Two More Books

Evanescence Gallery

It is -40 Celsius today and schools have been cancelled - thank goodness as I grew up in northern Manitoba and my husband is a prairie boy so missing school is not typically a consideration.  I don't know why I still feel guilt over missing school; I guess that's just one of those things from youth that sticks.  My interview with Mikayla Salmonds of AIR 106.1 yesterday was fabulous - what a lovely young woman.  She'll let me know when they post it so that I can share :)  I did have that feeling of disengagement from my body which was a little strange but then I got a note from a friend who is on the station and she reminded me that at least I got to talk to a person whereas she speaks to an empty room.  Makes me chuckle.  I also wanted to share a couple of books that I've been able to take off my reading list:

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time
by Mark Haddon

I know, I know, this one was published in 2003 but it has always been one that has interested me and so I've finally read it and actually couldn't put it down.  Christopher Boone is a 15-year-old autistic mathematical genius who shares the story of his disfunctional upbringing while trying to solve the mystery of the murder of a neighbor's dog.  Because of its interesting perspective, it reminded me very distantly of Flowers for Algernon which I read and enjoyed immensely as a teenager. 

Miss Peregrin's Home for Peculiar Children
by Ransom Riggs

Originally I stumbled upon this book in the adult fiction section of a bookstore but have since found it in the young adult section and I do think it can certainly fit into both.  I was particularly intrigued by the fact that the author (who has an intriguing name in itself) was inspired by unusual vintage photos which are included throughout the book.  It is the story of sixteen-year-old Jacob who is struggling with the unusual circumstances of the death of his grandfather which leads to Jacob's travels in order to investigate his grandfather's past and an abandoned orphanage on a deserted island.