Bobblybear's Book List - 2013

[Athena]

My version of The Jungle Book and The Second Jungle Book has about 400 pages (Wordsworth children's edition).

[bobblybear]

Miracle of miracles, I actually have time to write a review!
 
Just Henry - Michelle Magorian

I bought this in December 2011, but have only now got around to reading it. I don’t know why, but I thought it was some kind of super-natural children's story, so I kept skipping over it (which of course begs the question of why I bought it in the first place ). However, in an effort to read some of my 'older' books I decided to give it a go, and I'm pretty glad I did!

It’s set in the 1950’s, and although I have no idea what that would have been like, it seemed pretty authentically written. I liked reading about what things were like 'back then', and the way people spoke to each other etc. Seems like things just had a 'nicer' feel to them.

 

Henry Dodge is a 14 year old who lives with his mother, paternal grandmother, his step dad (whom he calls Uncle Bill) and his baby half-sister. He is a film fanatic, going to the pictures every chance he gets. One day, he befriends a local woman who helps him get into the cinema (for films where you need an adult to accompany you), and in the early course of their friendship, she gives him a camera. As he develops the photos he has been taking, he spots the same man in several photos (even when he took the photos while on a visit to London) and starts an investigation to find out who he is.

I really enjoyed this book. It’s marketed as a young adult book, but it didn’t feel that way to me. I suppose it’s a coming of age story, with Henry growing up, surrounded by prejudice and negativity and trying to work out for himself the 'rights' from the 'wrongs'. It’s quite moralistic but not in a preachy way, with Henry’s eyes slowly being opened to the truth about people, and that they aren't always what they seem. It's a pretty detailed and layered story and there is a lot more going on than I've mentioned above (don't want to give too much away). It also helps that Henry is a likeable character and you feel for him, having to experience the various events surrounding him. The pace is pretty constant throughout, and it takes the occasional dark turn, but it was book I enjoyed all the way through.

It’s 700 pages but really didn’t feel like it. In fact, like a few reviewers have put on Amazon, the font is quite large, so it’s probably an equivalent of a 350 page long ‘regular book’. If I recall, every page turn on the Kindle put the percentage up by 1%, and that's with regular font, so don't be put off by the size.

 

5/6

[Athena]

This sounds interesting, great review !

[bobblybear]

Thanks Athena. It was a surprisingly good read.

[Kidsmum]

Just Henry sounds like something my daughter would enjoy, i think i'll buy it for her for Christmas & then i can read it after her. Thanks for the review BB 

[bobblybear]

I'll be interested to see if she likes it. It's not your typical young adult (not sure how old your daughter is?) novel, in that there are main characters of all ages in it. Apparently there's a TV movie as well, but I had never heard of it. The author also wrote Goodnight Mr Tom, which I've heard of before and I'm sure it's a pretty well known book.

[Janet]

I nearly nominated one of her books for January's circle (I think it's called Back Home...), but there are quite a lot of nominations, so as it's a children's book I decided not to.   I like the sound of this one too.      I haven't read Goodnight, Mr Tom, but I adore the TV adaptation. 

[bobblybear]

I've just had a look at her Amazon page and I'm surprised by how many books she has written. I think I shall add a few of them to my wishlist as they seem like pretty decent stories.

[bobblybear]

The Jungle Book - Rudyard Kipling

I think everyone is familiar with The Jungle Book, or at least the most famous story from it - Mowgli, the boy raised by wolves. I was very surprised to realise that the book is a collection of stories, poems, and songs, of which the Mowgli story was only one. I had no-idea, and had to go online to check what I had downloaded. I thought I'd got some 'bonus selection' D'oh!    I only knew of Mowgli’s story. I had heard the name Rikki Tikki Tavi but wasn't aware it was a story from The Jungle Book.

 

Those two stories were my favourite. I have to admit I nodded off numerous times while reading the other two stories, not to mention the poems and songs, so I can't say too much about them, aside from the fact that they obviously didn't hold my interest.     

Anyway, it’s free on the Kindle, so no money wasted.    I know it’s such a popular book but it didn’t really float my boat, I’m afraid. I mean I love animals, but I just couldn't connect with the stories. What else is there to say?

2/6

[bobblybear]

The Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck

Considered a classic and a must-read, this book has sat on my shelf for close to 20 years before I finally decided to pick it up. In a way I’m glad I waited as I don’t think I would have appreciated the power of the story if I’d read it when I was younger.

Set during the Great Depression (in the 1930's) the Joad family are tenant farmers in Oklahoma. When a dust storm comes through and destroys their crops, they find themselves forced off the land by the greedy bankers who own the land. They hear stories of an abundance of work with good pay in California, and they pack up their meagre belongings onto their truck, and the 12 of them begin the 2,000 mile journey for a better life.

I knew little of the story, so had no expectations when I started. It hooked me right from the beginning, with the vivid description of the dust storm blowing in, and the subsequent gathering of farmers vs bankers. It's not an easy read as it's obvious to the reader that things won't go to plan for the Joads. Their early conversations about dreams of their new lives in California, owning a little house and having loads of money are a bit painful to read as you can just sense that things will turn out very differently. The reality as it unfolds is very harrowing, as they struggle to eke out every penny to the fullest, subsisting on fried dough and camping by the side of the road. You can feel the anger in the writing, as the family is slowly pulled apart by the destruction of capitalism - it's such a brutal and devastating read.

The dialogue is written semi-phonetically with the heavy accent of the Joads, but it's not hard to follow. For the most part, the story follows the Joad family, but a few chapters throughout give an impartial view of the situation of all the migrants as they traveled west to California. I like these chapters as they gave you a view of the whole picture, and let you know that this wasn't just one family that was suffering, but many, many thousands.

 

One that I would highly recommend, probably the best book I've read all year.

 

6/6

[chaliepud]

Great review BB, I bought a John Steinbeck set recently but of course this one isn't in it so I'll have to add it to my wish list.

[bobblybear]

Thanks, Chalie. It was such a good read. I've read a couple of his other books, but I don't think I really understood or appreciated them, as they were required reading for school. I think I will definitely read his other books.

[chaliepud]

I have five, you can see which ones on my TBR list on my book blog. I have only read Of Mice and Men, in my mid/late teens, and enjoyed it then so hoping when I re-read it soon I will enjoy it even more.

[Janet]

I have a vague feeling that the Jungle Book might have been a Reading Circle book once upon a time.      The name Rikki Tikki Tavi rings a bell with me.  Is it a mongoose?

[bobblybear]

It is indeed a mongoose.

[Athena]

Nice reviews ! I didn't know The Jungle Book was a collection, thanks for letting me know! The Grapes of Wrath sounds like a pretty complex book (since I don't know much about that time period in the US), the accents would make it more difficult for me to read. I'm glad you liked the book though .

[lauraloves]

The Jungle Book - Rudyard Kipling

 

Anyway, it’s free on the Kindle, so no money wasted.    I know it’s such a popular book but it didn’t really float my boat, I’m afraid. I mean I love animals, but I just couldn't connect with the stories. What else is there to say?

 

2/6

 

I downloaded this when I first got my kindle but I havent read it yet I keep putting it off for some reason :/ I didnt know that it was a collection of stories util I read your review. I will get round to it one day but something keeps putting me off!

[Marie H]

I agree with you , The Grapes of Wrath is a 'classic' of North American Depression novels, a book that you must read at sometime in your life   . I read it in my early 20's, and as soon I finished it, I told my Dad that he must read it too, as I thought he would enjoy it too. He did read it, but he was not that interested in it  . I was crestfallen!​ . Sometimes you can never know if someone will love the same books as you do .

[pontalba]

Great reviews BB!   I read The Jungle Book when I was a child, don't remember a bit of it though.    As far as Steinbeck...../shudder/....I've tried him three times, and always end up throwing the book across the room.  Although, admittedly, not The Grapes of Wrath.  Even my husband liked that one. lol  I don't know what it is that sets my teeth on edge about him!  Wish I did.  /sigh/

 

I know muggle likes Steinbeck quite a lot. I feel quite sure he has given up on me in that regard. 

Edited November 25, 2013 by pontalba

[willoyd]

Sorry that you didn't enjoy The Jungle Book. I read both volumes when I was a child and loved them, and am currently reading them to the children in my class, who are equally enjoying them (although I do change the 'thee's and 'thou's to 'you'! It is a bit of a slow burner in terms of action at times, but for me the characters are brought vividly to life by Kipling's style.

 

I've an extra interest in Kipling's books, as my grandmother knew him when she was a teenager, visiting his house at Bateman's on several occasions. She did say she thought him rather odd! Puck of Pook's Hill and its sequel Rewards and Fairies were my favourite books as a child (along with the Swallows and Amazons series), and I recently visited Wayland's Smithy for the first time simply because it was a setting for one of the stories in PPH!  Having said that,The Just-So Stories was a book I couldn't abide, and still can't!

Edited November 26, 2013 by willoyd

[Athena]

I've an extra interest in Kipling's books, as my grandmother knew him when she was a teenager, visiting his house at Bateman's on several occasions. She did say she thought him rather odd!

x

Wow, that's pretty amazing !

[bobblybear]

Nice reviews ! I didn't know The Jungle Book was a collection, thanks for letting me know! The Grapes of Wrath sounds like a pretty complex book (since I don't know much about that time period in the US), the accents would make it more difficult for me to read. I'm glad you liked the book though .

 

Thanks. Glad I'm not the only one who didn't know it wasn't a collection. For some reason, I thought I'd be one of the few who didn't know, as it's such a well known book. The Grapes of Wrath isn't too complex, in that it isn't difficult to keep track of places or names. It's a heavy read though.

 

 

I downloaded this when I first got my kindle but I havent read it yet I keep putting it off for some reason :/ I didnt know that it was a collection of stories util I read your review. I will get round to it one day but something keeps putting me off!

 

Because it's a collection of stories, maybe you can read it in between other books. I struggle somewhat with the classics, but if you enjoy classics you may like it more than I did.

 

 

I agree with you , The Grapes of Wrath is a 'classic' of North American Depression novels, a book that you must read at sometime in your life   . I read it in my early 20's, and as soon I finished it, I told my Dad that he must read it too, as I thought he would enjoy it too. He did read it, but he was not that interested in it  . I was crestfallen!​ . Sometimes you can never know if someone will love the same books as you do .

 

Very true! There are many hugely popular books that I just didn't enjoy, and there are many others that I love, but others just feel 'meh' about them.

 

 

Great reviews BB!   I read The Jungle Book when I was a child, don't remember a bit of it though.    As far as Steinbeck...../shudder/....I've tried him three times, and always end up throwing the book across the room.  Although, admittedly, not The Grapes of Wrath.  Even my husband liked that one. lol  I don't know what it is that sets my teeth on edge about him!  Wish I did.  /sigh/

 

I know muggle likes Steinbeck quite a lot. I feel quite sure he has given up on me in that regard. 

 

I've read two other Steinbeck books, but unfortunately I don't really remember whether I enjoyed them or not. It was required reading for school so I wouldn't have read them by choice. I will try his others, to see if I enjoyed them as much as this one.

 

 

Sorry that you didn't enjoy The Jungle Book. I read both volumes when I was a child and loved them, and am currently reading them to the children in my class, who are equally enjoying them (although I do change the 'thee's and 'thou's to 'you'! It is a bit of a slow burner in terms of action at times, but for me the characters are brought vividly to life by Kipling's style.

 

I've an extra interest in Kipling's books, as my grandmother knew him when she was a teenager, visiting his house at Bateman's on several occasions. She did say she thought him rather odd! Puck of Pook's Hill and its sequel Rewards and Fairies were my favourite books as a child (along with the Swallows and Amazons series), and I recently visited Wayland's Smithy for the first time simply because it was a setting for one of the stories in PPH!  Having said that,The Just-So Stories was a book I couldn't abide, and still can't!

 

 

That's pretty cool that your grandmother knew him! I haven't read any of his other books, and not sure if I will try them. I think I would have enjoyed The Jungle Book being read to me as a child, but it just didn't grab me when I had to make the effort to read it myself (if that makes sense).

[bobblybear]

The Enemy - Charlie Higson

Set in London, some sort of illness has spread through the country (or maybe the world, we don’t know) which has killed most of the grown-ups. The ones who are left have been turned into crazy, festering monstrosities who now feed on the healthy survivors - which happens to be all children under the age of fourteen. These kids have divided into factions - some staying in Waitrose, and another group in Morrisons - and are now struggling to find enough food for survival.

When a young boy stumbles onto the Waitrose camp, he convinces them to come with him to Buckingham Palace where he claims a better life awaits them. The Waitrose and Morrison kids start their journey (only 7 miles or so) to Buckingham Palace, to see if what they have been promised is true.

Well, I thought this book was just daft. These children talked, behaved and thought as though they were adults. It was so ridiculous and unbelievable. It’s clearly written for teenagers but I’d be surprised if any of them enjoyed it. The surprising thing is that it has received mostly 5 star reviews on Amazon with so many people raving about how brilliant it was. Que? They must have been reading something completely different, or they must be good friends of the author.

 

It's not that the plot was bad - it was ok, but nothing original. It was the sheer ludicrousness of the characters....the way they talked and carried on was just so far-fetched. I found it quite insulting as a reader that I was expected to find any of it remotely credible.  

Wouldn't recommend it, and will most definitely not be reading any sequels (or anything else by the author). Avoid....like the plague.

1/6

[Signor Finzione]

Oooh, thanks for writing this. I've had this on my wishlist for absolutely ages, but have always been put off buying for some reason or another. I think you've just saved me a few quid in the future!

 

I hope you read something you enjoy soon. It's rubbish when you end up reading loads of underwhelming books all at once, isn't it?

[bobblybear]

Glad I could help.   It has received so many positive reviews, and I just can't figure out why. I don't think I'm being overly critical....it really was crap!