Review: Magic Treehouse - Christmas in Camelot by Mary Pope Osborne

Christmas in Camelot (Magic Treehouse) by Mary Pope Osborne


rating: 4.0/5.0




From Goodreads:

A cup, a compass, a key: the magic tree house has brought siblings Annie and Jack to Camelot, where they embark on a mysterious mission to find these enigmatic gifts. In this special hardcover addition to the bestselling Magic Tree House series, the young adventurers must travel to the Otherworld, an "ancient, enchanted land beyond the edge of the Earth, the place where all magic began" to save Camelot from dark wizard Mordred's evil spell. If they fail, Camelot will be forgotten forever.

DS and I listened to this on audio from the library. We both enjoyed it. The voices are well done and it's very engrossing to both me as a parent and my son the 8-year-old. I like the fantasy-world aspect and I also enjoyed the authors talk at the end about Camelot and how it came from history and from story-telling. Very fascinating. Another great read for DS and I to enjoy in the car on the way to and from school. And it offers a great jumping off point for some discussions.

Binding: Paperback
On-sale Date: 2001
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Age Level: 6-9
Pages: 128

Review Book Arrival: Mom Needs Chocolate by Debora M. Coty

Mom Needs Chocolate by Debora M. Coty

I received this from Rebeca Seitz at Glass Road Publications as part of the First Wild Card Tours tour for this book.

Publisher: Regal
Publish Date: April 1, 2009

What's a rundown, run-ragged mom to do? Her spirit yearns to soar, but her feet---and faith---are stuck in the diaper-by-diaper mud of everyday responsibilities. How can she de-muck when she's chronically exhausted and relentlessly robbed of abundant life by the joy-sucking dully-funks? This offbeat glimpse of reality with a tangy twist pitched in to help busy mothers get in touch with rejuvenating joy and empowering faith! In mom-to-mom, smile-eliciting style, humorist Debora Coty doesn't lolly gag around the hot topics such as enduring marriage, embarrassing children, defeating depression and grossfully (er, gracefully) aging. Unique insights and outrageous coping tips are shared alongside sisterly hugs and warm encouragement. Mom Needs Chocolate is a veritable grocery list of mud-between-your-toes issues, tackled with witty frankness and wild abandon. Young-at-heart mothers of all ages will enjoy hilarious and heartwarming stories that apply Scripture to real life and remind them how to hear God's still, small voice about blathering kids, howling pets and snarling traffic!

Book Arrival: Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler

Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler

I received this through Paperbackswap.com

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Publish Date: June 1, 2009
Reading Level: Young Adult

While on vacation in California, sixteen-year-old best girlfriends Anna and Frankie conspire to find a boy for Anna's first summer romance, but Anna harbors a painful secret that threatens their lighthearted plan and their friendship.

Beautifully written and emotionally honest, this is a debut novel that explores what it truly means to love someone and what it means to grieve, and ultimately, how to make the most of every single moment this world has to offer.

Review: A to Z Mysteries - The Deadly Dungeon, The Empty Envelope, The Falcon's Feathers, The Goose's Gold by Ron Roy

Review: A to Z Mysteries - The Deadly Dungeon, The Empty Envelope, The Falcon's Feathers, The Goose's Gold by Ron Roy (on audio)

rating: 4.0/5.0

This was my first exposure to The A to Z Mystery series which is a set of children's chapter books focusing on friends Dink, Josh and Ruth Rose who always end up trying to solve some sort of mystery. My oldest son (8) has read some of these before and was thrilled to see this set at the library when we went a few weeks ago. I thought it would be great for us to share the time spent in the car listening to books and then I didn't have to worry so much about him listening to the books I typically listen to. I was right - this is wonderful. The books are fun and we both work to figure out who did it in each one. We'll pause and talk about it and then finish up the book. The reader is wonderful, the stories easy to follow and suspenseful for a 3rd grader without being frightening.

I can't recommend these enough for those of you with children with budding interests in mysteries - it's fun time for you to share with them whether you are reading them or listening to them on tape.

After the first one was finished my DS was asking if the library had more of these. Sadly they only have I-J on audiobook, but they have the rest of the series in books. So I have the audiobooks, and we'll finish up reading because I want to know more about the adventures of Dink, Josh and Ruth Rose.

Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Random House for Young Readers
Pages: 96 per book

Review and Giveaway - Alex Cross's Trial by James Patterson

Alex Cross's Trial by James Patterson





rating: 4.0/5.0






From Goodreads:

The year is 1906, and America is segregated. Hatred and discrimination plague the streets, the classroom, and the courts. But in Washington, D.C., Ben Corbett, a smart and courageous lawyer, makes it his mission to confront injustice at every turn. He represents those who nobody else dares defend, merely because of the color of their skin. When President Roosevelt, under whom Ben served in the Spanish-American war, asks Ben to investigate rumors of the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan in his home town in Mississippi, he cannot refuse.

The details of Ben's harrowing story--and his experiences with a remarkable man named Abraham Cross--were passed from generation to generation, until they were finally recounted to Alex Cross by his grandmother, Nana Mama. From the first time hear heard the story, Alex was unable to forget the unimaginable events Ben witnessed in Eudora and pledged to tell it to the world. Alex Cross's Trial is unlike any story Patterson has ever told, but offers the astounding action and breakneck speed of any Alex Cross novel.

I knew I wanted to read this because I read all James Patterson books and especially his Alex Cross series. I honestly didn't know if I would like it or not. I am so glad I picked this up because I really enjoyed reading this book.

Just like his Alex Cross novels, this is fast paced, it just takes place in a different time-frame and that makes things even more interesting. Taking place in the deep south in 1906 I learned a lot about race relations at this time in U.S. History. This book does not sugarcoat, in fact at times it's gruesome. Truthfully no more than in his other books, but for some reason when it comes to serial killers I can deal with it better. When it comes to lynching and hate crimes that are driven by ignorance it seems so much worse.

Heart-felt, emotional and powerful this book drives home a great story and you come away with a look at a member of Alex Cross's family and an amazing lawyer who would sacrifice himself for what he believed in.

Because of it's focus on Ben Corbett and Abraham Cross - you don't have to read any of the Alex Cross series to read this book - it's very much a standalone book.

Binding: Hardcover
On-sale Date: August 24, 2009
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Pages: 400

Thanks to Miriam Parker at Hachette books I have one copy of this book to giveaway. I will open the contest today through September 12th. US and Canada residents only please. Please enter by:

1. Commenting on my blog, make sure I have a way to contact you. (+1)
   
2. Become a blog follower or let me know if you are already a follower (+1)
3. Tell me any other fiction books dealing with race relations pre-1960 that you have read (+1)
4. Tweet about this review and giveaway, use @cfulcher in the tweet so I can find it (+1)
5. Follow me on Twitter (or let me know if you are a current follower) (+1)
6. Blog about this contest and let me know the link (sidebar or post is fine) (+1)

So there you go - 6 ways to get an entry into this contest. You can leave them in separate posts or one post, it doesn't matter, I will make sure you get your entries, just make sure to let me know what you do.

Review Book Arrival: Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran

Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran

I received this from the publisher at the request of the author, Michelle Moran. Thank you Michelle!

I also have a giveaway that Michelle has offered for this book, Cleopatra's Daughter and also for The Heretic Queen which recently released in paperback. Go here and enter the contest - it ends September 7th!

Publisher: Crown
Publish Date: September 15, 2009

The marriage of Marc Antony and Cleopatra is one of the greatest love stories of all time, a tale of unbridled passion with earth-shaking political consequences. Feared and hunted by the powers in Rome, the lovers choose to die by their own hands as the triumphant armies of Antony’s revengeful rival, Octavian, sweep into Egypt. Their three orphaned children are taken in chains to Rome; only two– the ten-year-old twins Selene and Alexander–survive the journey. Delivered to the household of Octavian’s sister, the siblings cling to each other and to the hope that they will return one day to their rightful place on the throne of Egypt. As they come of age, they are buffeted by the personal ambitions of Octavian’s family and court, by the ever-present threat of slave rebellion, and by the longings and desires deep within their own hearts.

The fateful tale of Selene and Alexander is brought brilliantly to life in Cleopatra’s Daughter. Recounted in Selene’s youthful and engaging voice, it introduces a compelling cast of historical characters: Octavia, the emperor Octavian’s kind and compassionate sister, abandoned by Marc Antony for Cleopatra; Livia, Octavian's bitter and jealous wife; Marcellus, Octavian’s handsome, flirtatious nephew and heir apparent; Tiberius, Livia’s sardonic son and Marcellus’s great rival for power; and Juba, Octavian’s watchful aide, whose honored position at court has far-reaching effects on the lives of the young Egyptian royals.

Selene’s narrative is animated by the concerns of a young girl in any time and place–the possibility of finding love, the pull of friendship and family, and the pursuit of her unique interests and talents. While coping with the loss of both her family and her ancestral kingdom, Selene must find a path around the dangers of a foreign land. Her accounts of life in Rome are filled with historical details that vividly capture both the glories and horrors of the times. She dines with the empire’s most illustrious poets and politicians, witnesses the creation of the Pantheon, and navigates the colorful, crowded marketplaces of the city where Roman-style justice is meted out with merciless authority.

Based on meticulous research, Cleopatra’s Daughter is a fascinating portrait of imperial Rome and of the people and events of this glorious and most tumultuous period in human history. Emerging from the shadows of the past, Selene, a young woman of irresistible charm and preternatural intelligence, will capture your heart.

Booking Through Thursday - September 3

Here is this week's Booking Through Thursday question:

What’s the biggest book you’ve read recently?

(Feel free to think “big” as size, or as popularity, or in any other way you care to interpret.)

Biggest as in longest - 422 pages of The Last Ember by Daniel Levin. Looking back over my spreadsheet it appears I haven't read anything much longer this year. Wow.












Biggest Author - Alex Cross's Trial by James Patterson (review posting later today)













Biggest as in popularity - Club Dead by Charlaine Harris - the Sookie Stackhouse series is huge now with True Blood out there. I think the wait list for this on PBS was over 300 people!