Review: Of Curses and Kisses

* First Book in a New Series *

When Princess Jaya Rao discovers that her sworn enemy will be attending the same boarding school, she plans the ultimate revenge. She's going to make Grey Emerson fall in love with her and then smash his heart into a million pieces.

No one messes with her family - especially her youngest sister. She'll do anything to keep Isha safe. Yes, she believes in tradition and family honor. Those beliefs rules her world; she's not giving up until Grey's broken.

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this story. I love that it's a Beauty and the Beast retelling. I loved how Grey and Jaya first met. I really enjoyed the school setting - and how it was in the middle of nowhere. I loved the balls and the parties - even though they didn't always end well. I loved the moments between Grey and Jaya - how they understood each other, how they started to share little moments, and how they started to let their walls down. I felt terrible for Grey - for the way his father treated him, for the way he never let anyone get close, and for the belief about the curse. I loved Isha and how she wasn't interested in cultural traditions; she just wanted to live her own life. I loved how she took control. I liked reading about the other students. Can't wait to return to the school and read the next installment.

Cover Thoughts: Cute
Source: My library
Library Recommendation: Grab this one for your romance section!

Book and Movie Review: You're Bacon Me Crazy

Last weekend, the Hallmark Channel showed this movie - which is an adaptation of this tween book.

Of course, they changed the storylines around a little bit, but the meat of the book is the same.

So the book features the main character of Tessa who helps out at her aunt's food truck. She loves coming up with new menu ideas. Her parents aren't crazy about all the time she spends there, especially when she forgets about school work other important things.

When a boy from her class starts working there too, things change. At first, Tessa can't stand him. But the more they talk, the more she understands him. Could there be a spark between them?

The movie is a little different. The romance switched to Tessa's Aunt Cleo and...the Bacon Guy. 

Both stories are sweet, charming, and of course full of bacon.

You might ask how a tween book became a Hallmark movie.

Well you're in luck, I was able to chat with Suzanne Nelson and here's what she had to say:

How did the book happen to be turned into a Hallmark Movie?

Scholastic Entertainment and the Hallmark Channel partnered to potentially adapt three Scholastic books into movies for the Hallmark Channel. I was so lucky that You're Bacon Me Crazy was one of the three books that was chosen. So much of that process happened "behind-the-scenes." I received updates from my Scholastic editors, but for a long time we didn't know with certainty whether a movie would definitively happen or not. You're Bacon Me Crazy was the second book I wrote in the foodie line for Scholastic. I wrote it back in 2014, which seems so long ago now, but this line of books continues to grow and reach new readers every year! It's a dream come true! What's great about the foodie line of books is that each book has different characters and different stories. They don't have to be read in any particular order, which is great for readers.

      Of course, I was absolutely thrilled when I received word that the "You're Bacon Me Crazy" movie was a-go! Having one of my books turned into a movies was a pipe dream, so it still seems so surreal. Movies can often take years to produce, so I was incredibly excited when I found out that "You're Bacon Me Crazy" would premiere this April! Once I received word that the movie was in production, everything happened with lightning speed. The filming in Vancouver took place over about a three-week period in February, and less than two months later the movie premiered on the Hallmark Channel! It's been a wild ride and so much fun to be a part of!

Wow that is very quick! And really cool.

Did you have any influence over the script? Make a cameo? Visit the set?

When a book is adapted into a movie, authors aren't usually directly involved in the movie's creative process. A movie is a chance for script writers, film producers and directors, and the film's cast to bring their own creative visions to the storyline. And thank goodness for that, because I have no experience with the movie industry at all! Ha ha. Script writing is SO different from novel writing, and I was glad to have another talented writer take on that task. Christopher Sey wrote the "You're Bacon Me Crazy" movie script and he did such a wonderful job of capturing the foodie fun and spirit of the book. I was lucky to be able to read the script before I saw the movie, and it made me so excited to watch it all come to life on the screen!

      Because the production and filming time for the movie was condensed into about a three-week period, I wasn't able to visit the set. It all happened much too fast for that. I would've loved to have had a cameo in the movie, though. I would've loved being a customer ordering a sandwich from Cleo's Kitchen or Gabe's Mo' Bacon food trucks! I would've ordered Cleo's meatball sub and Gabe's BLP sandwich!

      I had the chance to meet Natalie Hall, the actor who played Cleo in the movie, during an Instagram Live chat on the night of the movie premiere. That was so much fun! She's absolutely delightful--so kind and genuine. We chatted for a few minutes, which was great! She did a fabulous job of portraying Cleo in the movie. Cleo was one of my favorite characters from the You're Bacon Me Crazy book, along with Tessa. Olivia Steele Falconer played Tessa in the movie, and she was fantastic in her role, too. I loved the dynamic between Cleo and Tessa in the movie, and Tessa's wise teen words of wisdom in the movie made me grin. Tessa had one of my favorite lines from the movie, too: "Your food needs to be liberated from the narrow confines of bread." That was hilarious! It was also so great that Tessa was so in-tune with Cleo's crush on Gabe. At one point in the movie, she asked Cleo, "Are you crushing on Bacon Dude?" That had me laughing out loud. Leave it to the teen to have the stellar crush radar!

     Overall, the casting for the movie was perfect. Just thinking about it now makes me smile. I've watched the movie twice so far, and I know I'll be watching it many, many more times. It's just such a happy, feel-good movie, which is what I think we all need right now. 

For anyone who hasn't yet seem the movie, it's showing many more times on the Hallmark Channel during April and May. You can learn more about the movie and its showtimes here: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/youre-bacon-me-crazy. 

I would have ordered that meatball sub too. It sounded amazing.

Yes, if you haven't seen the movie, go watch it! It's super cute. And it might just make you hungry....

Would you have added anything to the movie?

Honestly, the movie was such a sweet treat, I don't think I would've added anything. Except maybe some chocolate! Ha ha. The scenes between Cleo and Gabe had a wonderful "Hall-spark"--that spot-on Hallmark Channel chemistry that make the channel's movies so charming. My favorite scene was when Cleo called Gabe using a fake New York accent and placed an enormous food order from his Mo' Bacon truck. She thought she was tricking him, but he knew it was her the whole time! That scene wasn't in the book, but I'm delighted it was in the movie! My book has a whole new life now in movie form! Of course, there are similarities and differences between the book and movie, but I love that we get Tessa's crush story in the book, and now we get Cleo's crush story in the movie. It's two sweet romances that intertwine. What could be any better than that?

I do like that we get to romance stories with the different forms!

And I loved that scene too, it was funny when he walked the order over to the truck.

What's your favorite bacon dish?

I love to eat bacon ON other food rather than just by itself. My favorite way to eat bacon is on a perfectly-grilled cheeseburger with BBQ sauce and onion rings on top. I also love it in salads and chicken sandwiches. My mom has this amazing family recipe for chopped broccoli salad that has bacon, dried cranberries, and pecans in it. I can't get enough of it! I invented some bacon recipes for my You're Bacon Me Crazy book, and also some before the movie's premiere. Out of all of those recipes, I have to say that the cheesy bacon BBQ crunch dip and the BLT special sauce were my top two favorites. Adding the sauce to a BLT gives it a fun little kick! All of those recipes are on my blog on my author website at: https://www.suzannenelson.com/category/recipes/.

Oh, great. I always love to read books about food, but it's even better if there are recipes!

What's your next book?

My next book in the foodie line for Scholastic is Pumpkin Spice Up Your Life, which will be out on September 1. Autumn is my favorite season, and that book is full of fall fun--hayrides, pumpkin-picking, leaf piles, and of course, pumpkin spice lattes! There's also a very sweet crush story in this book that I'm particularly fond of. I love the cozy dynamic between the characters Nadine and Daniel and hope readers will, too!

      There's also a tenth foodie book coming as well, but the title and storyline for that book are still top secret. I will say this: the mystery book centers on one of my favorite types of desserts, and I'm so excited to invent the recipes for it!

      In addition to the upcoming foodie books, my first picture book is coming out with ZonderKidz this fall as well. Over in a Stable will be out on October 6. It's a sweet Christmas counting book about the nativity, inspired by the classic song "Over in the Meadow." Since Christmas is my favorite holiday, I'm so excited about this book.

     I'm also very excited that there's a paperback edition of my middle-grade novel, A Tale Magnolious, coming out this July. It's available in hardcover already, but a paperback edition will be lovely. The book is about an orphan named Nitty Luce, an elephant named Magnolious, and some magical seeds. It's a book very dear to my heart--full of magic and hope. I hope readers will scoop it up for summer reading!

These all sound great! Thanks for chatting with me!

And don't forget to watch the movie and read the book!

About the Author:

Suzanne Nelson is the author of dozens of middle-grade books, including You're Bacon Me Crazy, Cake Pop Crush, and the rest of the books in the foodie line for Scholastic, as well as A Tale Magnolious for Knopf Books for Young Readers. Her books are available for purchase online from Indiebound (https://www.indiebound.org/), Barnes and Noble (https://www.barnesandnoble.com/), Amazon (www.amazon.com), and in bookstores everywhere. Suzanne can be found on Twitter @snelsonbooks and on Facebook and Instagram @suzannenelsonbooks. Her website is www.suzannenelson.com.

Movie Review: Angel has Fallen

This movie comes after Olympus Has Fallen and London Has Fallen.

I really enjoyed the first two movies, so I was super happy to see this one.

I wasn't sure where it was going to fit in the timeline with the other two, but it fit just fine. 

I love that Trumbull was President.

 I like how he took time out for fishing

I liked the betrayal and the secrets.

I like that Banning was framed and had to work to clean his name.

I loved meeting his father.

A fun action thriller that I would watch again and ties with perfectly with the other two movies.

Graphic Novel Review: Gotham High

Before they became Batman, Catwoman, and the Jokey, they were Bruce, Selina, and Jack. Just a couple of high school students who would do whatever it took to get the job done.

After being kicked out of boarding school of fighting, Bruce Wayne returns home. Everything has changed, except the fact that he's still haunted by his parents' murder. 

Selina, the girl next door, rules the school. But she has troubles of her own that she's not sharing. 

Her best friend is Jack, the class clown. Both of them can't wait to get out of Gotham.

Jack invites Bruce to a party where things start going downhill. When a student's kidnapped, Bruce's curiosity gets the better of him. But the more he digs, the more he uncovers truths he wish he left buried...

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this graphic novel from Melissa de la Cruz. I've always enjoyed her books, so I was happy to see her expand into graphic novels. I liked seeing the three main characters as teens. I like that each teens has his/her/their own issues and problems. I enjoyed the kidnapping plot, the secrets, the double crossing and betrayals, and the love triangle. I loved the art. Once again, I'm hoping that this the start of a new series.

Cover Thoughts: Great
Source: Book sent for review
Library Recommendation: Grab this one for your teen graphic novel collection.

Book Trailer:

Series Review: Diary of an Ice Princess

Lina comes from a different type of family. She's a princess who lives in a castle in the clouds. Everyone in her family, including herself, can control the weather. Lina needs to figure out her special skill. But Lina also wants to be normal; she's dying to go to public school with her best friend. She finds everything about public school fascinating and refreshing. But no one besides her best friend can know her secret.

My Thoughts: This is such a fun series. I love Lina. She makes a lot of mistakes but she always fixes them. She has a big heart and big dreams. She has friend drama, family drama, and school drama. The books are diary entries with lots of illustrations. Just a little over 100 pages, these books are quick reads. I love all the weather talk. It would be fun to have a magical power like Lina's!

Cover Thoughts: Super Cute!

Source: My Library

Library Recommendation: A fantastic selection for your school and public libraries.

Up next:

Picture Book Review: Little Unicorn Books

Little Unicorn Books:

Each book portrays a different emotion. The unicorn mane's changes with their mood.

Each book contains breathing exercises to help sooth the emotion. Each one is just a little bit different. While this isn't a typical story, these books help make emotions normal and talk about how to understand them and how to control them. 

Top Ten Tuesdays: Book Buying

This week's topic is about book buying. I'm going to change it up a little and talk about reasons I buy books for the library.

I buy books for children, tween, and teen. Basically for ages birth thru ages 18. 

1. Auto-buy Authors (There are several authors I will always purchase for the library. 

One example: Ally Carter)

2. To fill a hole in the collection. 

Example: I've been working on diversifying the picture book collection.

3. Pop Culture: Books to support the latest blockbuster movie or video game

4. If it looks good: Do judge a book by it's cover

5. If someone asks for more books on X (Example - Sesame Street - we didn't have many books on Sesame Street because they were not being published, but now I'm buying them all up because they go out)

6. Educational: To support the schools. While it's not the public library to support the schools, it's great if we can collaborate together.

7. If it looks fun: the public library is ALL about fun books and reading for fun.

8. Reviews: If the book gets a great review from a library journal

9. If a trusted author recommends it (Through blurbs or social media)

10. If a social media friend (not author but book person / librarian) recommends it.