Giving up at 35 pages, a new record for me.

I feel terrible about this. I met the author at Phoenix Comicon last year and purchased this book and the sequel, and got both signed to me by him. I was really excited about the premise.

But Red is so stupid

(she is an orphan, on her way to meet her long lost grandmother for the first time, and decides to race some other motorcyclist who she instinctively hates but is still attracted to and then drives straight toward him before realizing it's a bad idea and then blaming him when she swerves and falls off the bike and ruins her dress, and that's just one page)

and the plot is so nonsensical

(Red is a fifteen year old living in an orphanage who somehow owns a motorcycle? and despite claiming to remember nothing before the age of five when she was dumped in the orphanage, as soon as she finds her grandmother she remembers her entire first five years of her life?)

that I just want to scream.

A fascinating viewpoint on Charles Darwin that focuses on his life as a person more so than as a scientist. It was interesting to see how his studies were affected by his family, and how much he did after his much publicized voyage in his youth. It was wild to see his questioning and then rejection of religion, especially since his wife was so devout and wanted him to believe in heaven.

SO CUTE

Funny and informative. This is one of my favorite mysteries.

A picture book complete with audio CD of Lemony Snicket narrating while the San Francisco Symphony performs. DELIGHTFUL.

I like that you don't know if the Borrowers are real because of the framing device. A cute story, way better than the Littles that I read as a kid!