Fall Releases I'm Looking Forward To

I thought today I'd share the four new releases coming up I'm most looking foreword to. These next few months are going to be very exciting. :D

The Sword of Summer: Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard

Magnus Chase has always been a troubled kid. Since his mother’s mysterious death, he’s lived alone on the streets of Boston, surviving by his wits, keeping one step ahead of the police and the truant officers.

One day, he’s tracked down by a man he’s never met—a man his mother claimed was dangerous. The man tells him an impossible secret: Magnus is the son of a Norse god.

The Viking myths are true. The gods of Asgard are preparing for war. Trolls, giants and worse monsters are stirring for doomsday. To prevent Ragnarok, Magnus must search the Nine Worlds for a weapon that has been lost for thousands of years.

When an attack by fire giants forces him to choose between his own safety and the lives of hundreds of innocents, Magnus makes a fatal decision.

Sometimes, the only way to start a new life is to die . . . (Taken from Goodreads.)

While Riordan's last batch of books, the spin-off series of Percy Jackson, were less than cool, this looks like it's going to be really awesome.

The Forever Man: W.A.R.P. #3

Riley, an orphan boy living in Victorian London, has achieved his dream of becoming a renowned magician, the Great Savano. He owes much of his success to Chevie, a seventeen-year-old FBI agent who traveled from the future in a time pod and helped him defeat his murderous master, Albert Garrick. But it is difficult for Riley to enjoy his new life, for he has always believed in his heart of hearts that Garrick will someday, somehow, return to seek vengeance.

Chevie has assured Riley on numerous occasions that Garrick was sucked into a temporal wormhole, never to emerge. The full nature of the wormhole has never been understood, however, and just as a human body will reject an unsuitable transplant, the wormhole eventually spat him out. By the time Garrick makes it back to Victorian London, he has been planning his revenge on Riley for half a century. But even the best-laid plans can go awry, and when the assassin decides to include Chevie in his retaliation, the three are tossed once more into the wormhole with no idea where-or when-they will end up. (Taken from Goodreads.)

I have absolutely loved Colfer's books, especially his WARP series, and cannot wait to crack open the pages of book 3. Especially since it looks like he's bringing back one of the best villains ever.

The Speed of Darkness: Chronoptika #4

I haven't actually read the 2nd and 3rd book in this series (because my library doesn't have them), so I haven't even read the description of this one. The first book turned out to be breathtaking, and so I, in planning to read the next two, found out that the fourth was due to be released early 2016.

Mission Hurricane: The 39 Clues: Doublecrossed

Last book of the 39 Clues. Possibly the very last that will ever come out. I have really enjoyed these books and will be very sad to see them end. But I suppose you can only stretch a series so far...

What new releases are you looking forward to? Any suggestions for me?

Have a lovely afternoon,

~The Scribbler in the Attic

January Reading List \\ The Hangman's Midnight 39 Crown Revolution of Clues

One of my goals this year is to read 101 books. Whether I'll make that or not, I've no clue. But I would only have to read 8 and 1/2 books a month to reach it, so that shouldn't be too difficult, right?

Have any of you ever set any large reading goals? If so, any advice?

Well, here's what I read this month. I only got around to 6, so I suppose I'll have to make up for that next month...

The Hangman's Revolution (W.A.R.P. #2) 

by Eoin Colfer

This. Was. Awesome. And so funny. I always enjoy Colfer's sense of humor and how he blends absolutely impossible scenarios with believable action and original characters. I give this book 4.5 stars. (There is a lot of mild language, and a lot of gory action, but nothing waaay over-the-top.)

Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2)

by Sarah J. Maas

I read the first book in this series and enjoyed it, so I checked out the second book on our online library... and still don't quite know what to think. It was good, maybe 3.5 stars, but the main character did a lot of things that were completely and breathtakingly wrong and, quite frankly, evil. I don't think I have ever seen the line of good-and-evil so blurred. I couldn't even tell where the line was. So... the plot was pretty good, even if it lagged a little, but the characters (except for Chaol, who is awesome) were really pretty terrible and had little in the way of true character development. (The language gets pretty PG-13 now and then, and because of the adult innuendo and content, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone younger than 15.)

The 39 Clues: Cahills vs. Vespers (books 2-5)

by a bunch of people

Oh! These are so good! Such a great sequeal-series to the original 39 Clues. I'm right in the middle of the last book, and seriously have no idea how it's all going to end up okay. Definitely give these 4.5 stars. (On the language: there is taking of the Lord's name in vain a few times, and three very mild instances of cursing in the 5th, Trust No One.)

Hope this broadened some of your reading horizons. :)

Got any suggestions for me? (Seriously, I have to read 101 books this year, and I need more material for my list!)

~The Scribbler in the Attic

2014 Top Ten Book Recommendations

I read a lot of books this last year, and thought I'd share my top ten favorites:

Airman by Eoin Colfer

A very thrilling, fun and well written historical fiction. It takes place during the era where learning to build the first flying aircraft was a race and everyone was in it to win. 

The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forrester

I did a review of this book back in March. Everything about it was so incredibly charming, and it was original and classic at the same time, if a little predictable. :)

(Ascendance Trilogy) The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielson

The. Best. Book. I. Have. Ever. Read. Ever. (Not including the Bible. ;D) Ah, where to even begin? You'll just have to look it up and read it. ;)

(Relic Master) The Dark City by Catherine Fisher

The characters in this one are just so well done and unique. It's really what sold the rest of the series for me. I highly recommend this to anyone who likes the combination of sci-fi and fantasy and talking cats.

Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne

Have you ever read one of those books that just makes you... happy? This was that kind of book for me. This is one of the greatest classics of all time, if you ask me. 

(Fablehaven Series) Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary by Brandon Mull

This is my favorite book out of the whole series. I recommend the whole Fablehaven series, but this was the book that stood out to me the most. 

The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare

A beautiful and well done story of a girl who moves from the beaches of the Caribbean to the outbacks of America. I really enjoyed this, and I'm not usually one for historical novels. 

The 39 Clues Series by... A Lot of People

The premise is just so out-there, there is no way you want enjoy this as much as I did. Crazy action and adventure, crazy plot, and most of all, completely crack-pot characters. It was awesome!

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

I really enjoyed this book which was basically just one long play on words. It rocked. :D 

The Swamp Rat by Carter Crocker

Ahh! So good! I loved this book, and I honestly have no idea why. It's told from the perspective of animals living in a swamp. I've never been one for stories told by animals (besides Redwall, of course), but this is was such a delightful and laid-back read. 

How many books did you read this last year? I would love recommendations! What were your favorites? Have you read any of these?

Over and Out,
~The Scribbler in the Attic

Writers Wednesday // Action Kids Blog Tour Stop

Good morning everyone! Today I'm hosting a blog stop for Aidyl Ewoh (aka Lydia Howe) on her blog tour for her new book Action Kids. So excited to have her here!




Welcome to day three of the Action Kids blog tour celebrating the release of the first book in the series, Action Kids' Club. Read the post from yesterday here.


The answer to yesterday’s quote puzzle is: Ships are safe in the harbor, but that’s not what ships are for. -Unknown

For Today:

Olivia, the narrator in Action Kids' Club is pretty upset about moving at the beginning of the book, but as time goes on, she too, realizes that moving might not be so bad after all. I was 10 when our family moved and I was rather distraught about it. I was pretty convinced that I lived in the best place possible and I didn’t see how moving would make life better. After my parents told me I could bring along the poles I’d been working on for my ‘some-day’ tipi, I was a bit more enthusiastic about the move. It wasn’t long after we moved that I realized having over five times as much property meant we could do a lot more exploring, plus there was a corncrib that we were allowed to convert into our shanty (what can I say... I grew up on Laura Ingalls books). And, we even got to have a campfire on a sand pile where we were commissioned to cook breakfast every once-in-a-while. Suddenly moving hadn’t been such a horrible thing after all and I even found myself becoming loyal to our new property. As the years have passed by, I’ve been ever so thankful that we moved when we did. Moving truly did open up a new world of possibilities for my family. The land here is amazingly beautiful and if I got to go back to when I was ten and pick if I wanted to move or stay right where I was... Well, without a doubt I would choose moving.

What about you? Do you have an experience or story about moving? I’d be delighted to hear it. :) Here’s your quote puzzle for today. Figure it out and leave the answer in the comments section and you’ll be entered into a drawing for a great prize! And, check out my blog to find out about the $50 gift card I’m giving away!


(Answer Key)

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C

(Puzzle)

Idlxuh lv dq hyhqw...lw’v qrw d shuvrq. - Don Howe


Make sure you check out this blog tomorrow for the answer to the riddle and the next stop on the blog tour. Thanks for stopping by!

About the Author:

Lydia Howe (aka Aidyl Ewoh) is a twenty-something adventurous author who enjoys hiking in the mountains of Asia and South America, building life-size models of dinosaurs, taking road trips across Europe and cooking for large crowds. Lydia grew up in a barn and has always dreamed of living in a tipi. She is trained as a John Maxwell coach and her passions include self-development and Christian apologetics. One of her life-long dreams was realized when her first book, “Cave Secrets of the Pterodactyl”, was published by Answers in Genesis in 2013. Her second book, “Action Kids’ Club” was published in November of 2014. Find her online at her Blog, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Goodreads and Pinterest.


Action Kids’ Club Back Cover Blurb:

Twelve-year-old Olivia Hall’s dream of a friends' club ends when she finds out her family is moving. Her parents assure her it's a good thing, opening a new world of possibilities for the Halls. But going from ‘miss popular’ to ‘the new girl’ won’t be easy, and Olivia is not convinced.
Soon she begins to realize that although her life has suddenly changed, there's plenty of adventure to keep her on her toes. From making new friends at Forward Focus, to hanging out at the world-renowned Kids Zone, to meeting the curious head chef, she discovers that there's much more to life - and her new surroundings - than she ever imagined. How will she make the most of these new opportunities? Or will she let them slip away?


Thanks, Aidyl, for having me host this! This was a lot of fun!
~The Scribbler in the Attic

Photography Friday // Being Trendy in a Tomb

Dun-dun-da-duuuuuuuuuh! Introducing my very first 'treasure hunting outfit'! I am not a fashion-y person, but as a writer I love putting together outfits and costumes for my characters in my head. As the quote goes, "Your clothes say who your are without you having to speak a word"... or something like that, but--my point is--describing a character's outfit can give the reader just as much a feeling for who they are as describing their voice or face.
Well, here you have it. I guess this could technically still be a part of my "Selfie Series" since I took all of these by myself.

Hope you enjoy! My plan was basically grab something khaki, grab something earthy-toned, and grab something leather.

"Someone stole all the clues!!"

"Oh well. At least I look fabulous."

Argh, Mateys, 

~The Scribbler in the Attic

Monday Musings \\ The Mad Scramble

And so it begins...

Confession time: I've never actually done NaNoWriMo before.

Definition time: To those of you who are not familiar with what NaNoWriMo is and are having a hard time pronouncing it, NaNoWriMo is National Novel Writing Month. Every November, writers write a 50,000 word novel between Nov. 1st and the 30th. 

Introduction time: For my first attempt at NaNoWriMo, I've decided to begin a story I've been sitting on for a while now about treasure hunters. I am suuuuuupeeer excited--so excited, in fact, that I've decided to make it the theme of my blog post for the next month.

What I've got planned:

Monday Musings will now be lists of things that I've read/watched and listened to for research purposes, or random things that have been helping me cope with the fact that every day you have to write at least 1,667 words to get 50,000 in by the end of the month. 

Writers Wednesdays I will be sharing with you what I've learned so far about the treasure-hunting genre and what's helped me get into the swing of writing a treasure hunting story.

Photography Friday is probably what I'm most excited about. I'll be taking a break from my "Selfie Series" and doing more treasure-hunter-themed shoots. CANNOT WAIT! :D 

Anyways, just wanted to give you a heads-up for what's in store. I can't wait to get started!

So, grab your ice cream, Oreos, hot tea and bunny slippers and get writing!

Over and out,

~The Scribbler in the Attic

Monday Musings \\ Leven Thumps and the Gateway to Foo - Book Review

Leven Thumps and the Gateway to Foo by Obert Skye

Premise: Fourteen-year-old Leven Thumps lives a wretched life in Burnt Culvert, Oklahoma. But his life is about to change and his destiny be fulfilled as he learns about a secret gateway that bridges two worlds -- the real world and Foo, a place created at the beginning of time in the folds of the mind that makes it possible for mankind to dream and hope, aspire and imagine. But Foo is in chaos, and three transplants from that dreamworld have been sent to retrieve Lev, who alone has the power to save Foo.

Enter Clover, a wisecracking, foot-high sidekick; Winter, a girl with a special power of her own; and Geth, the rightful heir to Foo. Their mission: to convince Lev that he has the power to save Foo. Can this unique band of travelers help Lev overcome his doubt? Will Lev find the gateway in time? Or will Sabine and his dark shadows find the gateway first and destroy mankind?

Language: None.

Content: Talking about killing people, parental abuse, and stealing a car.

Stars: 2

I'll start with my positive thoughts, what little I have of them…

For one, the cover is awesome. But,  as they say, you can't judge a book by its cover. And certainly not this book.

The characters are new and unique, with good dynamics. I really loved how awful Leven Thumps relatives are to him. Of course, it sounds like the Harry Potter situation all over again , but Lev's aunt and uncle are the complete opposite kind of awful. They're messy and lazy and live in a gross house. I know it sounds awful of me to like that they're abusive to him, but it adds a good layer to the story.

Winter was very cool--wait, okay, seriously, no pun intended. She leaves a bad family situation, but learns to have confidence in herself, despite being told her whole life that she's nothing. Her back story, what there was of it, was intriguing.

Now, for what I didn't like:

Basically everything. Leven was selfish, way too weak-minded, and whiny. I'm all for the hero-underetsimates-himself-but-then-discovers-self-confidence-and-becomes-super-awesome. With Leven, the author just took it over the top and almost the entire book was nothing but Leven's friends trying to convince him that he isn't worthless and can save Foo. Suck it up and try anyways, dude.

The dialogue was cheesy, the jokes fell through, the writing itself was nauseatingly  bad, and the pacing lurched. It was excruciatingly boring, and the only thing that kept me reading was the action and the tiny little part of me that really wanted to like this book.

I'm not saying that the action was good, however. In fact, it was some of the worst action I've ever read. Not well described and too bizarre. It had no structure, no rise-and-fall, no order. Of course, action isn't supposed to be "organized" but it shouldn't feel like something that was just plopped into the story and made to fit.

But the thing I probably could stand the least about this book was the bad guy, Sabine. Cheesy, poorly conceived, and horrific--I mean truly horrific--dialogue.  If you're going to build an antagonist up to be something as powerful and cruel as Sabine, you better deliver.

My conclusion--this book looked very charming at first, but I'm not planning on reading the rest of the series.

Laters,

~The Scribbler in the Attic

Photography Friday \\ Selfie Series - Randomosity

So, for the entire month of August, my friend Andrea and I decided we weren't going to wear any make-up. 

We weren't going on some "skin-purge" or giving something up like at Lent. We just liked the idea of taking off the mask that so many people hide behind and showing ourselves as well as the rest of the world that we're comfortable and happy with who we are, with or without mascara or eyeliner or any of the other beauty "enhancing" things the world pushes on us.

I have to say it's been a really wonderful month. Empowering and humbling at the same time. I'm now more confident than ever with myself, just for the reason that I stopped spending time worrying about what other people were going to think about my face, and instead resting in the knowledge that God created beautiful in HIS sight, and the rest of the world doesn't matter.

I have acne. I have chicken-pox scars. I have braces and big, blue circles under my eyes. But I'm finding myself no longer caring about that stuff. God likes me and I like me. :) 

So, yes, in all these pictures for the last month, I haven't had much make-up on. Hope you like these new ones. They'll be the last "make-up-less" selfies, because next Friday will be September 5th! 

"I have great faith in fools; self-confidence my friends call it."

~Edgar Allen Poe

(I think that's my new favorite quote),

~The Scribbler in the Attic

Monday Musings \\ Top Ten Authors I Own The Most Books Of

I've been wanting to do a post like this for a while, ever since I got the idea from Imogen Elvis's blog (go check it out, it's awesome.) I'm just going to list the top ten authors I own the most books of, and a little of why. 

Trenton Lee Stewart

A few years ago my sister and I got hooked on his Mysterious Benedict Society series, and received the entire box set for Christmas. His writing style is actually, I think, I a lot like J.K. Rowling's, which is probably one reason that I really enjoyed his books. But what I really loved best were all the characters he crafted. They were all the perfect kind of quirky that I like to read about.

Linda Windsor

Before Linda Windsor I had never read Christian Romance. Her Fires of Gleanmara series is seriously the best Christian book series I have ever read. She has some modern-day-romances, but all of the books I own of hers are set in medieval/Celtic history settings. Her research about the times, while not terribly in depth, is accurate, and I love reading about the rise and fall of Christianity during the Dark Ages, and always incorporates it so well into her romances.

Rick Riordan

At the moment I only own his Heroes of Olympus series. I wish that when I picked up the original Percy Jackson series that I had just bought them, because they are some of my favorite books ever. The Heroes of Olympus is not nearly as awesome as Percy Jackson and the Olympians, but I still love his books and his characters, and most especially his sense of humor. His books are the perfect ratio of deep/stupid/make-fun-of-themselves/informative/and well written.

Brian Jacques

I think Brian Jacques is one of the unsung heroes of fantasy fiction. His Redwall series is one of the things that helped me (and this is probably going to sound really weird) get over my strong apprehension of anything gory/gross/bloody. The series is set in Mossflower woods, which is populated by sword-wielding mice, arrow-shooting squirrels, dagger-throwing weasels, stoats, ferrets, potion-making foxes, sling-shot-slugging moles, and rapier-twirling shrews. Since all of the gore/violence was happening to animals, it worked as a nice transition for me to suck-it-up and get used to it with humans too. 

N.D. Wilson

Every single of his books are absolutely brilliant. That's basically all there is to say. I loved his One Hundred Cupboards series, am currently reading through his Ashtown Burials series, and really adored Leapike Ridge. His writing style takes a little getting used to, but once you do, you'll enjoy it immensely.

Andrew Peterson

While I have yet to read the latest book of his I bought, the last in his Wingfeather Saga, his books made me realize that I didn't just want to write stories about orphaned kids with no authority figures or parental guides. His characters manage to have exciting, breath-taking adventures without their parents getting killed or being dumped in an orphanage and forced to make world-altering decisions on their own. 

Lloyd Alexander

Half of the time I'm reading his Chronicles of Prydain series, I love it. All his characters make me laugh and his plots are awesome. The other half I want to slap the main character, tell him to suck in his pride and stop acting like a dufus. Taran, the main character, does make the right choice by the end of every story, and the very last book in this series is really one of the best ending-books I've read. 

John White

I'm not quite sure what to say about his books. He is the author I own the most books of, only for the reason that I got his whole Archives of Anthropose series for Christmas. His characters were okay, his plots were okay, and the world he built was okay, but I just couldn't really get into it. It took too much from Narnia and used way too many medieval-fantasy cliches.

Suzanne Collins

NO, I DO NOT OWN THE HUNGER GAMES TRILOGY.
Sorry, just had to get that out of the way. I liked the first two books in the Hunger Games, but wanted to throw the last book across the room (and would have, if I hadn't been borrowing it from a friend).
No, I own her Gregor the Overlander series. I have a love-hate relationship with these books. Her last book left me wanting more, and not in a good way. But Gregor was an awesome character for the most part, and the world she built was very well done. I'm glad I own the series, at any rate, though. :)

Eoin Colfer

I saved the best for last. Do you ever read one of those books that just makes to happy every time you read it? Everything hits in just the right way, and it's like honey-moon-mode all through the series?Most books I read, that feeling wears off by the last book, but with Eoin Colfer's books it stays like that the whole time. They just make me happy. His Artemis Fowl series especially. Each book of his is always awesome and his characters are superb.


Well, hope you guys enjoyed this and hoped it broadened your horizons for reading material!
Adios, 
~The Scribbler in the Attic  

Photography Friday // Seflie Series - The Shampoo

Thank you all for all your comments and suggestions on my last post! 

Here are the selfies for this week (and in case you were wondering, yes, that is the same dress.) 

In this post, I attempt the ever-so-ever awkward "shampoo". Just scroll and you'll see what I mean... ;)

And there it is, folks!

"A gentle word, a kind look, a good-natured smile can work wonders and accomplish miracles." ~William Hazlitt

Adios,

~The Scribbler in the Attic

Photography Friday // Selfie Series

Starting this week, I'm going to try and post selfies in a sort of "blog series". 
It's hard taking a picture of yourself when you don't have a remote to your camera, so you have to run back and forth setting the timer and focusing on a vague area, and then running and trying to guess the general location of where it was focused and somehow manage to smile without looking awkward. 
Yet, by some miracle, these turned out...
Anyways, hope you enjoy: 

a

"Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened." ~ Dr. Seuss

Craving green eggs and ham,

~The Scribbler in the Attic

Writer's Wednesday || Apologies, Explanations and First Drafts

So... I've been rather sporatic these last few weeks.
But for good reasons.
I was finishing my book! This is a book I have been dreaming and plotting in my head since I was eight. And I finally finished the first draft! I am sooo excited! But revising said draft is keeping me extremely busy.
So, until I can get everything between my writing and my blogging organized again, I'll be taking a short break from This Name and Moment as well as blogging in general.
Y'all are awesome! So, Until I see (or read) you again--
--Adios!

~The Scribbler in the Attic

Monday Musings \\ Fablehaven Series Review

Fablehaven (the complete) Series by Brandon Mull

Premise: Kendra and Seth Sorenson have no idea that their grandparents are the caretakers of a preserve for magical creatures, called Fablehaven. When they come to stay while their parents are on vacation, the Sorenson siblings are plunged into the midst of a dangerous war between the demons and fairies, dark and light creatures. As the increasingly desperate situations call for increasingly desperate measures, their bravery saves the day while giving them abilities they never dreamed of. In the next two years, they are victim to dragons, betrayel, magic, captivity, time travel, duels, griffons, wraiths, dangerous gambles with deadly magical beings, and a struggle that will both rip them away from their family and help find them again.

Language: None

Content: Plenty of violence, drowning, dangerous magical creatures, but not really any blood or gore. Kidnapping, murder.

Stars: 4 1/2

I went through a difficult breakup with this series when I finished. After such an explosive, beautiful last book, it was like 11 o'clock at night when I finished and I just went, sat down by my older sister, and hugged her a long time. It was such an awesome series I that couldn't face the fact that it was over.

The thing about juvenile fiction is that sometimes the grownups simply put too much confidence in the children, or absolutely none. Fablehaven did a wonderful job of balancing it perfectly. The grownups were both very responible about protecting the children, while not undermining them and using their help when it was needed.

It took the first three or four books to get to this point, and up until that point, they would disobey their grandparents to do the right thing.

What I enjoyed most was the dynamic of Kendra and Seth as siblings. Total opposites. They are both the main characters, though Kendra a little more than Seth. Kendra was responsible, level headed, polite and quietly brave.

Her younger brother Seth, however, is goofy, recklessly courageous, constantly cracking jokes, and always disobeying. But his disobedience always has consequences, and he learns eventually to respect his grandparents.

Another thing that really stood out to me about this series was how polite the kids were to the badguy--a classy, clever man. They despise him, but are always very polite when speaking to him. It was refreshing to read books where they weren't constantly insulting, yelling, or cursing at the antagonist.

This series had wonderful, colorful side characters, lots of humor, and awesome ancient evils and clever badguys. The secret magical world takes on a global-level as the series progresses.

The only thing that I think people might have a problem with are the demons and zombies, but neither are overplayed. They are simply portrayed as other magical creatures like fairies, trolls, dragons, giants and satyrs. There's nothing weird or after-lifey or religously-off about them.

I highly recommend this series to anyone 10+. It has become one of my favorite book series, and has given me so many ideas for my own books. 

~The Reader in the Attic