Accidental Time Traveller by Janis Mackay - Book Review

Book: Accidental Time Traveller

Author: Janis Mackay

Genre: YA, Middle Grade 

Publisher/Publish Date: Floris Books / May 1, 2013

Source: Publisher, NewGalley

Pages: 240

Rating: 3/5

GoodReads  •  Amazon

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, but it in no way effects my review of the book.

Most Young Adult (YA) or Middle-Grade books fall somewhere along the spectrum of either having weak characters, and a weak plot, which the younger readers may not notice, or being very well written, and enjoyable for adults. I found this one fit somewhere in between, and I would highly recommend it to middle and grade schoolers.

Shortlisted for the Scottish Children's Book Award 2013, the story begins with Saul, on his way to the local store to buy some items for his mother, witnesses a girl suddenly appear in the middle of the road. After rescuing her, he's surprised at how puzzled she is by traffic, items in the shop, and she's wearing a very dated looking dress. Agatha Black introduces herself, and we soon discover she's traveled through time with the help of her father, who we find isn't the best time traveler.

Through Agatha, Saul learns about the history of his small town in Scotland, and she learns about what life is like in the 21st century. She gets to attend school, meet some of this friends, but she really wants to go home, and Saul tries his best and helping her travel back in time.

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Family Camping Trip

I recently moved closer to my family, and wanted to take advantage of the beautiful weather to go camping. Luckily my parents have a decent sized trailer for all 6 of us. Though I have to say sharing a bed with my adorable niece did not turn out as great as I thought it would be.

We had a great time hiking, walking down to the river, cooking marshmallows, and got in a decent amount of reading.

If you are ever in the area I highly recommend this park (Ike Kinswa State Park in southern Washington). It has a beautiful lake for boating, fishing, swimming, and of course rock throwing.)

Every time she sees a tree she says "I climb?"

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Lucy The Wonder Weenie - Special Book Review

Book: Lucy The Wonder Weenie

Author: Nina Clark (Goodreads Author), Sara Pulver (Illustrator)

Genre: Children 

Published: February 2013

Source: Author, through GoodReads First Reads

Pages: 32

Rating: 5/5

GoodReads  •  Amazon

I was excited to get a copy of this book from GoodReads First Reads and get to share it with my niece and nephew. So today, we have a couple guest reviewers.

Me: On a scale of 1-5 what do you give it:
    Him: Very good.

Did you like the story: 
     Yep!

Did you like the photos: 
     Yeah, yeah, yeah...

Yep, that's it. 

He's a boy and was wanting to go play with his cars. But he liked enough that he asked me to read it a couple more times while I was visiting. 

And while I am sure his sister enjoyed it also, she doesn't say much yet, other than cupcakes and meow.

Overall, I think the book was a hit!

Storybound - book review

Book: Storybound (Storybound #1)

Author: Marissa Burt

Genre: Middle School, Fantasy 

Publisher/Publish Date: Harper Collins Children's / February 5, 2013

Source: ARC eBook courtesy of publisher and NetGalley

Pages: 416

Rating: 2.5/5

GoodReads  •  Amazon

Imagine, while reading a fairytale one day, you suddenly become part of the story. That's what happens to Una Fairchild when she gets sucked into the land of Story. There kids go to school to learn to be Heros, Ladies, and Villains. As the story develops she learns the reason she is there, and it's a lot more complex than she ever would have though.

While I really liked the concept and idea of the book, there were lots of plot holes and poor writing. Maybe I am holding it up to Harry Potter standards (which it is really similar too) and it just isn't as good as that, but what can be?

I don't think I'll be reading the other books in the series when they come out, but elementary, and middle school kids may really enjoy them.

best books for a rainy day

I grew up in Oregon, and one of my favorite things to do on a rainy day was to curl up on the couch with a good book. A book that I could get lost in and would take me away from the crummy weather outside. It's been pretty crummy here the last couple weeks, and if it's crummy where you are, here are some books to check out.

The Mitford Years Series, by Jan Karon
This series of nine books follows the  day to day life of a small town rector. Father Tim lives in Mitford; a charming village with lots of fresh air and green hills and full of interesting characters. These books take you back to a time that was simple and you knew all your neighbors by name. I might not be the normal demographic for these books but I enjoy them.





Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, by Judi Barrett
This children's book has some of my favorite illustrations. What's not to love about the idea of meatballs falling from the sky, pancakes so large they cover houses, and no need to go grocery shopping. Like Mitford, this book is also set in a small town.





The Chronicles of Narnia Series, by C.S. Lewis
I have a vivid memory of watching the PBS version of this book as a kid, while it was snowing out doors. Since then I have read the whole series, and love this fantastical story of a magical wardrobe and the Great Lion Aslan. Over the years there have been an assortment of beautiful covers for this book, my favorite being and illustration of "a faun carrying parcels and an umbrella in a snowy wood," which was Lewis' initial idea behind the book, which came to him at age 16 (according to Amazon.com).



About a Boy, by Nick Hornby
Though more people may be familiar with the movie, I read and fell in love with the book first. Will, a 36 year old confirmed bachelor, befriends a young boy when we tries to con a women into dating in. The awkward friendship leads life changing events that improves the lives of the man, boy and those around them. I think this story can teach all of us some valuable lessons and how to be a better friend.





What's your favorite book to read on a rainy day?

The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict - Book Review

Book: The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict

Author: Trenton Lee Stewart

Genre: Children's / Mystery

Publisher/Publish Date: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers / April 2012

Source: SF Public Library

Pages: 480

Rating: 3/5

Other books from author: The other books in the Mysterious Benedict Society

GoodReads  •  Amazon

Nine-year-old Nicholas Benedict has more problems than most children his age. Not only is he an orphan with an unfortunate nose, but he also has narcolepsy, a condition that gives him terrible nightmares and makes him fall asleep at the worst possible moments.  

Now he's being sent to a new orphanage, where he will encounter vicious bullies, selfish adults, strange circumstances – and a mystery that could change his life forever. Luckily, he does have one thing in his favor: He's a a genius.

(*warning, this includes some spoilers*)
Nicholas is a character I fell in love with. He's cute, charming, smart, and a little quirky. While the book was a nice intro to his character and gave us the history of what happened prior to the other Mysterious Benedict Society Books, it falls a bit flat.

I think the only reason I didn't like this as much as the other Benedict Society book is the few number of characters. The voice of the book is the same, and I love that. And as I said, I love the character of Nicholas as well as John, and Violet, but the other characters are all bullies or shmarmy orphanage directors that didn't have much substance. 

The book mostly revolves around the mystery of the lost treasure, and the searching for it on the grounds of the orphanage. Stewart provides us with a beautiful setting, but fell behind in the plot points.  There wasn't really anything else going on, causing there not to be too much conflict. Maybe part of that was that I knew he would turn out ok, since I knew his future, but it just didn't do it for me.

If you like the other Mysterious Benedict Society I would read this one so you know the whole story. But if you are new to the series, please don't read this first. Start with the first book and fall in love with the endearing characters, and the complex plot lines.

February - What I Read

Boy did March sneak up on me, but I think I did a pretty good job this month considering it's a short month.

At the beginning of the year I made a goal to read 50 books this year, which I though was a conservative goal. I may have underestimated myself. So far I've read 13, and according to GoodReads I am six books, 11% ahead of schedule. Maybe I can get that percentage up for next month.

More Or Less: Choosing a Lifestyle of Excessive Generosity, by Jeff Shinabarger
A recently published boom and my first ARC review. My review (FYI: I really loved it!)

Disco Bloodbath, by James St. James
I blogged about it last week.

Prodigy, by Marie Lu
I have a review of this coming out later this month.

Forgotten God, by Francis Chan
A book I've been wanting to read for awhile, and I got my hands on the audio book at the library. While I don't love listening to audio books that often, it's great how quick it is to get through a book. This book focuses on the neglect of the Holy Spirit in today's church. How it's the true true source of the church's power and calls for us to refocus on the forgotten God.

Cinder, by Marissa Meyer
Loosely based on the story of Cinderella, though in this story she's a cyborg. As crazy as that may sound, this was actually a really great book. And unlike most other dystopian novels, this wasn't based in North America, but in New Beijing. Scarlet, the second book in this series (Lunar Chronicles) was published February 5th and I am looking forward to reading that soon.

Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West, by Blaine Harden
I have a review of this coming out later this month. I highly recommend reading this.

This Book is Not Good For You, by Pseudonymous Bosch
How can you not love a title like that. This is the third book (out of five) in the New York Times bestselling Secret Series. Two adventurous 11-year olds, Cass and Max-Ernest head off to track the Midnight Sun organization, after they kidnap Cass' mother. While I enjoy this series, the plot tends to be pretty shallow and repetitive, but I really enjoy the characters. And they are easy and fun to read, so I think I'll stick with the series. Recommended for 3rd - 5th graders (or thirty-somthing adults).

In process...
Infinite Jest: going to work on this book a little at a time. Only 51 pages in so far, but I am really enjoying it.
Red Carpet Burns: a memoir about moving to LA for love.
The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict: one of my favorite contemporary series which I consider a cross between J.K. Rowling and Roald Dahl.