In the Woods

I've been watching this title for a while now and finally decided to purchase a copy.  I'm thrilled with the book so far.  It's a crime novel about three children who encounter something evil in their local woods.  One child (the protagonist) is found alive, yet catatonic.  The other two have disappeared.  The novel picks up as the surviving child is in his thirties and working in the Murder department of the Dublin police.  The author's writing style reminds me of Steig Larsson's...lots of detail you think is erroneous, yet later you discover you crave it.  

This is Tana French's debut novel and apparently there's a sequel.  I found the need to put a face to one of the characters, Cassie, and so immediately knew who she reminded me of...Teresa Lisbon of The Mentalist, as seen below.  Once I took a look at the author, however, I think she wrote Cassie to mirror herself!  She's the spitting image of Cassie!!!

This is the actress, Teresa Lisbon, that I originally had pictured as Cassie.

And this is Tana French, the author, who fits the profile perfectly!  I think that's pretty neat. 

Here's the blurb from the back of the book:

"As dusk approaches a small Dublin suburb in the summer of 1984, mothers begin to call their children home. But on this warm evening, three children do not return from the dark and silent woods. When the police arrive, they find only one of the children, gripping a tree trunk in terror, wearing blood-filled shoes, and unable to recall a single detail of the previous hours.

Twenty years later, the found boy, Rob Ryan, is a detective on the Dublin Murder Squad and keeps his past a secret. But when a twelve-year-old girl is found murdered in the same woods, he and Detective Cassie Maddox – his partner and closest friend – find themselves investigating a case with chilling links to that long-ago disappearance. Now, with only snippets of buried memories to guide him, Rob has the chance to unravel both the mystery of the case before him and that of his own shadowy past."
Click here to read an excerpt from the book:http://www.tanafrench.com/pagesus/excerpt.html

In the Woods is an adult crime thriller that I will definitely recommend to LT, her daughter, her husband and several other teachers I work with.  The language and mature content keep it from being appropriate for middle schoolers.  (Sorry!)

On my way to 100 books!
Happy Reading!
RC

The Constant Princess

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The Constant Princess by Phillipa Gregory...just my kind of book!  This historical novel fictionalizes the true story of Catherine of Aragon, Princess of Spain and Queen of England.  You may know her as Henry VIII's first wife.  After reading this book, you'll know she was much more than that.

 Not only do I love historical fiction, I love Gregory's writing style.  She has a way of making her characters seem almost modern.  The choices they make, although made hundreds of years ago, are understandable.  Although the time was different, many of the decisions are the same as what we must make on a daily basis.  Do we betray someone's trust?  Should we accept an apology?  Could we possibly do more damage to a situation by doing nothing than acting?  Gregory personalizes the characters so that I, the reader, finish a book and have a better idea of not only the past, but an insight into the personalities of the famous and infamous.   I've enjoyed each book she's written.  The author is best known for her novel, The Other Boleyn Girl (which I looooooved!) and the movie made shortly after. 

Back to this book:  So far, I've come to know Catherine of Aragon as a child raised in a strong household.  Her mother, Isabella, was a warrior and brought up her youngest daughter to be brave in the face of adversity or change.  This young girl was called the Queen of England from the moment she was betrothed at the age of three.  Despite her privileged youth, she grew to be a devoted wife and mother, humble and chaste.  She was a devout Catholic and held fast to her faith despite King Henry's lack thereof.  She was beloved by the English people and lived a long life, faithful to her very unfaithful husband for the duration. 


If you like learning about the past while enjoying a complex story , you should pick up one of Philippa Gregory's books.  Here's an excerpt (or two) from the book that helps explain why I enjoy her writing so much... 
(From page 3:  description of the Spanish camp burning... I thought this was a powerful way to open the book.  Especially when you learn a few pages later that this "attack" was an accidental fire caused by a misplaced candle in one of the Spanish tents.  The Moors thought the Spanish had gone crazy and were burning their own camp.  

"1491:  There was a scream, and then the loud roar of fire enveloping silken hangings, then a mountain crescendo of shouts of panic that spread and spread from one tent to another as the flames ran too, leaping from one silk standard to another, running up guy ropes and bursting through muslin doors.  Then the horses were neighing in terror and men shouting to calm them, but the terror in their own voices made it worse, until the whole plain was alight with a thousand raging blazes, and the night swirled with smoke and range with shouts and screams." 


(From page 20:  description of the Alhambra bath at Granada.  This is just one of the breathtaking scenes Gregory paints of the Alhambra.  The reader gets to experience the princesses' first night in the Moorish castle.  To think that Catherine's mother and father captured Granada and forced the Moors to leave and this is how their daughters are treated.  Wow!   


"We bathe in the hammam, standing stock-still while the servants lather us all over with a rich soap that smells of flowers.  Then they pour golden ewer after golden ewer of hot water over us, splashing from head to toe, to wash us clean.  We are soothed with rose oil, wrapped in fine sheets and lie, half drunk with sensual pleasure, on the warm marble table that dominates the entire room, under the golden ceiling where the star-shaped openings admit dazzling rays of sunlight into the shadowy peace of the place.  One girl manicures our toes while another works on our hands, shaping the nails and painting delicate patterns of henna.  We let the old woman pluck our eyebrows, paint our eyelashes.  We are served as if we are sultanas, with all the riches of Spain and all the luxury of the East and we surrender utterly to the delight of the palace.  It captivates us, we swoon into submission, the so-called victors.  "


I'm passionate about reading talented authors.  A good author can have you reading passages over and over again and loving the words more each time.  And as you can tell, I happen to like Philippa Gregory's writing very much.  :)


Hope you can find an author you enjoy as much.  
Happy Reading!
RC

New Horror by Rick Yancey

Monstrumologist is the newest title offered by one of North Middle's favorite authors, Rick Yancey.  Once our ya boys get their hands on The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp, most of them profess to LOVE it!  I'm hoping his newest title, which promises to be really gross, will awaken the reading monster in more of my students!  Here's a taste of what will possibly be one of our fall favs in the library!  Enjoy!

 Already released is the sequel, The Curse of the Wendigo.  These books will absolutely fly off our shelves!  So, if you're truly interested you may want to purchase these yourself.  The reserve list will no doubt be a long one!  And you know who will read them first?  You got it...me!

WooHoo!
Happy Reading!
RC