Reading or Cleaning? Silly question.

 

Toot and Puddle, a story of friendship by Holly Hobbie

This is a really great picture book with incredibly cute illustrations.

It's the story of Toot and Puddle, two adorable little pigs who are best friends. However, these two friends have their differences, and that is just fine!

Toot loves to travel the world and have new and exciting adventures while Puddle prefers to stay at home and have the comfortable adventures that he knows well and does often.

Toot leaves for a fantastic trip around the world sending Puddle post cards from all of his fabulous locations like Africa, Egypt, India, Spain, Antarctica, Paris, Italy, and more!

Meanwhile, Puddle is happy to hear of his friend's travels, but remains happy at home participating in some of his favorite activities like ice skating, playing in the mud (he IS a pig after all), singing with friends, swimming in the pond, painting and dressing up for trick-or-treating.

These friends may have their differences, but they are glad to be together again and share all of their adventures together. 

A sweet story with really wonderful pictures!

Books - Sorry. Not sorry.

 

Dark Places, a dark novel by Gillian Flynn

A mass murder. A mystery. If you are looking for a dark novel, this is for you. 

A mother and her two daughters are murdered in their house. Her youngest daughter, 6 year old Libby, survives, along with her brother, Ben, whom Libby accuses of being the murder and who goes to prison for the crimes. 

Libby spends the rest of her life, and has her whole identity wrapped up in being "the only survivor". She lives off donations from strangers, revenues from a book she wrote about the murders and speaking engagements. Seems everyone is curious about the night of the murders and the poor little survivor, until one day, the weren't anymore. There is a new story of a new little survivor girl, and Libby finds all of her finances have dried up.

Enter, the "kill club". A group of people from all walks of life who are interested in (sometimes obsessed with) big murder stories and doing their own detective work to right their perceived wrongs and get people that they consider innocent out of jail.

Libby encounters Lyle, a member of the "kill club" who believes that Ben is actually innocent, and offers Libby money to help them with their quest to free Ben. Flat broke and depressed, Libby decides to accept, strictly for the cash, but eventually starts to wonder if she had, as a little girl, named the wrong person for the murders. Becoming more engaged in the sleuthing, she starts to feel horribly responsible for her brother spending his life in jail. 

Is he really innocent?

A dark story full of dark themes and dark characters, this book is just the ticket if your in the mood for something dark, which, let's face it, we all are sometimes.

BOOKzzzzzzzzzzzz

 

The Rainbow Fish, written and illustrated by Marcus Pfister

The Rainbow Fish was one of my daughters favorites, and one I didn't mind reading over and over. With it colorful and soothing illustrations taking place under the sea and it's valuable lesson, this is a great children's picture book.

It's the story of the rainbow fish, a unique and beautiful fish with shining and sparkling scales. Everyone thinks of rainbow fish as the most beautiful fish in the sea. 

One day a little fish asks to have one of his shiny scales. Rainbow fish angrily turns him down. What would he be like if he lost his beautiful scales?

Suddenly the other fish didn't want to be around rainbow fish. They ignored him, and worse, they didn't seem to stop and admire him as he swam by anymore!

A wise octopus tells rainbow fish to share his scales and he would be made happy. But how could he!? Then he'd be just like everyone else!

Would sharing his scales actually make him happy? Giving away his most prized possessions? Really?

I LOVE books.

Happy Valentines Day!

The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop by Fannie Flagg

This charming & heartwarming novel is the sequel to "Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café". I was SO delighted to have the chance to visit my old friends again! 

This book continues the story of Whistle Stop, focusing on the life of Bud Threadgoode, Jr.   He reminisces about his childhood growing up with his mother, Ruth, revered by all, and his Aunt Idgie, wild and carefree, and their café in the middle of their small southern town by the railroad.

Bud shares the story of his life AFTER whistle stop, his marriage to Peggy, his beloved daughter, Ruthie, and successful career as a one armed veterinarian. 

As an older gentleman, he decides he wants to visit Whistle stop one last time, and sneaks out of his assisted living apartment to travel back to his home. However, when he arrives, he discovers that his beloved town has mostly vanished, all that is left of his town is just a few buildings, covered in ivy, leaning, abandoned and falling into disrepair due to the decline of the railroad boom. Saddened, he realizes that his taxi has left and he is alone in the virtual ghost town and he walks away to find a phone, and ends up getting lost, and losing his artificial arm.

This adventure happily results in reuniting Bud with an old family friend of the Treadgoodes, Evelyn, once an overweight and depressed middle aged woman who is now extremely successful and very wealthy. Evelyn and Bud's daughter form a special bond around the wonder and mystic of Whistle Stop. Ruthie is at a turning point in her life and Evelyn looking for a new project come together and hatch a plan to give Bud the Whistle Stop homecoming that he had always hoped for.

Weaving together the stories of many of the characters from the first book, this novel is both warm and comforting, both friendly and funny. Like it's predecessor, it is an absolute gem! FIVE stars!

Books. Books. Book Club.

 

The Story of Babar by Jean de Brunhoff

The first in a series of Babar books, this one was originally published in 1931. 

This was one of my favorites as a young girl, however it does have some uncomfortable topics such as hunting, taking animals from the wild, and death. Sure, I was sad at the beginning and creeped by one illustration in particular, but all in all, I loved this story and it's illustrations. 

I believe that kids shouldn't be completely sheltered from everything uncomfortable. In fact, what better way to introduce some uncomfortable topics than in children's literature??

That said, this is the story of a little elephant named Babar who lived happily with his mother and extended family in the jungle. One day a hunter killed his mother and took him to the city. 

Babar was befriended by a wealthy but lonely old lady who moved Babar into her house and doted on him, giving him fine clothing and everything he wanted. At first, that was nice and he was impressed by the city. 

However, after a while, he realized that other than his fast car and fancy clothing, what he really wanted was to go home to the jungle and reunite with his family. When his cousins were found lost and wondering the city, Babar decided to take them home.

The old lady wished him well and Babar returned with his cousins only to discover that the old elephant king was dying of old age (this was the illustration that bothered me a bit). The elephants decided that since Babar has rescued the children, he should be the new king, and all ended happily,  setting up the next step in the series, his life as king of elephants. 

I enjoyed many of the books in this series, and have a love of elephants today, perhaps because of Babar.

Books. Books. Books.

 

The Winter People, a chilling novel by Jennifer McMahon

This spooky thriller bounces between 1908 and present in West Hall, Vermont.

1908:

Sara, a mother and wife was found dead in a gruesome and horrifying manner, just a few months after the death of her dear young daughter, Gertie, who fell down a well.  Since Gertie's death, Sara has been terribly distraught, and would do anything to be with her Gertie again.

Present day:

Legends and stories have persist over the many years of people continuing to see little Gertie around her old farmhouse, walking through the woods near the strange rock formation called The Devil's Hand.

Ruthie, 19, now lives in Sara’s old rustic farmhouse with her self sufficient mother, Alice, and little sister, Fawn. While she is aware of the stories in her community surrounding the land that she lives on, she dismisses them as just stories. 

One morning, Ruthie discovers that her mother has vanished. When she and her sister search for clues as to their mothers whereabouts, they find a gun and the mysterious  diary of a woman named Sara, one of the previous occupants under the floorboards, that has several pages missing. 

After examining the journal, they soon discover the link between her mother and Sara, and that their mother is not the only person to disappear who is connected to the woods and caves around their old farmhouse.

I recommend this chilling story. Spooky fun.

I am a book hoarder. I regret nothing!