books

Non Fiction Review: Understanding the Lord of the Rings

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Understanding The Lord Of The Rings by Rose A. Zimbardo

Understanding The Lord Of The Rings: The Best of Tolkien Criticism
by Rose A. Zimbardo (Editor), Neil D. Isaacs (Editor)

4 out of 5 stars

This collection of essays brings together positive criticism of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, diving deep into the literary modes and philosophic views that make his work so lasting and impactful. Exploring the meaning behind the myth, we learn about good and evil and Tolkien’s deep faith in Christ. Analyzing his literary style, we learn about fairy tales, the universal truth behind every myth, and Tolkien’s ideas of sub-creation. We get to consider the history of the hero quest going all the way back to ancient times and how that affects our ideas of hero worship today, and how Tolkien used different types of heroes in Lord of the Rings.

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Non Fiction Review: How the New Seven Wonders of the World Were Built

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How the New Seven Wonders of the World Were Built by Jiri Bartunek

How the New Seven Wonders of the World Were Built (How the Wonders Were Built, 2)
by Jiri Bartunek, Jiri Bartunek, Tom Velcovsky

4 out of 5 stars

This book tells how and why the seven wonders of the world were built and by whom. These are seven wonders that were chosen in 2007 by the “New7Wonders Foundation” in Switzerland. Temples, pyramids, tombs, statues, arenas, and towering walls; these incredible constructions astonish and amaze us whether they were erected hundreds of years ago or just within the last century.

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Book Review: Daring Darleen, Queen of the Screen

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Daring Darleen, Queen of the Screen by Anne Nesbet

Daring Darleen, Queen of the Screen
by Anne Nesbet (Goodreads Author)

5 out of 5 stars

Darleen is the star of silent films produced by her family’s film company just outside New York City. As part of a publicity stunt, they set up a fake kidnapping to bring more attention to their films, but something goes terrible wrong. Darleen gets trapped in the middle of a real kidnapping with a wealthy heiress, Victorine Berryman. Now the two girls must discover who the kidnappers are and stage a daring escape.

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Book Review: Melody Queen

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Melody Queen by Puneet Bhandal

Melody Queen (The Bollywood Academy)
by Puneet Bhandal (Goodreads Author)

5 out of 5 stars

Simi’s parents have always encouraged her to study acting as her career, since they are both actors as well. But Simi’s true passion is for composing and arranging music. However, the music industry in Bollywood is completely dominated by men composers. Not even Simi’s teachers at Bollywood Academy think it would be possible for her to break into such a difficult field. As Simi loses her dream, she sees her friends (who are male) pursuing music and writing hit songs. Simi doesn’t want to let her parents down, so she determines to just accept a career as an actress, even though her heart isn’t in it. But is that truly the right decision?

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Book Review: Five Little Peppers and How They Grew

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Five Little Peppers and How They Grew by Margaret Sidney

Five Little Peppers and How They Grew (Five Little Peppers, #1)
by Margaret Sidney

5 out of 5 stars

The Pepper family are quite poor, living in a small house in the country. They have five children who all get the measles, and poor little Polly is in serious danger. A kind doctor helps the family and nurses them back to health.
One day little four-year-old Fronzie Pepper is nearly kidnapped and is rescued by Jasper, a boy from a wealthy family on vacation in the country. The two families start up an unlikely friendship, leading to opportunities and adventures for the Pepper family.

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Book Review: JRR Tolkien A Life Inspired

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J.R.R. Tolkien by Wyatt North

J.R.R. Tolkien: A Life Inspired
by Wyatt North

4 out of 5 stars

This biography follows the life of JRR Tolkien from his childhood to his death. There are many little details from his life that shaped his personality, memories from childhood that are reflected in his fiction writings, and special people in his life who greatly influenced him.

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Classic Book Review: The Courts of the Morning

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The Courts of the Morning by John Buchan

The Courts of the Morning
by John Buchan

4 out of 5 stars

In this spin-off of the Richard Hannay series, we follow Hannay’s friend, Sandy Arbuthnot. Hannay himself only has a small part at the beginning where he sort of introduces the story, and Sandy takes it from there. Sandy runs into Archie Roylance and Janet vacationing on their honeymoon in South America. They join with old General Blenkiron in a small South American country to stop a business tycoon from staging a coup that could make political trouble all over the world. In the middle of a miner’s rebellion and all-out war with the government, Sandy meets the lovely Barbara. But there is no time for love when you have just kidnapped the most dangerous man in South America and are holding him hostage at a hideout in the jungle called “The Courts of the Morning”.

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Book Reviews: Woodwalkers #1-2

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Carag's Transformation by Katja Brandis

Carag’s Transformation (Woodwalkers #1)
by Katja Brandis, Rachel Ward  (Translation)

4.5 out of 5 stars

Carag is a shapeshifter, changing from his puma animal form into a human whenever he wants. But his family have always lived as pumas, rarely changing into their human shapes. Carag decides to leave his family and start a new life as a human, where he is placed with a foster family. But being a human is more difficult than he thought, and he finds it complicated to navigate through the nuances of human behavior. Carag begins to attend a special school for Woodwalkers who can shapeshift, and he makes enemies and friends along the way.

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Classic Book Review: David Copperfield

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David Copperfield by Charles Dickens

David Copperfield
by Charles Dickens

5 of 5 stars

David Copperfield relates the history of his life from his birth to adulthood. We follow him through his childhood and school years, his romantic attachments, his professional career, and his family connections. David begins life with his affectionate mother and his loyal nurse, Peggoty. But a new person enters David’s life and destroys their happiness. David has many troubles and challenges before he meets with his aunt, Betsy Trotwood, who takes him under her wing to be educated. David’s life is populated with heroes and villains, each with unique personalities. As their drama unfolds, David stands at the center of it all.

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Classic Book Review: North and South

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North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

North and South
by Elizabeth Gaskell

5 out of 5 stars

Margaret and her family move from their sunny country village to the bustling town of Milton. The cotton factories blacken the sky with smoke. The people seem unfriendly and rough. Margaret and her parents discover that the culture in this town is very different from the sleepy village life they are used to. Margaret’s father tutors students in the classics, but finds that most people in Milton are too busy working for their bread to worry about their education. His best student is Mr. John Thornton, a local manufacturer who owns a cotton mill. He is not what London society would call a gentleman, but he wants to improve his manners and education, so he begins tutoring with Margaret’s father. During their lessons, Mr. Thornton and Margaret quarrel over their different opinions, but underneath there is a strong respect for each other that could grow into something more.

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