My Thoughts: Heavy Words Lightly Thrown, The Reason Behind the Rhyme, Chris Roberts

I'm really not much of a non-fiction reader, I always mean to read more but some how get caught up in fiction books and never make it on to something that is real. This book was brought years ago, back when I was a University, and more than likely brought because it had a cool cover.

The book features a huge mix of nursery rhymes, giving us the history of how the rhyme originated, or the various theories of where the rhyme originated as well as information about different versions of the rhyme in history and in other countries across the world.

I enjoyed the book for the most part, and as the book is written in short chapters -each chapter dedicated to a different rhyme I read it during the ad breaks while watching Big Brother (a reality show in England - not something I should admit to watching!). My only problem was one, that after a while the origins of the tales all merge into one and that my knowledge of history is shockingly poor. I know a little about the Romantic period and World War 1 and 2 and nothing else! I think if I could place the names of the Kings and Queens with the events he was talking about I would have got more from the book, even so I still got a lot from the book.

I loved the language, each nursery rhyme is discussed in a fairly chatty style, almost like you have an interesting mate down the pub talking to you about it. Also the drawings for each rhyme where fantastic, I could only find one example to illustrate but it's a good example.

If you have read this book or blogged about it leave a comment and I'll link your thoughts to the post.

My Thoughts: A Dog So Small, Phillipa Pearce

Curled up on the couch to let the gogeous Tapas I had for lunch digest and finished a couple of chapters of Gone With the Wind and then this little gem of a kids book.

A Dog So Small is a quaint little tale about a little boy, the middle of 5 children so often the lonely one who believes he is going to get a dog for his birthday. He is desperately disappointed when a picture of a dog arrives through the post instead. Ben continues to want a dog, but knowing that it isn't feasible where he and his family live in London he keeps his dream to himself and ends up with an imaginary dog.

This book would be ideal for a quiet child, it isn't full of adventures or the unimaginable like other kids books that are out today, but it creates a cosy little atmosphere to curl up with.

If you've read this book or blogged about it leave a comment and I'll link your thoughts to my blog.

The Sunday Salon

I've just spent the last hour ish looking at the read-a-thon blog looks like everyone is doing great and there was me whinging this morning that my housr rabbit had woken me up after just 6 hours of sleep!

This week I managed to finish 2 books which I really enjoyed, The Space Between Us and Elizabeth Costello. I'm still reading Gone With the Wind, and I started this week The Red Queen, a book of short stories by Joyce Carol Oates, The Tent by Margaret Atwwod and a kids book called A Dog So Small which I should finish later. I have a friend over for lunch today but should have plenty of reading time, I definately want to dedicate at least an hour to GWtW later so I can make decent headway with it. Not sure how my reading is going to go this week as things seem fairly busy at school.

For Weekly Geeks this week we had to update on the challenges we are participating in, I did making me realise how man books I have to read this year and then joined two new challenges! The July Book Blowout and Joy's Young Adult Challenge.

Weekly Geeks: Challenges

I posted earlier this week on the challenges I am participating in at the moment, since that post I have added another 2 challenges to the lot, The July Book Blowout and the Young Adult Challenge, the first one doesn't add any extra reads to my list it just helps me get organised and motivated with my reading, the second adds 12 more books to the pile to read this year! I'm pretty certain that some challenges won't get completed but they are helping me find books I never would have found and see different bloggers opinions.

Challenges! Challenges! The Young Adult Challenge

Yes, another challenge but this is one that should be fairly easy to complete as I tend to read a lot of YA books over the summer. Joy has a challenge for the whole of 2008 to read 12 YA books and link your posts to Mr Linky over at her site.
I'm not going to come up with a list as I'll only change it.

Books I've read for this challenge:

1 Twilight , Meyer

2 Mirrormask, Gaiman

3 Journey to the River Sea, Ibbotson

4 Gatty, Crossley-Holland

5 Apache, Landman

6. The Garbage King, Laird

7. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, Taylor

8. Ruby Red, Glass

9. Blankets, Thompson (Graphic Novel)

10. Goodbye Tsugumi, Yoshimoto

11. Three Shadows, Pedrosa (Graphic Novel)

12. Varjak Paw, S.F Said

13. Rabbit Proof Fence, Pilkington

Another Challenge: July Book Blowout

Yes I've joined another challenge but this one will actually help me to complete the challenges that I'm participating in. Mrs S is hosting the July Book Blowout.
The rules:

You can sign up any time between today and July 14 - just because I’m a bit slow to announce this!
To join you need to post about the Book Blowout on your blog - and set yourself a target number of books you will try to read - go on challenge yourself!
Use the Mr Linky below to link to that post so we can all see how many books you’re taking on in the Blowout
Post a list of the books you managed to read by the deadline of August 7 to complete the challenge
What rules do I need to know?
Only books read between July 1 and July 31 count towards the challenge
You can include re-reads - as long as they are read within the month of July
Books you abandon will only count as half a book
If you read to your children you can include all books which have more than 100 pages
You can include up to two graphic novels
You can include up to two audio books - (if you have a visual impairment that prevents you from reading then you can use just audio books for the challenge)
Books you read for other challenges are eligible - use this as an opportunity to catch up!
I’ll try and keep things lively by posting some Book Blowout mini-challenges along the way so be sure to stop by throughout the month and see what’s happening (or better still subscribe to my site feed - it’s free and easy!)
As an added incentive I’ll put the names of all of the entrants who complete the challenge into the proverbial hat and one winner will receive an Amazon gift voucher to the value of $20 (£10).
So what are you waiting for? Blog your target and sign up with Mr Linky - and start planning what books you’ll read.



My Prospective List:
Junky, Burroughs for 1001 Project
Stardust, Gaiman (Bookring)
Stuart A Life Backwards (Bookring)
The Awakening for Southern Challenge and Classics Challenge
The Sound and the Fury for Southern Challenge
try to finish Gone With The Wind for Southern and Classics Challenge
Jamacia Inn for What's in a Name Challenge
Blonde, Oates for 1001 Project
After Dark, Murakami for Notable Books Challenge and Around the World Project
Middle Age for Oates Project
Presopolis 1 and 2, for Graphic Novel Challenge
Wonderland
If I have extra time:
The Water Babies for the Classics Challenge
I'll Take You There, Oates for Oates project

Attica

Journey to the River Sea

My What I actually have read list:

I finished The Red Queen by Margaret Drabble 1/2
1. Junky - William Burroughs

2. Stardust - Neil Gaiman

3. Twilight - Stephanie Meyer

4. Siddartha, Hesse

5. Persepolis

6. Breakfast at Tiffany's, Capote

7. Stuart: A Life Backwards, Masters

8. Persepolis, Satrapi

9. The Unabridged Pocket Book of Lightning, Foer

10. The Secrets We Keep, Monroe

11. Mirrormask, Gaiman

12. Journey to the River Sea, Ibbotson

13. Gatty, Crossley-Holland

14. Tomaree, Robson

It's a lot of books but I only have to teach till the 18th then I get 6 weeks off!

My Thoughts: Elizabeth Costello, Coetzee

Every time I pick up a novel by Coetzee the standard gets better and better. The first Disgrace was, wellin my opinion a digrace how it won the Booker Prize I'll never know, that put me off for many years till earlier this year I read Waiting For the Barbarian's a good read, this latest novel Elizabeth Costello was fantastic. I was gripped from page one and it wasn't even my type of novel.
Elizabeth Costello is a famous novelist, she is now elderly and has produced a wide span of work but still remains known for her first book. In her old age she no longer writes but completes the lecture circuit, giving lectures on everything from fiction to animal rights. I said this was not my type of book because it seems (cynically) as a way for Coetzee to show his intellect, viewpoints and arguments spewing them out through his mouthpiece, Elizabeth Costello. But I was gripped because the arguments were interesting, attention grabbing. Elizabeth's life seems pretty much a mess, but the majority of the novel focused on her lectures, how they unravelled as she got closer to death.

Challenges:
I read this book for The What's in A Name Challenge and my project to complete the 1001 BooksYou Must Read Before You Die List