Children's Book Review: The Amazing Adventures of Thomas and Erin with Grandad Market Day by John Vasey

The Amazing Adventures of Thomas and Erin with Granddad - Market Day

Author:  John Vasey

Date of publish: May 12, 2011

Publisher:  CreateSpace

Pages: 24

ISBN 978-1456411275

Genre:  Children's fiction

Source:  I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an unbiased and honest review.  Thank you to Bostick Communications, author John Vasey and CreateSpace.

Available on Amazon

http://www.facebook.com/pages/John-Vasey-Artist/122677487790399

 From the publisher:   The Amazing Adventures of Thomas and Erin with Granddad - Market Day, a children's picture book by John Vasey, tells of young Thomas and Erin's trip to town with their beloved Granddad. Inspired by Vasey's experiences with his own grandchildren, the real-life Thomas and Erin, the book tells of the children's fun with their beloved grandfather in simple words and bright, colorful illustrations.

For Erin and Thomas, today is the most special kind of day there is. You see, today is a Granddad day, and those days are always the most fun of all. 

Full of extraordinary illustrations, this joyous and beautifully simple story is sweetly evocative of the joy of spending a day with a grandfather.  Simply told and elegantly constructed, The Amazing Adventures of Thomas and Erin with Grandad - Market Day is not only an endearing story but also a tender ode to the timeless connection between children and their grandfather.

The Amazing Adventures of Thomas and Erin With Grandad - Market Day is a sweet and short tale suitable for children ages five and under.  The market is closed so Grandpa improvises, taking his two grandchildren around town to different venues where they experience new adventures.  On this outing, they visit a bookstore, a flower shop, take a walk through a park and, finally, walk by the river as the sun is setting.  Outings with grandparents are joyous, no matter how they are spent and this story emphasizes this.  It is apparent that grandfather received as much joy from this outing as the grandchildren did.  At the end of the book is a place for the child to draw a picture of his/her own grandfather.

A cute bedtime read and a special book to share with grandpa, I rate this a 3.5/5.

About the author:  John Vasey is the technical director for live music productions and is currently touring the Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber through Southeast Asia.  He is the author of Concert Tour Production Management and Concert Sound and Lighting Systems.  He is also a painter, a photographer, and the proud grandfather of three-and-a-half year-old Thomas and two year-old Erin.

Would You Rather Own or Borrow?

This week's Booking Through Thursday question asks...

All things being equal (money, space, etc), would you rather own copies of the books you read? Or borrow them?

This is an easy question for me because I love books and love to accumulate them!  If you saw my living room right now, you'd see books on the coffee table and end table, there are books at my bedside and on the bookshelves in the family room.

I do borrow books from time to time, especially if I am needing a book for book club but it isn't my particular taste or style.  If in doubt, borrow.  That's my motto.  Sometimes I will come across a borrowed book that I simply must add to my collection; then I will purchase it.  So, it goes both ways for me sometimes.  But I do love the option of being able to check over my bookshelves and finding some of my favourites there.  There's nothing like it, to be able to just pick up a book on a whim and read or re-read, as the case may be.

Book Review: A Girl's Guide to Homelessness by Brianna Karp

A Girl's Guide to Homelessness: A Memoir
Author:  Brianna Karp
Copyright 2011
Publisher:  Harlequin
ISBN 13:978-0-373-89235-8
326 pages
Source:  a complimentary galley was provided by the publisher in exchange for an unbiased and honest review.
http://girlsguidetohomelessness.com/

Homeless isn't just the sad and dejected man or woman that one may see gathered near the soup kitchen, or lined up for a bed in a shelter.  Nor is it necessarily the face of a person badly in need of a shower, a change of clothes, food in their stomach, or a bed to sleep in.  As the recession takes its toll, taking jobs, homes and self-esteem, it creates homelessness.  A new face to homelessness is what we meet in A Girl's Guide to Homelessness - a memoir of Brianna Karp.

A sad and revealing eye opener to the state of homelessness, A Girl's Guide to Homelessness is a view of a life riddled with abuse, broken promises, and heartache. As the reader travels down the road that is Brianna's life, one cannot help but note she has cast herself in the role as victim. A victim of the acts and choices of others and of circumstance told in a rather one-sided fashion.  This memoir is, afterall, Brianna's story.  But, it goes beyond that. The Girl's Guide to Homelessness is an awareness campaign, gathered in a tightly woven prose, of the new face of homelessness.  Frightening. Sad. Witty at times. The Girl's Guide to Homelessness is a wake-up call to the nations.  The security we have today, may not be there tomorrow.  As I read this memoir, I was reminded of a book I recently reviewed, 21st Century Great Global Depression, which tells of the homeless epidemic that is sweeping the nation due to the recession.  Homelessness does indeed have a new face.

As The Girl's Guide to Homelessness comes to an end, we realize it is just the beginning.  The beginning of the huge learning curve that is Brianna's life.  It is one that we all must partake in, regardless of our station in life.  What we do with the trials and tribulations, determines our future.  It is important to recognize that despite all the tragic experiences Brianna's life has doled out for her, Brianna never lets go of hope. Hope for love, family, joy and a real place to call home. Hope and perseverance can make a difference.  One wonders what difference five years will bring to Brianna.

Rated 3/5 Content alert:  language, sexual content and abuse

It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

It's Monday, What Are You Reading is a weekly meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.  Here we get a chance to recap our previous week, share what we read, what we are currently reading, and what we plan to read next.   It's a fun meme!  Won't you join in?

Please leave a comment with a link to your IMWAYR post and link up at Sheila's site Book Journey too.



Last week, including yesterday, I finished reading:

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (review to be posted later this month as it is our book club book of the month)


The Hound of Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle


This week I aim to finish:

A Time To...A Baby Boomer's Spiritual Adventures by Ronald Louis Peterson


A Gir's Guide to Homelessness by Brianna Karp

Next Up:

I'm not sure....I have so many to choose from so it depends what catches my eye.  It may even be a Nicholas Sparks novel!!

What's new with you?

Book Review: The Hound of the Baskervilles

cover selected from the internet

The Hound of the Baskervilles
Author:  Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
First Publication was a serial in The Strand August 1901 - April 1902
Published in volume form by McClure, Phillips & Co., 1902

I purchased this book as part of a volume The Original Illustrated Sherlock Holmes 37 Short Stories and a complete novel from The Strand Magazine.  Including 356 original illustrations by Sidney Paget.


This book is part of a Vintage Mystery Challenge, of which I am participating, hosted by Bev at My Reader's Block.

The Hound of the Baskervilles synopsis:   The Hound of the Baskervilles is the third of four crime novels featuring the detective Sherlock Holmes.  Set mostly in London and the moors of England's West Country, Dartmoor, The Hound of the Baskervilles is the story of an attempted murder upon men of the Baskerville family by a supernatural hound of giant proportions. 

Review:  The story opens with a visit from Dr. Mortimer, a friend of Sir Charles Baskerville, to Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson at their London office.  Dr. Mortimer tells of his suspicions surrounding the death of his friend and of the large paw print found on the scene.  There is but one member of the Baskervilles known to be alive, Sir Henry Baskerville, he being the heir.  Dr. Mortimer enlists the aid of Sherlock Holmes and his friend Dr. Watson, to solve the mystery of the death/murder of his friend, Sir Charles, and to help prevent the same of the only known heir, Sir Henry Baskerville.  

Not believers in the supernatural, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson set out to investigate the curious happenings of Baskerville Hall in the Devon county.  Their adventures uncover more than one secret, more than one mystery, as they sleuth their way to solving the case.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was a mastermind at mystery telling, and his stories of Sherlock Holmes and his sidekick Watson are well-renowned.  His attention to detail, the rhythm with which he writes, and the plot twists he conspires are second to none.  A century later, his works still bear the same attention as that of a master story teller.

I read this in almost one sitting, finding it difficult to put down.  Highly recommended for mystery, detective and classic lovers alike, I rate it a 5/5!

Note:  "This story owes its inception to my friend, Mr. Fletcher Robinson, who has helped me both in the general plot and in the local details. - A.C.D."  (a note included by the author)

-------------------

Fascinating Background:  (according to Wikipedia but in my own words)  Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, after returning from a trip to South Africa where he worked as a volunteer physician at the Langman Field Hospital in Bloemfontein, wrote this story with the assistance of journalist Bertram Fletcher Robinson, who helped with the plot.  It is thought his ideas came from the legend of Richard Cabell.  The Squire Richard Cabell, who lived during the 17th century, of Backastleight, was a passionate hunter and described as a "monstrously evil man".  His reputation of such was gained for immortality and supposedly selling his soul to the devil.  It is also rumoured he may have killed his wife.  He died July 5, 1677 and on the night of his internment, it is said a pack of hounds travelled across the moor, baying, and howled at his tomb.  The story goes that he could be found leading the ghostly pack across the moor, particularly on the anniversary of his death.  

There is a folklore of Devon which tells of the Yeth Hound, a frightening supernatural dog.  It is suggested that this story may have been of influence in writing The Hound of the Baskervilles.  It seems the area is well-known for stories of ghost dogs as there is the story of another, Black Shuck, from the Cromer area, said to haunt the area between Overstrand and East Runton.  

   

Mary J. Blige on the Soundtrack for The Help

The soundtrack for The Help will be available July 26 at participating Starbucks.

Harry Potter Reading Marathon!!!

I was reading Sheila's blog Book Journey, in particular her post about the Harry Potter exhibit, and was excited to read of Shannon's Harry Potter Reading Marathon 2011 on her new-to-me book blog, Giraffe Days.  It involves reading one Harry Potter book a month, beginning with the first in the series this month.  I signed up immediately!!  ;)  If you'd like to join in too, visit Giraffe Days.  Just comment with the appropriate post to join.


June's Read:

Canadian Cover

British Cover

Jane Eyre | Focus Features | Inside Our Movies | The Real Places of Jane Eyre's World

Jane Eyre | Focus Features | Inside Our Movies | The Real Places of Jane Eyre's World

In My Mailbox (Just Received) June 6/11

In my mailbox is a weekly bookish meme hosted by the Story Siren. Check out what I received this week and be sure to link up with the Story Siren too. Don't forget to comment below with a link to your IMM or tell me what you received, bought. or borrowed this week.

New this week:

The Map of True Places

by Brunonia Barry

I received The Map of True Places from FSB Associates in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

"From Brunonia Barry, the New York Times bestselling author of The Lace Reader, comes an emotionally compelling novel about finding your true place in the world.

...What starts as a brief visit home to Salem begins a larger journey. Suddenly having to care for her ailing father after his longtime companion moves out, Zee must come to terms with a strained and awkward relationship that has always been marked by half-truths and haunted by the untimely death of her mother. Overwhelmed by her new role, Zee must destroy the existing map of her life and chart a new course—one that will guide her not only into her future but into her past as well."

*** 

This is the one and only this week.  Not a bad thing, though, considering my TBR pile.  How was your weekly mailbox?  What exciting new books are lining your shelves or joining your TBR pile?  I love to see what everyone is reading!  :)

Do You Read Book Reviews?

This week's Booking Through Thursday question asks...

Do you read book reviews? Whose do you trust? Do they affect your reading habits? Your buying habits?

I do read book reviews and have found some of my most favourite reads because of them.  Take for example, my favourite read of 2011, Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda, of which I read several reviews before adding it to my wishlist.  It turned out to be a phenomenal read and one I highly recommend.

I have favourite book bloggers whose reviews I trust, but I also read reviews in the New York Times, O Magazine, and the local newspapers.  Once I've read several good reviews for a book, generally I top-list the book for reading.   A good positive review definitely influences my reading and buying habits.

Have you read any good reviews lately?  What makes them so?  Is it the reviewer, their style, or the book, or a combination of all of the aforementioned?  Do reviews influence your book choices?