Reviews written by C.J. Redwine

What I Loved: I found myself very drawn to the premise of this book. I thought about the book while I wasn't reading it and was eager to return to the pages. For me, that was enough to overcome some flaws and make this a book I'd...

This book is a good starting place for readers who want a broad introduction to the job of being a dj. There are excellent time lines tracing the beginning of mixing music for crowds from record scratching to modern computer equipment. A handful of djs are featured, though not as...

My kids grew up watching The Veggie Tales, and we've always appreciated the quality, both in content and in production value. These books continue the same excellent standard set by the original Veggie Tales movies. Each story has beautiful, engaging illustrations, a fun, quirky storyline, and an important message at...

This book reminds me (in a good way) of the old set of Childbook Encyclopedias I had when I was little. I think it feels like the Childbooks because it has a similar writing style (fairly dry and informative, but rich in vivid details which as a child I found...

I really enjoyed this book. The illustrations are heartwarming and beautiful. The story, while focusing specifically on a little girl learning how to use chopsticks, will resonate with a broader audience of young readers as every child knows what it feels like to be the only one in a room...

What I Loved: Just about everything. Howard emerges as a compelling new voice in the dystopian genre with his debut ROOTLESS. I hardly know where to start praising this book. The world building is incredible. I was immediately sucked into this post-apocalyptic world in which society...

What I Loved: Nobody does world building like Julie Kagawa. Seriously. The world in the Iron Fey series is vivid, intricate, and all-encompassing. I especially loved the descriptions of the Iron Fey kingdom. The rules to Kagawa's world aren't hard to learn, and she sticks to them, which I appreciate....

This book is incredibly interesting. The author visited a remote village in Thailand to learn firsthand how Thai silk is made: from raising the silk worms to weaving the thread into garments. Told in a relaxed, narrative story-teller's style, illustrated with gorgeous photography, the story of silk is as much...

This is an excellent collection of famous ghost stories, complete with a story-like narrative to introduce the reader to the spine-tingling creepiness of that particular haunting and a well-researched discussion of the origins of that story and any major sightings throughout history. I found the entire book fascinating and extremely...

This is a lovely, poignant story of a little girl struggling to understand what happens when a loved one dies. Told from a distinctly Jewish perspective, the story deals with emotions that I think readers will find universal. While there isn't a firm answer given to the girl about where...

I was completely captivated by this book. The storytelling is excellent! Every page is full of fabulous adventures (Like crocodile wrestling and fish raining from the sky!) which young readers will certainly find exciting, but the adventures are book-ended by the story of the man who wrote those adventures down....

What I Loved: This was a fast-paced, fun thrill ride with a nice touch of romance near the end. I really loved the story itself. The plot kept me interested and engaged, and I liked Audrey enough to care about her outcome. The world-building is pretty solid,...

I loved this book so much, I blurbed it. In this sequel to ANGEL EYES, the stakes are just as high, the action is nearly non-stop, and the relationships are complicated, authentic, and sometimes heartbreaking. I was thoroughly invested in the characters and the outcome of the plot the entire...

What I Loved: I was immediately draw in by Wren's voice as a narrator. She's at turns haunting, heartbreaking, feisty, and strong. I really enjoyed how deeply she felt things, and how willing she was to take responsibility for the things she'd done. I was also very...

What I Loved: Everything. Seriously. This is a lovely, heartbreaking, uplifting, achingly honest debut that just consumed me from start to finish. The writing is beautiful without getting in the way of the story. The characters are flawed, authentic, and relatable. The setting works perfectly as a...