So far I haven't strayed from posting strictly book reviews.

I am going to post our favorite new board game because some of you may be interested in hearing about it.
I think it will become a new favorite for many of us. We love strategy games that don't tend to involve luck. This game has won many awards and is worthy of them!
I will include a link for an online version of it:
http://www.pentago-online.com/

An Idiot Girl's Christmas: True Tales from the Top of the Naughty List by Laurie Notaro

All right, I hate to admit it. Laurie Notaro makes me laugh. She can be vulgar and childish, yes; even irreverent.. That is the reason for my reticence. However, she can also really make me giggle.
 
I'll also admit I have had greater enjoyment from other books she has written. Parts of this book were taken from various other books she wrote in the past; this is a compilation with some new material also, I believe.

In this book, Laurie shares that she is a clear-lights person with regard to Christmas trees and that she is "tired of living a brightly colored lie." She just isn't afraid to "call them as she sees them"; she says exactly what is on her mind. She writes things that some people would be embarrassed to think. And so I laugh.

Here is what happens when she looks to her fiance for some encouragement after meeting his family for the first time at their family Christmas celebration: "'This is horrible, they hate me,' I told him as I handed over some of the presents. 'I think I'd rather have my next Pap smear broadcast over satellite TV or have my credit report published in the paper or just about anything than go back in there." A bit later, whlie explaining how she ruined the entire holiday she writes "I had completely destroyed the family's holiday even further than I had when they thought I was a pregnant, homeless stripper with knotted hair."

I really enjoyed her spiel about hating Kmart stores and then finding that she was forced to shop at one on Christmas Eve one year. I have rated this title 3.5* out of 5.0.

All Shook Up by Shelley Pearsall

I found out about this book through our son, Matthew. This book is proposed for the Rebecca Caudill Young Reader's Award for 2011. Matthew's school gave a presentation to fourth graders highlighting some of the proposed titles of the Caudill Award for this year. ALL SHOOK UP is one of the books that interested him.

Josh Greenwood is a 13 year old boy who lives in Boston with his mom. When Josh's mom's mother falls and injures herself badly he learns that he must visit his dad for an extended time. His grandma lives in Florida and his mom is going to have to visit there to assist her with her recuperation. Josh's dad lives in Chicago which means that Josh will have to sign up to attend school there, away from all of his friends.

Upon arriving in Chicago it isn't long before Josh finds out that the shoe store his dad worked for has gone out of business and his dad is now making money doing gigs...singing as Elvis. Now, while this might sound pretty cool to some adults, Josh is extremely embarrassed at even the thought of it.

While living in Chicago Josh meets his dad's new girlfriend Viv, and her daughter, Ivory, as well as an elderly neighbor who is making his dad's Elvis-scarves for his stage shows.

The story is told through the eyes of a 13 year old. It's not deep, but it does remind one of how simple the viewpoint of a young teen can be. That said, there is a bit of character growth by the end of the book. I actually thought the book might be a bit more exciting than it was. The story does see Josh make a pretty bad decision that affected his dad worse than his dad's actions were affecting him. There is some resolution to that situation though and it certainly provides a point for discussion with younger readers. One interesting point occurs when Halloween sneaks up on them and they are not prepared; this finds Josh scrambling for a costume and he spends a bit of time wearing some of his dad's Elvis clothing. After doing so he finds that he actually had a bit of fun with it and begins to see things from his dad's side a bit more.

My son doesn't know that I have read the book. I bought the ebook for my NOOK. I also bought a hardcover version for him for Christmas. I think he will really enjoy the book and he'll be surprised to hear that Mom has already read it. If he saves enough to buy a NOOK (he received a gift card for B&N for is birthday) he will be pleased to find that he can read the ebook too!

I am rating this book a 3.5 on a 5.0 scale.

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.