Hello and welcome to my July 'Book Babble' :-)
Wow, I have been blogging for seven months! I am so proud of myself. I'm not a natural diary style, reflective writer. After my failed attempt at blogging #365PictureBooks last year I wasn't sure if I would be able to maintain my momentum. I've got to say that blogging only once a month is certainly helping me keep to my 2016 resolution. And actually keeping my reviews up-to-date as I finish each book/series means that I don't have to try and remember what I did read, or try and cram it into the last few days of the month ... especially when that is usually one of my busiest times.
One of my other achievements for the year is that I am just finishing reading my 100th book! This was my Goodreads goal for the whole year. Rather than commit to a larger number and push myself to get them read, I was purely reading for pleasure this year. Obviously I'm not as busy in other ways as I had thought to be able to get through this many. Well of course my exercise regime DOES consist of lifting a book / iPad to read, so two birds, one stone there ;-P
Gah!!! Don't you just love technology!!!!! It's amazing how dependent we become on gadgets and the ability to have online access when and where we want it. One of my favourite times of the week is a Friday evening when I sit down and scroll through the new releases / promotions on the iBooks store while my males watch TV. But for the last week this facility has been unavailable to me on my iPad mini. WTF!!!!! Aaarrggghhhh!!!!! Luckily it is not affecting the books I have already downloaded, so I can start another when I want ... but it's not the same. I really enjoy being able to go back into the store and read the blurb before deciding which book in my GIGANTIC TBR eBook pile to read. Actually as an aside ... this is where Amazon eBooks have it over Apple iBooks ... you can open the book in your eDevice and read the blurb (on most eBooks) like you were picking up a physical book. But aaanyhoo I'm sure they are working on this problem as I type. Luckily my phone does not have this same issue so I can squint my way through if I really truly have to have access (blind glasses person here!!!). And yes, if you must know, my TBR pile of physical books is just as GIGANTIC so I have lots to choose from and blurb reading to do, but I really struggle to read fine print in the evening and eBooks are so versatile in that you can change the font and the page colour. Wahhh I want my gadget back working properly!!!! Okey Dokey rant over!!!!
I'm constantly amazed at just what I get achieved over the two-week school term breaks ... or should I say, what I don't get achieved. I always have big plans on getting lots of R&R time in (no gardening, just lots of reading), as well as getting school books covered (yeah I know ... I shouldn't be taking work home with me, but honestly ... who else is going to do it? ... and when is it going to get done? We want these books out on the shelves ASAP for our students to enjoy!), and getting SLANZA things happening. When the end of the holidays roll around my To Do list is generally still quite full. Of course I'm also reasonably happy with what I did get done. I've just got to learn to down-size my expectations on what can realistically get done in such a short amount of time.
For those of you unfamiliar with the term SLANZA ... this is The School Library Association of New Zealand Aotearoa Te Puna Whare Mātauranga a Kura ...
and I am proud to be a member, the Chairperson and National Executive Rep for the Central Region, as well as the new'ish Professional Development Team Leader. All of us on the committees and working groups are volunteers and we work together to 'strengthen and promote the role of school libraries, to enable all school communities to become information literate' (slanza.org.nz). We provide fantastic PD aimed specifically at our members needs, have started some great social networking groups, and have met several awesome people from all over the world and have formed a number of amazing life-long friendships. If you are not a member of SLANZA or the equivalent in your country then I really truly recommend that you join. You won't be sorry :-)
Gosh I'm on a roll ... I have so many other things I could write about, but I am going to keep it for another post. After all, keeping these blog posts semi-short & sweet hopefully make them more readable :-P
Gosh I'm on a roll ... I have so many other things I could write about, but I am going to keep it for another post. After all, keeping these blog posts semi-short & sweet hopefully make them more readable :-P
And in other news this month ...
- Wardini Books has opened up their new shop in Hastings Street, Napier. Yippee!!! Love, love, love Wardini's. Gareth & Louisa are #Awesome. Adele Broadbent their school liaison is #Awesome. Their Havelock North shop is fan-freaking-tastic, and the cafe-culture around the corner makes for a brilliant excuse to take a trip out there (although it's not very far at all from Napier). And their new Napier store has a Steampunk theme to it. So much #Awesome to take in!!! Check out their website for more info, or to book The Great Wardini ... Magician & Hypnotist!
Here is WIBR this month ....... not as many adult books as I have been reading in previous months. I've gotten hooked on a YA crime/necromancer series which is jolly good, and I've gotta say my PD for SLANZA and School keeps getting in the way of my reading-for-pleasure :-o Still, reading is reading is reading no matter what format it takes!
NOTE: ** Denotes sexual content (school librarians use your discretion)
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Sally Snickers' Knickers / Lynn Ward & Anthea Stead [Hardback]
4 stars
Picture Book 0-6
"There's something very special about little Sally Snickers, for Sally never wears a hat, she'd rather wear her knickers!" (Book Blurb)
"There's something very special about little Sally Snickers, for Sally never wears a hat, she'd rather wear her knickers!" (Book Blurb)
I soooo know who I am going to dress up as during our 2016 Book Week!!!!! Now to source some fan-tabulous Knickers that I am happy to be seen out in public wearing!!!This is a lovely story about Sally Snickers. She shows her individuality, her mood and her feelings by wearing her undies on her head - sometimes more than one pair a day! Unfortunately her teacher is not happy with Sally Snickers and her amazing knickers :-(
Aimed at younger primary school age children this book is entirely suitable for middle-upper primary as well ... especially with the message it is putting across. A gorgeous story about being different, belonging, going to school and friendship.
The House on the Hill / Kyle Mewburn & Sarah Davis [Hardback]
5 stars
Picture Book 0-6. Children 7-12. New Zealand Author. Horror. Poetry.
The latest offering from Kyle Mewburn is spookily good! Each page is illustrated in tones of sepia which adds atmosphere to Kyle's rhyming text. It just invites you to read in an old-style suspension filled voice. Spooky!!!!It isn't until I got to the end and read Kyle's blurb that I found out he was inspired by the dark Gothic voice of Poe.
One of my favourite stanzas is on page 7:
"Their eager shadows raced ahead,
growing brave with every tread,
then quickly turned, turned and fled,
as they reached the house on the hill."
The associated illustrations help your brain with that 'ah-ha' moment and understand just what the rich imagery of the text is trying to get across.
The combination of rhyming text and illustration in this book is a fantastic way of introducing children to poetry and just how a couple of lines can produce an image as to what they are trying to say.
I can completely understand why this was a finalist in the 2016 NZ Book Awards!
I do believe that primary school children will 'get' and enjoy this book more than preschoolers. And I believe many an adult will appreciate the prose and memories to their own childhood adventures on Halloween night.
Such an awesome read and read-aloud!!! #KyleMewburnFan
Class Dismissed / Allan Woodrow [Hardback]
4 stars
Children 7-12. School stories. Coming of Age.
I must apologise to the teenagers whom I recommended this book to originally. I had only read the blurb and bit of the first chapter and to me it read like a YA humorous school story. Add to this the cover has been presented with an image that could easily be a secondary, intermediate or primary school setting. In actuality it is set an American 5th Grade class (equivalent to New Zealand's Year 6). Even though it is aimed at a younger audience I can see many teens enjoying the story.
Class 507 is teacher-free!!! The dream of many a student ... one day the teacher walks out and somehow the message doesn't quite make it to the office. What to do??? Why, make sure everyone in the class swears to secrecy and kick-back and enjoy a teacher free year!!! Yeah, right! It's not as easy as it sounds, and boy are the kids in room 507 in for a bumpy ride.
This book works for me on so many levels. It is humorous It is an easy read. It is relevant to our school children. And it is written from the perspective of five of the students in the class. Readers will be able to connect easily with one of these characters (Yep I would definitely have been a Maggie!!!) and they will be able to recognise many of their own classmates or siblings in the characterisation of the other students. We have the bully and the troublemakers, the quiet industrious student who always gets ignored, the fashionista, the academic, the artist and the followers. There is even a budding romance.
This is an easy and fun read. It would make a really good read-aloud ... maybe even getting some of the students to take the role of one of the five key characters rather than the teacher reading the whole book!
Oh Oh Oh ... I'm so excited!!! ... I have just (last Friday of the month) given this book to a year 6 teacher for a class read-aloud - she was wanting something light, quite quick, appropriate for both the boys and girls, but not too old (a lot of the kids just don't seem interested in the more sophisticated books), oh yeah ... and NOT David Walliams 'cause even though his stories are super cool these kids have done-him-to-death in read-alouds this year!!! Had to do a quick book covering as it was catalogued but in the to-be-processed pile (8 boxes!!!). Can't wait to hear how it goes :-D
Children 7-12. School stories. Coming of Age.
I must apologise to the teenagers whom I recommended this book to originally. I had only read the blurb and bit of the first chapter and to me it read like a YA humorous school story. Add to this the cover has been presented with an image that could easily be a secondary, intermediate or primary school setting. In actuality it is set an American 5th Grade class (equivalent to New Zealand's Year 6). Even though it is aimed at a younger audience I can see many teens enjoying the story.
Class 507 is teacher-free!!! The dream of many a student ... one day the teacher walks out and somehow the message doesn't quite make it to the office. What to do??? Why, make sure everyone in the class swears to secrecy and kick-back and enjoy a teacher free year!!! Yeah, right! It's not as easy as it sounds, and boy are the kids in room 507 in for a bumpy ride.This book works for me on so many levels. It is humorous It is an easy read. It is relevant to our school children. And it is written from the perspective of five of the students in the class. Readers will be able to connect easily with one of these characters (Yep I would definitely have been a Maggie!!!) and they will be able to recognise many of their own classmates or siblings in the characterisation of the other students. We have the bully and the troublemakers, the quiet industrious student who always gets ignored, the fashionista, the academic, the artist and the followers. There is even a budding romance.
This is an easy and fun read. It would make a really good read-aloud ... maybe even getting some of the students to take the role of one of the five key characters rather than the teacher reading the whole book!
Oh Oh Oh ... I'm so excited!!! ... I have just (last Friday of the month) given this book to a year 6 teacher for a class read-aloud - she was wanting something light, quite quick, appropriate for both the boys and girls, but not too old (a lot of the kids just don't seem interested in the more sophisticated books), oh yeah ... and NOT David Walliams 'cause even though his stories are super cool these kids have done-him-to-death in read-alouds this year!!! Had to do a quick book covering as it was catalogued but in the to-be-processed pile (8 boxes!!!). Can't wait to hear how it goes :-D
The Ultimate Book of Randomly Awesome Facts / Penelope Arlon, Tory Gordon-Harris and Karen Hood [Paperback]
4 stars
Children 7-12. Non Fiction.
What a fantastic fact filled book for ... well anyone that wants to read it!
I really like how there are all sorts of random but interesting facts on each 2-page spread, interspersed with quizzes. The contents is separated into three key sections: Natural World, Science & Tech, and Everyday Life.
Each two-page spread is colourful (both the text and the images) and each one is quite unique. There is so much to draw your eye and yet it isn't overpowering.
A fantastic book to dip into and out-of at will. I can just see groups of (mostly) boys gathering around it and a number of interesting conversations starting once I put this one out on the shelves (Just been covering it over the holiday break!)
Children 7-12. Non Fiction.
What a fantastic fact filled book for ... well anyone that wants to read it!
I really like how there are all sorts of random but interesting facts on each 2-page spread, interspersed with quizzes. The contents is separated into three key sections: Natural World, Science & Tech, and Everyday Life. Each two-page spread is colourful (both the text and the images) and each one is quite unique. There is so much to draw your eye and yet it isn't overpowering.
A fantastic book to dip into and out-of at will. I can just see groups of (mostly) boys gathering around it and a number of interesting conversations starting once I put this one out on the shelves (Just been covering it over the holiday break!)
The Ministry of Curiosities Bk1 The Last Necromancer / C. J. Archer [eBook]
4 stars
YA. Paranormal. Crime. Historical.
How absolutely awesome. I have just found another great series to get hooked on - it looks like there are another 5 for me to binge read :-DSet in Victorian London, we meet Charlie, a young 13 year old street urchin who re-animates a corpse to save his life while stuck in a jail cell after being caught stealing. But in actuality Charlie is not really who he seems. Because there is only one Necromancer known to be alive in the world ... 18 year old Charlotte Holloway ... and now everybody is after her.
Captured by Lincoln Fitzroy, the head of the Ministry of Curiosities, thinking he has found a second Necromancer, Charlie is held and questioned in an attempt to try and get him to lead the Ministry to Charlotte.
This is an exciting and really enjoyable read. Actually the whole series is really really good. Great teen read. It's really nice to have something other than vampires, Angels or traditional magic as the main theme. There is a budding romance happening, but no sex scenes ... after all this IS Victorian England and one doesn't sleep around until one is married!!!
I had to read them all back-to-back which is a great reason to wait till the series is (mostly) done ;-P
Bk2 Her Majestey's Necromancer
Bk3 Beyond The Grave
Bk4 Grave Expectations
Bk5 Ashes To Ashes
Bk6 From The Ashes (Publication date August 2016)
3013 Bk12 Revolution** / Kali Argent [eBook]
4 stars
Adult. Sci-Fi / Paranormal. Romance.
This is a Sci-Fi romance series I found last year. It is pure escapism!
Set in a futurist Universe where 'warriors rule and women are the ultimate prize' (book blurbs) each book is a stand-alone story in the series based around inter-alien race relations, although reading them in order is definitely better as there is a lot of back-story going on. Whilst many of the books are about multiple partners (after all that is what the new rule is ... one woman who is able to bear children to a pair of males!!) this particular story is about Sion, a Helios shifter, and Rya, a Xenthian (kinda Elven-like) who has lived for thousands of years ...
The only down-side I saw to the story was that it kicked-off straight away into the fact that Sion & Rya were a fated pair. But then that was it and it actually got into the secondary aspect of the story with the whole 'overthrowing the government' thing going on. There is no sex until about a third of the way through, and then only a couple of 'safe' scenes (well compared to many of the previous books!! Actually compared to many romance books!!). And of course you are re-introduced to characters from previous books and learn more of their story. I do like this kind of series with multiple interwoven stories, that keep it fresh and yet familiar :-)
The whole inter-racial, good guy vs bad guy storyline in these books is really well done and makes for a really enjoyable read.
Set in a futurist Universe where 'warriors rule and women are the ultimate prize' (book blurbs) each book is a stand-alone story in the series based around inter-alien race relations, although reading them in order is definitely better as there is a lot of back-story going on. Whilst many of the books are about multiple partners (after all that is what the new rule is ... one woman who is able to bear children to a pair of males!!) this particular story is about Sion, a Helios shifter, and Rya, a Xenthian (kinda Elven-like) who has lived for thousands of years ...
The only down-side I saw to the story was that it kicked-off straight away into the fact that Sion & Rya were a fated pair. But then that was it and it actually got into the secondary aspect of the story with the whole 'overthrowing the government' thing going on. There is no sex until about a third of the way through, and then only a couple of 'safe' scenes (well compared to many of the previous books!! Actually compared to many romance books!!). And of course you are re-introduced to characters from previous books and learn more of their story. I do like this kind of series with multiple interwoven stories, that keep it fresh and yet familiar :-)
The whole inter-racial, good guy vs bad guy storyline in these books is really well done and makes for a really enjoyable read.
Bears of Grizzly Ridge Bk1 His to Protect** / Elena Aitken [eBook]
3 stars
Adult. Paranormal. Romance.
This is the first in a Grizzly Bear shifter romance trilogy. It is a short and thoroughly enjoyable read. If you've read my previous reviews you'll already know I have a bit of a love of paranormal reads, be they vampire or shifter based ;-). Having a series based around Grizzly Bears and based in the wilds of Montana is really refreshing.
This is the kind of book you can just escape into when you want to kick-back and relax. Yes there is a bit of graphic sex in it, but that's what you expect from many romance reads.
Bk2 His to Seduce
Bk3 His to Claim
Imp series Bk0.5 Imp / Debra Dunbar [eBook]
4 stars
Adult. Paranormal.
This is a very short prequel to the Imp series, introducing Az, a young female demon Imp. It is kind of a demon coming of age story. Az is a really intreaguing character, and this novella is a fun read. There's beatings (mostly Az's) and lots of sibling rivalry, playing hooky from school (Az again), demon summoning and learning to understand humans.
This looks like it's going to be a fun series with a kick-arse prank-playing impish demon as the main character.
Az is a still-young Demon who has been vacationing in the human realm for 40-odd years in the body of Sam Martin. She is all about causing mischief and mayhem, while staying under the radar of the Angels, 'cause Angels kill Demons on sight if found in the human realm. Oh yeah, and she has a super hot neighbour whose bones she wants to jump :-D
While protecting her hellhound, she inadvertently gets involved with the local werewolf pack. Her form of recompense .... helping to take down a killer-Angel! Yeah, like that's going to work out well for her!!!!
Seriously, this is so worth reading!!!
Imp series Bk1 A Demon Bound / Debra Dunbar [eBook]
4 stars
Adult. Paranormal.
OK this is just the coolest series to get hooked into. It's laugh-out-loud good, with strong characters, Impish escapades, bloody fight scenes and a darned good story-line!
OK this is just the coolest series to get hooked into. It's laugh-out-loud good, with strong characters, Impish escapades, bloody fight scenes and a darned good story-line!
Az is a still-young Demon who has been vacationing in the human realm for 40-odd years in the body of Sam Martin. She is all about causing mischief and mayhem, while staying under the radar of the Angels, 'cause Angels kill Demons on sight if found in the human realm. Oh yeah, and she has a super hot neighbour whose bones she wants to jump :-D
While protecting her hellhound, she inadvertently gets involved with the local werewolf pack. Her form of recompense .... helping to take down a killer-Angel! Yeah, like that's going to work out well for her!!!!
Seriously, this is so worth reading!!!
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