Like every summer I told myself this year that I was going to read a ton of those books I've been meaning to read for forever! Like always, I didn't accomplish as much as I'd hoped... But I did read some good ones. Now let's see if I can remember them all :)
A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket
I've wanted to read this book for a long time especially after I saw the movie. I found it very enjoyable. The style in which it was written made me laugh, and at the same time I could feel a connection with the three Bauldelaire orphans even though I've never been in a simalar situation. I'd like to read more of the series (perhaps next summer!!). For those who are not familiar with the story, the story begins with the three Bauldelaire children, Violet, Klaus, and Sunny. As they are spending a day at the beach, Mr. Poe arrives to deliver the news that their parents have perished in a fire that destroyed their entire home. This event is the first of a series of unfortunate events for the Baudelaire children, now the Baudelaire orphans. They are taken to live with the horrible Count Olaf who is only interested in getting his hands on the Baudelaire fortune.
Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie
This is another one I've wanted to read for sometime. As I read it I kept thinking of all the movies I've seen that tells some version of the Peter Pan story (Disney's Peter Pan, 2003 version of Peter Pan shown in the clip above, Hook, Finding Neverland, and Return to Neverland). It was interesting to consider the differences from these movie versions and the book itself. For instance, I wondered why Disney had Hook try to kill Peter with a bomb whereas in the 2003 movie (and the book) Hook tries to kill him with poison. I'm glad I finally read this book. It was also very enjoyable. Barrie has a great imagination and I liked his style of narration. It's a children's story, but it is also one that makes you think. I was a little sad for Peter, the boy who would never grow up. He is full of joy, adventure, and conceit, things that are commonly found in young boys. But he also had sadness and a grudge against his mother who he couldn't even truly remember although he convinced himself that he did. Peter Pan is a great story full of imagination, laughter, and adventure. All children must grow up except for one who lives with the fairies in Neverland.
Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
Last year I saw the movie "Howl's Moving Castle" for the first time. Soon after that I discovered that it was also a book by Diana Wynne Jones. This was the first book I read when I got home for the summer. I was curious to see the differences and found that there were particular bits that I really liked from the book and the movie. The book tells the story of Sophie Hatter who is unfortunate enough to be the eldest of three, which is bad luck. Sophie spends much of her time in the family hat shop talking to hats (they are very good listeners!). But her bad luck wasn't going to let her stay cooped up with a bunch of hats forever! One night, Sophie is visited by the Witch of the Waste who mistakes her for someone else and puts a spell on her--a spell that turns her into an old woman. Thus begins Sophie's adventures! She leaves the hat shop behind and goes in search of her fortune, but runs into the dreaded wizard Howl, and offers him her service instead. Sophie must learn how to break her own spell while at the same time trying to free Howl and Calcifer (Howl's fire demon) from theirs and keeping the moving castle clean (a very hard task with Howl around). The two of them butt heads on more than one occasion (you would get after Sophie too if she had mixed up all your bottles so you accidently dyed your hair and you would get after Howl for going after the girls with guitar in hand all the time, I'm sure of it!), but only together can both their curses be broken and the Witch of the Waste defeated. I really liked this book as well. Sophie is a strong character who likes to think out loud or grumble when she's annoyed with Howl. Her personality sucks you into the pages and takes you to a place where seven league boots, enchanted scarecrows, and a castle with portals leading to distant places actual exist. The characters are lovable and believable. You can enjoy a little snippet of the book here. Thank you, Google.
Leven Thumps and the Gateway to Foo by Obert Skye
This was an interesting story and just the first of the series, I might add. There were some things I really liked about it and some things that started to get on my nerves after a while. Skye has great descriptions of his characters that help form a clear picture of who the characters are or are dealing with. They were unique and many times made me laugh, gasp, or shudder! I liked the characters and their individuality. The thing that bothered me was the repetition of things. Many times it felt like Skye would introduce a character and then a few pages on felt the need to introduce them again with a different description that basically gave you the same idea. The protagonist, Leven, gets depressed and wants to go back home to his guardians who only keep him around because they can force him to do the chores at least three times. I don't know how the other characters could stand it. I would have strangled him. But he does pick up some more positive energy as the book moves to it's close. Curiosity may drive me to read the next book in the series because we all know that first impressions are not always true impressions and sometimes you have to read the second book to enjoy the first. A brief synopsis is as follows: Leven Thumps, who became an orphan soon after his birth, lives with his aunt and uncle, two people who don't care for work and don't care for Leven. One night, while he's sleeping in his bed on the back porch, he meets Clover, a clever little creature who is helping Leven reach his potential and save...well Clover isn't supposed to tell what he's meant to save, but just between you and me, he's the only one who can save Foo, a world which you may not know much about, but it is very important. Your dreams depend on it! Oh, did I mention that Leven also has the ability to see and manipulate the future? Handy, huh? While Leven is trying to figure out what he's meant to do (Clover is very secretive) he meets Winter, a girl sent from Foo to help him on his journey. The only problem is, she doesn't remember that. The only thing she does know is that she was drawn to Leven and she has the ability to freeze things. So the three set off to find Geth who Clover says will tell them what they need to do, but no one knows where he is or where to start looking. Time is running short for both Foo and our world as Sabine sends his shadows to do his evil bidding. Find out what happens for yourself in Leven Thumps and the Gateway to Foo!
Inkdeath by Cornelia Funke
Last but not least, "Inkdeath" is the third and last book of the "Inkworld" trilogy. It's about time I read it since book number two leaves us with a cliff hanger. I was kind of surprised at the way things turned out, but that's not a bad thing. I think she could still do spinoffs from the series if she really wanted to. I don't want to give too much away as this is the final book, but I had a similar complaint with this book that I did with Leven Thumps. It didn't annoy me as much in this one but I began to feel that repetition in word and thought. I think the redundancy occurred in this story because there were so many characters you had to follow (some of them with similar feelings under the circumstances) and so in attempts to reveal all their thoughts I began to feel like I was reading the same thing over and over. However, I was pleased with the story. It was enjoyable to be reunited with characters I was familiar with as well as becoming acquainted with new ones. There were a couple things that she left somewhat open with no clear conclusion of what happened, but I kind of liked that not every little detail was summed up because life does go on even if that particular story is ended. Not every story will be told from beginning to end. So I don't spoil anything for those of you who still have "Inkdeath" on your list of books to read, here is a summary of the first book, "Inkheart", instead. Mortimer Folchart has an extrodinary gift: he has the ability to bring books to life with his voice...literally. But there's a catch. Whenever something or someone comes out of a book, something else must go back in and take it's place. Mortimer (or Mo as his daughter calls him) first discovers this gift one fateful night as he is reading out of the book Inkheart to his wife, Reesa, and his daughter, Meggie. Out of the book comes three characters: Dustfinger, Basta, and the infamous Capricorn. It is only after Mo's fearful encounter with three people who were only meant to be words on a page that he realizes that Reesa was sucked into the book. Mo vowed never to read out loud again save for one book in attempts to bring his wife back. But Inkheart is out of print and very hard to find, not to mention Capricorn and Dustfinger both want Mo and his talent. Mo tries to runaway dragging Meggie along with him and Capricorn is not far behind. It's a great story and I recommend it!!
So there you have it. That was quite the lengthy post but it makes up for us neglecting you I suppose. Gives these books a try. I hope you enjoy them! Untill next time!
