[BOOK REVIEW] Fat Cat: A Danish Folktale by Margaret Read MacDonald

Title:  Fat Cat:  A Danish Folktale

Author:  Margaret Read MacDonald

Artist:  Julie Paschkis

Genre:  Animals / Black Comedy / Manners / Payback

Year Published: 2001

Year Read:  2005

Publisher: August House Little Folk

Source:  Library

Content Rating:  Ages 5+ (Some Scary Moments and a Violent Image)

Buy on:  Amazon  //  Book Depository

I have read almost every folktale from every country around the world, but I have rarely read any folktales from Denmark and this is one of the first folktales I have read from Denmark.  “Fat Cat: A Danish Folktale” is a Danish folktale (as said in the title) that is retold by Margaret Read MacDonald along with illustrations by Julie Paschkis and it is about how a greedy cat ends up eating everything and everyone in his path!  “Fat Cat: A Danish Folktale” is a truly hilarious tale that every child will love!

Now I had read an earlier version of this tale by Jack Kent many years ago, but it has been so long since I had read that version that I do not remember much about it, so I cannot really compare the two versions together in this review.  In this version, Margaret Read MacDonald's writing is simple yet hilarious at the same time as she repeatedly uses the phrase stated by Cat:
 
“Oh, I'm meow, meow FAT!

Cause I'm a HUNGRY, HUNGRY CAT!”

And that phrase always cracks me up because the cat is always saying he is fat, but it is his way of warning people about how he could eat them up if they upset him.  I also found the idea about a small cat eating everything in his path to be extremely odd yet interesting at the same time since there is no way that a small cat can eat everything up in a small amount of time and since this is a folktale, the oddity of the Cat's situation is to be expected.  I really loved the character of Mouse as she is extremely resourceful especially during Cat's rampage and I loved how she resolved the problem at the end and despite Cat's greedy nature, Mouse always treats Cat with kindness which truly showed what a great friend she really is to Cat.  Julie Paschkis' illustrations are extremely hilarious, especially of the orange cat growing bigger and bigger every time he eats something and how his green eyes are of different shapes since one eye is round while the other eye is narrow which sort of gives Cat a crazed look throughout the book.  It was also interesting on seeing how the background is basically all white spaces which clearly made the characters stand out more in their situations.

Parents should know that the scenes with the cat eating everyone might upset smaller children, especially if small children do not like seeing scenes of people being eaten by some kind of creature.  Also, there is a brief scene where someone is cut up ( although I will not reveal who it is) however, this scene is not that graphic and it probably would not be too troubling for children, but still parents should be mindful of this scene before they read this book to their children.

All in all, “Fat Cat: A Danish Folktale” is a truly wonderful book about the consequences of being too greedy and the importance of treating other people with respect that many children will learn from easily.  I would recommend this book to children ages five and up due to the cat eating people up and due to the brief violent image. 

  

      

My New TBR Jar!

Hello everyone! I was so inspired by this post by It's All About Books that I just had to make a TBR jar of my own!  I have decided to separate my TBR books by the reading levels:

• RED: Adult
• BLUE: Young Adult // Teens
• YELLOW: Middle School // Older Children's
• GREEN: Children's // Picture Books
• PURPLE: Graphic Novels // Comics 

RULES:

• Draw from the jar at an random pace.  I could just pick out a book from the TBR jar that makes me more interested to read and then I will work my way through there.
• I have the entire year to finish this jar, so there's really no need to rush through this.  Just read all the titles that's in the TBR jar within one year!
• HAVE FUN! This is really important! Since I'm participating in a lot of challenges this year anyway, this will allow me to have more fun reading this year!

Here's a list of books that I'm planning on reading for my TBR jar:

Are you planning on making a TBR jar for yourself?  Please feel free to comment below!

[BOOK REVIEW] Archie Volume 1: The New Riverdale by Mark Waid

Title:  Archie Volume 1: The New Riverdale



Author:  Mark Waid



Artists:  Fiona Staples, Annie Wu and Veronica Fish

Genre:  Comedy / Romance / Drama / School

Year Published:  2016

Year Read: 5/18/2016

Series: Archie #1

Publisher: Archie Comics



Source:  Purchased



Content Rating:  Ages 13+ (Some Language)

Introduction:

WHAT!?  ARCHIE IS GETTING A REBOOT!?

Who would have thought the day would come when Archie Comics would finally decide to reboot their beloved “Archie” series which has been around for nearly sixty years now!  I must admit, I was quite surprised at this new establishment for Archie Comics (I mean come on, Archie and the gang have been in high school for the past sixty years now)!  So, when I heard that Archie was going to get a reboot and it was being written by Mark Waid of “Daredevil” fame, along with artwork by Fiona Staples, Annie Wu and Veronica Fish, I will admit that I had mixed feelings about this whole thing since A) I have a love / hate relationship with reboots and I was worried that they were going to mess up one of the greatest comic book icons of all time with this reboot and B) with all the constant reboots going on during this decade, I was getting sick and tired of having yet another reboot of a beloved classic character happened.  But, as it turns out “Archie: Volume One: The New Riverdale” had certainly exceeded my expectations in a fantastic way!

What is this story about?

Meet Archie Andrews!  He goes to Riverdale High School and is best friends with food loving Jughead Jones and was in a relationship with his childhood friend Betty Cooper (do not even ask why they broke up).  One day however, Archie’s world changes when Veronica Lodge, the daughter of a billionaire moves into Riverdale and he ends up falling instantly in love with her.  Unfortunately, this puts him at odds with Betty and Jughead as they do not want to see their friend being used by this rich snob and they will do everything in their power to make sure that Archie does not end up with Veronica!

What I loved about this story:

Mark Waid’s writing: Wow!  I was quite impressed with Mark Waid’s writing in this story!  Even though I was quite familiar to Mark Waid’s work in the past, I never would have thought that he would create a truly interesting and modern retelling on everyone’s favorite teenage comic book icon!  I loved the way that Mark Waid gave an interesting new spin to each character, such as making Betty more tomboyish than in the original series (it really shows when she has trouble giving herself a makeover) and making Jughead more cynical. But, I loved the fact that Archie still remains to be the lovable goofball he was in the original comics and his clumsiness is definitely played for higher laughs here!  I also loved the way that Mark Waid still kept the characters and its setting faithful to the original comics, but still modernizing the situations they are in such as actually showing us Betty and Archie breaking up and how that breakup affected them afterwards.  I loved the fact that the story is a mixture of drama and comedy as it made the story much more interesting to read and there were various moments where I laughed and cried such as feeling great sadness over Archie and Betty’s breakup, but laughing my butt off from Archie’s clumsy shenanigans!

Fiona Staples, Annie Wu and Veronica Fish’s artwork:  The overall artwork in this volume were amazing to look at, as all the “Archie” characters are drawn in a realistic and refreshing way that made me really relate to these characters.  But probably my most favorite artwork in this volume were the ones done by Fiona Staples as her artwork is so gorgeous to look at and I have always loved her work on Brian K. Vaughan’s “Saga!”

What made me feel uncomfortable about this story:

Anyone who has been reading the “Archie” comics for a long time might be a bit shocked that there is some language in this volume including the use of “hell” in one instance.  However, the language is not too strong and it would be easy to overlook this whenever you read this volume.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, “Archie Volume One: The New Riverdale” is a truly fantastic volume that fans of the original “Archie” comics will enjoy and I am definitely looking forward to reading more of this series soon!

WWW Wednesdays #7: May 18, 2016

Welcome to WWW Wednesday! This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at Should be Reading and revived here on Taking on a World of Words. Just answer the three questions below and leave a link to your post in the comments for others to look at. No blog? No problem! Just leave a comment with your responses. Please, take some time to visit the other participants and see what others are reading. So, let’s get to it!

This book has been on my TBR shelf for awhile now and now, I finally got the chance to read it and it's pretty good so far!

 

 

I just finished reading Red Rising and it was quite an impressive book to read! I can't wait to read "Golden Son" next!

 

 

This is another book that has been on my TBR shelf for awhile now and I really need to get around to reading this book!

Teaser Tuesday #4: Everyone's Favorite Dragon Girl!

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Books and a Beat. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Title: Seraphina

Author: Rachel Hartman

Year Published: 2012

Publisher: Random House

Genre: Fantasy, Adventure

Reading Level: Young Adult

 Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty's anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high.

Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered—in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen's Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life.

"My love of music eventually lured me from the safety of my father's house, propelling me into the city and the royal court.  I took a terrible risk, but I could not do otherwise.  I did not understand that I carried loneliness before me on a plate, and that music would be the light illuminating me from behind."  

This book is pretty interesting so far!  I never knew what I was getting myself into when I started reading this book and I can't wait to see how this book will end!

Do you have a book that you are currently reading that you would like to show to everyone else?  Please feel free to post your Teaser Tuesday in the comments below and I'll check them out! 

Blog Tour + Cover Reveal: Defending Hayden by L.P. Dover

Defending Hayden
L.P. Dover
(Second Chances #7)
Published by: Random House
Publication date: June 28th 2016
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense

No one’s tougher than Carolina Cougars linebacker Derek McLaughlin. But when a fatal car accident claims the life of his girlfriend, Derek finds himself caught in a destructive spiral of drugs, alcohol, and meaningless sex. But not even a string of one-night stands can ease the hurt. Football is all he has left. Then fate leads him back to the scene of the crash, and into the arms of a kind, gorgeous woman who sees past his façade to the man he once was . . . and can be again.
When a chance roadside encounter brings Derek into her life, veterinarian Hayden Hunter isn’t fooled by his bad attitude: All bark and no bite, he’s hiding a wounded heart beneath that gruff demeanor. And Hayden wants to be the one to kiss it all better. Soon they both find that a dose of passion is potent medicine. But when a hidden enemy lashes out at Hayden, Derek steps up to do what he does best: put his body on the line in the name of love.

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EXCERPT:

Guilt plagued me and I felt sick. Getting out of bed, I paced the room, running my hands angrily through my hair. I didn’t want to hurt Hayden. Keeping her away would protect her from my life. She was bound to leave me anyway. I’d fuck up somehow and it would ruin her. What the hell was I talking about? I’d already fucked her up.

“Derek?” Her voice was like honey, silky and sweet. I’d imagined what it would be like to hear that voice screaming my name as I fucked her over and over. Last night had been the best night of my life, but it had scared the shit out of me. I couldn’t shake it. “Derek, are you okay?” she asked. Stopping midstep, I turned to face her, and her eyes widenened when she got a glimpse of my face. I could only imagine what she saw. So many emotions battled inside me. She held the blanket to her chest, and her lips trembled. “Please tell me this wasn’t just a game to you,” she whispered.

Swallowing hard, I sat down on the edge of the bed and reached for her. She recoiled from my touch. “None of this was a game, Hayden. Last night was fucking amazing.”

Her eyes glistened, but her jaw was firm. “Then why are you looking at me like that? Like you regret what we did.”

I wanted to touch her, but last night had been my only chance. She’d never let me close to her again. “I don’t regret it, but eventually you will. You’re not the only one who’s lost someone they cared about. I can’t go through it again. It’s best to stop this before it goes any further.”

“Any further?” she scoffed. She waved her arm around the room, her anger so thick I could cut it with a knife. “If you didn’t want it to go any further, then why did you bring me here? Why would you do that to me?”

“Because I care about you,” I said, knowing it made no sense to her.

“Then why are you pushing me away?” she cried.

Standing, I got up and walked over to the window. “You wouldn’t understand.”

Author Bio:
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author, L.P. Dover, is a southern belle residing in North Carolina along with her husband and two beautiful girls. Before she even began her literary journey she worked in Periodontics enjoying the wonderment of dental surgeries.
Not only does she love to write, but she loves to play tennis, go on mountain hikes, white water rafting, and you can't forget the passion for singing. Her two number one fans expect a concert each and every night before bedtime and those songs usually consist of Christmas carols.

Aside from being a wife and mother, L.P. Dover has written over seventeen novels including her Forever Fae series, the Second Chances series, the Gloves Off series, and her standalone novel, Love, Lies, and Deception. Her favorite genre to read is romantic suspense and she also loves writing it. However, if she had to choose a setting to live in it would have to be with her faeries in the Land of the Fae.

L.P. Dover is represented by Marisa Corvisiero of Corvisiero Literary Agency.

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Blog Tour + Book Blitz: Forestium by Christopher D. Morgan

Forestium
Christopher D. Morgan
(Portallas #1)
Publication date: February 28th 2016
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

Joshua’s life is on the line, as he attempts to navigate through the magical world of Forestium to find the truth about his father. He and his companions will need to use all their cunning to stay alive and avoid the dark forces of the Goat. Will he find the magical orbs and open the Portallas, a magical gateway to other worlds, before he’s killed?
Joshua sets out to learn the truth about his father. Along the way, he finds friends, enemies, adventure, romance and himself.

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—

Q&A with Christopher D. Morgan:

When did you first discover your love for writing? 
 
Actually, not until quite late in life. In fact, I was never very good at English when I was in school and writing was always a chore to be avoided at all costs. Being blessed with unintelligible handwriting wasn’t helpful either. Later in life, however, articulating myself through the written word became something I really started to enjoy.

Do you have a favourite place to write?
 
Not really, but it does have to be in a quiet environment. I’m very easily distracted. When I’m in the zone, I tend to quietly slip off to a cosy spot and get my nose down into the keyboard. I wrote Forestium: The Mirror Never Lies entirely from the family home. Often on the sofa, but sometimes on the bed or at the computer desk. I haven’t tried going to a writer’s retreat yet. Perhaps I’ll reserve that for a special occasion.

Do you have a writing routine or process that you adhere to? 
 
Oh yes. Typically, I’ll kick off a chapter with brief one-liners that describe the events to come sequentially. There could be anywhere up to 50 or more of these for a given chapter. I do this to map out the scene or chapter and then convert each one in turn into a paragraph or two. This process is repeated until all the one-liners are gone. That’s actually the hardest part, I think. I’ll then scour what’s written repeatedly, fixing and adjusting. Of course, that last part is never truly finished – ever.

Where did you come up with the name Portallas? 
 
Initially, it started quite literally from the word PORTAL. This quickly led to the word Portallas and the idea of having some sort of portal that would link worlds together. An interesting aside is that Portallas actually started out life as Portallus. Unfortunately, portallus.com was already taken, but portallas.com was still available, so a hasty name change took place. Despite the master plan I have in my mind, I wrote Forestium: The Mirror Never Lies deliberately to stand on its own merits as a standalone book.

Do you have a favourite amongst all your characters?
 
I have a real soft spot for Sarah, as do many others. She embodies many of the characteristics I’d wish for in my own daughter. She’s a strong, independent, resourceful and brilliant young woman – not to mention absolutely beautiful. Of course, she has her flaws. She tend to ramble on a bit (much to the annoyance of Andrew).

Do you have any advice for other aspiring authors? 
 
I’m still learning as I go but there are some things that I can advise others that may wish to follow in the path: - Go for it. Really, just do it. You may be pleasantly surprised. Even if you fail, it’s better to have tried and failed than to wonder for the rest of your life whether you could have done it or not. - If you are going to publish a book on a budget, don’t scrimp on the editing or the book cover – at least, make those your primary focus. Everything else is expendable when push comes to shove. - Don’t get conned. Unfortunately, that’s easier said than done, as there will always be people looking to take advantage of someone with a need.

Author Bio:
Christopher Morgan is an author, blogger, IT Manager, graphics artist, businessman, volunteer and family man living in Melbourne, Australia. Much of his time is spent volunteering for his local community. He creates visual learning resources for primary school children, which are marketed through his company Bounce Learning Kids. He is also involved in local civics and sits on various community & council committees.

Christopher was born in the UK and grew up in England’s South East. At age 20, he moved to The Netherlands, where he married Sandy, his wife of 28 years. Christopher quickly learned Dutch and the couple spent 8 years living in the far South of that country before they moved to Florida in 1996. After spending 7 years in Florida, Christopher and Sandy sold their home and spent the next 2 years backpacking around the world. Christopher has visited around 40 countries to date.
Whilst circumnavigating the globe, Christopher wrote extensively, churning out travel journals. He and Sandy settled back in the UK at the end of their world tour, where their two children were both born. In 2009, the family moved to Melbourne, Australia, where they now live.

FORESTIUM is Christopher’s debut novel and is the first in the PORTALLAS series.

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