Mini Books Reiews ~ Princess School

Series Rating : 3 Stars


      This series is sweet and simple. The viewpoint will switch from the main princess's point of view to a different point of view every other chapter. They teach about the importance of friends, family, forgiveness and bravery. The girls may become jealous of each other, they may become angry, but they will eventually apologize. They are forgiven and the girls band together to help sort out whatever problem was being dealt with in that book. It can be a bit slow for older readers, which is why I rated it 3 stars, but for younger children who are new readers, it is the perfect series for creating avid readers.

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Mini Book Review : Maelyn ~ By: Anita Valle

 Rating: 4 Stars

From Goodreads:
      The king returned home and presented his astonished queen with not one, but nine baby girls. “One from each kingdom I visited,” said the king. “They are orphans.” The queen wept joyously at the row of cradles, each bearing a sleeping infant. After bestowing a kiss on each child’s forehead she said, “Now they are princesses.”
      Book 1: Maelyn was not born a princess. The king found her as a child, the lone survivor of a poor village slaughtered by the Red Fever. Suddenly she became a princess of Runa Realm, the first of nine orphans adopted by the king.
      By her eighteenth year, Maelyn rules over Runa and a family of nine sisters. But some call the princesses frauds and imposters, a handful of urchins raised into royalty. Even Uncle Jarrod, the High King of Grunwold, seems determined to prove that Maelyn no longer deserves to be a princess. With a family losing faith in her, and a kingdom growing dangerously hostile, even Maelyn begins to wonder if she is truly a real princess. And if her riches will turn to rags once again….
      The Nine Princesses Novellas is a series that chronicles the adventures of an unconventional family of princesses, the struggles they face in a kingdom often hostile to their humble origins, and the day-to-day dramas of nine young women whose personalities often clash like swords. Fans of Gail Carson Levine and Shannon Hale would enjoy this young-adult series. Recommended for ages 12 and up. For more information go to www.anitavalleart.com




My Review:

I downloaded this free book on the kindle and finished it that same night (in about an hour). It's a very sweet book, a quick and easy read. I am very much looking forward to reading the rest of the series. You can download the book here: http://www.amazon.com/Maelyn-Nine-Princesses-Novellas-ebook/dp/B008GGB8OW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1371749226&sr=8-1&keywords=maelyn For more reviews visit my Goodreads. Don't forget to follow!

Mini Book Reviews ~ Peter and the Starcatchers By: Ridley Pearson and Dave Barry

      I've realized that I have a lot of book reviews that are only a few sentences and not long enough to have a blog post by themselves. I do, however want to share these reviews with you, so I came up with an idea.
      I am going to start taking these reviews and putting them in their own section. Each review will have its own page, because I am going to give more information on the book than just my review.

 From Goodreads :
      Don't even think of starting this book unless you're sitting in a comfortable chair and have lots of time. A fast-paced, impossible-to-put-down adventure awaits as the young orphan Peter and his mates are dispatched to an island ruled by the evil King Zarboff. They set sail aboard the Never Land, a ship carrying a precious and mysterious trunk in its cargo hold, and the journey quickly becomes fraught with excitement and danger.
       Discover richly developed characters in the sweet but sophisticated Molly, the scary but familiar Black Stache, and the fearless Peter. Treacherous battles with pirates, foreboding thunderstorms at sea, and evocative writing immerses the reader in a story that slowly and finally reveals the secrets and mysteries of the beloved Peter Pan




The Review :

	That was great. Intriguing and easy to read. Relaxing at times and exciting the whole time. With such a bittersweet ending.

Rating:  4 Stars

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Book Review ~ Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte ~ Well that was Interesting

      I've been reading other blogs, and I am going to slightly change the way I do reviews. I am going to add my rating, and possibly a few other things at a later date.

 Rating: 5 Stars

Well, that was interesting. Having only read Austen in the past and knowing nothing of Wuthering Heights, I was expecting something more light-hearted than this. The blurb on the back of my copy of the book said that it was the story of two childhood friends who grow up to be soul-mates. I suppose it is, but it is ..... darker, than that. I will tell my thoughts the best I can, because I don't want to give any spoilers for those of you who haven't read it yet. If you want to feel a connection...more        Well that was interesting. Having only read Austen in the past and knowing nothing of Wuthering Heights, I was expecting something more light-hearted than this.        The blurb on the back of my copy of the book said that Wuthering Heights was the story of two childhood friends who grow up to be soul-mates. I suppose it is, but its ..... darker, than that. I will tell my thoughts the best I can, but I don't want to give any spoilers away for those of you who have yet to read it.        If you want to feel a connection with the characters you read about, or if you want to like the characters in your books, then this isn't the story for you. The majority of these characters are not in the least likable, and since there are only a handful of people needed in the plot, this leaves one or two remotely pleasant characters. Heathcliff is violent and practically the definition of evil, Linton is cranky and demanding, Catherine is selfish and disobedient, and Cathy disregards any advice given to her. The few likable characters are Nellie Dean, the maid from whose point of view the story is told. Mr. Lockwood is O.K, but mainly because he is hardly in the story. I suppose you may be able to like Cathy.       Heathcliff was bent on revenge against Edgar Linton, the reason for this I cannot say, for that would be a spoiler. Heathcliff goes to extreme lengths to get what he wants. He cares for nobody but himself.        I was expecting Wuthering Heights to be told in the 3rd person, but it is not. It starts off from Mr. Lockwood's point of view; he is visiting the home of Cathy. He meets Heathcliff, and, on discovering his terrible temper, asks Nellie Dean for Heathcliff's story. The majority of the rest of the book is told from Nellie's perspective, with a few breaks when Nellie has to leave and you hear Lockwood's thoughts on what Nellie has told so far.        There is a lot of death. Approximately half the characters die. In all likelihood you won't be attached to any of them, so this may not be a problem.             The author reused many names, and more often than not, one character's last name would be the first name of another. I saw that many people complained about this being confusing, and in all honesty I was confused in the beginning as well. Soon enough, however, characters begin to be killed off. When this happens there is only one character left with the name. Dead characters are mentioned, and you can tell when the person mentioned is dead by who is talking about them and in what manner they are doing so. After reading, names become less of a problem.        These are a lot of negative aspects, yet I have rated the book 5 stars. This is because I enjoyed it. I loved it. It was a Gothic Romance, but the romance was of a darker sort, the type that ultimately destroyed the lovers.           This was a book as unique as its author, Emily. It was a literary masterpiece. It was amazing.

A Few Favorite Authors.....

      I realize that I haven't posted in a while, so I apologize and I am giving you an update on everything.
      My friend just started a Health and Beauty blog, which you can find here: http://aprincessofreality.blogspot.com/
      She is likely the most fashion-minded person I know. I'd love if you would jump over and take a look at the blog.
      I wasn't able to complete the Classic Club Spin. The day before the deadline I realized that I was only half-way through the book. Not wanting to rush through it, I quit. On the upside, I finished Wuthering Heights, I will be posting a review soon.
      On to a few of my favorite authors, I have two to post about today; they both write fantasy.
      The first author is Jessica Day George. I have posted a review of her book Tuesdays in the Castle, which you can find here: http://ablogofthebooks.blogspot.com/2013/05/book-review-tuesdays-at-castle-by.html
      She has written two trilogies, Dragon Slippers and her Princess books, and is currently writing a series. Dragon Slippers is amazing! I have suggested it to two friends, and they both fell in love with the books. It's about Creel, whose aunt delivers her to a dragon, hoping for Creel to be rescued by the Lord's son. Creel frees herself and journeys to a town in hopes of becoming a dressmaker, wearing the shoes she acquired from the dragon. The shoes itch, and she hears voices of dragons, because of these shoes. Oh, I can't describe how fantastic these books are.
      Her other trilogy is based on fairy-tales. The first book, Princess of the Midnight Ball, focuses on Rose, the eldest of the twelve dancing princesses. It follows the storyline of the original fairy-tale (The Twelve Dancing Princesses). The second focuses on a middle sister, Poppy, whose fairytale is Cinderella, even though Cinderella is not Poppy herself. The last story is about the youngest sister. This book is a combination of Little Red Riding Hood and Robin Hood.
      For all you readers who aren't into fairy-tales and a bit of romance, I would suggest Eoin Colfer. Not every book he has written is fantasy, but his most well-known series, Artemis Fowl, is. Another all-time favorite.
      I suggest clicking the link and reading about the series yourself, as I often have trouble explaining these books. They are about the teenage Artemis Fowl. Criminal Mastermind and Millionaire. He wants his father back, and so captures a fairy, so he would be allowed a wish. I understand that I say this isn't a girly book, and then I start mentioning fairies. You need to understand that these are not the classic picture book fairies. They are high-tech mythological creatures, living underground. They have devices that render them nearly invisible, guns that don't kill, but stun, ways to erase a memory, ways to hypnotize among many other inventions.They have their own police system. The population  consist of centaurs, elves, dwarves, pixies, and more. When Artemis captures a fairy, it doesn't go as planned. This fairy was a police officer, and Artemis ends up with quite a bit of trouble when she goes missing from her world. This is a seven part series. It is also one of the few series in which I eagerly awaited the next installment.
      Who are some of your favorite authors? Please follow :) Au Revoir!

 

Jessica's Website

 

 

     Eoin's Website