Review: Harry and the Goblet of Fire

Title: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Harry Potter #4)
Author: J.K. Rowling
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Publication Date: July 8th, 2000
Genre: Junior Fiction, Fantasy

On Harry Potter’s eleventh birthday he is whisked away from his horrible Aunt and Uncle and introduced to the magical world that exists hidden within the world he’s always known. Harry learns that his name and his lightening bolt scar are famous in the Wizarding World. Even more famous is Lord Voldemort, the person who turned Harry’s life around when he murdered his parents. Three years later, Harry is about to start his fourth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Summers with the Dursleys are always unbearable, but Harry’s time at number 4 Privet Drive is cut short when he is able to spend the end of summer with his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. Together with the Weasley family they go to the last game of the Quidditch World Cup. The excitement of the greatest game on earth is spoiled when Voldemort’s supporters are spotted nearby. Strange events have begun to occur in the Wizarding World and Harry can’t help but feel unsettled. Could Voldemort possibly be gaining strength to return to power? Harry is able to temporarily forget about Voldemort when term begins, and although a school year at Hogwarts is never without excitement, this year will prove to be unlike any other. But when Harry finds himself thrust into dangers that will require more bravery and skill than he has ever had to show, he feels like he is not entirely safe at Hogwarts. If Harry is to survive this year at Hogwarts, he will have to call on help from his friends while using all of his strengths to his advantage.

I will always have a special fondness for this book since it was the first Harry Potter book that was released while I was a fan. The first three books were already out when I started reading them, but this book I had to wait for. I also enjoy this book since it’s so different from the others, with the Quidditch World Cup, the Triwizard Tournament and the Yule Ball. This was the first of the Harry Potter books to be long book, and perhaps because of the length we learn a great deal in this book, and many moments in Goblet of Fire build up to the final book (such as Dumbledore’s ‘gleam of triumph.’) You could argue that this is the first book in the series that could be classified as YA instead of junior fiction. It is certainly darker, and we also see the characters start to have romantic attractions to other characters, although some of these were hinted about before. I’ve read this book at least 12 times (once a year) but likely more, and this time I listened to the beginning as a audio book. I think that Goblet of Fire is a very good example of a well done murder mystery. Of course, while reading we don’t exactly know that a murder is going to take place, but we do know early on that someone placed Harry’s name in the goblet of fire. Reading this with the knowledge of what happens is very interesting, and you can see all the subtle hints and things being built up to. I think that the plot was perfectly orchestrated and planned out. Someone once asked me if the Harry Potter books had flowery prose and wonderful similes, and they don’t. The writing isn’t poetic, but I don’t think anyone could argue with me when I say that J.K. Rowling is a great storyteller. Her world building is certainly amazing. In this book we learn more about the inner workings of the magical world, including the unforgiveable curses and how Harry’s parents were killed. While everyone loves the story and the magical world, one of the main reasons to keep reading the series is the characters. They are the reason I keep coming back and I loved seeing them grow and become the people they will be by the seventh book. One of my favourite little things about this book is Hermione’s passion for S.P.E.W, the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare. One thing that caught my attention this time: towards the end of the book, Snape confronts Fudge by showing him something. I want to keep this spoiler free, but I thought that moment was a sign of what his true allegiances are.

The movie adaptation is loved by a lot of people because it’s entertaining. I mean, there’s a ball and dragons! What’s not to love? However, of all the movies, this is the one I have the biggest problem with. I’m usually okay with things being kept out, but I cannot stand when the movies aren’t true to the characters. They will often take a clever line of Ron’s and give it to Hermione, and I can’t stand that. The most obvious thing I didn’t like was when Dumbledore asks Harry if he put his name in the Goblet of Fire, in a very un-Dumbledore-like manner. The scene in which Harry faces the dragon I find particularly annoying, since Harry acts like an idiot and needs Hermione to remind him to use his wand. This scene also makes Hogwarts look, if possible, even less safe than it actually is, since no one stops the dragon from running off with Harry and nearly killing him. I also hate Harry’s hesitation in the maze. The movie also doesn’t capture how well planned out the plot was. It was fun to watch, but I didn’t think it was a good adaptation.

This is a pivotal book in the series that shows signs of the series heading in a darker direction than people imagined when they read The Philosopher’s Stone. At the same time, we see love, humour and friendships tested and strengthened. I wouldn’t be surprised if some people are intimated by this book after reading the first three in the series, which are relatively short. This book is certainly thick, but I never felt like it dragged on. With the Quidditch World Cup and the three tasks in the Triwizard Tournament spread out throughout the book, there was plenty of excitement and suspense. It’s also a fairly quick read despite its bulk; when I first read it I was ten and I read it in three days (it was summer vacation though.) I think new fans of the series will enjoy the fourth book and seeing how the books mature with Harry. For long time lovers of the books, you can always count on Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire being just as good as you remembered. For me, it’s comforting to know that whatever happens I’ll always be able to read this book and remember what it was like to be ten years old.

5/5

“Dark and difficult times lie ahead. Soon we must all face the choice between what is right and what is easy.”

Review: Briar Rose

Title: Briar Rose
Author: Jane Yolen
Publisher: Tom Doherty Associates
Publication Date: August 31st 1988
Genre: YA, Historical Fiction, Fairy Tale Retellings

Becca’s grandmother, Gemma, has always been a mystery to her family. While they know she left Europe after World War II for the United States, they don’t even know her birth name or who Becca’s grandfather was. The one thing Gemma does talk about from her old life is the story of Sleeping Beauty. After Gemma’s death, Becca finds herself wanting answers about her family’s past. Old mementos lead Becca to Chelmo, a concentration camp in Poland. As she searches for the pieces of Gemma’s past, Becca tries to find the connection to the story she loved so much. Becca has heard about Briar Rose and the dark fairy’s curse so many times she knows the story by heart. As she uncovers the story of the past, she learns that life isn’t a fairy tale.

This book was not what I was expecting. I’ve read one other book by Jane Yolen called Armageddon Summer, which she co-wrote with Bruce Coville. I was sort of expecting something closer to The Book Thief with a fairy tale twist. However, this isn’t exactly a retelling of Sleeping Beauty. Instead, it’s about a twenty-three year old journalist who goes looking for answers about her recently deceased Jewish grandmother. On her deathbed, the old woman says that the story is really about her. Becca uses the few clues she has to piece together some of the details of her grandmother’s past, going as far as Poland for answers. There were a lot of flaws in this book, but its greatest strength was the emotional effect it has after reading it. While actually reading it wasn’t enjoyable, after I finished I felt like the overall effect worked. What made it a not very enjoyable read was the fact that the story was slow moving and I felt detached from the lifeless characters. However, I did like how the story of Sleeping Beauty was incorporated into Briar Rose and how things were resolved. Like any Holocaust story, this isn’t a light book you can read looking for entertainment. Briar Rose was definitely well researched and original, full of emotion and the worst parts of the 20th century.

3.5/5

“Stories," he'd said, his voice low and almost husky, "we are made up of stories. And even the one's that seem the most like lies can be our deepest hidden truths.”

Review: Chasing Vermeer

Title: Chasing Vermeer
Author: Blue Balliett
Illustrator: Brett Helquist
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Publication Date: June 1st, 2004
Genre: Junior Fiction, Mystery

One night, three identical letters are sent to three unrelated individuals from an anonymous sender, asking for their assistance in righting some wrongs. The writer seems to know these individuals well enough to assume that they’ll help them, but if they show the letter to the police they will be in danger. Meanwhile in Chicago, sixth graders Petra and Calder admire their teacher, who challenges their minds and teaches them to ask questions. When Petra finds an interesting book that tells her that there are no coincidences, she applies that idea to her own life. A lot of peculiar things have begun to happen, and the one thing they seem to have in common is the painting “A Lady Writing” by Johannes Vermeer. When the painting goes missing on its way to the Chicago Institute of Art, Petra and Calder are among the many interested people. As Petra and Calder try to piece together the mystery behind the stolen painting, they will have to take things in to their own hands, even if they’re only eleven years old.

I was really looking forward to this mystery, focusing on a missing Vermeer painting. This book got a fair bit of hype when it came out nearly eight years ago, but I never got around to reading it at the time. Illustrated by Brett Helquist, of A Series of Unfortunate Events fame, I loved the idea of codes being included throughout the story and in the illustrations. The opening reminded me of Ellen Raskin’s The Westing Game, and I loved the cipher Calder uses to communicate with his friend in New York. All of these things seemed to foreshadow a great mystery, but things seemed to fizzle by the time I was midway through. The characters weren’t entirely convincing, and overall the promising aspects of the plot just didn’t work together. While I kept reading to find out what happened with hopes that my mind would be changed, the ending was unsatisfying. For a mystery, a clever conclusion that ties everything together is pretty important, and Chasing Vermeer was lacking that. Overall, this story failed to impress me and make me want more. To me, a good mystery should have excitement and an “Aha!” moment where everything clicks. Mystery lovers should probably pass on this one, despite how promising it seems.

2/5

“The greatest art belongs to the world. Do not be intimidated by the experts. Trust your instincts. Do not be afraid to go against what you were taught, or what you were told to see or believe. Every person, every set of eyes, has the right to the truth.”

Review: An Abundance of Katherines

Title: An Abundance of Katherines
Author: John Green
Publisher: Speak
Publication Date: September 21st, 2006
Genre: YA, Realistic Fiction

Former child prodigy Colin Singleton has just graduated from high school and been dumped for the 19th time by a girl named Katherine. Colin has fallen into a cycle: dating girls named Katherine and then being dumped by them. Katherine XIX and Colin dated for a nearly a year before she broke up with him, just like every other Katherine before her. Colin remembers everything and is especially good with languages and anagrams. But the fact is that Colin is a former prodigy, not a genius. While prodigies are especially good at learning things, it’s geniuses that create things and do the things that prodigies learn about. In Colin’s mind, his quest to do something important with his life and his love for girls named Katherine are intertwined; he wants to know that he matters. Colin is looking for what’s missing in his life and being dumped by Katherine has made the missing piece inside of him feel bigger than ever. With his best friend Hassan, Colin goes on a road trip to help him forget about everything that’s bothering him. An impromptu stop in Tennessee to see the grave of Archduke Ferdinand leads Hassan and Colin to find a job working in a town called Gutshot, where they meet Lindsey Lee Wells. When Colin has the revelation that relationships can be broken down into a science, he begins working on a theorem that will predict the outcome of any relationship. Colin has never done anything original in his life and his only hope is his theorem. But does he really need to do something important in life to feel whole?

This was my second time reading An Abundance of Katherines, John Green’s second novel. It also happens to be the least popular of his books; it isn’t as life changing as The Fault In Our Stars, as funny as Will Grayson, Will Grayson, as thought provoking and fast paced as Paper Towns or as poignant as Looking For Alaska. I think one of the main reasons people dislike this book is because of Colin. I mean, no one really likes to hang out with the kid who just got his heart broken and is a pathetic mess, you just do it because you feel obligated. In all honesty, Colin was an unlikable character but I found him very realistic. And who says that characters in books always have to be likeable; people in reality certainly aren’t. Katherine the Best tells Colin that he is both “too smart and too dumb” for her, and he writes this off as a “ridiculous, idiotic and oxymoronic” reason for breaking up with him. But the fact is, she’s spot on. Colin is ridiculously good at replaying information, but he is just plain dumb when it comes to being in relationships, whether romantic or not. People say that girls who are very beautiful and are constantly being told so become insecure because their self worth is tied to their physical appearance. Colin is exactly like that, except with his intelligence. That’s why he needs to feel like he matters and while this need is what tore apart his relationship with most of the Katherines, he still thinks it’s the answer to his problems and how he’s going to win back Katherine XIX. Despite all of this, I still liked reading about Colin, even with all the obsessing and selfishness. I suppose in a way so many people are like Colin in wanting to know that they matter. The most popular quotation from this book is “What is the point of being alive if you don't at least try to do something remarkable?” I see this quote all the time on the Internet, presumably because people can relate to it. Of course, the whole point of this book is that Colin was wrong: you don’t have to do something remarkable with your life.

Another reasons this book isn’t as popular is because some people find the whole concept original, but rather unlikely. A nerdy boy has happened to date nineteen different girls named Katherine? I actually found it unlikely that a guy like Colin could find that many girlfriends at all, let alone only ones named Katherine. If you can get past this, then I think you can enjoy An Abundance of Katherines. It’s very insightful and I liked how Colin’s back-story played out. I’ve heard people call this book boring, but I never felt that way about it. Back in December I had this book on a list of great books for nerds, and I still stand by that. The only thing more abundant than Katherines in this book is facts. There’s even footnotes, and personally I loved all the information given, even if Hassan doesn’t think it’s interesting. The math in this book is also what earned An Abundance of Katherines a place on my list, but you don’t have to know anything about math to enjoy this book (although it does go further into depth about it in the appendix.) Rereading this book, so many things stood out to me. As in any John Green book, there were plenty of perceptive observations and I also enjoyed the novel’s themes. The secondary characters were as great as usual in John’s books; Lindsey Lee Wells who is basically a chameleon, and Hassan, a lazy, Judge Judy loving, overweight, Muslim boy. Just like he does in every one of his books, John Green has a written a smart novel about being a teen. While well written, I do agree with the majority people about this book being my least favourite of his novels. Of course, they’re all so good that that doesn’t mean much. While I wouldn’t recommend this as your first introduction to John’s writing, a lot of fans of his books just pass on reading An Abundance of Katherines like it’s the first series of the new Doctor Who. I would recommend giving both a shot if you’re a fan. Unique and intelligent, An Abundance of Katherines exemplifies so many of the reasons I read YA fiction.

4.5/5

“How do you just stop being terrified of getting left behind and ending up by yourself forever and not meaning anything to the world?”

Books By City: New York

Earlier this year I spent a couple of days in New York City. There are a number of great books that take place in New York that exemplify what the City That Never Sleeps truly is. Whether you live there, have visited or dream of going, these books will keep you up all night reading about the City That Never Sleeps.

For The Young Readers

• This Is New York by Miroslav Sasek. First published in 1960, this book introduces young readers to New York with bright illustrations that have a charming and retro feel. This book is part of a series focusing on major cities of the world, like London, Paris and Rome.
• E is for Empire: A New York Alphabet by Ann E. Berg and illustrated by Maureen K. Brookfield. This book takes the reader on a tour of New York, letter by letter. Using rhymes, this book explains the history and culture of New York City. 

For Pre-Teens

• Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick. Fifty years apart, two children, Rose and Ben both head to New York City looking for something they need. Told in text and drawings, the beautiful illustrations add a great deal to the story, just as they did in Selznick's The Invention of Hugo Cabret. With Rose's story told through drawings and Ben's through words, these two stories slowly intertwine as Ben and Rose find themselves in the Museum of American Natural History. Although not in the way they first imagined, they both find what they were looking for. You can read my review here. 

• From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg. In the original book about children living in a museum, Claudia and Jamie Kincaid run away from their suburban home to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Armed with instrument cases filled with clothes, the children try to learn as much about the museum as they can, only to become fascinated by a mysterious new statue. You can read my review here. 

For Teens

• Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan. While all of the books co-written by this team could fit on this list, Dash & Lily takes its main characters on a Christmas time chase through New York. Dash and Lily meet by chance when Dash books up Lily's notebook on a shelf at the Strand, challenging him to take part in a series of dares. As they get to know each by leaving the notebook for the other to find, they both wonder if the chemistry to feel on the page could be real. This book features not only the Strand, but also Macy's, FAO Schwarz and Times Square. Definitely a good book to read if you want to be excited about visiting NYC. You can read my review here. 

• Where She Went by Gayle Forman. While I'd only recommend this book to those who read If I Stay, this is a book that come people even prefer to the original. It has been three years since Mia's accident, and since then her and Adam's lives have gone done completely different paths, with only music in common. Mia is a Juilliard graduate and budding cello star, while Adam's band's success has made him the star of the tabloids. When Adam goes to Mia's concert, she wants to spend her last day in New York with her former love. As she takes him on a quick tour of her favourite places in the city, from the Staten Island ferry to the bowling alley in the Port Authority, Adam and Mia begin to feel as if they had never been apart. You can read my review here. 

• A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith. Francie Nolan is a young girl growing up in Brooklyn in 1912. Her family struggles with poverty, Francie delves into her imagination and the books that she reads. As her family goes through adversity, Francie realizes that her family is like the Tree of Heaven that grows nearby her house, in the way that no matter what happens, it still grows. 

For Adults 

• Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer. Oskar Schell is a nine-year-old boy living in Manhattan’s Upper West Side with his mother and his Grandma. His father died a year ago on September 11th, and Oskar's family is still overwhelmed with grief. When Oskar finds an old key among his father’s possessions, he sets out to find the owner of the key that is his last connection with his father. Oskar has one clue, and finding the key owner will take him through all five boroughs of New York over an eight-month period. You can read the full review here. 

• The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald. During the Jazz Age, Nick Carraway has just moved to Long Island to start his career. Next door to him lives Jay Gatsby, a mysterious man who holds parties that are attended by most people. Gatsby was once in love with Nick's cousin Daisy, who is now married to Tom Buchanan. Gatsby has come from nothing and become a self made millionaire. Taking place partly in New York city, The Great Gatsby is seen as the Great American novel. Read it now before the movie comes out in December. 

• Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. After Holden Caulfield is expelled from boarding school, he heads home to New York before his family discovers he's no longer in school. As Holden struggles with what is going to happen to him next, he wishes he could protect children like his little sister Phoebe. 

Review: Matilda

Title: Matilda
Author: Roald Dahl
Illustrator: Quentin Blake
Publisher: Puffin
Publication Date: 1988
Genre: Junior Fiction, Fantasy

Most parents have an idealized view of their child and think that they are the greatest thing to ever happen to the planet. If there was ever a child worthy of such praise, it’s Matilda Wormwood, who taught herself everything she knows and she knows quite a lot. But oddly enough, Mr and Mrs Wormwood think very little of Matilda and tell her so as often as possible. While Matilda's home life is frustrating, she’s found that she can get by well enough if she occasionally teaches her parents a lesson. Nothing humbles an adult more than having their hat glued to their head or their hair bleached, with no one to blame but themselves. By the time Matilda reaches the age of five and a half and starts school, she’s already an expert at dealing with troublesome adults. Matilda’s teacher is Ms. Honey, the most darling woman in the world. However, the headmistress, Ms. Trunchbull, makes Matilda’s parents look perfectly pleasant. Known to throw children out of third story windows by their pigtails, everyone in school fears Ms. Trunchbull. Matilda might just be the smartest person in her whole school, including the teachers. If there’s anyone who can put a stop to the Trunchbull’s reign of terror it’s Matilda, but how will she do it?

I guess this book could be every parent or teacher’s worst nightmare: when children fight back. This was a reread for me and also the first time I’ve read a Roald Dahl book since I was a kid. I have to say that I think Matilda is my favourite of his, although that could change as I reread more of them. The movie adaptation (which I would recommend) came out just as I was starting the first grade (like Matilda in the movie) and I imagine I read the book around the same time. I’ve always loved both the book and the movie and reading Matilda again was like spending the day with an old (and extremely funny) friend. This book shines with Roald Dahl’s typical humour and style. An excellent read for book enthusiasts, this book’s protagonist is a five-year-old genius who reads anything she can get her hands on and does extraordinary things with her mind. This book reminds me of how I used to see the world. When Lavender and Matilda are talking to Hortensia and realize that school is like a war, that’s basically how I felt as a kid. Everything was exciting and extreme. The empty house across the street was surely haunted or possibly lived in by murderers. A stern teacher had to be a monster that tortured children by ripping out their teeth. In Matilda’s case, everything is actually true, and that’s exactly why no would believe her if she were to tell anyone about the Trunchbull. It’s all so ridiculous and outlandish that it would have to be made up. I can see a lot of adults being a bit disturbed by this book and others by Roald Dahl, since no one wants there kids getting back at them with pranks every time they have a time out. Speaking as a former child who loved this book, I knew enough to see that Matilda’s parents and the Trunchbull were extreme cases. I loved the mischief and excitement and how it was a little girl who saved the day in the end. There’s just something about Roald Dahl’s book that make them special: you can’t compare them to anything else. The worlds in his books are full of wicked adults and kids who always win in the end, and I love it.

5/5

“Matilda said, "Never do anything by halves if you want to get away with it. Be outrageous. Go the whole hog. Make sure everything you do is so completely crazy it's unbelievable.”

Review: Winter Town

Title: Winter Town
Writer and Illustrator: Stephen Emond
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: December 5th, 2011
Genre: YA, Realistic Fiction

Evan and Lucy were childhood best friends, but after Lucy’s parents divorced when they were twelve she moved from New England to Georgia with her mom. Every winter break Lucy returns to visit her dad, although she spends most of her time with Evan. The winter of senior year, Lucy is distinctively different. It’s not just her dark hair and makeup and the new nose ring; it’s also how she’s reclusive and seems far away. There is definitely something Lucy’s not telling Evan, but the Old Lucy is still hidden behind the new exterior. Together, Lucy and Evan start working on a comic together, based on their childhood adventures. Even though they started out in the same place, Lucy and Evan couldn’t be further apart, and not just geographically. While Evan works hard and claims to want the life that has been laid out for him, Lucy feels like she’s cut off certain roads. He’s a Beatles fan, she loves the Beach Boys. He’s cautious and does what he’s supposed to, she takes risks. Together, Evan and Lucy remind each other of who they used to be.

Winter Town’s beautiful cover caught my eye, and the fact that it has comics and illustrations throughout the novel made me want to read it. This book is pretty interesting, told from Evan’s perspective for the first half of the novel and Lucy’s for the remainder. Illustrations of places, items and characters appear, as well as the comics that Lucy and Evan make together. These illustrations don’t have quite as substantial a role in the storytelling as The Invention of Hugo Cabret, but they add a lot to the story. The plot is fairly simple, but I enjoyed hearing stories about Evan and Lucy growing up and seeing their everyday adventures. The writing was essentially well done, but for some reason I felt like something was missing. Maybe the style was too detached? The characters felt very realistic; I swear I’ve known so many people who were exactly like Evan and were living for someone else. I loved Tim, Marshall and Gram. At first Evan annoyed me a bit, but eventually I was able to connect with him. For me, his art helped me appreciate him as a character and understand him more. Lucy is the messed up teenage girl we probably all have met at one time or another, and even when I didn’t like the things she was doing I loved her character. Partly due to the illustrations, the setting was vivid and memorable. I think the writer perfectly captured being in your last year of high school and having to make choices about who you are and what you want. Winter Town captures beginnings and ends in winter in a creative way that makes this book unlike anything else.

4/5

“It’s different now, Evan and Lucy both thought.”

Review: Howl's Moving Castle

Title: Howl’s Moving Castle (Howls #1)
Author: Diana Wynn Jones
Publisher: HarperTrophy
Publication Date: 1986
Genre: Junior Fiction, Fantasy

Sophie is the oldest of three sisters and everyone knows that that means she will never live a life of good fortune. After her father’s death, she is to stay and help at the family hat shop while her sister Lettie works at a bakery and Martha becomes a witch’s assistant. It is a dangerous time for the village, with Howl’s moving castle near by. Howl is rumored to eat beautiful girl’s hearts, and is supposed to be nearly as bad as the Witch of the Waste. Although it’s not what Sophie wished for, she has gotten used to her life as a Hatter’s assistant and is even quite good at it. But a run in with the Witch of the Waste leaves Sophie cursed to become an old woman even though she’s only eighteen. When Sophie ends up at Howl’s castle, she makes a deal with a fire demon and becomes Howl’s new cleaning lady. As she learns more about the real Howl and his magical castle, she discovers a power within her she didn’t know she had.

I see Diana Wynn Jones’ books everywhere but this is the first one I actually read. A reader called Alice actually recommended it to me and I’m glad she did! Right away I fell in love with the enchanting style of story telling, that instantly reminded me of fairy tales. The magical world Jones created was creative and just utterly fantastic. With a moving castle, Seven-League books, sisters that switch places and faces, and the mysterious Wizard Howl, the world building in this book was wonderful. The plot felt a bit slow moving, but there a lot of layers to the story that made it interesting. The characters were flawed and realistic, and while I don’t love Howl like many girls apparently do, I thought that he was a great character. Jones got the idea for the book from a reader who requested she write a book called The Moving Castle, but even with that prompt I could never have thought of anything like this. Set in a vivid magical world, the book seems like an obvious choice for Hayao Miyazaki, who made it into a film in 2004. There were many differences, but I loved both in their own right. One of the most original fantasy books I’ve read in a while, Howl’s Moving Castle is a book that can take you anywhere, just like the doors in the castle itself.

4/5

“I think we ought to live happily ever after.”

Books For Fans of John Green

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week's topic is Top Ten Books For Fans of a Specific Author, and I chose John Green. I chose John Green because 1. I like his books, 2. I know a lot of people who read my blog like his books and 3. The other day I was thinking about how no one else writes like him. I found writing this list to be a bit of a challenge, but these books either have similar elements as John Green's books or could just be enjoyed by anyone who likes his books.

1. I Am The Messenger by Markus Zusak. From the writer of The Book Thief, I picked this book because of the original plot-line. Ed Kennedy is nineteen and already feels like a failure. He works as a cabbie and has a unrequited crush on his best friend Audrey. Everything changes when Ed stops a bank robbery, and soon afterwards the first ace arrives in the mail and he becomes the messenger. Without knowing who's behind his mission, Ed keeps receiving cards that tell him what do next, whether it's simply helping someone or even teaching them a lesson.

2. It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini. I chose this book because it's an honest and humorous look into the life of an smart teenage boy. Craig Gilner goes to a good high school in New York and feels so much pressure to succeed in life. When he feels like he can't take it anymore, someone at a suicide hotline tells him to check himself into the hospital instead of killing himself. There, Craig finally separates himself from the things that bring him stress and looks within himself to find a way to get better. 

3. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. A fairly obvious choice, since "I swear we were infinite" is the only thing more quoted in the YA world than "I was drizzle and she was a hurricane." Through letters to a stranger, Charlie tells the story of his life in the school year of 1991. Full of honesty and simplistic truths, Charlie struggles with growing up and finding his place in school. Charlie is a wallflower and prefers to watch from the sidelines instead of getting up to dance. In his letters, he explains how strange and beautiful life is. You can read my review here. 

4. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. I'm sure a lot of male fans of John Green won't give this book a chance, but I'm not usually a fan of books with the words "french kiss" in the title and I still loved this book. John Green himself recommended it in this video. A romance book set in Paris, you don't actually have to like romance books to like Anna and the French Kiss. It has great characters and a really believable and well developed central relationship. You can read my review here. 

 5. Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan. If you liked Will Grayson, Will Grayson then you might enjoy this book that is also written partly by David Levithan. This book has great characters that are smart and interesting and the plot is full of fun and adventure. Just as Christmas is coming to New York, Dash finds a red notebook among the shelves of The Strand, challenging him to a series of dares. Through leaving the notebook for the other person to find, Dash and Lily get to know each other and start to wonder if the chemistry between them is only on paper. You can read my review here.

 6. Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler. By the writer of A Series of Unfortunate Events, Min has just broken up with Ed. Like after most breakups, she drops a box with all the things that remind her of him at his doorstep. With the items is a long letters detailing how each items explains why they broke up. As Min remembers their relationship and its ultimate undoing, she does so with biting honesty. You can read my review here.

 7. The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith. Another book that was recommended by John! You can see the video here. Like John says, it's thoughtful and romantic, with smart characters. When Hadley misses her flight from JFK to Heathrow for her Dad's wedding, it seems like nothing else could go wrong. But Hadley's perspective changes when she meets Oliver on her flight, a British boy who might be able to change Hadley's cynical conclusions about relationships. You can read my review here.

8. Winter Town by Stephen Emond. Evan and Lucy have been best friends forever, even after Lucy moved to Georgia with her mom after her parents divorced. For the past five years she's spent winter vacation with her dad, but mostly with Evan. When she returns the winter of their senior year, Lucy is clearly different. Not only is she dressed dramatically differently, with black hair and makeup and a nose ring, but she also seems far away and distracted. Have Evan and Lucy grown too far apart to still be friends, or could this winter just be the beginning for them? Stephen Emond also did the illustrations, which are in comic style. 

9. The Disreputable History of Frankie-Landau Banks by E. Lockhart. While I'm not saying this book is exactly like Looking for Alaska, there are some similarities that could help it appeal to fans of LfA. There's a smart protagonist, pranks and a boarding school. This is the story of Frankie's transformation from overlooked freshmen to pranking mastermind. When Frankie returns from summer holidays as a sophomore and a better looking version of who she was in freshmen year, she begins to date Matthew, who is smart and good looking. When she learns that he is a member of the school's secret society, she poses as the club's leader to orchestrate pranks on the student body. You can read my review here. 

10. The Bermudez Triangle by Maureen Johnson. It doesn't seem right to leave M.J. off this list. This was the first book I read by Maureen Johnson, and it might be my favourite. Nina Bermudez has been best friends with Avery and Mel for what feels like forever, and they even earned the nicknamed the Bermudez Triangle. When Nina goes to spend the summer at a pre-college program, she comes back to find that things feel a little off between Avery and Mel. When she finds them kissing, everything changes between these three best friends. With Maureen Johnson's typical humour, The Bermudez Triangle looks at three friends as their friendship is put to the test.

11. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie.  Junior has spent his whole life living on the Spokane Indian Reservation, but things change when he decides to go to the public school outside of the reservation. Junior might be smart but at the same time things aren't easy for him, since he has epilepsy, a stutter, a lisp and has little money. And it's definitely not easy being the only Native American at his new school, excluding the school maskot. All the same, Junior is a budding cartoonist and through his drawings he looks at his life with humour. It feels like people on the reserve don't get to live their dreams, and Junior wants to change that for himself.

12. Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley. This one is a new addition to the list. In this debut novel, Cullen Witter's hometown of Lily Arkansas is shaken both by the suspected reappearance of an apparently extinct woodpecker and the disappearance of Cullen's younger brother. While the Woodpecker mania infecting his town originally was amusing, now it's distracting everyone in town and in the media from focusing on Gabriel's disappearance. This book had a well thought out plot and unique characters and was very insightful. 

Review: I Want To Go Home

Title: I Want To Go Home!
Author: Gordon Korman
Publisher: Scholastic Books
Publication Date: 1981
Genre: Junior Fiction, Humour

Upon recommendation from the school guidance counselor, Rudy Miller is sent to Camp Algonkian Island for boys. Rudy hates camp and everything it entails. He quickly teams up with Mike Webster, who feels the same way about summer camp and all the activities. Rudy is difficult and stoic, but he’s also a mastermind for causing trouble. Together, Mike and Rudy scheme again and again to escape. In a camp full of clone counselors, whiny cabin mates and a plethora of opportunities to cause trouble, Rudy and Mike find themselves actually having fun as they attempt to escape over and over again.

My fifth grade teacher was big on Gordon Korman, and he read this book to our class. I thought it was completely hilarious, but that was over a decade ago. Rereading I Want To Go Home, I still thought it was hilarious. I first started to really laugh when Rudy wrote his letter home to camp. I loved Rudy’s wry humour and the misadventures and trouble he and Mike get into. Like Mike and Rudy, I’ve gone to a summer camp in Ontario that can only be reached by boat, and I thought Gordon Korman created a great caricature of camp. The plot is fairly simple and takes place over half a month of camp, during which Rudy and Mike execute escape plan after escape plan, starting a pillow fight and putting a sock in their counselor’s soup. While many of the things they do are funny, it’s Rudy’s wit and sarcasm that takes the cake. I Want To Go Home is a fun and entertaining book that’s a great start to summer.

4.5/5

“Dear Mom and Dad, wrote Rudy. This place is terrible. Each day I am subjected to countless atrocities.”