Mathew's Tale by Quintin Jardine

from goodreads

3.5 stars

I'm not sure why, but I am get so annoyed with the crazy spelling of people's names. And when I see a name spelled a way I don't think is right I just feel irked. Now if that is the only thing that irks me then life is pretty good. But, weirdly spelled names seem to be more rampent now. It seems everyone needs to have a unique name and if it isn't unique then it has to be spelled in a unique way. Like really?

Case and point the title of the book. That is not how you spell MatThew. I know that the spelling kind of plays into the plot a bit. But seriously. Since my husbands name is Matthew every time he looked at the cover he shuddered. I almost didn't read the book because of it. The plot intrigued me enough to get me in the end.

So please people. Enough with the unique spelling of ordinary names. For all our sakes lets agree on a spelling and stick to it. (Though this is coming from someone named Meredith and quite frankly it is crazy some of the spellings I have seen for my name. Between that and my last name I just start spelling it out loud as soon as someone asks for my name.)

Synopsis

Mathew Fleming, returns home after years away in the army. When he comes home things are not as they were when he left. Despite these personal setbacks Mathew makes a very successful life for himself. When a good friend of his is charged with murder of the local Laird, Mathew will stop at nothing to figure out what really happened and exonerate his friend.

My Thoughts

This is my first book by Jardine. I am excited to read some of his others.

What I liked about his writing was he cut right to the chase. While other authors might have built up to different revelations or twists he just put it out there. What I thought would take a couple chapters was all summed up in a page. It made for a nice quickly paced read. And I definitely wouldn't want to get on Mathew's bad side.

The story itself was fine. It was interesting, and you always wanted to know what was going to happen next. But parts of it were a bit hokey. Everything that Mathew touched turned to gold. Nothing ever seemed to not go his way. And, if by some chance it didn't go his way, he did everything in his power to rectify it, and that would work out. So it just became almost too obvious or I guess unrealistic. Believable but unrealistic.

It was interesting learning about the different levels and different kinds of law professionals there were. There was the solicitor and then the actual lawyer and the different judges. There were a ton of hoops you had to go through. If we think our justice system is a bit wacky now, it was so crazy back then! And the neptism that went on. Good grief. I found it really interesting to learn about.

This was a great quick and fairly light read. So if you want a nice quick mystery/vigilante justice read, this is the one for you.

As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride by Cary Elwes and Joe Layden

from goodreads

4 stars

I love The Princess Bride. I first saw the movie when I was 6 or 7. I have seen it many times since. For the longest time I would hide my face when the part of the old woman who booed Buttercup would come on because let's face it, that lady was scary! Now, my kids love watching it. They will even choose it over Frozen (and for any of you who have young daughters you will know what a feat that is).


I'm not sure what it is about The Princess Bride that makes it so memorable and lovable. It has an almost magical quality about it that makes you fall in love with it all over again every time you watch it. There is something for everyone in that movie. Whether you love beautiful princesses, pirates, giants, feats of athleticism, revenge or quirky secondary characters, this movie has it all. So I invite you, if you haven't seen this movie or if you haven't watched it in a while, to watch it. It is the best. Also, if you haven't read the book by William Goldman you should. I found it helped me understand the characters that much better and thus helped me appreciate the movie on a whole new level.

Synopsis

Cary Elwes, who played Westley in The Princess Bride reminisces about his time on set. Interspersed throughout the book are memories from the rest of the cast as well as some of the crew.

My Thoughts

I probably rated this book higher than what others might have. It isn't the best memoir I have ever read. The writing isn't out of this world. I just love Cary Elwes and I love The Princess Bride so I had to give it a high rating.


I love learning about behind the scenes things of movies. I am probably the only person who actually watches those features on every single dvd. I love watching interviews where you get little tidbits. I'm not sure when all this information will come in handy, but you never know. Thus, this book was right up my ally. Not only did you get Elwes' view on things, but you also got Rob Reiner's (the director), Billy Crystal's, Mandy Patinkin's, William Goldman's (screenwriter, also author of the book), Robin Wright's and more.

It was awesome to see how much training and work went into everything. I loved the stories about Andre the Giant. What a gentle soul he seemed. I loved learning about Elwes' injury, not because I am happy he was injured, but more I wondered why he sat so weirdly during one of the scenes, and now I know why.

Some of the stories told weren't new, as I have watched documentaries etc., but it was neat getting a new perspective on them.

The book is somewhat repetative. I'm not sure how many times we had to be told how nice Rob Reiner was or how much everyone just got along... but it was a lot. I'm glad they had such a nice time shooting and things were always so great, but seriously... we get it. Also, Elwes would always mention how happy he was to work with someone because he loved their work. Well I am not a movie buff so for a lot of people I didn't know of their work. I am interested to learn more, but reading it I was like they were in something other than Princess Bride?! Who knew. So, ya. The name dropping and comments on their work felt weird, because I wasn't sure if he was being serious or making it up.

Other than that, any fan of the movie is going to love this book. Seriously, read this book. You will be laughing and thrilled at the same time. You also might never watch the movie in quite the same way again (but you will still love it.)

Fairest by Marissa Meyer

from goodreads

4 stars

I have come to realize that I really have no life. Well, okay I do have one, but it is amazing how much of it revolves around books. If I am on the computer I have to check the status of my holds at the library or see updates on my goodreads feed. It is weird I know but that's the way it is. And you should see me if I know a book I really want to read is about to come out. I am checking at the library weeks before the release date to see if I can reserve it. Usually my perseverance pays off and I am able to be the first one to check it out! That's right, those bent pages and broken spines are all me (well I would actually never do that, but you know what I mean). But seriously, in the grand scheme of things it won't matter if I was the first person to check a book out at my library. No one else will now of that prestigious honour but me. But, when you are a book lover... that sensation just can't be beat.

*** Just a notice that I will not be doing my picture book review on Tuesday, instead I will be doing another chapter book. I have been reading so quickly lately I am like 6 books behind of where I actually am. The picture book reviews will resume the following Tuesday April 14th. ***



Synopsis

This is a prequel to Cinder, the first book in the Lunar Chronicles. This book looks at Queen Levana's life before she became queen. We see how she was moulded into what she would ultimately become.

My Thoughts

While I am impatiently waiting for Winter to be published, and sad of the delay this book has caused in that, I did really enjoy it.

I enjoyed learning about Levana's life and how her history really shaped the character we see in the rest of the series. You feel sorry for her. She had parents who didn't care for her. She had a sister who was rude and abusive and disfigured her. (Now we know about the need to cover her face all the time.) She was in love, and yet, did not understand what love really was. She wanted things so much but didn't know how to really give of herself and be trusting, though you can't really blame her.

Through this book Levana definitely becomes humanized. It gives her character new depth. It is also interesting to see how long some of these lunar plans have been in the works, such as the plague and the army of super soldiers.

Fans of the series are going to enjoy this book immensely. Even though it is a prequel I would not read this before Cinder or even Scarlet. I think it is important to see Levana first in those books and know the society through Cinder and Scarlet first and then go back to see the lunar perspective. This was definitely published at the right time. Now it is just a waiting game for Winter, which is supposed to be published in November.

Tuck Me In! by Dean Hacohen and Sherry Scharschmidt

from goodreads

4 stars

I don't know about you, but here, bedtime can be quite adventurous. The kids are constantly keeping us on our toes. Some nights, when we say it is bedtime, the kids quickly and without complaint brush their teeth, get in their p.j's and bam! their in bed. No dragging their feet, no begging for an extra story, even Miss P. goes to sleep quite easily. Those nights are bliss. Then other nights... oh man... there is so much whining and insisting on a big bedtime snack. They refuse to brush their teeth and getting them into their p.j.'s is one of this centuries epic struggles. By the time they're in bed my husband and I are done and all I want to do is sit quietly, with no one touching me and escape into my latest book.

Why the difference? I have no idea. But at least it keeps things interesting. I really can't complain about being bored.

Synopsis

It is time for different animals to go to bed. Your little one gets to tuck them in.

My  Thoughts

This is a really cute book. I love the illustrations and the different prints used for the blankets. I love it when books use half pages to completely change the look and feel of a picture. All kids love to use these half pages. Miss P. likes turning them back and forth to see the changes. Her smiles make me smile.

I like the variety of animals. There are pigs and crocodiles and things in between.

The story is very repetitive. After the second page it was a bit tedious for me. But then, the book isn't intended for me. It is intended for kids 2ish-5ish so for that reading audience it is perfect.

This really is the perfect book to add to your going to bed routine. Hopefully it will be smooth sailing after the cover closes.

Dad is Fat by Jim Gaffigan

from goodreads

3.75 stars

My husband and I are in the middle of deciding whether to grow our family or stay content with the number of children we have. When some hear that we are contemplating a fourth they have this look of horror goes on their face and they say, "are you nuts?!"

It is kind crazy when you think about it, more diapers, more years of devotion, more people to feed and educate, one more voice of complaint! The flip side is that you can to love more, nurture more and have one more person to learn from.

There are lots of things to consider with children, parenthood is one crazy ride. But in the end, you go with your gut, hang on and hope for the best.

Synopsis

Stand-up comedian, Jim Gaffigan, tells his tales of parenting 5 children in a two bedroom apartment in New York City. He will have you laughing and commiserating as he talks about his parenting adventures.

My Thoughts

I really liked this book. I think I would have liked it more if I hadn't seen some of his comedy routines, as much of the book is from his routine. So, when I was reading, it wasn't anything new or exciting.

I like how he keeps it real. I like how even if it seems he is complaining, he lets you know how much he loves his kids while acknowledging that sometimes we just need to vent.

I loved the section where he talked about his wife's birthing experience and giving birth at home. We had home births for our first two children and loved it. But, some people still think we were a bit nuts. I loved some of the things he says about what others say. Classic.

I found that it did get a bit repetitive. It's like, five kids in a two bedroom apartment, we get it already. It seemed to be said all the time. The book also needed to be proofread. While it was well written, there were at least two sentence errors where the words were out of order or a word was missing so it took awhile to figure out the meaning. This was probably not the authors fault at all, but the publisher. While I know the people who work in the book industry are busy and they are publishing lots of books all the time, it would still be considerate to the reader if more care was taken to resolve some of these problems. It seems a shame when they send out so many books with these problems, especially when readers are spending quite a bit of money to purchase the book. Lately I have been noticing a lot of typos or dropped words, so it is not just this book. (End mini-rant.)

This is definitely a book that will be appreciated more by parents. It is light hearted and funny. It definitely gives you something to think about.

From There to Here by Laurel Croza Illustrated by Matt James

from goodreards

3.25 stars

I greatly detest moving. Packing stuff. Unpacking stuff. Making sure you are organized. It isn't too bad if it is just you, but when you add a husband and children into the mix... utter horribleness.

In our first 5 years of marriage we moved 4 times! Blah. Our last move was almost three years ago when we bought our house. I hope we don't have to have another move for a very long time.

Moving can be exciting. I loved moving to university, breaking out on my own. I liked moving into our first apartment and setting up house. The type of moving I like now is when we move the junk we have collected out of our house.

What do you think of moving?

Synopsis

This is a sequel to the book I know Here. A little girls moves from Saskatchewan to Toronto. She reflects on the differences between the new places.

My Thoughts

I didn't read the first book, but I think I will. It is a great book that kids who have moved or changed schools can identify with. It is hard to move to a new place. Change is never easy. The author explores changes not merely in location but in the family dynamic as well. I like how she shows that even if the change is hard, good things can be found anywhere, as, in the end the little girl went biking with a friend she had met.

I like how the illustrator blended the pictures together. I liked how he placed elements of the "there" pictures into the "here" pictures.

This is a great book that shows there are good things to be found no matter where you live. Moving is hard, but it will all be okay.

Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls by David Sedaris

from goodreads

3.5 stars

There are times in life when all you can do is laugh. Things go awry, feelings of frustrations start to seep in and you just feel like you are in the middle of a big mess. (Mess can be figurative or literal.) Those are the times when you really need to take stock and have a great laugh. It is not always easy to do, but it is so necessary.

I was having one of those weeks. Miss P. kept on pulling my hair, and not a big handful (which I can stand) but only one or two strands. Ouch! I am in the middle of doing a major purge so it is frustrating when I don't complete everything that I wanted to do in the day. (Kids need attention. Who knew?) Tuesday I was a major grumpasaur by the time my husband got home. I was feeling so crazy.  That night I was able to pause and do things for me. I was able to feel refreshed and know that my lot is not too hard. These feelings are for a small time and things will get better. I will get better. And once I was in a more peaceful frame of mind I was able to recognize how much fun being a mom and being at home is.

So for all those who are having a rough week. It is only a blimp. Try to do something for you (I watched Sherlock) and then in those peaceful moments think of the fun.

Synopsis

This is a collection of essays from the serious to the absurd.

My Thoughts

This was a great collection of essays. It had me laughing, be serious and everything in between.

While reading I sometimes wondered how much really happened in real-life and how much was embellished or complete fabrication. His life seems so interesting that there must be some embellishment, otherwise my life is so completely boring, I must be missing out on things.

I loved the essay about how he started to pick up garbage on the side of the road almost everyday. I also loved the essay entitled Attaboy. This essay talked about how, as parents today, we are a bit weird when it comes to our children. We either think they can do no wrong or we are too pandering or just nuts. The following is an excerpt that had me just rolling on the floor. It started off about putting our children to bed and how that can be a challenge.

"In my house, our parents put us to bed with two simple words: 'Shut up.'... our artwork didn't hang on the refrigerator or anywhere near it, because our parents recognized it for what it was: Crap. They did not live in a child's house, we lived in theirs."

It then goes on to talk about trying to get our children to eat food, but you will have to read that for yourself. It is funny when you see the things you do through a different lense.

So if you are ready to laugh, and most of the laughing is at yourself, then read this book. I think you will enjoy it.