The Hunger Games

Oh my goodness!  I have read so many good books lately and am just so excited!  Y'all I read this book in literally 2 sittings.  Granted one of them kept me up until 2 AM!  So good that I did not peek ahead, just kept on reading.  I really wanted to read ahead, but I knew that would ruin the book for me.

Anyway, this book is set in the future.  North America has undergone numerous natural disasters and a new country has formed...  it consists of The Capitol and 12 districts.  The districts tried to revolt 70 something years ago.  Now each year the Capitol chooses a boy and girl (12-17 year old) from each district to compete in The Hunger Games.  The kids fight to the death in a huge arena.  This event is televised each year {almost like reality tv gone horribly wrong...}.  The main character Katniss is one of the contestants.

My recommendation is that you get in your car and get to the book store NOW!  I cannot wait to read the next two books!  My sister brought them over tonight!  And y'all read these quick, because they are going to be made into a movie!  :)

PS Are you Team Peeta or Team Gale?  Right now I am Team Peeta.

Read:  September 2011
Pages:  384

A Couple from the Bedtime Rotation

I cannot believe that it has taken me soooo long to write about these books.  They have both been apart of the Bedtime Routine {which used to be so much easier....  dang terrible twos!}  for quite some time.  

They are just like what they sound like.  The Daddy Book tells all about different sorts of things that daddies like to do while The Mommy Book tells all about different things mommies like to do.  

I just love Todd Parr and kids do, too!  The pictures are fun and bright and he is always so inclusive in his writing.  I  guess my love for him stems back to my more liberal pre-Mommy days.  Ha!

If you don't own any Todd Parr books, get some now!  One of my personal faves is The Underwear Book!  Early Elementary age kids love it!  

And that is officially the end of my list that I had going....  that means, gasp,  I am all caught up.  So now I just have to finish some books on my bookshelf!  I know you will be sitting on the edge of your seat.  I will try to read fast!  ;)

James Favorites from 2-2.5

I am going to go totally out of order and write first...  Hope you don't mind.  ;)

Right now James is very into trains, trucks, cars, and animals.  So most books that are read over and over in our house are about one of those.  That is really the key for getting kids of any age to read, I think.

Some hits are novelty sorts of books like lift-the flap books and any book that makes noise.  Some of his favorite include those shown below:

There are also quite a few non-novelty books that he likes read over and over!  Some are classics, some are fun songs!  Here they are:

There are quite a few that he still reads found here and here.  It's kinds crazy he has been reading some of these books for more than a year!  It's also crazy that I have more than 50 posts!  I guess I really like to read.  ;)

One Day

I read about this on someones blog and also heard about the movie.  It seemed like a fun book and it really was!

This is a book about a British guy and girl who began hanging out the day after they graduated from college July 15, 1980-something.  Anyway each chapter of the book is what is happening in their lives on July 15 of every year for the next 20 years.  It is totally different than any other book that I have ever read.  I was not a fan of both of the characters to begin with but they both really grow up and grow on you.

I think that maybe I liked it because the main character totally reminded me of myself and I like how she matured...  it was fun to see how they grew up through their twenties and thirties.  Let's face it I am in my mid-30s so I have been through a lot of what they have.  ;)

I heard the movies not great though.  Also be forewarned the ending will make you cry!  I totally didn't see it coming...

This is a good, easy read.

Read:  September 2011 Book Club book for Jan. 2012
Pages:  448

Time for God

This is another quick and easy read by Jacques Phillipe.  The last on that I read by him was good but I couldn't remember what happened.  This one however I totally remember.  Probably because this one is about praying and since that is what my church group will be studying this year, I am really interested in it.

This book basically says that there are many different ways to pray and meditate, but Phillipe just wants you to do it.  All that God cares about is us making time in our busy lives for him.  I loved that.  It really got me thinking that I do need to be better about committing to spending more time each day with God.  If we will just give him a little of our time he will bless us beyond measure and we will actually hear what he is telling us.

This is a good one.  I definitely know that I will go back to it and refresh my memory from time to time.  :)

Read:  May-August 2011
Pages:  120

Parenting with Grace

I finished this book a month or two ago and loved it.  I always hear Dr. Popcak on the Catholic radio station and love the little bits of advice he gives.  So it was a no brainer to get this book to help figure out the toddler days (aka, terrible twos...)  {As I write my son is refusing to nap, he has napped once in the last week!  2.5 is too early to give up a nap, surely!}

This book goes all the way until children are 18 {I think}.  Anyway I read the beginning and the section on toddlers.  It was really good stuff.  It was a lot like the Sears' and attachment parenting.  So if you are more of a BabyWise sort of parent, you most likely won't like this one.  I loved it though.  I reminded me to follow through with James.  For some reason that is so much easier said than done, though...

I think that I need a little refresher read!  Ha!  No one will be borrowing this book from me because it is a jewel!  I highly recommend it!

Read:  May-July 2011
Pages:  not sure because I only read what pertained to us at this time in life

Water for Elephants

Oh my goodness!  I have been dying to write about this book.  This is the story of a young man who is just about to finish vet school when his parents are killed in an auto accident.  Do what does he do?  Why join the circus of course.  Along the way he falls in love with one of the married ladies in the show.  The story is told from his memory as he lives in his nursing home.

Y'all this was such an amazing book.  I loved it!!!  I think that I read in in just 3 days.  I loved how it was told from when he was older.  The ending was fantastic!  Go out and get this one as quick as you can!!

Read:  August 2011
Pages:  368