The Wonderful O by James Thurber

isbn: 978-1590173091

This book reminds me of Ella Minnow Pea, which was way more fun for me. I wish this book had been about 50 pages shorter, which is sad since it was only 80 pages long. If I am confused about the plot and I am 24... I loved the playfulness with words and the lesson at the end, but where the hell does the castle come from?

2/5

Throw Out Fifty Things, by Gail Blanke

isbn: 978-0446505796

I saw a favourable review of this on Bookgasm and spotted it at work. It is a very short book and only took a few hours to read. She has really simple rules and interesting anecdotes which make throwing out things make sense. What have I thrown out? Some Christmas rubbish, 6 pairs of shoes (which only count as one thing according to the rules). bits of clothes and three feather boas from three halloweens ago. Ok, so I am not doing so great. Oh well.

3/5

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, Alan Bradley

isbn: 9780385665827

I managed to nab an advanced copy of this mystery (you will have to wait til February 10th to read it!) and am so glad I did! Flavia is one of my favourite characters ever, an adorable 11 year old chemist who poisons her sister's lipstick with poison ivy in order to make serious observations (alright, a bit of revenge in there too) and who just happens to find a body in her house's cucumber patch. Like you do. She is clever and fun and different. She is the kind of character I want to take out to coffee - although I would keep a close eye on my cup at all times. I devoured this book and cannot wait to sell it to people!

5/5

The Savage by David Almond, illustrated by Dave McKean

isbn: 9780763639327

This book was beautiful, short and powerful. The story is told by Blue, who, being told to write down his feelings about his father's death, writes the story of the Savage instead, a boy who lives in a cave under an abandoned church and who kills anyone who sees him. The narrative is written a few years later, when his spelling has improved. The mistakes in the original story add to the roughness of the illustrations and of the story. It is absolutely dark but in the end redeeming. It was a bit short, but perhaps packs more of a punch that way.

4/5

We Have Always Lived in the Castle, by Shirley Jackson

isbn: 978-0143039976

Shirley Jackson is the woman who wrote "The Lottery" and The Haunting of Hill House (which was bastardized in the movie version by adding little weeping children and a supernatural plot where the only thing we should have been watching was her declining mental health). This book is ridiculously well written, repetitive in all the right ways, claustrophobic and spooky, nerve wracking even though nothing truly terrifying happens. Not directly, not exactly. Constance and Merricat (Mary Katherine) are both sweet and terrifying and you never know when they will cry or laugh. This book was incredible. Truly fantastic.

5/5

Jinx, by Jennifer Esteep

isbn: 9780425220627

This is apparently the last book in the Bigtime series, though I kinda wish it wasn't. I have already blabbed about the first two and this one is just as good. Same set of characters but adding something new each time. Interesting note, the author blurb at the back is quite cool, listing her as a writer by night and a journalist by day. She wears cute glasses and a sweater vest. Totally dorky and adorable.

4/5

The Sisters Grimm Book 1: The Fairy-Tale Detectives by Micheal Buckley

isbn: 9780810993228

This was tons of fun. The evolution of the characters was realistic and their feelings seemed genuine. If my parents had disapeared because of a secret organisation and I was being shuffled around from foster home to foster home, I would be pretty damn pissed off when I found out my grandma wasn't actually dead. That my dad had lied to me. And then the giant shows up. Ugh. Made me smile.

4/5