A Gentleman in Moscow

A Gentleman in Moscow, by Amor Towles

18/60 | Started 03.11.26 • Finished 04.04.26 | 5 stars

I finished this a bit ago and forgot to write a review right away... I loved this book about a Russian gentleman who is confined to the grounds of a Moscow hotel called the Metropol. The story takes us through his years as a resident there, the various people he encounters and roles he holds. The central relationship is with his adopted daughter Sofia, full of love and good fun. It's a long book, but well worth the time and no detail is wasted. All comes to light in the end. Highly recommend!

Frindle

Frindle, by Andrew Clements

17/60 | Started 03.23.26 • Finished 04.03.26 | 5 stars

"This book is about a boy named Nick. He had an amazing imagination. One day, when he was in a new teacher's class, he all of a sudden invented a new word for 'pen': 'frindle.' Mrs. Granger pretended to be mad, but when Nick was 21, she showed him that she actually liked the new word. She sent him a maroon fountain pen, or frindle, her favorite. And then Nick sent her a present: a gold fountain pen and a letter. My favorite part was the ending."

Carolyn, age 9

A Little Princess

A Little Princess, by Frances Hodgson Burnett

16/60 | Started 02.20.26 • Finished 03.26.26 | 5 stars

This book is about a girl named Sara. (I wanted to meet her myself.) She had a big imagination, she was a a sort of princess, and she was kind. She was brought to Miss Minchin's school by her papa. Then her papa died and she was made a servant girl at the school and Miss Minchin treats her very, very badly now. She had to sleep in a cold attic; she was sent on errands on rainy, muddy, and cold days; and sometimes she wasn't given any dinner or supper. But all of a sudden, her attic changed into a wonderland (not actually, but technically), and then finally, she was comfortable in her attic. The next thing that happened was that Ram Dass and the Indian gentleman from next door found her. And then she finally lived a happy life again.

Carolyn, age 9