The House in the Night by Susan Marie Swanson, a book review

The House in the Night by Susan Marie Swanson is a children's picture book that is very quick to read with big bold pictures. The text is modeled after nursery rhymes like “This is the house that Jack built” and especially inspired by the author's favorite: “This is the key of the kingdom”.

The story goes from small to large and back again. It has a good tempo and very easy to enjoy illustrations by Beth Krommes. The only color is yellow watercolor and black and white resulting from scratchboard work. The illustrations are bold and lovely. My children, especially the youngest, are able to pay attention to the whole story and enjoy the pictures.

This book is a Caldecott Medal winner.

We like The House in the Night by Susan Marie Swanson. Have you read it? What do you think of it?

writing life: other social networking outlets

The last couple of posts have been trying to explain how I use three different social media hubs.  Honestly, I don't know if I'm doing any of this right, but it's what I'm doing... it's my work... and I want to share with yall what I'm doing.  What takes my time in this writing effort.

The three I've already mentioned were my primary focus in the very beginning.  I've branched out a little here and there since.  Again, I don't know if I'm using these outlets to their fullest or best purpose, but I'm using them!  Working hard to get followers, subscribers, likes, and etc... because that's what the publishing houses want and what I need should I go Indie.  We'll see!

In addition to those others, I also use Pinterest, LinkedIn, GoodReads.  Instagram and Snapchat are on my To Do list.  That list happens to be super long at the moment, so I'm not sure how fleshed out those two will be for some time.

Pinterest is particularly enjoyable.  I have been lost in there before.  Not so much in the past couple years... but for a while.

GoodReads is still relatively new to me.  Silly since I've been a fan of reading for ages.  I guess I didn't feel like I could handle another thing for a while.  I'm pretty sure I'm missing some vital facts to understand how to enjoy this particular hub, but I'm sure I'll figure it out before too long!

LinkedIn is another one that baffles me.  I keep trying to stay on top of it, but I'm not sure I'm doing the right things there at all.

If you have any suggestions for me, I'm definitely willing to hear them!

Do you use any social media outlets for anything other than connecting with friends?

Voices by Ursula K. LeGuin, a book review

Voices by Ursula K. LeGuin is a continuation of Orrec and Gry's story, but with the focus on a new character, Memer who is a result of rape and the daughter of a member of the strongest house in a war torn and sacked city.

This story covers a great many years quickly. It is interesting and packed full of history of this fictional people such that they seem to surely have exited somewhere that we could meet and talk with them. Orrec and Gry have been traveling seventeen years when they meet Memer. Orrec is now a story teller of great renown. Gry is still Gry. They still have the horses they left with and now also have a lion as their protector.

What happens in this story kept me reading through the night. I started this book one afternoon and finished it during the night. I will probably let my eldest daughter read it, but my second daughter will probably have to wait. Mostly because of the rape issue, but also because of the war situation in general.

I do recommend this book for middle age teens (level of maturation relatively high) and older. My second daughter is only ten, thus she will wait.

Have you read Voice by Ursula K. LeGuin? What did you think of it?

Piggins and the Royal Wedding by Jane Yolen, a book review

Between his first appearance and Piggins and the Royal Wedding by Jane Yolen, it looks like he may have lost some weight. He just doesn't look quite as rotund in this, a sequel to his first book.

Once again, the piggy butler solves a mystery and saves the day. This time, he saves one of his employer's kits from accusations of thievery and enables the royal wedding to proceed. His powers of deduction are simply spectacular.

The illustrations in this book are just as good as the first. The first two and the last two are quite similar, so if you have both books, your children may enjoy comparing the similarities and differences between them. Many of the characters reappear here and we also see new ones.

We like this book and enjoy the illustrations.

Have you read Piggins and the Royal Wedding by Jane Yolen? What did you think of it?

my thoughts: on comparing

Comparison.  Comparing yourself with others.  I hear all over the place that we should not compare ourselves to others.  What do you think about that?

In my life, I have done many of the difficult things I've done because I've known someone that did it and felt inspired by their accomplishment.  So, I did it because I compared to inspiration.  Isn't that the thing.  If we compare to desperation, we just shouldn't do it.

But we can change how we compare.  Compare to inspiration, not desperation!

Gifts by Ursula K. LeGuin, a book review

Gifts by Ursula K. LeGuin is an interesting tale about Orrec and Gry with the former being the main character. Orrec is born to the leading family in his area. The leaders of this place are such because they have a strong manifestation of the gift of their line. This story is all about Orrec's effort to manifest his gift AND what comes of it.

Gry has a strong manifestation of her gift, but refuses to use it for the purposes others desire and require of her.

I like this story. For one, it's a tale of giftedness, which I enjoy. Somehow, though, most of the gifts are quite different from the norm, which I also enjoy a great deal.

My two eldest daughters will be allowed to read this because intimate scenes are basically nonexistent and there is no foul language. Yeay! This story is definitely appropriate for all ages as far as I'm concerned.

Have you read Gifts by Ursula K. LeGuin? What did you think of it?

Piggins by Jane Yolen, a book review

Piggins by Jane Yolen is a children's picture book and winner of the Parents' Choice Honors award. An enjoyable tale of aristorcratic animals turned mysterious. It's a little big funny. A good simple mystery for little ones. The butler, Piggins, solves the mystery of the pilfered jewelery and saves the day.

The illustrations by Jane Dyer are rich with detail for littles ones to enjoy as their parents read to them. The attire of the animals is sumptuous and exotic to us because of its antiquity.

I like the story and the illustrations.

Have you read Piggins by Jane Yolen? What did you think of it?

writing life: writing as a mom, part 2

I promised to share a little of what it looks like when I sit down to write. There are good days, bad days, and middle sort of days. Aren't these the truth for any and everything? I think it must be so. I digress.

A good day writing:

I accomplish the basics quickly and sit down to write before one or two in the afternoon. I've already helped my baby take his main nap for the day, so he goes with the children to play. They play relatively quietly and continuously for between one and three hours. The times that they do come in and talk to me happen after I've been able to write for thirty to forty-five minutes. (Rarely do they spend forty-five minutes playing quietly, but more than ten minutes is really quite necessary for me to accomplish writing that I'm pleased with. Also, although I could write for less than an hour, I have been extremely displeased with the results. When I'm able to write for longer then two hours, the result is so much better than anything less!

A bad day writing:

I wake up later than I meant to. Baby GrA is teething or otherwise fussy and wants to be with me all the time. I sit down to write later than two in the afternoon and the children come speak to me about various things. The worst writing times are when I don't have even ten minutes all together to write and/or think.

One of the toughest things about the actual writing is not knowing whether I'll be able to write continuously or not. My fatigue level definitely impacts my reactions. And since my baby still nurses quite frequently through the night… well, I have been struggling to have a positive attitude.

Regardless of all that, I have to say that the most oft' repeated advice to write every day is sometimes unattainable, but totally appropriate. Even if the writing time goes poorly or I start late for whatever reason, it's a better day when I'm able to sit and write. Why? Because although secondary to my calling as Mama, writing is another of my callings. I believe very strongly that Father urges me to write and wants me to get the stories out that I've been working on. I'm not always sure why… but I sure do want to be obedient! So, I write.

Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov, a book review

Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov was pretty good. It may have been even better if I'd been able to read the two books meant to come before it.

I like Arkady in this story. I thought she added a great deal of levity to a sometimes rather somber story. I also appreciate that she is one of only three female characters in a heavily male dominated tale.

I find it interesting that for entirely different reasons, the Mule and regular folk find themselves desirous of destroying the second foundation. The reasons for it, as presented in the novel itself, makes perfect sense. And so I wonder if this is similar to the desire some have of destroying God. Not that they can necessarily go to a place to do so, but seek to do it philosophically.

This kind of mental sci-fi isn't usually my favorite. I tend to prefer relationship-based action sci-fi. Yet I have enjoyed what I've read of this series and look forward to filling in the gaps in my understanding by going back and reading what I've missed.

The construction of the story itself is good and it's no wonder that Asimov has won both Nebula and Hugo awards… the daydream of every sci-fi writer.

I had pretty much guessed the location of the second foundation from the first book I read. It was gratifying to find, by the end of this novel, that I was correct.

Many thanks to a dear friend for the recommendation of this series. I am enjoying it.

Have you read Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov? What did you think of it?

Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback, a book review

Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback is a book I want for my children's book collection. It is a Caldecott Medal winner and a wonderful story of a man who lives out the Depression Era household aphorism, “Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without” and beyond. He uses it up and then makes something from nothing. I love it! Would that we could all be so good at recycling and reclaiming what seems worn out to make new what was old!

The art of this story is perfect and would definitely help new readers understand the gist of the story, even if they couldn't quite decipher all the words perfectly. Another case of author is illustrator and I love it!

Have you read Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback? What did you think of it?

my thoughts: it's not easy being green

Being green isn't really what it is. And though the title says it's not easy being green… perhaps it is all too easy to be green. You know, green with envy. No, this post isn't about the evils of envy. It's about stuff more general than that, actually.

I've been pondering much on ease and difficulty of late. Thinking about what is easy and what is not.

Rarely in my life has the easy way been the most productive and best. So, as I think about my past, it seems ease is more a low road… low being both easier to access and less helpful in the long-run. Oh, what a gift when it is both easy and productive and truly beneficial, but it usually is not.

And what makes the good, productive, and best so very difficult? I don't entirely know, of course.

Perhaps resistance to change is part of it… You know, physics' “laws” that have to do with objects in motion wanting to stay in motion and objects at rest needing something to act upon them move… that sort of thing. Sure, that's certainly part of it.

Could there be more? Is there something else that makes improvement and progress so difficult?

Well, because the spiritual is as much a part of life as what is physically apparent (they are really interrelated and completely connected). Could it be that there are forces beyond our perception that would hamper and stop our movement toward what is better? Could is be that there are actually angels of darkness who stand in our way and strive to lead us into paths forbidden?

What do you think? Do you have any experience with this sort of thing? I'd be happy to hear anything you may want to share.

Prelude to Foundation by Isaac Asimov, a book review

Written well after the trilogy and at least one sequel, Prelude to Foundation by Isaac Asimov is a prequel. I enjoyed it and look forward to reading the others given my experience with this one.

I will not share this book with my daughters as yet. I thought I might when I first started reading it. But before too long I changed my mind. Some of the subjects discussed and dealt with are not things I prefer my children face until they are more mature.

There are no overtly sexual scenes, though Dors feminine parts are mentioned a few times. And it's pretty obvious that Seldon is interested in her even though he hasn't pursued any relationships since the one in which he was hurt.

I figured out one part of the revelation that takes place at the end, but not two others. I do try to let the author reveal the story, rather than trying to figure things out. The part I knew before the revelation seemed pretty obvious, so I wasn't surprised at all. The other two work perfectly, so I wasn't uncomfortably shocked, but I definitely hadn't figured them out, either.

This story follow Seldon as he attempts to figure out psychohistory while striving to avoid capture and imperial captivity. He is accompanied by Dors who is his protector, though he seems pretty capable of protecting himself. Together they meet some interesting characters, among them a gutter snipe of a boy named Raych.

I like it because Asimov reveals the truth of the Mandelbrot set with each change in Seldon's environment. He paints a picture of a world in the distant future. And it's believable. Especially because it seems that pride plays such a huge part in each area's accomplishments, which is pretty true of human nature. I like the interactions of the characters. I enjoyed the action scenes. They were descriptive without being gory. I also enjoy the revelations in the end.

I'm glad my friend, Robert, suggested I read this series in answer to a question I asked on my Facebook page (my author page HERE if you'd like to check it out). I enjoyed it. It would have likely taken me a LOT longer to get started into reading Asimov's amazing and prodigious contribution to science fiction literature. Thank you, Robert!

Have you read Prelude to Foundation by Isaac Asimov? What did you think of it?