A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle (5)

Meg's father, an eminent physicist, has been missing for two years. One night a strange old woman, Mrs. Whatsit, appears, "blown off course" while she, along with Mrs. Who and Mrs. Which, was tessering, or taking a shorcut through time and space.

They take Meg, her little brother Charles Wallace, and their new friend Calvin, to rescue Dr. Murray, who is a prisoner on a planet ruled by IT, a giant pulsating brain that controls the minds of everyone on the planet. Charles Wallace also falls under IT's control, and when Meg finds her father, she discovers that he is not the invincible protector she thought he was. She must not only come to terms with this realization, but find a way to rescue them both.

I purchased this book because: So many people have mentioned it to me that I thought I would be crazy not to get it

Opening lines: It was a dark and stormy night. In her attic bedroom Margaret Murry, wrapped an old patchwork quilt, sat on the foot of her bed and watched the trees tossing in the frenzied lashing of the wind.

Oh my Golly Gosh why did it take me years to read this book ..... It is definitely one of my favourite all time reads ... And one book that I have to say is a must for every household to have on their bookshelf ... I have got brightly coloured post-its all over this book ... I just was so sad that it had to come to an end ....

You know you are reading a good book when you just get carried away with the storyline and the characters ... When you visualize everything in your head like a movie .... And the great thing about this book is that it is not only a great fantasy novel but also has great words of insight and lessons that we can all learn ... Can you tell that I loved this novel ...

It was written back in 1962 which shows that a great novel stands the test of time ... And that Madeleine the author was going to give up on publishing it because she kept getting rejected ... There is a lesson to be learnt to never give up ...

I love all the characters in this book especially the main character of Margaret ... This novel has such a powerful way of addressing issues and how to overcome them ... And to show that in the end 'LOVE' conquers all ... And one of the main issues in the novel is Conformity .... And it is something that most of us will suffer from one time or another ... But this novel teaches us that it is OK to be different and to be you !!

Where to begin with my favourite quotes because there are sooooooooo many: "Everybodys exactly alike" .. Meg replies triumphantly, " No! Like and equal are not the same thing at all!" pg 3

'But I think that with our human limitations we're not always able to understand the explanations. But you see, Meg, just because we don't understand doesn't mean that the explanation doesn't exist' Pg 53

'An old ass knows more than a young colt' Perez Pg 63

'I do not know everything; still many things I understand' Goethe Pg 113

'We look not at the things which are what you would call seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal. But the things which are not seen are eternal.' Pg 205

'Why do you think we have wars at home? Why do you think people get confused and unhappy? Because they all live their own, separate, individual lives. I've been trying to explain to you in the simplest possible way that on Camazotz individuals have been done away with. Camazoz in ONE mind. It's IT. And that's why every one's so happy and efficient' Pg 157

'Her father: 'We can't leave her. And we must stay together. We must not be afraid to take time' pg 182

'You mean you're comparing our lives to a sonnet? A strict form, but freedom within?' .. You're given the form, but you have to write the sonnet yourself. What you say is completely up to you' Pg 219

With Madeleine's grand-daughter's help her stories have been re-published so we can appreciate them all over again as a new generation ... If you want to be transported into a different world this is definitely a novel for you and one that you will re-read again and again :) ..

I rate this book 5*****

Here's the movie clip .... I haven't watched this movie before and have been told that the book is far better ... No surprise there then ..

Books in the Time Series in order are:

1) A Wrinkle in Time

2) A Wind in the Door

3) A Swiftly Tilting Planet

4) Many Waters

5) An Acceptable Time

The Poison Diaries by Maryrose Wood & Jane Northumberland (4)

Jessamine Luxson lives with her father, Thomas, an apothecary, in an isolated cottage near Alnwick Castle. Thomas′s pride and obsession is his locked garden full of dangerous plants, which Jessamine is forbidden to enter.

When a traveler brings an orphan to their cottage, he claims the boy has special gifts that Thomas might value. Jessamine is drawn to the strange but intriguing boy, called Weed. Soon their friendship deepens into love. Finally, Weed shares his secret: he can communicate with plants. For him they have distinct personalities-and some are even murderous. From the locked garden the poisonous plants call to Weed, luring him with promises of deadly power.

I purchased this book because: Saw this on a book blog site and loved the cover :)

Opening lines: 15th March ... Gray skies, the rain came and went all morning. A cold wind blew in gust, worsening as the day went on, until the lowest branch of the great chestnut tree in the courtyard splintered down the middle and crashed to the ground. If I had been standing underneath, I would have been crushed.

This is a new wee series of the 1st in a set of three and it is quite an easy read that you will finish in know time ... The concept is really interesting with the idea sparking from the World Famous Poison Gardens at Alnwick Castle in England ( which is the castle that is also famous where they filmed Hogwarts for Harry Potter)

I love my Young Adults reads and this will be added to my list ... I did find it abit young at the start but then the story really developed ... Jessamine's world is quite a solitude life with her only company being her father until a strange young man named 'Weed' turns up ... Jessamine's eyes are suddenly opened up to a beautiful world around her ... But still there is a fascination for the poison garden behind the locked iron gates which her father forbids her to enter .. I suppose with anything if you are told not to go near it your curiosity is peaked ...

I have to say I loved the way the authors wrote about the poisons and how they described nature ... Truly beautiful and pulled you in .... You can see the lure of danger with the poisons by the way she describes them it is very seductive ...

I am excited on how the series will develop ... As they left us with a cliffhanger at the end ...

Some of favourite quotes in the book where: Her fathers description of Belladonna ... " Remember, Jessamin," Father warned, " you will be raising a litter of assassins" Pg 8

"I am easy prey, I think, a motherless lamb, alone in the world. No flock, no friends, no green field I can call home. And the skies are full of ravens." Pg 35

"You see, Jessamine, love is a kind of poison; one of my favourite kinds, in fact. It infects the blood, it takes over the mind, it seizes dominion over the body" Pg 225

So in end ... we have a choice ... we can either use the plants for good or evil ...

I rate this book 4 ****

Check out a short interview with the author .... Enjoy :)

The books in order of series:

1) The Poison Diaries

2)

3)

TwentyTen Reading Challenge 2010

The aim is to read a total 20 books, over ten categories, in 2010. (Was this challenge based solely around the name? I’ll let you decide!)

Rules:

• Read 2 books from each category, making a requirement of 20 books total.
• The categories are intended to be loose guidelines only, if you decide it fits, then it fits. (Apart from those marked **)
• Categories marked with ** have tighter rules, and these must be followed.
• Each book can only qualify for one category.
• Crossovers with other challenges are allowed.
• Books read from 01/01/2010 to 31/12/2010 are eligible.

So, on with the categories

1. Young Adult
   Any book classified as young adult or featuring a teenage protagonist counts for this category.
2. T.B.R. **
   Intended to help reduce the old T.B.R. pile. Books for this category must be already residents of your bookshelves as of 1/11/09.
3. Shiny & New
   Bought a book NEW during 2010 from a bookstore, online, or a supermarket? Then it counts for this category. Second-hand books do not count for this one, but, for those on book-buying bans, books bought for you as gifts or won in a giveaway also count!
4. Bad Blogger’s ***
   Books in this category, should be ones you’ve picked up purely on the recommendation of another blogger count for this category (any reviews you post should also link to the post that convinced you give the book ago).
   *** Bad Bloggers: Is hosted by Chris of Stuff as Dreams are Made on.
5. Charity
   Support your local charity shops with this category, by picking up books from one of their shops. Again, for those on book-buying bans, books bought for you as gifts also count, as long as they were bought from a charity shop.
6. New in 2010
   This category is for those books newly published in 2010 (whether it be the first time it is has been released, or you had to wait for it to be published in your country, it counts for this one!)
7. Older Than You
   Read two books that were published before you were born, whether that be the day before or 100 years prior!
8. Win! Win!
   Have a couple of books you need to read for another challenge? Then this is the category to use, as long that is, you don’t break the rules of the other challenge by doing so!
9. Who Are You Again?
   This one isn’t just for authors you’ve never read before, this is for those authors you have never even heard of before!
10. Up to You!
    
    The requirements for this category are up to you! Want to challenge yourself to read some graphic novels? A genre outside your comfort zone? Something completely wild and wacky? Then this is the category to you.

Irish's Books
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8) Unwind by Neal Shusterman
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20) Austenland by Shannon Hale