Posts Tagged: books

Library Friday — No Comments
21
Nov 08

Library Friday: Review of Twilight

 

Twilight:  Ok, I begrudgingly admit, I’m not cool anymore.  (Ok.  I’ll even more begrudgingly admit that I probably was never cool in the first place).  Would you believe I had never heard of this book until about a month ago?   At just 25, I have apparantly left the realm of the trendy hip-and-happening fad crazes of life and zoned into mommyhoodishness where I’m so clueless about the world that I’d probably stare at you blankly if you mentioned the name Tina Fey. (Ok, not really, exaggeration for emphasis, but you get my point.)  So anyway, with the hyped up book-to-film movie “Twilight” opening tonight, right now as I speak at 12 am EST, (with Harry Potter 4′s Cedric Diggory as the main lead!), I just had to read the book to see if it lived up to the hype.  So this past Tuesday I scored a copy from the Library (a miracle in itself because the waiting list was 40 deep – a reallyreallyreally nice librarian snuck me a just released copy), brought it home, and finished the 500something page book this morning at 4 am.  It took me 6 and a half hours to read it (hurray for babies who sleep through the night, right?).

 Ok, so where do I start?  It was a fun read.  But it was just that.  A fun read. It was not better than Harry Potter as I had heard, but really, Vampire romance in Washington state and pubescent wizardry in a fantasy Londonesque world just can’t parallel.  So what is this Twilight thing?  It’s the first book in Stephanie Meyer’s series, and the main character – Isabella “Bella” Swan – chooses to move back to her dad’s dreary, always raining Washington State hometown of Forks after her mother remairies a semi-pro ball player in Arizona.  All of the typical small town plot lines are developed (small high school, everyone knows everyone, word spreads fast, etc.), but oddly enough, she ends up being extremely popular right from the start (something I find VERY hard to believe for a brooding, dorky, clumsy, inept, brainy, shy, non-talkative, pale 17 year old loner).  Popular with everyone except for one group of “siblings” in the school who are inhumanly beautiful and keep to themselves.  In fact, the youngest, Edward Cullen, seems to hate her from the beginning….that is, until he saves her life by stopping a car (that’s about to crush her) with his bare hands.  There’s such a powerful draw between the both of them, but the more they are drawn to each other, the more he warns her how dangerous their relationship is.  Why dangerous?  He won’t say.  But the urge to be together is just far too powerful.  She finally pieces together who they are, and gets to meet the entire vampire family like any normal girlfriend would.  Only thing is, they’re vampires. Good “vegetarian” vampires, but vampires nonetheless.  

Even worse, the draw Edward feels is because her blood smells so good and he “vants to sock her vlood”.  :::rolls eyes:::: It only gets worse (as in worse for her) from there as a “bad” vampire tracker discovers her one day during a game of vampire baseball (I guess it’s their version of quiddich?) – and it’s up to Edward and his family to keep her safe.

Bad vampires vs. good vampires, vampires who could go out in the sun without melting, vampires who lived in normal homes, didn’t sleep in coffins, or anything like that….the whole entire vampire myth was…uh…revamped for the book.

All in all, the plot lines seemed far too contrived. I found myself at many points laughing aloud at how absurd some parts were (something I never did in Harry Potter).  It had only one or two psychologically intense (as in, it really gave you something to think about) moments in it.  Yet there were never any earth shattering quotes such as when Dumbledore told Harry “We must all face the choice between what is right and what is easy.”.

 One thing for sure though, Stephanie Meyer did a great job in creating the “feeling” of the irresistable pull between the two main characters – and it played on many a girl’s teen fantasies (doesn’t all young adolescent girls secretly want a dangerous-but-good intelligent boy with inhuman strength and perfect Greek god beauty to sweep them off their feet?? no?  ok maybe that was just me.).  The chemistry created between the two characters – and the feelings it invokes in readers – is probably what sent this book into hyper frenzy cult status.  The book itself is not great, but the “feeling” it gives you is.  It’s Juliet and Romeo all over.  Tragic love with a bite (pun intended).  The best thing is the characters actually remain chaste and it took them forever just to even have a first kiss (ala Mulder and Sculley type of anticipation).

I can already tell from the trailers that the movie is a bit different than the book.  But that’s ok, I suppose.  No movie can ever compete with the book (‘cept for the 1939 film adaptation of Wuthering Heights, but that’s another story).  I’m not sure if I’m going to read the 2nd book in the saga (New Moon) because really, the ending of the story didn’t leave me full of anticipation.  It’s really easy to guess which direction plot lines are going to take – Bella gets hurt, Edward saves her, the two are irrisistably drawn together, Bella gets hurt, Edward saves her, etc.  The characters have no depth.  It’s as if Meyer didn’t have any imagination left after a third way through the book.  Perhaps that’s why I like JK Rowling so much – you could never tell what was going to develop next in HP.  Twilight just didn’t “leave me hanging” like it should have.

And…actually, if I’m being fully honest….except for the wonderful magnetism that eminated from the main characters and the irresistable urge to keep turning the pages again and again, I thought the book was silly.  

So why then did I have so much fun reading it and was drawn into the enchantment?  I dunno.  I liked it emotionally.  Litararily, I didn’t.  I’m not the only ambivalent reader either. Just read the other
low starred reviews on amazon to see what I mean.: 

So anyway, this has been quite a long review.  I do have some other books in my library bag this week but I hadn’t got around to reading them yet.  

I’ll have more by next week.. :)

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So what’s in your bag?  Play along with me!  What are you currently reading from your library?  If you don’t have any books out currently, share one you’ve read in the past.  Just write up a library post on your blog, then come back here and post a comment with the link to your post.  I’d love to know what everyone else is reading. :)

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12
Jun 08

Parenting and Homeschooling Book List

(NOTE:  The latest books updated are in Italics)

Last Updated:  June 12, 2008

I’ve always loved learning.  Just as some people desire food, have an obsession with new clothes, or rejoice over the latest WII game, my heart pounds at the sight of a good book.  Or anything with words, for that matter. 

I even read the backs of people’s shampoo bottles while alone in their bathroom.

Yes, I’m that bad.

(Please don’t tell)

I’m a lifelong library lover, and cardtoting member to two…count them TWO local libraries (one of which is known as the best library in the south east).  I visit at least a couple times per month, and always return home with a huge bag full of books.  That’s not even considering the books I own.  Even now that I’m a mom, you’ll still find me with a book in my hand when the baby is sleeping in the wee hours of the morning, or nursing during the day. 

Because my interests change often, I read a variety of non-fiction books – and will exhaust all library books on one subject if I stay highly interested long enough!

For the past year, I’ve been heavily into parenting and homeschool type of books.  I’ve learned so much from them, and have developed a good view of the modern homeschooling movement as well.  So..I decided I would share the books I read with our blog visitors.  As I continue to read, I will update this post.

All books on this list have been read, by me, cover to cover.

 

PARENTING BOOKS:

What to Expect When You Are Expecting – Yes.  This is the motherload of all pregnancy books.  If you are expecting, get it.  My cousin gave it to me at my bridal shower (even though, at the time, my first pregnancy was still over a year away!), that’s how much power this book holds.  It takes you step by step through each month and…well..what to expect.  It is written in a question / answer form and topics you wouldn’t even thick of in your wildest dreams are even covered.  It’s a terrific “reference” guide!  However, be warned, you may gloss over (aka “not notice”) information that’s in there until AFTER you experience it first hand.

A Girlfriend’s Guide to Pregnancy -  This was, to me, better (and funner) than the What to Expect book.  Written by a woman in the mid-90′s, this book brings in view the many subjects that us women experience – but are too embarrassed to talk about, such as farting, having nothing to wear, intimacy, feelings, and other pregnancy related issues.  It’s message is serious, but it is written in a humorous, jesting manner.  I laughed out loud (HARD) during many parts of the book.

What to Expect the First Year – This book is just like it’s pregnant counterpart, written in the same question / answer format and everything, picking up where that book left off (labor & delivery).  It takes you month by month through your baby’s development.  This has been a very helpful reference since I had Jack!

Romancing the Heart of Your Child – This book delves into christian principles of parenting your child in a way that will show him not only your deep love but the love of our Father in Heaven.  The book is heavily personal, relying much on personal parenting experiences and childhood memories of the author (a man).  It’s not a favorite, but I did take a few good tips and pointers from the book.

The Mister Rogers Parenting Book: Helping to Understand Your Young Child – I loved Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood when I was a child.  In fact, I cried when he died and still watch it now.  His quiet calmness, easy-going manner, morals, coverage of true childhood fears and issues, and ability to never talk down to a child made him a hero to me.  In this book, he uses his expertise in early childhood development to help explain how to help your preschooler  cope with many every day issues and challenges in life.  The book has many helpful hints, a few cute black & white graphics, and is written in such a manner that you can actually “hear” Mr. Roger’s voice speaking out from the text.

 

 

HOMESCHOOLING BOOKS:

How Smart is Your Baby:  Develop and Nurture Your Newborn’s Full Potential – This book was written by specialists who discovered that they could apply principals used in brain-damaged children’s development to help growth in the normal child as well.  The beginning of the book shows the cognitive develoment stages of an infant and the known natural reflexes, and then a curriculum is laid out in helping advance your baby through these 6 early stages.  The authors do not believe in waiting for natural “readiness” or “timetables” (as promoted by Charlotte Mason and some modern day educators), but encourage parents to help guide a child through each stage so he sucessfully conquers the cognitive mastery of each stage. It was refreshing to read a book that promotes the possibility of developing highly intelligent children early on (as I lean more in that direction myself), but the time needed for this curriculum is pretty rediculous for a regular parent!  I picked up some great tips though, and found the most interesting to be that even a newborn has the cognitive ability to purposefully creep along the floor on his tummy (which I watched my own son do successfully!).

The Well Trained Mind – This book is written by a mom and former homeschooled daughter from the late ’70s.  They introduce the reader to the classical education method, a greek influenced liberal arts education  which involves training children based on the “Trivium” (Grammar, Logic, and Rhetoric stage / age progression).  A complete curriculum, including implementation advice and book lists, is laid out from kindergarten to 12th grade.  The author’s tone tends to be “my way, or else” at times, and I find it odd that she never discusses how her other children did with this type of training…but otherwise I enjoyed this book.  Be forewarned though that the book lays out a 40+ hour week of formal schooling at home (something no homeschooling mom wants), and the author makes it sound as if your child will be doomed if it’s not followed!  You should know how to “cut and paste” to suit your family’s needs.

A Charlotte Mason Education – This small book is a pretty quick read, but it does a great job at introducing you to the educational beliefs and system proposed by early 20th century educator Charlott Mason.  Examples from the author’s own homeschooling experience and implementation advice are scattered throughout.  I would suggest reading this book a number of times, and maybe even keep it on hand as reference.

The Homeschool Reader – This book contains articles collected from the Home Education Magazine from 1984 to 1994.  Since homeschooling was just becoming “legal” during this time (legality in all 50 stages didn’t happen until 1989!), these folks were the pioneers of the modern day homeschooling movement.  The articles / essays are grouped into categories such as “Teaching and Learning”, “Subjects”, and even “Personal Experiences”.  Over 31 authors are represented, including John Holt (the father of the unschooling movement), Linda Dobson, and John Taylor Gatto (NY City Teacher of the Year 1989-91, NY State Teacher of the Year 1991).  I loved the insight provided by these homeschoolers, and found it humorous to hear one author mention Saxon (today’s most popular math textbook curriculum) as the “new comer on the block”!

 The Relaxed Home School: A Family Production – This cute book bases it’s theme on the theater with chapters such as “The Production Crew” (family unit), “Writing the Script” (planning), and “Act II: A Living Curriculum” (using real books).  The author Mary Hood has a PH.D. and educated her own 5 children.  It is very personal, written in simple first person chit-chat (giving you the feeling she is sitting in front of you chatting), and has many references to her family experiences.  Her ideals are based heavily on Charlotte Mason theory, and this book provides a nice overview of one way of starting (and planning) homeschooling. 

 Taking Charge Through Homeschooling:  Personal and Poliical Empowerment – This book did more for developing my personal education and homeschooling beliefs than any other I’ve read.  Unlike 99% of other homeschooling books, this one does not focus on the main homeschooling issues of “why, how to, and method”.  Instead it delves into the role homeschooling plays in American education and the political / social issues surrounding it.  I like how it doesn’t harp on the public education system, but instead looks at facts and how homeschooling provides a good, strong, viable alternative to the goverment-run system that has only been around for a century or so.  It is very detailed, and written on a much higher level than most of the books I’ve read in this genre.  Written in 1990, this book came on the scene only a few years after homeschooling became legal in the US (all 50 states by 1989), but don’t discount it’s use today!  With sections on Winning Support for Homeschooling, Countering Restrictive Laws, and Making the Best of Current Law, you’ll be more prepared to stand up for your right to provide a quality education for your child at home.