Theodosia and the Staff of Osiris

R.L. LaFevers

Start Date: 23 August 2010

End Date: 23 August 2010

As the 2nd book in the Theodosia Throckmorton series, this book was a little easier to get comfortable with than The Serpents of Chaos. I knew the characters, I recognized the writing style, and I was enlivened by the thought of adventure in the pages ahead. Although slightly less original than the first in Theodosia's solution to the problems arising in the museum, the problems themselves are very fun to read about and only slightly ridiculous. Theodosia's commentary is enough to make you smile every few pages, and several twists make the story all the better. I wanted to read the third right away, but decided to wait for the paperback to come out in April. Hopefully by then there'll be a fourth!

[EDIT: I forgot to mention, there IS some Egyptian Mythology incorporated into both books, as the title suggests, but not much more than the basics. I wouldn't recommend it solely for this quality.]

The Wee Free Men: The Beginning

Terry Pratchett

I didn't actually read this book. Why would I post about it then? Because when I bought this book, I assumed it was a prequel to The Wee Free Men and the other Tiffany Aching books. However, I later realized that it was just the first two books in the series combined into one volume. As much as I loved the books, I did not need another copy of them on my shelf. So, the point of this post is to say If you already have The Wee Free Men and A Hat Full of Sky you do not need to buy this book. It is not a sequel. However, the fourth Tiffany Aching book will be coming out in September. I look forward to reading it and I'll be sure to post about it, as well as the rest of the Tiffany Aching books, as soon as I can.

Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos

R. L. LaFevers

Start Date: 20 August 2010

End Date: 21 August 2010

After reading the first few chapters of this book, I wasn’t sure I would like it. I wasn’t really able to connect with the story or with the protagonist, Theodosia. However, once the action started, I was fully drawn into her quest, and this became a book worth staying up the night for. 11-year-old Theodosia spends her days in the Museum of Legends and Antiquities run by her father, educating herself about the artifacts in the museum. However, what makes her different from any overly-intelligent 11-year old is her ability to see the curses on the museum’s artifacts. As the only person able to see these curses, Theodosia has taken the responsibility of un-cursing the objects. Unfortunately (or fortunately for those readers who, like me, want to get the story moving) her mother, an archaeologist, brings home an artifact with a curse strong enough to affect all of Britain, Theodosia becomes tangled in a plot of international proportions. The ending is satisfying enough, but leaves the reader wanting a sequel, which, happily, there is: Theodosia and the Staff of Osiris. I’ll be reading that soon and will definitely post a review of it.

Catching Up

It's been a while since I last posted, so I wanted to just give a quick overview of the books I've read since April. I'll write a few comments now, but hopefully I'll be able to post more in-depth reviews later.

Here goes:

Lost in A Good Book

Jasper Fforde

1 May 2010

Part of the Thursday Next Series, a fantastically original series starting with The Eyre Affair.

The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents

Terry Pratchett

2 May 2010

Hilarious and unexpected. A book worth reading many times.

So Yesterday

Scott Westerfield

3 May 2010

Inkdeath

Cornelia Funke

3 May 2010

Last book of the Inkheart trilogy. This book starts a little slowly but when you get into the action, you are captivated by Funke's story and language.

The Red Pyramid

Rick Riordan

4 May 2010

This book was a bit to similar the the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Riordan for my taste, but overall very enjoyable.

The Well of Lost Plots

Jasper Fforde

6 May 2010

Next book in the Thursday Next series.

Princess of the Midnight Ball

Jessica Day George

12 May 2010

A retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses. I already wrote about how much I liked Jessica Day George in the Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow post. I personally like Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow better, but Princess of the Midnight Ball still has the beautiful writing style and incredible plot that defines George's books.

The Actor and the Housewife

Shannon Hale

17 May 2010

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

Ian Fleming

24 May 2010

I got a box of books handed down to me and I remembered reading this book when I was really little. Written in a way that a younger person could enjoy, I found myself smiling as I read about the adventures of the Pott family and their magical car.

Princess of Glass

Jessica Day George

26 May 2010

A retelling of Cinderella with some of the same characters from Princess of the Midnight Ball. Sort of a sequel, but you do not need to read Princess of the Midnight Ball first.

Bulfinch's Mythology

Bulfinch

29 May 2010

Interesting for people who like mythology (like me), but even I couldn't get more than halfway though it. It's a big thick book that is not meant for light reading.

Fang

James Patterson

2 June 2010

Newest book of the Maximum Ride series. I liked this series at first, but the last few books have been disappointing. I thought this book was pretty pathetic compared to the original Maximum Ride books.

The Princess and the Hound

Mette Ivie Harrison

2 June 2010

Something Rotten

Jasper Fforde

3 June 2010

Another Thursday Next book.

The Wide-Awake Princess

E.D. Baker

3 June 2010

Cute, but I think I've grown out of E.D. Baker. Tells the tale of Sleeping Beauty's sister, who goes to find the perfect prince for her sister.

First Among Sequels

Jasper Fforde

6 June 2010

Yet another Thursday Next book.

The Princess and the Bear

Mette Ivie Harrison

7 June 2010

Sequel to The Princess and the Hound.

The Princess and the Snowbird

Mette Ivie Harrison

14 June 2010

Sequel to The Princess and the Bear.

Okay, we're coming out of the princess phase here. I didn't really notice while I was reading them how many princess books I was reading in a row. They were all very different, even though they all had to do with princesses.

Shakespeare's Secret

Elise Broach

17 June 2010

The Big Over Easy

Jasper Fforde

17 June 2010

NOT a Thursday Next book, even though it is by the same author. A slower read (personally I liked the Thursday Next books better) but with the classic Jasper Fforde cleverness and originality. Detective Jack Spratt of the Nursery Crime Division investigates the murder of Humpty Dumpty and discovers a larger plot in the process.

Halls of Fame

John D'Agata

17 June 2010

Summer Reading. Still not done with this one. Gack!

A Countess Below Stairs

Eva Ibbottson

20 June 2010

This is the first YA book by Eva Ibbottson I had read. I read most of her books for younger kids, but I didn't know what to expect for this one. It set a high bar for her others.

The Supernaturalist

Eoin Colfer

24 June 2010

Here Lies Arthur

Philip Reeve

30 June 2010

I love Reeve's books. They are all so incredibly different from each other, and they are all amazing. This one was no exception.

The Cardturner

Louis Sachar

1 July 2010

The Wee Free Men

Terry Pratchett

4 July 2010

Hilarious.

A Hat Full of Sky

Terry Pratchett

6 July 2010

Sequel to The Wee Free Men.

Wintersmith

Terry Pratchett

6 July 2010

Sequel to A Hat Full of Sky. Can also be read by itself. My favorite of the three.

The Time Travelers

Linda Buckley-Archer

8 July 2010

The Amulet of Samarkand

Jonathan Stroud

11 July 2010

Book One of the Bartimaeus Trilogy. One of my favorite books.

The Golem's Eye

Jonathan Stroud

14 July 2010

Book Two of the Bartimaeus Trilogy.

1984

George Orwell

14 July 2010

Ptolemy's Gate

Jonathan Stroud

16 July 2010

Book Three of the Bartimaeus Trilogy.

Gregor the Overlander

Suzanne Collins

20 July 2010

I knew Suzanne Collins from the Hunger Games Trilogy, so I decided the try the Underlander series. Written for younger readers than the Hunger Games, it didn't catch my interest nearly as much, but it was very well written, as all Collins books (that I've read) are.

The Amaranth Enchantment

Julie Berry

22 July 2010

A very nice, light read.

Fever Crumb

Philip Reeve

22 July 2010

Very different from the other Reeve books, but still exceptional. Prequel to the Hungry City series.

The Wish List

Eoin Colfer

23 July 2010

Not as great as the other Colfer books, but still nice for a quick read.

A Company of Swans

Eva Ibbottson

26 July 2010

Peter Pan in Scarlet

Geraldine McCaughrean

26 July 2010

A sequel to Peter Pan, with an interesting back-story to how it came about. I found myself caught up in the action, with a fantastic "OH" moment when all the parts of the story just came together. I love it when books do that.

The Woman in the Wall

Patrice Kindl

29 July 2010

The Atlantis Complex

Eoin Colfer

3 August 2010

Newest book of the Artemis Fowl series. I love the series, but this book was a little disappointing. I definitely recommend Artemis Fowl in general though.

Thirteenth Child

Patricia C. Wrede

4 August 2010

A fun book. I don't know if there's a sequel, but I want to read it.

A School for Sorcery

E. Rose Sabin

6 August 2010

Masterpiece

Elise Broach

14 August 2010

While reading this book, I thought, "wouldn't it be great if... (deleted for Spoiler Content)" and it happened, but it was just different enough from what I had expected for me to appreciate the extra thought put in to make the unexpected twist actually unexpected. :)

Heroes of the Valley

Jonathan Stroud

16 August 2010

A classic hero's journey mixed with coming of age story with Stroud's wonderful writing style and sense of humor underlying it all. Very enjoyable.

The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm

Nancy Farmer

18 August 2010

Definitely different from anything else I've read, and a great story with memorable characters put masterfully together by Nancy Farmer.

And we're done! I'll try to get more complete reviews of these books up soon. Until then, happy reading!