Impossible
Lucinda Scarborough is one in a long line of women cursed by an Elfin Knight. As family legend tells, the women in Lucy's family have all resisted being this elf's true love and have, therefore, suffered a curse of madness after giving birth to a baby girl by age eighteen. After Lucy is raped at her school's prom, she must decide whether to believe in the curse and protect her unborn baby daughter by cracking the riddle that will end the spell once and for all. I enjoyed the way this modern-day fantasy of tragedy, true love, and family support mingled with the magic of tradition, folk lore, and otherworldliness.
Hiding the Stranger in Hickory Valley
When I read this first book in the series, I set my self up to be impressed. The idea was good, the characters okay, and it was the first book in a series. So I said to myself, "Marie, read the other books and it will probably get better." I enjoyed the first book, and read the second and said, "Wonderful! I sure wish Ms. Kelly would have reintroduced the original characters, but this was better than the first!" Then I read the last in the trilogy. It was okay. Things resolved somewhat.
Read more»Loving Will Shakespeare
The author imagines what it was like for Agnes Hathaway falling in love with Will Shakespeare in their small village while she was 8 years his senior. It was an interesting story. Shakespeare’s eventual long absences from his children and Agnes while he was being creative in London are very sad. The book ends abruptly with Shakespeare’s impending, permanent return and Agnes/Anne musing about what that will be like.
Midnight for Charlie Bone
Midnight for Charlie Bone kicks off a great series of eight books. The series starts with Charlie Bone discovering he can hear what people in pictures are saying. When his grandma on his dad's side finds this out, she insists he should be sent to Bloor's academy, a boarding school type place where children who are "endowed", or given these special talents, are sent. There are normal kids at this school, too, but the endowed ones are the ones the school is interested in. The story unfolds as Charlie learns about the headmaster and his family, Mr Bloor, Mr. Bloor Sr., and Manfred Bloor. The Bloors are up to no good, Charlie realizes. He discovers truths about his dad and helps free a girl from hypnosis. He makes great friends, and terrible enemies. Soon, he is caught up in the turmoil that has surrounded his and other kids families for centuries. Actually, he is in the thick of it.
Read more»Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Diary of a Wimpy kid is a book that over-all I would recommend to a friend. Gregory has a older teen-age brother named Rodrick and a younger brother aged 2 and named Manny. His parents get Greg into trouble but they treat Manny like a prince. Manny once scribbled on Greg's door and didn't get in trouble. It seemed sort of awkward. Rodrick also saved and image of a woman in a bikini lying on top of a car. Manny picked it up and brought it to show-and-tell in pre-school. I found that amusing, but Rodrick's punishment for that image was not very punishing in my mind. In the book he has a friend named Rowley whose dad is totally anti-violent.
Read more»The Diamond of Drury Lane
This book surprised me to no end. I am new to Golding's work, and have read only one of her newer works besides this book. When I heard that this was her first novel, I wasn't expecting much. Boy, did Cat Royal prove me wrong! This book is about Catherine "Cat" Royal, a twelve to thirteen year old girl growing up on Drury Lane in London of 1790. She is a ward of the Theater Royal, and has lived there since she was a baby. This book describes her adventures from a first person perspective. Within the 424 pages of the book, Cat gets involved in gang mischief, political turmoil, crime, hot air balloons, even getting a taste of upper class English life. It is an intriguing read, and it is very believable. This book is meant for readers twelve and up because some of the language is crude, but is historically accurate. What charmed me most was the lay out of the book; Cat writes it in the format of a five act play, acts separated into scenes and so on. Over all, I give this book a four and a half star, because it was fun, exciting, captivating, and thrilling. This is the first in a series of "Cat Royal Adventures". I cannot wait to read the others!
Waiting for Normal
Addie is the protagonist in this Young Adult book. Her father is dead and she is being raised by her mother. Her mother had a relationship with Dwight and had two girls with him (they are Addie’s stepsisters). Dwight has full custody of the girls. As the story unfolds we discover the neglectful habits of Addie’s mother--the things that Addie does to cope--and the support networks that are in place for her. It is tough to know that some mothers just can’t handle parenting. We cheer for Addie as she shows creativity and smarts to deal with her situation. She is definitely more mature than her mom. And we are happy that she does find "normal" by the end of the book. A good book to understand what some of us are up against.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
I just finished listening to this--I had such fond memories of it from high school. I loved it all over again. Sweet, deceptively simple writing makes for a profound story about coming of age. The protagonist, Francie, grows up in poverty but is smart, ambitious, observant, and good at finding her way in the world. She is as strong and stubborn as the tree growing behind her apartment building. The characters are very well written and the reader learns so much about life in New York just prior to World War II. Wonderful!
