More Book reviews

Well, I'm back.  It has been a while since I posted on here.  I have had great intentions of posting more often - however, while the intentions were good, the carrying out was pretty awful.

I had lots of plans for posting some of the latest cards I had made over the last couple of months.  I think, though, that I need to improve my photography skills some more before I try that, as most of the photos were just a little too blurry to upload well.  So certainly a goal to look at for next year, I think.

So, I believe some book reviews are in order and with Christmas looming, what better than some of the Christmas classics?  Who could go past that perennial favourite (well, mine anyway!) 'The Night Before Christmas' by Clement Moore.

'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house'.....  this poem written by a clergyman in about 1820 something has pretty much defined the magic of Christmas for most of us.  I don't think there are many homes where it is not read on Christmas eve before the little ones head off to bed - I know I did when my angels were little and when the grandkids are around for that night, it comes out again.  (Along with making Magic reindeer food to be scattered on the lawn before bed so that the reindeer don't miss your place when making their rounds)

How about 'Twelve days of Christmas'?  Turtle Doves, golden rings and lords and ladies - what a wonderfully seasonal way to count in the festivities. There is supposedly another layer of meaning to this song however.  It was written as a way of teaching about Jesus to young people during a time when Catholics couldn't practice their faith openly. The two turtledoves stood for the Old and New testaments, the 3 French hens represented faith, hope and love, the four calling birds were the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John and so on.  It doesn't change the fact that this book is one of the top classic stories of Christmas.

And then there are others: 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas', along with Charles Dickens 'Christmas Carol'.  All of them way too good to be forgotten - so definitely time to share the magic all over again with a whole new generation.

As I will have all my kids and grandkids here this year to share Christmas with us, and to celebrate Wayne's 60th birthday on Boxing day, I doubt I will be posting again till next year so this is a good time to wish you all a wonderful Christmas with lots of family and friends around and time to enjoy them all.  Remember, in life, the little things always turn out to be the BIG things - so turn off the technology and really BE there.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a Good Year - to paraphrase Clement Moore.

Pinterest and other links.

If you have a look at the Blog list on the right hand side of the pages, you will see a few links I have put up.

Two of these are websites promoting books and reading which I find useful in looking for new, up to date stuff that may be of interest here in the school library - although as kids seems to have an incredible 'fear' of books and reading, it doesn't always work well.

The other one is a link to my Pinterest boards.  Pinterest is an online pinboard, where you can 'pin' links to websites and ideas that you may want to access again.  You can make up boards for your own interests and keep links pinned to the relevant board, so you are curating your own materials and resources as well.  Whilst I know that there have been a couple of issues with copyright, most people are happy to share their ideas.

For those of you who haven't come across Pinterest before, I thought you may like to browse my boards to get an idea of what it is all about. These update each time I add new links, and I also get to see others boards if they have linked to, or pinned from mine, and I can pin from theirs, if there is something I like.

Enjoy.

Fiction and History, Oh my!

Thanks to Jenn, I just got to read the latest in the 'Elm Creek Quilt' series.  This is a series I stumbled across by serendipity a few years ago, and absolutely fell in love with them. 

While it may seem like a stretch to have a whole series of books about making quilts, it absolutely is not.  I have learnt so much history through the reading of these books; from the opening up of American frontiers to the underground slave railways.  I had never realised that many of the traditional quilt designs were actually designed as a code  to help slaves escape. It is amazing what you can learn by reading a well researched fiction book. 

In the 'Elm Creek Quilters', each story is a stand-alone but they also link together to form a rich tapestry of history and family life that gives you a feeling of warmth, comfort and connection.
My opinion - this one is the BEST of the series - so far anyway.  Check out the blurb below.

Chiaverini returns to the quilters of Elm Creek Manor and introduces several new characters in her sweet latest novel (after Sonoma Rose). When Sylvia asks the participants in Quiltsgiving, a post-Thanksgiving weeklong get-together, why they quilt and why they give, their answers point to personal tragedies and triumphs, reminding readers of the powers of generosity and friendship. Jocelyn recently lost her husband in a tragic accident, and she channels her energies into keeping his after-school programs alive. Linnea wants to keep the public library where she works open to all visitors, but a lack of funding and political squabbling make it difficult. Michaela is recovering from a leg injury sustained during a sabotaged cheerleading tryout, and she fears her future is jeopardized. Despite the particulars of each obstacle or victory, each woman finds encouragement in one another, and as they quilt, they stitch together their strengths to cope with individual struggles. Chiaverini's themes of love, loss, and healing will resonate with many, and her characters' stories are inspiring. 

Book Reviews

Well, let's kick this off with a couple of book reviews. 

I have just recently come across a new author by the name of Dean Crawford.  Actually, I am not sure how 'new' he is - but he is new to me. 

I don't often read thriller/adventure type stories, as I lean more towards fantasy and science fiction along with family saga type stories - but the hook for me was the comment on the front cover about 'some things man was never meant to know'.  Now, really - I ask you, how was I supposed to turn that one down?  And I am SO glad that I didn't!

Covenant:

When Lucy Morgan, an archaeologist, uncovers a 7,000 year old tomb, she quickly realises that she has stumbled upon something important, something that has the potential to rewrite our history - but before she can retrieve the remains she found, she is abducted. 

Ethan Warner, a former war correspondent,  is called upon by Lucy's family to help find her and despite his own problems, he knows he can't let them down.

Add to this a murder investigation in Washington concerning a strange religious organisation that appears to have a connection with Lucy's disappearance, and Ethan soon realises that it is the fate of the world that is at stake. And what do blood types have to do with all of this?

It has been a while since I have read a book in about 24 hours - but I found it almost impossible to put down - I just had to know how it all turned out.  Thank heavens I was on school holidays and had the time to sit around till late reading. 

This one combines science and suspense to create a novel not to be missed.  I am currently chasing up the next one in this series and adding a new favourite author to my reading list.

Now, anyone who knows me, knows that I am an avid fan of Dr Suess - well, aside from the Cat in the Hat' books.  I have no time for that stupid cat.  But I love 'The Lorax' - and 'The Sneetches' and so many others.

So you can imagine how delighted I was to come across a new book offering 7 'lost' stories of Dr Suess.  These are stories that were published in magazines somewhere between 1950-51 - and a few appear to be early versions of some of his better known books.

I bought it, of course - after all, I have 5 grandchildren, so I have a good excuse.

The Bippolo Seed & Other stories:

These stories include the title story where a scheming cat talks an innocent duck into making a very bad decision, showing how greed is never a good idea - along with 'The Bear, The Rabbit and the Zinniga-Zanniga', where a rabbit is saved from being a bears dinner by a single eyelash.

Others are: 'Gustav, the Goldfish' (which is an earlier version of 'A fish out of Water') and also 'Tadd and Todd', a tale passed on to generations of twins, along with 3 other stories. 

If you like Dr Suess (or even if you don't) these are well worth a read, especially to kids.  I am all for getting another generation of kids hooked on his stories.

New Venture

Well, a new venture starting here. 

After a few squeaks from friends when I said I was going to shut down my Library blog - and they were concerned that they wouldn't be keeping up with new book reviews - I thought it might be an idea to have a personal blog about some of my passions, most involving paper in some way or another ........... and so 'Books, Cards and all things Paper' was born.

The idea is that I can post reviews on books, both new ones as well as old favourites along with some of my cards as I make them, or as I learn new techniques - and whatever else comes along. 
There should be no limitations, as this one is for me rather than for the school, so I shouldn't have to worry about trying to get people involved to justify what I am doing.
I really only have to please myself - and maybe the few friends who will be interested.

I think I am going to enjoy this!