Interesting look into the life of a mixed-race family (Korean mom and American dad). Zauner writes about her relationships with her parents and KoreanInteresting look into the life of a mixed-race family (Korean mom and American dad). Zauner writes about her relationships with her parents and Korean family with unabashed honesty....more
Modern science meets old school magic in this fun middle grade adventure centering on 11-year-old twins Willow and Jake Grimm. Their parents are both Modern science meets old school magic in this fun middle grade adventure centering on 11-year-old twins Willow and Jake Grimm. Their parents are both scientists who get new jobs in a town called New Marburg in Idaho. The twins are not happy about being uprooted, and even less happy when weird things start happening like their car tire being slashed on the way there or not being able to put a nail in the wall of their new house to hang pictures. Even taping the pictures up doesn't work - the paint is impervious to everything.
But the worst part of New Marburg is school! The twins are stuck sitting off to the side in rickety old chairs while the rest of the class sits in normal desks. Their teacher, Mrs. Houseman, seems to hate them for no apparent reason, and the hall monitor is huge and picks Willow and Jake out for special harassment.
Then, one night there's a terrible storm and lightning strikes their house. The next day everything around them is transformed and the twins find themselves in Grimmworld, the source of all the old fairy tales. The only problem is, apparently the Grimm Brothers whitewashed everything and their really are no happily-ever-afters! The fairy tale characters just keep reliving the nightmares over and over again.
Lost and alone in the Cursed Forest, Willow and Jake just want to find their friends Hank and Pearl, who have somehow been transformed into Hansel and Gretel, and get back home. But their are scary creatures everywhere, unfamiliar magic all around them, and a scary witch who has it out for the twins. Is it really as impossible as it seems to rescue their friends? Will they be able to stay alive, let alone make it home to their family?
The world building and character development are excellent, as is the pacing. This book was a fun adventure story, with just enough action and suspense for the middle grade crowd. 5 enthusiastic stars!
Disclaimer: I received a free electronic copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own....more
I almost never read romance, so I picked this one up a little hesitantly and only to fill a reading challenge prompt. I was laughing out loud from theI almost never read romance, so I picked this one up a little hesitantly and only to fill a reading challenge prompt. I was laughing out loud from the beginning and then pleasantly surprised at the depth of the story itself. I absolutely hate insta-love and was grateful that this book didn't seem to follow that trope too much. (Apparently it's the second in a series and the characters originally met in the first book, but I didn't know that before reading this one. This one can definitely be read as a stand alone). I appreciated that the characters actually communicated with each other and the friendship/romance wasn't all based on lust. There were a couple steamy scenes, which really aren't my thing, but my guess is that regular romance readers won't be bothered by them at all.
If you enjoy romantic comedies, definitely give this one a try!...more
Again, I'm almost embarrassed to cheer for Maud, who is undoubtedly a cold-blooded killer, but since everyone she kills actually needs killing, I do. Again, I'm almost embarrassed to cheer for Maud, who is undoubtedly a cold-blooded killer, but since everyone she kills actually needs killing, I do. Sorry, this is one of those cases where you just have to suspend your disbelief, embrace the questionable moral calls, and enjoy the humor. The last story, An Elderly Lady Takes a Trip to Africa is my favorite story from both books. If you can stomach rooting for a villain, I definitely recommend this book! :)...more
This is one of the most personally thought-provoking books I've read in a long time. By that, I mean that the subject matter pertains to me specificalThis is one of the most personally thought-provoking books I've read in a long time. By that, I mean that the subject matter pertains to me specifically. The author isn't anti-tech, he's just pro-GOOD tech. He's pro-internet, just anti-big tech companies that exist on a free-to-the-consumer model because that makes us, the consumers, the actual product that those companies are selling to the advertisers. The advertisers are the real customers of the social media companies and that's definitely something worth thinking about. How is the data they mine from me being used to influence me? This book will help you answer that question.
Even if you have no intention of ever quitting social media, maybe even more so for you than for those who might consider quitting it, I recommend reading this book. It will make you more deliberate about how you use it and what kinds of things you put out there in the cyber world.
A quick read that will stay with me for awhile. I definitely recommend it!...more
I remember absolutely loving this series as a kid. It and Nancy Drew were my gateways to loving mysteries now as an adult. This one was definitely datI remember absolutely loving this series as a kid. It and Nancy Drew were my gateways to loving mysteries now as an adult. This one was definitely dated ("Gosh, golly girls, I'll just die if we came all this way and don't get to visit the land of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn!" said Mart.) Still, the mystery holds up and it was a nice, nostalgic distraction for several hours today. 3 solid stars...more
Uplifting and thoroughly enjoyable. I love Dr. Wimberly's attitude and especially her smile. This is a great coffee table book; read a spread or two wUplifting and thoroughly enjoyable. I love Dr. Wimberly's attitude and especially her smile. This is a great coffee table book; read a spread or two when you're feeling a little down and it will pick you right up....more
2 stars, bumped up from 1 only because I managed to finish it. Ugh. Unlikable characters, overblown plot, predictably obvious twists and a truly nasty2 stars, bumped up from 1 only because I managed to finish it. Ugh. Unlikable characters, overblown plot, predictably obvious twists and a truly nasty, unnecessary scene thrown in unexpectedly near the end. This was a waste of my time and I'm so glad to be done with it. I only picked it up to fulfill a winter holiday prompt for a reading challenge I'm doing (I'm sick of Christmas rom-coms and I usually enjoy a good thriller). Well, I might need a light, fluffy rom-com to cleanse the palette after this disaster....more
I absolutely loved Klune's The House in the Cerulean Sea and was really looking forward to reading more by him. Sadly, this one just didn't live up toI absolutely loved Klune's The House in the Cerulean Sea and was really looking forward to reading more by him. Sadly, this one just didn't live up to my expectations. It was slow moving and the romance was not well developed at all. The action did eventually ramp up, but the conclusion was a little saccharine-sweet for me. I enjoyed the quirky characters. The whole thing felt a bit "Scrooge-like" to me, but that could also be because I'm reading it at the end of November. What I mean by that is the idea of seeing your life and your horribleness and wishing you could change it, but it's too late. Entertaining enough to enjoy while reading, but nothing outstanding....more
This was a super quick read that made me laugh. Lots of fun illustrations and a few twists, I definitely recommend this book for readers on the youngeThis was a super quick read that made me laugh. Lots of fun illustrations and a few twists, I definitely recommend this book for readers on the younger side (ages 6-10) who are looking for funny adventures. This would make a fun family bedtime read over several days. 3.5 solid stars...more
This is a light, quick middle grade fantasy about a group of kids (roughly ages 10-14) who find a runaway elf and must figure out how to return him toThis is a light, quick middle grade fantasy about a group of kids (roughly ages 10-14) who find a runaway elf and must figure out how to return him to the North Pole. It's a novella in a series that I've never read so there was spoilers for the first three books, but I never felt lost or confused and it stands on its own well. Clean Christmas adventure and fun for readers ages 8+....more
A sweet, YA romance centered around Chanukah and Christmas. The insecurities of the main character were believable, but the story was predictable. I wA sweet, YA romance centered around Chanukah and Christmas. The insecurities of the main character were believable, but the story was predictable. I was able to suspend my disbelief that a college student would be that interested in a 16 year old so this was a quick, entertaining, and utterly forgettable read....more
I picked this up on a whim because my sister was reading it. Yes, I enjoyed the sitcom Friends, but no, I was never a rabid fan. To this day I've neveI picked this up on a whim because my sister was reading it. Yes, I enjoyed the sitcom Friends, but no, I was never a rabid fan. To this day I've never seen the final episode (and I missed a lot along the way), but I enjoyed it. I've been trying to read more biographies this year to broaden my horizons (I read scientific studies in grad school that found reading fiction increases empathy in kids and I firmly believe that reading biographies does the same for adults).
This book is simultaneously funny and entertaining, while also being dark and disturbing. Perry details parts of his childhood that are relevant to his acting career and his lifelong battle with addiction. It's a brutally honest, candid memoir that doesn't always paint Perry in a very good light. If you've struggled with addiction I imagine you'll either love this book or hate it. If, like me, you've never been tempted to use drugs, let alone abuse them, this will open your eyes and mind and heart to the pain and suffering that's out there and help you understand, just a bit, why addicts make the choices that seem unfathomable to those of us who don't struggle with addiction. I feel a whole lot more compassion now than I did before I read this book.
I listened to Perry read the audio version, and that was fun. I do think, though, that the book could have used a bit more editing. It was often difficult to tell what time period we were in, he jumped around a LOT. That might have been mitigated in the print book because the reader can flip back and forth between chapters/table of contents/etc.
Overall, I definitely recommend this if you have any interest at all in biographies or addiction or Perry himself. ...more
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