It's Monday! What are you reading? 10-14-13

Originally hosted by Sheila at Book Journey, Jen over at Teach Mentor Texts along with Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers also host a kidlit version of It's Monday! What are You Reading?

I was on a blog posting role this week. I've been starting to feel lately like this blog is fizzling out a bit, but this past week reinvigorated me and helped get me back in the groove of regularly posting again.

Last week I reviewed: 

Burned by Ellen Hopkins
The Man with the Violin by Kathy Stinson, illustrated by Dusan Petricic

I also posted:
Audiobooks are expensive. Here are some ways to bypass that expense.


Last week  I finished listening to:

Bad Monkey by Carl Hiaasen
I enjoy Hiaasen's adult novels, but I much prefer his kids' books. This one didn't hold my interest as much as his other books have.


Some picture books I read and enjoyed last week:

Moonday by Adam Rex
Unusual story, beautiful illustrations. This one's going on my ever-growing list of Caldecott possibilities. 



The Island by Marije and Ronald Tolman
I have to admit, I didn't really get this wordless picture book, but there's something so delightful about it that I can't put my finger on. I think it was the bear. 


Black and White by David Macaulay 
I need to read this book with a group of kids. I have a feeling my encumbered adult brain is missing a whole heckuva lot. The four quadrants of this book, telling four seemingly separate stories, yet somehow your mind has to try to piece how they're related, was just too much for my mind to take in all by myself. Much discussion is needed with this one. 


Currently (still) reading:

Smoke by Ellen Hopkins 


Currently listening to:

The Real Boy by Anne Ursu
Even though fantasy is not normally my genre of preference, Anne Ursu is certainly drawing me in with her beautiful writing. I see why this one is getting Newbery buzz and was nominated for a National Book Award.

Burned by Ellen Hopkins

Raised in a religious LDS home, Pattyn von Stratten doesn't know much more of life than helping raise her younger sisters, going to seminary every week, and helping her mom around the house with doing all the household chores for her lazy mother. At home, Pattyn fears the wrath of her father, especially when he's under the influence of his friend, Johnny Walker Black, which is pretty much every day.

When an incident at school forces Pattyn's parents to send her away to live with her Aunt J in the rural highlands of Nevada, Pattyn sees this as not only an opportunity to get to know a long estranged relative, but to also enjoy the freedom of being away from her demanding family, especially her father. What Pattyn wasn't expecting was to find love and acceptance in Ethan: the son of the man who caused Aunt J's long-time family estrangement in the first place. It is through Ethan that Pattyn learns of physical and emotional intimacy and from both Ethan and Aunt J, Pattyn finally discovers the meaning of unconditional love. But despite her contented life living with Aunt J, Pattyn still feels a sense of foreboding: wondering when her father will come and take it all away.

Oh I am feeling ALL THE THINGS! What an emotionally powerful novel! I really rooted for Pattyn all throughout this story and could feel the love and acceptance she found with Ethan. Despite the fact that novels with any kind of romance tend to make my eyes roll, I found the intimacy written in the pages of Pattyn and Ethan's love story necessary to rooting for them as a couple. The tenderness shared between the two of them juxtaposes the dysfunction and violence Pattyn experiences in her own home.  

After finishing Burned, I immediately started reading Smoke because I desperately wanted to know how Pattyn's story ends. I pray it's more hopeful than how this book ended, something Hopkins herself admitted the sequel will hopefully mollify for her beleaguered readers. 

Burned is my second Ellen Hopkins novel I've read, Crank being my first, and I have to say that I felt much more emotionally invested in this book than her first one. The verse format seemed more like a gimmick in the first book but felt more purposeful in Burned. Then again, maybe that's just because I have become more familiar with Hopkins's style of writing.

I would hand this book to readers who are fans of edgy YA fiction, but I might also suggest lovers of Eleanor and Park give this book a try since Eleanor and Pattyn's stories are quite similar. 


Burned by Ellen Hopkins
Series: Burned #1
Published: April 1, 2006
Publisher: McElderry Books
Pages: 532
Genre: Realistic Fiction/Verse Novel
Audience: Young Adult
Disclosure: Purchased Copy

Cookbook review: Whole Grain Vegan Baking by Celine Steen and Tamasin Noyes

In seeking relief from my IBS and at the request of my doctor, this summer I underwent some elimination from my diet, starting with dairy. Now anyone who knows me knows how much I love cheese and ice cream, so my two weeks of no dairy was pretty rough.

During that time, I came across Whole Grain Vegan Baking at the library and decided to give some of the recipes a try. I admit, the IDEA of being vegan is better than the actual carrying out of such a lifestyle. I have no willpower when it comes to that sort of thing. But books like Whole Grain Vegan Baking make the carrying out part a little less intimidating (though I have no plans to become vegan in the near future, I am still looking for more vegetarian/vegan recipes to make my animal product footprint less significant).

The recipes, pictures, and ingredients used in this book not only make these baked goods sound acceptable, but they even kinda sorta sound delicious too. I tried two recipes from this book, one was a hit and one was a miss, but the hit got me thinking that I will continue to attempt more vegan baking in the future.

The layout of Whole Grain Vegan Baking is very simple, attractive, and organized well. I'd say if you're thinking of giving vegan baking a go, this book would be a good place to start.

My cookies with some modified ingredients

The following recipe was so good, I'm planning on making it one of my go-to baking recipes, not just vegan baking, but baking in general. The inclusion of the Sriacha and Chinese five-spice powder gives this cookie such a unique flavor and spicy undertone.

I modified this recipe by not using oat flour (I substituted the oat flour for all amaranth -- well, I did also use the whole wheat flour) and instead of peanut butter I used almond butter. Based on the picture in the cookbook, my cookies had a different texture (more chewy and cakey than crumbly), but they still came out delicious.

If you're looking to adopt a vegan lifestyle or you're like me and you want to lessen your animal product footprint, or heck, you just like baking and want to try something different, I highly recommend Whole Grain Vegan Baking. This cookbook went from trying it by checking it out at the library to owning my own copy. 

Peanut Butter Surprise Cookies
from Whole Grain Vegan Baking by Celine Steen and Tamasin Noyes

1/2 cup smooth or crunchy natural peanut butter
1/4 cup organic turbinado sugar or organic evaporated cane juice
2 tablespoons neutral-flavored oil
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons Sriracha sauce
1/2 cup vegan semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup oat flour
1 tablespoon amaranth flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
2 to 3 teaspoons vegan milk

Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.

Combine peanut butter, sugar, oil, maple syrup, vanilla, and Sriacha in a medium bowl. Stir together with a wooden spoon until thoroughly combined.

In a separate bowl, combine chocolate chips, flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, peanut butter mixture and adding the milk 1 tablespoon at a time until a cohesive dough forms.

Scoop the dough into tablespoon-sized mounds and press down slightly.

Bake cookies 15-17 minutes or until the bottoms are browned. Let cool for 15 minutes on the baking sheet because the cookies might break if moved too soon.

Yield: 12 cookies


Whole Grain Vegan Baking by Celine Steen and Tamasin Noyes
Published: April 1, 2013
Publisher: Fair Winds Press
Pages: 178
Genre:Vegetarian/Vegan Cooking
Audience: Adults
Disclosure: Library and Purchased Copy

Throw Back Thursday: Vienna October 2003

Ten years ago this month my husband and I were living in Germany and took our first major trip: a weekend in Vienna. As a classical music lover all my life and a pianist for 13 years, visiting Vienna was like taking a little kid to Disney World.

But the best part of visiting Vienna for me was when I was able to visit the factory and showroom for where they make and sell Bösendorfers: the most prestigious (and expensive) piano brand in the world. Some may argue that Steinways are the best pianos in the world, but I would beg to differ. I have played Steinways, and thanks to our trip to Vienna, I have also played Bösendorfers, and I'm here to tell you that even my clumsy fingers were quick and nimble on a Bösey. Steinways feel heavy and clunky compared to a Bösendorfer.

Here I am playing the $180,000 model that has 97 instead of 88 keys. This will be my first purchase when I win the lottery:

The Man with the Violin by Kathy Stinson, illustrated by Dusan Petricic

Earlier this week as I was walking back to my car through the student center at Eastern Michigan University, my ears immediately perked up as the faint echoes of a Chopin etude wafted down the hall. I was like a police dog picking up a scent trail. I had to go find the source of the music. And while the person playing the etude was only practicing and hit many wrong notes, to me it didn't matter. I was called to the music. To find the source of it. And to stop and listen for a while.

Music moves me like nothing else on this earth does. There is a physiological and emotional response I experience when I encounter a beautiful melody, whether for the first time, or in this case, when I'm not expecting it. So it shocks and saddens me when I hear stories like the one in which this book is inspired: famous violinist, Joshua Bell, performed an experiment, proposed to him by Washington Post writer Gene Weingarten: What would happen if Bell, armed with his multi-million-dollar Stradivarius violin, dressed in jeans and a baseball cap, played for 45 minutes during rush hour in a busy D.C. metro station? How many people would stop and listen? Would anyone recognize his talent as more than just a mere street musician?

This experiment occurred on January 12, 2007. During the 45 minute performance, Bell played a piece known as one of the most difficult ever written for the violin, "Chaconne" from Bach's Partita No. 2 in D Minor, as well as the emotionally stirring "Ave Maria" by Franz Schubert, and out of the 1,000 people who made their way through the metro station that morning, only seven people stopped to listen for more than a minute, Bell finding less than $40 in his violin case (when you discount the lady who dropped $20 in his case because she recognized him).

What was most notable about this little social experiment was how often children, being dragged through the station by their frazzled parents, wanted to stop and listen, and could often be seen, turning their heads toward the source of the music, digging in their heels to prevent the beautiful sounds from wafting away.

Kathy Stinson heard of this story and knew it was worth exploring in a picture book. So the setup for The Man with the Violin is in its very first lines:

Dylan was someone who noticed things.
 His mom was someone who didn't.

Dylan is a fictionalized boy, but he is based on truth given the number of children who wanted to stop and listen to the music that day in January 2007.

The writing and the illustrations in this book are all quite wonderful, but for me it's the story itself that is so remarkable. To think that one of the best musicians in the world was just passed by and disregarded by virtually every commuter in the L'Enfant Plaza metro station that day, and already being familiar with what spine-tingling music Bell was playing, I just can't fathom how he went practically unnoticed.

If I had been one of the D.C. commuters walking through the metro station on that January day back in 2007, I have absolutely no doubt I would have stopped to listen to the beautiful sounds of such a musical genius. No matter how much of a hurry I was in. But as I finished reading this book, I immediately released all of my emotions and began to cry because, even though I have no doubt I would have stopped to appreciate the brilliant music on that particular day or any day for that matter, I have to wonder what other life moments I am missing out on because I am too oblivious to notice. I know I am certainly guilty of commentating my way through life via the use of my smartphone that I very rarely just stop, put the phone down and allow myself to be present in the moment. It's stories like these that remind us all to stop and be present. Thank you Joshua Bell, Gene Wingarten, Kathy Stinson, and Dusan Petricic for helping to remind me.

Read the original Washington Post article that inspired The Man with the Violin:
Pearls Before Breakfast by Gene Weingarten

Watch an interview with the author and illustrator:


Listen to an NPR interview with Bell talking about that day in the subway station:
All Things Considered

Listen to the music Bell played that day in the subway station:




The Man with the Violin by Kathy Stinson, illustrated by Dusan Petricic
Published: August 8, 2013
Publisher: Annick Press
Pages: 32
Genre: Picture Book
Audience: All Ages
Disclosure: Library Copy

Audiobooks are expensive. Here are some ways to bypass that expense.

 Living 42 miles away from my job for seven years made me an expert in all things audiobooks: listening to them, acquiring them, and certainly what makes for a good audiobook. I've also come to appreciate audiobooks for more than just listening to in the car. They are a great way to fill the time during tasks that involve little thought but prevent you from picking up an actual book and reading it: cooking dinner, doing the dishes, folding laundry, wrapping presents, etc.

What I'd like to talk about today is how to acquire audiobooks without spending a lot of money (or, you know, any money) because, let's face it, audiobooks are expensive.

1. Audible.com

If you join Audible they will give you a free audiobook credit download and then every month after that is $14.95 for one audiobook download. This is actually a pretty good deal when you consider how much physical audiobooks cost ($20-80). In the interest of disclosure, I will say that Audible offered me 2 audiobook downloads for my trial and I really liked how simple the process was (purchase from your computer and the audiobook syncs to your mobile device in seconds). However, if I'm being completely honest I will say that Audible is not my first choice in acquiring audiobooks because free is always better than inexpensive. I actually cancelled my Audible subscription not long after I received my free credits, not because I didn't like their service, but because I have so many resources at my disposal to acquire audiobooks for free, that paying $14.95 a month seemed unnecessary to me. So here are some of my free recommendations:


2. Your library's physical audiobook collection

Now I realize that not everyone's library is as wonderful as mine. My town's library -- shout out to the Canton Public Library, yo -- is the busiest single-branch library in the state of Michigan and their circulation rate is very high. It is always busy and is a centerpiece to our community. I have said to my husband many times that I never want to move because I love the Canton library so much. Anyway, their audiobook collection is quite extensive and very often if they don't have a book you're looking for, you can request it and they will acquire it.


3.Your library's e-audiobook collection

Many libraries have assembled quite a a collection of e-books and e-audiobooks for download onto your mobile devices. And if your library is anything like mine, this collection is growing! If you haven't become familiar with Overdrive Media Console, this is basically the free version of Audible and allows you to download audiobooks but for a limited time, you know, just like you were checking out a physical book from the library.


4. Library reciprocal borrowing

My town's library has an agreement with a few libraries in the area that you can borrow books with your Canton library card. In fact, I frequent the Plymouth District Library on an almost weekly basis due to the fact that it's on my husband's way home from work and they have a different selection of audiobooks to choose from.


5. State-wide library borrowing

I don't know if or how this works in other states, but in Michigan we have an awesome system called Michigan E-Library where you can request books from any library in the state and they will send it to your home library - for free. Yes, it takes longer to get the books because you have to wait for them to be sent in the mail, but if you're not in a big rush to get a particular audiobook, this could be a great way to prevent yourself from having to purchase an Audible membership if you don't want to pay $14.95 a month. As much as I love Audible's quick and easy interface, I would personally rather put forth a little bit more effort to get them for free.

Edited to add:
One of my Facebook friends reminded me of another great free resource:

6. Audiobook Sync

During the summer, this website allows you to download 2 free audiobook titles per week to your Overdrive Media Console: one YA, one classic, and both books are paired together because they have similar themes. For example, one week the books were The False Prince by Jennifer Nielsen and The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain. You can even sign up for a text message alert that will remind you every week to go on the website and download the new titles.



I want to thank Audible for offering me 2 free audiobook downloads to try out their service. For people who live in areas where going to the library is inconvenient or their selection isn't the greatest, I  say without hesitation that highly recommend Audible's service. But for me, my library is conveniently located with many resources for acquiring free audiobooks at my fingertips and so I prefer to go that route over a $14.95 a month membership fee.

It's Monday! What are you reading? 10-7-13

Originally hosted by Sheila at Book Journey, Jen over at Teach Mentor Texts along with Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers also host a kidlit version of It's Monday! What are You Reading?

My reading week was so-so, but my lack of reading time was made up for when I learned of some exciting news on Twitter and Facebook this week, shared with the world by none other than Adam Rex. On Friday he shared the following:

It is also my pleasure to announce that the DreamWorks adaptation of Smekday will feature Ms. Jennifer Lopez as the voice of Gratuity's mom!
— Adam Rex, bub. (@MrAdamRex) October 4, 2013

Now if you know me at all, then you know that I am the annoying gadfly that makes everyone listen to the audiobook of The True Meaning of Smekday because it is not only one of the funniest books ever written, but it's also one of the best audiobooks ever produced. One of the reasons why Smekday is so funny is because there is a hilarious and endearing alien named J.Lo in the book who has a very unique cadence and manner of speaking. So the fact that J.Lo is going to be the voice of a character in a movie where an alien in the story is named J.Lo, well that's just pretty darn meta (and epic!) don't you think?

Last week I finished reading:

Burned by Ellen Hopkins
Oh I loved this one! I immediately started Smoke after. I'm planning a longer review but we'll see if that happens. I'm feeling uninspired to write reviews lately and I don't know why.


Some picture books I enjoyed last week:

The Man with the Violin by Kathy Stinson, illustrated by Dusan Petricic
I finished reading this book and immediately began to cry. In fact, my dog Frank got up and clearly was concerned for me, as evidenced by this photo. This is another book that is awaiting a longer review.

Here is an interview with the author and illustrator


Fireboat: The Heroic Adventures of the John J. Harvey by Maira Kalman
Yet another picture book text that can spark students' interest in little-known stories.

Carnivores by Aaron Reynolds, illustrated by Dan Santat
Carnivores have feelings too! At first I wasn't diggin' this book, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized my reaction as I was reading was very similar to my initial feelings about I Want My Hat Back. In fact, I could see this text being paired with I Want My Hat Back to talk about whether we sugar-coat stories for kids or give it to them straight. Carnivores can't fight who they are. They eat other animals. It's what they do. 

And how can you not want to read this book when you see the book trailer?
 


Currently reading:

Smoke by Ellen Hopkins


Currently (still) listening:

Bad Monkey by Carl Hiaasen
Yep. I'm still pluggin' along on this one.