book review

Book Review: The Language of Spells

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The Language of Spells by Garret Weyr, also Freymann-...
The Language of Spells 
by Garret Weyr, also Freymann-Weyr
Katie Harnett (Illustrations)

3 out of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book about a dragon under an enchantment and the little girl who gives up everything to save him and his fellow dragons!

Grisha is still a young dragon when an evil sorcerer freezes him into the shape of a small teapot. Trapped within the teapot for decades, Grisha dreams of being free once more, but as soon as a friend breaks the enchantment of the teapot, Grisha is trapped in another kind of prison. The cruel bureaucracy of Vienna keeps a close watch on the few dragons allowed to remain in the city, and every aspect of Grisha’s life is locked between rigid rules and regulations, even restricting his thoughts and words. Continue reading →

Book Review: DreamTreaders

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Dreamtreaders by Wayne Thomas Batson
Dreamtreaders (Dreamtreaders, #1) 
by Wayne Thomas Batson (Goodreads Author)

4 out of 5 stars

“Fourteen-year-old Archer Keaton discovers he has the ability to enter and explore his dreams. He is a Dreamtreader, one of three selected from each generation. Their mission: to protect the waking world from the Nightmare Lord, who wreaks chaos in the Dream World. But as Archer’s dreams become more dangerous and threatening, so too does his waking life.

Rigby Thames, the new kid from England, builds a suspicious rock star-like following at Dresden High School a little too quickly. Even Archer’s best friend and confidant, Kara Windchil, seems taken in by the cool guy with the wild blond hair, which definitely rubs Archer the wrong way. Archer must face two foes in two worlds, but he cannot succeed alone. Archer sets off to find other Dreamtreaders in a desperate attempt to defeat the enemy terrorizing his friends and family.”

-GoodReads Description
Love this book so much! From the first word, we are plunged straight into the action. This author really knows how to write fight scenes! The plot kept me guessing, and I loved discovering the Dream kingdoms. The world-building is just amazing! So imaginative and different from anything I’ve ever read.
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Book Review: The Big Six

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The Big Six by Arthur Ransome
The Big Six (Swallows and Amazons, #9) 
by Arthur Ransome

5 out of 5 stars

Joe, Bill, and Pete are fixing up their boat, the Death and Glory, with bunks, cupboards, and a little stove, so that they can camp out on the river all winter long. When someone starts casting off boats in the middle of the night, it gets blamed on the boys, and they have to prove their innocence. With the help of Coot Club members, Tom, Dick, and Dorothea, they start their own detective agency to track down the real culprits.

As always, I adore this interesting story, full of nautical knowledge and adorable characters. The plot really keeps the mystery moving as each clue comes to light, and the desperation and anxiety of the characters keeps the tension high, even if some of the plot points are a little predictable. The story is not so much about the mystery, as it is about how the characters follow the mystery. Continue reading →

Picture Book Review: Narwhal and Jelly

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Peanut Butter and Jelly by Ben Clanton
Peanut Butter and Jelly (A Narwhal and Jelly Book #3) 
by Ben Clanton (Goodreads Author)

5 out of 5 stars


The cuteness!! The adorableness!! The sillyness! I can’t get enough of Narwhal and Jelly. They are so cute and lovable! Narwhal has some strange eating habits, so Jelly tries to help him broaden his culinary comfort zone with hilarious results.

Each little comic is so delightfully funny! I laughed my head off, and smiled and chuckled with glee. I love the simple yet striking illustrations, and the bright colors. I love the sweetly imaginative dialogue and storylines.

I can imagine reading this aloud to a child and having so much fun together! Continue reading →

Manga Review: Romeo and Juliet

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Manga Classics by Crystal S. Chan
Manga Classics: Romeo and Juliet 
by Crystal S. Chan (Adapter), William Shakespeare, Julien Choy (Artist)

3 out of 5 stars on GoodReads

With all the original dialogue of the play, this manga adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet bursts with old enchantment and romantic drama. The illustrations flow from one panel to the next in a surge of emotional tension, and the action keeps the wordy dialogue from weighing down the storyline.

This would be a great way to introduce Shakespeare to younger audiences, since the dialogue is easier to understand along with the action of the panels. Continue reading →

Book Review: Lioness Rampant

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Lioness Rampant by Tamora Pierce
Lioness Rampant (Song of the Lioness, #4) 
by Tamora Pierce (Goodreads Author)

2 out of 5 stars on GoodReads

Alanna is finally a knight errant, following quests for magical objects and roaming beyond the lands of Tortall. But she still isn’t quite happy with her fate, and longs to do another great deed for her country to prove her worth as a knight. She sets out on a quest for the mountains at the Rim of the World to win the Dominion Jewel, rumored to bring prosperity to any country whose ruler owns the jewel. While Alanna journeys in distant lands, Tortall is in danger again from the evil Duke Roger, who threatens Prince Jonathan from beyond the grave.

Once again, I was very disappointed in this book. How many lovers can this girl have in 4 books?!?! It’s disgusting and ridiculous how she sleeps around with these men and she’s still a teenager!! I couldn’t enjoy the rest of the book because the romance is so idiotic and gross. Continue reading →

Book Review: Master Humphrey’s Clock

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Master Humphrey's Clock by Charles Dickens
Master Humphrey’s Clock 
by Charles Dickens

3 out of 5 stars on GoodReads

A collection of stories from a fictitious club of writers, including the hilarious Mr. Pickwick, who share various anecdotes and short stories amongst the members of the club. These lead into the serialized novels of “Ye Olde Curiosity Shop” and “Barnaby Rudge”, serving as an introduction for fictional narrators of those stories.
Some of the anecdotes are creepy and ghostly, some are funny, some are historical. Some have tragic romance, or supernatural witches. Some are just lively tales of everyday life.

They are all certainly interesting and varied, but so disconnected and strangely unfinished that I couldn’t really enjoy them.
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The Woman Who Rides Like a Man: Book Review

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The Woman Who Rides Like a Man by Tamora Pierce
The Woman Who Rides Like a Man (Song of the Lioness, #3) 
by Tamora Pierce

2 out of 5 stars on GoodReads

 


Alanna is a full-fledged knight and leaves the court of Tortall to seek adventure in the southern deserts. She encounters a nomadic desert tribe, and is forced into a duel for her life. If she wins the duel, she will be adopted by the tribe as a Bazhir warrior. The Shaman of the Bazhir tribe warns the people that Alanna will anger the gods and bring calamity to them all, and Alanna has to prove that she is as good as any man, not just with a sword but with her magic too.

Once again, I was extremely disappointed in this book. Alanna is so great when she’s fighting, and helping people with her magic, and making friends, and teaching youngsters to control their budding magic. She is hardworking and tough and compassionate. She is such a delight in those scenes!

And then she goes sleeping around with two different men. This is not a series for middle grade! I just don’t understand why any of that is in this book.

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Mystery of Edwin Drood Book Review

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The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Charles Dickens
The Mystery of Edwin Drood 
by Charles Dickens

4 out of 5 stars on GoodREads

Edwin Drood has been engaged to the lovely Rosa Bud since they were children. The engagement was the dearest wish of their deceased parents, and the two have grown used to the idea that when they come of age they will get married despite the lack of real affection between them. But Edwin’s uncle, John Jasper, has a secret passion for Rosa, and she regards him with fear and dread. Edwin sees nothing wrong, and trusts his uncle completely, not knowing that Jasper is an opium addict.

When Edwin goes missing on a stormy Christmas Eve, suspicion falls on an innocent young man, Neville Landless, who had an argument with Edwin weeks before. Jasper vows to bring the murderer to justice, and spends his time spying and searching out his neighbor’s secrets. Frightened by what the impassioned Jasper might do, Rosa flees to her guardian in London and befriends Neville’s sister, Helena. From the opium dens of London to the quiet streets of a country village, the mystery takes many shapes as each character searches for the truth.

It’s amazing to me that even this little fragment of a story still holds such power and interest hundreds of years after it was written!

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