30 Days of Books: Day 13

Day 13 – Favorite childhood book OR current favorite YA book (or both!)

This one is easy. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott is my favorite childhood novel. I must have read it a dozen times. I still have my childhood copy and the leather cover is worn around the edges. Did I love it because I was reading it as a child? Quite possibly. Kelly read it as an adult and you can read her (humorous) review here.

As a kid, I didn’t understand why Amy ended up with Laurie and not Jo. Or why Jo would fall for an old, crusty professor.  Or how Meg could fall for a tutor! And why did she have such a hard time taking care of the twins and putting dinner on the table? As an adult, I totally get it.

It would be interesting to reread it now and see if I share Kelly’s opinion about Alcott’s obsessive moralizing. I don’t think I picked up on it as a kid as I had yet to become the cynical bitch I am today. Ha!

30 Days of Books: Day 12

Day 12 – A book or series of books you’ve read more than five times

The 30 Days of Books meme is my go-to topic when I don’t know what I want to blog about. Or even better, when I know exactly what I want to blog about, but think it might be better if I don’t post it in a public forum.

I bought The Wolves in the Walls by Neil Gaiman for my son about a year ago. I can’t remember if it was for Christmas or his birthday. We had checked it out of the library and he fell in love with it, so I wanted him to have his own copy. I couldn’t tell you how many times I’ve read this book to him. Definitely more than five. Probably more than 20.

But it’s such a delightful, unexpected book that I don’t mind at all. I love Lucy (just as I love reading books to my son with strong female protagonists). The wonderful illustrations by Dave McKean suck you in. I enjoy this book as much as my son does despite the many repetitions.

It’s been a while since we last read it… I think it might be time for another read!

30 Days of Books: Day 11

Day 11 – A book that disappointed you

Oh, look. It’s the meme from ages ago that I never finished.

To talk about the book that disappointed me, we must first talk a little bit about a book I loved: The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman. I fell in love with Lyra Belacqua and was enchanted with the idea of daemons, a physical manifestation of our deepest inner thoughts. I eagerly sought out the second book in the trilogy.

I didn’t care for The Subtle Knife as much, but it was still a good read. Will was a nice addition to the story, even though the worlds he and Lara find themselves in our stranger, and at the same time more normal, than the world of The Golden Compass. The story didn’t hold the same power for me. But I often find the middle installment of a trilogy is the weakest, as it often serves as simply a means to get from the first book to the third. I had high hopes for the last book in the His Dark Materials series.

And I was disappointed.

There are many things to like about The Amber Spyglass. But the heavy-handed religious symbolism was too much for me. By the end I find the entire thing completely unbelievable. Not because of the magical realms the characters found themselves in, but because of the development of the characters themselves. Lara goes from a bright, inquisitive child to a moody, lovesick young woman. It didn’t feel right to me. It didn’t ring true.

I liked this book, but I didn’t love it. And I had so expected to love it that merely liking it just wasn’t enough.