“Style, then, gets you the things it fools you into thinking you don’t want, but only, finally, by being abandoned for the Person, which makes you know you want them…. The heroine no more sees her exercise of style as a means of social ambition than she recognizes her eventual choice of the Person over […]
Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/online/2022/10/27/funny-girl-leas-turn/
I was looking for fall reads and was intrigued by the idea of the Midnight Club and saw it was being adapted for a Netflix series. Narrated by Iman Benson, The Midnight Club by Christopher Pike deals with death as a group of terminally ill children meet at midnight to tell stories.
The Midnight Club
by Christopher Pike
Narrator: Iman Benson
Length: 5 hours and 55 minutes
Genres: Fiction
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible *affiliate
Rating: 
Narration: 4 cups Speed: 1.3x
From the author of The Wicked Heart and The Immortal comes a beautiful and haunting novel about a group of five terminally ill teenagers whose midnight stories become their reality.
Rotterham Home was a hospice for young people—a place where teenages with terminal illnesses went to die. Nobody who checked in ever checked. It was a place of pain and sorrow, but also, remarkably, a place of humor and adventure.
Every night at twelve, a group of five young girls and boys at the hospice came together. They called themselves the Midnight Club, and everytime they came together, they would take turns telling each other stories. Any type of story they could think of, they would tell—ones filled with intrigue and horror, of life and death… True stories, made-up stories, and stories that fell somewhere in between.
But one night, in the middle of a particularly scary story, the five kids make a pact with each other. The first one who dies is to make every effort to contact the others from beyond the grave…
Then one of them does die, and the story begins.
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The Midnight Club originally released in 1994 when my children were still toddlers, so we never read his books. While I knew this was a young adult novel, I expected it to have more of a thriller aspect based on the synopsis. Indeed, Christopher Pike, like R. L. Stine, is known for creepy young adult thrillers. The Midnight Club is more a look at morality and acceptance. It is a spiritual story dealing with loss and love.
These terminally ill teens meet at midnight and tell stories. Sometimes ridiculous stories and often reflective mirrors of their own lives. They range from funny to haunting.
The story has less of a plot than I expected and differed from what the synopsis led me to believe. It’s an easy listen, and I felt for these characters, their circumstances and interactions. Their short stories were campy, but ones you would expect from a group of teens telling original stories.
Reviews of the original story and readers remark it was one of their childhood favorites. The characters and their own stories indeed pulled at my heartstrings, so I can see how it affected the original targeted audience. Just don’t go into this expecting a thriller. You’ll be sorely disappointed.
It is a powerful story and I have a feeling thing Netflix series will bring another level to the story. Despite the bleak and depressing aspects where death is an inevitable outcome, it is also a powerful, touching story about acceptance, love and loss.
I will be curious to see how the adaptation is handled. Iman Benson did a pleasant job narrating and giving voice to the individual teens, particularly with their stories.
Did you read this as a teen? I would love to hear your thoughts.
Amazon | Audible
The Midnight Club by Christopher Pike deals with death as a group of terminally ill children meet at midnight to tell stories. #audiobook #ImanBenson #Netflix #audiobookreview
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Christopher Pike is the pseudonym of Kevin McFadden. He is a bestselling author of young adult and children’s fiction who specializes in the thriller genre. McFadden was born in New York but grew up in California where he stills lives in today. A college drop-out, he did factory work, painted houses and programmed computers before becoming a recognized author. Initially unsuccessful when he set out to write science fiction and adult mystery, it was not until his work caught the attention of an editor who suggested he write a teen thriller that he became a hit. The result was Slumber Party (1985), a book about a group of teenagers who run into bizarre and violent events during a ski weekend. After that he wrote Weekend and Chain Letter. All three books went on to become bestsellers
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Original source: https://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/2022/10/the-midnight-club-by-christopher-pike.html
It is difficult to say no to friends when they ask for your help. In Colin the Crab Feels Tired by Tuula Pere we get to see the struggle Colin feels when he is asked by numerous friends’ for his help with many different tasks. He simply cannot say no to his friends and does his best to prioritize his jobs but is too tired from working hard all day to move another muscle.
The fish family’s home was destroyed by waves, and has asked Colin for his help in building them a new home. This being an emergency, he gets to work on it straight away. He then receives a call from Eddie the eel to get his help in making him a new and bigger garage for his new moto copter, which Colin knows is nothing urgent and can wait but begins to feel the slightest pressure building within him. Still working hard at the construction site for the fish family, Sally, the starfish, calls him, needing his help in putting up her new mirror on the wall of her home. Colin cannot decline her request but decides to put her next on his fast-growing list of friends to help. At the end of the day, Colin feels exhausted and needs a good night’s rest that seems to last long into the morning. In the morning, his friends are all looking for him needing his help, and realize they he is overworked and must be desperately tired if he is still asleep. They decide to take on his task of building the fish family’s new home so he can rest up.
I love that this story shows young children not only the significance of helping others but also the weight it can bear on us if we take on too much. We must look after ourselves in order to help others in the end, and that also having good friends who are more than willing to bare the weight is what true friendships are made of.
Colin the Crab Feels Tired is a well-written picture book that teaches children the value of self-care and looking out for your friends. Teachers and parents will love the important message this book shares, while children will be drawn to the beautiful illustrations and entertaining characters.
Pages: 32 | ISBN: 9523573160
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/10/27/colin-the-crab-feels-tired/
The Good News According to Jesus: The Message and Resurrection of Jesus for the Mission of the Church is a book that can be used as excellent reference material for Jesus’ teachings. The author analyzes the bible extensively and writes about the word of God perfectly for the average reader to understand. The author discusses a variety of topics that give clarity to significant spiritual issues and are helpful in the Christian life. One of the most notable things one will notice in this well-researched book is the author’s inclusion of bible scriptures. Every topic discussed has a reference to its bible verse, which is an ideal way of getting one to read the bible. The author has relevant verses for every chapter and also discusses in depth the significance of the word of God.
After the introduction, the author starts by discussing new testament books. What do you know about the life of Jesus when he was on earth? Do religious books write enough about Jesus’ time, his purpose, and why he died? The author broadly covers the life of Jesus and his relations and writes about his work. I appreciate that the author poses questions as he writes and answers them satisfactorily. I was enlightened as I read about the death of Jesus, the challenges he faced, and the opposition he had to deal with. The author is thorough. One of his strengths is knowing how to break down a single event in the bible to share multiple lessons about Christianity and contemporary life.
The author, Donald Blosser, is unpretentious in his writing and emphasizes truths. In his thought-provoking book, the reader is introduced to fresh topics as the author discusses insightfully the role of religion. As a Christian, one gets the fulfillment of learning about the bible and following God’s teachings. The author’s use of simple terms and a friendly attitude make this book intriguing. He uses words that are easy to comprehend and engages the reader through the question and biblical references he has. He is also inspirational and uses an encouraging tone. This makes the book accessible to a wider range of readers, and not just religious scholars.
The Good News According to Jesus, is the ultimate guide to leading a Christian life. The author is open-minded and discusses issues that affect Christians in the modern world. He compares times in the bible and speaks of today’s ills as he shares what the Lord wants his people to do. I recommend this book to Christian believers and individuals who want to renew their hope.
Pages: 84 | ISBN : 1645509761
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/10/27/the-good-news-according-to-jesus/
Much like its front cover, The Elephant in the Room by Jill Campbell-Mason is a colorful story of Ella and Warren’s trip to Indonesia after meeting Asta and Henry on a cruise ship, who invited them to stay at their home in Jakarta. This is more than just a fascinating travel adventure story. It sheds light on the dynamic culture and social differences of those living in Indonesia.
Keen to prepare for the upcoming trip, they meet with Aunt Clara to probe her memories for any tips she may have on relating to a foreign culture without causing offense. Upon arriving, the couple soon discovers that Aunt Clara’s tales of the southeast were not exaggerated and the country is more exotic and fascinating than any fiction tale, complete with wild elephants that still barge into villages uninvited and infrastructure that is essentially non-existent.
Blink for a second, and you will be lost. This story moves quickly. The writing style is highly complex, loaded with figurative expressions and phrases that are utilized to tell the story of multiple characters across various periods of time. This technique works well to incorporate historical context and picks up on key issues of racism, religion, discrimination, power, and poverty. However, Campbell-Mason’s tone fluctuates often and can be read as somewhere in the middle of past and present, which can be difficult to follow. The inclusions of so many characters also create barriers to a deeper connection.
As the title suggests understanding the role of elephants is key to understanding the underlying lessons of this narrative; how an individual’s actions can alter the trajectory of a nation or their courage to bring down tyranny and criminality can create harmony and reunite the community. They represent human life and the values within humanity.
The Elephant in the Room by Jill Campbell-Mason is a fantastic woman’s adventure novel addressing prejudice towards some of the most marginalized groups in society. The juxtaposition of the two couples worked well to provide a two-lens approach to understanding Indonesian culture and faith – it will leave you with great conversation starters!
Pages: 421 | ASIN : B0B7F1G5HW
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/10/27/the-elephant-in-the-room/
Have you ever noticed how much waste we create? How much just one person can create in a single day? The Magical Bag for a Plastic Free Earth, written and illustrated by Pranamee Nath, follows a young girl named Ollie who loves animals and comes to realize the answers to those questions. Ollie goes for a visit at her Uncle John’s house where the main attraction is the beach. When the beach is closed her cousin Tanya takes her to enjoy the day at a fair where there is a variety of delicious foods and treats to indulge in. Tanya has a magic bag that lets her carry alternative containers that allow her to live waste and single-use plastic free. Ollie doesn’t see the importance of these items until she is confronted with why the beach was closed in the first place.
The message of doing our part in keeping our planet free of single-use plastic was done in such an impactful way by the author’s emotionally evocative writing skills. I enjoyed that the author also gives readers examples along the way that show how to make small changes when we are going about our everyday lives. These changes can make a huge difference and are easy to implement. I felt like I was being educated on every page rather than preached to or being shamed for my lack of action. This enlightening children’s book is a gentle guide that illuminates the steps that are necessary and easy to take. Ollie realizes how her actions throughout the day have contributed to a destructive situation for us, the world we live in, and the animals she loves. I felt her shame and sadness all at once and again that speaks to the author’s fantastic writing.
The Magical Bag for a Plastic-free Earth is an educational picture book that is a wonderful resource parents can use to introduce environmental issues and sustainability to young readers. This informative book will help parents and teachers start a conversation about the environment in a way that young kids will easily understand.
Pages: 40 | ASIN: B0BCSMD4ZF
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/10/27/the-magical-bag-for-a-plastic-free-earth/
A tall, mysterious white man moves into a neighborhood that is caught in a turf war between three rival gangs. He becomes a threat to the gangs when the residents begin to lose their fear of the gangs and they begin to lose members.
They plot to take this bible thumping interloper out, but soon discover they had made a mistake of biblical proportions.
Who or what is he?
The residents think he’s an angel sent from heaven.
The gangs think he’s a demon sent from hell.
The local clergy think he’s the Lamb returning as the Lion to usher in the End of Days.
Or is he something else?
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/10/27/when-lambs-eat-lions-book-trailer/