A most peculiar day…and book.

This little story would’ve been ready for a bright and early post today but Sunday morning we drove to the ocean for one last hurrah before school starts.

And it rained in sheets and curtains – and any other kind of way that is also a home furnishing that you’ll most likely only find in books. The windshield wipers were going like crazy and every mile we wondered if we were plain ole nuts for driving an hour and a half when we might have to turn around and go home.

Risk.

We took a big risk because of the potential of something good happening.

Thirty minutes from Hampton State Beach. Still pouring. Buckets. Like the large gallon paint buckets.

Ten minutes away: extremely cloudy but no rain.

We pulled in to find about ten cars in the parking lot and a host of seagulls perching on the roofed picnic area. But no rain.

We managed to get on the beach, low tide, and found the wide expanse almost completely ours. It was incredible. The water was a high of almost 70, warm enough to lounge in the waves with just enough sun peeking through the clouds that we weren’t cold.

We stayed a good five hours! Total blast. Sandy, tired, exhausted but exhilarated we packed up to go home. Five minutes. FIVE! After we left the parking lot it down poured! People were sprinting from the beach in masses, huddling under any kind of overhang they could find.

Pretty amazing day.

Okay, but that’s not the real reason I didn’t write this post Sunday night. I was wrapped up in a book that I didn’t put down until I finished it. It was that good. A great plot with some literary writing that led me from paragraph to paragraph. One of the most unique books I’ve read this year.

 

Try it. You might like it. (And is it true that Tim Burton might be directing the movie? Can’t wait!)

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16 Responses to A most peculiar day…and book.

  1. Alex J. Cavanaugh August 13, 2012 at 11:27 pm #

    Sounds like it’s up Burton’s alley.
    That trip to the beach couldn’t have been more blessed! Bet you guys were chuckling watching everyone run for their cars as you departed. Glad you had a good beach day.

    • Laura August 15, 2012 at 11:37 am #

      I thought the same thing esp. after I read it. It was good, creepy, but really more a story about a teen and his grandfather.

  2. Heather Sunseri August 14, 2012 at 11:53 am #

    I’ve seen that cover so many times. It’s kind of creepy. But something pulls me to it. I like creepy, I guess.

    Glad you had a great day at the beach. I’ve been missing the beach since I returned from Oregon.

    • Laura August 15, 2012 at 11:39 am #

      Yes, creepy, but I should’ve also focused on the great story – it’s kind of literary in that way. It was a great day at the ocean – until next summer!

  3. Susan Sipal August 14, 2012 at 2:49 pm #

    That book looks right up my alley, Laura. Thanks for the recommendation. And I’m so glad you all had a great day and lucked out the way you did. Taking a risk is such a tricky thing, but if it’s really important, it can be so worth it!

    • Laura August 15, 2012 at 11:40 am #

      For the longest time I didn’t read it because the cover and title looked middle grade. I didn’t realize it was YA until I started reading. And of course I was curious as to why it had been on the best seller list for 52 weeks!

  4. Elizabeth Fais August 14, 2012 at 4:47 pm #

    You and Tim Burton can’t be wrong. Plus, this title keeps cropping up. Now I HAVE to read this book. Thanks!

  5. Maria Toth August 14, 2012 at 5:46 pm #

    Hoorah! Sounds like you had quite an adventure! And just like our book characters, sometimes we have to forge through the sheets of rain to get to what’s waiting for us on the otherside of the storm. Sounds like a perfect day at the beach!

    Also, I love the way you tied in your blog title with the book, “Miss Peregrine’s Home of Preculiar Children.” Read it when it first came out and love, love it, too! I have to say, at first, it was the photographs that pulled me in….

    • Laura August 15, 2012 at 11:41 am #

      I wish there was a story somewhere about how he did those photographs. I know the author spend a lot of time looking through photos….but they were photoshopped, right?

      We’ll never know….

  6. Sherrie Petersen August 15, 2012 at 3:58 am #

    LOVE this book. I read it out loud to the family on a car trip and everybody begged me to keep reading until I was hoarse. So imaginative, so different from anything else. And yes, I’ve heard that Tim Burton is set to direct it. It’s so perfectly his type of story.

    Cool that your beach day risk paid off, too!

    • Laura August 15, 2012 at 11:42 am #

      I can’t believe I’d waited so long! ack! Yes and that was part of it. The story was so unique and so different from anything I’d read. Talk about not writing to trends. Loved it. I had no idea where it was going. Nothing was predictable but everything was well foreshadowed.

  7. Matthew MacNish August 15, 2012 at 11:56 am #

    What a lucky day! I’ve read Miss Peregrine’s. I thought it was quite good.

  8. Miss Jack Lewis Baillot August 15, 2012 at 2:55 pm #

    The beach sounds fun 8-D I love beaches. Glad you missed the rain!

    I’ve started that book. Yes, hard to put down. VERY hard. Isn’t there already a movie out about it?

  9. angelaackerman August 17, 2012 at 6:04 pm #

    Oh I loved this book! So different–can’t wait for the next one. 🙂 Have you read ‘A Monster Calls’? That was was really excellent as well. 🙂

  10. Leigh T. Moore August 17, 2012 at 8:38 pm #

    Oh! I’m so insanely jealous of your beach day!!! I used to love sneaking off to the beach w/the girls on any random afternoon. But I’m sorry you got rained out. Even if you did describe it in a hilarious way. 😀

    Ahh, that book. I’ve looked at it MANY times and not picked it up. I just might have to do it now. :o)

    Thank, Laura! <3

  11. Traci Kenworth August 18, 2012 at 12:10 am #

    Glad you got to enjoy some sun!!

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