I liked that this one was rather different than the ones before. It breaks from the "find a ghost and figure out how to deal with it" plot, instead de...moreI liked that this one was rather different than the ones before. It breaks from the "find a ghost and figure out how to deal with it" plot, instead dealing with a weird cursed item that I don't want to reveal (though since the cover of the book gives a clue, maybe I don't need to be that careful). This book was markedly spookier than the previous ones, while still having very funny lines. I'm excited about reading the next one now.(less)
Interesting story. I usually like the "getting to know new characters" parts of a series better than the sequels, but I really enjoyed the story told...moreInteresting story. I usually like the "getting to know new characters" parts of a series better than the sequels, but I really enjoyed the story told in this one. Yeah, maybe the technology is a little unrealistic, but it makes for big dreams , big events, and a big story.(less)
The framework for the story may be similar to the previous book (Alex doesn't want to be a spy anymore, but manages to get dragged into it again), but...moreThe framework for the story may be similar to the previous book (Alex doesn't want to be a spy anymore, but manages to get dragged into it again), but the details are different enough to make it enjoyable. Maybe I'll read one of these in non-manga form, so I can see what the writing is like. For now, though, I'm happy enough getting the plot in this quicker way.(less)
I can see why this book series would be popular with middle school readers: a 14-year suddenly finds out that he has spy-quality skills and then is pu...moreI can see why this book series would be popular with middle school readers: a 14-year suddenly finds out that he has spy-quality skills and then is pulled into the MI6 world. Cool spy gear, daring rescues, quick pace... it has a lot to draw in even those kids don't find most reading fun.(less)
I know I have reviewed this... like 3 times already. It's not good enough to keep writing about. Better than the first one, but not as good as the thi...moreI know I have reviewed this... like 3 times already. It's not good enough to keep writing about. Better than the first one, but not as good as the third one (so far). Usually, I like meeting new characters best, so liking a sequel better than the first book is really saying something.(less)
My sister recommended this book to me. She is definitely a growth mindset person and teacher; she found this book very useful in understanding how her...moreMy sister recommended this book to me. She is definitely a growth mindset person and teacher; she found this book very useful in understanding how her fixed mindset students were thinking. She also found that she does have a fixed mindset about some things... mostly artistic talent.
The main point of this book is that there are people who believe our skills, talents, knowledge, etc. are mostly set and the things we do are mostly an expression of those talents. "You can't make someone smarter" is a fixed mindset thought. On the other hand, there are people who believe that pretty much everything can be learned, given sufficient time and effort. Everything. Yes, even whatever it is that makes you say "well, surely not..." And then the author goes on to show what these two different mindsets mean in everyday life. Finally, she wraps up the book by explaining how to change your mindset.
I think of myself as a very growth mindset person. I believe that I can learn anything, and that the mistakes I make are all repairable and don't really reflect on my skills. But I do have pockets of fixed mindset, I found. Singing, for instance. I have the idea that my voice is pretty untrainable. Maybe it isn't, after all. The other fixedness I found in my mindset is with other people: I believed that there are people who won't learn new things. In fact, I rather thought myself special because of my ability to grow, flower, fly. I think of adults as getting less limber in their learning. I need to remember that everyone can learn... some people had (tragically) lost the desire to learn new things.
I'd give this book a big strong 5 for content. The mindset idea is rather simple once you see it, but realizing it in the first place... that's the trick. There are also many great ideas on how (and why) to change to a growth mindset. What I'd say is missing is the borderline cases. So much of the text covers the black-and-white cases: fully fixed or thoroughly growth. I understand that is an aid to distinguishing the two, but I would really like to have seen a less simple example or two.
Overall, though, this is a great book. Especially for anyone who is either (1) in a position of teaching or managing, and (2) anyone who thinks things can't change... that people can't increase their abilities. Actually, it's definitely worth reading, no matter who you are.(less)
This book has a lot of humor and a lot of ghost action (and problem solving). What it misses is a blend of the two. The humor seems rather tacked-on:...moreThis book has a lot of humor and a lot of ghost action (and problem solving). What it misses is a blend of the two. The humor seems rather tacked-on: not advancing the story. It's a fun book to read aloud and my son likes the series a lot. I do like that in this one, Malcolm has to solve a problem that really is a dilemma for him.(less)
I know I wrote this review once already... actually I feel like I have written it twice before this. Anyway... I can see why this series is popular, w...moreI know I wrote this review once already... actually I feel like I have written it twice before this. Anyway... I can see why this series is popular, with the exciting action and the clever spy technology. Maybe I should have read the actual novel itself to get to know the characters better, but this was enough to give me a taste of the story. The graphic novel is a great place for a reluctant reader to start, with the novels themselves being a good next step.(less)
This book is well-written and very informative on the ways dogs are incredibly smart (understanding human gestures and communication better than any o...moreThis book is well-written and very informative on the ways dogs are incredibly smart (understanding human gestures and communication better than any other species of animal (besides humans themselves, if you want to be all technical)), but also in the ways that they are not so smart (poor sense of direction, for example). I liked the information about how dogs may have evolved to be the way they are, how studying the intelligence of dogs sheds light on the intelligence of humans, and how you can apply what these scientists have learned to your very own pet dog. The most interesting part to me, though, is how "survival of the fittest" sometimes means "survival of the most cooperative" or "survival of the most tolerant."
I learned a lot of interesting things. For example: most dogs are more relaxed after being petted by human woman, yet the same is not always true when they are petted by human men. But further experiments showed that it was *how* the petting was being done. After they trained some of the men to pet dogs the way women were petting, the men could achieve the same amount of relaxation in the dog. ALso, a lot of detail about the DNA "find the breeds in your mutt" testing: both how it works and how the results may not be 100% accurate. (less)
These books are all pretty similar, with light humor, light suspense, and some ghosts included. As a read-aloud, they are kinda fun. I asked my son if...moreThese books are all pretty similar, with light humor, light suspense, and some ghosts included. As a read-aloud, they are kinda fun. I asked my son if he wanted to read the rest of the series himself, but he prefers me reading them aloud so I guess we'll continue.(less)
This book was as well-written as the first in the series, but everything moves a little slower and is a little more somber. I really wish there had be...moreThis book was as well-written as the first in the series, but everything moves a little slower and is a little more somber. I really wish there had been more of Anna herself in the book, but it was otherwise a good book. It was interesting to see more of Gideon and to learn more of the athame (history, abilities, creators, etc.) but the absence of Anna with no single fascinating character to take her place did make the story a little less compelling than the first one. Jestine is an interesting and somewhat complex character, but she can't take the place of Anna.
If there's another book about Cas, I will read it.(less)
This book -- and others in the series -- are kinda cool, with ghost hunting ideas in the back of each book. There's some humor, and some suspense, and...moreThis book -- and others in the series -- are kinda cool, with ghost hunting ideas in the back of each book. There's some humor, and some suspense, and even some spookiness, but it's all rather bland. I'll probably read the whole series aloud, but there's not a lot to these books besides some comfortable entertainment.(less)
I liked the first half of this book better than the second half. The first half was hilarious as Hank tries to break Drover's new bad habit. Maybe it...moreI liked the first half of this book better than the second half. The first half was hilarious as Hank tries to break Drover's new bad habit. Maybe it helped that I listened to the first half with my son, and his laughter was infectious. (less)
This story is kinda cute and kinda entertaining. Lots of fun to read aloud, though. I liked this way better than the first book in the series, and pro...moreThis story is kinda cute and kinda entertaining. Lots of fun to read aloud, though. I liked this way better than the first book in the series, and probably better than the second one, so I guess they are getting better. I'll be reading the 4th one soon.... aloud again.(less)
The library shelved this book with "The best of the best" and then it was recommended to me as "amazingness," so my expectations for this book are ver...moreThe library shelved this book with "The best of the best" and then it was recommended to me as "amazingness," so my expectations for this book are very high.
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Yeah, this is a really really good book. I learned a lot about voodoo and ghosts, but I also found a bunch of characters that I really like. I was really impressed with how the author was able to portray both social misfits and the popular students as real people, without forcing them out of the roles they play at school. The story has a reasonable amount of gore and spookiness... enough that you might not want to read this alone or at night if you are sensitive enough to get creeped out by a novel. There is also a lot of action, plus some romantic interest, yet the book doesn't feel crammed or diffused, as if it's trying to work in something for everyone. While I'm still undecided about my feelings for the ending, I was really impressed overall... I rated it a 4, but it's a really really high 4.
Soon I must read the next one in the series.(less)
Graphics: Excellent. They enhance the story, and really set the mood.
Story: Intricate and complex, with complicated characters.
I've read other Alan Moore novels and enjoyed them. This one definitely has his voice. I read the notes at the end to see what he had to say about it, and I think that his decision to write it without any thought bubbles (or sound effects, and a minimal amount of expositional text) was really effective. We don't know what anyone is thinking, much like reality. It adds a feeling of mystery to the whole book. And while his expectations about the future didn't pan out, I don't think the story loses anything because of that.(less)
I read this book so fast because the library wanted it back. It's not like I traded a piece of my soul or anything in exchange for them loaning me thi...moreI read this book so fast because the library wanted it back. It's not like I traded a piece of my soul or anything in exchange for them loaning me this book, but I still didn't want it to be overdue... so after holding on to it for weeks and weeks, I finally read the whole thing in three days. Maybe four.
The idea of this book is great and I hope there are more in the series. I'd really be interested in a Cthulhu one. There was a lot of suspense, too, because I never could tell who was good and who was just pretending. Unfortunately, part of why I couldn't tell is that the characters were rather vague. I was told they were this or they were that, but the showing of it... a little less so. Still, I did have the effect of increasing my being able to believe that nearly anyone is a potential villain. That won't work as well, though, for any future books in the series.
I liked the magic and the warnings about using it improperly, but the warnings eventually felt a little weak... again, I was told more than shown.
Anyway, it's a good enough book that I did read it quickly. It starts a little slow, then becomes very suspensful. The premise of the book, though, is going to have me thinking more than the actual events of the story.(less)
This is a cute little book, with dogs that feel very doggie (plus stick dog, who is not your average dog), and a narrator who is both direct(I do like...moreThis is a cute little book, with dogs that feel very doggie (plus stick dog, who is not your average dog), and a narrator who is both direct(I do like this effect in many books for kids) and funny. The pictures, the plans the dogs make, and the way the story is told are all very enjoyable for kids who like dogs. (Target audience: Elementary school age kids.)(less)
After being familiar with Judge Dredd for many many years (through the role playing game, which I read about and never got to play, the Anthrax song,...moreAfter being familiar with Judge Dredd for many many years (through the role playing game, which I read about and never got to play, the Anthrax song, which is a very excellent introduction to this character, and the "recent" movie), I finally got around to reading the actual strips that started it all. I'm happy to finally see him in his original incarnation.
Judge Dredd is an excellent and creative problem solver, always working within the bounds of the law. As a role model, he is a little harsh, but his respect for what is legal is somewhat missing in other superheroes. Maybe it makes him a little simpler of a character, but he has a soft side to his robot much of the time (which I did not expect). Maybe he's the superhero for an engineer-type mentality. I find the images of his over-populated world interesting to think about.(less)
Luka's turn to go on an adventure. I didn't actually realize this was a "sequel" to the book "Haroun and the Sea of Stories" when I picked it up. You...moreLuka's turn to go on an adventure. I didn't actually realize this was a "sequel" to the book "Haroun and the Sea of Stories" when I picked it up. You don't have to read the other one first.
Best parts of the book: the gods from all over the globe and history, the discussions of death, and how intricate the created magical world is. Salman Rushdie plays with language and words in this book, making it enjoyable for both kids and adults. It's an excellent read-aloud book for exactly that reason. Also, I really liked the video game theme that's overlays part of the adventure.
Worst part: it's a little slow at times, and can get wordy with names, which makes either an audiobook or reading it aloud a little tougher on the audience.(less)
I don't have extensive to write this, so auspiciously I can record my notions without traipsing distant from the path of my intentions.
If I were apply...moreI don't have extensive to write this, so auspiciously I can record my notions without traipsing distant from the path of my intentions.
If I were applying my thoughts with a brush of great width, I could exclaim "I found the book more humorous than heartfelt, and the writing more clever than true," but that elucidation censors my true ponderings.
The characters did become real, and the joking manner did give way to a deeper, sadder, reality... in fact, it may have increased the sadness, by acting as a contrast.
In the book, the author character says that the Ukrainian translator's parts are necessary to lighten the mood. Having the book told in three separate lines -- a history, as told by the author, a "current day" line, as told by the Ukrainian translator, and a series of letters from the Ukrainian to the author -- gave a lot of depth to the telling, especially when the translator questions why things are told the way they are, and makes suggestions for other ways to tell the story. I liked that the story came with its own critical discussion.
Overall, I liked this book as lot, even if some of the more emotional bits didn't ring quite 100% true.(less)
No, actually this isn't quite that sort of book. It's a scientific discussion of many different things rel...moreWho knew I was doing so many things wrong???
No, actually this isn't quite that sort of book. It's a scientific discussion of many different things related to sex, including the dispelling of many myths that I have heard (and sometimes believed) through my life. While much of the information was not entirely new to me, there were definitely things I had not known before, and even for the things that I did feel I knew, the confirmation of my information was nice. And I only occasionaly felt squeamish.
The information about how evolution shaped some of the things we do (which is what I felt the "Why we Look, Smell, Feel, and Act the Way We Do" subtitle promised me) was the most interesting part. Even in cookbooks, "Why?" is my favorite question, and this book did a lot to explain the whys of sex. If that's the sort of curiousity you are blessed/cursed with, then you will enjoy this book, despite the lack of jokes in the text. The chapter on homosexuality was especially interesting to me; I didn't realize how common homosexuality is in the animal kingdom and especially in primates, or how evolution would favor homosexuality. The chapter on STDs was the scariest... you might want to read that chapter during daylight hours.
Now when I find myself in the sort of conversations that I never find myself in, I now have a lot more information to share. Or if there's a "sex myths" category in a trivia night, you'll want me on your team. And if I had to choose a topic to be extremely knowledgable in, this one top my list. Now I'm an expert!(less)
This book, like the "Dear Dumb Diary" and the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" books, makes good use of cartoonish illustrations (I mean, go figure... the autho...moreThis book, like the "Dear Dumb Diary" and the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" books, makes good use of cartoonish illustrations (I mean, go figure... the author draws a daily cartoon) to carry part of the story (and many of the jokes).
What I liked best: I liked that the main character (Timmy) really has a completely different understanding of what is going on, while we as the readers can see the truth of the matter. There's a lot of humor in that disconnect. It can be tough to pull off getting a message to the reader in a first-person story when the narrator doesn't see as clearly, but especially one with a limited number of words. I like the way we get interacting layers of perception from the way this is told. Also, the book was very very funny. Okay, some of the jokes were overused by the end of the book, but there were fresh new jokes popping up, too.
I will read more Timmy Failure books. I'm already encouraging others to read them, too.(less)
What a great book! I mean, the range of emotions and the nature of the characters and the whole story which, if I were to describe it in two sentences...moreWhat a great book! I mean, the range of emotions and the nature of the characters and the whole story which, if I were to describe it in two sentences, might be like "who would want to read that??" but if you take all the nuances and details it becomes this amazing thing of life and death and love contemplations on mortality and with the sort of jokes dying teenagers must tell... this is an amazing book.
As a parent of a child with epilepsy, I find that there's a big difference between books about "epilepsy kids" and books about "kids... who happen to have epilepsy." The former are at best, informative. The latter are much more difficult to find, and they are so much better. Anyone can do some research and write a story that involves a character suffering from whatever... it takes living it to get the tone and the jokes and the mood right when you are telling a story where one of the characters -- especially a main character -- has the whatever. This book amazingly captures some incredible teenagers... who just happen to have cancer. And then this book is amazing with relationships between these characters, too.
If I were writing a paper about this book, I'd examine the relationship between the book "The Fault in Our Stars" and the descriptions we get of the fictional book that the characters like "An Imperial Affliction." There's a whole trove of ideas there for the taking.
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. I had heard a lot of good reviews from people I trust, but I wasn't sure whether it was really going to k...moreI wasn't sure what to expect from this book. I had heard a lot of good reviews from people I trust, but I wasn't sure whether it was really going to keep my attention. It turns out that the reviews were accurate and my attention was kept.
I really like how the story is told from the point of view of three different people. None of them see the whole story, but together, they see everything that is going on. The three voices are all different, too; not just in how they speak, but in how they think.
There are a lot of emotions in this book (I'm sure that's one reason why it's popular with so many book groups), but also a lot of thoughts about how people treat each other. My favorite books let me see the reality (or some approximation to it) of lives I didn't get to lead. To me, the best part of this book is how clearly it presents the lives of a number of women living in Jackson, Mississippi, in the 1960s.
I don't think I would have seen the similarities between this book -- with all the secrets, lies, people misleading themselves, the destruction of lives, and battling for power -- and The Game of Thrones if I hadn't been reading both of them at the same time.(less)
Beautiful, yet heartbreaking. Fairy-tale qualities, yet gritty with the filth of war. Realistic characters in the midst of intolerable evil. Woven thr...moreBeautiful, yet heartbreaking. Fairy-tale qualities, yet gritty with the filth of war. Realistic characters in the midst of intolerable evil. Woven through with strands from the fairy tale we all know. Harrowing events, strong children, an air of wonder, corruption, and sacrifice... over and over again: sacrifice.
This book has some of the best dialogue I have read. The conversations really carry the story, with some of the bigger events being revealed as part o...moreThis book has some of the best dialogue I have read. The conversations really carry the story, with some of the bigger events being revealed as part of a conversation. The story is very funny, as well. Ignatius is like a bomb (I just realized in typing this how his name ties to that), causing damage everywhere he goes, while lying (or does he believe what he says???) about what happens to anyone who will listen. If I had to pick a character who was closest to him from anywhere else in loterature, it would be the narrator of "Notes from the Underground," but even that is a little bit of a stretch, because the man from the Underground knows he is doing things for spite, while Ignatius doesn't seem to understand that he is not normal. Or rather, he things he is better than everyone else for many different reasons. It is amazing how he goes from one disaster to another and never seems to get hit by the debris. (less)
I enjoy hearing Kinsey's voice and seeing how she has solved each mystery that comes her way, so getting to hear a bunch of new stories all at once, e...moreI enjoy hearing Kinsey's voice and seeing how she has solved each mystery that comes her way, so getting to hear a bunch of new stories all at once, even if they were shorter than novel length, was great. Except for the one with the twin brothers, these are complete stories with tight mysteries and a lot of Kinsey's character shining through. They were very fun to read. I also enjoyed the introduction that explained a little of the genesis of Kinsey.
This book has a whole second part, though: a few autobiographical statements about Sue Grafton, and then a series of stories she wrote that deal with alcoholism and death. These stories are in a very different vein than the Kinsey tales, with a large does of melacholy. I did enjoy the other stories, but they are very very different from the detective stories that I expect from Sue Grafton.
Overall, I'd say that the first section of the book contains some of the best short story detective tales I have ever read (except the one about the twins). The second section is emotional and more painful to read.(less)
My son ranks this as his #4 or #5 favorite of all the Hank the Cowdog books he has read. I like it because it has a lot of my favorite funny elements...moreMy son ranks this as his #4 or #5 favorite of all the Hank the Cowdog books he has read. I like it because it has a lot of my favorite funny elements of the Hank the Cowdog books -- Hank and Drover having confusing conversations, Hank using words that are close in sound but distant in meaning from the words he intends, and a lot of canine logic that feels a lot like the way a dog would really think, and Hank declaring one thing and then its opposite like three sentences later -- but also because it has Hank really saving the day.(less)
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