To Catch a Cat Thief by Sean Cummings Book Review + #Giveaway

To Catch a Cat Thief
Sean Cummings

Genre: Middle Grade Fiction, Mystery

Release Date: September 15, 2015

Publisher: Rebelight Publishing

ISBN: 978-0994839909

Pages: 104

Goodreads Rating:  4.50

My Rating: 5.0

Book Description:

Hundreds of cats are missing! Fear not-Penelope Ann Pickersgill and her hippie grandma are on the case. While her friends go to cool camps, twelve-year-old Penelope has to spend the summer with Grandma Bev, who is convinced that cat-eating aliens are beaming the town's furry friends aboard their mother ship at night. Lights in the sky point to UFO's, but Penelope is sure there's a more logical explanation. With a little help from Sherlock Holmes, she and Grandma Bev set out to find the cats. Will they be able to solve the mystery before all the cats in Thornhill disappear?

My Take:

Before Reading this book, I curled up in my bed with a nice cup of Bavarian Wild Berry Tea and before long I was accompanied by a black super furry attention seeking feline. 

It was a really great and fun read. Super cute and with characters that were extremely well developed. From start to finish I was interested and that tends to be tough when it comes to middle grade fiction books... at least I find it difficult to stay focused with characters that are so young. But I found Penelope to be a breath of fresh air and not at all what you would expect of a 12 yr old. I can't say I found any flaws with the execution or story line and I'm genuinely looking forward to buying this book for my niece who loves all animals and anything science related. I think its a great book for kids and even families to share together. I only wish that the book was a tad bit longer but other than that I felt like it was truly golden.

If this author is capable of writing such a great middle grade book than I can only assume the rest of his works will be just as good so I'll definitely be picking up some of his other works!

5 Quills

Amazon | B&N | Chapters | Kobo | TBD | iBooks

About The Author

Sean Cummings is a mutli-published author with works ranging from urban fantasy (Shade Fright, Funeral Pallor) to dark fantasy and superheroes. (Marshall Conrad) 2012 saw the publication of Sean’s first young adult novel. Poltergeeks is a rollicking story about teen witch a race against time to save her mother’s life. The second book Student Bodies, hit stores in 2013. In 2014, he published The North, a gripping post-apocalyptic thriller for teens. To Catch a Cat Thief is Sean's first middle grade novel.

Sean lives in Saskatoon Canada with his wife, two lazy cats and a spotted dog named Stormageddon.

Connect with the Author:
Website | Twitter | Goodreads

Enter The Giveaway Here

Two (2) winners will received a physical copy of To Catch A Cat Thief by Sean Cummings (US/Canada)
Five (5) winners will receive a digital copy of To Catch A Cat Thief by Sean Cummings (INT)

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 “I received a free copy of the book from the author/publisher for my honest opinion. I was in no way compensated for this review and all opinions are expressly my own”  

Super Freak by Vanessa Barger Review + #Giveaway

Super Freak
Vanessa Barger

Genre: Middle Grade Fiction
Release Date: October 13, 2015
Publisher: Tantrum Books

ISBN: 978-1942664536
ASIN: B014C57RIG
Pages: 285

Goodreads Rating: 4.5
My Rating: 5.0

Book Description:

Thirteen-year-old Caroline is a freak. Her parents have uprooted her to a town full of Supernaturals. You’d think she’d be thrilled. But, with someone without a magical bone in her body, this daughter of tree sprites feels like even more of an outcast than she has ever before.

To make matters worse, her new home is cursed. But when Caroline takes to investigating the mysterious and strange happenings of Harridan House, her BFF goes missing. Seems someone doesn’t want Caroline sticking her non-magical nose where it most certainly does not belong. Determined to prove herself, Caroline uncovers a plot to destroy her new hometown.

Undeterred, Caroline can’t give up. But what’s a human without magical powers to do? Caroline better figure it out fast, before she loses everything she has ever loved and the whispers she’s heard all her life prove true: Caroline is a useless superfreak.

My Take:

That was a really cute story. A book I would definitely recommend, and one that I will be by my niece for Christmas this year.

I really enjoy the characters, and I didn't feel like they were too young so to speak. They were pretty mature for their ages. I don't mean mature in what you expect of a young adult story, but you aren't drowning in their age. It's mentioned a few times, and you told that they are in middle school but it's not at all what you would expect from a middle grade fiction book. It's focused more on a mystery and friendship and I have to say that has got to be one of the cutest stories I've read.

I also found, that I enjoyed the uniqueness of this story. It's not every day you come across a story that has the world as supernatural and one character as normal. I also like that you find really brave individuals, braver than most and intelligent characters in the story. And while there is just a smidge of predictability, it's done in such a way that you forget that you have your doubts and your speculations so when the story completely unfolds you're just as shocked as the characters.

5 Quills

After a bit of research, I for one, am really happy that this is part of a series and not just a standalone novel. This is definitely something I would wholeheartedly recommend to parents looking for an interesting read for their children. It has a good message, overall great characters and nothing overtly heavy or depressing. I can't wait to buy this for my niece and see how she reacts when she finishes reading it.

 Purchase Links:

BAM | Chapters | Amazon | B&N | Kobo | TBD | iBooks

About The Author

Vanessa Barger was born in West Virginia, and through several moves ended up spending the majority of her life in Virginia Beach, Virginia. She is a graduate of George Mason University and Old Dominion University, and has degrees in Graphic Design, a minor in Medieval and Renaissance Literature, and a Masters in Technology Education. She has had articles published in Altered Arts Magazine, has had some artwork displayed in galleries in Ohio and online, and currently teaches engineering, practical physics, drafting and other technological things to high school students in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. She is a member of the SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators), the Virginia Writer’s Club, and the Hampton Roads Writers. When not writing or teaching, she’s a bookaholic, movie fanatic, and loves to travel. She is married to a fabulous man, and has one cat, who believes Vanessa lives only to open cat food cans, and can often be found baking when she should be editing.

Connect with the Author:

 Website | Twitter | Facebook

Goodreads | Pinterest |YouTube

Enter The Giveaway Here

Five (5) winners will receive a digital copy of Super Freak by Vanessa Barger (INT)

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Thanks for stopping by,

Tour Organized By:

 
 “I received a free copy of the book from the author/publisher for my honest opinion. I was in no way compensated for this review and all opinions are expressly my own”

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs Review + #Giveaway #TipsySpooktacular Stop 4

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children
Book # 1
Ransom Riggs

Genre: YA Paranormal Fantasy, Fiction
Release Date: June 7, 2011
Publisher: Quirk Books

ISBN: 978-1594744761
ASIN: B004FGMDOQ
Pages: 352

Goodreads Rating: 3.81
My Rating: 4.5

Book Description:

A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of curious photographs.

A horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows.

My Take
This book is 1 of 3 novels currently released with a movie coming out sometime in 2016. It’s a book was really excited to read as it was recommended to me by my sister, who may or not be a pain in the ass but most definitely knows my style when it comes to books.

I really enjoyed it! At first I was enthralled with the back story, the way Jacob describes his grandfather and even the portion of the tragic event that befalls his family and then it just seemed to make a screeching halt. It slowed down and you are given a lot of information that is not exactly necessary but enlightening. When the story picks up again, it’s difficult to put the book down.

It’s not the hide under your covers kind of book but it has got a serious creep factor associated with it. This comes off as a mostly haunting tale, with secretive and wary characters with a dodgy past that I couldn’t wait to read more about. As each clue was revealed I became more and more enthralled. Like I said, it's not your typical scary story but the creep factor is definitely there especially with the use of these old eccentric photographs, all pictured in black and white. If anything… I felt like the photographs were the real star of the show, that’s not to say that the story wasn’t great or unique because it was and that’s not to say that Mr. Riggs is not an excellent story teller because he is, but there is just something about the photos that accompanied certain parts of this story that takes all the attention and occasionally caused a chill to run down my spine.

4.5 Quills

I found that I liked every character, good and bad. They were all likable and realistic in a sense and intriguing. Also, there's a bit of a romance in this book but it's not a huge one and it doesn't take over the book it's kind of a minor back burner which I found helped relieve some of the ick factor that was associated with it in my opinion. I look forward to reading the next book in this series and seeing where Jacob’s story goes!

Check Out The Rest of The Series

About The Author

Ransom Riggs grew up in Florida, where he spent his formative years making silly movies with his friends in their various backyards, snorkeling, and complaining about the heat. He studied English at Kenyon College and film at the University of Southern California. He lives in Los Angeles. He makes films you can watch on his YouTube page. He enjoys traveling to exotic lands and complaining about the heat. He would like to thank you for reading this short biography.

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I'm giving away some paperbacks to US residents and a few ebooks.

Books will be from the ones you find on the #TipsySpooktacular Stops

Must be 13+ to enter

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Thanks for stopping by,

“I purchased this book with the intent to review. I was in no way compensated for this review and all opinions are expressly my own”

Finally a Book Excerpt!!!

Gifted: A Birth Curse Series Excerpt

So I've update my website www.Tipsy-Ink.com and the on site Blog, but most importantly I've posted an online excerpt titled Gifted, Book 1 to my upcoming book series 'Birth Curse'.

My on site document viewer is a tad glitchy at the moment so the excerpt is available via Scribd. It also available on the Excerpt Tab on the site. Please feel free to comment here, on the actual excerpt page or on my website blog. I would really love to hear your thoughts!

- Tiffany