Delightful book!!
Rereading it for the second or third time, I have enjoyed it just as much as the first time.
Orphaned Maria lives in a crumbling old palace that her ancestors built on an extensive estate full of gardens and obelisks and temples and monuments. But there is no money to repair the palace, and she lives in poverty with her governess and one old cook.

When Maria is exploring around an island in a small lake, she encounters the tiny Lilliputian people who Gulliver brought back to England after his travels. They are in danger of being discovered by Maria's evil guardians, the vicar and governess, and Maria must use all her ingenuity to save them from being kidnapped and sold as slaves.

I love how imaginative this book is. My favorite parts are the scenes that describe how the Lilliputians make their living on the Mistress Masham's Repose island. They fish, and hunt, and train mice as their horses. They have their little homes in the roofs and hollow pillars of the Repose cupola, and keep their tiny farm animals in stables built into the steps of the structure.

Maria is an interesting character with a complex personality for a child. She has moments of immaturity, but she learns from her mistakes and strives to do better. She is really a strong little person for such a young girl of only ten-years-old with the fate of an entire nation of people resting on her shoulders. She is cunning and determined and stubborn. I just love her!

All the supporting characters are vivid and larger than life. The cook, the vicar, the governess, the constable, and lord lieutenant are all hilarious and interesting characters, but my favorite of all the supporting cast is the old professor who befriends Maria. He is scatter-brained and intelligent and philosophical. If you can get his attention, he will give you wise advice, but most of the time his thoughts are lost in ancient texts and archaic etymology.

I like the writing style, and the humor of the prose. But there are some times when the author takes the joke a little too far, and just keeps telling the same punch line again and again until it gets annoying. But those times are few and far between.

Emily enjoys playing on the farm and helping to feed the animals. But Noah thinks the farmyard is too loud and scary. He's afraid of the cows, and horses, and even some of the larger pigs. But Emily knows a way to make the farm fun and safe. She helps Noah to start small with some little chicks, and introduces each barnyard animal one at a time, until Noah feels safe and confident enough to make friends with a massive cow!

This was such a sweet story! I really loved how Emily is patient and compassionate with Noah, and gradually helps him to overcome his fears. It's adorable how Emily uses rhyming couplets to make the farmyard chores into a game. "First, of course, brush the horse." "Next is hen. Sweep her pen." "See that chick? Feed him, quick!" It brings an extra element of silliness and fun into the book, and distracts Noah from his fears.

The illustrations are full of bright colors and adorable animals. I love all the cute details in the background of each page, and the funny expressions on the characters' faces.

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.

Two children are awakened in the middle of night by their parents who lead them on an evening hike into the countryside. Through the village, past the fields of sleeping cows, and into the woodland, they walk slowly, enjoying the peace of the night and the light of the stars above them.

The graceful beauty of this simple book almost brought me to tears. I am in despair that I can never write a review that will capture the absolute glory I experienced while reading it. I wish I could give it 10 stars!

Each new landscape that we discover along the hike is like a magical new scene of wonder and beauty. The stars, the trees, the wildlife, the silence, the warm night air, and the chirping of crickets; all these things weave a spell of tranquil harmony around the reader.

The big mystery of the book is where the family is going. They keep saying they need to "get there on time." And when their destination is revealed at the end... What a satisfying and splendid moment!

I am in complete awe of these illustrations! The use of light and dark is incredible, only using blue and grey and gentle yellows. You can actually FEEL the streetlights glowing on the page. The shadows cast by the flashlight sent me searching through the background of each page looking for little rabbits, and foxes, and owls in the forest. The little pinpoints of the stars are like a blessing over the entire scene.

I loved the peaceful expressions on the faces of the characters. A happy family, safe in the night, on a journey together for a unified purpose. Their faces say it all. What a complete delight!

I am utterly enchanted with this 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.

This second volume is just as cute as the first! Nerds falling in love, what could be more adorable?! In this one, the ladies pressure their boyfriends into trying cosplay, with mixed results. There are a few flashbacks to when they knew each other as children, and the friends all grow closer as they reminisce and share their deeper feelings, fears, and dreams with each other.

Even though our two main nerd characters love to hang out, playing arcade games, and watching anime together, they've never been on a real date. They will have to seriously change their perspective in order to deepen their relationship. These two are so awkward and silly, and I love their dynamic!

A new mysterious character is introduced! Is he an old ex-boyfriend? A kindly young student? Or is he here to steal away our favorite nerdy girl from the arms of her boyfriend? I loved that whole story line, and it added some real interest and fun to the manga!

This volume also had some smoking, a little less drinking than the first volume, and some sexual innuendo. So not a manga for kids.

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.

Genius, of course!

In 1860s Egypt, Salima helps her father with his ferryboat business, but she longs for more education and wants to travel and see the world. Hoping to make some money to pay for school, she applies for a clerk position with a company overseeing the construction of the Suez Canal. She becomes entangled with the corruption and danger surrounding the various European and Egyptian powers struggling for control of the new canal.

The writing style is really excellent, and made me care deeply about the characters. However, it could use a copy editor for little things like punctuation.

The plot was exciting, and the adventure was interesting. However, there were times when I couldn't understand why the plot took the direction it did in some scenes. It wasn't clear why the characters chose to do what they did, or how they got to a certain point, or how they gained particular knowledge. It was just some little things that didn't quite add up, but it didn't ruin my enjoyment of the overall story.

I liked the various art styles of the illustrations, and how they brought the reader right into the scene. The beautiful Egyptian setting and all the history about the building of the canal were completely fascinating!

I really liked Salima's relationships with her friends, and how they grow and learn to trust each other more and more through the story. There are some lovely supporting characters that I found really interesting.

I loved that Salima is a fierce and strong character. She is intelligent and fearless, and when confronted with corrupt officials, she will not back down or compromise. However, towards the end of the book, I felt like she was acting out of character. Whereas I had previously admired her integrity and compassion, she began to act differently at the end. I was very disappointed in this change in her personality, and I felt that many of her actions were immoral. It's like she was the good guy, and then suddenly changed into a villain seeking revenge.

I did not like the violence in the ending. It got really brutal and dark at the end, and I didn't feel like it was in keeping with the rest of the story.

The problem is... I am a character-driven reader, and I really cared about Salima's character. So I felt betrayed at the ending when she changed into this other person that was violent and vengeful. Maybe that is just me and my experience with the story. Other readers might feel that Salima was justified in her actions. I have my own moral beliefs about what is right and wrong, and this story did not align with my philosophies.

And that is why I gave this book a two-star rating, meaning "It was okay." There were many many things that I enjoyed in this book, and I grew strongly attached to the characters.

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 minister falls over dead at a cocktail party, apparently poisoned. However, there is no poison in his glass. The host is determined to discover what happened, but everyone dismisses the idea that a kind and innocent minister would be the victim of murder. Even Poirot finds it unlikely, and proclaims a verdict of natural causes. But a second act unfolds which changes everything.

Agatha Christie is such a genius! I had no clue about who the murderer was. I was completely surprised! And yet, it all fit together perfectly. In retrospect, it all made sense and every little detail of the plot came together for a satisfying ending.

There were so many red herrings all over the place, and each one seemed probable. It could have been a half dozen different people, because they all had suspicious behavior and something to hide. It was so interesting how the plot unfolded, and there was blackmail and treachery and romance and friendship.

My only complaint is that Poirot is actually in very few scenes. We mostly follow the host of the party, Sir Charles Cartwright, as he recruits other party guests to join in his amateur investigations. They go around questioning people and compiling information. Eventually, they begin reporting back to Poirot, who sorts through the red herrings and makes the final revelation.

I was intrigued by the intricate relationships between the party guests, and how those relationships changed throughout the story. Some people barely knew each other, but instinctively disliked one another. Some people sat back and analyzed everyone else, imagining themselves above it all and safe in their own mental or moral superiority. Some people were just clueless and charming. It was fascinating to see how they interacted and judged each other, but no one could see as clearly as Poirot. He penetrated into the very heart of each person, and sifted their motives and abilities.

The writing is so brilliant! Christie paints a picture and puts the reader right into the scene with just a few concise and powerful words. The book isn't that long, but the story is full and rich.

Little Spider wants to have an adventure, but her other insect friends are afraid to be left alone. She leaves a long string of web behind her so that they can tug on it to call her back in case of an emergency. But they keep interrupting her adventure just when things get dangerous.

It's so funny to see Spider getting called back for silly things, and getting annoyed with her friends for messing up her adventure. Caterpillar is afraid of his shadow, and Ladybug thinks a burglar is in her flower house. Each time that Spider gets called back home, she is about to be eaten by a fish or a bird, and her friends are actually saving her each time they yank on the string to bring her back.

The illustrations are full of bright colors and adorable animals. I love the minimalist art style, and the funny expressions on the characters' faces. Just 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.

Wolf can't get to sleep, and thinks that sleep must be hiding from him. He goes searching for sleep in the forest, and recruits some other woodland creatures to help him. They look in a yawn, they look in a lullaby, and they even look in Badger's dreams. But only when they are quiet and still will sleep finally find them.

I loved this adorable story and the sweet idea of searching for sleep like a thing to be found!

I thought it was cute how Badger and Hedgehog joined in Wolf's quest for sleep, but I didn't understand why Rabbit didn't join them. He just kind of disappeared into the background and didn't join the friends at the end.

I completely fell in love with the soothing illustrations. The forest background is full of cool purples and blues with moonlight filtering through the trees. The woodland animals are so charming and sweet. I just love the soft art style!

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.

Hailey's family has just adopted a new kitten, but their older cat, Pickle, doesn't like having a new cat in the house. Pickle fights with the new kitten, and tries to run her out of the house. Hailey's best friend, Ilsa, has always wanted a cat, and she is jealous that Hailey has two. Ilsa offers to cat-sit for Hailey's family when they are gone, and she discovers Pickle terrorizing the helpless kitten. Ilsa and Hailey will have to work together to find a solution so that both cats can be happy again.

This book is so adorable! It reminded me of getting my cat, Jellybean, when she was a little kitten and she would sleep at the end of my bed. I love the way the writing describes feline behavior, so that the reader can really envision everything that is happening in the story.

The friendship between Hailey and Ilsa is really sweet. They both love cats, but Pickle's constant fighting becomes a source of tension between the two girls. I loved seeing how they resolve their differences and work together.

I found it interesting that Ilsa has a disability: she only has one arm. And yet, it is never addressed as some crazy abnormality. The focus is on Ilsa as a person, not as a disabled person. She is capable and smart, and she does everything that anyone else can do. It is just part of who she is, and does not define her. I love the way this book handles an important issue like this, cultivating awareness and a healthy attitude towards disability. It is only mentioned a few times in the book, because the focus is elsewhere.

I enjoyed the simple writing style which is perfect for young readers. Every three or four pages there is a pencil illustration with soft lines. I liked the art work and how it enhanced the story!


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.