Pollyanna - Eleanore H. Porter

Title: Pollyanna Author: Eleanore H. Porter Genre: Classics Rating: 4.5/5 # pages: 207 pages Date read: September 2007, December 2018

When orphaned, eleven-year-old Pollyanna comes to live with austere and wealthy Aunt Polly, her philosophy of gladness brings happiness to her aunt and other unhappy members of the community.


This book never fails to put me in a good mood. I know that Pollyanna is somewhat over the top and definitely unrealistic, but so what? She's absolutely adorable and utterly charming which makes for wonderful reading and the perfect comfort book :)

This time around (2018 reread) I was slightly perturbed to discover that I'm now almost as old as Aunt Polly!!! :-O

The Secret of Chimneys - Agatha Christie

Title: The Secret of Chimneys Author: Agatha Christie Genre: Suspense Rating: 7/10 # pages: 179 Date read: September, 2007

Summary: The indiscrete memoirs of a count and a bunch of revealing letters cause first a daring theft and next murder. A young adventurous never failing courage starts a breathtaking hunt for the criminals which does not reach its end until a group of distinguished weekend-guests at the famous resort Chimneys.

Review: A lot of characters that can be tricky to keep straight at first, but once you get into it, it's a fairly decent crime novel with lots of twists and turns.

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Rikki-Tikki-Tavi - Rudyard Kilping

Title: Rikki-Tikki-Tavi Author: Rudyard Kipling Genre: kid-lit Rating: 8/10 # pages: 46 Date read: September, 2007

Summary: The story of Rikki-Tikki-Tavi and his great war with the snakes. The war took place in a house and a garden somewhere in India. Rikki-Tikki-Tavi received help and advice from the bird Darzi and the rat Kukundra, but the battle itself he had to fight alone.

Review: I read and loved this book as a kid, but haven't read it since and remembered practically nothing about it. It's quite cute and a quick and fun read for children everywhere.

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The Book of Lost Things - John Connelly

Title: The Book of Lost Things Author: John Connelly Genre: Fantasy Rating: 8/10 # pages: 302 Date read: September, 2007

Summary: 12-year-old David is thrust into a realm where eternal stories and fairy tales assume an often gruesome reality. Books are the magic that speak to David, whose mother has died at the start of WWII after a long debilitating illness. His father remarries, and soon his stepmother is pregnant with yet another interloper who will threaten David's place in his father's life. When a portal to another world opens in time-honored fashion, David enters a land of beasts and monsters where he must undertake a quest if he is to earn his way back out. Connolly echoes many great fairy tales and legends (Little Red Riding Hood, Roland, Hansel and Gretel), but cleverly twists them to his own purposes. Despite horrific elements, this tale is never truly frightening, but is consistently entertaining as David learns lessons of bravery, loyalty and honor that all of us should learn.

Review: In many ways this book reminded me a lot of both "The Eyre Affair" and "The Never-Ending Story" even though it's not a book David disappears into this time. Still the atmosphere is the same. It's a pretty good book but not one that will (I don't think) leave any lasting impression on me.

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