The Deep by Alma Katsu: Book Review

The Deep by Alma Katsu Book Cover

I liked this well enough. I enjoyed the juxtaposition of the Titanic and the paranormal elements. I was never entirely sure what was going on, although I did have all the pieces pretty early in the story. It is refreshing when I can’t quite put everything together. My biggest quibble is that the story could have been tightened up […]

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Devolution by Max Brooks: Book Review

4.5 Stars. I’ve read mixed reviews of this book but I personally enjoyed the heck out of it. I would catch myself relating the events from each chapter to my husband until I finally decided that he needs to read it for himself and stopped talking. Now I’m bursting at the seams with the need to discuss it with someone! The beginning was not […]

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Walter the Farting Dog by William Kotzwinkle: Book Review

Walter the Farting Dog by William Kotzwinkle and Glenn Murray Book Cover

Little Betty and Billy choose Walter and bring him home from the animal shelter. Mom makes them give Walter a bath because he smells so bad. But they quickly realize that the problem is deeper than that: Walter is a farting dog. Billy and Betty don’t mind but their parents can’t take it. They try to fix the problem with visits […]

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This Day in June by Gayle E. Pitman: Book Review

This Day in June by Gayle Pitman Book Cover

The rhyming couplets and colorful pictures in this book are sure to please little readers (or listeners, as the case may be). The parade is full of colorful characters, some in fancy dress, others in outfits that can be found at a Village People concert, but all happy and excited to be a part of this celebration. The illustrator […]

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Melissa (Formerly Published as George) by Alex Gino: Book Review

Melissa (Formerly Published as George) by Alex Gino Book Cover

Oh my goodness. I inhaled this book in just a few hours and it left me with so much joy for George, I was almost in tears. George is afraid to tell anyone that she’s really a girl. What will they think? But as she slowly starts to share her secret, she finds so much love and acceptance. The road isn’t perfectly smooth—that would […]

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A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo: Book Review

A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo by Jill Twiss Book Cover

Marlon Bundo is the BOTUS, the Bunny of the United States. He lives a lonely life in a big, boring house until one day he meets Wesley, the most bunny-beautiful rabbit in the garden. It’s love at first sight. They decide they want to get married and hop together forever. But the Stink Bug tells them that boy bunnies can only
marry girl bunnies. What can they do? […]

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Fable by Adrienne Young: Book Review

Fable by Adrienne Young Book Cover

This was exactly the kind of book that I needed right now. It was fast-paced with characters I liked who acted in ways that largely made sense to me. Fable is a survivor who will do a lot of things to get by but she does have her own set of morals. She has a bit of the hopeful optimist about her. Most people would hate the…

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Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary: Book Review

Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary Book Cover

I’m 42 as I write this so it’s been 30 – 35 years since I read any of Beverly Cleary’s books. I always enjoyed them as a child, and can clearly picture exactly where they were on my local library’s shelves. I called it a good library day when I found a new one. Who am I kidding? Every library visit was a good library day, but…

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Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles: Book Review

Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles Book Cover

I wanted to like this. The concept is strong and I couldn’t help comparing it to The Night Circus, another book I wanted to love. But there was way too much description, infinitely too many unanswered questions, and too little actual plot to please me. This is author Janella Angeles’s debut novel and unfortunately, it shows. She…

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Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan: Book Review

5 Stars. First of all, I loved listening to this audiobook. Each part has a different narrator and they each do a fabulous job. What I really loved were the musical numbers by Corky Siegel. If Mike was playing “America the Beautiful” in the text, a harmonica would play the song softly in the background, for example. That kind of thing is […]

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