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The Queen’s Council: Feather and Flame Review
The second book in the Queen’s Council series brings readers back to Imperial China as Mulan takes upon a role she never thought she’d serve, or even deserves.
Set a few years after Mulan saved China, she has created an all-female militia, teaching women how to fight and defend their village from bandits and other criminals. She even leads elite teams to capture warlords when needed as the book reveals in the first action-packed, heart-pounding chapters. She has fully embraced her role of bringing honor to her family while being true to herself. She loves the sisterhood she has created and feels proud of the positive changes she has brought to these women, and their village’s life.
Then Shang comes, which is a treat unto itself although Mulan isn’t quite ready to admit to her feelings. Besides it isn’t important as he hasn’t come to ask for her hand but because the Emperor requests her presence immediately. Mulan initially thinks that he’s trying to press her to joining his cabinant again but his real request is that he’s dying, the people don’t trust his ministers and he has no qualified relatives. But Mulan, the savior of China, he wants her to be his heir to the throne.
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The Queen’s Council: Rebel Rose Review
What happens after happily ever after? That’s what this new series focuses on because while the Disney Princesses line are famous for the latter part, being a Princess, but that’s just a stepping stone. After all, most princesses are expected to promoted to queen by marriage or by their own rule. This series delves into this fascinating task by imagining how each woman would take on the unexpected new role as queen, and first up is my favorite princess-Belle.
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Ranking The Union of the Rakes
This regency romance has a special 80s twist as each novel takes homage from big screen classics like Flashdance, The Breakfast Club, and so on. I’ll confess I did not realize this until I read the Acknowledgement pages, and since the only 80s movies I’ve seen were Flashdance, and The Breakfast Club, I cannot tell you if the stories strictly follow the movie plotlines. But if they do, fans may enjoy the contemporary wink.
But the one I do recognize The Breakfast Club only refers to the prologues where five different boys-a noble duke, a steadfast Scot, a scholary anthropologist, a juvenile delinquent, and a dreamy eccentric- form an unseperable friendship during “detention,” dubbing themselves the Union of the Rakes. It’s a really moving friendship between them that is almost as palpable as the romances. I wish there was more depiction of emotional-trust filled male friendships in regency romance like it does for their female counterparts. Leigh demonstrates that they can have as much importance as familial bonds.
Anyway, on to the rankings!
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A Secret Princess Review
Margaret Stohl and Melissa de La Cruz team up once again for a reimagining of beloved literary characters from Frances Hodgson Burnett’s canon. The choice of pairing Mary Lennox and Sara Crewe is perfect as they are just those two literary characters that you just picture like when one thinks of Wendy Darling, one also thinks of Alice in Wonderland because of their similar experiences in fictatious worlds. Or at least I do.
Anyway, they bring a delightful new dynamic by bringing Sara and Mary to each other’s spheres. But that’s not all, there’s also Cedric Errol in the mix, better known as Little Lord Fauntleroy, and all it begins with a genie.
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Dangerous Secrets Review
This prequel written by Mari Mancusi delves into the mysterious past of King Agnarr and Queen Iduna diving deeper into the magical alliance between Arendelle and Northuldra that would leave a lasting legacy on their daughters and the kingdom itself.
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10 Things I Hate about Pinky Review
Some might describe Pinky Kaur as “a temptuous bitch.”
No, no one has.
But she can be bull-headed, impulsive, and a provoker, always on a short fuse ready to fight for a worthy cause. And much like everyone’s favorite heroine, Kat from the movie 10 Things I Hate about You this has the case of everyone seeing Pinky as troublemaking outcast that won’t play by any rules, especially her mother.
Despite the title and yes there’s a poem involved too, the plot isn’t an homage to the movie. Rather is a relationship of convenience that pushes Pinky and Samir together just like a Heath Ledger rom-com as Pinky’s cousin says.
Menon brings her wonderful sense of romance once again as she brings these total opposites together for a summer of evolution and pushing past fears, so let’s get to it!
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Interview with Nancy Silberkleit
Nancy Silberkleit is the daughter-in-law of Archie Comics founder, Louis H. Silberkleit and current co-CEO of the company. Here, she graciously took time out of her busy schedule to answer my questions on a passion dear to her heart and vision: comics in education and literacy.
1. How have comics, especially Archie, been a viable tool in promoting literacy?
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This particular question I treasure and identify as one of the most important questions of Archie Comics, as it has been posed to me many times.
My response to this question is featured on various media platforms and educational forums around the globe. “Zam, wham, wow” is what my heart says in thinking about how Archie Comics is the brand not just associated with, but connected with learning, language, and reading. The phrases, “Archie Comics is how I learned English” or “Archie Comics is how I learned to read!” are often told to me by audience members at events I’ve been a speaker at.
Further your question sparks personal emotions for me and has become the topic that flows through my veins. From my research on the subject matter, it seems to indicate illiteracy is still an issue both in the United States and globally. At a very young age I struggled with reading,and so I understand how that can affect one’s self-esteem and confidence and because of this I am very invested in the cause of literacy.
How the brain itself learns to read is a biological mystery, but studies have shown the earlier a child is given the gift of learning through books, it can help greatly with cognitive ability. As many of us have experienced, we are taught or shown at a young age, picture books, the alphabet and words. All of that is to flow into our brains for processing and onto critical thinking. But what exactly has to occur in order to become a reader? No one exactly knows. My personal experience on becoming a reader has been a long journey – a journey I never put much thought into – until I was asked “Can comics be a viable tool in promoting learning?” That question is a golden buzzer moment, an absolute “Yes!” Engagement to learning is key and that is exactly what comics do! -
Princess Diaries #7-9 ReRead
Well Party Princess started with a bang in my opinion revealing that the student government is in debt so there’s no way for Mia to implement any of her policy ideas like Cans or Bottles buckets so students will be more enviromentally responsible. Obviously, not the biggest priority for Mia’s family like Grandmere who is consumed with the faux island nation auction and stealing faux Genovia from the Reynolds-Abernathy bid.
But before you can say blackmail (Grandmere is vicious in this novel), she ursurps the fundraising plans (it was candle-making. Yes, very lame. Grandmere’s idea is honestly better) by having Mia stage and star in a musical based on her ancestor, Rosagund. And she’s to star opposite J.P. who is handsome and kind enough to give Michael a run for his money.
But that’s not all, Mia is still in a fierce internal war with her creative writing teacher who doesn’t see eye to eye in Mia’s efforts. Which is putting a big crimp into her self-esteem. Her teacher cannot be right. Mia’s writing isn’t so bad that its the reason her moving story with social commentary-No More Corn– is not getting picked by any magazine.
But the biggest deal of all is that Mia’s boyfriend may think she’s a total party dud. Between her musical debut, the auction ball and trying to show off her party prowress at michael’s college, she’s sure she’ll prove him wrong.
Now, the other books after this get serious so this one was pretty funny from start to finish. First off, Mia’s writing to the deceased Dr. Jung because she needs his advice with all the drama going on. Plus the usua lists like top 10 most beautiful women that they should be sent away and how horror movies have messed her up that’s very relatable.
Then there’s Lana trying to shake down Mia while Grandmere is truly blackmailing her with the threat of Annabel Cheeseman (Apparently it’s a real name, and despite being ridiculous, doesn’t stop Annabel from being a brown belt) and Lily’s ridiculous literary magazine idea which. . . hahaha that among Lily’s growing jealousy of J.P. is nice forshadowing for the Lily-Mia blowup that’s to come. Also there is some reality check for Mia when her latest crisis over Michael’s attentions comes to a slamming halt that Michael has his own drama to deal with too.
But honestly not as comparable to Mia’s as we read on to her junior year in Princess on the Brink (of a nervous breakdown).
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Catching Fire Review
I’m back and so is Katniss, though she’s a lot worse off than I. Even though it’s been a few months since she ha sleft the Arena no one will let her forget the trauma she’s experienced. Starting with the Victory Tour which President Snow makes a surprise appearance to blackmail Katniss into submission. Her act of defiance as the girl on fire has ignited a revolution in the Districts and nothing she can do, no matter how in love with Peeta she is, will subdue the flame.
And then she’s reaped for the Quarter Quell where previous Victors will fight to the death to show that even the Champions are not strong enough to fight the Capitol. the symbolism is clear but Collins keeps readers in suspense the whole time as Katniss veers between her two options die fighting or surviving to be face a worse death.
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Top 5 Dear Canada
Just as Dear America and American Girl exposed me to US history, Dear Canada gave me an entryway to
- If I Die Before I Wake: While the U.S. celebrates their role in “rescuing the Allies” during the Great War, Canada sacrificed a lot more men in the war effort. They also lost a lot of people in the aftermath. The whole world did in the influenza epidemic that tends to be glossed over in history. This diary delves into the fear and celebration that comes with the ending of war. And the subsequent terror of this unknown virus as Fiona sees sibling after sibling succumb to it. It’s very relevant and ironic that we have a pandemic in the 20s, only this case was in 1919-1920 but the grief and fear is still the same.
- No Safe Harbour: I didn’t know about the Halifax Explosion when I read this book but the basics is that it is the largest man-made explosion in history (before the Atomic bomb, but this is 1917 so we’re a few years away from that). It flattened the Halifax harbor and killed millions. So it’s a pretty bad birthday for Charlotte as she’s suddenly orphaned and homeless. Her only family is her older brother who is to return from war, that is until the ensuing chaos reveals a family secret. It’s a great exploration of grief, family and PTSD in her brother’s case as Charlotte struggles to move forward in such senseless loss.
- Prisoners in the Promised Land: Know what happened in Canada during WW1, Ukrainian immigrants and citizens were rounded up into concentration camps out of fear of enemy aliens. I know, very shocking and little known even in Canada. The author utilizes fiction as well as her family’s personal history with this shameful past to create a moving diary about Anya and her family keeping faith in their new country and suriving together in their ramshackle barracks in the Canadian wilderness.
- An Ocean Apart: While reading this series, I was surprised by how many laws in U.S. history also occured in Canada like Japanese concetration and apparently the Chinese Exclusion Act. Mei-ling’s family is one of those who are diligently saving to bring over her mother and brother from China when the Act goes into affect, leaving their family status in limbo. It makes Mei-ling feel even more isolated as she’s bullied in schools by other gangs as her older employers. Chan does a great job in delving into early Chinatown, Canada from her father’s struggling resturaunt and his mistrust of Mei-ling’s white teachers to Mei-ling’s own wish to continue her education and not go into early marriage like her fellow co-workers.
- Orphan at My Door: If you’ve read Anne of Green Gables, you might recognize the term of Bernardo’s Home Children aka orphans from Britain and other areas who are sent to work and find families abroad. Victoria is a pretty wealthy young girl but her worldview turns upside down when Mary Anna comes to serve her family. At first, Victoria romanticizes Mary Anna’s life like it’s Oliver Twist before Mary Anna sets her straight and they come to form a real friendship. But it’s not all broadening horizons and interclass friendship. Not all home children are treated decently or evem like humans as the girls set out to find Mary Anna’s other siblings and save them from abusive homes.
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Rachel Reads & Reviews 