A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki

"A time being is someone who lives in time, and that means you, and me, and every one of us who is, or was, or ever will be."

Here meet A Tale for the Time Being, aka one of my new favorite, heck I'll even go so far as to say life-changing, books that I'll be shoving in everyone's faces for the foreseeable future.  I finished reading it just as the late arriving spring of Northern Michigan begins to revitalize the earth and just like the change of season this book has helped to rejuvenate my own body, mind and soul. I haven't read Ozeki's previous works, but I've learned the gap between this novel and her first two was quite large and that it's been long awaited. With good reason too. A Tale for the Time Being is an unforgettable story.

A novelist's discovery of a Hello Kitty lunch box sets the story into motion when it appears on the Pacific shore of the remote Canadian island that Ruth calls home. The contents of which include the diary of troubled Japanese teenager, Nao, looking to end her life.

Within pages Ozeki reveals a haunting premise; a message in a bottle story line come to life - with kind, intelligent characters, fascinating history and thought provoking subjects that are easy digested and remembered, I was hooked. Nao's diary provided Ruth and the reader with a melancholy intimacy; being a teenager myself I've had difficulty relating to numerous characters who represent my age but her humorous perspective is surrounded by a heartbreaking narrative that makes other youthful heroines I've encountered pale in comparison.  Needless to say I quickly became emotionally vested in both she and Ruth's lives.

The progression of this story was tedious and methodical at first, the build up reminded me of what it might be like climbing switchback pathways - this reading cadence was not however tiresome, but calming and introspective. Ozeki explores, thoroughly I might add, a variety of themes in this book. The novel bridges the gap between fiction and fact so seamlessly; from Zen Buddhism, to physics, the French and Japanese languages, cultural history, tsunamis, war, and time itself. The informative nature of her writing style is what I think lead to an overwhelming sense of realism as well as what captured the fog that is the concept of time; past, future and the ever constant now. LOVED. 5/5 stars

In My Mailbox #3

In My Mailbox was created by The Story Siren in 2008.

I've been on a classics buying binge these past two weeks, so that's the focus of this In My Mailbox. 

The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkein: So this purchase might have been a little over-kill seeing that there are already three copies of this in the house, but I finally broke down and ordered the pocket 75th anniversary edition because it's too dang cute not to have in my possession.

The Epic of Gilgamesh by Anonymous: I've been reading up on ancient civilizations in this college textbook that I thrifted a few years back and part of the poem was featured and then it was mentioned again in a Crash Course video so when I saw this nice copy at Goodwill it came home with me. 

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez: I've had this on my to-reads list for a while and I finally spotted a used copy of it and added to my collection, hopefully I'll great around to reading it soon.

The Journals of Lewis and Clark: I can not express my excitement over this find! My dad found it on the top shelf in goodwill - which he knows I overlook sometimes and I'm so happy he saw it - this will most definitely be my next non-fiction year. 

The Magicians by Lev Grossman

One of my best friends read The Magicians last month and she loved it.  So when I stumbled across a scarily-probably-never-opened-copy at Goodwill I bought it. I was leery of the concept; having heard comments like "Harry Potter for adults" the novel's earnest praise was already leading me down the path of comparing it to books near to my heart and I feared the possibility of them being cheapened.  I decided to give it a try anyway.

Quentin Coldwater is a moody brainiac slumping along with his friends as they finish their last year of high school, begin applying to colleges and embark on life as full-fledged adults. But Quentin isn't interested in any of it; he pines for the adventures and magic of the world behind a childhood book series called Fillory and Further. If only it were real he'd be truly happy.  An invitation to attend Brakebills, a magical school, gives him that chance.

Maybe it was the intentional gray backdrop of the novel's beginning but  I drug my feet reading the first 200 pages. Looking back I realize it was somewhat essential to the plot, but it was almost depressing for the sake of being depressing.  I am extremely glad I pushed through the thick fog that surrounded Quentin and his friends. The second half of the novel was far more interesting, and the writing was overall far better than it's previous chapters.

References to the beloved worlds of C.S. Lewis, J.K. Rowling, and other cherished stories abound making for clever breaks in the intense plot, but they also felt oddly creepy like the author is secretly watching behind your shoulder; waiting to make sure you catch every reference. Be your own story for goodness sake! I love to think about the magical worlds I've previously, and still am, enchanted with but I had trouble getting completely lost in Fillory because of it's similarities to classic tales already told. That being said it is difficult to be completely original, and what The Magicians lacks in pure creativity is made up for with its hearkening for what most of its readers are already searching for in a story.

The Magicians covers the adult end of the "Harry Potter for adults" summation quite well. Quentin is a realistic, and flawed -almost unlikable - character, as are his friends and the activities they take part in.   Solutions to drown their sorrows include the typical usage of drugs, alcohol and hooking up that are prevalent in depictions of college life. We are complicated and depressed lets be stupid. I get it. I wasn't interested in that.  I was far more intrigued by the Fillory books themselves; the lore and creatures are what got me excited!

I think the fact that other reviews have given this book such high praise and authors have plugged if further to an easily taken audience the novel isn't as jaw-dropping as made out to seem. While I believe the wool might have been pulled over the rest of the world's eyes, and that fantasy readers have been convinced, rather than deciding for themselves, that they like this novel I still am interested in reading the next installment. I just hope The Magician King is comparable to the high urban fantasy that was uncovered in the end of this novel and that the trilogy realizes its potential to stand on its own. 3/5 stars

The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga

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A stark contrast to the often romanticized India, The White Tiger is an oddly compelling narrative that examines the layers of corruption in the "real India" starring an equally flawed protagonist. Entrepreneur and one time murdered Balram Halwai divulges how he came to leave the heart of India, or The Darkness as the author calls it, to become a driver for a wealthy family and eventually escape his servitude-driven life.

After being immersed in Balram's story for a time I'd anticipated growing fond of his character, however crooked his thoughts and actions were, but I faltered through the book without feeling compassion for a single character. I chuckled a few times at it's repetitive dark humor and while I enjoyed the poignancy of Adiga's criticisms at times I wasn't as impressed with the social commentary as I'd originally hoped to be. Having heard my mom recount her experiences in India, as well as a close friend's trip, I was already aware of the immense social gap and seedy underbelly of India's culture and government. Picking up this book I assumed the author's perspective would increase my understanding of this phenomenon but, sadly, it wasn't the case.

Not without bumps and slow moments in the plot The White Tiger was an interesting enough glimpse into modern day India. And after feeling like my entertainment scale could tip either way I ultimately decided what I did enjoy of this story outweighed my disappointment for what it lacked. 3/5 stars

In My Mailbox #2

In My Mailbox was created by The Story Siren in 2008.

I went thrifting today and scored a few goodies - a sweater and a hello kitty calendar were among the non-book items but I think the books still win the best finds of the day title. 

The Magicians by Lev Grossman: I've been hearing a lot about this and since one of my best friends read and loved it I'm really excited to read it and can't believe it was even at Goodwill in the first place, since it's so recent. 

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver: This is another one of those books I mainly bought to add it to my library, I know it's supposed to be one of those "you have to read it" novels so I grabbed it... hopefully I'll get to it soon. 

A Room with a View by E.M. Forster

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“It is fate that I am here,' George persisted, 'but you can call it Italy if it makes you less unhappy.” A forewarning to anyone reading this review, I'm writing this while still on a reading high. The following will most likely turn into a compilation of all my favorite quotes and incoherent fan-girling at any moment because A Room with a View quite possibly just knocked out my current top favorite book, which has held that title for FIVE YEARS! A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, you know I wouldn't do this to you unless it was a REALLY good book. So could you at least scooch over a tiny bit and get cozy with the idea of a 1st place tie from now on? You two can be buddies!

“This solitude oppressed her; she was accustomed to have her thoughts confirmed by others or, at all events, contradicted; it was too dreadful not to know whether she was thinking right or wrong.” I've seen the Merchant Ivory film twice before reading the book. And Howard's End. And A Passage to India. But I don't think it lessened my reading experience, although I do I try to abide by the "read it first" rule and you can too by visiting www.readit1st.com to be officially internet-approved reader of books before watching their movie versions. Even still, I think reading his books now makes it more enchanting, I can fully appreciate original stories and get excited about watching the movies all over again!

“But this time I'm not to blame; I want you to believe that. I simply slipped into those violets. No, I want to be really truthful. I am a little to blame. The sky, you know, was gold, and the ground all blue, and for a moment he looked like some one in a book.” Last spring I read my first of his novels, The Longest Journey, which wasn't made into a major motion picture, and thought it was amazing. On some level, I recognize that it's depth reaches much higher in prose and opinion than A Room with a View, but on another it's an entirely different story and I liked this one more... for the story is so rich yet shared through a simple elegance that makes my heart melt. Forster executes one of the best love stories I've ever laid my eyes on in such few pages and in my world less is always more.

“Life is easy to chronicle, but bewildering to practice.” It's the magic of travel, the wonder that is young love, philosophy, social classes, the characters. Boy, if you just scooped up the characters out of this book and put them anywhere else they'd steal the show. I love George. I love Freddie. I love Mr. Beebe. I can't get angry at any of them, not even Cecil. Each character is perfect. I can't get any more descriptive than that.

“It isn't possible to love and part. You will wish that it was. You can transmute love, ignore it, muddle it, but you can never pull it out of you. I know by experience that the poets are right: love is eternal.” This state of perpetual giddy hasn't left me since I finished the book at 12:30 AM. I can't pretend to be composed and write anymore. I have to go watch the movie and soak up this feeling as long as it wants to rest in my chest. 5/5 stars.

In My Mailbox #1

In My Mailbox was created by The Story Siren in 2008.

This is my first In My Mailbox post of, I am sure, many to come.  If you get me in Goodwill it's impossible for me to NOT walk out with at least one book.  This time the winning number was four.

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte: I haven't read it yet and I'm always on the look out for classics I don't yet own. It's going on the shelf to be read at later date.
The Hallowed Hunt by Lois McMaster Bujold:  Bujold is one of my favorite fantasy authors. Her Sharing Knife Series is one I hold near and dear to my heart so I had to grab it!
The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood: I have yet to read Margaret Atwood, and I recently put her name in my head for when I'm looking in thrift stores - this was my first find.
Gentlemen of the Road by Michael Chabon: I am going to read The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay this year, and thought I'd add another of his books to my collection. Plus there is a map in it!

On the Map by Simon Garfield

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In his latest bit of non-fiction New York Times Bestseller Just My Type author Simon Garfield turns to the world of cartography with On the Map.  I love maps. I love the places that they describe, the history they hold, all of it.  I haven't read a book with a map on the beginning pages that I didn't like so a book featuring maps ever few pages should easily exceed my theory's expectations, right?

The early chapters of this novel were absolutely fascinating.  Garfield explores the  history of maps with humor and ease. His chapters on the Mappa Mundi, the discovery of America, and Antarctica were by far my favorites and found I felt most engaged while reading the beginning of the book, which mostly covered the history of maps and, admittedly, was the aspect that drew me into reading it in the first place.  That being said, I was less impressed with the second half, detailing modern advancements in maps and at times featured quite a bit of info dumping.  There was a chapter on maps in movies, that was entertaining but not valuable or "mind-expanding", and an extremely boring section about the making of globes and the biggest map dealer in the world both of which I felt drug on forever.

On a whole, I enjoyed this book but I have one more bone to pick with Mr. Garfield concerning his decision to combine the stories of the Corps of Discovery with the grid mapping of Manhattan in one chapter. I was excited to read about the maps of Lewis and Clark's expedition and having their journey cut short as a precursor to the Manhattan mapping was kind of an "eh" moment for me, personally.

Other than that I think casual fans of maps who are interested in a broad history of cartography's origins will enjoy this book and find many of the anecdotal chapters to be insightful as well as the brief history of the digital map age to be an inspiring look into our mapping future! 3/5 stars

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

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After scanning through several reviews* I observed a running theme with statements from readers of Me Before You: "this is not a romance, this isn't chick lit, the valentine's-esque cover of the book is a false alarm," etc. All of which were high praises in this context and peaked my interest.  So after being on the fence, I was sufficiently left with the desire to actually read it. I still didn't know a. what the story was actually about. b. how impacting said story would be.

When the owner of local coffee shop, The Buttered Bun, decides to close up shop Louisa Clark's previously play-it-safe lifestyle is left in the balance.  So begins her hunt for a new job and an incredible journey for Lou, her new employer and the reader.

That's all I can say about the plot. Sharing any more would ruin this suspenseful,  thought-provoking, tearjerker of a heartfelt novel. Well, it would have for me if I'd known any more of this storyline's path anyway. Moyes covers a lot of ground in this novel.  Her characters, physical and emotional, flaws are melancholy yet inspiring.  She elegantly delves into a topic riddled with controversy, allowing the reader to truly examine both seemingly hopeless options at hand.  Dramatic, but without Hollywood glamour, this novel is a challenging story that will make you question your moral understanding of life. As other reviewers have previously nailed on the head, this is not a romance. But it is a story about love and the human spirit.  5/5 stars

*My potential reading choices are chosen by a quick, decisive process that I've honed to a science over the years. I skim and glaze over book jackets, reviews, and advanced praise to gather just enough info to decide if I'm interested in a book or not... If I know too much about the plot I'm immediately deterred to read it, so less is more when it comes to my enjoyment of a book.

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

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This is the first Vonnegut novel I’ve read. Originally published in 1969, Slaughterhouse-Five depicts a jumbled account of Billy Pilgrim’s life and the devastating firebombing of Dresden during WWII. You follow Billy through time and space as he encounters the best, and worst of life in a truly great modern classic.

Vonnegut’s writing style is simple, to the point, and oh-so rich. Billy’s story, aside from thoroughly entertaining me, left my mind swirling. Many speak of this novel as being on of the best pieces of anti-war literature - if not the best representation of Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome - but beyond the well delivered anti-war statement I was more impressed by Vonnegut’s insightful observations of life’s moments. Billy learns from the Tralfamadorians that this moment has already, and always, will be happening. That’s what I think will stick with me the longest. Great themes, characters, and ending. So it goes. 4/5 stars

Tag: The Book Collection

I wasn't actually tagged to do this but thegirlandherbooks recommended anyone doing it so I thought, "Why not!" The tag was created by booksforeverafter.

1. How many books do you own?
After counting the books visible on my shelves I got 262... but that does not include the numerous storage boxes and other crafty places I have squirreled books away in... to be on the safe side I'd double that number for 524.

2. How long has it taken to accumulate your collection?
Since I first started buying Baby-Sitter Club books for 50 cents in the bargain basement of my library. So about nine years.

3. How often do you buy books?
Whenever I see fit. I'm trying to be good right now and skip buying brand new, but get me near a thrift store and I'm bound to come out with a title or two.

4. What is the first book you remember buying?
Bookfairs in elementary school are great memories for me, I specifically remember getting Peter and the Star Catchers, I was so excited about it. And then I never read it. I was more in it for boasting the page count to friends at the time.

5. How do you arrange your books?
On my main bookcase I have series together, two shelves of classics, young adult pretty much on one shelf, hard cover fiction on another, big non-fiction/coffee table type books on the bottom with text books.. and then I have a bookshelf for just paperback fiction. ( Under my bed has become a mess of books as well and are not organized what so ever.)

6. What was the last book you purchased?
I just got The Fossil Hunter by Shelley Emling in the mail from Abebooks.com (Which by the way is my favorite online bookseller outside Amazon- ALWAYS check with them, same price or better than Amazon in a lot of cases)

5. What is the longest book you own?
Les Misérables by Victor Hugo with 1,462 pages

7. What is the shortest book you own?
Great American Short Stories by Edgar Allan Poe with 79 pages.

The Turtle-Girl from East Pukapuka by Cole Alpaugh

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Judge a book by its cover and The Girl From East Pukapuka is what I randomly decide is worth checking out from the New Fiction section at the library. Dr. Dolittle meets Lost? Heck yes!

When a tsumani hits the small island of East Pukapuka’s shore it simultaneously tips the first domino in a hilarious, off-beat chain of events. The sole-survivor of the natural disaster is 10-year-old, Butter, who finds safety on the back of a sea turtle until a salvage boat appears. Halfway around the world Dante Wheeler is involved in a near death ski accident which results in a sudden fascination with island life.

This is one of the strangest novels I’ve ever read. Unfortunately, the prose was a little lack-luster at times, I found the repetitive descriptions to be a drag, and occasionally after re-reading numerous sentences came to the conclusion that they just didn’t read right. Editorial issues aside, the cast of quirky characters and zany villains in Alpaugh’s second novel take you on quite the bizarre adventure at sea. The story ended up being much more warped than I ever anticipated but the crazy circumstances worked well enough. I got the biggest kick out of the Dumb and Dumber like pirate duo who’s idiotic plans kept me reading through to the end.

A flawed, but entertaining read, I was ultimately okay with just being along for a funny twist-of-fate journey. 3/5 stars.

The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson

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I’ve been meaning to read this since last year, so with little knowledge of the plot outside the obvious title info, I decided to make The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared my first listen through my Audible subscription.

Writing up a gist for this novel is hard to do when the title spells it out so plainly, but I’ll give it a go! Allan Karlsson, sick and tired of director Alice and her strict policies on meal times -which include the absence of Karlsson’s favorite alcoholic beverage - finds himself compelled to escape the nursing home minutes before his 100th birthday party is about to commence. What happens after is an outrageously timed story of humorous coincidence and crazy luck. But even more interesting are the jaw-dropping events that lead up to Karlsson’s latest adventure.

This story totally deserves the international bestseller title. With infectious characters and delightful dark humor Jonasson has brought a very unique telling of some of modern history’s darkest moments to the table. Karlsson’s a protagonist you can really stand behind, his ever-constant jovial perspective on life seeps into your head as you read - reading just a chapter easily turned a few of my own sour moods around! Through lies, deceit, and unbelievable outcomes of some of the stickiest situations imagined it’s odd that friendship, however short-lived on occasion, abounds in this story. Its appearance brought this hilarious tale, down-to-earth and let the best of human nature shine.

I don’t think I’d have enjoyed this book as much as I did if it weren’t for my digesting it in an audio form. The narrator did a marvelous job and the story unfolded so perfectly, it just felt like a story that needed to be read aloud. Highly entertaining and laugh-out loud funny. 4 out of 5 stars!

Awake by Dorianne Laux

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A few weeks ago my dad was listening to Garrison Keillor’s The Writer’s Almanac and he heard a poem by Dorianne Laux . After looking her up, I checked out her first collection of poetry, Awake, at the library.

I don’t often read modern poets, or classic poetry, to be honest. But reading more like Laux’s wouldn’t be be bad. It’s dark at times, I’ve heard her more recent poetry is on the lighter side, but her first poems are deeply personal and very much alive.

On the Back Porch was my favorite from the collection, funnily enough, it was also the one my dad heard on NPR… it perfectly showcased my love for simplicity in life, in this part especially:

I want to smell this rich soup, the air
around me going dark, as stars press
their simple shapes into the sky.
I want to stay on the back porch
while the world tilts
toward sleep, until what I love
misses me, and calls me in.

While I’d rather not read about the heavier topics in this collection, what was shared was chilling and well written. I’ll definitely be checking out more of her work in the future. 4/5 stars

The Reeducation of Cherry Truong by Amiee Phan

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On one of my many interweb travels for book recommendations this book caught my eye, I hadn’t read anything highlighting Vietnamese heritage and I thought I’d give it a go.

Spanning three generations, The Reeducation of Cherry Truong depicts one Vietnamese family’s escape from their homeland to seek a better life. Through letters and altering points of view - mainly focused on the women of the family, Phan slowly uncovers to the reader the many hardships of each family member in this family drama of lies and deceit.

Slow to start, I found this book to be very difficult to get immersed in. I was interested to see where the paths of this family went, from Vietnam to Malaysia and later France and America. The circumstances resulted in many characters’ unhappiness but I can’t help but feel like the abrupt, and choppy writing style added to my icky mood while reading. The overall tone of the novel was very stoic. Normally, I am a huge fan of multi-point of view stories, but here I felt the bouncing around didn’t bounce fast enough. Cherry, who in the title appears to be the main character, was overshadowed by her mean-spirited, elder relatives. I even debated putting it down but I’d already invested a week in the book so I managed to stick through to the end. The last quarter peaked my interest, but just as I was getting invested in the present day story-line  and finally learning more about Cherry as a character, the novel was coming to an end. Overall, disappointed. :( 2/5 stars.

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling

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Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? isn’t the kind of book I like to review, but love to read. If I were to be super-critical, I’d give this read a two out of five stars for the overall quick-fluffy-celebrity-weekend read feel you get. But I’m not going for super-critical in this review. Entertainment levels were high while I read; from page sixteen where a reference to Heathers, one of my all time favorite dark comedies, was made onward I was lost to fangirling for two days straight about everything this comedic woman stands for.

Kaling comes off as a genuine and (relatively) down-to-earth person. Her humorous writing and observations had me obnoxiously laughing out loud a few times, which is rare when I’m reading. Learning more about her role as writer, producer, etc. on The Office was awesome as was discovering we share a fear of bikes and athletics. (This is why I watch Netflix and read books.) The essay/list format of this book might be interpreted as sneaky way to up the page count with little significant content, but whatever! I personally love it and think that if you’re reading this, your goal was not to glean the meaning of the universe but to have fun and geek out to Kaling’s humble upcoming to a mega talent in the comedic world.

Kaling is funny, like really funny, and for that she gets me as one of her devoted, adoring fans, and 4/5 stars.

A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway

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My reading goal/resolution most years is simple: to read – hopefully more than I did the year before, but not to badger myself if it doesn’t happen. This year, I’ve given myself more of a focus, that being to concentrate on classic literature. I just finished reading A Moveable Feast as a part of that resolution and it’s the first book by Hemingway I’ve read (I want to read The Sun Also Rises this year too.)

I actually read The Paris Wife far in advance to picking up this book – wrong or right it made my venture interesting none-the-less and it was fun to relive the imagined perspective of Hadley while reading the real thing. Feast highlights Hemingway’s formidable years as a struggling writer in Paris; the memories of what he ate and drank, life with his first wife and son, and the infamous writers he came to know. I’ve been fascinated with The City of Lights from a young age, and by fascinated I mean that phase where everything with the Eiffel stamped on it was gorgeous. That phase is (thankfully!) over and I can truly appreciate experiencing Hemingway’s Paris of the 1920s through his brilliantly stripped writing-style; which was surprisingly rich.

I hate to dissect the books I read. I either enjoy them for their story or I don’t, contemplating their double and deeper meanings like in a classroom is unbearable for me. This is especially true with classics. Being fully immersed in a time and place I’ll never be able to experience firsthand, was wonderful. Reading about the food and drinks Hemingway enjoyed made my mouth water. Obtaining small, but poignant, glimpses into the lives of the artists who those Gertrude Stein thought of as a lost generation was inspiring.

Adding to my personal pleasure is the knowledge that I live in the area that was once Hemingway’s summer playground, and have walked along the banks where such a prolific writer once fished… it’s magical. 5/5 stars

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

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I first took notice of Dodie Smith’s 1948 classic, I Capture the Castle, because of a post on Rookie which actually recommended the movie version of the novel. (I planned to watch it right after I finished reading the book but Netflix Instant decided that wasn’t going to happen - I’ll let you know how I like it when I eventually get my hands on it.)

Anyway, I’ve had the book title logged away in my totally useless filing system that is my brain since April of last year - and even then it took a second glance at the familiar cover in the book section at Goodwill to realize what I’d stumbled across!

Cassandra Mortmain and her family have seen better days financially. Her father, a notable author, hasn’t published anything in years leaving them to sell most all their belongings at the castle in which they have a 40 year lease. Cassandra takes solstice in keeping a journal, capturing much of the bleak state of their lives until she begins detailing the event that spurs an unforgettable coming of age adventure: American brothers Simon and Neil Cotton arrive to take up their family’s estate. What unfolds is an often times comical and romantic drama that truly won over my heart in mere minutes of picking it up.

Dodie Smith does a marvelous job transporting you to the ruins of a castle on the English country side in the 1930s. Overall, the novel is charming and insightful; I found numerous of the remarks made to remain current, although being written over 60 years ago. The story is perfectly lovely, because reading it made me want to say things like “perfectly lovely” and stare off into space and just *feel* the things happening around me. The misty-romantic-air about Cassandra’s witty humor and observations swiftly carried me away and as I finished the book this morning I felt as though I was waking from a dream that was terribly difficult to let end.

I’m so glad I made this my first book of 2013, it’ll stand out in my memory all year (and for more to come, I’m sure!) for its heartfelt story, quirky characters and whimsical enigma, but most of all for Cassandra’s Anne-Shirley-like quality that makes me want to shout out with glee for one can not under-appreciate another (equally as enchanting) kindred spirit! 5/5 stars!