I got to meet the author of the Penderwick series and I got to ask questions like do you speak Latin because there was Latin in the Penderwicks? She said it was fun the add different languages into it but she doesn’t speak Latin. It was so cool to meet my favorite author in the world everyone should read her books and she has a new book The Library of Unruly Treasures

The story kept me glued to this book. Koontz’s writing is very prosaic and richly descriptive. My first read of this author.

Quirky characters fill this unique story about four half siblings who go in search of their father—who disappeared from each of their individual families to start his life over. Offbeat and funny, sometimes poignant, and entertaining throughout.

I like this beef because I can read it myself

I wouldn’t recommend reading this one. I only liked the detectives character in this but I didn’t enjoy reading from all the different points of view.

My first feminist theory book. Really interesting! Great insight mixed with humor. Never got bored. Will be reading her other books. Recommend totally.

It was a funny book and I read it myself

The author harkens back to the time where actors and actresses were king and queen and movies were all the rage right before the horrors of World War II. This book, which I hope is the first in a cozy series, takes place during the filming of Hitchcock's famous movie Rebecca. The plot revolves around a young Hollywood script supervisor, Evelyn Galloway, who finds herself embroiled in a mystery surrounding the murder of an actor from the studio she is working at. With the help of her room mate and others actors, she finds herself in an adventure that evokes the time and place of the early 1940's. I had seen Rebecca a few times previously and now after reading this "behind the scenes" (albeit fictional portrayal of Hitchcock and the main actors), I want to see it again. The mystery has a great ending and Evelyn then accept a job working on another Hitchcock movie, The Foreign Correspondent, so I hope that means there will be a followup. Likeable characters and very interesting plot. I found myself googling various people and events in the story to gain more insight. A fun read overall!

As I have read it, the Scarlet Letter is a fictional story inspired by historical events with major themes of religion, guilt, and human morals. Hester Prynne is publicly shamed for having a child outside her marriage and is forced to wear a red garment on her clothes as a constant reminder of her shame and guilt. Her daughter, Pearl, also serves as a reminder of her crime and plays a supernatural role in the story. It is revealed that Hester’s husband is not dead, but now goes by Roger Chillingworth and chooses to hide his identity, now becoming the village doctor. Hester had her affair with the Young Minister Mr. Dimmesdale but she keeps this fact a secret from the public during the course of her punishment. Despite this, Mr. Dimmesdale suffers by becoming physically weak and holding a hand over his heart, which conceals a (physical or metaphorical) letter A mark on his skin: the same letter sewn into Hester’s garment. Over time, Roger Chillingworth figures out that Mr. Dimmesdale is the man behind the crime and he begins to enjoy watching him suffer, causing him to become evil and connected to the devil (the minister does not realize this until Hester tells him). As years, progress, Mr. Dimmesdale's health continues to decline; Roger Chillingworth, who originally moved in with the minister to watch his health, becomes consumed by revenge and only worsens his state. After meeting in the woods and telling Mr. Dimmesdale of his "enemy", Hester and Mr. Dimmesdale devise a plan to travel to Europe (but soon realize they will never be able to escape the devil personified in Roger Chillingworth). In the climax event of the story, the Election Proceedings, Mr. Dimmesdale becomes revitalized (due to his motivation to speak the truth and the promise that his suffering will soon be over) and delivers an electrifying Election Sermon. As soon as the minister finished his sermon, all the energy left his body and he began to die. Wanting to die entirely truthful, he calls Pearl and Hester onto the scaffold and finally admits his part in the sin and his remorse for deceiving everyone over 7 years. He also reveals a literal Scarlet Letter "A" on his chest. After making a few final remarks to Hester, Pearl, and the general public, Mr. Dimmesdale dies on the scaffold, causing the public to go into shock. Roger Chillingworth dies within the same year and leaves Hester and Pearl with estates in both Europe and the colonies, causing the family to gain great wealth. The story ends with Hester returning to her New England cottage to live out the end of her life (continuing to wear the scarlet letter) and suggests that Pearl is living a happy married life in Europe with a newborn child. Overall, I thought the story was interesting, unique, and a great example of symbolism. The text even refers to talismans throughout the text and I believe they are a major part of the story's depth. The scaffold and scarlet letter are the most prevalent physical talismans, but Roger Chillingworth and Pearl serve as physical symbols for morals and virtue. I also think there is symbolism in the usage of reflections and alter personalities, though I’m not sure if it reflects different realms or the evil and pure sides of humans. Pearl is a very special case in the story, serving as a symbol in a variety of ways. I interpreted her as being a supernatural being who sends messages from Heaven and the universe (like a bridge or messenger between the spiritual and living world). At the same time, she is a deeply natural/wild being, known for being one with the forest and utilizing the color green. There is symbolism in her name, Pearl, as it usually represents purity, despite Pearl consistently being described as a physical representation of the Scarlet Letter. With Mr. Dimmesdale's death, Pearl is described as finally developing empathy and no longer tormenting her mother as a "messenger of anguish". To me, this implies that Pearl knew more than she was letting on, was a spiritual being with a mission to communicate spiritual messages, and was only able to be a fully functional member of society (for the time standards) when both parents were truthful and present in her life. In a way, Pearl carried the central themes of the text.

Entertaining and suspenseful; things are not what they seem, in an entertaining way. A quick read; there were a few little parts that dragged, but overall I liked it.