Booklady's Booknotes

ARC Review: Bliss by Kathryn Littlewood

bevarcher — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 13:48:08 +0000

FTC DISCLOSURE: I received an Advance Reader’s Copy of this book from the Amazon Vine program in exchange for an honest review.

Bliss by Kathryn Littlewood

Summary:

Rosemary Bliss’s family has a secret. It’s the Bliss Cookery Booke—an ancient, leather-bound volume of enchanted recipes like Stone Sleep Snickerdoodles and Singing Gingersnaps. Rose and her siblings are supposed to keep the Cookery Booke under lock and whisk-shaped key while their parents are out of town, but then a mysterious stranger shows up. “Aunt” Lily rides a motorcycle, wears purple sequins, and whips up exotic (but delicious) dishes for dinner. Soon boring, nonmagical recipes feel like life before Aunt Lily—a lot less fun.

So Rose and her siblings experi-ment with just a couple of recipes from the forbidden Cookery Booke.

A few Love Muffins and a few dozen Cookies of Truth couldn’t cause too much trouble . . . could they?

The book tells the story of a family of magical bakers. The children, Rose (Rosemary), Ty (Thyme), Sage and Leigh (Parlsey) are left to guard the magical Bliss Cookery Booke and a secret stash of strange ingredients when their parents are called away to cure a flu epidemic in another town. Rose wants to be responsible – to make her parents proud of her. But the temptation to use the magical cookbook is just too great. The appearance of beautiful and mysterious Aunt Lily complicates matters. Rose’s gut instinct tells her Lily can’t be trusted, but unfortunately Rose does not trust her instincts. What follows is a delightfully humorous story about making wise choices and obeying your parents.

What I liked about the book: This is a funny quick read that would be perfect for a classroom or bed time read aloud. Older readers with identify with Rose’s struggle to do the right thing while wanting just a little bit of the magic to make herself special. I even liked Aunt Lily (even though like Rose, my instincts tell me she is not to be trusted.) I look forward to reading more about Aunt Lily and Rose in future books in this series.

What I didn’t like about the book: As a parent, I have to admit that I was a little put off by the fact that the parents just up and leave the children to look after the bakery and the magical cook book with only a somewhat elderly neighbor for supervision. Unfortunately, the neighbor just seems clueless and basically only serves to be a warm body.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I can think of several students who will enjoy this book. I will be ordering it for the library.

Heaven Preserve Us by Cricket McCrae

bevarcher — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 14:55:52 +0000

Heaven Preserve Us by Cricket McCrae

Summary: Wine jelly. Watermelon pickles. And a suicidal stalker? Great.

Thirty-something crafter extraordinaire Sophie Mae Reynolds makes preserves by day and answers a crisis center help referral line by night. What better way to help people while still keeping a low profile? But on her very first night, she gets a call from a man who is threatening suicide… and her. Angrily deeming the caller a crank, her boss, Philip Heaven, disconnects the line. Days later, Philip dies from a nasty case of botulism. Now, as a stalker singles out Sophie Mae, Philip’s eerie last words keep coming back to haunt her: Threat. Meant it.

Stirring up the town with talk of murder by preserves, can Sophie Mae and her handsome boyfriend Detective Barr Ambrose spoil a mad murderer’s poisonous plans?

What I liked about the book: This is just a good solid series. Though I’ve only read the first two, I enjoyed both of them. I love Sophie Mae. She’s a very well developed, strong female character. True, like most cozy mystery detectives she does make some unwise choices that tend to put her in danger, but that is often the nature of the cozy sleuth. I also like that this is a “clean” series. Yes, there’s a dead body – it’s a mystery. But it’s not gory and there is no graphic language. The home crafting tips are an added bonus.

What I didn’t like about the book: Can’t think of anything. It’s a good solid read for cozy mystery lovers.

The Mapping of Love and Deathy by Jacqueline Winspear

bevarcher — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 00:38:02 +0000

The Mapping of Love and Death by Jacqueline Winspear

Summary:

August 1914. As Michael Clifton is mapping land he has just purchased in California’s beautiful Santa Ynez Valley, war is declared in Europe—and duty-bound to his father’s native country, the young cartographer soon sets sail for England to serve in the British army. Three years later, he is listed as missing in action.

April 1932. After Michael’s remains are unearthed in France, his parents retain London psychologist and investigator Maisie Dobbs, hoping she can find the unnamed nurse whose love letters were among their late son’s belongings. It is a quest that leads Maisie back to her own bittersweet wartime love—and to the stunning discovery that Michael Clifton was murdered in his dugout. Suddenly an exposed web of intrigue and violence threatens to ensnare the dead soldier’s family and even Maisie herself as she attempts to cope with the impending loss of her mentor and the unsettling awareness that she is once again falling in love.

I picked this book to read for the January/February 2012 Cozy Mystery Challenge hosted by Debbie’s Book Bag. The challenge was to read a cozy mystery with love in the title.

This is my first Maisie Dobbs mystery. I believe it’s book six in the series, but even so it wasn’t too difficult to follow along.

What I liked about the book: It takes place in Britain between World War I and World War II, a time period I generally like. Maisie is an interesting character – a strong female character and rather methodical. I must admit that Winspear fooled me. I generally figure out the culprit before the end of the book, but this time I was wrong. I’ve read some reviews of this series that suggest that this would be a good TV series. While the book was ok, I think that I would probably enjoy a TV series more.

What I didn’t like about the book: There really wasn’t anything I didn’t like about the book per se. It’s just that with my overwhelming to be read pile, for me to add a new series to my regular reading, that series has to be truly outstanding. This one just didn’t do it for me.

February Book Club Read: Night Road by Kristen Hannah – Spoilers

bevarcher — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 22:00:27 +0000

Night Road by Kristin Hannah

Summary from Goodreads: For a mother, life comes down to a series of choices.
To hold on…
To let go..
To forget…
To forgive…
Which road will you take?

For eighteen years, Jude Farraday has put her children’s needs above her own, and it shows—her twins, Mia and Zach—are bright and happy teenagers. When Lexi Baill moves into their small, close knit community, no one is more welcoming than Jude. Lexi, a former foster child with a dark past, quickly becomes Mia’s best friend. Then Zach falls in love with Lexi and the three become inseparable.

Jude does everything to keep her kids safe and on track for college. It has always been easy– until senior year of high school. Suddenly she is at a loss. Nothing feels safe anymore; every time her kids leave the house, she worries about them.

On a hot summer’s night her worst fears come true. One decision will change the course of their lives. In the blink of an eye, the Farraday family will be torn apart and Lexi will lose everything. In the years that follow, each must face the consequences of that single night and find a way to forget…or the courage to forgive.

Kristen Hannah’s Night Road is the February read for my face to face book club.

I enjoyed the book, but it’s another tough emotional read. So many lives were tainted by one mistake. The loss of a child, a sibling, and best friend all because of a bad choice. Of course Hannah treats a tough issue with great care and superb writing.

Because I read this book for book club I thought I would take a different approach to my review. I’m going to post some of the discussion questions and my answers. These questions are from Kristen Hannah’s website.

Jude Farraday is obviously a tenacious and committed mother. She very clearly tries to do anything and everything she can to keep her children safe. Do you think all of this effort makes her a “good” mother? Or is she over-invested in her children’s lives? Does this kind of micro-managing keep kids safe, or put them in a position where they don’t trust their own judgment? Jude Farraday is the ultimate helicopter mom. I think she is too invested in the lives of her children. Parents should be involved in the lives of the children, but micro-managing them does allow them to grow or to learn.

One of the powerful themes in this novel is the delicate balance a mother must find between holding on to her children and letting them go. How does Jude succeed in finding this balance? How does she fail? I don’t think Jude ever does find that balance. I believe that played a big part in what happened to Mia. She can’t even let go of her grief and care for what is left of her family. I’m not saying that grief over the loss of a child isn’t devastating, but if Jude had found some balance with her children, then she might have been better able to deal with her grief and care for those that survived.

On page 71, Jude observes that her husband accused her of being a helicopter parent, all noise and movement, hovering too close to her children, but if that were true, he was a satellite, positioned so far up in the sky he needed a telescope to track the goings on his own home. How does this sentence illustrate Jude’s view of motherhood? Is she right? Is Miles unaware of what’s going on in his children’s lives? How does Jude render Miles ineffective and what is the price for that? I don’t think Miles’ character was quite as well developed as the others. Most of the story focuses on Jude, the twins and Lexie. I think Miles is certainly on target when he refers to Jude as a helicopter mom. As for him being just a satellite parent, I think that’s the only role that Jude allows him to take. She forces him into that role - yet gets irritated with him about it. I don’t think Miles is unaware of what’s going on in the twins’ lives – it’s just that Jude has pushed him so far to the sidelines.

Jude seems to make all the rules for her children. Why does she ignore Miles’ suggestions and advice? Why does he let her? I couldn’t figure out why Miles let Jude make all the decisions. Was it because he’s a busy doctor – works outside of the home and Jude is a stay at home mom with her whole life tied up in the children? Was Jude’s personality so forceful that Miles just decided it was simply easier to let Jude make all the decisions? He does make some weak attempts to reel her in, but he is not successful.

For years, Jude promised her children than they could “tell her anything, that she would pick them at night up no questions asked.” But when put to the test, she fails. Can you understand why she disciplined her children for drinking? What would you have done? This is a tough one. I don’t want my children to drink. I don’t want them to get in the car with someone who does. If they do drink, I want them to call me so I can pick them up, but if there are no repercussions for the underage drinking, then isn’t the same as condoning it? I understand why Jude made the deal with them and I understand why she disciplined them. I think telling them there would be no questions asked was a mistake. It’s seems like a commitment that would be impossible to keep. As a result the twins didn’t trust her and that played a big part in what happened.

Lexi pays a very high price for her actions that night. Did she do the right thing by admitting guilt? Yes she did the right thing. I felt a lot of sympathy for Lexi, but while I think everyone was guilty for what happened, Lexie

Jude says at one point that she is seeking “justice” from the court. Is she? Did she find it? I don’t think that she was looking for justice. I think she was looking for revenge. And she certainly got that, but it wasn’t enough.

Assign blame for what happened on that tragic night. How much of what happened is Lexi’s fault? Zach’s? Jude’s? Mia’s? They are all guilty. But as sorry as I felt for Lexi and even though at times I do think the punishment she received was rather harsh, the bottom line is that her mistake cost the life of her best friend. She was the one was the most sober.

I found this to be a very good book. It’s certainly not an easy read. All of the characters, with the exception of Miles are very well developed. I loved Lexi, Zach, Mia, Grace and Aunt Eva. I did not like Jude. She was too overbearing and I had a serious problem with the fact that she was unwilling to accept any blame for what happened. It was also hard for me to read about the way she treated Grace. The story does have a happy ending and I’d like to think that in the part of the story that we don’t read, Jude becomes more likeable.

Fancy Nancy and the Too-Loose Tooth by Jane O’Connor

bevarcher — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 19:48:57 +0000

Fancy Nancy and the Too-Loose Tooth by Jane O’Connor

Summary: Nancy absolutely must have her first tooth fall out at school. That way she will be sure to receive the special tooth-holder necklace from the school nurse. But when Nancy’s tooth starts wiggling at home, she is worried she might lose it before class. How can Nancy make sure her loose tooth falls out at school?

What I liked about the book: O’Connor does her usual fantastic job of creating an interesting story with great appeal for young readers. And of course Glasser’s illustrations are beautifully colorful and full of detail. Young readers will be able to identify with Nancy’s desire to have the coveted tooth necklace given to students who lose their tooth at school. Nancy’s efforts to make sure her tooth falls out at school will readers smile.

This is a good book to use during February which is National Dental Month.

What I didn’t like about the book: As with almost all Fancy Nancy books, I loved it all.

Recommended for 1st Grade and up.

AR. Book Level: 2.0

Forbidden Book Club – February Read – But I Love Him

bevarcher — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 13:41:30 +0000

I am very excited to be part of “the forbidden book club.” In January we read John Green’s Looking for Alaska, not one of my favorite reads, even though I really like John Green. This month we are reading But I Love Him by Amanda Grace.

If you would like to catch up on the discussion (or even join in) check out Books Devoured, who is hosting the discussion for February. Be sure to check out their blog. It’s very well done, the only problem is that it will cause your to be read pile to grow – and there could be worse things.

But, i Love Him by Amanda Grace

Summary: Ann was a smiling straight-A student and track star. But after she meets Connor, it all changes. She surrenders everything to be with him, and by graduation, her life has become a dangerous high-wire act. One mistake could trigger Connor’s rage, a senseless storm of cruel words and violence damaging everything–and everyone–in its path.

I’m about two thirds through this book. Even though I had seen the cover on a couple of different blogs, I really didn’t know anything about this book before picking it up to read. It’s a tough read because of the content (not because of the writing. I find it to be very well written so far.) Books Devoured has set a great schedule for reading this book – the only problem is that I’m having trouble not reading ahead.

I’m thinking this just might be a book that parents of teen age girls should read. (I’m avoiding making a definite recommendation until I finish the book.) Whether or not you agree with the choices Ann makes, whether or not you are convinced that YOU would be stronger and not allow this to happen to yourself, nor would your daughter or sister, this book offers some insight into the world that far too many young women find themselves trapped.

BlackOut by John Rocco

bevarcher — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 17:37:28 +0000

Blackout by John Rocco

Summary: On a hot summer night in the city a young boy has trouble finding someone to play with him. Mom is on the computer, Dad is cooking in the kitchen. His sister is on the phone. Everyone is just too busy . . . until the lights go out.

What I liked about the book: I LOVE the illustrations. I’m very surprised this book didn’t win the Caldecott (though I do love A Ball for Daisy.) You might not think that a book about the dark could be colorful, but this one is. The illustrations work hand in hand with the words to tell a great story about not only how a crisis can become a positive event, but also a story about the importance of “unplugging” every once in a while.

What I didn’t like about this book: I loved it all and I will be ordering it for the Endeavour Library.

2012 Caldecott Winner: A Ball for Daisy by Chris Raschka

bevarcher — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 18:09:04 +0000

A Ball for Daisy by Chris Raschka

Summary from Goodreads:

Here’s a story about love and loss as only Chris Rashcka can tell it. Any child who has ever had a beloved toy break will relate to Daisy’s anguish when her favorite ball is destroyed by a bigger dog. In the tradition of his nearly wordless picture book Yo! Yes?, Caldecott Medalist Chris Raschka explores in pictures the joy and sadness that having a special toy can bring. Here’s a story about love and loss as only Chris Rashcka can tell it. Any child who has ever had a beloved toy break will relate to Daisy’s anguish when her favorite ball is destroyed by a bigger dog. In the tradition of his nearly wordless picture book Yo! Yes?, Caldecott Medalist Chris Raschka explores in pictures the joy and sadness that having a special toy can bring. Raschka’s signature swirling, impressionistic illustrations and his affectionate story will particularly appeal to young dog lovers and teachers and parents who have children dealing with the loss of something special.

A Ball for Daisy is the winner of the 2012 Caldecott award.

What I liked about this book: I loved it all. After being disappointed in the 2011 Caldecott winner I wasn’t holding out too much hope for this year. I am pleased to say I was very pleasantly surprised. Raschka’s illustrations are outstanding. Children will easily be engaged with the brilliant water color scenes. Even though it is a wordless picture book (a genre I truly love), the story is expertly told in the illustrations. This is a great book to used with a lesson on sharing, friendship, disappointment and even sentence writing/story telling. Do you have a student that needs some practice creating ideas/sentences? Sit them down with this beautiful book and have them tell the story.

What I didn’t like about the book: I loved it all. I’ve already ordered it for the Endeavour library and it is high on my personal wish list.

Recommended for Pre-school and up.

AR Book Level: No AR level

Mrs. Archer’s rating: 5 of 5!!

Breaking Stalin’s Nose by Eugene Yelchin

bevarcher — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 17:52:20 +0000

Breaking Stalin’s Nose by Eugene Yelchin

Summary:

Sasha Zaichik has known the laws of the Soviet Young Pioneers since the age of six:The Young Pioneer is devoted to Comrade Stalin, the Communist Party, and Communism.A Young Pioneer is a reliable comrade and always acts according to conscience.A Young Pioneer has a right to criticize shortcomings.But now that it is finally time to join the Young Pioneers, the day Sasha has . . . Sasha Zaichik has known the laws of the Soviet Young Pioneers since the age of six. The Young Pioneer is devoted to Comrade Stalin, the Communist Party, and Communism. A Young Pioneer is a reliable comrade and always acts according to conscience. A Young Pioneer has a right to criticize shortcomings. But now that it is finally time to join the Young Pioneers, the day Sasha has awaited for so long, everything seems to go awry. He breaks a classmate’s glasses with a snowball. He accidentally damages a bust of Stalin in the school hallway. And worst of all, his father, the best Communist he knows, was arrested just last night.

What I liked about this book: It’s a quick, easy read. Even though the story is fiction, it gives young readers an insight to not only about growing up in Communist Russia, but just how life and one’s view of life can change in an instant. The large print and illustrations and fast pace, make this a good read for upper elementary students. It could be used with an introductory unit on world history. The same attributes that make it a good read for elementary students also make it a good fit for older students, (middle school) who are not quite reading at grade level. It would be a good read for a book share assignment.

What I didn’t like about this book: I actually liked it all. It truly is a quick read – can easily be read in an afternoon or weekend.

Breaking Stalin’s Nose is a 2012 Newbery Honor Book. I’ve added to my wish list for the Endeavour library.

Recommended for 4th grade and up.

AR Book Level: 4.6

Mrs. Archer’s rating 4 of 5!

ARC Review of Witchful Thinking by H. P. Mallory

bevarcher — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:52:27 +0000

FTC Disclosure: I received an advanced readers’ copy of this book from the Amazon Vine program in exchange for an honest review.

Witchful Thinking by H. P. Mallory

Synopsis: Jolie thinks she’s seen it all, but life continues to spring surprises. The latest shocker? She’s just been crowned Queen of the Underworld. Jolie may possess a rare gift for reanimating the dead, but she doesn’t know the first thing about governing disparate factions of supernatural creatures. She can barely maintain order in her own chaotic personal life, which is heading into a romantic tailspin.

First there’s sexy warlock Rand, the love of her life, from whom Jolie is hiding a devastating secret. Then there’s Sinjin, a darkly seductive vampire and Jolie’s sworn protector—though others suspect he harbors ulterior motives. As the two polar opposite yet magnetic men vie for Jolie’s affection, she must keep her wits about her to balance affairs of state and affairs of her heart. Overwhelmed, under pressure, and longing for love, Jolie decides it’s time to take charge—and show everyone that this queen won’t take jack.

What I liked about this book: I found this to be a funny, entertaining read. The story tends to be a bit repetitive, but I think the author was trying to make sure newcomers to the series (this is the third book in the series and I believe the first one not self published) had enough back ground information. If you are looking for a light read that isn’t intellectually taxing, then this is the book for you. It has high entertainment value and a little bit of intrigue tied up with a twist at the end. Readers who enjoy paranormal romance might also enjoy this book.

What I didn’t like about the book: Jolie is a bit of wimp and a little too obsessed with her attractions to Rand and Sanjinn. The series has potential, but I would love to see more development of Jolie – making her a stronger character – less wishy washy.

If you are look for a deep meaningful read, then this isn’t the book for you. However, if you just looking for a light romantic comedy, you should consider giving this one a try. I liked the book well enough, that I would like to read the first two stories.