June’s Result – The Circus of Stolen Dreams by Lorelei Savaryn
There seems to be a niche of middle grade books that really isn’t for me. These books involve a speculative fiction journey by the protagonist, the journey being an allegory or avenue for resolving some challenge in their ‘real’ life. The speculative elements often feel to me extremely contrived and limited in imagination, there only to serve a particular plot. The worlds don’t come to life for me. A few titles I can think of that fit this niche are The Clackity, The Prince of Nowhere, and The Circus of Stolen Dreams. I have yet to meet a child to whom I would recommend books in this niche, but I suppose they’re out there somewhere! I didn’t dislike The Circus of Stolen Dreams as much as The Clackity, but I did skim the later half of the book. There just wasn’t anything to keep my attention. The intrigue of Reverie never lives up to its promise, with the dreams explored especially feeling like simple plot points. I was also a little uncomfortable with how Andrea’s brother apparently being kidnapped in the middle of the night without a trace is addressed throughout the story. This is definitely not one of those books that you give to a child who has experienced the trauma within.
July’s Selection
July’s theme is adult fiction, as I already have plenty of MG picked out for Bit About Books SRC! I sorted by to-read-fiction shelf by number of ratings descending and picked the first four titles that stood out to me.
- Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks (156,655 ratings)
- I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith (99,763 ratings)
- The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry (59,667 ratings)
- The Familiars by Stacy Hall (41,573 ratings)
Which book should I read in July? (Or in August; I might be cutting a bit close with this one…) Vote on the poll below or by leaving a comment on this post. (I can’t tell who voted on Twitter, so if you’re really keen you can vote in the comments AND on Twitter ;P) Voting closes on 13 July.
I’m voting for I Capture the Castle, the only one of these I’ve read. Lots of fun! I would also vote for Year of Wonders, since I loved People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks.
Thanks for voting 😄
I’m with you on the niche of allegory going over like lead balloons with my students. Just… can we stop? I also vote for I Capture the Castle, just as a snapshot in time for a very specific era. I also love Margery Sharp (similar time frame, I think) and… ooh. Maybe I’ll read some of her stuff that’s in e book format at my library to celebrate my birthday next week! Happy reading, whatever you decide!
Happy to hear I’m not the only one who thinks that re allegory! Thanks for your vote. Hope you have lots of great reads this week for your birthday 😊