Total read in March thus far: 38
Saturday, March 16, 2019
Friday, March 15, 2019
Book review - Ivy and the Goblins
Author: Katherine Coville
Genre: fantasy
Similar books: The Spell Thief by Tom Percival
Clover's Luck by Kallie George
Rating:
 |
| simple and sweet |
Summary (provided by publisher): The quiet town of Broomsweep has just started to adjust to the dragon, pixies, and gryphon who decided to call Ivy's cottage home when a farmer proposes an unusual trade. In exchange for curing his goat of a bellyache, the farmer will give Ivy and her grandmother a mysterious egg. When the egg hatches to reveal a baby goblin, the creature creates such mayhem, even Grandmother doesn't know what to do. It's up to Ivy and a few of her magical friends to brave a dark forest and find the goblin's family. There's just one problem: Goblins can't STAND humans! Will Ivy's daring misson succeed?
My opinion: I didn't realize, going into this book, that it was part of a series. I hadn't read the previous book but that wasn't too much of a problem in this case. There were a few references to events of the first book but the plot largely stands on it's own. The plot is straightforward, without much nuance. Sentence construction is simple as well. So, it's easy for a young reader to follow but may become tiresome for older readers.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
What am I reading today?
Killer Style by Serah-Marie McMahon and Alison Matthews David
Total read in March thus far: 34
Thursday, March 14, 2019
Graphic novel spotlight - Haphaven
The central conceit here is a unique one - that superstitions in this dimension directly correlate to realities of life in another, more magical dimension. The protagonist must adhere to superstition in order to travel through Haphaven and save her mother. As she learns more about the world, she realizes that she needs to truly understand how tehse things work together in order to fix everything, not just her mother but her whole world and Haphaven too. The stories she's heard aren't enough. And I liked the line between natural magic and real superstitions with interference from magical beings and simple misbeliefs. The first third was sort of shallow but if you power through, the level of engagement improves.
Haphaven releases March 19.
Advanced Reader copy provided by NetGalley.
What am I reading today?
The Infinite Lives of Maisie Day by Christopher Edge
Total read in March thus far: 32
Wednesday, March 13, 2019
Non fiction book review - The Woolly Monkey Mysteries
This book starts out on solid footing. Is there anything more appealing to a young audience than cute animals? But this is more than just an introduction to an animal. In fact, the life of the Woolly Monkey is only a secondary focus of this book. The primary focus is on ecology in general and how scientists have learned about the role of the Woolly Monkey in the rain forest. Markle takes us through the methods biologists use to study these animals and how keystone species affect an ecosystem. Pretty brilliant for a fairly short book.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.
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