"The Book of Lost Things'~by James Connolley
Thriller writer Connolly (Every Dead Thing) turns from criminal fears to primal fears in this enchanting novel about a 12-year-old English boy, David, who is thrust into a realm where eternal stories and fairy tales assume an often gruesome reality. Books are the magic that speak to David, whose mother has died at the start of WWII after a long debilitating illness. His father remarries, and soon his stepmother is pregnant with yet another interloper who will threaten David's place in his father's life. When a portal to another world opens in time-honored fashion, David enters a land of beasts and monsters where he must undertake a quest if he is to earn his way back out. Connolly echoes many great fairy tales and legends (Little Red Riding Hood, Roland, Hansel and Gretel), but cleverly twists them to his own purposes. Despite horrific elements, this tale is never truly frightening, but is consistently entertaining as David learns lessons of bravery, loyalty and honor that all of us should learn.
Totally loved, loved, loved, this book. Highly recommend it.
"Bright From the Start"~by Jill Stamm
Should you really read to your baby? Can teaching a baby sign language boost IQ? Should you pipe classical music into the nursery? Dr. Stamm translates the latest neuroscience findings into clear explanations and practical suggestions, demonstrating the importance of the simple ways you interact with your child every day. It isn’t the right “edu-tainment” that nurtures an infant’s brain. It is as simple as Attention, Bonding, and Communication, and it’s within every parent’s ability to provide. Practical games and tips for each developmental age group will show you not only what the latest findings are but, more importantly, tell you what to do with them.
I liked this book and it had a lot of good games/tips that I will be employing with my DD, although many of them are things we already are doing/have done. I also appreciated that there was emphasis on the fact that children develop at different rates and due to different personalities what works for learning for one may not work for another. All in all a good read and I would recommend it highly!
Also loved that everything she tells you to do is FREE!
Just finished 'Life's That Way, A Memoir'~by Jim Beaver
This was such a great read. Heart-wrenching, hysterical, compassionate, and transcendent. A great book for anyone who has ever experienced a loss, which I believe all of us have.
From the website 'Life's That Way'
Jim and Cecily appeared to have it all: Cecily was a successful casting director (3rd Rock from the Sun, That 70s Show); Jim was a regular on HBO’s Deadwood. Then their daughter, Maddie, was diagnosed with autism and weeks later, Cecily, a non-smoker, was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer. Suddenly Jim was a widower and a single dad.
Like Mitch Albom's Tuesdays with Morrie or Randy Pausch's The Last Lecture, this memoir is about the death of a loved one – but also very much about life. Written straight from the heart and with extraordinary humor amidst great sadness, it is a story not just of travail, but also of love and generosity; unfathomable human kindness; and the wondrous gifts of life – all invaluable lessons for living.
Thriller writer Connolly (Every Dead Thing) turns from criminal fears to primal fears in this enchanting novel about a 12-year-old English boy, David, who is thrust into a realm where eternal stories and fairy tales assume an often gruesome reality. Books are the magic that speak to David, whose mother has died at the start of WWII after a long debilitating illness. His father remarries, and soon his stepmother is pregnant with yet another interloper who will threaten David's place in his father's life. When a portal to another world opens in time-honored fashion, David enters a land of beasts and monsters where he must undertake a quest if he is to earn his way back out. Connolly echoes many great fairy tales and legends (Little Red Riding Hood, Roland, Hansel and Gretel), but cleverly twists them to his own purposes. Despite horrific elements, this tale is never truly frightening, but is consistently entertaining as David learns lessons of bravery, loyalty and honor that all of us should learn.
Totally loved, loved, loved, this book. Highly recommend it.
"Bright From the Start"~by Jill Stamm
Should you really read to your baby? Can teaching a baby sign language boost IQ? Should you pipe classical music into the nursery? Dr. Stamm translates the latest neuroscience findings into clear explanations and practical suggestions, demonstrating the importance of the simple ways you interact with your child every day. It isn’t the right “edu-tainment” that nurtures an infant’s brain. It is as simple as Attention, Bonding, and Communication, and it’s within every parent’s ability to provide. Practical games and tips for each developmental age group will show you not only what the latest findings are but, more importantly, tell you what to do with them.
I liked this book and it had a lot of good games/tips that I will be employing with my DD, although many of them are things we already are doing/have done. I also appreciated that there was emphasis on the fact that children develop at different rates and due to different personalities what works for learning for one may not work for another. All in all a good read and I would recommend it highly!
Also loved that everything she tells you to do is FREE!
Just finished 'Life's That Way, A Memoir'~by Jim Beaver
This was such a great read. Heart-wrenching, hysterical, compassionate, and transcendent. A great book for anyone who has ever experienced a loss, which I believe all of us have.
From the website 'Life's That Way'
Jim and Cecily appeared to have it all: Cecily was a successful casting director (3rd Rock from the Sun, That 70s Show); Jim was a regular on HBO’s Deadwood. Then their daughter, Maddie, was diagnosed with autism and weeks later, Cecily, a non-smoker, was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer. Suddenly Jim was a widower and a single dad.
Like Mitch Albom's Tuesdays with Morrie or Randy Pausch's The Last Lecture, this memoir is about the death of a loved one – but also very much about life. Written straight from the heart and with extraordinary humor amidst great sadness, it is a story not just of travail, but also of love and generosity; unfathomable human kindness; and the wondrous gifts of life – all invaluable lessons for living.
