Nathan has no idea who he is. He is an apprentice Caller in the king's home and best friends with Prince Michael, but he has no memory of his family and assumes he is an orphan. He studies under the Master Callers to summon Melkai monsters from another world. Some of the monsters are massive, and others are miniscule, like Nathan's own little Melkai, a small lizard. The barrier between the world of humans and the world of the Melkai is weakening. Nathan is sent on a quest to find the other half of the magical key that can seal the barriers between worlds before the destructive Melkai are unleashed to roam freely across the land.

I enjoyed the plot of this book, because there are some clever twists and turns. There are several times when some particular character or object or connection is revealed and it was just so satisfying. The plot is full of fantasy tropes, but I didn't really mind that because I like tropes. Some of the plot devices were obvious, but again, I don't mind that as long as it is set up in an interesting way.

There are several plot holes, mainly when the characters make weird decisions that don't really make sense. Why did they go there? What is their motivation? Why did they say that? ... Plot reasons. That's why.

I didn't really connect with any of the characters. Their dialogue is awkward. Their personalities are cardboard. I am a character-driven reader, so this was a big disappointment for me. The characters were always making awkward jokes that actually made me physically cringe in embarrassment for them.

The pacing is fairly good, and the action is exciting. I got a little bored with the battles and fight scenes, but then I am always bored by battles and fight scenes, so that is not a reflection on the quality of those scenes.

I loved the history of the world and how that gave so much depth to the story. Nathan has to find out about the ancient legends of the past in order to solve the problems of his own day. The world-building is quite good as far as epic and far-reaching development, but the minutiae of the everyday lives of the characters was lacking.

The writing style is fine, but not amazing. There were many places where the wording of a sentence was awkward; not actually grammatically incorrect, but just... could have been clearer or better constructed. It pulled me out of the story, so that I never forgot that I was reading a story.

There is a little bit of "telling" instead of "showing" in the writing. Not much, but it did annoy me. The narrator sometimes points out the obvious, ruining the pacing and making me roll my eyes.

Sometimes the dialogue would be in an imitation of high-style old-timey English. Not actually using "thee" and "thou", but just a formal style of speech for the characters. (A lot of epic fantasy uses this style to give the reader that ambience of knights and dragons.) But then the very next line of dialogue would be something like "okay" or "It's a date." I was dismayed to read these strangely different styles.

One of my pet peeves is multiple POVs or weirdly omniscient narrators who "head-hop". This book doesn't do it terribly often, but it does do it, and it was not enjoyable.

Overall, a few good things in this book; a few things that I did not enjoy. I feel like the book has potential if only a really good editor could get in there and polish it up.

This book has no profanity or explicit content, and is appropriate for readers aged 11 and up. There is quite a lot of violence, but it isn't too gory.

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.

The author tells the story of her own childhood growing up in London and then later in the country. She describes her grandparents, her aunts and uncles, and the little joys and sorrows of her childhood. There is a lot of interesting description about the 1910s, how people lived, how their homes were organized, how they cooked and cleaned and dressed.

In the second half of the book, she goes to a new school which she loves. She makes new friends and discovers the beauties of the countryside. This began a life-long love of nature for the author. There are many descriptions of favorite plants and animals and country fairs.

I love the simple style of this book. It's very calming and sweet. Each chapter is topical and episodic, giving some structure to the narrative. It's such an interesting look at history through these personal memories.

There is very little mention of World War I. The author remembers wishing that her father would come home, and then being relieved when he came home safe, and being proud that he had served his country. The author also talks about food being rationed and it being difficult to get new fabric for dresses. But most of the book is about other matters.

I enjoyed reading this charming book, but I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had read other fiction books by this author first. Then I would already be curious about the author, instead of coming into it with no knowledge of who this person is.

In this second book of the trilogy, Ransom travels to another alien planet at the request of Maleldil. This time he goes to Perelandra (Venus), and encounters a new race of aliens, who are struggling with the same temptations from the Evil One that Adam and Eve fell victim to in our own world. Ransom must battle against the Evil Presence in order to protect the innocent new society that is just beginning to form.

I love the imaginative world-building in this book! There are so many different settings and alien animals and weird plants. Perelandra is such a strange planet with a perpetually cloudy sky and rolling islands that float on the seas. And even when you are more than halfway through the book, and you think you've seen all the scenery and met all the animals that Perelandra could possibly have, then there are still more mysteries and wildlife and extreme mountains and rivers to be explored.

I love the powerful writing style that plunges the reader into the story. It is truly breathtaking and wild! Lewis has such a genius for writing.

This book is full of Biblical themes and references to mythology. Sometimes the story gets bogged down in the themes, and the characters spend long paragraphs and even entire chapters talking endlessly about philosophical ideas and beliefs. But it does circle around to be relevant to the plot and makes the story that much more meaningful.

However, I do feel that some of the theological discussions could have been condensed or simplified to keep the pacing of the story moving. I think Lewis was trying to introduce and explore too many ideas all at once. He tried to include so many epic themes in this one story that it overwhelms the reader. It would have been more effective to focus on two or three main themes of redemption, spiritual obedience, and faith.

I loved seeing Ransom get even further character development. He had some really extreme and wonderful development in the first book, and he goes even further in this book as he learns more and more about Maleldil. His faith grows and his understanding grows. It's such an amazing internal journey that is demonstrated in his outward actions throughout the story.

I think that compared to other authors, this book is a 5 star book, but compared to Lewis' other work, this book is a 3 star book. Not his best, but still incredibly excellent and beautiful.

Poirot is traveling on the blue train when one of the passengers is murdered and a famous ruby called the Heart of Fire is stolen. There are several mysterious clues in the case that only the great Hercule Poirot can bring to light.

Poirot really is one of my favorite detectives! He definitely shines in this book, and I love the way that he is so protective of the innocent victims. He is wonderfully shrewd. His strong temperament pulls the story forward. Even if he is just having tea with some friends, every word takes on a special meaning when Poirot is part of the conversation!

I love the complex characters in this book! There is a lot of focus on unraveling their personalities and there are so many good scenes where they interact and react to one another. I just love the way each person has their own vivid and memorable personality.

The plot is quite good, and there are so many little hints that don't make sense until later when Poirot reveals everything at the end. I was completely fooled until the end, and it was so satisfying to see all the clues come together.

I took off one star because I did not like the romance in the book. I really hated that these particular two characters formed a relationship, and I felt like they were not a good match. I'm sure it's a brilliant commentary on human nature (as Poirot would say, "the psychology"), but I didn't like it.

The writing is, of course, completely genius and engaging. Every chapter kept pulling me into the story. I was on the edge of my seat while they watch a tennis game and whisper in the background about stolen jewels. Even an ordinary setting becomes fraught with drama and intrigue!

This board book explores all the different names for groups of animals going from A to Z. A pod of whales, a romp of otters, and a prickle of porcupines are some of my favorites. There are some really zany ones too like a flamboyance of flamingoes and a shiver of sharks. There are even some mythical beasts included like a blessing of unicorns.

I love the bright illustrations in this book! Every page is full of vibrant color, and the animal characters are all so energetic and cute.

The animals are all doing something different like marching in a parade, dancing, or playing sports. Sometimes they dress up like superheroes, and some of them work as security guards. There are all sorts of silly puns and funny details!

This such a fun 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.

Lin goes on an adventure through the rainforest, meeting all kinds of animals, and seeing amazing plants and foliage. She canoes down the Amazon river, hikes through the jungle, and sets up a camp near a beautiful waterfall.

I love the clever die-cut openings in this book! The illustrations are so colorful and vibrant, and each opening reveals something on the next page. I love all the little details in the background of each scene. When I was reading this with my little 3-year-old niece, she kept pointing out butterflies and monkeys in the background.

I like that Lin is so smart and brave! Even when she meets tarantulas and snakes, she is glad to learn about all the creatures in the rainforest and she is not afraid. Even when her raft capsizes, she is resourceful and strong.

This book is really special, and so much fun to read!

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.

In this board book, the veterinarians are busy in the animal hospital. They have to care for all kinds of animals from big horses to little bunnies. They need special tools like nail clippers, a stethoscope, and rubber gloves. They can set broken bones or just give a doggie a much-needed bath.

The children in the photos are caring for animals and dressed up like little vets. It's so cute! Each page is full of bright pictures of different animals and the tools the vets use to heal them. And the pages all have different edges outlining the animals or background scenes, making it a lot of fun to turn the pages!

I love the sweet way that this book explains some of what vets do to help animals be their healthiest. This would be such a great book to introduce a veterinarian pretend playtime to young children.

Disclaimer: I received copies of these books 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.

The cows on the bus go moo moo moo, and the pigs on the plane go oink oink oink, and the dogs on the train go woof woof woof. This board book is the perfect sing-along story!

There are pull-out flaps that reveal hidden pictures of all the animals. I'm so impressed with the clever way that the pictures are hidden. It really is special and thoughtfully designed. Even the backs of the pull-out flaps have special illustrations on them that show a real attention to detail.

The pull-out flaps are very sturdy to withstand the destructive forces of little toddler hands. This whole book is such a delight! I can't wait to sing this together with my little nieces!

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.

As we visit the farm, we can lift the flaps to discover what animals are hiding in the sheds. The sheep with her little lambs, the hen with her chicks, and the cow with her calves all greet us with animal sounds. At the end there is a large fold-out of all the animals together in the barn.

I love this cute book! My little niece is just learning all the farm animals, so I'm very excited to share this book with her.

The illustrations of the animals are all so cute! Every page is bright and fun, and there are little details in the background that make this book special. The farmer is a lady with overalls and an adorable straw hat.

The cover says "sturdy flaps", and that really is true. The pages and flaps are very thick and sturdy to withstand the destruction of little hands. The placement of the flaps is really clever and it's so much fun to explore the farm in this way.

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 bear and their little cub play in the forest, as the parent bear tells the little bear how much they love and cherish their little baby. They go swimming, and they discover a bee's nest. They play games, and hug, and watch the moon at the end of the day.

The cuteness!!! I'm dying. This book is so sweet!! The text almost made me cry, it was so sweet and loving.

The soft illustrations are absolutely beautiful. The colors are attractive and calming, and I love the delicate art style. Each woodland scene has little details in the background that make this book really special.

The sliders are so clever and cool! Even as an adult, I enjoyed sliding the things back and forth to reveal more of the picture, or to make the little bear bounce up and down. And there are two lift-the-flaps, one of which makes the parent bear's arm wrap around baby bear for a hug. Aw, so adorable!

I can't even stand how much I love this book! It gives me warm fuzzy feelings in my heart!

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.