Review: Fair Weather by Richard Peck

Synopsis: Thirteen-year-old Rosie Beckett has never strayed further from her family's farm than a horse can pull a cart. Then a letter from her Aunt Euterpe arrives, and everything changes. It's 1893, the year of the World's Columbian Exposition-the "wonder of the age"-a.k.a. the Chicago World's Fair. Aunt Euterpe is inviting the Becketts to come for a visit and go to the fair. (from the back of the book)

Review: As with all the other Peck books I’ve read, I enjoyed this one immensely. Peck’s way of writing is phenomenal. His characters feel real, their adventures and drama believable and his ending always satisfying. I highly recommend this – and all – of his books.

Bookmarks: 8 of 10

Awards: None

Date Finished 11-15-2012Pages: 160

Purge 2012

I'm not sure what got into me, but I was rather ruthless with this purge. 370+ books - gone! It feels grand, to say the least. Several friends have picked through them, taking what they wanted. But I still have so many left.

I plan to take some to a department at work that has a lending library, others I will take to a book shop for credit and the remainder will be given to a local thrift store.

In addition to purging, I've begun loading all my books onto my LibraryThing account. It's marvelous. I can access it from work, or by cell phone - no more buying books I already own.

If you wish to see what I own, you can look at my catalog here. It is not complete. I have only uploaded about 1/4 of my books, being that it takes time to do so. Also, I haven't gone back through the last load of books and corrected titles are versions. It's a delightful task.

This, of course, makes my goal of reading all my books that much easier. The smallish goal is to have at least 50% read. Once I load all my books into LibraryThing, I shall be able to calculate my read to un-read ratio and then we shall see where I stand.

And that's enough booky goodness for today.

Review: Anastasia at this Address by Lois Lowry

Synopsis: To 13-year-old Anastasia Krupnik, this Single White Male from the magazine personals section sounds perfect. And really, she's not lying when she writes to say she is tall, young, hates smoking, has seen Casablanca so many times she can recite some of it, is quite sure she would like Caribbean vacations, and is definitely ready for romance. And later, when she writes to say she owns a sloop and that she races occasionally, well, that's not exactly a lie either. Tension and hilarity build as Anastasia digs herself deeper into this embroilment. When SWM writes to say he would like to meet her, it looks like the jig is finally up. How will our outspoken, fast-thinking, SWF get herself out of this mess? (from the back of the book)

Review: Lowry is known for her marvelous books, and this is no exception. Anastasia is a believable character and I enjoyed reading about her adventure. Lowry creates solid secondary characters, and a story with the right balance of humor, moral and drama. I would recommend for young girls, age 10-15, and anyone who enjoys a pleasant read.

Bookmarks: 7 of 10

Awards: None

Date Finished: 11-15-2012Pages: 143

Review: Sleeping Ugly by Jane Yolen

Synopsis: Sleeping Beauty, the princess, meets an ugly farmer’s daughter and a clever old witch and learns a lesson about how to treat people – or would, if they ever woke her up.

Review: I enjoyed this retelling of Sleeping Beauty. It’s a quick read with stylized drawings and an amusing tale. I would recommend for children from 6-10, and for anyone who enjoys a light-hearted retelling of an old classic.

Bookmarks: 7 of 10

Awards: None

Date Finished: 11-10-2012
Pages: 16

Review: Leese Webster by Ursula K. LeGuin

Synopsis: A spider weaves incredible art with her web, but her life changes when humans discover the work.

Review: This was a clever little tale, although nothing extraordinary. Younger children will enjoy the artsy spider and her explorations.

Bookmarks:  6 of 10

Awards: None

Date Finished: 11-10-2012
Pages: 12

Review: Debbie's Dollhouse by Barbara Kunz Loots

Synopsis: Debbie moves to a new town and finds making friends isn’t hard when you share what you love with other people – in her case, a towering dollhouse.

Review: This was a tad saccharine, but the message is worthwhile and I enjoyed reading about the dollhouse.  I’d recommend for young girls, age 6-10.

Bookmarks: 6.5 of 10

Awards: None

Date Finished 11-10-212
Pages: 14

Review: Unchained by C.J. Barry

Synopsis:  She'll risk everything to clear her family's name... including everything he has. Cidra Faulkner saw her family murdered and her people condemned for a crime they didn't commit. Now a skilled Kin-Sha warrior, she vows to track down the true culprit and exact justice, both for her family and all the Kin-Sha. Intergalactic treasure hunter Grey Stone had no intention of helping Cidra until his old mentor tricked him into it. Now he's trapped into helping the daughter of the man who brought about the downfall of his people -- a woman whose very presence jeopardizes all he's worked for. But honor won't let him say no. And love won't let him turn back. (from the back of the book)

Review: I picked up this book because Barry’s Unmasked was marvelous! This was not as good. The story had solid characters, action-packed plot, a believable villain, a few twists I didn’t see coming and even a dash of humor. My complaint was how quickly the hero and heroine fell in love.  It seemed – rushed and hard to believe. It lacked a depth that made me care - which is spoiled some of the story. I would recommend her other work before this one.

Prude Note: There are several sex scenes, clear but not graphic and easy to skip. I think I skipped all of them because they didn't add anything to the story.

Bookmarks: 6.5 of 10

Awards: None

Date Finished: 11-2-2012
Pages: 210