Home
My Books
Browse ▾
Genres
Art
Biography
Business
Children's
Christian
Classics
Comics
Cookbooks
Ebooks
Fantasy
Fiction
Graphic Novels
Historical Fiction
History
Horror
Memoir
Music
Mystery
Nonfiction
Poetry
Psychology
Romance
Science
Science Fiction
Self Help
Sports
Thriller
Travel
Young Adult
More Genres
Community ▾

Sign In
Join

Profile
Friends
Groups
Discussions
Comments
Reading Challenge
Kindle Notes & Highlights
Quotes
Favorite genres
Friends’ recommendations
Account settings
Help
Sign out

Home
My Books
Browse ▾
Genres
Art
Biography
Business
Children's
Christian
Classics
Comics
Cookbooks
Ebooks
Fantasy
Fiction
Graphic Novels
Historical Fiction
History
Horror
Memoir
Music
Mystery
Nonfiction
Poetry
Psychology
Romance
Science
Science Fiction
Self Help
Sports
Thriller
Travel
Young Adult
More Genres
Community ▾

Mathew > Books: desert‎ (7)

Compare Books
Settings
Stats
Print
|

Bookshelves

All (2625)

+ Read ‎(1851)

+ Currently Reading ‎(2)

+ Want to Read ‎(677)

+ 52books2017 ‎(94)

+ aborigine ‎(2)

+ absence-of-parents ‎(445)

+ abusive-adults ‎(246)

+ abusive-parents ‎(62)

+ adoption ‎(97)

+ adult-fiction ‎(4)

+ adventure ‎(506)

+ africa ‎(66)

+ african-culture ‎(64)

+ aliens ‎(27)

+ alternate-worlds ‎(89)

+ american ‎(78)

+ anglo-saxon ‎(4)

+ animal-helpers ‎(225)

+ animal-spirits ‎(52)

+ animals ‎(579)

+ anthropomorphism ‎(212)

+ anxiety ‎(4)

+ art ‎(33)

+ arthurian ‎(9)

+ asia ‎(26)

+ australia ‎(6)

+ autism ‎(7)

+ autistic ‎(6)

+ autobiography ‎(24)

+ banned ‎(3)

+ bedtime ‎(53)

+ being-yourself ‎(354)

+ bereavement ‎(131)

+ bildungsroman ‎(110)

+ biography ‎(27)

+ board-book ‎(6)

+ boarding-school ‎(11)

+ body ‎(9)

+ book-review ‎(11)

+ bullying ‎(86)

+ care-and-hygeine ‎(29)

+ caribbean ‎(25)

+ carnivalesque ‎(19)

+ cautionary-tale ‎(139)

+ celts ‎(2)

+ challenging-gender-stereotypes ‎(160)

+ challenging-stereotypes ‎(145)

+ challenging-themes ‎(246)

+ changing-yourself-for-the-better ‎(278)

+ children-taking-on-adult-roles ‎(361)

+ childrens-literature ‎(1394)

+ china ‎(19)

+ christmas ‎(12)

+ circus ‎(9)

+ class ‎(69)

+ close-looking ‎(161)

+ cold-war ‎(6)

+ comic ‎(8)

+ coming-of-age ‎(322)

+ community ‎(201)

+ conservation ‎(115)

+ creativity ‎(96)

+ creepy ‎(25)

+ crime ‎(45)

+ critical-theory ‎(17)

+ cumulative-story ‎(27)

+ cunning ‎(83)

+ dads-as-good-role-models ‎(96)

+ dark-ages ‎(7)

+ dark-magic ‎(49)

+ death ‎(112)

+ defiance ‎(276)

− desert ‎(7)

+ diary ‎(4)

+ dinosaurs ‎(11)

+ disguised-identity ‎(292)

+ diversity ‎(290)

+ divorce ‎(10)

+ doppleganger ‎(5)

+ dragons ‎(44)

+ dreams ‎(53)

+ drowning ‎(24)

+ dual-language ‎(11)

+ dual-time ‎(3)

+ dwarves ‎(9)

+ dystopian ‎(13)

+ early-reading-skills ‎(192)

+ ecocritical ‎(108)

+ egypt ‎(3)

+ elderly ‎(18)

+ evacuee ‎(17)

+ fairies ‎(40)

+ fairy-tales ‎(77)

+ faith ‎(39)

+ family ‎(541)

+ fantasy ‎(135)

+ farm ‎(32)

+ flying ‎(20)

+ folk-lore ‎(81)

+ food ‎(109)

« 1 2 3 »

Reading stats

visible columns select all

These settings only apply to table view.

asin
author
avg rating
comments

cover
date added
date pub
date pub (ed.)

date read
date started
format
isbn

isbn13
notes
num pages
num ratings

owned
position
rating
read count

review
my rating
title
votes

column sets main
reading
list
review
owned

close

checkbox

position

cover

Curious Creatures Glowing in the Dark

title

Curious Creatures Glowing in the Dark

author

isbn

1838740007

isbn13

9781838740009

asin

1838740007

num pages

40 pp

avg rating

4.23

num ratings

26

date pub

unknown

date pub edition

Aug 24, 2021

Mathew's rating

really liked it

my rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

add to shelves

review

A study of creatures from around the world who are either bioluminescent or biofluorescent. I'm so glad we have Flying Eye publishing information text A study of creatures from around the world who are either bioluminescent or biofluorescent. I'm so glad we have Flying Eye publishing information texts as they make the most of celebrating the beauty of the world rather than allowing the staleness of facts to drown the interest.

From under the ocean waters to out in the desert, Armstrong and Susanj provide the words and pictures to take us on this fascinating tour. Care has been taken to pitch and design the text at a readership for around 7+ and facts are short and bite-sized whilst remaining engaging and cohesive: I just really wanted the book to have real glow-in-the-dark elements too! ...more

notes

Notes are private!

comments

0

votes

0

# times read

1

date started

Nov 23, 2021

date read

Nov 23, 2021

date added

Nov 23, 2021

owned

format

Hardcover

actions

view (with text)

checkbox

position

cover

The Gauntlet (The Gauntlet, #1)

title

The Gauntlet (The Gauntlet, #1)

author

isbn

1481486969

isbn13

9781481486965

asin

1481486969

num pages

304 pp

avg rating

3.71

num ratings

1,889

date pub

Mar 28, 2017

date pub edition

Mar 28, 2017

Mathew's rating

liked it

my rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

add to shelves

review

It's twelve-year-old Farah's birthday. Alongside having to entertain her younger brother, Ahmad also has her friends to attend to. She needn't worry t It's twelve-year-old Farah's birthday. Alongside having to entertain her younger brother, Ahmad also has her friends to attend to. She needn't worry though as her favourite aunt has arrived with a special gift just for her. When Farah finally manages to find the time to open it, she and her friends, Essie and Alex discover it is not what her aunt had promised: a book. Instead it appears to be an altogether different object: a game-board imbued with magical properties (Jumanji-style). Not only does the game expand and grow but it also whisks them away to a realm created and ruled by the Architect. Excitement soon gives way to fear though since the game has taken Farah's brother. Not only that, the rules of the game mean that if any challenge is failed then the contenders must remain in The Gauntlet for all time.
Riazi's novel is quick and pacy and I thought that the first half set the scene well. Each of Farah's friends are different yet potentially engaging but her brother borders on annoying rather than sympathetic (he has ADHD but the condition is sweepingly considered rather than focused on). The games themselves within the Gauntlet are, for the most part, exciting but at times emotions and pace are confused and lost to other details. The rich world often overshadows time spent on character-building and growth.
For all these faults though, it was deeply refreshing to find another Muslim protagonist and some impressive world-building. ...more

notes

Notes are private!

comments

0

votes

2

# times read

1

date started

Apr 20, 2020

date read

Apr 20, 2020

date added

Apr 20, 2020

owned

format

Hardcover

actions

view (with text)

checkbox

position

cover

Deadly!: The Truth About the Most Dangerous Creatures on Earth (Animal Science)

title

Deadly!: The Truth About the Most Dangerous Creatures on Earth

author

isbn

0763662313

isbn13

9780763662318

asin

0763662313

num pages

64 pp

avg rating

3.72

num ratings

98

date pub

Nov 01, 2012

date pub edition

Mar 26, 2013

Mathew's rating

really liked it

my rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

add to shelves

review

A collection of facts, humorously presented by Nicola Davies and Neal Layton, that explore all the ways animals kill each other (and us) in order to e A collection of facts, humorously presented by Nicola Davies and Neal Layton, that explore all the ways animals kill each other (and us) in order to eat or survive. The language here is utterly playful and tongue in cheek whilst still remaining informative and Layton's illustrations often embellish or add to that humour.

As with all Davies' work on the natural world, she is unflinching in pointing out man's needless greed and stupidity in tampering with the ecosystem but we are oft saved from feeling too down by Layton's wonderfully wild sketches. A useful index and glossary can be found at the....you know where. ...more

notes

Notes are private!

comments

0

votes

1

# times read

1

date started

Oct 29, 2019

date read

Oct 29, 2019

date added

Oct 29, 2019

owned

format

Hardcover

actions

view (with text)

checkbox

position

cover

Infernal Devices (The Hungry City Chronicles, #3)

title

Infernal Devices (The Hungry City Chronicles, #3)

author

Reeve, Philip *

isbn

0439963931

isbn13

9780439963930

asin

B007YZO6ZY

num pages

336 pp

avg rating

3.87

num ratings

17,669

date pub

2005

date pub edition

Jan 01, 2011

Mathew's rating

liked it

my rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

add to shelves

review

I really wanted this one to work for me considering how much I enjoyed Predator's Gold but something very specific didn't quite work for me. Set sixte I really wanted this one to work for me considering how much I enjoyed Predator's Gold but something very specific didn't quite work for me. Set sixteen years after the last novel, Infernal Devices finds Hester and Tom as parents with a daughter, Wren, who tires of the idyllic life of Anchorage-in-Vineland and seeks adventure. Yet when the Lost Boys come calling and Wren is whisked away, a life of adventure is far from what she expected.
There is certainly nothing lost in the execution of the plot here. The story focuses on the acquisition of the mysterious Tin Book which seems to hold the key to an ancient power left behind from the 60 minute war. But, for me, is was my connection to the characters that was not as strong as the previous two stories. Old revivals of key players from the first stories, introductions to new ones and the vilification of Hester meant that I found a real disconnect with some of them - I wanted to build up a much stronger relationship with Oenone and felt very little to make me want to connect with Wren and the book felt like it was placing all the key ingredients for the finale rather than stand on its own as a novel.
I am sure it will all come together in the final book and I hope there is some redemption in Hester's character who, I felt, was overly intruded upon by the author. ...more

notes

Notes are private!

comments

0

votes

1

# times read

1

date started

Oct 31, 2018

date read

Nov 11, 2018

date added

Oct 31, 2018

owned

format

Paperback

actions

view (with text)

checkbox

position

cover

Igor, the Bird Who Couldn't Sing

title

Igor, the Bird Who Couldn't Sing

author

Kitamura, Satoshi

isbn

0374335583

isbn13

9780374335588

asin

0374335583

num pages

40 pp

avg rating

4.11

num ratings

107

date pub

Apr 26, 2005

date pub edition

Sep 10, 2005

Mathew's rating

really liked it

my rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

add to shelves

review

To all the other birds, Igor's singing is appalling. He takes up lessons, practices day and night but ultimately his tune does not ring true to those To all the other birds, Igor's singing is appalling. He takes up lessons, practices day and night but ultimately his tune does not ring true to those around him. He flies everywhere hoping to find a similar tune but alas, it evades him. Finally, he finds a place to himself and, inspired by the beauty of a sunset, decides to sing to - with a wonderful result.

It would be a terrible world if we all sang to the same tune and Igor's story reminds us of this. The picturebook is dedicated to Ornette Coleman and if you have access to his jazz (Spotify?/YouTube?) then read whilst listening to it. It makes ALL the difference.
...more

notes

Notes are private!

comments

0

votes

0

# times read

1

date started

Nov 05, 2019

date read

Nov 05, 2019

date added

Sep 20, 2018

owned

format

Hardcover

actions

view (with text)

checkbox

position

cover

THE AMAZING ANIMAL ADVENTURE: AN AROUND-THE-WORLD SPOTTING EXPEDITION /ANGLAIS

title

THE AMAZING ANIMAL ADVENTURE: AN AROUND-THE-WORLD SPOTTING EXPEDITION /ANGLAIS

author

Claybourne, Anna

isbn

1780678444

isbn13

9781780678443

asin

1780678444

num pages

64 pp

avg rating

4.48

num ratings

27

date pub

Aug 04, 2016

date pub edition

Aug 04, 2016

Mathew's rating

liked it

my rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

add to shelves

review

There is currently a great swathe of 'animal' books for young children and they all happen to be beautiful if not always accurate - this one is, thank There is currently a great swathe of 'animal' books for young children and they all happen to be beautiful if not always accurate - this one is, thanks to the writer, Anna Claybourne. It's a great size too: a little larger than A3 when opened, so perfect for sharing. With its world map at the start that indicates the habitats and places covered, each double-page spread becomes a look and find affair filled with different creatures from that area and the reader is invited to search and spot all sorts of creatures. Although this format may seem simple, a lot of thought has gone into the presentation - I liked the tiny fact-snippets attached to each creature; enough to give us some detail.
I usually groan at animal books which rely on cute drawings rather than photographs (I want children to see the creature rather than a cartoon of it) but my boys were hooked on this book (3 nights of consecutive exploring) and I found that we would head off to my animal books or go online to see what they really looked like when their interest was peaked. ...more

notes

Notes are private!

comments

0

votes

1

# times read

1

date started

Jul 25, 2018

date read

Jul 25, 2018

date added

Jul 25, 2018

owned

format

Hardcover

actions

view (with text)

checkbox

position

cover

The Little Prince & Letter to a Hostage

title

The Little Prince & Letter to a Hostage

author

Saint-Exupéry, Antoine de

isbn

0141180927

isbn13

9780141180922

asin

0141180927

num pages

118 pp

avg rating

4.40

num ratings

11,876

date pub

1943

date pub edition

1998

Mathew's rating

it was amazing

my rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

add to shelves

review

Clearly affected by his own experiences of flying and being stranded in the Sahara desert when his own place broke down, Saint-Exupéry has written her Clearly affected by his own experiences of flying and being stranded in the Sahara desert when his own place broke down, Saint-Exupéry has written here an allegory that explores the human condition. In his wish to explore beyond his own tiny planet, the prince visits an aviator on Earth. Here, he shares with the adult his encounters on Earth and on his different planets that he had visited along the way.
This is a story whose true meaning will always remain out of reach because the truth behind the story is ambiguous and yet this is its beauty. There are no clear answers in life but they are there. It is how we choose to listen to them that counts - perhaps a child hears things far clearer than an adult does. ...more

notes

Notes are private!

comments

0

votes

2

# times read

1

date started

Jul 12, 2018

date read

Jul 13, 2018

date added

Oct 13, 2015

owned

format

Paperback

actions

view (with text)

Loading...

7 of 7 loaded

More books shelved as 'desert' »

Company

About us
Careers
Terms
Privacy
Interest Based Ads
Ad Preferences
Help

Work with us

Authors
Advertise
Authors & ads blog
API

Connect

Goodreads on Instagram

Download app for Android

© 2024 Goodreads, Inc.
Mobile version

Welcome back. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account.

Login animation