Caramel’s reviews – Page 13

The Book Bunnies review the books of 2024

For the last couple years, at the end of the year, we have been doing a New-Year-ish thing of talking about all the books we have read through that year. (You can find our recap of 2022 here, and here is our recap of 2023.) This year, we continue this new tradition and take a look at our reviews for 2024.

[2024 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 2024.

Sprinkles: So maybe this year, we can start with Marshmallow.

Marshmallow: Sure. I have reviewed many, many books this year. I liked all of them, but there are a couple that I really, really, really liked. But maybe we can begin with the series I read and enjoyed.

S: Makes sense to me.

M: The first series I started this year was the famous Hunger Games series. Here are my reviews of the three main books: The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay. And here is my review of The Hunger Games: The Illustrated Edition. I had never read these books before and quickly learned exactly why they are so revered. I was also shocked by how deep some of the themes were (family and friendship of course, but also lessons about the impacts of war, greed, violence, trauma, and poverty). This is an amazing series (I love it!) I would recommend to all reasonably mature bunnies (maybe like 12 and up?)

S: Yes, I remember how much you were affected by those books.

Marshmallow enjoyed reading the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins as well as Powerless and Reckless by Lauren Roberts.

S: What about the other series you started this year?

M: Another series I began to read this year was the Powerless series. Here is my review of the first book: Powerless. And here is my review of the second one: Reckless. Unfortunately, not all of the books are out yet, so I am looking forward to reading and reviewing the last (?) book of this series next year. This is hands-down my favorite YA fantasy-romance series. I generally find this genre to lean too much into romance, but this series maintains the perfect balance. I would 100% recommend this book to all interested readers (YA probably), especially those who have been wronged by the ridiculous amount of romance infiltrating the YA fantasy section.

S: I still have not gotten around to reading those books, but I know you have really enjoyed them. So maybe they should go on my 2025 reading list.

M: Maybe they should! The third series I have begun this year is the Enola Holmes series. I originally presumed these books to be easy and basic because the cover was not what I would characterize as a serious, intriguing mystery would look like. However, these books really take you to an entirely new time period, and the adventures of Enola Holmes never fail to excite, delight, and inspire.

S: You have only read and reviewed three of the books though, right?

M: Yes. So far, I have only read and reviewed The Case of the Missing Marquess, The Case of the Left-Handed Lady, and The Case of the Bizarre Bouquets.

S: So you might be reading and reviewing a few more in 2025?

M: Yes, I sure hope so.

Marshmallow read three books from the Enola Holmes series by Nancy Springer this year.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, maybe you can tell us a bit about your favorite series from this year.

Caramel: Why not? I read more Spy School books this year and finished that series. So I read Spy School Project X, Spy School Goes North, and the last one in the series, Spy School Goes Wild, which was published this year. I also read the graphic novel version of the third book: Evil Spy School: The Graphic Novel. And I loved them all!

S: That is neat! So you have continued with a well-loved series this year. But you also discovered and read a couple other series this year, too.

C: Yes, I read all the Artemis Fowl books! Artemis Fowl, Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident, Artemis Fowl: The Eternity Code, Artemis Fowl and the Opal Deception, Artemis Fowl and the Lost Colony, Artemis Fowl and the Time Paradox, Artemis Fowl and the Atlantis Complex, and Artemis Fowl and the Last Guardian.

S: I think you really enjoyed reading about this evil boy genius and his adventures!

C: Yes, but he is no longer evil, remember?

S: Oh, yes, I do remember that.

This year, Caramel read more Spy School novels by Stuart Gibbs and also dug deep into the Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer.

C: I also read the Tristan Strong books: Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, Tristan Strong Destroys the World, and Tristan Strong Keeps Punching. I also read the graphic novel adaptation of the first book.

S: I remember those.

C: But I think my most favorite recent series is the Nathan Hale books! I did not finish those. I only reviewed One Dead Spy, Treaties, Trenches, Mud, and Blood, and The Underground Abductor. And I loved them all.

S: Because they put together a few things you like. History, graphic novel format, humor-

C: Yes, what is there not to like? But there are many more books in the series, and I really hope to continue with those in 2025. And of course you know that my all-time favorite series is still Tui T. Sutherland’s Wings of Fire?

S: How can I forget?

C: I got to read and review two books from that series too, this year. I reviewed the graphic novel version of Winter Turning (Book Seven of Wings of Fire) and Wings of Fire: A Guide to the Dragon World. And I am still hoping she will write more books for the series some day…

S: I know. One can only hope.

C: And let us not forget that I also read Narwhal’s Sweet Tooth by Ben Clanton this year. That is also a book from a series I love.

S: Yes, that is true. and you loved that one, too!

C: Yep.

This year, Caramel read two more Wings of Fire books by Tui Sutherland, one more Narwhal and Jelly book by Ben Clanton, and three books from the Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales series.

Sprinkles: So Marshmallow, you have read many other books this year. Maybe you can tell us about the highlights. Maybe we can begin with the fiction?

Marshmallow: Sure. I read a lot of fiction this year, as always. And some of the books I read were really good. I really liked Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds, One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus, and The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, for example. I also really liked Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng though I think I still am taken more by Our Missing Hearts from the same author, which I had read last year. And I think the most impactful one for me was the classic, A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.

S: You have also read several graphic novels this year. What can you tell me about those?

M: I found Maus: A Survivor’s Tale by Art Spiegelman to be very compelling. It tells of a harrowing time in recent history, and the book is really impactful. I also read Evil Eyes Sea by Özge Samancı a few graphic novel adaptations of various myths, for example, The Iliad: A Graphic Novel Adaptation, The Odyssey: A Graphic Novel Adaptation, and Beowulf: A Graphic Novel Adaptation, all by Gareth Hinds. But I think besides Maus, the graphic novel I read this year that I liked most was Sapiens – A Graphic History: The Birth of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari, David Vandermeulen, and Daniel Casanave.

This year Marshmallow’s fiction reads ranged from *Maus* to *One of Us is Lying* to *A Tale of Two Cities*.

Sprinkles: So Caramel how about you? Which books of fiction did you enjoy reading most this year, other than those that belong to the series we talked about already?

Caramel: Well, we forgot to talk about The One and Only Ruby and The One and Only Family, both by Katherine Applegate. Those are good books I read and they belong to a series but maybe we can mention them now?

S: Sure. I agree. Those were lovely books.

C: I also really liked Watership Down: The Graphic Novel by Richard Adams, James Sturm, and Joe Sutphin.

S: That was s more recent one, and I know you are still rereading that.

C: Yup. And I also read The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams and that was fun, too.

S: Yes, I think those books are really funny.

Caramel also read several fun books this year, including *One and Only Ruby* by Katherine Applegate, *Watership Down* by Richard Adams, and *The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy* by Douglas Adams.

Sprinkles: You have also read many nonfiction books this year, right, Caramel?

Caramel: Yup. I read Warhammer 40000: Core Book and Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Core Rulebook for example. And you know I liked them!

Sprinkles: Of course! And Marshmallow, how about you?

Marshmallow: Yes. I read Slow Productivity by Cal Newport, The Illustrated Happiness Trap by Russ Harris and Bev Aisbett, Guinness World Records 2024, We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, How to Speak Emoji by Fred Benenson, Philographics: Big Ideas in Simple Shapes by Genís Carreras, and An Illustrated Book of Bad Arguments by Ali Almossawi.

S: This might be the most nonfiction you have reviewed, Marshmallow!

M: True. And I have to say I appreciated all of them. I in particular enjoyed Slow Productivity, Guinness World Records 2024, We Should All Be Feminists, and How to Speak Emoji.

The bunnies also read a lot of nonfiction this year. Here they are posing with their favorites: *Warhammer 40000 Core Book*, *Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Core Rulebook*, *Slow Productivity*, *Guinness World Records 2024*, *We Should All Be Feminists*, and *How to Speak Emoji*.

Sprinkles: We also all read many books of, or about poetry. Right?

Marshmallow: Actually, I read only The Lost Words: A Spell Book by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris, but I really loved it. It is a beautiful book! And the poems in it are poignant and touching.

Caramel: I think I also only read one poetry book, and it was This is a Poem That Heals Fish by Jean-Pierre Siméon and Olivier Tallec. I did really like it though. But wait. I also read The Red Book by Barbara Lehman, which was kind of like poetry, except that it had no words!

S: You are right! Maybe I read more poetry this year, and that is what I was thinking. And among all those I read, I only reviewed one book, a family favorite: A Child’s Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson and Tasha Tudor.

We also read and reviewed some poetry books: *The Lost Words: A Spell Book* by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris, *This is a Poem That Heals Fish* by Jean-Pierre Siméon and Olivier Tallec, and *A Child’s Garden of Verses* by Robert Louis Stevenson and Tasha Tudor,

Sprinkles: I also read and reviewed several children’s books about puberty. There were so many and those were all split between girl books and boy books, that I needed to have two reviews for them.

Marshmallow: We read most of those books, too, but I am glad you were the one who ended up reviewing them.

Caramel: I did peek into some of them, but I agree with Marshmallow, that it was good that you were the one who had to review them.

S: But all in all, we all read quite a lot of good, fun, and informative books this year, right?

M: And thought-provoking!

C: Yep. And I think we will be reading a lot more books next year!

M: But first, we have our month off!

S: Yes, we will take the month of January off.

C: And we are all really happy about that!

S: Well, we will continue to read, and we will get back to reviewing them in a month. And till then we just take a short break.

C: We deserve it!

M: Everyone deserves a break. And we are lucky to get one!

S: True. Okay, so what do you want to tell our readers Marshmallow?

M: I want to say: Happy new year everyone! We wish you a happy hoppy new year in 2025!

S: With lots of good books and many friends, old and new!

C: Yes! And stay tuned for more book bunny reviews, coming to you in February 2025!

The book bunnies, and new friend Moose, wish all bunnies around the world a happy hoppy new year in 2025, with lots of good books and many friends, old and new!

Caramel reviews Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell

Today Caramel reviews Impossible Creatures, a 2024 book by Katherine Rundell. As usual Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, this is your last review for the year!

Caramel: Yep, and I am very happy about that!

S: Hmm, I thought you liked reading books.

C: I do! And I even like talking about them. But when the year is over, we always take a month-long break, and who doesn’t like breaks?

S: Okay, I totally get that! So let us do our review and wrap up the year then.

C: Actually we won’t be done completely, because on Saturday we will do a joint review with Marshmallow and go over all the books we talked about this year.

S: True. But you will be done with talking about new books. So tell us, what is this book about?

C: It is about this one girl named Mal and an archipelago where mythical creatures are real. The girl finds a baby griffin, and then meets a boy named Christopher and asks him to help her save all of the creatures in the archipelago from a great danger.

S: So is the girl a keeper of these magical creatures?

C: Yes and no, the griffin is her friend, not her pet.

S: Okay, so is this like, there is this magical world of magical animals that us mere mortals do not know about, kind of like in The Menagerie?

C: Yeah, kind of.

S: I see. So I am assuming the impossible creatures in the title of the book are these magical creatures?

C: Yep, definitely. However they are not as kind as the ones in The Menagerie.

S: Oh, are they more like wild animals?

C: No, they are more intelligent creatures, but still kind of angry.

S: I read that somehow the magic is running out?

C: Yep, some evil thing is stealing the magic from the source.

S: Oh, and so Mal and Christopher have to figure out what is going on and save the magic?

C: Yep, and they will have to kill the evil one.

S: That sounds like it could be an exciting read!

C: Yep. It was.

S: And does it all end up nice and tidy? I heard there might be a sequel.

C: Yeah, I would like to read it if there is a sequel. This one ended a little sad.

S: Oh no! I don’t want to ask.

C: Okay, don’t ask then.

Caramel is reading Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell. — Caramel is reading *Impossible Creatures* by Katherine Rundell.

S: Alright. I will change the topic. Though we could not call this book a graphic novel or a picture book, there are still quite a lot of images here and there, right?

C: Yep. Maybe sixty or more!

S: They were apparently the work of the artist named Ashley MacKenzie. What did you think of them?

C: I liked them! But I felt like the book could have used even more images. I mean, there were some things that I felt could need some images.

S: That is interesting! You do know quite a few different kinds of magical creatures already, so I am guessing this book had some that you had not heard of before?

C: No, but I want to see them just the same. But you know, the map at the beginning, that was pretty cool! It showed the archipelago where the magical creatures live. And then there is an illustrated Bestiary, which was also neat.

S: Hmm, so I think you liked the illustrations, just wanted a lot more, because they were pretty good!

C: Yep, having more would have been really good.

S: Okay, I think it is clear that you enjoyed this book. So we can wrap this up now. What would you like to tell our readers?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel enjoyed reading Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell and recommends it to other little bunnies who enjoy reading about magical creatures. — Caramel enjoyed reading *Impossible Creatures* by Katherine Rundell and recommends it to other little bunnies who enjoy reading about magical creatures.

Caramel reviews Watership Down: The Graphic Novel by Richard Adams, James Sturm, and Joe Sutphin

Many years ago, over the course of a few days, the book bunnies listened all together as a family to an unabridged version of Watership Down, the 1972 classic by Richard Adams. Recently Caramel got his paws on a new (2023) graphic novel adaptation of the book by James Sturm and Joe Sutphin and read it over the course of a few hours. Today he is talking to Sprinkles about the book.

Caramel reviews Watership Down: The Graphic Novel, written by Richard Adams, adapted by James Sturm, and illustrated by Joe Sutphin. — Caramel reviews *Watership Down: The Graphic Novel*, written by Richard Adams, adapted by James Sturm, and illustrated by Joe Sutphin.

Sprinkles: I remember how we listened to this whole story when you all were so much younger. So when I saw that there was a graphic novel adaptation, I knew you would want to read it.

Caramel: Yes, I guess you were right! You know me well.

S: I think I do! Okay can you tell us a bit about the story?

C: Sure. In this book there are bunnies like us, but they are wild and are trying to escape from a great evil that was foretold by one of them named Fiver.

S: Oh, I think I remember Fiver. Isn’t he the dreamer one? Kind of like an oracle?

C: Yeah, kind of. He can see the future and warns the others of the dangers so they can survive.

S: Okay, so here is a group of rabbits living in a warren. That is, my dictionary tells me, a network of interconnecting rabbit burrows. And they are living a normal wild rabbit life. But then some great evil thing happens, is that it?

C: Yes, it is kind of like that. However not everyone believes Fiver, and so not all of them make it.

S: Well, I can see how not everyone would immediately believe some little bunny saying something terrible will happen, without evidence. But his brother believes him, right?

C: Yep, so Hazel, that is Fiver’s brother, gathers everyone who believes Fiver and they run.

S: So they leave their warren and wander away, and try to find a new place to settle down at?

C: Yep. Along the way they find a different warren in which there are some not-so-nice bunnies who try to kill the main character bunnies, but thankfully the good bunnies make it out, and they get two new bunnies from that warren.

S: Cool! Okay, so Fiver is the dreamer, oracle bunny. Hazel is the main leader bunny. Are there other characters that you especially liked or remembered from when we listened to the book those many years ago?

C: Fiver is my favorite, I don’t know why but he is my favorite bunny in the book.

S: He is a gentle soul, as far as I remember. He is sensitive and kind.

C: Yeah, but he can also see the future, and that is cool.

S: Yes, that is really cool, I agree. I do remember another character, Bigwig, I think. He is a fighter, and a good one too.

C: Yeah, he is also really cool, but Fiver is still my favorite character. There is also a big bird who helps the bunnies occasionally, His name is Kehaar.

S: That is cool! I liked that character, too.

Caramel is reading Watership Down: The Graphic Novel, written by Richard Adams, adapted by James Sturm, and illustrated by Joe Sutphin. — Caramel is reading *Watership Down: The Graphic Novel*, written by Richard Adams, adapted by James Sturm, and illustrated by Joe Sutphin.

S: Okay, so when we listened to this book many years ago, we had no images to attach to the main characters. But a graphic novel of course will have faces attached to each character. Did these work for you? Did you like the illustrations? Is the world of Fiver and Hazel how you had imagined it to be?

C: Yeah, it is a lot like what I thought. The bunnies are all very realistic looking, too, and exactly how I imagined them to be.

S: That sounds great! I was just going to ask you if they were more cartoonish or more realistic. So this was perhaps the longest graphic novel you have ever read, right?

C: Yep, it was 382 pages!

S: That is long for a graphic novel. But the original book is a very long one, too, so that makes sense. Anyways, did you know that the original book was banned in some places because it was too violent and there was a lot of brutality depicted explicitly?

C: Oh no. I did not think it was too violent.

S: Well, then again, you do like the Wings of Fire series and those are also kind of violent. So maybe your generation of bunnies is a bit more used to violence…

C: No, I would hope not.

S: I see what you mean Caramel. Yes you are right, it is not a good thing to get used to violence. Maybe I should have said that you can handle some more violence. I think that especially when they made the animated movie in 1978, the movie started out looking like a typical Disney movie, with cute bunnies who speak and are living in this idyllic natural place, but then things get dark very fast, and terrible things happen, bunnies killing each other, getting killed by humans, and so on. So maybe it shocked people a lot more back then.

C: Maybe.

S: I also read that it was banned in China for a while because it depicted animals and humans as equals or at least somewhat on a similar level, and this was unacceptable.

C: Hmm, they probably would not like Animal Farm either, then. Or us.

S: Yes, you have a point there Caramel. Bunnies talking about books would probably not be okay. Anyways, we are bunnies who love to read and talk about books. So let us get back to the book. So overall, did you enjoy this graphic novel?

C: Yes, greatly. And I recommend it to all young bunnies who like to read about other bunnies being heroic.

S: Cool! Okay let us wrap this up then. What would you like to tell our readers?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel enjoyed reading Watership Down: The Graphic Novel, written by Richard Adams, adapted by James Sturm, and illustrated by Joe Sutphin, and recommends the book to all young bunnies who like to read about other bunnies being heroic. — Caramel enjoyed reading *Watership Down: The Graphic Novel*, written by Richard Adams, adapted by James Sturm, and illustrated by Joe Sutphin, and recommends the book to all young bunnies who like to read about other bunnies being heroic.

Caramel reviews The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

Today Caramel is talking to Sprinkles about The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, the 1979 book by Douglas Adams that originated from a 1978 radio show and then went on to evolve into a whole “comedy science fiction franchise”, according to Wikipedia.

Sprinkles: So we are talking about The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy today. I am excited! I had really enjoyed reading this book myself.

Caramel: Yup, this book was surely a really good read. I had a lot of fun reading it.

S: Yay! So maybe we can start with a brief introduction to the story for anyone reading our blog who might not know about it.

C: Sure. It is a scifi book that is infused with a lot of comedy.

S: It is funny, I agree. Tell us more.

C: This book tells the story of a guy named Arthur Dent and another one named Ford Perfect.

S: It is actually Prefect, as in Ford Prefect, the car.

C: Yes, I knew that but somehow forgot. Yes, he is actually named that because he came to Earth fifteen years before the start of this story, maybe around when the car came out, you see Ford Prefect is an alien from Betelgeuse Seven.

S: Yes, apparently the author at some point said that Ford “had simply mistaken the dominant life form on Earth” (again according to Wikipedia).

C: Yes, when you look at it from outer space, apparently, humans don’t look like the dominant species on Earth. So Ford Prefect thought he should blend in and gave himself the name of a common car. But actually humans are really not the dominant species on Earth, according to The Hitchhiker’s Guide. It is the mice who are the smartest species on our planet.

S: That is funny! I mean, we have read many books about clever mice, remember Poppy and Ragweed?

C: Yes, then there is Ralph and Babymouse. So to me it sounds reasonable!

S: But this book is not really about mice, is it?

C: No, it is about the adventures of Arthur and Ford. So Ford comes to Earth to work on a guide book, and then is stuck. At the time when the book starts, Ford knows that the planet is going to be destroyed soon and wants to save Arthur and he tries to teach him about life in the universe. He tells him about this amazing guide book, The Hitchhiker’s Guide, that anyone who is going out traveling in space should have.

S: So the book The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is about a book called The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy?

C: Kind of, but it is more about Ford and Arthur.

S: So what happens? Do they leave the Earth together? And why on earth is the Earth going to be destroyed?

C: Because the planet is in the way of an intergalactic highway that some people want to build.

S: Ouch! That’s rough! Okay, so Earth cannot appeal and they have to leave, right? What do they do? Does the Earth really get destroyed in the book?

C: Yes, the entire planet is destroyed and turned to ash.

S: You said this was a funny book. That sounds pretty terrible.

C: Yes, but you know it is fiction when you are reading it. And the book is funny! Really funny. And they do not go into the details of the destruction at all really; that is almost an excuse to get Ford and Arthur traveling together.

S: And also telling us that our planet is one of many and maybe we should not be so full of ourselves if they can just demolish it to make a highway, like we do not really matter in the grand scheme of things.

C: When you say it like that, it maybe does not sound so funny, but it is really funny Sprinkles.

S: I know Caramel, and actually I like being reminded that we should not be too full of ourselves. Our lives matter, what we do matters, but we are not at the center of the universe. It is a small world after all but it is inside a very big universe.

Caramel is reading The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. — Caramel is reading *The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy* by Douglas Adams.

S: Anyways back to the book. So what happens in the end? You know there are many more books in the series?

C: They get picked up on accident by an alien ship, and are then thrown out of the ship, and then are picked up by another ship. Apparently Arthur is the only human remaining from Earth, and it is kind of funny because he is just a normal guy. Anyways, along the way a lot of hilarious things happen and we learn from Ford about the Guide and all sorts of weird facts from it.

S: Oooh, you like facts! But of course these are probably fictional facts, right? Can you tell me a couple?

C: Yep, they are fictional but also really fun. One is about the Babel fish which feeds off of brain waves and can translate any language.

S: Ooh, cool, like the universal translator in Star Trek or in Doctor Who, but it is a fish! Awesome! One more?

C: There is a thing called the Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster, which is a cocktail that contains Ol’ Janx Spirit, a particularly vicious alcoholic drink, and is so strong that you will need to recuperate in a hospital.

S: That sounds bad. Okay, so maybe it is time to wrap up this review. Overall it seems like this book kept you entertained, right? Do you want to read the next book in the series? It is called The Restaurant at the End of the Universe. I think there are five more books in total.

C: Sure, why not?

S: Alright, we will see if we can get you a copy. Okay, Caramel, what would you like to tell our readers as we wrap up this review?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel enjoyed reading The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams and is keen to read more from this series. — Caramel enjoyed reading *The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy* by Douglas Adams and is keen to read more from this series.