books
Septimus Heap series: Magyk, Flyte, Physik, Queste, Syren, Darke, Fyre, plus The Magykal Papers and The Darke Toad. 10 stars, I loved this series! It is similar to Harry Potter in a couple of ways, but Septimus and Marcia are very different, facing different obstacles and situations. Angie Sage added more humor and whimsy to her books, and although the character development isn't quite as strong, the characters are lovable and believable, winning over readers instantly. These books aren't as dark as HP, so they would appeal to a younger audience. I absolutely loved each of these books immensely, although I wished that the story arc concerning Jenna and Beetle had ended more solidly!
Maya's Notebook by Isabel Allende - 7 stars, very very good book! A definite page-turner, it is frightening how drugs can descend so solidly and ruin lives. This was a book club book, and I would like to read more by Allende!
Howl's Moving Castle, simply because it is a classic. I hated it, I couldn't follow the plot, things just happened out of the blue, I had no idea why things happened. I finished it just so I would be done.
Prisoners of the Palace by Michaela MacColl. 9 stars! This was another book club book, and I thought it would be a fluffy princess book but it is actually a meaty book full of intrigue and solid characters. Very satisfying mystery, and I found out that Princess Victoria in this book is the real Queen Victoria, that this book is based on true events! Definitely worth it!!
I tried Great Gatsby, didn't like it.
Doll Bones by Holly Black, I got an ARC of this book from my librarian and LOVED it!! Black created a cast of kids who compliment each other and solve a mystery, very appealing to tweens and teens! 7 stars!
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley - read in senior English class. WOW. This is a freaking SCARY book. My class in 1984 read 1984 so I missed BNW, but I liked it much more than Orwell's. 10 stars, and reading it in 2013 shows us that a lot of Huxley's predictions were off the mark, but I can't imagine reading this book in 1930! I will say that some solutions Huxley presented are not that crazy...
The Wretched of Muirwood, The Scourge of Muirwood, and The Blight of Muirwood, by Jeff Wheeler. I picked up these books off Kindle because they were suggested to me, and I loved them - 9 stars! I then found out that Wheeler self-published the first on Kindle, and a publisher picked them up. I even emailed the author and had a small conversation, and I know that is how I will break into the world of publication, as that seems to be the way to go these days! These are great books if you like medieval settings and female heroes!!
The Borrowers, The Borrowers Afloat, The Borrowers Afield, The Borrowers Aloft, The Borrowers Avenged by Mary Norton. 10 stars! I don't know how I missed these books growing up, but I did. These are timeless, perfect for any age, with a timeless quality that today's books lack. I even watched The Secret World of Arietty, but was a bit disappointed, as I generally am with movies. These are wonderful read-alouds and fun rainy-day books to curl up with!
Celia and the Fairies and Secrets of the Magic Ring by Karen McQuestion. These were also Kindle suggestions, very cute books! 6 stars, solid stories with enough action, good read-alouds for girls!
Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver. 7 stars, a slowly moving book about butterflies and marriage, this was a book club book. Kingsolver is difficult for me to read, she is thick and chewy and requires a lot of brains. I learned a great deal about monarch butterflies!!
Maelyn and Coralina by Anita Valle, the first two in a series of twelve, each centering around one sister in a royal family. I talked to this author as well, and she is delightful! These are small novellas, perfect for tweens, delightful for bedtime stories, I adore her characterization, and her plot twists are easy on the nerves! 8 stars, I will be buying these in hardback so I can share them!
The Woodcutter by Kate Danley. I read this one in Jamaica, 6 stars. Wonderful take on fairy tales, but a bit confusing as the characters' roles were not solidly explained. Good story!
Frost, Thorns, Weavers by Kate Avery Ellison, 9 stars, wonderful dystopian series, good characters, storyline that is new, surprising twists. Loved them!
The False Prince and The Runaway King by Jennifer Nielson, the first two in The Ascendence Trilogy, 9 stars, I'm dying to read more!! These books were amazing, incredibly strong characters, story is new, plot moved along nicely, and left me hanging! I loved these, I want more by Nielson!
The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd. 9 stars! This book picked up where The Island of Doctor Moreau left off, with the daughter of Doctor Moreau, Juliet. She ends up finding her father alive on his island, and she finds terrifying creatures! Amazing book, worth the read!!!!
Peter and the Starcatchers, Peter and the Shadow Thieves, Peter and the Secret of Rundoon, Peter and the Sword of Mercy, and Bridge to Neverland, by Dave Berry and Ridley Pearson. 14 stars, these books are amazing!!! These are a different view of Peter Pan and Wendy, the parallels are awesome!! I adored these books, I highly recommend them!!
Seraphina by Rachel Hartman, 9 stars! A shapeshifting sort of book, dragons and humans interacting in a dystopic/past when things are different. I loved the dragons, but the characters were very complex and strong, you really buy into the story and root for the good guys! I wish there were more but this is a very good story!
Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley. 10 stars! I picked this up because it was on the banned list and it also won the Printz award. What can I say - just READ THIS BOOK. It will make you shiver with delight and spook you soundly!!
I think that catches me up from books on my Kindle, I read many real books up at school, those will have to trickle in. One I remember - The Fault in our Stars - 15 stars, THE MOST AMAZING BOOK EVER. This book will grab you and shake you, you will scream and rave! This is an award winner, too many to list, John Green shows again that he is a talented author who knows kids better than they know themselves. AMAZING!!
Maya's Notebook by Isabel Allende - 7 stars, very very good book! A definite page-turner, it is frightening how drugs can descend so solidly and ruin lives. This was a book club book, and I would like to read more by Allende!
Howl's Moving Castle, simply because it is a classic. I hated it, I couldn't follow the plot, things just happened out of the blue, I had no idea why things happened. I finished it just so I would be done.
Prisoners of the Palace by Michaela MacColl. 9 stars! This was another book club book, and I thought it would be a fluffy princess book but it is actually a meaty book full of intrigue and solid characters. Very satisfying mystery, and I found out that Princess Victoria in this book is the real Queen Victoria, that this book is based on true events! Definitely worth it!!
I tried Great Gatsby, didn't like it.
Doll Bones by Holly Black, I got an ARC of this book from my librarian and LOVED it!! Black created a cast of kids who compliment each other and solve a mystery, very appealing to tweens and teens! 7 stars!
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley - read in senior English class. WOW. This is a freaking SCARY book. My class in 1984 read 1984 so I missed BNW, but I liked it much more than Orwell's. 10 stars, and reading it in 2013 shows us that a lot of Huxley's predictions were off the mark, but I can't imagine reading this book in 1930! I will say that some solutions Huxley presented are not that crazy...
The Wretched of Muirwood, The Scourge of Muirwood, and The Blight of Muirwood, by Jeff Wheeler. I picked up these books off Kindle because they were suggested to me, and I loved them - 9 stars! I then found out that Wheeler self-published the first on Kindle, and a publisher picked them up. I even emailed the author and had a small conversation, and I know that is how I will break into the world of publication, as that seems to be the way to go these days! These are great books if you like medieval settings and female heroes!!
The Borrowers, The Borrowers Afloat, The Borrowers Afield, The Borrowers Aloft, The Borrowers Avenged by Mary Norton. 10 stars! I don't know how I missed these books growing up, but I did. These are timeless, perfect for any age, with a timeless quality that today's books lack. I even watched The Secret World of Arietty, but was a bit disappointed, as I generally am with movies. These are wonderful read-alouds and fun rainy-day books to curl up with!
Celia and the Fairies and Secrets of the Magic Ring by Karen McQuestion. These were also Kindle suggestions, very cute books! 6 stars, solid stories with enough action, good read-alouds for girls!
Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver. 7 stars, a slowly moving book about butterflies and marriage, this was a book club book. Kingsolver is difficult for me to read, she is thick and chewy and requires a lot of brains. I learned a great deal about monarch butterflies!!
Maelyn and Coralina by Anita Valle, the first two in a series of twelve, each centering around one sister in a royal family. I talked to this author as well, and she is delightful! These are small novellas, perfect for tweens, delightful for bedtime stories, I adore her characterization, and her plot twists are easy on the nerves! 8 stars, I will be buying these in hardback so I can share them!
The Woodcutter by Kate Danley. I read this one in Jamaica, 6 stars. Wonderful take on fairy tales, but a bit confusing as the characters' roles were not solidly explained. Good story!
Frost, Thorns, Weavers by Kate Avery Ellison, 9 stars, wonderful dystopian series, good characters, storyline that is new, surprising twists. Loved them!
The False Prince and The Runaway King by Jennifer Nielson, the first two in The Ascendence Trilogy, 9 stars, I'm dying to read more!! These books were amazing, incredibly strong characters, story is new, plot moved along nicely, and left me hanging! I loved these, I want more by Nielson!
The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd. 9 stars! This book picked up where The Island of Doctor Moreau left off, with the daughter of Doctor Moreau, Juliet. She ends up finding her father alive on his island, and she finds terrifying creatures! Amazing book, worth the read!!!!
Peter and the Starcatchers, Peter and the Shadow Thieves, Peter and the Secret of Rundoon, Peter and the Sword of Mercy, and Bridge to Neverland, by Dave Berry and Ridley Pearson. 14 stars, these books are amazing!!! These are a different view of Peter Pan and Wendy, the parallels are awesome!! I adored these books, I highly recommend them!!
Seraphina by Rachel Hartman, 9 stars! A shapeshifting sort of book, dragons and humans interacting in a dystopic/past when things are different. I loved the dragons, but the characters were very complex and strong, you really buy into the story and root for the good guys! I wish there were more but this is a very good story!
Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley. 10 stars! I picked this up because it was on the banned list and it also won the Printz award. What can I say - just READ THIS BOOK. It will make you shiver with delight and spook you soundly!!
I think that catches me up from books on my Kindle, I read many real books up at school, those will have to trickle in. One I remember - The Fault in our Stars - 15 stars, THE MOST AMAZING BOOK EVER. This book will grab you and shake you, you will scream and rave! This is an award winner, too many to list, John Green shows again that he is a talented author who knows kids better than they know themselves. AMAZING!!