A Girl of Fire and Thorns Book Review

Girl of Fire & Thorns Book Review

Title:		The Girl of Fire and Thorns
Publisher:		HarperCollins
Format:		Hardcover
Pub Date:		09/20/2011
Pages:		432 pages

Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness. Elisa is the chosen one.
But she is also the younger of two princesses, the one who has never done anything remarkable. She can’t see how she ever will. Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs the chosen one, not a failure of a princess.

And he’s not the only one who needs her. Savage enemies seething with dark magic are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people’s savior. And he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake. Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn’t die young.

Most of the chosen do

My Thoughts:
I don’t think I have ever seen heroine quite like this before. Shes fat and lazy, antisocial , and rather than go to a party or function to curl with a good book princess.. She religiously devoutful and is neither ugly or pretty yet she is  marked for something great. Comparing her to perfect and beautifully pale made to be queen sister, she looks like an elephant. A BIG fat elephant.

I love this book! The story line is totally original. The basic premise is similar to the ugly duckling turns into a swan (except the swan knows how to kick some butt!). Elisa is the second princess of Oravelle and has godstone implanted where her belly button should be. She is destined to do something great but she does not know when or how she will fufill her “destiny” . Elise  is “supposed” to be a hero but right now shes not.  In fact not only is she not a hero, but is made to be a queen. A queen of a foreign country in an arranged marriage.   A queen when she is anything but regal. It was absolutely refreshing to read. A  dark skinned girl who lacks the confidence to do anything right turns out to be one of the greatest characters in the book.  I love how she never magically becomes stronger and more confident. It was a gradual progress that allowed the reader to become closer to Elisa. You could feel her grow as well. I seriously couldn’t put down this book.


Things I Liked:
Dark skinned protagonist
A girl who constantly reads ( who does this remind you of?)
Total crush alert on her husband
She can kick butt
Smart and resourceful

Willing to persevere despite the odds

I love the new cover! If you have seen the original it was pretty but didn't fit Elise but this one on the other hand , depicts the character as she is supposed to be.

Things I Hated:
She had to lose weight to become a beautiful swan? I personally think despite your weight  or how you look on the outside its  what on the inside that really counts.


 I rate A Girl of Fire and Thorns 4 out of 5 stars! 

Video Review: Switched by Amanda Hocking

Hi everyone! Its RLP here and decided to surprise you with a surprise video review ( I know how rare are they?)




In this particular video I talk about Switched by Amanda Hocking. She was an indie author that really created a huge success. Her story is like Cinderella and I absolutely adore her and her writing. Amanda's blogs are hazardously insightful (erm funny?). You can check out her blog here:

 I hope you enjoy the video and  dont forget to  comment,rate,and subscribe! Youtube Page
My Blog: you are here (duh!)
Twitter: http://twitter.com/ReadLivePlay

Author Interview: Huber Hill and the Dead Man's Treasure by B.K. Bostick

Hi everyone Its Tami here and I just wanted to say I found treasure! What is this treasure I have been hinting  about? Huber Hill and the Dead Man's Treasure is for middle schoolers filled with treasure ( of course!) , danger, and mystery!   I love going on adventures ! Come and find out whats with all my treasure hunting lately with the author of Huber Hill and the  Dead Man’s treasure himself, B.K. Bostick!


( Stay tuned to the end to  find out how to receive your own treasure!)

For my twitter followers could you describe Huber Hill and the Dead Man’s Treasure in 140 characters or less?

 Upon discovering his grandpa's mysterious gold coin and Spanish map, Huber Hill sets off on an adventure to find the Dead Man's Treasure.

Who is Huber Hill? 

Huber is a conglomerate of many boys I've taught and worked with over the years. He's a bit unsure of himself- a "B" student in school and is constantly compared to his brainiac, athletic twin sister. He's constantly lost in thought, but is very determined when he sets his mind to something. Huber is independent and tries to ignore things that bother him. However, he knows he's missing something- he's missing real friendship. When he loses his grandpa who had been filling that void, it indirectly helps him find friendship in the most unlikely of places.

 Huber Hill does not seem to be your likely protagonist being bullied and all. And not exactly smart for dragging the bully with him on his adventure.  I know sometimes you find  friends in the oddest of places. Did you base Huber’s friendship with Scott with anything from your childhood?

I did. I can't say I was bullied. However, I didn't have any deep friendships with people when I moved to a new school in junior high. After a couple of years of superficial friendships, I ended up being the best of friends with someone my direct opposite- a big, tough, mean guy most people were afraid of. I don't remember exactly how it happened, but we understood each other and are still friends to this day. There was much more to him than met the eye. As a school counselor, I've noticed many kids forge lasting, unlikely friendships. You never know where or when you'll find a friend that will change your life. I tried to convey that with Huber and Scott.

What is the exact folklore behind Dead Mans Treasure ( Or should I call it Tesoro de los Muertos?)

There are many folktales about Spanish explorers searching the southwest and Rocky Mountains for gold. I drew upon books documenting their presence in the west during the 17th and 18th centuries searching for treasure. A couple of books I read are Footprints in the Wilderness and Lost Gold of the Uintahs. There also exists oral histories of the Spaniards clashing with the local Native Americans. My own grandfather shared many of these stories with me. While Dead Man's Treasure doesn't specifically follow any of these oral histories, the story was definitely influenced by them.

There seems to be quite a bit of Spanish in Dead Man’s Treasure.  I swear as I was reading it I learned so much. I think I can call myself a senorita de hablo espanol?  I love the spanish culture! Besides  the fact that Spanish is essential for Dead Man’s Treasure folklore, Is there any other reason you decided to incorporate some of the Spanish culture within Huber Hill?

I also love the Spanish culture. I learned the language when I was younger and try to practice whenever I can. As a teacher, I worked within an international Spanish academy, allowing me to work with teachers who traveled to America from Spain. I hope kids will learn some Spanish from the book or it will at least pique their curiosity. The second book, Huber Hill and the Brotherhood of Coronado (fall, 2012) will actually take place in Spain.

 Dead Man’s Treasure also holds something else . A treasure that could help a person and save a life. I understand from October 1-16 you will be donating all proceeds of your book “Huber Hill and The Dead Man’s Treasure” to Treasure for Alyssa . Who is Alyssa? Whats her story? How can we give treasure to Alyssa?

Alyssa is my twelve year old neighbor who is suffering from a brain tumor. She's endured much more than most people ever will and has done so with a positive attitude and outlook. She is an absolute inspiration to me, personally. To donate, simply pre order Dead Man's Treasure or purchase during the first two weeks of launch. We're also doing a Treasure for Alyssa Fun Run if you're in the Wasatch Front area on Oct. 15. Check out her story and more details about the fundraiser at www.treasureforalyssa.com.

 I absolutely adore the trailer for Dead Man’s Treasure. It was gorgeous. I don’t think I have ever seen a trailer or matter of fact a website as beautifully made and professional as yours.  I felt as if I was watching a movie! Where did you get the idea to make your trailer like that? (Look above this post)


Thanks so much for the compliment. I had help! Strillogy did the film work and designed the website. I wrote the script for the trailer based on Huber's grandpa's tale of the Spaniards coming to find gold in his town's backyard. The back story of Dead Man's Treasure is central to everything. It's what drives Huber's actions. I hope it will also pique readers' interests and drive them to find out more about Tesoro de los Muertos. To watch the trailer, go here: http://bit.ly/no1y71






To receive a your very own treasure swag ( a gold coin and a bookmark) you can goto  Huber Hill and the Dead Man's Treasure facebook page  here and just like! If you are not able to do that then just shoot an email to bkbostickauthor@gmail.com

B.K. Bostick, author of Dead Man's Treasure, resides among the magnificent Rocky Mountains. In addition to writing, he has spent his career in education. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Utah and his Masters in Psychology from Utah State University. He has worked as a teacher, after school program coordinator, junior high school counselor, and most recently as a teacher mentor for a University. He loves spending time with his lovely wife and two dogs. In his spare time, he enjoys eating cheetos and watching old episodes of the Twilight Zone.

B.K. Bostick

www.deadmanstreasure.com

www.facebook.com/bkbostickauthorpage

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/bkbostick

http://bit.ly/no1y71 (Book Trailer)

Teaser Tuesday: August 23

Musing Mondays: August 22

This week’s musing asks…

Do you prefer character-driven stories, or plot-driven stories?

Announcement: Dead Man Treasure Book Tour

Hello there. I just wanted to announce the book tour for Huber Hill and the The Dead Man's Treasure that is currently running. It started running from this week ( August 15) till August 31, 2011. B.K. Bostick decided to honor me by visiting ReadLivePlay next week (squeekkk).

I found this coin. What is it? Hidden Treasure! But what does it have to do with  Huber Hill & The Dead Man's Treasure?

Im excited are you ? Let the Treasure hunt begin!  Plus theres gold coins. Who would pass up gold coins?

Bookalicious Tag

Hi Everyone!

I just finally did the long awaited bookalicious tag! I was tagged by the very bookalicious team on youtube. Yes I do have have youtube ( links below). You can watch my video below and subscribe! So I hope you enjoy !






:   http://www.youtube.com/ReadLivePlay


My Blog: http://www.readliveplay.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/ReadLivePlay
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/4495541-readliveplay

Teaser Tuesday: August 16

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

 This weeks Teaser Tuesday comes from book four in the Blue Bloods Series called : The Van Alen Legacyby Melissa De la Cruz.

"Listen, I'll only slow you down, but maybe I can slow them down," Oliver said, taking off his turban and throwing it on the ground. "No!" Schuyler said. "We're getting out of this together or we're not getting out at all! Oliver! Listen to me!" she begged, a dawning horror as she realized what he was planning to do.

The Lying Game Premiere

   

As many book lovers out there know ( if you don't where have you been?) The Lying game is premering on abcfamily tonight. The Lying Game  is originally book series by author Sara Shepard also the author of PRetty Little Lairs. Is this lying theme I see. Is lying this fall  the new theme for this fall lineup?

Now I just have to read all the books in the Lying Game. Starting this one first!

Check out my video where I discuss PLL and TLG

Remembering Potter # 1: Entering the Chamber of Secrets

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets:


It all started from here. I don’t only mean the Harry Potter classic that started this fandom, but in fact, my love of reading. I think I hinted in my previous post of how Harry Potter changed my life.

I still remember as if it was yesterday . At the time I had just turned 9. That week in school we had these exams we had to “pass”  to go to the next grade . Now let me tell you  math has never been my favorite subject and personally never will.



Math and I  have love-hate relationship . So of course that day we were laden given our math exams I began to sweat. I mean nothing would calm me down that day. Nope not even candy and juice did anything for me. And thats means something ! My friend seeing me in distress leanded me a his book Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.



I was so engrossed in the book I could not hear my teacher when she called, my friends to hang out. I didn’t even remember to eat! I was so into it. Lets just say I started the Harry Potter fandom at that age. I was already dressing up, “pretending” to do love potions and hang out with my best friend. A lot of kids thought we were delusional or crazy ( whichever you prefer).

I was into Harry Potter before Harry Potter was cool! Just saying.



Whats your story with Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets?

Remembering Potter

Or DOES IT?

This week on my blog I will host something called "Remembering Potter" it goes back to my first experiences with the books and how I fell in love them., From the very beginning till when it all ends *sniffs*. I know this is a sorry excuse to hold unto something I grew up but I can't help it. Everyone is welcome to join and comment about their experiences with Harry Potter and how it affected their lives.

So this is how this works:
I will go in chronological order from the 1st book all the way to the 7th Final book of the Harry Potter Series.

Everyone is welcome to participate in  Remembering Potter, just comment and link to your post and I will add you to this post.

I just ask you to give credit where credit is due ( aka either mention readliveplay or link back to this post).

Musing Mondays: August 8

If you were (are) going on vacation, what books would you take with you?

I would have to take these BIG books with me.....
 

Question of the Books: Who is your Favorite Harry Potter Character?

 

Question of the Books: 

Who is your Favorite Harry Potter Character? Why?

IMM ( In My Mailbox): August 7

This is my IMM for August 7, 2011.

Books Mentioned in Video :

Read: Legacy by Cayla Kluver

Title: Legacy

Author: Cayla Kluver

Publisher: Harlequin

Publication Date: 6/28/11

Purchase:  You can click the book to purchase on Amazon

I admit the number one reason why I picked up this book was because of the cover. The girl on the cover is looking so sad while clothed in white. She is sitting at the feet of guilded chair at someone maybe even some man’s feet. As soon as I saw the cover of I thought of submission or a girl in a gilded cage.

Teaser Tuesday: August 2

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teaser Tuesday of the week comes from Legacy by Cayla Kluver

"Good Night, Alera." my mother said, giving me a kiss on the cheek before returning to her dressing table to resume brushing her hair."Do not let your curiosity lead you to err." 

"Good Night, Mother, And thank you." 

   ohhhhh Someone didn't directly answer her mother......I wonder what will happen next?