Tag: 5 stars

Book Review | The Way Forward by Yung Pueblo

Posted April 15, 2024 by Haze in Book Reviews / 0 Comments

The Way Forward by Yung Pueblo

The #1 New York Times bestselling poet returns with his most inspiring collection yet. In this third and final installment of his poetic trilogy, Yung Pueblo expands upon favorite themes while guiding readers further, toward a life lived authentically, intuitively, and in harmony with others.

In these rapidly changing times, it is more important than ever to know ourselves well and fully, even and especially in the face of turmoil. The Way Forward encourages readers to connect more deeply to their intuition, using it to remain focused and grounded amidst a world in constant flux.

In his latest collection of poetry and short prose, Yung Pueblo offers clear strategies for managing the unknown, inhabiting your personal power, and bringing your truest, healthiest self to relationships. Progressing naturally from both Inward and Clarity & Connection , The Way Forward is exactly that­­—an inspired beginning.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2024 52 Book Club Reading Challenge (Prompt #4: Lowercase letters on the spine)
2024 Nonfiction Reader Challenge
2024 Library Love Challenge

The Reason

I came across this book while browsing in the bookshop, and immediately fell in love with the poems. I’ve never read anything by this author before, but the words just resonated with me and I knew I had to read more!

The Quotes

“if existing takes every ounce of your energy,
then that alone is heroic work”

“i got lost while trying to survive”

“It is only heavy because you are deciding over and over again to carry it”

“Some people will not get you, but what matters is that you get you.”

My Thoughts

I didn’t know that this is part of a series by the author. I flipped through a couple of pages when I saw it at the bookshop and I was pulled in immediately. There are many that give food for thought, and I took a long time reading this book because I had to ruminate over many of the verses. I wanted to copy some of them into my journal, the ones that resonate most, but there were too many and at that rate I’d be copying the whole book into my journal. I decided to just buy a copy for myself, and I know I’ll come back to it often. I’m definitely going to look in to the other books in the series too.

My Feels

I love this book. It reads easily, just words on paper, but it’s everything I’ve felt and was never able to articulate. It’s also all the encouragement and inspiration I needed but didn’t know how to ask for. I feel like this book spoke to the deepest, darkest parts of me and told me it was okay to be not okay. I felt seen.

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

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Book Review | Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

Posted April 10, 2024 by Haze in Book Reviews / 6 Comments

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

In a novel-in-verse that brims with grief and love, National Book Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Acevedo writes about the devastation of loss, the difficulty of forgiveness, and the bittersweet bonds that shape our lives.

Camino Rios lives for the summers when her father visits her in the Dominican Republic. But this time, on the day when his plane is supposed to land, Camino arrives at the airport to see crowds of crying people…

In New York City, Yahaira Rios is called to the principal’s office, where her mother is waiting to tell her that her father, her hero, has died in a plane crash.

Separated by distance—and Papi’s secrets—the two girls are forced to face a new reality in which their father is dead and their lives are forever altered.

And then, when it seems like they’ve lost everything of their father, they learn of each other.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2024 Diversity Reading Challenge
2024 Audiobook Challenge
2024 Library Love Challenge

The Reason

This was nominated for my book club’s April BOTM but it didn’t win. I was still fascinated though, and since it was available as an audiobook from my library, I decided to read it anyway.

The Quotes

“But one thing I learned from the Saints,
when the crossroads are open to you, you must decide a path.
I will not stand still while the world makes my choices.”

“The body is a funny piece of meat. How it inflates and deflates in order to keep you alive. But how simple words can fill you up or pierce the air out of you.”

“The patron saint of the ocean is known for containing many parts of herself: she is a nurturer, but she is also a ferocious defender. & so I remember that to walk this world you must be kind but also fierce.”

“Dreams are like the pieces of fluff that get caught in your hair; they stand out for a moment, but eventually you wash them away, or long fingers reach in & pluck them out & you appear as what everyone expects.”

The Narrator(s)

Elizabeth Acevedo and Melania Luisa Marte. They were perfect. I have no complaints.

My Thoughts

I have never read anything by Elizabeth Acevedo, and I had no idea this story was told in verse. I was listening to it on audio so I couldn’t see the format, but there was something about the way it was read by the two narrators that made me think it could be in verse, and it was, and I loved it.

I made the mistake of listening to this when my husband was on a plane. Let me tell you the anxiety I felt. But after the initial plane crash, a lot of the story focused more on the two main characters; Camino and Yahaira, and we got so immersed in their lives that I was able to distract myself and enjoy the story for what it was. However, it’s painful to think about the inspiration behind this story, and I’ll be honest and say that right now, I don’t want to think about it too much because I’m still feeling a little anxious.

My Feels

I loved it. I love seeing into the lives of Camino and Yahaira. I love seeing them reconcile what they know about their father to what they are finding out about him, and about themselves. It was such a powerful story told with such powerful words.

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars. I am so glad it was nominated for the book club’s BOTM and that it was brought to my attention.

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

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Book Review | The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell

Posted April 8, 2024 by Haze in Book Reviews / 0 Comments

The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell

The Sparrow, an astonishing literary debut, takes you on a journey to a distant planet and to the center of the human soul. It is the story of a charismatic Jesuit priest and linguist, Emilio Sandoz, who leads a twenty-first-century scientific mission to a newly discovered extraterrestrial culture. Sandoz and his companions are prepared to endure isolation, hardship and death, but nothing can prepare them for the civilization they encounter, or for the tragic misunderstanding that brings the mission to a catastrophic end. Once considered a living saint, Sandoz returns alone to Earth physically and spiritually maimed, the mission’s sole survivor–only to be accused of heinous crimes and blamed for the mission’s failure.

In clean, effortless prose and with captivating flashes of wit, Russell creates memorable characters who navigate a world of exciting ideas and disturbing moral issues without ever losing their humanity or humor. Both heartbreaking and triumphant, and rich in literary pleasures great and small, The Sparrow is a powerful and haunting book. It is a magical novel, as literate as The Name of the Rose, as farsighted as The Handmaid’s Tale and as readable as The Thorn Birds.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2024 52 Book Club Reading Challenge (Prompt #44: Includes a wedding)
2024 Library Love Challenge

The Reason

It was the book chosen for my in-person book club for March. I don’t think I would have chosen to read it otherwise. At least not any time soon, but I’m glad it was chosen and I’m glad I read it, it gave me a lot of food for thought.

The Quotes

“I do what I do without hope of reward or fear of punishment. I do not require Heaven or Hell to bribe or scare me into acting decently.”

“…I begin with songs. They provide a sort of skeleton grammar for me to flesh out. Songs of longing for future tense, songs of regret for past tense, and songs of love for present tense.”

“I believe in God the way I believe in quarks. People whose business it is to know about quantum physics or religion tell me they have good reason to believe that quarks and God exist. And they tell me that if I wanted to devote my life to learning what they’ve learned, I’d find quarks and God just like they did.”

“See that’s where it falls apart for me!” Anne cried. “What sticks in my throat is that God gets the credit but never the blame. I just can’t swallow that kind of theological candy. Either God’s in charge or he’s not…”

My Thoughts

This was brilliantly written book, and so far ahead of its time. I had to remind myself constantly that it was written in 1996, because the story is set in 2019 to 2060, and a lot of the topics talked about seemed so relevant today. I love the deep dive into faith and belief, what it means to be human, and finding purpose and meaning in the things you do.

There were a lot of philosophical arguments that came into mind; the ethics of colonization, making contact with alien species, the food we eat and how we raise them, cultural practices that are different than ours, indoctrinated gender roles, our views on sex work, and so much more. My book club had a lot to discuss, and it was really interesting to see the different perspectives.

My Feels

We know from the beginning that Emilio is the sole survivor, so it’s not a spoiler, but then we start getting to know the other characters; we start to like them, to root for them, to fall in love with them, all the while knowing that they never make it back alive. There’s a pall of doom hanging over everything that happens, and even when you celebrate the triumphs, you know it’s going to end badly. And yet, it’s such a beautiful story and a beautiful journey. I have so many complex feelings about this book. It’s been a couple of weeks and I’m still processing. I think this story will stay with me for a while.

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars. It’s incredibly beautiful and haunting.

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

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Time Travel Thursday | April 4

Posted April 4, 2024 by Haze in Time Travel Thursday, Weekly Book Memes / 2 Comments

It’s Time Travel Thursday! Hosted by Emily @ Budget Tales Book Blog, this is where you get to take a look back at what you were reading this time last year (or the year before or the year before that…) and get to relive those bookish memories!

This time last year I was reading:

Sooley by John Grisham

New York Times bestselling author John Grisham takes you to a different kind of court in his first basketball novel. Samuel “Sooley” Sooleymon is a raw, young talent with big hoop dreams…and even bigger challenges off the court.

In the summer of his seventeenth year, Sam­uel Sooleymon gets the chance of a lifetime: a trip to the United States with his South Sudanese teammates to play in a showcase basket­ball tournament. He has never been away from home, nor has he ever been on an airplane. The opportunity to be scouted by dozens of college coaches is a dream come true.

Samuel is an amazing athlete, with speed, quick­ness, and an astonishing vertical leap. The rest of his game, though, needs work, and the American coaches are less than impressed.

During the tournament, Samuel receives dev­astating news from home: A civil war is raging across South Sudan, and rebel troops have ran­sacked his village. His father is dead, his sister is missing, and his mother and two younger brothers are in a refugee camp.

Samuel desperately wants to go home, but it’s just not possible. Partly out of sympathy, the coach of North Carolina Central offers him a scholar­ship. Samuel moves to Durham, enrolls in classes, joins the team, and prepares to sit out his freshman season. There is plenty of more mature talent and he isn’t immediately needed.

But Samuel has something no other player has: a fierce determination to succeed so he can bring his family to America. He works tirelessly on his game, shooting baskets every morning at dawn by himself in the gym, and soon he’s dominating everyone in practice. With the Central team los­ing and suffering injury after injury, Sooley, as he is nicknamed, is called off the bench. And the legend begins.

But how far can Sooley take his team? And will success allow him to save his family?

Gripping and moving, Sooley showcases John Grisham’s unparalleled storytelling powers in a whole new light. This is Grisham at the top of his game.

My thoughts:
I’m a huge fan of Grisham’s legal thrillers, not really a big sports fan but I am a fan of sports stories. I came across this book while browsing for audiobooks from my library. I wasn’t initially interested in reading it because I was in a thriller mood, not a sports story mood, but saw all the great reviews here and was intrigued.

I’m both glad and sad that I read it. I’m glad because it’s a really great story. I love the characters, and it was such a privilege to go on this journey with Sooley and see him grow (both literally and figuratively). He’s one of the most compelling characters I’ve ever read about. There were so many ups and downs, and not just ordinary ups and downs, but extreme ones! He went through both the worst things and the best things that could happen to anyone. And through it all, he was still just an ordinary person who happened to have extraordinary skills and determination. I really felt for him and all the people who loved him.

A lot of the book is really sad too, but they are part of what makes this book great. They are really sticking to me and my heart is still breaking. A tiny part of me wishes that I didn’t pick up this book because I didn’t need this heartbreak, but a bigger part of me is glad I did.

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Have you read this book? What did you think of it? What were you reading this time last year?

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Book Review | The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo

Posted March 19, 2024 by Haze in Book Reviews / 8 Comments

The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo

Some people think foxes are similar to ghosts because we go around collecting qi, or life force, but nothing could be further than the truth. We are living creatures, just like you, only usually better looking . . .

Manchuria, 1908.

A young woman is found frozen in the snow. Her death is clouded by rumors of foxes involved, which are believed to lure people by transforming themselves into beautiful women and men. Bao, a detective with a reputation for sniffing out the truth, is hired to uncover the dead woman’s identity. Since childhood, Bao has been intrigued by the fox gods, yet they’ve remained tantalizingly out of reach. Until, perhaps, now.

Meanwhile, a family that owns a famous Chinese medicine shop can cure ailments, but not the curse that afflicts them―their eldest sons die before their twenty-fourth birthdays. Now the only grandson of the family is twenty-three. When a mysterious woman enters their household, their luck seems to change. Or does it? Is their new servant a simple young woman from the north or a fox spirit bent on her own revenge?

New York Times bestselling author Yangsze Choo brilliantly explores a world of mortals and spirits, humans and beasts, and their dazzling intersection. The Fox Wife is a stunning novel about a winter full of mysterious deaths, a mother seeking revenge, and old folktales that may very well be true.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2024 52 Book Club Reading Challenge (Prompt #20: A revenge story)
2024 Diversity Reading Challenge
2024 Library Love Challenge

The Reason

I first read The Ghost Bride by the author years ago, and I was hooked. I loved The Night Tiger as well, and when I found out this book was coming out, of course I had to read it.

The Quotes

“For all stories have an ending as well as a beginning. But a beginning is where you choose to plant your foot, and the ending is only the edge of one’s own knowledge.”

“I exist as either a small canid with thick fur, pointed ears, and neat black feet, or a young woman. Neither are safe forms in a world run by men.”

“Dusk is the most dangerous time, according to Bao’s nanny; the blurred gap between day and night when creatures who resemble humans appear. They exist on the very edge of society, at the tipping point of madness where dreams and nightmares come true.”

The Characters

Snow, the titular fox wife. Bao, the human lie detector. And various other characters. Interestingly, I just realized that I’m not able to give a run-down of many of the characters without going into spoiler territory, so we’ll just keep this brief.

My Thoughts

As a story, I think I might love this one even more than I loved The Ghost Bride, and I loved The Ghost Bride a lot. What I loved about The Ghost Bride was that it made me feel such a connection to the life and times of my own family experiences. It was set in Malaysia in the early 1900’s and showed a lot of our traditional Chinese customs. I also loved the story itself. But here, with The Fox Wife, it feels more whimsical and magical, and I’m just completely transported to a different time and place. I feel like I also love Snow as a character more; she’s such a interesting paradox, and with such human flaws.

For my notes and reactions on the book – with SPOILERS – check out Notes & Reactions | The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo. This post has SPOILERS and assumes you have already finished the book. It is password-protected to prevent accidental spoiling. Password is “SPOILME0003”. Proceed at your own risk.

My Feels

I loved this story so much! I love that it was so mysterious. Even as we got new clues and kept guessing at it, we never really get confirmation for anything until much later. I love the characters and how vibrant they are. To be clear, there aren’t very many good people here, but even the bad people were just great as characters! I love the storytelling, the unfolding of the story. I love both Snow’s POV and Bao’s POV, and I love how Bao’s perspective was able to give us more insight into Snow. I love the relationships and the connections made in this story, I love the portrayal of those relationships, it fills my heart!

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars. A new favorite!

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

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Book Review | The Storyteller by Dave Grohl

Posted February 26, 2024 by Haze in Book Reviews / 2 Comments

The Storyteller by Dave Grohl

So, I’ve written a book.

Having entertained the idea for years, and even offered a few questionable opportunities (“It’s a piece of cake! Just do 4 hours of interviews, find someone else to write it, put your face on the cover, and voila!”) I have decided to write these stories just as I have always done, in my own hand. The joy that I have felt from chronicling these tales is not unlike listening back to a song that I’ve recorded and can’t wait to share with the world, or reading a primitive journal entry from a stained notebook, or even hearing my voice bounce between the Kiss posters on my wall as a child.

This certainly doesn’t mean that I’m quitting my day job, but it does give me a place to shed a little light on what it’s like to be a kid from Springfield, Virginia, walking through life while living out the crazy dreams I had as young musician. From hitting the road with Scream at 18 years old, to my time in Nirvana and the Foo Fighters, jamming with Iggy Pop or playing at the Academy Awards or dancing with AC/DC and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, drumming for Tom Petty or meeting Sir Paul McCartney at Royal Albert Hall, bedtime stories with Joan Jett or a chance meeting with Little Richard, to flying halfway around the world for one epic night with my daughters…the list goes on. I look forward to focusing the lens through which I see these memories a little sharper for you with much excitement.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2024 Nonfiction Reader Challenge
2024 Audiobook Challenge
2024 Library Love Challenge

The Reason

I’m a fan of Dave Grohl and the Foo Fighters, and I’ve been wanting to read this for a while. I don’t read a lot of memoirs and biographies in general so it takes me a while to pick them up, but one of my reading goals this year is to read more nonfiction, and the audiobook became available to me at just the right time.

The Quotes

“Life is just too damn short to let someone else’s opinion steer the wheel.”

“But with friends, you design your own relationship, which in turn designs your grief, which can be felt even deeper when they are gone. Those can be roots that are much harder to pull.”

“I love my children as I was loved as a child, and I pray that they will do the same when their time comes. Some cycles are meant to be broken. Some are meant to be reinforced.”

“Courage is a defining factor in the life of any artist. The courage to bare your innermost feelings, to reveal your true voice, or to stand in front of an audience and lay it out there for the world to see. The emotional vulnerability that is often necessary to summon a great song can also work against you when sharing your song for the world to hear. This is the paralyzing conflict of any sensitive artist. A feeling I’ve experienced with every lyric I’ve sung to someone other than myself. Will they like it? Am I good enough? It is the courage to be yourself that bridges those opposing emotions, and when it does, magic can happen.”

The Narrator

Dave Grohl himself. I loved it. I loved listening to the book directly from his voice, to hear him tell me his stories about his life and his musical journey. It was perfect!

My Thoughts

Dave Grohl isn’t just an amazing musician, he is an amazing writer and storyteller. I’ve been a casual fan of his and of Foo Fighters, but while I liked his music and what little I know of his public persona, there is a lot I never knew about him and I’m glad he decided to tell his story in this book. The stories he tells in this book made me laugh, made me cry, filled me with awe and amazement, inspired me, and made me a bigger fan.

My Feels

What I love most about this book are the stories Dave Grohl tells about his connection to the people in his life. His relationships with people who are important to him; his mother, his family, his friends, and band mates. The way he connects with his fans, and other celebrities whom he is a fan of. He is such a down-to-earth person, even with all that fame and stardom from a relatively young age. Listening to him narrate the book, you feel like you are having a conversation with a close friend, and he is a person whom I’d truly love to be close friends with.

My Rating

5/5 stars. I loved listening to the book so much and I was sad when it was over. I almost wanted to start over just to hear it all over again. I’ve told my husband (who’s also a fan of Dave Grohl) little anecdotes while I was reading so he has put a hold on the book as well. Who knows? I might reread when he does!

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

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Book Review | Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

Posted February 14, 2024 by Haze in Book Reviews / 5 Comments

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

After a lifetime of bounties and bloodshed, Viv is hanging up her sword for the last time.

The battle-weary orc aims to start fresh, opening the first ever coffee shop in the city of Thune. But old and new rivals stand in the way of success — not to mention the fact that no one has the faintest idea what coffee actually is.

If Viv wants to put the blade behind her and make her plans a reality, she won’t be able to go it alone.

But the true rewards of the uncharted path are the travelers you meet along the way. And whether drawn together by ancient magic, flaky pastry, or a freshly brewed cup, they may become partners, family, and something deeper than she ever could have dreamed.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2024 52 Book Club Reading Challenge (Prompt #12: Title starting with the letter “L”)
2024 Diversity Reading Challenge
2024 Library Love Challenge

The Reason

Everyone keeps saying how great it is! I do sometimes get apprehensive about a book that might potentially be overhyped because I don’t want to end up disappointed, but I felt certain that I would like this one somehow.

The Quotes

“Things don’t have to stay as what they started out as.”

“His eyes widened. “Well, shit. Milky bean water. I’ll be damned.” He took another, longer sip and burned his tongue.”

“I was just thinking that you don’t have to forget who you were … because that’s what brought you here.”

“You’ve found a very peaceful place here. A special place. You’ve planted something, and now its blossoming. Very nice. A good spot to rest. My thanks to you for letting an old-timer shade under the branches of what you’ve grown.”

The Characters

Viv is the main character in this book, but every single character in this book is what makes the book! It’s the perfect ensemble cast; there are the core important characters to Viv, and to her cafe, and there are the supporting characters who are just so vibrant and unique in each of their own ways. Every single one of them were brought so vividly to life. I love them all!

My Thoughts

I loved the story from beginning to end! For a high fantasy novel that focuses on building a cafe business rather than embarking on a perilous quest to kill dragons, it’s surprisingly engrossing! I guess it makes sense, whether you’re killing dragons or serving coffee, the interesting parts of a story is in how you solve the problems, and with Legends & Lattes, it was wonderful watching Viv and her friends navigate the issues surrounding the running of a cafe.

My Feels

I don’t even know where to begin to talk about my feels. First of all, we all know I love found family stories. And I loved it here too, so much! It was so heartwarming to see how Viv made friends, the kind of person she was, the kind of people she drew to herself – because of the person she was. I loved how some enemies became friends. I loved how she protected her friends and her friends protected her. I loved the development of all the friendships she made since moving to Thune, not even a few months in a new place. I loved everything about it, and my only wish is that there was more!

I know there’s another book out, a prequel, and you can bet I’m going to read it too, but seriously, there needs to be a whole bunch of books in this series. I need more of them!

My Rating

5/5 stars. I love it, and it’s going into my Favorite Books of All Time Hall of Fame!

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

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Book Review | The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

Posted January 26, 2024 by Haze in Book Reviews / 7 Comments

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

This beloved story -first published more than fifty years ago- introduces readers to Milo and his adventures in the Lands Beyond.

For Milo, everything’s a bore. When a tollbooth mysteriously appears in his room, he drives through only because he’s got nothing better to do. But on the other side, things seem different. Milo visits the Island of Conclusions (you get there by jumping), learns about time from a ticking watchdog named Tock, and even embarks on a quest to rescue Rhyme and Reason! Somewhere along the way, Milo realizes something astonishing. Life is far from dull. In fact, it’s exciting beyond his wildest dreams. . . .

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2024 52 Book Club Reading Challenge (Prompt #32: Time frame spans a week or less)
The Classics Club Challenge
2024 Audiobook Challenge
2024 Library Love Challenge

The Reason

I’ve had this book on my physical bookshelf for a couple of years, but if you want the real reasons, it’s because…

  1. Deb Nance @ Readerbuzz says, “Put The Phantom Tollbooth at the top of your list!”
  2. Lydia says, “The Phantom Tollbooth was excellent.”
  3. Sarah @ Exploring All Genres says, “The Phantom Tollbooth is one of my favorite books from when I was younger. I still have a well-loved copy on my shelf.”
  4. Nicole @ NewBookCatsReads says, “I read the Phantom Tollbooth when I was fifth grade! What a fascinating read!”
  5. Nicole @ BookWyrm Knits says, “The Phantom Tollbooth is one of my all-time favorite books.”
  6. Felice says, “The Phantom Tollbooth was one of my favorite books I read as a kid! I hope whenever you get to it, you enjoy it!”
  7. Cindy @ Cindy’s Book Corner says, “I HIGHLY recommend listening to The Phantom Tollbooth on audio. It was fantastic. My husband read the book and didn’t see why me and my kids thought it was so good…until he listened to it as well. He didn’t catch some of the humor. It’s also not a genre I would normally pick and only listened to it because of my kids. I have lost count how many times we have listened to it on road trips.”
  8. Sarah @ All The Book Blog Names Are Taken says, “I absolutely love The Phantom Tollbooth. It’s so clever and a lot of fun.”

So I listened! Thank you all for the enthusiasm for this wonderful book! There were so many endorsements, and I hope I didn’t miss anyone, but it definitely put The Phantom Tollbooth at the top of my list. I listened to it on audiobook because of Cindy’s endorsement, but I also flipped through my physical copy while listening, so I could look at the illustrations as I go.

The Quotes

“So many things are possible just as long as you don’t know they’re impossible.”

“Expect everything, I always say, and the unexpected never happens.”

“The most important reason for going from one place to another is to see what’s in between, and they took great pleasure in doing just that.”

“You must never feel badly about making mistakes … as long as you take the trouble to learn from them. For you often learn more by being wrong for the right reasons than you do by being right for the wrong reasons.”

The Narrator(s)

Rainn Wilson, and a special appearance from Walter Wilson (his son) as the voice of .58! I loved it. Rainn Wilson is a wonderful narrator and I loved that Walter Wilson made an appearance too. It was just perfect the whole way through.

The Characters

There are so many interesting characters in this book with such distinctive personalities. I loved them all! Milo is the main character, however, and we see things through his perspective.

My Thoughts

I cannot believe this is the first time I’ve ever read this book! Where has it been my whole life? I don’t know how I would’ve felt as a child reading this, but as an adult, it was just delightful and it brings me back to innocent days of childlike wonder and imagination. There was a lot of simple wisdom in this book, and it reminds me that we are never too old for magic.

My Feels

It makes me feel young again! It makes me feel like nothing is impossible, and that the world is filled with infinite possibilities. It makes me feel like I am one of those infinite possibilities. I love it!

My Rating

5/5 stars. Is this book the secret to the fountain of youth?

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

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