Bibliophile Support Group

Another throwback review this week! This one was posted originally in July 2009 and is still one of my favorites! Here ya go: Eyes Like Stars in the first book by Lisa Mantchev in the Theatre Illuminata trilogy. Bertie lives on a stage. Her friends are fairies from A Midsummer Night’s Dream . Her crush is Nate, a pirate from The Little Mermaid . And her childhood friend and now frenemie is Ariel, a hunky spirit from The Tempest . That’s right. On the stage Bertie lives on, all those characters from all those plays? They’re alive and bursting with drama. And not just the characters from Shakespeare. Every single play that has ever been written is represented in The Book. The Book that makes all of this possible. The Book that creates the magic. But Bertie isn’t one of these characters; the theatre has taken her in, with a rather murky explanation as to why. It is her home. The only place she knows. However, Bertie isn’t the most gracious of guests. She can’t seem...

Tell Me Three Things is a YA contemporary novel by debut author Julie Buxbaum. Jessie’s life has been turned upside down – and she was not consulted. Being moved from her Chicago home to a prep school in Los Angeles to begin her junior year of high school is traumatizing enough without also having to try to become comfortable living with her new earnest stepmom and standoffish stepbrother. How her dad could have done this to her, sprung this on her, without any notice… It is beyond her. To be saddled with people she doesn’t even know when it’s been barely two years since her mother’s death is not helping her relationship with her dad. Without her best friend and without any frame of reference in Los Angeles, Jessie feels totally alone. That is, until she receives an email from someone calling themselves Somebody/Nobody (SN for short), providing an offer to help her navigate her new surroundings. It’s weird but intriguing. And in a decision based on need rather than anything ...

The Lost Track of Time is a debut middle grade novel by Paige Britt. With her mind full of ideas and bursting with imagination, Penelope has aspirations of being a writer. Yet her mother’s plans for her are quite different – and every minute of Penelope’s days are scheduled and planned, leaving no time for her dreaming since she must use time to be “productive.” But when the unexpected happens – a hole in her schedule lasting an entire day! – Penelope somehow falls into it. Suddenly she is in a wonderful place called the Realm of Possibility that is being destroyed by the Clockworkers, led by the villain Chronos. Thrust into a position where her imagination is desperately needed, Penelope begins an adventure like no other – looking to find the Great Moodler, the one person that can save the Realm of Possibility and answer her many, many questions. The Lost Track of Time was a charming, intelligent, warm novel of brilliant wordplay! Anyone who is familiar with my reading ha...

The School for Good and Evil: The Last Ever After is the final book in the middle grade fantasy trilogy by Soman Chainani. As a huge fan of The School for Good and Evil and The School for Good and Evil: A World Without Princes , I pre-ordered this last book. If you have not read the prior two books, I would strongly suggest avoiding this review for any potential spoilers – the books are too good to spoil!! I am trusting that you are not continuing to read unless you are already a fan… Back in Gavaldon, Agatha is happy that her prince, Tedros, is not really a prince in her hometown – and neither is she a future queen. Yet, very quickly, she begins to doubt their Ever After. Part of the problem is that Tedros and Agatha’s story has not truly finished yet – it is still being written. Their tale is still connected with Agatha’s old best friend, Sophie. Now enemies with Agatha, Sophie has embraced the now young School Master, whom has convinced her of their love and that love o...

The Masque of the Black Tulip is an adult historical novel with a contemporary mashup and the second in the Pink Carnation series by Lauren Willig. Many years ago I read The Secret History of the Pink Carnation and enjoyed it. I am finally getting interested in continuing the series, which last I checked now has twelve novels and is not done yet!! I would definitely recommend reading The Secret History of the Pink Carnation first, as it introduces the reader to the fictionalized world of flowery espionage in England during the days of the Napoleonic wars. We also first meet our cast of characters in it. Though The Masque of the Black Tulip puts emphasis and focus on a different set of characters, they are within the same family and social circle. So, I still recommend reading it first. Okay, now onto deets of The Masque of the Black Tulip! Having discovered the shockingly delicious identity of the Pink Carnation, modern day graduate student Eloise has even more questions....

A World without Princes is the second book in the middle grade fantasy trilogy The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani. As you may recall from my review of The School for Good and Evil , I absolutely LOVED book one. I strongly, strongly suggest reading these books in order. If you have not done so already – run, don’t walk, to a copy of The School for Good and Evil. In the meantime, avoid this review of book two for potential spoilers of book one. If, however, you have devoured The School for Good and Evil already – feel free to proceed in learning about A World without Princes . Best friends Sophie and Agatha have returned to their hometown of Gavaldon to live out their Happily Ever After. But things don’t seem as perfect as they expected… When Agatha secretly wishes she chose a different happy ending – with Tedros – she inadvertently reopens the gateway from Gavaldon to the School for Good and Evil. And it’s not at all the way they left it. Inextricably changed...

Finding Audrey is a YA contemporary novel by Sophia Kinsella, author of the bestselling Shopaholic series. After an incident with classmates, Audrey has developed an anxiety disorder. She now rarely leaves the house and wears dark sunglasses at all times to avoid eye contact. Her family is loving, if crazy, and are working hard to help her get better – as is her kind therapist, Dr. Sarah. It’s a slow, but steady, progress. When her brother’s gaming teammate, Linus, comes over to the house she initially feels as much anxiety as she feels about anything she is not comfortable with – that is, A LOT. But soon she finds that Linus is patient with her disorder and is encouraging her to push farther into recovery than ever before. Suddenly, there is momentum. And perhaps some romantic feelings… I have never read the Shopaholic series, so I wasn’t sure what kind of writing style I was getting into at all. I have to say, all in all, I am pleasantly surprised by Finding Audrey ! ...

The School for Good and Evil is a middle grade fantasy novel by Soman Chainani. And oh my gosh it is sooooooooooooo good!!!!!! In the village of Gavaldon, it has become an accepted truth that once every four years two children are kidnapped – only to appear in mysteriously delivered fairytale books later on. Their faces are clearly seen in the illustrations – some the heroes, some the villains. Of course, many an adult has tried to resist such a ridiculous idea. Yet it is difficult to deny that it seems these children are being taken to be featured in new fairytales. Sophie, the most beautiful girl in Gavaldon, is ready when the next four-year mark comes. She is prepared to be a princess, marry a prince and continue to wear as much as pink as she can. Her best friend, Agatha, isn’t too thrilled at the idea though. Not only does she think the idea of being whisked away to a fairytale is ridiculous – she doesn’t want to lose Sophie. With her off putting, antisocial personality...

Jane and the Barque of Frailty is the ninth in Stephanie Barron’s Jane Austen Mystery series. I thoroughly recommend reading this fantastically imagined, Regency whodunit series from the beginning. You would want to start with Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor . I’ve been a huge enthusiast of this series from the beginning as a fan of both Jane Austen and mysteries! It’s 1811 in London and Jane Austen is enjoying a month-long visit with her brother Henry and his lively wife Eliza. She’s awaiting publication of her first novel, Sense and Sensibility and spending her free time socializing during the height of the Season. When a mysterious, exiled, lovely Russian princess is found dead outside of the abode of a notorious Tory minister, though – even Jane is surprised. The determination of self-murder does not sit right with Jane, and she is happy to investigate further. What is more surprising, however, is that Jane and Eliza manage to thrust themselves into the ca...

Lying Out Loud is a YA contemporary novel and a companion to The Duff by Kody Keplinger. I have not read The Duff and was able to enjoy Lying Out Loud as it focuses on different characters. It does, however, glimpse into where the characters of The Duff are now – so reading The Duff first would probably be most rewarding. No spoilers in this review, though! Sonny Ardmore has become an excellent liar. From why she’s late to work and school to where her father is – to why she needs to stay at her best friend Amy’s house every night. Sometimes it almost seems like lying is second nature to her at this point. Amy may be the only person who sees through her lies and knows the truth – yet even that is beginning to get foggy. There are some things Sonny does not want to share even with her… Then enters new guy at school: Ryder. Constantly whining about how his pretentious school in D.C. is better than their small-town education and being essentially impossible to befriend – hi...

Shades of Grey is a dystopian satire novel by Jasper Fforde. In a world where color perception determines the hierarchy of a Colortocracy society, what you can see is everything. That’s why Eddie Russet is trying to secure a marriage into the powerful Oxblood family to combine his better-than-average Red perception to their aristocratic name – yet those plans are upended when he and his father are sent to the fringe town East Carmine. Manners, rules and accepted mores in the Chromatacia seem a bit more lax in East Carmine – dangerously so. Beyond the normal fear of lethal swans and lightening, the sneaky Yellows seem sneakier than ever, the deMauve’s are angling to marry their horrid Violet to Eddie and he’s finding himself fascinated by a Grey named Jane. Riskiest of all is the knowledge Eddie begins to gather in East Carmine – truths behind the ordered, peaceful, rule-abiding Colortocracy that shed light on its deceptions… And it’s that innate inquisitiveness that could le...

Off the Page is a YA contemporary fantasy companion to Between the Lines by mother-daughter writing team Jodi Picoult and Samantha Van Leer. Oliver is about to start his new life as an ordinary teen boy at a new high school. But he’s not an ordinary teen boy. He’s a prince taken from the pages of a fairy tale – and his new life is due to hard-earned freedom to be with the reader he loves, Delilah. In order to do this, he has to fake an American accent and pretend to be Edgar, son to the author of the book he is from. Totally not complicated. At first, Oliver and Delilah delight in their ability to be together – but then real life interferes. Things aren’t as easy as fairy tales. And the real Edgar, who is voluntarily taking Oliver’s place in the fairy tale – which he has now changed to a sort of space adventure meets alien invasion storyline – is finding his new role isn’t as easy as he expected either. Is Happily Ever After possible? Off the Page has full color ill...

The Madness Underneath is the second book in the urban supernatural YA series Shades of London by Maureen Johnson. I strong recommend reading the books in order – so if you haven’t read The Name of the Star yet, check out my review of that first book here . Final warning to look away if you haven’t read the first book yet… Rory’s move from the American South to a London boarding school didn’t turn out the way she expected it to. Suddenly gaining the ability to see ghosts was startling enough – to then also be nearly killed by a Jack the Ripper copycat was the icing on the horror cake. Yet Rory doesn’t feel like she’s as psychologically damaged as she should be – and when she’s given the opportunity to return to Wexford, she does. But there’s evidence of a new potentially ghost-like string of murders and Rory’s powers have morphed into something stronger since she was nearly murdered… Is she as ready as she thinks she is to take on another dark force? First off, I lo...

The Color of Magic is the first book in the bestselling Discworld fantasy series by Terry Pratchett. On the back of a giant turtle stands four enormous elephants and on the back of those elephants the Discworld is balanced. As the giant turtle hurtles through space, the inhabitants of the Discworld live a life not grounded so much in logic as much as illogic. One of those inhabitants is Rincewind – a wizard to the most minimal degree, having been thrown out of the Unseen University after absorbing one of the original spells of creation entirely by accident. When his path crosses with Twoflower – a tourist with Luggage that walks by his side on multiple legs – he is pressed upon to act as a tour guide. A tourist is something entirely new to Discworld – after all, why on earth would someone want to see the sights when the sights are as unwelcoming, violent and ridiculous as they are? Two answers: adventure and lunacy. I have long heard of Terry Pratchett – and being a lov...

After a Fashion is a historical fiction novel by Jen Turano. Though her dreams are to someday open a dress shop where she can refurbish gowns for working women like herself, Harriet Peabody currently spends her days in a hat shop in New York City 1882. Beggars can’t be choosers, though – because once a millinery errand to a high-strung customer goes terribly wrong she finds herself without even that position. Mr. Oliver Addleshaw witnesses the event in question – in fact, he has a role. The aforementioned high-strung lady was under the belief that they were soon to be wed, when in fact all he had been hoping for was a feminine companion on one of his biggest business deals yet. Seeing Miss Peabody’s precarious situation, he decides to offer her that position – especially as he quickly realizes her personality is far different than most simpering, wedding-obsessed ladies he’s dealt with prior. Unable to turn down such a lucrative offer, despite its oddness, Harriet decides to...

How to Destroy the New Girl’s Killer Robot Army is a middle grade, humor horror novel by Mick Bogerman and the third in the Slug Pie series. Again, I think it’s not necessary to read these books in order but it could certainly enhance the fun! After zombies and ugly mermaids, you wouldn’t think much would faze Mick Bogerman. Until the new girl. She gets on his nerves – using her Big Words and her Big Brain to mess with him. She’s even spending time at his Mr. Gee’s comic shop – pushing him out of his own territory! So… maybe he does something about it. But that doesn’t excuse her creating a robot army that is dead-set on terrorizing Mick and his friends and family!!! Another strong entry in the Slug Pie series, this was a whole lot of FUN! Again we get more of Mick’s personal life – all fairly quick as these books are so short they could practically be called novellas, but it’s effective nonetheless – and his mom, brother and friends. Score! Truly an entertaining r...

How to Rid Your Swimming Pool of a Bloodthirsty Mermaid is a middle grade humorous horror novel by Mick Bogerman, and the second book in the Slug Pie Series. Though I think you would enjoy reading these books in order, these are ones I can honestly say should be just fine not to – if needed. All Mick wanted was to fulfill his promise to his little brother – teach him how to swim. To do so, he agreed to do wealthy PJ’s lawn moving in exchange for access to his pool. But there’s a mermaid in there. And not a gorgeous, sweet, innocent mermaid. Oh, no. A bloodthirsty, man-eating, red-scaled monstrosity! Well, Mick is just going to have to figure out how to rid the pool of it. After all, how else will his little brother learn to swim? Now, I felt that How to Rid Your Swimming Pool of a Bloodthirsty Mermaid was a great improvement on the first book, How to Navigate Zombie Cave and Defeat Pirate Pete , for a few different reasons. Reason One: Far more setup – thank you...

Don’t Judge a Girl by Her Cover is the third book in the YA contemporary spy school series Gallagher Girls by Ally Carter. If you haven’t read the first two books, I strongly recommend not reading this review to avoid inevitable spoilers. Got it?!? A visit to Boston to visit one of her best friends Macey during her summer vacation sounds like fun to Cammie. After all, it’s not every girl that gets to watch their best friend’s father campaign to be the next vice president of the United States! Yet what was believed to be a friendly visit turns deadly – not necessarily surprising considering the line of business Cammie and Macey are being groomed for. But this time it is not a test. It’s not a practical exam. It’s real. When a kidnapping attempt leaves Cammie and Macey battered – their best friends Liz and Bex join them to try and figure out who is after Macey and why. Even if the Secret Service wants them nowhere near the investigation… Don’t Judge a Girl by Her Cov...

How to Navigate Zombie Cave and Defeat Pirate Pete is a middle grade humorous horror novel by Mick Bogerman. Mick Bogerman is a typical 12-year-old boy. That is, the kind that is determined to fight off zombies with a pitchfork and locate long-lost pirate gold, all the while doing everything he can to avoid gagging on the smell. And if this is an endeavor that interests you, Mick is happy to provide this “how to”, which regales his experience and the tips he’d provide. Time to get some pirate gold! How to Navigate Zombie Cave and Defeat Pirate Pete is the first in Slug Pie Story series narrated by Mick Bogerman. It’s a fast paced, gory, gross, funny debut that made me wince and laugh at the same time. I can see 12-year-old boys loving it, or anyone with a penchant for middle grade horror, such as the Goosebumps series. This first outing is not as substantial or story driven as I prefer and ended up feeling a bit forgettable, but I am happy to say that I personally feel ...

Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy is the second book in the YA teen spies-in-training series Gallagher Girls by Ally Carter. To avoid any spoilers, you’ll want to have read the first book I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You before you read this review. Deal? Returning to school after having to give up her civilian boyfriend, Josh, Cammie is hoping to be fully distracted by her spy skills training to think of him – or that he is just outside the highly secure walls of the Gallagher Academy. Alas, her troubles with the male gender have not ended it seems. For a long time, there has been supposition that there must be a boy-version of the Gallagher Academy out there somewhere … Then the code name Blackthorne starts being thrown around – during some innocent eavesdropping on her mother the headmistress, ahem – and a wing of the Academy is being prepped for guests – determined after some just-as-innocent reconnaissance. Blamed for security breaches that – t...