books.
Book Review: Saturdays at Sea
Saturdays at Sea (Castle Glower, #5)
by Jessica Day George
by Jessica Day George
4 out of 5 stars on GoodReads
Celie and her family are far away from the Castle in the land of Grath, preparing for Lilah’s betrothal celebrations, and overseeing the construction of a Ship with components from the Castle. The Ship appears to have many of the same magical qualities that the Castle has, but can the Glower family trust that the Ship will protect and guide them, or does the Ship have its own agenda?
I adore the entire Glower family, and Celie is just as spunky and adventurous as always. I was interested to see this new side of the Castle-magic infused into the Ship, and the magical development in the story is wonderful! The plot drags a little bit at first, with lots of betrothal parties and parades, but once the Ship is at sea the adventure truly begins.
I really loved the mystery of the lost unicorns, and how that influenced so many of the characters and their decisions. I was especially interested in the differing reports they received about the history of the unicorns and why they were lost in the first place, which served as some interesting red herrings in the plot.
I only wish there were more books in this series! It’s a good ending, but I want more!
ANOTHER Book Haul
Book Review: The Mozart Season
The Mozart Season
by Virginia Euwer Wolff
by Virginia Euwer Wolff
4 out of 5 stars on GoodReads
Allegra is a violinist entering a prestigious Mozart music competition. At 12 years of age, she is the youngest finalist in the competition, and works closely with her violin teacher to be prepared. But as she memorizes the Mozart concerto, other things in her life begin to affect her music.
Her mother’s emotionally wounded friend, Deirdre, who is a genius vocalist, makes Allegra wonder about how pain can find a voice through music. Allegra’s grandmother, who escaped the Nazi death camps, urges Allegra to embrace her Jewish heritage, and Allegra reflects on her identity as a musician. And there is a mysterious homeless man who haunts all the local concerts in the park, dancing by himself in the back and searching for a song he can’t remember.
Her mother’s emotionally wounded friend, Deirdre, who is a genius vocalist, makes Allegra wonder about how pain can find a voice through music. Allegra’s grandmother, who escaped the Nazi death camps, urges Allegra to embrace her Jewish heritage, and Allegra reflects on her identity as a musician. And there is a mysterious homeless man who haunts all the local concerts in the park, dancing by himself in the back and searching for a song he can’t remember.
As a musician, I enjoyed this story so much. The writing is quite accurate about how one feels about learning music, and embracing it, and connecting with the composers; how you can make yourself crazy practicing too much, how your nerves will go haywire before or after a performance, how music shapes everything you do and everything you are.
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Classic Book Review: Love and Freindship
Love and Freindship, and Other Early Works
by Jane Austen
by Jane Austen
4 out of 5 stars on GoodReads
This hilarious collection of Jane Austen’s early attempts at writing show how witty and sharp she could be even at a young age. It’s such a pity that all the short stories here are unfinished.
I was laughing and chuckling at every page, because of the sketches of ridiculous characters in awkward situations.
I was laughing and chuckling at every page, because of the sketches of ridiculous characters in awkward situations.
“Love and Friendship” follows the life of Laura through her love-at-first-sight encounter with a handsome stranger, her ill-advised marriage, and how she was thrown upon the kindness of friends for financial support. It’s full of fainting women, comical misunderstandings, and a rich old grandfather who shows up at the most convenient times. Full of true Austenian satire. Continue reading
Book Review: Jennifer Murdley’s Toad
Jennifer Murdley’s Toad
by Bruce Coville, Gary A. Lippincott
by Bruce Coville, Gary A. Lippincott
4 out of 5 stars on GoodReads
Jennifer wishes she could be beautiful, but feels ugly and dumpy. When she buys a talking toad at the Magic Shop, her entire life changes, and she is whisked on an adventure where she will have to choose between pursuing beauty or saving her friends.
I loved this hilarious story, and read it all in one sitting! The madcap plot is full of surprises, and the snappy dialogue makes every page interesting. I enjoyed the magic system and how it interacts in strange ways with the modern world.
I thought Jennifer was sweet and REAL and beautifully awkward. Her family is quirky and weird, and her friends are peppery and unreliable. The best part of the book was Jennifer’s various relationships with her parents, siblings, and school friends, and of course, her magical talking toad.
I adored every chapter! Can’t wait to read more from this series.
Book Haul
Picture Book Review: Amelia Harehart
Wild Bios: Amelia Harehart
by Courtney Acampora,Maggie Fischer, Bonnie Pang
4 out of 5 stars on GoodReads
by Courtney Acampora,Maggie Fischer, Bonnie Pang
4 out of 5 stars on GoodReads
This board book introduces young readers to the famous Amelia Earhart, reimagined as a bunny.
The story describes her childhood in a “burrow” playing games with her sister and their dog “Furocious”. I especially enjoyed reading about how she built her own rollercoaster in her backyard, collected newspaper clippings of “furnominal” women to inspire “hareself”, and bought her first “hareplane” The Canary.
The story describes her childhood in a “burrow” playing games with her sister and their dog “Furocious”. I especially enjoyed reading about how she built her own rollercoaster in her backyard, collected newspaper clippings of “furnominal” women to inspire “hareself”, and bought her first “hareplane” The Canary.
It’s so hilarious to read all the funny animal words included in the story, like “anybunny” and “hopstacle.” Those details in the writing are what make the book so special.
The illustrations are so adorable and bright! I really love the colorful lines and pleasant expressions of the characters. I also loved the charming details in the background of each page, like a little yellow canary bird that flies with Amelia as her copilot. Amelia looks brave and cheerful on every page, and her determination and spirit are celebrated throughout the book.
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Non-Fiction Book Review: Vlog Like a Boss
Vlog Like a Boss: How to Kill It Online with Video Blogging
by Amy Landino (Goodreads Author)
by Amy Landino (Goodreads Author)
4 out of 5 stars on GoodReads
I got some really good ideas from this book, and got inspired to polish up my vlogging in a more professional way. Some of the tips were things that I already knew or had learned myself from over 4 years of vlogging on YouTube, but some of the advice was new to me. I wish that I had read this book when I was first starting out, and I might have grown my brand much more quickly.
I like that the author goes in depth into the structure of a video, how to engage your audience, how to film with good lighting, how to promote your brand, how to include a call to action for new subscribers, how to set up a collaboration with another vlogger or company, and a dozen other subjects that come up in the world of vlogging and interacting through social media. And she gives examples, and practical tips, and good solid ideas, that you can immediately use to create a plan and take action.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in vlogging, filming, and creating their own brand on social media.
Graphic Novel Review: Midas
Midas
by Ryan North , Shelli Paroline , Braden Lamb
by Ryan North , Shelli Paroline , Braden Lamb
4 out of 5 stars on GoodReads
Captain Joey and her space crew are approaching a hidden planet, known only in the ancient past as Earth. They have heard rumors that a weapon transformed the entire planet into gold, and they are searching for that weapon to protect their people against the dreaded Federation. But when the “weapon” turns out to be the perfectly preserved body of the legendary King Midas, can Joey and her friends still find a way to stop the power-crazed Federation general from enslaving their home planets?
This epic space saga covers a lot of ground, from the total destruction of several planets to long-forgotten mysteries of the ancient past, and Captain Joey and her intrepid crew are just the rebels to boldly adventure through it all and still find time for snarky one-liners and peppery dialogue. The plot is never dull, and does a good job of giving a lot of world-building information in small chunks that fit in with the action.
I was surprised at every turn in the plot, and I kept thinking, “There is no way they are gonna make it out of this one.” But somehow the team would pull through, only to be confronted by another impossible challenge! Continue reading
Luminous Libro 