Welcome Back

    Hey people, it's me Carrie. I'm back and ready to write again. Last year, I thought I might start a completely new blog but I never published anything. The last post on here was more than year ago. Not that I have hundreds of followers. This blog was more for me. More for me to have an outlet for my creative thoughts and a place to write. Well, I'm back. I'll write about in the next few posts where I've been and what I intend to write about in the future on this space. In the last few weeks I've been really inspired by some fabulous podcasts and I'm ready to write again. Here's to creativity, productivity and positivity.

Book Review: Beartown

Wow!

One words sums up my thoughts after reading Beartown. Very few books leave a reader hanging in a sense, wanting more, needing answers like this title did. The feeling is similar to the thoughts felt at the end of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, only definitely not as shocking.

Beartown was a book club selection and one that remained on my to-read list after reading numerous reviews. Two of my coworkers raved about it. Life happened the week of the meeting and I was unable to attend, so I missed the discussion, which disappointed me. The book was so engaging – difficult to put down yet difficult to read at the same time because of the gut-wrenching emotions it evoked.

Writing a review for this title is hard and I have been contemplating it for more than a week. There is so much to say but so much that the reader needs to experience. In a way, the title is a thriller that continues to build until the very last page. That is a lot to provide reader’s advisory of in one small review. I almost feel that the author did not want to provide much in terms of a summary. The book jacket and many of the reviews are limited, which just makes reading it so much better. I had no idea what to expect.

Therefore, here are some of my thoughts regarding the book...

Beartown is a small community in the woods where life revolves around hockey. When the junior team wins the semi-final, the town realizes the potential that awaits – business deals, a new hockey academy and more housing. The fate of the town rests on the shoulders of these young men. Boys that do not even know a world without hockey and are under constant pressure from parents, the board, the sponsors and the coaches - to succeed to become professional, to save the town, to become strong men.

At a celebratory party following the game, an alleged sexual assault happens between the team's most promising player, Kevin, and the daughter of the club’s general manager, Maya. The tragedy shatters the town…blame is analyzed, revenge is contemplated and two teenager’s lives change forever. Jobs are on the line, friendships broken and families torn apart. All prompting the questions - how important is the game to the players? To the town?

There is bullying among the boys from the very beginning but it quickly turns dangerous after the party stemming from the dichotomy of race and class on the team. The team spends as much time together as brothers but there is no equality other than that they all play for the same team. They make clear distinctions between those with money and without, those of different races, those who understand the difference between right and wrong. Some of the bullying was the hardest parts to read, breaking my heart when Lyt and some of the other boys attack Amat with a pipe. However, Bobo shows his true colors when he becomes a traitor to his team and stands up for his new friend, Amat. The bullying, regardless of if it followed the sexual assault or not, is not stopped by the parents, coaches, etc. because the team members can do know wrong and look what they are doing for the town. And what kind of example are the adults showing when they show some of the same behaviors...

The book is well written. I love books that feature different points of view from each of the characters. This is much different from the typical format though. The section might only be a sentence or a short paragraph all merged in one chapter. It was interesting, kept the story moving. In addition, I did not realize some of the moments but there is a lot of foreshadowing done by the author, some more noticeable as you read.

I both loved and hated the ending. I craved more. I had unanswered questions. The author set up many plot lines that remained open. Of the four remaining players in Beartown...who died, who was the dad an who went professional? What happened if the teams in Beartown and Hed met in future games? What happened to the club? What happened to the parents? So many questions that actually could have answers awaiting, because the sequel comes out this summer in Sweden, so shortly after in America hopefully!

I will stop rambling now. I feel like this post ended up more of ramble than a clear thought out post, which it should have been for the time I spent on it.

I would definitely recommend this novel to almost anyone. It’s a thriller, it’s a sports story, it’s a coming of age tale, it’s a lesson in parenting. It’s an easy read that is hard to put down, so go check it out today at the library! Don’t wait!

Happy Reading!

Review to wait for in March: Little Women and FDR on this Houseboat

Carter's Lillypost Subscription Box

I had been hearing about Lillypost for some time now online and really wanted to give it a try. Probably was way more excited than I should have been for a subscription box for Carter, so I decided to order a gift box for him for Valentine's Day and give it a try.

The package arrived on one of those monsoon rain days in Pittsburgh. Normally, the mail person brings packages to the front porch; however, he/she must have not wanted to get wet hiking up the mountain of a driveway we have, so they left the box on the wall behind the mailbox. By the time I found it, the box was soaking wet. Thank goodness the books weren't destroyed because I hurriedly ripped it open to make sure.

Carter has finally mastered the art of opening a gift, so I was excited to present him with the five perfectly wrapped books thinking this activity was going to extend until bedtime. He takes forever to open gifts and then we have to read books normally multiple times and if there are wheels, helicopters, fire trucks or the moon featured on any of the pages then we will focus on that page while he jabbers on incoherently about said object. The whole process could have taken an hour or more.

 

Well, the gift wrappers used some pretty extreme tape that even I struggled with to open the packages. By the time I got them open Carter was already losing interest. I presented him with the five books but he didn't really gravitate to any of them. So, obviously my excitement was much greater than his apparently... The box included Love Monster, Wild Animals, The Nearsighted Giraffe, The Mouse Who Lost Her Squeak and Disney Baby Shapes.

(A little hand is obviously trying to grab the book as I'm taking a picture.)

I was only familiar with the first two I mentioned above and at first glance I was impressed with the selection. However, Love Monster and I would later find out The Nearsighted Giraffe are picture books that were made into board books. Some picture books work as board books, some don't. Love Monster isn't awful but both of these books have a lot of text for a baby or young toddler to sit and listen to. I was also disappointed in the quality of the Disney book. 

I know, I'm a book snob. I've spent probably too much time recently analyzing board books as well. I would definitely recommend this subscription box regardless because the price is so great. You can't beat $26 for five board books. The prices of these to buy in the store would have been more than $40. Carter will grow into the two text heavy books and not-surprisingly, kids love the low quality books. It's shapes too, so he will learn while using it.

(Yeah! New stickers in my first subscription box!)

This is a perfect gift for the little book lover in your life. There are multiple subscription offers or the one-time gift option. There is no better gift than a book and this is a wonderful way to get multiple new releases at a great price plus if you have trouble picking books out this helps with that as well.

What subscription boxes have you tried? 

Next subscription box review: Date Night In.

Book Review: A Walk in the Woods (Audio)

I finished the audio version of A Walk in the Woods earlier this week. For those not familiar with this well-known title, it is the detailed account of Bill Bryson's highly motivated yet sometimes hapless journey on the elusive Appalachian Trail. The reason I was so interested in reading this title is that one day I hope I would have the opportunity to hike even a small portion of the trail. It is one of my life goals and obviously one that needs more thought and training than just reading this book and heading out to the woods.

SIDE NOTE: That last sentence makes me laugh and reminded me of the scene in Gilmore Girls when Lorelai just decides to go hike the Pacific Coast Trail. If you know Lorelai, there was no training involved, maybe a little thought in that decision but when she got to the trail head after watching/reading the movie/book Wild, she heard the same question multiple times from the group waiting, “book or movie?” If I remember correctly, she went home after only a few minutes. Ha!

Let us start with the fact that the author reads the book and it is amazing. He has such an interesting accent that I could have listened to him read many more books. I did some research because I know he had lived in England prior to writing the book and currently resides there but he is actually from the Midwest. His dialect is a wonderful blend of Midwestern and English accents. Trust me he is great to listen to when he reads! I have to say I've really hit the jackpot with audio books this year.

Many of you have probably seen the movie and that is why you recognize the title. I actually saw the movie before reading the book, which I honestly only watched because it starred Robert Redford. It did not ruin my thoughts about the book but only made me enjoy it more and realize the movie was completely awful. One of the biggest changes I noticed was that Bill Bryson was in his late thirties/early forties when he hiked the trail. Think about the age of Robert Redford. Yes, they had retirees hiking the trail in the movie, which gives it an entirely different perspective. The movie overall was just a huge disappointment in comparison. It is OK perhaps as a standalone but not based on the book.

I was not, however, as disappointed in the aforementioned movie, Wild. What I was surprised to find is that I loved A Walk in the Woods so much more than Wild and I loved Wild! The two have a similar theme yet are vastly different: self-discovery versus exploration of one's native country, female versus male hikers, Pacific Coast Trail versus Appalachian Trail and serious tone versus hilarious with notes of historical. The one thing they both have in common is that the hiker in each title is extremely unprepared for the task at hand...completing not just any old hike but one that involves wild animals, changing weather, mountains, etc. Don't get me wrong, both are great books that literally made me want to run out into the woods but A Walk in the Woods spoke to me more. Maybe it was listening to the author read or that I perceived it as better written or that it was literally in my backyard at times. Regardless, add both to your to-read list. (Read my post about Wild here.)

I am rambling now, so let us get back to the original post. A Walk in the Woods, as mentioned, follows Bill Bryson and his friend, Stephen Katz through the American wilderness on the Appalachian Trail. Bryson is a bit more determined and prepared for a hike of this nature than Katz, his out-of-shape friend. Katz provides so much comic relief throughout the book. Taking the shoelaces out of the hiking boots of some stuck-up yuppies; throwing anything that he deems too heavy, even his canteen in the dead of summer; and endless array of comments complete with profanity that leave you laughing out loud in your car while rush hour drivers are probably laughing at you...that's what Katz and at some point Bryson prompts while listening.

The humor was wonderful because it made the history lessons lighter. As a history lover, I found the these pieces very informative. I enjoyed learning about the formation of the National Parks, the history of the Appalachian Trail and even the background of how certain trees ended up in the places that they are located. Most likely I would never pick up a book on any of those subjects, so it was nice to have that knowledge intertwined throughout the story.

Even if you have no desire to hike the Appalachian Trail, I would still highly recommend this book. It educates. It entertains. It gives you the opportunity to live vicariously through Bill Bryson and hike the trail from the comfort of your couch.

Happy Reading! Stay tuned for my next book review: Beartown.

Book Review: The Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (Audio)

Do you listen to audio books? I do and I love them! I'm so busy that it's often how I finish books right now. I listen to them on my commute to and from work, as well as on my way to meetings and library visits. Sometimes I get so in to it that's its hard to get out of the car!

I actually read about this version of Winnie the Pooh in an issue of Parents magazine. It recommended titles to listen to in the car for the entire family. Everyone has read Winnie the Pooh and I'm not going to tell you about the story because you already know about that.

What makes this version so wonderful is the readers! There are multiple readers and they are all British. I love listening to books that are read by someone with a British accent and who better to narrate than Dame Judi Dench! It was so fabulous!

If that wasn't already amazing, the readers do a really great job of "acting" out the characters role on the audio... The actor that played Eeyore was hilarious and I kept thinking to myself that I knew this actor. I knew his voice.

And indeed I did... I thought and thought and finally came up with who it was... It was none other than Judi Dench's husband in As Time Goes By. So, imagine Lionel from the show and how he acted. Now imagine Eeyore. They couldn't have cast the role better. It was a perfect match.

Definitely go check out this audio book! It will make you smile and laugh, remembering how much you loved these classic stories as a child. It will make you laugh even harder if you ever watched As Time Goes By and if you haven't, you definitely need to!!

As we all know, this is a title that crosses generations and any age of audience would enjoy. Like I said, this was recommended for families to listen to together and what a great idea to revisit titles you enjoyed as a child that are still entertaining today.

Happy Reading!

Book Review: Board Book Round-Up, Part 2

Sometimes not every book gets read with Carter. I might read it quickly at the library before checking it out but we never get to at home. I might read it at my desk for my committee work but it never makes it home. He has so many books at home that sometimes one more library book is too much, so this one didn't make it home. I read it for the committee but Carter never saw it.

I love the concept of How do You Say I Love You by Hannah Elliot but I have a hard time reading language books if I am unable to pronounce the words. I stick to Japanese and that's about it. We all know I struggled with French. I did a little better with Italian but every time the professor would ask a question, the Japanese answer came first to mind. This book does a little better than most (and these language books are popular lately) at giving the pronunciations, so you could essentially read it to your child and sound somewhat fluent.

I am a huge fan of these books. The language barrier sometimes does intimidate me though but I love the opportunity to teach young children about the world, especially because the younger they are the better chance they have of picking up a second language. I love how the illustrations show various landmarks, homes or activities specific to that country too. That's it's just not how do you say "I love you" in other cultures but a lesson in how others live around the world.

The universal message is very understandable even for this young age though...regardless of where we live, what we look like, what language we speak...we all say "I love you." We all show the same love towards each other and really need to show it more.

Check this sweet book out for your older baby or toddler. Tell them "I love you."

Happy Reading!

Book Review: Picture Book Review

Before becoming a parent, I used to think that a child she have any book they want. I still believe that but more than ever I believe that board books for the most part are the perfect format for babies. I know view picture books are more fragile. Books that should be used with a parent. I just feel like the pages tear easier for little hands and book jackets are a useless cause.

One of these books is, A Small Blue Whale by Beth Ferry. It ended up on my Best Books for Babies but like I said I'm a huge fan of board books for babies right no matter how great the story. Carter didn't get to review this one because it never made it home.

I loved the artwork in this simple picture book and the message. The little whale longs for a friend. There are beautiful comparisons about nature and friendship using the five senses. The whale wonders if friendship is "warm and steady" like the sun for instance. As much as I love these references, I feel that these are way too much for a baby to grasp but the text flows so nice.

The whale finds a cloud that he thinks is a friend and follows the cloud to find three penguins that he also thinks are friends until he gets stuck on some ice trying to play with them. But then he realizes that they really are friends and he understands how friendship works when the penguins leave and come back with hundreds of other penguins to help him back to the water.

Like I said, this is a very sweet story but one that would probably be a better fit for a toddler or preschool aged child. Carter would have probably loved it because he does love reading about whales.

Head to the library and check this out just to read as an adult or to read with your little toddler.

Happy Reading!