If you have children or are looking for a truly awesome book to buy as a present for kids.. then get this. It is loaded with amazing pictures of plantIf you have children or are looking for a truly awesome book to buy as a present for kids.. then get this. It is loaded with amazing pictures of plants, animals and rocks, with just enough writing that you can answer questions.
It is huge, I am always amazed when I see my 4 year old carrying it into the room... and she is always carrying it into the room. She fell in love with it when she was 2years old. She would turn the pages and look at the amazing pictures or she would play her favourite "what is" game and point at things and ask what it was (sounds cute, honestly she drove us mad with that game, it was 24/7 for months).
It has been used a lot more seriously the last few years. Anytime she has a question she will pull it out and look through it. If she sees an animal we will pull it out and see if there is a photo in the book (usually there is).
I implore you to buy this book for your child....more
I just bought another copy of this book after we finally threw our first copy away - it was in pieces and no amount of sticky-tape would fix it.
SometiI just bought another copy of this book after we finally threw our first copy away - it was in pieces and no amount of sticky-tape would fix it.
Sometimes I feel bad at seeing books fall apart, but most books are simply not designed to handle children reading them constantly over a number of years.
We do have a special shelf for special books that we really look after (like my signed copy of "Again" by Emily Gravatt), but if a kid likes a book it gets read a lot, and if it gets read a lot it gets wrecked.
That is what happened to our first copy of this book. Sometimes when a book falls apart my husband and I share a sigh of relief (you know those books that you are just sick of reading!!), but this one I missed so I bought another copy....more
I love this book, the illustrations are beautiful. I often read these poems to my daughters. Lots of fun. I would like to memorise some of the great oI love this book, the illustrations are beautiful. I often read these poems to my daughters. Lots of fun. I would like to memorise some of the great ones....more
I found this guy while searching youtube for photography tutorials.
I found the book gave a really solid explanation, with plenty of before and after pI found this guy while searching youtube for photography tutorials.
I found the book gave a really solid explanation, with plenty of before and after photos to show the difference in techniques. The end of the book became too deep for me, but I will go and reread that part in a few months....more
I was a fan of the Wool series, even before I was privileged to enjoy a bit of ongoing banter with the author and some other readers. This book is a gI was a fan of the Wool series, even before I was privileged to enjoy a bit of ongoing banter with the author and some other readers. This book is a good addition to the series. It is worthy of 5-stars for its originality, 4-stars for writing, but only 3-stars for length.
As a standalone it is almost amazing. Like a five star book that just needs to be a bit longer, a bit fuller, pack a bit more of a punch. There was a love triangle, but it didn't hook me. There was a great ending, that didn't quite make me say "wow".
As a continuation of the Wool series it really is revealing. It really sheds a lot of understanding into the why and how, although it is far less intense (perhaps on the calibre of book 2 - Proper Gauge). It has quite a few links to the old books which I found a bit distracting, mostly because I couldn't remember the details, so I spent time trying to remember who or what the relationship was, which interrupted the flow of reading. I should have read this as soon as I finished the omnibus, or at least begged the author for a primer!
The series now has two very separated time periods to be written about, and I can't wait to read about them both. In this regard it reminds me of my all-time favourite book series, Anne McCaffrey's Pern series. The great difference between her books and this author is the length of the books. The originality is there, but until the books get longer they just won't cross into the 5-star zone.
I have to add a little quote from the book, this really has nothing to do with my review. "The front-end loader let out a throaty blat as it struggled up the hill. When it reached the top, a charcoal geyser of relief steamed from its exhaust pipe, a load of dirt avalanched out of its toothy bucket...". A charcoal geyser of relief has to rank high in my list of 'way too descriptive moments of writing'. It is up there with Maryperfunctorily, pouring milk into the bottom of her mother's cup. But that line aside, the book was good. If you liked Ender's Game then you will like this. ...more
This was a really interesting book. Since it is a book about parenting styles I should preface my review by explaining my own. I swing toward being anThis was a really interesting book. Since it is a book about parenting styles I should preface my review by explaining my own. I swing toward being an 'attachment parent'. I give my kids strong boundaries and lots of patient understanding. I don't yell at them, but I often nag them until they do what I want. My review will have some obvious bias.
Amy Chua, the author of this memoir, is a second generation Chinese mother. She is determined to raise her children in the Chinese way. The book is largely about how much she yelled and screamed and bribed and threatened her kids until they did the required amount of music practice to a required standard each day. The book is also about how she felt emotionally about what she was doing, how she believed in it, and how she ultimately learnt that she need to relax just a little.
The book is full of humour, the author pokes a lot of fun at herself. During university I had a very good Chinese friend, her humour was dreadful. It was almost rude. I found her funny but lots of people took offense at her. I suspect a lot of readers miss the humour in this book too. This woman loves her kids, wants the absolute best for them, is convinced that only she knows what that is, and is determined that they will become good Chinese children. She constantly goes head to head with her youngest daughter, and in doing so loses the fight. She is completely unaware of any other way of getting her children to do what she wants... She tells them and they do it, if they don't she tells them louder, threatens, bribes, and basically yells a lot. The book is funny because she is clearly laughing at herself as she writes it, she is learning about herself and her family as she writes.
There is an entire chapter when she bought a dog and decided that that dog would reach its full potential. At one point in an argument with her husband she asked if even cared about the dog reaching its dreams. It was very funny, the author was being honest about how driven she was, while letting us have a laugh with her about it all.
I suppose I can also recall having a step-mum like her. We loved her but she could yell, as adults we all sat around giggling and laughing about it. She apologised many times for the way she way, she knew it was wrong. I suspect this author might be the same. She only had one method of parenting and when it didn't work she didn't know what to do, but she wanted her kids to get it right, and she wasn't going to let them fail. I really like what she is trying to do (even if my own method might be different).
This book is a great compliment to the library of attachment parenting books that are on my shelf. It does have some interesting ideas, some of which I agree with. ...more
Reading a novel by Ben Elton is like watching an episode of your favourite TV show. He never fails to deliver.
High Society is about a whole heaps of Reading a novel by Ben Elton is like watching an episode of your favourite TV show. He never fails to deliver.
High Society is about a whole heaps of characters they are involved in the drug industry. From the drugged up pop-star to the junkie on the street and all sorts of drug users in between... Did I just make the book sound boring? I think I did, but I do like Ben Elton and so I read it.... and it was pretty darn good.
The book jumps around a lot. Without any indication we are reading both past and present at different speeds, which sounds confusing but it was strangely very easy to follow. The characters were all very likeable, and there was a really strong storyline (this would make a great movie).
In the first episode of Stargate, Samantha Carter entered the room and attention was drawn to her being a woman. She was doubted and she was defensiv In the first episode of Stargate, Samantha Carter entered the room and attention was drawn to her being a woman. She was doubted and she was defensive. Her gender dominated the room. Ten years later after the series ended the producers reworked and rereleased that episode. They cut those bits and let us focus on the sci-fi.
This novella is a bit like that. The storyline is really interesting but it is dominated, in my mind, by the homosexual nature of the main character. It is handled badly. He is painted as a stereotypically weak man. Agreeing with the girls, hanging with the girls, becoming over-emotional when a beast is killed, leaving the breaking of a window to the more manly man -- they would enjoy showing off a cut to the girls. He is a strong character except anywhere in which the author thinks his homosexuality would affect him, and then he becomes weak.
I am confused. At the end the author pays homage to all his gay friends. Kudos to the author for writing s homosexual main character. However, much like Sam Carter telling a boardroom full of men that she played with GI Joes, it was clumsy and overshadowed the storyline.
I am starting this short story out at 3.5 stars, but it will probably be one of those books that plays on my mind enough that it will end up warrantinI am starting this short story out at 3.5 stars, but it will probably be one of those books that plays on my mind enough that it will end up warranting 4 stars.
I am not really sure what I think about Hugh Howey. I loved his WOOL series, but I am confused by the length of his books, they range from a short-story to a novella in length. I am not used to paying money for a single short-story, though I am sure I will eventually. I should applaud him as I also always dislike short-stories. I find them depressing, and here is a writer who writes short stories that I enjoy.
From here on I am going to put some spoilers in. In fact I am going to talk about the ending. Just be warned.
(view spoiler)[I loved the ending. I think it will play on my mind a fair bit. I loved the idea that this man spends all his spare time memorising and plagiarising novels, and yet his own writing is completely overlooked. I love that it is another place entirely that overlooks all the books he plagiarises and instead see him as the next Shakespeare, he is the man who can bring a moment of silence to their world. (hide spoiler)]...more
I questioned why the first book in this series was in the YA section. It had a young protagonist but in all other respects it was worthy of being in tI questioned why the first book in this series was in the YA section. It had a young protagonist but in all other respects it was worthy of being in the adult section. This second installment is a lot more YA oriented.
The first clue was the increase in the level of whining. Then there was the unexplained sibling rivalry, the barely-teenage kids getting caught up in adult schemes, the same kids with adult levels of intelligence, and there was the increase in whining (I know I said that already).
I am definetly enjoying this series, it has some really great aspects. This book is a bit more prescriptive then the first in the series. It follows the rather standard YA dystopian pattern. All the bad guys are adults, all the good guys are teenagers.
Even Saria, the wonderfully written protagonist from the first book, becomes a shadow of herself. She is the cardboard girl rarely conscious. She doesn't speak, her thoughts are poetic but lack substance, and she is going through the exact same emotional experience as she did in the first book... [spoiler] She uses the earth warmth to accidently kill someone, and then swears she will never use it again [/spoiler].
This book is where I expected to see the relationship set up. The boy and the girl should connect, either in a negative or a positive way, leaving the relationship to be resolved in the final book. It didnt happen though. I am left with no clue about how the relationships will end. Odd given that the first book made it clear that fertility was non-existent. Someone has to have a baby soon. I think a few people need to have babies soon.
[spoiler]I had a real issue with some things in this book. The plot is essentially that the dark landers are infertile (except for one long-dead woman) and the infrastructure that the sky people live in is breaking down. So we need to cross-breed the darklanders ability to live outside with the sky people's ability to breed. Some big things are overlooked. The last fertile darklander is dead. Everyone assume her offspring will be fertile. What is that assumption based on? Every infertile person has a fertile mother... The logic is flawed. There are entire clans of people existing outside. The authorities seem to ignore them, but surely given that the government is looking for ways to survive then these people would be worth a closer look. [/spoiler]
So this book is an interesting second book. It hasn't left me jumping on the lounge going "wow" like I did with the first book, it was definetly more geared to the YA audience, but I did enjoy it all the same. Off to track down the third book. ...more
I abandoned this about a quarter of the way through.
The book is immature. Too many fonts on a page, silly titles that give no indication as to the coI abandoned this about a quarter of the way through.
The book is immature. Too many fonts on a page, silly titles that give no indication as to the contents of the chapter. The book overuses quirky icons to let the reader know something important is being said -- somewhat akin to the "dummies" books. I read it as an ebook, but I am wondering if it may be intended as a high school textbook.
The music theory is dumbed down spectacularly. Explaining in great detail whether the stem of the note goes above or below the head. Lots of words are used when an illustration would often serve better. When the staff is introduced the hand is displayed as a good pneumonic, but I never understood for what.. So I could remember that a staff had five lines and four spaces.. Seems overkill.
The book begins with a long (boring) history lesson which would probably have been more interesting if I had wanted to read history. I didn't. I wanted basic theory.
I feel like this is a junior high textbook... But if so, why was it sold as a cheap ebook?...more
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