Review of Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu

Overview
Once upon a time, Hazel and Jack were best friends. They had been best friends since they were six, spending hot Minneapolis summers and cold Minneapolis winters together, dreaming of Hogwarts and Oz, superheroes and baseball. Now that they were eleven, it was weird for a boy and a girl to be best friends. But they couldn't help it - Hazel and Jack fit, in that way you only read about in books. And they didn't fit anywhere else. 

And then, one day, it was over. Jack just stopped talking to Hazel. And while her mom tried to tell her that this sometimes happens to boys and girls at this age, Hazel had read enough stories to know that it's never that simple. And it turns out, she was right. Jack's heart had been frozen, and he was taken into the woods by a woman dressed in white to live in a palace made of ice. Now, it's up to Hazel to venture into the woods after him. Hazel finds, however, that these woods are nothing like what she's read about, and the Jack that Hazel went in to save isn't the same Jack that will emerge. Or even the same Hazel. 

Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen," Breadcrumbsis a story of the struggle to hold on, and the things we leave behind.

 Add this to Your Goodreads.com Shelf

Recommended: Yes.

About Breadcrumbs

Available as: Hardcover $10.98 from Amazon.com,  

                                E-book $9.99 from Amazon.com's Kindle Edition

                                      Recommended Ages: 12 and Up

Hardcover: 313 pgs.

Published: September 27th 2011 by HarperCollins Publishers/Walden Pond Press

For This Review: *Book Copy Provided by the Goodreads.com Reviewer's Program*

  

  In Breadcrumbs, Hazel, an eleven year-old girl journeys to The Snow Queen's (also referred to as the white witch) home to save Jack her best friend that happens to be a boy. Yes, everyone keeps pointing out the strangeness of an eleven year-old girl like Hazel having a best friend as a boy but to Hazel he's the only one who truly understands her. She has a huge imagination and Jack appreciates that about her unlike other kids in her class at school that feel that Hazel is a bit too old for the creative way she sees the world. The other kids like to make fun of how she likes to explain the world which you can better see how she views it [below]:


"Her mom nodded from the doorway."
It's amazing when you can see the patterns like that. Look at it. See the six sides? It's called hexagonal symmetry. A snowflake is made-"
People were always doing this sort of thing to Hazel. Nobody could accept that she did not want to hear about gaseous balls and layers of atmosphere and refracted light and tiny building blocks of life. The truth of things was always much more mundane than what she could imagine and she did not understand why people always wanted to replace the marvelous things in her head with this miserable heap of you're -a-fifth-grader-now facts.

The relationship between Hazel and Jack (not sure how it connects to Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen," since haven't read. Do know that Breadcrumbs is very much another fairytale-like story with a more modern take.) is so tender. They understand each other reveling in each other's company. It changes when Jack gets some shard glass embedded in his eye that makes him see Hazel as now unimportant. One day he just stops seeking her out. Hazel goes on her journey to seek him out from the white witch who has claimed him.
Breadcrumbs is a read that has so much in reading enjoyment. The written lines within its pages come out to be beautiful with richness. By today's standards it would be labeled a middle-grade book. For that it is a novel that is full of simplicity and, yes, complexity that makes it unique. And so readable. Anne Ursu with her novel, Breadcrumbs, has a strong voice that lures readers in. Her use of words is just plainly "admirable". Will open your heart with wonderment of clarity. For it's true in the world things aren't always good and that's a huge theme throughout the novel that life isn't always easy (opened up with imaginative wonder) and that it can go unexpectedly for people.

"Most of the splinters that fell were as tiny as dust. But there were a few larger pieces as well. The biggest one was about the size of your hand. It fell near the woods and a woman picked it up and carried it with her. She dropped it when the wolves scared her, and it was picked up several days later by a girl who lived nearby. This girl did not need an enchanted mirror to show her that the world could be an ugly place, so to her it spoke the truth. She kept the mirror in her apron pocket, where it could be secret and safe. 
A boy got a splinter in his eye and his heart turned cold. Only two people noticed. One was a witch and she took him for her own. The other was his best friend. And she went after him in ill-considered shoes, brave, and completely unprepared."

Breadcrumbs delivers something that sure does satisfy and for that reason this is more than just a middle-grade book but a middle-grade book with a slice of life in its pages. In this novel for some reason Jack will never be the same. So much so that wonder, if he will recover. So it's a growing seedling at this point whether there will be more books to Breadcrumbs as in sequels to it. If so excited for that immensely!
Overall: Touching read 
Genre: Fantasy, Middle-Grade

                              About the Author

Anne Ursu's most recent book is BREADCRUMBS (HarperCollins/Walden Pond Press), a modern–day fairy tale for middle grade readers. Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen," BREADCRUMBS is a story of a Minneapolis girl who follows her best friend into a strange fairy-tale woods, and discovers there that fantasy is no escape. 

Anne is also the author of the Cronus Chronicles (Atheneum), a middle grade fantasy trilogy about two cousins who unwittingly fall into a battle with Greek gods. The three books are THE SHADOW THIEVES, THE SIREN SONG, and THE IMMORTAL FIRE. In addition, she has written two novels for adults: SPILLING CLARENCE and THE DISAPPARATION OF JAMES (Hyperion). She teaches at the Hamline University's Masters of Fine Arts in Writing for Children and Young Adults. Anne lives in Minneapolis with her young son and neurotic cats. 

Book & Movie Dimension a Blog: Various Books/Movies Giveaway Winner!

Book & Movie Dimension a Blog: Various Books/Movies Giveaway

Congratulations to Jennifer Reeves. She was the winner for the giveaway.
She chose a book--Smash Cut by Sandra Brown--.

Randi Black's Top 5 Nirvana Videos with Giveaways in the Miss World Book Online Tour!

About Randi Black 

Randi Black is an aging rocker chick with an MFA in Writing from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

            Miss World Book Tour

Brought together by Greta and Darkfallen @ Paranormal Wastelands

Let the Book Tour continue for Miss World by Randi Black. Has been really fantastic to be part of the tour as a blogger. Miss World by Randi Black was a read that definitely enjoyed reading despite it being realistic fiction which I shy away from for fantasy and science fiction novels in its place. Even so found it to be a really beautiful read in its way. So, thank you , Randi,  for writing! I loved it.


Come enter giveaways [below] of the Miss World tour as well.
Enter to win an E-book Copy of Miss World by Randi Black and a Miss World Ipod Shuffle loaded with a playlist of Ten Songs connected to Miss World.
You can hear 5 out of 10 of the songs [on this post] that should be loaded on the Miss World Ipod Shuffle.
Read: Review of Miss World by Randi Black

Miss World Online Book Tour: Review of Miss World by Randi Black

Overview
It's 1993. Kim Ho wishes she were Courtney Love, instead of the chubby 16-year-old who clashes with her traditional Chinese parents. Her very own Kurt Cobain arrives in the form of Kevin, a 26-year-old failed musician. But Kevin uses Kim's rock-star dreams to exploit her, and those dreams die along with the real Kurt Cobain.Too scared to tell anyone, Kim conjures up a cross-dressing imaginary friend and dates Walter Riordan, the cute boy from special-ed. Walter helps her recover, but after a joke snowballs into a plot to murder Kevin, Kim's forced to choose between revenge or her sanity. This is a truly daring and original coming-of-age novel about one girl's quest to reclaim her power from those who've stolen it. 

Add this to Your Goodreads.com Shelf

Recommended: Yes.

               Miss World Book Tour

Brought together by Greta and Darkfallen @ Paranormal Wastelands

Let the Book Tour continue for Miss World by Randi Black. Has been really fantastic to be part of the tour as a blogger. Miss World by Randi Black was a read that definitely enjoyed reading despite it being realistic fiction which I shy away from for fantasy and science fiction novels in its place. Even so found it to be a really beautiful read in its way. So, thank you , Randi,  for writing! I loved it.

To see the review for Miss World by Randi Black, read below.

Enter to win an E-book Copy of Miss World by Randi Black and a Miss World Ipod Shuffle loaded with a playlist of Ten Songs connected to Miss World.
You can hear 5 out of 10 of the songs that should be loaded on the Miss World Ipod Shuffle by seeing: Randi Black's Top 5 Nirvana Videos in the Miss World Book Tour!

Civilian Reader: An Interview with ROBERT JACKSON BENNETT (& Giveaway!)

Civilian Reader: An Interview with ROBERT JACKSON BENNETT (& Giveaway!): “The anomalies must be examined, for it is the anomalies that reveal the most,”

TV Casual Talk: The Secret Circle on The CW "Witness the Birth of Real Power Episodes 10-15"

A recap/casual look at The Secret Circle's Episodes 10-15. Beginning with "Darkness"

Lots of things are changing so far. With the show slowing down for Episode 16, Lucky, hopefully you viewers out there would like to take a fast look at the show since it's return on  January 5, 2012 of this year. Let me know what you think too in the comments and will love to exchange any theories and questions (since I just adore this show!). 

Review of Pariah Issue #3 by Aron Warner and Philip Gelatt

Issue #3:

Print: 32 pgs.  Digital: 27 pgs.

Publication: August 2011 by Sea Lion Books 

Writer: Aron Warner, Philip Gelatt     Artist: Brett Weldele

Cover by: Pat Lee

                                                           Publisher: Sea Lion Books
Robert Maudsley knows what makes us tick. He knows what people want, need, hate and love. He can use that knowledge to get us to do whatever he wants, no matter how dangerous, immoral or repugnant that might be. Maudsley has no moral compass. He has no compassion. But he's very curious about how far he can push people and what he can get away with. Maudsley wants to rule the world... to control us all. Maudsley is 15 years old.  

Download Comedic Fantasy “Pike’s Quest" by KJ Bennett

You can download the comedic fantasy “Pike’s Quest” for free over the course of 5 days. With numerous 5* reviews on Amazon UK & US, this offer is available at 

Review of Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

Overview
Twelve-year-old Artemis Fowl is a millionaire, a genius—and, above all, a criminal mastermind. But even Artemis doesn't know what he's taken on when he kidnaps a fairy, Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon Unit. These aren't the fairies of bedtime stories—they're dangerous! Full of unexpected twists and turns, Artemis Fowl is a riveting, magical adventure.

 Add this to Your Goodreads.com Shelf

Recommended: Yes.

                                

                      About Artemis Fowl

Available as: Mass Market Paperback $3.12 from Amazon.com,  

                                E-book $6.29 from Amazon.com's Kindle Edition, E-book $7.99 from Kobo.com, E-book $6.39 from Sony Reader Store 

Recommended Ages: 11 and Up

Paperback: 396 pgs.

Published: February 10th 2009 by Simon Pulse (first published January 28th 2009)

For This Review: * Self-Provided Copy*

My Star Review

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#1 Comics/Manga Flashback Round

Within this blog post: Pariah Issue #1 by Aron Warner and Philip Gelatt, Pariah Issue #2 by Aron Warner and Philip Gelatt, and The Dreaming Vol. 1 by Queenie Chan


Hi there!
This is somewhat of a different blog post take. Having had an interest in comics/manga for a long time thought I'd be a good way to connect with other comic/manga fans. And or get some future reading recommendations. Yes, Need Recommendations.

A GoneReading.com Coupon 25% off on any purchases!

A special coupon code for you, readers:  BMDIMENSION25


For e-readers and printed books, so get out there and use this coupon. Coupon expires one month from today, and is good for 25% off of any purchases at www.GoneReading.com except GoneReading.com's bookends.

TravelFlex LED Book Light

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 MiniFlex eBook/eReader Book Light

$14.99

Kobo.com Offer: Get 20% off! Expires February 20, 2012, 11:59 PM!

An Anime Movie Review: Howl's Moving Castle (2004)

Howl's Moving Castle (2004)

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

Anime News Network Overview:
A plain young hatter named Sophie has her life changed when an evil witch transforms her into an old woman. Unable to face her family in such a condition, Sophie runs away in search of a way to become young again. Along the way, Sophie helps a turnip headed scarecrow, who repays her by leading her to the moving castle owned by the dreaded wizard Howl. There she befriends Howl's apprentice Markl, Howl's fire demon Calcifer, and eventually, Howl himself. Sophie then becomes the castle's cleaning lady in an effort to not only find the solution to her problem but to save Howl from his own terrible secrets as well.
                       


A Review of Howl's Moving Castle

Recommended: Yes.

As you can see the artwork of Howl's Moving Castle is vibrant. Simply beautiful.

What with The Secret World of Arietty coming out today by Hayao Miyazaki (director) thought this review would be great to take a look at.

Have to be one of the most entertaining anime movies to watch out there. New beginner watchers of anime would probably even enjoy this one as well.

Howl is a powerful wizard but the Witch of the Waste stole his heart making him extremely selfish and heartless...

Sophie in Howl's Moving Castle 

 On a certain day, Howl comes to rescue a young girl he happens to find in some danger named Sophie. Although soon an evil witch turns her into a old crone. So Sophie runs away from home to seek out Howl who can save her. He soon takes her in and when he does Sophie finds out about Howl's secret and makes it her mission to help Howl regain his heart that has been stolen. It seems that she may just be able to restore the real Howl. She tries very hard to help Howl. Making us go through moments of desperation, danger, and the power of love even in the most unfortunate situations.


Howl's Moving Castle sure does contain beautiful landscapes much like other animes created by Hayao Miyazaki like Spirited Away and his other quite splendid anime movies.

Markl (the little boy) in Howl's Moving Castle

Affiliated with Seventh Star Press: Release of Poseidon's Children by Michael West

Some book news. Read on....

First Novel in NEW Urban Fantasy Series by Michael West is COMING OUT!

Press Release: February 15, 2012

Seventh Star Press proudly unveils the cover art and pre-order window for a limited edition Hardcover version.

 Only 75 to be issued of Poseidon's Children that bundles the eBook version with it in the eVersion of the reader's choice (along with some collectible extras).

How very exciting. Looking forward to this title. Seventh Star Press has really good taste in releasing some interesting titles from a broad crop of authors. If it's anything like Thrall by Steven L. Shrewsbury which was just a pleasure to read(between you and me another title that Seventh Star Press came out with) then Poseidon's Children should be just as amazing.

T.V. Casual Talk: The Secret Circle on The CW "Balcoin"

In "Balcoin" we see what hides within Cassie Blake and where her dark magic descends from 

"Balcoin" (episode that aired November 10, 2011) for some reason gained its entertaining angle again. Meaning that the delving into Cassie's family connection to black magic brings a great suspense that does seem to be keeping alive the t.v. watching of The Secret Circle for the better after last week's episode "Beneath" not being as strong.

Latest News in Gifts for Book Lovers at GoneReading.com

About GoneReading and Gone Reading International, LLC:

GoneReading is the world’s only lifestyle brand of gifts for readers and book lovers that donates all year-end profits to fund new library construction in the developing world. GoneReading is a registered trademark of Gone Reading International, LLC.

Latest News in Gifts for Book Lovers at GoneReading.com


In this article you will see that ,if your a book lover looking for bookish gifts/souvenirs like mugs, book lights, bags, and other book-related comforts.
Then look toward the popular mug from GoneReading.com--Jane Austen for President mug--.
Many readers of course are aware of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.
This a good one for you Jane Austen fans.


The personal favorite which is truly hilarious.
--Take Me To Your Reader mug--

Should be Take Me to your leader (implied by the alien). Nice funny joke.

"When talking with my sister at dinner a few weeks ago, the subject turned to reading. As kids, we were voracious readers. When the Scholastic Book Club newsletter came to us in our grade schools, we’d circle all the books we could, great books like Encyclopedia Brown, The Cricket in Times Square, The Phantom Tollbooth were our best friends growing up. She bought a whole set of beloved children’s books for our nieces, but sadly when she asked if they’d read the books, they told her that just didn’t have the time. Sadly, I’ve even heard stories that the Book Clubs themselves have devolved into a catalog of toys and junk for kids.

It seems like an epidemic. Kids don’t seem to read anymore. We live in a world where more than three paragraphs of text on a Web page are called too much. We’re too busy to write complete sentences, so we write things like “LOL”, “LMAO”, and “BFF”. That’s just sad. Because a great book can inspire you, can lift you up, and can broaden your world. If you look at the most successful people in the world, most of them can rattle off a list of their favorite books.

Review of Clockwork Prince (Book Two of The Infernal Devices) by Cassandra Clare

Overview
In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa's powers for his own dark ends.

With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister's war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move and that one of their own has betrayed them.

Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will; the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?

As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.

 Add this to Your Goodreads.com Shelf

Recommended: Yes.

                 About Clockwork Prince

Available as: New Hardcover $13.59 from Amazon.com/ Paperback $8.77,  

                                E-book $9.99 from Amazon.com's Kindle Edition, E-book $9.99 from Kobo.com, E-book $9.99 from Sony Reader Store 

Recommended Ages: 15 and Up

E-book: 359 pgs.

Published: December 6th 2011 by Margaret K. McElderry Books

                  For This Review: * Self-Provided Copy*

My Star Review
Buy Options

An Anime Series Review: Buso Renkin (2006-2007)

Buso Renkin (2006-2007)

Director: Takao Koto

IMDb Overview: 
Alchemy showdown!

Anime News Network Overview:
One night, Kazuki Muto jumps in to try to save what he thinks is a girl in distress from a monster and instead gets impaled through the heart. The girl, Tokiko, is actually an alchemic warrior with a Busou Renkin, name of Valkerie Skirt, with the mission to exterminate Homunculi. She implants the only other successful work of alchemy than the Homunculus, the Kakugane, to take the place of Kazuki's heart. The Kakugane resonates with his fighting spirit and forms a Busou Renkin (in his case a spear) so he can fight the Homunculus monsters who prey on humans. Kazuki joins with Tokiko to battle with the Homunculi and protect his friends and his sister Mahiro.

Review of Fade (Wake #2) by Lisa McMann

Overview

SOME NIGHTMARES NEVER END. 

For Janie and Cabel, real life is getting tougher than the dreams. They're just trying to carve out a little (secret) time together, but no such luck. 

Disturbing things are happening at Fieldridge High, yet nobody's talking. When Janie taps into a classmate's violent nightmares, the case finally breaks open -- but nothing goes as planned. Not even close. Janie's in way over her head, and Cabe's shocking behavior has grave consequences for them both. 

Worse yet, Janie learns the truth about herself and her ability -- and it's bleak. Seriously, brutally bleak. Not only is her fate as a dream catcher sealed, but what's to come is way darker than she'd feared.... 
 Add this to Your Goodreads.com Shelf

Read The Beginning of After by Jennifer Castle & Enter Giveaways! A Book Blast HarperCollins Promotion-Epic ReadsMonth of Love!

~Go see the Promotion~

Hurry! 
This month only.