Just Another Ordinary Day – Rod Clement

I love this book! As a parent I love routines. It helps me to be organized and it teaches kids what to expect and what they need to do in their day. But not everyones routine is the same and even if they go through the same motions they will differ. Amanda is just having another ordinary day. From waking up in the morning, eating breakfast, going to school, having science, forgetting lunch, playing with the new girl, going home, having a shower, eating dinner, reading a book and going to bed. A pretty average day until you look at the illustrations and find that her day is really extraordinary. Awaking to a genii gonging an alarm; flying down stairs on metal wings; being driven to school by the oldest person she knows (a dinosaur); playing with the new girl who is an alien planet; going home in an off road vehicle such as an elephant; and showering in a waterfall.

The text is intentionally boring and the humour of this book is in the contrast between the text and the illustrations. For older children reading the text to them once without the pictures and then again with the illustrations really brings out the incongruity of the text and pictures. Younger kids love this books as even though Amanda is doing all the things they would do it their day, her day is amazing and magical. 9/10

Little Red – A fizzingly good yarn - Lynn Roberts

Continuing on my theme of all things fairy-tales I pick this book off the shelf at the local library. Little Red loves his read coat and also goes by the name Thomas. Thomas' family run an inn which is renown for its ginger beer and Thomas loves talking the all the travellers who stop by to listen to their tales of robbers and wolves in the forest. One day Little Red steps out on his weekly trip to grandmothers to bring some treats and a weeks supply of ginger beer. However a bad and hungry wolf was watching and scheming........ Can Little Red escape the wolf and safe grandma. And how does the ginger beer save the day?
A funny retelling of Little Red Riding Hood and children will have fun pointing out the similarities and differences from the traditional story. This is not the watered down version where grandma hides in the cupboard – she is eaten in one gulp. Children will enjoy the addition of bodily noises such as burps. In my house just the mention of burps and......back door burps ensures uproarious laughter from my 4 year old. (Favourite family joke: Q: What did one burp say to the other burp? A: Let's be stinkers and go out the back door!). The illustrations by David Roberts are almost comic-like and lend themselves to the menacing undertones of the story. 6/10

Wild Magic – Cat Weatherill

The town of Hamelin is overrun with rats when a piper comes to town as is able to remove the rats by playing his pipe. When the townsfolk refuse to pay the piper enchants their children and they follow him never to be seen again. Sound familiar? In this magical story, Weatherhill continues this scenario about what happened to the children and why. The Piper is an elf from another land who, after entering a forbidden forest and killing a white stag, is cursed. Every full moon he is turned into a beast. The curse can be past to another, but only a special child with special magic. The piper will know where to find this child because of a plague of rats. 250 years later and still living with the curse the piper is desperate when he finally discovers Hamelin. Once he enchants the children, he takes them to Elvendale to try and discover who the child is that can take his curse. But none is found and in his anger he turns all the children into animals to live in Elvendale forever. Unknown to him one child, Jakob, could not keep up as he was lame. Jakob finds away into Elvendale to find his sister Mari. Here he finds this lameness is healed, he can now run and delights in all he finds. Jakob becomes the hero of the story as he saves his sister who is now a fox, and saves the Piper. However now he is left with the curse......
The story is told in 3 alternating narratives that of the Piper, Mari and Jacob. The story is a sad one, to see how the curse has embittered the Piper. I enjoyed the magic and mystery that surrounded the Piper and the history of how he came to be as he was. It is disappointing that the story does not include what the lifting of the curse means to the Piper and how his life changes particularly as there is a lot of background history to the life he left behind because of the curse. Everything ends a little too nicely for me, but happily-ever-afters are what fairy tales are all about. 6/10

The Forest of Hands and Teeth – Carrie Ryan

I am wondering which is more cool in paranormal genre. After the plethora of vampire book there are some good zombie teen fiction now available. Are zombies the new vampires or is this just part of the normal cycle of things. The first thing that attracted me to this book was the title. I was intrigued by the imagery that it conjured up for me; a forest of zombies reaching out with hands and teeth. This is a post-apocalyptic zombie novel where the majority of the human race are mindless cannibalistic zombies. The human race is confined to fenced villages. Mary lives in such a village which has been so isolated from any other humans that they believe that they are the only humans alive. Life involves keeping away from fences which are crowded by zombies trying to get in. The fences are maintained by the Guardians and all boys are trained up into this profession. The village is ruled by the Sisterhood who control all areas of village life such as schooling, marriage, childbirth, and death. Mary has lost her father to the undead and more recently her mother. She is becoming suspicious of the religious Sisterhood who try to rule her life and don't have answers to her questions about the past and the outside. When zombies breech her village Mary and a few others flee into a fenced corridor. No one knows were it will lead nor what dangers it holds. All that keeps Mary going is the stories passed down by her mother and her mothers mother and generations before of the ocean and a life free of the undead.
This is a good zombie read full of the tension that zombies, who are stronger than humans and relentless in their need to human flesh, bring to a story line. I was riveted by the intrigue of the Sisterhood and the way that tradition had been built on misunderstanding and lies to a build a religious order that most people never question. Mary's questioning mirrors teenagers today that are always questioning boundaries and norms that others don't think to question. Mary has a hope, unlike rest of the survivors, which gives her a will to survive and beat the odds stacked against her.
Ryan also adds a bit of teen romance to balance the desperation of the story and to round it off.
8/10

Snow – Tracy Lynn

Jess has skin as fair as snow, lips as red as blood and hair as black as shadow. Unfortunately her mother died at birth and her father is not much interested in her. Though a Dukes' daughter she runs wild with the estate children, learns to cook and not give much notice to her appearance. Until her father remarries. Appearances are very important to her stepmother and much of Jess's time is spent with her stepmother using her creams and potions to bring out her beauty. That is until Jess is pronounced the most beautiful. Jess is warned and flees for her life, to the city where she is found by five Lonely Ones – animal-like humans who secretly mine the streets (pick pockets). She keeps house for this group of misfits and adopts the name Snow. When Snow is discovered by her stepmother she dies in one of her stepmothers experiments to create eternal youth. Her friends are at a loss to know how to help Snow until then met the Clockwork man.....
A very interesting (as in peculiar) retelling of Snow white and the Seven Dwarfs with lots of other characters supporting the story. Snow herself is very traditional but the 7 dwarfs are animal-like people that we find out were originally created by the stepmother in her quest to have a child. The magic mirror is a bewitched musician and the wicked stepmother is a scientist who has gone mad in her attempt to be beautiful and to create a child. Gone is the magic kiss that brings Snow back to life, it is replaced by a jolt of electricity. It is also confusing who is the 'prince' as there are a few eligible gentleman. That said, I did enjoy the twists to the story as it made it less predictable. As a fairy tale adaptation it is a good read. 7/10

The Book of Lost Threads - Tess Evans

This is not a book that I would usually pick up but I have read it as part of the State Library of Victoria Summer Read competition. Summer Read encourages people to turn off the TV and pick up a book. They have a selection of books that are either set in Victoria or by a Victorian author.
This is Tess Evans' first novel and she has written a poignant wonderful book. The characters are believable and have lost some of the threads that hold their life together. Moss is looking for her father and suffers the loss of one of her mothers, Lily an eccentric knitter of tea-cosies for the UN who struggles with sanity since the loss of her child; Finn is a brilliant mathematician has lost his way after he fatally hit a young girl in his car which leads him to become a recluse; Sandy the rich town buffoon has lost his self-respect. They all find themselves in a town called Opportunity which is a rural town that is slowly dying. The lives of these character intertwine as each learns to trust and to rely on each other in their sorrow and brokenness.
The book addresses some huge issues with sensitivity and humour. Issues such as being a child of gay marriage; sperm donation; death of family members; living with guilt and regret; domestic violence; and forgiveness. Evans invites you into the lives of these characters as they deal with these issues so you feel that it you sitting with them as they knit their lives back together.
It has been a while since I have read a book where I can relate to the characters on such an emotional level. Where I am drawn to continue reading so I can discover how the characters come to terms with their pasts to create a stronger future. I was entranced by Tess Evans' storytelling. 8/10

Hooray! There's a Hippopotamus on Our Roof Having a Birthday Party– Hazel Edwards

I love planning kids birthdays and getting the kids involved by planning themes, writing invitations and helping with baking and decorating. For children, anticipating birthday parties is part of the fun and Hazel Edwards captures this in her new book. Based on her 'Hippopotamus on the roof easting cake' series is all about birthdays and as with her other books the hippopotamus on the roof reflects the actions of the child in the story. The story begins three days before the party. From sending out invitations, deciding what to wear, baking party treats, playing party games and unwrapping presents the child and the hippopotamus have lots of fun. Children will be familiar with the illustrations from her other books as they see the hippopotamus belly dancing, licking out the cake bowl, and blowing up balloons. This book contains the the same magic as her original books and is not just another book about birthdays. 8/10

My Soul to keep – Rachel Vincent

I guess I am not up with paranormal folklore. When I think of a banshee I was picturing a wailing ghost like figure not unlike the ghosts in Scooby Doo. However with a google search on banshees I discover that they are female spirits who are omens of death and their wailing usually foretell death.
When Kaylee realizes that she can sense when people are going to die and cannot contain the scream that wells up inside her she knows she thinks she is crazy. But instead thanks to Nash, the hottest guy a school, she discovers that she is a bean sidhe (banshee) and a whole new supernatural world opens up to her. Just when she is coming to terms with this new life her classmates begin dying. Kaylee and Nash discover that their powers compliment each other and with Nash's experience in the Netherworld are a force to be reckoned with when they investigate the deaths and try to prevent them.
I found the concept of bean sidhes intriguing as it added to my knowledge of other-world fictional creatures. It is primarily a teen romance story in a paranormal setting. For me it was escapist fiction which I read very quickly and I am interested in reading the sequels to see what happens in the lives of this young couple. 6/10

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies – Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith

"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains." Anyone familiar with Jane Austen will realize that this is a twist on her famous opening line of Pride and Prejudice. Lately I have been reading quite a bit of Jane Austen fan fiction. Mostly these follow the lives of Austen's characters such as Elizabeth Bennett after her marriage to Darcy. They are often romantic but lack the wit of Austen's original novels.
After reading the first line of the Pride and Prejudice and zombies I was hesitant to continue reading but I am glad that I did. This book is a parody of Austen's original book, using her original text and adding scenes of zombie fighting action. It is set in a time that England (and the world) has been beset by a plague that afflicted many of the living, turning them to zombies. The Bennett sisters are known, not only for their beauty but for their strength and skill in battle against the zombies in Hertfordshire. This is largely due to their father who sent them to China to learn the ninja arts. Mrs Bennett is still scheming to marry her daughters off and the story follows Austen's plot line but mashes it with zombie fighting mayhem. Elizabeth Bennett and Darcy follow their classic pride and prejudice relationship with small twists but the fate of Charlotte Lucas is not so rosy. The book keeps Austen's original wittiness and perhaps at times ventures into the ridiculous as the characters deal with zombies hoards. But it somehow works. Perhaps it is because Austen's original work was very 'tongue in cheek' about the society she found herself in that the presence of zombies is not as unexpected as it could be. As an Austen fan who enjoys forays into the paranormal, I found this book an enjoyable read. 8/10

Mummy Laid an Egg – Babette Cole

This past month one of my daughters has got to that age where it is time to talk about the facts of life. It's not as if she was asking questions about where babies come from, but she was being coy about how animals have babies and I had the feeling that she had been talking about sex with girls at school. We are a fairly open household she she knew a bit about monthly cycles but I didn't want her getting misinformation from school friends. Babette Cole is an imaginative author and she combines her stories with quirky illustrations. Mummy Laid an Egg is no exception. It is a wonderful book to start teaching children about where babies come from. Basically, Mum and Dad decide to tell their two children where babies come from – everything from cabbage patches, food tubes and exploding eggs. So it is up to the children to educate Mum and Dad about how men and women fit together and how it makes a baby. My children got the most giggles out of Babette Cole's illustrations of the ways that mums and dads fit together, such as on skateboards or hot-air ballooning. The book is a springboard for discussion and educates kids in a fun, non-threatening way. So if your child is ready for knowing about 'the birds and the bees' then take a look at this book. 8/10
To preview this book click here

Blood Trinity - Sherrilyn Kenyon & Dianna Love

I have been out of the closet for a while now about being a “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” fan. It took a while to admit to people while I surreptitiously watched episodes. I hadn't read much in the vampire genre at all until “Twilight” by Stephenie Meyer. I hadn't heard about these books until just before the book “Breaking Dawn” was released. I picked up a copy and couldn't put it down until I had finished all 4 books of the series. This was my introduction to vampire fiction and since then I have read quite a few different paranormal novels. The latest one I have read was Blood Trinity. I found it hard to put this book down. At the time I was visiting my husband's family and was sneaking downstairs to read my book, berating myself for being anti-social (obviously not enough to make me put the book down and socialize).
Evalle is a Belador, a supernatural warrior who is an outcast from her people as she has an Alternant; she has an abnormality that allows her to shift her shape to a terrible monster. As often these shape shifting monsters are hard to control it is illegal and anyone caught shifting is imprisoned for life. She is barely tolerated by her people but is fiercely loyal to them. She serves them by being a demon hunter. While tracking a particularly nasty demon causing much carnage she finds herself under suspicion of causing the incidents she is investigating. Unlikely friends come to her aid but need to earn Evalle's trust and crack her tough exterior.
This book introduces new species to the plethora of paranormal creatures found with in the genre. The plot moves rapidly and the characters are intriguing hinting at interesting pasts (which I am sure will be explored in further sequels). This book is not a romance, something that Kenyon is usually known, but does have some sexual tension undertones. Initially the book is a little awkward as readers are at a loss to understand words such as Belador and Alternant which are explained later in the book. However it is an entertaining book that invites the reader into a new world and it is great escapist fiction. Evalle is the type of heroine I like, one who is tough but hides a tender heart. She even has a pet gargoyle! Kenyon is a prolific writer, so I am eagerly awaiting the next book in the series. 7/10

Before I fall – Lauren Oliver

What if you lived the last day of your life again....would you change anything?
Eighteen year old Sam Kingston is having a severe case of deja vu. Believing that she has died in a horrible car crash with her best friends she finds herself in her bed reliving yesterday, the day of the crash. Reminiscent of the Bill Murray movie Groundhog day, Sam finds herself reliving the day over and over again. Sam is initially a popular girl at school who isn't being true to herself in order to be popular. Over the recurrences of her day Sam learns more about herself, shares her true self with people and gets to know the people she sees everyday at school in a new light. At first I found reading this book hard going as I could not relate to Sam nor did I like her character but I persisted as I was interested in the concept of her reliving the day of the crash. However Sam evolves through the book to show love and a depth of character which ultimate leads the ultimate outcome to her last day. 7/10

Water Song - Suzanne Weyn

The frog prince is my favourite fairy tale! When I was living in a rural village in Papua New Guinea one of my favourite things to do to encourage my language learning was to tell stories. Part of my job required hiking from village to village to collect information about literacy. At night people would gather around and talk. I became known for telling stories, especially the story called “Rokrok na pikinini meri bilong king” (The frog and the daughter of the king). In my imaginings this story would be retold by other Papuan nationals and become a 'tumbuna stori' (folkstory).
I'm not sure what it is that makes the story so appealing to me. Is it the romance of the story the way that the frog must woo the princess to kiss him to break the spell. Is it all about fairness in how we treat people. Or the whole idea of not overlooking someone just because they are ugly/different because what is inside could be something wonderful (Don't judge a book by its cover).
Suzanne Weyn's adaptation of 'The frog prince” is set during the first world war. Against this bleak background all of the well-known parts of the fairytale are addressed. The 'golden ball' is a golden locket shaped as a ball; the' princess' an wealthy English girl called Emma and, the 'frog' is Jack, an American who has a talent for back water magic. When they first meet Emma finds him in the well where she threw her locket. He's a good swimmer, his skin is blistered, and his eyes are bulging and swollen from the gas, very much the picture of a human frog. As soon as he is able to see Emma, he wants her to kiss him. The plot includes the aspects of war, espionage and battle that allows Emma to see what a prince among men jack really is. The result is a mix of war romance meets fairytale which didn't quite capture the magic for me. 6/10

Mem Fox

Mem Fox began writing children's books in the early 1980's. Unfortunately as a child I was not exposed to these books. Probably because at the time I was reading chapter books, and picture books were so..... yesterday. I can't remember which of Mem's books I was first introduced to - possible Possum Magic as it is her first and most Australian of her books. I think I fell in love with Mem Fox was when I heard her read her books at an author talk. By this time I had my own children and had immensely enjoyed reading "Where is the Green Sheep" to them. But to hear Mem read it took my breath away. THAT was how the book was supposed to be read! It was amazing. Mem was promoting her book "Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes" and after hearing her read it I had to get it for my young son. The last book she read that day was "Tough Boris" which I had read before but didn't see the magic in it. It was amazing the way that Mem read it. It was MAGICAL and I felt that I could cry with tough Boris too. I am slowly building up my collection of Mem Fox book. Even though my children have some of these already (well used and worn) I am keeping these books in my bookshelf to be read on special occasions and to hopefully be read to another generation sitting on my knee.
To listen to Mem reading click here

White as Snow - Tanith Lee

This is a very dark retelling of snow white, nothing like the Disney and children's versions. Combining fantasy and horror Lee follows the history of a noble maiden Arpazia who captured, raped and finally married by a conquering barbaric king. All she has left her past life is a glass mirror that possesses witching powers. The murder of her sister and a loveless marriage and the birth of a child that she sees as evil leads Arpazia down her dark magic path. The story elicits sympathy from the reader as they follow Arpazia's life from loving sister to tortured soul, especially when her lover rejects her for her daughter. The daughter Candacis (called Coira) is seeking love from her cold and remote mother but must find it elsewhere.
The two main characters, mother and daughter are very passive in the story and are victims of their circumstances with love, hate and jealousy abounding. Although a well crafted story, for a romantic like me there is no handsome prince at the end :( 6/10

Beauty Sleep - Cameron Dokey

Dokey has successfully converted sleeping beauty into a teen romance. Young Aurora is mollycoddled by her family because of a curse that was given at her christening. We all know the story but consider trying to eat steak without a knife as her parents won't let her use anything sharp! Prince Charming also lives with the family (Aurora's cousin) as heir to the throne. Initially he is anything but charming, but as he matures has a winning way about him. Until Aurora is named heir and Prince Charming is to be steward and the scene is set for a love-hate relationship. Unlike the sleeping curse of the traditional tale Aurora flees her home (to protect it from her curse) into a forbidden forest where she must await true loves kiss (or at least the kiss of someone she likes ) Perhaps not a true retelling of the fairy tale but Dokey's interpretation makes a good read. 7/10

Deerskin - Robin McKinley

I am a romantic so I love a good fairy-tale with princes and princesses and true love which conquers all. This is what lead me to pick up the book Deerskin by Robin McKinley who has done some great retelling of traditional fairy-tales (often found in the teenage collection). So when I saw this in the adult fiction, I prepared myself for a good read and I wasn't disappointed.
The book begins where most books leave off. The Prince has found his Princess, they marry and take over ruling the kingdom. Yet there is no happily-ever-after. The new King and Queen are caught up in their all-consuming love and have little room for their daughter, Lissla Lissar. She is left to grow up alone in a kingdom that adores her parents until tragedy strikes. The Queen, "the most beautiful woman in seven kingdoms," dies and her father is thrust into madness.
During this time Lissar receives her first friend as a gift - a fleet-hound puppy called Ash from a Prince from a nearby country. Lissar is unaffected by palace life and her blossoming beauty, and spends all her time training the puppy. As she grows more into the beauty of her mother, Lissar must flee from her father's madness and lust.
Wounded in body, mind and spirit by her father Lissar flees her palace live, with her faithful dog Ash, to the mountains where she must recover. She makes a new life for herself living among a people where she finds love and acceptance but no peace.
There is a dream like quality to McKinley as she writes yet she leaves vivid pictures in the readers mind of Lissar struggling to survive, running barefoot through the countryside with her dogs. Central to the story is the love that Lissar and Ash share as it is in this relationship that she finds the strength to finally recover, confront her father, and regain the memories of her life as a princess.
For those who love fairy-tales, this is an adult version as it addresses issues of incest and rape. It is at times painful to read because it is full of brokenness, but there is joy and healing, and of course a love that triumphs!
Highly recommended 9/10

The Storyteller's daughter - Cameron Dokey

Shaharazad has inherited her mother's storytelling gift and although never accepted by her father's people she uses her gift to bring sanity to the king. King Shahrayar has been betrayed by love and swears to marry and then the next morning kill his wife so that she has no opportunity to betray him. Shaharazad offers herself up as a bride to save others from death. Her stories woo the king, and attempt to restore his heart. This book brings that character of Shaharazad alive rather than just the stories she tells (as told in 1001 Arabian nights). It tells of her mother, her childhood and of the terror and wisdom in her actions towards the king she loves. I loved the book! I liked the way that Shaharazad is portrayed as a feminist and in her tales it is the woman who are most wise. Although I know Shaharazad's story there were enough twist in the story line to keep it suspenseful and enjoyable. 8/10

Fairy tale beginnings

Lately I have been selecting fairytale adaptations to read. Perhaps my life is lacking that little bit of magic but stay tuned for some evil step-mother curses, fair maidens and Prince Charmings.

Beginning in the middle

I have been tossing up this idea for a while and have finally set the wheels in motion. A blog about all the books I read. There are so many ways to share reviews so why did I start this one. I love reading but unfortunately I don't have a good memory of books. Perhaps it is that I read so avidly that the stories all spiral inside my head into a rainbow of chapters, happy endings, tragedies, sequels, authors and titles. So if I blog about them I will have a record of what I enjoyed or didn't about the books. If I can inspire people to read, link them to a new author or just give them another option in choosing their next read then all the better.
'Where the wild things are' by Maurice Sendak is one of my favorite children's books and since many of the books I read are children's and young adults fiction then I thought "Where the wild things read" was a fitting title for this blog.
I have always loved reading. So much so that as a child I would neglect chores or visitors in preference to reading. It got to the point that for a time my Mum banned me from reading during daylight hours. As all teenagers I found my way around the ban by sneaking off when mum was on the phone or entertaining visitors, or hanging the washing to find out what was happening to the lives of people in my latest novel. One of the positives of not being able to read during daylight hours was that I couldn't devour a book in one sitting so I would spend the day considering the possible twist and turns of the plot. I would often involve my sisters in acting out the story I was reading. The cons were that I would often read well into the wee hours of the morning.
Thus begins my journey in the middle of my reading joy. Hopefully I will revisit some of my favourite books and share them here and loads of new books too.