I finally finished the Tales of the Five Kingdoms series by Vivian French! I love that they brought back my favorite little monster, Foyce, for the final book.
Question of the Day: What’s your favorite monster/cryptid?
If I had a superpower, I think I’d like to skidoo into book worlds and have a real fantasy adventure or explore the secret rooms in an old Victorian house. If it got too scary, I could always hop back out!
Question of the Day: Which book setting would you love to visit?
Some of my favorite fantasy reads. A lot of these writers have heavily influenced my ideas of what a good book should be. Imaginative folklore and compelling villains. Worlds that unfold as beautifully as if they’re characters instead of places. Heroes and heroines who believe in themselves and put their talents to good use. Friendships that melt your heart, and humor that keeps you coming back when you need a good laugh.
Question of the Day: What are your favorite fantasy books to recommend to friends?
That feeling when a book cover really grabs you, but it’s in the middle of a series…
Question of the Day: What book covers have grabbed your attention recently?
“Kiddo—here’s a problem. We’ve got witches, we’ve got Evil, we’ve got an orphan, and we’ve got a kidnapping. What’s the deal?”
–The Bag of Bones by Vivian French
I may not have completed my Goodreads goal of 50 titles this year, but I did a decent job with just under 35 books, mostly from the Middle Grade shelf. I won’t bore you with copy/pasted summaries of every book I read (you can hit up my Reading Challenge page for that if you like, though) but I will share some of my highlights.
How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell
“For a Hero cannot triumph all the time. Sometimes he will be defeated, and how he faces that defeat is a test of his character.”
I finally completed the How to Train Your Dragon series this year. What starts out as a short and silly lower Middle Grade series quickly becomes a fast-paced adventure with a hero who can’t seem to do anything right, a naughty little dragon, and a tribe of Hooligans that will keep even the most reluctant reader turning pages eagerly. My favorite detail is the abundance of illustrations that decorate nearly every page. They’re informal, sketchy, and perfect for setting off a child’s imagination. Just be prepared for a little dragon dung humor in the first couple of books.
The cover screams Halloween, don’t you think? This lovely story has rich vocabulary, monsters, chatty bats, magic stew, and a sorceress who has an obsession with clothes. For me, The Robe of Skulls is made of win!