Book Reviews

So for the past while I have been slacking on my reading. Meaning outside of book club books (which I always end up listening to an audio book of) I have read nothing but comics. Shameful I know. I have had a list of books I have wanted to read for a while but just filed that away and never looked at it again.

However, for my birthday in December I wanted an OZ theme. K-Bot bought me The Wizard of Oz on blu-ray, the promise of tickets to Wicked (they aren't on sale until Feb 12th) and the book Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West.

I read Wicked in 3 days, it only took me that long because I didn't want to finish it because it was such a good book. I loved it, except that some parts bothered me. It wasn't true to the movie in parts, such as the ruby red slippers being silver in this book. It got a bit graphic when talking about how Elphaba and her siblings were conceived, but they were small parts so I over looked it. It was real thought provoking with the whole what is wickedness and what makes one wicked debate. I would recommended it, only if you aren't easily offended by a few cuss words and some brief love scenes.

Next I read Bridge to Terabithia. I know I am all over the map with my picks. I have fond memories of this book being read to my class by our grade 6 teacher. I wondered if it would be the same all these year later. And it was. Though it is a very short read for an adult, I finished in 1 afternoon. I will definitely be buying this book for my children's library. However the movie was terrible, an abomination (during which I even called the girl an overly made up young tartlet) it wasn't very true to the story and if you hadn't read the book before watching it some parts left you wondering (K-Bot had lots of questions as it had been years since he read it).

I decided that since Wicked was so good, maybe I should try The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. I should have started here. Apparently the movie is nothing like the book, it made Wicked make sense. However I didn't like it as much, or really at all. I think I will stick with the movie. Something about such fabulous ruby red slippers and Judy Garland (however if you are wondering, skip the blu-ray of Oz, definitely not blu-ray worthy).

K-Bot and I have planned that every Saturday will be library day, because it is on the way to groceries. And then every Sunday afternoon is curl up on the couches with herbal tea and a good book day. K-Bot is still working on his first book pick The Salmon of Doubt, while I am currently on my third pick The Outsiders (I didn't do a good job of reading it while in school...). However I do have a couple more in my pile from the library, Where the Red Fern Grows (which will be a re-read) and The Princess Bride.