2017 Reading Challenge

I decided to start this reading challenge for this year.  I know we're two weeks into the new year but I thought it would be fun to do.  It seems simple enough and I think I can do it!  Wish me luck.

Warren the 13th and the All-Seeing Eye - Tania del Rio

Warren the 13th and the All-Seeing Eye

Warren the 13th is the lone bellhop, valet, waiter, groundskeeper, and errand boy of his family's ancient hotel.  It's a strange, shadowy mansion full of crooked corridors and mysterious riddles--and it just might be home to a magical object known as the All-Seeing Eye.  Can Warren decipher the clues and find the treasure before his sinister Aunt Annaconda (and a slew of greedy hotel guests) beats him to it?

This middle-grade adventure features gorgeous two-color illustrations on every page and a lavish two-column Victorian design that will pull young readers into a spooky and delightful mystery.

This book was so cute.  I loved all the illustrations and the story line.  I think this book would be perfect for middle-grade and up including adults.  I felt so bad for Warren and how his aunt and uncle treated him.  I fell in love with all the characters and hated the characters I was supposed to hate.  Warren especially is so likable.  I highly recommend this book and all sequels to this book.  There's a cute short story and activity book to go along with this book and can be found here.  I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Book Review: Wreckage - Emily Bleeker

Wreckage - Emily Bleeker

Lillian Linden is a liar. On the surface, she looks like a brave survivor of a plane crash. But she’s been lying to her family, her friends, and the whole world since rescue helicopters scooped her and her fellow survivor, Dave Hall, off a deserted island in the South Pacific. Missing for almost two years, the castaways are thrust into the spotlight after their rescue, becoming media darlings overnight. But they can’t tell the real story—so they lie.

The public is fascinated by the castaways’ saga, but Lillian and Dave must return to their lives and their spouses. Genevieve Randall—a hard-nosed journalist and host of a news program—isn’t buying it. She suspects Lillian’s and Dave’s explanations about the other crash survivors aren’t true. And now, Genevieve’s determined to get the real story, no matter how many lives it destroys.
In this intriguing tale of survival, secrets, and redemption, two everyday people thrown together by tragedy must finally face the truth…even if it tears them apart. 

3/5 stars (liked it)
I enjoyed the back in forth in time and the point of view change from David and Lillian.  I imagined when I started this book that something unforgivable had happened on the island.  But when I got done with the book, what I imagined was worse than what actually happened.  I think if I had been in Lillian's shoes I would have done the same as her.

Book Review: Castle in the Air - Diana Wynne Jones

Castle in the Air - Diana Wynne Jones

Abdullah dreams of a castle with gardens and a princess, until a threadbare carpet flies him to the Sultan's clever lovely daughterl, Flower-in-the-Night and his dreams come true.  When a djinn kidnaps her, he sets out to find her, helped by a cranky genie, a clever ex-corporal, and magic black cat Midnight.

3/5 stars (liked it)

The same magic and story telling as the first book.  I love all the adventures and how at the end all the little peculiar things are explained.  I love the connection with Howl, Sophie and Calcifer!

Book Review: Middle Ground - Katie Kacvinsky

Middle Ground - Katie Kacvinsky

For four weeks Maddie has been living in Los Angeles, trying to be good.  But no matter how hard she tries, something inside her won't be sated.  She can't live a life of half-truths and false pretenses.  So one night, she says how she really feels.

That's all it takes.  One night.  One bad decision, and Maddie is thrown into a detention center where she's forced to undergo secretive treatment meant to squash her rebellious streak.  The powers that be call it rehabilitation.  Maddie calls it torture.

Alone, Maddie will not survive.  But if she can find something to hold on to - an image of Justin, their love - maybe she can fight.  And if she's really lucky, maybe she'll even win.

2/5 stars (it was OK)

I read the first book in 2011 and didn't realize that there were more books.  I did not re-read the first one so I had forgotten a lot of things.  I don't like Justin at all, he feels fake to me.  Maddie is okay but not super likable.  The one character I would love to see more is Gabe, he is new in this series.  Maybe in the next book he'll be featured more.

Book Review: Spellbound - Rachel Hawkins

Spellbound - Rachel Hawkins

Just as Sophie Mercer has come to accept her extraordinary magical powers as a demon, the Prodigium Council strips them away.  Now Sophie is defenseless, alone, and at the mercy of her sworn enemies--the Brannicks, a family of warrior women who hunt down the Prodigium.  Or at least that's what Sophie thinks, until she makes a surprising discovery.  The Brannicks know an epic war is coming, and they believe Sophie is the only one powerful enough to stop the world from ending.  But without her magic, Sophie isn't as confident.

Sophie's bound for one hell of a ride--can she get her powers back before it's too late?

3/5 stars (liked it)

Sophie's powers are bound and Elodie is around and bound to her and she can posses her and use her own powers.  Sophie spends most of the book wondering where Cal, her father and Archer are and if they are alive.  Hex Hall is being taken over by the Kassanov's and they are turning the student body into demons.  Sophie must travel to Hell to get the demon glass to defeat them.  I thought the book lead up to something that was over really quickly.  Although I am happy with how the series ended.

Gilmore Girls on Netflix

I am a HUGE Gilmore Girls fan.  I watched the show when it originally aired on the WB and then re-watched it on DVD and then re-watched it again on Netflix when it was available.  So when I found out that it was being brought back on Netflix I was very excited.  I got a chance to marathon watch it on Saturday and I think I might have to re-watch it because it was over way too quickly.

I love that the show was 4 episodes long, each being 90 minutes long and each taking place during a season.  

Winter

Starts off with Rory coming home to Stars Hollow.  We get a little recap of her life and what she's been up to.  I'm a little disappointed in Rory that she's been traveling and doesn't have her dream job.  She's basically homeless and jobless.  She has boxes scattered all over and doesn't even have any underwear!  Things that disappointed me were, no Sookie in this whole episode, no Dean, no Jess!  We do however see Logan, one of the people Rory has been staying with.  Very much a friends with benefits type relationship.  Sad part was that Richard Gilmore died.

Spring

I loved, loved Paris in this episode.  The scene in the bathroom was great, I had to re-watch it!  Rory and Paris go back to Chilton, where the Headmaster tells Rory to get her Master's Degree and come back and teach there.  I definitely think she should listen to him.  Lorelai and Emily go to counseling together.  Rory has difficulty landing a job at Conde Nast and Sandee Speaks.  She is so arrogant in these job interviews, she thinks they just need to give it to her.

Summer

Rory gets a job, kind of. She becomes Edit for the Stars Hollow Gazette, which was going to stop being published.  This episode finally had Jess come to town, but unfortunately there was not enough of him.  I was hoping April would not make an appearance but she did.  At the end of this episode, Lorelai decides she wants to do Wild, the book version.

Fall

The concluding episode.  Lorelai does her Wild thing, Luke thinks they will never get back together.   The Life and Death Brigade come and Rory has one last night with Logan.  Did I mention he's been engaged this whole time?  Rory decides to write a book about her and Lorelai.  She finally moves back home.  Seems like at the last second we see Christopher, Dean and Sookie.  And OMG the ending was both happy and surprising and left open.

Could we get more Gilmore Girls?  Come on Netflix!