Rainy day reading

All this rain has been good for the farmers, I'm sure, and it's been good weather to stay in and read! So here's a list of some things I've been reading.

1. The Book of Lies by James Moloney. A new boy arrives at the orphanage, but he can't remember anything about his past. All he knows is that his name is Marcel. Marcel quickly makes friends with an odd girl named Bea. Upstairs from their rooms is a strange wizard with a terrible beast. When Marcel and Bea steal a mysterious book, they learn that everything Marcel has been told about himself is a lie. They try to figure out how to use the book to discover the truth, but it will be a long more complicated - and more dangerous - than they expected.

I don't want to give too much away, but I did really enjoy this book. Marcel and his new friends are fun characters and the plot was suitably entertaining. The end sort of sets up a sequel, so some of the loose ends may be tied up there. Clean and recommended for kids or young teens.

2. Lady Windermere's Fan by Oscar Wilde. This play wasn't what I expected. I think I was expecting something like The Importance of Being Earnest, which is such a light and fluffy bit of fun. This one wasn't like that. There were still some very funny lines, like the familiar "I can resist everything except temptation," but the subject was more serious and the funny lines were just thrown in around the action.

Lady Windermere has only been married 2 years. She and her husband married as a love match. But now gossip has linked her husband with an older woman. Lady Windermere can't forgive or listen to her husband's attempt to explain that it's not really like that. A tangle of complicated situations that can't ever be explained follow, with mixed results. I might enjoy it more if I saw it onstage. As it is, it was fun reading, but nothing more.

3. Still Life by Louise Penny. Inspector Gamache of the Surete de Quebec arrives in a small town to investigate the death of a well-liked old lady. She has been found shot with an arrow. Was it accident or murder? There don't seem to be many suspects, but as he digs a little deeper, he uncovers lots of secrets in the little town.

I haven't read much in Canadian mysteries, so I was happy to hear about this one. I enjoyed the look at the little town, at Quebec life, at the language, and at the police force. Gamache is saddled with a rookie who just can't seem to learn from her mistakes. I found that little dynamic pretty funny. And I loved the characters.

This one was really well done. I thought I knew where the story was heading, but I was wrong. I just found out that there are 2 more in the series, and I am looking forward to reading them as well. A little language in this one, but I would still recommend it.

And my least favorite:

4. The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy. Two children witness a horrible act of violence and are never the same. This was a very depressing read and I wish I had never picked it up. Not recommended at all and my worst book of the year.

If you want to see more of my book reviews, you can check out these two sites where I post sometimes, Homespun Light and the 999 challenge. And I can't wait for book club later this month! I love being able to talk with friends about what I am reading.