The Friday Fix is a takeover of my Friday blog post by other bloggers who have volunteered their time and energy to "star" in their very own guest post on Friday. Only one mandatory rule (you can't get out of it!) - you must answer five of the most random questions I throw your way. The rest is up to you. Remember, if you'd like to be featured on the Friday Fix, send me an email, and let me know! So, without further ado, here are the Bridget from Books as Portable Pieces of Thoughts!

The Most Random Questions in the World...

1. If infants can enjoy infancy, why can't adults enjoy adultery?

Why is ‘abbreviated’ such a long word? Why do Americans drive on parkways and park on driveways? If people from Poland are called “Poles” why aren’t people from Holland called “Holles”? Our world is full of unanswerable questions and other surprises.

By the way if adultery is committed (better not) and not enjoyed (really better not) it becomes a rather pointless act, don’t you think? It should be about forbidden pleasure for heaven’s ( or rather hell’s) sake! When it comes to enjoying infancy my views are rather unclear – you see I don’t remember much. Apart from that all the infants I asked were somehow unwilling to comment, sly things.

2. If someone says 'a penny for your thoughts' and you throw your two cents in, where is the other penny?

I reckon lost in translation if we speak more than one language or paid as tax if we speak the same language. Anyway gone and forgotten. Ask your accountant.

3. Can employees of tea companies take coffee breaks?

Sure. I suppose during a day full of tea-related problems a coffee break is simply indispensable to keep your wits about you. If you hate coffee it can even motivate you to work harder and try to convert all these caffeine addicts like me by offering them a better product than their usual drug of choice. Coffee breaks for everyone every two hours!

4. If someone is dirt poor, why is another person filthy rich? How are they both dirty?

Sad but true - money does do the dirty on you sooner or later, no matter whether you belong to the haves or the have-nots. Apart from that “dirt” is a four-letter word and “filthy” is a six-letter word, already indicating who has more dough and can afford a longer adjective.

5. How can a sauce be both sweet and sour at the same time?

Easy. The same way you can drink gin and tonic, beat somebody black and blue while listening to the best of rock and roll, take a black-and-white photo of the crime scene to show your pals, return to your home at Elephant and Castle (London, the UK), take your salt-and-pepper giant schnauzer for a walk and then relax in peace and quiet. Let’s face it- if you are adventurous enough you can always find out how to have it both ways! 



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Thank you so much for participating, Bridget! You posed some very great questions, yourself...it seems you've got a crazy mind rather like mine, eh? For the rest of you, be sure to check out Bridget's blog, Books as Portable Pieces of Thoughts! She's got one of the most thought-provoking blogs around, and I always feel smarter when I've read her posts.

In other news, be sure to enter my international giveaway for Shrouded Secrets by Joel McGrath! You do NOT need to be a follower to enter, but your support is always appreciated! Click HERE to read the interview and enter. This contest ends on February 15th. Good luck!

Redwall Review

Title: Redwall
Author: Brian Jacques
Publisher: Philomel
Published: January 1, 1990
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Pages: 352
Source: Personal Copy

As the inhabitants of Redwall Abbey bask in the glorious Summer of the Late Rose, all is quiet and peaceful. But things are not as they seem. Cluny the Scourge, the evil one-eyed rat warlord, is hell-bent on destroying the tranquility as he prepares to fight a bloody battle for the ownership of Redwall. This dazzling story in the Redwall series is packed with all the wit, wisdom, humor, and blood-curdling adventure of the other books in the collection, but has the added bonus of taking the reader right back to the heart and soul of Redwall Abbey and the characters who live there.

Redwall is the story of an ancient Abbey deep in the woods of Mossflower, a pristine forest where animals live in harmony with one another. Redwall Abbey is the heart of all of Mossflower; a place where the citizens of the land live in peace and tranquility, coexisting despite their different species and backgrounds. The land is threatened, however, by a dangerous enemy known as Cluny the Scourge, a one-eye rat warlord. Determined to overtake Redwall Abbey and claim Mossflower as his domain, Cluny will stop at nothing to gain what he seeks. Matthias, a little mouse from a humble background, however, won’t rest until he proves his worth and saves Redwall from the tyrant. And so, Matthias begins searching for the legendary sword of Martin the Warrior to save Redwall. Can he become the hero he so desperately wants to be in time?

Ok, I know what you’re thinking…a book…with animals as the characters? Don’t be so quick to judge! I started reading this series when I was about 8 years old, and I made fun of the silly covers at that age, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. Redwall is the first book in a series about Redwall Abbey, a harmonious place where the animals survive in peace and tranquility. That peace is threatened when a marauding band of tyrants sets up camp in the Church of St. Ninian with the goal of conquering Redwall. Brian Jacques created a magical start to the series with a book brimming with fantastic characters and a loveable hero in Matthias that propels the book forward with every minute action.

Redwall presents a world without humans – one where the animals are every bit as human as humans, themselves. With a loveable hero in Matthias, we’re transported to a world that’s simple at its core, but perfectly portrays base human emotions from love, to greed, to the hero that lies within every one of us. The world is rich and descriptive, and Brian Jacques’ words transport you to a world that’s pure and beautiful, but plagued by destruction, very much like our own world. With epic battles, a sweet love story, a full cast of endearing characters, and a world of adventure, Redwall is the perfect start to a great series. My only major qualm with Redwall is the amount of descriptiveness spent on each feast. Frankly, I got really hungry each time, and I can now tell you every staple of food on their tables.

All in all though, I loved Redwall, and I’m pleased to say it’s one of my go-to books to read and re-read time and again. I give it a strong 4 out of 5, and I’d recommend it to YA readers, especially those who enjoy a good fantasy. Fans of Watership Down will also love this book. The second book in the series is Mossflower.

Title: Red Moon Rising
Author: Peter Moore
Publisher: Hyperion
Published: February 8, 2011
Genre: YA, Paranormal
Pages: 336
Source: Publisher

Being only half-vamp in a high school like Carpathia Night makes you a whole loser. But Danny Gray manages to escape the worst of the specists at his school. Thanks to genetic treatments he had as an infant, most people assume Danny's other half is human. Which is a good thing.

Ever since the development of synthetic blood – SynHeme – vamps have become society’s elite, while wulves like his father work menial jobs and live in bad neighborhoods. Wulves are less than second class citizens; once a month they become inmates, forced to undergo their Change in dangerous government compounds.

For Danny, living with his vamp mother and going to a school with a nearly all-vamp student body, it’s best to pretend his wulf half doesn’t even exist. But lately Danny's been having some weird symptoms — fantastic night vision; a keener-than-usual sense of smell; and headaches, right around the full moon.

Even though it's easy to be in denial, it's hard to ignore evidence. There's only a month until the next few moon, and Danny's time is running out.

Red Moon Rising is the story of Danny (Dante), a teenage boy living in a world divided into three very distinct and separate classes. There are the vampires – elite, rich and powerful, there are the humans – desperate to be everything the vampires are, and at the bottom of the pack are the wulfs. Danny, unfortunately, is part wulf. He’s had treatments to make him look more like the exclusive vamps with whom he attends school, but he had to stop them, and now his symptoms are getting worse. To top it all off, Danny has to deal with conflicting emotions towards his biological father, qualms with his mom and stepfather, and the snotty kids at school. Throw in a love interest, and Danny’s world is ready to turn upside-down.

I don’t like vampires and, frankly, werewolves tend to bore me because it’s the same-old, same-old every time…usually. Red Moon Rising isn’t your typical werewolf and vampire tale. With a teenage boy as your narrator, a society that’s twisted and skewed and every bit of teenage angst you can bear, Red Moon Rising is daring and quirky. Author, Peter Moore, took your traditional paranormal tale, turned it upside-down, threw in a snarky MC and added an actual undercurrent of morals throughout the story – an intriguing and infectious combination.

I’ve decided I don’t read nearly enough books from a male POV. Red Moon Rising was a fun read, in large part because of Danny’s narration. He’s every bit a teen boy with humour and hilarity, but his emotions run a bit deeper, and a little more subtle at times, though perhaps more powerful because they boil over at the right (or wrong – depending on how you look at it) moments. I think there’s a real theme of prejudice in the story, as well. Society has class divisions, certain species are considered subhuman, and frankly, this adds a deeper note to what could have very well been a shallow tale. I think the main highlight of the story was the developing relationship between Danny and his father though, and the internal battle for acceptance that Danny consistently dealt with. The only real qualm I had with Red Moon Rising was that the plot becomes a bit predictable after a while and let’s face it – I like to be surprised, and there were a lot of unanswered questions.

Overall though, Red Moon Rising was a great paranormal read, and it definitely exceeded all my expectations. I give it a strong 4 out of 5, and I’d recommend it for a YA audience (or upper MG), especially those who enjoy paranormal stories.

I received this ARC free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.