Happy holidays, everyone…
...and welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.
We’re in the home stretch where the holidays are just around the corner and we’re following the example of the jolly man in red as we make our lists and check them twice. If you’re running short on ideas, or simply looking for the perfect gift for those loved ones you’ve yet to check off, I’ve got a great selection of titles to recommend today, all available now for your reading and gifting pleasure! So KEEP READING to see what appeals to you and yours to make this holiday extra merry and bright...
Embassy of the Dead: Hangman's Crossing
by
Will Mabbitt
Illustrated by
Taryn Knight
Book 1: 9781536210477
Book 2: 9781536210484
Walker Books US
The first title in the series introduces us to a young man who was in the wrong place at the right time, discovers he is sensitive to ghosts, helps sort one out to earthly contentment and another into passing over, all while trying to inadvertently save the world. Jake Green is quite the character, but Cora, his body-challenged cohort, is nothing to sneer at either. Together, they are an unstoppable force, even if Jake would much rather stop because hello….GHOSTS….and Afterworld….and so much other stuff that he was not bargaining for! The second title in the series has our duo saving the world once again...well, that is if they aren’t too late and can figure out just who is involved and how far into the Embassy the betrayals stem! Danger is afoot, but you can be sure that thanks to dumb luck, blind determination, and a few self-assured moments of clarity...these guys will have it covered! This series has proven with both installments that one can be seriously dedicated to solving a problem that is not your own, and still have a grand time of things too! Filled with humor and heart, it’s a series you won’t want to miss...
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by
Steven Banks
Illustrated by
Mark Fearing
9780823446162
Holiday House
Have you met Tom the Vam-Wolf-Zom? No? Oh, I couldn’t imagine why not. I mean, he’s just your average middle school kid...who just so happened to be bitten by a vampire, a werewolf, AND a zombie before his first day of 6th grade...what’s so special about that? *cue the bulging eyes and dropped jaw * Yes, Tom is one special kid, and that very special “heritage” is what’ about to get him into a slew of trouble! Honestly, I hadn’t read the first novel, but even so…I found his adventures curious, interesting, and downright humorous! It’s not every day that you meet someone of his lineage and get unwittingly drawn into a battle that’s been raging for eons between these separate paranormal species. Take the time to get to know Tom, and you’ll see he’s just like the rest of us...trying to pick his way along the path of life while staying at a comfortable distance from those who might mean him harm!
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by
Claire Mcfall
9781536218459
Walker Books US
Meeting Dylan and Tristan made this a read to remember. Have you ever wondered what would happen if today, this very moment, was your last? I mean, anything can happen at any time, so it’s always best to live in the moment, but Dylan’s moment but her at a crossroads in life she never saw coming and in the cross hairs of a potential untimely death. The trials and tribulations they go through will mark your heart. The care and understanding shown even when it shouldn’t be possible will grip your soul. The ending will ultimately leave you breathless...but, if you’re anything like me, you’ll quickly take in a gasp of air and wonder aloud at high volumes how on earth the author could simply leave you there?! Trust me, it’s a good exasperated state in this case, but you’ll have to check it out to understand fully. A recommendation for the teen set and beyond in this case, lest little ones dreams turn nightmarish.
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by
Catherine Fisher
Book 1: 9781536222920
Book 2: 9781536214925
Walker Books US
Are you ready to escape from every day life into a world so much like our own and yet filled with magic, mystery, and potentially devious fae set on taking from our world what they deem rightfully theirs? Meet little orphan Seren Rhys...as she embarks on her way to a new life at the remote country mansion of Plas-y Fran. In book one, she’s met with curiosity, and skepticism, from the staff of the estate and warned off from various locations both inside and outside of the house. Why? Well, it seems young master Tomos disappeared some time ago, never to be seen or heard from again...but with enough tenacity, smarts, and the help of an unexpected feathered clockwork friend (term used decidedly loosely at the start), Seren is set to uncover more than she bargained for...yet perhaps make lasting connections she never imagined. In book two, Seren has a few new folks to call friends...until she doesn’t. It seems the house, let alone the household, has come under the influence of some mighty strange goings on...and if things aren’t sorted soon, not only will she be out of a home, but those that have become dear to her may be lost forever. Much magic abounds, but the true messages at heart are of the strength of the family ties we choose, as well as the love for others over simply ourselves.
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Special thanks to all the publishers listed above for the copies for review. Whether digital or print, I am ever grateful. For more information on the books I featured, feel free to click through the links provided for more about the title, publisher, author, and/or illustrator. All titles are available now, so add a few to your own shelves or pick them up for the gift recipients on your list!
Happy holidays...and happy reading!
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