All the Books.

"We're back with Douglas Spaulding, who's dead set on not letting the Summer end. He'll soon learn though that everything is finite and yet not every end has to necessarily be an ending."  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Pros: A quick but powerful read/Douglas Spaulding finally realizes what it's like to grow up.  Cons : I had to laugh at the reason the war comes to an end, women are always the villains.  Full Review:  Even though it's creeping into October, Douglas Spaulding isn't willing to give up on Summer yet. He decides to gather up the troops and go to War against the men who make the rules, basically, the School Board. They hassle old Calvin Quartermain, are generally a nuisance but it gets serious when theft is involved.  Douglas's eternally reasonable and practical Grandfather lays down the law and they return to stolen chess pieces. All the boys are wracked with guilt but Douglas can't stop thinking. He obsesses and frets, as boys will do and though he think...

"Halloween comes a week early to Green Town, Illinois. In the form of "Cooger and Dark's Pandemonium Shadow Show". It's a Carnival, led by the delightfully terrifying Illustrated Man and when Will and Jim stumble upon its secret, things go from hypnotizing to horrifying. The epitome of good versus evil told as only Bradbury can tell it."  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Pros : Bradbury's writing is truly immersive, you are right beside Jim and Will through the whole insane story/The Illustrated Man is one of my all time favorite literary villains.  Cons : Bradbury does have a way with words but sometimes, that way can be very long and a little bit rambly/The ending when read at face value is simply silly.  Full Review:  Tom Fury, the seller of Lighting Rods, can feel the storm brewing. He can tell, it's going to be a monster. He happens upon two boys, lounging in their yards and decides to warn them of the danger.  They are William Halloway and Jim Nightshade. Will, born...

"There is a small, dimly lit, quiet cafe on a side street where you can, in fact, travel back in time. Except, there are rules and the #1 is "you must return before the coffee gets cold." This was a quirky and interesting read about four people and their reasons for wanting to travel back in time."  ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Pros: A fun and unique idea/The rules made the concept of time travel almost plausible.  Cons: it could’ve been the translation but everything was very direct. He said this. She looked at him with a somber expression. She cried. It was a bit emotionless at times.  Full Review:  You can travel back in time in a small, unassuming cafe but there are rules that must be followed.  You must sit in a certain seat. You can only meet with people who have come to the cafe before. Anything you do will not change the present and also, there’s a time limit.  You must return before your coffee gets cold.  A unique and interesting read. It followed four people who ...

"Bradbury captures the excitement and eagerness of Summer, as only a 13 year old boy can feel it. Through the eyes of Douglas Spaulding, we see Green Town, Illinois and the many people and places that make it special. The reader tags along on Douglas' many adventures and learns, just as he does about life, love, loss and practically everything in between." ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Pros: Bradbury's writing is so beautifully lyrical/He has the ability to make something as simple as playing hide and seek on a summers night a truly nforgettable experience/Though a standlone novel in its way, it's also peppered with some of Bradbury's memorable short stories, like Old-Fashioned Lime-Vanilla Ice , The Sound of Summer Running , and The Lonely One.    Cons: Though I'm sure it's a generational thing, some of the dialogue between the characters, "gosh, gee golly whiz",  was a bit “Leave it to Beaver” at times.  Full Review: It's the Summer of 1928 and Douglas Spauld...

"A powerful and engrossing read that follows the lives of three women, all descendants of the Weyward women, a line of Witches. They must do what they can to not only keep their secret safe but also grow and change around the boundaries and limitations that Society has placed upon them. It took a bit to get into the story but once I did, I was hooked. A great read."  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Pros: The storyline for each protagonist was different but engrossing, especially considering the times in which they happened/This was an empowering read as far as strong female characters go.  Cons: The book was a little slow to find its footing but once it did, I was hooked.  Full Review: The Weyward women have always been special. Though unfortunately, special isn't always the best thing, especially for young women who live in a patriarchal society.  This is a story told from three the points of view of three different women, all descendants of the Weyward line. There's Altha, a young woman who...

"It had a very "tortured Vampire with a Soul", "Angel" feel to it at times but for the most part it was an interesting read and a unique take on the Vampire mythos."  ⭐⭐⭐ Pros: The vampirism was a very vague concept, the transition just kind of happened with no real details but somehow, it was fitting.  Cons: Though “every new beginning comes from some other beginnings end” it seemed like Colette could never quite catch a break, it was just one death and disaster after another/Sometimes Holland would explain how Colette managed to feed even when living amongst humans but at other times, that detail seemed to be skipped over.  Full Review:  Colette LaSange is the prim, proper and intelligent mistress of a posh pre-school in upstate New York. Her students adore her and she them but every day at nap time, she sneaks away to the attic, to feed. She's a Vampire. And though she's managed to find a way to feed just enough from her many cats to keep hersel...

"After being forced to make a deal with the devil, Sasha is accepted into the School of Special Technologies. The Curriculum is brutal, the teachers abrasive and demanding and discipline is deadly. Unfortunately, the characters were flat and the plot completely disintegrated after Part 1." ⭐⭐ Pros: The repercussions for students missing classes/exams are extreme and frightening but it keeps you reading/Some of Sasha's transformations were interesting, at first.   Cons: The characters were kind of flat and one dimensional. The Special Technologies that they're studying made absolutely no sense and as the book went on it just became more and more obscure and I found myself annoyed by it all.   Full Review: Alexandra (Sasha) Samokhina is on Summer Holiday with her mother when she keeps seeing a man in dark glasses. At first, it feels like he's haunting her but every time Sasha wishes it was a dream, he just keeps appearing. Finally, he approaches her and tells her t...

"The premise had promise but it was obvious very quickly that this plot was going to be paper thin. With a painfully oblivious FMC, the "suspense" is honestly laughable but McFadden did something right because I was curious. I had to see what happened but it just let me shaking my head."  ⭐️ Pros: It was a quick, easy read.  Cons: Painfully predictable at the beginning and then hilariously ridiculous at the end. Full Review Brooke Sullivan just started her new job as an NP at the Raker State Penitentiary. If she wasn't already nervous about starting a new job, well, this one comes with an extra helping of awkward. The father of her child, the first boy she ever loved, her high-school sweetheart, just happens to be an inmate at the prison. And Brooke was the one who put him there.  He's Shane Nelson. Former star Quarterback and the boy of Brooke's dreams. At least that's what she thought on that fateful night, eleven years ago. when they confessed the...

"The beginning had real potential. It offered a bit of history of how the Hunger Games evolved and a glimpse into the mind of Coriolanus Snow who was a conflicted and sympathetic character. It all went downhill once the Games began and, honestly, I felt like it never quite recovered. Not my favorite of the series."   ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Pros:  There were some interesting moments, brief glimpses into Snows past, especially during the war/At first, his concern for Lucy Gray was legitimate.  Cons: Snow's wavering loyalties got tiresome at the end/I started losing connection with the characters oncee the Games started.   Full Review:  The city of Panem is still being re-built after the war with the Rebels ended but there are some things that still remain. Such as class at the Academy. It's a big day today. It's Reaping Day on the tenth Hunger Games and it's the first time that Students of the Academy will be Mentors to the Tributes.  Coriolanus is nervous, since ...