kailey_luminouslibro's Reviews (3.79k)

This book gives little tidbits of advice about reducing stress, living with kindness and compassion, and finding ways to alleviate tension. Most of the advice is commonplace, but presented in a fresh way that makes you think a little differently about it.

I loved the design and layout of the book. The blue color scheme is soothing and pretty. Each page has a prompt or activity that you can do to find ease, remember to breathe, and release your stress. They include things like taking a mindful walk, tidying a small area of your home, or enjoying a favorite book. All simple things that are easy to do and don't cost any money, but they have a big impact on your mental health.

This is a lovely book, and very helpful for managing anxiety and stress!

Annie's father teaches her to write down all the bad things she does and feed the paper into a little hole in the floor of their house. After she drops the paper into the "sin eater" hole, her regrets and guilt go away and she feels better. Annie hears a mysterious skittering and chattering in the cellar, and the neighbors begin to report seeing rats around the neighborhood. Annie learns about her Litvanian heritage and the dark secrets of her family past.

I was worried that this book would be too dark and scary for me, but it never did get super dark. It was creepy, but not too scary. Still, I didn't care for the dark direction of the story. Annie never really makes a stand for goodness or virtue. She just kind of drifts along with her family's sinful darkness. She grows up a little and has some character development, but it doesn't seem like enough. I guess I was expecting a definite showdown between good and evil, and that never happened. I wanted Annie to make strong decisions for good, but she mostly just reacts to other people and then does her own thing without making a definite moral decision. She makes some good decisions, and then drifts along again.

The plot moves very slowly. It has a lot of spooky atmosphere and great descriptive writing, but that slows down the plot quite a bit. Then all of a sudden at the end, five years go by in one chapter and we are left wondering what actually happened to Annie.

I really loved the writing style. The story is peppered with meaningful fairy tales that are reflected in the main plot. Annie reads a Litvanian fairy tale or someone tells her a fairy tale, and then we see those things being played out in the story as Annie reflects on things she is learning. But all the fairy tales are sad. So Annie is learning that life is sad and people are sinful and bad things happen. The whole underlying philosophy of this story is very confused and dark. I'm not sure what the point was. But the writing style is so beautiful and powerful!


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.

I had to DNF this book because the philosophy of meditation did not at all line up with my personal beliefs. There were several ideas in this book that actually felt dark and scary to me, and that go against Christian teachings about meditation.

There was one practice that encouraged you to leave your personality behind when you meditate. "I am no longer my name or my person." That seemed very strange and scary to me.
When I meditate, I am MORE myself in Christ, not less. I am MORE of a person how He created me to be, and my name is MORE who I am because I belong to Christ. I understand that author is trying to get you to shift your perspective, but it was not in the right direction.

There were several other ideas that either felt weird to me or just rubbed me the wrong way and gave me a bad feeling. I only read through Chapter Two and then decided this was not the right meditation book for me.

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.

Three siblings and their friend, Connie, visit the wood behind their cottage, and at the center of the forest is the Faraway Tree. It is the largest tree in the world; so large that the top reaches the clouds, and at the very top the Faraway Tree connects to a magical land. But the magical connection changes every week, so that you never know which land will be at the top of the tree. It might be the Land of Birthdays where everyone gets a free birthday party. Or it might be the land of evil goblins. It might be a land that rolls and jumps with constant earthquakes. Whatever land there is, the three children and their fairy friends are sure to have a wild adventure!

At first, Connie insists that she doesn't believe in magic trees or magical people, but once she climbs up the Faraway Tree, she quickly changes her mind. She is selfish and rude in the beginning, but she learns to be more polite and kind as the children encounter difficult adventures.

This writing is similar in style to the Wizard of Oz books, and very enjoyable! I like how imaginative each different land is; you never know what will happen next!

There are quite a lot of different fairyland characters. Goblins, pixies, brownies, talking animals, and others who defy description. Even the trees can talk in this magical forest!

Such a fun book!

Tommy has a secret. His family are actually lizard people trying to blend in with the human world. Tommy has to wear a human skin over his green lizard face. It's difficult trying to be "normal" in middle school when everything is so different from your own lizard culture.
Tommy meets other seventh-graders who also have trouble fitting in. One of his new friends, Dung, is a Vietnamese boy who is dealing with culture shock and trying to learn English. They bond over their differences, discovering that they have more in common than they realized.

I loved this graphic novel! The plot is hilarious and emotional. The characters are complex. Their stories are meaningful. The setting and background are interesting. And the storytelling style is superb!

Tommy and Dung's story really spoke to me because I grew up as a third-culture kid, never quite fitting in with either culture. Having to navigate two different languages and different customs for two cultures can be exhausting and wonderful and scary and rewarding. Tommy's story was mirrored in other characters' experiences too, and was deeply relatable.

I loved Tommy's character development! Everyone feels like they don't fit in and don't know how to be their true selves. Tommy's inward journey led him on a path to find the courage to be real and vulnerable with the people around him. He makes some very bad mistakes along the way, hurting his friends and pushing them away. But he finds forgiveness and learns to deal with his difficult emotions in more healthy ways.

The art is so fun and colorful! I love how emotional the artwork is. It really makes you feel strongly for Tommy and his friends.

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.

Three siblings meet a strange old professor who tells them about the mysterious Whangdoodle, a creature thought to be mythological. The professor assures the children that the Whangdoodle is real, and he can be found ruling over other fantastic creatures in a mystic land in another dimension. If only they can crack the science of imagination, they will be able to cross over into Whangdoodle land. However, there is a guardian of the Whangdoodle, the Prock, who will do everything possible to stop the children and Professor from reaching the Whangdoodle.

I loved this imaginative story! It's so wild and weird. There are all kinds of strange creatures that the children meet. They have some wild adventures and fall into traps set by the Prock and his friends. But nothing can harm them if they rely on their common sense and courage.

There is something really special about this writing style. It sweeps you into a land of enchantment and freedom!

The characters are very relatable, as they try their best to remember all they have learned from the Professor. They often make mistakes and act foolishly, but they also have moments of triumph and bravery when their best qualities come to the rescue. I love the character growth for each of them, but especially for the little sister. She is so fearful in the beginning, but she begins to gain some confidence through all their adventures.

There is one scene that really spoke to me on a deep level, where the little sister has just been terrified by one of the creatures they encounter.
..."they did frighten me so."
The Professor looked at her fondly. "I know. You were very brave about it."
"No, I wasn't." She began to get tearful again. "I cried and everything."
"Well, it's all right to cry. It helps a great deal sometimes, and just think what you accomplished today."

I love that this book has deep themes about courage and imagination and responsibility and family. Woven into the wildness of story are some very important messages about how to face challenges and believe in yourself and how to be kind to others.

Edward Waverley goes on a vacation to Scotland, staying with an old friend of his uncle's. He meets a Highland Chief and is invited to spend a couple of weeks hunting in the highlands. Waverley is inspired by the noble demeanor of the highland clans, and his romantic side gets the better of him. He becomes embroiled in the Jacobite Rebellion, and he falls in love with the Chief's pretty sister. At first, his adventures seem glamorous and exciting, but he quickly learns that he must deal with reality and give up his childish daydreams of glory.

A beautiful, intriguing tale of valor, love, honor, loyalty, with absurd funny bits and sorrow intermingled. This is my favorite book of Sir Walter Scott's!

I love the setting of the Scottish Highlands! It is absolutely beautiful. I found it incredibly interesting to learn about the old customs and rich culture of Scotland, and the way the Highlands and the Lowlands have such different manners and even a different language. Some of the Highland characters only speak Gaelic and only know a few words in English.

I absolutely adore Waverley's character. He is brave and honorable and true. He is a dreamer, preferring books and poetry, but also an active person, ready to dive into any adventure or defend his honor with a duel. The best thing about Edward Waverley is his intense character development. Through all his adventures and experiences, he learns to navigate reality as it really is, instead of wishing for foolish dreams. He has a very fiery personality, and he learns to tame some of those wild emotions.

All the supporting characters are fantastic! Every one of them is unique and memorable and interesting. They are a wild group sometimes! I love that each personality is well-written in a thoughtful way. They have their own character arcs, their own little intrigues and sorrows in the background.

The writing is phenomenal! It draws you in slowly and completely immerses you in this old world of history. I love that we get to see the inner workings of Edward Waverley's thoughts and emotions as he grows and changes. The rich language really puts the reader into the middle of every scene. There is a wonderful balance of serious and comical scenes, and moments of rest and action.

I adore everything about this book!

A brother and sister two-headed chicken duo travel through parallel universes, and in each universe they are chased by a hungry moose villain who wants to eat fried chicken.

This is an extremely silly graphic novel. I'm not sure I enjoy quite this level of silliness. I was rolling my eyes and shaking my head in confusion for most of the book. But I think that children who enjoy wild and weird stories will like this one! It's too chaotic for me, but it is definitely imaginative.

I didn't particularly like the art style. It's jumbled and haphazard, like the story. I prefer both art and story to have more structure and polish. But for people who like weird art, this is cute! It is certainly colorful.

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.

Julia falls in love with the dashing young Hippolitus, but her father insists that she must marry the evil Duke. Julia's brother tries to help her escape from the clutches of her ruthless father by arranging an elopement, but their plans are betrayed and Julia is caught. Julia goes through every kind of disaster and terrifying mishap, fleeing for her life and weeping along the way.

This is Gothic melodrama at its best! Julia dissolves into tears, is frozen with terror, collapses under the strain of horror, and is prostrate with grief in every single chapter. Several other ladies, not to be outdone, also fainted on several occasions. Everyone is constantly exclaiming some version of "Alas, woe is me!"

Everything that possibly can go wrong for Julia does go wrong in the plot. It's one catastrophe after another for the entire book! There are so many lucky coincidences and timely misfortunes that it became funny, and when that plot twist finally arrived, it was so obvious that I didn't bat an eye.

The writing is laboriously descriptive and extravagant, peppered with pompous poetry which various characters recite or compose on the spot. I started skimming over the descriptive passages, and skipped the poetry altogether.

I was both charmed and frustrated with Julia. She's sweet and virtuous and adorable. I was glad to see that she really takes action when she has the choice. She doesn't sit around weeping and fainting all the time, only most of the time.

Despite the wild plot and the sensational melodrama, I really enjoyed reading this book! It's so mournful and terrifying that I found it funny! 

Maria found a mysterious ring and she thinks that it is helping her to channel psychic powers. She hopes that her new powers will capture Michael's attention, and maybe he'll stop thinking of her as just a friend. Michael is eager to learn to more about a new alien the group meets. He wonders if he might have an alien family out there somewhere. Alex tries to comfort Isabel when she is going through a difficult time, and Isabel begins to realize that she might have feelings for him.


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!