kailey_luminouslibro's Reviews (3.79k)

Richard Hannay is caught up in another adventure! This time an old friend from South Africa, Haraldsen, is being hunted by evil men with a vendetta against his father. Richard's son, Peter John, is now in his teens and is eager to help his father protect Haraldsen's family, especially since he has a lovely teenage daughter, Anna. After dodging the bad guys all around the city, they escape into the country and make their last stand on the Island of Sheep.

I really love the writing style of these adventure books. It keeps that tension and mystery through every chapter, and we get to experience it all through Richard's eyes. We feel his fear and excitement and despair in each scene, and his relief when they are all safe again.

I found it interesting to hear more about Richard's past in this book. There is a lengthy chapter describing how he met Haraldsen's father in South Africa and how they swore eternal friendship after surviving some tough times together. That bond of friendship continues even after the elder Haraldsen's death, and Richard remains loyal to Haraldsen's family even when it means putting his life in danger.

There is a lot of exciting back and forth in the plot, figuring out what the bad guys want, who is working for them, where they are hiding, and where they are likely to attack. It was cat and mouse for most of the book, until the good guys finally decide that they are sick of running. They make a desperate last stand on the island, but it is the teenagers who ultimately discover the clue to saving them all.

Once Michael has been rescued from the government compound, there are still consequences that have to be dealt with. Cameron, the girl who was spying for Sheriff Valenti, is trying to be honest with them, but worries that she will lose her new friends. Michael has to make a decision about which girl he has feelings for; Maria, Isabel, or Cameron. And their new alien friend appears to have turned evil overnight! How can they protect themselves when they aren't even sure what is going on?


I loved the Roswell TV show when I was a teenager, and it was so fun to rediscover this story through the books! I don't think I would have enjoyed the books now as an adult if I didn't already have the nostalgia of the TV show.

I like that the books are different than the TV show and have different plot lines. It keeps it interesting for me, and it's fun to see how the books differ from the show. The character's personalities are a little different too. Michael is way more funny and less brooding. Isabel is more haughty and proud. Alex is more confident. Max is way less calm than in the TV show. It's weird to see these different sides to their personalities.

The writing is really dorky and has all the high school tropes that you would expect from a 90s teen novel. But I don't care! I love it anyway! Most people would probably roll their eyes at the teen angst, but it just makes me laugh because I already adore the characters.

I can't wait to read more from this series!

Tom is an orphan who must stay at boarding school during the boring summer months. When his uncle Jack invites him to stay the summer in the country, Tom jumps at the chance. However, it soon becomes apparent that Tom's uncle is hiding a devastating secret. Jack is using magic for unimaginable ends, and he expects Tom to be his heir and take over the magical responsibilities of their ancient family. But Tom worries that Jack is not telling the whole truth about the magic. Could there be evil at the root of it?

I really enjoyed the imaginative magic system and setting. It's very mystical and mysterious!

The plot is a little bit slow, but there is a lot of tension in the atmosphere that keeps your attention. I really liked the way different threads in the story hint at particular mysteries and then we see those threads connect later on in the story. However, there were a few things that weren't quite explained. The plot could have been a bit more cohesive.

The writing style is a bit discontinuous at times. For instance, there is a scene where the characters are eating in the kitchen and Zita asks Tom, "Do you dance, darling?" and she starts to do a "little jig" in the kitchen. Tom thinks to himself that his experience of dancing is "with music that wasn't anything like this..." But nowhere in the scene does it say that there is any music. I actually went back and reread the scene three times to see where the music was coming from. There is no mention of music. No one is humming or singing. There is no radio on. So why is a character reacting to music that doesn't exist? There are lots of little missing details like this that are confusing.

I loved the characters and their complex relationships. Tom is a great main character. I like that he's curious and always exploring around to find the truth. His mind is constantly analyzing and puzzling things through until he finds the answers.

I found it interesting that two of the side characters are trying desperately to be cheerful and find a little happiness in a bad situation. They have decided that even though their entire existence is torturous, they are determined to grasp onto whatever little pleasures and comforts they can find each day. So they dance and eat good food and enjoy the sunshine while they can. It's pitiful and heartbreaking and beautiful.

Overall, a good book, but it has a few continuity problems in the plot.

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. 

Once upon a time, there was a book that no one wanted to read. Maybe it was dry and boring. Maybe the cover was unattractive. Maybe the book was high up on a shelf where no one could reach. Or maybe the book was biding its time until a special reader came along.... YOU!

This book is so hilarious and weird. It goes off on these crazy tangents with silly jokes before finally getting to the actual story, and then it veers off into another wild tangent. I love it! The story was not at all what I expected.

The humor can be a little bit gross sometimes with farts, poop, vomit, and other yucky things. Not exactly my style of humor. But most of the jokes were really fun and made me chuckle.

The illustrations are what make this book so hilarious! There are lots of weird puns and odd quips that are then illustrated in an explanatory style as if this were a textbook. If someone's "eyes fall upon" something, there is a cartoon illustration of a person's eyeballs hanging out of their head. There is also a chart showing the "Loudness of Different Dropped Items", where a dropped handkerchief, an ornamental bowl, a drum kit, and an angry hen are listed "In Ascending Order of Loudness". There is an educational groups of charts which show the likelihood of "Fun" in a pie chart, an equation, an XY graph, and a bar graph. Delightful!

I like that (underneath the silliness) we get to explore some deep ideas about why we love to read and what is truly important in the stories we write or share. Imagination and courage are essential in life, and we get those from the books we read.

My favorite part of the story is when the book and the reader begin to really connect through sharing their worst fears and anxieties. They have to be vulnerable with each other and trust that the other one will accept them and encourage them. To read or write is to open your heart and share a story with someone else, and that takes courage. Simply beautiful!

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.

Michael has been captured by Sheriff Valenti and is being held as a prisoner in a secret compound. The rest of the gang are trying to come up with some kind of plan to rescue Michael. Just when they think they might have some answers, another alien brings all their plans to a crashing halt. Isabel keeps wondering if her relationship with Alex is really what she wants, or if her connection to Michael means something more.

I loved the Roswell TV show when I was a teenager, and it was so fun to rediscover this story through the books! I don't think I would have enjoyed the books now as an adult if I didn't already have the nostalgia of the TV show.

I like that the books are different than the TV show and have different plot lines. It keeps it interesting for me, and it's fun to see how the books differ from the show. The character's personalities are a little different too. Michael is way more funny and less brooding. Isabel is more haughty and proud. Alex is more confident. Max is way less calm than in the TV show. It's weird to see these different sides to their personalities.

The writing is really dorky and has all the high school tropes that you would expect from a 90s teen novel. But I don't care! I love it anyway! Most people would probably roll their eyes at the teen angst, but it just makes me laugh because I already adore the characters.

I can't wait to read more from this series!

A little girl with a horn mysteriously appears in Looniland right when a plague begins sweeping through the city. Could it be that she brought the sickness with her? The unicorns and cyclopes who live in the city are divided into groups of "pretties" and "uglies", but only the "pretties" are getting sick. It's up to Kurb and his "ugly" friends to find answers by going on a quest!

This graphic novel is funny and weird! I really enjoyed the imaginative story and the crazy setting of Looniland. Even the clouds and trees have personalities in this land of magic! I liked the characters and the way their relationships change and grow through all their adventures. There are several plot twists that surprised me and made the story even more delightful.

The humor is sometimes irreverent or gross (farting, poop, or vomit), but not actually inappropriate. It wasn't exactly my type of humor, but I did find it funny most of the time.

The artwork is funny and I like the cartoon style. Every page is colorful and vibrant. I'm not sure what was going on with the design for most of the characters. The unicorns don't have bodies; they are just big heads with tiny spindly legs and arms. No neck, no body. It's weird. I mean, I guess it works, but it's just so strange. It is certainly unique! The design is consistent and polished, so I liked it, but it had me scratching my head a little. haha!

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.

Clementine is struggling to survive on her own in a world full of zombies. She has had one of her legs amputated, and has to hobble along travelling north. Sometimes she meets people, but is reluctant to trust anyone. Amos is an Amish teen, leaving his homestead community to look for work in the mountains. They travel together for a few days and develop a tenuous friendship. But the world is cruel and people can't be trusted.

I was not a fan of the graphic violence and profanity in this book. I understand that obviously a book about zombies is going to have some serious violence, so I expected that. But the profanity was just completely unnecessary. If it had been just one or two words, then I might have overlooked it; but it got worse as the book went on.

I liked Clementine's character and I felt pity for her. Everyone is broken and crazy and just trying to survive. Clementine probably has PTSD and she sometimes seems emotionless, like she has lost all feeling, but then she will overreact to something small and her anger comes pouring out. I liked that her character has a lot of depth, and this story is not afraid to explore these dark emotions.

A lot of people die. A lot. So that made me not connect to any of the other characters, because I kept thinking that there's no point in getting fond of anyone because they will just die in the next chapter.

The plot is okay, but it sort of meanders around. I didn't care for the dialogue sometimes, because it felt like it was trying too hard to be philosophical or meaningful, and missing the mark a bit. And sometimes the characters are so cryptic in their dialogue that I couldn't follow what they were talking about or what was happening.

I didn't care for the artwork. It's well done, but the style is just not my personal preference. Maybe if it were color instead of black and white, then I might have been able to keep track of the characters a little better. They are all bundled up in jackets and hats, and sometimes I couldn't tell who was who.

Overall, I did not enjoy this graphic novel. But if you love zombie stories and you don't mind violence and profanity, then you might like 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.

A mixture of old and new design brings a unique perspective to interior decorating. Traditional and modern styles connect in this book, where a juxtaposition of different approaches come together for something truly special.

I was definitely intrigued by the unique way the authors blend together different styles. I liked that the style is not all matchy-matchy, but brings together different elements in a curated and purposeful way. I personally didn't like all the furniture or design choices, but I did admire how carefully and thoughtfully each room was designed. I tend to prefer more traditional styles, so there were some elements that I really liked.

The photos in the book are absolutely beautiful! I was very impressed with the overall layout of the book.

I really enjoyed the section about arranging furniture to get the most of out of each room. Another cool section is all about "Decorating by Mood", including a clean mood, romantic mood, and earthy mood.

I was able to glean a little bit of inspiration from the book, but I felt like a lot of it was written by rich people for other rich people, and if you want to use most of their advice, you need to spend a whole fortune to redesign your entire house. It seems like if their style is so timeless, it should be accessible to all kinds of people from a variety of economic situations.

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.

Maya's grandmother moves in, and the two begin cooking their favorite Korean recipes together. Maya discovers that her grandmother has the ability to revisit moments of her past, using food as the memory trigger to time travel. They can't change the past, but can only watch themselves reliving those same moments, frozen in time. Maya has many questions about her Korean family, her father's death, and why her mother is so sad and distant. She hopes that these visits to the past will provide answers, but the more Maya finds out about her family, the more questions she has.

I love stories about time travel and all the timey-whimy wibbly-wobbly plot holes. I was very impressed with the imaginative way that this particular time travel works. It's more of a fantasy magic-system, rather than sci-fi time travel. Maya's grandmother just "feels" the memory and focuses on the time she wants to visit and is able to travel through time in an instinctive elemental way. There are some rules and boundaries to the ability, but I liked that it is accomplished by magic and not machine.

The coolest thing about this book is the Korean recipes that are sprinkled throughout the book. Every time that Maya's grandmother teaches her a new recipe, the reader has the opportunity to cook it too! I had never heard of any of these foods, so it was wonderful to learn about Korean cuisine.

It was very interesting to learn about Korean culture and see the connection between the generations of this family. There is one place that mentions teenagers drinking alcohol at a family party with their parents permission. I think this is perhaps an insight into Korean culture, and I found it interesting to see how different this is from typical American culture. Americans tend to be more strict about underage drinking, while other cultures around the world are more lenient as long as there is parental supervision.

I loved the themes of family togetherness in this book. There is such a strong family dynamic in the way each family member appreciates and honors the others, but they also feel frustrated or annoyed with each other just like any family. I loved seeing how these connections grew and changed through the story.

I loved Maya's character! I was immediately drawn into her story as she is trying to navigate the dangers of time travel and discover the truth about her family's past. She is extremely complex and emotional. I really connected with her.

There is one line in the book where Maya's best friend Jada starts to date another girl, and it just felt like it was thrown in completely randomly. There was no indication before that to show that Jada was a lesbian. It didn't fit with the rest of the story at all.

The plot twist in this book completely blew my mind! I never saw it coming, and then I had to wrap my mind around it, and think back to other points in the story and make sense of them with all the new knowledge that Maya discovers. This plot was amazing from beginning to end!

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.

People are lost in an ocean of words, and if you want your message to be heard and understood, brevity is the key. This book gives advice on how to streamline your words, so that you can communicate most effectively.

I really like that this book helps you to explore why your message matters. If you know your 'why', then you can boil down your message to the most important points that you want people to remember. If you can get the "one big thing" to stick in people's memories, then you have won the battle. A few short words can be truly powerful.

My favorite part of the book is when a verse from the Bible is used as an example. It's actually the shortest verse in the Bible, "Jesus wept." Only two words, but it says so much about Jesus and the scene at the tomb of Lazarus.

One thing I really liked is that the focus is on your audience. What do they need to hear? What do they need to understand? How is this relevant and helpful to THEM? We all feel like we have a lot of things to say, and we want to be heard. But when you humbly set yourself aside and make the audience the priority, that is when true connections happen!

In some places, I felt like the authors didn't take their own advice. They say that you should get straight to the point, but the first 17 pages of the book are just stuff like 'We're gonna teach you this and this thing and that other thing. In this book, you will find tips and tricks for stuff about brevity.' But I wanted to just get right into it. I don't want 17 pages of you telling me what this book will teach me and why it's important. Just give me the tips and tricks already! So they didn't take their own advice. There is even a place on page 60 that says "Why do you have to flip through 20 pages of a book before it really starts? ... Or read an intro... when all you want is the one or two takeaways?"
Seriously. Take your own advice.

I also didn't care about the personal stories of when the authors used to work as a reporter at this newspaper or that company, and how they started their own company. There are lots of personal anecdotes and success stories from people who revolutionized their business using the brevity method or whatever. I just wanted the bare info, not a bunch of stories about random people. And there is a bullet point on page 79 that literally says, "Skip the anecdotes."
Seriously! Take. Your. Own. Advice.

There is some profanity; not a lot, but enough to annoy me. If the brevity method is about using the most concise words to get across a powerful message, you would think they could find better words to use instead of curse words.

I do really love the design of this book! The paragraphs are often organized in bullet points, which makes it easy to digest the information quickly. They have sections with big bold headlines so you know exactly what topic you are reading. (I liked that the anecdote sections are clearly marked so that I could just skip those.) The graphic design at the beginning of each chapter is colorful and bold, grabbing your attention. It's an attractive book!

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.