A Girl of the Limberlost

 

****

PG

Easily Recommend

I have a memory of reading this years ago and pictures in my mind that go with, what I thought was the story.  After visiting the rainforest in Washington (which is not the same kind of forest as the Limberlost but put me in mind of it) I had a desire to read it again.  Well, let's just say, the whole story was new to me!  I didn't remember it at all...and the pictures that I had in my head didn't correlate with the tale either.  Anyway, it was not what I expected but it was still a good story and I really can't complain about anything.  There were maybe a couple of minor uncomfortable moments but I think they were largely due to the language of the day and how the author described things.  If it were written more modernly I think those moments would not be a thing.  However, the older writing style also adds greatly to the charm of the book so I'll take it :)

I could easily recommend this to anyone.

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion

 

****

PG

{L}?

Easily Recommend

A cute friend of mine was having a birthday tea party and encouraged everyone to have read this book before coming.  Apparently I'm a little late to the party here...many of the women had already read this whole series or were in the middle of it.  I ordered it from Amazon and was very pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it!  Emma M. Lion is sweet, fiery and quirky :)  I am told the books get better and better as the series continues.

The ONLY thing that made me a bit uncomfortable was the use of one word which, in days past, was used as a legitimate descriptive word but since has become considered foul language (at least that is how I look at it).  It is used one time in this book by the main character who is quoting someone and that same someone frowns upon it as it is said by a female :)...and I can't tell if in this case it is being used as the real adjective or as an insult.  Anyway, was that perfectly clear?  So, that was my only complaint.  

It is a completely delightful, short read and I can't wait to dive into the rest of the series!

The Mysterious Affair at Styles

 

***1/2

PG

{L} {SM}

Could Recommend

I can't remember if this is the first Hercule Poirot mystery I've actually read or not but I did thoroughly enjoy it.  The only thing that really bothered me was a sprinkling of mild {Language}.  It was not enough to make me quit the book but it was definitely there.  Then, of course, there is the {Subject Matter} of murder and usually with that topic the possible motive of an affair is introduced as well.  These were the only points of objection in this book.  I enjoyed the mystery and the way Christie leads you along guessing it's one person and then another.  (I was only partially correct in guessing the murderer :)

I could recommend this book to someone that doesn't mind a little bit of language.

The Orchids of Ashthorne Hall

 

***1/2

PG

Could Easily Recommend

I am having a hard time describing how I felt about this book...

I think I really enjoyed the separate elements of the book...like the orchid growing, the sweet romance, the mystery (which was pretty easy to figure out early on) and the backstory of the mystery but I don't really know how I felt about them all together in the same story.  That sounds weird but I think that's how I have broken it down in my mind :)  The pieces just didn't really fit together for me for some reason.  But I feel like I can still say I liked the book despite this.  I can't think of anything I objected to other than maybe a little too much emphasis on the physical aspect of the romance a couple of times.

Again, I really did enjoy many parts of this book!  I will have to read it again in about 10 days when I have completely forgotten everything about it and see how I feel about it then :)

I can easily recommend this proper romance!

A Tale of Two Cities

 

***1/2

PG-13?

{L} {SM/V}

Could Recommend

I read this years ago and remember really liking it.

Then, I forgot the whole story.

Last month, my son was in a stage production called The Secret of Madame Defarge.

It was pretty dark and sad.  I had started rereading this book at the same time I saw the play and was curious to see how true to the book the performance was.  It ended up being pretty much taken right from the novel.  Very bloodthirsty, dark and sad.  However, the whole redeeming twist at the end of the story was not in the production, which was focused on Madame Defarge, so that made the book a little easier to swallow than the performance :)

I will not deny that it absolutely is a classic and does teach some good lessons.

There were one or two instances of the Lord's name taken in vain {Language} and with it being the French Revolution, there is much bloodshed so I gave the rating of {Subject Matter}/{Violence}.

I did find this was not one of Dicken's easiest narratives to follow (let's just say I was really glad I had just seen a stage adaptation so I was familiar with what was going on).  Aside from these things I could recommend reading it to someone who is willing to look past the dark stain of blood.

Young Woman and the Sea

 

***1/2

PG

Easily Recommend

I saw the movie and it made me want to read the book :)

I guess I expected the book to be like the movie but it was quite different and that ended up being okay.

There is a whole lot of history in here...history of swimming, history of how the English Channel was formed, history of key (and some not so key) players, you name it and Glenn Stout covers it.  At first it was a little too much for me; I just wanted to get to the story, but in the end I felt like it was a good thing to have so much background leading up to Trudy's part in the big picture.

I cannot remember objecting to anything.

It was a fascinating book and truly interesting to learn about this aspect of history.  Honestly, reading about Trudy's life post channel swim was a little sad.  Kind of a tragic ending after such an accomplishment!

Overall, I can easily recommend this book for someone that doesn't mind a lot of history mixed in with the story of an incredible young woman who broke all kinds of records and expectations.

The Tattooed Potato and Other Cluese

 

***1/2

PG

{SM}

Could Recommend

I searched this book out because I wanted to something else written by the author of The Westing Game which I recently reread.

I really didn't know what to expect but after finishing it I can say I am neither disappointed nor have I had my mind blown.  It was definitely an interesting read and there was nothing offensive in the story.

There was more than one murder (though not graphically described) so that is why I gave it the PG and {Subject Matter} ratings.

The mystery has a similar feel to the one in The Westing Game (mainly surrounding characters not being solely who they claim to be and also many secrets being harbored)

And, as with The Westing Game, in the end, not all of the pieces had clicked together for me.  I'm sure they do come together but my brain does not do a good job of connecting fragments into a whole.

So, overall, I think I could recommend it and would if someone was looking for a quick, interesting, somewhat lighthearted and juvenile mystery.