March Reads: That Time I Went to the Bookstore and the Library and Got in Trouble

Somewhere along the way in the past week, I lost my book loving mind.  I had a handle on things; was making my list of books to read and review for March; had it all figured out. 

Then I met my friends at B&N for our book group, and I went to the library-twice.  Then I had a late night conversation with my brother Dan, and this conversation had me pulling a book out of the stack for "later" and moving it up to "now!".  I can't decide what to put back for April, so guess what:  this month I'm being very ambitious and a little crazy and having a read and review bonanza!  

What's coming up in March:

Newberry winner!

Publisher review

If you've followed my blog, you know I love Sarah Jio.  Can't wait!

Uh...Neil Gaiman.  Enough Said.  Had to buy this one. 

Saw this at the library and was intrigued.  

My brother told me my sis-in-law is reading this right now and is freaked out.  I immediately moved it to my March reading pile.  Bought last week at B&N with a great deal!

A book I'm positive I've bought, but can't find.  Checked it out from the library.  Originally came out as a teen novel, now the rest of the series is considered adult Sci-Fi.  Hmmm.

I've read Beth Gutcheon before and loved her writing.  Saw this at the bookstore and then found it at the library.  

I'm overly ambitious, I know.  I'm going to enjoy this month's reading binge!

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March Reads: That Time I Went to the Bookstore and the Library and Got in Trouble

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

This novel may not be long, but what it contains will keep you glued to your seat until the very last page.

The narrator is a middle aged man who has returned to his childhood home for a funeral.  After the funeral he finds himself driving down a lane to a farmhouse the evokes memories of what happened to him the year he turned seven. He walks past the farmhouse, down to a pond, and sits on a bench.  From there the story unfolds back to that year he met Lettie Hempstock and she told him the ocean was in the pond.  It was also the year he became a pawn between good and evil, with only Lettie and her mother and Old Mrs. Hempstock protecting him from the "flea".

Ursula Monkton is a major character in this novel, and is the stuff of nightmares.  Neil Gaiman evokes that feeling of being small and the world being so large and full of the unknown quite easily.  You will find yourself remembering what it was like to be young and know when something is not quite right, but helpless to fix it.  

I enjoyed this novel because it was pure magic.  You just have to immerse yourself in the story and float along, knowing Lettie will be holding your hand.  

I would recommend this for teens and adults.  It's almost but not quite appropriate for young readers as there are adult situations portrayed that may be too much for a young person.

Rating:  7/10 for a story that is imaginative and evokes your childhood fears and belief in the good that surrounds us all.

Available in hardcover, audio, and e-book

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The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman