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Book Review: The Philosophy Resistance Squad

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The Philosophy Resistance Squad by Robert Grant

The Philosophy Resistance Squad
by Robert Grant

3 out of 5 stars

Milo begins the school year at his new school, one of the highest ranking schools in the world. He and his two best friends are thrilled to have been accepted into this elite school until they meet the headmaster, Dr. Pummelcrush. The older students act like mindless zombies, going to classes, eating the disgusting food, and never breaking any rules. Milo begins to suspect that they might be brainwashed. He discovers a garden hidden away on the school grounds. In the garden, he meets a teacher who used to teach philosophy (before the school banned the class because it made students think for themselves). Milo and his friends start to learn all they can about philosophy, hoping that an open mindset will help them to resist being brainwashed.

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Graphic Novel Review: Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge

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Star Wars by Ethan Sacks

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
by Ethan Sacks, Will Sliney (Illustrator)

2 out of 5 stars

I ended up DNFing this book after reading other reviews that say that Han Solo and Chewbacca are only in the first chapter. So I read the first chapter, tried the second chapter, got bored and gave up.

I don’t super love the art style. Han looks like his face is all distorted or something. The aliens look cool, but that’s because they are supposed to be distorted and weird-looking.

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Trilogy Review: The Lord of the Rings

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The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Lord of the Rings
by J.R.R. Tolkien

5 out of 5 stars

Frodo learns that a magic ring that was left to him by his Uncle Bilbo is incredibly dangerous. The wizard Gandalf warns Frodo that the Dark Lord is searching for the ring, and Frodo must leave his home in the Shire. A few of his loyal friends accompany him through the wilderness, hoping to discover a way to destroy the evil ring.

Every time I reread this trilogy, my heart soars and I get inspired! I just love the deep spiritual themes about friendship, grief, duty, honor, love, and courage. There have been many times in my life when I have faced a difficult circumstance and I found courage and hope in the examples of these characters. There is so much meaning behind every scene. There is always another layer to unpack and explore. I especially find encouragement in the Christian themes and imagery. Tolkien’s writings are saturated with faith.

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Book Review: Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder

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Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke

Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder (Hannah Swensen, #1)
by Joanne Fluke (Goodreads Author)

3.5 out of 5 stars

Hannah is the owner of the Cookie Jar bakery. When the delivery guy is late, she goes out to the alley and finds his body. Her brother-in-law is the police detective on the case, and he asks for Hannah’s help. She hears all the gossip at the bakery and their small town neighbors might be more willing to talk to her than to a police officer. Hannah begins to poke around, discovering secrets and mysteries, but only one clue will eventually lead to the killer.

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Book Review: If I Had Lunch with C.S. Lewis

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If I Had Lunch with C. S. Lewis by Alister E. McGrath

If I Had Lunch with C. S. Lewis: Exploring the Ideas of C. S. Lewis on the Meaning of Life
by Alister E. McGrath

4 out of 5 stars

The author postulates what subjects might arise if you had lunch with Lewis. Taking quotes from Lewis’ written works, we can guess what direction the conversation would take and generalize things that Lewis would probably say. However, this is not a book of imagined dialogue. It is a compilation of generalizations and paraphrases about what the author thinks Lewis would be likely to think and say on certain topics.

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Manga Review: Hamlet

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Manga Classics by Crystal S. Chan

Manga Classics: Hamlet (Modern English Edition)
by Crystal S. Chan (Adapter), William Shakespeare, Julien Choy (Artist), Michael Barltrop (Goodreads Author)

4 out of 5 stars

This manga adaptation of Williams Shakespeare’s Hamlet is the perfect way to introduce Shakespeare to readers who might feel intimidated by the original play. The text is modernized, but still captures the original style of Shakespeare. The entire play is intact, and all the beauty of Shakespeare’s words comes through wonderfully in this modern adaptation.

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Book Review: Harley James and the Peril of the Pirate’s Curse

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Harley James and the Peril of the Pirate's Curse by Leah Cupps

Harley James and the Peril of the Pirate’s Curse
by Leah Cupps (Goodreads Author)

3 out of 5 stars

Harley travels around the world with her archeologist dad, visiting historic sites and learning about ancient legends. While in Jamaica, Harley hears the legend of the Perla Azul (The Blue Pearl). If the pearl ever touches dry land, a hurricane and earthquake could wipe out the entire island. It already happened once before in 1692 when a young pirate boy witnessed the destruction of half the town of Port Royal. Most of the town sank below the waves and still lies buried in the sand. Harley and her friends discover that the pirate boy wrote a diary where he left behind clues to the pearl’s location in the sunken city. Harley has to find the pearl before her archeologist father and his diving team stumble across it and bring it back to land!

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Book Review- Explorer Academy: The Forbidden Island

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Explorer Academy by Trudi Trueit

Explorer Academy: The Forbidden Island (Explorer Academy, #7)
by Trudi Trueit (Goodreads Author), Scott Plumbe (Illustrator)

5 out of 5 stars

In this final book of the series, Cruz and his friends are looking for the final piece of the puzzle that his mother left for him before she died. With time running out, the bad guys will take any risk to stop Cruz from finishing his quest. Dangers surround Cruz on every side, and someone close to him is feeding information to the enemy.

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Book Review: Harley James and the Mystery of the Mayan Kings

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Harley James and the Mystery of the Mayan Kings by Leah Cupps

Harley James and the Mystery of the Mayan Kings
by Leah Cupps (Goodreads Author)

3.5 out of 5 stars

Harley travels around the world with her archeologist dad, visiting historic sites and learning about ancient legends. While in Guatemala, Harley learns the legend of the three Mayan kings. If the statues containing their souls are ever reunited, the three kings could return with an army of the dead to conquer the world. Harley and her friends must stop thieves from stealing the statues. When she discovers a secret message, Harley doesn’t know who to trust.

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Book Review: Roswell High: The Wild One

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The Wild One by Melinda Metz

The Wild One (Roswell High, #2)
by Melinda Metz (Goodreads Author)

3 out of 5 stars

Isabel meets a mysterious boy at school who seems to have some sort of power over her. She is wildly attracted to him, despite all her friends telling her that he is dangerous. Could he be an alien too?

Isabel is really idiotic in this book as she ignores all the red flags about this mystery guy. He is bad news, and she just doesn’t care. She throws away every good relationship in her life and gets into some serious trouble with Sheriff Valenti tracking down aliens in Roswell.

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