Random Thursday

Time to return to Disney Facts Revealed: Answers to Fans' Curious Questions as answered by Dave Smith for one last round of Disney facts! Next month, we'll go back to the totally random random facts! ;)

(image borrowed from Wikipedia)

There's speculation that Donald Duck's birthday is on Friday the 13th. Donald's real birthday is June 9, 1934, for that was his first appearance in a Disney cartoon and that was The Wise Little Hen. His birthday was celebrated on Friday the 13th in some comics and storybooks, as to what month though, Dave didn't say.

(image borrowed from Disney Wiki)

There have been quite a few people to have voiced the famous mouse, Mickey! Walt Disney voiced him from 1928-1946, then Jim Macdonald from 1946-1977, Wayne Allwine 1977-2009, and finally Bret Iwan from 2009-present day (which the book was published last year, but there's some copyright dates of 2015 inside as well). Chris Diamantopoulos did some voicing of Mickey for a series of cartoons that started in 2013. There was also another voice, Carl Stalling, who filled in for Walt when he got busy.

(image borrowed from Disney Wiki)

"Minnie's Yoo Hoo" was the first Disney song to be published. It was in 1930 and was offered as sheet music. The song originally appeared in the cartoon, Mickey's Follies.

Mini Review--Meeting Thomas Cresswell by Kerri Maniscalco

Since there's no official listing for this one on Goodreads or anywhere else that I am aware of, I will tell you basically that this is a short little excerpt that takes place during the beginning of Stalking Jack the Ripper. It leads up to the moment where Audrey Rose and Thomas first meet. But of course, this is all from Thomas' perspective and it was quite comical and completely enjoyable!

While in between books…i.e. I read a graphic novel in a day and didn’t come prepared with another read, though I was waiting to start another book once I got home, I decided to read the story that Goodreads says DOES NOT EXIST. And that my friends is Meeting Thomas Cresswell! This is Kerri Maniscalco’s gift to readers for preordering Hunting Prince Dracula, which I did wayyy back in January! LOL!

So naturally I was most ecstatic to read this one, because Thomas. Cresswell. Being inside his head was just as you’d expect it to be! Very entertaining! Thomas is a complicated guy with a complicated life. Granted I’m sketchy on some of the details that were revealed…should’ve thought to read some of my SJTR notes, but I’ll being doing that sooner than you think! But anyway, I was able to move through those few moments with relative ease.

Of course, the most entertaining part was the second time he meets Audrey Rose in her uncle’s class that she was attending in disguise! He was able to pick up right away that she was in fact a girl and not some new boy. He’s rather ingenious and did I also mention entertaining? I love this guy’s sense of humor! He’s a riot!

A short and sweet story all in all! So if you haven’t read Stalking Jack the Ripper--what are you waiting for?—I highly urge you to do so, then pre-order Hunting Prince Dracula so you can get your hands on this one of kind little story!


Overall Rating 5/5 stars

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly blog post by Jill over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights releases we're eagerly awaiting.

Enter New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh’s breathtakingly passionate Guild Hunter world with the story of a woman who isn’t a vampire or an angel…or human…

Once a broken girl known as Sorrow, Holly Chang now prowls the shadowy gray underground of the city for the angels. But it’s not her winged allies who make her a wanted woman—it’s the unknown power coursing through her veins. Brutalized by an insane archangel, she was left with the bloodlust of a vampire, the ability to mesmerize her prey, and a poisonous bite.

Now, someone has put a bounty on her head…

Venom is one of the Seven, Archangel Raphael’s private guard, and he’s as infuriating as he is seductive. A centuries-old vampire, his fangs dispense a poison deadlier than Holly’s. But even if Venom can protect Holly from those hunting her, he might not be able to save himself—because the strange, violent power inside Holly is awakening…

No one is safe.

I am soooo behind in this series! I really need to get caught back up asap!

TITLE: Archangel's Viper

AUTHOR: Nalini Singh

PUBLISHER: Berkley
GENRE: Paranormal Romance

RELEASE DATE: September 26, 2017 

 

Graphic Novel Review--Wires and Nerve by Marissa Meyer

When rogue packs of wolf-hybrid soldiers threaten the tenuous peace alliance between Earth and Luna, Iko takes it upon herself to hunt down the soldiers' leader. She is soon working with a handsome royal guard who forces her to question everything she knows about love, loyalty, and her own humanity. With appearances by Cinder and the rest of the Rampion crew, this is a must-have for fans of the series.

Marissa Meyer’s Wires and Nerve brings The Lunar Chronicles to life in full illustrated glory! With the help of Doug Holgate, The Lunar Chronicles becomes real. This story stars our favorite android Iko as she works to help save the world and keep her friends safe. Levana’s wolf-hybrid soldiers that were at the final battle have disbanded and escaped to earth. But they’re causing chaos and basically making relations between earth and Luna an even greater mess.

In comes Iko who’s ready to help save the day! With her friends tied up in their other obligations and roles, Iko is ready to prove herself a hero. Since it seemed she was left out of the story when it came to the eight heroes who saved earth and Luna. The wolf-hybrids need to be stopped and Iko is the one to do it!

But it seems there’s one hybrid, Lysander, who’s different from the rest. He seems to have maintained more of his humanity than the others, except he’s really, really angry. He’s mad at Levana for having turned him into a monster and he’s furious at Cinder for “refusing” to turn him and the others back. He’s convinced she knows how to do it and he plans on hurting all her friends on earth in order to get her to do what he wants.

Iko will be forced to accept the help of the guard, Kinney, whom Cinder sent to help Iko out. These two butt heads quite a bit, but I am curious to see where things will go between them.

It was great fun seeing the gang again! Though they are not all together, we do get to see them all in their separate places. I initially thought that Wires and Never would take place after Something Old, Something New, but it actually takes place BEFORE. As some things that happened in that story, haven’t quite happened here! But it’s no biggie really which one you read first. I quite enjoyed seeing Cress and Thorne too! I guess I can relate to Cress because she lived a sheltered life and didn’t get to interact with people too much. While I didn’t have the former, the latter definitely can describe me as well! Lol. And for some reason, seeing Thorne’s antics in drawing format was just delightful! I had more than a few chuckling out loud moments.

I guess one complaint I have about this one was the coloring. I’m fine with some graphic novels being in black and white though I prefer color. This one, however, was done in shades of blue. Which was fine for the most part, but then there were times when it became hard to see what we were looking at because it looked like a blue blob! Or when there was spilled liquid, we were to know that it was blood and not water or something! Here full on color pages would’ve been a blessing! Honestly, I would be giving this one a full 5 stars if it had been color. The blood took a few moments longer to realize what it was, but the other time or two when I was trying to see through a mess of blue to some innate detail, that took a bit longer to get through.

Despite that issue, I did really enjoy this! Iko was always a fun and lovable character! And I love seeing her in her escort body! Granted, yes, she’s in escort body, but this is Iko so you pretty much forget about that detail and just enjoy watching Iko be mostly human and dance and wear all the awesome clothes she’s admired over the years.

Then there’s this possible romance thing going on with Kinney. Granted when they two finally collide, there’s only a few pages left. But Kinney and Iko don’t really get along, you could say. These two are likely to butt heads over the course of this series (not sure how long it will be at this point!). But there’s definitely some tension between them…that gets noted…twice!

This is a new way of experiencing The Lunar Chronicles and I, for one, cannot wait to see Iko have her moment in the sun and watch her kick butt too! Go Iko!

 
Overall Rating 4.5/5 stars

Teaser & Top Ten Tuesdays

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by Purple Princess of The Purple Booker.

Here are the rules:

1. Grab your current read
2. Open to a page
3. Pick out 2 lines that are SPOILER FREE
4. Name the title, author, etc.

Enjoying this collection of stories so far! It's great being back in the Lunar world! Though of course, I'm left scratching my head over a few names that I can't recall if are familiar or not! LOL!

"This was only the second time Carswell Thorne stopped to ponder one Kate Fallow. The first time, he wondered why she liked books so much, and if it had anything to do with why he liked spaceships. Because they could take you somewhere far, far away from here." p 136

TITLE: Stars Above: Carswell's Guide to Being Lucky
AUTHOR: Marissa Meyer
PUBLISHER: Feiwel & Friends
GENRE: Sci-Fi/Fantasy YA
RELEASE DATE: February 2, 2016

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list  that one of our bloggers here at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.



This week's topic is: Top Ten Hidden Gem Books in Fantasy    

*in no particular order

 

 

10. STRANDS OF BRONZE AND GOLD by Jane Nickerson--a lovely little retelling of the Bluebeard story! Been years since I read this one but I remember loving it!

9. BECKONING LIGHT by Alyssa Rose Ivy--a NA fantasy series where Charlotte discovers a gateway in her backyard that leads to a fantasy land! There's quite a bit of mystery and intrigue to this one too!

8. FORGED IN STONE by Alyssa Rose Ivy--a spinoff from the previously mentioned trilogy! This time James and Ainsley have their own struggles and new obstacles to overcome in this fantasy world!

7. ENCHANTED by Alethea Kontis--I still need to read the third book and some other spinoff type ones that come from the same world! This one here though was a remarkable fairy tale retelling of The Princess and the Frog!

6. SHADOW BOUND by Erin Kellison--a dark fantasy for adults, there's a definite feel of fairy tales in this one. I believe there was Sleeping Beauty and I also noted Beauty and the Beast and Cupid and Psyche within it too!

5. PRINCESS OF THORNS by Stacey Jay--a YA retelling of Sleeping Beauty! Definitely far from the classic one, but amazing all the same!

4. POISON STUDY by Maria V. Snyder--perhaps not so hidden anymore as I talk about it a LOT in these kinds of posts! A fun fantasy filled with action, magic, romance and quite a few laughs too! Remarkable storytelling and basically the book that got me hooked on fantasy! Lol!

3. STORM GLASS by Maria V. Snyder--one that seems to be more hidden! This series took place after the events of the first Study trilogy! I enjoyed Opal's character a lot as well! Lots of twists and surprises in this one still coupled with good action, romance, and magic!

2. TOUCH OF POWER by Maria V. Snyder--Maria's first trilogy outside the Study world! Still remarkable! It's a new world with new rules and new magic! But still lovable characters and an enthralling story!

1. A PROMISE OF FIRE by Amanda Bouchet--perhaps this one isn't quite hidden anymore! It's getting there! I only recently read it but I was hooked after reading one or two reviews! Still need to read the second one!! Eek!

Review--Stars Above by Marissa Meyer

The enchantment continues....

The universe of the Lunar Chronicles holds stories—and secrets—that are wondrous, vicious, and romantic. How did Cinder first arrive in New Beijing? How did the brooding soldier Wolf transform from young man to killer? When did Princess Winter and the palace guard Jacin realize their destinies?

With nine stories—five of which have never before been published—and an exclusive never-before-seen excerpt from Marissa Meyer’s upcoming novel, Heartless, about the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland, Stars Above is essential for fans of the bestselling and beloved Lunar Chronicles.

So begins the long awaited reading of Stars Above by Marissa Meyer! I’ve been meaning to read this for ages! I never did get around to reading the stories that were in the two paperback versions I bought. But now in this beautifully bound book, I have ALL of those, plus MORE! Like with all story compilations, I’ll break this down into a set of ultra-mini reviews!

The Keeper

This is one that shows us Scarlet’s grandmother, Michelle and how she came to be in the care of Cinder when she was still a very young little girl and in a state of sleep. My memory is a little fuzzy on those details on how Cinder survived the fire that Levana caused to kill her and how she was put into basically a coma-like state in order to survive. But then Michelle’s world is turned upside down, when young Scarlet runs away from home to her.

This was a nice little read, I can’t remember much about the series in details as it’s been a long while since I last read the books. But I remember liking Scarlet a lot! It was her story that got me hooked into this series better than Cinder’s. I liked Cinder, don’t get me wrong, I just tend to do bad with space books and ones with a lot of science involvement. But I was able to enjoy this series despite those trends after my initial hiccup.

Rating 3.5/5 stars
 

Glitches

So far it seems that this book is putting the stories in chronological order and I love that! I’m writing these mini reviews as I go so that way I won’t forget my thoughts on each little story. Glitches is about when Garan brings Cinder to live with him and his family. Though Cinder is quick to learn that his family isn’t as warm and welcoming as he is. Except for Peony of course.

And so begins our Cinderella story in some ways. Cinder strives to find a usefulness for herself as Adi, her stepmother already seems to hate her on the spot. And it’s when she finds the pieces of the broken down android that she thinks she might be able to find some use for herself after all.

This one was a little more heartbreaking to read. Seeing the cruel treatment poor Cinder had to endure when she truly didn’t know any better.


Rating 3.5/5 stars
 

The Queen’s Army

This is a story about Wolf and how he came to be Wolf. He was once a boy named Z who was strong and fast, but being this is exactly what catches the eye of the thaumaturges. And then one day, they come for him. He’s given new enhancements as a part of the recruitment. He is delivered to his pack and must work his way up from the bottom. Already he and the alpha don’t get along well.

He learns that the best pack will be used for the queen’s special elite army and Z wants this more than anything. Because if his pack is the winner, he won’t have to become a monster in the “general” army. But the things he will have to do to get there will change him.

Another interesting little tale! I always liked Wolf! Must be the werewolf lover in me! It was interesting to see where he came from and how he came to be the young man we grow to know…and love!


Rating 5/5 stars


Carswell’s Guide to Being Lucky


Carswell, our lovable space captain with a dream, is failing math. His father has told him to bring up the grade or be grounded on his break. And since Carswell’s dream to own his own ship costs money, money that he must earn, even if it’s not honestly earned, can’t have that. It’s then his eyes turn to Kate Fallow. She’s a quiet girl, but incredibly smart. He gets it into his head that she could tutor him, but he’s going to have to win her over.

I quite enjoyed this one! Carswell was definitely a favorite of mine as well! He provides much needed comedy and we continue to see that here in his story. I enjoyed Kate as well! I saw a bit of myself in her, with her love of reading. Though I honestly was never one for math, but that’s beside the point! LOL! It seems Carswell, while he can be bit hot-headed at times, is also a very genuine and caring kind of guy, much like we saw with him and Cress.

 
Rating 5/5 stars
 

After Sunshine Passes By

This is the story of how Cress came to be in the satellite station to spy of Earth's more private conversations to report to Levana. It was a bit heartbreaking as Cress is just a child and to realize that she was left there for years to spy, all alone, my heart went out to her.

Cress is determined to prove her worth both to Levana and her caretaker, Sybil. She has a lot of dreams and I admire her for her daydreaming even. She's a clever girl.


Rating 3.5/5 stars


The Princess and the Guard


This story was a brief look into Winter’s childhood that she shared with Jacin. It was sweet and heartbreaking at the same time. I remembered (vaguely) what she suffered at Levana’s hands and to see this happy little princess be broken by that woman was quite traumatic in some ways.

Winter has a gift that basically allows her to force her will upon people. She can make them do whatever she wants. She’s never done anything remotely bad with her abilities but when one day a servant—whom she had “helped” before—commits suicide, Winter is left stricken with guilt. For she learns what had been happening to this servant and she then decides to never use her powers again. And naturally, this does bot sit well with Levana and we see the consequences of that.

Outside of the tragedy that befell Winter, this story was enjoyable in some respect, if merely being able to see Winter and Jacin form their friendship at an early age. I’m a sucker for a good friendship that (eventually) leads to romance!

 
Rating 4/5 stars


The Little Android

This is the story of Mech6.0 and if the title didn’t give you the hint, it’s a short little retelling of The Little Mermaid. It took a while for me to see The Little Mermaid to come shining through the words of this story, but when it did my heart soared! It was amazing to watch this android rescue a human boy and just as she’s losing her power gains a new body, courtesy of our favorite mechanic!

And even then the story does not stop as Mech6.0 becomes Sun in her new disguise. Though the body Cinder gave her only has so much left to go. Sun has no voice, walking hurts her feet like something fierce. To top it off, she’s watching the boy, Dataran, whom she rescued and loves, fall in love with someone else.

And much like Hans’ The Little Mermaid, this ending is one that will leave you with all the feels! Disney at least did right in that sense to give the story a happier ending, but at the same time, I admire what Hans and Marissa did with their versions!

 
Rating 5/5 stars


The Mechanic

I think I remember reading this one at some point! It is basically Cinder and Kai’s first meeting through Kai’s point of view. He’s looking for the renowned mechanic to fix his android, Nainsi, who has important information regarding the lost princess Selene, whom he has been searching for recently due to all the politic problems and upheaval with Levana and her kingdom.

It was kind of sweet to see Kai all atwitter with Cinder! I can’t remember Cinder’s feelings on this meeting as it’s been years since I read Cinder. But needless to say it was refreshing to read a familiar scene from a new perspective.


Rating 4/5 stars


Something Old, Something New

This was the newest story Marissa Meyer added to the Lunar Chronicles and it was quite amazing too! It takes place sometime after the events of Winter and brings about some more happy conclusion to the ending we found there. It’s a wedding, if the title didn’t clue you in already and it was the most touching sort too!

Scarlet wants nothing more than to have small little wedding, but since her best friends are pretty important in the political field, reporters have camped out by the dozen near her property as her wedding looms just days away. Everyone is in town for it and the townspeople will be there too. But then things take an interesting surprise.

We even get a little moment with Cinder and Kai afterwards that will basically leave you with all the happy feels! Needless to say, this story was one of the best! I find it a more fitting goodbye to the series than I did with Winter, though that being said, I am about to start the first graphic novel, so it’s not really goodbye after all, is it?

 
Rating 5/5 stars


So it’s with a happy heart that I say this collection of stories was pretty entertaining! It’s definitely a read for fans of the Lunar Chronicles. Though since I’m way late in reading it, I’m sure you’ve all read these stories anyway! Lol! But if you’re later to the game then I was, I highly recommend upping this one in your TBR piles! ;)


Overall Rating 4.5/5 stars 

It's Monday! What are You Reading?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. It's a fun meme where we gather to share what we've read last week and our reading plans for this week.

Last Week I Read:

Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao (ARC)--Review to come at a later date

Heart of the Wolf by Alyssa Rose Ivy (ARC) (5 stars)

Currently Reading:

Stars Above by Marissa Meyer

What I Plan to Read this Week:

Wires and Nerve by Marissa Meyer

Other Posts of Interest:

Why I Don't Read Samplers

Teaser & Top Ten Tuesdays

Waiting on Wednesday

Random Thursday

Book Blogger Hop

Disney Princess Sidekicks Book Tag

My Disney Netflix

Giveaway: Win a SIGNED Copy of POISON STUDY

Stacking the Shelves

Stacking the Shelves--EDIT

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks! The meme is now hosted by Tynga's Reviews and Reading Reality.

OMG. I actually didn't add ANY new books to my TBR pile this week! It's really weird. Like Twilight Zone weird! LOL! It was kinda nice having a break though I'll admit! Pretty sure next week I have a preorder or two coming in.

But I actually had a pretty good day yesterday as you'll see from my last post! So totally fine with no new books this week!

I did get this little beauty though:

I saw on Hot Topic's website they had a replica mirror from Beauty and the Beast so naturally I bought it asap!


EDIT: Apparently I totally forgot to write this down since I read and reviewed it already and in fact doesn't get added to my TBR pile this week, but I did receive this incredible read from the author for review:

Heart of the Wolf by Alyssa Rose Ivy

THANK YOU Alyssa!!

 

GIVEAWAY: Win a SIGNED Copy of Poison Study!

Hey all! I had the most amazing day today! Maria V. Snyder finally came to St. Louis!! It had been three years since I last saw Maria in Iowa and I was ecstatic when she told me she was coming here! There was such a great turn out too! So many people drove in from neighboring states! It was amazing!!

So naturally, since Maria was at one of my local stores, I bought a copy of Poison Study for one of you lucky readers! And naturally, it's SIGNED!

Unfortunately I'll have to limit this giveaway to US only! Sorry peeps. Just enter in the rafflecopter below. But as always if you have a US address to use, that counts too!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Discussion Challenge: My Disney Netflix!

So the news is that Disney is making their own television/movie subscription service. I'm calling it Disney Netflix for the moment! It's easier to say! LOL! This had me reeling! Obviously it won't be ALL Disney movies and whatnot for I believe their other networks like A&E, maybe ABC and Freeform if I read right, will have their shows on there too. Only time will tell. I think it was 2019, but there are things I want to see on it. Things I NEED to see on it!

My Disney Netflix

So basically I want to do a rundown of shows I want to see on this subscription service. If they have them, they have my money because I will be sooo in! I've been dying for DVDs of some of these for years but alas they have left me in wanting!

So Weird--who doesn't remember this show?! It was freaking awesome! I was young and loving paranormal books as I just discovered my first handful and this show had it ALL! I even learned about new folklore. I NEED THIS SHOW BACK IN MY LIFE!

Even Stevens--this is where Shia LeBouf got his start! Who didn't love Lewis and Ren?!

Lizzie Mcguire--Hilary Duff was a cute kid! I mean Casper Meets Wendy, OMG! So adorable! And I loved Lizzie Maguire. She definitely fits the bill of your average teen more than other shows did!

The Little Mermaid Series, The Aladdin Series--was I the only one who watched these?! I looooved them! My mom used to record them for me when I was little. I may even still have some of those VHS tapes!

Disney Channel Movies from the 90s: Zenon anyone? Quints? Halloweentown? All those awesome movies that basically predated High School Musical. Basically once that one came out, EVERY movie seemed to be about singing. I can only handle so many music numbers when I watch a movie.

Mickey Cartoons--let's go wayyy back to the beginning even! Steamboat Willie, then moving into color episodes!

How about some original Duck Tales...as they are revamping that one soon I heard. Gummi Bears too would be fun!

Oooh even better, how about like once a month you get to watch 1 or maybe a handful of a Disney movie that's locked in that wretched vault!! 

See, I've got ideas!! They just need to call me so I can tell them what to do! LOL!