Chapter Sixty-Five: The Fastest Hound Dog in the State of Maine

This is a very short, rather odd little book by John Gould, an author I'd never heard of before, who spent most of his life as a journalist and author in Maine.  I encountered this slim tome while reshelving books as a volunteer at a local public library, and I started to read it--and almost before I knew what had happened, I'd finished the whole story!  According to the foreword by Gould, this story is merely his attempt to write down a traditional Maine story he'd heard told many times.  It definitely has a very folk-tale feel to it, although I can't quite say what makes it feel so folksy.  Anyway, if you want a little slice of a Maine tradition, you could take a look at The Fastest Hound Dog in the State of Maine.

Chapter Sixty-Four: Mockingbird

So while I was reshelving books in the middle school library, I chanced across Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine.  The cover intrigued me, so I read the back of the book... then the first few pages... the first few chapters... and the whole book!  The narrator-protagonist is Caitlin, a ten-year-old girl with Asperger's Syndrome who is grieving the death of her older brother and is also trying just to deal with day to day life at school.  She is a really fascinating narrator; it was mostly because of her narration that I couldn't put this book down as I read about her attempts to find closure and to make new friends.  For those of you who are interested, this book is a National Book Award winner.  This is a very quick read,  and it is a really heartwarming story.  It was all I could do to keep myself from sobbing (from happiness) while I read the end at the gym.

Chapter Sixty-Three: Gone Girl

So I asked on Facebook for book recommendations, and Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn was one of them.  I devoured this long crime novel/mystery/thriller in a few days because I was really drawn in by the plot, and the writing was good, even though I found both main characters highly dislikable.  The plot definitely kept me guessing right until the end of the book, although I was pretty infuriated by the end.  Not to give too much away to those who haven't read it, but I wanted revenge and I didn't get it....  Alas.  If you like realistic crime drama type novels, this is probably a good one to read, although I can't say for sure since I read so little of this genre.

Chapter Sixty-Two: Nursery Crimes Series

So after reading the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde, I decided to try his Nursery Crimes series, which currently consists of two books: The Big Over Easy and The Fourth Bear.  They feature Jack Spratt and Mary Mary, who are minor characters in the third Thursday Next book, The Well of Lost Plots.  Overall, these books aren't quite as fun or well-written as Thursday Next, but I still enjoyed them.  They're a bit more obviously parodies, the first playing off of "Humpty-Dumpty" and the second off of "Goldilocks and the Three Bears."  They are also parodies of mystery/crime novels in general, which I might appreciate more if I read more of those types of books.  Still, the characters and plots are interesting, so these books are worth reading if you're looking for more books by Fforde or if you're looking for clever, light-hearted mysteries. 

Chapter Sixty-One: Thursday Next Series

So my entertainment for the long long month of March has been reading the Thursday Next series, by Welsh author Jasper Fforde.  This is a really fun and wacky series of adventure/police novels set in an alternate version of England starting in 1984 and spanning almost through the present and starring Literary Detective Thursday Next, a spunky and engaging heroine.  These books are really a hoot, and they're also totally absurd and ridiculous.  I think this is what makes them so much fun, but if you don't have a taste for the bizarre, I might not recommend them.  They are full of fun literary references, which a bibliophile like me particularly appreciates, but even if you haven't read most of the books referenced (and I certainly haven't) you can still follow the plot with ease and enjoyment.


Here's a full list of titles in the series:
The Eyre Affair
Lost in a Good Book
The Well of Lost Plots
Something Rotten
First Among Sequels
One of Our Thursdays Is Missing
The Woman Who Died a Lot

*The series is not yet complete, but these are all the books published to date.

Chapter Sixty: My Family and Other Animals

My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell is basically a memoir of the five years in the early 20th century that he and his family lived on Corfu.  Narrated by his 10-15-year old self, he recounts his own exploits on the island--mostly involving local flora and fauna--and his mother's and older siblings' adventures and misadventures.  Plot is a little thin--descriptions of the natural life of the island are more frequent than action--but it is a charming, calm, sun-drenched story.  I could almost believe I was reading it in the shade of an olive tree on a quiet summer's day.  In sum, it's not the most exciting book, but it is rather beautiful in its descriptions.

Chapter Fifty-Nine: The Blue Castle

The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery is a very light, very romantic, very fun little story about an old maid who is totally dominated by her large family until she decides to take matters into her own hands and start doing as she pleases.  And then things get fun.  I don't want to spoil it for you--you should read it yourself--it's just such a happy, affirming little story that reminds you that you are in control of your own life, and with a little spunk, you can make your life fun.