A Few Mini-Reviews.

I am attempting to "catch up" on all the books I've read but haven't discussed this fall. Since school started, I've read about 22 books. I find that to be kind of amazing considering the amount of stress and work that goes into a first full year of teaching, but I've been finding time, here and there, to relax and enjoy some fun reads.

This edition is really going to focus on some of the YA/MG books I've been reading. In particular, I decided to mini-review some of the series and sequels I've been hooked on. Enjoy!

The Brotherband Chronicles Book 3: The Hunters by John Flanagan.

I consider this to be one of my biggest guilty pleasures, but at the same time, I think that Flanagan's books are just really entertaining and good. I know what to expect when I pick one up, and he hasn't disappointed me yet (after14 titles).

This series is the companion series to The Ranger's Apprentice. It is set in the same world, but features a different culture, which takes a lot more skill than it seems. That's honestly one of the major reasons I love these books. Flanagan manages to weave his narrative through multiple cultures, and show that no one "culture" or people is the enemy-only those with ill intentions are the enemy. And, I love that the books are action-packed, have good moral lessons, and are just gosh-darn FUN to read. I know that quite a few of my high schoolers would brush these off as too young, but I know that these would be a hit with the middle school crowd.

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart.

I actually picked this one up a couple of years ago when a good friend recommended the series to me. I believe, at the time, that the third title had just come out, and she pretty much shoved the first two into my hands (I bought the third one when it came out in paperback to "match" ). It languished on my shelves and I finally felt pulled to it in the first month of school.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this one, but I was highly entertaining. The four children that are the main characters are highly intelligent-just in different ways. After their intelligence is tested, they form the "mysterious Benedict society" to work for Mr. Benedict against the evil Mr. Curtain.

I really enjoyed the ingenuity of all four kids. At times, I felt a bit stupid as they worked through challenges, but the book was fun, lively, and kept me flipping pages.

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey by Trenton Lee Stewart.

Book two in the trilogy picks up shortly where the first one left off. The evil mastermind has escaped and the kids must journey to find more solutions to the problems arising at home.

In this novel, the kids journey away from home and encounter some of my favorite characters. I particularly enjoyed the Ten Men (evil men with briefcases that contain all kinds of horrid torture devices).

Like the first novel, the kids' ingenuity surprised me, and I even found myself laughing out loud. The scenes on the island were some of the creepiest and suspenseful! By far, this was my favorite of the three and had some of the best Constance moments in the entire series (Constance is one of the four children, and MAN, she had me cracking up at multiple points in the series).

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma by Trenton Lee Stewart.

The third and final volume in the series ended with a bang. Again, like the two previous titles, it was packed with action-filled scenes and puzzles. I really enjoyed the new dynamics between the children as they grew up. Sticky and his battle with proving how smart he actually was melted my heart.

However, I did feel like the story dragged in some parts and I just wanted the final confrontation to happen. I was also more than a little annoyed with the Ten Men and their stupid torture devices, Mr. Curtain, and the adults' general stupidity regarding their children. With that said, it was still a very quick read and a good ending to the trilogy. I imagine that these would be great fun to read with kids!

I also need to say that I adore all three of these covers. The black silhouettes really just make them, don't they?

The Kill Order, The Maze Runner, The Scorch Trials, and The Death Cure by James Dashner.

I read all four of these in pretty quick succession, so they run together a bit. For those of you who haven't read the series, I should mention that The Kill Order is actually a prequel to the other three. I read it last since it was published last, but I don't think the order completely matters...

Now, I enjoyed these to a certain extent. But by the time I reached The Death Cure, I was annoyed with the series. There were parts that seemed incredibly drawn out, other important moments that felt rushed, and the narrator grated on my nerves by the end. I needed more information about the world than I got, and by the time I did get some of the answers I wanted, I forgot what my questions were in the first place. I really just felt incredibly rushed through the three books and wanted to be done with the series to say I finished it.

However, The Kill Order was something I really enjoyed. I liked the sense of urgency, the slow build of information, and the heart-wrenching climax. While I never felt like I connected to the main characters in the main trilogy, I felt incredibly drawn to the characters in The Kill Order. I could sympathize with them, root for them, and gasp at just the right moments.

If you're really big into the dystopian fad that is everywhere, then these are books you really can't miss. And I'm not saying they were awful-more that I tired of the series quickly.

Review: Ranger's Apprentice-The Lost Stories by John Flanagan.

I have been following this series since the first one came out. I was in my local bookstore shortly after the fifth Harry Potter book was released (I'm dating myself here). There was a display out that said "For Harry Potter Lovers." I remember walking around the display and dismissing most of the titles. Then I saw the first book in this series, The Ruins of Gorlan, and picked it up. After glancing over the synopsis, I bought it.

And I have bought every title since.

I love this series. And sometimes is embarrasses me just how much I love these. But I do. I was sad last spring when I went to pick up the tenth book in the series to find a "last book" sticker on the front. I was a little heartbroken, but got over it. So when I saw this one on my recent excursion to the store with Matt, I clutched it to my chest and squealed until he said he would buy it for me.

So why do I love these so much?

First, they are just plain good fantasy stories. Flanagan manages to create a lively world (modeled on Europe), full of drama, suspense, and mystery. There is a huge cast of characters, but every one of them seems lively and true. There is danger, adventure, sword fights, and lots of description of battles and tactics. That part of the book always reaches my nerdy little core.

But what Flanagan does so well is creating a world where good does triumph. These are intended for the MG/YA age group, and they teach lessons without being overly preachy. They have a nice balance of action to moral, and I find that I really like that.

I also think Flanagan does a superb job with the fighting aspects of these. Each of the different groups have their own fighting style and weaponry, and he truly brings that to life. He also manages to have multiple cultures interacting, without belittling any of them. I think this is what makes these so successful. Where one culture or way of life is usually placed above others in fantasy type novels, Flanagan successfully shows how each culture and way of life is equally important.

And the stories themselves? Wonderful. These are great "boy" books for boys who don't like reading. When I was teaching a younger age group, my male students got hooked on the series (this was when there were only 4 or 5 out) because there was less of the icky girl stuff. The action and violence was there, but in a tasteful way.

So, yeah. I love this series. And I cannot wait to share them with my own kids!

As for this title in particular, Flanagan decided to create something to bridge the gap between this series and his new series (the first title comes out in November). Since the series doesn't necessarily go in a linear direction, there are a few time gaps here or there. There are also a number of questiosn left "unanswered." This title, The Lost Stories, was a way for Flanagan to wrap up loose ends as well as answer some fan questions.

There are nine stories in this volume (some of them rather lengthy), and while I love some more than others, they really rounded out the series. There was more information about the founding of the Ranger Corps (the main character, Will, is a Ranger), more development of relationships between characters, and a really touching story about what happens to the Ranger's horses (this was such a sweet story).

What surprised me, though, was the transition to giving a small amount of information about Flanagan's new series. I didn't know much about it, but apparently it will be based off another land in this world of Flanagan's (Will's world, and that of the series, is named Araluen, based on England. The new series is based in the country of Skandia-a lot like the Vikings). This just made me more excited for that series to debut!

It was a great, fast read, and one that helped the first few hours of Saturday's readathon fly by!

Has anyone else read any of this series?