September 4, 2010

Forget-Me-Nots: A Ring of Endless Light & Troubling a Star


I thought I'd start a regular feature on my blog for looking back at books I enjoyed in childhood and the teenage years. There are so many fabulous YA books being released all the time these days, and that's absolutely awesome - but I wanted to show a bit of love for some oldies that I never hear being talked about anymore! I'm sometimes amazed when I realize that kids and teens nowadays aren't familiar with some of the books I really enjoyed at that age.

So, without further ado, my first picks:

A Ring of Endless Light and Troubling a Star by Madeleine L'Engle

A Ring of Endless Light is part of a series about the Austin family, focusing on Vicky Austin in particular. The first two are Meet the Austins and The Moon by Night, but A Ring of Endless Light and its follow-up Troubling a Star were my favorites.

(It's been published with many different covers but this was the cover of our copy!)

Amazon's description:

"After a tumultuous year in New York City, the Austins are spending the summer on the small island where their grandfather lives. He’s very sick, and watching his condition deteriorate as the summer passes is almost more than Vicky can bear. To complicate matters, she finds herself as the center of attention for three very different boys.

     Zachary Grey, the troubled and reckless boy Vicky met last summer, wants her all to himself as he grieves the loss of his mother. Leo Rodney has been just a friend for years, but the tragic loss of his father causes him to turn to Vicky for comfort—and romance. And then there’s Adam Eddington. Adam is only asking Vicky to help with his research on dolphins. But Adam—and the dolphins—may just be what Vicky needs to get through this heartbreaking summer.
"

A Ring of Endless Light is sweet and simple, but touches on death, grief, love, friendship, and meaning.

In contrast, the next book about Vicky, Troubling a Star, has a far more complex plot, involving a journey to Antarctica and an intricate mystery.


Amazon's description:

"The Austins have settled back into their beloved home in the country after more than a year away. Though they had all missed the predictability and security of life in Thornhill, Vicky Austin is discovering that slipping back into her old life isn’t easy. She’s been changed by life in New York City and her travels around the country while her old friends seem to have stayed the same. So Vicky finds herself spending time with a new friend, Serena Eddington—the great-aunt of a boy Vicky met over the summer.

     Aunt Serena gives Vicky an incredible birthday gift—a month-long trip to Antarctica. It’s the opportunity of a lifetime. But Vicky is nervous. She’s never been away from her family before. Once she sets off though, she finds that’s the least of her worries. She receives threatening letters. She’s surrounded by suspicious characters. Vicky no longer knows who to trust. And she may not make it home alive.
"

Were these favorites for anyone else? Are they still being read?

7 comments:

  1. I shall have to check these out! This is a great idea for a feature Danya, very unique :)
    I'm looking forward to all your future Forget- Me- Not posts,

    Stephanie

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  2. I haven't heard of those 2. Favourite books from when I was younger (much younger!) include books by Roald Dahl, Judy Blume, as well as the "Nightmare" and "Point Horror" books.

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  3. I haven't heard of either of those! I loved Roald Dahl, Beverly Cleary, Judy Blume, RL Stine, Christopher Pike, BSC, etc.

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  4. You know, I've never read anything by Madeleine L'Engle :) I should really start though - these 2 sound really good.

    Funny thing - I found your post via Kristen's Sunday Blues and my Sunday Blues post is about a 'Flashback' or Forget-Me-Not book from my childhood :)

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  5. I read A Ring of Endless Light a few years ago, because I'm trying to read all of the books on the Newbery/Newbery Honor list (ARoEL is an honor) and, I didn't really like it, but I loved A Wrinkle in Time. I've thought for a long time that I just didn't like Sci-Fi, but this book helped me realize that I'm fine with Sci-Fi stuff, as long as I know it's coming. I hadn't read the other Austin books before I picked this one up(didn't know it was a series) and the whole Sci-Fi element took me totally by surprise, and I just couldn't love the book...

    This is a great idea though! The flashback to old favorites. I've been playing with this idea for a while now for my own blog. We'll see what happens. :)

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  6. Thanks for all the comments! Judy Blume and Roald Dahl seem to be particularly popular :)

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  7. You know.. I have NEVER read one of her books. I feel sort of guilty for that because it was one of the authors my mom loved and I just never have read any of them. Maybe I'll try to get a hold of some of her books from the library!

    Great feature!

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