A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle (The Time Quintet 1)
I don’t know how to feel about this book. On the one hand, I think I am too old to fully appreciate its magic, which is a shame, as that caveat likely applies to many fine books aimed at a younger audience. I doubt I can recapture being in the mind of a young teenager, or even a child, possibly at all, much less effectively enough to enjoy it as I think it might deserve.
The book is good. Quite good. The characters are distinct in such a way as to make them characters, beyond mere people, the worldbuilding is fascinating and strange, and the plot is clear enough that it’s a breeze to read. It took all of about 2 hours. Another thing worth mentioning is that the book is very short. There are others, and I think I would enjoy them enough to read them, but for now I have just read the one.
On the whole I don’t feel disappointed in the book, or frustrated with any choices from the author. On the contrary, everything actually fits in a rather unique and interesting way, even if the villain is simply referred to as “Evil”. I think my only real issue comes from the implications of the worldbuilding, and that’s an issue that is more fundamental to the story than any of the other pieces. Spoilers below:
The book is set more or less in our real world, with the main difference being that there is much more magic than ours has. The magic is secret and not well understand or widely known, so it could very well be our own world. The story then goes on to describe our world as a “shadowed” one, where the evil darkness has begun to spread, but has not yet finished. I think that’s where my problem with it lies. I understand why people so often externalized that evil that they saw: The World Wars and the Cold War would make any rational being assume there was something in the water. But it feels uncomfortable to me as a solution, or at least an explanation.
The hatred and fear and greed that made those wars possible and horrific were all too human traits to other, and I don’t like media has to. One of the same big problems I had with the Wonder Woman reboot. But I think where this book succeeds, and others tend to fail, is that love and kindness is the winning factor. It does not end the Evil. It barely even hurts it on its home turf, but it is enough to save a child, and maybe that’s a start.
It’s not a perfect book, but it is one worth reading, and I wish it was one I had read before, because I fear I have missed my window, but that is no reason to not recommend it. If you have the spare time, I do recommend it, to children or otherwise. Happy Reading, and Happy New Year.
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I truly cannot thank you all enough for helping my friend Siraj get away to relative safety!
The $10k CAD would help funding his family's immediate needs in the new camp, and not to forget would help with the transportation costs as well. This means that the fundraiser which was initially set up to help Siraj rebuild his family home, would suffer as it is being dipped into, to survive through the genocide.
Remember, that the cost of living is exorbitantly high in Gaza right now! From food prices to medicines to feminine hygiene products, everything costs 10 times more than it initially did. There is also a high commission rate charged during every transaction, that is to say by the end of it all there would be very little left with Siraj that he can invest in rebuilding his house.
Siraj's next short term goal is hence to get to $20000 CAD . He wants to invest the whole of it in securing basic building materials for his house. We are approximately $9444 away from the next goal! Please donate to his and boost his fundraiser!!
There are 2 raffles going on for Siraj at this moment:
One is conducted by @sheplaysbassdotmp3 and it is a digital art raffle you can participate in for only $10 dollars
The other raffle is being conducted by @magnus-rhymes-with-swagness and it is for the Collector's Edition of the Time Quintet
Please remember that when we chant Free Palestine it doesn't only mean the destruction of the occupying entity. It doesn't only mean the destruction of the empire (s) that are funding the said entity, but it also means rebuilding Palestine. And it is Palestinians who are going to rebuild their home, their country. So please do not overlook Siraj now! Do not overlook his determination to rebuild his home that was bombed in this genocide after it was finally finished after 10 long years of hardwork!
Keep supporting him!! Keep donating and boosting!
Tagging for reach under the cut
Please forgive me for disturbing again
@meaganfoster @briarhips
@mazzikah @mahoushojoe
@rhubarbspring @pcktknife
@transmutationisms @sawasawako
@feluka @terroristiraqi
@irhabiya @wellwaterhysteria
@deepspaceboytoy @junglejim4322
@kibumkim @neechees
@mangocheesecakes @kyra45-helping-others
@marnota @tortiefrancis
@toiletpotato @fromjannah
@omegaversereloaded @vague-humanoid
@criptochecca @aristotels
@komsomolk @riding-with-the-wild-hunt
@heritageposts @ot3
@amygdalae @ankle-beez
@communistchilchuck @dykesbat
@watermotif @stuckinapril
@mavigator @lacecap
@socalgal @chilewithcarnage
@ghelgheli @northgazaupdates
@dualdeixis
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The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien (1937)
In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.
Written for J.R.R. Tolkien’s own children, The Hobbit met with instant critical acclaim when it was first published in 1937. Now recognized as a timeless classic, this introduction to the hobbit Bilbo Baggins, the wizard Gandalf, Gollum, and the spectacular world of Middle-earth recounts of the adventures of a reluctant hero, a powerful and dangerous ring, and the cruel dragon Smaug the Magnificent.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan (2005-2009)
Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he can't seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. And lately, being away at boarding school is only getting worse - Percy could have sworn his pre-algebra teacher turned into a monster and tried to kill him. When Percy's mom finds out, she knows it's time that he knew the truth about where he came from, and that he go to the one place he'll be safe.
She sends Percy to Camp Half Blood, a summer camp for demigods (on Long Island), where he learns that the father he never knew is Poseidon, God of the Sea. Soon a mystery unfolds and together with his friends—one a satyr and the other the demigod daughter of Athena - Percy sets out on a quest across the United States to reach the gates of the Underworld (located in a recording studio in Hollywood) and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods.
The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien (1954-1955)
In a sleepy village in the Shire, a young hobbit is entrusted with an immense task. He must make a perilous journey across Middle-earth to the Cracks of Doom, there to destroy the Ruling Ring of Power - the only thing that prevents the Dark Lord's evil dominion.
The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis (1950-1956)
Four adventurous siblings—Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie— step through a wardrobe door and into the land of Narnia, a land frozen in eternal winter and enslaved by the power of the White Witch. But when almost all hope is lost, the return of the Great Lion, Aslan, signals a great change . . . and a great sacrifice.
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery (1943)
The Little Prince is a classic tale of equal appeal to children and adults. On one level it is the story of an airman's discovery, in the desert, of a small boy from another planet - the Little Prince of the title - and his stories of intergalactic travel, while on the other hand it is a thought-provoking allegory of the human condition.
The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini (2002-2011, 2023)
When fifteen-year-old Eragon finds a polished blue stone in the forest, he thinks it is the lucky discovery of a poor farm boy. But when the stone brings a dragon hatchling, Eragon soon realizes he has stumbled upon a legacy nearly as old as the Empire itself.
Overnight his simple life is shattered, and, gifted with only an ancient sword, a loyal dragon, and sage advice from an old storyteller, Eragon is soon swept into a dangerous tapestry of magic, glory, and power. Now his choices could save--or destroy--the Empire.
Time Quintet by Madeleine L'Engle (1962-1989)
It was a dark and stormy night; Meg Murry, her small brother Charles Wallace, and her mother had come down to the kitchen for a midnight snack when they were upset by the arrival of a most disturbing stranger.
Wild nights are my glory, the unearthly stranger told them. I just got caught in a downdraft and blown off course. Let me sit down for a moment, and then I'll be on my way. Speaking of ways, by the way, there is such a thing as a tesseract.
Folk of the Air by Holly Black (2018-2020)
Of course I want to be like them. They're beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever.
And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.
Jude was seven years old when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.
To win a place at the Court, she must defy him--and face the consequences.
In doing so, she becomes embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, discovering her own capacity for bloodshed. But as civil war threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab (2020)
France, 1714: In a moment of desperation, a young woman named Adeline meets a dangerous stranger and makes a terrible mistake.
As she realizes the limitations of her Faustian bargain-being able to live forever, without being able to be remembered by anyone she sees- Addie chooses to flee her small village, as everything she once held dear is torn away.
But there are still dreams to be had, and a life to live, and she is determined to find excitement and satisfaction in the wide, beckoning world-even if she will be doomed to be alone forever.
Or not quite alone-as every year, on her birth-day, the alluring Luc comes to visit, checking to see if she is ready to give up her soul. Their darkly thrilling game stretches through the ages, seeing Addie witness history and fight to regain herself as she crosses oceans and tries on various lives.
It will be three hundred years before she stumbles into a hidden bookstore and discovers someone who can remember her name-and suddenly, everything changes again.
Circe by Madeline Miller (2018)
the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is a strange child—not obviously powerful like her father, nor viciously alluring like her mother. Turning to the world of mortals for companionship, she discovers that she does possess power—the power of witchcraft, which can transform rivals into monsters and menace the gods themselves.
Threatened, Zeus banishes her to a deserted island, where she hones her occult craft, tames wild beasts, and crosses paths with many of the most famous figures in all of mythology, including the Minotaur; Daedalus and his doomed son, Icarus; the murderous Medea; and, of course, wily Odysseus.
But there is danger, too, for a woman who stands alone, and Circe unwittingly draws the wrath of both men and gods, ultimately finding herself pitted against one of the most terrifying and vengeful of the Olympians. To protect what she loves most, Circe must summon all her strength and choose, once and for all, whether she belongs with the gods she is born from or the mortals she has come to love.
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