Far Far Away | 
pickNot sure how I stumbled across this National Book Award finalist but I‘m glad I did. Channeling the mystery, darkness, real threat of danger, & battle between good & evil present in the fairytales collected by the Grimm brothers, this modern day fairytale finds two teens in the town of Never Better pulled into the machinations of the Finder of Occasions. Atmospheric, funny, dark, & narrated by the ghost of Jacob Grimm this is a good YA read.
panSlow. Weird writing style. Just not for me, unfortunately.
pickFar Far Away is an incredible book, as it blends fairy tale elements into a modern setting. With memorable characters and a ton of supernatural elements mixed with teen angst and sincerity, I was truly uplifted for the majority of the book until the plot takes a dark turn—which is a credit to Tom McNeal‘s subtle foreshadowing and overarching theme of eternal good versus evil. This book is easily one of my favorite books I‘ve read this year!
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52 week reading challenge: A young adult novel (12)
The story is a lot of fun with some intriguing darkness. It takes a while to get there but you learn about the characters, their struggles, their heartaches, and their quiet hopes as it pulls you into the dark fairytale twist.
Full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2734645017
#readwhatyouloveproject
pickLet me just say I loved this book. It was a quick listen and the reader was fabulous. W. Morgan Sheppard‘s voice was perfect as a brother Grimm. I just found out he passed away on January 6 of this year. Such talent lost to the world! 😕. I highly recommend this book if you like a mysterious fairytale.
pickWell-written and an engaging story. If you like ghosts, fairy tales, and cake, you will like this book!
pickJeremy Johnson Johnson lives in Never Better with his shut-in father above/behind the bookstore he inherited from his grandfather. For a long time, his fairytale books & Jacob Grimm's ghost are his only companions. Until the fateful day Ginger Boltinghouse drags Jeremy to the local bakery for some Prince Cakes. Their whole world becomes a whirlwind headed straight for disaster. Will they have a happy ending? Though slow at times, I give 3.5🌟.
Finally!! Baby is content and I get to eat lunch (copycat Chipotle burrito bowl) and start Far Far Away before I have to work tonight... I'm excited. It was in the fairy tale retelling list of suggestions I found online. Anyone read it? What'd you think?
Day 12: "Sometimes avoiding something can give it more and more meaning rather than less and less."
so-soRead the book for a school project. Slow start up but major plot twist.
pick2017 #97 YA audio so this was a summer reading choice for eighth grade and I'm not sure why. Well written, very well read (sounded like an almost Jeremy Irons) but trying to understand how a paper is going to be written about it. Some situations were a little provokative but the words and imagry were lovely.
Just started this one, but so far I am really liking it.
pickThe far far away normally is associated with a nice holiday or the unreachable land of dreams. In this book the far far away lies around the corner - but in a negative sense. The subtitle isn't for nothing "A tale of quiet terror". But it's still #youngadultnovel.
#tommcneal #farfaraway #ya #yalit #yalitsy #yaliterature #youngadult #scaryreads
"Isn't her name something glamorous like Zondra or Zelda?" "Zyla," Jeremy said. Her name was Zyla." "Was?"
#tommcneal #farfaraway #ataleofquietterror #ya #yalit #yalitsy #yaliterature
pickDoes anyone else miss 'Pushing Daisies'? This book is so quirky and Bryan Fuller-y that I could practically hear Jim Dale's voice as I read. Jeremy Johnson-Johnson works in the Two-Book Bookstore and encounters the ghost of Jacob Grimm (of fairy tale fame). Delightful fun.
#RecommendsDay #WhyYesIYA #MagicalRealism #TVRecs
pickFor today's #booktober post, all my #awardwinner books are packed, but I do have a couple award-nominees: Far, Far Away is my fave recent book nominated for the NH Flume Teen Read Award. Gidwitz's book was a nom for the children's Great Stone Face Award.
