Newfangled Fairy Tales (classic fairy tales with twist) - Bruce Lansky

LITTLE BAD WOLFE AND RED RIDING HOOD
Found this book on Amazon's Daily Deals and had to download it to my Kindle right away. Glad I did. . .it's a twist on the beloved fairy tales we all grew up with. Since I absolutely LOVED The Stinky Cheeseman and Other Fairly Stupid Tales I knew I just had to read this one. The daily deal book is only a sample so I didn't get to read all the stories but have no fear I will buy the rest because they are funny.

This book wasn't as funny as The Stinky Cheeseman (by now I think I'm partial to that book) but this one did have lots of creativity and I really could visualize the characters doing and saying their lines. So in that sense that's good! (I probably would have made the wolfe speak with "street/hip hop" talk)

Once again I will state that this type of book may not be fully appreciated by younger children because it is a play on the original fairly tales of "yore". (always wanted to use that word in a sentence) So it's probably best to either read the original fairy tales first then read this one to the youngsters or just stick with those that are fimiliar with the original.

The concept of this book is refreshing because I often think of things like this and my downfall is that I never write them down - if I did look I too could have become an author. My daughter and I make up stories all the time using books or tv shows or just our imagination and you'd be surprised how good they turn out. I loved playing this game with her when she was little as it would always make her sleepy (more often than not I would fall asleep first - LOL!!)

The Feminine Mystique - Betty Friedan

I initially saw this book on the side bar of Goodreads while I was checking out the books that my friends have read. Because it's a nice red color of course I had to check it out! (of  course!) The title kinda intrigued me too. So low and behold when I find out the topic is about the "Problem with No Name" (Is this how J.K. Rowling came up with the title "He Who Must Not Be Named" for Voldermort's character?)

This so called problem is the feeling/realization that women get/have is when they want more out of life than just marriage, husband & children (the nerve of us women to want more than that - we are so hard to please!) I am in no way implying that having or wanting a marriage, husband and children is bad or wrong or "old fashion" I'm just agreeing that wanting more is part of being a human being. Aren't we created with the ability to learn and to become all that we can be? (No, I'm not a recruiter for the Army) and just because we are women why is it questioned that we would want more out if life - like a fulfilling career, friends and possibly being single if that is what a women chooses. (You know. . . .ME TIME)

Recently, watching Titanic on TV I was thinking about the main character, Rose. I do believe she was going through something like "The Problem with No Name" . . . read these lines and see what you think: (This is when Rose & Jack are walking on the deck and he asks what could have happened that she thought about jumping off the ship)

". . .It was everything, my whole world and all the people in it and the inertia of my life plunging ahead and me powerless to stop it. . . "

". . .500 invitation have gone out, all of Philadelphia's society will be there, and all the whileI feel like I'm standing in the middle of a crowded room screaming at the top of my lungs and no one even look up"

Sounds to me that Rose came to this realization just in time (too bad the ship had to sink) but the thing I admire most about Rose is that she did something about her longing, even after the tragedy she faced. She went into the world and did all the she wanted to in life - the proof is in her pictures she treasured so much. (I always thought it would be interesting to know what she did and how she lived her life after Titanic)

We each need to be accountable for our own happiness and conquer the World!

Take a look at the following link that shows 125 Women who changed the World: 

http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/family/inspirational-people/women-who-changed-our-world#slide-1 I'm sure ALL of them women's listed here had/have ideas and dreams to achieve the most out of their world and most of them have families.

And of course I have to have this link here of the 10 Most Powerful Female Characters in Literature:
http://flavorwire.com/265847/10-of-the-most-powerful-female-characters-in-literature/7/

This does not mean that any of these women, real or fictional, do not have any problems of their own. Like all humans they do have problem but they are able to deal with them and move on in their lives.They are not belittled or challenged for having/wanting/doing "IT ALL!".  In my opinion this makes them all the more enviable! They are FREE to BE THEMSELVES!

Some of MY favorite Courageous, Independent Women -

Charlotte, Miranda, Carrie & Samantha

Oliva Pope

Frances Mayes

Hermione Granger

Sandra Bullock

Jennifer Hudson

Who are some of your favorite "unconventional" women who have it all? Have you even experienced "The Problem with No Name" - share your views on this subject so I know I'm no the only one with these unrealistic goals. . . (that's a joke)

Update:Had to put this link in here as I just saw this online:
Heroic women of 2013

Christmas Books

Took this idea from my cousin's blog a tree grows in delano to read some children's Christmas Books with my daughter. (Guess she wasn't too old after all - she claims she had fun.) Although we missed Christmas by a week we went on our weekly trip to the library and decided to find some that would peak our interest. Here's what we found:

If you Take a Mouse to the Movies - Laura Numeroff

This is a Christmas version of the "If you Take. . . " series from Laura Numeroff.
It's a cute story but as Krisha mentioned, I didn't care for it the same as I felt as if it didn't have the same cadence as the If you Take books. The story line is cute and Christmasy but it felt forced into the story. I feel like she could have told a better story with a more consistent flow. Illustration are cute and I'm sure children will love it no matter what.

Noel - Tony Johnston

I have to admit, I picked this book because of the cover and because I like the Christmas song. This book is about young children and older people coming together in a village to celebrate the joy of Christmas. What amazed me about this book is the drawings (which I forgot to take a picture of so I cheated and downloaded a few). The absolutely beautiful drawings in this book are by watercolor artist Cheng-Khee Chee. If you love watercolor art then you will LOVE this book and the artwork along with the story line make a very beautiful Christmas story.

Harold and The North Pole - Crockett Johnson

The story continues of Harold and his adventure with his purple crayon. Harold's imagination takes him to the North Pole as he prepares for Christmas Day. I love Harold as he is a great example of what a little imagination can do. . . in this day and age of all our "high-tech" toys even children can get caught up in our busy world. Taking time to just play does wonders for the soul. I don't see how anyone cannot love Harold - so encourage everyone you know to get out their purple (or whatever color they love) crayon and "let their imagination run wild"

How Santa Lost His Job - Stephen Kreskey

Can you imagine it if Santa Lost his job? In our world today with trying to run a business, streamlining hits the North Pole and even the elves need to think about being cost-efficient. Can our world exist as we know it if we didn't have a Santa? Would we want to have a world without a Santa? Sometimes doing things the old-fashion way may be the best in bringing the right heartfelt touch to certain problems. I think this book was my favorite book of the day!

Christmas Mice - Bethany Roberts

This is a very cute story about holiday mice that are preparing for Christmas by stringing lights, wrapping presents, hanging stocking and are so busy that they forgot about one important "character" in their lives. This story has a great message about sharing the Christmas joy with everyone - including someone that is or may be your enemy.

Side note: why are all  helpful, busy little non-human creatures Mice? Think about it. . Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, etc. . . just curious! It there something about mice I'm not getting?

Max's Christmas - Rosemary Wells

A Ruby & Max Christmas story about how Max has plans to stay up and see Santa Claus, but Ruby is telling Max he can't do that "cause no one ever sees Santa Claus". . . although Max doesn't know why. . .will he find a way to see Santa Claus.

This is the story of a "special" rabbit brother and sister, apparently there is a cartoon called Ruby & Max. I have never seen this before but as my daughter informs me it comes on all the time so she has set our DVR to record an episode for me so I can enjoy Ruby & Max too.

I asked her if Ruby & Max have parents and she said no - so I asked her why but she didn't know so we proceeded to "make-up" stories as to what happened to their parents. I won't post them here as I don't want to lessen the Christmas mood on this page - but she enjoyed the stories and we had so much fun! LOL!!

Love Him or Leave Him (But Don't Get Stuck with the Tab)

Love Him or Leave Him  - (But Don't Get Stuck with the Tab) - Loni Love

I had never heard of Loni Love before and saw her recently on an episode of the Arsenio Hall show. She was so funny and of course when she started promoting her new book I went and looked it up right away at the library. It wasn't what I thought it would be at first. I thought it would be more along the lines of Tina Fey's, Bossypants or Mindy Kaling's, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me books, but Loni's (wow, I'm calling her by her first name like we're BFF's or something) book is more like an advice column for the modern day women with lots of humor thrown in to make her point. She gives great advice on men, marriage, sex, and love. . . It's not like we haven't heard this advice before but in her words "advice we need to hear over and over and over again, like a multiple orgasm" (LOL!!) Learning to "put yourself first" before you expect to find happiness from anyone else. Simple right? So then why can't we women do this? Her hilarious stories and in your face advice will make you wonder about your own Love Life. Interesting fact about Loni - she was an electrical engineer but quit her job to pursue her dream of being a comic - (You Go Girl!) and she was the runner-up on Star Search in 2003. So pick up a copy for a quick read and some great advice!

Final Two . . . ALONE & BOSSYPANTS

As you read in my last blog I was two books away from my "one book per week" goal for 2013. I wasn't too worried about it as I have a every growing list to complete my goal. I already have my first book for 2014 ready and waiting to go. . . . so here are my last two (who knows maybe I'll binge read and add more)

Alone - Lisa Gardner
Like all her books,  this a murder mystery with a pretty clever twist! I found this book browsing the library trying to find a book to "speak" to me. Well speak to me it did! I love a great murder mystery and I love it even more when I can't figure out "who dun it"! Although the killer is identified early in the story it's the behind story that you mentally try to figure out while on this journey. In this day and age of all the Law & Order shows, Criminal Minds, CSI, you get the drift - I like to pretend I'm a detective while I'm reading these types of books to see if I can pick-up on the clues and things. While I won't say I'm FBI material (YET, I still think I could be Clarice Starling in the making - *Silence of the Lambs reference just in case you didn't know but I'm sure you did)  I'm usually pretty good at figuring out the killer in most cases. In real life while reading or watching news stories I'm big on the WHY people do what they do . . .and in this story the WHY is a big big part of the killer. So if you're looking for a good mystery then I highly recommend this one. Lisa Gardner novels always have killings in them but they do not go overboard on the gory details. She does describe the scene in detail and how the victim died but she doesn't do it Friday the 13th or Saw style which I'm sure most people appreciate. 
 

Bossypants - Tina Fey April 2011
In case you've been living under a (30) rock - lol! Tine Fey is only the funniest lady to grace the small screen since the late '90's. Making a name for herself on SNL from 1997-2006 with her classic portrayal of Sarah Palin. She's not only a comic actor but a very funny writer too. turning out scripts for for the movie Mean Girls, SNL and of course 30 Rock.

Some of my favorite lines from this book:

"My dark shin fur was hard to ignore". . . . (talking about wanting to shave her legs for the first time)
"Growing Up and Liking It" (the pamphlet included in her First Period Kit) - cracks me up

"Modesssssssss is coming for you" (her period kit whispering to her from deep within her closet)
"Even Michelle Duggar would have flinched" (talking about seeing a speculum for the very first time and how huge it was)
"I was filled with a poisonous, pointless teenaged jealously, which, when combined with gay cattiness, can be intoxicating"
"Gay people don't actually try to convert people, that's Jehovah's Witnesses you're thinking of"

". . .she was still that enigmatic girl in the beret who didn't get to the dry cleaners very often" (describing Monica Lewinsky)

"Photoshop is just like makeup. When it's done well it's great, when it's overdone you look like a crazy asshole"

I list these few lines out because this type of spontaneous, intelligent, humorous comeback are the ones we all wish we could come up with ourselves. (You know the times I'm speaking about, when someone says something to you and you have it all worked out in your head and you open your mouth and nothing comes out, so instead of feeling witty you feel like you just made an idiot of yourself. You do know what I'm talking about right? It's not just me right? right?)
Once again you may notice that these two books are vastly different from one another. I like the depth of the story that the murder mysteries offer and I LOVE the intelligent humor of the other and what better way to end the year than laughing into the new year!

I could go on and on but I'm sure by now you get that I highly recommend this book, if funny, witty, smart, intelligent women are what you like and you must because you're reading this blog right? right?

Getting Lost in A Story

Don't you just LOVE the experience of "getting lost" in a great story? I have to say it is a great feeling that I think is likened to that of an actor playing a particular character in a movie. I often wonder if everyone has been fortunate enough to experience this sensation. I am lucky to come from a family that loves to read and therefore I have been surrounded by a book atmosphere my whole life. From as far back as I can remember, I have had access to books - borrowing from family, friends, the library, and in this techno world we live in you can even borrow and lend books via a little device called an e-reader. (I Love My Kindle!) I have vivid memories of my sister loving to read so much that when our family would go to a drive-in movie (remember those?) she would bring books or comics to read before the movie started or during intermission. I would tease her but then I was asking if I could read them too.

Talking with my Dad he shares with me a story I have heard my whole life: I was 2 years old and we went to a party at a park with some friends of my parents. I went and sat by a bunch of other children and of course I was carrying my favorite book "The Owl and the Pussy Cat". (They never asked me why this was my favorite book) The other children gathered around me as I "read" them the story. One of the other Mom's, a good friend of my parents, said to my Dad "Wow, I didn't know she could read at her age!" My Dad replies: "She can't! She has memorized every word to the story and knows when to turn the pages." But the other children (and parents) thought I was reading because I knew everything by heart! (Maybe this was the beginning of a great acting career? hhhmmmmmm?)

This story just shows how important the impact of books has on children - I do know that when I was pregnant with my daughter, when I would read to her she would move around and as I like to say "react" to the story. The experience of reading to children is so fun! You can tell by the expressions on their faces that they are in the moment of the story and the anticipation of what is next. If you read with character inflection it makes the story more "real" for them and more enjoyable. (and just try not doing the voices next time you read - they will stop you and make you do it the right way!) I do remember that when I was in 2nd or 3rd grade my Dad told me the teachers called home to talk with my parents. . .they were concerned that I couldn't read to well and my father asked why? The teachers said that I was reading at a lower level than I should be (at my school we read by levels and not by age or grade). My Dad wasn't too concerned but asked my why I wasn't reading too much - I told him that I wanted to play instead - so he said the teachers think you can't read at your proper level.  Props to my Dad, he never did tell me to improve or do better - so I went back to school and started reading every chance I got and soon surpassed ALL the level available. (We had to test out of each level to move on). Well now the teachers told me to stop reading so much because they didn't have anything else for me to read - no one else had finished all the levels in the past.So I said "You guys said I should read more. . . so I did" - well what could they say? So I was put into a "speed reading class" for awhile. (I sure showed them! lol).

Here are a few books that I absolutely get "LOST" in. . . . .

The Thorn Birds is the first epic novel I can ever remember reading and I absolutely fell in Love with it. I'm sure it didn't hurt that Richard Chamberlain played Ralph de Bricassart in the made for TV mini-series. I did think it was slightly creepy that he knew Maggie (Rachel Ward, she's so beautiful - I hate her!) since she was a little girl. They developed a life long love and passion for one another and Hey, the heart wants what the heart wants, right? I was rooting for their love to survive all the trials and tribulations during their lives. Reading about life in the early twentieth century as an Irish farm laborer was very interesting and I could almost feel the heat described radiating from the book.

The Historian transported me on a journey to a post and modern day search for Dracula - Vlad the Impaler. I was immediately drawn into the story of a young woman who discovers secrets of her family's past connection to Dracula and a time-defying pact that may be keeping his awful work alive throughout the ages. Talk about suspenseful! And just like Bram Stroker's Dracula - it's what I call "intellectually scary " - not the slasher, gory, blood showing way it's done in today's movies but in the way of keeping things hidden and only reveling "just a hint or shadow" of the impending doom to come. Psychological Thriller's are way more scary! (ie: Silence of the Lambs - Thomas Harris)

The Lord of The Rings has to be mentioned just because! How can I call myself a true Tolkien-ite if I didn't mention it. J.R.R Tolkien is a complete genus!! Okay, the story itself is a work of art but think about it. . .here is a man who has an idea for a story; creates various  characters and not just human characters with complete backgrounds, an alphabet, a language, a map, and a world and then spends most of his life completing this work. Talk about dedication! I do plan on re-reading this book as it is quite lengthy and I know I missed things the first time around - I almost quit reading it the first time and my co-worker at the time kept encouraging me to keep reading. I think I took 2 or 3 months to finish - which is really long for me. I'm so glad I persevered.

I guess "getting lost" is a form of escape and even if just for a bit I really look forward to jumping into another time, place or world. I have even noticed that when I am nearing the end of a book that I am really enjoying I tend to stop and do something else just to prolong the ending of the story. I think I want to put off the inevitable emptiness that comes with the end of a great story. Whether it be I'll miss the characters or the story itself. (Is this what empty nest syndrome feels like?) So what are some of your favorite books to "get lost" in and why?

Discovered in 2013

As this year comes to a close I wanted to reflect on the books that I was fortunate to come across this year - many were recommended to me and others were stumbled upon (okay FREE Kindle Books) but hey, at least I was reading right? Many people think they won't or don't enjoy reading and I always say maybe it's because you haven't found the type of book you enjoy. So I encourage everyone to read ANYTHING: Newspapers, Magazines, Children's Books, Internet Articles, and for the really bored or inquiring minds. . . .cereal boxes! (While you the eat cereal you can read the back of the box and the nutrition label - don't laugh, I know you've done it too!)

As I mentioned, many of the books I read are recommendations but I try to look to other sources to find new and interesting books that I may not have chosen for myself. (Hawaii only has one bookstore left on the island of Oahu - I sooo miss the "browsing" thru the store. . .touching the books, the smell of the new books and maybe the cafe nearby). I even read the books from my daughter's english class reading list. I am trying to make it a point to read books from the banned book list  http://www.bannedbooksweek.org/  This site has many different categories to choose from so I'm sure everyone can find a good book there. And YES, I am promoting reading from this list!!! OBVIOUSLY, I don't agree with banning books. . . . I mean if you don't like a book or a subject matter then JUST DON'T READ IT! Why should everyone suffer from one person's or groups particular prejudice on a subject? Isn't this America? Isn't is our CHOICE destiny as a human to learn all that we can? Can't we make up our own minds?

I take after my father on this subject - tell me NOT to read a book and I will probably read it just out of  spite. When I was younger my father read an article about how Clan of The Cave Bear was on the Banned Book List and I asked why. . . he read the reason stated in the article and I said "Well that's stupid!" wasn't too long after that I read the book and now LOVE the Earth Children's Series by Jean Auel (don't get me started on the last book). So I'm guessing that was my humble beginning to becoming a "Book Rebel". On this note: I currently haven't read 50 Shades of Grey . . .Yet. . .Why Not? I don't know. I did think because it is so popular I wanted to boycott the "popularity" of it but then again I've read other books because of this very reason. (BTW: I read the Twilight Series long before it became wildly popular!) Is it because I'm being prudish? I sure hope not! But maybe it's because I fear I will really get into it! Will I become absorbed in the ambiance of Erotic Romance? (is this what's it's called now-a-days?) Not to say that I will never read it. . .maybe I'm just NOT in an erotic romance kinda mood. If you have read this book please share your thoughts on it. I would really LOVE to hear them.

As you will be able to tell, my choices are "All Over the Place! Sometimes it's my mood that decides the type of book I'll read and sometimes I'll pick a good one and just know I'm gonna LOVE IT from the first paragraph. After a really heavy story (The Secret History or Anne Rice Novels) I tend to want something light and funny (think Janet Evanovich, Stephanie Plum novels or Sophie Kinsell, Confessions of a Shopaholic) but overall I'm open to anything - except traditional Love Stories - see first blog. One word of advice: don't read more than one "murder mystery" at a time - I was trying to read two at once and kept mixing up the detectives and the killers from the stories. I know I know - you're saying WHAT? You read more than one book at a time? Yes, I do! if I forget the one I'm currently reading I'll start another at work or wherever I may happen to be and sometimes I do it just to find the one I really like and sometimes I'll have an actual book in hand and then I will start reading from my Kindle too. (My book loyalties have no boundaries).

Here's my list (in order):

Genesis - Mark Taylor Prequel

The Family Fang

The Fault in Our Stars

The Secret

The Devil's Deep

Cruel Justice

The Secret History

The Man Who Loved Books Too Much

Forever Black

The Lion, The Lamb, The Hunted

Double Trouble

The 24th Letter
Let Us Prey

Through Smoke

Inferno

Muder Deja Vu

Reliquary

Silken Prey

Below

The Phantom Tollbooth

Gathering Blue

Notorious Nineteen

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

The Mole People

The Reluctant Bachelorette

Where the Red Fern Grows

Harold and The Purple Crayon

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Caps For Sale

Madeline

The Story of Ferdinand

The Tale of Peter Rabbit

The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales

Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel

Stone Soup

Corduroy

The Cat In the Hat

The Hundred Dresses

Urashimo Taro

The Giving Tree

Strega Nona

Make Way for Ducklings
Thirteen Reasons Why

And Tango Makes Three

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me

The Giver

Where'd You Go, Bernadette
Diary of a Wimpy Kid

The Next Accident
Alone**
Bossypants**
Love Him or Leave Him (But Don't Get Stuck with the Tab)**
If You Take A Mouse To The Movies**
Noel**
Harold and the North Pole**
How Santa Lost His Job**
Christmas Mice**
Max's Christmas**
Newfangled Fairy Tales - Little Bad Wolfe and Red Riding Hood**

So don't be afraid to pick-up a book, magazine or your favorite cereal box and JUST READ! Please feel free to share your book list too as I'm always looking for a new good book and I promise I'll add it to my list, but just know it may take awhile for me to get to it. I have to read the books in the order received - oops, did I just reveal my OCD? 

*OMG, I just counted the books and I'm two short. . . gotta go now . . . . gotta read two more books!*

**completed after I wrote this blog but before the end of the year

Do I Not Look Intelligent?

Okay so I've finally been convinced that I should start blogging the books I read. I have always loved to read and mostly read for fun but usually I'm the type of person who will read a book in the "here and now" and once I'm done then that's it for me. I don't usually remember details, quotes, etc. . .I just enjoy the book for what it is and usually my philosophy is a review is just an opinion and what's right for one person may not be the same for another. But over the years I have found many books that I truly Love and just can't wait to share with friends & family or the unsuspecting stranger, (did you ever do that? Great conversation starter! Jus sayin!) So hopefully this blog will help me to be more accountable on many levels: reaching my goal of one book per week, paying more attention to details of the book and actually forming an opinion, be it good or bad, and being able to share my obsession. Hence the name BookNerd!

I'm not really sure why, but most people seem very surprised when they find out that I read a lot. Why has this been my experience my whole life? Do I not look the part? Whatever that my be. I've actually had to prove it, by naming books - not that they would know anything I mentioned and once I had to physically close someone's jaw when it dropped to the floor. Is it because of pre-existing images/ideas society has formed of people who read? Do I not appear to be intelligent? (okay, don't answer that!) Because we all know ONLY intelligent people read. Or the ever popular "You mean You READ for FUN? Those who know me know I almost ALWAYS have a book and/or my kindle with me or in my car and I have a running list of Books To Read and YES I do go to the library for FUN! (Ever been to the Seattle Public Library? It's a MUST SEE!)
http://www.pvldfriends.org/a-visit-to-the-spectacular-seattle-public-library/

With that being said; this blog is my opinion and my opinion only. I feel that if you think you want to read a certain book then you should and then form your own opinion. A good friend just yesterday said that "Timing" is everything. . . and I feel like the timing of reading certain books makes a difference on whether or not you will find enjoyment in the story. Maybe you haven't had certain experiences in your life, maybe you're going through a difficult time or maybe you are really happy and can't identify with the trials and tribulation of a character. Or maybe you can't identify with the time frame of the story - cough, cough "Wurthering Heights" - don't go there Brandy. So while the story could be great maybe it's just not the right time for you . . . so I guess that mean that I have to re-read The Catcher in The Rye because I sure didn't enjoy it in high school.

Okay, now to the heart of the blog: I want to start by giving a "shout-out" to my favorite books for 2013:

The Phantom Tollbooth - Norton Juster 1961
The Stinky Cheese man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales- Jon Scieszka & Lane Smith 1992

Honorable Mention:
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian - Sherman Alexie & Ellen Forney 2007
Thirteen Reasons Why -Jay Asher 2007

I can't believe that I never read The Phantom Tollbooth before - after reading this I purchased a collectors edition for my "soon-to-be growing collection". I LOVE it because of the creativity of the story and the play on words, phrases & characters. Not since the Harry Potter series (and The Lord of The Rings - I'm a true Tolekien-ite - don't get me started on this) have I read such a creative story and I think the author is a genius for his writing. This book is geared as a children's book but I really think it should be more for the the high-school or college age. And as my cousin Krisha mentioned (follow her book blog at http://atreegrowsindelano@blogspot.com ) - it would be a GREAT graduation gift We even talked about having a Phantom Tollbooth Theme Party - where the guest would be in each land and have games accordingly (you have to read the book to know what I'm talking about.)

The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales -
This book is listed as one of the 50 books you every parent should read to their children. http://flavorwire.com/416006/50-books-every-parent-should-read-to-their-child/. When I see certain lists I feel like I should be aware of the books mentioned and because they are children's books I figured I could read them fairly quickly (no, that's not cheating, according to Krisha). I'm actually looking for a collectors edition of this book too because I thoroughly enjoyed it! I read it in the library and bursted out laughing!- it was loud enough to warrant a surprised look from my daughter who told me to be quite! (Teen translation: Be Quite Mom, you're embarrassing me!) She later asked me why I laughed out loud and I told her that this book is sooo funny and creative how could someone not laugh. Once again, I feel that children will not understand the play on the classic fairy tales as it's the clever little twists and turns that make it enjoyable.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian & Thirteen Reasons Why are on the Banned Book List and because I'm such a rebel I have to read books off that list and am so glad I did. I encourage everyone to read any book from this list! I can't quite figure out why The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is on the list other than the person is of mixed race. What are we still in the 60's or something? Anyway, this book is written in the style of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, which my daughter Loves and Yes I read one of them too just to know what she likes. It's funny, creative and gives a very slight insight to being of mixed race (really in this day and age, who isn't mixed race?) Thirteen Reasons Why is a story about a teen who committed suicide and left a tape recording for those who they claim played a part in the decision to do so. Again, a creative story line and a little tense. I mean think about it, what if you received a tape from someone who committed suicide and said you played a part in that decision? How this would impact your life? I do believe this is GREAT book for teens as it shows them that everyone has problems or perceived problems that we must learn to deal with and it's our choices that make us who we are.

So there you have it, my first blog - lengthy as it is and I've now noticed a trend. . . I tend to favor books that have lots of creativity. I love the "unpredictability" of a story. This is why I love a good murder mystery and will usually be impressed if the "killer(s)" are creative in their process/style. If I can figure out who the killer is within the first few chapters then I'm a bit disappointed but I will still finish the book. Sometimes the author wants it this way so it does depend on the tone of the story. And this is why I dislike the "traditional love-story-type" books. You know the ones. . .Beautiful, troubled heroine meets Handsome-Man but is currently with equally handsome man but LOVES the other Handsome Man more. . .etc. . .etc.

N...E...WAY. . .  Please share your thoughts, ideas, any good recipes and this blog and don't be afraid to tell me why you are surprised that I read - I really want to know.