book reviews

Book Review: The Wizard’s Dilemma

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The Wizard's Dilemma
The Wizard’s Dilemma by Diane Duane

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Yet another book in this series that broke my heart! Such beautiful writing!

Nita gets the terrible news that her mother is dying of cancer. In between hospital visits, Nita searches for a dangerous and elusive wizardry that will cure her mother, but the price may be more than she can pay. She and her wizarding work partner, Kit, have suffered a misunderstanding that keeps them apart. Determined to find a cure on her own, Nita falls prey to the evil Lone One, not realizing that Kit might have stumbled on the answer to all their problems, if only they can reconcile in time!

As in all the other books, I adore the camaraderie and complete trust between Kit and Nita. Their friendship is so special, and seeing it fall apart in this book was heartbreaking. But even through their argument, I loved seeing these characters grow and change, and their friendship ultimately grows and changes along with them. All friendships have some rocky spots, a few bumps in the road, and I was so happy to see how both these characters overcome the obstacles in their way, and it makes them better people, and makes their friendship stronger! Continue reading →

Book Review: The Tragedy of Macbeth

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The Tragedy of Macbeth
The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare

My rating: 1 of 5 stars

There are several reasons why I did not like this adaptation of Macbeth.

1. It’s supposed to be rewritten for children, but the vocabulary is NOT age-appropriate . Even if a preteen was reading it, there are too many big words that a child would not know . If you were reading this to a child, you would have to stop after every sentence and explain half the words! Continue reading →

Picture Book Review: Argyle Fox

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Argyle Fox
Argyle Fox by Marie Letourneau

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

So much adorableness!!!!! I want to read it again and again, and I’m 35 years old. I don’t care! So cute!
Little Argyle wants to play outside, but the strong wind keeps messing up his games, knocking down his fort, and blowing away his hat. He decides that he hates playing in the wind, and sulks indoors until his mother tells him to think carefully of something that would be good to play in the wind. Argyle thinks carefully and creatively to come up with the perfect solution!

Cute little Argyle!! So sweet!! He’s full of imagination and really pours himself into his games. Reminds me of me when I was little; I was a very imaginative child who played lots of elaborate games of “pretend” with my siblings. Argyle plays pirates, dresses up like a spider, builds a castle fort, becomes a famous soccer star, and fights a dragon! I love this kid! Continue reading →

Picture Book Review: Milo and Georgie

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Milo and Georgie
Milo and Georgie by Bree Galbraith

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Milo and Georgie have to move to a new town, and Milo is so upset that he won’t go outside to explore their new neighborhood. But Georgie loves their new house, and wants to explore. Milo ties a string of yarn around her and lets her loose on the neighborhood, but when he tugs on the yarn twice, Georgie is supposed to come home. One day, Milo tugs on the yarn, but Georgie doesn’t respond! Milo has to go looking for his sister, and discovers a whole neighborhood full of new friends! Continue reading →

Book Review: The Everything Guide to Meditation

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The Everything Guide to Meditation for Healthy Living: Reduce Stress, Improve Health, and Increase Longevity
The Everything Guide to Meditation for Healthy Living: Reduce Stress, Improve Health, and Increase Longevity by David R. Dillard-Wright

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A comprehensive look at many different meditation traditions and styles from different religions and beliefs, along with their development, prominent figures in history, and explanations of how to practice each meditation style. It includes easy meditation for beginners all the way up to more advanced techniques.

I found a lot of good ideas about how to deepen my meditation practice, and I was inspired by many of the concepts and quotes, but some of the religious and mystical practices were way too creepy and/or strange.

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Book Review: The Society of Unrelenting Vigilance

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The Society of Unrelenting Vigilance
The Society of Unrelenting Vigilance by Glenn Dakin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Loved it! This book is fantastic, and I can’t wait to get my hands on the next one!
Reading it the second time, I still found this book really enjoyable. The mysteries of the past haunting everyone, the suspenseful magic being revealed, the ghoulish setting with steam punky elements everywhere… I loved it all!

I found the main character, Theo, to be an enigma, and that kept my attention throughout the book. Due to his secluded upbringing, he is weird and has strange ideas. He doesn’t know how to act in society, so he is deliciously awkward and doesn’t even know it. Watching him rediscover the world provided so much comedic relief in this book.

I was grossed out by the slime and the melting eyeball faces towards the end, but I’ll bet boys would love that kind of thing.

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Book Review: Sir Percy Leads the Band

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Sir Percy Leads the Band
Sir Percy Leads the Band by Emmuska Orczy

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Scarlet Pimpernel is at it again, saving aristocrats from the guillotine, eluding the evil Citizen Chauvelin, and doing it all with flare! With his own band of merry men, Percy is a Robin Hood for the French Revolution, but now dissension and betrayal within his group of trusted men might just be enough to bring the Scarlet Pimpernel to his knees.

This time the Scarlet Pimpernel is rescuing a humble priest, who heard the last confession of King Louis XVI before he was sent to his death at the guillotine. I love how these books always add in some true historical facts! Continue reading →

Book Review: A Wizard Abroad

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A Wizard Abroad
A Wizard Abroad by Diane Duane

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Nita is shipped off to Ireland to stay with her Aunt Annie for a few weeks. The barriers between Ireland and the Old World of Tir na nOg are thin, and Nita must help the Irish wizards to ward off nightmare creatures from the past. Legends and monsters from Irish legend come into the realm of reality, and only Nita and her friends have the magical power and the connections to stop them.

As always, it is utterly impossible to describe the wonder, the grandeur, the sheer enchantment of a book by Diane Duane. There’s something so indescribably foreign and deliciously familiar in all her characters. Continue reading →

Book Review: The Time Garden

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The Time Garden
The Time Garden by Edward Eager

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another brilliant book in this series! This time Roger and Ann, and their cousins, are packed off to the seaside for the summer, and discover a garden of thyme where a froggy Natterjack uses the magic of thyme to send them back in time on various adventures.

I love how random and funny the magical adventures are, and how the cousins all have different reactions to the time-traveling situations they get into. Eliza is always jumping in and taking action without thinking it through first. Roger is sensible and worried about keeping everyone safe and doing the right thing. Ann is compassionate and sweet and takes the time to notice other people and their needs. Then there’s Jack, who is growing up into teenhood, has little interest in magic, and starts noticing girls.

There is something so wholesome and delightful about each of these books that keeps me reading and coming back again and again!

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