The Thirteeth Tale

Thirteenth Tale
Diane Setterfield
3 ½ stars

This book was totally not what I expected it to be. I have been eyeing it in the book section of the stores for quite a while and I finally was able to find it at a local library. I thought it would be better to give it a chance for free on a library card since I had never heard of the author and sometimes I tend to be picky with the literature that I read.

So, 13th Tale; Vita Winter, a famous author is dying and is finally ready to tell all for her biography. It is an interesting tale and much more of a mystery, almost ghost story than I expected it to be. I am not really sure what I expected, I tend to read more romance and love stories, so a story about finding peace with one’s life hardships wasn’t exactly what I thought when I saw the cover of the story.. It was a story about families, siblings, relationships, closure and finding peace.

I recommend it, it wasn’t bad. I’m glad I found it at the library and gave it a chance. I should have read more online reviews before reading it and then I would have been more in the mind set for the story. I read it in 2 days so I have to say it drew me in and captivated me from the very beginning. In fact the only reason I’m not giving it 5 stars is because I can’t give it the same ranking as Harry Potter, or a Shannon Hale book. It was a great captivating read but I’m not sure I could read and reread it over and over again. I think it might make a pretty intersting movie.

Why Gender Matters

Why Gender Matters
Leonard Sax
3 ½ stars

This book was recommended to me by a mommy friend I have at a local library story time. (Our boys are similar ages and we meet there each week and let them play together after story time while we chat).

I loved the first few chapters. It was very informative and had very good information. Leonard Sax, M.D., Ph.D. is a family physician and psychologist. After having a parent tell him once at his office that he should write a book about some of the differences between boys and girls he decided that it should be done, but he only wanted to do it if he could prove every point that he wanted to make with scientific background.

I didn’t agree with everything he had to say on his chapters dealing with sex, drugs, discipline and the chapter regarding lesbian, gay, bisexuals and transgender. Perhaps I am old fashion, or maybe naive, but I truly believe that if I teach my children what is right and to follow the spirit that they will be guided to make good decisions and not always follow the crowd or do things just because they have been scientifically proven. There are exceptions and the author agrees. He points out that families who eat dinner together every night almost never have as many problems pointed out in these chapters then families who do not eat dinner together. Score one for me!

On the other hand, I did really love some of the information in this book. For instance he points out that boys and girls brains develop differently and at different speeds. He points out many different outcomes because of this – the information about coloring was fascinating to me – boys tend to use black, grey, silver and blue and simulate action in their coloring. Girls tend to use red, green, orange and beige and color more objects. There is a whole section devoted to hearing and the differences in tones that girls and boys can hear. The chapter on school and aggression were very interesting. Girl bullies have lots of friends, boy bullies don’t. Girls fight and never speak to that person again, boys fight and are best friends. Boys learn totally different than girls. Girls ask for more help. Leonard Sax is a big believer in same sex schools. I’m not sure that is the answer, but I believe that teachers should be aware of the differences. Most good teachers are.

If I hadn’t got this book at the library, the entire first few chapters would have been marked up, underlined and tagged. I enjoyed it and find it very interesting. I think any teacher or parent should read it. Boys and girls are different. Men and women are different. We have different roles here on earth and I am very glad for it.

Swap

I've decided to post the swap this week and it will be....
a {{literacy}} swap!

You can swap magazines (used or new), books (used or new), bookmarks, journals (preferable not used), or anything you feel that literacy means to you.

The last day to sign up is next week: Friday, January 25th. You'll receive your swap partner Saturday the 26th. You then have a week to put together fun stuff, have the package postmarked by: Friday, February 1.

If you haven't done a swap before it's easy! You don't need a blog and it's fun to participate. Just follow these easy instructions:

1. Send an email to me - wadeanddebbi (at) gmail (dot) com - with the following information

2. Name, address, email address, website if you have one

3. Some fun information that tells about yourself

4. Short sentence or two about what literacy means to you (wow, I sound like an English teacher making an assignment!)

5. After you receive a swap partner put together a fun package for them and have it postmarked by the deadline of Feb. 1st

The Sweet Far Thing

The Sweet Far Thing

Libba Bray

4 Stars

This is the third and final book in the A Great and Terrible Beauty series. I have really enjoyed this magical series. Gemma, the main character, is preparing to finish her years at Spence and have her debut. She also faces many decisions about the magic that she holds and the relms. She isn't sure who to trust, there is suspense throughout the whole novel.

While I did enjoy this book, I think that the second book in the series, Rebel Angels was my favorite. Without writing a spoiler, this book had a twist at the end with two of the character that I did not see coming, maybe it was just me because everyone else I know that has read it saw it coming. I was sad but happy with the ending. I couldn't have seen it really end in any other way. I think Libba Bray is a pretty talented writer and I did overall think that the series was a good pick!

2007

A year in review:

I try to keep a running list of books that I've read in the year on my sidebar. I know I didn't start this blog until the fall so this list is only what I could remember reading. I also don't usually keep every book on this list. I don't post about short non-fiction books I pick up at the library and skim through. I also don't count magazines.

For 2007, my sidebar tally is at 34 books. I don't think that's too shabby! It's a little less than 3 book a month.

My goal for 2008 is to read more books on my growing wish list and to keep better track of the book that I read. I hope to average 4 or 5 books a month.

What do you average? Do you keep track? How do you keep track?

River Secrets

River Secrets
Shannon Hale
4 Stars

Of course I had to enjoy this book, it's by Shannon Hale. It wasn't my favorite of the 3 though. This story focuses more on Razzo and while I like his character I am much more fond of the girl hero stories. I don't think I'm a feminist, but I believe Hale writes them for a pre-teen/teen female audience and I think it's great that she gives them such great female role models and hero's to look up to.

River Secrets also had much more a mystery feel to it and was fun to think about play the who-done-it game. I liked it and totally recommend it to anyone for a fun, easy read!

Enna Burning

Enna Burning
Shannon Hale
5 Stars

Woah. I loved this book. I think I enjoyed it even more so than The Goose Girl. I couldn't put it down, and my poor children got to enjoy playing together and making the house as messy as they could as I sat and read!

I don't want to give everything away, but Enna is able to speak the language of fire - I think that isn't giving too much away since the title is Enna Burning. Bayern is at war and she is convinced that she can save her country. The book has so many twists and turns I was devouring every bit of it!

I must say the last few chapters I was really hooked. I really thought something else was going to happen and I was going to be very very sad and disappointed! I was so sad that I almost threw the book across the room, then - twist - again, and I was happy and so satisfied with the ending.

I loved the whole book and can't get enough of Shannon Hale.

Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict

Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict
Laurie Viera Rigler
2 stars

I was really looking forward to this book, and since I had finished Goose Girl and was waiting a day to run to the library to get Enna Burning, I thought I would give a try. I started it, didn't really like the first 50 pages, and I should have set it down and not finished it, but I have a really hard time not finishing a book...good or bad.

The story is about Courtney Stone, who wakes up in England, in 1813. I have a hard time with some of the language and crude subjects and maybe I should over look it for the plot and good story line -but I didn't really think either of those were there either. It was not my favorite and I don't recommend it. I don't think that Jane Austen would have liked it either. The only reason I finished it is I felt really bad not doing so, and I skimmed most of it and finished it in one day.

I have to admit too, and perhaps I am sensitive to the subject, but I believe women, then, now and forever can write wonderful beautiful novels and fulfill their roles as mothers. Motherhood is one of the most rewarding jobs ever. I think Jane Austen is a witty and intelligent enough woman that if she were to have wed and bore children she too could have been the author she became. Maybe I took it wrong, but here is her dedication:

"I dedicate this book to Austen addicts past, present and future; and most of all to Jane Austen, who bit of ivory is an endless source of wisdom and joy for this humble admirer. If there is any justice in the world, Miss Austen, then there is a parallel reality in which that lovely young man from the seaside didn't die young, you lived to write at least six more novels, and the two of you grew happily old together, preferably without children."

Goose Girl

The Goose Girl
Shannon Hale
5 Stars

I think that Shannon Hale is becoming one of my top authors of all time! She retells a classic Grimm's Fairy tale in this story and it is amazing! I read it so fast I was sad when I finally had to put it down. I can't wait to get my hands on one of the other novels that accompany it, Enna Burning, or River Secrets.

Asi, for short, is a princess that is promised to marry a prince she has never met of a neighboring land. On the way to her new kingdom her lady in waiting over takes her company and Asi becomes a goose girl while hiding out and waiting to return home or take back her title. The Grimm's fairy tale version is very short (one or two pages) and gives a very good synopsis if you want to figure out what the book is about - but if you know Grimm's version, or read it first, be warned that you will have the ending given away!

Hale created such a fun enchanting fantasy world for the story to take place in. There is love, suspense, lessons and friendships. There were points I was literally hanging on word for word! I love it! I recommend any girl from 10-18 read it!

My other favorites of Shannon Hale, A Princess Academy and AustenLand. She has an awesome website you can see by clicking here. She also graduated from my alma mater, the University of Utah - you can't can't go wrong with a Ute!

North by Northanger

North by Northanger
Carrie Bebris
4 Stars

Another Mr. and Mrs. Darcy mystery. I read the last one around Halloween and loved it. I have decided that I am a pansy when it comes to real life mysteries, they scare me too much. These are so easy to read and right up my ally.

Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy have just settled in and are expecting their first baby during this book. The advice that Elizabeth endures during these months had me laughing so hard! If you have ever been pregnant, you will relate to some of her feelings. What a cleaver book!

Carrie Bebris has one more mystery novel out that I have on my list - I know they are easy and predicable, but I really enjoy them and think they are so much fun!