I just love this. I heard on NPR this afternoon, that a previously unpublished chapter from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has been revealed. With gems like the Vanilla Fudge Mountain and (my favorite) the Pounding and Cutting Room, we also get a glimpse at early characters such as Augustus Pottle, Wilbur Rice and Miranda Grope. Ultimately, scenes were cut as they were deemed too racy for impressionable young minds…such as this:

[after two vile little boys ignore Wonka’s warning, they jump into wagons that carry them off into an opening in the wall] “That hole,” said Mr Wonka, “leads directly to what we call the Pounding and Cutting Room. In there the rough fudge gets tipped out of the wagons into the mouth of a huge machine. The machine then pounds it against the floor until it is all nice and smooth and thin. After that, a whole lot of knives come down and go chop chop chop, cutting it up into neat little squares, ready for the shops.”

So good.

Thanks to The Guardian, you can read the chapter in its entirety here. And…we also get a peek at Sir Quentin Blake’s accompanying illustration (pictured below, courtesy of The Guardian).

Do you have a favorite Roald Dahl book? The Witches tops my list.

Book friends! It has been way too long. I have no excuse except to say that I’ve been exploring other passion projects and have neglected my first little passion of being blatantly bookish. Not cool. So, I’m putting it out into the universe and making a heartfelt pinky swear to myself to not let it happen again. We’ll see what happens. I make no promises.

I was going to get back into the groove of things by telling you about the book I’m currently reading…but that didn’t really seem fair. So, to make it up to you, thought I would tell you about ALL the books I’ve read since my last update. Just because I was selfishly neglecting my little corner of the internets, it did not mean I was neglecting to read. That’s the important part, right? Right?!?

So here it goes:

Book One. July 25. One Plus One // Jojo Moyes – Eh. While it was just fine for a fluffy summer read in Palm Springs, which is exactly where I started reading it, I ended up feeling like it was a waste of time. I was a fan of Me Before You (her “runaway bestseller”) but this just didn’t hit hard enough. 3 out of 5 stars

Book Two. July 19. Saving Francesca // Melina Marchetta – It’s YA. I love YA. I did not love this book (sad face…I really wanted to love it). I had heard about it years ago and it kept popping up on my Goodreads recommends list. The last few chapters made up for a lot of the book because I thought they were really good…but hard to forgive the painfully long journey it took to get there (even though I read it in about a day and a half). 3 out of 5 stars

Book Three. July 18. We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves // Karen Joy Fowler – I really, really loved this book. I had absolutely no idea what it was about (on purpose) and it completely surprised me. Totally interesting concept (albeit a little strange), well told. I don’t even want to tell you anything about the plot in fear that I’ll give something away. Just read it. 4.5 out of 5 stars

Book Four. July 12. Americanah // Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie – This book is one of the highest rated books on Goodreads (4.22 stars with +20,000 ratings). It definitely was very, very good…but sometimes it felt like homework. Sometimes I was angry with the characters (which I’m totally fine with) but I sorta feel like this is one of those books that people feel like they need to rave about or they don’t feel smart/cool/good enough or something. But hey, I want people to think I’m cool. 3.75 stars out of 5

Book Five. June 27. Missing You // Harlan Coben – Just because I read everything of his and I needed something easy, this fit right in. It was just ok. 3 out of 5 stars

Book Six. June 21. The Interestings // Meg Wolitzer – This book has gotten so much attention, I simply couldn’t stop hearing about it. It was already on my to-do list and then it turned into a book club pick. I really loved the first chapter. I was so excited about it. Young love, the yearning, a fancy artsy summer camp. Then it all went down hill from there. 2 out of 5 stars

Book 7. June 2. Eleanor & Park // Rainbow Rowell – So good. So sweet. So much talk about who they’re going to cast to play Eleanor and Park in the movie. I can’t wait. 4 out of 5 stars

Book 8. May 27. Lexicon // Max Barry – I loved the concept of this super secretive linguistic school of spies (if you can even call it that) and I was totally into the insane plot and gobbled it up. What I didn’t love was the ending. Did I miss something? Someone! Please help me understand what the hell happened! 3 out of 5 stars

(photo courtesy of My Subscription Addiction)

Book 9. May 17. Under the Wide and Starry Sky // Nancy Horan – When I first picked this book up I had no idea it was historical fiction about the life and times of Robert Louis Stevenson and his wife. Beautifully told. It made me want to go back and read all of his novels and I am still totally inspired by Fanny Van de Grift Osbourne. She was an amazing woman who led a truly adventurous life. 4.5 out of 5 stars

Phew.

Read anything good lately?

I just finished reading Will Grayson, Will Grayson // John Green and was reminded just how much I love this man (John Green, not Will Grayson). If you’re a book lover than you know exactly what I’m talking about. If you’re not, than you should listen up. The Fault in Our Stars is one of the best books ever written. Ever. Seriously. While it is a YA novel, I promise you that you will get over it. It is beautiful. It is smart, and you will cry. You will remember lines from it and reply them over and over again in your head. And you will love it.

Now that the movie is coming out, I made this assumption that everyone knew about this book. Everyone had read this book. Silly me. I needed to be reminded that I’m a total book nerd, and only total book nerds think everyone else in the universe loves books as much as they do. A co-worker asked me if I had read #TFIOS (yes I just used a hashtag in a sentence, I’m even rolling my eyes) and I had to stop myself from gaping wide-mouthed and bug-eyed…but of course I had! Not only did I own two copies (one signed first edition, thanks to my amazing husband), specially handmade a cover for a gift, used quotes from it at our wedding and have since read all of John Green’s other books…but of course I had heard of it!

I definitely was not the first person to discover this book, nor will I be the last, but it truly is magical. As I said in my Goodreads review back in May 2012, “Devoured in mere days, yet will live with me for years.”

I love you, The Fault in Our Stars.

Oh, and can I also say how much I love this poster designed by Lauren Schroer:

…and these book cover re-designs? So cute.

All I gotta say is the movie better be good.

This week I’m kind of eh about the book I’m reading. Don’t you hate that? I’m not going to give up on it because it comes from the most brilliant mind of John Green (and David Levithan). Yes, thee John Green. The incredible wordsmith of one of literature’s greatest book quotes ever…and probably only second to Nabokov in my book…but ya, it’s that guy. I’ve read all of Green’s other novels but for some reason hadn’t read this one, and a friend pointed it out to me the other day. Well, gosh darn, Will Grayson, Will Grayson // John Green was next on the list. The story follows two teen boys who paths unexpectedly cross and (probably) will change each other’s lives forever. Oh geez, I can’t believe those words just came out of my mouth…it sounds beyond cheesy. But you know what? This is YA, so it probably will be that cheesy. And I’ll love every minute of it.

Last week: The Leopard // Jo Nesbo (4 out of 5 stars)

I would have given this 4.5 stars if I could…oh, what the hell, I DO give it 4.5 stars. Probably my favorite Harry Hole novel yet. So sick and twisted I really didn’t see the end coming. The visuals were pretty amazing. I so wish some big Hollywood director would take on the challenge of making these into movies…if they even could. Although I always argue for starting at the beginning of a series, you could probably pick this one up first if you wanted to give him a whirl. You won’t be disappointed.

Have you read Jo Nesbo yet? Well, you should. I first discovered him a couple years ago as a recommendation for fans of Stieg Larsson’s Dragon Tattoo series. Although there are some similarities—these are set in Norway, Dragon Tattoo’s are set in Sweden, and both deal with brutal crimes—the comparisons stop there. The series stars the infamous police detective Harry Hole and are gritty, disturbing and complex. Some of the best detective writing I’ve ever seen. I’m totally addicted. I’ve read three in almost as many months and am about to be caught up. Uh oh, what am I going to do?

This one, The Leopard, is the eighth in the series and finds Hole returning from Hong Kong to be with his sick and dying father, only to be drawn into an investigation. The mysterious deaths of two young women found drowning in their own blood. Seemingly unconnected, Hole is convinced they’re acts by the same killer and is determined to uncover the truth…as he does. This one might be the best one yet.

Last week: What I Had Before I Had You // Sarah Cornwell (5 out of 5 stars)

I just really loved this book. Maybe it was because I was reading it while on vacation in Big Sur, maybe it was because I wasn’t expecting to love it so much, or maybe it’s just because it really was that good. But ya, totally worth the read.

I had every intention of getting this blog post up at the beginning of the month…but, you know, life got in the way and the month has just disappeared. Just think, when I retire I’ll maybe actually be able to catch-up on my reading. A girl can wish…

But here’s my newest additions to the to-read list. I think I must have been in a “guilty” pleasure mood because it’s filled with easy-peasy thrillers.

1. The Luminaries // Eleanor Catton – Winner of the Man Booker prize, so why not?

2. Cut Me Loose // Leah Vincent – Promiscuous memoir about a young girl who was cast out of her super-Orthodox Jewish family…yes, please.

3. Runner // Patrick Lee – Because Lee Child said I should read it.

4. Police // Jo Nesbo – I’m addicted to Harry Hole! Honestly, just gobbling them up. So good.

5. The Lowland // Jhumpa Lahiri – I just keep hearing about this and needed to officially add it to the list. The Goodreads blurb starts, “Two brothers bound by tragedy…” Sold.

6. Lexicon // Max Berry  – A mysterious institution schooling on nuisances of language and influence. Sounds strange, but good strange.

7. Love Letters to the Dead // Ava Dellaira – Because Stephen Chbosky said so.

8. Frog Music // Emma Donoghue – I was such a fan of Room, I’m really excited to read her next novel.

9. The Encyclopedia of Early Earth // Isabel Greenberg – Although graphic novels are not always my favorite, I’m intrigued by this one. First, the author and artist is a woman (in a man’s world), and it’s about a boy traveling from the south to north pole where he finds his first, ill-fated, true love. Awwwww.

10. Shotgun Lovesongs // Nickolas Butler – The premise of small-town friends reuniting sort of reminded me of one of my favorite books ever, South of Broad. Plus, I like the cover.

Want to know what else I’ve been reading? Check out the February List.

What are you reading next?

Do you ever get that worried feeling that you’re going to die before you read all the books you want to read? No? That’s weird. Call me crazy, but I’m way too obsessive about reading. I just want to read everything (!!) all the time (!!). Like right now? I’d rather be reading. Slap it on my car like one of those boring bumper stickers. I’m always on the hunt, looking for my next fix. I get worried that my new favorite book is going to pass me by. I apparently have the book-nerd version of FOMO*. Its totally ridiculous, but totally what makes me…well, me. So, it’s not surprising that I could never possibly catch-up to my to-read list since I’m always finding new things to add…but I try. I really, really try.

So, here’s a compilation of the past month’s most exciting additions to my every-growing to-read shelf.

1. The Hundred-Year House // Rebecca Makkai – You had me at eccentric family.

2. North of Boston // Elisabeth Elo – Boring cover but they mention Dennis Lehane (one of my all-time favorite authors in the whole world).

3. My Life in Middlemarch // Rececca Mead – Never read Middlemarch (nor do I have any desire to), but this intrigued me.

4. The Dark Road to Mercy // Wiley Cash – A Land More Kind Than Home was great, fingers crossed for the good ol’ sophomore attempt.

5. The Best of McSweeney’s Internet Tendency – Because the cool kids are doing it.

6. The Book of Heaven // Patricia Storace – Love the cover.

7. Martian // Andy Weir – ‘Cause sometimes you just need a good thriller.

8. Thirty Girls // Susan Minot – Young teenage girl in war-torn Uganda, made to witness insufferable tragedies? Sure, why not be depressed for a week?

9. Orfeo // Richard Powers – Hoping it will make me look and/or sound smart.

10. Take This Man // Brando Skyhorse – ‘Cause I pretty much want to read anything written by someone named Brando Skyhorse.

What are you looking forward to reading next?

*For those who may not work in or around super-smart marketing professionals such as myself (not), FOMO is just a really irritating way to describe the affliction of “fear of missing out”…which pretty much every millennial suffers from.

Hmmmm, so, what am I reading right now?

Well, I just finished our last book club selection, then I mistakenly sent my library books to the wrong account (stupid Amazon), so I didn’t know what I was going to pick up next–which rarely happens, mind you. I usually know what I’m going to read next at least halfway into the current one…let’s be frank, I was getting nervous. But, alas the good ol’ library was my hero and delivered me Innocence // Dean Koontz. Now, let me first tell you that Koontz used to be my all-time, hands-down favorite author in the whole world.

In sixth grade, Koontz was the first adult book author that I fell in love with (hey, not that kind of adult). I’ve read Watchers three times…more than any other book. It stars a super-smart Golden Retriever for god sakes. How could you not love this book? But sure, I understand if horror slash thriller stuff isn’t your thing. But I swear it’s so much more than that. He really is a terrific storyteller and master prose writer…it’s beautiful in an unexpected way. It had been forever since I last read a Koontz novel (2005 to be exact), but I was instantly reminded why I love reading his stuff so much. You immediately fall into the story because the writing is just so…readable. You don’t even have to think about it, you’re just in it. Like a hot knife through butter (or is it a regular knife through hot butter?)…or like being lulled to sleep by the theme music from Twin Peaks…or, well you get the picture. It’s just good.

I’ll let you know what I think of it when all is said and done.

What are you reading right now?