MAGYK BY ANGIE SAGE

MAGYK

BOOK ONE-SEPTIMUS HEAP

BY ANGIE SAGE

ILLUSTRATIONS BY MARK ZUG

2005

564 PAGES

On a dark and stormy night the seventh son of the seventh son is born to Sarah and Silas Heap. Sadly, the baby boy is pronounced dead by a midwife and whisked away into the night.
That very same night Silas finds an abandoned baby girl in the snow and takes her home. The Heap family raise the girl as their own along with their six sons. Life goes on as normal until Jenna turns ten. Suddenly nothing is as it seems when her real identity is revealed by an Extra Ordinary Wizard named Marcia who now must protect the future queen at all costs. With Darke Magyk and Necromancer DomDaniel hot on their heels they escape into the marshes and hide out. More Magyk ensues as a hunter, DomDaniel's apprentice and an assessin is sent after them. As the story unfolds more long hidden secrets are revealed to Jenna and her family and their future will never be the same again.

Magyk is a book filled with magic(of course) and action at every turn. There are wizards, spells, witches, boggarts and ghosts to fill your fantasy order to the brim. There are several characters with their own view points throughout the story which sets the book up for future books. The story speeds along at a quick pace which is nice because it is a lengthy book, but I never felt like the story was bogged down.

I enjoyed the story even though I'm not a huge "fantasy" fan and I personally have never read Harry Potter(Yes I know, I'm a terrible person and probably should be beaten with a wand) library patrons that have read the Septimus series have compared them to Harry Potter stories.

I recommend this book for ages 10 and up. This book is available for check out at the Salmon Public Library.

At this moment.....

I am right in the middle of son's basketball season which leaves nights packed full of practices and games. I am also indulging in my guilty pleasure-season 2 of Dexter from netflix. Books are piling up and I need to get busy reading!
I'm just finishing up Magik by Angie Sage-I'll be writing a review this weekend on it.
I also purchased used on Amazon -
The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson
"Audrey, Wait!" by Robin Benway
What Happened to Cass McBride? by Gail Giles
After I read and review these I'll donate them to the Salmon Public Library.
We desperately need newer, updated books in our young adult section!
So that's what I'm up to at this moment.

The Magician's Elephant

The Magician's Elephant

By Kate DiCamillo

Illustrations by Yoko Tanaka

2009

201 Pages

Young Adult

From the inside flap:

What if? Why not? Could it be?

When a fortune teller's tent appears in the market square of the city of Baltese, orphan Peter Augustus Duchene knows the questions he needs to ask: Does his sister still live? And if so, how can he find her?

The fortuneteller's mysterious answer(An elephant! An elephant will lead him there!) sets off a chain of events so remarkable, so impossible, that Peter can hardly dare to believe it.

But it is-all of it-true.

In this story we are taken on a journey of hope by Peter as he searches for his long lost sister. Several characters are brought in as the story progresses and each play a small key role in the journey as a whole. Although Peter is the main character, the story is from other view points as well. The policeman, the magician, and the elephant. I loved the author's ability to use a few small descriptive words to give the reader a complete idea of a character in the story. Her words are so perfect and beautiful-the imagination just flows from there. This story just begs to be read out loud. I also enjoyed the beautiful artwork that was done by Yoko Tanaka. His pictures completed the package.

This small quick read leaves a giant impression on your heart. This magical tale is about hope and love and dares you to ask the question -What if?

I recommend this book for readers 10 and up. This book is available for check out from the Salmon Public Library.

A Challenge!

It's good to challenge your self right??

OK here it is-I accept the challenge!

100 book in 2010.

This challenge is hosted by j-kaye-book-blogspot.com

My goal is to read and BLOG every single one.

If only losing 30 pounds was as easy and enjoyable.....

The Movie-Angus,Thongs and Perfect Snogging

Yahoo for Nickelodeon!!!

If you didn't have a chance to catch it Friday night the DVD is also for sale through Barnes and Noble and Amazon.

It was so great! Loved it!!!

The movie is based on Louise Rennison's the first two books in her series about Georgia Nicolson. Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging & On the Bright Side I'm now the Girlfriend of a Sex God

Georgia Groome played Georgia Nicholson perfect! She was everything I imagined in my head about this character. Rent it and watch it with your daughter! It's just laugh out loud funny.

For a little more information about the movie I've included the synopsis on the back of Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging. I dare you not to laugh!

There are six things very wrong with my life:

1. I have one of those under-the-skin spots that will never come to a head but lurk in a red way for the next two years.

2. It is on my nose

3. I have a three-year-old sister who may have peed somewhere in my room.

4. In fourteen days the summer hols will be over and then it will be back to Stalag 14 and Oberfuhrer Frau Simpson and her bunch of sadistic teachers.

5. I am very ugly and need to go into an ugly home.

6. I went to a party dressed as a stuffed olive.

In this wildly funny journal of a year in the life of Georgia Nicolson, British author Louise Rennison has perfectly captured the soaring joys and bottomless angst of being a teenager. In the spirit of Bridget Jones's Diary, this fresh, irreverent, and simply hilarious book will leave you laughing out loud. As Georgia would say, it's "Fabbity fab fab!"

The BEST Books of 2009

It was harder than I thought it would be to narrow "The Best" down to 10 books.


Many books were read in 2009 and not all were blogged about(hence the goal of 2010) but I felt like I needed to choose the blogged ones so that if a title or cover catches your fancy you can scroll back and read the review. Most of these are not new books and in no particular order. So here goes.....

1. Memories of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin
2. Spud by John van de Ruit
3. Thirteen Reasons by Jay Asher
4. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
5. The Absolute True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
6. The Giver by Lois Lowry
7. Looking for Alaska by John Green(and gets my vote for coolest cover)

8. The Ranger's Apprentice-The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan

9. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

10. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

I can't wait to see what 2010 has in store!
Here's to a fabulous year of reading and blogging!

Resolutions for 2010

Am I a pessimist or an optimist?

Am I the kind of person who views the glass as half full or half empty?

Well I sort of think that it depends on the day.....

As I set my goals or resolutions for the year of 2010 I wonder if I am lighting a fire of determination or simply setting myself up for failure?

Hmmmm-stay tuned.

My Goals for 2010-

1. Read 100 Books

2. Write a review for each and every one

3. Be a part of more book challenges

4. Be more of a participator and less of a lurker on other book blogs

5. Work on people skills and poker face(especially while at work)

Happy New Year!