Fridays with the Wizards by Jessica Day George

To read my reviews of the other books in this series, click here: Tuesdays at the Castle, Wednesdays in the Tower, and Thursdays with the Crown (pending).




Title:Fridays with the Wizards (Castle Glower #4)
Author: Jessica Day George
Reviewer: Karen
Genre: MG Fantasy
Rating:Fabulous
Alerts/Warnings: None
Premise: "Princess Celie and her companions have made it home safely from the Glorious Arkower, and everything is back to normal now that the Eye of the Castle is where it belongs. With more magical griffins to care for, Celie, Lilah, and Rolf have their hands full. But when the dangerous ancient wizard Arkwright escapes the dungeon and goes missing within the Castle, no one can rest until he is found. Only Celie knows where he is most likely hiding--deep within the secret passageways behind the walls of their beloved Castle. With danger lurking behind every tapestry and under every trap door, Celie must find the wizard and save her family. Readers will be swept away by another charming magical adventure featuring Princess Celie and her very special Castle" (King County Library System).
Opinions: I cannot believe that I didn't post a review of book three in this series. Seriously going to smack myself in the noggin'. Oh well, guess I'll just have to reread Thursdays With the Crown to be able to ensure the most accurate review for you. (Darn!)

Moving on....Jessica Day George just gets better with each book she releases. I mean these are middle grade books and yet my husband and I can't wait to read them together after the kids go to bed. (Though we secretly wonder if Jessica keeps blueprints in her office to Castle Glower because she knows exactly where everything is located and where everyone needs to be. I love it.). It impresses me that Celie is able to manage so many changes within her family and home, and the addition of the griffins, etc. Yes, she does have the occasional meltdown, but she is one smart & resilient young lady. I kinda want to be her when I grow up.  I loved seeing a greater involvement from the queen in this story and finding out more history and realizing that she has seriously cool hidden skills. Overall this book is a fantastic addition to the Castle Glower series and a great read for boys, girls, teens, and especially their parents. ;-)

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Title: Frankenstein
Author: Mary Shelley
Reviewer: Stephanie
Genre: Adult Science Fiction
Rating: Adore
Alerts/Warnings: There are issues of grave robbing, death and dismemberment, as well as murder and arson.
Premise: The epic battle between man and monster reaches its greatest pitch in the famous story of Frankenstein. In trying to create life, the young student Victor Frankenstein unleashes forces beyond his control, setting into motion a long and tragic chain of events that brings Victor himself to the very brink. How he tries to destroy his creation, as it destroys everything Victor loves, is a powerful story of love, friendship …and horror. (goodreads.com)

Opinions: I have to say that I read this book in college for a class to learn about the different ways to analyze books (i.e. Feminist, Marxist, Historical, Freudian etc). Each week we looked at this book from a different perspective. We studied this book for 12 of the 14 weeks of the semester. And coming out of it, I still love it. I have never gotten sick of the many layers of this book. It is a deep and thoughtful journey on making life and the responsibility that we bring to those we create. It also deals with the issues of appearance and loneliness. It is a fabulous book. Okay, and honestly, there are some sections that make you cringe a little bit (the whole procuring the body parts stuff) but overall it is a very thought-provoking piece.

PS My college professor led a lengthy discussion on how Frankenstein and Brittany Spears were alike. And surprisingly, we came up with many (in all seriousness). Yeah, that makes you want to read it now, huh?