Tag / booklover

by Erik McManus | Breakeven Books

Book Review: The Bird Queen’s Book

Our external reviewer Bonnie Humber has sent in her first review for the book The Bird Queen’s Book by T.L Frances. Bonnie is new to the reviewing team. She runs paint nights in the North Bay area if anyone is interested.

Synopsis: What would you do if you found a mysterious book written in a secret language?

Thirteen-year-old Denny’s life is far from easy. He’s at the bottom of the food chain at school, he works a mind-numbingly boring student job at his uncle’s shredding store, and, on top it all, he has to try out for the school basketball team—and let’s just say basketball’s not his strong point.

But one day, he finds an ancient book in an indecipherable language. Could it be a secret code? Or maybe even… magic?
As Denny starts spinning a fantasy tale around the book, the real world begins to fade from view. It won’t be long before his problems catch up with him, crashing down one by one…

When Denny, a young lad trapped in the mundane rut of his middle school life, happens upon an old mysterious book in his uncle’s paper shredding shop, he is compelled to give the unreadable tome meaning. Inspired by the cover and beautiful, foreign script, Denny escapes his day to day problems by writing a history for the Bird Queen’s Book. His new obsession quickly starts to take over, and affect his relationships with the people closest to him. Is Denny able to keep his loved ones close, or will he risk everything that’s real for a fantasy?

Although the language and imagery were rather basic, I enjoyed the concept and the personality of a few main characters. Although this book is meant for children, I still found this story to be too simple. The story would have been better for me if the plot had more substance. There are so many intriguing areas in this story that could have been expanded upon. For instance:

  • A thirteen-year-old boy with an imaginary friend
  • The history or reasoning behind the outlawing of magic
  • The love and acceptance of Denny by his friend Max, despite Denny’s behavior

I feel that if the plot had more substance on a sociological level, the story would be more enjoyable and less flat.

I was captivated by the plot twist of the imaginary friend. I found this character to be one of
the most developed, and when I realized they were not real, I was truly surprised and I loved it! I really wanted to know and understand more about this character once this twist was revealed.

“Don’t be an idiot”, I scold myself. “It’s just a book.”

I love this quote because as any good reader can tell you, there’s no such thing as “just a book”. I really feel that this story needs some fleshing out. But once that is done, I would definitely recommend it to any young reader.

Book Rating: 3.5/5

You can find this book on Amazon and Goodreads.

Disclaimer: This book was sent to us in ebook format to read and give an honest review.

There is also a new giveaway being hosted by us! Enter to win some traveling bookmarks and a logo sticker pack!

Enter here: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/5760930a4/?

Good luck and thanks for reading our reviews 🙂 Comment below if you have read this book and what your thoughts are about it!

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by Erik McManus | Breakeven Books

Book Review: Critical Critters

I was recently sent a copy of Critical Critters by Ralph Steadman and Ceri Levy from @Storgy and Bloomsbury Books. The book is about the animals all over the world that are on the endangered species list and are in need of saving.

Critical-Creatures

Ralph brings the animals to life through his intricate watercolour artwork and Ceri brings all the facts to the table that are justified with thorough research and a genuine exploration of the species.  The way these two can tell a story about each specific species and makes it interesting to read is amazing. I will admit that when I first looked at this book proof, I thought “Oh no, not another textbook”. But after I started to read, I found myself wanting to know each and every thing about all the different species in danger and how I could get involved to help.

I also enjoyed how they had a little side narrative going throughout the entire book. Ralph and Ceri would banter back and forth while they were in the process of creating the book and it gave the reader insight into how some of their ideas took shape.

There are so many species in this world and every single one has a different way of life. One quote really stuck out to me because it shows that we do take the natural world for granted.

Perhaps we refuse to accept their intelligence because we would then feel guilt for everything we have done to them.

 

The book did take a little while to get through but that only goes to show how many species are in danger and that the ecosystem needs our help to maintain the peace so to speak. We are the main reason a lot of these species are in danger in the first place. All the resources and websites that can help with protecting the ecosystem and different habitats are posted in the back of the book.

Overall, it was a very informative book with a comedic twist on the scientific side. I would recommend it to anyone wanting to know more about endangered species and why they are on the endangered list.

Book Rating: 4/5

You can also see the post on the STORGY website!

by Erik McManus | Breakeven Books

November Giveaway!!!

Hey bookworms!! So I liked the last giveaway so much that I wanted to do another one and what better thing to win than stickers. I received this huge assortment of decal stickers which are perfect for notebooks, laptops etc.

The rules to enter the giveaway are simple:

  1. Either go to Breakeven Books Facebook Page and like it or follow Breakeven Books on Instagram.
  2. Tag 3 people in the post that would like to win some awesome stickers.
  3. Share the post for an extra entry.

The winner will be posted on November 30th so there is lots of time to enter and share the contest with others! I will also be adding a little treat to the package for the winner 🙂

I am really excited and hope everyone gets involved with the giveaway. There are some really cool stickers to choose from so make sure to try it out. OK talk to you later bookworms.

by Erik McManus | Breakeven Books

What book have you wanted to read for a long time but still haven’t?

There are sooo many books that I have wanted to read for a long time. Too many and that’s why its called a TBR (To Be Read) pile so that I will make myself get to it. But one I have had on my shelf for a long time is Armada by Ernest Cline. I fell in love with his writing style for Ready Player One and then bought Armada but never got to it so it has been on my shelf ever since.

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Synopsis: Zack Lightman has spent his life dreaming. Dreaming that the real world could be a little more like the countless science-fiction books, movies, and videogames he’s spent his life consuming. Dreaming that one day, some fantastic, world-altering event will shatter the monotony of his humdrum existence and whisk him off on some grand space-faring adventure. But hey, there’s nothing wrong with a little escapism, right? After all, Zack tells himself, he knows the difference between fantasy and reality. He knows that here in the real world, aimless teenage gamers with anger issues don’t get chosen to save the universe.

And then he sees the flying saucer.

Even stranger, the alien ship he’s staring at is straight out of the videogame he plays every night, a hugely popular online flight simulator called Armada—in which gamers just happen to be protecting the earth from alien invaders. No, Zack hasn’t lost his mind. As impossible as it seems, what he’s seeing is all too real. And his skills—as well as those of millions of gamers across the world—are going to be needed to save the earth from what’s about to befall it.

It’s Zack’s chance, at last, to play the hero. But even through the terror and exhilaration, he can’t help thinking back to all those science-fiction stories he grew up with, and wondering: Doesn’t something about this scenario seem a little…familiar?

This books sounds really good and if you read Ready Player One, you will understand why I want to read this one! Ernest Cline is a great writer and he really embodies the soul of a true gamer in his characters. I’m not sure what else to write here because I haven’t read the book ;P

Let me know what book you have been putting off and should be getting to in the comments!

by Erik McManus | Breakeven Books

Who is your favourite male character?

Alright guys, we are back on track with the book challenge. There are so many characters that come to mind when I think of this question. I would have to say my favourite is Thomas from the Maze Runner series.

Synopsis: If you ain’t scared, you ain’t human.

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his name. He’s surrounded by strangers—boys whose memories are also gone.

Nice to meet ya, shank. Welcome to the Glade.

Outside the towering stone walls that surround the Glade is a limitless, ever-changing maze. It’s the only way out—and no one’s ever made it through alive.

Everything is going to change.

Then a girl arrives. The first girl ever. And the message she delivers is terrifying.

Remember. Survive. Run.

I absolutely love this series and Thomas makes it even better. He is just the protagonist that does everything right and makes all the right choices that you are thinking they should do while you read. The way he treats his friends is very genuine and he is like the leader of a family of brothers. That being said, he does get betrayed and comes upon hard times so the book isn’t just all good stuff. It is definitely a thrill ride of a series from start to finish.

If you get a chance to read this series, I would strongly suggest it. They are very good and will keep you up at night to finish them (worked on me). Let me know who your favourite male character is in the comments!

by Erik McManus | Breakeven Books

I have been nominated for an award!

Hey book bloggers, guess what!?!? I have been nominated by Ari Augustine from Ravenous for Reads to win the 2017 Liebster award! If you get a chance, go check out her blog. She is an avid book blogger and does fantastic reviews along with interviews and content for writers. She has a book tube channel which is also really cool and something I hope to get to myself someday.

Now you may say, what is a Liebster? I am not too sure either but it sounds cool right? I checked it out and here is more info on the 2017 Liebster Award. I also grabbed the image from Ari’s blog because I didn’t know where else to find it but this is the official badge for the award.

Liebster

So in the rules, it tells me that I should write about my favourite blog/blogger. That would have to be Kathy @ Books & Munches because she basically started talking to me when I started blogging (which was only a month ago) and has made me laugh with her hilarious comments. She also takes the time to comment on almost all of my posts which was the whole reason I started blogging; to be able to talk to others about books and overall just geek out (plus review books for authors). She is a great book blogger and shares a lot about her reading lists, hosts contests and brings the book community together through conversations and even card exchanges 🙂

Alright so Ari left some questions for her nominees (the questions are in bold and my answers are italic):

  1. Do you judge a book by its cover or give the blurb the benefit of doubt? I tend to give the blurb the benefit of the doubt as I have read so many books that turned out to be fantastic even if they had a crappy cover. I do really enjoy a beautifully laid out book cover though 😛
  2. What are you reading at the moment? Right now, I am currently reading the last book in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children series. It is called the Library of Souls.
  3. If you could only take one book with you, what would it be? Hmmm this is a tough one. If I had to choose one, it would be The Glass Castle as it shows and teaches you that no matter where you come from or what happens to you, you can always move forward and live a happy life if you make it for yourself. Pretty much look after yourself because you are who you live with for your whole life (if that doesn’t make sense then we have reached the inner workings of my mind and I have started to babble).
  4. This one is a two-part question: Favorite villain? Favorite hero?My favourite villain would have to be the Jackal from the red rising series and my favourite hero would have to be Daredevil (no making fun….unless you want to, I won’t be offended)
  5. What do you enjoy most about blogging? The part I enjoy most about blogging is the different conversations I get to have with likeminded people about books that we have read. Talking about books and their fictional worlds is so fun and you get to see how others interpreted something in a novel that you may have seen differently in your imagination.
  6. What’s your blogging routine like? My blogging routine is generally done at night as I work 9 to 5 as a web developer. I will write my posts between 10pm and 11:30pm to be published next day around 10am.
  7. When did you begin your blog and where do you hope to take it? I began my blog about a month ago and I plan to eventually get to a point where I am following a lot of book bloggers and have attained a following so that my reviews will be seen by many and maybe companies will approach me to represent them in the book blogging community.
  8. Tea, coffee, or cocoa? Coffee all the way but mix some cocoa in and you have yourself a Mocha.
  9. Hardback or paperback? Paperback (not as heavy and easier to read with one hand while brushing your teeth or cooking or whatnot)
  10. If you could visit anywhere in the universe, in or out of time, parallel or present, where would it be? This is going to sound lame but I would just go to Australia. It has been my dream to go there ever since I wrote a speech about the country in grade 4.
  11. You’re going on an epic adventure to save the world. Name two characters who would help you succeed. Katniss Everdeen because she is badass at rebellions and Gandalf because he proves his loyalty and is an excellent mentor/friend.
  12. What’s your favorite word? Potential.

 

My nominees for the award are as follows and you guys can answer the same questions that I did because I really liked them:

I hope you guys can participate by writing your own posts to keep the love going and I look forward to reading all of your posts!

To finish it off, it says to write 10 random facts about yourself so here you go:

  1. Chocolate Oranges are life in my eyes.
  2. I like music better on vinyl (nothing like that scratchy sound).
  3. People say my spirit animal is a giraffe (it’s because I slap people with my neck lol jk)
  4. I play a lot of League of Legends (if you play, my summoner name is Krundor so add me up)
  5. I eventually want to have a Golden Retriever and a Border Collie.
  6. My preferred beer of choice is Pabst Blue Ribbon.
  7. Scary movies and awesome.
  8. I am a huge comic book fanatic (ask me about my collection, I dare you)
  9. Arkells are a great band (take a listen, you will like them)
  10. My favourite movie of all time is Its A Wonderful Life.

And that’s all for now! Talk to you later book worms and I will be resuming with the book challenge tomorrow!

 

by Erik McManus | Breakeven Books

What book makes you laugh?

Alright, so I know that these technically aren’t books, but they are graphics novels and these have made me laugh so hard that I snorted and spit out my drink. I present to you the Deadpool Complete Collections Vol 1 & 2 !

The art style is phenomenal and the way the writer portrays dead pool as this cocky mercenary that has no regard for trivial things and just does what he wants when he wants is just too good to be true. There are lots of side characters that Deadpool meets along the way and other recognized superheroes that he either comes into combat with or teams up with. Between these two graphic novels, there are about 15-17 issues.

I would recommend these to my fellow superhero nerds out there. They will give you a laugh and get you that much more excited for Deadpool 2 (which should be coming out in 2018).

Now let me know what book makes you laugh in the comments down below. Talk to you later bookworms!

by Erik McManus | Breakeven Books

Favourite book of your favourite series?

Well this one is easy because I talked about it yesterday. My favourite book of my favourite series is Red Rising because it set the bar for the whole series and I just couldn’t put it down. This book was recommended to me by my good friend Neil Montgomery. He reads a lot of science-fi and always has great recommendations for books of this genre.

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The trials and challenges that Darrow endures to get up the ranks and blend in as one of society’s most favoured is an adventurous and exciting journey with lots of plot twists. The book features a tiered list of the different colours and how they are ranked in the society. Red is the lowest colour and Gold is the highest. Darrow is from the Red colony and his goal is to get in with and be accepted by the Gold’s so that he can take them down from the top. He is undertaken as a member of the refugee rebellion and sent into the school of the upper class as a spy to observe and learn so that he can gain their trust. Darrow is a natural leader and he makes many friends and allies along his journey to the top.

I think this book is amazing so I would strongly recommend to give it a shot if you like fantasy, science-fi, adventure, thriller, or action genres. The series recently came out with a new book called Iron Gold which I have not purchased yet but will be doing very soon (or I will ask for it for Christmas if I can wait that long). Pierce Brown is a great author and I hope he continues to write masterpieces 😛

If you wish to see what’s next on the book challenge, check out the post here: 30 Day Book Challenge!

That’s it for this post but talk to you soon bookworms!

by Erik McManus | Breakeven Books

What book have you read more than 3 times?

So first off, I know I missed a day but that was because I had friends staying with me from out of town for a night and I had no time to write while they were here. But I am back at it now so lets have a go with day 2 of  the book challenge.

I read a lot of books and most of them I have read only once but there are a select few I have read multiple times. One book that captured me from the first sentence and is one that I can go back to time and time again is The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. The_Hunger_Games

There isn’t one chapter of this book that I don’t like. Even when they are describing their surroundings or it is just a dull moment where they are talking, I am drawn in for every part of it. The first time that I read this book, it took me 3 hours and as soon as I was done, I went to the bookstore and bought the 2nd one. I thoroughly enjoy this entire series but this book is the one I could read over and over again.

Let me know what you guys have read more than 3 times in the comments! Lets connect as well, I will follow each and every person that follows my blog and then stay connected through love of literature. Happy reading 🙂

by Erik McManus | Breakeven Books

30 Day Book Challenge

I have decided to do a 30 Day Book Challenge where I will post consistently for the next 30 days about different book topics. I came upon the idea from Pinterest and have posted an image of the list here so you can try it out if you want.

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There are so many books that come to mind when looking through this list and I think it will be fun to talk about them and interact with others to see if we have similar opinions. Even so I would love to know what everyone thinks on each days subject so make sure to follow and comment so we can chat about books 🙂

Also, I thought I would do a shoutout to Wine & Misadventures for being awesome and giving me tips on blogging since I am rather new to this. If you haven’t seen it yet, you should check out her website. It has a lot of cool products you can buy and her blog posts are just written from the heart, she is very relatable and has a great attitude about everything while keeping it real.

Alright, talk to you later bookworms.