October 2016 Wrap Up: The Woo hoo for Fall Edition

Summer is over!
Summer is over!

It's Fall!
It's Fall!

The leaves turned and they fell and they are crunchy and underfoot all the time and it's cold and I need socks on ALL the time and it's cider season and pumpkin spice everything season and I love love love it all!

Hey, anyone wanna guess what my favorite season is ;)

October brought so many changes. The weather finally finally turned and I don't have to think about sweating anymore! The leaves in NH are so freaken beautiful - even if they are everywhere - I love each and every one.

And guys, I'm not gonna lie. Pumpkin Spice coffee? OMG I LOVE IT!

With so much FALLNESS happening around me, I kinda got wrapped up in all and didn't really spend any quality time here at Red House Books (insert sad music here).

But, you know what I'm gonna say!

It's totally ok!

Let's see what I did manage to get done, shall we?

Oh - and no pics or links this month cause I gots no time for that tonight ;)

THE REVIEWS
Black Widow Forever Red by Margaret Stohl | 5/5 Stars
Black Widow Red Vengeance by Margaret Stohl | 5/5 Stars

OCTOBER READS
The Darkest Corners by Kara Thomas
Black Widow Red Vengeance by Margaret Stohl
The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee
The Continent by Keira Drake
Winterkill by Kate A. Boorman

Blog Tour: Gauntlet by Eoin Colfer Q&A and GIVEAWAY

Guys! I am so happy about my stop on this tour!

I am a huge fan of Eoin's -- like huge huge fan!

I'm so excited to share his answers to my questions with you. My list of really hope to meet one day authors is kinda short, but Eoin is on it and the fact that he took the time to answer my (lame) questions?  So much fangirling over here!

And the book? Cannot wait to read it!

So! Keep reading for lots of info bits and pieces, and don't forget to enter the contest at the end :)

Thanks guys for visiting and a BIG THANK YOU to Eoin for his contribution!!

ABOUT THE GAUNTLET:
Tony Stark is known throughout the world as many things: billionaire, inventor, Avenger. But mainly for being the Invincible Iron Man.

Just when Tony is about to add his pizzazz to an international eco-summit in Ireland, someone close to him forces him to question his role in making the world a more dangerous place with his high-tech weaponry. But Stark doesn't have much time to reflect before an old enemy presents him with an even greater challenge: the assassination of all the eco-ministers, and Iron Man himself. Just how invincible Iron Man is when he is stripped of everything remains to be seen in this breathless adventure by the bestselling author of Artemis Fowl.

Amazon | B&N
ABOUT EOIN COLFER:

Eoin Colfer (pronounced Owen) was born in Wexford on the South-East coast of Ireland in 1965, where he and his four brothers were brought up by his father and mother, who were both educators.

He received his degree from Dublin University and began teaching primary school in Wexford. He has lived and worked all over the world, including Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Italy. After the publication of the Artemis Fowl novels, Eoin retired from teaching and now writes full time. He lives in Ireland with his wife and two children.

Website | Twitter | Facebook

Q&A

1. Describe Iron Man: The Gauntlet in 10 words or less.
Tony Stark gets no love in Ireland only aggravation.

2. I've always seen Tony Stark as a very complicated character. Was it hard getting inside his head?
Tony’s character has three sides. He is a media extrovert, a super secretive scientist and a damaged soul. That’s a pretty difficult mixture of personality traits so I had to go through his passages several times before they rang true for me.

3. Who is your favorite Marvel character?
I do love War Machine. He is a straight ahead kind of guy. He sees a job to do and he does it, with a few quips along the way.

4. Iron Man has a long and detailed history. What research went into writing The Gauntlet?
I spent my youth researching Iron Man. I have been reading the comics for thirty years. They should give me a Marvel doctorate.

5. I love the chapter titles in The Gauntlet! What comes first when you write, the titles or the chapter?
Sometimes I will think of a funny chapter title and actually rewrite a chapter just to fit it in, but mostly I do the writing first. I will admit I get a kick out of a funny heading for years afterwards.

6. What book(s) do you think Tony Stark has on his night stand?
I think Tony is a secret softy and probably has Gone With the Wind on his night stand. Or maybe Eat, Pray, Love.

GIVEAWAY:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Stops:
Week 1:
10/17: Mundie Kids - Review
10/18: Take Me Away to a Great Read - Mood Board
10/19: Reading Is Better With Cupcakes - Review
10/20: Swoony Boys Podcast - Character Interview
10/21: Bookish Escapes - Review

Week 2:
10/24: YA Booknerd - Review
10/25: Red House Books - Q&A
10/26: Big Books and Grande Lattes - Review
10/27: The Irish Banana Review - Top 10
10/28: Seeing Double in Neverland - Review

Book Review: Black Widow Red Vengeance by Margaret Stohl

Book #2 of the Black Widow series
Genre: YA Marvel Universe
Publication: October 2016 by Marvel Press
Acquisition: received an ARC at ALA 2016

Synopsis:

BLACK WIDOW: RED VENGEANCE is the action-packed sequel tothe instant New York Times best-seller, BLACK WIDOW: FOREVER RED, penned by #1New York Times best-selling author Margaret Stohl. This time, Stohl takesreaders inside the minds of Marvel's most cunning and dangerous spies-BlackWidow and Red Widow-delving deeper into their powers and will reveal more thanever before about the infamous assassin and her fledgling hero-in-training.

(from Goodreads)

5 / 5 Stars

Loved.

Honestly, I didn't think I would enjoy this series as much as I am. I mean, I love the Marvel Universe and I loved the Avengers movies but there is only so much, witty banter, explosions and total mass destruction I can take before I get a little glassy eyed.

Or so I thought.

Ok, so the books have a little less explosions (thank you!) and the banter is mostly all Tony Stark's but wow this story is intense - and the details that went into Natasha's back story? Fantastic.

As with my love for book 1, my book 2 loves stems from a place of fandom love. I grew up with Superman and Batman but I never connected to the DC world the way I've connected to Marvel. S.H.I.E.L.D. is one of my all time favorite shows and Agent Coulson? Clark Gregg for life! Natasha aka The Black Widow has always been a bit of a mystery to me, having never read her comics. I can't help but picture Scarlett Johansson as I read Red Vengeance (and Robert Downey Jr, and Clark Gregg) and I really think my reading experience was enhanced because I had these visuals helping to paint the story in my mind.

Ok, fandom fangirling aside, Black Widow Red Vengeance was an excellent book. I loved the writing, I loved the story and I loved that so much of a universe I already love was incorporated so well into Natasha's new stories. Ava still got to me a bit but I'm warming up to her.

I really thought this was a duology but the way this one ended - I can't imagine the story not continuing. Not so much a cliff hanger as a shear drop - like, boom! Yeah, it was intense (also loved that part ;)

If Marvel is your thing, if S.H.I.E.L.D. is your bae then this series is for you. And, if mystery, intrigue, superheros and kick ass female characters is your thing, this series is also for you :)

Book Review: Black Widow: Forever Red by Margaret Stohl

Book #1 of the Black Widow series
Genre: YA Marvel Universe
Publication: October 2015 by Marvel Press
Acquisition: received as a gift

Synopsis:

Enter the world of the Avengers’ iconic master spy…

Natasha Romanoff is one of the world’s most lethal assassins. Trained from a young age in the arts of death and deception, Natasha was given the title of Black Widow by Ivan Somodorov, her brutal teacher at the Red Room, Moscow’s infamous academy for operatives.

Ava Orlova is just trying to fit in as an average Brooklyn teenager, but her life has been anything but average.The daughter of a missing Russian quantum physicist, Ava was once subjected to a series of ruthless military experiments—until she was rescued by Black Widow and placed under S.H.I.E.L.D. protection. Ava has always longed to reconnect with her mysterious savior, but Black Widow isn’t really the big sister type.

Until now.

When children all over Eastern Europe begin to go missing, and rumors of smuggled Red Room tech light up the dark net, Natasha suspects her old teacher has returned—and that Ava Orlova might be the only one who can stop him. To defeat the madman who threatens their future, Natasha and Ava must unravel their pasts. Only then will they discover the truth about the dark-eyed boy with an hourglass tattoo who haunts Ava’s dreams…

(from Goodreads)

5 / 5 Stars

So, I went into this one with pretty high expectations. I love Marvel and I love love love S.H.I.E.L.D. -- Agent Coulson for life!

And...

I wasn't disappointed at all. In fact, it was better then I was expecting.

Black Widow, aka Agent Romanoff, aka Natasha Romanova was a bit of a unknown for me. All I really knew about her came from the Avengers movies and she didn't get a lot of screen time. However, she is one of those characters you just knew had to come with a pretty hefty back story. In Forever Red the backstory is the story - front and center in all it's horrific glory.

And I ate. It. Up.

Black Widow for life! (j/k Phil)

Lots of details, lots of awesome little bits and pieces of S.H.I.E.L.D. and some well known (to me) characters and some new ones and action and adventure and mystery and really really good storytelling.

So yeah, I loved it.

I wasn't actually too sure of Ava at first. I thought maybe she was a throw away type of character - because this series is being written for young adults and the Black Widow isn't a kid, an actual teenager was needed to make the story work for the YA audience.

That isn't what this is at all though. Ava and Natasha are connected in ways I didn't see coming AT ALL and it made for a hell of a story.

Highly recommend for fans of Marvel, Black Widow, and kick ass female characters :)

Waiting On Wednesday: Now I Rise by Kiersten White

Waiting On Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and focuses on books we are super excited about!
Today's Pick

Now I Rise (The Conquerors Saga #2) by Kiersten White
June 27th 2017 by Delacorte Press GOODREADS
Why I'm Excited Ok, so there is a long wait for this one BUT the cover just revealed and I couldn't help but share it. I had mixed feelings about And I Darken but I feel pretty invested in Lada's story and after reading the summary of Now I Rise, I'm in!

What are you waiting on today?

Happy Book Birthday! October 11, 2016 Edition

A big Happy Birthday to these lovelies today!
Welcome into the world!

The Midnight Star (The Young Elites #3) by Marie Lu | G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers | GOODREADS

Black Widow: Red Vengeance (Black Widow #2) by Margaret Stohl | Marvel Press | GOODREADS

Still Life With Tornado by A.S. King | Button Books for Young Readers | GOODREADS

Fear the Drowning Deep by Sarah Glenn Marsh | Sky Pony Press | GOODREADS

Beast by Brie Spangler | Knopf Books for Young Readers | GOODREADS

Iron Cast by Destiny Soria | Amulet Books | GOODREADS

The Weight of Zero by Karen Fortunati | Delacorte Press | GOODREADS

Every Hidden Thing by Kenneth Oppel | Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers | GOODREADS

Frost by M.P. Kozlowsky | Scholastic Press | GOODREADS

The Row by J.R. Johansson | Farrar, Straus and Giroux | GOODREADS

Bound by Blood and Sand by Becky Allen | Delacorte Press | GOODREADS

Speed of Life by J.M. Kelly | HMH Books for Young Readers | GOODREADS

Be Good Be Real Be Crazy by Chelsey Philpot | HarperTeen | GOODREADS


And my Pick of the Day is....

Black Widow: Red Vengeance by Margaret Stohl

After loving book 1 (Black Widow: Forever Red) I couldn't wait to get started on book 2! I'm a huge fan of the Marvel Universe and there is just so much awesomeness in this series!

Be on the look out for my reviews of both books next week!






Any birthday book buying planned into your day?
What new releases are you most excited for?

September Wrap Up Post: Yeah

Hey guys!

Happy October!

I love October!

Fall in New England is kinda fantastic. I highly recommend it! But don't be one of those leave peepers giving me road rage - m'kay? ;)

If you read my wrap up last month you might remember it was a bit...different.


via GIPHY
Not to worry -- I'm feeling much better now!

Because it's -- OCTOBER! Woo hoo!

Oh, and I actually managed to read in September! AND looking back through things, and previous thoughts notwithstanding, I actually did read in August. Let's take a look, shall we?


READ IN AUGUST and SEPTEMBER

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling
Bluescreen by Dan Wells
Dotwav by Mike A. Lancaster
Burning by Danielle Rollins

Been Here All Along by Sandy Hall
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
Gemina by Amie Kaufman and
Black Widow: Forever Red by Margaret Stohl
Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Cordova

...and....it took me 9 days to realize I didn't post this....

I. Am. Awesome.

Happy Reading Everyone!