By Golly, Ollie!

  • Top Ten Books I Read in 2011 (er…Top 8)

    1. Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel
    I haven’t posted a review of this book, but expect one soon. I think this book goes down as my favorite book of the year. It’s got so many things I love– strong female characters, steampunk themes, political unrest, and zombies.

    2. Dead Beautiful by Yvonne Woon
    The book was full of beautiful language and the mystery kept me guessing all the way through. I devoured this book almost in a single sitting, so it’s a no-brainer for me to put this on my list. I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book!

    3. Textual Healing by Eric Smith
    This book was filled with memorable characters, but it was the fact that this book actually made me laugh out loud like no other book has done that earned it a spot on this list.

    4. Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maeberry
    This zombie story was unique to all others I’ve been introduced to. It’s not all about the blood and guts, and Maeberry successfully humanizes the flesh-eating monsters. Awesome characters like Nix and the Lost Girl also help!

    5. The Great Perhaps by Joe Meno
    This was the book that started it all. Kinda. It was the first book I ever reviewed here at B&T. Plus, I’ve not read a Joe Meno book yet that has let me down.

    6. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
    This is another book I haven’t reviewed here at B&T, but the awesomeness of this book really goes without saying. I can’t believe I waited this long to read it!

    7.  The Candidates by Inara Scott
    Ohmygosh! I miss Dancia and Jack and the secrets of Delcroix Academy. I can’t wait to get my hands on the next installment.

    8. Any Witch Way by Annastaysia Savage
    The world created in Any Witch Way was wonderful, and I loved learning about all the magical creatures and all of the magical items. But, world building and back story didn’t outshine all of the wonderful characters. That’s what made this book such a wonderful fantasy novel.

  • Never Knowing by Chevy Stevens

    Never Knowing by Chevy Stevens

    I’ve put off writing this review for so long because I haven’t figured out what to say about this book.  Still.  Really!  I went into Never Knowing prepared to dislike it.  It’s not my preferred genre, and on top of that I started reading this book at work; these days, work turns me into such a curmudgeon.  But, about a chapter in, I was hooked.

    I don’t know how else to say it, but this book left me feeling like an emotional wreck.  Each character was equally lovable and frustrating.  One moment I’m rooting for them; the next I am disgusted by the words they say and their actions (or lack thereof).  On one hand, Sarah is so wonderful for wanting to lend a helping hand.  On another hand, how dare she lend a helping hand knowing her child’s life is at risk.  Who does that?!  How wonderful, Sarah’s adoptive mother is for loving Sarah so immensely, but how dare she not stick up for Sarah when her father is being so hateful.  Each character in the story is like this from innocent little Ally to the cruel serial killer.  Stevens succeeds in creating tension between characters as well as blurring the boundaries between good and evil.

    Stevens also has a unique way of telling Sarah’s story.  The book is fairly fast-paced with new tensions, twists, and secrets revealed on every other page.  But, each chapter begins with Sarah talking to her psychologist.  She reflects on the events that happened just a few days ago, sometimes just a few hours ago, before launching into a vivid retelling of the often horrific event.  It allows the reader to catch a deeper glimpse into Sarah’s psyche.

    Overall, Never Knowing by Chevy Stevens was a pleasant surprise for me.  Rarely do I get so emotionally involved in stories, but time and time again I found myself getting angry at characters.  I found myself feeling relieved whenever something positive happened to the characters.  I found myself hoping that such-and-such would be alright in the end.  Never Knowing is a suspenseful book worth reading!

    Never Knowing by Chevy Stevens

    Released: January 2011
    Genre: Mystery
    Age Group: Adult

    [goodreads | indiebound]

    All her life, Sara Gallagher has wondered about her birth parents. As an adopted child with two sisters who were born naturally to her parents, Sara’s home life was not ideal. The question of why she was given up for adoption has always haunted her. Finally, she is ready to take steps and find closure.

    But some questions are better left unanswered.

    After months of research, Sara locates her birth mother—only to be met with horror and rejection. Then she discovers the devastating truth: her mother was the only victim ever to escape a killer who has been hunting women every summer for decades. But Sara soon realizes the only thing worse than finding out about her father is him finding out about her.

  • The Alchemyst by Michael Scott

    The Alchemyst by Michael Scott

    Let me be honest here.  The reason why I picked up this book in the first place is that the book is about Nicholas Flamel, and Nicholas Flamel is mentioned in the first Harry Potter book.  Does anyone else pick out books like that?  Silly reasons aside, I enjoyed this book!

    The story is about Sophie and Josh Newman.  They are normal twins, working normal summer jobs, but unknowingly working for some really old people.  And by really old, I mean a couple of centuries-old– the Flamels, who are famous for concocting the sorcerer’s stone, which makes them immortal.  Then some golems (not to be confused with Gollum) and peculiar men in business attire, Dr. John Dee and his lackeys, show up at the twins’ place(s) of work.  A magical battle and a kidnapping ensue, and now Sophie and Josh’s life is thrown into a whirlwind– they just might be the twins an old prophecy describes, and if that is so, then they are destined to save the world from the evil Dr. John Dee and some really angry Elders.  In their quest to hopefully save the world, Nicholas Flamel and the twins receive aid from several people we know as myths and legends like  Scathatch the Warrior Maiden and the Witch of Endor while trying to outwit the likes of Bastet and Morrigan.

    The book is filled to the brim with old myths and legends.  Some of them I learned about in school, while others were unfamiliar to me.  It was those that were unfamiliar to me that encouraged me to do some outside research.  I spent so long browsing Wikipedia pages so I could learn more about Scathatch and the Witch of Endor.  The Alchemyst opened up a whole new world that I wanted to know more about; I think it’s awesome when books have that kind of effect.  It would have been easy for Michael Scott to just simply incorporate the legends and their backstories into the novel; however, he wove them into the story giving each one its own distinct and thorough personality.

    I wasn’t so impressed with Sophie and Josh in this story though.  The characters were a little bland compared to the individuals they have met so far.  But, based on how well the legends were created, I don’t doubt Sophie and Josh will grow into more memorable characters as each book progresses.

    Now, I made the mistake of bringing this book to work with me.  I read it during my breaks and my lunches.  I also sneaked off the floor in between breaks and lunch to read a couple of pages here and there.  But, don’t tell my boss.  In my defense, I couldn’t help it!  This book was so action-packed!  There were car chases and magical battles of epic proportions.  Every few chapters revealed the fate of what the world would be if Sophie and Josh’s powers weren’t awakened.  And every chapter left off on a cliffhanger.  Cliffhangers get me every time.  I just needed to know what happened next; I’m sure you understand, right?

    Overall, the Alchemyst by Michael Scott was downright fascinating.  Normally I don’t read more than one book from a series a year, but I’m thinking The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel might be an exception.  I went out just last week to buy the second book from the series, The Magician.  And, even though it’s been only a month since I finished The Alchemyst, I’m thinking of starting the new book very soon.  I have no intention to bring it to work with me though.  If it’s anything like the last book, I’m sure I will find several excuses to leave the sales floor, which isn’t good considering I work off of commission.

    The Alchemyst (the Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel #1) by Michael Scott

    Released: May 2007
    Genre: Fantasy
    Age Group: Young Adult

    The tomb of Nicholas Flamel is empty. The greatest alchemist of his day supposedly died in 1418, but rumors continue to swirl that he continues to walk among us. Could it be true that this magician/chemist has access to the secret of eternal life? Could the Book of Abraham, which he purportedly owns, hold the key to this elixir? If it does, the theft of this single ancient volume could destroy the world as we know it.

  • The Fairy-Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley

    The Fairy-Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley

    I started reading The Fairytale Detectives on a particularly rainy day while sipping on a mug of hot Earl Grey tea. By the first few pages and the first crack of thunder from outside, I was sucked into the book.  I only wish I could mean that literally.

    Ferryport Landing may seem like just a quaint New York town to the unobserving eye, but it is home to the Everafters (fairytale characters). Michael Buckley recreated a big cast of memorable fairytale characters; each one had its unique quirks and personality. Sabrina and her younger sister, Daphne, learn their Granny Relda and her faithful companion, Mr. Canis, are responsible for keeping magical shenanigans from getting too far out of hand. And, since the young girls have been reunited with family, that responsibility is now theirs too.

    The youngest of the girls, Daphne, is downright adorable. She has such a bright and positive outlook on life despite all the negative experiences she’s had. I wish I could say the same for Sabrina, who seems a little too cynical for such a young girl. At times, her cynicism tried my patience, but as the story progressed, she slowly came to terms with her new life. I look forward to reading about Sabrina in the rest of the series because I don’t think she’ll be as negative. She did a lot of growing in book one.

    Aside from being filled to the brim with magical characters, The Fairytale Detectives is also action-packed! As soon as Granny Relda and company discover evidence of a dangerous giant poking around in town, the book does not slow down. There are wild police chases, jailbreaks, mortal peril, and covert operations (just to name a few)!

    My only concern with The Sisters Grimm series is the idea of a Grimm Fairytale is rather broad. Based on the title, readers will expect nothing but characters collected by the Grimm brothers to be in the book, but that is not the case. Buckley also includes magical characters from Rudyard Kipling, William Shakespeare, Lewis Carrol, and Hans Christian Anderson. Initially, this did bother me because Puck and Alice are not from Grimm fairy tales. It’s misleading! And, I wondered how many youngsters were going to be familiar with Puck from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. I did find, by the end of the book I didn’t mind. Grimm fairy tales or not, they were integrated well into the story, and many of them were likable.

    Overall, I adored this book! Setting the book down with only 80 pages to go just so I wasn’t late for work was difficult to do. I cannot wait to get back to the library to check out the rest of this series. Especially since The Fairytale Detectives ended on a cliffhanger! While the girls are busy solving mysteries in Ferrypoint Landing with Granny Relda, their mysterious past is slowly revealed. Now, I’m dying to know about the significance of the red handprint!

    The Sisters Grimm by Michael Buckley

    The Fairy-Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley (the Sisters Grimm #1)

    Released: August 2007
    Genre: Fantasy, Mystery
    Age Group: Middle Grade

    [goodreads | indiebound]

    For Sabrina and Daphne Grimm, life has not been a fairy tale. After the mysterious disappearance of their parents, the sisters are sent to live with their grandmother–a woman they believed was dead! Granny Relda reveals that the girls have two famous ancestors, the Brothers Grimm, whose classic book of fairy tales is actually a collection of case files of magical mischief. Now the girls must take on the family responsibility of being fairy tale detectives.

  • Lure by Deborah Kerbel

    Lure by Deborah Kerbel

    After reading the synopsis for Lure by Deborah Kerbel, I was eager to read this book.   I used to read ghost stories often when I was younger, but I haven’t read too many in recent years.  Instead, I’ve been hooked on shows like Ghost Hunters or Ghost Adventurers.  So, it seemed this book would be right up my alley.

    It wasn’t.

    The story is written from two points of view; Max, from the modern-day, and John, a boy from the past, take turns telling their story.  It was interesting to see how much their stories relied on each other for the storyline to advance.  But, I didn’t think the quality of Max’s story was as fine as John’s story.  John’s chapters were so eloquently written and much more interesting; I was sucked right in.  After finishing each of John’s chapters, I had a better sense of who he was.  He’s a sickly and weak boy who loves books even though his father wishes he were strong so he could work in the family blacksmith business.  Each chapter showed his struggle with coming to terms that he’d never be good enough in his father’s eyes, and it was kind of heartbreaking.

    After reading Max’s story, I only had a vague impression of who he was.  And from that vague impression, I decided that I couldn’t stand Max.  He sits there and simmers about how he is invisible to all of his peers, yet he skips school all the time.  It’s like, maybe if he made an effort to go to school with these people, he wouldn’t be invisible to them.  Plus, the only time the reader gets to know Max is when he is at the library or when he is around Caroline, a girl he was kind of infatuated with. 

    Also, and I don’t mean to get nit-picky, but Max kept talking about how he loved breathing in Caroline’s “awesome” scent.  But, every time I read that or a variation of that, I just really wanted to know what “awesome” smells like.  This lack of concrete descriptions also lent itself to the vagueness I felt after finishing each of Max’s chapters.

    As for the ending…I’m kind of baffled.  It all came as a surprise to me, which was cool, but things didn’t seem to add up.  I’d spoil the ending if I voiced my concerns though.

    Overall, this book wasn’t for me.  It left me wanting more, but not in a good way.  While I very much enjoyed reading about John, I wanted to understand Max better.  It almost seemed like Max was a pawn in this story.  It almost seemed like his only purpose was to figure out the mystery, so character development wasn’t really necessary.

    I also went into the story thinking it was going to be spooky.  It wasn’t, and I didn’t so much mind that.  But, I was kind of bummed out that it was lacking in paranormal activity.  Most of it was hearsay, and Max and the reader only experienced two or three things firsthand.  The things that did happen were kind of clever; I just wanted more.

    Lure by Deborah Kerbel

    Lure by Deborah Kerbel

    Released: January 2010
    Genre: Mystery
    Age Group: Young Adult

    [goodreads | indiebound]

    Absolutely nothing is going right for Max Green. His parents have just uprooted their family from Vancouver to the bleak suburbs of Toronto, he has no friends, and everybody at his new high school is ignoring him. To make matters worse, he’s in love with an older girl who’s completely out of his league. When Max discovers a local library rumored to be haunted by ghosts, he’s immediately drawn to it. With the help of some cryptic messages, he begins to piece together the identity of the teenage ghost and the mysterious chain of events that have connected its spirit to the building for over a century. But just who was John, anyway? Why has he chosen to contact Max? And what does an old fishing lure have to do with solving the mystery?

About the Blogger

My name is Jackie, and I am a millennial / mother / Michigander / blogger / wannabe runner / accountant / local library enthusiast / gamer, kinda. This is a personal blog, which means I’m not entirely certain what you’ll find here, but it will definitely not show up on the first page of Google search results.