Books On Film | Iron Man 3

Are you ready for the new superhero movie?

Marvel's Iron Man 3 came out this past Friday. If you are an Iron Man movie fan, who wants to become an Iron Man comic fan than this is the post for you. With 50 years of Iron Man comics it's confusing for new a new reader to know where to start. Lucky for us comic book fans know their business.

A good place for movie fans to start their journey is The Invincible Iron Man: Extremis. The comic is a great reboot of his origin story and has an Iron Man that will be recognizable to movie fans. If you are interested in Golden Age Iron Man, then track down the Iron Man Omnibus for some of the original Iron Man stories.

The villain of Iron Man 3 is The Mandarin. If you are interested in Golden Age Mandarin, then pick up a copy of Essential Iron Man, Vol. 1. However, the best place to read up on the modern Mandarin is in the comic conveniently called Iron Man: Enter The Mandarin.

If you haven't seen any of the Iron Man movies yet you can have a mini movie marathon by picking them up at the library before you head out too see the latest one.  

See the Iron Man 3 movie trailer below:

Book Bucket List | Dead Ever After

May 7th is a big day for True Blood fans!  Charlaine Harris is release her latest, and last(!), Sookie Stackhouse book. I would always dread the day that this series would end, and it is almost over!  The series follows the life and loves of Miss Sookie Stackhouse and all of the craziness she goes through in her little town of Bon Temps, Louisiana. 

The last book left everything on a bit of a cliffhanger.  Sookie was fighting for her relationship with Eric, her tall, pale, and handsome vampire boyfriend.  Vampire politics was forcing him into a sort of arranged marriage, and Sookie, for whatever reason, had the power of one wish to change everything.  Turns out, Sookie uses it, in the heat of the moment, for another purpose, and she is left with the consequences.

In this book, Sookie is still dealing with a ticked-off Eric and is actually framed for murder.  Since it is the last in the series, I really, really, really hope that they wrap things up in a way that is satisfying.  Here's my bet for how it ends:

Sookie comes across all of her previous boyfriends and love interests while she is trying to find the person who committed the murder she is accused of committing. (How many murders can one series have??)  In the end however, after finding the murderer and solving everything, Sookie picks Sam, her loyal best friend and former boss.

That's my prediction.  I honestly hope she ends up with Eric, because I like him the best ( =P) but I think Charlaine Harris will leave her with someone stable.  I've heard that she is also going to publish another Bon Temps-verse book that will explain what has happened to all of the other characters in the series.  This would be awesome, and prevent the internet from exploding over if Bill ever found happiness or not, or if Jason could ever stay in a relationship, or if the werewolves or vampires could ever really get along.  I hope this actually happens!

Learning | Hoglets and Porcupettes

I learned a few new words while I was playing around on a social network recently. Do you know the correct term to use for baby hedgehogs? They are called "hoglets."  And baby porcupines are known as "porcupettes." I think I liked learning those new words as much as I enjoyed the pictures of the hoglets and porcupettes.

Hedgehogs are small creatures from the family Erinaceidae. These small mammals from Europe, Asia and Africa search through undergrowth for insects to eat. While they are foraging, they make a grunting noise that reminds people of the sounds pigs make; this is why they are called hedgehogs. Hedgehogs have a prickly coat of stiff spines; they protect themselves by rolling into a ball.

 

One of my favorite hedgehogs is the title character in Beatrix Potter's The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle. She is not a hoglet herself, but a grown hedgehog, who happens to do washing and ironing. 

Porcupines are large rodents native to North America and Africa. They have sharp quills that give them an appearance similar to a hedgehog, but porcupines eat plants, instead of bugs. The name for these creatures came from words meaning "pig" and "quill." Isn't it  funny that neither hedgehogs nor porcupines are pigs, but their names suggest that they are?

Author Paul Schmid has a new book out about a porcupette with a problem. Perfectly Percy tells about a porcupine who loves balloons. It's too bad he can't get too close to them without popping them.  If only he could prevent his quills from touching the balloons.... 

4 Kids | Interview with 2 Readers

A while back I interviewed my 12 year old niece to talk about books and reading. That was quite a bit of fun.

So I thought I'd do it again. 

Photo courtesy of www.ranker.com

I just spent an hour with two of my favorite 5th graders -- Quinn and Zoe. We had some frozen yogurt with a variety of toppings. Let me try that again: we had a variety of toppings with a little frozen yogurt. But mostly we talked books. And life. And reading. And books. I only wish I could have been half that cool when I was in 5th grade!

I've known Quinn and Zoe for quite a while. And by the way, they're twins. Even before they started visiting the library on class visits, they would come to the library with their parents and older brother (a family of readers, by the way) on a very frequent basis.

Before our meeting, we decided to read 2 books -- R.J. Palacio's Wonder and Katherine Applegate's The One and Only Ivan -- and chat about them. I've mentioned both of these books in earlier blog posts. Applegate's book won the 2013 Newbery Medal, by the way! And I'm quite proud to say that I wasn't wrong about how great these books are; Quinn and Zoe loved them too!

So here's a little recap of my chat with my 2 new BFFs -- Quinn and Zoe.

Me: What did you learn from the book Wonder?

Quinn: Be nice to kids that are different, even if others question you. (In that book, the story revolves around Auggie who is physically deformed and faces many obstacles as he enters public school for the first time as a 5th grader.)

Me: Why the title "Wonder?" What does that mean?

Zoe: People wondered a lot in that book. For example, Jack wondered who he should be friends with.

Needless to say, these girls had the plot down cold. I was quite impressed. So I jumped ahead in my list of questions.

Me: If you were going to write a book for kids your age, what would it be about?

Quinn AND Zoe: We're writing books right now. (Wow!)

Zoe: Actually, our whole family is. (Wow! Wow!)

Me: Tell me what your books are about!

Quinn: I'm writing one about a girl who is an orphan. She really wants to play the piano. But her adoptive parents won't let her play. In fact, they treat her like a visitor.

At this point, Zoe chimed in with further plot descriptions of Quinn's book. I did mention they're twins, right?

Me: And what's yours about, Zoe?

Zoe: Well, it's about a girl whose Dad is taken by the government. In searching for her Dad, she and her brother enter a forest where they meet blue people. And then (gasp) she gets taken by the government too!

I did tell you these are 5th graders, right? Seriously, they're 5th graders! And although these stories aren't completed yet, I'm already waiting anxiously for these young writers to complete their creative adventures. These girls rock!

And now The One and Only Ivan. Remember, this one is about the animals who lives in a "strip mall zoo" off a busy interstate. And it's about a whole lot of other things -- one of the most important being helping out a friend in need.

Me: So, The One and Only Ivan. What did you learn from it?

Quinn: The way we treat animals affects their whole lives. They know. Animals aren't toys to play with and make fun of.

Zoe: We once saw some kids teasing and throwing stuff at a seal on the shore. We called animal control. Animals have their own minds. (I love it! They're readers AND they care about animals!!)

Me: Who was your favorite character in The One and Only Ivan?

Quinn: Stella because she was truthful, helpful, supportive, and not afraid to show her feelings.

Zoe: Ruby because she showed Ivan and Bob not to be afraid of humans.

I hope my new BFFs don't get mad at what I'm about to reveal, but I think you dear readers deserve to know: all three of us cried after reading this book. 

Great books challenge us. They make us think about things we might not have thought about otherwise. And sometimes they dare us to change our minds. 

A few more questions for Quinn and Zoe. 

Me: What does reading mean to you?

Zoe: When I read I get to explore new worlds and meet new friends. (This will come as no surprise, but Zoe's favorite subject in school is Language Arts.)

Quinn: Reading means exploring new things...and just imagining. (Yes! Yes! Yes!)

Both girls agree that the best part of the library is being able to explore all the different types of books...and being able to check them out and READ them. 

Quinn and Zoe have assigned me some reading. No big surprise they want me to read Divergent and Insurgent by Veronica Roth. These books are a HUGE hit with many of my young reading friends. I promise I'll read them very soon!

And together we are also going to read Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time. This is a classic book that I love to recommend to readers. I'll say no more about it now. But stay tuned.

I had such a great time with Quinn and Zoe. And I was reminded of some really important things during our afternoon together: Number 1. Reading is a really cool thing to do. Number 2. You have to stand up for what -- or who -- you believe in. Number 3. Spending an afternoon talking about books and life is a really good thing.

Happy Reading, dear readers. And thank you to Quinn and Zoe (and their wonderful parents) for sharing your time with me.

P.S. Don't forget the Children's Book Week contest. Click here for information!

 

 

Just Life | Too Old For Amusement Parks

I am officially too old for amusement parks. I don't have the guts for scary rides anymore.

Last week, my dare devil daughter wanted to try the crazy California Screamin' roller coaster at the Disney California Adventure. 

My response:" No"

Let me explain:

First, from the horrid screams coming from the passengers of that ride, I was sure that my daughter would end up vomiting all over me at the end of that ride and I didn't want to deal with that. Second, she wanted someone to follow her on that ride and I didn't want to end up vomiting all over myself either. So, the answer was "No".

I couldn't ask my husband or my father to go with her either since they were both as green as two California sequoias at that moment.

I think my dad suffered the most that day. Since I wasn't volunteering for any crazy rides, he volunteered himself often to follow his grand-daughter to all sorts of scary and vomit inducing rides. At the end, my poor dad looked really pale and was wondering, how in the world he got duped into coming to this California Adventure with us in the first place. 

My husband wasn't immune to my kid's evil plans either. He was also dragged onto the Goofy's sky school ride. According to him, every time, that car zoomed through a corner, he was sure that he would topple that small car to the ground at any moment and would end up going to prison for killing three innocent children.


That entire day, I kept thinking: " I am getting too old for this." 

The funny thing is that I used to beg my parents to take me & my cousins to amusement parks. We used to spend hours hopping from one ride to the next. Sometimes we threw up at the end of a ride, but we didn't let that fear stop us from trying scary new rides. My friends...those days are long gone.

Last year, during the Asparagus Festival, I took my kid on an innocent Ferris wheel ride and the entire time on that ride, I was praying to God that there wouldn't be any technical difficulty. Since, if we fell from such a height, I'm sure we would have made a really good spaghetti meat sauce after the impact. 


Next Stop, Disney World :)

 
Fodor's 2013 Walt Disney World  

Birnbaum guides 2013 Walt Disney World 

Signing off until next Monday- Panteha

Teens Only | Eat Up

Did you know? The principal asparagus production area in California is the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta area. Let's hear it for the great stuff growing in our own backyard! In fact, California produces more than 70% of the nation's fresh market asparagus. And this weekend marks the annual festival in honor of this tasty crop: The Stockton Asparagus Festival. If you've never gone, you have to give it a try. You'll find me in line for the deep-fried asparagus. I know I should perhaps try something a little healthier, but that is one tasty dish! And I hear this year there will be aspara-berry shortcake. I'll definitely give that a try.

 

My Dad worked in the agriculture industry, so not only did I grow up really appreciating the many wonderful fruits and vegetables grown in our area, but I also had quick access to a beautiful variety of yummy edibles growing in my Dad's garden in our backyard. Thanks, Dad.

So if you've been in a grocery store in the past weeks and cruised through the produce section, you've seen bunches of asparagus. What is asparagus, you ask?

I checked Asparagus Facts online to learn a little more:

1. Once a field of asparagus is harvested, it will continue to produce for 15-20 years.
2. Under ideal conditions, an asparagus spear can grow 10" in a 24-hour period.
3. Asparagus has no fat, contains no cholesterol and is low in sodium.

And for some gardening and cooking tips, check out Mel Bartholomew's All New Square Foot Gardening Cookbook. Healthy and inexpensive additions to every meal. You gotta love it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Celebrate the bounty of  San Joaquin County! If you get to the Asparagus Festival, have a great time.

 

And as always, happy reading!

 

--Suzy

Book Bucket List | The Great Harry Potter Reread

Anyone who knows me, even just a little bit, knows that I am a huge Harry Potter fan.  When the books were being released, my friends and I would dress up as HP characters and get to Barnes and Noble around 7 pm for the midnight releases. (I was always Ginny.)  Online, I saw that some bloggers were trying to get a bunch of people to do a reread of the series this summer.  I have to admit I've reread a few of the books... a lot.  Especially Azkaban and Half-Blood Prince, those two I can pick up and start anywhere.  I was thinking this summer of spacing out the series over a few months and reading them in order.  

So today, I am going to feature two of the Harry Potter series.  One of them is my favorite, and the other is my friend John's favorite.  I've asked him to write a little on why he likes Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire the most, and I will tell you why I like Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince is my favorite.

From the desk of John:

"First, I loved all the H.P. books, but if I had to choose a favorite, it would be the Goblet of Fire. The book stands out for me for a few reasons. First, in this book we really see the growth and development of Harry, Ron, and Hermione. They are no longer children, but teenagers beginning to explore the world around them. We see this with the Weasleys inviting Harry and Hermione to the Quidditch World Cup. We also see the group begin to be exposed to new groups of wizards their own age. I loved the interactions that came as a result of the introductions of two other schools of wizardry: Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. Remember towards the beginning of the book when Ron idolized Victor Krum at the Quidditch World Cup? Funny how that changed. Which leads me to another development that I enjoyed, and kinda caught me off guard. In this book we see the three exploring their feelings outside of the group. Harry finds affection for Cho, not Hermione, Hermione finds herself taken by Victor Krum and not Harry, and Ron is infatuated by Fleur Delacour. It was funny watching Harry work up the nerve to eventually ask Cho to the Yule Ball, only to be shot down, because he asked too late! Probably the only time you will ever see Harry shot down! Two much good stuff to squeeze into one measly paragraph, that the blogger limited me to. She clearly is biased" 

My retort:

 Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince is my favorite HP book.   I love this book because it is the year when Harry, Ron, Hermione, and even Draco outgrow Hogwarts.  Their relationships are developing and emotions are becoming more complex.  Hermione's jealousy over Lavender, Ron's jealousy over Cormac McLaggen, and Harry's infatuation with Ginny are developments that happen in this book which start to effect the way the characters see and treat each other.  It is also has what I consider to be the darkest hour in the whole series, the aftermath of the Death Eater's attack and MASSIVE SPOILER!  (If you haven't read this I really don't want to ruin it for you.)  The book also gives a lot of information about Professor Snape, one of my favorite characters.  The end really leaves the reader shocked and leaves the wizarding world in a very dark place and it forces the characters to grow up in ways they never expected.

So once we hit June 1, (Which is also, might I add, the beginning of the summer reading program.) I will start to reread Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.  Hopefully I could use it to check off a box for my summer reading card!