Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

by

Ransom Riggs

     My daughter, age 12, just finished the third book in this series.  She loves the books, and looks forward to the movie, which is due out in September.  When movies are based on books, I always prefer to read the book before seeing the movie, so I decided I needed to read it before the movie comes out.  I admit I love thrillers and horror, and enjoy good fantasy and dystopian novels. A little "weirdness" has never scared me away.  Even so, I have to admit it took me a little while to feel comfortable in this "peculiar" world.  After working through the quirks and oddities, I found a delightful story.

     Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children follows teen Jacob Portman as he tries to process his grandfather's death and its circumstances.  Jacob feels the need to go back to the home where it all began; the orphanage where his grandfather, Abe,  lived after losing his family to Nazi persecution in World War II.  Abe told many unbelievable stories about the home, and Jacob felt it would provide him with the answers he needed to understand how Abe died. Upon his arrival, he found more than he bargained for, and became entangled in their world.
     The world created by Riggs is truly magical, but unbelievable at times.  I enjoy imaginative fantasy (Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, ghost stories, etc.), but I feel what makes good fantasy is that even if only for the time it takes me to read the story, the characters and setting are convincing.  There were times I felt this book missed in that endeavor.  Many unbelievable characters were woven together to make a storyline appear plausible.  I have to admit it was hard for me to believe this was the author's first book, however.  His writing style, visual imagery, and imagination are all masterful.   I found it incredible how he wove an entire novel around vintage photographs, and created a story for each of the characters that fits with the photographs.  Although I'm not quite as infatuated with this book as many of its readers appear to be, I agree it is quite distinctive, and I will probably read the others in the series just to see where the author takes this adventure.

Bottom Line:  A delightful book, despite its peculiarities, which is well-suited young teen readers.

Rating: 80

And Then There Were None, by Agatha Christie

      

   

   
      I found it hard to believe that I had never read this book. I'm a self-professed Agatha Christie  fan, and a true mystery lover. Even so, when I saw a special on the book through Nook, I suddenly realized  that although I had heard about the book and is subsequent play ("Ten Little Indians"), I had never taken the time to read it.  I'm glad I finally took the time to enjoy one of Christie's  best-known  classics.
     The story begins when 10 unrelated and unsuspecting  people are summoned  to a mansion on a remote island.  They expect they are there for a number of different reasons,  from job opportunities  to gatherings with old acquaintances. On the evening of their arrival, a letter is read that accuses each guest of being responsible for causing the death of others. This excursion is to be their penance for those crimes unpunished to date.   Suddenly the guests face their own demise,  one by one.  But who is the unknown host, and what is causing these sudden deaths?
    As usual, Christie keeps the reader captivated with suspense , as well as the  questionable character of each  player.  The plot moves quickly, and the conclusion is a well-kept surprise. Filled with themes of guilt and distrust, this book is a classic, and so is its author.

BOTTOM LINE: One of the best classic mysteries ever written.
OVERALL RATING: 95

Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen

 

     Ah, what a beautiful way to start 2015. In case you haven't notice based on recent blogs and my 2014/2015 book lists, I tend to look for the books that are fairly new and being discussed currently. Once in a while, I'll choose a book that is several years old, based on the recommendations of friends. For the first book of the year, however, I decided to make an exception, if for no other reason than the fact that it's a Jane Austen book. When it comes to Jane Austen, there's always room for an exception. As I've said before, I love Jane Austen. I love her books, her stories, and her writing style. Although I fell in love with reading at a VERY young age, it wasn't until I reached about 16 that I truly began to appreciate books. And between the ages of 16 and 20, I read all of Jane Austen's books. I loved them then, but had almost a kind of reverence for them, in that I enjoyed them so much on the first read that I was almost afraid to revisit them, for fear that I'd ruin the joy I felt after reading each one for the first time. I so guarded those feelings, that when the movie "Sense and Sensibility" came out in 1995, I had no desire to see it. I still have not seen the movie.

     My apprehension about re-reading the books has dissipated somewhat in recent years, so much so that I mentioned to my husband that I had plans of reading Austen's books again. I even pointed out that Barnes and Noble had the complete collection in one volume! Imagine my joy this Christmas when I unwrapped my own copy of Jane Austen: The Complete Novels. The collection has each of her books, in order. I decided that during 2015, I will re-read each of the books again, in order, in between reading other books on my list. During Christmas vacation, I decided to dive into the first novel, Sense and Sensibility

     As was the case when I first read the book, I was not disappointed. Sense and Sensibility, published in 1811, by "A Lady" (Austen did not take credit at first, due to the time and the belief it wouldn't be well-received), the two oldest sisters of a widowed woman. When Mrs. Dashwood lost her husband, her step-son inherited his father's estate, and although he had promised his father on his deathbed that he would provide for his step-mother and her three daughters, his wife convinced him otherwise. She later moved her three daughters to a small, modest, home, at the time her two oldest daughters, Elinor and Marianne, were of "courting age" and were hoping to find love. Austen followed the family, as well as other relatives and friends, as Elinor and Marianne experienced the "ups and downs" of dating in a time period where money, status, and mates pretty much defined women.

     Even though I had read the book 30 years ago, I found myself totally immersed in the story again. Because it had been so long since I had read it, I had forgotten some of the details of the story, so I kept turning pages to see how storylines would develop. As was always the case with Jane Austen's books, I found myself feeling the emotions of the characters and experiencing the highs and lows along with them. I have virtually nothing in common with this young, single women of Regency England; however, Austen developed them in such a way that I could relate to them, and to each of their thoughts and emotions. That's what makes her such a brilliant writer.

     If you haven't read Sense and Sensibility, you should read it. It's a classic everyone must read at least once. If you have read it, read it again. I bet you'll enjoy re-reading it as much as I did. And now I may even have to rent the movie, just because I want to go through the story again.


Bottom Line: A timeless classic, by one of the greatest writers of all time.

Rating: 99 *

*Preliminary rating. After reading all of Austen's books again, I will decide which one I believe is the best one. At that time, I will likely rate that book a 100.

Happy New Year!!

Happy New Year everyone!!  I am looking forward to new books, new reading goals, and new book discussions!  To start the blog for 2015, I thought I'd recap the great books I read in 2014, and talk about plans for 2015!  

2014 Statistics

According to Goodreads, I read 53 books in 2014 (3 more than my goal of 50), for a total of 17,656 pages!!  That was quite an improvement over 2013, when I read 38 books, consisting of 13,837 pages.  I did a lot of reading for a busy mother (tween taxicab) who works full time and also started a (VERY) part time Mary Kay business this year!

The books I read:

If you're dying to see the whole list, you can always check out my Goodreads stats here: https://www.goodreads.com/user_challenges/1324133  

I had a plan at the beginning of 2014 to not only read 50 books, but to read 20 particular books within those 50:

1) Me Before You 
2) The Storyteller
3) The Goldfinch
4) The Husband's Secret 
5) Orphan Train 
6) The House Girl
7) The Tenth of December
8) The Interestings
9) The Burgess Boys
10) The Silver Star
11) Cuckoo's Calling
12) Ocean at the End of the Lane 
13) Going Clear
14) Divergent 
15) Sycamore Row 
16) Truth-Stained Lies
17) The Living Room
18) When Jesus Wept
19) Don't Take Any Wooden Nickels
20) Brotherhood 

The underlined books are ones I completed.  So even though I was over my goal of 50 books, I only read 10 of the 20 MUST READS I planned to.  I'm fine with that, because it means that I found other books I wanted to read at the time, and there's always 2015!  

Favorite Book of 2014:

I started this blog about a year ago, with my favorite book of 2013.  As I have read and reviewed books through 2014, I never thought about which might be my favorite.  On New Year's Eve, however, my dear friend Amy Schwab conducted a Facebook poll, asking readers for their favorite books of 2014.  It made me stop to think about all of the books and narrow it down to one favorite....The Husband's Secret, by Liane Moriarty (which I reviewed on this blog May 3, 2014).  Thanks for the challenge Amy, and for a great list of books I gathered from your poll of friends!

Plans for 2015:

Just like I did last year, I've set a reading goal with Goodreads.  My reading goal for 2015 is 55 books.  It should be an easy goal to meet, since I read 53 in 2014, but it's the perfect reading plan for me for this year. I read a lot (a WHOLE lot for someone with a busy life), so I think that trying to read much more would inhibit my ability to get anything else done.  I also don't track in those statistics my daily Bible reading.  I enriched my life immensely during 2014 with the 53 books I read, and expect 55 more books to do the same.  I have come up with a new list of "20 Must Reads" for 2015, which includes some of those I neglected to read in 2014, and others:

1) Frog Music, by Emma Donaghue

2) The Goldfinch, by Donna Tartt

3) The House Girl, by Tara Conklin

4) The Tenth of December, by George Saunders

5) The Interestings, by Meg Wolitzer

6) The Burgess Boys, by Elizabeth Strout

7) The Silver Star, by Jeannette Walls

8) Going Clear, by Lawrence Wright

9) Truth-Stained Lies, by Terri Blackstock

10) The Dancing Master, by Julie Klassen

11) When Jesus Wept, by Bodie Thoene

12) Don’t Take Any Wooden Nickels, by Mindy Starns Clark

13) Dear Daughter, by Elizabeth Little

14) Station Eleven, by Emily St John Mandel

15) Landline, by Rainbow Rowell

16) One Plus One, by JoJo Moyes

17) Leaving Time, by Jodi Picoult

18) I am Pilgram, by Terry Hayes

19) Mean Streak, by Sandra Brown

20) All the Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr

STAY TUNED to this blog for reviews, updates, and more as I venture through another year of reading!   God Bless you all in 2015!

Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand

...to bestow on them a crown of beauty

instead of ashes, 

the oil of joy

instead of mourning,

and a garment of praise

instead of despair.....Isaiah 61:3

     I'm sorry it's been so long since I've posted to this blog.  I assure you I have continued to read, but the autumn months are busy for me, so I took a break from blogging.  I'm getting back into my reviews by beginning with the book I just finished, and after that, I will do reviews of other books I've read over the past few months.  I wanted to start with Unbroken, because it is fresh in my mind and on my heart.  But something tells me it will be on my heart for some time to come;  Unbroken is just one of those books that stays with you.

     I have to admit that I procrastinated in the reading of Unbroken, I downloaded it to my Nook months ago, intending to read it, but I kept moving other books ahead of it.  I had heard what a good book it was, but couldn't get in the "mood" for it.  Because I knew the story of Louie Zamperini and knew it would be intense, I needed to be prepared for the way this book would likely affect me. Because my neighborhood book club picked it for December, I couldn't wait any longer.  I am glad I read it, but never expected the incredible emotional journey this book would take me through. Hillenbrand does an AMAZING job of bringing the details of war to life, in a way that is both gripping and repulsive at the same time.  She gets to the heart of the human condition during wartime, and the effects of everyone during the war and in the years after it is over.  It's a story that is hard to tell, but Hillenbrand did as well as I could imagine anyone doing so.

     I must admit that at times, I felt it was too long and included too much detail.  In the end, however, I didn't believe that to be the case.  I realized that every detail was necessary to the story and to the life of a man that can be examined for generations to come.  It is hard to understand what a miraculous journey Zamperini experienced without every little thought and trial.  The only thing I felt it "missed" at times was Louie's voice.  The story was told in 3rd person, but clearly required Zamperini to tell his story in his way.  Especially at the end, I wanted to hear a few thoughts directly from him.  Otherwise, I have no criticism or complaints.   Do yourself a favor. Read Unbroken.  You'll be grateful you did.  

Bottom Line:  Narrative Nonfiction at its best.  A memoir for everyone.

Overall Rating:  95

The Glass Castle, by Jeanette Walls

     Whenever I asked around about good books, The Glass Castle is one title that came up often.  After acquiring a copy on bookmooch.com (worth checking out if you don't use it already), I decided it was time I read it.  I truly loved The Glass Castle, but I must admit I should not have read it so soon after reading The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. Both books are non-fiction accounts of people who lived very hard lives, so both were very depressing and infuriating stories; they made my heart ache for children and my temper rage in anger toward the adults involved.  In my latest read, Jeanette Walls presents a memoir of her life growing up with an alcoholic father and a delusional (deranged?) mother.  They moved from town to town , typically pulling the "skedaddle" in the middle of the night, and lived in substandard conditions wherever they went.  Jeanette and her three siblings had to fend for themselves and learn how to survive despite parents who neglected them and subjected them to dangerous situations.

     This was a fantastic book, although it was depressing at times.  I found myself getting quite angry at the parents, and feeling sorry for the children throughout the book.  The author did a wonderful job of showing how the children just accepted their parents as who they were, and found strategies to get through life in spite of being "dealt a bad hand".  I would have like to see a little more depth in the ending, where she explained some of her feelings about her situation a little more, but she did leave the reader with a lot to think about, enabling me to come to my own conclusions about the effects of her upbringing.  I highly recommend this book, especially for those who enjoy memoirs.

Bottom Line:  Intense memoir, that caused me to think about the effects of one's beginnings.
Overall Rating:  88