Completely Full Bookshelf

Update (4/2/2022): I typically participate in blogging groups that review kids’ books, but sometimes, I do end up reading adult books like this one. In the past, I have typically labeled those books as MG or YA when I review them, primarily because I still want my typically blogging audiences to see them! However, this has become confusing, so I have decided to re-label these books as adult books, while leaving the reviews in their original format. Thank you for your consideration! I'm back from my vacation, and this week, I have a Classic Critique for MMGM of Watership Down  by Richard Adams. This famous novel tells the story of a group of rabbits that are forced to evacuate their warren and find a new home in a human-dominated world. Pros: The plot is exciting.  If you've already read Watership Down , you know that the rabbits' search for a new warren to live in is a long one. After learning that a potential disaster will likely befall his existing warren, the le...

I don't think I've ever reviewed the sequel to a book the week after I reviewed the first book, but I enjoyed Awkward  by Svetlana Chmakova so much (see my review here ) that I had to recommend its sequel, Brave , this very week! The main character of Brave  (a graphic novel, like Awkward ) is Jensen Graham, who was a minor character (mainly serving comic relief) in Awkward . Jensen sees each school day as a series of obstacles that he has to overcome before getting to attend art club (the same art club that played a major role in the previous book). These obstacles include math class, taught by a teacher who is mostly unsympathetic to Jensen's struggles in the subject, and constant bullying, usually due to Jensen's weight or obsession with preparing for the apocalypse (be it due to zombies or, as he was worried about in Awkward , sunspots). Art club starts to become unpleasant as well, as some of his fellow club members start to exclude and make fun of him at ev...

For MMGM, I am recommending Awkward  by Svetlana Chmakova. The protagonist of Awkward  (a graphic novel) is Penelope Torres (also known as Peppi). Her life at middle school is okay, with her having friends and being part of her school's art club (which constantly fights with the science club). However, on her first day at school, when she dropped all of her things and a shy kid from the science club named Jaime tried to help her, kids in the hall made fun of her, prompting her to shove Jaime away and run off. Her constant guilt at doing so makes her feel miserable and try to avoid Jaime at all costs, but when he becomes her science tutor, Penelope and Jaime start to become friends. As the art club and science club are pitted against each other in a competition, Penelope has to balance working with fellow club member Maribella to print the club's comics in the school newspaper, keeping her still-amiable friendship with Jaime hidden from the other club members, and worryi...

For MMGM, I am recommending Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth  by E. L. Konigsburg. Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth  is, as described in the title, narrated by a girl named Elizabeth. Her family has just moved to a new town, which she does not particularly like, and she is further irked by a mean yet popular girl named Cynthia. However, Elizabeth ends up befriending a girl named Jennifer. Jennifer tells Elizabeth that she is a witch, and she appoints Elizabeth as her "apprentice witch." At first, both girls have fun together, with Elizabeth following Jennifer as she chants, performs rituals, and talks about the books she has read on witchcraft (quite many, as she is an extremely prolific reader). However, Jennifer's controlling behavior and somewhat rude demeanor ends up leading to conflict between the two girls. The novel's author, E. L. Konigsburg, won the Newbery Honor for this book the same year ...