Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

“Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.”

Rebecca is a novel that I'd always been interested in reading because I'd heard so many people recommend it. This is one of those stories that people tend to fall in love with and praise endlessly. After seeing Karen at Books and Chocolate say she enjoyed this one more than Jane Eyre, I knew I wanted to include it in my Back to the Classics Challenge. Conveniently, there was a "romance classic" category this year, so Rebecca fit in perfectly.

The plot concerns a timid young woman who finds herself in the middle of a mysterious and difficult situation after marrying the enigmatic widower Maxim de Winter. Soon after her marriage, she takes on the responsibilities of being the new mistress of Manderly, a beautiful and expensive estate that has been in the de Winter family for many years. Once she arrives there, she immediately feels overwhelmed and out of place. Not only is Manderly a massive step up in social class for her, it is full of the memory of Rebecca, the first Mrs. de Winter. She feels awkward and incapable of running things as well as Rebecca did, and constantly runs afoul of Mrs. Danvers, the oddly sinister housekeeper. She is plagued by these anxieties and insecurities as she tries to settle in to her new life.

To make matters even more tense, the second Mrs. de Winter soon begins to question her marriage to Maxim. He is prone to dark moods and treats her more like a pet than a wife at times, leading her to believe that there is a whole other side to her husband that she failed to notice before marrying him.  What's more, details about Rebecca, who died in a mysterious boating accident about a year prior, begin to surface and cause unrest in the household. When an accident on the estate brings a shocking truth to light, Mrs. de Winter is forced to grow up and decide which path she wants her life to take.

This was a fantastic read, full of mystery and suspense. It was very much in the style of a Gothic romance, like Jane Eyre or Wuthering Heights, but written in 1938, making it a bit more modern than what I'm used to seeing in this genre. It was creepy fun to try and put together the pieces of what was going on at Manderly; the mystery and suspense elements were well-crafted and kept me engaged throughout my reading.The twist towards the end was very surprising and disturbing. I admit that I did not see it coming and I enjoyed watching the characters work through it.

A few things about the story bugged me. The protagonist, Mrs. de Winter, was a bit too shy and spineless for my taste. I'm as awkward and timid as they come, but I think that even I would have held up better at Manderly than she did. I grew frustrated with her inability to stand up for herself and confront people that needed to be called out for their behavior. Her fear of being honest with Maxim about certain things slowed down the novel. I understand that this was a purposeful technique on du Maurier's part to add suspense, but reading long sections of neurotic internal monologue about whether Maxim truly loved the protagonist or not did get old.

The ending of the novel was somewhat dissatisfying as well. Without spoiling anything it's difficult to discuss, but I can say that one character does something that I feel like Mrs. de Winter should have been way more frightened of than she was. I wish she would have been a little bit more level-headed and brave about her situation.

In spite of those little qualms, I still thought this was an excellent read, and I'm very glad that it ended up on my reading list for this year. The setting and story are full of a delicious old-fashioned creepiness that you don't come across too often these days. Rebecca was a very entertaining throwback to an older genre and told an intriguing story that I know will be sticking in my head for quite a while.



Challenge Tally
Classics Club: 10/100 (on track to end 12/31/21)
Back to the Classics:  9/12
TBR Challenge: (previously owned) 26/60

Total Books Read in 2017: 32  

May 2017 Reading Plan

May has arrived and I'm loving watching all my challenge lists get smaller and smaller. Much like last month, I wasn't able to combine categories as much as I did in the few few months of the year, but I'm still on track to finish everything on time.

This month's reading list contains a weird mixture of all different genres, including a memoir, a teaching book, a classic, and some young adult lit. Here's the plan:


1. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

• Back to the Classics: A romance classic
• Classics Club: #78 on my list
• Mount TBR: previously owned

2. Roadside Picnic by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky

• Classics Club: #48 on my list
• Mount TBR: previously owned

3. Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah

• Popsugar Challenge: A bestseller from a genre you don't normally read

4. Rigorous Reading by Nancy Frey and Douglas Fisher

• Popsugar Challenge: A book with career advice
• Mount TBR: previously owned

5. Trouble by Non Pratt

• Popsugar Challenge: A book with a red spine
• Mount TBR: previously owned

*Bonus*

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

• Popsugar Challenge: A book you loved as a child
• Mount TBR: previously owned 

Any extra time will be dedicated to clearing off more Popsugar categories. Hopefully I can squeeze in an extra novel or two.

Maggot Moon by Sally Gardner

“I’m wondering what if. 
     What if the football hadn’t gone over the wall. 
     What if Hector had never gone looking for it. 
     What if he hadn’t kept the dark secret to himself. 
     What if . . . 
     Then I suppose I would be telling myself another story. 
You see, the what ifs are as boundless as the stars.” 

I ended up finishing all of my planned reads for April with two days left in the month. Rather than start in on May's goals, I thought I might grab a shorter novel off my shelf and squeeze one extra book into the month. I grabbed Sally Gardner's Maggot Moon, knowing that I could finish it quickly. I was also hoping that it would somehow match up with one of my remaining Popsugar Challenge categories (which are becoming increasingly harder to find books for). To my surprise, not only did this novel satisfy the "book with an unreliable narrator" category, it was one of the most engrossing and moving young adult novels I have ever read.

This novel is set in an alternative dystopian future, in which people that the government considers to be "impure" have all been relocated to Zone Seven, a poverty-stricken area where paranoia, violence, and terror pervade the atmosphere. Our narrator is Standish Treadwell, a young boy with a severe learning disability. At first, his narration concerns his personal struggles. He is bullied constantly, struggles to make friends, and lives a lonely life with his grandfather after his parents are forced to flee the government. As the story progresses, however, Standish's narration begins to convey a wider story about the oppressive regime he lives under.

When a new family is relocated to the house next door to him, Standish makes fast friends with a boy his age named Hector. His games of make believe with Hector give Standish a sense of fulfillment and joy that he has rarely experienced. However, his happiness is short lived. Hector stumbles onto a secret that he won't share, and that secret leads to him and his family being removed from the neighborhood. Determined to save the only friend he's ever had, Standish embarks on a plan to get Hector back and help take down the government of the Motherland.

What makes this novel truly remarkable is Standish's narration. His learning disability affects his ability to tell the story properly, and his tendency to skip around in time and drift in and out of fantasy makes it difficult for the reader to tell what's really happening and what is just a figment of his imagination. The whole story is a puzzle, and it's left for readers to determine all of the basics, like what country Standish lives in, who runs the oppressive government, and what is happening to all of these people who are disappearing. The events of the novel read like a horrifying folk tale, and sorting out what's actually going on is necessary to understanding the book. Maggot Moon is not set in a made-up world. It's set in ours. It's our job to put together the clues from Standish's unadorned and confusing narration to figure it all out.

Alongside the text are a series of illustrations which convey a short story of their own. The pictures concern the life cycle of a fly and a rat. The rat accidentally poisons itself and dies. A fly lays eggs on the rat's body, which eventually hatch into a pile of wriggling maggots. By the end of the story, one of the maggots has turned into a fly and flies away. Placed alongside Standish's story, it could symbolize anything from the futility of life to the birth of new possibilities. This secondary story adds an excellent additional layer of complexity to the text.

Maggot Moon won the Costa Book Award in 2012, the Carnegie Medal in 2013, and was a Printz Award Nominee in 2014, which shows that I'm not the only one deeply impressed with this book. I have a strong affinity for young adult novels that make you think, and this is one of the best I've read. Originally, I picked this novel up thinking it would be a quick read that I could stick in my classroom library afterward. It ended up being a new favorite that is staying in my personal collection. It's so nice to find such a gem when you really aren't expecting it.  


Challenge Tally
Popsugar Challenge: (a book with an unreliable narrator) 28/40
TBR Challenge: (previously owned) 25/60

Total Books Read in 2017: 31 

April 2017 Reading Wrap Up

I was lucky enough to read some really memorable books in April. I managed to get in three classic novels, read a few books I'd been meaning to get to for a while, revisit an old favorite, and find a new favorite. Here's how I did this month:

1. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith (4/5 stars)

• Back to the Classics: A classic by a woman author
• Classics Club: #79 on my list
• Mount TBR: previously owned

2. The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick (4/5 stars)

• Back to the Classics: An award-winning classic
• Classics Club: #45 on my list
• Mount TBR: previously owned

3. The Winter of Our Discontent by John Steinbeck (4/5 stars)

• Classics Club: #45 on my list 
• Popsugar Challenge: A book with one of the four seasons in the title
• Mount TBR: previously owned

4. The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith (3/5 stars)

• Popsugar Challenge:A book by an author who uses a pseudonym
• Mount TBR: previously owned

5. Cannibalism: A Perfectly Natural History by Bill Schutt (2/5 stars)

• Popsugar Challenge: A book with a subtitle

6. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling (5/5 stars)

• Popsugar Challenge: A book you've read before that never fails to make you smile
• Mount TBR: previously owned 

7. Maggot Moon by Sally Gardner (5/5 stars)

• Popsugar Challenge: A book with an unreliable narrator
• Mount TBR: previously owned

My current challenge status is:

• Classics Club: 9/100 (on track to end 12/31/21)
• Back to the Classics:  8/12
• Popsugar 2017: 28/40
• TBR 2017: 25/60

I have read 30 books so far in 2017!

My favorite novel of the month was Maggot Moon by Sally Gardner. The unorthodox narration and unsettling plot made for a very engaging and complex read. This is a new favorite for me.

I also liked revisiting Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. I really enjoyed looking back at one of my very favorite series, especially with the new illustrations from Jim Kay. I also liked The Man in the High Castle a lot, because it really made me think. I love science fiction that does that.

My least favorite read this month was Cannibalism: A Perfectly Natural History. It was an interesting read and I certainly learned a lot from it, but it was a bit scattered for me. The humor missed the mark as well.

I'm starting to inch towards the halfway marks of my challenges, which is great, because it's not halfway through the year yet. I'm hoping to keep this pace up in May!

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

"As much money and life as you could want! The two things most human beings would choose above all - the trouble is, humans do have a knack of choosing precisely those things that are worst for them."

Some of the categories in my Popsugar Challenge this year have me re-reading some favorites from the past. One such category is "a book you've read before that never fails to make you smile". Immediately, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone sprang to mind. Happily, I was given the illustrated version of the novel last Christmas, meaning that I can use this book for part of my TBR Challenge as well, since I haven't read this particular edition of the story yet. It's so nice when reading challenge categories overlap!

Like many kids growing up in the 90s, Harry Potter was a huge part of my childhood. I was at just the right age to attend midnight book releases and movie premieres as each new installment of the series came out. There was an excitement surrounding these novels that I had never felt before and doubt that I'll ever feel again. Everyone was reading Harry Potter and almost everyone loved it. I rarely read books twice, but I've read each book in this series multiple times. They never fail to hold my interest. It's actually hard to put into words the fondness I feel for these stories. When I walked into the recreation of Diagon Alley at Universal Studios for the first time and saw those books come to life, I very nearly cried. So yes, this is most definitely a book that always makes me smile.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is the story of a young orphan boy named Harry, who is sent to live with his aunt Petunia, uncle Vernon, and cousin Dudley after his parent die under mysterious circumstances. He has a difficult childhood, as his aunt and uncle deeply dislike him and his cousin bullies him constantly. What's more, he seems to be able to make strange things happen, like grow his hair back overnight after a bad haircut, or transport himself to the top of a building to get away from his cousin.

His life is irrevocably changed on his eleventh birthday when he learns that he is a wizard. He is accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, a school for magic that becomes an important refuge for him. It takes him away from his horrible aunt and uncle, teaches him all sorts of incredible magical skills, and allows him to make friends and fit into a community for the first time in his life. His previous life, which consisted mainly of living in a cupboard under the stairs and being harangued by his aunt and uncle, is replaced with a wondrous one full of magic wands, spell books, and enchantments.

As he navigates his way through the school year, he begins to learn details about his past and his parents. They were killed by a powerful dark wizard named Voldemort, and Harry quickly learns that his destiny is intertwined with this villain's. On the night Voldemort murdered Harry's parents, he tried to kill Harry too, who was just an infant at the time. For some reason, the curse he cast backfired and nearly destroyed him, while Harry emerged unscathed, except for a scar on his forehead in the shape of a lightning bolt. Figuring out what happened that night and why is one of the most important questions of the series. Harry only scratches the surface of it in this novel.

Much of what happens in The Sorcerer's Stone is concerned with establishing the Potter universe, introducing a colorful cast of characters, and laying the groundwork for a story that stretches over seven novels. Each novel covers the events of one year at Hogwarts. Aside from the universe building that occurs, this first book sees Harry trying to prevent the Sorcerer's Stone, a powerful magic object, from falling into the wrong hands. His quest to protect the stone leads him into several dangerous and suspenseful situations which show off his bravery, intelligence, and kindness; through his acts, we get a glimpse of the wizard he will become.

This novel, more than any other I've read, has the ability to take me away from reality and stick me into a world of fantasy and magic. Rowling's writing is engaging, well-paced, and endlessly whimsical. Put simply, she is a master storyteller. The world she creates swallows the reader up from head to toe and makes them long to be at Hogwarts with Harry and his friends. This is children's literature at its absolute finest.

Aside from the writing style, the characters Rowling creates shine. Harry's pals, Ron and Hermione, feel just like childhood friends you had growing up. Headmaster Dumbledore is the wise old grandfather figure everyone adores. Draco Malfoy is that spoiled, awful child from school that you couldn't stand. Severus Snape is the mean, hateful teacher whose class you used to dread. Every character, from the major players to the minor ones, feel real. They are so well-written that their names stick in your head and you remember all sorts of details about them. Once you read the books a few times, you honestly feel like you know these people in real life, and that's not something I've experienced with any other series.

Reading the illustrated version of the novel added a whole other layer of magic to the reading experience. Jim Kay, who also illustrated the incredible A Monster Calls, has created some truly beautiful images to go along with the story. I was excited to turn each page to see what the next pictures would looks like. They perfectly match with the style and tone of the novel. If I ever have children, when I introduce them to Harry Potter, it will be with this version. 

The Harry Potter series owns a pretty big piece of my heart, and I very much enjoyed the chance to visit this universe again. I'm still waiting on my Hogwarts letter to arrive - until then, rereading these books are the best I can do. If anyone out there, by some chance, hasn't picked these novels up yet, I implore you to give them a shot. You might fall in love like I did.


Challenge Tally
Popsugar Challenge: (a book you've read before that never fails to make you smile) 27/40
TBR Challenge: (previously owned) 24/60

Total Books Read in 2017: 30

Cannibalism: A Perfectly Natural History by Bill Schutt

When I saw Cannibalism: A Perfectly Natural History on display at the bookshop a couple of months ago, I was instantly intrigued. I don't read a whole lot of nonfiction, but this one, with it's picture of a frog calmly eating another frog on the cover, really caught my eye. The inside flap promised an exploration of the stomach-churning practice of cannibalism, highlighting all sorts of species and cultures. It also happened to have a subtitle, making it a good choice for my Popsugar Reading Challenge. I decided to give it a shot and see if I could learn some interesting facts about this taboo and intriguing concept.

The novel is organized into 19 chapters, with each one focusing on a different aspect of cannibalism. The first handful of chapters concern mainly animals, with Schutt describing how some tadpoles, insects, and other creatures eat their siblings, mates, competitors, or progeny for reasons ranging from
decreasing competition for resources to increasing their ability to pass their genes on. He also dispels some popular myths about cannibalism in the animal kingdom, such as the false idea that female black widow spiders always eat their mates (as it turns out, this behavior has been greatly exaggerated). As the subtitle of the novel suggests, Schutt asserts that cannibalism among animals is a natural behavior triggered by certain environmental conditions. He also believes that it is more widespread than many scientists have believed in the past, which is a somewhat contentious claim to make.

After the animal chapters, Schutt explores cannibalism among humans, with chapters on topics such as the Donner Party, Pacific Island cannibalism and Kuru, the use of human parts in traditional medicines, and the modern trend of women consuming their own placentas. He also includes a set of chapters titled "Eating People is Bad" and "Eating People is Good," in which he explores how the current taboo surrounding cannibalism formed in Western culture and how cultures that developed without this taboo view the practice. While some of the chapters get a bit gory, he steers away from discussing famous man-eating criminals such as Ed Gein and Jeffrey Dahmer out of respect for their victims. Indeed, the whole tone of the novel sticks to the scientific instead of the sensational, which is a plus or a minus depending on what a reader wants out of the book. By the end of his examination of human cannibalism, Schutt concludes that in times of desperation, humans will turn to cannibalism like most other creatures, but cultures that regularly engage in this practice are rare.

Despite the inherently intriguing subject matter, this novel was a bit of a tough read for me. While parts of it were very interesting and it was obviously meticulously researched, other parts of it meandered and seemed almost pointless to include. For example, Schutt includes chapters on Neanderthals and dinosaurs, two creatures so old that no argument for cannibalism among them could ever be scientifically proven. Also, a couple of his chapters are only about ten pages in length, meaning that there really wasn't much to say on some of his chosen topics. Why bother to waste the pages on them? I felt like the overall purpose behind this book was occasionally lost as it hopped around from subject to subject. At times, I grew bored.

Schutt's humor also largely missed the mark for me. It seems like he was going for a Mary Roach vibe with this book, meaning that he was attempting to mix scientific information with jokes and sarcasm to entertain the reader while teaching them something new. However, a lot of his jokes fell flat for me. At times, he seemed a bit mean-spirited and overly flippant, especially when he visited the placenta-eating advocate, whom he seemed to think was quite silly. He did try her placenta though, so I can't say he didn't give her way of life an honest shot. For a better example of a nonfiction book that successfully mixed humor and information, I would take Stiff: The Curious Life of Human Cadavers over Cannibalism.

Ultimately, even though I didn't completely enjoy the novel, I'm still glad I read it. I certainly know a lot more now about cannibalism than I did before, which I suppose was Bill Schutt's goal. I do wish that it was a bit more engaging, but it was definitely a unique reading experience that will stick with me for a while.


Challenge Tally
Popsugar Challenge: (a book with a subtitle) 26/40

The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith

“The dead could only speak through the mouths of those left behind, and through the signs they left scattered behind them.”

Like many people, I first heard about The Cuckoo's Calling when the news broke that its author, Robert Galbraith, was actually a pseudonym for J.K. Rowling. In an attempt to write in a different genre without all the pressure from her Harry Potter fame, Rowling decided to publish this mystery novel under a pen name. As a big fan of both Rowling and Harry Potter, I purchased The Cuckoo's Calling for my Kindle once the secret of her identity was revealed. However, the mystery genre isn't one that I typically read, so I wasn't in a big rush to start it. With one of my Popsugar Challenge categories this year being to read a book by an author that uses a pseudonym, I figured that now was the perfect time to give this one a shot.

The Cuckoo's Calling is the first in what is now a series of mystery novels starring private detective Cormoran Strike. At the start of the novel, he is approached by a client to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of Lula Landry, a famous supermodel. The police have ruled the incident to be a suicide, but the client, Lula's brother, is convinced that foul play was involved. At first, Strike is hesitant to take on such a high profile case, especially one that the authorities have already thoroughly investigated. However, a recent breakup with his fiance and a lack of new cases have left him strapped for cash, so he agrees to take the job.

His investigation thrusts him into the glittering world of fame and high fashion, with clothing designers, actors, and musical artists making their way onto his suspect list alongside Landry's friends, boyfriend, and family members. The deeper Strike digs into the circumstances surrounding Landry's death, the more little inconsistencies, possible motives, and outright lies he uncovers. It quickly becomes obvious that there is more going on than what the police were able to determine. 

By his side throughout the investigation is Robin, his new secretary. She begins her work with Strike on the same day that he is offered the Landry case. She has just moved to the area and initially considers the job to be a temporary position until she is able to secure something better. However, she has always nurtured a secret ambition to help solve crimes, and she soon falls in love with the job, proving herself to be a talented and valuable assistant. Together, the pair must work to put together a complete picture of what really happened to the beautiful model and bring those responsible to justice.

I thought this novel was a very suspenseful and engaging read. The plot was suitably complex for a mystery, with lots of colorful characters and red herrings thrown in to keep the reader guessing. The clues and suspects were presented well and fit together nicely when the solution was revealed. It was a bit like watching an episode of Law and Order - easy to get lost in and totally fun. At some points the story did drag a little, but not enough to spoil my interest in it. Overall, reading this was a fun experience.

Aside from the plot, I also enjoyed the lead characters, Strike and Robin. Rowling gave Strike enough background to make him feel like a three-dimensional character. His painful breakup with his fiance, his injury in the war, and his unusual parentage, among other details, made him interesting and sympathetic without taking away too much time from the mystery that makes up the bulk of the book. Similarly, Robin was presented very well; she was a smart and capable woman with her head on straight. She felt like a normal person, which was a refreshing change from the helpless or oversexed female characters you often run across in books. I wouldn't mind reading some of the other novels in this series to watch Strike and Robin work together again.

J.K. Rowling's first foray into the world of mystery novels was successful. The Cuckoo's Calling isn't exactly high literature, but it is a very fun story to read and definitely worth the time for fans of mystery novels or fans of Rowling in general. The interesting plot and well-developed characters combine to make this book difficult to put down. It's a shame for Rowling that her pseudonym was outed before she had a real chance to see how the book did under the false name, but I'm selfishly glad it happened because I probably wouldn't have ever discovered it if she was able to maintain the secret.


Challenge Tally
Popsugar Challenge: (a book by an author who uses a pseudonym) 25/40
TBR Challenge: (previously owned) 23/60