book review

Duology Review: Ginger Pye & Pinky Pye

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Ginger Pye
Ginger Pye by Eleanor Estes

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
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!

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Book Review: Death at Epsom Downs

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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!

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Book Review: The Pilgrims of Rayne

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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 →

Book Review: The Book of Wonders

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The Book of Wonders
The Book of Wonders by Jasmine Richards

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I’m so disappointed in this book. The cover made it look wonderful, but the characters are two-dimensional, the story is trite, and the dialogue is boring. I read it all the way through, but it never really captured my attention or my emotions. Continue reading →

Book Review: The Forgotten Sisters

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The Forgotten Sisters
The Forgotten Sisters by Shannon Hale

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love this series so much! Every book is wonderful!
In this book, Miri is asked to be a tutor at a Princess Academy for some distant cousins of the royal family. But Miri is not expecting to be teaching Poise, Elocution, and Etiquette in a backwoods swamp filled with reed huts, snakes, and alligators. As always, Miri is ready for a challenge, but when war threatens the peaceful country of Asland, the people are looking to Miri to solve their problems and bring peace. The political situation begins to unravel, and only Miri and her new Princess Academy students can expose the lies and deception that are plunging the country into a bloody war. Continue reading →

Book Review: Deerskin

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Deerskin
Deerskin by Robin McKinley

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.

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Book Review: Rebel Genius

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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 →

Book Review: Terrible, Horrible Edie

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Terrible, Horrible Edie
Terrible, Horrible Edie by Elizabeth C. Spykman

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A completely marvelous harbor summer on the beach, messing around with boats, camping out, fishing, surviving a hurricane, and of course catching a burglar or two. When the Cares spend their summer by the ocean, one thing is for certain, that the incomparable Edie will get into trouble in every chapter.

Edie is curious, resourceful, courageous, and has a deliciously rebellious and independent spirit. She is always generous and does her duty, but somehow trouble seems to follow her around. Her hilarious misconceptions about the world lead her into ridiculous situations, such as when she was certain that another Civil War must have started and the enemy were breaking into her house! Haha! Continue reading →

Book Review: Hawksmaid

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Hawksmaid: The Untold Story of Robin Hood and Maid Marian
Hawksmaid: The Untold Story of Robin Hood and Maid Marian by Kathryn Lasky

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Any story about Robin Hood is bound to be delightful, full of fun and adventure, but the addition of a Maid Marian who is obsessed with falconry, can talk to her hawks, and enlist their help in the fight against the evil Prince John… well, that is simply genius!

I adore Marian’s character, or Matty as she is known in her youth. She’s plucky and independent, brave and smart. She just wants to be one of the guys, hanging out with the Merry Men, doing the whole outlaw thing in Sherwood; and eventually, through her resourcefulness, she wins their respect and admiration. Continue reading →