Othello by Vincent Goodwin, William Shakespeare

by Carol3 Comments
I actually bought this graphic novel for Amber. I thought that it would give her an idea of what Othello was about before we went to see it. She never read it, but I did  - a quick refresher never hurts. This is just a quick version of the play. Yes, it uses Shakespeare's language, but a lot is cut out of it. It does give you most of the general idea of what's going on though, and the illustrations are attractive enough. Not outstanding, but they let you see what's going on in the play which is so much more helpful than only reading the sometimes difficult to understand dialogue. I think it took me like a half hour to read or so. It definitely can't replace the play itself, but it's a good introduction I guess you could say. Graphic novels like this one can make Shakespeare relatable and less scary, I guess. Some people hear "Shakespeare" and...
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Good Health, Good Life by Joyce Meyer

by Carol1 Comment
I don't know what I was expecting from this small book, but it was certainly more than I got. The twelve keys are good and solid: 1. Get God's Help 2. Learn to Love Your Body 3. Master Your Metabolism 4. Exercise 5. Eat in Balanced Ways 6. Water Your Life 7. Be Mindful About Eating 8. Curb Your Spiritual Hunger 9. De-Stress 10. Live With The Right Vision 11. Make It Easy 12. Take Responsibility But they're nothing new. Eat well, exercise, drink water. Don't let stress take over your life. The only thing that really distinguishes it from  other self-help books is that it comes at it from a Christian point of view. Our body is God's, so we should take care of it, both for its own sake and so that we are capable of doing the work He has for us. But that's not a new concept either, if you are a Christian - and if you're not I doubt you would pick up this book. The only good thing...
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Thursday’s Tale: Who’s That Knocking on Christmas Eve? by Jan Brett

by Carol2 Comments
I know it's only Wednesday, but this tale is just perfect for today, and with tomorrow being Christmas, I doubt many people will be online, including me. I've mentioned before that when I was kid we had a wonderful book of troll stories, Favorite Tales of Monsters and Trolls written by George Jonson and illustrated by John O’Brien. One of the stories in that books is a retelling of "The Cat on the Doverfjell” from East o’ the Sun and West o’ the Moon. Jan Brett has down a marvelous retelling of that same story in Who's That Knocking on Christmas Eve? A boy is taking his polar bear to Oslo, but he is cold and hungry so stops at a cabin. Kyri has been left alone in the hut to prepare the Christmas Eve meal while her father has gone up into the mountains to watch for trolls. In past years, the trolls have come down, broke into the house, and devoured...
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Jesus Daily: 365 Interactive Devotions by Aaron Tabor

by Carol1 Comment
I was not familiar with the Jesus Daily Facebook page before receiving this book for review, although several of my friends "Like" it. I guess this devotional comes as an outreach of that page, but is good as a stand alone too. Jesus Daily's a dated devotional, starting on January 1 and working through the year. Each day includes a scripture, a brief selection expanding on it and an "interaction," a way to connect the day's lesson with an actual action. Some of the interactions suggest going to JesusDaily.com, but those can be adjusted if going to the website is not something you want to or can do. I think that's what makes this special. It asks you to go beyond reading to doing, whether it be through asking for a prayer request, donating, showing other how much you appreciate them. The devotionals themselves are brief and fairly basic. It's easy to read and understand. I'm planning on using it throughout 2015. Here's the...
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Thursday’s Tale: Please, Malese! by Amy MacDonald

by Carol2 Comments
Today's Tale is a retelling of a story from Haiti. The back of the book explains that in Haiti, the trickster is known as Malese, derived from the French "malice". Sometimes Malese is evil and sometimes he is mischievous, but above all, he enjoys taking advantage of people, including his friends who can't seem to catch on to his cunning ways. This story was adapted from the original, "The Magic Island", written in 1929 by W.B. Seabrook This book is just pure fun. The pictures are gorgeous, simply drawn but full of vibrant colors. Malese tricks his neighbors into giving him everything from shoes to rum for a cake. The end up throwing him in jail for a month, but of course Malese is pretty sly. By the end, not only is he out of jail, but his neighbors are fixing up his house for him—for free of course. At first I thought it's kind of a shame that Malese never learns...
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Thursday’s Tale: The Flying Witch by Jane Yolen

by Carol4 Comments
The Flying Witch is not a traditional Baba Yaga story, but it's still entertaining. The witch is after a tasty, plump child to eat, but the girl she finds is brave and clever. She has "two good feet, a fine sense of direction, two strong arms, and a clever mind." She finds a way to escape from the witch with - get this- her father's help. Dad is pretty smart himself, puts two and two together, and finds his daughter. I love that we have a strong female lead in the little girl and a dad who is not the stereotypical disinterested/absent fairy tale father. He cares and risks his safety to go after her. Yolen's Baba Yaga follows tradition. She flies using a mortar and pestle, is wrinkled and ugly and has an iron nose. The book doesn't talk down to its young audience, it explains and shows what the mortar and pestle look like instead of just letting her...
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