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For your reading pleasure, I present Random House‘s The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce.

Charming. Compassionate. Precious. These are just a few of the words that describe The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry. What you encounter when you read its pages is a tale of grief, regret and weakness. But it’s much more than that. In it you take a journey of human exploration that illuminates Harold, the man, and his relationship with his wife, Maureen.

I warn you that your heart is sure to break on more than one occasion but that’s merely a testament to Joyce’s brilliance as a storyteller.

50 Book Pledge | Book #7: The Chimps of Fauna Sanctuary by Andrew Westoll
 

For your reading pleasure, I present HarperCollins Canada‘s This Dark Endeavour by Kenneth Oppel.

This Dark Endeavour by Kenneth Oppel

Let me begin by saying that I was skeptical about reading This Dark Endeavour. Here’s why: I read Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein first and I was in awe of her masterpiece. I couldn’t see how Kenneth Oppel, or any writer, could do justice to the most well-known work of horror fiction in literature. However, the truth is, that This Dark Endeavour: The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein was phenomenal.

For me, Oppel’s greatest achievement is the foundation he builds for Shelley’s Frankenstein. The stepping stones he lays are not only believable but also insightful. There’s nothing that’s straightforward about young Victor Frankenstein. In fact, he’s a complicated mess. He doesn’t quite know what it is that drives him. Thus, his personal struggle is absolutely engrossing. Readers of all ages will undoubtedly relish every gripping page of Oppel’s masterful prequel.

This Dark Endeavour is the definition of must-read.

For your reading pleasure, I present Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly.

Revolution

Revolution is an phenomenal story. I don’t use the word “phenomenal” often but, in this case, no other word would do. There are many things that make Revolution worthy of such praise: Andi, the protagonist; Paris, the setting; Virgil, the musician; just to name a few. However, I’m going to discuss Andi’s relationship with music.

On a technical level, I don’t know much about music having never learned to play an instrument. But, the thing is, Andi made me want to learn. She speaks of music with such immense passion and understanding that I wanted to feel and hear what she does.

Andi gives music dimension, history and life. Her passion for it is so great, that you, the reader, find yourself as captivated by it as she is. Beethoven and Radiohead are no longer simply names of famous musicians but geniuses of their craft.

Few novels can accomplish such a feat, and Revolution is one of them.

What am I reading now? The Big Crunch by Pete Hautman
 

For your reading pleasure, I present The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.

The Book Thief

One of my absolute favourite quotes comes from Cornelia Funke‘s Inkheart:

Some books should be tasted,

some devoured,

but only a few should be

chewed and thoroughly digested.

The Book Thief, without a doubt, falls into the latter category. From the opening pages of the prologue it was clear that this book needed to be savoured. And that’s exactly what I did.

Now, I could discuss at length all that I loved about The Book Thief but I’m not going to do that. Instead, I’m going to offer you a glimpse. Why? Because this is a book best experienced as it rests in your hands.

The narrator is Death. That’s what struck me immediately. Death’s tone, pace and honesty. His tone is solemn. His pace is steady. His honesty is brutal. Death isn’t cruel but, for the lack of a better word, human. How can that be? Well, because he feels. Though he may resist at times, he feels the same as you and me.

It’s not hard to tell that the responsibility that rests solely in Death’s hands weighs on him. But this isn’t his only job. He also sets out to tell the story of Liesel Meminger. The reader recognizes instantly that he takes this task just as seriously. You hear it through the compassion in his voice and the fondness in his recollections. Death no longer wields a scythe but simply his two hands.

My advice when it comes to The Book Thief is to take your time. There’s a lot to ingest and digest. But, believe me, it’s worth it.

For your reading pleasure, I present The Giver by Lois Lowry.

The Giver

Choices. You make countless of them in a single day. Every choice you make, whether miniscule or grand, shapes your individual identity. Now imagine a world where you, quite literally, have no choice. The Giver does just that.

Lois Lowry crafts a world that at first leaves you mystified. However, the deeper into the story you delve the greater understanding you, as a reader, achieve of the characters and the world in which they live. It’s with the journey through this fictional world that Lowry leads you to experience your own world once again for the very first time. She gives you the opportunity to feel, see and question not only yourself but also that which surrounds you.

Some novels are described as powerhouses. The Giver, in my opinion, is deserving of this accolade.

What am I reading now? East by Edith Pattou
 
For your reading pleasure, I present The Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg.

The Mysteries of Harris Burdick

I never heard of The Mysteries of Harris Burdick until the moment a colleague literally placed it in my hands. Without any prior knowledge, I opened it not knowing what to expect. Nothing could have prepared me for what I would find: Wonder.

The Mysteries of Harris Burdick is a rarity in children’s picture books, to say the least. Inside the covers of this mysterious book you’ll find fourteen stories comprised of a title, caption and illustration. That’s all. Harris Burdick has left the rest up to you, the reader.

The Mysteries of Harris Burdick makes a single request and, now, so do I: Use your imagination.

For your reading pleasure, I present The Jolly Postman or Other People’s Letters by Allan and Janet Ahlberg.

The Jolly Postman

Good ol’ fashioned fun. That is what Allan and Janet Ahlberg created with The Jolly Postman. It all begins with the lyrical quality of the rhyme that no child is going to be able to resist.

Once upon a bicycle,

So they say,

A Jolly Postman came one day

From over the hills

And far away …

Next, there are the illustrations. Allan and Janet have included a search and find element to their illustrations. This interplay gives young readers the opportunity to see if they can locate and name characters from their favourite fairytales and nursery rhymes.

Finally is the interactivity weaved into the story. Young readers will love to place their tiny hands into the envelopes and see what surprise awaits them. What can be more fun than that?

If fun is what you’re looking for, it’s time to take a bicycle ride along with the Jolly Postman himself.