kailey_luminouslibro's Reviews (3.79k)

James lives his two horrible aunts, wishing that he could get away. A mysterious stranger gives him a bag of magic, but James accidentally drops the bag near an old peach tree, and the tree absorbs all the magic creating a giant fruit. The giant peach propels James into a new adventure that will take him farther than he ever dreamed and get rid of his awful aunts once and for all.

I have read this book before only once, but this second time I enjoyed it much more than the first time. Somehow I was more enchanted by the whimsy, and less concerned with there being a coherent story line. The plot is a bit chaotic, but now I don't mind that so much. It's just so imaginative and fun!

James is so resourceful and smart! I really love the way the other characters look to him as their leader, and he always thinks clearly in the midst of a crisis when everyone else is panicking. He's sweet and kind, and it's no wonder that all the other characters love and respect him.

This book is a delight, and I love how wild and imaginative the adventure is. Anything can happen in a Dahl book!

Duck has always lived on the streets with a gang of urchins who call themselves the Crowns. They pick pockets and steal food to stay alive. Their leader, Gnat, comes up with the idea for one of them to masquerade as a baker's apprentice to steal from the bakery, and Duck is chosen for the job. Duck uses forged apprenticeship papers to begin working at the bakery, and then passes stolen bread and coins to the rest of the street urchins. But the longer Duck works at the bakery, the more she begins to settle into her new life. The baker lady is kind to her, and they become a weird sort of family. Duck's loyalties are divided. Will she choose the baker who loves her like a mother would, or her ragtag family of pickpockets?

I loved Duck's character! She has such a complex personality, especially since she has all kinds of emotional issues from living on the streets and never being able to trust anyone. She is not used to being loved, so she pushes people away. She is not used to being safe, so she is always on edge. It was heartbreaking to see how she gradually begins to open up and heal.

The writing style is very emotional. It really tugs at your heart strings. I loved the dialogue and there are some sweet and funny scenes. The Middle Ages setting is really interesting too!

The plot is a little slow. I think this book could have been condensed a bit. But the character depth is wonderful, so that kept my interest! It was so wonderful to see the way the relationships between characters kept evolving and changing.

There is a second POV from a gargoyle who is on a crumbling ruin of a cathedral that was never finished. We get a few short chapters from the gargoyle's perspective. I hated those chapters. All he does is whine and complain the whole time. I kept waiting to find out where his story would intersect with Duck's story, and when it finally did intersect, it was so unbelievable and stupid. I did not like it at all. It didn't seem to fit with the rest of the story. I think the whole book would be better if they just cut out all the gargoyle parts.

But overall, I enjoyed most of the story, and I loved the characters!

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

One of my favorite of Dahl's books, mostly because our main character, Matilda, is a lover of books.  I adore the library scenes where Matilda reads entire sections of books with the help of the elderly librarian!  Dahl writes with such vivid words, terrific villains, and outrageous plot lines, but always with a sweet nugget of goodness in the middle.  I love this book more each time I re-read it!

Feb 2022: This time I listened to an audiobook, and it was a complete delight revisiting this story again in a new format!

Miss Honey is such a sweet person. Her story is so tragic, and yet it only made her more compassionate and caring to those around her. She is sensitive and appreciates beautiful things like poetry and nature. She is astonishing and strong!

Matilda really is adorable. She's not just smart, but she also has her own childish type of wisdom that sees through people into their hearts. It's amazing that despite her intelligence, she is also humble and genuine. I love her so much!

Indira is not thrilled when she has to team up with an android to put together an art show, but she quickly learns that Fawn is more than just a android. They learn to work together and explore their artistic sides through photography. Eventually, the two girls discover that friendship is possible no matter if you are cyborg, human, or android. They begin to have romantic feelings for each other as well.

I liked this story pretty well. It's not amazing, but it was interesting to explore the world of androids and cyborgs, and see how society has different prejudices against AI, and how technology is used in unexpected ways. The world building was great! The plot was just okay.

I didn't connect with either of the main characters. They had some good character development, and I enjoyed slowly discovering more of their individual back stories. But nothing really grabbed my attention or touched my heart in a meaningful way. I liked the characters, but I didn't love them.

I did not like that Indira and Fawn became romantically involved at the end. The lesbian romance felt forced. I think they would have been much better as just friends.

I liked the artwork in this book! It's colorful and moody with wonderful artistic flare. It brings a lot of emotion to each page.

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

Louise is married, living happily on the ranch with her new baby and adoring husband. Patsy, Beth, and Uncle John come to visit and see little baby Jane. Uncle John worries that the local nurse that Louise has hired will be incompetent, so he brings along a trained nurse from New York to care for the little baby. However, the local Mexican nurse is upset and jealous, causing drama in the family. When both nurses and baby Jane go missing, the whole house is in an uproar to find them.

I loved the mystery surrounding the old ranch house! The former owner was a miser who was rumored to have hidden secrets in the house. It was fun to see how the characters played detective to figure out the mysteries.

Uncle John is racist against Hispanics, and there are several distasteful and ignorant comments. But it shows a slice of history, and we can be grateful that society has grown out of such backward ideas. It was upsetting to read about though. I was glad when the Hispanic characters proved their worth and showed that Uncle John was wrong about them.

I loved the straightforward writing style. The story has good pacing, and kept my attention. The characters are interesting, and it was especially lovely to see Louise as a mother. Her character has grown so much through the series.

 This collection of fairy tales features stories from all over the globe. Each story has a fearless woman or girl who dives into adventure with courage and resourcefulness. The stories have a wide range of settings in different cultures, including Germany, Mexico, Siberia, Japan, Fiji, Nigeria, and India. Some of the tales include magical beings like elves and sorcerers, and some have magic gods and giants.

I loved how these strong women used their wits to conquer every obstacle! There are so many wonderful positive messages in this book. The heroines have to prove their worth and stand on their own two feet. They meet every challenge with a steadfast spirit. This book is so inspiring!

The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous with a whimsical style! I loved all the bright colors and imaginative scenery. The artwork is full of energy and magic!

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

 Vera has this strange empty feeling inside her, as if something is missing from her life, but she can't remember what is missing. She finds herself crying at odd things. She seems to half-remember random objects, but can't remember why they are important. When Vera realizes that her family and some of her classmates are also experiencing that same empty feeling, she begins to investigate what she can't remember.

This plot completely broke my brain! It was so exciting and masterfully constructed. It was amazing to see how the plot unfolded, since the reader CAN remember all the people and things that Vera is gradually forgetting. The reader has so much more information than Vera does, and that made it really interesting to see how Vera tries to reconstruct the facts from what is left over after a memory is gone.

I loved the world-building in this book! Each person has an "aptitude" based on their genes. They can control light, or unlock doors, or make food sweet. Some people have a useful aptitude, like getting a strong intuition about things. Some people have a basically useless aptitude, like being able to control shadows.
It was so interesting to see how different people used their aptitudes, and how different aptitudes are viewed with fear or sometimes revulsion.

The writing style is phenomenal. I am completely in awe of the brilliance of this writing. It's so clever, and yet it meets you in a very simple emotional place. Having a spaghetti dinner with your family suddenly becomes a major plot point. Buying a Halloween costume could change the entire plot line. Every tiny mundane thing in Vera's world takes on huge significance, because that is what life is built on- little moments in each day when you laugh with your friends. The writing really pulls you into Vera's world, and plunks you down into a scene and rips your heart out with a spaghetti dinner. Somehow the writing makes you love these characters within a couple of paragraphs. It only takes one brother who smirks and teases his sister, and I'm crying my eyes out on page 30.

These characters!!!! My heart was broken and healed and broken and smashed and repaired again so many times through this book. I fell in love with every single character! I cried six or seven times through the entire book, because I would fall in love with a character and think, "Oh no! Vera is going to forget them! Noooooooo! Not Simon!!!!" *cries forever*

Vera herself is an amazing main character. She is smart and compassionate and brave, and I just adore her! Her personality is so authentic and real. I loved the way that she cuts right to the heart of every scene, looking past the social conventions and the barriers that people put up. She really SEES the people around her, and therefore, we do too. It is through Vera's authenticity and her love for her family and friends, that we the readers also fall in love with those characters.

Vera's family is so cool. She has adorable crazy little siblings that she has to babysit. She has scientist parents who are doing research about how people get their aptitudes. The close relationships in this family are so wonderful!

Vera has a friend group at school that includes her best friend, Riven, and a whole bunch of misfit characters, including twins Simon and Pete. They all hang out together at school and at church. They plan their Halloween costumes together. They are a close-knit group that tease each other and support each other. The adorableness just flows off the page. I felt like I was IN that group. I was right there with them, having lunch and hanging out and planning our Halloween theme. I was one of the friends too, and that is why it hurt so bad when Vera starts to forget them!

I really loved the deep themes that are explored in this book in such a unique way. There is of course a wonderful exploration of friendship, family, and how the ordinary things of life are important. But this book also dives into tolerance, faith, truth, grief, depression, and what it really means to be compassionate. I'm so impressed with the way these deep subjects were treated with respect and gentleness. It's really beautiful and meaningful!

I can't even describe how much I loved this book! I wish I could give it a million stars!

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

Each short story in this collection features dragons; some benevolent, some dangerous, and all of them mysterious and magical. There are dragons with mystical powers. Some dragons will bargain with humans, exchanging magic for goods. Baby dragons just out of the egg need protection. Dragons in captivity will exact their revenge. And there are some dragons who are looking for their soulmate.

I really enjoyed reading these imaginative stories! Each setting is so different and interesting. I was enchanted with all the various dragons. The writing style pulls you into the magic where anything is possible.

However, I felt like most of the stories didn't have a proper ending. It was almost like reading the first chapter of a novel that is never resolved. We don't get to see the rest of the story. The plot just kind of ends, leaving questions unanswered. The short story format should tell a complete story, and it annoyed me that most of these stories are left unresolved.

I did have to skip a couple of the stories because they focuses more on snakes as dragons, and I hate snakes, so I didn't read those. Also some of the stories are violent, and people are murdered. There is also some demonic witchcraft mentioned, where someone tries to summon a demon to take revenge. I skipped those scenes too.

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

Hans and his sister Gretel are poor. Their father was injured years ago and left with brain damage, so it is up to their mother to support the family. Hans tries to get work, but there are no jobs available in the winter time in Holland.
All the children in their village are excited for a grand skating race that will be held after Christmas, but Hans and Gretel only have cheap wooden skates that Hans made himself.

One of my favorite books as a child! Love it! There are so many elements to the story, and yet it is simple and pretty. The writing is so charming and sweet! The plot kept my interest, and I got so attached to the characters.

Hans is such a plucky character, and it was heart-breaking to see him striving so earnestly to help his family, even when it meant a personal sacrifice for him, like not being able to participate in the skating race. He is honorable and hard-working, always ready to do the right thing no matter the cost.

Gretel is sweet and cute, and her family really rely on her to bring cheerfulness and affection into their home. When her father acts strangely because of his mental damage, Gretel is the one who knows how to calm him by singing his favorite songs. Gretel is the emotional compass of the family.

A great deal of the story does not follow Hans or Gretel, but a group of boys from their village who are taking a sight-seeing trip to neighboring towns and cities. Peter is the leader of the group, and they are joined by a British boy, Benjamin, who is visiting his Dutch cousin. Through their sight-seeing, they talk a lot about the history of Holland, educating the reader about various battles, famous people, scientific achievements, and beautiful architecture.

I especially loved the scenes that show particular traditions of Dutch culture at the time. There is a scene where the boys visit a church to hear some beautiful music at a church service, and they are in awe of the wonderful music. I loved that scene, because it shows the rich culture and appreciation for the arts!

Major Burnaby takes part in a séance, even though he doesn't believe in such foolishness. But when a supposed "spirit from the beyond" tells the group that the Major's best friend has been murdered, Major Burnaby decides to trek through the snow to check on his friend. He discovers the body, brutally murdered.
When her fiancé is accused of the murder, Emily Trefusis sets out to assist the police in tracking down the true killer.

I guessed the solution of who the real murderer was at about page 65. The mystery was sort of obvious. However, that didn't lessen my enjoyment of the book! There were a couple of other little minor mysteries that were fun, and I loved all the character studies. I was a little bored by the red herrings though. They all seemed to lead nowhere, and they were full of coincidences.

I really liked the interesting characters in this book!
Emily is a force to be reckoned with. She's determined and fierce and brilliant. It was interesting to see how she interacted with different characters, changing her approach to get information from them. She was a little manipulative really.

I was interested in Major Burnaby. He seems like a straight-forward military man with no nonsense about him, but he really has a complex personality.

I liked Inspector Narracott. He is intelligent and has a good instinct for truth. He is sort of in the background of Emily's amateur investigation, but he has a finger in every pie. He's working behind the scenes in a quiet way, unobtrusive but effective.

The writing is wonderful, and it really draws you into the story. The setting is a tiny village on the edges of the bleak moor in Dartmoor. It's the dead of winter and the snow is falling thickly. I had to cozy up with a warm blanket while reading this one, because the descriptions of the weather actually made me feel cold!

I did enjoy this book, despite guessing the murderer pretty quickly.