Bookmarks

    Bookmarks are an important part of reading. They may seem to be a small and insignificant thing, but they do a lot for a reader. Aside from holding your place in a book-an important job-they can tell someone a lot about the person using it.
    I tend to use a certain bookmark for a while. Currently, I am using three at a time. The first is signed by Julie Berry, one of my favourite authors. The others are Tinkerbell and Prince Caspian. I really like Tinkerbell and I love the Narnia movies. When I was looking for the Narnia one, I was hoping for one with Aslan, but this was all they had. I still like it, though.
     Some people use a photograph as a bookmark. It may be of a loved one or a friend that they miss. This picture must be of someone or something they care about. Other people use different bookmarks for each book they read. Some bookmarks are fancy with jewels, sparkles,and pretty pictures. If a reader is always on the run, they may use scraps of paper, ticket stubs, or anything else they can find.

What do you use?

Veiled Rose by Anne Elisabeth Stengl

Veiled Rose by Anne Elisabeth Stengl

375 pages

Price: Paperback-$14.99 U.S.

    Leo is staying at his cousin's house for the summer. Maybe it would not be so bad if the two boys got along. Leo's cousin reads books all day, but Leo wants adventure. When he hears tales of a monster in the woods, Leo sets off to find it. On his "monster hunt," Leo meets Rose Red.
    Rose Red lives alone with her nanny goat and he old father. She covers herself in rags so no one can see her face. When she and Leo become good friends, everyone is shocked.Rose Red learns that Leo is hunting the monster and he learns that the real monster is Rose Red, no one sees her for who she is inside.
    But Rose Red is trapped by the real monster, an evil dragon who wants to rule the world. He seizes Leo's kingdom and holds everyone captive. Can Leo and Rose Red defeat to evil that has been brought upon the land?

Previous Book: Heartless

Next Book: MoonBlood

Would you read this book? Why or why not? If you have read it, what did you think of it? Please share you opinion.

Pirate Adventure #3

Wayne Thomas Batson wrote on his blog about possibly writing a third Pirate Adventure. In that series, he previously wrote Isle of Swords and Isle of Fire. Both are great books and if you have not read them, you are missing out on a lot. If you are interested in a third one, put a comment on his blog so he will know that everyone wants it.

Movie Review: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Title: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Series: The Chronicles of Narnia, III
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: PG

Summary: Years have passed since the four Pevencie chilren left Narnia (in Prince Caspian) and now Lucy and Edmund, the youngest, are staying with their aunt and uncle while their parents and older siblings are in America. One large problem is their cousin, Eustace, who never does anything productive and spends his days making his cousins miserable.
When all three are transported to Narnia through a painting, things begin to change. Lucy and Edmund are reunited with Caspian, who is now King of Narnia. He has no idea why the children were called to Narnia, but he is glad to see them. When they find out their mission, their thoughts change. They are to find out the source of the evil green mist and destroy it by placing the seven lost sword on Aslan's table.

My Thoughts: When this movie came to theatres around Christmas, I wasn't sure if I wanted to see it. I read the book a while ago and didn't really like it. I didn't like the really old movie version either.  After seeing part of the begining-in Spanish-I decided that I needed to see it. I borrowed it from the library and watched it the other night. It was amazing! I think it might be the best one yet.

    I was very surprised about how many Christian messages were expressed; the movie companies being non-Christian and all. The crew on the Dawn Treader is plunged into an adventure in which the goal is to defeat the evil that is tempting everyone. They must find the seven swords of the seven lords and place them on Aslan's table. The movie also tells us not to be greedy. Eustace, Lucy and Edmund's anoying cousin, greedily takes treasure from an island and face the consequences. At the end of the movie, Lucy asks Aslan if they will ever see him again. He responds by saying 'In your world I have another name. You must learn to know me by it' implying that he represents God.
    This movie is amazing. I give it a five star rating. There are some scary parts, so little children might not like it, though.

Anne Elisabeth Stengl, Tales of Goldstone Wood

Watch for Anne Elisabeth Stengl's next book, Moonblood, coming April 2012. But first read Heartless and Veiled Rose. Veiled Rose comes out 1 July. Visit http://anneelisabethstengl.blogspot.com/ to learn more about Anne Elisabeth Stengl and her books.

Sphinx's Princess by Esther Friesner

Sphinx's Princess by Esther Friesner

365 pages

     Nefertiti loves to dance and sing, but these are normal for a girl of her status. When her father's friend, a scribe, comes to visit, he secretly teaches Nefertiti to read and write. Her father is furious when he finds out because his sister, Queen Tiye, the Great Royal Wife, used Nefertiti's mother for her skills and she was killed. But her father's efforts to keep her learning a secret are futile; Queen Tiye invites the family to the palace and plans for Nefertiti to marry her oldest son. Can Nefertiti avoid marrying the prince, who cares only about his cat, or will she become the queen's powerful tool?

Next book: Sphinx's Queen

Vespers Rising

Vespers Rising by Rick Riordan, Peter Lerangis, Gordon Korman, and Jude Watson

238 pages

Price: Hardcover- $12.99 U.S./$14.99 Canada/6.99 UK

5 Cahills, 4 Stories:
Gideon Cahill makes the ultimate sacrifice to protect his greatest secret from the man who was once his closest friend, now his sworn enemy-Damien Vesper.
Madeline Cahill takes a great risk in attempt to bring her family back together.
Grace Cahill runs away to find a secret the Vespers could use to rule the world.
Dan and Amy Cahill race to relocate the same secret that Grace risked everything to hide.
The Vespers have waited in hiding for years. Now they emerge to find the secrets and take over the world. Can the Cahills stop them?

I Won Anne Elisabeth Stengl's book, Veiled Rose . . .

Congratulations to need2read for her brilliant success, naming all the dragons in the Maiden and Dragon contest! The interesting thing to note is that not all of her answers were the same as mine . . . yet all her answers were correct! Here is my list of Maidens and Dragons:

1. Princess Cimorene—Kazul (The Enchanted Forest Chronicles)
2. Princess Adelina—Vollys (Two Princess of Bamarre)
3. Mulan—Mushu (Mulan)
4. Lady Sibyl—Errol (Guards! Guards!)
5. Lessa—Ramoth ( Dragonflight)
6. Una—The Dragon of Errour (Faerie Queen) OR . . . the Dragon King/Death-in-Life/Father of Dragons from my own book, Heartless! Tricky, that one . . .
7. Aerin—Maur (The Hero and the Crown)
8. Alice—Jabberwocky (Alice in Wonderland)
9. Kara—Draco (Dragonheart)
10. Princess Aurora—Maleficent (Sleeping Beauty)
11. Kale—Gymn and Metta (DragonSpell)
12. Belinda—Custard (The Tale of Custard the Dragon)
13. Princess Fiona—Dragon (Shrek)
14. Princess Elspeth—Vermithrax Pejorative (Dragonslayer)

need2read, however, answered Brom for #4, which is correct . . . Brom is another one of her pet dragons. She also answered Flagra and Byrn for #9, which is also correct. I had to research that one, but Kara turns out to be the heroine of the Flight of the Dragon Kyn, which is definitely full of dragons!

Excellent work on all those answers, people! Yet again, I am impressed by your dragon knowledge.

Written by Anne Elisabeth Stengl on her blog.

Happy Easter!

Christ is Risen

by Matt Maher

Let no one caught in sin remain
Inside the lie of inward shame
We fix our eyes upon the cross
And run to Him who showed great love

And bled for us
Freely You've bled for us

Christ is risen from the dead
Trampling over death by death
Come awake, come awake
Come and rise up from the grave

Christ is risen from the dead
We are one with Him again
Come awake, come awake
Come and rise up from the grave

Beneath the weight of all our sin
You bowed to none but Heaven's will
No scheme of Hell, no scoffer's crown
No burden great can hold You down

In strength You reign
Forever let Your church proclaim

Christ is risen from the dead
Trampling over death by death
Come awake, come awake
Come and rise up from the grave

Christ is risen from the dead
We are one with Him again
Come awake, come awake
Come and rise up from the grave

O death, where is your sting?
O hell, where is your victory?
O church, come stand in the light
The glory of God has defeated the night

Sing it, o death, where is your sting?
O hell, where is your victory?
O church, come stand in the light
Our God is not dead, He's alive, He's alive

Christ is risen from the dead
Trampling over death by death
Come awake, come awake
Come and rise up from the grave

Christ is risen from the dead
We are one with Him again
Come awake, come awake
Come and rise up from the grave

Christ is risen from the dead
Trampling over death by death
Come awake, come awake
Come and rise up from the grave

Christ is risen from the dead
We are one with Him again
Come awake, come awake
Come and rise up from the grave
Rise up from the grave

City of Stars by Mary Hoffman

City of Stars by Mary Hoffman
453 pages

     Tomboy Georgia is being bullied by her foster brother. When she purchases a wooden figure of a winged horse, it takes her to Talia, a parallel world resembling Italy. There, she meets a young boy named Cesare who works in the stables and is helping his father prepare for the big horse race coming up. A winged horse is born in Cesare's stable, something that happens only once in a hundred years. It is believed to bring good luck to the city in which it is born. Could it help Cesare's city win the race that is so important?
    With enemies lurking  nearby, keeping this a secret might be difficult. The di Chimici will do anything to stop their rivals from winning. And why was Georgia brought to Talia? She knows there must be a reason, but what?

http://stravaganza.co.uk/


    Dreaming of a city with flying horses was one thing . . . But coming face to face with someone she knew to be dead - that was something else again.

Previous book: City of Masks
Next book: City of Flowers.