Classic Review: Madame Bovary

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Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
Madame Bovary
by Gustave Flaubert

2 out of 5 stars

I really hated this book. Madame Bovary cheats on her husband and hides her adulterous affairs and runs up a lot of debt. I hated her character. She has a very complex and deep character, and her story is excellently written, but I hated her as a person.  The one good thing about this book is the lovely writing style. The descriptions are very powerful and the emotions of the characters are clear. There are really vibrant scenes with vivid words that plunge the reader into the story. Too bad I hated the subject material.

Classic Retelling Review + Giveaway

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Pippa Park Raises Her Game review on GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show…

http://www.pippapark.com

Enter the Giveaway: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/disp…

Rules:

1. Must be 18 or older, or have parent’s permission.

2. USA and Canada ONLY.

3. Giveaway is open from Feb 2- 16.

4. Must be subscribed to this channel.

 

Book Review: Mary Poppins and the House Next Door

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Mary Poppins and the House Next Door by P.L. Travers
Mary Poppins and the House Next Door (Mary Poppins, #6)
by P.L. Travers

5 out of 5 stars

A new neighbor has moved into the house next door on Cherry Tree Lane, and the Banks family are horrified. Only Mary Poppins has the magical wisdom to deal with the drama that threatens to engulf the whole street.

I love the whimsical writing and the funny magic! Mary Poppins is perfect as always, and the Banks children are silly and adorable. The plot has some interesting turns, and I love how all the neighbors on Cherry Tree Lane have their own little additions to the story.

Mary Poppins is just the right mixture of sweet and strict. She plays games with the children, but also lays down the law in the nursery. I love how she reacts to each twist in the plot with grace and elegance.

Non Fiction Review: Logic Puzzles for Clever Kids

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Logic Puzzles for Clever Kids by Molly Lynch
Logic Puzzles for Clever Kids: Fun brain games for ages 4 & up
by Molly Lynch

5 out of 5 stars

With sections for Sequencing, Comparisons, Abstract Thinking, Patterns, Analogies, Deduction, and Critical Thinking, this book has simple puzzles and activities to help a young child learn to put things in order, analyze information, and choose the next step.

Each page has a simple activity for a child to do, like coloring in the pattern, circling all the shapes, or choosing which pictures match each other. The designs are colorful and bright, drawing attention to the fun exercise.
At the bottom of each page there is a prompt for the parent to use, asking the child a question or giving them instructions to complete the task.

This book is wonderful for parents and little kids to have fun together learning and enjoying the puzzles! Continue reading →

Non Fiction Review: Awesome Brain Games for Kids

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Awesome Brain Games for Kids by Tori Cameron
Awesome Brain Games for Kids: STEAM Puzzles and Facts for Curious Minds
by Tori Cameron

5 out of 5 stars

Broken into sections for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math, this book gives challenges, questions, factoids, word problems, puzzles, word search activities, mazes, crossword puzzles, secret codes to crack, and dozens of other activities! I especially liked the games about music and note values, since I am a musician.

Each game is worth a certain amount of points, and you can tally up your score for each section. In case you get stuck, the answers for each game are in the back of the book, along with a glossary for some of the larger words. Continue reading →

Book Review: The Skull of Truth

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The Skull of Truth by Bruce Coville
The Skull of Truth
by Bruce Coville, Gary A. Lippincott (Illustrator)

3 out of 5 stars

Charlie is a liar. He meets the Skull of Truth and is cursed to always tell the truth, and his life changes in unexpected ways. Telling the truth gets him into a lot of trouble, and the curse begins to affect other people around him.

I didn’t enjoy this book as much as some of the others in the Magic Shop series. I thought some of the plot points didn’t quite fit in with the rest of the story. There were some radical leftist political ideas that I didn’t agree with. I was surprised to find them in a children’s book.

I was pleased to find that the skull himself is not scary at all. He’s a humorous and silly character, and there’s nothing frightening or creepy about him other than the fact that he’s a skull. Continue reading →

Book Review: Tales from Earthsea

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Tales from Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
Tales from Earthsea (Earthsea Cycle, #5)
by Ursula K. Le Guin

3 out of 5 stars

These short stories add to the folklore and stories of Earthsea. They range from ancient tales of how the Wizarding School of Roke was first founded to more recent tales that fit in with the timeline of the rest of the Earthsea books. Some are parallel stories to the main books in the series that tell of other characters with similar magic and how their experiences dovetail with the main character’s stories although the characters may never meet.

The writing is excellent and the stories draw the reader into the world of Earthsea. Some of the stories are very sad and full of violence, but others are bittersweet and beautiful. The author does a wonderful job of describing a setting and a new character in a few well-chosen words that immediately connect the reader to the story.

I enjoyed these stories, and they are a wonderful addition to the Earthsea books!

Non Fiction Review: My Perfectly Imperfect Life

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My Perfectly Imperfect Life by Irene Smit
My Perfectly Imperfect Life: 127 Exercises for Self-Acceptance
by Irene Smit, Astrid van der Hulst,  Editors of Flow Magazine

5 out of 5 stars

This guided journal gives writing prompts and activities to help relieve stress, enhance your life, embrace the good, find joy in the little things, and simplify your schedule. With a beautiful pastel design and inspiring quotes, this book teaches us to be gentler with ourselves and forgive those little mistakes that make life so interesting.

I really love the overall message of this book! I am a perfectionist and a worrier, so this kind of reminder to slow down and accept the imperfect things in life is just right for someone like me. There are breathing exercises, creative projects, mindful writing prompts, gentle self-care challenges, goals to spend more time with friends, get out into the world, allow the imperfect to happen, and choose happiness. Continue reading →

Non Fiction Review: Pocket Flyers

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Pocket Flyers Paper Airplane Book by Ken Blackburn
Pocket Flyers Paper Airplane Book: 69 Mini Planes to Fold and Fly
by Ken Blackburn, Jeff Lammers

5 out of 5 stars

This book has sixty-nine colorful airplane designs with clear instructions on how to fold each paper plane. I was amazed at the variety of the designs and how detailed and colorful the artwork is. There are planes that look like butterflies, aliens, bombers, and all kinds of interesting things.

There are several different ways to fold the planes as well. There are rotor planes that spin, and diving planes that will swoop up and down, and gliders that will stay up for long periods of time.

The instructions have illustrations that show each step and where to fold along the dotted lines. It’s easy to follow and simple to put together. There are also flying tips that tell you how to launch the paper planes, and how to bend the paper to get the best flying results. Continue reading →

Non Fiction Review: Eyelike Stickers Series

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eye

by Workman Publishing

5 out of 5 stars

These books have hundreds of stickers, and glossy endpapers that can be used as a background for the stickers to be placed and reused in a scene. The stickers are sturdy and don’t lose their stickiness over time. I even tried placing a sticker on a plain piece of paper, and it stuck just fine and then came right off without leaving any sticky residue.

The designs for each sticker are colorful and fun! You could use them on the background scene provided with the book, or use them in notebooks, cards, journals, or on any hard surface. There are so many stickers to choose from! Some of them are duplicates, but most are individual designs. I love the vibrant colors!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.