Animal Farm

Animal Farm by George Orwell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Unlike many, I never read this book in school. Shocker, I know. I did not know what to expect, and boy was this book a doozy. I wonder if it's being taught in schools right now?

"Can you not understand that liberty is worth more than just ribbons?"

"Man serves the interests of no creature except himself."

This book was written in 1945, so right after WWII. When you think of that and the fact that the pigs who end up leading the animals use the term comrade, the whole thing become a chilling commentary on human nature.

Really, I don't know what to say about this book besides read it. It is a classic worth the time.

Author: George Orwell

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Last Stand of Dead Men

Last Stand of Dead Men by Derek Landy
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

As a note, this series gets darker the farther you get, so if you are reading along and find that a book is a little too much, you should probably stop. It has nothing to do with the quality of the series, but it does not go from dark back to light hearted.

The war between sanctuaries really gets me every time. It had been awhile since the first time I read the series, and I had forgotten that the lines between sides is blurred. It's hard to know who the Irish sanctuary can trust outside and inside of itself.

Darquesse of course comes out, because what would these later books be without this lovely character. I know some readers dislike her, but I love her quippy lines and internal monologue, especially when she is discovering some new skill she didn't know she possessed. Maybe, I'm just a sucker for the villain, although, not all the villains in this book are as great as she is. In fact, it's just her, so nevermind. Forget that last thought.

Author: Derek Landy
Content warning: Death, language, war
Age appropriate: Yes

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The Red Scrolls of Magic

The Red Scrolls of Magic by Cassandra Clare
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I think I know where this book fits in with the rest of the Shadowhunter books, but there are so many of them, that I could be totally off.

I feel like this book was chaotic. There was so much going on and so many random characters introduced for little to no reason. I have to say, I think I have a problem. I'm not really a huge fan of the Shadowhunter universe, but I keep reading the books, so take that for what you will.

Author: Cassandra Clare
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's UK

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Lost in Babylon

Lost in Babylon by Peter Lerangis
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I have to say, for the second book in the series, this was kind of a mind trip. As soon as parallel worlds are introduced, things go crazy, no matter what the book is. I did appreciate the premise of this one and the fact that it provided a way for the characters to actually go back to Babylon. I would say that is a spoiler, but it's in the title, so I think I'm okay.

There is so much that happens in Babylon that I want to touch on, but I can't figure out how to do so without actually giving the story away. Let's say, Marco makes a decision that affects everyone and everything, Cass's abilities are lifesaving, and the kids hold the future of a whole civilization in their hands, so you know, no pressure.

Author: Peter Lerangis
Publisher: HarperCollins
Parent content warning: None
Age appropriate: Yes

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Thud

Thud! by Terry Pratchett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Reading this book kind of reminded me of the saying "those who don't remember history are doomed to repeat it." That's what seems to be going on with an impending war. The question is, can Sam Vimes stop it when he has to get home every night to read "Where's My Cow?" to his son? This book, while light-hearted, points to issues of race when arguments between the dwarfs and the trolls escalates to the point of history almost repeating itself. Through all of the issues Sam faces in this book, he still feels that it is important to read his son his favorite book at night, and this ends up playing a role in the choices he makes along the way.

All in all, this is another good Discworld book. I have not read them in order, so I'm sure there are things that I've missed due to not having the whole backstory.

Author: Terry Pratchett
Publisher: HarperTorch
Publication Date: 2006

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Balance of Mayhem

Balance of Mayhem by Edward Aubry
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

After my review of the last book in this series, the author, Edward Aubry, sent me a message to let me know that the fourth book would have more of a focus on a character I wanted more of. Boy did he ever deliver. So, thanks Edward Aubry for not only giving us more Dorothy, but giving her an entire book where she wasn't just a secondary character.

It's really hard to think of what to say about this book that will not give any spoilers. Ummm...let's just say that Dorothy teams up with Felicia to try and get Strontium out of her mind. Along the way, people start to question why Dorothy is doing what she is doing, while Dorothy herself is wondering if she can truly trust Felicia. Really, in my mind, you'd think you would figure out if you could trust someone before you go on this magical quest with only them as company, but I guess Dorothy really just wants her mind back by this point, which is a semi-valid reason to trust a traitor. I guess.

I really like the fact that the characters in this series have been developed to the point that it makes complete sense for them to realize quickly when someone is acting strange. Both Harrison and Claudia choose to do things that may seem to have little to no affect on the outcome of the situation, but in reality, they both know Dorothy enough to know what she will need even when she does not want to let them know what is going on.

While most of this book was pretty serious and intense, there is just no way you can take what happens to Strontium without finding it really funny. Since I got Edward Aubry to respond to one of my reviews before, I'm going to ask a very important question. What was going on in your head when you came up with the whole Strontium situation in this book? The whole book is going on, serious, dangerous, a little humor, serious, and then BAM, Strontium. I'm not complaining, it was great, but how does a mind come up with such things?

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Author: Edward Aubry
Publisher: Curiosity Quills
Publication Date: November 6th 2018

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Cogheart

Cogheart by Peter Bunzl
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This book had an interesting premise and good plot twists, I just couldn't really get into it. I think the books target audience will like this a lot, so just because it wasn't a favorite of mine doesn't mean I wouldn't consider it a good book.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Author: Peter Bunzl
Publisher: Jolly Fish Press
Publication Date: 12 Feb 2019

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Island of Graves

Island of Graves by Lisa McMann
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This series has a lot going on for a Middle Grade read. The characters have depth to them, which I appreciate. It's easier to really enjoy the story when you can see the characters growing as the series goes on.

I expected this book to be like the others and spend a decent amount of time on the island, but I was wrong. Even though there is not a lot of time spent on the island, there is enough to give readers an understanding of what happened on the island. I feel that older readers will like the knowing about this island because of the little details that are provided and the new character that is introduced. This is one of those times when the reader has some knowledge about what is going on that the characters do not. I'm so used to having everything in these books be something new, so it was an interesting flip. It makes me wonder how things are going to play out in the next book.

Island of Graves is a great addition to the Unwanteds series.

Author: Lisa McMann
Publisher: Turtleback Books
Publication Date: September 15th 2015

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