Someone over on BlogHer recommended some kids’ audiobooks and Ninja Detectives sounded good so I reserved the first one, The Case of the Time-Capsule Bandit and it was fun. Really quick, which was nice — good ending, interesting kids. I’ll definitely reserve the next one on audio at some point next year.
Ninja Detectives Are Awesome Read More »
Since I can see the end of my Cybils shortlist challenge tunnel, it seemed like a good idea to reserve some of the new books in YA series I’ve started but hadn’t quite kept up with.
First, the third book in the Cahill Witch series, Sisters’ Fate turned out to be better than I expected. After a rough few pages when I barely remembered what the series was about, I settled in and really enjoyed it. I’m not a big fan of Cate, which is too bad since she’s the narrator — but I love all of the other characters and eventually found myself appreciating Cate, too.
And, the third book in the Finishing School series, Waistcoats & Weaponry was possibly the best book in the series. I need some sort of family tree thingy though to see where all of the tie-ins to the Soulless series are. Some are obvious, some are less so (particularly since I read the Soulless books so long ago.) I also need another book in the series — quickly. This one was so much fun.
2 Awesome Non-Cybil YA Books Read More »
I like a good title and that’s what caused me to pick up Burnt Toast Makes You Sing Good and I laughed my way through the entire book. Fun foodie memoir. I loved it. I hope her earlier book(s?) are just as amusing because I’m going to have to reserve them, soon.
Burnt Toast Makes You Sing Good Read More »
20 Ways to Draw a Cat and 44 Other Awesome Animals and 20 Ways to Draw a Tree and 44 Other Nifty Things From Nature are fun books. I just wish I’d had more time to play with them before they had to go back to the library. The whole series looks pretty cool. I might have to check one out every month and really make myself take time to doodle. That would be fun, wouldn’t it?
A Couple of Sketchbooks for Doodlers Read More »
I finally found some time to read Joyland and I really enjoyed it. I liked the setting and the characters. I even liked the way it ended. Since this is a “crime” novel and not a horror novel, we didn’t get the really creepy Stephen King and that’s cool. Nice change from scary clowns with just enough creepyness to make it a fun read.
Best Sarah Waters book in a very long time. I loved The Paying Guests. Every character was perfect. The story line was terrific (though of course you had to know that Frances and Lilian were going to end up in that kind of mess.) Perfect ending. I loved every darn thing about it.
The second book in the Midwife Mystery series, The Harlot’s Tale was just as awesome — if not more awesome — than the first one. Oh so clever and I found myself chuckling several times. This troubled TW. She says I laughed more during this book than I did reading Let’s Pretend This Never Happened (which is probably true since I errr don’t really find The Bloggess as funny as others do, particularly in large doses.)
Anyway — loved it. I did not see that ending coming. The part about Edward, though I should have since it paves the way for Joseph to be… Joseph. Can’t wait for #3.
I really enjoyed The Midwife’s Tale for a lot of reasons some people DID NOT enjoy it. It’s not a fluffy pretty story. It’s dark and mean and ugly in a lot of ways — which is what life for women and the poor was like in the early/mid 1600s. Even the midwife, who was a decent person, was cruel in many ways.
I’m very much looking forward to the next book!
The Midwife’s Tale Read More »
I’m playing catch up with the non-fictions now. Homesteading. A lot of books about homesteading. Some were good. Some weren’t. Let’s start with the one I didn’t finish.
Rural Renaissance — dry as I don’t even know. I won’t say burnt toast because I effing like burnt toast, (I know. I’m weird. Blame my mother.) I couldn’t finish it. There are not enough reading hours in one lifetime for me to have wanted to finish it. TW tried to warn me, she didn’t finish it either, but I didn’t listen. I should have listened. I wasted half an evening on that.
The Practical Homestead — Hoo boy. This book could scare you off the idea of homesteading, lol. So much to think about. And it’s all very serious. And they do warn you off of trying x,y & z quite a lot. At first glance, the layouts for various farm sizes seem cool but then you realize it’s really not what you personally are interested in. Unless you win the lottery or come into some inheritance because no, all we really want is a kitchen garden, some fruit trees, some chickens and a big ass yard for the damn dogs. Cool book. I might read it again in a couple of years. Seriously.
The Weekend Homesteader was interesting. I liked the way it was laid out — a few assignments each month. Cool way to start slow and keep encouraging people to make small changes and take on small projects.
Back to Basics: Traditional Kitchen Wisdom was a pretty cool book. I skimmed a lot because I don’t particularly need to digest all of that kitchen wisdom at once. It’s a good book to just have on the shelf.
I believe this is the last of the homesteading books. I hope. I kind of also hope I don’t read anymore of these for at least a year. I’m homesteaded out.
All About Homesteading Read More »
I’m going to get caught up today, even if it kills me. I’m going to schedule and stagger the posts so I don’t kill the people in my streams with these posts because I’m thoughtful like that.
I hope to goodness I never fall this far behind again. Someone remind me of this the next time JMP comes for an extended visit…
The Bear’s Song is cute and it’s on the Cybil shortlist. It has a Where’s Waldo sort of thing going on and I liked it but young children are going to have some trouble finding the little bear. Heck, I think there was a page where I never did find him.
Wild Animals is one of those touch and feel board books and not a Cybils book. JMP liked it. Because animals and touch and feel stuff. Obviously.
Thomas’ Milkshake Muddle was the very first Thomas book I’ve ever read and obviously not on the Cybils list. I KNOW, RIGHT? It was… fine. Don’t tell JMP but I don’t really understand the Thomas thing. I understand why a two year old loves trains but the books and TV shows creep me out a little. So anyway. This book. It was fine. JMP liked it.
Love Is In the Air was cute and a Cybil. A kite and a helium balloon. Yea, I liked it.
The Bag I’m Taking to Grandma’s House was not a Cybil — it was on a shelf at the library for Grandparents’ Day. JMP and I liked it. JMP doesn’t have to bring all the things in his bag because grandma will buy all the things, though.
If You Want to See a Whale is from the Cybils list and I apparently read it so long ago that I can barely remember it. I gave it four stars on goodreads and to be honest, I have no idea why. I assume this means JMP liked it since I can barely remember what I might have liked about it.
Journey was fabulous and obviously from the Cybils list. JMP loved it. I loved it. I will have to read it to him again next year to see if he still likes it.
Urgency Emergency is from the Cybils list and I liked it more than JMP did. Probably because JMP is not super familiar with the tale of the Red Riding Hood. Don’t worry, we’re going to change that this Christmas…
Punk Farm was a present for JMP from Aunt Michelle and I could have sworn I blogged this but either I didn’t or my search feature is worse than, well, worse than it should be. Anyway. The animals on the farm are punk musicians. They put on a show after the farmer goes to sleep. It’s a great punk show. I loved it. JMP was amused by my screaming of the lyrics. Next year I’m gonna get Michelle and RJ and Chris to PERFORM as I read. JMP’s gonna love that. Don’t worry, we’ll take video.
And that’s it for the kids’ books I feel behind on. I think. Maybe. Hah.
The last of the August/September Children’s Books Read More »