Gripping Action with Beautiful Storytelling in HOSTAGE THREE by Nick Lake

When a book starts with, "There is a gun pointing right at my head" it's certain to grab my attention. But lately, I've been kinda ADD with books. I've started several and put them down after a few chapters, so keeping my interest has been a mighty task.

This one kept my interest. In fact, I read it mostly in one afternoon.

Here's the synopsis:

As Amy sets out to sea with her family on a yacht, she's only thinking about the peaceful waters and the warm sun. But she doesn't get either after a group of pirates seize the boat and its human cargo, and the family becomes a commodity in a highly sophisticated transaction. Hostage One is Amy's father--the most valuable. Hostage Three is Amy, who can't believe the nightmare she's in. But something even stranger happens as she builds a bond with one of her captors, making it brutally clear that the price of life and its value are two very different things.

There is a lot to love about this book. It has suspenseful - edge of your seat action, along with some deep meaningful storytelling. And I'm not spoiling anything here by saying this (see above), Amy forms a bond with one of the captors and learns about his life back in Somalia. The striking difference between her very wealthy life and his starving family is startling to her. You begin to understand, if not sympathize with, the pirates. There are some gruesome moments. There are many more meaningful and enlightening moments. All the way around, I highly recommend this beautiful book. 

I do want to address something unusual about the writing style. The author does not use quotation marks, but uses dashes/hyphens for dialogue. This was confusing at first. Sometimes you aren't sure if the latter part of the section is still dialogue or internal monologue. SEE:

I was so annoyed at first, that I stopped reading it. Then I thought, oh this is an ARC, so maybe it's just something in the manuscript. So I bought a copy and...it was the same. I finally realized that I was being childish, got over it, and read the book. I totally got used to it after a while. I'm glad I did - it was worth it. But I did want to point that, so you aren't surprised when you see it. 

By the way, if the author is familiar, you may remember that his book IN DARKNESS just won the Printz award this year. (And I checked. Yes, he employs the same dialogue method in that book.)

It was released in the UK in January, but isn't releasing here in Hardback until November. You can buy the ebook now, though. Enjoy!

New Full Cast Audio Play of ENDER'S GAME

Just in time for the movie release, Skyboat Media has released a new full cast audio play of Ender's Game called ENDER'S GAME ALIVE. Check out the video below of OSC explaining how he likes this version of his iconic story better than any others. It sounds like he wrote a new screenplay for this production.

And by full cast, we mean full cast including: Kirby Heyborne, Stefan Rudnicki, Theodore Bikel, Scott Brick, Samantha Eggar, Harlan Ellison, Susan Hanfield, Roxanne Hernandez, Janis Ian, Rex Linn, Richard McGonagle, Jim Meskimen, Emily Rankin, John Rubinstein, Christian Rummel, and a full cast.

Did you notice Harlan Ellsion in there? Yep, he narrated the original Ender's Game audiobook too, as well as books for other authors such as Arthur C. Clark and Terry Pratchett. Cool.

There's even an original score. Can't wait to hear it!


Orson Scott Card - Author of Ender's Game Alive from Skyboat Media on Vimeo.

For more about the production of the audioplay, go here.

BITTERSWEET by Sarah Ockler, Cupcakes and Hockey Make a Delicious Combination

One thing I'm certain about when I pick up a Sarah Ockler novel is that the writing will be beautiful. I adored her book Twenty Boy Summer, so I knew I'd like this one too. She paints a scene like nobody else. She sets the atmosphere so well in this wintry setting that I could almost feel the snow falling on my face.

Here's your quickie synopsis: Hudson Avery gave up a promising competitive ice skating career after her parents divorced when she was fourteen years old and now spends her time baking cupcakes and helping out in her mother's upstate New York diner, but when she gets a chance at a scholarship and starts coaching the boys' hockey team, she realizes that she is not through with ice skating after all.

I really enjoyed this one! Hudson is a spunky girl who makes the best of the difficult situation their father created after leaving. The way she takes on the hockey players is hilarious and bold. The relationship between Hudson and her little brother, Bug, is one of the best parts of the entire book.  As I said earlier, the writing is fabulous! The dialogue is witty and the characters are well developed and memorable. Another satisfying story from Sarah Ockler!

Check out Sarah Ockler's other titles here. Watch the trailer below:

TEMPEST by Julie Cross, Fasten Your Seatbelts For This Time Travel Adventure, No DeLorean Necessary

This caught my eye because - time travel, obviously. But what kept me intrigued was how it was different from your typical run-of-the-mill time travel stories where you have to worry about changing things. In fact, it kind of reminded me of FRINGE in some aspects, because there are multiple timelines. Before I get to far into it, here:

Your Quickie Synopsis:  Nineteen-year-old Jackson uses his ability to travel through time after his girlfriend, Holly, is fatally shot during a violent struggle, but his journey two years into the past leads him to make a startling discovery about his father and the powerful enemies who will stop at nothing to recruit him for their own purposes.

Jackson finds out that his father is involved in a secret society that fights against another organization filled with time travelers trying to wreck havoc on the planet. Or maybe they're trying to save the world. It's not really clear in the beginning. In fact, the more you read, the more questions pop up. But, it's an adventurous story with a lot of puzzles. The relationship between Jackson and Holly is well developed, as is the complicated relationship between Jackson and his father.

Fair warning though, don't take three weeks to read it, like I did. Read it quickly, because if you don't you'll get confused with all the different time periods Jackson ends up in. I had to re-read a lot.

Bottom line: It's a fast paced adventure with good characters. If you like time-travel, you'll enjoy it. Also, it sets itself up to be a great trilogy. The second book, VORTEX, is out now, and the third will follow in January. Check out the author's website here.

Jessica Warman. BEAUTIFUL LIES

WOW! This one blew me away! It completely grabbed me at the first few pages and did not let go. In fact, I'm still baffled by it now - in a good way.

Your quickie synopsis: 
Eighteen-year-old identical twins Alice and Rachel have always shared a very special bond, so when one is abducted the other uses their connection to try to locate her.

You've heard about identical twins having a special bond, right? Well these twins have an even closer bond than your typical twins. They are monoamniotic-monochorionic, meaning that they shared the same amniotic sac and placenta in their mom's uterus. This is extremely rare, occurring in about 1% of twins. Bottom line - they share a unique bond.

The story begins with the twins, Alice and Rachel, meeting friends at the local fair. Alice abruptly decides to leave the group to hunt down a candy apple. A few mintues later, Rachel cannot find Alice anywhere. Her friends dismiss her worry, because Alice runs off on a routine basis. But Rachel can feel that something is seriously wrong. Alice did not just run off. This time, it's serious. She knows because strange clues begin showing up that prove Alice is in danger.

There are so many aspects to love about this book. From the third page, I was completely fascinated by the world the author created. The language is so descriptive and alive with sights, sounds, and smells. I thoroughly enjoyed the writing. But the gripping plot kept me going too. Wow, you have to be on your toes with this plot. Read carefully and pay attention. That's about all I can say without giving away spoilers. These spoilers are way too juicy and meant to be discovered on your own.

Check out the trailer below and the author's website here.