September Reading

This is the video in which I mispronounce every author’s name! Stay tuned for bloopers at the end!
Ex Libris: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPgU4bvvAPh1wRYDvdQia1Q
60 Second Book Review- Conspiracy 365: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6Q_y4H3k-o

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!

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Let’s Talk: Edgar Rice Burroughs

What is your favorite book by Burroughs? What is your favorite classic pulp fiction?
The Adventuring BookWorm: https://www.youtube.com/user/AdventuringBookworm

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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Book Series Review: Conspiracy 365

Conspiracy 365 by Gabrielle Lord: http://c0397.myubam.com/p/1006/conspiracy-365-january-book-1
Julia at Books Under the Bed: https://www.youtube.com/user/je1suis1julz

JanuaryFebruaryMarchApril

Scroll down to see in-depth reviews of all four books!

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January
January by Gabrielle Lord
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

On New Year’s Eve, Cal is chased down the street by a staggering, sick man with a deadly warning They killed your father. They’ll kill you. You must survive the next 365 days. Hurled into a life on the run the 15-year-old fugitive is isolated and alone. Hunted by the law and ruthless criminals, Cal must somehow uncover the truth about his father’s mysterious death and a history-changing secret. Who can he turn to, who can he trust, when the whole world seems to want him dead? The clock is ticking. Any second could be his last. -GoodReads

I was very pleasantly surprised by this book, since it is not really the genre I normally read. What drew me into the action and adventure was the puzzle aspect of the story… the mysterious drawings, the enigma of the Ormond Singularity, the bad guys hiding in the shadows. The suspense is high, we don’t know who to trust, and we have to question everything as the plot unfolds! I couldn’t stop reading! Continue reading

Book Review: Sidekicked

Sidekicked
Sidekicked by John David Anderson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I adored this book from start to finish! It surprised me, made me laugh, tugged at my heartstrings, and made me think about the meaning of good and evil. Brilliant writing, a delightful story, and a compelling and likable main character! I love it!

The story is told from Drew’s perspective, who is a teen sidekick-in-training with a super that has abandoned the superhero community. As Drew tries to convince his super to come back and fight against evil, the other sidekicks are having difficulties as well, especially once an old archenemy returns and begins kidnapping supers. The best thing about it is that Drew’s superpower is his supersenses; super-hearing, super-smell, and super-sight.

I loved Drew’s character, because I always love the underdog. I immediately Continue reading

Classic Children’s Lit. Recommendations

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Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/booksformks
Rachael’s Page Turners: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXPFPutRRDERMyIHfrEAmDQ

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!

Graphic Novel Review: Friends With Boys

Friends With Boys
Friends With Boys by Faith Erin Hicks
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“After years of homeschooling, Maggie is starting high school. It’s pretty terrifying.
Maggie’s big brothers are there to watch her back, but ever since Mom left it just hasn’t been the same.
Besides her brothers, Maggie’s never had any real friends before. Lucy and Alistair don’t have lots of friends either. But they eat lunch with her at school and bring her along on their small-town adventures.
Missing mothers…distant brothers…high school…new friends… It’s a lot to deal with. But there’s just one more thing.
MAGGIE IS HAUNTED.
” – GoodReads

I enjoyed this graphic novel so much! The artwork is beautiful, and I love the use of shadow and light to bring emphasis or attention to a particular character or one side of the page or panel. Just brilliant! The art really tells a big part of the story. Continue reading

Book Review: ArchEnemy

ArchEnemyArchEnemy by Frank Beddor
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

“The Heart Crystal’s power has been depleted, and Imagination along with it. The people of Wonderland have all lost their creative drive, and most alarmingly, even Queen Alyss is without her powers. But at least the vicious Redd Heart seems to be similarly disabled. Amazingly, she is attempting to team up with her enemy, Alyss, in order to reclaim Wonderland from King Arch. Alyss might have no choice but to accept Redd’s overtures, especially when she begins to receive alarming advice from the caterpillar oracles. . . .”  -GoodReads

(This review is Spoiler Free!)

I thought this was the perfect ending for the Looking Glass Wars trilogy! A big climactic battle at the end and then everything resolved. The world of Wonderland is so imaginative and magical, and I loved how it connects with Earth. Wonderland is very different from the Lewis Carroll books, and has such a cool twist on the White Rabbit, the Queen of Hearts, the whole cast of Wonderland characters, and even Alyss herself! Continue reading

Children’s Book Reviews: “Hairdo You Do?” and “Lap On, Lap Off”

Hairdo You Do? by Alina Kazarian
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This little book is completely adorable! The author is a young girl who has lovely hair, which she likes to style in different ways for different occasions. In this book, she tells about the different hair styles for each activity, sleeping, dancing, playing, going to school or a friend’s house. The cutest part is that it is all told in rhyme! Continue reading

Book Review: Manga Classics: The Scarlet Letter

Manga Classics: The Scarlet Letter
Manga Classics: The Scarlet Letter by Stacy King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I am so impressed with this graphic novel! The artwork is beautiful and each panel shows a clear story. The classic story of the Scarlet Letter is condensed but retains its integrity, and the characters are powerfully depicted. The tension and emotion of the story really comes through in the art and dialogue. Even small changes in the coloring or lighting show a change in mood or scene, and as the characters develop and change through the story, their appearance slightly changes to reflect that as well. Continue reading

Graphic Novel Review: In Real Life

In Real Life
In Real Life by Cory Doctorow
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“Anda loves Coarsegold Online, the massively-multiplayer role-playing game where she spends most of her free time. It’s a place where she can be a leader, a fighter, a hero. It’s a place where she can meet people from all over the world, and make friends.

But things become a lot more complicated when Anda befriends a gold farmer–a poor Chinese kid whose avatar in the game illegally collects valuable objects and then sells them to players from developed countries with money to burn. This behavior is strictly against the rules in Coarsegold, but Anda soon comes to realize that questions of right and wrong are a lot less straightforward when a real person’s real livelihood is at stake.”  – GoodReads

 

I love this story! The artwork is so gorgeous, and I love how the colors subtly change between the real and virtual worlds. The story is really compelling and interesting, and I like that in the beginning Anda is a newb in the game, so that we get to discover the virtual reality along with her and learn about the Coarsegold world. Continue reading