Posted in Book Review Tuesday

Book Review Tuesday (1/31/17)-The Expeditioners and the Treasure of Drowned Man’s Canyon

Hey everyone! Congratulations for surviving the first month of 2017! I checked this out at the library about a week ago (along with Murder is Bad Manners, which I mentioned in my last post. It was good-I may or may not review it), and enjoyed it a lot more than I expected to! I hope you enjoy it too-if you read it, that is. Here’s my review!

 

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The Expeditioners and the Treasure of Drowned Man’s Canyon

In a world where all electricity has gone out for good, new territories are being found all over the world, and the business of exploring is booming. One of these explorers is Alexander West, who has recently died, and nobody knows why or how. But, he has left half of a map of an unknown territory supposedly leading to treasure to his three children-Kit, Zander, and M.K. This map, as it turns out, is trying to be found and confiscated by the government. But why? And where does the map lead?

I’d recommend this book to fans of The Fog Diver series (see Book Review Tuesday {10/4/16}), and for anyone who loves a good adventure, witty characters, and parrots. Yes, parrots. (See the little guy on Zander’s shoulder? That’s the parrot. His name is Pucci).

Have a happy rest of your January, everyone!

 

Posted in Book Review Tuesday

Book Review Tuesday (1/24/17)- Belly Up

Hello everyone! I hope you’re staying warm and not losing hope this January! I finished this book…last Saturday (I think), and I enjoyed it! It’s one of the first mystery books I’ve read this year (other than Trenton Lee Stewart’s The Mysterious Benedict Society, which was kinda meh. I also checked out Robin Stevens’ Murder is Bad Manners, which I have yet to read). So here you go!

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Belly Up

The grand opening of the world famous zoo FunJungle has just happened, but already disaster has struck. Henry the hippopotamus, FunJungle’s official mascot, has died under mysterious circumstances. The workers claim that he died of natural causes, but Teddy Fitzroy, a twelve-year old boy whos parents work at FunJungle, suspects otherwise. Can he catch the culprit and find out Henry’s cause of death before more animals drop dead?

 

This was definitely a very interesting mystery, and I might read more of the series (to my knowledge, there are three other books, one of which is coming out either this year or 2018).  I’d recommend Belly Up to anyone who is passionate about animals and who loves a riveting mystery. If you read it, I hope you enjoy it! Ciao for now! 😉

(Oh, COME ON, Apple! Seriously? All the new stuff for iOS 10 and still no hippo emojis? This is injustice!!!! 😠)

Posted in Book Review Tuesday

Book Review Tuesday (1/17/17)- My Year of Epic Rock

Hey, everyone! Don’t worry, this isn’t a depressing book. I know I depressed you all with On Bowie… (well, SORR-EEEEE, IT’S BOWIE, FOR GOODNESS SAKE’S). So anyway, here you go!

 

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My Year of Epic Rock

7th Grade is tough. But when you’ve got severe peanut allergies AND your best friend just dumped you for the new girl, it’s even tougher than tough. That’s what Nina’s life is like right now. With no one left to hang out with, she resorts to sitting at the allergy-free table. There, she finds unexpected friends, and together, they form a band-The EpiPens. But can she juggle the band and trying to get her former BFF to like her again, as well as allergies? And will the EpiPens get noticed and liked at the upcoming talent show?

 

Even if you don’t have any food allergies (I don’t, personally-for me, it’s just pollen), this is a funny and relatable feel-good fiction. (OOOH boy…I’ll stop with the excessive alliterations.) I’d also recommend it to anyone in 7th grade that LOVES rock music.

Enjoy the book, and happy January!

Posted in Book Review Tuesday

Book Review Tuesday (1/10/17)- Hunters of Chaos (series)

Hello, everyone! Welcome to the HISTORIC first BRT of the year!!! 🎉 🎉 🎉

I read these two amazing books while in Florida and enjoyed them immensely. Both would score about an 8.75 on the Madeline Todd Book Rating Scale.

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Hunters of Chaos

Ana Cetzal’s life takes an unexpected turn when she gets accepted into a boarding school in  New Mexico, where her dead parents went when they were her age. At first, it’s pretty much all as she expects it to be-hot weather, mean rich girls, and a roommate who happens to be one of those mean rich girls (ugh). But soon, strange things begin to happen- mysterious storms and earthquakes are happening at the school! And to top it all off, Ana discovers that she, along with three other girls-Shani, Doli, and Lin-are connected to the gods and goddesses of ancient civilizations. Now, with their newfound powers of shapeshifting into big cats, and along with their teacher Ms. Benitez (who happens to be a Mayan goddess), they must stop the Brotherhood of Chaos, led by the god Anubis, who want the world to bow to them once again. Can they stop Anubis and the Brotherhood before it’s too late?

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Hunters of Chaos: Circle of Lies

The Brotherhood of Chaos has been stopped (for now), and all seems well…until Ana receives a mysterious phone call and finds out that her aunt and uncle have disappeared! And just as her friends try to help, Shani is falsely accused of vandalizing the school and is expelled. Shani now has to go to Mumbai to visit her father, and has been banned by her father from using her electronics. Meanwhile, Ana, Doli, and Lin are at Chichen Itza trying to find Ana’s lost aunt and uncle, but instead they find out that Anubis isn’t done with them yet. Strange things are happening in Mumbai as well, and the girls suspect that they may be connected. Can they figure out the source of the mysterious occurences and stop Anubis?

 

I would recommend this book for fans of Rick Riordan and anyone who loves good humor, strong heroines, and cats.

Bye for now, and READ THIS SERIES!

Posted in Book Review Tuesday

Book Review Tuesday (12/27/16)- The Ruby Key

Hello again! I have delivered you the promised book review of the MUCH ANTICIPATED (by me, at least) Ruby Key. Aaaaaannddd…

I loved it!!!!

I would probably give it about an eight on the MTBRS. YEE!

So here’s your revi—-

HOBBES, QUIT JUMPING ON ME AND SCRATCHING UP THE COUCH.

—ew.

Sorry. Kittens…

 

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The Ruby Key

Genna and her brother Dan live in a world in the midst of an uneasy truce with humans and nightlings. One night, the twosome come upon a nightling slave, and she tells them a horrifying secret- their uncle Banris has made a deal with the nightling kai-lord Letrin. If Letrin can kill off enough humans, Banris will gain immortality. Can Genna, Dan, and the slave stop the deal-and escape death themselves?

 

I started and finished this on Christmas day, and I was totally hooked. Highly recommended for all fantasy lovers!

Now, notice how I didn’t say anything about this being the last Book Review Tuesday of the year.

Because…PLOT TWIST! IT ISN’T!

This Thursday marks the one-year anniversary of the first BRT, and I am doing another book review to celebrate! So, see you Thursday, and hang in there-4 DAYS TILL 2016 ENDS!

Posted in Book Review Tuesday

Book Review Tuesday (12/20/16)-Curiosity House-The Screaming Statue

Hello again! So, you remember my review of the first CH book (see Book Review Tuesday, 7/19/16)?

Well…

EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT! WE GOT A SEEEEEEEQQQUUUEEEEEEELLLLLL!!! *wildly waves newspaper in your face*

AND IT WAS AVAILABLE ON THE KINDLE LIBRARY! YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

…Anyway, I enjoyed the second installment just as much as the first one, and I hope you do as well.

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Curiosity House-The Screaming Statue

Pippa, Thomas, Max, Sam, and the whole gang are back!

After the debacale with Nicholas Rattigan a few months earlier, the residents of Dumfrey’s Dime Museum of Freaks, Oddities, and Wonders are recovering, but impending doom is lurking-the museum may go out of business! Then, their friend and world-reknowned sculpter Siegfried Eckleberg (aka “Freckles”) is murdered. And this murder may even be tied to another murder of a rich New York resident, as well as their own lives. Can they solve the murder? And what does Howie, the “human Owl”, have to do with anything?

 

If you read and liked The Shrunken Head,  you are GUARANTEED to like this book too! Bye for now, and happy holidays to all of you! 😉

Posted in Book Review Tuesday

Book Review Tuesday (12/13/16)-The Nest

Hey everyone! Hope you’re staying warm this December and getting into the holiday spirit, whatever it is you celebrate.

I read this book a few books after The Thing About Jellyfish (see  my last book review), and it was great! Definitely creeped me out, but in the best way possible. The kind of creepy that makes you go “OMG” but doesn’t keep you up at night, if that makes any sense.

WARNING: IF YOU HAVE A FEAR AND/OR PHOBIA OF FLYING INSECTS, I SUGGEST YOU DON’T READ THIS.

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The Nest

Steve’s summer is not what he hoped it would be. His  newborn baby brother Theo is fighting a terrible illness that he may never recover from, and his parents worry about him most of their time. Plus, to make matters worse, Steve finds out he is allergic to wasp stings after an encounter with a strange white one stings him. That night, the white wasps visit him in his dreams, offering to heal the baby. But when the dreams continue, and the wasps give him more information, Steve grows suspicious. Will he accept the offer of the mysterious wasps?

 

Strangely enough, even though I kind of despise wasps, I wasn’t super creeped out in the disturbing insect department. A spine-tingling, thrilling read!

 

Posted in Book Review Tuesday

Book Review Tuesday (12/6/16)- The Thing About Jellyfish

Hey everyone, and welcome to the first Book Review Tuesday of this December! One of my favorite things to do in cold weather like this (where I live, a balmy 13 degrees currently. URGH!!!!) is to get in pajamas, drink hot chocolate, and read a book. This book has virtually nothing to do with winter things, really, so what better thing to read? Isn’t it so fun to read books that have nothing to do with the current season? Plus, it was absolutely awesome!

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The Thing about Jellyfish

Recently, Suzy’s best friend drowned and died on vacation. After a trip to the aquarium, she becomes convinced that the drowning wasn’t the whole story. She was a good swimmer, so how could she have drowned? Suzy’s conclusion-she was stung by a jellyfish. Eager to learn more, she begins her science project on jellyfish. But she still wants more. All she needs is to find someone who’s an expert on jellyfish stings-even if that means traveling to Australia totally alone. Nothing can stop her now. Can she find out the truth about her friend’s death?

I thought this book was REALLY GOOD! I gave it the same rating as The Flame in the Mist (see my last post). Plus, for all you animal freaks (and fans of the My Life is a Zoo series), there’s plenty of SUPERCOOL JELLYFISH FACTS!!! HOW I ADORE ANIMAL FACTS!!!

I hope you enjoyed my review! Have a happy December, and be sure to stay warm!

Posted in Book Review Tuesday

Book Review Tuesday (11/29/16)- The Flame in the Mist

Hey, everyone, and welcome to the last Book Review Tuesday of November 2016.

The book I’m reviewing today was a bit of a surprise. I found it on Goodreads a few months ago, and then a few weeks ago, I put it on hold at the library just to get something off my to-read list. I re-read the description, and I thought, hmm…this seems a little disappointing…

But I was very wrong.

VERY wrong.

The Flame in the Mist scored four stars on Goodreads, which on my Book Rating Scale would rate about a 7.5 to an 8! Woot woot!

I hope you like it!

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The Flame in the Mist

As far as she knows, Jemma was born into the ruling family of  Anglavia, a land covered by a fatal mist, the Agromonds. But she just doesn’t seem like them. Her hair stands out like a raging flame perched on her head (hence her nickname, “Flamehead”), and she is reluctant to participate in the weekly ceremonies in which the Agromond family summon the dark spirit Scagavay. But she uncovers a startling secret, she has to escape the castle, accompanied only by her two telepathic rats, Noodle and Pie, her friend Digby, and with only a magic stone necklace and a book to guide and protect her. Will she find her true parents and discover her true origins without being caught by the Agromonds?

 

For all fantasy lovers (and maybe even WondLa fans-Jemma kind of reminded me of Eva Nine), this is the book for you!

See you guys in DECEMBER! Man, this year went by so fast…GOOD RIDDANCE. 2016 sort of sucked, don’t you agree?

I promise I’ll make another post later on and elaborate on that.

Posted in Book Review Tuesday

Book Review Tuesday (11/22/16)- Spirit’s Key

Hey everyone! If you’re on Thanksgiving Break, hope you’re having a great one! If you’re not, I still hope you’re doing great.

The book that I’m reviewing today is one that (yet again) I found on the holy & wonderful Goodreads, and I bought it one day after finding it there at the also holy & wonderful Barnes and Noble. I was surprised at how good it was! On Goodreads, I rated it 4 stars (which would be about a 7.5 to an 8 on the Madeline Todd Book Rating Scale). Hope you enjoy this book!

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Also, recognize the cover art? It’s the same person who did the cover on the edition of Doll Bones (See Happy Birthday, Neon Cheetah!), Eliza Wheeler. I love the art on both of them. ANYWAY…now for the REVIEW.

Spirit’s Key

Spirit Holden may seem like  just another oridinary girl living on Bald Island. But she’s not- her family has the power to see the future through house keys. Problem is, Spirit still hasn’t inherited this gift of foresight. She thinks it could be because her beloved dog Sky has just died, but she doesn’t know for certain. But soon, more of Bald Island’s dogs become ill and start dying, Spirit knows she has to find the culprit. Even worse, now that the dogs are dying, some of the people are getting sick, too. Can she cure the dogs before they die out altogether?

As I said before, this is an astonishing book for all! I definitely recommend it to all of you!

Well, bye for now!