Ahoy there mateys! This book kinda defies categorization. The basic plot is that a reticent schoolmaster, Thomas, takes his bride to the Tower of Babel on their honeymoon. But what is meant to be a romantic holiday turns to hell when Thomas loses his wife in the crowd. He is determined to find her but has to confront the many levels of the Tower with its laws that seem to defy all logic and rationalization. This book is an absolutely lovely slow-burner of a book. I have tried to write a review multiple times for this one only to fall short. This is a super complex and detailed world which fascinates as much as it confounds. I thought the theatre ring of the tower was absolutely perfect. As good as this book is, I don’t find meself rushing to get the next book of the series. Small steps with this one. All I need now is the right mood to savour the next one. Arrrr!

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Ahoy there mateys! This book was one of me NetGalley Rejections back in the day and I am so glad I was able to finally read this. It is set in a world similar to ours with a parallel WWII. Goodreads describes it as a “gorgeous fantasy in the spirit of Pan’s Labyrinth and John Connolly’s The Book of Lost Things.” I thought this book was a wonderful mix of fantasy, historical fiction, and coming-of-age tales. The mystery of the garden was lovely. The writing was mesmerizing. The relationship of the boy and his grandmother was wonderful. I can’t really explain the plot because of spoilers but I did love this one and recommend it. I believe it is underappreciated. Plus the garden in this book was inspired by the garden of monsters in Bomarzo, Italy. Arrr!

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Ahoy there mateys! I listened to this one on audiobook and absolutely loved it. The first mate did too. This is a complexly woven tale of a serial killer with a time-travel twist. The killer is from the Depression era and the tale takes the reader through to the early 90s. The women in the story were absolutely fascinating. I loved the ship-building mom and the transgendered dancer. I loved the house. I loved the use of the artifacts. I loved the ending. I love this author! I cannot wait to see what she will come up with next. Arrrr!

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Ahoy there mateys! This is a fantastic memory loss story with a twist. Myfanwy Thomas wakes up in a London park surrounded by dead bodies and having no memories about how she got there. Then she finds a letter in her pocket that says, “The body you are wearing used to be mine.” And so the adventures of the new Myfanwy Thomas begin. It involves a secret government organization that deals with the occult and supernatural. It also involves a traitor in the organization who is out to kill her . . . for good this time. I read this one in short snippets and enjoyed it immensely. There is a ton of exposition told in the form of an organizational binder entries or letters from Myfanwy’s previous incarnation. Normally that would make me crazy but I ended up being okay with it. I loved the juxtaposition of the new and old versions of the character. I loved the world building. I am excited to see where the next book goes. Arrr!

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Ahoy there me mateys! Here I take a second look at a previously enjoyed novel and give me crew me second reflections, as it were, upon visitin’ it again.

Aye, another Newbery winner. This is a sweet and realistic tale of Leigh Botts as told through letters that he writes to Mr. Henshaw, his favourite author. This was one of those books that reminded me of me divorced family when I was a kid. I loved Leigh Botts and his letters to and from Mr. Henshaw. I loved Leigh’s mother. I loved that Leigh’s dad was problematic but that he wasn’t the worst father in the world like mine was. Listening to this one on audiobook was wonderful. This is just a snippet of looking into the life of a young, troubled kid but it ends with hope. This remains the best Beverly Cleary book I ever read.

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Ahoy there mateys! Here I take a second look at a previously enjoyed novel and give me crew me second reflections, as it were, upon visitin’ it again.

I read this book like a billion times when I was little. This tells the story of Won-a-pa-lei whose secret name is Karana. She is left behind on her island and lives alone for many years. I absolutely loved this survival story and the girl power it contained. The story was based off the “true story of “The Lone Woman of San Nicolas Island,” my a Nicoleño Native Californian left alone for 18 years on San Nicolas Island, one of the Channel Islands off the California coast, before being discovered and taken to the mainland in 1853 by sea otter hunter George Nidever and his crew.” I loved getting sidetracked while readin’ about the new-to-me facts of the real story while writing this post. I adored listening to the audiobook version of this story. The idea of this woman being left behind on the island and living alone for so long still captures me fancy. If ye haven’t read this Newbery winner, I highly recommend it. Arrr!

Side note: Apparently there is this [b: Island of the Blue Dolphins: The Complete Reader's Edition|29563621|Island of the Blue Dolphins The Complete Reader's Edition|Scott O'Dell|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1458692862s/29563621.jpg|49875992] with extensive footnotes and historical detail. Aye, that does sound awesome. I purchased a copy.

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Ahoy there mateys! Here I take a second look at a previously enjoyed novel and give me crew me second reflections, as it were, upon visitin’ it again.

I adore this author! I previously shared me second reflections of one of me favourite children’s books, the witch of blackbird pond. It was both a banned book and a Newbery winner. Then earlier this year, I read her other Newbery winner, the bronze bow, for the first time. The two reads made me want to revisit this one. And I loved it. What I didn’t catch as a kid was that this is sort of a reverse Robinson Crusoe retelling. I think I hadn’t read that Crusoe tale before readin’ this one. In this story, a young 12 year-old boy is left behind on the new homestead in Maine while his father goes to fetch the rest of the family. Young Matt gets into trouble and a local tribe helps him out. In return Matt is supposed to teach Attean, a young member of the Beaver clan to read. This book explores the relationship between the two boys while using the book Robinson Crusoe as a backdrop. What I loved best about this book was that the “savage” tribe ends of saving the day and the white boy Matt is enriched and grows through this relationship. Now given that I am not a Native American, I am not sure how well the rep is done in this. But I do enjoy the friendship between the two boys. And of course survival in the wilderness stories always make me happy. Arrrr!

Side note: I looked up the representation in this book and found this article from the American Indians in Children’s Literature website. It was excellent and I particularly enjoyed the comment section regarding whether this book should be taught in schools. Also the story was based off a real Attean who did befriend a white boy. Cool!

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Ahoy there mateys! This book has one of the best introductions and beginnings in a book in recent memory. Morrigan Crow is cursed to die at midnight on her eleventh birthday. The lead-up to this birthday and how her family treats her is just brilliant. I won’t spoil it here. Of course Morrigan’s expectations of doom turn out to be incorrect and she is invited to compete to become a member of the Wundrous Society. I loved this part of the story too. The tone changes completely and in a delightful way. I loved Morrigan’s’ found family. I love the hotel where she stays. I adore the giant talking cat. I adore this book period. It is one where I don’t feel that the details should be shared because readers should have the joy of discovering the delights for themselves. I cannot wait for the next book. Arrrrr!

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Ahoy there mateys! I absolutely loved this audiobook! It was narrated by Angela Goethals. This book is about Emily the Strange who wakes up one day in a tiny town with no memories. Emily is totally a kindred spirit for me and I am so glad I found her. I wish I would have found her sooner. This book is so funny and awesome. I knew it was for me just based on the cover. I can’t really summarize the zany plot in any articulate fashion. I cannot do this justice. I must read the rest of the series. Arrrr!

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Ahoy there mateys! This was an impulse borrow from a local library. I needed an audiobook to listen to and this was the only one that sounded even slightly good to me in me mood that day. I thought the narrator, Katherine Kellgren was fantastic and she made the book for me. Her voices had me giggling. There is a sequence with a squirrel that was just divine. The story is about a governess who sets up to meet her charges and finds a crazy situation where the children were raised by wolves. I fell in love with both the governess and the three incorrigible children. This is a six book series and I do want to listen to all of the others. This would be a great book to listen to in a long car trip. Arrr!

Side note: Apparently Katherine Kellgren narrated over 300 audiobooks. She passed away in 2018 after a battle with cancer. I am glad there is lots of her work to experience and remember her by. This article lists the top five of which this novel was one. I have been meaning to read the Bloody Jack series. Now that I know it has been narrated by her it is a must-listen to this year. Hell, I need to listen to the whole list. Arrr!