LazyDayLit's September 2019 Reading Wrap Up

Goodbye September!

It's been a super busy month and I had hoped to do a lot more reading in anticipation for 'the spooky season' but I didn't do too bad.
I celebrated my birthday this month by visiting a few different museums and gardens around the state. My daughter and I love going on adventures together!

I also started my horror movie marathon, which I haven't really done since my daughter was born but used to love doing every October. So far I've watched the old and new Pet Sematary, worked through the original eight 'Friday the 13th' films (yes, I started on Friday the 13th), and started Marianne on Netflix, which is pretty creepy so far.

The books I read and finished in September:

Chapter books I read to my daughter in September:

Books I started but haven't finished:

Book Reviews I've shared on the blog this month:

I received a copy of Ocean: Secrets of the Deep by Sabrina Weiss from the publisher in exchange for a review but loved it! The illustrations were amazing and it's full of information all about the sea!
I reviewed And Then the Seed Grew by Marianne Dubuc for Netgalley. We've read two other picture books by her and loved them all!


Small Spaces by Katherine Arden was my first spooky read of the season and it didn't disappoint!
The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris was a sobering WWII novel based on a true story that I definitely recommend!

My daughter and I learned all about the birds we see in our back yard in Bird Watch by Christie Matheson and learned about being brave in I Will Be Fierce! by Bea Birdsong.

Many thanks to Annick Press for providing me with an ARC of The Ghost Collector by Allison Mills to review. This coming-of-age ghost story is a heartwarming tale of grief and loss.

I reviewed The Big Book of Monsters: The Creepiest Creatures in Classic Literature by Hal Johnson for Netgalley and really enjoyed reading little biographies from some of my favorite literary monsters!

I finally got my review of Wilder Girls by Rory Power up but I didn't love it. I also read and reviewed Artemis Fowl: The Graphic Novel by Eoin Colfer and Michael Moreci.

I reviewed Look, It's Raining by Mathieu Pierloot for Netgalley and requested The Bee Book by Charlotte Milner from my library because we loved her other nonfiction book 'The Sea Book'.

 We read and reviewed two books in the I Look Up To... board book series, I Look Up To Malala Yousafzai and I Look Up To Ruth Bader Ginsburg by Anna Membrino.  

I started Every Heart A Doorway, the first in the Wayward Children series by Seanan McGuire and am going to try to work my way through the series in the next couple of months!
I finally read On Writing by Stephen King at the urging of a few of my writer/bookstagrammer friends and am so glad I did! It really helped put my own writing journey and my writing hang-ups into perspective.


I hope you all had a fantastic reading month!
Keep an eye out for my spooky October TBR!
Happy reading!

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On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King (Nonfiction Book Review)

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

by Stephen King 
Published by Scribner 
on October 3, 2000
Genre: Adult, Nonfiction, Memoir
Length: 288 pages

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | BookDepository

Literary Awards:

Bram Stoker Award for Best Non-fiction (2000)
Locust Award for Best Non-fiction (2001)
Puddly Award for Writing (2001)

Synopsis:
"If you don't have the time to read, you don't have the time or the tools to write."

In 1999, Stephen King began to write about his craft--and his life. By midyear, a widely reported accident jeopardized the survival of both. And in his months of recovery, the link between writing and living became more crucial than ever.

Rarely has a book on writing been so clear, so useful, and so revealing. On Writing begins with a mesmerizing account of King's childhood and his uncannily early focus on writing to tell a story. A series of vivid memories from adolescence, college, and the struggling years that led up to his first novel, Carrie, will afford readers a fresh and often very funny perspective on the formation of a writer. King next turns to the basic tools of his trade--how to sharpen and multiply them through use, and how the writer must always have them close at hand. He takes the reader through crucial aspects of the writer's art and life, offering practical and inspiring advice on everything from plot to character development to work habits and rejection.

Serialized in the New Yorker to vivid acclaim, On Writing culminates with a profoundly moving account of how King's overwhelming need to write spurred him toward recovery, and brought him back to his life. 

My Thoughts:

This book is recommended among writers and King fans alike as one of the best. With a little push from a few friends, I finally picked it up, took my time with it, and found that I agree.

"Books are a uniquely portable magic."

I feel the need to be honest and give a disclaimer that I am not the biggest King fan. A fan, sure, and a growing one, but I don't really consider him one of my favorites yet. I say 'yet' because he has a lot of books and I feel like I need to have read and enjoyed most of them to consider him a favorite and right now I'm still at about fifty-fifty love/hate.

You don't need to be a fan of King's books to get something out of this, though. This is the most recommended and talked about book on writing I've ever come across and with the author's success, it's hard not to see why. I've read a few in my time but none were so helpful or concise.

"Writing isn't about making money, getting famous, getting dates, getting laid, or making friends. In the end, it's about enriching the lives of those who will read your work, and enriching your own life, as well. It's about getting up, getting well, and getting over. Getting happy, okay? Getting happy."

On Writing is both a memoir and a how-to.

We start out getting to know a little about King's childhood, but mostly only if it has to do with writing. It's a pretty straight forward story about how he got started, where he got his ideas for some of his earliest books, and how he persisted and made his big break.

I found the memoir portion to be surprisingly relatable and it really helped put my own lifelong writing hobby into a new perspective for me.

The middle of the book focuses on important writing rules, hints, and tips for writing. From grammar to character development, there's a little bit of everything you might need to know or be reminded about before you delve back into your own writing.

I don't use those little flag tags often but ended up putting quite a few into my copy of this book so I can come back to them later. I also think that this is one book I will hold onto and reread eventually.

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Disney's The Never Girls #1: In A Blink by Kiki Thorpe (Children's Book Review)

 

In A Blink
The Never Girls series #1

Written by Kiki Thorpe
Illustrated by Jana Christy
Published by Disney-Hyperion
on January 1, 2013
Genre: Children's, Fantasy, Chapter Books
Length: 128 pages
Ages: 6 - 9 years

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | BookDepository


Synopsis:
The Disney Fairies star in a magical all-new early chapter book series for kids ages 6 to 10 -- The Never Girls!

The smell of saltwater, a gust of sea breeze, and the bell-like ringing of a fairy's laugh are the only hints that something magical is happening to Kate, Mia, Lainey, and Gabby. In a blink of an eye, the four friends are whisked out of their ordinary lives to the most wonderful place of all--Never Land, home to fairies, mermaids... and now four lost girls. The girls don't want to leave right away, but Queen Clarion and Tinker Bell have figured out a way for them to get home. Will Kate, Mia, Lainey, and Gabby's fantastic adventure end before it's barely begun?

Our Thoughts:
The perfect chapter book series for young readers that love Disney's Peter Pan and/or Tinkerbell!

In The Never Girls series, four girls have been magically whisked away to Never Land thanks to a fairy's 'blink'. The fairy, Prilla, didn't mean to blink the 'Clumsies' to Pixie Hollow but now that they are on the island the way home is too far. Queen Clarion sets Tinkerbell with the task of watching over the girls until they can find a way home for them and in the meantime, the girls explore and learn the ways of the fairies and have a lovely time as Lost Girls!

I read an abridged chapter book version of J.M. Barrie's 'Peter Pan' to my daughter over the summer and she adored it, as I had hoped. She already knew about Tinkerbell but didn't know much about Peter Pan or the pirates (because we didn't own the movie at the time) and now she knows the full story and we've since watched the cartoon, the live-action film, and even Hook, as well as all of the Tinkerbell films that are on Netflix.  We found the first two books in The Never Girls series at a thrift store in perfect condition and dug right in knowing that they are about the fairies that live in Pixie Hollow!

My daughter is younger than the suggested ages but she requested that I read chapter books to her earlier this year so I have obliged and these 'early chapter books' are the perfect length and font size for us! Depending on how tired we are, we either split a chapter or read one whole chapter a night. They don't take long to get through so we're already looking to buy the rest of the series!

I love that this series continues the Peter Pan storyline of children being whisked away to the magical island of Never Land where fairies, mermaids, and even pirates live. This story is a little more innocent though and reminds me much more of the Tinkerbell movies than the rough-and-tumble adventures of Peter Pan. My daughter loved that one of the girls was a lot younger and that they all were able to fly like the fairies!

We're looking forward to continuing this wonderful series!

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I Look Up To... Ruth Bader Ginsburg by Anna Membrino & Fatti Burke (Board Book Review)

I Look Up To... Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Written by
Anna Membrino
Illustrated by
Fatti Burke
Published by
Random House Books for Young Readers
on October 2, 2018
Genre: Children's, Nonfiction, Board Books, Biography
Length: 22 pages

Ages: 3 months to 3 years


Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | BookDepository

Synopsis:
If you can see it, you can be it! Introduce your child to your role models with this series of inspirational board books. 

It's never to early too introduce your child to the people you admire! This board book distills Ruth Bader Ginsburg's excellent qualities into deliciously illustrated little baby-sized bites, with text designed to share and read aloud.

The I LOOK UP TO... series aims to shine a spotlight on women making a difference in the world today, and to encourage young kids to follow in their footsteps!

My Thoughts:

Introduce your child to real people as well as values you admire with the I Look Up To... series!

This fantastic biography board book features Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a Supreme Court Justice who has stood up for equality and women's rights and remains a beloved icon and role model to women around the world.

We are shown Ruth's greatest personality traits and how she has made a difference in the world in a simple and understanding manner, paired with bold and colorful text, quotes, images, and backgrounds.

This inspiring board book will make a wonderful addition to your children's shelves!

More from the 'I Look Up To' series:

I Look Up To... Malala Yousafzai
More books about Ruth Bader Ginsburg:

I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes Her Mark
by Debbie Levy

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I Look Up To... Malala Yousafzai by Anna Membrino & Fatti Burke (Board Book Review)

I Look Up To... Malala Yousafzai
Written by
Anna Membrino
Illustrated by
Fatti Burke
Published by
Random House Books for Young Readers
on June 11, 2019
Genre: Children's, Nonfiction, Board Books, Biography
Length: 22 pages

Ages: 3 months to 3 years

Goodreads | Amazon  | B&N | BookDepository

Synopsis:
If you can see it, you can be it! Introduce your child to powerful feminist role models with this series of inspirational board books. 

It's never too early to introduce your child to the people you admire--such as Malala Yousafzai, the activist for girls' education and Nobel Peace Prize winner! This board book distills Malala's excellent qualities into an eminently shareable read-aloud text with graphic, eye-catching illustrations.

The I LOOK UP TO... series aims to shed a spotlight on women making a difference in the world today, and to encourage young kids to follow in their footsteps!
My Thoughts:

Introduce your child to real people as well as values you admire with the I Look Up To... series!

 This fantastic biography board book features the brave Malala Yousafzai, an activist for young girls' education who continues to inspire many around the world. It has a simple but powerful message to stay curious, follow your dreams, and to speak up to make a difference in the world!

With bold and colorful text, quotes, images, and backgrounds, this board book will make a wonderful addition to your children's shelves!

More from this board book series:

I Look Up To... Ruth Bader Ginsburg
More books about Malala:

 

Malala: My Story of Standing Up for Girls' Rights
by Malala Yousafzai

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The Bee Book by Charlotte Milner (Children's Nonfiction Book Review)

The Bee Book

Written by
Charlotte Milner

Published by
DK Books

on February 6, 2018

Genre: Children's,  Nonfiction

Length: 48 pages

Ages: 5 - 8 years

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | BookDepository

Synopsis:

Explore the secret world of bees: how they live, how they work, how they support each other and their hive.

DK's The Bee Book is a wonderful introduction to the humble honeybee: nature's hardest worker, and much more than just a provider of honey! Bees are incredibly industrious, brilliant at building, super social, and--most importantly--responsible for a third of every mouthful of food you eat! Find out how bees talk to one another, what it takes to become a queen bee, what the life of a worker bee is like, and more!

Our Thoughts:

We recently read Charlotte Milner's 'The Sea Book' and absolutely loved it so when I saw that she had another nonfiction picture book about bees, we rushed to get our hands on it! The Bee Book was just as wonderful! 

Did you know that bees have inhabited planet Earth for over 100 million years? Or that there are around 20,000 different bee species?  Learn everything you need to know about bees in this incredible nonfiction for kids.

You can learn about different types of bees, their anatomy, how they are born, how they grow, and where they come from. 

Find out exactly what goes on in a beehive and how honey is made. Learn about pollination and what fruits and vegetables we can eat freely thanks to bees. You will even find out what animals, birds, and insects EAT bees!

There's lots of information on what threatens bees, why they are on the decline, and what would happen if they were no longer around. 

The Bee Book also includes what we can do to help bees in our own backyards. There's a great page that shows lots of different wildflowers and what seasons to plant them in! There's even a page that shows us how to make our own bee hotel using bamboo sticks!

This gorgeously illustrated nonfiction picture book is a must-have!

 

More from this author: 

The Sea Book by Charlotte Milner

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The Sunday Post - 2019 Week 38

The Sunday Post is hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer

and is a chance to share news, both new and old!

Hey there, bloggers!

Last week was extra busy for me. Between everything going on, birthdays, family visits, and remembering those I've lost, this month has been so overwhelming. We ended up taking a few day-cation adventures to take my mind off of things.  It was a bit more than usual so I don't even have time to tell you all about it but we did have a great time!

But I did realize there's no way I can keep up with The Sunday Post weekly! My weeks seem to fly by now and I'm lucky to get my reviews in so I'm going to try to make this an every other week post unless I have a lot of extra time on my hands!

Oh, it's too early. I need coffee.
Have a great day!


Currently Reading:

I'm currently reading too many books! Teeth in the Mist is a big book so I've been taking Down Among the Sticks and Bones with me on road trips, etc. where I can read a few pages at a time. I've been reading Hocus Pocus as an ebook at night and am almost done reading The Space Between to my daughter.

Recently Finished:

I didn't get much reading done this past week and need to catch up now so my next Sunday post should be nice and full! I'll have my reviews for these two up asap!

Recently posted reviews:

I reviewed The Big Book of Monsters: The Creepiest Creatures from Classic Literature by Hal Johnson for Netgalley and reviewed an ARC of The Ghost Collector by Allison Mills which was a fantastic MG ghost story about grief and loss.

My daughter and I learned about birds we see in our own backyard in Bird Watch by Christie Matheson and learned all about being brave in I Will Be Fierce by Bea Birdsong.

I finally got my review of the young adult horror novel Wilder Girls by Rory Power up but I didn't love it. I also reviewed the picture book Look, It's Raining by Matthieu Pierloot for Netgalley.

I recently read and reviewed Artemis Fowl: The Graphic Novel because I couldn't find my paperback copy and I needed the motivation to read it before the adaptation is out. I also started the Wayward Children series, starting with Every Heart A Doorway by Seanan McGuire!

Currently Watching:

I finally got a chance to watch the new Pet Sematary and I actually really enjoyed it! The original was always my favorite King film and the remake was pretty good!

Have a great week! Happy reading!

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