I will be the very first to admit that I often judge a book by its cover.Thus, while browsing through a selection of books at my local library, I came across Courage for Beginners and was completely captivated. It's lovely, isn't it? Blue skies and a hot air balloon and an intriguing title are about all one could ask for when it comes to a good cover.
Now enters Mysti Murphy, a spunky red haired girl who loves all things French, who has a knack for making up stories, and who can face seventh grade as long as she's got her best friend Anibal by her side.
Only, Anibal wants to try something different—
or rather, be someone different—
this year. To do that, he needs Mysti to do him a favor:
He needs Mysti to pretend that they're not friends at school.
It's not only Anibal that Mysti has to worry about, though. There's her dad. And her mom. And her sister. And then there's the matter of how she's going to carry that frozen turkey down the street without her arms falling off.
Courage for Beginners is absolutely lovely because it is the perfect mix of real-life and fantastical situations. Karen Harrington flawlessly describes the ups and downs a seventh grader experiences in life while covering the overarching topics of friendship, family, and bravery. Harrington had me laughing and cringing at the mishaps and adventures of Mysti over and over again, and I simply fell in love with the heroine in this book.
The best part, though, was that Mysti discovers who she is without having to travel very far or without leaving behind who she is. This isn't some melodramatic middle grade book, but a story that feels true because it takes place in the most common of places: school, home, and oddly enough . . . the grocery store.
In short, Courage for Beginners was breathtaking, leaving me quite enchanted with Mysti Murphy.
I hope you all have the pleasure of meeting her someday.
Appropriate for ages 10+
Remember your fifth grade history class when you studied the Civil War and learned that the United States was split into two? Something like that seemed impossible. America should have been too huge and powerful. America should have been indestructible.
In Legend, futuristic America has also been divided into two countries: the Republic and the Colonies. Both have been at war with one another for years after political chaos and floods shrunk the size of the United States considerably.
In step our two characters. First, there is Day, a fifteen-year-old boy with the reputation of being the most wanted criminal in the Republic. Next, there is June, a fifteen-year-old girl famous for being the only individual to pass a national test with a perfect score.
Recruited by the government, it is June's task to catch Day. But she wants more than that.
June wants revenge.
Inspired by the relationship between Jean Valjean and Inspector Javert from Victor Hugo's Les Miserables, Marie Lu has the absolute perfect set up in this book. As she alternates chapters between Day's and June's perspective, the reader is taken effortlessly into a world that has changed dramatically from the one they know now. I loved how the details of Lu's world were incorporated gradually and naturally, the flashbacks adding depth to the characters.
In short, I was blown away by this book. It was genius! Genius, I tell you! Now, skedaddle, won't you? Go read it for yourself!
Appropriate for ages 15+
I'll be honest right from the start. This book is total fluff. I recognize that. But fluffy things are good, right? Cotton Candy is fluffy. Bunnies are fluffy. Cake is fluffy. Fluff makes me happy, and thus, so did this book.
Annabelle Pleasanton is a journalist in California ready to make her mark on the world and has been so fortunate as to land a job in a food magazine. Stuck in the position of a copy editor, however, Annabelle will do almost anything to get her boss to allow her to write ... even if it means driving 100 miles to buy a cake for him. When she just happens to meet a devastatingly handsome young man on the way, it's really a shame she will never see him again.
But you and I both know that devastatingly handsome young men aren't in a novel for no good reason.
The story is relatively predictable, I'll give you that. But there were many genuinely funny moments in the story that made me laugh. The characters (who were mostly of the LDS religion, by the way) were somewhat stereotypical but also very quirky, which I think is true to life. And the dialogue was sometimes unbelievable. There is just no way a guy would be so smitten with a woman on their first date as to call her gorgeous in so many words, especially when he has to work with her on a professional level.
But there was a lot of truth in this book that Annabelle discovers along with the reader. Her journey of self-discovery was realistic. The majority of characters are also flawed, which makes for a more interesting story. So, though this book wasn't exceptionally well written, I thought it was worth it. Give yourselves a generous slice of Elodia Strain's writing, my friends. I think you'll enjoy it.
Appropriate for ages 18+
This book is crazy. Never have I ever read anything that combines nineteenth century England, ancient Egyptian artifacts (don't forget the mummies), and Napoleon Bonaparte. And I loved it!!
Let's start with the main character, Agnes Wilcox. This girl is hardcore. She can speak ten languages. She listens in on secret meetings. She wanders the streets of London in the wee hours of the morning. And she reads Jane Austen! The minute she was quoting the oh so famous first line from Pride and Prejudice in Italian, Russian, and Greek, this girl was my homey. I LOVE smart female characters. They are, in my not-so-humble opinion, rather difficult to come by. In addition, Agnes is saucy and rebellious and yet loving all at the same time. Plus, she has a great family, which is rare in Young Adult literature. I loved that.
The year is 1815, my friends. Napoleon Bonaparte has, shall we say, risen from the dead, and has escaped from exile on the island of Elba. In his lust to take over the world, Napoleon is after a most important artifact ... an artifact our young heroine is closely connected with.
Ah! I have you spooked, don't I? This book was SO much fun. And I am stoked to read more of Bradbury's novels. However, I did think at times that the writing could have been more eloquent. I found myself rereading sentences on more than a few occasions because the wording was a little unclear. There were also a few too many swear words than what I normally recommend. However, the book is so so so clean. I can't over emphasize this. It's a real gem, my friends. You won't want to miss it.
Appropriate for ages 15+
Okay, so I admit it. I am a sucker for regency romance novels. Give me stories where there are country estates, horses, potential highwaymen, and all kinds of secrets, and I am hooked. I will be reading it in the night until the birds start singing and I realize I really need to go to sleep for at least a few hours before I start my day.
Drops of Gold is just such a novel. After her father dies, Marion takes on the identity of Mary Wood in order to work as a governess. She is all that is cheery and spunky, but finds that the Meadows, where she is staying, has some peculiar secrets. And you can bet your life that those secrets have to do with the master of the house, the hardened and tormented Mr. Layton Jonquil.
This book flips back and forth between the two main characters' perspectives, which I loved. It is such a delight to get inside both of their heads. You understand everything on a much deeper level, and this was done remarkably well. The characters were also likable, and while the plot was somewhat predictable, I had a blast reading this book.
I would caution any potential readers who are fans of Jane Eyre, though. The story line in Drops of Gold is very similar to Charlotte Bronte's novel, only written for a more modern audience. There were also moments when the book felt a little redundant. But it was fun! And I am all about having fun, so indulge yourselves everyone, and slip into the Jane Austen time period! Why not, eh?
Appropriate for ages 16+
I first saw this book at the library. It was standing by itself, just beckoning me to open it's cover, and voila! "Be amazed," it said, "because I am written entirely in free verse!"
"No," I replied. "You must be mistaken. No one really writes in free verse these days unless you're a reincarnation of Walt Whitman. And no matter how admirable it may be that you're a nineteenth century poet back from the dead, there's no way you would get published."
Luckily, though, my snarky comments and I were both wrong! This book may be one of poetry but it's very readable and doesn't require a degree in literature to understand what's within the pages.
Three Rivers Rising is written from the perspective of many characters. Thus, as a reader, you get to see both sides of the story as wealthy sixteen-year-old Celestia and hired boy Peter fall in love with each other. You get a glance into the intrigue of high social class and all its snobbery in Pennsylvania in the late nineteenth century. Then there are the thoughts and dreams of minor characters that bleed through the pages, and you, dear reader, are privy to them all.
Based on the true event of the Johnstown Flood in May of 1889, I was truly impressed by this story, not only because the words flowed like water, but because each character followed an arc and had their own unique voice. Plus, it was about an event I had never even heard of before, so I came away more educated than when I began! Give this book a chance, everyone. Plunge in, and just see where the current takes you.
Appropriate for ages 15+
Reynie Muldoon, Sticky Washington, Kate Weatherall, and Constance Contraire don't fit in with the world. Whether they are orphaned, bullied by their peers, or mistreated by adults, all four are forced to rely on their wits, genius, and (in some cases) their buckets. But when the evil mastermind Mr. Curtain plans to take over the world by an invention of mass brainwashing, the children's talents will be challenged as never before.
This book was truly delightful. I'd been wanting to read it for ages when my nephew received it as an "un-birthday" present from his grandma. Thus, somehow my nephew's gift mysteriously disappeared from his house until further notice, and voila! You now have a book review. So you see, stealing books from unsuspecting children has its benefits. ;)
What impressed me the most in this novel was how each character followed their own arc of progression. Though Reynie is considered to be the "leader" among his fellow comrades, each character changes and plays an integral role throughout the book. I thought this was masterfully done.
I also loved how the book's main characters were balanced between boys and girls who were both quirky and memorable. Reynie's integrity and ability to solve impossible puzzles is unmatched, and Sticky's photographic memory is unparalleled. Pair that with Kate's superhuman skills like climbing elevator shafts and Constance's crankiness, and this is a crew not to be taken lightly, my friends.
There were also enjoyable moments from an adult's standpoint. Trenton Lee Stewart does a clever job of playing with words that had me chuckling at the stupidity of the grown-ups in the novel and cheering on the kids. That being said, the novel is long (400+ pages) and might be challenging for younger readers. However, I would definitely recommend it since the book is never too frightening and is 100% clean. Reading it aloud or along with a child, though, might be a good option for some.
Appropriate for ages 10+
