Review: Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale

From Goodreads:
When Dashti, a maid, and Lady Saren, her mistress, are shut in a tower for seven years for Saren's refusal to marry a man she despises, the two prepare for a very long and dark imprisonment.
As food runs low and the days go from broiling hot to freezing cold, it is all Dashti can do to keep them fed and comfortable. But the arrival outside the tower of Saren's two suitors--one welcome, and the other decidedly less so--brings both hope and great danger, and Dashti must make the desperate choices of a girl whose life is worth more than she knows.
With Shannon Hale's lyrical language, this forgotten but classic fairy tale from the Brothers Grimm is reimagined and reset on the central Asian steppes; it is a completely unique retelling filled with adventure and romance, drama and disguise.

***

I am a sucker for a good story and beautiful writing.  Shannon Hale provides both in this retelling of a Brothers Grimm Fairytale.  Her language is poetic and musical.  This was a book that I wanted to slowly digest, word by word and relish the taste of each one.  

The characters developed beautifully over the course of the story.  Both Dashti and her mistress, Saren, grow and change over the course of their companionship.  I loved Dashti dearly, and cheered for her constantly.  There was more romance than I had expected in this story, but I was glad of it.  I was also glad that the story wasn't only about romance.  I love books with a story to tell, and this one filled just about everything on my "must have" checklist.  

I borrowed it from the library when I read it, but I just purchased the Kindle Edition.  It's only $0.99 right now, so if you've ever been curious about Shannon Hale or this story in particular, it is the perfect time to try it out.  

Happy reading!

Reading level: Ages 12 and up
Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens; First Edition edition (September 18, 2007)
Amazon
Goodreads
Pin It

A new Mr. Darcy?

I love me some Pride and Prejudice. Seriously. I think it's the ultimate sick day movie. Really, any version of the movie is the best, and I've seen a lot of them. I don't know what it is about the story that I love, I just love it. And of course, who doesn't love Mr. Darcy? In the end, anyway.

The other day I was flipping through the catalogue online at our local library and came across Masterpiece Theatre Jane Eyre. I saw the play in college because my roommate was in the orchestra. The only thing I remember was there was a lunatic hidden in the attic and something about fire... I thought I might give the movie a shot. I liked the play (at least I think I did) so I would probably enjoy the movie.

Let me just say this. The movie is 4 hours long, and I have somehow managed to watch it twice, yes twice, in the last three days. I guess that's what happens when your husband is working late hours. That's beside the point. The fact that I stayed up late and got up early to watch it tells you how much I loved it. Well, that and I skipped over the parts with Mrs. Reed being Mrs. Reed and Bertha haunting the halls. Seen it once, didn't need to see it twice. But the rest of the movie, I loved.

I especially loved Mr. Rochester. Good heavens, the actor is brilliant. He's rough around the edges, beastly and mean at first. Ok, that's a lie, he's rough around the edges, beastly and mean through most of the movie, but for Jane he changes. For Jane he is a completely different animal. He really made me believe that he was in love with her.

I do a pretty good job of keeping one foot in reality at all times when I watch a movie. Books are different - I like to lose my mind in a book. But with movies I always point out, "That actor also played in..." or "Yeah, like that would happen in real life." I like to remember that life is not a movie and this didn't really happen.

But with Jane Eyre, I think I lost my focus and had both eyes trained on the imagination of Charlotte Bronte. Is Mr. Rochester real? As real as Edward and Bella, or Harry, or even Mickey Mouse. But for those few hours I forgot the word "fiction" and thought how lucky Jane was to have someone like Mr. Rochester. Well, lucky until she met Bertha.

So, if you're sick or snowed in or just in the mood for some good tv...and you've got 4 hours to spare I'd recommend Jane Eyre. I haven't seen any other versions yet, just the BBC Masterpiece Theatre one. Sadly, that's the only one our local library has, so I don't think I'll be watching any other versions. A new one is coming out staring Mia Wasikowska, but after watching the previews, I'm still partial to the BBC version.

If you do check out this movie, here are three things of note:

1. Jane's profile takes some getting used to, but push passed that and you'll see she really can be very pretty.
2. The young Jane Eyre is played by Georgie Henley. (Aka Lucy Pevensie)
3. If you speak Spanish, cover your ears when Jane meets Bertha.

Please enjoy:)

PS. If you enjoy Pride and Prejudice, you will probably enjoy this book by Shannon Hale:

Pin It

Review: The Actor and the Housewife by Shannon Hale

Becky is seven months pregnant with her fourth child when she meets her dream actor Felix Callahan by chance. Twelve hours, one elevator ride, and one alcohol-free dinner later something has happened, though nothing has happened… it isn't sexual. It isn't even quite love. But soon Felix shows up in the Utah 'burbs to visit and before they know what's hit them, Felix and Becky are best friends. Really. Becky's husband is pretty cool about it. Her children roll their eyes. Her best (girl)friend can't get her head around it. But Felix (think Colin Firth) and Becky have something special… something unusual, something completely impossible to sustain. Or is it?- Amazon.com

The Actor and the Housewife was wildly entertaining. The dialoge between Becky and Felix is hilarious and makes me wish I was just as witty. The book covers a huge time span (11 years I think...?) which is difficult to do in one novel. Unfortunately I found some parts to be a little slow and had to muscle through. Other parts, however, were touching and yes I shed some tears (some because I was laughing so hard).

A recommended read if you enjoy LDS fiction/comedy.

Pin It

Review: Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

Anidori-Kiladra Talianna Isilee, Crown Princess of Kildenree, is born with the ability to speak to animals, a gift that is nurtured by her aunt. When the king dies, the queen announces that Ani's younger brother, not the crown princess, will succeed her on the throne. Unbeknownst to anyone, the queen has promised Ani in marriage to the prince of neighboring Bayern. The devastated teen is sent with a retinue over the mountains to Bayem and is betrayed by Selia, her lady-in-waiting, and most of her guards during the journey. Ani escapes, takes the name "Isi," disguises her distinctive blonde hair, and becomes a tender of geese to survive until she can reveal her true identity and reclaim her crown from the imposter, Selia. - Amazon.com

What I loved most about this book was Ani. Seems obvious, but really it's hard to have the main character be your favorite part of a story. She is given seemingly insurmountable trials, and yet she faces them head on, and not for love of a boy. She does it for love of her country and for love of herself. She discovers that she is worth something and therefore is worth fighting for. That is a lesson I think a lot of us need to learn.

The book itself seemed a little long and sometimes tedious, but when trying to imagine which parts I'd cut out, I couldn't think of any. I was pleasantly surprised when the twist came and I shouted, "I knew it!" That's always a good reaction.

I'm very much looking forward to reading the other Books of Bayern.

Pin It