Review: Dear Committee Members

Dear Committee Members by Julie Schumacher

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



That was hilarious. It says I started this back in January, but actually I didn't start it until yesterday and then I blew through it, often trying not to laugh out loud and wake Kait, since I usually read while she's napping next to me.

I think that academics everywhere should read this and it would be a good pairing with the novel Stoner. It's funny and at the end poignant.



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Review: Let's Eat Ramen and Other Doujinshi Short Stories

Let's Eat Ramen and Other Doujinshi Short Stories by Nagumo

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



I'm a newbie to graphic novels in general, but especially to manga. I think that this went a bit over my head, as I was rather confused by the extreme simplicity of the plots. A shy girl eats ramen , there's a few lesbians, and a sort-of ghost.



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Review: H2O

H2O by Irving Belateche

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



That was ok. The writing was a bit simplistic and the plot and world building could have used some work, but it was fairly enjoyable. I'm not sure where this came from, but I'm guessing it was a Kindle freebie.



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Review: Explaining the Explicit

Explaining the Explicit by Julian Barnes

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I've read this before: about two years ago I went through a minor obsession with Kindle Singles and downloaded almost anything with an author I recognized. I read and even made notes on this one, though I only vaguely recalled the essays as I reread them. And I've got no idea why if skipped reviewing it last time. Mostly what I got out of it was a list of further books to read in the future, but it was an interesting read.



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Review: Body and Soul: Short Story

Body and Soul: Short Story by Barbara Gowdy

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



That was an interesting exploration of an elderly woman and several foster children she cares for. I've always meant to read some Gowdy and I'm now curious to see what her novels are like.



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Review: Lilliput

Lilliput by Sam Gayton

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



That was cute. I look forward to reading it with Kait one day. It's made me want to reread Gulliver's Travels, which I last read in my first year of university.



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Review: Snowdrops

Snowdrops by A.D. Miller

My rating: 0 of 5 stars



That was engrossing. I stayed up reading it until 3 am in spite of the fact that I know I'll pay for the exhaustion later once Kait wakes up. I identified with a lot of the expat commentary, though Korea has nothing on the decadence of the Moscow expat - or maybe it does if you're a banker.



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Review: Stand Tall!: A book about integrity

Stand Tall!: A book about integrity by Cheri J. Meiners

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I really liked this introduction for children about having integrity. It covers making the right choices, sticking to your word, being kind, etc. There are lots of helpful activities at the back of the book to expand on the ideas. A great book to introduce as children start school.



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Review: Stand Tall!: A book about integrity

Stand Tall!: A book about integrity by Cheri J. Meiners

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I really liked this introduction for children about having inter girth. It covers making the right choices, sticking to your word, being kind, etc. There are lots of helpful activities at the back of the book to expand on the ideas. A great book to introduce as children start school.



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Review: Forgive and Let Go!: A book about forgiveness

Forgive and Let Go!: A book about forgiveness by Cheri J. Meiners

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



A useful book to help children walk through negative feelings that provides strategies to feel more positive. Lots of helpful guidance questions and activities at the back. I'm not sure I agree with the step regarding imagining a person apologizing.



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Review: Stay!

Stay! by Alex Latimer

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I loved this! We need to buy a paper copy for Kait because Buster and Watson have a lot in common as bad habits go.



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Review: Voices Are Not for Yelling

Voices Are Not for Yelling by Elizabeth Verdick

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I think this would be a great resource for classrooms of younger children. The illustrations are inclusive. I liked that the book started out positively, then introduced the problem and solution. I did think perhaps there could have been coverage of when yelling is okay - for help, cheering for something, etc.



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Review: Nanny and Me

Nanny and Me by Florence Ann Romano

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



The illustrations are beautiful and it fills a need in terms of explaining to children what having a nanny will be like.



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Review: The Mysterious Affair at Styles

The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I read a ton of Poirot novels in my early teens. I can't recall if this was one of them, but since back then I was relying on small mall bookstores rather than the much bigger ones with better selection of today, I read them very much out of order and missed tons I'm sure.

Anyway, it was an enjoyable read and I might have liked it even more if I hadn't read it in tiny chunks while nursing Kait, which occasionally made it hard to follow along with Poirot's reasoning.



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Review: A Land Without Jasmine

A Land Without Jasmine by Wajdi Al-Ahdal

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



That was really interesting. The end was a bit annoying - I wanted more than a mystical bridegroom to explain what happened. I liked the shifting perspectives of each chapter, though I found Jasmine's the most interesting.



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Review: Gnome on the Range

Gnome on the Range by Jennifer Zane

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



That was bizarre but enjoyable. A romance based around horse semen found in garden gnomes. I'm guessing I got this as an Amazon freebie and it was worth the read just for the outlandish situation.



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Review: The Olive Tree

The Olive Tree by Elsa Marston

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



The story was a bit meh, but I loved the setting and the illustrations.



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Review: The Other Side of the Wall

The Other Side of the Wall by Simon Schwartz

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



That was interesting. I hadn't realized that legally leaving East Germany was an option.



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Review: Fishfishfish

Fishfishfish by Lee Nordling

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



That was interesting. I'd like to see the various stories kids could tell using the illustrations.



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Review: A Dog's Breakfast

A Dog's Breakfast by Annie Graves

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I loved this! It's the kind of book you can enjoy yourself while reading to children because of the snark.



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Review: Sing Freedom!

Sing Freedom! by Vanita Oelschlager

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I learned things about Estonia reading this and it's a good introduction to the history of the USSR.



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Review: Me, Too!

Me, Too! by Annika Dunklee

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



If I had a child who felt left out by a friend or had a new student joining my classroom, I could see reading this.



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Review: Look Where We Live!: A First Book of Community Building

Look Where We Live!: A First Book of Community Building by Scot Ritchie

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



A nice little introduction to the basic ideas of good citizenship.



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Review: My Family Tree and Me

My Family Tree and Me by Dušan Petričić

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



The story is simple but the illustrations are wonderful.



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Review: Eat, Leo! Eat!

Eat, Leo! Eat! by Caroline Adderson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



So sweet. Perfect to read to a picky eater, while a big pot of pasta is cooking or on the way to grandma's.

And now I'm hungry!



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Review: Eat, Leo! Eat!

Eat, Leo! Eat! by Caroline Adderson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



So sweet. Perfect to read to a picky kid, right before a dinner of pasta or on the way to visit grandma.

And now I'm hungry!



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Review: Pop Goes the Circus!

Pop Goes the Circus! by Kate Klise

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



That was cute. I'd totally read the previous books in the series. I'll have to look out for these once Kait's old enough.



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Review: Gronk Volume 2

Gronk Volume 2 by Katie Cook

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Gronk took two volumes to grow on me because at first I had a hard time seeing who the audience was - it seemed at times like something you could read with a five year old, but the nerdy references are clearly for my generation (or at least Wyatt's.) But it's really cute - the cat, the dog , the monster who acts like a toddler... It brought to mind Calvin and Hobbes a few times.



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Review: Gronk Volume 1

Gronk Volume 1 by Katie Cook

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Gronk took two volumes to grow on me because at first I had a hard time seeing who the audience was - it seemed at times like something you could read with a five year old, but the nerdy references are clearly for my generation (or at least Wyatt's.) But it's really cute - the cat, the dog , the monster who acts like a toddler... It brought to mind Calvin and Hobbes a few times.



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Review: A Day in Canada

A Day in Canada by Per-Henrik Gurth

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Super cute! I'd like all of these books for Kait one day!



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Review: Cailyn and Chloe Learn About Conjunctions

Cailyn and Chloe Learn About Conjunctions by Megan Atwood

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



If I were still in Korea teaching grammar, I'd love to use this rather than the boring, dry grammar books we always had. Great tie in with writing as well.



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Review: Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops

Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops by Jen Campbell

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



That was quick and cute. I laughed (quietly though, the baby was sleeping) a few times.



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Review: Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic

Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Reread Feb 2014 - I thought I'd reread this on my kindle (my paperback copy is somewhere in the bookshelves and boxes and piles that my poor, long-suffering parents keep for me in Canada) since I have are You My Mother? and I thought a refresher would be nice. And now I'm feeling compelled to tackle Ulysses or at least some Colette.



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Review: Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic

Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Reread Feb 2014 - I thought id reread this on my kindle (my paperback copy is somewhere in the bookshelves and boxes and pikes that my poor, long-suffering parents keep for me in Canada) since I have are You My Mother? And I thought a refresher would be nice. And now I'm feeling compelled to tackle Ulysses or at least some Colette.



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Review: The Dovekeepers

The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



That it took me so long to finish this is not because I didn't like it. It's just that with four separate narrators, it was easy to allow myself to be stalled as each section finished. I'm curious to read some non-fiction about Masada having era this. I found the stories of the women and their children quite moving, tinged with the sadness of knowing how their story would likely end.



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Review: The Royal Cup

The Royal Cup by Bastien Vivès

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



2.5 stars. Admittedly, I haven't read the first book and that might have bumped it up to 3 stars for me, because I'm not into fight scenes in almost any media, so if I had a better sense of the characters motivations, that might have helped. It got interesting at the end though.



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Review: Suffrajitsu: Mrs Pankhurst's Amazons

Suffrajitsu: Mrs Pankhurst's Amazons by Tony Wolf

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



That was a lot of fun. Great illustrations (and I've been to both of the settings, London and Glasgow.) The storyline is interesting and I'm curious to see where it will go next.



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Review: Surf War!: A Folktale from the Marshall Islands

Surf War!: A Folktale from the Marshall Islands by Margaret Read MacDonald

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



This would be a great story to read while learning about the Marshall Islands. I liked the illustrations and it's got a nice message.



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Review: Harriet Can Carry It

Harriet Can Carry It by Kirk Jay Mueller

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I liked the rhyme, the illustrations and the Australian animals. I'd read this to Kait.



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Review: Dear Life: Stories

Dear Life: Stories by Alice Munro

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



So, so good. I sometimes wonder if I like short stories , but this collection makes it clear that I do. I particularly loved the four semi-autobiographical stories at the end, but there wasn't a disappointing story in the bunch. So much love for Munro.



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Review: Why Dogs Are

Why Dogs Are by Tana Thompson

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



It's such a sweet story but I'm such a big atheist. I could see gifting this to a religious child, but I wouldn't read it to my own.



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Review: A Life For Nicholas

A Life For Nicholas by Matt Zachary

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



This was a free kindle book and is a short prequel. Unfortunately it lacks depth and needed some editing. Too much happens in too few pages.



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Review: Find Yourself: a Poet's Journey

Find Yourself: a Poet's Journey by Feng Zhou

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



"There is joy in sudden descent
My child is like me at the time
Heading straight for his plane
And I return to the land at my journey's end"

It's hard for me to rare and review poetry. I've read little of it and I tend to find it washes over me, often with little comprehension.

I really liked the poems about Wang Yue. I remember the news report of the two year old run over by two trucks and ignored by those around her. So incredibly sad.



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Review: We the Animals

We the Animals by Justin Torres

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Interesting, though the ending felt a bit rushed. It tooke a bit to get into the style of writing, but once I settled into it, I enjoyed it.



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Review: Go the Fuck to Sleep

Go the Fuck to Sleep by Adam Mansbach

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Wyatt played the version by Samuel L. Jackson sometime late last night. She isn't even old enough for stories and bathrooms and cups of water, but yes. This. Isn't sleep regression fun?



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Review: Everyone's Reading Bastard

Everyone's Reading Bastard by Nick Hornby

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



"That's what family stories were-amusing accounts of the messes and the fuckups. Take away the love and the laughter, narrate the stories as if the characters had acted with malice and self-absorption, and everybody was in a bleak independent film..."

An amusing short story. I have a soft spot for Hornby.



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Review: The Bell Jar

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



"You were doing fine, a familiar voice informed my ear, until that man stepped into your path."

This ended up exceeding my expectations - it's too bad it took me fifteen years to get around to reading it - as I recall getting a copy the end of summer before my last year of university, having just returned from Scotland and house hunting with a week to go before classes. I guess on the rush, it just got put aside.

I thought it was a good exploration of the stifling roles for women and the pressures of academia. As a look at a nervous breakdown, also interesting. It's often compared to Catcher in the Rye and I think it's miles better.



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Review: The Light Fantastic

The Light Fantastic by Terry Pratchett

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



That was just a lot of fun.

Also, I'd like my own Luggage.



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Review: Seen Reading

Seen Reading by Julie Wilson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I loved the short stories and it was interesting to see that a lot of the books being read were Canadian. Coincidence or do Canadians tend to read a lot of their own writers? I'd assumed I'd be able to see the connections between the stories and the descriptions of the readers and I generally couldn't.



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Review: Conduits

Conduits by Jennifer Loring

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Well, that was weird. I'm not sure I entirely get what happened. There were some nice spooky bits.



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