MMGM: THREE TIMES LUCKY (Review and Giveaway)

This one doesn't release until May 10th, but I'm giving away my ARC to one lucky commenter. ;o)

THREE TIMES LUCKY, by Sheila Turnage, refers to how Mo (short for Moses) is lucky that, when she was a baby, her mother's tying her to a makeshift raft saved her during a terrible hurricane, lucky the Colonel was handy to save her from the flood, and lucky that Miss Lana decided to keep her. The reader is lucky that Mo has spent so much time piecing together her past that she's practically a detective; by the end of the fifth chapter there's a murder to be solved, and her best friend is the only real suspect.

And this isn't one of those stories where you find out it was just an accident or a misunderstanding. Those tend to make me crazy. There's at least one seriously scary person running amok in Tupelo Landing, and Mo has to figure out out who the bad guys are before they hurt or kill the people she cares most about. THREE TIMES LUCKY is a wild ride. I loved it: beginning, middle, and ending. Oh, how I loved the ending! If you're into middle grade and murder mysteries, this book is a happy combination.


As I mentioned before, I'm giving away my ARC to one commenter. This contest is open internationally and will close at midnight on Thursday. I'll announce the winner on Friday. If you'd like to read about more Marvelous Middle Grades, the following people would love to oblige you:

Shannon Whitney Messenger (our founding mother)
Joanne Fritz 
Shannon O'Donnell 
Barbara Watson
Michael Gettel-Gilmartin
Natalie Aguirre
Deb Marshall
Karen Yingling


Have a Marvelous Monday! 

Have You Read INCARNATE?

If you haven't read INCARNATE, by Jodi Meadows, you'll want to find a copy. I won mine by participating in the treasure hunt that I mentioned in my last post. This story kept me up into the wee hours of the morning, and then, as soon as I had a moment to myself the next day, I picked it up to read the ending all over again. I wish I had the sequel, not that she leaves you hanging. She doesn't. I just wanted more. Some things, they make you happy, you know?

There are so many things I loved about this book, but explaining them would spoil it. For instance, page 104 is so perfect that I read it three times, but it's only perfect because the previous pages led up to it. I loved the personality quirks of the characters, but there again, you'll want to discover those on your own. I will tell you that music is important. My favorite line (a response to X telling Y not to die): "And leave you alone with my piano? Not a chance." There isn't an emoticon to convey how that line made me feel, but maybe your favorite line will be different.

The premise: Ana is born into a world of people whose souls are reincarnated. Everyone remembers their past lives, everyone but Ana. She's new. She's replaced one of the the old souls. And you can see how it would follow that logically it might be frightening for the others to realize they could cease to exist. There might be some resentment. Some fear. But there might be others who will accept her for who she is.

And there might be a lot of scenes that center around playing a piano. :o)

Did I mention that there's a blurb from Robin McKinley on the back of the book? *sigh* "INCARNATE has an eerie and intriguing premise and I am looking forward to seeing where Jodi Meadows takes it next."

Yeah. What she said.

On a more personal note, my hand is NOT broken. I'm typing and playing the piano again, and I wanted to share a piece that I'm working on. No, I'm not inflicting my playing on you, but Mitsuko Uchida's version of Mozart's Sonata in A Major, K. 331 is lovely. The bit in my lesson book is only the beginning of this, but even that little bit is uplifting, peaceful and energizing at the same time. I love playing it.

Are there any books or songs that just make you feel happy? If so, please share in the comments! :o)

   

Monkeys, Wrenches, and Mount Doom: The Problem With More

The problem with taking more time for one thing (or more than one thing) is that it means taking that time from something else. That is why I tried to balance my Mores with Lesses, and I still think it could work. I just need better self-control (especially when it comes to the internet).

But have you seen Jodi Meadow's INCARNATE Theater Treasure Hunt? It's kind of like getting sucked down a rabbit hole (in a good way). You have until February 6th to play. :o)

Speaking of monkeys and wrenches or monkey wrenches or wretched monkeys, if exercising is one of your Mores, make sure you're getting enough iron. Yeah. Working out so much that you make yourself anemic (sick and exhausted) is counter-productive. I know. You probably could have told me that. But I'm feeling a lot better now that I'm taking iron supplements. Unfortunately, the boy picked up a wicked cough, this week, and now everyone is snuffling. And I may have broken my hand, yesterday, but really, I hope not. Le sigh.

On a more positive note, I don't hate the revision I'm working on at the moment. The last couple of months have been rough, but I've given myself permission to save draft six (as is) and move on to draft seven. This allows me to use the delete button (copiously) without feeling like I've wasted the last two or three months of my life.

It's funny. This laptop has never had a nickname, but ever since the conversation that led to abandoning draft six, I can't help calling it Mount Doom. :o)

Have a great weekend!