Fiction

7 Books from the Cybils Shortlist (Read During #readathon)

2014, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Cybil Challenge, Fiction /

Again, in the order in which I read them:

Home Sweet Horror — not a bad ghost story/Bloody Mary story. The dead mom/ring was a nice touch.

Dragonbreath: The Case of the Toxic Mutants — I liked it. It amused me. If you like those books I recommended last year? Earlier this year? The ones about the amoeba? Heck, what are those called… I’m gonna go look… Squish! then you’ll probably like Dragonbreath.

Violet Mackerel’s Natural Habitat — I’m a fan of Violet Mackerel but this wasn’t my favorite. I liked it, I just didn’t love love love it.

Kelsey Green Third Grade Reading Queen — was cute. Good for Kelsey for helping Cody, even if her motives weren’t necessarily the best. I hope she learned something, though I’m not sure she did… which is possibly the only thing about the story that I didn’t love.

Lulu and the Dog From the Sea — I loved it. Obviously. I’ve got three darn puppies that I adopted because I had to… I’m very glad it ended the way that it did. 😉

The Life of Ty: Penguin Problems — I did not like. There were moments when I liked it but a lot more moments when I did not. The Penguin part, that’s when it sealed the deal for me… did not like that.

The 14 Fibs of Gregory K was excellent. I’m very glad I stayed up til after 1am to finish it. The only problem was that I wanted pie and it was 1am!

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The Girls of August

2014, Books in Bed, Chick Lit, Fiction, Women /

When I want something light and quick to read, it’s hard to say no to Anne Rivers Siddons. A book that feels like home but doesn’t get me riled up because she’s flopped streets and landmarks down in the wrong damn place.

The Girls of August was a nice easy read but… if you’re a hardcore ARS fan you’re not going to like this one very much. It was… lacking in character development and the ending, sheesh, the ending. I enjoyed it but don’t particularly feel like I can actually recommend it to anyone. Darn it.

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City of Jasmine

2014, Books in Bed, Chick Lit, Fiction, Women /

Look! I read an adult novel and it didn’t take me a month! City of Jasmine was cute. I mostly liked Evie and Gabriel and I very much liked Aunt Dove. I was a little frustrated by Evie because it was OBVIOUS that her husband who she thought was dead wasn’t simply an asshole — he was something else entirely (along with being an asshole, sort of.)

The story got a little convoluted there in the desert — too many people all of whom were not who they appeared to be etc. etc. etc. but it was a fast read and I enjoyed it quite a bit.

I’m wondering if I should read the one that came before this… I don’t think it’s really a series but the characters are connected. Might be fun. Maybe. I’ll think about it.

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The Night Bookmobile

2014, Books in Bed, Comics & Graphic Novels, Fiction /

Nuthinfancy asked a bunch of us if we’d read The Night Bookmobile — we hadn’t so some of us reserved it at the library and read it.

I have such a love/hate thing with Niffenegger I was almost afraid to read it but I did because Nuthinfancy liked it so much and my mother also seemed to like it.

I liked it, too. Mostly. She does that thing that she does, (no I’m not gonna get specific — if you read her books, but particularly her graphic novels), at the end of this one, and … love/hate y’all, love/hate.

I really think I should just stop reading her graphic novels, even though I liked this one more than any of her others. The more of them I read, the more I want to not read her work and I’m hoping that some day she goes back to publishing something besides graphic novels…

PS. This is not a children’s book. It’s not even shelved YA. There are some folks who are angry about it because they think it is YA or a children’s book. It’s not. It’s not. It’s not. If you want to hate the ending do so because you hate the ending not because you’re worried about the childrennnnnnnn. (eyerolling here, lots of eyerolling.)

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The last of the August/September Children’s Books

2014, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Cybil Challenge, Favorites, Fiction /

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.

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Six Children’s Books From the Cybils Shortlist

2014, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Cybil Challenge, Don't Read This, Favorites, Fiction, Poetry /

Let’s see…

JMP loved Joe and Sparky Go to School. The book was in the back seat of my car and he read it many times all by himself. I didn’t read it until last night and it’s very cute.

I read most of Sophie’s Squash to JMP and while he was not impressed, I was. It’s a very cute story. I’m going to read it to him again next year, I think he just wasn’t in the mood to read the night we tried it.

When Thunder Comes was excellent. Very well done with a wide range of civil rights leaders represented.

What the Heart Knows is a beautiful book. The illustrations. The charms, chants and blessings. The little red ribbon. I might have to buy this one.

Pug and Other Animal Poems was ok. The illustrations were better than the poetry. I was fascinated by the poem about the mouse. That’s not something you see very often in children’s poetry. What? Go read it for yourself.

The Meanest Birthday Girl was my least favorite. In fact, I hated it. Which is too bad because there’s a big white elephant in the book. There’s enough meanness in the world that we really don’t need it in a children’s book — not like this.

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Mambo In Chinatown

2014, Books in Bed, Favorites, Fiction, Women /

Please don’t let the fact that it took me six weeks to read Mambo In Chinatown scare you off from reading it. Jean Kwok is wonderful and this book was terrific — the slowness of my reading was related entirely to JMP’s visit + this stupid cold that won’t go away.

I really enjoyed the characters in this book and I found myself wanting to watch ballroom dancing videos.

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