Thursday 2 December 2010

Alternative Blogging Week - The Book Blog



Good day everyone, and welcome to Thursday! Today, Musings will become a book blog. Books are one of my favourite things, but I really don't blog about them that much. This ends TODAY!

Today, in the words of Lemony Snicket, I will 'Think of that secret favorite book of yours - not the one you tell people you like best, but that book so good that you refuse to share it with people because they'd never understand it. Perhaps it's not even a whole book, just a tiny portion that you'll never forget as long as you live' and show you my utmost favourite books. Although, if they are my secret favourite books, I shouldn't be talking about them. Damn it! This is my effing blog!

Harry and the Wrinklies - Alan Temperley




In Harry and the Wrinklies, Harry lives in a fine London house with his nanny, whom he calls Gestapo Lil, while his rich parents gallivant all across the world. One day, he is left orphaned and sent to live with his great-aunts Bridget and Florrie, who he soon finds out are the leaders of a gang of geriatric master criminals, robbing banks to give money to charity. But Gestapo Lil soon returns into Harry's life, threatening his life and the lives of his new family... DOT DOT DOT
This book is an excellent adventure story, and the Wrinklies are so kind, so criminally talented and so funny that you wish they were real. Harry is a wonderful hero, clever and quick-witted, and he is a good person, most of all. This book is so, so much fun to read!

Muddle Earth - Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell




I hate the Lord of the Rings series. I read the Hobbit, and it was so boring. Muddle Earth is, well, it is based on the Lord of the Rings, but it's so funny, and so good you'd never notice the similarities. Joe, a boy from ordinary Earth, is accidentally summoned to Muddle Earth with his dog Henry by the wizard Randalf, the only wizard left in Muddle Earth after the others 'went on holiday'... Randalf tells Joe he must fight evil on behalf of the Horned Baron, who has problems even Randalf can't fix - his wife, Ingrid, is incredibly demanding, which the evil villain Doctor Cuddles uses to his advantages... DOT DOT DOT
This book, like the Lord of the Rings, is divided into three parts - Engelbert the Enormous, Here Be Dragons and Doctor Cuddles of Giggle Glade. Chris Riddell is also one of my favourite illustrators, but don't let that fool you into thinking this book's just for little kids. Seriously, don't. Please.

Blart: The Boy Who Didn't Want To Save The World - Dominic Barker




When the old and wise wizard Capablanca visits Blart and tells him he has to save the world from the evil Zoltab, Blart refuses to go. He doesn't want to leave his beloved pigs. But Capablanca drags him along anyway, and they set off on an epic quest, with Beowulf, the warrior who loves killing and whose greatest ambition is to be a knight, the obnoxious Princess Lois who loves slamming doors, and Pig the flying horse (who was named by Blart!)
Blart is one of the funniest books I have ever read in my entire life. Even now, years after I first read it, it still cracks me up every page or so. (By the way, has anyone else noticed that these books are all adventure stories? Well, except for the next one... DOT DOT DOT)

Gingersnaps - Cathy Cassidy



The book starts with an eight year old girl called Ginger, who is bullied for being overweight and having red hair. Four years later, Ginger has reinvented herself and is best friends with the cool, confident Shannon. On the first day of Year Eight, Ginger catches the eye of the weird and wonderful Sam, who plays the saxophone (and we all know the saxophone is one of the coolest instruments) and seems to like Ginger more than Shannon. The two start dating secretly but Ginger must decide where her loyalties lie... DOT DOT DOT
Yes, this book is Pink Lit. But unlike many books for the teenage girl group, with style but no substance, Gingersnaps is finely balanced between an excellent storyline, memorable and well-written characters, a wise message and a glossy cover (which is of course the most important thing to judge about a book. Seriously, it's very nice.) Shannon is so delectably... frenemial (I've made a new word!) and Sam is one of those characters that you wish were real people, just so you could be friends with in real life.

And that's it for Thursday! Don't forget, tomorrow is the last day of Alternative Blogging Week, and Musings will become a cooking blog!

Eleanor Roscuro

1 comment:

Minnie said...

Thanks! Now I have some new books to check out. They sound great (except the last one, I just don't care for that kind of stuff).

(To be honest, I don't like Lord of the Rings either. It is boring. But I don't say that to my family.)

Blart sounds like a spoof on The Chronicles of Prydain, or whatever that series is called. And Muddle Earth is definitely a spoof. Which is good. I like spoofs. =)