Thanks to
Thuy for kicking off a short series of posts with
gift recommendations for all of your favorite book lovers.
Must-have books published this year:
Extra Yarn - written by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Jon Klassen
Adorable story, awesome illustrations, and it's about knitting. LOVE.
Shadow & Bone - Leigh Bardugo
One of my fave reads this year. Also has a fantastic cover.
Cinder - Marissa Meyer
Another fave this year. Love the twist on this classic fairy tale and
Cinder is a character I think a lot of people can relate to.
Must-have classic:
A twist on a classic. Like a lot of folks, I am a fan of the Grimms' original fairy tales and I am dying to see Pullman's take on them.
Bookish things:
Downtown Abbey Seasons 1 & 2 - I know you can stream the series online but let's face it, this is something that I want to have in my collection.
Nan Lawson prints - I love Lawson's quirky yet cute style and she makes prints of subjects that many bookish/sci fi nerd would love.
Food for... your belly, not your mind:
 |
Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookies
Used with permission from RecipeGirl.com |
Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookies - The holidays are the perfect time for baking. I love a good warm cookie with ice cream, and this recipe from
RecipeGirl for a skillet cookie looks delicious. Reminds me of the pizookie from BJ's, which is pretty much the only reason I go there. But, with a bit of work, you can make your own delicious skillet cookie at home. And have it all to yourself. :) Or, you know,
give someone the means to do that.
Alethea's note: This is perfect for the booklover who doesn't want to get cookie grease all over their book or eReader, because you eat it with a fork or spoon (and a huge dollop of ice cream)
 |
| say "twee!" |
Come back tomorrow for more great gifts for booklovers!
by Clemency Pearce
Illustrated by Rebecca Elliott
ISBN 10/13: 0545314267 | 9780545314268
Category: Children's Picture Book
Keywords: Children, picture book, bedtime, Halloween, spooky
Format: Hardcover
Source: Library
Thuy's review:
Frangoline is a girl who is good during the day but loves to sneak out of her bedroom at night to explore the world and the creatures in it. As Frangoline runs wild, the wise moon looks on, reminding her that children should be in bed at night, not out having adventures. But Frangoline does not heed the moon's advice, instead doing as she pleases.
Unfortunately, her nighttime fun wakes the dead, who come crawling out to see what all the noise is about. Suddenly being outside in the dark isn't so fun and Frangoline longs to be in her safe bed. Will she escape the dark creatures of the night? You'll have to read it to find out.
Frangoline and the Midnight Dream is a sweet little picture book that would be perfect to read during Halloween. With charming illustrations and a fun, rhyming story, children and adults alike will have a good time following Frangoline on her midnight adventure.
Pearce's word play and use of rhyme gives the story a great flow and it almost seems to bounce along the page with Frangoline. Though I enjoyed the story, the illustrations were my favorite part. They are super cute and a little "dark" but in a non-scary way.
This might be a good book for the child that likes to avoid bedtime. It also stands alone as a fun read. If you like your picture books a little spooky, definitely pick up Frangoline and the Midnight Dream.
.jpeg?picon=3655)
By: alethea aka frootjoos,
on 6/11/2012
Blog:
Read Now Sleep Later
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
realistic but fantastic too,
fishgirl182,
Thuy,
TeraLynnChilds,
SweetVenom,
MedusaGirls,
YA,
family,
Siblings,
young adult,
book review,
fantasy,
mythology,
4 stars,
Add a tag
ISBN 10/13: 0062001817 | 9780062001818
Young Adult Fantasy
Keywords: Siblings, family, mythology
Format: Hardcover, eBook
Source: Library
Jacket copy:
Grace just moved to San Francisco and is excited to start over at a new school. The change is full of fresh possibilities, but it’s also a tiny bit scary. It gets scarier when a minotaur walks in the door. And even more shocking when a girl who looks just like her shows up to fight the monster.
Gretchen is tired of monsters pulling her out into the wee hours, especially on a school night, but what can she do? Sending the minotaur back to his bleak home is just another notch on her combat belt. She never expected to run into this girl who could be her double, though.
Greer has her life pretty well put together, thank you very much. But that all tilts sideways when two girls who look eerily like her appear on her doorstep and claim they're triplets, supernatural descendants of some hideous creature from Greek myth, destined to spend their lives hunting monsters.
These three teenage descendants of Medusa, the once-beautiful gorgon maligned by myth, must reunite and embrace their fates in this unique paranormal world where monsters lurk in plain sight.
Thuy's Review:I wasn’t really sure what to expect when I picked up
Sweet Venom. It had a great cover and I couldn’t resist picking it up. I’ve always been a fan of Greek mythology though my memory for the myths and the many gods is rusty at best. But the idea of monster fighting triplets descended from Medusa sounded too fun to pass up.
And fun it was! With a good mix of Greek mythology, action, romance, and humor, Sweet Venom is an entertaining and fast read. The book is told from the three POVs of Grace, Gretchen, and Greer. I am often wary of books told in multiple POVs. In this
By: alethea aka frootjoos,
on 5/15/2012
Blog:
Read Now Sleep Later
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
fishgirl182,
Thuy,
LittleBrown,
design,
travel,
Picture book,
book review,
art,
3 stars,
bicycling,
borrowed,
Add a tag
Publication date: 28 June 2011 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
ISBN 10/13: 0316129259 | 9780316129251
Category: Children’s Picture Book
Keywords: Picture book, children’s, bicycling, travel
Format: Hardcover
Source: Borrowed from the library
I picked up
Along A Long Road at the library because of its eye-catching cover.
Along A Long Road is unlike any picture book I’ve read recently. The illustrations are very graphic and stylized, with clean, fluid lines and only 5 colors (black, blue, red, white, and yellow). It doesn’t have much of a narrative. A bicyclist rides his bike up, down and all around - through town, by the sea, into a tunnel, by a carnival--following a yellow road throughout the book.
I really liked Viva’s illustrations and the fact that the road was shiny while the rest of the book was matte. It really gives the book a unique look and feel. I personally found the story to be a little boring and might have preferred it without words. That way I could have just lost myself in the imagery. However I can see how a simple story like this would appeal to very young children.
I think it would be really fun to have them follow the road and point out all of the people and things that are along the road. The standout here is definitely the art. I also just read on Viva’s website the following: “This celebration of cycling was created as a single, continuous 35-five-foot-long piece of art.” This actually makes me more impressed with the artwork than I already was and I would love to see this in its original 35 foot format.
I picked this book up for the illustrations and I can say that I wasn’t disappointed. While the story itself wasn’t a personal favorite, it’s a really easy read and I can see this appealing to very young children.
By: alethea aka frootjoos,
on 5/15/2012
Blog:
Read Now Sleep Later
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
fishgirl182,
Thuy,
MillbrookPress,
JaneBrocket,
children's books,
Picture book,
book review,
nonfiction,
children's,
patterns,
3 stars,
netgalley,
Add a tag
Publication date: 1 January 2012 by Millbrook Press
ISBN: 0761346139 | 9780761346135
Category: Children’s Non-Fiction Picture Book
Keywords: Children’s, non-fiction, picture book, patterns
Format: Hardcover
Source: Netgalley
Spotty, Stripey, Swirly is one of the newest additions to author Jane Brocket’s
Clever Concepts line of non-fiction picture books. Like her other books, this one is not traditionally illustrated but is filled with photos that Brocket has taken herself. As you can tell from the title
Spotty, Stripey, Swirly is about finding and recognizing patterns all around us.
Stripes, dots, zig zags, and circles abound, punctuated by Brocket’s signature style of bright, colorful photographs. Using eye catching photos, Brocket teaches children what a pattern is and how to recognize them. She urges them to find patterns in everyday objects. From simple to complex, patterns are everywhere if you just know where to look. This would be a nice addition to a very young child’s library.
 |
| say "twee"! |
Category: Children’s Picture Book
Keywords: Picture book, children’s, adventure, imagination, animals
Format: Hardcover
Thuy's Review:
Those of you who know me in real life will not be surprised that I picked up this book. For those who don’t know me, let me confess that I have a slight obsession with pugs. I don’t know what it is about them that I love so much. They’re kind of weird looking and they make strange sounds but their little faces are just too adorable and I can’t help but squee every time I see one. When I saw the cover to
Chick ‘n’ Pug at my local library, I just knew it had to come home with me.
Chick ‘n’ Pug is the story of Chick, a young chicken who longs for adventure. Life in the coop isn’t very exciting but he entertains himself by reading his favorite book,
The Adventures of Wonder Pug. One day Chick escapes from the coop looking for his own adventures and runs into his very own Wonder Pug! Chick tries to engage Wonder Pug in his quest for adventure. However, this Wonder Pug has his own ideas about how he wants to spend his afternoon and he sleeps through most of Chick’s attempts at adventure. Chick finally declares himself Wonder Pug’s sidekick to create some adventure of his own.
This is a really fun story that the whole family will enjoy. Funny and cute, it would be great for really young children (or pug-obsessed adults like me).
Chick ‘n’ Pug is also filled with adorable illustrations. The facial expressi
By: alethea aka frootjoos,
on 2/15/2012
Blog:
Read Now Sleep Later
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
family,
Realistic,
fiction,
cats,
middle grade,
mystery,
4 stars,
pie,
2011,
fishgirl182,
Thuy,
SarahWeeks,
Add a tag
ISBN 10/13: 0545270111 | 9780545270113
Category: Middle Grade Realistic Fiction
Keyword: Middle grade, fiction, realistic, mystery, pie, family
Format: Hardcover, eBook
Thuy's Summary:
PIE starts with the unexpected death of The Pie Queen of Ipswitch, Polly Portman. A pie phenom, Polly has graced the town of Ipswitch with her delicious pies for years. She opens up her own pie shop, Pie, in order to share her creations with the world. Polly doesn't accept money for her pies. Instead, customers "pay" for their pies by leaving fresh and delicious ingredients at Polly doorstep. The town mourns her untimely passing but no one misses her more than her niece Alice.
Polly was her best friend and Alice misses the hours she would spend in Polly's company at the shop. When Polly's will is read and word gets out that her famous pie crust recipe was left to her cat, the whole town is in an uproar. Soon, everyone is up to their ears in pies as people in town try to be the next award winning pie baker. Then Aunt Polly's cat disappears and the pie shop is ransacked and Alice knows that there's more to the story than just teenagers getting their kicks. She and her friend Charlie start their own investigation to figure out what's going on and find the recipe to happiness along the way.
Thuy's Review:
Who can resist a slice of homemade pie? Not me, that's for sure. I picked up
Pie on a whim from the library last week. The cute cover caught my eye and I just couldn't resist the title. A charming book with a lot of hear,
Pie is a delicious reminder that happiness is more than just money or fame and that love, friendship and being true to yourself are the key to true happiness.
I had such a fun time reading this book! It's funny and smart without too much dr
By: Read Now Sleep Later,
on 2/16/2011
Blog:
Read Now Sleep Later
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
young adult,
Australia,
angels,
mercy,
guest post,
fallen angels,
disney hyperion,
rebecca lim,
fishgirl182,
Add a tag
Mercy by Rebecca Lim Publication date: 17 May, 2011 from Disney-Hyperion ISBN 10/13: 1423145178 / 9781423145172
Category: Young Adult Fantasy
Format: Hardcover
Keywords: Contemporary, fantasy, adventure, angels
How I found out about this book: I picked up the ARC from the publishers at ALA Midwinter 2011. My pal and YA fan
fishgirl182 agreed to do a guest post since I'm occupied with school and other things right now. Thanks!
Guest review:
This book had an interesting premise but, unfortunately it falls short of its potential. The first 50 pages or so of the book was slow and I was afraid I was never going to get into it. Luckily that wasn't the case and the book gained momentum.
Mercy, who we discover is a fallen angel, has been doomed to wander earth flitting in and out of different bodies for short periods of time. Like Sam Beckett in Quantum Leap, Mercy has no say in when she comes into or leaves a body. The problem is that she has no real recollection of who she is or what she is meant, if anything, to accomplish while she is in these women's bodies.
She remembers bits of her previous hosts but her only real connection to her true self is Luc, who appears to her in her dreams. There is a mystery element to the book as Mercy and her new host Carmen end up in the home of a family whose young daughter, Lauren, was kidnapped two years earlier. Thanks to her unique gift of being able to probe people's minds with a touch, Mercy is able to see the visions that Ryan, Lauren's twin brother, has of Lauren and she believes him when he tells her that Lauren is still alive. I quite like the dynamic that Ryan and Mercy have: their dialogue is the sort of bantering antagonism that I so enjoy.
I think the main problem with the book is Mercy herself. She's just not very likeable. Without any context to her circumstance, the little we know about her comes from her own memories and feelings. Since she doesn't know much about her past, she and the reader have very little to go on. We do get the idea that she may not have been the nicest person in her real form and that she doesn't care what other people think about her (this latter repeated several times throughout the book). Though she seems callous at times, we can see that Mercy is trying to do good (i.e. helping Ryan, standing up for Carmen) but, even then, her motives are unclear.
Part of the problem may also be that, as this is the first book of a series, the author is holding back key pieces of information for the sequels. I think if she had just given us a little bit more it would have made this book much better. Perha
| 
| 
this does sound perfect for halloween! great review!