Wrap Up Posts for Reading Challenges

These are my wrap ups for various challenges.

Back to the Classics Challenge 

I completed all 12 Challenges so I get three entries for the giveaway. 

• 19th Century Classic- Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte COMPLETED 2/19/15
•  20th Century Classic- For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway Completed 10/18/15
• A Classic by a Woman Author- Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier Completed 12/17/15
• A Classic in Translation- Beowulf COMPLETED 1/1/15
• A Very Long Classic Novel- Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell Completed 5/25/15
• A Classic Novella- Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck COMPLETED 2/25/15
• A Classic with a Person's Name in the Title- Macbeth by William Shakespeare COMPLETED 2/3/15
• A Humorous or Satirical Classsic- Life with Father by Clarence Day Completed 9/5/15 
• A Forgotten Classic- Doctor Thorne by Anthony Trollope Completed 11/16/15
• A Non-fiction Classic- A Child's History of England by Charles Dickens Completed 8/31/15 
• Classic Children's Book- Old Yeller by Fred Gipson Completed 9/7/15 
• Classic Play- Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw Completed 7/25/15

Newberry Reading Challenge

• Strawberry Girl (winner) (re-read) COMPLETED 1/5/15
• Charlotte's Web (honor) (re-read) Completed 12/13/15 
• Carry on Mr. Bowditch (winner) (re-read) Completed 11/14/15 
• Old Yeller (honor) Completed 9/7/15 
• Zlateh the Goat and other Stories (honor)
• The Fearsome Inn (honor) 
• When Shlemiel went to Warsaw and other Stories (honor)
• The Black Cauldron (honor) (re-read) Completed 7/11/15 
• The High King (winner) (re-read) Completed 7/23/15
• Bridge to Terabithia (winner) (re-read) COMPLETED 2/7/15
• Sarah, Plain and Tall (winner) (re-read) COMPLETED 1/23/15
• The Giver (winner) COMPLETED 3/12/15

TBR Pile Challenge

1. Barnaby Rudge by Charles Dickens Completed 6/13/15 
2. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier Completed 12/17/15 
3. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte COMPLETED 2/19/15
4. That Hideous Strength by C.S. Lewis Completed 8/16/15
5. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck COMPLETED 2/25/15
6. For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway Completed 10/18/15 
7. Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell Completed 5/25/15 
8. The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner Completed 10/13/15 
9. How Green was My Valley by Richard Llewellyn Completed 6/30/15
10. Shaking the Nickel Bush by Ralph Moody Completed 11/18/15 
11. The Dry Divide by Ralph Moody Completed 11/24/15 
12. Horse of a Different Color by Ralph Moody Completed 12/3/15 

Mount TBR Pile Challenge

1. Shaking the Nickel Bush by Ralph Moody Completed 11/18/15 
2. The Dry Divide by Ralph Moody 11/24/15 
3. Horse of a Different Color by Ralph Moody 12/3/15
4. Barnaby Rudge by Charles Dickens Completed 6/13/15 
5. Macbeth by William Shakespeare COMPLETED 2/3/15
6. Beowulf by Unknown COMPLETED 1/1/15
7. The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevesky Completed 9/19/15 
8. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier Completed 12/17/15
9. King Lear by William Shakespeare COMPLETED 4/7/15
10. Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw Completed 7/25/15 
11. The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne COMPLETED 10/26/15 
12. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jule Verne COMPLETED 4/5/15
13. How Green was my Valley by Richard Llewellyn Completed 6/30/15 
14. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte COMPLETED 2/19/15
15. Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare COMPLETED 4/15/15 
16. Doctor Thorne by Anthony Trollope Completed 11/16/15 
17. The Wisdom of Father Brown by G.K. Chesterton Completed 9/4/15 
18. That Hideous Strength by C.S. Lewis Completed 8/16/15 
19. Trusting God: Even When Life Hurts by Jerry Bridges Completed 5/18/15 
20. For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemmingway Completed 10/18/15 
21. The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner Completed 10/13/15 
22. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck COMPLETED 2/25/15
23. Peace Like a River by Leif Enger COMPLETED 1/31/15
24. Under the Greenwood Tree by Thomas Hardy COMPLETED 1/31/15
25. All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Remarque Completed 11/21/15 
26. Life with Father by Clarence Day Jr. Completed 9/5/15 
27. Old Yeller by Fred Gipson Completed 9/7/15 
28. The Importance of Being Ernest by Oscar Wilde COMPLETED 3/22/15
29. A Child's History of England by Charles Dickens Completed 8/31/15 
30. Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott COMPLETED 4/15/15
31. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee COMPLETED 3/17/15
32. The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander Completed 7/8/15
33. The Black Cauldron by Lloyd Alexander Completed 7/11/15
34. The Castle of Llyr by Lloyd Alexander  Completed 7/13/15
35. Taran Wanderer by Lloyd Alexander Completed 7/20/15
36. The High King by Lloyd Alexander Completed 7/23/15
37. Emma by Jane Austen Completed 11/10/15 
38. The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emma Orczy Completed 4/5/15
39. The Chosen by Chaim Potok Completed 11/29/15 
40. Carry on Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham Completed 11/14/15 
41. Charlotte's Web by E.B. White Copleted 12/13/15 

Author A-Z Challenge

A- Alexander, Lloyd- The Chronicles of Prydain 

B- Bronte, Emily- Wuthering Heights  COMPLETED 2/19/15

C- Chesterton, G.K.- The Wisdom of Father Brown Completed 9/4/15 

D- Dickens, Charles- Barnaby Rudge Completed 6/13/15 

E- Enger, Leif- Peace Like a River COMPLETED 1/30/15

F- Forester, E.M. Room with a View Completed 11/2/15 

G- Gipson, Fred- Old Yeller Completed 9/7/15 

H- Hardy, Thomas- Under the Greenwood Tree COMPLETED 1/31/15 

I- Ibsen, Henrik- Peer Gynt Completed 11/3/15 

J- Juster, Norton- Phantom Tollbooth Compelted 12/3/15 

K- Kjelgaard, Jim- Big Red Completed 5/30/15

L- Lowry, Lois- The Giver COMPLETED 3/12/15

M-Mitchell, Margaret- Gone With the Wind Completed 5/25/15 

N- Norton, Mary- The Borrowers COMPLETED 4/25/15

O- Orczy, Emmuska- The Scarlet Pimpernel COMPLETED 4/5/15

P- Potok, Chaim- The Chosen Completed 11/29/15 

Q- Quarles, Frances- Poetry Completed 11/28/15 

R- Remarque, Erich- All Quiet on the Western Front Completed 11/21/15 

S- Shakespeare, William- Macbeth COMPLETED 2/3/15

T- Trollope, Anthony- Doctor Thorne Completed 11/16/15 

U- Unknown- Beowulf COMPLETED 1/1/15

V- Verne, Jules- 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea COMPLETED 4/5/15

W- Wilde, Oscar- The Importance of Being Ernest COMPLETED 3/22/15

X- Xiaolong, Qui- Death of a Red Heroine Completed 10/31/15 

Y- Yeats, W.B.- Irish Folk and Fairy Tales Completed 10/30/15 

Z- Zola, Emile- Germinal Completed 8/21/15

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Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Fair warning... this review will contain spoilers. SPOILERS!!!!! Read forward only if you've seen the film or don't car about spoilers.... though if you don't care about spoilers what kind of human being are you???

Synopsis from IMDB: Three decades after the defeat of the Galactic Empire, a new threat arises. The First Order attempts to rule the galaxy and only a rag-tag group of heroes can stop them, along with the help of the Resistance.

How can I even begin to write this review? My emotions are so mixed! I might feel differently about this movie after a second viewing but here's my thoughts for now.
First off.... I did like it. The main complaint I've heard about The Force Awakens is that it is basically a remake of A New Hope. Now I'll agree that it is very reminiscent of the originals but as a big fan of the originals I'm not sure I mind that too much... though I do mind it some.
I like the new characters that the movie introduce, especially Rey and Finn. Finn makes me laugh a lot. :) Of course BB8 was cute.
The inclusion of Han Solo and Chewbacca was maybe my favorite part. I'm a huge fan of Han Solo and obviously he was and still is the best part of Star Wars. That first look at the Millennium Flacon and it being called "junk" made me squeal so hard! Then when Han and Chewy step into the Millennium Falcon and Han says "Chewy, we're home" I wanted to cheer!
One of my disappointments was there was minimal hilarious bantering between Han Solo and Princess Leia. I kind of get it because it was a very sobering time for them both and they were kind of separated but still! There were some touching moments with them though. Kylo Ren being their son was well done and mystery of his identity solved there.
This of course brings me to the MAJOR SPOILER.... Han dies! I mean I get it.... him dying made the most sense for the story. I complained that I'd rather Leia would have died but then admitted that no one would have really been sorry then. His death had the most emotional impact. I've got to say here how much I enjoyed Harrison Ford's acting and bringing back to life Han Solo. He may be several years older but he WAS Han Solo once again. It was beautiful. Did I mention how much I love Han Solo?
Overall I enjoyed this return to the Star Wars universe and I'm excited to see what the future movies will bring.

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Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

In preparation for THE FORCE AWAKENS (geek moment here!) my siblings and I watched The Empire Strikes Back.

Synopsis from IMDB: After the rebels have been brutally overpowered by the Empire on their newly established base, Luke Skywalker takes advanced Jedi training with Master Yoda, while his friends are pursued by Darth Vader as part of his plan to capture Luke.

I live for Han and Leia moments and while this one doesn't have as many laugh out loud ones as A New Hope does it has a lot of "Awwww" moments so it works. ;)
With this one you learn a lot more about the Force and of course there's the big reveal about Darth Vader being Luke's father. If you don't know that yet then you live under a rock. ;)
Now some great quotes. :)

"Do or do not, there is no try"

Leia- "I love you."
Han- "I know."

C3PO- "Sir, the possibility of successfully navigating an asteroid field is approximately 3,720 to 1."
Han- "Never tell me the odds."

Leia- "Why you stuck up, half-witted, scruffy-looking Nerf herder."
Han Solo- "Who's scruffy looking."

Han Solo: Hey, Your Worship, I'm only trying to help.
Princess Leia: Would you please stop calling me that?
Han Solo: Sure, Leia.
Princess Leia: You make it so difficult sometimes.
Han Solo: I do, I really do. You could be a little nicer, though. Come on, admit it. Sometimes you think I'm all right.
Princess Leia: Occasionally, maybe... when you aren't acting like a scoundrel.
Han Solo: Scoundrel? Scoundrel? I like the sound of that.
[Han starts to massage Leia's hand]
Princess Leia: Stop that.
Han Solo: Stop what?
Princess Leia: [timidly] Stop that. My hands are dirty.
Han Solo: My hands are dirty, too. What are you afraid of?
Princess Leia: Afraid?
Han Solo: You're trembling.
Princess Leia: I'm not trembling.
Han Solo: You like me because I'm a scoundrel. There aren't enough scoundrels in your life.
Princess Leia: I happen to like nice men.
Han Solo: I'm nice men.
Princess Leia: No, you're not. You're...
[they kiss] (And Lois cheers)

Han Solo- Well Princess, it looks like you managed to keep me here a while longer.

Leia- I had nothing to do with it. General Rieekan thinks it's dangerous for anyone to leave the system until they've activated the energy shield.

Han Solo- That's a good story. I think you just can't bear to let a gorgeous guy like me out of your sight.

Leia- I don't know where you get your delusions laser brain.

Chewbacca laughs.

Han Solo- Laugh it up fuzzball! (Lois quotes this line daily)

Han Solo- Afraid I was going to leave without giving you a goodbye kiss?"

Leia- I'd just as soon kiss a Wookie.

Han Solo- I can arrange that! You need a good kiss! 

Darth Vader- I'm altering the deal. Pray I don't alter it any further.

Leia- Well I guess you don't know everything about women yet. 

Han goes into asteroid field

Leia- You don't have to do this to impress me. 

Overall I do like A New Hope better but The Emperor Strikes back is definitely my second favorite. 

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Book Review- Rebecca

For the Back to the Classics challenge, Mount TBR challenge, New Author challenge, Alphabet Soup Challenge, Read England challenge, Women's challenge and the Classics Club I read Daphne du Maurier's novel Rebecca.

Synopsis from Goodreads: Working as a lady's companion, the heroine of Rebecca learns her place. Her future looks bleak until, on a trip to the South of France, she meets Max de Winter, a handsome widower whose sudden proposal of marriage takes her by surprise. She accepts, but whisked from glamorous Monte Carlo to the ominous and brooding Manderley, the new Mrs de Winter finds Max a changed man. And the memory of his dead wife Rebecca is forever kept alive by the forbidding housekeeper, Mrs Danvers.

So there will be spoilers in this review just so you know.
I'd seen the old black and white film version (with Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine) before so I knew the storyline and I also know how it differed in one kind of essential way.... I think though if I might interject here that it was an improvement on the story overall.
But back to the book. I think it's so interesting how you never know the narrator's name. I didn't even realize that until halfway through the book. The suspense is powerful in this book. The author slowly and cleverly unfolds the story leaving you wondering what exactly is going on the whole time. And the reveal! Wow! Now as I said I did know the storyline so I'm sure it would have been even better if I hadn't known it but it was still awesome!
Sure there's a bit of a moral dilemma at the end that I'm not too fond of but that's why I prefer the movie. All in all you should definitely read this book and then I'd recommend the aforementioned movie. I think there might be other versions out there but I haven't seen them so I can't vouch for them.

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It's Monday! A Very Geeky Christmas

I was so grateful to be able to get off work this Christmas. The plan was to go to Minnesota for Christmas but bad weather changed that plan. :( I hate snow. We still have a few Christmas festivities left with one side of the family to look forward to this week though.
Here's a few of my presents so far. :)

My sister and I in our very geeky T-shirts.
Her's is a Doctor Who T-shirt and mine is the
coolest T-shirt ever... it says "I'm the nightshift
I am Batnurse. Because Batman isn't the only
hero up all night." :D 

I got the most amazing gift from a friend! It's
an infinity scarf with a map of Middle Earth.
If you've followed my blog for awhile you'll
know how long and much I've wanted it! 

The beautiful poster my sister-in-law got for me.
I had to put a lot of magnets on it to hold it flat.

My book haul this Christmas! Two Agatha Christie novels,
Miniatures and Morals (I love this book!)  and a cookbook
from my favorite food blogger! 

A few knick knacks. A pocket sized first aid kit,
two ornaments from my parents, fingerless gloves
from my sister and candy canes (of course).

Currently Reading 

• The Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin- This is so good but very heady. I'm trying to diligently take notes on it though as I go along so hopefully my book review will be half completed by the time I'm done.  
• Othello by William Shakespeare (audiobook)- I'm not as familiar with this Shakespeare play but so far so good. 

Finished this Past Week

• Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen (audiobook) (re-read)- I just can't get enough of Tilney... he cracks me up! Now I think I need to watch the movie again. 

Coming Soon 

This is just a rough idea as I have no clue what book will grip me first off for the beginning of the year! I'm just a little giddy at the thought of a new year of reading! 

• The Complete Stories of Flannery O Conner by Flannery O Conner- I bought this either this year or last year (can't remember!) at Goodwill. It was a really lucky find. My mom likes her stories so I'm intrigued to see if I will as well. 
• Mr. Darcy's Diary by Amanda Grange- I've never been thrilled with Jane Austen spinoffs but these are the ones I've heard the most good about so I'm going to give her Diary series a try starting with Mr. Darcy's Diary. 
• Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein- Finally I'll get around to reading this! I even bought a copy to force myself too. ;)  

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TV Review- Stargate Atlantis Season 1

Last year I watched Stargate Atlantis myself and LOVED it. Now I'm rewatching it with my siblings and we are all enjoying it. This is my review of the season one episodes for the 42 Challenge.

Synopsis of first season from Wikipedia: The first season is about a military-science expedition team discovering Atlantis and exploring the Pegasus Galaxy. However, there is no way to return home, and they inadvertently wake a hostile alien race known as the Wraith, whose primary goal is to gather a fleet to invade Atlantis and find their new "feeding ground", Earth.

A little about the characters. I love them all! Probably my least favorite of the main characters is Elizabeth Weir (the base commander) but I still like her. My favorites are John Shepherd (the military commander), Rodney Mckay (the scientist) and Dr. Carson Beckett (the medical doctor). I also love Teyla (fighter) and Sergeant Ford (military weapons expert) though.

Rising parts 1 and 2

This is a great introduction to the Stargate universe if you haven't seen the movie or Stargate SG-1 (I had only seen the first season of SG-1 before seeing Atlantis). It introduces all of the main characters as well as the enemy the Wraith... which I think are perfect villains for the show! 

Hide and Seek

This is just a really fun episode. There's nothing really in it to move forward the plot... it's just hilarious! Mckay is one of my favorite characters and he's so funny in this one as well as of course Shepherd. "You shot him?" "In the leg!" 

Thirty-Eight Minutes

This episode introduces Zelenka who is awesome and plays off of Mckay so well. This one is intense and fun and you start to learn a little more about the Wraith with it too. 

Suspicion

A good episode and it helps to solidify Teyla as a member of the team. 

Childhood's End

This one is kind of disturbing but Mckay trying to interact with the children makes up for that so it ends up being a pretty good episode. 

Poisoning the Well

You get to see more of Dr. Beckett in this one. I'm a huge fan of Beckett so I love that. A good episode. 

Underground

This episode introduces the Genii, who love to pop up at odd moments and make life difficult for the team. A fun episode with lots of repercussions. 

Home

I like this episode but some don't. It's an intriguing one and as someone who had seen it before it was interesting to watch my siblings try to figure it out. 

The Storm and The Eye

A two parter. These episode are very good and they bring back those pesky Genii. Kolya is a great villain and he really raises the odds. 

The Defiant One

Another great episode. I love watching Shepherd use his military skills to take on the Wraith. 

Hot Zone

At the beginning of the show you learn a little about how Shepherd isn't always good about following orders and you see that play out in this episode. Mckay has some funny moments in this one. "Tell them I died saving children." :)

Sanctuary

Not my favorite episode but enjoyable. No romance please. :) 

Before I Sleep

A fascinating episode with some time travel, which, as we all know, is very Lois approved. I enjoy this one.

The Brotherhood

That pesky Kolya with his Genii buddies shows up again! Mckay has some great moments when he's so oblivious to the fact that the lady has a crush on him. :)

Letters from Pegasus

I like this episode a lot. It's beautifully sad and funny to see the messages that they all send back to their families. Mckay's message is the best! 

The Gift

Let's just say Teyla as a Wraith is creepy looking! It's an interesting introduction to her "gift" though. 

The Siege parts 1,2 and 3

A gripping conclusion with plenty of cliffhangers! But Ford!!!!! That just broke my heart! If you've seen it you know what I mean. Ford is awesome. 

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Movie Review- Doctor Who

For the 42 challenge I'll be reviewing the Doctor Who movie.
When I first heard about the Doctor Who movie I heard it wasn't that great... in fact awful. I thought people were probably overreacting.... they weren't. The movie was supposed to be an attempt to reboot the show... I see why it failed.
I liked Paul McGann as the Doctor... he was the best part of the movie. Sure the dialogue he was given wasn't great but he did the best he could with it. I would have loved to have seen him more as the Doctor besides that tiny clip before Day of the Doctor. I think with a good script he could have been a great Doctor. Also a nice nod to Sylvester McCoy in his little bit before he regenerates. Though that was the lamest way the Doctor has died yet!
The T.A.R.D.I.S. interior was interesting though... I'm not sure whether or not I like it or not... it was different.
The companion Grace Holloway wasn't bad but wasn't great. It's kind of cool that she's a medical doctor and that she was operating on the Doctor. I thought it a little funny how she ended up messing up the surgery because of his two hearts. When he pulls that probe out of himself though.....
The Master is the villain of the story but he was just super weird.... not in a funny way like in the New Who but in a really creepy and utterly stupid way. I was not at all taken with him... not that you're really supposed to like the Master but the whole thing with him was ridiculous.
Chang Lee the young Chinese-American just doesn't make any sense. Why is he there and why do we care? This of course brings us to the whole Eye of Harmony thing and that the Doctor is half human. I'm not sure I'm totally against the Doctor being half human though I know it's a controversial point and one fans like to pretend didn't happen. I don't think the movie is considered canon so we can pretend it didn't happen if we want to. ;) The Eye of Harmony thing though was just weird and dumb.
I think the film just suffered from a bad script and not the greatest acting jobs.
If you're a Doctor Who fan you might enjoy watching it just to see what it's like but you'll probably be disappointed. If you're not a Doctor Who fan... you'll just be confused and probably never want to watch Doctor Who so don't because I promise you the show is so much better!

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Classic Doctor Who TV Reviews

Earlier this year while on the way to Colorado for a family ski trip, my cousin and I watched a few classic Doctor Who episodes. It was very interesting to see the roots of the modern day Doctor Who and look at how far it had come. Here's my reviews of them for the 42 Challenge.

An Unearthly Child

The very first episode of Doctor Who with William Hartnell playing the Doctor. It was so cool to see this episode and see where it all started. There's the introduction of the T.A.R.D.I.S. the first companion Susan (his granddaughter) and the whole Doctor Who world. There wasn't any alien involvement in it except a tiny peak into the next episode at the end of it. It was still quite enjoyable to experience it though. 

An Ark in Space

A fourth doctor episode with Tom Baker playing the Doctor and Sarah Jane as his companion. This is a very popular Tom Baker episode so that's why I chose it to watch but I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. It was funny in parts for sure and I love his scarf..... that thing is so long! The special effects are lacking... but that's not their fault. It is funny though that they used bubble wrap as the slug slime stuff in this one. I read that they chose bubble wrap as it was a new invention at that time and everyone thought it was so cool.... sadly bubble wrap does not look very cool or sci-fi nowadays. Overall it was enjoyable but I'd like to experience a different Tom Baker episode to see more of him... maybe Genesis of the Daleks.

See what I mean about he bubble wrap! 

Earthshock

A fifth doctor episode with Peter Davidson playing the Doctor. I liked this episode and I really liked Peter Davidson as the Doctor. I can see why he was David Tennant's favorite. It was interesting to see the older Cyberman... they look... different. The companions in this one are Nyssa, Tegan and Adric. 

Dragonfire

A seventh doctor episode with Sylvester McCoy as the Doctor. This was one of McCoy's first episodes as the Doctor and also introduced a new companion Ace. I liked McCoy as the Doctor a lot and I also really liked Ace. She was lots of fun. Mel Bush was also a companion in this episode. Overall I enjoyed Dragonflre.

I hope to see more Classic Who episodes in the future and especially explore some of the other Doctors. 

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Book Review- Charlotte's Web

For the Newberry challenge, What an Animal challenge the Mount TBR challenge and the Hard Core Re-Reading challenge I re-read E.B. White's Charlotte's Web.

Synopsis from Goodreads: Some Pig. Humble. Radiant. These are the words in Charlotte's Web, high up in Zuckerman's barn. Charlotte's spiderweb tells of her feelings for a little pig named Wilbur, who simply wants a friend. They also express the love of a girl named Fern, who saved Wilbur's life when he was born the runt of his litter.E. B. White's Newbery Honor Book is a tender novel of friendship, love, life, and death that will continue to be enjoyed by generations to come. 

This is a really sweet book. I really wanted to re-read it after my whole pig farm experience and then saving a piglet and brining it home and naming it Wilbur. Yes that sounds very similar to the story and that's because it was. I didn't realize how similar until I re-read the book. Wilbur did end up going to the butcher block though eventually so.... He didn't have a Charlotte.
I digress though.
I love the story of friendship depicted in this book. Charlotte was so self-sacrificing and it was truly beautiful. I liked the side characters too like Templeton and the goose. Fern kind of melts out of the story part way through though.
Overall this is a cute and classic children's story and quite enjoyable.

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Book Review- Beloved

For the Literary Movement challenge and the Mount TBR challenge I read Toni Morrison's novel Beloved.

Synopsis from Goodreads: Staring unflinchingly into the abyss of slavery, this spellbinding novel transforms history into a story as powerful as Exodus and as intimate as a lullaby. Sethe was born a slave and escaped to Ohio, but eighteen years later she is still not free. She has too many memories of Sweet Home, the beautiful farm where so many hideous things happened. Her new home is haunted by the ghost of her baby, who died nameless and whose tombstone is engraved with a single word: Beloved. 

If it wasn't for me making the mistake of re-reading Gulliver's Travels this year this would be my least favorite book of the year. It was inappropriate and weird... really weird. It was very interesting though how the author slowly unfolded the plot and let out more and more secrets. Good writing there. I know this book is famous for revealing the horrors of slavery and yes it did a good job but that didn't make up for everything else. The book just bored me! Denver was my favorite character.... at the beginning I wasn't fond of her but I feel like she actually matures and becomes a little less whiney. Sethe is weird and that reveal about her was.... ugh! Beloved was ucky and everything with her is weird. Paul D isn't awful but he is pretty ucky himself.
I'm just not a fan of this book. If you liked it... what is it that drew you to this book? Maybe I need to reconsider my feelings on it but I just wasn't thrilled with it.

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