Happy BOOK BIRTHDAY wishes to... PRIDE COMES BEFORE A FALL by Virginia Heath!

Why hello there! 👋 

Nice to see you again.

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers. Today's BOOK BIRTHDAY post features the latest addition to the Miss Prentice’s Protegees series by author Virginia Heath via St. Martin's Griffin, and if you don't recognize that name by now, you're probably new around here. Don't worry, I'll catch you up 😉...

From the publisher...

Despite his many responsibilities, there is nothing Leopold Sloane, the 11th Duke of Debden, takes more seriously than the safety of those he loves. When one of his sisters is injured at a protest rally, he drags his family to Bath for the summer to keep his reckless and rebellious siblings out of harm’s way. The only flaw in his plan is his overwhelming but inexplicable attraction to the new chaperone he has hired to watch out for them. An outspoken conundrum of a woman who soon causes him more trouble than both his sisters combined...but who calls to his soul regardless.

From the moment Portia Kendall read her first revolutionary pamphlet beneath her bedcovers at Miss Prentice’s School for Girls, she realized that her true calling was to make the world a fairer place for the masses downtrodden by the aristocracy. A calling that led her to Equitas, a radical newspaper that champions reform. But as Portia discovers, writing doesn’t pay the bills. To make a living, she must push aside her principles and serve the very people she criticizes weekly in her column. A temporary position as a chaperone in the home of a pompous duke seems like the perfect way to earn enough to follow her heart. Unfortunately, the duke who hires her seems to be more dashing and noble than pompous and soon begins to call to her heart too—as much as she tries to deny it. But dare she risk her principles for love or will her pride always come before a fall?

💕 💕 💕 💕 💕 💕 💕 💕 

FROM ME...

I know, I know, I'm a broken record on this topic, IT BARES REPEATING...

THIS IS ONE OF MY AUTO BUY AUTHORS! 🙌

 I love her characters, her storylines, the wit and wisdom she pours into every corner of her works. Leopold means well, but protection to some is overbearing to others... and he never counted on that added buffer he was adding for his sisters being someone his own intentions might grow to include. Portia sets out with good and noble intentions herself, but soon her righteous quest is sidetracked by the truth beneath the pomp and circumstance, leading her to contemplate which takes priority...her goals, or her heart. ❤️ I tell you, fair readers, you're in for a treat as these two clash, but eventually find their way to deliver that happy ending we do desire. *sigh* 

So HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY to the latest addition to her catalog and the third FABULOUS installment of the MISS PRENTICE'S PROTEGEES series! (*WOOT WOOT*) If you're a Historical Fiction fan, you do not want to miss this one, let alone the rest of the series... available now via St Martin's Griffin. 

Special thanks to the publisher for eARC access via NetGalley. (THANKS!) Be sure to snag your copy today wherever books are sold...or, if you're like me, await your preorder to arrive in your mailbox 📬... anxiously, but excited 😊!

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

CHANGE: Growing Up is Hard to Do (DOUBLE REVIEW!)

Welcome back readers!

Today's post is all about change.  Growing up is hard to do, and finding yourself in the mix can be difficult.  Sometimes what we find is amazing.  Sometimes what we find is confusing.  Sometimes what we learn about ourselves, and those around us, makes it that much more of a maze to traverse, but, if we're lucky, we have those around us that understand, and help us see the beauty in what we might've missed, and the strength in truth behind the hard decisions we might have to make.  Sound a bit heavy for Middle Grade Fiction?  Hey, LIFE is heavy, so why shouldn't that be reflected at times in literature?  Ladies and gents, let's take a closer look at two titles in this category, one that's out now, and one coming soon, that should be on your radar...

Greta

by

J.S. Lemon

9780374392178

Farrar Straus Giroux

Published:  09/10/24

I admit, this was a beautiful story in reflection, but during the read, I was a tad confused.  I was having a difficult time trying to sort out whether it was more reality based or fantasy based, and in the end I decided it was a little of both.  It's about the changes we all go through as we grow up.  It's about finding our true selves, accepting our true selves, and finding those that will do that for us as well.  It's about never shying away from our truth, and learning to let the opinions of others bounce off our outer shell because the one that truly matters is our own.  We'll find our crowd, eventually.  We'll form our inner circle, eventually.  We'll discover that the naysayers and the outspoken that were against us were really just lost on their own journeys and lashing out to try and feel comfortable in their own skin. Is it right?  No...but it doesn't make it any less a valid part of the experience.  

I felt for Greta and I think those things she struggles with resonate with younger readers, serving as a reminder that they aren't the only ones trying to figure things out.  Change is a constant in life, but finding that comfort zone comes with time, promise, and the moments that got you there will be flashcard memories that created the you that is you today.

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Rise of the Spider

The Web of the Spider series, Book 1

by

Michael P. Spradlin

9781665947213

Margaret K. McElderry Books

Release Date:  09/24/24

I love my Historical Fiction and this was a great way for younger readers interested in the genre to get their feet on the ground during this transformative time.  Was it hard to read?  In some ways, yes...I did think that unless the person going into it has an innate interest, it might be dry in some places, but the other half of the reading difficulty lies purely in the subject matter as it gives us a glimpse of how evil can rise, spread, and transform a people.  Hitler came at a time when Germany was down and out with messages of gathering their strength once again, but he also came with vile ideas of who should be allowed not only to reign, but to LIVE, and a whole assortment of other ugliness I won't get into here.

Rolf was a great character to see through because he was trying to take it all in, reason it out, and assemble just where he stood in it all.  His brother was taking one road, his father another, and his best friend another still, but he allowed himself to see the facts for the fiction, and discover his own path like we all have to at some point or another in our lives.  Most of our decisions will seem small in scale when compared to those the surround this time period, but, as the author points out, it's those small decisions along the way, the seemingly innocent side steps, and placements, that add up to a bigger picture in the end.  The moment we turn away from an injustice we could have prevented, an innocent that needed assistance we refused to give, that darker side of mankind gains another foothold in our world...and that's a place none of us truly want to live.  A great start to a promising series that will help the next generation to learn from the past and never forget.

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Special thanks to Cate at Nicole Banholzer PR, and Alex at Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, for the copies for review.  (THANKS!)  For more information on these titles, the authors, or the publishers, feel free to click through the links provided above.  As listed, one is available now, with the other coming soon, so grab your calendar and mark it down, or (pre)order your copies today!

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

Rockstar Book Tours presents... REBEL IN THE LIBRARY OF EVER by Zeno Alexander - EXCERPT + GIVEAWAY!

I am so excited that REBEL IN THE LIBRARY OF EVER by Zeno Alexander is available now and that I get to share the news!

If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book by Author Zeno Alexander, be sure to check out all the details below.

This blitz also includes a giveaway for a signed finished copy of the book courtesy of Zeno. and Rockstar Book Tours. So if you’d like a chance to win, enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.

About The Book:

Title: REBEL IN THE LIBRARY OF EVER (The Library of Ever #2)

Author: Zeno Alexander

Pub. Date: April 28, 2020

Publisher: Imprint (Macmillan)

Pages: 224

Formats:  Hardcover,eBook

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

Illustration copyright © 2020 Matt Rockefeller

Rebel in the Library of Ever continues Zeno Alexander’s acclaimed middle-grade fantasy series with a dangerous takeover of the magical Library as our heroine fights to make knowledge free for everyone.

Lenora returns to the magical Library―which holds every book ever known on its shelves. But she discovers the Library is under new management, its incredible rooms and corridors turned dark and sinister.

She quickly connects with a secret resistance that’s trying to free knowledge from the shadows threatening it. Her new friends introduce her to an ancient lost city, hang-gliding, and mathematical beings larger than the universe itself. And they help her face the mysterious Board of new leaders―who are leading the Library into darkness.

Now it’s up to Lenora to prove that knowledge is always more powerful than ignorance and fear.






An Imprint Book

“Further proof that librarians are mighty in all universes.” ―Kirkus Reviews

Praise for The Library of Ever:

“Zeno Alexander's The Library of Ever reads like someone mixed Neil Gaiman with Chris Grabenstein, then threw in an extra dash of charm. Reading it is like getting lost in an entire library full of books, and never wanting to leave!”―James Riley, New York Times bestselling author of the Story Thieves series

“Full of whimsy and pluck, The Library of Ever is a total delight!”
―Wendy Mass, New York Times bestselling author 

Grab book 1 THE LIBRARY OF EVER NOW!

Excerpt:

“Uh oh,” said Lenora to Rosa. “I think we might have changed history.” She was worried now, for in books, changing history was almost never good.

“Do not fear,” replied Rosa. “We all change history with everything we do. This is why we should consider our actions carefully, as each one will affect the future to come. Should we join Lucy?”

For Lucy had gone straight to the table, where she joined a puzzled-looking librarian who was peering down at the assorted fragments, his chin in his hand, deep in thought. So deep that he had completely failed to notice two girls and an alien who had popped out of nowhere — or had they? Lenora was not sure how history changes worked exactly. But she was sure now that the objects on the table had been in the same box that Lucy had lost in the sea.

Giving up (for the moment) on figuring out how history changing worked, Lenora went over to the table, Rosa beside her. She cleared her throat. “Excuse me,” she said to Cosmo (for that was the name on the librarian’s badge).

Cosmo flinched and, looking up, suddenly noticed Lenora and the others. “Oh!” he said. “My apologies. I have been studying the Antikythera mechanism so intently that I frequently fail to notice things around me.”

“That’s all right,” said Lenora. “So what exactly is this…Anti—kith—uh…”

“ant-ee-KITH-ur-uh,” said Cosmo. “It is a small Greek island, near which this ancient mechanism was discovered, all broken up into pieces at the bottom of the Aegean Sea. It is estimated to have been lost to the waters around 100 BC.”

“Sorry about that,” said Lucy.

About Zeno: 

After emerging from the shadows of the past, his history yet to be fully explained, Zeno Alexander spent years exploring the world's libraries before settling down in his lavish underground bunker, where he regularly hosts exquisite dinner parties and tends to his collection of extinct plants. His friendship with the famous librarian, Lenora, has turned into a series of biographical works devoted to chronicling her adventures.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will win a signed finished copy of REBEL IN THE LIBRARY OF EVER, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

SNARED: ESCAPE TO THE ABOVE by Adam Jay Epstein - REVIEW + GIVEAWAY!

HI there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, I'm pleased as punch to be bringing you a review of the latest release from author Adam Jay Epstein.  Recognize the name?  Ah, but you SHOULD!  He's one half of the author duo that gave us the FABULOUS series The Familiars...and this time around he's left none of the magic, the fantasy, or the heart behind.  So, if you're ready, let's set our sights on adventure because there is MUCH ahead as we dive between the pages of....

Snared:  Escape to the Above

Wily Snare, Book 1

by

Adam Jay Epstein

9781250146922

Imprint

About the book...

Chopping blades, scorpion nests, giant spiderwebs—no one makes traps better than Wily Snare.

He has never seen the sun, or blue sky, or even his parents. Wily Snare lives underground, creating traps to keep treasure-seekers away from the gold in an ancient wizard’s dungeon. He spends his days mopping up giant slug slime, avoiding poison darts, and herding undead skeletons. It’s all he knows.

Until an unusual band of adventurers—an acrobatic elf, a warrior with a magic arm, and a giant made of moss—successfully defeat Wily’s traps. And they want the ultimate treasure: Wily himself. His skills can help them invade every other dungeon in the kingdom. He might even aid their fight against the Infernal King, whose gearfolk and prisonauts terrorize the land.

But for a boy who has never been outside, dungeons aren’t nearly as scary as the world above. Or an evil king who builds the trickiest traps of all . . .

AMAZON  |  B&N  |  BAM  |  INDIEBOUND

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is the story of one Wily Snare.  Raised by a menacing "father" figure deep in the Carrion Tomb and working as a trapsmith for as long as he can recall, the little hobgoblet has never seen the light of day...as in the actual sun because I guess his skin was suppose to melt off if its rays ever touched him.  Yeah, sounds a LOT more than unpleasant, so I don't blame him for being a fan of the underground....but what if every thing he was ever told, every thing he ever took as truth, suddenly turned into a lie?

MIND BLOWN!

Yes, my friends, Wily Snare is in for QUITE the surprise, when invaders turn unexpected friends, his true heritage is revealed, and he finally finds the confidence within to not simply be a grand trapsmith, but a...well, okay, I can't say that part, but trust me, it's BIG, and it's GRAND, and it's all that his little non-gobhoblet (because he's HUMAN!) heart has desired for so long.  

I adored the mysterious characters that kept creeping into the story, and how their purposes were always something more than what they at first appeared.  I found the combination of magic and science, or rather more specifically engineering, on display fascinating, and a good representation of how they  truly blend.  My heart was shocked by some reflections though I did have my suspicions as the story progressed, but it was also warmed by the family Wily found, and how his sister from some other, well, mister/creature, stood by his side steadfast as Modul in a river (he's an moss golem, in water he drinks/hydrates...fascinating creature!).  

I always knew he was a smart guy... 😉

All in all, a great fit for Middle Grade Fiction readers of all ages, boys and girls, elf and golem, hobgoblet and Roamabout, alike.  There is so much to love, so much to discover, so much adventure to be had that one trip through the traps within doesn't seem like nearly enough....good thing it's the first in a NEW SERIES!  (Woo hoo!)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

About the author...

Adam Jay Epstein spent his childhood in Great Neck, New York, when he wasn't aboard his father's sailboat. He spent many days sitting in the neighborhood park, traveling to fantasy lands in his head (occasionally when he was supposed to be doing his homework). In college, he circled the world on a ship and studied film at Wesleyan University. He is the co-author of the internationally bestselling middle grade fantasy series The Familiars, the middle-grade sci-fi series Starbounders, and the middle grade fantasy series Snared. He has written film and television projects for Disney, Sony, Fox, MGM, Paramount, MTV, HULU, SYFY, and Disney Channel. He currently lives in Los Angeles with his wife, two daughters, and dog, Pixel.

SITE  |  TWITTER  |  FACEBOOK  |  INSTAGRAM

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Special thanks to author Adam Jay Epstein for the copy for review.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title, the author, the publisher, this title or his other works, feel free to click through the links provided above.  This title is available now via Imprint, an imprint of Macmillan Publishers, so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing.  Oh and not to spoil anything, but um, yeah...book two is slated for release APRIL 2019 and according to the publisher's site is titled, Snared:  Lair of the Beast!  (Can we say WISH LIST?!)  

Now before you go, how's about a little GIVEAWAY?

When the author contacted me about this bookish celebration, he also supplied me with some AWESOME SWAG...in the form of SIGNED BOOKMARKS!  I know...how cool is that?!  You get the SNARED book image on the one side, and the author's signature on the other, so hello, DOUBLE WIN!  Speaking of double, I've 18 total to share, and since SHARING is caring, I've giving them away in pairs, so you get one for yourself and another to share with a friend.  Sound good?  Great!  Just fill out the Rafflecopter for your chance to win and no magic words required, you're in!  Oh and since I'm footing the postage, it's US addresses only guys.  Love ya!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

The SIXTH Post of BOOKMAS!

Season's greetings...

...and welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers!

It's time for POST SIX of the TWELVE POSTS OF BOOKMAS.

What IS Bookmas, you ask?

Great question!

Bookmas is similar to Christmas, except it brings tidings of great reads, holiday gifting suggestions, and just about all the bookish fun you can imagine from across the genre spectrum. It's all in one place at one time (sorta) and ready to help you get out from under the yuletide stress, and get back to enjoying the season...one page at a time. 

Just why is it the "Twelve Posts" and not the twelve books? Simple...I have WAY TOO MANY titles for you to consider, peruse, and read all about to limit it to twelve titles. These posts are intended to highlight some great titles, give you ideas for your gifting this year, and help me clear up my "read-it-but-need-to-review-it" teetering stack. Triple focus...yes siree! So, ready or not, let's get this sled on the road as we unwrap today's featured titles....

Mr. Dickens and His Carol

by

Samantha Silva

9781250154040

Flatiron Books

Every holiday season I endeavor to read SOME version of Charles Dickens' timeless classic, A Christmas Carol.  This year my selection was easy because once I laid eyes on this cover, this title, and read a bit about what was to come....I WAS SOLD.

This is the (fictitious) story of Mr. Dickens in a time when he was riding the high of his success only to discover how a fickle a beast it can truly be.  His latest release...an utter flop.  The only way to satisfy his publishers, regain the favor of his public, and secure his family's future is to meet the challenge set before him....write a Christmas book in one month's time that will drop jaws, still hearts, and reestablish him as the top writer of his time.  No pressure, right?  Yeah...right.  It's enough to blow even the calmest person's stack in the slowest of times, but the holidays are notorious for being busy busy busy, especially in the Dickens household.  Add to that relations crawling out of the woodwork from times gone by, family pulling on both time and pocket, bills accumulating to the heights of the newly acquired Christmas tree, and...why it's easy to see how things get off track, including his family life which he cherishes above all else...or at least, he use to.  Seems someone has lost sight of the spirit of the season...good thing with the right passages traveled, the right memory laden corridors reopened, the right chance taken perhaps initially for the wrong reasons, one can find themselves again and in doing so, grant greater Christmas wishes than you could ever imagine.

A WONDERFUL story that celebrates the story we've come to love as well as the man behind its creation with twists and turns of the heart you won't expect.  High recommendation for the reading season or any time for fans of "the Boz" as well as those just discovering his writing talent.

The Thursday Night Club

...and Other Stories of Christmas Spirit

by

Steven Manchester

9781945839160

Fiction Studio Books

This season we were graced with another release from one of favorite Fiction authors, Mr. Steven Manchester.  His work has always been able to touch my heart, move my soul, bring me to tears, and reach all the other emotional highs and lows we as readers LOVE to experience in our reading explorations.  The title featured here is a collection of three novellas, two released previously on their own and the third being a new pen.  While some have connections to his other works (case in point, A Christmas Wish is actually an add on of sorts to Goodnight, Brian), they can all be read as is and enjoyed to the fullest.  

A brief look at my stroll through the pages found me having a bit of a hard time to get into the first story, The Thursday Night Club, initially with the number of voices struggling to be heard, but finding it oh so heartwarming after a tragic interlude.  The second story took me right back into the world of GOODNIGHT, BRIAN, a story that I adored, with a furtherance of the initial message we received...love should be unconditional. I was very glad to catch up with Mama, Brian, and Steph once again!  Last but not least, The Tin-Foil Manger, just about broke my heart. Such warmth, such love, such feeling...all wrapped up with a Christmastime bow. 

When all is said and done...THIS is the stuff that drew me to this author's work in the first place. THIS type of writing, this type of storytelling. It may not hit NY Times Bestselling lists (though it certainly deserves a spot of its own), but you know what...it speaks for itself.

Christmas, Present

by

Jacquelyn Mitchard

9780060565589

William Morrow

Short but certainly not sweet, it delivers a heart-wrenching story that gives us characters to know without the proper time to love them before they are ripped right our of our grasp.  Seriously, the cover had me in a holiday mood with a smile on my face, but the tale within was more content to leave me with tears in my eyes and a gasping heart.  It reminds us how precious every day is, to never put off til tomorrow what can be done today, and to cherish all those in our lives.

Special thanks to the William Morrow publicity team for the copies for review. (THANKS!) For more information on these titles, the authors, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above. Be sure to check back for the next BOOKMAS post for more bookish fun!

Happy holidays and happy reading!