Fablehaven: Rise of the Evening Star

This is the 2nd book in the Fablehaven world.
I found it more enjoyable than the first one. I really enjoyed the characters interplay and growth.

The plot twists were mostly a surprise and I did not see them coming.

This book carries on the story of the characters from the first book just a year later. A new summer and new threats and adventures for the magic that is Fablehaven.

The writing style of Mr. Mull is better here, I think he grew with his characters.
The comic relief provided by a tennis court was nicely placed and well done.

If you have read the first then continue with this, if not read the first one then move here.
I look forward to reading the other 3 books set in this world.

Living the Writer's Life

This was a bit different than the usual book on writing. It did not go into detail on creating characters or plot.
It did talk about writers and how very few are successful yet more and more try every year.
Written from a Doctor of  coun­sel­ing psychology point of view was interesting.
I really enjoyed the one liner thoughts from many professionals in the business.

A very honest look at a very competitive and  life
A good read for people wondering if they really want to try writing then wondering why they keep on writing even when there is no hope of success.

Escape from the Carnivale: A Never Land Book

This is a very short book written by the authors right after the first Peter Pan novel.

This is written for a much younger reader (so the authors say)

But I did not find that too much of a bother.

The plot and the wording was aimed toward younger kids but the story was still fun.

Peter i s off the island doing something so this story is about others on the island. This lost some of the magic but still a good story.

If you have not read Peter and the starcatchers then this will confuse you alittle.

There are more in this series that I will read when I have a bit of time to escape and don't want to be bothered by alot of thought process.

Jacob T. Marley

This one started out a bit on the dull side. I was not too thrilled in the first few chapters, but then, it changed. Maybe my spirit changed or my attitude changed, I am not sure. All I know is that by the end I wished it would not and I found a small tear in my eye and a pledge to do better with my life within my heart.

That is high praise for such a small book. But I stand behind it.

The character of Marley has not drawn a lot of attention over the years but the author does a great job of showing us how he became Marley and more important how he influenced Scrooge to become Scrooge.

The first part of the story deals with Marley and his start in life. While it was enjoyable enough the real joy of the book came when he met Scrooge and then grew as Marley's  part in the story we all know so well with the spirits was played out.

The author was able to add this without taking away from the magic of Dickens original writing and it was here I found myself lost in the book. (That has not happened for quite awhile with me and it was a welcome feeling).

The end of the book, where the author talks about Scrooge in later life was treated with respect to the original writer. I appreciate that intent. This too touched my heart and made me want to do better in my dealings with my fellow man.

I highly recommend this to anyone at any time of the year.

Commitment

This was a quick fast and very enjoyable read. Written in the early 80's I believe, it still has material that is important today.

The stories and thoughts were engaging and some with humor.

I really enjoyed the section on how important it is to read good books that are outside of the religious area.

Elder Featherstone has a simple, easy style in speaking and writing. This lended well to the ease with which to read this.

I recommend this book to all.



Kingdom Keeper II Disney at Dawn

This is the 2nd book written for young adults/ Jr high kids I think.

It follows a group of kids who are battling the villains of Disney World to stop them from taking over the parks.

Being a Disney fan this alone was reason to pick up book 1. Since it was a good fun read I went to book 2 and enjoyed it more than book 1.

This time they are spending most of their battle and time in the animal kingdom. The behind the scenes information on how the park runs is worth the read itself. (In my mind at least)

The action was faster and more detailed. The solution not as simple as the first book.

I still think the author could write a bit more grown up. If Harry Potter proved one thing it is that kids can handle deep writing if done well.

While I don;t think this is trying to be another Harry Potter I do see the following happening, if only from the Disney freaks like me.

I would suggest this if you are a Disney fan or if you want a good clean fun quick read. Remember it is written for the younger set but it is still enjoyable if you don't mind that type of book.

6 Events: the Restoration Model for Sloving Problems

This is written by Stephen R Covey. Like all of Covey's books, if you have read one you kind of know what to expect in the others. This is no different. Where it was different was in that he walks you through the idea that you can approach solving your problems the same way God in restoring the Church. A very creative approach and it works.
There are 6 stages you need to go through in order to solve your problem. Covey walks you through them with his stories and examples, most you know if you have read his other stuff but some new ones popped up and were great.

I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to Covey fans and others who need to look at something a bit different for tackling your troubles