Category Archives: Reason: Bedtime Story for the Boys

June 6, 2023 · 7:43 am

Forgotten City by Michael Ford

Forgotten City by Michael Ford

The first over half of Forgotten City was pretty bad. It moved incredibly slowly. There was too much world building, much of which really didn’t matter and could’ve been done just fine in fewer pages. I read it aloud to my teens and they both commented more than once that maybe we should just quit reading it and move on to another book. I have an inability to DNF books so we kept at it, though none of us were excited to read yet another terrible chapter night after night. This book is an example of why I find it so hard to abandon books. At around 55% there started to be signs of it getting better. By 2/3 in it was actually really good and the last third was excellent. Reading the book aloud was odd. I’ve been reading aloud to my kids for over two decades and I’ve never had as much trouble with the words and sentence structure as I have with this book, making it that much less enjoyable. There is a sequel, but I’m going to skip it. I only recommend reading this book if you are okay with it taking forever to get good.

2 (out of 5) Stars
Books Read in 2023: 63
Pages Read in 2023: 19,873

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Filed under Dystopian, Reason: Bedtime Story for the Boys, Reason: Flourish & Blotts Reading Challenge, Young Adult

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March 20, 2023 · 7:37 pm

Blood, Bullets, and Bones by Bridget Heos

Blood, Bullets, and Bones by Bridget Heos

Blood, Bullets, and Bones is a fascinating trek through the history of forensic science. So many cases are described to show how forensic science was used to prove someone’s guilt or innocence including discussion of incorrect convictions and the limitations of various methods. The writing is incredibly engaging and had my 14 and 16 year olds and myself all absolutely enthralled. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in true crime and how crimes are solved.

5 (out of 5) Stars
Books Read in 2023: 36
Pages Read in 2023: 11,757

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Filed under Non-Fiction, Reason: Bedtime Story for the Boys, Reason: Flourish & Blotts Reading Challenge, Reason: Literati

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March 5, 2023 · 9:32 pm

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

The first time I read The Westing Game I was in fourth grade. I absolutely loved, seeing myself as a bit like Turtle. I’ve reread the book a few times over the years and it’s always just as good, even knowing what the solution to the game is. The ending is just so incredibly satisfying. I very highly recommend this book to people of all ages. It makes a fun family read aloud.

5 (out of 5) Stars
Books Read in 2023: 32
Pages Read in 2023: 10,292

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Filed under Children, Mystery, Reason: B&N Book Challenge, Reason: Bedtime Story for the Boys, Reason: Flourish & Blotts Reading Challenge

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February 9, 2023 · 2:34 pm

Skink: No Surrender by Carl Hiaasen

Skink: No Surrender by Carl Hiaasen

Skink: No Surrender is hilarious. So many crazy, over the top things happen and Skink is crazy and over the top himself. It is a pretty quick read and just totally enjoyable. I recommend it to anyone who is in the mood to read a really fun book.

5 (out of 5) Stars
Books Read in 2023: 19
Pages Read in 2023: 6275

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Filed under Realistic Fiction, Reason: B&N Book Challenge, Reason: Bedtime Story for the Boys, Reason: Flourish & Blotts Reading Challenge, Reason: Literati

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January 4, 2023 · 11:52 am

Rise Up From the Embers by Sara Raasch and Kristen Simmons

Rise Up From the Embers by Sara Raasch and Kristen Simmons

Rise Up From the Embers picks up right where Set Fire to the Gods ends. The chapters alternate point of view between Ash and Madoc (which gets quite interesting once Anathrasa takes control of Madoc’s mind). There is one short and rather unnecessary sex scene near the beginning of the book. The epilogue is adorable. All in all, it’s an excellent conclusion to the duology. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoyed Set First to the Gods.

4 (out of 5) Stars
Books Read in 2023: 1
Pages Read in 2023: 341

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Filed under Fantasy, Reason: Bedtime Story for the Boys, Young Adult

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October 31, 2022 · 1:06 pm

Ballad & Dagger by Daniel Jose Older

Ballad & Dagger by Daniel Jose Older

For those who grew up reading about Roman, Greek, Egyptian, and Norse mythology by Rick Riordan, Ballad & Dagger is the first young adult book from Rick Riordan Presents. This one covers the myths of the island of San Madrigal, an island in the Caribbean Sea. Spanish is liberally sprinkled throughout. There is a lot of humor, but it is definitely more serious than Rick Riordan/RR Presents middle grade books. The mythology is laid out in a very understandable way as the story is told. The writing is often poetic and dreamlike. I recommend this book to teens and up who enjoy Rick Riordan/RR Presents books.

4 (out of 5) Stars
Books Read in 2022: 94
Pages Read in 2022: 33,594
Graphic Novels: 2

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Filed under Fantasy, Reason: Bedtime Story for the Boys, Reason: Owlcrate, Young Adult

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July 8, 2022 · 7:29 pm

Set Fire to the Gods by Sara Raasch and Kristen Simmons

Set Fire to the Gods by Sara Raasch and Kristen Simmons

Set Fire to the Gods is a pretty exciting book. The way gladiators from ancient Rome and element bending were blended was quite interesting. The characters were well-written and made you care about them and what happened to them. I recommend this book to teens and up, particularly those who like gladiators or Avatar: The Last Airbender.

5 (out of 5) Stars
Books Read in 2022: 67
Pages Read in 2022: 24,529
Graphic Novels: 1

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Filed under Fantasy, Reason: Bedtime Story for the Boys, Reason: Literati, Young Adult

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June 8, 2022 · 4:25 pm

Game Changer by Neal Shusterman

Game Changer by Neal Shusterman

The premise of Game Changer is great. The execution leaves a lot to be desired. The author seemed to want to hit every social issue and hit people over the head with it and then pound it in a whole lot to be sure they got the message. The preachiness got really annoying. When he jumped worlds to one where the Brown v Board of Education ruling went the other way, that was an interesting idea to think about. It would have been nice if more of his jumps were like that one. It was weird how some jumps built on each other and some didn’t. A few chapters before the end it seemed promising that it was going to wrap up well, but then the author decided to go big with it and it just was even more absurd than the rest of the book (and when you are talking about a book about a guy jumping around the multiverse that’s saying something). I don’t particularly recommend this book.

2 (out of 5) Stars
Books Read in 2022: 61
Pages Read in 2022: 22,186
Graphic Novels: 1

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Filed under Reason: Bedtime Story for the Boys, Reason: Literati, Young Adult

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May 9, 2022 · 7:50 pm

Cut Off by Adrianne Finlay

Cut Off by Adrianne Finlay

The beginning of Cut Off seemed pretty straightforward. A survival reality show with a bunch of kids competing for the top prize. And then it all went insane and went every which way. It was sort of sci-fi and sort of horror (though not terribly scary horror). There are parallel dimensions and creating a timeline out of your mind and being able to choose the one where you end up. My 13 and 15 year old sons (who both liked the book more than I did) thought it explained the multiverse much better than anything else they have encountered. The best chapter in the entire book jumps between snapshots of what’s happening in various parallel universes as they are trying to find the right one. I recommend this book to teens and up, particularly those who like sci-fi and especially parallel dimensions.

3 (out of 5) Stars
Books Read in 2022: 48
Pages Read in 2022: 17,554
Graphic Novels: 1

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Filed under Reason: Bedtime Story for the Boys, Reason: Literati, Science Fiction, Young Adult

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April 25, 2022 · 12:41 pm

Reached by Ally Condie

Reached by Ally Condie

Reached is the final book in the Matched trilogy and completes the story very nicely. There’s no specific end, nothing wrapped up in a perfect bow. Life continues and it might be a happy ending and it might not, and you are never quite sure if the Rising is good or not or if it’s just an alternative to the Society while being pretty much the Society repackaged, but it still is such a satisfying conclusion. This one is told from three alternating points of view, Cassia, Ky, and Xander, which is very effective. It spurred several very interesting conversations with my 13 and 15 year olds. I highly recommend this book to everyone who enjoyed the first two in the series.

5 (out of 5) Stars
Books Read in 2022: 41
Pages Read in 2022: 15,145
Graphic Novels: 1

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Filed under Dystopian, Reason: Bedtime Story for the Boys, Young Adult

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