Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is my umpteenth time reading this book, and I enjoyed it just as much as I did when I was a girl! There’s a simple charm to these stories of pioneer life that invites you in.
As always, Laura is my favorite character because she is spunky and brave and hilarious, while her sister Mary is prim and boring. Continue reading
The Dark Portal by Robin Jarvis
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
I had to DNF this one. It’s boring, and the plot is trite, and the pacing is weird. I didn’t care about any of the characters, so after I stuck with it through 100 pages, I called it quits.
The writing is really condescending, and points out the obvious over and over. Continue reading
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
In this exciting, fast-paced book, Bobby Pendragon is once again fighting against the evil Saint Dane, this time in the jungle territory of Eelong. Bobby is half-killed, nearly eaten by wild animals, thrown into jail, starved, beaten up, and nearly poisoned, so you know…. just a normal day for him.
This book, like all the others in this series, had me on the edge of my seat, clutching the book with white knuckles. The action just keeps coming, and the mystery unravels little by little. Just when you think you have it figured out, something smashes through the plot and turns everything upside down. Continue reading
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Anya is a Russian American with difficulty fitting in at school. When she falls down an old well, she meets a ghost who follows her around. Anya and the ghost become friends, but the ghost has secrets, and Anya has to find her true self in order to solve the mystery of her ghostly companion.
This story really surprised me! Just when I thought I had it figured out, the plot twists came at me. I love the artwork and the beautiful characters. The story almost seems superficial at first; fitting in at school and being accepted by the cool kids, but then the deep themes come in, like the nature of friendship and accepting yourself, the love of a family and how that can be a fortress against the world. There are so many good ideas behind the story that give it a powerful and meaningful message. Continue reading
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir by R.A. Dick
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This little book was everything I wanted it to be! After seeing the movie many times, I had to read the book, and I was pleased to see that they are almost exactly alike, even down to some of the dialogue. Of course, I was imagining the actors through the entire thing, and I loved it!
Sweet little Mrs. Muir is widowed with two little children, and to escape her husband’s interfering relations, she moves into a cottage by the sea. But this cottage is haunted by an old sea captain’s ghost! Mrs. Muir befriends the ghost and the two learn to tolerate each other, and even support and rely on one another through the ups and downs of the years. Continue reading
May Bird and the Ever After by Jodi Lynn Anderson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
In this book May Bird is whisked off to the land of the dead, called Ever After, and adventures her way across the land, searching for a way home. She makes some ghostly friends, and some enemies, in her quest to find the Book of the Dead which holds the answers to every question.
The writing is excellent, and there are many good characters. I just don’t like ghost stories. All the Halloween-style world building was not to my taste, but I think other people would enjoy that kind of setting.
The story takes a little while to finally get going, and then I really liked it! I loved May’s character. She is spunky and weird and brave! The people she meets are interesting and crazy and hilarious. So many wild characters! Continue reading
Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This classic tells the story of Bathsheba Everdene, a young farm owner, and the three men who are in love with her. She has to make some difficult choices, some of which bring tragedy to her life, but ultimately she finds true love.
As with most classics, there is a lot of setup in the first chapters, but once the story gets going, it really moves along! Towards the middle and end, I was gasping and crying and laughing my head off. It’s definitely a wild story at times, and so brilliantly written.
Hardy has a reputation for writing depressing stuff, and there were some terrible depressing scenes that had me crying and horrified. But the ending is happy, so I was buoyed up again. Continue reading
The Jewel of the Kalderash by Marie Rutkoski
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I loved this last book in the trilogy so much! The plot really surprised me, and I loved the new characters and old.
In this book, Petra is still on a quest to save her father from the evil Prince of Bohemia, and naturally Tomik and Neel are along for the ride.
My favorite character is still Astrophil, the tin spider with a big brain and an even bigger heart.
Once again, John Dee makes an appearance, and of course intrigue and spying and political machinations follow in his wake.
The stakes are definitely higher in this book, with assassinations going on all over the place and various thrones of various countries up for grabs. Petra has some tough choices to make, not only in her personal friendships, but also in deciding how much she is really willing to sacrifice to achieve peace for her country and the people she loves. Continue reading
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