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rubygranger's reviews
305 reviews
The Story of the Nutcracker by E.T.A. Hoffmann
4.0
This is a wonderful, magical tale which I regret not having read as a child.
Bertie's Christmas Eve by Saki
2.0
Did you know cows can talk on Christmas Eve? This is a pretty amusing Christmas story, but, if there are any moral lessons contained, they are rather displaced and difficult to locate!
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
4.0
I decided to re-read Little Women after watching the new film and am so glad that I did! I enjoyed this book when I first read it at 12, but truly LOVED it this time. The growth and progression of the sisters is wonderful, and the moral lessons infused in Alcott's writing make it a must-read children's classic.
Good Enough by Jen Petro-Roy
3.0
I was really looking forward to reading this. I really don't think there's enough middle grade literature about eating disorders and, with younger and younger kids struggling with body image issues and eating, it's important that this literature is available.
Riley is twelve years old and struggling with anorexia nervosa. Admitted to an eating disorder clinic at the beginning of the book, this novel covers these two crucial months in her recovery. She starts out resistant and refuses to admit she has a problem; however, gradually, through group and individual therapy, her mindset begins to change. This shift in her character is truly beautiful to see. If you have a history of disordered eating, do keep in mind that Petro-Roy does detail some of Riley's behaviours; however, since the book focuses on her recovery (with flashbacks to the time before she was admitted), I don't /think/ potential triggers are as much as an issue as in some other books out there. Rather than glorify eating disorders, which some YA fiction unfortunately does, Petro-Roy's novel is incredibly sensitive. It appreciates the pressures which 11-14 year olds are under, and how these pressures can turn toxic. The writing itself is also wonderfully lyrical (reminds me a little of Laurie Halse Anderson who is one of my favourite YA authors!).
I would highly recommend this books to pre-teens and young teens.
*For me to give a book three stars, it needs to be a really good book that I would recommend (for four stars, it must be a fantastic book which I would highly highly recommend; for it to be five stars, it must be a life-changing book which everyone must read). I just want to clarify this because I don't want you to think I didn't like it. The only reason it didn't get four stars is because this book was too young for me and so some of the content similarly felt a bit outdated).
Riley is twelve years old and struggling with anorexia nervosa. Admitted to an eating disorder clinic at the beginning of the book, this novel covers these two crucial months in her recovery. She starts out resistant and refuses to admit she has a problem; however, gradually, through group and individual therapy, her mindset begins to change. This shift in her character is truly beautiful to see. If you have a history of disordered eating, do keep in mind that Petro-Roy does detail some of Riley's behaviours; however, since the book focuses on her recovery (with flashbacks to the time before she was admitted), I don't /think/ potential triggers are as much as an issue as in some other books out there. Rather than glorify eating disorders, which some YA fiction unfortunately does, Petro-Roy's novel is incredibly sensitive. It appreciates the pressures which 11-14 year olds are under, and how these pressures can turn toxic. The writing itself is also wonderfully lyrical (reminds me a little of Laurie Halse Anderson who is one of my favourite YA authors!).
I would highly recommend this books to pre-teens and young teens.
*For me to give a book three stars, it needs to be a really good book that I would recommend (for four stars, it must be a fantastic book which I would highly highly recommend; for it to be five stars, it must be a life-changing book which everyone must read). I just want to clarify this because I don't want you to think I didn't like it. The only reason it didn't get four stars is because this book was too young for me and so some of the content similarly felt a bit outdated).
The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas by Ursula K. Le Guin
3.0
A wonderful but terrifying exploration of uptopia. A friend (Jade!) told me about this short story and, upon hearing the premise, I decided to read it myself.
Omelas is a beautiful city where everyone is happy and everything is perfect. The narrator takes care to remind us that this is a modern city, not Arcadian: the point is not how they are happy, and thus how we can be happy like the people of Omelas, but rather that they are happy despite living in a city which is remarkably like ours. The narrator's descriptions are wonderful, something straight out of a children's classic, but there is also suspicion. This suspicion is qualmed when the narrator tells us of a small boy suffering in a basement under the city -- a boy that every civilian knows exists and whose suffering means that everyone else can be happy.
This short story raises so many important questions about utopia, bystanders, social responsibility and, most interestingly, the human capacity for goodness. Isn't it funny that we only believe this city could exist when we are told that there is something awful within it? We find it much easier to believe things which are overly bad than overly good.
I do think it also raises a version of the Trolly Problem (utilitarianism) -- would you make one suffer to ensure the *happiness* of an entire city?
Omelas is a beautiful city where everyone is happy and everything is perfect. The narrator takes care to remind us that this is a modern city, not Arcadian: the point is not how they are happy, and thus how we can be happy like the people of Omelas, but rather that they are happy despite living in a city which is remarkably like ours. The narrator's descriptions are wonderful, something straight out of a children's classic, but there is also suspicion. This suspicion is qualmed when the narrator tells us of a small boy suffering in a basement under the city -- a boy that every civilian knows exists and whose suffering means that everyone else can be happy.
This short story raises so many important questions about utopia, bystanders, social responsibility and, most interestingly, the human capacity for goodness. Isn't it funny that we only believe this city could exist when we are told that there is something awful within it? We find it much easier to believe things which are overly bad than overly good.
I do think it also raises a version of the Trolly Problem (utilitarianism) -- would you make one suffer to ensure the *happiness* of an entire city?
For the Record by David Cameron
3.0
It doesn't look like Brexit's role in British politics is going to diminish anytime soon, and so I thought this was an important book to read. There definitely isn't as much on the referendum as I would have liked, but I enjoyed getting an insight into the daily workings of Downing Street and I learnt a lot about the political situation pre-2014 (I didn't start reading the news every day until Year 10) and the duties of the Prime Minister.
It's pretty long and slow-paced in places, but I would recommend it if you're interested in British Politics.
It's pretty long and slow-paced in places, but I would recommend it if you're interested in British Politics.
The Miracle Morning: The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform Your Life: Before 8AM by Hal Elrod
5.0
Extremely motivating self-help book & one of the most useful I've read. A lot of the advice is quite common-place but the execution really does encourage you to take it head-on :)