I read this for the first time as an adult. I wonder what I would have thought of this book when I was much younger. I am not sure it would have scared me, back in middle school I had a much wider pallet of books and frequently read books that really kept me up at night - like Pet Cemetery. The House with a Clock in Its Walls is a bit more fantasy or maybe even speculative fiction.

I really enjoyed the book until the end. The plot was interesting, and the characters were all unique and interesting. The ending just seemed rushed. I was expecting something majorly climatic and instead it just happened. I had to go back and realize that I missed the climax. It was a bit disappointed.

Either way, it was an enjoyable read.

While the writing of Elevation is well done, the characters and plot is not that great. I left the novella wondering what was the point. I am left thinking that the only point is to paint conservatives in a less than favorable light. However, even so that is not the message that I would take away. Although, I have little interest in breaking down this novel into an English essay.

The characters were cookie cutter people who made me less than sympathetic. The spectacular elements of the story left me wondering how it connected at all. I cannot find a reason for it in the actual plot.

On the positive side it is short and is not horror in the slightest.

I always found The Order of the Phoenix to be my least favorite Harry Potter book. Yet, when I reread it this year, I found new appreciation. It is one of those books that get better every time you read it. Mostly because there is just so much in the book to wrap your head around.

The Order of the Phoenix is the longest book in the series. It is also the book where Harry Potter really starts to become a teenager. Having watched this transition in three of my own children now I have an amazing appreciation for how Rowling has captured this in the world of Hogwarts.

This book is also full of faults. The entire plot of this story is centered around how individuals are not perfect. This was a bit annoying the first time I read the book. Yet this time I found it more a testament to human nature. I think it helps knowing the complete plot, I could focus on the specifics of what I was reading.

I wanted to read To Best the Boys the moment I first read the synopsis. A girl pretends to be a boy in order to show them up and win a university scholarship - what is not to love.

Then I started reading the book and I was slightly confused. The story is set in an alternate reality 1800ish world. I assume that it is the same world as other novels by Weber, but since I have not read any of them (yet) I am not sure.

Even though the book was not quite what I was expecting, I still found myself enjoying it. I love novels with strong characters, and adore books that are well written. I was fining both in To Best the Boys. It was bonus points that there was a strong heroine trying to find her own way.

Eventually the story does make its way into the labyrinth. I was expecting a bit more action and adventure. It was not that there was none, it just was not the main focus of the book. The book was about people and society. I found I enjoyed the story that was told much more then I think I would have enjoyed the story I expected.

The book has a strong and positively portrayed female empowerment. However, I was presently surprised that the book was also big on ability representation and socioeconomic status.

I nearly DNF'ed His Majesty's Dragon. I kept going through it because I was hoping that things would pick up enough to finish the series. After all, it is a twelve book series by an author I have already enjoyed. I did manage to finish this book, but I will not be picking up the second book in the series.

I actually had to sit back and figure out why this book was not working for me. The writing was well done. The character's vivid and unique for the most part. It should have at least been an ok read, except for me it was not.

Part of my disconnect was due to it be period fiction. I do not gravitate towards historical anything, and this book was written to mirror the speaking and mannerisms of the time. This means that it was horribly sexist making me want to smack some sense into the main character. There were only two characters that I liked, both were female. Even the main female character drove me nuts.

The second reason that this book did not resonate for me was the lack of conflict. It is a novel about a war and yet every scene seemed anticlimactic. I honestly just did not care.

It took me nearly a month to finish his book, which for me is an extremely long time. I finally finished reading it via text to speech while I was finishing something else. It just was not engaging enough for me to sit down and read by itself.

Trevor Noah is one of the few non-book YouTube channels that I watch. When I saw that he released a memoir I purchased it right away. This book is the story of Noah's childhood in Africa. He was born to a European father and an African mother during the Apartheid where his birth was a crime. The book is a story of his life, what it was like to live in South Africa between cultures. Unlike most comedian memoirs this book is not funny. There are parts that are humorous, but it was not to give a comedic perspective of his life. Rather, I found it more informative. I wonder if it is a response to him seeing what is happening in America and wanting to bring awareness. Even if that was not the intention, it is what I took away from the book.

The book itself is extremely well written. Noah's voice is apparent in the book. The narration was captivating. It was mostly chronological with some skipping back and forth between sections of his life. It was very easy to picture his family, his home, and his childhood. Noah has an amazing way of telling a story that captures you and keeps you going for the entire tale.