Doctor Who: The Shakespeare Notebooks byJustin Richards

"Newly discovered entries and drawings in William Shakespeare’s journals reveal for the first time the astounding relationship between the great Bard and the Doctor.

Since his first adventure in 1963, the Doctor has enjoyed many encounters with William Shakespeare. Now, BBC Books has rediscovered notebooks, long thought lost, compiled by the Bard in which he divulges the influential role the Doctor played in his creative life. Here are the original notes for Hamlet, including a very different appearance by the ghost; early versions of great lines (“To reverse or not to reverse the polarity of the neutron flow”); the true story of how the faeries of A Midsummer Night’s Dream were first imagined; stage directions for plays adjusted to remove references to a mysterious blue box; and much, much more."

I am both a fan of Shakespeare and Doctor Who. So when I received this book for my birthday I was over the moon. Some of my favorite things put into one book! And did I laugh! If you are expecting a serious book than you will be sadly mistaken here. The author combined these two themes together in a great way. 

The book was a quick read, which sometimes is the best way to have these kinds of mash-up books. The only part of the book that I did not like was the "Academic Notes" it seemed to drag on, and I could not follow what Richards was trying to do. over all though I loved the book. 

So if you are a "hardcore/naturalist" Shakespeare lover, than steer clear of this book. But if you like to laugh, like Shakespeare and/or Doctor Who, than by all means pick this book up!

I gave this book a four out of five stars.

The Keys to the Kingdom: Mister Monday by Garth Nix

"Arthur Penhaligon's school year is not off to a good start. On his first day, he suffers an asthma attack while running cross country and dreams that a mysterious figure hands him a key shaped like the minute hand of a clock. However, when he wakes up, he still has the key. That's when strange things begin to happen. Mister Monday dispatches terrifying, dog-faced Fetchers to retrieve it, a bizarre sleeping illness sweeps the city, and only Arthur can see the weird new house that appears in his neighborhood. The seventh grader knows it all has something to do with the key, one of seven elusive fragments of the Will to which he has become heir apparent, and a mysterious atlas. When he ventures inside the house, he meets more strange characters than he could have imagined, none of whom are what they seem. And, of course, he must battle Monday, who will do anything to get the key back. With the help of the key, Arthur must fight his way out."

I am finding it harder to decide what book I should read next, so I have asked my sister to start helping me with my decision making. (AKA just randomly choosing a book for me) This is the first one she chose, and I was impressed. I have been wanting to read this book ever since my friends bought it back when I was close to the age range the book was made for. Now I am wishing I did not put if off for so long.

I liked the premise of the book, and the story line did have potential, but I did not like Nix's writing style. More than once I was wanted more from him descriptively and in dialogue. He also introduced us to characters that would have seemed to play a bigger part in the story than they actually did. One minute they looked as if to become partners in crime than they next they are no where to be seen.

It took be much longer to finish this book than I wanted, and almost gave up on it a couple of times. But I did finish it! This could be a good middle grade book, and hope that if you did like this book, that the series got better as the books went on.
I give this book a one out of five stars.

 P.S. Please remember that these are just my opinions of these books as I am sure that there are others out there that have enjoyed them.

Grim edited by Christine Johnson

"Johnson’s anthology of retold fairy tales, most based on Grimm, should be wildly popular as the 17 authors include such well-known names as Ellen Hopkins, Julie Kagawa, Amanda Hocking, and Malinda Lo. Many authors bring the tone and focus back to the original Grimm tales, and graphic gore abounds. Sometimes the violence feels gratuitous, but often it’s completely appropriate. Rachel Hawkins’ opening story sets Bluebeard in a trailer park, with truly creepy foreshadowing from the heroine’s alcoholic mother. Jon Skovron’s “Raven Princess” has delightful contemporary touches, such as a same-sex giant couple rearing an infant, and a Shrek-like ending. Readers are bound to like some stories more than others, but the diversity of tone and treatment should please most fans of the genre. For many of the authors, the retold fairy tale is something new to their body of work. Hopefully, readers drawn by Ellen Hopkins’ novels on contemporary issues will discover the appeal and relevance of “tales as old as time,” such as Sarah Rees Brennan’s charming treatment of Beauty and the Beast."

If you may have noticed I love fairy tales, and the retelling of them. So as you may guess I really enjoyed this anthology. I have not read many books containing short stories, but after Grim I am going to be keeping my eye out for more of them. The authors that she chose to write did a great job retelling the Grimm fairy tales, so that you could still know which one you were reading. There was only one that was retold, that also happened to not be a fairy tale that the Grimm brothers wrote, Beauty and the beast. I did not mind this though, because it also happens to be my all time favorite fairy tale. 

Now to the stories themselves. While I enjoyed them all there were some that I liked more than others. Each had their own 'darkness' to them, but some did a better retelling them then others. While one story may be very similar to the original, even in the language they used to write it, others changed them so much that it was almost like reading a different story. I am not saying it was a bad thing, but I did need to look up which story they were trying to portray. There were even some stories that the author could easily take and turn it into a full novel if they wanted to , and I would defiantly go out and buy it.

So if you like reading a variety of different writing styles, and romances that are dark and a little twisted in some cases, then defiantly give this a read. I give this a four out of five stars. 

Sweetly by Jackson Pearce

"As a child, Gretchen's twin sister was taken by a witch in the woods. Ever since, Gretchen and her brother, Ansel, have felt the long branches of the witch's forest threatening to make them disappear, too.

Years later, when their stepmother casts Gretchen and Ansel out, they find themselves in sleepy Live Oak, South Carolina. They're invited to stay with Sophia Kelly, a beautiful candy maker who molds sugary magic: coveted treats that create confidence, bravery, and passion.

Life seems idyllic and Gretchen and Ansel gradually forget their haunted past-- until Gretchen meets handsome local outcast Samuel. He tells her the witch isn't gone-- it's lurking in the forest, preying on girls every year after Live Oak's infamous chocolate festival, and looking to make Gretchen it's next victim. Gretchen is determined to stop running and start fighting back. Yet the further she investigates the mystery of what the witch is and how it chooses its victims, the more she wonders who the real monster is.

Gretchen is certain of only one thing: a monster is coming, and it will never go away hungry."

I was so excited to get my hands on this book! I have read Pearce's other book Sister's Red and loved it, and when I saw this one at the local bookstore and I had the money to by it I was so pumped! Pearce has done it again, another retelling of the fairy tale, and does a great job at it. If you did not guess the story she chose to retell was Hansel and Gretel. While the original fairy tale is not one of my favorites, Sweetly has now become one of the books that I will not mind picking up again in the future. 

Again she writes about strong female leads, who have not choice but to save the day. With some help from the brooding town "rebel". She does a great job, not only having the characters fall in love, but also the reader falling in love with the characters. She also shows the love that is among siblings, and the ways that that love is tested. With saying that, it is not all mushy lovey, dovey and is open for many readers.

If you are looking for a read that has mystery, love, monsters, suspense, and action this is a great book for you. I give it a five out of five stars!

Dead is the New Black by Marlene Perez

"Welcome to Nightshade, California—a small town full of secrets. It’s home to the pyschic Giordano sisters, who have a way of getting mixed up in mysteries. During their investigations, they run across everything from pom-pom-shaking vampires to shape-shifting boyfriends to a clue-spewing jukebox. With their psychic powers and some sisterly support, they can crack any case!

Teenage girls are being mysteriously attacked all over town, including at Nightshade High School, where Daisy Giordano is a junior. When Daisy discovers that a vampire may be the culprit, she can’t help but suspect head cheerleader Samantha Devereaux, who returned from summer break with a new “look.” Samantha appears a little . . . well, dead, and all the most popular kids at school are copying her style.
Is looking dead just another fashion trend for Samantha, or is there something more sinister going on? To find out, Daisy joins the cheerleading squad."

I picked this book up as just a quick read, but was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. I like the comedic quality to it. I knew I was reading a young adult book, and it is a very small book but the author did a good job at telling a story, introducing the characters, and ending it in a satisfying way. I easily connected with the main character, Daisy, and completely understood the emotions she was going through. It is the first book in a series, and even thought the book ended on a was that made the book a stand alone, it  also left opportunities for more books. If I come across the others books in the series I may get them, but I probably will not go out and purchase them as a set from a book store or Amazon. If you are looking for a book that you can read in just a few days, that has a little comedic mystery, as well as some supernatural characters, than I recommend this book for you. 

I give this book a three out of five stars.