Book Review: The First Ladies by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray

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The First Ladies by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray is a historical fiction novel that spans many years and tells of the friendship between former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt and civil rights activist Mary McLeod Bethune. I don't know if I would have picked up this book if it hadn't been the August selection for one of the book clubs I belong to in my area because I don't read a lot of historical fiction. However, I am so glad that I read it and was able to learn many things I hadn't learned about in any of my history classes.  I don't recall learning anything about Mary McLeod Bethune, and she is an important part of American history. The things she helped spearhead to provide African American people equal rights is quite impressive. One of the things I was horrified to learn about is Franklin D. Roosevelt's resistance to stop lynchings because he was afraid of losing the Southern Democrats backing for his New Deal Bill. Another thing that I fo...
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Book Review: The Surprise Party (Fear Street, #2) by R.L. Stine

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the surprise party rl stine
The Surprise Party (Fear Street, #2) by R.L. Stine.  After Evan died in the Fear Street woods, everyone changed, and Ellen moved away. When Meg Dalton heard Ellen was coming for a visit, she thought it would be a great idea to throw Ellen a surprise party. With party plans under way, Meg begins receiving threats to cancel the party. Who would go to such drastic extremes?

As a part of rereading my way through my childhood, the Fear Street books by R.L. Stine were a must read for me, and The Surprise Party (Fear Street, #2) brought back some great memories for me. Mentions of trapper keepers, Molly Ringwald, Daryl Hannah, and Esprit clothing gave me all the feels. I wonder if kids today even know what a trapper keeper is and have ever heard of the Esprit clothing line?

I only vaguely remembered the storyline of The Surprise Party and thought I had the "bad guy" figured out from the get go only to find out I was wrong. How can I be so wrong about the whodunnit even as an adult? 

What I loved about this book, other than the nostalgia, were all of the twists and turns that R.L Stine provided and the red herrings. For a YA Novel in the horror genre, I thought it was exceptionally well written and was enjoyable even as an adult. I loved that several of the characters from The New Girl (Fear Street, #1) made cameos in this edition of Fear Street.

I gave The Surprise Party (Fear Street, #2) five out five stars, and I'd definitely recommend it to tweens and teens. I'd even recommend it to adults for nostalgia. 

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