Hogen monogatari

Well, I know Blue is using books she's reading for class, so I thought, why not me too. I'm taking a Samurai class this semester, so we've been assigned some popular ancient stories. And Hogen monogatari is as popular as Beowulf.

This is an epic story, written in the Japanese style. At first I was lost, because it began to use multiple names for one person and I had to go back to trace who was being talked about. After that it began to pick up. I'm not going to try to critique this writing style. After all, haven't I already said that it is written in a Japanese style? If you are interested in reading something different, this is one for you. Especially if you like war.

Brown

The Robber and Me

It turns out that I have read Josef Holub before- in middle school (I did some great reading in the middle school library). The Robber and Me is about a boy, Boniface, an orphan, who is sent to live with his uncle in a village in northern Germany. This novel is set in the mid-19th century, and explores some interesting facts of the time- for instance, that the Church and the Law were not separate, and people were thrown in jail for breaking the Sabbath. Another point of interest, and one I dearly love Holub for including: the bathroom. Most books and movies never refer to their characters' need for bodily eliminations, much less describe "the facilities" and what was or was not used in lieu of toilet paper (one of my favorite inventions).

Needless to say, this book is both historically accurate and fun. On his way to his uncle, Boniface is dropped off by his ride in the middle of nowhere with just some vague directions to sustain him. It's March, it's cold, it's night. Boniface does as best he can, but eventually he succumbs to the cold. However, he is rescued by the awful Robber Knapp and taken to his uncle, the mayor of the small village of Graab. Boniface feels his way around fitting in in the village, meeting the (truly awful) Schoolmaster, trying to befriend Christian Knapp, and trying to let the truth be known about the Robber- who was accused of robbing and injuring a man at the same time he was actually rescuing Boniface from death-by-hypothermia.

Boniface's time is on the cusp of change, politically and socially. For instance, at this time Germany hadn't unified and was thus broken into separate kingdoms. The characters are endearing, especially Frederika, whom I would dearly love to have in my house. Even Boniface's seemingly cold Uncle Emil turns out to be much pleasanter than originally thought. I'm terribly glad I read this again, and one day I will snag a copy for my very own.

Blue

Charlie Bone and the Red Knight

There have some cruel things said about this series since it happened to overlap with Harry Potter. People went, Magic, a School, Has to fight EVIL, it's been done! And they were wrong. This isn't another Harry Potter. That's a different world.

This world, the world of Charlie Bone, has magic in it, but it also has a lot of ordinariness too. And it's usually that ordinariness that saves the day. Magic can be a great tool, but at the end of the day it doesn't replace courage or determination or even friends.

In this stunning conclusion of her series, Jenny Nimo, has shown her proficiency at writing Children's Literature (that is what the series falls under when you're looking for it in the bookstore). She captures the imagination and innocence of childhood, as well giving us characters that behave in a rational way, instead of the overly brave and adult like main characters we're now being given. Mistakes happen and they are dealt with accordingly. But the biggest question for the readers of this series is: Will Billy Raven find a family who loves him? A must read for  everyone!

Brown

Tenchi Muyo! Alien Nation

My cousin suggested this to me after learning that I do like some anime/manga. It was hilarious. The setup one eighteen year old boy lives with five alien beauties who ALL have a crush on him in some way or other. That's right, every male's day dream. However, Tenchi is sweet, and sometimes a little clueless. He permits the women to be themselves, but isn't settling down with any of them. Hence high jinks ensue. The one thing that saddens me, is I was trying to get the first of all the series because I like traveling with characters through it all, but I can't seem to find what the beginning is.

Brown

Naked Heat (2)

Scatterbrained writing that makes fun of independent women and lovesick men. Nikki Heat is independent to the point of shunning men until she wants sex. And Jameson Rook is her lovesick man who follows her miserably since she's not giving anything. And then, what is this business with bringing on characters for bit parts and then using them again and again. Holly Flanders gave an interesting point of view about the victim, but it was information that we didn't need to know. It didn't move along the story. And didn't play any part of red herring. And Petar? He didn't really do anything than try to show a softer side as well. The information he gave was repeated by other people, so really the only reason he was there was to make Rook jealous and to get kicked to the curb again by Nikki. 

Of course this is a mystery novel, so ignoring the character flaws, the mystery took many twists and turns. It was hard to get into at first, but as you keep reading it does pick up the flow. And you will want to know what happens in the end. 

The Runaway Dragon

Meg and Laddy have grown up, and their circumstances have changed. Meg is now allowed to study swordplay, magic, and statesmanship (along with etiquette and several other lessons), and Laddy the dragon has grown too big for Janna's kitchen, and has been relegated to the barn, to his dissatisfaction. When Laddy causes a scene by running away, Meg contrives to go after him. Her parents insist on sending at least ten guards, two servants, the boy wizard Lex, and a cook with her. This crowd is not conducive to the adventuring Meg dreams of doing, but she wants to find Laddy, so she agrees to their company.

 Meg finds adventure soon enough, and realizes that it's not always the way it is in stories. First, she gets Lex to transfigure the arblast the Lieutenant has brought along to maybe use on Laddy- she's separated from her friends by guards after it is discovered missing. Then she aids a strange man who makes little marks about all the good deeds she does- not stepping on ants, saving a mouse from a hawk, etc. while they are in an enchanted forest. More adventures ensue (I can't give everything away) before they finally reach where Laddy is hiding, and they meet some familiar characters, including Bain, but something is very wrong there, and it takes all of Meg's ingenuity to figure things out.

Kate Coomb's work has adventure, feeling, and excitement that kept me reading until the end. I squee-ed at the happy parts, shouted "No!" at the deliciously evil parts, and was kept in humor and anticipation with the rest. Good job.

Blue

The Runaway Princess

At the Prime Minister's recommendation of the need for economic development, The King and Queen propose to set a contest for the rid of three evils in their kingdom, the reward being their daughter's hand in marriage and half the kingdom. Only, they forgot to tell the princess. Well, Meg isn't too happy about it. So unhappy, in fact, that she is placed in a tower to await the contest results. Pssh. Meg isn't about to wait around, so with the help of her friends, she sets off to rescue the poor witch, dragon, and group of bandits from the terrible contest, and free herself from an unwanted marriage as well.

Kate Coombs does a nice job of telling an intriguing story. Meg is smart, with an interesting perspective on things, life, and other things, and a gift for seeing a person's true character. I loved the other characters as well: Gorba and her frog princes, Prince Bain and his... The story came to a mostly-satisfying conclusion, the unsatisfying part of which was solved in the sequel. I would not be averse to reading more of these characters, beyond the two books.

Blue

The Doom Machine

Mark Teague's novel is both an exploration of physics and linear storytelling, which, when the physics deals with time and space is pretty fantastics. Aliens descend on a small New York town looking for a special item for their Queen. Our group of human characters are lifted and taken on a journey back to the alien's home planet.

This story tosses out a few surprises, but mostly it reads like an straightforward story. Not that it's a bad thing- the plot line is interest enough, with good, well-developed characters. We've got melodrama, good information, and the unexpected here. At parts I was giggling, shouting 'I knew it!', and cheering on a hobo named Joe.

Blue

13 Treasures

I have a thing for titles. And libraries. So when I found this title in my library, I thought, 'Sure. Why not?' I admit, after getting it home and taking a second glance, I thought it seemed a bit familiar: the story of a child on the verge of growing up who can see strange things -fairies- and goes away to an isolated farm/manor where something bad happens, but everyone manages to correct it. 

Well. Tanya, our heroine, is a bit unusual in that really, no one likes her. Her "episodes" (not so nice encounters with the fairies that leave everyone thinking she's a potentially psychotic, attention-seeking brat) finally wear out her mother's nerves, she she is shipped off to her grandmother in the countryside. Except her grandmother doesn't like her, to put it simply. The groundskeeper doesn't trust her, and his son is fairly weird himself. 

Considering how well-trodden this plot line is, I was glad to read Michelle Harrison's rendition. Plenty of twists, some information I hadn't seen. Enough to make it worthy of it's title and my subsequent shelf lifting.

Blue

A True and Faithful Narrative

This is actually the reason I picked up At the Sign of the Star (I've got this rule thingy about reading books in order). Meg, now grown up, her inheritance duly divided by the birth of younger siblings, now has a couple of tentative suitors. One, her best friend's brother, she semi-accidentally harshly spurns via a jest. Ouch. To make matters worse, this young man is captured by pirates and held for ransom. To make up for her jest-come-true (she'd asked him to bring her the story of him getting captured by pirates and escaping), she uses her skill with words to collect donations for his ransom.

The second suitor is her father's apprentice. Meg swears that if she must marry, she'd prefer a bookseller, but her best friend warns her to not treat marriage lightly. This suitor helps her collect the necessary money, and the first young man is duly ransomed, and returns. The first suitor then claims that he is not a suitor anymore, but he does want Meg to write up his experience.

There's trouble, chaos, love, disappointed expectations, renewed hope, etc. A good read, as I knew it would be from the moment I lifted it from its shelf-ly resting place. I was thoroughly satisfied with how Meg grew up and the choices she made. I also understand the sensation that the first young man experienced, of traveling and in living in a strange place among strange people, and both loving and hating it, and being changed forever from it. Katherine Sturtevant is a talented writer, I look forward to more.

Blue

At the Sign of the Star

After I got this book home from the library, I wondered again why I had checked it out- then I began reading. Katherine Sturtevant has written a window to the late 17th century, a time when the role of women was expanding- more and better education, access to literary works. Women could be playwrights and authors. 


In this story, the 12 year old daughter of a bookseller (and publisher) realizes her father intends to marry again, and consequently she will lose the extent of her inheritance (when she might have succeeded him in the publishing business). Thus, she is really quite nasty to her step-mother (who isn't bad, especially as far as step-mothers in the literary world go). Eventually, her father gives her an ultimatum: go live with her cousin in the country, or shape up and start behaving nicely. Because she (Margaret, called Meg) loves London and her proximity to the wits, playwrights, and authors within it, she chooses to stay.


Anyway, it's well done. I liked it much more than I expected to, and the characterization was terrific.

Blue

Sisters of the Sword

Noble sisters escape after the slaughter of their father and two older brothers by their uncle- this is definitely a story set in Japan. Maya Snow reveals her love for the country and culture in her first work in this series (there are more books, I checked). One unfamiliar with the culture of samurai gets a good grounding in the basics and ideals.

Kimi and Hana are just on the cusp of young adulthood, but that would not save them from their murderous uncle, who not only killed their father and two older brothers, but would also kill their mother and younger brother, a boy of just six years old. However, they manage to escape, though their mother and younger brother go into hiding separately. The sisters disguise themselves as boys and then travel to the samurai dojo where they plan to train, but end up becoming servants.

This is good. As I read the last page, I went all 'What the heck?' and looked the author up on my library's website, thus discovering and reserving the next two books. Murder, betrayal, honor, revenge, grace, nobility- it took a lot to be a samurai, a member of nobility, or to have peace in your heart. The relationship of the sisters was also portrayed well. It reminded me a little of someone I know...

Blue

Erratum

erratum |iˈrätəm; -ˈrā-; -ˈrat-|noun ( pl. -ta |-tə|)an error in printing or writing.• ( errata) a list of corrected errors appended to a book or published in a subsequent issue of a journal.ORIGIN mid 16th cent.: from Latin, ‘error,’ neuter past participle of errare ‘err.’


This book, written by Walter Sorrells, was like an adventure in String Theory. Nah, not like- it was. Afraid? Don't be. Jessica, the lovely protagonist has no idea what it is either, apart from witnessing the very real effects one's choices have on everyone and everything else. The book was interesting enough, but I felt as though something was a little lacking. However, in this subject matter, it worked. Jessica was missing something, I was missing something, and it kept me reading until the end. It was similar to watching a magician perform a trick. I'll keep my eyes open for further works, because I'm curious enough for the next segment (I dare not say ending).

Blue

Briar's Book

Usually authors don't portray a male character loving someone so much, he doesn't want to see them in pain. But Tamora Pierce did. And I think she got closer to the human truth of it all than others. In this book we finally get to see things mostly from Briar's experience, the only boy in a household of women. Loyal to the end, he prefers being with plants and eating the wonderful food provided by Gorse. After an earthquake, pirates, and wildfires Briar's loyalty and love only develop further as he comes to learn, that there is only so much you can do.

Brown

Daja's Book

Sandry and Tris, seem very similar characters to me. Maybe because they both come from wealthy families, but they do have similar outlooks, while reacting each in her own way. Daja is totally different. A girl who was made trangshi after her family's ship went down, she dreams of returning to the Trader world. While she enjoys living with everyone, because they make her feel welcome. She loves learning the smith trade from Frostpine. But who knows, maybe, if given the chance she would leave them all behind for HER world. Her old world, anyway.

I really like how Tamora Pierce can capture the self-interest of children. It's innocent; not mean or contrary.

Brown

An Innocent Soldier

I'm pretty sure I originally found this book under the "foreign locales" section of recommendation in the libraries. Josef Holub is a German author, now about 80 years old, and this book was translated from German. When I picked it up from the holding stacks, I was struck by the cover (Holla! What's this?)-favorably. As I read, I began to like it even more.

It's about a young farmhand who was tricked into taking his master's son's place in the army Napoleon was raising to launch a campaign against Russia. The boy is first tormented by a Sergeant before becoming the servant of a young Lieutenant. Together, they face the long march to Russia, the war, and the journey home. My one complaint- I want more. I can only hope that Holub has written more.

Blue

The Last Dragon

At first, I was skeptical of this book: the dust jacket summary said it was about an elf who discovered a prophecy wherein he must unite with the last dragon and break the circle, yada yada. Another prophecy book? Please. Actually...

I made just one mistake when reading The Last Dragon by Silvana De Mari- I read it in the library. Consequently, I spent my time biting my thumb and covering my mouth, trying to convert the sounds of laughter into coughing. De Mari is Italian, and the work is translated into English. I'm going to keep my eyes open for more of her works, for she truly did a splendid job.

The characters are fresh, and "the elf and the prophecy" turns out to be something quite unexpected. For the first half of the book, the elf is a mewling little boy, ignorant of most of the world, but with certain abilities he takes for granted. The dragon (the second to last one) is old, cantankerous, and likes sappy love stories which almost drives the young elf mad (once he grows up a bit, anyway). But- each character trait and bizarre occurrence has a part in the fabric of the book, and all plays out to an interesting conclusion. I want this book in my library (and I want a library like the one in the book). Excellent.

Blue

Heir Apparent

By Vivian Vande Velde, this book combines modern-day (or future) life with the limitless world of magic-through a video game. It's smartly done. Competent Giannine Bellisario receives a gift certificate from her father to Rasmussem, Inc., a virtual reality gaming company. Giannine chooses a medieval game in which she must forge alliances and solve problems until she succeeds in being crowned king. One problem- a
protect out children" group storm the company and damage equipment while it was in use. Giannine is now stuck in the game until she can solve it correctly, but she's on a time limit as the damaged equipment is overheating.

Vande Velde uses precise imagery when depicting her scenes. At one point she describes a potion Giannine drinks, and that description never fails to make me gag (if you read it, I bet you can guess which one it is). Her characters are real (yes, I suppose even the virtual reality ones), and her fictional world is related to her main character's 21st century reality. A good read, and amusing.

Blue

Tris's Book

Did I forget to mention that Sandry's Book was just the first of four... plus other adventures afterwards? As, each child is different, each book is different. They each have their different problems to face, as they have to work together to face a big problem for all of them. That's really what we need children to learn. If doesn't matter what's going on in your life, you still need to work with others for things that effect all of us.

Brown

19 Girls and Me

This book, by Darcy Pattison and illustrated by Steve Salerno, is cute. John Hercules Po wonders about being the only boy in his kindergarten class. He worries his older brother will tease him about being "girly", especially when he discovers that he has so much fun with his 19 female classmates. The illustrations are charming, with the depictions of the adventures of the class. This book has a distinctly international flair, and would be a good read for 6-7 year olds.

Blue

The Hobbit

The first time I read this book, I was in seventh grade. I had a rather splendid bookmark that I used, and that was probably why I was able to finish reading it then. Now, however, I find it a delightful read, full of warmth and humor. I can appreciate Tolkien as I did not when I was twelve or thirteen. This is an excellent example of what children's literature should be, but it also takes a bit of maturity to process. I recommend those who found it dull or boring the first time around give it another go (ahem, Brown), and you may find that you like it.

Blue

Sandry's Book

Tamora Pierce is one of my favorite authors! Especially since she is able to connect to teenagers and children, by accurately portraying them. These characters are flesh and blood, not Godlike. And that is something that is great about this book. Take Sandry for example. One moment she is willing to slay dragons (figuratively speaking) courage wise. But even she has a fear that shakes her foundation. But this book isn't only about her, it's about three others as well and they all have, shall we say, unique abilities. Not MAGIC! Because they've all been tested before. But their abilities are rather unique. Enjoy!

Brown

Naked Heat

Naked Heat by [a witty conglomeration of writers] was not quite up to its predecessor's standards. The story was convoluted enough to make me sneeze, and it felt like there were several loose ends. Of course, that could just be a commentary on how one shouldn't expect everything to be tied up pretty and nice (humble thyself, O Reader!), but it mostly felt like they forgot. Then there was my personal preference language clash- namely, of the politely considered foul variety. Not a book I handed to my mother.

All in all, I still like the show (but no, I am not dedicating every Monday night to it- that's what two day marathons are for after the season is released on DVD), and I'm willing to read whatever our ruggedly handsome author deals out next. But I'm not expecting highbrow literature here, and neither should you.

Blue

Heat Wave (2)

So, I'm the one who introduced Blue to Castle. And it's just my luck that she's the one who finds out about these books first, even though my roommate (codename: Jewel), told me she thought there was a book out. I didn't listen.

When they say, this is a book for the fans, this is the one they are talking about. I loved it! But on a serious note, not the best writing I've ever read. They got lazy with their characters, with some of the names being almost identical to the TV characters. I know that they hinted in the TV show that he doesn't write amazing stuff, but come on, this isn't even worth the hype. How does someone have fans with this type of writing?

Despite the blatant abuse of characters, the story was intriguing. I'm not like my mother and Blue who immediately guess you did it at the very beginning, so I have fun following the characters search for suspects amid the twists and turns. And guess what, Nikki Heat is smart, sophisticated, and a little slutty. Enjoy the read!

Brown

Anahita's Woven Riddle

Anahita's Woven Riddle by Meghan Nuttall Sayre. I found this book in the "foreign locales" section of the library's recommended list.  The locale was indeed foreign (19th century Iran), and the book was duly recommended. I loved it. The characters were warm and enjoyable, the plot was excellent, the ending made me squee.

Anahita is a young woman of a nomadic tribe who has just been informed by her father that she will need to make her wedding qali (no, I'm not explaining, go read the book) as she will likely be married to the tribe's khan the following year. At first, she protests- she has ambitions of her own and marriage isn't a part of it. She soon realizes that marriage may not be all that bad- if she can have some choice in the matter. She convinces her father and the tribe's religious leader to allow her to pose a riddle contest- she will weave a riddle into her qali and she will marry whichever suitor can guess her riddle. Toss in a pernicious khan, three very charming suitors, and a year of gathering wool, spinning, dyeing, and weaving.

The ending.... ahhh, not telling. Suffice to say, what I read on a whim in turn sent me out to the pressing crowds of a popular shopping district to hunt for another book my surprise find referenced (and that led to a very interesting conversation with a complete stranger and fellow aspiring polyglot).

Blue

Heat Wave

Heat Wave by um, Richard Castle... Let's say that I just about fell off my chair laughing when I realized that this was on my library's shelves.

This books is cute. I rarely read non-Agatha Christie mysteries, but I was pleasantly surprised. Reading this felt like a nice little jaunt into a crime-filled city. Not to mention that fans of the show (ABC's Castle) will recognize little tidbits of "research". I liked it. When I finished reading it, I handed it off to my mother. Since I am not hiding in my closet from a deranged, book-wielding mother, I can only assume that she liked it, too. 

Blue

The Theft and the Miracle

A tale of inadequacies, jealousy, lies, stealing, hope, friendship, and charity. Rebecca Wade surpasses the expectations Young Adult drama in this book. Usually, I don't like books that are set in the present time. They usually are the "woe is me, teenage life is just so hard" crap that teenagers are getting inundated with. None of that here. Here the characters draw you into the story and prove that teenagers and children are not stupid and can work mighty miracles. But instead of me giving away the plot, I say just go read it.

Brown

Just Ella

Just Ella by Margaret Peterson Haddix is a sweet, realistic "what happened after" Cinderella.
Sweet, because this is my favorite type of fairy tale: a heroine who questions what happens to her and does her best to act. Realistic, because, well, not everything is perfectly Charming. In fact, it stinks more than the crap-hole our leading lady Ella has to dig a tunnel through to escape the castle. She might not have known much about love, but she recognized enough to know that what she felt was not it, and that it deserved no place in a marriage. And when she tried to back out... well, she became well-acquainted with the dungeon atmosphere.

The book was a quick read, and made enjoyable by the heroine's narration and the frankly interesting story. I would recommend this story to intermediate readers, or anyone who likes a fractured fairy tale.

Blue

Brown's Read List

These are the books that I currently have on my I WANT TO READ list:

Caught in Crystal by Patricia Wrede

The Gods in Winter by Patricia Miles

Gifted by Joss Whedon

AD 62: Pompeii by Rebecca East

Leepike Ridge by N D Wilson

The Unquiet by John Connolly

1901 by Robert Conroy

The Last Days of Dogtown by Anita Diamant

1632 by Eric Flint

1812 by Eric Flint

Term Limits by Vince Flynn

City of Shadows by Ariana Franklin

The Queen's Fool by Philippa Gregory

A Respectable Trade by Philippa Gregory

Conspiracy Theory by Jane Haddam

Hardscrabble Road by Jane Haddam

Headmaster's Wife by Jane Haddam

The Skeleton Key by Jane Haddam

The Perfect Royal Mistress by Diane Haeger

Grave Sight by Charlaine Harris

Grave Surprise by Charlaine Harris

An Ice Cold Grave by Charlaine Harris

Ysabel by Guy Gavriel Kay

In the Eye of Heaven by David Keck

The Green Mile by Stephen King

The Things They Left Behind by Stephen King

Candles Burning by Tabitha King and Michael McDowell

Brother Odd by Dean Koontz

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John LeCarre
Cold as Death by TJ MacGregor

What I'm Reading When I Ought to Be Sleeping

Reviewed:

• Just Ella by Margaret Peterson Haddix
• Heat Wave by Richard Castle
• Anahita's Woven Riddle by Meghan Nuttall Sayres
• Naked Heat by Richard Castle
• The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
• 19 Girls and Me by Darcy Pattison, illustrated by Steven Salerno
• Heir Apparent by Vivian Vande Velde
• An Innocent Soldier by Josef Holub
• Erratum by Walter Sorrells
• Sisters of the Sword by Maya Snow
• At the Sign of the Star by Katherine Sturtevant
• A True and Faithful Narrative by Katherine Sturtevant
• 13 Treasures by Michelle Harrison
• The Doom Machine by Mark Teague
• The Runaway Princess by Kate Coombs
• The Runaway Dragon by Kate Coombs
• The Robber and Me by Josef Holub
• The Snow Maiden and Other Russian Tales translated and retold by Bonnie C. Marshall
• Found by June Oldham
• Twice Upon a Marigold by Jean Ferris
• Never After by Rebecca Lickiss
• Something Rotten by Alan Gratz
• Kimi ni Todoke, vol. 1 by Shiina Karuho
• Oresama Teacher, vol. 1 Tsubaki Izumi
• Hokkaido Highway Blues: Hitchhiking in Japan by Will Ferguson
• The Burning Heart: Women Poets of Japan translated and edited by Kenneth Rexroth and Ikuko Atsumi
• They Called Me Mad by John Monahan
• The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson
• The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly
• The Pale Assassin by Patricia Elliott
• The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson
• A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce

To be reviewed:

• Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
• Make Room Make Room by Harry Harrison
• Stand on Zanzibar by John Brunner
• The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford
• James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
• The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron
• The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan
• The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman
• Strange Happenings by Avi
• Dumping Billy by Olivia Goldman
• The First Wives' Club by Olivia Goldman
• This World We Live In by Susan Beth Pfeffer
• Kiss Me Tomorrow by Susan Shreve
• Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu
• The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
• Fearless by Elvira Woodruff
• The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan
• The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan
• The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan
• Fearless by Tim Nott
• Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper
• The Shadow Warrior by Pat Zettner
• Arabella and the Beast by Rebecca Baldwin
• The Trouble with Harry by Jack Trevor Story
• One Dog and His Boy by Eva Ibbotson
• Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George
• About Average by Andrew Clements
• The Changeling Prince by Vivian Vande Velde
• Oddly Enough by Bruce Coville
• Skulduggery Pleasant: Dark Days by Derek Landy
• The Tale of Two Castles by Gail Carson Levine
• 
  

List to be edited and updated, reviews forthcoming.

Blue

Dear Blue,

I hope you're cool with the changes I've made.

Love,
Brown

The First

Dear Brown,

I hope you're satisfied, or at least you like it. You can change it if you like.


Blue