Danny the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl

Youth Fiction - 3.5 stars - Megan loved this book! It is the story of Danny, who grows up in a gypsy caravan in England, and who works at his father's filling station and auto repair when he is not in school. Having no electricity in their caravan, Danny and his father spend their time storytelling by the light of the gas lamps and have a marvelous life until his father's secret life spices things up a little. This book stays true to one of Dahl's favorite themes that can be found in all of his books - no tv and imagination go a long way. Worth the read, especially for Megan's age group.

Very sad...

I'm sad to say, I had to give up my book club. I will continue reading and posting, but it may be a long time between postings (the main reason I quit - couldn't find the time to read the books on the schedule). I want to thank Brenda and Susan for including me, and I hope that I can return one day. Megan and I are still reading for her club, and I'll post for hers, but mine will be few and far between. By the way, I've added a few new e-mail buddies for this blog, so if you object to receiving, please let me know!

Dawn

Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen, by Julie Powell

Fiction - 3.5 stars

Just finished this on my Nook, and I must say there were some hilarious parts. While I am not a huge fan of indiscriminate cursing and political aspersions being thrown around willy nilly, I really enjoyed Julie & Julia. The descriptions of the food, the cooking-related tantrums, and Julie Powell's relationships were enough for me to keep reading. As I finished it last night, I felt inspired. While I am not about to start cooking my way through the recipes in MtAoFC, I am inspired to, at least once a week, pull down one of my many cookbooks and make something new. George might or might not be excited, depending on the amount and color of the vegetables in the dish. We'll see. Anyway, I was blown away by the movie, too. Meryl Streep WAS Julia Child - the voice, the quirky body ticks, the whole package. In all, they are both worth the time I invested.

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

Fiction - 3 stars
Dark Places is the story of Libby Day, a depressed and angry thirty-something who, at seven years old, testified against her brother for the murders of her mother and sisters. In her thirties, she becomes a person of interest for a club called the "Kill Club" and is told that she may have been wrong about her brother. An interesting look at the farm culture in the 80s, this book has the elements of a great story, but it falls flat, mainly due to the writing style. Not my favorite book.