As you like it

Notes in act one

The first scene is a little awkward, but then I remember why I love this Play so much. The plot goes quickly, and is tons of fun. It makes total sense that the girls would fall for a hunky wrestler. That's exactly what happened when I was in high school!

Notes on act two

This is just a pile of skits about love and how to get a girls attention. They're great. At first, I was scared of the lovelorn shepherds because of my experience with Don Quixote. No fear, though. Shakespeare's to crafty for that cliché, and the whole play is riddled with a worldly and self referential wisdom.

Notes in act three

I am reading this book compulsively, like it's a murder mystery or something, and I really need to know who the killer is. The play gets a bit more racy in this act. The comic relief character calls his girlfriend a slut, and the whole play starts to turn into a series of jokes about cuckoldry. Still, it's pretty classy considering that the subject matter is a bunch of young people yearning for each other. Also, I'm really enjoying Shakespeare's insight into the friend zone.

Notes on act four:

This is where the gold really is. Rosalind is at her height well she plays with both Orlando and the shepherds. I read this compulsively. I couldn't put it down. I felt like I was racing to the end to find out who the murderer was, but there was no Mystery-just monkeyshines.

Notes on act five:

I mostly love this act. I love how the Roman god of marriage shows up at the end-that's hilarious. Shakespeare had to know he was being kind of ridiculous and he obviously didn't care. I feel a little bad for phoebe, though.

Farenheit 451

Fin Vieh

FAHRENHEIT

What would the world be like if no one knew anything but garbage that they saw on TV? Ray Bradbury does a good job of writing the story in 3^rd person through Montag, the main character. He painted a picture of a world that you were not allowed to have knowledge. I wish the ending of the book had more detail about what happened when they go back to the city and try and help. It was a harder to understand book like The Giver, I liked it more. I would recommend this book to some who likes books about the government controlling your life.

Call of the Wild

     Amazon Link

The Wild is pretty scary tbh – Will Roberts

Pitty pat there goes the rat which scared the bat.  Ok so I read call of the wild and it was a very action filled book with many mysteries. The author always keep you thinking about what will happen next and what’s going on at the current problem.  He was very good at making you think about every detail.  If I was the author I would of added more detail for the character as the days were going on.  This book has more adventures and action to it people who like action and mystery books

Killer Species #2: Feeding Frenzy

Killer Species #2: Feeding Frenzy by Michael P. Spradlin
(AKA "That Moray-Cuda Book")
Release Date: Oct. 29, 2013

Amazon Listing
Goodreads Page

This review describes an uncorrected proof. The published version may be different, but maybe not different enough for my brother.

My brother read this book. Read these comments and share in his misery.

Once upon a time, there was a film company called AIP. When they made a movie, they started by picking a title that would get the kids excited. Next, the developed a flashy poster to sell tickets. Last, they came up with an actual movie to match the title and the cover-art that had already been chosen. This book was probably made the same way.


This feels like an artificial project for the purpose of taking money from anyone who's a sucker for a cool cover/title combo. The plot concerns a mad scientist who decides to restore ecological balance by unleashing custom-made genetic horrors. He is stopped by a group of meddling kids and their positive but oddly incompetent adult chaperones. It's like Scooby Doo, but they don't have a dog. Oh, wait, they do...

I think it's targeted at children who are just old enough to not demand pictures in their books. If I had read this book as a thirteen year old, I would have felt patronized. The book doesn't give the reader credit for any intelligence at all. The characterization and plot are strictly by-the-numbers. There wasn't much that was technically unsound, but it was very bland. The only bit of complexity that I can give it credit for is that while the book is mostly about mankind wrecking the planet, characters who go over to eco-terrorism look like jerks. At least they're introducing some political subtlety there.

Even though this is a tiny book, much of it is actually padding. The page count gets filled out by unnecessary recaps of the first book, "bonus" chapters of the next book, and artist's renderings of the Moray-Cuda.

This book is a placeholder. They needed a book with an evil fish on the cover. A certain number of kids will get conned into buying it based on appearance. Next month, they'll probably shovel on a different terrible book with an evil creature on the cover, and a new generation of wide-eyed youth will get bamboozled by a cynical publishing industry.

I would recommend this book for eco-fanatics who care more for brainwashing their children than quality reading. Really, though, I wouldn't suggest it to anyone.

Maybe you just don't care if it's cheesy. You can go get a copy at The Blue Manatee or your nearest independent bookseller.

Dog Songs by Mary Oliver
Release Date: October 8, 2013

Amazon Page
Goodreads entry 

This review describes an uncorrected proof. The published version may be different.

My student, Cam, read this book. Here's what he thought: 

Dog songs is a poem book about dogs. Dog songs was an amazing book. I read it because I love dogs and because I’ve never read a dog poem book. I recommend this book to anybody who loves dogs and likes poems. This is the first book I’ve ever read by Mary Oliver. In my opinion, I’d give this book a rating of 9. I really liked this book and I might read more books by Mary Oliver.

To see my review of this book, check out the first review in the history of this blog!

The Jupiter Pirates by Jason Fry

The Jupiter Pirates by Jason Fry
Release Date: December 23

Amazon Listing 
Goodreads Page 

This review describes an uncorrected proof. The published version may be different.

Kylee detected clichés in this book. Read her comments and cringe:

Have you ever read a book about ships and aliens in space? Do you want to read another? The first 10-20 you have read before have been pretty okay, so this one should be just as good right? If you have been thinking yes to these questions, then forget this review and go get the book. You will love this “wholly original saga” about this “Galaxy on the brink of war” and this “one unforgettable family caught in the middle of it.”

First, I would like to point out I didn’t finish it. I got to page 31 and was just done with it. Is Harper-Collins the one lacking creativity, or is that you, Mr. Fry? Really, you think that we need ANOTHER humans, aliens, spaceship, Star wars, Independents day, one boy that can save them all book?

I do like the way you have the mom think they are more civilized and law abiding and then the dad knows they are bloody pirates and scoundrels. But the way you put it in there it just makes it contradicts itself. You don’t tell us a lot about what’s happening or who the main character is. I know sometimes it’s better to just put a character in a problem and see how they deal with it so the reader can learn about them. But after it was done, I didn’t really know anything more about the characters than when I started.

I don’t recommend this book to any one.

-Kylee

Goodbye Rebel Blue by Shelley Coriell

Goodbye Rebel Blue by Shelley Coriell
Release Date: October 1

Amazon Listing
Goodreads Page

This review describes an uncorrected proof. The published version may be different.

My wife read this book. Here's what she said:

It's not every day that you hear about a teenager dying, and another girl choosing to complete her bucket list. Some teenagers just don't fit in with everyone else. This book is written for the ones who don't even want to fit in.

Shelley Coriell protrays the inner thoughts of the main character realistically. The main character begins her journey with as a selfish, self-centered teenager. She was really just mean and sarcastic, and it made me want to stop reading. Then, about 1/3 of the way through, I realized that Coriell set it up on purpose so that Rebel could redefine herself and learn more about herself as she fulfilled her classmate's bucket list.


I was especially put off that Rebel doesn't stop and think about death at the beginning of the book. She doesn't stop thinking about herself, even when she goes to the other girl's funeral. Most books have a flawed character with a few traits that are likeable, but in this book, there was nothing enjoyable about her until 1/3 of the way through the book. It felt like parts of the book dragged while I was waiting for Rebel to grow up.

I recommend this book to teenagers who want to see a character's inner thoughts and the changes they go through. There's also a heavy dose of romance that keeps the book interesting. Enjoy!

Get your copy from The Blue Manatee or your nearest independent bookseller!