Moon-Flash — Patricia A McKillip Swallows and Amazons — Arthur Ransome The Wish — Gail Carson Levine A Deeper Sleep — Dana Stabenow Mary Poppins — P.L. Travers
This reminds me, I finally did read Fairest. I quite enjoyed it, though Ella is still my favorite.
Was MP a reread for you or was it stimulated by watching it at movie night (or both?). I have an urge to reread it myself, but that's not going to happen any time soon...
I bought Swallows and Amazons ages and ages ago (like in Ithaca) but I still haven't found a chance to read it. How is it?
Let's see. Moon-Flash is actually two books put together. The first was ok, although I didn't love it. I found the second more interesting, but it keeps alternating between two people's stories, and just as I would really get into one, it would switch to the other. Frustrating. So it was ok overall, but I didn't love it.
Swallows and Amazons — a pleasant light read, one of those usual British kids' adventure books, but not fabulous. Very, very heavy on the sailing terminology. Boats are a huge part of the book. If you don't care (or know) about sailing, it gets to be a bit much.
The Wish was fun, but no Ella. Still, an enjoyable read, definitely worth a library read, at least.
A Deeper Sleep is the latest in the Kate Shugak series, a mystery series about a kick-ass Alaska Native woman, her roommate Mutt (a half-wolf dog). I really love this series. Great characters with interesting ongoing developments, and an interesting view into the Alaska bush world.
And Mary Poppins — I read that and at least one or two of the sequels as a kid, but not in many years, so it was watching it at Movie Night that did prompt the re-reading. I'm hoping to find some of the sequels to read, as well. I had totally forgotten about the twins! But in reading it, I think they actually did a remarkably good job in the adaption. They changed and even added a lot, but a movie needs a different sort of spine than a book does, and since the book is mostly short stories with no real character development, I think they made some good choices.
I agree that it's a good adaptation, one of the few instances where I like the books and the movie both, despite their significant differences. The Mary Poppins of the book would never be caught dead singing sappy songs like "Spoonful of Sugar" or "Feed the Birds," but that element is actually there in her character, even if she would never admit it. But her hidden gentleness is a subtle thing that takes a whole book to pick up on; if Mary Poppins had been so aloof in the movie, it wouldn't have been very pleasant to watch.
Agreed. And the parents really don't figure into the book, but since there's no sequel to the movie (thank goodness!) it's a lot more satisfying to have their relationship with the children be an arc in the story, ending with an improvement that allows Mary Poppins to leave without looking like she's totally abandoning the kids!
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branchandroot
As usual I want to ask you what you thought of all of them
Date: 2007-01-29 03:59 am (UTC)Was MP a reread for you or was it stimulated by watching it at movie night (or both?). I have an urge to reread it myself, but that's not going to happen any time soon...
I bought Swallows and Amazons ages and ages ago (like in Ithaca) but I still haven't found a chance to read it. How is it?
Re: As usual I want to ask you what you thought of all of them
Date: 2007-01-29 12:32 pm (UTC)Swallows and Amazons — a pleasant light read, one of those usual British kids' adventure books, but not fabulous. Very, very heavy on the sailing terminology. Boats are a huge part of the book. If you don't care (or know) about sailing, it gets to be a bit much.
The Wish was fun, but no Ella. Still, an enjoyable read, definitely worth a library read, at least.
A Deeper Sleep is the latest in the Kate Shugak series, a mystery series about a kick-ass Alaska Native woman, her roommate Mutt (a half-wolf dog). I really love this series. Great characters with interesting ongoing developments, and an interesting view into the Alaska bush world.
And Mary Poppins — I read that and at least one or two of the sequels as a kid, but not in many years, so it was watching it at Movie Night that did prompt the re-reading. I'm hoping to find some of the sequels to read, as well. I had totally forgotten about the twins! But in reading it, I think they actually did a remarkably good job in the adaption. They changed and even added a lot, but a movie needs a different sort of spine than a book does, and since the book is mostly short stories with no real character development, I think they made some good choices.
Re: As usual I want to ask you what you thought of all of them
Date: 2007-01-29 12:41 pm (UTC)Re: As usual I want to ask you what you thought of all of them
Date: 2007-01-29 12:50 pm (UTC)