Book Bunnies

Caramel reviews The Winglets Quartet: The First Four Stories by Tui T. Sutherland

Caramel has gone through almost all the books written by Tui T. Sutherland, including all fifteen books of her Wings of Fire series. Today he is talking about The Winglets Quartet: The First Four Stories (2020). As usual, Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, you managed to find yet another Wings of Fire book to review.

Caramel: Yup! Heh heh heh!

S: So this looks like a collection of four stories. Right?

C: Yes. There is one about a NightWing named Fierceteeth (“Prisoners”), another about the NightWing assassin named Deathbringer (“Assassin”), another about a SandWing named Six-Claws (“Deserter”) and another about an IceWing named Arctic (“Runaway”).

S: I remember Deathbringer! We met him in the third book, The Hidden Kingdom, right?

C: Yep. But in the story about him, we learn more about Deathbringer’s life, how he became an assassin and so on. It is called “Assassin” after all.

S: I see. So are all four stories about characters that show up somewhere in the fifteen main books of the series then?

C: Yep. Fierceteeth shows up in the fourth book already. That is The Dark Secret. Six-Claws shows up in the fifth book, The Brightest Night. And we first hear about Arctic in the sixth book, Moon Rising. Though Arctic’s story is more like the story of Darkstalker, because he lived many many years ago. In fact he is Darkstalker’s father. But Moonwatcher starts to learn about Arctic from Darkstalker when he communicates with her through her mind. So that happens in the sixth book.

S: So let me get this straight. Three of the main characters of these stories are contemporary characters that we meet in the main series, but we learn a lot more about their backstories. And the fourth, Arctic, is a significant character mentioned in the books, but one who lived many many years before the events of those books took place. Right?

C: Yup, I think you got it.

Caramel is reading The Winglets Quartet: The First Four Stories by Tui T. Sutherland. — Caramel is reading *The Winglets Quartet: The First Four Stories* by Tui T. Sutherland.

S: So tell me more. I do not remember you reading too many short stories. How did it feel to read these ones?

C: They are fun! I loved to learn more about these characters and their stories. And you know, anything more Tui T. Sutherland can tell me about the world of these dragons, I’m eager to read.

S: I know. So since we are listening to The Hidden Kingdom at the moment, and we have met Deathbringer already, I am curious about that story myself. Would you say that reading that story (“Assassin”) would help me understand The Hidden Kingdom better? Or maybe at least understand Deathbringer’s motivations?

C: Yes I guess. But the stories are just fun no matter what.

S: From what I can gather looking at the dates when these stories were written, or at least published, the author seems to have already gotten all of the first arc done and was more or less in the middle of the second arc. So it is kind of neat to think about how she was knitting this world up all together, but along the way, she went back and told us a nit more about some of the incidental characters, and made the world a lot richer.

C: Yes. I guess. So for example you can understand Deathbringer’s psyche much better after reading “Assassin”.

S: Wow, Caramel, psyche is a big word!

C: But it is the right word here. So you understand him a lot better because you learn that his mom died when he was very young and that is one of the reasons why he does not like Blister —

S: Wait, don’t give away too much! I think I want to read that story myself!

C: You should. I think it might be one of my favorites among the four. Then again they are all pretty awesome!

S: So are they as funny and violent as the main books?

C: They are funny but maybe not as violent. They are a little less bloody.

S: Okay, I think I might borrow the book for a bit then.

C: Sure. But we should probably wrap up this review before then.

S: I agree. So describe the book to me in three words then.

C: Descriptive, funny, and biographical. Because the stories are kind of like little biographies of the four dragons.

S: Makes sense to me. So what would you like to tell our readers next?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel enjoyed reading The Winglets Quartet: The First Four Stories by Tui T. Sutherland, and hopes that there will eventually be more stories about this world. — Caramel enjoyed reading *The Winglets Quartet: The First Four Stories* by Tui T. Sutherland, and hopes that there will eventually be more stories about this world.

Marshmallow reviews Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

One of the last books Marshmallow reviewed for 2022 was Tahereh Mafi’s novel Shatter Me. As her first book for 2023, she chose the second book in the series: Unravel Me, published first in 2013. As Sprinkles is curious to hear more about this book, she is asking questions and taking notes.

Sprinkles: So Marshmallow, here we are; it’s a new year, and there are lots of new books to read and write and talk about. Today we are talking about the second book in Tahereh Mafi’s Shatter Me series: Unravel Me. Your review of the first book made me so curious that I went ahead and read it myself. And I enjoyed it a lot. So now I want to ask you about this second book. Should I read it?

Marshmallow: It depends. The plot of the second book is very interesting. Just like the plot of the first book.

S: That sounds enticing.

M: Yes, the plot is really neat.

S: Tell me a bit about that.

M: Well, maybe I should first summarize the first book a bit. There is this girl named Juliette, whose touch is fatal to most people. She has been living in solitary confinement for many years because many people, including her parents, are scared of her. Then we learn that there are some people who can actually touch her and not die. And one of these is a rebel, and he helps her run away, and we end the first book on a high note, with Juliette and her new friends ready to fight an oppressive regime.

S: Yes, I remember all this. And the world is pretty dismal, right? There are no birds, there is a total environmental collapse, and people are living under the control of a faceless dystopian government.

M: Well, not quite faceless, because we meet one of its faces, Warner, in the first book, and he is one of the leaders of this new regime.

S: True. Do we see Warner in this second book as well?

M: Yes, and he is attracted to Juliette, and somehow Juliette is very confused, and she is not sure if she is attracted right back, even though Warner is a pretty terrible human being.

S: Hmm, here we are getting too close to the mushy stuff you didn’t like in the first book. I’m assuming that there is a lot of mushy stuff in this one, too?

M: Yes, this one has more actually.

S: Hmm, okay, I know it bothers you, so let us move on and talk about the actual plot a bit.

M: Sure. First off, we learned at the end of the last book that Juliette’s killing touch is kind of like a superpower, and she is not the only one with these kinds of powers. There are many others who have superpowers, and they are living together, working to bring down the oppressive regime. And in this book, they are continuing to do that, with Juliette and Adam, the person who saved her, joining them.

S: I see.

Marshmallow is reading Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi. — Marshmallow is reading *Unravel Me* by Tahereh Mafi.

S: So would you say, at this point, that the book becomes more like a typical heroic adventure book where our heroes are fighting an evil empire and will surely overcome against all odds?

M: Well, not quite. For two reasons. One is the mushy part, the book is more romance than adventure. And two, the “surely they will overcome” is definitely not a sure thing. Things are pretty desperate, I mean, they make some progress in this book, but the world is still a terrible place.

S: Do we ever see a bird?

M: I don’t think so. The world is still pretty bad, as I said. And there is still very little hope.

S: So I am guessing you might just have to read the next book?

M: I just might.

S: And from what you are telling me, I guess I do have to read this second book myself.

M: Yup. I think you have a higher tolerance for mushy stuff.

S: Well, they call me a grownup. I guess I can handle a little bit of that.

M: I guess.

S: So how would you rate the book then?

M: 93% I think. The plot is still very original and engrossing, but the mushiness is still not terribly exciting to me.

S: Alright, given what you told us already, this makes sense. So what do you want to tell our readers as we are wrapping things up?

M: Stay tuned for more amazing reviews from the book bunnies!

Marshmallow rates Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi 93%. — Marshmallow rates *Unravel Me* by Tahereh Mafi 93%.

Caramel reviews Moon Rising (Book Six of Wings of Fire) by Tui Sutherland and Mike Holmes

Caramel reviews the graphic novel version of Moon Rising (Book Six of Wings of Fire) by Tui Sutherland (with art work by Mike Holmes).

Caramel is a young bunny who loves dragons. In these last couple years, he has gone through all fifteen books of Tui Sutherland’s Wings of Fire series, and reviewed most of them. (His review of the fifteenth book, The Flames of Hope, contains links to all his reviews of the previous books.) He also loves graphic novels. So it was totally expected that when the graphic novel version of the sixth book in the series (Moon Rising) appeared, he just had to get his paws on a copy. Today, for his first review for the new year of 2023, he chose to talk about this book, written by Tui Sutherland, adapted by Barry Deutsch and Rachel Swirsky, with art work by Mike Holmes, and color by Maarta Laiho. As always, Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

[You can see Caramel’s reviews of the graphic novel versions of the first five books here: The Dragonet Prophecy, The Lost Heir, The Hidden Kingdom, The Dark Secret, and The Brightest Night.]

Caramel reviews Moon Rising (the graphic novel version of Book Six of Wings of Fire) by Tui Sutherland and Mike Holmes. — Caramel reviews *Moon Rising* (the graphic novel version of Book Six of Wings of Fire) by Tui Sutherland and Mike Holmes.

Sprinkles: So here we are, Caramel, back from our January break, and you have yet another Wings of Fire book to talk about!

Caramel: Yes! This is Moon Rising, the sixth book of the series. It is the first book of the second arc, Jade Mountain.

S: You reviewed the original version of Moon Rising for the blog before. And I know it was one of your favorites in the series.

C: Yes, I think it is my favorite after the fifteenth, fourteenth, and the tenth.

S: Well, that means it is one of your top three. That is neat. It means you really liked the book. How is this one?

C: Good. But different. The graphic novel versions are all really really different from the actual books.

S: How so?

C: I guess they have similarities, I mean the characters, the main plot lines, and so on, but the original books, they have so much more detail, it feels like you are there.

S: Well, the graphic novel usually does not have as much room for as many words, but the images can help you see the story, perhaps?

C: Yes, I like the pictures in the graphic novels.

S: Does how they depict the characters visually fit your view of them?

C: I guess. You mean do they look like what I think they should look like?

S: Yep.That’s what I mean.

C: Then yes. They do kind of look like what I think they should look like.

S: And since you have read the first five graphic novels before moving into the actual series, maybe they already set some of the imagery in your mind.

C: Maybe.

Caramel is reading Moon Rising (the graphic novel version of Book Six of Wings of Fire) by Tui Sutherland and Mike Holmes. — Caramel is reading *Moon Rising* (the graphic novel version of Book Six of Wings of Fire) by Tui Sutherland and Mike Holmes.

S: So let us come back to Moon Rising. Can you remind our readers what the plot line is?

C: This is about Moonwatcher, who is a NightWing, and she has a dark secret. She has three dark secrets actually, but I will only tell one.

S: Okay, do tell.

C: She can read minds!

S: Oh yes, I seem to remember that from your review of the original version of the book.

C: Well, the story is the same as that one. With few minor differences. In the original book, there is a little bit more said about MoonWatcher’s secret, and there are more clues to her other dark secrets. But I won’t tell you more about those!

S: I guess I will have to wait and see for myself when we get to the book in audio. Perhaps this is a good time to tell our readers that we as a household are listening to the Wings of Fire books as audio books, and we are only in the third book (Hidden Kingdom).

C: Yes, but we are going kind of slow.

S: I know. We only listen to one chapter a night, and that is optimistic, some nights we don’t listen at all.

C: That happens way too often.

S: I know you like these books a lot, and listening to them, I can actually see why. The characters are all so vividly developed, though so far I only really met Clay, Tsunami, and Glory as the main narrators of the first three books, and the latter two are both too sure of themselves. Not like confidence isn’t nice, but theirs is more like, I know how to do all things and I don’t need help.

C: Yes, but both of them learn that they do need their friends.

S: I guess I can see that happened to Tsunami in the second book and might eventually happen to Glory in the third. So how about the central character of Moon Rising? Is Moonwatcher also very confident?

C: No she is the complete opposite. She doesn’t believe she can ever do anything right. But she is actually pretty awesome too.

S: Okay, so you liked this book!

C: Yes, I liked the original too, but the graphic novel is also pretty great. I already read it like fifty times.

S: I’d not doubt that. I have been seeing it in your paws for a while now.

C: Yep. I like reading it and rereading it. And I can’t wait till the seventh book comes out as a graphic novel.

S: I know! You do love these books. I think it might be time to wrap up this review though. What would you like to tell our readers as we do that?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel loved to have the chance to finally read Moon Rising (the graphic novel version of Book Six of Wings of Fire) by Tui Sutherland and Mike Holmes and is eagerly awaiting the graphic novel version of the seventh book. — Caramel loved to have the chance to finally read *Moon Rising* (the graphic novel version of Book Six of Wings of Fire) by Tui Sutherland and Mike Holmes and is eagerly awaiting the graphic novel version of the seventh book.

The Book Bunnies review the books of 2022

As this year’s last Saturday falls on December 31, New Year’s Eve, we thought we would try something new and New-Year-ish and talk about all the books we have read this year.

[2022 saw the bunnies read and review many books, both new and classic. You can find a full list here.]

The book bunnies review the books of 2022.

Sprinkles: So it is easiest for me to go over my posts for the year because I only wrote two. I wrote one on Children’s books about babies and where they come from on October 22, 2022, and another on Mathematical biographies for children (the Mathematical Lives series) by Robert Black on April 30, 2022.

I enjoyed all the mathematical biography I read. I’d recommend each and every one of the six books most strongly. And I have to say my favorite children’s book about babies and where they come from is still the first one I read myself when I was a young bunny: Where Did I Come From? The Facts of Life Without Any Nonsense and With Illustrations, written by Peter Mayle, illustrated by Arthur Robins, and designed by Paul Walter.

Sprinkles reviewed Where Did I Come From? The Facts of Life Without Any Nonsense and With Illustrations, written by Peter Mayle, illustrated by Arthur Robins, and designed by Paul Walter on October 22, 2022. — Sprinkles reviewed *Where Did I Come From? The Facts of Life Without Any Nonsense and With Illustrations*, written by Peter Mayle, illustrated by Arthur Robins, and designed by Paul Walter on October 22, 2022.

But that book was published in 1973 and does show its age. So if I were to pick something more recent, I’d go with What Makes A Baby? written by Cory Silverberg and illustrated by Fiona Smyth, or It’s NOT The Stork: A Book About Girls, Boys, Babies, Families, and Friends, written by Robie H. Harris and illustrated by Michael Emberley, for younger bunnies, and I’d pick It’s SO Amazing: A Book About Eggs, Sperm, Birth, Babies, and Families, written by Robie H. Harris and illustrated by Michael Emberley, for older ones.

Marshmallow: I reviewed a book by the team that created that What Makes a Baby? book you are talking about: You Know, Sex: Bodies, Gender, Puberty, and Other Thingsby Cory Silverberg and Fiona Smyth. That could also be a good option I think.

Sprinkles: I agree. I think that was one of the few nonfiction books you reviewed this year.

Marshmallow: I also reviewed Marley Dias Gets It Done And So Can You! by Marley Dias on April 9, 2022, The English GI by Jonathan Sandler and Brian Bicknell on November 26, 2022, and Hope in the Dark by Rebecca Solnit on December 17, 2022. Those three were also all nonfiction. but you are right that I mainly read and reviewed fiction this year.

Sprinkles: Caramel likes and reviews nonfiction a lot more I think. What were some of your nonfiction favorites this year Caramel?

Caramel: I reviewed so many! I reviewed Opposites Abstract by Mo Willems on March 16, 2022; Pangolins by Lisa Fanton on October 12, 2022; Robot by Roger Bridgman on November 2, 2022; Sea Bunnies by Kelly Hargrave on November 16, 2022; Hot Lava! Fiery Facts About Volcanoes by Alice Fewery on November 23, 2022; Glow Animals by K.C. Kelley on December 7, 2022; and 5000 Awesome Facts (About Animals) by National Geographic Kids on December 21, 2022.

Sprinkles: Yes, and there is clearly a pattern. You love animals and you read about animals; you like robots, and you read about robots. So I’d guess that Pangolins was your favorite animal book?

Caramel: Probably. As you know, they are my favorite animals. But 5000 Awesome Facts (About Animals) by National Geographic Kids was also pretty awesome because it had so many facts! Unfortunately they did not have too much about pangolins though…

Sprinkles: They did have a two-page spread on 100 Hard-Core Facts About Animals With Armor.

Caramel: Yes, true. And there are so many more animals in that book!

Sprinkles: And the Robot book: would you say that that was one of your favorites this year?

Caramel: Yep.

Some of Caramel’s favorite nonfiction books from 2022: from left to right: *5000 Awesome Facts (About Animals)* by National Geographic Kids, *Robot* by Roger Bridgman, and *Pangolins* by Lisa Fanton.

Caramel: And the Wild Robot books by Peter Brown, The Wild Robot and The Wild Robot Escapes were two of my favorite fiction books!

Sprinkles: You also read and reviewed most of the Wings of Fire books this year.

Caramel: Yes, I should not forget those. Wings of Fire is still my favorite book series.

Sprinkles: Having read all fifteen now, do you have a favorite among them?

Caramel: Well, I read the Legends books, too, so there are more than fifteen actually.

Sprinkles: Yes, true, you reviewed Darkstalker on September 14, and Dragonslayer on September 21. Do you have a favorite among those?

Caramel: Among the Legends I think I like the Darkstalker a bit more, but they are all pretty awesome. And among the original fifteen, I cannot choose one.

Sprinkles: So how about choosing one per five books? For the Dragonet Prophesy, which is your favorite?

Caramel: The fifth: The Brightest Night.

Sprinkles: For the Jade Mountain arc?

Caramel: The sixth: Moon Rising.

Sprinkles: How about the last arc?

Caramel: Probably the fourteenth: The Dangerous Gift. But I still read and reread all fifteen of them.

Sprinkles: I know. The books are still all over the house. I think you really like Tui Sutherland and her imaginary worlds. You and I both read and enjoyed Tui Sutherland’s shorter series, The Menagerie, that she wrote with her sister.

Caramel: Yes, that is true. I did not want to read them first, but after you finished them all, you sort of made me. I did not want to get out of the Wings of Fire world at first.

Sprinkles: But you did enjoy them in the end.

Caramel: Yep.

Sprinkles: That happens! So Marshmallow, let us talk about the fiction you have read this year.

Marshmallow: I reviewed a couple series this year. I read and reviewed the Magnus Chase books by Rick Riordan: The Sword of Summer, The Hammer of Thor, and The Ship of the Dead. I also began reading the Miss Peregrine books by Ransom Riggs. And it was fun to get back to Soman Chainani’s School for Good and Evil universe again: I first read and reviewed Rise of the School for Good and Evil and then went back and reread the book that started them all: School for Good and Evil. And I read and reviewed a new FunJungle book too: Bear Bottom by Stuart Gibbs. I loved each of these books.

Sprinkles: And you read a few classics this year, too.

Marshmallow: Yes. I read and reviewed Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes on October 1, 2022; Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell on October 8, 2022; and Great Expectations by Charles Dickens on October 29, 2022. Nineteen Eighty-Four was the one that affected me most.

Sprinkles: I remember reading that book and I felt the same way.

In 2022, Marshmallow read and reviewed three classics: from left to right, *Flowers for Algernon* by Daniel Keyes, *Nineteen Eighty-Four* by George Orwell, and *Great Expectations* by Charles Dickens.

Sprinkles: How about the other fiction you read? Can you share some of your highlights?

Marshmallow: I read and reviewed Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan on April 2, 2022; I think it is a really well-written book, though a bit sad.

Sprinkles: So this was overall a good year with lots of good books, right?

Caramel: Yes, I think so!

Marshmallow: I agree! And we are going to read and review a lot more next year!

Caramel: But we take January off.

Sprinkles: Yes, we should mention that. And what else do you all want to say to your readers?

Marshmallow: Happy new year!

Caramel: And see you in February 2023 for more book bunny reviews!

The book bunnies wish all bunnies around the world a happy new year and lots of good books in 2023!