Tenant of Wildfell Hall

 The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte is a very blunt book, especially for the day and age that this Bronte Sister wrote it. 

"Gilbert Markham is deeply intrigued by Helen Graham, a beautiful and secretive young woman who has moved into nearby Wildfell Hall with her young son. He is quick to offer Helen his friendship, but when her reclusive behavior becomes the subject of local gossip and speculations, Gilbert begins to wonder whether his trust in her has been misplaced. It is only when she allows Gilbert to read her diary that the truth is revealed and the shocking details of the disastrous marriage she left behind emerge. Told with great immediacy, combined with wit and irony, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is a powerful depiction of a woman's fight for domestic independence and creative freedom."

General Thoughts: Oof, this was a tough read. Not only is it an older book, first published in 1848, but the subject matter is hard too. In reading about it, Charlotte Bronte--Anne's sister--had the book pulled from publication no long after Anne's death because she thought it was one of the reasons she died, too much mental and emotional strain--which is probably one of the reasons it Anne wasn't as popular amongst readers as Emily and Charlotte were which is sad. It's a great book; it's just not a light easy read. 

Plot and Theme: This book is about the tragedies and abuses of some women's lives. Helen hates liquor because of what her husband did while he was intoxicated--angry, abusive, unfaithful, and plain-old nasty. I'm sure there were many women who wanted to run away from the same kind of husband back then who were socially and financially unable to. Death was more acceptable than divorce. The social critique; the blatant, in-your-face depictions that were shown here I'm sure were a shock then. Those things weren't talked about openly but was probably rampant in gossip chains. Helen running away from her husband is amazing. 

Setting: This was set in the time period it was written, so I'm sure the setting was spot on. Historically, lol. From what I recall it was well set up. The atmosphere was dark and gray like the position Helen was in. I would have liked to see the cliffside where they picnicked and even the crumbling down Hall. 

Characters: It has been over a years since I read it, but from what I recall Helen was an angelic character, almost too much so. Going back to take care of her husband who was dying is potentially more saintly than I would be, especially after what he put her through. Gilbert Markham was an interesting lens to look though. I remember him being frustrated and charmed and kind which I'm sure was new and refreshing to Helen  though she didn't trust him for a while. I do think that the other characters, especially around the topic of alcohol, were interesting. She, for her time and place, Helen was probably an extreme outlier, everyone had a sip of brandy or glass of wine or some such. I, being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, appreciate her vehemence and her ability to stick to her guns. Her character was unwavering and I can support her in that. 

Spice: 1/5 Spicy Chilis, but not in a good way. Arthur Huntingdon is an awful person and needed to be put down. The fact that people were in uproar over the fact that Helen "slammed the bedroom door" on her husband because she was so sick of his abuse and infidelity makes my modern brain very upset. The other romance between Helen and Gilbert was chased, like most historical novels of the era. 

Writing Style: Again, this is an old book and not written with the "modern" audience in mind. It is written much like Jane Eyre and Jane Austen's books with their elaborate words and long sentences and paragraphs. Some modern readers might not like that that and I must admit that I had a hard time finishing it too. 

Overall: It is probably one of those books that everyone should read before they die. It is considered one of the first "feminist books" which is pretty cool. 

Revenge of the Witch

I read this years ago and couldn't remember anything about it. Originally I gave it four stars and I hold to that with a reread. 

Tom Ward is the seventh son of a seventh son, therefore making him the special. He doesn't know how, but his mother believes he is someone who will help him fight the coming darkness. Now that he is older and his eldest brother is running the farm with his pregnant wife (along with their aging father and mother), Tom is sent to start and apprenticeship with the Spook. Spook, or Mr. Gregory, is the Country's Spook. He's the one who takes care of those things that go bump in the night. Tom's apprenticeships is hard and full of scary moments. His first trial as a Spook is to stay the night in a haunted house, don't open the door for anyone, at midnight go into the cellar, and don't let the candle go out. Bravery and facing his fears will be key to any and everything he does as an apprentice Spook. After meeting a girl with pointy shoes, things go from faint bumps in the night to revenge and kidnapped children very quickly. 

I'm not much of a horror person. Thriller to an extent, but I don't do horror. There were two times in the book where I actually got a little jittery. Well written parts. I had to remind myself that it was just a story, and a young adult story at that. Though for it being young adult, it was kinda pushing the envelope for me. Like a baby died (and eaten) here and normally that is something writers touch--not anything graphic on that account, but still...

I liked all three of our main characters. Spook is awesome. I'd love to see him in action because we didn't really get to see him do anything besides teach this time around. Tom resembles a real person in that he has faults in judgement but sometimes his judgement is right on. Alice is also someone I'm excited to see how she progresses. There are thirteen books in this series (ah, the unlucky number) and the second to last one is called I Am Alice with her rather gloriously standing on the front cover, which makes me think she's come into some witchy power, for good or bad we don't know yet, but I'm intrigued. EDIT: I'm not continuing on with the series. I don't need the bad juju in my life. 

It is a very quick read. If I was able to just sit down and read (without a dog or other persons or jobs interrupting me) I could have finished it easily in two days. Possibly one if I started early. Sometimes it's rather "telling" instead of showing, but it is supposed to be something like Tom's journal and they aren't normally as descriptive as "normal books" so it can be forgiven somewhat. The prose is probably what dropped the star, those two very suspenseful moments (though at the beginning for me) were why I wanted to give it a 4.5 but.... Still a good beginning to a series. 

As I said, I'm not sure about horror, if it gets to be too.... ick for me, I'm going to put the series down. But we'll see how far we go. 

I also remember seeing the movie that they made of the book; it was called The Seventh Son and while it does have some of the happenings, I guess, but it is extremely different from the book. Like it's hard to figure that it's the same story. Though it does have Ben Barnes (Prince Caspian or General Kirigan) play Tom, but the age different of the character and actor is rather ridiculous--kinda like what they did for Percy Jackson's movie. What is up with them slaughtering the stories... They could have had a good long series for The Last Apprentice, but lost it and did a horrible movie. Don't watch it. Save yourself the few hours and find something else.  

Please Take My Brother Away

Please Take My Brother Away was a hilarious manga that was turned into an anime as well as a life action K-Drama. 

A brother and sister live together after their parents sticky divorce and must survive each other. It is a short, fast, slice of life that is just too funny. 

I don't know much more to say other than it's hysterical and I finished it in a day. I really want to find the anime for it, but the K-Drama is on Netflix. 

If you're looking for a pickmeup story, this one is great. 

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

 My son read this one to me and it was a great experience. 

Hugo Cabret is alone. He lost his dad in fire and was given to his uncle's care, but his uncle has been gone for months leaving Hugo by himself. Well, him and the clocks he winds every day at the Paris Train Station. No one knows he's there and he is scared of being taken to an orphanage or being put in the Stations Inspector's "cage" so he stays quiet, taking his uncles paychecks but not cashing them, and steals to survive. He recently rediscovered an automaton that his father found and keeps close to his heart the notebook his father left behind. But after getting caught stealing a small mechanical mouse from a toyshop in the station, the notebook gets taken away from him by the shop owner and the struggle to get it back ensues. However, there seems to be something strange about this old toyshop owner, there is far more that he is not telling Hugo as to why he took Hugo's father's notebook in the first place. The shop owner's goddaughter and Hugo join forces to find the notebook and its significance. 

I think the thing I loved most about this book was the fact that my son was able to read it to me. He struggles in reading and the pictures that were drawn and old photos of movies helped make this come alive for my son. It intrigued him and didn't make him feel like "it's too hard." The words were more difficult than things he's accustomed too, I was going for a challenge, and far larger of a book than I'd ever read on his own. But he did it and enjoyed the story. 

The second thing were the pictures. It brought life and vivation to the story along with clarity to the reader who's never seen any of the old movies before. We were able to see the "man in the moon with a rocket in his eye" and the fairy lands that were made in the old films because the still frame pictures were there. There were cartoon-ish drawing of Hugo and Isabelle, Georges and people of the station which brought the story to live as well. 

I think this is a good book to start kids out on when talking about historical fiction. There are many parts in history that could be talked about, but movies and shows are obviously topics that kids can get very passionate about--as my son shows me on many occasions--and this story gives a fictional account of the beginnings of moving pictures. It was fun to talk with him about one of the first films, "A Train Pulling Into A Station" and how it scared people in the audience because they thought the train was going to run them over. We talked about other inventions and how things were so different and how far they've come. It's opened up avenues of older movies that he's never seen before, but where important when it comes to making movies. 

It also is a good starting point for introductions to Steampunk books that are out there. It opens up a mechanical world with automatons and that fact that clocks had to be wound often to keep them running. Steampunk and that alternate reality is a fun one, in my opinion, to dive into. (A good series I'd recommend is The Rythmatist and Misborn Era 2 starting with Alloy of Law all by Brandon Sanderson. They are the only steampunk books I've been able to really get into as of yet, but there are many on the TBR list.) 

It was much more of an adventure story or mystery that I thought it would be. Not much in the way of character development happened to the main character or Isabelle, but for "Papa Georges" he grew a little. He softened over the course of the story and was able to confront hard things in the past that had happened. I don't entirely know how much of it was "based on true events" and how much of the story was creative liberties by the author though. 

We both enjoyed the book and we'll be watching the movie soon, which I'm excited to show my son. 

Holes

Stanley Yelnats didn't do anything wrong, yet the courts say otherwise and so he is being sent off to Camp Green Lake. There is no lake at Camp Green Lake. Only dirt, heat, dangerous animals, and holes. The boys dig holes to "build character." It is long hard work that seems to do nothing but waste time. But then the Warden seems to be searching for something. Whatever is it? 

My son and I read this book and very much enjoyed it. 

Characters were many and sometimes hard to differentiate between, but they were still fun and enjoyable. Setting made me need a drink of water all the time. But what I most enjoyed was the plot and flashbacks that were present to help enlighten the reader as to what was actually going on. Miss Katherine and Sam were my favorite and I really felt for them. And you feel sorry for Stanley and Zero and all the other boys. 

Murder on the Orient Express

 Agatha Christie was made a Dame for a reason and I think Murder on the Orient Express was that reason. 

Complete strangers board a train, mingle for a few hours or days, and then go their separate ways. But then a murder happens and those who have nothing to do with each other are then all suspected to have murdered a horrendous man. So many clues. Too many clues. It was one of them, but which one? 

Murder on the Orient Express  has been made into many movies and so the story wasn't new to me. It was one that I wanted to read to say that I'd done it.  I am a major fan of Kenneth Branagh as he is a fantastic actor and brings so much more to each character he portrays (whether it is Hercule, Professor Lockhart, or King Henry IV), so to hear him give this presentation for all the many nationalities here was a treat. 

I enjoyed all the characters that were present here. There were many and at times could have been hard to keep track of, but Agatha Christie was able to keep them all fairly well clear. And while there were many clues and twists and turns throughout the story, she gave them to us in ways the kept it concise clear though we had to use our "little gray cells" to get the other ending like Poirot did--if people are that awesome to be able to actually do that anyway. 

I enjoyed it. I enjoyed the games and movies that came out of this series. Well done Agatha. Well done. 

The Bad Beginning

The first book in The Series of Unfortunate Events goes to show that sometimes adults who make the system work, make the system not work. 

Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire get the tragic news that their parents have died in a fire that destroyed their mansion home. A family friend, Mr. Poe, is executer of the parents estate and must find a home for the three orphans to live at. He chooses to send them to the "closest" relative (as in physically closest who lives across town but the kids have never met) who is a nasty piece of work. Count Olaf is... a nasty piece of work. He makes the kids do ridiculous chores and is an abusive acholic who is scheming to get the Baudelaire fortune. And the saddest thing is that Mr. Poe doesn't believe them because they are kids. 

This series is one of unfortunate events. These kids have a horrific life. And it only gets worse as it goes on. It has been a very long time since I've read this series though, so it's interesting to read it again, with adult eyes to pick up on the things I missed the first time. I find it really interesting too to see the different movie adaptations that have come about as well. This book is very basic where the kids don't understand that their parents were part of a secret organization--which the series gets into in the second book a bit--but the movies bring those moments up fairly quickly. Over the course of the series we get into a lot of hidden things that I know I didn't get in my first (teenage) read though. So it'll be fun to go through all 13 books (and the extras) to pick up what I missed. 

This is a good book for the start of the series. It is simple and straight forward. Olaf really is a bad guy. A nasty dude. Trying to marry Violet for her money, but is also excited for the "wedding night" is just... ick. Poor girl. The way she got out of it I don't think would actually work, but, you know, we really don't want it to happen, so we'll take it. Just get her out of there. The fact that so many marriages happened like this throughout the centuries and millennia sickens me. Poor girls. 

But for this book, Mr. Poe is also one of the worst! Olaf is obviously the bad guy, but come one Poe. He'll be awful and idiotic throughout the series. Sending the kids off to the worst places and not listening to them when the kids come to him with Klaus having handprint  marks on his face. There was his coughing fits where "he couldn't hear them" but he also wasn't trying to hear them or any of their complaints of mistreatment. Because they are kids, their complaints don't mean anything. Very much a commentary of how children are aware of what is going on more than what adults think. If only we would listen. Adults are supposed to help kids, keep them safe, but it never happens for them. Hence, A Series of Unfortunate Events. 

Persuasion

 Persuasion is my favorite novel by Jane Austen. 

Anne Elliot lives is on the verge of becoming an old maid. At 27, and having been persuaded to decline two proposals in her younger years, she depressed-ly resigned herself to the fact that she will be living with her Father and older sister for the rest of her life. When family debts become so high that the family must "retrench" to Bath instead of living in their family hall, Anne is invited to visit her younger, married sister, Mary, while her father and sister move to Bath. The new tenets of her father's estate she learns is the sister and brother-in-law to her only love and the first proposal she was persuaded to decline eight and a half years ago. When Captain Fredrick Wentworth visits his sister and visits the surrounding families (which Mary is one), Anne finds that he stays but seems to have no wanting to continue any relationship they had had previously. And yet he stays around.

Anne is my favorite Austen heroine in that I find, to a degree, similarities between myself and her--or at least I hope so. For one simple point of Anne being the most quiet, and probably has the fewest lines, for any of Austen's heroines. 

Anne's growth throughout the story is delicately weaves throughout the book, where she also stays diligent to her beliefs and her character is strong. I like the brief glimpses we get into Anne of her seriously having depression after she first declines Captain Wentworth's offer, where it says that "her bloom" isn't there anymore, but then by then end getting out of the depression and seeing Wentworth again and associating with him, her very vain father comments on how she has it back. While Austen never says that she has depression, she does make a point to say that her "bloom" returned. 

This is a simple love story that I adore. I found out that it was probably based on a real love story, which makes my romantic and historian side of my brain love it even more (A book you can find about it is called: The Real Persuasion: Portrait of a Real Life Jane Austen Heroine). I brings the romance of the sea along with the reality of navel life. 

The real love I have for the book is Wentworth's Letter he gives to Anne. It is simple, sweet, and so full of hope. Sends my heart a flutter. 

I am also very biased as to my preference to the movie adaptations. Persuasion 1995 with Amanda Root and Ciaran Hinds is by far the best. There is no running through Bath scene for one (and it's a big "one') and it is more accurate to the book. Ciaran Hinds also, I think plays a more dignified Wentworth and I care more for Amanda Roots Anne simply for her facial expressions, if nothing else. The 2007 version struggles. Hard. I hate the wardrobe; the background for scenes seemed very off (especially the ones in Bath); Sally Hawking's performance as Anne was subpar; I don't find Rupert Penry-Jones stoic or a charming Wentworth at all; I hate, hate, hate the running across the Royal Crescent in Bath so much--it's when she's reading the letter and it just ruins the whole atmosphere of the most important scene!!  

If you are going to watch an adaptation, stick with 1995. Favorite actors/actresses with brilliant performances and it stays true to the story. 

The Book Thief

 Death is an interesting narrator. 

During WWII Death was busy carrying souls to "the great conveyor belt in the sky." For Liesel , she was adopted by a German husband and wife in a small German town. Death visits her only a few times throughout her life to take the people around her and finds her own story and curiosity gets the better of him. Liesel is not only dealing with the death of her brother and the abandonment of her mother, not being able to read, and simply growing up, but her new family agrees to hide a Jew in their basement and the air raids start.

As I said before, Death is an interesting narrator. He gives us a different kind of impending doom and anticipation throughout the story because he already knows his schedule of dates with everyone. He tells us on occasion that this person is going to die, or s/he doesn't live very long after this or that. The narration is exceptional at humanizing the world in the story and making me cry. (PSA: Don't try running while listening to the ending of the book, you won't be able to breathe, which is needed when being on a treadmill. 

Characterization is on point and we easily love most/if not all of the characters in the story. Upon reflection, I do wish Liesel herself had a little bit more going for her besides liking books, stealing, and being against Hitler. Just a quirk or two. Everyone else seemed to be so well thought out (not that she wasn't, I just suddenly want more from Liesel). 

WWI/I stories are always hard. Maybe because it's so "fresh," we know so much about it, and there is more of a human element  because photographs and videos and documentation are so easy to come by. And if people are "lucky," they still have soldiers and family members who were witnesses so are still alive--though the number of living WWII vets is dwindling as the years go on. There are monuments, there are museums, there are very prevalent stories of people who were there. That being said, I become very picky about the WWI/I stories that I read because I know I will cry my eyes out and that is an emotional rollercoaster that is simply exhausting. This is one of the few books about that time period that I'd willing read over again. The characterization and the love I have for them, hits well and hard. 

I saw a review for this saying that Death is ridiculous and his narration style is obnoxious. He has a very flowery use of metaphors and similes, it is true. I happen to enjoy his descriptions. They are different, but Death is different from everyone else. So I give it to him.

I very much enjoy this book, but can only read it occasionally (this time it was an audiobook and that was fantastically read!). The movie is pretty good, but they take Death out of it all together, which made me sad and turned it into "just another WWII story." 

Emma

 Jane Austen's Emma is a classic. 

Emma considers herself quite the matchmaker. With not wanting to marry at all and being the second daughter to the wealthiest man in the town, she has found it a fun game to meddle in the love lives (with the best of intentions) of the people around her. She was able to get her sister and their wealthy neighbor to marry as well as her governess and an older gentlemen in their neighborhood to marry as well. Now that they are married and she's realized she's lonely, she finds a new friend in Harriet Smith, a young girl with not much known about her background. Emma has her eyes on Mr. Elton, the towns clergyman, for Harriet, not the farmer Mr. Martin. Emma enjoys influencing people and can make a mess of things, which her ever present neighbor Mr. Knightly is more than willing to let her know. 

I took a Jane Austen class in college and, upon seeing the length of Emma and the fact that I didn't much care for the main character, I moved on to the next book on the list that I needed to read so then I might actually complete one of the assigned books that semester. (It didn't happen, fyi.) I watched the movie with Gwyneth Paltrow to get the basics and moved on. 

Now that time restraints and pressures to read it were off, it finally got back to it and still struggled. I tried it but was daunted by the text and characters. So I decided to listen to the audio book and I DID IT!! 

I knew the story of Emma from the movies and multiple variations that are out there. They all have their pros and cons, but the 2009 mini-series and the 2020 are my favorite. Clueless was pretty awesome too. Knowing the story I think helped with the actual text, but even listening was somewhat hard to digest at times. As opposed to Pride and Prejudice where there was a lot of conversation and dialog, this book seemed to get bogged down by exposition and describing what was happening instead of letting us be there. And when there was dialog between characters, the lack of discourse between characters and major monologues (such as that of Mrs. Bates, which does fit her character, obviously) would have got me stuck if reading it off the pages. This problem is one that early novels  have or what makes them dramatically different from the novels of today. The writing is just such a struggle. 

In the end, though, I did enjoy the book. I enjoyed the communication (or lack there of which causes a bunch of conflicts) between the characters. Specifically between Mr. Knightly and Emma. I also liked how kind and compassionate they all were towards each other. Mr. Woodhouse is wealthy, yes, and full of peculiarities, but all the characters are sensitive to his oddities and willing to help him and avert his anxieties. Between the 2020 and 2009 variations of Mr. Woodhouse, I enjoyed them both--probably my favorite character in the 2020 version. 

The people in Emma were real. I think think this is an applicable statement for pretty much all of Jane Austen's stories. There is a realness about them, if not their circumstance, then their attitudes and actions. That is, what I believe, Jane's truest strength in her writings is. 

Read on, Jane-ites. Read on! 

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

 I've come to the conclusion that this is my favorite Narnia book so far. 

Edmund and Lucy are now living with their aunt, uncle, and cousin and not liking it at all. Eustace, their cousin, is an annoying know-it-all who believes science is everything and any form of imagination proves you are an idiot. So when they the three of them find themselves in Narnia on Prince Caspian X's ship, The Dawn Treader, Eustace's world is thrown to a loop. Talking mice are completely nonsensical. Caspian is on a mission to find seven lost Lords who were friends of his fathers who sailed passed the known islands and haven't been seen or heard from in many, many years. They have adventures with slavers, dragons, golden lakes, invisible people, islands covered in darkness, and a pursuit to the farthest reaches of the world. 

I think it is my favorite because I've liked all these characters best. Peter and Susan are alright, but Edmund, Lucy, and Caspian have been my favorites, bring in Eustace's change of character throughout the adventure and they have a good, fun set of people to read about while the strangest things happen around them. 

I also really enjoyed the adventures of the different islands in the book too. Great imagination was brought to all of these islands  and the adventures found on them. I liked that it also didn't feel rushed or have this great need for a "mighty battle" at the end. It wasn't about the battles (which the movie did add) it was about the Journey and the things that you learn on your way. 

I didn't like the things they did in the movie to change it. Adding green mist, finding swords, the ever present "my kingship was better than your kingship" is SO annoying. It's been present in the last two movie adaptations and I hate it. I'm okay with them being friends and not having this need to one up another when they are all kings and queens and that's okay. In the books, the children realized that they wouldn't be staying and Caspian would be the one in charge, and it was okay. Narnia isn't their world even though they ruled it for some time, but their turn has passed. In the movies, none of that is the case. I understand needing a turmoil for characters to "grow out of" or what not, but to have the same thing over and over again gets annoying. Edmund didn't feel he needed to "take Peter's place" in the book because he was a King himself. He didn't need to encroach on his brother's anything because he had his own. He was King of Narnia like Caspian is King of Narnia. That bickering is just stupid  and the fact they pulled up up again made it more annoying. 

The book, however, was fantastic. As I said, my favorite so far. 

Prince Caspian

 Prince Caspian is the fourth chronological instalment of The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis. 

The Pevensie's make a reappearence and magically find their way to Narnia again. But even though only a year passed while they were in England, more than 1200 years pass in Narnia. Everyone they knew is now gone and Cair Paravel is now in ruins. Many of the beasts don't talk anymore. They find that other human's have conquered Narnia and the imposter king in a horrid man who has tried to kill his nephew, the true heir to the thrown who has joined sides with the Narnians. Prince Caspian had heard of old Narnian stories from his nurse and from his Professor, and after an assassination attempt on his life he flees to the woods and finds the Narnian's he believed to have been extinct. In a desperate need of help, they blow Susan's old horn (which brings the children from England to Narnia) and are hoping Aslan will show up. 

I enjoyed this book. I liked the focus it had on Aslan and how he "doesn't do the same thing twice." So he's not going to be the one to bite Miraz  and kill him like he did the White Witch. He let them do it on their own even though he did end up waking the "resting" creatures at the end of the book. I like that it dove into the fact that only Lucy (who found Narnia in the first place) was able to see him, then the others --based on their faith in Aslan-- were able to see him later. There were many good discussion points for me and my son to talk about. It was great.

The characters could be filled out a little more, but we do still get the differences between each one. Nikabrik and Trumpkin are very different creatures. Same with all of the children. Each ahs their moment of growth, though some may seem very small. I enjoyed the subtle differences. 

I enjoyed it more than the movie in some ways while I liked the movie in others. I liked that there wasn't the bickering over "who's king" in the book. They are all Kings and Queens. In the book, they accept that and don't need fight or hazardously prove themselves to each other. They had more focus than they did in the movie. Though I did like how when they added the major difference between the book and movie (the siege on Miraz's castle) when they fight at the castle and do it on their own, Peter yells, "For Narnia!" and it fails miserably. But for the rest of the time, he relied on and fought "For Aslan!" and each time, they were victorious. That was also an interesting point to talk about with my son.  

 I found it a little sad that there seemed to be so little in the actual story. It went by so quickly and I wanted more. I'm glad there are more books. 

Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

 This is a super cute book that is for anyone wanting to read something sweet. 

Written in letters after the end of WWII, the story is about a woman named Juliet who gets a letter from a man on Guernsey who came into possession of one of her old books by Charles Lamb. They begin correspondence and she finds out that in order to deal with being occupied by Germans during the war, this small group of odd neighbors begin a literary society--with an interesting story as to how it started and its name. The Society has continued on after the war and from the society begin to open up about their experiences in the war. Juliet was also a writer for a local British news paper and wants to write a book with their collection of letters. Of course, Juliet has her own life back in London, men, writing, friends, post-war happenings. 

It is a great story with full characters, many of them with fascinating stories. This is one of the best parts of the books. So many different people with different points of view, with different happenings, ways of coping with trauma, and different ways of being heroic in times of difficulty. 

I also greatly enjoyed the romance part of it. Rich American guy who is charming and witty and a lowly country boy from Guernsey. A little love triangle without being high school dramatic. They are adults here and act as such, for the most part. It wasn't heavy on the sappy romance, which was good, but there was sweetness and a comedy about it. 

There isn't really anything that I dislike about it. It was written well. However, the audio book that I listened to for it was misleading. The gentleman they had voicing the younger men wasn't that young sounding. So the younger men sounded like they were in their sixties instead of late twenties, early thirties. When she started liking a certain person, I was concerned that she liked the oldest gent in the literary society. It wasn't until I looked at the Netflix cover that I realized, "Oh, he's much younger" which was a relief. 

I very much enjoyed it and will reread it again. I've also heard the Netflix movie did it justice, so I'm going to be taking a look at that soon. 

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

 

The sixth installment of the Harry Potter series is one that I enjoyed greatly. 

Harry goes back to school, a fair bit lighter than in previous years, hoping that things can find a good normal. Starting classes with a new potions teacher with a new and intriguing book, Snape taking over D.A.D.A., relationships bloom and flounder, and new lessons from Dumbledore on the history of the Dark Lord. Normalcy? At Hogwarts? Never. Draco is up to something and everyone thinks that Harry is off his kilter. But is he?

As I said, I enjoyed this book. I busted through it very fast (beings smaller than Order of the Phoenix does that) and was enveloped in the memories that Dumbledore showed Harry. Getting to know the enemy helps to destroy him, right? His background was something missed in the movies and it wounded the story it presented. 

I liked that it had gone from dark and death oriented all the time, back to something that resembled the first four books (before the ending of number four anyway). It was lighter and a last pick me up before the final battles of book seven. While the ending here wasn't happy, betrayal and death happens, it--over all--had a lighter tone. There were very tender moments where I had to choke back tears so then no one would see me crying over stuff that I knew was going to happen. Well written moments that deserve applause in a good hero's journey. 

Well done, Rowling. Well done. 

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is a very large book. Sometimes they can be intimidating, but I've found that often the large books are some of the best. (Brandon Sanderson is a great example of this.)

Harry is distraught. After witnessing the murder of a friend and fighting Lord Voldemort himself and having the whole wizarding world calling him a liar, he has every right to be. His summer is silent and no one is telling him anything. He joins his friends at Sirius Black's house and finds out there is an Order of the Phoenix that he's been left out of as well. Then when he gets to school their new D.A.D.A teacher is psycho. No answers. No Dumbledore. No help. No hope. This year really sucks. 

The characters are amazing here. I don't know of any fan base who simply hates a character as much as they hate Umbridge. Professor Umbridge is hated beyond any fictional character I know (except for maybe"F-Moash" from Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight Archive.) She is one that we obviously just detest and some consider more of a villain that Voldemort. 

I think Rowling did a great job at showing that Harry was angry. #Angst or what have you. I remember hearing about how this was a bad book because Harry was constantly complaining and angry. They blamed it on Rowling being pregnant and therefore hormones coming out in her writing. I don't believe it's credible--if she was pregnant during that time, I don't think her hormones made Harry hormonal, he had his own problems (and teenage hormones) to worry about. Yes, he was angry. Yes, he felt like he had no one to confide in or that was willing to confide in him. He felt alone. He'd just seen death and been called a liar by everyone and everything that had lips aside from his friends and members of the Order who aren't telling him anything. Harry is going through a depression and instead of closing up, which he sometimes does, he lashes out. He's getting beat down from every side and feels like he can't get up, though he keeps trying. Rowling did it well. Depression, anger, misunderstanding, hate, fear, they are all things that are prominent here but realistic. It's sad Harry lashes out at his friends who are only trying to help him, but "they don't understand" and it makes it hard on everyone. 

Just as the books are, the plot is thickening here. More and more things are happening and lots are going on behind the scenes. 

I think it's very well written and the characters help pull this one through. 

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

This book was dramatically let down by the movie. Just saying.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire was comical and actually got me to sniffle with tears in my eyes. Cedric Diggery is actually a very awesome person (hence the tears) and Mrs. Weasley is by far my favorite character in the Harry Potter series. Period.

Harry, before returning to school, has crazy dreams, his scar hurts, goes to the Quiddich World Cup and sees Death Eaters and almost get stunned and put in prison. Hooray for the summer holiday! When school starts, the school is informed that they will be hosting the Triwizard Tournament. Someone puts his name in the drawing for it and is considered a champion in the Tournament. Is someone trying to kill him again? Obviously, the answer is yes. He has to survive the tasks and school ground and school assignments. Go Harry! But, of course, dark forces as encroaching upon the quickly dwindling happiness that happens at school.

The characters are beyond brilliant. J.K. Rowling does and excellent job with her character development. The ending was very powerful where we were just as shocked with Harry about what happens in the graveyard, then have just as much heart ache as Harry does when realization sets in (particularly for me with Dumbledore's speech at the end), and I defiantly felt the love of Mrs. Weasley who, like I said, is my favorite character. We were right there, with Harry, feeling the same things. But then everyone else there was growing too. Ron and Hermione growing as people throughout the World Cup and the Tournament. Friendships are tried and unregistered love is too. Then others as well are given enlightening moments that make their character bloom. Neville, I'm looking forward to you. Obviously.

It is a long book with many things happening, and the fact that they are all interconnected (either in series or simply the awesomeness that is the book) makes them a great read. Plot is very well done here with a major twist at the end for those who are reading it for the first time. There are long, almost info-dump, of explanation at the ending between many of the characters but they were very needed and did explain so much. Rather similar to a "so who dun it" moment at the end of a mystery novel where the detective explains or the bad guy confesses.

In the end, it was a great book. I finished the last 25% in a day (hooray for quarantine). It was very binge worthy. I'm taking a quick break from Harry Potter (mainly because my husband is asking me to read something), but will be back for Umbridge soon. Bwahaha. I can't wait.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is the second book in the Harry Potter series.

Harry has had the worst summer and now there a house-elf in his room telling him he shouldn't go back to Hogwarts. Well, that's not happening. Getting away from the Dursley's is a must. Between getting bailed out of the Dursley's house, missing the train and hitting a Whomping Willow on school grounds, he'll make it to school even if he is nearly expelled for it. But then there is more. Strange things keep happening. Harry is hearing voices, finding new abilities, and students all over the school are being attacked. Harry and his friends must find out what the Chamber of Secrets is, what is inside it, and how to kill this monster before someone dies...like last time.

I've discovered something about J.K. Rowling, she really likes her alliteration. Reading it in my head, I didn't notice so much, but reading it aloud to my son had me tongue timed at times. The constant repetition of letter sounds, while sounding nice and someone fun, had my dyslexic brain and tongue spinning. It takes a bit of a poet to keep that going and I think she did a good job at it.

I think the story is well laid out with funny tidbits and great (sometimes intentionally obnoxious) characters who move the story along well.

I don't really have anything bad to say about it. The fact that my 7 year old is really enjoying it too is always a bonus. Way to go Rowling!

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

I know it's kind of out of order, but reading the second book with my son was taking too long and I wanted to read faster. So we're about 1/3 of the way through Chamber of Secrets, and now I'm done with Azkaban.

For book 3 of the Harry Potter series, a high security prisoner of the wizarding world has escaped and Harry is no longer safe. Harry runs away from his aunt and uncles house and sees this large, dark beast prowling around. Saved by the Knight Bus and somehow didn't get expelled for underage wizardry by the Minister of Magic--who came to get him personally. Being famous is one thing, but all this attention is a little off. On the train to Hogwarts, they meet their sleepy new teacher for Defense Against the Dark Arts, which is a good thing because the train was attacked by Dementors who are out looking for this escaped prisoner. Things become more high strung as the year goes on and Harry finally finds out who this escapee is and why he's after Harry.

Out of all of the movies (yes, I know, forgive me all you Potterheads), this was always my favorite one. I did very much enjoy the book and Sirius and Lupin so much more here than I had from the movie. Lupin is probably my now favorite character in the HP series. Ron is far more awesome than he is in the movies and I like how it showed how much Hermione was actually struggling throughout the year with all of her classes (not eluded to at all in the movies). I also really enjoy the growth that happens to all of them as characters.

Something that I'd noticed before in "previous readings" was that how in different books it gives time for both of Harry's friends to shine and grow. They both shined in The Sorcerer's Stone, Ron got his time while Hermione was petrified in Chamber of Secrets, and here Hermione gets to shine at the end while they both stand by their friend and help and support him.

The whole plot of the series is amazing. Filtered between schoolwork and teachers, Quidditch, Hogsmede, and Sirius Black (also Ron's rat), there are many things going on that makes it feel very much alive and vibrant.

Because of the movies, I do have a good sense of the setting but I do feel that J.K. Rowling has a problem with settings in the book. I am one who likes a good description of where the characters are at and I don't feel she did very well on that one. Basic descriptions, yes were we get the jest of where we are, but I like more. I know people don't like feeling "bogged down" by it so that is up to the individual person.

The Color of Magic

This very odd book is rather fantastic.

The story follows Rincewind, an "incompetent" wizard who only knows one spell, that's so powerful he doesn't dare use it, and Twoflower a former insurance clerk, now bumbling tourist who wants to see everything there is to see on the other side of Diskworld including tavern brawls, pirates, heroes, dragons, magic spells, and everything else that he's heard of from the docks. Oh, as well as Twoflower's luggage chest that walks on its own with about a hundred legs, and Death, who is spotted quiet often and is quite a character.

This book is a very well thought out Dungeons and Dragon's campaign (rolls of the dice included) with the most entertaining characters.

Terry Pratchett's writing style may not be for everyone, which is understandable because the way it describes things is rather obnoxious but in a humorous way. There were times when things happened and I had to go back because "What just happened?" As I said, it may not be for everyone but I laughed out loud and nearly fell over while I was jogging because of the way things were said or the weirdness of Twoflower.

I think the world that Terry Pratchett made is unique yet still has the basics of "typical fantasy." Magic, the Gods, Death, and pretty much the universe has been warped and changed to the delight and curiosity which is Twoflower and us as the reader. I mean, what fantasy world has dragons and jet planes? You tell me. ;)

While I was looking online a bit about this book, I found out that it is also a movie!!! WHAT!?! Starring Sean Astin, David Jason, and Tim Curry... I about died. The movie, I believe, is based on The Color of Magic and The Light Fantastic. The rest of the Disk World series and lore might be in it too, but because I haven't seen it, I don't really know for sure. I do plan on finding out though, just for a laugh because I'm sure Sean Astin will to a phenomenal job as the ridiculous tourist.

Wow.

Sense and Sensibility

Jane Austen's first published work Sense and Sensibility has been read over and over again for more than 200 years. It is a classic that has been loved and survived the years because it's a good book full of vibrant characters and an engaging story.  

After the death of their father, Elinor, Marianne, Margaret, and their mother are forced out of their home to live in a cottage in a different county while their half brother and his wife take over the family estate. Their time in this cottage, making new acquaintances and enjoying the countryside, is quickly changed to lovestruck conversations when Marianne is saved by a young gentleman and love blooms. For Elinor though love is a trying thing when she learns that the man whom she admired is in love with someone else whom she also is acquainted.

I think this book has stood the test of time, unlike many of the other romantic stories of the time, because it hits home more than some of the others. The things that Elinor and Marianne deal with, loss of father, home, loves, sickness, surviving monetarily as well as plain surviving your family relations and acquaintances. These are things that we all struggle with at one point. We read things that are often similar to our own lives via theme or circumstance. Sense and Sensibility does that, even to today, which is fascinating. There have been many critics, papers, articles, and readers of this book over the years and if you search them out can find a lot of enlightening information and opinions.

I like the play on opposites that is presented here. Elinor is the sensible one in the family (rather logic based) and Marianne is full of sensibilities (and can often let her emotions run rampant). Willowby vs Colonel Brandon, The Ferrar's brothers, John Dashwood vs Sir John Middleton, even the rolls that men play vs women and how they are portrayed (hunters vs mothers). The way Austen plays with opposites is engaging and can be thought provoking.

The characters, though, aren't only opposites of one another, but they are their own people. They aren't merely a stereotype but do have their own personalities and quirks that make them unique.

This, again, is an older book. Classic for a reason, but not everyone's cup of Sleepy Time tea. It's language is different and more wordy than what present novels give. There were times when I needed to put it down because my head was starting to ache or I couldn't pay attention because of how the language was constructed. It is what it is. I also have the Oxford World Classics edition which honestly read more like a textbook than a novel which might be published in a different format. But it did have a lot more insights, critiques, and definitions which were very much helpful and fun to look up without having to go very far. It also had a good introduction by Margaret Anne Doody who has done many other critiques and papers for the Oxford World Classics company. Again it was very enlightening to aspects that I didn't see my first "read through" during college. In the end, be forewarned that it is older, wordy, and "harder" to read for the "modern" reader.

Read it. Enjoy it. Take it slow if you need and please go and find articles about it. They can be very enjoyable.