Stine's A Midsummer Night's Scream, the Master of Horror takes on the Master of Theatre!

Oh, what fools these actors be!

It was a horror movie that turned into real horror--three young actors lost their lives while the camera rolled. Production stopped, and people claimed that the movie was cursed.
Sixty years later, new actors are venturing onto the haunted set. In a desperate attempt to revive their failing studio, Claire's dad has green-lit a remake of Mayhem Manor—and Claire and her friends are dying to be involved.
At first, Claire laughs at Jake’s talk of ghosts and curses. He’s been too busy crushing on her best friend Delia to notice that she’s practically been throwing herself at him. What does he know? And anyway, this is her big chance to be a star!
When shooting starts, though, the set is plagued by a series of horrible accidents—could history be repeating itself?

First off, that cover!  Definitely eye catching and uber creepy.  I mean the drama mask is spooky enough but add the limp and BLOODY hand to the mix and well we pretty much know we're not about to stroll down the yellow brick road.

Second....I LOVE the original play/story A MidSummer Night's Dream by the Bard himself.  I was forced to read it in 7th grade English (though forced is merely used here because it was assigned not chosen) and though the language can trip your tongue and the meanings allude you at first glance, it is a classic for a reason.  There are so many layers to peel back when examining the story let alone the actual plot line that....that would take another post.  Today however focuses on the modern day counterpart we see here.  How does it stack up?  Well....

After the initial appeal of both original story, cover and of course the author himself (surprisingly, I've never actually READ his other works...just know of them as his name's always been synonymous with a good scare), that's about where the bright-shiny-new-toy aspect wore off for me.  I couldn't connect with the characters (and it was not the age difference between us, trust me) and their lack of depth was slightly infuriating.  The run-spot-run formula that the plot line followed was WAY too predictable and when it wasn't....just simply odd.  There wasn't enough theatrics in this reproduction for me, perhaps making it a better fit for those that simply know of the original, but haven't read it yet.  I will definitely grant Mr. Stine mad props for his death scenes.  Though some were too much to believe, others were memorable enough to set the hairs on the back of your neck on end.

Overall, I wasn't as impressed as I imagined I might be; so that was definitely a downer.  However, for those just becoming acquainted with the original story, those that don't mind the impossible being granted possible with an edge of absurdity, it will hit the mark in abundance.  Go into it with both eyes open, even for the gory scenes (yes, the author definitely lives up to his name in a nausea inducing scene or two) and you'll see sights you hadn't anticipated as well as some you might not wish to see again...like ever.  Think Mikey Myers in hairy garden gnome form.  *blink*  Yeah....that about sums that up.

Recommended read for teens of all ages and older; the content isn't blush worthy in the least but those more impressionable or prone to the power of suggestion may be sleeping with a light on for a while....and avoiding creepy butt houses where death seemed to wait upon the stoop for any to pass by.

ARC for review received courtesy of Ksenia at Macmillan Children's Publishing Group.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title as well as their ever expanding catalog of bookish wonders, be sure to stop by their official site, catch up on their blog, friend them on Pinterest, like them on Facebook, or follow along on Twitter.  This title was released via Feiwel & Friends just this month and should be available on a bookstore shelf near you.

Until next time...I bid thee fair thoughts and wondrous dreams...and of course, happy reading!

Shakespeare Who?: A Review and Refresher

Hi there readers.

Congratulations on making it to the halfway point of another week.

Hopefully it's treating you well and if not, eh...show it who's boss, kay?

Today's post features a title that will show YOU who's boss, that's for certain....or at least one that will teach you a thing or two about someone we all know in some fashion.  Who might that be?  Wait for it....wait....all will be revealed in three....two.....one...  Today's book of choice is....

I Used to Know That:  Shakespeare

Stuff You Forgot From School

by

Liz Evers

A fairly clear and concise guide to all things "Bard", this book is like an ultimate Cliff Notes to his life, times, and work.  If you've ever even shared a passing fancy in one of his plays or sonnets, this book will not only take you on a walk down memory lane, but show you the off shoots and side streets you may have over looked the first time around. 

Miss the point of Richard III?  No problem.  --flips pages-- As it seems, this was the infamously wicked character that loved to draw the audience into his odious acts making them a party to the "crimes".  Never heard of The Winter's Tale?  Welcome to my world.  --flips a few more pages-- According to the brief glimpse at the play transcribed here, it seems that the events may have been a story merely told on a cold, dark night...well, for starters at least.  Recently assigned or besieged with questions from those who have been assigned reading from Hamlet, MacBeth, or The Merchant of Venice?  Your window of "salvation" has been opened, and the curtains thrown aside making way for you to read all about it.  However, summaries and play breakdowns are not all that await you within these pages.....

Along with the infamous is the less than known filled with unexpected facts to flesh them into existence.  His life and journey through it start us off.  His imagination and creativity spill forth with the many word creations and meanings associated to him and his work; being a fan of word play, he was a writer after out own hearts.  His many quote-worthy writings are cleared up to reveal their accurate accounts.  There's even a glossary of characters should you be at a loss when faced with a reference and need a quick clarification, plus a selection of several dozen quotes from those same beloved "souls".

In short, it's a book for the young and a book for the old, equally across the board.  Whether being newly introduced to his work, or getting a clearer understand of one's past reads, this is a great reference style guide to keep on hand for those moments you desire to "Shake" things up a bit.  Just remember, his work was meant to be performed so no matter how strange or twisted they appear on paper, all things look different when played out on the stage.  The spotlight is ready...what shall we perform first...

Review copy received courtesy of Rubyna at FSB Associates.  (THANKS!)  For more information regarding this book as well as their other featured titles, be sure to visit them online, or follow along on Twitter.  Now available in a store near you, this title can be purchased through most major retail outlets. 

Until next time...happy reading!