Book Review: The Princess and The Hound by Mette Ivie Harrison

I got this novel for Christmas. I had sort of heard about it before, but I really didn't know anything about it. But it was fantastic!

The story is told from Prince George's point of view. It starts out in his childhood, and we basically watch him grow up. George, like his mother, is blessed/cursed with the animal magic. He can talk to animals by learning their language. But animal magic is frowned on in their country, so George has to learn to keep it hidden at a very young age. Growing up with a secret like that is not easy, and it is one of the things that causes George to be insecure about himself. When George is 17, he is betrothed to Princess Beatrice, from the neighboring country. He has heard rumors about her, the strangest of which is that she keeps a hound with her at all times - they even sleep in the same bed. Many people of her kingdom think she is odd. George doesn't expect to love his queen, this marriage is simply for political reasons, but when he meets Beatrice, he realizes they may have more in common than either one expected.

I really loved this book. The tone was beautiful throughout the whole thing. Some ideas of the animal magic were a bit hard to take, but I guess that could be the case with any sort of magic. I also found two very obvious typos, which always bugs me. But, it was wonderfully written and I devoured all 410 pages in about 24 hours. It was completely clean and I highly recommend it.

Happy Reading!

Book Review: Theodore Boone, The Abduction

Grisham's back! This is his second Theo Boone book, and it was also very good. In this one, Theo's best friend, April, has been kidnapped and an escaped convict has shown up in town from California. Everyone is convinced the two things are connected. Theo can't stand by and not do anything for his friend, so he organizes some searches with his friends and puts up fliers with April's picture. But then a body is found in the river, the convict won't talk, and Theo starts to suspect someone else. With the help of his kind of crazy uncle Ike, and his friend Chase, Theo decides to save April himself.

This book was fast-paced and fun. Again, some minor story lines were thrown in for basically no good reason. And I found a few back-story holes between this book and his first Theo Boone book. But Grisham continues to capture the perfect writing style for his audience and characters. I recommend this book, especially if you enjoy the show Psych. :)

Happy Reading!

Book Review: Theodore Boone, Kid Lawyer by John Grisham

This novel was very well written (of course, it's by John Grisham!). I was really impressed with Grisham's writing for young adults. He did a fantastic job of capturing the thoughts and feelings of a very smart 13-year-old boy.

Theo's parents are both lawyers and he spends his spare time at the courthouse. He can't quite decided what he wants to be when he grows up: a lawyer or a judge? When a big murder trial takes place, Theo wants to witness every moment of it. He has a reputation for being trustworthy and knowing the law inside and out, which leads to him being the sole confidant of a school-mate who's cousin is the only witness to the murder. Theo then has many problems on his plate, and if he doesn't figure out the right thing to do, a murderer could go free.

This novel is fast-paced and fun. Grisham does a great job of dumbing legal things down to make them understandable for his younger audience. I actually learned some legal things from this book. It was a clean read. The only issue I have with this book is that Grisham brought in a few very small side stories that he didn't wrap up very well. The ending also wasn't very satisfying. There's a second Theodore Boone book, but I don't think it is necessarily a sequel; I think it's just another stand-alone story with the same protagonist. So I probably won't get the complete wrap-up that I want. But I do highly recommend this YA novel.

Happy Reading and Merry Christmas!

Book Review: A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

I finally read it! I've owned A Christmas Carol for years, but always felt too daunted by it. But a few semesters ago I read a different Dickens novel and that made me more motivated to read this one. So, yay!

It was actually a very fast read. It's not very long and it wasn't dull. I really enjoyed it. I'm pretty sure everyone knows the basic story line, but here you go: Scrooge is a grumpy old man who doesn't realize how lonely he really is. Then in one night he goes with the ghosts of Christmases Past, Present, and Future and sees how bleak and depressing his life is. He resolves to change, and succeeds in doing so.

This book has a fantastic message of charity and having the Christmas spirit with you. Dickens (of course) writes beautifully. Some of the language is now outdated (first published in 1843) so a few descriptions were a bit tricky to follow, but don't let that stop you from reading this wonderful Christmas story.

Happy Reading and Merry Christmas!

Book Review: A Christmas Thief by Carol Lynn Pearson

This short little novella is charming. The family's nativity set has been stolen, and 12 year old Megan knows it was the teenage boy from down the street, who she has dubbed The Bum. With some clever sleuthing, the family goes on an investigation. There are walkie-talkies, impromptu snowmen, and some sneaky cookies involved to solve this mystery. Bold Megan expects some sweet detective work and some justice, but gets a beautiful Christmas lesson instead.

This story is perfect for the whole family, no matter what the age. It's a really quick read, and told in a simple, darling way. I adore it.

Murry's Happy Dance

Murry LOVES dinner time. He spins in tight, little circles when he's super excited, and he jumps higher than we thought possible for a little guy like him. He's so adorable, I just had to film it. :)

Book Review: Ophelia by Lisa Klein

Ophelia is Klein's first novel. I read it back in high school, but I had never read Hamlet by Shakespeare, and so now that I have, I was interested in reading this book again. (It's based off the character Ophelia in Shakespeare's Hamlet, in case that was unclear.)

Klein takes this dynamic, but unknown character and brings her to life. We get a fictional back-story on Ophelia and it's all very well written and follows the play in a logical way. Ophelia gets a job as queen Gertrude's lady-in-waiting and learns the ways of courtly life with some medicinal studying on the side. She meets Prince Hamlet on a few different occasions, and the end up falling in love. They secretly get married one day with Hamlet's best friend, Horatio, as their witness. (Those types of marriages were considered legal in Shakespeare's time - Klein did her research.) But then Hamlet's father is found dead and Hamlet starts seeing his father's ghost. When things go horribly amiss at Denmark's court, Ophelia realizes how much danger she is in. Potentially, she fakes her death, with Horatio as her confidant. She escapes to a nunnery with a growing belly - another life-changing secret she must keep for the sake of many people's lives.

I adore this novel. The voice and tone are fantastic, and Klein has developed a lovable character out of someone who is normally considered second-string. Klein knows her stuff - play wise, and historically. This book will draw you and and she even succeeds on giving this bloody play a new, unique, and happier ending. This book is clean, and I highly recommend it.

Happy Reading!