Next to read:

Living with little quilts, by Alice Berg et al, c. 1997 -- lcl
The Hornbeam tree, by Susan Lewis, c. 2004 -- bc 584 0028
Blue fire, by Sarah Holland, c. 1994 -- petone ubs -- bc 572 7403

Adding in a romance here .... for variety's sake. Randomly chosen to read:

The Scarecrow and the Servant -- then

"Seven Year Seduction," by Heidi Betts, c. 2006, WCL harl

then

Old Bones -- then

"Tempt Me," by Caroline Cross, c. 2006, WCl harl

then as per previous posts -- nut after "Amy's Honeymoon" ... "The Healer," by Jean Brashear, c, 2003 -- bc 5826934

"The Worry Tree," by Marianne Musgrove, c. 2007

Juliet's a worrywart, and no wonder! Her little sister, Oaf, follows her around taking notes and singing "The Irritating Song" all day long ....

Delightful book

"All Because of You," by Melissa Hill

Nice piece of escapism.

Dang it lost my post ... ACL and I had a nice trip to LCL today while DML was testing bikes. [MRL is still in Wairarapa with Lilley family]. ACL is on the mission to complete the Gahoole series by Lasky.

Please tell me if I am unusual .... I read more when at home, in routine, than I do when away on holiday. Why?

"Boobela and Worm,"

Enjoyable pictures, espec between vignettes. Interesting enough story.


Next books on my list:
"The Scarecrow and his Servant," by Philip Pulman, c. 2004 -- wcl -- red fic
"Old Bones," by Bill Nagelkerke, c. 2006 -- wcl -- red fic
"Babyfather," by Joanna Kendrick, c. 2007 -- wcl -- ya fic
"The Sledding Hill," by Chris Crutcher, c. 2005 -- wcl --ya fic
"The Blacksmith," by Jenny Maxwell, c. 1996 -- bc 5486434
"Amy's Honeymoon," by Julia Llewellyn, c. 2007 -- ecl -- request

"Library Mouse," by Daniel Kirk, c. 2007

Inspirational. The book just came into work the other day.

from library jacket ...

"Sam was a library mouse. His home was a little hole in the wall behind the children's reference books, and he thought that life was very good indeed ..."

[green picture book wcl]

There are some beautiful passages on libraries, and the fun of reading in "After You've Gone." As of bedtime I'm at p162 of p340 (47.6475%).

"I was at the library."
"You and your library! It's a wonder you're not cross-eyed with all that reading. Are you on your way home?" p162

"He was there, writing at his usual table. Willa wondered why he chose to write in the library and not at home but perhaps he wouldn't want his mother peering over his shoulder and asking what he was writing. Having seen her, Willa thought that possible. She looked like the kind of woman who would want to know everything. And, in an odd way, which Willa understood, the library was more private, in spite of all the other people around. p158

Started "Santaland Diaries," last night. It is a pretty quick read. I found the tongue-in-cheek a little bit to handle, but on the whole it was readable.

Next couple of random reads ..

"All because of you," by Melissa Hill, c. 2006 - ecl - reserve
"The worry tree," by Marianne Musgrove, c. 2007 -- pcl -- kids red book -- on end cap

armchair travel from Liverpool to Kansas ... 07128 and 08001

almost 2008 - new zealand time!!

next to read ...
Love games, by Charlotte Lamb, c. 1984 bc 5727396
Boobela and the worm, by Joe Friedman, c. 2007, wcl purple fiction
Palaces in the sky, by Ted Reynolds, c. 1997, wcl
Relative Love, by Amanda Brookfield, c. 2004 - petone ubs, bc 5728621

"Varoius Faerious," Jacqui Grantford, c. 2002


"Not all are so noble
or pretty of face;
The vain Hairy Faeries
have no faerie grace.
From top down to toe
they are covered with hair.
All day and all night they
comb it with care."

Wonderful. Love the rhyming words and the imagination.

"Grandpa and Thomas and the Green Umbrella," by Pamela Allen, c. 2006

Both Margaret and Anneke enjoyed reading this one with me. M is an emerging reader but it kept her attention. For me Christmas = the beach, so this was a seasonal read for me!

"Mrs Claus takes a vacation," by Linas Alsenas, c. 2006

Delightful kids book. I like the ending, too.

I have just gathered my next "to-be-read" pile ...

"My spy," by Christine Skye, c. 2002 -- bc 5433799
"When daylight comes," by Lyn Andrews, c. 2003 -- bc 5459605
"Prince of delights," by Renee Roszel," c. 1992 -- petone find -- bc 5727398
"Norton's Hut," by John Marsden and Peter Gouldthorpe, c. 1998 -- wcl - teens graphic novel -- snowy cover caught my eye
"Santaland diaries," by David Sedaris, c. 1999 -- reserved b/c of season -- from lcl
"After you've gone," by Joan Lingard, c. 2007 -- reserved -- newbie from ecl

"The Woman Who Won Things," by Allan Ahlberg, c. 2003

From blurb..
One lucky day .. Mrs Gaskitt gets a prize .. Mr Gaskitt gets a kiss .. And Gus and Gloria get a new teacher ... with a new suitcase!

This wasn't what I expected. Some kids may enjoy ... I shall gather some views.

Books next on my reading list: -- all chosen by random from my piles lol

Blackwater, by Kerstin Ekman, c. 1993 BC 545 9639
The Bad Girls Club, by Rhian Tracey, c. 2005 -- LCL - teen read
The Screaming Room, by Thomas O'Callaghan, c. 2007 -- WCL "new book"
The Marriage Adventure, by Hannah Bernard, c. 205 -- WCL rom

"A Little Peace," by Barbara Kerley, c. 2007

From blurb:
It doesn't take much to spread a little peace. Seeds of peace are all over the world - in a shared smile, a helping hand, a compassionate voice. From a soccer game in Iraq to children holding hands in New Mexico, from dancing monks in Bhutan to old friends laughing in Afghanistan, peace, powerful, infectious, is ready to grow.
Reach out your hand - and your heart. Help spread a little Peace.



for me: smiley faces; colored pictures of kids, families, meditation etc. beautiful book.

"The Sea Princess," by Katie Chase ... enjoyable read. Good use of pictures, too.

from blurb:
Rosie knows a very special secret. Hidden in her great-aunt's mysterious Scottish castle are lots of little princesses for her to find. And each one will whisk her away to another part of the world on a magical adventure!
Marissa, the Sea Princess, needs Rosie's help to find her crown and the Pearl of Wisdom that will restore order to the underwater kingdom of Aquatica. However, to find it, the girls must swim down to the bottom of the ocean and enter the cave of the Sea Hag ...

my notes -- mermaids -- courage -- treasure hunt -- adventures.

Reading for work - kids's books

A Little Peace, by Barbara Kerley, Nov 30, 2007
Grandpa and Thomas and the green umbrella, by Pamela Allen, Dec 23rd, 2007
Mrs. Claus takes a vacation, by Linas Alsenas, Dec 22nd, 2007
Sea Princesses, by Katie Chase, Nov 28, 2007
The Woman Who Won Things, by Allan Ahlberg, Dec 17th, 2007
Various Faerious, by Jacqui Grantford, Dec 30th, 2007