Random Reads from Recent Months

Precious and unique. Magic and Appalachia. Cute characters. What a title! And the title and cover together. I hope the author’s newest book will be a sequel.

Cute if you like art mysteries for kids. Not near as excellent a work as above book.

N.D. Wilson. Are any of his books not good? Again, a combination of new, modern setting plus some magic. Not fantasy, but legend in modern day. Hard to explain but fun and unique.

I greatly enjoyed these books which were fairly clean (minus book 3.5 which I decided was not worth finishing for a couple of reasons) except for a few, rarely mentioned issues. Fairytale+futuristic concept is fun. Not brilliantly written but probably good for general run of Y.A. books. Thorne is hilarious but Kai and Cinder are my favorite couple. I think maybe Jacin and Winter will come in second. Wolf and Scarlet are a bit much. I cannot wait until the fourth book is published although I am a bit afraid of what the quality will be. I think three slipped, and I do not think that a resolution can be reasonably reached in one book and match the pace thus far.

I read books 2-4 this time around. I did not think these were as fun as the first one (i.e. Michael’s awesomeness is not as well-portrayed) and found them a bit tedious. I think I will read the rest but am not in much of a hurry. Oh, and these are not squeaky clean. 

Rereads

Dad read The Chronicles of Narnia to us twice, and then I  read a couple on my own. This spring and summer I read the series start to finish. I love those books every time. In approximate order of favorites The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Horse and His Boy, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, The Last Battle, and The Silver Chair and The Magician’s Nephew. Prince Caspian had to grow on me; when Dad first started reading it when we were children I was so disappointed in the change and that imposter, the usurping Caspian! Yet, I enjoyed The Voyage of the Dawn Treader right away. This time I enjoyed The Last Battle more than before, but only a little more than my least favorites. Actually, maybe I should’ve included it with them. Incidentally, I just learned that high fantasy is fantasy in another world while fantasy fiction is ostensibly set in our world, interesting.

I read Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights for the first time in 8 years I think. I do think Jane Eyre is better written than Wuthering Heights (although I think with a better writing quality Wuthering Heights would be better), but I still find Jane Eyere and Mr. Rochester irritating. I think I enjoy the story in film version better. I bought the newest version, but I think since I have not watched it yet that I will still try to watch a few more earlier versions first. I find the situation with Wuthering Heights quite different. I found Wuthering Heights painful to watch (besides not clean and no warning of that fact) and did not finish it nor am I over eager to finish it soon.

I reread Beauty by Robin McKinley. I loved it as before. I still think I prefer the Cinderella story overall. You have to admit falling in love with a beast is at least a bit disturbing, but I love the setting and atmosphere of Beauty and the Beast. Forest, mystery, wonderful enchanted castle with a majestic library (Prince Derek’s library is pretty great too, fyi), and beautiful gardens.

I started on rereading Northanger Abbey. I have watched the movie. I meant to reread and then watch the movie but that did not happen.