MG #BookReview: James Clyde and the Diamonds of Orchestra by Colm McElwain

James Clyde and the Diamonds of Orchestra (2012) is the first novel by Colm McElwain. With an 11-year-old protagonist, this fantasy will appeal to readers aged 8-12. The titular hero is a foster child who's recently come to live with a vaguely neglectful woman named Anne Brown. Brown, as James calls her, has also adopted slightly-younger Ben and Mary.

When the reader first encounters James, he's in the midst of a petty crime, stealing warm hats and gloves for himself and his brother and sister from a store in the mall. Hiding from the mall security guard, he runs into a psychic who warns him of grave dangers. Her prophecy is fulfilled when Brown packs the trio off to James's (presumably) biological grandfather's mansion for the winter holidays.

McElwain lists C.S. Lewis and J.K. Rowling among his influences, and it's easy to spot the influence in his work. Like Lewis's Professor Digory Kirke in The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (1950), James's grandfather, Wilmore Clyde, knows a lot more about a mysterious hidden world -and its connection to his own labyrinthine mansion - then he first lets on. That hidden world is the Orchestra of the title. Orchestra is divided into two kingdoms: fair Zara and foul Darken. The wicked Queen Abigail of Darken, who would get along well with Narnia's white witch Jadis, intends to rule both once she obtains Orchestra's fabled diamonds.

The trio of James, Ben, and Mary may remind some of Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger. Ben, more down-to-earth than idealistic James, serves as the hero's foil. Mary, the youngest at only eight, is often the damsel in distress, although she's capable of delivering wisdom when needed.

It rests solidly on the firm foundation of British fantasy novels for young readers, but James Clyde and the Diamonds of Orchestra is original enough to delight. Its short chapters, fast pace, and brisk action make it an ideal read for the middle grade age group. Readers who enjoy this novel will have to wait and hope for another installment. Although McElwain has mentioned an idea for a second novel in interviews, he had no definite plans to continue James's story.

Published by Matador, an imprint of Troubador Publishing Ltd., James Clyde and the Diamonds of Orchestra is available as an e-book and a paperback through Amazon.com in the U.S.  The e-book retails for $2.49 and the paperback for $8.00. 

Wear All the Fantasy Outfits!

Fashion meets literature in these pins. Or, to put it another way, fictionista meets fashionista. 

They're mostly from Polyvore, DisneyBound, and WaNeLo. I've never used any of those websites. Do you use them?  

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland:

Harry Potter:

The Chronicles of Narnia:

Comic Book Heroes:

The Simpsons:

Which one's your favorite?

Would you actually wear any of these?

Oh How Pinteresting! #FictionalCharacters : Shipping 'Em Like FedEx

I found the coolest thing on Pinterest. It's Isabelle Disraeli's boards, each and everyone one of them devoted to a different pairing of fictional characters. Okay, I'm being a complete fandom nerd, but if you're into any of these fandoms, these pinboards are so nerdy they're cool.

There's a board devoted exclusively to one of my all-time favorite fictional couples, Wizard Howl Jenkins and Sophie Hatter from Diana Wynn-Jones' Howl's Moving Castle (and the Studio Ghibli film of the same name).

Howl-Sophie Board



There's a board for the innocent friendship between Lucy Pevensie and Mr. Tumnus the faun in The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.

Tumnus-Lucy Board



Isabelle has a few different Hunger Games fandom boards. Of course, there's Peeta and Katniss. There's also the Haymitch-Effie Trinket board, and one for the bittersweet romance of Finnick and Annie.

Peenis Board



Hayffie Board



Finnick & Annie Board



Harry Potter pairings? Oh, yes - many. Albus Dumbledore/Gellert Grindelwald, Harry/Ginny, James/Lily, Severus/Lily, Sirius/Remus, Teddy Lupin/Victoire Weasley.

This happens to be Ron and Hermione.



Similarly, there are several boards for various pairings of Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit characters. I liked the movies, but I never read the books, so I don't consider myself a big LOTR fan.

Some of the fictional characters aren't from books, of course. Here's my personal favorite, the Rinch (Reese-Finch) pairing from Person of Interest.

Rinch Board



Other TV shows represented include both the BBC Sherlock and Elementary, as well as Hannibal, Supernatural, Teen Wolf, Hawaii 5-0...the list goes on and on.

Oh, and if comic book characters are your thing, you're in luck. There are several Avengers pairings, from Clintasha to Thorki. If you're more DC than Marvel, you might enjoy the Bruce Wayne/Selina Kyle board.



Movies, anime, video games, Disney and Studio Ghibli movies, beloved books and comic books - Isabelle has a lot of the common and more unusual pairings from fan fiction. Check her out. It's my new favorite thing on Pinterest.

Blue Monday #6 ~ Blue Book Value, Part Two

These beautiful book covers all have something in common: the color blue. They all come from my Books Worth Reading board on Pinterest.

On Monday I link up with Baxtron{Life} and A Night Owl for Pinning! On Wednesday it's The Vintage Apple for Oh, How Pinteresting!!! If you're dropping by from either of these blog hops, welcome. If you're returning the visit because I commented on your blog post, bless your little heart. I appreciate it.

Are any of these blue books your least favorite/most favorite? Let me know.

I love the first two-thirds of this book, and then the last third takes a weird turn. Cool cover, though.



I still never read The Time Traveler's Wife, but I love the movie. Same deal as The Help.

Every English-speaking household should have one of these.



Also worth reading, even if it's not my favorite Jewish book ever.



If, like me, you love puns and can't resist a bit of wordplay, this is the book for you. I didn't read it until I was an adult, but I understand it's a middle-grades favorite.



Last things last. This copy appears to have been much-read and well-loved. By a quirk of finding a copy at a used book sale, I read this one right after I read The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, so my Narnia experience was all out of order. I highly recommend you start with The Magician's Nephew if you have not read the series yet.

My Other Favourite Supernatural Creature ~ Guest Post by Julianne Snow

Now some of you might wonder why I’m making a stop on the divine Erin O’Riordan’s blog but we all have different likes and dislikes. I am a fan of Erin’s and while my main loves are horror and science fiction, I still enjoy a juicy erotic tale. I’m sure the same can be said for the lovers of erotica. Just to show you all that my interest in supernatural creatures is diverse, I’ve decided to write about -

My Other Favourite Supernatural Creature

I think it’s safe to assume that everyone knows that I love Zombies. I read about them, I watch them on television and in movies and I even write about them. My first book Days with the Undead: Book One is currently available at all the major self-publishing outlets. But the subject of this post is not Zombie related. What I want to talk to you about is my other favourite supernatural creature: shape shifters.

I have had a fascination with supernatural creatures as far back as I can remember. There is something dangerous and secretive about the things that we don’t readily understand. Shape shifters are among the most compelling of those for me. You’d never know that you were looking at one unless it let you in on its secret. The ability to transform into someone else is a power that many just may covet. Imagine if you could be someone else for a few days… The things that you could do, the things that you could find out, and the experiences that you’d be able to live. The list is endless.

One of my favourite books containing shape shifting is The Marvelous Land of Oz by L. Frank Baum. That was likely my first introduction to quite a phenomenon; when it was discovered that Princess Ozma really is Tip and that Tip has been searching for herself all along, I was just in awe. Even in C.S. Lewis’s tales of Narnia, shape shifting has a place or two where it transforms a character. Additional books containing shape shifters are Shiver (Maggie Stiefvater), Nightshade (Andrea Creamer) along with Stray (Rachel Vincent) and Moon Called (Patricia Briggs). The books detailing the exploits of shape shifters are plentiful and if they interest you, you will have no trouble finding a multitude of different series.

In the movies and television, shape shifting has been utilized to entrance and to terrify us. The Doctor is probably one of the most notable shape shifters in popular science fiction. If you don’t know who I’m talking about I suggest you pick up some Dr. Who at some point and get acquainted; you have no idea what you are missing. The Thing held audiences mesmerized by the horror of just what it could do to a small population in such a short period of time. See what I mean about the ability to disguise oneself? In some cases, that ability could definitely work against you. You can find shape shifters in other films such as Terminator 2: Judgement Day, the X-Men franchise, Lady Hawke and Cat People and that just to name a few.

Shape shifting might not be the most terrifying of all of the supernatural creatures but the potential for terror is still present. Given the fact that they can take on so many different forms, you cannot rule out the fact that they may exist. There is always a little truth hidden deep in folklore. The next time you take a seat on the bus or open your mouth wide for the dentist, think a little on the idea of shape shifters and try not to let your imagination take root in fear.

Days with the Undead: Book One Synopsis:

It’s a journal of survival.

Five people set out to escape the Undead who have risen too close to home. Join the emotional and physical struggle as they began on the third day after the awakening of Brooks VanReit, as they are recorded from the point of view of Julie, a former pathologist and part-time survivalist.

Each entry is geared toward helping those who want to help themselves and maybe give a few that don’t a swift kick in the ass. Join our group of survivors on their journey through these Days with the Undead.

Excerpt

Day 4:

For those of you out there that have no idea what is going on or those dealing with minimal information, I’m going to fill you in with what we know so far. Ben managed to survive being at the epicenter when Patient Zero transformed from being medically dead to Undead. Forgive me if the language I use is technical or scientific, being a pathologist, it’s how my brain is programmed to work and right now it’s on autopilot.

Four days ago my world - our world - went to hell and I don’t think it’s coming back. From what I’ve been able to gather from Ben, Brooks VanReit, whom I will refer to as Patient Zero from this point, came into the Emergency Room of St. Michael’s Hospital with practically non-existent vital signs. The staff assigned to treat him tried to resuscitate him but their efforts failed. Sometime between 7:30AM and 7:45AM, he was pronounced dead and as quickly as he died, he came back to life. From what I understand, the doctors and nurses first thought they were witnessing a miracle. They immediately found out how wrong they were.

Ben had tucked himself away in the nearby nurse’s station while completing a few charts before going home and he said he had a fairly good view of what transpired. His description of the carnage left in the wake of the reawakening is brutal.

Date Released - February 29th, 2012
ISBN: 1468007998
ISBN-13: 978-1468007992

About the Author - Julianne Snow

It was while watching Romero's Night of the Living Dead at the tender age of 6 that solidified Julianne’s respect of the Undead. Since that day, she has been preparing herself for the (inevitable) Zombie Apocalypse. While classically trained in all of the ways to defend herself, she took up writing in order to process the desire she now covets; to bestow a second and final death upon the Undead.

As the only girl growing up in a family with four children in the Canadian countryside, Julianne needed some form of escape. Her choice was the imaginations of others which only fostered the vibrancy of her own. The horror and forensic/crime thriller genres top her list of favourites, but she can never turn down a good science fiction, fantasy or mystery read.

Julianne appears in the anthology Women of the Living Dead with a story entitled "The Living Dead at Penderghast Manor." Look for her short stories in future anthologies. Days with the Undead: Book One is her first full-length book, the basis of which can be found in her popular web serial of the same name.

Days With the Undead: Book One - Available in print and digital formats.

Purchase Links - Print:

CreateSpace
Amazon

Purchase Links - Digital:
Smashwords
Amazon US
Amazon UK

Review ~ The Gospel According to Twilight by Elaine Heath

The Gospel According to Twilight: Women, Sex, and God by Elaine A. Heath

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Is this a good book, worth taking the time to read and ponder? Yes, it is. Maybe I think that because I'm a Twilight fan (not a diehard one, perhaps, but a pretty big one) and, to me, most thoughtfully-created works of literature centered on the series would seem worth the read. Maybe I think that because I was raised as a feminist and a Catholic, and Heath's non-patriarchal approach to the "Gospel" aspect of her investigation is one I find familiar and comfortable.

A quote sometimes attributed to Stephen King re: Stephenie Meyer's series is, "Harry Potter is about confronting fears, finding inner strength and doing what is right in the face of adversity. Twilight is about how important it is to have a boyfriend." While the quote may be apocryphal, I have noticed that the Twilight series is criticized for its overemphasis on romantic relationships. Before I read Heath's book, though, I had not made the connection between the apparent fear of being single in Meyer's series and Meyer's Mormon belief system. That connection makes sense to me.

I'm also glad that Heath addresses another common criticism of Twilight: that the female characters are weak and unfeminist, while the male characters - Edward particularly - exhibit behavior that, in a nonfictional boyfriend, would be red flags for abuse. Even those of us who continue to love the book and movie series should ponder/discuss/address these aspects of the novel. I agree with Heath when she suggests we don't want young girls to mistakenly pick up the message that abusive behavior in relationships is acceptable.

Not being a particularly orthodox member of any religious group myself, I don't have any specific criticisms of the way in which Heath addresses the Gospel aspect. She's an ordained minister and an associate professor of evangelism in the Methodist church, so I assume many American Protestants will accept her credentials and understand her point of view. When I finished the Twilight series, I picked up on the fact that Bella's transformation was a akin to the transformation of the Pevensie children in the Chronicles of Narnia, with Edward in this case standing in for Aslan (standing in for Jesus). Heath takes the metaphor a step further, showing how Edward, Bella and Carlisle are all aspects of a Christ figure. Bella even rises from the dead after three days.

Based on some of the other Goodreads reviews, some of the criticisms of this book have been, "Heath thought too hard about a series that is, essentially, an extended romance novel with vampires and werewolves." If you fear that the author may analyze too deeply, then no, this is not the book for you.

But if you're willing to put some deep thought into how Christianity and Twilight co-exist - perhaps as part of a book club - then you've come to the right paperback.



View all my reviews

The Chronicles of Narnia, #JunkFoodNovels Style

#JunkFoodNovels is a super-fun, time-wasting TweetMeme that publisher W.W. Norton initiated. Participants tweet the names of novels, with key words replaced with the names of junk foods. So, for example, A Christmas Carol becomes A Christmas Caramel, and Gravity's Rainbow becomes Gravy's Rainbow.

Last night I tweeted The Lion, The Witch and The Waffles. Upon further reflection, one could junk food up the entire series:

The Magician's Necco Wafers

The Lion, The Witch and the Waffles (comes next, of course)

The Horse-tess Cupcake and His Boy

Disney Princess Fruit Snacks Caspian

The Voyage of the Frosted Shredded Wheater

The Silver Chairry Pie

The Last Bottle Caps

Bottle Caps is a good one, by the way - it's a candy made by the Willy Wonka Candy Company, a real candy company inspired by the fictional candy company in a Roald Dahl novel!

If you want to follow me on Twitter, I am ErinORiordan.

Photos:
Jill Robidoux, public domain
Evan-Amos, public domain (cupcake and Bottle Caps)
Julie, Creative Commons license

Postscript: If you love Hostess cupcakes, you might like to wear this matching cupcake-inspired camisole and panties by Backseat by Undergirl. (It's not the best photo, for you see, my college design notebook turned out to be surprising difficult to photograph.) Or you can add them to your collection of pastry-themed underwear and, on occasion, loan them to your superhero-loving rock star boyfriend while you wear his Superman undies.