logo
Wrong email address or username
Wrong email address or username
Incorrect verification code
back to top
Search tags: Caroline-Carlson
Load new posts () and activity
Like Reblog Comment
review 2014-12-19 18:59
bysinginglight.wordpress.com/2014/12/19/recent-reading-stiefvater-white-barnes-carlson
The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates #2: The Terror of the Southlands - Caroline Carlson

Sequel to Magic Marks the Spot. I liked this one less than the first, mostly because the characters seem a bit stuck in their roles. I did very much appreciate how Carlson makes Hilary an adventurous character without presenting her as the Right Way To Be A Girl. In fact, Claire and Miss Pimm are powerful magic users who also enjoy embroidery and traditionally feminine things.

Source: bysinginglight.wordpress.com/2014/12/19/recent-reading-stiefvater-white-barnes-carlson
Like Reblog Comment
review 2014-09-14 18:00
Ahoi!
Der magische Schatz - Caroline Carlson

Ja... zu diesem Buch bin ich mehr oder weniger aus Versehen gekommen - ich habe es bei vorablesen gewonnen, weil ich vergessen hatte,das "ich möchte keine Leseexemplar" anzuklicken. Nun habe ich es aber eben gewonnen und dann halt auch gelesen (obwohl es für Kinder unter 12 ist xD).

 

 

 

Hilary Westfield will Piratin werden: schließlich knüpft sie Seemannsknoten schneller als jeder Matrose, kann 37 Minuten Wasser treten - und besitzt ein scharfes Schwert. Es gibt nur ein Problem: Der fast ganz ehrbare Club der Piraten weigert sich, Mädchen auf zunehmen - und so wird Hilary statt dessen auf Miss Pimms Internat für feinfühlige Damen geschickt. Doch Hilary ist nicht bereit, ein Leben mit Petticoats und Benimmunterricht zu führen. So flüchtet sie mit ihrem vor lauten Gargoyle, heuert auf einem Piratenschiff an und gerät mitten hinein in ein großes Abenteuer um den magischen Schatz. Quelle

An dieses Buch bin ich mit recht geringen Erwartungen gegangen - weil es ja für ganz junge Leser ist. Es hat mir dann doch aber in manchen punkten gut gefallen. Der Schreibstil ist locker, leicht und lustig - ideal für Leseanfänger bzw. etwas Fortgeschrittene. Unterbrochen sind die einzelnen Kapitel oftmals von Briefen und Zeitungsausschnitten - was die ganze Geschichte auflockert und Zeitsprünge sowie Ortswechsel flüssiger macht. Die Charaktere waren wirklich schön ausgearbeitet - von der Gouvernante,die zur Piratenbraut wird, über Hilary selbst und ihre verrückte und teilweise gemeine Familie, bis hin zum Wasserspeier, der wirklich nur zum Piepen ist!!! Und auch Claire, Miss Pimm und die fiese Philomena sind interessante Figuren.

 

Woran man wieder merkt, dass es ein Kinderbuch ist, sind die unrealistischen Geschehnisse -Briefe adressiert an "Hilary, auf hoher See" und lila Bärte aus Garn, die doch tatsächlich für echt gehalten werden. :D

 

Das Ende ist ziemlich offen, was mich insbesondere in Kombination mit dem Titel, davon ausgehen lässt, dass dies der Auftakt zu einer mehrbändigen Reihe ist. Falls es weitere Teil geben wird, werde ich sie jedoch nicht lesen (zumindest gehe ich davon nicht aus).

 

Die Geschichte ist alles in allem aber recht süß und stellt Piraterie kindgerecht als sehr abenteuerreich dar. Besonders gut gelungen ist die humorvolle Stimmung - immer wieder super, wenn Hilary und ihre Piratenfreunde sich über den FGECP (fast ganz ehrbarer Club der Piraten) lustig machen. Allein die Vorstellung, Piraten schließen sich in einem Verein zusammen und bauen Rosen und Gurken in ihren Vorgärten an...köstlich!!!

 

Das Cover ist kindgerecht und sehr passend - besonders schön ist die Goldschrift.

 

 

-> für Jüngere ist das Buch wahrscheinlich sehr lesenswert, also nicht durch meine etwas niedrige Bewertung verunsichern lassen ;)

Source: marys-buecherwelten.blogspot.com/2014/09/hilary-und-der-fast-ganz-ehrbare-club.html
Like Reblog Comment
text 2014-06-17 06:28
Top Ten Books On My Summer TBR List


Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.

 


 



Play Dead (A Dog and His Girl Mysteries, #1) by Jane B. Mason and Sarah Hines Stephens


A dog and his girl show how six legs are better than two in this brand new mystery series!

When Dodge, a German shepherd police dog, finds himself retired after an accident leaves him deaf in one ear, he's lucky to be adopted by the perfect family. Twelve-year-old Cassie Sullivan, his girl, smells almost as good as a dog, and gets her nose for sleuthing from her police chief mom and coroner dad. Cassie is smart and quick on her feet, and doesn't mind breaking a couple rules to get to the bottom of a mystery. Dodge has forty-two dog years of experience solving crime, as well as a great network of other four-legged colleagues when he needs more intel.

When Verdel Ward, the richest man in town, goes missing, it seems like everyone from the mayor to the housekeeper wants his fortune, which he's left behind with no will. But Cassie and Dodge can smell a mystery from a mile away, and can't help wondering why a miser would go swimming in a dangerous cove, what's up with the suspicious fiancee, who's been sneaking around the mansion, and where a twin brother has come from.

The Mad Scientist's Guide to World Domination: Original Short Fiction for the Modern Evil Genius


From Victor Frankenstein to Lex Luthor, from Dr. Moreau to Dr. Doom, readers have long been fascinated by insane plans for world domination and the madmen who devise them. Typically, we see these villains through the eyes of good guys. This anthology, however, explores the world of mad scientists and evil geniuses—from their own wonderfully twisted point of view.

An all-star roster of bestselling authors—including Diana Gabaldon, Daniel Wilson, Austin Grossman, Naomi Novik, and Seanan McGuire…twenty-two great storytellers all told—have produced a fabulous assortment of stories guaranteed to provide readers with hour after hour of high-octane entertainment born of the most megalomaniacal mayhem imaginable.

Everybody loves villains. They’re bad; they always stir the pot; they’re much more fun than the good guys, even if we want to see the good guys win. Their fiendish schemes, maniacal laughter, and limitless ambition are legendary, but what lies behind those crazy eyes and wicked grins? How—and why—do they commit these nefarious deeds? And why are they so set on taking over the world?

If you've ever asked yourself any of these questions, you’re in luck: It’s finally time for the madmen’s side of the story.

A Conspiracy of Alchemists (The Chronicle of Light and Shadow, #1) by Liesel Schwarz


Eleanor “Elle” Chance, that is—a high-flying dirigible pilot with a taste for adventure and the heroine of this edgy new series that transforms elements of urban fantasy, steampunk, and paranormal romance into pure storytelling gold.

It is 1903, and the world is divided between light and shadow. On the side of light is a wondrous science that has transformed everyday life by harnessing magical energies to ingenious new technologies. But each advance of science has come at the expense of shadow—the traditional realm of the supernatural.

Now two ancient powers are preparing to strike back. Blood-sucking immortal Nightwalkers and their spellcasting Alchemist allies have a plan to cover the whole world in shadow. All they require is the sacrifice of a certain young woman whose past conceals a dangerous secret.

But when they come after Elle, they get more than they bargained for. This enterprising young woman, the daughter of a scientific genius, has reserves of bravery and determination that even she scarcely suspects. Now she is about to meet her match in more ways than one: a handsome yet infuriating Warlock named Hugh Marsh, whose agenda is as suspect as his charms are annoyingly irresistible.

Illness Is a Weapon: Indigenous Identity and Enduring Afflictions by Eirik Saethre


Illness Is a Weapon presents an engaging portrayal of the everyday experience of disease in a remote Australian Aboriginal community. While chronic Aboriginal ill health has become an important national issue in Australia, Saethre breaks new ground by locating sickness within the daily lives of Indigenous people. Drawing on more than a decade of ethnographic research in the Northern Territory, Saethre explores the factors structuring ill health, the tactics individuals use to negotiate these realities, and the ways in which disease and medical narratives are employed to construct, manage, and challenge social relations. Reframing current debates, this book argues that disease and suffering have become powerful expressions of Indigenous identity. Through dialogues and interactions, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people engage in a reciprocal discussion about the past, present, and future of indigeneity.

Rarely is disease and suffering understood as a form of protest, and in Illness Is a Weapon, Saethre confronts the stark reality of the current contest between all parties in this struggle. As Saethre explains, "Cursing at nurses, refusing to take medication, and accepting acute illness as unremarkable is simultaneously an act of defiance and a rejection of vulnerability."

The Templeton Twins Make a Scene (Templeton Twins, #2) by Ellis Weiner


With its kid-perfect humor and dynamic illustrations, Book 1 of the hilarious Templeton Twins series left young readers clamoring for more. This time, Abigail and John Templeton find themselves at TAPAS (the Thespian Academy of the Performing Arts and Sciences) where their father, the illustrious Professor Templeton, has been hired to invent a groundbreaking theatrical device. Once again, there is drama (of course!), silliness, and suspense, as the twins (and their ridiculous dog) must thwart the dastardly Dean brothers in order to save the invention as well as their father (and the dog). Oh yes, there is sure to be another recipe. This time for guacamole. Or is it coleslaw?

Magic Marks the Spot (The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates, #1) by Caroline Carlson


Pirates! Magic! Treasure! A gargoyle? Caroline Carlson's hilarious tween novel The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates #1: Magic Marks the Spot is perfect for fans of Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events and Trenton Lee Stewart's Mysterious Benedict Society.

Hilary Westfield has always dreamed of being a pirate. She can tread water for thirty-seven minutes. She can tie a knot faster than a fleet of sailors, and she already owns a rather pointy sword.

There's only one problem: The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates refuses to let any girl join their ranks of scourges and scallywags.

But Hilary is not the kind of girl to take no for answer. To escape a life of petticoats and politeness at her stuffy finishing school, Hilary sets out in search of her own seaworthy adventure, where she gets swept up in a madcap quest involving a map without an X, a magical treasure that likely doesn't exist, a talking gargoyle, a crew of misfit scallywags, and the most treacherous—and unexpected—villain on the High Seas.

Written with uproarious wit and an inviting storyteller tone, the first book in Caroline Carlson's quirky seafaring series is a piratical tale like no other.

Confessions of a So-Called Middle Child by Maria T. Lennon


It's Mean Girls for tweens in the tradition of Paula Danziger's Cat That Ate My Gymsuit and Judy Blume! Watch out, world: here comes Charlie C. Cooper-computer whiz, reformed bully, and so-called middle child-in this seriously funny debut tween novel from screenwriter Maria T. Lennon.

Confessions of a So-Called Middle Child stars the hilariously cheeky reformed bully and tween hacker Charlie Cooper as she tries to ditch her middle-child reputation and make cool friends at her new school in Los Angeles. But being cool isn't as easy as it looks. Charlie has to face down the mean girls and decide between right and wrong once and for all when she learns the terrible truth behind Marta the Farta's bad attitude and loner status. And Charlie has to do it all in outfits meant for the runways!

Viral Nation (Viral Nation #1) by Shaunta Grimes


After a virus claimed nearly the entire global population, the world changed. The United States splintered into fifty walled cities where the surviving citizens clustered to start over. The Company, which ended the plague by bringing a life-saving vaccine back from the future, controls everything. They ration the scant food and supplies through a lottery system, mandate daily doses of virus suppressant, and even monitor future timelines to stop crimes before they can be committed.

Brilliant but autistic, sixteen-year-old Clover Donovan has always dreamed of studying at the Waverly-Stead Academy. Her brother and caretaker, West, has done everything in his power to make her dream a reality. But Clover’s refusal to part with her beloved service dog denies her entry into the school. Instead, she is drafted into the Time Mariners, a team of Company operatives who travel through time to gather news about the future.

When one of Clover’s missions reveals that West’s life is in danger, the Donovans are shattered. To change West’s fate, they’ll have to take on the mysterious Company. But as its secrets are revealed, they realize that the Company’s rule may not be as benevolent as it seems. In saving her brother, Clover will face a more powerful force than she ever imaginedÂ… and will team up with a band of fellow misfits and outsiders to incite a revolution that will change their destinies forever.

Under the Empyrean Sky (The Heartland Trilogy, #1) by Chuck Wendig


Corn is king in the Heartland, and Cael McAvoy has had enough of it. It's the only crop the Empyrean government allows the people of the Heartland to grow? And the genetically modified strain is so aggressive that it takes everything the Heartlanders have just to control it. As captain of the Big Sky Scavengers, Cael and his crew sail their rickety ship over the corn day after day, scavenging for valuables, trying to earn much-needed ace notes for their families. But Cael's tired of surviving life on the ground while the Empyrean elite drift by above in their extravagant sky flotillas. He's sick of the mayor's son besting Cael's crew in the scavenging game. And he's worried about losing Gwennie? his first mate and the love of his life? forever when their government-chosen spouses are revealed. But most of all, Cael is angry? angry that their lot in life will never get better and that his father doesn't seem upset about any of it. Cael's ready to make his own luck . . . even if it means bringing down the wrath of the Empyrean elite and changing life in the Heartland forever.

Sky Jumpers (Sky Jumpers, #1) by Peggy Eddleman


12-year-old Hope lives in White Rock, a town struggling to recover from the green bombs of World War III. The bombs destroyed almost everything that came before, so the skill that matters most in White Rock—sometimes it feels like the only thing that matters—is the ability to invent so that the world can regain some of what it’s lost.

But Hope is terrible at inventing and would much rather sneak off to cliff dive into the Bomb’s Breath—the deadly band of air that covers the crater the town lives in—than fail at yet another invention.

When bandits discover that White Rock has invented priceless antibiotics, they invade. The town must choose whether to hand over the medicine and die from disease in the coming months or to die fighting the bandits now. Hope and her friends, Aaren and Brock, might be the only ones who can escape through the Bomb’s Breath and make the dangerous trek over the snow-covered mountain to get help.

For once, inventing isn’t the answer, but the daring and risk-taking that usually gets Hope into trouble might just save them all.

Like Reblog Comment
review 2014-01-08 15:47
Magic Marks the Spot
Magic Marks the Spot - Caroline Carlson

This is an extremely enchanting middle grade book. I liked the main character, Hilary Westfield, a lot–she wants to be a pirate and practices knots, etc, but she’s also good at waltzing and she never comes across as a Strong Female Character. The plot is generally a bit ridiculous, but you know, pirates! Sensible plots need not apply. 11-year-old Maureen would have enjoyed this book immensely.

Source: bysinginglight.wordpress.com/2014/01/08/recent-reading-early-january-edition
Like Reblog Comment
review 2013-12-11 00:00
Magic Marks the Spot
Magic Marks the Spot - Caroline Carlson **An ARC was provided by Harper Collins in exchange for an honest review.**

Magic Marks the Spot is the first book in The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates series by author Caroline Carlson. Being a huge lover of both middle-grade fiction and pirates, I jumped at the chance to get my hands on a review copy. Magic Marks the Spot is a promising debut, offering up a host of lovable characters and adorable humor. I did find the plot to be a little on the light side but I think Miss Carlson made up for it by featuring a positive take on gender roles, which I applaud whole-heartedly.

The story starts off with our wonderful main character Hilary, as she write a letter to a famous Pirate organization in hopes of joining their ranks. She promptly receives a letter welcoming her aboard. Further correspondences between the two parties end up bringing to light that Hilary is, in fact, a girl and it so happens that 'The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates' has a strict 'no girls policy'. Girls have no place on pirate ships after all! The League end up forwarding Hilary's letter to Miss Pimm's Finishing School (for Delicate Ladies) instead - where all proper young ladies belong, of course. Hilary's parents couldn't be happier that their daughter is off to the best finishing school around, but Hilary will stop at nothing to escape 'proper society'...for a life of piracy.

As an MC, Hilary was impossible not to root for. Her love of adventure (and pirates!), her kind heart and her determination made her stand out in a truly unique way. She was never stubborn or frustrating either, she came off in an entirely positive light for me. My favorite thing about her was how she refused to give upon her dream of being a pirate. She never once thought to let that ''no-girls'' rule stop her either. She was determined to prove that being a girl had nothing to do with one's ability to be a good pirate!

As a whole though, I think all of the characters in Magic Marks the Spot were perfectly quirky and endearing. The Gargoyle, Hilary's main companion was an obvious favorite! His humor and snarky remarks kept a smile on my face throughout. The band of pirates, led by Jasper were always good fun, with their crazy schemes and silly banter. Hilary's Governess and the character development she went through from the beginning of the book until the end was a nice twist as well.

Despite it's promising start, loveable characters and humor, the plot unfortunately left a little something to be desired. Simply put, there just wasn't enough meat to it to hold my interest as much as I would have liked. When I think about all my favorite stories that involve pirates or swashbuckling of any kind, there tends to be a fair share of danger involved - even when those stories are written for a younger audience. It just wasn't the case with Magic Marks the Spot; I never felt any true sense of a deeper sub-plot or that exhilaration that comes with those truly suspenseful scenes. As much as I consider myself a huge character reader, I am also a huge high-fantasy reader so plot development is a biggie too so I was a bit let down in that respect.

Bottom line though, Magic Marks the Spot was still an entertaining and worthwhile read. I'd certainly be on board to reading any sequels that might be in store because I think the story has potential to grow into something truly wonderful. The characters and the humor were major selling points for me and combined with a little girl-power made it all the more enjoyable! I'd recommend it to middle-grade readers with a taste for piracy ;)

For this and other reviews like it- visit my blog: Photobucket
More posts
Your Dashboard view:
Need help?