Mockingjay (Hunger Games Book 3) by Suzanne Collins

Rating 4 out of 5Paperback: 448 pages
Publisher: Scholastic; 1 edition (25 Aug 2010)
ISBN-10: 1407109375
ISBN-13: 978-1407109374

First Sentence: "I stare down at my shoes, watching as a fine layer of ash settles on the worn leather"

Book three picks up where book two left off. The rebellion is in full swing and war is now declared.

The action is ramped up even more in this book. Lots of violence as well. Again Collins seems to balance progressing the story, with action and drama. The whole story never feels bogged down at any point. I managed to finish this off in three days and that's only because I had to go to work grrr.

I think Collins captures peoples thinking during war really well. It was interesting to see the different characters reactions to it. For instance some thought they should fight the way President Snow fought, and others thought they should preserve life. You could say the war really brings out the best and worst of people, and this story illustrates it.

There were some twists in the story line which will surprise you. Also by the end of it I was wondering if poor Katniss would survive both physically and mentally. She just cant catch a break. I actually really enjoyed Joanna as a character. Even though she is a little broken and a touch horrible, something about her was just enjoyable.

The ending - a lot of book bloggers have commented they were disappointed with the ending. They felt it was made to happy, and neat. I felt the ending was good until I got to the epilogue. The epilogue its self was fine, but not necessary. I suspect this is where the ending criticisms have come in as I felt the epilogue did not add anything to the story.

On a superficial note I much prefer the American cover to the cover released in Australia.

Other Reviews:The Eclctic Reader

Books and Musings from Downunder

Musings of a Bookish Kitty

From my Bookshelf

An Adventure in Reading

Sail Away The Ballad of Skip & Nell by Mem Fox

Rating; 4.5 out of 5
ISBN 13: 9781865049519
ISBN 10: 1865049514
Binding: Paperback
Pages: 32
Dimensions: 270 x 230mm
Released: 01/12/2006

First Sentence:

One night, beside a low camp fire,
They heard the men talk loud
About a boat race way out west
That'd make all Aussies proud

Originally written in 1986 this is another Australia specific tale from Mem Fox. This is the story of Skip and Little Nell two Dingo's from the Northern Territory who go on an adventure around Australia as they sail to a boat race in Perth.

Another wonderful children's book for Australian children. The story takes the child to nearly every state and territory in Australia (unfortunately the characters do not go to ACT as you can't sail there), and the characters are all Australian animals.

The story is lyrical and rhymes. Which makes it easy and fun to read. Mem Fox does sometimes use old out dated language like t'was. This is not a problem but you might have to explain the words to your child. It is another book that is great for reading aloud.

The illustrations are by Pamela Loft. She is a renowned Australian illustrator and has collaborated with Mem Fox for a few books. The art work in the book are bright and simple. Each character is cute and funny.

We seem to be a Mem Fox household with quite a few of her books. To be honest I dont think that is a bad thing and I have a few more of her books on my list to buy!

The Accidental Demon Slayer (Book 1) by Angie Fox

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 396 KB
Print Length: 292 pages
Publisher: Love Spell (January 21, 2009)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B002FDLNT2

First Sentence: "When I opened the door to greet my grandmother for the very first time, I'm not sure what I was expecting."

Fun and light hearted, and snigger under your breath funny in some places. It is silly and probably not the best the genre has to offer, and pretty predictable. But if you want a brain candy book to read this is it. I enjoyed it and it came in handy while on holidays.

Downloaded this book for free from kindle but I had also previously purchased the book. I passed on the physical book on and kept my free ebook.

The characters are interesting. Loved Grandma Gertie who is a biker grandmother who swears like a trooper. Pirate is cute, and provides a share of comic relief as the talking animal side kick. If a Jack Russel could talk I imagine this is almost exactly how you would expect a Jack Russell to speak. There is also the hot, spunky, paranormal love interest guy and Gerties coven who are a mixed bag of crazy.

The only thing that did annoy me was all the people Lizzie came into contact with seemed to think she should know everything about the magical world (that she previously had no idea existed), and the was surprised when she did something stupid. I understand there was a bit of a time crunch happening but was it really that hard for someone to say "drink the potion even thought there are dead squirrels and skunks in it to protect your ass"?


Don't take this book seriously and you will enjoy it.

Raising Boys by Steve Biddulph

Rating: 4 out of 5

Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Harper Thorsons; New edition edition (8 July 2003)
Language English
ISBN-10: 0007153694
ISBN-13: 978-0007153695

This is a book about how to raise boys. Steve Biddulph is a Psychologist who has worked with children for over 27 years.

This book looks more into the psychology of boys at various stages of their lives. He divides a man's life into roughly three stages; 0-6 years, 7-14 years, and 14- adult. Then discusses each stage, what is happening, what to expect behaviour wise, and what strategies you can implement to ensure your son navigates these stages as safely as possible.

The book focuses on what influences a boy in each stage. For instance the 0-6 year stage, the mother is the strongest influence in the boys life, but by 14 and over this has shifted to someone outside of the family. Biddulph gives some tips for single mothers how to ensure these influences are met for their child, and how to select a good candidate.

Most of the book is pretty common sense. But it is helpful to see the stages and the ideas for how to navigate them laid out. The style of writing is easy and chatty, it feels like you are sitting down having a coffee with the author and you are having a nice chat with a friend about the subject. There are no big words that have you reaching for the dictionary, nor does he talk in a condescending manner.

Biddulph refers to many studies and trials that support his advice. He also uses a lot of testimonials and examples from clients he has had through the years. These are interesting and in the case of some of the trials (one in particular about a school in the UK that seperated year 8 boys and girls maths and english classes) makes you wonder why the education system has not changed.

My only gripe is he makes statements like "a boy should not be put in daycare till he is 3 years old". This is all well and good (the argument is they do not thrive as well as girls and require more one on one care) but the fact is in today's society this is just not practical. Most parents need double income to survive and need to put their children into care. I would have liked the author to perhaps give more advice on how to help your child through this period, rather then say "don't do it". Just telling the reader to not do it is not helpful, especially when there is no other choice. All it does is make the reader feel guilty.

This book is not in depth enough to deal with real meaty behaviour issues. It also does not give detailed advice on parenting or discipline. That is not the point of this book. This book is to give you an insight as to what is happening over all in a boys life, and what could be causing any bad behaviour.

A good book for any parent who has boys and wants to gain a better insight into what drives them.

Gone to Green (Book 1) by Judy Christie

Rating: 3 out of 5
Format: Kindle Edition
Print Length: 224 pages
Publisher: Abingdon Press; Original edition (July 31, 2009)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B002MH495G

First sentence: "I glanced down at the floorboard and noticed it was Thursday"

Lois is a big city newspaper editor climbing the corporate ladder. She has a fantastic career, awesome friends and a great life. Her life is turned upside down though when she inherits a small town newspaper and is not allowed to sell it for a year. Lois is forced to move to the small mid-west town of Green and run the newspaper.

A fun, light, easy read. It has some funny moments and even a few touching moments. There are no big surprises with the story line or the characters. However it does not really matter, I still enjoyed reading this book.

There is a strong christian thread to the book. However it fits with the characters and the setting of the book, which is a small religious town. Since reading other reviews around the net I found out this is classed as Christian literature. That probably explains the religious feel! I never felt though that I was being "Bible bashed" as they say. The main character has actually turned her back on God and the religious aspect of the story follows her struggle with this.

Downloaded this as a free ebook from Kindle when it was on special for free. This is the first in a series. Not sure if I will read the rest of the series, not because it was awful but because I just don't have time to continue reading this series.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Rating: 5 out of 5
Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC; Children's ed edition (20 Oct 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0747569010
ISBN-13: 978-0747569015


Opening Sentence: "There was a hand in the darkness, and it held a knife."

In the dead of the night a family is murdered and Nobody (Bod) Owens is lucky enough to escape his family's fate, hiding in a nearby Graveyard. He is taken in and raised by the inhabitants of the Graveyard who just happen to be ghosts, with the mysterious not-dead-not-alive Silas as his Guardian. However the man named Jack is out there, waiting, hunting the boy named Nobody.

I am not a huge Neil Gaiman fan. The only book of his in the past I have liked is Good Omens which he co-wrote with Terry Pratchett. I have preferred the movies of his books to the actual book, weird I know. However I was pleasantly surprised with this book. It was fantastic from the start.

Nobody Owens is a delightful character and very realistic. He makes mistakes and that just makes him more endearing. Silas is fantastic, very dark and brooding, but you can see he cares for the boy. Mr and Mrs Owens are kind, caring, and loving. But the girl Scarlett I did not like at all. Couldn't tell you why exactly, to me she just wasn't very nice.

The ending was quite sad, and it didn't go the way I thought it would after what was said in the book. Vague and cryptic I know but I don't want to give it away. It was touching and a nice way to end but still I felt a little let down. Like I had asked for sprinkles on my ice cream and didn't get it. The ice cream is still good but there are no sprinkles. Basically it boils down to I don't understand why the baddies were so hot to trot to kill Bod, even though it was explained, for me it didn't gel with what was previously written.

The book while being Young Adult would probably not suit a child younger then a twelve year old. It deals with death and murder and while not graphic you are left in no doubt as to what is happening. Its no more traumatic/graphic I think then Harry Potter. But it is very dark in its humor and story telling. There are no cutesy fairies, lovable unicorns, or adorable talking animals. You get ghosts, ghouls, and other nasties. Things do not always work out great, and the hero has faults.

All that being said the book is touching, sweet and clever. It is not perfect which is great, makes the story almost believable. It is an addictive read and you will want to know what happens next, so make sure you clear your schedule for this book. I really enjoyed the book and the ending only bothered me after the fact when I had time to think about it.

I would highly recommend this book.

Other Reviews
If you want some other reviews check out these great ones from some fellow book bloggers
The Eclectic Reader
Books and Musings From Oz
From My Bookshelf
Ticket to Anywhere
Polishing Mud Balls

Mad Cows by Kathy Lette

Rating: 2 out of 5
Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Picador; New edition edition (1996)
Language English
ISBN-10: 0330334034

"Maddy Wolfe's first day out with her newborn takes a Kafkaesque turn when she's arrested in Harrods for shoplifting. If this is a miscarriage of justice, then detaining her in Holloway Prison's Mother and Baby Unit is the D&C. The only person she can turn to is her hot-to-trot ex-lover Alex, who proves himself as useful as a solar-powered vibrator on a rainy day. When will he realise that a paternity suit is not the latest look in men's leisure wear? How do you brief a lawyer with a heat-seaking penis which doesn't report to mission control? And why the hell is Maddy's friend Gillian searching for a sperm happy to get egg all over its face? There's hard knocks and rude shocks in this devastatingly witty follow-up to Foetal Attraction. " - Amazon.co.uk

To be honest I found the blurb to be the most interesting and funny part of this book. The story was unbelievable, and I don't mean that in a good way. It really was just stupid. The series of events which landed Maddy in Jail just seemed ridiculous. Also everything that followed after just left me thinking "oh come on". I know with fiction you have to suspend some beliefs and realities but this was just so silly I couldn't ignore it.

The characters, ALL of them, really annoyed me. Even Maddy was driving me nuts I just felt like slapping her and saying "snap out of it". They were so self centered and borderline insane. Alex was one step up from pond scum, Maddy I think was insane, and Gillian must have a multiple personality disorder as one minute she was likable and and then horrible in the next minute. I found them all frustrating. Maddy in particular really irked me with her constant "oh woe is me, my life sucks, what am I going to do? everybody is out to get me" attitude.

This story is told from both Gillian and Maddy's perspectives. I found this interesting as the first book Foetal Attraction was told only from Maddy's perspective. There is no real reason I could see as to why the story was told from Gillian's point of view other then to pad the story out and make it novel length.

The few parts about mothers in the mothers group was pretty close. Kathy Lette also nailed the competitiveness in these groups and guilt trips associated with being a mother. There is a wonderful scene written where Maddy goes to a nearby mothers group and sits in shock as the mothers talk about little Jane doing this, and little Bobby learning to read, then grilling Maddy on what courses her baby is enrolled into.

Even though I have pretty much bagged out this book, it wasn't all bad otherwise I wouldn't have continued reading it. There were some funny moments but they were few and far between. I was disappointed with the book as Kathy Lette is normally very funny.

It was an ok book. I probably wouldn't recommend it.

Foetal Attraction by Kathy Lette

Rating: 3 out of 5

ISBN-10: 0330335278
ISBN-13: 978-0330335270

Maddy is an Aussie who falls in love with an Englishman, and gives up everything she knows for her happy ending. By the time she realises Alex is not her happy ending she has also discovered that she is pregnant. Will Alex step up to his responsibilities or will he run screaming in the other direction?

There is a strong pregnancy theme to this book which could be off putting to some. The narrative alternates between the birth of Maddy's child and the story of how she got there. It works well and is not difficult to read.

It is a funny book, with a few laugh out loud moments. The birth scenes are well written and extremely funny. If you have been through pregnancy and having a baby you will be able to relate to many of the scenes and characters Maddy encounters. Kathy Lette though can be quite rude and crass which may be a turn off to some readers.

There is a very Australian feel to the narrative. This is probably mostly in part to the main character being Australian and in part the author being Australian. I can see how though this may make it difficult for non-Aussies. It is also very cliched with the Australian sayings and imaging.

The character Gillian was a hoot being self centred, shallow, and obnoxious. I do find it interesting that in books characters like Gillian are considered funny, even likable, however in real life you would probably shove her face into the nearest cake. Other characters in the book who act in a snobby fashion are not treated as kindly or as fondly. I found this interesting that a lot of the British characters are portrayed in an unfavorable fashion and the behaviour is tolerated in some characters but not in others.

The book is set in the 1990's and feels a little dated with its references to celebrities, royalty and pop culture. This does not make the book unbearable to read, in fact it provides an interesting snapshot of the time. This I feel is one problem with Chick Lit as a genre, it is usually written in the present tense set in the time it is written. So ten or twenty years down the track it feels outdated and may even be completely irrelevant in it's views.

I enjoyed the book. Probably more now that I have had a baby then if I had read it before.

That's Not My......Series by Fiona Watts

Rating 5 out of 5

Age Group: Under 5
Book Type: Board & Picture Book

The Usborne touchy feely book series That's Not My.... is designed for babies and toddlers. I purchased three books from the series; That's Not My Puppy, That's Not My Airplane, and That's Not My Monster. I decided to combine all three books into one review as they are all very similar format wise.

The books follow the same basic story formula. Each sentence starts with the words "That's not my.....". It is then followed by the reason (for example "That's not my puppy, his ears are too fluffy"). On the page, the item the line talks about is then a relevant material for your child to touch. For instance the fluffy ears would be a fluffy fur material.

The stories are very easy to read aloud and the large letters will make it easy for the child to read themselves when they are learning to read later on. Being Board books they are also borderline indestructible. Certainly they will last a lot longer then a paper book with a baby who is exploring it's world.

Each page contains bright and vibrant images that capture a baby's/toddlers eye. There is a wide variety of textures in each book from soft, to squishy, and rough. Already my 6 month old enjoys touching the pages as I read the stories to him, and has his favorite pages.

The series is award winning and sold world wide. That's Not My Puppy has been in publication for ten years now. An excellent series that is worth having in your child's library. I am not sure exactly how many titles are in the series but there are a lot. I will definitely, eventually be purchasing more.

Baby-Led Weaning by Gill Rapley

Rating: 4 out of 5

Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Random House UK (December 16, 2008)
ISBN-10: 0091923808
ISBN-13: 978-0091923808

Baby-Led Weaning in a nutshell is about letting the baby decide what to eat, and how much to eat. This book is a practical guide to getting started, what to expect, and how to deal with issues.

Gill Rapley asserts that babies should be formula/breastfed exclusively till 6 months of age (in accordance with World Health Organisations recommendations). When a baby is 6 months old they are generally able to sit, hold their head up, and grab. They therefor have the basic skills required to (messily) self feed. Even if you start your baby on puree foods many professionals recommended giving your six month old baby finger food.

Rapley states that babies should be given a choice of food and be able to decide for themselves what they want to eat. This is done simply by placing the food in front of the baby and letting them pick it up themselves (no assisting!).

The best starter foods are Finger foods. However you should also include mashed foods and even liquid food (such as soups). This is so your baby is exposed to different textures and flavours from an early age. This way of eating also teaches them hand/eye coordination, fine and gross motor skills, chewing skills, and appetite control.

At 6 months a babies digestive and immune system has developed enough to handle any foods so unless there is a history of allergies in the family, you are not limited in the food you can start your baby on.

In the edition I had, no real studies had been performed looking into this. Rapley had performed a basic study while studying her masters in University which indicated her theory was sound. Rapley also points to other studies that also indicate self feeding is a viable option. I saw on Amazon.com there is a new edition due for release perhaps further study has been completed by Rapley. I certainly hope so, as to me, the method makes a lot of sense.

This is an interesting read. A chunk of the book is the typical baby book mumbo jumbo of why this method is the best method under the face of the sun. But there is a lot of interesting points and testimonials that are worth the read.

Unseen Academicals (Book 37) by Terry Pratchett

Rating: 3 out of 5

"He tugged on the big woolly hat with the pink pompom on it. 'They are so very pink, Mister Trev. We must be bursting with machismo!'.

Football has come to Ank-Morpork and its not the old football the people on the street know and love. This is the new football that has rules, is fast paced, and you are not allowed to kill your opponent. The University must win one game to retain their special monetary fund that helps sustain their way of life. Only it wont be easy because they have to play by the rules and not use magic, and wizards don't normally play by the rules.

While the main story revolves around football you do not need to be a fan or knowledgeable on the game. Unseen Academicals looks at the phenomenon of football and satirises it. There are also other stories entwined into the football theme like celebrity, unrequited love, fashion, racism, and even politics. As always Pratchett has done a wonderful job looking at these themes and portraying their essence.

This book introduces a lot of new characters such as Mister Nutt, Glenda, Juliet, Professor Hix and Trev. We also see a swag of the old characters like Ridcully, Vetinari and Rincewind. Professor Hix was a fascinating character being the designated "evil" professor of the Department of Post-Mortem Communications at Unseen University. Nutt is also an interesting character and very endearing. I think Nutt could potentially become a staple of the Discworld series and a fan favorite. Glenda the night cook is a strong and clever character. All of these characters I would love to see in future books.

It pains me to say this but I did not enjoy this book as much as previous Discworld novels. I really like Terry Pratchett's books and have never struggled with one before. This book just didn't draw me in till about halfway through. I found the various threads at the start too distracting and a little long winded. There just didn't seem to be the concise direction usually found in Pratchetts books. When they merged together though my interest in the book grew. There were no real laugh out loud moments, but I did chuckle a few times, and even smiled at some scenes. However I have seen on the interwebs this book getting far more favorable reviews so maybe it was just me and I was not in a head space to truly enjoy this book.

Don't get me wrong, this isn't a bad book, it's an interesting read in terms of story development for Discworld. If you are a fan of the series it is worth the read purely to learn more about Discworld, and your favorite characters. This book seemed to signal a shift in the Discworld universe, changes are on the way. There is something happening in Uberworld politically, and the Koon Valley Accord is progressing between the dwarfs and trolls.

This is a book for Discworld fans. People new to the series do not start here. I dont believe this is the best example of Pratchett's work. As previously mentioned I have read other reviews on the net and this book seems to have divided fans into those who love this book and those who dont. I seem to sit firmly on the fence. I enjoyed some aspects of this book and would recomend it to fans, but at the same time there were some parts I struggled with and can safely say this is not one of my favorites.

Possum Magic by Mem Fox

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

"Once upon a time, but not very long ago, deep in the Australian bush lived two possums. Their names were Hush and Grandma Poss"

Grandma Poss practices bush magic, and turns Hush invisible to keep her safe from predators. But one day Hush wants to know what she looks like and asks Grandma Poss to make her visible again. So begins the story of Hush and Grandma Poss as they travel around Australia looking for a cure for Hush's invisibility.

This is a delightful tale that is an Australian children's classic. Written originally in 1983 it quickly became a favorite of children and has continued to be since then. Mem Fox originally wrote the story to be as Australian as possible after realising at the time, there was a limited amount of Australian children stories. The book became and remains the best known, and best selling picture book in Australia. I remember this book from my childhood, and was delighted when my mother gave it my son as a gift.

The illustrations are provided by Julie Vivas a friend of Mem Fox (who at the time did not realise she was not supposed to submit a manuscript with illustrations). They are colourful and simple. Vivas managed to capture the story beautifully in her art work. The pictures are iconic and most Australians know the images well these days.

The story is very lyrical and flows well. One thing I like about Mem Fox's children's books are that they are very easy to read aloud. Even someone who is not very good at reading aloud can make these books come alive for their children.

As previously mentioned the story is very Australian. The food, animals and cities mentioned are Australian. For those who do not live in Australia this would be an interesting book to read with your child to help teach them about Australia.

While I have read this to my 7 month old it is perhaps a little long for young babies. I found I had to read it quickly to keep his attention, sometimes I even just had to stop. I have read on Mem Fox's web page there is a board book edition specifically for babies but I am not sure if it is condensed version of the story or the full story. This book would better suit children two years and up.

A lovely book that I would recommend anyone to read to their children

Extra Bits
Mem Fox has a web site that has some wonderful background information on her books. Possum Magic has some recipes for ANZAC biscuits, Lamingtons and Pavlova.

http://www.memfox.net/possum-magic.html

Your Baby and Child by Penelope Leach

Rating: 5 out of 5

This book by Penelope Leach is intended to be a baby bible. A one stop book that covers virtually everything that is baby related from birth to five years old. This book covers everything from sleeping to development, feeding to playing, health to crying, and may more subjects.

Your Baby and Child has been a international best seller for twenty years. The book has been kept up to date and across the latest research, theories, and advice for raising children and babies. Penelope Leach is a research psychologist who specializes in child development. She is also president of the National Childminding Association, research advisor to National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, founding committee member of UK branch World Association for Infant Mental Health, and a mother and grandmother. Needles to say Penelope Leach has lots of experience in the art of raising children.

Ms Leach breaks the book into age groups which makes it easy to read and find the section you need when you come across individual problems (such as teething). At each stage she covers everything you will need to know and expect to find at the stage your child is going through. There is a comprehensive table of contents at the start of the book which assists you in finding the information you require.

The advice is practical and none judgemental. Penelope Leach presents both sides of an issue and has advice on what to do no matter what you decide, for instance she handles the issue of breastfeeding or bottle feeding with compassion and facts. She does not tell you what you should do or make you feel guilty. The information is presented clearly and in plain English. It is also based on the latest research and statistics.

This is an excellent beginners guide. If you have very little experience with babies and children this is the book for you. The book goes through nearly everything you need to know about caring for a child. I would recommend this book for all new parents and even experienced parents.

Gymboree The Parent's Guide To Play

Rating: 5 out of 5

Stuck for ideas on how to entertain your child? Want games that are educational and develop your child's skills? This is the book for you. It has 170 games and activities that cover the ages of birth to two. All the games have been proven to help with your child's development as well as keep them entertained.

Gymboree has been providing fun, educational and age appropriate programs to children for 30 years . They have early child centres in 30 countries. It was started in 1976 by a Californian mother who was trying to find activities she could provide her child with.

The book is broken down into age groups so it easy to find fun and relevant games for your child. Most of the games and activities are simple involving every day items around the house such as the good old pots and pans as musical instruments. This is handy if like me you don't have a lot of space for endless amounts of toys.

Each activity also has valuable information on what it helps to develop like fine motor skills, language and balance to name a few. There are also useful facts scattered through out the book based on research, like the importance of reading stories to babies to develop their language skills.

There is a bright coloured picture that shows you the activity and gives you an idea of how it should be done. Colour coded pages make it easy to find the age you need to find activities for. The book is easy to navigate and understand.

This is an excellent resource for any parent. I highly recommend it.

Sleeping Like A Baby by Pinky McKay

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Pinky McKay is an Australian parenting expert. She is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant and Certified Infant Massage Instructor. Pinky is also a mother to five children.

In her book Sleeping Like a Baby, she provides down to earth, realistic advice which is based on scientific evidence. She advocates a more natural and intuitive way of raising children such as co-sleeping, and breast feeding. Her advice goes against current trends of raising babies, which seems to advocate going against your instincts, and forcing the baby to do what you want (like the crying it out method). Her advice to me makes sense and seems right. However at no time do you feel lectured or pressured.

Lots of subjects regarding babies are covered in this book such as communication, sleep, feeding, and sleep environments. It talks about issues from newborn to toddler. The focus is on sleep and the factors that can effect sleeping habits.

Pinky discusses baby body language and the different stages of sleep and wakefulness. Each stage is fully discussed and some basic indicators of each stage are provided. She also gives advice on what you should do with your baby in these stages. For instance Quiet Alert stage is the best time to play with your baby. Some basic signs your baby is quiet alert are wide, bright eyes, looking at you directly, and 'cooing' noises. This section to me was very helpful in fully understanding a babies body language which is one of the few ways they can communicate.

Another point covered is sleep issues. She breaks down by age what can cause a baby to wake in the night, such as new development milestones or teething. This section was interesting to read as she explains what are the main causes of sleeplessness in that age bracket. She also suggests strategies to combat it. Though she points out that a baby is constantly growing and changing and so too is it's sleep patterns, and this is perfectly natural.

Pinky has clearly done a lot of research and has many studies to back up her advice. The end of her book also has lots of useful Internet sites and contact numbers for organisations that deal with various subjects like breastfeeding, SIDS, Depression, and Safety.

The biggest thing Pinky teaches in her book is that it's ok to let baby set the routine. It also teaches you that all those things we find natural to do with a baby (such as rocking to sleep) feel natural for a reason, they are natural. Also, finally, that we as parents can not completely control their babies sleeping habits. That while he might sleep perfectly now, in a week, fortnight, or months time it could all change again, and it is perfectly normal for this to happen. Her approach certainly helps you drop the guilt and stress about doing things "wrong".

I will definitely be purchasing her book Toddler Tactics.

The Accidental Sorcerer (Book 1 Rogue Agent Trilogy) by K.E.Mills

Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5

Gerald Dunwoody is a wizard. Not a very good wizard but enough of a wizard to get him a job at Department of Thaumaturgy as a magical inspector. However when he blows up Stutterly's a premier staff making factory its time to lay low and wait for the scandal down.

He heads off to New Ottosland to become the court wizard. At first everything seems perfect although the King is a vain, self centred, arrogant bastard. However Gerald quickly realises the Kingdom is in danger and it is up to him to save the Kingdom and the Princess. How can he save a nation when he can barely perform a basic spell?

Mills has done a good job creating this new world. The technologies that exist are consistent with having magic at your fingertips. For instance a crystal ball is used as a telephone like device. There is a big contrast between Ottosland and New Ottosland. new Ottosland is a bit of a backwater and has not progressed very far technology wise.

There is a wonderful humour through out the book making it a fun to read. It is not a heavy going fantasy book. Mills writing style flows smoothly and is easy to read. It is not light and fluffy the whole way through as the story does turn serious. I have seen reviews where this is a problem but for me it wasn't, for me it was just the natural progression of the story.

The characters are funny and well rounded. Reg the bird is a crack up. The growth of Gerald and Melissande is realistic and believable. Geralds character in particular has to deal with some heavy issues.

I really enjoyed the book and will look forward to reading book 2 and 3 in the trilogy. I would recommend this book if you don't like your fantasy to heavy.

Save Our Sleep by Tizzie Hall

Rating: 2 out of 5

Save Our Sleep is for anyone who is having sleeping issues with their baby. It is written by Tizzie Hall who is an internationally renowned baby whisperer and has spent 18 years working with parents resolving issues with their babies.

I had heard about this book through various people and was a little dubious about it. From what I had seen and heard Tizzie Hall's advice sounded very harsh and rigid. I bought the book thinking I should at least see what Tizzie Hall has to say as some people raved over it. But I did not really believe it would be of much help and definitely not for us. So I was rather surprised to find the book was no where near as bad as I thought.

Tizzie Hall's greatest tip for a settled baby is routine. She has various examples for different stages of a babies life in her book. Tizzie states that the routines are flexible and should be tailored to suit your life (for example if you have other children to work around etc).

Tizzie's other big point is learning the difference between a complaining cry and an emotional cry. She doesn't believe in the "crying out" method and firmly advises against it. Her belief is there are two main cries a baby does, and you can safely ignore one (the complaining cry) and absolutely not ignore the other (emotional cry). Which to me sounds like a variation of controlled crying, which we do not agree with.

Save our sleep also touches on other common sleep problems. These includes things like starting solids, teething, and health issues. It also discusses SIDS and safe sleeping arrangements. But there is no real depth to these issues or strategies to deal with them.

I can see how this book would appeal to distressed sleep deprived parents with the promise of a baby sleeping through from 7pm - 7am. I know far to many people it didn't work for then those who it did work for. Also I had a problem with the lack of scientific evidence in this book, all of Tizzie's advice is based purely on her beliefs and observations not on actual studies or facts. One piece of advice even flies in the face of advice given by the World Health Organisation (Tizzie believes babies should start solids at 4 months not the recommended 6 months).

Overall I would not recommend this book to other parents. I think it sets expectations to high that you can force a baby to sleep from 7pm-7am. The books focus is on routines, not really sleep problems. In the end I feel this book could cause more stress to parents if their baby failed to conform to the routine and was not "normal". The thing this book was good for was making us realise this method really was not for us, and we can set a routine that suits us.

First Lords Fury (Codex Alera Book 6) by Jim Butcher

Rating: 5 out of 5

Tavi returns for the final installment of the Codex Alera series. As the title suggests Tavi is now the First Lord and is returning to Alera, with the aide of the Canim, to help fight the Vord who are ravaging the country. Alera is in ruins and the remaining population are cornered and fighting desperately to survive.

The Alera series has been a good fantasy series by Jim Butcher who is best known for his urban fantasy series Harry Dresden. This is not a heavy fantasy like JR Tolkien.

All the characters from the series have returned for this installment and their individual story threads are wrapped up nicely by the end of the book.

The story its self is more focused on the war then previous books. Also Tavi's role as a leader and idea's man is pushed to the limits. There were some amazing battle scenes especially when the furies are used.

A good fun book that is not to heavy going. If you enjoyed the previous five books then this will tie the series off for you nicely.

The Magician by Michael Scott (Book 2)

Rating 4 out of 5

After fleeing Ojai Nicholas, Sophie, Josh and Scatty find themselves in Paris desperately seeking allies to shelter with. Meanwhile Dee is hot on their trail desperately trying to get the last two pages of the Book of Abraham and to gain control over the twins. This is the second book in the series.

This is another good installment in the series. Sophie is being trained in the power of fire and Josh is being trained in sword combat by Scatty. The reader is introduced to new characters Comte de Saint-Germaine and his wife Joan of Arc along with a new baddy Machiavelli.

There is nothing suprising story wise but thats ok it is a fun book to read and I enjoyed it. The action is well paced and constant so the reader doesnt get to bogged down in the mythology of the book. We meet some new mythological beings including the Valkyries.

Scatty doesnt seem to have as big a role in this book which is a shame because I really like her character. Josh's character annoyed me but it seemed like he was being set up to be the "bad" twin while Sophie is being set up to be the "good" twin. I did really enjoy Machiavelli's character who was a more refined bad guy to John Dee's no prisioners approach. The scene where Machiavelli had to drive a car was hilarious.

A promising series I will definately be following with two more books having been released.

The City of Ember by Jeanne DePrau

Rating 2.5 out of 5

"It is always night in the city of Ember. But there is no moon, no stars. The only light during the regular twelve hours of "day" comes from floodlamps that cast a yellowish glow over the streets of the city. Beyond are the pitch-black Unknown Regions, which no one has ever explored because an understanding of fire and electricity has been lost, and with it the idea of a Moveable Light. "Besides," they tell each other, "there is nowhere but here" Among the many other things the people of Ember have forgotten is their past and a direction for their future. For 250 years they have lived pleasantly, because there has been plenty of everything in the vast storerooms. But now there are more and more empty shelves--and more and more times when the lights flicker and go out, leaving them in terrifying blackness for long minutes. What will happen when the generator finally fails?" Blurb from Amazon.com

I found this book to be very average. It was a good light read but nothing great. I apologise this review will be short and light on. I read this book before I got sick and the memory is now vague basically it did not leave a big impression on me and I would not rush out to read the rest of the series. There is not a lot to say really especially when my memory is failing me on this book.

The story line of this book is interesting and the world created is imaginative. I kept reading mostly to learn about the society created.

After reading this book I was suprised a movie had been made, after watching it I know why. The movie only really captures the essence of the book and even made some stuff up complely. Didnt like the movie much either in case you couldnt guess.

On a personal note my blog might suffer from a bit of neglect over the coming year. I will try to post as frequently as possible but I cant garantee anything. First thing though is to catch up on my reviews that are out standing!