What's in a Name Challenge...

A couple of years ago when I decided I wasn't reading enough, and then I decided I needed to learn to read while on a bus, and then I decided I needed to read other things than I would normally read I found this challenge.  Beth is the hostess for the What's in a Name Challenge.  I had a great time finding books to fit the categories, it even becomes a family affair, I make a wish list, and the hunt is on... I finished the challenge this year.

  Number 84 Charing Cross, DONE

Jewelry/Gem, Emerald Atlas, DONE

Size- Giant's Bread, Mary Westmacott, (Agatha Christie) DONE

Travel/ Movement- The Girl Who Chased the Moon, DONE

Evil - Out Stealing Horses, DONE

Life Stage- Child of the Northern Spring, Persia Woolley, DONE, WOW! way to go Persia.

I've copied my list above.  If you are unable to link to the review, so sorry, just learning the ropes of all the gadgets on the computer.  Who would have thought a stay at home mom would be able to do any of this.  Many times as I'm posting my reviews, such as they are, my son is sitting next to me with his ever encouraging words, of " you know how to do this".  Couldn't you just smack them sometimes, I'm sure we had many a tear when I said those words to them when they were learning the multiplication tables.  At any rate, I loved this challenge and hope to be as successful in the next.  Thank You to Beth for hosting.

Giants Bread... a quick review

I still feel I suck at a book review, I'm like that guy who said he didn't know anything about art, he just knew what he liked.  So with that in mind I thought I'd resort to the old Show me 5 way.

1. The Book I Read: was Giant's Bread, by Mary Westmacott, better known as Agatha Christie.

2. Two words to describe it: Historical Fiction

3. Characters you met and places they were.

The main character of this novel is Vernon, an only child.  His parents were not a happy couple, quite weird.  Vernon's father died in the Boer War leaving his mother Myra to raise him.  Myra is a drama queen.

Joe, Josephine was Vernon's cousin, Vernon's father's sisters daughter.  She comes to live with Vernon after the divorce and subsequent death of her mother.  A diamond in the rough.  Up until Joe's arrival Vernon was a very lonely child.

Sebastian Levine, moved next door to Vernon's family estate. (The estate figures prominently in  the story line.)

Nell a girl from the town where Vernon lives.  She comes to tea with her mother and imposes herself on Joe, Vernon and Sebastian.

Jane a Opera singer/actress with whom Vernon becomes involved.

The story line takes place in England sometime before the WWI.  We meet Vernon and his dysfunctional parents when he is very young.  It baffled me to think children were really raised in this manner, but nonetheless nanny's were responsible for the children and parents seemed to be very distant.  After Vernon's father goes off to war and dies, life changes considerably.  I thought Vernon was somewhat a clueless young man.  Didn't really like him, and was not so sure why everyone dotted on him. Did they see the genius in him?  Anyway, as life would have it, he, after many years of being away from Nell suddenly sees her again and falls head over heels in love, only to be not good enough.  Well a series of unfortunate events occur and in the end he see his true love in another...

What |I loved:  Well everything.  I love this authors work and quite honestly if she had written the phone book I think I'd find it interesting.
What I didn't like:  as this is an older publication, it was combined with 5 other novels and the book weighed more than Musashi, thought I'd have a concussion if I fell asleep while reading it. I ended up having to wear a wrist brace some days.

Five stars or ?  You know I'm going to have to say 5 stars, nothing else would do for Ms. Christie.

I read this book to complete my What's in a Name Challenge and to get my fix in on The Agatha Christie Challenge.  I never seem to meet the deadline for that one but...

Emerald Atlas, a quick review...

Emerlad Atlas

My Thoughts:  I read the reviews for this YA book somewhere in my blog roll, and immediately picked it up for my grand niece to read, when I got it home, I decided it was too thick and I might have to check out the contents before I passed it along.  (I always read the books I give as gifts).  This was a not very short read for a YA book, interesting, and if we all loved Harry Potter than this was up that alley.  As in Harry Potter the wack in the head for me was "the horrible way children are treated".  I hated that part in Harry Potter and for me the magic bit was just that, a little whimsy that a child uses to escape the horror of its life.  I can't imagine leaving my children "behind" or sending them off for their own safety. (Remember all those British children being evacuated, I know that did not turn out well) Huh? I'm not sure the mother of Kate, Michael and Emma should expect her kids to forgive her.  If the world is going to end, I'm going with my kids to that end.  All the while I was reading this book, I wanted to start adoption procedures, (just like when I read Harry Potter) my husband was not co-operative, but then again, maybe I was not pushy enough.  Anyway, this was a wonderful adventure, and as you can tell it certainly made me WILD, I look forward to see what the next book has to offer. 

P.S. I'm not sure my little niece will get this one, maybe my big niece.  They both know there is no orphanage in their futures so it won't traumatize them. 

I read this book as part of my What's in a Name Challenge (Jewelry or Gem).

Child of the Northern Spring ...

I finally finished this book.  It wasn't anything to do with the quality of the pages, they were great, as was the story line.  You don't really need to sell me on a story of Camelot.  I'm there.  I started to read this book at the beginning of August, then life happened and I didn't finish it.  I took it out of the Library again this week and started over, I'm so glad I did.  I love the story of Guinevere and  Arthur.

This is the first book of the story of Camelot through Guinevere's eyes.  Guinevere is a feisty Celtic tomboy who questions the reasons why she must learn to speak Latin, wear dresses, and go south to marry that king. But with a little loving persuasion from her beloved father, she soon decides it is her duty to marry the High King.  Her journey allows her the luxury of learning of his wonders, of how he came to be King and a little more intimate views from a close friend who happens to be her escort. When they finally meet, Guinevere and Arthur form a partnership that is what fairy tales are made of. 

What I liked about the book:  I loved the story from Guinevere's point of view, I loved how "modern" Persia Woolley made her in spite of the times she lived in.  I loved the whole innocents of the New Queen to Be, but I also loved how romantic her adventure of the unknown is.  I also love the she was not a raving beauty, by her own accounts, nor was she whimpy. But what I loved the most was what wonderful sense of "family" she respected, both her own and Arthurs. The contrast of Arthurs upbringing and Guinevere's was marvelous and Persia Woolley did a great job.

What I didn't like, not much really.  I think I was surprised at the close relationship the King, Guinevere's father, had with his only daughter.  I'd have thought this was not so in those times, but beautifully portrayed by the author.  I would have liked to have a family tree, and a map of this story, but hey, I just like family trees and maps.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and am on to the next installment.

I read this book as part of my What's in a Name Challenge,  # 6 Life stage... CHILD of the Northern Spring. 

Photo of the book I own.

Back to the shelves...

Does this ever happen to you, you really want to read a book, you love all the elements, and yet it just doesn't happen. I had to return The Diamond today to the library shelves, I just couldn't give it any more time. I so enjoyed The Josephine B trilogy, that I thought o.k. this is going to be good, I'll get a slice of Napoleon in exile, well I just couldn't get past 90 pages, and that was a struggle. I was reading this to meet the What's in a Name Challenge.  Guess I'll have to find something else with a "jewel/gem in the title.  So I'm on to my next read...

Borderlands, McGilloway, Brian

In the old days, when I shared my television viewing with both my sons,we often watch CSI the original one, with Grisom.  Haven't watched much of it lately.  One of the episodes a foot is found as part of the crime scene, and Grisom says: "the games a foot"... or something much like that.  That phrase has always been part of our humorous rant (the boys and I ) like in ... I say, "my feet are killing me" the response would be " well Mom,the games a foot" or "put your shoes away", "well Mom the games a foot" you get the idea.  So as I was cruiseing the posts on the Ireland Challenge the blogger posting after me is "the games a foot" I had to read what he recommended..
http://ignacioescribano.blogspot.com/2011/02/borderlands-by-brian-mcgilloway.html

Borderland, by Brian McGilloway was MUCH better than Faithful Place in my humble opinion.  I must say that I don't think I'd encourage my children to go into law enforcement in Ireland, I'm almost not wanting them to even visit.  I was all packed up and ready to leave, got my passport and everything after reading The Book of Tomorrow  and then I read Faithful Place and hesitated now I'm down right "a feared".
Anyway, loved it, had appropriate twists and turns and way too many bodies for a small town. But, there was rhyme and reason for these crimes, and the ending was not obvious, at least to me it wasn't, and even if it became so, it was almost the end of the book, which is a good reason to label it a page turner.  It was a shortish read, *didn't have to wait for the next train to get some reading done, but recommend it anyway.
 equally unclear.

* I read mostly on public transit, and sometimes if the book is really good I wait for the next train so I can finish it.

Ireland Challenge 2011
Where Are You Reading - Ireland
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