Archive for August, 2009

When-you-reach-me

I was *really* trying to be good and wait for this book to become available at the library. But then I read about 18 amazing reviews and, when I saw it again at Strand, it was just sitting there waiting for me to buy it and read it. So I did. And my instincts were right – it’s the sort of book I wanted to own anyway, even if I had read a library copy.

To say too much about this little amazing book would be to give away many of the surprises that are so delightful to discover as you’re reading it.

But, if you’re interested, here are a few little facts about it:
-The main character, Miranda, loves the book A Wrinkle in Time. She has read it many times and carries around her well-worn paperback copy everywhere.
-There are plenty of sandwiches in this book.
-The show “The $20,000 Pyramid” is in this book.

One of the things I like best about When You Reach Me is that none of the characters are so quirky that they become unreal and unbelievable. I do like my fair share of quirky characters in literature, but it’s refreshing to read about a group of kids who are all lovable characters and also seem incredibly real – very familiar and reminiscent of people I’ve known.

Here is my absolute favorite passage from the book:

Mom closes her eyes, and I know that she is lifting a corner of her veil. She nods, and we begin.

Mom says each of us has a veil between ourselves and the rest of the world, like a bride wears on her wedding day, except this kind of veil is invisible. We walk around happily with these invisible veils hanging down over our faces. The world is kind of blurry, and we like it that way.

But sometimes our veils are pushed away for a few moments, like there’s a wind blowing it from our faces. And when the veil lifts, we can see the world as it really is, just for those few seconds before it settles down again. We see all the beauty, and cruelty, and sadness, and love. But mostly we are happy not to. Some people learn to lift the veil themselves. Then they don’t have to depend on the wind anymore.”

And here is one of the funniest quotes:

This should be good, I thought. Julia is going to explain the nature of time.”

Anyway – It all comes down to the fact that this book is fabulous. I want to buy a copy for everyone I know. I’m rooting for it to win the Newbery next year.

(This post was brought over from emilyw.vox.com. Click here for the original post and comments.)

I had a lovely time in michigan. I didn’t get to everything on my list – but I did do a lot. It was lovely to see my family, my Grandma, Emma Wad, and Jenth Sminy.

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Books Purchased – July 2009

Books Purchased:
Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman
American Gods by Neil Gaiman
The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder by Rebecca Wells
A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole

I’ve been wanting to read American Gods, and I found it new for $5.95 at Strand. I’ve also been wanting to get A Confederacy of Dunces for a long time, and I found a like-new copy at the KPL Friends bookstore for $2.

Books Read – July 2009

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Books Read:
The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by J. K. Rowling (re-read)
Baking Cakes in Kigali by Gaile Parkin
Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty (re-read)
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
Asterios Polyp by David Mazzucchelli (library)
Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret by Judy Blume (re-read)

Previously reviewed: The Elegance of the Hedgehog, Baking Cakes in Kigali, and Lolita.

I re-read Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince before going to see the movie. I did really enjoy the movie, I think it was extremely well done. I also think that this movie, even more than any of the others, shows how much of the story you miss if you only watch the movies. There was so much that had to be left out of the movie – so much of Tom Riddle’s history that was fascinating to learn.

I also re-read Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty. I had read this, and the sequel (Second Chances) during my first year of college. The third book came out a few years later, which I bought but never got around to reading. Since then two more books in this series came out (the fifth one is the final). I remembered the first two as being light, fun books and was sorry that I hadn’t kept up with the series. So I decided to start again from the beginning and re-read the first two and go on to read all five. Sloppy Firsts was very fun to read again – it’s different from a lot of what I’ve been reading lately and it’s a great book for summer. I’m looking forward to the next four.

Asterios Polyp is a new graphic novel by David Mazzucchelli. It’s extremely impressive, and I enjoyed every minute of reading it. I checked it out of the library, but I know I’m going to need to buy my own copy sometime soon. I definitely recommend reading it. If you’re interested, there’s a five page excerpt posted on NYTimes.com.

Rather impulsively, I sat down outside while in Michigan and re-read all of Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret. I hadn’t read this in years, and it was fun to re-read it. It’s one of the quintessential coming of age books that no girl’s childhood should be complete without reading.

My full Polysyllabic Spree list is located here.

(This post was brought over from emilyw.vox.com. Click here for the original post and comments.)