This is Alpha, the first-born, when he was 2YO.
This is Beta, the second-born, when he was about 2YO.
This is Gamma, the third-born, when he was about 18MO.
Summer Book Thingy, 2021
Aug
25
2021
With a lack of commute and not having to manage any school activities or transportation these last 2 months, along with a 3-day weekend at Lake Huron, I’ve had time to read some books.
The difference this time is that I’m recommending against some of them. So be warned.
I’m going in order of when I read them.
First up: The Candymakers by Wendy Mass
This was a very good book. Good characters, a bit of intrigue, no violence, and maybe just a hint of romance. This book tells the same story multiple times from each of the characters’ perspectives.
It may sound tedious when I type it like that, but it is done well and does actually enhance the story.
Next up: Secret Keepers by Trenton Lee Stewart
This was a good book. Good characters, suspense, no violence, and no romance. Oh, and an interesting plot. Two thumbs up.
Next up: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Phillip K. Dick
This was not a good book. I won’t go so far as to say it’s a bad book, but for me it was meh – not worth spending time on it. I was looking forward to the book, and I had heard good things about the author, so I was disappointed that I never really felt into the story.
There were some parts that never made sense, and some parts (an affair) that I disagreed with, but other books have had those aspects and still managed to engage me.
Adventurers’ Guild by Zack Loran Clark and Nick Eliopulos
This was also not a good book. Well, that requires some clarification. The first book was a very good book, but it ends with a To Be Continued situation, which makes you want to read books 2 and 3 of the trilogy.
However, much like The Matrix, you are much better off stopping with the first one, and ignoring the final 2/3 of the series.
The first book was just about everything I’d want in an adventure/fantasy book for middle schoolers. An interesting world and a variety of characters and a mission, plus an appropriate amount of violence for the genre and no romance.
The second book wasn’t as good as the first book, although good except for one word. One simple word changed the book from “Yeah that’s a good book I’d let my kid read” to “Something fishy is happening”. That word was “romantically”.
That word not only introduce thoughts of romance into the story, but it was, shall we say, non-traditional romance.
Plus the violence in the book started getting a little more gory. Not bad, but another reason to give me pause.
That was when things started gently sloping downhill. But the third book was when that slope turned into a cliff.
One: the romance aspect became a major storyline. Bad because that takes away from the action but also bad because this storyline is promoting inappropriate relationships. Not just telling about it, but having the authority figure tell the youngsters in the story that this kind of love is good.
Two: the violence became more gory yet again. It could be a lot worse, but it was disappointing to see the degradation.
My recommendation: don’t read any of the books in the series.
Last up: Greenglass House by Kate Milford
This was a good book. A little less action than my usual material, but I guess this would be classified as a mystery so the added suspense makes up for it.
The story turns a little too fantastic (i.e. it moved out of the realm of believability) near the end, but I think that’s a personal preference thing. I suppose most mystery stories have to have some way of tying things up, and it was certainly a memorable way for the author to do so.
That’s all so far. But my son just came home from the library with what looks like the sequel to The Candymakers, so I may have a fall book review post too.
But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and those things defile the person.
Matthew 15:18
