This Louis L'Amour appears to be the thing with the grown-ups. He's apparently written around a hundred novels, and staring at the first book I read from him, I had a mixed thought. Situated in 1599 and about the first of a family to go to America, I felt that it could be good, but I was scared, considering it was in the exact same format as The Great Gatsby and the same amount of pages too.

I opened it anyway and 185 pages later, I was actually a little upset it ended. 

This book is about a warrior named Barnabas Sackett who comes across a small fortune one day on a walk through his village. He then ends up having an instant enemy named Genester, so the book starts off quite extreme. Now that he has some coins with him, what is he gonna do? Sail to America to get some nice trades using what the English call grass and the Americans call gold? Bottom line, fortune is the top priority to people. During his adventure, Sackett ends up meeting some new friends in some insane coincidences and lives in the wild.

You want to hear something small? when the book said it was situated in 1599, I thought that was during the time shakespeare was alive and writing. The book mentioned it at the exact moment I thought of him. While some of the characters feel like the exact same as another, I feel that there's not enough room for character development or perhaps Louis L'Amour was worried he'd get bored. This might spoil the book, in a good way, but this is an entertaining book. Every action scene pretty much snuck up on me just like Sackett was being spied on. A lot happens, and a lot happens much quicker than the average book, kid's or teens. 

Something else this book gets points from is the writing. It goes into partial slang of the late sixteenth century without becoming Shakespeare complicated or inane. That was the thing I was the most surprised about. Days pass without much detail put into them at all, and I generally love it when authors skip over, but I sort of feel like I missed out on an interesting story. But I read the front of the book one day and found out this is a series of twelve or seventeen, so I understand how not too much should be put in for the first outing. Still, Barnabas meets a ton of bandits on a ship and a few decide to join his team, and it was very sudden and didn't show much reason for their action. But I really enjoyed this book, because when your complaints are that you want more, want or wanted, that means you're liking it. I just might reach for #2.

You may have been wondering why I've been reviewing a lot of Big Nate books lately on my website. I'll tell you why. Because I wanted to have a full review of this book for my best list video for YouTube, so of course this makes the list.

Nate's name is an anagram for Neat. And not neat as in interesting, but neat as in organized, something Nate has never been. How many times has Nate opened his locker and got swept off his feet? I have no idea how that's possible, but it's a running gag and original. That's the point of this book, Nate emphasizing his relationship with Captain Tidypants, aka Francis. It's time to get some candids for the school yearbook, but in order to do that, they need a camera, and it's very valuable. Mrs. Godfrey is in charge of such, so Nate can't get it directly from her, but Francis can, and Nate can be the best "killer" out there. The thing is, is Nate trustworthy enough to hold this camera? We learn later on that he lost three plastic mouth guards and two chicken drumsticks in that locker of his.

I know that this book may sound a tad bit boring, and not funny. I say this with pride, however. This Big Nate is hilarious. A real laugh-a-thon, kind of like how Nate sees Science as a yawn-a-thon. But that's just icing on the cake. This Big Nate takes an interesting turn and becomes even more mature than the last outing without losing a sense of enjoyment. 

It may be the most heartwarming little kid's book I've ever read. Like I just said, it's heartwarming but not kissy, it's smart, it has a little fight that throws some punches, and it features three laughs-a-chapter minimum gags. And it's the best Big Nate yet.

I was the most excited for this Big Nate, because On a Roll had a 2-paged literal preview, in sketch from Nate, and it showed how Nate's school has a big rivalry between their neighbour's school. I've never been in competition with another school before, but considering how in Grade 6, I was so tormented that I put some of the bullies' names in my novel, and those same bullies went to a Middle School later, I can understand how if we kept in touch, it would've been brutal, more for me than them. Actually, it's been two years since my first novel has been published and I don't think they know I made them the bad guys yet. I only used two of their names, and one is missing a "K" at the beginning. Read The Blacktop Brothers to find out who I'm referring to.

Anyway, Lincoln Pierce really knows how to get inside a preteen's head, and maybe even a high school teen, one who's trying to enjoy life with everyone pushing him back. Because of this talent, he's been able to make every Big Nate at the least, relatable. This time, there's a hint of a moral or two: One: Weird people aren't always actually weird. Two: The bigger or stronger person isn't always the winner. It's P.S. 38 vs. Jefferson head-on, (P.S. 38 being the smaller school the last three Big Nate's were situated in,) but that's not how Jefferson sees it. They win all the time, and it's starting to be discouraging. Even in terms of art, math, gym, and especially quality in building (a little hint of a spoiler), they are better, so Nate decides to find a way to beat the people who have won so much, they've become bullies.

A good idea this book has is to teach kids about the art of the art, and it's filled with surprises. But most of them are more dismal than enjoyable, more influential than funny. You know something? There was a part in Michael Vey: Rise of the Elgen where the Eagles were using their superpowers to mess around with the innocent people around them just because they don't have powers like the, and because of being so rich, they become so ferocious that they don't care about someone dying, and something weird was it was entertaining, however I was happy when it ended, and they ended up getting a little comeuppance. As long as the antagonist is able to learn from his mistakes or at the least get punished, then bring it on, that's an element I like in books and this Big Nate has that. The problem is the storytelling is a bit unbalanced. I enjoyed it when Nate was talking with this special someone (I won't say who), those parts were great and happy. Every time they, or Nate's friends or doodles were not on the page, it's like the fire alarm goes off spontaneously.

If you visit my site regularly, as I'm sure there are few of you yet I'd be flattered, you probably know that one of the requests for a review that I got was The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood as well. And I actually enjoyed it enough to recommend, which surprised me more than a little. This novel, Alias Grace, made me question to myself whether I ever actually liked it.

One thing I must confess is I admire Mrs. Atwood. Being such a famous author and a Canadian too.  She shows that Canadians can be famous just as much as any American. And me being an author too, I'd love to meet her someday.

Just like The Handmaid's Tale, only much longer, this book is beautifully written as always but doesn't know what it really wants to be about. I can't really blame her completely, because this is based off of a real story from papers of a girl named Grace Marks who was sentenced to several years in jail until further notice in 1843 for the death of her boss and a housekeeper Grace worked with. Then, at the present day, fifteen years after that occurrence, Grace  gets her own doctor and perhaps a lawyer, who is trying to find a way to prove Grace innocent while Grace can't remember much either. The book therefore transitions between the present time and years ago, when Grace migrates from Ireland to Canada and looks for work, and also goes to the doctor's own life in the meantime. 


Now, I have an idea. If Grace is inside the jail, why not put more detail into the layout of it to see if Grace could get better food or possibly a way out? It appears she doesn't, but what I meant about it not knowing what it wants to be about, is how about sixty percent of this book is unnecessary. The grave problem is that Margaret Atwood expects us to love the forgotten famine and dystopian society of the nineteenth century, when we don't really. Not every chapter has a reason. Some do, some don't, but either way, a lot of the little story details made me ask myself why that was in there. Is it to make you feel good? No, generally not. One by one, it's a painfest. There's even a main character death that is emphasized throughout the rest of the book, and her death was deliberate and Grace knows how. But she forgets about it and doesn't think about any possible ways for a retribution. I understand some books try to teach you that violence is not always the option, but this one, even though it may have that message partially, is a cynical way to see peace. Plus, this book also made me feel nauseous occasionally, which, like The Handmaid's Tale, had a knack for detail of scents, and more of them were disgusting and related to horse dung or butter.

And lastly, the ending takes too long to get there. I won't spoil it, but when I put the book down, I felt like I just read a book about a complete wimp who never took chances and doesn't see a way to escape when she sees it. I feel very bad because Margaret Atwood must have loved writing this book. She gets points for her poetry and for adults who are Atwood's age, go to Church to pray to God every possible time, can forget significant flaws, and love the history of the old days are going to meet the book of the past millennium.

Now that Harry Potter and several other series have passed, it's time to say "Another year, another Michael Vey book." And I was actually a little close to giving the last outing just 2 stars, but it was still entertaining, as were all the books.

The Michael Vey books all have cliffhangers that try to top the rest, and so far, they've been entirely successful, the third one most of all. The MEI machine killed forty two babies in Pasadena, with seventeen surviving, that seventeen either dead or with the Electroclan or Elgen, except for Nichelle, as far as we know. Now the Electroclan has taken shelter and we get a few nice reunions, making the start about as perfect as a book can get. While getting geared up and being scared of their biggest mission yet, this book also shifts between some character happenings, from Michael, to Chairman Schema, to Hatch, and even two others. For this mission, the Electroclan has to rescue an autistic nine year old who has found out how the MEI actually works but her brain is too messed up to understand torture. She's named Jade Dragon and is being moved to Taiwan. Michael and his friends will have to go up against not just the Chinese police if they have to commit a crime, but also against a group of Ninjas and the other electric children, in which a surprising counter is given the green light.

Now, it's just as much of a page turner as the other ones, but for the first half, it's mostly just character bonding. This is a bit of a foreshadow, perhaps getting the series ready for the last three books and letting the characters make love. I would've liked to see a few more chases, but it compensates for it's few flaws it makes at the start with vibrant action during the second half. 

Also, I'm going to go into full detail here. The book goes to the lives of the Elgen kids and Hatch, who are now more menacing than ever. The kids end up using their powers to torment innocent people, and I won't say how. People will find it funny or upsetting, and I found it to be a mixture. But the book doesn't lose points for a few kid's being naughty, they are evil. It shows that sometimes with too much power, people, or to the Elgen, eagles, stop having sympathy for any Nonels (you'll figure out who those are when you read the book) and just want them all to be their slaves or dead just for looking too unkempt. Hatch might as well be the vilest book villain since Warden Storm from Escape from Furnace and Bellatrix from Harry Potter. When I was writing The Blacktop Brothers, I wanted to write a story about people like Hatch getting their arses handed to them in the funniest way. After a while, though, I found sympathy for them and possibilities for their lives. That's why I'm writing The Blacktop Brothers 4. The first Michael Vey did what I'm trying to do for Book 4 in just one quick read. This Michael Vey is doing what I did for the first outing, and it's all page-turning.

These books have a type of vacation guide to them. After I read the second Michael Vey, I was intrigued to go to Peru and learn Spanish. Taiwan might be interesting now too. These books also have, with the exception of Book 3, what you want to read, negative but a burst of sunshine beneath. This Michael Vey was for the most part, the same and very surprising. I think it's the Michael Vey that will surprise the readers most. But beneath all this are the unforgettable characters. Books generally lose a grip with under or overdeveloped characters, but here it is done to perfection. 

This book was a good read, and I'm going to keep up with the series and get the sequel, Push. Because I'm sure it will turn out better than this first instalment.

So, is Rush another one of those dystopian society books? No, not really. If you look at it in a certain way it is. It's about this game. In a way, it's similar altogether to the novel I wrote tha I've been keeping shelved, Afterlife. You want to know how the first human beings originated? No, not from monkeys. From aliens. A regular girl who knows a thing or two about kendo, Miki Jones, ends up being selected to take part in a game after she pulls a heroic stunt; a game so challenging and mysterious that noone has beaten it yet. She ends up being transported to a place called "The Lobby." There, she meets a team of four, where she is the fifth member. Each person has a tracer with a green light to apparently indicate health and a weapon that flashes energy bolts from the power of your mind, and in this game, according to the mysterious leader, Jackson Tate, who never seems to remove his sunglasses and never answers a question directly, every man is for himself. I'm not going to spoil how to win or lose points, and what happens if you lose the game, but the enemies you must fight are known as the Drau: Beautiful yet terrifying creatures that follow the same principle as Medusa. 

Eve Silver is a very good author if you ask me. It's the story payoff I have trouble with. Now, I haven't given up on this series yet, as I said. And if you want to look for something new to read, I think Rush will be a page turner. It's just that not much actually happens, everything moving along with anticipation the only thing really keeping it going. There's a love relationship in it that I didn't really buy. I felt it was really a relationship where the two annoy each other and apparently have fun screwing themselves over that they never want it to finish. There's a mystery in this book about why they are playing this game, and I was intrigued at first and so was Miki, but the first half of this book and actually more is spent asking questions and not receiving suitable answers and it got repetitive quickly, and by the end, I guessed the mystery that wasn't actually relevant to winning the game and just wanted Miki and everyone to quiet down and play. That's why I think Push will be better. 
So how did I do with guessing the mystery? I was partially right, but I was certainly caught off guard a few times. Next time, I'll look forward to a real goal.

How long is Lincoln Pierce going to keep at these Big Nate books? I don't know when, but until he runs out of ideas, which I doubt will be soon, we're guaranteed a quick read for the kiddies every year.

Now, everyone likes and some even love Artur Paschkov. Even Nate, who thinks he's second in the biggest suck-up list, Gina in #1. Nate decided to join the Timber Scouts a little while back because a) his friends finally convinced him and b) Teddy's fun dad is the leader. Now Artur is in the scouts and everyone but Nate finds this good news. This is one of those stories that doesn't necessarily have a bad guy: Nate simply has a goal to win something that Artur wants just as much. And Artur already has everything: the girl, the good grades, the luck, and everyone likes him. And Nate certainly wants to win the grand prize for selling these hideous ugly wall hangings after his last one got lost, more or less because of Artur.

It's clear that Artur is a great guy, but he simply doesn't understand the world around him well. He bakes Nate brownies to be a friend, and for Nate, it's hard to tell if it's to be friendly or rub in his selling score. So what's the difference between a kid's book that's thumbs up and one that's thumbs down to me? It's down if it spends too much time being a painfest only to fulfill it's requirement in the end which it may not always do, or resorts to body function jokes, which this book doesn't really do. It gets thumbs up usually if it tries to be clever and have energy. Also, if Nate hides under Mrs. Godfrey's desk, I wouldn't want him getting caught. Anyway, when I look back on it, this Big Nate outing has a lot of clever ideas about being an entrepreneur, such as how to make wall hangings cool such as selling them where people are around to notice them, and a way to beat Artur that is very clever for a kid's movie, and I'm still giggling about the idea of someone saying, "Listen up, folks!" on the intercom. I just wish it was a little bit more enjoyable.

And a note: I don't keep up, but it seems that after a new Big Nate book gets published, an activity book goes in stores too, and I've flipped through some of them, and I wouldn't buy them, because the new one will be around the corner and you may just end up shelving them.