Book Thoughts - Soprano Trouble by Victoria Kimble

Soprano Trouble (Choir Girls, Book 1) by Victoria Kimble
published 2/3/17
76 pages

Synopsis -

Summer McKidd is a bright, compassionate 7th grader. She has a good group of friends, which can be a hard feat for someone in junior high. She and her friends love to sing in their choir at school, and this is where her trouble begins. At the fall concert, her friends drag her into a mean prank and Summer is soon sentenced to nursery duty at church. When she walks into the nursery, she sees that the victim of their prank is also a volunteer. Summer begins a friendship with this girl but soon sees that she will have to choose between her group of friends and her new friend. Can Summer do what is right and keep her friends?
My thoughts -


Well, this was just delightful! I'm always on the lookout for a good series for my daughter, who is just a touch younger than the target demographic here, but will be ready for it soon - and I think the Choir Girls series is going to be just perfect.

I'm always impressed when an author can write a book that really captures the essence of junior high - that self-absorbed yet truly seeking part of a young person's life. Kimble infuses this novel with enough fun to draw her audience in, yet remains thoughtful throughout, never talking down to or underestimating her readers. This is certainly a book about tweens, but the ideas of standing up for what's right and being brave enough to confront a friend when they are in the wrong are applicable far beyond those junior high years.

Kimble writes from a place of faith - Summer and her friends attend church, and there are references to the Bible and its teachings - but the novel never feels preachy or stuffy. I appreciated the way the author was able to convey the moral message of the story organically within the flow of the narrative.

I'm thrilled to have found this series, and I can't wait to read more! Definitely recommended for anyone looking for a light-hearted yet smart read for their mid-grade reader. I can't wait to get copies of the entire series for my shelves!

Finished - 1/18/17
Source - ARC from publisher (TouchPoint Press) - thank you!
MPAA Rating - G
My rating - 5/5

Book thoughts - Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs

Library of Souls (Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children #3) by Ransom Riggs
published 9/22/15
464 pages

Synopsis - 

The adventure that began with Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children and continued in Hollow City comes to a thrilling conclusion with Library of Souls. As the story opens, sixteen-year-old Jacob discovers a powerful new ability, and soon he’s diving through history to rescue his peculiar companions from a heavily guarded fortress. Accompanying Jacob on his journey are Emma Bloom, a girl with fire at her fingertips, and Addison MacHenry, a dog with a nose for sniffing out lost children.

They’ll travel from modern-day London to the labyrinthine alleys of Devil’s Acre, the most wretched slum in all of Victorian England. It’s a place where the fate of peculiar children everywhere will be decided once and for all.

My thoughts -

Oh, good gravy I loved this series. From the first time I picked up the first book I was hooked. And, for me, Library of Souls was a beautiful ending for these characters I've come to love.

As usual, Riggs has his motley crew struggle through a good number of harrowing situations, and Jacob and Emma must use all the wits at their disposal to figure out a way to rescue Miss Peregrine and save the world. I appreciated that a happy ending wasn't a foregone conclusion, and the author didn't tie up all the loose ends in a neat little bow. I feel like I spent the last 1/4 of the book just holding my breath, and didn't feel safe to let it out until the very last page. And what a lovely, meaningful phrase to end the series - "We have time."

I know these books won't be for everyone, but for me the combination of storytelling and pictures worked to make this series a unique and fully engaging reading experience. I know these will be books I return to, and I'm excited to introduce my kids to Jacob, Emma, and Miss Peregrine, and watch them take this journey too. Highly recommended.

Finished - 10/25/16
Source - my shelves
MPAA rating - PG-13 for some intense, scary scenes involving children
My rating - 5/5

The State of the Stack - 1/26/17

Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake -


Picked this one up because of ALLLLLL the hype, and because YA fiction with strong female protagonists always sounds good to me. So far, so good.

Wild and Free: A Hope-Filled Anthem for the Woman who Feels Like She Is both Too Much and Never Enough by Jess Connolly and Hayley Morgan

Catching up on this for an online book club - honestly, what woman doesn't feel Too Much and Not Enough at some point in her life? Interesting so far.

Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah

My current audiobook, this was gifted to me by a friend. Read by the author, Trevor Noah is someone I don't know a lot about, but this book is making me more and more curious. Very good so far.

Upstream: Essays by Mary Oliver

I've read Oliver's poems, but never her essays, so this seemed like a good time to start.
















What's on your nightstand? Have you read any of these?