Bibliofille
Book Review: “Princess Academy” (Princess Academy #1) by Shannon Hale
Genre: YA/middlegrade/ fantasy
Rating: 5/5 cats
Goodreads summary: Miri lives on a mountain where, for generations, her ancestors have quarried stone and lived a simple life. Then word comes that the king’s priests have divined her small village the home of the future princess. In a year’s time, the prince himself will come and choose his bride from among the girls of the village. The king’s ministers set up an academy on the mountain, and every teenage girl must attend and learn how to become a princess.
Miri soon finds herself confronted with a harsh academy mistress, bitter competition among the girls, and her own conflicting desires to be chosen and win the heart of her childhood best friend. But when bandits seek out the academy to kidnap the future princess, Miri must rally the girls together and use a power unique to the mountain dwellers to save herself and her classmates.
Reviews to come:
(in no order)
Bone River by Megan Chance (this one is taking me FOREVER)
Luxe by Anna Godberson
Wonder by RJ Palacio
Princess Academy by Shannon Hale
Rotters by Daniel Kraus
Nobody’s Princess by Esther Friesner
Book Review: “Unraveling” (Unraveling #1) by Elizabeth Norris
Genre: YA/ thriller/apocalypse
Rating: 2.5/5 cats
Goodreads summary:Sixteen-year-old Janelle Tenner is used to having a lot of responsibility. She balances working as a lifeguard in San Diego with an intense academic schedule. Janelle’s mother is bipolar, and her dad is a workaholic FBI agent, which means Janelle also has to look out for her younger brother, Jared.
And that was before she died…and is brought back to life by Ben Michaels, a mysterious, alluring loner from her high school. When she discovers a strange clock that seems to be counting down to the earth’s destruction, Janelle learns she has twenty-four days to figure out how to stop the clock and save the planet.
Book Review: “The Game” (Jasper Dent #2) by Barry Lyga
Genre: YA/ thriller/horror
Rating: 4.5/5 cats
Goodreads summary: When a desperate New York City detective comes knocking on Jazz’s door asking for help with a new case, Jazz can’t say no. The Hat-Dog Killer has the Big Apple—and its police force running scared with no leads. So Jazz and his girlfriend Connie hop on a plane to the big city and get swept up in a killer’s murderous game.
Meanwhile, Jazz’s dad Billy is watching…and waiting.
Anonymous
Q: These are so well written do you write reviews professionally?
A:
Aw, this is really nice! I definitely don’t, this is the only place I write reviews and I mainly do it for fun!
Book Review: ‘I Can Barely Take Care of Myself: Tales From a Happy Life Without Kids” by Jen Kirkman
Genre: Non-fiction/humor
Rating: 2/5 cats
Goodreads summary: “You’ll Change Your Mind.” That’s what everyone says to Jen Kirkman— and countless women like her—when she confesses she doesn’t plan to have children. But you know what? It’s hard enough to be an adult. You have to dress yourself and pay bills and remember to buy birthday gifts. You have to drive and get annual physicals and tip for good service. Some adults take on the added burden of caring for a tiny human being with no language skills or bladder control. Parenthood can be very rewarding, but let’s face it, so are margaritas at the adults-only pool.
Jen’s stand-up routine includes lots of jokes about not having kids (and some about masturbation and Johnny Depp), after which complete strangers constantly approach her and ask, “But who will take care of you when you’re old?” (Servants!) Some insist, “You’d be such a great mom!” (Really? You know me so well!)
Whether living rent-free in her childhood bedroom while trying to break into comedy (the best free birth control around, she says), or taking the stage at major clubs and joining a hit TV show— and along the way getting married, divorced, and attending excruciating afternoon birthday parties for her parent friends—Jen is completely happy and fulfilled by her decision not to procreate.
I Can Barely Take Care of Myself is a beacon of hilarious hope for anyone whose major life decisions have been questioned by friends, family, and strangers in a comedy club bathroom. And it should satisfy everyone who wonders if Jen will ever know true love without looking into the eyes of her child.
Book Review: “The Elite” (The Selection #2) by Kiera Cass
Genre: YA/dystopian/romance
Rating: 2.5/5 cats
CAUTION: SPOILERS FOR “THE SELECTION”
Goodreads summary: Thirty-five girls came to the palace to compete in the Selection. All but six have been sent home. And only one will get to marry Prince Maxon and be crowned princess of Illea.
America still isn’t sure where her heart lies. When she’s with Maxon, she’s swept up in their new and breathless romance, and can’t dream of being with anyone else. But whenever she sees Aspen standing guard around the palace, and is overcome with memories of the life they planned to share. With the group narrowed down to the Elite, the other girls are even more determined to win Maxon over—and time is running out for America to decide.
Just when America is sure she’s made her choice, a devastating loss makes her question everything again. And while she’s struggling to imagine her future, the violent rebels that are determined to overthrow the monarchy are growing stronger and their plans could destroy her chance at any kind of happy ending.
Q: Is there ever such a thing as a child who wouldn’t and couldn’t enjoy a book?
“No and I don’t accept that and I think The way in is to read them books. As an ex-teacher I can testify to the fact that some children are very intimidated by the process of having to read and some children have problems with that, But you can lead to a lot of books by just finding a good story and reading it to them. It’s not that difficult, unless the parent has literacy problems. But you would hope there’s a teacher at the child’s school who loves books enough that they read to them.”
(via booksandhotchocolate)
