"True love's kiss!"
"I don't think that's how it worked," Liam said with a sigh. "I think anybody's kiss would have woken her. Besides, how could I love somebody I'd never met before?"
Friday, July 31, 2015
Reading progress update: I've read 74%.
Thursday, July 30, 2015
This is going to be fun.
Prince Charming is afraid of old ladies. Didn't know that, did you?
Don't worry. There's a lot you don't know about Prince Charming: Prince Charming has no idea how to use a sword; Prince Charming has no patience for dwarfs; Prince Charming has an irrational hatred of capes.
Some of you may not even realize that there's more than one Prince Charming. And that none of them are actually named Charming. No one is. Charming isn't a name; it's an adjective.
Imaginary Fun!
Review:
That thing, the one that had destroyed the contents of my hamper in what, thirty minutes flat? It was a bunny.
Yeah, I know. A tiny little fluffy bunny with soft tufty feet and huge Hallmark card eyes. Oh yeah, and a set of nasty-looking razor sharp antlers coming out of its head.
It was a jackalope.
--Chapter 2
This book is written from the point of view of the main character, Jeremy (a kid in junior high). The following people live in his apartment building: Professor Twitchett (a quirky old man who has Jeremy run his errands), Agatha (Jeremy's sort-of friend) and her mom, a flight attendant who is never around, the Garcias (who make cookies on Saturdays), Mrs. Simmons (an old lady who "doesn't have all her socks in the drawer") and Jeremy and his parents. So, when two men in fancy suits show up at the building, Jeremy knows that something isn't right. Turns out Professor Twitchett left his latest secret experiment in Jeremy's care and there are people who are desperate to get that experiment for themselves.
Jeremy & Agatha spend the book trying to figure out what to do with the Jackalope and how to stay hidden from the suit guys. They don't know who to trust and even start to question each other's loyalty. It is a fun adventure with a few suspenseful moments. And there are a few twists that you might not see coming.
I totally enjoyed this book. It isn't very realistic, but come on, it's about a jackalope. You don't really expect a book like that to be grounded in real life. It is a fast-paced fun read that middle grade students will surely enjoy.
Recommended to:
Kids in grades 5-8, both boys and girls should enjoy this book. The action gets a bit intense at times, but nothing too scary. Reluctant readers may find this one a fun, quick read.
Sunday, July 19, 2015
Brutal indeed...
Review:
We should be afraid . . . over how easy it is to go wrong, trying to make others do right. - Chapter 5
Sometimes, when you are feeling your worst, an extra stab of pain doesn't hurt at all. Hopelessness is a great anesthetic. - Chapter 41
The best revenge you can get is making people see the worst parts of themselves.
- Chapter 47
Okay, so a book called Brutal Youth doesn't really sound like a feel good kind of book. And knowing it was about bullying, I didn't expect it to be all roses. But, this book was kind of difficult to read. There was a sense of hopelessness and a lack of control over circumstances throughout the book that bothered me. It seemed like no matter what some of the characters tried to do, they couldn't stop the worst from happening.
The book is well-written and interesting. I always wanted to see what would happen next, but I still found the book a bit depressing. I always look for the best in people, but even some characters I thought were good ended up disappointing me.
So, the book is an interesting look at a culture that not only allows bullying, but seems to encourage it. And how people that have the best intentions sometimes end up causing the most harm.
Recommended to:
This book is for adults. There is a lot of violence and sexual references. If you are interested in books that examine youth and how wrong things can go, then this book is for you. But, I suggest you keep in mind that it isn't a feel-good book.
Ratchet - Review
Review:
If only getting a new life were as easy as getting a new notebook. But it's not. --page 1
Everything in my life is old and recycled. --page 2
Dad's motto: "If the Good Lord wanted us to throw everything away, he would've put a Dumpster right outside the Garden of Eden. --page 3
Ratchet is 11 and she has always been homeschooled. Her mother died years ago and her father has been raising her alone. Since she was six, she has been helping her father with his job - he fixes cars in the garage. Her real name is Rachel, but no one calls her that. Her dad gave her the nickname because she reminds him of a ratchet, the way she helps make all his jobs easier. Ratchet doesn't like being different. She doesn't like that her father doesn't have a job where he wears a suit and goes to an office. She doesn't like being homeschooled. And she doesn't like never having any friends. This year, Ratchet has decided her life is going to change. She is going to make a friend.
This is a enjoyable story about a young girl trying to find her way. The story is told via entries in Ratchet's homeschool writing journal. Ratchet's voice is believable and quite relatable. She worries constantly that she is different and her father is different. She wonders about her mother. She wants to know more about her mother to maybe find out more about herself. And most of all she wants to find a friend. Since she doesn't go to school, making friends is harder than usual, but she is determined. I enjoyed reading Ratchet's story and I was rooting for her all the way. I wanted her to realize that people will like her for who she is and that she doesn't need to change for others.
Recommended to:
Middle grade girls (5th-8th). This is a fun story that I think young girls will relate to and enjoy. A quick, fun read with a positive female character.
Saturday, July 11, 2015
Reading progress update: I've read 27%.
The day after Father Mercedes issued his threats, Sister Maria instituted the Brother-Sister Code. "The hazing tradition can go on," she told an assembly of students in Palisade Hall. "But seniors may no longer indiscriminately terrorize any given freshman. Each individual senior has four weeks to choose one freshman to adopt as a little brother or sister, which will last until the Hazing Day picnic. You can have your fun, and good-natured teasing is acceptable, but from that point forward, you will be a mentor -- not just a tormentor." After some initial grumbling, the upperclassmen seemed to accept it, though Sister Maria worried when she overheard some of them referring to it as the new "Master and Slave" program.Um... How can this seem like a good idea to anyone, let alone in a high school where bullying and hazing are everywhere and most of the faculty is afraid to stand up to the seniors? Just because the hazing has been happening for years and years, doesn't mean it's a good idea.
Do we have a fail-safe if an especially cruel senior chooses an especially weak freshman to be a personal punching bag?" Zimmer asked.
"Then we intercede," she said. "But in the meantime, at least he will have only one punching bag."
Walking Dead Season 6 in October!!!
Reblogged from: Yodamom Finds her Force
I know where I'll be Oct 11th ! Holy smoking zombies it is intense !
Original post: readingismyescape.booklikes.com/post/1199544/post
Happy Walking in October
Reblogged from: Yodamom Finds her Force
Original post: readingismyescape.booklikes.com/post/1196929/happy-walking-in-october
Sunday, July 5, 2015
Cured - Review
Review:
Being underestimated is an advantage, and yes, that saying is framed and hanging on the bathroom wall at home.
This book is a sequel. I highly recommend reading "Stung" first, but I will try not to give anything away.
This story is set in the same world but centers on different characters at first. In Chapter 1 we meet Jack. It is still dangerous to be female and survivors outside the city work hard to disguise females as males. Jack is really Jacqui, but the family has been pretending she is a boy, for everyone's protection. All of them would be in danger if anyone found out the truth. Jack eventually meets up with Fo on a quest to find Jack's brother and distribute the cure.
This book is as action-packed as the first one. It keeps you on edge, wondering along with Jack who we can trust. And it kept me guessing for sure. As much as I wanted to trust certain characters, I found it as hard as Jack did to figure out who exactly is "good" in this crazy world.
Recommended to:
Fans of dystopian stories, young adults and adults (like me) who enjoy young adult novels.
Stung - Review
Review:
I don't remember going to sleep. All I remember is waking up here -- a place as familiar as my own face.
At least, it should be.
Fiona wakes up in her bedroom, but nothing is as it should be. Her room is filthy and seems like it has been neglected for a very long time. As she walks around her house, she realizes it has been abandoned. Her reflection looks like her older sister, like a woman. Last thing she remembers, she is thirteen. She has no idea what is going on when suddenly she hears a noise and is attacked by a man acting like a beast. She barely escapes with her life. And all of this happens in Chapter 1.
We gradually learn that this world is barren & deserted and it is dangerous to be female. Fiona is constantly in danger and trying to figure out what happened to the world she remembers, what she needs to do to survive and who she can trust.
I don't want to give anything away. I went into this book not really knowing what it was about and it swept me off my feet page 1, Chapter 1. I loved Fiona and found her character very believable. The fecs and the beasts were scary and dangerous. The premise of the story seemed possible. I even believed the attraction Fiona developed for the boy trying to save her. And there is no love triangle, which is a relief.
I enjoyed this so much that I immediately stared reading the sequel. And I looked on the author's website to see if there would be any more, so I could know what I was getting myself into. Would I have to wait for book 3? Good news and Bad news. There are only two books in the series and the author isn't planning on writing more. This is good because I just finished the second book and loved it just as much. Bad because I really enjoyed reading them. But, it was a good place to end. The story was over. No need to push it too far. Not every story has to be a trilogy.
Recommended to:
Fans of dystopian stories, young adults and people (like me) who enjoy reading young adult novels. This one is worth reading.
Note: This book is on the Sunshine State Young Readers Award nominee list for grades 6-8. We often have some of that list in our elementary school for 5th graders. This one has some sexual innuendo. It might go over 5th graders heads, but I will recommend to our librarian not to have this one in the elementary school.
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