The Inquisitor's Apprentice

The Inquisitor's Apprentice by Chris Moriarty

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received my copy thru Firstread and I appreciate getting the opportunity to review it.

This was such a fun read! Sacha is a Jewish boy living in a New York where magic is the norm and he has discovered that he can see magic. Recruited by the police department that works against magical crime he finds himself embroiled in a mystery that could result in his demise or worse. This book is full of interesting characters, fun history and unusual sci-fiction. It definitely draws you in from the begining and keeps you hanging on every word. The ending definitely leaves room for a sequel and I certainly hope that there is one.



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Galileo's Daughter

Galileo's Daughter: A Historical Memoir of Science, Faith, and Love by Dava Sobel

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I appreciate Firstread for giving me the opportunity to review this novel.



I'm being generous round this rating up to 4 stars. I would more likely give this one 3.5 stars but because it was so well written I rounded up. This is a memoir of the life of not only Galileo's daughter but of Galileo himself. It actually told more about his life and his work than about that of his daughter. Both of his daughters were placed in convents at an early age. Maria Celeste was his favored child. She found her place there and was at home whereas Arcangela was withdrawn and there was no correspondence between her and her father. Maria Celeste usually included information about her sister when she wrote her father.



This book would appeal to anyone interested in this period of history. Its very easy to read, as it flows very well. And it contains so much information about the way of life during this time as well as the papal politics. It also covers Galileo's research and accomplishments as well as his personal history. We also learn about life in the convents at the time as Maria Celest was there from an early age. All in all a very interesting read, but as history is not my genra of choice, I'm not sorry I read this but not likely to revisit it.



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The Serpent's Tale

The Serpent's Tale by Ariana Franklin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is the second book in the Mistress of the Art of Death series. Once again Adelia is called in by the King to find out who is guilty of murder. She finds herself snowed in at a convent along with the murderer as well as the Queen of England and the bodies are stacking up. This murder mystery is full of twists and turns and alot of subtlty that is easily overlooked. And even tho this is the second book in this series it can be read without reading the first one as Adelia's history is explained along the way. Its easy to feel for Adelia as she has to do her work without anybody knowing lest she be called a witch and burned at the stake. All in all a very good read. Anybody that likes a good mystery will enjoy this one.



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Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I loved this book. I thought that it was such a fun read. It definitely started out really creepy at first and as the story progressed these mysteries unfolded in unusual ways. In most books with photos or artwork, the artwork/photos are used to enhance the story. In this book it felt as if the author had used the collection of old photos to weave the story. Admitedly, the peculiar children do have an x-men like quality to them but despite that they are very endearing and certainly keep things interesting. The ending left alot of unanswered questions. I hope the author decides to do a sequel because I would love to know how their adventure continued.



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My Dyslexia by Philip Schultz

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is an interesting look into the life of a dyslexic. Philip Schultz talks about his life as he was growing up as a child with an undiagnosed learning disability. He described how it felt to be bullied and made fun of by other students because of his inability to learn to read. And he described his determination to learn to cope and overcome his dyslexia. It was interesting to me to learn that how much more there is to dyslexia besides difficulty reading such as difficulty telling time on an anaolog clock, doing math, or following directions. As a mother of a dyslexic child I found it interesting viewing life from this perspective. It definitely gives a glimpse into their view of life and the difficulties they have to deal with. I would recommend this book for anyone that has a loved one with a learning disability.



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Sebastian the Great by Scylar Tyberius

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is a coming of age story of an unbelievably perfect boy who discovers as a teen that he is gay and falls in love with a boy who has just moved to the area. We see the inner struggles that he goes thru when he is still trying to admit it to himself and to the boy he is in love with. You also see the reaction of those he later comes out to. Some, those that are closest to him, are very accepting and others not so much. And some are very aggressive and angry as if its their business who he's in love with. Its very easy to get pulled into their teen drama as well as the very grown up struggles of bigotry and ignorance of some of those he comes into contact with.



With that being said Sebastian had the feel of being too good to be true. I understand the reasoning for this but at the same time some of his abilities went far beyond the norm. And there was a scene early on when one of his friends committed suicide that I thought was lacking. More should have occured there, no once called the police or ambulance but I won't elaborate due to spoilers.



Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It gives a good look into the feelings someone goes thru when they are exploring their sexuality and finding out its not what they anticipated. Ian kept saying "Why can't I be normal?" but really what is normal for one is not someone elses normal and he comes to understand this. Ian also finds out he has alot of obstacles and there are alot of haters in the world, luckily he has an equally wonderful support system which makes a huge difference. Many aren't so lucky.



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The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


As with all the other books I've read by Sarah Addison Allen I really enjoyed this one. Its easy to get caught up in the lives of these three women because at some time or another we've probably been where they are. Josey with her overbearing mother, Chloe with her broken heart, and Della Lee running from ourselves and our life. There is magic surrounding all three, especially Della Lee. I thought it was pretty apparent what was going on with her in the begining but it still added spice to the story. Josey, even though she is 27, she still has alot of growing up to do. And its hard finding out that those we love and idolize have flaws and faults just like everybody else. All in all, I found this to be a fun read that draws you in quick and is hard to put down.



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