Review: The Inquisitor's Tale: Or, the Three Magical Children and Their Holy Dog

The Inquisitor's Tale: Or, the Three Magical Children and Their Holy Dog by Adam Gidwitz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What a fun, interesting book! This is the best middle grade novel I've read in a while. I've had a lot of trouble getting into middle grade novels the last several times I've attempted to read them, but this one broke that trend. It was full of fascinating characters - the holy dog, the nun, and, of course, the children. I loved how it was told by the different characters in tales (like The Canterbury Tales) and the meaning behind the inquisitor's tale. It was a great adventure story and I look forward to reading it to my little boys when they are older!

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Review: Betsy-Tacy

Betsy-Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.5 stars. This was a very sweet little book that I probably would have absolutely loved if I had discovered it when I was growing up. I listened to it while I was cleaning for a couple of hours this afternoon. I still enjoyed it and I'd like to see what else happens to Betsy and her friends.

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Review: Betsy-Tacy

Betsy-Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.5 stars. This was a very sweet little book that I probably would have absolutely loved if I had discovered them when I was growing up. I listened to it while I was cleaning for a couple of hours this afternoon. I still enjoyed it and I'd like to see what else happens to Betsy and her friends.

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Review: Between Shades of Gray

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a really well-written book about little-known events in history during World War II. It follows Lina, a young Lithuanian girl who was taken to a Siberian work camp and struggled to survive. It was heartbreaking and hard to read at times, but also an important part of history that has been widely forgotten. The author is Lithuanian herself and drew on the experiences from her own family and others she interviewed who went through this experience. I certainly plan to recommend this book to my students. The content was hard to read, but powerful and important.

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Review: Rose in Bloom

Rose in Bloom by Louisa May Alcott
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.75 stars. Very enjoyable, although a bit preachy (as Alcott tends to be). Like in the last book, Rose was too perfect for me, but some parts truly were surprising and it was overall what I was hoping to get out of it - a light, sweet, mostly happy little book.

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Review: The Cruel Prince

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This one took me a while to get into and I almost put it down a couple of times. I'm glad I stuck with it though because when I got about 2/3 of the way through, I was hooked. It did take me quite a while though, so I think maaaaybe it is a 3.75 stars for me.

I'm still pretty uncertain about what I think about the characters, particularly Cardan, "the cruel prince." A lot is left unresolved (which makes sense, since this is just the first installment) and I'm very curious about Cardan, Taryn, Locke, Madoc, Oriana, and more key characters. I guess I still feel like I can't really figure any of them out. Usually I have a better grasp on who is good and who is bad by the end of the first book, but I think that is part of the appeal of this series. Even the main character, Jude, is pretty morally grey.

I read this both because I wanted to and because it is on the list for The Battle of the Books 2019, which I will be taking a large group of students to in the spring. I think those who really like Sarah J. Maas (especially her A Court of Thorns and Roses series) will love this one as well. It is not as steamy, but has more political intrigue and takes place in a similar faerie realm. I did really like the setting. I hope it is further developed in future books.

I now can't wait to read The Wicked King and I wish I didn't have to wait until January!!

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Review: Between the World and Me

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was really good. I think I need to think about it for a day or two before I write a longer review, but for now, let me just say that yes, you should read it. It is short but powerful.

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Review: Everything I Never Told You

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.5 or maybe 3.75 stars. It was very well written. I can't say I really enjoyed it. I don't think you are supposed to really enjoy the story of a dysfunctional family and death of a young girl. It did make me think and kept me reading (listening) though. I enjoyed the writing style and it definitely made me want to read Little Fires Everywhere.

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Review: Frozen Tides

Frozen Tides by Morgan Rhodes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.25 stars. Really great! This was another excellent addition to a highly enjoyable series. Like the others in the series, there were a lot of unexpected turns, surprising deaths, interesting perspectives from a variety of characters, etc. I'm looking forward to finishing the last two books! :)

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Review: The Gift of an Ordinary Day: A Mother's Memoir

The Gift of an Ordinary Day: A Mother's Memoir by Katrina Kenison
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I liked it better than I thought I would. I really only read it because I've had it on my shelf forever since I received it as a gift when I was pregnant with my first son (4 and 1/2 years ago). I needed to either read it or get rid of it, so I decided to at least try it. I found enough in it that I identified with to keep reading. Like the author, I have two sons, although mine are much younger than hers were at the time her book took place. I appreciated many of her reminders and insights, especially about slowing down and appreciating each moment for what it is. However, the book did get repetitive. I thought it was good to have the little mystery of where her son Henry would end up going to college woven throughout the story, because I think by the end I was mostly just reading/listening because I was curious where he ended up. Still, I honestly didn't anticipate even finishing this book, so I enjoyed it far more than I expected to.

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Review: The Unexpected Everything

The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.75 stars. This was the perfect summer read! It wasn't too serious, but it was very sweet. I liked the main character and her group of friends. I liked that Clark was an author and that Andie was a dog walker. The romance was really enjoyable to read about. It was pretty much everything I would want out of a summer book, especially since it also took place in the summer. It was my first Morgan Matson book, and I will definitely read more (especially in the summer)!

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Review: Paper Towns

Paper Towns by John Green
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I liked it, but it didn't hold my attention as much as I would have liked. I always enjoy John Green's writing style, but perhaps it wasn't the right time for me to read this because I think I just wasn't in the mood for a contemporary. I'm also struggling with YA realistic fiction lately so that didn't help . . . I'm interested in seeing the movie though and I look forward to read other John Green books!

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Review: Inferno

Inferno by Dan Brown
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.5 stars. A fun read with a lot of twists that I saw coming and one that I did not. If you've read Dan Brown's other books, this one is not much different, but I do enjoy reading them. The one thing that did really surprise me was (view spoiler)[ the fact that Langdon basically failed this time. He didn't get "plague" in time and it contaminated the whole world - whoa! I was definitely surprised by that! (hide spoiler)] I am really hoping that the next book talks a little bit about the ramifications for the ending . . . I did kind of feel like it just ended with more questions than answers. I don't expect it to though. I also wish that every book didn't have a different female protagonist. This one was interesting and I'd love to see what happens to Sienna also. I know these books are unrealistic and somewhat ridiculous, but overall they are still a lot of fun.

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