Puppet

 Several years ago, I made a sketch of a puppet that I wanted to make. 

this fellow

It was meant to be a muppet style puppet formed from foam and fleece. I found a tutorial and made the base of the head not long after making the sketch and there it sat. The half formed head has been in my craft supplies ever since, even moving states with me, waiting for me to figure out how to finish it. 

Suddenly this month it just clicked. I unfortunately don't have process photos for you because I finished it in the course of about two hours in a fit of productivity. The base of the puppet is a foam mattress pad covered in thin fleece. The hair is formed from scraps of a worn out t-shirt. The shirt is made from an old thermal. You'll notice the sleeves are actually inside out. I realized my error after I had them sewn in and haven't decided yet whether it bothers me enough to fix it. I might yet add some embellishments since I think he was maybe meant to be a space explorer in which case that should be a uniform top with some badges and maybe a zipper.

I also can't remember if I had named this character so if you have any suggestions feel free to leave them in the comments.

Listen with me

 

K-Jane by Lydia Kang

As I suspected, there was a lot of second-hand embarrassment in this book. When you have a character who starts out the plot lying to basically everyone, we know things are going to blow up spectacularly. If that had been the entire point of the plot then I would say pass on this one. Instead, Kang is using the situation to have a real conversation about culture and assimilation. As a Korean-American, what are Jane's responsibilities to culture? Should she aspire to be all-American or should she be embracing every aspect of Korean culture? And who defines what it means to be authentically Korean? The book grapples constantly with these issues. I had thought perhaps it would also address appreciation versus fetishization and there were moments that brushed against those topics but it never truly gets into it. Even so, this is more than just a light-hearted romp of a character pretending to be something she's not. On the whole, I enjoyed this book even though it made me squirm at times. Well worth the read.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

WWW Wednesday

 What are you currently reading?

Lost Girls of Hollow Lake by Rebekah Faubion - Eight girls went missing at Hollow Lake. Five returned. Now girls are starting to die and something wants the truth about what happened to be revealed.

What did you recently finish reading?

Winter White by Annie Cardi - Pia has lived an isolated life on a Maine farm with her father and brother since she was six. When she starts interacting secretly with people in town, she starts to question everything her father has ever told her.

What do you think you'll read next?

Sundown Girls by L S Stratton

Book review - Mercy

 

Title: Mercy

Author: Patricia Ward

Genre: mystery

Age range: teen

Similar book: Starlings by Amanda Linsmeyer

Summary (provided by publisher): Mercy was named for her mother’s hopes.

Mercy, in the hope that the Sorrowing—the curse that Mercy and her family had lived with for generations—might take pity on them.

But Mercy’s name never did her any good, and it certainly didn’t save her mother.

The Sorrowing ensures that Mercy, her family, and the core families in Arbor Falls aren’t able to grow, dream, or prosper. It makes sure they stay exactly as they are—mired in the mud. Mercy has learned to live with the truth: the only way to escape the Sorrowing is to accept it.

Until the Bowens move back to town.

The Bowens are a cursed family, too, and they should know better than to test the Sorrowing. Instead, their ignorance sets off a wave of fury that promises to destroy everything.

Now, Mercy will have to unearth the horrors that unfolded that terrible night the Sorrowing was born—to face the despicable secrets of her town and break the curse before it breaks everything she has left.

What I liked: Mercy is a strong character. Her history explains her approach to her reality, creating a believable world. The realities of the curse are carefully balanced with the mystery elements, creating a rich atmosphere and enough questions to make for compelling reading and a spooky air. The truth behind the curse leaves some elements that are applicable and worth discussing for a modern reader.

What I didn't like: The pacing is a bit unbalanced, with some points dragging. Secondary characters are okay, thin at first but largely gaining a little depth as the book reaches it's climax.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Non-fiction book review - The Big Book of Pi

 

The Big Book of Pi by Anita Lehmann, Jean-Baptiste Aubin, and Joonas Sildre

You might think that a book about Pi would be a math text. And certainly math plays a mjor role in in this text but it is also much more than that. We learn a fair amount of history in learning about pi. This is a very readable book, easy to consume both in small bites and in large chunks. It's a book one might return to many times with lots of illustrations supporting the text.

The Big Book of Pi releases February 3.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Christmas cow

 Every Christmas I receive at least one craft kit as a gift. This year I got a little plaster highland cow to paint. 

I used acrylic paint for this project and here's how he turned out.

Listen with me

 

K-Jane by Lydia Kang

This story of a Korean-American girl who sets out to make herself an expert in Korean culture to "save" her baby brother and impress the boy of her dreams gives me some hesitation. It has the potential for a lot of second-hand embarrassment, something I can't always handle. At the same time, it could really dig into some issues of culture and identity so I'm willing to give it a shot. Let's give it a listen and see what we think.