I had hoped to report on these titles individually, but time is passing and I'm remembering less and less about them. If you click on the title(s) you're interested in, I'll take you to Amazon or Chapters, where you can read up on content and reader reviews.
You Can't Make Me (But I Can Be Persuaded) by Cynthia Ulrich Tobias. Waterbrook Press, 1999. Parenting. Discipline. Strong-Willed Children. Highly recommended.
Just Let Me Lie Down: Necessary Terms for the Half-Insane Working Mom by Kristin Van Ogtrop. Little, Brown, 2010. Parenting. Motherhood. Marriage. Also see this review, which first spurred me to read the book.
Glom Gloom by Jo Dereske. Backinprint.com, 2006. Juvenile Fiction. Teen Fiction. Fantasty. For the record, I really enjoyed this one.
Devil's Food Cake Murder by Joanne Fluke. Kensington, 2011. Mystery. Hannah Swensen novels are usually an entertaining and enjoyable read, and this one was no exception.
All That is Bitter and Sweet: a Memoir by Ashley Judd. Ballentine Books, 2011. Memoir. Celebrity Biography. Though we're not on the same page on everything, after reading this book I have an increased respect and admiration for this talented actress and activist.
Showing posts with label fantasy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fantasy. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Friday, February 18, 2011
Charlotte Sometimes
by Penelope Farmer,
William and Charlotte Rayner, 1992
(first published in 1969 by Chatto and Windus)
The setting opens in late 1940s England. 12-year-old Charlotte Makepeace has been sent to boarding school, where nothing is familiar and she knows no one. Even so, when Charlotte wakes up that first morning, she is sure that there hadn't been a cedar tree outside the bedroom window, though there is one there now. And the girls in her room aren't the same girls who laid down in the beds next to her the night before.
Charlotte soon discovers that, by some mystery, she has exchanged places with a girl named Clare, who spent time in the same school in 1918, near the end of World War I. Charlotte and Clare continue to switch back and forth until one day they become stuck in the wrong time period. Will Charlotte ever be Charlotte again? Will she ever make it back to her own generation? And what will happen if she doesn't? Get hold of the book to find out the answers to these questions.
A great read. Originally intended for children, the book can easily be enjoyed by teens and adults alike, especially if they don't mind an "older" style of writing. Just one caveat - there's a seance scene that could be disturbing to some readers.
William and Charlotte Rayner, 1992
(first published in 1969 by Chatto and Windus)
The setting opens in late 1940s England. 12-year-old Charlotte Makepeace has been sent to boarding school, where nothing is familiar and she knows no one. Even so, when Charlotte wakes up that first morning, she is sure that there hadn't been a cedar tree outside the bedroom window, though there is one there now. And the girls in her room aren't the same girls who laid down in the beds next to her the night before.
Charlotte soon discovers that, by some mystery, she has exchanged places with a girl named Clare, who spent time in the same school in 1918, near the end of World War I. Charlotte and Clare continue to switch back and forth until one day they become stuck in the wrong time period. Will Charlotte ever be Charlotte again? Will she ever make it back to her own generation? And what will happen if she doesn't? Get hold of the book to find out the answers to these questions.
A great read. Originally intended for children, the book can easily be enjoyed by teens and adults alike, especially if they don't mind an "older" style of writing. Just one caveat - there's a seance scene that could be disturbing to some readers.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
The Blue Umbrella
by Mike Mason
David C Cook/October 2009
David C Cook/October 2009
What would happen if the world’s weather was controlled by one man with a blue umbrella? If your mother had been killed by lightning, would you trust him? This is the decision 10-year-old Zac Sparks faces in Mike Mason’s first fantasy novel, The Blue Umbrella, a superbly written children’s story with significant spiritual overtones.
When Zac Sparks’ mother dies, he’s sent to live in Five Corners with his cruel old Aunties. It isn’t long before Zac knows something strange is going on. Five Corners is populated with weird characters—a midget butler, a mute girl , a blind balloon seller, and a mysterious singer who is heard but not seen. Then there’s the Aunties’ father, Dada. Zac’s first encounter with Dada is so terrifying he faints dead away.
The one bright spot is Sky Porter, the proprietor of the general store across the street, a friendly soul who encourages Zac—when the Aunties aren’t looking—and shows him a kindness that is sadly lacking from his dismal life. But Sky isn’t what he seems either, and when Zac learns Sky’s amazing secret he realizes, to his dismay, that this wonderful man may have a very dark side as well.
Discovering that Dada is an evil magician who is intent on stealing the ultimate treasure, Zac knows many lives are at stake, including his own. With time running out, he must turn to the one person who might be able to help: Sky Porter. Can Zac trust him?
In the vein of Lewis and Tolkien, Mason has created a fantasy that will appeal to fans of Harry Potter, The Golden Compass, Lemony Snicket, and The Chronicles of Narnia. You can watch the book trailer here.
When Zac Sparks’ mother dies, he’s sent to live in Five Corners with his cruel old Aunties. It isn’t long before Zac knows something strange is going on. Five Corners is populated with weird characters—a midget butler, a mute girl , a blind balloon seller, and a mysterious singer who is heard but not seen. Then there’s the Aunties’ father, Dada. Zac’s first encounter with Dada is so terrifying he faints dead away.
The one bright spot is Sky Porter, the proprietor of the general store across the street, a friendly soul who encourages Zac—when the Aunties aren’t looking—and shows him a kindness that is sadly lacking from his dismal life. But Sky isn’t what he seems either, and when Zac learns Sky’s amazing secret he realizes, to his dismay, that this wonderful man may have a very dark side as well.
Discovering that Dada is an evil magician who is intent on stealing the ultimate treasure, Zac knows many lives are at stake, including his own. With time running out, he must turn to the one person who might be able to help: Sky Porter. Can Zac trust him?
In the vein of Lewis and Tolkien, Mason has created a fantasy that will appeal to fans of Harry Potter, The Golden Compass, Lemony Snicket, and The Chronicles of Narnia. You can watch the book trailer here.
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