Danielle

The third book in the Kitty Hawk Flying Agency Series is a worthy addition that includes many of the elements that I enjoyed in the previous books and a new place to discover right along with Kitty - Iceland. I don't think this one catapults the series anywhere new in terms of its basic premise, but it's a comfortable adventure that keeps you guessing and enjoying the ride from beginning to end, and don't forget learning as well, about another corner of our amazing world. Looking forward to book 4!

I found this second installment in the Kitty Hawk series to be an improvement from the first book. Perhaps I'm getting more used to Kitty's voice in this sequel, but also found that her inner voice was used much more sparingly and although the chapters are still quite short, I found this book flowed much better overall. Again I love that Kitty is upbeat, fun and not in the least bit mopey and that the story center's around her and not some love interest or love triangle. It's so refreshing in YA fiction, that I just had to mention that again. I also really enjoy the attention to historical detail and the descriptions of the area - they definitely make me want to go and visit them. The adventure kept me interested from start to finish and I really appreciate the kind of ‘old-school' type of mystery that Iain Reading uses in this series.
After finishing this, I really wished there was more like this one out there in the YA fiction world. I'm actually really excited to continue to read the next installment. Iceland here I come...

Another worth-while addition to this series! I really enjoyed the code-breaking in this one, a good adventure mystery should always have some code-breaking and I was glad to see it in this volume and also how it was all interconnected. I again enjoyed the locations, especially since I've been to some of them myself. I also think this had my favourite ending, in the way that it pointed out what a ‘true' treasure was and how adventures and moments can be the greatest treasure of all, that really hit home for me. This series continues to be very enjoyable and I'm having fun going along with Kitty on all her adventures!

So many people complain about this book in the series and I can see why after the excellent third installment that upped the action, the intrigue and the surprises. Feast for Crows seems to return to the buildup stage that felt more like Clash of Kings, which makes sense as new players start to emerge in the story and their motivations need to be showcased for future events, but as a whole seems to be a bit ‘less' than its predecessor in terms of story. Mix that with the fact that there were so many missing characters and A Feast for Crows feels somewhat lacking after the events of A Storm of Swords. Although I felt it was much more low key, I also still enjoyed it. There are little bits and pieces if you look hard that point to big things to come and I certainly appreciate Martin taking his time to build up to it. I remember that the first two books really did a lot of build up for A Storm of Swords and if that is anything to go by then I am looking forward to seeing how the seeds that are planted in this book come to grow in the following books. I don't think this volume will become a favourite out of the series, but it will likely hold much importance for future events, without which would seem lacking. Luckily for me though, I don't have to wait for A Dance with Dragons and can continue right away!

I have seen many TV and movie adaptations of Jane Eyre, but this was my first time reading the novel that those were based on and what a treat it was. I thought I might be a bit bored with it, since I knew all the twists and turns that lie ahead for our intrepid protagonist, but it was her inner monologue which conveys her strength of character and moral judgement, her passions, her utmost feelings of love and despair that captivate you when you read Jane Eyre instead of merely watching a theatrical adaptation. I really liked the story before, but now I think I love it. I know now why Jane Eyre is such a beloved character and why her story is considered more than just another romance to thrill us. The true heart of this novel is Jane's character. The strength she shows in refusing to do wrong, despite every fibre of her being telling her to do otherwise is certainly inspiring and puts truth to the adage that it is much more difficult to do good, than to give in to wrong which is the easier and ‘feel-good' path. I will certainly be rating this book at the height of my ‘classic' novel favourites.

Black Bard is pretty typical in its story-telling, but I really enjoyed the world and the characters. Nothing too different or challenging, but if you're looking for a light fun adventure/fantasy, it certainly fits that bill.
If you are tired of the same old, it probably won't satisfy, but if you want something familiar and fun then you can't go wrong.

I had a hard time rating this one. On the one had I felt like the writing could have used some polishing, the short chapters really broke up the flow of the story, the main characters inner monologue worked sometimes, but I felt it was overdone at other times, and as others have mentioned, Kitty's voice seems a bit young for her age. Having said that, I really, really, really enjoyed a young main character that was upbeat, happy, adventurous without the need for some sappy love interest (or two) to drive her forward. She was fun and inspiring and I wish there were more like her in YA fiction. I also really enjoyed the history and the whole premise of the story as a whole. It certainly made me even more interested in visiting Alaska and the Yukon and the mystery and intrigue that surrounds the stolen gold was a fun reveal and unexpected.
So overall I felt like I did enjoy it, despite my quibbles about the writing and that's why I felt in deserved 4 stars instead of 3. I also looked forward to the next book, which is a good sign. I'm actually excited to follow Kitty on another adventure.
I truly wish there was more YA like this...it was refreshing to have an upbeat story that encourages young women to get out and travel, learn history and be independent without the need for a romantic interludes and a guy at the centre of it all. Thank you for that Iain Reading!

The fifth book is another great addition to the Kitty Hawk Detective Flying Agency series. Like the last one, there was nothing too new in the general premise in relation to all the previous books, as in Kitty goes to a new location and stumbles into a mystery and adventure she never expected. The different locations definitely add something new, as well as the characters Kitty meets on the way. I was happy to see Charlie back in this one. The idea of secret radio transmissions was certainly interesting, so although the basic idea is the same as previous volumes, these elements still make it enjoyable, along with Kitty's infectious excitement and eternal wonder of the world around her. My favourite quote near the end kind of sums up why I've enjoyed Kitty as a character and these books: “Because every breath of precious life that we take during our time here on this beautiful planet - no matter how strange or exotic or ordinary - is all part of the adventure that we call our own lives.”

This book was so unique and interesting, a dizzying maze of ideas and a fantasy unlike anything I've read. The obvious ode to lovers of books and stories and to printers and printing presses is very apparent and is something that really drew me into the story, being a graphic designer myself and part of the ‘printing world', so to speak. I'm not sure it would be for everyone, but I thought it was wonderful, imaginative and a book that stands on it's own in terms of storytelling. I loved the steampunk aspect to it, without it becoming bogged down by all the trinkets and gadgets and focusing much more on the characters. The things that popped into my mind while reading this was part Howl's Moving Castle, part The Orphan Tales, part 20th Century gothic romance....all being stories that I loved, so it makes sense that this one was quickly a favourite.

It is extremely rare for me to read a non-fiction book and even rarer to read something in the ‘self-improvement' category, but this was recommended to me by my cousin when I was having some relationship issues I just didn't know how solve. Although this book doesn't give you the ABC's of conflict resolution or clear cut measures to make, it does attempt to help you understand both yourself and others around you and how they tick. If you're willing to use that, I think it can be a great tool. Finding my own colour and being able to recognize both my gifts and stresses in a better light definitely has me thinking differently. Being able to also pick out the colours of those around me, helped me to find a better approach to conflicts with them. It is still a working progress, but this book was a huge help in not only making me think about personalities and how they relate to jobs, relationships, personal issues/growth among other things, but also opened a dialogue in my mind on how to approach my own self as well as my approach to others. At the very least it is great to get the wheels turning and helping you to see yourself and others in a brand new light.

The awkwardness that plagued the first two books, which led me to give them only 4 stars, is left behind to make way for a wonderfully written conclusion to this exceptional trilogy. All the threads come together beautifully in this final volume in both heart wrenching and heart warming ways. It was satisfying in the end and the writing as always was top notch and poetically delightful. The myth, the magic and the world of Fionavar will be missed now that it is all over. Well worth reading for any fantasy fan!

I am not really big into romance manga, especially high school romance, but this one hooked me and wouldn't let go! I fell in love with the characters in this one, especially Haru and Shizuku. They are so unique and their romance was a great balance between heart pounding first love and learning what it means to be in a relationship, and the ups and downs that come with that. I loved how their love changed them in positive ways and how they learned to accept each other as they were and it wasn't about changing to make the other person like you, but about understanding each other - that's rare, especially in teen romances. Their group of friends also became dear and I felt like a part of their oddball group as they grew and faced challenges and reached goals and just had fun. I never expected to like this as much as I did, but it quickly became a favourite. I cried, laughed and felt emotional through it all and those all count as the highest praise I can give a story that touches me deeply enough to go through all those emotions. I definitely highly recommend this series, even if you're not into romance - it might change your mind about that!

The artwork is amazing and the story and characters very interesting. It's hard to tell if the series will be great, but it definitely starts out very strong. There's a mystery, some slight magical elements but with a very down to earth feel that raises it above your typical manga. The implications at the end certainly have me clamouring for more to come. Very promising start to a new series for sure!

This is really a review of the series as a whole after reading this final volume. The series stayed pretty consistent throughout with an anthology of stories that ranged from bittersweet to down right depressing. I didn't really feel an emotional connection at any point, which definitely dampened the whole thing from being amazing, however I DID find the stories fascinating in respect to their exploration of human psychology and how people's perceptions of themselves and others can and often dictate their happiness or unhappiness, the direction of their lives and the meaning they find in life. Showing that through twisted dreams and nightmares was very interesting and topping it off with twists to each story to reveal something profound was quite brilliant. The execution was not always the best, but it often gave me food for thought.
I thought things broke down in the last two volumes though. I found them confusing to follow and deviate suddenly from the anthology style to explaining the backstory of the Baku, which was a strange way to end it. I think I would have rather had bits and pieces of his story told throughout to create empathy with the climax at the end, instead of the sudden shift in the last two volumes, where at this point, I'm not sure I really cared. I felt the way some of the characters acted in the last two didn't fit with the previous ones and I even downright disliked a few of them by the end. So while I think overall I enjoyed the series, the end was too much of a mess for me to put it on my ‘greats' list.

3.5 stars. The Library of Legends is an intriguing concept and a very interesting point of time and place to tell a story. I'm very unfamiliar with Asian history and find it very captivating. I was drawn to this particular book because it has three things I love in stories - history, books and folklore/fairytales all wrapped into one. Just shy of WW2 in China, the Japanese are invading and sending the country into turmoil. Despite that, people risk their lives to save a treasure of Chinese literature. Crossing a war torn countryside to get the books to safety they face dividing political lines among themselves and dangers without and within. Their travels, though, are also paralleled with the mystical and fantastical. Gods and goddesses, stars and spirits are also on the move and their paths intertwine with each other along the way. There are star-crossed lovers and friendship and mystery. The writing was very atmospheric and the story a comfortable read, despite some of the subject matter. Where I felt it fell a bit short for me was a sense of urgency was missing, even though it felt like that should have been the core of the story and though I liked the characters, I didn't love them. I felt no deep connection to any of them. Considering the subject matter, I thought I'd feel more or be moved more by the story and it just never got there. Having said that, this was by no means a bad book. I still enjoyed it and enjoyed learning about something in history I knew nothing about previously told through the lense of magic realism.

This was a book club book, but has been on my personal list for a while. Firstly I'm glad this is out there in the world, because it does shed light on how amazing BTS' lyrics are and how they aren't just belting out love tunes, but actually thinking long and deep about the music they are making and most especially how they tied in the psychology of Carl Jung's Persona, Shadow & Ego into their personal experiences on the stunning album Map of the Soul: 7.

Having said that, I did find that the interpretations of a lot of the songs seemed off to me. Like someone who doesn't REALLY know BTS and their journey just looked at the lyrics and analyzed it to fit the psychology they wanted to share and didn't actually deep dive into the personal experience behind it. There were a number of instances where I actually completely disagreed with their conclusions.

A small example is where they were dissecting Interlude: Shadow and made the statement that the lyrics “Please don't let me shine, Don't let me down. Don't let me fly” is of being rich and fearing poverty. Sorry...what? The whole song in my opinion and of many other analyses that I have watched or read has this song being a fear of fame growing so large and high that there is only one direction you can go afterward (down) and a fear that the fame comes with all kinds of pressures, expectations and responsibilities that they never anticipated and it has all become very restrictive and is sometimes causing them to not love it in the way they used to. Now this was only one example, but there were many others that I thought weren't really quite right.

As far as the psychology part, I can't really comment on it, as I've never taken any kind of psychology course or read really anything else other than fluffy pieces online. What I can say is that I did find it very interesting and certainly found myself fitting these concepts to my own life experiences and dissecting them through that lens, which I actually did enjoy.

Overall I felt like it leaned a bit too heavily on the psychology and not as much on the BTS aspect, which is why I wanted to read it in the first place, so I'm not sure I was really satisfied with that aspect of the book.

Big Hit certainly has made a fantastic story, using fictional versions of the BTS boys. Although it seems simple at first, written with journal-like entries for each character, the twists, turns and emotions never let up and take you on a surprising journey that will be both heartbreaking and inspiring. I really enjoyed the message in this volume, which has huge ties to BTS' music and overall message (I was over the moon to see the first references to Map of the Soul). As the boys come to terms with their pasts, their friendships and facing their own personal demons and an uncertain future, their decisions on how to move forward is both encouraging and uplifting, even though darkness and uncertainty surround it. Overall though - I loved it! That ending though!! Obviously there is more to come and I'm really excited to see how it plays out and how future volumes will incorporate BTS music and this quite thoughtful story on how we map our own souls.

As with all classics, the style of writing can sometimes take a bit to get used too. I found my first foray into Jules Verne a very factual adventure, which is something I'm not used to, since most of what I read is very fantastical in nature and there is quite a bit less of a lay down of the facts, or they are smoothly incorporated into the story. Jules Verne enjoys giving facts on just about everything. From how fast a ship or train travels to its weight and dimensions. Every place we visit on the journey is described in a very almost travel book style, with facts on history and culture. He's more of a tell not show writer. Today's writing is very discouraged from doing that unless you're writing a non-fiction book, therefore it took a while to actual get into the ‘story' and characters between all the ‘facts'. I can see this being off putting for some, as it can be a bit of a slog to get through at first, until you realize that it's kind of part of the charm of the story. Phileas Fogg is a very factual and punctual man and how he sees the world is through that lense. Passepartout, his servant, is actual the heart of the story and the one I was most keen to follow. He is the ‘feeler' and the most moved by the experiences he has on the journey. Once I got past the initial reaction to the writing style, I quite enjoyed the journey and especially the culmination of it all in the end. Certainly a classic well worth giving a go, especially if you like a good adventure, you really can't go wrong!

This is definitely much more aimed at teenagers and as an adult I found it a bit too much so to really enjoy it. I wanted to like it much more than I actually did. I really like Tomorrow x Together's lore and I guess I expected more of the earlier stuff from their albums than a story about magical K-Pop idols. I found the dialogue clunky and wasn't a huge fan of artwork either. It was hard to tell characters apart and seemed simple through a lot of it. The story wasn't gripping either and felt lacklustre considering the premise invited a lot more could be done with it. I think teenagers will like this though and maybe that's more the target, although I think really well done storytelling can appeal to both. Not sure I'll keep reading the series, just didn't really do it for me. I much preferred BTS' Chakho to this for sure.

Confession: I didn't read all the beauty tips, as I'm not really big on make up. I really enjoyed the history and cultural significance of makeup and skin care that this this book covered. It was really interesting to see how it played a role all around the world and throughout time. It also makes you realize how silly it is that guys are ostracized or made fun of if they wear make up. This book really is a champion for being yourself through style, even if that doesn't follow cultural norms and showcasing many others who have done the same through history. The only Thing I wasn't a fan of and this was a personal opinion, is the opinion that how we ‘look', our visual representation is what gives us worth. Don't get me wrong, I love to sport the things I'm passionate about in clothes and accessories,etc., but it doesn't define me as a person and I just feel our society puts much too much emphasis on the fact that the way we look defines us and that can lead to some pretty toxic and unhealthy avenues. I suppose that wasn't the aim of this book, but I found it curious that the BTS portion (which is why I read it as part of a BTS book club) was about what made them special were mostly NOT their looks, but what they have achieved through meaningful songs, a positive message and hard work. That's what defines them! I wish there had been more of that in the other areas that were covered, even while addressing the issue of men doing what is typically seen as the realm of women only and how that's not only okay, but really needs more acceptance in our own time in history. Overall it's a positive look at an issue rarely discussed with a lot of research to back it up, which is a good thing, but personally I wished it was balanced out with more than just visuals.

A slow paced, but endearing story about a cat and his human and their bond while traveling around Japan for reasons that will break your heart, but also make you appreciate the things that really matter. The story isn't super profound, but I did find it heartwarming and thoughtful. Nana the cat is definitely the star of the story and most of it is from his perspective. How he views humans, their relationships and the world is the best part and an interesting take on viewing things. The book is short and sweet and will touch animal lovers the most, but still worthwhile for anybody in the mood for a sweet heart warming tale.

I really enjoyed this book! A spunky and likeable main character, whose tumultuous relationship with an interesting ghost at her new job, leads her down a rabbit hole mystery that doesn't let up from start to finish and made the story quite the ride. It was fast-paced and surprisingly funny in parts. Light on the supernatural side, but that added element gave it an interesting twist and also a surprisingly emotional core. Having the story take place in Edmonton was refreshing, especially since I live just outside the city and enjoyed being able to really picture the locations. There were a few qualms I had, mostly with some repeated storytelling tactics that felt a bit over used sometimes and James, almost Mary-Sue like personality grated a bit, but that might be a personal thing I disliked. Overall though I was really impressed with my random book purchase at the Edmonton Comic and Entertainment Expo - one of the best local novels I think I've read. Highly recommended!