**Title: Thoughts on the Article**

Pros:

I am extremely glad that the author introduced Pounce. I firmly believe that having powerful animal sidekicks is an essential aspect that has always made the Tortall books captivating for me. Growing up with Disney and stories such as Catwings and Time Cat, it simply brings me great joy. It is truly strange to observe so many elements from Alanna's stories within the past of her partner's family. It makes me wonder whether she was divinely touched because she was destined to be with him or if he was attracted to her because like attracts like.

Cons:

After reading the previous books written as stories, this one presented as a personal journal lacked the familiar feel of the other tales and took more time for me to get accustomed to. However, it is fascinating to witness what Tortall was like before and to see a female knight from a time prior to Alanna's. Despite the initial adjustment, the unique perspective offered by the journal format adds an interesting layer to the overall Tortall universe.

I had read this when it first came out. However, I wasn't the biggest fan, partially because there were not any subsequent books at that time.

Beka, I didn't take to her quite as quickly as the other heroines in the Tortall series. She's spunky and a heroine that I can relate to on a lot of levels. But I found some of the slang she used distracting. I'm not sure why since I think Pierce did a good job in other books.

Once I got a bit into the story, however, I couldn't put it down. I definitely sacrificed some sleep to find out what happened next.

I do like that none of the mysteries in this book are completely straightforward. There are plenty of twists and turns that force Beka to depend on herself and come into her own. I don't think the book is quite as good as the others in the series, but I will certainly be continuing the series to find out what happens next!

Warning: Contains repeated violence.

Who should read it? Fantasy fans looking for a kickass heroine, particularly Tortall fans.

See all my reviews and more at www.ReadingToDistraction.com or @Read2Distract.

The Most Boring Book I Have Ever Tried to Read

^^If you don't understand that sentence ^^, 'I'd rather watch paint dry'

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Do not pick up this book unless you are seeking torture. The chapters seem to be a million pages long, and the vast majority of them are incredibly boring. I managed to get up to approximately page 30, but then I had to stop because the story was driving me crazy. Whoever told me that this was a good book, please don't tell me anymore, because obviously your eyes have been incinerated and all that's left is the eye socket. Seriously, do not get this book!!!!

I have read many books in my life, but this one takes the cake for being the most uninteresting. The plot is dull, the characters are flat, and the writing style is just not engaging. It felt like I was slogging through a never-ending swamp of words. I kept hoping that something exciting would happen, but it never did. I would much rather spend my time doing something else, like watching grass grow or counting the ceiling tiles. This book is a waste of time and paper, and I would not recommend it to anyone.

I reread this book for a book club I'm going to, and I was extremely excited to do so. And indeed, it was very good! I truly enjoyed it.

It was especially fascinating because when I read the books featuring Pounce as a kid, I didn't really have the context to understand cat behavior. But now that I'm living with two cats, I actually know what cats are like. This makes the already enjoyable experience of reading about Pounce at least ten times more pleasurable.

One aspect of this book that my reread uncovered for me is that it is absolutely copaganda in the same vein as B99. This was a wild thought to have while I was reading it.

It's interesting how our perspectives can change over time. What seemed like a simple and enjoyable story when I was younger now has a new layer of meaning for me.

I'm looking forward to discussing this book with the members of my book club and hearing their thoughts and interpretations.

Overall, this reread has been a great experience, and I'm glad I decided to pick up this book again.

Read the Kindle book using Alexa audio asset. It's a Libby library book.

It's a medieval type society story about a girl named Beka Cooper. She communicates with the dead by bird and whirlwind and goes on to chase evil and thieves.

The book is called "Terrier: The Legend of Beka Cooper". Beka joins the dogs (guardsman) as a puppy (trainee). The first book has 610 pages.

"Terrier: The Legend of Beka Cooper" is part of the Tortall (Chronological Order) Series. There are 2 more books about Beka before other series occur in this creative universe.

The events of "Beka Cooper: A Tortall Legend" begin at 230 H.E. The events of "The Song of the Lioness" begin at 400 H.E. The events of "The Immortals" begin at 449 H.E. The events of "The Protector of the Small" begin at 452 H.E. The events of "Tricksters" begin at 462 H.E.

This story seems to be a captivating one, filled with mystery, adventure, and unique abilities. It would be interesting to follow Beka's journey as she faces various challenges and discovers more about herself and the world around her.

The different series within the Tortall universe add depth and complexity to the overall story, and it would be exciting to explore each one and see how they all connect.

Whether you're a fan of medieval stories, fantasy, or mystery, "Terrier: The Legend of Beka Cooper" might just be the book for you.

Maybe I should upgrade to 5 stars after re-reading?

The only drawback is that it drags a itsy-bitsy, tiny bit in the last third of the story.

However, this minor flaw does not overshadow the many wonderful aspects of the book.

Otherwise, it's perfect and almost is more fun, especially when you already know how the story arc and the main character develop in volume 2 and 3.

The anticipation and the deeper understanding you gain from subsequent readings add an extra layer of enjoyment.

Despite the slight dragging, the overall quality of the story, the engaging plot, and the well-developed characters make it a truly remarkable read.

It's a book that you can't help but keep coming back to, and each time you do, you discover something new and exciting.

So, while the one drawback is noticeable, it doesn't prevent this from being a highly recommended book that is sure to delight readers of all ages.

Take this reading slump! I was able to finish this with time to spare!!!!

I was really in a toss-up between giving it a 3 or 4 stars. But then I thought about it and decided that Mrs. Pierce DESERVES a 4 because she is just that good.

I'll give a more thorough review when I've got the time. But for now, I just wanted to jot down a quick thought about this book and its author.

Tamora Pierce's world building is truly remarkable. It's so fluid and concise that it's as if you're actually trying to immerse yourself into an actual country! At first, it's a bit hard going. You have to learn the dialect, understand the way the people think, act, and feel. But by the end of it, you feel like you're a part of that world, going about your day just like a local.

Beka Cooper was a great character, and she had a wonderful supporting cast. This book definitely gets two thumbs way up from me!

This book is truly a gem.

It has made me fall in love with Tortall all over again. The moment I opened its pages, a wave of nostalgia washed over me, yet there was also an abundance of new and exciting content waiting to be discovered.

Beka Cooper, the protagonist, is a character like no other. She is flawed, which makes her all the more relatable and wonderful. In some areas, she展现出 remarkable strength, while in others, she shows vulnerability.

Moreover, the world structure, magic system, and religious orders in this book are always so well developed. It's as if the author has painstakingly crafted every detail, creating a rich and immersive world for the readers to explore. There is just so much depth and complexity here that it keeps me hooked from start to finish.

For those of you who are interested, you can check out my video review at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3Ijb....

I've liked several of her other 'Young Adult' novels. They were engaging and filled with interesting characters and plots. However, I was very disappointed in this one.

It is written as a diary, which partly explains the disjointed plot. But even that is no excuse for the poor writing. The sentences are often choppy and lack流畅性. There are also holes in the plot that make this story much less than enjoyable.

For example, some events seem to happen out of nowhere and are not properly explained. The characters' actions and decisions are sometimes hard to understand.

Overall, I was really let down by this novel. I had high expectations based on her previous works, but this one just didn't deliver. I hope she does better with her next book.

I had a truly enlightening conversation with author E.G. Manetti here on GR recently. The topic was about reading series that were written over a decade ago.

The thought was that books people read and adored before the digital e-books revolution, indie publishing boom, and the consequent explosion of a huge number of authors and stories, might not seem as captivating in today's society. Now, with the competition for readers being so intense, our expectations from what we read have skyrocketed.

I believe that this discussion is directly relevant to this book. The writing is of high quality, and as evidenced by the large number of highly positive reviews it received upon publication, people at that time really loved it. However, as a first-time reader almost 15 years later, it appears to be really slow-paced. The story meanders along without a clear arc. While the climax is good, it takes a whopping 550 pages to reach. The first 500 pages gradually build the world and Beka's character, and to a lesser extent, those around her. It is wonderfully creative and executed smoothly, but it just didn't manage to keep me happily engaged and eager for more.

This is the very first Pierce novel that I have delved into, and initially, there were several obstacles that I had to overcome.

The heroine seems to be proficient in everything, which is quite astonishing. However, she is extremely shy and self-deprecating, completely unaware of her own greatness.

Moreover, she has a super-intelligent cat as her sidekick, which adds an interesting element.

Also, the author has invented a set of world-specific slang that doesn't really contribute to expanding or enriching the story. Instead, these words are repeated ad nauseam, to the extent that they become like verbal tics.

I suspect that a lot of these aspects are quite common in the young adult fantasy genre.

But once I managed to get past these initial concerns, I discovered that this is actually a well-structured fantasy-police-procedural.

It seems that I have a particular fondness for such stories.

Pierce truly does an outstanding job of creating characters that you simply want to spend time with.

She has a special talent for developing complex and well-rounded social dynamics.

I especially appreciate the relationship that young Beka has with her older female partner, as well as the overall sense of camaraderie and warm friendship among the characters and her housemates from diverse walks of life.

There is indeed a setup with a charming rogue that Beka refuses to admit her attraction to, but this is only a relatively small part of the book.

Since it's not the only important relationship, or even a major one, in her life, the maybe-maybe-not romance angle doesn't prove to be a distraction.

I'm also highly impressed that Pierce tackles a significant amount of 'dark' material, such as violence, poverty, and social inequality, in a way that feels entirely plausible, without overshadowing the entire book.

In other words, the story isn't just grim and gritty for the sake of it, but it also doesn't attempt to idealize or gloss over the rough edges of the fantasy world.

Audiobook note: The narrator is truly delightful and breathes an enormous amount of personality into the characters.

Given the numerous characters introduced in this book, it could have been easy for them to blend together, but the narration ensures that this doesn't occur.

"Meh" is such a simple and yet somewhat ambiguous expression. It can convey a sense of indifference, mild dissatisfaction, or just a general lack of enthusiasm.

When we say "meh," it's as if we're shrugging our shoulders and saying, "It's okay, but nothing special." It might be used to describe a movie that was just average, a meal that didn't quite hit the mark, or a situation that didn't really excite us.

However, "meh" can also have a certain charm. It can be a way to express our feelings in a lighthearted and non-judgmental way. It's a word that allows us to be honest about our thoughts and emotions without getting too worked up or negative.

In a world where we're often bombarded with overly positive or negative messages, "meh" can be a refreshing alternative. It reminds us that not everything has to be amazing or terrible, and that sometimes, it's okay to just be in the middle.

So the next time you're feeling a bit "meh," don't be afraid to embrace it. It might just be the perfect way to describe your current state of mind.