Auntie Claus

A little spoiled brat is suspcious of her aunt's disappearance every Christmas season. She goes to investigate and in the end is a spoiled brat no more.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

by Dr Suess

Clever book for kids. I'm not really a big fan of his, but all the chicklets love his books.

Rhyming, clever writing, and a few laughs here and there. Excellent Christmas time choice.

The Night Before the Night Before Christmas

Very funny book for older school crowd. Kids familiar with the Night before Christmas will get a lot of laughs out of this rhyming tale of getting ready for Christmas.

And the little one will like the pictures. Definite family classic.

The Nanny Diaries

by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus

Hilarious. This book is excellent. A great choice after a taxing tale like Ya-Ya. Light, fun, and very enjoyable.

Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood

by Rebecca Wells

Ok, I was told I had to read this book. It took me a week. I usually read very fast. But I was turned off by the whole mother-goes-nuts-and-beats-her-four-kids storyline. I got through it, its a good book but certainly not the best I've ever read. And I feel I now that I didn't have to read it, my life would have continued to be complete without it.

I love you through and through

My in-laws got this book for Andrew. So sweet and cute. I love these kinds of books that go from head to toe....

And at the end, she signed it "Love, Grandma and Poppa." Its one I'll keep for him always.

Words Board book

Fish
Truck
Shoes
Cat
Etc.

Very exciting when you're 3 (and even 4 and 11 months when its not being read to you!).

Saving Fish from Drowning

by Amy Tan

I can't help but read her books. So so good. She's an author you can reread and enjoy over and over.

This is the story of a group of tourist in Burma/Myanmar and the lady who was to be their tour leader but died tragically before they set off. Their adventures and personalities are worth a reread.

After Bonesetter's Daughter

I needed a reading break. I basically vegged infront of the tv for a week, before getting some new material. That was an intense story. Way to thoughtful to just dive into the next book in the pile. Which with as much as I read means it was truely an exceptional tale. I don't know how Amy Tan comes up with this stuff -- some must come from stories she's heard.

Amazing. Must add her to my favorite authors list.

The Bonesetter's Daughter

By Amy Tan

Another excellent story. Some people have the storyteller gift and she's got it in spades. Another fabulous book, mother tells the daughter her life story. Daughter has to manage mother's dementia.

Dream Angus

by Alexander McCall Smith

Not as good as his series. Part of a myth series by various writers. Certainly better than the fluffy reads but once you've met his other characters, you can't compare.

Zoobooks: Camels

Most everything you ever wanted to know about camels. Well, as a kid. As a grown up, I had questions that I'll be googling later.

The Hundred Secret Senses

by Amy Tan

Beautiful story about sisters. One appears to be slightly crazy but in the end it doesn't matter....

Another excellent book, thank you Ms. Tan.

The Kitchen God's Wife

by Amy Tan

Excellent, but not for the peeps who can't handle a lot of misery in their literature. No one ever suffered so much... Its about hope and morals and love.

I can't wait to go another Amy Tan book tomorrow at the library (hoping the Alexander McCall Smith reader has FINALLY returned the 2 I'm waitlisted for also).

The Joy Luck Club

by Amy Tan

So I realize I'm about 20 years behind the times. And I should have read this book ages ago, but I didn't. Excellent, really beautiful. Mothers and Daughters -- makes me wistful for the daughter I'll never have. And I learned somethings about the Chinese culture and Ms. Tan talks about the suffering that went down in China at the turn of the last century and then some. Really a book every woman should read.

Appreciate your mothers. Love your daughters for who they are.

Skippyjon Jones up & down

The cutest cat in children's literature came out with some tot books. This one is all about opposites. Good for RyGuy and Andrew loves it too. Seany likes it if one plays find the cat and does not actually read the very short text.

Excellent tot book. LOVE the tail opposites. Skippyjon's expressions are fab-u-lous!

Animal Sounds

First page: Picture of cow, word MOOO
Next page: Picture of dog, word Woof
Etc.

Very good for delayed kids like Seany who can't handle lots going on in pictures.

Don't Look Back

by Amanda Quick

Ok, this is a fluffy book. I actually find the main character mildly annoying. I've read the book 3 times before (not a major commitment emotionally or on my eyes). This time I kept changing the plot and the dialogue to suit what I think they should have been doing.

I didn't finish it, because I got my newest library book.

It's Museum Madness with Scooby-Dooby-Doo!

No clue who wrote it.

Unless you're a Scooby fan, this book is not for you. Very obvious from start to finish. It follows the format of the animated series and the pictures all look like they came straight out of the tv. Andrew loved it, which is as it should be, as the book is his very own.

Dream

I have no good blog for this. But this is the best choice as I believe the Isabel Dalhousie books lead to this entry.

When I was a senior in high school, there was a boy. A boy that loved me. He was not someone I would have chosen (nor did I choose him). After high school, he joined the Marines. While he was at boot camp, he wrote me and I wrote back (more out of a sense of courtesy than any great fondness). By the time he came out and before he was preparing to go far off to the Arab world, I had met Mark and obviously wanted to be with him.

The boy came to visit it me during his brief leave at that grocery store where I for so long toiled. This is what I regret. I let him down on the bread aisle. I told him the truth. But upon reflection now (as a grown-up and probably more empathic than necessary self), I see how cruel I was. Why didn't I say, I can meet you at such and such time? And why didn't I give him the courtesy of a proper conversation? I knew how he felt about me, it was certainly no secret to me. And although I did not return his affection, I wish I'd been kinder to him.

The last I had heard from him was a letter from that Arab country where he was stationed. And in that letter, I learned what debauchery he claimed to be up too. I felt a moment's sadness and put him entirely out of my mine. I haven't given this guy a thought for 13 years and last night I had a dream about him.

I guess I am just regretful that I caused such hurt and I hope he worked through his problems and is happy now. I'll never know what happened to him, but I wish for him the kind of joy and love that have filled my life.

The Careful Use of Compliments

by Alexander McCall Smith

I so enjoyed the previous book that I immediately started the next in the series. Isabel is now a mother and thing are continuing to progress well with the beautiful Jamie. The mystery lies in 2 paintings that Isabel thinks might be fakes. Very exciting.

Ok, I loved this book. But because I've read enough of his books now, I figured out the mystery pretty early on. Still quite excellent. Wonderful.

The Right Attitude to Rain

by Alexander McCall Smith

This time Isabel meets a Dallas couple, engaged, neither of whom seem to be all that into the other. She suspects the woman to be a gold-digger and le drama unfolds. Things progress rather nicely with Jamie as well.

Quite enjoyed. Excellent even. Wonderful.

Liquid Glass

Taken from The Right Attitude to Rain by Alexander McCall Smith.

This not be my review, but this made me laugh.

The glass in the fanlight, Jamie had said, was the origianl pane put in
when the tenement was built in 1850. "You can tell old glass," he
said. "It is thicker at the bottom than at the top. It's liquid, you
see. It very slowly sags downwards." Like people, thought
Isabel.

Friends, Lovers, Chocolate

by Alexander McCall Smith

This is the second installment in the Isabel Dalhousie series. Very very good. I think I enjoyed it more than the first because I know Isabel so much better now.

There is an extremely touching tale of heart transplant, if for no other reason, the book is worth that story. But you have to be patient, he tells the story slowly and there's a lot of character development.

Sigh. Nothing better than a well told story.

Thank you, sir.

Shall we Dance, Charlie Brown?

by Charles Schultz

I'm not a fan of Charlie Brown stories, books, comics etc. They make me feel sad. Like this one. He meets a nice girl and is finally enjoying himself when his dog ruins it for him. He never gets to just have a good time, hang out with nice peeps, etc.

Not impressed.

Baby's First Baby Animals Boardbook

Very cute book about baby animals.

Picture, name, picture, name...

Very good for speech delayed (Seany) tots who like animals (Ryan). They get to say animal names over and over, sounds they make, practice signs...

All around good time book!

Baby Strawberry Shortcake Boardbook

Strawberry Shortcake as a baby. Doing baby things, finding different things under the flaps. Book strawberry flavored.

Ryan tried to bite it. Seany likes to read it to me.

The Sunday Philosophy Club

by Alexander McCall Smith

This is the author of the No. 1 Detective Agency books. These feature a very moral Scottish woman in Scotland. I like the writing style, he writes in character and gives the reader a feel for the place. And you can't help by like the main characters.

Very good.

I Love Trains

by

This book is great for a little engineer. It features a little boy dressed as an engineer and he talks about all the types of cars and what they're for. The train goes by, the boy has a matching train set. Basically, its about trains.

I've discovered the drawback to this blog

I want to be able to talk about the books I read, therefore this blog. Problem comes in, don't want to give away major plot details, give away meaning of the book, etc.

Therefore, I've warned you, you might get too much info.

Too dang bad.

Plus I want to be able to quote passages, and that would sometimes really give stuff away.

The Going to Bed Book

by Sandra Boynton

Board book about an assortment of animals (lion, hippo, dog, rabbit, elephant, pig...) who live together on a boat and get ready for bed. Sometimes Sean has to 'read' this book 10 times -- by read I mean point to the pig on every page.

Very cute for the preschool crowd. And the older preschoolers like the jokes (animals in the wrong jammies...)

Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins

by Eric Kimmel

Hershel arrives in a snowy mountain village during Hanukkah and no menorahs are lit. He discovers the goblin king hates Hanukkah and Hershel must save it.

Andrew loves it. Every goblin looks different. And I like that Kimmel throws in some Jewish prayers and teaches about the different bits of Hanukkah (driedel, menorah, different candles, synagogue, etc).

Morality for Beautiful Girls

by Alexander McCall Smith

#3 in The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency Series

Chronicles the life of Mma Ramotswe of Botswana (in Africa). She a PI and the stories are interesting, you learn about the African people without all the doom and gloom. Doom and gloom are acknowledged but this is really a series about the people.

Me likey.

The Five People You Meet In Heaven

by Mitch Albom

I love this book. One of my make me feel better stand bys. I read it about 3 times a year.

Eddie, the main character, dies at 83 trying to save a little girl. He goes to heaven and all he wants to know is if he's saved her. He meets five people have five lessons to teach him. He revisits his life and learns from it. Beautiful story.

He's an excellent writer and he doesn't need 500 pages to tell you about a man's life.

Hershey's Kisses Counting Board Book

RyGuy's library book.

Pictures of Hershey's Kisses.

Page 1 has 1 kiss, page 2 has 2 kisses, and so on and so forth. Good for counting and especially good for pretending to eat all the chocolates. Very fun for preschoolers and big kids (like Alex) pretending to munch all the chocolates before counting.

Fun times!

Frog on a Log

Seany's library book.

We haven't actually "read" it yet. He can't really handle that.

Frog, Dog, Pig, and hidden ducky. Frog falls off the log, then he or other strap himself to log and he goes round and round the log.

Very good for preschoolers, especially getting them to say words ending in g.

I read a lot of books

and I'd like a place to talk about them.

Somedays I'll have something to say, somedays I'll have a book to review, somedays you'll get nothing.