SummerQuest 2017: 7 Guest Reviews from Middle-Grade Readers

SummerQuest is on! We're having a great summer at BCPL with events ranging from awesome makerspaces to gaming nights to an outdoor concert. But the heart of our summer library program will always be books and reading.

And we're so excited with the response we are receiving from the participants in our 10 in 10 Reading Challenge for Tweens, Teens, and Adults. Here are just a few of the book reviews we've received so far; more will be posted here over the month to come. A HUGE thanks to all of our guest reviewers for sharing!



Sisters by Raina Telgemeier
Reviewer: Victoria R., Age 10
Victoria's Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Genre: Graphic Novel/Memoir
Audience: Middle Grade/Tween

Victoria's Summary & Review: The book Sisters is about two girls named Raina and Amara. Raina and Amara have to travel for a week in the car to Colorado when the incident comes up again.  I think this book is good because its about the sisters. The author is also creative. There is also a lot of drama between the two sisters.

*This book completes the Book By or About Someone I Admire challenge in Victoria's 10 in 10 Reading Challenge!

EXTRA: Tracy's Thoughts: This was my first Raina Telgemeier book, and I saw immediately why she has become so popular with both readers and reviewers. Her work is full of  heart and realistic relationships we can relate to. Here's what I had to say a few years ago, when Sisters made our Best of 2014 list:

In her follow-up to Smile, Telgemeier focuses on the ups and downs of her childhood relationship with her younger sister. The two are wildly different and have frequent battles, and yet they have one very important thing in common. Though there are frequent flashbacks to key moments, the narrative centers on a family road trip to attend a family reunion. The pacing, text, and expressive art are top-notch.

The Hunt for the Hundredth Key by Geronimo Stilton
Reviewer: Victoria R., Age 10
Victoria's Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Genre: Mystery
Audience: Young Readers 

Victoria's Summary & Review: The book, The Hunt for the Hundredth Key, is about Geronimo Stilton wanting to write a book until his sister takes him to help solve a mystery. I like the book because the author is creative. Another reason is because of the characters, setting, and the mystery.

*This book completes the Book I Loved As a Child challenge in Victoria's 10 in 10 Reading Challenge!

The Baby Sitters Club by Raina Telgemeier
Reviewer: Victoria R., Age 10
Victoria's Rating: 4/5 Stars
Genre: Graphic Novel
Audience: Middle Grade/Tween

Victoria's Summary & Review: The book, The Baby-Sitter's Club, is about Claudia, Janine, and a baby-sitters club. Claudia and her friends want to baby-sit while Janine wants to study until an accident comes up. I enjoyed the book because of the setting, characters, and the author. The setting is outside and I like the outside, so that is why I like the setting. I like the characters because they are caring. I like the author, Raina Telgemeier, because she is creative.

*This book completes the Graphic Novel challenge in Victoria's 10 in 10 Reading Challenge!

Maybe a Fox by Kathi Appelt
Reviewer: Katelynn W., Age 11
Victoria's Rating: 5/5 Stars
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Audience: Middle Grade/Tween

Victoria's Summary & Review: This book is about a sister who loses her older sister while she was running to fast, so she slipped and fell into the slip. Her younger sister has help with her soul animal to find out why her sister had wanted to run faster. I liked this book, Maybe a Fox, because the author, Kathi Appelt, showed emotion well while writing. I also like how she describe every little detail. She also described each personality of the sisters really well. This is why I like the book Maybe a Fox by Kathi Appelt.

*This book completes the BCPL Staff Pick challenge in Katelynn's 10 in 10 Reading Challenge!

Rutabaga The Adventure Chef...Feasts of Fury by Eric Colossal
Reviewer: Katelynn W., Age 11
Victoria's Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Genre: Graphic Novel
Audience: Middle Grade/Tween

Victoria's Summary & Review: Rutabaga continues his mission to find exotic foods for his dishes. While trying to do this, he runs into all sorts of messes. While being a chief he gets taken and forced to work as a chief for an evil goblin. The book was okay because the author didn't show any emotion while writing. Also, I don't really like comics. Another thing is that the characters don't really develop. This is why I think the book was okay.

*This book completes the Graphic Novel challenge in Katelynn's 10 in 10 Reading Challenge!

Death by Toilet Paper by Donna Gephart
Reviewer: Katelynn W., Age 11
Victoria's Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Genre: Realistic Fiction/Comedy
Audience: Middle Grade/Tween

Victoria's Summary & Review: This book is about a kid who enters sweepstakes to earn something for his mom, because their dad died and they are put on eviction at their apartment for not paying the rent on time. I like this book because the author, Donna Gephart, puts good emotion into her writing. She also does a good job explaining how things happen in a different way than most authors do. This makes her writing enjoyable. This is why I think you should read the book Death by Toilet Paper.

*This book completes the Book Your Friends Love challenge in Katelynn's 10 in 10 Reading Challenge!

Middle School Escape to Australia by James Patterson
Reviewer: Katelynn W., Age 11
Victoria's Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Genre: Realistic Fiction/Comedy
Audience: Middle Grade/Tween

Victoria's Summary & Review: This book is about a kid named Rafe who wins an art competition and wins a trip to Australia. There he finds a group called the outsiders which he fits right into. He then makes a piece of art to display. What the people don't know is that he has a bigger surprise coming. The book, Middle School Escape to Australia, is something you should read. First the author, James Patterson, does a really good job on showing emotion. Also, he does a good job on describing the characters. Not to mention he has a really good plot. He also does a good job on the setting. He makes the setting fit the story. This is why I think the book Middle School Escape to Australia is a good book to read.

*This book completes the Book Published in 2017 challenge in Katelynn's 10 in 10 Reading Challenge!

SUMMER READING 2016: 5 Guest Reviews from Tweens & Teens

Summer Reading is on! We're having a great summer at BCPL with events ranging from fitness activities to a lab with the Kentucky Science Center to awesome magic shows. But the heart of Summer Reading will always be books and reading.

And we're so excited with the response we are receiving from the participants in our 2016 Reading Challenges. Here are just a few of the book reviews we've received so far; more will be posted here over the month to come. Thanks to all of our guest reviewers for sharing!

How to Disappear Completely and Never Be Found by Sara Nickerson
Reviewer: Tyler W., Age 10
Tyler's Rating: 3/5 Stars
Genre: Graphic Novel/Mystery
Audience: Tween/Teen

Tyler's Summary & Review:  A boy and his mom move into a mansion only to find out weird things keep happening. It's ok. Kind of a long book.



Quarterback Sneak by Jake Maddox
Reviewer: Tyler W., Age 10
Tyler's Rating: 5/5 Stars
Genre: Realistic Fiction/Sports Fiction
Audience: Middle Grade/Tween

Tyler's Summary & Review:  A quarterbacks suddenly starts acting very strange, which puts the team in major jeopardy.I enjoyed this book, I can relate to one of the characters because he wants to help his team. I also have a passion for football.

Wonder by R.J. Palacio
Reviewer: Katelynn W., Age 11
Katelynn's Rating: 5/5 Stars
Genre: Realistic Fiction/School Story
Audience: Middle Grade/Tween

Katelynn's Summary & Review:  A boy has a facial disease and has a hard time "fitting in" at school and out of school. I am here to tell you that I really think you should read this book. First, the book makes me feel like I'm in the story experiencing what is going on. Next, the book has really good detail to make me imagine everything that is going on. Last, the book has a really good story behind that and it has a good plot. That is why you should read the book Wonder by R.J. Palacio. Enjoy!😊

EXTRA: Tracy's Thoughts: I couldn't agree more with Katelynn's rating and review! I loved this book back when I read it, hence its inclusion on our Best of 2012 book list for middle grade and tween readers and my whining over its exclusion from the 2013 Youth Media Awards. Here's my brief overview from one of our Book Picks lists:

Ten-year-old Auggie was born with extreme facial abnormalities. When he was younger, he used to wear a space helmet all the time just to hide from the stares. Now Auggie—homeschooled all his life—is ready to come out of hiding and is set to begin fifth grade at a private Manhattan middle school. Heartbreaking, funny, and simply wonderful in every way, Wonder is a must-read for book lovers of all ages. Ages 8 and up

Julius Zebra: Rumble with the Romans by Gary Northfield
Reviewer: Katelynn W., Age 11
Katelynn's Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Genre: Animal Fantasy
Audience: Middle Grade

Katelynn's Summary & Review: A zebra and other animals get captured and have to train to be gladiators. Once they train, they have to fight to earn their freedom.

I think you should read the book Julius Zebra: Rumble with the Romans by Gary Northfield. First, this book has some great facts about the Romans and other things. Next, the book has really great humor. Last, the book has a lot of feeling in it. That is why I think you should read the book Julius Zebra: Rumble with the Romans by Gary Northfield.

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
Reviewer: Kaylee F., Age 12
Kaylee's Rating: 5/5 Stars
Genre: Fantasy/Paranormal Romance
Audience: Teen/Young Adult

Kaylee's Summary & Review: The storyline is about a girl named Bella Swan and when she moves in with her dad at the town of Forks. I thought this book was a great start to an amazing series.The story itself was great because it explained how Bella felt at all times in amazing words and vocabulary. I loved the characters a lot because they all were a big part of an amazing story. I loved the setting because when the author wrote to explain the setting she made it feel like I was actually looking at it myself. I just enjoyed this book so much I couldn't even put it down. You should really read this book and fall in love with it just as I did.

EXTRA: Tracy's Thoughts: As Kaylee says, this book is compulsively readable. I couldn't put it down and read the entire book (about 500 pages) in a single night. I have a few issues with the book (Edward's stalker tendencies, for one), but nothing that prevented me from staying up till about 6:00 in the morning until I finished!


Are you interested in submitting a guest review? Use the submission form on our website to share your thoughts (positive, negative, or in between) about your latest read. And remember: eligible BCPL patrons earn an entry in our Summer Reading Grand Prize Drawing for each review they submit!

TEEN GUEST REVIEWS: Teens Take on the Classics

We have one more round of teen guest reviews in honor of Teen Read Week! Of course teens (or any BCPL patron or blog reader!) is always welcome to submit a guest review at any time. You can contact me at tweikel@bcplib.org for details.

In the meantime, here are reviews of two literary classics from local teens!

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Reviewer: Denise
Denise's Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Genre: Historical Fiction/Romanticism
Audience: Adult
 
Summary: In 17th century Boston, Hester Prynne, a young Puritan woman, is accused of adultery and ostracized after conceiving a child outside of her marriage. Hester refuses to name her lover despite pressure from her husband, who hides his true identity from the rest of the community and becomes obsessed with getting revenge against Hester's lover.

Denise's Review: Nathaniel Hawthorne, an author known for a few classics (The Scarlet Letter and The House of Seven Gables) surely spent vigorous hours in the process of writing The Scarlet Letter as he takes space in his pages to describe in great detail one or two objects at a time. Based in Puritan times, Hester Prynne lives out her life, looked down upon for committing adultery. Hester besides raising Pearl, her daughter from the sin, does a lot for the town. By the end of the novel a lot of secrets are revealed. The book as a whole, I strongly recommend for high school students only.

Extra: Tracy's Thoughts: I actually read this book in 7th grade at the behest of a friend who LOVED it. I was a bit less enthusiastic, but I did enjoy it though much of it probably went over my head. By the time I was in high school and it became assigned reading, I was better able to appreciate the rich symbolism of the book, especially in relation to the guilt felt by Hester's secret lover. Of course, the overt emphasis on symbolism tends to detract from character development, as Henry James famously pointed out in his essay "Hawthorne":

The faults of the book are, to my sense, a want of reality and an abuse of the fanciful element–of a certain superficial symbolism. The people strike me not as characters, but as representatives, very picturesquely arranged, of a single state of mind; and the interest of the story lies, not in them, but in the situation, which is insistently kept before us....

Personally, I love layered books that are brimming with symbolism. However, rich, multi-dimensional characterizations are often the key element to my very favorite books, as I have noted in several previous reviews. And though it's been a while since I picked up The Scarlet Letter, I must agree with James that the characters are a bit flat. Perhaps that is why I've always been somewhat ambivalent about this particular classic.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Reviewer: C.W., Age 16
C.W.'s Rating: 4/5 Stars
Genre: Coming-of-Age Story/Southern Gothic
Audience: Adult/YA Crossover

Summary: In this classic tale of courage and morality in a small, Southern town, a young tomboy tells the  story of the summer her father defends a black man accused of raping a white woman. This is a  powerful look at discrimination and an emotional exploration of human instinct, as viewed  through the eyes of a child.

C.W.'s Review: I did like reading this. It was told from the eyes of Jem and Scout, which is different from what you normally read from the perspective of an adult. I had to ask my mom about some of the storyline because it was written around some subjects I didn’t understand at first, because I am 16 and didn’t live through them. It was easy to read, and it was surprisingly well made into a movie.


So... that is our teen take on two popular classics, with a brief interjection from me. Now we're wondering, what it your opinion of the featured titles?

TEEN GUEST REVIEWS: Recent Releases

It's Teen Read Week! Teen Read Week is a national literacy initiative to encourage teens to read for the fun of it. To celebrate here on Book News & Reviews, throughout the week we will be posting guest reviews contributed by local teens. Plus, we will soon be announcing the latest updates to our Ultimate Teen Booklist! To kick us off, tonight we have three honest (sometimes painfully honest!) reviews of recent releases from three different teens. Thanks to all of our guest reviewers for sharing!

Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee
Reviewer: C.W., Age 16
C.W.'s Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Genre: Historical Fiction
Audience: Adult/YA Crossover
Series: Companion novel to To Kill a Mockingbird

Summary: When a now adult Scout returns to Maycomb, Alabama twenty years after the trial of Tom Robinson, she struggles with her own personal beliefs and the prevailing opinions of her hometown in the midst of the political upheaval of the mid-1950s.

C.W.'s Review: I didn’t like this as much as To Kill a Mockingbird, but it was still good. It was kind of a good history lesson, and it shows some ways we have changed in society and a lot of ways we haven’t. I think that Atticus’s character changed too much between the two. He was open-minded and against racism in To Kill a Mockingbird, but he changed and I didn’t see him as the same person. What I do think was done well was that the author was able to warn readers about placing people too high on a pedestal.

The Rule of Three by Eric Walters
Reviewer: Samantha, Age 16
Samantha's Rating: 2/5 Stars
Genre: Science Fiction/Apocalyptic Fiction
Audience: Teen/Young Adult
Series: Rule of Three Trilogy #1

Summary: Civilization quickly begins to crumble following a sudden global technology crash. Sixteen-year-old Adam is stunned by the local chaos, but with the guidance of his police-captain mom and his neighbor—a retired government spy—Adam is determined to do whatever is necessary to survive and rebuild civilization.

Samantha's Review: This wasn’t too great a read. I had trouble making myself read it, because in parts, it droned on. And on. And on. It was a pretty good set up for the storyline, when Adam realized that something was wrong besides the cell phones not working all of a sudden. But, it didn’t seem very realistic that his mom was the Police Captain and his neighbor used to be a spy. Adam didn’t stand out as a very strong character. It was almost written like he was a bystander in his own life, but then the author made it seem like he was responsible for bigger things all of a sudden.

Minders by Michele Jaffe

Reviewer: Ashleigh, Age 16
Ashleigh's Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Genre: Science Fiction/Thriller
Audience: Teen/Young Adult

Summary: Sixteen-year-old Sadie is a privileged overachiever destined for success. But when she joins the elite Mind Corps Fellowship program as an observer monitoring the inner thoughts of an unsuspecting teenage boy, she finds herself falling for a troubled, possibly homicidal boy she has never met.

Ashleigh's Review: I loved it! There was romance, crime, murder, peer pressure, and a thriller.

I like the idea of a teen mind-reader. And Sadie was so quick to fall for the bad boy, which happens a lot in real life. Then she finds out he might have committed a crime and wonders if she should turn him in to the police. It was kind of scary to think that she had to decide whether or not to turn him in, since the crime was so big, but I know girls who probably wouldn’t do it. I like the way the author describes what Sadie is seeing while in Ford’s mind—especially about the colors coming together into pictures. And the twist is awesome!

GUEST REVIEW: The Ninth Wife by Amy Stolls

Tonight we have a special guest review from a new library employee! But Donna isn't new to Book News & Reviews; in 2012, when we Donna was simply a library patron, she contributed reviews of Home at Last by Bonnie Leon and Siobhan Fallon's linked short story collection You Know When the Men Are Gone. Glad to have you back, Donna!

Donna's Rating:4/5 Stars
Genre: Mainstream Fiction/Love Story
Audience: Adult

Summary: Thirty-something Bess Gray despairs of ever finding "the one." Then she meets a charming Irish musician and becomes instantly smitten. After a couple of months of dating he proposes. The problem? Rory has already been married EIGHT times before. Before deciding whether to follow her heart and leap all in, Bess embarks on a journey to meet each of the past wives and learn where Rory's past marriages went wrong.

Donna's Review:
It took a little bit to get used to the jumping back and forth from the his and her viewpoints during the reading of this book. Once I got past that, the story did stick its fangs into me. It kept me coming back for more. I wanted to know all about the hows and whys of Rory’s eight wives. How in the world did he end up being married that many times? More than one is not that uncommon in modern times, but eight?

I liked getting to see Rory mature with each of his wives, what could have been just relationships if not for his very giving and romantic nature. I also liked seeing how Bess came to terms with each of them, as she definitely wanted to know about each of them. As we women all do, she wanted to see if each one was prettier than her, smarter than her, etc. Bess’s grandparents and gay friend, Cricket, liven up the main story line.They show the  reader there are always different shades of gray in relationships.

I think the end could have gone either way, or any way, and I don’t want to spoil it for you! The whole story, and for me, Bess’s thoughts, were something that any woman would want to think about. Every woman wants to know about her predecessors and sometimes ends up finding out too much about them. This book might change the way some women think about finding out too much information. In my opinion, this book is a 4-star read. It is funny, sad, and has much romance to offer while showing the loneliness and vulnerability of people, whether single or in a relationship.


Are you interested in contributing a guest review to Book News & Reviews?

• We encourage BCPL patrons and members of the community to share thoughts on what they are reading and welcome guest reviews. Find details here.  
• Or, if you would like to share your favorite recent reads but think writing a full review is too much trouble, join our What Do You Recommend? collaborative board on Pinterest!

GUEST REVIEWS: Picture Book Flash Reviews

We have a couple of firsts for you today at Book News & Reviews! Today we are featuring our first reviews from BCPL's very own Ms. Cheryl as well as our first child-submitted review. Five-year-old Tabitha Beck is a soon-to-be first grader, a HUGE Dora fan, and a patron at our Lebanon Junction Library location. She graciously chose to share her thoughts with us about one of her favorite books, which she has read many times.

 

Charlie Goes to School
by Ree Drummond

Reviewer: Ms. Cheryl
Ms. Cheryl's Rating: 5/5 Stars
Audience: Ages 4–8
I am a big fan of Ree Drummond and couldn’t wait to read her children’s book. Charlie is the main character and is a Bassett Hound. The book is written from his perspective. Charlie starts off the story at the beginning of his day with how he “helps” out all the human family members. Then he discovers school and wants to have a school for all the animals on the farm. Things do not go well, and Charlie eventually gives up and takes a much needed nap. The author writes a very fun and engaging story and the illustrator did a fantastic job of illustrating the book. I really enjoyed looking at the pages and all the little characters on each page.

The Worst Princess
by Anna Kemp

Reviewer: Ms. Cheryl
Ms. Cheryl's Rating: 4/5 Stars
Audience: Ages 3–7
This book was a quick and fun read. It has rhyming words and a funny twist to the typical “Happily Ever After” princess story. The princess is a bit more adventurous than your average princess, so she is very excited when her brave and wonderful prince finally comes along. Only this prince wants his princess at home being happy with her clothes and castle. Throw in a naughty dragon that comes to the princess’s rescue, and you have a great read.

Show Me Your Smile:
A Visit to the Dentist
by Christine Ricci

Reviewer: Tabitha Beck
Tabitha's Rating: (Rating not provided, but we're guessing Tabitha gives it a 5 out of 5!)
Audience: Everyone (Publisher recommends ages 3–5)
This is a Dora book and I love Dora, the Explorer. In this book Dora goes to the dentist and I learned that it's not that scary. I would recommend this book to anyone to read. It's good to go to the dentist because if you don't take care of your teeth, you won't be able to eat. The dentist helps you keep your teeth healthy and keep your smile beautiful. I love this book.

GUEST REVIEW: Who Pushed Humpty Dumpty? And Other Notorious Nursery Tale Mysteries by David Levinthal and John Nickle

Rating: 4/5 Stars
Genre: Picture Book/Humor/Mystery/Fractured Fairy Tales
Audience: Ages 4–8

First lines: "There are eight million stories in the forest. This is one of them."

Allison's Guest Summary & Review:
With a title like this, I couldn’t help picking up this read. Officer Binky is a fun character, rife with all the characteristics of a gumshoe detective, who investigates the crimes occurring in five fairy tale classics. Kids will be familiar with these stories, retold afresh without reinvention, and complete with tongue in cheek references. But children will also be enthralled by Levinthal’s artwork–an appealing acrylic montage. All in all, this was a fun read, which should keep kids laughing!

GUEST REVIEW: The Boleyn Deceit by Laura Anderson

Allison, our Outreach/Programs Supervisor here at BCPL is back with another guest review! This time, she's got me hooked. I think I'm going to have to read this book (and its prequel) for myself!  –Tracy

Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Genre: Alternatie History/Speculative Fiction
Audience: Adult/Young Adult Crossover
Series: Boleyn Trilogy #2

Summary: What if Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII had a son who’d grown up to be king? With his regency period over, King Henry IX is sitting the throne of England trying to maneuver palace intrigue, war on the horizon, passion, and secrecy. His legitimacy still doubted, tensions are at a heightened state with the Catholics, and he is betrothed to the young princess of France. But he is still enchanted with his childhood love, Minuette, and the court is beginning to take note. Even more scandalous is the fact that Minuette is in love with another—Henry IX’s best friend. Will the secrets of the court change the course of an empire?

First Line: “You will not tell me what I can and cannot do with my own son!”

Allison’s Review:
Rarely do I find a book that I read cover to cover in basically one sitting. Rarely do I find a book that while completely fiction, mirrors actual historical events in a way to keep me interested. Rarely do a find a quick-paced storyline that is also detailed. And rarely do I find a book in which the author has been able to take such artistic license with history in order to write their fiction yet stay so true to many aspects of real-world historical events. This book—and in fact both books in this series published thus far—have managed to accomplish all of this!

If we were to imagine a living male heir of Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII, William Tudor (King Henry IX) is that heir. Watching him come of age, with a mixture of the personalities and characteristics of both his parents, is mesmerizing. And the political intrigue (of which I am not usually a fan) is captivating. The love triangle surrounding Minuette is thought-provoking. Sinister plots abound. Henry IX’s sister Elizabeth is a beloved royal princess who’s to be married off in a diplomatic bargain, yet the character we know as Elizabeth I is evident.

Most enjoyable for me in this storyline is the constant mystery and intrigue that sends you catapulting between one imagined outcome and another. And, the teaser chapter from the next installment in the trilogy, The Boleyn Reckoning, leaves me asking the question: Can the release date of July 15th get here already?

GUEST REVIEW: My Sister's Stalker by Nancy Springer

BCPL programmer Allison is back with another guest review!

Allison's Rating: 4/5 Stars
Genre: Mystery/Suspense
Audience: Teen/Young Adult

Summary: Sixteen-year-old Rig Googles his sister, who he is missing camaraderie with since his parents' divorce, and finds that there is a website dedicated to her. He feels that the person who put the pictures of his sister on the website is a stalker, though he has trouble trying to convince his mother of that fact. She feels that the site dedicated to her daughter is created by an admirer. Rig skips school and takes a bus to his old hometown to show his father what he has found. While his mother is obviously looking at things pessimistically, his more down-to-earth father shares his concerns. The two of them embark on a journey where Rig has to look into himself to "connect" with the website creator in order to save his sister from what he sees as a threat.

Allison's Guest Review:
This will be a good read for reluctant readers, especially among young men. It is a quick read; it took me just under two hours to read. It will be perfect for those who just want a quick mystery, but some readers used to in-depth novels will be asking for more detail. Rig is a typical sixteen year old, struggling to adjust to a new town and a new school after his parents' divorce. He feels more connected to his mother than his father, and begrudgingly admits to missing his sister, too. He must connect with his father in order to warn his sister of the danger he feels she is in, and discovers that he has the quality traits his father has always professed to not seeing in Rig. The two embark on a trip to save Rig's sister dealing with knife-wielding maniacs, an inability to communicate, and inner turmoil in order to accomplish their goals.

GUEST REVIEWS: Flash Reviews from 2013 Cabin Fever Participants

Ever get sick of hearing what Lucinda and I think of our latest reads? Ready for a fresh opinion? How about some of your fellow BCPL patrons? Here are several guest reviews we received as part of our 2013 Cabin Fever program. Thanks to all of our guest reviewers for sharing!

Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire
Reviewer: Anonymous Patron @ Ridgway Library
Anonymous Patron's Rating: 5/5 Stars
Genre: Romance
Audience: New Adult/Adult
Series: Beautiful #1

Summary: Travis Maddox, Eastern University's playboy, makes a bet with good girl Abby that if he loses, he will remain abstinent for a month, but if he wins, Abby must live in his apartment for the same amount of time.

Anonymous Patron's Review: This story was amazing! I literally could not put it down! This was a wonderful love story about two people you would not think should be together until all the "pieces" unfold. I am looking forward to reading the author's other books.

Deadly Pursuit by Irene Hannon
Reviewer: Heather Lawrence (Mt. Washington Library)
Heather's Rating: 4/5 Stars
Genre: Christian Fiction/Romantic Suspense
Audience: Adult
Series: Guardians of Justice #2

Heather's Summary & Review: The story of Allison Taylor and Mitch Morgan pursuing their admiration and affection for each other has enough love, adventure, and danger to keep the reader wanting to know "What happens next?" There was enough character development to understand the good guys from the bad guys but still leave a little suspicion and doubt of some of the characters' overall intentions and roles in the story. The theme of faith and belief in God is dispersed throughout the story, helping the reader see connections to events and understand why things happen from a spiritual standpoint. The book is a great example of how when a person puts his/her trust in God, even the most dangerous of situations can become a moment of strength and courage.

A Golden Betrayal by Barbara Dunlop

Reviewer: Debbie Sanders (Ridgway Memorial Library)
Patron's Rating: 3/5 Stars
Genre: Category Romance
Audience: Adult
Series: Silhouette Desire #2198 / The Highest Bidder #6

Summary: Convinced a headstrong American woman and her auction house are connected to the theft of a priceless statue, an Arabian prince kidnaps her.

Debbie's Review: A funny romance with a spunky couple that are attracted to each other as soon as they meet. Good read.

Let It Sew by Elizabeth Lynn Casey
Reviewer: S. Jeanine Hall  (Hillview Library)
Heather's Rating: 4/5 Stars
Genre: Cozy Mystery, Humor
Audience: Adult
Series: Southern Sewing Circle #7

Jeanine's Summary:
It's Christmas in Sweet Briar, South Carolina. A grinch has taken over the towns Christmas Decorating Committee, and Tori, Dixie, and Rose have been drafted to help. Charlotte Devereaux, a founding member of the Sweet Briar Ladies Society Sewing Circle, has passed away. She left behind a sketchbook of clues indicating her husband was murdered. Will Tori and her sewing circle gals have time to solve a murder and de-throne a grinch before Christmas? After all, they have a hundred Christmas stockings to make!


 

 Liberator by Bryan Davis
Reviewer: Marie Webb  (Lebanon Junction Library)
Marie's Rating: No star rating was given.
Genre: Christian Fantasy
Audience: Young Adult/Adult
Series: Dragons of Starlight #4

Summary: The resurrected Starlighter, Cassabrie, may be the humans' last hope on Starlight as Jason, Koren, and Elyssa struggle to warn the soldiers of the dragon king's plan to wipe them out using a deadly disease that already threatens Koren's life.
 
Marie's Review:
Liberator is the 4th book in a series "Dragons of Starlight." I found the books to be interesting and captivating. Davis has created a world within a world with a lot of intriguing characters. This keeps you guessing as to the outcome and actually who the good guys are and who will prevail.


 

Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares
Reviewer: Anonymous Patron  (Mt. Washington Library)
Marie's Rating: 4/5 Stars
Genre: Chick Lit
Audience: Adult
Series: Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants #5

Summary: In this final Sisterhood, published as an adult novel, the girls are now in their late twenties. The pants are long gone and each is missing the closeness they once shared, so Tibby organizes a reunion that could change their lives in unexpected ways.
 
Anonymous Patron's Review:
It was good to revisit old friends from the previous Sisterhood books. The girls learned to be bold and embrace both the joys and sorrows of a well lived life.

Super Finishing Techniques for Crocheters by Betty Barden
Reviewer: Lisa Houchins (Mt. Washington Library)
Lisa's Rating: No star rating was given.
Genre: Adult Nonfiction/Crafts
Audience: Adult

Lisa's Review: Lots of information for the beginning crocheter. Laid out well and easy to follow. Lots of pictures. Even a few cute ideas and patterns.

GUEST REVIEW: My Kind of Christmas by Robyn Carr

We have a new guest review! Christie—wife, mom, musician, and BCPL employee—is a first time reviewer here at Book News and Reviews. She is an avid reader and especially loves books with happy endings.


Rating: 4/5 Stars
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Holiday Fiction
Audience: Adult
Series: Virgin River #20

Christie's Summary & Guest Review: It is always nice to visit Virgin River. This time Robyn Carr took us on a journey with Jack’s niece, Angie, and the youngest Riordan boy, Paddy. Now that Ms. Carr has introduced us to so many characters I almost feel like she has to skim the surface on each character. Each time she mentions someone that has been in a previous story she has to give a small back story. For someone who has already read the series this is not always necessary and for someone just starting with this book, they wouldn’t know anyway. I felt like some of the back stories took away from Angie and Paddy’s story. 

I found Angie and Paddy to be very likeable, but their story seemed very similar to Luke and Shelby's: A younger girl, who just went through a traumatic experience, falling in love with someone emotionally unavailable and a man, struggling with a life decision and not really knowing what he wants, then they both realize it is each other they want. A lot of Paddy’s thoughts were the same thoughts his brothers had already experienced. I found Shelby to be stronger than a lot of heroines, but still young and naive.

With all that being said, it is still nice to visit the city and see that things have not changed; in fact they just keep getting better. The people of Virgin River still band together to get all things needed done and still put their armed forces up on the highest pedestal. It would be so neat to walk into Jack’s Bar, eat one of Preacher’s meals, and just listen and observe all things happening in that small, quaint town that holds everyone together.  

GUEST REVIEW: Gentle's Holler by Kerry Madden

Allison, our teen and adult programmer here at BCPL, has a new guest review for you! 

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Genre: Historical Fiction
Audience: Younger Teens/Tweens (middle school)
Series: Maggie Valley #1

Summary: Livy Two Weems is a young girl in North Carolina, who dreams of being a songwriter but is always brought out of her dreams by her nine younger siblings.  Her father is an aspiring banjo player, her mother is constantly the rock of the family.  Livy Two is growing up poor and only wants to make things better for her poverty stricken family, especially her younger sister Gentle, who is blind.  Tragedy strikes, and Gentle is trying to come to grips with it, and help her family survive the turmoil in its wake.

Allison's Review:
When I was younger I read The Yearling by Marjorie Rawlings, and when I picked up Gentle’s Holler I was not expecting to find the same story. The blurb on the inside cover made me want to read about Livy Two, whose twin sister Olivia died at birth and to whom she sometimes prayed. I wanted to read about the poverty-stricken family and Livy Two’s sibling who was blind. I wanted something new. If I hadn’t already read The Yearling, I may have really enjoyed the story.  However, Gentle’s Holler seemed more like an endeavor to retell Rawlings's classic tale.

There are some really touching parts of the story, like Livy Two’s dedication to finding something to help her younger sister Gentle function as normal without her sight. When Livy’s older brother Emmet leaves the family, we are drawn in to her heartbreak. When Grandma Horace arrives to help the family out of despair, the reader can genuinely feel the tension between family members.  And, when Livy’s father is desperately hanging onto life, I could identify with her fears and emotional state. 

I’m not sorry I took the time to read the book, but I wish that the writer would give us something a little more original to ponder.

GUEST REVIEW: The Night Strangers by Chris Bohjalian

We have a new guest reviewer! Mary W. is a BCPL employee and an avid fan of  "weird" books, or so she once told me. For her first review, she is taking on the latest novel by Chris Bohjalian, who is probably best known for Midwives (a former Oprah Book Club pick). Another of his novels, Double Bind, had a Great Gatsby connection, and this one seems to be somewhat influenced by The Turn of the Screw. I've been meaning to try Bohjalian for ages, and I actually gave The Night Strangers a try (in audio format), but I had to give up because I found the reader's delivery to be wooden and unlistenable. But based on Mary's reaction and other reviews I've read—from Justin Cronin, author of The Passage: "The first chapter of Chris Bohjalian’s The Night Strangers is so riveting, I dropped the book in the tub."—I definitely need to seek out a print copy ASAP.   —Tracy

Mary's Rating: 4/5 Stars
Genres: Psychological Suspense/Horror
Audience: Adult

 First Line: "The door was presumed to have been the entry to a coal chute, a perfectly reasonable assumption since a small hillock of damp coal sat moldering before it."

Mary's Guest Review & Summary:
The book starts with a small jet taking off from an airport and running into a flock of birds, which destroy the engines, and the pilot must land in a lake. He hopes to make a safe landing but instead the plan flips end-over-end and 39 passengers are killed. As a result of this, he can't fly anymore and his family decide to move to a small community in hopes he will heal from his nightmares. They move into a house with a door in the basement that has 39 large screws placed around it so it cannot be opened. He decides to open it anyway.

Time to change subjects. He is married to a nice lady and has twins who are not quite teens yet. The teens don't care for the new place and one is hearing voices in the night. The people who are their neighbors are herbalists and have lots of greenhouses everywhere. Sort of like a cult.

This book has a lot of twists and turns and sometimes I got lost at first but it gets more and more interesting as it goes on. If you like books about ghosts, witches, and weirdo people, this book will be a good read for you. I can only say one word about the ending of the book! ASTONISHING! I didn't see the ending coming. The epilogue stood me on my head!! This book is not for the faint of heart.

GUEST REVIEW: How to Ruin Your Boyfriend's Reputation by Simone Elkeles

Allison, our teen and adult programmer here at BCPL, is back with another guest review! This time, she's taking on one of Simone Elkeles's How to Ruin titles. I loved the first book in Elkeles's Perfect Chemistry trilogy (for me, the second two were disappointing) and enjoyed both of the Paradise books, so it looks like I have yet another series to add to my ever-growing TBR list.  –Tracy

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Genre: Realistic Fiction/Chick Lit

Series: How to Ruin #3

Audience: Young Adult/Teen

Summary: Signing up for an overseas summer boot camp program where her hot and sexy boyfriend Avi is stationed might not have been Amy’s greatest idea—especially when she finds out that Avi is keeping a secret that could tear their relationship apart.

Allison's Guest Review: 

Only in the last year have I become acquainted with the writings of Simone Elkeles. This book is true to her form in that she finds a way to bring the reader a tale of a teenage girl coming into her own. Amy is a well-developed character, and the reader is given early insight into her inner turmoil. She is a confident, strong, and determined young lady who decides to attend a summer boot camp in order to see her boyfriend, Avi.  Amy thinks that she will spend time with Avi when she gets there, only to find out that her expectations are false. She is forced to get dirty, which is not on her list of favorite things to do. Through Elkeles use of bits of humor, we are able to watch as Amy faces and ultimately conquers her struggles-and see her emerge as a different person.

Well-written, excellent plot development, great storyline.  What more could you ask for?