It’s hurricane season, so I’m talking about my favorite books featuring storms. What are your favorite stormy books? Leave a comment and let me know!
Book Review: Changes That Heal
Changes That Heal: The Four Shifts That Make Everything Better…And That Anyone Can Do by Henry Cloud
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book inspired me, gave me spiritual healing, and had incredible insight into why people are broken and how God can heal that brokenness.
I love that each concept starts with an example of brokenness, leads into the spiritual lesson with Biblical text, explains the real reasons behind our behavior, and then gives practical solutions to heal and change for the better.
And it’s not just about being “better”; it’s about being the person God truly created you to be.
The writing has a lot of spiritual depth, but also a common sense approach to applying the spiritual concepts. It’s clear enough that anyone can understand it and relate to it, but also deeply insightful so that you need to stop and think carefully and prayerfully about the ideas presented.
Book Review: The Great Cheese Conspiracy
The Great Cheese Conspiracy by Jean Van Leeuwen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is an adorable little book about some mice living in a movie theater, who watch a lot of films about bank robbers. When they decide their gang is going to rob a cheese store, they come up with one hilarious plan after another and have several daring escapes, but no cheese. It’s up to their fearless leader to pull off the biggest cheese heist in mouse history!
I love stories about mice because they are the ultimate underdog characters! These little guys come up with some ingenious and hilarious projects, and I love the humor and silliness in the writing.
This would be the perfect book to read aloud to children, or for a child just starting to read chapter books. So cute!
Play Review: Titus Andronicus
Titus Andronicus by William Shakespeare
My rating: 1 of 5 stars
This is a truly terrible play. The writing is decent, but the subject material…. ugh! So much violence and nastiness and evil, it made me cringe.
Titus Andronicus is a Roman general just back from war with the Goths, and he kills the son of Tamora, the Queen of the Goths, starting a cycle of revenge that ends with lots of blood on both sides.
It’s a tragedy, so I know nearly everyone is going to die, but still… really over the top violence and bloodshed. Continue reading
Recent Reads: Fantasy, Avatar
Harry Potter & the Cursed Child Review
Graphic Novel Review: Laddertop
Laddertop, Volume 1 by Orson Scott Card
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Robbi and Azure are chosen from among their classmates to train for Laddertop Academy, a space station that hires gifted children to do maintenance work in the miles of tiny service tunnels. Laddertop space station was a gift from an alien race, but the aliens disappeared soon after. When Robbi begins her training, she finds out that Laddertop holds mysteries and enigmas that could destroy Earth or save it.
Robbi and Azure are excellent characters, with Azure providing some humor and Robbi being the serious-minded protagonist.
I really liked the interaction between all the children in training. They poke fun at each other, make friends and sometimes enemies, but it’s never boring!
The world building is very intriguing! The Laddertop space station is set up in such a unique way, and the humans who run it don’t really understand what it is capable of. I’m dying to know what those aliens are up to, and what role Robbi will play in their plans!
I really need to get my hands on the 2nd volume!
Book Review: Ennara and the Fallen Druid
Ennara and the Fallen Druid by Angela Myron
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Ennara has to hide her identity as a child with magical abilities, because she would most likely be kidnapped, enslaved, and forced to use her magic to benefit evil masters. She wears gloves to cover the tattoos on her hands that mark her as a magic user, but her mentor, Tork, trains her in the use of white magic.
When a shadowy demon begins attacking her village, Ennara is sent on a quest with Tork to recover the only weapon that could defeat the shadows, the Sword of Gisilfrid. But the sword is hidden in a sunken city deep below the ocean waves, and Ennara will need the help of her friends to defeat the evil Fallen Druid and retrieve the sword.
Treachery, spies, shadow magic, elemental magic, adventure, magical history, quests, friendship, love, and of course the power of family… this book has a great story line! I love how there is such an emphasis on light and sunshine and warmth, as opposed to the darkness and shadows. Continue reading
Book Review: The Case of the Cursed Dodo
The Case of the Cursed Dodo by Jake G. Panda
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This hilarious “jungle noir” mystery features endangered animals, a panda detective, villainous snakes and shrews, and one very enigmatic green bird.
Jake G. Panda is a hotel detective who gets involved in a mystery that will lead him on an adventure across the Sahara, through Morocco, and to fabled lost cities in Asia. Following the signs of the green bird, Jake has to fight off not only poaching humans, but also back-stabbing animals willing to make a few dollars on other animals’ misery.
The humor is wonderful with lots of puns and classic lines from film noir! It reads like a funny version of the Maltese Falcon or Casablanca. It’s hilarious and delightful to read! Continue reading
Script Review: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child – Parts One and Two by J.K. Rowling
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
It’s so hard to write a review for this because all the feels and expectations and everything. It was not what I expected, and it was both more than I expected and less in some areas.
I thought the plot was completely fantastic. I was surprised in every act and liked the emotional dynamic between Harry and his son, Albus.
I did think sometimes that there was too much focus on emotional conflict in relationships and it just got in the way of the story. Although it makes it feel like a more grownup story, it creates a very different serious mood rather than the fun adventure plot we have in other HP books. There’s too much focus on relationships rather than actions and mystery and world-building magic. Continue reading
Luminous Libro 