A Book Review

   Once upon a time, Dee read a book. (Well, many books but this is the one we are talking about.)  She laughed and laughed.
  Then, one day, she was delighted to find that the author was writing a sequel. She read it.  (After he was done writing it.) And laughed and laughed. Probably harder this time.  
  She told her brothers about them, because the books had swords and chases and princesses in it, and her brothers like swords and chases, and princesses, even if they don't admit it.  
  The bookworm brother read them first. He told the other brother about the plots of the two books in between giggle fits, and persuaded him to read them.  And he laughed and laughed. 
  Dee's sister read the books, and laughed too. She liked the princess, (and the would-be prince, even though she didn't admit it). 

 They agreed the books were good. 
 They also agreed that they liked the fact that the author was a homeschooler, (well, was one when he was "in school", but you know, once a homeschooler always a homeschooler.) because they themselves were/are homeschooled.  
  In fact, they talked about the books for nearly an hour and a half straight, while they were on a trip, just hashing the plots, quoting their favorite lines, and discussing the various characters. 
 Here are some conversation snatches.  WARNING: the following is filled with private jokes and references which you will not understand unless you've read the books yourself. Also, the quotes are not in any kind of chronological order, and may not be word perfect.

D: So, N--, what do think of the book? 
N: I like it.  *giggles*
D: Why's that?
N: Because, um, I don't know why. Um.... Well, one reason is that it's funny. 
D: Yeah, like where Ben falls out the window while he's desperately trying to get out of the court, and then hides in the closet but gives himself away by the puddle his clothes make.
N:  Yeah!!!!  *eyes sparkle*  Or when Ernie is blasting the goblins who are pawing at his quilt!  

*momentary blip in the conversation where they both proceed to quote the scene, (though the words may have sounded garbled and not very fierce, because they're laughing too hard) and are joined by the sister in hopping up and down. Yes. in a van.* 

D: So who's your favorite character?
N: Oh, that's hard. It's difficult to tell. Maybe Ben... but maybe Ernie.
D: So why Ernie?  (Can you tell that I start a lot of my sentences with 'so'?
N: *grinning hugely* Cause he's so oblivious!  *he launches into another quote*  "Great socks! Noble socks! Socks that a king would beg to wear!" 
D: *laughing*  If you were one of the characters which would you choose to be? 
N: Hmmm.....   Probably Ben.  
D: Why's that?
N: Cus. He's kind of, well, you know, simple-ish, but he's strong and does things even though he doesn't think he can and he still wins.
D: I like him because he's very loyal.  And takes care of Jess.
J: That's one reason I like that book so much. You can tell he loves Jess a whole lot, but it isn't mushy. Oh, *starts laughing* remember the part where Ben's absentmindedly playing with her hair and she doesn't tell him, cus he'd stop cus he'd be embarrassed?
*We laugh*
W: They should make it into a movie!!!!  An animated one, like Tangled!
N: Yeah!!!!!!  But there would have to be at least two or three movies because they can't cut anything out. 
W: No, that would be bad. 
N: And they probably would.
W: Yeah... but the books are pretty cool.
N: Better than the Narnia books.
D: You liked them that much?
N: I don't why. I think it was easier to understand. 
D: Mmmm... *doesn't quite agree, but is delighted to have referred him to a book that he likes so well*
D: If you could tell the author anything about his books, what would you say?
N: That I like his books. And he should write another one!!!!! 
W: Yeah!!!!!!
N: He could do one in the south! We didn't go there yet.
(side note: This is a sign of a good book. Once you get to the end and you aren't done exploring. You just want to go on, a little further.) 
W: He could put in some maps.
N: Oh, that'd be cool!
D: I like maps...       
N: *contemplatively, on a different subject* I like Charlez too. 
 *and here ensues an argument on how to pronounce the aforementioned name and also the word "bikalis"*  *and then discussion ends in a conglomeration of quotes, each of us throwing in the ones we remember and repeating the ones the others say*
 
 
  So, you may be asking yourself, "What cool book could she be talking about?"

They are called The Stuttering Bard of York and The Stuttering Duke of York, respectively.

 Here you go. Check 'em out. Buy them, they're worth it. I must confess that I haven't yet. YET,  I said. I will. Sometime. Buy them that is.
  However, the author offers them in pdf format for free online reading. SCORE!!!!!   It's awesome. Yay for local-ish authors!!!!!!!!  And light against dark stories!  And a princess who- but that would be giving it away, and I like torturing people with unread books.   Mwahahaha...   

The author's professional website, where you can find the books, and also other works:  creative-vapors.com



I just gave you an Armchair Adventure for a relaxing evening sometime. 



You're welcome.    :)