Book Forty-Five: Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
I just was about to post I've finally passed the mark when I have ten books to go but actually... There are 52 weeks in a year, not 54, so! I only have 7 books to go!!! Woo! I hope I'm able to finish them all before the end of the month, but I'll let you in on a little secret, I've actually finished another book or two that I haven't put up here yet, and I'm about 1/3 of the way through a third that I just started this morning and am having a hard time putting down. That puts me at four more books after that, and I have a long plane ride awaiting me next week and then two glorious weeks of absolutely nothing, so I think I got this! I don't want to speak too soon though, so after this self-congratulatory paragraph I will go back to normal book reviewing.
So... Harriet The Spy. We meet again, many years after I have first read you, and look at you, all grown up and with a movie (that admittedly came out in the 90s, but no matter!). I shy away from reading books of my childhood because I fear they will not be as majestic and magical as they were when I was younger. Ella Enchanted was my all time favorite book of all time (sorry, Kanye moment) but I did not see the movie and I haven't read it since. I'm worried that it will be somehow less magical, and I will be sad saying that it was my favorite book.
Harriet the Spy did not disappoint. It was just as delicious and wonderful (if not more so) than I remembered. Harriet is actually kind of an angsty kid. She has problems, she's a huge snoop, and she gets way too invested in other people's lives, so much so that she is completely flabbergasted when her classmates steal her notebook and shun her completely. She's totally out of touch with reality and the book is written from her perspective which makes it all the more awesome. She says how she feels about grown ups with little to no remorse, and it shows.
The book was a fast read, which I appreciated. It had a happy(ish) ending, which I also appreciated. I appreciated it so much that I actually recommended it for my work book club, even though they most definitely will not pick it, but because it was so much more uplifting than what we usually read. So here's to hoping.
*Note: I might go back and reread some childhood faves while I'm home. It's only fitting since every time I'm out there I feel like I'm in fourth grade: no friends to see, no car to drive, nowhere to go, me and my family, 24/7 :)
So... Harriet The Spy. We meet again, many years after I have first read you, and look at you, all grown up and with a movie (that admittedly came out in the 90s, but no matter!). I shy away from reading books of my childhood because I fear they will not be as majestic and magical as they were when I was younger. Ella Enchanted was my all time favorite book of all time (sorry, Kanye moment) but I did not see the movie and I haven't read it since. I'm worried that it will be somehow less magical, and I will be sad saying that it was my favorite book.
Harriet the Spy did not disappoint. It was just as delicious and wonderful (if not more so) than I remembered. Harriet is actually kind of an angsty kid. She has problems, she's a huge snoop, and she gets way too invested in other people's lives, so much so that she is completely flabbergasted when her classmates steal her notebook and shun her completely. She's totally out of touch with reality and the book is written from her perspective which makes it all the more awesome. She says how she feels about grown ups with little to no remorse, and it shows.
The book was a fast read, which I appreciated. It had a happy(ish) ending, which I also appreciated. I appreciated it so much that I actually recommended it for my work book club, even though they most definitely will not pick it, but because it was so much more uplifting than what we usually read. So here's to hoping.
*Note: I might go back and reread some childhood faves while I'm home. It's only fitting since every time I'm out there I feel like I'm in fourth grade: no friends to see, no car to drive, nowhere to go, me and my family, 24/7 :)