Portobello by Ruth Rendell

Fiction - 3 stars

Just to show everyone that I don't only read children's books, I had to post this. I finished this book just before Christmas, and it was a decent read. It is a character-driven mystery written for people who have some knowledge of British dialect and culture. Complete with an anti-hero, an obsessive compulsive savior-figure, and other complex (if not a little weird) characters, Portobello is the cause and effect story of events happening in the Notting Hill community along the Portobello Road. I loved it because, well, I love anything British.  It is definitely not feel-good, but depicts a snapshot of characters who could really exist. A slice of life piece, if you will, for the suburbanites.

The White Giraffe by Lauren St. John

Youth Fiction - 3.5 stars

Because this is the next book club meeting book, and some folks haven't read it yet, I'll refrain from saying too much. However, this is a wonderful adventure story that both Megan and I really enjoyed. Part tragedy, part mystical adventure, part story of unlikely friendship, it is the story of Martine, a young girl who moves from London after the death of her parents to South Africa. There she has dangerous and wonderful adventures, and learns of a family legacy that she never dreamed she had. The only complaint Megan had was that she never could picture what Martine looked like. I'll have to agree that the detailed descriptions of main characters were missing (reason for the 3.5 stars), but it was a lovely story altogether.

Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis

Youth Fiction - 5 stars

I am so glad that our book club picked this book. It was the most profound children's book I think I've ever read. In this Newberry Medal winner, Elijah is the first child born in a freed former slave community of Buxton, near Toronto. In the book, a short history of the community is presented, but more importantly at the forefront is a realistic view of how African Americans of the time viewed slavery and its legacy attitudes. Megan and I both loved the book, and its provocative content provided many discussion topics. I highly recommend this book to anyone.