Musing Mondays (Dec. 12)

Musing Mondays is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. This week's musing asks...I once knew a man who read about WWII. He read everything he could get his hands on on the subject. He had a whole wall of books that were all about WWII. It amazed me. How could he continue to find one subject that engrossing? My mother, on the other hand, loves to read best sellers. I’ve known other people who read science fiction to the exclusion of everything else; for others it was philosophy, self-help, or history.

So, to the questions…

What kind of books do you like to read?
Why? Provide specific examples.

Well as anyone who reads this blog will know my genre of choice is mystery. Mystery books are my one true love, ever since I was a little girl and my sister read to me my first boxcar children book. Oh how I loved those ageless little sleuths. I have a whole bookshelf dedicated to my Mysteries. Mysteries are fascinating to me because I love to see the puzzle unfold, and how it all connects together in the end. My second favorite would have to be clever fantasies or clever science fiction. I love a time travel story, especially if it's timey-wimey because again, I love to see how it all connects in the end. My last book of choice would be classics, or everyday stories that are interesting, and make you feel warm and cozy inside.

Mysteries:

And Then There Where None By Agatha Christie

The Sign of the Four by Arthur Conan Doyle

What Could Go Wrong by Willo Davis Roberts

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

Clever Fantasy/Science Fiction

Charmed Life, Witch Week, and Howl's Moving Castle by Dianna Wynne Jones

The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

Hogfather by Terry Pratchett

My UnFair Godmother by Janette Rallison

Classic/Everyday novels

The Betsy-Tacy series by Maud Hart Lovelace

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

Persuasion, Emma, and Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodges Burnett

WWW Wednesday (Dec.7)

WWW Wednesday is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

What are you currently reading? The Light Fantastic by Terry Pratchett...I'm only a couple pages in an already all sorts of weird things happened. Me gusta. >_<

What did you recently finish reading? Goodbye Mr. Chips by James Hilton. I cried, but more on that later...

What do you think you'll read next? Well I guess the rest of my library books, which would be Going Postal by Terry Pratchett, and after that I was thinking about re-reading a childhood favorite, or perhaps a famous classic...I never am very certain.

Musing Mondays (Dec.5)

Musing Mondays is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. This weeks question is...How many books do you read in a week? Month? Year?

It fluctuates. A lot. Sometimes I can read two books a week. Sometimes 0 in a month...then about 4 a month. A year, well my grand total this year is about 30 so far...pretty depressing. Also none of them are books I wanted to get done this year. Guess that's what happens, so many of the books I wanted to read were quite heavy...metaphorically and literally.

Hogfather: A Book Review

Author: Terry Pratchett...it's in big red letters on the book cover over there. Makes you think the book is called Terry Pratchett and it's written by Hogfather.

Genre: Fantasy/comedy

Reading Level: Ages 12 and up

Summary: Who would want to harm Discworld's most beloved icon? Very few things are held sacred in this twisted, corrupt, heartless -- and oddly familiar -- universe, but the Hogfather is one of them. Yet here it is, Hogswatchnight, that most joyous and acquisitive of times, and the jolly old, red-suited gift-giver has vanished without a trace. And there's something shady going on involving an uncommonly psychotic member of the Assassins' Guild and certain representatives of Ankh-Morpork's rather extensive criminal element. Suddenly Discworld's entire myth system is unraveling at an alarming rate. Drastic measures must be taken, which is why Death himself is taking up the reins of the fat man's vacated sleigh . . . which, in turn, has Death's level-headed granddaughter, Susan, racing to unravel the nasty, humbuggian mess before the holiday season goes straight to hell and takes everyone along with it.

My Review:“You need to believe in things that aren't true. How else can they become?”

Terry Pratchett's engaging and hilarious novel not only presents you with a lovely and quirky fantasy, but also plenty to talk and think about when you're finished reading. The discussion of belief, blind faith, and it's importance to humans, and the existence of the world even, are very prevalent, and put about in a way that you hardly realize that's what you've been reading. I loved the parts where they explained the origins of the Hogfather, and how (not unlike our own) started off as something much darker, before it became the happy little festival that is so well known. It's clever, touching, and so well written.

The world in this book is fully released, probably because this is the 20th book in the discworld series. But you don't have to read them in order. Since Discworld is an alternate universe it's fun to see all of "mythologys" in play as their world (which is flat) travels through space on the backs of 4 elephants on the back of a giant turtle.

Discworld is populated by hundreds of characters, and this book has quite a few of them on its own, you jump from each one of their stories quite a bit, and I wasn't entirely sure if it a was sequential, so that was a bit confusing. In a good way of course because you wanted to know what was going to happen and near the end you are largely rewarded. I feel like this is one of those books you have to read again to fully appreciate, and that you'll get a lot more on the second helping then you did on the first.

The main protagonists Death and Susan, both relatives, and both holding fantastic power are wonderfully imaged characters. Susan is a bit stodgy, a common side affect in fiction when someone who isn't normal tries so hard to be. But she was fantastic, perfectly capable of setting aside normalcy to beat up monsters in a cellar with a poker if the occasion called for it. Also her hair did itself. You can't help but like someone like that.

Death is brilliant, and talks in CAPS so you don't miss anything he says, and he's hilarious, and dark, and surprisingly has a "heart". His attempts at portraying the Hogfather, especially in the "Maul" are some of the best parts of the novel to get you laughing.

There are fumbling wizards with a temperamental giant computer, some ill fated thieves, a creepy man-child, a Death of Rats, talking Raven, and oh yes, a god of hangovers.

Seriously what more could you ask from a book.

Content: language, violence

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Recommend: It reads slightly like the Hitchiker's Guide to The Galaxy. If you liked that I'd safely bet you'd like this.

The Undomestic Goddess and Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging

Author: Sophie Kinsella

Genre: Comedy

Reading Level: Vocab wise, anyone, content wise Adult

Summary: Workaholic attorney Samantha Sweeting has just done the unthinkable. She’s made a mistake so huge, it’ll wreck any chance of a partnership.

Going into utter meltdown, she walks out of her London office, gets on a train, and ends up in the middle of nowhere. Asking for directions at a big, beautiful house, she’s mistaken for an interviewee and finds herself being offered a job as housekeeper. Her employers have no idea they’ve hired a lawyer–and Samantha has no idea how to work the oven. She can’t sew on a button, bake a potato, or get the #@%# ironing board to open. How she takes a deep breath and begins to cope–and finds love–is a story as delicious as the bread she learns to bake.

But will her old life ever catch up with her? And if it does…will she want it back?

My Review: Much like Shopaholic this was easy to read and funny. Not as funny as shopaholic and I didn't like it as much, but it was okay.

It wasn't very believable, as the main character who's supposed to be a lawyer, actually fakes her way through cooking, and then gets insanely good after only 2 weeks. Wow... it should only happen to me.

Also I didn't like the ending, I felt i

t was too predictable (and no I'm not talking about romance wise) and a bit of a cop-out for the main character. It was also cliche. The seemingly innocent character, a blackguard all along...hohum.

The middle dragged. Terribly. Then it got boring near the end and I didn't care.

But the beginning was funny.

Content: Harsh language, and a scene I hadda skip over because I don't care about anyone's blimey amour midst the shrubbery.

Rating: 1 and a half stars out of 5

Recommed: Kinsella fans...possibly

Author: Louise Rennison

Genre: Comedy

Reading Level: Vocab wise 10, content wise 14

Summary: There are six things very wrong with my life:

1. I have one of those under-the-skin spots that will never come to a head but lurk in a red way for the next two years.

2. It is on my nose

3. I have a three-year-old sister who may have peed somewhere in my room.

4. In fourteen days the summer hols will be over and then it will be back to Stalag 14 and Oberfuhrer Frau Simpson and her bunch of sadistic teachers.

5. I am very ugly and need to go into an ugly home.

6. I went to a party dressed as a stuffed olive.

In this wildly funny journal of a year in the life of Georgia Nicolson, British author Louise Rennison has perfectly captured the soaring joys and bottomless angst of being a teenager. In the spirit of Bridget Jones's Diary, this fresh, irreverent, and simply hilarious book will leave you laughing out loud. As Georgia would say, it's "Fabbity fab fab!"

My Review: Yes, that up there really does summarize the book. It really was just the ramblings of a 14 year old girl. A rather dim if not funny 14 year old girl. Seriously, I do not know why a girl her age, in public school, is so dim. I mean seriously, she just lets guys do whatever to her, it was so frustrating she didn't kick that Mark character.

Also Georgie, her friends, and seriously anyone besides her Dad in this novel had no aspirations. At all. In fact I don't think it even mentioned there interests. Does Georgia have any?

The writing was super easy, and as I said, funny, but in the end it was all empty calories.

Content: kissing, lots of kissing, it was kinda gross. Georgia lets guys touch her inappropriately which made me really mad I wanted to slap her...

Rating: 1 and a half stars out of 5

Recommed: Not really

WWW Wednesday (Nov. 30)

WWW Wednesday is hosted by mizB at Should Be Reading. To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

What are you currently reading? I am reading Hogfather by Terry Pratchett. Thought I'd be seasonal.

What did you recently finish reading? Lots of chick-lit. The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella and Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison. Double packed review coming soon...I also read How Not to Write a Novel: 200 classic mistakes and how avoid them by Howard Mittlemark and Sandra Newman. It was very eye opening, and utterly hilarious.

What do you think you'll read next? Well I hate to swear because I've mostly been lying the past couple months, but I'm pretty sure I'm gonna read Goodbye Mr. Chips by James Hilton...and then I'm really not sure. Sky's the Limit eh?

Pure: A Book Review

Author: Terra Elan McVoy

Genre: Drama

Reading Level: Ages 13 and up

Summary: Promise. Betrayal. Confession. Revenge.

Tabitha and her four best friends all wear purity rings, symbols of the virginity-until-marriage pledge they made years ago. Now Tab is fifteen, and her ring has come to mean so much more. It's a symbol of who she is and what she believes—a reminder of her promises to herself, and her bond to her friends. But when Tab meets a boy whose kisses make her knees go weak, everything suddenly seems a lot more complicated. Tab's best friend, Morgan, is far from supportive, and for the first time, Tabitha is forced to keep secrets from the one person with whom she's always shared everything. When one of those secrets breaks to the surface, Tab finds herself at the center of an unthinkable betrayal that splits her friends apart. As Tab's entire world comes crashing down around her, she's forced to re-examine her friendships, her faith, and what exactly it means to be pure.

My Review: This books was of great interest to me on many levels. I got it out on a gamble. I had an idea of how it would go, and then how I hoped it would go, and I read it a little prepared to be disappointed. Fortunately I wasn't. Despite the summary, and the question of purity that does permeate the book I would have to say this particular novel was definitely more about the challenge of friendship, staying true to what you believe, being open minded, and peer pressure, no matter if it's "good" or "bad".

The main character Tabitha, was wonderful. She was realistic, strong, and thoughtful, wonderfully mature but still young in many ways protagonist now a days are not. She's a thinker, never one to see things at face value she delves deeper into the issue, looks at both sides, questions, and it was great to read about a young girl being this way about issues she faced like friendship, and sex.

We have lovely side characters to that are also fleshed out. All of her friends, Cara, Morgan, Naeomi, and Priah each share a very special friendship with her that helps all of them grow in ways they never expected. Even Priah, probably who is really in the background for most of the story gets a chance to shine in the end. I love their individual voices, and I felt for them.

Tabitha also got a boyfriend, who was very understanding, but also a bit in the background, just there for Tabitha to question herself even more.

Her parents as well were not regulated to the background, and added a nice touch, so often authors forget the parents, and they're merely there for the protagonist to despise or "feel sorry for" so we think they actually care, and then are never mentioned again. Tabitha talks to her parents. That was another lovely thing to read.

The books is quite hefty, but in my personal opinion never dragged. I really enjoyed every second of it, it made me think.

As a note: religion plays an important part in the book, but it's not overpowering or "beat you over the head" type. I think it adds a very nice touch.

Content: kissing, despite the subject matter it is not graphic, perfect to give to young girls having to start thinking about these things without freaking them out.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Recommend: To those who want to weigh in all the options, and are curious to look at it from a religious but un-fanatical viewpoint. Also to those who love friendship stories, which is the core of the book.

P.S. This is the first review I've written on my new laptop. Very exciting. :P

Saving Francesca: A Book Review

Author: Melina Marchetta

Genre: drama

Reading Level: ages 13 and up

Summary: Francesca is stuck at St. Sebastian's, a boys' school that pretends it's coed by giving the girls their own bathroom. Her only female companions are an ultra-feminist, a rumored slut, and an an impossibly dorky accordion player. The boys are no better, from Thomas who specializes in musical burping to Will, the perpetually frowning, smug moron that Francesca can't seem to stop thinking about.

Then there's Francesca's mother, who always thinks she knows what's best for Francesca—until she is suddenly stricken with acute depression, leaving Francesca lost, alone, and without an inkling who she really is. Simultaneously humorous, poignant, and impossible to put down, this is the story of a girl who must summon the strength to save her family, her social life and—hardest of all—herself.

My (short) Review: I got this from the library, thinking it would just be another silly teen novel. Not so, this is an actual fine piece of literature.

It's one of the few character driven books I really liked, and oh what characters. Not a single one was a cardboard cut-out, they were all extremely well developed, and their unfolding relationship as the book goes on is deep, realistic, and most of all interesting. There are very few cliches, and the relationship between mother and daughter that's explored is sad and beautiful.

I think Melina Marchetta is a fabulous author and if the rest of her books are like this one I will definitely have to pick them up.

WWW Wednesday (Oct.5)

WWW Wednesdays are hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.

What Are You Currently Reading? 1984 by George Orwell and The Girl is Murder by Kathryn Miller Haines.

What Did You Recently Finish Reading? Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta and I So Don't Do Mysteries by Barrie Summy, reviews coming soon...

What Do You Think You'll Read Next? Well probably The Book of Elsewhere by Jacqueline West or maybe Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter.

Musing Mondays (Oct.3)

Musing Mondays is hosted by MizB at Should be Reading. This weeks MM ask's: What are you most excited about reading, right now? (can be a book you’re currently enjoying, or a book that’s yet to be published, etc.)

Well I'm not excited about any books coming out, in fact I'm not entirely sure what's even being published these days. I started a new job, as a montessori pre-school assistant. It takes up a lot of my time. So I think honestly the most exciting thing about reading right now is the fact that I'm actually doing it.

WWW Wednesday (Sept. 7)

WWW Wednesday is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.

What are you currently reading? I am deciding between Kat, Incorrigible by Stephanie Burgis or Across the Universe by Beth Revis. The latter is kind of depressing me so I'll probably end up reading Kat. I should finish my review books but I'm not in the mood for zombies.

What did you recently finish reading? Miss Peregrine *insert rest of title here* by Ransom Rigg and Solid by Shelley Workinger, both have been reviewed as you can see below.

What do you think you'll read next? After the two I've been deciding on? Well I have two non-zombie review books on my nook I should get to. Across Eternity by Aris Whittier and No Place Like Holmes by Jason Lethcoe.

Solid: A Book Review

Author: Shelley Workinger*

Genre: Sci-fi..?

Reading Level: ages 12 and up

Summary:Teens who discover they were secretly genetically altered before birth are brought together at a classified site where they forge new friendships, find love, develop "super-abilities," and even unearth a conspiracy.

My Review: I didn't start reading this book with any expectations. I'm not a character driven book kind of girl. Not that I like lifeless, do nothing, characters with no personality. I don't think anybody does... at least they shouldn't.

I thought I'd try out of my comfort zone for once though. The author was kind enough to send me a copy. Actually two copies. The first one got lost in the mail.

It's not a terrible novel. It's not very good either. It needs more work, more polish, not just in the plot (after all I was already warned about that) but in the characters. They weren't strong enough to hold the book together. I didn't much like Clio. She was far to inconsistent emotionally. She's supposed to be all sarcastic, but I guess I just didn't get this very much, because she kept telling me she was being sarcastic. I never actually read her being sarcastic.

The relationships all happened too fast. I didn't understand why both Clio and Bliss disliked Miranda so much, I mean I felt like they were the mean judgmental girls, not her. She was just being herself, stating her own opinions and I felt they were being overly self righteous. I don't even understand what Garret's point was other than to be the annoying goofy one. Then there's the love interest, her and Jake just met, she's already crushing cause he's just that perfect, but whatever that's okay, crushes happen...fast. But then she freaks out 'cause he didn't kiss her at a dance (one of the most confusing bits in the novel as it's their second interaction) then she's saying how much she loves him, and other such things. I like'd Colonel Clark. He was pretty cool, I would've liked his relationship with Clio explored. He so obviously felt fatherly toward her. That was sweet.

The little of the plot that was there, kept the novel interesting. It was a cliched, and over too fast, but I appreciated its existence. I think Shelley Workinger has potential, she just needs to work on developing her characters more, letting them slowly grow and form believably solid relationships...oh gawd I didn't mean that pun. -_-;

Content: just some kissing and minor violence, really tame stuff

Rating: 2 and a half stars out of 5

Recommend: Sure, try it out for yourself. There's also a sequel that can be found here.

Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children: A Book Review

Author: Ransom Riggs

Genre: Fantasy

Summary: A mysterious island.

An abandoned orphanage.

A strange collection of very curious photographs.

It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography,Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows.

My Review: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children was a well written, and overall interesting novel, I felt some words were overused but I can overlook this little offense.

Some of the characters were interesting, and I enjoyed the "peculiar" aspects of certain characters that I can't give away as they are plot points.

I however was not particularly fond of the novel as a whole. I felt the middle was dragging, so many things I found unnecessary I was forced to read through as I impatiently waited for the real important bits of the book to come up, and the relationships between the characters felt rushed and forced.

Then there's the bad guys. They were built up to be quite fearsome, but I only saw flashes of them in the beginning of the novel and then at the end, and I wasn't particularly scared of them, although my lady like constitution was quite upset over an episode involving them and a pack of innocent sheep.

Unfortunately for me many little plot twists were rather predictable. I wasn't very shocked when certain "reveals" came up as I saw them coming all along and I feel that the observant reader would have the same experience. In the end the novel just left me disappointed.

Content: lots of language, and violence

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Recommend: People who like quirky fantasies

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: A book review

Author: Seth Grahame-Smith

Genre: Twisted classic..?

Summary: “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains.”

So begins Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, an expanded edition of the beloved Jane Austen novel featuring all-new scenes of bone-crunching zombie mayhem. As our story opens, a mysterious plague has fallen upon the quiet English village of Meryton—and the dead are returning to life! Feisty heroine Elizabeth Bennet is determined to wipe out the zombie menace, but she’s soon distracted by the arrival of the haughty and arrogant Mr. Darcy. What ensues is a delightful comedy of manners with plenty of civilized sparring between the two young lovers—and even more violent sparring on the blood-soaked battlefield. Can Elizabeth vanquish the spawn of Satan? And overcome the social prejudices of the class-conscious landed gentry? Complete with romance, heartbreak, swordfights, cannibalism, and thousands of rotting corpses, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies transforms a masterpiece of world literature into something you’d actually want to read.

My Review: Well I don't agree with that last part. P&P has never had trouble drawing in an audience and I don't think it's going to stop nowadays. Either way P&P&Z was made, and the big question is this: has it ruined a masterpiece of literature or has it increased it's audience and added something more. I'd have to say in regards to question number one: no, no it hasn't. I mean it's so unbelievably camp and overly grotesque you're too busy laughing at the utter ridiculousness of it all that there's no room to get mad at it being in P&P. Has it increased it's audience...I'm not sure really I'll have to look that up. Has it added anything. Oh definitely not. It's far to silly to seems like some sort of social commentary. It's not a particularly clever parody in my opinion. It's just sorta...there, and it sparked a creation of other such there reboots of classic novels like "Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters" "Vampire Little Women" and "Alice in Zombieland."

I think it could have benefited from being more "zombie" and less "Pride and Prejudice" particularly near the end. Some more drastic changes would've been nice as well, and this incarnation of Elizabeth seemed widely schizophrenic, because one minute she was the wild zombie slayer for the added text bits, and then she was back to original text Elizabeth who has a proper emotional breakdown over Lydia's disappearance. I mean the breakdown is understandable in the original, it just seems outta place with this new Elizabeth. Again I think it would have been more enjoyable completely re-written instead of being mostly Austen with Zombies thrown in.

Content: Some rawther inappropriate innuendo's that seemed out of place and uncalled for.

-_-; I am not amused. Violence, gore, gross stuff. Zombies for crying out loud.

Rating: 2 stars out of 5

Recommend: For people who have ever read Austen and thought "it could be more zombified". ^_^

Booking Through Thursday: Anticipation

Today's Booking Through Thursday ask's: What’s the last book you were really EXCITED to read?

And, were you excited about it in advance? Or did the excitement bloom while you were reading it?

Are there any books you’re excited about right NOW?

Probably My Unfair Godmother, because I didn't even know My Fair Godmother had a sequel coming out. So I was pleasantly surprised. Advanced books? I dunno I think it's best for me not to get excited in advance 'cause when I do by the time I get around to reading them, the bloom has worn off, and I get bored. Right now there are currently no books that are making me run to the bookstore...or even online. Shame really.

Right Side Talking: A Book Review

Author: Bonnie Rozanski
Reading Level: Ages 12 and up
Summary: Imagine that you are a young girl with intractable epilepsy. As a last resort you submit to an operation to sever the connection between the two sides of your brain. Though the operation successfully reduces your seizures, you are left forever with two separate minds: left and right, each unaware of the other.

Imagine further that while recovering in the hospital, you witness a murder. Your dominant left brain cannot recognize unfamiliar faces, and is, therefore, unable to identify the killer. Your right brain can, but is unable to speak. Gradually, painstakingly, the right learns to spell out its thoughts in scrabble letters. At long last, on a table in a hospital lab, you describe the person who committed the crime. Too bad the killer is reading that very same message.….

Right Side Talking is a thriller that will grip the reader from its opening surgery scene to its dramatic courtroom climax. Its cast of characters: a 15-year-old epileptic; a brilliant surgeon; an unlicensed, resentful doctor from abroad who must work as an orderly; a grumpy, relentless detective, and a feisty psychologist Finally, most fascinating of all, there is the human mind itself.

My Review: I started this book online, but was finally given a nook and able to finish it without straining my eyes. :D Yay~! Anyway to get down to business, Right Side Talking was well researched, the author really new what she was talking about in regards to the intricacies of epilepsy, surgery, and the resulting research into how a person functions after the connection to both sides of their brain has been severed. The plot does start out slow because of this, but it picks up more near the middle. The writing was easy to read, and understandable, but at times came off slightly unemotional and rushed. I'm not sure I fully understood the main character, or many of the side characters outside of the murderer oddly enough. I had a surprising amount of compassion for the murderer although what he did made me feel ill, he was so obviously unwell due to all sorts of hardships in life it made me also feel quite sad for him. Everything leading up to the ending was well written and quite intense so I was very enthralled. All in all a pleasant read.

Content: Violence, some language

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Recommend: If you are interested in medical drama's, howcatchem's, and court drama's.

My Unfair Godmother: A Book Review

First I would like to apologize for not updating, I started this review a couple months ago, but I couldn't get my thoughts together. Hopefully I will be updating more frequently from now on.

Author: Janette Rallison

Genre: Fantasy

Reading Level: ages 12 and up

Summary: Tansy Miller has always felt that her divorced father has never had enough time for her. But mistakenly getting caught on the wrong side of the law wasn't exactly how she wanted to get his attention. Enter Chrysanthemum "Chrissy" Everstar, Tansy's fairy in shining, er, high heels. Chrissy is only a fair godmother, of course, so Tansy's three

wishes don't exactly go according to plan. And if bringing Robin Hood to the twenty-first century isn't bad enough for Tansy, being transported back to the Middle Ages to deal with Rumpelstiltskin certainly is. She'll need the help of her blended family, her wits, and especially the cute police chief 's son to stop the gold-spinning story from spinning wildly out of control. Janette Rallison pulls out all the stops in this fresh, fun-filled follow-up to the popular My Fair Godmother.

My (very short) Review: This is definitely one of the best sequels I have ever read, continuing the saga of misguided fairy godmother Chrissy Everstar from My Fair Godmother, Janette Rallison, ups the drama and humor. It was well written with a very likable, strong female lead, and fantastically quirky side characters. The plot was also quite intricate and there were several twists and turns that I was very pleased and surprised about. It was laugh out loud hilarious, and judging by the ending (this does not really give any spoilers away) we can look forward to more adventures later on. If Janette Rallison keeps up like this The Fair Godmother series will definitely be one to recommend.

Content: some violence

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Recommend: YES~! Go out and read it now.

Booking Through Thursday: Animal love

Today's Booking Through Thursday question ask's: what animal-related books have you read? Which do you love? Do you have a favorite literary dog? (Snoopy, anyone?)

I usually stay away from animal books, mostly because they have the tendency to leave me in a weepy mess on the floor by the time I'm finished with them. I can't completely resist them though. Who can? :D My favorites would have to be The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford and Wesley the Owl by Stacy O'Brien. I actually reviewed that here on this blog. I also love the Bunnicula series, and this brings me to my favorite dog...and cat. Harold and Chester. Their brilliant. :D Go check 'em out if you haven't already. Even if your not a little kid anymore.

WWW Wednesday (June 29)

WWW Wednesday is hosted by MizB over at Should Be Reading. Join in on the fun by answering these 3 questions:

1. What are You Currently Reading? "Solid" by Shelley Workinger and Still P&PAZ by Seth Graham-smith and Right Side Talking by Bonnie Rozanski although I'm almost finished that one.

2. What Did You Recently Finish Reading? My Unfair Godmother by Janette Rallison and No Passengers Beyond This Point by Gennifer Choldenko.

3. What Do You Think You'll Read Next? Probably Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs and tons of other books I need to read for review. I'm terribly behind.

Demonglass: A Book Review

Genre: Fantasy

Reading Level: Ages 12 and up

Summary: Sophie Mercer thought she was a witch.

That was the whole reason she was sent to Hex Hall, a reform school for delinquent Prodigium (aka witches, shapeshifters, and fairies). But that was before she discovered the family secret, and that her hot crush, Archer Cross, is an agent for The Eye, a group bent on wiping Prodigium off the face of the earth.

Turns out, Sophie’s a demon, one of only two in the world—the other being her father. What’s worse, she has powers that threaten the lives of everyone she loves. Which is precisely why Sophie decides she must go to London for the Removal, a dangerous procedure that will destroy her powers.

But once Sophie arrives she makes a shocking discovery. Her new friends? They’re demons too. Meaning someone is raising them in secret with creepy plans to use their powers, and probably not for good. Meanwhile, The Eye is set on hunting Sophie down, and they’re using Archer to do it. But it’s not like she has feelings for him anymore. Does she?

My Review: I was very wary of this sequel, especially since sequels I'm excited for so often disappoint me. Especially if in the sequel they take the characters to England. But I have to say although I wasn't entirely blown away by it, Demonglass was a nice addition to the Hex Hall series. I still have a lot of faith in Rachel Hawkins writing, and if she continues on in her current path I definitely look forward to seeing where she takes this series.

The characters still had their original personalities in tact. There weren't any crazy 360 turn about like in a lot of other series I've read. New characters were added and I for one instantly loved Sophie's dad, he was very charming and caring. I think the way Rachel developed their relationship was very believable, moving it along at just the right pace. Nick and Daisy the two new demons provided a creepy mystery to keep you guessing as well as some sympathy to their predicaments. Cal (who apparently was in the first book although I don't remember him) had some very sweet scenes with Sophie but, I don't think he's a contender for her feelings.

Humor (although not as prevalent as in the first book) was sprinkled throughout the story to good affect. The plot dragged along in the beginning with a lot of exposition, but Rachel made up for it with a very exciting second half. I was a little miffed with how the book ended and some of the decisions Sophie made during the conclusion but I really can't complain too much.

Content: Some mild language I think and a little kissing

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Recommend: To those who loved the first and any fantasy fans

Musing Mondays (June 6)

Musing Mondays is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. This week’s musing asks…

Where is your favorite place to read?

Ah well my favorite place to read now that the weather is fine is outside on our porch swing. For some reason rocking back in forth helps me to fully relax and get into the story I'm reading. If it's too hot to be out on the swing I usually read on the couch. If the TV is on I read in my room.