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page-item-12130"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/discussions/">Discussions</a></li> <li class="page_item page-item-12359"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/blogger-resources/">Blogger Resources</a></li> <li class="page_item page-item-1061"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/review-policy/">Review Policy</a></li> </ul></div> </nav><!-- #site-navigation --> </header><!-- #masthead --> <div id="content" class="site-content"> <div id="primary" class="content-area"> <main id="main" class="site-main" role="main"> <article id="post-45005" class="post-45005 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-fantasy-middle-grade category-middle-grade tag-fantasy tag-middle-grade without-featured-image"> <header class="entry-header "> <h1 class="entry-title"><a href=" https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2025/02/27/the-empty-place-by-olivia-a-cole/" rel="bookmark">The Empty Place by Olivia A. Cole</a></h1> </header><!-- .entry-header --> <div class="entry-body"> <div class="entry-meta"> <span class="date"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2025/02/27/the-empty-place-by-olivia-a-cole/" title="Permalink to The Empty Place by Olivia A. Cole" rel="bookmark"><time class="entry-date published" datetime="2025-02-27T00:00:00-05:00">02/27/2025</time><time class="updated" datetime="2024-12-28T21:16:01-05:00">12/28/2024</time></a></span><span class="comments-link"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2025/02/27/the-empty-place-by-olivia-a-cole/#comments">1 Comment</a></span> </div><!-- .entry-meta --> <div class="entry-content"> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/empty-place.jpg"><img data-attachment-id="45007" data-permalink="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2025/02/27/the-empty-place-by-olivia-a-cole/empty-place/#main" data-orig-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/empty-place.jpg" data-orig-size="344,500" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Empty Place" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/empty-place.jpg?w=206" data-large-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/empty-place.jpg?w=344" width="344" height="500" src="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/empty-place.jpg?w=344" alt="Th Empty Place" class="wp-image-45007" style="width:200px" srcset="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/empty-place.jpg 344w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/empty-place.jpg?w=103 103w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/empty-place.jpg?w=206 206w" sizes="(max-width: 344px) 100vw, 344px" /></a></figure></div> <div style="height:25px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Information</h2> <p><strong>Goodreads</strong>: <em><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/209456069-the-empty-place">The Empty Place</a></em><br><strong>Series</strong>: None<br><strong>Age Category</strong>: Middle Grade<br><strong>Source</strong>: Library<br><strong>Published</strong>: 2024</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Summary</h2> <p>Henry’s father went missing on her last birthday. Henry and her mother are still trying to figure out their new lives when he returns, walking out of the woods almost as if nothing has happened. But Henry wants answers. Why did he leave? Did he even want to come back? Does he love her at all? Wanting to follow in her dad’s footsteps, Henry travels into the woods herself–and finds herself in a strange land for the lost. And no one there seems to know how to escape.</p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-large"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/star-divider-min.png"><img data-attachment-id="17323" data-permalink="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2018/05/24/long-may-she-reign-by-rhiannon-thomas-2/star-divider-min/#main" data-orig-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/star-divider-min.png" data-orig-size="605,58" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Star Divider-min" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/star-divider-min.png?w=300" data-large-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/star-divider-min.png?w=605" width="605" height="58" src="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/star-divider-min.png?w=605" alt="Star Divider" class="wp-image-17323" srcset="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/star-divider-min.png 605w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/star-divider-min.png?w=150 150w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/star-divider-min.png?w=300 300w" sizes="(max-width: 605px) 100vw, 605px" /></a></figure></div> <div style="height:25px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Review</h2> <p><em>The Empty Place</em> is perhaps more an exploration of grief than a fantasy. The plot moves rather slowly as Henry attempts to untangle the feelings inside: anger at her father, a desire for love, an unacknowledged fear that perhaps her father doesn’t really care. I generally enjoy portal fantasies, but wished this one had featured a faster plot, focused more on the magical world Henry finds herself in, and tied together some of the seemingly disparate threads.</p> <p>Once a character falls into a fantasy world, one somehow expects the action to begin. In <em>The Empty Place</em>, however, Henry spends an unusual amount of time putting things together and trying to care at all about what she is seeing. Readers, of course, understand immediately that Henry has entered the place her father got lost in, yet it takes her chapters to realize this. Once she does, she loses all interest in exploring her surroundings or trying to understand them so she can get out. Instead, she gets mired in her feelings about her father, waiting to replicate his journey to make him proud.</p> <p>Whether Henry should want her father to be proud of her is a bit of an open-ended question that the book explores a bit hesitantly. Readers are told that he is an online influencer who makes videos about hiking and the outdoors. They come to understand that he does some questionable things for views, including hiking six miles out of the way in order to access federal lands that have seemingly been returned to a local indigenous tribe; he believes public lands should remain free and does not want to pay the new entrance fee. He also once had to return a sacred urn he took from somewhere. </p> <p>There is something in here that that book is trying to say about colonization and appropriation, but it never seems quite to get there. The discussion turns quickly to his time in the fantasy world, where he has taken souvenirs and is regarded unfavorably. It’s not quite clear that his thievery of fantasy objects bears the same significance as trespassing on indigenous land, and the book doesn’t really ever try to tie these ideas together. Readers are just left with Henry realizing that she doesn’t much want to be like her father, after all.</p> <p><em>The Empty Place</em> is a slow-paced introspective novel, concerned mostly with Henry’s journey of self discovery. In places, it feels like the themes and even the fantasy world could have used a bit more development. But readers looking for an exploration of grief may find it a worthwhile read.</p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="alignright size-large"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/krysta-64.png"><img data-attachment-id="11154" data-permalink="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2016/01/14/men-of-iron-by-howard-pyle/krysta-64/#main" data-orig-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/krysta-64.png" data-orig-size="165,75" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Krysta 64" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/krysta-64.png?w=165" data-large-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/krysta-64.png?w=165" width="165" height="75" src="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/krysta-64.png?w=165" alt="" class="wp-image-11154" srcset="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/krysta-64.png 165w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/krysta-64.png?w=150 150w" sizes="(max-width: 165px) 100vw, 165px" /></a></figure></div> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/3-stars.png"><img data-attachment-id="11122" data-permalink="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2016/01/08/the-goblins-puzzle-by-andrew-s-chilton/3-stars/#main" data-orig-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/3-stars.png" data-orig-size="252,75" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="3 stars" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/3-stars.png?w=252" data-large-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/3-stars.png?w=252" loading="lazy" width="252" height="75" src="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/3-stars.png?w=252" alt="3 Stars" class="wp-image-11122" srcset="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/3-stars.png 252w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/3-stars.png?w=150 150w" sizes="(max-width: 252px) 100vw, 252px" /></a></figure> <p></p> </div><!-- .entry-content --> </div><!-- .entry-body --> </article><!-- #post-## --> <article id="post-45564" class="post-45564 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-classics tag-classic tag-louisa-may-alcott without-featured-image"> <header class="entry-header "> <h1 class="entry-title"><a href=" https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2025/02/26/moods-by-louisa-may-alcott/" rel="bookmark">Moods by Louisa May Alcott</a></h1> </header><!-- .entry-header --> <div class="entry-body"> <div class="entry-meta"> <span class="date"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2025/02/26/moods-by-louisa-may-alcott/" title="Permalink to Moods by Louisa May Alcott" rel="bookmark"><time class="entry-date published" datetime="2025-02-26T00:00:00-05:00">02/26/2025</time><time class="updated" datetime="2025-01-21T09:40:28-05:00">01/21/2025</time></a></span><span class="comments-link"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2025/02/26/moods-by-louisa-may-alcott/#comments">9 Comments</a></span> </div><!-- .entry-meta --> <div class="entry-content"> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/moods.jpg"><img data-attachment-id="45568" data-permalink="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2025/02/26/moods-by-louisa-may-alcott/moods/#main" data-orig-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/moods.jpg" data-orig-size="267,400" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Moods" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/moods.jpg?w=200" data-large-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/moods.jpg?w=267" loading="lazy" width="267" height="400" src="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/moods.jpg?w=267" alt="" class="wp-image-45568" style="width:200px" srcset="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/moods.jpg 267w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/moods.jpg?w=100 100w" sizes="(max-width: 267px) 100vw, 267px" /></a></figure></div> <div style="height:25px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Information</h2> <p><strong>Goodreads</strong>: <em><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17550.Moods?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=Xodi1EIVx8&rank=1">Moods</a></em><br><strong>Series</strong>: None<br><strong>Age Category:</strong> Adult<br><strong>Source</strong>: Library<br><strong>Published</strong>: 1864, revised 1882</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Summary</h2> <p>Four years before <em>Little Women</em>, Louisa May Alcott released her first novel, <em>Moods</em>. It tells the story of Sylvia Yule, who follows her passions and her instincts, ultimately leading her to marry the wrong man. Now she must decide. Is it right to stay with the husband she never loved? Or more virtuous to set him–and herself–free? Originally published in 1864, then later revised in 1882 with a different ending.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/star-divider-min.png"><img data-attachment-id="17323" data-permalink="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2018/05/24/long-may-she-reign-by-rhiannon-thomas-2/star-divider-min/#main" data-orig-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/star-divider-min.png" data-orig-size="605,58" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Star Divider-min" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/star-divider-min.png?w=300" data-large-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/star-divider-min.png?w=605" loading="lazy" width="605" height="58" src="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/star-divider-min.png?w=605" alt="Star Divider" class="wp-image-17323" srcset="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/star-divider-min.png 605w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/star-divider-min.png?w=150 150w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/star-divider-min.png?w=300 300w" sizes="(max-width: 605px) 100vw, 605px" /></a></figure> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Review</h2> <p><em>Moods</em> is one of those books that makes me wish the library had a nice, annotated edition for me to read. I should have tried interlibrary loan. Instead, I found an e-book that I thought would have notes because the description specifically referenced the original 1864 release of <em>Moods</em> along with Alcott’s 1882 revisions. Sadly, however, the e-book had zero editorial matter, leading me to have to search online later just to determine which edition I had read. It was the 1864, sadly. I do think the 1882 might have impressed me more favorably.</p> <p>I don’t know exactly how far the 1882 revisions went, aside from the changed ending. Online summaries of <em>Moods</em> reference the protagonist Sylvia being an abolitionist. In the version I read, she’s really just concerned with her titular moods. The questions raised focus around marriage. Should women marry just because it’s expected? Can you have a marriage built on friendship and respect, but not love? Once one party ceases to love, should the marriage stay intact? Alcott has some pretty progressive views on the topic.</p> <p>The story itself is rather uneven. It opens with a melodramatic scene of anger and betrayal, seemingly ripped straight from one of Jo’s sensation stories. Adam Warwick has engaged himself to a Cuban beauty who has no virtues, no morals. Despite the world’s censure, he wants to call it off because he believes it is worse to marry someone who will degrade him than to break a rash promise. All this is said with over-the-top speeches that run on a very long time. What exactly our beauty has done to deserve this is unclear. We are just meant to accept that she represents a lack of virtue. And this sets the scene. Because, of course, Adam Warwick is going to leave and fall in love with Sylvia Yule, even though he has promised to remain engaged for the space of one year.</p> <p>With that scene over, readers are treated to various scenes from Sylvia’s life as she moves from girlhood to womanhood. She is a capricious woman, following her fancy as it leads her, swinging from passion and interest to despair and melancholia. Still, she charms all those around her and soon inspires love in the hearts of both Adam Warwick and his friend Geoffrey Moor. Sylvia loves Adam. She marries Moor.</p> <p>Alcott really wanted to explore her titular moods, so a lot of the book is her explaining Sylvia’s personality and its consequences, rather than providing any action. In other words, only read this one if you really like character studies. And you probably want to be an avid fan of Alcott, too, because she’s clearly working out a bunch of her beliefs/beliefs held by her father and the Transcendentalists. Readers of this age might find some of them bizarre. For instance, I really could not see Sylvia’s marriage as a sin that she committed. She’s a young girl who was pressured by a man 12 years older to marry him, even though she told him honestly she didn’t love him. He was the one who thought friendship would turn to passion. Why don’t we blame him for having a big ego?</p> <p><em>Moods</em> does read as an early attempt at a novel. The beginning is laughably sensational, as is the 1864 ending. When I closed the final pages, I wondered what exactly I had just read. It was so over-the-top! And the first and final pages don’t match the tone of the middle at all. I really could see Jo scribbling these scenes of melodrama in the attic, oblivious to how silly they read. Maybe Alcott didn’t like writing realistic novels for children, but her talent clearly lies there.</p> <p><em>Moods</em> is an interesting read for fans of Louisa May Alcott who want to see her working out her ideas on women and marriage. I suspect the novel does not still hold much appeal for other readers now, though it seems to have been well-received in its own time.</p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="alignright size-full"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/krysta-64.png"><img data-attachment-id="11154" data-permalink="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2016/01/14/men-of-iron-by-howard-pyle/krysta-64/#main" data-orig-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/krysta-64.png" data-orig-size="165,75" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Krysta 64" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/krysta-64.png?w=165" data-large-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/krysta-64.png?w=165" loading="lazy" width="165" height="75" src="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/krysta-64.png" alt="" class="wp-image-11154" srcset="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/krysta-64.png 165w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/krysta-64.png?w=150&h=68 150w" sizes="(max-width: 165px) 100vw, 165px" /></a></figure></div> <figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/3-stars.png"><img data-attachment-id="11122" data-permalink="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2016/01/08/the-goblins-puzzle-by-andrew-s-chilton/3-stars/#main" data-orig-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/3-stars.png" data-orig-size="252,75" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="3 stars" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/3-stars.png?w=252" data-large-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/3-stars.png?w=252" loading="lazy" width="252" height="75" src="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/3-stars.png" alt="3 Stars" class="wp-image-11122" srcset="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/3-stars.png 252w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/3-stars.png?w=150&h=45 150w" sizes="(max-width: 252px) 100vw, 252px" /></a></figure> <p></p> </div><!-- .entry-content --> </div><!-- .entry-body --> </article><!-- #post-## --> <article id="post-45865" class="post-45865 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-middle-grade tag-graphic-novel tag-middle-grade without-featured-image"> <header class="entry-header "> <h1 class="entry-title"><a href=" https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2025/02/25/chickenpox-by-remy-lai/" rel="bookmark">Chickenpox by Remy Lai</a></h1> </header><!-- .entry-header --> <div class="entry-body"> <div class="entry-meta"> <span class="date"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2025/02/25/chickenpox-by-remy-lai/" title="Permalink to Chickenpox by Remy Lai" rel="bookmark"><time class="entry-date published" datetime="2025-02-25T00:00:00-05:00">02/25/2025</time><time class="updated" datetime="2025-02-17T13:45:51-05:00">02/17/2025</time></a></span><span class="comments-link"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2025/02/25/chickenpox-by-remy-lai/#comments">2 Comments</a></span> </div><!-- .entry-meta --> <div class="entry-content"> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/chickenpox.jpg"><img data-attachment-id="45875" data-permalink="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2025/02/25/chickenpox-by-remy-lai/chickenpox-2/#main" data-orig-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/chickenpox.jpg" data-orig-size="900,1309" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Chickenpox" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/chickenpox.jpg?w=206" data-large-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/chickenpox.jpg?w=620" loading="lazy" width="704" height="1023" src="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/chickenpox.jpg?w=704" alt="Chickenpox by Remy Lai Book Cover" class="wp-image-45875" style="width:200px" srcset="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/chickenpox.jpg?w=704 704w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/chickenpox.jpg?w=103 103w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/chickenpox.jpg?w=206 206w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/chickenpox.jpg?w=768 768w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/chickenpox.jpg 900w" sizes="(max-width: 704px) 100vw, 704px" /></a></figure></div> <div style="height:25px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Information</h2> <p><strong>Goodreads</strong>: <em><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/208185056-chickenpox?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_10">Chickenpox</a></em><br><strong>Series</strong>: None<br><strong>Age Category</strong>: Middle Grade<br><strong>Source</strong>: Library<br><strong>Published:</strong> 2025</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Summary</h2> <p>Set in the early 1990s in Indonesia, <em>Chickenpox</em> is told from the perspective of Remy’s oldest sister, Abby. Abby just wants to hang out with her friends and get away from her noisy, annoying siblings. Then they all catch chickenpox. Two weeks trapped at home, together. Will the Lai siblings make it without losing their minds?</p> <figure class="wp-block-image"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/star-divider-min.png"><img data-attachment-id="17323" data-permalink="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2018/05/24/long-may-she-reign-by-rhiannon-thomas-2/star-divider-min/#main" data-orig-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/star-divider-min.png" data-orig-size="605,58" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Star Divider-min" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/star-divider-min.png?w=300" data-large-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/star-divider-min.png?w=605" loading="lazy" width="605" height="58" src="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/star-divider-min.png?w=605" alt="Star Divider" class="wp-image-17323" srcset="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/star-divider-min.png 605w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/star-divider-min.png?w=150 150w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/star-divider-min.png?w=300 300w" sizes="(max-width: 605px) 100vw, 605px" /></a></figure> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Review</h2> <p><em>Chickenpox</em> is a relatable and humorous story about growing up with siblings. Abby, as the eldest of the Lai children, just wants to hang out with her friends and avoid her noisy, annoying siblings. But, when her friend Julia introduces chickenpox to the household, Abby feels somewhat responsible. Stuck at home with her siblings, she learns to appreciate her mother’s hard work for them all, and to see that having brothers and sister is not all bad. Told with warmth and humor, <em>Chickenpox</em> is sure to delight fans of books like <em>Real Friends</em>, <em>Fresh Start</em>, and the Babysitters Club.</p> <p>On the surface, <em>Chickenpox</em> seems like it might not cover much. Just two weeks of the Lai siblings stuck at home with nothing to do but annoy each other. However, the story manages to cover a surprising number of topics. Abby struggles with a misunderstanding between her friends, with feelings that she is being treated unfairly by her parents, with the desire to be seen as mature, and with resentment towards her siblings. Somehow, she manages to work through all lot of that in a short time–even though the ending the book feels incomplete to me, like her parents never fully acknowledged the way they treat her as a third parent (but with none of the authority).</p> <p>Ultimately, <em>Chickenpox</em> is a love letter to family. Yes, they can be annoying, but they are ultimately the ones who can always be there for you. Lai recounts this tale with a lot of feeling, making it sure to resonate with anyone who has ever felt that a family member was sometimes just a bit much.</p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="alignright size-full"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/krysta-64.png"><img data-attachment-id="11154" data-permalink="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2016/01/14/men-of-iron-by-howard-pyle/krysta-64/#main" data-orig-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/krysta-64.png" data-orig-size="165,75" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Krysta 64" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/krysta-64.png?w=165" data-large-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/krysta-64.png?w=165" loading="lazy" width="165" height="75" src="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/krysta-64.png" alt="" class="wp-image-11154" srcset="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/krysta-64.png 165w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/krysta-64.png?w=150&h=68 150w" sizes="(max-width: 165px) 100vw, 165px" /></a></figure></div> <figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/5-stars.png"><img data-attachment-id="11117" data-permalink="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2015/12/30/witch-wars-by-sibeal-pounder-arc-review/5-stars/#main" data-orig-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/5-stars.png" data-orig-size="252,75" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="5 Stars" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/5-stars.png?w=252" data-large-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/5-stars.png?w=252" loading="lazy" width="252" height="75" src="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/5-stars.png" alt="5 stars" class="wp-image-11117" srcset="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/5-stars.png 252w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/5-stars.png?w=150&h=45 150w" sizes="(max-width: 252px) 100vw, 252px" /></a></figure> <p></p> </div><!-- .entry-content --> </div><!-- .entry-body --> </article><!-- #post-## --> <article id="post-45723" class="post-45723 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-classics category-discussion-post tag-classic tag-discussion tag-jane-austen without-featured-image"> <header class="entry-header "> <h1 class="entry-title"><a href=" https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2025/02/23/thoughts-on-penguins-first-impressions-editions-of-jane-austen/" rel="bookmark">Thoughts on Penguin’s “First Impressions” Editions of Jane Austen</a></h1> </header><!-- .entry-header --> <div class="entry-body"> <div class="entry-meta"> <span class="date"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2025/02/23/thoughts-on-penguins-first-impressions-editions-of-jane-austen/" title="Permalink to Thoughts on Penguin’s “First Impressions” Editions of Jane Austen" rel="bookmark"><time class="entry-date published" datetime="2025-02-23T00:00:00-05:00">02/23/2025</time><time class="updated" datetime="2025-02-23T08:00:51-05:00">02/23/2025</time></a></span><span class="comments-link"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2025/02/23/thoughts-on-penguins-first-impressions-editions-of-jane-austen/#comments">24 Comments</a></span> </div><!-- .entry-meta --> <div class="entry-content"> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/jane-austen-first-impressions.png"><img data-attachment-id="45930" data-permalink="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2025/02/23/thoughts-on-penguins-first-impressions-editions-of-jane-austen/jane-austen-first-impressions/#main" data-orig-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/jane-austen-first-impressions.png" data-orig-size="735,1102" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Jane Austen First Impressions" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/jane-austen-first-impressions.png?w=200" data-large-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/jane-austen-first-impressions.png?w=620" loading="lazy" width="683" height="1024" src="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/jane-austen-first-impressions.png?w=683" alt="" class="wp-image-45930" style="width:350px" srcset="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/jane-austen-first-impressions.png?w=683 683w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/jane-austen-first-impressions.png?w=100 100w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/jane-austen-first-impressions.png?w=200 200w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/jane-austen-first-impressions.png 735w" sizes="(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px" /></a></figure></div> <div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <p>Penguin’s <strong><a href="https://www.penguin.co.uk/series/FRSTIMPRSNS/first-impressions">new paperback “First Impressions” editions of Jane Austen’s novels </a></strong>are going viral. Meant to appeal to young female BookTok users, the new editions feature floral spines, modern-looking and diverse depictions of the main characters, and quotes/forewords from some of today’s top romance authors.</p> <p>The reception has generally not been favorable. While I see the appeal of updating the look of classics to attract new readers, I do think there’s a line one can cross into deceiving the reader into believing they will be getting something that they really won’t. And pretending Jane Austen is the same reading experience as a modern BookTok-viral romance is certainly a choice.</p> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <p>There is the question of whether the First Impressions editions are somehow disrespectful to Jane Austen herself. And while there are a million editions of her books one can buy, many duly “serious” in appearance, so no one is forced to buy this one, it’s worth discussing whether positioning Austen as a fun and silly little romance author is a step backward. There have been discussions over decades in academia about which classic authors deserve to be in the canon (<strong><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/the-canon-vs.-the-classics.png">see our post on classics vs. the canon</a></strong>), and it is only relatively recently that many women authors have begun to be taken more seriously and their work seen as having “something to say” that isn’t just “something women care about and therefore not that interesting after all.” I’m sure returning Austen to “just” a romance writer (even if you like and respect romance books!) seems like a slap in the face to many people who have done the work of getting women authors to be more well-respected and more frequently taught.</p> <p>Beyond that, these particular editions come across as a bit frivolous. The pull quotes Penguin has chose to promote the books on their own web site leave one with the impression that the authors they have chosen to introduce the works, in many cases, really have nothing to say. I’m sure they’re great fiction writers, but that has little to do with whether they have any particular insight into the works of Jane Austen. For instance, Alexis Hall writes: <em>‘[Anne and Wentworth] are legit freaking soulmates. Also, independently of that: Wentworth is great.’ </em> Lauren Asher tells readers, <em>“I dare you to read the first chapter … chances are you won’t be able to stop once you start.</em>” These statements might be true, but they’re also bland and exceedingly general. I could say, “Character X is great!” about a book I haven’t even read. What does “great” mean? Why should I read this book in particular?</p> <p>Finally, while classics do often have a reputation as “boring,” I think the real obstacle many readers face is not just they don’t think the books are exciting enough but rather some difficulty understanding the older language. This could mean the prose itself is more complicated than in many modern books, or the words used are older or unfamiliar, or just that the reader doesn’t understand what is being discussed because they don’t have the requisite historical knowledge. Slapping an interesting modern cover on Shakespeare, for instance, is not going to help readers who think Shakespeare is difficult to read.</p> <p>I think it would have been fun for Penguin to partner with an Austen scholar for these editions. It’s possible to find academics who can write in a fun, approachable voice, and that person could also have provided an introduction that pointed out a few themes to look for and even provided some minimal notes throughout the text, providing context that might help today’s teens follow what’s happening and why those things would have been important to the characters. Understanding a book is really the key to liking a book.</p> <p>So you can add me to the list of people who think these covers are not great. I’d like to read the full forewords to make a real judgment of whether they’re doing the work of getting readers to dive into Austen’s works, but the pull quotes aren’t promising. But, again, these are just one version of Austen one can buy. I don’t like them, but it’s obviously not a huge deal in the grand scheme of things. I would like to see the sales numbers, as well. Maybe the other critics and I are all wrong, and these editions will be flying off the shelves!</p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="alignright size-full"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/briana.png"><img data-attachment-id="11129" data-permalink="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2016/01/08/the-goblins-puzzle-by-andrew-s-chilton/briana-2/#main" data-orig-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/briana.png" data-orig-size="150,75" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Briana" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/briana.png?w=150" data-large-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/briana.png?w=150" loading="lazy" width="150" height="75" src="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/briana.png" alt="Briana" class="wp-image-11129" /></a></figure></div> </div><!-- .entry-content --> </div><!-- .entry-body --> </article><!-- #post-## --> <article id="post-44960" class="post-44960 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-middle-grade tag-contemporary tag-graphic-novel tag-middle-grade without-featured-image"> <header class="entry-header "> <h1 class="entry-title"><a href=" https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2025/02/22/the-squad-by-christina-soontornvat-ill-by-joanna-cacao/" rel="bookmark">The Squad by Christina Soontornvat, Ill. by Joanna Cacao</a></h1> </header><!-- .entry-header --> <div class="entry-body"> <div class="entry-meta"> <span class="date"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2025/02/22/the-squad-by-christina-soontornvat-ill-by-joanna-cacao/" title="Permalink to The Squad by Christina Soontornvat, Ill. by Joanna Cacao" rel="bookmark"><time class="entry-date published" datetime="2025-02-22T00:00:00-05:00">02/22/2025</time><time class="updated" datetime="2025-01-04T18:18:14-05:00">01/04/2025</time></a></span><span class="comments-link"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2025/02/22/the-squad-by-christina-soontornvat-ill-by-joanna-cacao/#comments">2 Comments</a></span> </div><!-- .entry-meta --> <div class="entry-content"> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/squad.jpg"><img data-attachment-id="44964" data-permalink="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2025/02/22/the-squad-by-christina-soontornvat-ill-by-joanna-cacao/squad/#main" data-orig-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/squad.jpg" data-orig-size="1045,1500" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Squad" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/squad.jpg?w=209" data-large-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/squad.jpg?w=620" loading="lazy" width="713" height="1023" src="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/squad.jpg?w=713" alt="The Squad" class="wp-image-44964" style="width:200px" srcset="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/squad.jpg?w=713 713w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/squad.jpg?w=105 105w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/squad.jpg?w=209 209w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/squad.jpg?w=768 768w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/squad.jpg 1045w" sizes="(max-width: 713px) 100vw, 713px" /></a></figure></div> <div style="height:25px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Information</h2> <p><strong>Goodreads</strong>: <em><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/202773056-the-squad">The Squad</a></em><br><strong>Series</strong>: The Tryout #2<br><strong>Age Category</strong>: Middle Grade<br><strong>Source</strong>: Library<br><strong>Published</strong>: 2024</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Summary</h2> <p>Christina and her friends might not have made the cheerleading squad last year, but they’ve been keeping busy. They still practice all the cheers and Christina is excited about a group art project. Then they learn that next year’s squad will have three openings–which means all three of them have another chance! But Christina’s parents seem to be arguing a lot lately, and the family restaurant might be struggling. Can Christina keep a smile on her face so the show can go on, even when her world seems to breaking apart?</p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-large"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/star-divider-min.png"><img data-attachment-id="17323" data-permalink="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2018/05/24/long-may-she-reign-by-rhiannon-thomas-2/star-divider-min/#main" data-orig-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/star-divider-min.png" data-orig-size="605,58" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Star Divider-min" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/star-divider-min.png?w=300" data-large-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/star-divider-min.png?w=605" loading="lazy" width="605" height="58" src="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/star-divider-min.png?w=605" alt="Star Divider" class="wp-image-17323" srcset="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/star-divider-min.png 605w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/star-divider-min.png?w=150 150w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/star-divider-min.png?w=300 300w" sizes="(max-width: 605px) 100vw, 605px" /></a></figure></div> <div style="height:25px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Review</h2> <p><em>The Squad</em> is everything I want from a contemporary middle grade graphic novel. Changing friendships. Seeking of identity. Trying to figure out one’s place in one’s family. And, oh yes, colorful, cartoony illustrations. <em>The Tryout </em>was a triumph. And so is this sequel!</p> <p>I loved <em>The Tryout </em>because of how realistic it is, and that continues in book two. Oftentimes stories give feel-good endings that might not mirror our own. But, because these books are based on Soontornvat’s own life, they show that sometimes we don’t get what we want–but life does go on. Here, Christina and her friends have another shot at making the cheer team. Three spots for three friends. Older readers will feel instinctively that this can’t be tied up so neatly. What if Christina’s hopes are dashed again? But the beautiful part of the story is that readers know that Christina will carry on (and become a successful author!), regardless of the outcome.</p> <p>Christina’s parents divorcing also depicts how life does not always go the way we want. Christina hopes desperately that her parents can somehow get back together. All she needs to do is show them that they still love each other. She needs a <em>Parent Trap</em> moment. But, again, the signs are there. It seems the two always had a rocky marriage and their approaches to life and money are very different. Readers know this isn’t <em>The Parent Trap</em>. Stuff like that doesn’t happen in real life. And so they get to go along with Christina on this journey, as her life seems to fall apart and she needs to find a way to rebuild it. Christina, despite her worries and self doubts, is resilient.</p> <p>These moments are make Christina so empathetic and this book so powerful. I am sure many a reader will resonate with Christina’s hopes, dreams, fears, and shames. Soontornvat clearly remembers exactly how it felt, and manages to transcribe it all onto the page. And, in the end, I think her story will remind readers that they are not alone.</p> <p>Another powerful and moving story from Soontornvat!</p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="alignright size-large"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/krysta-64.png"><img data-attachment-id="11154" data-permalink="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2016/01/14/men-of-iron-by-howard-pyle/krysta-64/#main" data-orig-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/krysta-64.png" data-orig-size="165,75" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Krysta 64" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/krysta-64.png?w=165" data-large-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/krysta-64.png?w=165" loading="lazy" width="165" height="75" src="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/krysta-64.png?w=165" alt="" class="wp-image-11154" srcset="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/krysta-64.png 165w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/krysta-64.png?w=150 150w" sizes="(max-width: 165px) 100vw, 165px" /></a></figure></div> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/5-stars.png"><img data-attachment-id="11117" data-permalink="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2015/12/30/witch-wars-by-sibeal-pounder-arc-review/5-stars/#main" data-orig-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/5-stars.png" data-orig-size="252,75" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="5 Stars" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/5-stars.png?w=252" data-large-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/5-stars.png?w=252" loading="lazy" width="252" height="75" src="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/5-stars.png?w=252" alt="5 stars" class="wp-image-11117" srcset="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/5-stars.png 252w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/5-stars.png?w=150 150w" sizes="(max-width: 252px) 100vw, 252px" /></a></figure> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">You Might Also Like</h2> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2023/04/20/the-guardian-test-by-christina-soontornvat/"><em>The Guardian Test </em>by Christina Soontornvat</a></li> <li><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2023/11/11/into-the-shadow-mist-by-christina-soontornvat/"><em>Into the Shadow Mist </em>by Christina Soontornvat</a></li> <li><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2022/10/01/the-tryout-by-christina-soontornvat-joanna-cacao/"><em>The Tryout</em> by Christina Soontornvat</a></li> <li><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2021/04/18/a-wish-in-the-dark-by-christina-soontornvat/"><em>A Wish in the Dark</em> by Christina Soontornvat</a></li> </ul> <p></p> </div><!-- .entry-content --> </div><!-- .entry-body --> </article><!-- #post-## --> <article id="post-44870" class="post-44870 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-classics tag-classic without-featured-image"> <header class="entry-header "> <h1 class="entry-title"><a href=" https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2025/02/20/the-pastors-wife-by-elizabeth-von-arnim/" rel="bookmark">The Pastor’s Wife by Elizabeth von Arnim</a></h1> </header><!-- .entry-header --> <div class="entry-body"> <div class="entry-meta"> <span class="date"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2025/02/20/the-pastors-wife-by-elizabeth-von-arnim/" title="Permalink to The Pastor’s Wife by Elizabeth von Arnim" rel="bookmark"><time class="entry-date published" datetime="2025-02-20T00:00:00-05:00">02/20/2025</time><time class="updated" datetime="2024-12-23T15:26:17-05:00">12/23/2024</time></a></span><span class="comments-link"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2025/02/20/the-pastors-wife-by-elizabeth-von-arnim/#comments">8 Comments</a></span> </div><!-- .entry-meta --> <div class="entry-content"> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/pastors-wife.jpg"><img data-attachment-id="44948" data-permalink="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2025/02/20/the-pastors-wife-by-elizabeth-von-arnim/pastors-wife/#main" data-orig-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/pastors-wife.jpg" data-orig-size="307,475" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Pastors Wife" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/pastors-wife.jpg?w=194" data-large-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/pastors-wife.jpg?w=307" loading="lazy" width="307" height="475" src="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/pastors-wife.jpg?w=307" alt="" class="wp-image-44948" style="width:200px" srcset="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/pastors-wife.jpg 307w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/pastors-wife.jpg?w=97 97w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/pastors-wife.jpg?w=194 194w" sizes="(max-width: 307px) 100vw, 307px" /></a></figure></div> <div style="height:25px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Information</h2> <p><strong>Goodreads</strong>: <em><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1003617.The_Pastor_s_Wife?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_17">The Pastor’s Wife</a></em><br><strong>Series</strong>: None<br><strong>Age Categor</strong>y: Adult<br><strong>Source</strong>: Library<br><strong>Published:</strong> 1914</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Summary</h2> <p>On her first real day away from her domineering father, twenty-two year-old Ingeborg makes a quick decision. She’s going to take a trip to Lucerne. And, for the first time, she seems to come alive. One of her fellow travelers, a pastor from Prussia, notices this and finds himself in love. Soon, Ingeborg is engaged without even declaring her assent. Thus begins a new life, one full of trials as Ingeborg struggles to regain her happiness and her sense of self. </p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-large"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/star-divider-min.png"><img data-attachment-id="17323" data-permalink="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2018/05/24/long-may-she-reign-by-rhiannon-thomas-2/star-divider-min/#main" data-orig-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/star-divider-min.png" data-orig-size="605,58" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Star Divider-min" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/star-divider-min.png?w=300" data-large-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/star-divider-min.png?w=605" loading="lazy" width="605" height="58" src="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/star-divider-min.png?w=605" alt="Star Divider" class="wp-image-17323" srcset="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/star-divider-min.png 605w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/star-divider-min.png?w=150 150w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/star-divider-min.png?w=300 300w" sizes="(max-width: 605px) 100vw, 605px" /></a></figure></div> <div style="height:25px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Review</h2> <p><em>The Pastor’s Wife </em>is a far cry from Elizabeth von Arnim’s charming <em><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2024/12/14/the-enchanted-april-by-elizabeth-von-arnim/">The Enchanted April</a></em>. It combines a sobering look at the plight of women stuck in unhappy marriages with some of the social satire of E. M. Forster’s<em> A Room with a View</em>. Von Arnim’s ability, however, to write both a cozy, feel-good story and this rather bleak depiction of women’s prospects can only attest to her formidable literary talents.</p> <p>The heroine of this story is twenty-two-year-old Ingeborg, who has always lived under her domineering father the Bishop, and who entertains no fantasies of her own for what the future might hold. She expects always to act as her father’s secretary and caregiver since her mother has years ago retired “to the sofa.” The sofa protects her from all social and filial demands–her only means of escape from married life. But, given leave to visit the dentist in town on her own, Ingeborg suddenly decides to take a trip to Lucerne. There, she meets a Prussian pastor whose proposal seems to offer Ingeborg a means to escape the subjugation of her will to her father’s. She little knows that she has merely traded in one domineering man for another.</p> <p>Von Arnim traces the degradations of the years without holding back. Ingeborg longs to please her husband and wants to love him–but he only loves what she can give him. Her attention. Her beauty. Her charm. And only those when he chooses to notice them. What is a wife, after all, but really a distraction from the intellectual pursuits of men? Ingeborg begins to suffer both emotionally and physically from her husband’s action–but he just doesn’t care. Alone in a foreign country, Ingeborg begins to feel that her has ended without ever having begun.</p> <p>This is truly a dark and horrifying tale, one that seems to hold out little hope for Ingeborg’s future. It is horrifying precisely because it rings so true. What is she to do if her husband has given up caring about her and her needs completely? As a woman with no income and no family, she is dependent upon him completely. She may, perhaps, find a way to coexist with (ignore) her husband, and she might find a way to pursue an intellectual interior life. But she does not seem destined ever to find the love and appreciation she longs for. </p> <p><em>The Pastor’s Wife</em> is a harrowing journey, but an important one–one that allows a glimpse into one woman’s struggle to find herself.</p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="alignright size-large"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/krysta-64.png"><img data-attachment-id="11154" data-permalink="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2016/01/14/men-of-iron-by-howard-pyle/krysta-64/#main" data-orig-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/krysta-64.png" data-orig-size="165,75" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Krysta 64" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/krysta-64.png?w=165" data-large-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/krysta-64.png?w=165" loading="lazy" width="165" height="75" src="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/krysta-64.png?w=165" alt="" class="wp-image-11154" srcset="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/krysta-64.png 165w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/krysta-64.png?w=150 150w" sizes="(max-width: 165px) 100vw, 165px" /></a></figure></div> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/5-stars.png"><img data-attachment-id="11117" data-permalink="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2015/12/30/witch-wars-by-sibeal-pounder-arc-review/5-stars/#main" data-orig-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/5-stars.png" data-orig-size="252,75" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="5 Stars" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/5-stars.png?w=252" data-large-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/5-stars.png?w=252" loading="lazy" width="252" height="75" src="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/5-stars.png?w=252" alt="5 stars" class="wp-image-11117" srcset="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/5-stars.png 252w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/5-stars.png?w=150 150w" sizes="(max-width: 252px) 100vw, 252px" /></a></figure> <p></p> </div><!-- .entry-content --> </div><!-- .entry-body --> </article><!-- #post-## --> <article id="post-45258" class="post-45258 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-childrens category-classics category-lists tag-classic without-featured-image"> <header class="entry-header "> <h1 class="entry-title"><a href=" https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2025/02/19/a-few-of-my-childhood-favorites/" rel="bookmark">A Few of My Childhood Favorites</a></h1> </header><!-- .entry-header --> <div class="entry-body"> <div class="entry-meta"> <span class="date"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2025/02/19/a-few-of-my-childhood-favorites/" title="Permalink to A Few of My Childhood Favorites" rel="bookmark"><time class="entry-date published" datetime="2025-02-19T00:00:00-05:00">02/19/2025</time><time class="updated" datetime="2025-01-20T13:16:53-05:00">01/20/2025</time></a></span><span class="comments-link"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2025/02/19/a-few-of-my-childhood-favorites/#comments">20 Comments</a></span> </div><!-- .entry-meta --> <div class="entry-content"> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/childhood-favorites.png"><img data-attachment-id="45535" data-permalink="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2025/02/19/a-few-of-my-childhood-favorites/childhood-favorites-2/#main" data-orig-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/childhood-favorites.png" data-orig-size="735,1102" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Childhood Favorites" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/childhood-favorites.png?w=200" data-large-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/childhood-favorites.png?w=620" loading="lazy" width="683" height="1024" src="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/childhood-favorites.png?w=683" alt="" class="wp-image-45535" style="width:350px" srcset="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/childhood-favorites.png?w=683 683w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/childhood-favorites.png?w=100 100w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/childhood-favorites.png?w=200 200w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/childhood-favorites.png 735w" sizes="(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px" /></a></figure></div> <div style="height:25px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <p>Childhood is a pivotal time for reading. That’s when I discovered many of the books that turned me into a lifelong reader–and many of the books that I still cherish today. Below are just a few of the books I loved to read and reread growing up.</p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/star-divider-min.png"><img data-attachment-id="17323" data-permalink="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2018/05/24/long-may-she-reign-by-rhiannon-thomas-2/star-divider-min/#main" data-orig-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/star-divider-min.png" data-orig-size="605,58" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Star Divider-min" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/star-divider-min.png?w=300" data-large-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/star-divider-min.png?w=605" loading="lazy" width="605" height="58" src="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/star-divider-min.png" alt="Star Divider" class="wp-image-17323" srcset="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/star-divider-min.png 605w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/star-divider-min.png?w=150&h=14 150w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/star-divider-min.png?w=300&h=29 300w" sizes="(max-width: 605px) 100vw, 605px" /></a></figure></div> <div style="height:25px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2021/05/14/little-women-the-first-classic-i-remember-loving/"><em>Little Women </em>by Louisa May Alcott</a></h2> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/little-women.jpg"><img data-attachment-id="953" data-permalink="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2011/12/06/top-ten-tuesday-5/little-women/#main" data-orig-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/little-women.jpg" data-orig-size="309,475" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":""}" data-image-title="Little Women" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/little-women.jpg?w=195" data-large-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/little-women.jpg?w=309" loading="lazy" width="309" height="475" src="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/little-women.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-953" style="width:150px" srcset="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/little-women.jpg 309w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/little-women.jpg?w=98&h=150 98w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/little-women.jpg?w=195&h=300 195w" sizes="(max-width: 309px) 100vw, 309px" /></a></figure></div> <div style="height:25px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <p>Alcott’s best-known work still feels timeless to me because of how relatable her characters are. No, I didn’t know what pickled limes were when I first read this book at the age of eight or nine. But I understood the desire to fit in and be like the other girls, the mortification of being chastised in public. This book still resonates with me today. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve reread it!</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2021/02/10/an-old-fashioned-girl-by-louisa-may-alcott/"><em>An Old-Fashioned Girl</em> by Louisa May Alcott</a></h2> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/old-fashioned.jpg"><img data-attachment-id="23676" data-permalink="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2020/06/12/louisa-may-alcotts-lesser-known-works-classic-remarks/old-fashioned/#main" data-orig-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/old-fashioned.jpg" data-orig-size="312,475" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Old Fashioned" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/old-fashioned.jpg?w=197" data-large-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/old-fashioned.jpg?w=312" loading="lazy" width="312" height="475" src="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/old-fashioned.jpg" alt="Old-Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott" class="wp-image-23676" style="width:150px" srcset="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/old-fashioned.jpg 312w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/old-fashioned.jpg?w=99&h=150 99w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/old-fashioned.jpg?w=197&h=300 197w" sizes="(max-width: 312px) 100vw, 312px" /></a></figure></div> <div style="height:25px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <p>Growing up, if I found an author I liked, I tried to find all their other books. I quickly moved on to Alcott’s <em>Eight Cousins</em>,<em> Jack and Jill</em>, and more. I even made the librarians get some of the more obscure titles out of storage, in spite of their grumbling. I particularly returned to <em>An Old-Fashioned Girl,</em> though. I think I liked how the title character grows from a girl to a woman during the course of the book, navigating poverty with cheerfulness and a willingness to work hard. Some people find Alcott’s books too moralistic, but I found them refreshing and inspiring.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><em>Caddie Woodlawn </em>by Carol Ryrie Brink</h2> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/caddie-woodlawn.jpg"><img data-attachment-id="6071" data-permalink="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2013/08/06/top-ten-tuesday-62/caddie-woodlawn-2/#main" data-orig-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/caddie-woodlawn.jpg" data-orig-size="318,475" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":""}" data-image-title="Caddie Woodlawn" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/caddie-woodlawn.jpg?w=201" data-large-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/caddie-woodlawn.jpg?w=318" loading="lazy" width="318" height="475" src="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/caddie-woodlawn.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-6071" style="width:150px" srcset="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/caddie-woodlawn.jpg 318w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/caddie-woodlawn.jpg?w=100&h=150 100w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/caddie-woodlawn.jpg?w=201&h=300 201w" sizes="(max-width: 318px) 100vw, 318px" /></a></figure></div> <div style="height:25px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <p>How I loved and reread this book! Until I brought it to school, where it disappeared from my cubby. I can only hope someone else enjoyed the story of a girl growing up in 1860s Wisconsin.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2022/05/06/what-i-learned-from-reading-all-of-the-original-56-nancy-drew-mystery-stories/">Nancy Drew Series by Carolyn Keene</a></h2> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/secret-old-clock.jpg"><img data-attachment-id="14697" data-permalink="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2017/04/23/is-it-possible-to-hate-classics/secret-old-clock/#main" data-orig-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/secret-old-clock.jpg" data-orig-size="317,475" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="secret old clock" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/secret-old-clock.jpg?w=200" data-large-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/secret-old-clock.jpg?w=317" loading="lazy" width="317" height="475" src="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/secret-old-clock.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-14697" style="width:150px" srcset="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/secret-old-clock.jpg 317w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/secret-old-clock.jpg?w=100&h=150 100w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/secret-old-clock.jpg?w=200&h=300 200w" sizes="(max-width: 317px) 100vw, 317px" /></a></figure></div> <div style="height:25px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <p>These were a staple of my childhood, when I first discovered them around third grade. I loved that Nancy always seemed to know just the right thing to say, that she was so capable, so independent. And trying to solve the mysteries was fun, too!</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis</h2> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/voyage-of-the-dawn-treader.jpg"><img data-attachment-id="602" data-permalink="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2011/09/19/280/voyage-of-the-dawn-treader-4/#main" data-orig-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/voyage-of-the-dawn-treader.jpg" data-orig-size="403,648" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":""}" data-image-title="Voyage of the Dawn Treader" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/voyage-of-the-dawn-treader.jpg?w=187" data-large-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/voyage-of-the-dawn-treader.jpg?w=403" loading="lazy" width="403" height="648" src="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/voyage-of-the-dawn-treader.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-602" style="width:150px" srcset="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/voyage-of-the-dawn-treader.jpg 403w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/voyage-of-the-dawn-treader.jpg?w=93&h=150 93w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/voyage-of-the-dawn-treader.jpg?w=187&h=300 187w" sizes="(max-width: 403px) 100vw, 403px" /></a></figure></div> <div style="height:25px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <p>I first discovered these books in third grade and never looked back. My favorite was <em>The Voyage of the Dawn Treader</em>. My least favorites were (and still are) <em>The Magician’s Nephew</em> and<em> The Horse and His Boy</em>.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2016/10/02/anne-of-green-gables-by-l-m-montgomery-2/"><em>Anne of Green Gables</em> by L. M. Montgomery</a></h2> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/anne-of-green-gables.jpg"><img data-attachment-id="2055" data-permalink="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2012/03/27/top-ten-tuesday-21/anne-of-green-gables/#main" data-orig-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/anne-of-green-gables.jpg" data-orig-size="271,450" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":""}" data-image-title="Anne of Green Gables" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/anne-of-green-gables.jpg?w=181" data-large-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/anne-of-green-gables.jpg?w=271" loading="lazy" width="271" height="450" src="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/anne-of-green-gables.jpg" alt="Anne of Green Gables" class="wp-image-2055" style="width:150px" srcset="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/anne-of-green-gables.jpg 271w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/anne-of-green-gables.jpg?w=90&h=150 90w" sizes="(max-width: 271px) 100vw, 271px" /></a></figure></div> <div style="height:25px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <p>Who doesn’t love Anne? Her adventures always seemed so charming, while Anne herself–though not similar to me at all in personality–felt very relatable as she worries about things like finding a friend, wearing clothes like the other girls, and distinguishing herself in school.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2016/10/06/emily-of-new-moon-by-l-m-montgomery-2/"><em>Emily of New Moon</em> by L. M. Montgomery</a></h2> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/emily-of-new-moon.jpg"><img data-attachment-id="12894" data-permalink="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2016/07/15/emily-of-new-moon-by-l-m-montgomery/emily-of-new-moon-2/#main" data-orig-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/emily-of-new-moon.jpg" data-orig-size="230,358" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Emily of New Moon" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/emily-of-new-moon.jpg?w=193" data-large-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/emily-of-new-moon.jpg?w=230" loading="lazy" width="230" height="358" src="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/emily-of-new-moon.jpg" alt="Emily of New Moon" class="wp-image-12894" style="width:150px" srcset="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/emily-of-new-moon.jpg 230w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/emily-of-new-moon.jpg?w=96&h=150 96w" sizes="(max-width: 230px) 100vw, 230px" /></a></figure></div> <div style="height:25px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <p>After Anne, I had to go on to Montgomery’s other heroines. I fell in love with Emily Byrd Starr at once. She shares Anne’s dreamy nature and aspirations to become a writer. But she’s a character all her own with her own engrossing story.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2012/07/19/pat-of-silver-bush-by-l-m-montgomery/"><em>Pat of Silver Bush</em> by L. M. Montgomery</a></h2> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/pat-of-silver-bush.jpg"><img data-attachment-id="2724" data-permalink="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2012/07/19/pat-of-silver-bush-by-l-m-montgomery/pat-of-silver-bush-2/#main" data-orig-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/pat-of-silver-bush.jpg" data-orig-size="264,450" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":""}" data-image-title="Pat of Silver Bush" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/pat-of-silver-bush.jpg?w=176" data-large-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/pat-of-silver-bush.jpg?w=264" loading="lazy" width="264" height="450" src="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/pat-of-silver-bush.jpg" alt="Pat of Silver Bush" class="wp-image-2724" style="width:150px" srcset="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/pat-of-silver-bush.jpg 264w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/pat-of-silver-bush.jpg?w=88&h=150 88w" sizes="(max-width: 264px) 100vw, 264px" /></a></figure></div> <div style="height:25px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <p>Pat might be my favorite Montgomery heroine. I like that she is seemingly nothing special. She has no dreams of professional glory and is not said to possess any particular talent for school. But she’s loving and caring–and that’s what makes her wonderful.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2023/07/20/the-scottish-chiefs-by-jane-porter/"><em>The Scottish Chiefs </em>by Jane Porter</a></h2> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/the-scottish-chiefs.jpg"><img data-attachment-id="40066" data-permalink="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2023/07/20/the-scottish-chiefs-by-jane-porter/the-scottish-chiefs/#main" data-orig-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/the-scottish-chiefs.jpg" data-orig-size="318,398" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="the-scottish-chiefs" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/the-scottish-chiefs.jpg?w=240" data-large-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/the-scottish-chiefs.jpg?w=318" loading="lazy" width="318" height="398" src="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/the-scottish-chiefs.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-40066" style="width:150px" srcset="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/the-scottish-chiefs.jpg 318w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/the-scottish-chiefs.jpg?w=120&h=150 120w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/the-scottish-chiefs.jpg?w=240&h=300 240w" sizes="(max-width: 318px) 100vw, 318px" /></a></figure></div> <div style="height:25px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <p>I <em>loved t</em>his book, even though it was originally written for adults and only later released for children. I have a distinct memory of recommending it to a mother looking for books for her son. She seemed very confused. Learn more about the <strong><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2023/08/22/sister-novelists-the-trailblazing-porter-sisters-who-paved-the-way-for-austen-and-the-brontes-by-devony-looser/">Porter sisters</a></strong>.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><em>The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood</em> by Howard Pyle</h2> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/robin-hood.jpg"><img data-attachment-id="45526" data-permalink="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2025/02/19/a-few-of-my-childhood-favorites/robin-hood-3/#main" data-orig-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/robin-hood.jpg" data-orig-size="318,407" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Robin Hood" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/robin-hood.jpg?w=234" data-large-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/robin-hood.jpg?w=318" loading="lazy" width="318" height="407" src="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/robin-hood.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-45526" style="width:150px" srcset="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/robin-hood.jpg 318w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/robin-hood.jpg?w=117&h=150 117w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/robin-hood.jpg?w=234&h=300 234w" sizes="(max-width: 318px) 100vw, 318px" /></a></figure></div> <div style="height:25px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <p>I read this book countless times, always weeping over the final pages. It’s still my favorite version of Robin Hood.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><em>The Hobbit</em> by J. R. R. Tolkien</h2> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-medium is-resized"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/the-hobbit-by-jrr-tolkien.jpg"><img data-attachment-id="422" data-permalink="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2011/10/10/the-hobbit-by-j-r-r-tolkien/the-hobbit-by-jrr-tolkien/#main" data-orig-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/the-hobbit-by-jrr-tolkien.jpg" data-orig-size="400,700" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":""}" data-image-title="the-hobbit-by-jrr-tolkien" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/the-hobbit-by-jrr-tolkien.jpg?w=171" data-large-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/the-hobbit-by-jrr-tolkien.jpg?w=400" loading="lazy" width="171" height="299" src="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/the-hobbit-by-jrr-tolkien.jpg?w=171" alt="" class="wp-image-422" style="width:150px" srcset="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/the-hobbit-by-jrr-tolkien.jpg?w=171 171w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/the-hobbit-by-jrr-tolkien.jpg?w=342 342w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/the-hobbit-by-jrr-tolkien.jpg?w=86 86w" sizes="(max-width: 171px) 100vw, 171px" /></a></figure></div> <div style="height:25px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <p>I think I first read this around the time I was eleven. It led me to <em>The Lord of the Rings</em> and began a lifelong love for Tolkien’s works.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><em>The Lord of the Rings </em>by J. R. R. Tolkien</h2> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/lord-of-the-rings.jpg"><img data-attachment-id="2586" data-permalink="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2012/06/01/tgif-11/lord-of-the-rings/#main" data-orig-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/lord-of-the-rings.jpg" data-orig-size="317,475" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":""}" data-image-title="Lord of the Rings" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/lord-of-the-rings.jpg?w=200" data-large-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/lord-of-the-rings.jpg?w=317" loading="lazy" width="317" height="475" src="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/lord-of-the-rings.jpg" alt="Lord of the Rings" class="wp-image-2586" style="width:150px" srcset="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/lord-of-the-rings.jpg 317w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/lord-of-the-rings.jpg?w=100&h=150 100w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/lord-of-the-rings.jpg?w=200&h=300 200w" sizes="(max-width: 317px) 100vw, 317px" /></a></figure></div> <div style="height:25px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <p>I fondly remember first reading this when I was around eleven. I had been told I was too young to read it and shouldn’t. I just got it from the library and read it anyway, and no one stopped me. Then I went on to read everything else by Tolkien I could find, as well as some books of literary criticism. Some of those books of criticism were so outdated, they were written before <em>The Silmarillion</em> had been published. But that’s what the library had.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Fairy Tales by Various</h2> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/red-fairy-book.jpg"><img data-attachment-id="45528" data-permalink="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2025/02/19/a-few-of-my-childhood-favorites/red-fairy-book/#main" data-orig-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/red-fairy-book.jpg" data-orig-size="240,380" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Red Fairy Book" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/red-fairy-book.jpg?w=189" data-large-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/red-fairy-book.jpg?w=240" loading="lazy" width="240" height="380" src="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/red-fairy-book.jpg?w=240" alt="Red Fairy Book" class="wp-image-45528" style="width:150px" srcset="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/red-fairy-book.jpg 240w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/red-fairy-book.jpg?w=95 95w" sizes="(max-width: 240px) 100vw, 240px" /></a></figure></div> <div style="height:25px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <p>Growing up, I had various collections of fairy tales that I would read and reread. Not “Cinderella” and all that, but more obscure ones with princesses trapped in trees and widow’s sons going to meet their fortunes. I would periodically check out some of Lang’s colored fairy books from the library.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2014/05/25/rebecca-of-sunnybrook-farm-by-kate-douglas-wiggin/"><em>Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm</em> by Kate Douglas Wiggin</a></h2> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/rebecca-of-sunnybrook-farm.jpg"><img data-attachment-id="6072" data-permalink="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2013/08/06/top-ten-tuesday-62/rebecca-of-sunnybrook-farm/#main" data-orig-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/rebecca-of-sunnybrook-farm.jpg" data-orig-size="310,475" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":""}" data-image-title="Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/rebecca-of-sunnybrook-farm.jpg?w=196" data-large-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/rebecca-of-sunnybrook-farm.jpg?w=310" loading="lazy" width="310" height="475" src="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/rebecca-of-sunnybrook-farm.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-6072" style="width:150px" srcset="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/rebecca-of-sunnybrook-farm.jpg 310w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/rebecca-of-sunnybrook-farm.jpg?w=98&h=150 98w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/rebecca-of-sunnybrook-farm.jpg?w=196&h=300 196w" sizes="(max-width: 310px) 100vw, 310px" /></a></figure></div> <div style="height:25px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <p>This wasn’t necessarily an all-time favorite for me, but I owned a copy and reread it often enough. It’s kind of a fun book, but perhaps lacking in charm compared to similar titles like <em>Anne of Green Gables</em>.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Little House Books by Laura Ingalls Wilder</h2> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/little-house-big-woods.jpg"><img data-attachment-id="24049" data-permalink="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/little-house-big-woods/" data-orig-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/little-house-big-woods.jpg" data-orig-size="315,475" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="little-house-big-woods" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/little-house-big-woods.jpg?w=199" data-large-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/little-house-big-woods.jpg?w=315" loading="lazy" width="315" height="475" src="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/little-house-big-woods.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-24049" style="width:150px" srcset="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/little-house-big-woods.jpg 315w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/little-house-big-woods.jpg?w=99&h=150 99w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/little-house-big-woods.jpg?w=199&h=300 199w" sizes="(max-width: 315px) 100vw, 315px" /></a></figure></div> <div style="height:25px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <p>An older student at my school introduced these to me. I remember being so mad because I was reading them at home and loving them–but my school librarian wouldn’t allow me to check them out. I was only allowed to check out leveled readers because those were the shelves allocated to students in my grade. Yes, the resentment still burns.</p> <p><strong>What were some of your childhood favorites?</strong></p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="alignright size-full"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/krysta-64.png"><img data-attachment-id="11154" data-permalink="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2016/01/14/men-of-iron-by-howard-pyle/krysta-64/#main" data-orig-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/krysta-64.png" data-orig-size="165,75" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Krysta 64" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/krysta-64.png?w=165" data-large-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/krysta-64.png?w=165" loading="lazy" width="165" height="75" src="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/krysta-64.png" alt="" class="wp-image-11154" srcset="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/krysta-64.png 165w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/krysta-64.png?w=150&h=68 150w" sizes="(max-width: 165px) 100vw, 165px" /></a></figure></div> <p></p> </div><!-- .entry-content --> </div><!-- .entry-body --> </article><!-- #post-## --> <article id="post-45852" class="post-45852 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-young-adult tag-contemporary tag-romance tag-young-adult without-featured-image"> <header class="entry-header "> <h1 class="entry-title"><a href=" https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2025/02/18/twenty-four-seconds-from-now-by-jason-reynolds/" rel="bookmark">Twenty-Four Seconds from Now… by Jason Reynolds</a></h1> </header><!-- .entry-header --> <div class="entry-body"> <div class="entry-meta"> <span class="date"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2025/02/18/twenty-four-seconds-from-now-by-jason-reynolds/" title="Permalink to Twenty-Four Seconds from Now… by Jason Reynolds" rel="bookmark"><time class="entry-date published" datetime="2025-02-18T00:00:00-05:00">02/18/2025</time><time class="updated" datetime="2025-02-17T13:15:22-05:00">02/17/2025</time></a></span><span class="comments-link"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2025/02/18/twenty-four-seconds-from-now-by-jason-reynolds/#comments">2 Comments</a></span> </div><!-- .entry-meta --> <div class="entry-content"> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/twenty-four-seconds-from-now.jpg"><img data-attachment-id="45859" data-permalink="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2025/02/18/twenty-four-seconds-from-now-by-jason-reynolds/twenty-four-seconds-from-now/#main" data-orig-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/twenty-four-seconds-from-now.jpg" data-orig-size="263,400" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="Twenty-Four Seconds from Now" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/twenty-four-seconds-from-now.jpg?w=197" data-large-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/twenty-four-seconds-from-now.jpg?w=263" loading="lazy" width="263" height="400" src="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/twenty-four-seconds-from-now.jpg?w=263" alt="" class="wp-image-45859" style="width:200px" srcset="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/twenty-four-seconds-from-now.jpg 263w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/twenty-four-seconds-from-now.jpg?w=99 99w" sizes="(max-width: 263px) 100vw, 263px" /></a></figure></div> <div style="height:25px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Information</h2> <p><strong>Goodreads</strong>: <em><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/207298501-twenty-four-seconds-from-now">Twenty-Four Seconds from Now…</a></em><br><strong>Series</strong>: None<br><strong>Age Category</strong>: Young Adult<br><strong>Source</strong>: Library<br><strong>Published:</strong> 2024</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Summary</h2> <p>Twenty-four months ago, Neon was chased by a dog–and fell for the dog’s owner. Aria. Beautiful, smart, perfect. Now, Neon wants to get <em>it</em> perfect. The first time. Unfortunately, he’s currently in the bathroom, trying to get out of his own head.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/star-divider-min.png"><img data-attachment-id="17323" data-permalink="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2018/05/24/long-may-she-reign-by-rhiannon-thomas-2/star-divider-min/#main" data-orig-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/star-divider-min.png" data-orig-size="605,58" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Star Divider-min" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/star-divider-min.png?w=300" data-large-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/star-divider-min.png?w=605" loading="lazy" width="605" height="58" src="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/star-divider-min.png?w=605" alt="Star Divider" class="wp-image-17323" srcset="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/star-divider-min.png 605w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/star-divider-min.png?w=150 150w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/star-divider-min.png?w=300 300w" sizes="(max-width: 605px) 100vw, 605px" /></a></figure> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Review</h2> <p>Jason Reynolds always delivers. In his latest, he tackles the big moment from the guy’s perspective. With his signature dynamic prose and relatable moments, he captures all the conflicting emotions. The excitement, the fear, the awkwardness, the desire, the romance. But Neon is not alone. He has his family and friends to offer him their perspectives and help him navigate this moment in his life.</p> <p>I have long felt that the YA market needs more romances from the guy’s perspective. Sometimes, romances written by women seem a little too idealistic. Of course, everyone deserves a partner who is caring and who listens. Yet the male leads in YA often seem, well, more mature than perhaps the average teen. Teens are still figuring it out! And, no, they are not immune to hormones. So it’s really refreshing to have Neon narrate his experience. Readers can see just how much he desires to be with Aria, but also wants to get it right. While also feeling kind of terrified.</p> <p>The book moves backwards in time, beginning with Neon in the bathroom as he panics about what he and his girlfriend are about to do. Then, slowly, the story recedes until readers find out how Neon and Aria met. Along the way, Neon’s sister, mom, dad, grandfather, and friends all off their own perspectives on, <em>you know</em>. The book is entirely sex-positive, with Neon’s whole family encouraging him to connect with Aria if he wants to. No one suggests that he is too young or that he wait, only that he not take some dubious advice from his friends and that he not, as some have suggested, see how much he can get around with various girls. Basically, the book does not want any teens to feel judged, but it does want to introduce the idea that girls are not just bodies. There is a sense that the book wants to Send a Message about how It’s Natural to Have Feelings.</p> <p>The book is fairly short, which I appreciate, since I think many teen readers are looking for more manageable page counts. However, perhaps this is why some of the characterization feels a little lacking. Aria, for instance, is not musically-gifted, but excels at academics, likes chicken tenders, and feels unappreciated by her family. But…why do she and Neon connect so well? What does Neon love most about her? I wanted just a little bit more.</p> <p>Rightfully speaking, this is probably more of a coming-of-age story than a romance. There’s a sort of meet-cute towards the end (remember, the story is told backwards), but no big lead-up to the two dating and, of course, at the beginning, they are already an established pair who clearly care for each other. The focus is not on the falling in love, but on navigating the moments leading up to Neon and Aria’s big decision. But, since the story is told in reverse, there is a lack of tension since readers already know the future.</p> <p>Still, this is a Jason Reynolds book. Narrated in vibrant prose with relatable characters who show their many facets: humor, tenderness, ambition, worry, and more. Reynolds always tries to connect with teens where they are, without judgment, and it’s refreshing to have a book tackle emotions around the first time so realistically.</p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="alignright size-full"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/krysta-64.png"><img data-attachment-id="11154" data-permalink="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2016/01/14/men-of-iron-by-howard-pyle/krysta-64/#main" data-orig-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/krysta-64.png" data-orig-size="165,75" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Krysta 64" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/krysta-64.png?w=165" data-large-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/krysta-64.png?w=165" loading="lazy" width="165" height="75" src="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/krysta-64.png" alt="" class="wp-image-11154" srcset="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/krysta-64.png 165w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/krysta-64.png?w=150&h=68 150w" sizes="(max-width: 165px) 100vw, 165px" /></a></figure></div> <figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/4-stars.png"><img data-attachment-id="11123" data-permalink="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2016/01/08/the-goblins-puzzle-by-andrew-s-chilton/4-stars/#main" data-orig-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/4-stars.png" data-orig-size="252,75" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="4 stars" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/4-stars.png?w=252" data-large-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/4-stars.png?w=252" loading="lazy" width="252" height="75" src="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/4-stars.png" alt="4 stars" class="wp-image-11123" srcset="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/4-stars.png 252w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/4-stars.png?w=150&h=45 150w" sizes="(max-width: 252px) 100vw, 252px" /></a></figure> <p></p> </div><!-- .entry-content --> </div><!-- .entry-body --> </article><!-- #post-## --> <article id="post-45853" class="post-45853 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-uncategorized without-featured-image"> <header class="entry-header "> <h1 class="entry-title"><a href=" https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2025/02/17/1o-book-displays-id-love-to-see-at-the-public-library/" rel="bookmark">10 Book Displays I’d Love to See at the Public Library</a></h1> </header><!-- .entry-header --> <div class="entry-body"> <div class="entry-meta"> <span class="date"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2025/02/17/1o-book-displays-id-love-to-see-at-the-public-library/" title="Permalink to 10 Book Displays I’d Love to See at the Public Library" rel="bookmark"><time class="entry-date published" datetime="2025-02-17T00:00:00-05:00">02/17/2025</time><time class="updated" datetime="2025-02-17T18:38:23-05:00">02/17/2025</time></a></span><span class="comments-link"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2025/02/17/1o-book-displays-id-love-to-see-at-the-public-library/#comments">16 Comments</a></span> </div><!-- .entry-meta --> <div class="entry-content"> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/10-book-display-ideas-for-the-library.png"><img data-attachment-id="45873" data-permalink="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2025/02/17/1o-book-displays-id-love-to-see-at-the-public-library/10-book-display-ideas-for-the-library/#main" data-orig-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/10-book-display-ideas-for-the-library.png" data-orig-size="1000,1500" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="10 Book Display Ideas for the Library" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/10-book-display-ideas-for-the-library.png?w=200" data-large-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/10-book-display-ideas-for-the-library.png?w=620" loading="lazy" width="683" height="1024" src="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/10-book-display-ideas-for-the-library.png?w=683" alt="" class="wp-image-45873" style="width:350px" srcset="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/10-book-display-ideas-for-the-library.png?w=683 683w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/10-book-display-ideas-for-the-library.png?w=100 100w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/10-book-display-ideas-for-the-library.png?w=200 200w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/10-book-display-ideas-for-the-library.png?w=768 768w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/10-book-display-ideas-for-the-library.png 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px" /></a></figure></div> <div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">1. Lesser-known Works by Classic Authors</h2> <p>I love classics, and I’ve read a lot of them. But I’m always up to try a book by a famous author that, well, isn’t actually as famous as some of their other writing. Bring out the obscure books from the shadows of the collection and show me a book by well-known author that I might not even have known existed! <a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2016/12/10/five-little-known-christmas-books-by-famous-authors/">(For inspiration, check out our list of lesser-known Christmas books by classic authors.)</a></p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">2. Most Popular Books Checked out from the Library</h2> <p>I get these books might not need to be displayed because the point is that they’re already circulating. But I would love to see what’s hot not in general on the bestseller lists but at my local library! Put out the books that everyone is reading, and maybe I can find someone to talk about them to!</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">3. Romance Books with Yearning</h2> <p>Spicy romantasy books are in, but you know what the people also want? Yearning. Show me the most romantic books that have nothing to do with sex scenes.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">4. Books If You Like <a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2019/09/18/dog-man-by-dav-pilkey/"><em>Dog Man</em> by Dav Pilkey</a></h2> <p>I think this is a somewhat common request. Someone’s kids love <em>Dog Man</em> by Dav Pilkey, and they only love <em>Dog Man</em> by Dav Pilkey. And while rereading is great, sometimes you want to branch out and try something new! I think this could be a great display to help young readers find even more books they love.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">5. A Creative Picture Book Display</h2> <p>I used to shelve at a library, and the picture book display was just the new picture books. If the book had been acquired more than a year ago, good luck to it. And while I get that a lot of parents don’t really <em>care </em>what picture books they get (it’s not uncommon for someone to walk up to the shelf, swipe a random armful, and go off to check them out), I’d love to see some thoughtfully displayed around some type of theme, a fun theme, not something educational. Dragons. Ice cream. Books about music. Summer vacation!</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">6. Books Written by People Named [Insert Popular Name]</h2> <p>I think this could be particularly fun in the children’s section! Pick one of the most popular names for babies in, say , 2017, and suddenly you have books by people with the same name as the eight year olds. It could be really inspirational for kid to see books written by someone with the same name as them!</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">7. Books for Fans of L.O.L. Dolls</h2> <p>These kids’ toys come in some many varieties and have so many different talents (like Barbie!) that finding books that match their vibes could make a really interesting display.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">8. Books about Unicorns for Adults</h2> <p>Unicorns have been very in for children for several years now, but when’s the last time you read an adult fantasy novel with a unicorn in it? I want to see more!</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">9. Mysteries for Beginners</h2> <p>Every once in a while, I think I should read more mysteries, but the genre is so large and saturated, I have no idea where to begin! I would love to see a display of some of the best-regarded mystery writers I might have never heard of, as a non-mystery reader.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">10. Books that Bring Hope</h2> <p>Maybe this ties into the cozy fantasy trend, but with so much bad news in the world, I want to read books that are whimsical and hopeful and remind me of the good things in the world. I want books like L. M. Montgomery that remind me the world can be a wonderful place full of magic and charm. And it doesn’t have to be a fantasy story to bring that kind of vibe.</p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="alignright size-full"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/briana.png"><img data-attachment-id="11129" data-permalink="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2016/01/08/the-goblins-puzzle-by-andrew-s-chilton/briana-2/#main" data-orig-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/briana.png" data-orig-size="150,75" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Briana" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/briana.png?w=150" data-large-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/briana.png?w=150" loading="lazy" width="150" height="75" src="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/briana.png" alt="Briana" class="wp-image-11129" /></a></figure></div> <p></p> </div><!-- .entry-content --> </div><!-- .entry-body --> </article><!-- #post-## --> <article id="post-44838" class="post-44838 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-classics tag-classic without-featured-image"> <header class="entry-header "> <h1 class="entry-title"><a href=" https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2025/02/15/a-room-with-a-view-by-e-m-forster-2/" rel="bookmark">A Room with a View by E. M. Forster</a></h1> </header><!-- .entry-header --> <div class="entry-body"> <div class="entry-meta"> <span class="date"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2025/02/15/a-room-with-a-view-by-e-m-forster-2/" title="Permalink to A Room with a View by E. M. Forster" rel="bookmark"><time class="entry-date published" datetime="2025-02-15T00:00:00-05:00">02/15/2025</time><time class="updated" datetime="2024-12-05T12:54:52-05:00">12/05/2024</time></a></span><span class="comments-link"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2025/02/15/a-room-with-a-view-by-e-m-forster-2/#comments">6 Comments</a></span> </div><!-- .entry-meta --> <div class="entry-content"> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/room-with-a-view.jpg"><img data-attachment-id="44846" data-permalink="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2025/02/15/a-room-with-a-view-by-e-m-forster-2/room-with-a-view-2/#main" data-orig-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/room-with-a-view.jpg" data-orig-size="310,475" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Room with a View" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/room-with-a-view.jpg?w=196" data-large-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/room-with-a-view.jpg?w=310" loading="lazy" width="310" height="475" src="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/room-with-a-view.jpg?w=310" alt="" class="wp-image-44846" style="width:200px" srcset="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/room-with-a-view.jpg 310w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/room-with-a-view.jpg?w=98 98w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/room-with-a-view.jpg?w=196 196w" sizes="(max-width: 310px) 100vw, 310px" /></a></figure></div> <div style="height:25px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Information</h2> <p><strong>Goodreads</strong>: <em><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/253641.A_Room_with_a_View">A Room with a View</a></em><br><strong>Series</strong>: None<br><strong>Age Category</strong>: Adult<br><strong>Source</strong>: Library<br><strong>Published:</strong> 1908</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Summary</h2> <p>When Lucy Honeychurch visits Italy with her overbearing cousin Charlotte, she starts to live a little. She even might have feelings for an “undesirable” suitor. But she returns to England, where she gets engaged to a man from a more acceptable social class. In the process, however, she stands to lose her own sense of identity.</p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-large"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/star-divider-min.png"><img data-attachment-id="17323" data-permalink="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2018/05/24/long-may-she-reign-by-rhiannon-thomas-2/star-divider-min/#main" data-orig-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/star-divider-min.png" data-orig-size="605,58" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Star Divider-min" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/star-divider-min.png?w=300" data-large-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/star-divider-min.png?w=605" loading="lazy" width="605" height="58" src="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/star-divider-min.png?w=605" alt="Star Divider" class="wp-image-17323" srcset="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/star-divider-min.png 605w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/star-divider-min.png?w=150 150w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/star-divider-min.png?w=300 300w" sizes="(max-width: 605px) 100vw, 605px" /></a></figure></div> <div style="height:25px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Review</h2> <p>I understand what this book is trying to do; I just did not connect with it. Lucy Honeychurch goes to Italy, begins to break free of social conventions and assert her independence and passion when she kisses a man (George) beneath her socially, then returns to England to get engaged to the “right” sort of man (the aesthete Cecil Vyse). She needs to choose. Follow her heart and shake off the shackles of polite society, or find her identity subsumed into that of her elite fiancé? It’s a sound premise, but I sometimes felt that the characters and plot were so driven by the need for the author to Say Something about society that they felt a bit like paper dolls acting out a play.</p> <p>I have two main issues with the book. The first is the sense that I never really understood George as a character. He barely gets to speak for himself. His father speaks about him to Lucy, then suddenly he is kissing her, and this is a Big Deal sure to ruin her life. We know it’s a Big Deal both because Lucy’s annoying cousin Charlotte will not stop talking about it (Charlotte is a masterpiece of characterization, by the way) and because the author needs us to know that George Symbolizes something. Yes, George is more of a symbol than a person. So am I as reader supposed to root for Lucy to end up with him?</p> <p>This question is the other issue I have with the book. Lucy is poised between two men representing two different versions of herself and she must choose which one to pursue. But this choice feels all wrong. Why can Lucy only be what a man determines? It rather seems like Forster wrote himself into a corner with this one, because logically the plot demands that Lucy choose herself and not a man at all–but literary convention demands that she end up happily married off. This dilemma is most evident when Lucy finally tries to explain herself, but ends up parroting George. It’s sort of like a Shakespearean comedy where one is not quite sure they ought to be celebrating the nuptials. Does Forster actually intend readers to believe Lucy and George could be happy together?</p> <p>Still, the book contains many witty observations about class, society, and convention, and that alone makes it worth a read. Furthermore, while George feels under-developed, many of the other characters are depicted with a scathing glee that proves rather engaging. This one is worth a read if you enjoy Edwardian novels, as it grapples with the fading of the old world and the beginning of the modern. It’s just not going to be a favorite of mine.</p> </div><!-- .entry-content --> </div><!-- .entry-body --> </article><!-- #post-## --> <nav class="navigation paging-navigation" role="navigation"> <h1 class="screen-reader-text">Posts navigation</h1> <div class="nav-links"> <div class="nav-previous"><a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/page/2/" ><span class="meta-nav"></span> Older posts</a></div> </div><!-- .nav-links --> </nav><!-- .navigation --> </main><!-- #main --> </div><!-- #primary --> <div id="secondary" class="widget-area sidebar-widget-area" role="complementary"> <aside id="search-3" class="widget widget_search"><h3 class="widget-title">Search Our Blog</h3><form role="search" method="get" class="search-form" action="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/"> <label> <span class="screen-reader-text">Search for:</span> <input type="search" class="search-field" placeholder="Search …" value="" name="s" /> </label> <input type="submit" class="search-submit" value="Search" /> </form></aside><aside id="media_image-7" class="widget widget_media_image"><style>.widget.widget_media_image { overflow: hidden; }.widget.widget_media_image img { height: auto; max-width: 100%; }</style><img width="125" height="125" src="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/pu-150.jpg?w=125" class="image wp-image-10635 aligncenter attachment-125x125 size-125x125" alt="Pages Unbound Button" decoding="async" loading="lazy" style="max-width: 100%; height: auto;" srcset="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/pu-150.jpg?w=125 125w, https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/pu-150.jpg 150w" sizes="(max-width: 125px) 100vw, 125px" data-attachment-id="10635" data-permalink="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/pu-150/" data-orig-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/pu-150.jpg" data-orig-size="150,150" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Pages Unbound 150" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/pu-150.jpg?w=150" data-large-file="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/pu-150.jpg?w=150" /></aside><aside id="text-10" class="widget widget_text"><h3 class="widget-title">Authors</h3> <div class="textwidget"><p>BRIANA co-founded Pages Unbound in 2011. Her favorite genres are classic literature and fantasy. Adult, middle grade, and young adult books are all fair game. Briana runs the social media accounts for the blog.</p> <p>K co-founded Pages Unbound. She enjoys classic literature and fantasy, especially the works of J. R. R. Tolkien. 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