Daisy Chain Book Reviews

I'd like to welcome Cal Armistead, author of Being Henry David, to the blog today for an interview! About Cal Armistead Cal Armistead has written extensively for radio, newspapers and magazines, including The Chicago Tribune , Shape Magazine, Body & Soul Magazine, Christian Science Monitor , Chicken Soup for Every Mom’s Soul , and others. She holds an MFA in creative writing from the Stonecoast program at the University of Southern Maine, works at an independent book store, is a voice-over actress, sings semi-professionally, and lives in a Boston suburb with her amazing husband and a dog named Layla. Being Henry David is her first novel. Website | Twitter | Goodreads List five funny or interesting facts about yourself. I was in a blues/rock band for 6 ½ years, as lead singer and percussionist (more cowbell!). We were finalists in the Boston Blues Challenge, 2011! My father is a minister (which makes me a PK—Preacher’s Kid), and he baptized me by immersion at the Shelton B...

Title: Mind Games Author: Kiersten White Publisher: HarperTeen Publication Date: February 19, 2013 Series: Mind Games #1 Links: Amazon | Goodreads Source: Edelweiss Two sisters, bound by impossible choices, are determined to protect each other—no matter the cost. James's frozen face melts into a smile. "Do you want to know the trick to getting in trouble under the watchful eye of a psychic?" I think of the nailed-shut windows. I think of Clarice. I think of the two, the two, the two who are now zero. Tap tap. "Yes, I absolutely do." "Don't plan it. Don't even think about it. The second you get an inkling of what you could do, do it then. Never plan anything ahead of time. Always go on pure instinct." I smile. "I think I can do that." Mind Games is crazy/weird/demented, but in a fun way! The point-of-view alternates between sisters Fia and Annie. Fia has perfect instincts. How awesome is that?! She always makes the right choic...

Title: The Cadet of Tildor Author: Alex Lidell Publisher: Dial Publication Date: January 10, 2013 Links: Amazon | Goodreads Source: NetGalley There is a new king on the throne of Tildor. Currents of political unrest sweep the country as two warring crime families seek power, angling to exploit the young Crown's inexperience. At the Academy of Tildor, the training ground for elite soldiers, Cadet Renee de Winter struggles to keep up with her male peers. But when her mentor, a notorious commander recalled from active duty to teach at the Academy, is kidnapped to fight in illegal gladiator games, Renee and her best friend Alec find themselves thrust into a world rife with crime, sorting through a maze of political intrigue, and struggling to resolve what they want, what is legal, and what is right. What to say about this one? I liked it. It sated my high fantasy craving and was just what I needed at the time of reading it. The Cadet of Tildor isn't probably a Favorite, but ...

Title: The Reece Malcolm List Author: Amy Spalding Publisher: Entangled Teen Publication Date: February 5, 2013 Links: Amazon | Goodreads Source: Publisher Things I know about Reece Malcolm: 1. She graduated from New York University. 2. She lives in or near Los Angeles. 3. Since her first novel was released, she’s been on the New York Times bestseller list every week. 4. She likes strong coffee and bourbon. 5. She’s my mother. Devan knows very little about Reece Malcolm, until the day her father dies and she’s shipped off to live with the mother she’s never met. All she has is a list of notebook entries that doesn’t add up to much. L.A. offers a whole new world to Devan—a performing arts school allows her to pursue her passion for show choir and musicals, a new circle of friends helps to draw her out of her shell, and an intriguing boy opens up possibilities for her first love. But then the Reece Malcolm list gets a surprising new entry. Now that Devan is so close to having it a...

Title: Changeling Author: Philippa Gregory Publisher: Simon Pulse Publication Date: May 24, 2012 Series: Order of Darkness #1 Links: Amazon | Goodreads Source: Publicist The year is 1453, and all signs point to it being the end of the world. Accused of heresy and expelled from his monastery, handsome seventeen-year-old Luca Vero is recruited by a mysterious stranger to record the end of times across Europe. Commanded by sealed orders, Luca is sent to map the fears of Christendom and travel to the very frontier of good and evil. Seventeen-year-old Isolde, a Lady Abbess, is trapped in a nunnery to prevent her from claiming her rich inheritance. As the nuns in her care are driven mad by having strange visions, walking in their sleep, and showing bleeding wounds, Luca is sent to investigate, and all the evidence points to Isolde's criminal guilt. Forced to face the greatest fears of the medieval world - dark magic, werewolves, madness - Luca and Isolde embark on a search for tr...