Two More Books!

I have given up on putting pictures on my blog entries for now, maybe if I end up with a whole chunk of extra time and nothing to do with it, then I'll go back and add pictures like I'd been doing before! So, instead the title in all caps on it's own line will have to do for now! First off, a children's book that I loved and am about to return to the library is... drum roll please.....

GIRAFFE'S CAN'T DANCE by GILES ANDREAE

This is a whimsical little rhyming tale of jungle animals and one giraffe who learns that we all can dance if we just find the right music. It is a tale of overcoming adversity and has a wonderful take home message about appreciating our differences. All the animals doing different kinds of dances was enough to keep my toddler thoroughly entertained!

On a more adult note, I just finished reading...

THE SECRET by RHONDA BYRNE

Now, I have to confess that I was skeptical of this book at first. To be honest the first time I saw or heard of it was when Paris Hilton was parading around proclaiming this book to be at the top of her jailbird reading list. Not that I have a problem with Paris, by all means, she has accomplished many things, but I don't think that taking a cue from her reading list was a top priority. Plus, it looked like some sort of a trashy romance novel to me. Fast forward a while until my Mom recommended it to me. All of a sudden I thought it wouldn't be such a bad one to check out, for the record, my Mom doesn't read trashy romances so I knew I was safe. I read the Secret and loved it. I have employed the secret in my own life, I have found a lucky parking space, managed to keep my home clean, lost a couple of pounds, felt wonderful about myself and in general have found that taking time to focus my energy and attract positive events in my life has proved to make living a little more fun. Not to say that I never start to get bogged down, but when I do I am trying to just take a time out, refocus my energy, and visualize outcomes in the way that I would like them to happen. So far, so good. I would recommend this book, in fact I think it is one that would be a good one to own as a reference to remind me about the power of self and the importance of positive thinking.

Wow, I've been reading up a storm, but not blogging!

So a couple of new titles since I've last blogged. I finished yet another one of Krakauer's novels, this one called Into the Wild tells about a mans journey into the Alaskan wilderness and hypothesizes to the sad cause of his death. It was an interesting read that left me wanting to care less for material things and to appreciate solitude more. I really like how he weaves many people's stories into his novels. I also think that he has shown me that a book doesn't have to be fictional to be a page turner. I'd wholeheartedly recommend this one.

I also finished the last two Artemis Fowl books, and thought I'd write a note about how I felt about the series as a whole. I loved the first few, but by the end I sort of lost interest in the plot and was just racing to finish. I find this phenomenon with any series of books, it just seems like by the end I am just ready to be done. The same thing was true as I whizzed through the last of the Harry Potter books. I just wanted to reach the end. Also, I loved how Colfer created this other world with fairies etc. in Artemis Fowl, but by the end there were just too many mythical creatures for me and I sort of lost interest. There were demons, nymphs, dwarves, trolls, fairies, pixies, centaurs etc. It just got to be too much, I'd rather keep it simple.

Something old, something new!

I''ll start this post with an old favorite. One that I've read several times and is a regular on the book club scene. The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo is a quick read that can fuel long discussions about following your dreams and the experiences faced along the way. The beauty of this book is that it is simple enough for a younger reader, but one that as an adult I find new meaning with each time I read it. Truly one of my favorites.

The book Mao's Last Dancer by Li Cunxin is an engrossing tale of a boy born in communist China who is granted the once in a lifetime opportunity to dance with a group under the reign of Mao Zedong. Providing insight into life in poverty and the intense discipline of the world of ballet this memoir is one that I would recommend reading, and am considering reading for a second time. Although this book is not short, I finished it in a matter of days. The author's voice made me feel as if I was sitting face to face with him as he shared his story of heartbreak, triumph and hope born out of adversity.

The first couple of books that I checked out from the library were toddler books, so I thought that I'd note them on my blog as well. The first is How do dinosaurs say goodnight? by Jane Yolen.

This fun rhyming read is silly enough to engage even the most antsy toddler. It is a wonderful tool for helping little ones get to sleep as well as teaching them about all different kinds of dinosaurs. The illustrations were beautiful and funny enough to leave me smiling. I now love saying, "Good night, good night little dinosaur" to my own little one!

Second was The Napping House by Audrey Wood, illustrated by Dan Wood. Our favorite part of this story is not the sleeping part, but the grand ending where all those in the napping house wake up. Usually I won't post spoilers on my blog, but I figure that giving away the ending of a quick picture book probably won't hurt anyone. I also really loved the illustrations in this book. The story had the aspect of repitition that my son loved, as well as the aspect of surprise. An all around fun read you won't mind pulling out again and again.

Holiday Reads

I realized when starting this post that I have so many books I've read that are my "favorites" that it would be nigh impossible to sit down and write about them at once. I think that adding on an old favorite or two with each new post about books I've recently finished will have to suffice. This holiday I was spent visiting with family and many and I spent many an hour curled up with a book. I started with the first four Artemis Fowl novels by Eoin Colfer.

I found these books to be very entertaining. I typically love young adult novels. Usually things work out well for the main characters and there isn't the violence/sex/language etc. that can be present in more adult books. My favorite part about this series is that Artemis the main character is not the typical protagonist. One of the things that makes him so interesting and in my opinion likeable is that he is a criminally inclined child genius. Colfer does an excellent job of portraying another culture of fairies living secretly beneath the human world. I will definitely be finishing off this series as soon as I get a library card!

Next I read my first Jon Krakauer novel Into Thin Air. This was definitely a change of pace. It is a gripping fast paced story intermingled with tidbits of history that kept the pages turning. I finished this book in two days. This is an account of the Mt. Everest disaster of 1996 that resulted in the death of many climbers. In addition to telling the story of this particular fateful journey Krakauer details some of the history of climbing and the effects of high altitude on the human body. This book was one that left me wanting to know more about climbing and mountaineering, and although I will never climb Everest, it gave me motivation to become more physically fit and to take the time to enjoy the world around me. I would most definitely recommend this book, even if you've never so much as thought about ice climbing.

One of my favorite books since elementary school when I first read it is The Giver by Lois Lowry. This is the tale of Jonas, a boy born into a drastically different world where there is no pain, hunger, loss or adversity. It is a quick read and simple enough for a child, but the deeper meaning which sheds light on the importance of opposition in all things is enough to promote hearty dialog in any adult book club.

Wow! Are all the blog names taken?

So, after trying and trying to come up with a SWEET title for my reading blog I quickly realized that all the good ones are TAKEN! I literally had to reach to the bottom of the barrel to come up with my blog title, which in reality attests to my college obsession with rapping to Vanilla Ice, just kidding.

In starting this blog I am hoping to collect in one spot the books that are near and dear to my heart, and maybe to share some thoughts with others. Not that I am any sort of an authority on what books are great, but, here goes!