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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2322 KP) rated Pony Up in Books

Jul 10, 2021

Pony Up

Sandy Dengler | 2020 | Mystery

5.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

Settling into Married Life with Danger

This book opens at Joe Rodriguez’s wedding reception over in Ireland, but it isn’t too long before he and his young wife, Bridgid, are back in Phoenix and settling into wedded bliss. Well, they would be if it weren’t for Charlie Stegener. He is still trying to cause trouble for Joe in particular and the entire Phoenix police in general despite the fact that his wife has dropped out of the mayor’s race. Meanwhile, someone has followed Joe and Bridgid back from Ireland intent on ruining their lives. Can Joe stay one step ahead of both of these problems?

This book follows the previous book in the series very closely. In fact, some of the storylines I thought were wrapped up come back into play. The result feels more like a TV show than a novel, however, with the dueling plots. The characters are wonderful, and fans of the series will be excited to see what happens next to them. Well, mostly. There are a couple of scenes that were excessive, and I have to wonder what one character did to the author to get the treatment they got here. The ending, while wrapping up the plot, did seem a bit abrupt. I did enjoy the book because I like the characters and got caught up in the events, but I’ve enjoyed other books from this author more.

Kudos

Lindsay (1747 KP) rated Smile and Say Hi in Books

Jul 21, 2021

Smile and Say Hi

Mary Jo Hazard | 2021 | Architecture & Design, Children, Fiction & Poetry

8.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

Do you have a child or children that are shy and maybe do not know how to approach to make friends? Well, perhaps this book is named "Smile and Say Hi" by Mary Jo Hazard. It might be a good one to have for you.

It got dragons and a great message for children. It even has the parents encourage their son. However, They do not force him to do so. You will be surprised at what the dragon king does with this little boy. It's fun to use what children like best.

Michael though he enjoys dragons. He is to meet a new person when they show up at his home. Will he have the courage to Smile and Say Hi, or will he just run off. What starts the fun and enjoyable message as his dad says to try it.

Michael then gets a visit from the Dragon King and is enough to go on an adventure. Will Michael find the courage to help a miniature dragon? You will be surprised what he says to this little dragon? Will Michael and his partner win the race?

This book is adorable and enjoyable; The pictures happen well written—the message is geared toward children or any child. Children and parents will enjoy the message about courage; what another great book to add to your child's or children's bookshelves that they will want to read.

Kudos

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2322 KP) rated The Secret of Shadow Ranch in Books

Jul 15, 2019

The Secret of Shadow Ranch

Carolyn Keene | 1965 | Children, Mystery

8.7

(3 Ratings)

Book Rating

Is the Ranch Haunted?

It’s summer, and Nancy has been invited to spend it with her best friends Bess Marvin and George Fayne on the ranch their uncle Ed and aunt Bet have just bought in Arizona. However, she has barely landed when she learns that things aren’t going well on the ranch. Someone is trying to drive the new owners off the land with acts of sabotage, most of which are foreshadowed by a phantom horse. There is a legend that an old outlaw cursed the ranch, but Nancy thinks the culprits are more modern and very real. Can she figure out what is going on and why?

This may be the fifth book in the series, but this is the first time we are seeing Bess and George, Nancy’s usual sleuthing companions. They jump right in here for another action-packed story. The general plot outline is fairly obvious early on, including a massive coincidence in the story, but that didn’t keep me from turning pages as quickly as I could. As an adult I find the characters thinner than I remember, but we still like them enough to care about the outcome. Since the book was last updated in the 1950’s, some of the language is a little dated (it even stopped me a little), but I doubt it will slow down today’s kids as they race to see how Nancy will piece together this fun mystery.

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Lenard (726 KP) rated Dora and the Lost City of Gold (2019) in Movies

Sep 2, 2019 (Updated Sep 2, 2019)

Eugenio Derbez (0 more)

Backpack, backpack, backpack, backpack

In the era of reboots, legacyquels, and reimaginings, films require a balance between innovation and "the original" product. Dora and the Lost City of Gold is such an undertaking as a adaptation of a popular children's show. The filmmakers had an objective to make a feature film while not alienating fans of the original Dora the Explorer. I believe that the team (who also worked on the previous two Muppets movies) did a good job. They found ways to have Dora speak to the audience (like on her show), have Backpack and Map speak, introduce Spanish words and phrases (the point of the show), and Boots and Swiper ("Swiper, no swiping.") were integral characters, all of which would have detracted from the film if done improperly. At the same time, the writers and director had to have a story that would sustain a 90-minute movie and leave little left to, pardon the pun, explore. The search for a lost city of gold and a race between archaelogists and treasure hunters satisfied that objective, a little Young Indiana Jones adventure mixed with National Treasure. The biggest liability in the whole film was Eugenio Derbez and his slapstick comedic style never fit the tone of the film. Luckily, Michael Pena can debilitate him with a styling monologue. Now that Dora has ended her adventure in the jungle, she can study the harshest environment known to man: high school in an anthropological dissertation.