I read the first book Twilight by Stephanie Meyer last year before I started blogging and went on to read the whole series. It was a fun series to read, even as an adult but it was not great literature. I recently watched the Twilight movie on DVD and am trying to put together my thoughts. I have to say that the movie was true to the book including some of the cheesy, teen angst filled lines from Bella. I wasn't thrilled with the casting of Robert Pattinson as Edward as it just didn't connect with the character of Edward from the book for me. Also, the Cullen family didn't connect with what I pictured from the descriptions in the book, except for Alice who was spot on as a character. Jacob, played by Taylor Lautner, was a good match except for the wig and fake hair. The cinematography and visual effects were beautiful and scenery of the Pacific Northwest were excellent. The baseball scene was exactly as I pictured it from the book. So, overall I would have to say that I enjoyed the movie for what it was, entertainment. I like that it is more of a teen based love story and not a horror film considering the vampire theme. I am more of a team Jacob fan so I look forward to the next movie, New Moon.
The Weight of Silence by Heather Gudenkauf is an absorbing novel that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page. It is the story of Calli, a 7 year old girl with selective mutism and her best friend Petra who both are found missing in the middle of the night. The story that ensues is not one that I usually like to read as a mother as it can be heartwrenching to read stories related to abduction. I found that Ms. Gudenkauf focused on so much more than an "abduction" so please don't let that sway you from reading this book as it is truly about so much more. It focuses on family dynamics, the unconditional love and acceptance of childhoold friends and the power that holds in our relationships and secrets that are often left unspoken. The Weight of Silence focuses on three families, Calli who is dragged into the woods behind her house by her drunken and abusive father in the early hours of the morning. Her mother Antonia, searches for her and gets support from the sheriff which was her childhood sweetheart. Calli's older brother Ben is determined to find Calli as he knows the woods that they have explored as children. Petra is an only child and has a special connection to Calli and she accepts Calli and often speaks for her. She goes missing after seeing someone familiar from her window in the middle of the night and follows them. We don't know as a reader if it is Calli and her father or someone else until the story unwinds. Petra's father Martin is determined to find his daughter and is driven by his emotion and almost destroys his own family. Sheriff Louis still has a fondness for Toni who married another man instead of waiting for him to finish college. Louis' own marriage unravels as this story unfolds.
The story is told in alternating viewpoints of the girls, Antonia, Ben, Martin and the Sheriff. This style of storytelling worked well as they shared their thoughts in second and third person views. It flowed smoothly as each viewpoint was a relatively short chapter and then you quickly moved on to the next persons point of view. It kept my focus intent and involved as a reader and I couldn't wait to read what happened next. The author has a wonderful style of writing that skillfully weaves a story that makes you not want to put the book down. Ms. Gudenkauf writes with sensitivity and discretion related to the abduction scenes. It is not overly graphic, in my opinion, but it may be a sensitive subject for some to read about. I highly recommend it, and make sure that you block off some time to read it as you will most likely need to read straight through to the bittersweet ending.
Thanks to Mothertalk for sending me this wonderful book as part of the The Weight of Silence blog tour.
(August bookmark is the one on the far right with the beach theme)
It's cooling down here in the Midwest and feels like fall is around the corner. My son usually goes back to school around this time but his schools are under construction and they've delayed the start of school until after Labor Day. We hope to take advantage of some fun day trips and finish up back to school shopping. My son has to get some baby teeth pulled this week for the first time. He isn't too happy but hopefully it will be a quick recovery.
Some highlights from the past week have been:
Bookcase Review: Receiving my Antigua Four Tier Bookcase for review from CSN Office Furniture . You can read my review here.
Book Reviews:
My husband's Guest Review of The Richest Man in Town by W. Randall Jones (audio book).
My review of Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler , my first book completed for the Everything Austen Challenge .
Giveaway:
Make sure to enter my Giveaway: 5 Copies of Julie & Julia by Julie Powell which ends September 2nd.
Currently Reading:
The Weight of Silence by Heather Gudenkauf for a blog tour with Mothertalk. I will be posting my review this week. I started reading the book last night and couldn't put it down and read over 100 pages! I look forward to reading it again today.
Amazon Reviews:
I post my reviews on LibraryThing and Goodreads and decided to start posting them on Amazon as well under redlady. Several authors have asked me to consider this and I hadn't had the time to do so in the past. I've decided it was finally time to take the plunge and post my reviews there. What do you think of posting your blog reviews on other sites? Where do you post yours and are you happy with the sites or do you just want your reviews on your own blog? I'd like to hear your thoughts.
Listen to an excerpt here.
Read an excerpt here.
Check out The Richest Man in Town author website.
This is a picture of what was inside the box and you can see how well everything was packaged with additional styrofoam added to protect the bookcase parts. The hardware was all together in a sealed package and included an allen wrench needed for assembly. I "assisted" Greg which wasn't much more than keeping him company and reading the directions as this was an easy bookcase to assemble. We found the directions straightforward and easy to follow. Each part was labeled and the diagram was easy to read. I could have easily assembled this myself. All of the predrilled holes lined up and there were no problems assembling the bookcase. It's sturdy and attractive and it has floor levelers that you screw into the bottom of each leg which can be adjusted for uneven floors.
And now for the final unveiling, the completed bookcase.....
Here is the bookcase assembled in a nice spot in our bedroom. I've added some favorite books to the top shelf, the middle shelf holds books that I need to read soon for review, challenges etc. The bottom shelf is for Greg's books . I am sharing our new bookcase with him also!
Overall, we are both very happy with this great bookcase. I chose this bookcase as I liked the rustic look with the wrought iron blended with the darker wood that gave it a modern touch. The bookcase complements our bedroom and I am happy to have more shelves to display our books.
GIVEAWAY DETAILS:
For each entry, please leave a seperate comment, this will make it easier to draw a winner as I won't be able to go back and count each entry. Also, make sure that you include your email or that your email is in your blog profile. If I have no way of contacting you by email, your entry will automatically be withdrawn.
This giveaway is ONLY open to US and Canada, (No PO Boxes Please)
I'll use random.org to draw a winner and the contest will end on September 2nd , 2009 at Midnight EST. Good Luck!!
GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED
Book Review:
I've been meaning to read The Curious Case of Benjamin Button for quite awhile. Especially with it being the inspiration for the movie version that was released on DVD in 2008. I usually like to read the book first but in this case I did not and saw the movie first. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a short novella that is just 52 pages in length. It packs a powerful story in such few pages. As most know, F. Scott Fitzgerald is a well known classic writer best known for writing The Great Gatsby.
I found the premise for this book intriguing that a baby named Benjamin is born in 1860 as an old man of the age of 70. He ages backwards and becomes younger every year until he "ages" backwards into a baby. His family and then his wife and son all don't understand how this is occurring. They actually believe he is somehow at fault and could essentially stop this reverse aging if he so chooses. The book makes the reader think about aging, and how one would deal with it either in reverse or normal forward aging. Everyone needs to find their place in the world and Benjamin had to do this but in a reverse order. It's heartbreaking at times and also humorous and Fitzgerald creates a world of fantasy yet it is realistic as well. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a book well worth reading.
Movie Review:
In most cases, I prefer the book over the movie but in this case I preferred the movie version of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. It is a modernized version of the book and I liked that it took the story to a deeper level that the book in short story form did not. The premise of the movie is loosely based on the book but has taken more creative liberties to expand on themes and events that didn't occur in the book. In the movie, Benjamin is born as an old white man and ages backwards but is not raised by his family and instead is abandoned at a home for the elderly and is essentially raised by a loving and nurturing black woman who lives and works there. Benjamin fits into this environment and new family well and develops relationships and an understanding of what happens as one ages normally. Benjamin is played by Brad Pitt who does a fabulous job and is easy on the eyes to watch as he gets younger. A love story and beautiful relationship develops with Cate Blanchett's character that shows their relationship and the short years that they were able to be a family and have a normal relationship. I didn't like how they ended the movie and how Benjamin chooses to live his life as he ages into infancy. This movie isn't a love story but more of a story about death and aging.
My Final Thoughts: I believe that the book and the movie are about life, death and aging. Both are about finding our place in the world however we come into the world and managing to make the best of that experience. We all age in different ways and in Benjamin's case is an extreme example as he ages backwards. The premise is that he is different and has to learn how to live life to the fullest being different.
If you have a child, family member or friends with food allergies then reading Flourishing with Food Allergies is a must read. This is one of the most comprehensive books on food allergies that I have read to date and I have read many. It provides the emotional support and tools that can help empower you in guiding your child's way in managing to live successfully with food allergies and not in fear. For my regular readers, I have shared that I have a 10 year old son who has dealt with major food allergies since he was 1 year old. He has outgrown many allergies but has consistently had peanut and tree nut allergies which are anaphylactic and life threatening. Recently we have had new allergies develop and it's a rigorous and stressful process trying to figure out what is going on as we work closely with our son's allergist and gastroenterologist.
The author, Ms. Anderson is the mother of two young children with food allergies. She presents a positive and practical approach to her journey of learning to deal with and manage life as a family with children who have food allergies. The book is broken down into sections and in the first section the author shares her personal story and the stories of 14 other parents from around the world. I believe that this is very helpful to families as you can read these experiences and relate to them and to know that you are not alone, share common feelings, and get new ideas and options that may help you handle a situation that you are personally experiencing. Personally, I found this section to have almost too much information and would have preferred some editing to the authors story and details of her life. With the 14 parents stories, they have captions so that you can pick and choose what you are interested in reading or that may apply to you at the time or to refer to at a later date. I say this as reading a book on any medical topic that relates to a child or a family member is most likely already a stressful and overwhelming situation that can trigger emotions. For me, I could not sit down and read this book all at once but had to read it in sections.
There is truly a wealth of information in Ms. Anderson's book Flourishing with Food Allergies that covers myths, facts and findings from all over the world that relate to food allergies. She addresses concerns over Genetically Modified Foods vs Organic as well as pesticides, antibiotics and hormones and how they effect the immune system and allergies. Ms Anderson sites research and studies to support this with detailed End Notes. This is something that I personally agree with and am in the process of researching and transitioning to choosing more organic and locally grown foods.
Ms. Anderson shares perspectives from various doctors and medical professionals including pediatricians, allergists, naturopaths and psychologists. As an added bonus, there is a chapter from Ms. Anderson's husband who is honest in sharing his feelings and experiences from a husband/father's perspective. This is an excellent chapter for a father of a child with food allergies to read.
There is a section on Diet which covers the big eight allergens (dairy, soy, egg, wheat, fish, shellfish, peanuts and tree nuts), ingredient information, dietary information, and information on Probiotics/acidophulus that may help with food allergies, which I found very interesting. Ms. Anderson has written an article for Natural Products Marketplace called Natural Supplements for Children with Allergies in which she highlights probiotics and other supplements. This is important to read and review and discuss with your child's allergist.
The final section covers social situations which is very thorough in discussing ways to handle birthday parties, friends, play dates and outings, preschool and kindergarten/school readiness. This section is chock full of information related towards younger children and from what I understood, Ms. Anderson had 2 children under the age of 4 at the time of writing this book. I would have loved to have had this book available to me as a resource when my son was entering preschool. Fortunately, I had a neighbor who had an older child with similar allergies and had educated my son's preschool and I continued the process as my son was at the preschool. School issues are ones that you have to prepare for with a child with food allergies and this is a great resource to help someone through this process. As I have an elementary aged son going into 5th grade, there wasn't much information in the book geared toward entering elementary school or the grades beyond. I'm assuming it may be due to the fact that Ms. Anderson hadn't experienced that yet as a parent while writing the book. I did appreciate the perspectives featured from both Grammar school (elementary) and Middle School teachers and found them very helpful to see their viewpoints as teachers in the classrooms. With that said, I have communicated via email with the publisher who shared with me that Ms. Anderson's older son just finished kindergarten and is now entering first grade. We are working on arranging a follow up guest post/interview with Ms. Anderson that I will feature here sometime in the next month or two as I would love to hear her perspectives from her school experiences with her son and share them with you.
This last section on social situations also covered travel including Ms. Anderson's own experiences as well as airline guidelines related to specific airlines. I appreciated this information as it is challenging as a parent to contact each airline to find out what their individual policies are related to foods and allergies. I would still double check to verify this information but Ms. Anderson gave extensive and detailed information that was very informative to know. She also addresses international travel and has an extensive list of International Emergency Telephone numbers that covered 6 1/2 pages. This is the type of book that would be highly beneficial to take along while traveling internationally.
Lastly, Ms Anderson encourages readers to reach out to government and let our voices be heard and to give more attention to food allergy research. Included is a sample letter that can be freely copied to send to a congress person.
I don't recall how much Ms. Anderson references finding and being involved in parent support groups. There is not an index at the back of the book which would have been helpful to locate information as you can only rely upon the table of contents. I highly recommend finding a local food allergy support group or starting one of your own, especially if you are just learning a child has food allergies. I am involved in a small, local group of parents who live in my community and I have found it very helpful to share information, support each other, provide education to our local schools, find information about doctors etc.
You can find a local support group in your area through Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.
You can also find support groups online and Kids with Food Allergies is one that I am personally familiar with. You can search online for further support groups that may fit your needs.
You can read more about this book as well as links to discussions, food allergy resources and articles at the Flourishing with Food allergies Website.
Flourishing with Food Allergies was recently selected by the USDA’s National Agricultural Library for a resource in the WIC (Women, Infant and Children) Work’s Resource System. In addition, it was just listed as a resource by the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI).
*Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy of this book.
We are all avid readers in my family and also have many books that we have collected over the years. We are in need of a way to showcase our books that we have chosen to keep and ones that are waiting to be read. So, when I was contacted by CSN Office Furniture and offered to choose a product to review from their vast selection of fine office furniture, I couldn't refuse. There is a lot to choose from at CSN Office Furniture as they sell everything from home office furniture to office accessories including bookcases. For me, I knew that I had to choose a bookcase as that is what I really need and CSN Office Furniture had a great selection to choose from.
I found a unique bookcase that would fit nicely in my bedroom and I like the rustic look blended with a modern touch. My husband and I think that it will fit nicely in a corner spot in our bedroom.
Here is a preview of the bookcase that I've chosen:
It's called the Antigua Four Tier Bookcase.
I'm very excited about getting this new bookcase as I think it will complement our bedroom and I will have more shelves to display our books. I will post pictures and a review and let you know my thoughts on the bookshelf after it arrives. Make sure to take a peek at CSN Office Furniture's site as they have an amazing selection of bookcases and office furniture and according to their website, there is free shipping (on almost everything) and they ship to US and Canada.
