2015 Reading Challenge: Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator

2015 Reading Challenge: A book from my childhood

Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator

Roald Dahl

159 pages

CHARACTERS:

Charlie Bucket

Willy Wonka

Grandpa Joe

Mr. & Mrs. Bucket

Grandma Josephine

Grandpa George

Grandma Georgina

Charlie and company fly around in Willy Wonka's glass elevator after Charlie's tour through the chocolate factory. They end up in space at the Space Hotel, U.S.A. where they meet some strange creatures and help the crew for the hotel escape back to earth. 

Then they end up back at Wonka's chocolate factory, which is now actually Charlie's chocolate factory. There they have some adventures with the three old people still sitting in the big bed they've taken everywhere. They make it through the minor scrapes that prevail and end up with a happy ending. 

Hurray!

I chose this book because my third grade teacher read it to our class. When I found it on my parents' bookshelf at home, I knew I had to read it again. Of course, reading it when I was 8 is very different from reading it as an adult. Although, I remembered a good portion of the book, I thought it was longer and more detailed. I guess that means my imagination took over for the most part. 

It was a really quick and easy read, much like Matilda was, and I enjoyed it. It took me back to my childhood. I would recommend it to those with younger kids to read as long as they know the story of Willy Wonka and his chocolate factory because this is the sequel to that story. 

Two thumbs up! 

Yours, 

Chuck 

2015 Reading Challenge: Veronic Mars Mr. Kiss and Tell

2015 Reading Challenge: a book based on or turned into a TV show

Veronica Mars: Mr. Kiss and Tell

Rob Thomas & Jennifer Graham
330 pages

CHARACTERS:
Veronica Mars
Logan Echolls
Keith Mars
Cliff McCormack
Eli "Weevil" Navarro
Leo D'Amato
Mac

The book in which Veronica sets out to solve a case about a rapist... again.

Veronica Mars is recently returned to the private investigating scene and involved again in the seedy underbelly of Neptune, California. So the case: some girl was found in a field nearly dead and raped. Who did it and how did she get there? The hotel that the girl was staying at approaches Veronica about an insurance thing and that gets her started on the case.

Meanwhile, Eli "Weevil" Navarro sues the Neptune Sheriff's office for planting evidence on him and causing him to lose his business and his family in all the legal proceedings. The corrupted Sheriff's department isn't liking all the heat they're getting from the press and the people. This is just an undercurrent to the rather boring rape case that Veronica is dealing with.

In the end, Veronica gets her man in a quite anti-climatic way with the help of some old friends. I mean, I know that real life isn't always narrow escapes and explosions and all that jazz, but it's a book meant for entertainment. I want something exciting to read. And again, another rapist. Isn't this the third one in the Veronica Mars franchise?

It has a happy ending of sorts and the authors (Rob Thomas being the original creator of Veronica Mars) do a really great job at staying true to the characters from the TV show. The dialogue is very spot on. However, I have a couple of reasons why I wouldn't recommend this for others to read. One big one being the unnecessary use of bad language. I may just be in a little Mormon girl bubble or something but honestly, do "regular" people really use the f-word for no good reason in the middle of a normal conversation? Good grief, it's irritating to read. Also, as I mention before, it's quite anti-climatic. It just wasn't an interesting case. I wasn't emotionally involved with the victim or the villain or really even Veronica. It was simply disappointing.

My recommendation: go watch the TV series and the movie that came out last year. It's more interesting. And you get to see this guy:

And that makes it totally worth your time. 

Yours,

Chuck

2015 Reading Challenge: Lord of the Rings The Fellowship of the Ring

2015 Reading Challenge: A Trilogy

Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
J.R.R. Tolkien
458 pages

CHARACTERS:
Frodo Baggins (hobbit)
Sam Gamgee (hobbit)
Merry (hobbit)
Pippin (hobbit)
Gandalf the Grey (wizard)
Aragorn/Strider (man)
Gimli (dwarf)
Legolas (elf)
Borimir (man)

We again enter the world of Hobbits and the Shire in the next story by J.R.R. Tolkien. Meet Frodo Baggins, the sort-of nephew of Bilbo Baggins from The Hobbit. After Bilbo leaves the Shire, Frodo becomes the keeper of a mysterious and magical ring. It turns out the ring is evil. It belongs to Sauron... the evil eye guy. Who forged it a long time ago and did some really bad stuff and made other people do bad things too. So... he's a bad guy.

Frodo must leave the Shire with the ring so that the Shire and the ring can be kept safe from Sauron. On his journey, he meets many exciting people from elves, dwarves, Tom Bombadil, evil trees. After a council with a variety of people, Frodo becomes the official ring-bearer and the Fellowship is formed with four Hobbits, one wizard, two men, a dwarf, and an elf. The journey begins. It is fraught with peril. Orcs, terrible fire creature things inside the mountains, more orcs, hypothermia (not in that order either). But they press on and we are left at the end, nowhere near a conclusion.

I like the book and I find the characters very interesting. However, my biggest complaint is that sometimes the author takes an entire paragraph long sentence to describe... a hill. And the songs/poems that are sprinkled throughout the text are long and truthfully,  I skipped them a lot. But his use of language is beautiful and quite refreshing to read after the dull drudgery of language found today. I'm excited to read the remainder of the trilogy.

2015 Reading Challenge: Matilda

2015 Reading Challenge: A book with magic

Matilda
Roald Dahl
240 Pages

CHARACTERS:
Matilda
Mr. & Mrs. Wormwood
Miss Honey
Miss Trunchbull
Lavendar

Matilda is born into a pretty crummy family. She's a genius and teaches herself to read as a young child. She gets back at her terrible and neglectful parents with little pranks like making them think their house is haunted and mixing her dad's hair oil with peroxide so he bleaches his hair.

She goes to a school where Miss Trunchbull terrorizes the children and the teachers. Miss Trunchbull is just a mean person. While attending school, Matilda develops powers that allow her to move things with her eyes. Her one confidant is Miss Honey, her teacher. Using her powers, Matilda is able to scare Miss Trunchbull away and Miss Honey becomes the principal. To avoid getting arrested, Matilda's family leaves England and goes to Spain. She is left with Miss Honey who appreciates Matilda's genius.

This book was an easy read because it's for a young audience. I read it in a day. It was fun. I thought I'd read it as a kid but I didn't remember anything about it. I didn't really think Matilda was completely justified in pranking her parents no matter how much they may have deserved it. I think that's my only complaint. It was enjoyable to read, overall.

2015 Reading Challenge: The Moonstone

[I've decided to do a 2015 reading challenge that I found on Pinterest. I thought it would be fun to write my reviews of the book I read here.]

2015 Reading Challenge: A book you started but never finished.


The Moonstone

Wilkie Collins
494 pages

CHARACTERS:
Franklin Blake - the debt-ridden nephew
Rachel Verinder - the young and outspoken cousin
Betteridge - the main houseservant
Mr. Bruff - the lawyer
Lady Verinder - the wealthy aunt/Rachel's mother
Godfrey Ablewhite - the philanthropist cousin
Sergeant Cuff - the detective
Ezra Jennings - the strange and mysterious doctor's assistant
Miss Clack - the evangelical spinster cousin

A precious stone is stolen during a birthday party weekend for Miss Rachel Verinder. She is the recipient of the stone. No one knows who has taken the stone and a detective is sent for from London. Sergeant Cuff leads the investigation but at the end of his visit, there are still no definitive clues as to what has happened to the precious Moonstone.

The book is told from different perspectives which makes it an interesting read. However, it was long. I started it a few years ago before my mission and have finally finished it. It gets kind of boring in parts and runs long in the parts regarding things not related directly to the Moonstone. But it does wrap up quite nicely and there is a happy ending.

It is not for the faint of heart but it was still relatively enjoyable.