The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

★★★★★

"If you've ever wondered where your dreams come from when you go to sleep at night, just look around.  This is where they are made."

2.10.2015 - When Hugo Cabret’s father is killed in a tragic accident in the early 1930s, Hugo is sent to live with his uncle who works in a Paris train station.  His uncle teaches him to monitor the clocks in the station, but Hugo is left to take care of himself after his uncle disappears.  With his uncle gone, Hugo focuses on fixing automation machine that was left by his father and steals from the train toy shop to complete the work.  Hugo is caught by the shop’s own named Georges and becomes friends with his goddaughter, Isabelle.  The two work together to fix the machine that Hugo believes will give him a message that will save his life.  Along the way, Hugo and Isabelle learn that her godfather is really Georges Melies, a pioneer filmmaker, a discovery that leads to secrets of the past that they hope will unlock a key to the future.

The novel is a combination of text and images that creates a truly unique and magical story.  The intriguing plot draws readings in from the very first page and the author reveals small details to allow for thrilling journey through Hugo’s adventures and the history of film.  Each element of the story seems careful planted to allow for a beautifully written narrative. 

In an interview with amazon, Brian Selznick states that he enjoyed books where the “very act of turning the pages play a pivotal role in telling the story” and tried to produce this in the book.  This was exemplified stunningly through the almost the over 250 black and white illustrations.  The pictures were extremely detailed and focused on details of the story.  They not only complimented the text, but were used to tell aspects of the plot as well. 

I absolutely loved this book and it is now one of my favorite children’s and young adult books that I have read.  I brought it while my husband and I were staying in the hospital after our daughter was born and read it in one sitting.  I was fascinated by the exceptional storytelling and the unique format that included elements of a novel, picture book, and graphic novel.  I thought all of the illustrations were extremely well done and did a wonderful job of complementing the text.  I would recommend this book to everyone I know who is looking for a truly unique reading experience.

 7.30.2015 - Reread this to Isabelle when she was about 6 months old and loved it the second time around as well.  Amazing combination of works and pictures to tell a fascinating story!

This book was #10 on my top ten list of 2015.

Shotgun Lovesongs by Nickolas Butler

★★★★★

"America, I think, is about poor people playing music and poor people sharing food and poor people dancing, even when everything else in their lives is so desperate and so dismal that it doesn't seem there should be any room for any music, any extra food, or any extra energy for dancing.  And people can say that I'm wrong, that we're a puritanical people, an evangelical people, a selfish people, but I don't believe that.  I don't want to believe that."

"It's all been worth it.  Every fight, all those years of childish experimentation, the occasional heartbreak, the paltry checking account, the used, old trucks.  To have lived with another human being, another person, this man, as long as I have and to see him change and grow."

This was an incredible book and I'm so glad that I picked it up!  The book is essentially a love song to life - to friendships, to family, to love, to forgiveness, and to small-town rural Wisconsin.

Hank, Leland, Kip, and Ronny were all born and raised in the small Wisconsin town of Little Wig.  They have been friends since as long as they remember.  They each went their separate ways after high school, but they soon find themselves all back in town and husbands and fathers and still trying to figure out their place in the world.  And then there's Beth, who plays a special part in each one of their lives. Shotgun Lovesongs is a truly remarkable book and a tribute to American live and is filled with rich storytelling and finding hope against all odds.

This description says it all: 'There is conflict here between longtime buddies, between husbands and wives — told with writing that is, frankly, gut-wrenching, and even heartbreaking. But there is also hope, healing, and at times, even heroism. It is strong, American stuff, not at all afraid of showing that we can be good, too — not just fallible and compromising. Shotgun Lovesongs is a remarkable and uncompromising saga that explores the age-old question of whether or not you can ever truly come home again — and the kind of steely faith and love returning requires.'

This book was #5 on my top ten list of 2015.

We read this for the January 2016 selection of the Germantown Community Library Adult Bookclub.

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

★★★★

"The holes in your life are permanent.  You have to grow around them, like tree roots around concrete; you mould yourself through the gaps."

Rachel is in her late twenties and her life has taken a turn for the worst.  Recently divorced, she has taken to heavy drinking and now lives with an old friend from college.  Rachel lost her job, but still takes the train into the city everyday so that her roommate won’t know that she is out of work.  Everyday, she takes the same train route and sees “Jess and Jason” having breakfast on their porch.  Rachel has made up names for the couple and sees them as having the “perfect life.”  Only a few doors down lives her ex-husband, Tom, with his new wife and daughter.  One day, Rachel sees “Jess” kissing a man on her porch that isn’t her husband and it is soon reported that she has gone missing.  Rachel soon learns that “Jess and Jason” are really Megan and Scott.  Wanting to help the police find Megan, she reports what she saw and finds herself suddenly involved with their lives.   

            As the search for Megan continues, flashbacks show that her life and marriage to Scott were not as perfect as them seemed.  Tom’s wife Anna also plays a part in the story when the police find out that Megan had previously helped out with babysitting their daughter.  Rachel learns that the lives of herself and the other two women are more connected than she had realized.  When Megan turns up dead, Rachel is determined to help Scott figure out who the murder is.  The more tangled up that Rachel gets in the investigation, the more secrets she learns about Megan’s past life.  But, Rachel’s drinking problem often causes her to forget things and she is far from a reliable source.  She may know something about the murder, but the police (and readers) question whether or not they can trust her.

I really enjoyed this book and couldn’t put it down.  It had a rapid and intriguing storyline that kept my interest until the very last page.  Many reviews that I read of the book stated that the book was the “new Gone Girl.”  I read Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn a few years ago and would have to agree: both books were compelling, suspenseful, and had wonderfully written characters that I hated and loved at the same time.  My only concern with the book (and the reason I gave it four stars out of five) was that the three voices of Rachel, Megan, and Anna felt too similar to me.  I sometimes found myself forgetting which narrator I was reading because they seemed too alike.