"Anne of Avonlea" by L.M Montgomery (Review)

             Anne of Avonlea Review

Basic Info:

Originally published: 1909

Author: Lucy Maud Montgomery

Preceded by: Anne of Green Gables

Followed by: Anne of the Island

Genre: Children's literature

Adaptations: Anne of Avonlea (1975)

Rating: 7/10

Anne of Avonlea is pretty good, although some small scenes bug me a little, the book leaves you at the end pretty well satisfied. Let me start with the pros of this book:

PROS:

1) Anne is maturer now, and isn't that dreamy, absent and yes, sentimental as when she was still a kid.

2) There's a lot of humour provided, especially by Davy and his logic.

3) We still get a lot of the old characters, such as Diana, Marilla, Rachel Lynde, and so on, but we also get lots of new characters to add something new, such as Dora and Davy, Paul Irving etc.

CONS:

1) Gilbert Blythe, probably my favourite character doesn't appear a lot in this book.

2) Some scenes aren't very realistic, especially the scene near the end.

 

So overall, you should read this book, and I can't really compare it to Anne of Green Gables as the two are quite different, and each have their own charm. So, my overall rating is 7/10.

Amazon UK link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Anne-Avonlea-Vintage-Classics-Montgomery/dp/0099582651/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1462224677&sr=8-1&keywords=anne+of+avonlea

"Holes" by Louis Sachar (Review)

       Holes By Louis Sachar Review

Basic info and Story Line:
Holes is a 1998 young adult mystery comedy novel written by Louis Sachar and first published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. It won the 1998 U.S. National Book Award for Young People's Literature and the 1999 Newbery Medal for the year's "most distinguished contribution to American literature for children". In 2012 it was ranked number 6 among all-time children's novels in a survey published by School Library Journal.(Source:Wikipedia)

Stanley Yelnats' family has a history of bad luck, so when a miscarriage of justice sends him to Camp Green Lake Juvenile Detention Centre (which isn't green and doesn't have a lake) he is not surprised. Every day he and the other inmates are told to dig a hole, five foot wide by five foot deep, reporting anything they find. The evil warden claims that it is character building, but this is a lie and Stanley must dig up the truth.

Review:
I have posted a review on this, kinda long ago, but what I wrote was wrong. I recently re-read this book, and it's actually my favourite book for young adults. It's wit,humour,drama,story, I mean, everything about it is near perfect! But I would first like to quote CommonSenseMedia's review of it, as it sums it up perfectly:

Sachar pulls together this complicated story with unusual characters, dark humor, inventive plotting, and some Dickensian coincidences. The harshness of the situation is mitigated by the multifaceted mystery and by the strangely lighthearted way the author tells the story. At the end the author deliberately leaves a few holes in the plot for the reader to fill in. Sachar has a bizarre imagination, and in this vivid, many-layered book he puts it to its most compelling use yet.

This book is completely unique in my opinion. When I first read it, it wasn't special and didn't really appeal to me, but now that I'm much older, I can really appreciate it.

First of all, the story is completely unique, and it takes a very imaginative mind to think up something like this. Then the humour is hilarious, as it isn't the silly-clowning around kind of humour, but dry, deep, and completely unexpected. And the themes and symbolism which are dealt with in this book are numerous: racism, crime and punishment, society, redemption, honour, religion, love, God, etc. 

This book is technically for teens, but many, many adults have read it, and loved it. So if you're 11 and up, I definitely recommend you to give it a shot. Amazon UK link:
 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Holes-Louis-Sachar/dp/1408865238/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1461874057&sr=8-1&keywords=holes

Please Subscribe, +1, Share this post if you enjoyed it, and please comment, as I want to know what you guys think!

My Thoughts on "Little House on the Prairie" (TV series)

 My Thoughts on Little House on the                                 Prairie

Little House on the Prairie is an American western drama television series, starring Michael Landon, Melissa Gilbert, and Karen Grassle, about a family living on a farm in Walnut Grove, Minnesota, in the 1870s and 1880s. (Source: Wikipedia)

Episodes List: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071007/episodes?season=1

Straight out, I love Little House on the Prairie! It was a TV milestone, and is a classic which will still be loved, watched, and cherished a hundred years from now.

I (and millions of others), love it for so many reasons: most notably, the story lines that provide valuable lessons in life and the outstanding performances by regulars and guests.

However, some episodes I would prefer to watch alone (in fact, nearly all of them!), as they're too sad, and I hate showing tears in front of others, and I don't like people crying in front of me, as I then get embarrassed and seek for a way out. Anyway, this series can inspire, move, and make you cry.

But this series does have a problem: I only really love the seasons from 1 - 4, like Dexter and after that, the seasons slowly begin to get less original, and more modern, and less beautiful, and so on. For instance, I HATE the romance between Almonzo and Laura, I just think she behaves like an idiot; Every now and then, individual episodes rise high again, only to let the later episodes fall into darkness. And as Laura gets older, Charles and Caroline get less and less important, and those are my favourite characters! And then Albert comes, and then James and Cassandra come, and the whole classic and original feel get evaporated so that it becomes just like any other series.

(And the episode Sylvia has to be the worst I've ever seen; Albert behaves like an idiot, Sylvia herself isn't exactly pretty and she behaves stupidly, the whole themes are kinda unrealistic, and if you have to make an episode dealing with rape, you could have made the scene (and afterwards) a bit more realistic. In all, the episode left me with the uncomfortable feeling that someone had accidentally screened the wrong episode of another series.)

My favourite Characters are Charles and Caroline Ingalls (CI+CI, HAH!).

If you're wondering why there aren't any of the Ingalls girls, it's because they often behave stupidly. Charles nearly never does anything stupid, and I don't love/like Caroline in only one episode where she becomes a full-blown feminist (in season 7, exactly!). I do like the Ingalls girls  a lot most of the time, but they do do stupid and unnecessary things pretty often.

So, in conclusion the seasons 1-4 are absolute must-watch, the later ones until season 8 can be bought, but if I were you (Which I'm not, of course) I'd only buy them for a very low price and don't expect too much.

Amazon UK link to Season 1: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Little-House-Prairie-Season-DVD/dp/B0009PGTEC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1461271006&sr=8-1&keywords=little+house+prairie+season+1

'Anne of Green Gables' by L .M. Montgomery (Review)

           Anne of Green Gables Review

Basic Info:

Anne of Green Gables is a 1908 novel by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery. Written for all ages, it has been considered a children's novel since the mid-twentieth century. It recounts the adventures of Anne Shirley, an 11-year-old orphan girl who is mistakenly sent to Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, a middle-aged brother and sister who had intended to adopt a boy to help them on their farm in Prince Edward Island. The novel recounts how Anne makes her way with the Cuthberts, in school, and within the town. (Source: Wikipedia)


Review:
Okay, I admit it, I am a teenage boy that reads 'Anne of Green Gables'. So what?
Maybe it's not one of the best books ever written, but it's timeless. So let me start with

Why I like this Book:

The characters are real, they come alive through the pages, you feel for them, you can understand them, you know why they're doing something even if you don't agree with them. My favourite characters are Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, Gilbert Blythe, and (kinda) Anne herself. Although she does talk a lot, and somehow I have the feeling that if every time Anne talks, her words would have been shortened only a few paragraphs, the book would probably be shorter by about a hundred pages.
But on the other hand, Anne is shown to be intelligent and different, not in a bad way, but just different in a good way; she sees the world differently and with imaginative eyes, for example: Anne changes the name of Barry's Pond to Lake of Shining Waters. 

Things I kinda dislike about this book:

Anne is over-dramatic: Either she's floating on the wings of happiness or she's drowning in the depths of despair. She cries a lot, and often because of small (but hilarious) misunderstandings. Another thing: If she hates someone, she hates him with all her soul. She hates Gilbert Blythe for a time of incredible 4 years! But the good news is that by the time she's sixteen, she's more mature, and talks less than before.

And just on a side note: This book is written in the style of Louisa May Alcott: There's no main story-line or quest, but a series of small adventures or problems.
Bottom Line: I recommend this book for anyone above 8 or 9 years of age, of any gender, and who like Drama-comedies. (But if you're looking for a full-blown romance, this is not one you would choose. I would suggest trying Louisa May Alcotts Jo's Boys or if you wanna go full sentimental and teary, try (ugh!) Romeo and Juliet)

"Watership Down" by Richard Adams (Review)

         Watership Down Review

Watership Down is a classic adventure novel, written by English author Richard Adams, published by Rex Collings Ltd of London in 1972. Set in south-central England, the story features a small group of rabbits. Although they live in their natural environment, they are anthropomorphised, possessing their own culture, language, proverbs, poetry, and mythology. Evoking epic themes, the novel follows the rabbits as they escape the destruction of their warren and seek a place to establish a new home, encountering perils and temptations along the way. 

(Source: Wikipedia)

Basic Info:

Originally Published:  November 1972

Author: Richard Adams 

Genres: Fantasy Literature

Review: 

Watership Down is a weird book. No doubt about that, though that's not necessarily a bad thing. The story line, the characters, and the details are definetely out of the ordinary, or were: The book was first published 1972, and things have changed since then.

Simply said,Watership Down is a pretty good book. It has an interesting story, and it's unique to see rabbits behaving like human beings, having the personalities and traits and flaws and goodness of humans, while being animals. Actually, this book reminded me a lot of The Wind in the Willows, although Watership Down is darker than Wind in the Willows.

On the whole, I prefer Wind in the Willows to Watership Down. Watership Down is a good read, but I doubt whether older readers would really enjoy reading about rabbits behaving like Achilles or Aragorn, or whatever. But Watership Down is not for much younger readers either, as it's  (arguably) dark and (again arguably) brutal in some places. I would recommend this book for mature 8 or 9 year olds.

But maybe I'm just picky, or too old. Tell me what you think in the comments below!

Please Share, +1, and Subscribe! Here's the Amazon UK link:

 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Watership-Down-Richard-Adams/dp/0140039589

"The Revenant" By Michael Punke (Review)

         The Revenant Review

The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge is a 2002 novel by American author Michael Punke, based on the story of the American frontiersman Hugh Glass.^[1] The novel was later adapted as a screenplay for a feature film released in 2015, directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu.^[1]
Source: Wikipedia

Basic Info:

Originally Published: 2002

Author: Michael Punke

Genre: Non-Fiction

Publishers: Carroll & Graf Publishers

Country: United States of America

Subjects: Hugh Glass

Review: 

The Revenant is a good, or very good book. Let me explain why:

The first part is genius, absuloutely mesmirising and brutal! The second part is good, but the ending just lets you down. You'll see what I mean when you read the novel. In my opinion the movie was much more satisfying.

I'm afraid that's all for now, but I'll be reviewing again soon, so Subscribe and Stay tuned!

If you want the parent guide, please either comment or email me at ibibrov@gmail.com.

"The Road" by Cormac McCarthy Review

        "The Road" Review

Basic Info:

Originally Published: September 26, 2006

Genres: Post-Apocalyptic fiction

Page Count: 287

The Road is a 2006 novel by American writer Cormac McCarthy. It is a post-apocalyptic tale of a journey of a father and his young son over a period of several months, across a landscape blasted by an unspecified cataclysm that has destroyed most of civilization and, in the intervening years, almost all life on Earth. The novel was awarded the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for Fiction in 2006. The book was adapted to a film by the same name in 2009, directed by John Hillcoat. (Source :Wikipedia)

Review:

"The Road" is without doubt one of the best, saddest, and most symbolic books I've ever read, rivalled only by "The Lord of the Rings". Its power is nearly indescribable, but I'll do my best.

Cormac McCarthy has already written pretty many books, the most famous being "Blood Meridian", which has been called the moby dick of our age, "The Road", which is probably his most famous, and "No Country for Old Men", which got its most prestige from the movie.

I'm a hardened reader, but this brought tears to my eyes. The sheer hopelessness, and the titanic scale of the world is overwhelming. 

Unnamed man and his son walk through a burnt and ravaged landscape, where anything of everything is scarce, and it is always perpetually cold. Not even theocean is blue, its grey. Every minute in this world is suffering, and most people have either died or commited suicide. Most of the people who survive have turned to cannibalism, eating and robbing people who are on the road, so not even your fellow human is to be trusted; on the contrary, they are the most dangerous thing on the road.

Let's examine some of the symbolism found in plenty in this gem of a book. For example,the road: Highways and interstates (and some minor roads) comprise the setting of this novel. (The characters do stop at a few houses, but these function as pauses in their journey.) The characters spend so much time on the road – and McCarthy describes the road so well – that it hovers over the novel as a major image. The road is a desolate, transient thing, full of danger. In fact, it's probably useful to think of the road as both an actual, physical setting and a mental state.

Before I conclue let me just say that this book is NOT for kids: It's way too dark, scary, intense, and also heavily brutal. If "Blood Meridian" is one of the most brutal books ever written, then you can imagine the brutality here: Its not too often but when it comes its HEAVY! (I'll try to post the Parents Guide of "The Road" as soon as I can, so stay tuned!)

"Murder on the Orient Express" By Agatha Christie (Review)

      Murder on the Orient Express                Review

NO SPOILERS!

Author: Agatha Chriestie

Originally Published: January 1, 1934

Genres: Crime Fiction

Review:

I've read many of Mrs. Christies books, and in my opinion she's the greatest crime fiction writer who's ever been, but Murder on the Orient Express is in my opinion one of her best, just pure genius!

While traveling to Paris, a wealthy American is stabbed to death in his cabin on the Orient Express. With the train stuck in a snowdrift, there is no easy escape for the killer. Fortunately, detective Hercule Poirot is aboard and launches a clever investigation into the curious assortment of passengers, of whom each seems to have a motive.

Slowly, lies get uncovered, and you just go: "WHOAH!" The end solution was absuloutely unique! I could have never, ever thought of it! Everything fits together so nicely, and Hercule Poirot (The little detective with the egg shaped egg) has solved another baffling mystery with triumph! To be quite honest, I can see why he's a bit conceited, because he IS the worlds greatest detective! (Along with Sherlock!)

Here's the Amazon UK link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Murder-Orient-Express-Hercule-Mysteries/dp/0062073508

All my Youtube Videos up to date!

        All my Youtube Videos up to Date!

I'm going to go from oldest to newest:

My Youtube Stop Motion Channel!

                        My Youtube Channel Link!

Hi everyone, please check out my Youtube Channel, please Subscribe, Share, and Like, and most of all, comment! Give me tips, complaints, possible storylines etc! HERE'S THE LINK:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNL8FxMUsqIjFaxm20rmyeg

"Dragon Rider" by Cornelia Funke (Review)

                   Dragon Rider Review

NO SPOILERS

First things first, Dragon Rider is not exactly a scholarly achievement, but it's a nice entertaining story good for kids 7 and up, depending on the maturity of the reader.

I first read this book when I was 10 or 11 years old, still in Germany, and read it in German, its original language, but I've also recently read it in English.

DRAGON RIDER STORY LINE:

Firedrake, a brave young dragon, his loyal brownie friend Sorrel and a lonely boy called Ben embark on a magical journey to find the legendary place where silver dragons can live in peace for ever. Along the way, they discover extraordinary new friends and a courage they never knew they had. Just as well, for the greatest enemy of all is never far behind them - a heartless monster from the past who's been waiting a very long time to destroy the last dragons on earth.

Review:Overall, enjoyable book, with some positive messages and role models

It has some positive messages, some people might see them as very positive messages, and kinda positive role models. What is for sure is that there are worse and better books, in every sense.

I hate books, where children take on roles only adults could and should take on, like saving the world, being the best agent in MI6, CIA, FBI or whatever. In Dragon Rider, Ben isn't alone, and he isn't trying to save the world or something of the sort. On the other hand, it could be better...Or maybe not? This kind of story can only feature kids, and not really adults. At least that's what I think.

Overall, pretty good book! Here's the Amazon UK link:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dragon-Rider-Cornelia-Funke/dp/1910002054/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1446753335&sr=8-1&keywords=dragon+rider

"The Hobbit" by JRR Tolkien (Review)

                              The Hobbit Review

Now, I haven't reviewed this yet, although it counts as one of my favourite books ever! The truth is, it was you guys' fault! You never comment, 1+, share, or anything else! So if you could please just start to participate, I'd awfully appreciate it! So anyway, to the review!

"The Hobbit" is often seen as a children's book, but it is actually classified for 10 and up. If I were the parents, I'd give "The Hobbit" to my children when they are 11 years old, as most children aren't mature enough to understand the enormity of what they're reading!

"The Hobbit" has everything; for the younger reader there is the straightforward adventure, for older readers there is the subtle change in Bilbo as the journey goes on to the Lonely Mountain. And for even older readers, there is the magic with which Tolkien spins his words.

If you don't know the plot of "The Hobbit", here it is: Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who enjoys a comfortable, unambitious life, rarely travelling further than the pantry of his hobbit-hole in Bag End. But his contentment is disturbed when the wizard, Gandalf, and a company of thirteen dwarves arrive on his doorstep to whisk him away on a journey 'there and back again'. They have a plot to raid the treasure hoard of Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon...

The prelude to The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit has sold many millions of copies since its publication in 1937, establishing itself as one of the most beloved and influential books of the twentieth century.

     The Hobbit is a tale of high adventure, undertaken by a company of dwarves, in search of dragon-guarded gold. A reluctant partner in this perilous quest is Bilbo Baggins, a comfort-loving, unambitious hobbit, who suprises even himself by his resourcefulness and his kill as a burglar.

    Encounters with trolls,goblins,dwarves,elves and giant spiders, conversations with the dragon, Smaug the Magnificent, and a rather unwilling presence at the Battle of the Five Armies are some of the adventures that befall Bilbo. But there are lighter moments as well: good fellowship, welcome meals, laughter and song.

     Bilbo Baggins has taken his place among the ranks of the immortals of children's fiction. Written for Professor Tolkien's own children, The Hobbit met with instant acclaim when published. 

"Circus" by Alistair MacLean (Review)

                                        Circus Review

Written by Alistair Maclean

Review:

Okay, I read this book and it is literally one of the worst books I've read! And what makes it even more disappointing is that it is written by one of the most best-selling authors of his time, and the biggest-selling Briton of his time.There are so many bad points about it, I don't even know where to begin.

Nr.1: "Caravan to Vaccares" and "The Way to Dusty Death" and some other late Macleans, have at least some redeeming qualities. For instance "Caravan to Vaccares" has some really funny scenes. "Circus" does not. "Way to Dusty Death" has some cool action scenes. "Circus" does not. 

Literally, everything is crap about this novel; The romance, the action, the humour, the characters, the back story, the setting.This book is just the typical "Americans-are-good-Russians-are-evil" Cold War novel you find all over the place.

Mr. Maclean, I'm terribly disappointed in you, and in this book. Shame on you!


       

What is your favourite book?

                 What is your favourite book?

First of all, I want to apologise for not writing for such a long time, but then I'm soo busy! I'm writing my script, I'm doing Home Schooling, I'm just very busy! But we're not here to talk about me. Today we're here to talk about you!

Today I decided to let you have a say in my blog. Because I've never had any comment yet, and I want to know what your favourite books are. So I'm going to tell you what my favourite book is, then (hopefully!), you will tell me what your favourite books are. Just click on the post, scroll down, and just comment!

My favourite book is "The Lord of the Rings" by J.R.R Tolkien. It is just phenomenal in it's description, scenes, characters and all the rest, and I will soon post a review about it.  It is officially one of the best-selling books ever written, with over 150 million copies sold world-wide, and translated into over 30 languages. Here's the link (Amazon UK):

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=lord+of+the+rings&rh=n%3A266239%2Ck%3Alord+of+the+rings

"Little Lord Fauntleroy" by Frances H. Burnett (Review)

                Little Lord Fauntleroy (Review)

Plot:

A little american boy called Cedric is called to his English grandfather, who hates the boy's mother because he hates all Americans, and and doesn't like his own son, the father of Cedric because he married the american woman, and now the Earl of Dorincourt calls his grandson to England because he's his only heir. But Cedric is so innocent and trusting that the Earl of Dorincourt slowly starts to transform.

Review:

In my opinion, Frances H. Burnett is a pretty dreamy author, maybe because she's a woman. Mind you, I'm not a sexist, but women are more gentle etc. than men , aren't they? But Mrs. (Or is it Miss?) Burnett has taken that gentleness to the limit. I mean Cedric is so trusting that he talks to strangers, and Ok. Maybe he does make everyone think: "What a capital little fellow this is!". But one day the last thing his mother would have seen of him would be chopped up in little pieces by a psychopathic child killer. What then? But then I hear you say: "Chill bro, it's only fiction!". Yeah, maybe it is, but young kids can't easily tell the difference between fantasy/fiction and reality, can they? So after they've read the book they'll go about thinking that innocence and trustfulness to people they've never seen or met,  will make them love them. So what happens? Imagine this scenario: The kid is walking home from school, a car stops next to the kid and the man says: "Hey kid, I know your mother and she says she wants to meet you in the wood. I'll drive you there if you like."

The kid gets in and the child is never seen again alive! Or the kidnappers will hold the kid for a whooping sky-high ransom, and when they turn the kid over to the parents, they say: "Show your kid the movie Ransom or something like that. At least tell her/him how dangerous it is to talk to strangers or your kid will get seriously hurt." Obviously I was exaggerating a bit, but the truth is: This book can be dangerous for young kids! The only part I liked was: When the book ended!

Please note that this is not written to hurt or offend anyone.