Shortly after getting through the Hobbit movies and book, I moved on to Lord of the–movies then books. The first in a series of three, Fellowship of the Ring tops off its predecessor, The Hobbit. All Middle Earth is in dire danger when Sauron returns, searching desperately for the One Ring–the shiny trinket which Bilbo now has. But Bilbo seeks to move on and leave the Shire, so it is passed on to his adopted cousin, Frodo. Frodo soon finds himself hunted mercilessly by Ringwraiths, orcs, and Gollum, and struggles with the growing temptation to slip the ring on. I loved The Fellowship of the Ring because the descriptions popped with life and Middle Earth felt all the more alive than the Hobbit. Although the plot drags in some places, it is well-worth the read.

Warren the 13th and the Whispering Woods is a creepily enchanting story. I liked that it jumped right into the story directly from the last novel, so that there wasn't a gap in between. Tania del Rio did a great job of giving some context from the last book and transitioning to The Whispering Woods so that those who didn't read the first book won't be confused. The walking hotel was definitely one of the enchanting aspects of the novel, and I was happy to see Warren's progression from the last book to be happier. I also loved how his friends picked up people from all around the country to join the hotel. I loved how each setting (either the hotel, the forest, etc.) felt different from each other and had a distinct setting. I felt like the book did a good job with having multiple plot lines, yet it didn't feel rushed or strange. I also loved the pictures in both books, so it can be appealing to elementary age kids but still provide a valuable story for middle schoolers. I would definitely recommend this to elementary age to middle school age, and it was a great read!

Warren the 13th and the Whispering Woods is a creepily enchanting story. I liked that it jumped right into the story directly from the last novel, so that there wasn't a gap in between. Tania del Rio did a great job of giving some context from the last book and transitioning to The Whispering Woods so that those who didn't read the first book won't be confused. The walking hotel was definitely one of the enchanting aspects of the novel, and I was happy to see Warren's progression from the last book to be happier. I also loved how his friends picked up people from all around the country to join the hotel. I loved how each setting (either the hotel, the forest, etc.) felt different from each other and had a distinct setting. I felt like the book did a good job with having multiple plot lines, yet it didn't feel rushed or strange. I also loved the pictures in both books, so it can be appealing to elementary age kids but still provide a valuable story for middle schoolers. I would definitely recommend this to elementary age to middle school age, and it was a great read!

"Off with his head," the first quote that we juxtapose next to the heartless Queen of Hearts, and the quote that the book ends in. She seems like a merciless sociopath, cutting off heads if the roses aren't red. The only reason? Because she's from Wonderland. And why is the Mad Hatter so mad? Because he's from Wonderland. At least, those are the only explanations that we allow ourselves to believe in. "Heartless" by Marissa Meyer explores the concepts of the nuanced grey scale of good and evil, and I think her theme is that all humans are fallible, and that no one person is to blame. Watch Catherine as she morphs from the starry-eyed girl who dreamed of impossibilities to one of the most iconic villains in literature history. Get strangled in Cath's constant struggles and get ready to get your heart wrenched out of your chest. Watch yourself become entangled in the constantly resetting wars in the Land of Chess, and watch even the most innocent nursery rhymes become a haunting tale to grab onto your nightmare until the end of Time. And most of all, come to understand why the Queen of Hearts would cut off heads for the sake of keeping her roses red. If you don't read this book, I guarantee you will miss out.

I've read Marissa Meyer's previous series, Lunar Chronicles, and every one of the books in that series was outstanding. Marissa Meyer's literature skills were evident in all the books she had written. Unsurprisingly, I had high expectations of this book. The book did not fall short, but rather it exceeded my imagination though the amount of talent and thought put into this book. I must say, this was a unique story. I have never read anything like this, and the style that Marissa Meyer used was distinctive and refined. The plot was unlike anything I've ever known. Many books I have read in my lifetime fall along the same storyline with very little notable differences. Heartless, however, was written by a very creative author. You begin the book expecting "this to happen and that to happen ", but it isn't long before you begin to realize how wrong your predictions are. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fantasy and a nice twist to the classic Alice in the Wonderland.