Happy Hobbit Day!!!!!

The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien is one of my all time favourite books I own at the moment 7 different copies of the book. This one was bought for me by my husband last year and is by far my favourite copy. It is filled with the beautiful illustrations of Jemma Catlin which just adds to the magic of the story.

I read The Hobbit at least once a year. It is my favourite of all Tolkien's works. The story just seems to flow from the page almost as if it were music. Every time I read this book I still feel excited even though I know the story like the back of my hand now. It just never gets old and if I'm honest I feel the older I get the more I enjoy it. As Tolkien's good friend and fellow inking C.S Lewis once said - "Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again", and I feel that now, especially I enjoy fairy tales more than I ever did as a child.

For me opening up The Hobbit is like opening the door into The Secret Garden or Falling Down The Rabbit Hole. I feel wonderful, warm and safe surrounded in my own little world. I think as we get older as adults the magic gets taken from the world and is replaced by the harsh realities of life. Don't get me wrong life isn't all bad but as adults it's harder and harder to escape from the harsher side of life as children we are usually shielded from such things by our innocence, our imagination and our parents. Books are a way of escape, especially fairy tales and fantasy novels. When I was younger I wanted grown up stories I wanted true life tales of tragic dramatic lives but now as I'm older I'm not as pushed on those things anymore. My reading time is precious and in a lot of ways it's my only escape from my own worries so I'm less inclined these days to pick up a book about somebody's true life experience of immense suffering and more inclined to reach out for something I can escape into and forget everything if only for a while. 

The Hobbit for me has everything I could want in a book. It has the unlikely hero, far off lands, a dragon, strange creatures and bucket loads of adventure. Don't get me wrong there is darkness in it and tragedy but I think the fact that it is so far away from reality is what makes it so appealing. 

As I'm writing this I'm at home in bed with the flu. I can smell chicken soup simmering away in the kitchen and I have The Hobbit sitting beside me awaiting to be read again. I know by the time I drift off to sleep tonight despite being ill I will be happy and content and really isn't that the mark of a wonderful book.

Graphic Novel #2 Through the Woods by Emily Carroll

Emily Carroll is a 31 year old comic writer from Ontario. Up until now Emily's comics have mainly been published in anthologies. Through the Woods is her first book. She studied at and graduated from Sheridan Colleges Classical Animation Program. According to Emily,s website she lives with her wife Kelly Craig and their very large cat.

Through the Woods seemed to call out to me from it's display at my local Waterstones shop in Drogheda. The books cover made me think of Edward Gorey or Tim Burton.

They say never judge a book by it cover but I most definitely judged this one.  The book comprises of 5 beautifully haunting tales. The conclusion is absolutely brilliant. This is the first time I have ever had the pleasure of laying my eyes on Carroll's work and I will most certainly be back for more.

I must admit however that I did not find it in the least bit scary but to be honest almost 30 years of devouring everything supernatural has undoubtedly de-sensitised me. I did find it very enjoyable to read and I love her style and use of colour. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys all things Burtonesque.  

You can find out more about Emily and her work on her wonderfully creative website.

http://www.emcarroll.com

Roald Dahl Day

Today September 13th is Roald Dahl Day. The Roald Dahl Foundation have been gearing up to also celebrate 50years of Charlie And The Choclate Factory this month which is probably without a doubt Dahl's most loved book. It has ignited the imagination of children and adults alike for five decades and I'm sure it will continue to do so for many years to come. Recently there has been some controversy about the new "Adult Cover" of this beloved classic and it seems that the majority of people much prefer the beautiful childrens version illustrated by Quentin Blake for obvious reasons.

This year The Roald Dahl foundation asked everyone who loves Charlie And The Choclate Factory to Have A Charlie Party. So myself and my 9 year old daughter got our paintbrushes out and this is what we came up with. Ellen baked choclate muffins and made some yummy marshmallow dipped choclate treats.

Ellen loves Roald Dahl. Having struggled with reading Ellen attends Learning Support at her school. This was very disheartening for all of us as reading is a big thing in our house both myself and my husband are bookish and our house is filled with books. We've always read to her from a very early age so we couldn't understand what it was we were doing wrong. The answer was that it wasn't anything we had done wrong or anything we failed to do. Some children just have difficulty and it takes longer for it to click. Last year halfway through the school year Ellen's wonderful learning support teacher gave her a Roald Dahl book to take home and as if by magic her attitude towards reading drastically changed. Before this she hated reading for homework because she struggled so much with it she seen it as a chore. The only reading she looked forward to was her bedtime stories. Roald Dahl books ignited the passion for reading in her we had for so long struggled to find ways to encourage. She is now obsessed with this amazing author and we are absolutely thrilled.

We would have read Charlie for this weeks blog post but we had read it very recently so we have read Matilda instead. We shared book time, I read it when she was at school and Ellen read it when she got home. We both love Matilda! It had been a very long time since I'd read it so I was thrilled when she asked me to buy it for her.





Matilda is the story of a very bright little girl born into a family who don't appreciate or even love her. Mr & Mrs Wormwood are not very good parents or to be honest very nice people. They think of Matilda as an inconvenience and do not see how very clever and wonderful she is. They are much more interested in themselves, slobbing out in front of the TV, Bingo and dodgy dealings. Matilda finds solace from her home life in books from a miraculously young age but her family especially her father don't treat her very well. She decides to punish them with hilarious consequences. Shortly after she discovers her Powers. Matilda can do things with her mind that others can't.  These powers come in very handy at school too. Matilda attends Crunchem Hall where herself and her classmates are terrorised by the nasty headmistress Miss Trunchbull.

Roald Dahl books usually follow the pattern of the bad guy getting what they deserve in a hilarious fashion. They are always witty and always magical to read. We look forward to celebrating Roald Dahl every year.

This is our Mini Charlie Party from earlier this evening with lots of Chocolate Goodness :) 

National Read A Book Day

Today unlike National Book Lovers Day is about getting everyone reading it's more about those that don't read on a regular basis than bookworms like myself. Unfortunately many people are still under the illusion that books are boring. My advice is that you haven't found the right book for you yet. Maybe in school the books read as part of the curriculum weren't your cup of tea. Read what you like. If your into celebrity gossip and fashion magazines try something in your area of interest. For example if CSI is your thing a crime novel might be just what the doctor ordered.

Why bother I hear you ask when you could just watch a tv program about fashion or a crime drama?
Reading actually has lots of benefits. Just 15 minutes a day reduces your stress levels. Studies have also shown that mental stimulation such as reading or completing puzzles actually slows down the progression and maybe even prevents Alzheimer's and Dementia. Your brain is like any other muscle in your body it requires exercise to stay in tip top shape. Reading improves your memory. It also improves focus and concentration. In today's society most of us are scurrying to get five things done at once this causes stress levels to rise and lowers productivity. When we read all of our attention is focused on one thing instead of five, the story playing out in our head as we read the book.

Reading improves your vocabulary and writing skills. The more you read the more words you are exposed to. Inevitably your vocabulary improves. Reading a well written book will in turn improve and influence your own writing.

Books unlike your TV are a free source of entertainment. I'm not saying throw out your TV I myself enjoy watching a variety of shows and movies. I just try to keep a healthy balance. Books can be expensive (although I value books so much I would spend vast sums of money on books and not care) your local library is a great source for books especially if you don't want to end up like I fear I one day may become on an episode of Hoarders drowning in a sea of books. I regret nothing btw. Or if you like classics a lot of classics are free to download to your tablet via the Kindle App. I myself own a kindle but still prefer to buy real books. For me I like the whole experience of reading. The smell and feel of a book is much more appealing to me than the coldness of technology.

Usually 99% of the time the book is better than the movie. If like me you love movies and TV shows this may be a good place to start your reading journey.

Try some of these books that have been adapted for the big screen over the years...

Or if you liked HBOs True Blood you may enjoy The Sookie Stackhouse Series it started out fairly close to the books in the first season and then deviated from there on out so lots of surprises and characters that didn't even make it onto your television set.

If your a fan of the worlds greatest detective Sherlock Holmes you may like ....

If your a fan of CSI, Broad-church, Castle and similar program's you may like...

Whatever you choose make sure it's something you have an interest in. It's great to try new things but when you want to get into reading I think it's best to go with what you like not what you think you should be reading.

Happy National Read A Book Day!!!!!!!!

Landline by Rainbow Rowell

I recently read Eleanor & Park and absolutely loved everything about it(you can find my review Here ). So I decided to check out more of her stuff, as you do. Landline was her most recently published book and unlike Eleanor & Park it isnt YA. So I thought I've read a lot of YA lately (I'm unapologetic about it, I'm no book snob) I'll give it a go. Also I thought it would be interesting to see the differences if any. You can tell this is written for adults from the get go but it's still very much just as enjoyable as Eleanor & Park.

Georgie McCool is a thirty something mother of two. She's the career mom she writes sitcoms with  her best friend Seth, loves her job and does it well. She's at the peak of her career. Her personal life  however isn't in such great shape her marriage is in trouble and has been for some time but they are still very much in love with each other. Her husband Neal stays home with the girls and does the cooking and cleaning and Georgie comes home late most nights exhausted from long hours of work. Work that she loves. Neal's not mad about the industry Georgie's in. It doesn't appeal to him, in fact he hates it but he's supportive of her. Georgie gets the opportunity to get herself and Seth's dream show up and running but it involves her putting in more hours and working Christmas. Which would be fine only the family is supposed to be flying out to Omaha to stay with Neal's mother for Christmas. The tickets have been bought and Santa has been informed. Neal isn't happy with this and decides to go to Omaha with the children without Georgie. Which means Georgie won't be with them for Christmas.

Georgie is in serious denial at first about what is actually happening when Neal and her two young daughters head off to Omaha. At first she's convinced everything is okay that her and Neal are fine and that he hasn't left her but later on she's not so sure. She becomes a mess without Neal not really sure what to do about their marriage or how to fix things. She calls him everyday but he doesn't answer. She speaks to the children and his mother but he is always off somewhere or with Dawn his neighbour and ex-fiancée. Georgie's mother is also convinced that the marriage is over and asks her to come have dinner. Georgie finding it hard to go back to her now empty house ends up staying at her mothers every night. She calls Neal from an old yellow rotary telephone she bought from a thrift shop when she was a teenager. But the Neal that answers isn't her Neal but a younger version the one that left and went to Omaha after they had a fight when they first started dating and then showed up on Christmas Day with a ring and proposal. Georgie feels like she's going insane at first but she just goes with it. Maybe she can fix all this by speaking to Neal in the Past.

Anyway I'll say no more and let you find out the rest for yourself. It's very witty and intelligent. You really get to know Rowell's characters they are so vivid. You become invested in them and want to know what's in store for them. Rainbow Rowell truly is a magical writer and I look forward to reading all her other books past and future.

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The Queen Of The Tearling by Erika Johansen

Before this book was even on the shelves of our local bookstores it was already snapped up by the movie industry. Emma Watson is said to be set to play protagonist Kelsea Raleigh Glynn. Who if I'm honest is the most fascinating heroine I've come across since Katniss Everdeen of The Hunger Games.

Kelsea is not depicted in the usually way we are accustomed. She is no renowned beauty instead she is plain, round faced, intelligent and temperamental. She is in all honesty a breath of fresh air and far more identifiable in my opinion.

You would be forgiven for believing that the story is set in the past but in actual fact it seems to be set in the future. The reason you may be given this impression is that there seems to be very few modern conveniences and people wield swords , ride horses and dress in medieval attire. There are also very few books as when the people of the Tear made the crossing from America they were only allowed bring a four books each. Kelsea's foster mother Carlin Glynn had an extensive library which contained many classics such as The Hobbit and Lord Of The Rings as well as Rowling's seven works this if I had been in any doubt before made it clear that this book is actually set in the future.

The Queen Of The Tearling is Erika Johansen's debut novel and having finished reading it I am very glad that it is book one of a trilogy. I very much look forward to reading the rest of this tale. With characters like The Mace, The Fetch, the Red Queen and Kelsea I find it hard to believe that anyone would dislike this book but I have read a few negative reviews and the main issue seems to be based on the following line:

"And for all the anguish that Kelsea's own reflection had caused her lately, she saw now that there was something far worse than being ugly: being ugly and thinking you were beautiful."

I did not become enraged like many other readers have by this statement maybe I don't really see what is wrong with this particular viewpoint. The lady Kelsea is thinking about is an ugly person and by an ugly person I don't mean just aesthetically she is ugly on the inside. So maybe that is why I didn't find myself outraged by this particular thought. 

All that aside I liked the plot. It appealed to me. Kelsea is raised in a cottage from infancy by her foster parents Barty and Carlin. The best way I can think to describe Kelsea's foster parents is that Barty is good cop and Carlin is bad cop. Barty is soft and loving towards Kelsea and Carlin is stern and the enforcer of lessons and punishments. Throw the two together and they are a super parent designed to help Kelsea become a good person and a good ruler. Kelsea's mother was not a good Queen and her kingdom has suffered greatly for her mistakes as a result. Kelsea will have a great task ahead of her if she is to fix her kingdom and right all the wrongs of her mothers and her uncle The Regents rule. That is if she survives the trip to the Keep to be crowned and stays alive long enough to rule.

I will now have to patiently await book twos publication and I can hardly wait. I also really hope that the Movie does the book justice.

Graphic Novels #1 I never thought a mouse would make me cry

The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman

This is my first review of a graphic so bear with me as I'm not sure if I have the hang of this reviewing thing yet.  Maus is the story of Art's own father Vladek's experience and survival of Auschwitz and the Holocaust. It's hard to explain the feeling you get when you read about such horrors. It's for want of a better word gut wrenching. I thought the effect would be lessened by the fact that the Jews are depicted as mice and the Nazis as cats but it really wasn't and it somehow made it even more upsetting.
That awful feeling washes over you when you read something like this the one when everything feels strange and wrong and you can feel the cold crawling over your skin. Then the tears arrive try as you might to keep the watery substance from leaking out of your eye sockets it inevitably becomes too much. In all fairness you would have to be made of stone to not be upset by the Holocaust.

All the dialogue is written in the way his father spoke which was a lovely touch as it added to the reading experience you could almost hear Vladek's accent as you read. Art's relationship with his father isn't all sunshine and rainbows either his father is a hard person to deal with but it's apparent that they loved each other none the less. I like how he didn't make his father or their relationship look perfect he showed himself and his father flaws and all. That was very brave and truthful of him and if I'm honest makes it a more enjoyable read. He also doesn't depict his father as a victim although he undoubtedly was but instead he comes across as much more, as a survivor someone who did everything and anything he could to survive, someone who was resourceful and extremely lucky at times. He wasn't always a likable person but you still felt for him. I would have liked to have read his mothers Anja's point of view too but alas that was not meant to be.
Overall this is very personal book about how a man and his wife survived all odds despite horrific circumstances and found one another again. I really can't speak highly enough of this book. It is probably one of the most honest and personal accounts of the Holocaust I have ever read.

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