A Bowl For the Soul

BACK IN TIME: THE MINE

Hi everyone! Let us start with a question regarding time-travelling. What would you do if you travel back in time? Not back to a few years but back to a few decades or more than half century; which means you, or maybe, your parents are not even born yet. When I was a kid I used to think: that'll be cool! Of course being the 8 year-old kid that I was, it's quite a naïve thought. Perhaps, that is one of the reason why I was ecstatic when John Heldt approached our blog with a review request. I've always love a good time-travelling story especially considering all the funny things that could happen to the main character when he or she landed in an entirely different era. Add that with a romantic twist and wonderful historical descriptions, voilá! The perfect book for my reading time. The Mine consist of all the elements said above. It's the first book in John Heldt's Northway Passage series, which consist of 3 more books: The Journey, The Show, and The Fire.

 

The Mine started with the main character, Joel Smith, having discovered an abandoned mine in May 2000. While exploring it, he re-emerged from the mine to an entirely different time. He was still in the same place, but landed in May 1941. He was penniless (modern money did not qualify in pre-war era and credit card was not even invented yet!), have no place to go home to, and perplexed at what he is going to do next. 

Thankfully, after days of walking around and catching a wagon to Seattle (his hometown back in the 21st century), he made good friends with Tom Carter and (here's the catch) his independent, straightforward grandmother, Ginny. Seriously, the young version of Joel's grandmother is one of my favourite character in The Mine; a strong-willed woman during the pre-war era was difficult to be found. Then Joel was introduced to Grace Vanderberg. Sweet and smart, Grace felt immediate attraction to Joel and vice versa. Unfortunately there's a catch, Grace was engaged and this proves to be one of the conflict that arises for Joel. Eventually after spending time in each other's company, Joel's cocky (and a bit arrogant) attitude is softened up by Grace's compassionate nature. Their romance evolves for months as in 1940's, holding-hands and afternoon walks are required for a budding relationship back then. It turns out for both Joel and Grace that their mutual attraction becomes something much more serious and they are falling in love with each other. Think of the Notebook and this tender, beautiful love is just like that. I just can't help but sigh contentedly as I read this wonderfully written romance. 

Bookworm Buzz

INTERVIEW WITH JUAN CARLOS CANTU

Hello bookworms! Today we have an author interview with Juan Carlos Cantu, who penned Age Warfare. To those who have checked out our review of the book, here's a little insight to the brain behind Age Warfare.

Hi Juan, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself and your background?

Thank you for the opportunity to tell your audience a little bit about me and my literary work. I’m originally from Mexico, and came to the U.S. as a student some 10 years ago. My educational background is not a literary one -I’m an economist by training- but I’ve always had a knack for writing. Ever since I moved here I’ve always lived in Texas. After a couple of years in Austin (a town I learned to love) I now live Houston. I really don’t write for a living (I have a full-time job, which is not related to publishing in any way). I am simply someone who likes to share and exchange ideas.

What inspired you to write your first novel?

I’ve always been concerned about the environment. The U.S. has many great things, but I remember one of the surprises I experienced coming here was how much waste is produced --how little recycling is done. Not that where I come from everyone recycles, but my expectation was to find a very well-developed recycling culture here. Another major shock for me was to learn how a very big portion of the population don’t think climate change even exists.

So, after a couple of months reading about finance, energy, demographics and the environment, and with the encouragement of a friend, I came up with the idea for Age Warfare. The goal was to create a story palatable enough to be read as an action-style, fast-paced novel, but with the underpinnings of all these environmental concepts that are currently afflicting the planet and which many people around the world seem to disregard (or more dishearteningly, ignore). The inspiration came from the realization that something genuinely different could be written by combining youth activism, social networks, political movements, energy economics, ecological depletion, and demographic imbalances -all of this wrapped up in a nail-biter story that stealthily lays out the importance of taking care of the planet. This, is what Age Warfare is.

Give us an insight into your main character in Age Warfare. How did you come up with Ethan Maxwell’s character? 

The story of Ethan Maxwell in Age Warfare is a story of personal transformation. It’s the evolution from apathy into action. He starts off as a very disengaged, disgruntled teenager, and throughout the novel you witness his evolution into someone who is determined to change the world. At first, he is a little bit misunderstood, and cares about stuff that not everyone is interested in, but it comes a point in the story when his leadership skills blossom and he becomes an instrumental figure in the struggle of his entire generation.

In creating Ethan, I needed someone who was inspiring; a leader who was able to harness the power of social networks and defy the status quo to improve the conditions of his generation. But I also did not want to create this cliché-ridden main character who is invincible, the best at everything he tries; the impossibly good-looking lad who gets all the girls he wants, or the one who always kicks ass. I wanted to keep him real. With great strengths, but with great flaws also, simply because that is how we all are. I wanted someone reachable, relatable, and complex. His name came from from a friend’s suggestion at the word “Maxwell” (as in Maxwell House, but without the “House” part, since Ethan would grow “homeless” if the status quo keeps its course).

What are you working on at the minute?

During my free time, I am currently working on Age Warfare’s sequel. I have already laid out the structure of the story.

Do you ever get writer’s block? If so, how do you overcome it?

I really did not “suffer” from that during the time I wrote Age Warfare. I wrote it in a span of 4 ½ month. The creation process of that story was extremely intense. Every time I had free time I sat down and wrote 500 to 750 words, and that happened mostly every day. The emotional rush of that creative period was extremely, extremely enjoyable. Now, I must say I don’t feel the same way. Probably because it’s more about extending characters and situations that have already been created in the first one, or simply because I have allowed myself time write about other stuff.

A Bowl For the Soul

JOURNEY TO HOUSE OF HADES

"Nico, I've seen a lot of brave things. But what you just did? That was maybe the bravest."- Jason Grace to Nico de Angelo; House of Hades.

Hello bookworms! I've been a fan of all Rick Riordan's work since The Lighting Thief- including the likes of The Percy Jackson and The Olympians and The Kane Chronicles. Now, with his most recent ongoing series, The Heroes of Olympus, I have been waiting for ages to grab a copy of the 5th instalment: The House Of Hades. Let me tell you; it is worth the long-wait! 

My copy of House of Hades. I abandon my other books just to start reading it!

Rick Riordan reading House of Hades

Once again, Riordan has managed to make me roared in laughter with the right jokes thrown around on the right timing yet keeps me on my toes throughout the book due to the suspense and plot twists (you will not see it coming). House of Hades continues from the end of the Mark Of Athena, where the gang has gotten hold of Athena Parthenos; the key to stop the incoming war between the Greeks and the Romans, but Percy and Annabeth fell to the depths of Tartarus during the process and Gaea is soon waking up to take over the world. The future seems bleak for our heroes but as we all know, it will be hard to break these demigods. Now, their friends are on board of Argo II to rescue Percy and Annabeth from Tartarus and to close the Doors of Death (all the vile creatures aka monsters and Titans are escaping from Tartarus through the door to answer Gaea's summon to create havoc) at House Of Hades. 

I have to say this is true!

We can feel each of the characters' dilemmas because Riordan alternated POVs between all the main characters. This time they have to face their personal fears such as helplessness, feeling of being useless, and failing their loved ones. My spotlight is turned to Leo Valdez in House of Hades. He was awesome and funny since the beginning of the series yet had captured little of my attention up until House of Hades. Guaranteed a spot as the comic relief during the story has always been Leo's job. Then in House of Hades, he matured immensely. Towards the end of the book, his jokes and mischief had sobered much and Jason had noticed a faraway light in his best friend's eyes. He no longer pins after Hazel and he made a great promise that will be hard to keep (Spoiler! To skip spoiler, continue directly to the next paragraph: Leo was stranded on Calypso's island and fallen for her. He promised to return and saved her yet this had been an impossible thing to do for centuries- once you leave, you will never find the island again.) So let's see whether Leo and Calypso will become a new ship in the series. I hope it will because I'm ecstatic at the thought of it! I want Leo to find a way back to Calypso or else..well nothing actually since I'm not the author and I don't own any of the characters (sigh).

A Bowl For the Soul

 AGE WARFARE: A FIGHT FOR FREEDOM

I'm sure that most of you have at least one or two dystopian-themed books in your shelves. Aside from vampires and werewolves, dystopian seems to be the rage these days. How can you not love this literary genre? It has all the suspense of an impending future that people are always curious to find out  about. With these stories, you can imagine the future of the world along with the author. I started reading Age Warfare with excitement because I'm a major fan of dystopian novels. Add science fiction to it, and then this story becomes the perfect package. This is the debut novel of Juan Carlos Cantu and we are very pleased that he approached us to review it. 

Synopsis:

A social movement pushing for change brews in the United States. The crushing difference between the appalling conditions the younger generation (called limiters) have to endure and the opulent lifestyles of the older folks (called precollapsers) is increasingly unsustainable. The year is 2053, and the compulsive use of technology has molded human interaction, behavior, and learning capabilities, degrading them to a level which decades earlier would have been thought of as pathological. The world is mired in ecological crisis, as the governments around the world intrusively impose regulations aimed at moderating energy consumption growth in an increasingly strained planet. 

This is the world in which Ethan Maxwell is born: a world of harsh conditions; one that apparently no other youth around him seems to have a problem with. His story is one of transformation, one of survival –and one of hope. Accompany Ethan in the journey that takes him from an inconspicuous high school in Boston, Massachusetts, to the zenith of a worldwide social movement that threatens to rock the very structures that keep his generation oppressed and neglected. Age Warfare is the tale of a not-so-foreign future that paints the picture of what could happen if we continue in the current path, but also one that leaves us with the hope of knowing that there is always another opportunity to start anew.

From the beginning of the story, it has captured my interest immediately. I was hanging on to pages after pages, and found it hard to stop reading it. Age Warfare is a unique, wonderful story that taught me a lesson: We have to take good care of the ecosystem. Unlike most dystopian novels, Age Warfare shows a detailed version of what will happen if the society doesn't do something to stop the degradation of our environment. Age Warfare describes a possible future if humanity keeps squandering the natural resources and earth has finally taken its toll from global warming.

Film Delicacy

THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE

Hi Bookworms! I finally got the time to watch Catching Fire last night and I'm not disappointed! The second instalment of this epic trilogy is an improvement from the first movie. It continues from the end of The Hunger Games where our star-crossed lover, Katniss and Peeta (or Peeniss for those fans out there; no pun intended) become the victors of the 74th Hunger Games. In Catching Fire, Katniss and Peeta has to participate in the 75th Hunger Games aka Quarter Quell. Quarter Quell happens every 25 years of the Hunger Games and the Capitol will add a twist in the Quarter Quell. This time the tributes from each districts will be taken from the pool of the existing victors. Since the only female victor from District 12 is Katniss, she has to become a tribute again while Peeta volunteer in the stead of Haymitch.

Girl Power!

Katniss and Peeta were the Victor Tribute of District 12

In our previous post about Catching Fire, the overall casting for the new characters introduced  are discussed such as Finnick and Johanna. After watching the movie, I'm very satisfied with Enobaria (she's really feral!), Mags (she's so sweet and have an amazing heart), and Plutarch Heavensbee (he has this sly vibe that suits the character). I'm not too keen on Finnick and Johanna's portrayals; very different from what I had in mind for two of my favourites in the book.While Sam Claflin had definitely hit the gym and packed some serious muscles, his Finnick came off a bit creepy for my taste. I was so looking forward to the Sugar Cube part where he met Katniss for the first time but it was lackluster and well, strange. Johanna was an entirely different matter. Jena Malone's portrayal of Johanna was just okay; not as good as I had imagined but fared better that Claflin's Finnick. I love a strong female character where she doesn't need the saving; instead she saves the boy. Johanna was that kind of girl minus saving the boy part. In the book, Johanna was sarcastic and snarky. Yes, she can be a full blown b*tch but I seriously love that girl. Whereas in the film, Johanna was a little tad too loud but I got to applaud Malone for getting away with two f-bombs during the movie. Even if she's not exactly the Johanna in the book, I still love the Johanna by Jena Malone. She is a real bad-ass chick. Brash and i-don't-give-a-damn attitude; especially when she strip naked in the elevator, it's so hilarious.

A Bowl For the Soul

 TO BE OR NOT TO BE: THE QUEEN OF BAD DECISIONS

“Because some life lessons you just have to learn on your own. You need to set your man bar higher.”- Mary to Daisy; The Queen of Bad Decisions.

Author of Must Love Sandwiches, Janel Gradowski, has released a novella with an ear-catching book title: The Queen of Bad Decisions. As the prequel of Must Love Sandwiches (Bartonville Series), we get to know Daisy better and understand her life dilemmas. This is a great story for those who likes to curl up on their couch to relax and enjoy some light reading.

About The Bartonville Series

Sometimes all you need is one or two bites to satisfy a craving.

That is the principle behind The Bartonville Series. We're all busy. Settling down and spending hours reading a nice, long novel is appealing, but how often do you get to do that? With that thought in mind I am creating a women's fiction series where each book will contain stories of different lengths with companion recipes. There will be flash fiction stories that can be read during a coffee break, novellas that can be devoured over an evening and everything in between, like short stories and novelettes.

Casting Calls

WHO TO CAST: THE INFERNAL DEVICES

Hello bookworms! We are back (again) to the wonderful world of Shadowhunters created by Cassandra Clare; only this time, I would like to ponder about the perfect cast for the trilogy's characters. The Infernal Devices is the prequel to Clare's successful series, The Mortal Instruments (TMI). Personally, I love The Infernal Devices even more than TMI and that's saying a lot (I'm an avid fan of TMI as you can see from my previous posts that highlights the series a few times). It's touching and heartbreaking; you will sigh contentedly once you finish The Infernal Devices I assure you.

The main characters of TID (short for The Infernal Devices) are Tessa Gray, Will Herondale, and Jem Carstairs. Being the feminist that I am, I'm gonna start with Tessa first. See, choosing Tessa might be a fickle because her height has been mentioned a lot of times during the course of TID. Although, I don't think that will be much problem since the actress can wear high heels or the director can play with some angle shoots that gives an illusion of height. I've heard a few people favouring Astrid Berges Frisbey, Emilia Clarke, Sarah Bolger, and Kaya Scodelario as front runners so I'll be dissecting (not literally!) each of this four amazing actress for the part.

A Bowl For the Soul

IT AIN'T EASY BEING JAZZY

“Jasmine.” I stuck out my chest. “Jasmine T. Peacock.” “What’s the T stand for?”
 “Nothing. My mom just thought it sounded cool.”- Jazzy; "It Ain't Easy Being Jazzy"

As a part of 'It Ain't Easy Being Jazzy' blog tour, here's the review of this compelling hilarious story by Quanie Miller. If you like humour and funny chick-lit story, then this is the book for you. 'It Ain't Easy Being Jazzy was loosely based on Miller's experiences loving in Silicon Valley. 

Book Blurb:

Jazzy secretly wants to get back together with her ex boyfriend, Curtis, so when he calls and reveals that he's got something important to tell her, she's got no idea that he's about to propose-to her first cousin and bitter rival, Mercedes.

The annual family dinner is coming up, and fearing that she will spend the evening seething while Mercedes flaunts her four carat engagement ring in her face, Jazzy asks Reggie, an Adonis she met at the mall, to accompany her. As fate would have it, not only did Reggie and Mercedes used to date; that backstabbing, leopard print wearing cow is still carrying a torch for him! Revenge. It's never been so sweet. 

But falling for Reggie? Holy crap! That wasn't part of the plan! She's got enough on her plate as it is with a mother who spies on the neighbors and a sister and best friend with man problems that could land them on Jerry Springer. So when Curtis comes sniffing around again-this time, with an accusation that sends her blood pressure shooting through the roof-the one good nerve that Jazzy's got left has just about run its course.

Even the book blurb made me smile while reading it so I was really eager to start the book. Then, I finished it in two days! Yes, it was that funny and tear-inducing (tears of laughter mind you). This book had definitely won my heart and this book is a must for those who are feeling a little blue these days. 

The main heroine, Jasmine "Jazzy" T. Peacock, will make you laugh so hard with her mischievous nature till your stomach cramps and within her family, she's the least quirky along with her sister. Even her spying-on-the-neighbors-as-a-hobby mother is loveable with her catty attitude. The supporting characters such as Serai are also humorous which made me snort with laughter along the way. 

A Bowl For the Soul

CARRIE: A BLOODY PROM NIGHT

“People don't get better, they just get smarter. When you get smarter you don't stop pulling the wings off flies, you just think of better reasons for doing it.” ― Stephen King, Carrie

Since Halloween is coming up soon, I'm in the mood for some horror-fest. Now, my favourite horror story remains with Stephen King. Name a few of King's work and I'll be jumping up and down ecstatic to tell you all about the story from head to tail. Well, not that I'm much of a horror story-teller. I mean, I got creeped out myself when I watched Wes Craven's Elm Street so how do you expect me to actually  retell any horror or ghost story. I'm not a hardcore horror story fan; Rosemary's Baby and the Exorcist made me insomniac for several nights. Anyways, since there are so many of King's ingenious works I'll choose the very first book that I read which is "Carrie".

A paperback copy of Carrie

There are so many reasons why I absolutely named "Carrie" as one of the best horror stories ever written. Along with the Shining. Or Salem's Lot. Okay, you should realise by now that I'm a huge fan of Stephen King. But since the remake of "Carrie" will hit the theatres soon, a little nostalgia about the story won't hurt (fun fact: "Carrie" is the fourth book written by Stephen King but the first to be published). "Carrie" tells us the story of a girl, social misfit with the titular name, who develops a telekinesis power that she eventually uses to exact revenge on her tormentors; killing everyone in her  school and town, where this disaster left it as a ghost town after Carrie's rampage. When you started reading "Carrie", it doesn't feel like that it's a horror story but by the time you have reached the middle of the book, this is when King really starts his brilliant gift for writing horror story. 

Hi bookworms! As a part of 'It Ain't Easy Being Jazzy' blog tour, this is a teaser post for everyone who loves a good laugh and a story filled with hilarious moments. It Ain't Easy Being Jazzy will be released on October 15th 2013 and here's the book blurb and excerpt link below:

Book Cover

Jazzy secretly wants to get back together with her ex-boyfriend, Curtis, so when he calls and reveals that he’s got something important to tell her, she’s got no idea that he’s about to propose—to her first cousin and bitter rival, Mercedes.

The annual family dinner is coming up, and fearing that she will spend the evening seething while Mercedes flaunts her four carat engagement ring in her face, Jazzy asks Reggie, an Adonis she met at the mall, to accompany her. As fate would have it, not only did Reggie and Mercedes used to date; that backstabbing, leopard print wearing cow is still carrying a torch for him! Revenge. It’s never been so sweet.

But falling for Reggie? Holy crap! That wasn’t part of the plan! She’s got enough on her plate as it is; restaurant shootouts, a neurotic boss, a mother who spies on the neighbors, and a sister and best friend with man problems that could land them on Jerry Springer. Who has time to fall in love? So when Curtis comes sniffing around again—this time, with an accusation that sends her blood pressure shooting through the roof—the one good nerve that Jazzy’s got left has just about run its course.

Read an Excerpt

I'll be posting a review of the book on the 26th October so keep an eye for it! Happy Reading, bookworms!