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Book Review: Howl’s Moving Castle

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Howl’s Moving Castle
Book #1
by Diana Wynne Jones
read by Jenny Sterlin

My rating: 4 / 5
Genre: Middle grade fantasy

When Sophie attracts the unwanted attention of a powerful witch and is turned into an old woman, she seeks refuge in the moving castle out in the hills, said to belong to the wizard Howl who eats young women’s souls. Sophie’s not afraid of Howl anymore, because she’s not a young woman anymore. There, she meets an odd cast of characters, including one that claims it can return her to her rightful age.

I did not really know what to expect with this book. I can’t even remember for sure why I decided to read it (I have not seen the movie). I think I saw someone mention that the audiobook is really well done, and I’ve at least heard of the movie, so maybe that’s what did it. Whatever the reason, I found the story whimsical and charming, if a bit meandering and odd. I struggled to follow some of it, especially early on, and especially as it related to Sophie’s sisters and the various peripheral characters that had disappeared for one reason or another. That aspect might have been better if I had been reading, rather than listening. And the derogatory way some people would speak to or about Sophie, just because she’s an old woman (so they think) bothered me, especially when some reveals were made later. I also found myself expecting more of an explanation for a particular portal-fantasy-type aspect that comes up later in the book, but none was given. In fact, I wanted more explanations about multiple plot points than I got.

But even though the previous paragraph might make it seem like I didn’t enjoy the book, I really did. For the sheer pleasure I had while listening, I would have liked to give the book 5 stars, but the above paragraph does compel me to lower it to 4. The characters have depth, and I found myself rooting for all of them, even those that aren’t the most heroic (though certainly not the antagonists). And I think therein lies the major draw for me—I’m a character reader, and I loved these characters, so much so that I was really sad to leave this world when the book ended. Jenny Sterlin, the narrator, also had a lot to do with me becoming completely immersed in the world of this story. She makes the different major characters sound just different enough to help their different personalities come through. She’s the kind of narrator that makes me want to go and find other books she’s narrated, even if they’re books I’d never planned to read or even heard of before.

I can’t tell you whether or not you’d like this book if you’ve seen and liked the movie, but for someone who hasn’t seen the movie, if you’re interested in fantasy in a old-England-type setting, I would recommend this book, whether you’re in the age range it’s meant for (young teen and up, maybe?) or not.

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Book Review: Mandie and the Secret Tunnel

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Mandie and the Secret Tunnel
Book #1
by Lois Gladys Leppard

My rating: 4 / 5
Genre: Children’s Christian historical fiction

For complete transparency, I’ll say up front that I read a lot of this series when I was a kid/pre-teen, and I read some of them to my now-teen daughter when she was younger. Nostalgia will hugely affect my reviews for this series, and I have no plans to try to be objective.

Written in the 80s and set in 1900, the book begins with the death of 12-year-old Mandie’s father. Her mother clearly has no love for her and sends her away to work for an equally unkind family that needs help taking care of a baby. But through Uncle Ned, an old friend of her father’s and a Cherokee, Mandie learns of her father’s brother, who she’d never known existed, and with Uncle Ned’s help sets out to find a better life with her uncle (her real uncle, because “Uncle” Ned isn’t really her uncle).

This introduction to Mandie and her heritage is charming. There’s a mystery involving the will of a relative of Mandie’s, and it’s not exactly a deep mystery, but for the age group, I think it’s intriguing enough. Uncle Ned is a comforting presence for both Mandie and me, to be honest, as I seem to recall a feeling that when he’s involved, everything is going to be okay. I’m not a huge fan of Polly, a new friend of Mandie’s in this book, but overall, this is the kind of book where the good people are really good and the bad people are quite (sometimes over-the-top) bad. Not that they’re all villains, but their personalities are pretty sour.

I can’t pretend that this book holds up really well for me as an adult—Mandie’s friend Joe is domineering, and it’s super awkward when Joe and Polly meet and are attracted to each other (these kids are all 12-14, don’t forget). The Christianity presented in this book is shallow at best, maybe even somewhat works-based, which I couldn’t possibly have realized was incorrect as a kid. The preacher who talks at her dad’s funeral and visits her later only scares Mandie, rather than helping her through her difficult time. It’s unfortunate that Mandie doesn’t believe God cares about her until things end up working out well in the end, which is not a great message for kids.

My daughter read the entire series (which is more than I’ve read, but I plan to rectify that) when she was around 10 years old and loved them. Even now, at 15, she remembers them fondly and is planning to re-read them again some time soon. If that isn’t an endorsement, I don’t know what is.

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Book Review: Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer

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Kid Lawyer
Theodore Boone #1
by John Grisham
read by Richard Thomas


My rating: 4 / 5
Genre: Middle grade fiction

Thirteen-year-old Theodore Boone’s parents are both lawyers, which gives him unique insight into the law system in his small town. He spends a lot of time at the courthouse and dreams of being a great trial lawyer someday. When his small town is rocked by a murder, he hates that he has to miss the trial to attend school. Then a classmate brings him some unknown evidence about the murder case, and Theo isn’t sure what to do with the info.

For the most part, this book was absolutely great and I really enjoyed it, though there are some things that I feel could have been done better. I really liked the trial side of the story. It reminded me a lot of David Rosenfelt’s Andy Carpenter series, which I also enjoy. I also liked Theo as a character and the relationship he’s built with various people at the courthouse. And there were a few moments that made me chuckle, especially early in the book. I was listening to the audiobook, and my 15-year-old daughter was nearby when I first started it, and she heard enough at the beginning (including those humorous moments) to decide to add it to her TBR as well. Another thing I appreciated is that Theo realizes the point when he’s in over his head and needs to consider taking what he knows to an adult. The way that all played out, too, I thought was pretty good.

I wish the story had gone a different direction than it did, though. I kept expecting even just a small twist in the plot by the end, but it never happened—maybe in an attempt to be more realistic than thrilling. And it certainly did seem realistic, but maybe throwing in a little more excitement would be good too. I also noted that the narrator (Theo) basically says near the beginning of the book that he doesn’t think of girls romantically at his age, yet he certainly is attracted to one of the women who works at the courthouse, and then there’s the girl in school that he thinks could become his girlfriend…so I guess all he really means is that he doesn’t think of that one girl at the beginning of the book romantically. Either way, it seemed like an unnecessary overall addition to a book with a 13-year-old protagonist.

I happened on this book when I was looking for something quick to listen to while waiting for some holds to come through, and the synopsis sounded interesting. If I had taken the time to read reviews first and see the 3.8 average rating right now on Goodreads, I probably would have passed, but I’m really glad I just dove in, because overall, I really enjoyed it and plan to keep going with the series. Richard Thomas does a great job with the narration, too. Overall, I’d say whether or not a teenager will be interested in this book will depend on what kind of fiction they like—if fast-paced action is important, this probably won’t suit them. If they’re interested in realistic fiction about crime and law and trials, this could be fascinating for them.

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Book Review: How to Train Your Dragon

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How to Train Your Dragon
Book #1
by Cressida Cowell
read by David Tennant

My rating: 4 / 5
Genre: Middle grade fantasy

Though he’s the son of the clan’s chief, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III leaves a lot to be desired as a Viking. When he and the other boys his age are tasked with capturing a young dragon to raise and train, he’s just hoping he doesn’t screw up by not getting any dragon at all.

I’ve actually struggled a lot as I’ve tried to write this review. It’s often difficult to base a book on its own merits if I read a book after watching and enjoying the movie (and in this case, I didn’t even know the book existed when the movie came out), but that has never been more difficult than in this case. The movie is so good and the book is so different, I’ve struggled so much to not compare them and let the book stand on its own. Really, the only similarities are the names of people and places, the inclusion of both Vikings and dragons, Hiccup’s overall character, and the main “antagonist.”

Comparisons aside, I did enjoy the book. I was surprised that dragons in the book are thinking, reasoning creatures, with a language of their own, yet the Vikings capture and tame them like beasts, not bothering to pay any attention to their speech. It’s not something you’d probably want to think too hard about, though I did like the way it plays out in the book. I kept expecting the story to go different ways than it did (which could have been because of the movie, but I also think it’s because I’m used to how books, especially for this age group, tend to go), but it’s a charming story in the end, and Toothless grew on me too.

If you love the movie and are looking for a book like that, I don’t recommend you read this book. If you love David Tennant (or even if you don’t) and want to hear him do a brilliant job narrating a fun kids’ book, definitely consider listening to the audiobook. Overall, I’d say don’t let hearing that it’s not like the movie keep you from reading it, if you’re interested.

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Book Review: Bark of Night

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Bark of Night
Andy Carpenter #19
by David Rosenfelt
read by Grover Gardner

My rating: 4.5 / 5
Genre: Mystery

When a dog whose owner was recently murdered is brought to a vet by a man who pays to have it euthanized, Andy Carpenter is suspicious. Someone has been arrested for the murder, and it wasn’t the man who brought a perfectly healthy dog to the vet to be put down. So he once again dusts off his defense attorney skills and assembles the team for another case.

This was a great installment in the series, with a little bit of a different take on the formula I always enjoy. The story this time is more focused on the investigation than the trial, allowing the different facets of the crime more room to breathe. It was a little complex, but it didn’t feel as convoluted as others have, and I think that’s because Rosenfelt expanded on it enough to keep that from happening. I always enjoy the inclusion of Andy’s team, and this time, we get to see the softer side of Marcus, which is fun. Overall, I felt like it was one of the stronger books in an overall great series! I especially recommend the audiobook, as Grover Gardner was clearly made to voice Andy Carpenter and brings his wit and sarcasm to life as wonderfully as ever.

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Book Review: The Daughter of Rome

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The Daughter of Rome
The Emissaries #3
by Angela Hunt

My rating: 4 / 5
Genre: Biblical fiction

Spoiler notice: This book will contain some mild spoilers from the previous two books in the series, The Woman from Lydia and The Sisters of Corinth.

Under Nero’s reign, Calandra helps her sculptor father create a piece for a very important Roman, who then commissions him for something greater. Meanwhile, that important Roman’s son Hadrian is tasked with visiting the imprisoned Christians regularly to make sure they’re not trying to cause a revolt. But when a fire sweeps through Rome and destroys more than half of the city, leaving many dead and others homeless, Nero places the blame on the Christians, despite their hospitality to the hurting and displaced. With friends amongst this persecuted group, both Calandra and Hadrian struggle to understand why Romans are so quick to accept this explanation.

I was expecting something quite different from this book, given the way the previous one ended. I knew there would be a new main character, but I thought we’d see more of the characters from the previous book, and I particularly thought we’d get more of a follow-up to the previous book’s main character’s sister, who ended on such a tragic note. Though Mariana and Marcus, as well as Euodia and Ariston from the first book, do appear in this book, they have pretty small parts. However, Calandra’s and Hadrian’s stories are engaging in their own rights. The explanation of how sculptures are crafted, especially large bronze sculptures, was fascinating (though eventually I did start to skim some of the details). Hunt’s author’s note puts some of that into perspective, but I really appreciate her research and her way of weaving it into a captivating story. And speaking of that, there are so many other historical elements that Hunt brings to play in this book, from speculation that Nero started or at least allowed the fire in order to make more space for his palace, political unrest in Rome, and specific well-known early church founders that are generally believed to have died in Rome during this time of persecution.

Hunt’s descriptions of the various deaths during the fire and the persecutions are vivid enough to bring them to life. Though let that be a warning to those who would struggle with the violence and bloodshed. Both of these sections of the book had me in tears, and the latter (the persecutions) left me thinking of how much I complain about petty things in my life, when I have it so very much better than many others even around the world now, who are persecuted for the very God that I am free to worship every day. It really puts things into perspective.

However, I feel like there is a pacing issue here. After the persecution, the story kind of takes a bit of a drop-off, and I don’t feel like it ever really comes back. More of interest does happen, but it feels like a really long conclusion after a climax, even though I’m sure it wasn’t intended to be the climax. Still, the story overall kept me hooked throughout, partly because, unlike the main characters in the previous two books, Calandra is not a Christ-follower at the start of this book, so I appreciated her arc. A few major moments happened near the end of the book that may have felt just a little too convenient, but really, when taking in the larger story, they actually make a lot of sense. And I would have been really disappointed without them.

Calandra’s POV is first-person and Hadrian’s is third-person. I’ve never been a huge fan of that kind of back-and-forth, but on top of that, there was at least once that I noted that Hadrian’s slipped into first-person for a line or two. It was a little jarring. In general, this book was my least favorite of the series, but I still highly enjoyed it, and I recommend both it and the series for those who like biblical fiction, especially from the time after Christ. The books could possibly be read out of order, but I think you’d lose a lot of the richness of the full story doing that.

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Book Review: Death on the Nile

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Death on the Nile
Hercule Poirot #18
by Agatha Christie
read by Kenneth Branagh

My rating: 4.5 / 5
Genre: Classic mystery

I really enjoyed this Poirot novel; I think it was actually one of my favorites. Of course, part of that might be the fact that I actually pegged the bad guy for once. I may have come up with alternate theories a time or two, but that’s just because Christie still does well with the obfuscation. I even correctly guessed the why, but not exactly the how. I also really liked it when Poirot is involved from the start, rather than coming in halfway through the book. And when he has someone else to work with, even if it’s not Hastings. The setting in Egypt doesn’t really play into the story as much as one might think, since most of the story takes place on a boat, though that aspect does provide some interesting aspects to the plot and mystery. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Kenneth Branagh, which was unsurprisingly really good. I did struggle a little to understand his Poirot accent early on, but it seemed to even out as I went. Overall, this was a great addition to the series.

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Book Review: Al Capone Throws Me a Curve

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Al Capone Throws Me a Curve
Tales from Alcatraz #4
by Gennifer Choldenko

My rating: 4.5 / 5
Genre: Middle grade historical fiction

Thirteen-year-old Moose Flanagan’s dad is the assistant-warden on the island of Alcatraz, but even living amongst some of the most infamous criminals in the world isn’t enough to get Moose and his friend Scout onto the high school baseball team as freshmen. He has all summer to try to figure out how to please the team’s captain, but it won’t be easy. Meanwhile, there are rumors that the convicts are going to strike and that Moose’s father might become even more of a target.

The series finishes strong, with another compelling story and the title coming into play in a way I didn’t expect. I was glad that the awkward teen-romance triangle between Moose, Piper, and Annie was non-existent in this book, because Annie was gone for the summer. Though on the other hand, Scout was a bit annoying to me this time with his insistence on Moose pandering to the captain of the baseball team in ways that would be dangerous at best. There was one particular aspect in this book involving a signed baseball that felt a little weak—the baseball was a factual item, but its use in the story didn’t really work for me.

The climax of this book is full of excitement. As I’ve said before, one of the things I love about this series is that it doesn’t pander to the young audience for which it’s intended. The stakes are high, the danger is real (not just physical danger, but the danger of Moose’s dad losing his job during the Great Depression), and Moose has to make some truly impossible choices. He is a true hero in many ways in this book, and I really liked how everything came out in the end. I also found it interesting that Al Capone, who has been sort of idolized by most of the kids throughout the series, is brought down off his pedestal, at least for Moose, in this book. And I again enjoyed reading the author’s notes at the end of this book. I applaud Choldenko’s research and inclusion of history in this series. I recommend the whole series (but start at the beginning!) for pre-teens and young teens, as well as any adults who enjoy younger-audience books.

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Book Review: Mystery Ranch

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Mystery Ranch
The Boxcar Children #4
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
Read by Aimee Lilly

My rating: 2 / 5
Genre: Children’s classic

This one really left me scratching my head. The mean, old aunt is instantly won over by the too-perfect kids, and apparently minors were able to own property in the time this was written, without needing an adult to be the trustee or anything like that. When the aunt talked about some men trying to get her to sell her ranch to them, it started to feel like a Nancy Drew story, but it resolved far too quickly and easily. In fact, though I didn’t compare the length of this to the previous stories, it felt super short in general. Also, the narrator for this book was even less enjoyable than the previous, who I already didn’t care for. Maybe if I had a young child to read these with and discuss the good and bad, it would be worth continuing with the series, but I don’t really have any motivation to do so.

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Book Review: Deck the Hounds

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Deck the Hounds
Andy Carpenter #18
by David Rosenfelt
read by Grover Gardner

My rating: 3.5 / 5
Genre: Mystery

When a homeless man is attacked and his dog bites the attacker, the dog is quarantined and the man is heartbroken. Andy Carpenter’s family insist that he offer the man some help, since, after all, it’s Christmas! Things take a turn when the man is arrested for murder, putting reluctant defense attorney Andy in the position of having to decide whether to represent him or not.

This was a sort of middle-of-the-road read for me, in the context of the rest of the series. It didn’t stand out in any way as better or worse than average. Of course, since this series is a comfort read/listen for me, “average” is still plenty enjoyable. The ending seemed a little harder to follow than usual, and I kinda kept waiting for a little more to come out. There was one plot arc that seemed to be unrelated to the case, but I saw its connection coming pretty much the whole time, though not every detail. Of course, I have the benefit of knowing that this is a fictional story, so the author isn’t going to include something that won’t eventually factor into the main plot. Overall, though I wouldn’t necessarily recommend starting the series here, I do recommend this book for fans of mysteries and court dramas. And if you’re an audiobook listener, definitely consider going that route for this book/series, since Grover Gardner is always great at bringing Andy’s wit and sarcasm to life.

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