Celestial Land and Sea, by Amy McLean

Received from the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program in March 2015.

The description of this book intrigued me. I'm a fan of London, time travel, pirates, romance, and adventure, so I was hoping to be a fan of this book. While the broad strokes of the plot had promise, the details of the story left me wishing the book had gone through a few more rounds of editing before being published. There was a lot going on, and yet nothing really happened. The transitions between past and present were handled well, but I never felt that Grace, whether she was Grace or Gráinne, was fully engaged in either; neither was I, for that matter. Perhaps a younger reader would have more patience for the story. I can't fathom why Grace, a young woman with her whole career ahead of her, would want to keep a job she hates even after gaining the self-confidence she needs to get out of there. Because of a guy? Was that supposed to be her happy ending?

Happy International BookCrossing Day!

I adopted a seemingly abandoned but nonetheless official Little Free Library at a local park last year. It's not quite weatherproof, so I "closed" it for the winter months and decided today—International BookCrossing Day—would be the perfect day for its Grand Reopening. I left 30 books there—a mixture of children's and adults'—and am keeping my fingers crossed for catches and journal entries.

Catch #246!

It was a nice surprise to hear from "Sarah, Plain and Tall," which I released at Point State Park in Pittsburgh a little over four months ago. Sarah was caught and journalled by new member j3nny16, who says, "Such a wonderful little book. Read it when I was 7- and saw the Hallmark Hall of Fame movie with Glenn Close and Christopher Walken. Fun to read again at age 32." Thanks, and welcome to BookCrossing, j3nny16!

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, by Rachel Joyce

Several things made me read "The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry": 1) Mom's book club's recommendation, 2) a Facebook post about most overlooked/underrated books of 2014, which led to 3) marking the bottom right-hand corner on my "2015 Reading BINGO" card, and 4) it was just $1.99 for the Kindle version through amazon.com.

Rachel Joyce has a way with words. There is some truly lovely language in this book and a few highlight-worthy lines, including my favorites: "She's a Jane Austen fan; she's seen all her movies," and "I should have raged." I enjoyed every step of Harold Fry's journey, even when it got a little "Forrest Gump"-y for a few chapters. I also enjoyed the interview with the author at the end; it was quite interesting.

Not That Kind of Girl, by Lena Dunham

Borrowed Kindle version from my local library. I was on the waiting list for many months.

Lena Dunham is not quite Hannah Horvath from "Girls," and Hannah Horvath from "Girls" is not quite Lena Dunham, but there is definitely a lot of Lena Dunham in all the girls of "Girls." Many of the stories Lena tells and people she writes about in this memoir have been storylines and characters on "Girls"—not exactly cut and pasted from real life, more like they have been Photoshopped and saved as layers so you can see how Lena's life is sharpened or blurred or blended with Hannah's fictional one.

You don't have to be a fan of "Girls" to enjoy this book. You just have to remember what it was like to be in your 20s, and be interested in what today's 20somethings are experiencing.

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns), by Mindy Kaling

Borrowed Kindle version from my local library.

This was an easy read—light and fluffy like the snow outside. If you believe everything that Mindy Kaling wrote in this book, she is actually a pretty good role model. She's smart, she's funny, and she knows what she wants and doesn't let other people influence her behavior. This should be required reading for the young adult crowd.

Catch #245!

Just a day after leaving Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None" pinned to the community bulletin board at Panera Bread in Greensburg, it has been caught! And I know whodunit—new member Krsprincess82. She writes: "My mom works at panera and knows how much I love reading. So she brought it home for me. Can't wait to read it." It's a good one. Enjoy!

Anna and the French Kiss, by Stephanie Perkins

Borrowed Kindle version from my local library. I was excited to see it was not only available, but available immediately, as it had been on my BookCrossing wishlist for a couple of years—probably soon after my own trip to Paris.

"Anna and the French Kiss" is a charming and surprising YA book. I loved exploring Paris again, living vicariously through Anna who was lucky enough to be there more than a week, and learning a few things for when I go back someday. For instance, I didn't know about the wishing on the star at Point Zero, nor about the Pantheon. Stephanie Perkins managed to convey some good lessons about how to be a true friend without sounding preachy, along with important reminders that the world does not revolve around you. 

Looking for Alaska, by John Green

Borrowed Kindle version from my local library.

I was really enjoying the first half of this book as it counted down to some big unknown thing happening. When the something big finally happened, I was afraid it was going to take a nosedive into a preachfest. It was touch and go for a couple of fictional weeks, but I think John Green pulled up on the controls just in time. The characters seemed true to life, with the same foibles and feelings, problems and preoccupations, light and dark, that real teens (and people who used to be teens) have. It's a thought-provoking and thoughtful book. I liked it. 

Top Secret Twenty-One, by Janet Evanovich

Borrowed Kindle version from my local library.

This was one of Stephanie Plum's more enjoyable adventures of late. There was a nice balance of familiar characters, obligatory funeral home shenanigans, vehicle demises, and FTA apprehensions to let you know you were still in Trenton. I actually liked Stephanie in this book. She took care of people left and right, including herself. She was confident and stood up for herself and didn't seem like such a screw-up. And there was Ranger. Lots of Ranger. And Morelli. But Ranger. Who says she has to choose?

Catch #244!

My second catch of 2015 (#244 overall) comes six weeks after I left "The Phantom Tollbooth" on top of a gas pump in Murrysville, Pa. The AnonymousFinder says: "Found at Murrysville Sheetz on rt. 22. I remember reading this book back in school. It will soon be on its way to a new site!" Can't wait to hear more!

Peter and the Starcatchers, by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson

Written by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, and acquired from SYNC 2014, which offers two free YA audiobooks each week in May. Well read by Jim Dale, who also reads the Harry Potter books.

This Peter Pan prequel was great fun, with lots of action and humor and nods to the source material. Not only does this book explain how Peter and the Lost Boys and Captain Hook arrived at Neverland, it also explains the origins of Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster, and the genius of Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, among others. This is a book that would make a great movie. I'm satisfied knowing as much as I know about these characters, so I probably won't seek out other books in the series, but who's to say what would happen should they cross my path?

One Summer: America, 1927, by Bill Bryson

Borrowed Kindle version from my local library. It took me 42 days spanning two seasons to get through this book. Not that it wasn't interesting—the material was fascinating—but maybe the Thanksgiving-Christmas-New Year season wasn't the best time to tackle it, as I had other things on my mind. What made the summer of 1927 one hell of a summer?

Babe Ruth hit sixty home runs. The Federal Reserve made the mistake that precipitated the stock market crash. Al Capone enjoyed his last summer of eminence. The Jazz Singer was filmed. Television was created. Radio came of age. Sacco and Vanzetti were executed. President Coolidge chose not to run. Work began on Mount Rushmore. The Mississippi flooded as it never had before. A madman in Michigan blew up a school and killed forty-four people in the worst slaughter of children in American history. Henry Ford stopped making the Model T and promised to stop insulting Jews. And a kid from Minnesota flew across an ocean and captivated the planet in a way it had never been captivated before.

Even though the title of the book would lead you to believe you would only be reading about the events of the summer of 1927, Bill Bryson did a good job of giving you all the background you didn't know you needed to know in order to understand just what made this summer so unique. Disappointingly, there was little evidence of his trademark snark, which only came through the cracks in his narrative. Still, I learned a lot about this one summer in America, primarily that things haven't changed as much as we'd like to think they have.

Catch #243!

What a great way to start off the new year! My first catch of 2015 came with this fantastic journal entry by new member EFVS: "I'm in second grade and I read this book with my mom. We both LOVED it! My favorite character was the centipede. I liked him because he didn't like the earthworm and they were always arguing. This made me laugh. This book had a lot of funny parts, adventurous parts, and dangerous parts. It was truly a fantastic book! Thank you for sharing it!"

Thank YOU, EFVS, for catching "James and the Giant Peach"! I'm so glad you liked it.

Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock, by Matthew Quick

Written by Matthew Quick, author of "Silver Linings Playbook," and acquired from SYNC 2014, which offers two free YA audiobooks each week in May. Read by Noah Galvin, who gives an exceptional performance.

I think some of the best stories being told today are in the YA genre. "Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock" is an intense, imaginative, and insightful book that I simultaneously want to keep out of and push into the hands of every teen I know. So many different issues that face kids today were addressed head on, fearlessly and intelligently. This was a really good, thought-provoking book, even for a non-teen like me. My favorite part is the ambiguity of the title: Is Leonard Peacock asking us to forgive him or should we be asking Leonard Peacock to forgive us? You'll have to read it and make up your own mind about that.

Books Read in 2014

Well, thank goodness that's over and done with. Like many people I know, 2014 was not the best of times, nor was it the worst of times, but I am not sorry to see it end. I managed to finish 62* books this year, 6 more than 2013, but several of them were Very Easy Reading, so that 62 deserves an asterisk.

My sort of resolution for 2014—to read an e-book, then an audiobook, then a real book, followed by another real book—never really took off, though 29 of the 62 books were actual physical books from Mt. TBR. If only I hadn't acquired dozens more to replace them at the same time...

So here is a list of the books I finished in 2014. You can follow the links to their journal entries on BookCrossing; those books without a link were either borrowed, or are in my permanent collection for the moment. (E) indicates they were read on my Kindle/Nook/iPod Touch; (A) means they were audiobooks; (L) means I borrowed them from my local library; (R) means I re-read some old friends.

My favorites this year? "How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming," by Mike Brown; "Ready Player One," by Ernest Cline; "Grave Sight," by Charlaine Harris; and "Neverwhere," by Neil Gaiman, because it was read by Neil Gaiman.

January
1. Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott
2. Timebound, by Rysa Walker (E)
3. Doctor Who: Galaxy Four, by William Emms
4. The Life and Times of Call the Midwife: The Official Companion to Season One and Two, by Heidi Thomas (E) (L)

February
5. A Wrinkle In Time, by Madeleine L'Engle (A) (R)
6. My Beloved World, by Sonia Sotomayor
7. The Quest, by Nelson DeMille (E) (L)
8. Doctor Who: The Myth Makers, by Donald Cotton (E)
9. Seek, by Paul Fleischman

March
10. Choke, by Chuck Palahniuk (A) (L)
11. National Velvet, by Enid Bagnold
12. All My Friends Are Dead, by Avery Monsen and Jory John
13. All My Friends Are Still Dead, by Avery Monsen and Jory John
14. The Teleportation Accident, by Ned Beauman (E)
15. If Love Be Blind, by Emma Goldrick (E)
16. Divergent, by Veronica Roth (E) (L)
17. A Feast for Crows, by George R.R. Martin (E)
18. Passenger to Frankfurt, by Agatha Christie
19. Doctor Who: Storm Warning, by Alan Barnes (A)

April
20. Agnes and the Hitman, by Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer
21. Insurgent, by Veronica Roth (E) (L)
22. Garden of Beasts, by Jeffery Deaver (A)
23. Blackberry Wine, by Joanne Harris
24. Takedown Twenty, by Janet Evanovich (E) (L)

May
25. The Museum Guard, by Howard Norman
26. The Daughter of Time, by Josephine Tey (A)
27. How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming, by Mike Brown (E) (L)
28. The Ocean at the End of the Lane, by Neil Gaiman (A) (L) (R)
29. Rebecca's Tale, by Sally Beauman
30. Allegiant, by Veronica Roth (E) (L)

June
31. An Officer and a Spy, by Robert Harris (A) (L)
32. I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou
33. Transmission, by Hari Kunzru (A)
34. Cash: The Autobiography, by Johnny Cash with Patrick Carr
35. Bossypants, by Tina Fey

July
36. John Dies at the End, by David Wong (E)
37. Stardust, by Neil Gaiman (A) (R)
38. Ripper, by Isabel Allende (A) (L)
39. The Bat, by Jo Nesbø (E) (L)

August
40. The Frog King, by Adam Davies
41. The Tales of Beedle the Bard, by J.K. Rowling
42. Cat Among the Pigeons, by Agatha Christie (E)
43. Neverwhere, by Neil Gaiman (A) (R)
44. Stormy Persuasion, by Johanna Lindsey (E) (L)
45. Tears of the Giraffe, by Alexander McCall Smith

September
46. 2001: A Space Odyssey, by Arthur C. Clarke (A)
47. The Fault In Our Stars, by John Green (E) (L)
48. The Girl Nobody Wanted, by Lynn Raye Harris
49. Silent to the Bone, by E.L. Konigsburg
50. Ready Player One, by Ernest Cline (A)
51. The Foretelling, by Alice Hoffman
52. Morality for Beautiful Girls, by Alexander McCall Smith

October
53. The Gates, by John Connolly
54. Grave Sight, by Charlaine Harris
55. The Thief Lord, by Cornelia Funke
56. Eleanor & Park, by Rainbow Rowell (E) (L)
57. No Choice But Seduction, by Johanna Lindsey

November
58. Wicked Appetite, by Janet Evanovich
59. The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan (E)
60. Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant, by Anne Tyler
61. Death in the Steel City, by Thomas Lipinski

December
62. How The Grinch Stole Christmas, by Dr. Seuss (A) (R)

Catch #242!

I got an early Christmas gift this year from new user paper_chaser, who found "Death In The Steel City" just where I left it a couple of weeks ago: "Found it while restocking the City Paper box near PPG plaza."

Catch #241!

My first (and hopefully not last) catch from this year's Holiday Parade has checked in. New member MarStar writes: "Found at the Holiday Parade, read over the weekend. Enjoyed. Will be releasing it again soon." Safe travels, little guy!

The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan

Read on my Kindle at the insistence of Niece No. 6. She and Nephews No. 2 and 3 are big fans of The Olympians series of books and I can see why. I'm sure they would have captured my imagination had they been written when I was their age. They serve as a nice introduction to Greek and Roman mythology and made me want to refamiliarize myself with the original stories—they made me want to read more, which is a fantastic result for today's kids.

It's not a trick ...

It's that time of year again! For the last couple of years, I have had a smorgasbord of books for my trick-or-treaters, in addition to the traditional candy, and the books have been a big hit! This year, I made my own labels just for the occasion. The tagline says: "it's not a trick, you're in for a treat!" Download them by clicking here. You can find links to other user-created labels in this thread on the BookCrossing forums.