Wednesday, March 22, 2017

The Nest by Kenneth Oppel

Very creepy yet interesting book.  It has a very vague theme but it's creepy.  Creepy!  CREEPY!  CREEPY!

(Note: This is a Battle of the Books 2017 title; reviews are welcome!)

A Pocket Full of Murder by R. J. Anderson

This book is very compelling and interesting, not to mention funny from time to time!  I'm only on the 14th chapter, and I'm really interested!  Can't stop reading it!  I highly recommend this book!

(Note: This is a Battle of the Books 2017 title; reviews are welcome!)

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

It was a good book.

Shadows of Sherwood by Kekla Magoon

Robyn's parents are murdered.  She does not know where to go.  As she runs into the forest, she is captured by the Nott City Police and put in jail.  She soon reaches the top of the Most Wanted list, and runs for her life with a group of children also running from the law.  How will she survive?

(Note: This is a Battle of the Books 2017 title; reviews are welcome!)

Exit, Pursued by a Bear by E. K. Johnston

Cheer camp is going to be great this year for Hermione.  But when she wakes up the morning after the end-of-camp party, everything has changed.  Now, armed with her cheer squad, parents, and best friend Polly, Hermione must negotiate her way through her senior year in addition to the aftermath of cheer camp.  You'll laugh, cry, and feel it all along with Hermione as she grows, struggles, and ultimately triumphs.  This was a very good book that I would definitely recommend.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling

I really liked it; I read it already but I really like it.  J. K. Rowling is one of my favorite authors.  I like it because J. K. Rowling makes the book very eventful and descriptive, but not so much that it is overwhelming, though.

Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

A more challenging read but extremely insightful into the mind of Victor Frankenstein, a selfish man who wishes to become "greater than his nature will allow."  This book has hints of horror and sadness, and lets the reader anticipate the upcoming chapters eagerly.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling

I really like Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire because it gives very detailed information.  The book is very adventurous and it gives descriptive details of what is happening in that book.  There are smooth transitions from chapter to chapter.  This is my favorite book from the Harry Potter series.

Something in Between by Melissa De la Cruz

Jasmine Santos is a senior in high school, and she has just been named a National Scholar, which is a huge honor.  She learns that she can't accept because her family immigrated here illegally.  Her parents worked so hard to get to America, but now they might get deported back to Manila, where her family is from.  Jasmine has to fight for herself and her family, but they can't pull it off themselves.

Wonder by R. J. Palacio

The main character, August, doesn't look like other kids.  He has a severe cleft lip.  Until now he has never been to a real school.  When he decides he wants to stop homeschooling, his parents agree.  School is nothing like he's experienced before.  August has to deal with bullies and learn to make friends.  In the end, he figures it out.

Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly

NASA (and before then, NACA) prided itself on its engineering prowess.  And the fact of the matter was, in the 1940s (and 50s, and 60s, and 70s...) most engineers were male.  But hidden behind the more famous faces were a body of female mathematicians and engineers, fair-skinned and darker-skinned.  In particular, the West computers, a group of African-American women, started as entry-level mathematicians and ended up landing people on the moon.  This is their story.

Scott Pilgrim's Finest Hour by Bryan Lee O'Malley

I think this book is great, for many reasons, including its great action, character development, and grace in stating conclusions.  I still think it has issues though, from its complication of the plot to various unnecessary scenes.  It is a great, but flawed, book in my opinion.

Black Boy by Richard Wright

It was a good book, it had a lot of detailed memories of what it was like to grow up as a poor black boy in the South.  He goes through many struggles to survive and make money to sustain himself when he no longer has a family that can take care of him.

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

I really loved this book, and the way the author writes two converging points of view is captivating.  The plot is ever-changing and shows you the perspective of World War II through the eyes of people whose stories are normally lost in the piles of gruesome concentration camp horror stories.

Rooftoppers by Katherine Rundell

Rooftoppers is an amazing story of a girl named Sophia who was orphaned as a baby and is being raised by a kind man by the name of Charles.  Sophie encounters Matteo, a boy who shows her the incredible secret world of the Parisian rooftops.  Sophie goes beyond her comfort zone and discovers new things about people and more specifically herself.