book blog
Duology Review: Ginger Pye & Pinky Pye
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This book is charming and cute, but I am not a “dog” person, so most of it was bleh for me. If you love dogs, then you would love this story!
The story is wholesome and sweet, but there are many grammatical errors that had me cringing. When you say “He waked up” instead of “He woke up”, I’m definitely judging you.
The plot itself is interesting and fun, full of little adventures, but it’s also very predictable and obvious.
Pinky Pye by Eleanor Estes
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This is a cute little story about a kitten named Pinky who is abandoned on Fire Island, and adopted by the Pye family while they are on vacation there. Pinky and the other family cat, Gracie, are the only ones who know the secret hiding in the attic of the Pye’s vacation cottage. Pinky astonishes everyone on the island with her feline prowess and intelligence. The little family adventures keep the story interesting and fun!
The plot is fairly obvious, and the writing is nothing special; but the wholesome charm of this story kept me reading and enjoying it!
2016 Reading Stats and 2017 Goals
Book Review: Death at Epsom Downs
Death at Epsom Downs by Robin Paige
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I liked this mystery and it kept my attention, but it wasn’t anything super special. A great book to read on a wintery night curled up in bed, but not amazing literature.
Kathryn and Charles are solving mysteries again, this time at the Epsom horse races. A conspiracy to dope the horses has resulted in a bookie being murdered, and of course, Charles is called in to investigate with Kate making her own inquiries in the background.
As always, I love the perfect understanding and love between Charles and Kate. Those two are a delight to read about!
The mystery itself kept me interested, but there were too many supporting characters for me to really feel invested in them all.
I enjoyed reading this book, and of course, I will be reading the rest of the series!
All of Shakespeare in 5 Minutes
Book Review: The Pilgrims of Rayne
The Pilgrims of Rayne by D.J. MacHale
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Every single book in this series is amazing! Every chapter blows me away. I never know what is going to happen next, and I’m always surprised by the impossible plot twists.
This time Bobby is fighting to save the territory of Ibara and the small village of Rayne. Ibara seems like a peaceful paradise, but this territory holds a secret that even Bobby will have trouble with, and the Traveler from Ibara wants nothing to do with him. Continue reading
Review: Two Noble Kinsmen
Book Review: Deerskin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This was upsetting to read because the story focuses on a princess who is beaten and raped by her own father, runs away to survive a harsh winter alone in the mountains, where she is assisted by the magical Moon Lady, who gives her a dress made of deerskin. The dark subject material is handled well, because the princess eventually confronts her attacker and finds some emotional healing, but it’s rough reading about all that pain and abuse.
Usually I love this author’s books, but this one was not enjoyable because of the subject material. Her writing style is excellent, but there were many redundant paragraphs and too many details, which made the story slow.
Book Review: Rebel Genius
Rebel Genius by Michael Dante DiMartino
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I am so impressed with this book! I loved every second of it! There are definite influences of the Italian Renaissance in the setting through the artwork, architecture, and names. The writing is full of action, mystery, and magic, and of course, the characters are absolutely delightful. They feel like real people, varied and interested, changing and growing all the time, each with their own secrets and agendas.
Giacomo is an orphan, living on the streets, when he mysteriously acquires a Genius, a little bird that is a companion to artists to inspire their imaginations and give them magical powers of creativity. But the evil ruler, Nerezza, sends her soldiers to kill all the Genius birds and their artists, and Giacomo and his new little friend are on the run. Giacomo teams up with some other artsy children, and they go on a quest to find an object of magical power to bring Nerezza’s evil rule to an end. Continue reading
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