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Tuesday, February 23, 2016

The Gruffalo - A Review

Trying to find a children's book to read that doesn't make you want to gouge your eyes out? Behold, the Gruffalo.

Title: The Gruffalo
Author: Julia Donaldson
Illustrator: Axel Scheffler
Rating: 10
Readability:  10


Description: This is a rhyming story of a mouse and a monster. Little mouse goes for a walk in a dangerous forest. To scare off his enemies he invents tales of a fantastical creature called the Gruffalo. So imagine his surprise when he meets the real Gruffalo... (From Goodreads)


What I Liked:

Okay I love this book.
Like, for reals.

It’s probably one of my favourite ones to read to my daughter.
The rhyming is perfect, the pace is perfect, the story is cute and fun, and the illustrations are spot on.

You know how sometimes you’re reading a book and the lines just don’t have quite the same rhythm, so you find your brain trying to come up with better words? You don’t have to worry about that in this book! It's fabulous.

Evelyn loves when the Gruffalo appears, and when I read the description in a more and more panicked tone. Then I scream in fear, "Oh help! Oh no! It's a gruffalo!" 
It’s one of the most hilarious things of her life.

This is one of the books in our collection that I don’t mind reading 12 times in a row. In fact I’ll actually suggest it!

Bonus points for doing it in different voices for each animal.


What I Didn’t Like:

Nothing. It’s wonderful.
The only thing I don’t like is that I didn’t write it, and therefore cannot be the coolest person ever.


Extras:
Uh, you can also buy it in Latin:

TL;DR:


BUY THIS BOOK FOR EVERY CHILD YOU KNOW.

(Buy it here and I get a cut! ;) )


Friday, February 19, 2016

To Kill a Mockingbird - A Review


**I was saddened to wake this morning to find that the great Harper Lee passed away. By a strange coincidence I had just written this review yesterday. I'm sharing it now in remembrance of her and her timeless gift to the world. 

Thank you, Ms. Lee. You will be missed.




Title: To Kill a Mockingbird
Author: Harper Lee
Rating: 8.5


Description: Set in the small Southern town of Maycomb, Alabama, during the Depression, To Kill a Mockingbird follows three years in the life of 8-year-old Scout Finch, her brother, Jem, and their father, Atticus--three years punctuated by the arrest and eventual trial of a young black man accused of raping a white woman. Though her story explores big themes, Harper Lee chooses to tell it through the eyes of a child. The result is a tough and tender novel of race, class, justice, and the pain of growing up. (From Amazon)



What I Liked:

Scout. Atticus. Jem. Calpurnia. Boo. Miss Maudie. Okay basically every character.

I loved the relationship Scout and Jem have with Atticus. He is their anchor in the turbulent sea of childhood emotions. Immovable. Constant. He allows them to drift in the waves of troubles they encounter, but he continually has a firm hold on them, prepared to steady them should they need it. What an amazing man.

I loved how Lee used characters as exceptions to prove a rule. In a small racist town, Atticus and a few other good people stand apart.

I loved how Scout grew throughout the story, and I loved her at the end. I just adore her spunk and sass. Seeing the very adult situations through a child's eyes offers such an honest perspective into human character. If by chance you haven't read it, I don't want to spoil it, but the moment when Atticus is at the jail is pure gold. 

Full disclosure: I am pretty sure I was supposed to read this in high school. I am also pretty sure I just read it on Cliffsnotes. I know. I’m a horrible person. Don’t ask me why. Can I blame it on my teen angst? Sure. But I came around eventually! (No one tell Mrs. Kish.) 

 

What I Didn’t Like:

At times I felt I was being led around a small Alabamian town during the dead of summer. Where was I going? What was happening? Is there a point to this? How long will it take?

The beginning of the book dragged a bit. I understand the need for world building but just felt it could have been a little peppier.

And I loved Dill but sometimes wondered what he was doing in the story.



Book Club:

Everybody loved it. Of course.

We enjoyed reading it as adults with children, which gave us an entirely new respect for Atticus as a father. We all agreed that he was a brilliant example of a loving, kind and compassionate man.

It was a great book to discuss, and made for some lively discussion about right vs. wrong, how actions reflect a character, and how much we loved Atticus.

Book club rating: 8.625 (No rounding here, folks. You get all the information.)


Extras:

Why I won’t be reading Go Set a Watchman:




TL;DR:


What’s behind that tree? Boo! Just kidding, it was a ham. 

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

The Rent Collector - A Review

Title: The Rent Collector            
Author: Camron Wright 
Rating: 6.5/10


Description:

Survival for Ki Lim and Sang Ly is a daily battle at Stung Meanchey, the largest municipal waste dump in all of Cambodia. They make their living scavenging recyclables from the trash. Life would be hard enough without the worry for their chronically ill child, Nisay, and the added expense of medicines that are not working. Just when things seem worst, Sang Ly learns a secret about the bad-tempered rent collector who comes demanding money--a secret that sets in motion a tide that will change the life of everyone it sweeps past. The Rent Collector is a story of hope, of one woman's journey to save her son and another woman's chance at redemption.
(From Goodreads)


What I Liked:

I loved the idea of literacy raising people up. Up until Christmas I'd been volunteering with my local library teaching adult literacy for the last 4+ years, so obviously this is something close to my heart! 

In North America being able to read and having a knowledge base of stories is just something we take for granted, so it was interesting to read about someone experiencing literature for the first time. Can you imagine hearing the story of Cinderella for the first time as an adult? Magical!

Sopeap was just such a lovely character. I always looked forward to what she had to say, be it either her favourite quotes (which were varied and interesting) or when she would philosophize for Sang Ly.

I really liked the Cambodian folk tales. I was glad he included those. They not only contributed to world-building but were fascinating! 

I appreciated learning about Cambodia and its history. I knew a bit about the Khmer Rouge but this definitely expanded my knowledge base and prompted me to do some research afterwards. I love when books make me want to know more.

While not everyone liked the ending for the Rent Collector herself I thought it was beautifully fitting. A little on the corny side, for sure, but it suited the tone of the book.  

I’ll admit I didn’t like the ending for Sang Ly and her family. But that’s all I’ll say!





What I Didn’t Like:

I felt as though Sang Ly herself wasn’t a convincing character. For a supposedly illiterate girl from the middle of Podunk, Cambodia, she certainly had quite the vocabulary. Except when she didn’t. There were several instances of her not understanding terms used by her teacher, and then on the next page using words equally or even more complex. That pulled me out of the story and that’s never what you want as a reader.

A character was introduced, dealt with, and discarded before I even really realized she was there. Character development on the whole just needed a little bit more.




Book Club:


This was a book club book! I enjoyed it as a book club read. It made for an interesting discussion and everyone had something to say about it, which sometimes doesn't happen.

Here's some thoughts from a couple of my group members:

Crystal: I loved the book! I've never rated a book before, so I'm not really sure how that works... But maybe a 7.5/10? I loved that one of the themes I got from it was that sometimes your situation may not change much or get that much better, but that you can enjoy your life at whatever stage you are in, and find ways to see the happiness in life. I also liked the love of literature, and how it was presented as something that's meaningful to you, regardless of whether or not it's "literature" to someone else.

Erin (Other Erin) (Erin 2.0?) (Actually she's older than me, so does that make me Erin 2.0 and her just Erin?) (Erin H. We'll go with that): I would rate it 6/10. I enjoyed reading it for the most part, but I feel like something was off. I don't know if it was the male author speaking in first person as a female, or if it was that I couldn't get over the fact the characters were real but fictional events were happening to them, causing me to have false hopes of happiness for their futures. I felt like it would be if someone wrote a story about me and my life, but had me winning the lottery in it, or getting a PhD. Those things wouldn't be my life, so how does Sang Ly feel about her life being turned into a fantasy story? I think the author would have done better for me to have had fictional characters.


Extras:

I was glad to find a page dedicated to helping Sang Ly and her family! Among other things the author paid Sang Ly to autograph bookmarks that were included in certain books that were sold. Some of the proceeds from the book go towards helping people living in Stung Meanchey. 
If you’d like to learn more you can check out this page:


TL;DR:

From Dump to Dickens! A literary journey through a Cambodian trash heap.



(Buy it here and I'll get a small percentage!)

Thursday, February 11, 2016

14 Books for Your Little Valentine


With Valentine’s Day just around the corner (which is also my anniversary, thankyouverymuch) I’ve compiled a list of our family’s favourite children’s books about love.

(This post contains affiliate links. That means I'll get a few cents on the dollar to put towards more books! Hurray!)


Here they are, in no particular order:


Emma - BabyLit - Adorable illustrations based on a classic. And it's about feelings!

I Love You Through and Through - Bonus Mommy points for acting out the entire book.

Goose Needs a Hug - Don't we all?

Someday - Y'all know how I feel about this book. Just buy it already. 

Hug You, Kiss You, Love You - Okay, I put three of Joyce Wan's books in here just because I am head over heels in love with them. I kind of want her to illustrate my life.

On the Night You Were Born - A love story to a baby. So sweet. 

I Love You Because You're You - And because I have to, because I'm your Mom. But mostly because you're you.

Pride and Prejudice - Cozy Classics - I love these adorable felted books. Each picture is perfect.

Guess How Much I Love You - A timeless story of oneupmanship. 

You Are My Sunshine - Song lyrics with bright illustrations. My kids love the shiny cover.

Love You Forever - This one gets me every time. Google Robert Munsch singing the song so you know how the tune goes.

Huggy Kissy - Another action book. Hug and kiss those chubby little cheeks!


And there you have it! 

What did I miss from my list? What's your family's favourite Valentine book?



Monday, February 8, 2016

Guess Who's Back?

My blog is now diamonds!

                                        

Hello Readers.

Look at other blogs, now back at Quillable, now back at other blogs, now back to Quillable.

Sadly, those other blogs aren't like Quillable.

But if you subscribe to Quillable, they could be. 

Look down, back up. Where are you?

You're on the internet with the blog you wish was Quillable.

I'm on a horse.






Someday - A Review

Title: Someday
Author: Alison McGhee

Illustrator: Peter H. Reynolds
Rating: 10
Readability:  0 (Due to my incomprehensible sobbing/reading)


Description:
A mother's love leads to a mother's dream -- every mother's dream -- for her child to live life to its fullest.

A deceptively simple, powerful ode to the potential of love and the potential in life, Someday is the book you'll want to share with someone else...today.  (From Goodreads)

What I Liked:

Someday starts with a mother remembering her baby, talking to her child, and then imagining what her future will be like. The illustrations are gorgeous and simple water colours, done in a style that suits the words perfectly. 

This book has the distinction of being the only book to ever make me cry in the middle of Costco. Yeah, you read that right. It’s beautiful.

The page that got me was right at the beginning – “One day the first snowflakes fell, and I held you up and watched them melt on your baby skin.”

I HAD JUST DONE THIS THE DAY BEFORE WITH MY BABY.

Geeze oh man.

After that there was no hope. I was trying to sneakily wipe away my tears whilst exiting the book section and making my way over to the onions. I could blame it on those! But luckily my husband and children found me and rescued me from embarrassment instead.

My older daughter loves this book. One of the phrases, “your heart will feel like fire,” has become something she loves to say.

“Mom, I’m so excited my heart feels like fire!”

It’s adorable.

I love this book, and my daughter loves it, and I love reading it to her, and it makes me love her more. It’s lovely.


What I Didn’t Like:

I’m a big fat cornball so I loved the sentimentality, but if that’s not your jam, be warned!


Extras:

Me, every time I read this book:



TL;DR:

Heartwarming story of a mother's love. 
Warning: May produce awkward tears at Costco.



Is there a book that always makes you cry?

The Life-changing Magic of Tidying Up - A Review

Title: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up
Author: Marie Kondō
Translated by: Cathy Hirano
Rating: 8


Description:
 Japanese cleaning consultant Marie Kondo takes tidying to a whole new level, promising that if you properly simplify and organize your home once, you’ll never have to do it again. Most methods advocate a room-by-room or little-by-little approach, which doom you to pick away at your piles of stuff forever. The KonMari Method, with its revolutionary category-by-category system, leads to lasting results. In fact, none of Kondo’s clients have lapsed (and she still has a three-month waiting list). 

With detailed guidance for determining which items in your house “spark joy” (and which don’t), this book featuring Tokyo’s newest lifestyle phenomenon will help you clear your clutter and enjoy the unique magic of a tidy home—and the calm, motivated mindset it can inspire. (From Goodreads)







What I Liked:

Okay, I’ll admit it. I’m a hoarder. That’s the first step, right?
Well the second step is probably reading this book and implementing it in my life.

I have a seriously hard time throwing things away. I have notes I passed in grade six stuffed in a box somewhere downstairs. I have every button-in-a-bag from every shirt and sweater I’ve ever bought (even the ones for clothing I no longer own). And I have about 394 knick knacks floating around my bedroom.

My single biggest take away from this book is the permission it gave me to throw things away.

According to Kondō we should take every single item we own into our hands (not all at once) and ask ourselves if it “sparks joy.”
If it doesn’t, out it goes!

Kondō says that the minute something comes into our possession it has fulfilled its purpose.

If it is a gift, its purpose was to show someone’s love for us.
If it is a sweater we thought was gorgeous but never wear, its purpose was to give us excitement when we bought it.
If it is a book that has sat on our shelf unread for years, its purpose was to satisfy a hope or need that we had at the time.
If it no longer brings you joy, if you no longer wear it, use it, read it, or need it, out it goes!

So slowly but surely we're emptying out our home of all the things we've accumulated but that no longer serve a purpose. 

I know a lot of people didn’t like her anthropomorphizing of stuff and houses, but I thought it was lovely. My poor socks do work hard all day! They deserve a rest! Showing respect for your objects and your home can only be a good thing.

*Disclaimer 1: Okay there’s no way I’m getting rid of my books.
*Disclaimer 2: Ain’t no way I’m folding my socks. I asked them, they don’t mind.



What I Didn’t Like:

It was pretty repetitive.

She kept referencing things she did when she was growing up, like throwing away her family member’s stuff without telling them, and organizing the jeepers out of everything. She was probably the worst sibling ever.

She always said “throw it away” as her first suggestion, and then occasionally would say, “Oh yeah, or donate or sell it.” Always donate things!  Also sometimes you have to keep things you don’t love because you can’t afford to buy new ones.



Extras:

She has now written a companion book illustrating how to fold and organize things!



TL;DR:

GET RID OF ALL YOUR CRAP.
PUT THE STUFF YOU LIKE AWAY.
Presto! Your house is now clean!



Be honest. What's your sock drawer look like?