When I was thinking about the book section of this blog, I immediately knew I wanted to contact one of my very favorite bloggers, Darla from Bakingdom, about a guest post. Not only is her talent immense (have you seen THIS?? or THIS??) but her personality is huge. She’s a think-outside-the-box kinda girl, which I adore.
I truly hope to get more guest posts from her in the future!!
I’m Darla from Bakingdom, and I am so excited to be posting on That’s What She We Said today. I have been a fan of both Kristan and Shelly for some time, and, I’m not even gonna lie, I sorta feel like a total fangirl getting to guest post.
When Kristan asked me if I would write up a book review over here, she mentioned something about me that I’m well aware of, but don’t give much thought to: the fact that I’m into some different stuff than most housewife types.
Here are the facts: I like pink, I love make up and shoes and clothes, I like for the things around me to be sparkly, and I’m a total geek. Like, a Doctor Who doll owning, Harry Potter t-shirt wearing, Star Trek movie watching, Star Wars quoting geek…of the girliest persuasion. I’m quite proud of the fact, and I’m thrilled every day to see more and more young girls getting their geek on with pride.
My geekiness extends to my book choices when I’m searching the shelves at the library, too. If you’ve ever perused the pages of my blog, I’m sure you’re well aware of the fact that I seriously dig the Harry Potter series. I mean, I don’t know, that’s probably an understatement. I’m definitely a total Potterhead.
That being said, I knew right away that I didn’t want to write about Harry Potter today. Yes, I obviously love it, but what else is there to say about such a wildly successful, world wide phenomenon that hasn’t already been said?
Besides, I’m a very avid reader. Harry Potter is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the hundreds of books that I’ve read. That’s why I’d like to focus on a lesser known book.
While I enjoy reading many genres, historical fiction being one of my favorites, I am also a huge fan of spooky, cool fantasy and young adult fiction, so I’m going to talk about one of those.
The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly was published in 2006, but it’s a timeless story, set partly in WWII England and partly in a far more fantastic place.
When I first checked this book out from the library, I was expecting a whimsical, Alice in Wonderland, fairy tale-ish story. The book’s dust jacket gives a sort of Narnia-through-the-wardrobe, otherside-of-the-looking-glass, not-in-Kansas-anymore vibe that is spot on. However, the jacket neglects to describe the spooky, nightmarish qualities and dark vibes that Connolly so successfully blends into this fantastic, powerful novel.
The story begins slowly with details of twelve year old David’s unhappy life, but takes off quickly when the books on the shelves high up in his attic bedroom begin whispering to him.
Honestly, if this were real life, this is the point at which I would cower under the covers and try to pretend that all is well, but characters in books are never as chicken (I would say smart) as me. They always push forward, exploring the mysteries that, let’s face it, would make most of us pee our pants in the real world.
David is no different, as his curiosity propels him into an alternate, un-named world full of half familiar characters who aren’t what you expect.
For all of the fairy tale themes in this book, don’t get the idea that this is a children’s book…or even that it is appropriate for children. On the contrary, this is a purely adult almost horror, fantasy. And it is not for the faint of heart.
This story is a reminder of the power of escaping into novels to get through difficult times, and when to put the books down and rejoin the real world.
Similar books that I would recommend:
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (Young Adult) by Ransom Riggs
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire
The Stolen Child by Keith Donohue
What’s next on my list:
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
A huge thank you to Darla for the fabulous post!! I’ve already bought a few of the books on her list and can’t wait to start on them (I’m currently in the middle of Bridge of Sighs by Richard Russo). What books are on YOUR lists? I’d love more ideas!!
Happy reading!!
Two of my favorite books ever… The Talisman by Stephen King and Peter Straub, and The Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King. The Eyes of the Dragon is a fairytale. Cut and dry… And utterly fabulous. The Talisman, on the other hand, has some fairytale qualities, but has some seriously dark, twisted undercurrents. Great reads. =)
I love me some spooky reads. I can’t handle spooky movies; at least with books I can be a partial adult and not a baby.
I’m currently reading the Fire and Ice Series (Game of Thrones) by George R.R. Martin and I am on the fourth book. I always become so invested in the story lines and the characters when reading Martin’s books.
thanks for sharing going to have to add that to my amazon wish list.
Right now I’m reading Eat, Slay, Love…http://www.amazon.com/Slay-Love-Living-Dead-Book/dp/031610292X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1319732831&sr=1-1
It’s the 3rd book of the series. It’s a zombie apocalypse with lots of sarcastic humor. The first one in the series was like “mr. and mrs. Smith” meets “Zombie Land”…Loved it!!
I just picked up the Night Circus at Chapters this week but I made myself put it back as I already have a stack of books to read and promised myself I wouldn’t buy anymore till I’ve finished my pile.
For those of you who’d like a grown up Twilight book try the Black Dagger BrIotherhood series by J.R. Ward. They are amazing. There are 8 books in the series and 9′s coming out in March. I love Twilight but really love these vampires. I’ve always been a sucker for the vampires long before Twilight came around.
I had a friend recommend the Black Dagger Brotherhood to me. I have the series on m nook now, but have yet to start them. Glad to hear a second rec for them, though!