The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North- Reread

There are so many good books out there that I rarely get to a reread. I always say I'm going to reread, but I just never seem to find the time when I have so many books stacked here and there demanding my attention. The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North, however, is a different story, pun intended. You can read about my first experience with this wonderful book here. It was only a year-and-a-half ago, so it may seem a little early for a reread, but I didn't think so. This past December I gifted this book to a dear friend for her birthday. When she had time to get to it, I wanted to read along with her so that we could discuss it when she finished. When she told me she was going to read it right away, I knew I had to get started as well.

So, how does this book hold up on a reread? It was everything I remembered. I just hate it when I find a book I love, I pass it on to everyone I know and then I discover upon rereading that it wasn't really as good as I thought it was. The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August was NOT like that. It was still fascinating and captivating and I have now added it to my required reading list. I will continue to recommend this book to anyone who asks. Actually, have you read it yet??

Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen

Oh, Smart Girls.  Has it ever been a rough start to the year?!  We packed up our house and moved a thousand miles away and that left me little time to read.  Making matters more difficult was that I got stuck in a book I just didn't want to read.  Has that ever happened to you?  I was really trying, but when a book can sit on my bedside table for days at a time without calling to me, I just have to let it go.  I always feel guilty about a DNF (did not finish), but I am working on that.  I read because I love it and any book that puts a damper on that isn't worth my time.

And so I moved on to a favorite!  I adore Sarah Addison Allen and her debut novel, Garden Spells, is my favorite.  I read this one before I began SmartGirlsRead and so this will be my first review of it here.  I was especially motivated to reread it because the sequel, First Frost, was just released and I wanted to study up before reading the newest one.

Garden Spells is set in small town Bascom, North Carolina, a town where everyone knows just about everyone and everything else; a town where everyone is living up to their own family type:  ...Runions were talkers, and Plemmons were shifty, and Hopkins men always married older women.  In this town, the Waverlys were always strange, but Claire's special gift is in the food she prepares with the flowers and herbs that grow in her garden.

The biscuits with lilac jelly, the lavender tea cookies, and the tea cakes made with nasturtium mayonnaise the Ladies Aid ordered for their meetings once a month gave them the ability to keep secrets.  The fried dandelion buds over marigold-petal rice, stuffed pumpkin blossoms, and rose-hip soup ensured that your company would notice only the beauty of your home and never the flaws.  Anise hyssop honey butter on toast, angelica candy, and cupcakes with crystallized pansies made children thoughtful.  Honeysuckle wine served on the Fourth of July gave you the ability to see in the dark.  The nutty flavor of the dip made from hyacinth bulbs made you feel moody and think of the past, and the salads made with chicory and mint had you believing that something good was about to happen, whether it was true or not.

I adore this book.  I love the magic in Sarah Addison Allen's books and this one has buckets of it.  Along with Claire's magical catering, there is her elderly cousin Evanelle who has to give strange things such as bandages, lighters, Pop Tarts or quarters to people.  She doesn't know why she has to give them away, but an urge will overcome her that cannot be ignored.  The recipients of these gifts are always as confused as she is, but before long they realize that these things are exactly what they need.  When Claire's estranged sister returns to town after a decade's absence, the magic only continues to spread.

I cannot recommend this book enough.  It is light and fun and full of whimsy.  It was exactly what I needed to get me out of my reading funk.  I have already begun the sequel and I can't wait to see how it compares.

Thanks for your patience, Smart Girls.  I'm back!

Divergent/ Insurgent by Veronica Roth- Reread

 

In anticipation of the release of Allegiant  by Veronica Roth, I reread the first two books in the series, Divergent and Insurgent.  You can read my original reviews of them here and here.  While I loved these books the first time around, I was less enamored in the reread.  They were still good, but maybe not as good as I had initially thought.  The first movie in the series comes out in March and the previews look good so my hopes are high.

The Color Purple by Alice Walker

 

 

I can't remember how long ago I read The Color Purple  by Alice Walker, but it was a really long time ago.  I remember enjoying the book, but I probably would have never read it again if it weren't this month's book club pick.  When I first opened the book, I read a few paragraphs and put it down again.  I really didn't want to read it because this book begins so very painfully.  It starts with Celie talking to God about being raped by her father and about losing her children and about her mother's sickness and anger.  It's awful and I just didn't want to let that in so I left it on the counter for a day or two.  But you know how I am about book club- I have to read the book.  And so I pushed through and I'm glad I did.

 

This book is full of darkness and sadness and of things that would make me want to give up on life, but it's also full of lightness and kindness and people who overcome the evil in their lives.  Since the book has been in publication for over thirty years, I won't worry that you haven't read it.  I love the development of the characters throughout the story arc.  Mr._____ is a horrible monster at the beginning of the book and by the end he becomes Celie's dear friend.  To me that seems so unlikely, but Ms. Walker writes it in a way that is believable.  People are complicated complex creatures and I feel like Ms. Walker lets us see that.

 

I have talked to people who have loved this book for decades.  I even have a dear friend who met the author and was able to get an autographed copy of this American classic.  How do you feel about it?  Is it one of your favorites?  Is it too dark for you?  When is the last time you read it?

Entwined by Heather Dixon

Last week, I reread a book that I loved last year, Entwined  by Heather Dixon.  You can read my original review here.  This book is so sweet and so much fun.  I really can't recommend it enough.  It was written as a Young Adult novel, but everyone I know that has read it has enjoyed it as much as I have.  If you are looking for something light to read by the pool or at the beach this summer, pick up this one.  Then come back and tell me how much you loved it.  I promise you will!