Saturday, April 22, 2017



                    A Progress Update on the Wild Goose Chase                  Reading Challenge Hosted by Bookshelf Gargoyle





                 So far, I have completed four of the seven categories in the Wild Goose Chase Challenge.


         

                 For  category one: Wildness I chose:



                                         
The Legend of Vanx Malic by M.R. Mathias
Genre: Adult Fantasy
Pages: 315
My rating: 3 stars
Goodreads blurb: A half-Zythian bard is in chains for getting too well aquainted with the Duke of Highlake's wife. And thats just the begining.....

The Legend of Vanx Malic is a continuing “serial” type of fantasy affair. After I finished writing The Wardstone Trilogy, I still had several months to go before I would be released from prison. I did not want to lapse in my religious routine of penning three thousand words a day, so I didn’t. Book One – Through the Wildwood, is a fun and intense book that introduces a few of the series main characters. I have over a thousand pages worth of Vanx Malic and his curious group of companions sitting here in longhand. I will be publishing them in eBook format, about two hundred fifty pages at a time, over the next year and a half.



                For category two: Birds I chose:






Orville Mouse and the Puzzle of the Clockwork Glowbirds by Tom Hoffman
Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
Pages: 288
My rating: 3 stars
Goodreads blurb: 2016 Gold Medal Winner Best YA Adventure Book • Readers Favorite International Book Awards 

A wildly inventive tale from the creator of Bartholomew the Adventurer. The Orville Wellington Mouse series is lots of fun, filled with adventure and humor, while still retaining the much deeper themes of spirituality, ethics, and metaphysics for those who have an interest in such things. A fun read for all ages!

Orville Wellington Mouse lives with his Mum in the quiet fishing village of Muridaan Falls, Symoca. His life takes an unexpected turn when he learns his best friend Sophia Mouse is not only from another planet, but is also a member of the Shapers Guild, a group of powerful mice who are able to convert their thoughts into physical objects. 

When Orville notices a group of seven glowbirds exhibiting rather extraordinary behavior, he and Sophia attempt to uncover the origin of the unusual birds but soon find themselves enmeshed in a fiendish plot to embroil Symoca in a horrific war. Captured by the powerful and mysterious Red Mouse, the two adventurers are hurled through a spectral door into the terrifying world of Periculum, home of the dreaded giant carnivorous centipedes. 

With help from the secretive Metaphysical Adventurers, Proto the Rabbiton, the Mad Mouse of Muridaan, a gigantic Gnorli bird, some ghostly Anarkkian warriors, and the enigmatic Monks of the Blue Robe, Orville and Sophia must find their way home and stop the evil Red Mouse before he destroys Symoca.



                 For category four: An Object to Hunt For I chose:




The Silver Serpent by 
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 284
My rating: 4 stars
Goodreads blurb: The frost creeps again... 

Taught the sword from childhood, Shanis Malan's only dream is to be a soldier, but a woman cannot join the Galdoran army. She thinks her dream has come true when Prince Lerryn hosts a tournament in her town, but circumstances snatch her from her home and carry her into the midst of a quest for a legendary artifact that can save the world from the minions of Tichris the Ice King. Join Shanis and her friends on a perilous quest for the Silver Serpent. Hugo Award-winner Ron Miller calls The Silver Serpent "A superb story told believably and unpretentiously by a superb new author." The Asgard Oracle calls The Silver Serpent "A gripping epic fantasy in the tradition of Robert Jordan, Raymond Feist and David Eddings." 



                   For category six: Transport I chose:




The Sneaker Tree by Phil Taylor
Genre: Paranormal, Horror, Mystery
Pages: 340
My rating: 5 stars
Goodreads blurb: Remember when you were a kid and you had that one magical summer that seemed to last a lifetime? Cooper, Gooby, Chuck, Cliff and Bolo don't know it, but they are in the midst of a summer they will never forget. Their small town is paralyzed with fear as a serial killer preys upon children and The Golden Boys seem to be the only ones who have a chance to stop him. A life-long bond is forged between them as they confront each other, their worst fears and a killer that is more than anyone could possibly imagine. Filled with suspense, heart and humor, The Sneaker Tree has something for everyone.




To find out more about the Wild Goose Chase Challenge follow the link below:







              


























Review: Hero of Hacksaw Ridge: The gripping true story that inspired the movie

Hero of Hacksaw Ridge: The gripping true story that inspired the movie Hero of Hacksaw Ridge: The gripping true story that inspired the movie by Booton Herndon
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Hero of Hacksaw Ridge by Booton Herndon is based on the true story of Desmond T. Doss, Heroic War Objector and recipient of the Purple Heart and Medal of Honor.

While this book is short (126 pg.), it has a great impact. We follow Doss through his challenges of maintaining his belief in God, therefore being a conscientious objector in World War II. He faces ridicule over his faith while never losing it.

This is definitely a book to read, but note that Doss' story is based on his faith and belief in God.

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Review: The Tumor

The Tumor The Tumor by John Grisham
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Tumor by John Grisham is more like a hospital brochure on focused ultrasound. Focused ultrasound is a new treatment for a lot of tumorous cancers. Focused ultrasound is in its infancy, so there is a great need to inform people of this new treatment. This brochure was very informative and gives new hope for people who suffer from cancerous tumors.



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Review: The Silver Serpent

The Silver Serpent The Silver Serpent by David Debord
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Silver Serpent by David Debord is the first book in the The Absent Gods series, a fantasy story that revolves around a group of teens; Shanis, Hierm, Oskar, Khalyndryn and Prince Larris, who are on a journey to find the Silver Serpent, a lost relic that is thought to save the world from Tichris the Ice King.

I really liked this story, but there were several issues of mixing up two of the characters names, Prince Larris and Prince Lerryn. It also had quite a few grammatical errors, which I overlooked. If not for these issues, this would easily have been a five star read.

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Review: The Sneaker Tree

The Sneaker Tree The Sneaker Tree by Phil Taylor
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Sneaker Tree by Phil Taylor is a coming of age story of Cooper, Gooby, Chuck, Cliff and Bolo. They are determined to catch a serial killer who is praying on the local children.

I absolutely LOVED this story! It had all the markings of a Stephen King story. It is fantastically written with characters that seem to come alive right in front of your eyes. This story is full of fear, determination, and camaraderie.

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Review: Orville Mouse and the Puzzle of the Clockwork Glowbirds

Orville Mouse and the Puzzle of the Clockwork Glowbirds Orville Mouse and the Puzzle of the Clockwork Glowbirds by Tom Hoffman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Orville Mouse and the Puzzle of the Clockwork Glowbirds by Tom Hoffman is the first in the series Orville Wellington Mouse. We follow Orville and his friend Sophia in an attempt to stop the evil Red Mouse before he destroys Symoca.

This is an imaginative tale that kids of all ages will enjoy. It's full of whimsical characters, and the world building is very creative.

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