Book Review: The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I finished this book back in July, but forgot to post a review about it. Here are my thoughts: 

There is a reason that this series of books is considered one of the greatest of all time. The Hobbit did not disappoint. It was well written and the story moved you along at a wonderful pace. I enjoyed my first steps into the book version of middle earth. I've seen all of the films, but as always, the book was so much better. I can't wait to continue reading the series.

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Book Review: Nothing But the Truth by Avi

Nothing But the Truth by Avi
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I found this book to be a very interesting look into interpersonal relationships and the effects of people's actions on those relationships. It was interesting to see how the story unfolded for each of the characters as they saw the incident through their own lenses. There were just slight tweaks in the way that they each told the account of what happened and it was amazing to see the ramifications of those tweaks to the story. I'm being vague on the story to not spoil it for anyone. If you are someone that's into psychology or you are just a people watcher by nature, this will be an interesting book for you to read. I gave it three stars because I thought it was well written and I enjoyed the premise, but it's not something I'll pick up and read again.

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Book Review: The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the fact that it was like playing the board game "Clue". I figured out half of the solution before the end of the book. The plot isn't too deep, but I think that adds to the fun of the book. It's a quick read and very fun. I'd recommend this book to anyone that likes a good "who done it" type book. The characters are very likable and the story telling is done in a great way. It's not a five star book for me, but it's pretty close to it. It's definitely worth the read.

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Book Review: The House with the Clock in Its Walls by John Bellairs

The House with a Clock in Its Walls by John Bellairs
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a well written book that was a lot of fun to read. I enjoyed the story line and the characters. The author does a great job of painting scenes in the book. It's got magic, mystery, and suspense. It also deals a little bit with a child new to an area that struggles to fit in. I think this book will appeal to a wide range of audiences. If you haven't seen the movie yet, I'd say read the book first, it's much better!

Overall, I give this book at 4/5

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Book Review: Camino Island by John Grisham

Camino Island by John Grisham
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I've always enjoyed John Grisham's books. This one was no exception. I really enjoyed that one of the main characters was a book store owner. I've always been fascinated with that profession so it was fun to read a book with that being such a central part of the plot. As with all the Grisham books that I have read, this one had a wonderful plot and fantastic characters. I enjoyed the world of Camino Island. I found it very easy to be transported to the cottage, the beach, and Bay books. I found the supporting characters to be fun and colorful. It's just a very well written book and it made me remember why I like to read at least one Grisham book a year. I would highly recommend this book.

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Book Review: The Library at Mount Char

The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was an interesting read for me. I'd never heard of this book and saw it on Reddit via a post there and decided to give it a read. For a book that has so many subplots running through it, it was surprisingly easy to read. I didn't find that I was at any point lost in terms of the story line. Having said that, there were some plot twists that kept me guessing through the whole book. The characters were...eccentric, but very well written. The story is so outlandish, that it's absurd at some places, but hey that makes for a fun read. I would recommend giving this book a read. It flows by really quickly and it's a fun story.

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Book Review: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book has been on my TBR for a long time. Overall, I was fairly happy with it. It was slow in some parts as the plot was developing. I really enjoyed the photographs that were spread throughout the book. I think they added alot to the story.

The characters seem to be well rounded. I'm looking forward to seeing how they develop throughout the other books in this series. I wish there would have been a little bit more about Grandpa at the beginning of the book, but that's just personal preference.

The world building is good in this book. The author takes great care in describing all the places in this book. I didn't have any problems coming up with a mental image for the various settings. This is something that I really enjoy about a well written book.

The plot is developing nicely. I'm interested to see how it's going to be spread out over the entirety of this series. I'm imagining there will have to be some side plots to go along with the main one, but we shall see.

Overall, I give this book 4/5 stars. I think it's a great book for middle grade readers on up. It's a quick read and would be a great one for the month of October as people are looking for spooky books to add to their TBR.

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