Review: Figgs and Phantoms by Ellen Raskin

Synopsis: While Mona hates all the attention her eccentric relatives bring to her in town, there is one Figg family member she likes: her Uncle Florence, the book dealer. But Uncle Florence keeps hinting that he's going to find his way to Capri, the Figg family heaven. And that means leaving Mona behind. Can Mona find Capri before it's too late, or will she learn that things are seldom what they seem when books are involved? (from the online description)

Review: It was harder than usual for me to get into this book. But after the first few pages, I was hooked. Mona is a teenager from a strange family - but one that loves each other. So when her Uncle, her best (and seemingly only) friend hints that he is going to Capri, the family word for heaven, she revolts, struggling to understand how to deal with his death. This is an exceptional book  - one that deals with a hard topic - the death of a loved one. It's not an easy book to read. There is lots of magic and metaphor, with a fairy tale sequence. I highly recommend but with the caveat that it's a strange book, strange but good. 

Bookmarks: 7 of 10

Awards: Newbery Honor, 1975

ISBN: 0-590-45961-9
Date Finished: 12-17-2014
Pages: 152

Review: Whole Body Reboot: The Peruvian Superfood Diet to Detoxify, Energize, and Supercharge Fat Loss by Manual Villacorta, M.S, R.D.

Synopsis: Description: 75 Delicious, Easy-to-make Recipes in Less than 30 Minutes with Vegan and Gluten-Free Alternatives. So, what's an Andes diet and what makes eating the Peruvian way so beneficial? In his third book in as many years, Manuel Villacorta lays out the important components that make his plan a well-seasoned recipe for good health. 'Superfood' is not just a buzz-word or a passing vogue; it's becoming more integral to a healthy lifestyle by the minute. As onceobscure products find broader distribution and consumers have greater access, superfoods are finding their way into the mainstream, becoming a staple in healthy lifestyles. And the benefits of consuming superfoods are astonishing: from fighting cancer and reducing inflammation to boosting energy and enhancing memory—it's all in there. In his Andes diet, Villacorta provides simple but thorough explanations of terms and concepts using an appealing page layout with beautiful color photography, bullet points, and sidebars summarizing each benefit. Using the core principles from Eating Free he proves to readers that they can achieve a super-health plan, be able to cook from scratch, dine with elegance and reduce stress. (from the LibraryThing Early Review's Description)

Review: I picked this book because I wanted new recipes that were not low-fat, and fell more in line with paleo/primal. I thought the intro was well-written and had easy-to-understand information. The recipe were plentiful and had lots of variety - and delicious! The book itself had brilliant pictures and easy-to-follow instructions. It didn't lay open, flat, which is always helpful when you have a cookbook. But that isn't my major qualm - it's the ingredients. I understand that the book is written using traditional Peruvian ingredients, but many of them are hard to find here - or, expensive. I wish the author had offered reasonable substitutions. While this book isn't the be-all / end-all of health books, it is a welcome addition to anyone collection. The recipes are fine additions to a gluten-free or paleo/primal diets. 

NOTE: I received this for free in exchange for my fair and honest opinion

Bookmarks: 7 of 10

Awards: None

ISBN: 978-0-7573-1821-4
Date Finished: 12-14-2014
Pages: 307

Review: My Father's Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett

Synopsis: When Elmer Elevator hears about the plight of an overworked and under-appreciated flying baby dragon, he packs his knapsack with supplies and stows away on a ship headed for Wild Island. Nothing will stop Elmer from rescuing the dragon! (from the online description)

Review: 

Written like an old folk tale or fairy tale, this is a delightful tale of a boy who travels through a strange and dangerous land to rescue a dragon. He uses cleverness and kindness as his tools. A good book for young children - complete with a map! 

Bookmarks: 7 of 10

Awards: Newbery Honor, 1949

ISBN: 978-0-590-13695-2
Date Finished: 12-6-2014
Pages: 77

Review: The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes

Synopsis: Eleanor Estes’s The Hundred Dresses won a Newbery Honor in 1945 and has never been out of print since. At the heart of the story is Wanda Petronski, a Polish girl in a Connecticut school who is ridiculed by her classmates for wearing the same faded blue dress every day. Wanda claims she has one hundred dresses at home, but everyone knows she doesn’t and bullies her mercilessly. The class feels terrible when Wanda is pulled out of the school, but by that time it’s too late for apologies. Maddie, one of Wanda’s classmates, ultimately decides that she is "never going to stand by and say nothing again." This powerful, timeless story has been reissued with a new letter from the author’s daughter Helena Estes, and with the Caldecott artist Louis Slobodkin’s original artwork in beautifully restored color. (from the online description)

Review: Considering the current buzz about bullying, one might think it is a current issue. Estes' book shows that it is not. Written in 1945, from the perspective of the flunky of the bully, it is a powerful tale about speaking up for others and not being silent. This is a worthwhile book to read to children (and frankly, I know adults who could benefit from this lesson as well). Highly recommend. 

Bookmarks:  7 of 10

Awards: Newbery Award, 1945

ISBN: 0-15-642350-2
Date Finished: 12-5-2014
Pages: 80

Review: The Earth Dragon Awakers: The San Francisco Earthquake of 1906 by Laurence Yep

Synopsis: Over the years the earth has moved many times under San Francisco. But it has been thirty-eight years since the last strong earthquake. People have forgotten how bad it can be. But they will soon remember. Based on Actual Events of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and told from the alternating perspective of two young friends. (from the back of the book)

Review: This is a well-done fictional account of this events, combining facts with enough fiction to transport the reader into the story. While it is real, it is not too gruesome or dark for children - although I would not recommend for anyone under 6 or 7. It would be an excellent book for a classroom.

Bookmarks: 7 of 10

Awards: None

ISBN: 978-0-06-000846-8
Date Finished: 12-2-2014
Pages: 117

Ramble: 2014: A Year in Review

I haven't posted all my reviews for 2014, but I wanted to post my year in review before February or June or something. 

So, here is my report:

1) Goals

I accomplished my goal of reading 150 books in one year. 150! That's 35 more than my previous record of 115 in 2011. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. However, I don't think it's impressive because many of those 150 books were children's picture books. I think next year, I want to concentrate on reading more books of substance, more classics or cozy fiction, and definitely, more books about God. 

2) Themes

There were two major theme's for this year. The first was the Revolutionary War. This was an intentional theme. I joined the Daughters of the American Revolution this year and that only fueled my already considerable interest in the American War for Freedom. From 1776 by David McCullough to Hope's Crossing by Joan Elizabeth Goodman to Spies, Patriots, and Traitors: American Intelligence in the Revolutionary War by Kenneth A. Daigler, I read a nice assortment of historical prose and fiction. 

The second theme was not planned, being quite accidental: life from the viewpoint of someone with a physical or mental handicap. In particular, Yolen's The Mermaid's Three Wisdoms and Konigsburg's Father's Arcane Daughter. Both of these, like Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine (which I read last year), helped me adjust my viewpoint, to see life from another's perspective. I intend to be more diligent about reading books on this theme. 

3) Series

I wasn't able to finish as many series as I wanted. But I finished 4:

The 2001 Odyssey Series by Arthur C. Clarke: I read this because of its status as a Science Fiction Great. It was vastly different that I expected, but as good as it was rumored. 

The World's 1000 Best Poems ed. by Berton Braley: Worth reading. I didn't enjoy all the poems, but the wide variety and different styles made this an excellent read. 

The Millie Cooper Series by Charlotte Herman: I read the second book in the series when I was a child, and it made an impression on my. I'd never felt so connected to a character before. But the book wasn't mine, and over the years, I forgot the title and author - but never the story. Kind people on Librarything were able to help me locate this book again, and I bought and read all three. They were as soul-touching as ever and I'm grateful to have them again. 

The Starbridge Series: Of the 7 books, I read the last 4 in 2014. While not every book was amazing, all together they were an excellent sci-fi series, one I recommend to other. Silent Songs was my favorite, with Silent Dances a close second. 


My Top Books of the Year:

Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt

1776 by David McCullough

A Share of Freedom by June Rae Wood

Miss Buncle, Married by D.E. Stevenson

Miss Buncle's Book by D.E. Stevenson

Sad Underwear and Other Complications by Judith Viorst

Maybe a Bear Ate It! by Robie H. Harris and Michael Emberley

The Millie Cooper Series by Charlotte Herman

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson

Scratch Beginnings: Me, $25, and the Search for the American Dreamby Adam Shepard

Silent Songs by A.C. Crispin and Kathleen O'Malley (Starbridge, Book 5)

The Journal of John Wesley ed. by Nehemiah Curnock

Review: Afghanistan: A Military History from Alexander the Great to the Fall of the Taliban by Stephen Tanner

Synopsis: For over 2,500 years, the forbidding territory of Afghanistan has served as a vital crossroads for armies and has witnessed history-shaping clashes between civilizations - Greeks, Arabs, Mongols, and Tartars, and in more recent times, Britain, Russia, and America. Following the events of September 11, 2001. America's military entered this land - land that for centuries has become a graveyard of empires. By spring 2002, America had defeated the Afghan Taliban regime, and the terrorists it harbored were on the run...But was America's easy victory proof of its military superiority, or were the Afghans merely eyeing the newcomers as they have watched foreign armies in centuries past, knowing time is on their side? (from the back of the book)

Review:  History books can be extremely boring, all dates and names jumbling into a brain-numbing mess. Tanner's work is a happy exception. Starting with Alexander the Great and moving to the early days of the America's entrance in the war, Tanner walks the reader through a land where the geography and culture, more than any other place, change the rules of warfare. It was fascinating, to see how the land shaped events, to see how men and empires suddenly change course when confronted with the rugged, harsh ways of Afghanistan. I found this book enthralling and I highly recommend.

Bookmarks: 8 of 10

Awards: None

ISBN: 978-0-306-81233-0
Date Finished: 11/15/2014
Pages: 351