Two Points of Interest

Monday, October 24, 2022

Book Review - The Brothers Flick: The Impossible Doors by Ryan Haddock + Giveaway

Weird things happen at the Strander House. You might open a closet and find an orge with a knight inside or you might slip on a puddle and end up in an underwater adventure. Time moves differently at the Strander House, you might walk into a closet or a room and end up missing a few days without even knowing it. However, for all these strange and supernatural occurrences, the Flick Brothers are here to help solve the mystery.

The graphic novel was a fun and entertaining read with some serious moments of lost and remembering loved ones intertwine. The characters were all well developed and fun. The book is broken down to a smaller easy to digest chapters but, they all contribute to the overarching story. I can't wait to see what other adventures the brothers get into.

**Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion**

About The Book:

Title: THE BROTHERS FLICK: THE IMPOSSIBLE DOORS

Author: Ryan Haddock, Whitney Cogar, Nick Wyche (Illustrations), David Stoll (Illustrations), Jim Campbell, Rebecca Taylor (Editor)

Pub. Date: October 11, 2022

Publisher: Wonderbound

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 208

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org

Sherlock Holmes meets the Wayside School in this Middle Grade supernatural sleuthing graphic novel about the Flick brothers - four siblings searching for explanations to outbreaks of supernatural strangeness and otherworldly weirdness in their Edwardian-era hometown.

A bump in the night? They're on the case! At Strander House, things are…weird. There’s an ogre wedged in the closet, and you have to be careful not to slip on the leak coming from the ocean in the attic. What’s possibly weirder than the fact that you can walk into the bathroom and end up in next Tuesday are the four brothers who investigate these strange supernatural occurrences…the Brothers Flick!

Leo, Desmond, Remy, and Cub seek to get to the bottom of every shadow you swear you saw move. If they happen to stumble upon answers to the mysterious disappearance of their own family along the way, all the better. For fans of Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, Gravity Falls, Whispering Pines, the Hardy Boys, the Winterhouse series, the Greenglass House series, and the Wayside School series!

Reviews:

“… the metaphor of “impossible doors” leading toward unending universes, where even the smallest changes reverberate, provides a unique framework for themes of grief and healing.” – Publishers Weekly

“…enjoyable.” – Kirkus

“… this graphic novel will attract mystery and adventure fans by the droves..." -- Kirkus

“… a “Jonny Quest meets the Hardy Boys” vibe with a few modern twists…” -- Kirkus

About Ryan Haddock:

Ryan Haddock has wanted to write books since he was six years old. Over the years, his career aspirations also included rock star, lawyer, rock star lawyer, and teacher, but writing books never left his heart. Thank goodness someone finally let him write a book.

Ryan resides with his wife and kids in a charmingly quaint city known for its ridiculously fast internet and a jingle about a train.

Hometown/State: Chattanooga, TN

About Nick Wyche:

Nick Wyche lives in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains with his wonderful wife, Suzanne, overlooking the Tennessee River. He has been obsessed with comics and cartoons for over 4 decades and still can't believe he gets to draw professionally.
Hometown/State: Chattanooga, TN

Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

Giveaway Details:

2 winners will receive a finished copy of THE BROTHERS FLICK: THE IMPOSSIBLE DOORS, US Only.

Ends November 1st, midnight EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

9/26/2022	A Dream Within A Dream	Guest Post
9/27/2022	@allyluvsbooksalatte	IG Spotlight
9/28/2022	BookHounds YA	Guest Post/IG Post
9/29/2022	Lady Hawkeye	Guest Post/IG Post
9/30/2022	Review Thick And Thin	Review/IG Post
10/1/2022	amandainpa	Review/IG Post

Week Two:

10/2/2022	#BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog	Guest Post
10/3/2022	Mom with a Reading Problem	Review/IG Post
10/4/2022	Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers	Review/IG Post
10/5/2022	Rajiv's Reviews	Review/IG Post
10/6/2022	@enjoyingbooksagain	Review/IG Post
10/7/2022	More Books Please blog	Review/IG Post
10/8/2022	@meetcuteromancebooks	Review/IG Post

Week Three:

10/9/2022	One More Exclamation	Review/IG Post
10/10/2022	Little Red Reads	Review
10/11/2022	RavenzReviewz	Review/IG Post
10/12/2022	Ya Books Central	Guest Post
10/13/2022	Two Chicks on Books	Guest Post
10/14/2022	GryffindorBookishNerd	Review/IG Post
10/15/2022	@ablueboxfullofbooks	IG Review

Week Four:

10/16/2022	@jaimerockstarbooktours	IG Spotlight
10/17/2022	@jacleomik33	IG Review
10/18/2022	@froggyreadteach	IG Review/Read Part of Book Out Loud
10/19/2022	The Bookwyrm's Den	Review/IG Post
10/20/2022	Two Points of Interest	Review/IG Post
10/21/2022	Nerdophiles	Review/IG Post
10/22/2022	hodophile_z	Review/IG Post

Week Five:

10/23/2022	pickagoodbook	Review/IG Post
10/24/2022	The Momma Spot	Review/IG Post
10/25/2022	@thebookishfoxwitch	IG Review

Sunday, October 23, 2022

Book Review - Frizzy by Claribel A. Ortega

Marlene likes her cool aunt Ruby and her best friend, Camila. However, according to her mother, Paola, Marlene needs to focus on school and growing up. A part of growing up means that Marlene must spend every weekend straightening her hair so, she can look presentable and look like she has "good hair".

Marlene despises being in the salon for such an extended period of time. She doesn't understand why her curls are not considered pretty by those around her. Marlene is determined to love her hair and herself as exactly as how she is.

I thought the graphic novel was a lovely and endearing read. I wish people would be a bit more understanding how their words and actions can affect children. I also wish people would stop using the phrase "good hair", no one has good hair and any hair can be good hair. For example, Marlene's curls were big and beautiful but, because she didn't know how to properly take care of her hair, it looked unkempt. Overall, I thought the book was a lovely read.

Saturday, October 22, 2022

Book Review - No Admissions by Brittany Geragotelis + Giveaway

Frankie discovers one of her classmate's inventions is stolen the day before a school wide competition, the renown international thief promises to make it right. She works her skills to help retrieve the project for her classmate. Frankie thought her mission was a completed but, she finds out that there's more to the story.

A group of wealthy parents are using their influence and money to guarantee that their kid gets into the most exclusive schools regardless of their kids' ability. They will stop at nothing to guarantee that their kids are set up for success.

The case seems easy to Frankie until she gets to know the parents and their kids. She then realizes that not everything is so black and white. Frankie decides to set her bar higher, and take down the mastermind who has been hired to get the kids into their schools.

This is the third book in the series and it follows the similar pattern of the other two previous books. The book can be read as a standalone. In this book, Frankie is still learning to "play nice" with others including, Ollie and her uncle. It was interesting seeing Frankie, who is normally calm under pressure be vulnerable with her feelings and trying to have empathy with others. While, Frankie still has ways to go before she can understand Ollie and her uncle, she has made great progress in this novel including, understanding that Ollie wants and needs to be an equal say in their antics. If you enjoyed the two previous books, you will enjoy this book.

**Disclosure - I received a free unedited copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion**

About The Book:

Title: NO ADMISSIONS (The Infamous Frankie Lorde #3)

Author: Brittany Geragotelis

Pub. Date: October 18, 2022

Publisher: Pixel + Ink

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Pages: 304

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org

A group of parents looking to buy their less-deserving children into elite schools is about to learn a thing or two from a criminal mastermind in the third book in the Infamous Frankie Lorde series, perfect for fans of Ally Carter's Gallagher Girls and Heist Society.

When Frankie discovers that a classmate’s invention has been stolen the day before a school-wide competition, the once-renowned international thief figures she might as well flex her skills to steal it back. But just when Frankie’s about to call her mission a success, she learns there’s more to the story than she’d originally thought.

A group of wealthy Greenwich parents are using their influence -- and wallets -- to guarantee that their kids get into the most exclusive institutions on the East coast, no matter how undeserving their kids are, or how far they have to go to ensure success.

Easy peasy for Frankie to crack. Until she gets to know these classmates of hers...and their parents...and everyone's real motivations and issues. Frankie sets the bar higher, to take the scam down from the top. The guy who's been hired to get the kids into their desired schools: "Mr. Admissions."

Reviews:

"The action sequences are fun. . . ."—Kirkus Reviews

Grab the first 2 books in THE INFAMOUS FRANKIE LOURDE Series now!

About Brittany Geragotelis:

Brittany Geragotelis, a former Olympic-bound gymnast and magazine editor, is a self-professed pop culture junkie turned author. Her paranormal action book Life’s a Witch received 18 million reads on the writing site Wattpad.com. What the Spell is the first published book in the series, followed by Life’s a Witch and The Witch Is Back. The Infamous Frankie Lorde is her first series with Pixel+Ink. Brittany lives in Los Angeles with her awesome husband, two clever boys, one scaredy-cat, and a crazy dog.

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will win a finished copy of NO ADMISSIONS, US Only.

Ends October 25^th, midnight EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

10/10/2022	Mom with a Reading Problem	Review/IG Post
10/10/2022	Nerdophiles	Review
10/11/2022	GryffindorBookishNerd	IG Review
10/11/2022	Lifestyle of Me	Review/IG Post
10/12/2022	Forthenovellovers	Review/IG Post
10/12/2022	BookHounds YA	Review/IG Post
10/13/2022	@hodophile_z	IG Review
10/13/2022	hauntedbybooks	Review/IG Post
10/14/2022	Ya Books Central	Excerpt
10/14/2022	Books and Zebras	IG Review

Week Two:

10/17/2022	Brandi Danielle Davis	IG Review/TikTok Post
10/17/2022	A Dream Within A Dream	Excerpt/IG Post
10/18/2022	The Momma Spot	Review/IG Post
10/18/2022	Kait Plus Books	Excerpt/IG Post
10/19/2022	A Backwards Story	Review/IG Post
10/19/2022	@coffeesipsandreads	IG Spotlight
10/20/2022	Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers	Review/IG Post
10/20/2022	Two Chicks on Books	Excerpt/IG Post
10/21/2022	@jacleomik33	IG Review
10/21/2022	Two Points of Interest	Review

Friday, October 21, 2022

Book Review - Verse Book 1: The Broken Half by Sam Beck

Fife planned to leave home and become an expert swordsmith. However, his plans are interrupted when he meets a girl named Neitya. Fife has never met anyone like her before, because she has amnesia and horns. Fife thought Neitya was one of the Vel who attacked and hurt innocent people. When Fife is attacked by the Vel, Neitya unleashes a magic force to protect them. The decide to travel together to find out more about Neitya and her special abilities.

The graphic novel was an enjoyable read. I loved the illustrations but, some panels were too dark even though I was reading in a well lit room. The graphic novel was an engaging read and I love the world building elements. I would have liked if they had a more detailed appendix that explained a few more things but, the story was easy enough to follow along.

Thursday, October 20, 2022

Book Spotlight - The Summer of No Regrets by Katherine Grace Bond + Giveaway

ASIN: ‎B007PUT3JW
Publisher: ‎Sourcebooks Fire (May 1, 2012)
Publication Date: ‎May 1, 2012
Language: ‎English

Praise for THE SUMMER OF NO REGRETS

"Brigitta...was incredibly unique" Blogger Ambur, Burning Impossibly Bright " —Burning Impossibly Bright

"This is an utterly sweet, captivating book that will charm you, make you think, and maybe even make you shed a tear." —Cupcake's Book Cupboard

"an interesting look at all that can change in the summer of a young woman's life." —YA Bibliophile

"The story line immediately captured my heart " —Charming Chelsey's

"...a novel of identity, true love, and the meaning of death; all told in the voice of a bright, thoughful, and passionately self-contradictory teenage girl." —Book Talk

"...fun summer read with a little bit of a serious twist...You'll laugh, you'll tear up, and you'll be on the hunt for a celebrity lookalike crush in no time" —Fiction Folio

"...the sort of book that should top your "to reads" list." —Letters Inside Out

"...a delightful tale of self-discovery and of burgeoning romance." —Allison Can Read

"The meaningful relationship that is created only makes you want more" —Books With Bite

"Readers can expect romance, drama, and incredible emotion" —A Cupcake and A Latte

The summer Luke came into my life, I decided to keep him a secret. Even from my celebrity-obsessed best friend. Maybe he *was* a dead-ringer for notorious Hollywood bad boy Trent Yves. And it was possible that everything he told me was a lie. And yes, I was probably asking for trouble. But all I saw was Luke--sweet, funny, caring--someone who would let me be the real me.

But which was the real him?

You can purchase The Summer of No Regrets at the following Retailers:

Photo Content from Katherine Grace Bond

Katherine Grace Bond wants to heal the rifts in our culture and in ourselves. She writes on writing, race, family, and relationships on Medium, and is at work on a time-travel fantasy, for which she spent a couple of months in France trying to chase down Manet. Her books include The Summer of No Regrets, about finding the meaning of life and death when the boy next door may be a movie star in hiding, and The Legend of the Valentine, illustrated by the awesome Don Tate. Her poetry collections include Considering Flight, about the uneasy dance between father and daughter on the razor’s edge of mental illness. When she’s not writing, she plays fiddle in an Irish band called The Scuppermonkeys.