70. Alien's Bride by Yamila Abraham

Book #1
listened via Audible Escape
narrated by Rose DeMarco
Unabridged audio (2:48)
2013 self-published
62 pgs.
Adult Steamy SciFi Romane
Finished 4/27/2020
Goodreads rating:  3.27 - 520 ratings
My rating:  3
Setting:  2000 yrs in the future, on a spaceship

First line/s:  "When I woke up this morning I thought I was still in Botswana."

My comments:  This novella length story appears to be the first in a series of three that takes place about 200 years in the future, where a race of aliens now controls earth.  Maritza was kidnapped from the 21-st century and fast forwarded to this time to become the bride and baby factory for one of the most powerful lords of the alien society.  This tells for her plight, and her attraction to the alien Lord.  It leaves us after about 2 1/2 hours discovering that her new husband, who has been kind, gentle, and a little bit sly with her, might be a malevolent leader.  Quite interesting premise.  There's about 10 minutes of eroticism, but the rest of it is a story of world building and speculation.

Goodreads synopsis:  Kind-hearted Maritza is transported thousands of years into the future to be a bride for one of the malevolent aliens who has conquered earth.
          A sci-fi romance adventure for adults only! 22,600 word installment.

4. The Witness Wore Red; The 19th Wife Who Brought Polygamous Cult Leaders to Justice - Rebecca Musser & M. Bridget Cook

Audio read by the author

12 cds (the last one are some black & white photos)

14 hours.

2013, Hachette Audio

 352 pgs.

Adult Memoir

Finished 1/14/2014

Goodreads Rating: 4.02 (795 ratings)

My Rating: 2.5/The story was fascinating, didn't enjoy the writing or narration

TPPL

Setting:  Colorado City, Arizona, then Oregon and Idaho

My comments:  Fascinating story, and Becky Musser was really brave to tell it (and to live it!), but I had some problems with the book. I'm not a nonfiction reader AT ALL, and as much as I want to read memoirs and autobiographies, I never like them.  A couple of problems for me. I have a really lousy memory myself, but I can't imagine that the details remembered in this book, without a journal or diary to refer to, could be remembered truly. Also, I realize that Ms. Musser is not a writer, but she did have help ....  I found the writing repetitive, pretty simplistic, and boring.  The author, herself, read the book, which in a way was really good, but after awhile her awkward pauses between words in weird places really bugged me.  I'm too picky, I guess.  My heart aches for her and all the women that are in their situation, and I'm really glad I got to hear her story.  However, I found a Dateline episode about this whole story which I found much more interesting and concise.

Goodreads Review: Rebecca Musser grew up in fear, concealing her family's polygamous lifestyle from the "dangerous" outside world. Covered head-to-toe in strict, modest clothing, she received a rigorous education at Alta Academy, the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints' school headed by Warren Jeffs. Always seeking to be an obedient Priesthood girl, in her teens she became the nineteenth wife of her people's prophet: 85-year-old Rulon Jeffs, Warren's father. Finally sickened by the abuse she suffered and saw around her, she pulled off a daring escape and sought to build a new life and family.

     The church, however, had a way of pulling her back in-and by 2007, Rebecca had no choice but to take the witness stand against the new prophet of the FLDS in order to protect her little sisters and other young girls from being forced to marry at shockingly young ages. The following year, Rebecca and the rest of the world watched as a team of Texas Rangers raided the Yearning for Zion Ranch, a stronghold of the FLDS. Rebecca's subsequent testimony would reveal the horrific secrets taking place behind closed doors of the temple, sending their leaders to prison for years, and Warren Jeffs for life.

     THE WITNESS WORE RED is a gripping account of one woman's struggle to escape the perverse embrace of religious fanaticism and sexual slavery, and a courageous story of hope and transformation.

Charlie and the Christmas Kitty - Ree Drummond

Illustrated  by Diane deGroat

2012, Harper Collins

HC $17.99

36 pgs.

Goodreads rating: 3.73 (143 ratings)

My rating: 5 (unexpectedly...)

Endpapers: Red

Illustrations:  Watercolor paint over digital art (??) wish I knew more about what this means...they're big and bold and gorgeous....

Title page:  Lovely two-page painting        of a red pickup coming home with a Christmas tree in the back - as Charlie waits beside the winding drive.

1^st line/s:  "Well howdy!
Charlie the ranch dog here,
reporting from the country.
Things have sure been busy around here these days.  This evening, for instance, I'm bringing this great big TREE into the house."

My comments: The illustrations are really wonderful, and deGroat has added whimsical touches that totally enhance the story.  And the story is a riot!  This extremely hard-working dog (who sleeps all day) is trying to ignore the fact that his household has increased by one - an adorable kitten, who won't leave him alone, was left under the tree.  I love the way the text and pictures totally work together in this book!

Goodreads:  Why is there a great big tree in the house?!?

And why are all these boxes underneath it?
Hey—what is that?!? Where did it come from?
Uh-oh. This isn't good. . . . This isn't good at all!

In this hilarious follow-up to the New York Times bestselling picture book Charlie the Ranch Dog, Ree Drummond—the Pioneer Woman herself—delivers a story about getting into the holiday spirit and finding the good in all. Even though Charlie may not have put a kitty on his Christmas list, he learns that if you keep an open heart, new friends can come in unexpected packages.

Little Santa - Jon Agee

Illustrated  by the author

2013, Dial

HC $17.99

40 pgs.

Goodreads rating: 3.87 (135 reviews)

My rating: 4

Endpapers: medium green

Illustrations:  So simple - thickish black lines water colored in blues, greens, reds, browns, and grays.

Title page:  Both pages - simple painting - Santa, as a young boy, outside his cozy house at the north pole.

1^st line/s:  "In the North Pole, in a little cabin, lived Mr. and Mrs. Claus adn their seven children, Larry, Mary, Willy, Millie, Joey, Zoe, and Santa."

My comments:  Very cute story about how Santa might have come to be.  It made me grin.  So simple - and really fun.  (At first I worried that it might make some kids ask questions - but I don't think it would.)

Goodreads:  Ever wonder what Santa was like as a child? Award-winning author/illustrator Jon Agee brings us the funny, playful answer in this Christmas picture book destined to become a classic.  Little Santa loves the North Pole. The rest of his family?  Not so much. So, when they decide to move to Florida, Santa is miserable. Lucky for him, a blizzard foils their plans. The only way out of the house is up the chimney. Up goes Santa, to look for help, and along the way, he meets a reindeer and a large group of elves, who are more than eager to join in the rescue!  With the sly humor of Jon Klassen and the read-aloud pleasure of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, this tale of Santa’s beginnings is perfect for every kid’s holiday library.

Boxes for Katje - Candace Fleming

Illustrated  by Stacey Dressen-McQueen

2003, Farrar, Straus & Giroux

HC $17.99

32 cram-packed pgs.

Goodreads rating: 4.43 (320 ratings)

My rating: 5
TPPL

Endpapers: Excellent!
     Front - Mayfield, Indiana; May, 1945
     Back - Mayfield, Indiana; May, 1947 (yards FULL of tulips)

Illustrations:  Full page (no white :) edge-to-edge; bright, colorful, loaded with lots to take in. 

Title page:  Two-page painting of a girl (Rosie) with a package in her arms and her dog walking down a sidewalk towards in a "U.S. Mail" box

1^st line/s:  "After the war, there was little left in the tiny Dutch town of Olst.  The townspeople lived on cabbages and seed potatoes.  They patched and repatched their worn-thin clothing and they went without soap or milk, sugar or new shoes."

My comments:  I adore this story.  It's based on true happenings after World War II.  It's about people hearing of others with misfortune...and then doing something about it.  This is why I knit bears for orhans in South Africa and crochet 6 x 6 squares for afghans go to people who are colder than I am.  This story brought tears to my eyes.  I want a copy of my own!

Goodreads:  After World War II there is little left in Katje's town of Olst in Holland. Her family, like most Dutch families, must patch their old worn clothing and go without everyday things like soap and milk. Then one spring morning when the tulips bloom "thick and bright," Postman Kleinhoonte pedals his bicycle down Katje's street to deliver a mysterious box – a box from America! Full of soap, socks, and chocolate, the box has been sent by Rosie, an American girl from Mayfield, Indiana. Her package is part of a goodwill effort to help the people of Europe. What's inside so delights Katje that she sends off a letter of thanks – beginning an exchange that swells with so many surprises that the girls, as well as their townspeople, will never be the same.  This inspiring story, with strikingly original art, is based on the author's mother's childhood and will show young readers that they, too, can make a difference. 

Snowflakes Fall - Patricia MacLachlan

Illustrated by Steven Kellogg

2013, Random House

HC $17.99

24 pages

Goodreads:  4.07 (134 ratings)
My rating:  4.5

Endpapers:  Front:  Snow beginningto fall on a sun-gold autumn woods scene
Back:  a completely snow-covered field, moon above, snow still coming down - with snow angels turning into angels flying skyward....

Title Page:  Blue centered square with one BIG snowflake and the book title.

Illustrations:  EAch page of snowfall is just covered with snowflakes, all in Steven Kellogg's one-and-only style.

First line/s:
     "After the flowers are gone
      Snowflakes fall.
          Flake
               After flake
                    After flake
      Each one a pattern
     All its own
          No two the same---
          All beautiful."

My comments:  This is another lovely, feel-good book.  Combine Patricia MacLachlan's wonderful voice and Steven Kellogg's touching, classic illustrations....along with having a percentage of proceeds going to the Sandy Hook Support Fund...and you have a super winner!  "Snowflakes fall/ To quilt meadows/ So we see the wandering prints/ Of birds/ Rabbits/ The bobcat at dawn."

Goodreads:  In Snowflakes Fall, Newbery Medalist Patricia MacLachlan and award-winning artist Steven Kellogg portray life’s natural cycle: its beauty, its joy, and its sorrow. Together, the words and pictures offer the promise of renewal that can be found in our lives—snowflakes fall, and return again as raindrops so that flowers can grow.
 
MacLachlan and Kellogg, who are longtime friends, were moved to collaborate on a message of hope for children and their families following the tragic events in Sandy Hook, Connecticut, on December 14, 2012. Kellogg lived in Sandy Hook for thirty-five years—he raised his family there and was an active member of the community. With Snowflakes Fall, they have created a truly inspiring picture book that is both a celebration of life and a tribute to the qualities that make each individual unique.
 
In honor of the community of Sandy Hook and Newtown, Random House, the publisher of Snowflakes Fall, has made a donation to the Sandy Hook School Support Fund. Random House is also donating 25,000 new books to the national literacy organization First Book in the community’s honor and in support of children everywhere.

The Sparkle Box - Jill Hardie

Illustrated by Christine Kornacki

"A Gift with the Power to Change Christmas"

2012, Ideal Children's Books

HC $19.99

32 pages

Goodreads rating: 4.51 (41 ratings)

My rating: 4.5

Endpapers:  Evergreen

Title Page: 1-inch red frame, 4 x 4 illustration of the Sparkle box (without the actual sparkle, here) in the middle.  The cover has great "real" silver sparkle on the box.

Illustrations:  Full page, realistic, colorful....large, bold, lovely.

1^st line:  "Snowflakes swirled through the air as Samand his mom stopped to look in the toy store window."

Opening page:  "Dear reader, you are the light of the world - make it sparkle."

My comments:  What a super - fantastic idea -- keep a special box (in this case, sparkly, glittery silver) on the mantle and jot down things you've done for others during the Christmas season. Open it and share on Christmas morning. This book explains that Sam's family does it as a birthday gift to Jesus (this is the first "religious" mention in the book, and the only mention, on the last page, other than two quotes from the book of Matthew in the "Notes from the author.")  This book will definitely take away some of the commercialism of the holidays. I LOVE the idea! (I wish it wasn't limited to Christian kids, thus my lowering of the rating by a half point.)

Goodreads: During the Christmas season, Sam and his parents participate in various acts of kindness to others and record their good deeds on slips of paper to be placed in a sparkly box, as a gift to Jesus.

55. Eleanor & Park - Rainbow Rowell

2013 St. Martin's Press

328 pgs.

YA CRF

Finished 12-14-2013

Goodreads Rating: 4.22 (37,330 ratings)

My Rating: Great Story (4) 

TPPL

Setting: 1980s Omaha, Nebraska

1^st sentence/s: "XTC was no good for drowning out the morons at the back of the bus. Park pressed his headphones into his ears."

My comments:  Even though there were very NON-sweet things going on in this book, the love story between Eleanor and Park was incredibly sweet. I particularly enjoyed the way the story slipped back and forth from each of the protagonist's point-of-view, but only spent short sections in this manner, not long ones.  I was dreading the ending, but Rowell handled it perfectly.  Excellent story.

Goodreads Review:  Set over the course of one school year in 1986, ELEANOR AND PARK is the story of two star-crossed misfits – smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try. When Eleanor meets Park, you’ll remember your own first love – and just how hard it pulled you under.

54. The Cuckoo's Calling - Robert Galbraith

J. K. Rowling writing a Robert Galbraith
Cormoran Strike #1
audio read by Robert Glenister
13 unabridged cds  (16:00)
2013 Mulholland Books/Hachette Audio
455 pgs.
Adult Murder Mystery (Private Investigator)
TPPL
Finished Sat. 12/14/2013
Goodreads rating: 3.85 (8,321 reviews)
My rating: 4
Setting: 2010 London, England
1st sentence/s:  "The buzz in the street was like the humming of flies.  Photographers stood behind barriers patrolled by police, their long-snouted cameras poised, their breath rising like steam.  Snow fell steadily onto hats and shoulders, gloved fingers wiped lenses clear."

My reaction:  Cormoran Strike is quite an interesting character.  Illegitimate son of a famous rocker and long-dead groupie mother; very, very large; a prosthetic instead of a foot and lower leg; quite self-conscious; and very, very smart, he runs a detective agency that hasn't much business. The mystery itself is interesting with a smooth somewhat-of-a-surprise ending, and the relationship that unfolds between Cormoran and his temp, Robin, is really nicely done.  The story was a little longer than it had to be, with repetition of facts in a number of places that could have been lessened.  I enjoyed listening to it, the reader's British accent which added reality to the setting and situation.  I'll happily read another about this interesting character if and when it appears.

Goodreads:  A brilliant debut mystery in a classic vein: Detective Cormoran Strike investigates a supermodel's suicide. After losing his leg to a land mine in Afghanistan, Cormoran Strike is barely scraping by as a private investigator. Strike is down to one client, and creditors are calling. He has also just broken up with his longtime girlfriend and is living in his office.
     Then John Bristow walks through his door with an amazing story: His sister, thelegendary supermodel Lula Landry, known to her friends as the Cuckoo, famously fell to her death a few months earlier. The police ruled it a suicide, but John refuses to believe that. The case plunges Strike into the world of multimillionaire beauties, rock-star boyfriends, and desperate designers, and it introduces him to every variety of pleasure, enticement, seduction, and delusion known to man.
     You may think you know detectives, but you've never met one quite like Strike. You may think you know about the wealthy and famous, but you've never seen them under an investigation like this.

Desert Day, Desert Night - Anthony D. Fredericks

Illustrated  by Kenneth J. Spengler

2011, Rio Nuevo Publishers

HC $15.95

32 pgs.

Goodreads rating: 4.25 (4 ratings)

My rating: 2-text and 5-illustrations (That's an average of 3.5)

Endpapers: Dark purple-blue

Illustrations: Colorful, detailed, special - this was what drew me to the book

Title page:  The only "white" page, but it has shades of lght brown around the edges.  A lone quail walks across the page.

"Can you find who is hiding in the shadows?  In every illustration look for a glimpse of the animals from the previous page and a hint of the animal from the next page.  Don't forget to spot the quail, too!"

1st verse:  Sonoran night,/ Dancing light,/ Shadows playing--/ Full moon bright.

My comments:  I love the illustrations! I love hunting for the animals in the shadows and the quail on every page.  I'm not so fond of the simple, four lined rhymed verses.  I imagine they're just fine for really young children, but somehow they seem a little forced to me, they don't flow and they're very simple.  The "field notes" in the back of the book are an excellent addition, I wouldn't even mind if they were ON the page they referred to.
Here are a couple of the pages:
     Stingers lash./ Whip, and dash./ Scorpions grab/ In a flash!
     Above the ground--/ High-pitched sound./ Tiny owls --/ fluffy, round.

Goodreads has no review or summary

Gifts of the Heart - Patricia Polacco

Illustrated  by the author

2013, Putnam Juvenile

HC$17.99

40 pgs.

Goodreads rating: 4.13 (39 ratings)

My rating: 3/a very nice story

Endpapers: Rust

Illustrations: Wonderful Patricia Polacco's, which need no further description, do they?

Title page: The page BEFORE the title page shows a front vies of the two children as they look into a store window.  There is also the first page of text.  When you turn the page to the title page, you see a full two-page spread of the back of the children's heads as they look into the shop, with snowflakes falling onto their heads.

1^st line/s:  "Richie and I huddled together and pressed our faces into the cold glass of the Hudson's store window.  Everywhere we looked was a dazzling array of wondrous toys for Christmas.  Then my eyes fell on the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen: a delicate ballerina doll, her hair drawn up in a nest of perfect curls held there by a halo of tiny blue flowers.  Her slippers were gold, like polished stars.  How I longed to have her!"

My comments:  A new Patricia Polacco!  As much as I liked it, the story didn't "enchant" me as hers usually do.  That's not to say I didn't like it, but it didn't grab me and yell "hurrah".

Goodreads:  Beloved author-illustrator Patricia Polacco’s holiday story is a wonderful ode to the magic of family, Christmas, and giving the right kind of gifts—gifts filled with love.  Richie and Trisha want to buy Christmas gifts for their family, but they don't have enough money. Enter Kay Lamity, a new housekeeper . . . but is that all she is? She comes into their lives like a whirlwind, brimming with positive energy and a can-do attitude. Kay not only straightens them out when it comes to whether or not Santa Claus is real, she teaches them something about gifts: the just-good-enough kind that come from the pocketbook and the unforgettable kind that come from the heart. Because of Kay, Trisha and Richie—and the family—have a Christmas morning they will never forget.  Celebrating the joy of homemade gifts, Patricia Polacco introduces readers to a new character who is truly a force of nature in this story reminiscent of Christmas Tapestry and An Orange for Frankie. This is a magical Christmas story the author swears is true, right down to the sleigh tracks on the farmhouse roof!

Winter is For Snow - Robert Neubecker

Illustrated by the author

2013 Disney/Hyperion

HC $16.99

32 pages

Goodreads rating: 3.49 (41 ratings)

My rating: 4.5

Endpapers:  White with lots of pale blue snowflakes

Title Page: The same illustrations as the endpapers, except the background is pale, pale blue and the snowflakes are white.  The preceeding page is cool - 9 windows, 3/3, with various stages of a snowstorm.

Illustrations:  Really cool - every inch of the page is covered (much of it with.....snowflakes!)

1^st line:  Winter is for snow!    No.

My comments:  Ah - this is a good one!  A happy brother who loves the snow and everything surrounding it, and a grumpy sister who doesn't care for it at all - until the end.  Their words are in different colors (blue and read) and the four-line stanzas all gently rhyme.  Super book!

Goodreads: In a rambunctious ode to everything winter, two siblings explore a snowy wonderland . . . and end up in the cozy warmth of family. Delve into Robert Neubecker's expressive and rejuvenating illustrations that celebrate snow and the coziness of friends and family at home. Only Robert Neubecker's magic touch could make kids love winter this much.

The Smallest Gift of Christmas - Peter H. Reynolds

Illustrated by the author

2013, Candlewick

small HC $14.00

40 pages

Goodreads rating: 3.55 (67 ratings)

My rating: 2/okay (but I love the simple art and the way the book is laid out, especially the red "drawn" line around the text.)

Endpapers:  pale, pale blue with white splotches (snow?)

Title Page:  simple & lovely

Illustrations: also simple & lovely

1^st line:  "Roland was eager for Christmas day."

My comments:  The story has a good premise/moral: that being home is the best gift of all.  However, the trip there is about a selfish boy who only wants a big gift...bigger...bigger..until the very end of the story.  I need to like the WHOLE story - and I guess I didn't care for this one.

Goodreads:  Roland can’t wait for Christmas Day, and when the morning finally arrives he races downstairs to see what is waiting for him. What he sees stops him in his tracks. Could that tiny present really be what he had waited all year for? It has to be the smallest gift he had ever seen! So Roland wishes for something bigger . . . and bigger . . . and bigger. But he’s still convinced there must be a bigger gift somewhere in the universe. Will he know it when he sees it? Peter H. Reynolds’s spare, free-spirited illustrations and heartwarming text make this be-carefulwhat-you-wish-for story the perfect holiday gift.

53. The Circle - Dave Eggers

Audio read by Dion Graham

11 unabridged cds; 14 hours

2013 Random House Audio

491 pgs.

Adult CRF (I guess....)

Finished 11/25/2013

Goodreads Rating:  3.59

My Rating: It was okay (2) 

TPPL

Setting: Just outside San Francisco

1^st sentence/s:  "My God, Mae thought.  It's heaven.  The campus was vast and rambling, wild with Pacific color, and yet the smallest detail had been carefully considered, shaped by the most eloquent hands." 

Beginning Quote:  "There wasn't any limit, no boundary at all, to the future.  And it would be so a man wouldn't have room to store his happiness." -- John Steinbeck

My comments:  Well.  I'm not really sure what I thought of this book.  At times I was incredibly bored.  At other times I was incredibly pissed. Good books get strong reactions, but what is a good book?  Good plot?  Strong reaction to the plot?  Good characterization?  Beautiful words?  I think every reader has his/her own trigger, and this book helped me think about mine.  Story...a bit tedious, ending rushed.  Writing...okay, I guess. Strong characterization...lacking.  But does it make me think? You betcha!  I'll probably remember it for a long while.  But I can't say, for me, that it was a great book....  (Mae Holland is one of the most unlikeable protagonists I've "met" in a long time....)

Goodreads Review:  When Mae Holland is hired to work for the Circle, the world’s most powerful internet company, she feels she’s been given the opportunity of a lifetime. The Circle, run out of a sprawling California campus, links users’ personal emails, social media, banking, and purchasing with their universal operating system, resulting in one online identity and a new age of civility and transparency. As Mae tours the open-plan office spaces, the towering glass dining facilities, the cozy dorms for those who spend nights at work, she is thrilled with the company’s modernity and activity. There are parties that last through the night, there are famous musicians playing on the lawn, there are athletic activities and clubs and brunches, and even an aquarium of rare fish retrieved from the Marianas Trench by the CEO. Mae can’t believe her luck, her great fortune to work for the most influential company in America—even as life beyond the campus grows distant, even as a strange encounter with a colleague leaves her shaken, even as her role at the Circle becomes increasingly public. What begins as the captivating story of one woman’s ambition and idealism soon becomes a heart-racing novel of suspense, raising questions about memory, history, privacy, democracy, and the limits of human knowledge.

52. Japantown - Barry Lancet

# 1 Jim Brodie/San Francisco Antique Art Dealer/ Investigator

2013 Simon & Schuster

Written for adults

Abandoned - stopped on pg. 146 (401) pages total

Contemporary murder mystery

Goodreads Rating: 3.89 (76 ratings)

My Rating: (2) it was okay

TPPL

Setting: Contemporary San Francisco; Tokyo, Japan; and an outlying small Japanese town

1^st sentence/s:  "Two shades of read darkened the Japantown concourse by the time I arrived.  One belonged to a little girl's scarlet party dress.  The other was liquid and far too human.  City officials would evince a third shade once reports of the carnage hit the airwaves."

My comments:  Well, another big decision to abandon a book.  I don't know what's going on with me - are my tastes changing?  Perhaps it's my interest level....I can't tell.  I greatly enjoyed the beginning of this book, but now it's dragging.  I don't even care why everything is happening.  I'm getting confused about all the people - lots and lots of Japanese names and aliases, waaaaay to hard to remember who's who.  Lots of random killing by people who apparently love to kill and have been trained to do it well for centuries. I have been to Japantown and am getting quite familiar with San Francisco, so I was looking forward to this murder mystery.  Nope.  Gonna go on.  Sorry, Mr. Lancet.

Goodreads:  FIVE BODIES. ONE CLUE. NOT A TRACE OF THE KILLER.  San Francisco antiques dealer Jim Brodie recently inherited a stake in his father's Tokyo-based private investigation firm, which means the single father of six-year-old Jenny is living a busy intercontinental life, traveling to Japan to acquire art and artifacts for his store and consulting on Brodie Security's caseload at home and abroad. 

An Orange for Frankie - Patricia Polacco

Illustrated by the author

2004 Philomel

HC $16.99

40 pages

Goodreads rating: 4027 (332 ratings)

My rating: 5

Endpapers: Front:  an aerial view of the house, outhouses, and landscape during a winter storm/ Back: the same storm, looking at the house from the front, in the evening, and its close surroundings

Title Page:  Double-page spread - a train stopped in the middle of a snowstorm on the middle of nowhere

Illustrations:  trademark Patricia Polacco

1^st page:  "Every time I peel an orange and inhale the scent of it and feel the mist that sprays from its skin, I think of a very special Christmas and a flaxen-haired boy who lived many years before I was even born."

My comments:  What a moving Christmas story!  I was actually a little teary at the end.  Based on a true story, as many of Ms. Polacco's are, this one was told by her grandmother and based on her grandmother's youngest brother.  It is a story from a hundred years ago, still being kept alive and honored by her entire family.  It is full of pictures of America's past. A large, hard-working family enjoys a simpler Christmas than we're used to, one steeped in traditions and hard work.  A completely lovely "short story," illuminated by Patricia Polacco's incredible art.  Loved it.

Goodreads:  The Stowell family is abuzz with holiday excitement, and Frankie, the youngest boy, is the most excited of all. But there's a cloud over the joyous season: Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, and Pa hasn't returned yet from his trip to Lansing. He promised to bring back the oranges for the mantelpiece. Every year there are nine of them nestled among the evergreens, one for each of the children. But this year, heavy snows might mean no oranges . . . and, worse, no Pa!

This is a holiday story close to Patricia Polacco's heart. Frankie was her grandmother's youngest brother, and every year she and her family remember this tale of a little boy who learned--and taught--an important lesson about giving, one Christmas long ago.

Papa's Latkes - Michelle Edwards

Illustrated by Stacey Schuett

2004 Candlewick

HC $15.99

32 pages

Goodreads rating: 4.04

My rating: 5

Endpapers: Hanukkah Blue

Smallish drawing of the latkes' raw ingredients

Illustrations:  Oil paintings that my students really admired

1^st page::  "Selma and her little sister, Dora, were waiting for Papa to come home.  It was their first Chanukah without Mama.  Selma's heart ached when she remembered how sick and thin Mama had looked last summer.  Thin enough to be blown away by a light summer breeze.  And then, right before school starated, Mama died."

This was a bittersweet but humorous story about a father and his daughters celebrating Hanukkah after the death of their mom.  I read this aloud to my (Jewish) students, which prompted a great conversation about family Hanukkah traditions.  They totally enjoyed it.  There was quite a bit of humor, the difficulty of "creating" latkes was well depicted as was the love of the dad for his girls.  Best of all, for me, was that the kids really marveled over the beautiful oil painted illustrations.  We decided this was a top-notch book.

"Santa Claus, Shmanta Claus!  Whoever heard of a Jewish Santa Claus carrying a fifty-pound bag of potatoes?"
It was Papa.  Selma ran to help him.
"Ho, ho, ho! Oy, oy, oy! Is this ever heavy! said Papa.""

Goodreads:  For Selma and her little sister, this is their first Chanukah without Mama. When Papa comes home carrying all the ingredients for latkes, Selma is worried. Can they make the latkes without Mama? In Michelle Edwards’s poignant story, warmly illustrated by Stacey Schuett, Selma comes to realize that while Chanukah — and especially latkes — will never be the same without Mama, Selma can still celebrate, and will always remember.

"A stirring, tender portrait of beloved children and a father helping them celebrate their mother’s memory." — BOOKLIST

The Dark - Lemony Snicket

Illustrated by Jon Klassen

2013 Little Brown Books for Young Readers

HC $16.99

40 pages

Goodreads rating: 4.03

My rating: 3/Liked it

Endpapers: Solid dark BLACK

Title Page The widening stream of light from the flashlight that started on the previous page.  Very cool.

Illustrations:  very simple, blacks and browns with a touch of light blue (the boy's pjs)

1^st lines: "Laszlo was afraid of the dark. The dark lived in the same house as Laszlo, a big place with a creaky roof, smooth, cold windows, and several sets of stairs."

I liked this book.  I didn't love it.  I read it aloud to my fourth graders, who seemed to like it, too.  But love it?  I'm not so sure.  We talked a lot more about the illustrations than we did about the actual story, particularly the way the darkness and the light were depicted.  Great conversations. Here are some of their responses:

-"this would be very good to read to kids that are afraid of the dark, because it turns out the dark is their friend." - Tzippi

-"the dark side is actually on the good side." - Berto

- "the dark doesn't want you to be afraid of it, it wants you to like it!" - Panina

- "a good bedtime story for small children." - Levi

-"don't judge a book by its cover, or in this case, don't judge The Dark by its cover." - Michael

-" kids might be scared at first, but by the end they will be brave and not scared of the dark anymore...like Laszlo." - Sara

- "if you're afraid of the dark, all you have to do is take a step into it." - Terra

- "don't be afraid of the dark 'cause it's everywhere you go." - Sami

-"there's always a light bulb in the bottom drawer..." - Ben

-"in this book the dark will show you what you need to know to not be afraid of it." - Ivan

-"the illustrations fit perfectly with the words." - Stella

-"once you open the book and see the end pages, you want want to read on." - Sophie

Goodreads:  Laszlo is afraid of the dark. The dark is not afraid of Laszlo.  Laszlo lives in a house. The dark lives in the basement.  One night, the dark comes upstairs to Laszlo's room, and Laszlo goes down to the basement.  This is the story of how Laszlo stops being afraid of the dark.

My Pen Pal, Santa - Melissa Stanton

Illustrated by Jennifer A. Bell

2013 Random House Books for Young Readers

$9.99 smallish HC w/o dustcover

28 pages

Goodreads rating: 3.56

My rating: 3

Endpapers: lt. blue background with small Santas, snowmen, candy canes, ornaments, and gifts: red/white/aqua/green

Title Page: protagonist looking at plate of cookies marked "for Santa"

My comments:  This series of comments between Santa and Ava are very cute. She writes once a month, from just after Christmas in January to the following December, making comments and asking questions; Santa's return letters answer them.  Much is mentioned about believing in Santa vs. not believing in Santa (he's real for those who want to believe and not real for those who don't want to believe).  I think some ... most ... young children, still strong believers, after thinking about this, would have questions in their minds that might not have otherwise been there.  Therefore, I think this is great for older kids, those that don't really believe in Santa, but definitely NOT for those younger kids that still strongly believe.  Very sweet book.

Goodreads:  Writing a letter to Santa is fairly simple; you make your case and list your hoped-for gifts. But if you're a hard-core fan like Ava, a letter to Santa is something entirely different. A simple New Year's note to the North Pole about some uneaten cookies kicks off a year-long correspondence between a young girl and the jolly guy in the red suit in this joyful epistolary picturebook. This holiday story is perfect for those who believe and those who remember the wonder of the season.

51. City of Bones - Cassandra Clare

#1 The Mortal Instruments series

2007 Margaret K. McElderry Books

485 pgs.(plus a couple of book beginnings)

YA Fantasy/Paranormal

Finished 11/13/13

Goodreads Rating: 4.13

My Rating: (4.5) Loved it, I've got to admit.....

THA Library

NYC

1^st sentence/s: " 'You've got to be kidding me,' the bouncer said, folding his arms across his massive chest. He stared down at the boy in the red zip-up jacket and shook his shaved head.  'You can't bring that thing in here.' "

My comments:  I read this book after seeing the movie, and greatly enjoyed it. I loved comparing movie to book and finding a lot of differences.  It's interesting to see the direction that Clare decided to take with the main characters, and I'm looking forward to seeing what's going to happen in the next segment in the series.

Goodreads Review:  When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder -- much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing―not even a smear of blood―to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know... 

Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare's ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end