Book Review: Something New (Confectionately Yours 4) by Lisa Papademtriou

At First Sight: Hayley's life is in transition again, her dear grandma just got engaged to Mr. Malik - who owns the flower shop next to Grandma's Tea Shop - her sister Chloe got their mom to agree to foster a puppy, and her best friend Meg wants her to run for class VP.

And, to top it all off, her dad wants her to send her to a fancy private school the following year. A school full of ritzy girls with fancy clothes who make Hayley feel out of place (even if they are nice to her).

Hayley struggles to make sense of all these changes, of why her Grandma isn't more excited about planning the wedding, of how Tesseract (the puppy Chloe is fostering at home) is not house trained and keeps wrecking havoc, mostly in Hayley's direction; of what to do about Meg, and about her long time friend Marco who seems to want a bit more than friendship of late. 

Second Glance: I love Hayley, she keeps growing on me and grows up through out the books, she's such a nice, decent little soul, yet she's so human at the same time - I loved how she reacted to all the mischief Tessie kept throwing her way because it showed a very human and imperfect reaction.

I also loved how you Hayley has become stronger with each book, how she doesn't let things get her down as much and rather keeps on going.

As she grows up her relationships become more complex - with her little sister Chloe, and her absent minded dad, and her friends (old and new) - and she's more sure of herself. 

Bottom Line: I always like visiting with Hayley and catching up with her life and looking at all the cupcakes she makes - she always shares de recipes - and just enjoying the sweetness of a book like this. 

Book Review: The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

The Deal: Ivan is a gorilla, a Mighty Silverback to be exact, and he lives at the Exit 8 Big top mall, and for the most part he doesn't mind. He's used to humans staring at him and making faces, and he spends most of his days just watching an old TV in his domain (he likes Westerns) and keeping company with Bob, a small stray dog who sleeps in his domain, and Stella, an aging circus elephant. 

Ivan doesn't like to think about what his life was before the Mall, when he and his twin sister clung to their mother in the wild, when his father kept them safe. But he does like to think about Art, for Ivan has the soul of an artist and he always tries to capture the things around him.

Ivan's life gets shaken up with the arrival of Ruby, a baby elephant who has been taken from her family and who makes Ivan see the world around them with new eyes.

My Thoughts: The One and Only Ivan is excellent. 

I would be pretty happy just leaving it at that, but I'm pretty sure you want me to elaborate ( ;) ). Told entirely from the perspective of Ivan, in short but thoughtful chapters (and illustrations), this story broke my heart wide open. Ivan's voice is gentle but determined, and he was just such a lovely soul. I loved him from the start, and that love only grew as I learned more and more about his history. 

I loved his relationship with Stella and Bob and Ruby, and with Julia (the little girl who is always giving him crayons and paper so he can do his art, and whose dad works at the mall). 

Totally recommend this book, if you're an animal lover this is a book for you, if you're not an animal lover, this is still a terrific story and great if you want something to read with kids. It was the first book I finished this year, but it was a good one, it made me cry first because I was sad, and them because I was so happy. 

 

Book Review: The Hero's Guide to Storming the Castle by Christopher Healy

At First Sight: Almost a year after forming the League of Princes, the princes charming Liam, Gustav, Frederic and Duncan are each doing their own thing. Duncan is in his woodland estate with wife Snow, trying to write down his Hero's Guide. Gustav is hanging out with some trolls since they are better company than his 16 brothers. Liam is staying with Frederick and Ella since he still can't go back to his home.

Then, just as Liam is wearing out his welcome with Frederick's dad, he gets kidnapped by his fiancé Briar Rose who is tired of waiting for him, and has decided is time for their wedding to happen; even if they don't really like each other.

Of course, the League of Princes isn't about to let one of their own be kidnaped and forcibly married, so they get together to rescue Liam.. and end up implicated in something way bigger than they first imagined. 

Second Glance: I loved visiting with the Princes Charming, Ella, Laila, Snow and even Briar - actually, I kind of grew to love Briar Rose during the course of this book! - and I even liked getting to know Rapunzel a little better this time around.

I love this world and these characters so much, though I admit Liam wasn't at his best in this story and I was really frustrated with him a lot, I love Duncan and Frederick (they are my two favorite princes of the quartet), and I love Laila.

Over all, I think The Hero's Guide to Storming the Castle was a wonderful sequel to The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom. There were some things I liked better here, and some I liked better in the previous book, but it all evens out in the end and I'm super excited for The Hero's Guide to Being an Outlaw, which will be out next year. 

Bottom Line: I laughed, I cried - yes I did, but I can say where because it was near the end - and I loved this book. Totally recommend, though you should probably read Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom first. 

1/2 

Book Review: Voice Over! Seiyu Academy by Maki Minami

The Deal: Hime Kino dreams of becoming a voice actress like her idol Miss Sakura from a very popular anime called "Lovely Blazer!" She even got accepted into an exclusive high school with a Seiyu program (that's what voice actors get called in Japan). 

She starts with lots of hope and enthusiasm but she soon finds herself in the stragglers group along with a guy who can't control his accent, another who can't control his anger (and has a bit of a scary voice) and a girl who talks really low.... and Hime herself has a rather gravely voice. 

Still, the four stragglers work together to try to pull through and it seems to be going all right until the sophomore guys challenge them to broadcasting duel. 

Oh, and did I mention she happens to be going to school with Miss Sakura's super talented son?

My Thoughts: Well, this was a really charming first volume of a brand new manga. Voice Over! Seiyu Academy is quite sweet, and the art is pretty - though some aspects are a bit over designed, like the uniforms - but the story was a bit slow.

This was very likely because it was just the first volume and things were being set up, but I sometimes was left feeling like I hadn't fully understood something and like it was going a bit slow. 

I did like Hime and her new friends, and how she starts to find her own strengths and how she and her friends encourage each other. 

I would recommend this one for tweens or young teens. 

Book Review: Sugar and Spice (Confectionately Yours 4)

The Deal: After a bit of struggle, it seems like Hayley is finally settling into her new life living with her mom and sister Chloe above their Grandma's tea shop. She seems to be in good terms with her best friend Marco and having a lot of fun with her new friend Meg.

But lately, Chloe seems a little down, which worries Hayley since Chloe is the sunniest kid around. And then she finds herself in detention with Meg and Artie - her former best friend turned nemesis.

From detention, the three of them start hanging out together a little and Meg comes up with the idea of hosting a talent show to showcase all the kids of their school, and of course she ropes Hayley and Artie in.

In the home front, somethings seem to be afoot as well.

My Thoughts: Sugar and Spice continues with Hayley's adventures and I keep on loving them. There is something just really, really comforting about reading her adventures. She's such a normal kid, and she makes mistakes and is confused but has a good heart.

I love reading about her cupcakes and how close she is to her sister Chloe and how she tries to make sense of the changing world around her.

I definitely recommend this series to all the Tween girls out there, and to anyone who likes desserts, but it is going to make you pretty hungry.

Anyway, I can't wait for the next (and final) book of the series which was just released.

Book Review: Taking the Cake (Confectionately Yours #2)

At First Sight: Hayley is still trying to adjust to all the changes in her life, like moving in with her grandma and having to share a room with her little sister Chloe, like the fact her dad has a girlfriend and it's getting pretty serious; and her two longest friendships seem to be at a weird place.

But there are also some good things in Hayley's life: Devon, her crush, seems to be acting flirty, she found a good friend in classmate Meghan, and sometimes it seems like Marco (one of those long-standing friendships) is coming around.

Yet, things start going a little crazy in her life as Thanksgiving approaches, and her Dad announces they are going to meet his girlfriend's parents, tilting her world again. 

Second Glance: I wasn't sure what to write as the summary for Taking the Cake because in some ways nothing much happens and if I tell you I kind of tell you the whole plot of the book. Basically, it continues where Save the Cupcake! left off as Hayley keeps narrating her life as she navigates middle school.

I loved every bit of it.

I really like Hayley, she worries and she's a good friend but she's not above some jealousy now and then or wanting things to stay the same. It takes her a while to appreciate good changes but she usually gets there.

In Taking the Cake, she grows up a little more, does things that she isn't sure of - with mixed results - and bakes a lot of cupcakes. 

Bottom Line: Confectionately Yours is an adorable series and Taking the Cake a really nice adition to it! It works like just the best brain candy you could ever imagine and it's fun to boot, plus I love reading about Hayley's recipes for cupcakes. 

Favorite Quote: "It might be a bad idea... but what good is a friend if she won't get behind your bad ideas?"

2/3

Speed Date: Marco Impossible by Hannah Moskowitz

The Deal: Marco and Stephen are best friends and just a few days shy of finishing middle school and moving in different directions (and schools). They get busy planning one of their famous "heists". 

With the clock tickling out, Marco wants to break into the high school prom and confess his love for Benji, the exchange student he has had a crush on for months and whom is leaving soon. 

My Thoughts: I'm leaving the description very short, sorry about that but in very basic terms this is what happens in the book. The story is narrated by Stephen, who calls himself Marco's Sidekick, and he's a really sweet guy, I really liked him right from the start.

I had my doubts about  Marco, I eventually warmed up to him but I liked Stephen better, I thought he was a better friend to Marco than Marco was to him. I really liked the time period the story covered - this last bit of time Marco and Stephen get to spend together before going in different directions what with high school and what not.

Marco Impossible is a really sweet and funny story all in all, I'm not sure if it was as amazing as I was expecting given the glowing reviews of it that I had read before but it was worth my while anyway even though I had a little bit of problem connecting with the guys at the beginning.

Marco Impossible will be released March 19th, 2013

What's a Book Speed Date, you ask? It's a quickie review--about 150 words or so--of any genre book (variety is the spice of life, after all).

If you want to join in or just read other speed date reviews, check out The Book Swarm

Book Review: Confectionately Yours - Save the Cupcake! by Lisa Papademetriou

At First Sight: Hayley is going through a lot of adjustments following the divorce of her parents, her mom being laid off work and their having to move in with her Grandmother into a tiny apartment above Gran's Tea Shop.

At school, things are a little weird as her set of friends is breaking up. Her girl best friend is getting tangled with the drama crowd and ignoring Hayley; and her other best friend Marco is acting weird and it seems like Hayley can never say the right thing to him.

But there is one thing that never fails Hayley: cupcakes!! Through thick and thin, Hayley takes comfort in baking and in helping out at The Tea Shop where the troubles are never bigger than getting the current batch of baking just right.

Second Glance: Confectionately Yours: Save the Cupcake! was adorable you guys! Such a sweet, lovely read - and I don't say it just because Hayley shares a lot of cupcake recipes.

Hayley was a great narrator, she cared about her family and wanted to do right by them but she wasn't perfect and she made mistakes, yet I always liked her - plus, her mistakes were totally age appropriate -  and it was fun to see her grow up a little and come into her own.

I really felt for her and all that she was going through with her parents (her dad is really clueless and he made me angry all the time he was around, though I don't think he's bad per se, and Marco and Artie. And I was so happy for her when she began to make a new friend. 

Bottom Line: Save the Cupcake! is one of the most adorable things I've read this year (so far) and I loved it! I loved it so much that I went online and ordered the next couple of books of the series. It's sweet and funny and, well, totes adorbs. 

1/2

Check out John @Dreaming in Books Review of  Confectionately Yours: Save the Cupcake! 

Book Review: Pandora the Curious by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams

At First Sight: Pandora is without a doubt the most curious girl of Mount Olympus Academy - and one of the few mortals that go there. She's always asking questions and that doesn't make her very popular, but she can't help herself.

So, when she sees Titan boy Epimetheus walking around the academy with a mysterious box and later said box falls unexpectedly into her hands, Pandora opens the box, releasing nine mysterious bubbles into the campus and is left feeling a little disappointed that a) that was all there was inside the box Epimetheus guarded so much, and b) that no one believes her when she said it was really just full of bubbles. 

But soon, Pandora has other things on her mind, like the Science Fair that Zeus is organizing - and which she really wants to win to prove Poseidon that girls are good at science, even if it means working with Epimethus and his brother (who are even less popular than her) - and the fact that Athena is acting like a total Ditz lately... in fact, a lot of people are acting very weird ever since those bubbles were released.

And it might be up to Pandora to fix the whole thing.

Second Glance: Pandora the Curious is my new favorite entry of the Goddess Girls series, y'all! Pandora was so adorable and cute, and I loved how curious she was and how she learned it wasn't a bad thing.

I also liked the story, with the bubbles and their effects and how Pandora had to see if Epimetheus was worth her trust - and those two were so cute working together - and I enjoyed seeing a different side to the original goddess girls, I think the authors are doing a wonderful job at broadening the scope of the books and introducing the point of view of other characters. It worked really well with Medusa the Mean and I LOVED it with Pandora the Curious.

Honestly, the way that Pandora learns to being curious is awesome but that she needs to think before asking the questions was awesome, and that Epimetheus told her "I like that about you" was a huge vote of confidence for her because he got her in ways her friends didn't. 

Bottom Line: Pandora the Curious was such a cute, feel good book. I read it all in one day because I just couldn't stop. I love the world that Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams have created and I love their characters so much and, as I said before, Pandora is my new favorite.