This story tells of a magical mirror-image of London, called Londra, where pixies and trolls live side by side with humans, and magical objects hold mystic power. Tabetha is a mudlark, who searches in the muddy waters of the river Themse for scraps she can sell . On Christmas Eve, a mysterious stranger asks if she has ever seen a fragment of the long-lost Glass of Lead and Gold, a magical artifact with mysterious powers to make the miserable happy again. Tabetha accepts the help of a waitress in a soup kitchen, and the two embark on an adventure to restore the Glass of Lead and Gold, but they are betrayed and threatened at every turn until the Glass seems to be lost forever.

I loved the writing style and the way this story is told. The writing itself is magical as it weaves a fairy tale story for the reader. The plot is rather sad and distressing at times, as Tabetha struggles to survive alone on the cold streets of the city, but gradually the story brightens as Tabetha finds friends and begins to start a new life.

I loved the character arc that Tabetha has from being a street urchin who won't trust anyone, holding all her hurt and misery inside herself, to finally opening up and trusting her new friend, the one-armed waitress.

I adore the details of this magical world! I loved reading about the specific types of fairies, pixies, and little Hobs ( tiny men), and trolls, evil watermen, mermaids, and all types of magical creatures. So many lovely and imaginative details of magic and myth that really gave the world-building some depth.

For such a short story, it has great development and a full storyline. Loved it from start to finish!

Everything you ever wanted to know about every kind of predator is in this book! With categories that talk about each type of animal, sections that address fangs, claws, wings, and special pages for endangered animals, this book answers every question you might have about these incredible animals.

Beautiful photos of predators in action really bring the book to life, and give a strong impression of the life these animals live in the wild. I could just stare at these photos for hours. Every page is so colorful and full of movement.

There are big sections for predatory mammals, birds, reptiles, fish, and a strange array of predatory invertebrates like squid, scorpions, spiders, and ants. I really like how the book is organized, and all the great information about each animal. There are also several pages that tell the reader how they can help conservation efforts to preserve endangered species, and how predators help their ecosystems from getting out of balance.

There is also a glossary at the back to help the reader with large words, and a list of websites, movies, and places to visit to find out more!
This book will spark the curiosity of any child or teen, and is a wonderful reference for all the knowledge you'll need about the world of predators.

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

A witty comic about what it means to be a reader and book lover. With whimsical scenarios and a relatable main character, this comic explores the every day lives of those unique people obsessed with reading.

The artwork is clean and simple, but appealing and very expressive. I love that some of the pages are funny comics about being a reader, and some of them are a little more serious about how magical it is to get lost in a book.

From those frustrating things like stickers on a book cover that drive readers crazy, all the way to the delight of connecting with other readers over a shared love of books, this comic encompasses all the aspects of a reading life and what makes readers so special.

I loved every page! I would love to see more comics from this author/artist!

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

Grace and Marion are sisters, saying goodbye to their childhood friend, Alfred, who has just come of age after growing up as a ward to the girls' father, Dr. Jeddler. Alfred promises to come back someday to marry Marion when he has finished medical school and made his fortune. The years pass, but their happy plans take a sorrowful turn, and it will take all their courage to survive the battle of life.

The best part of this book, by far, was the hilarious servant-girl, Clemency! She is awkward and kind, gentle and sweet, clumsy and odd, and deliciously funny. I was actually laughing out loud in public while reading about her antics!

Nobody but Dickens can balance such serious and funny material in the same story. The plot is quite full for such a short book, and I was completely surprised by the ending! I like that a lot of the story is told from the outside perspectives of side characters commenting to one another on the doings of the main characters. It gave a depth to the plot, and made for some interesting character studies.

I adore the sweet romances in this book, and I was so touched by the love of this close family, and their affection for one another. They are always ready to sacrifice for the other person and do all they can to make the other person happy. It's very emotional and precious.

Overall, another perfect Dickens book that I thoroughly enjoyed!

I love the beautiful photos in this book, and I even recognized some of the homes from the Fixer Upper show. I like the philosophy of decorating, with an emphasis on telling your story through what you allow in your home. Your home should be functional for your family, and feature things that are important to you.
I just adore Joanna Gaines' style, and this is a lovely book. I can't say that I actually got any doable ideas for my own home from this. Everything looks too expensive or massive or requires some kind of major remodeling. I was looking for smaller ideas, simple changes, and easy DIYs. Ah well. If I were a millionaire, I would totally have a home that looks like Joanna Gaines decorated it.

Thirteen-year-old Thomas is sure that magic is real, and he goes searching for proof in every dusty old bookstore he can find. One day, a mysterious bookshop owner lets Thomas borrow the magical Book of Sorrows, and Thomas discovers a secret family history and a world of magic and myth that takes him on a dangerous adventure.

I enjoyed this book so much! The magic system is marvelous, the plot is brilliant, and the characters are deep and endearing.

The absolute best thing about this book is the characters and their relationships with one another.
I love Thomas' relationship with his mother, Susan. They are affectionate and silly sometimes, like this adorable tiny family. I love the trust they share, and the way they joke around and enjoy being together as a family.

I love Thomas' relationship with his best friend, Enrique. They tease each other, and their banter is priceless! I feel like they are real people, because there are so many great details about their friendship.

I loved the fascinating characters that Thomas meets along his journey. They are all so memorable and unique, with mysterious backstories and secrets. I was intrigued by every new person that Thomas encounters, and desperate to know more about them.

The plot had a few problems in the beginning. The whole first half of the book could have been much shorter. Not much happens at first, and the same situation drags on for way too long. Some of the scenes are recycled again and again.
The mysterious lady confronts Thomas on the street two or three times. Why was that necessary? Why not just once? She doesn't say anything particularly new the second or third times. I got it the first time.

The scene where the ominous dark van follows Thomas down the street happened at least ten times. Okay okay, I get it. There's a van with creepy people following him. I don't need to see the van in every other chapter for 150 pages.

The scene with the bullied kid in the bus is repeated three or four times. Why? Why wasn't once sufficient? Why couldn't that whole bullying situation be taken care of in ONE scene? I don't need to see it three times to get the point.

And there is a lot of going out to eat, and sitting in class, and eating dinner, and going to bed, and waking up, and having breakfast, and sitting in class, and riding the bus, and going to a party, and playing a game of chess, and reading a comic, and hanging at the beach, and playing a game of basketball, and eating dinner, and going to bed, etc... Ugh. I understand that it's important to get an idea of Thomas' daily life before magic changes everything, but really.... it was overdone and dragged out. If he had just gone to class once, maybe twice, or had dinner with his mother once or twice, that would be fine. But this was complete overkill in the beginning.

The first 150 pages could have been condensed to 50 pages, because it's all build-up, and at long last around page 165, the action finally starts. The story structure needs some help at the beginning, but just stick with it, because then it gets GOOD!

The action in the middle and end of the book blew me away! I mean, the plot gets moving and never stops! It's mystic power, and kidnapping, and stolen crystals, and magic training, and impossible illusions, and betrayal, and surprises, and crazy situations until the very last chapter. I enjoyed the story so much, and I was on the edge of my seat!

Overall, I loved this book, and can't wait to read more from this series! All that set-up in the beginning slowed the story down, but once it got moving again, I really enjoyed it! It's totally worth it to slog through the beginning.

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

Celie and her family are plagued once again by the evil Wizard Arkwright, and this time he's loose in the Castle, wreaking havoc and dodging the guards. With a whole posse of griffins tagging along, Celie sets out to save the Castle and her family, but the Castle has its own ideas about how they should do that.

Another fantastic book in this series! I love the magical Castle, and Celie's connection to her home. As always, I love the entire royal family and all their motley assortment of friends. Every character has such a rich personality and wonderful character arcs of growth and change. I especially love seeing how they all pull together to save the Castle.

I got slightly annoyed with Celie in this book for harping on the same frustrations over and over again. She feels under-appreciated and over-looked because she is the youngest, but I just felt like she was whining about it all the time, and being a little selfish. Overall, I adore her character, and there were only two or three paragraphs where she got on my nerves a little.

The plot line of this story is full of action and mystery, magic and mythical history! I love the twists and turns and surprises around every corner.
The writing really draws you in, and makes you cheer for the good guys!

This book tells all about the venomous creatures of the sea, with beautiful photographs of each type of fish, coral, and worm. Each page has wonderful explanations of how the creatures feed on their prey, how they deliver their venom to their victims, and how they protect themselves from other predators.

The information is interesting and memorable, but uses many big words and technical terms that children might find too heavy for enjoyable reading.
I loved the colorful photographs, and curious facts about each animal, and I found it very informative and impressive.

However, I was disappointed that the book often referred to the evolutionary process, citing "millions of years", etc... as though it were empirical fact, instead of a theory. I found that to be a little dishonest, as if the authors were purposefully misleading the reader to think that a theory is actual verified fact. Other than that, the information seemed knowledgeable and reliable.

This cover is so ugly! Why couldn't the publishers have put a beautiful-but-deadly picture of an anemone, or coral, clown fish, jellyfish, stingray, sea star, or any of the other gorgeous creatures featured in this book? Why choose the ugliest, nastiest-looking fish in the entire book, and put THAT one on the cover? Seriously. It's so unappealing that I did not want to pick up this book after having seen the nasty fish on the front staring at me with bug eyes. Ugh. Although, maybe boys, who love nasty things, would find it attractive, and would enjoy looking at gross creatures with bug eyes. To each his own, I guess.

This would be a good book for children doing a book report or research project on venomous creatures, where they need some technical information, but also want to have fun reading about it!

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

It's Mole's first Christmas on the River Bank after meeting his new friends, the Water Rat, Otter, Badger, and Toad. Mole is concerned because no one seems to have any Christmas spirit, and all his friends find excuses not to attend his holiday festivities. Can Mole unravel the mystery of why a mysterious house guest at Toad Hall is ruining the Christmas season for the entire River Bank? The River Bank friends are launched into a Christmas adventure when Toad is arrested AGAIN, and an ancient law invoked by the Lord of the Manor could mean the end of the Willows.

I adore every book in this series, and this one is wonderful too! Such a great plot with lots of action and excitement interspersed with moments of sweet affection and simple home comforts. The writing style is so close to the writing of Kenneth Grahame that I can barely tell the difference. The old-fashioned charm of the story swept me away immediately into the wholesome world of the Willows.

This beautiful book gives practical meditation tips, breathing exercises, and yin yoga postures for beginner through intermediate yogis. It includes yoga sequences for 30-90 minute yoga practices, and instructions on how to modify each yoga pose to make it easier if you need a gentler posture, or to make it harder if you are ready for a deeper stretch.

I adore the gorgeous photos of each pose. The serene ocean in the background of each photo makes me feel soothed and calm. The golden light and beautiful seaside landscapes really enhance every yoga posture.

I was inspired by the peaceful quotes, and gentle reminders to "come to a point of stillness within."
I feel like each page invites the practitioner to breathe softly into the tranquility of each corner of the body. I especially appreciated the simple modifications to help make each pose an expression of your own practice.

I was intrigued by the section on chakras and meridian balancing, and now I'm eager to try the suggested poses and meditation techniques for each area of the body. This book really gives you the tools to target particular ailments or "stuck" places in the body, and loosen and soften those areas, bringing the mind, heart, and body back into harmonious balance.

There are "Be Aware" tips for each pose, to help you be safe and avoid aggravating any previous injuries. Each pose is not only illustrated in the photos, but also described in detail, aiding the yogi with how to get in and out of each pose safely.

The sequences are especially helpful, since they bring all the information together, creating a balanced practice that is easy to follow. There are sequences for the beginner, for the more advanced yogi, for relieving stress, for digestion, for backaches and neck pain, for hips, posture, prenatal, for more energy, for bedtime, and a dozen others. I love how these sequences are organized so that you can squeeze every benefit from your practice. And it's useful to have various time frames to work with, so that you can choose a sequence that matches the time you have available.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is curious about yoga, but intimidated by the "Bikram" hot yoga style, or worried that an energetic "yang" yoga class would be too taxing.
Yin yoga is gentle and slow, giving the body the rest it needs, while still providing a beneficial stretch and strength to the joints.

I would also recommend this book to anyone who is already a seasoned yogi, but wants to expand their home practice, find out more about yin yoga, and dive deeper into the beauty of their own body.

I would recommend this book to anyone who needs some stillness in their life, needs to reduce stress, and make their busy mind more tranquil. Yin yoga is perfect for training the mind to be quiet while the body is relaxed.

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