Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children

All my blogging anniversary needs is a baby panda!

So I’ve decided to forego this week’s Masterpiece Monday, because tomorrow will be my first blogging anniversary! When I became “Book Club Babe” a year ago, I would never have guessed how fun and rewarding it would be. In the grand scheme of things, my blog may not make that much of an impact, but I’m proud to say that I’ve gained over 14,000 views from all over the world. My readers are the best a blogger could ask for, and I’ve decided to make a better effort this year to engage in more conversations with them.

To celebrate this important milestone, I’m recapping my three most popular posts. Feel free to follow the links to read them in their entirety.

Fifty Shades of Grey: My Rant on Crappy Books and the People Who Buy Them. It looks like I’ve caught the Fifty Shades bandwagon and shook things up a bit with my criticisms. Luckily, my readers have awesome taste in literature and shared their own complaints of the crappy series. It felt so good to preach to the choir! (Originally posted 4/18/12)

Most Hated Words in the English Language? I had discussed The Huffington Post’s list of disgusting-sounding words. You agreed with the grossness of “moist,” “hubby,” and “fetus.” It seemed that anything too medical was also bad on the ears. However, it was nice to end on a good note with our favorite words. (Originally posted 8/2/11)

Book Review: Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. This was a popular read among my readers, who enjoyed the unique photographs. I’m so glad that I read this novel, which I borrowed from a friend after she recommended it, because it was a good experience to read outside my comfort zone. I rated it 4 out of 5, so make sure to put it on your to-read lists! (Originally posted 4/5/12)

So has anyone else reached the first blogging anniversary? Let me know how it felt, and we can virtually toast to another year of books and blogging!

Image via Goodreads

Rating: 4 out of 5

Well, today is a Book Club Babe first, because I just read my first guest recommendation! A good friend of mine from graduate school suggested that I read Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (referred to as MPHPC from now on), which was written by Ransom Riggs last year. It was a book I would have never picked out for myself, but I’m glad I got the opportunity to broaden my horizons!

This book is just that, peculiar. It’s about a 16-year-old named Jacob who is rebelling against his family’s wealth from an extensive line of pharmacies. Because his parents aren’t the greatest and he has very few friends, he spends his time idolizing his grandfather, who growing up told him these crazy, spooky stories of monsters and kids with special abilities.

While you first think his grandpa’s just exaggerating his traumatic experiences from the Holocaust, he’s mysteriously murdered by one of the very monsters Jacob thought were fictional. After being accused of going insane and forced to see a shrink, he and his dad make their way to Wales where his grandpa had stayed with Miss Peregrine and her peculiar children.

What makes MPHPC special, however, are the creepy black-and-white photographs which are sprinkled throughout the pages. According to the author, these are real photos which he gained permission to use from private collectors (although whether they’ve been altered, I don’t know). Here’s an example:

Spooky, right? Jacob meets all kinds of new friends, like Emma who can produce fire, or Millard who’s invisible. I can’t give you many more details than that, but when the monsters return, it’s up to them to save themselves…and the world.

This was a very suspenseful, intriguing tale of unusual friendship. The end was abrupt to make way for a sequel, which I’ll be sure to read. This book was not terrifying enough to give me nightmares, so I would recommend it to other scaredy-cats like me.

And rumor has it that Tim Burton has signed on to direct the movie adaptation! I think it would be a perfect fit for him, and I can easily picture Helena Bonham Carter as Miss Peregrine, if they aged her a bit. Hmmm, but who would Johnny Depp be? Jacob’s dad?

All in all, I’m very pleased that I opened my mind by opening the pages of a book that, quite honestly, made me nervous. But the only thing to fear with MPHPC is the withdrawals you’ll experience at the end! I need that sequel!