Original Tag: https://thelittlebookowl.wordpress.com/2016/06/13/pellinor-book-tag-original/
The Questions:
1) The Gift – pick a book that kept on giving (a book that stayed with you after finishing)
2) The Riddle – pick a book that kept you guessing until the very end. Continue reading
fantasy
Book Review: Thursdays with the Crown
Thursdays with the Crown by Jessica Day George
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
In this third book of the series, Celie and her siblings and friends are whisked away to the mysterious land where the Castle came from. Evil wizards, poisoned lakes, and griffins abound, and Celie has to figure out what the truth is about the Castle’s history to find a way to get back home, save the griffins, and heal the Castle.
I didn’t like this book quite as much as the others, since there was a lot of confusion about who was lying and who was telling half-truths about the past. It made for a confusing plot, and I couldn’t tell who was Arkish and who was Hathelocke, who had control of the Castle first or who first trained griffins.
Also instead of sneaking through secret passageways in the Castle for some whimsical fun, the characters are mostly trekking through forest, starving, and hiding inside a massive crypt/tomb. This book is a little darker than the others. Continue reading
Book Review: Wednesdays in the Tower
Wednesdays in the Tower by Jessica Day George
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Another wonderful book in this series! I loved the first book so much, and wondered what direction the author would take next, and I was astounded with the magical scope of the story! Castle Glower holds so many secrets and magical enigmas, and I can’t wait to read the rest of the books.
In this book, Celie finds a mysterious orange egg that the Castle will let only her see. She hatches the egg, and cares for the newborn creature without letting anyone in the castle know about it. But her brother Bran, the Royal Wizard, finds Celie with her quickly-growing and mischievous pet, and the two have to find a way to protect the magical baby, and somehow protect the Castle from threats as well. Continue reading
Ilvermorny House Recs
Ilvermorny is the American version of Hogwarts, and here are my book recommendations for each of the Ilvermorny Houses!
What house are you in? Thunderbird, Horned Serpent, Pukwudgie, or Wampus? Continue reading
Book Review: Finding God in the Hobbit
Finding God in the Hobbit by Jim Ware
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I loved this in-depth look at the Christian themes found in the Hobbit! Tolkien is one of my top three favorite authors, so I was hanging on every word.
The author takes various characters, events, dialogue, and plot points from the Hobbit and then uses them to illustrate a Biblical truth. He really brought forth some excellent points that I had never thought of before! I loved how the author worked “around” a principle, and showed you all the facets and different sides, and then hammered it home simply and concisely. I loved the forceful writing style!
I wish that there had been more literary analysis though. It read more like a devotional book with personal stories, nuggets of wisdom, and a “thought for the day” kind of moral at the end of each chapter. I liked that, but I was hoping for more analysis of literary history, fairytale story structures, classical writing influences, Greek philosophy, etc…
In short, I wanted it to be more intellectual than it was.
But the devotional style of the book was good too! I enjoyed reading it so much, and I was even brought to tears a couple of times.
Book Review: The 13½ Lives of Captain Bluebear
The 13½ Lives of Captain Bluebear by Walter Moers
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Whimsical, wild, and hilarious! Imaginative, original, and wacky! I’m trying to find some good adjectives to describe this book, but none of them do it justice. I have never read anything quite like this! There are just so many things that are thrown together in this story… it defies categorization.
Bluebear recounts his first 13 lives, which range from adventures with the tiny Mini-Pirates to the Babbling Billows (waves who talk), and onward to a pterodactyl, a deceitful Troglotroll, desert nomads, and a professor with seven brains. You never know what insane character or monster is going to pop into the story next! There are a lot of supporting characters, and they are all wacky and weird with their own detailed history and their own quirks and habits. Continue reading
Grandma’s House Recent Reads
Book Review: The Girl Who Ruled Fairyland – For a Little While
The Girl Who Ruled Fairyland – For a Little While by Catherynne M. Valente
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I enjoyed this little short story, and was delighted to see the beginnings of Mallow’s adventures. It’s strange how I got used to thinking of her as the bad guy, but she really is such an interesting and complex character, that she doesn’t fit into the “bad guy” box. She’s so much more.
As always, I adore Valente’s whimsical and brilliant writing style. There are lots of delightful plot twists and surprises in this story, but it’s too short to really have much development.
A wonderful addition to the Fairyland series!
Book Review: The Box of Delights
The Box of Delights by John Masefield
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
When Kay comes home for the holidays, he meets a strange man who warns him, “The Wolves are running,” and entrusts him with a magical Box to keep safe. The evil Abner Brown is after the box with his gang of kidnappers and cutthroats, and when people begin disappearing in Kay’s town, Kay must use the Box to travel into the Past to save his friends.
I had high expectations for this book, and while I did enjoy it, I was a little disappointed. The plot has many gaping holes in it, the characters act in ways that don’t really make sense, and I never did figure out WHY exactly the villains wanted to steal the Box of Delights.
The one thing that lived up to my expectations was the Box of Delights itself. I loved the fairies, mouselings, and Herne the Hunter, and magical ladies of light, the Greeks, and pirates and Roman soldiers. All the butterflies, birds, and bees that helped Kay escape from the wolves were just beautiful written and wonderfully charming. All that magic was exactly what I wanted from this book! Continue reading
Book Review: The Clockwork Three
The Clockwork Three by Matthew J. Kirby
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is the story of three unlikely children living in a big city, where they find adventure, mystery, and even a little bit of magic. These children start their stories alone, but each meet the others along the way and learn to trust and rely on one another.
Guiseppe is a street musician, who finds a magical green violin. Frederick is an apprentice clockmaker and an orphan, who is determined to create a marvelous automaton. Hannah is a poor maid with an ailing father, who is desperate to get money for her family.
On the surface their problems seem simple, but the deeper the story goes, the more complex their difficulties become. Continue reading
