Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne and Mulliner Nights by P.G. Wodehouse

This vacation (the week of Christmas especially) was a big ol' book-fest. I decided to break up the reviews so I don't bore anyone too much. :-)

Around The World In 80 Days, by Jules Verne: I was wandering around Barnes & Noble, looking at their collection of cheap classics, and my eye alighted on Jules Verne's Around the World In 80 Days. As soon as I spotted the title, something clicked. You know how sometimes you get a craving for oatmeal or chicken soup or something? It was like that. It struck a chord of comfort. It reminded me of the time I spent reading a short, illustrated 'children's classic' version in the family room at Nana's house.

Reading the full version for the first time, some eight years later, was a joy. It was the perfect book to curl up with on a snowy evening, this romp around the world of the 1870s.

Around the World In 80 Days follows the adventures of the reserved but generous Phileas Fogg and his new servant Passepartout as they try to win a wager by travelling around the world in...you know. (As a sidenote, how fabulous is the name Phileas Fogg?? Say it out loud for the full effect. I am so in love with that name.) As you've probably guessed, there are all sorts of mini-adventures along the way as obstacles present themselves, some more far-fetched than others. The improbable adventure stuff didn't really bother me, though, as it's such a fun and good-natured book. The ending is especially satisfying to me, with the last several lines being the best in the book.

Recommended to: anyone with a love for adventure stories (think Indiana Jones) or a feel-good read.

Grade: A

Mulliner Nights, by P.G. Wodehouse: I was a little reluctant to pick this one up, just because I usually prefer to read a series by Wodehouse, with consistent characters, rather than stories centered around "strangers". As soon as I read the first chapter, though, I knew that I was going to enjoy Mr. Mulliner and the odd stories he tells.

The book is centered around Mr. Mulliner, who functions as the storyteller of Angler's Rest, an English pub. His stories are all about different relatives of his, and the improbable scrapes they get into.

The blurb on the back of the book described it as "whimsical", and I can't think of a better word for it. The stories are funny, silly, and thoroughly enjoyable, and most of them contain light-hearted social commentary as well. One of my favorite stories, for instance, centers around the lovers of the mystery novel and their insatiable thirst to "find out what happens".

Recommended to: readers of P.G. Wodehouse and anyone else who appreciates light-hearted and somewhat wacky stories.

Grade: A