ARC Review: Spirit Riding Free: The Adventure Begins by Suzanne Selfors

Spirit Riding Free: The Adventure Begins by Suzanne Selfors

Twelve-year-old Lucky Prescott craves adventure, but as a young lady of society she's only been allowed to experience adventure through books. That is, until one fateful day when Lucky, her father, and her aunt leave their neat-and-tidy city life and travel to their new home out west-the Wild West.

At first Lucky is excited, but during the long train ride to her new hometown of Miradero, she begins to worry. What if she doesn't make any new friends? Everyone in the West rides horses, but she's never been allowed to even sit on one. How can she possibly fit in? Anxious about the future, Lucky looks out the train window and sees a majestic wild stallion. When their eyes meet, she senses a connection. But when the stallion is caught by wranglers, Lucky's heart breaks. And when she next sees the stallion, he's tied to a post, refusing to be "broken in."

Spirit Riding Free: The Adventure Begins is the story of a girl and a wild horse, equally out of place in a strange, new world, but equally fierce and brave. With each other to lean on, will these two free spirits be able to find a home together?

Pages: 272

Format: Paperback

Published By: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Genre: MG

FTC Disclaimer: I received this book free to read and review, thanks to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

Cover Review:
I think the cover is great for an MG book, and it really focuses on the point of the story. It also fits the appear of the animation for the netflix tv series.

Rating:
✮✮✮✮

Review:
One of the main reasons I wanted to read this book was because I read the Spirit of the West series by Kathleen Duey. I also grew up watching the Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron movie, so when I saw this book, I knew I had to read it.

Spirit Riding Free was a wonderful read. The pacing of the story was nice, and there wasn't a lot of unnecessary information that was thrown in. It was a quick, cute read that a young kid could easy be sucked into, especially if they love horses.

One of the things I enjoyed most about this book is that it hits a lot of important things that young kids go through. This book shows that even through different times, kids go through the same things. I think that's why Lucky is a great character, she's relatable. She's also not perfect, she does make some mistakes, but overall, she just wants to do what's right.

I would highly recommend this book to young kids who love animals or just want something light and quick.  I also think that readers who like MG would find this book cute to read.

EPIC READS TAG

So I found this over at Spines and Covers, and it sounded interesting so as usual, I wanted to do it. I was not tagged officially (they tag the same way I do), so if you want to do it, I'm tagging you! Have fun!

1. If you could invite one author and one of their fictional characters to lunch, who would you invite and what would you serve them?

If I could invite one author, I would probably pick Kasie West. I was considering inviting Jennifer L. Armentrout, but I ultimately decided that I would invite the author whose books I would pick first to read, and as much as I love Jennifer's books, I think if I had to read a Kasie West book or a Jennifer L. Armentrout book, I would pick Kasie's book. So this was tough because I have not read a single Kasie West book where I didn't like any of the characters. I decided that I would invite Lily from P.S. I Like You because I just feel like we would get along so well. I would serve them... food... probably some dish with chicken... I really don't know because I don't cook a lot, but there would definitely be chocolate cake because I absolutely love baking desserts.

2. What book do you wish the author would write a prequel for?

I feel like I would love to read a prequel book to the Chemical Garden trilogy and just see how the world got to the point that it is in that series. The Chemical Garden trilogy is one of my all-time favorite series. I loved the concept of the series, and I thought the world-building was amazing. I also feel like the Article 5 trilogy would have an interesting prequel, too. I feel like a prequel to either series could be much darker and potentially more heart-breaking. I would read a prequel to both of these trilogies without a second thought.

3. Which two characters (not from the same book) would make a good couple?

So this question was kind of a challenge for me because I couldn't think of characters from separate books that belonged together. So I decided to choose a character whose relationship I didn't fully ship and pair him with someone I thought would be cute. I chose Sean from the Article 5 trilogy. I liked him, at times, with Rebecca, but at other times, I didn't fully ship them. Sean has a very sweet and kind, but also rebellious personality. I think Sam, aka Spam, from To Catch a Killer by Sheryl Scarborough would be a perfect fit for him. She's spunky, feisty, and doesn't back down. They both have very strong personalities but I think they would both work well together.

4. If you ran into your favorite author on the subway and only could say one sentence to them, who is it and what would it be?
I think I would pick Amie Kaufman because I love her sci-fi trilogy, and I think I would just say, "Thanks for making me fall in love with sci-fi books set in space", because I loved sci-fi books that involve aliens on Earth before and other sci-fi books that take place on Earth, but These Broken Stars just made me love books set in outer space, and I loved her story and thought it was so unique and I know it's a simple statement, but her books are some of my all-time favorite sci-fi books. They didn't give me a new genre, but they gave me a new world setting that I now really enjoy.

5. What book made you a reader and why?
I wouldn't give the credit to just one book, but the Warriors series by Erin Hunter. I enjoyed reading before that series, but that series is what really hooked me. It was different and unique and opened up my eyes to the complexity and uniqueness of the "bookworld". It showed me that you can create an amazing story from something as simple as a cat's perspective. Little side note: this series is also one of the reasons I want to write.

6. Incendio! Your bookshelf just caught fire. Show the book you’d save.
This was the easiest question. My Bible. Although, I don't like thinking of the rest of my books burning, it's very saddening.

7. Which dystopian world would you want to live in if you had to choose one? Why?
So this was a tough question for me because I really wouldn't want to live in any dystopian world. I decided to go with Across the Universe, solely because it takes place in space. So if I'm stuck living in a dystopian world, it will be somewhere other than on Earth.

8. What is your most epic read of all time?
I hate this question because it is making me choose one book out of all of the books that I have read. My most epic read would have to be Zero Hour by S.D. Perry. It's part of the Resident Evil franchise, which I am obsessed with, and it's a book that I have never mentioned before.

What’s your most epic read of all time?

reader Confessions' TAG

I saw this tag over at Spines and Covers. This is a tag about all of my Reader Confessions. Have fun reading my confessions, and feel free to do this yourself if you want to.

1. Have you ever damaged your own book?
I have actually damaged a few of my books. It was completely by accident, I had water on my shelf and I bumped into it and it spilled over some books that were sitting on the floor, waiting to be placed on my shelf.

2. Have you ever damaged a borrowed book?
No, I typically take more care of books that I borrow just because they aren't mine, and I would hate to ruin someone else's books.

3. How long does it take you to read a book?
Depends. Some books take me a few weeks, some take me a few hours. During school, sometimes it can take me a month to read a book, especially when I am swamped with exams or projects.

4. Books that you haven't finished?
There are so many books that I haven't finished, so I decided I will only share the books that I haven't finished and that I never plan to finish. Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia - I thought it was really boring and couldn't get into... has nothing to do with Garcia's writing considering I absolutely love Lovely Reckless; Broken by C.J. Lyons - I was really disappointed that I couldn't get into this book because it sounded so good; Torn by Amanda Hocking - I liked Switched, which was the first book in the series, but it wasn't a favorite, and I just couldn't get into this one; Original Sin by Lisa Desroachers - very similar reasons to Torn; The Season by Sarah Mclean - I couldn't get into; Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Lani Taylor- I tried to get into this book, I really wanted to like this book, but I couldn't even get past the first chapter, and I tried reading this book twice; Irises by Francisco X. Stork - this may be because I was listening to an audiobook, but I just couldn't get into it; Lucid by Adrienne Stoltz and Ron Bass - I don't even remember why I couldn't finish this book, but I never did; Extraordinary by Adam Selzer - I felt like it was trying to hard and I just couldn't finish it; and finally This is How it Ends - I was super excited to read this book, it sounded great, it was a mystery... it was also a huge letdown and I don't even think I made it that far into the story.

5. Hyped/Popular books you don't like?
So two of the above books could be in this question, but I feel like I can't say I don't like them because I never finished them, but both Daughter of Smoke and Bone, and Beautiful Creatures could be on this list. There is a standalone and then a series, which I have read 6 of 12 books. I have reasons to why I continued to read the series, and ultimately why I decided that I didn't like the series - which I am not going to share, they are personal reasons. My standalone is An Abundance of Katherines by John Green. This so far is the only John Green book that I have read (that is written solely by him - I have read Let it Snow and I did not like his short story that he had written in that book), and I have attempted Fault in Our Stars, which I did not list above because I still plan to read it again, but I just don't think John Green's books are for me. I don't actually know how hyped this book is but I put it on the list because John Green is such a huge name in the book community, and I know a lot of people have read this book. The other is the House of Night series by Kristin Cast and P.C. Cast. So I know people have read this series, it's not really hyped anymore but when I read it, it was hyped around my school.

6. Classics you didn't enjoy?
Two classics come to mind: Romeo and Juliet, and Brave New World. I just wasn't a fan of either of these books, and I really haven't read many classics.

7. Books you bought just for the intellectual-ness of it all?
I wish I could say that I have, but if I have, I don't remember. Unless we count college books... which I had to buy, but never any book I chose to buy for the intellecutal-ness of it.

8. Any books you haven't give back?
So I "lost" a dear friend of mine's book, Mockingjay. She had wanted me to read it before the movie came out (I still haven't read it), and had lent it to me on our last day of school. We both forgot about it because I had placed it in my bookbag, and then I put my bookbag up without taking the book out. She moved to Texas where she was attending college, and her brother wanted to read it. So she couldn't find it, thought she had lost it during packing and ended up buying a second copy. She came back up to visit, and I was getting ready for my senior year of high school, so I got out my bookbag and there it was. We both died of laughter, and I never gave it back. Mostly because she didn't need it, but it's the only book I've never given back that I know of. A lot of her books, she left at my house because she doesn't keep books for long especially after she started college, so I have a ton of her books but I don't think any are because I never gave them back, just Mockingjay. We still to this day joke about me "losing" the book.

What are your reader confessions?

Blitz + Excerpt and Giveaway: Wishing Stone by Lorana Hoopes

Children’s Fantasy Chapter Book

Date Published: March 9, 2017

Spenser hates to read until he meets a mysterious cowboy who gives him a wishing stone and tells him it can possess magical powers when he reads. Skeptical, but willing to try it out, Spenser holds the stone as he reads his book about dinosaurs and suddenly finds himself transported back in time. After convincing the people he is there to help, he must join Arco, the local cave boy, to try and save their village from a dinosaur intent on destroying it. Will Spenser be able to help save the village? Will he ever find his way back home?

 Excerpt

Spenser looked to the left and right, clutching the straps of his backpack tighter. He had read about cowboys but never seen one in real life. There weren’t many in western Washington. His mother, who was from Texas, spoke of them occasionally, but even she said there weren’t as many as there used to be.

“Why you looking so glum little pardner?” the man drawled. His accent was heavy, and his words were slow.

Spenser wasn’t supposed to talk to strangers, but his curiosity got the best of him. “I have to read a book and do a report on it by Friday, and I don’t like reading.”

“Well, that is a mighty big problem,” the man agreed, tipping his hat. “Maybe you just ain’t found the right book yet.”

“What do you mean?” Spenser asked, narrowing his eyes at the man.

“Books can be full of amazing stories. Once you find one you like, I’ll bet you’ll be hooked for life pardner. Here, I got something that might help.” He reached into the pocket of his black duster and pulled something out. It was small enough to fit in his hand.

Unable to help himself, Spenser took another step closer. His blue eyes widened as he waited for the man to open his hand.

The man’s fingers uncurled one at a time to showcase . . ..

“A rock?” Spenser’s nose wrinkled in disgust. He had been hoping for something cooler than a rock.

“Not just any rock, son. This is a wishing stone. You jest hold it while you read and see what happens, but I must warn you to be careful of your thoughts. For sometimes, when you hold this stone, magical things happen.”

Spenser looked again at the stone. Though nearly completely white, it still looked just like an ordinary rock to him. He took the rock, expecting nothing, but a cool sensation tickled up his arms. He glanced up quickly at the man, who merely smiled and nodded, as if they now shared a secret.

About the Author

Lorana Hoopes is an English teacher in the Pacific Northwest where she lives with her husband and three children. When not writing, she enjoys kickboxing, singing, and acting. The Wishing Stone series was born when her oldest son began reading The Magic Tree House books. While she loved that he was reading, she wished the book didn’t use all simple sentences. She decided to write a series just a step up from Magic Tree House and The Wishing Stone was born. Dangerous Dinosaur is the first book in what she hopes will be a long series.

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Blitz + Giveaway: Shearwater by D.S. Murphy

Shearwater
by D.S. Murphy
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance/Mermaids
Release Date: January 26th 2017

Summary:

They found the dead girl on my birthday.
And I’m not entirely sure that her killer isn’t the boy I just tried to kiss.

The longer I spend in Ireland, the deeper my life seems to unravel. Whisperings of a dark secret that caused my mother to flee from her homeland. Run-ins with a pair of undeniably handsome and strangely mysterious guys. A sleep-walking adventure that nearly got me killed. The nearness of the moon and the ocean would be almost romantic, if I wasn’t being hunted for powers I didn’t know I possessed.

Not everything in mythology is just a story.
Not every fairy-tale is harmless.
Magic is very, very real… but so are the monsters from your worst nightmares.

Now I’m being chased by immortals, hunted by wizards, and forced to pick sides in a supernatural war I want no part of.

I might be the only one who can stop it.

But it will mean giving up the one thing my heart can’t bear to lose.

Shearwater is on sale for only $0.99! Buy a copy HERE!

About the Author

I wrote my MA thesis on Harry Potter and am working on my PhD in literature, while secretly writing YA fantasy novels and designing book covers. I blog about self-publishing, book design and book marketing, and am renting a castle for Nanowrimo 2016. I hope you like my writing!

Author Links:

   

GIVEAWAY:

You can enter to win a paperback copy of Shearwater HERE!

TBR Tag

TBR Tag

I saw this tag over at Spines and Covers, and I thought it would be fun to do. If you want to do this, then consider yourself tagged. Now let's get to it...

HOW DO YOU KEEP TRACK OF YOUR TBR PILE?

I keep track of my tbr pile on goodreads, but honestly, more than half of my tbr pile will never be read because I continually add more books, but never take books off even when I know I will probably never read them.

IS YOUR TBR MOSTLY PRINT OR EBOOK?

If we are talking, in regards to my tbr pile of books I own, that would be probably half/half. If we are talking, in regards to my tbr pile of all the books I want to read whether I own them or not, then it would be more ebook because I typically get ebook copies from my library, and I borrow books a lot.

HOW DO YOU DETERMINE WHICH BOOK FROM YOUR TBR TO READ NEXT?

It would be based on my mood. I never set a tbr for the month that I am going into, because I will never read those books that I say I will because I'm such a huge mood reader. Typically though, if I have a thriller/suspense/horror/mystery/etc., I will probably end up reading that because I think there is a part of me that is permanently in the mood for that genre. If you are interested, I did a post on my Top Ten books that I want to read in those categories, check it out here.

A BOOK THAT’S BEEN ON YOUR TBR LIST THE LONGEST?

I'm going to base this off of my tbr list on goodreads since I don't know in regards to my own bookshelf, but Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton has been on my list since March of 2013. I have attempted to read this book at least 3 times, but each time ended up returning to the library without reading it. There's a good chance I will never read this book.

A BOOK THAT YOU RECENTLY ADDED TO YOUR TBR PILE?

The most recent is the Castaways by Jessika Fleck. I don't actually recall how I stumbled upon this book, I maybe entered a giveaway because it sounded interesting. This is Jessika's debut book, and it's a mystery. This came out April 3rd.

A BOOK ON YOUR TBR STRICTLY BECAUSE OF ITS BEAUTIFUL COVER.

So if you follow me, then you have probably heard me mention this a few times. Whenever there is a question like this, this book is mentioned because it is the most recent that fits this question and it's still on my tbr, and that's Shades of Darkness by A.R. Kahler.

A BOOK ON YOUR TBR THAT YOU NEVER PLAN ON ACTUALLY READING.

That would probably be Ethereal by Addison Moore. At the time when I added this to my tbr, I really wanted to read it, but now I just have absolutely no desire to read it.

AN UNPUBLISHED BOOK ON YOUR TBR THAT YOU’RE EXCITED FOR.

I was really worried that this would be a tough question for me to answer, but when I looked at my list, I was like there is no competition. In the near future, I am going to start doing author spotlights where I will randomly feature some of my favorite authors and their books, and the first author I plan on spotlighting is Jennifer L. Armentrout because so far I have loved every book I have read of hers (which isn't much), but on April 25th, her book, Dead List, comes out, and I cannot wait to read it.

A BOOK ON YOUR TBR THAT BASICALLY EVERYONE HAS READ EXCEPT YOU.

This one is really easy. Harry Potter. I, for the longest time, just really had no desire to read this book... mostly because my cousin had read it, and I didn't want my family to think I had read it because she had (this was when I was much younger), but after that I just never got around to it. For Christmas, I had mentioned to a good friend of mine who is also a reader that I wanted to read the Harry Potter series, and she got me the first 3 books in the series which is super exciting, and once school ends, I plan on marathoning at least those 3. My birthday is coming up though, so fingers crossed that she gets me the final 4.

A BOOK ON YOUR TBR THAT EVERYONE RECOMMENDS TO YOU.

I thought this was going to be tough because typically when books are recommended to me, I read them as soon as possible, but both of my sisters and our friend have recommended/order me to read Kasie West's Pivot Point. I actually really want to read this book. I love her contemporaries, and have read all but her last one (due to it coming out during school where I devot more time to review books and less of my own personal pick-up books). There is a part of me that is worried that I have really high expectations for Pivot Point, because I love her books, and this is a different genre than the rest, and I don't want to read it and not like it.

A BOOK ON YOUR TBR THAT YOU’RE DYING TO READ.

This is a toss-up between two books. One, I actually own an ARC of, which is Roar by Cora Carmack. I am really intrigued about this book and cannot wait to read it. The other is Run by Greg Olsen. It took me maybe 2 hours to read both of the books in his other YA series, and I have been dying for him to write another book in that series, but instead he is starting another series that is also a mystery series, and I definitely want to read it.

THE NUMBER OF BOOKS ON YOUR GOODREADS TBR SHELF?

2615... and growing...

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BOOKS ON YOUR GOODREADS TBR SHELF?

Blitz + Teaser and Trailer: Reign of Crowns by Dani Hart

Title: Reign of Crowns
Series: Dupree Heights #1
Author: Dani Hart
Genre: Young Adult Dystopian
Release Date: April 6, 2017

One hundred years ago cyber technology evolved rapidly. Human interaction diminished as the need to leave home became obsolete. Doors closed and cities shut down, causing a tsunami of destruction. Humans were replaced with computers, the homeless rate increased exponentially, and families starved in the abandoned streets. The weak and poor died, the middle working class fell to the lower class, and the wealthy rose above everyone. The world was imploding from the inside out with no reprieve in sight.

My story begins on the fiftieth anniversary of a city raised from the ashes of a revolution and a name forged in the decay of innocent lives. With my heart pulled in two different directions, I am forced to make a choice to either walk in my mother’s footsteps to a scripted future and a perfect life, leaving my first love behind, or complete my father’s unfinished journey of redeeming the Dupree name.

I'm a...

Mom
Firefighter Wife
Sister
Sister-In-Law
Daughter
Aunt
Friend
Writer
Reader
and so many other things.
I love my life and am so grateful for all of the support and have the courage to live a dream.