PSA- to PARENTS purchasing VReaders as Christmas presents:

PSA- to PARENTS purchasing VReaders as Christmas presents:
 
The VReader requires an SD card in order to download the 6 "free"
books from the VTech website. I'm so glad I brought that bundle of
gifts down to wrap this evening. Now I have 4 AA batteries loaded
in it and I will be shopping for the necessary SD card as soon as I
have the chance!

Of course I will report back with details of the process of setting
up the VReader. It will be good to share my experience with anyone  
who can gain from it.

NOOK on sale on Black Friday

The original NOOK (Wi-Fi) (not the NOOK Wi-Fi +3G) will be on sale the day after Thanksgiving.
The price will drop to an amazing $99! You can find it at Best Buy according to this site:


http://tinyurl.com/NOOKSaleAtBestBuy

I saw the NOOK color!!

NOOK color is in the stores, Peeps!

If you have an opportunity, stop by a B&N and check it out!
I recalled last night that a store rep had called to tell me it was in stock and they would hold one for me for 48 hours. The store was abuzz!

I only had to wait a few minutes for my chance to see the demo.
I had our daughter, Marlo, with me.

It weighs noticably more than the original NOOK. It is fairly sleek and attractive. More attractive than I expected. The silly little corner piece for NOOK charms didn't bother me as much as expected, either.
The color is a nice dark slate with a slight sparkle to it without being truly shiny.

The screen is very nice. It's big. They've managed to allow the product to be mostly screen actually.

I really wanted to see an "interactive" child's book in action. The only real problem is that B&N has not provided training for the store agents so they only know what they know from playing with the product themselves or from reading the owner's manual (and did they??). When I asked to see a child's book I was told "no problem, great". We looked at a couple of them. Cute. But I was not quite impressed enough with the "interactivity" to think "I have to go home with this product!"

Upon arriving at home our son, Matthew, asked where we'd been. I told him. He had not been aware of a color version being marketed. He immediately wanted to know more. I told him to run find it online and I would look at it with him. He returned to me and we looked at the B&N site together. He managed to find an interactive child's book on their site and there was a demo for it!
http://tinyurl.com/NOOKColorInterativity
Go down to where there is a NOOK with a bear in the picture and a button that says "Read To Me".
Click there for a nice demo.

That demo makes me think "Gee, I want to go home with that product!"

Before I left the store last night I told the agent that I was not making a purchase that night but that I'd be happy for her to place my name on the waiting list for the next shipment that is due in a few days. She did so.

Of course a big part of ME wants the NOOK Color now; I'll admit that. But I also want this for Gigi, our
4 1/2 year old who is now reading 3 and 4 letter words on her own. She loves books more than almost anything else. This would be an amazing gift for her and it is one that could continue to grow with her which is very important in a gift for a child.

Matt really likes what he saw too. I told him that there really wouldn't be much interactivity in books for kids his age (but what do I know, there could be, actually). He also knows that the NOOK original (Wi-FI-i) is going to be on sale on Black Friday at B&N for just $99. Our budget is stretched since we have five children. I wonder if we will add any NOOKs to our household this Christmas.

Christmas for book lovers...

So, Christmas is only 44 days away. Yes. It's true. It's also likely, if you are reading this,
that you are a person who is shopping for others. Those of us who shop for others are
not always on the ball about developing our own wish lists; we take the back seat.

And so here is your challenge. Make a list of your own wants. It will make it much
simpler for those who will buy you gifts.

Here is another challenge; perhaps a bit more motivating. List your book-related wants here.
I love to read about what other people are reading or wishing to read. Inspire us with your list.
Feel free to elaborate in regard to where you heard about the book or why you wish to read it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


My number one wish, I think, is for an additional cover for my NOOK.


I think the the top of my list is occupied by this little gem:
http://tinyurl.com/TupperQuoteCoverInLeafNOOK
I love the feel of the cover; for that, alone, it is a very popular choice. The cover is graced with this quote, front to back: “A good book is the best of friends, the same today and forever.” It's not as girlie as I'd like, to give me a very different cover from the one  I have but the price is certainly appealing at only $29.95.

If I felt I could be extravagant in my wish I would choose this one probably:
http://tinyurl.com/SheKeptHerNoseInABookCoverNOOK
I like the inside even more as it could actually become my wallet. The only drawback I see is that while it is attractive the cover does not begin to compare in softness to the TupperQuote cover above. Price- $125. Still, I think they could charge more if it were as soft as the Tupper as it would combine great functionality with true fashionable appeal for a woman.

If I could be truly indulgent I would ask for the NOOK color.
For now, I am very happy with my original NOOK and I do appreciate the eInk technology which
is not used on the NOOK color. I would probably use both if I owned both though.

What is on your Christmas list?

If you are reading this you are probably someone who is in charge of buying Christmas gifts.
I am doing pretty well, myself, with regard to this task. I don't like to get stressed about it
so I try to put some planning into it and approach it with thoughtfulness.

Often those of us who purchase gifts for others neglect to consider our own wants. We take
a back seat,but that just makes it difficult for those who want to buy us gifts. I am going to
challenge you to make their task easier by giving some thought to your own wishes as you
prepare for Christmas this year.

Now, since I like to keep this site pertaining to the love of reading, what I am asking you
to do is to post some of your book-related wants here for us to see. I love to hear about
what others are reading or hoping to read. Try to inspire us; point us in the direction of
something of which we were previously unaware.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I think the the top of my list is occupied by this little gem:
http://tinyurl.com/TupperQuoteCoverInLeafNOOK
I love the feel of the cover; for that, alone, it is a very popular choice. The cover is graced with this quote, front to back: “A good book is the best of friends, the same today and forever.” It's not as girlie as I'd like, to give me a very different cover from the one  I have but the price is certainly appealing at only $29.95.

If I felt I could be extravagant in my wish I would choose this one probably:
http://tinyurl.com/SheKeptHerNoseInABookCoverNOOK
I like the inside even more as it could actually become my wallet. The only drawback I see is that while it is attractive the cover does not begin to compare in softness to the TupperQuote cover above. Price- $125. Still, I think they could charge more if it were as soft as the Tupper as it would combine great functionality with true fashionable appeal for a woman.



I already own this one:
http://tinyurl.com/JonathanAdlerPunctuationCover
I still like it. I am just ready for some variety. I chose this cover because it is a bit mysterious, with the large question mark on one side and the ampersand on the other. I also thought I liked the canvas inner cover. I have only had my NOOK for about 3months and already the inside is becoming dingy; the outside too, along the white areas. I just took a moment to try to give it a good cleaning. It does look better but the inside didn't improve a lot. These days I tend to be drawn to more feminine choices so I was a bit surprised that this is what I chose.

Books I hope to purchase with B&N gift cards are:
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

Mr. Monk and The Dirty Cop

The Quiche of Death by MC Beaton
The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud

One Day by David Nicholls
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

(I am sure there will be more added and perhaps some deleted by the time Christmas actually arrives!)

I can't wait to see what your replies are...

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

What a good book.




Set in Jackson, Mississippi in 1962, The Help looks at the complicated relationship between the black hired help and those for whom they work.


The story primarily focuses on three women:


Smart Aibileen who raises and loves the babies of the white women who hire her. She works until she glimpses "her children's" first realizations that "the help" are supposed to be treated differently from others like themselves.


Sassy Minny is Aibileen's best friend and works oh-so-hard to hold her tongue when faced with stupidity.


Then there is Miss Skeeter. Her mother prefers that she answer to Eugenia.


When Miss Skeeter returned from her years at Ole Miss having not been proposed to she is determined to find a place for herself even if it isn't the place that others would chose for her.


A stroke of luck places Skeeter on the payroll of a local newspaper to write household tips for the readers. Trouble is...Skeeter has no practical knowledge in that area. Her need for such information brings her to the mercy of Aibileen, the maid of her best friend. That relationship is then tested as Miss Skeeter determines it is time to really explore the world of "the help".


The story romps along from point to point. Readers area also introduced to a few other characters whose stories will engage and entertain.


While the subject of the book chronicles a dangerous quest by these women the end of the book wraps up pretty nicely; a bit too nicely given the realities of the times. This will upset some readers and will please others. I, of course, was happy. I mean, this is fiction after all. Weaving what appears to be a happier-than-might-have-been ending is okay with me.
The point of the book is still apparent and that is what is most important. As someone who was born in the late 60s it is difficult to imagine living in such a time where people were treated differently only because of the color of their skin. I am so thankful for how far we've come today. Racial injustice is disgusting in all its forms. It is embarrassing and disheartening to realize that such things as this book explores were still occurring as little as 40-some years ago. I appluad Kathryn Stockett for exploring the subject, especially since it is one that is close to her family who resides in the south.






The book however, is a delight. Stockett managed to give us a glimpse into the time by manner of a fictional foray.


~~~


Updated to add:


This book is being made into a film.
The release date is set for August 2011.


The Help (film) < click here

Coraline by Neil Gaiman

Have you ever wished you had a different life?

Coraline did. And then her wish came true... Be careful what you wish for.

This book came out in 2002; the film appeared in cinemas in 2009. We were living in England at that time. Our then 13 year old daughter begged to see the film. Of course I said "If you read the book first." And she read the book.

As Halloween has just passed by on the pages of the calendar the story came to my mind. I don't like scary films. Horror isn't my thing. I decided it was time to read Coraline for myself to see what it was all about.

I was pleasantly surprised.

Yes, the story is a bit eerie. But the story is really pretty nice; it definitely carries some themes in its pages.

In the story Coraline visited an alternate world; a world in which things were pretty much a mirror of reality but in which the people had button eyes. At first she was drawn to the world but soon she realized that the life she already had was what she really wanted.

Sometimes we wish for change in our lives when we really don't have it so bad. Coraline felt forgotten by her busy parents. Their busyness, however, had nothing to do with their love for her.
Parents, though, can look at this part of the story as a strong reminder. Yes, we are busy; sometimes unbelievably so. But do we really want to give our children the impression that we are too busy for them? At times in the past I have used reminders such as this to wake myself to the point of view of our children. I am going to make an extra effort, starting now, as I have in the past, to stop what I am doing when one of our many children comes to me with a request. If I truly can not fulfill that request of my time at the moment then I am going to be extra sure to make the time as soon as I finish the task that was at hand. I have always, always been blessed when I have acted in this manner; and I believe our children have to.

I think my favorite line from this book is:

"Coraline slept uneasily that night, waking from time to time to plot and plan and ponder, then falling back into sleep, never quite certain where her pondering ended and the dream began, one ear always open for the sound of something scratching at her windowpane or at her bedroom door.
 
Now to watch the film with our daughter.

We are fast approaching the end of the year. Wanted to tell you...

I wanted to tell everyone that at the end of the year I think I will be asking everyone to list their superlatives for the year.

I'll ask things such as:
What was the best book you read for yourself this year?
What was the best book you read to a child this year?

...you get the idea.

So, if you don't track your reading you might want to begin thinking about books and categories and such!
It's always a great source for reading selections for the next year!

Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire

I read the original Wizard of Oz to two of our children during our homeschooling.


I rated it a 3.5 out of 5*.


I give Maguire's Wicked 4 out of 5*.


I saw 'Wicked' the stage-show three times while living in London, I attended it with various visitors.
I enjoyed it but wouldn't say it was my favourite of all the shows we saw.


The book is good. It moved along not so very quickly until somewhere around the middle of the book. Then I felt it began to be interesting. I enjoyed the characters and the way they came to life. I enjoyed the protrayal of Elphaba except for a few things. I very much liked Fiyero. I didn't like that the two of them finally came together while he was married. But that's just me.





I don't know how I missed the fact, right away, that a particular character was obviously the son of Elphaba. I did, however predict, as Elphaba did, that Fiyero might return as the Scarecrow. I was greatly disillusioned when that didn't happen. I feel it would have added SO MUCH more depth! From the point where we realize the Scarecrow wasn't Fiyero things just fell apart for me.


I thought there could have been even more intrigue, and certainly more loose ends tied up. I mean, Maguire worked very hard to make all the many varied connections throughout and then seemed to just end the book. There was no resolution for Elphaba. She never fully realized her maternal feelings toward Liir although I enjoyed seeing her attempt to come to terms with some sort of 'love' for him. She never achieved possession of Nessa's shoes from Dorothy. She never found out what exatlly happened to Sarima and her sisters and her son. And most glaringly, she never achieved ANY resolution toward the reinstatement of rights for Animals. Maguire seemed to be making a parallel statement of Animals vs animals that I felt was supposed to have some greater reflection on our society. I also felt he was alluding to something with regard to religion. If so, at least for me, he didn't make those statements clearly enough for me and so it remained a story, but one that was very involved, and, in the end, unfulfilling. If Maguire had connected the dots for me, as above, there is no way I'd have not rated this book 5*. The lack of finishing the story, in my opinion, brings it down to 4*, disappointingly.






On the final page we are left with 'In the life of a Witch, ther eis no after, in the ever after of a Witch, there is no happily; in the story of a Witch, there is no afterword. Of that part that is beyond the life story, beyond the story of the life, there is --alas, or perhaps thank mercy--no telling. She was dead, dead and gone, and all that was left of her was the carapace of her reputation for malice.' How very sad that makes me feel.






I will list some quotes from the book that I feel were meaningful or just well written.


Here is the funniest portion in the book, in my opinion:


"I want to mee Dorothy," he said.


"You're not that age already, lease preserve us," she said. "I always intended to pickle ou before you got to puberty."


pg 386






'But the Witch stopped herself short, hearing in her words about Madame Morrible--she had a choice--an echo of what the Elephant Princess Nastoya had once said to her: No one controls your destiny. Even at the very worst--there is always choice.' pg. 343.






'The nature of the world is to be calm, and enhance and support life, and evil is an absence of the inclination of matter to be at peace.' pg 344






'Evil is an act, not an appetite. How many haven't wanted to slash the throat of some boor across the dining room table? Present company excepted of course. Everyone has the appetite. If you give in to it, it, thta act is evil. The appetite is normal.' pg 345






'She was thirty-eight, and just realizing what it felt like to have a sense of home. For that, Sarima, thank you, she thought. Maybe the definition of home is the place where you are never forgiven, so you may always belong there, bound by guilt. And maybe the cost of belonging is worth it.' pg 350






"Boq returned the smile, warmly. 'Glinda used her glitter beads, and you used your exotic looks and background, but weren't you just doing the same thing, trying to maximize what you had in order to get what you wanted? People who claim that they're evil are usually no worse than the rest of us.' He sighed. 'It's people who cliam that they're good, or anyway better than the rest of us, that you have to be wary of.'


pg 357






Here is the funniest portion in the book, in my opinion:


"I want to mee Dorothy," he said.


"You're not that age already, lease preserve us," she said. "I always intended to pickle ou before you got to puberty."


pg 386

How to Raise the Perfect Dog: Through Puppyhood and Beyond by Cesar Millan

This is a book that only certain readers will read as it pertains directly to the ownership of a puppy. A friend recommened it to me as she knew we were in the process of selecting and bringing one home.

This book is very insightful. Cesar looks at nearly all aspects of having a young puppy enter your life. He attempts to equip you for the experience.


Our younger sons and I began watching the first season of his television series as I began reading this book. I have now finished watching the first season, along with having finished this book. We enjoy the series.

It is our hope that we will use much of Cesar's wisdom to mold our young pup into a well-adjusted, happy, well-behaved family pet. I am finding that I am a much better pet owner this time; better at caring for the pet, as well as better at guiding it toward proper and acceptable behaviour. My husband has commented that out of all seven people in our family, that I am doing the best and not sending any mixed messages to our young whelp.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is thinking about or has just purchased a puppy. I recalled pet ownership as not being a walk on Easy Street. It is very similar to parenting. This book, though, arms the reader and causes one to think about things before experiencing them.