Thursday, December 18, 2014

I Kill the Mockingbird by Paul Acampora

This has been my favorite read so far this year!  It is just a delightful read!! 3 friends all finishing 8th grade have the goal to get as many people as they can excited to read the novel "To Kill a Mockingbird."  They decide the best way to do it is to create what people will think is a conspiracy to get rid of the book, because "wanting what you can't have is the American way, right?"  It is funny and light hearted and has some great one liners that I loved, like..."good manners never hurt anybody."  Reading this might also inspire you to go on and read To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

The Only Thing to Fear by Caoline Tung Richmond

Lots of action in this book...not a dull moment.  This is a novel that reimagines what the world would be like if the Allies had lost WWII.  The Nazi's are in power on the eastern part of what used to be the US, and the Japanese govern over the west.  A rebellion is brewing to overthrow the Nazi Regime. This book also has a little Sci Fi thrown in for good measure.  The nazi's, with all their experimentation, created "super soldiers" with different powers.  Zara is the main character and she may be the KEY to brining down the Fuhrer.  The action in this book makes it a very quick read.

Thursday, December 11, 2014

The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fford

I loved this latest read.  This story takes place in what seems to be modern times, but in a created world, "The Ununited Kingdoms," where magic exits.  BUT...the magic is draining away and no one is quite sure why.  Jennifer Strange, a 15 yr. old foundling, runs Kazam Mystical Arts Management, an employment agency for magicians.  She is trying to keep them in business now that the magic is drying up.  Then the prophecies start about the destruction of the last dragon.  What will this mean for the world of magic and the last of the Dragons?  I love the characters in this book.  Jennifer is noble and brave, but also angry at what is happening.  She also has a mysterious and fun/scary pet called a "quarkbeast."  We see Jennifer and the Quarkbeast return in book 2 of the "Chronicles of Kazam," "The Song of the Quarkbeast."  I am looking forward to taking this home over the break to read.

Friday, December 5, 2014

The Watcher in the Shadows by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

This book has lots of chills and thrills.  It will be well liked by readers like me who like to read scary stuff!! Irene's family relocates from Paris to Normandy when her father dies.  Her mother has taken the job as a housekeeper for a man who used to be a famous toy maker.  He has lots of rules of where Irene and her family can and cannot go so you KNOW that something is up with this guy.  The story moves very quickly as you try to figure things out.  The story takes place in the late 1930s so the language is more formal than what we might hear today, this doesn't make it hard to read, just something I noticed.