1Q84 Book 3 by Haruki Murakami

I made it!

It's an epic read and I'm still mulling over how I feel about it.

I'm glad I left some time between No. 2 and No. 3 otherwise I may have become annoyed at some of the developments or to be more accurate, the slow pace of development in No. 3.

The dream sequences started to annoy me, but just as I was feeling really bugged by them, they stopped. As did Ushikawa. I can see that he was used as a way to bring the two stories together, but he bugged me too. His ending felt quite satisfying!

I enjoyed the references to other books and authors.

The ending was satisfying.

Murakami's writing, his world, his characters were memorable and vivid. A little editing might have helped things along though.

But I will be reading more Murakami in the future.

In some ways this quote sums up the book ""No need to explain," Tengo said. If you can't understand it without an explanation, you can't understand it with an explanation."

Book One
Book Two

A Hero For Wondla by Tony DiTerlizzi

I've been skimming through quite a lot of uninspiring teen new releases at the moment for work. I was in need of a pick-me-up, so I turned to Book 2 of DiTerlizzi's Wondla series.

I had been pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the first book, The Search for Wondla.

And book 2 is no different.

I'm still surprised by how much I'm loving a science fiction fantasy story. Perhaps the success (or not) of a science fiction fantasy story lies in its ability to shine a light on our humanity.

Now that we know young Eva is actually living on Earth...an Earth that was detroyed hundreds of years ago and then eventually recolonised by a band of aliens as well as weird mutated creatures that kind of resemble current flora and fauna...the message is very strong (but not laboured).

Eva is a delight, as is her friend and travelling partner, Rovee.

Eva's strength of character and her humanity is tested throughout book 2. She is a wonderful female protaganist which may be one of the reasons why I enjoy this story so much.

The illustrations at the start of each chapter add so much to our understanding of what this new world and it's creatures looks like.

I highly recommend this series for mature 10+ readers. Don't be put off by the science fiction fantasy label; it is really an action drama series beautifully written and presented with lots of messages about belonging and identity.

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

How many teen dystopian novels with an alien twist do we really need?

I for one am a little over the whole genre.

But this one looks a little different.

An initial quote from Stephen Hawkings...
“If aliens ever visit us, I think the outcome would be much as when Christopher Columbus first landed in America, which didn't turn out very well for the Native Americans.”

Followed by an action packed rollercoaster ride of who to trust, what really happened and what will happen next.
The waves of destruction are well realised (and quite scary) as Cassie gradually tells us her back story. We also learn more about the waves as the story develops and Cassie works things out for herself.

The book looks good, the website looks prety amazing and it started off well. But then I got a little tired of the non-stop action and I found myself skimming my way to the end. The boot camp scenes bored me to tears!

I need more character development, more real tension and dilemma, not just one random thing after another. It's the same problem I had with I Am Number Four. A good idea that morphed into a mindless blowing random stuff up action movie.

But if relentless action, sinister aliens and survival by any means is your kind of thing, then this book has it in spades.

Due for May release.

Update - my husband read this book on our recent holiday and thoroughly enjoyed it. He loved all the action and the twists and turns!

He'll Be OK: Growing Gorgeous Boys Into Good Men by Celia Lashlie

It's quite simple really.

If you have a teenage boy in your life, then I strongly urge you to read this book from cover to cover. Now!

He'll Be OK is heart-warming, affirming, informative, humorous and thought-provoking.

Lashlie pulls no punches as she shares the insights she gleaned from her work on the Good Man Project in 25 boys schools in New Zealand.

Combined with her 15 years as a prison officer, Lashlie has had plenty of opportunity to see men and boys at their best and at their worst.

Her voice is authentic and no-nonsense. Her suggestions are balanced and focus on the positive. The whole way through this book, I felt like I was in the capable hands of a dear and trusted friend. I felt that Lashlie not only had my best interests at heart, but also those of my two gorgeous stepsons and my good, good husband.

I'll finish with a quote from the back cover...

"Do you think you'll ever have a life plan?"
No
"So how will your life sort itself out?"
Oh, that's easy. I'll be about 25 and some gorgeous-looking chick will walk past. She'll have a great plan, so I'll just hook onto her.

Wondrous Words Wednesday

Wondrous Words Wednesday is a lovely meme hosted by Bermuda Onion each week to highlight new (to us) words that we come across in our daily reading.

This week I decided it was time to finish 1Q84 by Murakami.
I had heard that Book 3 was different to the previous two books, so I gave myself some time between them to minimise the disconnect that many people spoke of.

This week I have used wikipedia as the source of my definitions.

1. Zelkova "There was a large zelkova tree, its leaves still thick and luxuriant."

I don't always feel the need to know exactly what a tree or plant from another country looks like when it is referenced in a book. But in this case the zelkova tree is mentioned quite often.

It is in a park where the main characters spend time working out stuff.

Aomame spends a substantial part of Book 3 looking at this tree as the seasons change.
I had to know!

Zelkova serrata is a medium sized deciduous tree usually growing up to 30m tall. It is commonly used in parks and as a bonsai tree.
















2. Yakiniku "Would you care to go out and get some yakiniku?"

Yakinuki is a broad term for grilled meat.
In a yakiniku restaurant, diners order the raw ingredients which are then brought to the table. The ingredients are cooked by the diners on a grill built into the table. The grilled food is then dipped into sauces before eating.





3. Remora "Ushikawa was a master at sticking to somebody, like a remora to a shark."

I'm assuming remora's are some kind of marine parasite, but I'm in the mood to know for sure.

Remora's are also known as suckerfish.Their distinctive first dorsal fins take the form of a modified oval sucker-like organ with slat-like structures that open and close to create suction and take a firm hold against the skin of larger marine animals.
The host to which the remora attaches for transport gains nothing from the relationship, but also loses little. The remora benefits by using the host as transport and protection, and also feeds on materials dropped by the host.

Jane Austen

When I first read this month's meme question for the Classics Club I felt that it was almost too obvious to bother to answer.

"Do you love Jane Austen or want to “dig her up and beat her over the skull with her own shin-bone”? (Phrase borrowed from Mark Twain).

1. Why? (for either answer)?
2. Favourite and/or least favourite Austen novel?"

I love Jane Austen, always have, and probably always will (the link will take you to my earlier CC post that featured my Austen-love).

Therefore, not much else to say that would be of interest or relevant really. Short post. March meme answered!

However, over the past couple of weeks we have been close to overwhelmed by family drama's.

Each night I lay in bed trying to sleep, but found myself exhausted from endless discussions, decisions and heightened emotions. My usual recourse during times of trouble is reading. I can always count on books to keep me sane, to provide a respite from the day and to calm my mind so I can sleep well enough most nights.

But last week nothing worked.

As per usual, I had several books on the go.
I had a couple of non-fiction choices, a teen read, a meditation book and book 3 of 1Q84 to tempt me. But there was simply too much going on. I couldn't focus on any of them. The words swam in front of my eyes. Nothing sank in. Nothing could make a dent on the day's dramas.

By the third night I was beginning to feel desperate. I needed solace. I needed comfort. I needed the literary equivalent of chicken soup, sweetened tea and grandma's crocheted blanket.

I needed Jane and I needed her quick!

And not just any Jane, only Pride and Prejudice would do.

Pride and Prejudice has been my constant companion since I was 16. I've read it and watched the 1980's BBC production so many times I am almost word perfect.

From the opening lines..."It is a truth universally acknowledged..." I knew I had chosen wisely. Calm washed over me. A smile found its way to my lips and by the time my husband came to bed I was happily quoting sections out loud for his amusement and my gratification.

Jane had worked her magic on both us.

Rereading such a favourite allows me the pleasure of anticipation. I know what is coming and I revel in the set-up. Each word is so carefully placed and considered by Austen, it's a delight to see her craftmenship. Each comment and scene is arranged to perfection.

Every rereading allows me to relish the story anew.

I particularly love Darcy's letter to Lizzy in the middle of the book and how Austen uses it turn everything that has gone before on its head.

I love the fuss and bother of Elizabeth's return to Longbourn with Jane. Lydia's noisy carriage trip, the drama of the militia leaving for Brighton, Lizzy finally have the time to tell Jane of Darcy's proposal and the truth about Wickham. Lots of long sentences and paragraphs, full of hustle and bustle, until Lizzy finally finds the time to observe how Jane is really doing....and.... "Jane was not happy".

Those four short, simple words after so much kerfluffle just stopped me in my tracks.

Every time I reread P & P I see something with new eyes or something speaks to me about my own situation. "Jane was not happy" was the gut-wrenching truth from this rereading.

Knowing that a happy ending was coming Jane's way, made this truth bearable.

Like Jane, we all go through the bad times, tough times, sad times, difficult times. They do not last forever and happiness can be just around the corner if we wait and have the right disposition to grab it wholeheartedly when it eventually arrives.

Jane Austen is like my best friend, a big sister.

If Jane were alive today, I would hug her.

Read the Nobels

Another day; another challenge.

Another book challenge that is.

Like the Orange Prize Project, Reading the Nobels has no time limit and it allows me to combine books and authors from other challenges.
A win-win situation.

In the list below I've only read 8 of the authors, so I've got a bit to do to catch up!

But I enjoy a challenge; so what's next?!

2016
Bob Dylan  (R)
2015
Svetlana Alexievich
2014
Patrick Modiano - Catherine Certitude
2013
Alice Munro (R)
2012
Mo Yan

2011
Tomas Tranströmer

2010
Mario Vargas Llosa

2009
Herta Müller

2008
Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio

2007
Doris Lessing

2006
Orhan Pamuk

2005
Harold Pinter

2004
Elfriede Jelinek

2003
John M. Coetzee - Childhood of Jesus

2002
Imre Kertész

2001
Sir Vidiadhar Surajprasad Naipaul

2000
Gao Xingjian

1999
Günter Grass

1998
José Saramago

1997
Dario Fo

1996
Wislawa Szymborska

1995
Seamus Heaney

1994
Kenzaburo Oe

1993
Toni Morrison

1992
Derek Walcott

1991
Nadine Gordimer

1990
Octavio Paz

1989
Camilo José Cela

1988
Naguib Mahfouz

1987
Joseph Brodsky

1986
Wole Soyinka

1985
Claude Simon

1984
Jaroslav Seifert

1983
William Golding (R)

1982
Gabriel García Márquez (R)

1981
Elias Canetti

1980
Czeslaw Milosz

1979
Odysseus Elytis

1978
Isaac Bashevis Singer

1977
Vicente Aleixandre

1976
Saul Bellow

1975
Eugenio Montale

1974
Eyvind Johnson
Harry Martinson

1973
Patrick White (R)

1972
Heinrich Böll

1971
Pablo Neruda

1970
Aleksandr Isayevich Solzhenitsyn (R)

1969
Samuel Beckett

1968
Yasunari Kawabata - The Sound of the Mountain

1967
Miguel Angel Asturias

1966
Shmuel Yosef Agnon 
Nelly Sachs

1965
Mikhail Aleksandrovich Sholokhov

1964
Jean-Paul Sartre

1963
Giorgos Seferis

1962
John Steinbeck (R)

1961
Ivo Andric

1960
Saint-John Perse

1959
Salvatore Quasimodo

1958
Boris Leonidovich Pasternak (R)

1957
Albert Camus

1956
Juan Ramón Jiménez

1955
Halldór Kiljan Laxness

1954
Ernest Miller Hemingway - A Moveable Feast

1953
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (R)

1952
François Mauriac

1951
Pär Fabian Lagerkvist

1950
Earl (Bertrand Arthur William) Russell

1949
William Faulkner

1948
Thomas Stearns Eliot (R)

1947
André Paul Guillaume Gide

1946
Hermann Hesse

1945
Gabriela Mistral

1944
Johannes Vilhelm Jensen

1943
No Nobel Prize was awarded this year.

1942
No Nobel Prize was awarded this year.

1941
No Nobel Prize was awarded this year.

1940
No Nobel Prize was awarded this year.

1939
Frans Eemil Sillanpää

1938
Pearl Buck (R)

1937
Roger Martin du Gard

1936
Eugene Gladstone O'Neill

1935
No Nobel Prize was awarded this year.

1934
Luigi Pirandello

1933
Ivan Alekseyevich Bunin

1932
John Galsworthy (R)

1931
Erik Axel Karlfeldt

1930
Sinclair Lewis

1929
Thomas Mann

1928
Sigrid Undset

1927
Henri Bergson

1926
Grazia Deledda

1925
George Bernard Shaw (R)

1924
Wladyslaw Stanislaw Reymont

1923
William Butler Yeats (R)

1922
Jacinto Benavente

1921
Anatole France

1920
Knut Pedersen Hamsun

1919
Carl Friedrich Georg Spitteler

1918
No Nobel Prize was awarded this year.

1917
Karl Adolph Gjellerup
Henrik Pontoppidan

1916
Carl Gustaf Verner von Heidenstam

1915
Romain Rolland

1914
No Nobel Prize was awarded this year.

1913
Rabindranath Tagore - The Home and the World

1912
Gerhart Johann Robert Hauptmann

1911
Count Maurice (Mooris) Polidore Marie Bernhard Maeterlinck

1910
Paul Johann Ludwig Heyse

1909
Selma Ottilia Lovisa Lagerlöf

1908
Rudolf Christoph Eucken

1907
Rudyard Kipling

1906
Giosuè Carducci

1905
Henryk Sienkiewicz

1904
Frédéric Mistral 
José Echegaray y Eizaguirre

1903
Bjørnstjerne Martinus Bjørnson

1902
Christian Matthias Theodor Mommsen

1901
Sully Prudhomme

Orange you glad I joined the party?

Call me crazy, but I've joined another challenge. The Orange Prize Project.

Crazy!!

If reading 75 classics in 5 years for the Classics Club wasn't enough to keep me busy, I'm also reading Booker, Nobel, Pulitzer and now, Orange prize winning books!

But I figure that it wont be that hard for five reasons.

1. a number of the books appear on several lists.
2. my four new challenges have no time limit attached to them.
3. I've already read quite a few of the titles but just haven't blogged about them all.
4. I need to read a number of these award winning titles for work anyway.
5. I want to read more women writers and the Orange challenge in particular will help me with that.

In January, the Orange prize changed it's name to The Women's Prize for Fiction.

The longlist for 2013 is due out on Thursday.

Of the list below, I've only read one title - Fugitive Pieces from 1997.

However, when I scan the shortlists I can see another 8 books to tick off. There are many more titles on the longlists as well as all the books from the six year 2005 -2010 where they also awarded a prize to new writers.

So many books, so little time!
Time to stop blogging and time to get reading.

Past Winners of The Orange Prize for Fiction

1996: A Spell Of Winter, Helen Dunmore

1997: Fugitive Pieces, Anne Michaels

1998: Larry’s Party, Carol Shields

1999: A Crime In The Neighbourhood, Suzanne Berne

2000: When I Lived In Modern Times, Linda Grant

2001: The Idea Of Perfection, Kate Grenville

2002: Bel Canto, Ann Patchett

2003: Property, Valerie Martin

2004: Small Island, Andrea Levy

2005: We Need To Talk About Kevin, Lionel Shriver

2006: On Beauty, Zadie Smith

2007: Half Of A Yellow Sun, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

2008: The Road Home, Rose Tremain

2009: Home, Marilyne Robinson

2010: The Lacuna, Barbara Kingsolver

2011: The Tiger’s Wife, Téa Obreht

2012: The Song of Achilles, Madeline Miller

Great Books for Sharing with your 3-5 Year Olds

This list is by no means complete or absolute.

I expect to add to it as new books come along or people draw my attention to obvious gaps.

Three to five year old children are able to pay attention to longer stories and they appreciate more complex storylines.

Their humour is developing and they enjoy books with twists and surprises.

Fears can also be also developing, therefore books that explore these issues can be useful as too books that provide 'fun' frights.

Rhyming and repetiton are still important at this age, as many children will try to 'read' their favourites stories. This usually involves memorising entire pages and whole books to start with. The predictable text and rhymes help this memory skill.

Letter and simple word recognition usually begins around age four, although most children will be recognising familiar symbols from an earlier age (i.e. their own name, the golden M for McDonald's, their favourite cereal package or juice drink).

As always, the best way for young children to develop a love of reading is for you to read to them often and over and over again. Although you may be well and truly over reading one particular favourite, if your child is asking for it again, it is obviously fulfilling some need.

Reading books multiple times allows your child to memorise the language and to become confident at being a book user. In this case, familiarity breeds knowledge, experience and understanding.


Happy Reading!

Classics

Allen and Janet Ahlberg - The Jolly Postman

Chris Van Allsburg - Jumanji

Ludwig Bemelmans - Madeline

John Burningham - The Avocado Baby, Mr Gumpy's Outing, Mr Gumpy's Motor Car, The Shopping Basket

Virginia Lee Burton - Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, The Little House

Eric Carle - The Bad-Tempered Ladybird, The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Marjorie Flack - The Story About Ping, Angus and the Ducks

Mem Fox - Possum Magic, Koala Lou, Where is the Green Sheep

Shirley Hughes - Dogger, Titch

Pat Hutchins - Rosie's Walk

Ezra Jack Keats - The Snowy Day, A Letter to Amy, Peter's Chair

Judith Kerr - The Tiger Who Came to Tea 

Michelle Knudsen - The Library Lion

Munro Leaf - The Story of Ferdinand 

John Vernon Lord - The Giant Jam Sandwich

Sam McBratney - Guess How Much I Love You

Robert McCrosky - Make Way for the Ducklings

A A Milne - Winnie the Pooh

Arlene Mosel - Tikki Tikki Tembo

Robert Munsch - The Paperbag Princess

Louise Pfanner - Louise Builds A Boat

Beatrix Potter - The Tale of Peter Rabbit

Maurice Sendak - Where the Wild Things Are

Shel Silverstein - The Giving Tree

Esphyr Slobodkina - Caps for Sale 

Judith Viorst - Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Elfrida Vipont - The Elephant and the Bad Baby 

Martin Waddell - Owl Babies

Gene Zion - Harry the Dirty Dog

Australian

Pamela Allen - Make Way for the Duckling, Waddle Giggle Gargle, Who Sank the Boat?

Duncan Ball - Jeremy's Tail 

Aaron Blabey - Stanley Paste

Janeen Brian - I'm A Dirty Dinosaur

Mem Fox - Where is the Green Sheep, Koala Lou, Tough Boris

Katrina Germein - Big Rain Coming

Bob Graham - Rose Meets Mr Wintergarten, Queenie the Bantam

Alison Lester - Are We There Yet?

Marc Martin - The Curious Explorer's Illustrated Guide to Exotic Animals

Nadia Wheatley - My Place

Margaret Wild - There's A Sea in My Bedroom

Tim Winton - The Deep

Rhyming

Pamela Allen - Mr McGee

Giles Andreae - Giraffes Can’t Dance

Lynley Dodd - Hairy Maclary From Donaldson Dairy

Julia Donaldson - The Gruffalo, What the Ladybird Heard, Stick Man, Room on the Broom, The Snail and the Whale

Alison Lester

Dr Seuss

Humour

Jez Alborough - Eddy's Teddy, Duck in the Truck, Fix-It Duck

Pamela Allen - Belinda, Fancy That

Anthony Browne - My Dad, Willy the Wimp

Lauren Child - I Will Not Ever Never Eat A Tomato series

Babette Cole - The Trouble With Mum, Princess Smarty Pants

Drew Daywalt - The Day the Crayons Quit

Ian Falconer - Olivia

Claire Freedman - Aliens Love Underpants 

Taro Gomi - Everyone Poops

Emily Gravett

Werner Holzwarth - The Story of the Mole Who Knew it was None of His Business

Oliver Jeffers - Stuck

Jon Klassen

Lydia Monks - Aaaargh Spider, I Wish I Were A Dog

Helen Nichols and Jan Pienkowski - Meg and Mog series

Tony Ross 

Elizabeth Rose Stanton - Henny

Jon Stone - The Monster At the End of This Book

Traditional - There Was An Old lady Who Swallowed A Fly

Herve Tullet - Press Here

Mo Willems - Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!

Don and Audrey Wood - The Little Mouse the Red Ripe Strawberry and the Big Hungry Bear 

Pictures to Pour Over

Jeannie Baker

Bronwyn Bancroft

Graeme Base

Anthony Browne

Alison Lester

Scary books

Allen Ahlberg - Funnybones 

Berenstain Bears - The Spooky Old Tree 

Ruth Brown - A Dark, Dark Tale

David A. Carter - In a Dark, Dark Wood: An Old Tale with a New Twist

Tomie De Paola - The Teeny Tiny Woman'

Katharine Holabird - Alexander and the Dragon

Margaret Mahy - The Lion in the Meadow

Brenda Parkes - The Hobyahs

Maurice Sendak - Where the Wild Things Are

Traditional - The Gingerbread Man

The Cloud Hunters by Alex Shearer

It has been a while since a new children's fiction book has won my heart so completely. Wonder by R J Palacio may have been the last.

But here we have The Cloud Hunters by Alex Shearer to warm the cockles of your heart.

Full of beautiful, philosophical language, almost poetic at times and memorable characters.

"It seems in life that for every plus there is a minus, and that freedom itself doesn't come free. For that too, there's a price to pay."

"Why is it that your parents are forever urging you to be careful? As if beinf reckless, getting yourself killed, or ending up in hospital are all you have in mind? Do they imagine that you have no other plans than to do yourself an injury as quickly as you can? And even if you were careless by nature, did telling anyone to be careful ever make them so?"

"It seems, that for all our faults, we still have an inner yearning to wish each other well. I think we want the best for each other, despite it all. We want each other's journeys to be safe and successful. If only out of superstition. Because then our journeys will be successful too."

"A few minutes later, a sky-shark came along, heading in the same direction, as if in leisurely and confident pursuit, sure that it would get its prey before the day was out. The sky-ray was a dead fish flying."

My only concern is that sometimes the action takes a while to get going as Christien does like to spend quite a bit of time reflecting on life!

The Cloud Hunters live in a future world where the Earth has been destroyed. Old shards of earth float around the old earth's core. Water is scarce; the cloud hunters job is find clouds, harvest the water and sell it to those in need.

But The Cloud Hunters is so much more than a futuristic story with an environmental message. This is a story about relationships, life and death and the choices we make along the way.

Highly recommended for mature 11+ readers.

How To Find An Old PIcture Book????

I'm stuck.

I've been trying to track down an old picture book that I loved to read during my preschool teaching days.

I think it was Australian.

I think it was published during the 1980's or 1990's (We received a donated copy at work during the early noughties...it was already out of print).

I think it had a picture of a white house surrounded by a big, old tree on the cover.

I think the house was a Queenslander style home.

The family (particularly the little child) had a lovely relationship with the tree. A cubby house/cave inside the huge trunk.

During a storm the tree blew down. There was some dilemma about where to take shelter. I remember this part being deeply moving.

The family were devastated by the trees destruction. Until they discovered a new shoot growing up from one of the seeds.

I've asked, I've googled, I've researched until my eyes hurt...but no luck.

The closest I've come to finding it is a new book called Tree A Little Story About Big Things by Danny Parker and illustrated by Matt Ottley.

The funny thing is I had thought the book I was trying to find might have been illustrated by Matt Ottley too! But I've searched his back list and can't find anything there either.

Maybe the story wasn't Australian...perhaps it was a story based in the South (US)?

The title might have had something to do with 'shelter'.

How do you track down a picture book when you can't remember the title or the author?

Does this book sound familiar to anyone?

Help!

But for now, here's a clip of Parker and Ottley's Tree to tempt you while you think...