Three For The Price of One...

Oh my.  Seventeen days since my last post. I have three books to write about but I've been buried in an online Photoshop course for the past few weeks. It required more time than I expected and eventually something had to give. Something turned out to be the blog. Rather than skip these books altogether I'll just say a little bit about each of them in this one post.

A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L'Engle
It only took me fifty years to get around to reading this but when I finally did I loved it. The story centers around Meg Murray, daughter of two scientists, one of whom has been missing since he took part in a time travel experiment. Meg, her brother and friend meet three unusual women who help them locate Meg's dad on a far off world, traveling to distant planets and fighting strange creatures before they all arrive safely back home. There's mystery, fantasy, science, faith and all the usual ups and downs of growing up woven into this story. I liked it enough that I bought a copy of the 50th anniversary edition for my eleven year old grand-daughter. Hopefully, she'll love it too.

Back In 6 Years by Tony Robinson Smith    

This is the (true) story of a guy who set out to travel the world without leaving the surface of the planet, which basically meant cars, bikes, boats, trains and feet were acceptable forms of transportation and airplanes were not. The journey took him almost six years, and to be honest I thought it might take me that long to finish the book. I am usually a fan to travel writing but this one was not my thing at all. It chronicled the grittier parts of his adventure; I prefer the prettier parts. He talked in detail about the various horrors of his ocean crossings in small boats; I wanted to hear about the beautiful scenery he saw bicycling across Canada but that whole trip only got a couple of pages. He wrote a blood, sweat and tears adventure story that didn't appeal to my landscape, museum and architecture loving heart. Not my kind of adventure. I didn't like it, but I'm sure there are many who will find this a very good read.

 The Island by Victoria Hislop
Set in Greece, this is the story of an Island leper colony and the people who were taken from their families and sent there to live after receiving the diagnosis. Covering several generations, the story is told in flashbacks as a young American woman seeks to discover her family's history. It's a good story and an interesting subject, the first novel I've ever read that deals with this horrible and misunderstood disease. I didn't find the writing great, but it's pretty good for a first novel and the story is enough for me to give it a good recommendation.


So that's it - my feeble attempt to make up for neglecting these books. They deserve better but that's all they're getting while I'm living and breathing Photoshop. I should have a better handle on it soon, and then it's on to Christmas books, some new and some re-reads, but all of which I am anticipating for the quiet pleasure they bring in a season that is increasingly chaotic. I'll be back....sooner rather than later...I hope...