Janice Erlbaum
342 pages
Reason for Reading: I received this ARC from the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program.

Stars: ***1/2I read this book for the Four-Legged Friends and In Their Shoes challenges.

This book wasn’t exactly what I was imagining it to be. With a title of Dog Years and a genre of memoir, it was obvious it would be about someone’s life with dogs. However it’s more than that. It delves into the author’s life more than the average memoir and in fact, it’s labelled with a biography sticker at my library. The first 4 chapters I found quite dry and hard to follow. The antedotes about the dogs were interesting but he seemed to ramble on about his life and his view of life. From chapter 5 on however it got better. The stories got more interesting and I could tell there was a shift in style so that the story flowed easier.

Stars: ****

I received this book for review from Multnomah in honour of Mother’s Day. I also decided to use it for my Themed Challenge and Pub 08.

This is the first time I’ve seen a self-help book that is for a specific generation. Technically I’m not a Gen Xer but I’m close enough that I was interested in what this had to say. According to the introduction, a Gen Xer was born from 1960-1980 and a Millennial was born from 1980-2000. I was born 1983 but my brother was born 1977.

Anyways, this book is also Christian Non-fiction so it covers the challenges and blessings of marriage for Generation X Christians. As I’ve stated before, I’m not Christian either but I am spiritual and believe in deity so I just took most of what was said about religion in a loose way to fit it to my needs. However there was one chapter that I just couldn’t agree with or fit to my life and it wasn’t the Church Service or Growing in God chapter. I will get to that but first, a synopsis of the chapters:

This challenge was created by Wendy and is done by members of the A Novel Challenge group. I will be making notes here on progress and for the books that need to be reviewed, they will have the tag: A Novel Challenge

In the year 2008 I need to:

1. Read a short story and review it
2. Read a children's book and review it
3. Read a poem and review it
4. Read a banned book and review it
5. Give a book away - gave my copy of The Fab Girl's Guide to Friendship Hardships by Discovery Girls to a teen I know.
6. read 2 articles from any one magazine and tell about them.
7. Read a classic and review it Read Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll, review here.
8. Got to a book event and tell about your experience
9. Read an essay and tell about it
10. Read something inspirational and tell why it inspired you

Stars: *****

I read this book for the Bibliography challenge.

I'm glad I found and read this book. Dunning is a great author and I thoroughly enjoyed his writing. Reading about buying and reselling books was very interesting and makes me want to learn more about it so I can make some money finding good deals. There is some really good information on the hobby too, not just a passing mention. The way the book is written, it could almost pass as a memoir. It all sounds so real, I kept having to remind myself it wasn't.

The story was very intriguing. The plot was well thought out. I had trouble stopping reading for the night

Stars: ****

I received this book for review from Annick Press. I also read it for the Planet Earth 2008 Challenge.

“Burn explores the potent and dynamic role of fire over the course of human history, from facilitating communication, as a powerful agent in the natural world, to its use as an instrument of war.”

This book is marketed for young readers ages 10-12 but I wouldn't recommend it for the under 12’s as it talks about death, natural disasters, war, guns and other sensitive issues. In fact the first two paragraphs of the whole book talk about a very sad and upsetting disaster that had ME upset so I’d be careful with sensitive kids.

Stars: *****

This was read for the Book Awards Challenge, Read it Again Challenge and Newbery Project.

I first read this in grade school and loved it. When I saw I needed to read it for the Newbery Project I decided to reread it and I'm glad I did. I remembered it almost exactly and I enjoyed it very much again. I love his writing and would like to try some more of his books to see if they are as well written.

Stars: *****
I received a copy of this book to review from Tundra Books back in the Fall but it slipped into the back burner of books to read. Now that I’ve read it, I wish I had read it sooner! I'm counting it towards the Book Around the World challenge too.

Summary: The setting is Sri Lanka, 1980, and it is the season of monsoons, Fourteen-year-old Amrith is submerged in the cheerful, well-to-do lifestyle in which his vibrant Auntie Bundle and kindly Uncle Lucky have raised him. Still, Amrith can’t seem to shake the blurred memories of his life “before,” when his doting mother was still alive. School is out for the summer and Amrith’s holiday plans seem unpromising. Until, like and unexpected monsoon, his cousin arrives from Canada, and his life suddenly becomes storm-tossed. Shakespeare’s Othello, with its powerful them of disastrous jealousy, plays in the backdrop of the drama in which Amrith finds himself immersed.

Stars: *****

I received this book for review. It was also read for the Pub in 08 and In Their Shoes challenge.

**Giveaway at end of review!!**

Stars: *****

The creators of Discovery Girls magazine has created a set of four books for preteens about situations they often encounter. Discovery Girls asked me to review one of their books and I was happy to. The four books in the series are Friendship Hardship, Sticky Situations, Getting Your Questions Answered and Getting Through Tough Times. I received The Fab Girls Guide to Friendship Hardship.

I haven't participated in BTT lately, not because of my lack of internet access but because I didn't have anything to say for the topics. But this week I'm back.

"What fiction book (or books) would you nominate to be the best new book
published in 2007?(Older books that you read for the first time in 2007
don’t count.)

What non-fiction book (or books) would you nominate to be the best new
book published in 2007?(Older books that you read for the first time in 2007
don’t count.)

And, do “best of” lists influence your reading?"

Review first published at Front Street Reviews.

Stars: ****

Katie McCabe is a 14 year old girl who wants to be known for who she is and not by the McCabe family name. Katie lives with her dad, the sheriff of their town. Katie is a bit of a rebel. She is always getting into trouble with her friend Timmy but after they accidently set fire to a shed, Katie’s life just keeps going downhill.

At the beginning of the book is a Cast of Characters. This is unsual in a novel but if done right, can be helpful when a book has more than a few main characters. My only qualm with Gardner-Griffie’s Cast of Characters is that a little too much information is revealed. It doesn’t ruin the ending of the book, just tells a little about what’s going to happen.

Stars: ****

I was interested in reading this book ever since I first read a review of it. I’ve seen so many reviews for it since that I can’t remember where I first saw it! I finally was able to fit time in to read it for the Bibliography challenge and Book Around the World challenge and I’m glad I did.

Stars: ****

Read for book group and for Children's Book Week

Good story, very literary, full of literary devices. It was a little too wordy for me. I prefer short and concise to long and detailed. It wasn’t too bad though and I just skipped a paragraph or two if it was too much for me.

Stars: ***1/2 These books were read for the Decades 08 Challenge and as part of the A Novel Challenge Mini-Challenge 2008.

Alice in Wonderland was first published in 1865 and Through the Looking Glass was first published in 1871. However I read a 2006 edition by Parragon Publishing in the UK. It’s a part of the Children’s Classic Collection. (not the cover pictured)

This was the first time I’d ever read these books, which I thought were one book, but I did know the storyline from the movie. Although I liked the movie, I wasn’t as fond of the book. Since the majority of what happens in the story is nonsense, it can be hard to follow so the movie made it a little easier. I’m not real fond of either though. They are well written and very creative, but just a little too strange for me.

Stars: ****

This is a novel for ages 8-12, mostly for girls. It’s the story of the daughters of Rabbi Levin after they move to Lorain, Ohio in 1923.

There are good things and bad things that happen, just like in real life. This is a good book for non-Jewish kids to learn what it’s like to be Jewish. Many aspects of Judaism are explained. How the Shabbos is celebrated (like the Christian Sabbath), what Rosh Hashanah is all about, the special preparations for Passover and how the Jewish wedding works.

Stars: ****

I received this book to review from Tundra Books.

Summary: When 14 year old Neil’s uncle Chester dies, Neil is lonely. At his uncle’s cremation, he hears thumping in the coffin just as it’s put into the flames. Could Uncle Chester be alive? So Neil starts an investigation. A disembodied voice in an old stable tells him that Chester’s passing is not the only mysterious death in town, Neil along with his friend Graham work to get to the bottom of what’s happening.

Art by Heather Collins
Anniversary Edition 20 Years

Stars: *****

I received this book for review from Annick Press.

Toddlers and Preschoolers are by nature interested in the human body. It's all pretty new to them and it's interesting. Bodies are something to be proud of and we shouldn't be teaching them that certain parts of their bodies are something to be ashamed of. Sure we don't want them parading around nude in public but that doesn't mean we should change the subject when they ask what the names of their privates are.

Stars: ***1/2

Summary: The only witness to a tragedy loses her memory and an innocent may be in prison for the crime. Whale Song asks the difficult questions: which is the higher morality - love or law?

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book other than there would be whales in it. The summary above comes from the back of the book and doesn't say much. I'll tell you a little more about the book so you can properly decide if it's your kind of book but don't worry, I'd never reveal too much or spoil and ending.

The main character is an 11 year old girl whose family moves to a small town where most of the inhabitants are Native Canadians. The book is Children's Fiction but for older children, say 12 and up. A large portion of the book has stories, myths and history of Native Canadians, specifically Huuayaht. I found this very interesting.

Stars: *****

I recieved this book from Annick Press for review. I also read it for the Baby Steps challenge.

Red Rage is a translation of a German book. It is about a teen girl with a violent temper and an unstable home. It is a very good book but very hard to read. It made me angry when she was angry and feel depressed when she was depressed. Don’t read if you are already depressed, definitely not if you are severly depressed. What is says on back of book is totally true: “Filled with raw emotion and unflinching honesty, Red Rage is a vivid portrait of one teen lost in the vortex of her own aggression.”

Stars: ***1/2

This book is the 1992 winner of the Canadian Library Association Young Adult Book Award.

Summary: The daughter of an apothecary and the owner of a secret book of healing arts, Urusla is determined to become a great heler – but her ambition makes her an outsider in the Holy Roman Empire. When she is accused of witchcraft and sentenced to burn at the stake, she is given one chance to save herself: she must march in the People’s Crusade to the holy city of Jerusalem. Along with her father and her friend Bruno, Urusla joins thousands of other pilgrims on a harrowing journey, which will expose the dark side of the “glorious” Crusades, and change her life forever.

Stars: *****

I chose this book because I picked it up at a library sale but I’m 95% sure I’ve actually read this once before. This is also the first 5 Star book of 2008. (Even thought it's not the first 5-star review posted.) I also read this for the Casual Reading Challenge.

It’s the story of Lauren and her friend Andrea who both feel too fat and want to lose weight. Only Andrea takes it too far. It’s the story of Anorexia and a teen girl’s pressure to be thin. It’s told very well and I think it would be the perfect book to read along with your teen and discuss. I think if more parents discussed this book with their teens, we might make teens more aware of anorexia and the warning signs.
I HIGHLY recommend this book to all teen girls ages 12 and up.

I was able to complete another book yesterday which brings my total for January to eight. I am pretty happy with that. I managed three chunksters in January. However, my challenge reading got sidetracked a bit by some of the ARCs that I received. For the most part, I have enjoyed them so I don't mind. I will try to catch up on my challenges in February. Here's what I read:

Stars: ****1/2I read this book for the Celebrate the Author challenge and the Reading My Name challenge.

Celebrate the Author Note:
Dr. Seuss is one of my favourite children’s authors so I didn’t want to cheat and just re-read some of his books that I’ve read a million times. So I decided I’d read a few of this books I haven’t read yet as well as a book about his life.

This book is a Children’s Non-Fiction book about he early life of Dr. Seuss, before he was known as that. It explains who he was as a boy and how he came to be an author and artist. The story itself is written like a picture book and ends when he is 22 and his writing life is taking off. After that is an explanation of how he came up with the idea for some of his books as well as information on his life after 22 such as when he was married and how The Cat in the Hat and Green Eggs and Ham were the result of bets by his publisher.

Stars: *****

I received this book for review from Annick Press. Although it’s not by the same author, it’s similar to Cheetah Cubs and Beetle Grubs and Naturally Wild Musicians. This book shows us the past and ancient past of six modern animals: Dragonflies, Crocodiles, Camels, Sloths, Armadillos and Beavers. It covers the first known type of that animal, how it evolved into what it is now and why it may have changed. The book also explains how ancient time is explained (Mesozoic era, Precambrian eon, Pleistocene epoch, cretaceous period etc….

Stars: ****1/2
I received a copy of this book for review. I also read it for the Pub in '08 challenge.

Summary: In “My Soul to Keep,” Dylan Foster is once again caught in a bizarre and twisted chain of events. A parent’s worst nightmare comes true and a birthday party that should be filled with joy is turned awry when a little boy close to Dylan’s heart is snatched from a local park. With little evidence to point the way, local law enforcement is led through a chain of mystifying events that seem to go no where. With the help of an intuitive six-year-old girl who is eerily connected to the missing boy, Dylan follows a path of tantalizing clues to the truth. With the sinister presence of Peter Terry never far behind, Dylan is led to a place she never expected – or wanted – to go.

This review is part of the Mother Talk Blog Tour.

Stars: *****

The Daring Book for Girls was written because the authors felt it was necessary to have a kind of companion book to The Dangerous Book for Boys by Conn and Hal Iggulden.

Stars: ****

This book was read for the 2nds Challenge.

I chose this book because I had read Gone Forever and liked it so much, I wanted to try more Diane Fanning.