Let's get this out of the way first. Joe Hill's real last name is King. He wanted to make his own name without being linked to his father. It was pointless, since he looks JUST LIKE STEPHEN KING. Hill continues to write under the pseudonym, but no longer hides who his parents are (Tabitha King writes too).
I normally steer clear of anything involving kids, especially kids being molested. I can't tolerate it. So I was really worried about this, however NONE of the kids involved are touched in any way. In fact, the main vampire-like villain Charles Manx makes it very clear there is a special place in Hell for those who do. So, if you were afraid of that, know it is not something happening in this book.
OK then. IF you were worried about it, why did you even try to read this, Mrs. W.? Because a student, a PACE student, a young lady who would be placed in the dreaded "reluctant reader" category (seriously, can we just erase that label out of existence?!?!?!) recommended it to me. She loved Kim Liggett and Amy Lukavics. She told me I should read this after I had her read them. I take that kind of discussion VERY seriously and to heart.
Hill writes horror, and this definitely is. It's also on the Hardinge level of weird in some places. For example:
Shusterman's Full Tilt meets New Hampshire's Santa's Village
Nosferatu
Allusions to the book that would become Nov. 22, 1963 by King
A fortune telling Librarian named Maggie in nowhere but Here, Iowa
Scrabble tiles that talk and ghosts that speak backwards
Magic New England covered bridges
An escape room book for little kids
Bikes and motorcycles and antique cars with healing abilities
Cosplay
Geek culture
Yeah, this was an acid trip, but in a good way. I did like it, in an I Like King way, if that makes any sense. Which it might not, considering.
Follow me on Twitter @RamblingsLMS
All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.
Wednesday, April 29, 2020
Monday, April 20, 2020
Dreams of El Dorado by H. W. Brands
I had hoped to post this review over vacation, but then my husband's schedule changed. We were supposed to go to the race in Richmond Sunday. We planned to leave Friday, hit Hersheypark midway, and arrive in VA late Saturday night. Alas, Hershey is closed until further notice, and NASCAR has postponed all races til at least mid-May. So Justin changed his days to be home with the boy and I Thursday and Friday, which I won't lie was nice. But now, with MTA on an ultra-reduced schedule, he and his crew will be working 21 straight days of 12 hour shifts. Bleh.
So, on to this review. Meh. That rhymes with bleh. I digress.
I really wanted to write this a glowing review. It is one of the most detailed American history books I've ever read. BUT the glaring problem is the glossing over of the Native American Indian. Again. Like, aren't we passed this phase in textbooks? Why are we suddenly all over the Brown and Black Western Experience but forgot all about the Red? I actually rolled my eyes a few times at the stereotypical, almost Disney-like portrayals. I also recognize this is my own bias as well.
Dates, places, packing lists, survey equipment, horse counts, types of boats...there is a ton of sheer data presented (which might be what took me so long to read this; there is just a LOT of words on the page of STUFF). It certainly makes for an interesting log of how exploration and travel have changed. Politics and grandeur play an important part in the desire to seek the West, and both were emphasized by the author as central to American expansion.
Just OK I guess. #shrugs
Follow me on Twitter @RamblingsLMS.
All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.
So, on to this review. Meh. That rhymes with bleh. I digress.
I really wanted to write this a glowing review. It is one of the most detailed American history books I've ever read. BUT the glaring problem is the glossing over of the Native American Indian. Again. Like, aren't we passed this phase in textbooks? Why are we suddenly all over the Brown and Black Western Experience but forgot all about the Red? I actually rolled my eyes a few times at the stereotypical, almost Disney-like portrayals. I also recognize this is my own bias as well.
Dates, places, packing lists, survey equipment, horse counts, types of boats...there is a ton of sheer data presented (which might be what took me so long to read this; there is just a LOT of words on the page of STUFF). It certainly makes for an interesting log of how exploration and travel have changed. Politics and grandeur play an important part in the desire to seek the West, and both were emphasized by the author as central to American expansion.
Just OK I guess. #shrugs
Follow me on Twitter @RamblingsLMS.
All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.
Tuesday, March 31, 2020
Spin by Lamar Giles
I hope you are all safe and well. Both of my sisters are nurses, and my husband is an essential MTA subcontractor. It has been a stressful time for our family. Please remember I am here if you need to talk to someone.
I heard Ellen Oh speak at the American Association of School Librarians conference last November. She is the founder of We Need Diverse Books. Lamar Giles is is also a founding member. So when I saw this pop up as a recommendation from Amazon, of course I ordered it.
First, the characters and premise are phenomenal. Three strong Black female lead characters in a city much like our own: one high school serving the entire city, meaning the wealthiest kids are in classes with the poorest. Music is central to the plot.
At first, I loved this. DJ ParSec (Paris Secord) is an up and coming musician, raised by her grandmother (after her father took off and her mother died of cancer) in the poorest of housing projects. She spins on third-hand tables and has an ancient laptop rescued from a thrift shop. Her best friend Kya (no father in the picture although he sends birthday cards; Mom, a former singer, in a minimum wage job) is a tech wizard and helps her repair and keep the tables spinning. As Paris's local fame starts to grow, she is befriended by Fuse (Fatima), from the rich side of town with strict parents.
Eventually Paris's fame grows exponentially, and she has her ticket out after signing with a marketing team. Fame goes to her head, and she loses Kya and Fuse as friends. On her last night in her home city, she asks Fuse and Kya to meet to say goodbye before a free rave Paris is throwing. They never get the chance. Paris is murdered before the show, to be found by her former friends, now suspects.
The book is told in alternating viewpoints of Kya and Fuse in the present; Paris is told in the past. I was guessing until the last "day of" flashback of Paris's.
Then I wanted to throw the book. I hated the way she died and who killed her. I'm actually mad at it.
*pouty face*
Follow me on Twitter @RamblingsLMS
All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.
I heard Ellen Oh speak at the American Association of School Librarians conference last November. She is the founder of We Need Diverse Books. Lamar Giles is is also a founding member. So when I saw this pop up as a recommendation from Amazon, of course I ordered it.
First, the characters and premise are phenomenal. Three strong Black female lead characters in a city much like our own: one high school serving the entire city, meaning the wealthiest kids are in classes with the poorest. Music is central to the plot.
At first, I loved this. DJ ParSec (Paris Secord) is an up and coming musician, raised by her grandmother (after her father took off and her mother died of cancer) in the poorest of housing projects. She spins on third-hand tables and has an ancient laptop rescued from a thrift shop. Her best friend Kya (no father in the picture although he sends birthday cards; Mom, a former singer, in a minimum wage job) is a tech wizard and helps her repair and keep the tables spinning. As Paris's local fame starts to grow, she is befriended by Fuse (Fatima), from the rich side of town with strict parents.
Eventually Paris's fame grows exponentially, and she has her ticket out after signing with a marketing team. Fame goes to her head, and she loses Kya and Fuse as friends. On her last night in her home city, she asks Fuse and Kya to meet to say goodbye before a free rave Paris is throwing. They never get the chance. Paris is murdered before the show, to be found by her former friends, now suspects.
The book is told in alternating viewpoints of Kya and Fuse in the present; Paris is told in the past. I was guessing until the last "day of" flashback of Paris's.
Then I wanted to throw the book. I hated the way she died and who killed her. I'm actually mad at it.
*pouty face*
Follow me on Twitter @RamblingsLMS
All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.
Thursday, March 26, 2020
Consider the Platypus by Maggie Ryan Sandford
Amazon recommended this to me. Knowing we'd be home for a while, I placed a big order with this among others.
This was definitely....interesting. And weird.
This is a collection of short (1-4 pages) entries on animals. Not all of them are as unusual as the platypus. Each entry discusses the animal's interesting features, how it relates to humans on the genome scale, what Darwin thought of (or might think of) said critter, and other information like size/habitat/behavior.
Some of this is incredibly informative and I learned a lot...of useless trivia in case I ever go on Jeopardy. There were also little zingers one might miss if just flipping through (the entry on manatees had some snark about the sea cow's weight and the whale's size was labeled "big as a whale").
On the whole, a conversation starter/coffee table book for sure, some good bell ringers if used in a biology classroom, and lots to study if going on Who Wants to be a Millionaire, but not exactly future standard textbook or classic science literature.
Mr. Dickson would like it.
Follow me on Twitter @RamblingsLMS
All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.
This was definitely....interesting. And weird.
This is a collection of short (1-4 pages) entries on animals. Not all of them are as unusual as the platypus. Each entry discusses the animal's interesting features, how it relates to humans on the genome scale, what Darwin thought of (or might think of) said critter, and other information like size/habitat/behavior.
Some of this is incredibly informative and I learned a lot...of useless trivia in case I ever go on Jeopardy. There were also little zingers one might miss if just flipping through (the entry on manatees had some snark about the sea cow's weight and the whale's size was labeled "big as a whale").
On the whole, a conversation starter/coffee table book for sure, some good bell ringers if used in a biology classroom, and lots to study if going on Who Wants to be a Millionaire, but not exactly future standard textbook or classic science literature.
Mr. Dickson would like it.
Follow me on Twitter @RamblingsLMS
All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.
Friday, March 20, 2020
Richard Potter by John Hodgson
Hey everyone. I hope you are all healthy and well. This is a very weird time. Please reach out if you need someone to listen.
I watched an actor portray Richard Potter in Sturbridge Village two Christmases ago. I've always been fascinated by slight of hand. I'm too clumsy and shaky to do it myself though. Potter was our pre-dinner entertainment. I loved it.
Fast forward a bit and this biography appeared as a suggestion from our book vendor Follett. Of course I bought it. I took it out to read Friday during what was supposed to be a two week shutdown. If we only knew then...I digress.
Richard Potter was born circa 1783 in Hopkinton, MA. His mother Dinah was a black household slave to a wealthy tax collector. His paternity is still questionable, either his mother's master Charles Frankland, a family relative Henry Cromwell, or a local pastor George Stimson/Simpson/Stimpson. He often told people Frankland, frequently misheard as Franklin, which Potter played up as a relation to Benjamin Franklin.
Potter claimed to be West Indian, often dressing in fancy robes and adornments, to hide his ethnicity, especially when touring in the South. He was famous all up and down the East Coast and in England and served as a Mason in all African Lodge.
So why had I never heard of him until that Christmas in Sturbridge? How did I not know about this local celebrity? Why is he excluded from history? A better question might be what are doing now to make sure he is?
Follow me on Twitter @RamblingsLMS
All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.
I watched an actor portray Richard Potter in Sturbridge Village two Christmases ago. I've always been fascinated by slight of hand. I'm too clumsy and shaky to do it myself though. Potter was our pre-dinner entertainment. I loved it.
Fast forward a bit and this biography appeared as a suggestion from our book vendor Follett. Of course I bought it. I took it out to read Friday during what was supposed to be a two week shutdown. If we only knew then...I digress.
Richard Potter was born circa 1783 in Hopkinton, MA. His mother Dinah was a black household slave to a wealthy tax collector. His paternity is still questionable, either his mother's master Charles Frankland, a family relative Henry Cromwell, or a local pastor George Stimson/Simpson/Stimpson. He often told people Frankland, frequently misheard as Franklin, which Potter played up as a relation to Benjamin Franklin.
Potter claimed to be West Indian, often dressing in fancy robes and adornments, to hide his ethnicity, especially when touring in the South. He was famous all up and down the East Coast and in England and served as a Mason in all African Lodge.
So why had I never heard of him until that Christmas in Sturbridge? How did I not know about this local celebrity? Why is he excluded from history? A better question might be what are doing now to make sure he is?
Follow me on Twitter @RamblingsLMS
All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.
Monday, March 9, 2020
The Testaments by Margaret Atwood
Let's go back in time.
I read The Handmaid's Tale in 2000, as a sophomore at SCSU in a Women's Literature course. I absolutely loved it, so much so I used it when I student taught Honors level seniors in 2002. I also used clips from the 1990 movie version. Yes, The Handmaid's Tale is THAT OLD. The award-winning series is not the first version. However, the new series did introduce a younger generation to the story, which, unfortunately, is just as timely, if not more so, today.
So, I have to be honest and say I've never watched the TV show. I loved the book and movie; why ruin it? But it seems everyone loves it! Perhaps because of the success of the show, Atwood published a sequel, The Testaments. Same reason I didn't want to read it! I didn't want to spoil things.
Mrs. Robles kept asking for this book, but it was always checked out when she did. Because it was evident we really needed a second copy due to popularity, I ordered one off Amazon and let her check it out first. She really liked it and said I should read it. So I did.
And I really should've before!
Fifteen years after the events of the first novel, three women's testimonies are woven together to present life in the regime and Canada. One story is from a girl who was taken from her biological mother and given to a powerful Commander and Wife. She is coming of age to marry. The next is from a girl who was smuggled to safety in Canada and has been raised to hate the regime and all it stands for. Third is an Aunt, the older women who have some semblance of power in training girls and Handmaid's.
I don't want to spoil too much. I will say it was pretty obvious to me early on who was really who though. You must read the first novel to understand this one, not just watch to show or movie.
All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.
Follow me on Twitter @RamblingsLMS
I read The Handmaid's Tale in 2000, as a sophomore at SCSU in a Women's Literature course. I absolutely loved it, so much so I used it when I student taught Honors level seniors in 2002. I also used clips from the 1990 movie version. Yes, The Handmaid's Tale is THAT OLD. The award-winning series is not the first version. However, the new series did introduce a younger generation to the story, which, unfortunately, is just as timely, if not more so, today.
So, I have to be honest and say I've never watched the TV show. I loved the book and movie; why ruin it? But it seems everyone loves it! Perhaps because of the success of the show, Atwood published a sequel, The Testaments. Same reason I didn't want to read it! I didn't want to spoil things.
Mrs. Robles kept asking for this book, but it was always checked out when she did. Because it was evident we really needed a second copy due to popularity, I ordered one off Amazon and let her check it out first. She really liked it and said I should read it. So I did.
And I really should've before!
Fifteen years after the events of the first novel, three women's testimonies are woven together to present life in the regime and Canada. One story is from a girl who was taken from her biological mother and given to a powerful Commander and Wife. She is coming of age to marry. The next is from a girl who was smuggled to safety in Canada and has been raised to hate the regime and all it stands for. Third is an Aunt, the older women who have some semblance of power in training girls and Handmaid's.
I don't want to spoil too much. I will say it was pretty obvious to me early on who was really who though. You must read the first novel to understand this one, not just watch to show or movie.
All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.
Follow me on Twitter @RamblingsLMS
Tuesday, February 25, 2020
Hoax by Tattersall and Nevraumont
Fake News isn't anything new. Sure social media has made the proliferation of doctored images, exaggerated tales, and non-existent statistics easy to share, but we, everyday humans, have been being duped by hoaxes a whole lot longer than since the invention of Facebook and Twitter.
Cons, scams, fakes, cures, and the like have existed for as long as humans it seems. The first recorded report of the Loch Ness Monster was in 563. The Shroud of Turin dates to 1390. Bigfoot footprints were cast in 1811. The Fox sisters claimed to be psychic mystics in 1848.
Some of the modern hoaxes our authors mention: Milli Vanilli's lip sync scandal (which happened right here in CT at Lake Compounce, when the area that's now the Haunted Graveyard was a concert venue), Flat Earth Theory (really????), faking the Moon landing, Walt Disney's frozen head, and of course vaccines and autism.
This would be a great references for courses on digital media and social media.
Follow me on Twitter @RamblingsLMS
All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.
Cons, scams, fakes, cures, and the like have existed for as long as humans it seems. The first recorded report of the Loch Ness Monster was in 563. The Shroud of Turin dates to 1390. Bigfoot footprints were cast in 1811. The Fox sisters claimed to be psychic mystics in 1848.
Some of the modern hoaxes our authors mention: Milli Vanilli's lip sync scandal (which happened right here in CT at Lake Compounce, when the area that's now the Haunted Graveyard was a concert venue), Flat Earth Theory (really????), faking the Moon landing, Walt Disney's frozen head, and of course vaccines and autism.
This would be a great references for courses on digital media and social media.
Follow me on Twitter @RamblingsLMS
All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.
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