Reading

31 Days, Children's Books, Reading, Reviews

Saturday Picture Book Reading

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Today was one of those days when the people in my home were a bit under the (gorgeous) weather, the weight of projects, or just the weight of a boring Saturday with no plans. Therefore, we read books. Here are the picture books we read throughout the day:

Jonathan and the Big Blue BoatJonathan and the Big Blue Boat by Philip C. Stead (We got this from the library two weeks ago and today I found my four-year-old “reading” it almost word for word to my two-year-old. It’s a favorite).

The Lady With the Ship on Her Head by Deborah Nourse Lattimore

Ordinary Amos and The Amazing Fish by Eugenie and Henry Fernandes (I never had a pet fish as a child and, thanks to this book, my children probably never will either)

Who Wants A Dragon? by James Mayhew and Lindsey Gardiner

DahliaThe Purple Coat by Amy Hest and Amy Schwartz (to be featured in another post)

Dora The Explorer: It’s Riddle Time (Note: I would be extremely pleased if my children saw a Dora the Explorer book or video at the library, turned to me and said, “Mommy, is it okay with you if we decide we actually don’t like that overly perky, condescending Dora? We much prefer reruns of The Reading Rainbow and books by Robert McCloskey. We hope you don’t mind?” But we are pretty far from that scenario at this point.

Dahlia by Barbara McClintock (I would like to live in the illustrations of this book)

Little Squirt The Fire Engine by Catherine Kenworthy

And on my own I read Wishing For Tomorrow: The Sequel to A Little Princess. It’s a fun read that dives a little deeper into the secondary characters of the original book. If it were by the original author, I’d love it. As it is, I like it pretty well. It has an interesting, 19th century girls-should-be-educated feminism slant. And it brings Miss Minchin out of the stark, a villain-is-a-villain day and age into our let’s-try-to-understand-everyone age. All that’s to say, it has a very different feel, but it’s imaginative and fun.

What did you read today?

This post is part of the 31 Days of Picture Books series. To see all the posts in the series, go here.

31days

 

Reading, Reviews

The Lost Art of Mixing: A Review

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The Lost Art of MixingThe Lost Art of Mixing by Erica Bauermeister is a beautifully written book about several people whose lives cross and sometimes become intertwined. The story centers around Lillian and her restaurant. Oh, how I would like to go there. I felt like I could smell the food described throughout the book. Bauermeister’s writing is clear yet full of senses. I can grab in my mind what she is describing. I love that kind of writing.

This is a character driven novel; the plot is a little weak at times, but all the characters are well developed. There is lots of talk about life rituals–picking up an empty suitcase and walking around the block, being lifted up on a chair, etc.) that was completely harmless but made me squirm. I’m okay with traditions, but when they turn into rituals…well, I squirm.

I found it interesting that every single character had a background of absent parents. It was as if all of the characters were searching for that anchor they missed in their own families. I especially enjoyed the relationship between elderly Louise and young Chloe; they were a pair of unlikely roommates. Finnegan was a little bit unbelievable, but I can forgive that because he was delightful.

If you like Ann Tyler, or books that feel kind of introverted into the characters’ minds, give The Lost Art of Mixing a try. This is my first book by Bauermeister, but I will definitely read The School of Essential Ingredients as soon as I can get my hands on it. However, I have to mention that this book doesn’t exactly give any answers. I enjoy a book with a little more philosophy mixed in with all the questions. Or a really good plot. One or the other. =) But I enjoy this style of writing, and maybe you will, too.

Reading, Reviews

September Reading

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When I look back on the month of September, I think of many wonderful days, several very hard days, and the shock of how fast my children are growing. What doesn’t come to mind is the books I’ve read. August was definitely a month full of good reads, but September dried up a bit. Still, there have been some good ones. Here’s a review of what I’ve read:

Orphan TrainOrphan Train – Loved it!  Read my review

Rules of Civility -Liked the first half, hated the second. Review

Me Before You – Not my kind of book – Read my review.

7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess – This one was a real life changer! Here’s the review.

The Book of James (Bible)

The Princess and the Goblin

Hearing God – Dallas Willard – Still in the middle of this one.

The Lost Art of MixingThe Lost Art of Mixing – I love this author, Erica Bauermeister. I am almost done with this one and will review it here in the coming days.

I still don’t have a Fall reading list. I can’t summon up enough books that I’m sure I want to read. It’s funny how good books come in droves and then hide for a while.

What have you read in September?

 

Children's Books, Reading, Top Ten Tuesday

Favorite Sequels: A Top Ten Tuesday Post

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Today is a Top Ten Tuesday on the blog. The great bloggers at The Broke and the Bookish give book bloggers a topic to run wild with each Tuesday. I haven’t had any idea what to write on the last few topics, but I’m jumping back in with Top Ten Sequels. Actually, it will be Top 7 Sequels, because there just aren’t that many sequels worthy of the first book.You know who did not write sequels? Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, George Eliot, Mark Twain, and the list goes on and on of the great writers of classics who knew that a great book is best when it has an ending that is perfect in itself.

There are a few great writers who found a way to write great sequels. Many sequels turn into Book 2 in series (especially these days), so those count as sequels in this list as long as there is a plot that begins and ends in Book #2.

1. The sequels to Little Women: Little Men and Jo’s Boys

There are some characters you consider friends and just want more of their stories. Lousia May Alcott created those characters.

Skylark (Sarah, Plain and Tall, #2)2. Sky Lark, the sequel to Sarah, Plain and Tall

3. Prince Caspian, sequel to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

4. Belong to Me, the sequel to Love Walked In

These are books by Marisa de Los Santos I would put in the category of “Books I really liked for some reason I can’t entirely explain.” I wouldn’t expect most people to like them, but I really enjoyed the characters and the way they developed.

5. All sequels written by Lucy Maud Montgomery

Yes, I am an unabashed fan. If you’ve already read the Anne books, try Emily or Pat. Pat is a bit of a neurotic character, but I still love her.

6. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

I think the first three books in this series are marvelous. I like all of them, but the first three are the best. Also, I think they can stand alone as fun books without the rest of the series, though I wouldn’t recommend reading them that way.

7. The House at Pooh  Corner

That’s about all I can come up with! What are your favorite sequels?

Reading, Reviews

Me Before You: Why I Was Happier Before This Book

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Me Before YouWell, I seem to be a bit of a Negative Nancy this week. I didn’t particularly enjoy The Rules of Civility and now I am thoroughly disturbed by Me Before You.

Here’s the synopsis:

Lou Clark knows lots of things. She knows how many footsteps there are between the bus stop and home. She knows she likes working in The Buttered Bun tea shop and she knows she might not love her boyfriend Patrick.

What Lou doesn’t know is she’s about to lose her job or that knowing what’s coming is what keeps her sane.

Will Traynor knows his motorcycle accident took away his desire to live. He knows everything feels very small and rather joyless now and he knows exactly how he’s going to put a stop to that.

What Will doesn’t know is that Lou is about to burst into his world in a riot of colour. And neither of them knows they’re going to change the other for all time. -Goodreads.com

Liking or disliking a book varies so much from person to person, so I’m not usually surprised when a book with rave reviews leaves me cold. It happens to all readers sometime. This time, though, it’s more than just liking or disliking. I’m not looking to be the little boy exclaiming that the emperor has no clothes on, but I feel a burden to explain why I am appalled by the popularity of this book.

1. All the characters are flat out selfish. Yes, even the main character, Lou Clark. She does what she does because she wants to. On the surface, she can make it look like she’s being sacrificial for her family, but she admits that she likes working at the home town coffee shop. And don’t get me started on Will.

2. We are introduced to Lou as the narrator tells us that Lou knows exactly how many steps it takes to get home from work, whether she’s walking fast or slow. I have no patience for characters that count steps, stairs, wall tiles, etc. Unless you’re introducing a neurotic scientist or child prodigy who can’t help but notice all the numbers of the universe, don’t let your character count everything. (I’m sure this has nothing to do with my aversion to mathematics…). Okay, so this my weakest point for not liking this book, but there’s got to be a better way to tell readers that the main character’s life is tedious.

3. The plot is much like a tearjerker, Nicholas Sparks-like book, without the saving truth that love is noble. I’m not convinced that anyone actually understood what love is in this book. Maybe Lou’s parents. Maybe.

4. It is in support of euthanasia, an idea that is terribly controversial but always extremely sad, and selfish, at least on some level. I get that humans as a race are self-centered by default. But I also believe everyone has a soul, and this book ignores that fact entirely.

I need someone to show me the redeeming qualities of this book! If you’ve read it and enjoyed it, don’t leave me in the dark–please help me see why it is considered such a great book by so many.