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Marabel and the Book of Fate
Marabel and the Book of Fate
Tracy Barrett | 2018 | Children, Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This was the first Tracy Barrett novel that I have read and I have to say I'm really impressed. This book has all of the elements I love mashed into one story. On this middle grade adventure book you get to explore the kingdom of Magikos. Magikos is a magic free kingdom. The only magic that is allowed are the "Evils" (AKA magical creatures) that are kept in Zoos, and stables. If you want to experience magic you have to go to the Barrens. The Barrens are where you'll find all sorts of fantastical creatures including but not limited to faeries, ogres, dragons, and giants.

The plot was well thought out and developed and it was fun to join Marabel on her journey through the Barrens. I could go into more depth but I fear that it might contain spoilers so I will just say, that I enjoyed the girl power nature of this book.

Something else that I liked were the characters. Many times an author will make the rightful heir hated and a jerk, what I liked is that Marco was lovable. He seemed to truly care about Marabel and was a good brother. I loved it. Marabel was lovable as well and though there were times where she could have been self pitting she never once stopped with her adventure. My only issue was that the characters didn't have much depth to them. I would have loved to see more growth in all of the characters.

All in all, I enjoyed this book. I'm giving it 4 stars because I loved the fast paced nature of the book but I also wanted a little more depth.
  
From the iconic cover through to the Epilogue, Rachel McMillan has delivered another thrilling Herringford & Watts adventure. Filled with love and mystery, sorrow and murder, trust and anarchy...You will be drawn into the story and fight alongside Merinda and Jem for justice and freedom. Can I just say..."Mounties"...Even this redneck American girl can appreciate the Royal North-West Mounted Police. And I was giddy with delight that Rachel incorporated them into this story. I loved this book so much (more than the first one I think). There was so much going on in history at this time. It was interesting to watch those with the desire to bring change, they had the passion and drive to see things through to the end...But they had a warped view of how to go about it. Unfortunately, it reminds me of society today. It breaks my heart knowing that not much has changed in that aspect. Protests, bombings, violence and murder...These are not the answers. That is all I will say about that...Back to the book...Full of the same witty dialogue and precarious circumstances that I have come to expect (and adore) from Herringford & Watts. The footnotes also make their appearance in this story, which I still think is BRILLIANT! If you are interested in mystery, humour, and romance, these are the books for you. You will want to start with the first book, A Bachelor Girl's Guide to Murder. Trust me, you don't want to miss out on this adventure. I received a free copy of A Lesson in Love & Murder in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
  
DL
Dead Letter Office
6
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review

This book started off with great promise, but for me went downhill rather quickly. I love the idea of a young girl dealing with the loss of losing her father, and moving to a new place; however, the story began to seem extremely far fetched when the ghost started coming into play. I had trouble understanding how the person murdered now was related to the past, and that never really seemed to be explained at all. I guess you just have to accept that its paranormal and that's all there is to it.

Celia, is a very well written character, and its really easy to like her and root for her. Regardless of the way she acts, she means well, and cares about others. I even cried when she received closure at the end in regards to her father's death. It was very moving. Donovan and Tilly were very one dimensional and I would have loved to learn more information about these characters.

I think the thing that in essence killed this book for me was that it was a choose your own adventure book. I think if the fates of the characters had been decided and the book written as normal it would have been more exciting for me. I do have to admit that this book did remind me of reading the choose your own adventure books I read as a kid.

I might be inclined to read more books in this series to see how the characters develop. I gave it 3 stars out of 5.
  
Dolittle (2020)
Dolittle (2020)
2020 | Adventure
The new Universal Studios movie Dr. Dolittle stars Robert Downey Jr as Dr. Dolittle, Antonio Banderas as King Rassouli, Michael Sheen as Dr. Mudfly, Emma Thompson as Poly, Jessie Buckley as Queen Victoria, and a host of other well-known stars as the voices of the animals, including John Cena, Ralph Fiennes and Selna Gomez. Dolittle is directed by Stephen Gaghan
Dr. Dolittle is a charming movie.

The audience is taken on a wonderful adventure across oceans and far away kingdoms in search of a magical cure for young Queen Victoria.

Robert Downey Jr. does a phenomenal job in portraying Dr. Dolittle. He plays the role with emotion and charm. His life has been sad since the passing of his wife, and he secludes himself with the only beings he wants to have contact with, his animal menagerie. He is interrupted in his solitude by a request from the palace to find a cure for young Queen Victoria who has been poisoned.

Dr. Dolittle and his animal menagerie set off on an epic adventure to hunt down the one thing that might save the Queen, the sap from a tree that Dolittles late wife has been researching. On the way, they must get around the nefarious Dr. Blair Mudfly, and Rassouli the king of pirates.

Younger viewers are sure to be kept engaged, as the movie is fast paced and they will not have the chance to be bored. The audience are sure to be pleased with the vitality and humor that each role brings to the film.
The movie is perfect for families to view together and everyone will enjoy it.
  
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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post

Apr 13, 2021  
Visit my blog to listen to the awesome playlist for the women's fiction novel DIRE'S CLUB by Kimberly Packard, and enter the giveaway to win one of five copies of the book!

https://alltheupsandowns.blogspot.com/2021/04/book-blog-tour-and-giveaway-dires-club.html

**BOOK SYNOPSIS**
Dying isn't just hard on the ones left behind, the regret of unfinished lives weighs heavily on the terminally ill. That's where Dire's Club steps in, a specialty travel agency that takes a small group of dying people on one final adventure-so they can be free of guilt, be more than a diagnosis, and find a way to confront life ... and death.

Life Coach Charlotte Claybrooke built a successful second career guiding people out of grief, but the impending tenth anniversary of her own heart-wrenching tragedy sets her on a journey to find life among the dying.

Staring death in the face was Jimmy Dire's business. He met it with a warm hug, a kind word, and a smile. Dire's Club gave the terminally ill one final, bucket-list adventure before passing on, but dying was expensive. The bills, like Jimmy's lies, were piling up. It's only a matter of time before he's forced to face a different type of death.

A rock god, a telenovela star, a grandmother living her life-long dream, and a young tech genius round out this group of strangers facing death together. But when tragedy strikes, their bond is shattered. Lies and fraud surface, forcing the dying to come together to save someone's life.

Everybody dies. The lucky ones have fun doing it.