Matthew's Bookshelf

Hello everybody, and welcome to another installment in my series of "Why I Loved" posts! Along with the fun of summertime, there comes a gigantic amount of stories to add to out reading lists. So with that being said, today I'm going to be sharing with you a cute and fun read that's perfect if you're in need of a happy summertime story. And that book is The Summer I Saved the World... in 65 Days by Michele Weber Hurwitz. Now the funny thing about this book is that I read it for the first time back in January. No kidding! I read it then even though it was a LONG time away from the peak of summer. But to celebrate the season I gave it a second read, and it is just awesome. That's the word I'd use if I was told to describe it in one word: Awesome. But there's so many others you can use: Cute, sweet, light-hearted, happy, joyful... That list goes on and on. Alright enough chit-chat from me, let's get into the review! What's...

Awhile back I reviewed The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness, and ever since I've wanted to try out another one of his works. This time around I'm going to be talking about The Rest of Us Just Live Here, so here we go! What's The Story? Mikey is far from being one of The Chosen Ones. The only things on his mind are going to prom, graduating and heading off to college one day. But in his family arises issues as his mother starts a political campaign and his father sinks deeper into alcoholism. Not to mention what is going on with his sisters, and how his best friend is now super secretive. While Mikey guides himself through these issues, he notices that the "indie kids" with superpowers at his school are training for what appears to be some extraordinary event. So now he must witness what will occur in his town of ordinary people, when everything that took place there in the past has been everything but ordinary. Like...

Hey, everybody! Welcome to the first post in a new segment here called Picks For Kids. Within the time that I've been doing this blog, most of the literature I've talked about has been YA. So it's come to my attention that now would be a good time to review some good children's or middle grade stories. And thus Picks For Kids was born! There's nothing quite like the gift of good books, and there is great reward when you share the gift of reading with children. It can bring joy to kids of all ages and take them to worlds they never dreamed of. And that's the goal with this new segment: To find great stories for people to share with young ones. So without further ado, let me talk about a cute and fun adventure story: The Ark, The Reed, and the Fire Cloud by Jenny L. Cote! What's The Story? A Scottish terrier named Max is taking his usual trot around the lake when he hears a voice calling from the reeds, urging him to "follow...

Every now and then, you come across a book that just takes you by surprise. One that just blows you off your feet at how amazing it really is. And let me tell you,  Lives of the Monster Dogs by Kirsten Bakis  is exactly that kind of book! I read it awhile back (at the beginning of the year, to be exact) and I still find myself thinking about it from time to time. So that's why today I'm going to be talking about it and giving you my thoughts on this one-of-a-kind novel. Today's book discussion is definitely one that's been the most exciting to write about. It should be assumed that this book is among my list of favorite stories. I might be doing a couple posts in the future to honor some of the great stories I read way before I started Matthew's Bookshelf, so you can expect some more content just like this. Anyway, that's enough chit-chat from me! Let's get started, shall we? What To Love About Lives of the Monster Dogs: This...