Bookshelf of Book Reviews

The Neddiad: How Neddie Took the Train, Went to Hollywood, and Saved Civilization  From Amazon: "T he old powers try to come back, and the planet is plunged into chaos, and civilization is destroyed, and it gets all violent and evil...the old legends tell that a hero...with the sacred turtle, always... Los Angeles, California. Neddie Wentworthstein is the guy with the turtle. Sandor Eucalyptus is the guy with the jellybean. Sholmos Bunyip wants the turtle...and he'll stop at nothing to get it." Despite that rather badly written summary (I felt I had to include it to uphold tradition), The Neddiad is hysterically funny, incredibly unique, and unbelievably clever. The main thing you will learn from this book is that smart people are more entertaining. Daniel Pinkwater doesn't come across as a snooty intellectual, but it's very clear that he's really smart, because pretty much every sentence is a masterwork  of comic genius. This book is good in p...

For today's post I decided to do something a little different and share some old book descriptions. I've read quite a few books from the 1800s and the early 1900s and I'm a big fan of Project Gutenberg's free Kindle versions of  books in the public domain (gutenberg.org). These versions include the entire original text of the book, including any advertisements or book descriptions, some of which are unintentionally hilarious. Here are three of my favorites: The Bunny Brown Series By Laura Lee Hope "These stories by the author of the 'Bobbsey Twins' Books are eagerly welcomed by the little folks from about five to ten years of age. Their eyes fairly dance with delight at the lively doings of inquisitive little Bunny Brown and his cunning, trustful sister Sue.  Bunny was a lively little boy, very inquisitive. When he did anything, Sue followed his leadership. They had many adventures, some comical in the extreme." (Comical in the extreme- that's...

From Goodreads: " Gerald is careful. Piggie is not. Piggie cannot help smiling. Gerald can. Gerald worries so that Piggie does not have to. Gerald and Piggie are best friends. In I Am Invited to a Party! Piggie is invited to her first party. She doesn't know what to wear, though, so she asks her best friend Elephant for help. Elephant's advice is odd to say the least...." My love of books began when I was tiny, and picture books hold a special place in my heart. I'm also the oldest child in my family, so I've been able to keep up on the latest and best picture books throughout the years. Mo Willem's Elephant and Piggie series is quite simply outstanding. I am Invited to a Party is my favorite. The simple and expressive drawings pair perfectly with the sparse and witty dialogue.  The plot is simple but relatable- haven't you ever been to a party and not known quite what to wear? Elephant and Piggie solve the problem in a hilarious way, but you...

From Goodreads: " Delve into the magical, unforgettable world of James Herriot, the world's most beloved veterinarian, and his menagerie of heartwarming, funny, and tragic animal patients... In All Creatures Great and Small , we meet the young Herriot as he takes up his calling and discovers that the realities of veterinary practice in rural Yorkshire are very different from the sterile setting of veterinary school. Some visits are heart-wrenchingly difficult, such as one to an old man in the village whose very ill dog is his only friend and companion, some are lighthearted and fun, such as Herriot's periodic visits to the overfed and pampered Pekinese Tricki Woo who throws parties and has his own stationery, and yet others are inspirational and enlightening, such as Herriot's recollections of poor farmers who will scrape their meager earnings together to be able to get proper care for their working animals. From seeing to his patients in the depths of...

This fall I'm going to be posting on this blog more regularly and sharing it more widely, so I thought I'd start out my blog reboot by telling you a little about myself. My name is Rachel Duncan. I come from a big, crazy family; my siblings are my favorite people in the whole world. I'm studying Social Media Marketing at LDS Business College and I'm loving every minute of it. I love Star Wars and Phineas and Ferb and the Killers and so many other books and movies and TV shows and bands. There's just so much good in the world. I'm a proud member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (to learn more, visit mormon.org). You can follow me on twitter (@conniedear7) or Instagram (also @conniedear7) and I'd be especially happy if you followed me on my very favorite social media platform, Pinterest (@conniedear). I started this blog because ever since I was very little I've loved books. I've been a voracious reader since I was five years ol...