The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte

from goodreads

5 stars

I always find it interesting when siblings all have the same vocation. Like when they're all doctors or lawyers or dancers or fisherman. Is there some sort of familial pressure or is it genetics or local circumstances?

In my immediate family there is an optometrist, a municipal accountant, a woodsman/jack of all trades, a teacher, and two stay at home moms who are active in a variety of activities outside of that. None off us are exactly alike, and while the the pay of teachers and optometrists is good, I don't want to do those things, they really don't interest me at all.

The fact that the three Bronte sisters each came up with novels that are so beloved and have stood the test of time is amazing. What are the odds of that. Yes, the lived a secluded life and probably had nothing better to do than hone their craft. But the thing is, they did it. Sometimes I don't have much on my plate but I'm not trying to write a masterpiece that will stand the test of time. I'm usually lazing around, hoping the kids don't interrupt my revery.

Synopsis

Wildfell hall is an older house that has fallen into disrepair. When the neighbourhood finds out that part of it has been let out to a newly widowed woman and her son there is much speculation and rumour. When the truth is ultimately revealed to the main character it is one of heartbreak and shows the flaws and cruelty of 19th century English society.

My Thoughts

This truly is a masterpiece. This is the first book I have read by Anne and I am looking forward to reading her other works. I think Jane Eyre, might have been nudged out of top spot for favourite Bronte sister book. (Though if you haven't seen the BBC mini-series of Jane Eyre with Ruth Wilson, you must get it from your library. It is amazing!!!!)

I loved how readable this book was. Sometimes, when you are reading classics, you can read an entire page and nothing sinks in. Your eyes glaze over and you have to reread the page two or three times. This did not happen with this book. Yes she is still more wordy than she has to be, but it was still readable. It didn't seem to be wordiness for wordiness sake. Her cadence was rich and it conveyed the story so well.

I loved how the struggles that Helen went through can be something that we can relate to today. Of course it would be nice if all women were treated equally to men and were able to get away from abuse of any kind easily and without fear of being trapped or dragged back. That, sadly, has not changed from the time this book was published until now. But Helen's heart ache and love and wanting to do the right thing by others and her conscience is something that I think we all can relate to at some level. Helen could have thrown all her morals to the wind after being betrayed so terribly by her husband, but she doesn't. She still holds herself to her high standard and that is so admirable.

It also shows how rumours can get started and be completely outrageous, though they can hurt people. It shows what qualities we should try to cultivate in ourselves and which ones do nothing more than harm ourselves in other's esteem.

This is also a cautionary tale about thinking you can change people. You can't change people as much as you would like to and as much as it would probably do that person good. People will change if, and only if, they choose to. They have to change for themselves. They can't change for anyone else. Anne does a good job of showing the truthfulness of this.

I love they way that Anne reveals Helen's story. It was such a clever way to break up the story a bit. I was wondering how it was going to be revealed.

When I rated this book on Goodreads.com there was a note that stated if your copy started with "You must go back with me..." it was incomplete. There is actually a prologue of a letter written to J. Halford.  My version was incomplete so I looked online and got the completed version. I recommend reading that as it puts the book in a bit of a better context as to why it is being written and why he signs off on some of the chapters as if he is writing a letter. It is nice to know this upfront, instead of finding out like 20 pages in.

This is an absolute must read. It is just so good. I loved it.

Spells by Emily Gravett

from goodreads

3 stars

The past few days have been epic. Epic in sickness that is. It is amazing how fast bugs can travel, especially when enclosed in the school system.  First Miss G. was sick then a later week Miss V. and Miss P. got sick. Then I got sick yesterday, hence the delay in the post, and now Miss G. is sick again. My husband hasn't gotten it yet. Hopefully he is able to stay strong so he can nurse the rest of us. Though, it seems to be a 24-hour bug, so it's not too bad.

The upside of all of this is I am getting quite a lot of reading done. I was able to finish one book on the weekend and I am 2/3 of the way through another. I definitely won't be missing too many blog posts for the next little while due to not reading enough, that's for sure!

Synopsis

Frog finds a book and wishes it was a different kind of book and wishes he was a different kind of being. When he discovers it is a magic book he decides to try out some of the spells.

My Thoughts

I'm still not sure what my thoughts actually are about this book. Though I will admit, the more I read it the more I like it.

I like the illustrations. I like the use of black as the background. It makes everything seem that much more magical.

I am beginning to like the split pages now that I understand that you are supposed to play around with them to see what different things you can create with the spells. At first I wasn't sure if I was supposed to go in order or not and I was really confuddled. I think that's why I didn't like the book as much at first.

I don't get the ending. Was the magic only good for so long? Why couldn't he get the kiss he wanted at the beginning. The ending was rather abrupt and I felt left hanging.

I would recommend this book, simply for the fun of creating different creatures with the flip pages. But if you are looking for an engaging story, this isn't the book for you because there really isn't that much of an actual story.

On Immunity: An Inoculation by Eula Biss

from goodreads

4 stars

There are few topics that can be so divisive and argumentative than vaccination. When I told one of the moms on the playground about the book I just finished she said, "it seems now a days, religion and politics are safer topics than vaccination". That statement is so true.

A few years ago at a play group we got on the subject of vaccinations. A mom there was just wondering what our views were of them and if there were any that we wouldn't have done. This is around the time of year where we in Canada start thinking about getting the flu shot.

At first no one said much, just general statements. It wasn't until a brave mom said that she vaccinates her kids, that we all said that yes, we vaccinate too. (Though we rarely do the flu shot, no good reason, we just don't. Perhaps it is laziness.) I think we just didn't want to offend or step on someone's ideas of what was right with them. And quite frankly, I just didn't want to open a whole can of worms. I am not an expert immunologist, I have done a bit of research but not much, I just didn't feel like arguing about a topic that is full of myths, half-truths, and sometimes deception. So lucky for us we were able to have a pleasant conversation and there were no sippy cups being thrown.

It is interesting how our thoughts go crazy as soon as we think about vaccination. How black and white we all seem to make a very gray subject.

Synopsis

Eula Biss takes a look at the history of vaccinations and looks at the societal metaphors that surrounds our thoughts on them.

My Thoughts

I am really glad that I read this book. When I first put a hold on it I didn't look at the book length and thought I was going to be getting a 500 page thesis. I was happily surprised when it was only 163 pages of text before the notes. Nice!

This book was a really interesting look at our decision process surrounding vaccination. What makes us want to, what makes us not want to. And while she never comes out and says whether you should or not, she helps navigate the world of vaccinations and gives some suggestions to consider and gives some creditable sources to look at when making your decision.

I found the historical aspects of the book really fascinating. Being leery or questionable about vaccines is not a new thing. Throughout the 19th century many people were as leery about them as many people are now. (For good reason as in the 19th century they still didn't believe in small germs.) Stigmas seems to surround all vaccines and those stigmas whether untrue or not were and are hard to shake.

The whole Dracula aspect was an interesting slant. It tied things together and made things interesting.

I loved the quotes from the author's dad. He seems like a sensible man and I would love to have a book with his ideas and thoughts. He seems so wise.

I felt she did a good job at being fairly unbiased, though, other's may not think so. She does vaccinate, so, those who don't vaccinate might think she has too much of a pro-vaccinate slant. To me it seemed like she presented some facts and in the end leaves you to decide what to do with it.

I found this to be a very pleasant read on such a polarizing topic. It might be short but it is worthwhile to look into. Perhaps the length is its greatest strength.

Jillian Jiggs Series by Phoebe Gilman

from goodreads

4 stars

It is funny what books stay with you over the course of time. I remember first hearing our school librarian read the Jillian Jiggs books to us when I was little. But, until I read the books to my children, I could not have told you what happened in them at all. The story didn't stick. The repetition of "Jillian, Jillian Jillian Jiggs" stuck, but that was about it.

We were given these books (all five in one), I think for Christmas, when my oldest was 3 or so. As I read it to them, I became reacquainted with Jillian and her adventures, and I am happy that happened.

Now, there are other books that I know I was read only a few times as a child, but I still remember the story vividly. I can even remember the setting of me hearing them. I guess it is all to do with book magic. Sometimes you have book magic hit you when you are little and you remember the stories all through life. Other times you don't get the book magic until later on reading it to your own kids. But it is never to late to get that book magic, and that's a good thing.

Synopsis

This is a series of 5 books that follows a little girl named Jillian Jiggs, and her friends and little sister. She makes everything into an adventure, whether it is cleaning her room, making pigs, playing in snow, finding out what makes a noise or making a birthday present.

My Thoughts

These are a fabulous series of books. I used to think it is was weird that they spelled Jillian with a J instead of a G (as my sister's names is Gillian). But, reading a bit more about the author I now know why. She was making a play off of the poem Gregory Griggs, and while she thought it would be fun to have it be Gillian Giggs she didn't want people to make the wrong G sound. She didn't want them to make the G of Gorilla instead of George. So she spelled them with Js.

The author writes in poems and it has such a nice rhythm. I know I have said it before but I am in awe of people who can write their stories using poetry. When a story can make sense and have all the building blocks of a story and it all rhymes! That is a miracle to me, and I enjoy it immensely.

I love the artwork, it is believable but engaging. They are colourful and fun. You could search them all day and still discover treasures hidden.

I love how the stories really capture the imagination that children have. I love how these are adventures that real kids could have in their real lives. Sometimes in books or kids shows the characters are 8 but they are so independent that they are doing things that no real 8 year old would do (I'm looking at you Arthur). With these books Jillian loses her mitts, I know lots of kids that that can happen to. Jillian tidies her room but manages to make it messier, my goodness that is my kids life! (I'm glad they play together, but it would be nice if it was them playing tidy up.) In a way, these books are truly timeless. Parents and kids could relate to them no matter what era they are living in.

I don't think I have a favourite. I do have a least favourite. But they are good and all are worth reading. I love how at the back she gives ideas for how to make pigs and a play to act out. That is super cool.

I highly recommend the world of Jillian Jiggs.

Greenglass House by Kate Milford

from goodreads

3.5 stars

Today is a sad day. Target is closing their stores in Canada. Now, I try not to buy too much. I am trying to get out of the consumeristic mindset that we seem to be in, but I loved Target. They had some of the neatest things. While the business model and research they did before branching out into Canada was quite flawed and all this could have been avoided, I sure wished they would have tried to change things up and stick it out instead of just cutting and running. I just don't want Wal-marts to paint the scene. Nothing against Wal-mart but I think we have enough of them. Hopefully this means an opportunity for some other company to come in and wow us.

Anyway, sorry for no thought provoking cute anecdotes today. My mind is just consumed with grief over this news... I should be better by tomorrow... hopefully.

Synopsis

Milo is looking forward to a nice quiet Christmas holiday with his family. He gets his homework done and everything. Then one by one, guests come to the hotel, where he and his family live. While this means no quiet vacation it does mean a mystery as there is more going on than what it seems.

My Thoughts

This is a hard one to rate. In some regards this book is a big 5 stars, in others it kind of tanked.

So let's start with things I loved. I loved the setting of this book. The house sounds beautiful. I want to live there, or at least visit for a while. I love the idea of needing a cable car to reach it. That sounds really cool.

I loved some of the folk lore that was created and how every small detail was important. It is nice when there are stories within stories. Especially when they are important to the main story arc and not just added pages.

I liked the mystery. It was neat and fun to try and figure out. Right when you had one thing resolved another thing happened that you had to piece together. That was cool, as it kept you on your toes.

I also liked the surprise twist at the end. It made me rethink everything I had read and look again for the clues that would have showed me that conclusion. I wasn't really expecting it, yet, it worked!

I didn't like the whole role playing game. While I get that Milo's character had more courage or could do different things when he was his role playing character it sometimes made it confusing. I think because I personally am just not into those kinds of games I just didn't get it. Others who are into those kind of games might love this kind of storytelling device. It just wasn't my cup of tea.

It was hard to keep a timeframe in mind for this place as it seemed pretty timeless. You know it is modern day because of modern conveniences etc. Yet other times it seems like it should be more early 20th century. I wished it felt more settled in the time. It was hard to picture people's clothing, or vehicles or other stuff, when the time seemed to flip flop around in it's sense. (Not sure if I am making any sense, but trust me, it was hard to picture.)

Some of the characters where a bit flat to me. They were still interesting, but not as much as I wished.

I also wished we knew more about the community. Why were smugglers so important there, was the town a hidden cove or an important stop on a trade route? Was it a small town, as it seemed to feel, or part of a larger region, which the story also had the feel of. There were sometimes hints and allusions to these answers but nothing concrete, and I found not knowing distracting to the rest of the story. Also, why wouldn't have Milo and Meddy have met before? Was it a big enough area that there were more than one school? It seemed like a town where everyone knew everyone else, but clearly that wasn't the case.

I think I would have enjoyed this book a whole lot more when I was 12. Since I am not 12, I think I wanted more. So, if you have a 12 year old in your life, I highly recommend it . I think they will love it. As an adult reading it, I think you will like it too, but you probably won't have your socks knocked off.

Community Soup by Alma Fullerton

from goodreads

2.75 stars

Since winter has finally hit and seems reluctant to leave I have been thinking about the nice things you can do in winter. Many of those things revolves around ingesting something warm, whether it is hot chocolate or soup. I try to serve soups at least once a week in the winter. I love soup for its simplicity, its nutrition, and its warmth.

This is this year's book for the Let's Read campaign of Waterloo Region. If you are in Waterloo January 30th, the McCormick Branch is having activities and a free skate. Be sure to check it out. I know I'm looking forward to it.

Synopsis

It is time for the school to make soup. But when Kioni discovers her goats in the vegetable garden who knows what will happen.

My Thoughts

This book was Mary had a little lamb meets a Kenyan school. Instead of a lamb it was goats, and instead of Mary it was Kioni. There is even faint references to that nursery rhyme within the story.

The story wasn't all that great. I did enjoy the pictures but even they were just alright. It just seemed a bit jumbly to me and just jumped from thing to thing.

What I did like was the recipe at the end of the book. It was for a pumpkin vegetable soup. We made it for dinner on the weekend and my daughter has been taking the leftovers for her lunch. So that added a bit of fun.

So, to me this was really a middle of the road type of book. But if you are looking for a yummy soup recipe, check it out.

The White Russian by Vanora Bennett

from goodreads

3 stars

I know I have talked about this a bit before, but the cover has a lot to do with whether I will pick up a book or not. If someone recommends the book then the cover doesn't really matter. It is more for the books I have never heard of before where the cover is essential.

For example this current book. I read a copy that had a different cover. Goodreads doesn't have it as one of its images and amazon and chapters had other things added to it so I couldn't use it, but here is a link to the cover here. (I am in no way endorsing this company or asking you to buy a copy of the book. I just want you to see the cover.) Now that cover has intrigue and excitement all over it. I saw that cover on my library's homepage where they have a section of their new books scrolling through. When I saw it I thought "that book looks intriguing. I'll put it on hold", which is precisely what I did. I do not think that would have been the case if the cover that I am using was the one on my library's website. While I like things from the the thirties and most things black and white, this cover seems to sell a completely different kind of book. This almost has a weird silent movie tragedy look to it. Intriguing is not a word I would use. And now, after reading the book, I would be expecting a completely different kind of story. I'm not saying this cover is bad, it just doesn't reflect the type of story I think the book is.

It is the same for when I see recommendations on goodreads. Quite often I won't even see the book description unless either the title is really catching or the cover is really catching, and sometimes both need to be. I wonder why that is? Perhaps I am more visual that what I thought I was. How about you? Are covers of books essential to you wanting to pick them up?

Synopsis

Evie, has never known her maternal grandmother. There was a parting of ways many years back between her mother and grandmother. After returning from college (which the grandmother paid for) Evie does not want to return to her stifling life with her mother. Instead she books voyage to Paris to meet her Grandmother and ends up being entwined in a plot between the White and Red Russians.

My Thoughts

This was a pretty interesting read, but I wanted more. I found the love connection a bit weird. It wasn't love at first sight, yet there wasn't enough to make the deep connection they had seem real. Some of the characters seemed a bit too one dimensional for me and it left me lacking.

What I did enjoy was the history of the story and how this event really occurred. I never really thought about what happened to the people who fought against the Reds in the Russian civil war. I guess I just naively assumed that once they were beaten they just admitted defeat and went on their way making a new life under a new system. Obviously that didn't happen, but I just never thought about it before. It was interesting to learn about this whole Russian sub-culture that existed in Paris. It was also interesting to get some of the Parisian take on this Russian immigration.

I also liked seeing the generational gap between Jean and Yevgeny. Jean is trying to move away from his Russian past and trying to embrace the new life in France. Yevgeny is holding on to the hold ways and hopes to return to Russian someday and still hopes that he can defeat the Reds. It makes for a very interesting juxtapostition.

While this book peaked my interest I simply wanted more. There were so many cool plot twists and turns and possibilities, yet I found it simplistic and a bit flat. It is hard to explain. I guess it needed a bit more humph for me.

The Book With No Pictures by B.J. Novak

from goodreads

5 stars

The kids are back in school and I am starting to settle into my old routines. Ah bliss.

Over the holiday I thought I would have much more time for reading. But instead of the reading stack lowering it seems to be growing! Perhaps I have been a bit too ambitious.

I guess that is the nice thing about getting into a routine again. My routine always includes a little (my husband might say a lot of) time for reading. When the routine is gone other things can more easily fill the time. How do you fit in time to read? Do you have a dedicated time during the day or do you treat yourself after you do certain tasks? When do you read?

Synopsis

This book has no pictures but, it sure has a heck of a lot of words, and with words comes the power to delight.

My Thoughts

My family got this book for Christmas. I had seen it in bookstore emails and other online lists but had never taken the time to actually check it out. When we unwrapped it I was very happy and excited. I wanted to see if the book lived up with all the fuss it seemed to be given.

This was a very cool book. Miss G.'s teacher had read it to the class. Miss G. Was excited to share her favourite page that said "boo boo butt". Seriously, add the word butt to anything and kids will smile, okay adults will smile too. It must be a kid thing because I know my friends and I gave a snigger or two if we ever heard that word. There were so many other silly words. The kids were laughing and Miss V. was saying "is that even real word" in her very grown up 7 year old way.

I like how Novak lays down the rules for reading aloud. His rule is whatever is written on the page the person reading it has to say. And he makes the reader say a lot of silly things. I think this makes the kids enjoy this book even more. Usually parents or adults are so proper, and now they get to be silly too.

I also like how Novak adds what the reader is probably thinking. I think the adult readers appreciate that.

This is a great book that shows how fun words can be, that a book can be hilarious and engaging with out the need of pictures, and that reading and words can bring people together and provide them with a wonderful experience. I highly recommend it.

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

from goodreads

2.75 stars

Happy New Year!

It is crazy that it is 2015. I feel I did all this New Year stuff not that long ago and now it is upon me again. I guess that is what happens when you get older. As a kid days seem to go on forever. When we went to school the school day seemed so long. Now as a parent I feel the days fly by and that I just dropped the kids off and now I am having to pick them up. It is funny what age, experiences and priorities do to time perception.

While I enjoyed 2014 I am looking forward to 2015. My family and I have some exciting excursions and trips planned for this year. I am excited by some of the financial goals we have planned this year and am looking forward to doing my part in making those plans a reality. I am also looking forward to some of my personal goals too. While I don't make resolutions at the New Year I do like to take this time to reflect on how I am doing with my goals and seeing if there is any tweaking that needs to be done or a redistribution of energy. It is exciting. How do you celebrate your New Year? Do you make goals or resolutions?

Synopsis

Claire Randall and her husband Frank are in Scotland rekindling their relationship after being apart during WWII. While Frank is learning about his geneaology, Claire is learning about botany and is enjoying her time in the highlands. When Claire goes to a local stone circle she is suddenly flung back roughly two hundred years. There she meets Jaime a charming highlander. Claire needs to make a decision. Go back to Frank and the modern world, or do what she can do help her new friends and make a life with Jamie?

My Thoughts

Before reading this book I knew nothing about it except that it took place in Scotland. I only knew that because I caught a bit about the the t.v. series and they happened to be in scottish kit. I didn't know it was a huge hit or anything.

I don't know what the big fuss is about it. While I do think it is well written, there was so much sex, and almost rape, and more sex. While sex is part of the adult experience and is an important aspect in our lives, I was like, get on with it already. We get it, they are both horny. Let's move on. I like a good romance as much as the next person, but seriously, leave some room for the imagination. Though, you  might pick up some new tips. Just saying.

Because there was such a focus on the sex aspect of their life I found the story did not flow as quickly as I would have expected. When there was more action it was a really good read and intriguing. I guess going into the book I was expecting more of the action part and less of the romance side of things.

What also was time consuming was Claire's back and forth struggle about fidelity with her husband from the 20th century and that of the one in the 18th. Was she still being faithful if her husband didn't really exist? Was it okay to stay with this new love? While the moral dilemma is an interesting issue to explore, I found it went on too long. It seemed she, for almost the full 600 pages of her being in the 18th century, was always questioning it. While it is important not to be light about it the constant flip flopping and guilt was kind of crazy.

I also wish we found out more about Geillis Duncan. I don't want to give anything away so I will be really obscure here. We find out something, I would say rather pivotal about her, but then that's it. We don't know if there are more like her or how she came to be one or anything. It's like why bring it up if you aren't going to do anything with it. Perhaps it plays more of a role or theme later on in the series. I don't know.

There are seven more books in this series. I don't know if I am in a rush to read them. While the ending left me slightly intrigued as to what the characters were going to do I'm not sure if I am interested in knowing more. I hear that the t.v. series follows the story pretty well. Maybe I will just watch them if I want to learn more.

I think I might have liked this book if I was in a more racy mood, but I was not and so it was just meh, to me. Maybe in a different and time and season I would like it better. It has a ridiculously high goodreads rating, but I just didn't get it.