The Dream Dragon by Kathryn England

by Carol2 Comments
I should maybe quit reading kids books. I picked up The Dream Dragon because it looked cute and I try to keep an eye out for books my nieces/nephews would enjoy. And it was a fine book, I just felt a little sad for the dragon. The dream dragon protects the boy's dreams. He scares away the bad dreams, but he also pushes the good dreams to the edge, because he wants to be the dream the boy remembers. Then, a t-rex comes along and defeats the dragon. It is the new protector, but then comes along a superhero, then a pirate, and each, in turn, stars in the boy's dreams. I like how the book first shows than not all monsters are scary. It also connects what we read about or learn about in real life to our dreams, which I think can be helpful for kids. At least it was when Amber was little. Knowing why she dreamed about something...
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Thornhill by Pam Smy

by Carol1 Comment
Thornhill is spooky and heart-breaking. Ella is sad and lonely, but when she glimpses a girl in the window of the Thornhill Institute, she becomes obsessed with finding out who she was and what happened to her. Mary lived at the Institute in the 1980s, also a sad, lonely girl who is bullied and terrorized by the other girls. Thornhill is at heart a ghost story. We know from the beginning that Mary's a ghotst, but her diary entries made me cry. Her life at Thornhill was miserable, and few of the adults around her seemed competent or truly caring. Ella's story is just as sad. I assume her father loves her, but he's never home and her mom is gone, presumably dead. Her side of the story is depicted in black and white illustrations that are striking and add to the dark atmosphere of the novel. We know something happened to Mary, but not what. I think this is one of...
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For the Love by Jen Hatmaker

by CarolNo Comments
For the Love is more a collection of essays, and random funny bits, centered around loving ourselves and loving others, rather than a unified book. I wasn't expecting that, so it kind of put me off at first, but once I got into the groove I found a lot it relatable and funny and occasionally inspirational. I really enjoyed Hatmaker's voice. For a Christian writer, she is hilarious and hits on some of the exact things I feel. The book is pretty light overall, in part because of the amusing tidbits and asides. It's about loving others, near and far, but there isn't really much new in it. At the same time, her love of Jesus, of the church, of people shines through. Some things that stood out for me: "We need to quit trying to be awesome and instead be wise." (7) "If it isn't also true for a poor single Christian mom in Haiti, it isn't true." (19) Two of the later chapters were...
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Thursday’s Tale: Beauty and the Goblin King

by Carol1 Comment
Beauty and the Goblin King is definitely a re-telling for grown-ups. Our beauty, Sabela, goes the Goblin King's castle by choice. Her family needs the gold that the Goblin King gives to girls willing to spend the night with him. Okay, her family definitely pressures her to do it, but she always been a bit fascinated by the stories and this gives her an excuse to allow herself to go. This is erotica. There are several steamy scenes, but you do get to actually like Sabela and Nyar, the King, and believe in their relationship. She's brave and curious and open-minded. He's caring, under his rough exterior, and sexy. It's only 150-ish pages so we don't get quite as much character and world-building as we might in a longer story, but I think I prefer my erotic romances on the shorter side. I was rooting for their happily-ever-after, which they do get. As a re-telling it borrows mostly from Disney's version, complete with animate...
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Persons Unknown by Susie Steiner

by Carol2 Comments
Persons Unknown started out slow for me. I read the first in the series and knew Manon and Fly and how they can to be a family, but I guess I forgot how unlikeable Manon can be. I do like her, but she will rub just about everyone the wrong way at some point or other, including the reader. And now she's pregnant, which I'm not sure was the best decision with just recently adopting Fly, but there you have it. This time around the mystery hits very close to home for Manon. Manon and Fly are sharing a home with Manon's sister Ellie and her toddler son, Solly, when Solly's father turns up murdered. Once Fly is accused and sent to juvenile, the story picks up pace. Of course, Fly's innocent, we know that, but it's a complicated case, one Manon is not allowed to directly work on. With Davy's help, she does manage to get the right information to the right people. The dead...
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Thursday’s Tale: Brave Red, Smart Frog

by Carol1 Comment
I truly enjoyed these lovingly retold fairy tales. Jenkins has taken some favorite, familiar tales and while not adding anything new, has made them into charming tales. We have Snow White, Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood, the Frog Prince, and Diamonds and Toads among others. While she keeps the traditional plots and characters. she gives some extra depth, like why the Frog Prince loved the princes or how Hansel and Gretel's father could have let them be left in the woods. She asks why the step-mother was so cruel and how Red could have been tricked by the wolf. I also love how the cold, frosty wood figures into the tales. The tales have touches of humor and amusing dialogue, especially in Three Wishes and the Frog Prince. I appreciate how the tales are connected in ways that make the book fit together well, rather than just a random collection. For example, the same huntsman who doesn't kill...
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