Missed you, folks. That's all I'm going to say this time, although I feel very much the same as I did when I wrote this post.
My family and I had a restful five days in Switzerland. It was a bit difficult, due to the not-meant-for-twelve-people chalet we stayed in and due to the fact that it was Rather Chilly. But then there was Swiss creamy nutty perfect chocolate and bluey mountains and clouds that looked happy, so it was okay. Also, it was Great because of the three Amazing books I read there. I bought three new books in the beginning of July, to read in Switzerland, and YES THEY WERE AS GOOD AS EXPECTED.
I'm going to book review, people. I don't do that often, because I think my book reviews are boring (there, aren't I modest?) but I think that with such GOOD books, their reviews can't be That boring, so yeah. I'll do it.
I read three amazing books. 'Dawn's Early Light' was the first one I read. Then I plunged into 'Violins of Autumn'. And then I finished off my holidays with 'Celia Garth.'
My gorgeous friend Emma recommended this book to me. She has for eons. ;-P I've FINALLY read it now, Emma. You ought to be relieved. :-)
I'm going to start with the negative points. Very pessimistic of me, I know, but one might as well start with it and get it over and done with. (Please, though, bear in mind that I LOVE this book and that I gave it five bright gold stars on Goodreads. The good stuff will be rambled over very shortly.)
The one-pence copy I bought from Amazon was very ugly (it's the copy shown here), very cheaply produced. The book was filled with typos - not even the typical ones, I mean ones like 'JuHan' instead of 'Julian' and random captial letters and stuff like '24876//' propped between words. This is cumbersome, people. (But then, that's not the fault of the book, of course, it's a fault of the copy.)
The one thing in the story I didn't like is the politics/historical detail/war attack stuff. There was a bit more of it than I wanted. I don't know much about the whole Tory-Tea-Indian-part-of-history, and I'm also not That dead interested in that part of history, so, being honest with ya, some of the bits where the men discuss politics bored me, and there was one chapter I skimmed because I wasn't interested. But that's all, and now comes the bright chirpy part of my review.
Okay. Where to start? This book is Amazing. I closed it with happy tears and I started it in fascination.
Elswyth Thane's writing style is beyond glorious. She writes so vividly, and so On Point. Like, the things her characters do and say are so natural and real. Seriously, I can SO see this book as a movie - I so desperately want there to be a movie. But even if there will never be a movie, that's okay, because this book is like watching a movie. You can smell the water when Julian stands on the ship. You can see the frothy dresses Regina and Dorothea wear; hear the swish. It's super vivid.
Julian, a twenty-one-year-old guy, handsome and loyal, is the main character of the book. I've realised I love books with male main characters when they're well-written. It's interesting to see male points of view. I didn't fall in love with Julian, I've got to say, but he Really is a great hero. (Notice the capital R.)
Now, let's talk about Tibby. SHE WAS MY FAVOURITE. (Minorly spoilers ahead. Just saying.) She was Adorable! I felt Soooo sorry for her though - poor thing; she get's beaten, she quietly falls in love with Julian who's ten years older than her, her mother and brother die, she has to struggle and fight to get an education (not that I thought she really needed one - the girl is million times smarter than I.) and she sees her hero Julian fall in love with the reckless Regina. I LOVED it when Julian bought her that pink frilly doll in the ball gown. I LOVED it when they said goobye in the moonlight and when Julian said 'You see, no-one cried when I left England' and promises Tibby he'll stay where she lives till he grows a long white beard. I LOVE it when Tibby goes and pretends she's Kit! (Seriously, that was the best part of the book, ever.) And THEIR LETTERS. When Julian starts it off with 'My darling Tibby.' And then Julian PROPOSES and I cry because Tibby finally has what she deserves, dear soul.
I shipped them so much. So much, that I just loathe Regina to bits.
I also liked Dorothea - straight-away, from her first letter to St John. In fact, I thought she'd end up with Julian in the beginning. Poor girl, though, that she ends up on her own. But still, I'm glad Julian had Tibby. So glad. I just love Tibby.
Thank you, Emma, for recommending this to me! You've got a good taste in books. Not that I've not noticed that before, haha.
This book got recommended to me by Eva. I looked it up after she mentioned it to me, fell in love with the cover, and promptly told myself I would buy it. I'M SO GLAD I DID.
First of all, is not the cover GORGEOUS?!! I can't get over it. (Although it's a pity the girl on the cover's wearing bright red lipstick, because the book mentions that Adele hates wearing lipstick. But never mind.) My copy is an old hard-cover library copy, but yet it's so gorgeous. I LOVE the purple violet sky. I love violet skies - I saw one yesterday and I'm obsessed with the beauty of violet sunsets.
The inside of the book is gorgeous too. A lovely font.
This book is like a TRAIN. Seriously. Once you open it and start to read, you're mesmerized, glued, inside, stuck. It starts with a parachute jump in the middle of an inky black night, for Pete's sake. I knew this was a book about a teenage WW2 German spy, so I knew it would be an exciting book, but man, I hadn't expected it to be This zooming exhilarating and exciting. I couldn't stop reading!!! It was so doggonned good.
First of all (haha, this is the second time I'm saying 'first of all.' How awkward.), the writing style. As a writer myself, I always notice it when a book is written well. Amy McAuley, I salute you cordially. The words you use chill me to the bone - the mesh of adjectives and adverbs you used to describe those high-action scenes made my heart beat. If I were wearing a hat, I would take it off for you. Well done. :-)
Adele, or Betty (I think of her as Adele, of course, just as I think of Denise as Denise, and most certainly not as Sarah), was a great adventurous spirit. She's terribly unlike me, and she would probably find me the most annoying little scardey-cat ever, but I love her to bits. She's a second Jo March, and she's brave and Does Things. She's also loyal and surprisingly romantic and super super clever. I wouldn't be able to do half of the things she does, suffice to say. (Also, Adele's hair is so pretty. The way it's described. Mah gosh.)
I loved Denise perhaps even more. She's a character one doesn't see often. She's a lipsticker, and a lover of jewellery and pretty new clothes, but yet she's super tough and adventurous and GOES for stuff. She's such a good friend, despite her flaws.
This book felt so beautiful, despite it being rather y'know exciting-sweaty-eeeeek-y-story-like. For instance, when Adele and Denise talked about the things they missed. They thought of oranges and chewing gum and toothpaste (I don't know why! I just think that sounds utterly beautiful.) And when they talk about Deanna Durbin and Little Women and Gone with the Wind. And then the romantic scenes are so beautiful. (Spoilers ahead) Because, yeah, ROBBIE. I love Robbie. I want Robbie. Even though I think young teenage romances are Rather Annoying in many books, I couldn't help it, I LOVED Adele and Robbie's romance. The Almost Kiss was UNFAIR. And their first kiss was described in such a beautiful saw - shy, and sweet, and perfect. Shhhh. I just love them and I ship them.
But then I strangely enough also like Pierre and Adele. I don't 'ship' them, but there's something. I like them much less than I did with Robbie and Adele, but still, they were a maybe-match. Pierre is so handsome, too. Not that looks help, of course, but the way the books describes him is Very handsome. Just saying. :-P (I didn't really like that they kissed, though. I thought it was a bit much, after Robbie.) It's very confusing, this love triangle.
And then the whole spy plot kept me reading and reading. As I said. This book sucks you in with immense force and speed and grip. It's scary and it's sad and it's beautiful. And it almost made me cry, for various reasons (like when Denise talked about her fiancé who died).
One thing that's a bit of a pity is the language. It's not half as bad as 'The Book Thief', but there are words I could've done without. But anyway. I LOVED it and I'm so glad I've got it in my possession! Thank you, Eva!
Beware. Capital letters ahead.
I LOVED THIS BOOK.
Emma recommended it to me, again. Yes, she does that a lot, recommending. She'll never stop. :-) But then I'm exactly the same on my part. (Because people, Emma hasn't read 'Rebecca' OR 'Daddy-Long-Legs' yet. T'is a scandal.)
THIS BOOK. GAH. I can't tell you how much I loved it and enjoyed it and hugged it and cooed over it and gushed over it. Every time, during the day I read this book in (yup, I read it in just a little more than one day), when one of my siblings came past the place where I was reading, I would say, 'OH THIS BOOK IS SO GOOD.' (And they would say, 'Yes, yes. You told me.')
This book is SO me. It's pinky and twinkly and deep and sweet and golden and fluttery and funny. Emma said I would LOVE it, and she knows me well. She was right. I LOVED it. I loved it the most of all the three books in this post, which says a lot, because I love all three. :-)
Right, now you've got the point, I can elaborate.
The book starts off with a simple description of Celia's face. Blonde hair and brown eyes. (I know. The picture on the cover I have has a girl with black hair. Why? (My seven-year-old-sister commented on how the girl on the cover looks like Jane Bennet in P&P95. I agreed immediately. What do you think?)) A girl who sews better than anyone else in the country, with a sassy face. How can you not like a book with such a character? She actually annoyed me sometimes, but I still just love Celia. :-)
I surprisingly enough liked Vivian Lacy a bunch. I expected her to be plain MEAN and podgy and deceitful, but she's not. I almost related to her sometimes. I have to say, I wouldn't like to be her dressmaker, though. She really IS difficult. :-)
Celia and Jimmy, a tall and lanky and ugly but very kind and happy guy, form a very adorable attachment during the first half of the book, and I 'shipped' them piously, like any good fangirl would, because seriously, I loved those two (even though I always felt *something* lacking, but I didn't quite know what.) Their New Year's Eve ball was my favourite bit to read (although not the part where it get's interrupted. That was a pity.) IT WAS DESCRIBED SO BEAUTIFULLY. Her deep red velvet dress! Her gold flower bracelets Jimmy gave her! Her emerald necklace! "She felt beautiful and she looked like a girl who feels beautiful." She danced and danced, while outside was raining and the raindrops looked like the reflection from women's jewellery on the windows. IT WAS GORGEOUS. I reread and reread the ball and dress-description paragraphs over and over again.
But then Luke comes. And I liked him too. The way his shimmering bewitching blue blue eyes are described - 'too beautiful for a man's face.' And the way he uses the Bible so much for messages. I just like him, but then I also dislike him and it's CONFUSING.
(Spoilers ahead!) When Jimmy died, I went and checked the last pages to see who on EARTH Celia would end up with. Luke, I read. No way, I said. I didn't want that to happen, but then, as I read on, I did. Because Luke and Celia are perfect together. They understand each other without talking. And the way Luke calls her 'sassyface' makes me grin. And the way they talk together when Celia realises she's pregnant. "Do you want a boy or a girl?" "I don't care. Except, Oh - I'd have such fun dressing a girl!"
Oh, this book was good. It reminded me of Gone with the Wind, but I dare say I thought it was better. (Nicer characters, that's it, I think.) I LOVED IT. I LOVED IT. It's seriously my new favourite book. Mwah.
The things I didn't like were the whole rabbit-bone stuff. They way they kept it in their pockets and rubbed it for 'good luck.' A bit weird. I also didn't really like the last chapter. The story was just so happy and then they had to put a sad light into it by making Celia think about Jimmy and all the things she used to have that the War took away from her.
But STILL. Buy it. Please, for it'll do you immense good. :-)
I read three amazing books. 'Dawn's Early Light' was the first one I read. Then I plunged into 'Violins of Autumn'. And then I finished off my holidays with 'Celia Garth.'
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Dawn's Early Light
I'm going to start with the negative points. Very pessimistic of me, I know, but one might as well start with it and get it over and done with. (Please, though, bear in mind that I LOVE this book and that I gave it five bright gold stars on Goodreads. The good stuff will be rambled over very shortly.)
The one-pence copy I bought from Amazon was very ugly (it's the copy shown here), very cheaply produced. The book was filled with typos - not even the typical ones, I mean ones like 'JuHan' instead of 'Julian' and random captial letters and stuff like '24876//' propped between words. This is cumbersome, people. (But then, that's not the fault of the book, of course, it's a fault of the copy.)
The one thing in the story I didn't like is the politics/historical detail/war attack stuff. There was a bit more of it than I wanted. I don't know much about the whole Tory-Tea-Indian-part-of-history, and I'm also not That dead interested in that part of history, so, being honest with ya, some of the bits where the men discuss politics bored me, and there was one chapter I skimmed because I wasn't interested. But that's all, and now comes the bright chirpy part of my review.
Okay. Where to start? This book is Amazing. I closed it with happy tears and I started it in fascination.
Elswyth Thane's writing style is beyond glorious. She writes so vividly, and so On Point. Like, the things her characters do and say are so natural and real. Seriously, I can SO see this book as a movie - I so desperately want there to be a movie. But even if there will never be a movie, that's okay, because this book is like watching a movie. You can smell the water when Julian stands on the ship. You can see the frothy dresses Regina and Dorothea wear; hear the swish. It's super vivid.
Julian, a twenty-one-year-old guy, handsome and loyal, is the main character of the book. I've realised I love books with male main characters when they're well-written. It's interesting to see male points of view. I didn't fall in love with Julian, I've got to say, but he Really is a great hero. (Notice the capital R.)
Now, let's talk about Tibby. SHE WAS MY FAVOURITE. (Minorly spoilers ahead. Just saying.) She was Adorable! I felt Soooo sorry for her though - poor thing; she get's beaten, she quietly falls in love with Julian who's ten years older than her, her mother and brother die, she has to struggle and fight to get an education (not that I thought she really needed one - the girl is million times smarter than I.) and she sees her hero Julian fall in love with the reckless Regina. I LOVED it when Julian bought her that pink frilly doll in the ball gown. I LOVED it when they said goobye in the moonlight and when Julian said 'You see, no-one cried when I left England' and promises Tibby he'll stay where she lives till he grows a long white beard. I LOVE it when Tibby goes and pretends she's Kit! (Seriously, that was the best part of the book, ever.) And THEIR LETTERS. When Julian starts it off with 'My darling Tibby.' And then Julian PROPOSES and I cry because Tibby finally has what she deserves, dear soul.
I shipped them so much. So much, that I just loathe Regina to bits.
I also liked Dorothea - straight-away, from her first letter to St John. In fact, I thought she'd end up with Julian in the beginning. Poor girl, though, that she ends up on her own. But still, I'm glad Julian had Tibby. So glad. I just love Tibby.
Thank you, Emma, for recommending this to me! You've got a good taste in books. Not that I've not noticed that before, haha.
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Violins of Autumn
First of all, is not the cover GORGEOUS?!! I can't get over it. (Although it's a pity the girl on the cover's wearing bright red lipstick, because the book mentions that Adele hates wearing lipstick. But never mind.) My copy is an old hard-cover library copy, but yet it's so gorgeous. I LOVE the purple violet sky. I love violet skies - I saw one yesterday and I'm obsessed with the beauty of violet sunsets.
The inside of the book is gorgeous too. A lovely font.
This book is like a TRAIN. Seriously. Once you open it and start to read, you're mesmerized, glued, inside, stuck. It starts with a parachute jump in the middle of an inky black night, for Pete's sake. I knew this was a book about a teenage WW2 German spy, so I knew it would be an exciting book, but man, I hadn't expected it to be This zooming exhilarating and exciting. I couldn't stop reading!!! It was so doggonned good.
First of all (haha, this is the second time I'm saying 'first of all.' How awkward.), the writing style. As a writer myself, I always notice it when a book is written well. Amy McAuley, I salute you cordially. The words you use chill me to the bone - the mesh of adjectives and adverbs you used to describe those high-action scenes made my heart beat. If I were wearing a hat, I would take it off for you. Well done. :-)
Adele, or Betty (I think of her as Adele, of course, just as I think of Denise as Denise, and most certainly not as Sarah), was a great adventurous spirit. She's terribly unlike me, and she would probably find me the most annoying little scardey-cat ever, but I love her to bits. She's a second Jo March, and she's brave and Does Things. She's also loyal and surprisingly romantic and super super clever. I wouldn't be able to do half of the things she does, suffice to say. (Also, Adele's hair is so pretty. The way it's described. Mah gosh.)
I loved Denise perhaps even more. She's a character one doesn't see often. She's a lipsticker, and a lover of jewellery and pretty new clothes, but yet she's super tough and adventurous and GOES for stuff. She's such a good friend, despite her flaws.
This book felt so beautiful, despite it being rather y'know exciting-sweaty-eeeeek-y-story-like. For instance, when Adele and Denise talked about the things they missed. They thought of oranges and chewing gum and toothpaste (I don't know why! I just think that sounds utterly beautiful.) And when they talk about Deanna Durbin and Little Women and Gone with the Wind. And then the romantic scenes are so beautiful. (Spoilers ahead) Because, yeah, ROBBIE. I love Robbie. I want Robbie. Even though I think young teenage romances are Rather Annoying in many books, I couldn't help it, I LOVED Adele and Robbie's romance. The Almost Kiss was UNFAIR. And their first kiss was described in such a beautiful saw - shy, and sweet, and perfect. Shhhh. I just love them and I ship them.
But then I strangely enough also like Pierre and Adele. I don't 'ship' them, but there's something. I like them much less than I did with Robbie and Adele, but still, they were a maybe-match. Pierre is so handsome, too. Not that looks help, of course, but the way the books describes him is Very handsome. Just saying. :-P (I didn't really like that they kissed, though. I thought it was a bit much, after Robbie.) It's very confusing, this love triangle.
And then the whole spy plot kept me reading and reading. As I said. This book sucks you in with immense force and speed and grip. It's scary and it's sad and it's beautiful. And it almost made me cry, for various reasons (like when Denise talked about her fiancé who died).
One thing that's a bit of a pity is the language. It's not half as bad as 'The Book Thief', but there are words I could've done without. But anyway. I LOVED it and I'm so glad I've got it in my possession! Thank you, Eva!
_________________________________________________
Celia Garth
I LOVED THIS BOOK.
Emma recommended it to me, again. Yes, she does that a lot, recommending. She'll never stop. :-) But then I'm exactly the same on my part. (Because people, Emma hasn't read 'Rebecca' OR 'Daddy-Long-Legs' yet. T'is a scandal.)
THIS BOOK. GAH. I can't tell you how much I loved it and enjoyed it and hugged it and cooed over it and gushed over it. Every time, during the day I read this book in (yup, I read it in just a little more than one day), when one of my siblings came past the place where I was reading, I would say, 'OH THIS BOOK IS SO GOOD.' (And they would say, 'Yes, yes. You told me.')
This book is SO me. It's pinky and twinkly and deep and sweet and golden and fluttery and funny. Emma said I would LOVE it, and she knows me well. She was right. I LOVED it. I loved it the most of all the three books in this post, which says a lot, because I love all three. :-)
Right, now you've got the point, I can elaborate.
The book starts off with a simple description of Celia's face. Blonde hair and brown eyes. (I know. The picture on the cover I have has a girl with black hair. Why? (My seven-year-old-sister commented on how the girl on the cover looks like Jane Bennet in P&P95. I agreed immediately. What do you think?)) A girl who sews better than anyone else in the country, with a sassy face. How can you not like a book with such a character? She actually annoyed me sometimes, but I still just love Celia. :-)
I surprisingly enough liked Vivian Lacy a bunch. I expected her to be plain MEAN and podgy and deceitful, but she's not. I almost related to her sometimes. I have to say, I wouldn't like to be her dressmaker, though. She really IS difficult. :-)
Celia and Jimmy, a tall and lanky and ugly but very kind and happy guy, form a very adorable attachment during the first half of the book, and I 'shipped' them piously, like any good fangirl would, because seriously, I loved those two (even though I always felt *something* lacking, but I didn't quite know what.) Their New Year's Eve ball was my favourite bit to read (although not the part where it get's interrupted. That was a pity.) IT WAS DESCRIBED SO BEAUTIFULLY. Her deep red velvet dress! Her gold flower bracelets Jimmy gave her! Her emerald necklace! "She felt beautiful and she looked like a girl who feels beautiful." She danced and danced, while outside was raining and the raindrops looked like the reflection from women's jewellery on the windows. IT WAS GORGEOUS. I reread and reread the ball and dress-description paragraphs over and over again.
But then Luke comes. And I liked him too. The way his shimmering bewitching blue blue eyes are described - 'too beautiful for a man's face.' And the way he uses the Bible so much for messages. I just like him, but then I also dislike him and it's CONFUSING.
(Spoilers ahead!) When Jimmy died, I went and checked the last pages to see who on EARTH Celia would end up with. Luke, I read. No way, I said. I didn't want that to happen, but then, as I read on, I did. Because Luke and Celia are perfect together. They understand each other without talking. And the way Luke calls her 'sassyface' makes me grin. And the way they talk together when Celia realises she's pregnant. "Do you want a boy or a girl?" "I don't care. Except, Oh - I'd have such fun dressing a girl!"
Oh, this book was good. It reminded me of Gone with the Wind, but I dare say I thought it was better. (Nicer characters, that's it, I think.) I LOVED IT. I LOVED IT. It's seriously my new favourite book. Mwah.
The things I didn't like were the whole rabbit-bone stuff. They way they kept it in their pockets and rubbed it for 'good luck.' A bit weird. I also didn't really like the last chapter. The story was just so happy and then they had to put a sad light into it by making Celia think about Jimmy and all the things she used to have that the War took away from her.
But STILL. Buy it. Please, for it'll do you immense good. :-)
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What books have you been enjoying lately?
Have you read these books? Let's talk.