Songs for St. Patrick's Day ... a bit late

I meant to post this yesterday but was a big busy dealing with the newest member of our family - a two-year-old Rottwieler named Bullet.

Anyway, The High Kings are a band Kiddo, Hubby, and I all love.  We saw them in concert a few years ago and will be seeing them again this weekend.  They are simply fantastic!

Here are a few of their newest songs ... hope you enjoy them as much as we do.

Dueling Monsters: Round 2 - Jekyll & Hyde check-in

We're halfway through the month of October which means we're halfway through Dueling Monsters: Round 2. 

Let's start things off with a bit of fun.  Fair warning: this song will definitely get stuck in your head!

.

*** Your Thoughts ***

How is your reading coming along?  What are your initial impressions?  Are you reading just one book or did you decide to tackle both of them?

Be sure to check out the Jekyll/Hyde discussion questions I posted earlier this month.  You can answer some of them in the comment section on this post, on your own blog (be sure to leave the link here so I can check it out), or not all all - you choose.

If you've finished The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, leave a link to your review in the comment section.



*** My Thoughts ***

I'm doing both Jekyll/Hyde and Dorian Gray on audio.  I finished Jekyll/Hyde very quickly and I really liked it! Haven't written my review yet but I'll work on that this week.  I'm currently listening to Dorian Gray ... not loving it, but it's ok.


.

Real-life hilarity

Possibly the most hilarious real-life thing that has happened in recent memory ...

Background: Kiddo LOVES Michael Jackson. He listens to MJ's music all the time and practices the dance moves too.  He even dresses like him on occasion (note the hat and gloves in the video).

The Setup: While walking on the boardwalk during our beach weekend we heard a radio playing Michael Jackson songs.  It belonged to a street performer who was on break.  He'd left it playing and left his tip bucket sitting next to it.


The Event:


Yes, that is me wheezing, snorting, and cackling like a maniac in the background - I could NOT stop laughing!

Kiddo's Picks

Kiddo has been reading on his own much more over the past few months.  Today he's going to tell you about 4 books he's recently finished.



To recap, here are the four books he recommends:

• What Planet Are You On? Planet Earth, by Dan Gilpin - brought home from BEA - Kiddo recommends this to kids who like science and who are on a grade 3 reading level
• Diary of a Worm, by Doreen Cronin - from the library - Kiddo says this was an easy, fun read
• Big Nate, by Lincoln Pierce - brought home from BEA - Kiddo says it is funny and fun to read
• Frankenstein Makes A Sandwich, by Adam Rex - I bought this years ago and Kiddo didn't like it, but now he loves it - after I told him about the Dueling Monsters Read-a-long I'm co-hosting in October he decided this would be a fun book for kids to read if they wanted to do their own Dueling Monsters event [FYI: the sign-up post for this year's Dueling Monsters Read-a-long will post here on 9/29]

Find out what other kids are reading - and share what the young people in YOUR life are reading - each month in Kids Picks, hosted by 5 Minutes For Books.

sometimes you have just the right book ...

This past Saturday I woke up and realized that we had a completely free day.  It was a miracle!



Yup, I sing that chorus every time anyone says "miracle" - and now Kiddo does it too. ;)

ANYWAY ... I suggested to Hubby and Kiddo that we drive up to Gettysburg on our free day.  It's about 1.5 hours north of our house and I went there a bunch of times as a kid.  Kiddo, however, had never been.  And come to find out, neither had Hubby!

I packed up some snacks and water bottles while Hubby got directions and tried to download a few of the audio tours from iTunes.  For whatever reason he couldn't get it to work.  No worries though, because I JUST HAPPENED to have two perfect books on my shelf:

The Civil War: The complete text of the bestselling narrative history of the Civil War, by Geoffrey C. Ward

and even better, The Battle of Gettysburg: A Guided Tour, by Edward J. Stackpole and Wilbur S. Nye

How perfect was that?! We had a lovely drive up (listening to CITY OF EMBER on the way there and back), spent time in the museum, and learned a lot from the video and cyclorama (a not-to-be-missed event).  Then we used the guided tour book to follow along the driving tour route.  It was a beautiful, cool, sunny day. We climbed Big Round Top and explored Little Round Top, then headed out for dinner and the drive home.

Here are some pictures from our day.  And yes, Kiddo got a Union soldier hat and jacket, and carried a laser tag gun.  It was quite hilarious.

Unsigned Hype

Unsigned Hype

by Booker T. Mattison

207 pages

*** About the Book ***


Fifteen-year-old musician Tory and lives in a somewhat rough neighborhood in New York with his widowed mother and two older brothers.  He's classically trained on piano but all he wants to do is create hip hop music.  His dream becomes a reality when his music is featured on a nationally syndicated radio program and Tory is propelled into stardom.  But all that glitters is not gold, and Tory quickly realizes that many of the new people in his life are into a pretty bad scene.  Meanwhile his mother is forcing him to meet once a week for "lessons" with an old friend of his father's, Mr. Lord, in the hopes that she can keep her son out of trouble.  These lessons aren't completely bad though, as they let Tory get closer to Mr. Lord's daughter Precious, the girl he's decided will be his future wife (she just doesn't know it yet).



*** Why I Read It ***

This is not a book that I'd normally be drawn to so when it was pitched to me I immediately planned to turn it down.  But since I really enjoy book trailers I decided to watch this one before making a decision.  Once I saw the trailer I realized that I wanted to give the book a shot so I agreed to review it.



Learn more about the book and the author at Booker T. Mattison's website.

*** My Thoughts ***

This book was way outside of my comfort zone: it's YA, it's about hip hop music, it has an urban setting, and it's written using lots of slang terms.  Yet in spite of all that, once I got into the book I really enjoyed most of it.

Tory seemed very real to me, and the other main characters in the book did as well.  The reactions of his family and friends to his success were just what I'd expect (as an adult) but of course not always what Tory expected.  His experiences and his decisions were completely understandable and I enjoyed reading along to find out what was going to happen next.

What I didn't realize when I picked up that book is that it is written from a Christian worldview.  As a Christian, I appreciate the direction the book goes in, especially since I didn't see it coming.  That said, once I got the drift, I quickly got bored with that part of the story since it seemed predictable to me.  I don't think that non-Christian teen readers would have the same experience that I did though, and Mattison clearly had that audience in mind when he was writing. 

For the most part I enjoyed the book but felt that I wasn't exactly the intended audience. 


*** Your Thoughts ***

I haven't seen any other reviews of this book in the blogosphere - did I miss yours?

Remarkable Creatures

Remarkable Creatures

by Tracy Chevalier

audiobook: 10.25 hours

narrated by Charlotte Parry and Susan Lyons

*** About the Book ***

In the early 1800s in the English coast town of Lyme Regis, young Mary Anning helps support her family by finding “curies” on the beach. These “curies” (short for “curiosities”) are actually fossils and Mary is fascinated with them. Despite her poor, working class status, she becomes the local expert on fossils – much to the despair of her family – and spends the majority of her time on the beach searching for them. One day Mary discovers something different: a complete, intact skeleton. At first everyone thinks it is the remains of a giant crocodile but Mary and several others soon realize that this is a new creature, never before seen by man.

This time period is one of great upheaval in the geological community. The concepts of an ancient earth and of extinction have rattled both the religious community and many intellectuals. This novel looks at that history through the eyes of Mary and also of Elizabeth, a middle-class spinster fascinated by fossil fish.


*** Why I Read It ***

I first heard about this book back in November 2009 when The Book Case posted the trailer for it. I watched that trailer and was COMPLETELY HOOKED by the author’s words. I’m posting it here and I’d love to know what you think of it.

I've been on my library's wait list for this audiobook for months so I was thrilled when it was finally my turn to check it out.


*** My Thoughts ***

In my opinion, this is an example of excellent historical fiction.

I was sucked into the story from the very start and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. It’s one of those books that made me not want to get out of the car, ever. (In fact I spent several of my lunch breaks eating in my car so I could continue to listen to the audiobook.)

I was fascinating by the history of fossil hunting and the way accepted “facts” about fossils were beginning to change. The newly developing ideas of an ancient earth, the concept of extinction, the budding conflict between religion and science – all these topics were fascinating to me. Then there was the situation of women in society, the class distinctions, the concepts of property and propriety … there was just so much in this book that I loved!

Not only did enjoy the writing and the characters and the narration, but when I got to the end and found out how closely this book is based on fact I was beyond excited. This is the kind of historical fiction I truly love – the kind where I learn tons of facts not just about a time and place but about real people who really lived, all couched in a story that keeps me entranced all the way through.


*** The Real History ***

Tracy Chevalier includes an excellent, detailed author’s note at the end of this book. She explains that all the main characters in this book actually existed and that the vast majority of the book is based on fact. Of course she had to fill in a lot of the details, but Mary and Elizabeth DID actually discover all the fossils discussed in the book, and Mary DID actually work with many of the leading geological minds of the day. She explains that she did truncate time somewhat, in order to make the book flow better, but all the most important facts in the book are based on reality.


*** Your Thoughts ***

I know not everyone will agree with me on this book. When I mentioned on Twitter how much I was enjoying it, a friend sent me the following private message: “That book bored me to tears, and I normally love boring, literary books.” When I expressed my shock she followed up with “Oh, her writing is always beautiful. I just thought there wasn't enough plot for a novel. Would have made a great short story.” See? And I loved every second of this book!

Here are a few other reviews I’ve found:

• GalleyCat enjoyed the characterization in this book
• Devourer of Books warns that it might ruin you for other historical fiction
• S. Krishna’s Books calls this enjoyable and well written

What did YOU think of this book? If you haven’t read it, does it appeal to you?

Book Trailer: The Lunatic Express

I came across this trailer and just had to share it with you.  It's for a non-fiction book called THE LUNATIC EXPRESS, by Carl Hoffman.  Check it out then tell me what you think about it:



I find the whole idea both fascinating and terrifying ... what about you?  Have any of you read this yet?

DisneyNature: Oceans (and some Aquarium Photos)

Kiddo and I went to see OCEANS a week or so ago. Here's the conversation we had that morning on the way to school (please note that Kiddo rarely gets in trouble at school).

Me: Now remember, we're going to see OCEANS after school today.  But that's only if there are no problems at school.
Kiddo: What do you mean?! We HAVE to go today.
Me: Seeing a movie is a reward, and if your behavior isn't good ... well, you don't get a rewarded for bad behavior.
Kiddo: But it's not really a reward, and we HAVE to go see it today.
Me: What do you mean "it's not a reward"?
Kiddo: Today is the last day of opening week.  We have to go today so part of our tickets will be donated to save the coral reefs!  So it's not a reward - we're saving the planet.



It took all my parental skills not to burst out laughing at this point ...

Needless to say, Kiddo had a great day at school and we happily headed to our favorite movie theater (the one where the popcorn is safe for Kiddo to eat).

Kiddo and I were both expecting something along the lines of the Discovery Channel's PLANET EARTH or LIFE shows.  We've really enjoyed watching them together and love the creative ways the cameras are used to capture nature in action.  This movie was definitely not what we were expecting.

Instead of a modern, stylish nature film, OCEANS was more like an old-fashioned nature program, similar in feel to the documentaries I watched on Disney Channel as a kid.  There was a beautiful orchestral score throughout the film, and the camera angles were both grand and (mostly) static.  [My mother would have appreciated the static shots.  She can't stand what she calls "modern" filming where the cameras zoom in and out or move at fast speeds; it actually makes her dizzy and nauseous.]

Although it wasn't what I expected, I still really enjoyed this movie- it simply had a very different feel to it than the PLANET EARTH documentary.

Kiddo noticed this as well.  When I asked him how he like it, he said that he thought they'd have some time-lapse scenes (he didn't use those words, but that is what he meant), but that it was still good. He was also disappointed that the song Make a Wave wasn't used until the end credits.  We talked about that though, and he decided that it did make sense, since the song wouldn't have fit anywhere else in the movie.

A quick side note: Both Kiddo and I have loved Demi Lovato (she's part of the duet on Make A Wave) ever since she did this:

(Yes, that IS the disorder Kiddo has.)

Kiddo and I had a great time at the movies even thought OCEANS didn't turn out exactly like we expected.  We're both still glad we went to see it - and we helped to save the planet. ;)

~~~~~~~~~~~

To get you in the underwater mood, here are a few pics I took recently at the our Aquarium, most of the new Jellyfish exhibit ...

Black Wave

Black Wave: A Family's Adventure at Sea and the Disaster That Saved Them
by John & Jean Silverwood
audiobook: 7.5 hours

*** About the Book ***

This is the true story of a family living on their boat for a year and the accident that sank that boat.


*** Why I Listened To It ***

Work has been slow and I really wanted something listen to during the day. I browsed my library's downloadable audio website and found it there.


*** My Thoughts ***

I can't give a very thorough review of this book because I only half listened to it as I worked. That said, I did really enjoy it. The first two thirds of the book are told from Jean's (wife/mom) point of view. She explains how the family ended up living on their boat for a year, the places they visited, the problems they had, and, of course, the accident that sank their boat. The final third of the book is told by John (husband/dad). He focuses on his injury during the accident, the history of other wrecks on that same reef, and how the family is doing now.

When I started listening to this book I was struck my how familiar parts of the story sounded. That's when I realized that I'd heard about this family before. Check out this 4 minute video that was released earlier this year (if you're in a hurry you can scroll to time marker 2:06, but the beginning is good too).



Pretty cool, huh? (And that Boy Scout Adventure Base is traveling around the country right now in case you'd like to check it out. Details can be found here.)

If you're interested, you can read more about the Silverwoods in this article.

UPDATE: I forgot to mention that there are lots of quotes and references from Moby Dick in this book. They were well placed and added a lot to the book IMO. (My review of Moby Dick is here.)


*** Your Thoughts ***

Have you heard of this family before? Have you read the book? If you've reviewed it please share your link in the comments.

Does the idea of a year living on a boat appeal to you? I have to say that is does not appeal to me. Not only am I claustrophobic, I also get creeped out by large open spaces with nothing in sight (I know there is a name for that but I don't know what it is). I've always wanted to take a cruise, but I'm afraid that looking out over the railing and seeing nothing but ocean would send me back to my cabin for the rest of the trip. My idea of a great year would be traveling the country in an RV. There are so many place to see and things to do! That is Hubby's and my retirement dream.

Videos of Kiddo

I've been wanting to share some of these Kiddo videos with you so I've just stuck them all into one post. Enjoy!


This first video is Kiddo's Wolf Den singing at their Blue & Gold Banquet in February. Kiddo is the 2nd from the left, the only one without a hat (because he forgot it at the last meeting). He's also the one with the deep singing voice. :)




Here Kiddo was interviewed by his school news team about the Caps game when he was invited to the owners box. This was part of the school's morning news program which all the classes watch on tv from their rooms.




Kiddo's Wolf Den did reports on endangered species; Kiddo chose to talk about whale sharks.




And here is one of Kiddo's hockey team playing against the Naval Academy. Kiddo is in the white #10 jersey, and he scores in the first few seconds of the video.





I hope you've enjoyed seeing what Kiddo's been up to lately!

Out of Africa (and) Shadows on the Grass

Out of Africa and Shadows on the Grass

by Isak Dinesen
462 pages

*** About the Books ***

Both books are collections of short stories and character studies based on Karen Blixen's (aka Isak Dinesen's) life in British East Africa between 1914-1931. The two books were released approximately 25 years apart but seem to belong together, hence the reason they were republished as one book. They give a glimpse into the life of a wealthy Danish woman who truly loved the land and the people of Kenya, and who didn't always fit in with the prevailing British society of the time.


*** Why I Read It ***

I've always loved the movie Out of Africa and have wanted to read the book for quite a while. I recently listened to a biography of Isak Dinesen and that spurred me on to start this book. My copy came from the library.


*** My Thoughts ***

This is a beautifully written book that sucked me in from the beginning and didn't let me go until the end. However, if I had read this book without first listening to Dinesen's biography I would have been greatly disappointed. Let me explain ...

I wanted to read this book because I expected that it would give me more details than I got from the movie - that's what books usually do, right? They are supposed to fill in the blanks left by the movie. I especially wanted to know about the author's love affair with Denys Finch-Hatton (played in the movie by Robert Redford).



In fact Denys is hardly mentioned at all in OUT OF AFRICA, and when he is it is not apparent to the reader that he is anything more than a close friend. This didn't matter to me in the end because I'd already learned everything about their relationship from Karen's biography.

The book also makes little or no mention of Karen's husband, Baron Bror Blixen, or how she contracted and lived with syphilis, or how hard she struggled to keep her farm going. All those details that I wanted after seeing the movie are not to be found in OUT OF AFRICA ... but they are to be found in her biography. With those details already in mind, I was able to enjoy this book for what it is.

And what, exactly, is it? It is a collection of anecdotes about the people and places that made an enormous impression on Karen Blixen. It is her love song to Africa, to the people of her farm, to the farm itself, and to the beauty of the land surrounding her.

The author of her biography related the following story: When friends asked why Karen didn't write about Africa immediately after her return to Denmark, she replied that one cannot write about a beloved child the day after it has died.

That is how Karen viewed her farm, as her precious child, and the lost of it broke her heart. This book is a look back at all the things she loved so much, but it is told from such a lofty vantage that the pain and the struggles are difficult to see. The beauty is all that remains.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the inherent racism in this book. It is, after all, the British colony in Africa where the stories take place - racism abounded there as it did just about everywhere during this time period. However Karen truly loved the African people that she knew, and greatly respected Farah, the Somali servant who managed her house and money. In her later life (as I know from her biography) she had African-American friends and upbraided her white friends for their racist remarks. Karen wasn't exactly unprejudiced, but she was much more fair-minded than many of her contemporaries.


*** About the Movie ***

As I said, I truly love this movie. For those who haven't seen it, here's a trailer for you to check out:



What I realized after reading this book and listening to Dinesen's biography is that the movie is really an amalgamation of the two. The storyline of the movie is Karen's life, and that comes from her biography. But the characters, the land, and the love Karen had for them comes straight from OUT OF AFRICA.


*** Your Thoughts ***

Have you read this book? Seen the movie? Do you love it like I do, or were you not so impressed? Have you read any of Isak Dinesen's other stories? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Warbreaker (joint review)

Warbreaker
by Brandon Sanderson
592 pages

*** About the Book ***

Fantasy novel are notoriously hard to summarize, especially without making them sound (to the non-fantasy reader) really stupid. But I'll do my best!

This book is about two sisters, princesses, who both end up doing things with their lives that they never expected; things that are, in fact, the exact opposite of what they expected. One ends up married to the God King of the neighboring country (a country that is intent on attacking her homeland) while the other ends up involved with a rebellion and some rather unsavory characters. Then there are the other Gods in the God King's court. Are they, in fact, divine? Or are they simply extra-special humans? Even the Gods themselves (at least some of them) aren't sure of the answer. Add in a fascinating and very inventive system of magic, and a few unforgettable characters, and you've got WARBREAKER.


*** Why I Read It ***

Now that Brandon Sanderson is completing Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series (and doing a fantastic job with it!) I'm planning to read most of his original books. I loved his book ELANTRIS so when Tor Books offered me a review copy of this book I jumped at the chance to check it out.

I was thrilled that I had it in hand when I met Brandon in October - my copy is now signed! (And isn't it a gorgeous book, by the way?)


*** My Thoughts ***

Wow, this is a good book. I thought about it constantly when I wasn't reading, wondering what was going to happen next, practically counting down the minutes until I could pick it up and start reading again. Night after night I stayed up way too late reading until my eyes couldn't stay open any more (and, of course, paying for it the next morning, day after day).

As with all stand-alone fantasy novels, it took me a few chapters to immerse myself in the world the author had created, to get a feel for the "rules" of that world, but once I got there I was hooked.

In addition to a magic system that is completely different than anything I've read (and honestly, how often does that really happen?), this book has some really great characters in it; for me, they are the book's greatest strength.

I feel like I really got to know the characters and that they changed in believable ways as the book progressed. Some unexpected things happened, things that made me say "What?! NO!" But the more I thought them through, those things made complete sense based on what I knew about each of the characters. (Sorry to be so vague but I don't want to give anything away.)

A huge theme in this book is "judging" - how do you judge others? in what ways? why? are you willing to revise your judgments? if so, at what point and to what degree? how does your view of the world influence the way you view other traditions/faiths/etc.? I really enjoyed watching the characters react to their surroundings and adapt (or not) to the new things they discovered.

I don't want to say too much about what happens in this book because part of the fun is being surprised by the characters and the plot. I will tell you that Kiddo thought it was great. I didn't read it to him but he constantly asked me to summarize what I'd read recently, and he hung on to every word.


*** Suey's Thoughts ***

When Suey from It's All About Books mentioned that she wanted to read this book this year, I immediately suggested that we do a joint review. I asked her to answer a few spoiler-free questions - here's what she had to say:

1. In one sentence tell me what you thought of this book. I thought this book was extremely imaginative, colorfully drawn and a complete page-turner.
2. I found the characters to be the strongest part of the book; do you agree or disagree? If you agree, why? If you disagree, what was the strongest part for you? Interesting question, because when I first got done, I thought...."Wow, that was one detailed and amazing plot." But then I thought, "Wait, but the thing I loved most about it was the characters." So I think I'm agreeing with you, it was the characters that truly made this story so strong and alive.
3. Do you like that this is a stand-alone novel or would you have preferred that it start a series? It's nice to read a fantasy sometimes knowing that you aren't necessarily committing yourself to a trilogy, or a huge series. But, wow, it sure left a lot open for the possibility of more to come, don't you think? Even if it's a stand alone now, I think if he feels the urge in the future, he can re-visit this world and tell us much much more.
4. Did you find yourself thinking about this book when you weren't reading it or were you able to put it aside easily? Oh, I totally thought about it a lot when I wasn't reading it. It started out as my treadmill book, which was wonderful because I couldn't wait for walking each day. But I knew it would take me forever to finish it if I left it there, so then I hauled it all over with me and made the big push to finish it fast.

You can check out Suey's complete review, as well as my answers to her questions, at her blog.


*** Your Thoughts ***

So, what do you think about this book? Is it something that appeals to you? Why or why not?

Other reviews of this book that you can check out, just to get some varied opinions (but honestly, so far everyone has loved it):

• Grasping for the Wind
• The Book Smugglers - Ana and Thea (you have to scroll down that post to get to it)
  
• and of course, Suey @ It's All About Books
  

*** Interesting Videos ***

For those of you who are like me and enjoy this sort of thing, here are two videos to check out.

First, Brandon talks about WARBREAKER:



And second, artist Don Dos Santos shares his progress in designing the cover illustration. I love watching this one:



Amazing, right?!

The Language of Bees

The Language of Bees
by Laurie R. King
432 pages
the 9th Mary Russell & Sherlock Holmes book

*** About the Book ***

This 9th book in the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series finds our investigative duo returning home from a lengthy trip abroad (most of which is covered in the previous 3 books). Upon arrival they are greeted with two mysteries: one of Holmes's beehives has gone mad and Holmes's long-lost son has appeared on their doorstep. As the story progresses, Russell finds herself alone in her efforts to discover the solution to both mysteries.


*** Why I Read It ***

I picked up the first book in this series somewhat by accident, at the prompting of a local indie bookseller. I loved the series so much that I read the next 7 books in one month. I was thrilled when I won a copy of the latest book (this one) just after it was released; I had planned to buy it anyway, so it was a win-win for me! I've had it sitting on my shelf since late Spring, and figured that now was the time to get it read.


*** My Thoughts ***

When I heard this book was going to include Holmes's son, I immediately had to figure out who that son was. According to King, the son is the product of Holmes's relationship with Irene Adler, a character introduced in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's short story A Scandal in Bohemia. Back in August I picked up an audio version of several Holmes stories which included Scandal; unfortunately I found that it was a radio dramatization and not technically an audio book so I returned it to the library. I did, however, listen to Scandal first so I would be familiar with the story. I found that it helped to have that background; it wasn't absolutely necessary, but it was good for me.

Although I did enjoy this book it was not one of my favorites in the series. I felt like it meandered at the beginning and got off to a slow start. It did pick up about halfway through though, and the pace was excellent after that. As always, King continues to develop the characters of Russell and Holmes in unexpected ways, and I definitely enjoyed the new aspects of their personalities in this book.

I do have one complaint that I hope someone can help me out with. If you've read the book, please let me know how you see the bee mystery relating to the other main mystery. For the life of me, I don't see how they relate nor why the bee mystery is so important. The only connection I can make is the theme of "madness", but I'm not sure that's what I'm supposed to be seeing here. If you have any thoughts on this, please let me know!


*** Your Thoughts ***

In addition to the question I've asked you in the paragraph above, I also want to know who out there is a Mary Russell fan. Have you read any of the series? What did you think of it?

I've not been able to find any reviews of this book by bloggers I know ... if I missed yours please let me know and I'll add it here.

And finally, here's a book trailer for you to check out. Actually, it is the author reading excerpts of the book along with video from the places she's describing. It's rather long, but if you are interested in this book then you'll enjoy it.

The Language of Bees from Laurie R. King on Vimeo.

Mom & Son Book Club #14: A Christmas Carol

A Christmas Carol: Special Edition
by Charles Dickens
additional material by Stephen Skelton
124 pages
original story published in 1843

I am thrilled to say that I read this entire short story to Kiddo in the original (old-fashioned language and all) and that we both loved it - yay!


*** My Thoughts ***

I remember loving this book when I read it years ago, and I've been wanting to read it to Kiddo for quite some time. I made it one of my goals this holiday season so I'm doubly thrilled to have met that goal AND enjoyed the whole process.

We took about two weeks to read this book despite the very short length. That's because we've been so busy with Kiddo's surgery and the holidays that time kept getting away from us. Plus I had to stop often in my reading to explain things to Kiddo; Dickens is one wordy guy and although Kiddo was paying close attention, he didn't always understand what was going on. So my reading pace was slower than usual but we did finally make it to the end.

(As a side note, my mother-in-law offered me her copy of the book which was rewritten to be more accessible to children. I didn't take it, because I wanted Kiddo to be exposed to the original. And I'm so glad that I stuck with it. In the end, Kiddo said that the old-fashioned language didn't bother him at all and that he really enjoyed the story.)

My opinion? "I love this story and I think everyone should read it at least once. It will restore your faith in humanity and help you keep the Christmas spirit all year round."

Kiddo's opinion? "I liked it!"


*** Mom & Son Book Club Questions ***

Did you like this book? Yes, but there were good parts and bad parts. [Mom's note: After much discussion, I realized the "bad" parts were those times when he was really bothered by the characters' actions.]

What was your favorite part? When Scrooge gave Bob Cratchitt a raise. And when Tiny Tim said "God bless us, every one." [Mom's note: Kiddo also pointed out that in the Mickey version, Scrooge makes Bob his partner, but that it doesn't happen in the book. Kiddo wasn't happy about that or that Scrooge didn't bring toys to the Cratchitt house, as those are his favorite parts of Mickey's A Christmas Carol.]

What was your least favorite part? When the people stole Scrooge's stuff after he died - that was so mean! [Mom's note: Kiddo was REALLY bothered by this whole section. It was worse for him than the creepiness of the Spirit of Christmas Future or of Scrooge being dead.]

Would you recommend this book to your friends? No, because it might scare them and they might not understand it. Did it scare you? No. Did you understand it? Yes. So you're saying that you're smarter than all your friends? [Here Kiddo started smirking slightly.] Well, a little ...


*** Other Thoughts ***

One of the reasons I wanted to read this with Kiddo was to prepare him for the Disney version that is in theaters now. He loves Mickey's A Christmas Carol, but I'd heard that the Jim Carey version was a bit more intense and I wanted to be sure he wouldn't be scared by the images that go with the Ghost of Christmas Future. Now that we've read it, we're ready to see the film. I just hope there is time before - or right after - Christmas!


*** About This Version ***

The version of the book I read is pictured above and is a new release this year. It includes a TON of annotations that illustrate Dickens' many Biblical references in the story. It also includes discussion questions that could be used with a Bible study group or for family discussion.

In reading this book to Kiddo, I chose to read him the story only. After we finished the story, I went back and read all the annotations and discussion questions on my own. I LOVED the annotations! In fact, I wish I'd read them before reading the story to Kiddo; they would have helped me to explain some of the sections better. And although I didn't use the discussion questions, I can see that they would be a great basis for a fun and insightful group discussion of this book.

Here's a video that shows you some of the pages inside and give you a better idea of what this version of the book is all about.



Thank you to the publicist for sending me a copy of this book; I was planning to read this story during December anyway, so the book arrived at the perfect time. And this version was a real treat, one that has gained a place in my permanent collection.


*** Your Thoughts ***

I KNOW that many of you have read this ... so where are all your posts?! I certainly can't find them. Here are two reviews that I DID find:

• Wordsmithonia read it for the 1st time and really appreciated Scrooge's character, more so than in the movie versions.
• Library Dad also appreciated the written version more than the Hollywood versions.

I'd love you include yours here - just link to it in the comments!

The Hot Zone

The Hot Zone:

A Terrifying True Story
by Richard Preston
audio book: 11 hours

*** About the Book ***

Fact: The most lethal strain of the Ebola virus kills 9 out of 10 people it infects.

Fact: If you contract the Ebola virus, your insides turn to mush and you almost certainly die within 7 days.

Fact: There is no cure or vaccine for Ebola or its sister viruses.

Fact: A new strain of Ebola devastated a monkey holding facility outside Washington, DC in 1989.

Question: What will happened next time Ebola breaks out?

This book tells the story of the discovery of filoviruses - thread-like viruses that include Marburg and Ebola. These viruses are referred to as "slate wipers" because if they were introduced into the general population they would wipe out almost all human life on earth. The book alternates between stories of outbreaks and information on the people researching these viruses. The culmination of the book is the 1989 outbreak of a then unknown virus in a monkey holding facility just outside Washington, DC. and how this outbreak was handled.

Note: I couldn't find an image that matched the cover on my library copy. I have to say that my cover is decidedly creepier ...


*** Why I Read It ***

Alyce mentioned this in a recent Friday Finds post and I thought it sounded fascinating. When I was looking for a new audio book from the library, this was readily available so I checked it out.


*** My Thoughts ***

Woah. This book is crazy. The fact that it is true is completely creeping me out. My desire to take an African safari or a trip into the rainforest has just about totally disappeared now.

Let me back up a bit and clarify some things. I do not read or watch horror. I don't particularly enjoy being scared. I can't watch medical shows where you see a doctor cutting into a person's skin. I don't like gore. Yet at the same time I am fascinated by stories of survival and disease. Go figure.

This book definitely has gore. The filoviruses are horrible. By horrible I mean disgusting, creepy, terrifying, and deadly. They basically turn your insides to mush and make you bleed from Every.Single.Opening in your body (including your salivary glands!). Autopsies performed on animals and people who die from these viruses show bodies whose insides look like they've been dead for several days. I listened to this book in the car going to and from work and most days I had a look of horror or disgust stuck on my face the whole time. Other drivers probably thought I was nuts.

I don't read zombie stories but this book reminded me of one. I'd listen to the description of what the virus was doing to a person and I'd think, "yes, and then the victim turned into a zombie, stood up and tried to bite the doctor's face off." Of course that isn't what happened but zombie stories could totally steal some lines from this book!

With all this horror and disgusting-ness, you're probably thinking that I hated this book but you couldn't be more wrong. I LOVED IT. OK, maybe loved is the wrong world to use but I found it completely fascinating and I took every excuse to be in my car alone so I could listen to it ('cause you KNOW I wasn't letting Kiddo hear any of this!).

If you can handle some truly horrible facts about what Ebola can do to a body (and remember, I am a big chicken and don't like gore at all) then you should definitely pick up this book. It is one that I will remember for a very long time to come.

Hmm, now I have a strong desire to watch that movie Outbreak with Dustin Hoffman ...




About the audio book: This book was narrated by Richard M. Davidson. He did a very good job with it and I have no complaints.


*** Your Thoughts ***

Are you brave enough to read this one? Why or why not? Are you generally a fan of "disease" books? Which would you recommend? I'm definitely in the mood for more non-fiction like this one so please share your suggestions.

I've only found one other review of this book:

• Semicolon read it while waiting in the emergency room - she's braver than I would have been!

If you've reviewed this book as well I'd love to add your link here, just let me know in the comments.

Friday Finds 11/20/09

Before I share with you my Finds for this Friday I want to let you know that At Home With Books is the bane of my book blogging existence. It seems that every time I read Alyce's posts I end up with more books on my TBR list. Don't get me wrong, I love Alyce, and I love the books she recommends. But dang it! I can't visit her without coming away with a new list of books. Hmpf.

OK, end of rant. :) Here are my Finds for this week:

1. Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee: The Illustrated Edition, by Dee Brown - I've been wanting to read this book since I saw the movie of the same name and now there is a gorgeous new illustrated edition. At Home With Books says: "[This book] should be required reading for every high school and college student in the country. Filled with horrific and heartbreaking stories from the history of the interactions between Native Americans and white men, it is brutally honest about both sides of the story. Dee Brown managed to take the documents and history of Native Americans, and recount them from the Native American point of view."
   
   
   
   
2. Julia's Kitchen Wisdom, by Julia Child - I'm not a cook/chef/whatever, not do I particularly enjoy puttering around in the kitchen. But I was hooked when Rebecca Reads said Julia Child "made cooking sound easy. The best part is that I believe her: it is that easy. She’s not trying to give us recipes for a lifetime of cooking: she’s trying to share tidbits of the most important techniques that we may need over a lifetime." This sounds like a very practical book and I'd love to check it out.
   
   
   
   
3. Art and Upheaval: Artists on the World's Front Lines, by William Cleveland - I'm not really into art or art history but this book sounds interesting to me. At Home With Books said it "is split into six sections, each of which discusses a geographic area which has dealt with some form of hardship, and then follows the actions and art of those in that area, reflecting on how that art has changed and helped those communities. The geographic areas and the hardships faced are quite diverse." One section is set in Northern Ireland, a place a love dearly, so that really caught my attention.
   
   
   
   
4. Remarkable Creatures, by Tracy Chevalier - This is the story of a 19th century female fossil hunter. I heard about it from The Book Case where this trailer was posted. It was the trailer that really hooked me.
   
   
   
   

I also added a few new titles to Kiddo's TBR list ...

1. Eating the Plates, by Lucille Recht Penner - This Thanksgiving book sounds like the perfect thing for Kiddo. The Unsell Family says, "If you want to know all about the disgusting part of the Pilgrims journey to America, then this book is for you. LOL! Did you know that the biscuits on the Mayflower were full of weevils but the pilgrims were so hungry that they had to eat them?" Kiddo loves disgusting bits of info like that - I think he'll really enjoy this book.
   
   
   
   
   
2. Oceanology - This is the latest in the "-ology" books I've seen. You may remember that Kiddo really enjoyed Wizardology and Spyology. Our recent trip to the library resulted in Kiddo checking out Monstorology. So I know that he will really like Oceonology, especially since undersea stuff is at the top of his favorites list. This book follows the "diary" of the only survivor of Captian Nemo's voyage on the Nautilus - and Kiddo LOVES 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea! Thanks to 5 Minutes for Books for reviewing this one.
   
   
   And finally, a book that I actually want to BUY for Kiddo to keep ....
   
   
3. Lego Star Wars: The Visual Dictionary - I'm so grateful to Books on the Nightstand for pointing this one out - it will be a treasure to Kiddo. He already has Star Wars: The Visual Dictionary, but "Lego Star Wars"?! Wow, that will be simply too cool. Kiddo is a Lego fanatic and he has an unimaginable amount of Star Wars Legos. This the the only type of book I can get him to read voluntarily. I showed the book to him on a recent trip to the bookstore and he could barely speak for the excitement. Needless to say, this will be on Kiddo's Christmas list this year (hey family - hint, hint!). And yes, I DO have to include a big picture of it ...
   

That's all for me this week. For more Friday Finds hop over to Should Be Reading.

I doubt I'll be posting finds next week as it is the day after Thanksgiving, so happy holidays to all who are celebrating this coming week. I know I'll be enjoying a few days off work - yay!

The Gathering Storm

The Gathering Storm

by Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson
783 pages
Book 12 of The Wheel of Time series
by Robert Jordan

Important Notes:

• The first part of this review is spoiler free. The spoiler section is at the very end and is clearly labeled.
• For details on Sanderson's book signing that I helped out with, scroll down to just before the spoiler section.
  
  

*** About the Book ***

The Wheel of Time (WoT) series revolves around the clash between good and evil, the conflicting forces of prophecy, fate, and free will, and the very human reactions of the characters to the larger forces around them. At it's heart, the series is about around a young man who prophecy says will destroy the world in order to save it; but that prophecy doesn't say he will win in the end, only that he will fight.


*** About the Authors ***

Robert Jordan, often referred to as the JRR Tolkien of our time, published the THE EYE OF THE WORLD in 1990. This was the first installment in the epic fantasy series The Wheel of Time (WoT), and additional books followed every one to two years afterward. In 2006, while working on the 12th book in the series, Jordan was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder that required chemotherapy to treat. That treatment was unsuccessful and Jordan passed away in 2007. He left behind thousands upon thousands of pages of notes about the WoT series, included dictated notes on how the series was to end. After his death, his widow (who was also his editor) chose up-and-coming fantasy author and long-time WoT fan Brandon Sanderson to complete the series. Sanderson's plan was to adapt his writing style to fit the WoT, and also to complete the series in three final books.


*** My Thoughts ***

In the time leading up to the release of this book I was both excited and leery. I've been reading this series since the mid-90s ... could Sanderson really complete it in a satisfying way? Would I be able to tell the difference between what Sanderson wrote and what Jordan wrote? And most importantly, would the book be any good?! I'm both relieved and excited to say that the book was completely fantastic - I should not have been worried!

It took me just over a week to read this book, and that is only because I didn't want to rush through it. There were times I'd put it down after only one chapter because I wanted to savor what I was reading and not have it end too soon. The next book is scheduled for release in Nov. 2010 and I don't know how I'm going to wait that long ...

If you are a fan of fantasy I highly recommend this series to you. The books are best read one after the other, so go pick up THE EYE OF THE WORLD and get reading - you won't regret it! If reading this massive series is a bit daunting, the audio books are completely fantastic and a great way to get through the books at a faster pace - I highly recommend those as well.

I passed my copy on to my sister who will then pass it to our dad. He's the one that got us reading this series way back when. Once I get it back it will sit on my shelf until next fall when I will reread it just before the next book comes out - yay!


*** Meeting the Author ***

If you are a regular reader of my blog you probably already saw me gush over the fact that I was chosen to help out at Sanderson's signing event at my local bookstore. I wrote a recap of the event which was posted at Dragonmount.com. It includes lots of pictures and videos, but I'll give you a sample of a few of them here. To view the rest - and hear about my amazing evening - please check out the recap post at Dragonmount.

Harriet McDougal, Brandon Sanderson, and Storm Leaders Mike, Matt, me, and Susan

Here are videos of the event beginning with a reading by Harriet McDougal (Jordan's widow), continuing with Sanderson's Q&A, and concluding with the goofiness in the line waiting to get books signed. The video is set up as a playlist so it will continue running until all the videos are concluded.

That's all for now, other than the spoilers I mentioned earlier. To avoid the spoilers, stop reading at this point.

*** Spoiler-ish Thoughts ***

Fair warning: Do not read this section if you do not want any plot spoilers!!! Proceed at your own risk ... and ONLY if you have read this book already!!!

Consider yourself warned ...

• I was a bit leery while reading the prequel and the first chapter. I couldn't quite get into the story, and I was afraid that the entire book would feel that way. But chapter two was much better and hooked me for good. The writing seemed to improved steadily from that point on.
  
• I've heard complaints about the way Mat's character was written. I agree that he didn't sound quite like himself, but I found him to be hilarious regardless. Yes, his humor should be a bit more subtle, but it really wasn't bad.
• The Rand/Semirhage/Min thing = woah
• Egwene in the tower battling the Seanchan - I actually teared up at the sheer awesomeness of it all. You GO girl!
• I loved seeing Hurin again, but that poor guy got a raw deal.
• The whole Verin plotline was The.Most.Awesome.Thing.Ever. I've loved her from the beginning and her plot ... well ... all I can say is that that her plotline is AWESOME.

I completely loved this book and would prefer to drop everything and read it again right now. Alas, I'll have to wait for a little while at least ...

*** end spoilers *****




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