Review: Hocus Pocus & The All-New Sequel by A.W. Jantha

Goodreads Blurb

Hocus Pocus is beloved by Halloween enthusiasts all over the world. Diving once more into the world of witches, this electrifying two-part young adult novel, released on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the 1993 film, marks a new era of Hocus Pocus. Fans will be spellbound by a fresh retelling of the original film, followed by the all-new sequel that continues the story with the next generation of Salem teens.

Shortly after moving from California to Salem, Massachusetts, Max Dennison finds himself in hot water when he accidentally releases a coven of witches, the Sanderson sisters, from the afterlife. Max, his sister, and his new friends (human and otherwise) must find a way to stop the witches from carrying out their evil plan and remaining on earth to torment Salem for all eternity.

Twenty-five years later, Max and Allison’s seventeen-year-old daughter, Poppy, finds herself face-to-face with the Sanderson sisters in all their sinister glory. When Halloween celebrations don’t quite go as planned, it’s a race against time as Poppy and her friends fight to save her family and all of Salem from the witches’ latest vile scheme.

My Review: Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Let’s Hocus Pocus again!

It was so much fun to experience Hocus Pocus again. It’s truly one of my favorite Halloween movies that brings back wonderful memories. Loved that the first original story started this book off. The new sequel brings back the Dennison family 25 years later. The three main characters are teenagers, one of them being Max Dennison’s daughter Poppy. I loved that they kept the same characters and made all the characters connected with a great story. This time, the three Sanderson sisters are back with a vengeance. This time, hell was in person, and the witches came to take over. The new sequel is modern with LGBT romance. I was laughing my socks off with the ideas of the appliances used by the witches to fly. Overall, the story was well developed and modernized. I think I would have loved to have seen more scenes with the Sanderson sister’s experience in modern technology. I was shocked at the end. I wasn’t expecting that. It is to be continued.

Review: Gone Rogue: Wires and Nerve Volume 2 by Marissa Meyer

Goodreads Blurb

The world of the Lunar Chronicles comes alive in this thrilling continuation of Wires and Nerve. Iko–an audacious android and best friend to the Lunar Queen Cinder–has been tasked with hunting down Alpha Lysander Steele, the leader of a rogue band of bioengineered wolf-soldiers who threaten to undo the tenuous peace agreement between Earth and Luna. Unless Cinder can reverse the mutations that were forced on them years before, Steele and his soldiers plan to satisfy their monstrous appetites with a massacre of the innocent people of Earth.

And to show he’s serious, Steele is taking hostages.

Cinder and Kai, Scarlet and Wolf, Cress and Thorne, and Winter and Jacin all feature in this epic new battle. But it is Iko who must face her deepest fears when she uncovers the truth about her own unusual programming. Questions of love, friendship, and mortality take Iko on an emotional journey that will satisfy and delight fans of this bestselling series.

My Review: Rated 5 out of 5 stars

A beautifully written continuation to this series. Love how Kai fought to defend her friends from the wolf mutants. Kai might be a robot, but she feels just like everyone else. I loved the interactions with Kai and Kinney. They are truly made for each other. Another graphic novel filled with thrills and fights. It was a great ending to this series.

Goodreads Author Biography

I live in Tacoma, Washington, with my husband and beautiful twin daughters. Represented by Jill Grinberg.

Review: Prelude by Nely Cab

Goodreads Blurb

Deus, the creator of the universe, is almighty and powerful—until he uses his abilities to mold a companion. His newest creation, Starr, proves to be as wild as the animals that inhabit Terra. There’s no controlling her. To make matters worse, she hates Deus. So what’s the one boy in the universe to do when the one girl in the universe loathes him? The only illogical thing to do. He falls in love.

My Review: Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Being immortal ain’t cut out to be enjoyable if the love of your life doesn’t love you. Deus created Starr in hopes that she falls in love and marries him. Unfortunately, they both were playing hard to get and not opening up their hearts. Once Deus saw that the one thing he lived for didn’t feel the same, he turned mortal and was withering away with all his creations. Only true love might change the outcome. You will need to read and enjoy a few laughs and tears.

Goodreads Author Biography

Nely Cab is a Writer of stuff, a Master Coffee Drinker, a Food Maker & Eater, and an Imaginary World Conqueror. She talks to herself—a lot—in her South Texas home while she plots stories about fantasy worlds and sips coffee from a pitcher. She’s known for cooking far too much food and has a tendency to overdo…well, everything. It is rumored that she’s fabulous. Nely Cab is the best-selling author of the Creatura series.

Review: The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco

Goodreads Blurb

A story of scorned witches, sinister curses, and resurrection, The Bone Witch is the start of a dark fantasy trilogy.

When Tea accidentally resurrects her brother, Fox, from the dead, she learns she is different from the other witches in her family. Her gift for necromancy means that she’s a bone witch, a title that makes her feared and ostracized by her community. But Tea finds solace and guidance with an older, wiser bone witch, who takes Tea and her brother to another land for training.

In her new home, Tea puts all her energy into becoming an asha—one who can wield elemental magic. But dark forces are approaching quickly, and in the face of danger, Tea will have to overcome her obstacles…and make a powerful choice.

The Bone Witch Trilogy:

The Bone Witch (Book 1)

The Heart Forger (Book 2)

The Shadowglass (Book 3)

My Review: Rated 4 out of 5 stars

I loved the beginning of this book and was thrilled to read but wasn’t amazed at how the story formed throughout the book. It had a great plot, and you get to learn the back story of what happened to Tea. It had a magic and creepy monster who needed to be awakened by dark Asha in order to kill the creature before they attacked the human. I felt like it lagged a little. It resembled a little to Memoirs of a Geisha, which made it fun to see Tea transformation to an Asha.

Review: The Truth about Happily Ever After by Karole Cozzo

Goodreads Blurb

A theme park princess must put her life back together after her happily ever after falls apart in this contemporary YA romance from Karole Cozzo, author of How to Keep Rolling After a Fall and How to Say I Love You Out Loud.

Everything was supposed to be perfect. Alyssa has a job she loves, working as Cinderella at her favorite theme park; a fantastic group of friends; and a boyfriend who will no longer be long distance. But as the summer progresses, her prince becomes less charming and more distant, and Alyssa’s perfect summer falls apart.

Forced to acknowledge that life is not always a fairy tale, Alyssa starts working to pull her herself back together. Fortunately, she doesn’t have to do it alone. With her friend Miller’s support, she’s determined to prove that she’s more than just a pretty princess. And with his help, maybe she’s finally ready for something better than dreams. Maybe she’s ready for something real.

My Review: Rated 5 out of 5 stars

When Disney becomes a theme for a book, Yay!! Sometimes, fairy tales don’t play out like you dreamed them to be. Alyssa has the perfect life and her dream job. She gets to be a princess for a theme park. Who doesn’t want to dress up like a princess while making other little girls’ dreams come true. Unfortunately, life isn’t as simple as we could plan it. Sometimes, your dream fairy tale turns to shreds in a heartbeat. We sometimes don’t see how close love is until you open your eyes. Princesses know how to keep their heads up high so their tiara sparkles and shines. I truly recommend you read this wonderful fairy tale and see Alyssa transform from princess to… you will need to read to find out. Love this magical book cover it really gives the reader the fairy tale dream.

Goodreads Author Biography

Karole lives outside of Philadelphia, PA with her loving husband, exuberant little girl, and smiley little boy. She adores YA Romance, because it would be awesome if life in general had a requisite feel-good happy ending rule. Vices include obscene Haribo gummy consumption, addiction to Starbucks NF vanilla lattes, and tendency to hoard Bath and Body Works 3-wick candles.

Review: The Whole Thing Together by Ann Brashares

Goodreads Blurb

Summer for Sasha and Ray means the sprawling old house on Long Island. Since they were children, they’ve shared almost everything—reading the same books, running down the same sandy footpaths to the beach, eating peaches from the same market, laughing around the same sun-soaked dining table. Even sleeping in the same bed, on the very same worn cotton sheets. But they’ve never met.

Sasha’s dad was once married to Ray’s mom, and together they had three daughters: Emma, the perfectionist; Mattie, the beauty; and Quinn, the favorite. But the marriage crumbled and the bitterness lingered. Now there are two new families—and neither one will give up the beach house that holds the memories, happy and sad, of summers past.

The choices we make come back to haunt us; the effect on our destinies ripples out of our control…or does it? This summer, the lives of Sasha, Ray, and their siblings intersect in ways none of them ever dreamed, in a novel about family relationships, keeping secrets, and most of all, love.

My Review: Rated 3 out of 5 stars

Life comes full of surprises. This was the first book I have read from Ann. I was lost halfway through the book, going from character to character. It started getting interesting halfway through the book. This book brought two families that share kids in common but live their separate lives. Two of the kids, Sasha and Ray, are not related but never met even though they share Ray’s sisters. This book is filled with love, secrets, courage, and strength. The two families can’t be together until an unexpected tragedy brings them all together. I learned that we need to all love and care for each other because tomorrow isn’t promised.

Goodreads Author Biography

Ann Brashares is an American young adult novelist. She is best known as the author of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series.

Review: I See London, I See France by Sarah Mlynowski

Goodreads Blurb

I see London, I see France, I see Sydney’s underpants.

Nineteen-year-old Sydney has the perfect summer mapped out. She’s spending the next four and half weeks traveling through Europe with her childhood best friend, Leela. Their plans include Eiffel-Tower selfies, eating cocco gelato, and making out with très hot strangers. Her plans do not include Leela’s cheating ex-boyfriend showing up on the flight to London, falling for the cheating ex-boyfriend’s très hot friend, monitoring her mother’s spiraling mental health via texts, or feeling like the rope in a friendship tug-of-war.

As Sydney zigzags through Amsterdam, Switzerland, Italy, and France, she must learn when to hold on, when to keep moving, and when to jump into the Riviera…wearing only her polka-dot underpants.

My Review: Rated 5 out of 5 stars

It is one of the best spontaneous traveling books with friends. It was a fun book filled with laughs, friendship, and love. I felt bad for Sydney’s situation but was happy she went for that trip she always wanted to go with her best friend. Love the quirky adventures and risky romance. It was a fun book filled with details that will bring you to these amazing places that we all wish to visit. I was excited for this book since I dream of one day having an adventure of my own in Europe.

Goodreads Author Biography

Sarah was born in Montreal, Canada. After graduating with an honors degree in English literature from McGill University, she moved to Toronto to work for Harlequin Enterprises. While she never met Fabio, she used her romance publishing experiences to fuel her first novel Milkrun.

Since then, Sarah has written four additional novels for adults: Fishbowl, As Seen on TV, Monkey Business, and Me vs. Me; the New York Times bestselling middle grade series Whatever After; the middle grade series Upside-Down Magic (with Lauren Myracle and Emily Jenkins); and the teen novels Bras & Broomsticks, Frogs & French Kisses, Spells & Sleeping Bags, and Parties & Potions (all in the Magic in Manhattan series), as well as Gimme a Call, Ten Things We Did (And Probably Shouldn’t Have), Don’t Even Think About It, Think Twice, and I See London, I See France. Along with Lauren Myracle and E. Lockhart, Sarah also wrote How to Be Bad, and along with Farrin Jacobs, she wrote See Jane Write, a guide to writing. Sarah also co-edited two bestselling charity collections (Girls’ Night In and Girls’ Night Out), and has contributed to various anthologies (American Girls About Town, Sixteen: Stories About That Sweet and Bitter Birthday, 21 Proms, First Kiss (Then Tell), Fireworks, and Vacations from Hell).

Sarah is also a co-founder of OMG BookFest, a celebration of books aimed at the early to middle grade reader (ages 7-12) that brings together commercial and award-winning authors with underserved local communities for an exciting experience of books, games and activities.

Sarah’s books have been translated into twenty-nine languages and optioned to Hollywood. She now lives in New York City with her husband and two daughters.

Review: The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot

Goodreads Blurb

Mia Thermopolis is pretty sure there’s nothing worse than being a five-foot-nine, flat-chested freshman, who also happens to be flunking Algebra.

Is she ever in for a surprise.

First mom announces that she’s dating Mia’s Algebra teacher. Then Dad has to go and reveal that he is the crown prince of Genovia. And guess who still doesn’t have a date for the Cultural Diversity Dance?

My Review: Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I must say I really enjoyed the drama that Mia had to overcome in this book. There was so much more going on in the book than what occurred in the movie. I really enjoy the story and Mia’s thinking process. If her diary could speak, it would spill the beans on love, pride, and courage. I loved how the chapters were broken down by dates and how she would include her to-do list at the end of the chapter. I didn’t care so much for the math equations since I was just like Mia, I don’t care for math. It was a great story since in the book, her father is still alive and is part of her life even though he doesn’t live with her. Lilly is as annoying or even more in the book than in the movie. I had a great pleasure in meeting Meg and getting to know how she felt about her books. If you are a fan, you don’t want to miss it.

Goodreads Author Biography

Meg Cabot was born on February 1, 1967, during the Chinese astrological year of the Fire Horse, a notoriously unlucky sign. Fortunately she grew up in Bloomington, Indiana, where few people were aware of the stigma of being a fire horse — at least until Meg became a teenager, when she flunked freshman Algebra twice, then decided to cut her own bangs. After six years as an undergrad at Indiana University, Meg moved to New York City (in the middle of a sanitation worker strike) to pursue a career as an illustrator, at which she failed miserably, forcing her to turn to her favorite hobby–writing novels–for emotional succor. She worked various jobs to pay the rent, including a decade-long stint as the assistant manager of a 700 bed freshmen dormitory at NYU, a position she still occasionally misses.

She is now the author of nearly fifty books for both adults and teens, selling fifteen million copies worldwide, many of which have been #1 New York Times bestsellers, most notably The Princess Diaries series, which is currently being published in over 38 countries, and was made into two hit movies by Disney. In addition, Meg wrote the Mediator and 1-800-Where-R-You? series (on which the television series, Missing, was based), two All-American Girl books, Teen Idol, Avalon High, How to Be Popular, Pants on Fire, Jinx, a series of novels written entirely in email format (Boy Next Door, Boy Meets Girl, and Every Boy’s Got One), a mystery series (Size 12 Is Not Fat/ Size 14 Is Not Fat Either/Big Boned), and a chick-lit series called Queen of Babble.

Meg is now writing a new children’s series called Allie Finkle’s Rules for Girls. Her new paranormal series, Abandon, debuts in Summer of 2011.

Meg currently divides her time between Key West, Indiana, and New York City with a primary cat (one-eyed Henrietta), various back-up cats, and her husband, who doesn’t know he married a fire horse. Please don’t tell him.

Review: The Curse by Kathi Daley

Goodreads Blurb

Alyson Prescott moves to Cutters Cove, Oregon, after being placed, along with her mother, in the witness protection program. In her previous life, Alyson was an A-list heiress with the excitement of a trend setting lifestyle and the security of old money. After witnessing a murder executed by two members of a powerful gang family, she is forced to leave her old life behind and become a middle class girl, living in a middle class town. Alyson struggles with the duplicity in her life as she strives to reconcile her new life with the old.

In book two of the series, two Seacliff High students turn up missing just days before Halloween. The police believe that they have simply run away, but when strange and unexplained things begin to happen at the annual Haunted Hayride, Alyson begins to suspect there may be more going on than the adults in town would like to believe. After they the props and decorations for the annual event turn up missing, Alyson and the gang decide to look into the case of the missing students. Could the two events be connected? And what about the symbol found splattered in blood in the barn where the annual Halloween party is to take place? Could it be connected to the gypsy curse that most believe to be simply a legend?

Book two in the series will also begin to reveal Alyson’s past and the reason for her inclusion in witness protection.

My Review: Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Awesome YA book and series. Alyson is very brave and does anything to help and protect her family and friends. Loved the plot twist in this book. Great book to read in Halloween. Didn’t really expect the book to unravel as it did. Loving the romance between Alyson and Devon. Can’t wait to read the next book in the series.

Author Biography

Kathi lives with her husband, kids, grandkids, and dogs in beautiful Lake Tahoe. When she isn’t writing, Kathi likes to read (preferably at the beach or by the fire), cook (preferably something with chocolate or cheese,) and garden (planting and planning not weeding). She also enjoys spending time on the water when she’s not hiking, biking, or snowshoeing, the miles of desolate trails surrounding her home.
Kathi uses the mountain setting in which she lives, along with the animals (wild and domestic) that share her home, as inspiration for her cozy mysteries.

Review: Confessions of a Queen B by Crista McHugh

Goodreads Blurb

Alexis Wyndham is the other type of Queen B—the Queen Bitch.

After years of being the subject of ridicule, she revels in her ability to make the in-crowd cower via the exposés on her blog, The Eastline Spy. Now that she’s carved out her place in the high school hierarchy, she uses her position to help the unpopular kids walking the hallways.

Saving a freshman from bullies? Check.
Swapping insults with the head cheerleader? Check.
Falling for the star quarterback? So not a part of her plan.

But when Brett offers to help her solve the mystery of who’s posting X-rated videos from the girls’ locker room, she’ll have to swallow her pride and learn to see past the high school stereotypes she’s never questioned—until now.

My Review: Rated 3 out of 5 stars

Many people were bragging over this book, and, unfortunately, it didn’t live up to its standards. Alexis pretty much annoyed me with her bitchyness. She was just as bad as the popular girl named Summer. Standards and popularity over friends and love.

Author Biography

Crista McHugh is a NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY BESTSELLING author of fantasy and romance with heroines who are smart, sexy, and anything but ordinary.

She also writes fantasy with less kissing and a lot more action as C. A. McHugh.

She currently lives in the Tesla-filled suburbs of Seattle with her husband and two children, maintaining her alter ego of mild-mannered physician on the weekends.