Author Appreciation Week, Part II

So...I got a little off-schedule in the last 2 days, but I'm going to try and get back on track!

Here is another author that I want to spotlight! T.A. Barron

Author of: The Lost Years of Merlin series, The Great Tree of Avalon series, The Ancient One, The Merlin Effect

I've only just discovered T.A. Barron, but already he has had a profound influence on me as both a reader and a writer. I devoured his Great Tree of Avalon trilogy and know several people who are very fond of his Lost Years of Merlin series.

Why he matters to me...

If you read my reviews, you know that I have a tendency to place a heavy emphasis on detail, especially among fantasy writers. I think that when you're working with fantasy, you have even more of a responsibility to your readers because in addition to telling your story, you're presenting us with a world that is beyond reality. Not only are you are storyteller, you're now an artist, a historian, and a tour guide. T.A. Barron's books have reminded me how very important SETTING can be to a story - Avalon isn't just a location, it's a character unto itself. Barron thus follows in the rich footsteps of the great J.R.R. Tolkien, who had an incredible knack for taking readers away to the world to Middle Earth.

Also in the great tradition of Tolkien, Barron's writing style is elegant, lyrical and incredibly stylistic. He's not lofty or over-the-top, but the voice that you hear in the narrative is so exquisite, it helps to draw you fully into the story. Sometimes 3rd person narratives have a tendency to get a bit mundane, because there's no one character doing the telling; Barron's style is not only an inspiration but also a guide to remember for writing, and I feel like I have learned so much just by reading his trilogy.

From the Barron himself!

"Ultimately, if you notice what's around you, and really take it in, you have a limitless source of material. Then just add a pinch of imagination and anything - literally anything - is possible."

Books I've read: Child of the Dark Prophecy, Shadows on the Stars, The Eternal Flame (all make up the Great Tree of Avalon series)

Site

I think I'm going to try and space my authors out a little - so maybe tomorrow I'll put up two, but for now, I think I'll just leave you with the Barron! :)

Which authors do you appreciate?

Monday: I appreciated Brian Jacques & Rick Riordan

Awards...and CONTEST WINNER!

Thank you to Lindsay @ Crazy Books & Reviews for passing along the Over the Top Award to me!

The rules are pretty simple. Answer the following questions with Single Word answers then pass this along to 5 other bloggers. Make sure you let them know about it though.

Your cell phone? Useful

Your hair? Blonde!

Your mother? Jokester

Your father? Geek

Your favorite food? Seafood!

Your dream last night? Romantic ;)

Your favorite drink? Gatorade

Your dream/goal? Author

What room are you in? Den

Your hobby? Traveling

Your fear? Spiders :(

Where do you want to be in 6 years? Married!

Where were you last night? Game

Something that you aren't? Quiet :)

Muffins? Yummy

Wish list item? Pony!

Where did you grow up? California!

Last thing you did? Treadmill

Your TV? On

Your pets? Spoiled

Friends? Loyal

Your mood? Anxious

Missing someone? Yes... ;)

Vehicle? Old

Something you aren't wearing? Socks

Your favorite store? Borders

Your favorite color? Silver!

When was the last time you laughed? Yesterday

Last time you cried? Month

Your best friend? Trustworthy!

One place you to to over and over again? School! :(

Facebook? Occasionally

Favorite place to eat? Roy's

Oooh, that was fun! Thank you Lindsay!

And thank you Amber Skye @ Reading Addict for the Stylish Blogger Award! And look, it's SILVER!! (favorite color)

I'd like to pass BOTH of these awards on to...

• Dazzling Mage @ A Reading Kabocha
• Jami @ YA Addict
• Steph @ StephtheBookworm
• Cassandra @ Books are Critical
• Christina T @ Reading Extensively

And now...>*DRUMROLL*<

The winner of My 75+ Followers Giveaway is...

Congrats, Jillian! Send me an email sometime in the next 48 hours...or there will be another drawing :)

Thank you to everybody who entered my very first contest, and thanks to all my lovely new blog buddies that I've had the pleasure of meeting!

Look out for another contest coming your way in MAY!!

Review - TROLL FELL

Troll Fell - Katherine Langrish
Genre: YA Fantasy
# of pages: 317 (UK paperback)
Recommended for: ALL AGES.

A secret kingdom of trolls, and their legendary gold, lies in the mysterious shadows of Troll Fell. It is to this eerie and dangerous place that Peer must go after his father's sudden death, to live with his greedy uncles, Baldur and Grim, at their mill.
When Peer discovers his uncles' plan to sell children to the trolls, he has to bury his fears and set out to stop them somehow. In a world filled with magic and mystery, Peer has only his bravery, his wits, and two new allies -- a daring girl looking for adventure and a mischievous house spirit looking for a good meal. Their story will become part of the legends and lore that fill this extraordinary land by the sea.

My Thoughts:
Troll Fell – the first book in the Troll Trilogy by Katherine Langrish – has all the ingredients for being an awesome fantasy series. There’s a simple plot filled with exciting action, memorable characters (including two lovable MCs, Peer and Hilde) a good dose of mythology and folklore, and a great ending. I devoured this book easily and eagerly look forward to the two remaining books in the series, Troll Mill and Troll Blood.

The story was very engaging from beginning to end. There were twists and turns, yes, but you know how some authors just love to keep readers on the edge of their seat to the point that their books start to get “plot-whiplash”? That doesn’t happen here. The story is exciting but easy to follow at the same time. So no whiplash!
Both of the MCs, Peer and Hilde, are 12 years old. From what I understand, in the fashion of Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, and Septimus Heap (to name a few), they age over the progression of the series. Adults, don’t feel silly reading about 12-year-olds – they’re gonna grow up! Heck, don’t feel silly reading about 12-year-olds at all - preteens are AWESOME!
The villains of the book, Peer’s wicked, money-hungry uncles, are a little on the Stereotypical Villain side, but personally, I don’t mind if villains are one-sided or anything, as long as they’re entertaining. I will say, though, that I was kind of expecting more troll action, so I was a bit surprised that I didn’t really see the trolls until close to the climax of the story – even though the books *is* called Troll Fell. I think that actually worked in this setup, because by not showing the trolls until later, the story builds up on the suspense, and you get to the point where you’re just expecting them to JUMP out at any moment!

Fantasy Radar
- Fantasy creatures? trolls, nithings (the Norse equivalent of brownies or nice boggarts), nixies, merrows (mermen), and giants all inhabit the setting in this story, based on 10th century Norway/Sweden
- Magic? This isn’t really supposed to a be a story heavy on the “magic” aspect of fantasies…trolls practice magic, but there’s not much of an emphasis in this series
- Awesome villains? Well, the trolls are pretty troublesome, and the King of the Trolls is conniving and deceptive, but the main villains of this story are Peer’s two human uncles… maybe in the next installment we’ll see some more villainous creatures!
- Unforgettable world/realm? The setting is around 10th century Scandinavia, and I’m guessing it’s either Norway or Sweden. So this isn’t a “high fantasy” series in that the setting is entirely imaginary, but magic creatures in history past? Sounds fun to me!
- Battle scenes? Not yet.

Final rating: 4.5/5. An awesome read for kids and grownups alike! Highly recommended! Next time you’re at your library, or surfing Amazon, or wherever else you turn to for your next reading material, I hope you’ll remember this fun series!

Teaser Tuesday: TROLL MILL

As always, Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by MizB @ Should be Reading.Here's how it works: Grab the current book you're reading- Open up to a random page- share a little "teaser" from somewhere on that page.***Make sure your section is spoiler free!!

I just finished my other book, Troll Fell, not 2 minutes ago, so I haven't read ANY of this book yet! Ooohh I hope I don't hit a spoiler!

Here's my teaser, from #2 in the Troll Trilogy, Troll Mill by Katherine Langrish

"Then she saw. The shape bunched, twisted. A flipper smacked the water. There was a sharp exhultation of breath. A head rose from the waves, small, glossy, with huge shining eyes.

And looked at her."

- Troll Mill, pg 183

Coming up next...

- My review of Troll Fell

- Part II of Author Appreciation Week!

Author Appreciation Week!

Apparently, March 15-19 is Author Appreciation Week! I’ve checked out some of my other blog buddies’ posts and I’m a little late in the game, so what I think I’ll do is showcase a few of my favorite authors each day of the week and talk about – what else? – why they’re my favorite authors!

Today I want spotlight an author from my childhood.

Brian Jacques

Why he matters to me…
Brian Jacques’ Redwall world was my place of imaginary residence as a kid! What child wouldn’t love a medieval-setting world populated entirely by awesome, sword-wielding animals? High fantasy with a twist! I devoured all his books one-after-the other: inside class, outside of class, at home, at church (yeah, I read at church – the preacher would be up there talking and I’d be in my seat, reading a book, not paying any attention, ha!), in the car; wherever I was, chances are I had a Redwall book clutched in my hand.
But why I love Jacques’ writing even more – why it’s stayed with me all these years – is because his Redwall books made me want to be a writer, I mean, a serious, successful, published author. I read his books, I loved them, and I thought, “This is what I want to write!” So I did…a little too literally, haha. My first “books” were practically spinoffs of Redwall – hey, I was 9 years old, I was imitating! They all had animals casts, too, and I had about 5 spirals going at once.
Jacques’ books are a perfect blend of fantasy, action, suspense, romance, and excitement! He gives readers incredible stories filled with memorable characters (Cluny the Scourge!) and excellent writing. Check him out sometime!

Jacques books I've read: Redwall, Mossflower, Mattimeo, Martin the Warrior, Salamandastron, Mariel of Redwall, The Bellmaker, The Long Patrol, Outcast of Redwall

Jacques' Website

Okay, that was a fun trip down Nostalgia Lane! And now here’s my favorite “New” Author – as in, somebody I’ve recently discovered since “growing up.”

Rick Riordan

Why he matters to me…
Okay, so everybody who’s read his incredibly awesome series will hopefully agree: when it comes to a lovable, inspiring, and downright hysterical main character…you can’t get any better than Percy Awesomesauce Jackson! What I find incredible about Riordan as an author is how effortlessly he makes writing seem: his characters are so relatable, you could swear they were real (and I’m sorry, but Mrs. Dodds IS real! I know so because she was my math teacher!), and reading the books, you really do feel like a pre-teen/teen boy is telling you all about the crazy things about being a modern demigod!
I admire him also because he was a teacher for 15+ years, so he definitely knows his PJ target audience. I love authors who love kids! And I love how he took a familiar subject (Greek mythology) and made it not only applicable to modern times but also fun, enjoyable, and educational! I had to read Edith Hamilton’s Mythology in HS, and also Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, and those were not good experiences! Reading the PJ series has given me a newfound appreciation for mythology, so thank you Mr. Riordan!
I appreciate Rick for giving us not only an incredible story, but also an awesome and inspirational cast of characters. Percy is perfect for kids (and grownups, too!) because he embodies the Ordinary Hero: having a main character who is ADHD/dyslexic sends an incredible message to kids and grownups like – no matter who you are, or what you have going on in your life, you have amazing capabilities to (in the series’ case, literally) change the world! So as a future educator and author, thank you so much, Mr. Riordan, for your incredible series! And thank you for loving kids so much—the book industry is a better place because of authors like Rick Riordan :)

Riordan books I've read: The Lightning Thief, The Sea of Monsters, The Titan's Curse, The Battle of the Labyrinth, The Last Olympian; new Camp Half-Blood series, fall 2010!

Rick's site

Blog

In My Mailbox [5]

So because it's Spring Break, my IMM is more like "In My House" because now that I'm back home, I'm rummaging around looking for books to take back to school with me!

I went to see my adorable little grandparents a few days ago, and some packages were waiting for me from my pal Melissa @ I Swim for Oceans.

• In My Father's House by Ann Rinaldi
• Peace, Love, and Baby Ducks by Lauren Myracle

These were from her birthday contest. Thank you, Melissa!

And from my brother's room, I swapped my Avalon books from a few weeks ago with the rest of the Troll books

• Troll Fell & Troll Blood by Katherine Langrish

What did you get this week?

PS--my reading goal isn't going very well, hahaha :( I've been meaning to use the extra time to read, but Hutton and I were channel-surfing today and we're like totally obsessed with that "18 Kids and Counting" show on TLC--mainly because I could have sworn I saw Rick Riordan on it...turns out it was just some dude who looked like Rick Riordan...oh well... like Rick would have been on "18 Kids and Counting," gosh, Amelia! But hey, that's a good show. So is "Cash Cab." Ahhhh, stupid TV, quit bewitching me!!

Quote of the Week (:

A short quote this week... but still true! And this is one of my favorite pictures, though for the life of me I can't remember where I found it.

Have a great week, everybody! For those on Springbreak, be safe & responsible! :P