Book Review-Hawksong

Hawksong

By Amelia Atwater Rhode

Reviewed by L.S.

The book is about how two young leaders of two totally different people have to come together under the banner of peace to stop the killing that has raged for centuries. The subplot closely intertwines and is how the two leaders Zack and Danica have to learn to get along with each other if they ever hope for their two newly joined countries to get along. For if their rulers can't get along how can the people?
The book revolves around fantasy, hope, and self submission. It deals with doing what is best for everyone even when you may be ridiculed for it. The title of the book is the name of a lullaby Danica's country sings; it is about peace and no understanding of war. The title also is a way of showing how the main characters struggle to make that song a reality.
The character whose view the story is from has impenetrable will and hope for her country. She agrees to rule with Zack even when her mother thinks that goes beyond the requirement to do what is best for the people of her country.
I think this book is extremely well written and is unlike anything else I have read; it would be a great book for discussions.

Book Review-Glasswright's Master

Glasswright's Master
By Mindy L. Klasky
Reviewed by L.S.

The moment I remember the most is at the end when Rani Trader becomes Ranita Glasswright, again. She than officially starts the rebuilt glasswright's guild in Morenia. The main plotline in this book is that the king and a few of his loyal retainers, figuring out how to reclaim their capital while keeping out of the scheming Fellowship of Jair's hands. It is also about the characters learning about themselves.
In this book the consequences for all of Rani's, Ranitas decisions come about. As Rani sees disappointment death and betrayal whirl around she has to fight an inner battle as she tries to figure out how to fix herself and her life. For if she doesn't get her feelings sorted out who knows what else will be on her mind.
The book is mostly building up to a Happily Ever After. Which is reasonable considering this is the last of five books. The overall theme is finding out what is most important in life, which is a theme each reader must decide if it is good or bad. The title Glasswright's Master refers to the end of the story when the king, King Halivallari, reinstates the Glasswright's guild in Morenia and puts Ranita at the head of it making her a Master and a Guild mistress. Though that’s not all...
This story ends well and with the rest of the series it is good for a long flight but it is up to you to decide if you like or not.

Book Review-Glasswrights Test

Glasswright's Test
By Mindy L. Klasky
Review by L.S.

This book is appropriate for young adult readers.
The most memorable moment is when Rani Trader/Ranita Glasswright was failed on her test to be a Glasswright Master. The story is about a young woman who in the earlier books gets caught up in an organization called The Fellowship of Jair. The whole series revolves around the mysterious Fellowship and how Rani's friends and herself try to figure out what the Fellowship wants.
The theme of the book is making glass and Mystery/Adventure. The book is mostly third person but switches characters when the main characters are in different places. Rani really grows up throughout the books (This is the 4th in a series). She is 13 at the beginning and she just continues to age because there are gaps between the books.
The title of the books refers to the test Rani takes in this book. All the other books also start with Glasswright's and each end with, in order, apprentice, progress, journeyman, test, and master.
In this book Rani tries her best to do what is right but events move swiftly and she finds it hard to find out what is right to do so she often has to use her instinct. This book was written averagely well. I got this one because there were several others that went with it. This one I didn't like as much because not much happened and what did was rather melancholy. The author doesn't really sound like she spent much time on her foreshadowing.
My final assessment is that the book is not great but a good car trip or airplane ride read. If you have a lot of time on your hands read this book.

NaNoWriMo

www.NaNoWriMo.org is a website that encourages writing novels in the National Novel Writing Month. Basically you sign up and spend your entire November trying to write a novel (approx. 50,000 words) I think it is an intresting idea and decided to try and write for a while, not necessarily a novel and not necessarily in a month but it is writing. Currently a person I know is trying to write a novel to adjust out of a life of technical manuel writing into a life of writing more pleasurable things. Writing is an outlet in any shape or form, and this website is trying to encourage such.

Book Review: The Mixed up Files of Ms. Basil E Frakenwheiler

This book is about a girl and a boy who are siblings that run away to a museum. They live there for a while and the book is about the adventures they have there. The children even take a bath in the fountain during the night and collect the spare change at the bottom! As time passes they wonder about the statue that has been recently given to the museum. Will they find out where the statue is from and if it is real? A truly enchanting classic; you will want to read it again and again.

Book Review: The Goose Girl

The book has a classic fairytale ending but not at all the normal way of reaching it. The main character was a former crown princess until her mother decided that her brother was better for the position. She gets sent off to marry some unknown prince. Unfortunatly her lady-in-waiting has other ideas. There are so many twists and turns you never know that it will turn out Happily Ever After until the very end. It contains many dreams, betrayels and faithful friends. Read it and see what you think!

Cat Adoption Center

My sister is in girl scouts and her troop recently went to a cat adoption center. I was invited to go along so I went. The center was no kill, that meant that they don't put animals to sleep. It said it was a cat adoption center and it was. I mean it had 200 cats. But it also seemed to be a cat rights center. They believe in neutering and spaying but they don't believe in declawing cats, even the ones who scratch people. The odd thing is that they don't accept all of the cats at the center.

The system for taking care of feral (wild) cats is pretty neat. They have links with a few farms and will send the cats strait there. That way the cat can remain wild with lots of prey that the farmers don't like.

I do think they do a good job taking care of the cats. Each has a room they live in with other cats. The room is decided by what food they eat. It smells pretty good in each room. Some cats who don't try to run away get to just hang out on the secound floor. In all it was a good place but I still wanted to take one home (but my cat would have been jealous)