Saturday, April 30, 2016

PopSugar Reading Challenge!


It's been nearly a month since I've been able to update y'all on this reading challenge!  I have been reading; it's just that lots of things I've been reading haven't fit any of the criteria on the list.  :/  But this week I read The Young Elites by Marie Lu, which is a book that takes place on a (fictional) island.  Woot!

There's 40 items on the list and I've completed 16- not too shabby for April!  I've also made it so that clicking on the image above takes you to the PopSugar website so that you can see an enlarged copy of the list for readability.

Previously, I've read:
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, which is a YA bestseller.

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, which is a book set in Europe.

The Fireflies Book by Brett Ortler, which is a book that's under 150 pages.

Tea Time for the Traditionally Built by Alexander McCall Smith, which is a New York Times bestseller.

Prohibition Bakery by Leslie Feinberg with Brooke Siem, which is a book I can finish in a day.

Situation Momedy: A First-Time Mom's Guide to Laughing Your Way Through Pregnancy & Year One by Jenna Von Oy, which is a book written by a celebrity.

Meridian by Josin L. McQuein, which is a science-fiction novel.

On Becoming Babywise by Gary Ezzo with Robert Bucknam, which is a book recommended by a family member.

Circa Now by Amber McRee Turner, which is a book that takes place during Summer.

What We Lost in the Dark by Jacquelyn Mitchard, which is a murder mystery.

Near Enemy by Adam Sternbergh, which is a dystopian novel.

The Forever Girl by Alexander McCall Smith, which is a book with a blue cover.

The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan, which is a book from the library.

The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party by Alexander McCall Smith, which is a book about a culture I'm unfamiliar with.

Mama Tried by Emily Flake, which is a satirical book.

Friday, April 29, 2016

What's Your Worldview? An Interactive Approach to Life's Big Questions by James N. Anderson | Book Review

What's Your Worldview?: An Interactive Approach to Life's Big Questions

This was such an awesome little book!  And it's short, so you have no excuse not to read it after I tell you about it!

I can't think of any way to ease into this:  it's a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure style book!!!  I did a large chunk of my growing up in the 1990's, and read a lot of Choose-Your-Own-Adventure books.  I was super, super excited to check out What's Your Worldview? from the library and discover that it was written in the same style!  It was recommended by a guest speaker at my church, and I figured it'd be a good but maybe a little dry read.  WRONG!  I flew through it, and was engaged the whole time.

Dr. Anderson opens the book with an introduction that explains the book's format, and also explains that there's no "right" or "wrong" answers- you are to answer each question as honestly as possible, and then you'll discover your worldview.  He goes on to explain why it's important to know our worldview; to know where we're coming from when we view important issues of our day.  Knowing our own worldview and being able to identify others' worldviews makes it easier for us to communicate.

After the introduction, each page is a standalone.  You read the few paragraphs, then answer a question at the end, then turn to the indicated page to continue your journey.  For example, the question on one page might be "do you believe in evolution?  If yes, turn to page 5.  If no, turn to page 8."  Fun theology!  (You don't see that phrase every day!)

I'm thorough, so after I read the book through answering all the questions honestly I went back and read the pages in between, that don't pertain to my own worldview.  The whole book is so well-written!  Obviously, Dr. Anderson is a Christian with a Christian worldview (he's a professor at Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte, NC), but the pages that explore other worldviews don't seem judgmental at all.

So I definitely recommend!  (I read this whole book in less than two hours.  You can totally find that kind of time to check it out!)

*I checked out my copy of What's Your Worldview? from my local library, through our interlibrary loan program.

Thursday, April 28, 2016

The Young Elites by Marie Lu | Book Review

The Young Elites by Marie Lu

Today I'm over at Tynga's Reviews, talking about the pros and cons of The Young Elites.  Click on the cover image above to find out more!

*I checked out my copy of The Young Elites from my local library.

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis | Book Review

BIG News!  Before I get into the review of Bud, Not Buddy, I'd like to share that my family of two is now a family of three!  So if you were wondering where the reviews have been... well, I was a little busy last week!  We're all healthy and happy and back home, and now I have a new reading buddy!

Bud, Not Buddy

Bud, Not Buddy was excellent!  Definitely worthy of it's Newbery Award.  My niece and nephew were assigned it in school, and both of them plus their mom (my sister-in-law) loved it and recommended it.  I checked it out of the library... and then my dog ate it.  Well, he ate a corner of it.  It was still pretty much readable, so after I paid the library for the damaged book I still read it.  :)

Bud is the greatest kid!  He's smart and optimistic and persistent.  He's only 10 years old, but he manages to make his way across Michigan during the height of the Depression all on his own, in search of his father.  His mother passed away, but she left him flyers advertising the Herman E. Calloway band, and Bud just knows that's his dad.  Bud has many "adventures" on his journey across state, but always keeps a cool head and a steady heart.  Many times I found myself forgetting that he's only 10!  Bud is mature enough that he could easily be a teen.  If you're anything like me, you'll definitely find yourself cheering for Bud.  

Throughout the book, you're looking at the world through a 10 year old boy's eyes, so there's also some humor.  Sprinkled throughout the book are some of Bud's "Rules and Things for Having a Funner Life and Making a Better Liar Out of Yourself."  These "rules" help him survive on the road, and are a sort of lighter-hearted way of looking at adult society through a kid's eyes.  Another thing that I, a library employee, found humorous was Bud's interactions with the local librarians.  First, I love that he would go to the library when he needed information.  Right on, Bud!  Below I've included some passages from library scenes.

Overall, a quick fun read about a young man who's definitely going places.  You'll have to read the book to find out if Herman E. Calloway is really his dad!

*I own (kinda) my copy of Bud, Not Buddy.  I would've simply checked it out of my local library, but my dog tried to eat it and I had to purchase it.  Silly dog.

“As soon as I got into the library I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.  I got a whiff of the leather on all the old books, a smell that got real strong strong if you picked one of them up and stuck your nose real close to it when you turned the pages.  Then there was the smell of the cloth that covered the brand-new books, the books that made a splitting sound when you opened them.  Then I could sniff the paper, that soft, powdery, drowsy smell that comes off the pages in little puffs when you’re reading something or looking at some pictures, a kind of hypnotizing smell.
I think it’s that smell that makes so many folks fall asleep in the library.  You’ll see someone turn a page and you can imagine a puff of page powder coming up really slow and easy until it starts piling on the person’s eyelashes, weighing their eyes down so much that they stay down a little longer after each blink and finally making them so heavy that they just don’t come back up at all.  Then their mouths come open and their heads start bouncing up and down like they’re bobbing in a big tub of water for apples and before you know it,... woop, zoop, sloop… they’re out cold and their face thunks down smack-dab on the book.
That’s the part that gets the librarians the maddest, they get real upset if folks start drooling in the books and, page powder or not, they don’t want to hear no excuses, you gotta get out.  Drooling in the books is even worse than laughing out loud in the library, and even though it might seem kind of mean, you can’t really blame the librarians for tossing drooly folks out ‘cause there’s nothing worse than opening a book and having the pages all stuck together from somebody’s dried-up slobber.”

******************

“She pulled a third book out.
Shucks, this is one of the bad things about talking to librarians, I asked one question and already she had us digging through through three different books.”

******************

“There’s another thing that’s strange about the library, it seems like time flies when you’re in one.  One second I was opening the first page of the book, hearing the cracking sound the pages make, smelling all the page powder, and reading what battle the picture on that page was from, and the next second the librarian was standing over me saying, “I am very impressed, you really devoured that book, didn’t you?  But it’s time to close now, you may start up again first thing tomorrow!””

Thursday, April 14, 2016

Ice Whale by Jean Craighead George | Book Review

Ice Whale by Jean Craighead George

Today I'm over at Tynga's Reviews talking about Ice Whale.  Click on the image above to find out what's really cool and unique about this book!

*I checked out my copy of Ice Whale from my local library.

Saturday, April 2, 2016

PopSugar Reading Challenge Update!


This week I read Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, which is a YA bestseller.  I do love weeks when I have at least one update for y'all!  Did I tell y'all that we put a copy of this list at the reference desk at work?  We're collectively very close to checking everything off the list!  How exciting!

Previously, I've read:
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, which is a book set in Europe.

The Fireflies Book by Brett Ortler, which is a book that's under 150 pages.

Tea Time for the Traditionally Built by Alexander McCall Smith, which is a New York Times bestseller.

Prohibition Bakery by Leslie Feinberg with Brooke Siem, which is a book I can finish in a day.

Situation Momedy: A First-Time Mom's Guide to Laughing Your Way Through Pregnancy & Year One by Jenna Von Oy, which is a book written by a celebrity.

Meridian by Josin L. McQuein, which is a science-fiction novel.

On Becoming Babywise by Gary Ezzo with Robert Bucknam, which is a book recommended by a family member.

Circa Now by Amber McRee Turner, which is a book that takes place during Summer.

What We Lost in the Dark by Jacquelyn Mitchard, which is a murder mystery.

Near Enemy by Adam Sternbergh, which is a dystopian novel.

The Forever Girl by Alexander McCall Smith, which is a book with a blue cover.

The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan, which is a book from the library.

The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party by Alexander McCall Smith, which is a book about a culture I'm unfamiliar with.

Mama Tried by Emily Flake, which is a satirical book.