Book Review: Cobbogoth by Hannah L. Clark (+ giveaway)

 
Cobbogoth by Hannah L. Clark

Publisher: KinStone Publishing, LLC

Publish Date: December 3, 2011

Paperback, 308 pages 
Fiction, Young Adult, Fantasy
 ISBN:  978-1463732318

My Review:
My first delving into the fantasy genre was back when I was a teenager and I read The Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King.  Though I absolutely loved the book, I never really picked up on more of the fantasy genre until reading The Lord of the Rings trilogy in my late 20s (coinciding with the movies coming out).  Now in the last few years since I started blogging I have been reading more and more of the fantasy genre, particularly YA fantasy and falling in love with it.  Cobbogoth and Hannah L. Clark has given me even more to fall in love with.

What to start with?  Norah.  Norah is a great character, that we as the readers get to learn about little by little during the book.  I don't want to give away much about her because I want you to learn about her the way I did.  But suffice it to say she is an interesting character who makes a wonderful main character.  She has growth during the book and she has great inner strength and such a wonderful moral center that's there but not blatant, she's just good at heart and knows right from wrong.  I love her.  The other characters that surround her are remarkable too.  James is intriguing and I enjoyed learning about him as the book went along as well.  The bad guys are suitably scary and bad and fit the story well.

The story, wow, what a story.  I was transfixed from the beginning.  What was happening to Norah and who was with her and who was against her.  It was intriguing, exciting and it kept me turning pages.  Ms. Clark brought alive the world of the Cobbogoths to me and I loved the descriptions she used in the book.  I also appreciated the drawings that went along with the chapters in the book.  Ms. Clark does an excellent job describing the creatures and various places in the book, but having the drawings enhances the reading experience.  I also enjoyed the fact that the Cobbogoths existed in parallel to the human world.  I love that kind of story, it fascinates me.  I think Ms. Clark did an excellent job of setting up that part of the story so it was completely believable.

Cobbogoth ends perfectly but leaves me wanting for the next book.  Ms. Clark has done an amazing job with this book, setting up the world, creating interesting creatures and a society that fascinated me.  I look forward to learning more about this world in the next book and seeing more of Norah.  If you love fantasy or haven't tried it and want to, this is the book for you.  Cobbogoth is beautifully written, thoroughly entertaining and has me wanting for the next in this wonderful series.  Write faster Ms. Clark!

My Rating: 5.0/5.0

Parental guidance: This book is clean, just some minor kissing between James and Norah.  I would suggest this book for anyone 10+ that wants to read this kind of book.

About the Book:
To seventeen-year-old Norah Lukens, the Cobbogothians were just a myth. But after her archeologist uncle's brutal murder, and being asked to translate one of his old research journals for evidence, she begins a journey to discover the truth for herself.

Chasing the myth her uncle was obsessed with, Norah learns that his murder was a cover up for something far more sinister. If she hopes to save others from suffering the same fate he did--including the peculiarly magnetic James Riley--she must head to Iceland in order to find out the truth once and for all.

If she succeeds, she'll gain the one thing she's always longed for.

But if she fails, not even the gods can help her.

Author Links: 
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Blog

Giveaway:
I have one signed copy to giveaway courtesy of the author.  Open to US/Canada (I'm mailing).  Nothing is required, the main entry below is a free entry, just click enter on the Rafflecopter.  Ends March 5, 2012. Trust me, you want this book!  I gave one away a few months ago, so this is the second copy, it's read once by me.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

FTC Information: I received this book through Teen Book Scene for an honest review.  I do make money from purchases made at The Book Depository and B&N.com, but all money is used to fund giveaways and shipping for giveaways from the blog.

eBookSwag Kindle Fire Giveaway + Free eBooks!

 
Scott Nicholson and buddies are doing it again.  This time they have a new site called eBookSwag.  If you are a blogger, make sure and check it out because they have some great opportunities for bloggers coming up. 

Right now though, they have a great giveaway going for several Kindle Fires and daily giveaways for Amazon Gift Cards.  So go to eBookSwag and enter daily.  And while you are there, check out the free books available today.  Below I have a listing of what's available today and tomorrow with links.  There are some great ones, so grab them up!

Free books Thursday, March 29

Scott Nicholson Library Vol. 3

http://www.amazon.com/Scott-Nicholson-Library-Boxed-ebook/dp/B0069BFPL8

The Red Church

http://www.amazon.com/The-Red-Church-ebook/dp/B0032FPYD8

Creative Spirit

http://www.amazon.com/Creative-Spirit-ebook/dp/B006HKLNAI

The Harvest

http://www.amazon.com/The-Harvest-ebook/dp/B0041G6LRK/

As I Die Lying

http://www.amazon.com/As-I-Die-Lying-ebook/dp/B0041D88TW/

Crime Beat

http://www.amazon.com/Crime-Beat-ebook/dp/B004IK8FRI/

Flowers

http://www.amazon.com/Flowers-ebook/dp/B0036TH3IO/

These Things Happened

http://www.amazon.com/These-Things-Happened-ebook/dp/B004SQQWIQ

Ghost Soldier

http://www.amazon.com/Ghost-Soldier-The-Files-ebook/dp/B007JCQXGC/

Vampire Waltz

http://www.amazon.com/Vampire-Waltz-Two-Books-ebook/dp/B00611U47G

Free books Friday, March 30

Scott Nicholson Library Vol. 3

http://www.amazon.com/Scott-Nicholson-Library-Boxed-ebook/dp/B0069BFPL8

The Red Church

http://www.amazon.com/The-Red-Church-ebook/dp/B0032FPYD8

Creative Spirit

http://www.amazon.com/Creative-Spirit-ebook/dp/B006HKLNAI

The Harvest

http://www.amazon.com/The-Harvest-ebook/dp/B0041G6LRK/

As I Die Lying

http://www.amazon.com/As-I-Die-Lying-ebook/dp/B0041D88TW/

Vampire Waltz

http://www.amazon.com/Vampire-Waltz-Two-Books-ebook/dp/B00611U47G

Flowers

http://www.amazon.com/Flowers-ebook/dp/B0036TH3IO/

Book Spotlight: Moon Over Alcatraz by Patricia Yager Delagrange

Moon Over Alcatraz
Patricia Yager Delagrange

About the Book:

Following the death of their baby during a difficult birth, Brandy and Weston Chambers are grief-stricken and withdraw from each other, both seeking solace outside of their marriage;  however, they vow to work through their painful disloyalty. But when the man Brandy slept with moves back to their hometown, three lives are forever changed by his return.

Excerpt:

Three days later we were standing at the edge of a hole in
the ground at Holy Sepulcher Cemetery in Hayward, the
silence so thick, the insides of my ears buzzed like a distant
swarm of angry bees. Mr. Peralta and another gentleman
stood off to the side while Weston and I held hands next
to the tiny casket.

Weston had chosen a simple mahogany box with gold handles, a bouquet of white lilies graced the top of the small box. I knelt down and laid a kiss on the smooth wood then wiped off the tears that had fallen on the wood. Weston joined me and placed a single red rose in the middle of the lilies.

He helped me up and we stood side-by-side in silence, my guilt over her death like a stone in my empty belly. I missed everything I’d dreamed would be happening right now, yearned for all that could have been.

Weston nodded at the man standing next to Mr. Peralta and our baby was slowly lowered into the
gaping maw. She reached the bottom, and a bird landed on the rich brown dirt piled next to the grave. It pecked around, chirping a little song, then flew off - as if saying goodbye. My heart squeezed inside my chest.

I picked up a small handful of soft dirt. “Goodbye, Christine,” I whispered, throwing it on top of her casket.

Weston wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me in close to his side. Why her? Why my baby?  Was this supposed to make sense? And, if so, to whom?

We drove home in silence. No words existed to express my grief.




About the Author:

Fascinated by broken-hearted couples and atypical families, Patricia weaves engaging tales of men and women who create cohesive families where love reigns supreme. She sprinkles her books with intriguing characters who struggle to find balance in life after tragedy. Whether an unwed teenager, desperate widow, abandoned father, or a couple who stray from their marital vows, her characters form relationships impacted by their desire to create a family.

Aside from writing, her favorite things to do include riding her Friesian horse, Maximus, dot-to-dot for adults, and watching Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington movies. She spends a majority of her days writing while her two very large Chocolate Labs lounge on the couch cuddled next to her and her MacBook.

She writes a blog every Wednesday, so if you're interested, sign up to be on the mailing list and she'll notify you after she posts her blog on this website. Or just drop by Wednesday mornings and leave a comment.

Website / Facebook

Waiting On Wednesday (19)

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

I saw this in Shelf Awareness and after reading Where She Went I really want more suspense YA and this looks like it will give it to me, plus I like the historical aspect of it.  What do you think?

Mister Death's Blue-Eyed Girls by Mary Downing Hahn

Publish Date: 4/17/2012

Based on an actual crime in 1955, this YA novel is at once a mystery and a coming-ofage story. The brutal murder of two teenage girls on the last day of Nora Cunningham’s junior year in high school throws Nora into turmoil. Her certainties—friendships, religion, her prudence, her resolve to find a boyfriend taller than she is—are shaken or cast off altogether. Most people in Elmgrove, Maryland, share the comforting conviction that Buddy Novak, who had every reason to want his ex-girlfriend dead, is responsible for the killings. Nora agrees at first, then begins to doubt Buddy’s guilt, and finally comes to believe him innocent—the lone dissenting voice in Elmgrove. Told from several different perspectives, including that of the murderer, Mister Death’s Blue-Eyed Girls is a suspenseful page-turner with a powerful human drama at its core.

So what are you waiting on this week?

Top Ten Tuesday (1)

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This meme 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!

This week's prompt is Top Ten Books (on my shelf) I'd Play Hooky With.  You can go to The Broke and the Bookish to see their list and to join in the meme this week.

I would love to take a day, sit in the nice warm sun, play hooky and read the day away.  In fact I need it, but I have to save up my leave for a girls' weekend in May (which will be fun as well).  So here's my list: 

1. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin (I bought this for my Kindle when it came out and still haven't read it)
2. The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa (I think this is on everyone's list)
3. Legend by Marie Lu (another one I bought when it came out)
4. Crossed by Ally Condie (same as above)
5. My Soul to Keep by Rachel Vincent (love this series)
6. My Soul to Steal by Rachel Vincent
7. The Night Season by Chelsea Cain (I need my Chelsea Cain fix)
8. Capital Murder by Phillip Margolin (some more suspense is needed)
9. A Perfect Storm by Lori Foster (yummy, hot heroes)
10. One Breath Away by Heather Gudenkauf (okay not technically on my shelf yet, but should be in the next few days, I love this author and can't wait to read this book)

So if you are participating in the meme leave me a link.  If you aren't, what one book would you love to play hooky and read right now?

Teaser Tuesday (15)

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!

After we started hanging out last summer, James found out I'd never been on a date before and insisted on being my first. Gram's cancer made it so we couldn't actually go out, but that didn't stop him.  He spent all week convincing Uncle Jack that he was trustworthy enough and on the big night, he dressed up, got into his car, drove the short distance between our houses to pick me up, then zipped back down the drive and into his garage where he'd planned our "date" of watching a movie and cooking dinner together.

From Cobbogoth by Hannah L. Clark

Isn't that sweet?  I'm not too far into the book yet, but I'm enjoying what I have read so far.





About Cobbogoth

To seventeen-year-old Norah Lukens, the Cobbogothians were just a myth. But after her archeologist uncle's brutal murder, and being asked to translate one of his old research journals for evidence, she begins a journey to discover the truth for herself.

Chasing the myth her uncle was obsessed with, Norah learns that his murder was a cover up for something far more sinister. If she hopes to save others from suffering the same fate he did--including the peculiarly magnetic James Riley--she must head to Iceland in order to find out the truth once and for all.

If she succeeds, she'll gain the one thing she's always longed for.

But if she fails, not even the gods can help her.

Book Review: Just Down the Road by Jodi Thomas

Just Down the Road by Jodi Thomas

Publisher: Berkley

Publish Date: April 3, 2012

Paperback, 318 pages
Fiction, Romance, Women's Fiction
 ISBN: 978-0425246924
Harmony, Texas #4

My Review:
Four books in the series and not a one has disappointed yet.  I eagerly await each new installment, usually read the whole book within a day and then lament the fact that I have at least 6 months before the next one comes out and I get my copy a little early so I can participate in a promotional blog tour.  But I still like to whine because I love being a part of Harmony, Texas for a little over 300 pages every 6 months or so and I am so glad that Jodi includes me in her world.  You can be a part of that world too, on April 3rd and I encourage you to.  You don't have to start at the beginning.  Yes there is some history running through the books, especially with two of the ongoing stories in the book, but Ms. Thomas lays down enough backstory that if you pick up this book you will be fine.  Each book stands nicely on it's on, but the series is wonderful together giving a full picture of the town and it's inhabitants.

Tinch and Addison are the stars of Just Down the Road, but as with the other books, there are many stories to follow as there are in any town.  But the focus is on Tinch and Addison.  Tinch can't seem to get over the loss of his wife and Addison is on the run from something.  When little Jamie is thrust into Tinch and Addison's life he changes everything and makes both of them see that there is much more to life than they thought.  I loved Jamie, the little boy.  He is such a perfect little boy, so full of wonder and questions.  I love how he fits into their life as well.  I also liked how Ms. Thomas didn't sugarcoat how life with a child was like.  She shows that Tinch's life changed, he couldn't just go about things the way he did.  I really like that she keeps things real in her books.  The growth in Tinch and Addison's characters is a wonder to watch.  It's subtle but it's there and I enjoyed that.

The plot is great.  There is some mystery to it and that kept me turning the pages as well as the romance and character development did.  I also loved that Ms. Thomas kept going back and forth between the various characters' stories.  Focusing on Tinch and Addison, Reagan and Noah, Biggs and his brother and also the undertaker and his lady.  A lot was tied up in this one and I really hope it's not the end of the series.  I will honestly cry when I find out there are no more Harmony books.  I love this town and the characters and want more stories about more of them that I don't even know because I will learn more about the ones I do know as well.  I have a feeling there are more, but this one did tie up several story lines that have been going on for awhile.

A great Sunday afternoon read.  It's exciting and relaxing all at the same time.  It's like settling in at home with your favorite people, ones you know will do anything for you.  I can't quit gushing about how much I like these books and Just Down the Road may just be my favorite in the series so far.  Romance, friendship, mystery, guys acting crazy when a woman goes into labor, a great child, a rodeo champ, his best girl, and a town that will do anything to protect their own.  That's what Just Down the Road has, plus so much more. 

My Rating: 5.0/5.0

Be sure to check out Jodi's Guest Blog and giveaway for Just Down the Road.

The Welcome to Harmony Series (with links to my reviews):
Welcome to Harmony
Somewhere Along the Way
The Comforts of Home
Just Down the Road

About the Book:
When Tinch Turner lost his wife, he gave up on living. Now he spends his nights brooding, boozing and brawling. When one of his escapades lands him in the ER, he finds himself staring up at the beautiful new doctor in town. For the first time in years, he feels a spark, but Addison Spencer wants nothing to do with the unruly rancher—or any man for that matter. She’s only in Harmony four months, long enough for the trouble she left behind to be over. But then a vulnerable little boy barrels into both of their lives, forcing them out of the past —and into a future where love is just down the road…

About the Author (from Goodreads.com): 
Jodi Thomas is the NY Times and USA Today bestselling author of 34 novels and 11 short story collections. In June 2011, WELCOME TO HARMONY won a RITA, the highest award for women’s fiction. Jodi currently serves as the Writer in Residence at West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas.

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FTC Information: I received this book from the author for an honest review.  I do make money from purchases made at The Book Depository and B&N.com, but all money is used to fund giveaways and shipping for giveaways from the blog.