Book Club: Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick

Image from The Book Depository.

Wonderstruck, a review in less than 25 words.

What can I say! 

I loved this book, and so did my kids. It would make a great gift for bookish kids between 6 (would need to be read to) and 15 (especially the artistically inclined)

600 pages.

About 200 pages of text narrating one story and around 400 black and white illustrations telling another. 

It was magic, inspiring and insightful. 

I will read everything Brian Selznick writes…. and give them to others as I have opportunity.

Next month…. Nancy Wake by Peter Fitzsimmons

Image from Book Depository.

What’s so Pinteresting about…… Advent?

DIY Advent Calendar by Design Sponge. Image sourced from there.

Meredith’s got a fabulous idea for fantasticly simple bible content here. Love it especially this close to Dec 1.

Cathy gives insightful day by day content here. 

Nicole….shares some great ideas here.

If you know what you want each day to hold, but need a little visual inspiration, have a look at my pinterest board here. 

This year I have an unusual plan which focus’s on letters….. we will see how that goes.

To see what we have done in previous years look here and here and here.

I just realised that our advent events for 2012 are not collated….. so I will get onto that.

Enjoy, and let me know if you come across anything inspiring.

Book Club: Catch 22 by Joseph Heller.

Image from The Book Depository.

Catch 22, a review in less than 25 words.

This was a text I was meant to read at school.

I wasn’t interested then.

This time I listened, 

It reminded me of the tv series M.A.S.H .

I hated M.A.S.H.

Still do. 

There I have said it.

Not reading at school was a great decision.

Wish I had stuck to it!

Image from The Book Depository.

Next month…. Wonderstruck written and illustrated by Brian  Selznick.

 

 

 

Book Club: Gone girl by Gillian Flynn.

source: The Book Depository.

Back to the book reviews.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn was a picture of how depraved the human condition can be. I didn’t enjoy it, but had to finish it. It had that same ‘couldn’t stop reading but didn’t want to know what came next’ feeling. Intriguing but twisted.

Image from Book Depository.

Have you read it? What did you think?

Next time Catch22 by Joseph Heller.

What’s so Pinteresting about…… teacups?

Image via pinterest.

Meredith’s request was a pinterest board about teacups…… so here it it. 

P.s. I thought you would particularly enjoy this image Meredith.

Facebook Friday

Image from Grammarly.

Thanks Karen.

….and don’t forget to enter the giveaway…..

Facebook Friday

Great stories of recent days!

Our friends Pete and Leila with Abram.

First our lovely friends Pete and Leila are blessed by the adoption of Abram, and then my cousin Stuart and his wife Annie welcome two Kenyan boys Johnny and Wisdom into their fantastic family!

My cousin Stuart, his wife Annie, and 3 of their children. Grace, Johnny and Wisdom.

I can’t work out who is more blessed, the boys or the families that have welcomed them. What a great privilege it is to know both these fabulous Christian families and to rejoice with them in their new members.

Some of you might be familiar with Pete and Leila’s long road to adoption story. They were part of a story on Sunday Night on Channel 7,  a few months back and again just after they welcomed Abram.

My cousin’s story is a much more private one. The family moved to Kenya almost two years ago with the hope of training farmers. You can see what this looks like here on their blog  They have an orphanage as neighbours. It was only a matter of time…..

Facebook Friday

In case you missed this ‘do good’ story during the week.

Thanks Rory and Duncan.

Facebook Friday

 

Sushi Go by Phil Walker-Harding

A new friend of our family has been designing games for a while now.

Here is a great opportunity for you to help get the next game up and going….and get some awesome Christmas gifts along the way.

My endorsement: We have played Archeology and Dungeon Raiders and are fabulous family games which take up very little space! The video for this one looks excellent. Ally

Click on the Sushi and go straight through to how you can help. Thanks…… and stay tuned. I think a giveaway of Dungeon Raiders would go down nicely very soon.

Book Club: The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Image from The Book Depository.

As I mentioned in my last review, my book club read this a while ago….and I neglected to post a review….. so we will see how my memory serves me!

The Help by Kathryn Stockett was a great read. Fascinating and concerning, convicting and humourous.

Set in Jackson Mississippi in the 1960’s, the book falls into the category of historical fiction, but reads like the ‘book within a book’. This was a time of segregation, violence and the silencing of half the community.

The story swaps between three different narrators, two  African American maids and the educated child of a well off white family.

It’s a story about telling your story. Speaking up for what is right and good, whatever the price. It’s also a story about love, genuine friendship and secrets.

We loved it.

I think it helped that Australia didn’t share in this type of oppression and segregation….although we have other issues! It would be hard to read as an American…I would imagine, especially if you grew up during this time and thoughtlessly went along with it!

Image from The Book Depository

We thought we were all capable of this same sort of ‘following along with the norm’.

We talked about what issues are with us that would cost to speak out about, but are compelled to.

We felt quite trapped in the ‘mind your own business’ mentality we live in.

Those of us that had seen the movie thought it had left out a pivotal experience, which resulted in the movie missing the gravitas the book achieved. Did anyone else experience this?

All in all a great read and a fabulous holiday read ….if you are looking for something this summer.

Next book: This Charming Man by Marian Keyes.