Book Review: The Haunted Library; by Dori Hillestad Butler

   I was looking for a new series to indulge for the kids at work, and I’ve bumped up onto this. Cute, it’s about a library and it happens to be haunted. Sorry, can’t get the job pun off my system in this one. It’s like reading Casper meets Ghost Whisperer, except Kaz (the ghost) is wee afraid to learn most of the ghostly abilities, like going through a wall, which is kind of ridiculous. See? If I am emotional about that part, the kids might actually enjoy this book.
   Plot is easy to follow and pretty much attached to any reader who picked it up. Characters are real enough that it pulled you into the story. The illustrations. What can I say about them. I love it! It’s a wonderful start for this series, and I would love to follow through this series. Can’t wait for the next one!
The Haunted Library
(Haunted Library #1)
By Dori Hillestad Butler

When ghost boy Kaz’s haunt is torn down and he is separated from his ghost family, he meets a real girl named Claire, who lives above the town library with her parents and her grandmother. Claire has a special ability to see ghosts when other humans cannot and she and Kaz quickly form a friendship. The two join forces to solve the mystery of the ghost that’s haunting the library. Could it be one of Kaz’s lost family members?

Finished Reading: 23rd December 2014
Acquire: 16th August 2014
Rate } ♠♠♠♠♠
Genre } Fiction | Children | Mystery | Supernatural
Release Day }  14th August 2014
Publisher } Grosset & Dunlap
Format } Paperback
ISBN } 9780448462424
Pages } 128 pages
Source } Bought for BND $8.00
Age Group } Middle Schooler
Get your own copy } Paperback | Kindle

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Book Review: The School Is Alive; by Jack Chabert

I was intrigue. Come on, it sounded like RL Stine all over. If you grow up reading these you would understand why. I just got to pick this one up! It’s a worth fit read. Hey, I just spent 3 months reading the same book, I needed a quick read, to rush the last one down.

Plot is fast and the characters are.. how do I say.. cute? Even the location is a character on it’s own. the storyline ran fast and kept the short attention span kids to actually read it to the end. I can only say, it’s like Hogwarts.. a homicidal Hogwarts, minus the magic ingredient. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, I refer you back to Harry Potter.

To top this one off, I am so.. looking forward to the next book; (and trying to get a copy for my school library).

The School Is Alive!
By Jack Chabert

Eerie Elementary is one scary school!
This series is part of Scholastic's early chapter book line called Branches, which is aimed at newly independent readers. With easy-to-read text, high-interest content, fast-paced plots, and illustrations on every page, these books will boost reading confidence and stamina. Branches books help readers grow!
In this first book in the series, Sam Graves discovers that his elementary school is ALIVE! Sam finds this out on his first day as the school hall monitor. Sam must defend himself and his fellow students against the evil school! Is Sam up to the challenge? He'll find out soon enough: the class play is just around the corner. Sam teams up with friends Lucy and Antonio to stop this scary school before it's too late!

Finished Reading: 22nd December 2014
Acquire: 21st December 2014
Rate } ♠♠♠♠♠
Genre } Fiction | Children | Mystery | Supernatural
Release Day }  24th June 2014
Publisher } Scholastic
Format } Paperback
ISBN } 9780545623926
Pages } 96 pages
Source } Bought for BND $8.00
Age Group } Middle Schooler
Get your own copy } Paperback Kindle

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Book Review: The Pact; by Jodi Picoult

   This has been on my shelves for a bit, until Lifetime Channel showed the movie version of this book. I was incredibly hook and armed with the knowledge, the book version must be better and of course, it is Jodi Picoult, so that means it ran differently. I was right.

   The book is frustratingly good. (Yes, using the word “frustrating”). Regardless, reading this book throughout 3 months (I was busy with work and life), I found it kind of riveting. (Yep) I found myself wanting to slap Emily. Is it bad, I actually want to know more about Emily, her life, her view. Chris is, however, a typical athletic partner her Emily, pushed to the wall, I’m pretty much frustrated about that. Then the parents. Gosh, the connections, the obvious jealousy, the obvious expectancy, typical parents.

   Suicide is a serious subject and this book made sure how it affects the people around the victim, and what the victim is going through up to the event. What it lack of it depth on Emily’s character. Jodi left the mystery in the air for me. Otherwise, it is frustratingly good.

Quote:
“I love you," he whispered, and that was the moment he knew what he was going to do. When you loved someone, you put their needs before your own. No matter how inconceivable those needs were; no matter how fucked up; no matter how much it made you feel like you were ripping yourself into pieces.”

The Pact
By Jodi Picoult

For eighteen years the Hartes and the Golds have lived next door to each other, sharing everything from Chinese food to chicken pox to carpool duty-- they've grown so close it seems they have always been a part of each other's lives. Parents and children alike have been best friends, so it's no surprise that in high school Chris and Emily's friendship blossoms into something more. They've been soul mates since they were born.
So when midnight calls from the hospital come in, no one is ready for the appalling truth: Emily is dead at seventeen from a gunshot wound to the head. There's a single unspent bullet in the gun that Chris took from his father's cabinet-- a bullet that Chris tells police he intended for himself. But a local detective has doubts about the suicide pact that Chris has described.

Finished Reading: 22nd December 2014
Acquire: 26th April 2014
Rate } ♠♠♠♠
Genre } Fiction | Young Adult | Romance | Mystery | Young Adult
List } 100 Books in a Year 2014 | TBR Challenge | TBR Pile Challenge (i) | Tbr Pile Challenge (ii)
Release Day }  29th August 2006
Publisher } Avon
Format } Paperback
ISBN } 9780061150142
Pages } 512 pages
Source } Bought for BND $13.25
Age Group } PG 18 yo +
Get your own copy } Paperback | Kindle

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Book Review: The Night She Disappeared; by April Henry

   I had a taste of one of April Henry’s books (Girl, Stolen) a few months back, and I immediately love her work. Naturally, I look for more of her books up and this peaked my interests. Little I know, she be taking me through another emotional, end of the seat experience. and I am happy that she did. (I was in a reading slump and her books brought me back)

   Honestly, the cover and the title itself intrigued me, the storyline just grab me from the beginning. That first quote is quite heart gripping (points at quote). The chapters are titles as the number of days. That’s kind of cool. Characters are at times a bit confusing, I couldn’t figure out who is who at first, but it work out in the end.

Bottomline, the thing about this book is, it can happened to anyone. my regret is, I wish the book could last a bit longer. I do wish April would give more development to Kayla, her family and her kidnapper characters POV though. But yeah overall, It was a total nail biting experience.

Quote:
It was me who took the order. It could have been anyone. I don’t know why I feel guilty. But it was me.

The Night She Disappeared
By April Henry

Gabie drives a Mini Cooper. She also works part time as a delivery girl at Pete’s Pizza. One night, Kayla—another delivery girl—goes missing. To her horror, Gabie learns that the supposed kidnapper had asked if the girl in the Mini Cooper was working that night. Gabie can’t move beyond the fact that Kayla’s fate was really meant for her, and she becomes obsessed with finding Kayla. She teams up with Drew, who also works at Pete’s. Together, they set out to prove that Kayla isn’t dead—and to find her before she is.

Finished Reading: 28th February 2014
Acquire: 21st November 2012
Rate } ♠♠♠♠
Genre } Fiction | Young Adult | Teens | Mystery | Realistic Fiction
List } 100 Books in a Year 2014 | TBR Challenge | TBR Pile Challenge (i) | Tbr Pile Challenge (ii) 
Release Day }  13th March 2012
Publisher } Henry Holt and Co.
Format } Hardcover
ISBN } 9780805092622
Pages } 240 pages
Source } Bought for BND $13.00
Age Group } PG 15 yo +
Support my reading by getting your copy } Paperback | Kindle

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Book Review: Girl, Stolen; by April Henry

So many friends and readers had refer me this book for quite a time now, and I had put it off because I refused to be peer pressured into reading anything. (Yeah that was weird).

Wow.. unintentional kidnapped teenager in the backseat, throw in the twist that she is blind and sick with pneumonia. This is why you don’t leave kids unattended in a car, even for a bit while! You probably have your kid kidnapped and ransomed! Or even dead! Cheyenne, despite, sick and blind is quite brave. She formed a bond with her unintended kidnapper, Griffin, ironically from his father and the other two blockheads who worked with his father.

I still don’t get why a parent would leave a sick blind teenager alone in a car (even for a little while!). I actually expected to be on the edge of my seat for this one, but it wasn’t so. Griffin was obviously not going to harm her of any way after reading 2-3 chapters. Of course the rest of the character was doing a cliché. It wasn’t that bad, but it would have been a better read. it does show me the insides of being blind, feelings and such.

For a fan of tragedies, crime, mystery realistic fiction, as I said, it didn’t really put me at the edge of my seat, but enough to get me keep reading till the end. That was a good try. and honestly, it could really need an edge or two. (it feels like Hallmark)

Girl, Stolen
By April Henry

Sixteen-year-old Cheyenne Wilder is sleeping in the back of the car while her stepmom fills a prescription for antibiotics. Before Cheyenne realizes what's happening, the car is being stolen.
Griffin hadn't meant to kidnap Cheyenne and once he finds out that not only does she have pneumonia, but that she's blind, he really doesn't know what to do. When his dad finds out that Cheyenne's father is the president of a powerful corporation, everything changes--now there's a reason to keep her.
How will Cheyenne survive this nightmare?

Finished Reading: 07th December 2013
Acquire: 11th February 2013
Rate } ♠♠♠♠
Genre } Fiction | Young Adult | Teens 
Release Day }  01st October 2012
Publisher } Henry Holt and Co.
Format } Hardcover
ISBN } 9780805090055
Pages } 213 pages
Source } BookSwap
Age Group } pg 15 yo +
Support my reading by getting your copy }

  

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Book Review: The Maze of Bones (The 39th Clues 1); By Rick Riordan

I had my eye on this book for a long while now. I heard about the contest but that really didn’t tempt me (since it’s not applicable for me to join either). I broke down one day, when a friend offered me the book to read as he told me, it would be popular amongst my middle grade students. As method goes, I usually take a dash of spice and read some books before actually agreeing on adding them in the school library collection.

My verdict… it somewhat reminded me of Lemony Snicket’s A Series Unfortunate Events. Orphans in an adventure off to win their inheritance. Dan and Amy Cahill are two strong characters, facing their greedy relatives, who seemed to want to get rid of them so they be out of the way of money! A total page turner. I guess some of the middle grader I cater might like reading this sort. Personally, I thought it had a good plot.

Not in my usual sort of read, but yeah I’m looking forward to read the next book in this series.

Quote: “She led the way. Eyeless sockets of the dead seemed to stare at them as they passed.

The Maze of Bones (The 39 Clues #1)
By Rick Riordan

Minutes before she died Grace Cahill changed her will, leaving her decendants an impossible decision: You have a choice - one million dollars or a clue.

Grace is the last matriarch of the Cahills, the world's most powerful family. Everyone from Napoleon to Houdini is related to the Cahills, yet the source of the family power is lost. 39 clues hidden around the world will reveal the family's secret, but no one has been able to assemble them. Now the clues race is on, and young Amy and Dan must decide what's important: hunting clues or uncovering what REALLY happened to their parents.

Finished Reading: 04th November 2012
Acquire: 02th November 2012
Rate } ♠♠♠♠♠
Genre } Fiction | Mystery | Realistic Fiction | Middle Grade
Release Day }  1 October 2008
Publisher } Scholastic Press
Format } Hardcover 
ISBN } 9780545060394
Pages } 220 pages
Source } Swapped
Age Group } 10 yo +
Interests } Adventure and mystery lovers    
Awards } -
Support my reading by getting your copy } Amazon | Kindle

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Book Review: Flowers in the Attic (Dollanganger 01) by V. C. Andrews

Growing up, this book has been one of those must read books. It has everything a trademark hallmark drama has in it. So much sadness, so much wrong, so much… anger while reading this book.

It’s disturbing how a perfect happy family life turned upside down because of a family tragedy. This is a story about children abuse and incest. (Though I wonder why it was [and still] in the teen sections I will always wonder why). Yet, until now, I have yet to find a book as twisted as how VC Andrews wrote it.

I really hope nobody ever shut their kids up and forget about them, like what happened to the characters in this book. That would be torture. Especially for the kids. I found it is very disturbing to read how a parent would purposely locked her children up in an attic for years instead of sending them off to a boarding school, which I found was a much better choice if she did, just because she wanted the inheritance from her father and pretend they don’t exist.  Her children was a secret nobody outside the family should know about. It was a frustrating and emotional read.

Imagine how long these kids have to endure.. waiting for the day when Grandfather died and mother actually bring them out from their attic imprisonment. So much false hope is put upon these children it’s infuriating.

Overall it is one of the best book out there, and I'm pretty much appalled to know in some places this book was actually being banned because of a certain few chapters. If they have taken the time to actually read what lead to that, it is much more of an educating novel to parents out there to not repeat what the adults in this book did in the first place. I pretty much hate the ending though, cause I would like to see the adults getting what they deserved after what they did to the kids, but I guess they hope they better judgment in the future.

Nevertheless, I hate the mother. I hate the grandmother! How could they starve them and the end of it, the truth! Oh that was a very awful truth to bear. Their mother wanted to kill them. How twisted is that? How twisted?!

This book is not something, one would sit down, read and witness as a reader. It’s frustrating to read and not able to help. V. C. Andrews did an excellent work, writing this book. The words came out alive as you read it.

First Words. Truly, when I was very young, way back in the Fifties, I believed all of life would be like one long and perfect summer day.

Quote. I don’t think she’s ever coming back.

Flowers in the Attic (Dollanganger #1)
By V. C Andrews

Such wonderful children. Such a beautiful mother. Such a lovely house. Such endless terror!

It wasn't that she didn't love her children. She did. But there was a fortune at stake--a fortune that would assure their later happiness if she could keep the children a secret from her dying father.

So she and her mother hid her darlings away in an unused attic.

Just for a little while.

But the brutal days swelled into agonizing years. Now Cathy, Chris, and the twins wait in their cramped and helpless world, stirred by adult dreams, adult desires, served a meager sustenance by an angry, superstitious grandmother who knows that the Devil works in dark and devious ways. Sometimes he sends children to do his work--children who--one by one--must be destroyed....

'Way upstairs there are
four secrets hidden.
Blond, beautiful, innocent
struggling to stay alive....

Finished Reading: 28rd December 2006
Acquire: 19th February 2012 (a book fairy gave me this with spanking new cover on it.)
Rate } ♠♠♠♠♠
Genre } Fiction | Young Adult | Mystery & Thrillers | Drama | Goth
Release Day }  December 1979
Publisher } Harper
Format } Paperback
ISBN } 9780007436828
Pages } 423 pages
Source } Gift
Age Group } PG 18 yo +
Awards } Awards for Secondary (1993)

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YA Book Review: Thirteen Reasons Why; By Jay Asher

rate } ♠♠♠♠♠ ♥
genre } fiction | young adult | realistic fiction | mystery | high school
release day } 1st October 2010
acquired } 05th January 2011
publisher } Sleuth RazorBill 
format } paperback
isbn } 9781595141880
pages } 288 pg.
source } given
age group } pg 18
interest } pg 18 + ages
awards } South Carolina Book Award for Young Adult Book Award (2010),Florida Teens Read (2008), Georgia Peach Honor Book Award (2009),Kirkus Reviews Editor's Choice, California Book Award Winner
Buy @ Amazon.com | Nolly Book | D BookHaus

Thirteen Reasons Why
By Jay Asher

Via Goodreads
Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a strange package with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker - his classmate and crush - who committed suicide two weeks earlier. Hannah's voice tells him that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out why. Clay spends the night crisscrossing his town with Hannah as his guide. He becomes a firsthand witness to Hannah's pain, and learns the truth about himself-a truth he never wanted to face.

Thirteen Reasons Why is the gripping, addictive international bestseller that has changed lives the world over. It's an unrelenting modern classic.

My 2 Cents
I was given this book as one of my blogger friends “Random Acts of Kindness” (RAoK) program which I have had also participated once a while as well. This was in my wishlist and in my To Be Read pile for a while I think I should apologize for letting other books drowning it out. I’m sorry.

As you have realized, I have been on a binge read to anything that’s around the subject of self-surviving. So this is kind of a different. Post suicide. Sad part is, I can relate to Hannah Baker, the main character of this book. The one who taped the audiotapes for the 13 people who are the reasons of her suicide.

I was actually mad at Hannah for giving up. but after picking it up and read. All I could think was, lots of these people could have changed her decision. Helped her. She wanted help but, I doubt it was arrogance that stopped her from asking for it straightforward but I guess the exact reason was.. nobody seems to give a damn. They are also the contributors of the reasons she took her life. Sad really.

The characters are so memorable, that I actually picture it as a movie, though I kept seeing Alexa Vega playing Hannah Baker. Most of what I remembered what that “scene” she did with her so called friend, Courtney in her room with their erotic conversation, to trap their Peeping Tom, Jessica gotten raped, Hannah and Bryce, and most of all her conversation with her school counselor.

What saddens me the most is, I couldn’t put this book my my school library. It’s a good book and all but it’s not appropriate due to some of 18+sx scenes portraying in some of the chapters. If that’s absent, I am sure 100 % that it would be an awesome book in the subjects of bullying in for the teens.

Quote
“He asked if I was all right, and I forced myself to nod. But my eyes kept starring at the flass---through the glass--- at the spoon. And I kept thinking, over and over, Is this what it feels to go insane?”

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Book Review: The Trouble With Chickens; Doreen Cronin

The Trouble With Chickens
by; Doreen Cronin

COMING THIS MARCH OF 2011

genre } middle grade | animals | mystery
rating } All Ages
date released } march 2011
edition } uncorrected proof ARE; HarperCollins Children’s Books 
ISBN } 9780061215322 | 9780061215339
acquisition } given by author, publisher for review

J.J. Tully is a former search-and-rescue dog who is trying to enjoy his retirement after years of performing daring missions saving lives. So he’s not terribly impressed when two chicks named Dirt and Sugar (who look like popcorn on legs), along with their chicken mom, show up demanding his help to track down their missing siblings. Driven by the promise of a cheeseburger, J.J. begins to track down clues. Is Vince the Funnel hiding something? Are there dark forces at work—or is J.J. not smelling the evidence that’s right in front of him?
Bestselling author Doreen Cronin uses her deadpan humor to pitch-perfect effect in her first novel for young readers. Heavily illustrated with black-and-white artwork from new talent Kevin Cornell, this new series is sure to be a favorite.

My 2 ¢ ♠♠♠♠♠

This is an absolutely cute book. I LOVE IT! It is fill with wonderful illustration that could make me giggle because of of its cuteness and the clever plots that keeps it’s readers reading. If you like to dive any body young into the world of mystery, I suggest trying this out as one of their first reads. It would be a wonderful introduction for them into the genre. The characters are just quirky each of their own, so they each could carry their own.

I do hope there’s another book out with the chickens and Tully in it. I was left wanting for more.

Librarian Muse

Honestly, if you have younger early readers or reluctant reader who you wish to introduce the mystery genre, PICK THIS UP! PICK IT! You will love it, they will love it.

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TV Series: Ghost Writer

Title: Ghost Writer
Starring: Steven Ma, Linda Chung, Fala Chen
Genre: Imperial China Era / Supernatural / Folklore.
Production: TVB
Watch @ Astro in Demand

Anybody who knows me, this sort of genre is my thing. This series is based on one of the folklore written by Po Chung-Ling (Steven Ma, who of course, happened to be the main character in this series)

In this series, we follow the life of Po Chung-Ling, who goes through several mystery adventures that's mostly accompanied by political corruptions. he is the heir of Jinan New Year Print Company, which has been in their family for generations. through the series, Chung-Ling goes through a lot of trials and tribulation which cost him family relations and friendship, not to forget his love interest Ling Wu Siu-Tsui (Fala Chen) who is also a Fox Deity. Both of them know each other since forever, whilst unknown by Chung-Ling.

Then, he met Lau Sum-Yu (Linda Chung). The love triangle began. After their encounter with a Nine tail Fox, the much too careful of a woman, found out Siu Tsui is a fox and decided to out her. but kept failing (demon & deity are two different things in chinese mythology) which cause herself alot of trouble.

What I think about it?

Well... It is one heck of an addictive series! I love it. Though when I saw Linda got turned into a fox demon, all I could think of it... IT SERVE HER RIGHT! hahahaha picking on poor Foxy Fala! The costumes are awesome as always. Fala is adorable with her white foxy ears that I can't get enough of it. But her character is so.... naive, I can just pity her. Linda, is quite the opposite, strong, tempered, eager.. but indecisive, it just too annoying at times o.0 Steven is well.. Steven just being Steven o.0 And Sunny Chan... god.. I can't get enough of his acting. =D

Overall? I call it a 5/5 (will edit after the end of the series)

Ling Wu Siu-Tsui (Fala Chen)

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Book Review: Delia's Crossing (The Delia Series, No 1) by; VC Andrews

Delia's Crossing (The Delia Series, No 1)
by; VC Andrews

KIDNAPPED BY CRUEL FATE...

Secuestrado por sino cruel

After her parents are killed in a truck accident, Delia Yebarra's life is turned upside down. At fifteen, she leaves the rural Mexican village where she grew up and embarks on a new life in America. Coming to her wealthy aunt Isabella's huge estate in Palm Springs, California, should be a dream come true for a simple country girl like Delia -- so why does it feel like a nightmare?

A PRISONER OF DESTINY...
Un preso del destino

Her aunt refuses to acknowledge Delia's heritage, relegating her to servants' quarters with a licentious language tutor intent on exploiting a beautiful young foreigner. Her cousin Edward is kind, but cousin Sophia is cruel, manipulative, and resentful of Delia's smoky Latina looks. And just when Delia tries to embrace the life of a real American girl, a heartbreaking chain of events sends her spiraling back to a Mexico she hardly recognizes.... Will Delia find a place to call home?

Family saga | Mystery & Thrillers { genre
18 SX { rating
September 30, 2008 { date released
Pocket Star (432 Pages) { edition
Best Eastern { acquisition
Amazon.com { purchase @

Why exactly I picked out this book?
It has been a while since I have been reading V.C Andrews stuff, So I thought I just give it a wizz since these new Delia series are out and on sale. Yeah Yeah I know these stuff are written by her ghostwriters now but they are still as great.

My Thoughts ♠♠♠♠♠ ♥

This book spent a little time in my TBR piles, which shows how impatient I am when it comes to read this articular author for me. This book orbits around the character name Delia, who lost her parents at the beginning of the book while she was in the middle of class, which is the turning point of her life. Her grandmother couldn't take care of her, and surprisingly, her mother's sister, Delia's Tia Isabella offered to take her into her own care.

Migrating to America, Delia found out she has two cousins, namely Edward and Sophia. Edward is the kind one, and Sophia is the one who tries to make her life a living hell. Moving into a rich place, rich relative, Delia should be well off right? Nope! Her Tia Isabella doesn't really welcome her much into the family. Misfortunes after misfortunes follows her around, like the evil eye.

I love the plots, and I love the quotes within this book. The characters are lovable and hate-tables, which shows how into the book I was in reading it. I also love the cover. The plots are fast and really pulls you in once you've started reading. I have a hard time putting this book down when I have to do somethings.

Oh yeah.. due to the Spanish in this book, I have gone back to loving the Spanish talk =D

Would I recommend it? Yes! Absolutely!

Librarian Muse
Ok.. I need to correct a mistake some librarians have with VC Andrews books. Her books DO NOT belong in school libraries! Yes they are popular, but it is NOT suitables in any High school or elementary school libraries. Get it to your head! Why? Incest and Sexual nature of it. Yes, she is popular, but NO! do not have ANY VC Andrews in your school library! It however belongs in a public library though. Her books are just too great to not be in a library! ♥♥♥

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Book Review: The Doll in the Garden: A Ghost Story; by Mary Downing Hahn

I have nothing but love for this book. It’s just like a classic ghost story, that brings that old school horror feelings. It is beautifully written and if you like to introduce your young readers to the horror genre, this would be one of the perfect book for the, 

The Doll In the Garden
By Mary Downing Hahn

When Ashley discovers a turn-of-the-century doll it is just the first of several puzzling events that lead her through the hedge and into a twilight past where she meets Louise, an ailing child whose beloved doll has mysteriously disappeared.

Finished Reading: 14th August 2009 (library copy)
Acquire: 17th March 2011
Rate } ♠♠♠♠♠
Genre } Fiction | Children | Mystery | Paranormal | Ghosts
Release Day }  June 2007
Publisher } Sandpiper
Format } paperback  
ISBN } 9780618873159
Pages } 144 pages
Source } borrowed / bought
Age Group } 12+
Interests } teens   
Awards } Mark Twain Award
Support my reading by getting your copy } Amazon | Kindle

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Summer Knight (The Dresden Files, Book 4); by Jim Butcher

Finished Reading: 13th March 2009
Reviewed By: Liza the Librarian

For the past couple of months or so, I have been indulging myself with The Dresden Files Series. It is pretty much a thriller with a twist. Featuring Harry Dresden, a private detective, who also happened to be the only um... "known" wizard in the mortal world. He also works as a consultant for SI (Special Investigations), which specialised in unsolved cases. He has a ghost who inhabited a skull, named Bob, and Mister, a pet cat (that's pretty much abnormal in size), and they live in a basement somewhere in Chicago. The series pretty much pulling me into the story from one book to another and I can't seem to stop! The series, currently, is at it's 11th book in publication. It also has it's own TV Series, if anybody is interested.

So about Summer Knight. The story just continues off from the last book 'Grave Peril', and yes you have to read from the first book cause it would just confuse you if you start reading from middle of nowhere. Harry Dresden faced the White Council for what he did in the last book and is also in the middle of a beginning of a breakdown. (sort of). The Seasons faeries are running the weather havoc, there's a murder and he has to solved it, his young werewolves friends are his sidekicks, and of course there's a girl involved to make things interesting. To make him more busy, he has to look for a missing girl so he could pay for his rent!

Things I've enjoyed: How the events just won't slow down and fast pace for read. Danger after danger and complication after complication. It's not too much but it's good enough to get through you as a reader and not put it down. Plus Harry just have a good sense of weird humor here and there.

Things I didn’t enjoy: Well.. nothing so far.

Reason for reading: I love it! I would like to finish the series hope Jim Butcher won't end it any soon.

Rating: Pretty high. Recommending it to Pre-Us up.

Recommends to: Harry Potter, Laurell K. Hamilton and Tanya Huff fans would love this.

Publisher: Roc Publication
Date: September 2002
Format: Paperback
Genre: Fantasy
Series: The Dresden Files
Author Web Site: Jim Butcher

Product Description:
Private detective/wizard-for-hire Harry Dresden is suckered into tangling in the affairs of Faerie, where the fate of the entire world-and his soul-are at stake.

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Book Review: Wait Till Helen Comes; By Mary Downing Hahn

Oh man… Mary Downing Hahn is awesome. If you want to do a classic scare for kids, this would be one of those. This reminds me alot of Christopher Pike and RL. Stine, but much more given nostalgic feel to it. If you would like to introduce young readers to the horror genre, this would be another excellent book to offer them.

Wait Till Helen Comes: A Ghost Story
By Mary Downing Hahn

Beware of Helen...

Heather is such a whiny little brat. Always getting Michael and me into trouble. But since our mother married her father, we're stuck with her...our "poor stepsister" who lost her real mother in a mysterious fire.

But now something terrible has happened. Heather has found a new friend, out in the graveyard behind our home -- a girl named Helen who died with her family in a mysterious fire over a hundred years ago. Now her ghost returns to lure children into the pond...to drown! I don't want to believe in ghosts, but I've followed Heather into the graveyard and watch her talk to Helen. And I'm terrified. Not for myself, but for Heather...

Finished Reading: 23th July 2009 (library copy)
Acquire: 10th October 2011
Rate } ♠♠♠♠♠
Genre } Fiction | Children | Mystery | Paranormal | Ghosts
Release Day }  November 1987
Publisher } Harpercollins
Format } paperback  
ISBN } 9780380704422
Pages } 192 pages
Source } borrowed 
Age Group } 12+
Interests } teens   
Awards }
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Book Review: The Bad Beginning (A Series of Unfortunate Events #1); By Lemony Snicket

rate } ♠♠♠♠♠
genre } teens | children | young adult | fantasy | mystery | dark humor
release day } 1st December 2000
publisher } Scholastic, Inc
format } hardback
isbn } 9780439206471
pages } 162 pg.
source } bought
age group } pg 13
interest } young adult | teens
challenge }
Buy @ Amazon.com | Nolly Book | D BookHaus

The Bad Beginning
(A Series of Unfortunate Events #1) By; Lemony Snicket

Via GoodReads Dear Reader,
I'm sorry to say that the book you are holding in your hands is extremely unpleasant. It tells an unhappy tale about three very unlucky children. Even though they are charming and clever, the Baudelaire siblings lead lives filled with misery and woe. From the very first page of this book when the children are at the beach and receive terrible news, continuing on through the entire story, disaster lurks at their heels. One might say they are magnets for misfortune.
In this short book alone, the three youngsters encounter a greedy and repulsive villain, itchy clothing, a disastrous fire, a plot to steal their fortune, and cold porridge for breakfast.
It is my sad duty to write down these unpleasant tales, but there is nothing stopping you from putting this book down at once and reading something happy, if you prefer that sort of thing.
With all due respect,
Lemony Snicket
My 2 Cents Written not just for kids, but it’s an enjoyable book for any audience of all ages, this is a beginning of a different sort of children's literature. No goblins, no boogeyman, no ghost nor monster lurking under the bed. But mostly, telling a story of a harsh reality base fiction about 3 suddenly orphaned Baudelaires children; namely Violet (Inventor), Klaus (Bookworm, Brains) & Sunny (Biter).

Kids would love this. Adults would be appalled reading this but they would still read this. Reluctant readers would also love this book. It has all the ingredients they need.
It began with the horrible news regarding the demised of their parents in a weird fire that burnt down their house, leaving them with a fortune that's not spendable until Violet, the eldest, reach the age of 18. Mr Poe, is the one in charge of them until he found a guardian for the kids, which came the character Count Olaf. A count and an actor, who do whatever in his power to keep them as miserable as he could until he could touch their rightful inheritance. And when I say do whatever, I meant whatever! From serving them lumpy porridges, making them do all sort of chores, repairing the Count's manor and to wed the eldest child, Violet.

I have fallen in love with this series, and I couldn’t wait to start reading the next book. I was actually reading a breeze through this book. Lemony Snicket knew how to exactly pick on your emotions through his writing. I feel sorry for the kids and I do wish for their safety. (Yes… I’m officially emo with this book.) 

Oh! Heads up! This book is depressing. Darkly depressing. Count Olaf is an incredibly.. annoying and evil.

Another feature of this series would be the introducing of advance vocabulary for the kids, alongside its meaning into the context. It would be a great learning tool for any parents who would like to introduce some major words for their kids, without pulling out a dictionary.

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