Monster, Be Good! by Natalie Marshall (Blue Apple Books)

from goodreads

4 stars

I hope you all had a fabulous Christmas. I met with my book club last night and a few were quite excited about gift cards to bookstores they received. I was happy with the time I got to read.

My list of books I want to read this coming year seems long but I am so excited about it. I am ready to get reading. I usually don't try to map out what I want to read over the year. I have my book club books obviously, but other than that I just let the wind take me. So this is new. But as I looked at my to-read shelf get bigger and bigger and bigger on goodreads I knew that I needed to attempt to make a slight dent in it. I chose 25 books from it to be my to-read 2015 books. We will have to see how well I do and if I like this mapping out process. Of course, if a new book catches my eye on the shelf, I will probably through caution to the wind and read it. We'll see.

Synopsis

This book is full of helpful tips for taking care of your very own monster.

My Thoughts

This was a really cute book. The monsters were definitely monsteriffic. You are in charge of monsters and need to manage their behaviour. It is basically a parenting book, but instead of picturing children it is monsters and sometimes that is an apt substitution.

There is a rainbow of colour in each page's illustrations. The pictures help make the monsters look less menacing and more whimsical.

When reading this with the kids they don't see their own bad behaviour in what the monsters are doing. Yet they know exactly how the monster should act. So hopefully some of this learning will sink it. Yet, from the screaming fit that occurred last night, I don't think it has. Though we did provide some birth control to the passing group of older teens passing our van who heard it.

See you in 2015! I hope the beginning of your new year is a great one. Do you have any reading goals, or books on your list to read for 2015?

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

from goodreads

2.5 stars

The other day on Facebook one of my friends posted her results for one of those online quizzes. This quiz was about art work and asked if you could match the name with the popular piece of art. I decided to take it, not because I know a lot of art, but just to see how well I would do. Amazingly I got 10 out of 10. This is due impart to the pieces actually being popular and the fact that it was multiple choice so I was able to deduce the title and honestly a bunch of luck.

This got me thinking to what we consider great art. What makes a piece great? What makes it not so great. Is there an actual method to deduce art or is it subjective? Is there a way to classify great art, or is just a crap shoot?

The same could be said about books. Is there a methodology that we could use to deduce what is the pentultimate book? I wish there was then we wouldn't have to read bad ones. But it is good that there isn't. Every author is so different and every reader is so different. Our life history can influence our choice of reading material. Yet, when the right book meets the right reader at just the right time magic happens. Though it can be rare it is beautiful when it does.

Synopsis

This book follows a boy and then man named Theo Decker. In his early teens he is in a bomb attack that kills his mother. This sets off a chain of events that takes Theo into the upper crust of New York's social scene, then to the dredges of Las Vegas and then back to New York and the high end antique scene. The glue that holds his scattered world together is a painting, a painting that acts like a compass in his whirlwind life.

My Thoughts

I don't know what to think about this book. It is a real head scratcher that's for sure. The language and descriptions used were awesome. Though at times the story felt a bit wordy, yet the wordiness added a richness to it, sometimes. The length was quite something at 771 pages. I think that page number will stick with me.

The story at times kept me thoroughly engaged. The beginning section was quite intriguing and I was thinking that this was going to be a really awesome read. I also liked the section when he moves back to New York. It again piqued my interest.

But then when he goes to Las Vegas, and after awhile in New York, it just seemed to drag on and on. I wished the Las Vegas part had been cut down a bit. While I understand why it was necessary as part of the story, I wished it had been severely edited. To see someone waste and risk their lives with so much drug abuse was horrible. And the gross negligence of Theo's father, despicable. It's like why force Theo to go to Las Vegas when he had a more stable environment where he was.

So, I can't give it a full solid three, as there were many times I wanted to give up. I'm not sure why I kept going. I guess the blurb on the flap made me think that it would be getting really exciting. I think if there was a bit more action and a bit less drug use described it would have made for a more interesting read as the drug culture doesn't interest me at all.

The use of art and getting a glimpse into the antique world was also interesting. I guess that is the thing that was neat about this book. You got a glimpse into worlds and interests you might not normally get to see. It has piqued my interest in learning more about art, but that's about it.

When I finished the story I felt relief of it being done and that's about it. There are some books that stick with you for a while and you think about what you read or about the characters. This is not one of those books. Whenever I happen to think about it I just think of the gross parental neglect shown in Las Vegas and the waste that can happen when there is not a parental figure that shows a genuine interest. It is sad.

For what it is worth, The Goldfinch won the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Sometimes I don't understand books that win prizes. Perhaps I am just not as deep and in tune with the art form as I need to be. Clearly other people liked it more than I. I guess this book just wasn't my thing.

Snow by Uri Shulevitz

from goodreads

4 stars

Despite the title of this book, I think it is going to be a green Christmas here in Waterloo. Not that I mind the green. It means it is warm enough that we can do things outside, but then it is too warm to have snow, which we want to do the things outside we want to do. It is sort of a Catch-22 (a book that I have tried to read and just didn't get). Tomorrow, as long as it is not raining, we will be going skating which will be fun. There is an outdoor rink in the uptown square and luckily it has a cooling system, so no ice will be melting on us!

I guess snow does make the Christmas atmosphere more Christmasy. But, when you think about it, Christmas is celebrated all over the world, and that means that it isn't snowing everywhere when Christmas is. So I guess we are having a southern hemisphere Christmas this year, and that is okay with me. Now if only we could have southern hemisphere temperatures too!

Synopsis

When boy with dog sees a snowflake he keeps up the hope of a great snow even though all those around him tell him not to get his hopes up.

My Thoughts

I like this book. I like what the author calls some of the characters: boy with dog, grandfather with beard and man with hat. I also like how he captures the atmosphere before a snow. How everything was gray. It is amazing how gray November and December can be when there is no snow. Even the grass seems to be gray.

It is great how he builds up the snow. At first it is just one flake then two etc. By doing that he seems to build up a kind of anticipation. Will it snow or will the adults be right?

It got kinda weird when the statues from the bookstore start to dance with the boy, but to others it might be a nice touch of whimsy.

The illustrations are interesting. They match the story and set a great tone for the book.

It is a great book for when you are waiting for the snow to come.

Ithaca by Susan Fish

from goodreads

4 stars

There are times, during nap time mostly, when I stop and think, what next? By that I mean. When my kids are all old enough to be in school during the day, or when they are grown up and have left the house, what next? What does that next chapter in my life look like. Do I want a career outside the one in my home? Do I want to harness the ultimate power in my domestic engineering life? What next?

I haven't come up with any definitive answers. All I know is that whatever "what next" is I want to be an amazing person, and an amazing and supportive wife and mother. If I can check those boxes, I think "what next" is going to be okay.

Synopsis

Daisy Jane finds herself in a bit of a transitional place. Her husband of nearly forty years has died suddenly and her only child lives half way around the world in Singapore. She is now trying to navigate in a world where she has never been alone. When she sees a sign about fracking and decides to take a night course to learn more about it her eyes are opened to what she herself can contribute, even if it is just soup on Wednesdays.

My Thoughts

I picked this book up mainly because it was written by a local author. It is kind of neat to know that in this small city we have authors. Usually, I think of authors being aloof or in a metropolis or in a secluded farm house. Really, they come in all sort of shapes and locales.

I was very pleasantly, not really surprised, but content, satisfied, I don't know the word but what ever it was I was that, pleasantly.

The location of Ithaca was superb. I have never been there but next time I am in that general area I think I will go. It sounds beautiful. I forgot that Cornell University is there and the Moosewood Cafe. I definitely need to check it out.

The character of Daisy Jane was super interesting. I think it is because she is going through what I feel I might go through at some point. She was a homemaker now thrust into making lots of decisions. She no longer had her family to focus her energy on. She had to take stock of herself and decide what she wanted to do for herself. That kind of personal inventory is not the easiest to do.

I love the idea of a community soup night where you open your home to whomever. And the soups sounded delish! I know that in downtown Kitchener there is a family that has a potluck every week. What a great way to build community.

The comparison between losing a spouse due to dying and then losing a spouse due to a chronic disease was interesting. Disease does change people. In the terms of the one characters wife, she had MS. She was unable to do the things she used to do. Her personality changed, the dynamic of their relationship changed. Is that harder or just different than if the spouse had just died. While grieving is still part of the process, is any of it easy? It gave some interesting food for thought.

Then there was the story line about the fracking and environmental aspects of it. Fish did a great job with this, describing the issue without it feeling like we were in a lecture hall. She wasn't preachy and really left it up to ourselves what we thought about it.

For a book that really wasn't that long there were many seeds of ideas that were planted. It was an enjoyable read and I highly recommend it.

Red Car, Red Bus by Susan Steggall

from goodreads

2 stars

Has this ever happened to you. You are reading a book to your children and the whole time you are thinking, I could have written this. This has happened to me on many occasions. Now, I am sure a lot of thought and love go into the books, but sometimes you have to wonder.

Perhaps if I can get my life organized I might put my hand at it. Because seriously, if some of these people can do it then I should be able to do so as well. I'm sure my stories couldn't be any worse.

Synopsis

Colourful traffic drive through a town.

My Thoughts

Well... what to say. If you have kids who really like cars and trucks then they will love this book. If you are trying to teach colours then this would be a great book. If you are looking for something that is a little tedious to read this is the book for you.

I did not enjoy this book. It just identifies the colour and type of vehicle on the page in different sequences. It is a very awkward book to hold as it is super long, so it is almost impossible to hold with one hand, which is important sometimes when you have kids.

The only saving grace is the art work. I love how it shows a little story of a woman and her child trying to catch the bus. There are other little stories that are woven throughout the pictures.

This book didn't hold any of my kids attention. Miss V. liked the fact that she could read all the words, but thought the book was kind of "weird". By the time you get to Miss. V and Miss G. age you are looking for a bit more depth in the story. Even Miss P. didn't like it. She would much rather read Don't Push the Button which is more of an engaging book.

So as said above, a young boy who likes vehicles will like this book. The pictures are worth seeing, but as a whole I didn't really appreciate the book as much as the author and publisher may have hoped for.

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain

from goodreads

4 stars

I would consider myself to be an introvert. I like being able to have quiet so I can focus on the task at hand. At the end of the day I am glad when the kids are in bed so I know I have my physical space to myself. I can be by myself and be quite content in my own company. Small talk sucks, and I like to observe and analyze before jumping into things. I can be shy on occasion but also outgoing when the occasion calls for it. But, I do value my quiet time.

It can be hard sometimes navigating in a world that likes people who are always bright, bubbly, and almost exhibitionist. I like keeping private things private and don't often need the whole world to see every single detail of my life.

What I think we all are trying to do or at least should be doing, whether we are an introvert or an extrovert is to be striking some sort of balance. We need to find ways to bring the strengths of being an introvert and being an extrovert together in some way. Both personality types have beautiful qualities and it is finding those qualities and using them to reach our full potential that is so important. I think that might take some time, but, it would be worth the effort.

Synopsis

Susan Cain take an in-depth look into the world of the introvert. She looks at how workplace configurations, the extrovert ideal and selling ourselves can affect the introvert. She also quietly suggests that the world may need re-evaluate the way they view those people of a more quiet nature.

My Thoughts

What an interesting read. While she goes a bit more in-depth then what I would about what is an introvert, and people being more sensitive etc. this was really enlightening. The amount of research she did was shown in the details.

What I found interesting was the perception of trust and expertise in the workplace. If you are not loud and overbearing it seems that people aren't going to take your word for it. While it is necessary to present your findings, I find it quite crazy that just because you aren't loud and brazen your thoughts would not be as valued, even though they may be more correct.

I liked how she compared western culture and eastern culture. The different values each culture places on personality. It was quite interesting. I also thought the analysis of open plan work places was interesting. I had never thought about open plan work places and how it might not work for all people before. The more I read, the more I realized I wouldn't like the open plan concept as much, it is nice to have a private place to just knuckle down and get to work.

I love how she doesn't say introversion is the best and extroversion is bad. She shows that both are necessary and that each personality type can learn from each other. I think this book is just the beginning of a very interesting conversation about what we value in our life. I also think this should be a must read for all business school instructors. Perhaps wall street blunders could have been avoided if the introverts (who were trying to warn their bosses) were paid the respect and attention that they warranted (though perhaps that is a bit simplistic).

While some parts of the book were a bit dry and hard to get through, on the whole this book was engaging and very thought provoking. It was a fairly easy read without being overly simplistic. It is a definite must read for introverts and extroverts alike.

Pinkalicious - Victoria Kann and Elizabeth Kann

from goodreads

4 stars

Has Frozen taken over your house yet? Miss V. and Miss G. love to sing the songs but their enthusiasm is starting to wane. Miss P. on the other hand wants to be watching the movie 24/7. When I purchased the movie I was able to get the blu-ray, dvd, digital combo pack for the same price as the regular dvd (thanks Target). So we decided to put the movie on our ipad so the girls could watch it on our long trip. Not a problem. Or, at least it wasn't, until Miss P. discovered how to unlock the ipad, and locate the app in which Frozen could be watched. As soon as she gets up from her nap Miss P. says "Let it Go" over and over (that is what she calls Frozen) finds the ipad (which I thought I had hid very cleverly) and starts the movie up. Now I think Frozen is an alright movie. I even find some of the songs to be rather catchy, but seriously little miss 21 month old! Enough is enough! Luckily over the past week she has been bringing me Pinckalicious to read instead of the ipad. So maybe, just maybe, we are turning the corner. One can hope.

Synopsis

One a rainy day Pinkalicious and her mother decide to make pink cupcakes, but more turned out pink than just the batter.

My Thoughts

This is a really cute book. From the series of books about Pinkalicious, I think it is one of the best. The art work is awesome. I love the different textures used to create the pictures. I love the story. It is believable but with just the right touch of whimsy to make it magical. And for the little girl in your life you loves pink, what book could really be better?

I love the line that the mother uses when Pinkalicious asks for another cupcake. She says, "You get what you get and you don't get upset". The first time I read that I was like "GENIUS" and now that is my go to line when my girls start to pester me with their requests.

The only thing that I didn't like about it was how they portrayed green healthy food. I know that the point of view is from a little girl and that most kids would rather have pink cotton candy than a dill pickle. But at the same time don't use the word yuck in the same sentence as healthy choices. I don't want my kids to think that brussel sprouts are supposed to be yucky when right now they eat them right up. I know, it's a kids book, don't read to much into it, but at the same time I want my kids to like green food. This is just a minor thing, and I omit the "yuck" when I read it so I guess no harm no foul.

I highly recommend this book. The author also writes all the learn to read Pinkalicious books so they are actually nice to read instead of tedious.

The Root Cellar by Janet Lunn

from goodreads

4 stars

Well, I finally read this book. I was supposed to have had it read by my October book club meeting. Unfortunately, the library only had one copy. By the time I got around to putting it on hold someone else already had it on hold. For a pretty fast read both patrons sure took a long time reading it, especially the last one which returned it three days after it was due!

Now I know that libraries can't possibly hold all known books, or multiple copies of them on their shelves, but seriously, how inconvenient. What are the odds that three people in this city wanted to read this book at the same time? (My other book club ladies either owned a copy or use a neighbouring city's library system.)

Oh, well. That being said, I love the library. I love that my kids love the library. Yesterday Miss G. (click here to find out more about Miss G. Miss V. and Miss P.) was so excited to tell our favourite librarian, Sam, about officially becoming a Spark and Miss V. felt comfortable asking Sam to help her find a new book series. It is nice when you can go into a place and feel completely at ease. That is what our library does for us. What do you love about your library?

Synopsis

When Rose's grandmother dies she is sent from New York to small town Ontario, Canada to live with an Aunt and family she has never met. Scared, shy and a bit overwhelmed Rose has a hard time adjusting. When she discovers a root cellar behind her Aunt's house she is pulled back in time. Rose goes on the adventure of a lifetime and learns from the past how to be more happy in her present.

My Thoughts

This was a really interesting book. As stated above this was a book club pick. The only thing I knew about it going in was that a girl goes into a root cellar and back in time. So I was picturing it being set in Saskatchewan or some prairie setting. I was really surprised when it ended up being set in Prince Edward County. I spent two weeks of my summer on the island of Prince Edward County every summer for about 8 years of my youth. So I know that setting well. Then when the setting in the book changed to Oswego, New York, I was like, "whoa, I've been there". My family and I spent time in a State Park that is near by and did our laundry in Oswego. I wanted to walk around the town more, but it was raining when we were there, but I would love to go back. It is always fun when you read a book and the setting is a place where you have been and know fairly well.

The story was engaging. It was an ingenious concept. You get sucked right in. It was interesting to learn more about the history of the Civil War and the aftermath that followed. I never really thought about Canadians going down to fight in the war, but I guess that would have made sense. (Well I guess we wouldn't have been technically Canadians yet, but you know what I mean.)

There was only one thing that drove me up the wall, and that caused me not to give it a full 5 stars. What's up with the family? Rose's Aunt and cousins completely spaz on her and call Rose, ungrateful, rude, hateful etc. Where did that venom come from? It seemed completely out of left field. Rose really hadn't done anything to cause such anger to come from these people. They showed no compassion for her or her circumstances. You would think the Aunt or Uncle would have had a little bit of a clue to the fact that Rose was shy and trying to get her bearings after being completely uprooted. It just all kind of threw me for a loop. Everything gets rectified at the end, and it is all good, but I don't get it at all. I guess I would have expected more build up to that kind of negative emotion and reaction, but there really wasn't.

Even with all that, I would thoroughly recommend this book. I would say it would be a great book for ages ten and up.

The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson Illustrated by Axel Scheffler

from goodreads

5 stars

The year is winding down. And though the holiday season is gearing up, I feel eerily relaxed. Perhaps I am missing something or forgetting about something. I don't know. I hope not. But it is such a nice feeling that when you can be relaxed about things. That does not mean to say that everything is ready for Christmas, but rather, I have this feeling that everything will turn out okay.

I am in the process of making some presents currently. And it has been fun. I haven't been reading as much, but I have been enjoying re-watching one of my favourite BBC mini-series Hamish Macbeth. I think when I start to sew I will listen to some audio books. That is always nice to do. That is how I read The Book Thief and reread the Harry Potter series. The orators are so good. They bring a whole other dimension to the story. It is just magical. I still remember how emotional I got at the end of The Book Thief when Liesel called out "Papa". Man it was a blurry eyed moment. Do you like listening to audio books? Which is your favourite?

Synopsis

The mouse took a walk in the deep dark woods, and to all the animals he looked tasty and good. Then he meets a Gruffalo.

My Thoughts

I have read, and read, and read, and read, and read this book to my kids and man, they love it and so do I. The rhythm and the poems are so top notch. I love putting different voices to the different animals. I love how saavy that mouse is. I love the pictures and illustrations, I love everything about this book.

I love how the mouse thinks he has outwitted all these other animals by inventing the Gruffalo and then all of the sudden he runs into one. Yet does that keep him down, nope, the mouse just rolls with it and in the end enjoys a nice acorn without anyone bothering him. My kids love it when the mouse meets the Gruffalo.

I don't know what else to really say about it other than it is just top notch. It is one book that I can stand to read over and over again, and that is saying something. I just love it so much.

So, if you haven't read it yet, well get on it. You will not be disappointed.