To all the beautiful and strong women out there…Happy Mother’s Day! We appreciate all that you do for us. You are always so kind and loving, and know exactly what to say. To my own mom…once again, thank you for all that you do. I love you so much! 💕 Have a great rest of your day, everyone, with the women who make your life special! Be on the lookout for a new read coming your way on May 15th! Cheerio!
Hey guys! Can you believe April is almost over? Crazy to think about right? I just wanted to post a little something about books to pick up your day and mine.
Books are an escape, something we can go to in times of need. Whenever I sit down to read, I’m able to take a deep breath and truly breathe. I love stories that make me cry, laugh, gasp, scream and love all at the same time. So I encourage you: for May, make a goal for yourself just to sit down and read once a day. Doesn’t matter what, for how long, or anything like that, just sit down and read. A lot of terrible stuff is going on in the world right now (if you look at the news, it’s super easy to get depressed) so I encourage you to escape in a book. Forget about all your problems and forget about the world for 10 minutes. I can promise you that you will so much more relaxed (unless you read a Stephen King book 😝) and it will really pick your day up.
Remember these words of wisdom for this week and face whatever comes your way with a book. Now, I will leave y’all with a poem I absolutely love. I will talk to everyone soon (because is almost May 1st!!) and have a great rest of your week!
-your fellow book lover
I Opened a Book
by Julia Donaldson
I opened a book and in I strode,
now no one can find me.
I left my chair, my house, my road,
my town and my world behind me.
I’m wearing the cloak, I’ve slipped on the ring
I’ve swallowed the magic potion.
I fought with a dragon, dined with a king,
and dived in a bottomless ocean.
I opened a book and made some friends,
I’ve shared their tears and laughter.
And followed the road with its bumps and bends
to the happily ever after.
I finished my book and out I came
the cloak can no longer hide me.
My chair and my house are just the same,
but I have a book inside me.
Happy reading!!! ❤️📚
To my dear readers,
Happy Easter! Have a great day celebrating this blessing-filled day and spend some great quality time with your family!
-your fellow book lover
Outwalkers by Fiona Shaw
Summary
“They’re coming for you, Jacob Riley.” Jacob is a teenager who has been in the orphanage for six months. His parents passed away in a car crash, and Jacob was forced into the home, leaving his beloved dog Jet behind. He has three parts to his escape plan: get out of the orphanage, reunite with his dog and get to Scotland. The only problem is, the government has tagged everyone so that they know exactly where you are, always. And, since there is a huge wall keeping everyone in, getting into Scotland is not exactly easy. Desperate to escape, Jacob reunites with Jet and soon finds the Outwalkers: a local gang of kids who are trying to get to Scotland, same as Jake. They live by four simple rules: no technology, be outside, be hidden and the most important one: obedience to the gang. Jake joins the Outwalkers and feels like he is part of a family again. But will that last? Read the book to find more.
My Review
Let me just start off by saying this: I absolutely loved this book. Definitely one of my top reads for 2019. The prominent theme of loyalty in this book was beautiful. I loved the way that Jet, the dog, and Jake, his boy, were always incomplete without each other near. I also loved that the author, Ms. Fiona Shaw, had a unique way of showing dialogue. Definitely check this book out to see how she does it and to read the book.
Recommended Reading Age
I would recommend this book for 13 and up. It was on the longer side, being 424 pages, but don’t let this scare you! Read it at your own pace. Also, there were some references and actions with drugs, but other than that, it’s a pretty clean read.
Conclusion
Outwalkers was a fasted-paced, action-packed and beautiful story about what it means to be a family. No matter where you come from, what you have done, or who you are, there will always be someone who accepts you as you are and loves you for that. It also shows us how beautiful it is to walk back from grief together. I challenge you to read this book and connect it to your own life. You definitely won’t regret it. As usual, the two links are below to purchase this book on Amazon and to check out the lovely author of the this book, Ms. Fiona Shaw. Happy reading everyone and don’t forget to check out the other April read!
-your fellow book lover
Hannah’s Grade: 9.5 stars out of 10
Purchase this book on Amazon here.
Learn more about Fiona Shaw here.
The List ; written by Patricia Forde
Summary
What would you do if you could only speak from a list of 500 words? Ark is the last safe place on Earth; the rest is overrun by water. To make sure this never happens again, the wordsmith, a person who controls which words people can use, must keep a strict list of 500 words. If anyone speaks words outside of the list, they risk banishment, which guarantees your death. Letta is the new wordsmith after her master disappears. But when a mysterious boy shows up hurt on her door step and an anonymous tip suggests that her master can be saved, Letta finds herself in a very precarious position. Read the book to see how this story turns out.
My review
The List was a interesting book! I loved its unique story and brave characters. Letta never gave up, even when her odds of success didn’t look so good. I have to say, the book was a little heavy. By this I mean to say that Letta faced one problem after the next. It seemed as though she would never win! However, she had a lot of determination and never gave up. Also, these continuous problems kept me intrigued. I could barely put it down!
Recommended reading age
I would recommend this book for 10 year olds and up because it wasn’t a complex story. While I thoroughly enjoyed the book, I did feel that I was a little old to be reading the book ( I just turned 13). All in all, it’s a great book!
Conclusion
The List is a fantastic book that makes you realize how much of a privilege it is to have free speech. Even today, many people around the world don’t have the ability and privilege to say what they want to say and when they want to say it. To all those people: hang in there. We are rooting for you. A entertaining story, The List was a quick and fun read. Below are two links: one to buy this book and the other to learn more about this fabulous author. Please comment below and give me feedback on my blog, my writing or my stories. I would love to hear all of it! Happy Reading everyone!
– your fellow book lover
Hannah’s Grade: 7.5 stars out of 10.
Links
Buy this book on Amazon here
Learn more about Ms. Patricia Forde here
Well howdy everyone! So sorry I haven’t posted: life has just been crazy. My birthday was 10 days ago and everything has just been a whirlwind. However: there is some important pieces of news. Lets jump right in!
First off: my newest feature! If you haven’t noticed, yesterday and today I have been busy updating my blog. A new thing I have added to each of my book posts is something called Hannah’s Grade. This unique grading system is something I have created. I take two main factors and average them out into my grade. The first factor I use is originality. Did the author go to their creative limits to come up with this book or is it a knockoff of some other story? The second feature is was it entertaining? Was I intrigued the whole book or did it have a slow start or a bad ending? After I think through these two questions, I average them out and I get my final grade. Be sure to look at the bottom of my page where you can see Hannah’s Grade. IMPORTANT NOTE: I AM NOT GRADING THESE BOOKS AGAINST ONE ANOTHER. Many of these books I write about are different in their own way and I could not possibly compare them.
Second: new links! At the bottom of my posts, there is now two links: one to buy the book on Amazon, and the second one is to learn more about the author, their books or their cause. Be sure to check them out; they are really cool!
Third: new name! I was told by a fellow reader that my blog name didn’t represent what I was talking about in my blog. First off, thank you so much for your feedback. It was really helpful and hopefully beneficial. Second, I noticed that they were right! Forgotten on the Bookshelf could be taken so many different directions. Because of this, I have decided to change my name! My blog is now called Unnoticed on the Bookshelf. I think it sounds even better. Also in this category, I have a new site address: unnoticedbooks.blog . Same blog, new name.
And finally, fourth: new schedule! If your life is as busy as mine is, you will note that you don’t have a ton of time. However: I love doing this blog, so I am going to continue doing it, just posting less frequently. On the 1st of every month, I will post about 2 new books. This way, you will have a book to read for every two weeks. On March 1st, I will begin this cycle. New reads coming then!
Thank you so much for being patient and understanding with me. Right now is a very busy time, as I’m sure it is for you too, but I promise: you shall not be without something to read for long! Stay tune for 2 new reads you will LOVE! Please share and comment about my blog! I love constructive criticism. It really helps, no matter what it is. Thank you so much and Happy Reading!!
-your fellow book lover
The Glass Sentence; written by S.E. Grove
Summary
It’s called the Great Disruption; a split second when the whole world is shoved into chaos. Each continent is split up and thrown into different Ages, or times, either in the future or the past. Now, since these Ages are either so behind or so advanced, they cannot contact one another. Because of this, mapmaking is now the most important job in the world. The main character in this story is Sophia Tims of New Occident, Boston. After her parents disappeared 8 years ago, answering a desperate plea for help, Sophia lives with her famous cartographer uncle, Shadrack Elli. Famous for both reading and making difficult maps, Shadrack is one of the most famous and skilled cartographers in Boston. When it is announced that the borders of New Occident are to be closed, Shadrack starts to teach Sophia how to read maps so they can go look for Bronson and Minna, Sophia’s parents. Suddenly, Shadrack is kidnapped, and Sophia is alone. All he leaves her is a glass map (which turns out to be very valuable) and instructions to go to one of his most trusted friends in a place far from Boston. Together with Theo, a boy refugee from the West, Sophia adventures on both sea and land to try to rescue her uncle, along with friends she meets along the way. Will Sophia be able to save Shadrack and protect the valuable map he has put in her care?
My review
This book kept me on the edge of my seat. Right away, it started off intense, which I why I adored it so much. Ms. Grove did a fantastic job of piecing the clues together throughout the whole book. Unexpected twists and turns regularly occurred. The quote, “expect the unexpected,” is perfect for this story.
Recommended reading age
I would recommend this book for 11 years and up. The Glass Sentence was not a hard read, but I had to read some of the clues and hints a couple times to fully grasp their meaning. I would definitely recommend this book for anyone who likes being surprised and lots of adventure. This book was like a giant puzzle that was very fun to figure out.
Conclusion
The Glass Sentence truly was a unique story. It took me very limited time to finish this book because it was such a page turner and I couldn’t put it down. The Glass Sentence is the first book of a three book series, the other two titles being The Golden Specific and The Crimson Skew. I personally wasn’t as intrigued by the second and third books and did not end up finishing the series. Below are the links to purchase the books on Amazon and the link to learn more about the author. If you have any suggestions for books or for my blog, feel free to comment below. Thanks so much for checking out my post! Happy Reading everyone!
Hannah’s Grade: 8 stars out of 10
Links
Link to buy the book on Amazon here
Link to learn more about Ms. S.E. Grove here
