Letters to a Young Mathematician

by Ian Stewart

Grade: To Re-read

If I go into math, or I'm stuck on what to go into, I ought to read this again, thus the grade.
It gave me a really good game which would be fun to play with Breann sometime: change ORDER into CHAOS, one letter at a time. (Or SHIP into DOCK if I need it to be easier.)
Also it mentions this: "Anyone who thinks computers can supplant mathematicians understands neither computing nor mathematics. It's like thinking we don't need biologists now that we have microscopes." Contradiction to an interesting video we watched recently.

Genius Squad

by Catherine Jinks

Grade: To Re-read.

The Canadian cop, Saul, was almost really cool, and I'd like to re-read some parts with him. Fiona you only saw from Cadel's point of view, or else I think I would have liked her more. Cadel is always cool. One reviewer said that it suffered a bit from lack of villains, and I agree, but it didn't suffer too much. Prosper is a great villain, and a menacing shadow throughout the book. Yet, he's given humanity, which really adds to it. He'd go on my Top Ten or So Greatest Villains list if there was a movie of Evil Genius.
Still a great series, and I'm dying for the sequal.

Airman

by Eoin Colfer

Grade: To Re-read

The parts with the French guy, at least! I liked him. Victor Vigny was awesome: his hair stuck up; he knew karate, fencing, tai chi, and lots of science--and then he died.

The story was a fantastic adventure story reminiscent of The Count of Monte Christo. It fits admirably the quote: "Fencing. Fighting. Fire. Torture. Revenge. Knights. Nuns. Chases. Escapes. Rescues. True love. Miracles." But without the nuns.

Jolly good fun. I had at least a liking for almost all of the characters except the villain. He wasn't very interesting. But the aformentioned French guy, the blind, American musician, and the loyal, giant assassin were all pretty cool.

Mrs. Budley Falls From Grace

by Marion Chesney

Grade: To Re-read
Reason: Exactly the same as the other Marion Chesney book. I'm not going to repeat the whole thing, so you'll have to go and find my reviews for the others yourself. (See Lady Fortescue Steps Out and Miss Tonks Turns to Crime.)

Favourite part: Like always, I enjoyed the Poor Relations' part of the ending. In this case, it was Miss Tonks' and Sir Philip's journey out to Mrs. Budley's wedding. Poor Miss Tonks...
Least favourite part: The Romance of course. Actually, this one was a bit better in some respects. He actually didn't adore her from the moment he saw her, and he proposed straight away which was amusing. But then it got worse until it was just as bad as the others.

Miss Tonks Turns to Crime

by Marion Chesney

Grade: To Re-read
Reason: It was as fun as Lady Fortescue Steps Out. Again we have amusing poor, elderly upper-class people running a hotel and stealing necklaces to get their money. Again we have a very Romancey romance between a handsome young aristocrat and a beautiful but poor girl. Again I thought that part of things very annoying. But again I loved the Poor Relations, despite the fact that it probably wasn't very realistic.

Favourite part: When Miss Tonks returns to tell of her victory and when Sir Philip gets wacked on the head.

Least favourite part: Almost all the parts with Cassandra and the Lord Eston. I can't help being annoyed, I'm sorry. It seemed to exactly the same as Harriet and the Duke of Rowcester.

Lady Fortescue Steps Out

by Marion Chesney

Grade: To Re-read
Reason: It was fun. Not good enough all round to own, I don't think. But fun.
I thought parts of it were far too "Romancey". However, Sir Philip was very amusing, and I like Lady Fortescue. I'm looking forward to the sequels, to see how the rest of the Poor Relations turn out.

Favourite part: All the parts where the Poor Relations are together and arguing.

Least favourite part: Almost all the parts with Harriet and the Duke of Rowcester. I skipped some of these.