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Showing posts from March, 2016

The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan

Brief synopsis  (no spoilers) It's the last book in the series. Gaea has been tormenting everyone. The 7 demigods successfully closed the doors of death, but they didn't stop Gaea's plans, and they still have to face all of the monsters she brought back to life. Plus they have to recruit help from the Gods, in order to defeat Gaea's Giants. The story will end, but will everyone survive? Category YA Fiction Why I chose this book Last in series My personal opinion  (the review) I love this series. I've learned more about mythology from these books than I ever learned in school. Percy and the others are good, and they actively work to spread good through the world. Kudos to the author. Warnings Language: None Violence: Heroes battle monsters "Adult" situations: None Death: Just monsters Movie rating equivalent PG Protagonist description Percy, Annabeth, Leo, Piper, Jason. Too many to describe Point of view of story Third, jumping perspective

Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty

Brief synopsis (no spoilers) Serafina lives secretly with her father in the basement of the Biltmore mansion. Her father has been a mechanic for the family for many years, but no one even knows about the existence of Serafina. She has taken on the task of Chief Rat Catcher at the mansion. This is the story of the biggest rat she ever caught. Category YA Fiction Why I chose this book Read a review on Amazon My personal opinion (the review) The story was intriguing. I just visited Biltmore House a few months ago, so the setting was familiar. I also enjoy stories showcasing magic or special abilities, and this falls into that category. But it was creepy- a sinister being preys on children. Children being in danger has always been a sensitive issue for me, so I was turned off a bit. But it was a clean story, interesting, and it drew me in. I'm glad I finished it. Warnings Language: None Violence: Some, but not graphic "Adult" situations: None Death: Yes, and

Humans of New York by Brandon Stanton

Concept: A visual cross-section of people in New York City. Author : Brandon Stanton - He got his first camera about six months before loosing his job as a bond trader. After that loss, he planned a trip to visit and photograph several different cities. New York was the third stop on his trip and he has intended to only stay a week. He ended up staying there all summer and eventually moving there. At first he envisioned this project to be a "photographic census of New York City." He was going to make an interactive map where you could click on an area and see portraits of people who lived there. Later, once he started interviewing his subjects it turned more into a human interest blog. Monologue score/Review: 8 - Humans of New York is a fantastic photo survey of people in New York City. I'll say upfront that there were a fair share of colorful and, let's just say somewhat "unsavory" characters pictured here. I mean, with it taking place in NYC, and a pho

Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics by Chris Grabenstein

Brief synopsis: Some people are claiming that the first games at Mr. Lemoncello's library were not fair because not everyone got a chance to compete. So Mr. Lemoncello organizes a country-wide competition, bringing in teams from all over the country. Meanwhile, previously disqualified contestant Charles Chilington and his family try to destroy the library.  Category: Juvenile  Why I chose this book: Sequel to Mr. Lemoncello's Library (previously reviewed here: My personal opinion: This sequel was almost as fun as much fun to read as the first Mr. Lemoncello book. I really love reading about all the technology and gaming systems the library contains. This book centers around the idea of banned books and freedom of access to material (not that everyone has to read them, but that there should be access available). It also shows the value of teamwork from opposing sides or when there isn't really a prize or something to be gained from working to solve a problem.  Warning