Dear Pen Pal

This is the third book in the Mother Daughter Book Club series by Heather Vogel Frederick. I read the first two a couple of years ago, and when my neighbors checked Dear Pen Pal out of the library, I started reading it when I went over there.

In this book the members of the Mother Daughter Book Club read Daddy Long Legs and Just Patty, both by Jean Webster. The five girls, Megan, Emma, Jess, Cassidy, and Becca, each have pen pals who are in another Mother Daughter Book Club and are reading the same books. Jess is at a boarding school for the first time and is stuck with a classically rich and mean roommate, Savannah, who naturally turns out to be all right after all. Each chapter is from the view of Megan, Emma, Jess, or Cassidy, and Heather Vogel Frederick depicts each character well.

The writing is not what I'd call fantastic, but I still enjoy reading them. You may be better off reading Daddy Long Legs instead, but this is okay.

Mr Monk Goes to Hawaii

For Monk lovers and mild fans of the show, this novel could be gold. I would probably fall under the category mild fan, but I didn't find this book to be nearly as good as the actual thing. Lee Goldberg, who has written episodes of Monk, wrote twelve or so Monk novels, some of which were turned into episodes. The other Monk fan in the house is my Dad, and we bought Mr Monk Goes to Hawaii on our Kindle. I can't say it's my favorite book, but neither is it bad.

Goldberg is a good writer, and displayed Hawaii's beauty with talent. I naturally have never been to Hawaii, but I got what was hopefully a realistic picture of Hawaii. Monk's obsessive compulsive actions didn't stray far from his character on the show, keeping his need of cleanliness and order in line. The certain things distracting him were quite Monkish and worthy of praise.

The story is told in first person by Monk's assistant, Natalie Teeger. Her feelings and annoyances at Monk's actions are written out by the page, and it does well to describe the difficulties of her job.

Overall it is a good story and it pulls together neatly. It is not a book I would likely reread, but if you are in need of a new Monk mystery, it would be a good choice. 

Detectives in Togas

I reread Detectives in Togas, by Henry Winterfeld, on the ride to Port Aransas. It was read to me a year or two ago, but I could barely remember the events taking place in the book nor many of the key pieces to the plot. And so it was therefore a great pleasure to read.

Starting out in Xantho's School, one of the seven students, Rufus, pins a wax tablet with the words 'Caius is a Dumbell' etched into it, Caius being one of his fellow classmates. But when the next morning the same words are written on the Temple of Minerva in Rufus's hand, his friends have to find the culprit before Rufus is sold into slavery.

Really a marvelous story, and brilliantly told. You cannot proclaim an excuse strong enough to not read it. 

Silver on the Tree

Well, I decided to skip the rest of Harry Potter and go straight onto the Dark is Rising. Well, I'm glad I did, because Silver on the Tree is a really phenomenal book. Unfortunately, it is the last in the series, so I have no more to read, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

From Will Stanton, the last of the Old Ones, to Bran Davies, a totally cool Pendragon, to Simon, Jane, and Barney Drew, the story is fascinating in every aspect. I completely disagree with the ending, but I rearranged it, so it is a brilliant ending to a brilliant sequence of books. And, it takes place in Wales, which adds about five billion plusses. I love Wales.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

This amazing book by J. K. Rowling is my favorite of the series, mainly for Doctor Who related reasons. But it really is a fantastic book. My favorite for more reasons than Dr Who...

I won't tell you to read this book, because chances are, you've already read it at least once. But I will tell you to read it again. 

Night of the Humans

Another Dr Who novel I've read, not the best books of course. Terribly written, the lot of them. Of course, I could write one and it would be fantastic...

This book by David Llewellyn is a pretty interesting read, but definitely not as interesting as Peacemaker. Only for true Dr Who fans is this book. It's good if you're looking for something to read at night, and have nothing better to read. 

Half Moon Investigations

Ah, another great work of Eoin Colfer! This is a fabulous book, perhaps not as good as the Artemis Fowl series and The Wish List, but still a hilarious piece of literature.

Fletcher "Half Moon" Moon is a character well worth reading about, with his underage detective skills. Eoin Colfer has done an another amazing job telling the story in painstakingly great perfection, from the girl's club, les Jeunes Etudiantes, to the mystery giant. An excellent and well told tale.