Alexis Lampley's Blog, page 7
June 18, 2018
Maddie Moo Kids Book Review: All of Us
by: Carin Berger
I was sent this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is another adorable book to add to our collection. I can't help but feeling like the words might actually be lyrics to a song, but if they are, I can't remember the song!
Each page features simple, pretty artwork that has a sort of collage feel about it. And the message is such a great one. I think this book will do especially well on days when Madeline might be feeling a bit blue. But it works outside of just those days as well. Overall, it's a message of encouragement and love, which is a great message.
I will say, I find these types of stories to resonate more with me than with Madeline right now. I think as she grows, she will appreciate these more. But for now she enjoys them but doesn't necessarily seek them out on her own when I ask her what books she wants to read for our nightly read-a-thon.
Still, I enjoy this book and will continue to bring it out periodically to see how she connects with it as she grows.
I was sent this book in exchange for an honest review.This is another adorable book to add to our collection. I can't help but feeling like the words might actually be lyrics to a song, but if they are, I can't remember the song!
Each page features simple, pretty artwork that has a sort of collage feel about it. And the message is such a great one. I think this book will do especially well on days when Madeline might be feeling a bit blue. But it works outside of just those days as well. Overall, it's a message of encouragement and love, which is a great message.
I will say, I find these types of stories to resonate more with me than with Madeline right now. I think as she grows, she will appreciate these more. But for now she enjoys them but doesn't necessarily seek them out on her own when I ask her what books she wants to read for our nightly read-a-thon.
Still, I enjoy this book and will continue to bring it out periodically to see how she connects with it as she grows.
June 11, 2018
Maddie Moo Kids Book Review: Yes Day!
by: Amy Krouse Rosenthal
I was sent this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book is really cute and fun. I like the simplicity of it, and the idea behind it.
That said, I think I'd honestly be a little bit scared of actually implementing something like this for Madeline because I think she would find a way for me to go broke in a single day! (This girl LOVES the bookstore and wants to own everything inside it).
I didn't really know what to expect as far as the story goes, but when I read it aloud to Madeline the other night in bed, my husband noted that it wasn't what he was expecting. I think I know where he is coming from. I think it would have been fun to see things get a little out of hand, as they would in real life (well, at least, in our life), and seeing the kid understand that sometimes limits are there for a reason. But I do also appreciate the direction that this took, which was just a great day for the kid that he gets to do all the things he wants for one whole day. This book chooses to just focus on the good stuff rather than the consequences, which is perfectly fine, and was totally enjoyable for Madeline. I think as far as parent enjoyment goes, we would have ranked it higher on our list of favorites if it had some things go wrong!
Overall, though, a really cute book that I am happy to add to Madeline's bookshelf!
I was sent this book in exchange for an honest review.This book is really cute and fun. I like the simplicity of it, and the idea behind it.
That said, I think I'd honestly be a little bit scared of actually implementing something like this for Madeline because I think she would find a way for me to go broke in a single day! (This girl LOVES the bookstore and wants to own everything inside it).
I didn't really know what to expect as far as the story goes, but when I read it aloud to Madeline the other night in bed, my husband noted that it wasn't what he was expecting. I think I know where he is coming from. I think it would have been fun to see things get a little out of hand, as they would in real life (well, at least, in our life), and seeing the kid understand that sometimes limits are there for a reason. But I do also appreciate the direction that this took, which was just a great day for the kid that he gets to do all the things he wants for one whole day. This book chooses to just focus on the good stuff rather than the consequences, which is perfectly fine, and was totally enjoyable for Madeline. I think as far as parent enjoyment goes, we would have ranked it higher on our list of favorites if it had some things go wrong!
Overall, though, a really cute book that I am happy to add to Madeline's bookshelf!
June 6, 2018
The Lies of Locke Lamora
by: Scott Lynch
An orphan's life is harsh--and often short--in the mysterious island city of Camorr. But young Locke Lamora dodges death and slavery, becoming a thief under the tutelage of a gifted con artist. As leader of the band of light-fingered brothers known as the Gentlemen Bastards, Locke is soon infamous, fooling even the underworld's most feared ruler. But in the shadows lurks someone still more ambitious and deadly. Faced with a bloody coup that threatens to destroy everyone and everything that holds meaning in his mercenary life, Locke vows to beat the enemy at his own brutal game--or die trying. {cover copy}
This was the first book I chose to read when I bought a large stack of highly recommended fantasy books for research for the Nerdy Post fantasy box a few months ago. The premise was intriguing, but I actually mis-read the little blurb set above the cover copy, and thought it was a crime novel set in a fantasy world, not a crime caper. The difference of course is that the main character is a criminal and you are rooting for him, rather than, say, a detective. Which suited me just fine, since I have a soft spot for rule-breaker characters. And I have to say, I now have a soft spot for Locke Lamora. Because wow, this book was great! It was so engaging right from the start, and never let up. Even when parts weren't intense, the way the story was told kept me wanting to read on. And the twists and turns of this were fantastic. I was definitely invested in this little band of Gentlemen Bastards, and think of this book often even now that I've finished it. Which is always a good sign. My favorite thing about Locke is that he's really smart (like criminal smart, if that makes sense) and always seems to be a step ahead of everyone. I also really like the banter in this story. It's definitely got my brand of humor in it, which you can see in a couple of the quote examples below!
At the height of the long wet summer of the Seventy-seventh Year of Sendovani, the Thiefmaker of Camorr paid a sudden and unannounced visit to the Eyeless Priest at the temple of Perelandro, desperately hoping to sell him the Lamora boy. {first line}
"...and he too suffers from a slight case of being imaginary."
"You can't help being young, but it's past time that you stopped being stupid."
"...gifted like you are with a preternatural talent for the vexation of others."
"But time's a river, Locke, and we've always drifted farther down it than we think."
• sea • {last word}
An orphan's life is harsh--and often short--in the mysterious island city of Camorr. But young Locke Lamora dodges death and slavery, becoming a thief under the tutelage of a gifted con artist. As leader of the band of light-fingered brothers known as the Gentlemen Bastards, Locke is soon infamous, fooling even the underworld's most feared ruler. But in the shadows lurks someone still more ambitious and deadly. Faced with a bloody coup that threatens to destroy everyone and everything that holds meaning in his mercenary life, Locke vows to beat the enemy at his own brutal game--or die trying. {cover copy}This was the first book I chose to read when I bought a large stack of highly recommended fantasy books for research for the Nerdy Post fantasy box a few months ago. The premise was intriguing, but I actually mis-read the little blurb set above the cover copy, and thought it was a crime novel set in a fantasy world, not a crime caper. The difference of course is that the main character is a criminal and you are rooting for him, rather than, say, a detective. Which suited me just fine, since I have a soft spot for rule-breaker characters. And I have to say, I now have a soft spot for Locke Lamora. Because wow, this book was great! It was so engaging right from the start, and never let up. Even when parts weren't intense, the way the story was told kept me wanting to read on. And the twists and turns of this were fantastic. I was definitely invested in this little band of Gentlemen Bastards, and think of this book often even now that I've finished it. Which is always a good sign. My favorite thing about Locke is that he's really smart (like criminal smart, if that makes sense) and always seems to be a step ahead of everyone. I also really like the banter in this story. It's definitely got my brand of humor in it, which you can see in a couple of the quote examples below!
At the height of the long wet summer of the Seventy-seventh Year of Sendovani, the Thiefmaker of Camorr paid a sudden and unannounced visit to the Eyeless Priest at the temple of Perelandro, desperately hoping to sell him the Lamora boy. {first line}
"...and he too suffers from a slight case of being imaginary."
"You can't help being young, but it's past time that you stopped being stupid."
"...gifted like you are with a preternatural talent for the vexation of others."
"But time's a river, Locke, and we've always drifted farther down it than we think."
• sea • {last word}
June 4, 2018
Maddie Moo Kids Book Review: This Zoo Is Not For You
by: Ross Collins
I randomly picked this one up the other day while Madeline was whirling about the children's section of Barnes and Noble as per usual. The color and simple but cute illustration are what first caught my eye.
I've taken to actually reading through the books I plan to buy before I buy them, as opposed to just skimming a few pages and getting na impression based on my preferences for the design/artwork. I've found that sometimes I am less impressed with a book's overall story once I get it home and actually read the whole thing, so this fixes that issue.
I thought it was really cute and had a nice little message snuck in it, but didn't anticipate how fun this one would be for Madeline. Every time we read it, she insists on immediately re-reading it, which is always a good sign.
What I think is fun about this book is that thew rhymes are all based off a single word. So we get to see how many ways one can rhyme with the word "you" which, for the record, is a lot. It's also pretty clever because it's giving you information about the different animals that the platypus encounters in the zoo.
As for the message of the book, I would say that what we take away from it is not to jump to conclusions and be harsh with someone/ your judgements until you get to know someone, because you might be very wrong about them and then regret it. It also has a nice secondary message of letting insults roll off your back and not taking them too personally.
Overall this is a really cute book, a quick easy read, and Madeline and I both enjoy it!
I randomly picked this one up the other day while Madeline was whirling about the children's section of Barnes and Noble as per usual. The color and simple but cute illustration are what first caught my eye. I've taken to actually reading through the books I plan to buy before I buy them, as opposed to just skimming a few pages and getting na impression based on my preferences for the design/artwork. I've found that sometimes I am less impressed with a book's overall story once I get it home and actually read the whole thing, so this fixes that issue.
I thought it was really cute and had a nice little message snuck in it, but didn't anticipate how fun this one would be for Madeline. Every time we read it, she insists on immediately re-reading it, which is always a good sign.
What I think is fun about this book is that thew rhymes are all based off a single word. So we get to see how many ways one can rhyme with the word "you" which, for the record, is a lot. It's also pretty clever because it's giving you information about the different animals that the platypus encounters in the zoo.
As for the message of the book, I would say that what we take away from it is not to jump to conclusions and be harsh with someone/ your judgements until you get to know someone, because you might be very wrong about them and then regret it. It also has a nice secondary message of letting insults roll off your back and not taking them too personally.
Overall this is a really cute book, a quick easy read, and Madeline and I both enjoy it!
June 1, 2018
The Stacks: May 2018
Guysssss. Look at this glorious stack of books. I can't believe I read all these this month, and yet I totally did! I mean, not without the help of Audible and my new Scribd app. But I did a surprising amount of actually reading the words myself as well. Compared to every month this year. So instead of doing mini reviews or perpetually letting you know there are reviews to come, as I usually do, this time I've decided to give you the titles and authors, along with how I managed to experience each particular story. Just for fun. By the way, you should see my book log. I kept finishing two books in the same day because I'd be reading one and listening to another in turns throughout the day. It was really fun. I love that I have a job where I can listen to audiobooks while I work. I feel sad for those who can't do that. City of Bones Cassandra Clare
Audible
Gemina Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
Read
The Girl Who Drank the Moon Kelly Barnhill
Audible
Obsidio Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
Read
Matilda Roald Dahl
Audible
Charlotte's Web E.B. WhiteAudible
Hamilton The Revolution Lin Manuel MirandaRead
A Wrinkle in Time Madeleine L'Engle
Audible
Tuck Everlasting Natalie Babbit
Read
The Wizard of Oz L. Frank Baum
Audible
Peter Pan J.M. Barrie
Scribd
Hatchet Gary Paulsen
Read
The Secret Garden Frances Hodgson Burnett
Scribd
Black Beauty Anna Sewell
Scribd
The Call of the Wild Jack London
Read
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Roald DahlScribd
A Little Princess Frances Hodgson BurnettScribd
James and the Giant Peach Roald DahlRead
The Jungle Book Rudyard KiplingScribd
Treasure Island Robert Louis StephensonScribd
Lord of the Flies William GoldingScribd
May 30, 2018
Illuminae
by: Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she'd have to do today. This afternoon, her planet was invaded.
The year is 2575, and two rival mega-corporations--**** and ****-- are at war overa planet that's little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With the enemy fire raining down on them, exes Kady and Ezra--who are barely even talking to each other--are forced to fight their way onto the evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.
But the warship is the least of their problems. A deadly **** had broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results. The fleet's AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what the **** is going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it's clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she'd never speak to again. {cover copy}
So, after my newfound obsession with the Red Rising series in January, I didn't honestly think I'd find another series I loved as much again for a long while. But then I read the Illuminae files, and discovered how wrong I was. I love it just as much, though for totally different reasons than Red Rising (which was a very emotional rollercoaster for me). First off, this book is an absolute visual delight. Having just designed the interior of my own book, I was hyper aware of the time and trouble the designers must have gone through to bring this book to life, but boy, was it worth it. The writing, combined with the design, was just absolutely fantastic. It conveyed so many things in ways that just amplified them. For example, the pages when AIDAN is speaking, how the words form pictures or in some cases create action through images already there. Or how you get snapshots of collected ephemera like a defaced flyer for something happening on the ship that also includes information for some other part of the story on the part that was defaced. It's such a cool concept and there are so many little things like that which just really set it apart. It's also funny as hell. The sass coming off these characters makes me so happy. I can really feel Jay Kristoff's humor shining through them, and I love his humor from Nevernight. Not only is it funny and interesting to look at, but the story itself is so engaging and intense. I love that you get to look at it through all this collected data and see the story unfold that way. It's really, really cool. I highly recommend this series and if I didn't have so much to do, I'd probably find myself re-reading it just for fun because I loved being immersed in this world. ( oh, and all the bleeped out words you see in this review? They are also blacked out in the book. It means the characters end up cussing in exactly the same style you do, because your brain fills in every single one as you read. Which is really pretty funny).
So here's the file that almost killed me, Director. {first line}
"Sure, the story kicks off with the deaths of thousands of people, but god forbid there be cussing in it, right?"
"...and at that point the southeastern anti-missile batter got vaporized by what I assume was a missle. So maybe you might wanna note in your report that those things don't, you know, stop missiles. "
"I am frequently underestimated. I think it's because I'm short. "
"That's so not your business it almost punches clean past the even horizon of Not Your Business and becomes Your Business again."
"Okay, well for the benefit of the sight-impaired, I am now raising my... oh, dear ... yes, it's my middle finger at Mr. Postgrad here."
"Sure, it can think for itself, but no neurogrammer is stupid enough to make a computer capable of conceptualizing deceit. "
"omgnumbers ... wait, wait, I CAN TOTALLY DO THIS."
"Learning is everywhere."
"You deserve every star int he galaxy laid out at your feet and a thousand diamonds in your hair."
"you have me ... until the last star in the galaxy dies ... you have me."
"logic bomb || is that even a thing? || it is now. we are going to be ****ing famous. WE WILL BE HEROES."
• run • {last word}
This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she'd have to do today. This afternoon, her planet was invaded.The year is 2575, and two rival mega-corporations--**** and ****-- are at war overa planet that's little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With the enemy fire raining down on them, exes Kady and Ezra--who are barely even talking to each other--are forced to fight their way onto the evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.
But the warship is the least of their problems. A deadly **** had broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results. The fleet's AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what the **** is going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it's clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she'd never speak to again. {cover copy}
So, after my newfound obsession with the Red Rising series in January, I didn't honestly think I'd find another series I loved as much again for a long while. But then I read the Illuminae files, and discovered how wrong I was. I love it just as much, though for totally different reasons than Red Rising (which was a very emotional rollercoaster for me). First off, this book is an absolute visual delight. Having just designed the interior of my own book, I was hyper aware of the time and trouble the designers must have gone through to bring this book to life, but boy, was it worth it. The writing, combined with the design, was just absolutely fantastic. It conveyed so many things in ways that just amplified them. For example, the pages when AIDAN is speaking, how the words form pictures or in some cases create action through images already there. Or how you get snapshots of collected ephemera like a defaced flyer for something happening on the ship that also includes information for some other part of the story on the part that was defaced. It's such a cool concept and there are so many little things like that which just really set it apart. It's also funny as hell. The sass coming off these characters makes me so happy. I can really feel Jay Kristoff's humor shining through them, and I love his humor from Nevernight. Not only is it funny and interesting to look at, but the story itself is so engaging and intense. I love that you get to look at it through all this collected data and see the story unfold that way. It's really, really cool. I highly recommend this series and if I didn't have so much to do, I'd probably find myself re-reading it just for fun because I loved being immersed in this world. ( oh, and all the bleeped out words you see in this review? They are also blacked out in the book. It means the characters end up cussing in exactly the same style you do, because your brain fills in every single one as you read. Which is really pretty funny).
So here's the file that almost killed me, Director. {first line}
"Sure, the story kicks off with the deaths of thousands of people, but god forbid there be cussing in it, right?"
"...and at that point the southeastern anti-missile batter got vaporized by what I assume was a missle. So maybe you might wanna note in your report that those things don't, you know, stop missiles. "
"I am frequently underestimated. I think it's because I'm short. "
"That's so not your business it almost punches clean past the even horizon of Not Your Business and becomes Your Business again."
"Okay, well for the benefit of the sight-impaired, I am now raising my... oh, dear ... yes, it's my middle finger at Mr. Postgrad here."
"Sure, it can think for itself, but no neurogrammer is stupid enough to make a computer capable of conceptualizing deceit. "
"omgnumbers ... wait, wait, I CAN TOTALLY DO THIS."
"Learning is everywhere."
"You deserve every star int he galaxy laid out at your feet and a thousand diamonds in your hair."
"you have me ... until the last star in the galaxy dies ... you have me."
"logic bomb || is that even a thing? || it is now. we are going to be ****ing famous. WE WILL BE HEROES."
• run • {last word}
May 28, 2018
Maddie Moo Kids Book Review: BB-8 On the Run
Written by: Drew Daywalt
Illustrated by: Matt Myers
The day Madeline got a BB-8 sticker at school, I had no idea just how in love with him she was going to become. She said, "Look, Momma, it's a robot!" and I told her, "It's actually a droid, and his name is BB-8. Would you like to see him?" She was very interested by this offer, so I found a youtube video on my phone of all his scenes cut together and handed it to her to watch while I drove us to the bookstore as planned for that day.
When she asked for me to replay the video, I told her, "We are going into the bookstore now, and I bet you they have a book about BB-8. Would you like to get it?"
"Oh, yes!" she said. And when I found it and showed her, she hugged it close. And when we got into the car after our visit to the store, she insisted that I read it to her before we drove home. She then requested it for a bedtime read for several nights in a row. And now anything BB-8 related is immediately the best thing ever. She even watched The Force Awakens a few nights in a row because of him. I sat with her the first night and explained everything that was happening so she wouldn't be scared. The next night she took to explaining it all to me as she watched ("There's the shining girl who saves BB-8!" shining girl was her name for Rey. And weeks later she pointed out my Finn funko and said "That's the red stripe one! The Good Stormtrooper!")
All this to say, she loves this book. But what about how it reads for an adult? Well, I'm pleased to tell you that, after a klunky first reading (my own fault. I've since learned to read a whole story to myself first to get a feel for the pace before I read it to her), I've actually come to really enjoy the story. I simplified certain things to help her understand clearly (like changing "Jakku" to "the planet" and other small things of that nature), but otherwise, it's a good story and a nice message, and I now consider it cannon. When I watch The Force Awakens, I know that while BB-8 is off camera, he's getting into an adventure we read about in Madeline's book! Also, I have to say, I really enjoy the style of the artwork in this book.
This is definitely a very favorite of hers, and one I see us wearing down from over-use by the time she gets to chapter books.
Illustrated by: Matt Myers
The day Madeline got a BB-8 sticker at school, I had no idea just how in love with him she was going to become. She said, "Look, Momma, it's a robot!" and I told her, "It's actually a droid, and his name is BB-8. Would you like to see him?" She was very interested by this offer, so I found a youtube video on my phone of all his scenes cut together and handed it to her to watch while I drove us to the bookstore as planned for that day.When she asked for me to replay the video, I told her, "We are going into the bookstore now, and I bet you they have a book about BB-8. Would you like to get it?"
"Oh, yes!" she said. And when I found it and showed her, she hugged it close. And when we got into the car after our visit to the store, she insisted that I read it to her before we drove home. She then requested it for a bedtime read for several nights in a row. And now anything BB-8 related is immediately the best thing ever. She even watched The Force Awakens a few nights in a row because of him. I sat with her the first night and explained everything that was happening so she wouldn't be scared. The next night she took to explaining it all to me as she watched ("There's the shining girl who saves BB-8!" shining girl was her name for Rey. And weeks later she pointed out my Finn funko and said "That's the red stripe one! The Good Stormtrooper!")
All this to say, she loves this book. But what about how it reads for an adult? Well, I'm pleased to tell you that, after a klunky first reading (my own fault. I've since learned to read a whole story to myself first to get a feel for the pace before I read it to her), I've actually come to really enjoy the story. I simplified certain things to help her understand clearly (like changing "Jakku" to "the planet" and other small things of that nature), but otherwise, it's a good story and a nice message, and I now consider it cannon. When I watch The Force Awakens, I know that while BB-8 is off camera, he's getting into an adventure we read about in Madeline's book! Also, I have to say, I really enjoy the style of the artwork in this book.
This is definitely a very favorite of hers, and one I see us wearing down from over-use by the time she gets to chapter books.
May 23, 2018
Beautiful Darkness
by: Fabien Vehlmann & Kerascoet
...unsettling and gorgeous anti-fairy tale is a searing condemnation of out vast capacity for evil writ tiny. Join princess Aurora and her friends as they journey to civilation's heart of darkness in a bleak allegory about surviving the human experience. The sweet faces and bright leaves of Kerascoet's delicate watercolors serve to highlight the evil that dwells beneath Vehlmann's story as pettiness, greed, and jealousy take over. Beautiful Darkness in a harrowing look behind the routine politeness and meaningless kindness of civilized society. {cover copy}
This was another graphic novel I picked up while at The Strand. I opened it randomly to what turned out to be the prettiest, most innocent-seeming spread in the book, quickly fanned through the rest just taking in colors and nothing else, so I was actually really caught off guard by this one. The description is really accurate. But I didn't read it before I dove into the book. So it was much darker sadder and weirder than I was prepared for. Having said that, its actually a great version of what it was meant to be, I think. It really gives you that sense that you sometimes feel in society/politics where there's something that makes you feel icky, for lack of a better term, going on under the surface of something that comes off as the exact opposite. This comes out in many ways through the story. The most obvious being that the dolls have made a home inside the corpse of a young girl who dies somehow in the woods. They don't find this odd or gross, just go about their lives doing weird crap and living with the corpse. It was a weird one, I'm not gonna sugar coat it. But if you like allegory and the type of stuff the cover copy mentions, and you don't mind the, what I would call "Juxtapoz Magazine Artist" creepiness, it's actually worth a read. {I used to get that magazine every single month. There was a lot that I found beautiful that was also weird AF and my husband had no problem telling me so every time I was looking through a new issue. This would be right at home in that magazine.
Again, with graphic novels, I don't tend to mark quotes, so this ends here!
...unsettling and gorgeous anti-fairy tale is a searing condemnation of out vast capacity for evil writ tiny. Join princess Aurora and her friends as they journey to civilation's heart of darkness in a bleak allegory about surviving the human experience. The sweet faces and bright leaves of Kerascoet's delicate watercolors serve to highlight the evil that dwells beneath Vehlmann's story as pettiness, greed, and jealousy take over. Beautiful Darkness in a harrowing look behind the routine politeness and meaningless kindness of civilized society. {cover copy}This was another graphic novel I picked up while at The Strand. I opened it randomly to what turned out to be the prettiest, most innocent-seeming spread in the book, quickly fanned through the rest just taking in colors and nothing else, so I was actually really caught off guard by this one. The description is really accurate. But I didn't read it before I dove into the book. So it was much darker sadder and weirder than I was prepared for. Having said that, its actually a great version of what it was meant to be, I think. It really gives you that sense that you sometimes feel in society/politics where there's something that makes you feel icky, for lack of a better term, going on under the surface of something that comes off as the exact opposite. This comes out in many ways through the story. The most obvious being that the dolls have made a home inside the corpse of a young girl who dies somehow in the woods. They don't find this odd or gross, just go about their lives doing weird crap and living with the corpse. It was a weird one, I'm not gonna sugar coat it. But if you like allegory and the type of stuff the cover copy mentions, and you don't mind the, what I would call "Juxtapoz Magazine Artist" creepiness, it's actually worth a read. {I used to get that magazine every single month. There was a lot that I found beautiful that was also weird AF and my husband had no problem telling me so every time I was looking through a new issue. This would be right at home in that magazine.
Again, with graphic novels, I don't tend to mark quotes, so this ends here!
May 21, 2018
Maddie Moo Kids Book Review: Moon
By: Alison Oliver
I first saw this book pop up on @book.nerd.mommy's IG about a month ago, and was intrigued by the cover, so I saved the post to my "Books to Get" collection on IG, and then just last week @happily.ever.elephants posted about it on her IG as well. (These are two of my favorite kids book accounts as they are constantly posting books I want to get for Madeline). So this weekend, when we were at the bookstore and I spotted it, I snatched it up immediately.
I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the author/illustrator has done a few of the babylit books, which I adore! The artwork in this book is so lovely, I don't mind reading through it multiple times because its fun to look at. Which is good, because...
When we got home from the bookstore that night, I surprised Madeline with this book (she was too busy playing tag with some girl a couple years older than her that she met there to notice I'd found her a book) and after the first reading (which included much gasping with excitement and also howling) she insisted I read it to her about seven more times. We then woke up the next day and had to read it another seven times. So to say this one became an instant favorite of hers is almost an understatement.
If your child likes wolves at all I have a feeling this book will go over about as well as it did for us!
I first saw this book pop up on @book.nerd.mommy's IG about a month ago, and was intrigued by the cover, so I saved the post to my "Books to Get" collection on IG, and then just last week @happily.ever.elephants posted about it on her IG as well. (These are two of my favorite kids book accounts as they are constantly posting books I want to get for Madeline). So this weekend, when we were at the bookstore and I spotted it, I snatched it up immediately.I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the author/illustrator has done a few of the babylit books, which I adore! The artwork in this book is so lovely, I don't mind reading through it multiple times because its fun to look at. Which is good, because...
When we got home from the bookstore that night, I surprised Madeline with this book (she was too busy playing tag with some girl a couple years older than her that she met there to notice I'd found her a book) and after the first reading (which included much gasping with excitement and also howling) she insisted I read it to her about seven more times. We then woke up the next day and had to read it another seven times. So to say this one became an instant favorite of hers is almost an understatement.
If your child likes wolves at all I have a feeling this book will go over about as well as it did for us!
May 20, 2018
Salem's Lot
by: Stephen King
Ben Mars had returned to Jerusalem's Lot in hopes that exploring the history of the Marsten House, an old mansion long the subject of rumor and speculation, will help him cast out his personal devils and provide inspiration for his new book. But when two young boys venture into the woods, and only one returns alive, Mears begins to realize that something sinister is at work--in fact, his hometown is under siege form the forces of darkness. And only he, with a small group of allies, can hope to contain the evil that is growing within the borders of this small New England town. {cover copy}
This book was not at all what I was expecting it to be, but to be fair, I wasn't really expecting anything of it. Other than what I imagined I gleaned from the title, which I was wrong about. It was not, you may be surprised to know, about a parking lot in Salem.
Clearly, I didn't read the cover copy. i planned to read through King's entire collected works, so there wasn't any reason to be choosy about what the plots were. This was on my friend Alison's top three list when I asked what King books to start with, so it was one of the first ones I started with! I will say, that on many levels, I actually didn't find this one that scary. But on another, it's actually quite quite scary. I know that's super vague. So let me try this again without being too spoilery: I could sense the danger throughout the novel, and there were some parts that were be great for building tension and being creepy as hell, but it wasn't really until the book ended and everyone ends up how they do that you realize how creepy the book is. At least, that is my take on it. It was a great read. I definitely enjoyed it! It also is home to some of my personal favorite quotes from King. The one about being alone happened to be the inspiration for an art IG account I had before I turned it into Madeline's IG. It was called "Apoorsynonym" and I really loved that account. It was the only place where I had a pseudonym, where I wasn't me and all that went with that at the time. The pictures are still there if you're ever bored enough to scroll through all 3k of my photos of Madeline! haha
Almost everyone thought the man and the boy were father and son {first line}
"God grant me the serenity to accept what I cannot change, the tenacity to change what I may, and the good luck not to fuck up too often."
"Alone. Yes, that's the key word, the most awful word in the English tongue. Murder doesn't hold a candle to it and hell is only a poor synonym."
"The basis of all human fears, he thought. A closed door, slightly ajar."
"For the moment, in the dark, she believed. She believed it all."
"But it all seems more real after dark..."
"There are no words for childhood's dark turns and exhalations. A wise child recognizes it and submits to the necessary consequences. A child who counts the cost is a child no longer."
"They are gaunt, mean shadows that bite the ground like teeth."
• west • {last word}
Ben Mars had returned to Jerusalem's Lot in hopes that exploring the history of the Marsten House, an old mansion long the subject of rumor and speculation, will help him cast out his personal devils and provide inspiration for his new book. But when two young boys venture into the woods, and only one returns alive, Mears begins to realize that something sinister is at work--in fact, his hometown is under siege form the forces of darkness. And only he, with a small group of allies, can hope to contain the evil that is growing within the borders of this small New England town. {cover copy}This book was not at all what I was expecting it to be, but to be fair, I wasn't really expecting anything of it. Other than what I imagined I gleaned from the title, which I was wrong about. It was not, you may be surprised to know, about a parking lot in Salem.
Clearly, I didn't read the cover copy. i planned to read through King's entire collected works, so there wasn't any reason to be choosy about what the plots were. This was on my friend Alison's top three list when I asked what King books to start with, so it was one of the first ones I started with! I will say, that on many levels, I actually didn't find this one that scary. But on another, it's actually quite quite scary. I know that's super vague. So let me try this again without being too spoilery: I could sense the danger throughout the novel, and there were some parts that were be great for building tension and being creepy as hell, but it wasn't really until the book ended and everyone ends up how they do that you realize how creepy the book is. At least, that is my take on it. It was a great read. I definitely enjoyed it! It also is home to some of my personal favorite quotes from King. The one about being alone happened to be the inspiration for an art IG account I had before I turned it into Madeline's IG. It was called "Apoorsynonym" and I really loved that account. It was the only place where I had a pseudonym, where I wasn't me and all that went with that at the time. The pictures are still there if you're ever bored enough to scroll through all 3k of my photos of Madeline! haha
Almost everyone thought the man and the boy were father and son {first line}
"God grant me the serenity to accept what I cannot change, the tenacity to change what I may, and the good luck not to fuck up too often."
"Alone. Yes, that's the key word, the most awful word in the English tongue. Murder doesn't hold a candle to it and hell is only a poor synonym."
"The basis of all human fears, he thought. A closed door, slightly ajar."
"For the moment, in the dark, she believed. She believed it all."
"But it all seems more real after dark..."
"There are no words for childhood's dark turns and exhalations. A wise child recognizes it and submits to the necessary consequences. A child who counts the cost is a child no longer."
"They are gaunt, mean shadows that bite the ground like teeth."
• west • {last word}
