Friday, January 22, 2016

Favorite Books Reviewed in 2015


I always have a difficult time picking favorite books, but here is a list of some of the books that I really enjoyed reading and reviewing in 2015. I tried to keep my list small this year because I am late getting it out. What were some of your favorite books from 2015?


In History:



The Maid And The Queen is about the relationship between Yolanda of Aragon, and Joan of Arc. This book explores the myths about Joan of Arc and explains them while still making Joan of Arc an intriguing historical figure. I was also pleased to learn more about Yolanda of Aragon who I now want to know so much more about. Goldstone provides a fascinating history of a person that is well known. Definitely one of my favorite books this year, and one I want to add to my own library.



The War Of The Roses explains who the two branches of the Plantagenet family are, their fight for the crown, and how the Tudors came to power after the all the fighting was over. This is an engaging history that helps the reader understand how different events in English history connect together and how important they were to the Tudors coming to power. This is a must read for anyone who is interested in the Tudors. It would be great for those new to the topic, and for those who are already familiar with these events.



Bookworms Book Club:


This was Alejandro's favorite book that we have read in the Bookworms Book Club. I did not limit their choice to this year as we have only been reading for a year and a half, and they did not add their choices to last year's list. The I Survived series is a great way to introduce young readers to historical events. Alejandro really likes learning about World War II, and this was the first book we read together in the book club. The main character Danny must try to survive the bombing of Pearl Harbor.


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The Giver was Paige's choice for favorite book we have read in Bookworms together. This has been a book I have reread several times since I was a kid, so I was thrilled to read it with Alejandro and Paige for their first time reading it. It is one that is at the top of all of our lists. They also read it right before the movie came out so they had fun comparing the book and the movie. This is a great dystopian novel, and I am pleased it was such a hit in our book club.




This was my favorite book we read together. I have always liked this book, but I really like introducing Alejandro and Paige to some of my favorites from when I was their age. I had a lot of fun with the book discussion on this one, and liked talking about the different layers in the story. We only read The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe together, but the whole series is fun and should be read at least once.





In Comic Books and Graphic Novels:

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This is a humorous series about a group of kids playing a video game. We go with them on the typical video game quests of rescuing the princess, battles, figuring out obstacles, and so on. Every page ends in the phrase: "Game Over" as they fail spectacularly at what they are doing. My favorite character is the princess who often ends up making the hero lose the game. The series is in French, but it is easy to understand what is going on. Anyone who has played video games will be amused by this series.


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I liked that this one focused on the Joker as he tries to prove his theory that any man can be broken and go insane. He decides to test this on Inspector Gordon. He struggles to maintain his sanity, while the Joker does his best to drive him crazy. I really liked learning more about the Joker who is an intriguing villain. This is a brilliantly told story that should not be missed by fans of the Joker.




In Historical Fiction:


I thought this was a fascinating fictional account of the Pendle witch-hunt in 1612. The author uses different characters to narrate the story which gives an interesting perspective on what was going on, and what brought about the accusations from the neighbors. This is an entertaining story while provoking a lot of interesting topics. 





In Humor:



I was a fan of the William Shakespeares Star Wars original trilogy, so I figured it was worth giving the new trilogy a try. Even if you do not like episodes I, II, and III you should read this book(and the rest of the trilogy). I actually liked The Phantom Menace told in this way. New life is given to the story and characters, and it is a delight to read. 





In Steampunk:


I heard about the Parasol Protectorate series this year, and thought I would give it a try. I found the first book Soulless to be witty and amusing. I continued on with the series and the two series that go with it, and like it more with every book I read. It features a strong female with her own ideas and powers. She is not about to let vampires and werewolves control her. A wonderful beginning to an incredible series.

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