pleasantnites

I discovered this really fun book on Amazon that offers 25 reading-related challenges. When you complete one, you open this little envelope and earn a prize. The prizes vary but are all related to books somehow. Not all challenge prompts require you to read a book, either. For example: Attend an author event, in person or virtually, Write down a favorite quote or passage from a beloved book; display it in your home, Gift a copy of your favorite book to a friend of a family member- special occasion not required, and the one I’m filling here: Write a letter to someone who has influenced your reading life. It can be unsent, posted anonymously, etc. Basically whatever you choose. It’s your challenge, so do what suits you best. Here is my letter!

Dear former students,

Sharing Les Miserables with you was one of the most rewarding teaching experiences I’ve ever had. Even though you were just 6th graders, I’m so glad we were inspired by Beverly Cleary and her former teacher who did the same with her classes. It was just dumb luck that I happened to be reading Les Mis when we read that chapter, but the light bulb went on. I quickly got you caught up on the plot thus far. You were so patient because that book took me forever to get through. I didn’t skip a single page, and a good chunk of the book isn’t about the plot at all, but rather historical events. Because I’m no history teacher, I left out those parts.

But the story of Cosette, Jean Valjean, and Marius was one I quickly fell in love with. I knew I couldn’t discuss the book if any of you were absent. That poor kid would miss out. And you were always so excited when I had more plot to share. Your little faces just stared, and you were so focused and listened intently. By the time we got to the end, you were just as in love with the book as I was.

Through the beauty of social media, many of you have messaged me with “remember when you read….” and we both go down a trip down memory lane. I’m sure most of you will remember a lot about your education, but I hope that memory is one you will always have a fondness for. I certainly will.

Wishing you all the best,

Your former teacher

Trial By Fire

Thinner

The Lighthouse Witches

Title: The Lighthouse Witches

Author: CJ Cooke

Genre: supernatural mystery

Thank you to NetGalley for this book!

I’m not a big fan of witch stories, but this one sounded like a lot of fun. It’s told in both 1998 and 2021, which is a really difficult way to write a book because you can’t give too much away in either storyline because the other plot will be ruined, but Cooke does a great job balancing them. Overall, this book was really enjoyable and had a fun twist at the end.

From Goodreads: When single mother Liv is commissioned to paint a mural in a 100-year-old lighthouse on a remote Scottish island, it’s an opportunity to start over with her three daughters–Luna, Sapphire, and Clover. When two of her daughters go missing, she’s frantic. She learns that the cave beneath the lighthouse was once a prison for women accused of witchcraft. The locals warn her about wildlings, supernatural beings who mimic human children, created by witches for revenge. Liv is told wildlings are dangerous and must be killed.

Twenty-two years later, Luna has been searching for her missing sisters and mother. When she receives a call about her youngest sister, Clover, she’s initially ecstatic. Clover is the sister she remembers–except she’s still seven years old, the age she was when she vanished. Luna is worried Clover is a wildling. Luna has few memories of her time on the island, but she’ll have to return to find the truth of what happened to her family. But she doesn’t realize just how much the truth will change her.

While in the 2021 storyline, Luna will frequently think about the past, but it’s not always clear that is what’s happening. I was a bit confused at times and had to go back and reread. That might have been my fault, though, because I read quickly and easily could have missed the shifts. The wildling idea was nice and creepy, but the book isn’t really scary. This isn’t a complaint, but just to let people know what to expect. The twist at the end absolutely made sense, which is a must for me. I despise twists that exist just to throw the reader off. But this one was great. Overall, this book was a lot of fun and kept me reading and guessing.