The Amulet of Samarkand- Jonathan Stroud

Title: The Amulet of Samarkand
Author: Jonathan Stroud
Source: SYNC Download
Series: Yes
Rating: 4/5
















Nathaniel is eleven years old and a magician’s apprentice, learning the traditional arts of magic. All is well until he has a life-changing encounter with Simon Lovelace, a magician of unrivaled ruthlessness and ambition. When Lovelace brutally humiliates Nathaniel in public, Nathaniel decides to speed up his education, teaching himself spells way beyond his years. With revenge on his mind, he masters one of the toughest spells of all and summons Bartimaeus, a five-thousand-year-old djinni, to assist him. But summoning Bartimaeus and controlling him are two different things entirely, and when Nathaniel sends the djinni out to steal Lovelace’s greatest treasure, the Amulet of Samarkand, he finds himself caught up in a whirlwind of magical espionage, murder, and rebellion.
Set in a modern-day London spiced with magicians and mystery, The Amulet of Samarkand is an extraordinary, edge-of-your-seat thriller with many unexpected twists. Following Bartimaeus and Nathaniel in turn, the story introduces us to two wonderfully memorable characters–destined to go through many adventures together and bound by a spell that is nearly impossible to break.


The narration is split between eleven year old Nathaniel who is a magician and a five thousand year old dijinni named Bartimaeus. Nathaniel summons Bartumaeus with revenge in mind and the results are disastrous. As Nathaniel allows his humiliation caused by Simon Lovelace to blind him he steals the amulet of Samarkand and precedes to get himself into a heap of trouble dragging a very irritated Bartimaeus with him.

The story is all about magic. Migicians and other mythical creatures are rempant. The magicians have learned to tolerate the humans. I loved the world Stroud has created with his explanations and his use of magic. The time period is not specified giving the story a mysterous feel to it.

Bartmaeus narration was insightful and he provides most of the information of the world that sourrounds him and also the history of how magicians came to power. Nathaniel was very childish. He was such a talented magaician but he often threw temper tantrums and allowed himself to get eaily frustrated. He was a frustrating character to get used to at times but I enjoyed the bantering that occured between him and Bartimaeus.

I am courious on where this series is going to go and I hope to contine reading it. This is not a book I would have never discovered and enjoyed if it was not for the SYNC free downloads. I am very grateful that I did discover this book and I hope that others will discover and devour this book like I did.

Stacking the Shelves (33)

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

I was good this week and only three books. I did visit the library again but I only picked up my book on hold this time.

Bought New

Glow- Amy Kathleen Ryan ($5.99)
Passing Strange-  Daniel Waters













Borrowed

Shadow and Bone- Leigh Bardugo


















What did you get in your mailbox? Leave a comment below. Happy reading!

Fairest of All- Sarah Mlynowski

Title: Fairest of all
Author: Sarah Mlynowski
Source: Borrowed from the library
Series: Yes
Rating: 5/5















A fresh, modern spin on a classic fairy tale--from bestselling author Sarah Mlynowski! Mirror, mirror, on the basement wall . . . Once upon a time my brother and I were normal kids. The next minute? The mirror in our basement slurped us up and magically transported us inside Snow White's fairy tale. I know it sounds crazy, but it's true. But hey -- we're heroes! We stopped Snow White from eating the poisoned apple. Hooray! Or not. If Snow White doesn't die, she won't get to meet her prince. And then she won't get her happy ending. Oops. Now it's up to us to: Avoid getting poisoned- Sneak into a castle- Fix Snow White's story. And then, fingers crossed, find our way home.

 

This is Mlynowski's first middle grade book and I certainly hope it is not her last.

Abby and her little brother Jonah have been recently moved to Smithville by their parents. Abby is not happy about the move but appears to be making the best of it. One night shortly after moving into their new house Jonah discovers a mirror in the basement while exploring. Abby is finally convinced to see the mirror after he states it is hissing and they are sucked into the fairytale of Snow White.

Jonah and Abby are struggling to find their way home when they stumble across Snow White and save her from eating the poison apple. Good news for Snow White but bad news for the prince she will now never meet. As Abby and Jonas struggle to find a way to fix the fairy tale they also have to figure out how to get home before their parents notice there gone.

This story follows the story of snow white pretty well and talks about both the original fairy tale found in the Brothers Grimm and the Disney version.  I enjoyed how it poked fun at the cheesy parts of the story. Yes Snow White cannot be the brightest girl if she keeps falling for her evil step- mother’s plan to kill her. The author also inserted her own thoughts about what should be added in such as Snow White’s cooking skills and the name of the mirror.

The characters were realistic and fun. The characters that were frustrating got poked fun at and made you love them more.  This is one of the best fairy tales re-telling I have read ever.

This is a super cute, quick read. It’s a perfect light summer read.

Wonderstruck- Brian Selznick

Title: Wonderstruck

Author: Brian Selznick

Source: Borrowed

Series: No

Rating: 4/5

 

From Brian Selznick, the creator of the Caldecott Medal winner THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET, comes another breathtaking tour de force.

Playing with the form he created in his trailblazing debut novel, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, Brian Selznick once again sails into uncharted territory and takes readers on an awe-inspiring journey.

Ben and Rose secretly wish their lives were different. Ben longs for the father he has never known. Rose dreams of a mysterious actress whose life she chronicles in a scrapbook. When Ben discovers a puzzling clue in his mother's room and Rose reads an enticing headline in the newspaper, both children set out alone on desperate quests to find what they are missing.

Set fifty years apart, these two independent stories--Ben's told in words, Rose's in pictures--weave back and forth with mesmerizing symmetry. How they unfold and ultimately intertwine will surprise you, challenge you, and leave you breathless with wonder. Rich, complex, affecting, and beautiful--with over 460 pages of original artwork--Wonderstruck is a stunning achievement from a uniquely gifted artist and visionary.

Wonderstruck is the story of a girl and a boy named Ben who is linked in an unusual way. The children’s lives are set fifty years apart.

The girl’s story is set up through a series of drawings. She follows the life of a young actress and keeps a scrapbook of everything that happens with her.

Ben lives with his aunt and uncle after his mother is killed. He discovers pieces of his mothers past after his mother dies and decides to discover what this means. He hopes the information he discovers will lead him to his estranged father.

The photos are amazing. I lingered on them so I could enjoy them longer. I loved the contrast between the two stories and how they were told.

The ending was bitter sweet. We find how the two main characters are connected but there was also a lot of sadness.

This is a super quick read but one I thoroughly enjoyed. This made me an instant fan of the author and I will be looking for his books in the future.

The Lover's Dictionary- David Levithan

Title: The Lover's Dictionary

Author: David Levithan

Source: Borrowed

Series: No

Rating: 4/5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

basis, n.
There has to be a moment at the beginning when you wonder whether you’re in love with the person or in love with the feeling of love itself.

If the moment doesn’t pass, that’s it—you’re done. And if the moment does pass, it never goes that far. It stands in the distance, ready for whenever you want it back. Sometimes it’s even there when you thought you were searching for something else, like an escape route, or your lover’s face.

How does one talk about love? Do we even have the right words to describe something that can be both utterly mundane and completely transcendent, pulling us out of our everyday lives and making us feel a part of something greater than ourselves? Taking a unique approach to this problem, the nameless narrator of David Levithan’s The Lover’s Dictionary has constructed the story of his relationship as a dictionary. Through these short entries, he provides an intimate window into the great events and quotidian trifles of being within a couple, giving us an indelible and deeply moving portrait of love in our time.

 

The lover’s Dictionary is set up in a dictionary format with entries in alphabetical order. Each entry gives a small look into the lives of the narrator and his lover. The story starts on there first date and displays the struggles they face as a couple. This book is very relatable. The struggles they face are ones all couples face at some point in there relationship. There are sweet moments and also betrayal.

I read this book in one sitting. It only took me about two hours to read. Some of the entries are a few sentences and others are a few pages long. You feel like you know the characters but at the same time you really don’t know much about them at all. We know what is going on inside the narrator’s head when he thinks about his lover but anything else to do with the world around them is minimal.

I absolutely adored this book. I loved how the author set the story and the short but in depth entries drew me in. I was not a fan of the other book I have read from this author but he changed my view in a good way.