Tag: fantasy

Posted in Literature

Present…

Posted on by The Fireside Chats

I got to go to the bookstore today and get my Valentine’s Day present from my hubby. I love going to the bookstore regardless of the occasion. But I got some new books to read, which you’ll see below. One book I added furthers a series I’m in the middle of reading and the others are new books I discovered while shopping. Even better is I saved 10% on my purchase for being a member and I had a coupon for $10 off on top of that.

Nightfall by Jake Halpern & Peter Kujawinski
Wildefire by Karsten Knight
The Conference of the Birds by Ransom Riggs
The End and Other Beginnings (Stories from the Future) by Veronica Roth
Scream and Scream Again by R. L. Stine

Posted in Answer a question

The norm….?

Posted on by The Fireside Chats

Do you ever read books that are outside the norm for you? What books are outside the norm for you? Will you ever take the chance and read something outside your normal? Why or why not?

This is something that I haven’t done very often. I read “The Diary of Ann Frank” about 3 or 4 years ago and that’s something outside of what I normally read. There are certain genres I normally stick to like fantasy, horror, science fiction, mystery, or thriller/suspense. They all usually involve fiction in some form so “The Diary of Ann Frank” was something different for me. I had been wanting to read that book for a long, long while and I had never had the chance to until a few years ago.

What are some books that I can read that would be outside of the genres I normally read?

Posted in Literature, romance, science fiction

“All the Birds in the Sky” by Charlie Jane Anders

Posted on by The Fireside Chats

I had heard a lot about this book and decided to give it a go. It supposedly won the Nebula Award in 2017. Yeah, I know, I know….I’m a little late to getting around to this novel.

I wasn’t sure what to think of this novel before I started reading it. I read the synopsis and wasn’t sure if it was something I’d like or not. Anyway, I finished reading this over the weekend and I actually enjoyed it. The book builds and builds until you get the end, even when you don’t realize that it’s building. Anyway, I tried reading something outside the usual with this one and I ended up liking it.

Synopsis: An ancient society of witches and a hipster technological startup go to war in order to prevent the world from tearing itself apart. To further complicate things, each of the groups’ most promising followers (Patricia, a brilliant witch and Laurence, an engineering “wunderkind”) may just be in love with each other.

As the battle between magic and science wages in San Francisco against the backdrop of international chaos, Laurence and Patricia are forced to choose sides. But their choices will determine the fate of the planet and all mankind.

In a fashion unique to Charlie Jane Anders, All the Birds in the Sky offers a humorous and, at times, heart-breaking exploration of growing up extraordinary in world filled with cruelty, scientific ingenuity, and magic.

Posted in horror, Literature

“The Haunted” by Danielle Vega

Posted on by The Fireside Chats

I’ve got a book I’ve crossed off my list over the weekend. Even though it’s geared towards the young adult crowd, I decided to give it a try. I thought the story line was good and I liked the way the book ended. The only thing I didn’t really care for was the main character seemed like she couldn’t make up her mind which boy she liked more and even then she couldn’t decide if she wanted to be with that boy or not. That may be normal for young adult novels…I know I’ve seen it happen in a few other young adult novels I’ve read in the past.

Synopsis: From Danielle Vega, YA’s answer to Stephen King, comes a new paranormal novel about dark family secrets, deep-seated vengeance, and the horrifying truth that evil often lurks in the unlikeliest of places.

Hendricks Becker-O’Malley is new in town, and she’s bringing baggage with her. With a dark and wild past, Hendricks doesn’t think the small town her parents moved her to has much to offer her in terms of excitement. She plans on laying low, but when she’s suddenly welcomed into the popular crowd at school, things don’t go as expected.

Hendricks learns from her new friends that the fixer-upper her parents are so excited about is notorious in town. Local legend says it’s haunted. Hendricks doesn’t believe it. Until she’s forced to. Blood-curdling screams erupt from the basement, her little brother wakes up covered in scratches, and something, or someone pushes her dad down the stairs. With help from the mysterious boy next door, Hendricks makes it her mission to take down the ghosts . . . if they don’t take her first.

Posted in Literature

Gifts for Christmas

Posted on by The Fireside Chats

Have you thought about what you want to give that book lover for Christmas? With Black Friday only a couple of weeks away, here are some ideas and suggestions from one book lover to another….

Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire : The Illustrated Edition by J. K. Rowling

The illustrated edition of Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire will be great for any Potterhead (like me). I’ve personally asked for one of these for Christmas. I plan on re-reading the entire series once again using all the illustrated editions once I’ve collected every single one of them.

The Stoneheart trilogy by Charlie Fletcher

If you have someone on your list who likes alternate realities….this trilogy would probably be a good gift for them. It also has a sort of coming of age story like Harry went through in the Harry Potter series.

The Wolves of Mercy Falls series by Maggie Stiefvater

If you have a book lover on your list who is looking for a little romance then this may be something that they’ll enjoy. It is equal parts romance and fantasy but it’s still a great read. Shown below are the 3 main books in the series but there is a fourth novel that revolves around a couple of the supportive characters if 3 is not enough.

The Asylum series by Madeleine Roux

If you have a horror junkie on your list then this may be something that they’ll enjoy. It starts out as a trilogy but there is a prequel book that revolves around different characters and you can find all the novellas from this series in one book (separate from the main series) that will give you more back ground into the story if they want to continue reading.

Murder for Christmas by Francis Duncan

For that person on your list that enjoys a good mystery then this would be a good read. Anyone who is a fan of Agatha Christie would like something from this author. Plus, he has some other books that would be of interest if you enjoy this one.

Land of Stories series by Chris Colfer

For those of you who have kids on your list that are avid readers, here is something you can get them. Whether they read on their own or you want to read it with them, this is a good series to share.

You Will Be Mine by Natasha Preston

For that teen on your list, check out this book from Natasha Preston. This is equal parts thriller/suspense and romance if your teenager likes that sort of thing. There are other thrillers from this author that they may like if your teen likes to read that sort of thing.

Posted in Literature, thriller/suspense

“The Invited” by Jennifer McMahon

Posted on by The Fireside Chats

Finished another book today. I was not aware this book had come out until I came across this book at the book store by accident. I like haunted house stories but this was interesting to me since the haunted house in this one is being built. I don’t want to say too much so as not to spoil it for anyone interested in reading it but it’s interesting. It moves along at a nice pace and keeps you coming back for more with each chapter you read. I was also surprised by the end. It didn’t end like I thought it would but I am happy with how it ended.

Synopsis: A chilling ghost story with a twist: the New York Times bestselling author of The Winter People returns to the woods of Vermont to tell the story of a husband and wife who don’t simply move into a haunted house, they start building one from scratch, without knowing it, until it’s too late . . .

In a quest for a simpler life, Helen and Nate abandon the comforts of suburbia and their teaching jobs to take up residence on forty-four acres of rural land where they will begin the ultimate, aspirational do-it-yourself project: building the house of their dreams. When they discover that this charming property has a dark and violent past, Helen, a former history teacher, becomes consumed by the legend of Hattie Breckenridge, a woman who lived and died there a century ago. As Helen starts carefully sourcing decorative building materials for her home–wooden beams, mantles, historic bricks–she starts to unearth, and literally conjure, the tragic lives of Hattie’s descendants, three generations of “Breckenridge women,” each of whom died amidst suspicion, and who seem to still be seeking something precious and elusive in the present day.

Posted in Literature

News on “Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children”

Posted on by The Fireside Chats

I’ve just found some news on the 5th book in the Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children series, titled “Conference of the Birds”. The book will be released January 14th and is available for pre-order. If you check out the link below, you’ll get some questions answered by the author and you’ll get a look at the book cover.

https://ew.com/books/2019/08/28/ransom-riggs-miss-peregrine-book-5-preview/

After reading the article, what are your thoughts on the next book in the series? Are you looking forward to it?