Book Review: A Horse Called Wonder

A Horse Called Wonder by Joanna Campbell

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I absolutely adored this book! I read it when I was younger and recently have refound my copy. I love horses (all animals really) and I remember staying up extremely late reading books from this series. I don’t remember how far I got in the series, but I know I enjoyed all of the books that I had read!

Highly recommend this book for anyone who loves horses!

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What I Want to Add:

I absolutely loved this book (and many others within the series).  I recently found my copy of the book and am already wanting to read it again!  I have always been an animal lover and have always been very fond of horses.  I remember the fact that I have read this book multiple times but honestly it has been so long … I can’t really recall anything specific about the book.

However, I would recommend this for any horse lover!  The book is aimed (I believe) more towards young girls, but I’m sure guys could like the book too.

I want to take a moment to vent/rant.  My local library does not carry this series (ok, I think they have one of the many many books in the series).  I was really disappointed and cannot figure out why this series is not more popular.  There are a variety of other horse series that I have seen out and about – but I never really see this one.  I even looked at my local Half Priced Books store and haven’t seen them there either… Sigh.  (I promise I am not trying to “call out” these places – just generally curious as to why this particular series seems to have fallen off the of the face of the earth…

Anyway, my rating: 5/5 stars!

Sincerely,

Taylor

Have questions, requests, etc.?  Then feel free to e-mail me at taylorreadingblog23@yahoo.com

Book Review: Cryer’s Cross

Cryer’s Cross by Lisa McMann

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A small town looses two young members – they mysteriously disappear around the same time that a new family moves in. A girl with OCD’s best friend disappears and she tries to solve the mystery.

The books was initially bring and I worry that this was going to be too slow for young adults. However, about half way through the action begins to pick up and there was a lot of interesting things going on.

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What I Want To Add:

I loved this book.  I was not a fan of McMann’s series (Wake and the others) so when I picked up this book I did not have high hopes.  However, I decided to check this book out at the library and was pleasantly surprised.  I enjoyed the book a great deal!!

The story line picked up sooner and kept my attention.  I could have read this book in under a day, but it ended up taking me a few days due to various other stuff going on when I read it.

When I finished the story I was upset that it ended (another good sign).  I wanted there to be more!  I had the idea of having students (if this is a class we read together or something) write their own conclusions/sequels.  I would love to hear others’ thoughts on what they think happened next!

My rating: 5/5 stars

Sincerely,

Taylor

More Goals For The Month Of August – Some “Background” Plans

 

Ok, so this review-a-day seems to be working out (sort of).  I technically have not been posting every day, but the number of reviews equals the number of days in the end, so I don’t really care. … I’m not about to get technical with myself during my summer break. 

I have two slight situations that I am wanting to address…

The first situation – books that I have won via giveaways.

Now, I know that this is my own fault – there is no rule/law that says I HAVE to enter the giveaways (and technically on some sites it is not REQUIRED for me to write a review…) but there are a couple of reasons why I keep entering.  The only one I feel like mentioning though is that I want to expand what I read.  Some of you (those who actually read my reviews and blog posts) may have noticed the majority of what I read are paranormal YA books.  Nothing wrong with that (at least in my book) but I would like to know more about different genres.   (There are a whole variety of reasons being THAT too, but let’s move on.)

Potential solutions:

I was seriously considering the following: post a review per day of a book that I won.  Meaning I would read the book throughout a day instead of the other books that I am reading from my personal collection) and then stop at the end of the day and review whatever I had read.  The issue here is that I like completing books and I didn’t think that a day was a fair enough time to really get to know a book.

What I have decided (oh, I had a whole list of options, but the following has made the most sense to me): I will read the giveaway books until roughly page 100.  If by that point the book has not drawn me in, then I will stop and write a review and CLEARLY STATE where I stopped and why I stopped.  That way if the book ends up being awesome at the end (as was the case with Living Dead Girl) the author and my readers will know that my review does not include that, etc. 

The second issue – books that authors have personally asked me to review.

This issue is once again completely my fault.  I want to help people out and as a result I tend to forget about my other responsibilities.  Plus, the majority of these books have been ebooks.  (Those who have read other posts by me know that I am having some trouble adjusting to the concept of the ebook.)  I have forgotten about them more than once.  Thankfully, the book that I am currently reading (The Forgotten Ones) has kept me intrigued and has increased the chances that I will remember the other books. 

Possible solution:

This is a fairly easy fix.  I have kept a list of who has sent me books, etc. on a “personal request” basis.  I will tackle these after I finish The Forgotten Ones (I only have roughly 30-40 pages left – might even be able to finish it by tomorrow).  After I finish the book that I am reading I will go in order that I received the books. 

The last issue (which is really a combination of the above, hence why I do not have a different “counter” for it) – books that I have won through LibraryThing.

ONCE AGAIN – yes, this is my fault.  Books sound interesting and I enter and BOOM I’ve won some.  … Now, the reason this is a combination situation is because I have won both ebooks and physical books.  I did not keep close track of what I entered in and therefore get confused on what came from where (I’ve also found a couple of sites that post free kindle books…). 

So my solution here – I’m going to start on the personal requests whenever.  Yep, that’s how specific as I am going to get.  These requested books are embedded in with my personal collection, ebooks, and giveaway wins in my mind/house… So therefore that is how they will appear via my reviews.  I’ll read these all of the way though (unless they’re utterly ridiculous) and post my reviews once they’re done.  I believe I have told every author that has contacted me to feel free to nudge me if I am taking too long.  I don’t want them to think I’m taking advantage of them or anything! 

 

This month of August is going to be crazy (as far as book reading and reviewing goes).  I’ll have to come up with something calmer once classes begin…  Wish me luck!

 

Thanks for reading!

Book Review: The Book of Three

The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Loved this book!! Got it for $0.50 too! A friend recommended it to me. I am trying to expand what I read and I felt the fantasy part of my reading life had been neglected for the most part. The book itself is cute and full of life lessons.

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What I Want to Add:

This was a really good book!  I had no idea what to expect – other than my friend telling me it was amazing.  I have not read a great deal of fantasy, so I figured that a children’s book might be the place to start.  I was beyond pleased with it!  I actually bought the rest of the series the last time I was at Half Priced Books!  I cannot wait to read the rest!!

I loved the cover art on this book as well.  Had my friend not been with me to recommend it, then I might have bought the book based off of the cover alone (a big “no-no” in book buying, I know).  It would have been worth it though!!  (I’m still not over that it was only $0.50 when I bought it!!!)

I would recommend this book to anyone really.  Even if someone dislikes fantasy – I think they could find something positive about this book.

My rating: 5/5 stars.  Truly an awesome book!!

Sincerely,

Taylor

Have questions, requests, etc.?  Then feel free to e-mail me at taylorreadingblog23@yahoo.com

Book Review: The Professor

The Professor by Charlotte Brontë

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is one of the few “classic” books that I have read on my own (meaning not for class). I enjoyed this book a great deal! I think more classes need to pick up this book. There was a lot of criticism on it due to the fact it was a female writing from a male perspective. I read this usually in the evening and there were several times that I went to bed late because I could not put the book down.

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What I Want To Add:

I really enjoyed this book and I do not know why I never read this in school.  I bought it from Books a Million (I think) … Regardless of where I bought it, the book was a “bargain book” … I figured I would give it a try as (at the time) I had not read a classic in a long while.  It was a refreshing change of pace from the YA that I had been reading.

I am a bit fuzzy on the details of the book – but I know that I enjoyed it!  I think students might be intrigued by this book (if for no other reason that it strays from the normal high school required reading list).  Hopefully students (and readers in general) will think about how difficult it is to write in the perspective of the opposite sex.  That is just part of what makes this book so interesting – but it is a big role (it also plays a major role in its history…).

I would recommend this book to anyone who even slightly enjoys classic books.  I’ve seen this book for relatively cheap prices at bookstores – should be an easy find!

My rating: 5/5 stars

Sincerely,

Taylor

Have questions or requests?  Feel free to e-mail me at taylorreadingblog23@yahoo.com

Book Review: I Can’t Keep My Own Secrets: Six-Word Memoirs by Teens Famous & Obscure

I Can’t Keep My Own Secrets: Six-Word Memoirs by Teens Famous & Obscure by Larry Smith

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a collection of six word memoirs from teens from all over. There is no plotline or anything of that nature – just a collection of interesting bits of people’s lives.

This would be a great book to use to introduce students to poetry (even though these weren’t necessarily poems). Like the book suggested, it might be interesting to get students to write their own six word memoir.

This book was an easy read and one that I think many students would enjoy. After finishing the book I found myself wanting to create my own six word stories. I hope the same would be true for my students.

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What I want to Add:

I had no idea what to expect when I picked up this book.  I checked it out from the library for a class.  Honestly I mostly grabbed it in an attempt to expand the variety of books that I had for an assignment.  The results ended in me finding something that I really enjoyed!

The title really sums up what the book is – a collection of six word memoirs.  Some of them were funny and others seemed to be more serious.  It was a bit hard to tell with only six words.

I read this book in under a day.  I liked trying to figure out what the deeper meaning was behind the six words on the page . Of course, as soon as I put the book down, I wrote some of my own.  Once I started, I couldn’t stop!

I think my future students would enjoy this book and an activity. It is different from any assignment that I ever did in high school (or middle school … or ever in my education that I can remember….).  This book might help students get in the mood for poetry … Maybe.

I would recommend this book for anyone in middle school (or older).  The only reason elementary students might not be a good match is because some of the memoirs have “adult content” in them.  However, I am sure if  teacher were to actually go through and pick out some “appropriate” ones, then it could be a fun activity for younger kids too!

My rating: 4/5 stars

Sincerely,

Taylor

Have questions or requests?  Then feel free to e-mail me at taylorreadingblog23@yahoo.com

Book Review: Kissed by an Angel

Kissed by an Angel by Elizabeth Chandler

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When death comes to Tristan and Ivy’s relationship, it would be easy to say it was over. However, Ivy thinks she still can interact with Tristan, but how is that possible?

This is actually a trilogy and each book flows into the next easily. This might be a good collection that might inspire students to explore their own views of religion. While not appropriate for a class discussion, it might be something for students to journal about.

This series was really easy to read. The storyline was not as predictable as some of the others, and as a result I stayed engaged with it and think my students would enjoy this.

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What I Want to Add:

I read this book a while back.  While I do not remember a lot of specific details, I do remember the fact that I really enjoyed reading this book.  This was a nice break from some of the vampire books that I had been reading (and still read…).

I just recently saw that there are stories the follow the trilogy and I want to read them too!

I cried a lot while reading this book – which is actually a good sign.  Any book that can actually pull me in means (to me) that it is an excellent book.  While I did not enjoy being upset, I did enjoy knowing that I had an escape.  I like getting sucked into books as it gives me a mental break from things going on around the home.  (Not that things are bad at home – but it’s just a break from an otherwise mundane life… If that makes sense???)

I would recommend this book to any young adult girl.  (Guys, I think you might like this, but I am not sure if you’d feel comfortable carrying this book around… Or maybe I’m just using stereotypes?)

My rating: 4/5 stars

Sincerely,

Taylor

Have questions, requests, etc.?  Then feel free to e-mail me at taylorreadingblog23@yahoo.com

Book Review: True Crime

Before I start my review, I want to state that I won this book through a GoodReads First Reads giveaway.  This is the first book that I won (which may or may not have swayed my rating of it…).  The following is my honest opinion.

 

Edited by: Lee Gutkind

My rating: 4/5 stars

 

This book was different than what I was expecting (which is both a good and bad thing).  This is good, as I am wanting to expand what I read (reading the same story with just different characters, etc. is annoying and tiring after a while).  This is bad because (at first) it irritated me a bit.  I was not annoyed enough to put the book down, but it did delay my reading of this book.

I liked that there was a collection of stories of various crimes.  It was not just murder, rape, etc. … The book talked about crimes that I feel are sometimes ignored by “popular media” (whatever that means).  There is no thing as a “victim-less crime” and this book proves that.

These stories were written in first person.  I loved that!  Out of the few crime books that I have read, it is almost always “he did this” or “she ran away” and blahblahblah.  (Yes, I understand that generally the murderer and/or victim(s) are dead / cannot be contacted, etc. … It’s just something I felt like pointing out.)  Having a first person account of these things made the book feel a little more personal.  

I would recommend this book to anyone who has a slight interest in any of the items listed on the cover (abduction, addiction, obsession, murder, or grave-robbing).  None of the stories were hard to read / follow.  I think anyone in a high school level (or older) would/could enjoy this book.  

 Sincerely,

Taylor

Have any questions, requests, etc.?  Then feel free to send me an e-mail at taylorreadingblog23@yahoo.com

Book Review: Perks of Being a Wallflower

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Charlie has to grow up fast and learns how to be himself and how to interact with others. He goes through many of the changes that teenagers have to face.

This book is written in formatted to look like letters from Charlie. A possible project might be to have people write a letter to someone telling them about life experiences, etc. – anything to get them talking.

The story was easy to follow and sounded like what a legitimate teenager would say. I think students would be able to relate to the story easily and maybe they can see some perks to being themselves instead of conforming to what the popular people do.

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What I Want to Add:

A friend of mine let me borrow this book during my freshman year (or was it sophomore year?) of college.  I enjoyed the book a great deal, but I am afraid to say that I do not see what the hype is about.  I liked reading it and I would like to read it again, but I do not really think that it is worth how much people are talking about.

With that being said, I am not saying that I do not think people should read this book.  In fact, I think young adults could find this book very interesting and could probably relate to it easily.

I have not seen the movie yet though.  Anyone care to comment about the movie version in comparison to the book?  I am interested it – just never have the chance to watch it.  Wondering if it would be worth my time?

I would recommend this book for anyone ages high school and up – for both guys and girls.  (It was actually a guy that I borrowed the book from.)  I also own my own copy now – so I have little to no excuse for not (eventually) re-reading this book!

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Sincerely,

Taylor

Have any questions, requests, etc.?  Then feel free to e-mail me at taylorreadingblog23@yahoo.com

Book Review: Last Night in Twisted River

Last Night in Twisted River by John Irving

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Danny at a young age commits an unforgivable crime which forces him and his dad to go on the run. Not only does Danny have to grow up with his guilt, but also with the fear that someone will recognize him. Years later his past catches up to him in all of the worst ways.

(From my Education class reading log:)

I enjoyed this book a great deal. It did take me a while to read through this and I think it might be too intense for most adolescent readers. I included it though because there might be a student who is ready to tackle this book.

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What I Want to Add:

I read this for a college class.  There was a lot of information within the book and I remember having trouble staying focused in the later chapters.  However, the beginning was really good!!  I’d love to reread this book sometime!

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Here’s what I wrote in my blog about this book **MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS**:

Carl is the only character that I dislike to a great extent. However, since his purpose for the story is to be the bad guy, I suppose this is a given thing. I also noticed that his character did not actually stick out much to me. I mean, yes I knew and realized that he was a jerk, but I could not describe him to any great extent if asked. I am not sure if this is because Irving did not expand on this character much or if it is because I tend to not focus on characters that I dislike.

Ketchum is the one character that I love to read on paper, but I think I would dislike him a great deal in real life. Ketchum is supposed to be this really gruff guy who actually cares a great deal on the inside. Maybe it is because I have not met anyone like this that I find Ketchum a little difficult to deal with. (Though I do like the mental image of his walking through Boston with his gun…) Though if I were to actually meet Ketch (before the hand incident) I would probably deal with him, but not go out of my way to talk with him.

I felt equally attached to Danny, Dominic, and Joe. I wanted to things to work out for all three of them that I tended to try to avoid the sections where they suffered. I found myself highly upset about the deaths of the individuals on this list. Actually it even went as far as I sat the book down and did not look at it for the rest of the evening. However, given how catchy the story was, I found myself letting go about their deaths. That does not mean that I no longer cared about their passing, but I understood that it was somehow necessary for things to continue the way that they did.

I became annoyed when it seemed that the story was going to move into some type of political debate. The story had been mostly following a straight path (or at least had a central theme occurring) until the 9/11 attack. Then it felt that I was submerged into some sort of political story. it reminded me of when I read The Jungle. From what I remember (it has been three years since I have read that book) the story went from this terrible tale of a family who pretty much cannot catch a break to political talk. I find myself bored with politics, so when this occurred in The Jungle, I was very upset. And now it seemed likeLast Night in Twisted River was taking the same sort of turn. Danny left the US because he and his father were running from Carl; or at least that is what I thought. It seems like it was because the public wanted to know why Danny left America that he started in on talking about politics. And then when 9/11 happened in the story, of course politics were up-in-arms again. However, after reading a bit farther from when the attack happened in the book, I am happy to see that it has moved back into the flow of the story.

I was also very upset about Lady Sky. Sure, at first when she came out of the plane completely naked, I had my doubts about her. However – she had such an influence on Danny and Joe that I kept wishing that she would come back. Even when I knew Six Pack was the girl at the restaurant’s backdoor, I still became as excited as Danny – thinking that it would be Lady Sky. For some reason this woman left me heartbroken for Danny. The whole letter incident annoyed me to no end – but I think that’s fair (to and extent):

– Ooopps, I accidently killed your lover while you two were having sex

In exchange for

– Ooopps, I accidently threw out the letter of someone that you could have been in love with

Or at least that is as fair as things could have been. It’s not like either of them had intended to ruin the others’ life… It just kind of happens.

There was a great deal of foreshadowing in the story. A lot of the time I did not realize that something was foreshadowing until the foreshadowed event occurred (which I guess is kind of the point, eh?). Sometimes there seemed to be useless backstories that wound up being key to understanding how a character reacted, etc. to an event (THAT’S THE WRONG HAND!).

Overall, I enjoyed this book a great deal. I would recommend it to those who enjoy an in-depth story that has outrageous events that work together so that the overall story seems realistic (specific enough?). Irving’s novel is now on my list of very enjoyable reads! : )

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I would recommend this book for anyone about the high school level.  While I am sure many high school students could read and understand this book, I doubt they would appreciate it completely.  (I could be wrong though, of course).

My rating: 5/5 stars

Sincerely,

Taylor

Have questions, requests, etc?  Then feel free to e-mail me at taylorreadingblog23@yahoo.com