Category: Adventure
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Castle in the Air and House of Many Ways
Castle in the Air (Howl’s Moving Castle, #2)House of Many Ways (Howl’s Moving Castle, #3)By: Diana Wynne JonesMy Rating: Four out of Five StarsBest for: 12 and up A magical gem of a story! Howl’s Moving Castle was published in 1986, and Castle in the Clouds was published in 1990. House of Many Ways was…
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Almost Super: Super in every way!
Almost SuperBy: Marion JensenMy Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARSBest for: All Ages Super in every way! It’s this reading dad’s favorite time of the school year, when our school district picks a book and gifts a copy to each family with students in grades K-4. They provide a reading schedule, and our entire community…
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The Legend of Black Jack
The Legend of Black JackBy: A.R. WithamMy Rating: Three out of Five StarsBest for: 12 and up All brawn, no brain There are some really, REALLY gushing reviews out there for The Legend of Black Jack. Apparently there are a whole lot of readers who found The Legend of Black Jack to be a transformational…
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Tress of the Emerald Sea: A joy to read
Tress of the Emerald SeaBy: THE Brandon SandersonMy Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARS (If only there were more stars to give! ALL THE STARS!)Best for: 12 and up What’s better than The Princess Bride? BrandoSando is. Ah, Brandon Sanderson. Thank you for sharing your stories. This was one of your best. If you’re not…
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Bastille vs the Evil Librarians: We’ve only been waiting 15 years. Nbd.
Alcatraz vs the Evil Librarians (Alcatraz, Book #1)The Scrivener’s Bones (Alcatraz, Book #2)The Knights of Crystallia (Alcatraz, Book #3)The Shattered Lens (Alcatraz, Book #4)The Dark Talent (Alcatraz, Book #5)Bastille vs. the Evil Librarians (Alcatraz, Book #6)By: Brandon SandersonMy Rating: FIVE out of FIVE starsBest for: 12 and up We’ve only been waiting 15 years. Nbd.…
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How to Train Your Dragon: Excessive Fun Warning!!!
How to Train Your DragonBy: Cressida CowellMy Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARSBest for: 10 and under Warning: You will have excessive fun and be forced to laugh out loud. Read at your own risk. I read (and ADORED) The Wizards of Once by Cressida Cowell, so I shouldn’t be surprised that How to Train…
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Congo: I’ll be skipping the Jungle Tour…
CongoBy: Michael CrichtonMy Rating: Four out of Five StarsBest for: 16 and up Ya…no. I’ll skip the African Jungle Tour. Thanks though. Oh gosh. Please don’t read Michael Crichton if you aren’t interested in science info dumps. It’s what he does. It’s in every book, and if you’re nerdy enough it’s awesome. Don’t read it…
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Foundryside: But the cover is so pretty!
Foundryside (The Founders Trilogy, #1)By: Robert Jackson BennettMy Rating: Three out of Five StarsBest for: 18 and up But the cover was so pretty! Brandon Sanderson gave Foundryside a rare and coveted 5-star review when it was published back in 2018. When I saw that, I immediately bought both ebook and audiobook (obviously) because Brandon…
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The Wheel of Time 12-14: I’M DONE! [happy dance]
![The Wheel of Time 12-14: I’M DONE! [happy dance]](https://onemanbookclubdotblog.files.wordpress.com/2022/04/91ot9wk-dsl_1024x1024402x.jpg?w=1024)
The Wheel of Time 12-14The Gathering StormTowers of MidnightA Memory of LightBy: Robert Jordan and Brandon SandersonMy Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARSBest for: 14 and up A journey of 12,000 pages starts at page 1 Quick! Ask me if I’ve read The Wheel of Time! Why yes! Yes I have! I’m done! I’m done!…
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The Last Dragonslayer: Magnificent Nonsense!
The Last Dragonslayer (The Last Dragonslayer, #1)The Song of the Quarkbeast (The Last Dragonslayer, #2)The Eye of Zoltar (The Last Dragonslayer, #3)The Great Troll War (The Last Dragonslayer, #4)By: Jasper FfordeMy Rating: Four out of five stars.Best for: 14 and up Magic, dragons, and a whole lot of magnificent nonsense! I’ve decided to officially join…
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The Wheel of Time, Books 6-11: I can see the light…
The Wheel of Time 6-11Lord of ChaosA Crown of SwordsThe Path of DaggersWinter’s HeartCrossroads of TwilightKnife of DreamsBy: Robert JordanMy Rating: Four out of five stars.Best for: 14 and up A journey of 12,000 pages starts at page 1 If you’ve been with me for a while, you’ll know I’ve been putting off reading The…
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Archangel One: War! In! Space!
Archangel One (Archangel One, #1)Archangel Rising (Archangel One, #2)By: Evan CurrieMy Rating: Four out of five stars.Best for: 14 and up Finally, a true military-in-space story! I’ve read plenty of spaceship books, but I’ve never read one that I’d consider convincingly militaristic. This story is–military strategy, complexity, military roles, war ship configuration and function, stuff…
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A Book Club Guest Review of The Camel Club
The Camel ClubBy: David BaldacciReviewer Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARSBest for: 14 and up Conspiracies and more conspiraciesGuest book review by Julie H Q: What’s the book about? Oliver Stone–not his real name–has three real friends. They are all rather eccentric in their own special fields. They call themselves The Camel Club and meet…
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A Book Club Guest Review of Patriot Games
Patriot GamesBy: Tom ClancyReviewer Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARSBest for: 14 and up Don’t make the IRA angry . . .Guest book review by Julie H Q: What’s the book about? Jack Ryan, before he became a famous analyst! On vacation he impulsively jumps into the chain of a bombing and saves the Prince…
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The Wheel of Time, Books 1-5: This. Is. Long.
The Wheel of Time 1-5The Eye of the WorldThe Great HuntThe Dragon RebornThe Shadow RisingThe Fires of HeavenBy: Robert JordanMy Rating: Four out of five stars.Best for: 12 and up A journey of 12,000 pages starts at page 1 If you’ve been with me for a while, you’ll know I’ve been putting off reading The…
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The Kaiju Preservation Society: Godzilla vs COVID
The Kaiju Preservation SocietyBy: John ScalziMy Rating: Four out of five stars.Best for: 18 and up Godzilla vs COVID Seriously, Scalzi? Not sure how, but Scalzi always seems to be just what I need. I just wish he would be a little less comfortable with the f-bombs. This story is just for the fun of…
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The Dragon Reborn: I’m finally starting to get it!
The Dragon Reborn (The Wheel of Time, Book 3)By: Robert JordanMy Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARSBest For: 14 and up FINE! I’ll read The Wheel of Time! I’ve been desperately avoiding The Wheel of Time series for years now. Even I, book nerd extraordinaire, am put off by the 14 book, 12,000 page commitment.…
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Jed and the Junkyard War: So much potential…
Jed and the Junkyard War (Jed and the Junkyard War, book 1)Jed and the Junkyard Rebellion (Jed and the Junkyard War, Book 2)By: Steven BohlsMy Rating: Three and a half out of five starsBest for: 10 and up So much potential… Jed and the Junkyard War and Jed and the Junk Yard Rebellion are super…
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#Lux: More Reckoners? Yes, please!
Lux (Texas Reckoners, Book 1)By: Brandon Sanderson and Steven BohlsMy Rating: Four out of Five StarsBest for: 14 and up More Reckoners? Yes, please! I’ve been apprehensive about embracing Sanderson, Inc. In 2021, Brandon Sanderson released five books–Four 4 of them written (co-written?) by former students of his writing class at BYU. I’m nervous for…
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Evershore: Brandon, Inc is getting better
Evershore (Skyward Flight: Novella 3)By: Janci Patterson and Brandon SandersonMy Rating: Five out of five starsBest for: 12 and up Excellent, but still waiting for more! Evershore is the 3rd Skyward Flight Novella that tells the story of what’s happening to Spensa’s friends while she is stuck in the Nowhere during the events of Cytonic,…
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#TheGreatHunt: Fine! I’ll Read The Wheel of Time!
The Great Hunt (The Wheel of Time, Book 2)By: Robert JordanMy Rating: Four out of five starsBest For: 14 and up FINE! I’ll read The Wheel of Time! I’ve been desperately avoiding The Wheel of Time series for years now. Even I, book nerd extraordinaire, am put off by the 14 book, 12,000 page commitment.…
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#TheEyeoftheWorld: FINE! I’ll Read The Wheel of Time!
The Eye of the World (The Wheel of Time, Book 1)By: Robert JordanMy Rating: Four out of five starsBest For: 14 and up FINE! I’ll read The Wheel of Time! I’ve been desperately avoiding The Wheel of Time series for years now. Even I, book nerd extraordinaire, am put off by the 14 book, 12,000…
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#Cytonic: I NEED MORE–NOW!!
Cytonic (Skyward, Book 3)By: THE Brandon SandersonMy Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARSBest For: 12 and up Sanderson Strikes Again…I just wish I didn’t have to wait so long for book 4! The Skyward series is fantasy-standard-bearer Brandon Sanderson’s first foray into Science Fiction, and it’s pretty great. Turns out, it’s less Science Fiction and…
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#TheFallofBabel: The Greatest Series You’ve Never Read!
Senlin Ascends (The Books of Babel, Book 1)The Arm of the Sphinx (The Books of Babel, Book 2)The Hod King (The Books of Babel, Book 3)The Fall of Babel (The Books of Babel, Book 4)By: Josiah BancroftMy Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARSBest For: Advanced 14 and up Thus ends the most brilliant fantasy adventure…
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#Unknown: More Augmented Reality, Please!
Unknown (Unreal, Book 2)By: Cindy GundersonMy Rating: Four out of Five StarsBest for: 12 and up AR?! Yes please! You know what’s cool? Augmented Reality. The possibilities are endless! At least, I thought it was cool–until crafty authors started telling stories about all the ways governments and corporations might use AR to passively exploit us…
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#BookScavenger: Where was this when I was 11?
Book Scavenger (Book Scavenger, #1)The Unbreakable Code (Book Scavenger, #2)The Alcatraz Escape (Book Scavenger, #3)By: Jennifer Chambliss BertmanMy Rating: Four out of five starsBest for: 10 and up Where was Book Scavenger when I was 11? Books about books are IT! This charming and well-written trio of middle grade stories are a book nerd’s dream…
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Sunreach: A NOT Sanderson, Sanderson book
Sunreach (Skyward Flight: Novella 1)By: Janci Patterson and Brandon SandersonMy Rating: Four out of five starsBest for: 12 and up A novella? Ya right… Seriously, every time Brandon Sanderson writes a book that’s under 250 pages and calls it a “novella” I laugh out loud. It’s like he just wants to remind the other authors…
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#TheLastGraduate: HP would be so happy! (Lovecraft, not Potter…)
The Last Graduate (The Scholomance, Book 2)By: Naomi NovikMy Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARS!Best for: 18 and up I need a hyperventilate emoji… Gah! Guys, I’m torn between raving and ranting. I loved, LOVED this book–but that cliffhanger! In book 1, A Deadly Education, we were introduced to this wonderfully imagined world from the…
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#ADeadlyEducation: Trust me, you’ve never read anything like this before…
A Deadly Education (The Scholomance, Book 1)By: Naomi NovikMy Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARS!Best for: 16 and up A magic school somewhere in England? A teen wizard tainted by a dark prophesy? No, you have NOT read this book yet, I promise. This magic school might have a familiar location, and there may be…
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#Dragonwatch: Dragons are the bacon of books
Dragonwatch (Dragonwatch #1)Wrath of the Dragon King (Dragonwatch #2)Master of the Phantom Isle (Dragonwatch #3)Champion of the Titan Games (Dragonwatch #4)Return of the Dragon Slayer (Dragonwatch #5) (*Haven’t read this one yet! Releases in 3 more weeks!)My Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARS!Best for: All ages! Independent readers 10 and up And you though Fablehaven…
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#ChildrenofRuin: We’re going on an adventure…
Children of Ruin (Children of Time, Book 2)By: Adrian TchaikovskyMy Rating: Four out of five starsBest For: 16 and up Alien parasites, space-fighter octopods, and astronaut spiders–oh my! I guarantee you’ll never hear the phrase “we’re going on an adventure” the same way again… Children of Time won the Arthur C. Clark Award for Best…
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#ChildrenofTime: How do you feel about spiders?
Children of TimeBy: Adrian TchaikovskyMy Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARS!Best For: Adults Well, that was a mind bender. I hope you’re not scared of spiders… Children of Time won the Arthur C. Clark Award for Best Science Fiction Novel of 2015, which puts it in pretty great company. If you’re a fan of ScyFy,…
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#Spellslinger: Oh, how I wanted to love this!
Spellslinger (Spellslinger, #1)Shadowblack (Spellslinger, #2)Charmcaster (Spellslinger, #3Soulbinder (Spellslinger, #4)Queenslayer (Spellslinger, #5)Crownbreaker (Spellslinger, #6)By: Sebastien de CastellMy Rating: Three out of Five StarsBest For: 14 and up Oh, how I wanted this to be amazing! I’ve had this series on my TBR for a while. I pre-purchased the first four books and was just waiting for…
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#TheRampartTrilogy: Fantastic & Frustrating!
The Book of Koli (Rampart Trilogy, #1)The Trials of Koli (Rampart Trilogy, #2)The Fall of Koli (Rampart Trilogy, #3)By: M.R. CareyMy Rating: Four out of Five StarsBest For: Adults Trilogy Review I had sky-high expectations for The Rampart Trilogy, and it delivered…mostly. I loved the world, I loved the characters, I loved the story, and…
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#Unreal: Why am I such a nerd?
Unreal (The Unreal Series, Book #1)By: Cindy GundersonMy Review: Four out of Five StarsBest for: 12 and up Sigh. Why am I such a nerd? I’m such a nerd when it comes to AR. (That’s Augmented Reality for everyone less nerdy than me.) It’s when you use a computer to change what your eyes see.…
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A Book Club Guest Review of Murder at Tophouse
Murder at TophouseBy: Clair M PoulsonGuest Reviewer Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARSBest for: 12 and up LA to NZ murder and mayhemGuest review by Julie Hilton A detective in Los Angeles suspects his partner of all sorts of bad behavior but he’s in for a huge surprise when he’s the one who gets suspended.…
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A Book Club Guest Review of Swords of Joseph
Swords of JosephBy: M R DurbinGuest Reviewer Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARSBest for: 10 and up Moses Mystery Historic FictionGuest Review by Julie Hilton Joshua and Caleb are troublemakers when they can’t handle the Egyptians anymore!! Their troubles come to the attention of Moses who has recently returned to free the slaves from Pharaoh.…
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The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O: Can we make Science Fantasy a thing?
The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O By: Neal Stephenson and Nicole Galland My Rating: Four out of Five Stars Best For: Adults only How about a Science Fiction story with some Fantasy mixed in? Or is it a Fantasy story with ScyFy elements? Both? Neither? I’m creating a new genre for The Rise and Fall…
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A Book Club Guest Review of Deadly Secret
Deadly SecretsBy: Frank RichardsonGuest Reviewer Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARSBest for: 14 and up From Homeless to Hunted to HelperGuest Review by Julie Hilton Rick, a guy who’s bounced around the foster care system, is now a homeless man. He’s a good guy and helps a woman one night but it gets him mistaken…
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#BeforetheBrokenStar: Meh for me, but maybe not for you!
Before the Broken Star (The Evermore Chronicles #1)By: Emily R. KingMy Rating: Three out of Five StarsBest for: 12 and up So…meh. I think there are probably some teenage girls who’ll really enjoy Before the Broken Star. This dad of teenage girls, unfortunately, did not. At some point, the book must have been on sale…
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#ProjectHailMary: This book is FUN! (So Lighten Up!)
Project Hail MaryBy: Andy WeirMy Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARS!Best for: 16 and up Come on, lighten up people! Project Hail Mary was fun! Actually, most reviews don’t need to lighten up–this book is getting some great, and well deserved praise. But there are a few reviewers who want to focus on a few…
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#TheSecondBlindSon: Whoa, wow, holy cow! What a story!
The Second Blind Son (The Chronicles of Saylok, Book 2)By: Amy HarmonMy Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARSBest for: 18 and up Whoa. Wow. Holy cow. What a story! The Second Blind Son was….powerful? Passionate? Gripping? Romantic? Really, really cool? Yes. Yes it was. I was impressed with The First Girl Child, and I don’t…
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#Dragonlance: 80s Fantasy Doesn’t Translate…
Dragons of Autumn Twilight (Dragonlance Chronicles, Book 1)Dragons of Winter Night (Dragonlance Chronicles, Book 2)Dragons of Spring Dawning (Dragonlance Chronicles, Book 3)By: Margaret Weis and Tracy HickmanMy Rating: Three out of Five StarsBest for: 12 and up Ah, junior high! I remember the Dragonlance books with early-teenage fondness, and I’ve been wanting to reconnect with…
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#TheEnchantedForestChronicles: The Series That Was Written in Reverse!
Dealing with Dragons (The Enchanted Forest Chronicles, Book 1)Searching for Dragons (The Enchanted Forest Chronicles, Book 2)Calling on Dragons (The Enchanted Forest Chronicles, Book 3)Talking to Dragons (The Enchanted Forest Chronicles, Book 4)By: Patricia C. WredeMy Rating: Four out of Five StarsBest for: All ages. Independent Readers 10 and up. The Enchanted Forest Chronicles was…
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#ADeadDjinninCairo: Steampunk Fantasy
A Dead Djinn in Cairo (Dead Djinn, #0.5)By: P. Djèlí ClarkMy Rating: Four out of Five StarsBest For: 18 and up Based on all the articles, ads, and give-aways, Tor really wants me to read P. Djeli Clark, so I figured I’d start with this 45-page short story as in introduction. Good short stories always…
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#TheFirstGirlChild: So, am I one of Amy’s Harmonies now?
The First Girl ChildBy: Amy HarmonMy Rating: Four out of Five StarsBest for: 16 and up Oh my goodness, there are some passionate Amy Harmon fan’s out there! I tried to join the Amy’s Harmonies private Facebook Group to see what the fuss was all about, but have yet to be approved. Maybe One Man…
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#FugitiveTelemetry: Yay! Another Murderbot Book!
Fugitive Telemetry (The Murderbot Diaries, Book 6)By: Martha WellsMy Rating: FIVE out of FIVE STARSBest for: 18 and up Yay! Another Murderbot book! I’m a huge fan of the conflicted AI with a past so tragic it calls itself Murderbot. This is the 6th story in the collection now, and I’ll be first in line…
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#TheBoysintheBoat: Amazing History Comes Alive!
The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin OlympicsBy: Daniel James BrownMy Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARS!Best for: 14 and up I grew up in Seattle. While I haven’t called the Pacific Northwest home for many years, I still carry with me an affection–or maybe…
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#TheDevilandtheDarkWater: Agatha Christie+Sherlock Holmes+1600’s Hygiene
The Devil and the Dark WaterBy: Stuart TurtonMy Rating: Four out of Five StarsBest for: 18 and up The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle was a happy surprise. It’s Groundhog Day + Quantum Leap + Agatha Christie, and if you haven’t read it, you need to. It was so good, in fact, that when…
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#TheWizardsofOnce: Unexpected Magical Brilliance!
The Wizards of Once (The Wizards of Once, Book 1)Twice Magic (The Wizards of Once, Book 2)Knock Three Times (The Wizards of Once, Book 3)Never and Forever (The Wizards of Once, Book 4)By: Cressida CowellMy Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARS!Best for: Advanced independent readers 10 and up or reading aloud to the whole family!…
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#HeavensRiver: The Bobs are back!
Heaven’s River (Bobiverse, Book 4)By: Dennis E. TaylorMy Rating: Four out of Five StarsBest For: 16 and up Haven’t jumped on the Bobiverse train yet? If you’re a fan of nerdy ScyFy, what the heck are you waiting for?! Heaven’s River is book 4 of Bob’s story: former human, current AI brain of a self-replicating…
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#TheWildRobot: Why Didn’t I Think of That?
The Wild Robot (The Wild Robot, Book 1)By: Peter BrownMy Rating: FIVE out of FIVE stars Update Feb 2021Third time for me, first time with a new set if kiddos. I have nothing but praise for this book. I love it, the kids love it. Thank you Peter Brown for your amazing story! One note…
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A Book Club Guest Review of The Serafina Series
Serafina and the Black Cloak (Serafina, Book 1)Serafina and the Twisted Staff (Serafina, Book 2)Serafina and the Splintered Heart (Serafina, Book 3)Serafina and the Seven Stars (Serafina, Book 4)By: Robert BeattyReviewer Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARS!Best for: 10 and up Looking for an exiting fantasy mystery? You HAVE to read Serafina!Guest review by Gisele,…
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#Serafina: Creepy Fun for the Pre-Teen Crowd
Serafina and the Black Cloak (Serafina, Book 1) Serafina and the Twisted Staff (Serafina, Book 2) Serafina and the Splintered Heart (Serafina, Book 3) Serafina and the Seven Stars (Serafina, Book 4) By: Robert Beatty My Rating: Four out of Five Stars Best for: 10 and up Feb 2021 Re-Read My 11-year-old has a new…
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#MuseofNightmares: The right mix of fantasy and romance…
Muse of Nightmares (Strange the Dreamer, Book 2)By: Laini TaylorMy Rating: Four out of Five StarsBest for: 18 and up I had hoped Muse of Nightmares would continue that balance Laini Taylor found in Strange the Dreamer–just the right mix of romance mixed in to help keep the fantasy moving and emotional. And it did…mostly.…
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#StrangetheDreamer: The sweet spot.
Strange the Dreamer (Strange the Dreamer, Book 1)By: Laini TaylorMy Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARSBest for: 18 and up I expected a fantasy romance when I picked up Strange the Dreamer, and funny enough–I found exactly that. Except I found more, too. Laini Taylor keeps surprising me: the reading dad who calls romance novels…
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#DragonandThief: Dragons in Space–Finally!!!
Dragon and Thief (The Dragonback Series, Book 1)Dragon and Soldier (The Dragonback Series, Book 2)Dragon and Slave (The Dragonback Series, Book 3)Dragon and Herdsman (The Dragonback Series, Book 4)Dragon and Judge (The Dragonback Series, Book 5)Dragon and Liberator (The Dragonback Series, Book 6)By: Timothy ZahnMy Rating: Three out of Five StarsBest for: 12 and up…
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A Book Club Guest Review of The Infinity Ring Series
A Mutiny in Time (The Infinity Ring, Book 1) by James DashnerDivide and Conquer (The Infinity Ring, Book 2) by Carrie RyanThe Trap Door (The Infinity Ring, Book 3) by Lisa McMannCurse of the Ancients (The Infinity Ring, Book 4) by Matt de la PenaCave of Wonders (The Infinity Ring, Book 5) by Matthew J.…
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A Book Club Guest Review of Daybreak
Daybreak (Girl From the Stars, Book 1)By: Cheree AlsopReviewer Rating: Four out of Five StarsBest for: 16 and up Surprisingly clean military science fictionReview by Charity Bradford A girl that’s been basically tortured her whole life finally gets the chance to be part of a group that is more family than crew. There is an…
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#Hollowpox: The Hunt for Morrigan Crow–Knock, knock, knocking on Harry’s door…
Hollowpox: The Hunt for Morrigan Crow (Nevermoor, Book 3)By: Jessica TownsendMy Rating: FIVE out of FIVE STARS!!!Best For: 12 and up I don’t know if there will ever be another Harry, although everyone’s always looking for it. After three books though, things are looking pretty great for Morrigan Crow. I don’t know what the future…
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A Book Club Guest Review of Code Name Camelot
Code Name Camelot (Noah Wolf Book 1)By: David ArcherReviewer Rating: Four out of fives starsBest for: 16 and up If you like Bourne…Review by Julie Hilton …and lots of details. Hard to tell about this one without giving away some serious storyline, but it’s basically about a guy named Noah with PTSD and feels no…
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#ReadyPlayerTwo: The sequel no one wanted.
Ready Player Two (Ready Player One, Book 2)By: Earnest ClineMy Rating: Two out of five starsBest for: Adults only who like to read disappointing books Yep. Just as I thought. We were fine with Ready Player One. Ready Player Two is a disappointment I’m going to pretend doesn’t exist. Ready Player One was my JAM…
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#RhythmofWar: RUN! It’s a Sanderlanche!!
Rhythm of War (The Stormlight Archives, Book 4)By: Brandon SandersonMy Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARS! Best For: 16 and up Over 1200 pages, and I still want more! Rhythm of War, book 4 in The Stormlight Archive, was my most anticipated new release of 2020, and wondered how it could possibly top its predecessor,…
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#SpaceCaptainSmith: Funny, not hilarious
Space Captain Smith (Chronicles of Isambard Smith, Book 1)By: Toby FrostMy Rating: Did Not Read. Goodreads Avg 3.71, Amazon Avg 4.1Best For: 18 and up I haven’t read Space Captain Smith myself, but I was asked for an opinion. So I did some research, and here’s what I learned: Space Captain Smith is dry British…
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#Dawnshard: “Just” a novella…
Dawnshard (Stormlight Archive, Book 3.5)By: THE Brandon SandersonMy Rating: FIVE out of FIVE StarsBest For: 14 and up Brandon Sanderson cracks me up when he calls his 200-page books “novellas.” It takes him like a week to write the thing and acts like it was an afterthought…it’s not a novel or a book, it’s just…
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A Book Club Guest Review of The Star Darlings Series
The Star Darlings SeriesBy: Shana ZappaReviewer Rating: 5 (000,000,000,000…) Stars!Best for: 10 and under THE STAR DARLINGS by Shana Muldoon ZappaReview by Jessi, age 11 An AMAZING group of 12 star-charmed starlings (people/girls?) Who secretly save there planet many many… times, by granting wishes from Wishworld (earth) to give starland (there planet) much needed energy,…
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A Book Club Guest Review of The Five Kingdoms Series
Five Kingdoms seriesBy: Brandon MullReviewer Rating: Four out of five StarsBest for: 10 and up The Five Kingdoms Series by Brandon MullReview by: Russell, age 12 It’s about a boy who goes after his friends who was kidnapped on Halloween. And he ends up in the world called the outskirts. It’s not like any world…
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A Book Club Guest Review of Huckleberry Finn
Huckleberry FinnBy: Mark TwainReviewer Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARSBest for: 10 and up The boy who became a hero by doing what he thought was wrong.Review by: Kirsten Johnston Huck is wise in some of the dangers of life, such as alcoholic parents. He is a smart, smooth lier. But in other ways he…
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A Book Club Guest Review of Where the Forest Meets the Stars
Where the Forest Meets the StarsBy: Glendy VanderahReviewer Rating: FIVE out of FIVE STARSBest for: 12 and up A Five Star Read!Review by: Julie Hilton A post grad student is recovering from a death, and a serious medical condition, and a breakup. She is working in a remote area, secluded and using work to both…
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#ThickasThieves: The only thing you know is you don’t know anything!
Thick as Thieves (The Queen’s Thief, Book 5)By: Megan Whalen TurnerMy Review: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARSBest For: Advanced 12 and up Finally, a new book in The Queen’s Thief series! Book 5, Thick as Thieves, was published 7 years after book 4! This reader chose to wait an additional 3 years to read it…
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#AConspiracyofKings: It’s a cantputitdowner
A Conspiracy of Kings (The Queen’s Thief, #4) By: Megan Whalen Turner My Rating: FIVE out of FIVE STARS! Best for: Advanced 12 and up Oct 2020 The great The Queen’s Thief re-read of 2020 continues! I’ve just finished book 4, and thus ends the “re-read” part of my re-read. Book 5 was published in…
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#TheKingofAttolia: How to be awesome.
The King of Attolia (The Queen’s Thief, #3) By: Megan Whalen Turner My Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARS! Best for: Advanced 12 and up October 2020 This series re-read is going beautifully. My re-read of both book 1 and book 2 made me wish I’d left book-specific reviews the first time instead of the…
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#TheQueenofAttolia: This is how you do it.
The Queen of Attolia (The Queen’s Thief, Book 2) By: Megan Whalen Turner My Rating: FIVE out of FIVE STARS Best for: Advanced 12 and up October 2020 I’m enjoying my re-read of this wonderful series! Going through a second time, I find myself wishing I hadn’t only left a series review the first time.…
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#TheThief: A slow build to the big reveal. And it’s awesome!
The Thief (The Queen’s Thief, #1)By: Megan Whalen TurnerMy Rating: Four out of Five StarsBest for: 12 and up Oct 10 to Oct 13 2020Wow, I really gushed over this series the first time. I’ve just finished my re-read of book 1, The Thief, and I’m wondering if I was a little too dramatic. I…
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The Bands of Mourning (Mistborn, #6)
5/5 stars The Bands of Mourning (Mistborn, #6) By: Brandon Sanderson My Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARS Best for: 16 and up October 2020 And this completes the great Mistborn re-read of 2020. It’s been so much fun these last few weeks to re-fall in love with this amazing series. The Bands of Mourning…
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Shadows of Self (Mistborn, #5)
Shadows of Self (Mistborn, #5) by Brandon Sanderson My Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARS Best For: 14 and up Oct 2020 My Mistborn re-read continues. Shadows of Self was a blast to read. I’d forgotten how heavy the ending was. I’m getting spoiled by these amazing Sanderson fight scenes. I’ve been reading (and loving)…
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#AlloyofLaw: Mistborn in the Industrial Age: Magic and guns
Alloy of Law (Mistborn, book 4)By: Brandon SandersonMy Rating: FIVE out of FIVE STARS!Best For: 14 and up 9/23/2020 to 9/27/2020This was my third time through Alloy of Law, and I still love it. It seems the deeper I get into seeing the Cosmere fit together, the greater my appreciation for what Brandon Sanderson has…
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#MistbornSecretHistory: Keys to the Cosmere Kingdom
Mistborn: Secret History (Mistborn, Book 3.5)By: Brandon SandersonMy Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARSBest for: 14 and up who have RECENTLY read the original Mistborn trilogy September 2020So, I just finished a much needed re-read of the original Mistborn trilogy, and I’ve got to say it was supremely satisfying. It’d been nearly a decade since…
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#TheHeroofAges: Simply Brilliant, x3
The Hero of Ages (Mistborn, Book 3)By: Brandon SandersonMy Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARS!Best for: 14 and up September 2020Man, I’ve put of this re-read for way too long. After I finished Well of Ascension I said it was my favorite of the trilogy. Well, now that I finished Hero of Ages I can…
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#TheWellofAscension: Simply Brilliant. Again.
The Well of Ascension (Mistborn, Book 2)By: Brandon SandersonMy Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARSBest for: 14 and up September 2020Man, I’ve put of this re-read for way too long. Well of Ascension might be my favorite of the trilogy…and I liked it even better the second time around. There are complexities in this story…
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#TheFinalEmpire: Simply Brilliant
The Final Empire (Mistborn, Book 1)By: Brandon SandersonMy Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARSBest for: 14 and up September 2020Man, I’ve put of this re-read for way too long. I can easily say I loved The Finale Empire (Mistborn, Book 1) even more the second time. There are complexities in this story that went way…
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#FasterThanFalling: Hope you’re not scared of heights…
Faster Than Falling (The Skylighter Adventures, Book 1)By: Nathan Van CoopsMy Rating: FIVE out of FIVE STARS!Best for: 12 and up Nathan Van Coops has created a wonderful new story set in a wonderful new world. Faster Than Falling is a scyfy-pirate-steampunk-adventure, and it was a BLAST to read! On this world, the sky is…
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#WarCar: It’s as fun as it sounds
War Car (Kingdom of Engines, Book 2) By: Nathan Van Coops My Rating: Four out of Five Stars Best for: 14 and up Sword Fight: Kingdom of Engines, Book 1 was a Mad Max/King Arthur/[Insert teen drama TV series here] mashup I loved and didn’t even know I needed. It was a blast to read,…
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#SwordFight: Mad Max+King Arthur+Beverly Hills 90210=a mashup I didn’t even know I needed
Sword Fight (Kingdom of Engines, Book 1) By: Nathan Van Coops My Rating: Four out of Five Stars Best For: 14 and up Nathan Van Coops, time-travel extraordinaire, has changed gears with his latest–Sword Fight: Kingdom of Engines. It was the perfect summer popcorn read, and I had a BLAST with it! What’s a popcorn…
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#TheHeroandtheCrown: WE HAVE DRAGONS!
The Hero and the Crown (Damar, Book 2) By: Robin McKinley My Rating: Four out of Five Stars Best for: 14 and up Yea! Dragons! When I read The Blue Sword, Robin McKinley’s pioneering YA Fantasy, I said any story that features a strong girl who wields a magic sword and rides a cool horse…
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#TheBlueSword: Strong Girl + Magic Sword + Cool Horse = Classic 80’s YA Fantasy!
The Blue Sword By: Robin McKinley My Rating: Four out of Five Stars Best For: 14 and up Ah, the 80’s! The music! The movies! The clothes! The books? Wait…the books? Yes! The 80’s were a glorious decade for books! Steven King and Tom Clancy were at the top of their games. So were John…
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#WizardforHire: Magical fun–But what makes something magical?
Wizard for Hire (Wizard for Hire, Book 1) Apprentice Needed (Wizard for Hire, Book 2) Magic Required (Wizard for Hire, Book 3) By: Obert Skye My Rating: FIVE out of FIVE stars! Best for: Independent readers 12 and up, but great to read aloud with the whole family! The Wizard for Hire Trilogy wasn’t exactly…
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#NetworkEffect: #Murderbot is back–Introverts have a new hero!
Network Effect (The Murderbot Diaries, Book 5) By: Martha Wells My Rating: FIVE out of FIVE stars! Best for: Adults only All right! A new Murderbot story! If you’re not familiar with Murderbot but you’re a fan of Scy-Fy and good stories, you’re going to want to check out All Systems Red, book 1 in…
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#ArtemisFowl: Hilarious, Magical Fun!
Artemis Fowl (Artemis Fowl, Book 1) The Arctic Incident (Artemis Fowl, Book 2) The Eternity Code (Artemis Fowl, Book 3) The Opal Deception (Artemis Fowl, Book 4) The Lost Colony (Artemis Fowl, Book 5) The Time Paradox (Artemis Fowl, Book 6) The Atlantis Complex (Artemis Fowl, Book 7) The Last Guardian (Artemis Fowl, Book 8)…
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#DeathsDoor: Did you know Edgar Allan Poe could time travel?
Death’s Door (The Immortal Descendants, Baltimore Mysteries #1) By: April White My Rating: FIVE out of FIVE Stars Best for: 14 and up April White writes the stories I want to read! I hope you’ll check out her Immortal Descendants series. It’s time travel, shape-shifters, and vampires (who don’t sparkle). It brings to life the…
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#Fablehaven: If only it were real…
Fablehaven (Fablehaven, Book 1)By: Brandon MullMy Rating: FIVE out of FIVE STARS!Best for: All ages Yea for good books! The kids and I just finished Fablehaven last night. It was my second trip to Fablehaven, but the first for the my 10 and under crew. Did it deliver? Oh yes. They loved it! And how…
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#ArtemisFowl: The bad guys are the good guys and dwarves poop dirt.
Artemis Fowl By: Eoin Colfer My Rating: Four out of five stars Best for: 10 and up I guess I’m the boring one. I first read Artemis back in 2011. It was my young teen who recently read it and declared it “AWESOME” that prompted this re-read. That, and the upcoming, strait-to-Disney-Plus movie coming out…
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#TheLightofAllThatFalls: A truly grand finale!
The Light of All That Falls (The Licanius Trilogy, Book 3) By: James Islington My Rating: FIVE out of FIVE stars! Best for: 14 and up James Islington read Mistborn and The Name of the Wind and thought “I can do that!” So he did. As far as debut novels go, I don’t know I’ve…
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#AnEchoofThingstoCome: Now that’s how to do book 2!
An Echo of Things to Come (The Licanius Trilogy, Book 2) By: James Islington My Rating: FIVE out of FIVE STARS! Best for: 14 and up James Islington read Mistborn and The Name of the Wind and thought “I can do that!” So he did. As far as debut novels go, I don’t know I’ve…
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#TheShadowofWhatWasLost: Ambitious, complex, and…magical!
The Shadow of What Was Lost (The Licanius Trilogy, Book 1) By: James Islington My Rating: Four out of Five Stars Best for: 14 and up James Islington read Mistborn and The Name of the Wind and thought “I can do that!” So he did. As far as debut novels go, I don’t know I’ve…
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#Unwind: Teenagers beware…
Unwind (Unwind, Book 1) By: Neal Shusterman My Rating: Three out of Five Stars Best for: 14 and Up I’m gonna give this a “meh.” Unwind has been on my Mount TBR for years, and I finally decided to give it a try because I loved Scythe, another Neal Shusterman book (that I highly recommend).…
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#TheKingdomofBack: To never be forgotten…
The Kingdom of Back By: Marie Lu My Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARS!!! Best for: 14 and up I love fantasy. I love historical fiction. I love music. I love to be surprised. I love learning new things. I love books that inspire me. The Kingdom of Back is all of those. I loved…
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#TheCalloftheWild: That’s not a BOOK–that’s a TIME MACHINE!
The Call of the Wild By: Jack London My Rating: FIVE out of FIVE STARS Best for: Advanced 12 and up Have you ever wanted to time travel? Read a classic novel. Jack London’s most famous book is a classic in every way. Buck is the four-legged narrator of this wonderful story. When he’s dog-napped…
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#TheToll: Thou Shalt Kill. Folks, we have a winner!
Scythe (Arc of a Scythe, Book 1) Thunderhead (Arc of a Scythe, Book 2) The Toll (Arc of a Scythe, Book 3) By: Neal Shusterman My Rating: FIVE out of FIVE STARS! Best for: Advanced 14 and up What a great story! I loved the Arc of a Scythe trilogy. It’s original, new, relevant, exciting,…
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#Thunderhead: Still Kills
Thunderhead (Arc of a Scythe, Book 2) By: Neal Shusterman My Rating: FIVE out of FIVE stars Best for: Advanced 14 and up Book 2 is done. I’m still impressed. It’s original, new, relevant, exciting, interesting, thoughtful… …and uncomfortable. How’s this for our future: The “Cloud” grew up, became sentient, and took over the world.…
One Man Book Club 