Hello! It's a Happy Labor Day (or Labour Day, as our friends to the north say) posting from Reading Rambo! Did you forget the blog was called that? Because to be honest, I do sometimes. But I guess I tend to think of my blogging compatriots by their blog titles, so maybe right now you're looking at me like you have no idea what I'm talking about.
Right then! In honor of today, I finished a book. Yes, a book. The Mysterious Benedict Society. And OH, what a journey it was. An awesome, awesome journey, with illustrations by Carson Ellis of Decemberists fame.
I possibly laughed. I know I cried, because I am an emotional mess today (turns out it wasn't allergies, but rather a pernicious cold, which I am still battling), and I pretty much all-around loved it.
Those who are my friends on Goodreads, don't hate on me for using the same review in both places. In this one, you get bonus stuff! (see above) So it all turns out well in the end.
So there's children's lit and there's children's lit, by which I mean there's somewhat enjoyable children's lit like The Hunger Games (haven't read, doesn't matter) and Spiderwick and others, and then there's a certain tongue-in-cheek, knowledgeable, kind to and understanding of children style that almost inevitably makes me tear up at some point in the book.
Most of A Series of Unfortunate Events has that tone (kind of fouled it up after book 9), and Mysterious Benedict Society has it.
Basically, it's a group of four parentless children brought together by a Mr Benedict, who needs them to investigate some mysterious happenings on an island. And it's amazing and wonderful if you're not one of the unfortunate adults who deems well-written children's lit to be below their reading standards. No, no, go read your shitty adult vampire book. I totally understand.
One of the things that can be great about children's lit is that the author can write extremely well but not have some agenda to "prove" himself, which is what can make adult books disgustingly pretentious. Trenton Lee Stewart uses relatively simple prose, but he's a great writer. I was invested in all the characters, and I fully plan on reading the other two in the series.
Most of A Series of Unfortunate Events has that tone (kind of fouled it up after book 9), and Mysterious Benedict Society has it.
Basically, it's a group of four parentless children brought together by a Mr Benedict, who needs them to investigate some mysterious happenings on an island. And it's amazing and wonderful if you're not one of the unfortunate adults who deems well-written children's lit to be below their reading standards. No, no, go read your shitty adult vampire book. I totally understand.
One of the things that can be great about children's lit is that the author can write extremely well but not have some agenda to "prove" himself, which is what can make adult books disgustingly pretentious. Trenton Lee Stewart uses relatively simple prose, but he's a great writer. I was invested in all the characters, and I fully plan on reading the other two in the series.
*wipes sweat off brow* Ah, reviewing! You take it out of me. And now I'm off to revel in eating leftover Thai food and possibly to watch Gilmore Girls which — quick digression — I'd never ever seen before today, but I had a dream last night that I told someone I'd never seen an episode of it and they pitched a fit (this has happened IRL on numerous occasions). So I downloaded the first episode and was HIGHLY PERTURBED to find that I really liked it. Damn you, you likable Gilmore women.
Have a splendid Labor Day all, and those of you overseas, you probably get way more vacation time than we do, so I'm not even going to BEGIN to feel sorry for you.
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