What would you do if you found out that your husband had secretly been seeing other women...three, in fact, over the course of your marriage? You'd probably leave him, or make him leave you.
So, then, what would you do if you found out he was dying? Would you forgive and forget? Would you go back?
That's what Lucy has to decide after she finds out that her husband, Artie, is dying. She does end up going home (sorry...that really doesn't spoil too much) and makes the craziest decision I think any woman could make. She calls Artie's other "sweethearts" and invites them to take a turn on Artie's deathbed--to share in taking care of him while he dies since they had the pleasure of enjoying him while he was alive.
Brilliant.
But, personally, I think the plan backfires a bit. Because while Lucy assumes she will dislike these women, she ends up creating a new family with them, and allowing them to comfort her when she needs a family most.
I adored this book. Its a quick read but a touching one. I can't even begin to tell you which character I liked the most. They are all quirky and lovable and unforgettable.
Read this one. It's worth your time.
Happy reading, everyone!
:) Dodie
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Sunday, August 25, 2013
#37: The Land of Stories--The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer
I am always searching for new chapter books to read to my Kindergartners. It's hard to read Junie B. Jones and The Magic Tree House books year after year. So, when I caught Chris Colfer on Live with Kelly and Michael (my summer guilty pleasure) and heard that he had a sequel to his first book coming out and that it was a book about a fairy tale land, I immediately ordered the first book, knowing that it would be perfect to read to my kiddos at school.
Oh, how wrong I was.
I could NEVER read this book to my students. Well...I could...the year I wanted to get fired! And, it's not that I couldn't read this to 5 /6 year olds. I wouldn't read this to 5th/6th graders and the book's main characters are 11 years old. Good grief! The theme of the book and overall plot is a good one. It's been, perhaps, done before, but it's clever and creative and even though I thought I knew what was going to happen in the end, I was surprised. So, it is a sad, sad thing that because the language is inappropriate it will stay on my shelf at home and not be read to my students. I'm sure that the wording was done so to keep 5-8th grade students interested in the book, but with a few revisions, the novel could be way more far reaching to a wider audience. It's sad. Truly. But I could never read the following sentence to my children: "If I were Cinderella, none of this crap would be happening." (that's a line from Red Riding Hood--who knew she had a potty mouth) nor could I read the line when Goldilocks calls Red Riding Hood a "basket carrying bimbo" or when Red retaliates by calling Goldie a "fugitive floozy" or when Goldilocks is angered to the point of screaming "Son of a witch!" REALLY? Is that necessary in a children's book? And this is only a sampling.
Bottom line, you could easily read this to your own children and either read it as is and discuss the language or read around the inappropriate language. But, as a classroom teacher, I could never bring this book into my classroom. Parents would complain and I wouldn't blame them a bit. I complained while I was reading. The language just isn't necessary and it takes a book that could've been truly extraordinary and turns it into something that I can't recommend.
Happy reading everyone!
:) Dodie
Oh, how wrong I was.
I could NEVER read this book to my students. Well...I could...the year I wanted to get fired! And, it's not that I couldn't read this to 5 /6 year olds. I wouldn't read this to 5th/6th graders and the book's main characters are 11 years old. Good grief! The theme of the book and overall plot is a good one. It's been, perhaps, done before, but it's clever and creative and even though I thought I knew what was going to happen in the end, I was surprised. So, it is a sad, sad thing that because the language is inappropriate it will stay on my shelf at home and not be read to my students. I'm sure that the wording was done so to keep 5-8th grade students interested in the book, but with a few revisions, the novel could be way more far reaching to a wider audience. It's sad. Truly. But I could never read the following sentence to my children: "If I were Cinderella, none of this crap would be happening." (that's a line from Red Riding Hood--who knew she had a potty mouth) nor could I read the line when Goldilocks calls Red Riding Hood a "basket carrying bimbo" or when Red retaliates by calling Goldie a "fugitive floozy" or when Goldilocks is angered to the point of screaming "Son of a witch!" REALLY? Is that necessary in a children's book? And this is only a sampling.
Bottom line, you could easily read this to your own children and either read it as is and discuss the language or read around the inappropriate language. But, as a classroom teacher, I could never bring this book into my classroom. Parents would complain and I wouldn't blame them a bit. I complained while I was reading. The language just isn't necessary and it takes a book that could've been truly extraordinary and turns it into something that I can't recommend.
Happy reading everyone!
:) Dodie
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
#36: The End of the Alphabet by CS Richardson
What Kindergarten teacher isn't drawn to a book with "alphabet" in the title? I'll admit it. That's why I bought the book this past weekend at the Green Valley Bookfair (a wonderful place to spend an afternoon, btw.). It's a tiny little book, but it is packed with a thought provoking idea: what would you do if you only had less than a month to live. Well, if you are Ambrose Zephyr, a man obsessed with making A-Z lists, you'd try to pack in one more and revisit your favorite A-Z places (like a top ten list) in 26 days. Seriously, that's what he does and his amazing wife, Zipper, goes along.
Richardson's style of writing is loose and free form, almost like a poem in many places. I loved both characters and my heart broke for them as they realized that they only had a month left together.
Books like this one really force you to think about what YOU would do if you only had a month to live. I'm not sure what I would do. If my girls were in school, I guess I'd spend those days driving them places and helping with homework and making lunches. Ambrose and Zipper did not have kids, though. They did walk away from their jobs, which I would do, but even that would be hard. To leave a group of 5-6 year olds who wouldn't quite understand. But I would, because Rob and the girls are my life. And I'd want to spend as much of my last days with them as possible. I guess that's really what Ambrose was doing, in his own way. He was revisiting the places that meant the most to him and Zipper. We learned a lot about them and their love story along the way, too. It really was a touching story.
I'll leave Zipper's reaction at the end as a mystery for now. Suffice to day, she's a much stronger woman than I will ever be, that's for sure.
Happy reading, everyone!
:) Dodie
Richardson's style of writing is loose and free form, almost like a poem in many places. I loved both characters and my heart broke for them as they realized that they only had a month left together.
Books like this one really force you to think about what YOU would do if you only had a month to live. I'm not sure what I would do. If my girls were in school, I guess I'd spend those days driving them places and helping with homework and making lunches. Ambrose and Zipper did not have kids, though. They did walk away from their jobs, which I would do, but even that would be hard. To leave a group of 5-6 year olds who wouldn't quite understand. But I would, because Rob and the girls are my life. And I'd want to spend as much of my last days with them as possible. I guess that's really what Ambrose was doing, in his own way. He was revisiting the places that meant the most to him and Zipper. We learned a lot about them and their love story along the way, too. It really was a touching story.
I'll leave Zipper's reaction at the end as a mystery for now. Suffice to day, she's a much stronger woman than I will ever be, that's for sure.
Happy reading, everyone!
:) Dodie
#35: The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith, or JK Rowling
I was in Bermuda when I heard that JK Rowling had written a new book, a mystery, under a pseudonym. I immediately picked up my iPad and ordered it from Amazon before there was a rush on the book, as I knew there would be. The article I read about the book from Bermuda indicated that the style of writing was obviously not indicative of an amateur and that the journalist who uncovered JK Rowling to be the author had been suspicious that it was really her all along. Clearly, I am not a journalist, nor a detective, because if I had not known The Cuckoo's Calling was Rowlings' book, I'd have never figured it out.
OK. So, there's a lot of London mentioned in the book and the author is very clearly familiar with London. But I have read several fabulous books this summer set in London. Lots of people live there and work there and vacation there. Not just Rowling. However, there was one aspect of the book that kept reminding me of Rowling. It's a dense book. All of hers are, in my opinion. Even Harry Potter, which I adored, was full of details and characters that I couldn't keep straight in my head until I saw them in the movies. The Casual Vacancy was the same. So, from that standpoint, yes, The Cuckoo's Calling was very Rowling.
Rob has not yet read Cuckoo, so I am going to keep my comments brief as to not be a spoiler. It was a slow go for me at first, but once I met Rochelle, everything changed. The book was fabulous, another indicator that Rowling is in fact the author. Brilliant. Bloody brilliant. You will not be disappointed. Unless you dislike murder mysteries. Then you should stay away.
Happy reading everyone!
:) Dodie
OK. So, there's a lot of London mentioned in the book and the author is very clearly familiar with London. But I have read several fabulous books this summer set in London. Lots of people live there and work there and vacation there. Not just Rowling. However, there was one aspect of the book that kept reminding me of Rowling. It's a dense book. All of hers are, in my opinion. Even Harry Potter, which I adored, was full of details and characters that I couldn't keep straight in my head until I saw them in the movies. The Casual Vacancy was the same. So, from that standpoint, yes, The Cuckoo's Calling was very Rowling.
Rob has not yet read Cuckoo, so I am going to keep my comments brief as to not be a spoiler. It was a slow go for me at first, but once I met Rochelle, everything changed. The book was fabulous, another indicator that Rowling is in fact the author. Brilliant. Bloody brilliant. You will not be disappointed. Unless you dislike murder mysteries. Then you should stay away.
Happy reading everyone!
:) Dodie
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