Loved, loved, loved Dewey's theme for kick-off week! *Visit at least 5 fellow participants that you don't already know.*
I decided to spread my joy out and visit someone new each day. Instead of just starting at the beginning or the end of the list, I just closed my eyes and raced mousie around and randomly clicked. System seemed to work...I found a bunch of great new blogs! (Of course, I'm guessing I would have found that no matter which Geeks I visited.)
Here's how my week went:
Saturday:
The Biblio Brat. Yep, it was immediately confirmed what a fabulous idea Dewey had concocted. Day one of theme one...and I've already found a wonderful new blog to read!
I could tell from the very post I read that she has her priorities straight...she mentioned three of the major food groups (cheddar cheese, tart apples, and Hersheys bars!).
And I totally loved her ratings system!
Sunday:
Trish's Reading Nook. Okay, what could be better? I head to her blog and what do I immediately lay my eyes upon...pictures of her bookshelves! You just gotta love that, don't you?!!
She also has a bunch of book reviews I really want to get back over there to read as soon as I have a chance. You know, books I've been curious about, or ones I've been thinking about reading. (Because one's TBR pile can never be too big, can it?)
Monday:
Darla D. at Books and Other Thoughts. Well, if my visit over there is any indication, I think I am going to love, love, love her blog! It's not always easy to find books for my semi-reluctant reader (that would be Master Gray), but first post there netted me a good find for him. And from the looks of things, her reviews are going to be adding books to Annie's and my wish lists as well!
Tuesday:
Reader Rabbit. Two for the price of one here! A book blog written by sisters...isn't that cool? And the post that popped up when I headed over there had two for the price of one reviews, too! The Goose Girl and Enna Burning, which was fun since I just finished up Enna Burning as well.
Wednesday:
Natasha at Maw Books. Lots and lots and lots of great book reviews. Most recent post was a review of Sirens and Spies, a book I'd never heard of, but had me immediately intrigued. Already checked our library for it, because even I don't get around to reading it, I can tell it's one Annie would love.
I also noticed she's currently reading Horns & Wrinkles, as am I. Anxious to see what she has to say about it. I haven't gotten far yet, but I'm thoroughly enjoying it!
***
Okay, I was going to keep this going through Friday, but everyone else seems to have their posts up already and it's making me feel like such a slacker that I guess I'll just go ahead and put this up. Thanks Dewey! I think this has been a great first week!
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
at the risk of sounding like an idiot
Okay, I'm just going to admit ignorance here and ask for help. I know a lot of you get review books from various sources. But that whole world is foreign to me. Lately I've been getting e-mails with offers of review copies, but since I didn't have a clue what exactly I was supposed to do, I've just ignored them. I didn't mean to be rude, but I didn't know what else to do. (Now why anyone would want to send me a review copy is beyond me...they obviously haven't actually read my sorry excuses for reviews, but that's beside the point.) Anyway, I just got an e-mail about a book that sounds really good, and I'd really love to get it, and would happily write what I pass off as a book review about it.
But I don't know what I'm supposed to do. Do I just reply to the e-mail and say, "I'd love to receive a review copy of so-and-so. Here's my address. Sincerely, me"?
And if you do get a review copy, do they give you some kind of deadline for reviewing it? Do you have to send the book back when you're done reading it? What if you don't like it...are you still supposed to review it?
See, I'm just welling over with ignorance here, aren't I? I know I should probably leave this whole thing alone. It's not like I don't have anything to read around here, but this book really does sound intriguing...and getting a free copy should would be better than going out and buying it, right?
But I don't know what I'm supposed to do. Do I just reply to the e-mail and say, "I'd love to receive a review copy of so-and-so. Here's my address. Sincerely, me"?
And if you do get a review copy, do they give you some kind of deadline for reviewing it? Do you have to send the book back when you're done reading it? What if you don't like it...are you still supposed to review it?
See, I'm just welling over with ignorance here, aren't I? I know I should probably leave this whole thing alone. It's not like I don't have anything to read around here, but this book really does sound intriguing...and getting a free copy should would be better than going out and buying it, right?
To Be a Slave...random thoughts
To Be a Slave, by Julius Lester. You know how every once in a while you run across a book that makes you think, "This is a book everyone needs to read."? Well, this is one of those books. Though it's a Newbery Honor Book, I'd never even heard of it until a couple weeks ago. I immediately ordered it so Annie and I could read it for our history unit this quarter.
It's a moving, tragic, horrifying book. Yes, it had me tears on multiple occasions, and it also had me literally sick to my stomach. I remember at one point thinking that I shouldn't make Annie read this, that is was just too hard to handle emotionally. Luckily, I immediately came to my senses and realized that that is exactly why she needs to read it. Why everyone needs to read it. Yes, we all know that slavery is an abomination, especially slavery as it was practiced in the United States where the treatment of these human beings was horrific beyond adequate description. But to read about the condition of being a slave in the actual words of those who lived it, is something else altogether.
Julius Lester spent hours upon hours upon hours researching and reading interviews from the 1930s done with ex-slaves. I can't imagine what a heart-wrenching task that must have been. But what he put together is a wonderfully told account of life in the United States for those who lived as slaves. His narration is skillfully interwoven with the actual quotes and stories told by the ex-slaves themselves.
Scattered throughout the book are some incredible images created by Tom Feelings. The artist wrote that when he was given the manuscript to read and asked to create artwork to go with it, he was afraid. Afraid he could never do this powerful book justice. Oh, but he did. His work is powerful. It's beautiful, and moving, and heartbreaking, all at the same time.
In a introduction piece written in 1997 and titled "Thirty Years of To Be a Slave," Lester writes, "Of course, my underlying and hidden purpose was simply this: If a child could experience slaves as human beings, then it might be possible for that same child to look at the descendants of slaves and also see another human being, no more, no less."
More reviews:
*Nymeth at Things Mean A Lot
*Annie at Words By Annie
It's a moving, tragic, horrifying book. Yes, it had me tears on multiple occasions, and it also had me literally sick to my stomach. I remember at one point thinking that I shouldn't make Annie read this, that is was just too hard to handle emotionally. Luckily, I immediately came to my senses and realized that that is exactly why she needs to read it. Why everyone needs to read it. Yes, we all know that slavery is an abomination, especially slavery as it was practiced in the United States where the treatment of these human beings was horrific beyond adequate description. But to read about the condition of being a slave in the actual words of those who lived it, is something else altogether.
Julius Lester spent hours upon hours upon hours researching and reading interviews from the 1930s done with ex-slaves. I can't imagine what a heart-wrenching task that must have been. But what he put together is a wonderfully told account of life in the United States for those who lived as slaves. His narration is skillfully interwoven with the actual quotes and stories told by the ex-slaves themselves.
Scattered throughout the book are some incredible images created by Tom Feelings. The artist wrote that when he was given the manuscript to read and asked to create artwork to go with it, he was afraid. Afraid he could never do this powerful book justice. Oh, but he did. His work is powerful. It's beautiful, and moving, and heartbreaking, all at the same time.
In a introduction piece written in 1997 and titled "Thirty Years of To Be a Slave," Lester writes, "Of course, my underlying and hidden purpose was simply this: If a child could experience slaves as human beings, then it might be possible for that same child to look at the descendants of slaves and also see another human being, no more, no less."
More reviews:
*Nymeth at Things Mean A Lot
*Annie at Words By Annie
a few shots
Just a few of my favorite shots from a morning (last Saturday morning, to be exact) at the local nature park.
(Don't worry, I did take pictures of the munchkins, too. That old mom compulsion. But I posted a few of those on our homeschool blog.)
(Don't worry, I did take pictures of the munchkins, too. That old mom compulsion. But I posted a few of those on our homeschool blog.)
Monday, April 28, 2008
Enna Burning...random thoughts
Enna Burning, by Shannon Hale. I've been putting off jotting down my thoughts on this book. I'm not sure why. It's possible that part of the reason is that I didn't love it as much as I wanted to, or expected to. Don't get me wrong, it's not that I disliked it...I just wasn't carried away like I was with The Goose Girl.
Was that really the fault of the book itself? I don't know. But this was another one of those instances where I was forced to read in snippets of 5 minutes here, 5 minutes there. I think that's very unfair to most books, but you take what you can get, right?
Before I go on and share just a few of my thoughts, I should tell you to go read Nymeth's review, if haven't already. As she always manages to do, she wrote a beautiful review of this book. And I think it's fair to say that she enjoyed the book more than I did. (The last thing I want to do is discourage anyone from reading it just because it doesn't rank among my favorites.)
It really took me a while to get pulled into this story. While The Goose Girl captivated me from page one, Enna Burning didn't really have me hooked until close to half-way through. Again, this could be a matter of my reading style. But even once I did feel invested in the story, I don't think it ever held that same magic for me that The Goose Girl did.
As this book starts, we find that a couple of years have passed since the end of The Goose Girl. Isi/Ani and Geric are happily married and living in the capital of Bayern. But Enna has been living back in the forest for the past year. She moved back when her mother became ill, and stayed even when her mother died. She lives there with her brother Leifer. One day her brother finds a piece of vellum that teaches him to 'speak' with fire, in much the same way that Isi speaks with the wind. This gift eventually consumes Leifer, however. Enna feels compelled to learn fire's language after Leifer's death, despite the danger she knows exists. She feels it is her way to connect with her brother, and to help her kingdom escape from sure defeat in war.
As the title indicates, this book was told from Enna's point of view. And while I honestly do like Enna, I'm just not enchanted by her in the same way I am by Isi. But then, I think I'd have a hard time liking any character as much as I like Isi. Luckily, we really do get to see a great deal of Isi throughout the book. And we get to witness the strength of the girls' friendship, even in the face of some very hard times.
Isi had to find strength and learn to trust in herself in the first book. Enna must do much the same in this book. But they are very different people. And therefore, must conquer their fears and grow in very different ways. And while they both ultimately turn out to be strong, independent young women, it is lucky for both Enna and Isi that they had each other to help in their journeys.
So, while this book may not have been the treasure I was hoping for, I really did enjoy it. And I will most definitely continue to read the stories of Bayern. Now if only River Secrets would come out in paperback...
Was that really the fault of the book itself? I don't know. But this was another one of those instances where I was forced to read in snippets of 5 minutes here, 5 minutes there. I think that's very unfair to most books, but you take what you can get, right?
Before I go on and share just a few of my thoughts, I should tell you to go read Nymeth's review, if haven't already. As she always manages to do, she wrote a beautiful review of this book. And I think it's fair to say that she enjoyed the book more than I did. (The last thing I want to do is discourage anyone from reading it just because it doesn't rank among my favorites.)
It really took me a while to get pulled into this story. While The Goose Girl captivated me from page one, Enna Burning didn't really have me hooked until close to half-way through. Again, this could be a matter of my reading style. But even once I did feel invested in the story, I don't think it ever held that same magic for me that The Goose Girl did.
As this book starts, we find that a couple of years have passed since the end of The Goose Girl. Isi/Ani and Geric are happily married and living in the capital of Bayern. But Enna has been living back in the forest for the past year. She moved back when her mother became ill, and stayed even when her mother died. She lives there with her brother Leifer. One day her brother finds a piece of vellum that teaches him to 'speak' with fire, in much the same way that Isi speaks with the wind. This gift eventually consumes Leifer, however. Enna feels compelled to learn fire's language after Leifer's death, despite the danger she knows exists. She feels it is her way to connect with her brother, and to help her kingdom escape from sure defeat in war.
As the title indicates, this book was told from Enna's point of view. And while I honestly do like Enna, I'm just not enchanted by her in the same way I am by Isi. But then, I think I'd have a hard time liking any character as much as I like Isi. Luckily, we really do get to see a great deal of Isi throughout the book. And we get to witness the strength of the girls' friendship, even in the face of some very hard times.
Isi had to find strength and learn to trust in herself in the first book. Enna must do much the same in this book. But they are very different people. And therefore, must conquer their fears and grow in very different ways. And while they both ultimately turn out to be strong, independent young women, it is lucky for both Enna and Isi that they had each other to help in their journeys.
So, while this book may not have been the treasure I was hoping for, I really did enjoy it. And I will most definitely continue to read the stories of Bayern. Now if only River Secrets would come out in paperback...
hodge podge
*Have you all heard about Book Blogs yet? What a fun place! I think if you click that link you can figure out how to sign up. If I'm wrong, and you want to join, just leave me your e-mail address and I'll send you the invitation.
*And speaking of books, I bought a couple the other night. Night, by Elie Wiesel (I just had to pick this up after Nymeth's incredible review) and The Reluctant Fundamentalist, by Mohsin Hamid. Not sure when I'll actually get around to reading them...
*Anybody out there who loves words or enjoys writing, might want to pop over here. We've starting playing a little game with Annie's weekly vocabulary lists.
*And speaking of contests, anyone participating in Annie's What's In a Name? Challenge might want to pop over to the challenge blog and get in on this month's contest before it's too late.
*I finally finished reading Enna Burning a few days ago. Don't know why I can't seem to get my review written.
*And speaking of books, I bought a couple the other night. Night, by Elie Wiesel (I just had to pick this up after Nymeth's incredible review) and The Reluctant Fundamentalist, by Mohsin Hamid. Not sure when I'll actually get around to reading them...
*Anybody out there who loves words or enjoys writing, might want to pop over here. We've starting playing a little game with Annie's weekly vocabulary lists.
*And speaking of contests, anyone participating in Annie's What's In a Name? Challenge might want to pop over to the challenge blog and get in on this month's contest before it's too late.
*I finally finished reading Enna Burning a few days ago. Don't know why I can't seem to get my review written.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
a couple of plugs
*My sweet friend Melissa is starting a new website, Root and Sprout. It's set to have a June 1st launch date. Here's a brief bit of what she has to say about it:
“Here at Root and Sprout, we believe the connection between parent and child is what’s most important, and it’s a relationship that grows through mutual love and respect. With gentle, hands-on parenting, we can give our children the necessary roots to help them sprout.
Root and Sprout is a place for moms and dads to come for practical information, stories, and advice about being a parent and raising kids. You will also find helpful tips, family-friendly activities, and more . . . all submitted by people who support the Root and Sprout way of life.“
She is looking for people who would like to submit articles. To people like me, the idea of writing an article for a website sounds way too daunting, but she swears one shouldn't feel that way...that if you can write a blog post, you can write an article for the website. It's supposed to be by parents, for parents. If you're interested in more info, pop on over here.
*If you haven't yet read Life As We Knew It by Susan Pfeffer, well, here's the perfect opportunity...it's the featured book for May in Becky's on-line book club. I read the book a couple months ago, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! I know I'd be joining in on this one with Becky if I hadn't already read it.
*I know I already wrote a post about Dewey's fabulous new idea, Weekly Geeks. But if you haven't had a chance to check it out yet, you really should. Week One's Theme is up. And it's never to late to sign up to join in the fun!
“Here at Root and Sprout, we believe the connection between parent and child is what’s most important, and it’s a relationship that grows through mutual love and respect. With gentle, hands-on parenting, we can give our children the necessary roots to help them sprout.
Root and Sprout is a place for moms and dads to come for practical information, stories, and advice about being a parent and raising kids. You will also find helpful tips, family-friendly activities, and more . . . all submitted by people who support the Root and Sprout way of life.“
She is looking for people who would like to submit articles. To people like me, the idea of writing an article for a website sounds way too daunting, but she swears one shouldn't feel that way...that if you can write a blog post, you can write an article for the website. It's supposed to be by parents, for parents. If you're interested in more info, pop on over here.
*If you haven't yet read Life As We Knew It by Susan Pfeffer, well, here's the perfect opportunity...it's the featured book for May in Becky's on-line book club. I read the book a couple months ago, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! I know I'd be joining in on this one with Becky if I hadn't already read it.
*I know I already wrote a post about Dewey's fabulous new idea, Weekly Geeks. But if you haven't had a chance to check it out yet, you really should. Week One's Theme is up. And it's never to late to sign up to join in the fun!
Saturday, April 26, 2008
good stuff
*The weather continues to be glorious...you'd swear by the temperatures that it was late June, not late April. Now the tulips are blooming along with the daffodils. And even the cherry tree and the pear tree are bursting into flower.
*The kids and I are off to the local nature park this morning for their Earth Day Celebration (a tree-planting ceremony, a black bear presentation, and some wetland ecology activities).
*Annie got some exciting news this week. (Do not feel obligated to go read my shameless bragging. Seriously.)
*Today starts Educator Appreciation Week at Barnes & Noble. Gotta love that 25% discount!
--Hope everyone has a super-fantastic weekend!
*The kids and I are off to the local nature park this morning for their Earth Day Celebration (a tree-planting ceremony, a black bear presentation, and some wetland ecology activities).
*Annie got some exciting news this week. (Do not feel obligated to go read my shameless bragging. Seriously.)
*Today starts Educator Appreciation Week at Barnes & Noble. Gotta love that 25% discount!
--Hope everyone has a super-fantastic weekend!
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Emily's Runaway Imagination...random thoughts
Well, I've finally finished up a few books. I'm sure you'll be thankful that I'm sparing you reviews of The Endocrine and Reproductive Systems and The Human Lifecycle. However, if you ever are in the market for some middle school level books on the subject, I can definitely recommend both.
Okay, now on to Emily's Runaway Imagination. It seems hard to believe, but I'm pretty sure this is the first book I've ever read by Beverly Cleary. While I was a pretty avid reader as a kid, I do not remember ever reading any of her books. It's possible I may have, but if so, they didn't leave an impression. The impetus for trying her out now was Becky's Celebrate the Author Challenge. Each of my selections for this challenge was made with the boys in mind. But I must admit that Emily's Runaway Imagination was not the book I had originally chosen. I had planned on reading Ralph S. Mouse, as that sounded like a book both the boys and I would enjoy. Well, wouldn't you know it, the very day we were going to start reading it, Gray's teacher started reading it to the class. But as luck would have it, that very day, Annie brought me up a pile of books to post on Paperback Swap. They were books she'd outgrown and didn't think the boys would like. And right there in that pile was Emily's Runaway Imagination...a book by Beverly Cleary to fill in the gap.
I admit I was a bit worried that the boys wouldn't like it. They are both at a very girl-a-phobic stage, and I didn't think having a female for a main character was going to go over very well! But they gave it a chance, and they both ended up enjoying it a great deal (though neither will actually admit it). Tell-tale hints: asking me to read an extra chapter, laughing aloud, asking multitudes of questions...
And I also admit, I wasn't sure I would enjoy it either. Books written for this age are just generally not among my favorites. I love picture books. And I love books written for middle/high school age. But in general, these elementary level books just don't do a lot for me. This one surprised me. I didn't fall madly in love with it or anything, but it was enjoyable.
Emily is a girl with spunk, and as you can guess from the title, a very vivid imagination. Each chapter is somewhat of a story in itself, another antic from Emily's life. By far, our favorite chapter was the one in which Emily innocently fed the pigs fermented apples and the drunken pigs caused quite an uproar at her mother's fancy party. But Emily's other adventures were amusing as well. And running throughout the book is the story of the library. At the beginning of the book, Pitchfork has no library. But through one little girl's desire to read Black Beauty, and much work on her mother's part, their little town not only sees a library born, but watches it grow. And I suppose it will surprise no one, knowing what a total sap I can be, that I was left with a tear in my eye at the sweet, tender ending of the story.
Thanks again, Becky, for hosting this...it's really been a lot of fun so far!
Okay, now on to Emily's Runaway Imagination. It seems hard to believe, but I'm pretty sure this is the first book I've ever read by Beverly Cleary. While I was a pretty avid reader as a kid, I do not remember ever reading any of her books. It's possible I may have, but if so, they didn't leave an impression. The impetus for trying her out now was Becky's Celebrate the Author Challenge. Each of my selections for this challenge was made with the boys in mind. But I must admit that Emily's Runaway Imagination was not the book I had originally chosen. I had planned on reading Ralph S. Mouse, as that sounded like a book both the boys and I would enjoy. Well, wouldn't you know it, the very day we were going to start reading it, Gray's teacher started reading it to the class. But as luck would have it, that very day, Annie brought me up a pile of books to post on Paperback Swap. They were books she'd outgrown and didn't think the boys would like. And right there in that pile was Emily's Runaway Imagination...a book by Beverly Cleary to fill in the gap.
I admit I was a bit worried that the boys wouldn't like it. They are both at a very girl-a-phobic stage, and I didn't think having a female for a main character was going to go over very well! But they gave it a chance, and they both ended up enjoying it a great deal (though neither will actually admit it). Tell-tale hints: asking me to read an extra chapter, laughing aloud, asking multitudes of questions...
And I also admit, I wasn't sure I would enjoy it either. Books written for this age are just generally not among my favorites. I love picture books. And I love books written for middle/high school age. But in general, these elementary level books just don't do a lot for me. This one surprised me. I didn't fall madly in love with it or anything, but it was enjoyable.
Emily is a girl with spunk, and as you can guess from the title, a very vivid imagination. Each chapter is somewhat of a story in itself, another antic from Emily's life. By far, our favorite chapter was the one in which Emily innocently fed the pigs fermented apples and the drunken pigs caused quite an uproar at her mother's fancy party. But Emily's other adventures were amusing as well. And running throughout the book is the story of the library. At the beginning of the book, Pitchfork has no library. But through one little girl's desire to read Black Beauty, and much work on her mother's part, their little town not only sees a library born, but watches it grow. And I suppose it will surprise no one, knowing what a total sap I can be, that I was left with a tear in my eye at the sweet, tender ending of the story.
Thanks again, Becky, for hosting this...it's really been a lot of fun so far!
Monday, April 21, 2008
withdrawal
I swear it feels like that's what I'm going through. Oh, okay, that's a tad melodramatic. But still. I desperately need some time to read. I can't even seem to get caught up on blog reading. I've been in a major slump lately. Not due to lack of motivation, just due to lack of time left over after all the must-dos. I've only finished one book this month. Just one.
Considering this, it probably sounds ridiculous to admit that I officially joined Lynne's I Heard It Through the Grapevine Challenge. My list. Couldn't help it. What can I say.
And I bought a book at Barnes & Noble last night. One I'd never heard of, but couldn't resist once I laid my eyes upon it. The Hollow People by Brian Keaney. Shouldn't have. Don't really need to add these teetering piles of TBRs. Again, couldn't help it. Again, what can I say.
Annie and I spent the afternoon at the library. I just love sitting in a little cubby at the library to work. Don't really know why. I was good. Only checked out books for homeschooling. The Human Lifecycle, by Rufus Bellamy. The Human Body for Every Kid, by Janice VanCleave. The Endocrine and Reproductive Systems, by Melissa L. Kim. A Nation Torn, by Delia Ray. The Trial of John Brown, by James Tackach. And The Underground Railroad in American History, by Kem Knapp Sawyer. I'm sure they will all be interesting. Yet somehow not really the pile I would have liked to haul home from the library.
An interesting side note. Annie noticed something as she was writing thank you notes for her birthday gifts. Our best friends are the Reeds and the Wrights. Read and write...how appropriate for this family. But in all these many years I never noticed it before. Kinda cool.
Considering this, it probably sounds ridiculous to admit that I officially joined Lynne's I Heard It Through the Grapevine Challenge. My list. Couldn't help it. What can I say.
And I bought a book at Barnes & Noble last night. One I'd never heard of, but couldn't resist once I laid my eyes upon it. The Hollow People by Brian Keaney. Shouldn't have. Don't really need to add these teetering piles of TBRs. Again, couldn't help it. Again, what can I say.
Annie and I spent the afternoon at the library. I just love sitting in a little cubby at the library to work. Don't really know why. I was good. Only checked out books for homeschooling. The Human Lifecycle, by Rufus Bellamy. The Human Body for Every Kid, by Janice VanCleave. The Endocrine and Reproductive Systems, by Melissa L. Kim. A Nation Torn, by Delia Ray. The Trial of John Brown, by James Tackach. And The Underground Railroad in American History, by Kem Knapp Sawyer. I'm sure they will all be interesting. Yet somehow not really the pile I would have liked to haul home from the library.
An interesting side note. Annie noticed something as she was writing thank you notes for her birthday gifts. Our best friends are the Reeds and the Wrights. Read and write...how appropriate for this family. But in all these many years I never noticed it before. Kinda cool.
happy 100, Kim
Okay, I suspect most of you already know Kim. She's just such a sweet thing, wouldn't you agree? And man, can that girl write! (I've been missing your weekend fiction break, Kim!)
Anyway, Kim is having a book giveaway to celebrate her 100th post! And she's giving away not one, but four different books! If you haven't yet met her, I strongly suggest you hop on over and say "hi"...I'm willing to bet you'll keep going back!
Anyway, Kim is having a book giveaway to celebrate her 100th post! And she's giving away not one, but four different books! If you haven't yet met her, I strongly suggest you hop on over and say "hi"...I'm willing to bet you'll keep going back!
Sunday, April 20, 2008
how does she do it?!!
Okay, Dewey has pulled the wool over my eyes for far too long. But I've finally figured it out...she is THE Book Blogging Super Woman! (Wish she'd post a pic of herself in full costume.)
Not only does she read in the neighborhood of a gazillion books a year, write truckloads of fabulous reviews, host multiple reading challenges, participate and complete even more reading challenges, run the Bookworms Carnival, host the Read-a-thon (all this on top of busy life of working, mothering, and wifing)...but now she's come up with another fabulous idea...Weekly Geeks!
I'm feeling ill-equipped to explain it myself (after all, I just said "wifing" and that can't possibly be a word, can it?). So I seriously suggest you go check this out for yourself...it sounds like great fun!
Not only does she read in the neighborhood of a gazillion books a year, write truckloads of fabulous reviews, host multiple reading challenges, participate and complete even more reading challenges, run the Bookworms Carnival, host the Read-a-thon (all this on top of busy life of working, mothering, and wifing)...but now she's come up with another fabulous idea...Weekly Geeks!
I'm feeling ill-equipped to explain it myself (after all, I just said "wifing" and that can't possibly be a word, can it?). So I seriously suggest you go check this out for yourself...it sounds like great fun!
Thursday, April 17, 2008
a few days away
Sheesh...you go away for a few days, and you come back feeling inundated, huh? So much blog reading to catch up on. Not to mention laundry...ugh.
And speaking of laundry, it's finally spring-like enough that I got to hang my first load of the season outside this morning to dry. Pretty cool, especially considering that when we left home Sunday morning it was snowing.
We headed off to first visit my parents in the northwestern corner of PA...and then crossed the state to the southeastern corner to visit Rich's mom. I'd been dying to take the kids to the Philadelphia Museum of Art for ages. And when I found out that they were having a special Frida Kahlo exhibit, I knew we just had to make a trip down there. (Annie and I had been learning about her in school.)
I absolutely love this museum, and I hadn't been there in probably 20 years. So this was an amazing treat for all of us. Unfortunately, they're doing a lot of work on the outside of the building so I didn't really get any great shots of it. (And you were not allowed to photograph inside the Kahlo exhibit itself.) But here's a just a few pictures from elsewhere at the museum.
And, of course, we just had to let little boys who behaved exceedingly well in the museum, do the famous run up the stairs. (Yes, even Rich behaved himself.)
And speaking of laundry, it's finally spring-like enough that I got to hang my first load of the season outside this morning to dry. Pretty cool, especially considering that when we left home Sunday morning it was snowing.
We headed off to first visit my parents in the northwestern corner of PA...and then crossed the state to the southeastern corner to visit Rich's mom. I'd been dying to take the kids to the Philadelphia Museum of Art for ages. And when I found out that they were having a special Frida Kahlo exhibit, I knew we just had to make a trip down there. (Annie and I had been learning about her in school.)
I absolutely love this museum, and I hadn't been there in probably 20 years. So this was an amazing treat for all of us. Unfortunately, they're doing a lot of work on the outside of the building so I didn't really get any great shots of it. (And you were not allowed to photograph inside the Kahlo exhibit itself.) But here's a just a few pictures from elsewhere at the museum.
And, of course, we just had to let little boys who behaved exceedingly well in the museum, do the famous run up the stairs. (Yes, even Rich behaved himself.)
Sunday, April 13, 2008
his best day ever
We decided to go out and run errands as a family Friday evening...and then we got really wild and decided to splurge on dinner out. We hit the only decent Mexican restaurant in the area (good Mexican restaurants are something we have sorely missed since moving here).
Anyway, we had a wonderfully friendly waitress. When she came for our drink order, she patiently listed all the drinks the kids could choose from. The very last drink she mentioned was "Mexican orange soda"...well, they jumped all over that. Pop, in general, is a big treat for them (as their mean old mom and dad rarely let them have it), but having "Mexican" in its name just seemed to add to the thrill. And their happiness increased exponentially when the waitress brought their drinks, for it came in bottles! They'd never seen pop in bottles before (yeah, I know, we really need to let them out the cave a little more often, huh?). As their bottles were set on the table, Gray says, "It's just like beer."
We all sit and munch on chips and salsa, and then enjoy a wonderfully delicious meal. And when we've all finished, the waitress brings the kids some individually wrapped Life Savers. Gray obviously can't believe his luck, for he leans back contentedly against his seat, sighs, and says a little too loudly, "This is the best day ever. First I get drunk, and then I get candy!"
Rich and I laughed so hard we had tears streaming down our cheeks. (Of course, we were also looking around for anyone surreptitiously using their cell phones to call Child Protective Services.)
Anyway, we had a wonderfully friendly waitress. When she came for our drink order, she patiently listed all the drinks the kids could choose from. The very last drink she mentioned was "Mexican orange soda"...well, they jumped all over that. Pop, in general, is a big treat for them (as their mean old mom and dad rarely let them have it), but having "Mexican" in its name just seemed to add to the thrill. And their happiness increased exponentially when the waitress brought their drinks, for it came in bottles! They'd never seen pop in bottles before (yeah, I know, we really need to let them out the cave a little more often, huh?). As their bottles were set on the table, Gray says, "It's just like beer."
We all sit and munch on chips and salsa, and then enjoy a wonderfully delicious meal. And when we've all finished, the waitress brings the kids some individually wrapped Life Savers. Gray obviously can't believe his luck, for he leans back contentedly against his seat, sighs, and says a little too loudly, "This is the best day ever. First I get drunk, and then I get candy!"
Rich and I laughed so hard we had tears streaming down our cheeks. (Of course, we were also looking around for anyone surreptitiously using their cell phones to call Child Protective Services.)
Friday, April 11, 2008
100 Cupboards...random thoughts
I adored this book. In fact, as I read it, I kept thinking to myself, "I just love everything about this book." I stopped thinking that during the last two pages, however. I didn't like the epilogue. I'm not really even sure why. It's not that it changed anything about the book, or that it wasn't well-written, or that it didn't make sense. Maybe that's it...it made too much sense. It almost felt like the beginning of a new book...the sequel that you could already tell was coming anyway. I apologize...I don't think I'm making much sense here, am I? So let's move away from this trifling little criticism and on to what was so wonderful about this book...everything else.
The writing. It's so sweet and simple. Nothing complicated, but so completely endearing. The book begins:
"Henry, Kansas, is a hot town. And a cold town. It is a town so still there are times when you can hear a fly trying to get through the window of the locked-up antique store on Main Street. Nobody remembers who owns the antique store, but if you press your face against the glass, like the fly, you'll see that whoever they are, they don't have much beyond a wide variety of wagon wheels. Yes, Henry is still town. But there have been tornadoes on Main Street. If the wind blows it's like it won't ever stop. Once it's stopped, there seems to be no hope of getting it started again.
There is a bus station in Henry, but it isn't on Main Street. It's one block north--the town fathers hadn't wanted all the additional traffic. The station lost one-third of its roof to a tornado fifteen years ago. In the same summer, a bottle rocket brought the gift of fire to its restrooms. The damage has never been repaired, but the town council makes sure that the building is painted fresh every other year, and always the color of a swimming pool. There is never graffiti. Vandals would have to drive more than twenty miles to buy the spray paint.
Every once in a long while, a bus creeps into town and eases to a stop beside the mostly roofed, bright aqua station with the charred bathrooms. Henry is always glad to see a bus. Such treats are rare."
With those first three paragraphs, I was sold. I was in love with the little town of Henry, Kansas. And it didn't take long until I was taken with the characters, too. Well, with two of the characters, in particular. (Actually, I suppose some of the characters could stand a bit more development, but I suspect we'll see that in books to come should they begin to take bigger roles.) Uncle Frank is by far my favorite. Wilson writes,
"People liked Dotty. They said she was interesting. They rarely did the same for her husband. They said Mr. Willis was thin, and they didn't just mean physically. They meant thin everywhere and every way. Dotty saw much more than thin, and she liked him. Frank Willis didn't seem to notice much of anything beyond that."
We get to see much more than "thin" as well. We come to know a quiet, thoughtful man who loves his wife and family. I really came to respect Frank, and felt a genuine fondness for him. But he's not the main character in the story. No, that would be Henry.
Henry, a twelve-year-old boy, arrives on one of those rare buses into town. He's come to stay with his Aunt Dotty, Uncle Frank, and their three daughters after his parents are kidnapped in a foreign country. Henry has always been seriously over-protected, and while he's nervous about fitting into a new family and a new town, it's obvious that he's somewhat excited about it, too.
One night, bits of plaster fall into Henry's hair from the wall of Henry's attic bedroom. On closer inspection, Henry finds two knobs poking through the plaster. And this is only the beginning. Henry begins chipping away at the plaster, and finds little doors hidden beneath. He eventually uncovers the entire wall and finds it houses 99 cupboards. Yes, I know, the title is 100 Cupboards...but if you want to find out where cupboard 100 comes in and what these cupboards contain, you'll just have to read the book. Suffice it to say, that this book is quite suitable for the Once Upon a Time challenge.
This book is labeled as being appropriate for 9-12-year-olds. I think that kids even a little younger might enjoy it. Though it does become a bit darker and scarier toward the end, and I would keep that in mind if your kiddo is easily frightened...like my sweet little 7-year-old.
And thus ends this rambling jumble of thoughts that I'm passing off as a book review for my challenges (Once Upon a Time II, Initials Reading Challenge, The A-Z Reading Challenge and Numbers Reading Challenge).
procrastinating
Why I'm putting off reviewing the one book I've actually finished in the last two weeks is beyond me. Just can't seem to work up the brain power. Anyway, this movie meme that's been floating around (and which I saw most recently at Dewey's) seemed like the perfect way to put it off a bit longer. So anyway, here's how it goes:
1. Go to IMDB.com and look up 10 of your favorite movies.
2. Post three or four official IMDB “Plot Keywords” for each.
3. Then, you guys guess the movies (no looking them up!)
#1-asthma, hostage, media circus, pizza delivery (Dog Day Afternoon--guessed by Stephanie)
#2-autumn, corpse, cover-up, painting
#3-eyeglasses, one day, racism, switchblade (12 Angry Men--guessed by Rebecca)
#4-bookstore, revenge, royalty, speedboat
#5-barefoot, Christmas, heist, limousine (Die Hard--guessed by Stephanie)
#6-insanity, novel, sledge hammer, snow (Misery--guessed by Rebecca)
#7-butler, disguise, fog, invitation
#8-epic, eye, horse, mission (Lord of the Rings--guessed by Gail)
#9-cannabis, compulsive liar, confession, conformity (The Breakfast Club--guessed by Rebecca)
#10-cow, decapitation, helicopter, paleontologist
I haven't done very well at knowing anyone else's, but I'll bet more knowledgeable movie buffs will have no trouble with these.
1. Go to IMDB.com and look up 10 of your favorite movies.
2. Post three or four official IMDB “Plot Keywords” for each.
3. Then, you guys guess the movies (no looking them up!)
#1-asthma, hostage, media circus, pizza delivery (Dog Day Afternoon--guessed by Stephanie)
#2-autumn, corpse, cover-up, painting
#3-eyeglasses, one day, racism, switchblade (12 Angry Men--guessed by Rebecca)
#4-bookstore, revenge, royalty, speedboat
#5-barefoot, Christmas, heist, limousine (Die Hard--guessed by Stephanie)
#6-insanity, novel, sledge hammer, snow (Misery--guessed by Rebecca)
#7-butler, disguise, fog, invitation
#8-epic, eye, horse, mission (Lord of the Rings--guessed by Gail)
#9-cannabis, compulsive liar, confession, conformity (The Breakfast Club--guessed by Rebecca)
#10-cow, decapitation, helicopter, paleontologist
I haven't done very well at knowing anyone else's, but I'll bet more knowledgeable movie buffs will have no trouble with these.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
book power
Me: What's on your to-do list for today?
Annie: Write thank you notes. Finish watching our Frida Kahlo movie. Write some book reviews. And read, read, read. That's one thing I have to do, because I run on book power.
Annie: Write thank you notes. Finish watching our Frida Kahlo movie. Write some book reviews. And read, read, read. That's one thing I have to do, because I run on book power.
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
busy, and uninspired
It's been a while since I've posted anything. Partly because I just haven't had anything of interest to say. But mostly because I've been crazy busy...with trying to finish up the third quarter of school, with starting the dreaded quarterly report, with getting ready for company, with having company for the weekend, with getting ready for Annie's birthday, with celebrating Annie's birthday. Not much time for reading, and that includes blogs...I'm woefully behind.
Anyway, Annie had a fabulous birthday...which was actually yesterday, but she started celebrating over the weekend. She chose to have a "girls day out" instead of a party...which meant we gave her the money we would have spent on a party and she went out shopping instead. She had a ball! Probably won't choose to spend her day shopping with her mom and grammy for much longer, so I made sure to soak up every bit of enjoyment I could get from the experience! How did my little girl get to be 11-years-old already anyway?!!
Last night, as is her "right" on her birthday, she set the agenda...dinner at the China Buffet and a trip to Barnes & Noble. This, combined with the books she bought on Saturday and the ones she received as gifts, netted her quite a hefty haul overall. More than a few of which are borrow-worthy ;)
I somehow managed to come home with four new books of my own. Hmmm...wonder how that happened. But with the buy 2, get one free table plus a gift card, I only ended up spending $2! Can't beat that, huh? And if I want to throw a little bit of rationalization in there, I needed one of these books (The Looming Tower) for Joy's Non-Fiction Five Challenge anyway, and I bought another (Snow Flower and the Secret Fan) for Lynne's Heard It Through the Grapevine Challenge. (The other two (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and The Boys in the Trees)...total impulse buys.)
Anyway, hopefully things will slow down a bit around here (but probably not, as I'm scrambling like crazy trying to get things ready for next quarter) and I can get my review written for 100 Cupboards. Loved that book! And hopefully I can get caught up on my blog reading as well!
Anyway, Annie had a fabulous birthday...which was actually yesterday, but she started celebrating over the weekend. She chose to have a "girls day out" instead of a party...which meant we gave her the money we would have spent on a party and she went out shopping instead. She had a ball! Probably won't choose to spend her day shopping with her mom and grammy for much longer, so I made sure to soak up every bit of enjoyment I could get from the experience! How did my little girl get to be 11-years-old already anyway?!!
Last night, as is her "right" on her birthday, she set the agenda...dinner at the China Buffet and a trip to Barnes & Noble. This, combined with the books she bought on Saturday and the ones she received as gifts, netted her quite a hefty haul overall. More than a few of which are borrow-worthy ;)
I somehow managed to come home with four new books of my own. Hmmm...wonder how that happened. But with the buy 2, get one free table plus a gift card, I only ended up spending $2! Can't beat that, huh? And if I want to throw a little bit of rationalization in there, I needed one of these books (The Looming Tower) for Joy's Non-Fiction Five Challenge anyway, and I bought another (Snow Flower and the Secret Fan) for Lynne's Heard It Through the Grapevine Challenge. (The other two (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and The Boys in the Trees)...total impulse buys.)
Anyway, hopefully things will slow down a bit around here (but probably not, as I'm scrambling like crazy trying to get things ready for next quarter) and I can get my review written for 100 Cupboards. Loved that book! And hopefully I can get caught up on my blog reading as well!
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
hmmm...
"I often dream of traveling the world on my own."
These are the exact words spoken to me by Gray last night. On the surface, nothing particularly unusual, I suppose. But these words were uttered from a mattress on the floor of my bedroom as I sat there reading. From a mattress on the floor of my bedroom, because that is where he's slept for the past many months. I guess traveling the world on his own is no big deal...as long as he doesn't have to venture into his own bedroom solo. :)
******
I'm sure it's simply shocking news to hear, but I signed up for the Novella Challenge.
These are the exact words spoken to me by Gray last night. On the surface, nothing particularly unusual, I suppose. But these words were uttered from a mattress on the floor of my bedroom as I sat there reading. From a mattress on the floor of my bedroom, because that is where he's slept for the past many months. I guess traveling the world on his own is no big deal...as long as he doesn't have to venture into his own bedroom solo. :)
******
I'm sure it's simply shocking news to hear, but I signed up for the Novella Challenge.
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