![]() ![]() I liked exploring all the nooks and crannies of Hogwarts. Hogwarts: An Incomplete and Unreliable Guide Oh and there’s a story on Peeves, so that’s fun.įinal verdict: 3.5 stars 2. But if you’re a big HP fan, you’ll enjoy any sliver of writing Rowling throws your way, and that goes for this as well. Definitely recommend this collection just because of that story, however, the rest of it is nothing special. My favorite bit in the collection was the story on Slughorn, which again is one of the most fascinating characters in the books for me. Also there is a story here on Ministers of Magic, which was kind of boring, and I did not really like it. There’s a bit here on Umbridge which I really enjoyed, because I find her character fascinating. ![]() I just felt like all the stuff thrown in was random and did not make sense together at all, so that’s why I enjoyed it a little less. This was my least favorite in the collection. Short Stories from Hogwarts of Power, Politics and Pesky Poltergeists I read all three of them back to back, so I am gonna tell you how I liked each of them and what I think of the concept as a whole. So a little while back, Pottermore (the site for all things HP, like House sorting or Patronus determination) launched a short story collection that mushed together all sorts of writing that J. ![]() These stories gave me the nostalgic feeling The Cursed Child should have provided. ![]()
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![]() And then in 2017, I cleaned out a closet and found the beginning pages and I was like: oh, this. What happened was this: I started the story in the summer of 2009 and I worked on it for awhile and then forgot about it. Why do you think it finally decided to come out now? In an author’s note, you mention that this story has been with you, kicking around in your imagination, for decades. ![]() I loved her (and her hard head and big teeth and powers of discernment) from the minute she arrived, and I miss her still. And I don’t know where she came from! She was one of those characters who just showed up–fully formed and full of surprises. I certainly won’t forget her for a long time! Was there a real life inspiration behind Answelica? Answelica! In your work, you’ve created dozens of unforgettable animal characters, but this menacing, fiercely loyal goat might be the most memorable for me. It’s the story of how Beatryce claims who she is and finds her way home.īefore we get more into the story, I feel I need to ask about one character in particular. Mostly, it’s the story of a girl named Beatryce who can read and write in a time and place when it is against the law for a girl to do either of those things. The Beatryce Prophecy is a story about kings and queens, and prophecies and mermaids, and seahorses and goats. ![]() ![]() ![]() Would you care to start things off by sharing what the novel is about? Hi Kate! Thank you so much for joining us here at the MG Book Village to talk about your newest book, The Beatryce Prophecy. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() In the dark it was like summer lightning, but the nights were cool and there was not the feeling of a storm coming. There was fighting in the mountains and at night we could see the flashes from the artillery. The plain was rich with crops there were many orchards of fruit trees and beyond the plain the mountains were brown and bare. The trunks of the trees too were dusty and the leaves fell early that year and we saw the troops marching along the road and the dust rising and leaves, stirred by the breeze, falling and the soldiers marching and afterward the road bare and white except for the leaves. Troops went by the house and down the road and the dust they raised powdered the leaves of the trees. In the bed of the river there were pebbles and boulders, dry and white in the sun, and the water was clear and swiftly moving and blue in the channels. ![]() In the late summer of that year we lived in a house in a village that looked across the river and the plain to the mountains. ![]() ![]() ![]() And she must decide if she'll follow her father's dark footsteps or her mother's tragic ones, or whether she'll make her own. ![]() Then Juliet uncovers the truth about the manor's long history of scientific experimentation-and her own intended role in it-forcing her to determine where the line falls between right and wrong, life and death, magic and science, and promises and secrets. Moreau and Frankenstein) concludes elegantly as Juliet and Montgomery take refuge in a Scottish manor and struggle to untangle questions of moral and biological heritage that have shaped their lives. Though it appears to be a safe haven, Juliet fears new dangers may be present within the manor's walls. Shepherds trilogy following the female descendants of mad scientists ripped from nineteenth-century horror novels (The Island of Dr. ![]() You can read my review of The Madman’s Daughter here. Owned by the enigmatic Elizabeth von Stein, the mansion is full of mysteries and unexplained oddities: dead bodies in the basement, secret passages, and fortune tellers who seem to know Juliet's secrets. Book: A Cold Legacy by Megan Shepherd (Madman’s Daughter 2) Genre: YA, Fantasy, Historical Her Dark Curiosity is the second book in the Madman’s Daughter Trilogy. With inspiration from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein-and perfect for fans of Libba Bray-this breathless conclusion to the Madman's Daughter trilogy explores the things we'll sacrifice to save those we love.even our own humanity.Īfter killing the men who tried to steal her father's research, Juliet and her friends have escaped to a remote estate on the Scottish moors. ![]() ![]() ![]() **Like my reviews? Then you should follow me! Because I have hundreds more just like this one. I don't know that it will be one of your family favorites but I know you'll enjoy it for sure! ![]() The story progresses with more cuteness, of course, and toy soldiers that save the day for Miss Suzy. Of course the doll house was absolutely cute too and I wished I could live in one of those as well. And then when she's chased away by mean squirrels, she runs into this home and finds a little doll house to live in. Miss Suzy is the sweetest little thing, with the most charming tree house. It was such a cherished read, for both my sister and I. Every time I see the cover of this book, my heart melts a little and I let out a happy sigh. ![]() ![]() " - School Library Connection "Esther herself is solid and earnest, the math aspect is engaging, and the exuberant energy of the story is contagious." - Kirkus Reviews "Genuinely sweet.readers looking for realistic middle-grade fiction will find David a likable guide." - School Library Journal on Don't Vote For Me "Clever and witty. ![]() Compares well to Chasing Vermeer and The Westing Game. ![]() Esther's leadership skills and tenacity are inspiring." - Publishers Weekly "A good middle school mystery that includes, art, literature, logic, and multiple subplots. "The isolated setting provides the perfect backdrop for this fast-paced mystery by Van Dolzer starring a quirky crew of well-drawn characters. ![]() ![]() ![]() Looking down from the cliff, I could imagine the wind burned and weather beaten aufwaders wandering the sands and peering into rock pools. "The appearance of the fisher-folk was based on the inhabitants of Victorian Whitby as captured in the wonderful sepia photographs of the time. In the Whitby Witches I have interwoven many of the existing local legends, such as the frightening Barguest, whilst inventing a few of my own, most notably the aufwaders." ![]() ![]() Listening to Carmina Burana on my headphones, I explored the ruined abbey on the clifftop. It was a grey, drizzling day but that only added to the haunting beauty and lonely atmosphere of the place. "The first time I visited Whitby, I stepped off the train and knew I was somewhere very special. What he finds there might save Whitby from the most powerful evil. ![]() The fate of the world is about to be decided and the secretive aufwaders are the key to its survival.Īs the evil spreads, Ben steals away on furtive errands that take him to the town graveyard and the dark caves along Whitby's rocky shore. And a centuries old beast disturbs Jennet's dreams. A young woman dressed in white haunts Whitby's crumbling abbey. Suddenly, Alice's friends are mysteriously dying. Shortly after Ben and Jennet arrive in Whitby, it becomes clear that an evil force from the town's past is on the rise again. Unbeknownst to the children, Aunt Alice has a few secrets of her own. ![]() ![]() ![]() So after reading a review of the book, and being without anything to read at the moment, I took a chance and bought Bossypants, and I'm glad I did. And while I'm not a huge Tina Fey fan, I enjoyed her as Sarah Palin on SNL and occasionally watch 30 Rock. It seems there's always something good to learn from other people's life experiences. Bossypants gets to the heart of why Tina Fey remains universally adored: she embodies the hectic, too-many-things-to-juggle lifestyle we all have, but instead of complaining about it, she can just laugh it off. But the chaos of Fey’s life is best detailed when she’s dividing her efforts equally between rehearsing her Sarah Palin impression, trying to get Oprah to appear on 30 Rock, and planning her daughter’s Peter Pan-themed birthday. Some of the funniest chapters feature the differences between male and female comedy writers ("men urinate in cups"), her cruise ship honeymoon ("it’s very Poseidon Adventure"), and advice about breastfeeding ("I had an obligation to my child to pretend to try"). ![]() From her humble roots growing up in Pennsylvania to her days doing amateur improv in Chicago to her early sketches on Saturday Night Live, Fey gives us a fascinating glimpse behind the curtain of modern comedy with equal doses of wit, candor, and self-deprecation. Amazon Best Books of the Month, April 2011: Tina Fey’s new book Bossypants is short, messy, and impossibly funny (an apt description of the comedian herself). ![]() ![]() ![]() "A stirring work of art." - Publishers Weekly, Starred Review "A realistic and compelling account of a girl growing up too quickly while coming to terms with the cost of freedom." - The Horn Book, Starred Review "Diary entries written by the child while in hiding will remind readers of Anne Frank's story. Using the strength and courage of her family, Anita must overcome her fears and fly to freedom, leaving all that she once knew behind. But by her twelfth birthday in 1960, most of her relatives have immigrated to the United States, her Tío Toni has disappeared without a trace, and the government's secret police terrorize her remaining family because of their suspected opposition to Trujillo's iron-fisted rule. ![]() Anita de la Torre never questioned her freedom living in the Dominican Republic. PURE BELPRÉ AWARD WINNER - ONE OF TIME MAGAZINE'S 100 BEST YA BOOKS OF ALL TIME - AN ALA-YALSA BEST BOOK FOR YOUNG ADULTS From renowned author Julia Alvarez comes an unforgettable story about adolescence, perseverance, and one girl's struggle to be free while living in the Dominican Republic under the rule of a dictator. ![]() ![]() Mitchell’s story recounts the ascension of the eponymous band, which forms in 1967 when London-based manager Levon brings together four talented musicians of somewhat disparate styles to create a rock group to top the charts. With Utopia Avenue, Mitchell contributes a compelling if too-comfortable effort that boasts artful craftsmanship but lacks the inter-band electricity to make a rock novel soar. The release of a new novel by such as esteemed writer is rightfully treated as a major literary event, and that the title is also a rock novel makes it a major literary event to me, since I write and review rock novels. This level of attention to narrative is as one might expect from the author of the international bestseller Cloud Atlas. ![]() ![]() Utopia Avenue by David Mitchell feels like fine masonry, the British brick-and-mortar stuff from Dickens to Rowling that evokes the lived-in, comfortable, secure. ![]() |