by Andrea Beaty illustrated by David Roberts “Life might have its failures, but this was not it. The only true failure can come if you quit.” Beaty’s picture book for young readers tells the story of young Rosie Revere, a descendent of Rosie the Riveter, who dreams of being a great engineer. Young Rosie loves […]
by J.K. Rowling Is there anything not to love about Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince? Harry’s one-on-one lessons with Dumbledore and the friendship between them as they press forward in the fight against Voldemort is simply fantastic. It is evident from the beginning of the novel when Dumbledore arrives at the Dursley’s and takes […]
Today is the second part in a series of posts about all of the books I read in 2016. This post highlights the 8 children’s books, 6 comics/graphic novels, and 13 memoirs I read last year, organized by genre but otherwise in somewhat random order. The BFG by Roald Dahl A childhood favorite full of […]
by Stan Lee I’ve read more graphic novels than I have comic books, but a memoir by Stan Lee sounds cool. In this full-color edition, Lee details his love for superheroes and his life co-creating characters like the X-Men, Spider-Man, the Incredible Hulk, and the Avengers. by Louisa May Alcott, edited by John Matteson I’ve […]
[Photo Credit: Francis Gardler, Lincoln Journal Star] Erin Andersen from the Lincoln Journal Star newspaper read my blog and interviewed me for an article on adult coloring books. The article ran today and here’s a link if you are interested in reading what she wrote. P.S. If you’re a fan of adult coloring books or […]
by J. K. Rowling I’ve heard some Harry Potter fans say they don’t enjoy Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets as much as some of the series’ other installments. I like it quite well, particularly when Fred and George show up with Ron at Harry’s bedroom window ready to rescue him from the Dursleys. […]
by Roald Dahl “A whizzpopper!” cried the BFG, beaming at her. “Us giants is making whizzpoppers all the time! Whizzpopping is a sign of happiness. It is music in our ears! You surely is not telling me that a little whizzpopping if forbidden among human beans?” Without question, my favorite Roald Dahl books growing up […]
by Harper Lee “Mr. Stone set a watchman in church yesterday. He should have provided me with one. I need a watchman to lead me around and declare what he seeth every hour on the hour. I need a watchman to tell me this is what a man says but this is what he means, […]
by Laurie McKay Harper Collins Childrens’ Books recently sent me two autographed copies of the first two installments in Laurie McKay’s fantasy series. The three-part series is marketed to children ages 8-12. McKay has a bachelor’s degree in biology and a master’s in biological oceanography, and works as a professor. If you think you know […]
As an active reader, book reviewer, blogger, but also a literature professor, I try to make sure I’m somewhat caught up on new reading trends and communities so I can share that information with my classes. The following article is adapted from one I recently wrote for my department. I hope it is of help […]
Beaty, Andrea – Rosie Revere, Engineer Becker, Aaron – Quest Becker, Aaron – Journey Behn, Aphra – Oroonoko Bell, Cece – El Deafo Bender, Mike – Awkward Family Photos Berenstain, Jan and Stan – The Berenstain Bears and the Substitute Teacher Berenstain, Jan and Stan – The Berenstain Bears and the Wild, Wild Honey Berenstain, […]
Jactionary is a book lover’s blog that includes book reviews, author interviews, recommendation lists, and general lifestyle posts. It is your new favorite webpage, I’m sure. I adore reading and all things book related. I received my PhD in English and have taught at the university level for many years. Getting to talk about books […]
I try to only recommend books that I have both read and truly enjoyed. Please feel free to share and post your list of memorable short books and novellas in the comments section below. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future and learns […]
Book Review – Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
by J.K. Rowling For years, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was my favorite book in the Harry Potter series. This last year, however, I decided that I cannot decide–I love parts of each of them for different reasons. If I could take my favorite sections from each and mash them together, I’d have […]