The Willoughbys

Book #230 (Unique books)
Book #7 in 2014

 The Willoughbys

by Lois Lowry

 "Abandoned by their ill-humored parents to the care of an odious nanny, Tim, the twins, Barnaby A and Barnaby B, and their sister, Jane, attempt to fulfill their roles as good oldfashioned children. Following the models set in lauded tales from A Christmas Carol to Mary Poppins, the four Willoughbys hope to attain their proscribed happy ending too, or at least a satisfyingly maudlin one. However, it is an unquestionably ruthless act that sets in motion the transformations that lead to their salvation and to happy endings for not only the four children, but their nanny, an abandoned baby, a candy magnate, and his long-lost son too. Replete with a tongue-in-cheek glossary and bibliography, this hilarious and decidedly old-fashioned parody pays playful homage to classic works of children’s literature."

April 9th to 10th - 2 days - 174 pages

Notes:

I love Lois Lowry a lot.

Gossamer

Book #229 (Unique books)
Book #6 in 2014

 Gossamer

by Lois Lowry

 "Where do dreams come from? What stealthy nighttime messengers are the guardians of our most deeply hidden hopes and our half-forgotten fears? Drawing on her rich imagination, two-time Newbery winner Lois Lowry confronts these questions and explores the conflicts between the gentle bits and pieces of the past that come to life in dream, and the darker horrors that find their form in nightmare. In a haunting story that tiptoes between reality and imagination, two people—a lonely, sensitive woman and a damaged, angry boy—face their own histories and discover what they can be to one another, renewed by the strength that comes from a tiny, caring creature they will never see."

April 8th - a few hours - 140 pages

Messenger

Book #177 (Unique books)
Book #33 in 2012

 Messenger

by Lois Lowry

 "For the past six years, Matty has lived in Village and flourished under the guidance of Seer, a blind man, known for his special sight. Village was a place that welcomed newcomers, but something sinister has seeped into Village and the people have voted to close it to outsiders. Matty has been invaluable as a messenger. Now he must make one last journey through the treacherous forest with his only weapon, a power he unexpectedly discovers within himself."

September 26th to September 29th -  4 days - 169 pages

The Giver

Book #106 (Unique books)
Book #6 in 2010

The Giver
by Lois Lowry

"Given his lifetime assignment at the Ceremony of Twelve, Jonas becomes the receiver of memories shared by only one other in his community and discovers the terrible truth about the society in which he lives."

February 8th to February 23rd - 18 days - 180 pages

117 books read total (re-reads, audiobooks, etc. (since 2007))

Gathering Blue

Book #54 (I think. I actually forgot to blog this when I read it.)

Gathering Blue
by Lois Lowry

"Lame and suddenly orphaned, Kira is mysteriously removed from her squalid village to live in the palatial Council Edifice, where she is expected to use her gifts as a weaver to do the bidding of the all-powerful Guardians."

215 pages.