Category Archives: books

Children’s Books to Read at a Wedding

Wedding vows are pretty important. Vows are intended to be public declarations of love and promise to one person. Vows are meant to be kept FOREVER. Vows are a pretty big deal. And lately I’ve been thinking about how best to do them.

I might be able to say the standard “’til death do us part” vows in front of my immediate family, but I don’t want to say our “real” vows in front of anyone else. It feels too private to me.

George and I are going to say our “real” vows before we do the legal ones. And before I put on makeup because I’m a huge sap and I’ll probably cry my eyeballs out. But that’s ok.

Since I’m a librarian and a great lover of books, I’ve been looking for a passage or a book that best expresses my feelings. This NYPL post from Kristy Raffensberger, a children’s librarian, has some great suggestions.

But in some ways I want to find my own. It’s the thrill of the hunt.

Here’s the few books I’ve found so far…

No-Matter-WhatNo Matter What
Debi Gliori

This book was obviously intended for the love between a parent and a child, but I think it describes romantic love, as well.

Small, a little fox, questions Large, a big fox, if he would love her (or if she would love him– it’s quite androgynous) in increasingly silly scenarios.

“If I were a grumpy grizzly bear, would you still love me? Would you still care?” “I’d always love you, no matter what,” responds Large.

I can definitely be a grumpy grizzly sometimes and I’m sure George could relate to this one.

Guess How Much I Love You
Sam McBratney (Author), Anita Jeram (Illustrator)

Again, probably meant for parental love, but relevant regardless.

This lovely bedtime tale follows Little Nutbrown Hare and Big Nutbrown Hare through a series of charming declarations.

It begins with “I love you as high as I can hop!” said Little Nutbrown. And ends with Big Nutbrown’s declaration “I love you right up to the moon.”

A Lovely Love Storylovely love story
Edward Monkton

I cried at work reading this one. So embarrassing.

Such a cute premise. Two dinosaurs meet and fall in love. One is an emotionally distant dino and the other dino has a penchant for shopping. Regardless of flaws, they learn to accept one another as they are.

“Together they stand on the hill, telling each other stories and feeling the warmth of the sun on their backs. And that, my friends, is how it is with love.”

Have you stumbled across any good wedding readings? I’d love to hear them in the comments!

love,
melanie

 

 

Death Comes to Pemberley

Sometimes I think I’m the only book-lover in the world who has luke-warm feelings towards Pride and Prejudice. I know, I know, it’s a sin. Don’t shoot me, but I’ve always thought Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy were snotty, boring and terribly pretentious. I need a heroine with… excuse my expression… balls! I’d take Hester Prynne over Elizabeth Bennet any day.

I always feel guilty about my dislike of Pride and Prejudice, and I guilt myself into reading mash-up P and P novels in the hopes that Elizabeth will grow on me. She never does. My taste is appalling. I know.

When we got the audiobook of Death Comes to Pemberley at the library, I felt obliged to pop it into my car stereo. Alas, if I didn’t listen to this book in audio format, I don’t think I would have finished it. The best part for me about the experience was listening to the glorious accent of the narrator, Rosalyn Landor.

Ms. Landor had a fabulously matriarchal British accent. She might just be the real-life Mary Poppins. AND she had different voices for each one of the characters!

Unfortunately, Ms. Landor was the best part of the novel. The characters I found dull, and the plot, although it involved a murder, had me dozing off at the wheel.

Although this book was a total flop for me, I’ll definitely be on the lookout for audio books narrated by Rosalyn Landor in the future.

Did you read Death Comes to Pemberley? What did you think?

love,
melanie

Love Books: Ray Bradbury

I was terribly sad to hear of Ray Bradbury’s passing on Tuesday. Although the man was 91 and lived a rich and full life (presumably), I’m still sad to hear of a great author’s passing. As with most the passing of other famous folk, I always seem to learn something new about the person post-modem.

I was delighted to learn that Mr. Bradbury was such an outspoken advocate for libraries. He even wrote Fahrenheit 451 in a library!

After watching this video, I felt such a kinship to Mr. Bradbury. We both love libraries and books and cats and life. And isn’t that what it’s all about?

Rest in peace, Mr. Bradbury. You will live forever in the pages of your novels.

love,
melanie

The Magicians

Tell me a book is about young adults dappling in magic and I’ll read it. Tell me it’s about borderline alcoholic, young adults dappling in magic and I’m grabbing the book out of your hand and running for the door.

The book I just gracefully snatched out of your clutches is The Magicians by Lev Grossman.

The Magicians is easy to compare to the Harry Potter series. Both are about young magicians attending a school for magic. Both feature a young man as a protagonist and are written from a third-person perspective. But that is where the similarities end.

The Magicians was surprisingly fast-paced and modern unlike the Harry Potter series, which is timeless, but can be a bit slow. The Magicians was also very adult, so I wouldn’t recommend this one to the kiddos.

Quentin, the protagonist, is an unhappy young guy who stumbles through a garden in Brooklyn and ends up at a school for magic. Quentin, always dissatisfied with life, thinks this new school may be the key to happiness. He makes friends, he meets a girl, he studies diligently, but he still isn’t happy.He graduates and soon after, his childhood fantasy comes true, but will it lead him to happiness? Dun. Dun. Dun! You’ll have to read it to find out! (How very Reading Rainbow of me!)

My favorite part of the book? The reality of it all. Magic, if real, would exist in the world of Grossman’s novel.The characters have major flaws. They drink, they do drugs, they have sex with the wrong people. They don’t wave wands or wear capes. They truly seemed like real people with a talent.

I also enjoyed the peach-Schnapps-drinking bear. Just read it, you’ll understand.

Have you read The Magicians? What did you think?

I’m checking out the sequel today!

love,
melanie

Summer Reading List 2012

I’m a crazy-list-maker and not afraid to admit it. Making lists makes me feel good, accomplished even. It makes me feel that I did something for the day, even though maybe I only made a list. Whoops.

Reading lists are one of my favorite lists to create. They’re the nerdy, yet fun-loving cousin of To-Do lists. Let’s call my reading lists, Gertrud. Since this weekend is Memorial Day, which generally marks the start of summer-time, Gertie and I are (reluctantly) whipping out our bathing suits, slathering on our SPF 100, and sipping cocktails poolside.

Summer Reading List 2012 (a.k.a. Gertie.)

Treasure Island!!!
Sara Levine

Although this book gets mixed review on Amazon, I’m going to take a chance and put Treasure Island!!! on the list because the premise is just so weird. And I heard about it on NPR, whom I trust with book reviews.

In this suburban comedy, a recent college grad with a lack-luster job history reads Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson and decides she should live her life by the core values of the book:  namely, boldness, resolution, independence and horn-blowing.

Sounds mildly crazy, huh? Maybe just as crazy as naming your Summer Book List, Gertie.

Fifty Shades of Grey
E.L. James

I’m jumping on the bandwagon for this one. Generally, books about passionate, physical relationships written in (what I have heard to be) graphic detail, don’t really interest me. I prefer a little magic with my “trash,” a la the Sookie Stackhouse novels. But I feel as a librarian sometimes it is my duty to read books with big hype. And I’m not afraid to admit I want to know what all the hype is about!

Let’s Pretend This Never Happened
Jenny Lawson

Since it is summer-time, I want something to tickle my funny bone as I sip on a boozy, cool drink. So, I chose another book from the humor genre. This time, the book is a “mostly-true memoir” from Jenny Lawson, aka The Bloggess. In Let’s Pretend this Never Happened, Jenny writes about the most embarrassing and traumatic experiences of her life, you know, the ones you wished never happened, and spins them into a hilarious tale. Or at least I hope she does.

Wildwood
Colin Meloy, illustrations by Carson Ellis

Ya’ll know I had to put a YA novel on here. I’ve been wanting to read this one for a long time because of, you guessed it, the cover. It’s beautiful, right? The book is illustrated by Carson Ellis, Colin Meloy’s wife. Colin Meloy is the singer/songwriter for The Decemberists. Her Majesty, the Decemberists was the soundtrack to my sophomore year of college.

Even the plot of Wildwood sounds oddly-beautiful. Prue McKeel’s baby brother is kidnapped by a murder of crows, so she adventures into the uncharted Wildwood to save him.

The Introvert Advantage: How to thrive in an extrovert world
Marti Olsen, Psy.D.

I’m an introvert. I know it is a cliché for librarians to be introverts, but I can’t help it. Introverts get an undeserved bad rap. Through this book I hope to learn how to better use my introverted personality to my advantage, instead of trying to hide it or “fix” it.

Want more of my “To-Read” lists? Follow me on Goodreads!

What are ya’ll reading this summer?

love,
melanie

Rebel Angels and The Sweet Far Thing

Rebel Angels and The Sweet Far Thing, the second and third novel in the Gemma Doyle series, made me sincerely wish there were more strong, leading female characters in the novels I read growing up. Sure, I had Hermione Granger, but she was far more of a supporting character than a leading lady.

Gemma Doyle is the best kind of girl– a relatable one. She is strong, independent, curious, and imperfect. Gemma trusts the wrong people, crushes on the wrong boys and wants the unobtainable. She is pretty, but not beautiful. She is smart, but not a genius. She embodies the confusion of young adulthood and well… life.  In these last books, I most enjoyed seeing Gemma grow, stumble to find herself, and become a confident woman. It’s what kids young adults everyone goes through– with or without magic.

Although, I completely underestimated the time it would take to read the 800+ pages in the final book. In fact, I neglected my blogging duties last week because I was trying to finish it. Don’t get me wrong, reading wasn’t a chore. It was quite enjoyable, but I definitely think the final book in the trilogy, The Sweet Far Thing, could have been divided up into at least two books. And then maybe made into an HBO series. And then edited a bit.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed it and I’ll be the first in line to see the movie… if it ever gets made.

Have you read the Gemma Doyle trilogy? What did you think?

love,
melanie

A Great and Terrible Beauty, Book Review

I’m making pleasure reading a priority this summer– no matter what. And I am ready, ready, ready for summer.

So, I’m starting my summer reading off early with The Gemma Doyle Trilogy. I read A Great and Terrible Beauty over the weekend and I’m hooked. I’m checking out the second in the series, Rebel Angels today.

I have to admit, I am a total wimp. In kindergarten, we watched the Disney adaptation of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and I’ve never been the same.  If I had known how haunting this book is, I probably would not have picked it up. But I am so glad I did.

A Great and Terrible Beauty is one part, Gossip Girl, one part Edgar Allan Poe. The book is told from the point-of-view of Gemma, a sixteen year old girl, who when the book opens is living in Victorian-age India. Soon after a mysterious tragedy, she is sent to a strict boarding school in England where she creates frenemy relationships and experiences dark visions.

A Great and Terrible Beauty had me reading (with all the lights on!) into the wee hours of the morning.

What are you currently reading? Follow me on Goodreads to see more!

love,
melanie