Chinese Education in Singapore

Title: Chinese Education in Singapore Author: Zhang Zhixiong Genre: Nonfiction Length: 142 pages (paperback) Rating: 3 out of 5

When this book crossed my path, I opted to grab it.  The education system in China and Singapore is not something that I would naturally dive into.

Having spent time in Dongguan for work, I had a reference point for some of the items in the book.  However, my reference point is very recent history and not the level that this book covers.

I like how the author began by sharing the cultural history.  I was fascinated by the early migration policies.  While I knew that Singapore had been a colony, I was still amazed to learn that most of the early schools were taught mainly in English.

If you are interested in this topic, then this book will be a valuable read. 

Twelve Days of Christmas

Title: Twelve Days of Christmas Author: Debbie Macomber Genre:  Holiday, Romance Length: 212 pages (paperback) Rating: 4 out of 5

Julia is bubbly and friendly while her neighbor Cain keeps to himself.  They are clearly opposites in every way.  When Julia confides in her best friend that Cain stole her newspaper, she decides to conduct a "kill him with kindness" experiment which she blogs about as a finalist for a new career.

She decides to make an effort to run into Cain every day in order to be nice to him.  Little things like propping his newspaper by his door and prepaying for his coffee appear to hit his irritation point.  She begins to call him "Ebenezer" on her blog.  Her readers are initially mixed on encouraging her to continue her experiment to saying he won't change.  Slowly Cain begins to open up and Julia feels herself doing the same.

The center of this story is questioning whether or not being kind to someone can have an impact on their life and those around them.

Rather predictable?  yes.  Overly cheesy?  Absolutely!  However, it's a fun and quick holiday read.

A Charming Nightmare

Title: A Charming Nightmare Author: Marie Kammerer Franke Genre:  Science Fiction, Fantasy Length: 376 pages (paperback) Sensitive Content: Violence, Sexual Rating:  2 out of 5

Aylin wakes up, not certain what has happened.  She is a captive of an individual that is not quite human.  They are on the run, not certain what she is running from, not certain where she is.

She learns from Catch that she is from the past, roughly 40,000 years.  The Earth ended with a few years of her wedding.  A group of humans were saved, she wasn't one of them.  He was sent back to obtain an original human to help obtain a cure to a virus that is impacting the evolved humans, who are dying off fast.

She's swept into a whirlwind of activity from being a lab rat to constant fighting with Catch to causing issues for Elpis (the planet she is now on).  She's found that she's actually uncovering something much deeper than just the virus.

The story was difficult to follow.  Franke shifted from the distant past to the present to the recent past.  While she said she was inspired by Doctor Who, Bill Nye, Cosmos and a few other shows and books, all that I love, it was often difficult to follow the train of thought.

I honestly had a hard time reading this book due to all of the grammar and spelling issues.  Sentences are hard to follow as words appear to be missing.  Their/they're/there as well as your/you're are used as if they are the same.  Clearly this book needed an editor's or publisher's review.

This is the first of four books in her series.  I will not be picking up any of the others.

Who Gives A Crap

So...not a traditional review, but one that the family thought would be fun given that it is toilet "paper" and books are written on paper...

We have spent the last few years being aware of what we consume (bring into the house, not what just what we eat) and the longer term impact on the environment.  I have also instituted a guideline that when something comes into the house, something else needs to exit.  So, if a new pair of shoes comes in, an old pair needs to go out.  While our recycling garbage can volume has increased, we are down to one bag of actual garbage a week (sometimes every two weeks).

Now for our Who Gives a Crap review!

I came across this toilet paper on Pinterest.  I definitely didn't want the family towels (yes, totally gross), but I wanted to move away from the large sizes that we purchase at Costco and all of the waste that goes along with it.  I also wanted something that is kinder to the environment.  Along came Who Gives a Crap.  I love that it is made with bamboo and not trees.  I am also willing to pay a little more as they donate 50% of the profits to help build toilets.  I really like the fact that it is shipped to the house and I don't have to run out to get it and lug it home.  (OK, so maybe this one isn't the most environmentally friendly.)  It's soft and has no dyes!

If you are interested in trying it out, feel free to use our referral link to obtain $10 off your purchase (valid through March 2020).

Girls' Guide to Wine

Title: Girls' Guide to Wine Author: Susy Atkins Genre: Wine Length: 144 pages (paperback) Rating: 3 out of 5

A guide to wine, not to be taken seriously!  This fun little book is written by Susy Atkins, a wine editor.  In other words, someone who actually knows more about wine than me.

The author unapologetically dives into today's stereotypes of people who buy which types of wine.  She also shares some tips about buying wine online, by mail or at the store (clearly dating this book to its publish date of 2002).  I think my favorite part; buying your favorite bottle when no one will judge you and stay in to enjoy your evening.

The author intentionally doesn't take herself, or this topic, too seriously.  If you are looking for a true guide to wine, this isn't your book.  However, if you're looking for a quick read that will make you laugh, grab the book...and a bottle of your favorite wine...and enjoy!

Red, White and Blood

Title: Red, White and Blood Author: Christopher Farnsworth Genre:  Science Fiction, Fantasy Length: 446 pages (paperback) Sensitive Content: Sexual, Violence Rating: 4 out of 5

Nathanial Cade has met his match with the Boogeyman.  While Cade has "won" every encounter, the Boogeyman continues to return with the knowledge of each battle he's had with Cade.  He always had the same pattern, but this time it appears that he is going after a specific target, President Curtis.

It is an election year and President Curtis is on the campaign trail.  A few Secret Service agents are introduced to Cade as he will be joining the grass roots tour of the middle states.  Zach also rejoins the campaign trail, which ignites questions on where he's been the last few years.  More importantly, why he fell from grace and how he's returned to it.

Bodies are piling up, many along the path of the campaign trail.  Several are also tied to the Curtis campaign in some way.  Will Cade be able to stop the Boogeyman for good this time?

A lot of time was building the backstory of Zach.  As with the first two books in the series, we also saw several flashbacks to Cade's earlier days, which helps us to understand his previous encounters with the Boogeyman.  Several characters from the first book also make a reappearance.

The author went into graphic details on how the Boogeyman killed his victims, more than I felt necessary.  However, I still couldn't put the book down.  It definitely didn't end the way I expected.  I am left with a cliffhanger.  I've scoured the author's site and there are no additional books in this series at this moment.  I"ll be keeping an eye out!

The President's Vampire

Title: The President's Vampire Author: Christopher Farnsworth Genre:  Science Fiction, Fantasy Length: 335 pages (hardback) Sensitive Content: Violence Rating:  4 out of 5

Nathanial Cade has been bound to the President, through a blood oath, to protect the country from the Other Side as the President's vampire.  A well established group, with footholds in high political positions in the White House and other government organizations, believes the end justifies the means.  They take this to a whole new level by replacing humanity with something else that is highly contagious.  Cade has seen these creatures before over the years, but they've evolved.  Cade and Zach, his handler, must figure out who is behind it, where the creatures are coming from and keep them from spreading.

Cade and Zach are forced to work with Graves, and take orders from him, something that Cade has issues with but he is forced to do based on his oath.  This in essence means that any order that Graves gives him, he has to obey, which puts a chink in Cade's plans to stop Graves and those behind the virus.  It appears that Graves and Cade have a past history together, and Cade has a very long memory that never forgets, but can't quite place where they've met before.

The characters continue to evolve from the first book in the series, both the individual characters and their relationships with each other.  The author also weaves in pieces of historical information which helps us understand why Cade acts a certain way.

After finishing Blood Oath, I couldn't wait to pick up this book.  It was an easy read and kept me in suspense for the majority of the book.  I honestly didn't expect the last few chapters to turn out the way they did.  The only downside to this book is the truly graphic nature of some of the scenes. 

Winter Reading Challenge

As we've been thrown head first into colder weather I began searching for ideas to help keep the boys off electronics during snow days and at least part of the weekend.  It hit me: a winter reading challenge.

The boys are thrilled (not really)!  We are now discussing what the prize will be when the chart is completed.  The prize options have ranged from $5 to having control over what we do for a weekend.  We're still negotiating!

Want to join?  We'd love to hear your options for the challenge to help us as we select our books.

Rainbow Mars

Title: Rainbow Mars Author: Larry Niven Genre:  Science Fiction Length: 369 pages (paperback) Sensitive Content:  Sexual Rating:  3 out of 5

Hanville Svetz works for the Institute for Temporal Research, which is on future Earth.  He is a time traveler who collects extinct species and specimens from the past.

Svetz learns that Mars was inhabited and convinces his team to go back in time and learn more.  What appears to be minutes for Svetz and his team is months for the team in the future who is building contraptions large enough for his specimens...on Mars as well as on Earth.  As he goes bak to retrieve items, he begins to notice slight changes when he returns.

The book was a bit slow and difficult to get into.  The story suddenly ended and there were short stories at the back of the book.  I really enjoyed those stories and would have placed them at them at the beginning of the book instead. 

Joe Gould's Teeth

Title: Joe Gould's Teeth Author: Jill Lepore Genre:  Non-fiction Length: 151 pages (hardback) Sensitive Content: NA Rating: 3 out of 5

Joe Gould was a man obsessed with writing, race relations, Harvard, and Augusta Savage.  He was made famous by Joe Mitchell, a New York writer who profiled Gould, "Professor Sea Gull."

Gould is said to have recorded everyday conversations in hundreds of notebooks which were scattered across his travels.  His collection is called "The Oral History of Our Time."  Lepore asks, "Shouldn't someone check?" and begins her own journey to find evidence of his notebooks.

Joe Gould was a toothless madman.  He whipped his penis out at parties and measure it.  He destroyed property.  He would turn against friends who had supported him as soon as something wasn't going his way. 

The end of this book focuses on Savage, a black artist who was his perverse obession.  He pursued her, asking friends for assistance.  She pleaded for him to stop.  Lepore writes, "He said he was trying to save her, but really he was trying to drown her."

I picked up this book based on the title of Joe Gould's Teeth, not knowing what the subject really was but fascinated by the cover (and the fact that I have two in braces).  It was an easy read.  At the end, I was more curious about what happened to Augusta Savage than if Gould actually had notebooks still stored in the Northeast states.

Blood Oath

Title: Blood Oath Author: Christopher Farnsworth Genre:  Science Fiction, Fantasy Length: 470 pages (paperback) Sensitive Content: Violence Rating:  5 out of 5

Zach Barrows is an up and coming White House staffer who has eyes on the chief of staff position.  He is caught in a compromising situation with the President's daughter in the Lincoln bedroom.  Coincidentally he is transferred out of the White House and partnered with Nathaniel Cade.

Cade is cursed.  He is also bound to the office of the President by a blood oath that is 140 years old.  Cade defends the United States against the evil that people do not want to see.

As Zach is beginning to settle into his new position as Cade's liaison to the White House, the reality of his position as well as Cade's supernatural world comes to life.  They are immediately thrown into a crime and must fly across the country to investigate.

The characters are well written.  I would act exactly as Zach did in almost every situation.  Griff, Cade's previous handler and Zach's mentor, is surprisingly lovable.  The Vice President is obnoxious.  The "evil" took a surprising turn.

This book was fast paced, intense, funny, emotional...everything you want in a great book!  I am excited that this is the first book in a series and I can't wait to see how it unfolds!

The Faerie Path

Title: The Faerie Path Author: Frewin Jones Genre:  Fantasy, Young Adult Length: 312 pages (paperback) Sensitive Content:  No Rating:  3 out of 5

Anita is a young woman from London just about to turn 16.  She has a loving family, a newish boyfriend and a best friend with whom she shares all of her secrets.

On the day before her birthday, Anita meets Evan for a birthday surprise, a boat ride.  The two are having a great time and Evan begins to share something with her.  However, the boat is hit and both end up in the hospital.  When Anita wakes, Evan is on the same floor as her, but he hasn't regained consciousness.

Anita begins to have strange dreams, one of which she grows wings and flies.  Evan ends up missing.  Anita is then fully transported into a dream world of the Faerie.  In her dream, she is the seventh daughter of the king.

Anita learns her name is Tania, the long lost daughter who has the ability to move between the Mortal World and Faerie World.  She coninues to believe she's in a coma as the story unfolds.

The story is told from Anita/Tania's point of view.  The author is building the characters and providing quite a bit of background as this is the first book in a series.  He provides intricate details regarding the dress as well as landscape when in the Faerie World.

The story is written for the young adult.  I would gauge that this is written for a younger teen as it was quite easy to determine what would be happening next.  While it is fantasy, other than moving between the Moral and Faerie Worlds, there wasn't a lot of fantasy at play.

BookCrossing

Have you heard of BookCrossing?  BookCrossing members "release" books to other members or leave in the wild for the books to be found.  The books are tracked through journal entries from all over the world. 

I've been a member since 2014 when we found our first book at a local restaurant.  I've been an active member since 2016.  Or I should say we, as my boys will allow me to release some of their books when they are finished with them.  You can check out our shelf HERE.

As part of this community, I appreciate that others will enjoy the books that we do.  I also appreciate that the books end up in the hands of someone who wants them versus being donated to the local thrift store where they may or may not end up out on the shelves. 

Interested in joining?  It's really easy to sign up and then watch your book's journey as you'll receive updates when someone journals them.  It's easy to do!  Just follow the steps on the site!

What book will you pass along to a friend?

The Secret History of Elizabeth Tudor Vampire Slayer

Title: The Secret History of Elizabeth Tudor Vampire Slayer Author: Lucy Weston Genre:  Science Fiction Length: 303 pages (paperback) Sensitive Content:  Sexual Rating:  2 out of 5

On the eve of her coronation, Elizabeth I learns of a greater evil threatening England than the leaders of France, Spain, etc.  At first she doesn't believe her advisors, but reality sets in very quickly.

During the time of King Arthur, his bastard son Mordred sacrificed his humanity to save England.  However, in doing so, it cost him everything including his greatest love.

Morgain, a vampire slayer form her time, did not succeed in slaying Mordred.  However, Elizabeth is a descendant of her line.  Her advisors believe she is to become the next slayer.

The story is told mostly from Elizabeth's point of view, with Mordred's periodically thrown in.  It was easy to follow the train of thought.  However, the story itself (even though sci-fi) was quite unbelievable.  I definitely won't pick it back up.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Title: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Author: Stieg Larsson Genre: Mystery, Thriller Length: 590 pages (paperback) Sensitive Content: Sexual Rating:  4 out of 5

Mikael Blomkvist is a financial journalist who, after receiving information from an anonymous source, was recently convicted of libel.  He steps down as publisher of the Millenium magazine and debates about selling his apartment.  He accepts an assignment from Henrik Vanger to write a story about the Vanger family.  However, his secret assignment is to uncover Harriet Vanger's murderer from roughly forty years ago.

Mikael begins to read through the information that Henrik collected over the years.  He also spends time with the family members who are still in the area.  He ensures that his cover about the family story is kept in tact.

When he returns from his short prison stay, he is visited by his daughter.  Upon her departure, she triggers a thought that sends him down a path to look at the information a little differently.  Mikael asks for an assistant, Lisbeth Salander...the girl with the dragon tattoo.

The first few chapters of the book were difficult to get into.  However, based on all of the hype, I trudged on and I'm glad I did!  The book quickly became fast paced and I couldn't wait to see what would be uncovered next.

The characters were well developed and I felt that I was part of the story trying to uncover what happened.  It honestly took several turns that I did not expect, which I view as a great book!

The Sparrow

Title: The Sparrow Author: Mary Doria Russell Genre:  Science Fiction Length: 405 pages (paperback) Sensitive Content:  Some  (Will give plot away) Rating:  4 out of 5

We are introduced to Father Emilio Sandoz after he returns to Earth from a mission of exploration.  The setting alternates from his history before he left Earth, Rakhat, and then the modern day Earth he returns to (2060).

Emilio is a linguist and is moved around quite a bit during his first few years as a priest.  When he is finally given his choice of assignments he returns to his birthplace in Puerto Rico convincing his friends George and Anne that their skills would be beneficial to his new congregation.  It doesn't take much convincing and the three of them are off!

Anne re-establishes the local clinic.  George volunteers as a docent at the Arecibo dish, where he meets Jimmy.  The four of them become fast friends.  Jimmy learns that his job is to be automated, makes a deal with his boss, and Sophia is brought into the group, continuing to round out the dynamics.

When Jimmy uncovers beautiful music from a nearby system, the lives of these friends, plus three additional priests, takes a new turn.  They are suddenly planning their trip to Alpha Centuri.

This book was not overly "religious".  However, it does show us how Emilio's origination in the priesthood is more of a feeling of safety and acceptance, to that of knowing God and finally feeling abandoned by God.  This was Emilio's spiritual journey.

The characters were well developed and I often felt as if I was in Anne's home as she was entertaining the group.  Once the team was on Rakhat, I did often get confused as to what exactly was happening.  It wasn't always easy for me to follow.

There is a sequel to the book: Children of God.  If I happen to come across it I will read it, but I found this book to be fine as a stand alone.

Half Price Books Summer Reading Programs

One of the things I'm very proud of is the LOVE of reading I've instilled in my children.  As summer is now underway, a "chore" is to read for at least 30 minutes each day.  This is easily accomplished and from time to time they go significantly over the 30 minutes.

A summer reading program we discovered last year, is through Half Price Books.  Feed Your Brain is a way to tally reading minutes for children 14 and under in June and July.  After reading for 300 minutes and completing the chart, the child can turn in his log for Bookworm Bucks.  (Note: Last year the boys received $5 Bookworm Bucks for each of their logs.  I didn't see a specific amount for this year.)

For your teen, over age 14, he can review a book on the Half Price Books website.  The Bookworm Books will be emailed to your teen.

What will you read this summer? 

One for the Road

Title:  One for the Road Author:  Tony Horwitz Genre:  Nonfiction,Travel Length: 210 pages (paperback) Sensitive Content:  None Rating:  4 out of 5

Tony recently settled in Sydney with his new Australian bride.  He easily settles into life as a reporter at a local newspaper.  As his friends travel to Bali and other places, he has a desire to travel into the outback which he must share with his wife as he wants to hitchhike to experience his newly adopted country...without her.

With just his backpack, he heads out.  He shares that when he was younger he hitchhiked in the United States.  However, this experience differs significantly, which I believe surprises him more than he realizes.

We join him as he ventures through the outback and interacts with the local population.  He shares the history that he knows of the locations he's visiting which help us understand some of the situations he finds himself in.  He is open to new experiences and new people, which make his journey possible.

One of my favorite parts was the story of finding a Jewish family in Broome to celebrate Passover with.  It shows that those in Broome were welcoming to this stranger and went out of their way to help him find a place to belong.

Tony's writing style makes me feel like I am on the journey with him.  I can feel the 100 degree heat on my neck.  I can taste and smell the beer, meals and just the overall environment.  I felt seasick when he was on the fishing boat.

As I have a desire to visit a friend who moved to Australia a few years ago, I feel like I have a better understanding of the environment they have relocated to.

Clocking Out Early

Title:  Clocking Out Early Author:  Cody Boorman &  Georgi Boorman Genre:  Nonfiction, Finances Length: 214 pages (electronic) Sensitive Content:  None Rating:  3 out of 5

If you haven't read a personal finance book to help you get started on your debt free journey, the Boormans do a good job of outlining some day to day categories that can help jump start your budgeting process and your journey.  However, if you've read books by Dave Ramsey or Suze Orman, the concepts within the book itself do not differ that much.

I appreciate the draw down examples they provided.  I felt this gave a real life situation where the market itself is not consistent from year to year but smoothed out as we look at long term investments.  They also showed an example of where you'd run out of money and one where your money will last, based on your willingness to adjust your budget.

The travel hacking section was a fun addition as I don't typically see these in financial books.  However, the scenarios they outlined are ones that I already follow, but would be good for those who have not yet tried this way to save money while expanding your travel budget/experience.

Why did I give this book a three star rating instead of something higher?  Part of the title to this book is "The Ultimate Guide to Early Retirement".  While they authors do a very good job of outlining the topics within the book such as budgeting, debt payoff, travel hacking, investments and more, I never picked up on the portion of the book that related to "FIRE" or early retirement, which was the main driver for me to read this book.