Hiding is Roo Fanshaw's special skill. Living in a frighteningly unstable family, she often needs to disappear at a moment's notice. When her parents are murdered, it's her special hiding place under the trailer that saves her life.
As it turns out, Roo, much to her surprise, has a wealthy if eccentric uncle, who has agreed to take her into his home on Cough Rock Island. Once a tuberculosis sanitarium for children of the rich, the strange house is teeming with ghost stories and secrets. Roo doesn't believe in ghosts or fairy stories, but what are those eerie noises she keeps hearing? And who is that strange wild boy who lives on the river? People are lying to her, and Roo becomes determined to find the truth.
Despite the best efforts of her uncle's assistants, Roo discovers the house's hidden room--a garden with a tragic secret.
My Thoughts...
In this adorable novel, Ellen Potter has updated the magical story of The Secret Garden and made it into a fun story that young readers will thoroughly enjoy. The reader is pulled into a world where it is uncertain what is real and you're constantly wondering if this is going to be magic or reality and in the end maybe it's a little of both.
Space can be a friend or an enemy, so you should always know how much of it your body needs.
-p2, eARC
Roo is a really interesting character. She's closed herself off from the world and then she's taken to an unknown uncle and ends up more isolated than ever in an island mansion. She's tough, though, and finds ways to make herself and home. I really enjoyed her and I'm not even sure that I can define WHY precisely, but she doesn't back down from what she believes and she doesn't let others bully her.
The likeness to The Secret Garden can't be missed with this storyline, but the updating that Ms. Potter has given the story works very well. The writing flows well and I don't think readers will be able to resist the pull of the story that she has so beautifully crafted. Ms. Potter has also succeeded in crafting a setting that has a life of its own. The island and the house almost become characters in their own right--with secrets waiting to be discovered.
The Humming Room will easily appeal to its intended audience of middle grade readers. The writing and story will capture their imaginations without putting undue strain on their reading abilities. I'd recommend this one to some reluctant readers who possible enjoy a little bit of mystery and strong female characters. It's also, clearly, a must-read for fans of The Secret Garden.
"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine where book bloggers discuss the books that they are most anxiously waiting for! (And this fabulous button was designed by my dear blogger friend Lindsay at The Violet Hour)
In the dark days since the insidious Red Lung virus decimated the human population, vampires have risen to rule the crumbling cities and suburbs. Uncontested Princes hold sway over diminished ranks of humans: their "pets." In exchange for their labor, loyalty and of course, their blood, these pets are registered, given food and shelter, permitted to survive.
Unregistered humans cling to fringes, scavenging for survival. Allison Sekemoto and her fellow Unregistereds are hunted, not only by vampires, but by rabids, the unholy result of Red Lung-infected vampires feeding on unwary humans. One night, Allie is attacked by a pack of rabids, saved by an unlikely hero...and turned vampire.
Uncomfortable in her undead skin, Allie falls in with a ragtag crew of humans seeking a cure, or cures: for Rabidism and for Vampirism. She's passing for human...for now. But the hunger is growing and will not be denied. Not for friendship—not even for love
I'm super excited today to bring you a fun and fabulous interview with all four of the authors involved in this 3-book tour! Read on to get to know a little more about these folks and their books. Oh yeah! And guess what?! There's a giveaway at the end! :) Read on friends...
Let’s start by introducing our readers to your books briefly! And when I say briefly, I mean 140 characters or less…like a tweet. ;) Go!
Aaron Patterson: Airel finds out her bloodline is made up of Angel DNA. So much for being normal.
Chris White: Amethyst, Yes, Dear, Strongbox, K [phantasmagoria], The Marsburg Diary, Airel, The Great Jammy Adventures. Pen name = C.P. White.
Estevan Vega: Arson can create fire. Emery wears a creepy mask. She also likes rocker tees & converse shoes. 1 summer will change their lives forever.
K.C. Neal: One 16-year-old girl is all that stands between this world and the dark world of her dreams. But no one told her.
You all work with StonehouseInk, so tell me a little about your experiences. What made you decide to go with Stonehouse? What’s been the best part of the experience?
Aaron: I own it, so yeah, I rock! Lol. I like working with other authors and making dreams come true, that is a wonderful feeling.
Chris: The best part of working with SH is that I know the guy who owns it and we’re buds.
Estevan: I have released 4 novels with 4 different publishers. Ha. It’s kind of funny, but with each experience you learn something new. I originally released Arson with Tate Publishing, and I was killing it with signings and stuff, but didn’t feel a great connection with them. I read one of Aaron’s guest posts on J.A. Konrath’s blog, and I was intrigued by his success, and I was all like, “I totally gotta mooch off of some of that.” Ha. Anyway, after a few conversations, I knew I had to make the jump and join the Stonehouse family.
K.C.: I found StoneHouse because of that post on Konrath’s blog, too. Even though Aaron and I live in the same town – how weird is that? Hee hee. Anyway, I had planned to self-publish, but StoneHouse ended up being the ideal situation for me – I get the advantage of Aaron’s experience and connections, while still having a ton of control over all the decisions that affect my book. It’s pretty sweet!
So I’m planning a potluck dinner party with all of your MCs. What kind of food do you think they’ll bring to the party?
Aaron: Airel would buy something at a restaurant and re-package it to look homemade… just because she wants it to be perfect.
Chris: Brownies. Nobody doesn’t like Sara Lee. That’s a double negative, but it’s better than a double entendre.
Estevan: Well, Arson likes scrambled eggs with birch beer, so that’ll def be on the menu. Also, can’t go wrong with mint chocolate chip ice cream. Weird combo? Yeah, I know. Just go with it.
K.C.: Corinne would bring petits fours, of course! Maybe a quiche, too.
What’s one indie book (other than your own) that you think everyone should read?
Chris: I don’t read fiction. Really. I don’t. I mostly read history and really old dictionaries. I know I’m weird and I’m okay with it.
Estevan: The Road. I don’t know if this is really indie or not, because it was released with a big house. But it had a definite indie feel, and the film adaptation was very indie, so I’m hoping it counts.
K.C.: Jenny Pox by J.L. Bryan. Bryan is a very talented writer, and for me this book really stands out among indies. Be warned: it’s horror and it’s graphic. But if you like Stephen King, Jenny Pox will be right up your alley.
What a question you’ve never been asked in an interview but would love to answer? (And answer it, of course!)
Aaron: What is wrong with you? Glad you asked, I am crazy, I create worlds that don’t exist and you love me for it… so who is crazy now? lol
Chris: “Hey, Chris, is it easy to be indie, to write, to edit, to publish, to, y'know, do what you do?” My answer: Absofreegnlutely NOT. But, and this is a big Sherman tank of a but, it is worth it. Why? Because writing has to be about more than money and fame in order to be viable. At least for me. I wouldn’t, for the record, turn money and fame down, mind you. But I wouldn’t be at all satisfied if money and fame were my only reasons for striving to create good stories. There’s so much more to life.
Estevan: What’s your favorite roller coaster? Right now…El Toro. It’s at the Six Flags in New Jersey, and it really freaking rocks. Best. Wooden. Coaster. Eva. Stay fly. Spread the fire!
K.C.: What job do you have in your fantasies? Drummer in a rock band.
Airel is a story about an angel who falls so deeply in love with a woman that he chooses to fall from heaven to be with her. She gives birth to a daughter in Arabia, 1250BC. The girl is pursued ferociously, relentlessly by an enemy in the deepest darkness. In present day Boise, Idaho is just a girl: Airel. She's just your average high school student...who turns out to be anything but average. It's because of who she is, because of her ancestry, because of her lineage. Past and present crash in on each other in the final pages as what has been twisted comes dangerously unraveled.
Arson Gable feels like a freak. He can create fire. He never asked for it. He never wanted it. But he can't shut it off. Before now, three things were true: he both loved and despised his grandmother; his life was going nowhere; and he was alone. But when a strange girl--who feels more normal behind a mask than inside her own skin--moves in next door, Arson hopes to find something he's never had: purpose. Using what he fears most about himself, Arson must face his consuming past and confront the nightmare that is his present as he walks the fine line between boy and monster.
Corinne lives an average teenage life working at her dad’s cafe, hanging out with her best friend, and trying to forget a falling-out with her almost-boyfriend Mason. Things take a strange turn when she uses her late grandmother’s food dyes for a bake sale, and her customers suddenly find her irresistibly alluring. Then she discovers she and Mason are haunted by the same dreams of a dark force that consumes everything in its path. Pursued by shadowy figures and a crazy woman with secrets from the past, Corinne must find out who her grandmother really was. In her quest to unravel her family’s history, she learns she is destined to protect this world--and the dark world of her dreams. She races to find the answers she seeks before her nightmares break free.
The wonderful authors who put this tour together have a couple of very special giveaways for you! First up, here on Reading in the Corner, you can enter to win....*drumroll please*...eBook copies of all three books! And since the giveaway is for eBooks, it's open INTERNATIONALLY! YAY! All you have to do is fill out the super simple form with your name and email address and you're in!
Have you entered the Kindle Giveaway yet? No? Well, guess what? Here's your chance! Just fill out the Rafflecopter below. :) [The Kindle Giveaway is part of each tour stop.] Check out the other awesome tour stops HERE.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
It's been just over a year since I posted my first review here on Reading in the Corner! (2/11/11) The blog and my style has changed a lot since then! I never even dreamed that I would really, REALLY do this and love it as much as I do. I never imagined that I would actually get a (fabulous) custom blog design. And I definitely didn't think that I'd be able to do it consistently for a whole YEAR. As a previously failed blogger (when talking about general "life" things and another about cooking), I really didn't have high hopes that I would find/maintain the motivation to do this for real. I think that the community itself has probably been the biggest sustaining force for me this time. It's really incredible how many fabulous people that I've met.
Anyway, I decided that I would try to do a couple of small giveaways for this event, even though money things are fairly tight right now. I just love you all so much! :)
NOTE: If the Rafflecopter forms are not showing up, trying using one of the links (such as the Enter to Win) and it *should* pop up. (It did for me.)
First giveaway: I went to a signing in St. Louis with Ally Condie back in November and I bought and had signed a beautiful paperback copy of Matched just for you! The paperback cover really is beautiful. I almost want to keep it for myself but I got the hardcover personalized to match Crossed...
Second giveaway: I have a couple of ARCs sitting around that I would like to give away! I'll give 2 winners a choice of one of these ARCs. (I'll try to get a real picture of them in here later tonight) My ARC of Shatter Me is from before it had a cover (hence the image below), but I promise that the content inside is just as fabulous!
"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine where book bloggers discuss the books that they are most anxiously waiting for! (And this fabulous button was designed by my dear blogger friend Lindsay at The Violet Hour)
Aries, Clementine, Mason and Michael have survived the first wave of the apocalypse that wiped out most of the world's population, and turned many of the rest into murderous Baggers. Now, they're hiding out in an abandoned house in Vancouver with a ragtag group of surviving teens, and trying to figure out their next move.
Aries is trying to lead, but it's hard to be a leader when there are no easy answers, and every move feels wrong. Clementine is desperate to find her brother Heath, but it's impossible to know where he'd be, even if he is still alive. Michael is still haunted by the memories of his actions during his harrowing struggle to survive. And Mason is struggling with something far worse: the fear that he may be a danger to his friends.
As the Baggers begin to create a new world order, Aries, Clementine, Mason and Michael will have to trust and rely on each other in order to survive
Release Date: 28 February 2012
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by Robin Parrish…the thing rocks!
. I don’t know if this is really indie or not, because it was released with a big house. But it had a definite indie feel, and the film adaptation was very indie, so I’m hoping it counts.
by J.L. Bryan. Bryan is a very talented writer, and for me this book really stands out among indies. Be warned: it’s horror and it’s graphic. But if you like Stephen King, Jenny Pox will be right up your alley.
