Monthly Archives: January 2019

January 29, 2019 · 4:22 pm

The Bullet Journal Method by Ryder Carroll

I’ve kept a Bullet Journal for a while now, but I still found some tips I could use in The Bullet Journal Method. It’s part how-to and part motivation. The basics of how to set up a bullet journal can be found on the website, but the book was quite enjoyable and much more fully explained than what is on-line. I very highly recommend this book to people interested in starting their own bullet journal as well as people who have been using one for a while. (Note: I usually read books on Kindle, but I decided to get this one in paper and I’m glad I did. I doubt the images would be easy to decipher on the Kindle.)

5 (out of 5) Stars

Books Read in 2019: 9
Pages Read in 2019: 2076
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Filed under Non-Fiction, Reason: It sounded interesting, Reason: LitHub Bingo, Self-Help/Motivation

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January 29, 2019 · 4:08 pm

Jake and the Gingerbread Wars by EG Foley

A novella to go along with the Gryphon Chronicles, Jake & The Gingerbread Wars follows Jake and his group as they attempt to take a wayward elf back to Santa Claus. The story is fun and the outcome is sweet. My 10- and 12-year-old sons and I all enjoyed it. We haven’t read any of the rest of the series, and my 10-year-old asked me to please put them on our “books to read” list. Because we haven’t read any of the other books, there were occasions where things were referenced that we didn’t know about, but for the most part we didn’t have any trouble jumping into the middle of the series. I recommend reading this book to middle grade kids. It makes a great family read aloud!

5 (out of 5) Stars

Books Read in 2019: 8
Pages Read in 2019: 1766
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Filed under Middle Grades, Reason: Bedtime Story for the Boys

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January 27, 2019 · 9:53 am

Pink Boots and a Machete by Mireya Mayor

If there is one thing I learned from Pink Boots and a Machete it’s that I am glad I’m not an explorer and don’t work for National Geographic. However, Mayor’s sense of humor sure made it fun to go along with her on some virtual expeditions. Sometimes I laughed out loud, sometimes I was grossed out. Her excitement over discovering the mouse lemur and her love of lemurs in general are obvious. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes animals.

5 (out of 5) Stars

Books Read in 2019: 7
Pages Read in 2019: 1595
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Filed under Memoir, Reason: It sounded interesting, Reason: LitHub Bingo

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January 16, 2019 · 5:56 pm

We are Displaced by Malala Yousafzai

We Are Displaced tells the story of Malala and her family becoming internally displaced and then living in England after she was shot as well as the stories of several other women and girls who have been displaced as well. The stories are told in their own words with their own emotions. Some are still living in refugee camps, some are working hard to make a new life in a new country. One didn’t even learn why her parents fled when she was young and one “adopted” a refugee family when they arrived in America. These are all important stories to know. As I read the book, I found myself reading bits and pieces to anyone who would listen. I very highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone.

5 (out of 5) Stars

Books Read in 2019: 6
Pages Read in 2019: 1291
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Filed under Non-Fiction, Reason: LitHub Bingo

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January 13, 2019 · 10:01 am

Good Night by LRW Lee

After escaping from The Ninety-Eight, Ali and Kovis must find a way to return to Dream in an attempt to stop her father. And that is where Good Night picks up. This book is fantastic. Most of the time it is from Ali’s point of view, but occasionally switches to another (Ambien, Kovis, Kennan). The writing is super engaging. I had trouble putting it down sometimes, usually due to concern for the very well-developed characters and wondering what the author would do to them next. The Dream/Wake world is so imaginative. Every once in a while the way things are phrased gave me a smile or even a chuckle. The end was such a satisfying wrap-up (with one huge surprise I wasn’t expecting, but was so happy with) while still setting up the next book in the series. I very highly recommend this book (and the rest in the series) to late teens and up who enjoy fantasy with a lot of romance thrown in.

5 (out of 5) Stars

Books Read in 2019: 5
Pages Read in 2019: 1067
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Filed under Fantasy, Reason: I Like the Series, Reason: LitHub Bingo

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January 12, 2019 · 9:19 am

Supergifted by Gordon Korman

Supergifted picks up right where Ungifted leaves off, with Noah getting kicked out of the Academy and having to go to “regular” school with Donovan. The character development, especially of Noah, is fabulous. The way things are phrased is often very funny. My 10- and 12-year-old boys absolutely loved the book (and I enjoyed it, too). I highly recommend it to middle grade age kids. It makes a great family read-aloud, too!

5 (out of 5) Stars

Books Read in 2019: 4
Pages Read in 2019: 701
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Filed under Middle Grades, Reason: Bedtime Story for the Boys

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January 10, 2019 · 2:30 pm

Demon of Darkness by Andrea Pearson

The final book in the Koven Chronicles, Demon of Darkness is absolutely fabulous. It’s creative and wraps things up very nicely. Even though I’ve known for a long time she’d have to wipe the memories of Omar and Alexander, those scenes brought tears to my eyes. The author really hit it out of the park with this book. I highly recommend reading it to anyone who likes fantasy (but read the rest of the series first for sure)!

5 (out of 5) Stars

Books Read in 2019: 3
Pages Read in 2019: 400
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Filed under Fantasy, Reason: I Like the Series

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January 10, 2019 · 1:46 pm

Daughters in My Kingdom

Daughters in My Kingdom tells the history of the Relief Society. There are many interesting anecdotes and lots of quotes from general authorities. I learned quite a bit from it and recommend it to all sisters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

5 (out of 5) Stars

Books Read in 2019: 2
Pages Read in 2019: 200
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Filed under Reason: It sounded interesting, Religious

January 3, 2019 · 7:28 pm

Real Friends by Shannon Hale and LeUyen Pham

Real Friends is a graphic novel telling the story of Little Shannon in elementary school dealing with “friends” and mean girls and her bear of a sister and not quite fitting in. It’s pretty relatable for most people who have ever been a girl. The drawings are fantastic. I very highly recommend it to elementary school kids, particularly those struggling with friendship issues and feelings of loneliness.

5 (out of 5) Stars

Books Read in 2019: 1
Pages Read in 2019: 0
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Filed under Children, Reason: LitHub Bingo

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