Creepy Kids, Awesome Princesses, and a Woman Who Knows Her Worth

I've been getting a lot of reading done recently, and wanted to share with you some of the books I've finished recently. All of these reviews are cross-posted from my Goodreads account.


Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Synopsis
Professor Henry Higgins is a phoeneticist who prides himself on both his mastery of the English language and his ability to teach others to speak properly as well. When he runs into a flower girl named Liza Doolittle who has an extremely thick Cockney accent, he bets his friend Colonel Pickering that he can pass her off as a lady within six months.

Review
I wasn't crazy about Pygmalion, but I liked it well enough, so it gets a solid three stars from me. I was expecting the story to be more about the process of Liza's transformation from flower girl to lady, but in actually it focused on the way she was treated by others.

That being said, I think it's fascinating to look at how Liza views herself and her worth, and that she's so conscious of the importance of how others view her. She flat-out says as much to Pickering towards the end of the play. So often women are portrayed as self-deprecating and humble to the point of shaming themselves, but not so with Liza. From the very beginning she holds herself in high esteem, and gives Higgins the what-for when he doesn't see her as worth much.

I am bothered by the fact that Higgins never apologizes for the way he objectifies and uses Liza, but I'm bothered even more so by his lack of even really seeing the problem. Liza explains how she feels to Higgins, but he just doesn't get it, saying that he treats everyone the same, so what does it matter? He has a deeply ingrained sense of self-importance and righteousness that got under my skin for the entire story and left me fuming when he never seemed to feel bad about any of it. But, that's life I guess, and it probably would have felt inauthentic if he had changed.

I would recommend this if you're looking for:
*a short read
*something that's referenced a lot
*a strong female character who steals the spotlight



Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Synopsis
Jacob is a 16 year old boy who has lived with his grandfather's stories about monsters and super-human children for his entire life. After his grandfather is killed by one of the monsters that has haunted his memories, Jacob sets out to a remote island to find the orphanage his grandfather grew up in with hopes to learn more about his past. There he finds the peculiar children and learns that there's more to his world than he ever could have bargained for.

Review
Peculiar Children was a fast read that I had a lot of fun with. The story moves quickly and the pictures themselves were interesting enough to make me keep going, just so I could see the next one. Jacob's struggles with not trusting his own mind keep him an interesting character to follow and add a layer of depth to what could have otherwise been a very boring protagonist.

The book feels like more of a set-up than a story at first, until Jacob actually finds the peculiar children, which doesn't happen until fairly late. But I found out that this is a series, not a stand-alone as I originally thought, so that makes sense. I'm definitely going to continue reading, especially since Riggs drops you at a point in the story where things are really heating up.

Read this if you like:
*YA fiction
*slightly disturbing photographs
*monsters
*something quick and light



Princesses Behaving Badly: Real Stories from History Without the Fairy-Tale Endings by Linda Rodriguez McRobbie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Synopsis
Princesses haven't always been the cute, friendly Disney versions we're all used to. Many princesses in history have been killers, rebels, independent spirits, and/or clinically insane.

Review
I saw this hanging out in my library's new arrivals section and had to have it. Princesses being awesome -- yes, please! I wanted feminism and great stories and surprises, and boy, this book delivered.

The only problem I had with it was McRobbie's lack of "scholarly" sources. A lot of the stories come from local tales and writings steeped in gossip and rumor. But, McRobbie is completely up front about that fact, and if you aren't concerned with having the 100% absolute truth and just want awesome stories, you should definitely check this one out.

In addition to the stories themselves being pretty fantastic, I loved McRobbie's writing style. She is educational without being dry or condescending. She's witty and snarky without being rude. She makes you feel included and excited, and I plan on looking her up to see if there's more for me to read!

I would recommend for anyone interested in:
*princesses
*women going against the grain
*old-school politics
*folklore