Buy the Letter

[River Fenwick]

J - James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

I read this when I was about 10 or 11 and found the story entertaining. This book was the first time I had to do a book vs. movie analysis for school, and it was eye-opening how much movies often don't do the books justice. The story revolves around a young boy named James and the magical peach that grew in his aunt's garden, giant enough for him to crawl inside. It was home to some critters, some more friendly than others.

I haven't reread the book since then, and I doubt I ever will. It's an excellent book for its age group, and Roald Dahl made some literary masterpieces for young minds. I don't have much more to say on the matter other than that, as it's been some time since I was in the targeted demographic of consumers for the book.

[Emily Spencer]

G-(The) Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

The book tells the story of Nobody Jenkins who was left at the local graveyard when he was a small infant. Taking pity on the baby, the denizens of the graveyard adopted him as their own and decided to raise him there. Nobody’s life was a happy one despite his surroundings, and he could see. And interact with the graveyard residents who were as ‘alive’ to him as you and I. Things went along happily for many years until tragedy stuck…Nobody Jenkins grew up.

I read this book about 5 years ago and was captivated from the very first word. Neil Gaiman’s stories are sometimes a bit too disquieting for my taste, I enjoyed this book immensely. In fact, I’ve read it several times and enjoyed every one of them. The story is light-hearted and whimsical, which is usually not my style at all, but this one somehow worked. Kudos to Mr. Gaiman for forcing me to broaden my horizons!

How I feel about it now:
I still love this book and would gladly (and probably will) read it again in the future. I see no reason why I wouldn’t enjoy it just as much today, Re-reading the book, as silly as it sounds, would be revisiting old friends. That is how captivating the characters are to me. And yes, at the end, I bawled like a baby and would probably still do the same, even though I am well prepared for it now. The story never gets old and the emotions run just as strong as it did the first time. In fact, they may even be stronger now, because I am so familiar with the characters and story. I can immerse myself in the narrative and not be bogged down by petty details.

If you’ve never read Gaiman, I would say this one is definitely worth taking the time to do so. I can’t guarantee that you will like all of his books (or maybe you will), but I’ve not yet met a person who doesn’t like The Graveyard Book.. If you decide to read it, feel free to drop me a PM and let me know how you liked it.

[Emily Spencer]

J-Jayne Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

I read this book many years ago as required by my high school Literature class. To be honest, I didn’t like it as much as Wuthering Heights by her sister Emily. That aside, it was still a rather enjoyable read, and it added to my growing love of Gothic Fiction.

As would be expected, our title character, namely Jayne Eyre is the central figure of the tale. It is Jayne’s life chronicles that we follow, from earliest of childhood when she became an orphan when her parents were struck with typhoid fever, right up to her employment by the mysterious Mr. Rochester to act as governess for his young daughter.

Again,anyone who knows me at all can attest that Emily and romance novels do not mix. Put it this way, I would rather read a whole bookshelf of Stephen King novels than one book based solely on romance. So naturally, it would fair to come to the conclusion that I hated this book. Surprisingly, that was not the case at all.

The book was so much more than just a ‘romance novel’. It was atmospheric, broody, alluring, and the ending had a twist that I honestly never saw coming. I was so glad that my teacher had insisted on this book for our reading assignment.

How I feel about it now:
I have not gone back and read the book, though it remains on my ‘want to’ list and I’m sure I’ll get around to it someday. I am a bit worried, after the whole Crystal Cave debacle, that I will be put off by the archaic language and writing style, and I pray that is not the case. Maybe it’s a bit of nostalgia on my part, but I don’t believe that it will hinder my enjoyment at all. Even knowing the ending does not diminish the book’s overall gothic, brooding tone, so I would imagine that I would like it just a much today.

[Emily Spencer]

O-(The) Once and Future King by T.H. White

The book tells the story of young Wart , aka Arthur, the future king of Camelot. Wart is a rather curious sort of boy, counted as worthless by his older brothers and father. The book itself is actually a series of books that chronicle Arthur’s entire life, from earliest childhood to death and everything in between. It is based loosely on Le Morte d'Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory. The Disney movie, The Sword and the Stone is heavily influenced by White’s telling of the tale.

From earliest childhood, I loved anything having to do with King Arthur,Merlin, and Camelot. I cannot even begin to tell you how many books I have read on the subject (both fiction and nonfiction) but this was probably the first. I would dare say that it is what got me started on my love affair with Camelot.

To be honest, I saw the movie when I was quite young. My mom loved the whole Arthurian saga as well, and was very excited about us watching the movie together. My mother and I had a rather tenuous relationship, so the chance at any bonding time with her was special to me. So in this case, I saw the movie before I read the book, even though now I prefer to read the book before watching the movie version of it. I absolutely fell in love with it, and even though I’m hardly a child anymore, the Disney version is still special to me.

Anyway, I must have been in 4th or 5th grade when I ran across this book in our school library. I could scarcely contain my excitement as I started to read; it was telling the story of one of my favorite movies ever! As is usually the case, the book was much more enjoyable than the movie itself, and I think I read it from cover to cover in a matter of days. Thank you Disney and Mom for introducing me to the wonderful world of Merlin and Camelot!

How I feel about it now:

Don’t get me wrong, the book will always have a special place in my heart, and I’ve reread it a couple of times since then, the latest being about 10 years or so ago. I still enjoy it, but I find that I much prefer the grittier versions of the Arthurian tale now rather than the whimsical ones. Somehow boys turning into fish and birds does not hold the same appeal as something ‘darker’ or more ‘realistic’ like The Pendragon Cycle Series by Stephen Lawhead. That is not to say that I don’t like White’s version, but I think part of the fondness for it comes less from the subject matter now and more of the nostalgic and very special time spent with my mother that started it all.

I don’t know if I will read the book again; I have no immediate plans to do so, but one of these days fancy might strike and I will get lost once again in the magic. I have, Incidentally, kept the tradition alive with my own daughter. We watched the movie together many times since she was very young, and she is now reading the book on her own. Okay, now I’m getting very sentimental so yes, if you need me , I will be at the library…reading this book.

[Adeline Morior]

G - Ghostgirl by Tonya Hurley

This was a story I really liked when I was a teenager. I read this sometime during my High school years. I had a very nice hardcover copy of each. Ghostgirl being #1 followed by Homecoming #2 and Lovesick #3. Owning all three in the beautifully designed hardcover copies. I was very enthusiastic about it and found it to be a very cute typical teenage girl story with a twist.

I would probably read it again but wouldn’t feel about it as I did then since it does have pretty much a lot of teenager “clichés” in the story. I would however recommend it to any teenager or young adult if looking for a typical high school story with a twist. As I have read many more stories later on, I wouldn’t say it is the best written but I still think it is a cute story for a younger audience. Lovesick #3 being more toward young adult and a bit darker.

[Luna Ravenlong]

G-Gridlock by Ben Elton

I first read this book when I was about 15, and found it really both very funny and quite shocking. I think the characters are very well written, but almost caricatures of the types of people they’re meant to represent, which made some of the more outlandish parts of the book seem less unrealistic. The writing is very witty, which I enjoyed a lot. Some of the language used about the disabled characters does come across as pretty offensive, but I think it’s necessary for the points the book is trying to make. The ending does come out of nowhere, and probably isn’t the one you want, but I think that was really the only way it could end up.

I’ve read it a few times since (most recently a couple of weeks ago) and still enjoy the book, but there is a level of…maybe exasperation that comes with reading it now, as so many issues raised in the book are still problems now (more than 30 years after it was first published). The way people with physical/speech disabilities are seen as “lesser”, the traffic issues of big cities, and the political “posturing” that occurs are all still revel at today. I still laugh along with it though, and I think respect the author choosing to end the way he did more now.

[Luna Ravenlong]

J-Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby

I first read this book when I was 16, very soon after it was published as I’m a big fan of the author. I did enjoy it, but not to the same extent as other books by the same author. I think the three main characters were well written, and liked the swapping viewpoints of them, especially where it was covering the same event. I also liked the idea of sort of “ gate keeping” a fandom, and the dismissal of the views of people how haven’t “studied” the artist enough. Especially the debate between two main characters about whether the 20 plus year wait for the album that gives the book its title was worth it or not. But I struggled a bit the first time I read it, as I didn’t really connect to the characters.

I’ve come back to this book a couple of time, but not as much as other Nick Hornby novels. However, I read it again this week, and really had a different experience this time. I think, now 15 years since I first read it, I finally understand the main theme of this, which is about wasted life. All three of the main characters question whether they’ve just drifted through their prime adult years, and have a crisis about mistakes they’ve made. As a proper adult now, I can relate to this much more strongly than I could as a teenager.

[Luna Ravenlong]

O-(the) Outsider by Albert Camus

I read this book about a decade ago, in my early twenties and despite being very short, I thought it was an incredibly challenging read. The author does an incredible job of telling this story in so few pages, creating a character that I found very difficult to fully understand. At the time, I thought the main idea of the book was about the pointlessness of life, and that the whole universe is meaningless.

I haven’t ever reread this book, but I do still think about it (and I likely will reread soon). As I’ve reflected on it, I think it maybe isn’t as deep as it wants to be, and is possibly trying a bit hard? I’d need to reread though to be sure. However, I have rethought what I think the main idea of the is book is-what it means to be human and how people can be treated when they don’t “react the right way” to upsetting events. Meursalt is treating harshly by some (especially in the second part of the book) because he doesn’t seem to outwardly display emotion. Although, he does at times come across as an unreliable narrator too.

(I know this book is often published with the title “the Stranger”, but this is the title the UK uses and the one I own)

[Prof. Tarma Amelia Black]

We've had four weeks of Buy the Letter and commence into our second half, and fifth week, of our activity.

Your challenge for this week is to find books that you've read whose names begin with E, I and V.

Most likely, you all are aware of the drill but here it is ... again. Here are reminders of 'what to do' and 'with what', as you proceed to find your books:

What you write will have two distinct parts:
First you write about the book, sort of like a book review, but you are telling us what it was like when you read it. Did you like it? Was it something about which you had great enthusiasm or was it something that you finished and never intended to pick it up again ever? When did you read this book? A year ago? Ten years ago? Last week?
Second - write how you feel about the book now. Do you have a different opinion of it? Have you since re-read the book, perhaps several times, and gaining appreciation of it each time? Or do you wish you'd never read it?

The minimum number of words, total, for the first and second parts, is 100 words (excluding the name of the book and the author). You are welcome to write more, of course.

Also, please remember to make sure that the books of which you write are HOL appropriate. As stated in our introductory post -- "Ideally, you should be posting about things that are suitable for even our younger members to read (the later Harry Potter Books are generally a good guide for the level of threat, language, and violence that is advisable)." Even if your book meets the 'appropriateness guide for younger members' of HOL, if you believe your book tackles darker or emotional themes then please include a disclaimer so that everyone can make an informed choice.

Remember, you have 6 to 7 days to write your reviews and then we will be giving you the next set of 'letters to buy'.

Enjoy!

[River Fenwick]

E - Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan

I was around 11 when I first read this book for school. It's about a young girl named Esperanza who is living in Mexico during the 1920s and is used to a lavish life due to being the only child of a wealthy landowner, sheltered and therefore naive about the events around the world. However, one day, her father doesn't return from work and is later found murdered by bandits, which then throws her life into disarray as she has to learn to navigate life under new circumstances. I wasn't very interested in the book at the very beginning, but I eventually got more into the book as it progressed, which led to it leaving an imprint on my brain.

I haven't reread the book, but I realize I probably should as I reflect on it. It's a well-written book that captures having to roll with the cards you're dealt and trying to make the most of it despite it possibly not being the life you were expecting or used to. The book helped put things into perspective for me, which helped form my ideologies today.

[River Fenwick]

I - If I Stay by Gayle Forman

I read this book when I was in my mid-teens. It's the first half of the book series. It's about a teenager named Mia who is immensely talented at playing the cello, and she dreams of attending Julliard. However, she and the rest of her family get into a horrific accident, which leaves Mia in a coma. The book proceeds as an out-of-body experience for her as she tries to make the tough decision of waking up from her coma or not. This book was detrimental to me at the time, making it a challenging read.

I still feel like the book is devastating, though I could probably read it a bit easier now that I know what will happen. I believe the book to be so hard-hitting because it's the vulnerability of the teenage mind through a traumatic event. After reading the book, I watched the movie, which didn't feel quite right or as emotional as the book was, which only made me realize how much more authentic the book feels when reading it.

[Emily Spencer]

E-Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

This is the second book in the Twilight saga which continues the story of star-crossed lovers Bella, Edward, and Jacob. A new common enemy briefly unites the vampire and werewolf clans, but there remains a healthy dose of animosity between the two camps, influenced heavily by Bella’s wavering affections between the vampire Edward and the werewolf, Jacob Black.

I read this book when it first came out, roughly 17 years ago. I must admit that I was “Camp Edward” all the way and, at the time, (even though I cringe even saying this now) was enamored of the series. Even though I usually despised ‘romance’ books, there were enough supernatural elements to keep me interested. Besides, I equated Edward Cullen as a vampiric version of Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights, which was (and still is) one of my favorite books ever.

How I feel about it now:
Both my literary preference and social awareness have changed a lot since then. Looking back, I cannot believe I was so enamored with this poorly written (my opinion only) series of books, nor that I could not see how mentally abusive of a character Edward Cullen truly was. This was one of the few times I got sept away by popular opinion, but I am not the same girl I was back then. Life’s experiences have changed me, plus age has made me a bit wiser, or so I would like to believe.

I actually tried to read the books again a few years ago, and just couldn’t force myself to do it. I wanted to give them a fair chance, but in the end, I just couldn’t do it. As a grammar nerd, I couldn’t overlook the poor writing (again, my opinion only) and the story was not strong enough to keep my interest. Needless to say, I have no plans to ever read this series again, as I doubt that my feelings would be different from the last time I made such an endeavor.

[Emily Spencer]

I-Into the Forest by Jean Hegland

*****Warning-Some adult themes/scenes including mention of a rape*****

Set in a dystopian future,the book follows the lives of two sisters, Nell and Eva who have enjoyed a very unconventional upbringing in their remote house in the forest. When disaster strikes and both parents end up dead, the girls are forced to grow up and contend with their growing myriad of problems. No electricity, dwindling food supplies, lurking danger in the nearby woods, and divided loyalties test their mettle to the breaking point.

I first read this book about 3 years ago and enjoyed it quite a bit. Of course, dystopian is one of my favorite genres, so I was pretty sure that I would like it even before I started to read it. I was right! It’s a very atmospheric story and the writer’s way of wording things makes you actually feel the oppression and despair of the characters. At least it did for me.

How I feel about it now:

The timing of this challenge is rather fortuitous as I just read it for the second time a few days ago. And no, Tarma, I didn’t do it just for the challenge (lol). For whatever reason I was going through the books on my Kindle and this one caught my eye. I remembered enjoying it but had forgotten some of the finer details, so I figured it was worth a go again. Let me tell you; it was every bit as good as I remembered! If you like dystopian novels with a ‘gothic’ feel than I strongly urge you to give it a try.

Granted, some of the elements of surprise were no longer there, as I knew the eventual outcome, but the same atmosphere and tension were the same. About the only thing negative I can say about my 2nd experience reading the book was disappointment in the ending. It was rather an odd stopping point and given the story, felt a bit ‘fairy tale’ to me. That aside, at some time in the future; I will probably read it again in the future.

[Emily Spencer]

*****Warning-Some adult language
V-Vox by Christina Dalcher

Set in a dystopian (go figure) United States, the story follows along the same lines as The Handmaid’s Tale, as the government launches a campaign to silence the female portion of the population (literally). Women are not allowed to hold jobs, girls are not taught to read and write, and perhaps worst of all, all females are permitted (from birth) to only speak 100 words a day. The punishment for breaking this rule is cruel, further infractions may ultimately lead to death. Women had no choice but to accept their fate…save one who decided to fight back or die trying.

I can’t express enough how much I loved this book. Seriously, it was well-written, had an easy flow, and the characters totally relatable. As a reader, the story intrigued me, and as a woman, I went through a myriad of emotions. I laughed, I cried, I raged, and held my breath with anticipation. Their story became my story, if that makes any sense at all.

How I feel about it now:
I don’t think it’s any surprise that I say with all certainty that I would still like this book today. I’ve read other books by the author, incidentally, and loved all of them as well. Given today’s world that we live in, books like Vox begin to seem frightened realistic. Please note, I am not saying that this is the future of America, just that it is not impossible that it would not be, either. But the future of the United States aside, the story was just that darned good. It was a roller coaster of emotions and a definite adrenaline rush; a heady combination for sure. There are very few books that leave me with such lingering feelings that seem all too real. Even writing about it was enough to evoke those dormant feelings, and I will definitely be reading this one again soon.

[River Fenwick]

WARNING: This book contains adult themes

V - The Vacationers by Emma Straub

I want to say I was around 16 when I first read the book. It's about some family and friends going on vacation to Spain to celebrate Sylvia's graduation from high school. The plot revolves around the trip, with some unfavorable things coming to light in the different relationships, causing tension during their stay. After reading it, I found myself disappointed in the writing. It felt far too short and very little detail-oriented.

I have an even worse opinion of the book than when I first read it. The characters are genuinely lacking, with too many to be detailed in throughout the book. The plot followed some stereotypical situations, which I'm not a fan of, and the plot gets incredibly predictable after a while. It's far too jampacked and fast-paced for what I believe the author was trying to achieve in the book, and I wouldn't recommend it nor reread it myself.