Watch Part 1 of my Bookshelf Tour- Antiques: https://youtu.be/3FH2DMiqLk0
Go to Part 2 of my Bookshelf Tour- Classics: https://youtu.be/l7UL7EglqT0
fantasy book
Book Review: Red Riding Hood
Red Riding Hood
by Sarah Blakley-Cartwright (Goodreads Author), David Leslie Johnson, Catherine Hardwicke
by Sarah Blakley-Cartwright (Goodreads Author), David Leslie Johnson, Catherine Hardwicke
1 out of 5 stars on GoodReads
Valerie’s sister is killed by the horrible Wolf. Valerie has to choose to marry the rich young blacksmith, or run away with her childhood friend, Peter, who is an outcast.
I’m DNFing this stupidity. Boring. Instalove of the worst kind. Mediocre writing. Rotten characters. Bleh.
I got to page 88, and had to quit. When they agree to run away together after having only exchanged about twenty words and one moonlit horseback ride, I’m done with this nonsense.
It also annoyed me that the girls run off in the middle of the night to the boys’ camp to flirt with them. What was the point of that whole scene?
Book Review: The Wonderling
The Wonderling
by Mira Bartok
by Mira Bartok
4 out of 5 stars on GoodReads
I was delighted with this book about a half-human, half-fox orphan in search of a destiny beyond the four walls of his grim orphanage. Known only as Number 13, the Wonderling is forced to work in the orphanage factory, until a new friend, a tiny bird creature named Trinket, convinces him to escape into the wide world and seek his destiny in the big city.
One of the best things about this book is the rich language and beautiful writing. It really evokes a magical mood into the story, and makes even little details seem important and meaningful. Even though some of the elements of the story are not exactly original (the grim orphanage, the tough streets of a Victorian city, the Dickensian tropes), it’s the writing style that gives it a fresh feeling and an authentic voice.
Book Review: 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: No Passengers Beyond This Point
No Passengers Beyond This Point by Gennifer Choldenko
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
When three siblings get on a plane to go live with their Uncle Red, they are whisked away to a mysterious land of Falling Bird, where they must choose to become citizens, or remain passengers and try to return home. The temptations are many, and the siblings have to deal with their grief over leaving their old home, and decide if they truly are willing to step into a new adventure with their Uncle Red. Each of the children deals with their turmoil in a different way, and they make emotional choices in the face of danger.
The plot is all over the place, and there are a lot of things that are left unexplained. Continue reading
Book Review: The Soldiers of Halla
The Soldiers of Halla by D.J. MacHale
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I’m so happy with this last book in the series. There were a lot of questions answered and mysteries solved, and somehow it all finally made sense. I loved seeing all the story threads from previous books coming together, and all the settings being revisited.
There was a big information dump near the beginning that got a little tedious, but at least all that stuff was explained finally. But other than that, the writing is (as always) funny, serious, well-paced, compelling, heart-wrenching, with a sense of urgency that keeps you reading.
I was completely riveted with the plot, the action, and the characters! I cried a few times, and I was laughing at other times. I was utterly invested in the story.
After sticking with these characters through 10 books, it was so rewarding to see them growing into these amazing people, coming into their own, and I was cheering them on, fighting their battles alongside them. They are like real people to me now. Continue reading
Book Review: Ship of Destiny
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Usually I love Robin Hobb’s books, but there are so many things that annoyed me about this one. It’s entirely too long and repetitive. It could have been about 200 pages shorter. There are too many POVs flip-flopping all over the place in every chapter. I HATE it when a POV changes in the middle of a orscene! And there are about 10 or 11 different POV characters in the book. Too many! Continue reading
“Wildwood”, and “Under Wildwood” by Colin Meloy
Wildwood and Under Wildwood – The epic middle-grade fantasy series full of magic, wonder, and danger—compared to an American Narnia—from Colin Meloy,
Luminous Libro 