Thursday 30 June 2016

SYNC Audio for Teens - Week 9


The next pairing of free audiobooks is now available.  For more information about this wonderful program, read my introductory post.  Remember, these are only available till  July 6, 2016


Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith

The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan

Wednesday 29 June 2016

The Last Orphans by N. W. Harris

 Shane Tucker was just talking with his aunt a few minutes ago and now she is dead.  On his way to seek help in dealing with her remains, he finds more bodies, all adults.  They're dead, all of them, all the adults.  Thus starts the first book of a three part series by N. W. Harris

Within hours of this disaster, Shane has dozens of children gathered around looking to him for leadership.  Truth be told, he's at as much a loss as them, but he can't let them know or they'll fall apart.  Along with some of the older teens, including Kelley and Tracy, he forms a plan to find shelter and help.

'All the adults are dead' is a frequent theme for YA post-apocalyptic novels.  This one distinguishes itself by explaining how it happens, which I appreciated.  From that point it sets a clear goal, though how it's to be accomplished is up to the kids.  The story developed in a manner that seemed fitting for what teems might actually do.  Stick with what they know and not too much bravado.

In typical YA fashion, this story moves quickly with lots of action and minimal details.  We are introduced to many characters, but really only get to know a few of them in any depth: Shane, Kelley and Tracy.  I felt bad for Shane when his aunt died, but then there were so many deaths, that I lost that feeling and never regained it.

For the most part, I enjoyed this story and kept reading late into the night, but the characters didn't make an emotional connection with me. They needed to exhibit more emotion, to reach beyond their shell shock.  I still wanted them to succeed so that the story would conclude and I'd be finished reading their tale.

Cover image courtesy Clean Teen Publishing.

Tuesday 28 June 2016

Needlework Tuesday - Building a Castle

 What a fun day I had with my friend Audrey.  We sewed this wonderful castle panel.  It's going to be a pillow for her daughter's bed.   This is a really cute free pattern from Fat Quarter Shop - Castle Pillow. Of course I made a few changes.  The pattern makes a 20 inch square pillow.  I find that pillow forms are expensive and tend to go flat rather quickly.  Instead, I made my castle 20 1/2 x 26 1/2 inches, which is the same as a standard bed pillow.  These can be purchased on sale very reasonably and replaced as needed.

I also used a piece of fabric that looked like stained glass instead of an open window.  In the battlements, I left a few open as they would truly appear.  The rick-rack isn't stitched down yet, I'll wait till after the quilting.  We are planning a few embellishments, anyone have a fabric with a print of a dragon?

Son asked for another baby afghan for a friend who is due very soon.  I didn't want to make the star afghan again (they already have one of those) and instead wanted to do a ripple style.  I found this one on Ravelry by Leann Brown.  It has the look I want.  I am using what I have on hand, so am adjusting the number of rows.  All the off whites will be ten rows and the rest will vary between 4 (I only have a bit of beige) and ten rows.  Once the base row was established, I could stop counting and follow the previous row.  Ten rows goes surprisingly fast and then I get to play with colour.

I'll have an update on both of these projects next week.  That is, as long as I can keep myself from starting on yet another new project.

Needlework Tuesday is a regular weekly post where I share the progress of my various needlework projects over the past week. I enjoy the encouragement that I receive from my readers and in return visit their blogs and cheer them on with theirs. You are welcome to grab the cute little mouse and create your own Needlework Tuesday post. Leave a comment with a link and I'll be sure to visit with you.

I hope that you are having fun and  making progress on whatever project is dear to your heart at this moment.  Mister Linky is waiting below for a link to your current post.

 

Monday 27 June 2016

A Robot in the Garden by Deborah Install

Ben Chambers's life has been on hold since his parents died in a airplane crash several years ago.  He dropped out of vet school and has yet to find a job.   In fact, he even finds it challenging to take the garbage out on time.

One day when he does take out the trash, he finds a small robot named Tang in his back garden.  The next day it's still there and Ben becomes determined to learn more about it.  This is the start of an epic road trip and a trip to reclaim his life.

I fell in love with this story almost from the first page.  It gave me a warm cuddly feeling throughout and Ben's attachment to the little robt was endearing.

Ben is a lost man and when he unites with the lost robot, they become a pair that pulls at the heart strings of the reader.With every mis-step on their quest I found myself cheering for them and hoping that the next leg would be kinder and would draw them closer to the needed resolution.

The idea of a road trip (including flights) with a robot who has knowledge of a toddler is appealing if fanciful.  With the current status of robotic research, this book teeters on the edge of science fiction.  At first, I thought this would be a YA story, but it's much more than that.  Ben finds himself examining his life in regard to how he responds to Tang.As much as he had preconceived ideas about Tang, he also had many about himself and his marriage.  While a robot can't solve his problems, he sure is a great travel companion and character.


A Robot in the Garden is the debut novel for author Deborah Install.

Thanks to Sourcebooks for my review ebook and for use of the cover image.

Sunday 26 June 2016

Virals by Kathy Reichs and Brendan Reichs

This is a teen version of the Tempe Brennan novels, but better.  Tory Brennan is 14 and has moved to an island offshore of South Carolina.  Her and her friends don't fit in at their school and tend to spend their ample free time together. One day they rescue a wolfdog from a research lab and unlease a sequence of events they couldn't have imagined.

I enjoyed this audio book.  The teens acted just as I remember my kids at that age.  They leap into situations with out considering the consequences. They let their emotions rule rather than logic.  The parents are all secondary characters, the story doesn't need much input from them as the kids carry the day.

I liked the tie-in to the Temperence Brennan books. It gives an explanation for some of Tory's interests and knowledge that a typical teen wouldn't have.  You don't have to have read any of the author's previous  books to enjoy this one.

Author Kathy Reichs stretched the science enough to make the teens illness believable.  With swine flu and bird flu having worked their way around the globe, why not an illness from an animal right there on Loggerhead Island.  I thought that it added an interesting twist to the story that would appeal to the teen reader.

Cristin Milioti does a great job as reader for the audio book.  The kids really did sound like young teens.  My favourite voice was the one used for Chance, the indulged son of one of the wealthiest men in the area.  I don't know how to describe a South Carolina accent, but his dripped of money and privilege.   I listened to the unabridged version  9 hours 4 minutes.

The Virals series has grown to 9 books.

Cover image courtesy Penguin Random House.

Thursday 23 June 2016

SYNC Audio for Teens - Week 8


The next pairing of free audiobooks is now available.  For more information about this wonderful program, read my introductory post.  Remember, these are only available till  June 29, 2016

 Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan

Full cast reading
Donny's Brain by Rona Munro

Full cast dramatic reading

Tuesday 21 June 2016

Needlework Tuesday - Time for a Snack

 I have a bad habit of snacking while I am stitching.  I learned long ago not to eat greasy or gooey foods as they might leave marks on my project.  Cookies tend to be fairly safe, though sandwiches usually require two hands so they are a no go.  Today, I was working with a different type of sandwich. A yarn one.  This cute sandwich is for my neighbour's grandson.
 On a plate it looks quite appetizing.
 I made two slices of bread, whole grain of course.
 Leaf lettuce and a slice of swiss style cheese.
 Add two slices of tomato for a real treat.  Pattern is free from Yarnspirations. Playtime Sandwich..
 Another little finish this week.  I knit this last winter but never got the ends worked in and it just seemed a little boring.  Cute shape but too much of the same again and again.  What could I do to liven it up.  The pattern is called Brilliant Zig Zag Scarf and is free from Lion Brand Yarn.   I enjoyed knitting it and image that I will make it again in the future.  Below the scarf is shown after a little play.

Needlework Tuesday is a regular weekly post where I share the progress of my various needlework projects over the past week. I enjoy the encouragement that I receive from my readers and in return visit their blogs and cheer them on with theirs. You are welcome to grab the cute little mouse and create your own Needlework Tuesday post. Leave a comment with a link and I'll be sure to visit with you.

I hope that you are having fun and  making progress on whatever project is dear to your heart at this moment.  Mister Linky is waiting below for a link to your current post.

Monday 20 June 2016

City of the Lost by Kelley Armstrong

 There are some situations in life where the best course of action is to run far and hide deep.  Casey Duncan killed a man years ago and now this past is catching up with her.  Her friend Diane needs to hide from an abusive spouse and has heard about a place where they would both be safe.

Sheriff Eric Dalton from the elusive Rockton, Yukon needs a detective in his town as even people seeking to hide commit crimes. Brutal crimes.

I liked Casey from the first.  She is an action oriented women.  She doesn't let things fester, rather she acts and gets them resolved.  She is also smart, which helps make her a good detective.  Casey is mostly an open book, where as Sheriff Dalton is a closed and locked volume. 

As a detective story, this fondly reminded me of those written in the 1950s and 60s where the investigator had to rely on intellect instead of electronic gizmos to solve the case.  At first I thought this would be a relatively easy case for her, but the more she learned, the more she found she didn't know and that not everyone was who they seemed.  At one point I fingered the ultimate culprit, but then dismissed that ideas as further details unravelled and redirected by focus.

There was one setting in the book that creeped me out.  I could truly imagine the panic I would feel in that situation. I couldn't wait for that section to end.

This is a well written novel and a departure for author Kelley Armstrong from her other worldly characters created in some of her earlier books.  The stories of Casey, Eric and Rockton will continue in the next book in this series tentatively titled A Darkness Absolute.

Cover image courtesy Penguin Random House.

Saturday 18 June 2016

The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu

I've long suspected that governments carry out secret projects.  In this novel, author Cixin Liu imagines the Chinese have sent their own alternate message out into space and they received a response. The general public know nothing of this, though one group seeks to use this knowledge for their cause.

While I enjoyed the essential plot of the story, there was a sense of not understanding that hounded me through the entire book.  It started with not knowing about the Chinese Cultural Revolution of the 1960s, and then not being able to follow the scientific explanations.  A paragraph or two explaining the basic of the Cultural Revolution would have helped immensely or at least assured me that I knew all I needed to follow the plot.  The author is obviously quite a bright man, though I felt he had trouble writing about science in terms that a non-science reader could fully understand.  The plot makes sense even if the reader doesn't understand all the science, but for me, I hate skipping paragraphs for that reason. I want to read and understand the entire book.

Professor Wang Miao is almost an interesting character.  He doesn't want the role he's been forced into, though he realizes he has no choice but to make the best of it.  Police Detective Shi Quang stopped short of being an amazing character that you loved to hate.  I didn't make an emotional connection with any of the characters in the book. Their personalities didn't emerge during the telling. I don't know whether this is the fault of the author or they were lost in translation to English.

Unfortunately this book was not a winner for me.  I did finish reading as I wanted to learn what happened, but I have no desire at this point to read the next instalment in this trio.


Cover image courtesy Tor.com.  Visit this link to read an excerpt of chapters 1-3.

Friday 17 June 2016

First Nations Friday - Sweetest Kulu by Celina Kalluk

I was looking for some board books for my new niece and was attracted by the lovely cover of Sweetest Kulu by author Celina Kalluk an Inuit throat singer.

The story tells of the gifts given to a newborn by the animals of the arctic.  The language is gentle and flowing and had a calming effect on me. I learned that the word Kulu is an Inuit term of endearment.  How perfect for a baby book.

Little Kulu is dressed in a teal outfit on each page as is a different arctic animal. I particularly loved the pages with the arctic char, the snow bunting and my absolute favourite was the narwhal beluga page.   If I could have a print suitable for framing, that would be the page.  The book is illustrated by Alexandria Neonakis.

This book provides plenty of material for both parents and children to enjoy.  As the child grows older, they can learn the animals, colours, flowers and even play act the feeling that are introduced.  This is a book that I could enjoy reading again and again.

Cover image courtesy Inhabit Media.

Video of Celina Kalluk singing "Daylight Remains" featuring throat singing.

"Daylight Remains" by Celina Kalluk - English from DEEP INC. on Vimeo.

Thursday 16 June 2016

SYNC Audio for Teens - Week 7


The next pairing of free audiobooks is now available.  For more information about this wonderful program, read my introductory post.  Remember, these are only available till  June 22, 2016

 The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man by James Weldon Johnson
How it Went Down by Kekla Magoon

Full cast reading.

Wednesday 15 June 2016

The Girl Who Wrote in Silk by Kelli Estes

History is kind to the victors because they write the books.  In this book, author Kelli Estes tells the story of those who were vanquished, that of early Chinese immigrants to the American west coast areas.

Inara Erickson has inherited her aunt's estate and plans to turn the large home into a boutique B&B.  While renovating, she finds an intricately embroidered sleeve. She suspects it might have historical significance and turns to professor Daniel Chin to help uncover its provenance. 

I could not stop listening as the hidden story of the mistreatment of Chinese immigrants was unraveled.   Many unethical and even criminal acts were committed and had be lost or buried in time.  The story moved quickly once Inara and Daniel started uncovering the clues to the truth.

I was captivated by this tale. Once I started listening, I didn't want to stop and would find excuses to keep listening to the audio book.  Narrator Emily Woo Zeller brought the characters to life for me even long dead Mei Lein.  She presented her in a calming voice but was clearly able to invoke the anguish that she must have felt during her most trying times.

It was interesting to read how both Inara and Daniel handled the deceit of their ancestors and how they learned from those came before them.  We don't have to repeat the lies and faults of our ancestors, we can forge our own futures.

While The Girl Who Wrote is Silk is a work of fiction, it is loosely based on an historical account of the fates of Chinese immigrants to the American west coast.

I listened to the unabridged audio book as read by Emily Woo Zeller. 12 hours 21 minutes. Blackstone Audio.

If you enjoy historical based novels exploring Chinese and Japanese immigrants to Canada and the United States, you might enjoy:

Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson
Obasan by Joy Kogawa
White Jade Tiger by Julie Lawson

Cover image courtesy Downpour.

Tuesday 14 June 2016

Needlework Tuesday - Those secret projects

Every so often I find myself trying to stitch a project in secret.  No, it's not because I spent an outrageous amount on the supplies rather that I want it to be surprise for the recipient.

No secrets revealed. Yarn for mystery projectl
Why do I have such trouble with these items.  If the future recipient doesn't live with me, no sweat. As long as I don't blog about it, the secret is safe.  It's when he or she lives with me that I run into trouble.  I always start with the most reasonable of plans.  I'll stitch when that person is at school or work, and put it away before dinner time and the person's arrival home.  That works for  a few days and then I fall off the plan and the project gets lost into some sort of limbo.  It can then reside there for weeks or even months on end.  One day recently daughter picked up the bag by my chair.  She asked what was in this bag that had been sitting there for over a year.  eeks, a surprise, don't look.

Had it really been that long. wow, I'd better get moving on it.  Since that exchange a few weeks ago, I have worked on it a total of twice.  The worst thing is that there is probably less than two hours of stitching left on it.  Oh why is it still languishing.   It's not the only long term mystery project in the house either. There are at least two more that I can remember, though I wouldn't be surprised to find out there are more.

I'm not making any promises that I'll get working on them, I wanted to acknowledge their existance  and remind myself of why I started them in the first place.  The reasons are still valid and I know I will be as thrilled with them when they are eventually completed as I would have been had I completed them right away.  I can only hope that admitting they exist will jog others memories that they might also have secret projects that they have forgotten about.

Dare I ask you to share your secret projects, perhaps one that has already been completed and delivered.

Needlework Tuesday is a regular weekly post where I share the progress of my various needlework projects over the past week. I enjoy the encouragement that I receive from my readers and in return visit their blogs and cheer them on with theirs. You are welcome to grab the cute little mouse and create your own Needlework Tuesday post. Leave a comment with a link and I'll be sure to visit with you.

I hope that you are making progress on whatever project is dear to your heart at this moment.  Mister Linky is waiting below for a link to your current post.

Sunday 12 June 2016

The Light Between Oceans by M. L. Stedman

After witnessing the autrocities of WWI, Tom Sherbourne seeks the solace of running a remote light house offshore of southwest shore of Australia.  During his shore visits he meets and falls in love with Isabel.  After courting, they settle into married life.  Their domestic bliss is challenged by two miscarriages followed by a still birth.  Life reaches a critical point when a rowboat reaches their shore with a tiny baby crying out for care.  Do they seize this opportunity to have the family they have longed for.

I loved this book.  It explored a lifestyle I can never lead, living on a remote island with no social contact for six months at a time.  It takes a unique person to want to live this life.  I enjoyed learning of Tom's story and why he felt compelled to live on the island.  I was less entranced with Isabel, though she was a woman in love who would follow her man anywhere specially if it was far from her parents home.  It lead me to several times when I had to ask myself what would I have done were I in their situation.

I listened to the audiobook as read by Noah Taylor. 10 hours 22 minutes unabridged.   Mr. Taylor's accent made me feel as though I really was in Australia, not sitting in my living room in Canada.  He easily met the challenge of voicing the rough sailors and the more refined and educated city people.


Cover image courtesy Simon &Schuster Audio.

Saturday 11 June 2016

The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo

This is a most original story.  It is set during 1890's colonial Malaysia and young Li Lan is being considered to become the ghost wife to the recently deceased son of wealthy Lim family.  I found this concept intriguing and unsettling at the same time.  I kept wondering what kind of life she could have as wife to a ghost.

Then the tale gets complicated, enter the deceased man's cousin Tian Bai and another mysterious man Er Lang.  It takes the rest of the story to unravel the stories of these men and their ties to Li Lan.

Throughout the story I keep hoping that Li Lan's father would get his act together and behave like a caring parent instead of hiding in his room and smoking opium.  Fortunate for her, she has  Amah, her nanny to guide her, not that teens are known for listening to the advice of their elders.

I was captivated by this debut novel the entire tale.  Each time I thought I knew where it was leading, a new spirit or twist would show and the direction would change.  Once I started, I didn't want to put it down.  I can't wait to see what surprises will be found in future works by author Yangsze Choo.

Cover image courtesy HarperCollins Canada

Friday 10 June 2016

First Nations Friday - Birdie by Tracey Lindberg

First Nations Friday is an occasional post where I review works by Canadian Indian, Inuit and Metis authors.

Birdie is one of those people who fell through the cracks even when everything was done right.  It didn't help that she felt she didn't deserve the good that happened in her life.

She is a likable character that I quickly found myself caring for.  I wanted her to succeed.

She had three good women in her camp, as well as her mother and grandmother during  her younger years.  Her aunt Val, her cousin Freda and her employer Lola. They each loved her for their own reasons, yet only Val  understood where Birdie was at and what internal road she was travelling.  It wasn't  a spirit quest, but rather a dream quest.

At the beginning of the book, I couldn't follow what was happening, sort of like the confusion that Birdie was feeling in her life.  Within a few chapters, I was so wrapped up in the telling that I was weeping.  I can't pinpoint one particular reason for the tears, rather it was the accumulation of all she had been going through.  The story wasn't all gloomy by any means. The references to the long running television show  The Beachcombers  brought found memories to mind and made me smile along with Birdie.

I thank author Tracey Lindberg for inviting me into these women's complex lives.  Each of the was on a journey and they needed Birdie to help them move along to their next stage, just as she needed them to care for her physical body while she tended to her spiritual one.  This is a moving debut novel and hints at wonderful literary future for Ms. Lindberg.

Cover image used courtesy HarperCollins Canada.

Thursday 9 June 2016

SYNC Audio for Teens - Week 6


The next pairing of free audiobooks is now available.  For more information about this wonderful program, read my introductory post.  Remember, these are only available till June 15, 2016

 I'll Give you the Sun by Jandy Nelson

Zac & Mia by A. J. Betts

US only

Wednesday 8 June 2016

Hero of a Highland Wolf by Terry Spear

If you happen to be a fan of brawny men in kilts, then this is the book for you.  Grant MacQuarrie and his clan have cared for Farraige Castle for decades, now they are to meet it's new owner Colleen Playfair. They have made plans that are sure to scare the poor lass and have her scurrying back to the States with her tail between her legs.

Colleen  knows she just has to spend a year in Scotland to fulfil the requirements of her father's will.  Her alpha personality should help her overcome any challenges that arise.

I enjoyed this book from the first pages.  As soon as author Terry Spear described the shirtless highlanders clad in their clan kilts, I was hooked.  Stir in some romance, clan rivalry and wolfish romps and it's a winning combination.  Did I mention that the clans are all shifters?  That does add some interesting twists to the story, but for me, it really does come back to those kilted highlanders.

I received this book free from Sourcebooks Casablanca as a chapter by chapter daily email.
For those who enjoy their daily dose of romance, Sourcebooks Casablanca offers a free romance daily read email that is delivered to  your inbox each morning.  Sign up is simple, visit this link and complete the form.  You can even catch up on days you have missed.

Cover image courtesy Sourcebooks.

Tuesday 7 June 2016

Needlework Tuesday - Show and Tell

Last evening was the end of year banquet for the Elmira Needlesisters Quilt Guild, my local guild.  After a lovely potluck dinner, we had show and tell.  Since September we have been working on quilts using the guidelines from member Laura.  You'll see in the following photos, we're not all that good at following directions.

We were to start with a central block of our own choosing.  Each month, Laura gave us directions for the next border, or partial border.  That's were the personal interpretation started.  Some didn't like asymetical borders and others changed the the colour orientation, and others decided to stop at different points.  They are all so different though we used the same pattern.  I do hope you enjoy the show.  Sorry I don't have to names of all the makers.








Barb decided to  stop early and make a smaller wall hanging

Joyce is still pondering whether to go larger or to stop and make
 this a wheel chair quilt

Kay still considers herself a new quilter and felt challenged to make this wall hanging.  




This is mine. I still am going to add a single fabric border when I find the correct print


I promised I'd show you my lonestar quilt once it was put together.  Ta-da.  It measures about 64 inches a side.  Now to figure out how to quilt it.   Once again, the pattern is by Kimberly Einmo.

There was some furious sewing at my house over the past few days.  I think I need a bit of a break, though daughter is ready to get on with her dress. hmm. Since I don't want to keep an enthusiastic daughter down, on with the dress.

 Needlework Tuesday is a regular weekly post where I share the progress of my various needlework projects over the past week. I enjoy the encouragement that I receive from my readers and in return visit their blogs and cheer them on with theirs. You are welcome to grab the cute little mouse and create your own Needlework Tuesday post. Leave a comment with a link and I'll be sure to visit with you.

I hope that you are making progress on whatever project is dear to your heart at this moment.  Mister Linky is waiting below for a link to your current post.




Thursday 2 June 2016

SYNC Audio for Teens - Week 5


The next pairing of free audiobooks is now available.  For more information about this wonderful program, read my introductory post.  Remember, these are only available till June 8, 2016


Words in  the Dust by Trent Reedy


The Boy Born Dead by David Ring