Finding That Hidden Gem: How to find that perfect book

I find myself often wanting new books to read. The only problem is, it can be hard to find a book you like. I, being the picky reader that I am need more than a recommendaton or an ad to be convinced to read a book. I have a few methods for finding a good book.

Step 0:
This is for those of you who have a book that was recommended for you by a friend. Look it up at the library. It's nice to know a little bit about the book before you read it. Library websites will have a small synopsis that will give just enough away for you to get a little hint as to whether you'll like a book or not. Wikipedia is an option, but be careful. On Wikipedia, if you read to far, it might ruin the book for you.

Step 1:
If you have a book you like, chances are your going to like other books by the same author, so choose a book and check the author.

Step 2:
Search the author online for a list of their other works. Wikipedia is usually a good source for this.

Step 3:
If you just choose a book you like, try searching for it on Amazon. At Amazon, when you search a book, lower on the screen they show book suggestions based on that book. They also show what other books people who bought that book online bought with it.

Step 4:
If all else fails, go to the library. At a local library they often print up pamphlets or sheets with books that they recommend and include a little summary. This is a great way to find some really good books that are more discreet.

That's all! Please post comments and suggestions!


Today, I will be taking my blog in a new, but similar direction. Instead of summarizing books as before, I will be giving a review of the book; my personal opinion of the book at hand. That being said, I will be reviewing Revolution Is Not a Dinner Party by Ying Chang Compestine.

This book is inspirational with Ling's struggles and transformation. It is heartbreakingly wonderful to see her life ripped apart to be reconstructed slowly again. In revolutionary China, Ling starts to grow miserable with the wear of lack of food and questionable living condition. She keeps going everyday because she still has something to live for, mainly her parents, her father in particular. Her love for her father is beautiful. She is driven by that, so when things turn sour around her, when people go missing or are hurt, she has her father to fall back on. She has hope and shelter from him. Her father though is arrested, and when he is taken a way from them, she is exposed. She has no safety net. The removal of her father forces Ling to be strong on her own. She is faced with adversity but she powers through. The loss of a close friend, the knowledge that her mother may commit suicide, and the oppression of the bullies at school don't stop her. She is no longer a protected little girl at the end. Ling grows up and transforms into a strong, but wearied mature young woman. Luckily for her, the torment ends with the return of her father. Transformation is key in this book. The transformation of Ling, the transformation of China, everything is transformed , like a piece of paper into origami.

Chapter 2: Hoot

Today I will review Hoot by Carl Haissen:

 

http://goo.gl/RrXTC7

This book is set in Florida, and focuses on environmental issues, like the majority of Haissen's books.  The main character, Roy Eberhardt, sees a mysterious running boy while being tormented by the school bus bully. Roy from that moment makes it his mission to find and talk to that boy. Another day on the bus, Roy spots he boy again while being strangled by the same bully, Dana. In his excitement to follow the boy, he punches Dana in the nose, bumps into a girl boarding the bus and chases the boy through a golf course, where Roy is promptly knocked unconscious by a golf ball to the head. When he is found and brought to school, he is punished for punching Dana, and breaking his nose. At lunch, Roy is cornered by the girl he bumped into on the bus, Beatrice, who warns him to stop bothering the running boy. Roy does not, however, and he persistently searches for the boy, finally having a brief encounter while blindfolded. Meanwhile, Officer David Delinko and foreman Curley have been trying to stop a series of vandalisms at the construction site of Mother Paula's Pancake house, unsuccessfully. Beatrice decides to enlist Roy's help with the running boy, who happens to be her runaway step-brother, Mullet Fingers. They show Roy that Mullet Fingers had been vandalizing the construction site because they were going to bulldoze over some burrowing owls illegally. Roy is enlisted by Mullet Fingers to help with the mission. Roy, Mullet Fingers, and Beatrice all work together with the children of Roy's school, peacefully protesting the construction at the ground breaking ceremony. They are successful and the zone is dedicated to be a reserve for the owls.

http://goo.gl/OvvZur

Next I will review Revolution Is Not a Dinner Party by Ying Chang Compestine.

Please post comments and suggestions!

Chapter 1: The Secret Garden

Today I'm going to review The Secret Garden:

http://goo.gl/dr20hm

The Secret Garden is a sweet heartwarming book. The main character, Mary Lennox, a British girl born and raised in India, was an unhappy, spoiled, ugly child. At least until she was forced to move in with her only living relative, her uncle, the reclusive Mr. Craven. This wealthy hunchback has a large mansion with expansive grounds in Britain. Little does she know, the British countryside is the best thing for her. She becomes pretty and healthy after living there for a little while. Exploring the grounds, she befriends a robin that live in one of the closed up gardens on the grounds. Mary learns from her maid, Martha, that the garden was closed because Mr. Craven's wife died after being injured in that garden. He was so angry that he locked up the garden and buried the key. Mary's robin friend shows her the key to get into the garden and there she discovers her passion. Meanwhile, Mary also discovers her uncle's sickly son, Colin, who is cooped up in the mansion. He is much like she was, in that he is spoiled rotten. She makes friends with him and shows him how to enjoy himself. Mary wishes to fix up the garden, and with the help of Dickon, Martha's outdoorsy brother, she does so. Eventually, Mary recruits Colin to help them. She, Dickon, and Colin show Mr. Craven the fixed up garden and he is happy for the first time since his wife died.

http://goo.gl/e2dK45

Next time I will be reviewing Hoot by Carl Hiassen.

Please comment a book to read and review.

Prologue: The First Post

Welcome! My name is Madeleine, and in this blog, I will be reviewing books. I am a major bookworm and I read a lot.

I really want to express my opinion on books to the world and I want it to be a valid opinion. I personally appreciate a good review that I can read before I dive into a book.

There are way too many blogs that publish book reviews that aren't helpful to an avid reader, and are badly written. My mission with this blog is to put out quality work that I would like to see on the internet, and to review books in a way that can actually be interesting and advantageous for a bookworm like me.

That being said, I want to illustrate how this little blog got started. To be honest, I wouldn't even be blogging if it weren't for my English homework. This is a school project, but I'm enjoying writing this first post, so I plan on continuing even after the assignment is complete.

My hopes for this blog aren't for it to be famous, but for it to be a tool that can be useful for at least some people.

After this little introduction, I will jump right into the books. I would like to give the readers the opportunity to select books for me to review, because I'm always open and looking for a new book to read. So if there is a book you really want me to review, please, leave a comment.

The book I will review first is: The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett