The First Dragon (2013)

The First Dragon. The Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica #7 James Owen. 2013. Simon & Schuster. 304 pages. [Source: Library]

If only I'd had time to reread each and every book in the series before starting this last book, I think it would have made me love it and appreciate it even more. That being said, though it took a few chapters to refresh my memory, I ended up loving this conclusion to the series. I would love to do a reread at some point! I think it would help clarify some things for me, to connect all the little things together.

The book begins with the caretakers in quite a mess. The destruction of the keep has changed everything, threatened everything, and much is lost seemingly forever. The number one priority is recovering three people who have been lost somewhere in time: Charles, Rose, Edmund. But though that is the number one priority for all, it's not easy to agree how to go about a rescue, or even to conclusively say that rescue is possible. At the start of the novel, they have no way at all to travel through time. A few caretakers have ideas, but, essentially if a rescue is to come it will be through experimentation.

A rescue operation might have to be a "secret" operation.

I really enjoyed spending time with these characters again. This one had so many twists and turns, though twists and turns have always, always been a part of this series. It was a very enjoyable read.

© 2014 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

Risked (2013)

Risked (The Missing #6). Margaret Peterson Haddix. 2013. Simon & Schuster. 320 pages. [Source: Library]

I am still enjoying this series. I don't love all books in this series equally. And I must admit I read these more for plot than character (so unusual for me). But the premise still works for me. Jonah is one of those kids, and readers still don't learn HIS past identity. But Jonah and his non-adopted sister (not a historical kidnap victim) travel to the past once more. This time with Chip and two new kids; kids whom they recognize almost instantly as being Romanovs: Alexei and Anastasia. Yes, this book takes readers to the Russian Revolution, to the very house where the family were murdered... Plot twists, as always, abound. It's a complicated mess that always means increased danger to Jonah and Katherine. But there is something about this series that I can't help loving despite the fact that the books are a bit messy.

© 2014 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

Unsouled (2013)

Unsouled. Neal Shusterman. 2013. Simon & Schuster. 416 pages. [Source: Library]

Unsouled is just as intense and compelling as Unwind and Unwholly. While I don't usually like books told through multiple narrators, in the case of this series, it completely works. Readers still get to spend plenty of time with previous characters (Connor, Lev, Risa, etc.) but the story is always progressing forward. New characters are always being introduced. One of the points of Unsouled seems to be that there are more than two sides. That there isn't a clear-cut "good side" and "bad side" of the coming "war" or conflict. There are at least three sides. All three sides are shown in Unsouled. The world is still complex and full of mystery. More is revealed about the past, about the science behind the unwinding and its original purpose. Unsouled is a very good read!


© 2013 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

The Black Dudley Murder (1929)

The Black Dudley Murder. Margery Allingham. 1929. 224 pages. [Source: Bought]

I'm so glad that The Black Dudley Murder was not my first introduction to Margery Allingham or Albert Campion. (The Case of the Late Pig was a fantastic introduction.)

George Abbershaw, our narrator, is a house-guest at a weekend party in a country house. (The "country house" is quite gothic in nature.) He accepted the invitation because he's madly in love with a young woman, Margaret Oliphant, and he'd heard that she was to be in attendance. A whole weekend with her, he might even work up the nerve to propose! Other than Wyatt Petrie, he knows no other guests at all. His narration reveals his first impressions, and some of these first impressions at least are quite correct.

Typically when one goes to a party, one expects to be able to leave when one wants. Even if the host dies of a "heart attack." But that is not the case in The Black Dudley Murder. The guests find themselves held hostage. They have no contact with the world, no way to alert anyone--neighbors, police, etc. of the dangerous situation. (Even if they could manage to get to the garage and their cars without being shot or caught and bound, the cars have all been drained of gasoline.)

Albert Campion is a minor character in this one. He is not the hero of the day--or the hour--and he doesn't exactly steal the scenes he's in. I had a hard time enjoying any of the characters in this one. Or perhaps it's better to say I had a hard time getting to know any of the characters. Perhaps reading Agatha Christie, Georgette Heyer, and Dorothy Sayers has spoiled me.

English detectives are a race apart. They are evident at the first glance. (87)

© 2013 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

A Big Guy Took My Ball (2013)

A Big Guy Took My Ball. Mo Willems. 2013. Hyperion. 58 pages. [Source: Library]

I've enjoyed every Elephant and Piggie book Mo Willem has published. True, sometimes it's merely strong liking and not absolute LOVE, LOVE, LOVE. But the series as a whole are practically perfect in my estimation! Mo Willems does everything exactly right time and time again.

This adventure starts with Piggie telling Gerald a story. She found a ball, a big ball. It was the best ball ever. She was having so much fun until a "big guy" came and took "her" ball. It was AWFUL. Piggie is outraged. Gerald is a friend, a good friend. If someone has picked on Piggie, he should do something to help, right?! Gerald was perhaps expecting a "big guy" around his own size...or at least closer to his own size. He wasn't expecting a HUGE WHALE. But what Piggie and Gerald discover is a very large, but somewhat sad whale. The whale is telling Piggie thank you. Thank you for finding and returning the ball. But the whale is without doubt sad. Why? The whale is LONELY. Can Gerald and Piggie help?!

I loved this book. I liked discovering the real story. A good reminder that there is always more than one side to any story! It was also great at showing problem solving! I think my favorite scene was:

"Would you like to play "Whale Ball" with us?"
"What is "Whale Ball"?
"We do not know!"
"We have not made it up yet!"

© 2013 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

The Case of the Cautious Coquette (1949)

The Case of the Cautious Coquette (Perry Mason #34). Erle Stanley Gardner. 1949. 230 pages. [Source: Bought]

I loved, loved, loved this Perry Mason mystery! Paul Drake has placed an ad in several newspapers. He's looking for information about a hit-and-run accident. He receives a letter with a key in it; the anonymous writer assures him that he will find the license plate number for the car in the accident in the desk in the apartment mentioned. The letter even tells him when the apartment will be empty. Drake is extremely suspicious as you might imagine! So, of course, he takes it to Perry Mason. Mason is curious and skeptical. Who sent the letter and the key? Being wise, he goes to see the woman in question, Lucille Barton. Almost from the moment he meets her, he feels that it's a trap, but it will take some time to know WHO set the trap and WHY. Barton knows nothing about any accident, but, she could use a lawyer in a dispute with her ex-husband. Mason declines, but he can't really escape the mess he's in. Not really. If you're familiar with Perry Mason...at all...you know that sooner or later every case turns to murder!

Perry Mason is GREAT in this one. In one situation after another, he just made me SMILE again and again. I especially loved Lt. Tragg in this one!!! There are some WONDERFUL scenes!

This mystery novel is a delight from start to finish!

© 2013 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

Sunday Salon: Reading Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz (1908)

Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz. L. Frank Baum. 1908. 148 pages.

This is the fourth book in L. Frank Baum's Oz series, and it is the third novel starring Dorothy. In this delightful adventure, readers also get a chance to get reacquainted with the wizard of Oz. Readers even learn his FULL NAME. Dorothy's animal companion in this one is a sassy little kitten named Eureka. The adventure begins with an earthquake in San Francisco sending Dorothy and Zeb (along with Eureka and Jim, a horse) deep underground. The world they fall into is magical of course, and quite strange. And so a new journey begins--an underground journey that takes them to some peculiar and strange places. It's a dangerous journey too; they keep getting into horrible situations. But through magic, all in the company are saved. The book concludes with them spending some relaxing time in Oz.

I didn't quite enjoy this one as much as previous books. But I still want to read on in the series!

Favorite quotes:

"Very clever," said the Wizard, nodding his head as if pleased. "I am delighted to find humbugs inside the earth, just the same as on top of it." 

"Please tell me, Mr. Wizard, whether you called yourself Oz after this great country, or whether you believe my country is called Oz after you. It is a matter that I have long wished to enquire about, because you are of a strange race and my own name is Ozma. No, one, I am sure, is better able to explain this mystery than you."
"That is true," answered the little Wizard; "therefore it will give me pleasure to explain my connection with your country. In the first place, I must tell you that I was born in Omaha, and my father, who was a politician, named me Oscar Zoroaster Phadric Isaac Norman Henkle Emmanuel Ambroise Diggs, Diggs being the last name because he could think of no more to go before it. Taken altogether, it was a dreadfully long name to weigh down a poor innocent child, and one of the hardest lessons I ever learned was to remember my own name. When I grew up I just called myself O. Z., because the other initials were P-I-N-H-E-A-D; and that spelled 'pinhead,' which was a reflection of my intelligence."

© 2013 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

Shades of Earth (2013)

Shades of Earth. (Across the Universe #3) Beth Revis. 2013. Penguin. 369 pages.

This is the third novel in a trilogy. The first two are Across the Universe and A Million Suns. This science fiction romance is told through two narrators: Amy and Elder. I am not usually a fan of dual narratives, but, in this case I think it works well. Elder, as leader of the Shipborn, has a definite opinion on this new, dangerous, thrilling adventure. Amy, of course, has her own opinions as well. On the one hand, she's THRILLED to be off the ship and on the planet, and she's happy to see both her mom and dad. But at the same time, Amy feels a little angry and betrayed. Amy and Elder haven't solved all the mysteries yet, and, there are OBVIOUS DANGERS and slightly-less-obvious dangers for them all to face.

I have enjoyed all three books in the trilogy. While I wasn't absolutely amazed with any of the books, I found each book entertaining enough to be a good read. What I've enjoyed most about the books are the science fiction elements. In the first two novels, readers get a ship adventure; readers meet colonists on their way to a new planet. In the last novel, readers get to see the beginnings of a new colony. I can't say more about their new home and the specific dangers they are facing. BUT. I definitely cared enough to keep reading!

© 2013 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

Speaking from Among the Bones (2013)

Speaking from Among the Bones. Alan Bradley. 2013. Random House. 400 pages.

I've enjoyed each of the Flavia de Luce mysteries written by Alan Bradley. This young detective is quite original, though her mystery novels have, in a way, become more predictable. I mean that readers know almost exactly what to expect of the series, of the main characters, of the writing. (Not the details of the actual mysteries, the murder mysteries.) If you love the character of Flavia de Luce, it can be a good thing--comforting, satisfying--to know that nothing ever changes. Still, a little character growth wouldn't be a horrible thing in any of the main characters. (There are two significant things readers learn by the conclusion of this book. These potentially could change things up a bit.) It probably won't surprise anyone that Flavia discovers a dead body in this newest mystery. She found it in an ancient tomb they (the church) were getting ready to excavate. There were plenty of peculiar details about it, plenty of clues for a young girl detective to follow. These clues lead her into great danger, perhaps the greatest danger she's known thus far in the series.

If you have enjoyed the series in the past, this one is worth reading. Others include: The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag, A Red Herring Without Mustard, and I Am Half-Sick of Shadows.

© 2013 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe (1950)

The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. C.S. Lewis. 1950. HarperCollins. 224 pages.

Once there were four children whose names were Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy. This story is about something that happened to them when they were sent away from London during the war because of the air-raids.

The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe is one of my favorite, favorite children's books. Lucy Pevensie is one of my favorite, favorite heroines. And I love and adore this oh-so-delightful fantasy-adventure novel.

It is THE FIRST book in the Chronicles of Narnia series. It is the only book worthy of being considered as THE FIRST book in the series.

In The Lion, the Witch, and The Wardrobe, four children are sent into the country during World War II. Peter, Susan, Lucy, and Edmund are just beginning to settle into their new home when Lucy stumbles into the magical world of Narnia. At first, Lucy is the only one. But Edmund also comes into Narnia before the others. And while there he is fooled by the "Queen" of Narnia. But Narnia soon sees all four children.

Narnia is not a land at peace. Not at all. For the land is under a spell--an enchantment--the White Witch--the supposed Queen of the land--has made it always winter and never Christmas. And the lives of the children--all four children--are in grave danger when they're in Narnia. For there is a prophecy that four humans--two sons of Adam and two daughters of Eve--will come to rule the land as Kings and Queens and restore peace and order to the kingdom. The children's journey to Narnia, their quest to meet Aslan at the Stone Table, and their battle to save Narnia and their brother from the grasp of the evil and wicked witch....are unforgettable adventures that deserve to be experienced again and again by readers of all ages. You're never too old to experience the magic of Narnia.

While the movie depicts them as being doubtful and regretting setting foot in Narnia and shows them wanting to go home all the time and leave the fighting for others to do, the book tells a different story.
The children are mostly welcoming to the adventure before them. The book perhaps has less drama, the adventure seems to go smoother at times. The movie adds SO MUCH INTENSITY whenever possible. Dramatic scenes are added throughout, sometimes keeping in full spirit with the book, other times not so much. There are things that I absolutely LOVE AND ADORE about the film. (One of my favorite, favorite scenes, for example, is the meeting between Lucy and Mr. Tumnus. The film gets it so right!!!) I LOVE AND ADORE the entrance to Narnia and the first impressions of this strange-but-lovely world. And there are so many things about the movie that are just charming and just about perfect. (I think the soundtrack is just about perfect!!!) The movie doesn't just add drama, humor is added as well, especially with Mr. and Mrs. Beaver. The film deviates from the book in places so that it can be a good movie. Lewis did not waste time spend time writing battle scenes or strong confrontations. The focus is on the characters and the ultimate outcome, and not necessarily how every little thing worked towards that end.

I love The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe for the characters, for the writing, and for the world-building. Narnia is not always a safe place to be, but I always found it beautiful and inviting, always memorable. I always found Aslan to be quite interesting as a character! I loved hearing the other characters talk about him and interact with him. I especially love seeing Lucy with Aslan! Their relationship is perhaps the strongest or deepest. Perhaps I feel that way because Lucy is the one who gets the most time with him throughout the whole series.

I had read the book dozens of times before seeing the movie, but I'm curious if the book would make the same impression, resonate the same way, if one watched the movie first?

Favorite quotes:

And now a very curious thing happened. None of the children knew who Aslan was any more than you do; but the moment the Beaver had spoken these words everyone felt quite different. Perhaps it has sometimes happened to you in a dream that someone says something which you don't understand but in the dream it feels as if it has some enormous meaning--either a terrifying one which turns the whole dream into a nightmare or else a lovely meaning too lovely to put into words, which makes the dream so beautiful that you remember it all your life and are always wishing you could get into that dream again. It was like that now. At the name of Aslan each one of the children felt something jump in its inside. Edmund felt a sensation of mysterious horror. Peter felt suddenly brave and adventurous. Susan felt as if some delicious smell or some delightful strain of music had just floated by her. And Lucy got the feeling you have when you wake up in the morning and realize that it is the beginning of the holidays or the beginning of summer.

“Safe?” said Mr. Beaver; “don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”

“If there's anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they're either braver than most, or else just silly.”

© 2013 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

The Apothecary (2011)

The Apothecary. Maile Meloy. 2011. Penguin. 356 pages.

I enjoyed Maile Meloy's delightfully odd historical fantasy novel, The Apothecary. The year is 1952, the Scott family is moving to London, England. Our heroine, Janie, is fourteen and not so happy about the move. At least not at first. But after a few weeks, Janie finds herself in the middle of an almost unbelievable adventure, an adventure that will lead her straight into danger, but also leading to her very first kiss.

I would have loved The Apothecary just as much if it had not turned magical or supernatural. The first half of the novel focuses on Janie's new life: her new school, her new classes and new subjects (Latin!), her friend possibilities. There are some delightfully descriptive passages that are just fun! The second half of the novel focuses on her friendship with Benjamin Burrows (the local apothecary's son). He likes to play chess in the park and "spy" on a Russian man. What he spies one Saturday, changes everything...for it leads them a little too close home!

When Benjamin discovers his father's big-big secret, a secret that Janie gets drawn into as well, the novel becomes quirky and fantastical. Danger, action, drama, mystery and a hint of first love...

Favorite quotes:

It's safe to say I was not graceful about the move to London. I was no witty, patient, adaptable Jane Austen. And if I was anything like Katherine Hepburn, it was in the scenes where she's being a giant pest. (12)

"We're looking for three hot water bottles," my father told him.
"Of course."
"And how about some chocolate bars?"
The apothecary shook his head. "We have them sometimes. Not often, since the war."
"Since the war?" my father said, and I could see him calculating: twelve years without a steady supply of chocolate. He looked a little faint. I wondered if he could get a prescription for chocolate from a doctor. Then I could have some, too. (16)

The school was in a stone building with arches and turrets that seemed very old to me but wasn't old at all, in English terms. It was built in 1880, so it was practically brand-new. (19)

Two teachers walking down the hall wore black academic gowns, and they looked ominous and forbidding, like giant bats. (19)

The school secretary, whose tight gray curls reminded me of a sheep, gave me my class schedule. (19)

"My mother said moving here would be like living in a Jane Austen novel, but it isn't really."
"But your story couldn't be Austen, with an American heroine," he said.
I couldn't help smiling at him. "That's what I said!"
"More of a Henry James novel," he said. "The American girl abroad. Are you an Isabel Archer or a Daisy Miller?"
I blushed, but told the truth. "I don't know. I haven't read any Henry James novels."
"You will soon enough," he said. "But you wouldn't want to be Isabel or Daisy. They come to bad ends, those girls. Confide tibia, Miss Scott. Far better to be who you are." (24)

The apothecary looked out at the drizzle. "It would be strange not to think about orange trees and blue sky on a day like today," he said. "No matter what powder you took."
"And my new school is pretty awful," I said.
The apothecary laughed. "The man who develops a tincture against the awful new school will win the Nobel Prize. It would be far more useful than the cure for the common cold." (30)

Read The Apothecary

• IF you enjoy historical fiction OR historical fantasy
• If you enjoy books about magical books
• If you enjoy spy-adventure, action-adventure books

© 2013 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

Sever (2013)

Sever. Lauren DeStefano. 2013. Simon & Schuster. 371 pages.

Sever was certainly an intense read. If I had to describe it in just one word, I'd say it was bittersweet. This is the final book in the trilogy which perhaps explains why to a certain degree.

The novel opens with Rhine recovering, Linden and Cecily are determined to care for her. Linden may not believe the "outrageous" claims about his own father that Rhine is sharing with him and his oh-so-young wife. But. He still cares what happens to her. And since Rhine is so unwilling to go back to the mansion, and since she isn't strong enough to leave on her own, he comes up with an alternative arrangement. He has a mysterious uncle, an uncle that his first love, Rose, adored; Rhine can go to stay with him until she's ready to leave. Rhine is still determined to find her twin brother.

This allows Rhine time to contemplate how she feels about Linden, to decide if she really wants to annul her marriage with him, to make plans on how to find her brother and possibly stop him from traveling down a dark and dangerous path. While there she begins to learn more about who she is, who her brother is, who her parents were. Her parents apparently have a reputation in the scientific world--a legacy. And some of what she learns changes her...

The world Rhine has lived in has always been ugly...and Sever is a balance between hope and despair.

Read Sever

• If you have read the first two in the series (Wither; Fever)
• If you enjoy dystopian thrillers
• If romance isn't the most important element in your science fiction!

© 2013 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews