Category: Reviews

Book Review: The Ninja Librarians

On By cherylmahoneyIn Fantasy, Reviews5 Comments

A few years ago, my book club elected to read Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians, which proved to be a terrible mistake. I think the book we were actually looking for (although it hadn’t been written yet) was The Ninja Librarians: The Accidental Keyhand by Jen Swann Downey–full of awesome, sword-wielding, time-traveling Lybrarians.

In the middle of the Pen and Sword Festival at their local library, Dorrie and her brother Marcus stumble through a strange door and find themselves in Petrarch’s Library, headquarters of the Lybrarians, who travel through time to defend anyone in danger due to something they wrote or said. Dorrie is convinced this is the work she was always meant for, and Marcus falls hard for a pretty Lybrarian. Although they are taken in on a temporary basis and begin to make friends, there are still suspicions that they could be spies for the evil Foundation, and questions left unanswered about how the doorway appeared in their local library to begin with.

This is an absolute delight of a middle-grade book, perfect for fans of Harry Potter and book lovers everywhere. Although the time is much more compressed than in Harry Potter, the structure is essentially the same, of ordinary kids adjusting to a magical school, making friends and learning new skills, while a darker threat lurks (and occasionally requires secret ventures out into the night to deal with it!) Continue reading “Book Review: The Ninja Librarians” →

Book Review: My Name Is Memory

On By cherylmahoneyIn Historical Fiction, Reviews1 Comment

I didn’t actually plan to read more of Ann Brashares’ books after reading The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, but in the course of linking to her site for my reviews, I happened to read the plot summary of My Name Is Memory—and was far too intrigued to resist!

Daniel has lived many lives, and remembers them all. Starting around 500 AD, he has been reincarnated through many times and places. In his first life, he was part of an army that burned down a village—and killed a beautiful girl in the fire. In later lives, he meets her again and again. He remembers, but she doesn’t. They fall in love more than once, and lose each other again and again, but in all his lives Daniel searches for her, waiting for the lifetime when they can finally be together.

The book is structured with alternating chapters. In one thread, Daniel tells his history through the centuries. The other thread is set in the present day, focusing on Daniel and Lucy, both teenagers, both deeply attracted to each other, but parted when their first conversation goes very badly. Lucy struggles to understand why she’s so drawn to Daniel, and the meaning behind her dreams that hint at past lives. Continue reading “Book Review: My Name Is Memory” →

Movie Reviews: The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, 1 and 2

On By cherylmahoneyIn Reviews2 Comments

sisterhood_of_the_traveling_pants 1Once I finished reading the complete Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series by Ann Brashares, I thought it would be fun to watch the two movies as well to see how they compared. I thought the first one (mostly) did very well, while the second one was (probably) a good movie, but struggled more with representing the book(s).

Movie #1 is based only on the first book, and follows the same essential plot and pattern: four best friends find a pair of blue jeans that magically fits them all, and they pass the jeans between them when they have to be separated for the summer.

I thought all four girls were portrayed well and accurately to the book, and three out of four plotlines went well too. Carmen struggles to accept her father’s new fiancĂ©e and soon-to-be-step-children, and Tibby has a heart-breaking and eye-opening summer when she meets Bailey, a twelve-year-old girl with cancer. Although things have to happen faster on screen than in a book, the emotions and essential ideas of both these plotlines came through. Continue reading “Movie Reviews: The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, 1 and 2” →

(Guest) Book Review: Brunette Ambition

On By cherylmahoneyIn ReviewsLeave a comment

When I was offered a review copy of Brunette Ambition by Lea Michele (of Glee fame), it didn’t look like my type of read…but I knew someone who might like it better!  So I did accept the copy, and today I have a guest review from Diane, who you might recognize as a long-time blog reader. 🙂

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If you are a fan of the TV show Glee, about the high school glee club and its various members, then you are well acquainted with Lea Michele.  She is one of the stars of that popular series.  She has a phenomenal singing voice and flair for the dramatic.  She’s now come out with a book called Brunette Ambition.  It is aimed squarely at her fan base, young women who are teenagers and in their early 20’s.  Part memoir and part beauty/diet/exercise advice book, it takes a very positive outlook and offers background on how she got started in her career plus advice to her fans on how to best move forward on their chosen career paths.

The book can be used as a reference for Michele’s advice on diet, hair, make-up, clothes, etc.  Her thoughts on these topics are really rather conservative, suggesting healthy eating, more nights in than heavy partying, exercises to do in your own backyard, beauty tips that rely strongly on common sense, and buying timeless clothing styles for your closet.  She also provides step-by-step make-up and hair style tips.  These thoughts are useful, I’m sure, for her demographic, who may want to emulate her. Continue reading “(Guest) Book Review: Brunette Ambition” →

Movie Review: San Francisco

On By cherylmahoneyIn Historical Fiction, Reviews1 Comment

San FranciscoI recently rewatched Gone with the Wind, which got me thinking on other Clark Gable movies…and eventually led me to a rewatch of San Francisco, a 1936 movie about the 1906 earthquake, starring Gable, Jeannette MacDonald and Spencer Tracy–and which I probably hadn’t seen in 15 years!

Gable plays Blackie Norton, saloon owner and prominent citizen on the rough and disreputable Barbary Coast of San Francisco. Mary Blake (MacDonald) is a preacher’s daughter and new arrival to San Francisco, hoping to sing at the Tivoli Opera House but only able to find work singing in Blackie’s night club. For the first hour and a half of the movie, Mary is torn between her high principles and her attraction to Blackie, while Father Mullin (Tracy) watches in alarm—until finally the earthquake hits, and tears the city apart.

I found this movie a bit slow in spots…but I was fascinated by Blackie’s character, and it’s all worth it for the last half-hour depicting the earthquake. Continue reading “Movie Review: San Francisco” →