March 2013 saw the launch of BOKWA at the mikebussPT Fitness Centre, this dance based aerobic fitness class has been building a large following looking for the next thing after Zumba -The fitness Industry moves fast and classes are proof of that, with energetic dance based classes found in every fitness club around the world.
After the success of Zumba, people have been looking for the next Dance fitness craze to push you even further and BOKWA gives you just that!
I debated on whether or not I would read the script for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. I hate being spoiled so I felt my dilemma boiled down to: do I want to spoil the play by reading the script or do I hope no one spoils it before I can see the play? Since Broadway has yet to announce a date and I was already seeing spoilers, it was time to read it. So does it re-capture the magic? Well, here’s my (non-spoiler) quick take on the 8th Harry Potter story as well as several other new books in a series!
Story: “Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, a new play by Jack Thorne, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the eighth story in the Harry Potter series and the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage. The play will receive its world premiere in London’s West End on July 30, 2016.
Quick take: It’s a fine story, but isn’t quite up to snuff with the previous books (which is an admittedly a high bar). The Cursed Child seems like it was written to answer a lot of the fandom’s theories and favorite ships. The result feels like we’re re-treading familiar ground and not getting a fresh and new experience. Still, it was great coming back to Hogwarts and seeing so many beloved characters, and I’m sure the stage experience will have some stunning images. I enjoyed some of the big plot twists, but it doesn’t feel like it’s on the same scale as the original books.
Pitch: The second book in the popular and critically acclaimed YA fantasy series An Ember in the Ashes
Story: “A Torch Against the Night takes readers into the heart of the Empire as Laia and Elias fight their way north to liberate Laia’s brother from the horrors of Kauf Prison. Hunted by Empire soldiers, manipulated by the Commandant, and haunted by their pasts, Laia and Elias must outfox their enemies and confront the treacherousness of their own hearts.
Quick take: This is one of the top tier YA series so pick up these books! Like An Ember in the Ashes, this is well-written with great characterizations, lots of action and unique world-building. The story moves quickly and we get a peek at a lot more layers to this world with some surprising new twists and turns. A terrific entry in this series which just keeps getting bigger so I’m hoping for lots more to come.
Story: “Lia and Rafe have escaped Venda and the path before them is winding and dangerous – what will happen now? This third and final book in The Remnant Chronicles is not to be missed.
Quick take: This final book is almost twice the length of a normal YA novel so you know there’s a lot of story left to end this big fantasy series. This is a really satisfying ending with resolution and heartache as loyalties, responsibilities and love is tested.
Story: “Pulitzer Prize winner and American master Anne Tyler brings us an inspired, witty and irresistible contemporary take on one of Shakespeare’s most beloved comedies
Quick take:. Pyotr doesn’t quite clash with Kate in a charged battle of wills like you might expect from Taming of the Shrew. Anne Tyler focused on some of the bigger themes of change and self-identity so this is a refreshing, if unexpected, take on the story.
Story: “New York City as you’ve never seen it before. A thousand-story tower stretching into the sky. A glittering vision of the future, where anything is possible—if you want it enough.
Debut author Katharine McGee has created a breathtakingly original series filled with high-tech luxury and futuristic glamour, where the impossible feels just within reach. But in this world, the higher you go, the farther there is to fall….”
Quick take: The story’s focus is on the soap opera between the teenagers, but the world is really the star of this book. Author Katherine McGee has tons of fun ideas about life in the future and there’s a lot of thoughtful construction on how society would function in this new environment. It’s recently been optioned for a TV show which is a good fit for exploring this new world.
Story: “Agnes doesn’t know it, but she only has one hundred days left to live. When she was just a baby, she was diagnosed with Progeria, a rare disease that causes her body to age at roughly ten times the normal rate. Now nearly sixteen years old, Agnes has already exceeded her life expectancy.
An unexpected event brings Agnes and Moira back together with Boone, but when romantic feelings start to develop, the trio’s friendship is put to the test.”
Quick take: Three different people and three very different points of view. Extra points for featuring some diverse characters and an unusual medical condition. I liked this book, but the flow is a bit jumbled and some of the emotions and plot turns seemed rather abrupt to me.
Thanks to Penguin Teen (A Torch Against the Night), Macmillan (100 Days), HarperTeen (The Thousandth Floor) and Crown (Vinegar Girl) for providing the books for review. Want more details on my impression of these and other books? Check out my ratings and full reviews at Goodreads.