Delilah Dusticle Books and Eliza Bluebell by A.J. York

Goodreads Summaries

Delilah Dusticle

"Delilah Dusticle blends whimsy and wonder into a story that will appeal to both young adults and the young at heart. It's a lively, ebullient adventure through and through! Also highly recommended is the spooky sequel, "Delilah Dusticle's Transylvanian Adventure"..." Midwest Book Review, April 2015

Delilah Dusticle has special powers. She can completely eradicate dust. With her quiver pouch of special dusters, Delilah can run up walls, reaching places others just can’t. As a maid in the Fenchurch-Whittington house, Delilah’s unusual skills soon lead to her being promoted to Chief Dust Eradicator and Remover. Until one day, when a broken heart leads to her powers taking an expected turn.

This is the first book in a quirky middle grade fantasy series. The story entices the reader into a new and magical world that appeals to both kids and adults. The reader can explore how the ordinary in life can be extraordinarily overlooked, how friendship can help you overcome life’s difficulties and how accepting yourself is the biggest challenge of all.

Reading this book is a truly magical and uplifting experience that should not be missed. Read it today!

Delilah Dusticle’s Transylvanian Adventure

Delilah Dusticle is back with an action packed mission. In this illustrated instalment, Delilah and the Dustbusters are invited to Transylvania, to cater for the Hallow Eve Ball. All is not what it seems and Count Dracula has a very unusual request. Get ready to join the fun and experience the magic!

This book entices the reader into a new and magical world that appeals to both kids and adults. The reader can explore how the ordinary in life can be extraordinarily overlooked, how friendship can help you overcome life’s difficulties and how accepting yourself is the biggest challenge of all.

Delilah Dusticle and the Cursed Tempest

In this exciting installment, Delilah Dusticle and the Dustbusters travel to the vibrant and mystical land of India. On arrival, they are tasked with a quest to overcome a powerful curse and save a life. It soon becomes clear that it is Delilah, who must find the strength and the power to defeat the curse. This is the third in a series of stories following Delilah and the Dustbusters on adventures around the world. Fully illustrated and packed with adventure!

Eliza Bluebell

In the picture postcard village of Blossom Brook, Eliza Bluebell arrives changing the lives of the locals forever. With the help of her playful shadow, Eliza transforms an empty shop on the High Street into the heart and soul of the village. Find out how and read this fantastical story about friendship, butterflies and fairy cakes.

My Thoughts

Cute, Cute, Cute, Cute!!!  These books were so delightful!  I love books that have a little normal life mixed with a little magic.  As much as I loved these books now, I would have adored them when I was younger!

I do have to say that my favorite was Eliza Bluebell.  It was such a sweet story.  Eliza is a great character with a sweet and helpful personality.  The chapters were all like separate little stories all in one book.  Very good book!  I highly recommend checking out all of these books!

*Note: I received copies of these books from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Everything Ends by T.W.M. Ashford

Goodreads Summary

Vincent thought his friendship with Lily would last forever. But when she passes away and he's flung into a coma in the midst of his grief, he needs to find a way to climb back out… before the darkness takes over completely.

A short Dark Fantasy novel, Everything Ends is a light-hearted tale that wrestles with the dark-hearted topics of death, mourning and memory. Tiptoeing the line between tragedy and comedy, it's suitable for a YA audience and above.

My Thoughts

I finished this book in one sitting.  It was so interesting that I couldn’t put it down until I was done.  When I picked this book up I had forgotten what it was about so I went into it blind.  I think I enjoyed it more that way!  Several elements of the book were completely unexpected and the writing was so creative and detailed.

I don’t think I have ever read a book like this one before.  The combination of sadness/darkness, quirkiness, and a touch of humor is simply brilliant!  Everything Ends is definitely worth reading!

*Note: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Arabella by Louise Lake

Goodreads Summary

When wealthy young girl Arabella Lybeck is forced to move from London to Derbyshire, she believes her life to be over. Until she meets Lewis Larson; the son of a farmer.

As their friendship blossoms over time and they come of age, so does Larson’s heart.

After the death of his father, Larson, joins the military to support his mother and farm, but not before sending word to Arabella of his love for her.

Arabella’s father; who undoubtedly hates Larson and blames him for his sons accident intercepts his letter, leading Arabella to believe Larson has left without a word, as she soon realises she returns Larson’s love.

After being separated, Arabella, is sent back to London to find a suitable husband at her father's command.

What becomes of love when all is lost?

Will Arabella and Larson be reunited?

Can their love stand the test of time?

A heart-warming story of love and loss in Georgian England.

My Thoughts

Louise Lake, the author of Arabella, sent me an email a little while back asking me if I would like to read and review her new book.  I happily agreed!  I do not read historical fiction/romance books very often but this one sounded good.  While Arabella may not be the best book I’ve ever read, it was a fairly good book.

I don’t normally write how many stars I give a book in my blog but I am going to for this one.  I am giving Arabella three stars and I’ll give three things I liked about it and two things I didn’t necessarily like (to equal 5 stars, in case you didn’t catch that).

Three things I did like:

1. It was a decent read that moved along quickly enough to keep me reading.

2. There were surprising elements that I really didn’t see coming.

3. Most of the characters were likeable and enjoyable.

Two things I didn’t like:

1. Although I don’t always want the typical happy ending book, there were too many upsetting things happening in one short book.

2. The book was a bit too short to have all of the things that happened in it.  It didn’t leave enough room for character development or world building.

All in all, it wasn’t a bad book; it just wasn’t my favorite book.  I would love to have given it a glowing review but it wasn’t my taste, I guess.

*Note: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Yaakov the Pirate Hunter by Nathaniel Wyckoff

Goodreads Summary

Los Angeles, 2025. Yaakov and Yosef Peretz discover a treasure map hidden in their family's robot; soon, their family embarks on an adventure that takes them halfway around the world to save a valuable and revered religious artifact. In the Mojave Desert, the Peretz family unearths a mysterious treasure chest stolen from a Santa Barbara billionaire named Aharon Sapir. Yaakov and family manage to return the treasure and to outwit the pirates who stole it, but soon learn of a greater danger to the Sapir family fortune. On the Tunisian island of Djerba rests the Sapirs' most sacred heirloom: the world's oldest Torah scroll, an artifact worth a fortune. Another pirate is after the ancient scroll, and the Peretzes' trusted robot dealer may be involved. Yaakov and family journey to the other side of the globe to track down a ruthless pirate and to thwart his wicked plan. To succeed, Yaakov must decide between saving his prized robot, built with his very hands, and protecting a greater good.

My Thoughts

There are times that the books that I receive are just simply not good at all.  And then there are books that are fun, easy reads that I can write positive reviews about.  This is definitely one of those!  I have been so lucky to receive really good books lately!

I wish that I had this book when my son was a little younger!  I would love to have read this with him.  This is a great book for parents to read to their young children or for children that are a little older to read on their own.  I can especially see little boys really getting into it.  I mean, robots, pirates, and treasure maps all in the same book!  You also get to learn a little about Jewish culture at the same time!  Oh, and the end leaves you ready for the next book!  Yaakov the Pirate Hunter is cute little must-read book for children and parents alike!

*Note: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.