The BFG by Roald Dahl

Sophie is an orphan who gets taken away by a giant.  

A Cute story about a little girl who saves other children and the giant who helps her.  I like when the Giant says that humans hurt other humans, but animals don’t kill each other, so he’d rather be a giant.

I was intrigued by the title.  Generally anything with the letter “B” and “F” have connotations that should not be discussed around children, but this mnemonic stands for “The Big Friendly Giant”.

P.S.  “Human beans” are what the giants eat, but not The BFG. 

P.P.S - I love Roald Dahl stories!

Brooklyn by Colm Toibin

I truly liked and enjoyed this story, and the movie!  Not because it’s about Brooklyn, but it really isn’t.  It is a coming of age story of a young girl who is sent away from her family to have a better life for herself.  She has never been away from home and then to be sent to another country! 

In my opinion, she finds that home is where you make it.

In regards to the movie, I think they made the character of Eilis less shy than how she is portrayed in the book.   

Mothers and Sons by Colm Toibin

I am not a big fan of short stories but since taking a class about short stories they are beginning to grow on me.

This is a collection of short stories that are about mothers and sons. One son is a thief, one a priest and one snorts cocaine - all very interesting. 

A Beggar In Jerusalem by Elie Wiesel

This is the first book I am reading by Elie Wiesel and I will be reading “Night”, “Dawn” and “Day”.

The character David fought in the Six-Day War.  Although his Colonel tried to persuade him to leave because he felt he wasn’t a fighter, David stayed to do whatever he could do.

His recollections are about the living and the dead as he hangs out with other men at the Western Wall in Jerusalem.  He is looking for a friend that he met in the war, hoping that he shows up to know if he is still alive.  To him war means dying and living means dying. He captures the resilient spirit of a people determined to live.