Buy the Letter

[Adeline Morior]

A - Animal Farm by George Orwell

I read this book first when I was around the age of fifteen. So a good sixteen years ago. I remember it was a very different type of book and quite intense to the point where there needed to be breaks to really take in what is being said and hinted to. It is not a book I was very enthusiastic to read nor finish. But I did and was quite relieved at that. I do not intend to pick it up ever again. It was a book suggested to be covered by the school I was at and it remains within my memory so it was a book that leaves an impact.

Although I thought it was an interesting idea and unique in its comparison to the characters and the way they behaved, it also kind of freaked me out showing some of the more animal behavior that I found unsettling at the least. I really disliked it and wanted to get it over with. Surprisingly to say , I still kept the books years later with the hope I could pick it up again and have a better feel but decided against it. Not to say it is not in the slightest a good read just because of my own young experience. I do think it is a book everyone should at the very least read once in their life.

[Adeline Morior]

H - The Host by Stephenie Meyer

This was one of those books that I really liked and was excited about. I don’t remember the exact amount of years back that I first read it but it was a good ten or so. I had gotten to know the author through the Twilight books and remember my one book version had The Host advertised within it. I thought it a very unique story and loved the way it flowed. It is a book I have re-read about two or so times and would pick it up again most definitely. It is in my opinion a wonderful story.

I remember being excited to read it and was immediately immersed within the story and this strange thing that was happening within the world. I remember feeling really empathetic and connecting to the idea of beings exploring the cosmos and in a way helping the world as it does. It had a good amount of frustration toward some of the choices made and I am happy to say I think it a good read to anyone, especially young and explorative, full of imaginative persons. I gained appreciation reading it multiple times and was sad when I had to depart with my book when I moved.

[Adeline Morior]

D - Dreamless by Josephine Angelini

So this is the second book in a three book part series called Starcrossed #1 and Goddess #3. This series was a happenstance as I was looking for something new to read at a bookstore and decided to pick up a random book. It was the first book in this series. I began to read it and immediately went back to the book store to buy the second and third before it closed. This is probably one of my top five favourite book series. I have probably read this book between a good seven to ten times and would pick it up again in a heartbeat.

This story is a story I absolutely love. I thought after reading the first book it couldn't get better and Dreamless proved me wrong because it got so much better. Best I can say is it has to do with Greek Mythology so it already has that allure to it and the progressing and plot twist just excites me so much. Even reading it as much as I did, I still enjoy every minute. I thought it was an extremely good idea and a twist on mythological stories we all already know and bringing it to a modern audience. The second book being a little darker than the first but really amps up the story. I definitely recommend it.

[Janne Halla]

The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger (D)

I saw the movie first, and I'm sure most people did. It's become a favourite of mine and a comfort watch. Everyone, especially Meryl Streep, was just amazing. When I was told that it was actually based on a book, I was shocked. I thought to myself, books are usually way better, so five or so years ago, I decided to give it a go and enjoy the story a little more.

I don't think I've ever been so disappointed in a book before. I think it's mostly because I saw the movie first and it set my expectations so, so high. If I've read the book before, I might feel different about it. I simply couldn't stand the main character (Andy) to the point that I almost didn't finish reading it. I was so frustrated with Andy in nearly all aspects of her life, her job, her haughty attitude, and how she treated those she cared about, most of all her boyfriend. They certainly mellowed out her character for the movie. It also helps we don't really get put into her shoes as much in the movie as in the book.

How do I feel about it now? I'm still disappointed, I suppose. I haven't reread it, nor do I feel particularly inclined to do it. Maybe I'd think about it differently now and if some kind of opportunity arises that would make me want to read the book again (like a reading challenge).

Apparently, this is a trilogy, so there are two more books after this. One continues Andy's story and another focuses on Emily, Miranda's chief assistant before Andy swoops in. I'm morbidly curious about it, so I might just (re)read the whole trilogy.

[Janne Halla]

Heidi by Johanna Spyri (H)

My childhood book! I remember I often reread the book several times a year after my grandmother read it to me for the first time. The story is about an orphan called Heidi, who after a series of unfortunate events, comes to live in the highland Alps with her grandfather. She gets offered the opportunity to go to Frankfurt, where she'll work for a very wealthy family keeping the company to a rich, but sick girl. During her time in the city, she realized just how much she misses home, her friend Peter, and of course, her grandfather.

I still love it now and I think I always will. I'm rereading it this week with some family members I'm taking care of and so far, they seem to love it. I'm amazed that for a story that's 140 years old, it still holds up so much in the modern time.

[Janne Halla]

Aesop's Fables by Aesop (A)

I've read this collection of fables when I was in primary school. Despite my liking reading, I've had trouble liking the assigned reads for classes, especially classics that I've often found boring and uninteresting. This collection was no different. I think I liked the concept of the fables, especially when they mentioned animals and the addition that explained the tale at the end. Didn't appreciate much of the discussion in class afterward and it soured me on the whole thing.

I picked this book on a whim during 2020 troubles, when I've had a lot more time to read books and dedicate myself to my hobbies. I've quite enjoyed it, though it was difficult to graps the stiltness of the text sometimes as my edition was written in a more archaic version of English, perhaps to simulate the ancient Greek. Still, it was a good read and I'm glad I gave it another chance.

[Prof. Tarma Amelia Black]

The first week of Buy the Letter is over!

We have people already participating and writing about new (to me) books! This is awesome; I'm planning on reading some of these, so thank you all. (No, there are some of them, especially the ones you write that you cannot get into, I might not plan on reading .... (except for you, Emily, and The Hobbit ...))

Now we start our second week of Buy the Letter, and we offer to you the letters C, L and R.

As you compose your reply, remember that what you write has 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'.

[Galena May]

C - The Chronicles of Narnia by Clive Staples Lewis (popularly known as C.S. Lewis).

The Chronicles of Narnia is a fantasy drama series, mostly for children and young teens. Four siblings are playing in a house belonging to an old Professor, who is a relation of their mother, because their parents are busy in war work. In the midst of a game of hide and seek, the youngest girl hides in a wardrobe with a back that is actually a portal to the magical realm of Narnia and is transported there. That is how they discover Narnia, the major setting of all the books, and where they get to rule the land, make decisions, and face challenges. They act like adults in Narnia, solving big problems, going to war, and adulting, with Aslan who is a mentor and guide in the form of a lion.

When I first read the book, I was probably just out of high school (I know, not young enough to be reading a children's fantasy series, but I also know it took my brain of that age to actually enjoy the book and read between the lines, and I am not embarassed at retaining the child within me. You can't truly be happy without retaining the basics of your childhood personality). The first book, The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe was so thrilling and enjoyable that I read all the books in order until I had finished the series. As for flaws, I thought it was largely a bit-over-the-top fantastical, and as I have remarked earlier, extremes of fantasy annoy me. But, under the cover of fantasy, there was more to see - there was the loneliness of four children who only had each other and their imagination for company in the real world, as opposed to the endless attention, friends, and enemies they had in Narnia, there was their craving to be involved with adults and to be respected like adults which came true in Narnia, there was their need to be respected for skills like archery and good kingship/queenship that hold no or less value in the real world but were immensely useful in Narnia, and there was their need to escape the monotony of the Professor's house. I have often thought if Narnia was really in their head - the kind of make-believe stories we enact when we are playing as little kids and Aslan perhaps a lion plushie. It would still take skilful, intense imagination to believe such a vivid, fantastical world, no matter how childish. In the last book, I remember reading that the oldest sibling stopped believing in Narnia, and it was said that she would never return to Narnia again because she had grown up and Narnia was only open to children, implying that one day, only the youngest would be able to enter Narnia and nobody else would believe him. Even back then, I saw a lot of pain below the drama unfolding in Narnia. The drama itself was albeit rife with life lessons about strategy, relationships, teamwork/sibling-bonding, the struggles of adulting (four children taking on the world in Narnia without parents), and a mentor in the form of Aslan (who I think represented divine help or God, for he turned up in unexpected ways exactly whenever he was absolutely needed). But, I also saw the other possibilities, such as the children feeling isolated in the real world due to their parents leaving them alone and working for the war, because of which they wished they could be treated like adults and be allowed to go to war with their parents like real adults, and perhaps this is what they constructed in their imagination to play together in the make-believe world of Narnia that they built together where they went to war like their parents and had no restrictions, only a chance to adult, lots of company, mentors, skills like archery and leadership that they excelled at, and of course each other. As a child, like most other children, I have been impatient to grow up and copy the adults and have often engaged in roleplay-adulting with my toys, which is why that is quite likely. And when we grow up, we simply stop believing in those childhood fantasies of adulting. The Chronicles of Narnia series reminded me with full force that it can be beneficial to retain our childhood power of imagining a desirably handsome reality, and, in the breakneck fast-paced world of today, the only way to stay sane is to retain some of the childhood innocence and the ability to enjoy without a care, that we once upon a time carried. Back then, I didn't know that the books had already been adapted into movies, but, even without knowing, I had thought to myself that those books would make great movie plots.

I haven't re-read the books since, but now, as an adult, I look back and think that my views of the books haven't changed. I will be honest and admit that I have forgotten a large part of the book series, but, in a gist, I still love the four capable children who ruled the lands of Narnia. Just like earlier, I somehow still hold a respect for Aslan that reading the book series naturally inspires in the reader, and still see Aslan as a representation of the divine orchestrator, the divine mentor and power that guides the protagonist towards their destiny. I also love that Aslan was a lion, because the lion is the king of the jungle, which makes Aslan even more fitting for the portrayal. I recently (a few months ago) heard about the screen adaptation of the book series on Netflix, and came across an article on google about the same. Of course, I read through, and noted how they said they had to increase the age of the protagonists to make the story more real. I initially felt a bit revolted at the idea of changing their age, but then I think I eventually agree that it's all right and perhaps will make the screenplay easier to see. I am eagerly waiting for the Netflix adaptation of the series to be released. I haven't watched the movies, which is a pity.

[Galena May]

L - Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Little Women was written by American novelist, Louisa May Alcott. It is about four sisters who must support and take care of each other from a very tender age, as they are very poor, live in a new neighborhood, and their father is out at war, far, far away from home. The novel follows the four sisters as they grow up and blossom, learning lessons about sibling relationships and being there for each other, get entangled in romances unfolding in their new neighborhood, come to terms with their different yet unique personalities, and make sacrifices for each other. The four sisters have different desires and different personalities, they are from the oldest to the youngest, vain, hot-headed and tomboyish, extremely shy, and materialistic, respectively. In the end, the story concludes with all of them being successful and getting their different heart's desires in some way, even gaining from their sacrifices.
When I first read it, I was around 12 years old. It was recommended to me as a known classic. I found it a bit long and difficult to finish. I approved of some of the sisters' personalities, and didn't approve of some. I particularly identified with Beth, because I was shy back then, but I was also confused if I identified more with Jo or Beth, because I also thought I was hot-headed and a tomboy. At times, I found Amy very practical and sane, and at times, I saw her as selfish and overly indulgent. I saw Meg as lady-like, but also realised that she was the oldest and thought lady-like behavior had something to do with age. As the novel progressed, I found myself more and more drawn to Jo, and I felt sorry for Jo, and by the end of the novel, I was very sure that I identified the most with Jo. I also loved the be-fitting ending that every character got at the conclusion of the novel, and smugly realized to my delight, that literally every type of personality and every type of desire has a place in the world where they are accepted and fit in.

I read Little Women again about 2-3 years later, and except for refreshing my memory and understanding the book better, there wasn't much change. Now, looking back, I actually want to re-read it and evaluate the personalities of the four sisters from a more non-judgemental standpoint. I no longer see as flaws, the traits that I saw as flaws back then. I simply realize that if I were to compare the four sisters in the story to real life people around me, there would be at least one exclusive counterpart for each of them. I see them as more normal and ordinary now, and very commonplace, as opposed to non-existent fictional characters in a book. I would love to pick it up again one day. Also, I hadn't taken the opportunity earlier to take a closer look at the setting of the book, the neighbourhood indicated and the notions of 'genteel society' in that era. I think that it would be a great idea to pick it up now and take note of the eccentricities of socialization and the cultural etiquette and behaviors that were normalized during that period.

[Galena May]

R - Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

"The Bard of Avon", William Shakespeare, was a recurring theme in all literary discussions in school and at home ever since I was a child. I knew him as an excellent world-famous author, poet, and playwright, who couldn't possibly be praised with mere words. It was, therefore, natural influence, that led me to buy this book instantly when I first saw it at the annual bookfair that I regularly visited. "Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare", I cried in a childish, excited voice, and leaped in the air, then clutched the book and took it straight to the billing counter at the front table, a bit disappointed at the uninterested expression of the bookseller at the stall, who was probably tired and bored of thousands of children like me coming and going all day. I remember this incident so vividly. I must have been in fifth grade, about 9 years old. I had read "A Midsummer Night's Dream" earlier, but could only vaguely understand the comic theme of the story and the basic plot of a comic mistake in identity and a love potion, because I found it very complicated and kept mixing up the characters in the story. "Romeo and Juliet", I knew, was a love story, about a feud between two powerful rival families, the Capulets and the Montagues, and their descendants Romeo and Juliet falling in love with each other despite the family rivalry. I didn't quite understand most of the squabbles and their causes, but I enjoyed the romantic theme that was going to be alluded to several times throughout my lifetime, but, I was very sad at the dark ending which, instead of noble and martyrIike , had an extremely sad effect upon me. I couldn't understand why death had to be the answer. The tragic end shook me.

When I was in 9th grade and 13 years old, Taylor Swift's song "Love Story" was sung by my female friends at a school function. It was all I heard because they kept singing it between class times. And, there came the allusions back again. I responded by immersing myself in it and re-reading Romeo and Juliet, this time as part of the entire book of short stories and plays by William Shakespeare. I found that the endless twists and complicated plots in Shakespeare's story had become more comprehensible, and I found the comic touches truly humorous. There was still a lot that it would take a literary expert to decipher, but the plots had become completely comprehensible. I made out that Shakespeare liked to create confusion in his stories by misleading his characters, to create comic twists in his stories. I also noticed the propensity of women disguising themselves as men for safety and causing a lot of the confusion in his plots. Some of the more notable ones that I remember are, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, The Merchant of Venice (I loved how the character Portia cleverly handled the lawsuit), Hamlet, King Lear, Othello, Julius Caesar (this was actually part of my English literature syllabus in ninth grade), and of course, Romeo and Juliet. The term "Romeo and Juliet" was so overhyped whenever anyone spoke of love, and is still so, that the romance lost its appeal save for being a classic piece of literature by a classic author. I found the story intriguing, and this time, the death in the end seemed a martyr-like noble act of love, that not only sealed proof of their eternal love and sacrifice for each other, but also left an example for the world how, old generational feuds can be more destructive than they seem and how self-sacrificing true love can be. It reinforced the importance of moving on from past generational conflicts and that true love is never materialistic but very detached from the world.

Looking back, I still agree about the destructiveness of holding on to old grudges and the importance of forgiving and moving on from the past. I feel bad for the dead lovers. At the same time, I also think if that kind of true love would realistically exist in the modern world, in which life is more precious than romance, and in which we are fighting hand and foot to simply feed ourselves and live. I think that it is more likely for a modern Romeo and Juliet to either attempt to move on or to more actively attempt to reconcile their families. I am intrigued by the poison on the lover's lips and the countless times Shakespeare alluded to poison in his stories. I still love the song by Taylor Swift, where she alludes to Romeo and Juliet as the classic pairing of love birds, separated by their seemingly villainous father who simply won't approve and won't let them meet. Thankfully, I have never had a classic Juliet moment in my life, because I have always been the rebel who would already go fishing for ample reasons beforehand, and would come prepared with my homework done to introduce my lovers, so that approval of my lovers was a necessity and not an option.

[Galena May]

C - The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde (putting in a second entry, because I just realised that the Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis in my previous entry is a series of many books of different names, not a single book)

The Canterville Ghost is a short horror story with a comic touch, written by Oscar Wilde, who is known for his impactful but humorous narration full of twists and his flawless portrayal of human emotions in his stories. It is about the ghost of a dead English nobleman who had killed his own wife when he lived, and severely haunts the mansion in which his descendants live, forcing his descendants to sell the estate to an American minister and his family. Being Americans, this minister and his large family are portrayed as far less superstitious and comically practical in response to the hauntings, which upsets the ghost himself due to their indifference and their extremely practical, even mischievous, responses to the ghost's almost theatrical attempts to scare them. This hurts the ghost's ego and eventually leads him to confide in the family's daughter, who is the only one in the family who sympathizes with the ghost. This book was actually part of my English literature syllabus in my eleventh grade. Being a Science stream student studying in an English-medium school in my eleventh grade, my curriculum was such that English was that insignificant additional subject which was compulsory to study and pass, but did not actually affect the final results to the same degree as my mainstream subjects. Our English syllabus in eleventh grade had two readers in literature, out of which we had the choice of any one to read throughout the year and self - analyze for a part of the English exam. The two readers at my time were The Hound of the Baskervilles and The Canterville Ghost. Both were rife with elements of superstition and horror, and the nostalgic feel of the British countryside. The only difference was that one was a detective mystery that ended with a practical and mundane explanation and the other a family drama that ended with at least partial acceptance of the existence of the supernatural. Needless to say, I picked the first, The Hound of the Baskervilles, to write in my exam, because I thought it was more detailed and therefore easier to write about because it had lesser elements that were outright fantastical and would require less analysis (only to be proved wrong when I realized later in adulthood that it was not merely a surface-level story, but had things between the lines that I had missed back then) and was also the more popular book as per the Muggle internet. But, being a creature with an uncanny deviation towards literature, I ended up buying both books and reading them both cover-to-cover to satisfy my voracious hunger for literature, and explained it away by saying that I needed to read both to choose the best option for me for better marks in my exam (which was comic in itself because no one in the Science stream studied Literature that seriously). Anyway, although I didn't pick The Canterville Ghost, I think that I would have missed out on Oscar Wilde's best short story in my opinion, had I not insisted upon reading it. I had read his others, including the popular The Last Leaf, and they were all intriguing and flawless portrayals of human emotion, but none were as comic as this one was despite being combined with a compelling gothic horror theme. I noticed how Oscar Wilde brought out the stark contrast between the hysterical and superstitious nature of traditional English country dwellers and the practical-minded, materialistic, and superficial Americans (as opposed to Arthur Conan Doyle pitching detective Sherlock Holmes against the superstitious side), but Oscar Wilde also neatly reconciled both viewpoints at the end of the story, somewhat like a compromise, instead of letting one side win. The horror in Wilde's story set in the Canterville estate, is the perfect Halloween read with the lights off or over a campfire, for those who want to celebrate Halloween but are um scared of ghosts, because this is comic at best and the ultimate satire at worst, neatly covering up the tragic horrors underneath. Mind you, the horrors exist, there is a gruesome murder, and the subsequent haunting, with the typical evil and malicious ghost orchestrating events that in any other narration would be spooky enough to scare the reader's wits out of them, but the narration in this story largely subdued the spook by providing the viewpoints of the American family who absolutely do not believe in ghosts and blatantly state that if such a thing as a ghost existed, they would love to put it up in their museum. I had thoroughly enjoyed the book, and found it a very entertaining read. It qualifies as a page - turner, because although it was my bedtime read, I found it difficult to put it away for the next day every night. I thoroughly enjoyed the family drama that unfolded and the love story of little Virginia, the daughter of the family, who is the most British member of their American family.

I re - read it only a few days ago, this Halloween, to serve as my Halloween celebration. It took 3 days of bedtime reading to complete. It refreshed my memory and I found it entertaining and comic all the same. I newly noticed that at some points of the story, the ghost seemed almost a material human in flesh and blood when he talked about "dying", "being scared", and of "catching a cold". The ghost also got scared himself, when a decoy spectre was set up to spook him out. All this led me to suspect if Oscar Wilde was trying to indicate that the ghost was actually living, though a very old man. The ghost describes his hauntings as "theatrical performances" and there are countless evidences of him actually getting ready to "stage" his haunting. Of course, in the end, he himself consents to leave the material world and is taken away in a hearse (and had he been really human, why would he consent to die?) , but that could also mean that he was very old and felt remorseful of the tragic effects of his hauntings after his dialogue with Virginia and therefore decided to end his own life. To support this, if he was a real ghost, why had his bones to be taken in a hearse and why was his skeleton found with only Virginia in a behind-the-scenes incident during which none except Virginia saw what actually happened? Had his descendants not buried his skeleton already, after his first death (the one which made him a ghost) , or, at least after he started haunting the mansion?

[River Fenwick]

C - Counting by 7's by Holly Goldberg Sloan

I believe a friend recommended this book a couple of years ago. It's a great book, with the main character being a 12-year-old girl named Willow, who, as you may guess from the title, found comfort in counting by 7's, almost obsessively. The story progresses with an overall theme of change and how a bad circumstance can result in change for the better.

This is a book I'd likely never want to reread, but not at all because it could have been better. For me, it's one of those books you know you can only read once to have that magical spark behind it. It was lovely while it lasted; it was almost bittersweet to finish.

[River Fenwick]

L - Looking for Alaska by John Green

Oh, where do we begin with this one? John Green always writes such excellent books, though they never fail to be utterly heartbreaking by the end of them. Looking for Alaska was no different, navigating the life of a teenager named Miles as he started at a new boarding school, leading to mischief and teenage negligence, having a tragic result. It's a captivating book, no matter how dark it may get, and it certainly makes me forget that it was John Green's first published book.

I still love this book, though I can only reread it so far into the book before putting it down, unable to subject myself to the darker parts of it. It doesn't help that I often attempt my rereading when I'm already feeling down, much like how we love to listen to sad music to reflect our emotions, and it just never ends up with a complete reading.

[Emily Spencer]

C-(The)Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart

The mighty Merlin, before he was such a grand wizard, was just a boy. Reviled by his maternal grandfather (and almost everyone else if truth be told), Merlin is the illegitimate child of the King’s daughter and a father she refuses to name. As the story progresses, Merlin not only learns more about his parentage, but begins to realize the potential of his own mystical powers as well.

The first time I read this book, I must have been about 11 years old. Obsessed with all things Arthurian, I absolutely adored this book. In fact, it was the first of a trilogy and I read those in record time, savoring each word and chapter. The magic was real, people!! It was the only book I had come across at that time to look beyond Merlin the Wizard and showcase Merlin the person. That really stuck with me.

How I feel about it now:

A few years ago, I read the book again as part of Slytherin’s Read-Along activity. I hate to admit this, but I was sadly disappointed that I did not seem to like it as much the second time around. Don’t get me wrong, the story was still the same and the characters just as compelling, but the writing itself felt ‘heavy’. The style felt bogged down on details (I don’t care what the horse looks like or how it was feeling) and the writing rather archaic and stiff, I really wanted to like it more than I did. Admittedly part of the turn-off may have been due to the time constraint of reading the book and running the activity, It felt more like a chore than an enjoyment. With that in mind, maybe I’ll give it another go one of these days.

[River Fenwick]

R - The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen

I can't recall when I read this book, so it's likely been a few years. It stuck with me since it was the first book I've ever read containing a main character who's an amputee. Jessica, a high schooler who loves to run, ends up having a tragic accident that crushed her leg, resulting in the leg getting amputated from the damage. It's a very inspiring book that details how much of one's life can change after such a life-altering event and how important a support system can be, with Jessica's dream being to run again after the accident (hence the title).

I'd love to reread this book since I've only read it once, and the exact details and plot are fuzzy to me, though I remember some parts. I regard it as a great book, though I certainly must reread it to say for sure after so long.

[Luna Ravenlong]

C-(The) Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon

I first read this book when I was 10 and it is probably my favourite book of all time. I loved reading about the main character Christopher trying to piece together the mystery of who killed his neighbours dog, and how Christopher would think about things differently as someone who’s neurodivergent. I am autistic (but undiagnosed at the time) and it was the first time I’d seen a main character have some of the same challenges I have. Reading about Christopher struggling to understand people’s facial expressions or getting extreme sensory overload in a busy place made me feel seen in a way I hadn’t before.

I think I have reread this book more than any other, and I still enjoy it every time. I still love the way the book is structured and how easy it makes it to get inside the main characters head and understand how his brain works. There are definitely elements of the book that I understand better as I’ve gotten older, particularly with Christopher’s parents. I still don’t completely agree with some of the choices they made, but I do to an extent understand why the did what they did.

[Emily Spencer]

L-(The) Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

I read this book about 5 years ago and it has really stuck with me. They actually made a movie based on the novel; I’ve yet to see that yet although it’s definitely on my ‘want to do’ list. It’s rather an unusual book, as the narrator/main subject of the story is actually dead. It tells the story of young Susie Simmons, whose murder was never actually solved. Susie is resolved not only to bring her killer to justice, but to help her family heal from the tragic ending of her life.

This book sounds rather depressing, doesn’t it? But, in reality, it isn’t that at all. It is full of hope and acceptance, and I found myself laughing at some of her memories, crying with the grief of her family, and raging with the unfairness of it all. It is definitely a ‘feels’ book, but the story is so well-crafted that by the end, the characters feel like old friends. This is definitely one of my favorite books to date.

How I feel about it now:
I’ve yet to go back and reread it, but I will say that I probably will at some point. Even though I know the outcome now, it wouldn’t diminish the story at all, in my opinion. It’s the best of both worlds for me, a thriller (she was murdered, after all), a book with great characterization, and a story that makes me smile despite the tragedy. Especially these days, I need all the smiles I can get!

My tentative plan of action is to reread the book and then watch the movie to compare. I wouldn’t mind seeing the characters brought to life; I just hope that the movie does the book justice. I have to see if the author wrote any other books and add them to my reading list; she is that good.

[Emily Spencer]

***TRIGGER WARNING-This book (and the subsequent movie) are rated PG-13, but be aware that there are several scenes of graphic violence and death.

R-Rose Red by Stephen King

I read this book many years ago and really enjoyed it despite myself. Think of it as Poltergeist with more character development. Basically the book is about a jealous house that is possessive of its inhabitants. Throw in vengeful ghosts, tragic deaths, and a curse that spans generations and you’ve got the general plot of the book. The main protagonist (and the person who started it all), Ellen Rimbauer, goes from tragic victim to avenging (and bitter) spirit. Written in a way that only Stephen King could, the chills stay with you long after the last page is read. Basically, even though I had trouble sleeping that night (and several nights after), it was well worth it.

How I feel about it now:

Anyone who knows me (waves to Tarma!) can attest to the fact that there is a part of me that is drawn to the macabre. It’s not my main genre by any means, and one that I usually do not let myself get to immersed in, but every now and then, I enjoy getting the adrenaline rush that comes with the genre.

With that in mind, I hadn’t thought about this book in awhile. I liken it to Criminal Minds, I sat through it once but honestly don’t know if I want to again. It was haunting and atmospheric, but a little darker than I would prefer at this time of my life. These days I try to go for ‘lighter’ books, though there is still that part of me that craves the other side of the coin. That isn’t to disparage the book at all, and I will probably go back and read it again in the future, but for personal reasons, that time is not now.

[Luna Ravenlong]

(The) Road by Cormac McCarthy

I can’t remember exactly when I read this book, but I think it was around 7/8 years ago. This was a very disturbing read, and I didn’t particularly enjoy it. It is a very well written book, but it is unrelenting grim, and there are some incredibly unsettling scenes in it. I do think it describes human nature very well, in what they’d have to do to survive such a bleak world- especially what a parent would do for their child.

I haven’t reread this, and won’t, but I think I’m glad I read it. It feels like the sort of book you should read once, even though it’s not an easy one. I do still occasionally think about this book, and what the characters faced and the depictions they had to make to survive an apocalyptic world.

[Prof. Tarma Amelia Black]

Our second week of Buy the Letter seemed to present more of a challenge, with those letters we offered, and yet lots of people had books with which to regale us!

In this, our third week of Buy the Letter, we offer to you the letters F, M and T.

Here are the 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'.

Happy hunting!