The Weight Of Silence

Aaaaah, book reviews, my favorite.
I know, you thought CLEANING products were my favorite...well, I do love them, but frankly we all know I'm a lazy cow and would much rather read than clean ANY day.

So I was happy to be on this book tour with Mother Talk -- I haven't been on tour with them in AGES. Anyway I was happy to take a test run of a new-to-me author, Heather Gudenkauf and her book The Weight Of Silence.

I opened it up and ran into my first little mental roadblock -- you get to read through the eyes of different characters, who are designated by their names on each 'chapter' page.
TYPICALLY I shy away from those and I'll tell you why: when I am engaged and involved in a story, I do not read the chapter titles.
Stephen King's chapter titles are wasted on me. I just keep turning the pages.

HOWEVER.
These were written in distinctive enough voices that once I'd read a couple of chapters with each character, I didn't need to look anymore.

I'm not going to tell you about the story, much, because you can get that from the Amazon site and a fafillion other review blogs.

I'll just tell you that it was suspenseful, engrossing, and had enough deliciously scary twists and turns to be A Very Good Read.
If you pay attention to the clues, you can figure the ending for yourself ahead of time -- I usually DON'T try to unravel the mysteries myself, I like to watch them unfold and appreciate the author's work in taking me there.
This one was a little easier to figure - if you're an avid fan of such stories and know what to look for.

I read so many detective stories and mysteries that I often check for a tail when I leave my house because I have become JUST THAT PARANOID.

You'll be sorry if it turns out I was right and I WAS being followed. YOU WILL.
Anyway.

The Weight of Silence by Heather Gudenkauf.
Two thumbs up from me.

Thank you Mother Talk for introducing us.

Now shoo.
Go read a book or something.

Gift Idea #1!

I love to read. I love to find new authors - especially around the holidays because then I have stuff to add to my "All I Want For Christmas List".

The ladies of Mother Talk were kind enough to help feed my addiction and send me a copy of Knit Two by Kate Jacobs.
Usually I try to avoid coming in to the middle of a series when it's a new author, because sometimes the sequels or thirds don't stand alone very well.

I was a tad worried when I started reading Knit Two because the first few chapters were a little confusing, what with the introduction of a LOT of characters all at once.

Once I got 'em all sorted out in my mind, though, I was drawn right in. It's the story of the lives of a group of women - all ages, all lifestyles - that bonded over knitting.
I know firsthand how easily some bonds are formed, when you click together instantly with someone into lasting friendship.

They travel, they fight, they love, they have sex, they get married and divorced and give birth and grow up...
and the best thing was that from the oldest to the youngest, each character had some trait that I strongly identified with, when I thought, "EXACTLY!" or "RIGHT!" or "OH YEAH, been THERE!".

For me, that's the mark of a good book - once I got past the initial character muddle I was completely engaged.
Also it made me order the first book in the series, because I'm very curious as to what transpired before I came in.

I give it a thumbs up, and recommend that you give a copy to the Readers on your Christmas list.
Or better yet, give it to yourself.

A Summer Affair - Hubba Hubba!

Hooray! It's been awhile since I've been able to do a book review for MotherTalk, so I was happy to be included on this tour.

Since the title sort of gives it away, I don't think it's a spoiler when I tell you that A Summer Affair by NY Times bestselling author Elin Hilderbrand is about exactly that very thing.

I'm actually of two minds about this book - and keep in mind this is ALL ABOUT MY PERSONAL TASTES. 'Kay?

Claire is really the central figure - a professional & renown glassblower who's sort of given up her career for her family - she didn't want to miss anything in her kids' growing up years. Her husband is successful (but sort of a jerk - like the boys in high school used to act), they have a relatively happy and secure family unit. Claire's best friend is married to her (Claire's, that is) brother-in-law, they have a nice life on Nantucket Island.

There is drama. There is romance. There is hot steamy sex (on tables, even!). There is -you guessed it - a summer affair.
Yeah, baby.

A Summer Affair is well written and engaging... I won't say I couldn't put it down -- but it was definitely entertaining.

The problem I had was that to me, none of the characters were really very likeable. What I mean is that Claire seemed weak and easily swayed, and in my eyes she seemed to be portrayed as a ...victim. Or martyr, maybe. You know, giving up the successful & lucrative career to be with the kids, being unappreciated, boo hoo.
I guess she is a little like me: I tend to feel guilty over things all the time, whether the things were really my fault or not, like Claire's guilt over not doing ENOUGH to keep a friend from driving drunk resulted in an accident - for which Claire feels responsible.

And her best friend? DID.NOT.LIKE. She was a judgmental hypocrite & something of a control freak, I think.

The husband? Every guy I dated in college.

If those were the impressions that I was meant to get - then the author was completely successful in portraying her characters! I guess I just prefer a stronger central figure. JUST MY TASTE, OKAY?
I know that many people will strongly identify with the characters - it's a real-life situation with some real-life issues and problems.



And just because I didn't find the characters likeable doesn't mean that I didn't like the book.
It's PERFECT for a day at the beach.

Wanna know who has the affair? If they fall in love, run away and live happily ever after? Or not?
Go get your own copy, because everyone knows that I'll lend you my toothbrush, my kids, even my underpants...but never my books.

A review for a book that hit me where I live.

First, a confession: When Mother Talk offered "A Road Map To Holland" by Jennifer Graf Groneberg up for review, my first thought was "Aha! I want to be on this book tour - I'll be able to relate."

When the book arrived, however, I had misgivings. I wondered how it might affect me emotionally. Well, typically I like to be affected emotionally by the books that I read, but I worried that it might be a bit too much. But I'm generally pretty comfortable discussing the circumstances of my own children's premature birth, so I dove in.

And wept my way through the entire book.

Five days after the premature birth of the author's twins, one of them was diagnosed with Down Syndrome.
It plunged me right back there, thirteen years ago in the NICU...feeling the same fears and heavy guilt and grief and helplessness and the ever-present "It's NOT FAIR!".
Struggles with disrespectful and uncaring doctors and nurses, with friends who turn away, with the TELLING of the news...and the love and support from so many unexpected sources.

---

"I hate my weakness. I hate my fear. I hate my selfishness. I hate the NICU, and the cheery nurses in bright colorful caps. I hate the niceties, every 'Good morning!' and 'You look wonderful!' and the standard response to any question about the babies: 'They're doing great!' As if I can't see the state of affairs clearly, as if I'm a child that needs to be handled, or an imbecile."

I also spent some time angry at the author for some of her feelings, only underneath it wasn't really anger, it was shame - because some of those same thoughts could've come right out of my head. Like wanting to run away, or stick my head in the sand, or just...not deal with anything.

---

"Breathe, baby, breathe."
"Please, baby, please. Please, come back to me."

People ask, "Hoping for a girl or a boy?" and we reply, "Doesn't matter, as long as Baby is healthy!"
But what if Baby (or in my case - and the author's, BABIES) is NOT healthy? Does that mean you don't have to step up to the plate and parent? Is that a deal-breaker?
No, of course not.
If I'd have ever been pregnant again, my answer would've been "Doesn't matter, as long as Baby is alive."

---

"I haven't held the twins. I've barely even seen them."

Jennifer's twins were born several weeks early, by C-Section. It was difficult, having them whisked away to NICU immediately. No cuddling, no bonding, no shared happy tears. Only the vague nausea from the anesthesia, the sort of...emptiness and sadness, the feeling that something is off.

---

"While we were waiting, a nurse I had never seen before comes up to me. 'I wanted to tell you,' she says, 'that there's a waiting list for babies like yours. People waiting in line to adopt them.'"

Jennifer Graf Groneberg takes us through her spectrum of overwhelming emotions, being brutally honest about her reactions and thoughts. Courage is something she doesn't appear to lack, because it's hard to admit to some of those feelings. It's shameful to admit when you think of just running away, or consider (however briefly) letting someone more "qualified" have your baby.

---

Man, this is hard.

---

Jennifer brings you into her life, on the journey from birth to the NICU through the first couple of years...and it's a heartbreaking and beautiful story.

Whether you have children or not, whether they're disabled in some way or not, read this book.
At the very least, it will help promote understanding, especially if you're faced with a situation in which you don't know what to say or how to be a friend to someone with disabled children.
READ IT.
You'll thank me later, I promise.

---

"Emily Perl Kingsley is a mother of a son with Down syndrome. She's often asked to describe the experience...help others imagine how it would feel.
It's like this, she says: expecting a baby is like planning a fabulous trip. Everyone you know, including you, is planning to go to Italy. But after months of eager anticipation, you get the news that your arrangements have changed. You still go on a trip, but not to Italy. The place you're in isn't a bad place, it's just different. Slower-paced. Less flashy. Instead of Italy, you're in Holland. She continues the metaphor, allowing for the disappointment of missing out on Italy, like everyone else. But still, she says, once you get acclimated, you might find there is much that is good about Holland."


I live in "Holland" now, and there's no place I'd rather be.

Mother Talk - BODY DRAMA!

As the mother of an almost-teenage-girl, I was VERY glad to be able to get on this blog-tour for Mother Talk! If you've got a daughter--even a little one, because she's going to grow up eventually whether you want her to or not--you need to check out this book: BODY DRAMA, by Nancy Redd.

At first, I'd heard that some of the mothers found this book a bit too intense--and it IS intense, in many ways. There are NAKED PICTURES! OF BREASTS! ALL SIZES OF BOOBIES! AND VULVAS! ALL SHAPES OF VAJAYJAYS!

Sure, I felt a little weird when I first took a peek--but seriously, how many of you haven't wondered what other women looked like under their clothes?
OH COME ON.
Don't act like you never thought can her boobs POSSIBLY be that perky or is she just wearing a really great bra? or how does her ass MOVE like that and not jiggle?
YOU HAVE. Admit it.

So yeah, lots of pictures.
But here's the great thing: if you're not comfortable handing the book over to your daughter to read alone, it IS completely necessary for YOU to read this because it will serve as a guidebook when your girl starts asking you questions. Or when she starts feeling bad and uncomfortable and so not confident about her body.

AND SHE WILL. You did, didn't you?

Don't you want to be able to help your kid through her hormonally charged, angsty, ugly-duckling teenage years? If the words don't come easy to you, this book will help you through it. READ IT TOGETHER.

Body Drama covers stinky sweat, bacne, zits, piercings that aren't healing, periods, uneven breasts, toenail fungus, skidmarks and less than "perfect" bodies.
It helps girls (AND WOMEN, because I sure took away a greater appreciation for my own body too) learn to love what they've got, because underneath our skin we're all just girls who want to feel good about ourselves.

The language of the book, the style, is geared for young women/teenagers--not a lot of technical two-dollar hard to understand & pronounce words. It offers sidebar information like WHAT could be causing the discharge or HOW to make a face scrub out of...ASPIRIN! Body scrub out of COFFEE GROUNDS!

And so, so much more.
Read Body Drama for yourself.
Then read it with your daughter.
She's not ready for all the information just yet?
Do what I did...go through the sections pertinent to your immediate needs, TOGETHER.

I'm lucky, I guess...as a single mom, we're VERY casual about nudity around here.
I have not been in the bathroom alone since my daughter learned to walk. Maybe that made it a little easier for me to discuss some of the issues with her, about pubic hair and shaving your pits & legs and WHY HER SWEAT SMELLS SO FREAKING BAD when she forgets deodorant (and MAN OH MAN! *GAK*). We're comfortable seeing each other in the nude.
Granted, if this were a two-parent family, things might be different. But in this particular situation, I'm glad that we're able to be easy with each other on body issues.

IT. IS. IMPORTANT.


With all the girls thinking anorexia and/or bulimia is SO COOL or necessary--websites devoted on "how to do it correctly"--let's make our girls comfortable with WHO THEY ARE, no matter what the package looks like.

Srsly. That's just window dressing, anyway.
Everyone knows the good stuff is INSIDE the package.

It's tough to find good child care...

...but I was sent to a place called Care.com, and guess what? They do the work for you!

Through the wonderful women of Mom Central Consulting, I was given the opportunity to check out what is, to me, an invaluable resource.
As a parent, many of you are aware of how difficult it is to find someone to mind your children--apart from daycare, I mean. If you're a SINGLE parent, it's even more difficult, because there's no co-parent to fall back on if you need to go holiday shopping, or if you just need a break for a few hours.
Remember when we were teenagers and babysat the neighborhood kids? Yeah, kids don't much do that anymore. Not even for friends of the family. Of course, a lot of teenagers nowadays think working at any job is beneath them, but that's a-whole-nother rant for a-whole-nother day.

ANYWAY. (Mamacita, see what I left off JUST FOR YOU? heehee)

Being a single parent with a non-disabled AND a severely disabled child...well, you can imagine what it's like to find a sitter. Or maybe you can't--let me just say it's entirely restrictive. I'm not complaining; my job is to be a mother and be here to take care of my kids, and I'm okay with that. But.
I don't go anywhere. I don't date. I can't just pop over to Friend's house for a couple of hours and a glass of wine. I can't go to the bookstore and indulge myself for a few hours. If I do get invited to a party, or on a date, my acceptance ALWAYS hinges on whether or not I can beg and/or bribe some family member to watch my kids so that I can get away for a while.
Most often I get the answer, "Sorry, I have things to do."
It's okay, really, but sometimes entirely frustrating.

Then the Mother Talk ladies hooked me up with the Mom Central Consulting ladies, and they said, "Hey, why don't you check out a place called Care.Com and tell us what you think?"

So I did.
Care.com is awesome! At least from what I see so far. It's a service that allows you to search for child care, pet care, senior care, and even tutors in your area!
I was surfing around the site and noticed that under the child care postings, each person wrote a little paragraph about themselves, and then clearly noted what they might be specialized in, what age groups they're willing to take, how many children they could watch, what other duties they were willing to perform (ie light housekeeping, preparing meals, carpooling, swimming supervision and MORE!), and whether or not they had experience with special needs care and CPR (which are of utmost importance to me). You can see if the care-giver has their own transportation and how far they're willing to travel for a job, as well as a range of hourly rates.

This information I was able to get using the Basic (free!) membership--of course, you could upgrade and get more reference information, view background checks (!), and contact the person directly by email. There's a video you can watch that takes you through each step--the site is VERY user friendly.

Unfortunately there's no-one at present in my area who meets all my criteria (a couple were close, but my kids just happened to be outside their age requirements)...but I'm going to keep checking. Maybe one day soon they'll have the perfect care-giver for me.


Check it out, Care.com. You'll be glad you did.
**BONUS!!! I almost forgot! Sign up HERE to get THREE FREE MONTHS of Premium Service!

MotherTalk Book Review - The Daring Book For Girls

I'm about to help you with your Christmas shopping--for the women AND the girls in your life.
YOU ARE WELCOME.

I was so excited to make it onto the MotherTalk Blog Tour for the Daring Book For Girls, by Andrea J. Buchanan and Miriam Peskowitz.

From the back of the book: "For every girl with an independent spirit and a nose for trouble, here is the no-boys-allowed guide to adventure."
I'd told my daughter that WE were going to review the book...when it finally came she snatched it away and I didn't see her for three days. When she finally surfaced, the floor of her bedroom looked like a paper airplane graveyard and every shoelace and piece of string in our house had been tied into a hundred different kinds of knots.

She said, "Hey mom! Do we have any lemon juice? Or onions? Because I can make invisible ink and we need to go out in the yard and look for some bird feathers--maybe some of the crow feathers because they're big and did you know we can make quill pens out of those and oh yeah do we have any lemons? Because did you know we can use them to make a battery powered clock and did you know that there were girl pirates?! How cool! And there was this cool section on yoga and by the way, for Christmas I'd really like my own toolbox so can we go to Home Depot and I'll show you what I need and am I allowed to use a knife? Like a swiss army knife? AND get this: there is a funny way to make up a person's bed so they can't straighten out their legs!"

At this point she paused to take a breath and I said, "Do you mean short-sheeting someone's bed?"

She said, "You know about that?"
I told her that was a prank we used to pull on people at camp. She looked at me in utter amazement and said, "WOW! That must be a really old trick!"

*sigh*

So finally I got my chance to read the book and was delighted. There are stories of real-life princesses and queens, female pirates, famous poems about weather, card games and rules for basketball.
I liked the section on palm-reading...until I discovered that I have no 'fate line'. I wonder, is that a good thing or a bad thing?

There was a section on bird-watching that my daughter has already dog-eared and highlighted--she and my mother love to birdwatch together. There was a big section of recommended reading, and I loved to see so many of my favorites on there, many of which my daughter has already read.

What a treasure this book is!

From skipping-rope rules and rhymes to changing a flat tire, from climbing trees to pressing flowers, The Daring Book For Girls will feed the soul of every adventurous spirit you know--including your own.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go practice being a spy.

MotherTalk Book Review - The Thirteenth Tale

"A good story is always more dazzling than a broken piece of truth." Vida Winter

When I was given a brief synopsis of this book, The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield, I immediately signed on; it sounded right up my alley.

It's a story about a story, filled with half-truths, secrets, mysteries and scandal. LOTS of scandal. Definitely my kind of book.

Conjoined twins, feral twins, death and sex and murder and mysterious disappearances, twisted love and even a smidge of romance.

We have a young bookish girl who works in her father's bookshop and a reclusive, elderly author of 'popular fiction'.
The author, Vida, has kept her past vague and mostly hidden...but as she comes to the end of her life she decides, once and for all, to bring forth the truth--but in her own way. Vida chooses Margaret Lea (who has no particular fame other than a well-researched, well-written biographical essay) to record Vida's life story. As Margaret hears the story, her own story becomes entwined with Vida's life.

There are twists and turns around every corner, with a hint of goth and a taste of otherworldliness--this was the perfect book with which to lie a-bed on a rainy evening with a cup of hot chocolate.

I think I put the book down once...because I had to pee. This book captured my imagination right away and sucked me right down into the story and didn't let go until the end (which, I should add, was great--you know how I like all the ends tied up neatly so THIS was quite satisfactory).

Really, I wish I could tell you more...and let's face it, I could if I really wanted to...but I won't. READ IT.

Before I got the book I read this description: "...tinged with the eeriness of Rebecca and the willfulness of Jane Eyre" and I sort of agree, but in my opinion, the language of the book put me in mind of Barbara Michaels or--even better!--Phyllis A. Whitney. Yeah, it sort of had that Phyllis feel to it.
Did you know how much I love Phyllis A. Whitney? A lot.

Anyway.
Don't take my word for it, read it yourself. And check out the interactive website right here.

Besides, in a couple of weeks there won't be any new episodes of your favorite TV shows for awhile and you'll need new books to read.
Make The Thirteenth Tale one of them.

MotherTalk Review - The Reincarnationist

I have to start with this: strictly speaking, I don't believe in reincarnation. I am, however, open-minded enough to allow that it is not outside the realm of possibility. It's like I tell my non-believing friends when we discuss religion, God, Jesus...I guess we'll find out which of us was right when we die.
Simple as that.
Whether you are a 'reincarnationist' yourself or not, I think you'd enjoy this book: The Reincarnationist, by MJ Rose.

Josh -- a normal guy, a photographer -- survives a severe injury and begins to have barely controlled lurches in his memory, taking him to ancient Rome during the time of the Vestal Virgins as well as 19th Century New York.
Josh discovers that, through his camera's viewfinder, some people have halos, or auras, that cannot be captured on film...he thinks that perhaps these are the old souls in the new bodies. He finds connections (past and present), questions, adventure, and considerable danger--it's quite twisty-turny and exciting!

One particular idea that I found intriguing was that children in some other countries are believed when they have "memories" of past lives, but here in the You Ess Of Aaay we treat the kids as though they're pretending, or playing with imaginary friends. Maybe they are...but...what if???

The book is, in large part, about seeking answers. It also made me stop and think about certain things, like those times when you feel a strong sense of deja vu or when you feel a current of connection between yourself and someone that you've just met--you know, when you can almost hear the 'click'. It made me wonder, just a teeny bit, if I met you in person today...would I see my past in your eyes? Our past? What would you see in mine?

Whether or not I believe, the idea of reincarnation is a very interesting subject about which to think.

The transitions between the present and the past were easy to follow, for the most part--my problem is that I get caught up in that particular time in the story, and it takes me a second to make the switch when it happens. All in all, this book was engaging and excellently written--although I must say that the ending was a bit too abrupt for my personal taste...but then I like every single thread wrapped up in a nice tidy bow and that doesn't always happen.
Just like real life.

Mother Talk Book Review! Come & Get it

"Shakespeare, Mr. Pearl, is not just art. It's a religion." ~~Athenaide, Interred With Their Bones



When I was offered the chance to review a suspense novel for Mother Talk, I jumped right on it because I LOVE LOVE LOVE this type of book.

It's called Interred With Their Bones (bring back any high school memories?) by Jennifer Lee Carrell.

Here's what:
The book opens with the burning of The Globe theatre, in Shakespeare's own time...and segues nicely into present day and a frantic search for works of literature and art, zipping across countries, finding clues and deciphering their meanings, and an ever-growing cast of characters.

A long lost Shakespearean play, a second burning of The Globe, anxiety that you can feel...mine shafts and Shakespeare In The Park, murder and betrayal.

There are a couple of very significant plot twists that I didn't even see coming. I'm not one of those people who always says, regarding book or movie, "OH, I had it figured out way before the end!"
(P.S. I really hate those people. We get it; you're smarter than everyone else. Okay then. You're also very very annoying)
Anyway. I don't actively try to figure out the plots, for the most part--if the story is truly engaging then I'm traveling right along with the characters, finding out what THEY find out as they do it.

You know, every few years it seems the headline pops up: "Was Shakespeare Really The Author?"
Funnily enough, it has popped up again--I just read a Yahoo! teaser about two weeks ago that proclaimed the same thing. Apparently this becomes a hot-button issue every so often. Truthfully I've never thought much about it...until I read this book.
I have to tell you that there is compelling evidence that Shakespeare actually...
Well. You'll have to read the book and find out. A lot of the historical information is fact-based due to the author's own fascination with and study of The Bard.

This novel is wonderfully prose-y...typically I don't prefer that in my suspense novels but it was beautifully written without being overdone.

And also? I learned many new Shakespearean quotes, which is a bonus because, well, quoting Shakespeare makes me sound smarter.


This book is a definite YES, READ IT! from me.
(and just to whet your appetite, here's a little bit of backstory from the book)

Now I shall amaze you with my smartness:
"The evil that men do
lives after them;
the good is oft
interred with their bones."

Thank you, and goodnight.

Eating my words

Okay, so I've been pretty well opposed to kids+cell phones. I don't think kids need phones at school; after all, I didn't have one back then (of course, no one else did either, but still) and my family managed to get along just fine.

Then the fab folks at Mom Central Consulting and MotherTalk offered the opportunity to test out a cell-phone geared for a kid's use. What can I say? I said yes. Also I was thinking that this one particular boy could now STOP CALLING MY DAUGHTER ON MY PHONE, because if I don't answer he leaves a 5 minute message. Sometimes with singing.

Last week we got the package from Kajeet and my first thought was HEY! This has a camera! And it is WAY COOLER than my phone..that sucks!
And it is cool.
The buttons are all clearly labeled with 'back', 'end', 'speaker phone', and 'talk'.
The button for the camera has a picture of...well, a camera.
Much easier to figure out than my phone, too.

Checked out the Kajeet website and it's pretty user friendly as well. The most excellent thing about this phone service is that I can log in and see who has called my baby girl, who SHE has called, who's been texting and how much, AND I can block any and all phone calls during certain hours if I want to (like after 8pm, or during school hours, or...WEEKENDS, if she's in trouble with me. HAHA! I love that part).

Worried about a big phone bill? Don't be. It's pay as you go. Whatever is in the account can be spent (yes, there is a charge per call AND a charge per text message)...but when it's gone, TOO BAD SO SAD, kiddo. This works in my favor around the house too, because I made it clear that part of a certain little girl's allowance would have to pay for her phone use, and if that little girl's chores were not done then NO allowance would be forthcoming. (I should add that the allowance thing is new--chores have been done free of charge up 'til now. Because that's how it works here in MontyLand)

One more thing: you can sign up for the service and activate your account online (OH! And separate passwords & usernames for you and the kid) or you can call customer service. I chose to check out the customer service center--mostly because so many companies have really crappy CS agents.

NOT SO HERE. I dealt with a girl named Tory and she was a treasure. She should get a raise. She was patient and explained everything to me clearly, took me through the steps one by one, and was a sweet and lovely sounding girl.
BIG bonus points for stellar customer service.

So if you ARE going to cave and get your youngster a phone...give Kajeet a try. (and by the way, Kajeet, thanks for the phone! NIIICE!)

---

MotherTalk Book Review - The Dark Dreamweaver

I was pleased at the opportunity from Mother Talk to review, with my 12-year-old daughter, another young adult book: The Dark Dreamweaver, by Nick Ruth.

The storyline sounded entertaining (if quite familiar--young boy sucked into an unfamiliar magical place to do battle with Evil), and we dove right in.

Okay. I read the back of the book and evidently this story has received several awards and honors, so I was feeling pretty good about it.
Turns out that after finishing the book, I'm sort of on the fence.
But we'll start with the good stuff, since the not-so-good stuff could be corrected.

Here's what: A young boy, David, is having nightmares in which a robe-clad creature is starring...and the creature appears to be evil. The local news reports that people are having terrible nightmares everywhere...a Mystery!
David begins hearing voices whilst awake...and discovered that his caterpillar (which hatched from one of the butterfly eggs he'd collected) was actually a transformed wizard, and the tiny wizard was stuck in an accelerated life cycle of the Monarch butterfly.

In order to help save the wizard AND the wizard's homeland, David must go on an adventure to stop the Evil Wizard from making all mankind suffer from nightmares forever.

My daughter really loved it. Since reading her first wizarding/fantasy book about You-Know-Who, she's really into that genre. That's okay with me, I like it too. When she was finished I asked her what she thought and she said, "I loved it! It was exciting and funny and HEY MOM, now I have an idea on how to search for butterfly eggs! We should go find some and see if we can hatch them."
Good! Educational, bonus points. Got the kid excited about nature, more bonus points.

I liked the storyline pretty well; it was entertaining with a few fun twists and turns, cute (and quite unusual) characters, and some funny dialogue.

However.
I hate to say anything negative--I think your youngsters and tweens, if they love to read simply for the joy of the story, will enjoy it.
As an adult I have to say that if this were my book...well...let's just say it needs a good polish before being shelf-ready, in my opinion.

It's rather choppy in parts, and large amounts of background are crammed into two or three pages...it doesn't do the story justice and doesn't flow very smoothly at all. All that info was a little overwhelming all at once.
The most disturbing part was a 5-paragraph monologue from the caterpillar wizard (pages 22-23), wherein each paragraph ended with quotation marks. This was somewhat confusing for me when I finally got to David's part again.

Like this (the caterpillar is speaking the whole time):
"Of course not! But you couldn't know that."
"Let me start at the beginning. In Remin, there are certain people who have the innate ability to..."
"A man named Thane was one of the Dreamweavers..."

Plus there was some other extraneous punctuation throughout, but since I like to use extra punctuation now and then, I tried not to be too picky.
But that? With all the extra quotation marks? A problem for me because I expect published books to be mostly error free.

Overall I think the book is pretty good and if it were to get a good editorial fix-up then I would definitely recommend that your kids try it out.

Mother Talk Review: Lost and Found

When I first heard the premise of the book "Lost and Found", I was delighted! See, it's about a fictional "Reality TV" show--very similar to The Amazing Race, but it includes a scavenger hunt. The two-person teams travel around the globe, finding clues and locating objects, then racing to the next point.


I am, admittedly, a 'reality' TV junkie. I like to watch those shows as long as I can...well, bond with a few of the people featured. I have to become interested in them, or their situations, before I can enjoy the show.

That's one of the reasons I loved this book; Carolyn Parkhurst takes the reader not only behind the scenes of a Reality TV show, but also gives a close up and personal look into the lives of the contestants, the host, AND the people responsible for the show--producers & camera-men included.

I rarely read the chapter titles when I read a book; however, it was a necessary thing in this particular case because each chapter was the voice of a different contestant.
And OH! The contestants! There was a mother-daughter team, an ex-gay married couple (and THAT was definitely a fascinating situation), a team of brothers, and high-school sweethearts reunited after many years.

I was drawn into the complex relationships--not just between the members of each team, but how they interacted all together. I became involved.

It is bittersweet, funny, sad, and lovely...and in my opinion gives a pretty accurate depiction of exactly how much 'reality' goes into a 'reality tv' show. Take a look to see why some contestants may be chosen and others passed over...I have no doubt that producers actually do delve that deeply into a person's background to find the ones that are likely to create the most drama.

Even were I not a fan of "Reality TV", I would highly recommend this book. Try it, you'll be entertained.