This is a simple story, but such a lovely one. It's definitely one I plan to pass on to my children.This is a simple story, but such a lovely one. It's definitely one I plan to pass on to my children....more
I read and loved The Disappearances when it was first published. I knew I had to read this one, too. The Disappearances has a tie-in to Shakespeare, bI read and loved The Disappearances when it was first published. I knew I had to read this one, too. The Disappearances has a tie-in to Shakespeare, but had I known that this one has a tie-in to Hans Christian Anderson, I would have been even more excited to read it. It is such a lovely book that completely wrapped itself around my heart. I borrowed this one, but I feel that I *need* a copy of my own to mark some of the beautiful quotes within that are worth keeping in memory. I've been mostly keeping company with middle grade books these days, but I do love when I find those rare, intelligently written YA gems like this one. It's now on my list of favorites. As much as I loved The Disappearances, I love this one even more(though I do plan on a re-read of The Disappearances soon just to make sure). I hope this author continues to write beautiful stories like the last two.
Side note: If you follow Well Educated Heart's rotation, this one is a perfect read for September.
Content: Mild profanity, Violence There's some kissing, but it's mild and the romance is not the main focus of the story(or I wouldn't have liked it so well). ...more
This might be the oddest book I've ever read. I highly recommend reading it just to experience the tremendous amount of odd that it possesses! Don't rThis might be the oddest book I've ever read. I highly recommend reading it just to experience the tremendous amount of odd that it possesses! Don't read descriptions of the story! Just go into it blindly, and experience the weirdness with a fresh mind.
That could probably be enough of a review, but if you want more......
I knew going into The Nest that it was supposed to be a creepy book. I don't read creepy books, unless it's children's, and then I'm too curious to stay away. As I read along through this book, I kept thinking it wasn't near as creepy as I thought it would be(though creepy, for sure). It was after closing the last page that the story kept running through my mind, and little bits and pieces of creepiness spooked me a bit. And, I'm an adult! For that reason, I wouldn't recommend this book to sensitive children or those prone to nightmares(like me)!
Within this book, I learned more about wasps than I ever really cared to know. Still, it was interesting. One of my children and my mother-in-law is allergic to wasps. I don't like the creatures! I believe the feeling is probably mutual with most people, making wasps the perfect creepy focus of this story. I left this book disliking them more than ever!
Wrapped up in all the oddness and all the creepiness, there are hug worthy moments as the author touches on issues, such as perfection and disabilities within the world. I won't elaborate on that too much, but it was this that made the book "hug worthy" to me. The main character, Steve , has OCD issues and suffers from nightmares. He has his struggles. I was the weirdest child you could ever dream of meeting back in my childhood days, so children that are labeled "not normal" by the world always pull on my heartstrings. Steve was no exception.
I highly recommend this book! I thought it was amazing and creative and beautiful, and don't forget, creepy and odd. ;)
*I was provided an ARC, in exchange for my honest opinion....more
I loved this book. But first, a little warning. I encourage you to take the comparison to Coraline seriously, as far as the creepy factor goes. I've sI loved this book. But first, a little warning. I encourage you to take the comparison to Coraline seriously, as far as the creepy factor goes. I've saw lots of "for all ages", and that concerns me. I loved this little book, but there's not a chance in the world I'll read it to my children just yet. There's mainly one part that I thought was creepy, but depending on how sensitive your child is, the whole thing could be pretty dramatic for them. The scene involves a lightning storm, a blackout, and a creepy girl. There's a picture of the scary girl placed at just the right/wrong moment to look extra creepy, and *could* cause some nightmares. I'd read it before either reading aloud to a child or handing it over to children prone to nightmares, though. A bedtime story might not be the best use of this book.
This book is a precious shout out to the world of imagination. There are limitless worlds out there to travel and people to meet with the use of imagination. My oldest little one has lots of imaginary friends, and that made this book extra special for me to read. I imagine it will tug on the heartstrings of adults more so than the targeted age. It was fun to see the support of some people concerning imaginary friends, the overreaction of others, and everything in between. There was one precious part that had tears flooding my face, and I enjoyed the way certain things tied together. That part just made me want to hug the book.
With the touching, even if creepy, story, lovely illustrations, the cover, AND the extra little doodles on each page, this is a book worthy of treasured book space. I was provided an ARC, but I plan on adding a final copy to our shelves!
*There are 10 full color illustrations, along with more black and white illustrations throughout the book. My ARC had a sample with 7 of the illustrations. (A 2 page spread of one big picture counts as 2 pictures, by the way.)
**I was provided an ARC, in exchange for my honest opinion....more
I almost didn’t get this book, due to the negative reviews, but I’m SO very glad I did. It is such a sweet, fun book, and I can’t wait to read more ofI almost didn’t get this book, due to the negative reviews, but I’m SO very glad I did. It is such a sweet, fun book, and I can’t wait to read more of them and share them with my little ones! (I hope there are lots more of them!)
This is somewhat of a comic book mix(which are very much hit or more often miss with me and my oldest), so it’s not the best as a read aloud. It’s almost torture to put it on the shelf and have to wait to share them with my boys, though. There are little “maps”, of sorts, of rooms and places and people, with labels. I would have *adored* a book like this as a child!
This is a precious, “hugworthy” little book, and even though I’m an adult, this book is going on my favorites list! The pictures are adorable, and there are lots of them.
*I was provided a review copy in exchange for my honest opinion. ...more
Confession: I love animals! I really do! I am a vegetarian(and not for health reasons), after all. Since having 3 little ones that take up a large chuConfession: I love animals! I really do! I am a vegetarian(and not for health reasons), after all. Since having 3 little ones that take up a large chunk of my time, though, my tolerance for animals has went way(wayyyyy) down. I still love them dearly, but they don't pull my heartstrings like they once did. I'm just tired, y'all! ;)
I say all that to say, I didn't know how much I would like this book. I was hugely, amazingly surprised at just how much I did end up liking it! It was one of the most precious, adorable, sweet books I have ever read. It made it onto my "hugworthy" list, it was so precious.
There are 33 devotionals within this book. Each one starts with a story about one of the author's cats. There's then a little devotional that compares the story with our relationship with God, and ends with a Bible verse. While the devotionals are super short, I thought the connections made were pretty creative! The love the author has for her feline friends is obvious right away, and that just makes me smile.
If you love animals, especially cats, I have to highly recommend this one to you! It's super precious!
*I was provided an e-copy in exchange for my honest opinion....more
Hug-worthy! Gush-worthy! I adored(ADORED!!!)this book, from beginning to end!
Eleanor won a place in my heart as one of my favorite leading ladies to eHug-worthy! Gush-worthy! I adored(ADORED!!!)this book, from beginning to end!
Eleanor won a place in my heart as one of my favorite leading ladies to ever pass through my reading imagination. She's considered "plain" as far as her outward appearance goes. She's exceedingly tall for a lady, taking her looks from her father, and well past the "marrying" age. With so many men lost to the war, combined with her "plainness", she's given up hope of a husband. Inward, though, she's as beautiful as they come! Her father suffers from Alzheimer's and barely remembers her. When he does, it's with anger. Despite missing him terribly, and knowing she has to make a way for herself, she doesn't roll around in self pity. She rolls her sleeves up and tackles the world with her humble stubbornness, and I loved that about her.
Marcus! He won himself a place in my reading heart, too! I'm not typically a fan of the whole "bad boy" thing. Marcus is Austrian, and has a bit of an arrogant attitude about him. He was also once a "bad boy". Within this story, he's anything but, though. I enjoyed all the "plant talk" and creative architect imaginings that he brings into the story.
A Beauty So Rare is seriously one of the sweetest romances I've ever read! It's not all romance, though. There's an abundance of layers added within this book. There's a little mystery that I almost forgot about through part of the story. There's encouragement to pull ourselves out of our own little world and help those in need. I was left with many things to ponder as I closed the last page with a happy sigh. And, again, there's the sweet(so very sweet) romance. It's not a quick read by any means. I encourage you to read it slowly and simply enjoy your time in it. It's what I consider a "chunkster", but well worth the time investment. I'd also encourage you to read A Lasting Impression first, just so you can have a better appreciation for Adelicia. You probably won't like her at all without reading A Lasting Impression first. Otherwise, it's perfectly fine as a standalone.
I loved this book so much, I'm determined to convince you to put all other reading aside, and read the two books in this series! I smiled, laughed, cried, and ended the book with a little hug. What more could you ask for from a book?! ;)
*Thank you to Bethany House for providing me with a review copy in exchange for my honest opinion!...more
It is with great excitement that I announce the newest addition to my “hug-worthy” shelf! It’s a rare event, just so you know!
Oscar is odd. He knows It is with great excitement that I announce the newest addition to my “hug-worthy” shelf! It’s a rare event, just so you know!
Oscar is odd. He knows he’s not quite like all the other children. He doesn’t know what to say, and he questions what he does say. He has an extraordinarily difficult time looking people in the eyes. He often feels the urge to hide away from the world. He won my heart! Completely! I find tears in my eyes at random moments just thinking about how much Oscar was like the child version of myself(and even a great deal like my adult self). The tears have flowed just writing this post, and I applaud the author for writing such an amazing book! Oscar is such a special character to me now! I imagine even those of you who don’t connect with him so much will find tears in your eyes, too. I read an e-ARC, but Lord willing, this book will be added to my shelf in real form soon.
As I kept reading The Real Boy, I thought the author was writing Oscar to be a child suffering from social phobia. It was only through another reviewer stating so, that I realized Oscar actually has Aspergers Syndrome. If you know the symptoms of social phobia and that form of autism, you know many of them kind of mesh together. There were a couple of issues Oscar had that I didn’t completely connect with now, but I did more so as a child. She writes his issues in so subtly that you might not even realize what she’s done. What she’s done, though, is created a beautiful, magical story that will connect all the “odd” kids of the world. She lets them know they’re not alone, and I wish so desperately that I’d read a book like this when I was a child. To know I wasn’t the only child so “different” would have been such an encouragement. It would have been great to know as I heard other kids talking about how “weird” I was when they thought I couldn’t hear them.
Despite Oscar’s issues, he’s smart, and fills his mind with book knowledge. I love that the author gave him such a wonderful, understanding friend for his journey. She was gentle, but at the same time stern when the need called for it. Every “odd” child deserves such a friend! They do exist!
The Real Boy is a mysterious little story, with unexpected twists and turns. Secrets are slowly revealed, and even then I wasn’t always sure what to do with my new knowledge. It’s dark and so very emotional. It’s one of those books that I really can’t say too much about without giving away a secret. I will say that it is a loose re-telling, with a unique little twist.
I wouldn’t consider this an easy read. I’d say it’s for a mature reader in its target age group. I found myself confused at times, and I’d have to re-read certain parts at an attempt to see what didn’t connect in my mind. Even the ending is left somewhat open, and there’s plenty you’re left with to fill in the blanks. I’m hoping this means a sequel, even though I’m not really expecting one.
I have Breadcrumbs on my shelf, and now I’m looking forward to devouring it, too. In case you can’t tell, I highly recommend this for all adults, and mature middle grade readers. It’s wonderful and I simply can’t thank the author enough for adding it to the world of fiction!
*I was provided an e-ARC through Edelweiss for review....more
Other than this book, I've only read 2 other books by Charles de Lint. Those two books let me know how much I ADORE his writing style, though. ADORE! Other than this book, I've only read 2 other books by Charles de Lint. Those two books let me know how much I ADORE his writing style, though. ADORE! Unfortunately, due to the profanity, I've kept myself from reading any of his other books. (My conviction in this area is *not* an easy one!) It has been one of THE hardest things to do. I've said this time and again, but do you know how hard it is to find clean Native American fantasy fiction?! De Lint writes with an amazing amount of folklore weaved into the story, and Native American characters play important roles(of the ones I've read).
I say all of that so you know just how excited I was when I heard that de Lint had written a book for a middle grade audience. I'm talking happy dancing going on, y'all!
I was even more thrilled when I read it. This book is one to be experienced. It's one of those books I firmly believe will be enjoyed so much more as a "real" copy that you can hold in your hands and smell. I borrowed the copy I read from the library(I actually requested they order it), but it's such a treasure, I hope to add a copy to our keeper shelf. Let's just be honest! I want one for MY shelf! ;) The pictures, done by Charles Vess, are gorgeous. This book is packed full of pictures of various sizes. There's even some 2 page spreads of nothing but a large picture. It's just beautiful, and I want to gush about it!
The story was a pure pleasure to read, too. Once again, I was able to enjoy the lovely writing of De Lint, and it just made me happy. There is such a mixture of folklore, I have to be honest and say I probably didn't "get" all the underlying messages/themes/etc. There is magic and witches within the story, but I love that it *seemed* to point out that God is above and beyond any of that. One little sentence in the story concerning God made me stop and smile.
In case you can't tell, I adored The Cats of Tanglewood Forest. I can't gush enough about it. It's officially the newest book on my "hugworthy" shelf, and I can't wait to read Seven Wild Sisters! ...more
I've found it hard to express JUST how much I loved this book! Every time I've attempted to write my thoughts, I've had a hard time pulling them togetI've found it hard to express JUST how much I loved this book! Every time I've attempted to write my thoughts, I've had a hard time pulling them together.
It's one of the few books that I've placed in my "hug-worthy" category, meaning as I closed the pages, I just wanted to give it a hug. Now I can't believe I left it unread on my shelf for so long. For me, The Mysterious Benedict Society was THE perfect blend of fun, sweet, corny, and mystery. The characters were SO lovable! This is a set of book that I am happy to put on my boys' bookshelf.
The story follows Reynie, Kate, Sticky(George Washington), and Constance. Each of them are very intelligent children, but in different ways. They learn to put their strengths and weaknesses together to form "The Mysterious Benedict Society".
It was a bit creepier than I was anticipating, though not enough for me not to recommend it. It's one of those rare books that can(and should) be enjoyed by ALL ages. I'm not opposed to my boys reading just crazy fun books that probably won't be as enjoyable as they grow older, but I think this is an intelligent read that will grow with them.
I loved it and definitely recommend giving it a try!...more
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