Wings of Light by Laura Bingham

Wings of Light, the sequel to Alvor by Laura Bingham, continues the story of twins Erin and Bain as they discover their roles as immortal alva in a land they never imagined could exist. I enjoyed Alvor and I liked Wings of Light even more.  This fantastic story is aimed at middle grade, but will delight anyone who is a fan of such books as the Fablehaven series.

Food to eat while reading: Raised by Magic Quick Rolls

Read the synopsis here.

Read my interview with Laura Bingham here.

Bingham has a great imagination.  I never know where she will take me--the inside of a shark, flying with dragons, cooking s'mores on a Moroccan beach, or ordering take out from another continent.

The adventure and magic that I loved in Alvor is intensified as Erin and Bain learn what is required of them and search for their missing mother.  The scope of the book enlarged, the twins are now involved in the alva kingdom and what their roles will be.

Read the full review

The UnValentine by Sam Beeson and I Heart You Valentine Breakfast

My aunt bought meThe UnValentine by Sam Beeson last year and it's a great twist on love and the holiday.

"Lily didn't believe in love.
Yes, Lily was a cloaked
and brooding cynical inferno.
And frantically she scratched
her hot misgivings in her journal.
She knew that every word she wrote,
each pointed, prickly curse
Was absolutely true, and Lily
wrote it all in verse."
But when Lily finds a dark note crumpled on her desk she finds her own unValentine.
Happy UnValentine's Day!
Here's a tasty and easy treat you can make for your own Valentine or unValentine:

Spread yogurt on a plate. Slice a strawberry in halve and shape it to resemble a heart. Add fresh raspberries and cream. Enjoy!

Review and Giveaway of The Lost Saint by Bree Despain

Click here to enter to win a copy of Bree Despain's new book The Lost Saint.

(this review first appeared in the Jan 11, 2010 issue of The Syracuse Islander Newspaper)

Click here to read my interview with Bree.

Are you looking for a good series to get lost in during the winter months ahead? I recommend The Dark Divine series written by Bree Despain.

Despain says that she uses the paranormal as a metaphor for themes in her book that are hard to express. “The Dark Divine is a modern young adult exploration of The Prodigal Son with a paranormal romance twist,” she says.

When I attended the launch event of The Lost Saint in December, I wasn’t surprised to see a mix of teens and adults in line to have her sign their copies. In the gap left by the conclusion of the popular Twilight series, readers have latched onto this paranormal romance that began with The Dark Divine in 2009.

The trilogy when Grace Divine, daughter of the local pastor, re-discovers Daniel Kalbi—the one person that she never thought to see again. The night that Daniel disappeared from her life, Grace found her brother Jude covered in his own blood. She must decide where her loyalty lies, to the mysterious Daniel and the attraction to him that she cannot deny, or to her brother, who is hiding secrets of his own. Grace’s decision could cause her to lose something of even greater importance than those she loves; it could cost her the price of her soul.

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The Revenant by Sonia Gensler

I won an ARC of this beautiful book (just look at the cover) at a giveaway from Writeoncon. Twists and turns in the book kept me reading until 1 am one night, and I had no idea what would happen next. The Revenant is a haunting ghost story with historical fiction and a good dose of hopeless romance thrown in.

Food to eat while reading: Sevenstar Gingerbread

Much of the book resonated with Anne of Avonlea and since I am a huge fan of Anne, I felt very much at home between the pages of the book.

Paranormal elements blended naturally with the historical aspects of the story. Set in the 1800’s at a female seminary for Cherokee girls, the book is rich in setting and background. In fact, I wished that Gensler had included more of the politics and difficulties that were prevalent for the Cherokee at that time period.

Seventeen-year old Willie grows from impulsive to responsible as you follow her story. She falls in love with Eli Sevenstar, a handsome boy who shows interest in her. The only problem is, she is a teacher and not allowed to fraternize with students. How can a reader resist the forbidden romance?

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Book Review-Tyger Tyger by Kersten Hamilton

A fresh take on the paranormal, you will want to read this Celtic romance over again as soon as you reach the end.


Food to eat while reading: Tadpole Soup (come back tomorrow for the Tasty Tuesday recipe)

I read Tyger Tyger on my iPad and plunged right in without knowing anything about it. Imagine my surprise when I found that the book has Celtic folklore, sign language, a magic system based on music and paranormal romance-all elements that are in my own WIP. Karma!

The characters at times reminded me of the kids in A Wrinkle in Time-the sister who has a quirky and intelligent little brother and the love interest who helps them. Other times Finn reminded me of Peter in Peter Pan-the immortal boy who has no family and watches Teagan’s family with interest.

The first chapter will draw you in quickly as Teagan works with a chimpanzee who speaks sign language. The sign language comes in handy later on when she is in trouble and I found that satisfying.

Though I like the angst that develops between Teagan and Finn, I really wanted more of the romance and I wanted Finn to have a bit more depth and mystery to him.

The celtic mythology in the book is cleverly woven into a contemporary setting. I found myself a bit lost with all of the Irish names and folklore-even though I study it myself. I want to read the book again to figure out all of the mythology and that won’t be a problem, I will read the book again anyway.

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