Rockstar Book Tours presents... WHEN THE WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN by K. Ibura - REVIEW + GIVEAWAY!

Hi there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the WHEN THE WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN by K. Ibura Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my review post below, make sure to enter the giveaway, and visit the other sites participating in this tour!

Title: WHEN THE WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN

Author: K. Ibura

Pub. Date: February 1, 2022

Publisher:  Scholastic Press

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook

Pages: 288

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org

What do you do when the world shuts down? A heartwarming story of friendship and overcoming adversity in a time of COVID, When the World Turns Upside Down is about community, giving back, and understanding the world around us through the power of generosity from debut middle grade author K. Ibura.

Nobody expected a tiny little virus to change the whole world in such a big way, especially not Shayla, Liam, Ai, and Ben. But when school closes to keep everyone safe, their lives turn upside down. It is one thing to learn that the outside world isn’t safe, but why does it seem that the virus is causing trouble inside their homes too?

As they each struggle to adjust to life in quarantine, they discover they are not alone: their apartment building is full of people who need their help. Working together, they begin to see that there is power in numbers. When they cooperate, they can ease each other’s challenges and help their neighbors through tough times. It’s a lesson they’ll need when protests explode in the streets. Soon, each friend has to decide what it means to be part of a community—and how much they’re willing to do to make this world safer for everyone.

Set against the onset of COVID, When the World Turned Upside Down navigates issues of race and social justice in a heartwarming story of generosity, friendship, and the power of youth.

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Reviews:

“When The World Turned Upside Down is as clear-eyed as it is engaging, as timely as it is timeless. I fell in love with every single student in this book. And days after reading it, each of them remains with me.” ― Jacqueline Woodson, National Book Award-winning author of Brown Girl Dreaming“

A beautifully written story that will inspire young readers to work for positive change even in times of turmoil and stress. This book reminds readers that all of us can make an impact and find ways to shine bright.” ―Angela Cervantes, author of Pura Belpré Honor Book Lety Out Loud"

A hope-filled book dealing with the struggles children face in extraordinary times, K. Ibura has crafted a story perfect for young readers looking to make sense of current events. Timely and important." – Adrianna Cuevas, author of Pura Belpré Honor Book The Total Eclipse of Nestor López and Cuba In My Pocket

"A heartwarming call to action." -- Kirkus Reviews

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This was a story that I wasn't prepared for.  It was a story that I thought was going to center on what happens when the world shuts down thanks to a virus gone haywire...and while yes, it has that element aplenty, it has a much bigger scope, and a much wiser message to impart.

The kids at the heart of this story are dealing with a changing world...a world turned upside down, if you will, but in more ways than one.  The pandemic has them attending school online, but there restlessness and desire to connect has them finding new ways to reach out to each other and to those around them.  It was heartwarming to see their friendships rebuilt, and not in an instant.  It was empowering to watch as their ideas took shape, and they themselves took action, to help others in their building from the tall to the small...and furry.  Yes, there were risks, but they prepared for them the best way they knew how, while still extending that hand of assistance.  

The part I wasn't prepared for was the frankness with which serious topics were discussed AND explored.  The reality of what the pandemic could do was brought home, as was the toll that the isolation and imposed togetherness could take on relationships.  Then we have the "surprise" topics I didn't see coming...racism, inequality, oppression, in not only history, but today's world.  We see the news topics come to life right on the page; from the lives unjustly lost to the gatherings turned violent that imparted messages not of peaceful living, but destruction.  It showed in all its raw emotion how mixed up and tangled our world truly is...but also that a brighter tomorrow isn't just a dream.  It's something to reach for, actively, in our daily lives because the only way to get there is one person, one day, one moment at a time.  

So yes, this was a story about friendship, growing up, and the unexpected things life can throw at us, but it was also a message asking readers of all ages to stand up for their fellow "man".  It reminds us not to be simply a bystander, but a voice for those that need one.  The kids had something with the pledge box they created.  How will YOU help be the change you want to see in the world today?

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About the author...

K. IBURA is an essayist, science fiction and fantasy short story writer, and painter from New Orleans, Louisiana. The middle child of five in a family of human rights activists, she grew up in a hardscrabble neighborhood with oak and fig trees, locusts and mosquitoes, cousins and neighbors. Her short story collection Ancient, Ancient won the James Tiptree, Jr. Award for 2012. Ibura’s debut YA novel will be coming out with Alloy and Harper Teen in spring 2022.

 

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon

 

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YOUR CHANCE TO WIN...

1 of 3 finished copies of WHEN THE WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN by K. Ibura!

(US Only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Special thanks to the Rockstar Book Tours team for the chance to bring this tour to you and to Scholastic Press for the copy for review. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, the publisher, this tour, or those on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title is set to celebrate its book birthday February 1st, 2022, so mark your calendar or pre order your copy today!  For more bookish fun and insights, be sure to check out the rest of the tour going on now...

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

1/17/2022	YA Books Central	Excerpt
1/17/2022	Kait Plus Books	Excerpt
1/18/2022	For the Love of KidLit	Excerpt
1/18/2022	The Reading Wordsmith	Review
1/19/2022	Bibliosini	Review
1/19/2022	Rajiv's Reviews	Review
1/20/2022	Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers	Review
1/20/2022	Nerdophiles	Review
1/21/2022	Books Are Magic Too	Review
1/21/2022	Pick a good book	Review

Week Two:

1/24/2022	Two Points of Interest	Review
1/24/2022	Not In Jersey	Review
1/25/2022	Hauntedbybooks	Review
1/25/2022	The Book Review Crew	Review
1/26/2022	The Momma Spot	Review
1/26/2022	Bookhounds YA	Review
1/27/2022	Lifestyle of Me	Review
1/27/2022	Perusewithcoffee	Review
1/28/2022	PopTheButterfly Reads	Review
1/28/2022	Cindy's Love of Books	Review

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

Booksparks #PopUpBlogTour: WHO ARE YOU, TRUDY HERMAN? by B.E. Beck

HI there!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.
Booksparks is at it again with another....




#PopUpBlogTour!


That's right!
It's time for another FABULOUS #PopUpBlogTour thanks to the wonderful folks at Booksparks who are eager to put YOU right there with the best of the best of recently released titles. Take today's for example...it's a story of a young girl made to grow up too fast, experiencing prejudice and racism you might find unbelievable.  While the story IS Fiction, it doesn't stop the truth of the inspiration behind it because internment of this nature actually DID happen on our own soil to people seeking a new life in these United States and receiving far less than what they worked for.  Ready for a dose of reality with your fiction escape?  Ready or not, here comes today's #PopUpBlogTour featured title...

Who Are You, Trudy Herman?

by

B.E.Beck

9781631523779

She Writes Press

About the book...

As a little girl, Trudy Herman is taught to stand up for truth by her much-loved grandfather. Then in 1943, Trudy’s childhood drastically changes when her family is sent to a German-American Internment Camp in Texas. On the journey to the camp, Trudy meets Ruth, who tells her and her friend Eddie the legend of the Paladins—knights of Emperor Charlemagne who used magic gifted to them by the heavens to stand up for virtue and truth. Ruth insists both Trudy and Eddie will become modern-day Paladins—defenders of truth and justice—but Trudy’s experiences inside the camp soon convince her that she doesn’t have what it takes to be a knight.

After two years, her family is released from the camp and they move to Mississippi. Here, Trudy struggles to deal with injustice when she comes face to face with the ingrained bigotries of the local white residents and the abject poverty of the black citizens of Willow Bay. Then their black housekeeper—a woman Trudy has come to care for—finds herself in crisis, and Trudy faces a choice: look the other way, or become the person her grandfather and Ruth believed she could be?

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What a curious read! It really makes you wonder how fine a line the story walks between reality and fiction...I mean, WERE those in the US put in internment camps because of their heritage or continued familial connections with those from their homeland? I couldn't help but wonder...and though my Google searches rendered that questioned possibility as a truth, it still struck me as absurd. On one hand, I get it...some might have been in cahoots and passing information, but the majority?  Did it really warrant the basic imprisonment of a people to weed out who was who?  *shakes head*  Anywho...

Throughout my reading journey, I came to one conclusion time and again.  Trudy was such a resilient little girl...not so little by experience now though, as sad as that may be, nor age wise by book's end.  True, she held the secrets of others when perhaps it might have been better to expose them to the light of day, but she was carrying out their wishes and in truth, they weren't hers to share.  My heart broke when her Grandfather visited her for the last time, and again when she witnessed what she witnessed at the camp, and yet again when she felt so incredibly helpless to come to the aid of her new "friend".  She had come such a long way and though the fence was gone she could still see the forest for the trees. She realized that not all cages have bars and sometimes those are the hardest of all to break free from.  Trudy met her match as the world kept trying to knock her back and allow the fear to take control, but in the end, she found the strength she needed to knock down at least one wall...and I've no doubt if we followed her story further, she'd continue to wow us all.

As I reached the end, I couldn't help but think that it's truly more of a beginning...and I was completely wrecked.  No really, tear filled eyes overflowing and all. It's not a pretty story and if you're looking for a happily ever after, think again. It's gritty, raw, and filled with the dark side of humanity...but even in those darkest moments, there is hope...if only we're strong enough, have faith enough to reach for it.  Trudy truly was the Paladin Ruth recognized her to be, so I guess the REAL question now is...WHO ARE YOU?

Recommended for Young Adult fans as well as Historical Fiction fans from teen-dom years and beyond.

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About the author...

B. E. Beck is an educator and writer. She taught at the University of Minnesota, Duluth, before moving to the Seattle College District. She and her husband live in the Seattle area. Her work has appeared in journals and anthologies.

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Special thanks to Leila at Booksparks and the She Writes Press team for the chance to bring this title to you as well as the ARC for review! (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, the publisher, or the promotion team, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title is set to release May 8th, 2018, so mark your calendar or pre-order your copy today.

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

BLOG TOUR: The Bone Tree by Greg Iles

Hi there!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we're helping kick off a TLC Book Tours promotion starring the second book in the Natchez Burning trilogy, part of the Penn Cage series from author Greg Iles.  Last month, we started our walk down this lengthy literary path with a review of Natchez Burning, and if I was impressed with that particular tome, the reading high definitely extends to my adventure through these 800+ pages.  Please note that the time of publication on this post is accurate, meaning I quite literally just finished reading the work and downloaded my thoughts promptly to virtual paper to share with all of you. (Yes, I led a rather productive day off between the house and the library... ^-^)  I most definitely recommend reading book one prior to embarking on this journey or the events that unfold will not have nearly as big an impact.  Without further ado, today's blog tour guest and book of choice is...

The Bone Tree

Natchez Burning Trilogy, Book 2

Penn Cage, Book 5

by

Greg Iles

9780062311122

William Morrow

About the book...

Former prosecutor Penn Cage and his fiancée, reporter and publisher Caitlin Masters, have barely escaped with their lives after being attacked by wealthy businessman Brody Royal and his Double Eagles, a KKK sect with ties to some of Mississippi’s most powerful men. But the real danger has only begun as FBI Special Agent John Kaiser warns Penn that Brody wasn’t the true leader of the Double Eagles. The puppeteer who actually controls the terrorist group is a man far more fearsome: the chief of the state police’s Criminal Investigations Bureau, Forrest Knox.

The only way Penn can save his father, Dr. Tom Cage—who is fleeing a murder charge as well as corrupt cops bent on killing him—is either to make a devil’s bargain with Knox or destroy him. While Penn desperately pursues both options, Caitlin uncovers the real story behind a series of unsolved civil rights murders that may hold the key to the Double Eagles’ downfall. The trail leads her deep into the past, into the black backwaters of the Mississippi River, to a secret killing ground used by slave owners and the Klan for over two hundred years . . . a place of terrifying evil known only as “the bone tree.”

The Bone Tree is an explosive, action-packed thriller full of twisting intrigue and deadly secrets, a tale that explores the conflicts and casualties that result when the darkest truths of American history come to light. It puts us inside the skin of a noble man who has always fought for justice—now finally pushed beyond his limits.

Just how far will Penn Cage, the hero we thought we knew, go to protect those he loves?

Purchase Links

HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

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Whereas the first book had more of the heinous crimes detailed, this one was more about the "meat" of the investigations.  Did that make it less gruesome?  Not really, I mean we ARE dealing with hate crimes, drug makers/dealers, police/political corruption, assassinations, and...need I continue? It did however mean that it wasn't quite as graphic as its predecessor...a good thing to note for the squeamish among you.  Another common inquiry when dealing with sets of three; did it fall victim to the typical "middle child" syndrome so often seen in trilogies?  No, definitely not.  While it is true, for my own tastes, we got a bit too much into the details of the old political crimes, though here they are still quite relevant, it did not damper the progress we made in the present.  Now, on to that story...

My heart was in my mouth for most of the book.  It's hard to believe how little time passed in this story (especially when you consider the LENGTH!) and yet SO MUCH HAPPENED!  We start off just before the final events of book one in order to catch up with FBI Special Agent John Kaiser.  He's still heck bent on collaring the baddies for crimes of old and losing focus on Penn's father, but no worries...he's about to get thrown back into the limelight.  Then, we high tail it through the aftermath of the inferno that was formerly known as Brody Royal's home base, with the fallout coming faster than you can utter the filth of a name that is Forrest Knox.  He's evil to the core, just like dear old dad...he just had a better handle on how to hide it from prying eyes.  The thing is, a "man" like that can't escape the hand of fate forever, and sometimes that hand comes from the most unexpected of places.  *dun dun dunnnn*  Finally, we throw back a little firepower of our own courtesy of Penn Cage and friends.  One of those friends is his fiance, Caitlin Masters...who despite escaping the firey depths of Royal's rage, will end up walking through He** itself this story round.  I'd like to say that her endeavors were entirely on the up and up.  I'd like to say she was cautious as instructed.  I'd like to, but I'm not one to lie.  Godspeed Caitlin.  Though friends are harder to come by in their current state of affairs, they do still exist outside the family and those that are standing by definitely take that Bruno Mars song to heart...you know the one...Grenade?  Yeah...grenade, bullet, samurai sword, or whatever, these guys are hardcore to the bone...and speaking of bone...



That mythical Bone Tree that is heard of in whispers, feared by most men/women of black descent, and seems to exist somewhere between this world and the next...FOUND IT...or rather Caitlin found it.  I won't go into any more details about that like whether it was in person or on paper, whether anything rumored to have been housed there was actually found or even looked for, but I will say that if such a place actually exists...I don't care what your heritage is, I'd steer clear!  *-*  Seriously folks, bad juju in the worst form, housing the evil of man against man and pretty much everything else that seeped from the darkest places of their soulless bodies.  Not a place you want to be...

In the end, you win some, you lose some...and both sides take some pretty HORRIBLE hits here (though I feel something for Cage's crew, NOT the Knox side of things).  The thing is though, there are still some MAJOR players on the board here and it's getting more and more littered with landmines as the days pass.  With the loose cannons roaming about, I'm surprised things ended as well as they did...but there IS still another book to come and with it, I'm sure the last hurrah on an EPIC level.  Recommended read for Historical Fiction fans as well as those that prefer to live in the Crime Fiction subcategory...like I said, it balances the old with the new, allowing both to carry weight that the grand finale hinges on...something I can't wait to read.

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About the author...

Greg Iles spent most of his youth in Natchez, Mississippi. His first novel, Spandau Phoenix, was the first of thirteen New York Times bestsellers, and his new trilogy continues the story of Penn Cage, protagonist of The Quiet Game, Turning Angel, and #1 New York Times bestseller The Devil’s Punchbowl. Iles’s novels have been made into films and published in more than thirty-five countries. He lives in Natchez with his wife and has two children.

Website  |   Twitter   |  Facebook

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Special thanks to Trish at TLC Book Tours for the chance to bring this promotion to you and to the William Morrow team for the copy for review.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title, the series, THIS TOUR, the author, the publisher, or those yours on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above.  This title celebrated its paperback release TODAY (happy book birthday!) via William Morrow Paperbacks, an imprint of HarperCollins, so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing.  Be sure to tune in early 2017 as we gear up for the FINAL release in the trilogy...can't WAIT to see how it all ends!

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

BLOG TOUR: Natchez Burning by Greg Iles

Hi guys!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

If you're a frequent visitor, you may have noticed a bit of blog silence for the past few days.  There's a reason for that.  You see, I was off from work a couple of days and while that usually gives you MORE time, I had home things to accomplish which occupied most of my hours...and an 816 page book to read.  Yep.  That's right.  A hefty 816 pages of wordy wonder to read, digest, and formulate my thoughts on for today's post.  Good reason, huh?  ^-^  Speaking of the wordy wonder...

Today, we're playing host to the first of THREE TLC Book Tours promotions starring a particular trilogy from author Greg Iles.  Name ring a bell?  It should because even though this was the first time I had read his work, it didn't mean the titles in question weren't on my radar...because they were.  I just hadn't had the opportunity to delve into them and this promotion gave me the PERFECT chance to indulge.  Ladies and gents, today's featured title is...

Natchez Burning

by

Greg Iles

9780062311085

William Morrow Paperbacks

About the book...

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Greg Iles comes the first novel in his Natchez Burning trilogy—which also includes The Bone Tree and the upcoming Mississippi Blood—an epic trilogy that interweaves crimes, lies, and secrets past and present in a mesmerizing thriller featuring Southern lawyer and former prosecutor Penn Cage.

Raised in the southern splendor of Natchez, Mississippi, Penn Cage learned all he knows of duty from his father, Dr. Tom Cage. But now the beloved family doctor has been accused of murdering the African American nurse with whom he worked in the dark days of the 1960s. Once a crusading prosecutor, Penn is determined to save his father, but Tom, stubbornly invoking doctor-patient privilege, refuses even to speak in his own defense.

Penn's quest for the truth sends him deep into his father's past, where a sexually charged secret lies. More chilling, this long-buried sin is only one thread in a conspiracy of greed and murder involving the vicious Double Eagles, an offshoot of the KKK controlled by some of the most powerful men in the state. Aided by a dedicated reporter privy to Natchez's oldest secrets and by his fiancée, Caitlin Masters, Penn uncovers a trail of corruption and brutality that places his family squarely in the Double Eagles' crosshairs.

With every step costing blood and faith, Penn is forced to confront the most wrenching dilemma of his life: Does a man of honor choose his father or the truth?

Purchase Links

HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

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First things first...

This book is not for the faint of heart in MANY respects.  It contains adult situations, heinous acts of hatred, violence so ugly it could make your blood curdle, and perhaps the scariest part of all...most of it COULD (if not DID) happen.

From the moment you embark on this journey, you know it's going to be a memorable yet hard read, much for the same reasons ironically enough. The author has the ability to place you right there in the situation, whether you like it or not.  You're a witness to things that no one should have to endure one moment and fighting alongside Penn to save his friends and family the next.  One second, it's a normal day spent in meetings and house calls, the next you're dodging bullets and trying not to become a dish best served flambé.  There's heartache and action, racism at its ugliest and heroic deeds done solely because they should be, not because notoriety may come as a result.  I felt Mr. Albert's pride in being able to serve a need in the community (in more ways than one) as well as his fear for Pooky as he was trying to make his escape.  When he met an untimely and ghastly end, I mourned the loss of this fair fellow as much as the residents of Natchez.  The moment Dr. Cage was put in the spotlight, I worried for his health as well as his well being.  It was good to see Dr Cage have a devoted fan base but will that and whatever truth comes to light be enough?  You'll have to read it to find out, but trust me on one point with this sweet doctor...there's more to him than meets the eye

That same sentiment can be used to label several people in this remarkable story.  From Penn Cage, fighting the good fight however he can, to his fiancé Caitlin Masters, using her words to strike out at those that would mean them and others harm (though I did find it odd that a journalist and a politician would make a good couple...it just seems like you'd be constantly waiting for something to happen!), Mr. Kaiser, who despite his bureau's reputation actually makes things happen, to Henry Sexton, the solo reporter who took it upon himself to solve these atrocious crimes from yesteryear (at what cost?), there are so many innocent souls on the line, St Peter would have to install a waiting room just to sort through them all.  As for the wicked, I'm not certain I can truly represent the degree of revulsion I felt for them without oversharing, so I'll have to let you discover that end of the spectrum for yourselves.  It's enough to say that any of them that met their maker this time around deserved a WHOLE LOT WORSE.

In the end, I was hollowed out from my experience in Natchez.  It truly drained me emotionally, mentally, and physically.  So much hatred. So much rage. Yet even in the darkest of hours, there were glimpses of light... hope. The past is to be learned from but the here and now part is what's really killing me. I know it's fiction but gheesh! People actually believing things like that, talking like that, acting like that... horrible.  I mean, WHAT A STORY!  It just shows how man is capable of great evil as well as good; it all depends on the path we choose.  If you go through life with blinders on, only believing what others tell us, and never seeking truth for ourselves, then what an unfulfilled life it will be.  No adventure.  Nothing of ourselves invested in the outcome.  I prefer to subscribe to the notions that folks like Albert Norris, Penn Cage, Caitlin Masters, and especially Henry Sexton upheld.  They may have faltered here and there, but in their heart of hearts (and when it truly counted), they were all in. 

Recommended read for adult readers due to content (both sexual and gory) and the heft of the topics covered.

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About the author...

Greg Iles spent most of his youth in Natchez, Mississippi. His first novel, Spandau Phoenix, was the first of thirteen New York Times bestsellers, and his new trilogy continues the story of Penn Cage, protagonist of The Quiet Game, Turning Angel, and #1 New York Times bestseller The Devil’s Punchbowl. Iles’s novels have been made into films and published in more than thirty-five countries. He lives in Natchez with his wife and has two children.

Website  |   Twitter   |  Facebook

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Special thanks to Trish at TLC Book Tours and William Morrow Paperbacks for the chance to bring this tour to you as well as the copy for review. (THANKS!)  For more information on this title, the trilogy, the author, the publisher, or those promotions forthcoming, feel free to click through the links provided above.  Don't forget to check out the other stops on THIS TOUR for other insights, features, and chances to win...and be sure to stay tuned as we continue next month with a review of book 2, The Bone Tree.

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