Jackaby by William Ritter | Book Talk


Newly arrived in New Fiddleham, New England, 1892, and in need of a job, Abigail Rook meets R. F. Jackaby, an investigator of the unexplained with a keen eye for the extraordinary--including the ability to see supernatural beings. Abigail has a gift for noticing ordinary but important details, which makes her perfect for the position of Jackaby’s assistant. On her first day, Abigail finds herself in the midst of a thrilling case: A serial killer is on the loose. The police are convinced it’s an ordinary villain, but Jackaby is certain it’s a nonhuman creature, whose existence the police--with the exception of a handsome young detective named Charlie Cane--deny.

Doctor Who meets Sherlock in William Ritter’s debut novel, which features a detective of the paranormal as seen through the eyes of his adventurous and intelligent assistant in a tale brimming with cheeky humor and a dose of the macabre.
--

“This world is full of dragon-slayers. What we need are a few more people who aren’t too proud to listen to a fish.”

I started this story expecting a time traveling Sherlock Holmes because I associate Doctor Who with time travel for some reason. Big whoops. When it is said the Doctor Who meets Sherlock it actually a man with Sherlock's intellectual mind but with the 10/11th Doctor's personality. Also, this Sherlock/Doctor infusion has a companion.
While time travel is no where near involved in this story, it is heavy on the whole supernatural aspect. Ghosts, trolls, witches, werewolves...you name it. So, the lack of time travel makes up with a big shigban of supernatural.
The story is told through Abigail Rook, a young girl who ran away from the high lady life for an adventure (and dinosaurs). She arrives to the Fiddlehamn, New England and immediately searches for a job. In her quest to find a job to keep her alive in the world she comes across a "Assistant Wanted" sign and immediately rushes to apply for the job. There she meets R. F. Jackaby.
Right off the bat the adventure starts. Abigail joins Jackaby on a mysterious murder case...a supernatural murder case.
Even though the story was a quick and fun one, I did not grow attached to any characters. The story was plot driven 100%, and while this is not necessarily a bad thing I still feel like I barely know Jackaby or Abigail. We got snips of information here and there, but not enough for me to have the feels and claim these characters as my children. (I still really enjoyed them though!)
The pacing is too quick, there was hardly any breathing room. I can't believe I am going to say this...but I wish the story would have slowed down. 30 pages in we are already in the case, and I was left like "Whoa what, slow down book."
I guess it is okay, because this a mystery novel and Ritter wanted us in the case as quickly as possible...there was a killer on the loose and we had to catch him/her.
As someone who is detailed oriented, I was fascinated by the amount of description the book held. It was not J.K Rowling or Erin Morgernstern detailed heavy, but Ritter gives you enough detail to let you know who the killer is half way through the book (only if you are paying, close attention...which I did not). But I guess since this is a Sherlock/Doctor Who like book that amount of detail is necessary.


“Maybe if you would bother reading a book once in a while instead of hurling them about every chance you get, you would have put the pieces together yourself by now”


Even though I did enjoy the adventure I was put in, it was not enough for me to go back and re-live it again. I will continue on with the series, but it will not be a set of books that I will re-read again anytime soon.
If you are up for a mystery supernatural adventure with a really fast pacing I suggest for you to pick up Jackaby solve the case of the supernatural killer.

3.5/5
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Introverted and in a New Place

I am what you call an introvert. For those who don't know an introvert is "a shy, reticent person" by textbook definition. There may moments that I feel adventurous or daring, but 75% it is an actual effort than a natural feeling. I tell myself that I am shy because I'm not a people person. It's not that I am not a people person, it's that people terrify me. Strangers terrify me. If I am given the choice of staying in a quiet place or going to a wild party...well I think you know where I am going with this. 

I have recently moved to a new place, far, far, far away from the four wall establishment I call home. I know moving so far away is considered daring and adventurous, but in reality it is much more. It is a drastic change in your life, and well change is scary. 



Being in a new place, you are far away from everything you know. The streets are new, the people are new, daily life is new, everything is new! 

I always joke that I want to go on a big adventure like the all the stories I have ever read. So when an opportunity for an adventure opened up, I wiggled my arm out of my comfort bubble and grasped it tightly. And now...I'm on my adventure...but I am internally screaming.

I’ve trying to say yes to more things, but by saying yes I step further away from my comfort zone.
Baby steps though.

Everyday try something new, even if it is something small. It can be as small as trying a new flavor of a food you normally eat or as extreme as going to someplace new.



Sometimes it is our fears that hold us back. The idea of the unknown that is lingering out there. 

I’m in a new place, and alone. But I am trying to say yes to new experiences outside of my comfort zone.Being alone does not always mean being lonely, and that is what I am trying to achieve.


Because the world is beautiful and only those willing to take the necessary steps are able to truly see it.
introverted, introverted and in a new place, simply diary,
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Lady Renegades by Rachel Hawkins - Rebel Belle Series Giveaway

Lady Renegades is the third and final book of the Rebel Belle series by Rachel Hawkins! (*screaming*)
If you have not read Rebel Belle you can check out my review, and then check the series out, because it is really really really good.

So you guys should hop on the bandwagon and read it so we can all have feels together. (Please?)

DO NOT LET THE GIRLY COVERS FOOL YOU LIKE THEY FOOLED ME!

Anyways, Penguin Random House is doing a series give away starting 3/7! If you guys want to try your chances and try to win the complete series make sure to submit your entry.

Praise for Rebel Belle and Miss Mayhem:
"Harper is as quippy as you please, with a sass born of a sharp intellect....as surprising as it is delicious." 
– Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, STARRED REVIEW
"If Buffy the Vampire Slayer were Southern instead of SoCal, raised on good manners, Cotillion and sweet tea–she would be Harper Price." – Justine

Lady Renegades by Rachel Hawkins – on sale April 5th 2016

The Rebel Belle series page
Goodreads
Pre-order Lady Renegades
Sampler of Rebel Belle and Miss Mayhem



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The Reflections of Queen Snow White by David Meredith | Book Talk


What happens when "happily ever after" has come and gone?
On the eve of her only daughter, Princess Raven's wedding, an aging Snow White finds it impossible to share in the joyous spirit of the occasion. The ceremony itself promises to be the most glamorous social event of the decade. Snow White’s castle has been meticulously scrubbed, polished and opulently decorated for the celebration. It is already nearly bursting with jubilant guests and merry well-wishers. Prince Edel, Raven's fiancé, is a fine man from a neighboring kingdom and Snow White's own domain is prosperous and at peace. Things could not be better, in fact, except for one thing:

The king is dead.
The queen has been in a moribund state of hopeless depression for over a year with no end in sight. It is only when, in a fit of bitter despair, she seeks solitude in the vastness of her own sprawling castle and climbs a long disused and forgotten tower stair that she comes face to face with herself in the very same magic mirror used by her stepmother of old.

It promises her respite in its shimmering depths, but can Snow White trust a device that was so precious to a woman who sought to cause her such irreparable harm? Can she confront the demons of her own difficult past to discover a better future for herself and her family? And finally, can she release her soul-crushing grief and suffocating loneliness to once again discover what "happily ever after" really means?
Only time will tell as she wrestles with her past and is forced to confront The Reflections of Queen Snow White.

--


This story was sent to me by Mr. David Meredith for an honest review. 

We enter a deeper understanding of the life of Snow White. After her husband's passing Snow White falls into a deep grief and despair that only she can pull herself out of. She encounters the magical mirror her evil step mother once had and learns that she, Snow White, is a stronger and braver than she makes herself out to be. 

The story is told in the same style as the classic fairy are told. Short and sweet sentences that ooze magic and lessons to children. Meredith would make the classic story tellers such as the Grimm Brothers proud following their format of lessons through stories. 

I would not recommend this story if you want a sweet fairy tale. The Reflections of Queen Snow White has emotional and physical abuse/violence, and if you are faint of heart it might not be for you. This story is about handling grief and not clinging to what you lost. ( There is also some sexual content but it is not overwhelming. Just their wedding night and conceiving a child )

"You cling to the ghost of my memory and have forgotten to live..."


Moving along with the story, and a bit of the more nitty gritty stuff. The Reflections of Queen Snow White falls true to it's time setting of the 1800s, from clothes, setting and the language used. (The King/Prince uses a lot of reference to God just like noblemen from the 1800s would use). I had to look up certain words, because I just did not know what they meant!

Mr. Meredith doesn't make everything happily ever after for Snow White, he explores dark subject with the classic princess. We get glimpses of events that occurred before and after the classic tale. Abusive from her step-mother, moments with her dad, post-rescue from Charming, noble and court life. And it is quite dark, much like the classic fairy tales, the real fairy tales, not the Disney ones. I personally think Meredith's evil queen is the darkest I have encountered to date, most of the other evil queens I have read or seen having mean and evil, but this was just down right violent and physically abusive....it was scary.

While it was an overall good re-telling, and I enjoyed this deep aspect of Snow White, I found myself a bit bored at times and would catch myself skimming certain paragraphs. (Then I had to go back and re-read what I just read). I especially enjoyed Meredith's take on the magic mirror. Rather than some magical object that can see magical things and do magical thing, it just shows people's reflections at a subconscious level. In this story the mirror shows Snow White critical moments in past so she can realize how strong she is as woman, and aid her in the grieving of her dead husband. (My favorite version of the mirror to date...even though Once Upon a Time's version is pretty cool too)

My minor complaint, it is really silly, but I felt a bit uncomfortable with Snow White being barely 17 and Charming being almost 30. I know during that time period that massive age gap was normal and very common between nobles and peasants, but I still found it disturbing. 

You guys should still check the story out. It is available on Kindle!

4/5
Amazon
Goodreads


"...it is foolish to despair...there is always hope."
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21 Goals for Being 21

Being 21 in the USA is the key door into official adulthood…even though we are considered adults by 18.  ( I know weird )

I don’t feel 21, and I still look like I am 16…and sometimes I feel like I am 18 or 20. Life is strange.

That’s the thing, you never feel your age because you never know how your age is suppose to be like. We all only an age once. And I am not here to philosophy about the idea of age and numbers and how it is unnecessary to life and what not.

Time is ticking and there are things to be done in this ’special’ stage of my life. (It’s not really special, like let us be honest here)

But that does not mean I will try not to make it special! *insert party popper noise here*

I’ve decided to create 21 goals. Goals are a bit personal and just general goals that people who are of official 100% legal age should have.

1. LEARN HOW TO FLIPPING DRIVE ( That’s right I can’t drive and I keep putting it off. )
2. Buy a drink with my own ID.
3. Properly flip pancakes ( I always destroy pancakes, it has gotten out of hand)
4. Learn to be my own best friend.
5. Stop worrying so much about my future. ( Grown-ups don’t know what they are doing half the time either )
6. Accept change, people will leave you, but others will come along.
7. Keep waking up early. (Not like 6am early, but 8am/9am early)
8. Smile to more strangers ( Bring sunshine to the world )
9. Actually read the Lord of the Rings Trilogy ( for real-sies this time )
10. Did I mention get my license? I’m going to throw this in again for emphasis
11. Learn a new skill (like driving), something silly like juggling.
12. Keep making time to read new books
13. Stop being a scary-cat and dye your hair that insane ombre, it grows back. IT IS NOW OR NEVER.
14. Finish at least ONE video game ( FFX or LoZ )
15. Try not to freak out about minor things. Stuff happens sometimes, no need for a mental breakdown.
16. Treat yo self (not every day!, but enough that it makes you feel like it is christmas )
17. Stop being too hard on myself. Walt Disney and J.K Rowling never gave up. So neither should you.
18. Keep raising that credit score!
19. Don’t skip the sunscreen. ( I am dead serious )
20. Expand your literature, read more non-fiction.
21. Create happiness. Remember what Dumbledore said!

Happy 21st Cycle Around the Sun
21 goals for being 21, simply journal, simply me
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How To Overcome Travel Fears

I have massive travel anxiety. It stresses me out till the point that I cry silently on my bed imagining all possible outcomes. It's pretty bad. 

I don't know if you guys know this, but I will be moving to Japan soon! (Not for ever). I honestly don't know why I thought it'd be a good idea to spend a semester abroad. The emotions upon the days of my departure from the land of the sun corrupted the sanity of my thoughts. I'm gonna come back, I said. And going back I am. But at what cost? (Several thousand dollars and my sanity).

I don't know what has me more twisted. Traveling on a plane for 12+ hours again or being on my own for about 5 months. 

I am an odd human soul. I crave companionship, I need a human presence near me, but at the same time I like being on my own. 

If you ask me to pick between going to a concert or having out in a museum I'd have to ask with whom. I'd go to a concert if I had someone to be with, if not I'd go to a museum. I hope I make sense.

Anyways, this massive change in my life has had me a bit frantic. I usually try not to think too much about the upcoming chapters of my life. I avoid it. So very much. Which is a problem, because the time is crawling to an end. Months became weeks. Soon to become days. To hours. These thoughts bring wrecking sensations to my skin. Picture that episode from spongebob, where we get a glimpse inside his mind and there is chaos, havoc and lots of screaming. 

That's me.

Becoming an adultier adult is creeping towards me. 

All though, all is not lost! Because I have slowly overcome this anxiety and fear. SLOWLY

1. I plan things - by planning things the idea of being in a foreign country for long doesn't seem as insane. I have already planned a vacation, and few sites I wanna visit and what I will be cooking for the first month. 

2. I talk to friends - Sometime that has helped me a lot is talking to my friends. And by talking I freak out and ramble on to them until I exhaust myself into oblivion. It is nice exerting my feelings out to someone who is not myself or my bird. Especially when someone friends pat my head and tell me that I am a Queen and I can conquer anything. (And they'll push into bushes anyone who hurts me.)

3. Distraction, Tea, Distraction - Moving and traveling is overwhelming in general. The act and the thought. So I keep myself distracted with activities such as working out, reading, working and reading. 

4. Tell yourself everything is gonna be okay - Every night I lay in bed and remind myself that this my path and my story. These will be the interesting parts I will get to talk about, and everything will be okay. 

I am very pathetic I know. But I embrace my pathetic awkwardness. 

I feel like this massive leap of "I can do it" will help nudge the other dreams I have in the corner hiding, waiting to be taken a look at. 

Maybe it's just me. 


Traveling is fun, adventures are fun, having your own place is fun. 




Omgwhatwasithinkingsomeonehelpme
im moving to japan, overcoming travel anxiety, simply diary,
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Shades of Magic | Join the Adventure


Image a world where several dimensions of the world we live in touch one another as thin walls waiting to be opened. Image London, good. 

Now image four Londons, and the borders the keep the dimensions from collapsing on top of each other thin. Nice and thin. Almost like paper. Paper you have to cross through. 

Image a man, by the name of Kell. One of the few people who can make this passage between the different dimensions. Kell is also a bit of a smuggler. An illegal business of transferring objects from other dimensions to other. Image this man, this smuggler, getting caught. By a cross-dressing pirate who can slit your throat if you don’t follow her words.

“I'd rather die on an adventure than live standing still.”


Are you intrigued yet? I hope so.

Welcome to A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab. (You can read my complete review HERE, and learn a bit more about one of the best books of 2015)

On February 23rd, the second installment of this story will be published and I am pretty much freaking out. ( I've been wearing redish lipstick almost everyday as a form of celebration )

If you guys have not read A Darker Shade of Magic yet you are in luck! Because the paperback version has been officially released ( and it cheaper than the hardback obviously). I promise you it is worth the money you will spend on your copy, digital or physical. With the sequel coming out this month you better jump on the banwagon soon and join the Shades of Magic family. 

We are all screaming and we need more people to scream with!
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