adventure

Book Review: Shades of Grey

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Shades of Grey
Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Gah! The Ending! What?!? My brain can’t stand it, and my heart is limping along all hurt and crushed and stuff. Dis book!

Okay, let me start from the top. This is the story of a dystopian future world where most people can only see one color or some not any color at all. The Greys are looked down on and oppressed by the Colorgentsia, and everyone’s place in society is determined by the percentage of color they can see.
There’s definitely a “1984-Big-Brother” vibe going on with the government controlling every aspect of the citizen’s lives.
In the middle of it all is Eddie, a high-color Red with a bright future, until he meets and instantly falls in love with a Grey named Jane. Jane is involved with some very deep revolutionary stuff, and Eddie gets dragged into it all, somewhat against his will, but mostly because he’s too good-hearted, kind, and morally upright to cheat and play the system like everyone else does. Continue reading →

Book Review: Messenger

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Messenger
Messenger by Lois Lowry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I am completely in love with the entire Giver quartet so far, and this third book is no exception!
This book follows Matty, whom we met in Gathering Blue, and his journey of self-discovery as he finds a power/gift within himself that he never had before.

As in the other books, we are introduced to a community where everything seems peaceful and content, but there is a dark secret in this seemingly happy society and there is a mystery for Matty to solve. It’s never what I think it’s going to be! I’m always surprised at the mystery, and so impressed with the deep social themes that are addressed. Continue reading →

Book Review: Little House in the Big Woods

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Little House in the Big Woods
Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’ve read this book so many times that I’ve lost count! Every time I am charmed all over again by the stories of wilderness survival told from the perspective of a little girl. The beauty of this novel and the others in the series is the simplicity of life that is described. Gather food, build a home, work hard and have a little fun on the side- this is all they required back in the day. In this entertainment age, it’s so refreshing to be transported back to a time when things were so much simpler and slower. Continue reading →

Book Review: The Slow Regard of Silent Things

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The Slow Regard of Silent Things
The Slow Regard of Silent Things by Patrick Rothfuss
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is such a beautifully weird book! In this novella (part of the KingKiller Chronicles), we follow Auri through a week in the tunnels of the Underthing, as she sets her vast home to rights, fixes leaky pipes so that no one comes down to repair them, and scrounges for food and necessities. She explores the tunnels and passages of the Underthing, discovering new rooms and hallways, and even ventures on to the Top of Things.

This is not a book for everyone. It’s very strange. It doesn’t follow a regular plot or have conflict or character development. But its sweetness is in the glimpses of brightness and dark, the silly wisdom of a girl hiding from the world and embracing it at the same time. Auri’s little story is charming and haunting and wild! Continue reading →

Book Review: Emlyn’s Moon

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Emlyn's Moon
Emlyn’s Moon by Jenny Nimmo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is utterly enchanting! I liked that instead of being told from Gwyn’s POV, as the first book was, this one is told from Nia’s perspective. Nia comes from a large family, where she feels inadequate as the middle child. But when she is called upon to reunite a broken family, she has to search deep within herself for the strength and talent that she’s always possessed. Nia helps Emlyn search for his lost mother, and with Gwyn’s magical help, they encounter adventure and mystery beyond the world they know. Continue reading →

Book Review: DragonSpell

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DragonSpell
DragonSpell by Donita K. Paul
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I loved this book so much! The magic and dragons and quests are just perfect, but the best parts are the spiritual themes and wisdom that run through the book. There is such a depth and beauty to the writing, and I was so pleased with the echoes of Christianity!

Kale is a young slave-girl who is mysteriously drawn to dragon’s eggs. She is sent on a quest to retrieve a valuable egg from an evil wizard, but her mission is not as straight-forward as it seems. Although she has help along the way, Kale is sometimes unsure whether she can trust her new friends, and tensions run high as the group learns to rely on one another in sticky situations. Continue reading →

Book Review: Great Stories of Suspense

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Great Stories of Suspense
Great Stories of Suspense by Ross Macdonald
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I only read three of the stories out of this book. One by Agatha Christie, a Miss Marple story I had read before, “What Mrs. McGillicuddy Saw”. It’s longer than I remembered, and I think I liked the TV version better. I do love that very iconic scene of the old lady witnessing a murder through the windows of a train into another passing train car.

I read one by Dashiell Hammett, “Fly Paper”, that was the very “shoot ’em up, Joe” type of stuff I have come to expect from the author of The Thin Man. Nobody writes about private detectives like this author! His style is very clipped and to the point, which is perfect for a short story.

Then I read “The Landlady” by Roald Dahl, which was extremely short, rather obvious, but written in his inimitable style. I love how he never actually comes out and says what is happening in the story, but leaves the reader to draw their own conclusions. He really is a master at telling a whole story with half an actual story.

All in all, a great collection of stories!

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Book Review: Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library

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Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book about a group of children who participate in a lock-in at their local library and have to solve puzzles to find their way out and win a grand prize! I love books about puzzles, and this one reminded me of The Mysterious Benedict Society, at least in the puzzle and codes aspect of the story.

The codes and mysteries are truly delightful to unravel, and I loved the setting in the fascinating library! This library has holograms and a reading rotunda and a dome that lights up with clues. There are museum displays and game rooms, entertainment consoles and fountains and statues. I could really imagine myself in this incredible library along with the characters! Continue reading →

Book Review: Catch the Zolt

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Catch the Zolt
Catch the Zolt by Phillip Gwynne
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the story of Dom, who is told on his 15th birthday that his family owes an ancient debt to the Italian mafia. When every male family member reaches 15 years old, they are forced to do 6 difficult tasks for the Debt or the Debt will cut off an arm or leg, taking their “pound of flesh” in payment.

I loved that the whole “pound of flesh” thing is from Shakespeare, although the Bard is never mentioned.

Dom is a wonderful character with depth and interest. He has a crush on his best friend, the girl next door. He has a fun dynamic of mutual teasing with his siblings. He trains as a runner, and is obsessed with running. He’s just a well-rounded character, and a great POV for the whole story. Continue reading →

Book Review: My Side of the Mountain

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My Side of the Mountain
My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Every kid thinks about running away at one point or another; few get farther than the end of the block. Young Sam Gribley gets to the end of the block and keeps going–all the way to the Catskill Mountains of upstate New York. There he sets up house in a huge hollowed-out tree, with a falcon and a weasel for companions and his wits as his tool for survival. In a spellbinding, touching, funny account, Sam learns to live off the land, and grows up a little in the process. Blizzards, hunters, loneliness, and fear all battle to drive Sam back to city life. But his desire for freedom, independence, and adventure is stronger. No reader will be immune to the compulsion to go right out and start whittling fishhooks and befriending raccoons.

I am certainly not an outdoorsy person, but I loved this book so much! What an adventure to live off the land all alone in the woods!
The writing is charming, Sam’s character is full of pluck and resourcefulness, and I was completely involved in every little woodsy adventure. Continue reading →