This book focuses entirely on weird car facts from history. There is only one Encyclopedia Brown mystery at the very beginning, which was disappointing.
I think that boys would enjoy reading the funny and strange facts about cars!

Young Alex, the laird of Carra, is forced to sell his ancient and dilapidated Scottish castle to an American millionaire. Poor Alex is heartbroken to be leaving his ancestral home, but worst of all is the parting with his ghostly friends who haunt the Castle of Carra. When the millionaire tears down the castle and transplants it in Texas where his ailing daughter, Helen, can enjoy it, the ghosts accompany the ancient stones of their home, and uncover an evil plot to kidnap Helen. The good ghosts befriend a mysterious phantom hand, and rely on Alex to help save poor Helen from her kidnappers!

This has all the charm and silliness that I've come to love in Ibbotson's books! The writing is fresh with a whimsical story-telling style. I love how weird and wacky the characters are, and how every detail about them carries weight in the story. The plot is full of preposterous surprises and plenty of action.

One of the best things about Ibbotson's writing is how she takes ordinary things and turns them upside down to the astonishment of the reader.

Poirot is invited to give away prizes at a staged murder mystery hunt planned by the scatter-brained Mrs. Oliver, but when an actual murder occurs, only Poirot can unravel the real clues from the fake ones staged in the game.

I really loved the cast of characters in this book! The three or four main suspects are quite interesting and strange characters with forceful personalities, but the remaining extra characters are fairly nondescript, staying in the background.
Poirot is absolute perfection, of course, and the delicious Mrs. Oliver is a wonderful oddball, full of imagination and half-finished thoughts.

The writing is excellent, as always, and the plot keeps you guessing and wondering until the astonishing reveal at the end. Then I spent about half an hour, going over the plot again in my mind, and fitting in all the little pieces, the details that I had overlooked, and remembering, "Aha! So THAT's what that meant!" Even after finishing the book, I was still thinking it over and basking in the intricacy of a beautifully woven mystery.

One of Christie's best!

Young John Ridd is called home from school when his father is murdered by notorious highwaymen, the Doones. Although others cry out for revenge, young John focuses on working his mother's farm, and growing up tall and strong, without bitterness in his heart.

While he is fishing one day, he comes across the lovely Lorna Doone, the innocent granddaughter of the leader of the Doone clan. The two children become secret friends, and as they grow up, their love blossoms. Lorna is promised in marriage to her violent cousin, Carver Doone, but John vows to rescue her from the clutches of the Doone family.

This story definitely deserves the title "epic", since it covers a lot of ground, although the basic storyline is fairly simple. There's some focus on the political unrest of the time and the impact it has on Exmoor, with several armies, Dukes, and papists sweeping across the country. Such a rich historical background really brings a lot of depth to the story, and provides many twists and turns to the plot.

The wild countryside of Exmoor is the perfect backdrop for the mystery, suspense, violence, romance, and wildness of the story. The different terrain of the farms, the moors, the seaside, and the crags and mountains practically become their own characters, informing the reader of the mood of each scene. We get used to the comfort and safety of the fields around the farm, so that when violence comes rushing into that scenery, we are shocked and outraged. We expect to see strange and weird sights and sounds in the mysterious crags and gullies of a rocky terrain, so we are doubly interested to hear of ghostly sightings or mystifying disappearances.

I felt connected with John's character, since he is the narrator, and his personality shines through every page. But I didn't connect with Lorna very much until the middle of the book when her character started to really flourish.

There are many wonderful supporting characters, each with their own backstory and place in the plot.
John's mother, who dotes on him and spoils him and gives him his own way in everything.
Sweet darling Annie, John's sister, who apparently can do no wrong in John's eyes.
Mysterious and cynical Uncle Huckabuck, whose only goal is to acquire more money despite his already substantial fortune.
Little cousin Ruth Huckabuck, misunderstood and ignored, but with a full and loving heart.
Lazy John Fry, the foreman of the farm, who is only useful if you can stop him telling the most outrageous lies.
The dashing Tom Faggus, an honorable highwayman, adored by all the countryside for his gallantry.
And a dozen more, who becomes John's friends or enemies, each with a life of their own, and pouncing off the page through their native dialogue, their startling actions, and close emotional pull.

One thing I did NOT like about the writing style was how the narrator, John himself, talks in chronological circles sometimes. He will be telling you about this thing that happened, and then he'll say, 'Oh, but 3 months before that this other thing happened. And I neglected to mention that this person was a guest at the farm the whole time, so they saw it all too.' Ugh! Why can't you just tell things in order?!?! It was very distracting, but after the first 100 pages or so, I kind of got used to his upside-down-and-backwards storytelling style.

Another annoying thing about the writing was these long flights of fancy into descriptions of the passing seasons, and the plants and trees blooming, or the beautiful snowflakes, blah blah blah. I mean, I love a good description, as long as you keep it to under 4 sentences, NOT 4 pages! (He gave Dickens a run for his money here.)

There were also many thoughtful pages about the meaning of good and evil, and how people react to politics, and whether titled people are truly noble at heart, and how husbands and wives behave to each other, and when violence is good or whether it is always wrong, and whether or not this and that, etc... and again, I love a good philosophical thought process, but keep it to about 3 or 4 paragraphs, NOT 4 pages. It breaks up the storyline and slows down the action, and you lose your reader's interest.

I disliked how John is constantly saying that he isn't very smart, and he doesn't deserve the credit for some good deed, and he is just a humble farmer, and he knows that the reader won't think much of him, just a simple man with a simple mind, and no quickness to his thoughts, and the reader must forgive him for being so feeble-minded. ON and on and on... in every chapter! OMG, John! We know you're stupid already. Just get on with the story and stop being so darned humble! Urgh. The repetition of this one thing got on my nerves so bad!

Overall though, I enjoyed this story immensely! The entanglement of the plot, the rich scenery, the irresistible characters, and the exciting mystery kept me interested and delighted with each chapter.

Not my favorite play by any stretch of the imagination. I got so bored with all the politics, and had difficulty remembering who was loyal to the king and who was plotting with whom. Still there are several good scenes, and some interesting characters that kept me entertained.

Henry is a good guy, but a lazy king. He abandons the court gatherings to indulge his own feelings of grief, leaving a bunch of people to conveniently conspire against him and murder his friends. Seriously, if he had just been a bit more aware of his surroundings, a bunch of people might have lived. He's too trusting and innocent. And I'm sorry, but York was right when he said Henry would make a better palmer/priest than a king.

I actually LIKE Henry a lot!! He's good-hearted, merciful, and kind. His devout faith keeps his focus on heavenly things, which would be good if he could balance it with being focused on his kingdom too. At one point he even quotes the words of Christ, saying to the rebelling masses, "They know not what they do." All of his dialogue is heavily religious and I like that, even though it also contributes to his fatal flaw.

I think towards the end Henry begins to realize that he's not doing a good job as king, and he regrets it, but seems to be unable to change his ways. He stands at the edge of a battlefield, and won't fight or flee. Make a decision, stupid-head!

Queen Margaret is so self-absorbed and full of self-pity. What a whiner! I got so sick of hearing her whine about everything little thing. Poor little Margaret didn't get everything her way. boo hoo. She's manipulative and deceitful, and I hate her. She's makes an interesting character though!

The Duchess was so mean and ornery and bossy and hateful! I felt so bad for her poor husband. He tried to be nice, but she just had to feed her traitorous ambition. Another good villain with plenty of sass!

The creepiness factor in the play is off the charts! Ghosts, and beheadings, and crows feeding off the corpses, and the nasty Cardinal calling on demons or something. The line about killing the babies made me cringe, even though no babies are actually killed. Cade's rebellion was just awful! Killing innocent people willy-nilly, and the grotesque Cade inciting the people to such violence, rape, and murder, and burning the town. Bleh.

I prefer a comedy, thanks.

Favorite quote: "Where thou art, there is the world."

Three little boys follow a treasure hunt, misread their map, and get lost in the darkest part of the forest. They meet odd creatures, see strange sights, and try to avoid the dark powers of the forest. It's pretty grim and violent at times. The plot lacks cohesion, and I had to read the ending twice to try to understand just what had happened.
The illustrations are sometimes lovely, sometimes bland. Some of the pages are in color, others are in black and white.
I was not impressed with the story. It jumped all over the place with no real explanations of what was actually happening or why.
I liked the whimsical characters at first, but quickly got bored with them as they repeated the same things again and again.

Overall, I was not happy with this book. Poorly constructed plot, disappointing illustrations, no character development.

Disclaimer: I received an ecopy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

3.5 stars
I really enjoyed this book, and I read it in one sitting! Couldn't put it down. The writing style has a few flaws, but the memorable characters and fascinating plot make up for it. A few trite "fairy tale" sort of things pop up (King of Thieves, a horse named Moonlight, a sword named Lightning), but I like them anyway. Not exactly original sometimes, but the oldies are the goodies.

I really loved Alanna's character. Her confidence and self-doubt are perfectly balanced. I really connect with her inability to understand the people around her or be able to fathom their motivations. She says weird little things that make people laugh, and she can't understand why they are laughing, b/c in her head it sounded perfectly normal. She kind of lives in her own little place inside her head, and I'm like that too. What a beautifully written, well-rounded character!
I'm so excited to read the rest of this series!

Second time reading:
I think I enjoyed this book more the second time around! I love the characters! I love the story, and the magic, and the exotic settings!

2.5 stars
Alanna is a teenage girl who pretends to be a boy so that she can train as a squire and learn to be a knight in the royal palace of Tortall. Only a few people know about Alanna's true identity, among them, her dearest friends, Prince Jonathan, and George, the King of Thieves. In the midst of a war with a neighboring kingdom, Alanna starts out with a determination to focus on her knightly studies, but she gets distracted by the temptations of love. With the protection of a Goddess upon her, Alanna uses her magic to unmask a deadly enemy within the very walls of the palace.

I was disappointed in this book. So disappointed in Alanna. She makes very bad decisions, and has sex at the young age of 16. Seriously??? Why was that even included in this book? That whole storyline was awful, and the romance was so awkward it made me cringe. A couple of kisses and she just hops into bed with the guy. That is NOT okay. I thought this was a middle grade book!! I am NOT HAPPY about this. Urgh.

The rest of the book I liked though. There's a fantastic storyline about the war with the neighboring kingdom of Tusaine, and it's all spying and intrigue and battles. Alanna really shines, as she inspires those around her with loyalty. They see how hard-working and caring she is, always putting the needs of others before herself. She uses her limited magic to heal wounded soldiers, and throws herself into battle to protect her friends. I loved her character during those scenes!

Just like in the first book, there are MORE trite elements in this story. A cat named Faithful. What a boring name! And of course, the biggest tallest burliest soldier at the war camp is naturally named Thor. Of course. You couldn't possibly think of a more original name for a big guy who wields an axe? Lazy writing.

The big finale was excellent, as Alanna finally confronts the hidden enemy of the palace of Tortall, the trusted adviser, that wily sorcerer that no one can ever catch in the act. I loved how the intricacies of the magic system played out in this plot! It really came together beautifully for a satisfying ending.

I was not impressed with the Ordeal of Knighthood, since the whole scene went by rather quickly and I didn't have time to feel how frightened Alanna was. After all that buildup, it fell flat and it wasn't even scary. It seemed like sloppy writing to me.

Overall, good things and bad things in this book. I am not a happy reader at this point, but I did enjoy a few parts of the story. I will still continue with the rest of the series, but it is with a bitter heart and a word of caution to other readers. I'm just so angry about the terrible romance plot! Gah!

This is NOT Disney's Pinocchio. It's all violence, disaster, cut-throat assassins, hangings, imprisonment, thieves, bullies, greed, murder, more violence, and one ungrateful little puppet. Pinocchio really is a heartless scoundrel. He steals and lies and cheats, and then cries "Woe is me!" when someone steals from him, or lies to him, or cheats him. Well, you got what you deserved, puppet!

There are so many problems with this story. The plot is disjointed, the world-building is atrocious, and the magic is odd and inexplicable.
The blue fairy is first a dead little girl in a house full of dead people, then she's a live little girl who takes care of Pinocchio, then she's grown into a woman within a few months, then she turns into a goat, I think. Not really sure what happened there with the goat. Then she's a woman again, I think.

There was a very confusing scene with a travelling puppet show, where the other puppets greet Pinocchio as a fellow puppet and are overjoyed to see him, and have a big party for their "brother". Are all puppets alive in this world? Why do the other puppets have strings if they are living beings with their own autonomy? If the puppet master hires them as "actors" for his show, then why would they need strings? They evidently have their own thoughts and feelings. So who is controlling the strings? Confusing. Makes no sense. Weirdness.

Another thing that made no sense was poor Jiminy Cricket. In the book he's just called the Talking Cricket. In the first few chapters, he comes on the scene to warn Pinocchio to do good and go to school and work hard to please his father. But Pinocchio is so enraged at the Cricket that he throws a hammer at him, and SQUASH! Cricket is murdered, flattened against the wall.
Then in another scene the Talking Cricket appears to Pinocchio as a ghost, again warning him to change his ways, and return to his father, and go to school. Pinocchio ignores his warnings yet again, and the ghost disappears.
And near the end of the book, here comes Talking Cricket, apparently alive and well, congratulating Pinocchio on finally returning to his father and reforming his character. Jiminy, how did you resurrect yourself? Are you Jesus? Did the Blue Fairy bring you back to life? Are you a reincarnation of the previous Cricket? ... WHY?!?! What the hay is this nonsense?!! Dead people won't even stay dead when you kill them. What kind of idiotic world is it where puppets and crickets can't just murder one another and stay dead?! Or at least explain to me how you are alive again.

I hated Pinocchio so much! So. Much. He's ungrateful. He's sneaky. He's a big fat liar. He's a cheat and a thief. He's selfish and lazy and greedy. If he would make these mistakes once, learn his lesson, and reform, then I would like him. But he does the SAME sins again and again, always promising to reform and do good while he's in the middle of a crisis or disaster, and then going right back to doing evil when things are going well for him again. Urgh. I was so frustrated with him. Evil little brat!

I hate this whole thing. I really do.

Edwin Drood has been engaged to the lovely Rosa Bud since they were children. The engagement was the dearest wish of their deceased parents, and the two have grown used to the idea that when they come of age they will get married despite the lack of real affection between them. But Edwin's uncle, John Jasper, has a secret passion for Rosa, and she regards him with fear and dread. Edwin sees nothing wrong, and trusts his uncle completely, not knowing that Jasper is an opium addict.

When Edwin goes missing on a stormy Christmas Eve, suspicion falls on an innocent young man, Neville Landless, who had an argument with Edwin weeks before. Jasper vows to bring the murderer to justice, and spends his time spying and searching out his neighbor's secrets. Frightened by what the impassioned Jasper might do, Rosa flees to her guardian in London and befriends Neville's sister, Helena. From the opium dens of London to the quiet streets of a country village, the mystery takes many shapes as each character searches for the truth.

It's amazing to me that even this little fragment of a story still holds such power and interest hundreds of years after it was written! Like all Dickens' books, it's a slow start with lots of set-up and characters introduced, but some action finally comes in and the dialogue is hilarious in some of the scenes. There's lots of intrigue and half-hinted secrets as the plot revolves around Edwin and his Uncle Jasper, their connections with their neighbors, and their plans for Edwin's future.

As with all Dickens' books, the characters are vibrant and varied in their personalities and backgrounds. Every person is so memorable and interesting! There are at least a dozen supporting characters, which makes me wonder what Dickens had planned for each of them in the final plot. He always introduces a lot of seemingly insignificant people who don't seem to have a place in the main plot, and then brings them in at the end with important information. There is such a great build-up creating these characters, each with their own style of speaking and their own way of doing things. It's a shame not to see that played out.

I loved so many of the characters! Rosa Bud is sweet and innocent, but can be serious at times. Her friend Helena Landless is much more world-weary, coming from a broken home, and she feels protective of her little friend Rosa.

Neville Landless is having trouble controlling his temper, and has a wild heart that he is trying to discipline with the help of his tutor, Reverend Crisparkle. The Reverend himself is a good and compassionate man with a level head and common sense. He has a high sense of honor, which prompts him to defend Neville when suspicion falls on him.

Edwin Drood is rather cocky, sure of himself, and a little bit spoiled, but not a bad fellow. He can be kind and generous when he remembers to be, but he isn't used to thinking about anyone other than himself. He's not a bad guy, just young enough to still be a little self-centered as we all are at times, and inexperienced enough to think everything will go his way if he just asks for it.

John Jasper is one of those creepy and terrifying villains that only Dickens can write so well. He is so very horrifying because he works quietly behind the scenes. He doesn't make a fuss, he just lowers his voice and threatens you with a ghoulish smile on his wicked face. You never know what nasty thing he's going to do next, but he'll do it secretly, and the world will think he's just a respectable music teacher. I was so disgusted and freaked out reading about him! Gah! Dickens always has such awful villains, and I love it!

The dialogue is sparkling and full of hidden meanings. Some of the scenes are quite somber and others are simply silly, keeping the story balanced.

I wish there were an ending to this book, because it's already a powerful story! You can certainly see the direction that Dickens intended to take the plot, and even some of the roles that characters might play in the end, but there are many tantalizing loose ends and unrealized possibilities. It's such a shame that he didn't even leave notes or an outline to indicate the ending.