This is part of my 365 Kids Books challenge. For a fuller explanation see my review for 101 Amazing Facts about Australia You can see all the books onThis is part of my 365 Kids Books challenge. For a fuller explanation see my review for 101 Amazing Facts about Australia You can see all the books on their own shelf. Yay, Reviewers list is fixed, as far as I can tell. Still waiting for the Readers list to be fixed, though.
Continuing my romp through just some of the fabulous Rex books.
*** 8 August, 2019
Everyone has moon displays for the 50th anniversary of the moon landing and for the theme of this year's summer reading programs. So I picked it up again. Still love it.
Also I worked out that what I only very dimly remember is (probably) the landing, not the moonwalk. It was a big deal about the moon on TV in the afternoon is all I recall, and I am by no means confident that I really remember it, rather than having created a memory over the years. Everyone remembers where they were when they heard certain momentous news events, but comparisons of memories immediately after such events and a year or more later show that most of us are far off in our accounts, so I remain skeptical about my accuracy in every regard.
You know what I do remember vividly and confidently from that same year? Dr Seuss books (One Fish, Two Fish and Fox in Socks), the apartment building fire somewhere close enough to walk to, two of my Christmas presents (a Snoopy-shaped pillow with my name on it and a little flying saucer toy with a purple alien inside), practicing writing my name correctly on the floor of my mother's bedroom while listening to a tape that was a letter from my father who was in Viet Nam [apparently my preschool teacher had taught me an incorrect spelling], some kind of Pop Tart-like breakfast food shaped like an elephant in chocolate (my favorite) or a lion in peanut butter (my brother's favorite), breaking a tooth on same, Space Food Sticks, and Tang.
Feel free to share what you remember from 1969, if you do, or from the year you were four, if you don't, or about the moon.
***
16 May, 2014
Now everyone is going to be wanting one! I love the idea of a small planatoid in my backyard. Sure, there are drawbacks, but apparently it's possible to get the gravity just right, so that one can walk around upside down like the Little Prince.
I enjoyed the battles and tactics enormously, which is still kind of surprising to me. Apparently, His Majesty's Dragon brought me into the naval-battI enjoyed the battles and tactics enormously, which is still kind of surprising to me. Apparently, His Majesty's Dragon brought me into the naval-battle fold.
I also loved the political battle and tactics going on back at Home.
I loved the commando and the savant and their relationship.
But even more, I loved with the fiery passion of a thousand suns the two AIs, Alexander and House.
The mystery aspect is well drawn-out, everyone behaves plausibly, and all the interactions between characters make them feel real and fully-formed. And, being sci fi, there are those interesting philosophical points to ponder, as well as cool tech.
Janie was right, I did love the book. I told her so this morning. Then we mutually enthused over Peeps. The pleasure of reading a good book is great, that "I cannot go to bed now, I must know how it ends" feeling is delightful. But even better is that moment of connection with another person, especially when it's someone I see all the time but don't know. Just now we're a little bit closer. Which, when you think about it, is kind of amazing, because reading is an activity we do alone.
Rose is the youngest member of the Casson family. That means that everyone leaving is an ongoing issue, whether it's Caddie and college, or Bill, the Rose is the youngest member of the Casson family. That means that everyone leaving is an ongoing issue, whether it's Caddie and college, or Bill, the father, who doesn't make the trip up from London as often as he once did. Fortunately, Rose is resourceful, as well as being the most gifted artist in the family, and she always has ideas.
I think the reason these books are so appealing is a combination of rather old-school qualities: the "family of eccentrics" goes back at least to Pride and Prejudice, and then there is the "school friends have adventures" which is at least a hundred years old by now. McKay allows her characters a great deal of unsupervised, unstructured time in which to pursue their interests, and plot, and get into trouble.
Highly recommended series for fans of The Penderwicks.
22 October 2013 I can't decide if these are more like drugs or potato chips to me. And this is the last one. We left the library and plunked ourselves 22 October 2013 I can't decide if these are more like drugs or potato chips to me. And this is the last one. We left the library and plunked ourselves down, side by side, Natasha and I, she reading Saffy's Angel while I started this one. Then, at bedtime, when I was going to read just a little bit, I stayed up to finish it.
No regrets. This one makes a great October read, with its scary stories related by Rose, and Indigo, and Saffy (there's also one about Caddy). maybe I just love reading about a mother who isn't remotely interested in cooking or planning weddings. Well, that's true, but it's not all. Because the descriptions of Rose's art fascinate me.
This time Caddy's twelve, and we learn about the year she and her three besties grow up, and the story of Permanent Rose's birth. I enjoy how the storThis time Caddy's twelve, and we learn about the year she and her three besties grow up, and the story of Permanent Rose's birth. I enjoy how the stories all bring additional depth to the entire family: Bill, and Eve, but particularly the closeness of Saffron and Indigo in this one.
Only one more Casson Family book left to read, then I'll have to start on all her other books. I hope I enjoy them as much.
And yes, my instincts were right, and Natasha is loving Saffy's Angel.
This is Exhibit A in the case for adults reading YA. Like The Hunger Games, there's no wincing away from the horrors of war. There's December 12, 2013
This is Exhibit A in the case for adults reading YA. Like The Hunger Games, there's no wincing away from the horrors of war. There's a little bit of romance, but as in Rosamund Pilcher's The Shell Seekers or Coming Home, (which were not published as YA, but as women's fiction), the narrative remains focused on a young woman in wartime, and how that particular war dragged on so long that individuals held many different kinds of jobs and faced different kinds of hardships at different stages
History fans will love the depth of research Cooper did, and all the snippets of real characters and events that are incorporated. Devoted readers will enjoy that Sophie mentions what she's reading from time to time. Progressives and conservatives will appreciate that period characters express a broad range of ideals and are treated appropriately by the society of the day.
But I love it because even though Cooper allows her characters to discover all the worst atrocities, she also allows them to discover strengths within themselves, and to find a way through. The villains don't always get punished, but the good do receive some sort of reward, if only the relief of it all being over.
The Listing Attic - Edward Gorey It's a relief to know that it isn't just contemporary MFA graduates whose second book is a smattering of random workThe Listing Attic - Edward Gorey It's a relief to know that it isn't just contemporary MFA graduates whose second book is a smattering of random work thrown together to capitalize on whatever success the first published work enjoys. Probably Shakespeare regretted The Taming of the Shrew, too, or at least, not taking the time to work on it a bit more.
I like limericks and light verse, so I'm not sneering at the form, but the rhythm is off in a few, or the joke isn't very funny, or the tone is wrong, and they're a bit too creepy. They're not awful, they're just not really good. Likewise, the art is kind of all over the place. The overall effect is a bit stuff grabbed out of a folder at the back of the drawer when he realized he had to hand over a draft in about two hours and also he had to get across town i rush hour.
That is to say, a much higher quality than anything most of us could manage with years of effort and careful coaching.
I don't actually remember when I first read this, and I'm afraid I can't narrow it down much more than "in the last 20 yea2000, January 1 2012, April 8
I don't actually remember when I first read this, and I'm afraid I can't narrow it down much more than "in the last 20 years". Oh, but it remains wonderful. I picked it up because it has a castle, and a moat, and I was struck by the idea of a moat on Friday. Sometimes the only way to purge a brain worm is to just wallow in it.
However long it's been, it wasn't exactly as I remembered it. There was much more about the family's being broke, and hungry, than I recalled, and much more about the father's writing. I had remembered it more as a wink and a nod to Pride and Prejudice, which it is with the two sisters, one beautiful and one clever, but I'd forgotten all the class aspect as well.
What's funny is it is written in the forties, set in the thirties, and it is so decidedly entrenched in its time, but that doesn't bother me. The eccentric family charms, the sketches enchant, the whole gothic castle element delights, but at the same time, the story is so firmly grounded in the difficulties of finding something to wear, and something to eat, and however to repay the kindness of a dinner party?
One of my favorite books of all time.
***
2014, August 14
You'd think by the third reading the ending would be firmly in mind, wouldn't you? No, I'd gotten that all wrong. Weirdly, the moat stands out to me like nothing else. She captured the castle in words pretty well, but she brought the moat to life and made me want one. ...more
This was apparently a disappointment to the author as a writing experience: she didn't write the book she wanted to, and it was a struggle to make it This was apparently a disappointment to the author as a writing experience: she didn't write the book she wanted to, and it was a struggle to make it work. Having two days ago completed a book I found rather lacking, I am going to say that whatever the difficulties in writing may have been, the finished work is actually superior to many quite popular works in the genre.
It's interesting when the couple's problems arise from unique circumstances rather than stereotypes. It's fascinating to see how people try to solve problems they think are unique. It's refreshing to see disabilities that aren't plot devices.
Truly I would be delighted to see Ned and Kate again, not least because I want ro know what Ned plans to do with what he learned abroad.
One of Milan's great strengths is making daring choices in the historical novels that aren't common without just writing her characters a14 March 2023
One of Milan's great strengths is making daring choices in the historical novels that aren't common without just writing her characters as modern men and women behaving according to different mores. When someone in her stories makes an unusual choice for the period, others actually notice, and they react appropriately. Someone makes a bold choice in a pinch and they suffer for it. And also, they try to adhere to all the other rules. It makes the conventions feel more real, and the stakes higher.
Recently Mlan wrote in her newsletter about this one, although I don't remember exactly what. Something about flaws she sees now? Even if I agree it isn't her best work, it still gets 5 stars, although this is probably a 5.0, with the others ranging up to 5.9.
The Quiet Place - Sarah Stewart, David Small An antidote to the toxic attitude toward immigrants of color right now. As if people of Northern EuropeanThe Quiet Place - Sarah Stewart, David Small An antidote to the toxic attitude toward immigrants of color right now. As if people of Northern European descent somehow have a more valid claim to American citizenship than indigenous people of the continent. It's like demanding that the UK remain for Romans only.
Set in 1957 the dresses are spot on an appropriate, and matched with mid-century furnishings, signage, and motor vehicles.
Thirty or so years ago what I loved about this book was the mix of pure wish-fulfillment with a science fiction setting. Dreams that come true! ReadinThirty or so years ago what I loved about this book was the mix of pure wish-fulfillment with a science fiction setting. Dreams that come true! Reading it now I am, like poor George Orr, haunted by the effective dreams, fearful of the unexpected consequences of wishes.
It's an amazing book. Not very long at all, but Le Guin manages to give us a look at many different possibilities, and to remind us that whenever something is gained, something is also lost. What makes it particularly effective is that she doesn't have to tell us how to react to each remaking: she can describe the architecture, the clothes, the food, the transportation, just a tiny snippet of George Orr's day, and that informs our sense of what the whole world has become. Elements that I strongly remembered (war with the aliens, the grey skin of everyone) were actually rather minor points. I had forgotten the aspect of the aliens when we meet them, and the devastation that George has undergone, and the terrible grief of loss again and again.
Chabon said in his blurb something about the book being heartbreaking when he read it most recently. He's not the only one who will feel it. You can't help feeling it strongly. This is one of the greatest works of science fiction. I can't recommend it highly enough.
Four enthusiastic thumbs up. For all that we enjoy reading to ourselves these days (and we do!), there is nothing quite like snuggling down under a blFour enthusiastic thumbs up. For all that we enjoy reading to ourselves these days (and we do!), there is nothing quite like snuggling down under a blanket and laughing at a picture book, no matter how grown up one is.
I stayed up too late last night because I didn't want to stop reading this. First, it's entertaining as hell. There's an insider's view of Sept 8 2011
I stayed up too late last night because I didn't want to stop reading this. First, it's entertaining as hell. There's an insider's view of movie-making as a business, there's science fiction, there's romance, there's a very complicated plot, there's snappy repartee, but just like His Girl Friday, there's also an examination of what duty we owe to humanity, of what fair play looks like. In this, Scalzi's first novel, as in his most recent one Fuzzy Nation, there is thoughtful consideration of what is best for everyone. I'd love to put Tom Stein in charge of running the world: he cares deeply about what is right, as well as what is good. He's a sweetheart: kind to animals, considerate of old people, literate, generous, thoughtful and observant. Weirdly, his virtues don't make him seem any less real.
So, when I finally, happily, finished the book, I spent a little time thinking about why I loved it so much, and what it had in common with others of my favorite books. And why some of my favorite books from 1990 have been culled from the list. First, it's funny. For some reason people seem to think humor and seriousness are incompatible, but as Shakespeare demonstrated, tragedy is more real and more moving if you aren't entirely bogged down in the gloom. A lot of Agent is an exploration of what it means to be human, from the Holocaust and the US civil rights struggle of the 50s and 60s, to our small interactions with neighbors and co-workers. And humor is one of the things that gets us through each day. The dialogue is zippy and amusing and keeps the pace up.
I love that there aren't any villains here. There's conflict, because that's where the drama lies, but there aren't any black hats. People do things which are stupid or vengeful or mean, but not because they're bad people.
So, this is going to be a favorite for some time I expect. It's going up there with Good Omens, Bluebeard, To Say Nothing of the Dog, and Beauty Queens on my shelf of Books That Manage to Slide in Important Lessons in Behaving Humanely While Also Being Funny.
Library copy.
A note about the cover: a stranger walked up to me as I was reading over my lunch to ask me what kind of book it was, a mystery or a regular novel or what. I told her what it was about, and she thought it sounded great. That is a seriously enticing cover....more
This is part of my 365 Kids Books challenge. For a fuller explanation see my review for 101 Amazing Facts about Australia You can see all the books onThis is part of my 365 Kids Books challenge. For a fuller explanation see my review for 101 Amazing Facts about Australia You can see all the books on their own shelf. The Reviewers seemed to run correctly last week, but that was just one list. According to whatever stat is used on the profile page, I have read 8,149 books which should put me at #7 on US Readers of all time. the current #7 has 8,099. I get not wanting to be obvious about what it is they're actually counting, because of course people will game the system. People already are, in fact. But however they arrive at that number, it seems like I would make the top 100 of all time, right?
As I type this I am awaiting the broadcast of an awards ceremony for the class of '21-in-the-time-of-pandemic. Missing the first college graduation tomorrow or the last high school graduation last year isn't the end of the world, but it does make me a little sad. So with the Offspring grown there's a heavy nostalgia aspect to this project.
What I notice this reading is that Rex's images are so very much desert, not the California backlots that have stood in for "The West" in so many films. Also, and this is random, I thought I remembered that he lived on the east coast before moving west. One of these books said he'd been raised in Arizona so I figured I was making that up, but no, there really was a documented stint over hereish.
***
28 August 2013
There's a cowboy in New Mexico who sets out to take his annual bath in the river. Trouble ensues, comically. The text seems slightly off: it's got a good voice to the tale, but it seems to broken up strangely, so that some pages are rather dense with text.
But nevermind! The cowboy looks a bit like Alfred E. Neuman when he's clean, the dog looks like a big bad wolf when he's at work, and there's lots of small critters and pests to discover in every spread. Fun to read aloud and get all twangy with. Lovely attention to location-accurate flora and fauna, much appreciated by the desert-fond among us.
***
3 September 2011
Challenged as "pornographic": a word the challengers apparently don't know the meaning of. Although the cowboy is nude for most of the story, Rex has artfully and amusingly managed to hide his genitalia and even his butt crack in every picture. There may have been man nipples, though. I'm not sure. [double-checked in 2021: yes, plenty of nipples]
Part of my 365 Kids Books challenge. For a fuller explanation see my review for 101 Amazing Facts about Australia You can see all the books on their oPart of my 365 Kids Books challenge. For a fuller explanation see my review for 101 Amazing Facts about Australia You can see all the books on their own shelf.
It's fun to see Traction Man get out and have adventures on his own, although I miss the family interactions. Ah, Scrubbing Brush, faithful companion. And The Dollies.
Loading...
