“I don’t believe in a lot of baggage….Life’s too short to fuss with it.”
Voyages of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting was one of the books I put off
reading for Battle of the Books. I never read it before and to be honest
I really didn’t want to read it. Animal Fantasy is not my favorite genre. I read this on my phone and it felt like the book that would never end.
Tommy wants to learn to be a naturalist just like Dr. Dolittle and he
convinces the doctor to let him be his apprentice. What parents are going
to let their 10 year old boy live with a strange man and a bunch of animals?
Of course the adventures they go on are beyond belief and completely
unrealistic.
My biggest concern about the book is the stereotypes portrayed in the book and the dated language. I would not recommend this book and I think it should be taken off the Battle if the Books list. This is my first year at my school participating in this program and most of our kids are reading the books on their own with no discussion. Books like this need to be part of a discussion of what is appropriate and what is not.
Reading Challenges Met:
#battleofthebooks2018 #HBTB2019reads (book with an animal on the cover)
“A good friend is like a four leaf clover, hard to find and lucky to have.”
I wanted a light and fun read after some of the heavy topics I have
read about lately. Love & Luck by Jenna Evans Welch was just the
book. It is a YA book about a young girl, Addie, who makes a BIG
mistake at the beginning of her senior year of high school. How
is she going to tell her family and face her friends. She is
trying to deal with her feelings as her family vacations in
Ireland. However, her brother, Ian is also going through something
on his own as well. They have to work together to solve their
problems or as least come to a understanding. I am giving this
book ⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars. It is an enjoyable and fun story.
Reading Challenges Met:
#unreadshelfproject2019 #HBTB2019reads(Author’s surname begins with a W)
“Sharing is caring and laughing is loving.”
Healthy, Happy, YOU by Nora Rosendahl, Nelli Lahteenmaki and Alesksi Hoffman is a 365 daily action book. I, of course, just read through it and made notes of things I think I should do now in my life to live healthier. I am going to try to add one new thing in my life and make it stick before I move on to the next thing.
- Join the gym and go to water classes
- Red basket of fruit on table--You must snack on fruit
- My Daily Commandments: Always be positive with my husband, Put family first, Exercise daily, Eat Healthy
- Mindful Eating -- more thinking on this
- Think of little exercises to do throughout your day Start with one and then add more once it is a habit. (Double up and always sit down twice.) Add wall squats to morning routine.
- Brainstorm a list of easy healthy meals to make for Friday Family Meals
- Work to develop planks into my exercise routine
- List my guilty habits and then work to eliminate them.
- Add two fruits to breakfast
- Evening Stretches
- New Food Schedule(Breakfast, 10 snack, Lunch, 3:30 snack, Dinner, Protein Bedtime Snack)
Reading Challenge Met:
#unreadshelfproject2019
“Pay attention, follow the directions, use good ingredients, practice techniques, share with friends, and voila! Happiness abounds.”
The Late Bloomer’s Club by Louise Miller is another fun and light read. To be honest I picked this book because of the bike on the cover. I was disappointed that the main character, Nora, only rode the bike one time when she borrowed her car to her younger sister. Nora owns a diner in a small town and has been running it since her parents past away. Nora and her sister, Kit, inherit a farm and have to make decisions together. This is a nice story about sisters working out their issues. I think this is a ⭐️⭐️⭐️ star book.
I have taken all the hints, recommendations and suggestions and I am finally reading Anne of Green Gables. I did not read this as a child so this is my should not be too hard I already own six beautiful copies of it. I can alternate between books if I get bored. I am a little bit nervous about reading the book I have never been able to sit through any of the movie versions. Does this count as one unread book or if I read two chapters from each book does it count as six unread books?
“Tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it…….yet.”
Anne of Green Gables by L.M.Montgomery is a classic book that has been around forever.
I don’t remember reading it as a young child most likely because Anne has red hair. I think if I read about the intro as a child I would have put the book down. I have come to terms with my red hair as I grew older but I hated it as a young child.
What I loved in this book was Anne’s spunky spirit. Her ability to always look at the positive, even if the situation was not positive to begin with. I even liked Marella as closed off as she was in most of the book unable to express her true feelings. She was so afraid of spoiling Anne.
Reading Challenges Met:
#unreadshelfproject2019 #MMDchallenge2019 (a book recommended by someone with great taste)
“I might take risks, but they’re always worth it.”
The Simple Wild by K.A. Tucker is an adorable romantic story set in Alaska. I would like to thank the readers at #galsandbookpals for encouraging me to read this book. I enjoyed the discussion as well.
In the story, Calla has not seen her dad since she was 2 years old and for the last 12 years has not even had a phone call from him. Now a friend of her dad’s calls and says she should come to see him he has cancer.
She goes but she is not greeted with smiles from all of her dad’s friends. In fact one guy is just mean to her. He blames her for not having a relationship with her father.
In some ways this book hit home with me. I don’t have a father that lives far away however our relationship is a struggle. Nothing is easy with him. In fact he is the opposite of the character Wren. Wren was quiet and unable to express his thoughts or feelings. My dad is very opinionated and demanding. He does not move from his point of view nor does he even consider someone else might have an opinion different from him. But just like Calla in the book had to realize, Wren is her father, and nobody is perfect. He still is a good person and she needs to be there for him. That to is what I have come to accept with my own father.
The Calla/Jonah love story is adorable. It is a love/hate relationship. The similarities between Calla and Jonah’s story and Wren and Susan’s story add a nice twist to the story. I am giving this story ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars.
In Philip Hall Likes Me. I Reckon Maybe by Bette Greene, Beth Lambert is always taking second place to Philip Hall the cutest boy in her class. But is he really smarter and faster than her or is she afraid to beat him. What if she beats him at something will he still like her? Beth has to find her own inner strength and confidence to let her light shine through because like ma says,
“It being you, you couldn’t hardly do nothing but what you did do …..your best.”
This is a great story of friendship and courage. Growing up is hard but when you have friends to count on life is easier. This book is a great example for kids to see how to work together and support one another.
Reading Challenges Met:
#battleofthebooks2018
“I had heard the old Indian legend about the red fern. How a little Indian boy and girl were lost in a blizzard and had frozen to death. In the spring, when they were found, a beautiful red fern had grown up between their two bodies. The story went on to say that only an angel could plant the seeds of a red fern, and that they never died; where one grew, that spot was sacred.”
Where the Red Fern Grows by William Rawls is an incredible story about a boy and his two dogs. It is a story that all young children should read. In our world of materialism and overindulgence here is a story of hard work and sacrifice. The main character, Billy, saves for two years to buy himself two hunting hounds. Billy’s love for his dogs is unbelievable. As the story continues you see Billy’s strong sense of responsibility towards his dogs. He feeds them and takes care of them and doesn’t expect his parents to do a thing for his dogs. As he goes hunting with his dogs and earns money from the raccoon skins, he doesn’t waste the money on candy or other stuff for himself. He gives all the money to his dad. He didn’t need the money he had his dogs. I’m not a fan of animal hunting but years ago it was done for survival so I am not going to debate that here. But Billy’s sacrifice/love for his family believes any money he earns should go towards the good of the family. That’s a quality that should be admire. This is a quick short read. It was on the #GreatReadPBS and that is why I picked it up. It is definitely a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star read.
I enjoyed The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie more than last month’s selection. I didn’t find the character Hastings as annoying in this book. Poirot is called to France to help with a secret but before he gets there his client is murdered. Then to complicate things another person is murdered.
I have to say all my years of watching NCIS has paid off because I figured out this murder-mystery too.
Reading Challenges Met:
#queensofmystery
These are the books I found at the Goodwill and Half Price Books today. I wanted to read The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden for the 2019 Newbery Read Along #newbery2019 hosted by @happylittlebirdy and @lollipopsandlyrics in February. Unfortunately I didn’t get the book from the library on time but I found the book and read it today anyways.
It was a quick read about a boy, a cricket, a rat and a cat. This animal fiction book is about the wonderful friendship formed between the animals.
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