some summer reading
I recently finished a few books and gathered together my thoughts to write some words about them. This grouping is of three fantasy novels and one memoir. I have a very large stack of knitting books to write up my thoughts on, I hope to get through those soon! There are many good books out there!
Alphabetical by author:
In the Body of the World: A Memoir
by Eve Ensler
Eve Ensler best known for her play, The Vagina Monologues, has penned a very moving and at times raw memoir of her experience with uterine cancer. Ensler explains how this fast-moving and not-quite-linear memoir is similar to a CAT Scan, a roving examination. The time-out-of-place juxtaposition of presents, pasts, friends, family, despair, and hope gives the pages depth and the use of strong words are at times painful but important to read through.
(note: I received my copy of this book through LibraryThing’s Early Reviewer program.)
The Ocean at the End of the Lane
by Neil Gaiman
I purposely kept myself in the dark about this title until I could check it out from the library and discover it for myself. My friend Beverly has written the review I would if I could properly craft the words for this wonderful short novel. It is the story of childhood imaginings told through that still-slightly frightened and unsure adult voice. Because:
Grown-ups don’t look like grown-ups on the inside either. Outside, they’re big and thoughtless and they always know what they’re doing. Inside, they look just like they always have. Like they did when they were your age. The truth is, there aren’t any grown-ups. Not one, in the whole wide world… Except for Granny, of course.
Yes. This is why Neil Gaiman’s stories are highly awarded and enjoyed.
Hunted (The Iron Druid Chronicles #6)
by Kevin Hearne
Hearne has once again blended together enjoyable characters, modern/urban fantasy, and all the mythology references one could ever want in a fun quick read. (another reviewer calls it “kitchen-sink mythology”, I love that term!)
As with the other books in the series, I found myself trying to read faster I wanted to know what happened next to Atticus, Granuaile, and of course Oberon. I thank Heather Ordover with introducing me to this series several years ago. Please start with Hounded, but be prepared to gather up the other books in short order.
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children
by Ransom Riggs
This title came with lots of press and for some reason or another I did not rush for it, perhaps because I found the cover and a few other pictures that were publicised disturbing and worried it would be a scary book. While I’ve learned that many of the books from my childhood that I thought would give me nightmares are actually delightful (case: Dracula) and not as scary as I thought, I am still hesitant to open them, and there are so many books to read, I can’t read them all. I was looking for something short and different and decided that despite seeing poor reviews, I could give this title a chance. I agree, it’s a book with quite a bit of potential, but falls flat.
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[…] The other day I reread Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman. That’s not quite the truth, this time I listened to it. I found it even more delightful as the author told me the story. Once again I found myself entranced by Gaiman’s magic and masterful story telling. I found hearing it in his voice in my ears instead of my character-voice-in-my-head made it even more special and I may have started listening again immediately after. My thoughts on the story haven’t changed, you can read them here. […]