Middle-grade May TBR

Hello Everyone!

Lately I’ve been working in the Children’s area a lot at work and as a result I’ve been discovering a ton of Middle-grade books that I want to read, which means that my TBR pile has increased. I decided that for the month of May I am going to focus on reading these middle-grade reads. I am calling it Middle-grade May and I would love it if any of you wanted to join me. Here are some of the books I plan on reading this month:

The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen  

101 Dalmatians by Dodie Smith 

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: 2 Fuzzy, 2 Furious by Dean and Shannon Hale 

The Penultimate Peril by Lemony Snicket 

The End by Lemony Snicket 

The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan 

Timeless: Diego and the Rangers of the Vastlantic by Armand Baltazar 

The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer 

Sleepovers by Jacqueline Wilson 

The Wonderling by Mira Bartok 

The Royal Rabbits of London by Santa Montefiore and Simon Sebag Montefiore

Junoina by Kevin Henkes

The field Guide by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black 

Princess Academy by Shannon Hale 

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner 

Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beaty 

 

I know this is a lot and I probably won’t get a chance to get to all of these, but I am excited to discover some “new” favorite middle-grade reads in the next month!

Happy Reading,

Janelle L. C.

 

Book Review: The Mayflower Bride

Hello Everyone!

Today’s review is on The Mayflower Bride by Kimberley Woodhouse.

About the Book: 

Mary Chapman boards the Speedwell in 1620 as a Separatist seeking a better life in the New World. William Lytton embarks on the Mayflower as a carpenter looking for opportunities to succeed—and he may have found one when a man from the Virginia Company offers William a hefty sum to keep a stealth eye on company interests in the new colony. The season is far too late for good sailing and storms rage, but reaching land is no better as food is scarce and the people are weak. Will Mary survive to face the spring planting and unknown natives? Will William be branded a traitor and expelled?

My Thoughts: 

Before I get started with my review I would like to thank Netgalley and Barbour Publishing for sending me an ARC of this book. All opinions expressed in the following review are my own.

It took me almost two months to read this, not because it was bad, but because I had to read it on my Kindle and lately I haven’t really been into ebooks. This was a cute, clean romance that takes place during the Mayflower’s voyage to the Americas and just after. I loved the romance that blossomed over the course of the novel and how both characters tried to be careful about how they pursued it. I also appreciated how it didn’t shy away from the hardships that the pilgrims faced both during and after their journey.

My only complaint is that the Epilogue was a little bit confusing at first, but it was still a good read, although not super gripping. But, that being said, I am looking forward to reading the other books in this series, as well as reading other books by Kimberley Woodhouse in the future. 3/5 Stars.

Happy Reading,

Janelle L. C.

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March Wrap-up

1. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline 

This was a cool action-packed read about the near future where almost everything takes place in a virtual reality platform called the OASIS. The main plot was a scavenger hunt within this VR world and it contained a lot of ’80s pop culture references. It was a good read and I loved the movie. 4/5 Stars.

2. In Real Life by Cry Doctorow and Jen Wang 

I checked this out on the Overdrive App because it was recommended as a read-a-like for fans of Ready Player One. I read this in several hours and it was really good. It is about a girl joins a computer league but discovers a dark side to this new and exciting world that she is in and tries to help change the world. 5/5 Stars.

3. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’engle 

I reread this novel in hopes of seeing the movie that was released last month (which I am planning on waiting to see since I’ve heard a lot of bad reviews about it). I definitely enjoyed it a lot more this time around than I did when I read it about 10 years ago. 4/5 Stars.

4. I Believe in a Thing Called Love by Maureen Goo 

This was a cute, contemporary novel about a girl who tries to get the perfect boy by following a list of rules that she compiled while binge-watching Korean-dramas and the chaos that ensues, as well as love, as a result of her plan. 3.5/5 Stars.

5. Obsidio by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff 

This was a great finale to the Illuminae Files series and I’m sad it’s over now. I am looking forward to their next series which is supposed to come out sometime next year.

6. Wires and Nerve Volume 2: Gone Rogue by Marissa Meyer, Stephen Gilpin and Douglas Holgate 

7. Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi 

8. Alice in Wonderland: Cinestory Comic by Dean R. Motter and Walt Disney Company 

9. Cats of 1986 by Chronicle Books 

Library Haul #13

Hello Everyone!

Welcome to another library haul! I love the library and I love checking out books from the library (and my bank account sure appreciates!). Here are some of the books that I’ve checked out over the past few months:

The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

A Wind in the Door by Madeleine L’Engle 

 

Many Waters by Madeleine L’Engle 

A Swiftly, Tilting Planet by Madeleine L’Engle 

An Acceptable Time  by Madeleine L’Engle

Heart of Iron by Ashley Poston 

Unearthed by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner 

Zenith by Sasha Alsberg and Lindsay Cummings 

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi 

Olivia Twist by Lorie Langdon 

To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo 

Who Killed Piet Barol? by Richard Mason

Wonder by R.J. Palacio 

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black 

Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi

 

Happy Reading,

Janelle L. C.