"She felt lighter, as if her body was renewed."
Anne and Colleen are two teenage girls with a penchant for mystery. The girls decide to visit Anne's hometown of Smithtown, New York, and become embroiled in the story behind the witch's house that Anne recalls from her childhood. What Anne and Colleen find is that there is a mystery dating back a century - a story about the disappearance of a Native American girl which had never been solved. As the narrative progresses, an underlying theme emerges - that of the ills of bullying others and the traumatic imprints that it leaves on all of its victims. The reader is reminded that, unfortunately, there is a long history of the toll that bullying, bias, and bigotry take, and this theme is etched seamlessly into the surface-level plot involving the mystery of the Witch's House. While this novel is geared for young adult readers, it has appeal for those of any age. (In fact, I found myself thinking back to the adventures my cousin and I took as kids and how fixated we were on solving mysteries, even if they were the ones we made up in our heads to scare our younger brothers. So there is huge nostalgia value in this novel!) Despite some grammatical errors, the novel is as lively and engaging as its two main characters. The novel is semi-autobiographical and speaks to the author's passion for not only a good scary story but for providing a voice for the voiceless. Where to find Anne Norchi Iglesias online: Goodreads Also, make sure you check this book out on Amazon!
1 Comment
"...nothing beats the feel of soil underneath your fingernails..."
If you are a fan of Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series, M. McIntosh's The Unofficial Outlander Book of Herbs is a book that needs to make its way into your collection. As fans of the series know, herbs are rather pivotal to the plot. However, if you have never grown your own herbs or done any gardening, you might not be aware of what some of those herbs are and what they have been used for throughout history. That's where McIntosh's extensive knowledge, passed along from time spent with her great-grandmother, comes into play. After introducing the reader to her great-grandmother, McIntosh walks readers through preparing, planting, and harvesting these herbs. All of this information is useful, and much of it can be applied to those of you who are urban gardeners. Then, McIntosh gets to the meat of the book - the herbs themselves. Each herb gets its own chapter, rich in detail as to the herb's origins and uses. At no point does McIntosh come off sounding stiff or overly-technical. Instead, she presents the facts in an easy-to-digest manner and keeps the reader engaged by referencing where Gabaldon uses these herbs in the Outlander series. In fact, McIntosh provides the reader with direct references to where these herbs can be found in Gabaldon's books. The end of the book takes the reader back to McIntosh's relationship with her great-grandmother and provides a powerful and beautifully-written conclusion. McIntosh, much like Gabaldon does with her fiction, shows us that passion is something that helps us cultivate ourselves, much like we do our gardens. Where to Find M. McIntosh online: Website YouTube Also, make sure you check this book out on Amazon! |
Archives
July 2019
Categories |