Reviews Week 3
January 16th-22nd
Book 13: The Hunting of the Snark
By Lewis Carroll
Read January 16th
Pages Read: 96
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The Hunting of the Snark has all the whimsy and nonsense that you would expect from Lewis Carroll. It was a joy to read a new piece from him that I had never read before. Also, the illustrations from Chris Riddell were wonderful.
Book 14: Mysteries of Thorn Manor
By: Margaret Rogerson
Read January 17th
Pages Read:192
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I loved returning to Elisabeth, Nathaniel, and Silas's world in this beautiful novella. During this story, they are dealing with Thorn Manor's wards trapping them in the manor, and trying to figure out how to appease them. This was such a sweet and hilarious book. I laughed out loud so many times while reading this book.
I loved reading about them fighting with parts of the house, but I enjoyed the heartfelt moments the most. Silas and Elisabeth have so many scenes together, and I love how they have become a family, just as much as Silas is for Nathaniel. Silas has a way of caring for them that pulls on my heartstrings. It made me very happy reading this book and seeing them all together again. They are one of my favorite found families.
This novella was a magical adventure that felt true to the original. The grimoires play an essential role in the plot again, and I enjoyed seeing their different personalities. Another significant part of this book was the focus on fairy tales and how they connect Nathaniel with his mother. I want to read the Austermeer Fairy Tale book so much now, and I hope that Margaret Rogerson will publish a copy of it.
Also, the epilogue was great! I won't spoil what happens in that here, but it made my day reading what happens.
Book 15: Haroun and the Sea of Stories
By: Salman Rushdie
Read January 18th-20th
Pages Read: 224
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It took me a lot longer than expected to get into this book, but I did enjoy it once I did. This is quite a strange book with a fantasy world that is intriguing. My favorite part of this book was the focus on the importance of stories and how they shape the characters throughout the novel. Haroun goes on quite the adventure in the story, along with his father. I enjoyed his time in the Sea of Stories and will probably pick up the second novel. I have heard very good things about that one.
Book 16: Holidays in Blue
By: Eve Morton
Read January 21st
Pages Read: 207
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My favorite aspects of this romance were the focus on the relationship between Cosmin and his father, The Tempest by William Shakespeare, and Cosmin's radio show. The romance between Cosmin and Eric was sometimes cute, but those other aspects were the standouts in the story. There was too much going on in this book, and the romance was not focused on much at all. Eric and Cosmin did not have chemistry that amounted to anything. I did not enjoy reading about most of their relationship, but I did enjoy some of it.
Book 17: This is Not My Story
By: Ryan Uytdewilligen
Read January 22nd
Pages Read:40
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I'm always looking for new books to read to the children I watch, and I loved the idea behind this one. This Is Not My Story is a fun book that explores many different genres, such as Fantasy, Science Fiction, Mystery, etc. It is great for readers and young writers. Also, the format of a graphic novel was clever, especially with the main character walking out of the panels.
The main character does not want to be in any of the stories the author is writing for him and talks to him throughout the book. I enjoyed the fourth wall breaking in the book, and this would be a good way of teaching genres to children. It would have been even better if there were interactive elements for the readers. Kids would love to interact with the main character.
Overall this was a cute book with a good premise. I know a couple of kids that would enjoy this format.
*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.*
Book 18: Skull Cat and the Curious Castle
By: Norman Skurtliff
Read January 22nd
Pages Read:112
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The style of this graphic novel was interesting and reminded me of the Bones comics. I liked that the main character was a cat, but the plot didn't work for me. Scully's story jumps around a lot throughout the graphic novel, and it feels like parts were being skipped in the narrative. I did enjoy the aspects about his boss near the end, and I wish the focus would be on her and her husband. So many ideas were put into this story that did not feel fleshed out in the ways that I wish they were.
*Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for my ARC of the book. All opinions are my own.*
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