my two cents on two books

By happy chance, I read two very different books  with some very similar themes running through them.  The first was TOUCH BLUE by Cynthia Lord.  Next I read KEEPER by Kathi Appelt.

The reason I bring up these two books is that there are times I open a book and I really think I'm going to love it. I read the back cover, I read the author's bio and I give the book a little hug because I can feel my love for it warming me up. Then, I get home and start to read it. There are times I have to keep convincing myself that I should love it. Each chapter is a promise of a better book. Unfortunately, there are just some books that I can't love. For no explainable reason either.

Then, I open up a book that I haven't really given much prior thought to. I just pick it up as I'm getting over my previous frustration and page one slaps me in the face. I'm hooked. I dog-ear page after page that describes an emotion or a situation so perfectly that I have to write it down for inspiration later.

This is what happened to me Monday and Tuesday this week. TOUCH BLUE was highly recommended and I was really looking forward to reading Cynthia Lord. While I was searching for a few other books I came across KEEPER and I put it in my library bag at the back, just in case I found one of the other highly recommended books from my list. Thankfully, I didn't. KEEPER was such a wonderful book that I read all 400 pages in one day. I couldn't get enough of Kathi Appelt's writing.

It's interesting because both TOUCH BLUE and KEEPER have very similar themes strung throughout  them. There is the water, although entirely different bodies of water, the water is pivotal to the stories. There is the superstition and luck theme in both. The main characters are strong-willed and independent. TOUCH BLUE has lobsters and KEEPER has crabs.

KEEPER had just a touch of fantasy. Which is funny, because TOUCH BLUE wasn't fantasy at all, yet by reading the back cover you would think it was going to be, talking about wishes and all. I don't think the writing was any better or worse in either story, both authors have won Newbery awards. Something about KEEPER grabbed me and wouldn't let go. TOUCH BLUE had the potential, but it just left me eager to start another book.