A Feast of Books

A Broadside Bookshop staff blog of recommendations, trivia, events, and other things that we find interesting in the book world! Home Website: www.broadsidebooks.com

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Ms. Kahlo invites you to sip cafécito with her at Broadside Bookshop, all you need is one of our gorgeous mugs! (at Broadside Bookshop)

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Start your morning with a creative combination of crosswords and coffee!

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Treat yourself to a comfy pair of Freudian Slippers! (at Broadside Bookshop)

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Broadside Bookshop dolls come to life! Come on in and get yours!

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Bill & Ted's Excellent [Book] Adventure! (at Broadside Bookshop)

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Swipe left to see our bedazzled collection of 1600's feminist satire cards by Margot Elena (at Broadside Bookshop)

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Our new line of Sarah Jane Lapp cards offers a delightful combination of humor and handmade art. (at Broadside Bookshop)

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A Reader Review                          

by Thaddeus Lucentini

Title: Projekt 1065                                                              Author: Alan Gratz

Publishing Date: October 11, 2016

Main Characters:                    Who were they? Did you like them? Why or why not?

A daring Allied spy, Michael O’Shaunessey, is a shady yet well intentioned 13-year-old child. Also important is the RAF pilot named Simon. Fritz Brendler, a worshipper of Hitler also has an important place in the book.

Plot:                               What happens? Is it fun to read? But no spoilers please!

Michael saves a British pilot, and a very special one, a Jewish spy with a very special mission. But how will Michael hide a Jew right in Berlin while he completes his mission, with the Fuhrer and many Nazis right next door? Later, trying to help an important Allied scientist, Michael’s life is quite a mess.

Your Opinion:                           Did you like it? Did you have a favorite part? Was it funny? Scary? Sad?

In this terrifying story, I see good writing and an accurate view of Nazi Germany. I liked this book a lot, and enjoyed the description of the search for the airman.

Would you recommend this book? Why or why not? If someone likes this book, which others would you recommend?

I would definitely recommend this book to young history and action novel lovers, but due to some intense parts, I would say that it is for ages 9 and up. If readers like Projekt 1065, they should also read I Am Malala (kids’ version) by Malala Yousafzai.

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A Reader Review by Chloe Gawle                     Title: Jubilee                                                        Author: Patricia Reilly Giff

Publishing Date: September 13, 2016

         Jubilee by Patricia Reilly Giff is about a girl who does not talk because her mom left her when she was five, so she lost her self-confidence. She is going to a regular school now in fifth grade and she makes some crazy friends.

         She makes a friend named Mason, who does not mind Jubilee not talking. They start to go on adventures and they show each other places they have never shown anyone before. Jubilee wants to go see her mom with the ? face. So she goes on a journey to find her mom. Will she make it there? You’ll have to find out.

         The reason you should read this book is because the characters have amazing adventures, if you like adventure. When I read this book I could not put it down. Another thing was that I loved the setting—this book takes place on an island after Jubilee’s mother had moved to the mainland. Each day Jubilee explores the island and finds new hideouts.

         I would recommend this book to readers 9 years and older because some of the words are difficult. This book is very good and it has some twists. You’ll be sure to be pulled into this book when you read it.

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How difficult is it for one body to feel the injustice wheeled at another? Are the tensions, the recognitions, the disappointments, and the failures that exploded in the riots too foreign?

Claudia Rankine, Citizen: An American Lyric (via tatteredcover)

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A Reader Review by Olivia Wright

Title: The Thickety: Well of Witches                      

Author: J.A. White

Publishing Date : February 2016

    The two main characters are Kara and Taff Westfall. These are other characters that are in the book from time-to-time: Grace Stone, Lucas, Timoth (Clen/Kara and Taff’s father), Safi, and Rygoth the spider queen. My three favorite characters are Kara, Taff, and their father. I liked Kara because even though she is a witch and everyone thinks witches and magic are evil, she was the opposite of that and proved that not all magic is an act of evil. I liked Taff so much because he was really smart and always thinking on his feet and he always had hope that their father would be back. Why Timoth, Clen/Kara and Taff’s father, was one of my favorites is that it was never his fault that he was fighting against his own daughter. He was under a spell from Grace and he came through in the end.

    What happens in the book is a lot of betrayal. Kara and Taff arrive in the world and find their way into the well of witches and find out it’s been a year. They fight against Rygoth. It was very fun to read because just when you thought that everything was good or you were absolutely sure what was going to happen something else did.

    I liked this book very much because fantasy is my favorite genre. My favorite part was when Kara found Lucas in Nye’s Landing. It was really funny in the well of witches when they could see their thoughts because Taff’s thought went in all different directions. The book was scary and sad at the same time because they would find someone but that person would look miserable.

    I would definitely recommend this book and the 1st and 2nd book as well. It had a lot of action in it. If someone liked this book I would recommend the Harry Potter series, Percy Jackson, and the Land of Stories series.

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A Young Reader Review by Thaddeus Lucentini                          

Title: Argos                                                                                       

Author: Ralph Hardy

Main Characters:             Who were they? Did you like them? Why or why not?

This book features the dog Argos, from whose point of view the book is written, and who is a witty and respected animal. Other important characters are strong and amiable hunter Telemachos, son of Odysseus, and the suitors of Queen Penelope, who are referred to either as a single entity or sometimes individually. Odysseus and Argos’ son Leander are also important.

Plot:                         What happens? Is it fun to read? But no spoilers please!

As the intrepid warrior Odysseus sails the seas, little does he know that he is being watched. Argos gains the story of the odyssey through various birds and a cat. While endeavoring to learn about his master’s fate, Argos must also keep the situation at his home under control—from the malicious suitors of the queen to his own animal affairs.

Your Opinion:         Did you like it? Did you have a favorite part? Was it funny? Scary? Sad?

I liked this book very much due to its vivid image of life in ancient Greece, and also because I think it is well written. It is filled with the melancholy feeling of a rapidly declining household and undoing of family life.

Would you recommend this book? Why or why not? If someone likes this book, which others would you recommend?

I would recommend this book to avid readers of dramatic tragedies. It is masterfully written and interestingly morphed from the classic story told by Homer.

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A Reader Review by Nora Mulvehill

Title: The Wollstonecraft Detective Agency: The Case of the Girl in Grey     

Author: Jordan Stratford

Publishing Date : January 5, 2016

 Main Characters:             Who were they? Did you like them? Why or why not?

The main characters of this book are Lady Ada Byron, believed to be the world’s first computer programmer, and Mary Godwin, the future author of Frankenstein. Mary’s stepsister, Jane, and Ada’s half-sister, Allegra, tag along.

Plot:                               What happens? Is it fun to read? But no spoilers please!

This is the sequel to The Case of the Missing Moonstone. Lady Ada and Mary are faced with their second case, involving s suspicious fiancé, a mysterious girl in the park, and a sneaky plot to take control of an inheritance. But many obstacles stand in their way, including a sudden sickness and a secret code…in a tomb!

Your Opinion:          Did you like it? Did you have a favorite part? Was it funny? Scary? Sad?

I thought that this book was quite good, even if parts of the plot were a bit far-fetched. Many of the characters are based on real people in the 1820s and I think that the author did an excellent job incorporating historical facts. 

Would you recommend this book? Why or why not? If someone likes this book, which others would you recommend?

I would recommend this book for ages 8-12. If you like this book, I would suggest reading the Enola Holmes Mysteries, which are also set in Victorian/Edwardian London.

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A few favorites from our Science Fiction/Fantasy section! #scifi #fantasy (at Broadside Bookshop)

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See our tarot, wicca, and healing card selection in the mythology section! #tarot #wicca

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