fiction

Book Review: Catch the Zolt

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Catch the Zolt
Catch the Zolt by Phillip Gwynne
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the story of Dom, who is told on his 15th birthday that his family owes an ancient debt to the Italian mafia. When every male family member reaches 15 years old, they are forced to do 6 difficult tasks for the Debt or the Debt will cut off an arm or leg, taking their “pound of flesh” in payment.

I loved that the whole “pound of flesh” thing is from Shakespeare, although the Bard is never mentioned.

Dom is a wonderful character with depth and interest. He has a crush on his best friend, the girl next door. He has a fun dynamic of mutual teasing with his siblings. He trains as a runner, and is obsessed with running. He’s just a well-rounded character, and a great POV for the whole story. Continue reading →

Book Review: My Side of the Mountain

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My Side of the Mountain
My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Every kid thinks about running away at one point or another; few get farther than the end of the block. Young Sam Gribley gets to the end of the block and keeps going–all the way to the Catskill Mountains of upstate New York. There he sets up house in a huge hollowed-out tree, with a falcon and a weasel for companions and his wits as his tool for survival. In a spellbinding, touching, funny account, Sam learns to live off the land, and grows up a little in the process. Blizzards, hunters, loneliness, and fear all battle to drive Sam back to city life. But his desire for freedom, independence, and adventure is stronger. No reader will be immune to the compulsion to go right out and start whittling fishhooks and befriending raccoons.

I am certainly not an outdoorsy person, but I loved this book so much! What an adventure to live off the land all alone in the woods!
The writing is charming, Sam’s character is full of pluck and resourcefulness, and I was completely involved in every little woodsy adventure. Continue reading →

Alphabetical Bookshelves

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First, I arranged all my books alphabetically on the floor around the bed in piles for each letter. Then, I started placing them on the shelves around the room. It took a long time…. about 6 hours in total. But now they are beautifully organized by author’s last name!
How do you organize your books?

Books for MKs is a charity organization that donates books to missionary kids on the foreign mission field all over the world.

Donate now at http://www.gofundme.com/booksformks to help these children get reading material!

Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE, LIKE, and COMMENT!

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/thekai05
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October REading

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Minion Book Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2vjeGKMv-U
Frankenstein Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JUxl5411AM
Curious Incident of Dog in Nighttime REview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qV0qM8z2aHw
Novels and Nonsense: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUfP0El1vakyfkkXbyJwy0Q
Brunette Bibliophile: https://www.youtube.com/user/Just4Teens2012/featured

Books for MKs is a charity organization that donates books to missionary kids on the foreign mission field all over the world. Donate now at http://www.gofundme.com/booksformks to help these children get reading material!

Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE, LIKE, and COMMENT!

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/thekai05
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/booksformks
Instagram: http://instagram.com/thekai05/

Book Review: The Revenge of the Shadow King

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The Revenge of the Shadow King
The Revenge of the Shadow King by Derek Benz
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Max Sumner and his three best friends, Harley, Ernie, and Natalia–who form the secret club The Grey Griffins–seem to be the only people in their very normal Minnesota town to notice that strange things have started to happen. When creatures like goblins and fairies and unicorns, all characters from a card game the Grey Griffins play, begin to make appearances in Max’s backyard, Max and his friends know something is terribly wrong. And it’s up to them to stop the wicked creatures of the cards from destroying their town-indeed, their world. – GoodReads

I liked this book pretty well, but it wasn’t amazing or anything. Most of the characters, plot, and writing were very trite and redundant. But there were a few really good scenes that kept me interested enough to finish reading the book.

The writing keeps stating the obvious over and over again, and has a problem with “telling” instead of “showing”. The writing is mostly good and interesting, but I never really got lost in the story. I never forgot that I was reading a book. Continue reading →

Book Review: The White Dragon

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The White Dragon
The White Dragon by Anne McCaffrey
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This 3rd book in the Pern series follows Jaxom who has the only albino dragon in the world. He and his dragon, Ruth, set out to prove that they can do anything regular dragons can do, fly together, fight in the skies, travel “between” and through time. Through their adventures, they discover even more talents that other dragons do not have, such as understanding the mischievous little fire-lizards. When all of Pern is in danger, and Jaxom’s lady-love is threatened, Jaxom and Ruth will need all their talents and the help of their friends to save the world!

I love Anne McCaffrey’s writing! She puts together these strings of events that follow one upon another in a meandering story-arc that finally comes full circle. In this book, we see Jaxom growing up, fighting for his dragon rights, breaking the rules, and ultimately finding his place in the world. But underneath the overall story, there are a thousand little details that bring the story to life! Continue reading →

Book Review: Frankenstein

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Frankenstein
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book is nothing like any of the movies, and very different from what I expected it to be. The parts that are usually the iconic moments – the “alive!” birth of the monster, the final fatal confrontation of the creator and his monster, etc… – these were brushed over in two sentences, and other scenes were described in detail, drawn out, and dwelt on. I liked the direction the story took!

I loved the over-the-top gothic drama; it was actually so ornate and dramatic that it became funny at times! The style reminded me of Ann Radcliffe’s gothic romance mysteries. Continue reading →

Book Review: Minion

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Minion
Minion by John David Anderson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Michael Morn might be a villain, but he’s really not a bad guy. When you live in New Liberty, there are no Supers and only two kinds of people: those who turn to crime and those who suffer. Michael and his adoptive father spend their days building boxes—special devices with mysterious abilities—that they sell to the mob at a price. They provide for each other, they look out for each other, and they’d never betray each other.

But then a Super comes to town, and Michael’s world is thrown into disarray. The Comet could destroy everything Michael and his dad have built, the safe and secure life they’ve made for themselves. And now Michael and his father face a choice: to hold tight to their life or to let it unravel. -GoodReads

This is such a fantastic book! A perfect companion novel to SideKicked. This story is told from the perspective of the “bad guys” and criminals, hoping not to be caught by the superheroes. It’s not a sequel to SideKicked though, because all the characters are new. Different people, different city, different story.

I thought it was very interesting that the word “minion” comes from and old French word “mignon” meaning “darling”. It explores the meaning of good and evil and the limits of family relationships, friendships, and romance. Really deep stuff, but told with such an action-filled plot and beautifully complex characters. This book tugged at my soul! Continue reading →

Book Review: Assassin’s Apprentice

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Assassin's Apprentice
Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Young Fitz is the bastard son of the noble Prince Chivalry, raised in the shadow of the royal court by his father’s gruff stableman. He is treated as an outcast by all the royalty except the devious King Shrewd, who has him secretly tutored in the arts of the assassin. For in Fitz’s blood runs the magic Skill—and the darker knowledge of a child raised with the stable hounds and rejected by his family.

As barbarous raiders ravage the coasts, Fitz is growing to manhood. Soon he will face his first dangerous, soul-shattering mission. And though some regard him as a threat to the throne, he may just be the key to the survival of the kingdom. -GoodReads

I love epic fantasy, and this book is the epitome of all that is good in fantasy! It has everything a good book should have – diverse characters, unique magic system, action, suspenseful plot, danger, intrigue, and of course, wonderful character development.

I was enchanted with the entire story, and immediately fell in love with Fitz! His unique perspective on the world of the Six Duchies and the royal court was exciting to read about. Continue reading →