A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo

I loved this book. I hadn't watched Last Week Tonight with John Oliver in a while, but I saw a clip of John Oliver on one of the late night shows (was it Seth Meyers or Stephen Colbert, maybe both). He was talking about A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo. I know this all happened a few months ago, but I recently was reading the book with my children and they really enjoyed it, especially my son (who is on the cusp of going from picture books to chapter books). They love that love wins, that you can't stop two people who love each other from being together.

They are so cute!

There are all kinds of things I could talk about when it comes to A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo, but for me, that my children enjoy the book and easily understand the message of love is so important. The proceeds from the book go to The Trevor Project and Aids United, which is fantastic. It's a big middle finger to the current American administration, which is pretty funny. If the children didn't get the message though, I don't know if the book would have the same impact, I don't know if it would be a bestseller. Part of me hopes that Last Week Tonight puts out another children's book, because if Marlon Bundo is any indication, it would be great.

Check out the episode:

March 18, 2018: Mike Pence

Anne of Avonlea

Another trip to Prince Edward Island, another book in the Anne of Green Gables series read. I loved Anne of Avonlea. Anne is more grown up, though only 16 at the start of the novel. She, Gilbert Blythe, and two other friends have returned from Redmond College to take up teaching positions. Anne and Gilbert teach their students and along with their friends Diana and Fred, form the Avonlea Village Improvement Society. 

Anne and Diana’s friendship grows and matures, as they do. Anne is very much treated as an adult, she teaches, and she helps Marilla raise children. Talk of marriage surrounds her. It’s a bit strange to me, as by the end of the story, she is just 17. It seems like she has a lot of responsibility at her age, though admittedly, it was a different time then. There are also different opinions on whether Anne needs more schooling. Some residents of Avonlea Village say, no. Though she wants to go back to school, Anne loves teaching. Her students love her. She loves them. She takes her work very seriously, feeling deeply for each pupil. Were people really so mature as teenagers at the beginning of the last century?

Though I fully enjoyed the story, watching Anne and the residents of Avonlea grow, I wish there was a bit more plot. Anne of Avonlea seems to be a snippet of Anne’s life for the two years between Anne of Green Gables and Anne of the Island. A lot of exciting, surprising, interesting things happen, but I didn’t really feel a thread that held them all together. In a weird way, it makes me want to read Anne of the Island more. With how this book ends, there is so much bound to happen in the next one.

Blast From The Past #7 - Ella Enchanted

I can't believe how old this movie is! It's been 10 years since I watched Ella Enchanted but it's actually 12 years old, first released in 2004. I know the movie isn't critically great and that it's yet another Cinderella retelling, but something about it always charms me. I don't know if it's the singing or how sweet Ella is or how terrible the fairy-godmother's gift is, but every time it comes on television, I watch it, even if it's just for a few minutes. Something about it lightens my mood, and in these current times, I think that's something we all need.

Blast From The Past #6 - A Series Of Unfortunate Events

I can't believe it's been 10 years since I finished A Series of Unfortunate Events. I really loved those books. They were so quirky and unique. I'm just waiting for my children to be old enough so that I can read the series with them. The idea of reading them again makes me happy. I loved them then and I love them now. I am excited that 10 years later there's going to be a Netflix television series based on them, that these books are still popular and loved. Of course it's being released on a "Friday the 13th". I am sure they did that on purpose. It's such an "unfortunate" thing to happen.

I remember being excited for the movie too. I thought A Series of Unfortunate Events was fantastic. I loved the children, and Jim Carrey as Count Olaf was perfect. Meryl Streep was in it! Why did they stop at one? I don't really know. Money and scripts probably. You can only wait so long too, since they were child actors, once they age too much, it's not believable anymore.

Back to my past post... The post I wrote 10 years ago is part love of A Series of Unfortunate Events and part the last books I read in the series. Based on what I said in the post about the "extra stories" my hot/cold relationship with side stories is at least 10 years old. I remember being a bit disappointed about what was learned in The Beatrice Letters and The Unauthorized Autobiography. Some of it was good and they were good stories, but they didn't affect how I viewed the rest of the series or my reading of The End. I remember not wanting The End to be the end of the series. I wanted to know so much more about the Baudelaires. They're still children at the end of the series. What happened when they became adults? I've always wanted to know more. I also wonder if Lemony Snicket's most recent series, All The Wrong Questions eventually relates to A Series of Unfortunate Events. I should finish reading that series too.

So, 10 years ago, I finished reading a fun series. Now, I can look forward to watching (maybe binge-watching) a television show based on those books. 

Netflix series trailer:

Blast from the Past #1 - A Series of Unfortunate Events

About 10 years ago...I posted this.

I finished the last five books of Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events. I took these books (among others) on my honeymoon. Why? I don't know. Not typical honeymoon reading material. Certainly different than the books I read on my recent vacation. I said it was the "perfect poolside read" and maybe they can be, if what you want is fun, exciting and easy. They're books for children, so I probably didn't have to do a lot of thinking while reading them. 

The post looks weird. I chose Courier for the font, for whatever reason... I think because Lemony Snicket writes letters on old typewriters. There are also no pictures and no links. Now, there's always at least one picture, no matter the post. I also include links to the books, authors, series information and anything else I think else related to the post. Not back then. It's also kind of spoilery, so don't read it if you haven't read the books. Apparently I didn't know about Spoiler Warnings back then.

10 years later, I still think they're great books. I'll probably start reading them with my daughter in about a year, maybe sooner. They have a darkness to them, but they're cheeky and they are about the children solving these problems. I'm looking forward to re-reading them with her.

So this is my first "Throwback Thursday" sort of post. I think I'll keep doing it, though it's throwing me to see how "uncomplicated" this post was. I wonder what next week will bring.

The Little Prince

Why had nobody told me about the ending? Why had I never heard of it before? Of course I'd heard of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's, The Little Prince (Le Petit Prince), but I had never read it growing up. I knew it was a classic children's book, published in French, but translated into many languages (the most translated French book, apparently). I'm always looking for books to share with my children and based on language level alone, I thought this would be a good one to read with my daughter. Plus, there's a movie now (and you have to read the book before you see the movie). But the ending! The ending! It was so unexpected, I almost cried.

The Little Prince tells the story of the Little Prince, a boy, stranded in the desert with a crash-landed pilot. As the pilot fixes his plane, the Prince tells the story of how he came to be in the desert, that he's from another planet (asteroid) and visited other planets (asteroids), before deciding to come to Earth. He also tells the narrator of the discoveries he makes once getting to Earth. He's so innocent, but holding back. There's something he's not saying and it frustrates the pilot that he doesn't answer questions. I love that the Prince must have his questions answered though, like a child asking and asking the same thing until you stop to answer them. The Prince is curious, kind and full of imagination.

Will I read The Little Prince with my daughter (and eventually my son)? Will we all see the movie? Yes. Once I get over my heartbreak.

Star Wars Jedi Academy: The Phantom Bully

I really enjoyed Star Wars Jedi Academy: The Phantom Bully (and it's two predecessors).  It is a very cute story, that is light and fun and reminds us how difficult it can be at that age.  Your first feelings for a girl/boy, your first fight with your best friend, dealing with bullies, trying to understand teachers.  Of course, the books are targeted to that age group, I'm just a geek who enjoys Star Wars.

What? It's a Star Wars book.

I think Roan is a relateable main character. He is clever, but awkward. He is new to the school, wants to be cool, but also values good grades.  I like that his artwork is valued and popular with the kids at the school; I think it is important to show that the arts are important.

Though she isn't the star of the story, Gaiana is a great character. She is smart, independent, and loyal. She is shown having her own awkward growing pains, but that doesn't not in any way change how Roan feels about her. I also loved that she comes in first, not Roan or even his best friend, Pasha. Also, the person who was best at sports was the new girl, Lilly.

I also appreciate the subtle diversity of the story, which I didn't pick up on until part way through the book.  Roan's best friend, Pasha, is clearly a person of colour. Roan's last name is Novachez, and it looks as though his father is dark-haired, while his mother has lighter hair.  It's kind of hard to tell, since the book is in black and white.  Most of the rest of Roan's classmates are aliens.  So, they could be whatever colour.  I don't know if that was on purpose or just how Jeffrey Brown saw his own middle school.  There maybe could have been a couple more girls, but it was still pretty good.

I really enjoyed the Jedi Academy series and in a year or two, I will be giving (lending?) the books to my daughter. Brown has also written some adorable children's books, so I'm wondering what his next project will be.

Also, a quick note on his "about the author" bit at the end, it is really cute. Brown has drawn himself in the style of the book, as a Jedi, using the Force to levitate little drawings of all his books.  I really like a fun, quirky, unique about the author blurb.

(Did I just end this post with "blurb"?)

Star Wars Jedi Academy: Return of the Padawan

Jeffrey Brown's Star Wars Jedi Academy: Return of the Padawan was fantastic.  It was everything I expected after reading the first Star Wars Jedi Academy book.  It was cute, funny, and sweet. Roan really grew, more than he did in the first book.  It wasn't just him getting through a year of school and getting used to Jedi training.  In Return of the Padawan, Roan learns about himself.  He learns about maintaining friendships, listening to others, and resisting the dark side.  Even though it's the Jedi Academy, there are so many relatable moments for kids. This could be any school.  

I thoroughly enjoyed Brown's style of drawing and the way that the book is pieced together. Including the report cards, the Ewok Pilot cartoon, and journal entries is fantastic.  I really liked the inclusion of "Holobook", the Jedi Academy's version of Facebook.  It showed how, as in real life, you can make a simple post, and then receive negativity.  Holobook is my new favourite part of the Jedi Academy.  I was happy reading this latest installment and I can't wait to read about Roan's third year in The Phantom Bully.

Doll Bones

Doll Bones is the first book I've read by Holly Black and I don't think it'll be the last. Doll Bones tells the story of three friends, Polly, Alice, and Zach, who are twelve and are growing up. The three friends have been playing together since they were little. Something happens which makes Zach think that he won't be able to play with Polly and Alice anymore. Life changes a lot at twelve and these three are no exception. Growing up, however, is not all they have to worry about. They're being haunted, by a creepy porcelain doll.

What is it about porcelain dolls that make them creepy?  Also, they're creepy, so why do people buy them?  How many possessed dolls have there been in horror movies and shows? But they keep getting bought. The cover of Doll Bones is the creepy doll. It is a great cover for a middle grade horror novel. It is the cover and the fact that I've been wanting to read something by Black (and the crazy sale price) that had me pick up Doll Bones and it was great.

Doll Bones was the perfect read for the car trips we took recently; I barely noticed the time pass by. I loved the three main characters. They each came from different home lives and they are each becoming adolescents in their own way. They are leaving childhood behind, but are also trying to hang on to it. Their quest was fantastic, scary and fun. I liked the end, the last line, but I'm still left wanting more. I want to know more about Polly, Zach, and Alice. I wish there was more at the ending. I want to know more about their families too. It might just be me though, I've been hard to please with endings lately. I'm happy I read Dolls Bones, it was a great October read.

The Giver

The ending!  What happened?  This is the second book in a row that I've read where the ending leaves so many possibilities.  I know that technically Lois Lowry's The Giver is the first in a quartet of books, but after reading the description for Gathering Blue, I don't know if it has anything to do with Jonas.  So, that leaves me wanting to know what happens next.  As crazy as this kind of ending makes me, I also liked it.  I like the possibilities.

I'm not really sure what my thoughts are on the rest of the book.  I enjoyed it.  I can see why so many have loved it over the years - The Giver was published 20 years ago, before dystopian novels became a thing. The main character, Jonas, is thoughtful and introspective.  Initially, he balances what he learns with the way he grows up.  The more he learns about the truth, however, especially about his father, the more he wants to turn away.  This isn't a very action-packed novel.  The reader mostly orbits Jonas and his time learning.  The Giver doesn't need action, I wanted to know what Jonas was going to learn next, I wanted to know what his decisions were going to be.

Even though I can tell from the trailers that they've aged Jonas (he's only 12 in the novel) and that there is more action scenes, I'm interested in seeing the movie.  I want to see how they bring Jonas's internal world to life on the screen.  I've heard mixed reviews on the movie.  I wonder if they traded some of Jonas's thoughtfulness for action sequences.  I'll just have to wait and see.  The book is amazing though, enduring for decades.  I'm sure I've missed tons of stuff, I can see myself reading The Giver again and giving it to my kids to read.  I think it will still be in schools and read for years to come.

Alice Through The Looking Glass, Stratford Festival

Alice Through the Looking Glass is being performed as part of the Stratford Festival this year. I was lucky enough to get tickets for a performance where the proceeds went to the United Way. I was excited to see Alice, looking forward to whimsy, colour and fun. Alice was good, but not great. The second half, after intermission was fabulous. It was engaging, funny and exciting.

I love the theatre and was so excited to see a play in Stratford this year (I’m hoping to see another one in the fall).  I wish I could have been as excited about Alice as I was about Tommy last year.  Alice Through The Looking Glass is fabulous source material (which I should read), I thought there would just be more.  The costumes were fantastic, the bicycles were perfect.  The set, the effects, were all brilliant.  If you can sit through the talking of the first half, the second half is definitely worth it.  It’s worth it just to see Humptey Dumptey have his fall.  That was hilarious, laugh out loud funny. 

I have to warn, this show is not really for little kids.  I did not bring my five-year-old and I’m glad.  There were kids her age there and younger.  They were so very bored.  It was better for them for the second half too, but there were things happening throughout the whole play that I don’t think they would necessarily understand.  Children should be at least 8, I think, maybe older.

Alice Through The Looking Glass was fun.  More than anything, it has made me want to read the book.  I’m looking forward to the next play I see too.  I hope I get to see another play at the Stratford Festival this year.

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.

For a long time, I thought I had read Judy Blume. If you're a bookish kid, and I was, of course you've read something by her. As I got older, I thought about it, read about her books, looked at her catalogue, and realized that I hadn't ever read one of her books. How did that happen? How did I read, and read, and READ, and not one of those authors was her? As an adult, I wondered if I should fix that gap in my reading life, especially since I felt that in just a few years, this was the kind of book my daughter might be reading.

Then, the day after I had finished reading Slaughterhouse-Five, having NO idea what I should be reading next (big book hangover), there it was on a big book table, marked down... A children's classic missing from my life, on sale! It called to me and I took Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. home and started reading it the same day.

I could have easily read the story in one day. It’s not long; reading it in one day would have been a snap. The plot flows, follows Margaret along on her pre-teen adventure.  Moving, boys, breasts, and periods, what is the next disaster going to be?  I really sympathized with Margaret, thought she was crazy, mean, nice, and hormonal.  I related with Laura Danker.  I have known more than one Nancy. We have all learned the lesson that looks aren’t everything, but it’s hard to learn that at twelve.

There’s something about finding out a book is banned that makes me want to read it more too.  I’ve read so many articles and lists about banned books and Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. is so often on them.  That was one of the reasons that if I were to only read one Blume, this would have to be the one.  I can tell why it was banned.  Periods and God.  No one wants to read about a girl trying to discover those two things.  Gross, right?  Also, blasphemous.  I actually thought that Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. is a great book to help a young person learn about those things.

The ending was the only thing I wasn’t completely happy with. It felt too open, there was too much left unsaid. It's not like I need books to wrap up every loose end, I just like books to feel finished. Maybe part of my problem was that there were about 20 more pages after the end of the story, previewing another of Judy Blume's books. I didn't know that, so I turned the page expecting more story. It was a very disappointing moment, and not the first time that has happen, when I saw what was on the next page. Please publishers, note somewhere that there's a preview of another book included so I'm not sad at the end. Thanks.

I am glad I finally read this book. It’s a modern classic, fun, sweet and something I’ll be recommending to my children and my friends’ children and anyone who hasn’t read it.  I know Blume has written books for adults, I’m interested now in reading one of those. If anyone is missing Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. from their reading lives, you should fix it.

Star Wars: Jedi Academy

Star Wars: Jedi Academy was the cutest piece of Star Wars geekery I have ever read. I loved Jeffery Brown's writing and illustrations. I loved the young Padawan, Roan, trying to find his way. I loved the Jedi Temple being like a regular middle school for these kids. He wanted to be a pilot, not a Jedi!  With the backdrop of Star Wars, Jedi Academy taps into what it's like to be a kid. 

Even though the last page has nothing really to do with the story, I thought it was wonderful. I want a journal just like that. I want photos and drawings and interesting bits of life taped in. I think it's great to be encouraging kids to create journals like this. You don't have to be a writer or artist to record your feelings everyday, you just have to live your life.

I'm excited that a new Jedi Academy book is coming out. I'm not surprised, since this story only covered the first year. Is this going to be a trilogy? Or a much longer series? Either way, I think I'm hooked. My excuse will be that I'm going to start reading them to my daughter.

Buying Books for A Baby Shower

I buy books for baby showers.  All the time.  The last baby shower I was at, I bought for the parents-to-be, Ten Apples Up On Top and Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You?.  I love these books.  I love them because my children love them.  They weren't ones I read as a child, they were gifts.  Seeing my kids love them makes me want to spread the baby bookish love. I've bought loads of different books for showers, The Paperbag Princess, Goodnight Moon, Goodnight, I Love You and so many more. I've even included Go the F*ck To Sleep so that new parents can get a warning about how difficult it can be to put their child to bed.  I want to add, I don't typically buy only books (though I had a friend tell me to only get her books and pick the ones my children liked best).  Usually the books go with toys or something on the registry or a cute onesie.

For an upcoming shower I purchased, One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish and The Cat In The Hat. They are classics and loved by children everywhere.  I was told by someone, who asked what I had bought for the shower - well I don't think the parents are readers.  They disapproved of my shower gift.  I might have been offended, I definitely got defensive.  My reply was something like, they better become readers. There are so many benefits to reading to your children.  I could angrily list them all here, but if you're reading this, you probably know what many of them are.

What I'm wondering is: would you NOT buy books for a baby shower if you knew the parents weren't big readers?  I guess I think books are classic, can't go wrong, loved by children, gifts....

When Did You See Her Last?

I had a great time reading the second book of Lemony Snicket's new series, All The Wrong Questions. When Did You See Her Last? was a fantastic, fun novel.  I couldn't put it down.  It was an entertaining, clever, happy and sad.  I loved it.  When I read the first book I was excited and not disappointed. I very much enjoyed Who Could It Be At This Hour? It was so much like A Series of Unfortunate Events that I had to find out when book 2 would be released.  When I got my hands on it, I couldn't wait to find out what was happening to young Lemony Snicket and the people of Stain'd-by-the-Sea.

Snicket writes that All The Wrong Questions is going to be four tales about how he asked four wrong questions (though apparently he's coming out with a book, 2.5).  The stories tell you why these were the wrong questions to ask and what Snicket should have asked instead.  I think it's a clever way to form a story, through specific questions and whether they are right or wrong. In Snicket's case, the answers tend to lead to more questions (which is probably why they were the wrong questions to ask in the first place.)

Like A Series of Unfortunate Events, the adults do not listen to the children. Even Snicket's chaperone, who is supposed to be training him, dismisses him. Snicket has had an "unusual education" and she is aware of that.  I also enjoy the calling out of parents who think their child is perfect, but is a troublemaker. It's so frustrating when the adults don't listen to the children, or underestimate them.  I love Moxie, Ellington, Pip, Squeak and all the friends young Snicket makes.  I can't wait to read more about all of them in book 2.5 and three.

Television I'm Looking Forward To This Fall

I'm excited about television this fall.  There are shows I've been waiting for what seems like ages to see.  I want to know what is going to happen.  (The list is in no particular order.)

Agents of SHIELD - Do I need to explain this?  I love Marvel.  I'm excited to watch SHIELD dealing with superhuman related problems. (Please be good...)

Dr. Who 50th Anniversary Special  (when does the new season start anyway?) - I don't think I should need to explain this.  It's Dr. Who!

The Legend of Korra - I think the first episode actually aired on the weekend and I missed it. Yikes!  I'm hoping YTV.com will still have the episodes to watch on their website, which is mostly where I watched last year.  It's a great show, the continuation of Avatar: The Last Airbender.  I just love Korra.

Once Upon A Time - I'm excited to see Neverland.  I'm hoping that it makes me enjoy the show they way I did during the first season.  

Grimm - To be honest, I didn't really watch the first season.  I watched the first episode and didn't really like it. Then I eventually gave the show another chance, watching a later episode from the first season and decided again the show wasn't for me.  Then last year, I caught an episode by accident and thought the show had gotten interesting.  I liked the Nick/Juliet conflict and loved Monroe with Rosalee.  The season finale was crazy!

The Walking Dead - Season three was not that good.  I got bored.  If my Hubby wasn't still watching the show, I might have stopped.  I'm looking forward to this show because of hope.  I have hope that the fourth season will be better.

Masterchef Junior - I really enjoy Masterchef.  Something about this show just gets me. (It's probably the food.) Then I see that they are actually making a kid version of this show for the fall. Well, I just have to watch.

There are other shows I like that I want to see, but I'm not searching them on the internet, trying to find out when they start.  I haven't been listening to news about those other shows all summer. So while I may watch other television, they aren't generating the kind of excitement or anticipation these ones are managing.

What are you looking forward to?

Who Could It Be At This Hour?

Who Could It Be At This Hour? is the first book in Lemony Snicket's newest series, All The Wrong Questions. The book is wonderfully fun. It's short, interesting and quirky. If your familiar with Snicket's series A Series Of Unfortunate Events, you'll see the same distinct writing style.  Who Could It Be At This Hour? follows Lemony Snicket's apprenticeship after his "unusual education."  I'm assuming this apprenticeship is for the VFD (if you've read Unfortunate Events, you'll know what I mean).  His chaperone is abysmal.  How she ever became a member of the organization I don't understand.  She's so annoyingly shortsighted.  There's also something strange about the innkeeper.... and the phone.... and the coffee shop.

Why do the adults not listen to children?  They're not even that young.  12 or 13 seems like a pretty good age where someone can explain what is going on. Also, Stew's parents are awful, so blind and so like other parents I've seen. I love Snicket's characters, especially the girls. Moxie and Ellington were fabulous, though different. I also loved brothers Pip and Squeak (nicknames). They were smart and fun.

The illustrations are super cute.  They're interesting and I think they really add depth to the story.  Snicket's illustrator is Seth, a different one from his last series and from his other books.  I really enjoyed this distinct style and I look forward to seeing what he comes up with for the next book.

My only minor complaint about Who Could It Be At This Hour? is that the story is left hanging, by a lot.  Not just a little.  I know it's the first of four volumes, but I still wish there was a little more conclusion in the ending.  I don't feel like enough questions were answered, though the series is called All The Wrong Questions, so what could I expect?  One thing the conclusion definitely did was made me eager for the second book, When Did You See Her Last? (clearly a "wrong question").  I have to know what happens.  I imagine I am already sucked into this world the same way I was with Unfortunate Events. If Snicket keeps publishing books with clever stories and mysteries that need solving, I'll keep reading them.

(You know, I really should read something by Daniel Handler.  I've only ever read the Snicket books... Though I've only read Sophie Kinsella and not Madeline Wickham too.  Maybe my brain can't made the crossover...)

The Last Battle

I'm so sad!  The ending.... I could see it coming. The way they talked about the train... They're going on a great adventure, but we won't get to read it because the books are over!!  C.S. Lewis wrote an amazing ending to his series.  The Last Battle had me eager to see how the story ended, but also hesitant, because I knew it was the final book of The Chronicles of Narnia.

It makes me sad that Susan doesn’t love Narnia anymore, or doesn’t believe in it.  She lived there like her brothers and sister, why did it have to be over for her?  I always felt a negativity around Susan, even in the first book (The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe).  Though it was Edmund who first sided with the White Witch, the way Lewis wrote about her… I don’t know how to explain it, but it was the impression I got and in subsequent books too.  Lewis turned her into a silly woman only interested in fashion and being an adult of a "certain age", then fighting to be that age forever.  I wonder why Lewis chose to make her this way.  In The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe, I felt that Lewis was not seeing women as equals or capable.  Then I felt that maybe his views changed as he wrote more about Narnia, but maybe it was Susan's character all along.  Lucy, Polly and Jill grew and loved Narnia until the end.  Will she join them eventually?  I'd like to believe so.

I hesitate to say this, but I’m a little offended by Lewis using the term “darkies” in The Last Battle.  I understand that Lewis was writing in a different time.  It didn't influence how I felt about the story (I honestly loved it), but every time someone called a Calormen that, I cringed a little.  It's not like none of the Calormen are redeemed/redeemable (Emeth being a great example) and it's only one group of individuals who use the term, but it still bothered me a little.

I have to mention how excited I was that Lewis used Plato's Allegory of the Cave.  It is one of the first things you learn when studying Philosophy.  That it's included in children's literature is amazing.  I think it really speaks to what Lewis believed children could understand.  I'm hoping that when my children are older, we'll read The Chronicles of Narnia together... and I can also teach them the Allegory of the Cave.

I'm sad that the series is over.  I loved it.  I still can't believe I didn't read this twenty years ago (am I aging myself?).  It was brilliant and wonderful.  I can see why it has endured and that children continue to read it and adults read and re-read it.  Yes, there are some controversial issues, many call Lewis racist and sexist, but I don't really think so.  Not if you look at when he was writing and what he was writing.  After all, a Calormen and an Archenlander get married and have a child.  Technically an interracial couple with a biracial baby!  That's a big deal for the 1950s  [This point has a BIG SPOILER!]  Even in this final story, The Last Battle ends with Aslan accepting all who were virtuous, no matter where they came from.  That's an ending I like. [I hope that SPOILER WARNING was big enough.]  I know that one day I'll re-read these books, whether with my children or on my own.  I think that I'll likely devour them one after the other, instead of stretching out the series like I've just finished doing.  I'm having a difficult time saying goodbye to Narnia.  It was a wonderful world to visit.

The Velveteen Rabbit

A children's book almost made my cry. It definitely made me sad and concerned. I was so worried for the Rabbit. I had never read The Velveteen Rabbit as a child. I didn't know what to expect. I always heard positive things about the story, I thought it was some happy tale with a typical children's moral at the end or something. That is not The Velveteen Rabbit that Margery Williams wrote. She wrote a children's story that had some tension.  It actually made me glad that I read it privately first before I read it to my daughter.  I would have had to answer some difficult questions or my three-and-a-half-year-old would not have understood certain plot points.  I think in another year or two, she's going to love this story because of the magic.  It's magic made out of love. What's better than that?!

A quick comment on the illustrations... I expected there to be more.  There were a few and they were lovely.  I really liked William Nicholson's style.  They matched the story beautifully, classic, just like Williams' tale.  I suppose it's not a short book, so maybe more illustrations would have made it seem too long?

The Velveteen Rabbit is the first of many books I plan on reading for The Classics Club.  It was a great start.  It's made me look forward to reading all the books on that intimidating list.

Classics Club

I’m a moody reader.  I read a variety of books, at different levels, in different genres.  Because of this, I don’t join challenges.  If I feel forced to read a book, I’ll avoid it and continue to avoid it, until I grudgingly pick it up.  Joining the Classics Club, however, has been something I’ve thought about for a while.  I wasn’t sure about joining because of the pertinent question: what constitutes a classic?  I follow several bloggers who are part of the Classics Club and after reading their reviews, I think I have a good idea of what the Club considers classic.

My list consists of “Modern Classics” and “Old Classics”.  There are some genre books, some short stories, some children’s books and some poetry.  There are even a couple books that can be debated about whether they are actually classics.  There will be a few re-reads, but it will be mostly new.  These are all books I already own.  On the Classics Club website, they describe the list we submit as a living list.  While I’ve put 60 titles on this list (to make it a little more challenging, since I'm including children’s stories, short stories and novellas), I’m not guaranteeing that I’ll read all these particular books.  Like I mentioned previously, I’m a moody reader.  If I can’t finish something or another classic catches my fancy, I’ll change the list.  The only thing I plan on guaranteeing is that I’ll finish this list in five years - January 3, 2018 (I'll be so old!).

In alphabetical order, 60 classics I plan on reading by January 3, 2018:

1. Stories from Hans Christian Andersen, by Hans Christian Andersen

2. The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood

3. Alias Grace, by Margaret Atwood

4. The Big and The Little, by Isaac Asimov

5. Emma, by Jane Austen

6. Lady Susan, by Jane Austen

7. Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen

8. Northhanger Abbey, by Jane Austen

9. The Watsons, by Jane Austen

10. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum

11. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, by Anne Brontë

12. Villette, by Charlotte Brontë

13. Sonnets from the Portuguese, by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

14. Alice in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll

15. Appointment with Death, by Agatha Christie

16. Lyrical Ballads, by Samuel Taylor Coleridge and William Wordsworth

17. The Woman in White, by Wilkie Collins

18. Discourse on Method, by Rene Descartes

19. A Tale of Two Cities, by Dickens

20. Little Dorrit, by Charles Dickens

21. A Selection of Poems (1. Life), by Emily Dickinson

22. Sherlock Holmes #1: A Study In Scarlett, by Arthur Conan Doyle

23. Sherlock Holmes #2: The Sign of Four, by Arthur Conan Doyle

24. Medea, by Euripides

25. Middlemarch, by George Eliot

26. Grimm's Fairy Stories, by Jacob Grimm & Wilhelm Grimm

27. Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston

28. Daisy Miller, by Henry James

29. The Wings of the Dove, by Henry James

30. The Stone Angel, by Margaret Laurence

31. The Man Who Loved Islands, by D.H. Lawrence

32. Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller

33. Anne of Green Gables, by L.M. Montgomery

34. Anne of Avonlea, by L.M. Montgomery

35. Anne of the Island, by L.M. Montgomery

36. Anne of the Windy Poplars, by L.M. Montgomery

37. Anne’s House of Dreams, by L.M. Montgomery

38. Anne of Ingleside, by L.M. Montgomery

39. Rainbow Valley, by L.M. Montgomery

40. Rilla of Ingleside, by L.M. Montgomery

41. Lives of Girls and Women, by Alice Munro

42. Animal Farm, by George Orwell

43. Lady Lazarus, by Sylvia Plath

44. The Raven, by Edgar Allan Poe

45. The Tale of Peter Rabbit, by Beatrix Potter

46. The Cat In The Hat, by Dr. Seuss

47. Macbeth, by William Shakespeare

48. Queen Mab/The Daemon of the World, by Percy Bysshe Shelley

49. Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson

50. Dracula's Guest, by Bram Stoker

51. Anna Karenina, by Leo Tolstoy

52. Tom Sawyer, by Mark Twain

53. From the Earth to the Moon, by Jules Verne

54. The Weapons Shop, by A.E. van Vogt

55. The Time Machine, by H.G. Wells

56. Under The Knife, by H.G. Wells

57. The Velveteen Rabbit, by Margery Williams

58. Kew Gardens, by Virginia Woolf

59. Solid Objects, by Virginia Woolf

60. The Waves, by Virginia Woolf

I will have a page listing each of these books, with links to reviews once I finish them.

*SIDE NOTE: I’ve been considering creating some reading projects for myself.  For example, I want to read every Margaret Atwood and Stephen King book.  I also want to read more Canadian authors and more immigrant literature.  Should I create these self-imposed projects, or will my moodiness negate my success?  Thoughts?