Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by JK Rowling 3.5/5 stars

Hey, guys! I found a beat-up copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them that my library was giving away (because the condition was so terrible). It was exactly what I expected. 

Official Description:
A copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them resides on almost every wizarding household in the country. Now, for a limited period only, Muggles too have the chance to discover where the Quintaped lives, what the Puffskein eats, and why it is best not to leave milk out for a Knarl.

Proceeds from the sale of this book will go to improving and saving the lives of children around the world, which means that the dollars and Galleons you exchange for it will do magic beyond the powers of any wizard. If you feel that this is insufficient reason to part with your money, I can only hope most sincerely that passing wizards feel more charitable if they ever see you being attacked by a Manticore.

-Albus Dumbledore

My Review:
Fantastic Beasts is a copy of a textbook from Hogwarts. While more interesting than most textbooks I've read, it reads like a textbook. It really wasn't very entertaining. In 60 pages, it covers seventy-five beasts. Each beast has about a paragraph of a description. There is no real depth to it. 

The most interesting part of this book was the introduction. It describes the process of classifying beasts vs. being, among other things and was long enough to do into some details. 

This "textbook" was exactly what I expected. A lore-dump of quick descriptions of magical creatures. A lot of creativity went into it's production. I just wish it focused less on the number of creatures and went more into details about each.

Phrase: XXXXX MOM rating

If you're looking for a good book, check out my Suggestions Page!

Happy Reading!

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BookshelfSecret

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BookshelfSecret

Of Triton (The Syrena Legacy #2) by Anna Banks 3/5 stars

Hey, guys! In a weird bit of impulse, I decided to read Of Triton, the sequel to Of Poseidon, a book I didn't particularly like. I honestly don't know why I read this book. I liked it better than the first book, but wasn't blown away. I would say I was disappointed but I honestly wasn't expecting much.

The Cover:

The Cover:

Oh, look. It's two people kissing underwater. Woohoo. But, I'm not impressed and probably wouldn't read this out in public. C- cover

Official Description:

Emma has just learned that her mother is a long-lost Poseidon princess, and now struggles with an identity crisis: As a Half-Breed, she’s a freak in the human world and an abomination in the Syrena realm below. Syrena law states that all Half-Breeds should be put to death.
As if that’s not bad enough, her mother’s reappearance among the Syrena turns the two kingdoms—Poseidon and Triton—against one another. Which leaves Emma with a decision to make: Should she comply with Galen’s request to keep herself safe and just hope for the best? Or should she risk it all and reveal herself—and her Gift—to save a people she’s never known?
Once again, Anna Banks infuses Emma and Galen's points of view with humor, intrigue, and waves of romance.

My Review:

Most of this book, believe it or not, was about a trial. Sure, it was an underwater trial starring mermaids but still. It really wasn't what I was expecting. 

The dialogue is still cheesy. Some of the "romance" between the characters is forced, if not a bit creepy. (The constant talk of mating seems possessive and a bit backwards.) The generic plot line of a Hot Merman Boyfriend was uninteresting and forced. However, I really enjoyed the court-case plot. I found myself speed-reading through certain parts. One of the character's betrayal completely caught me off guard, which I loved. That was great. 

Did the positive outweigh the bad? Not really. If you liked the first book, you'll like this one too. I probably won't read the third, and last, book in this series, but who know? I didn't plan on reading Of Triton either!

Phrase:

Reyna's scream

If you're looking for a good book, check out my Suggestions Page!

Happy Reading!

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BookshelfSecret

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BookshelfSecret

Dexter by Design (Dexter #4) by Jeff Lindsay 3.5/5 stars

Hey, guys! I finally read the fourth book in the Dexter series. It was okay, definitely better than book 3, but still a bit of a let down.

Earlier books in this series:
Darkly Dreaming Dexter and Dearly Devoted Dexter
Dexter in the Dark

The Cover:

The Cover:
In typical Dexter fashion, the cover is not terribly complex. It is covered in blood stains and just the words scrawled across the cover. It fits but it isn't exactly exciting. B cover

Official Description:
The macabre, witty New York Times bestselling series (and inspiration for the #1 Showtime series, Dexter) continues as our darkly lovable killer matches wits with a sadistic artiste--who is creating bizarre murder tableaux of his own all over Miami.
After his surprisingly glorious honeymoon in Paris, life is almost normal for Dexter Morgan. Married life seems to agree with him: he’s devoted to his bride, his stomach is full, and his homicidal hobbies are nicely under control. But old habits die hard--and Dexter’s work as a blood spatter analyst never fails to offer new temptations that appeal to his offbeat sense of justice...and his Dark Passenger still waits to hunt with him in the moonlight.
The discovery of a corpse (artfully displayed as a sunbather relaxing on a Miami beach chair) naturally piques Dexter’s curiosity and Miami’s finest realize they've got a terrifying new serial killer on the loose. And Dexter, of course, is back in business.

My Review:
Dexter by Design was so much better than Dexter in the Dark. It didn't dwell on what the Dark Passenger is exactly. Instead, it focused on the crime-solving and Dexter's attempts to act human, which is what these books are supposed to be about.

Dexter continues to be snarky and likable, despite his many faults. The other characters are a bit flat. Maybe they aren't complex because Dexter doesn't see them that way, but either way, the characters are only two-dimensional.

The plot was interesting but moved slowly. I doubt that I would have been able to get through this book if I wasn't listening to an audiobook. I don't think I would have been engaged enough in the story to sit down and chose to read it to be honest. 

Overall, Dexter by Design was decent. If you enjoyed the previous books in this series, I'm sure that you will like this one as well. It is very similar to the previous books!

Phrase:
Modern Art

If You Liked This Book, You May Also Like:

Darkly Dreaming Dexter / Dearly Devoted Dexter / Dexter in the Dark
The Running Man

If you're looking for a good book, check out my Suggestions Page!

Happy Reading!

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BookshelfSecret

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BookshelfSecret

Dan and Phil Go Outside by Dan Howell and Phil Lester 4/5 stars

Hey, guys! This is a bit of a niche book, a photo book by Youtubers Dan and Phil. I was curious and picked it up. If you don't watch the youtube videos by the two, I definitely wouldn't recommend picking it up. However, I made a promise that I'd review every book that I read this year on this blog, and I did enjoy looking through/ reading this book.

The Cover:

The Cover:

It's a bit dorky and a bit tacky, but that's the point of this cover. It fits the rest of the book at least. B cover.

Official Description:

A personal collection of candid photos and insightful stories from Dan and Phil’s adventure ‘in the real world’

Dan Howell and Phil Lester, avoiders of human contact and direct sunlight, actually went outside. Travelling around the world on tour, they have collected hundreds of exclusive, intimate and funny photos, as well as revealing and captivating side notes, to show the behind-the-scenes story of their adventure.

My Review:
Dan and Phil Go Outside was about 75% photos, about half of them with captions. The other 25% or so were entertaining stories and written dialogue between the authors.

I enjoyed flipping through it. The pictures and stories were very well laid out and worth looking through. It took me only an hour or two to look through the whole thing, paying careful attention to every page. It's more of a coffee table book than anything, but it was a nice way to spend an hour or two.

Overall, I'd recommend it if you are a big fan of the youtubers. 

Phrase:
Pictures while asleep

If You Liked This Book, You May Also Like:
The Amazing Book is Not on Fire

If you're looking for a good book, check out my Suggestions Page!

Happy Reading!

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BookshelfSecret

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BookshelfSecret

Winter (The Lunar Chronicles #4) by Marissa Meyer 4/4 stars

Hey, guys! I finally finished the Lunar Chronicles series! Like all the books in this series, I started off disliking it, but it grew on me as the book went on.

Reviews of the previous books in the series:
Cinder
Scarlet
Cress

The Cover:

The Cover:
It shows a poisoned candy apple, an important element of Winter which mirrors the poisoned apple in the Snow White fairytale. It's a neat cover that looks nice and is relevant. A+ cover

Official Description:
Princess Winter is admired by the Lunar people for her grace and kindness, and despite the scars that mar her face, her beauty is said to be even more breathtaking than that of her stepmother, Queen Levana.
Winter despises her stepmother, and knows Levana won't approve of her feelings for her childhood friend--the handsome palace guard, Jacin. But Winter isn't as weak as Levana believes her to be and she's been undermining her stepmother's wishes for years. Together with the cyborg mechanic, Cinder, and her allies, Winter might even have the power to launch a revolution and win a war that's been raging for far too long.
Can Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter defeat Levana and find their happily ever afters? Fans will not want to miss this thrilling conclusion to Marissa Meyer's national bestselling Lunar Chronicles series.

My Review:
I originally didn't want to read this book. A new perspective? Again? There were just too many characters and the story was becoming muddled. Also, what I had seen of Winter, the new character, didn't impress me. 

While, I still think it would have been better off without adding more characters, I ended up liked both Winter the character and the book much more than I expected to.

The characters and their interactions were very interesting, especially with all the relationship drama between the various characters. 

The plot was also fun. It was fairly fast-paced and had an obvious direction to it. However, I found that it became repetitive. I think this might have been due to an abundance of characters, but the same scenario would play out multiple things, just with a different set of characters. Winter was the longest book in this series by almost 300 pages, all of which probably could have been cut down. The story was fast-moving and interesting but could have done without the repetition. 

Overall, I'd recommend reading Winter if you liked the other books. I think it was my least-favorite in the series, but it does a good job wrapping the story together in the end. It has a satisfactory ending, even if it is a bit long.

Phrase:
New strain of the plague

If You Liked This Book, You May Also Like:
The Young Elites / The Rose Society
The Selection

If you're looking for a good book, check out my Suggestions Page!

Happy Reading!

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BookshelfSecret

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BookshelfSecret

Hamlet by William Shakespeare 5/5 stars

Hey, guys! In my english class for the past week or so, we have been reading Hamlet. This will just be a very quick review, but I wanted to mention it to you all.

Official Description:

Hamlet is the story of the Prince of Denmark who learns of the death of his father at the hands of his uncle, Claudius. Claudius murders Hamlet's father, his own brother, to take the throne of Denmark and to marry Hamlet's widowed mother. Hamlet is sunk into a state of great despair as a result of discovering the murder of his father and the infidelity of his mother. Hamlet is torn between his great sadness and his desire for the revenge of his father's murder.

My Review:

I loved Hamlet. It was definitely very interesting. I think it is my favorite Shakespeare book to date. (If you've read Shakespeare in the past, Hamlet is more on the Macbeth side than the Twelfth Night side.)

Hamlet has a very compelling plot full of betrayal, love, and hate. It also includes most of the quotes that are iconically Shakespeare. (For example, "to be or not to be")

It is a bit ridiculous at moments and incredibly serious at others, but it was fun to read. Despite being a tragedy, its mood was not too heavy. In fact, it had a few of my new favorite insults/ comebacks in it, which is always enjoyable.

I'm not going to lie and say that it is easy to understand, but it is worthwhile if you want to give it a try! I would recommend that you read or at least watch a production of Hamlet.

Phrase:
"Oh! I am slain" - Hamlet

If You Liked This Book, You May Also Like:
Twelfth Night

If you're looking for a good book, check out my Suggestions Page!

Happy Reading!

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BookshelfSecret

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BookshelfSecret

Cress (Lunar Chronicles #3) by Marissa Meyer 4.5/5 stars

Hey, guys! After reading, Cinder and Scarlet, I had to read the next book in the series. Cress was very similar to Scarlet. If you liked Scarlet, chances are that you'll like Cress, too, so this review will be fairly brief.

The Cover:

The Cover:
It shows Cress (AKA Rapunzel) with her long hair as she is trapped in her satellite. The cover fits this book, but I strongly dislike it. This is the kind of book that you hold flat while reading so no one sees the cover. C- cover.

Official Description:
Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, now with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they're plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and prevent her army from invading Earth.
Their best hope lies with Cress, a girl trapped on a satellite since childhood who's only ever had her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker. Unfortunately, she's being forced to work for Queen Levana, and she's just received orders to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.
When a daring rescue of Cress goes awry, the group is splintered. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a higher price than she'd ever expected. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing prevent her marriage to Emperor Kai, especially the cyborg mechanic. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only hope the world has.

My Review:
Cress picks up right where Scarlet leaves off. However, in this book, there is the added perspective of Cress. In the beginning, I hated this addition. It felt like there were too many characters that each required a unique point of view. However, as the book went on, I started to like her character. Overall, I still think that Marissa Meyer would have been better off sticking to one main character (Cinder), but it ends up working alright, anyway.

As far as characters go, the relationships between characters became much more complex. These relationships were by far the most compelling piece of Cress's story. Even the new relationships, such as Cress's interactions with Thorn, were interesting and fun to read.

The plot was fast-paced and definitely kept me interested. While predictable, it was light, fun, and full of action.

Overall, I would recommend reading Cress if you enjoyed Scarlet. They were very similar in most regards. Cress has a bit more action and some new characters, but it simply continues the story. Cress wasn't perfect. The idea of the story itself feels a little pushed, but it is still enjoyable and well-written.

Phrase:
On the earth dramas...

If You Liked This Book, You May Also Like:
The Young Elites / The Rose Society
The Selection

If you're looking for a good book, check out my Suggestions Page!

Happy Reading!

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BookshelfSecret

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BookshelfSecret

Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles #2) by Marissa Meyer 4.5/5 stars

Hey, guys! I just finished listening to the audiobook for the sequel to Cinder (click here for review). I really enjoyed Scarlet but it wasn't quite as good as Cinder was.

The Cover:

The Cover:
It shows Scarlet (a Little Red Riding Hood character) with her hair floating behind her. Mist covers the background. I like this cover. It is pleasing to look at and just simply well-designed and still links well to the book. A+ cover

Official Description:
Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She’s trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she’ll be the Commonwealth’s most wanted fugitive. 
Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn’t know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother’s whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.

My Review:
In Scarlet, the point of view changes from mainly Cinder's perspective to a split narrative between Cinder and Scarlet. Also, some characters in the first novel, such as Kai and the Doctor, had very small roles and even seemed forgotten about.

That being said, Scarlet was action-packed. Both Scarlet and Cinder's storylines were interesting and had great characters. The new characters all have realistic backstories that wonderfully shape their characters. In fact, many of these new characters became my favorites, despite not being present in the first book.

Overall, I would recommend Scarlet if you have read and enjoyed Cinder, and if you haven't read Cinder yet, I would recommend it, too! The Lunar Chronicles is a fresh and wonderfully feministic version of the Cinderella story. 


Phrase:
Lupine Wannabes

If You Liked This Book, You May Also Like:
The Young Elites / The Rose Society
The Selection
Red Rider's Hood by Neal Shusterman

If you're looking for a good book, check out my Suggestions Page!

Happy Reading!

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BookshelfSecret

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BookshelfSecret

Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare 5/5 stars

Hey, guys! I just finished Twelfth Night for my english class and thought I'd give you guys a quick review!

The Cover:

Official Description:
Set in a topsy-turvy world like a holiday revel, this comedy devises a romantic plot around separated twins, misplaced passions, and mistaken identity. Juxtaposed to it is the satirical story of a self-deluded steward who dreams of becoming “Count Malvolio” only to receive his comeuppance at the hands of the merrymakers he wishes to suppress. The two plots combine to create a farce touched with melancholy, mixed throughout with seductively beautiful explorations on the themes of love and time, and the play ends, not with laughter, but with a clown’s sad song.

My Review:
I really enjoyed Twelfth Night. It was fairly easy to read. The language was complex, but with footnotes, it was pretty simple to understand. It was also really funny. The witty exchanges between characters often had me laughing. 

It is defintitely worth the time to read,which isn't much because it is a play, probably only a few hours worth of reading time. It's fun and creative and has a lot of irony. I'd recommend it, especially if you are looking for a straightforward Shakespeare play.

Phrase:
Yellow stockings

If You Liked This Book, You May Also Like:
The Importance of Being Earnest

If you're looking for a good book, check out my Suggestions Page!

Happy Reading!

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BookshelfSecret

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BookshelfSecret

How to Be a Pirate (How to Train Your Dragon #2) by Cressida Cowell 4/5 stars

Hey, guys! Ever since I read the first book in this series, How to Train Your Dragon, I have had a copy of How To Be a Pirate in my room waiting to be read. That was two or three years ago. Last night, I finally decided to get it out of my to-read pile, and it was pretty good, for a book marketed to elementary school kids.

The Covers:

 

The Covers:
They shows the process of the viking tribe of Berk trying to learn how to be pirates in order to find a great lost treasure. B covers.

Official Description:
Follows the further adventures and misadventures of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III as his Viking training continues and his father leads a stranger and the Hairy Hooligans to the Isle of Skullions in search of a pirate's treasure.

My Review:
How to Be a Pirate way a fun, quick read. It continues the story of How to Train Your Dragon, but could be read as a standalone.
There are some exciting action scenes, lots of humor that would appeal to younger audiences, and likeable characters.
I didn't like it quite as much as I enjoyed the first book, as the plot was less defined. That being said, I'd definitely recommend it for lower school aged kids. It will keep you entertained, for sure!

Phrase:
Left-handed!

If you're looking for a good book, check out my Suggestions Page!

Happy Reading!

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BookshelfSecret

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BookshelfSecret

United as One (Lorien Legacies #7) by Pittacus Lore 4.5/5 stars

Hey, guys!  I finally finished the Lorien Legacies series.  I've been reading this for probably five years at this point and enjoyed its conclusion.

The Cover:

The Cover:
It fits with the rest of the series design wise.  It has the symbol for unity.  It's a fairly simple cover, nothing impressive.  A- cover

Official Description:
The Mogadorians have invaded Earth. Their warships loom over our most populated cities, and no country will risk taking them head on. The Garde are all that stand in the way, but they’ll need an army of their own to win this fight.
They’ve teamed up with the US military, but it might not be enough. The Garde need reinforcements, and they’ve found them in the most unexpected place. Teenagers from across the globe, like John Smith’s best friend, Sam, have developed abilities. So John and the others must get to them before the Mogs, because if they don’t their enemies will use these gifted teens for their own sinister plan.
But after all the Mogadorians have taken from John—his home, his family, his friends, and the person he loves most—he might not want to put any more lives in danger. He’s got nothing left to lose, and he’s just discovered he has been given an incredible new Legacy. Now he can turn himself into the ultimate weapon. So will he risk his life to save the world, or will he realize that power in numbers will save us all?


Review:
United As One was a great conclusion to the Lorien Legacies series.  It was mostly full of fight scenes with the occasional emotional scene between characters we've known for seven books, or even those we've only known from one.  

It starts directly after Fate of Ten.  If you are not familiar with the ending of the last book, I recommend rereading the last few pages before you start United As One.

This book kept me interested, had fun characters, but started getting a bit silly.  It required a bit more of a stretch of the imagination than the previous books required.

If you've read the previous books, I'd definitely recommend continuing and finishing the series.  I'd also recommend the entire series if you have not read it.

Phrase:
Hello, Pittacus

If You Liked This Book, You May Also Like:
Fate of Ten (Lorien Legacies #6)
Human.4
Ender's Game

If you're looking for a good book, check out my Suggestions Page!

Happy Reading!

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BookshelfSecret

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BookshelfSecret

Dexter in the Dark (Dexter #3) by Jeff Lindsay 3/5 stars

Hey, guys!  About six months ago I started reading Dexter in the Dark and put it aside for a few days (which ended up being months) and I've finally finished.  I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as I enjoyed the first two books (Darkly Dreaming Dexter/ Dearly Devoted Dexter) but it was still alright, if slow. I still plan to finish the series.

The Cover:

The Cover:
It shows Dexter... in the dark.  Not much to say about this one.  It's fine but not exciting.  B- cover

Official Description:
In his work as a Miami crime scene investigator, Dexter Morgan is accustomed to seeing evil deeds. . . particularly because, on occasion, he commits them himself. But Dexter's happy existence is turned upside down when he is called to an unusually disturbing crime scene at the university campus. Dexter's Dark Passenger – mastermind of his homicidal prowess – immediately senses something chillingly recognizable and goes into hiding. Dexter is alone for the first time in his life, and he realizes he's being hunted by a truly sinister adversary. Meanwhile he's planning a wedding and trying to learn how to be a stepfather to his fiancé's two kids – who might just have dark tendencies themselves. Macabre, ironic, and wonderfully entertaining, Dexter in the Dark goes deeper into the psyche of one of the freshest protagonists in recent fiction

My Review:
In Dexter in the Dark, Jeff Lindsay starts to focus on the origin of the Dark Passenger, the thing telling Dexter that being a serial killer is a good idea.  Large portions of this book were focused on Dexter's pondering of the origin of the Dark Passenger, which seems more like an alien than anything else.  It got a bit too weird for my tastes in that regard.

The humor continues to be dark, though successfully funny.  The suspense builds nicely, and I really enjoyed the dynamic between Dexter and Rita's kids.  It was fresh and wrong in the way that the Dexter books love to be wrong.  

Overall, if you liked the first two books, this book continues the same trends and was still fun to read, if you are patient enough to get through the parts about the Dark Passenger.  In my opinion, the good and the bad about balanced each other out.  Read it if you want to, but if you stop enjoying it partway through, it doesn't get better.

Phrase:
MLK

If You Liked This Book, You May Also Like:
Darkly Dreaming Dexter/ Dearly Devoted Dexter
The Running Man

If you're looking for a good book, check out my Suggestions Page!

Happy Reading!

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BookshelfSecret

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BookshelfSecret