Week in Review: December 21-27

Jane Eyre. Charlotte Bronte. 1847.  300 pages. [Source: Own]
The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors. Dan Jones. 2014. Viking Adult. 416 pages. [Source: Library]
Tumtum & Nutmeg: The Rose Cottage Tales. Emily Bearn. 2010. Little Brown. 416 pages. [Source: Library]
The Christmas Tree. Julie Salamon. 1996. Random House. 118 pages. [Source: Bought]
When Santa Fell To Earth. Cornelia Funke. Translated by Oliver Latsch. 1994/2006. Scholastic. 167 pages. [Source: Library]
Lark Rise to Candleford. Flora Thompson. 1943. 537 pages. [Source: Bought]
And Then Comes Christmas. Tom Brenner. Illustrated by Jana Christy. 2014. Candlewick Press. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]
How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Dr. Seuss. 1957. Random House. 64 pages. [Source: Review copy]
'Twas the Night Before Christmas. Clement C. Moore. Illustrated by Jessie Willcox Smith. 1823/1912. HMH. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]
The Nutcracker and the Mouse King. E.T.A. Hoffmann. Adapted by Wren Maysen. Illustrated by Gail de Marcken. 2009. 56 pages. [Source: Review copy]
The Velveteen Rabbit. Margery Williams. Illustrated by William Nicholson. 1922/2014. Random House. 48 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Fancy Nancy: Splendiferous Christmas. Jane O'Connor. Illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser. 2009. HarperCollins. 32 pages. [Source: Library]
What Cats Want for Christmas. Kandy Radzinski. 2007. Sleeping Bear Press. 32 pages. [Source: Library]
  It's Not About You Mr. Santa Claus. Soraya Diase Coffelt. 2014. Morgan James Publishing. 34 pages. [Source: Review copy]  
A Patchwork Christmas. Judith Miller, Nancy Moser, Stephanie Grace Whitson. 2012. Barbour. 403 pages. [Source: Bought]
For Such A Time As This. Angie Smith. Illustrated by Breezy Brookshire. 2014. B&H. 256 pages. [Source: Review copy]
From Pearl Harbor to Calvary. Mitsuo Fuchida. 1953/2011. eChristian. 96 pages. [Source: Bought]
The Presence of God: Its Place In the Storyline of Scripture and the Story of Our Lives. J. Ryan Lister. 2014. Crossway. 368 pages. [Source: Review copy]

This week's favorite: Jane Eyre!

© 2014 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

Week in Review: December 14-20

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. Barbara Robinson. 1972. HarperCollins. 128 pages. [Source: Bought]
Brown Girl Dreaming. Jacqueline Woodson. 2014. Nancy Paulsen Books.  336 pages. [Source: Library]
Angel Tree. Daphne Benedis-Grab. 2014. Scholastic. 256 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Winterfrost. Michelle Houts. 2014. Candlewick. 272 pages. [Source: Review copy] 
The Golden Dreydl. Ellen Kushner. Illustrated by Ilene Winn-Lederer. 2007. Charlesbridge. 126 pages. [Source: Review copy]
A Quilt for Christmas. Sandra Dallas. 2014. St. Martin's Press. 256 pages. [Source: Library]
A Darcy Christmas: A Holiday Tribute to Jane Austen. By Amanda Grange, Carolyn Eberhart, and Sharon Lathan. 2010. Sourcebooks. 304 pages. [Source: Library]
Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree. Robert E. Barry. 1963. Random House. 32 pages. [Source: Library]
Uncle Vova's Tree. Patricia Polacco. 1989. Penguin. 32 pages. [Source: Library]
Too Many Tamales. Gary Soto. Illustrated by Ed Martinez. 1993. Penguin. 32 pages. [Source: Library]
Angelina's Christmas. Katharine Holabird. Illustrated by Helen Craig. 1986. Penguin. 32 pages. [Source: Library]
The Trees of the Dancing Goats. Patricia Polacco. 2000. Simon & Schuster. 32 pages. [Source: Library]
Morris' Disappearing Bag. Rosemary Wells. 1975. Penguin. 40 pages. [Source: Library]
Max's Christmas. Rosemary Wells. 1986. Penguin. 32 pages. [Source: Library]
Wombat Divine. Mem Fox. Illustrated by Kerry Argent. 1995/1999. HMH. 32 pages. [Source: Library]      
Revolutionary (Anomaly #3) Krista McGee. 336 pages. [Source: Review copy]
The Christmas Bus. Melody Carlson. 2006. Revell. 176 pages. [Source: Bought]

This week's favorite:

I choose The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. It is my favorite, favorite Christmas book. And it's a book I've read dozens of times through the years. It is a book that I just adore! It's familiar and funny and touching too. Brown Girl Dreaming was a FANTASTIC read. It was. It was a compelling, absorbing read. (Probably the first book that I've read that so intimately describes growing up Jehovah's Witness.) And it is easily one of my favorite verse novels that I've read this year. But it can't really take the place of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever in my heart.

© 2014 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

Week in Review: December 7-13

Les Miserables. Victor Hugo. Translated by Isabel Florence Hapgood. 1862/1887. 1232 pages.
The Plantagenets. Dan Jones. 2013. Viking. 560 pages. [Source: Library]
Palace of Spies. Sarah Zettel. 2013. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 368 pages. [Source: Library]
The 5th Wave. Rick Yancey. 2013. Penguin. 457 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Jane Austen's First Love. Syrie James. 2014. Berkley Trade. 400 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Where The Heart Is. Billie Letts. 1995. 376 pages. [Source: Bought]
My New Friend Is So Fun! Mo Willems. 2014. Hyperion. 60 pages. [Source: Library]
Waiting is Not Easy. Mo Willems. 2014. Hyperion. 64 pages. [Source: Library]
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Robert Lewis May. Illustrated by Denver Gillen. 1939/1990. Applewood Books. 32 pages. [Source: Library]
On Christmas Eve. Margaret Wise Brown. Illustrated by Nancy Edwards Calder. 1938/1961/1996. HarperCollins. 32 pages. [Source: Library]
Silver Packages: An Appalachian Christmas Story. Cynthia Rylant. Illustrated by Chris K. Soentpiet. 1987. Scholastic. 32 pages. [Source: Library]
The All-I'll-Ever-Want Christmas Doll. Patricia C. McKissack. Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney. 2007. Schwartz & Wade. 40 pages. [Source: Library]
The Bells of Christmas. Virginia Hamilton. Illustrated by Lambert Davis. 1989/1997. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 64 pages. [Source: Library]
The Gift of the Magi. O. Henry. Illustrated by Lisbeth Zwerger. 1905/2006. Simon & Schuster. 32 pages. [Source: Library]
The Tailor of Gloucester. Beatrix Potter. 1903. 58 pages. [Source: Library]
Lucy's Christmas. Donald Hall. Illustrated by Michael McCurdy. 1998. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 40 pages. [Source: Library]
Baboushka and the Three Kings. Ruth Robbins. Illustrated by Nicholas Sidjakov. 1960/1986. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 32 pages. [Source: Library]

Polar Express. Chris Van Allsburg. 1985/2009. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 32 pages. [Source: Library]
Keeping Holiday. Starr Meade. Illustrated by Justin Gerard. 2008. Crossway. 192 pages. [Source: Review copy]
A Most Inconvenient Marriage. Regina Jennings. 2014. Bethany House. 336 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Love Unexpected. Jody Hedlund. 2014. Bethany House. 348 pages. [Source: Review copy]

This week's favorite:

I choose Victor Hugo's Les Miserables. I love, love, love this one. There were other books I loved as well, of course. I loved both My New Friend Is So Fun and Waiting is Not Easy!!! I also loved Loved Unexpected. I loved rereading The Polar Express. I loved rereading The 5th Wave. But Les Miserables is so amazing! The choice was an easy one.         

© 2014 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

Week in Review: November 30 - December 6

From November:
Miracle on 34th Street. Valentine Davies. Illustrated by Tomie de Paola. 1947/2001. HMH. 136 pages. [Source: Library]
From December:
The Tale of Despereaux. Kate DiCamillo. 2003. Candlewick Press. 272 pages. [Source: Bought] 
The Princess in Black. Shannon and Dean Hale. Illustrated by LeUyen Pham. 2014. Candlewick. 96 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Tumtum and Nutmeg: Adventures Beyond Nutmouse Hall. Emily Bearn. Illustrated by Nick Price. 2009. Little, Brown. 512 pages. [Source: Library]
My Friend the Enemy. Dan Smith. 2014. Scholastic. 288 pages. [Source: Review copy] 
Ivan: The Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla. Katherine Applegate. 2014. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 40 pages. [Source: Library]
Love Letters From God. Glenys Nellist. Illustrated by Sophie Allsopp. 2014. Zondervan. 40 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Jesus Unmasked: The Truth Will Shock You. Todd Friel. 2014. New Leaf Press. 238 pages. [Source: Library]
God Has Spoken: A History of Christian Theology. Gerald Bray. Crossway. 1264 pages. [Source: Review copy]

This week's favorite:
Must I decide? Since I can choose only one, I must go with Shannon Hale's The Princess in Black. I think it may be the first 'favorite' of the week that is an early chapter book. It is a great read!!! But I also loved, loved, loved The Tale of Despereaux. I did love My Friend the Enemy and Ivan: The Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla. So many great books in one week.

© 2014 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

Week in Review: November 23-29

The Magic City. E. Nesbit. 1910. 212 pages. [Source: Bought]
The Enchanted Castle. E. Nesbit. 1907. 291 pages. [Source: Bought]
Mortal Heart. Robin LaFevers. 2014. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 464 pages. [Source: Review copy]
A Christmas Carol. Charles Dickens. 1843. 96 pages. [Source: Bought]
The Man Who Invented Christmas. Les Standiford. 2008. Crown. 241 pages. [Source: Library]
Where There's A Will. Rex Stout. (Nero Wolfe #8) 1940. Bantam. 258 pages. [Source: Bought]
Tolkien: How An Obscure Oxford Professor Wrote the Hobbit and Became the Most Beloved Author of the Century. Devin Brown. Abingdon Press. [Source: Review copy]
Look and Live. Matt Papa. 2014. Bethany House. 256 pages. [Source: Review copy]
The Advent Bride. Mary Connealy. 2014. Barbour. 88 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Beside Bethesda: 31 Days Toward Deeper Healing. Joni Eareckson Tada. 2014. NavPress. 176 pages. [Source: Review copy]
ESV Women's Devotional Bible. 2014. Crossway. 1664 pages. [Source: Bought]

This week's favorite:

I loved, loved, loved E. Nesbit's The Magic City. I did. I loved, loved, loved Devin Brown's biography of J.R.R. Tolkien. It's horrible having to pick between the two!!! I was swept into the story--the fantasy world--that Nesbit created. I was. It was just a joy to read Magic City. I also found the biography to be captivating. I learned SO much. It was a book I just couldn't put down. Actually I couldn't put Magic City down either. Because I have to choose, I suppose I'll go with the nonfiction. It is a new release after all. It would make a lovely gift for Tolkien fans!!!

© 2014 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

Week in Review: November 16-22

Bo at Ballard Creek. Kirkpatrick Hill. Illustrated by LeUyen Pham. 2013. Henry Holt. 288 pages.
[Source: Library]
Black Beauty. Anna Sewell. 1877. 245 pages. [Source: Bought]
A Time to Dance. Padma Venkatraman. 2014.  Nancy Paulsen Books. 320 pages. [Source: Library]
Ghosts of Tupelo Landing. Sheila Turnage. 2014. Penguin. 368 pages. [Source: Library]
Stand There! She Shouted: The Invincible Photographer Julia Margaret Cameron. 2014. Candlewick. 80 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Is He Popenjoy? Anthony Trollope. 1878/1993. Penguin. 632 pages. [Source: Bought]
Living a Prayerful Life. Andrew Murray. 160 pages. [Source: Bought]
Praying Backwards: Transform Your Prayer Life By Beginning IN Jesus' Name. Bryan Chapell. 2005. Baker Publishing. 208 pages. [Source: Bought]
The Christmas Quilt. Patricia Davids. 2011. Love Inspired. 215 pages. [Source: Bought]
The Christmas Cat. Melody Carlson. 2014. Revell. 169 pages. [Source: Review copy]
The Secret of Pembrooke Park. Julie Klassen. 2014. Bethany House. 460 pages. [Source: Review copy]

This week's favorite:

I'm torn between two books this week. I love Black Beauty. I love Bo at Ballard Creek. Black Beauty is a reread. It's a book that completely surprised me the first time around. I don't read horse books. I don't. So falling in love with a horse book surprised me. My love for the book only grew upon rereading it. And it's so quotable.

Bo at Ballard Creek is a great read. It is illustrated by LeUyen Pham. It's set in Alaska in the 1920s, I believe. It very much has a "Little House in the Big Woods" feel to it. I love the style it's written in. I loved many things about it. That being said, is it one I see myself rereading again and again and again? I'm not sure. I definitely would recommend it. So which book do I choose?!

I often choose the book that is more quotable and the book I'm most likely to reread in the future. It was a hard decision though.

© 2014 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

Week in Review: November 9-15

Persuasion. Jane Austen 1818/1992. Knopf Doubleday. 304 pages. [Source: Bought]
A Snicker of Magic. Natalie Lloyd. 2014. Scholastic. 320 pages. [Source: Library] 
The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion, and the Fall of Imperial Russia. Candace Fleming. 2014. Random House. 304 pages. [Source: Library]
Dark Triumph (His Fair Assassin #2) Robin LaFevers. 2013. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 387 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Tell Me. Joan Bauer. 2014. Penguin. 272 pages. [Source: Library]
The Quilt Walk. Sandra Dallas. 2012. Sleeping Bear Press. 215 pages. [Source: Library]
The Psalm 119 Experience: A Devotional Journey You Will Not Forget. John Kramp. 2014. B&H Publishing. 256 pages. [Source: Review copy]
The Most Misused Verses in the Bible: Surprising Ways God's Words is Misunderstood by Eric J. Bargerhuff. 2012. Bethany House. 172 pages. [Source: Bought]
God's Way of Peace. Horatius Bonar. 112 pages. [Source: Bought]
Christmas at Rose Hill Farm. Suzanne Woods Fisher. 2014. Revell. 240 pages. [Source: Review copy]

This week's favorite:

I love, love, love Persuasion. I do. It's a great romance to reread again and again. But I also loved A Snicker of Magic. A Snicker of Magic is one of the best middle grade books I've read this year.

© 2014 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

Week in Review: November 1-8

The Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights. Steve Sheinkin. 2014. Roaring Brook. 208 pages. [Source: Library]
Countdown by Deborah Wiles. 2010. May 2010. Scholastic. 400 pages. [Source: Review copy]
The Fourteenth Goldfish. Jennifer L. Holm. 2014. Random House. 208 pages. [Source: Library]
Courage for Beginners. Karen Harrington. 2014. Little, Brown. 304 pages. [Source: Library]
Dead in the Water. (World War II #2) Chris Lynch. 2014. Scholastic. 188 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Santa Clauses: Short Poems From the North Pole by Bob Raczka. 2014. Lerner Publishing Group. 32 pages. [Source: Library]
A Little Women Christmas. Heather Vogel Frederick. 2014. Simon & Schuster. 32 pages. [Source: Library]
Once Upon An Alphabet: Short Stories for All the Letters. Oliver Jeffers. 2014. Penguin. 112 pages. [Source: Library]
Penguin in Peril. Helen Hancocks. 2014. Candlewick. 32 pages. [Source: Library]
The Animals' Santa. Jan Brett. 2014. Penguin. 32 pages. [Source: Library] 
 The Book With No Pictures. B.J. Novak. 2014. Penguin. 48 pages. [Source: Library]
The Great Thanksgiving Escape. Mark Fearing. 2014. Candlewick. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Gobble, Gobble, Tucker! Leslie McGuirk. 2014. Candlewick. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Maisy's Christmas Tree. Lucy Cousins.  2014. Candlewick. 16 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Little Blue Truck's Christmas. Alice Schertle. Illustrated by Jill McElmurry. 2014. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 24 pages. [Source: Review copy]
 Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel! A Sing-along book! Illustrated by Shahar Kober. 2014. Scholastic. 12 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Eight Jolly Reindeer. Ilanit Oliver. Illustrated by Jacqueline Rogers. 2014. Scholastic. 16 pages. [Source: Review copy]   
Every Valley. Albert L. Blackwell. 2014. Westminster John Knox Press. 160 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Surprised by Love. Julie Lessman. 2014. Revell. 416 pages. [Source: Review copy]
God's Way of Holiness. Horatius Bonar. 1864. 175 pages. [Source: Bought]
The Study and Teaching of the English Bible. G. Campbell Morgan. 1910. [Source: Bought]
The Bible in Five Years. A Comprehensive Outline for Study of the Entire Sacred Volume. G. Campbell Morgan. 1922. [Source: Bought]
At Bluebonnet Lake. Amanda Cabot. 2014. Revell. 384 pages. [Source: Review copy]

This week's favorite:

I loved reading Steve Sheinkin's The Port Chicago 50! It was a great read, and I definitely recommend it!!! 

© 2014 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

Week in Review: October 26-31

Frankenstein. Mary Shelley. 1818/1831. Oxford World's Classics. 250 pages. [Source: Bought]
Children in the Holocaust: Their Secret Diaries. Laurel Holliday, ed. 1996. 432 pages. [Source: Library] 
West of the Moon. Margi Preus. 2014. Abrams. 224 pages. [Source: Library]
Gabriel Finley and the Raven's Riddle. George Hagen. 2014. Random House. 384 pages. [Source: Review Copy]
The Right Fight. Chris Lynch. 2014. Scholastic. 192 pages. [Source: Library]
Dancers in Mourning. Margery Allingham. 1937. 337 pages. [Source: Bought]
Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God. J.I. Packer. 1961/1991. IVP. 126 pages. [Source: Bought]
The Night Gardener. Jonathan Auxier. 2014. Abrams. 350 pages. [Source: Library]

This week's favorite:
Did you notice I reread The Night Gardener? I didn't just write a second review, I reread it in order to write a second review for Operation Actually Read Bible. If anything, I loved it MORE the second time I read it. It wouldn't be fair, perhaps, to have the same book win two weeks in a row. So. I choose Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.

© 2014 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

Week in Review: October 19-25

The Night Gardener. Jonathan Auxier. 2014. Abrams. 350 pages. [Source: Library]
A Tale of Two Cities. Charles Dickens. 1854/2003. Bantam Classics. 382 pages. [Source: Bought]
Silver Like Dust. Kimi Cunningham Grant. 2012. Pegasus. 288 pages. [Source: Library]
Grave Mercy. Robin LaFevers. 2012. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 560 pages. [Source: Review copy]
The Forbidden Flats (Sky Jumpers #2) Peggy Eddleman. 2014. Random House. 288 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Magic in the Mix. Annie Barrows. 2014. Bloomsbury. 288 pages. [Source: Review copy]
While Love Stirs. Lorna Seilstad. 2014. Revell. 341 pages. [Source: Bought]
Loving Jesus More. Philip Graham Ryken. Crossway. 176 pages. [Source: Crossway.]
Rich Mullins: An Arrow Pointing to Heaven (A Devotional Biography). James Bryan Smith. 2000. B&H. 272 pages. [Source: Bought]

This week's favorite:

I love, love, LOVE Jonathan Auxier's The Night Gardener. It may just be my favorite book published in 2014. 

© 2014 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

Week in Review: October 12-18

An Autobiography. Agatha Christie. 1977/1996. Berkley. 635 pages. [Source: Bought] 
The Eye of the World (Wheel of Time #1) Robert Jordan. 1990. Tor. 814 pages. [Source: Bought]
A Creature of Moonlight. Rebecca Hahn. 2014. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 313 pages. [Source: Review copy]
The Madman of Piney Woods. Christopher Paul Curtis. 2014. Scholastic. 384 pages. [Source: Review copy] 
The Magic Half. Annie Barrows. 2007. Bloomsbury. 212 pages. [Source: Library]
Lady Susan, The Watsons, Sandition. Jane Austen. 1975. Penguin. 211 pages. [Source: Bought]
Read the Bible for Life: Your Guide to Understanding and Living God's Word. George H. Guthrie. 2011. B&H Books. 338 pages. [Source: Bought]
A Bride in Store. Melissa Jagears. 2014. Bethany House. 363 pages. [Source: Review copy]

 This week's favorite:

I loved, loved, LOVED Agatha Christie's Autobiography. It was so very GOOD from cover to cover--not dull for a moment. The Eye of the World was a great re-read, I'm glad I made time for it this year. But. It can't really compete with Agatha Christie's Autobiography.

© 2014 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

Week in Review: October 5-11

The Hiding Place. Corrie Ten Boom. With John and Elizabeth Sherrill. 1971/1984/1995. Chosen. 228 pages. [Source: Bought]
Sky Jumpers. Peggy Eddleman. 2013. Random House. 288 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Howl's Moving Castle. Diana Wynne Jones. 1986. 336 pages. [Source: Bought]
Sniffer Dogs: How Dogs (And Their Noses) Save The World. Nancy F. Castaldo. 2014. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 160 pages. [Source: Review copy]
The Case of the Stolen Sixpence. Holly Webb. Illustrated by Marion Lindsay. 2014. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 176 pages. [Source: Review copy]
The Only Thing To Fear. Caroline Tung Richmond. 2014. Scholastic. 288 pages. [Source: Review copy]
The Midnight Library. Kazuno Kohara. 2014. Roaring Brook. 32 pages. [Source: Library]
Say Hello Like This! Mary Murphy. Candlewick. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]
The Good-Pie Party. Elizabeth Garton Scanlon. Illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton. 2014. Scholastic. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]
My Pet Book. Bob Staake. 2014. Random House. 40 pages. [Source: Review copy]
A Bunny in the Ballet. Robert Beck. 2014. Scholastic. 40 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Frances Dean Who Loved To Dance and Dance. Birgitta Sif. 2014. Candlewick. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]  
Druthers. Matt Phelan. 2014. Candlewick. 32 pages. [Source: Review Copy] 
Alexander, Who's Trying His Best To Be The Best Boy Ever. Judith Viorst. Illustrated by Isidre Mones. Simon & Schuster. 40 pages. [Source: Library]
The Way to the Zoo. John Burningham. 2014. Candlewick. 40 pages. [Source: Review copy]
The Mouse Who Ate The Moon. Petr Horacek. 2014. Candlewick. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]   
Can You Say It Too? Roar! Roar! Sebastien Braun. 2014. Candlewick. 10 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Can You Say It Too? Growl! Growl!  Sebastien Braun. 2014. Candlewick. 10 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Open Wide. Stephen Krensky. Illustrated by James Burks. 2014. Scholastic. 14 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Bizzy Bear's Big Building Book. Benji Davies. 2014. Candlewick. 8 pages. [Source: Review copy]
The Adventure of Christmas: Helping Children Find Jesus in Our Holiday Traditions. Lisa Whelchel. Illustrated by Jeannie Mooney. 2004. Multnomah Books. 72 pages. [Source: Library]
When Love Calls. (The Gregory Sisters #1) Lorna Seilstad. 2013. Revell. 338 pages. [Source: Bought]

This week's favorite:

There are four books I considered picking as favorite. The Midnight Library is a picture book that I absolutely loved. It still hasn't been nominated for the Cybils, if you're looking for a picture book to nominate. Howl's Moving Castle is a reread. I love this book. I do! Sky Jumpers is another book that I loved. (Though I didn't love the sequel as much as the first book.) If I hadn't happened to reread The Hiding Place, it would definitely have been the favorite this week. But. The Hiding Place is special. It is one of the BEST, best books. It is a must-read memoir.

© 2014 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

Week in Review: September 28 - October 4

From September:
The Singing Sands. Josephine Tey. 1952. 224 pages. [Source: Bought]
In Search of England. H.V. Morton. 1927/2007. Da Capo Press. 304 pages. [Source: Bought]
Goodnight, Mr. Tom. Michelle Magorian. 1981. HarperCollins. 320 pages. [Source: Library]
 
From October:
The Orphan and the Mouse. Martha Freeman. Illustrated by David McPhail. 2014. Holiday House. 220 pages. [Source: Library]
Thursdays with the Crown. (Castle Glower #3) Jessica Day George. 2014. Bloomsbury. 224 pages. [Source: Review copy]
All Clear. Connie Willis. 2010. Random House. 645 pages. [Source: Bought]
The Wall Around Your Heart: How Jesus Heals You When Others Hurt You. Mary DeMuth. 2013. Thomas Nelson. 256 pages. [Source: Bought]
Key Words of the Christian Life. Warren W. Wiersbe. 2002. Baker Books. 130 pages. [Source: Bought]

This week's favorite:

I choose Goodnight, Mr. Tom. I loved, loved, loved this one. This book is set during World War II in England. Need I say more? That would be enough to get my attention at least. I also loved, loved, loved the movie adaptation of this one!!!

© 2014 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

Week in Review: September 21-27

No Name. Wilkie Collins. 1862/1998. Oxford University Press. 748 pages.
Blackout. Connie Willis. 2010. Random House. 495 pages. [Source: Bought]
One Year in Coal Harbor. Polly Horvath. 2012. Random House. 224 pages. [Source: Review copy]
The Boleyn King. Laura Andersen. 2013. Ballantine. 358 pages. [Source: Library]
The Late Scholar. Jill Paton Walsh. 2014. St. Martin's Press. 368 pages. [Source: Library]
Emperors of the Ice. Richard Farr. 2008. FSG. [Source: Review copy]
The Names of Jesus. Warren W. Wiersbe. 1997. Baker Publishing. 159 pages. [Source: Bought]
One Way Love: Inexhaustible Grace for an Exhausted World. Tullian Tchividjian. 2013. David Cook. 240 pages. [Source: Bought]
Fair Play (It Happened At the Fair #2) Deeanne Gist. 2014. Howard Books 433 pages. [Source: Library]

This week's favorite:

While last week was difficult, this week was an easy choice for me: No Name by Wilkie Collins. This 748 page book was a quick read--yes, really--because it was so very, very, very good. It also reminded me of WHY I tend to LOVE Wilkie Collins! Have you read Wilkie Collins? Do you have a favorite?

© 2014 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

Week in Review: September 13-20

The Hobbit. J.R.R. Tolkien. 1937.  320 pages. [Source: Bought]
My Cousin Rachel. Daphne du Maurier. 1951. 374 pages. [Source: Library]
Wednesdays in the Tower. Jessica Day George. 2013. Bloomsbury. 240 pages. [Source: Library]
Death of a Schoolgirl (Jane Eyre Chronicles #1) Joanna Campbell Slan. 2012. Berkley Trade. 340 pages. [Source: Library]
Mythmaker: The Life of J.R.R. Tolkien. Anne E. Neimark. 2012. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 144 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Northanger Abbey. Jane Austen. 1817/1992. Everyman's Library. 288 pages. [Source: Book I Own]
The Bible Study Handbook. Lindsay Olesberg. 2012. IVP. 240 pages. [Source: Bought]
Edwards on the Christian Life. Dane C. Ortlund. 2014. Crossway. 208 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Love's Fortune. Laura Frantz. 2014. Revell. 400 pages. [Source: Review copy]

This week's favorite:

How do I choose between The Hobbit and Northanger Abbey? They are completely satisfying reads, but in very different ways! I love Catherine and Henry. The story is funny and sweet and predictable and satisfying. I love Bilbo too. I love him more than Frodo. I love the world-building in The Hobbit. I love the writing too. Especially the dialogue. There are chapters of The Hobbit that I simply adore!!! But the same can also be said of Northanger Abbey. There are scenes--if not whole chapters--that I love so very much. It doesn't help that both books are so very quotable. (Usually, that helps me decide if I'm having a hard time.) Since I can only have one winner, I choose The Hobbit. I can't imagine this list without it.

© 2014 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

Week in Review: September 7-12

Fahrenheit 451. Ray Bradbury. 1953/1991. Del Rey. 179 pages. [Source: Bought]
Unbroken. Laura Hillenbrand. 2010. Random House. 473 pages. [Source: Library]
I Kill the Mockingbird. Paul Acampora. 2014. Roaring Book Press. 176 pages. [Source: Library]
Everything on a Waffle. Polly Horvath. 2001/2008. Square Fish. 176 pages. [Source: Review copy]
The Attenbury Emeralds. Jill Paton Walsh. 2010/2011. St. Martin's Press. 352 pages. [Source: Library]
Max and the Won't Go To Bed Show. Mark Sperring. Illustrated by Sarah Warburton. 2014. Scholastic. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Red Panda's Candy Apples. Ruth Paul. 2014. Candlewick. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]
I'm My Own Dog. David Ezra Stein. 2014. Candlewick. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Peppa Pig Ballet Lesson. Adapted by Elizabeth Schaefer. 2014. Scholastic. 24 pages. [Source: Review copy]
I Feel Five. Bethanie Deeney Murguia. Candlewick. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Go To Sleep, Little Farm. Mary Lyn Ray. Illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal. 2014. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 40 pages. [Source: Review copy]
The Scarecrows' Wedding. Julia Donaldson. Illustrated by Axel Scheffler. 2014. Scholastic. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]
The Loch Mess Monster. Helen Lester. Illustrated by Lynn Munsinger. 2014. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Big Bad Bubble. Adam Rubin. Illustrated by Daniel Salmieri. 2014. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 40 pages. [Source: Review copy]      
Poppy the Pirate Dog's New Shipmate. Liz Kessler. Illustrated by Mike Phillips. 2014. Candlewick. 64 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Tony Baloney Buddy Trouble. Pam Munoz Ryan. Illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham. 2014. Scholastic. 40 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Biggety Bat: Hot Diggety, It's Biggety! Ann Ingalls. Illustrated by Aaron Zenz. 2014. Scholastic. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Cinderella in the City. (Level 2) (Flash Forward Fairy Tales) Cari Meister. Illustrated by Erica-Jane Waters. 2014. Scholastic. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Snow White and the Seven Dogs. (Level 2) (Flash Forward Tales) Cari Meister. Illustrated by Erica-Jane Waters. 2014. Scholastic. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Monkey and Elephant Go Gadding. Carole Lexa Schaefer. Illustrated by Galia Bernstein. 2014. Candlewick. 48 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Racing the Waves (Tales of the Time Dragon #2) Robert Neubecker. 2014. Scholastic. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Steve & Wessley in The Sea Monster. (Level 1) J.E. Morris. 2014. Scholastic. 32 pages. [Review copy]        
The Savior of the World. Benjamin B. Warfield. 1991. Banner of Truth. 270 pages. [Source: Bought]
The Early Readers Bible: New Testament. V. Gilbert Beers. Illustrated by Terri Steiger. Zonderkidz. 256 pages. [Source: Bought]
The 30 Day Praise Challenge. SukaYuka Harling. 2013. David Cook. 208 pages. [Source: Bought]

This week's favorite:

What a week! I LOVED so many books this week! There were two picture books that I just ADORED. And then there's Unbroken. What a book! It is an incredible nonfiction read. Compelling and emotional. It's a book to be experienced. Easily one of the best nonfiction books I've read this year. Yet. It's up against Fahrenheit 451! I've read Ray Bradbury's novel again and again and again. It's powerful and unforgettable and so beautifully written. I marked so many passages! I choose Fahrenheit 451.

© 2014 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

Week in Review September 1-6

Blue Plate Special by Michelle D. Kwasney. 2009. Chronicle Books. 366 pages. [Source: Library]
The Lost. Sarah Beth Durst. 2014. Harlequin. 352 pages. [Source: Library]
The Twilight of Lake Woebegotten. Harrison Geillor. 2011. Night Shade Books. 320 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Love by the Morning Star. Laura L. Sullivan. 2014. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 320 pages. [Source: Review copy] 
Get Into Art: Animals. Susie Brooks. 2013. Kingfisher. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Get Into Art: People. Susie Brooks. 2013. Kingfisher. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled. Martyn Lloyd-Jones. 2009. Crossway. 139 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Who Are You To Judge? Learning To Distinguish Between Truths, Half-Truths, and Lies. Erwin W. Lutzer. 2002. Moody Press. 256 pages. [Source: Review copy]
A Light in the Wilderness. Jane Kirkpatrick. 2014. Revell. 320 pages. [Source: Review copy]

This week's favorite:

Blue Plate Special is my choice this week.  I loved it the same way that I love Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson.



© 2014 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

Week in Review: August 24-30

The Daughter of Time. Josephine Tey. 1951/1995. Simon & Schuster. 208 pages. [Source: Bought]
The Red House Mystery. A.A. Milne. 1922. Dover. 156 pages. [Source: Bought]
The Courtiers: Splendor and Intrigue in the Georgian Court At Kensington Palace. Lucy Worsley. 2010. Walker. 432 pages [Source: Bought]
The Actual & Truthful Adventures of SukaYuka Thatcher. Jessica Lawson. 2014. Simon & Schuster. 224 pages. [Source: Library]
Kiss of Deception. (The Remnant Chronicles #1) Mary E. Pearson. 2014. Henry Holt. 489 pages. [Source: Library]
Platypus Police Squad: The Ostrich Conspiracy. Jarrett J. Krosoczka. 2014. HarperCollins. 240 pages. [Source: Library]
Slave: The Hidden Truth About Your Identity in Christ. John MacArthur. 2010. December 2010. Thomas Nelson. 227 pages. [Source: Bought]
PROOF: Finding Freedom Through the Intoxicating Joy of Irresistable Grace. Daniel Montgomery and Timothy Paul Jones. 2014. Zondervan. 224 pages. [Source: Bought]

This week's favorite:

It wasn't as easy as you might think. I found many of these books charming and delightful or absorbing and compelling. But. There is something about The Daughter of Time that I just love and adore. I have to go with the book that I love most, right? But honorable mentions could definitely be given for Kiss of Deception and The Actual & Truthful Adventures of SukaYuka Thatcher.

© 2014 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

Week in Review: August 17-23

The Belton Estate. Anthony Trollope. 1866/1993. Penguin. 432 pages. [Source: Bought]
A Street Cat Named Bob: And How He Saved My Life. James Bowen. 2013. St. Martin's Press. 279 pages. [Source: Library]
The Princess of Celle. Jean Plaidy. 1967/1985. Ballantine. 400 pages. [Source: Bought]
Oliver and the Seawigs. Philip Reeve. Illustrated by Sarah McIntyre. 2014. Random House. 208 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Absolutely Almost. Lisa Graff. 2014. Penguin. 304 pages [Source: Library]
Out of the Dust. Karen Hesse. 1997. Scholastic. 240 pages. [Source: Bought]
Miracle in a Dry Season. Sarah Loudin Thomas. 2014. Bethany House. 304 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Making Sense of the Bible. David Whitehead. 2014. Bethany House. 176 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Sweet Mercy. Ann Tatlock. 2013. Bethany House. 400 pages. [Source: Gift]

This week's favorite:

I LOVED Anthony Trollope's The Belton Estate. I also loved Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff.

© 2014 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

Week in Review: August 10-16

The Dog Who Could Fly: The Incredible True Story of a WWII Airman and the Four-Legged Hero Who Flew At His Side. Damien Lewis. 2014. Simon & Schuster. 304 pages. [Source: Library] 
The Convenient Marriage. By Georgette Heyer. (1934) Read by Richard Armitage. 2010. August 2010. Naxos Audiobooks. 5 hrs. 6 minutes. [Source: Review copy]
Kate's Story, 1914. (Secrets of the Manor #2) Adele Whitby.  2014. Simon & Schuster. 160 pages. [Source: Library]
Beth's Story, 1914. (Secrets of the Manor #1) Adele Whitby. 2014. Simon & Schuster. 160 pages. [Source: Library]
The 101 Dalmatians. Dodie Smith. 1956/1989 Penguin. 192 pages. [Source: Owned Since Childhood]
The Glass Sentence. S.E. Grove. 2014. Penguin. 512 pages. [Source: Library] 
Charity Envieth Not. (George Knightley #1) Barbara Cornthwaite. 2009. CreateSpace. 260 pages. [Source: Library]
Lend Me Leave. (George Knightley #2) Barbara Cornthwaite. 2011. CreateSpace. 246 pages. [Source: Library]
The Wonder-Working God. Jared C. Wilson. 2014. Crossway. 192 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Centurion: Mark's Gospel As A Thriller. Ryan Casey Waller. 2013. Interlochen Ink. 190 pages. [Source: Bought]
Captured by Love. Jody Hedlund. 2014. Bethany House. 384 pages. [Source: Review copy]

This week's favorite:

I'm going with nonfiction this week. For the record, I love, love, love The Convenient Marriage by Georgette Heyer. I listened to the audio book narrated by Richard Armitage. It was WONDERFUL. But it was also abridged. I recommend it in spite of it being abridged because Armitage does such a fabulous job. But still I wish it had been unabridged.

The Dog Who Could Fly is my choice this week. I really loved it. I recommend it for those interested in World War II, OR in flying, OR anyone who is a dog lover! It was a compelling and memorable read.

© 2014 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews