Children's Book Review: Dinosaur Poo by Diane and Christyan Fox

Fox, C &D. (Published 04 Sept 2014, Quarto). 32 pages.

We talk about poo a lot in this house. Poo and dinosaurs. 
This was one of the books that I gave to Little L for his third birthday last week. My reasoning behind it was because he is a fan of dinosaurs and not so much of poo. Well, having a poo at least. I wanted to show him that everything poos! Even dinosaurs did it. 

This book is a complete winner! Little L loves it. Really loves it. We read it every night before bed, often more than once.
The story features dinosaur friends who are on 'a big poo quest', searching high and low for the biggest and best poo! With cute and comical illustrations and flaps to lift this book keeps little ones engaged for the whole story. This rhyming tale is great fun and the sassy pterodactyl is definitely our favourite character, just wait for the surprise at the end. 
Ok, so this book doesn't necessarily have a 'moral message' like many children's books tend to have. However childhood constipation is a real problem, with up to one in three children in the UK suffering from it at any one time. It is particularly problematic around potty-training age. Frequently, it is a psychological problem. A child having a painful bowel movement, can make the negative association with having a poo, so anything at all that shows having a poo in a positive light is a plus with us!
Dinosaur Poo is a  great hit here, and definitely makes a great story for toddlers and younger children who burst into a fit of giggles at the very mention of poo!

For more information on childhood constipation visit www.childhoodconstipation.com or the NHS Choices website.

Whilst writing this, I have noticed that this book varies greatly in price from different retailers. I bought my copy from one of my favourite retailers: The Book People.

Feel free to leave me any comments and let me know your child's favourite reads.

Children's Book Review: Legs by Sarah J. Dodd, illustrated by Giusi Capizzi

Dodd, S.J. (Pub. 21 Aug 2015) 17 pages.

This is a beautifully illustrated tale of a young meerkat named Miki who inadvertently goes on an adventure in the big wide world outside of his zoo.

From Miki's point of view, it seems like the world is full of legs! Some legs frighten him so much that he finds himself outside of the zoo, only to be faced with even more legs. 
Thankfully, the friendly zookeeper rescues Miki, and shows him that the world is also full of faces, and eventually he finds his way back to his favourite face of all; Mama's!

My son (aged nearly 3) loves this story and we've read it again and again. He calls it his 'morning story' as we read it each morning. It certainly makes you appreciate how daunting the world can be for little ones.

This book will be published in the UK on 21 August 2015 by Lion Children's books. NetGalley provided with a free electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. No payment has been exchanged and all opinions are my own. 

Book Review: The Ice Twins by S.K. Tremayne

Tremayne, S.K. (Pub. 2015). HarperCollins 384 pages.

If I'm honest I wasn't expecting a great deal from this psychological thriller. I have been reading a lot more literary fiction these days and thought this story from an unknown author would be a quick easy read to give me a break from the intensity of university study. But can I just say... Wow! This is easily my favourite book of the year so far.

Following the death of Lydia, one of their identical twin daughters, Sarah and Angus make the decision to move to a remote island off the coast of Scotland, which they've inherited from Angus' grandmother. Angus has lost his job due to a violent flare-up with his boss as he struggles to come to terms with the loss of his daughter. The couple face financial ruin if they do not take drastic measures, so with the intention of a fresh start, and a project in renovating their new home, they sell up and head North. 

Their surviving twin, Kirstie is clearly traumatised by the death of her sister, especially as she was present when her sister fell from their grandparent's balcony to her death. Sarah and Angus pin their hopes on the move to Scotland being a positive one. Of course there would be no story if this was the case. I have decided not to give any spoilers away on this review, because if you do read The Ice Twins, you'll be amazed by the plot twists right up to the end.

Sadly the family spiral into a depressive decline as the story progresses. The bleak but beautiful backdrop of the island of Torran, completely complements the characters' crazed state of minds. Both Angus and Sarah have their secrets, and the lack of trust between them becomes a gaping pit of hostility and hatred. The death of Lydia completely tears their family unit apart, with each parent harbouring doubts about the other. Communication between the couple becomes dysfunctional, and the effect on their remaining daughter Kirstie is heart-wrenching. Faced with her sister's face every time she sees her reflection, Kirstie is confused about her identity and Sarah begins to wonder which of her daughter's actually died in that tragic accident. 

Tremayne cleverly foreshadows early on in the story to the final plot-twists. As a reader, I felt dismay, sympathy, anger, sorrow and hatred for all the main characters at one point or another. As the story reached its conclusion, and all the secrets were unravelled, I was left with such a feeling of sadness for the whole family. The poignant message of how tragedy can destroy lives, but also where there is life, there is hope.

The story is quite intense and creepy at times, and a great tension builder. You are left guessing right up until the end. I really cannot recommend this book enough. It is an easy read, but that does not mean it lacks quality. Quite the opposite. I believe The Ice Twins was S.K. Tremayne's debut novel. I cannot wait to read more from this author. This book was a wonderfully atmospheric, intense and realistic story.

Disclaimer: I was provided with a copy of this book free of charge from Mumsnet Blogger's Network for review purposes. However all opinions are my own. No payment was made in exchange for this review.

Silent Sunday: Harry Potter Series.

Our family's Harry Potter 'for reading' collection.

Book Review: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.

Flynn. Gillian, (Pub. 2013) 496 pages.

Ok, I know, I know, I'm a bit late to the party with this one. I've never been one to catch on immediately! It's usually around a year or so later that I catch on to a particular trend; and getting involved in the hype surrounding this brilliant novel, is the perfect example. However for those of you who haven't yet read Gone Girl then please do! From looking at the reviews on Goodreads, this is a bit of a Marmite novel. You either love it or hate it. I definitely fall into the former camp. 

The story begins when Nick's beautiful wife Amy disappears from their home after what looks like a struggle in their living room. Each chapter alternates between Nick and Amy's point of view, Nick's being narrated in the first person, in the present day. Amy's epistolary diary entries date back three years, giving the reader a background to the story of their marriage. 
The book is divided into two parts. The first part gives Nick's thoughts and actions as he deals with the fallout of Amy's disappearance. His increasingly strange behaviour and secretiveness, set alarm bells ringing, not only for the police, but also for Amy's parents and Nick's closet ally; his twin sister Margo. Nick slowly but surely becomes the number one suspect in Amy's disappearance. Yet through the voice of her journals, Amy comes across as the perfect wife, willing to do anything to make her marriage work. Why on earth would Nick want to hurt his beautiful, intelligent, adoring wife? As the story progresses, the reader is taken on a journey of Nick's infidelity with a young impressionable student, along with his resentment of Amy's lifestyle and wealth and the couple's increasing financial difficulties. But is Amy all as she appears to be? She is an American Sweetheart; a national treasure. Her parents were the authors of a series of books, based on their daughter, featuring 'Amazing Amy' as their protagonist. She is certainly the beautiful, intelligent girl that everyone looks up to, but is she really as perfect as everyone believes?
In part two, the reader discovers what exactly has happened to Amy. I will not reveal this, in case you've not read it, but what I will say is the characterisation of Amy in the second part of the book is brilliant. Simply brilliant. Amy is all of the things that everyone believes her to be but flawed by all the usual worries and concerns that trouble all modern women. The reader gets to delve deep into the psyche of Amy Dunne and it is a deeply scary place: psychologically and realistically chilling. I found myself identifying with some of the warped thoughts (but thankfully not actions!) that go through Amy's troubled mind. The extremes she is willing to go to, for both herself and her marriage evoke both disgust and sympathy in the reader.
There are some highly explicit sex scenes which are quite detailed in the book, and the language at times is very colourful, but it all adds to the realism, and isn't overused for sensational effect.
This book really made me question the reality of any relationship. Whether anyone is truly their self with another person, or if you always put on some form of 'mask' to ensure the highest chance of happiness possible. Nick and Amy, like all good characters are flawed, but it is how far one is willing to accept the other in spite of these flaws that really make this novel great and realistic. 
The day I finished this book, I watched the film. As always, the book was far better than the film, there were far more layers to the characters and many more twists and turns than what is portrayed in the film. For me the film was average, but the book was a winner. If you've seen the film and wasn't a fan, please don't let that put you off reading the book. 
Have you read or watched Gone Girl? If you have please let me know what you thought about it in the comments box.

Book Review: The Fault in our Stars by John Green.

The Fault in our Stars. John Green. Pub. 2012. Audible Copy. Narrated by Kate Rudd.

Iconic cover of TFioS

When I signed up to Audible, Amazon's audio book service, I was offered a free trial with one free book. I chose The Fault in our Stars (TFioS) by John Green, mainly due to the hype surrounding the book and its upcoming movie release. It was free and I wanted to see what all the fuss was about.

Now, I have made the mistake before of reading a book because of the media hype... (Yes, I'm looking at you Fifty Shades), and have been immensely disappointed by the poor quality of writing and subsequent reading experience, that I wasn't expecting much from the much media-hyped TFioS.

However, I found myself listening to this audio book at every available opportunity. My 4 hour ironing stint passed in no time at all thanks to TFioS. Now, I cannot be certain whether it was the content and quality of the book that excited me, or the novelty of being able to 'read' a book whilst doing household chores. Whichever it was though, I found this book to be an easy, enjoyable read.

The Audible version of this audio book is narrated by Kate Rudd, whose voice I found to be a little irritating at times. However, that's probably just me and my dislike for listening to someone else speak for a long period of time without letting me get a word in! The dialogue of the different characters voiced by Rudd was exceptional, so much so that I knew which character was speaking without the need of being told who it was.

The book itself is set in Indianapolis and is written from the point of view of sixteen year old Hazel Grace Lancaster, who has terminal thyroid cancer, which has metastasised to her lungs, leaving her permanently dependent on oxygen. Despite this, against the odds, Hazel has responded to a drugs trial which means her tumours whilst ever present are not growing or metastasising further.

Too ill to attend school, and having very few friends, Hazel's parents insist on her attending a support group for children living with cancer. There she meets Augustus Waters, a 'hot boy' who has survived osteosarcoma and is living now, with 'NEC', no evidence of cancer and a prosthetic leg. He has only attended support group to support Issac, whom Hazel has become friends with via the group.

Hazel and Augustus swap their favourite novels and appear to bond over a love of literature, which is recognisable in their dialogue. I love the language used by the teenagers, it's wonderfully descriptive and full of metaphors. It is however, far too advanced for their years, it gives me flashbacks to that late 1990s series Dawson's Creek! (Who remembers that?) This is especially evident, juxtaposed with their typical teenage strops and love and video games.

Hazel's favourite novel, 'An Imperial Affliction' written by the reclusive Peter Van Houten, forms a base for the story. Her favourite book ends without closure. Determined to find out what happened to the characters of the book, Augustus plans to use his 'wish', granted to children with cancer (Hazel has already used hers) to take Hazel to meet her literary hero in Holland. Hazel however becomes very ill and ends up in hospital, as her 'crappy lungs' fill up with fluid. Following this episode, Hazel makes up her mind not to get romantically involved with Augustus, as she doesn't want to leave him broken hearted when she dies.

Once recovered, and after much persuasion, her parents and doctors agree that she can travel to Holland. Hazel, her mother and Augustus arrive in Holland, where inevitably, Hazel and Augustus fall in love and begin their relationship. The trip doesn't go exactly as planned because her hero Van Houten, is certainly not the literary genius they expected. Instead they find an alcoholic, bitter cynical man, who refuses to answer how his book ends. Nonetheless the trip isn't entirely wasted as the couple's true feelings are revealed as they admit their love for each other. Augustus also reveals an ironic twist in the tale that changes the whole perspective of the story.
More is revealed as the story ends, about Hazel, Augustus and Van Houten.

I've not really mentioned, that throughout the story, cancer is a major character of the novel. The struggles of daily life and the perspective of a cancer sufferer is very evident and real. Not only Hazel's struggles, but also those of her parents and the other kids at the support group. The protagonist Hazel, is philosophical and realistic, but her vulnerability is also evident. She has a wonderful sense of humour and her sarcasm about how cancer sufferers are treated by society is refreshing. Augustus is also a well developed character, but I find him a little less believable. He appears to be the most perfect gentleman, which at the age of sixteen, having been through an ordeal that would leave most young men quite angry and bitter I find a bit idealistic. He is wildly romantic and talks in vivid descriptive metaphors, which I found to be a little bit pretentious for a teenager hooked on war role playing video games.

There are other characters that I would have liked to learnt more about. Lidewij, (Van Houten's assistant), Issac and Van Houten in particular. They definitely have interior lives that would be well worth exploring further. It is touched on briefly, which I suppose is adequate, given the focus of the book is on Hazel and Augustus. All of the characters in the book have been affected by cancer, making cancer the antagonist character of the story.
There are some flat characters of the story, such as Hazel's only friend outside of support group. A shallow British girl Kaitlyn, who finds it difficult to connect with Hazel other than on a superficial level.

It is important to remember that this book is written for young adults, it is not an adult book. That said, it is no less enjoyable to read. The hype surrounding this book is no doubt follows the rising popularity in young adult fiction, whilst I found the novel compelling and touching, I've not found it to be life changing, like so many have suggested. In spite of this opinion, I can see how it could be for a teenager, its target audience. It's certainly an uplifting book, despite its subject matter. It has a positive message and it's characters are well-rounded with beautiful dialogue. It's certainly a book I will be urging my daughter to read when she is a few years older. Well worth a read.

Book Review: Paula Spencer by Roddy Doyle

Paula Spencer. Roddy Doyle. Pub.2006. (277 pages).

I first encountered the character of Paula Spencer in Doyle's earlier novel 'The Woman Who Walked Into Doors'. (1996).

The book was recommended to me by my literature tutor, as a good example of working class fiction, which stood out largely due to Doyle's creation of Paula Spencer, an ordinary housewife and mother, who endured years of physical and psychological abuse at the hands of her husband Charlo. She was also an alcoholic. 

I enjoyed this book so much so that I chose it as the subject of one of my literature modules for my course.  

Therefore, when I discovered there was a sequel to 'The Woman Who Walked Into Doors', set ten years later, I couldn't wait to get reading in the hope that Paula had blossomed after Charlo's death.

The book begins on Paula's 48th birthday. She has been sober for four months and five days. Life around Paula has changed. Dublin is now home to coffee shops and delicatessens. She still works as a cleaner, but all of her colleagues seem to be young women from Eastern Europe. Her youngest children Jack and Leanne still live at home. 

The book's main focus is on Paula's daily struggle to remain sober and to rebuild  relationships with her children. Years of dealing abuse and alcoholism has distanced her from them. 

Her eldest daughter Nicola has made a success of her life and is frequently buying her gifts. Nicola was the child that witnessed most of her father's abuse towards her mother and perhaps is not resentful towards her mother because of this. Yet Nicola's generosity and concern annoy Paula, she feels humiliated by the support given to her from her daughter, but she's proud of her too. There is a lot of ambivalence in Paula's feelings throughout the book towards all of her children.

John Paul, her eldest son, left home a heroin addict in the previous book. Paula has been estranged from him for nine years, four months and thirteen days. He turns up at Paula's house, before she had stopped drinking. He's now clean. No more drugs, back from the dead. He asks if she is sober:

''John Paul looked straight at her. And she realised. It made her want to die or kill him-he expected her to answer''. (p.54)

John Paul idolised his father, he had no parent to guide him during his formative years, and the guilt that Paula feels because this throughout the book is overwhelming. Their relationship is very awkward and the sensation of 'the elephant in the room' is ever-present when they meet.

Leanne, her youngest daughter lives with Paula. Their relationship is dogged by skeletons of the past. Leanne was the most affected by her parents relationship. The book documents Leanne's descent into alcoholism, and Paula's subsequent reaction. There is so much anger in Leanne's character towards her mother and at times it can be difficult to understand why, especially as the narration is entirely third person from Paula's point of view. 

''Leanne scares Paula. The guilt. It's always there. Leanne is twenty-two. Leanne wets her bed. Leanne deals with it. It's terrible.

Her fault. Paula's fault. The whole mess. Most of Leanne's life''. (p.5)

The recurring theme of violence rears its head in this relationship, as Paula again becomes victim to a few outbursts from Leanne. 

Her baby, Jack, is now sixteen. Severely repressed, stays in his room, terrified of his mother falling off the waggon. It is clear he is Paula's favourite. She is concerned by his introspective personality, but there are no ambivalent of feelings towards him like there are for her other children. 

The narrative of the book is entirely third person, which I am not sure I like. One of the great features of Paula's characterisation in the first book, was her idiolect and free indirect speech. This still occurs, but there is no first person narrative whatsoever.

In some ways Paula Spencer is quite depressing. Life around her has changed, Dublin has moved with the times, society and culture has changed, Ireland is not such a repressive place as it was during the height of her abuse. Yet Paula hasn't changed, she has adapted somewhat. However, she is still a victim of Charlo's abuse. He enters her thoughts frequently and has left a huge psychological scar. She is the one shouldering the blame for the inadequate parenting received by their children, yet she is also a victim.

I warmed to Paula immediately in The Woman Who Walked Into Doors. In Paula Spencer, I didn't. This may have been Doyle's intention, to realistically portray the inner thoughts of a recovering alcoholic. Her thoughts towards her children, at times, are shocking and seem unloving, but considering her life are perhaps realistic. Likewise, the children's attitudes towards their mother, who was abused horrifically by their father seem to lack empathy. The blame appears to be all apportioned to her. Perhaps this is just due to the way the book is written from Paula's third person point of view and her perception of it? Or it could be because she was an alcoholic and 'absent' from them for a large period of their lives, that they cannot trust her?

A positive relationship, that remains, is the one with her sister Carmel. Carmel has been there for Paula through everything and remains firmly by her side. There becomes a point in the book where it is Paula's turn to be a rock for Carmel, which I believe she does. The sisterly bond is arguably the most enjoyable relationship throughout this book.

Whatever the reason for the awkwardness and difficulties in rebuilding the relationships with her children, one thing that is missing from this book is a resolution. I found myself turning each page, believing an almighty showdown would surely occur. It definitely was needed by the family, too many things had been left unsaid. Yet it never occurred. And I think that is the beauty of the book. Like its predecessor, the realism is solid. The atmosphere created between the characters is thick with tension that never really gets resolved. They're just getting on with life as best they can, hoping that each day will be less of a struggle, and that each day takes them a step further from the past.

I must admit, I was slightly disappointed in the characterisation of Paula this time round. I also desired more for her. I wanted her to have turned her life around following Charlo's death. I guess that's what all readers want for a good protagonist. But I do believe Mr Doyle has given his readers a slice of real life. Paula will never have a fairy tale life, like many of us, she is just getting by, taking each step as it comes.

My Reading List for June

Well, it's been a busy old time of late in my house. Over the past two weeks I have had two poorly children; one with a particularly nasty bout of tonsillitis, the other resulting in an ambulance call! Along with three major assignments/presentations for college. 

In addition there have been various social events; a friend's gig, indoor BBQs, movie nights... The list goes on. Not that I am complaining mind! Can't beat a full diary. Gives me less time to dwell and think!

With all of this excitement, I have had very little time for reading. :-( Don't get me wrong, I've still managed to squeeze some reading in on most days, but nowhere near on the scale I'd like.

Therefore I have decided to dedicate the month of June to reading. There's only one 'full' week left at college, which saddens me. I love college, but it will free up a lot of time for me, until university begins in September. There's a huge reading list to get through, made up of university texts and books I personally want to read.

I am reading this book for context. My final college assignment is a presentation on a novel of my choice, identifying its theme, and how well it conveys its theme through literary devices. This book is the sequel to the novel I have chosen: 'The Woman who Walked Into Doors'. Roddy Doyle.

I love Roddy Doyle's work. He creates wonderful working class protagonists. I am particularly taken with Paula, an ordinary working class wife, mother, sister, alcoholic and domestic violence survivor. She is such a rounded, authentic character and such a protagonist is rare to find, especially one created by a male writer. As is often the case, the first book is, in my opinion, a better read than the sequel, yet for me, this is still a page turner. Review to follow shortly...

Yes I know, literature student, and I've not read this before. One of the top 10 most read books in the world. I'm getting there...

Ok, so I've not read this either. Again, a bit controversial for a student of literature!

This one is being reviewed for Mumsnet Book Club. Adored Hosseini's previous work, so I'm sure this will be no different. 

Uni text, looks really interesting and will help me prepare for degree-level studies, but not exactly page turning excitement? We'll see, looking forward to getting stuck in.

I've followed Sarah Pinborough on Twitter for a while, not read any of her work before, so looking forward to reading and reviewing this, her tweets are witty and sarcastic. Can't really go wrong.

This is another recommended university text written by Francine Prose. Incidentally, I also have one of her novels to review. Not sure which order to read these in. Will reading one make me judge the other differently? I'll keep you posted.

And that, my friends, is what will be filling my head during the month of June! Does anyone else have a reading challenge that they have set for themselves? If so I'd love to hear about it.

An Update...

So last year, in January, I set my goal to read, review and blog about 50 books over the year. Clearly, from my lack of posts you can see that I failed miserably! Not one, single, tiny post! Shameful! I will have quite easily read the required amount, but did I blog about them for your entertainment... Well, er, no.

However, I do have my reasons... Excuses? No, they're definitely reasons, valid reasons, honest!
2013 was a difficult year for my family. My mom was diagnosed with Myeloma early in the year and was ill for a significant period of time. Being on my own, coping with two children and no support or other adults to turn to, pushed me to my emotional limits. Having someone so important to me diagnosed with an incurable cancer completely turned my world upside down. We are very close and she's a great support to me as a single parent. She too was a single parent to me after my father passed away in 1988. Completely independent and strong she was a terrific role model to me growing up and a good example of feminism. My mom is also the type that never gets ill, never has time off work and to see her so poorly was tough to say the least. Thankfully, her treatment so far has been successful and she is in remission. It is incurable, but for now I'm are grateful for the fact she is well and more or less back to normal. (Her hair is no longer a crazy frizzy lion's mane after the treatment, but trust me, that's no bad thing!)
Additionally, my daughter lost someone close to her on her Dad's side of the family, so needless to say, I am so glad that vile year is now well behind me.

So, my blog became a distant memory and a victim of my neglect while I took stock of my life. My experience with cancer made me re-assess my life and my goals. I enrolled on an access course at the local college and I will be starting a BA in English and Creative Writing in September at Newman University. My one regret in life was never going to university after I left school. I was itching to earn to subsidise my numerous nights out! At the age of 17-18 I had no idea what I wanted to do in life and there was no way I could have made a choice about my whole future at that point. Even now, my path in life remains fluid, and the more I learn academically, the more I learn about myself. I cannot wait to start uni, albeit at the grand old age of 34! I'm pretty sure I could handle all the partying and keep up with the youngsters during 'freshers' week if I felt the need. Thankfully, for my liver's sake, I don't!

My love of literature remains, and is the reason for my chosen course. My taste, however, in literature has changed somewhat from 17 months ago, when my intentions of book blogging began. I'd like to think that they are perhaps a bit more refined without being snobbish! I now analyse books more academically and in more detail than I would before. I know lots more technical terms and literary devices and the classics and Shakespeare, no longer scare the poo poo out of me.

So, you can now consider yourself updated. You can expect to read posts reviewing books and topics relevant to the mature student's life. I will also be posting about my life as a single parent and a mature student, product reviews and my hobby which is comping! Oh and I suppose I also will post/moan/procrastinate/rant/discuss/share/breakdown... (delete as appropriate) about weight loss and my experience with Slimming World, of which today I am well and truly off the wagon! So, with all that proposed content, the name of my blog may have to be reviewed. Answers on a postcard... (or just in the comments box will do).

I can already guess the impression you have of me! Keep following and visiting and I may just surprise you. This post, by the way, was inspired by my 10 year old daughter, who has created her own blog, and is apparently better at it and more dedicated than I!