
Stranger Magic
Book
Our foremost theorist of myth, fairytales, and folktales explores the magical realm of the...
Matilda never tries to hide her intelligence, and I love that. It’s something that a lot of adults can’t do. I was even saying to one of my friends at work that I act more ditsy than I actually am when I’m there. I’ve always hidden parts of myself because I want to fit in. Matilda doesn’t even try to fit in with everyone else, even though she excels everyone around her. I think everyone could learn a lesson about personalities from Matilda.
I love that she goes against the crowd. When everyone around her is trying to tell her that she can’t possibly be as smart as she is and that she is worthless, she defies them every time. She doesn’t dumb herself down and try to become like everyone else just to avoid people making fun of her.
The best thing about Matilda is that the book stays funny and entertaining all the way through. Even at the worse parts it never drops it’s humour, which makes it perfect for kids.
The happy ending is like the icing on the cake for me. I’m a sucker for happy endings, but I feel like this one was perfect. It felt like a fairytale.
If you enjoyed the film, you need to buy the book. It’s ten times better than the film and has so many important messages to both adults and children.

Bombing Hitler: The Story of the Man Who Almost Assassinated the Fuhrer
Hellmut G. Haasis and William Odom
Book
Georg Elser was just a working-class citizen living in Munich, Germany. He was employed as a...

Sean Farrell (9 KP) rated Trust No One in Books
Mar 15, 2018

Public Archaeology and Climate Change
Tom Dawson, Courtney Nimura and Marie-Yvane Daire
Book
Public Archaeology and Climate Change promotes new approaches to studying and managing sites...

Kelly (279 KP) rated Rivers of London: The First PC Grant Mystery in Books
Nov 22, 2018
PC Grant is a character with whom I could engage with from the start. A character who was likeable, but also not your typical hero. The story itself is very easy to follow and Aaronovitch does not overload the reader with complex characters, making the book a perfect easy read.
Aaronovitch uses humour appropriately throughout the book, keeping the reader engaged without being over silly. Once started, this book was not put down until after I had turned the last page.

The Right Bid at the Right Time
Book
With this book, Neil Kimelman completes the trilogy which started with Improve Your Bidding...

Basher Science: the Periodic Table
Simon Basher, Adrian Dingle and Dan Green
Book
Do you confuse boron with barium or chlorine with fluorine? Fear not! Basher Science has come to the...

Moments Like This (From Kona with Love #1)
Anna Gomez and Kristoffer Polaha
Book
After Andrea “Andie” Matthews chooses her career over a marriage proposal and then loses a...
Adult Contemporary Romance

Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Xander and the Lost Island of Monsters (Momotaro, #1) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
I think I've grown out of reading middle grade books now. I find that a little sad - the first book in Dilloways Momotaro series isn't even a bad book, aside from the fact I kept expecting a Percy Jackson vibe (which, in a way, it kind of does).
Xander and the Lost Island of Monsters - if we're going down the Percy Jackson vibe (I'm pretty sure the synopsis makes the comparison .) - is basically Japanese folklore set in modern day, with plenty of Japanese mythological creatures making an appearance. Unfortunately, Xander definitely resembles a Japanese version of Percy Jackson - blue eyes, black hair, twelve years old, and the only difference? Xander has a bit of silver streak in his hair (oh wait ) and he's mixed (Asian and Irish).
It's no wonder I expected a lot of humor out of Dilloway's book (comparisons = high expectations). The first Momotaro book does have the occasional funny moment, but it just isn't as funny as I hoped it would be. (That might just be the fact I'm nineteen.)
Xander and the Lost Island of Monsters is set in a comic book like format with illustrations featured throughout the book, and it will definitely appeal more to younger audiences than the older ones. (And hopefully, it'll be more funny to them than to me.)
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/arc-review-xander-and-lost-island-of-monsters-by-margaret-dilloway/" target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>