Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Violet Mackerel's Natural Habitat

Violet Mackerel's Natural Habitat
author: Anna Branford
illustrator: Elanna Allen

Violet Mackerel's Natural Habitat

Genre: Chapter Book

Summary (from the publisher):  Violet is back with a little bit of helpfulness and a whole lot of heart in this third book of the effervescent Violet Mackerel series.

Violet is the smallest in her family, and has a special affinity for Small Things everywhere. So when she finds a tiny ladybug in the garden, she expects she knows how it feels. It probably has to go to bed before all the others, and whenever it finds out something interesting (like that your ears keep growing all your life even when you are old), the bigger ladybugs probably say they already knew.

Violet wants to help the ladybug, so she names her Small Gloria, puts her in a jar, and feeds her cheese toast. And then Violet wakes up to a horrible surprise. But thankfully, even as Violet learns a hard lesson about natural habitats, she realizes how nice it is to share her own habitat with a big sister.


Amelia's Review:  This book was just ok.  It wasn't as interesting as the other books that I like to read.  But I liked learning about ladybugs.

Marcie's Review:   I am trying to get Amelia to branch out in reading, so I made her read this book in the car on the drive to Glen Carbon before she could read a Boxcar Children book.  I think her low rating reflected her anger in not being able to read the book she wanted to read.  I will have to think of a new way to encourage her to read different types of books that will result in her actually liking them.

I really liked this cute chapter book about a seven year old girl who helps her sister with a natural science fair project. While this is ostensibly a book about science and habitats, it is also more importantly a book about siblings.  I loved how Violet described her siblings (her 11 year old sister Nicola is "always grumpy" and her 13 year old brother is "going through a stage") and my heart melted when the younger sister tried to cheer up the older sister, and the older sister let the younger sister help with her project.  I also appreciated that Violet isn't a total girly-girl; she loves nature, bugs, birds and her rainboots, just like most little girls (and chapter books about girls don't often reflect that).  The illustrations are also charming.   There isn't much action in this book, but I thought it had some funny parts (although possibly kids would miss them).

Interestingly, this book was clearly not written in the US, which resulted in a few out-of-the-ordinary words, like petrol.  As I was reading it, I caught a few other tricky words, like queasy, in addition to the science words, like larvae and pupae, which could make this book a little challenging for some seven year olds (I assume that is the target audience).

Amelia's Rating: 2 stars

Marcie's Rating: 4 stars

The Invisible Girls

The Invisible Girls
Sarah Thebarge

The Invisible Girls: A Memoir

Genre: Fiction

Summary (from the publisher):  Twenty-seven-year-old Sarah Thebarge had it all - a loving boyfriend, an Ivy League degree, and a successful career - when her life was derailed by an unthinkable diagnosis: aggressive breast cancer. After surviving the grueling treatments - though just barely - Sarah moved to Portland, Oregon to start over. There, a chance encounter with an exhausted African mother and her daughters transformed her life again.

A Somali refugee whose husband had left her, Hadhi was struggling to raise five young daughters, half a world a way from her war-torn homeland. Alone in a strange country, Hadhi and the girls were on the brink of starvation in their own home, "invisible" to their neighbors and to the world. As Sarah helped Hadhi and the girls navigate American life, her outreach to the family became a source of courage and a lifeline for herself.

Poignant, at times shattering, Sarah Thebarge's riveting memoir invites readers to engage in her story of finding connection, love, and redemption in the most unexpected places.


Review:  The description of this memoir doesn't indicate that it is a Christian book, but it most definitely is.  Anyone wanting to read this book should understand that before picking it up, because Sarah's relationship with God plays a major part in the story.  I didn't know that before I chose this book, but I ended up loving Sarah's cries to God for help during her battle with cancer, and her attempt to understand why a loving God would inflict such pain on his beloved children.  I found Sarah's struggle inspirational.

I also loved reading about how Sarah saw a need for action and stepped in to help a single mother Somali refugee and her five daughters. How wonderful to be able to have the ability to make a concrete difference in the life of a family!

This book definitely had flaws - the narrative jumped between her life as a child, her battle with cancer and her interactions with the Somali family, and the transitions didn't always flow smoothly or even give an immediate indication of which part of the story she was talking about.  The author's writing reflected more of a journalistic style, which could have been improved upon, but at least made sense since the author wanted to be a journalist.  But I am a huge sucker for inspirational stories about everyday people helping others, and so I am willing to overlook most of those flaws to give this book a high rating.

Rating: 4 stars (5 stars for story, 3 for writing)

Monday, September 29, 2014

The Red Thread

The Red Thread
Ann Hood

The Red Thread

Genre: Fiction

Summary (from the publisher):  “In China there is a belief that people who are destined to be together are connected by an invisible red thread. Who is at the end of your red thread?” After losing her infant daughter in a freak accident, Maya Lange opens The Red Thread, an adoption agency that specializes in placing baby girls from China with American families. Maya finds some comfort in her work, until a group of six couples share their personal stories of their desire for a child. Their painful and courageous journey toward adoption forces her to confront the lost daughter of her past. Brilliantly braiding together the stories of Chinese birth mothers who give up their daughters, Ann Hood writes a moving and beautifully told novel of fate and the red thread that binds these characters’ lives. Heartrending and wise, The Red Thread is a stirring portrait of unforgettable love and yearning for a baby.

Review:  I read this book about Chinese adoption quickly and enjoyed the reading of it, but in my mind it had a few major flaws.  First, the adoption process was portrayed as relatively easy and quick, just some paperwork and then waiting.  I have a friend who adopted a special needs daughter from China last year, and so I know for a fact that it is NOT easy and it is NOT quick.  It is also quite expensive, and the novel didn't touch on this important aspect of adoption.  Second, I didn't like a single one of the couples who were trying to adopt a baby; they were all dysfunctional in some way, and they all seemed to think adopting a baby would solve all their problems.  And the counselor helping them with the adoption encouraged this point of view, instead of suggesting that they get counseling before making this life changing decision.  In fact, I'm not sure that the social workers who do the home studies and meet with the prospective parents would actually accept their applications.  I understand that dysfunctional couples make for a better storyline, but couldn't there have been at least one nice couple?  One couple that I actually thought should get a baby?  I found myself hoping that all the parents would change their minds or get rejected.  Wow, after writing all that, I feel like I should lower my rating....

What did I like about this book?  I think this book brings the specific problem of abandoned Chinese girls into the light, and could encourage people to think about foreign adoption in a different way.  The stories of the Chinese mothers were touching and felt so real that I found myself crying over the poor mothers who were forced to abandon their beloved daughters.  I wish these stories had formed a larger part of the novel.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Eleanor & Park

Eleanor & Park
Rainbow Rowell

Eleanor & Park

Genre: Young Adult Fiction

Summary (from the publisher):  Two misfits.
One extraordinary love.

Eleanor
... Red hair, wrong clothes. Standing behind him until he turns his head. Lying beside him until he wakes up. Making everyone else seem drabber and flatter and never good enough...Eleanor.

Park... He knows she'll love a song before he plays it for her. He laughs at her jokes before she ever gets to the punch line. There's a place on his chest, just below his throat, that makes her want to keep promises...Park.

Set over the course of one school year, this is the story of two star-crossed sixteen-year-olds—smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try.


Marcie's Review:  When I went to the library last week, the book display in the lobby was centered around banned books, in celebration of Banned Book Week.  I looked through the selection, thinking that I would love to read a book that had been banned, and I picked up this one since it was already on my to-read list.  A parent organization at a high school district in Minnesota complained about this book, and after reading it, I really couldn't tell you why.  Yes, there is some bad language that I wouldn't want young and impressionable kids to read.  Yes, there is a bit of sex - one character talks about getting to second base, and there is a scene where the astute reader could surmise that possibly the couple had been intimate (nothing is described).  Yes, there is a reference to teenagers hanging out in a garage smoking pot.  So, I would agree that parents or schools should make sure children are mature enough to handle this book - ie, don't let a 4th grader read it.  But is this book appropriate for high school students?  I say YES!  (We'll see if my answer would change when I have a high school reader....)

I loved this story about a weird girl and a geeky boy falling in love with each other.  Rainbow Rowell really gets inside the kids' heads and makes you feel their pain and joy.  I think the lessons this book could impart, about bullying and abuse and friendship, are much more important than the complaints made by that MN school district.

Becky's Review:  At first I wasn't too keen on Eleanor.  She was closed off, quirky, and defensive.  Park seemed a little odd too.  But then we learn more about each of the characters and I really enjoyed reading about how Eleanor and Park started talking, dating, and falling in love.  Park and his family were so good for Eleanor and were what she needed.  From the beginning we know that Eleanor's life has been tough and that her home life environment is very hard but the author doesn't tell us all the details and first and that started to drive me a little nuts because I needed to know what had happened.  Luckily this book is very face paced and easy to read so you find out what happens pretty quickly.

There is a fair amount of swearing, most specifically the f-word.  The first chapter has that word over and over again as if the author needed to make the reader aware that she can be a badass and that high school students do nothing but swear.  In my opinion, it was completely unnecessary.  The uses of swear words later in the book were few and far between and seemed to fit the characters.

Marcie's Rating: 4.5 stars

Becky's Rating: 4 stars

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

The Blessings

The Blessings
Elise Juska

The Blessings

Genre: Fiction

Summary (from the publisher):  When John Blessing dies and leaves behind two small children, the loss reverberates across his extended family for years to come. His young widow, Lauren, finds solace in her large clan of in-laws, while his brother's wife Kate pursues motherhood even at the expense of her marriage. John's teenage nephew Stephen finds himself involved in an act of petty theft that takes a surprising turn, and nephew Alex, a gifted student, travels to Spain and considers the world beyond his family's Northeast Philadelphia neighborhood. Through departures and arrivals, weddings and reunions, THE BLESSINGS reveals the interior worlds of the members of a close-knit Irish-Catholic family and the rituals that unite them.

Review:  I loved the idea of this novel, which was written from the differing points of view of various members of the Blessing family.  When one narrator's story is over, I always found myself wanting to know more about what happened to them, and the author inevitably provided insights into their lives in a future narrator's section.  It worked well as a story device, and the writing was vividly descriptive and emotional, and yet still easy to read.  But this just wasn't my kind of novel.  Primarily because each story was a little sad, focusing on the negatives in a person's life.  I found it to be lacking in hope, and I prefer stories where characters find some joy in their lives.

So I would say this is a lovely novel, just not for me.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Hidden

Hidden
Catherine McKenzie

Hidden

Genre: Women's Fiction

Summary (from the publisher):  While walking home from work one evening, Jeff Manning is struck by a car and killed. Two women fall to pieces at the news: his wife, Claire, and his co-worker Tish. Reeling from her loss, Claire must comfort her grieving son as well as contend with funeral arrangements, well-meaning family members, and the arrival of Jeff’s estranged brother, who was her ex-boyfriend. Tish volunteers to attend the funeral on her company’s behalf, but only she knows the true risk of inserting herself into the wreckage of Jeff’s life.

Told through the three voices of Jeff, Tish, and Claire, Hidden explores the complexity of relationships, the repercussions of our personal choices, and the responsibilities we have to the ones we love.


Review:   This book was fine.  It was well-written, with an interesting plot and relatable characters.  Claire's grief following the death of her husband was portrayed movingly, and it made me cry on her behalf, imaging how I would feel in that situation.  Tish was a little harder to understand, since there was really nothing likable about her, and I couldn't get a feeling on what was motivating her.  And the fact that 1/3 of the book was narrated by the dead husband was just a little bizarre.  I had a bit of a hard time differentiating the voices of the three narrators; they all sounded kind of the same.  But most tellingly, I can hardlly remember this book, and I only read it a week ago.  So while I enjoyed it while I was reading it, it's basically just a good book with an ok plot and forgettable characters. 

Rating: 3 stars

If I Stay

If I Stay
Gayle Forman

If I Stay (If I Stay, #1)

Genre: Young Adult Fiction

Summary (from the publisher):  On a day that started like any other, Mia had everything: a loving family, a gorgeous, admiring boyfriend, and a bright future full of music and full of choices. In an instant, almost all of that is taken from her. Caught between life and death, between a happy past and an unknowable future, Mia spends one critical day contemplating the only decision she has left. It is the most important decision she'll ever make.

Simultaneously tragic and hopeful, this is a romantic, riveting, and ultimately uplifting story about memory, music, living, dying, loving.


Marcie's Review:   I hadn't even finished this book before I called my sister up to recommend that she read it, and I am still thinking about it a week later.  So while there are certainly elements that could have been done better, I thought this was a truly moving story.  It made me cry (sad tears, but in a good way) and also made me think about how I (or my children) would react in this situation.  I especially liked Mia's memories of her brother and her reaction when she discovered his fate, and the recounting of her close friendship with Kim.

What could have been improved upon?  Well, Mia seemed remarkably blase about the fate of her parents; since this is a young adult book, perhaps the author felt that's how self-involved teenagers view their parents, but she seemed to have such a close relationship with them that it felt unrealistic.  And plus, as someone closer to her parents age than hers, it just bothered me.  I also couldn't understand why Mia and her boyfriend were in love; I would have like more of a backstory there.  They were very different people, and it didn't seem like Mia enjoyed anything that was important to her boyfriend.

Marcie's Rating: 4.5 stars

Becky's Review: This was a beautiful and moving story.  There were several parts of the story where I was moved to tears but generally it was not Mia that moved me to tears, it was other characters in the story and their grief and other emotions.  There were some though provoking moments when I started to think about whether I thought Mia would be better off staying and living without her family or moving on with her family.  I felt so torn.  I was surprised by the end but it wasn't because of the author's writing.  My book had at least 20-30 pages of extra "stuff" at the end so I wasn't anticipating the end of the book for a while and then all of a sudden, there it was!  It was awfully abrupt.  I did want to know more of what happened in the future but I don't know if I would have wanted that if I knew the book was going to be over.

Becky's rating: 4 stars

Saturday, September 20, 2014

Land of a Hundred Wonders

Land of a Hundred Wonders
Lesley Kagen

Land of a Hundred Wonders

Genre: Fiction

Summary (from the publisher):  The summer Gibby McGraw catches her big break, the cicadas are humming, and it's so warm even the frogs are sweating. Brain damaged after a tragic car accident that took both her parents, Gibby is now NQR (Not Quite Right), a real challenge for a fledgling newspaper reporter. Especially when she stumbles upon the dead body of the next governor of Kentucky, Buster Malloy.

Armed with her trusty blue spiral note-book, Gibby figures that solving the murder might be her best chance to prove to everyone that she can become Quite Right again. But she gets more than she bargained for when she uncovers a world of corruption, racism, and family secrets in small town Cray Ridge. Lucky for her, she's also about to discover that some things are far more important than all the brains in the world, and that miracles occur in the most unexpected moments.


Review:   This was an interesting book, written from the perspective of a young woman with brain damage.  Because of her NQR status, Gibby easily forgets recent events and needs to be reminded, either by her friends or the notebook that she keeps to jot down stories for her newspaper.  While Gibby's forgetfulness is an important part of her character and the story, and is, perhaps, what makes this book so unique and popular with others, I had such a hard time following what was going on that it served as a major distraction.  I was much more interested in the quirky supporting characters and their stories than in the main plot of the book, which was disjointed and somehow lacking in importance.  Maybe this book would have worked better for me if I could have read it all in one or two sittings, rather than in fragments throughout the week.  But with that major complaint out of the way....  The characters in this book, with all their foibles and issues, were charming and delightful, and I would have loved to read more about their lives -- I just didn't care about the mystery that was supposed to be the central plot.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Villa Triste

Villa Triste
Lucretia Grindle

Villa Triste

Genre: Historical Fiction

Summary (from the publisher): Florence, 1943. Two sisters, Isabella and Caterina Cammaccio, find themselves surrounded by terror and death; and with Italy trapped under the heel of a brutal Nazi occupation, bands of Partisans rise up.

Soon Isabella and Caterina will test their wits and deepest beliefs as never before. As the winter grinds on, they will be forced to make the most important decisions of their lives. Their choices will reverberate for decades.

In the present day, Alessandro Pallioti, a senior policeman agrees to oversee a murder investigation, after it emerges the victim was once a Partisan hero. When the case begins to unravel, Pallioti finds himself working to uncover a crime lost in the twilight of war, the consequences of which are as deadly today as they were over sixty years ago.


Review:  Despite getting off to a somewhat slow start, I found myself engrossed in this fascinating novel that's part contemporary mystery and part historical fiction.  I've read quite a few novels set during World War II, but this is the first one that has been set in Nazi-occupied Italy, and I appreciated the chance to learn about how the Italian partisans fought against both the Nazis and the Fascists.  The writing was beautifully descriptive, and the dialogue was smooth and believable.  My favorite parts were the journal entries that described the events in 1943 and 1944 in Florence, but I was also caught up in the present day mystery that Inspector Pallioti is attempting to solve.  My only complaint is that I would have liked the focus to be a little more on the historical side and a little less on the present, because some of the current day sections got a little long and tedious.  This is the best book I've read in quite a while, and I'm glad I kept reading through the slow beginning and wasn't put off by the length (and weight!) of the book.

Rating: 5 stars

Monday, September 15, 2014

Snoring Beauty

Snoring Beauty
by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen
Illustrated by Jane Manning
Snoring Beauty

Genre: Picture Book, Fractured Fairy Tale

Synopsis: Snoring Beauty is a sweetly hilarious spin on the classic fairy tale "Sleeping Beauty." Written in bouncy rhymed verse perfect for reading aloud, this whimsical reimagining from Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen is sure to appeal to children and parents alike.

Tucked in his little bed inside the castle walls, Mouse is eager to get a good night's sleep before his wedding tomorrow. But just as he begins to drift off, he's awoken by a tremendous roar. SNOOOOGA-SNOOOOOM! KER-SCHUPPP! Sleeping Beauty is snoring . . . again! When the handsome Prince Max arrives, Mouse thinks he's found the perfect scheme: He'll convince the prince to kiss Beauty and wake her up! But when Prince Max learns that Beauty is the one making such monstrous noises, will he still want to kiss her . . . or will he run away from the noisy princess, leaving her snoring for another hundred years?

Review:  Another fun fractured fairy tale narrated by the mouse who shares Sleeping Beauty's castle.  The rhyme scheme and meter are catchy, but I got irritated by the unusual snoring sound effects that were required to keep the reading going.  Who ever heard of a snore like Snooga Snoom?  I read it entertainingly the first time, but on subsequent re-readings, I've been irritated by having to make the snoring noises so loud and crazy. Megan especially loves this book, probably because of the snoring noises and the little funny bit at the end.

Rating:  4 stars

Little Roja Riding Hood

Little Roja Riding Hood
by Susan Middleton Elya
Illustrated by Susan Guevara
Little Roja Riding Hood

Genre: Picture Book, Fractured Fairy Tale

Synopsis: While Roja picks flowers on the way to her grandma's, a mean wolf sneaks away with her cape to surprise Abuelita. But Grandma's no fool and Roja's no ordinary chica. They send that hungry lobo packing with a caliente surprise!
 

This sassy retelling of Little Red Riding Hood has accessible Spanish rhymes and fresh illustrations, with hip cultural details throughout.

Review:  This was a fun book to read because it introduces Spanish words while the majority of the book is in English.  The rhyme scheme works well, for the most part, making this an easy book to read - as long as you can pronounce the Spanish words!  After reading this book to Megan last week, Aunt Julie approved.  I liked that Little Roja solved the problem of the wolf creatively on her own.  Fun illustrations, too.

Rating:  4 stars

Sunday, September 14, 2014

I Hunt Killers

I Hunt Killers
by Barry Lyga

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Mystery

Synopsis: It was a beautiful day.  It was a beautiful filed.  Except for the body.

Jazz is a likable teenager.  A charmer, some might say.

But he's also the son of the world's most infamous serial killer, and for Dear Old Da, "Take Your Son to Work Day" was year-round.  Jazz has witnessed crime scenes the way cops wish they could-from the crimial's point of view.

Andnow, even though Dad has been in jail for years, bodies are pioling up in the sleepy town of Lobo's Nod.  Again.

In an effort to porove murder doesn't run in the family, Jazz joins the police in the hunt for this new serial killer.  But Jazz has a secret-could he be more like his father than anyone knows?
From the book jacket

Review:  This book was quite intriguing in a gruesome sort of way.  Jazz looked at murders like they were everyday occurences and therefore we has the reader also had to view them that way which was quite hard to do if you are at all squeamish about blood and guts.  But this book was still enjoyable as you are trying to figure out who the killer is and if Jazz is going to become a victim.  There were parts of the story that didn't seem to flow well and it seemed like information was left out.  Was I supposed to know the identity of the killer?  What happened after the story finished?  I know there is a second book but from the descrption it may not deal with this story at all but just be about Jazz hunting another killer.  There were loose ends that were not tied up.  I am anxious to read the next book because Jazz was a fun character although he did have some quirks.  While this book is a mystery there was some humor in it which I think was a good idea or else the book may have been a little too serious.

Rating: 4 stars

Saturday, September 13, 2014

Precious

Precious
Sapphire

Precious

Genre: Fiction

Summary (from the publisher):  Precious Jones, an illiterate sixteen-year-old, has up until now been invisible to the father who rapes her and the mother who batters her and to the authorities who dismiss her as just one more of Harlem's casualties. But when Precious, pregnant with a second child by her father, meets a determined and radical teacher, we follow her on a journey of education and enlightenment as she learns not only how to write about her life, but how to make it truly her own for the first time.

Review:   I am completely torn about this book.  On one hand, I hated reading this book; it's written from the point of view of an uneducated black girl from Harlem in the 1980s, which means the spelling, grammar and basic sentence structure are completely nonexistent, and the vulgarities are prevalent.  More importantly, Precious is sexually, physically and emotionally abused by her parents, and she is extremely descriptive (in a matter of fact way) about the abuse.  The author is using Precious' voice, I get it, but it was hard to read.

Everything about this book is disturbing.  But the message that Precious, with the help of a teacher, finds a way to pull herself out of the hell she's living in, get an education and raise her child provided a sense of hope.

So why didn't I give this a 1 star rating?  Well, I would say that this is a powerful book, but not one I personally enjoyed reading.

Rating: 2 stars

Saturday, September 6, 2014

Lady Lollipop

Lady Lollipop
by Dick King-Smith
Illustrated by Jill Barton

Genre: Chapter book

Synopsis: Lollipop is no ordinary pig.  According to her young trainer, Johnny Skinner, she's the smartest pig in the entire kingdom.  When people stare into Lollipop's bright, intelligent eyes, it somehow changes them for the better.  But will Lollipop be able to win over the spoiled Princess Penelope-and her not-so-pig-friendly parents, the King and Queen?
from the book jacket

Natalie's Review: I liked the book because it has a pig in it.  I like pigs and stories about pigs.  I like that the pig was called Lady Lollipop like a candy, it is silly.  The boy is nice and he trained the pig.  He trained to pig to poop by saying "busy."  That was silly.  I liked the pictures.  There were a lot of them.  I liked the whole book.

Becky's review:  This book was pretty simplistic but an easy read aloud book for young children.  The book has plenty of pictures to keep young kids entertained while reading.  There is some old fashioned language in this book which made me think the book was written a while ago (like the 1940s) but this book was written much more recently!  The language might need to be clarified for kids.  At first the main characters are not very likable, Princess Penelope is a spoiled brat and the King and Queen don't do anything about it.  But luckily all the characters get better.  It wasn't the most exciting children's book that I have read but if it entertains my 5 year old, then the book is fine with me!

Natalie's Rating: 5 stars

One Hundred Names

One Hundred Names
by Cecelia Ahern

Genre: Women's Fiction

Synopsis:  Scandal has derailed journalist Kitty Logan's career, a setback that is soon compounded by an even more devastating loss.  Constance, the woman who taught Kitty everything she knew, is dying.  At her mentor's bedside, Kitty asks her, "What is the one story you always wanted to write?"

The answer lies in a single sheet of paper buried in Constance's office-a list of one hundred names-with no notes or explanation.  But before Kitty can ask her friend, it is too late.

Determined to unlock the mystery and rebuild her own shaky confidence.  Kitty throws herself into the investigation, tracking down each of the names on the list and uncovering their connection.  Meeting these ordinary people and learning their stories, Kitty begins to piece together an unexpected portrait of Constance's life...and starts to understand her own.

Review: I was quite intrigued by the premise of this story.  I HAD to know how these people were connected together!  As I started reading, I was slightly turned off to the novel because of the writing style.  It was not well written.  The book was full of full page paragraphs that just rambled on about descriptions of things or people that didn't matter and those paragraphs would be in between pertinent events.  It just didn't flow and in fact, it interrupted the storyline.  As I kept reading, the writing either got better or I was able to ignore it and was swept away by the story of the people that Kitty met.  I really enjoyed the characters she met as part of her story and how she came to care for all of them.  If I could rate this story with two ratings, I would give it a 4 for the story (there were parts of the story that just didn't seem to connect and some parts that seemed unnecessary) and a 2 for the writing.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Annie and Simon

Annie and Simon
Catharine O'Neill

Annie and Simon: Candlewick Sparks

Genre: Early Chapter Book

Summary (from the publisher):  A chatty little girl and her patient older brother share an easy bond in a charming early chapter book filled with warmth and wry humor.

Annie and Simon: little sister and big, big brother. Annie likes to talk — a lot — about what she’s going to be when she grows up, about the clouds and rain and umbrellas, about picnics in the park and meteors, about loons and canoes and turtles. And Simon is a very good listener. He knows a lot about the stars and the weather, how to fix bee stings, and where to look for loons. He knows a lot about being the kind of big brother that keeps a little sister smiling. Whether they are poking around the garden or paddling through a marsh, curious Annie and patient Simon are siblings who are clearly happy in each other’s company.


Review by Amelia:  This book is pretty good.  It's about a girl named Annie and a boy named Simon.  There are four chapters and each chapter is a different story.  I liked that they were talking about meteors in one chapter and it was funny when Annie did her brother Simon's hair because his hair looked crazy.  I liked that there were a lot of pictures and that the pictures were colorful instead of only black and white and grey like most chapter books.  There's only one thing that I didn't like - that Annie got stung by a bee.

Review by Marcie: This is a cute little book about an imaginative girl who loves to hang out with her responsible older brother.  I would classify it as an early chapter book, although some of the words might be tricky for early readers.  It has a lot of colorful pictures, and not a huge amount of text.  This would be a good read-aloud for a child who is starting to be interested in listening to chapter books; an adult could easily read this book in one sitting before bed time.  

Rating by Amelia: 3 stars (she was anxious to start reading a different book, but I am making her read books of my choice to branch out)

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Shake Down the Stars

Shake Down the Stars
Renee Swindle

Shake Down the Stars

Genre: Fiction

Summary (from the publisher):  Piper Nelson is stuck. She can’t quite stay away from the husband she divorced. She isn’t always attentive to the high school students she teaches. And even she admits that she’s been drinking too much and seeking out unsuitable men. Piper’s mother, married to a celebrity evangelist, and her sister, immersed in plans to wed a professional football player and star in a reality TV show, are both too self-absorbed to sympathize with Piper’s angst. They tell her to get a grip. But how can Piper ever really recover from the blow she suffered five years ago, when a car accident took the life of her young daughter?

When Piper’s ex-husband announces his new girlfriend is pregnant, Piper is forced to take stock. Realizing that it’s time for a change is one step, but actually making it happen is quite another. And despite what she thinks, Piper can’t do it alone Lucky for her, a couple of crazy, funny new friends are ready to step in when she needs them most…and show her how to live and laugh again.


Review:  This was an unexpectedly emotional read!  I almost put this book down after the first chapter, because I strongly disliked the main character (and all the supporting characters), and I thought this was going to be a disturbing urban chick lit book full of girls getting drunk and sleeping around.  Instead, it was a heart-wrenching story about a mother falling to rock bottom after the death of her young daughter, dealing with divorce and a dysfunctional family, and then pulling herself up from the bottom and making a new life for herself.  While I cried several times as Piper reminisced about her daughter, there were other scenes that made me laugh, and I was so thankful when Piper finally started taking charge of her life.

The only complaint I have is one that I'm not even sure is a complaint.  I couldn't figure out what race/ethnicity the characters were until at least halfway through the book.  Does it matter what race they were?  Absolutely not!  The issues faced by the characters are irrelevant to race, and perhaps that's part of the reason the characters were never physically described.  But for some reason, I'd had a picture of Piper in my head, and when I started getting inklings that she was a different race than I had pictured (talks of weaves, etc), it was bothering me that I didn't know.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Monday, September 1, 2014

My Wish List

My Wish List
Gregoire Delacourt

My Wish List

Genre: Fiction

Summary (from the publisher):  Jocelyne lives in a small town in France where she runs a fabric shop, has been married to the same man for twenty-one years, and has raised two children. She is beginning to wonder what happened to all those dreams she had when she was seventeen. Could her life have been different?
Then she wins the lottery—and suddenly finds the world at her fingertips. But she chooses not to tell anyone, not even her husband—not just yet. Without cashing the check, she begins to make a list of all the things she could do with the money. But does Jocelyne really want her life to change?


Review:  I'm not sure I exactly liked this book, but it was definitely thought-provoking.  It's the story of a middle-aged woman who is happy with her ordinary life, despite her possibly disappointing relationships with her husband and children.  When she wins the lottery, she has to reevaluate her life and decide whether the money would make her happy.

Jocelyne is a warm and sympathetic character, and I found myself hoping for her to have a happy ending.  The book is a fast read, and not difficult, although there's no forgetting that it takes place in France - the French names and places were a little hard for me to pronounce and keep track of.  The end of the book seemed to wrap things up too quickly and too neatly for my taste.

Oh, and the blurb on the back states, "One feels unbelievably happy reading this."  I would never say this book made me happy; quite the opposite, I felt like this book was sad overall.

Rating: 3.5 star

Written in my Own Heart's Blood

Written in my Own Heart's Blood
Diana Gabaldon

Written in My Own Heart's Blood (Outlander, #8)

Genre: Historical Fiction

Summary (from Goodreads):  WRITTEN IN MY OWN HEART’S BLOOD is the eighth novel in the world-famous OUTLANDER series. In June of 1778, the world turns upside-down. The British army withdraws from Philadelphia, George Washington prepares to move from Valley Forge in pursuit, and Jamie Fraser comes back from the dead to discover that his best friend has married Jamie’s wife. The ninth Earl of Ellesmere discovers to his horror that he is in fact the illegitimate son of the newly-resurrected Jamie Fraser (a rebel _and_ a Scottish criminal!) and Jamie’s nephew Ian Murray discovers that his new-found cousin has an eye for Ian’s Quaker betrothed.

Meanwhile, Claire Fraser deals with an asthmatic duke, Benedict Arnold, and the fear that one of her husbands may have murdered the other. And in the 20th century, Jamie and Claire’s daughter Brianna is thinking that things are probably easier in the 18th century: her son has been kidnapped, her husband has disappeared into the past, and she’s facing a vicious criminal with nothing but a stapler in her hand. Fortunately, her daughter has a miniature cricket bat and her mother’s pragmatism.

The best of historical fiction with a Moebius twist, WRITTEN IN MY OWN HEART’S BLOOD weaves the fibers of a family’s life through the tapestry of historical drama.


Review:  Wow, this book was such a disappointment.  Although The Fiery Cross is still my least favorite in the Outlander series, this book came in a close second.  After having read, and mostly enjoyed, the first seven books in the series, I am invested in the characters and the plot, and so I had to keep reading to find out what happened.  I will definitely read the next book in the series (in five more years) for the same reason, but I'm glad I didn't spend the money to buy this book.

So, what didn't I like about it?  Well, instead of writing from only Claire and Jaime's perspectives, Gabaldon wrote from the perspectives of Claire, Jaime, Roger, Bree, Jem, John Grey, William, Hal, Rachel, Ian and I'm sure there were a few more that I missed.  That's just WAY too many for one novel.  She also spent a lot of time focusing on historical figures like Washington, Benedict Arnold, Nathanael Greene, and quite a few others.  Sure, it's interesting that Claire and Jaime met these characters, but it made the story drag on and get confusing.

And I understand that Gabaldon does a lot of research into the history of her stories, but I could have done without all the details around the British and Continental troop movements, meetings, and camp setups prior to the battle of Monmouth.  I wanted to follow Jaime and Claire's story, not hear about all those historical details.  I think the 10 days surrounding the battle took up the first 500 pages of the novel.  It was seriously way too long and should have been much more stringently edited.

The last 100 pages or so were much more interesting, and had character development and pacing more like the rest of the novels in the series.  I also appreciated that this book had an actual ending, not a "to be continued" ending like the prior book.

Rating: 3 stars

Prisoner of Night and Fog

Prisoner of Night and Fog
by Anne Blankman

Genre: Historical Fiction, Young Adult Fiction

Synopsis: In 1930s Munich, danger lurks behind dark corners and secrets are buried deep within the city.  But Gretchen Muller, who grew up in the National Socialist Party under the wing of her uncle Dolf, has been shielded from that side of society ever since her father graded his life for Dolf's, and Gretchen is his favorite, his pet.

Uncle Dolf is none other than Adolf Hitler.  And Gretchen follows his every command.

Until she meets a fearless and handsome young Jewish reporter named Daniel Cohen.  Gretchen should despise Daniel, yet she can't stop herself from listening to his story: that her father, the adored Nazi martyr, was actually murdered by an unknown comrade.  She also can't help the fierce attraction brewing between them, despite everything she's been taught to believe about Jews.

As Gretchen investigates the very people she's always considered friends, she must decide where her loyalties lie.  Will she choose the safety of her former life as a Nazi darling, or will she dare to dig up the truth-even if it could get her and Daniel killed?
From the book jacket

Review:  This book started out quite slow.  I was tempted to abandon it 100 pages in but decided to give it another shot.  I'm glad that I did.  The book picked up so much after the first section.  I felt like the first section really just introduced characters but too many of them since I didn't know who people were later but I decided it really didn't matter for the most part.  The first section also told us about Gretchen's life with her brother, Reinhard, and implied that things happened between the two of them but didn't give us enough clues as to what had happened and that drove me a little nuts.  But once the action picked up, it was hard to put this book down.  Most books about WWII focus on individual people and their hardships, this book focused on someone who was close to Hitler, believed in his ideology, learned the truth and had to decide what to do.  It was also interesting to get a glimpse into Hitler as a person, how he empowered his followers, and a look into his past, even though this is a fictional book (the author did do research and includes a select bibliography).  Psychology comes into play and that just fascinates me!  I was satisfied with the ending and then I found out that there is a sequel due on in April 2015.  I'm not sure how I feel about this.  I thought this worked well as a stand alone book.

Rating: 3 1/2 stars