book review

Gift Book Reviews: The Magic of You, and Yes You Can

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The World Needs More Smiles Like Yours by Laura Jane

The Magic of You: A Colorful Book of Happiness
by Laura Jane
4 out of 5 stars

This cute little book is full of inspirational sayings that encourage the reader to dream big and create beautiful things! Each affirmation or mantra guides you to make your dreams and goals a reality, pushing aside fear and embracing faith.

The book is divided into sections for Self-Love, Dream, Believe, Grow, and Create. The artwork in each section has a main color scheme: pink for Self-Love, orange for Dream, green for Grow, etc…
It’s a clever way to give some structure to the otherwise random little sayings.

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Manga Review: Othello

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Othello by Stacy King

Othello
by Stacy King (Goodreads Author) (Adaptor), Crystal S. Chan (Contributor), Julien Choy (Illustrator), William Shakespeare (Original Author)
5 out of 5 stars

General Othello is newly married to the beautiful Desdemona. Iago is jealous of Othello’s high position in the military, and pretends to be Othello’s friend, but swears to get his revenge by making Othello miserable any way he can. Iago spreads lies that Desdemona has been unfaithful to her new husband, and plants a seed of suspicion in Othello’s mind. Once Othello’s heart is poisoned by Iago’s lies, it means tragedy for everyone involved.

I am so impressed with this graphic novel! The artwork is beautiful and each panel shows a clear story. The classic story of Othello retains all its integrity, and the characters are powerfully depicted. This edition uses the original words of Shakespeare, and I enjoyed revisiting this beautiful play in a new format.

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Book Review: War of the Realms: Legions and Legacies

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War of the Realms by Lee Watts, Th. D.

War of the Realms: Legions & Legacies
by Lee Watts, Th. D.

5 out of 5 stars

SYNOPSIS:
Alexander is the heir to the throne of Theera-Enty. As foreign powers take control of the united worlds of Theera-Enty, Alexander struggles to keep his nation together. But it isn’t only human-kind who are working against him. The legendary Guardians must protect Alexander by battling against demonic beings who whisper evil into the minds of men.

The pirate captain, Sosimo, is desperate to find a lost treasure. Alexander’s half-brother, Salazar, will do anything to gain power, and the governments of different planets vie for control in a war that spans thousands of star systems.

This book has an epic scope as the people of Theera-Enty begin a fight against oppression, and Alexander struggles to understand a prophecy regarding the throne. A mysterious key might lead to a treasure beyond imagining but no one can unravel its secrets.

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Workman Puzzle Reviews

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Where the Crawdads Sing 1000-Piece Puzzle

Book Nerd 1,000-Piece Puzzle

So. Many. Stickers. 1,000-Piece Puzzle

Crazy Plant Lady 1,000-Piece Puzzle

Everything is Made out of Magic Puzzle

1,000 Places to See Before You Die Puzzle

These 1,000-piece puzzles are beautifully designed and thoughtfully crafted. The puzzles come with a little 9″x6″ poster of the art, so that you can use it as a little poster, put the art in a frame, or use it to help you complete the puzzle.

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Journal Review: Pippa Park:My Journal about Life

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My Journal About Life by Erin Yun

My Journal About Life (Pippa Park)
by Erin Yun (Goodreads Author)
5 out of 5 stars

This companion journal to Pippa Park Raises Her Game is the perfect way to explore your own life and find out more about Pippa! There are quizzes, lists, and journal prompts that you can fill in to ask yourself who you really want to be and how your journey might compare to Pippa’s story.

I am so impressed with this journal! The quizzes are really cute, and I love how the journal prompts really get the reader thinking about who they are, aside from their regular likes and dislikes.

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Halloween Picture Books for Children

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Owl Has a Halloween Party by Jannie Ho

Owl Has a Halloween Party: A Tiny Tab Book
by Jannie Ho (Goodreads Author) (illustrator)
5 out of 5 stars

Owl has invited all his friends to a Halloween party, but who is going to come? Gradually the party guests begin to arrive, and Owl compliments them on their amazing costumes. Lion is a pirate. Tiger is a ghost. Monkey is an astronaut, and Frog is a princess. Once everyone arrives, Owl and his friends have a great party together!

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Video Book Review: Wuthering Heights

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Victoria’s Discord Discussion Thread: https://discord.gg/WqQzMskvta

Goodreads Group: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group_folder/436791?group_id=1140842

Zoom discussion on October 30th at 3 PM EST/12 PM PST/ 8pm BST If you want to join in, please email Kate Howe to get the Zoom link at: kate.v.howe@gmail.com

Wuthering Heights: https://amzn.to/3BGueym

Wuthering Heights FREE ebook: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/768

1939 Wuthering Heights Film: https://amzn.to/3l21ycj

Book Review: The Hideaway

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The Hideaway by Pam Smy

The Hideaway
by Pam Smy (Author and Illustrator)
5 out of 5 stars

Billy has run away from home. He hides away in a graveyard for several days, camping out in an old brick shelter with his backpack and sleeping bag. His mother is desperate to find her missing son, and she works with the police to start a search.

This story is told from two main perspectives, Billy and his mother. The two have a very close and affectionate relationship, but all is not well in Billy’s home, prompting him to run away. The writing perfectly balances the multiple points of views from the different characters, showing their distinct voices. There is such an appealing charm in the writing style that it draws you right in to the story, and makes the characters very endearing and relatable.

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Book Review: Scribbles, Sorrows, and Russet Leather Books

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Scribbles, Sorrows, and Russet Leather Boots by Liz Rosenberg

Scribbles, Sorrows, and Russet Leather Boots: The Life of Louisa May Alcott
by Liz Rosenberg (Goodreads Author), Diana Sudyka (Illustrations)
3 out of 5 stars

Louisa May Alcott is best known as the author of the popular classic Little Women. However, her life before she became a famous authoress was full of difficulty. She grew up poor and needy in an unstable though loving home. Her sisters, whom she immortalized as the March sisters, were her closest friends and companions. But it was her parents, Abbey and Bronson Alcott, who had the deepest influence on her life.

Bronson Alcott was insane. He literally had insanity running in his family tree. He told people he was “the Messiah of education”, and thought he would completely reform the American education system. However, all his attempts to start a school failed miserably once the parents found out what nonsense he was teaching their children. He was more interested in his daydreams than in providing for his family’s everyday needs, so it fell to Abby and eventually to Louisa to work and scrape to put food on the table.

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Book Review: Wuthering Heights

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Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

Wuthering Heights
by Emily Brontë

Catherine and Heathcliff grow up together and learn to love each other, but Heathcliff is an orphan with no family name and no future. Catherine is the only daughter of a gentleman, and knows that she cannot marry so far below her station. The two are embroiled in a tempestuous romance that breaks more than one heart and spans over generations with far-reaching revenge and hatred.

Short Review– This isn’t a romance; it’s a revenge story. Everyone is miserable. I can recognize the genius of the writing, but the subject material is too violent and evil for me to enjoy reading it.

Extensive Review-
Plot:
I love this plot structure. It really keeps you guessing, and there is always something happening and some circumstance that is changing for the characters. The relationships between the characters drive the story, and every little detail in the dialogue points to some deep emotion under the surface.
There is also a lot of violence, some of which made me nauseated to read about. There is a lot of verbal abuse, emotional abuse, and physical abuse. There is murder and revenge and illness and lies and betrayal and hatred and spite and conceit and every kind of evil! It’s exhausting.

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