book reviews

We gave Bobby's great nieces and nephews books for Christmas this year (along with a small gift card to Five Below). Thankfully most of them love reading more than their parents did. We purchased a few books we weren't familiar with based on reviews, and all but one of them passed my inspection read. I did purchase one as a backup option (and because it piqued my curiosity). And I loved it.

Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai  is written in poem. It's simple, but packed with description and emotion. Based in both Vietnam and Alabama, it shows some of the confusion and chaos that comes to people whose lives are impacted by war, and how our immigration system then (and even more so now) could use a serious overhaul. Despite the deep subjects the author introduces, it is written well enough that I wouldn't hesitate to share it with Mom who prefers light reads and romances. It's definitely a book I'd like to both keep and share.

Marilla of Green Gables by Sarah McCoy.  Bobby surprised me with this book for Christmas. I'm still undecided how I feel about it. The book itself is well written, and she does an incredible job of making up back story for all the older characters in the Anne of Green Gable series while introducing historical facts and situations into the story. And yet, I can't say that I truly enjoyed the book. It always bothers me when a person creates a fictional world, whether it be Anne of Green Gables or Harry Potter, and other authors suddenly start rewriting the story or editing it. McCoy's attempt to flesh Marilla out and show her as a more well-rounded character rings true in some places but falls woefully short in others (the wishing stone, the ending of the relationship with Blythe, etc). I finished the book with a twinge of unease. I'm thrilled that I received a surprise in a book form for Christmas, but it's not one I care to share or keep.

I'm hoping this year I can get a little more reading done than this past year, but I also recognize that it's more than okay if I don't. Meanwhile, my seed catalogue came this week, so I'm reading plant descriptions and trying to make mental diagrams of what can be planted where this spring. It will be planting time before I'm ready!