The Wicked Girls by Alex Marwood

from goodreads

1 star

Today is the perfect day to curl up and read. While I love being at home all day with Miss P, this is a time when I wish she was already in school or in day care and I could just curl up on the couch and read. It looks like a winter wonderland outside, the perfect backdrop for reading a great book!

When do you like to read? Cold frosty days? Hot days lazing on the beach or in a hammock? On the commute?

Synopsis

I am taking this from goodreads as I didn't finish the book.

One fateful summer morning in 1986, two 11-year-old girls meet for the first time and by the end of the day they are charged with murder.

Twenty-five years later, journalist Kirsty Lindsay is reporting on a series of attacks on young female tourists in a seaside town when her investigation leads her to interview funfair cleaner Amber Gordon. For Kirsty and Amber, it's the first time they've seen each other since that dark day when they were just children. But with new lives - and families - to protect, will they really be able to keep their secret hidden?

My Thoughts

This was one of the book club picks for this year. Usually with book club books I will keep at it no matter what. This one I just couldn't.

While the premise sounds intriguing and promising, the execution of it was not so excellent. There were quite a lot of different story lines going on. And the characters were not engaging and I didn't really care about them. As I was reading I kept thinking, I don't care, I don't care, I don't care. So, I gave up.

Tonight when I go to my book club meeting I will find out what happened because I know the others finished it. But, I really don't care if I find out what happened.

I have never felt so apathetic about a book before. I guess there's a first time for everything.

Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics by Chris Grabenstein

from goodreads

4 stars

Every time I read a book, whether I end up liking it or not, I am usually in awe of the author's imagination. It is amazing how every author comes up with a unique take on some aspect of life, or adventure, or creates a whole new world. The execution may not always be up to snuff, but the seed of greatness is always there.

That is probably why so many movies are made from book adaptations. The movie people see that seed and what to enhance it. Sometimes they do an excellent job. Sometimes not. There are times when I am reading a book and I say to myself, "I can't wait to see this as a movie". Or, you read a book and it plays in your mind as the movie. You can see it so clearly.

So thank you authors for putting your seeds of inspiration down on paper and giving us worlds and ideas we, ourselves, had not thought of. You open us to so much!

Synopsis

All over the U.S.A. complaints have been coming into Mr. Lemoncello that he didn't allow his last contest to be opened up to them. They want a chance to prove their library know-how. So here comes the library olympics, with the best of the best competing for supremacy and the hometown team feeling the need to prove themselves.

My Thoughts

I always get nervous with sequels, especially after the originals were so good. This did not disappoint. While I still liked the first book Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library a little bit more, this one was still right up there. There is enough of craziness, yet normalcy that would appeal to every reader. I love how he mentions books so that those reading are encouraged to check them out. And, it is fun! I want Mr. Lemoncello to build his next library in my city.

I also liked how this book addressed censorship and banned books. Though he didn't come out in a preachy way, he did express the idea that censorship of books is not a good thing. We should be able to have the right to choose for ourselves what books to read or not. Who is one person, or group of people, to say what book is good for me or not. Grabenstein introduces this idea if a fun way, that hopefully plants the seeds of anti-censorship into his young readers, or at least helps them start thinking about it and start a conversation about it.

As an adult reading it there were some plot points that seemed obvious and I guessed at. But, it was still a fun read and I know that the kids reading this book (10+) will love it!

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

from goodreads

3.5 stars

Have you ever wondered what your life would be like in an alternate reality? Would you be the same type of person you are or would you be someone completely different.

Some of my favourite episodes of sci-fi shows have been when they put characters in an alternate reality. I think my favourites are from Stargate SG-1. Hilarity often ensues, but it gets you thinking.

I think using alternate realities or rethinking history is such a cool genre. There is enough the same that you feel comfortable and know what's going on. But, the changes are so quirky that you want to know what is going on and how it will end.

I guess there could be some purists who live for historical accuracy and don't want the timelines messed with. And for those who are the purists, well they don't have to read these books. But for those who want some fun, or often think what if this genre of book is great!

Synopsis

It is a tale of clankers vs darwinist machines.

Prince Aleksander is running away from the Austro-Hungarian Empire after his father, the Grand Duke, and his mother die. Deryn is a girl undercover as a boy in the British Air Force.

Their paths cross on the eve of World War I in this really fun and fantastic adventure series.

My Thoughts

This is the first steampunk book that I have ever read. It is not my favourite genre, but I would read another one.

I thought this was a really cool alternate reality. There was enough the same that it was believable but enough different to make for a really cool science-fiction.

I thought it was neat how the Darwinist airships were a living thing. What a neat idea. It was cool to see how all the systems had to work together for it to work.

As for the story itself, it didn't keep me riveted. The story was good enough but it wasn't something that left me in awe of the originality of the ideas. I think it was because this was a set up book for the rest of the series. There is so much in this world that is different that you do need to set things up for the next book so everyone gets this world. Also, there was a lot of back and forth between Aleksander's story line and Deryn's story line so that did disrupt the flow. All that being said I am looking forward to the next book.

I think this book would be great for 10 and up. Also, while good for both boys and girls, if you have a boy that doesn't want to read, this might be a good book to change his mind with.

Meet the Austins by Madeline L'Engle

from goodreads

3 stars

Long weekends always mess up my internal calendar. Even though I knew it was Tuesday, it felt like a Monday. So when I thought about doing my post, I kept saying to myself, "I don't have to do it today, I don't need to post it until tomorrow." Well, now the day is almost over and it has finally sunk in that I have a post to get up.

Does that happen to you when you have a long weekend or holidays? Does your rhythm get all messed up?

Now that being said, I love long weekends. I love it when my husband gets to spend more time with us and help deal with the crazies. And by crazies I mean children, and by help deal with I mean have fun and spend quality time.

This weekend was family day so we put up drywall, went tobogganing with some friends and then watched a movie. It was lovely and low-key. Those are the best kinds of long weekends.

Synopsis

The Austins are a fun family that live in rural New England. When a girl named Maggie is sent to stay with them after her father died things get to be a little more crazy, but they have fun and love each other.

My Thoughts

I love Madeline L'Engle books. I had never heard of this series before but I am glad I was able to enter the world of the Austin's for a little while.

This does not read like your typical novel. It is more snippets into a year in the life of the Austins. So, I guess it is like a collection of short stories that surrounds the family.

I love the sense of family that oozes from the pages. They seem to have fun and love each other, though they get annoyed with each other too. They are real, not an idealistic fantasy. I love the setting of the big farm house set in the middle of nowhere. If money were no object and I could live in any setting, that would be it. An old farm house with enough sunny land for a garden and a nice forest patch for walking through.

Because there was really no narration or climax the book did lack a bit of energy. It was a nice read, a quaint read, but nothing that would get you too excited. And to be honest, there is nothing wrong with books like that. We need books like that once in a while to cleanse our reading palettes. So don't go into this book to think you will be thoroughly entertained, or that it will be supremely gripping.

This is the first of a series of books about the Austins. I will probably peruse their life every now and again, but I am not in a big hurry to do so.

The Girl in the Spider's Web by David Lagercrantz

from goodreads

4 stars

It can be nerve wracking when an author takes over another author's series. Will the voice be the same? Will the qualities you loved in the series continue? It can also be exciting. What new twists will there be? Will they take the books to even greater heights?

It must feel daunting to the take over authors. They know they are playing with fire. Either people will love what they do or people will be outraged and filled with scorn. I am sure they rarely get a mediocre response.

Sometimes a change can be good and refreshing. We can't always expect the same old things. We need to push the envelope and expand our horizons. I guess that is what new authors in an established series are able to do. What fun.

Synopsis

When a computer science genius is killed mere hours after asking to meet with Blomkvist a chain of events is activated. The only one who witnessed the murder is a mute, autistic savant, who is 8 years old.

Salander is also after answers after discovering a secret from hacking an American Federal Agency.

The two stories combine to give a heart pounding, intriguing, sub-worldly tale.

My Thoughts

While it was slow to start, this was a great addition to the Millenium Series, and in a way, a relaunching of the series.

I loved The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo but the other two books in the series, well they just weren't as gripping. I was a bit trepidatious going into this book because I wasn't sure if it was going to take it's lead from the last two or the first one. This book is almost on par with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. There is enough continuity and elements from the other books in the series, but it could definitely stand on its own. You wouldn't necessarily need to read the other books to enjoy this one.

There is a lot of computer and tech talk that happens in this book. It makes sense as it deals with computer hackers and that world. So if you can't stand computer talk, this might not be for you.

The whole time while reading I couldn't get over the amount of research that must have gone one for each story line and character. The author would have had to know about computer systems, the hacker underworld, autism and savants, the world of journalism, and more. So kudos to Lagercrantz for doing all that research to make it a believable and accurate book.

I am looking forward to the next installment. I am glad that something was done with the characters of Salander and Blomkvist. How the series had been left was so dissatisfying and now it is rejuvenated and that is very exciting.

Don't Say that Word! by Alan Katz Illustrated by David Catrow

from goodreads

2 stars

Being a parent can be stressful at times. You are the moral authority. You are the person who needs to teach kids what is appropriate to do and say. That is a lot of responsibility. Also, there are so many options, there is no right way to behave really. Yes, there is the standard, be nice, don't hit etc. But you also have to teach them to stand up for themselves, and that might not always seem like the nice thing to do.

I find the hardest thing about all this is figuring out what words are bad or not. I have some friends who have told their kids that the word "stupid" is a swear word. Now while I totally believe that that is a word that should not be said all the time to belittle others, but sometimes, if the shoe fits you got to say it. So does it make me a bad moral authority if I don't tell my kids it is a swear word too? Others have the same rule with the term "shut up". While in general I do try to avoid saying it... again, once I am at the end of my rope it is going to slip out. (For example, when I am in the middle of cooking dinner and all three kids are trying to get my attention or are running around like a pack of hyenas in the kitchen).

I guess this is when discussions around words are important. Instead of hard fast rules, perhaps explanations and help to navigate the linguistic challenges are called for.

As with anything in life, and parenting, we just have to try and do the best we can. We can't make comparisons. We can be inspired and wish to make positive changes from what we see from others. But we should never feel dejected about ourselves because of these comparisons. And if my kids seem uncouth compared to others because they use words like butt, or fart, or stupid, well so be it. I guess we will be uncouth.

Synopsis

Michael is trying to tell his mom about the day he had at school. Just when he gets to the best parts his mom yells out, DON'T SAY THAT WORD!

My Thoughts

Ugh! I did not like this book at all. I guess kids might think its funny, but I just don't get it.

I always try to find something positive... so I guess the rhymes were pretty clever. And perhaps there are truly parents out there who don't like the word "toilet" or "burp", but like really.

The words in the book that were supposedly "bad" were words that normal people use and I don't want my kids to begin thinking they are bad. Bodily functions seem so taboo now and causes embarrassment. That is probably why there are so many digestive issues, people are embarrassed about farting and even saying that word. That passes on embarrassment to the kids who end up holding stuff in causing pain and discomfort that should not happen. Seriously people, we need to liberate these words!

So ya, this book is definitely not a favourite. And it is not because I am super prudey or anything. I initially picked it up because I was excited to see what naughty words were going to be said. But, this just left me feeling frustrated by the censorship this shows for words that are just normal.

Read it if you would like to, but I do not recommend it.

The Rebecka Martinsson Series by Asa Larsson

 4 stars

About a year ago I picked up The Second Deadly Sin by Asa Larsson. I didn't know at the time that it was the latest in a series of books. That sometimes happens to me where I start reading a book and then realize later on that it is a book in a series, and it is not the first one. Sometimes it doesn't seem to matter if you read books out of order. Other series it totally does.

During the Christmas break I decided to read all of the books in Asa Larsson's Rebecka Martinson Series. Christmas isn't Christmas without murder and mayhem, right? Do you do that sometimes? Binge read a series that has been out for a while so you feel all caught up?

Synopsis

The series is set in northern Sweden, and when I looked at the map it actually is very northern, in the area surrounding Kiruna. The stories are centred around the character Rebecka Martinsson, a native of Kiruna, who had moved south, and is trying to figure out what she wants to do with her life and the events that haunt her.

My Thoughts

This is a great series. While it may not be as dark, or as long, as some nordic crime novels, it is definitely a great series to whet your appetite for the genre.

None of the books are overly long or drawn out. This makes the pacing nice. Since I knew where the story arc was heading, since I had read the last published book in the series first, the stories and characters probably unfolded differently had I been going into it blind. I did enjoy learning the back story of the characters, not just Rebecka, but also Anna-Maria and Krister and Sivvig.

I love how Larsson really builds relationships and shows the characters' lives beyond their job. I love seeing Anna-Maria dealing with laundry and other household chores that make us all tick. I love seeing Rebecka outside the office. I like that there are friendships and relationships that seem real and that you get. You can tell that all the characters, even secondary ones, are well thought out. They could literally step right off the page and be totally believable people. They are definitely not flat.

Bad things happen in this series, and I appreciated that we got to see the emotional fallout from it. Rebecka is fragile yet strong and that is refreshing to see. In so many books things happen to characters which would make a normal person need therapy or something, but the therapy never happens they just keep on trudging through. Larsson didn't shy away from showing vulnerability.

The first book is not her best, but Larsson has definitely honed her craft throughout. It is such a great series. You should read them without delay.

Fairest of All by Sarah Mylnowski

from goodreads

4 stars

I have come to the conclusion that children are very inconsiderate. How was this conclusion decided upon? The stuffiness of and congestion of my head nose and sinuses. On the weekend Miss P was sick. She had a slight fever and was slightly congested. I was the person she decided she had to cuddle with all day. She was back to normal the next day. Monday rolls around and I am congested, can barely think and supremely irritable. And my thought was "doesn't she know this is the week that I need to organize some bins and tidy the mudroom?"

Now I know, you can always put off chores, but not these ones this week. I have already put off the mudroom since October and the bins are from last week. And my sister and her family are coming on Friday meaning 6 extra people in the house. So... these chores really can't be put off. No way, no how. Hopefully I will be less fuzzy tomorrow and can get to tackling these things before the masses descend. But, all I can think of is the inconsiderateness of Miss P, the germs she transferred to me (next time her dad can be her snuggle buddy) and the person that gave the germs to Miss P. Thanks for this cold which makes thinking hurt... how kind of you. NOT!

Synopsis

Abby and Jonah have just moved to a new town where things are different. Abby is having a hard time adjusting. Then one night Jonah and Abby get sucked through a mirror into the story of Snow White, which they manage to mess up and have to put right.

My Thoughts

This is the first of a series of books in the "Whatever After" series.

This was such a delight. I read this book out load to my older two and they loved it.

I thought that it was quite clever and showed the weirdness and timelessness of fairy tales perfectly. Mylnowski allowed Snow White to be someone who had ambitions and ideas. Snow White was definitely not going to be a girl who simply went a long with things just because it was her story. She wanted to write her own destiny which was quite cool.

We are all looking forward to continue the series. This is a perfect book for girl bonding moments.