Book: The BFG by Roald Dahl

 ★★★★/★★★★★

‘I is a dream-blowing giant,’ the BFG said. ‘When all the other giants is galloping off every what way and which to swollop human beans, I is scuddling away to other places to blow dreams into the bedrooms of sleeping children. Nice dreams. Lovely golden dreams. Dreams that is giving the dreamers a happy time.’

One night, by the witching hour, Sophie sees a giant. Because Sophie has seen him, the giant decides to kidnap her from the orphanage. Sophie is scared and thinks the giant will eat her but to her surprise, he doesn't. When they reach the Giant Country, the giant explains that he only took her so she can't tell anyone about his existence. Soon, the giant tells her that he doesn't eat human beans like the other giants, that he's a Big Friendly Giant. As Sophie and the BFG spend more time together, they become closer and each learn a thing or two from each other. They avoid the other bully giants who always go away to find new human beans to eat at night, they go dream collecting and later will pay the Queen a visit to stop the other giants from eating more human beans.

 My first book of Roald Dahl was Matilda which was brilliant. This time I read The BFG and no doubt loved it too! Sophie and the Big Friendly Giant are soooo fun to read!! It's only my second book of Dahl but definitely not the last! It's very entertaining but beyond that I think it's very ironic too that it'll make you ponder at times.

‘Do not forget,’ the BFG said, ‘that human beans is disappearing everywhere all the time even without the giants is guzzling them up. Human beans is killing each other much quicker than the giants is doing it.’ 

‘Human beans is the only animals that is killing their own kind.’

I enjoyed everything about this book! Sophie is a brave and smart girl while the BFG is a kind, thoughtful, well, friendly giant. I loved their adventures and somewhere along the way they formed a beautiful friendship. I liked it everytime the BFG talks in a funny way and Sophie corrects him everytime. They're hilarious and I found myself cracking up at the BFG's words most of the time.

‘You is welcome to go and search my cave from frack to bunt,’ the BFG answered. ‘You can go looking into every crook and nanny. There is no human beans or stringy beans or runner beans or jelly beans or any other beans in here.’ 

And the more I read on, the more I loved the BFG!! He dislikes the other giants because they eat human beans and it's really cute that instead of eating them, the BFG gives them pleasant dreams. And because the BFG is only 24 feet tall, not 50 feet like the others, and he doesn't eat human beans, the other giants bully him but of course, he doesn't hurt them back because for him, “Two rights don't equal a left.”

I think this book is amazing! When talking about giants children always think they are scary but Dahl was able to write a book about a friendly giant who befriends a sweet girl. Yes, there are scary giants in this book but Sophie and the BFG are able to punish them for being brutish. It gives the idea that even little girls and friendly giants can do great things together. I also like that it shows us that not all giants are scary and eat human beans. In short, don't judge a book by its cover!

This book is really entertaining with Sophie and the BFG's adventures, the BFG's silly words but I especially loved the dream collecting part and when they visited the Queen! And the fact that they involved the Queen is brilliant enough!

Then out he came!

Twenty-four feet tall, wearing his black cloak with the grace of a nobleman, still carrying his long trumpet in one hand, he strode magnificently across the Palace lawn towards the window.

The maid screamed.
The Queen gasped.
Sophie waved.

The movie adaptation came out months ago but I'm yet to watch it. The trailer looks great and it's really cute so I'm really excited to watch it! :)

Book: Howl's Moving Castle Diana Wynne Jones

★★★★★/★★★★★

“In the land of Ingary, where such things as seven-league boots and cloaks of invisibility really exist, it is quite a misfortune to be born the eldest of three.”

Oh my god this book is amazing! I loved the movie then loved the book as much! I've watched the movie a hundred times before and finishing the book just made me love it even more. The book is actually very different from the movie but both are brilliant and charming and entertaining! :)

 Sophie Hatter is the eldest of three sisters and always blames it for her misfortune. Their family owns a hat shop and when her father dies, being the oldest, the shop automatically becomes hers to manage while her sisters get send away to do what they've always wanted to do. Sophie doesn't really mind making hats, at first, but at some point she realizes that interesting things always happen to someone else but not to her. Again, she blames it to being the oldest and it doesn't really help when she attracts the attention of the Witch of the Waste who puts her under a nasty spell of turning her into an old woman. It leaves her no choice but to go and seek out her own fortune in hopes of breaking the Witch's spell. It then leads her to Howl's ever-moving castle. Everyone fears Howl because he's a wizard who collects young girls' hearts. But Sophie, being an old grumpy woman now, doesn't fear Howl anymore. So she insists her way into Howl's castle and soon finds herself bargaining with a fire demon to break her curse.

 I really enjoyed Sophie and Howl's story! Everything in this book is brilliant and the characters are all charming and mysterious in their own way. Howl is sooo adorable! He's conceited and powerful yet he's very sweet and funny. And it's sad that people think of him as evil when in truth he's just a fine young man who's trying to get away from the real-evil Witch of the Waste. Sophie, on the other hand, is bossy, stubborn and at times grumpy, which I think is because she's now old (and we know how old people can be sometimes). I loved how she can boss around Howl and Calcifer! Lol.

Calcifer and Michael are both endearing. They grow to love Sophie as she spends time with them and Calcifer and Sophie's relationship is funny! It's said that only Howl can make Calcifer do things but with Sophie, Calcifer cowers down. I guess it has something to do with Sophie always threatening and bullying Calficer. Hahaha. But really, Sophie only has to bribe Calcifer for him to obey. Tsk. Calcifer is a fire demon who has some contract with Howl that he thinks Sophie can break. In return of breaking his contract, Calcifer promises to break Sophie's spell. Michael is sweet. Movie-Michael is extra sweet (and younger) but novel-Michael is lovable just the same.

Howl and Sophie make a good pair. While Howl likes it dirty, Sophie likes it clean. Hahaha. Their interactions always cracked me up especially when Howl complains how Sophie likes to clean. It's also funny how Howl can be sooo dramatic at times especially when it comes to his appearance. And I feel like Howl actually enjoys teasing Sophie sometimes.

“Annoyed?” said Sophie. “Why should I be annoyed? Someone only filled the castle with rotten aspic, and deafened everyone in Porthaven, and scared Calcifer to a cinder, and broke a few hundred hearts. Why should that annoy me?”

And Howl might be vain and conceited but he has conscience, you guys!

“I didn't mention the matter before.” said Howl. “because the king might have thought you should have had the sense to sell him another dud. I had a conscience about it. Conscience. Notice that word, Mrs. Longnose. I had a conscience.”

Howl also reminds me of Kell from Shades of Magic series. Or rather, when I read ADSoM, Kell reminded me of Howl. I pictured Kell to be like Howl, a mysterious, powerful Wizard who everyone fears. And, and! They're both my favorites! ♥

Howl's Moving Castle is probably one of the best fantasies I've ever read (and watched)! It's just so beautiful and whimsical and entertaining that I'll read it again and again until I turn 90! You wouldn't help but love it as the story unravels and it's really a magical and fun read that will surely entertain you!

Howl said, "I think we ought to live a happily ever after." and she thought he meant it.
"And you'll exploit me," Sophie said.
"And then you'll cut up all my suits to teach me," said Howl.

* * *

More about Howl? Sophie thought desperately. I have to blacken his name! Her mind was such a blank that for a second it actually seemed to her that Howl had no faults at all. How stupid! “Well, he's fickle, careless, selfish, and hysterical,” she said. “Half the time I think he doesn't care what happens to anyone as long as he's all right—but then I find out how awfully kind he's been to someone. Then I think he's kind just when it suits him-only then I find out he undercharges poor people. I don't know, Your Majesty. He's a mess.”

Book: A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

★★★★★/★★★★★

“Stories are wild creatures, the monster said. When you let them loose, who knows what havoc they might wreak.”

 I'm okay. I told myself after reading this book. But no, I wasn't! I am not! Because it's been days and I still want to cry everytime I remember Connor. I've been warned many times that this book will break my heart and it did! It wasn't what I expected but it turned out to be more, better! It was my first book of Patrick Ness but definitely wouldn't be the last.

This book hurt. So much. Like, seriously. It's heavy and really heartbreaking. It tells the story of Connor whose mother is receiving treatment for cancer. Right about the same time his mother started the treatment, he also started having this night mare. The nightmare that always wakes him up in the middle of the night. In the nightmare there's a monster, but it's very different from the one that visits him that night. It's not the monster he expected, not the typical hideous-looking-sharp-teeth-red-eyes monster but more like a yew tree. No, it's definitely a yew tree. And this monster likes to tell stories and is determined to know the truth.

More than anything, this book is dark. It's not only about cancer that you'd feel all sort of emotions reading but it's more than that. It deals with loss, grief, and much more important things in life. My heart broke for Connor because as if watching his mother gets eaten away by cancer is not enough, he also has to go to school every day where everyone either tiptoes around or bullies him. It's like the monster that visits him is nothing compare to the everyday life he's having which is really not easy. And no, I am not crying!

And the illustrations, however creepy they are, make it more enticing. They're unbelievably beautiful!

I recommend this book to everyone, no matter how old, or young, you are! You can be 10 or 30 or even 50 but I'm sure this book will still touch you. It's heartbreakingly beautiful and unbelievably sad! So read this one people!!

Because humans are complicated beasts, the monster said. How can a queen be both a good witch and a bad witch? How can a prince be a murderer and a saviour? How can an apothecary be evil-tempered but right-thinking? How can a parson be wrong-thinking but good-hearted? How can invisible men make themselves more lonely by being seen?

Book: Matilda by Roald Dahl

★★★★/★★★★★

“The books transported her into new worlds and introduced her to amazing people who lived exciting lives. She went on olden-day sailing ships with Joseph Conrad. She went to Africa with Ernest Hemingway and to India with Rudyard Kipling. She travelled all over the world while sitting in her little room in an English village.”

I've missed a lot of good books when I was younger and now I'm trying to catch up on everything! One is Matilda and I really enjoyed this one. What a brilliant and mischievous girl Matilda is!

 Blurb:

Matilda is a little girl who is far too good to be true. At age five-and-a-half she's knocking off double-digit multiplication problems and blitz-reading Dickens. Even more remarkably, her classmates love her even though she's a super-nerd and the teacher's pet. But everything is not perfect in Matilda's world. For starters she has two of the most idiotic, self-centered parents who ever lived. Then there's the large, busty nightmare of a school principal, Mrs. ("The") Trunchbull, a former hammer-throwing champion who flings children at will and is approximately as sympathetic as a bulldozer. Fortunately for Matilda, she has the inner resources to deal with such annoyances: astonishing intelligence, saintly patience, and an innate predilection for revenge.

She warms up with some practical jokes aimed at her hapless parents, but the true test comes when she rallies in defense of her teacher, the sweet Miss Honey, against the diabolical Trunchbull. There is never any doubt that Matilda will carry the day. Even so, this wonderful story is far from predictable. Roald Dahl, while keeping the plot moving imaginatively, also has an unerring ear for emotional truth. The reader cares about Matilda because in addition to all her other gifts, she has real feelings. 

What a fun read this book was and I loved Matilda! She's clever and despite having nasty parents, she grew up to be a wonderful child. She loves to read, she's smart and she doesn't tolerate injustices! At age five she's read a lot of books and she's got a beautiful heart. Though she can be vengeful at times. Haha.

Matilda said, "Never do anything by halves if you want to get away with it. Be outrageous. Go the whole hog. Make sure everything you do is so completely crazy it's unbelievable...”

Matilda's story is somewhat sad, having self-centered parents who don't encourage reading because why would you if you have the telly? Thankfully she's intelligent and patient and she has her books to keep her company. And of course she has Ms. Honey, her kind and sweet teacher. While I loved Matilda and Ms. Honey, I hated Matilda's parents and Ms. Trunchbull!! Grr. They are the spiteful grown-ups most children fear, the kind of adult who crushes children's dreams. They are evil but I liked that Matilda has ways of getting even with them. That said, it was a fun and great book! :)

Book: The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

★★★★★/★★★★★

 “The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or touched, they are felt with the heart.”

Synopsis from Goodreads:
Moral allegory and spiritual autobiography, The Little Prince is the most translated book in the French language. With a timeless charm it tells the story of a little boy who leaves the safety of his own tiny planet to travel the universe, learning the vagaries of adult behaviour through a series of extraordinary encounters. His personal odyssey culminates in a voyage to Earth and further adventures.

Finally read this one and I don't need a full review to say that it's perfect!
The author shared a part of his life in the book which made it more special and it was written beautifully with strong emotions and characters. I loved the stories of the little prince and how the pilot came to love him. So five stars for this one! :)

“And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”