Booktalk

[listersgirl]

Terry Pratchett Equal Rites

This was excellent fun. Granny plus wizards! Equal Rites is early on in the series (number 3 I think?), so it's probably the first time that Granny Weatherwax was introduced, and I can totally see why people love her so much. Definitely vintage Pratchett.

Dodie Smith I Capture the Castle

This is quite possibly the most popular book that I had never heard of. In other words, I had never heard of this book, and then suddenly everywhere I read people were talking about how it's their favourite book ever. So naturally I had to read it. It didn't become my favourite book ever, but it's definitely comfort reading - something to return to when it's grey and drizzly and life is all wrong.

17-year-old Cassandra lives in a crumbling castle with her family and wants to be a writer. In her journal she records her innermost thoughts and deepest secrets during a time of change, brought on by the arrival of the new American owners of her home. It's a wonderfully romantic and thoughtful book, and I loved that Cassandra was both self-aware and naive of her own feelings and the feelings of people around her.

Comments

[eanja]

I just finished I Capture the Castle as well, which I'd never heard of either before everyone at Chicklit started raving about it. I liked it very much. I think Cassandra may be added to my short list of favorite heroines. And yet I don't know if I'll reread it- I have a feeling it might be like Claudine at School, which I absolutely adored, and often think of, but the secone readings of which ended up sadly flat compared to my memories of the first time through. (This is unusual for me; I'm a chronic rereader most of the time.)

I also love Granny Weatherwax. Pratchett says she is based on a type of old woman that he seems to think is fairly commonly met with. I wish I knew where he was hanging out.

[listersgirl]

Yup, it was entirely due to Chicklit that I read I Capture the Castle. I get the best recommendations from there.