Another hilarious recounting of the life and turbulent times of Stephanie Plum, bounty hunter. I would say that [[Janet Evanovich]] is drawing this story how long past its necessary conclusion, but at the same time, I hope she keeps writing them forever! Sometimes you want to yell at Stephanie to just choose between Joe and Ranger already, and at other times you want to see her take advantage of the fact that she has two gorgeous guys to play with. I feel like if she ever does choose then the series will end, but who knows. I'm sure there would be lots of laughs and mayhem in the wedding, honeymoon, and actual married life no matter who Stephanie ends up with. For the record, I hope it's Joe.
To be honest, I didn't like this book as much as I did [The Tipping Point], [Blink], and [Outliers]. The first several chapters were intriguing, though I admit that I almost stopped reading when he said that smaller class sizes don't make a difference in education - so glad he clarified that one! But the last few chapters were a little too much history (Civil Rights movement and the Protestant-Catholic conflict in Ireland) and not enough sociology. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy reading about history (well, some aspects of it), but I felt like he got away from the crux of what makes his books so good: the relevancy to everyday life. Plus he just seemed like he was recapping these major events in history and then , oh by the way, these people overcame challenges and came out stronger for it. It was if he was tacking his thesis statement on at the end.
Anyway, I'm a big fan of his other works so this won't keep me from reading books by him in the future. I'll just say that this one wasn't what I was hoping it would be.
Anyway, I'm a big fan of his other works so this won't keep me from reading books by him in the future. I'll just say that this one wasn't what I was hoping it would be.
Finally, there is closure! I waited 16 years for this book, between the time I read [Into the Land of the Unicorns] in 1994 and this final book in 2010. And four years later, when dealing with the grief that always comes at the end of a series (a different series) I decided to revisit this old favorite.
[[Bruce Coville]] takes this story in directions that I never world have expected, from the creation of the unicorns and Luster, to the philosophical notions of love, death, duty, friendship, parenthood, etc. You might hear this is a story about unicorns and dismiss it as a simple children's book, but I promise you it is so much more.
The final pursuit of the death of all unicorns by Beloved is at hand and only the combined will of all the people of Luster and friends of the unicorns can prevent the terrible plans that Beloved has spent centuries bringing to fruition.
[[Bruce Coville]] takes this story in directions that I never world have expected, from the creation of the unicorns and Luster, to the philosophical notions of love, death, duty, friendship, parenthood, etc. You might hear this is a story about unicorns and dismiss it as a simple children's book, but I promise you it is so much more.
The final pursuit of the death of all unicorns by Beloved is at hand and only the combined will of all the people of Luster and friends of the unicorns can prevent the terrible plans that Beloved has spent centuries bringing to fruition.
This is my second or third reading of a book that I waited for years to come out, I can definitely say that it did not disappoint! Bruce Coville's world of Luster has expanded so much since the first, rather short, book [Into the Land of the Unicorns] that I feel he's really understands that his readers are growing up and that the story needs to as well.
We see all of our favorite characters here: Cara, Lightfoot, the Squijim, the Dimblethum, M'Gama, Finder, Belle, and more. As well new characters to fall in love with: Fallon, Rajiv, Ian, and the never-before-encountered centaurs, as Cara undertakes a dangerous mission to discover the story about the Whisperer and the dark history that the unicorns don't want to remember. All of this is leading up to the final volume [The Last Hunt] when Beloved will make her final attempt to wipe the unicorns from existence forever.
I can say that I was a teen when I started this series, and, as an adult in her thirties, I never grow tired of it. [[Bruce Coville]] is just as adept as world building as some of the great fantasy storytellers. Don't let the fact that the characters are unicorns turn you off of this amazing series.
We see all of our favorite characters here: Cara, Lightfoot, the Squijim, the Dimblethum, M'Gama, Finder, Belle, and more. As well new characters to fall in love with: Fallon, Rajiv, Ian, and the never-before-encountered centaurs, as Cara undertakes a dangerous mission to discover the story about the Whisperer and the dark history that the unicorns don't want to remember. All of this is leading up to the final volume [The Last Hunt] when Beloved will make her final attempt to wipe the unicorns from existence forever.
I can say that I was a teen when I started this series, and, as an adult in her thirties, I never grow tired of it. [[Bruce Coville]] is just as adept as world building as some of the great fantasy storytellers. Don't let the fact that the characters are unicorns turn you off of this amazing series.
Fiona really is an immortal Faerie princess, and when she takes a vacation from her Aunt Mab’s court into New York City, she finds herself being stalked by a demon. Fortunately, Tobias Walker, a werewolf and Head of Security to the Alpha, comes to her rescue. As they grudgingly work together to discover why Fiona is unable to return home, why a demon (the enemy of the Fae and supposedly trapped in the Below) is running around New York, and what the King of the Unseelie Court has to do with it, the wolf and the princess realize that eternity looks pretty bleak when spent alone.
I’m definitely enjoying Warren’s Others series. She has incredibly well-fleshed out reoccurring characters, some of who are already married not just conveniently single friends to be the leads in other books. Her plots are also very believable (at least in a paranormal sense), especially when dealing with the politics of the supernatural world revealing itself to the human one. In other words, it is possible to enjoy this series on many levels.
I’m definitely enjoying Warren’s Others series. She has incredibly well-fleshed out reoccurring characters, some of who are already married not just conveniently single friends to be the leads in other books. Her plots are also very believable (at least in a paranormal sense), especially when dealing with the politics of the supernatural world revealing itself to the human one. In other words, it is possible to enjoy this series on many levels.
The Thief is a Newberry Honor Book.
These are beautifully well-written books, though I think that the kids might be a bit confused at the beginning of the story. I love that although the main character never changes throughout the series--it's always about Eugenides--the perspective of each book changes. The first is told from his point of view, the second from the queen's, and the third from the guardsman, but in each of them the story being told is still about Eugenides.
Gen is a thief, and after bragging about his skill lands him in jail, his only choice out is to accept the king's offer of stealing a pricelss artifact from an ancient temple. But through adventures, dangers, tradegies, and ironic love, Gen will always be the one in control.
I love these books! The twists are incredible (especially the one at the beginning of book two). Gen is such a real character and his obstacles are unique.
These are beautifully well-written books, though I think that the kids might be a bit confused at the beginning of the story. I love that although the main character never changes throughout the series--it's always about Eugenides--the perspective of each book changes. The first is told from his point of view, the second from the queen's, and the third from the guardsman, but in each of them the story being told is still about Eugenides.
Gen is a thief, and after bragging about his skill lands him in jail, his only choice out is to accept the king's offer of stealing a pricelss artifact from an ancient temple. But through adventures, dangers, tradegies, and ironic love, Gen will always be the one in control.
I love these books! The twists are incredible (especially the one at the beginning of book two). Gen is such a real character and his obstacles are unique.
Beatrice Shakespeare Smith (Bertie) grew up in an enchanted theatre where all the characters of all the plays ever written are alive and forever bound to the Theatre Illuminata. Her best friends are the faeries from A Midsummer’s Night Dream, with two hunky men—a sailor from The Little Mermaid and the ethereal air spirit from The Tempest—vying for her attention.
But there are questions and secrets about Bertie and the Theatre that will affect her future. What would happen if a character was ever able to leave the theatre? Will Bertie find a way to contribute and be allowed to stay? When one of Bertie’s admirers is kidnapped by an angry Sea Goddess, can she get him back? And most importantly, who is Bertie’s mother and how did she come to be in the theatre?
I love this series for the literary allusions as well, but I feel like you don't have to have a great deal of background knowledge to appreciate Bertie's plight. Great books for girls!
But there are questions and secrets about Bertie and the Theatre that will affect her future. What would happen if a character was ever able to leave the theatre? Will Bertie find a way to contribute and be allowed to stay? When one of Bertie’s admirers is kidnapped by an angry Sea Goddess, can she get him back? And most importantly, who is Bertie’s mother and how did she come to be in the theatre?
I love this series for the literary allusions as well, but I feel like you don't have to have a great deal of background knowledge to appreciate Bertie's plight. Great books for girls!
Yes, I've finally jumped on the bandwagon. Honestly, once I heard all the hype I was slightly reluctant to read it. After all, I waited until the Da Vinci Code to come out in paperback before I read it (which was about 4 or 5 years later)! Then I knew it was going to be a trilogy, so I figured why not wait until I could read them all without the horrible waiting period - like the years between Harry Potter books.
Anyway, despite having lots of work I should have been doing, I read Hunger Games in one sitting. I'm a big fan of dystopian novels so this was right up my alley, though with more action than these sort of novels usually have. I'm betting/hoping the second two books deal more with the intellectual aspects of government control, etc. I'm wondering how the mockingjays fit in. They talk them up so much that it must be foreshadowing.
It'll be a day or two before I can nab my copy of Catching Fire from my classroom - I have jury duty tomorrow. Yuck! But I plan to grab a copy of Halt's Peril in the meantime! ;-P
Anyway, despite having lots of work I should have been doing, I read Hunger Games in one sitting. I'm a big fan of dystopian novels so this was right up my alley, though with more action than these sort of novels usually have. I'm betting/hoping the second two books deal more with the intellectual aspects of government control, etc. I'm wondering how the mockingjays fit in. They talk them up so much that it must be foreshadowing.
It'll be a day or two before I can nab my copy of Catching Fire from my classroom - I have jury duty tomorrow. Yuck! But I plan to grab a copy of Halt's Peril in the meantime! ;-P
Carter and Sadie Kane are siblings with an unusual and unknown destiny. Although they were raised separately, they are from two lines of ancient magicians that are able to harness magic that has been wielded for centuries in an effort to contain the ancient Egyptian gods. But when their father goes missing while performing a forbidden ritual, they find out that there are many things they never knew and many that they must learn if they are to save their father, themselves, and the world from the evil Egyptian god, Set.
As action packed as Percy Jackson and the Olympians, but with an interesting sibling and family dynamic added. The greatest part is it exposes the reader to a mythology that is not as prevelant in our society. The Greeks influenced much of our western culture, but many of these myths are going to be new stories.
The one downside to reading this novel now, is that you'll have to wait until, at least, the spring to read the continued adventures of the Kanes. But it's worth it!
As action packed as Percy Jackson and the Olympians, but with an interesting sibling and family dynamic added. The greatest part is it exposes the reader to a mythology that is not as prevelant in our society. The Greeks influenced much of our western culture, but many of these myths are going to be new stories.
The one downside to reading this novel now, is that you'll have to wait until, at least, the spring to read the continued adventures of the Kanes. But it's worth it!
After Princess Annie’s older sister was cursed to prick her finger on a spinning wheel, her parents didn’t want her to be cursed in a similar fashion. So instead of receiving gifts of beauty and grace like most royalty in the land, Annie only got one gift – immunity to magic in any form. This comes in handy when her sister succumbs to the curse and takes the entire castle to sleep with her. Everyone except Annie, that is. She has to find a way to save the kingdom, defeat the ones who caused the curse, and perhaps even find love along the way.
Baker has proved that she has great talent for reinterpreting common fairy tales with great twists. This is Sleepy Beauty told from the perspective of a different character, effectively turning it into an entirely new story.
Baker has proved that she has great talent for reinterpreting common fairy tales with great twists. This is Sleepy Beauty told from the perspective of a different character, effectively turning it into an entirely new story.
I actually took notes from this one! I'm not sure how much I'll be able to incorporate into my instruction, but I definitely started thinking more about what I want kids to remember and how best to help them to do so. I recommend it for teachers everywhere!
Ever since I was a little girl, I have adored Christopher Reeve and his portrayal of my favorite superhero of all-time! This book came me a fascinating insight into the man who made that character come alive for me. He truly helped me to believe that a man could fly.
I loved the little extra tidbits that I learned about him and his life. I never knew that he was allergic to horses...you think he would have taken the hint. Or how much he loved to challenge himself physically. I'm astounded at the way he used his life-threatening injury and his celebrity status to help so many others.
He truly was a Superman.
I loved the little extra tidbits that I learned about him and his life. I never knew that he was allergic to horses...you think he would have taken the hint. Or how much he loved to challenge himself physically. I'm astounded at the way he used his life-threatening injury and his celebrity status to help so many others.
He truly was a Superman.
The latest installment in [The Frog Princess] series, Audun, the ice dragon, is in love with Millie, a princess of Greater Greensward who can turn herself into a dragon. But although Millie loves him in return, they cannot truly be together until Audun can earn the right and the knowledge to turn himself into a human. Only then can they share their lives.
However, before Audun can earn the right to be human (at least part of the time) he must complete a series of tasks for the dragon king, Stormclaw. Of course, this will lead him on adventures in far off places with strange new friends.
This is a wonderful addition to an adorable series. I enjoy the way it is growing and progressing as it introduces new characters and kingdoms.
However, before Audun can earn the right to be human (at least part of the time) he must complete a series of tasks for the dragon king, Stormclaw. Of course, this will lead him on adventures in far off places with strange new friends.
This is a wonderful addition to an adorable series. I enjoy the way it is growing and progressing as it introduces new characters and kingdoms.
I don't think I've ever actually read the tale of the Twelve Dancing Princesses, though I'm sure I've heard of it. I really enjoyed this story about those twelve sisters, told through the eyes of a thirteenth sister who is banished to the servants wing because her mother died in having her and her father never got a son and heir.
The story was well told; the characters fleshed out and the details all fit together nicely in the end. The kind of happily ever after that makes you sigh at the end as you turn the last page and close the cover.
The story was well told; the characters fleshed out and the details all fit together nicely in the end. The kind of happily ever after that makes you sigh at the end as you turn the last page and close the cover.
This lady was preaching to the choir! I love naps, so it was nice to finally receive some validation for my sleepy ways. In all seriousness, this was a pretty interesting book about how and when and how long to sleep if you want to achieve different effects. Sleeping at certain times and for certain lengths supposedly can increase creativity or alleviate sleep deficits, etc.
Anyway, if you're always tired during the day, check this one out for a look at how power naps can help you be more productive and alert.
Anyway, if you're always tired during the day, check this one out for a look at how power naps can help you be more productive and alert.
Read almost entirely between the hours of 12:45am and 6am late Friday night - early Saturday morning. Which is to say that I couldn't put it down!
To be completely honest....I didn't like these books. The author created a semi-interesting fantasy world (though nothing incredible), but only a very mediocre and vague plot. I continued to read hoping they would get better, but even the end was very anticlimatic (not that there was much buildup).
The books were written in journal form, not that is bad, but there was more random thoughts, about the environment, of the main character than any kind of plot advancement.
I'm ashamed to admit I skimmed through the last two and a half books, just to get through them. Wouldn't recommend anyone else even putting in that much effort.
And if you do, try to get them out of the library!
The books were written in journal form, not that is bad, but there was more random thoughts, about the environment, of the main character than any kind of plot advancement.
I'm ashamed to admit I skimmed through the last two and a half books, just to get through them. Wouldn't recommend anyone else even putting in that much effort.
And if you do, try to get them out of the library!
To be completely honest....I didn't like these books. The author created a semi-interesting fantasy world (though nothing incredible), but only a very mediocre and vague plot. I continued to read hoping they would get better, but even the end was very anticlimatic (not that there was much buildup).
The books were written in journal form, not that is bad, but there was more random thoughts, about the environment, of the main character than any kind of plot advancement.
I'm ashamed to admit I skimmed through the last two and a half books, just to get through them. Wouldn't recommend anyone else even putting in that much effort.
The books were written in journal form, not that is bad, but there was more random thoughts, about the environment, of the main character than any kind of plot advancement.
I'm ashamed to admit I skimmed through the last two and a half books, just to get through them. Wouldn't recommend anyone else even putting in that much effort.
To be completely honest....I didn't like these books. The author created a semi-interesting fantasy world (though nothing incredible), but only a very mediocre and vague plot. I continued to read hoping they would get better, but even the end was very anticlimatic (not that there was much buildup).
The books were written in journal form, not that is bad, but there was more random thoughts, about the environment, of the main character than any kind of plot advancement.
I'm ashamed to admit I skimmed through the last two and a half books, just to get through them. Wouldn't recommend anyone else even putting in that much effort.
The books were written in journal form, not that is bad, but there was more random thoughts, about the environment, of the main character than any kind of plot advancement.
I'm ashamed to admit I skimmed through the last two and a half books, just to get through them. Wouldn't recommend anyone else even putting in that much effort.
I know Tanith Lee is supposed to be a well-respected fantasy author, but I just didn't really like this series. The first one was okay because I liked the world that she was building, but 3 or 4 books later and I felt like that was all she did. There didn't seem to be much of a plot going on. Or if there was it was so subtle as to be uninteresting.
Maybe someday I'll give her another shot. *shrug*
Maybe someday I'll give her another shot. *shrug*
Fantastic YA books! These would be a great way to get kids interested in mythology. Percy Jackson finds out that his father is the Greek god Poseidon, and that there are other kids out there like him - demigods or half-bloods.
Artemis is missing and Percy, Grover, Annabeth, and new edition to the group, Thalia (forbidden daughter of Zeus) must find out who could have overpowered a goddess - before the winter solstice and the fate of the war with the titans is decided.
Artemis is missing and Percy, Grover, Annabeth, and new edition to the group, Thalia (forbidden daughter of Zeus) must find out who could have overpowered a goddess - before the winter solstice and the fate of the war with the titans is decided.
Fantastic YA books! These would be a great way to get kids interested in mythology. Percy Jackson finds out that his father is the
Greek god Poseidon, and that there are other kids out there like him - demigods or half-bloods.
In this book, Percy also finds out that he has a half-brother, Tyson, who is a cyclops!
Greek god Poseidon, and that there are other kids out there like him - demigods or half-bloods.
In this book, Percy also finds out that he has a half-brother, Tyson, who is a cyclops!
Fantastic YA books! These would be a great way to get kids interested in mythology. Percy Jackson finds out that his father is the greek god Poseidon, and that there are other kids out there like him - demigods or halfbloods.
Book 3 of a Trilogy
These were good. Mermaids, Atlantis, Britain, and an interesting concept about a race aliens that are like giant squids but very advanced and benevolent - in the end it ties in with the legend of King Arthur in an interesting way. I enjoyed it, though probably won't read them again.
These were good. Mermaids, Atlantis, Britain, and an interesting concept about a race aliens that are like giant squids but very advanced and benevolent - in the end it ties in with the legend of King Arthur in an interesting way. I enjoyed it, though probably won't read them again.
Book 2 of a Trilogy
These were good. Mermaids, Atlantis, Britain, and an interesting concept about a race aliens that are like giant squids but very advanced and benevolent - in the end it ties in with the legend of King Arthur in an interesting way. I enjoyed it, though probably won't read them again.
These were good. Mermaids, Atlantis, Britain, and an interesting concept about a race aliens that are like giant squids but very advanced and benevolent - in the end it ties in with the legend of King Arthur in an interesting way. I enjoyed it, though probably won't read them again.
Book 1 of a Trilogy
These were good. Mermaids, Atlantis, Britain, and an interesting concept about a race aliens that are like giant squids but very advanced and benevolent - in the end it ties in with the legend of King Arthur in an interesting way. I enjoyed it, though probably won't read them again.
These were good. Mermaids, Atlantis, Britain, and an interesting concept about a race aliens that are like giant squids but very advanced and benevolent - in the end it ties in with the legend of King Arthur in an interesting way. I enjoyed it, though probably won't read them again.
Sue Margolis is great at humorous chicklit! Rachel Katz is a British, Jewish, stand-up comedian. If that isn't a recipe for humor, I don't know what is!
While her obsessive-compulsive, slightly boring, dentist finance, Adam, is in South Africa for a month, Rachel meets Matt Clapton, the washing machine repairman. Matt is supportive where Adam is dismissive, he's manly where Adam is neat and tidy, and Matt wears a tool belt! Need I say more?
With a quirky neighbor, a senior citizen love affair, a ten-year old son obsessed with Barbra Streisand, and a midget named Tractor, this book will keep you laughing right up to the end!
While her obsessive-compulsive, slightly boring, dentist finance, Adam, is in South Africa for a month, Rachel meets Matt Clapton, the washing machine repairman. Matt is supportive where Adam is dismissive, he's manly where Adam is neat and tidy, and Matt wears a tool belt! Need I say more?
With a quirky neighbor, a senior citizen love affair, a ten-year old son obsessed with Barbra Streisand, and a midget named Tractor, this book will keep you laughing right up to the end!
Laurel travels back to Ireland one year her twin sister, Honor, mysteriously dies there. She comes looking for answers, for closure, for hope. What she didn't expect to find was that the land of Faerie (what her sister was always searching for) really existed, and that it, and her sister, needed her help.
Like Hunter's Moon, Melling brings us into a Faerie world that seems more real than many others. She combines magic, mystery, and history into a thrilling adventure where love is the worth fighting for and forgiveness is paramount.
Like Hunter's Moon, Melling brings us into a Faerie world that seems more real than many others. She combines magic, mystery, and history into a thrilling adventure where love is the worth fighting for and forgiveness is paramount.
Cecelia Ahern always writes very touching novels, usually about someone trying to overcome some sort of loss, and this newest one is no different.
Joyce's life has been falling apart since the accident that caused her to miscarry.
Justin has moved from Chicago all the way to London to be near his daughter after his ex-wife remarries. When Justin donates blood for the first time, and unknowingly saves Joyce's life - they form a bond that neither one of them understand.
Joyce begins to remember things she's never done and people she's never met. Together they will help each other heal.
A little bit of a cross between Return to Me (where David Duchovany falls for the woman who got his dead wife's heart) and Sleepless in Seattle (because they just miss each other a number of times in the book), but it has a satisfying ending and is a touching story.
Joyce's life has been falling apart since the accident that caused her to miscarry.
Justin has moved from Chicago all the way to London to be near his daughter after his ex-wife remarries. When Justin donates blood for the first time, and unknowingly saves Joyce's life - they form a bond that neither one of them understand.
Joyce begins to remember things she's never done and people she's never met. Together they will help each other heal.
A little bit of a cross between Return to Me (where David Duchovany falls for the woman who got his dead wife's heart) and Sleepless in Seattle (because they just miss each other a number of times in the book), but it has a satisfying ending and is a touching story.
As someone who has read many reimaginings of the King Arthur legend, I can honestly say that this is a very interesting portrayal of Gwenhywfar. In the vein of the Alice Borchardt books where Guinevere is a powerful woman in the ways of Old Magic, instead of the Christian versions, Lackey's Gwenhywfar is a powerful warrior (with a little magic thrown in) who fights for her country against invaders before becoming the third Gwenhywfar to marry King Arthur.
Lackey doesn't completely steer away from the usual standards of the myths, she simply takes some things and reworks them or grants them significance in different ways.
Her ending author's note is actually one of the most interesting aspects of the book where she discusses the research that led her to this vision of Arthur legendary queen. She includes an old ballad about the three different queens named Gwenhywfar and hypothesizes that in order to rectify many of the conflicting tales about the lives of the queen, that it would make sense for there to be more than one Queen Gwenhywfar. It's really not that far fetched that the King married multiple women with the same common name.
Either way, Lackey focuses on the life of one particular woman who ended up married to King Arthur. And her descriptions of the life and training of women and warriors of the time period. I recommend checking it out!
Lackey doesn't completely steer away from the usual standards of the myths, she simply takes some things and reworks them or grants them significance in different ways.
Her ending author's note is actually one of the most interesting aspects of the book where she discusses the research that led her to this vision of Arthur legendary queen. She includes an old ballad about the three different queens named Gwenhywfar and hypothesizes that in order to rectify many of the conflicting tales about the lives of the queen, that it would make sense for there to be more than one Queen Gwenhywfar. It's really not that far fetched that the King married multiple women with the same common name.
Either way, Lackey focuses on the life of one particular woman who ended up married to King Arthur. And her descriptions of the life and training of women and warriors of the time period. I recommend checking it out!