this was fun and nice and i wish i read it when i was a child. because then i would have felt the full whimsy of it in real time, and then also have athis was fun and nice and i wish i read it when i was a child. because then i would have felt the full whimsy of it in real time, and then also have access to a lifelong store of nostalgia every time i read it again forevermore.
but instead, this is a children's book i read as an adult, so it feels like the ceiling of my feelings for it are "fun and nice."
but it was definitely that!
bottom line: am i having an existential crisis?
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two people told me this is similar to alice's adventures in wonderland, and that was enough for an immediate placement on my to-read list...more
I have read 1,201 books, and I have written 1,001 reviews in some form, and I have written 827 full reviews, and today I'm going to do something I've I have read 1,201 books, and I have written 1,001 reviews in some form, and I have written 827 full reviews, and today I'm going to do something I've never done before:
I'm going to reuse one.
Take this review (which I wrote an hour ago) and count it toward this one, too.
Except I liked this one a touch and a tad more. So use that as a lens when you read it.
Bottom line: I am in shambles!
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if i finish this book today, i'll have read a book for every day of the month.
let's DO THIS.
update: I FEEL LIKE THE NERD CHAMPION.
review to come / 3.5 stars
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taking lily's idea and reading only books by asian authors this month!
I don't know about you, but I read middle grade in order to be jealous of children.
I wish my library had books like this one growing up, instead of 80I don't know about you, but I read middle grade in order to be jealous of children.
I wish my library had books like this one growing up, instead of 800 musty books from the 1980s nobody's ever heard of with the plasticky jackets all scratched up and falling off.
That's like. A slight exaggeration. But still.
I am no longer the target audience of books like this one (obviously), but I still like reading them and yearning for what could have been.
I mean, I do not want to actually be 10 years old right now. In this climate. But I do love to complain.
This was kind of meh at some points for me, but that is obvious, is what I'm saying. I'm 23 years old. But telling stories like this one is rad as hell.
Sorry I swore in a review of a kids' book. But that's the bottom line.
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pretty sure if i don't like this book i'll be excommunicated.
fortunately i like it fine.
review to come / 3 stars
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taking lily's idea and reading only books by asian authors this month!
Not sure how much thoughtful analysis and critique you really want from a 23 year old on this award-winning This is very cute. And fun. And also nice.
Not sure how much thoughtful analysis and critique you really want from a 23 year old on this award-winning and beloved children's book, which was in no way made for me.
I am very jealous of the middle grade readers of today, because instead of my reading at the age of nine consisting of desperately trying to sneak into the young adult section of the library (which was on another floor and involved covertly passing not one but TWO information desks) without being kindly and firmly redirected by the children's librarian (Ms. Lori, I see now that you were on the right side, but then I viewed you as a military spy views the opposition), it could have been filled with stories like these, with solid but not overly didactic morals and diverse casts and stories I wouldn't have heard otherwise.
Instead, this white kid in the suburbs read a lot about other white kids in the suburbs.
We all live with regrets.
Bottom line: Good stuff! I should not be reviewing this.
3.5 stars
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i am exclusively reading this because the cover is so cute i could explode.
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taking lily's idea and reading only books by asian authors this month!
HUGE fan of there being a book for children that: a) teaches science b) teaches who ACTUALLY invented that science c) teaches the existence and pervasiveHUGE fan of there being a book for children that: a) teaches science b) teaches who ACTUALLY invented that science c) teaches the existence and pervasiveness of misogyny, racism, and general bigotry and discrimination to our most moldable minds
This book rules! End discussion.
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ready to get mad.
update: am furious.
review to come / 3.5 stars
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challenging myself to read as many review copies as possible this month because i'm addicted to projects!
This is about a rich kid (princess) and a poor kid (son of some guy who smells stuff in the forest for a living) who team up Here's all I have to say:
This is about a rich kid (princess) and a poor kid (son of some guy who smells stuff in the forest for a living) who team up and go on adventures in the woods.
It's cute. It's sweet. It's too much of both. It's fun. It's a good solid middle grade fantasy. I will probably not remember it for very long and that's fine.
Bottom line: This review is one of the shortest I've ever written and it's still unnecessarily long!
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cute + sweet overload.
review to come / 3 stars
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nothing hits quite like middle grade fantasy
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challenging myself to read as many review copies as possible this month because i'm addicted to projects!
If you like the following: - secrecy - words - wordplay - espionage - problem-solving - puzzles - codes - witticisms
You're in luck, because you are both a coIf you like the following: - secrecy - words - wordplay - espionage - problem-solving - puzzles - codes - witticisms
You're in luck, because you are both a cool person and alive in the time that Lemony Snicket is publishing books.
This was not quite as good as A Series of Unfortunate Events, but a) nothing ever is and b) it came pretty close and c) I liked the ending quite a bit, which is not something people say very often about A Series of Unfortunate Events.
Bottom line: I love to read, and I love a book that reminds me I love to!
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lemony snicket books are chicken soup for the reading slump.
I believe this book genuinely is magic, for two reasons: 1) It came into my life as if propelled by the power of the universe itself. 2) It is a childreI believe this book genuinely is magic, for two reasons: 1) It came into my life as if propelled by the power of the universe itself. 2) It is a children's book from the 1950s (!!!) that condemns colonialism (!!!!!) and has cool, powerful female characters.
It's good stuff.
Unfortunately, because I never read it as a kid, I didn't have any of that nostalgia coursing through my veins, so I was just a 23 year old reading a children's book for the first time. And even when the children's content is good, I have a weird vendetta against it. (Being the eldest child and constantly trying to be cooler than I am, I spent my entire adolescence training myself to hate kids' movies and TV shows and books, just to ruin my younger siblings' time. I'm a good sister.)
Anyway.
Bottom line: Not the book's fault I'm not the target audience - and this was still a delight.
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so much fun.
review to come / 3 stars (but in a good way)
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once upon a time, i received the most enthusiastic book recommendation of my life for a classic children's fantasy series i'd never heard of. the very next day, as i was shopping at a used bookstore, a copy of one installment was on the first shelf i looked at.
so i'm assuming this is going to give me magical powers.
Currently filing a lawsuit with the Childhood Experience Department: Wondrous Fictional Classics Division over the fact that I didn't read this until Currently filing a lawsuit with the Childhood Experience Department: Wondrous Fictional Classics Division over the fact that I didn't read this until I was a full-on adult.
I love children's classics because they feel like eating candy that's good for you. They're sweet and fun and often magical but also written all old-timey so it counts are reading Classic Literature and it makes your brain bigger, guaranteed.
So I'm glad (as with Anne of Green Gables) that I got around to this one eventually...but what the hell was child-me doing that kept me reading this off the agenda? I had no friends, was a huge nerd, and read all the time. (Some things never change.) There's no excuse.
Anyway.
Bottom line: A delight for all ages and times!
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anyone else have this sneaking suspicion we're not in kansas anymore?...more
This is somehow both one of the most embarrassing and most surprising things about me. I am doomed to an existence of not only knowingI like football.
This is somehow both one of the most embarrassing and most surprising things about me. I am doomed to an existence of not only knowing the names of coaches and players on my favorite team (cough, go Birds, cough), but of being eternally condescended to when every single man I have ever encountered finds out I know these names.
I receive the equivalent of a pat on the head and a Dum-Dum pop, every time.
Anyway. I do enjoy football, perhaps too much, but it is the worst sport in existence and I am ashamed of it. Not only does it make extremely bigoted, extremely white, extremely old men richer and richer, it also continues to employ misogynists and violent criminals. And as if that weren't enough, it quite literally destroys the brains of everyone who plays it.
And yet, I and millions of other people keep watching.
I picked this book up because I have a 100% success rate with Jacqueline Woodson books. I did not read the synopsis because of a little thing called TRUST. And I'm glad I didn't. Because this book is about a football player and his family dealing with the effects of CTE, and out of willful ignorance, if I had known that, I likely wouldn't have picked it up.
But I'm glad I did.
Bottom line: Jacqueline Woodson does it again!
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i think if i had read the synopsis of this, i probably wouldn't have picked it up - which is exactly why it was something i needed to read.
review to come / 3.5 stars
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don't mind me, just slowly but surely trying to read every Jacqueline Woodson book i see...more
I am once again telling you all that the best part of this illustration-heavy book is the pictures. Which is good news, really.
This is a 1960s ItalianI am once again telling you all that the best part of this illustration-heavy book is the pictures. Which is good news, really.
This is a 1960s Italian collection of whimsical wild new fairytales with some of the funkiest and coolest art you have ever seen in your life.
Do I really remember any of the stories now, a month and four days after I finished this book? No! Do I remember my favorite of the illustrations? Yes, and I want them framed and hung on a wall in my apartment or perhaps a museum!
And should I get better at writing reviews faster, or at least take notes on the books? Certainly!
But will I? Doubtful indeed.
Bottom line: Children's books forever!
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cute city, population this book
review to come / 3 stars
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italian fairytales from the 1960s with funky illustrations...i don't want to say hell yeah in my review of a children's book, but. hell yeah
clear ur sh*t prompt 8: your smallest book follow my progress here
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the best gift you can receive is a book. period. i don't make the rules
(thanks mom for giving me this book i've never heard of for christmas!!!)...more
This is a perfect delight of a middle grade book filled with short stories about celebrations of Eid, anI wish I had this EXACT BOOK when I was a kid.
This is a perfect delight of a middle grade book filled with short stories about celebrations of Eid, and let me tell you, as a child who was admittedly growing up in a super homogenous (read: white) community, this would have made a world of difference.
In conclusion: I am so glad that children have this and that adult me has it too!!
------------ pre-review goodreads rules because you can say, in passing in a review, "i want to read to more books with Muslim characters," and you get like 8 excellent recommendations in the comments.
Here are the characters in this book: - seven dwarf brothers who are roommates - an evil queen who is singularly obsessed with being hot - a talking mirrHere are the characters in this book: - seven dwarf brothers who are roommates - an evil queen who is singularly obsessed with being hot - a talking mirror with magical powers - a hunter who resorts to trickery when his job description includes “killing children” - a prince whose idea of marriage material is “beautiful and asleep” - a seven year old who’s pretty.
Of all those characters, kind of a bummer that the last one is our main character, but we take the wins with the losses in this life.
I have been into classic fairytales for my entire life, because my idea of a good time was and continues to be reading about personality-less girls with golden hair, dumb men on quests, and creepy small villainous mythical creatures with incredible violent streaks.
This one did not disappoint.
Bottom line: 1937’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarves??? I don’t know her.
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the evil stepmother gets a bad rap, but honestly if a mirror told me that a seven year old was prettier than me i'd feel pretty villainous too.
review to come / 4 stars
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eating an apple and taking a long nap honestly sounds really good right now...more
This series was very good and very fun and had beautiful art and great themes about empire and all around generally speaking reminded me of the graphiThis series was very good and very fun and had beautiful art and great themes about empire and all around generally speaking reminded me of the graphic-novel version of Avatar: the Last Airbender, except there is a graphic novel version of Avatar that is not this.
I may rag on myself from time to time in reviews (okay, fine, frequently), but there is no time I hate myself more than when I say “review to come” onI may rag on myself from time to time in reviews (okay, fine, frequently), but there is no time I hate myself more than when I say “review to come” on a graphic novel.
I just don’t have a full review in me for this. A full review would be more words than there are in this book.
Here is what I have to say about this: - surprisingly well-done themes related to colonialism and power and empire here - so fun - beautiful art
And that’s it.
Bottom line: Good stuff.
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i really can't shake the Avatar vibes (and don't point out that those were put in my head by the creator of Avatar blurbing this book because i'll lose all sense of self)
review to come / 4 stars
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in vain i have struggled. it will not do. i'm going to binge read this series...more
The most important thing I have to say about this book, and essentially the only thing, is that reminds me of Avatar: The Last Airbender.
(And in the iThe most important thing I have to say about this book, and essentially the only thing, is that reminds me of Avatar: The Last Airbender.
(And in the interest of full discretion, I don’t know whether this comparison would have come to me on my own, because it first occurred to me after I read a blurb the co-creator of Avatar wrote for it.)
(But still.)
I am not a Normal Person who grew up watching Avatar, or otherwise watched it when they were in the target demographic of the show. Au contraire.
Instead, I watched it for the first time a few years ago, through a process called “A Boy I Was Dating-ish Told Me To Watch It And Back Then I Actually Did That Sort Of Thing.”
(No more. All it took was one man telling me to watch Rick & Morty for me to tell the following four men that I would not by any means watch that show.)
But anyway. All of this is to say that my soft spot for Avatar, and my missing of it, is relatively fresh.
So reading this was a joy.
It was not very action-packed, and felt very first-book-in-a-series - lots of world-building and setup and foundations for character and relationship arcs.
But I had a feeling things would get more fun.
(Spoiler alert: I was right.)
Bottom line: If you need a quick read and have an affection for Avatar, pick this series up! Your reading challenge and nostalgia will thank you.
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did i impulse buy this whole series because i want graphic novels to help with my reading challenge, or did i impulse buy this whole series because it was on Book Outlet?
I do love Faith Erin Hicks’ artwork. Ever since I read Pumpkinheads three times in three months last year, I’ve been on an FEH kick, This was just ???
I do love Faith Erin Hicks’ artwork. Ever since I read Pumpkinheads three times in three months last year, I’ve been on an FEH kick, and honey I just can’t shake it!
That’s the only nice thing I have to say.
Also, it’s one of the only things I have to say at all.
I read this in approximately 20 minutes, so it’s hard to feel much about it.
It just felt like a story done in broad strokes, drawing on stereotypes and tropes in order to avoid dedicating the time to actual storytelling or character development.
But the main thing is that I’ll always hate Mean Girl and Girl Hate and Girls Fighting stories, whether or not there’s suddenly a magical beastie in the mix.
THE SUDDEN APPEARANCE OF A MAGICAL CREATURE DOES NOT COUNT AS MAGICAL REALISM, OKAY!
Bottom line: Faith Erin Hicks + magic + boarding school sounds like a dream. Turns out more like a nightmare!!
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so...hm.
review to come / 2.5 stars
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a middle grade graphic novel about magic boarding school?!
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