How the Penguins Saved Veronica by Hazel Prior

 How the Penguins Saved Veronica by Hazel Prior - 333 pages

A curmudgeonly but charming old woman, her estranged grandson, and a colony of penguins proves it's never too late to be the person you want to be.

Eighty-five-year-old Veronica McCreedy is estranged from her family and wants to find a worthwhile cause to leave her fortune to. When she sees a documentary about penguins being studied in Antarctica, she tells the scientists she’s coming to visit—and won’t take no for an answer. Shortly after arriving, she convinces the reluctant team to rescue an orphaned baby penguin. He becomes part of life at the base, and Veronica's closed heart starts to open. 

Her grandson, Patrick, comes to Antarctica to make one last attempt to get to know his grandmother. Together, Veronica, Patrick, and even the scientists learn what family, love, and connection are all about.

Ghost Diary, v. 1-3 by Seiju Natsumego

Ghost Diary, v. 1 by Seiju Natsumego - 180 pages
Ghost Diary, v. 2 by Seiju Natsumego - 180 pages
Ghost Diary, v. 3 by Seiju Natsumego - 180 pages

Sukami is desperate to find his older sister Hanaichi who disappeared while out on an exorcism job.  When he meets Chloe, a grim reaper who claims to be Haniachi's friend, they work together to complete the Ghost Diary, recover Chloe's memories, and find Hanaichi.

I am not really sure if I liked this series or not.  The characters were interesting.  However, the ending seemed rushed.  I also did not care for the direction the story took.  Although it was set up from the beginning I found some of the character motivations very disturbing.

A Red Heart of Memories by Nina Kiriki Hoffman

A Red Heart of Memories by Nina Kirki Hoffman - 329 pages

Even though Matt can talk to inanimate object, she is surprised when a cemetery wall starts to move and a man walks out of it.  That is how she meets Edmund, who is a witch following Spirit to help others.  Now Matt must help Edmund reconcile the parts of himself to discover what happened to cause Edmund to forget an event that changed his life.

This was an interesting book. I picked it up because it had a color in the title for this month's reading challenge.  However, it had one of the more unusual set-ups for a story that I've read.  I'm looking forward to continuing to read Matt and Edmund's story in the sequel.

QQ Sweeper, v. 2-3 by Kyousuke Motomi

QQ Sweeper, v. 2 by Kyousuke Motomi - 192 pages
QQ Sweeper, v. 3 by Kyousuke Motomi - 192 pages

These two volumes complete the QQ Sweeper trilogy.  To be honest, I wasn't sure I was going to read them as I wasn't really all that drawn into the first volume. However, the story got better as it continued.  The mystery of Fumi's background was interesting enough that I might even try to pick up the sequel Series Queen's Quality.

More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera

More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera - 295 pages

After enduring his father's death, his own suicide attempt, and broken relationships with his friends and girlfriend, Aaron determines he want to go through memory alteration treatment -- especially when a friendship starts to turn into unrequited love.

This book was extremely depressing.  There is nothing happy at all about it.  The description alone acknowledges that the book probably will not be cheerful, however, a twist that comes towards the end makes the book probably one of the most depressing things I have ever read.  Those who want to read this book will need to have the box of kleenex handy.

The Leaving by Tara Altebrando

The Leaving by Tara Altebrando - 423 pages

Eleven years ago, six kindergartners disappeared on the first day of school.
No one knows what happened to them.  The only clues were a man carrying wrapping paper and a comment one of the kids made that she was "going to the leaving".

Now, five of the kids have come back. 
They still don't know what happened as none of the kids have memories of their time away.  They were simply dropped off at a playground with maps to their homes.

Who took them?  Where have them been?  And where is the sixth kid?

This was a very strange book.  It used spacial blocking, highlighted fonts, and symbols throughout the book to help tell the story.  To be honest, I found it more annoying than adding anything to the story.  Still, the mystery was interesting and kept me reading to the end of the book.

The Forgetting by Sharon Cameron

The Forgetting by Sharon Cameron - 406 pages

Nadia lives in the city of Canaan which is structured and regimented to keep the citizens safe from the wild outside its walls.  Each day everybody writes in their books their lives -- their family, their friends, their loves, their jobs, everything.  For every twelve years comes the Forgetting when they will lose all their memories.  They won't know their family members, their friends, their jobs, or even themselves.  They'll have to start over knowing nothing except what they read in their books as no one will remember anything from before  -- no one but Nadia.

This was a great book.  I had a hard time putting it down until I was finished.  It kept you guessing and surprised by the revelations that came throughout the story.  I would highly recommend this book to anyone.

The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill

The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill - 388 pages

Once a year, the youngest baby in the Protectorate is taken and left in the woods for the witch.  The witch steals the baby and eats it . . . .

Once a year, a witch finds an abandoned baby in the woods and rescues it.  She takes it to a loving family on the other side of the forest . . . .

One year, Xan the witch discovers a baby girl that steals her heart.  That year, Xan falls in love with the baby and feeds it moonlight enmagicking her.  This is the year that everything starts to change . . . for Xan, for the baby, for the forest, for the Protectorate, for the world.


I have loved all of Kelly Barnhill's books.  They are very sophisticated original fairy tales for children.  So I was looking forward to reading her latest.  Then it was declared the winner of the Newbery Award and I immediately checked it out.  I absolutely loved this book.  It's probably my favorite Newbery winner since The Invention of Hugo Cabret.  The characters capture your interest while the plot twists keep you reading.  This is a great read for all children and teens.

Liselotte & Witch's Forest, v. 3 by Natsuki Takaya

Liselotte & Witch's Forest by Natsuki Takaya - 214 pages

This volume picks up immediately after volume 2.  Engetsu is injured and Liselotte calls out to the trees to heal him.  But what will the price be for the healing?

In a way, this volume almost resets the story.  We learn a little more about all the characters but all the relationships change.  I look forward to the next volume.

Black Bird, v. 1 by Kanoko Skurakoji

Black Bird, v. 1 by Kanoko Sakurakoji - 194 pages

Misao has always seen things no one else has -- demons.  As she turns 16, those demons start to attack her.  She's rescued by her childhood friend Kyo who heals her by licking her wounds.  He's a demon who is determined to marry her to bring prosperity to his clan.

Black Bird is a fairly popular manga series that picked up to read on my lunch break.  I did not care for it.  The Misao is very wishy-washy and Kyo and other male characters are pretty much bullies that sexually harass Misao.  This is definitely for older teens.

The Giver by Lois Lowry

The Giver by Lois Lowry (audiobook)-224 pages in print (depending on which edition)

I watched the recent movie with Jeff Bridges, Meryl Streep, and others, so I decided to listen to the audiobook since it is this month's challenge and it is a fairly short one. I wanted to know how the movie and the book were alike and different. The community and the way it is operated reminds me of many satirical, dystopian futuristic novels I have read and movies I have watched, such as 1984 by George Orwell, Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, Equilibrium (film), Gattaca (film), and etc. The Giver has some elements from each of the aforementioned movies and books. Sameness and not truly feeling anything is what the community values and that would be scary in reality. If everyone was the same, then it would be very boring and terrible. Additionally, the climate is controlled and there is no snow, no sun, no emotion based on weather. Books and films such as this make one (me, at least) think critically about life and living. I really enjoyed listening to this and it has peaked my interest in reading the rest of the series and in re-watching the movie, although I have a feeling that I will not/do not like the movie as well as the book.

Pandora Hearts, v.1-3 by Jun Mochizuki

Pandora Hearts, v.1 by Jun Mochizuki - 182 pages
Pandora Hearts, v.2 by Jun Mochizuki - 182 pages
Pandora Hearts, v. 3 by Jun Mochizuki - 182 pages

Oz has nearly completed his coming of age ceremony when he is thrown into the Abyss for the sin of existing.  There he meets the chain BRabbit and contracts with it to escape.  Back in the mortal world, he works with BRabbit's human form Alice to help her find her memories.

I love this manga.  While having multiple references to Alice in Wonderland it is not an actual retelling of the story.  A great manga for all.

Victories by Mercedes Lackey

Victories by Mercedes Lackey - 255 pages
A Shadow Grail Novel #4

Spirit, Loch, Burke and Addie have escaped from Oakhurst Academy.  Now they must figure out a battle plan to fight Mordred and his plan to annihilate the world through nuclear war.

This is the final volume in the Shadow Grail series.  While I really liked the first three books, I did not think this final book lived up to the others.  It was too rushed.  Everything happened way too conveniently for the good guys.

City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

City of Heavenly fire by Cassandra Clare - 729 pages
The Mortal Instruments - book 6

Sebastian has kidnapped the Downworlder representatives to the council in hopes of causing strife between the Downworlders and the Shadowhunters.  So Clary, Jace, Alec, Isabelle, and Simon set off to rescue them from Hell itself.

This is the final book of The Mortal Instruments series.  I thought it was a good ending to the series.  You could tell that there was a fair amount of set up for the next series which I look forward to reading.

Son by Lois Lowry

Son by Lois Lowry - 393 pages

This is the fourth and final book in The Giver quartet by Lois Lowry.  It is the book that ties all the other books together.  It tells the story of Claire, the birth mother of Gabe, the young child taken by Jonas when he was slated to be killed in The Giver.
I enjoyed the story.  I liked how it tied up the loose ends of the other books.  Listening to the audio did make me more aware that even though this book had the happiest ending of any in the series -- it really is not a happy book.  It is filled with heartbreak, sorrow, and yearning.

The Giver by Lois Lowry

The Giver by Lois Lowry - 180 pages

Jonas has been given the high honor of being the next Receiver.  He will receive all the memories of the past to help the elders make important decisions for his community.  But is it right for only one person to remember colors, emotions, and music?

This is one of those books that I think people should reread over and over again.  Each time you read it you get a little more out of the story.  Since the movie version came out this summer, I decided it was the perfect time to read it again.  This time I chose to listen to the audio.  I really enjoyed the audio version of the book.  It was interesting how the voice of Jonas changed as he received more and more memories of the past.

The Memory Prisoner by Thomas Bloor

The Memory Prisoner by Thomas Bloor - 132 pages

Maddie has not left the house since the day after visiting the library with her grandfather -- the day before her grandfather died and the library closed its doors to the public.  Something she does not want to remember makes her stay in the house.  Then her brother is selected as the new librarian's assistant and Maddie suspects that something is wrong.  Now she must find the courage to leave the house and enter the library.
This was an interesting book.  I always enjoy stories about evil librarians and this librarian was one of the most evil in books that I have read.

Pandora Hearts, v.4-5 by Jun Mochizuki

Pandora Hearts, v. 4 by Jun Mochizuki - 180 pages
Pandora Hearts, v. 5 by Jun Mochizuki - 180 pages

The story continues.  Oz and Gil must enter the Cheshire Rabbit's realm to save Xerxes and Alice.  Once there, they encounter memories of the tragedy of Sablier 100 years ago.  And the danger doesn't end with their return to the regular world. 
I'm really enjoying this series and look forward to the rest of the books.

Pandora Hearts, v.1-3 by Jun Mochizuki

Pandora Hearts, v. 1-3 by Jun Mochizuki
v.1 - 192 pages
v. 2 - 192 pages
v.3 - 192 pages

Oz Vessalius doesn't really want to go through his coming of age ceremony but it is tradition.  Turns out his feeling that something is going to go wrong comes true.  He sent into the Abyss - a prison for those who sin.  There he meets B.Rabbit / Alice and contracts with her so they can both escape.

I picked up the manga after watching the first few episodes of the anime during the Teen Anime Club last week.  I had looked at the books several times but the plot didn't sound that interesting.  However, I liked the anime and I like the manga also.  I'm definitely going to keep reading the series.

Beautiful Chaos by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Beautiful Chaos by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl - 518 pages
A Beautiful Creatures Novel - book 3

Lena's choice at the end of Beautiful Darkness, to be half Light and half Dark, has caused some major repercussions for them, the town of Gatlin, and in fact the whole world.  There is the unbelievable heat, drought and swarm of locusts.  The Caster's powers start to become unreliable.  Ethan is losing memories.  And Amma has decided to go seriously dark and start consorting with evil Voodoo priests.  To top it all, the balance has to be restored by a terrible sacrifice or the world will end.
This was definitely a better book than Beautiful Darkness.  I liked it as much as the first book, although I thought the identity of the "One Who Is Two" was pretty obvious from the beginning.  I am definitely looking forward to reading book four (the concluison) to the series as I'm not sure how they are going to go forward from here.