The Tale of Despereaux

Hello everybody! Long time no see! Sorry about that, my schedule has been super busy and I haven’t had much time for reading…. Actually let me rephrase that. Lately the majority of my time has been spent reading, but just for school stuff.. I’m reading The Odyssey (by Homer) currently. Have any of you guys read The Odyssey? I have mixed feelings about it, so I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Over the summer I had to read The Tale of Despereaux for school. I actually started reading this last year as an audio book, but I just couldn’t get into it! So, when I saw this on my book list I wasn’t looking forward to reading it. Well, It turns out it is a much better book than audio book! I got a copy from the library and guess what? I didn’t hate it! I wouldn’t go so far to say that I love it, but it was tolerable, and there was a good discussion about it it class. We all had to pick which character we identified with the most and why, and then tell the whole class, but then my teacher threw us a curveball and said we had to present the reasons for the person next to us😄 It was fun! But now, on to the review:

 

Title: The Tale of Despereaux

Author: Kate DiCamillo

Pages: 272

Age: 9-12 (This is what the author said. I would say its good for 9-13 or 14.)

The book starts off with the birth of a little mouse named Despereaux. Despereaux is a peculiar little mouse, who’s body is unusually small and his ears are unusually large. He also doesn’t partake in normal mouse activities. For example, he would rather read books than eat them. Because Desperaux isn’t quite like other mice, his life is changed just from hearing music. Because he heard this music, he met the princess. And because he met the princess, he gets into some pretty sticky situations. I won’t tell you about those though, nobody likes reading a spoiler.

This book is told in third person, so the narrator tells the point of view of the Desperaux, the rats of the dungeon, and Miggery Sow. Oh Miggery Sow… What a odd child.

I liked The Tale of Despereaux because Despereaux was a likable character. One of the reasons the book is better than the audio book is because of the illustrations! Despereaux is very cute in the drawings, and in my opinion, having a visual makes the character better, but also just because the story is sweet and interesting. That being said, it moves slowly for such a short book. Perhaps it’s because it switches between characters, but this book wasn’t one of those books that I just can’t out down. It didn’t captivate me as much as some other books have, but that also might be because it is under my age range.

So overall This book was okay, so- so. Not the best, but still enjoyable. So I am awarding it 3 of 5 stars!

So, Have you read The Tale of Despereaux?

If so, what were your thoughts on it? Let me know in the comments!

See you soon!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bookshelf tour

Hello world! I come bearing never before seen pictures of… Drumroll please… my Bookshelf!! Now, before I start, I must state that my bookshelf is ever-changing. Sometimes when I’m bored, I arrange my books (how incredibly nerdy of me.) So, the way my bookshelf looks in these pictures will probably not be the way my bookshelf looks tomorrow. Just putting that out there.

But without further ado… My bookshelf at the moment!!

 

Some books on top of my bookshelf.

Next to my stack of books I have a handmade (not by me) miniature bistro set.

The bistro set in front of art that my cousins gave me.

Next to the bistro set I have this adorable wooden rabbit hutch + rabbit.

My Selection collection!! I just need Happily Ever After ( I borrowed my friends HEA to read!)

Last but not least  I have my Breyer collection!

So thats it for the top of my bookshelf! Now onto the actual books:

These are a few of my series’.

This may be my favorite part of my bookshelf! It features my music doll I got in Florida, and all of my pastel-colored books.

I ran out of room on my shelf so I have this stack of books next to it, with a doll on top.

 

My Harry Potter books (minus my second copy of THBP,) My hardcovers, and my Spiderwick chronicles books.

 

The right half of my shelf.

 

And thats it! I somehow failed to get a picture of my whole shelf 0.o

But whateves. So, did you see any of your favorite books?

Happy reading!

~Lilah

 

 

My bookish summer

Hey guys! Sorry I haven’t posted all summer😦 I don’t really have an excuse, I honestly didn’t feel like blogging. But, I am trying to break through this blogging slump, so hopefully I will be posting and commenting on posts frequently again from now on.

But, just because I haven’t been bogging doesn’t mean I haven’t been doing stuff!! I have acquired new books:

While I was on vacation I bought Miss Potter by Richard Maltby Jr. I enjoy reading biographies and this one was only  $4.00! I am looking forward to start it.

And ahh, Someone Stop Ivy Pocket by Caleb Krisp. Ivy Pocket is seriously the most bizarrely peculiar series to ever exist, and it has me completely smitten. I have started Somebody Stop Ivy Pocket, but I am not very far into it.

I’ll admit, I wasn’t sure about I Am Princess X since the title makes it sound like a children’s book, but I read the back and it sounds so good! Right off the bat it reminded me of The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin, which I enjoyed, so I can’t wait to start this. I’m really hoping I can use it for a literature class I’m taking in the fall😄.

I’m sure I’ve bought more books than that, but those are the ones that stand out to me. Aside from buying books, I’ve also been reading books. I actually started and finished a series…

THE SELECTION SERIES!!!! 

GUYS. IT IS SO AMAZING.

I was talking to my friend’s parents about books, and they mentioned a book that their daughter (my friend) liked, The Selection. I had always seen these books at bookstores, but never thought to pick them up! Well, my Mom and I rushed to Barnes and Nobles and bought the first book. My mom reads super quick and urged me to read it, but I was for some unknown reason I was hesitant, so my mom finished all six books before I started the Selection. But.. I finally overcame my stubbornness and made the best decision of my life, and started reading it. And, tbh, I didn’t really like it!! So I started some other books and blah blah, but once I really sat down to read it, I couldn’t put it down!! Like my Mom, I blew through the books and I am sad to announce that I am finished!! I read all six books, and the book of novellas, and I am officially out of selection reading material. Now all I have is selection instagram accounts to feed my need for America Singer.

Incase you are interested in this amazing series, here is the summary of The Selection.

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape a rigid caste system, live in a palace, and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon. But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her, and competing for a crown she doesn’t want.

Then America meets Prince Maxon—and realizes that the life she’s always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

Do yourself a favor and read these.

I recently started Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and I am so conflicted! I want to read it so badly but then it will be over!! At least for this generation of Harry Potter anyway. But it is really good so far! I am only on page one hundred and there has already been two deaths!

 

 

                  Harry Potter and Death.

Well anyway, thats what I’ve been up to. What have you been reading? Or what is on your fall TBR list? Leave me a comment, I’d love to know!

~Lilah❤

 

 

 

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince: Book VS. Movie

I am a terrible person. A horrendous, bad, downright horrible person. It’s been two months. Two months since I’ve last posted! But…

 I come bearing exciting news!! I finished Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince! And I also watched the movie… and boy are they different.

The Half Blood Prince book:

This book was so good. The Prisioner of Azkaban was my favorite book , but I think this ties with it. It was suspenseful, intriguing, heartwarming, and sad. Towards the end it was only with great difficulty that I put it down to do other stuff  (yes, I do things other than read. Not always willingly, though.)  But anyway… here is the book information:

Author: J.K Rowling

Main characters: Albus Dumbledore, Ron Weasely, Hermione Granger, and of course Harry Potter.

Page number: 652

Age: I would say 10-110 year olds can read this book!!

This will be a book that I re-read until I’m a ninety year old woman sitting in a rocking chair. The best quality is the suspense. It starts off a bit slow, but then suddenly I couldn’t put it down. It also captivated me because it left on a bit of a cliffhanger, with a big looming mystery ahead, and because of this, I cannot wait to read the next book.

There were a few scary and sad scenes, which is why I wouldn’t recommend it to younger children. There were zombies, which, in the book were called inferi, and the death of an important character. Surprisingly, my favorite scene was the inferi scene, even though I don’t love scary things. But the eeriness and the suspense put together was perfection!

I really liked how Albus Dumbledore and Harry’s relationship grew in this book. Before, I honestly didn’t think that Albus was that great of a character. I mean, I didn’t dislike him or anything, but he just wasn’t that big a deal, however, in the Half Blood Prince, he is the star of the show.

Soooo… As i’m sure you’ve guessed by now, I give this book five stars!

 

But the movie however….

Flunked big time. And I was SO excited to watch this movie, because I loved the book so much. Much to my disappointment, it just didn’t make the mark.. let me correct that. It didn’t come within feet of the mark.

Where is the magic and beauty of Hogwarts?!?! Why do the Death Eaters fly around like Dementors? Why did it never explain Dumbledore’s blackened hand? Why is the whole movie so dark and depressing?! WHY ARE ALL THE MEMORIES IN THE PENSIVE GREEN?

Well as you can see, there are some cons to the movie. There are a few pros…

1. I liked how Tom Riddle was portrayed and I think they chose a good actor.
2. I also like the actress who played Lavender brown, she did a good job.

Here is a more detailed list of the cons:

1. Like I said, it seems Hogwarts has lost all it’s beauty and magic. Everything was dark and dreary.
2. There were a million forgotten scenes…
3. And some added scenes… This is a SPOILER ALERT!!           Guys, did the burrow burn down in the books? That confused me so much!
4. PROFESSER SLUGHORN. NO. NO. NO. NO. HE WAS SUPOSSED TO BE FAT AND HAVE A GIANT MUSTACHE.

I could seriously go on and on.

So yeah, the movie was a bummer, but whats a bigger bummer is that it didn’t properly portray the book, which was just so good.

 

I give this movie 2 out of 5 stars. I considered giving it 1, but I figured since it (mostly) stayed true to the story, and since I am most likely going to watch it again (my love for Harry Potter is that great) I am giving it 2 stars. But it still didn’t meet my standards.

 

So now you know my opinion on Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince! The book is definitely worth reading, but the movie? Debatable.

Thank you so much for reading! Have you read the book? Watched the movie? What are  your thoughts?!?

Happy reading!

~Lilah

 

 

 

 

 

50 signs you might be a book worm.

1. If you wish you could bottle the smell of old (or new!) books.
2. If your dreams have fictional characters in them.
3. If you’d rather read than watch T.V any day.
4. If your constantly quoting books.
5. If your book shelf is overflowing.
6. If you have a collection of book related Funko ‘Pop’ vinyl figures.
7. If your TBR list has more books on it then you can read in a lifetime.
8. If your dream home has a library.
9. If you sometimes worry that life is too short to read all the books.
10. If you collect bookmarks.
11. If you cry when fictional characters die.
12. If you want to own a black dog named Sirius.
13. If you go to the book store expecting to buy one book, and walk out with ten books.
14. If books are what you want most for Christmas.
15. If giving away books, even ones you didn’t like, is like putting a baby up for adoption.
16. If you sit in front of your bookshelf and bask in its beauty.
17. If you bring a book everywhere.
18. If GoodReads is your favorite form of social media.
19. If you read yourself to sleep.
20. If you wish bookstores had shopping carts.
21. If reading a spoiler ruins your day (or week…)
22. If you spend countless hours pinning fandom stuff to Pinterest.
23. If you love sharing your favorite books with other people…
24. But you always panic, wondering if you’ll get them back.
25. If you mope around for a few days (or weeks…) after finishing a series.
26. If visiting Harry Potter world is your dream.
27. If your still waiting for your Hogwarts acceptance letter.
28. If you’ve ever dressed up as a book character for Halloween.
29. If a book’s ever got you on the edge of your seat.
30. If the suspense from a book has kept you up all night.
31. If you mentally write alternative endings to your favorite books.
32. If you spend hours in bookstores.
33. If you balance books on your head.
34. And if you’re constantly trying to break your record ^.
35. If your perfect day consists of nothing but reading.
36. If you stalk your favorite author’s Social Media pages.
37. If, when you hear someone mention your favorite book, you casually eavesdrop.
38. If you don’t have enough room for all your books.
39. If you take pictures of your books.
40. If you would watch a ten hour movie of your favorite book, if it included every scene, and stayed true to the story.
41. If you wish you were a half-blood.
42. If you wish you were a witch (Or wizard!)
43. If you’ve read your favorite books countless times.
44. If picking a favorite book is like picking a favorite child.
45. If you think of characters as friends.
46. If you loath Professor Umbridge more than you do Voldemort.
47. If you know more random facts about a book than most people know about their own family.
48. If, when you are close to finishing a book, you bring two books everywhere, so you will never be left book-less.
49. If reading is your main source of happiness.
50. Or, if you are reading this post.

So, tell me, are you a bookworm??

 

P.S. Do you like my new theme? My old one wasn’t working as well as it should have been, so I switched it, and I actually like this one a lot more!

Hello! I just wanted to let you know that I am fixing some things on my blog, so it will look a bit different for a little while. It will be back to normal soon!

~Lilah

Review of Taking Flight by Michaela DePrince

Hello book lovers!

I recently finished Taking Flight, an amazing auto biography by Michaela DePrice. This book was so good that I simply must share it with the world!

 

 

 

This book is the true story of Michaela, or Mabinty Bangura (her African name) growing up in war torn Sierra Leone. The rebels killed her father and her mother died from sickness. She then moved into her uncle’s house, who then brought her to an orphanage. At the orphanage she was tortured by the ‘aunties’ but, she also found a best friend. The majority of the story is set in the USA with the American family that adopted her. Michaela has suffered loss, and seen horrifying things, and America brings both hope and dance. She excels in ballet class, a soon becomes a professional ballerina, and one of the only black women in the art.

I really liked this book, but it is definitely a young adult book. There was one violent and graphic (and sad!)  scene where I considered putting the book down and saving it for when I was older, but I decided to keep reading, and I’m glad I did. Because of the violence I would not recommend this book for anyone under thirteen.

Also, I am not a dancer, and towards the end of the book, when Michaela starts dancing professionally, there were a lot of dance moves and terms that I didn’t understand. That was a bit confusing, so I just skimmed the parts where Michaela explained her dance performances. This isn’t a ‘problem’ with the book, but I think reading the last couple of chapters might have been a bit more enjoyable for someone who knows dance.

Of course, that dozen’t change my opinion of this book. It was so good, and inspirational! I think that every teen should read it. It is a fairly easy book to read (It took me three days to finish.) And I don’t think I will ever forget it.

Now that I’ve finished the book, I can’t wait to re-watch the documentary First Position, which Michaela is featured in. I watched it a looooong time ago and I don’t even remember it! I do however remember liking it, and I think that I will like it even more this time since I’ve had a behind the scene experience.

Have you read Taking Flight? Is it on your TBR list?  (It should be!) Tell me in the comments!

Happy reading,

Lilah❤