Waiting on Wednesday: Four Dead Queens

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that allows us to spotlight books we are eagerly anticipating to be released.

Pretty sure the first I saw this book was Twitter where someone shared the cover reveal. Before I never heard of it but buy when I did, hooked immediately. The cover is absolutely gorgeous but the blurb is what sealed the deal. I want to know about these queens, I want to know more about the main character and I want to read this book now! Sadly I have to wait until 2019 but there's no question that I'm excited about this release.

Release Date: February 26, 2019

Blurb: A divided nation. Four Queens. A ruthless pickpocket. A noble messenger. And the murders that unite them.

Get in quick, get out quicker.

These are the words Keralie Corrington lives by as the preeminent dipper in the Concord, the central area uniting the four quadrants of Quadara. She steals under the guidance of her mentor Mackiel, who runs a black market selling their bounty to buyers desperate for what they can’t get in their own quarter. For in the nation of Quadara, each quarter is strictly divided from the other. Four queens rule together, one from each region:

Toria: the intellectual quarter that values education and ambition
Ludia: the pleasure quarter that values celebration, passion, and entertainment
Archia: the agricultural quarter that values simplicity and nature
Eonia: the futurist quarter that values technology, stoicism and harmonious community

When Keralie intercepts a comm disk coming from the House of Concord, what seems like a standard job goes horribly wrong. Upon watching the comm disks, Keralie sees all four queens murdered in four brutal ways. Hoping that discovering the intended recipient will reveal the culprit – information that is bound to be valuable bartering material with the palace – Keralie teams up with Varin Bollt, the Eonist messenger she stole from, to complete Varin’s original job and see where it takes them.


What did you think of this book? Did you love the cover too? Let me know. Thanks for stopping by.

Apologies

Last week I was a complete no-show. Sorry life got in the way. But I'm back this week.

Netflix Dragon: April and May 2018

Netflix Dragon segment is back. This week I'll be sharing what I've viewed for April and May. Perhaps you will find a new show/movie to stream and enjoy.

Shadow Hunters: Season 3 (First half)

With news of Freeform canceling the series, the second half was moved from this August 2018 to early 2019. Still, we had an exciting start to Season 3 with new main villain Lilith on the warpath. Clary has her shadow hunter skills put to the ultimate test as does the rest of the cast. Magnus and Alec face the challenges with their relationship on several fronts. Jace has his own demons to face. Other characters face challenges as well and no one is left unscathed. The first half left us a huge cliffhanger not knowing if some characters even survived. Needless to say 2019 needs to hurry up.


Black Lightning: Season One

I completed the season of this new amazing superhero show on the CW. Airing on Netflix the following week helped me stay on top. This black superhero family was built from the ground up and I enjoyed every minute of it. Season 2 is a must see when it starts.

Billions: Season 3

Chuck Rhodes and Bobby Axelrod are at it again. Watching their rivalry to stay ahead of the law and destroy each other is just captivating. Especially when they have to team up to ensure each other's survival. Highly recommend. So glad Showtime allowed Netflix to stream this series.


Megamind

Megamind was a fun film to watch. I have heard it was one of the most popular among Dreamworks Animation fans and I can see why. Not without its flaws, the film takes its own turn with how a supervillain defines himself and just what it really means to be a hero. A fun watch.


A Series of Unfortunate Events: Season 2

I enjoyed the second season for this series which was ironic since I loathed the first season. Minus the last two episodes which I didn't even watch because I found most of the season one so irksome. But the new format of doing each episode in two parts for season two has solved a lot of issues from the previous season. If you liked the first then the second will be even better. If not I leave it to you to decide if a second chance is worth it. It was for me.


Amityville: The Awakening

This horror is both a tragedy in story and quality. Nothing great but still touching enough to feel bad for a family torn apart by accidents and terrible decision making. If you want to watch another Amityville horror film or a fan of the lead actress, go ahead. Otherwise, there is no real need to watch this film. I thought it was serviceable but not that good.


Evil Genius: the True Story of America's Most Diabolical Bank Heist

While this documentary was well done it was also very prejudicial. Highlighting one criminal as this monstrous mastermind while sidelining her mental illness and allowing male partners in crime a slide despite being just as responsible. It is still a great watch but I wished the blame was spread more fairly across the board. Plus there's no question that this was a horrible crime and all participants deserved to go to prison. Except for the one victim who was dragged into this scheme then blown up. Tragic.


Trollhunters: Season 3

I plan to do a full review for this soon. Season 3 has Jim and his friends/allies dealing with consequences from the previous season as well as new challenges. An epic event that's a must watch for any fan of the show and potential newcomers. I can't recommend this show enough for all ages.


Other Shows:

The Blacklist - Rewatched Seasons 1- 2 in preparation to watch Season 4.

Kung Fu Panda 2 - Rewatched both for fun and research purposes for a future Youtube channel.

The Incredibles - Rewatched since Incredibles 2 is coming to theaters in June.

Thank you for stopping by. Did you see any shows you might want to see? Any old or new favorites? Let me know and see you next Monday.

Waiting on Wednesday: The Light Between Worlds

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that allows us to spotlight books we are eagerly anticipating to be released.

I saw the cover on twitter and decided to find out more. A fantasy that takes you to another world that readers compare to Narnia? I'm in!

Release Date: October 23, 2018

Summary: Five years ago, Evelyn and Philippa Hapwell cowered from air strikes in a London bomb shelter. But that night took a turn when the sisters were transported to another realm called the Woodlands. In a forest kingdom populated by creatures out of myth and legend, they found temporary refuge. 

When Ev and Phil finally returned to London, nothing had changed at all—nothing, except themselves. 

Now, Evelyn spends her days sneaking into the woods outside her boarding school, wishing for the Woodlands. Overcome with longing, she is desperate to return no matter what it takes. 

Philippa, on the other hand, is determined to find a place in this world. She shields herself behind a flawless exterior and countless friends, and moves to America to escape the memory of what was. 

But when Evelyn goes missing, Philippa must confront the depth of her sister’s despair and the painful truths they’ve been running from. As the weeks unfold, Philippa wonders if Ev truly did find a way home, or if the weight of their worlds pulled her under.


What do you think of the cover? Does this story sound like something you would like to read? Thanks for stopping by.

Book Review: What Happens Next

Note: I have been flip-flopping on posts lately but it can't be helped. Good news I'll be getting my blood test results this week to find out what has been worsening my ailments. Then my doctor and I can move forward with the best health options to help.

Today I'm back with my review hat on. This story is a picture book focused on how to tackle bullying.

Title: What Happens Next by Susan Hughes (Illustrated by Carey Sookocheff)

Release Date: March 15, 2018

Source: NetGalley

Purchase: Amazon

Summary: What Happens Next is a raw, realistic story told by an unnamed protagonist who is made to feel different from everybody else―even invisible sometimes. Bullied by a girl at school, our narrator gives a terse script of the related facts (What Her Friends Do: Laugh. What Everyone Else Does: Nothing.) and emotions (How I Feel Sometimes: Bad. Really Bad.). 

The narrator takes these hurt feelings home, where Mom listens and offers some ideas. At school the next day, the child confronts the bully by turning a “weirdo” fascination with science into an opportunity to find common ground, and maybe help the bully see the world in a new way. 

Spare illustrations in a limited palette of blues and greens convey feeling alone even in the hustle and bustle of a crowded schoolyard. Graphic novel–style panels set a steady pace for the emotional impact of this important story that doesn’t simplify the realities of feeling like an outsider. It’s a powerful starting point for discussions of emotions, empathy, and how we relate to others.

Review

Stories about conquering bullies are often touching and informative. This one is no different. From good descriptions of how the bullied MC is feeling to the acts of the bully to intimidate her. Both words and images help evoke the pain of the victim and the superiority of the bully. Also, I loved showing how animals can comfort people in times of stress. Plus I felt the mother-daughter relationship was very genuine from when the child pretended to be 'fine' to when they had a talk about what was going on in school. The solution was also interesting and a different take from most books about girls being bullied by other girls. Overall a nice story for children.

My issue, however, was the way science was used in the book. While the positives of girls being interested in science is commendable. There was an underlying forced science is for girls message I didn't like. Yes, science is important but no one should be forced whether directly or subliminally to take on subjects they don't like. There's nothing wrong with loving science but a girl is no less if it's not for her. I remember as a teen having Math forced on me by my parents. It was awful and I ended up only getting worse at it until I was finally in a position to not do the subject anymore. So that scene where science was just forced into the story and used without any context to 'change' the bully bothered me. So I would say to parents that they should buy this book at their own discretion. If it does not bother you, do what you think is best for your child. I would, however, let the child know that they don't have to feel forced to take on any subject and should study and enjoy school as a whole.

Rating: 3 Stars

Waiting on Wednesday: Second Star

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that allows us to spotlight books we are eagerly anticipating to be released.

J.M. Sullivan has been an author I have kept my eye on for some time. She hosts #authorconfession and a podcast. She writes retellings which I'm a huge fan of. This time around we are getting a new story of Peter Pan and Wendy. This will be a sci-fi space novel with an all-new adventure and the fairy Tinkerbell is now all tech named Tinc. I found out about this story through twitter months ago and now that it has a release date I can't wait to get my hands on it.

Release Date: March 5, 2019

Summary/Blurb: Still reeling from the shock of her childhood hero being alive and well, Captain Wendy Darling is appointed the mission of a lifetime: find the lost crew of the Jolly Roger and bring them home. But on the ageless planet, time is finally running out, and Wendy must decide who to trust– the legendary captain, or his mysterious mechanic, Pan– before darkness consumes them all.



Thanks for stopping by for another WOW. What you think of the cover and blurb? See you on Friday.