In this retelling of Little Women, the March sisters are all witches, training to learn magic from their mother, Marmie, and from crabby old Aunt March. Old Mr. Lawrence moves in next door with his grandson, but they are witch-hunters! As long as the Marches abide by the laws of Concord, the witch-hunters won't bother them, so the Marches try to befriend their new neighbors. Jo and Laurie get involved in a magic investigation and try to unravel a curse, but will the March sisters' magic be enough to protect their family?

I loved this graphic novel! The artwork is simple and eye-catching, with striking colors. The art panels made the storyline very clear and easy to understand. The expressions of the characters and the action really pulls the reader into the story.

I loved how the March sisters are reimagined, but all the fire and spirit in their characters are preserved. Many of the plot points are the same as the original story, but with subtle twists and added enchantments to make them fit in a magic tale.

It was fascinating to see how various characters and plot devices are reworked and rewritten to fit an entirely new story. I love how imaginative the writing is!

Disclaimer: I received an ecopy of this book for free 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.

Moll Flanders tells the story of her life, from her infancy in Newgate Prison where her mother was convicted as a thief, to her young maidenhood and adulthood as a whore, conwoman, honest wife, mistress, mother, thief, and the worst kind of liar.

I just hated this book from start to finish. I hated the main character, Moll Flanders, for all her sneaky, conniving, selfish, evil ways. She is entirely self-centered. She is disgustingly promiscuous. She has several children by different men, and abandons them all. She lies to everyone about everything. She has no morals whatsoever, and shows no remorse for her heinous crimes. She schemes how she can trick people out of their money, and steals from innocent children. She is revolting in every particular.

I did not like the writing style either. The only other Defoe book that I have read was Robinson Crusoe, and the factual, pragmatic style worked for that kind of story. But this is a story full of emotional upheaval and violence and complicated family drama.

The story needed a finer touch and more deep explanations of what is going on within the characters' hearts and minds. Moll's motivations are rarely explained. She launches into relationships with men without any explanation of WHY they "fell in love". The writing is so bare and plain.

There are also NO chapter breaks at all. There are NO breaks in the story. It's just one long rambling narrative.

The story is much too long as well. There are at least 100 pages (I counted. From page 201- 309) that deal entirely with her escapades as a pick-pocket and thief. Just recounting different "jobs" that she did, and how she got away with it, and how she fooled people, and how much "loot" she stole. I mean, really. I didn't need 100 pages of that. The plot doesn't go anywhere. It just stagnates for 100 pages of thievery.

Ugh. Not happy with this book.

An adorable book about a spoiled little girl, Elizabeth, who is sent to boarding school, and learns self-control. She makes friends, learns that giving is better than receiving, and discovers that she is much happier when she controls her temper and is compassionate toward others.

I love the simple, old-fashioned writing style, and the sweet characters. The plot is delightful and funny!

I thought the main character, Elizabeth, was hilarious and engaging. She is talented and strong-willed, and her teachers and classmates love that about her. But she can't control her wild impulses, and they gently teach her to manage those wayward emotions. I loved her character development!

I was very intrigued by the system in the school where the student government manages the everyday affairs of the school. The children put all their allowance money from their parents into a school fund, so that every child can get the same amount of allowance, whether they are rich or poor. When a student misbehaves, a student council made up of the headgirl and headboy and 12 elected monitors devise a proper consequence for the misdemeanor with the approval of the teachers.
It's all done with such wisdom and loving care. I would love to be a teacher at this school! If only student governments today had such systems, maybe young people would learn better self-control.

Margaret was left with an island convent when she was a baby, never knowing her true heritage. When the exiled Queen Eleanor is sent to the island, she befriends Margaret and tries to unravel the secret of the girl's unknown parentage. The nuns of the convent have dark secrets, and the rough life on the island holds many dangers.

Margaret is a beautifully complex character. She loves her home on the harsh island, despite the simple life there. She loves the nuns who raised her, and enjoys her work and her lessons. When their simple routine is disrupted by the arrival of Queen Eleanor, Margaret rises to the challenges and welcomes the danger with admirable courage.

I found all the supporting characters really interesting and complex too. All the nuns tell the stories of their secret past, and the various people who visit the island have their own stories to tell as well.

I loved the intriguing and engaging plot! There are so many secrets to be revealed, and cultural and religious history to be discovered. I was completely immersed in the story.

I can't really review the artwork, since the e-file that I received from NetGalley had low-resolution. As far as I can tell, the artwork is good.

I was really disappointed in the ending. It ended much too abruptly, and needed an epilogue to explain more of the last events in the story.

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.

This graphic novel explores the different ways an introvert can escape social scenarios or minimize awkward social contact. Escape on a jet pack! Hire a kidnapper to get you away! Pretend you don't speak English.

Some of the suggestions are funny, but some are actually do-able. Some of the ideas would only last for a short time, and some are the perfect exit strategies.

If you are wondering how to escape an office party, how to get out of another dinner with your talkative aunt, or how to avoid eye contact with an acquaintance you barely know, this book will give you tips on excuses, disguises, small talk, and cover stories to get you out of any situation.

I loved the adorable comic illustrations! The hilarious subject material is highlighted by the high contrast artwork that uses only black, white, and purple. The whimsical lines enhance the comedy just as much as the text does.

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

Tristan Thorn embarks on a quest into the land of Faerie to bring back a fallen star for his lady love. He encounters strange wonders, magical creatures, and an injured star-maiden who hates his guts. But Tristan is not the only one seeking the star; a disgusting old witch wants to eat the heart of the star to gain back her youth, and three princes of the kingdom of Stormhold are searching for the star to gain control of the kingdom.

I really enjoyed the imaginative world-building in this book. The world of Faerie is vibrant and colorful, with many glittering characters and expansive lands.
I felt like the characters could have had more depth. They are good characters, but not amazing. The writing is good, but I wasn't swept away into the story.
(Maybe my expectations were too high, or maybe I wasn't in the mood for this book. It's a good book, but I just couldn't get into it.)

Also, there is some profanity in this book and one brief sex scene. There are also a lot of unnecessarily gross descriptions about urine and entrails and blood. It ruined my enjoyment of the book.

Poppy and her large mouse family are held in servitude to the formidable owl, Mr. Ocax. When Poppy and her boyfriend, Ragweed, decide to flaunt Mr. Ocax's rules, it means trouble for the whole mouse family. Only Poppy can discover the truth behind Mr. Ocax's secret fear, and save her family from starvation!

This story was so cute! I loved the whimsical plot, and the funny characters. The writing is charming, and the illustrations are beautiful.
Poppy is such an idiotic little fool, but she has a good heart and she is brave in the middle of terrifying circumstances (well, terrifying to a mouse).
I loved grumpy old Ereth, and his hilarious insults! He brings so much comedy into the story.

I enjoyed this so much that I'm going to continue on with the sequel, Poppy and Rye.

Sarah Clarkson delves into the qualities that a "book girl" possesses, and how she learns and looks at the world. And the author lists her favorite things about reading, along with her favorite books for every occasion in life.

I enjoyed this book, especially the lists of books. There is a short review with each book listed, so you can check off the ones you've already read, or look up the ones that sound interesting and put them on your wishlist.

Another wonderful thing about this book was the emphasis on reading as a way to know more about God through stories, and to connect with yourself by connecting with God. I really liked how the author explores various aspects of how stories can comfort, guide, and enlighten, always pointing us toward Christ.

I thought the writing style was a little too flowery though. I know the author was trying to "paint a picture" of her reading life and experiences, and how books have changed her, and enriched her heart. But I just had to skip over the paragraphs that begin with, "There are daffodils in the vase by my window as I write." Or "I was seventeen, and it was actually, in the words of so many mystery novels, "a dark and stormy night." Oh, I felt the drama of it with all my teenage intensity."
I just wanted the author to get on with it. I don't care about all your piddling little memories and flowers. I want to hear about the books!

But once, I skipped over the boring chapters, the rest of the book was quite good, and the writing has some good bite to it with wonderful quotes from famous authors, talking about the magical experience of reading and the use of imagination.

There are a few paragraphs with trifling personal memories and junk that I didn't care about, but the parts that actually talked about books had some very good meat for the mind, that I'm still chewing over.

I especially got a thrill checking off the lists of books that I have already read, and putting a little asterisk next to the ones I want to read. My wishlist just got a lot bigger!
I also enjoyed that the author includes lots of C.S.Lewis and J.R.R.Tolkien in this book, my two favorite authors!



Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for free 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.

This cute story follows Poppy as she travels to the far-away Brook to bring the sad news of Ragweed's death to his family. But when she arrives, the Brook has been dammed by selfish beavers, and Ragweed's family have been threatened and their home flooded. The only one brave enough to help Poppy stand up to the beavers is Ragweed's younger brother, Rye.

I loved this sweet and whimsical story! The writing is old-fashioned and charming, and I loved the adorable mouse characters.
I was especially interested to see the depth of Rye's character, and some character development from Poppy and Ereth. It was delightful to see a simple story with such deep themes.

Daniel is a boy who cannot tell lies, no matter how much he wants to. Emily is a secretive girl with an eccentric grandmother. Together they try to find a doorway to the mysterious island and the magical secrets it holds. But a sneaky Army Captain has camped out in the town with his soldiers looking for traitors and spies, and he is determined to ferret out Daniel and Emily's secrets.

This book was only okay. I was disappointed in the story. The big revealed mystery about the island was a major disappointment. I was bored with the characters. The plot barely moves at all. This is not nearly as imaginative as some of this author's other books. I ended up skimming through the last 50 pages.