S&S Children's Publishing presents... THE VERY, VERY FAR NORTH by Dan Bar-el - REVIEW + GIVEAWAY!

Hi there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, I'm as pleased as Duane would be if presented with a Snow Delight buffet to bring you a very, very special Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing blog tour.  It features a NEW Children's Fiction title that's MAGICAL, WONDERFUL, WONDER-FILLED, and actually teaches readers a thing or two along the way.  How so?  Oh, you'll see....but first, the intro!  Ladies and gents, polar critters of all varieties, please join me as we welcome today's blog tour guest and book of choice...

The Very, Very Far North

by

Dan Bar-el
Illustrated by

Kelly Pousette
9781534433410
Atheneum Books for Young Readers

About the book...

An inquisitive polar bear named Duane befriends an array of animals as he discovers where he belongs in this charming classic-in-the making that’s reminiscent of Winnie the Pooh.

In the Very, Very Far North, past the Cold, Cold Ocean and just below the hill that looks like a baby whale, you’ll find Duane and his friends.

Duane is a sweet and curious young bear who makes friends with everyone he meets—whether they’re bossy, like Major Puff the puffin, or a bit vain, like Handsome the musk ox, or very, very shy, like Boo the caribou. For these arctic friends, every day is a new adventure!

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Welcome to the very, very far north, where it's cold and blustery, snowy while sunny, and filled with everything a young polar bear, owl, musk ox, puffin, rabbit, dog, young person, or any other critter imaginable could ever really need.  There's shelter, food, fun, and perhaps most importantly, FRIENDS to be made, if only one is willing to adventure forth...and our little friend Duane the polar bear is MORE than ready!  Why?  Well, every day is filled with POSSIBILITY.  Every meeting is a new chance to add to his circle of friends.  Every time he ventures out, whether near or far, he has another opportunity to learn something new from someone new or a new situation...and if ever the trek becomes too familiar, it simply means that he's spending time with those he's chosen to be a part of his "family".

Honestly, I fell in love with the characters for their multitude of personalities, and how they interacted with one another.  It was refreshing to see them stay true to themselves instead of having them change to simply fit whatever mold was set before them.  It certainly speaks to YOU being enough for anyone that truly matters...but, it does MORE than that.  Those varied personalities create shall we say friction at times presenting Duane with different situations that can be difficult to navigate at any age without stepping on toes.  His gentle nature and positive outlook on life genuinely light of the page and I believe will truly capture the minds/hearts of young readers.  Aside from the story itself, the writing was my other true love.



I adored how the story was written, in both style and reading level.  It was just enough that younger readers will be challenged, but not overwhelmed; while older readers won't feel as if they are "reading down" by any means, and freely enjoy the tale before them.  Regarding the style, there's an unnamed narrator that we as readers get to interact with that makes the connection one feels with the story THAT much greater, and at book's end we get an extra special treat as we're invited further into this group of friends by someone rather unexpected, but oh so heartwarming!

In conclusion, it's a grand adventure through the very, very far north with characters you won't soon forget and lessons in friendship that transfer right off the page.  The charming illustrations throughout keep you right there every step of the way, while giving you another layer of connection to your new friends.  You'll smile, you'll gasp, you'll shout HIP HIP HOORAY as you make the acquaintance of Duane, C.C., Handsome, and a myriad of other potential new friends in this winter wonderland waiting for you between the pages.

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About the author...

Dan Bar-el is an award-winning children’s author, educator, and storyteller whose books include Audrey (cow), Not Your Typical Dragon, and The Very, Very Far North. Dan has worked with children ages three to thirteen as a school-age childcare provider, a preschool teacher, a creative drama teacher, and a creative writing teacher. He also teaches with the Creative Writing for Children Society. Dan lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, with artist and goldsmith Dominique Bréchault, and Sasha, the most adorable cat in the known universe. Visit him at DanBarel.com.

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About the illustrator...

Kelly Pousette is an illustrator and storyteller, originally from the west coast of British Columbia. She loves to create things, especially pictures. Her work has been featured in The Huffington Post Paris, The Brown Paper Bag blog, and Brightness Magazine. She currently resides in northern British Columbia with her husband and very large dog Clovis. The Very, Very Far North is her first book.

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UP FOR GRABS...

(1) hardback edition of The Very, Very Far North by Dan Bar-el

(US ONLY)

*Entries accepted through 09/14/19.  Open to US residents only; no PO Boxes please.  Winner will be drawn and contacted for mailing information.  If not received within 48 hours from time sent, a new winner will be chosen.  SFIR is not responsible for lost prizes.  Complete as many options on the Rafflecopter as you like for bonus entries and feel free to spread the word because sharing is caring!  😊

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Special thanks to Lili at Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing for the ARC for review as well as the chance to bring this tour to you.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title, the author, the illustrator, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above.  This title celebrated its BOOK BIRTHDAY September 3rd, 2019 (woot woot!) via Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing.  Be sure to check out the rest of the sites on the tour for more bookish fun...

BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE OF AWESOMENESS!

September 2 – The Story Sanctuary
September 3 – Kirsti Call
September 4 – Randomly Reading
September 5 – Alexa Loves Books
September 6 – Jean Little Library
September 7 – Tale Out Loud
September 8 – Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers
September 9 – Insane About Books

 

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



Silver Dagger Book Tours presents... THE LEGEND SERIES by McKayla Schutt - GIVEAWAY!

The Legend Series Box Set

Books 1-9

by McKayla Schutt

Genre: Paranormal Romance 

A witch and a wolf imprint, what could possibly go wrong??

Celina

Celina is faced with the one choice she never wanted to make between her mate and her child how would she choose?

Red Eclipse

Alia’s ready to vanish until a werewolf claiming to be her mate emerges and changes everything…

Blood Moon

Maria knows nothing of the magical blood flowing through her veins… when she imprints with the alpha, everything starts changing.

Summer Solstice

New beginnings aren’t supposed to start with werewolf imprint…now Carmen must choose, her wolf mate or her old way of life and time isn’t on her side.

Angie’s New Moon

Angie desires a life with a mate so she pushes down her fear and travels… but things she feared are coming true and she can’t stop what’s coming.

Solar Eclipse

No one believes Walter when he says, danger is coming, sticky spells and imprinting with Amethyst could prove him right or destroy the wolfpack coven.

Hunter’s Moon

Finding her mate should be the easiest part of Luna’s witchy life but he’s been raised to hate witches, will he abandon her like her parents or stay with her till death?

Jina

Tragedy and lies have been Jina’s whole existence but now she needs her second chance with her werewolf mate, she’ll find it or die trying.

Final Eclipse

Love is the last thing on Samara’s mind, as a hunter of supernatural beings she needs to stay focused, but Devin calls to her in a deep level that puts both of their lives on the line.

Fall in love with the Legend Series wolves and witches today.

Grab all 9 books for under $1 a book!

Add to Goodreads

Amazon * Apple * B&N * Kobo * Author Store

McKayla loves to write books about sexy werewolves.

Now a USA Today Bestselling Author!

She's a stay at home mom of two in the state of Wyoming. Born in California, she misses the hot weather all of the time. Her goal- to write as many sexy books as possible. However, being a mom of two little ones can take time but she is pushing to finish her work to get more books out for her lovely fans.

Ever since she was little she wanted to be a writer but doubters said that it would be impossible to make money at it. She is pushing herself hard to show them they are wrong.

She would like to remind everyone to review what you read, it's important!

Website * Newsletter * Facebook * FB Group * Twitter * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

Follow the tour HERE for exclusive content and a giveaway!

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PR by the Book presents... THE SEA OF JAPAN by Keita Nagano - REVIEW!

HI there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we welcome PR by the Book for a stop along their current promotion featuring a work of Fiction that just celebrated its BOOK BIRTHDAY earlier this week.  The story has us sailing away to the mysterious and historically rich world of Japan, immersing ourselves in the culture, taking in the dynamics of the world then versus now, and unexpectedly challenging the status quo for survival...not of ourselves, but of the world as they know it.  Ladies and gents, grab your fishing gear and prepare to board as we welcome today's book of choice and blog tour guest...

The Sea of Japan

by

Keita Nagano

9781684630127

SparkPress

About the book...

Follow Lindsey in her journey for love, survival, and friendship in a small fishing town in Japan. 

When thirty-year-old Lindsey, an English teacher in Japan who’s been assigned to a tiny fishing town, is saved from drowning by a local young fisherman, she’s drawn into a battle with a neighboring town that has high stakes for everyone—especially her.

As their efforts to save their town backfire, Hime gets closer to falling apart—putting Lindsey’s friends, her budding relationship with Ichiro, and her career in jeopardy. To save Hime, Lindsey realizes she’ll have to become a true American fisherwoman and fight for her new home with everything she has. 

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What we have here is a story of one woman's unexpected journey to discovering herself.  There are dry parts (ironic considering the title/subject matter...but, there you have it) and parts so infused with "flavor" that one can't bare to turn away...now that I think about it, it's sort of the same balance found in our leading lady's life.

Lindsey moved from the US of A not truly seeking adventure, or a new way of living, but to escape her past.  She gets an escape alright, but things don't always go her way, which places her at the center of controversy after controversy, and yet through those upsets, which span everything from a confrontation at the Junior High in which she teaches to the possible end to the fishing community that is Hime, she is freed internally to seek the peace she so desires.  Sound like a far-fetched idea among all the standoffs and what ifs?  In truth, it is...but the idea of something being improbable or impossible has never stopped her before.

We bare witness to Lindsey san losing faith in her initial mission for coming to this beautiful country,  and almost losing her life in the process.  We watch as she finds strength after that brush with death, as well as a new sense of purpose.  We see her as she discovers her place within the community despite being an outsider, and finally finding a home away from home within a country, with a people, and eventually against all odds, love.  It's quite the journey, and by no means paved with roses (or tulips), but it was her's to make, for better or worse.

In the end, I enjoyed my time at sea with Lindsey san and Ichiro, and valued getting to know their souls (fictitious or not) throughout the course of the tides they sailed, and was truly moved by how their story ended.  The only downside for me was the intensity with which the fishing industry was delved into...it's not the whole story, but it plays a major part, so be prepared before you cast your lines.  Recommended for those readers who wish for an escape from the everyday, and never say never to their dreams.

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About the author...

Keita Nagano is an award-winning Japanese author who has lived almost equally in Nevada and Tokyo—more than twenty years in each place—and reflects the difference of the two cultures in his novels. He has a bachelor’s degree in economics from Keio University in Japan, as well as an MBA in global business and Ph.D. in management from Walden University in Minnesota. The pursuit of the authentic American experience is his hobby: he has been to all fifty states, all thirty major league ballparks, and the top sixty big cities in America. He has published seventeen business nonfiction and eight fiction books in Japan. In 2013, he received a Nikkei (Japanese Wall Street Journal) Award for Contemporary Novel for his missing-child thriller, Kamikakushi. He is also an official weekly columnist for Forbes Japan. Nagano lives in Henderson, Nevada, with his wife and Welsh corgi, and their teenage daughter is currently studying in Tennessee. 

SITE |  FACEBOOK  |  INSTAGRAM  |  TWITTER

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Special thanks to Dawn at PR by the Book for the PDF for review as well as the chance to bring this tour to you.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title, the author, this tour, or those on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above.  This title celebrated its book birthday this Tuesday, so click on over to your favorite retailer to snag your copy today.

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

PRE BOOK BIRTHDAY BUZZ: The Liar's Daughter by Megan Cooley Peterson

Hi there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we're spreading a bit of PRE BOOK BIRTHDAY BUZZ about a Young Adult title COMING SOON via Holiday House Publishing!  It fits into the Contemporary category rather nicely, but contains a certain twist.  Yes, my friends, this isn't the usual girl-meets-boy/girl-falls-in-love-but-can't-see-a-way-to-actually-be-with-that-person sort of story.  Instead, we've got a tale that while Fiction is pulled from fact and centers around the life of a young girl that while seemingly everything it should be to her...wasn't even a fraction of what it could have been.  Ready or not, here comes today's title in the spotlight...

The Liar's Daughter

by

Megan Cooley Peterson

9780823444182

Holiday House

Release Date:  09/10/19

About the book...

Piper was raised in a cult.She just doesn't know it. Seventeen-year-old Piper knows that Father is a Prophet. Infallible. The chosen one.

She would do anything for Father. That's why she takes care of all her little sisters. That's why she runs end-of-the-world drills. That's why she never asks questions. Because Father knows best.

Until the day he doesn't. Until the day the government raids the compound and separates Piper from her siblings, from Mother, from the Aunts, from all of Father's followers—even from Caspian, the boy she loves.

Now Piper is living Outside. Among Them.

With a woman They claim is her real mother—a woman They say Father stole her from.

But Piper knows better. And Piper is going to escape.

PUBLISHER

INDIEBOUND  |  B&N  |  AMAZON

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Honestly?

This was a FASCINATING read.

Piper has a loving family life.  She's provided for, taken care of, and given responsibilities, just like any other teenager.  Mother and Father only want what's best for her and her siblings.  The thing is...her life may SOUND like every other teen's existence before her, but it's anything but.  You see, she had a life BEFORE and a life AFTER, and while she may not clearly remember anything of the former or what even caused the invisible chasm that exists, it's about to come crashing through the latter laced with first love, parental doubts, and gunfire. 

One thing I found interesting here, aside from the story itself, is how it makes you really THINK.  I mean, who's to say what NORMAL looks like.  To this group of "believers", this WAS their everyday...while to outsiders, such as myself, it appears oh-so-many-shades-of-wrong that I can't even fathom being put in her position.  You could walk the line of "if it doesn't hurt anyone, how wrong can it be", but then again...who decides if a hurt was felt or if something qualifies as being called a hurt?  The scene with Cas and Father, surrounded by their circle of "family" baring witness to his "cleansing", could at once be called abuse while to them it was a simple expulsion of inner guilt and darkness.  WHO chooses?  WHO makes right RIGHT and wrong WRONG?


Outside of the serious thinking matter provided here, the story itself is as I formerly stated...FASCINATING. The author really puts you in Piper's shoes, giving you a look at life through the eyes of a "believer", while also allowing us to experience the utter shattering that comes from everything we think we know to be a truth becoming a lie.  As absurd as it was to see her way of life as the right way, you could see the argument for the other side, and yet you could also see what it felt like to be the "Them" introduced to her little world, trying to understand what had happened, trying to help them come back to a version of themselves they don't even remember existing.  Her relationship with Cas was something normally written in the stars, and her heartfelt care for the "littles" was truly touching.  It felt right in the end when her new ID was revealed because she wasn't truly the former her or the current her, but a new her trying to reconcile all the pieces she'd been left with. 

High recommendation for older teens through adult readers.

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About the author...

Megan Cooley Peterson is an author, editor, and coffee drinker. As a teenager, Megan was part of a cult-like doomsday church that didn’t like to be questioned. She questioned anyway. She has written more than 80 nonfiction books for children on a wide variety of topics, including dinosaurs, sharks, urban legends, and haunted objects. The Liar’s Daughter is her first YA novel. She lives in Minnesota with her husband and daughter.

She is represented by Margaret Sutherland Brown of the Emma Sweeney Agency.

SITE  |  TWITTER  |  INSTAGRAM

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Special thanks to the Holiday House Publishing team for the ARC for review.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title, the author, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above.  This title is set to release September 10th, 2019 (as of this post), so mark your calendar or pre order your copy today!

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

The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri

HI there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

So, I have to apologize...or rather I guess I don't, but I choose to explain by more recent spotty posting, here on my site.  It's stress, honestly.  The reading has been getting done as have any agreed to dates/posts, but I'm completely wiped between work, trying to get my house repaired still from Hurricane Michael, the death storm that is Hurricane Dorian putting everyone's life in such a tizzy, and regular old life worries.  It just feels like too much, so yeah...when I get off a long shift at work, I'm over tired to do anything else.  When I get a day off, after I finish everyone else's running around and try to catch up with the other balls in the air, I'm not really feeling the desire to get online and do much.  Sorry, and yet not.

I still ADORE reading, sharing, and indulging in everything that is the MAGIC of the written word...I just have to take a bit of me time now to try to get things centered again.  So yes, if I'm silent sometimes, I apologize and I hope you stick around because I promise what does make it up here will be worth your venture!  Now, speaking of worth the venture...

The title in today's spotlight is an ARC I received from Ballantine Books that just celebrated its BOOK BIRTHDAY August 27th, 2019.  Ironically (or perhaps not), it's not the happiest of stories, but it is relevant, very much NOW, and so heartbreakingly beautiful at times despite the darkness throughout, it needs to be read.  Without further ado, I give you today's book of choice...

The Beekeeper of Aleppo

 by

Christy Lefteri

9781984821218

Ballantine Books

About the book...

Nuri is a beekeeper and Afra, his wife, is an artist. Mornings, Nuri rises early to hear the call to prayer before driving to his hives in the countryside. On weekends, Afra sells her colorful landscape paintings at the open-air market. They live a simple life, rich in family and friends, in the hills of the beautiful Syrian city of Aleppo—until the unthinkable happens. When all they love is destroyed by war, Nuri knows they have no choice except to leave their home. But escaping Syria will be no easy task: Afra has lost her sight, leaving Nuri to navigate her grief as well as a perilous journey through Turkey and Greece toward an uncertain future in Britain.

Nuri is sustained only by the knowledge that waiting for them is his cousin Mustafa, who has started an apiary in Yorkshire and is teaching fellow refugees beekeeping. As Nuri and Afra travel through a broken world, they must confront not only the pain of their own unspeakable loss but dangers that would overwhelm even the bravest souls. Above all, they must make the difficult journey back to each other, a path once so familiar yet rendered foreign by the heartache of displacement.

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So, I actually finished this one over the course of a week, and while not my normal reading speed, it simply felt right for this novel.  It's not an easy read, by any means, and the subject matter is painted with darkness both literally and figuratively, but even so...it's very moving. 

From the moment you step between the pages, you become a part of the story.  You are there with Nuri as he discovers his passion for something outside of the family business much to the chagrin of his father. You too revel in the beauty found within the beekeepers landscape, and equally feel the emptiness left behind when it's all taken away.  You can't escape the blackness painted on his soul when his son goes somewhere he can't simply follow, though at times he may wish to with all his might.  As time progresses, you are still there, a silent shadow, witnessing what true hardship can do to a person physically, mentally, and emotionally.  How DO you carry on when everything is taken from you, including your freedom?  How indeed...but the question posed doesn't merely belong to Nuri, nor the sorrows experienced, challenges faced, and hardships survived, for Afra was with him every step of the way.  His wife had her own troubles brought on by everything that transpired, including the loss of her sight.  It's bad enough when the world around you is crumbling into nothingness, casting you out like so many fallen leaves, but to not be able to see past the memories in your own mind, to lose the chance to move forward from the beauty it once possessed and into the reality it has become visually...I'm not certain if that was a blessing or a curse. 

In the end, no one would ever accuse this one of being filled with sunshine and rainbows, and happily ever after is certainly not seen in the short run (more like through the lense of the Hubble telescope), but it's all the more beautiful for the heartache, pain, tragedy, and darkness LIVED through.  

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About the author...

Christy Lefteri was born in London in 1980 to Greek Cypriot parents who moved to London in 1974 during the Turkish invasion. She completed a degree in English and a Masters in creative writing at Brunel University. She taught English to foreign students and then became a secondary school teacher before leaving to pursue a PhD and to write. She is also studying to become a psychotherapist.

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Special thanks to the Penguin Random House team for the ARC for review.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title, the author, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above.  This title is available now via Ballantine Books, so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing.

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