Picture books for everyone

Santa Mouse and the Ratdeer by Thacher Hurd

I knew I wanted to highlight a Christmas book today and I spent ages considering my favorites from my childhood. How Spider Saved Christmas. The Berenstain Bears' Christmas Tree. Santa Mouse. Santa's Toy Shop. Little Critter's Merry Christmas Mom and Dad. Morris's Disappearing Bag. All were much beloved and entertaining. But I finally settled on Santa Mouse and the Ratdeer. In this book, Santa Mouse is having a rough start to Christmas Eve. He can hardly even get his boots on. Christmas is likely to be a disaster when he crashes his sleigh in the North Woods. A little kindness from an eager little girl is all it takes to set things right. what really sells this one for me is the ratdeer. I find it highly entertaining to recite their names; Blunder, Basher, Lousy, Loopy, Bugsy, and (my personal favorite) Twizzlebum. This is a slightly off-beat Christmas story which can be a nice change of pace from the classics.

WWW Wednesday

What are you currently reading?
Both of Me by Jonathan Friesen
To escape darkness in her past, Clara is traveling the world, following her father's journal and avoiding attachments. Then she meets Elias. He is angry and lives in a world of his own making, drawing incessantly, muttering to himself, and accusing her of spying on him. When Elias accidentally takes Clara's bag, she finds herself drawn into his world. He has two personalities: the angry and distant Salem Elias and the gentle Elias Clara finds herself falling in love with.
This is certainly a unique concept. I'm looking forward to seeing the way this book plays out.
 
What did you recently finish reading?
Tut: the Story of My Immortal Life by P.J. Hoover
Tutankhamen didn't die as a young man as we all believe. Instead, Osiris gifted him with immortality. He's been living as a 14 year-old ever since. Now he lives with Gilgamesh and Horus in a Washington DC apartment. Tut lives a pretty average life. But those days are over now that his evil Uncle Horemheb is after him with the full force of the cult of Set behind him.
This is likely to go over well with fans of Percy Jackson, The Kane Chronicles, and that ilk. While a little foreknowledge of Egyptian history and mythology would be helpful in understanding this book it isn't necessary. While it is not for everyone, there is a section of young readers who will enjoy this one.
 
What do you think you will read next?
Something Wiki by Suzanne Sutherland
A coming of age story in the digital age. This has potential.

Book review - King Dork Approximately

Title: King Dork Approximately
Author: Frank Portman
Genre: realistic fiction/humor
Similar books: Two Parties, One Tux, and a Very Short Film About the Grapes of Wrath by Steven Goldman
                     Lexapros and Cons by Aaron Karo
Rating:

Be ready to laugh

Summary: Life is changing quickly for Tom, the titular King Dork. in the wake of scandal his assistant principal has vanished and the school is closing its doors. For the first time in his school career Tom will be separated from his best friend Sam. Can Tom figure out the social structure of his new school, make his band a success, and get a real girlfriend at last?
My opinion: King Dork got a chuckle and an eyeroll from me. Fun, I figured, but not really something to write home about. This sequel, in the other hand, felt far more clever and noteworthy. I marked several passages I wanted to remember, either because they were thought-provoking or stinking funny. There is sufficient explanation for those who haven't read the first volume but not so much as to annoy those who have. A clever read for the dorks among us.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Six faces of Doctor Who

For some time now, I've wanted to repaint a Rubix cube. With Christmas on the way I finally have an excuse. I found a cube at Dollar Tree, peeled off all of the stickers, and painted these Doctor Who themed images on it with acrylic paint. While the central screw makes painting the images a little tricky, I'm pretty pleased with the final result.

I managed to line u the hole with the angel's mouth on this one.

Book review - Suspicion

Title: Suspicion
Author: Alexandra Monir
Genre: mystery/magical realism
Similar books: Impossible by Nancy Werlin
                     Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor
Rating:

Not my favorite

Summary: Seven years ago, Imogen's parents died in a fire that destroyed the family manor. Ever since, she has been living in New York with her new guardians. When she is forced to return to England, Imogen learns that the Rockford estate holds many dark secrets, at least one of which will change her life.
My Opinion: I go back and forth with this book. On the one hand, it has pretty good atmosphere. The world of Rockford manor is nicely described, plenty of background description to help us visualize the setting. The characters are okay. Imogen and her friends have decent depth. Everyone else is sort of nebulous and changeable. A certain amount of uncertainty is necessary given the nature of the plot, but some of the lack of characterization goes too far. The plot is sort of messy, one moment tight and tense, the next loose and kind of sloppy. I thought the ending was a little haphazard and could have used a little more foreshadowing. Still, it's a pretty decent read especially if you like magic and English gentry.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Books on screen

Basil of Baker Street/The Great Mouse Detective

These days, both this book and the movie are pretty obscure. In spite of reading the book and seeing the movie, both during my childhood, I only recently connected the two. To be honest, they don't have terribly much in common apart from character names. In the book, Basil idolizes Sherlock Holmes and spends many hours observing the great detective. the movie's Basil may as well be Holmes and barely seems aware of his human counterpart. The plots are entirely different. The book deals with the kidnap-for-ransom of two mouse children, lured away by their abductors with candy. In the movie it is the father who has been taken by the villainous Ratigan in order to overthrow the queen. Perhaps the Disney writers thought that children would respond poorly to the notion of being kidnapped (though you would think the idea of having your parents stolen would be far worse) or perhaps they were simply looking for a plucky young heroine. Notably, each version of the story tells us something about the era. the book was published in the 50s and stars adults who rescue children who's foolishness allowed them to be captured. The movie was released in the late 80s and is far more action oriented, showing a young girl acting on her own. 
If you're fond of an older writing style, a traditional detective, stick with the book. But if you like more humor, songs, and child heroes the movie is well worth watching.

WWW Wednesday

What are you currently reading?
King Dork Approximately by Frank Portman
At the end of King Dork, Tom had suffered a head wound that led to some mild memory loss and a lot of sympathetic attention from girls. Now that things are getting back to normal, Tom finds himself questioning just what normal really is. The rest of his tenth grade year finds him questioning relationships, secrets, rock and roll, and pretty much everything else he thought he understood.
I found King Dork, pretty amusing and endearing. As I've started reading this sequel I imagine my reaction will be the same. The narration style is a little different with this one, though, so be prepared for that.
 
What did you recently finish reading?
The Sham by Ellen Allen
Ever since she moved to Clevesham a year ago, Emily has been planning for the day when she will leave. With that day nearly upon her, she's trying to stay focused, to avoid trouble. Then she meets Jack, a mysterious boy who's been living with a group of Travelers. Jack is noble, handsome, and sick. His memory is failing and his body seems to be falling apart. Clevesham seems to be falling apart too. Strange graffiti has been showing up around town. And girls are disappearing. How will Emily know who to trust and what to believe?
This is a slightly odd, rather British, mystery. I really wasn't clear on exactly what was happening until the very end. 
 
What do you think you will read next?
Princess of Thorns by Stacey Jay
Yay for fractured fairy tales! This one promises to take Sleeping Beauty from a passive character, waiting for rescue, to a hero in her own right.