I Love My Teacher

Giles Andreae, with illustrations by Emma Dodd

A charming story written to celebrate teachers. The book is about a young boy’s fun-filled day at school. From show-and-tell to reading and math to recess, the book shows how much fun the boy enjoys at school. Finally, he says how awesome his teacher is. As this book is written for young children, the plot was fairly simple. But this is good because simple plots are better for younger kids who are just starting to read. The language used was simple and easy to understand; everything was straightforward. The message being conveyed by the author was made very clear: school is fun, and good teachers are awesome. This book is full of illustrations. The illustrations give the book special significance to young readers. They hold the attention of the reader; they tie into the words and the overall story very well. They were very well done. This book is definitely for younger children who are new to reading. This book is best for kids around three to five years old. This book reminded me of Dr. Seuss books. From the rhymes to the illustrations, it’s clear that there was some inspiration from the “great doctor.” I would certainly recommend this book for older kids too, whether they are reading it themselves or reading it to a younger sibling. All in all, this book was quite enjoyable to read, and you can’t/won’t help but think about your own inspiring/wonderful teachers.


The Jane Austen Society: A Novel

A chance meeting makes all the difference for the future. Adam is a quiet farmer who has lost his home and lives with his bitter mother, escaping by reading Jane Austen on cold winter nights based on the recommendation of a stranger. His quiet comment to Dr. Gray leads to a discussion with Adeline, a school teacher who is expecting after finding out her husband will not be coming back from war. Based on a common interest in Jane Austen, who actually lived in one of the cottages in their village, they create a society for saving her home, inviting a solicitor, a possible heir, a world-renowned actress, and an art dealer to help. But things like family, finances, and fame may keep the group from accomplishing their goals.

This story. Oh, this story. It invokes memories of long ago, not because it was a simpler time but, like in Jane Austen’s beloved stories, a time of real people living real lives with real problems who are not perfect. It is epic like Jeffrey Archer’s tales and touching like Ruta Septys’s histories. It examines the way literature touches our very souls and makes us more than we are because we’ve explored a world away from our own. Fantastic.


The Girl Who Wasn't There

This is a story that will shake you up a little and then throw you back down. The Girl Who Wasn't There is about a man by the name of Sidney 'Doc' O'Keefe who just got out of prison after being involved in a murder. He had his reasons. For ten years, he kept his mouth shut so that his wife and daughter would be safe from those "reasons." But after a while, he'd had enough, so he sang. Not a week after he was released, his little girl went missing and his world crumbled.

I believe the moral of the story is that people have many sides, all shaped by their experiences. The book was intriguing to be sure. Once you thought you knew the characters, things changed; once you thought you knew how the book was going to end, that also changed. However, the good attributes aside, the book has its fair share of bad ones as well. The book has an average storyline, a fairly interesting beginning, and a couple of surprises at the end to shake things up. The writing itself could have used some spice. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone, but it’s a fine book if you like a mystery that has a few secrets. All in all, it’s a good book, but I doubt it will be awarded any prizes.


The Curse of the School Rabbit

Tommy’s little sister, Angie, brings the school classroom rabbit home to take care of when the teacher has to be gone for a while to visit her mother. The rabbit’s name is Snowflake, but maybe it should really be named Trouble because this rabbit is nothing but trouble. Snowflake seems to take great delight in peeing on people and in escaping its confines. When Angie gets sick, all the work of Snowflake falls on Tommy. Meanwhile, their father is an out-of-work actor trying to find a new job, and his friend is visiting and trying to help. Things get pretty crazy, and Snowflake is at the center of all the craziness, dragging Tommy into it all.

Author Judith Kerr has written a really fun story with interesting, well-rounded characters. It is told in first-person from Tommy’s point of view. The voice is pitch-perfect for a young British boy. American kids will have a good time seeing what an old-fashioned British children’s book is like, with lots of cute line drawings to carry them through. This will be perfect for emerging readers in first or second grade.


The Deck of Omens (The Devouring Gray (2))

The sequel picks up following the harrowing events in The Devouring Gray as a new threat gathers in strength through a corruption spreading from the Gray and slowly devouring the forest as it makes its way into town. Two shocking returns come with surprising family secrets that could change everything for May, Justin, and Isaac. As the five teenagers uncover a startling secret from the past, they must come together to face their own abilities and battle against the Gray once and for all.

Christine Lynn Herman excels at building honest and real relationship dynamics which are explored as the group fights against the corruption. Isaac and Justin have gone through some rocky waters since Isaac’s confession, which finds the two embarking on separate journeys that could heal the rift between them. Violet and Harper are a sweet point in the story as their support and confidence in each other provide strong moments of female empowerment. The angsty dynamic between Harper and Justin is explored as they finally confront the friction and buried feelings between them. Herman weaves genuine struggles into the teenagers’ lives such as trauma, betrayal, and family. The Deck of Omens is a thrilling sequel that hits all the right notes to build a thrilling battle against the Gray with angsty romance, complicated family dynamics, healing friendships, and the complex struggle of personal healing.


Penric's Travels (World of the Five Gods: Penric & Desdemona)

Again, as in Penric’s Progress we are gifted with a trio of, previously, separately published novellas. And again, read as a continuous whole, they become a most moving and nigh-seamless tale.

Penric is on his first, simple diplomatic mission. Of course that mission is immediately subverted and our sorcerous, scholarly friend is put in the gravest peril.

How he and his chaos demon Desdemona extricate themselves from a…sinking…situation is a chilling manifestation of sorcerous ingenuity. Penric is undeterred by cold feet.

Then follows a long and complex sequence of healing, pursuits, and combats both physical and magical.

When it would appear that our duo has reached safe haven with their charges, a re-entry into danger with the most profound of motivations ensues. Penric is in love.

In fact, this entire triad constitutes, and is linked by, a love story.

Bujold’s lyrical evocations of beauty, profound emotions, and happily salacious humor are as engaging as ever.

Conflict, whether the life-imperilment kind or emotional, is a constant, gripping the fortunate reader relentlessly.

As on the earlier compounded trio, cover art by Daniel Dos Santos is singularly well derived from the tale and makes this another book you will display face out on your shelf…between loving re-readings.


Hannah's War

There have been so many books out recently about women in World War II that we might well be seeing the birth of a new genre. It’s one I thoroughly enjoy, but also one that brings with it certain expectations. I opened Hannah’s War thinking that I knew exactly what I was getting into. I’ve never been more glad to be surprised.

Dr. Hannah Weiss fled Germany when she found that even her work as a scientist and her identity as an Austrian weren’t enough to keep being Jewish from putting her in danger. Seven years later, she wound up in Los Alamos, continuing her work on nuclear physics, ever closer to perfecting a bomb. She also wound up with suspicious eyes on her, but this time for being from Germany.

In her first novel, Jan Eliasberg deftly navigates shifting timelines, moving smoothly from New Mexico to Germany, from Dr. Hannah Weiss to Major Jack Delaney, the man investigating her. It’s no exaggeration to say that this book blew me away. I started it thinking I would give it a chance and probably enjoy it well enough; halfway through I was literally gasping at every chapter in amazement.

If you want something stronger than run-of-the-mill World War II historical fiction, this book is a must read.


Brother & Sister: A Memoir

This must have been a very difficult book for actress Diane Keaton to write. Her younger brother was mentally ill, alcoholic, and unreachable. Keaton details the upsets and anguish of trying to deal with behaviors as they spiraled out of control. One can also sense some guilt as Keaton built her career in isolation from her family and the brother whom she grew up with. From the photographs and poetry excerpts, one can tell that her brother Randy was blessed with family good looks and talent. He even managed a somewhat stable relationship for a time. Ultimately, however, mental illness took hold. Keaton tells about using her influence to jump the line for her brother to receive a liver transplant. It is a brave and honest book and is sure to resonate with so many families who struggle to understand the complexities of brain chemistry. Even very blessed individuals have struggles we may not know about.


The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh

Charles Lindbergh had an enviable childhood, with a doting mother and grandparents, and a father who wasn’t often present yet gave Charles incredible freedom to explore and try new things. Formal education seemed an afterthought with these people. He was a bright and inventive young man, and aviation was his passion. But the celebrity that came with his famous flight was a horror for him. His naivety and lack of historical perspective made him an easy recruit for the eugenics movement, of which he became a devotee. This dark side is not often revealed, but author Candace Fleming does not shy away from telling the whole story of Lindbergh’s life, warts and all. And there are warts aplenty that will surprise and fascinate readers. Fleming is a terrific writer, and her impeccable research shines throughout the book. While this is being marketed as a young adult book, it will be equally fascinating for adult readers and accessible enough for sophisticated middle-grade readers. Over twenty pages of photographs and drawings are a great addition, especially for younger readers who probably know little about this hero of the early twentieth century. As biographies go, this is among the very best.


Everything Chocolate: A Decadent Collection of Morning Pastries, Nostalgic Sweets, and Showstopping Desserts

America's Test Kitchen can always be counted on for solid, delicious recipes that work, and this lovely cookbook doesn't disappoint. From the decadent cover image of thick slices of cake beneath a waterfall of silky chocolate glaze to mouthwatering photos of every recipe, detailed instructions and ingredient lists, and right up to the nutritional information tables at the very end, you are sure to have everything you need to not only succeed but also enjoy every moment of the process. And while this collection includes many bakery favorites, such as cookies, cakes, cupcakes, and brownies, bakers will really enjoy branching out into chocolate brioche buns, white chocolate panna cotta, chocolate-peanut butter crème brûlée, and lots more. Each recipe has been extensively tested to make it easy to follow and is sure to meet the high standards of perfection—and they explain exactly what you can expect and why the recipe works, as well as why it has been developed as it has, in a thorough introduction to each recipe. The recipes rarely call for exotic ingredients or equipment; these are all developed with ease for the home cook in mind, so you can dive right in. The hardest part about cooking for this book is deciding what to make first!


Mom Babble: The Messy Truth about Motherhood

Mary Katherine Backstrom is not afraid to be blunt when it comes to parenting. Being a professional mommy blogger and founder of "Mom Babble," she also has the experience of being a professional mommy to back herself up. I say "professional" mommy because evident by her stories in Mom Babble, she has experienced so much physically, mentally, and spiritually during motherhood that there probably aren't too many situations that she can't offer advice. To fellow mothers, her stories and words of wisdom will give you all of the feels; you'll find yourself smiling, laughing, crying, and reminiscing, no matter what stage of motherhood you are conquering. Backstrom covers a wide variety of topics that all pertain to motherhood and its lovely craziness from not only a secular viewpoint but a Christian one.

Backstrom speaks from the heart with her advice and stories. I don't usually read about other people's parenting when I struggle with it myself daily, but her writing comes across effortlessly, yet the emotion in her situations is evident. I would recommend this book to any of my "mom" friends as it has so much relevant information, not just about parenting but also about taking care of yourself in the process.


The Falling Woman: A Novel

Erin Geraghty has been through a lot—a cooling marriage, being a mother to twins, a passionate affair, and, horrifically, a cancer diagnosis that she knows will cut her life grotesquely short. Needing time and space to reflect, she heads to a cancer-survivors group. Then the impossible happens: Erin’s plane explodes in mid-air, and Erin survives, falling to the ground and landing in a barn in Kansas. Nearby, a group of aviation investigators are desperate to determine the cause of the crash—and to find the falling woman to debunk what they see as a sensational and damaging story that’s just making it harder for families to grieve. Charlie Radford, an investigator determined to make a name for himself in the agency, is given the task of finding this woman—an assignment that brings ridicule and resentment from his colleagues. What Charlie doesn’t know is that the falling woman has more to offer him than simply answers to his research questions—his encounter with her will change his life.

The novel opens with Erin’s fall, and the breathless introduction sets Farrell’s propulsive, emotional story in motion. Though Erin’s choices may not immediately align with societal expectations, it’s her commitment to her own beliefs—and her deep instinct to do what’s best for her family—that will pull readers into her corner. Both Erin and Charlie have so much to lose, but their empathy ultimately leads them to gain more than they risk.


Hieroglyphics

Married for so long, Lil and Frank don’t always connect as they once did. Their relationship began with the shared bond of losing a parent in childhood, her mother in a fire at a nightclub, his father to a train accident. They grew to love one another and make a family, and now, retired in northern Carolina after a life in Boston, Lil sorts through their memories, reading the hieroglyphics that illustrate the life they’ve made.

Jill McCorkle has long been a voice of honesty; her characters are so real at times that you feel you’ve known them, or been them in some cases. This latest novel is no exception. As Frank tirelessly revisits his childhood home, hoping to be allowed in by Shelley, the new resident and single mom trying to keep her head above water, he also begins to forget things. At one point, Lil writes him a note reminding him never to leave her. And this sentiment, that need for someone else and the love that ties you to them, is at the heart of Hieroglyphics.

For anyone who has ever considered how they became who they are, or wondered what it takes to make a life worth living, this book is a must-read.


The Barefoot King: A Story about Feeling Frustrated

Andrew Jordan Nance, with illustrations by Olivia Holden

The Barefoot King is the story of a young man who is the king of his town where all of the people don't wear shoes when they walk around. The king hurts himself a lot; he doesn't like this and tries to think of something that can be done. He has people sew leather together and put it on the ground everywhere. The king is now happy, but his people are not: they tell him that they don't like the leather everywhere. The king asks one of his helpers to help him think of something else. His helper helps the king to pay better attention where he's walking so that leather isn't needed on the ground to cover rocks, and if he does still trip sometimes, he will learn to not get angry as easily.

I like this book because it teaches me where the idea of shoes maybe came from. The king acts like a kid at the beginning when he gets mad and wants something changed right away, but then I like that he starts thinking of others and changes things back right. I like the pictures in the book because they're colorful and fun to look at. I think that kids of any age will like this book.


Bohemian Manifesto: A Field Guide to Living on the Edge

Laren Stover and Paul Himmelein, with illustrations by Izak

Bohemian Manifesto: A Field Guide To Living On The Edge is a whimsical, informative work overflowing with intricate language and imagery. Through the study of a thoughtful selection of themes and factors, Stover and Himmelein explore the contrasting personalities and quirks of Bohemians. The Bohemian personality is one known to embrace the unusual, the avant-garde, and the unconventional through assorted facets, demonstrating idiosyncrasies and imagination in the face of standards and the orthodox. Stover and Himmelein probe the distinctive and in some ways comparable Bohemians known as The Nouveau, The Folkloric, The Beat, The Zen, The Dandy, and The Zen Dandy, as well as their subgroups, including The Fairy Folk and The Romantigoth. In addition to outlining the variances between Bohemians, the authors discuss these different types across environments and eras. From Duchamp to Game of Thrones, Bohemians are represented and analyzed over a range of influences. These descriptions are captured in vivid illustrations that showcase elaborate details. Ornate outfits and stunning hats artfully adorn chapters bringing additional vibrancy and splendor to the text. Unfortunately, the array of Bohemians is not entirely rendered in the illustrations. Although the text describes Bohemians from a variety of demographics, the illustrations lack diversity. Despite this shortcoming, the work overall is incredible and will resonate with readers from a variety of backgrounds. Although a fascinating read from beginning to end, readers can easily jump into this book anywhere and appreciate the analysis shared. Each section and subject is engaging, informative, and stunning. From art and music to nudity, dust, and stationary, the authors cover a variety of relevant and insightful areas to study The Bohemian. Because of the extent of the content, readers will find this book a pleasing and constant resource for years to come. Stover and Himmelein’s language is purposeful and complex, which requires a seasoned reader with an extensive vocabulary or curious mind. Those up to the challenge will appreciate the elaborate descriptions exploring each theme. Readers will find themselves serenaded with descriptions such as “The Bohemian is a connoisseur of sensation, so there will be smoke…It swirls the atmosphere with a foggy fever, an Olympian, cloudlike fairy-fire haze, the smoke of the underworld, the residue of unwholesomeness and mind altering acts, the poetic blanket that softens hard edges.” Stover and Himmelein’s work easily earns four stars and a steady position on your favorite’s list. Readers will be thankful they picked up and thoroughly enjoy their copy of Bohemian Manifesto.


The life of a bohemian is unfettered from materialism, a freedom from the luxuries others take for granted. The Bohemian is an agent for change as opposed to a run of the mill oddball. The lack of rules indicates a free-spirited nature, encumbrances cast aside. The Bohemian possesses deep courage of conviction, even in the face of ostracism from polite society. The Bohemian is no wallflower. Many bohemians chafe at authority, some are revolutionary in nature even to their detriment. Bohemian Manifesto elaborates on a culture consisting of many layers of individuals who choose non-conformity and their adherence to an outsider perspective.

The book is multi-layered featuring the various subsets of bohemians, quotes indicative of the bohemian life, along with individual bohemians living in their world. The various bohemians consist of The Nouveau Bohemian, who utilizes newly found wealth for altruistic purposes. The Folkloric Bohemian tends to be a wanderer earning a living as a skilled craftsperson. The Beat Bohemian is a well-read artist type. The Zen Bohemian has a rebel streak running deep inside their soul along with a heavy spirituality. The Dandy Bohemian seeks status, yet lacks proper resources to attain them, and projects an image more than anything else. The scents worn by bohemians are strong, sometimes distractingly so, but distinct. The Bohemian makes use of the garden variety household items most wouldn't consider, yet preps them for a night out. Bohemians are remarkably in touch with the animal kingdom, particularly with respect to keeping outlandish choices for pets. Their romances may be many, mainly because they are fleeting. The longer-term relationships tend to fray at the edges. The bohemian life may not be for everyone, yet that's what marks them as a rare breed. Bohemians such as Jack Kerouac, Norman Mailer, and Frida Kahlo left their impression on the world. A majority of Bohemians are content with just living in the moment and being themselves, judgment be darned.

The life of a bohemian individual is explored with a fine-tooth comb in Bohemian Manifesto. The reader receives an extensive education in the world of bohemians. The authors delve deeper than the fictional portrayal of the carefree individualists seen in “Rent.” Each chapter brims with factoids about the habits of bohemians, their creature comforts, their motivations. The book is a mix of biography, encyclopedia and social scientific study. The book captures the reader from the introduction to the quiz at the end which shows what type of bohemian one might be. A fun read about those with a zest for living.


The lifestyle of being a bohemian is one-of-a-kind. Depending on your personality and thoughts, it may seem like more or less of a burden. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the bohemian lifestyle, or have read the first edition and are interested in learning more in this second edition, then Bohemian Manifesto: A Field Guide to Living on the Edge will answer all of your questions and more. This book contains a plethora of information about everything having to do with the bohemian lifestyle. The authors suspect that there may be more bohemians in the world than we know. They intend to inform the public of nearly every aspect of the bohemian lifestyle and stress that even if your actions don't align like any of the types of bohemians listed if you have the same values and thoughts, then that counts too. The book starts with a nice preface and introduction to the material about to be presented. Bohemian psychology is first defined, followed by their identification, their love of names for things and people. A breakdown of their lifestyle covers a large part of the book, then is followed by lists of must-read literature, depending on the "type" of bohemian with which you identify. The sum it up, bohemians live a different lifestyle than others, but their beliefs in the environment and the overall betterment of things is nothing to scoff about.
Not having much knowledge of the bohemian lifestyle, I found this book to be informative and the authors to be knowledgeable about what they are presenting. The format of the text is easy to read and includes proper headings and titles to avoid confusion. Within the sections of the book there are aspects of this lifestyle that I agree with and others that I disagree, but so goes life. I was surprised by the many things that this group disagrees with, and the ways in which they make their feelings known. I was also surprised by their lack of modesty! It seems to me that when you see someone who is cool with "letting it all hang loose" all of the time, there's a good chance that this person would, or should, consider themselves bohemian. I also appreciate their stance on recycling and keeping Mother Earth healthy. Within the various "types" of bohemians, it seemed to me that there were some things that contradicted each other. In that respect, the book confuses me, but other than that, what is presented makes sense. I believe that anyone will gain some knowledge from this book, whether you expect to or not, and find some entertainment in it as well.


The Opium Lord's Daughter

The Opium Wars. You’ve likely heard about it in some shape or form, have some vague recollection that it involves China and the British Empire from long ago, and possibly you studied it a little in your class. What you probably didn’t know is that Britain’s evil, nefarious plan is to ensure they would have a continued supply of their precious tea by supplying and then addicting a nation to the devastating opium drug and leaving them with no recourse or chance of escape.

It is the mid-nineteenth century and Lady Su-Mei is our indomitable protagonist: stubborn from a young age, born into a culture and family where it is most important to follow tradition and protocol. From a very young age, she was to be subjected to the horrific but supposedly honorable practice of the agonizing foot-binding, which according to tradition is the only way she will be able to find a noble, rich, and upstanding husband worthy of her stature. But Su-Mei fights tooth and claw at every attempt by her parents and servants to be subjected to this horrible practice. As a punishment, she is sent to a convent to learn English from Pai Chu, who eventually comes to live with this family with the goal of spreading religion to Canton. Su-Mei’s father, Shao Lin, is one of the largest opium dealers in the region and soon runs into some serious trouble, setting Su-Mei on her own series of tumultuous events.

Then there is Higgins, a man born in England who spends little time in his native country, traveling the world and working to ship opium for the British and make exorbitant amounts of money, following in the footsteps of Jardine and Matheson who have proven it is possible to be set for life in this trade and industry. In time, the stories of Higgins and Su-Mei will be brought together and interwoven, as the events—both tragic and adventurous—of the first opium war unfold.

Robert Wang has written a debut novel that tells not just a compelling, enlightening, and riveting story but also a very educational one in the genre of historical fiction. In the style of James Clavell’s Shogun and Ken Follett’s Pillars of the Earth, The Opium Lord’s Daughter balances the ongoing plot with the history and historical details to make a fascinating book that will be a pure delight to any fan of the genre, and especially to those looking to educate themselves about the Opium Wars and enjoy a good story at the same time.


The Opium Lord's Daughter

The Opium Lord’s Daughter by Robert T. Wang is a gripping tale of corruption, addiction, and conviction in the face of insurmountable odds. Wang’s novel explores the contentious trade relationship between England and China during the Nineteenth Century that lead to the First Opium War. Through personable characters, Wang provides well-rounded insight into the actions and objectives of the two nations. His characters emerge from all walks of life and effortlessly weave into his tale. Although an in-depth historical fiction piece, Wang brings personality and understanding to this complex topic. His incorporation of photographs and drawings in the back of the book bring his chronicle to life. As Wang explains, “history is more than academic theories—it is the stories of real people affected by events put in motion by other real people.” The novel follows the family of Lady Lee Su-Mei, the daughter of the largest opium trader in China during this time. Through Wang’s retelling we come to know not only Su-Mei and her father but also her brother Da Ping, who becomes addicted to the rampant drug in his struggle to step into the shoes and responsibilities of his father. We also come to know other members of the family’s community, as well as some of the English men associated with the opium trade. These individuals include Su-Mei’s adopted sister Pai Chu and the English sailor Travers Higgins, who both ultimately fall in love with Su-Mei. When the time comes, only one will earn her eternal love and affection. Within each nation, we find supporters and opponents of opium, following England’s delivery of the drug and China’s reliance on the addictive substance. Moreover, within both countries we witness stereotypes and intolerance based on surface interactions, previous experiences, and propaganda circulated in the media. Wang’s descriptions and antidotes bring the narrative to life and capture the complexities of this time. Wang has crafted a spellbinding tale of love, endurance, sorrow, history, and strength. This is ideal for a mature audience given the dense historical analysis and explicit romantic liaisons. Those seeking a captivating, romantic historical novel will find themselves right at home between the pages of Wang’s book. Despite the complexity of the content, readers across the board will be glad they picked up Wang’s latest publication. Robert T. Wang’s The Opium Lord’s Daughter is an exceptional work of fiction that will capture readers from cover to cover.


If you consider yourself to be a fearless follower of your own path, pursuing your dreams and ideas with a passion at the expense of standard rules, then Bohemian Manifesto is a must. This is the second edition of this book, the first one now out of print. Although I did not get a chance to read the first one, I'm so glad I was able to get this second edition. The authors break down five types of Bohemians: the Nouveau, Folkloric, Beat, Zen, and Dandy, describing the lifestyle and mindset of each with an eye for detail that is magical and entertaining. There are also glimpses into the past, examining artists, poets, and musicians who defined the bohemian lifestyle and set some strict standards.

Not only is this a well-written book, but it is also both wonderfully and beautifully presented, full of wit and charm, inspiring me to be a little more bohemian in my outlook. It reminded me that there is more to life than consumerism if only we take the time to enjoy the experience of life. Whether that be finding enjoyment in the texture, color, or sensations around us, there are numerous ways to incorporate feeling into life. The Bohemian has taken life to a new level, and we could all benefit from their incredible journey.

My favorite chapter in this book was entitled "Dust." It gave me the freedom to let go and view things from the Bohemian's perspective. Now, I will no longer feel guilty for neglecting to tidy the cobwebs and dust since they may be "remnants of the stars or powder of the saints". This pearl of wisdom alone made this book for me. The nine case studies of bohemian types and characters were not only funny and entertaining but often reminded me of people I've known. And the quiz at the end that allows the reader to determine which bohemian category they fall into was a fun addition. I was a mishmash, which was no surprise to me, but I'm not fretting; I'm sure there is a wild Bohemian inside somewhere waiting to escape.

The velvety feel of the hard cover and the delightful illustrations both inside and out make this a book I want to display and share with friends. Frankly, it's the next best thing to fairy dust. I think it's not too far off to say that this book contains a lot of food for the inspired soul. And I'm afraid that it is so good that nothing I could say could really do it justice. So, for those who want to live on the edge, just go and get a copy of this field guide and let the authors shine a light onto a new path.


Half: An Novel

Sharon Harrigan’s novel Half is delivered from two voices that are often difficult to distinguish. Twin sisters Artis and Paula—female equivalents of Greek gods Artemis and Apollo—narrate the story of their childhood with a passionate, and at times violent, father and a mother who couldn’t resist him.

After much time apart the sisters reunite at their father’s funeral. There, they make their way outside to a snowy winter day that returns them, though memory, to all that made them who they are. Once so inseparable that they were able to fool lovers after trading places, the distance between them is as wide as the sky on the day their father is buried. The novel is structured in fragments of memory, beginning when they are five years old. They witness their parents tumultuous ardor alongside their father’s philandering and their mother’s willful ignorance, they grow into young adulthood and sexual maturity alongside one another as symmetrically as they had in the womb. When a rift develops between them, and they turn their back on their father, neither knows when they’ll ever return home.

The funeral that brings Paula and Artis home doesn’t only commemorate the death of their father; it is a return to who they were and the doorway to who they will be now that he is gone. While the novel has some challenging sequences in terms of voice, Half is wildly creative in conception and engaging in execution.


ABCs of Golden Gate Park

I really enjoyed this book. The artwork is amazing. I love books that I can share with my little brother and my mom takes it a step further and shares things on the internet with us. We went online and saw the park and we pointed out different things in the pictures. I recommend this book to everyone.


Bo the Brave

Bo has been left behind by her two older brothers, who have gone out monster hunting. Bo wants to catch monsters, too, and so sneaks out of Alpine Castle to go in search of a monster of her own. She meets a variety of creatures that she assumes are monsters due to their strange appearances. She meets a griffin, a kraken, and a baby dragon. But they each, in turn, prove to be too helpful, or nice, or caring to be monsters. So they become Bo’s friends instead. They set off together in search of a real monster. Bo eventually finds some monsters, but they aren’t what she expected.

In Bo the Brave, Bethan Woollvin takes readers on a journey with Bo through the Alpine Kingdom to learn that monsters are defined by how they behave and not by how they look. The illustrations include some fun details. The map of the Alpine Kingdom at the beginning illustrates Bo’s assumptions about the types of monsters she will find. The map shows up again at the end of the book, with some hilarious edits that reflect Bo’s newfound friends.


Shills Can't Cash Chips

Bertha Cool, a business partner in the 1950s Los Angeles detective agency of Cool and Lam Investigators, is trying to move the firm away from Lam’s usual type of case—seat-of-the-pants investigations, harum-scarum dealings with cops and crooks alike, and last-minute escapes—to something more respectable and better paying. An excellent opportunity presents itself when the head of the Claims Department of Consolidated Interinsurance asks the firm to look into an apparently straightforward adjustment claim. Perfect, as far as Bertha is concerned, but nothing the pint-sized, sharp-witted, snappy-talking Donald Lam touches is ever straightforward, and he soon suspects there is more involved than a routine car accident. Lam slowly puts the pieces together, or so he thinks, but not before being bashed on the head, cuffed by the police, and, on the brighter side, encountering more than his fair share of shapely-legged women. The well-paced plot provides plenty of twists, the last of which turns Lam’s theory about the crime on its head. Shills Can’t Cash Chips is a fast, pulsing read, as you would expect from Erle Stanley Gardner (writing under the name of A. A. Fair), the famed author of the Perry Mason books.


Lone Wolf

Lone Wolf is a sweet story about a dog wanting to find her pack. Maple is a Husky but it seems many people think that she is a wolf. Since so many people ask if Maple is a wolf, she begins to wonder if she is one herself. She loves to hunt, play, and go for long walks. So one day Maple decides to explore the forest and find out if she is a wolf. Being a wolf is lonely, will her family be able to hear her howls? When it is getting late Maple is afraid she will miss her daily walk with her family, and then she realizes she is part of a pack and it is the perfect pack for her no matter what anyone else thinks. The dazzling illustrations remind me of my pet dog, and I hope that he believes our family is his pack too! This is a very sweet book and it shows how much pets need to be treated like family because we are not just family to them, we are their pack!


The Ocean in Your Bathtub

The Ocean in Your Bathtub is a kids’ book all about the ocean. It is confusing at first when the book says that the oceans are everywhere because I think they're only in their certain spots. The rest of the book explains how even if you don't live near an ocean, like me, the ocean is around us through the clouds and water cycle. The book then tells what happens to the water after it's in the clouds and how it helps people and plants. You get to learn about animals and really, really small things that are in the ocean water and other facts about the ocean. Last, you learn how throwing things in the ocean and flushing things that don't need to be flushed down the toilet are definitely not good for the ocean or the animals swimming it its water.

I have read other books about the ocean, but this one probably has the brightest colors on its pages and is the most fun to look at. I will do my best now to make sure my trash ends up in the trash can and that I recycle things that don't need to be thrown away.


Cityscape: Where Science and Art Meet

This is a very cool book. Cityscape shows how you can find shapes in the world all around us, in houses, buildings, clouds, and even in nature. I like this book and think it is unique because the pictures are real-life photographs of things we see every day. This is a fun picture book that inspires me when building. This book is a perfect example of S.T.E.A.M., Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. Each component is essential when building structures, one does not realize the amount of time and planning that was used to create a town, each road, sidewalk, and bridge was all planned for. As pictured, a squirrel must plan to build his home in a way that will not only keep him safe and protected from predators but also protected from the rain and other elements outside. This book is really great to use when using building blocks to help build better structures. In the back of the book, there are many questions listed for one to ponder and think about how buildings are made and how they can adapt and be built better in the future.


The Only Woman in the Photo: Frances Perkins & Her New Deal for America

Frances Perkins was a shy girl for most of her younger life. She saw bad things happening to the people all around her, which hurt her feelings. So Frances decided that she would do whatever she could to prevent harm from coming to people in the USA.

She moved to New York City and began her quest for justice. Frances delivered food to the poor. She insisted that landlords give tenants a break on their rent. She delivered donations to neighborhoods that were going without. She began speaking publicly about a woman’s right to vote and would talk to anyone who would listen. She insisted that factories could be safer for their employees, which gained the attention of New York’s governor, Franklin D. Roosevelt.

When Herbert Hoover lost the presidency to FDR, Frances became the first woman ever to join a presidential cabinet. As one of the most powerful advisors in the nation, she became a key part of Roosevelt’s New Deal – a fresh start for Americans in need. The title of this book comes from the fact that often, when group pictures were taken with the president, she was the only woman present.

This story is certainly inspiring for girls, but also for anyone who wants to make a difference. I recommend this book for ages eight and up.


This Is How I Grow

Every animal has a different period of maturation. Youngsters love learning about animals, and the youngest of readers will especially love learning about newborn animals and how they grow.

This charming book follows eight different animals from around the world from birth to maturity, discussing how and what they eat, how they learn about their environment, and other tidbits about their young lives. Each animal has four pages in which to tell its story (all in the first person), with lyrical language and lots of repetition to keep the youngest of readers engaged. The illustrations are beautiful, soft, and filled with wonderful details.

Older readers are not left out. For kids up to eight or nine years old, there is extensive back matter chock full of more fun information about the animals as well as resources for finding even more information.

Author Dia L. Michels's writing is lovely and will capture young readers and listeners with its musical language. Illustrator Wesley Davies’s sweet paintings show his good research and attention to detail. This is a book that will do a lot of teaching of factual information without ever feeling the least bit didactic. This is a real winner.


Asteroid Goldberg: Passover in Outer Space is a story about a young Jewish girl and her family who live on Pluto. She races toward Earth to prepare for Seder night. Sadly, they are told they cannot land on Earth and they have to do Seder in space. Asteroid is tasked with finding all the elements of the meal throughout space. She travels to the planets and the Big Dipper gathering matzoh balls, horseradish, and guests for her family’s celebration.

If you don’t already know about the Jewish holidays or customs, this book might be pretty confusing to you. There is a short glossary at the back of the book to help with words such as kneidel and haggadah. The illustrations are detailed drawings, which are quite fun and give the book a joyful feel throughout.

I recommend this book for younger children who might be of the Jewish faith or who are interested in learning more about Jewish traditions.


Escape Goat

Ann Patchett, with illustrations by Robin Preiss Glasser

There is a goat who behaves like most goats do. He lives in a pen on a farm. He plays with the chickens and sleeps on a bed of hay. After a while, he grows curious about the world outside of his pen, so he decides to escape. He visits the other farm animals and eats from Mrs. Farmer’s garden. But when Mrs. Farmers petunias are ruined, the children blame the goat. Each day, the goat escapes and each day, the goat is blamed for some mischief that occurs on the farm. Mr. Farmer tries to keep the goat locked in his pen, but the goat always finds a way to escape. Only little Nicolette sees what the others don’t: that the goat may not be the one to blame after all.

Escape Goat does more than give young readers a humorous play on words. Nicolette’s perspective mirrors the reader’s as she figures out what is truly going on and tries to stick up for the goat. Glasser’s bright and detailed watercolors are delightful and fun and add to the richness of the story.


We Are Power: How Nonviolent Activism Changes the World

Organized human society has undergone change since its inception. Some changes have been gradual, others abrupt. Some militant, others amicable. One usually thinks of non-violence as being amicable, but this book shows the militant side of non-violence; it shows that it is possible to resist and fight without the use of violence.

The book showcases five historical figures---Mahatma Gandhi, Alice Paul, Martin Luther King Jr., Hugo Chávez, and Václav Havel---as well as contemporary activist Greta Thunberg. The book’s objective is not one to chronicle history, but to focus on the strategies these individuals used to get their message heard through non-violent means. The chapter on Gandhi, for example, focuses on his fight in South Africa against the Asiatic Law as well as in India against the Salt Tax. The narrative focuses sharply on the tactics he and his supporters used, the sacrifices they made, and the hardships they endured.

Apart from effective use of militant non-violence, the book encourages readers to find their uncomfortable truth and organize to right the wrong. Greta Thunberg is used as a model of someone who confronted a truth of climate change and decided to do something about it through non-violent means. While the book does advocate militant action to combat injustice, it also promotes non-violence.


Charleston Green

Charleston Green is a mystery story with a difference, a decidedly paranormal difference at that. Recently divorced artist Tipsy Collins is struggling to get back on her feet following an acrimonious split from appalling ex-husband Ayers, so she jumps at the chance to live rent-free for a few months in a house owned by her former brother-in-law Jimmy. It should be the perfect place to recover from the messy divorce and rediscover her purpose in life. There’s just one problem: the house isn’t exactly unoccupied.

For as long as she can remember, Tipsy has been able to see and talk with the dead. Now, as dead people tend to be rather self-involved and annoying, she’s done her best to ignore them (save for her Granna, whose ghost represents a comforting presence), but there’s no ignoring Jane and Henry Mott, former (and, unknown to everyone except Tipsy, current) occupiers of the house. The Motts died in mysterious circumstances back in 1923; Jane maintains that Henry murdered her and then killed himself, while Henry is certain that he would never do such a thing. Unfortunately, as neither of them can remember the fateful afternoon, they have been trapped together ever since. Helping them uncover the truth might be just the distraction that Tipsy needs…

Charleston Green is a charming story with a mystery at its heart. Tipsy is a wonderful main character. Humorous, kind, and gutsy, she doesn’t realize just how brave and resilient she really is. She’s had a lot to put up with in life (and that’s without being a reluctant psychic) and at the start of the book, she has somewhat lost her way. Ayers is a truly awful guy who thinks nothing of maligning his former wife or of getting others to spy on her. Through Tipsy’s post-marriage situation, the book sheds some surprising light on the divorce process and aftermath in South Carolina. With no alimony available and having given up her art career to raise her family, Tipsy is left in a very precarious situation when she leaves Ayers. She’s grateful to have somewhere to live, even if she does have to share it with a pair of bickering ghosts.

As for the ghosts, their strong personalities have certainly endured beyond death. For all their Southern charm and graceful manners, the late Jane and Henry Mott are both pieces of work, although they are very funny as they snipe at each other. Tipsy becomes obsessed with discovering what really happened to them and, aside from talking to their spirits, this involves having visions of their lives during the 1920s. Of course, being sucked out of time and into visions of the past poses its own problems, and Tipsy’s former in-laws become more convinced than ever that she’s a disgrace and an unfit mother. Luckily, she has her children, some good friends, and even a potential new love interest to help her navigate the situation. Wrapping up the mystery of the Motts’ deaths should help her to rediscover her self-belief and to wrap up a few loose ends in her own life, too.

With Charleston Green, Stephanie Alexander has crafted a delightfully cozy mystery that, despite not being without peril, is a fun and pleasurable read. The baddies are nicely awful, while the goodies are warm, funny, and resourceful. There’s an intriguing puzzle to be solved as well as life lessons to be learned, and it’s very entertaining to follow the escapades of the various characters, both alive and dead.


After Loss

The loss of a spouse/partner is something totally incomprehensible for a person who has not gone through the experience. The advice from another person, no matter how educated or well-meaning, will never be taken entirely to heart because the widow(er) will always think “but you can’t truly understand.” That is why this book is so good and why it is so very necessary. Linda Donovan, in After Loss, speaks from a place of knowledge. She, too, has felt that deep crushing loss. Her words of advice and comfort will reach those grieving like no one else’s possibly can because she was where they are now and is proof that they can, and will be, in a better place in their own time.

In the introduction, Donovan discusses how she suddenly came to the realization that it was time to begin rebuilding her life after the loss of her husband. After her daughter left for college, she was living alone for the first time in her life. While Donovan sat at the table with her Jack Russell Terrier, Roxy, in the chair across from her, placing her paw on the table when she was ready for another helping of chicken, she knew it was clearly the time to seek human interaction once more. This moment was the catalyst for writing this book.

Before Donovan begins the work of the book, she tells the reader early in her introduction to read the index to her book— first if their loss has been recent—because there are specific strategies that she found necessary for getting through that first year. Then, Donovan begins with a chapter called “Working through the Tasks of Grief,” which gives the reader some tools, like journaling or mood diaries for self-care, which can help them deal with emotional issues that are unresolved. She then moves into chapters that deal with strategies for moving forward and taking control of finances, decluttering, and travel, eventually even tackling the possibility of pursuing a new romantic relationship in time.

Though it is laid out like a ‘how-to’ for grieving, it reads like a letter from a good friend. Imagine sitting in a coffee shop with someone you trust, because you know that they have been through exactly what you are going through now. Donovan may not be able to immediately take that terrible pain away, because that isn’t possible, but she can sit with you, give you some solid advice, and help you see that you have a positive future ahead.


The Beasts of Success

Despite being competent employees, Dale, Tim, and Jeremy feel they’re not advancing in their careers because their colleagues are better at office politics, better at buttering up to the boss. Rather than remain frustrated failures, they decide the path to success is to make and apply their own rules: sneaky, dirty, illegal ones.

Dale’s pronouncement that “it’s only unethical if you apply a scheme to acquire a promotion that you didn’t deserve,” is justification enough, and results are swift and satisfying, though devastating for their victims.

But is their plan one of their own making or is it part of the spidery web spun by the Masters, an evil, all-powerful, all-controlling subterranean species that uses a psychopath to kill humans to harvest their fear?

The premise of The Beasts of Success is intriguing, but the execution of it is not only disappointing but disturbing.

The schemes the young men devise to gain advancement in their careers by sabotaging their colleagues are ludicrous, contrived, and in reality could be challenged and refuted by any rational person. Of course, for the sake of advancing plot, no one in Jasun Ether’s novel is rational, including the perpetrators, victims, and accusers.

Alternate chapters that don’t involve convoluted schemes, which usually include deviant sexual behavior and human excrement and are so speculative as to be impossible, are given over to individual character portrayals. These quickly digress into mean-spirited diatribes about Chinese restaurants, obese children, waitresses, hipsters(?), seniors, and telecommunicators.

With their whiney sense of superiority and their cynical attitudes and opinions, it’s hard to imagine three more unsympathetic protagonists.

Despite author Jasun Ether’s writing being grammatically precise, the dialogue is unnatural and frequently could be described as lecturing. There is little character development except to portray everyone no matter who they are as vulgar, crude, and anti-social.

Long pseudo-philosophic passages, longer still byzantine details of plots to vanquish opponents, and gruesome details about murders make page-skipping inevitable in an attempt to find something that advances the plot.

The introduction of The Masters takes the novel down another notch while affording the author the opportunity to expound more political ideology. This new element shifts the focus and further undermines the story’s credibility. Ether would have been better off sticking with the promising premise and letting the consequences of his characters immoral and unethical actions play out.

This novel emanates violence and anger, though not convincingly conveyed by the characters, but as a vehicle for the author.


God*s Will

Young and rebellious fourteen-year-old Sam Snyder packs some of his belongings to go see a godfather he’s never met in Missouri. His mom says it’ll just be the two of them traveling on this excursion, but she doesn’t reveal that she’s driving back alone. When they arrive at Mount Zion Baptist Boarding Academy, he is furious with his mom for deceiving him, and he’s determined to find a way out. So what if he got kicked out of Calvary Baptist for telling the principal he had no desire to be a Christian? How did that, as well as stealing and viewing pornography, make him deserve such a cruel fate? Mount Zion is full of religious zealots trying to preach God’s ways to a bunch of unsaved and troubled souls through endless fire-and-brimstone sermons, hours of forced labor, and arguably dictatorship-like control. Sam befriends some those walking his same path, but he quickly learns to trust no one. It’s every man for himself in this land of survival. After nine seemingly endless months, Brother Bruce, the lead instructor of the house, announces Sam and his sister who joined him weeks earlier will be leaving on a flight back home the following day. Though Sam’s ecstatic to be back in California, a free man, his mind somehow remains at Mount Zion. When he learns a friend has been killed trying to escape the grounds, he vows to uncover what really happened and have the place shut down at last.

Tweens and teens living through adversity will likely be impacted the most by this story. While it may appeal to the mainstream population some, those who have endured similar circumstances to Sam’s will find greater relatability in it. Although there are girls housed in a separate dormitory at Mount Zion, their presence in the story is minimal and is discussed through the eyes of the boys, often related to their physical attraction to them. In light of this, boys may be more drawn to God*s Will. In addition, a plethora of fights take place in the text and are described in full detail. Some vulgar language is used and an act of animal cruelty is portrayed, though in no way is it condoned.

The author is a board-certified behavior analyst and education consultant for emotionally disturbed children and individuals with disabilities. His familiarity with these populations adds an important element of truth and believability to his story. He is gifted in using amusing analogies and hilarious descriptions to shed light on the characters. There are times throughout when the story lingers on unnecessarily, however, the author does a masterful job of tying up the loose ends while injecting some unexpected twists and turns to help keep the reader engaged. The ambiguity at the very end is somehow welcoming, as it is analogous to God’s will in real life. Though one may lack complete understanding of God’s will, some acceptance of it is often necessary for peace to prevail.


Healing and Transformation: Moving from the Ordinary to the Extraordinary is all about getting back to a more spiritual way of life in order to find the highest version of you. The author sets out three actions that are needed to accomplish this: unconditional love, complete forgiveness, and total non-judgment. By conquering your ego, you can free yourself from fear and worry, thereby opening yourself up to love and acceptance. And with forgiveness, you will be able to live more in the present moment and not be guided by hurt or emotional difficulties of the past. By going inside yourself to look for balance and peace of mind, you will become more aware of your inner wisdom and eventually be able to incorporate more joy in your life and thereby create your heaven on earth.

Several things resonated with me in this book. The focus on finding the true you that allows for more joy and fulfillment in life was one, and also the fact that, if we are willing to make an effort, we can overcome our ego and transform our experiences. But, as a person who is not particularly religious, the focus on Jesus and the author's view that the ultimate means for attaining the higher you is to walk in his path, and therefore acknowledge he is the one true path to God, did not necessarily resonate with me. There were, however, some things I found interesting. For example, the idea that we are spiritual beings in a human form and the idea that we could all benefit from seeing the divine within, which we ideally use to create a more fulfilled life, is something everyone could benefit from, religious or not.

I think I was expecting a few more examples and concrete exercises and ways in which the author could guide one to achieve the steps he sets out. I enjoyed hearing about some of his experiences in counseling others, as well as his visualization techniques presented on page 187. I found the chapter entitled "The Gifts of Spirit" interesting. It seems to me that being more intuitive is a gift I would like to develop and become more aware of. And while at times I thought the work was slightly repetitive, I did think it was well written and presented. Overall, I think this is a book best suited to those interested in New Thought Christianity and those who want to learn more about awakening the spiritual divine within.


The first thing anyone should know about this book is that it is about New Thought Christianity. I dove into it just about blindly, thinking I had read the description enough to know what I was getting into, but I found myself at times blindsided by some of the concepts presented. (In fact, the phrase “New Thought Christianity” does not appear until page seventy-one.) Those who already share Dr. Alsterberg’s beliefs will likely find a great deal worth their time in this book. Those like me who are rather more unfamiliar with it will encounter a mixed bag at best.

In this book, I found many interesting arguments about how, as the title says, people can heal and transform their lives. While I didn’t agree with all of what he said, for the most part, I found myself wanting to use those disagreements to start a discussion rather than refute him outright. Overall, I agreed that people do need healing, and that healing comes from hard, internal work.

Then, on page seventy-six, the book took a sharp left turn with the mention of a Pleiadian fleet waiting to prevent us from using our psychic and spiritual powers to destroy the Earth, the way inhabitants of Maldek destroyed their planet, turning it into the asteroid belt.

That left turn set the tone for the rest of my experience. I alternated between mentioning sections to my friends that I thought would provoke interesting discussions and reading wide-eyed about things I had never heard of and had no prior knowledge of, presented as though I should already be familiar with, say, the Photon Belt or the Indigo Blue Ray. I reread information that had appeared in previous chapters, unnecessarily rephrased. I took note of idiosyncratic hyphenation and misattributed quotes (the notion that those who take up the sword will die by it comes from the New Testament, not the Old). On the whole, I found myself uncertain what to make of the book.

It’s unclear to me who exactly the intended audience for this book is. On the one hand, some passages seem presented as introductions to Dr. Alsterberg’s ideas. On the other, much of the information is baffling to those without certain prior knowledge. I finished the book uncertain whom to recommend it to, or even whether to recommend it at all. In short, if this book intrigues you, feel free to pick it up. Otherwise, I would advise that you spend your time elsewhere.


Healing and Transformation was an eye-opening read into the word of self-awareness. In this book, the author addresses many topics around the idea of becoming one's best self through self-awareness. Stories of each topic are threaded throughout the book which makes it easy to apply to your life or the lives around you. Reconnecting to yourself is the main topic in the book and the author helps give ways to find internal guidance when you are trying to make the right decisions in life. He calls it "True You."

The author teaches the reader to see what is beyond the physical world we live in. The True Self operates with unconditional love, compassion, and forgiveness, which we all know are not the top priorities of most people today. The author teaches us about what the ego is and how having a healthy ego can actually protect us from danger but can also create patterns of fear and anxiety. In extreme cases when the ego takes over a person, anger becomes a product of this fear and can manifest in ways that can affect not only the single person but also all of the people around him or her. One example the author uses is the Nazis and their hatred of the Jews. The egos were so unhealthy and fearful that they attempted to annihilate a whole group of people. This is why it is important to create a healthy ego within ourselves. Some of the methods the author uses for healing are meditation and prayer. Affirmations in the form of prayer allow a person to connect to everything around them, both physically and emotionally. There is much power in thought. He also encourages meditative practices to break down habits of destruction and to let go of limiting beliefs.

What I appreciated about this book was the way the topics were organized into their chapters. With chapters on masculinity, femininity, relationships, and parenting, the author gives real-life examples and gives suggestions as to how to find yourself within your own identity. He addresses both emotional and physical healing in scientific and spiritual terms.

The one thing I would change about this book is to take out some of the parts that seemed repetitive. I think the author would able to convey his message quite easily in fewer words. Overall, I felt this book would be a great read for someone who is looking to better themselves spiritually and emotionally.


The Omicron Six

Omicron Six by Endy Wright is a very readable book.

In the beginning, two young men become friends. One is strong physically, immeasurably so, and silent. The other is wiry, quick-witted, and brilliant but crippled both physically and emotionally. The development of their friendship, their growing reliance on each other to fill in the gaps of their personalities, their joy and delight as they overcome their seemingly insurmountable deficiencies, and their just genuine friendship are a delight to read. This part of the book concerns friendship as it used to be known. The inclusion of a functional, loving family as a framework for healing is also a refreshing change. Part two introduces an increasingly complex set of characters. There is a doctor, the creator of the genetic wunderkinds, and the question becomes whether he is a Frankenstein or not. That question kind of hangs in the air throughout the book. The genetic results of his tamperings are so good, the only antagonist powerful enough to challenge them is one of their own gone rogue.

The dialogue used in the book, extensively, is good; it is how the characters are developed. You spend a lot of time reading the characters' speech. Not all reactions are given to you from the outside.  The action is a little slow in the first half, but it is needed to build up a sympathetic view of the two main characters.

The book also builds the heroes by increasing the difficulty of the adversaries the heroes have to face and defeat. From bullies to abusive adults, and from uncaring caregivers to uncaring institutions, Coupe and Cooper triumph by acting together and helping each other. This is a positive story about the importance of friendship and loyalty. Only late in the book are the powers of the other four genetically altered beings really introduced.

The plotline is a little pat. The use of religious bigots is a bit too convenient—no one cares what happens to them because they are religious bigots—and a little overdone. The ultimate antagonist is unpredictable, which is a plus.

I enjoyed the book.  It is obviously going to be the first part of a series. It will be interesting to see how the author creates bigger obstacles for his people to overcome.


This book is in the genre of contemporary spirituality, its major themes of healing and finding the true self. We are living in a unique time, according to the author, a time of increased consciousness, on the verge of a Golden Age. The book, at times, moves into mysticism with topics such as reincarnation and astrology. It also incorporates science fiction, with passages on unknown dimensions and different kinds of human beings. (Those born before 1975 enter the world and function in fundamentally different ways from those born later.) However, there are more predictable passages on finding balance, the power of prayer and meditation, and the effects of gender roles. The book draws from source material as diverse as Jung, the Bible, the Kabala, Native American spirituality, and Freud. The sources are blended in an interesting combination of traditional teachings and new-age spirituality. Healing is dealt with in terms of visualizing peace, meditation, seeking balance, forgiving, and connecting with one’s true self as well as with higher spiritual beings.

The book does take risks with heady topics, such as where the human race really came from, where it is headed, and our ability to control our destiny.  However, it sometimes lapses into stereotypes and overgeneralizations, such as what “all men” and “all women” want and do. There are some specific examples and case studies of healing and transformation. However, the text relies more on description of spirituality from various cultures and perspectives. The topics are interesting and synthesized well. Addressed are such themes as healing romantic relationships, parent-child relationships, and responsibility of adults for all children in their communities. Some of the advice on slowing down, listening to one’s instincts, and communicating clearly are perennially good suggestions. The chapters tend to be overly-long with some repetition, covering many topics and would benefit from better transitions and subheadings. It is clear, however, the author is well-versed on many topics related to religion and spirituality across cultures, and this proves an interesting read.


How the Deer Moon Hungers

It only takes one moment for a life to change irrevocably. MacKenzie Fraser learns this when, as a teen, she sees her little sister Tessa killed by a drunk driver. Charged with neglecting her sister to get high and slammed with a charge of selling drugs to a minor, she’s sent to juvenile detention, doomed to be shut away from her home and family for a year and a half.

The book isn’t just a straightforward tale of crime and punishment, however. It captures the mood not only of Mac but also of the community, beginning with multiple points of view and jumping about in time before narrowing on Mac alone and proceeding in a more linear fashion. The confusion and sharp transitions create a powerful atmosphere, capturing Mac’s shock and grief. As the story goes on and grows darker, it narrows, closing in around Mac like the walls of her cell.

That said, there are moments where the story suddenly bursts out in strange, dreamlike chapters that provide a sharp insight into Mac’s mind. Most of the time, these are marked by a note in the chapter title, letting the reader know that what they’re getting into isn’t a sharp break from reality so much as magical realism. The sudden insertion of a different genre is a bold choice, and I would love to see more teen novels taking chances like this.

The bold choice fits in with a similarly bold story. While YA books have always dealt with heavy subject matter, they don’t always deal with so much all at once. Death, guilt, and grief, on top of incarceration and sexual assault, provide for a novel that starts out strong and doesn’t let up. The author deals with these subjects in a straightforward but respectful way, never making light of them but also never going so far as to use them for cheap drama or shock. Every painful episode was earned and felt necessary to the story. My one wish is that the magical realism chapters had uniformly felt as necessary. While most fit in beautifully and one outright blew me away, others fell flat, and at least one I found myself thinking was simply pointless.

On the whole, though, this book is well worth reading. It shook me to my core, and while some readers will want to proceed with caution, I would strongly recommend this book to people in their late teens and upward.


The Elements of a Home

Look around your house and you will see things people take for granted — stacking chairs, a simple vase, playing cards, a spoon, tile, a dollhouse, wallpaper, and so much more. Our homes are full of items that seem mundane, but many of them have interesting histories. Dollhouses have been around since the mid-1500s, but they didn’t start out as children’s toys, but for an art-loving duke, and later became a teaching tool before ever becoming a toy. And the lowly napkin started out in a most surprising way, not made of either paper or cloth. Even plates were originally made from something today’s diners would never expect. This fun book has the histories of over sixty everyday objects. Author Amy Azzarito has really done her homework and has packed all kinds of fascinating facts and anecdotes into a neat little compendium complemented by nice illustrations and sidebars with even more fun facts. This is a great book to keep on the bedside table for quick, relaxing reads or to take on a car trip for reading aloud. The writing is lively and the subject matter both entertaining and captivating. This is a real winner.


Rover Throws a Party: Inspired by NASA's Curiosity on Mars

Kristin L. Gray, with illustrations by Scott Magoon

This book is out-of-this-world spectacular! What a great way to take a real story and put a fictional twist on it.

I loved the illustrations in this book. They really gave a feel for Mars being dusty and gritty. The illustrations also gave great depictions of the environment of Mars, from dust devils to dust storms to craters.

I liked the words used about things that Curiosity did on Mars like traveling through craters, scooping up dirt and baking it, firing with its lasers, and taking self-portraits. I love how it was like a journal entry of counting down until its birthday party, but also explaining some of the things he is doing on Mars. The backmatter was very well done. It was great to go from the fictional story to see the real pictures and descriptions of Mars and Curiosity. I would recommend this book for four-to-eight-year-old kids that loves space or science in general. There are so many wonderful descriptions and great information in this book. My six-year-old was engaged the entire time and my three-year-old stayed seated but was in and out of focus.

My kid’s favorite parts:

My three-year-old and six-year-old wanted to see the dust devil page a second time. They thought it was cool that Mars has weather like we do on earth.


To the Moon and Back for You

To the Moon and Back for You is a beautiful representation of what mothers go through to have their children. Through poetic language, this book explains to a young child the trials of infertility. It shows concepts about the long and hard journey in a way that a child can understand.

The writing is very sparse, but the text is meaningful. It hits all the right notes on what being a mother is from the trial of getting there to the joy of becoming a mother. It also explains to the child that the mother would do anything to be with them. I know most mothers absolutely feel this way.

The illustrations are exquisite. I love the beautiful colors and details used on each page. It really shows the journey it takes to become a mother. I teared up reading this book because I lost two children to miscarriage and for a little while wondered if I would ever get to hold and meet my children that I now have.

My kids loved this book. My three-year-old daughter loved the mother and baby at the end and my six-year-old son loved the adventure. I’d recommend this book for ages three to six and for anyone who has gone through a journey to motherhood.


Ship of Fates

Ship of Fates is a coming-of-age tale that takes you into a Chinese immigrant community in the time of the Gold Rush. Two young women are forever changed through a series of events that are woven around an enchanting tale of a lighthouse keeper and a curse. The story comes to life throughout generations as the tale of thievery and gold perfectly aligns with the setting of the Gold Rush and the search for a new life. First, you’ll meet Annie, who came to America not knowing what to expect then she meets the charming Jack and everything changes. Then the story weaves in the journey of Juniper, who is thrown directly into the middle of the curse and finds herself in an unexpected place.

Caitlin Chung delivers a stunning read that is a literary treat, with lovely descriptions, and an intricate fairytale that brings the historical setting to life. The stories of these characters interconnect and unfold across generations. The writing is full of beautiful descriptions and metaphors which bring each of these journeys together. This lovely debut will appeal to those who enjoy historical reads, the Gold Rush, fairytales, and coming-of-age journeys. Ship of Fates is the journey of two girls who set out to discover more than gold.


21 Immortals: Inspector Mislan and the Yee Sang Murders

Inspector Mislan Latif of Kuala Lumpur Major Crimes is called to the most bizarre crime scene he’s ever seen: three bodies (husband, wife, son) sitting at dinner, formally dressed in their Sunday best, Mona Lisa smiles fixed on their vacant faces, yee sang, an expensive New Year specialty, nicely arranged on their plates. The victims were gassed, but Mislan has no idea how or where. The dead adult male is Robert Tham, owner of a famous designer clothes company. In 1995, Tham, it is widely believed, snitched on the 21 Immortals, a notorious triad, and has never been forgiven. When former triad members like Fatty Mah and Four Finger Loo show up, they become obvious suspects. Meanwhile, Mislan makes progress in discovering how and where the crime was committed, but every lead he unearths seems to dead-end. To make matters worse, internal politics in the police department pressure Mislan to close the case quickly or else lose the investigation to a hated rival, and time is running out. Written in the present tense, this police procedural’s opening promises much with its intriguing tableau of death, but the search for clues is a steady trot rather than a fast sprint, and the conclusion will leave readers hanging.


Unconquerable Sun

A fast-paced, action-filled, science fiction about a proud princess and a universe full of political intrigue and cutthroat espionage. Unconquerable Sun centers around Princess Sun of the Chaonian Empire. She is the daughter of a young, successful queen-marshal, and is working to get out from under her mother’s shadow. At the same time, the nobles scheme to remove Sun as heir.

The plot was very interesting and was very realistic even though the story is set in a time where space travel is routine. All of the characters were well developed and contributed well to the book. My favorite character was Zizou. The dialogue between the characters was good and helped to familiarize the reader with the personality of the characters.

Due to the length of the book, the advanced vocabulary, and relatively mature language, this book would be best for older readers. I would definitely recommend this book to other readers, especially if they like science fiction. This book is a great read for science fiction fans who want to take a dive into the fast and furious life of the unconquerable Princess Sun.


The Sleepover

A spine-tingling, electrifying story about a boy’s sudden and mysterious disappearance and the impact it has on the mother. Isobel, the mother, is very protective of Nick, and after he was beaten by bullies and hospitalized from the injuries she moves him into a new school. At this school, Nick joins a book club where he meets Samir, Adrian, and Jason. They become his closest friends, but after he is invited to a sleepover at Adrian’s and is nowhere to be found in the morning, everyone is panicked and agitated. With many twists and turns and dead-ends, this book takes its readers, on the frantic journey of the mother as she searches for her son and the person behind his disappearance.

From the beginning, we knew that Isobel was a caring and protective mother, but throughout the story, we are assured again and again through the thorough characterization. Through her lack of sleep and constant state of angst, the reader is able to see just how deep Isobel’s care is for her son, and how grave the effects of his disappearance are. I eagerly recommend this book to anyone aged thirteen and up who loves suspenseful novels. This book has you on the edge of your seat throughout. This was a great and well-written story, but it may be too intense for some readers.


The Doctor of Aleppo: A Novel

Syria’s civil war may best be chronicled as a novel. Not simply because the atrocities beggar belief and gain nothing from their nightly graphic screen images on television, but because fiction ultimately delivers facts more intimately. Predictably the names, as the saying goes, may be changed to protect the innocent. But in The Doctor of Aleppo there are no innocents. In 2011, a surgeon must cope with an unceasing stream of hideous war wounds, becoming a hero to his patients and his family. His heroism is matched by Hannah, a young American woman working in Aleppo for an environmental company. Syria is already drawing international censure.

ISIS enters the fray, another front to contend with, and slaughter multiplies and bloodies the pages. Hannah suffers terror and violence, and her Swedish boyfriend is gone. She becomes nanny to the newly widowed doctor’s children, hiding and comforting them while their home, the hospital, and whole districts are bombed. As the years pass and worsen, the chapters integrate two paths. One addresses grisly details of the doctor’s surgery and the lasting enmity caused when a young patient, the son of a military officer, dies. The second involves metaphorical and physical roadblocks to halt attempts as the doctor, Hannah, and the children’s struggle to escape by crossing the border into Turkey.

Perhaps, as the story of the war is sadly familiar, Dan Mayland’s time span could have been reduced without diminishing the impact. The pace is swift and intense, with knowledge of Aleppo’s geography complementing the significant human interaction.


"When two lives merge to change the reality of what could have been into what now is, those two lives are transformed forever. In The Accidental Hero of the City of Brotherly Love, O’Brien takes readers on a journey of twists and turns, exploring the everyday moments of an aspiring writer’s life, unveiling countless sensual experiences and unforeseen adversities along the way." — Jennifer Padgett, Manhattan Book Review


Root and Branch

Roger Zorn is the head of a defense contractor currently working with the United States Government. He is a passenger on a military plane flying to a secure site, when a cargo drop alarms his senses. He aids in the deployment of the cargo, giving a nudge to the now plummeting refuse. His cause for alarm is twofold: They’re throwing bodies out the back, and one was most recently last seen alive before boarding the plane. Events in the preceding months have led up to this shocking denouement. The United States has been the victim of terrorism, attacks that hit the Pacific Northwest and the Northeast. The weapon used to inflict most of the damage was an electromagnetic pulse weapon. The infrastructure of the country has been wounded, casualties high. The armed uprising, or intifada, by militant Islamists has begun.

The US Government wants revenge; the current administration is beset by infighting. What is the best way to handle incarcerated terrorists but also potential terrorists? Where do civil liberties and rights fit in with respect to fighting this new war? Roger Zorn’s firm seeks a contract to aid in the War on Terror. Zorn’s company possesses a test that identifies high-level/risk suspects worthy of detainment. Zorn’s name carries gravitas but also some baggage: his father ran the firm but also had unsavory connections. The anti-terror hawks look to crush the intifada, along with radical elements within the United States. Margaret Slattery is an attorney in the Office of White House Counsel. She is engaged in a foundering effort to have reason brought into the actions taken by the president and his men. She is skeptical of Zorn and his company.

As the fighting continues in major cities, men and women are being seized off the streets. Connections to terrorist groups and/or radical left groups serve as evidence of intent to harm the country. Standing up to the new order merits pushback that could ruin your life. As Zorn’s company’s product becomes the standard for intelligence gathering, Zorn recognizes the cons if it is placed in the wrong hands. Men and women in power with bad intent will run roughshod over civil rights. Will he do the right thing, or will he risk losing his own humanity?

Root and Branch is a powerful book evoking memories of the dark days of post-9/11. The author does a masterful job of conjuring the various feelings of people in the wake of terrorist attacks. The inertia of a crippled government is portrayed deftly, the squabbling among men and women lobbying the president vivid and realistic. Author Preston Fleming tackles a well-trod subject and does well in the process. A book to be read and deeply pondered.


Eddie's Choice (True-to-Life from Hamilton High)

Eddie Barajas is going into his senior year at Hamilton High School. He and his two best friends, Cameron and Brent, spend a lot of time together and have been friends for years. Eddie’s family is a solid home base for him. His older brother, Mario, has already moved out but their mother, Max, is very present in Eddie’s life. Her significant other, William, an African-American man, and his daughter, Imani, moved in when Eddie was in ninth grade. William is a really good guy, although Imani is a bit of a pest. Eddie works for William's house painting business and plans to do that full time after high school. He likes the work and feels like it will be a good career for him. Even though he’s had a deformed right hand since birth, it doesn’t get in his way. His teachers and friends tell him he has too much potential to make house painting his life’s work, but Eddie is unshakable in his belief that satisfying, physical work is what he wants for himself. Even college-bound Rosie, a girl he's getting to know and falling in love with, cannot deter him in his decision.

When Eddie arrives one morning, some terrible racist graffiti is on a wall. Eddie grabs black spray paint from his car and obliterates it before the custodian arrives. Eddie’s action has enraged the people who defaced the wall, a group called the P8riots, and Eddie has a target on his back. The bullying begins online with awful messages about his heritage and his deformed hand, but it doesn’t take long to escalate. One night, Eddie is badly beaten and, when William comes looking for him and finds him shortly before police arrive, William is nearly beaten and arrested until Eddie can speak enough to explain he is his father. Eddie doesn't see who beat him, but he recognizes one voice. Will he rat the person out? It’s a big choice for him to make.

This is a complex novel with a good deal going on. The characters are largely believable in their actions and ways of speaking. The issues they face are realistic and very contemporary. Today’s high school readers will understand and engage with these characters and their problems. The writing, for the most part, is strong and will pull the readers in and keep them turning pages. That said, there is some serious overwriting that slooooows the story down and could be excised making this a stronger book. For instance, it’s enough to know the family is having salad without needing a list of ingredients. It’s fine to know that the principal drove away without knowing the four or five steps he took to get going or that the three boys had lunch together without a list of every item in their lunch bags. There are many instances of this kind of overwriting that should be cut. Fortunately, the story is truly compelling and will keep most readers engaged enough to complete this good story.


Resistance: A Songwriter's Story of Hope, Change, and Courage

For over forty years, singer, songwriter, and activist Tori Amos has been producing music that reveals and confronts the social and political inequities in American society. Amos’ latest book, Resistance, is a lesson in observation and expression that seeks to move people to action and understanding.

Amos recounts her beginnings as a teenager singing in gay bars in Washington D.C., a position she secured with the help of her reverend father. Later, she sang in bars frequented by political movers and shakers during the Bush administration. The songs she’s written are discussed from inspiration to execution, and her liberal political stances loom large in the messaging and music of her life.

But, there is a through line regarding Amos’s connection to what she calls the Muses and moments when she writes of communicating with the spirit of her dead mother that may put off readers uncomfortable with these New Age references. If, however, you want to read and revel in the creation of one of the most influential careers in alternative music of the last four decades, Resistance is the book for you.


Trowbridge Road

June Bug Jordan lost her father to AIDS, and since his death, things haven’t been the same. Her mother is terrified of infection and germs to the point that she refuses to leave the house, cook food, or have visitors. June Bug is hungry, grieving, and alone, until the summer of 1983 when Ziggy Karlo moves in down the street with his grandmother, Nana Jean. Ziggy, too, is struggling—his mother has decided he should live with Nana Jean because she needs time alone to “work things out” with her verbally abusive boyfriend. In the branches of the trees they climb and in the make-believe world they travel to in their minds, June Bug and Ziggy build a friendship that brings comfort to them both.

June Bug’s narration reveals both her deep vulnerability and her remarkable resilience. The depth of her yearning for a mother who can be there for her and for a life where she is fully taken care of is powerful and arresting, as are the moments where she finds some of the comfort and hope she’s searching for in her friendships with Ziggy and Nana Jean. With vividness and honesty, Marcella Pixley tells a stirring story about mental illness, trauma, and love, a story that shies away from neither the horrors nor the beauties of what it is to be human.


Indigo: A Valentino Mystery (Valentino Mysteries)

If you are ever in need of a refresher on the great movies and screen personalities of Hollywood’s golden years, this book is for you. Valentino, a self-described “film detective,” is given a long lost film—Bleak Street—by a wealthy old man with a very murky history. The crime film was pulled before it ever reached a movie theater when the leading man, Van Oliver, disappeared without trace. That was sixty years ago; Valentino sets out to discover what happened to him. Someone, however, is determined to make sure the film never sees the light of day. Despite this promising premise, the rest of the plot is thin. The motives of those wanting to prevent a public showing of the film are flimsy, and the truth behind Van Oliver’s disappearance emerges fairly easily, with only a few surprises along the way. Rather than the mystery itself, the strengths of this book lie in the author’s extraordinary depth and breadth of knowledge about yesteryear’s Hollywood, his often exquisite choice of words and phrases, and the humor he delivers through his characters’ dialogue. Indigo will be an interesting read for movie buffs but only marginally so for mystery fans.


Lion Needs a Haircut

Little lion lives with his dad, and they both have long hair because they are lions. Little lion and daddy lion are eating some spaghetti when daddy lion says little lion needs a haircut. Little lion says that he doesn't. Daddy lion thinks that maybe little lion is just scared of getting a haircut, so he tells him that the barber is nice and won't hurt him and that the razors that the barber will use won't hurt him either. Little lion keeps saying, "No." Daddy lion keeps trying to tell him that it will be okay and gets mad at the little lion for not wanting to get a haircut. Finally, little lion tells him that he just wants to look like his dad, and then daddy lion feels bad about getting onto little lion about it. Little lion ends up getting a haircut, but not without his dad doing something too.

I like this book because it's about a daddy lion and his little kid, like me and my dad. I don't mind haircuts too much, unlike the lion characters. I think it would be fun to read more books about daddy lion and little lion.


Answer Creek: A Novel

First, she loses her adoptive parents. Then she loses her hope. Then she loses herself.

I knew as soon as I started Answer Creek it would be a powerful book. It had to be. Of all historical events to be written into a novel, surely the Donner Party couldn’t be softened and made palatable for a reading public. I was right, but far more than I expected to be.

For those unfamiliar, the Donner Party was a collection of people headed west to California. After taking what they thought would be a shortcut, they became stranded in the Sierra Nevada mountains over winter. Without enough food to keep themselves alive, they resorted to cannibalism to survive. Answer Creek doesn’t revel in the gory details, but neither does it gloss over them. It doesn’t gloss over any details. What struck me most as I read it was how openly it showed the grit of westward expansion. There is very little pretty about the lives of the emigrants, but what beauty exists is treasured.

From the brutal first chapter to the denouement, this book captivated me. With its rich sensory details and the varied humanity of its characters, this book is a must-read for fans of historical fiction, and for anyone looking for insight into a period that carved and honed people down to their core.


Berkeley Noir (Akashic Noir)

Berkeley, California is just shy of eighteen square miles, a city within a city. There are countless stories in a city such as Berkeley. Berkeley Noir offers an ample serving of stories. In “Hill House,” Mariana is a graduate student with large aspirations housesitting a Professor’s house when new discoveries threaten to spoil everything. In “The Tangy Brine of Dark Night,” the reader rides shotgun on a fateful road trip with Kaylie and her Alzheimer’s-afflicted grandmother, nostalgia, and love pushing the last wishes of a relative. “Lucky Day” witnesses Mason toil as a librarian living life in an orderly way until admitting a desperate vagabond into the library before opening time. “Eat Your Pheasant, Drink Your Wine” is viewed from the perspective of a rat, yet that’s only the beginning of the outlandishness. These choice few serve as a microcosm of this anthology.

Berkeley Noir incorporates various tales from different outposts of the legendary city, many fascinating, a couple perplexing. The love of the city is conveyed in its imagery and storytelling. Most of the selections draw you in rapidly, while one or two leave you wanting more. Collectively, the book is a fine work from a talented pool of writers.


Classic Tales from India: How Ganesh Got His Elephant Head and Other Stories

This book draws from Hindu mythology and retells seven well-known tales. Here, the Hindu deities come to earth in human form and interact with humans. In some cases, the events take place in the heavens. Two stories are from Ramayana and two from Mahabharata (both classics of Hindu religious thought). The others are akin to creation stories, such as how the Ganges River was formed. The stories do not deviate too far from the classically accepted tales and may need some additional background for those completely unfamiliar with Hindu mythology. The accompanying watercolor illustrations are vibrant and colorful and draw from traditional Indian motifs and styles. In a classroom setting, just discussing the illustrations could make up a lesson.

The narrative is easy to follow, but given the complexity of the stories, this work may be better suited for Middle school or older readers. The space used for notes directed to parents and teachers (found at the end of each story) would be better served if it provided additional background to either the tale or Hindu mythology. Overall, a good read for those interested in an introductory read of Hindu mythology.


Libby Loves Science

Kimberly Derting and Shelli Johannes, with illustrations by Joelle Murray

When I think of science, I think of a man in a lab coat creating chemical reactions in a lab, but that is not always the case. Libby Love Science shows us that science does not always take place in a lab but sometimes can take place in a kitchen, where one can have a chemical reaction by mixing and pouring ingredients to make pancakes. Libby wants to host a science booth at the fall festival. She uses many household items to mix and have chemical reactions to make bubbles or have a rocket take off into space for the kids to experiment with at school. Libby finds out that not all chemical reactions go as planned and sometimes they don't work, but you can always try again. I like this book because it has instructions for easy experiments to complete at home with family and friends. My favorite experiment listed from the book is how to make your own homemade ice cream. Using salt and ice can cause a chemical reaction to freeze the milk and turn it from a solid to a liquid. Libby love Science has very fun and colorful illustrations.


Pete the Cat's Family Road Trip (I Can Read Level 1)

This is a book about where Pete the Cat, his parents, and brother travel all around the United States. They go on a family road trip and drive around to some tourist attractions changed to put “cat” in the names. They visit Niagara Falls and ride in a boat called Cat of the Mist. They visit New York, and they get to see the Statue of Liberty. They also stop to look at the mountain with all those faces carved in it: Mount Rushmore. The head of Abraham Lincoln is a cat. They visit the Cat Hollywood Walk of Fame. They join in a parade in New Orleans, when people could have parades like Mardi Gras.

The illustrations are funny. The family drive a van. They pack silly things on top of the van like furniture and sports equipment. I found out that Pete has an older brother named Bob. When they get home, Pete says that his favorite part of the road trip is being with his family. This book is fun to read. It makes me want to have a road trip even more, and go visit places around the country.


You Are Ready!: The World Is Waiting

This is a very short book. It is small like Hugs and Kisses for the Grouchy Ladybug, which I received as a gift, so I guess this would be a good gift book. It also reminds me of Oh, the Places You’ll Go!, except that the Dr. Seuss book has way more of a story and is for much older kids or even adults.

You Are Ready: The World Is Waiting has the beautiful pictures you’d expect to find in one of Eric Carle’s books. They are always nice to look at and some of the sayings on the pages are really nice, too. One that seems weird is “the world is scary.” Maybe it is, but all of the other pages are cheery, so maybe he could have just said “the world is full of surprises” because it still works with the “you’re ready” theme.

It’s a nice book, and if you’ve read all of his others, you wouldn’t want to miss this one.