Saturday Book Post

I'm still here, slowly unpacking and trying to get organized again after the massive upheaval of moving. But I'm so many weeks behind on a book post that I think I should jot down a bit of what we've been reading and listening to in this last bit of summer.

I took Blacklisted from the PTA and the Song of Ice and Fire series with me on my trip, and got to borrow my husband's kindle (so nice!). I didn't like Blacklisted, mainly because it's one of those books where you either can relate to and like the author or you won't like it. If she could be one of your circle of friends, dishing it out about the reality of parenting from your point of view, then you'll probably find it funny and fun to read. But I don't think I would be one of her friends - I would probably be one of the overly earnest and crunchy/natural moms that she makes fun of - so I stopped reading the book.

A Song of Ice and Fire is a big sweeping fantasy series, with dragons and demons and magic, but the fantasy is matched with political intrigue and tragic generational and familial conflicts, and generously splashed with blood and violence, much of it sexual violence (although not described in detail but just referred to factually). It's really not for kids. I like the series very much, but it's almost too "real" to be the escapist fun summer read I thought I was picking out.

Meanwhile, the kids listened to Eragon and Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh on audio CD during their summer road trip. Carbon liked Eragon a lot, but Hypatia wasn't really ready for it yet. The Rats of Nimh is just a wonderful book, and both children enjoyed it very much. It's so much better than the movie.

Hypatia has discovered her brother's old Magic Treehouse CD's, and is listening to them at night while she falls asleep. "Jack and Annie" delights her just as it did Carbon at that age, and just as he did she retains little nuggets of information from the stories - they are effective for that age whether or not they are good fiction stories. We're also reading her the Old Mother West Wind stories right now.

Carbon is now the proud owner of a boxed set of the Warriors series, and we are reading number 4. He still loves those wild cats!

Now, to get back to work on all this unpacking, organizing, and getting ready for the start of regular RE at church tomorrow ...