Book Review: Little Dorrit

Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens
Little Dorrit
by Charles Dickens

4 out of 5 stars on GoodReads

 

Amy Dorrit was born in debtor’s prison, where her father has been incarcerated for so long that he is called the Father of the Marshalsea prison. Arthur Clenham has just returned to England after spending most of his adult life abroad. He investigates a family mystery, believing that his parents have somehow wronged the Dorrit family, but unsure how to make restitution. He befriends Amy, nicknaming her “Little Dorrit”, since she is the youngest of her family.

Typical of Dickens, there are numerous subplots, a complex tapestry of connections between characters, and various plot-lines that intersect and combine. I love the complexity and depth of his plots! There is a lot of wonderful family drama, blackmail, financial ruin and sudden financial gain, romance and despair, and of course, that inimitable Dickens’ charm.
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Book Review: Fell Farm Holiday

Fell Farm Holiday by Marjorie Lloyd
Fell Farm Holiday (Fell Farm, #1) 
by Marjorie Lloyd

4 out of 5 stars on GoodReads

 

I am just delighted with this old-fashioned book about five siblings camping out and climbing the fells for their summer holidays. The simple charm of the story, the amusing dynamics between the Browne siblings, and the details of their little camping adventures, kept me absorbed and interested through every chapter.

The two eldest siblings are Pat and Kay, twins with a love for hiking and camping. Pat is the leader of the group, and prides himself on his knowledge of survival and mapping. Kay is the quartermaster of the group, taking special care of the meals and all the supplies.

The next set of twins are Jan and Hyacinth. Jan is obsessed with birds, and creates his own hiding spots where he can observe and sketch the birds of the fells. Hyacinth is more imaginative and dreamy, and loves to write stories of her own.
And the smallest sibling is Sally, who is only eight years old, and so is not allowed to stay out all night camping, but still manages to join in the fun whenever possible.

I adore this whole series!

Book Review: The Nebula Secret

The Nebula Secret by Trudi Trueit
The Nebula Secret (Explorer Academy, #1) 
by Trudi Trueit

5 out of 5 stars on GoodReads


Cruz has just been accepted into the elite Explorer Academy, which only accepts 25 students per year. In the midst of his classes on anthropology, science, geography, history, and conservation, Cruz also has training sessions in a virtual reality program designed to prepare the students for real-life exploring all over the globe. Then Cruz starts to receive threats from an unknown enemy, and discovers a mystery in the school. His mother died working in the top-secret labs at Explorer Academy, and Cruz is determined to find out what really happened to her.

I loved this book so much! The adventure, the mystery, the engaging characters, the impressive setting at the Academy… I love it all. But the best thing of all… the puzzles and codes!!! I LOVE puzzles and codes.
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Comic Review: Book Learnin’

Book Learnin' by John McNamee
Book Learnin’: A Pie Comics Collection 
by John McNamee

1 out of 5 stars


I think I would have enjoyed this collection of comics about how weird the world is, if only there hadn’t been so much profanity and excessive use of the word “pimp.” Some of the punchlines are crass, and I prefer clean humor. Some of the comics are wholesome and good, but a significant amount are not.

I liked the simple art style, and the clarity of each panel.

I’m not sure why this collection is entitled “Book Learnin'”. I thought it was comics about books, with reading as the main subject material for the jokes, but it’s not. There isn’t a single joke about reading or books.

Disclaimer: I received an ecopy of this book from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts and are not influenced by anyone.

Book Review: Goodbye, Things

Goodbye, Things by Fumio Sasaki
Goodbye, Things: The New Japanese Minimalism 
by Fumio Sasaki, Eriko Sugita (Translator)

2 out of 5 stars


I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I wanted to. The author tells about his personal journey becoming a minimalist, and how terrible his life was before, and how he turned his life around through tossing out most of his possessions, and that made him a happier person. Then he gives a lot of philosophy about minimalism, and tips and advice about the mental and emotional experience of becoming a minimalist.
He doesn’t give very many practical tips; It’s mostly about having a minimalist attitude.
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Picture Book Review: Rabbit and Bear

Rabbit's Bad Habits by Julian Gough
Rabbit’s Bad Habits 
by Julian Gough (Author), Jim Field (Illustrator)

5 out of 5 stars on GoodReads


Bear is peacefully sleeping through the winter when she is awakened by a thief stealing her stockpile of food. She stumbles out of her cave into the snow, and decides that as long as she’s awake, she might as well build a snowman. The cranky Rabbit is determined to build a bigger, better snowman on the neighboring hill, but when the ravenous Wolf shows up, Rabbit’s plans take a dangerous turn when he can’t get back to his safe burrow.
Who stole all of Bear’s food? How will Rabbit get to safety? Who will win the snowman-building competition? And the most important question of all, can a Bear and Rabbit really become friends? Continue reading

Book Review: Make This!

Make This! by Ella Schwartz
Make This!: Building Thinking, and Tinkering Projects for the Amazing Maker in You 
by Ella Schwartz

5 out of 5 stars on GoodReads

This book is perfect for any curious child who loves to take apart their toys, build a bridge out of books, or create their own system of pulleys and levers to open the bedroom door.

With special sections for materials, energy, optics, connecting systems, acoustics, and forces in motion, this book provides all the steps to create a rocket ship powered by your breath, make an entire rainforest ecosystem in a jar, and make a periscope out of cardboard, along with dozens of other projects. Each chapter also has questions to be solved and scenarios that require an imaginative solution.
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Book Review: The Case of the Sliding Spaceship

Art Smart, Science Detective by Melinda Long
Art Smart, Science Detective: The Case of the Sliding Spaceship 
by Melinda Long ,  Monica Wyrick (Illustrations)

3 out of 5 stars on GoodReads


Art and his friends are on the watch for alien activity in their neighborhood, but they never expected a REAL alien spaceship to appear in Art’s telescope viewer. The aliens appear to be in a purple spaceship right next to the moon, and Art and his friends prepare for an invasion. Art prides himself on being a logical scientist, so he uses his knowledge to hatch a plan to protect his friends from anything the aliens might use to attack.
Are there really aliens attacking Earth, or are Art and his friends overreacting?  Continue reading