I have to say this is one of the most unique fantasy books I have read. This takes place in the 90s, so it feels like going back to my teenage years. Between the hair metal bands, the Pantera shirts, I swam in this world gleefully. This is a story about a boy who’s been away for the last few years because his father was in rehab. When he gets to move back in with his family it’s a bit strange and his first stop is to a bookstore. His friends are still there, but they’re a little different and he doesn’t fit in no matter how many T-shirts he wears. And being one of the only brown kids in the area he is automatically assumed to be the son of the bookstore owner. This is not unusual, but it is an entrance into a world of mathematical magic and danger.  Time can stop, but also fast forward. This was very interesting and entirely worth it. I wouldn’t mind visiting this world again, but it’s so unique that I understand why it’s a bit of a sleeper. But those who give it a chance most likely going to find something they like. 

 

This book makes you want to cry. In a good way. It follows many of the other books in this series about a kid needing to find an answer for themselves. In this case, Lila Grier is afraid of the “what if”. But teacher helps her through this in the kindest way possible and leads to her becoming a teacher later in life. This book rhymes throughout and it’s very well done. The illustrations are fun but a bit old-fashioned. The historical times you expect to be but when Lila becomes a teacher the pencil skirt and heels seems a little old-fashioned, but I love it. All in total, this is a great book to add to this series. 

 

This book is cute. A little boy is out for the day with his father and think things are not fair. It is his constant bratty refrain. Dad is trying to show that things are fair you just don’t perceive them that way. Overall I like the book I just wish there was a reason or that dad could explain why things appear unfair instead of just leaving it that you’re the kid, I’m the adult. The book does work, but I think it could be better. 

 

This book is adorable and would be great fun as a read aloud. An apple is about to fall from a tree and each animal takes a moment to think that is going to be mine. The way the author rhymes the story when she needs to and uses sound words like plop, fizz, etc. in other parts of the story makes this such a fun read. It a great ending. Also have to give it up to Eric Rothman, who did all the fantastic illustrations. 

 

This book is coming from Boys Town Press. And I’m happy to say it did not stick to the usual format of give us a lesson a pneumonic to remember the lesson and then three examples of the lesson and use. This does not do that, and it already makes it a better book. In this, we have a boy who’s good at sports and another team member who’s good at a different sport. And the boy who’s not so good at football tells the boy that is good at football that I don’t like you yelling at me to catch the ball. It makes me feel bad. The good at sports boy is like you’re right. I don’t like that when coach does that to me, and he has the same conversation with coach and it makes everything better in the end. The lesson is there and it’s memorable.  I do you think the story is long for story time but in a classroom setting, I think it could work well. 

 

This cookbook makes me hungry. I can’t give a bigger compliment than that. The recipe seem easy and the pictures are very helpful. I would like to see this in a printed version because on my iPad it seems really small. My other observation is all the food looks fantastic and looks ready to eat. It also makes me think of my grandmother is 1960s and 70s cookbook. I don’t know why maybe it’s the shade of green that it is. Maybe it’s something else altogether I think this cookbook is fantastic, but those flipping in a bookstore might give it a pass. 

 

I cannot tell where this book is going. What I do know is four years ago friends got together and one friend didn’t come back. Is this friend dead are they in a hell dimension we don’t quite know. Four years later, the ex-friends all gather together even though they’re not supposed to have anything to do with each other to go to this house. They are all told to finish playing the game. They’re not sure if they understand what game is but think it has to do with a deck of cards that tell stories and they don’t have the entire deck. There is some Asian inspired mythology that part of this that is not very well laid out. And is having the story dragon makes me not want to finish. This isn’t official DNF. 

 

What is it with circuses lately. Everybody’s afraid of clowns, but everybody loves the circus. The circus just happens to be a lesbian time traveling one. Our ringmaster comes from a previous circus where things were not so good and were bad in a mythical type of way. We the reader don’t know why but honestly, I don’t care. The whole time traveling and going back-and-forth between , 1919 and just after or even during the war just was not working in audiobook format. This is a DNF. 

 

This started out interesting. Two people who are getting ready to direct a horror movie go off into the woods and meet a neighbor to warn them that the screams won’t be real. Then we switch to a former soap opera star from Ireland, who moved to LA to reinvigorate her lott childhood acting career. then we switched to three months later with a different set of movie crew doing something. This book is choppy. It might work better if I was reading it rather than listening to it, but I got to the point yeah I don’t care so this is a DNF. 

 

 

I really enjoyed this graphic novel. I’m one of those people who grew not like the church. However, in this youth group their trained to be demon hunters. The idea that every religion has a sect of demon hunters whether they call it l that or not, just works. Their powers mixes with the story quite well and all over this is a fun. Think it’d be great in any library collection.