Blog party season is upon us.
Carissa at Musings of an Introvert is hosting The Classics Children's Literature Party in April which gives anyone ample opportunity to find a topic to write about. For some reason my heart is saying Peter Rabbit as my topic...
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Possibly my favorite book of last year,
The Keeper of Lost Things
is, for lack of a better term, is an enchanting read. I finished the book in two days; I was that caught up in it. It's romantic, mysterious, simple and a total feel good read (plus the cover is beautiful!).
Little things can hold a great deal of significance. They have the power to hold memories both good and bad. They can bring smiles or tears. Some can have one owner for a lifetime while others are meant to be passed down. Author, Anthony Peardew knows that better than anyone, which is why he devotes his life to finding and archiving random little items he comes across every day. A button, a puzzle piece, a cup and saucer, etc. When he lost he most precious thing a man could have, he spent the rest of his years finding the beautiful within the ordinary.
Laura is lost. The life she had lived for so long comes to an end when she and her husband settle their divorce. Not really knowing where to go or what to do, Laura answers an ad for a housekeeping position for Anthony Peardew. This little job proves to be a miracle for Laura as she and Anthony strike up a wonderful friendship; and Laura meets the other residents of Anthony' home and community. Anthony shows Laura his archive of Lost Things, each seemingly insignificant that has a story connected to it and Anthony's mission to ensure that they eventually are returned to their rightful owner. However, a restless spirit in the house doesn't necessarily approve of this arrangement.
40 years before another friendship is created in publisher Charles "Bomber" Bramwell Brockley and his assistant, Eunice. Over the decades, Bomber and Eunice remain lifelong companions in spite of the in and outs of society and Bomber's greedy sister who seems determined to undermine her brother and his friendship with Eunice.
At some point in time, these two stories will merge together as the little lost things and the stories attached to them come out of hiding and are brought back home.
I loved this book! The individual stories behind the lost items, the friendships and the looming mystery of Anthony's house, all of it kept me enraptured from beginning to end. I finished the book in two days, that's how invested I got into it!
The Keeper of Lost Things
reminds me of
Not a Swan
, in that we get caught up in two remarkable stories separated by generations, but both having a great impact on the reader, well they did with me at least.
Historical events and social change have always been excellent musical inspiration. Musicals such as Les Miserables, Hairspray, The Sound of Music and West Side Story were at the heart stories of the tide of social change. Les Miserables and The Sound of Music are about the moral decisions that govern every part of our lives (Jean Val Jean vs Javert // Captain Von Trapp vs the Nazi Party). Hairspray and West Side Story manage to take hard issues such as racism and prejudice by telling them through the eyes of young people who question the beliefs of previous generations.
Newsies manages to tell all that and more. When the lively musical - starring an up and coming 18 year old Christian Bale as the lead hero, Jack Kelly - premiered in 1992, it didn't make a stir at first. However, over the years Newsies has become a much loved classic through its memorable songs and extraordinary choreography. 20 years after the film, Newsies was finally brought to the stage where it became an instant success.
If you all guessed Newsies...
You were right!
Newsies has been one of my all time favorite musicals for years and I got to see it on stage last year and it was stunning! One of the best theater productions I had ever seen. Then I watched the 2017 Broadway production on Disney + and I was blown away. So to be honest after seeing the Broadway production twice, I prefer the Broadway version over the 1992 version. I'll go more into that for the upcoming double movie review for both the 1992 film and the Broadway production.
Well done everyone!
It's been ages (like 8 years!) since I've done a blog series! I've gotten really into the aesthetics obsession (inspired by Olivia!) and I have an Instagram and Tumblr both solely dedicated to appreciating art, nature and anything one can define as beautiful and pleasing.
I also have a huge love of musicals and so I had a great idea of doing a monthly 'Guess the Musical Aesthetics.' So, it's pretty self explanatory. Each month I post a graphic with pictures that represent a certain favorite musical. It's really difficult to make, because I didn't want any obvious pictures that would immediately give the musical away (such as a red dress, red curly hair and a dog, one would immediately know that it's Annie).
I also posted this on my Instagram, but I don't think it's going to get much traction. And normally I veer away from doing guessing game posts, because I don't know how much traffic my site actually gets. However, there's a first time for everything.
I did the best that I could and this first one is super easy.
