I Funny by James Patterson

      This book is clearly a product of a man who seriously believes in engaging all children (and adults) in reading.  Mr. Patterson has written a funny book geared towards children in another beautiful installment to make his Read, Kiddo, Read campaign proud.
       As a middle school Reading teacher, I often read books that are designed for teens.  This one, which I purchased 2 copies of for my classroom library, I happily read through is less than 24 hours.  Actually, it was probably less than 12 hours.
        The book was funny, easy to read, interesting, and creative.  I enjoyed the story line (young Jaime is an aspiring comedian who enters the New York funniest child competition) and the jokes were great. I can easily see a child enjoying this book. In fact, I immediately recommended it to my 8 year old (and my husband, actually).
         Highly recommended.  In fact, get 2 copies and read it with your kids!

4 smiles

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

    I learned something when I read this book.  Steampunk is apparently a new genre of writing.  According to the author, steampunk blends actual historic events with new technology to create an alternate reality filled with unique technologies.  I would consider it an interesting blend of science fiction and history.  Which, if you know anything about me, sounds right up my figurative alley.

     This particular novel centers around the real events which we know as WW1 and the imaginative battle between "Darwinists" and "Clunkers".  The confusion, for me, centered around Westerfeld's use of the created events as accepted facts.  The reader is expected to quickly understand and accept the Darwinist creations, be able to mentally picture them, when in fact I'm not sure I'm capable of mentally picturing a large whale which could be hollowed out and floated in space while housing thousands of people.  I felt myself re-reading passages and pages in a frustrated attempt to understand what was happening.

      That being said, I feel as though I should tell you that it gets better.  By the half-way point of the book you feel comfortable with the world because you've quit trying to imagine the size or the creatures or machines and have just accepted that they are "huge".  You begin to focus on the characters and the story, which are both actually pretty well done.  I found myself interested in Deryn and Alek, they were relatable and reliable characters.

      All in all, I am hoping to find another "steampunk" novel and give the genre another shot despite this first attempt falling a bit short.

       1 smile for a too long book that fell short for me in many ways.

Eragon by Christopher Paolini

Book 1, Inheritance Cycle

What would you do if you found a dragon egg?

This science fiction book is set in a strange land and follows a young boy who discovers his destiny is linked to that of the dragon egg he finds.  Eragon then must choose what to do as he finds himself a key ingredient in saving his world.

The book has themes and adventure that would appeal to students as young as elementary age, but has a reading level of 5.6.  I was impressed with Christopher Paolini's vocabulary.  Many authors shy away from bringing in higher level words, but Paolini weaved them into his story flawlessly.  The story and characters were believable, and you may even tear up a little when we lose someone important.

It's easy for this amateur critic to see why Eragon became an instant classic.  Highly recommended.

I am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

Lorien Legacy Series, Book 1

It begins with an idea that seems just wild enough to be possible.  9 children escape from their planet just as it is being destroyed, ravaged by another civilization.  The children are sent away with a special magic charm that will protect them, they can only be killed in order.  The book begins when #1-3 have already been killed and as the title suggests, the story then follows #4.

Known to us as John Smith, the main character is deep and troubled.  I found myself empathizing with his situation and rooting for him.  This story had action, adventure, suspense, and love.  I found myself tearing up (something I don't do often) because the story takes a turn down a road you saw coming but seriously hoped the author wouldn't take.  I adored Sarah, John, Henri, Sam, and Bernie.  I even found myself believing in the characters you weren't supposed to like and wishing they would somehow find a change of heart.

The book is inspiring, and one I HIGHLY recommend.  Check this one out...I'll go look for the second one!

The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan

Kane Chronicles, Book 1

Readers of the blog will know I am a huge fan of Percy Jackson (a previous character created by Mr. Riordan).  It should, therefore, come as no surprise that I enjoyed every page of this new novel.  I had my doubts, being that it focuses heavily on Egyptian mythology.  I have never had much of an interest in Egypt.  I tended to focus my mythological obsession on Greece and Rome.  However, my naivete didn't affect my love of this book even a little.  Sadie Kane has a similar lack of knowledge about the myths and history of Egypt so when Carter Kane filled her in, I learned with her.

Once again, Mr. Riordan has done an outstanding job presenting old mythology in a way that we will all (young and old alike) finally remember.  I just wish he had written it before I needed it in school!  Well done, Mr. Riordan.

Married by Mistake by Abbie Gaines

Harlequin Romance.  If you had told teenage me that I would one day be reading Harlequin Romance novels because they were free on my nook, I would've laughed in your face (and promptly demanded to know what the heck a nook was...but that's beside the point).  However, I have found that I genuinely enjoy a good romance.  They are a quick read and they tend to have believable characters.  If you can stomach the cheesy story line and predictability of a romance novel, this was a great one. Adam and Casey are believable, adorable characters and the idea of a reality TV series in which people surprise their boyfriend with an immediate wedding is completely inside the realm of where TV is headed.

Overall, this one was a three smile.  Good, quick read.  If you like romances, this one is for you.

Private London by James Patterson

According to the inside cover, this is the fourth book in the Private series.  However, if you've read any of them you know they don't need to be read in any particular order.  For this case we are in London following around Dan Carter, who is trying desperately to find an abducted woman whom he had promised to protect.  As it was in Private Games Jack Morgan doesn't feature much in this book, since it's not set in the USA.

For me this book was pretty good, but I expected James Patterson to give me a bit more intrigue.  The plot twists were mildly predictable, although arguably that's because I have literally read everything James has ever written and I am familiar with his writing style.  I recommend it for people who like a little suspense, but who don't really like the high action scenes.  You'll spend your time trying to figure out what's up with Hannah and who's responsible, which is certainly fun.

Three smiles for me (probably only 2 if it wasn't a Patterson novel).

Summer Sisters by Judy Blume

Judy Blume, the same woman who created Are You There God and tackled those uncomfortable teenage topics relating to sex and womanhood, has done it again.  This time in Summer Sisters she's tackling those topics for adults.  One website I found lists this book as Young Adult, I respectfully disagree.  This book had moments that made me blush and be uncomfortable, and I'm an adult.

In this novel, Judy is following two young ladies as they grow together through summers on Martha's Vineyard.  The two women experiment personally and sexually through the summers.  The book follows them into adulthood to see who they grow into and if they grow apart.

The topic itself intrigued me, I've had many great female friends who have influenced who I've become.  However, I can honestly say I've never been in the romantic situations these ladies put themselves into.  It clouded them for me, and made me hesitant to continue reading.  Overall, I'm giving this two smiles.  I think she went a little too far in relation to how they "experimented".

100 Cupboards by N.D. Wilson

A Yearling publication aimed at 8-12 year olds, this one landed on my wishlist after a few new-to-reading students of mine suggested it.  Always eager to find out what has them reading, I finally managed to get my hands on a copy.  The book is inventive, creative, and fun. It centers around a boy who discovers doors that lead to other worlds in the attic of his Aunt and Uncle's house.  In the classic style of a book that will kick off a series of books, this one leaves many unanswered questions.  I can see why it was so enjoyable to teenagers and I would recommend it.  One word of caution, stick with it.  The beginning is a bit slow, but once it picks up it's hard to put down.

Three smiles for a slow beginning but a great ending (which earned a wink because I wasn't expecting it).

In the Woods by Tana French

In her debut novel, Tana French proves that she is a writing force.  Breaking into the mystery genre by following an Irish police squad as they solve a shocking murder, Ms. French weaves a story that rings truer than most detective novels.  The suspect is not caught quickly, the detectives do not immediately know who it is, the detectives are not perfect, they miss a few things that may have lead to solving things quicker, and you won't get all the answers you're looking for.

However, the novel is extremely well written. Tana is able to put you so aptly in the mind of Detective Ryan that you will believe you are one person. You begin to think like him, and you hurt when he hurts.  It's an amazing feat for a writer to give me something to wonderful in their first work,  and it lead me to immediately put her second work on my reading list.  Overall, highly recommended.

Zoo by James Patterson

Move over Planet of the Apes, there's a new what-if sci-fi book starring animals to worry me at night.  This time the story stars not only apes (although there's a really cool one in the book) but ALL THE ANIMALS ON THE PLANET.


The book takes shape quickly, but heads in a different direction than you are expecting.  Readers of the blog know that I'm a huge fan of surprises, so that was right on point for me.  I enjoyed every moment of the scientists putting their impressive brains together to attempt to find a solution to the massive global problem, and I put my faith in humans that they would do what needed to be done to solve it.

This is a book worth reading, no question about that.  Well done, as usual, Mr. Patterson.

Rosie by Alan Titchmarsh

This adorable English novel follows an old lady who wants to live life to its fullest every day, beginning the day she is arrested.  Rosie is a believable, yet hilarious character. She has crazy ideas of how best to invest money, what constitutes a practical car purchase, and even family.  Her brilliant grandson, Nick, is just trying to keep his life in order amidst all the chaos.   Three smiles for a fun fiction story that reminds us all to live a little while we can.

Artemis Fowl the Arctic Incident by Eoin Colfer

The second installment of the Artemis Fowl series did not disappoint. It is packed with the same amazing writing that made us laugh and cringe in round one.  This book follows young Artemis on a quest to rescue his lost father. Holly, Butler, Root, and the gang all return to liven up the scene.  We may even see a decent side to this evil criminal mastermind. 4 smiles for this exciting sequel.

What Doesn't Kill You by Iris Johansen

In my humble opinion, the best books have characters you believe in. Characters you can imagine are living out these life stories somewhere. This book had 1 like that, and a bunch who just seemed fake. Have you ever met someone that seemed to be putting on a show? This is probably someone you wouldn't hang out with again, at least not by choice. Despite the great action is this story line, that feeling from the characters kind of ruined this book for me. However, the plot line was exciting.

Therefore, if you don't need characters to love a good story this is for you. You'll travel along with a CIA agent and an old Chinese apothecary as they hunt a vial that could have deadly consequences. Enjoy the high action story, then forget the characters.