WWW Wednesday—November 20, 2024

I can’t think of an introductory paragraph (or even a sentence) today. So let’s just jump into things:

This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived on Taking on a World of Words—and shown to me by Aurore-Anne-Chehoke at Diary-of-a-black-city-girl.

The Three Ws are:
What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Seems easy enough, right? Let’s take a peek at this week’s answers:

What are you currently reading?

Cover of Instinct by L. J. Hachmeister Cover of Running and Jumping by Steven Kedie Cover of Comedy Book by Jesse David Fox
Instinct: An Animal Rescuers Anthology
edited by L. J. Hachmeister
Running and Jumping
by Steven Kedie
Comedy Book: How Comedy Conquered Culture–and the Magic That Makes It Work
by Jesse David Fox

I’m almost certainly finishing the Kedie book today–it’s intense. I don’t know where it’s going to end up, but my blood pressure will be better when it does.

Instinct is a mixed bag–but mostly good. The Jim Butcher story made me so glad when I read it I wouldn’t care if the rest of the stories were horrible (they’re not, but I really would be fine with that).

Jesse David Fox is the kind of guy I’d like to talk comedy with, I have so many follow-up questions about the material in the first half of this book (not because he didn’t give enough information, I just want more). This is the kind of book I’ve wanted for ages.

What did you recently finish reading?

Cover of Teen Titans: Starfire by Kami Garcia, Gabriel Picolo Cover of The Late Lord Thorpe by Peter Grainger
Teen Titans: Starfire
by Kami Garcia, Gabriel Picolo (Illustrator)
The Late Lord Thorpe
by Peter Grainger, read by Gildart Jackson

I really liked this take on Starfire (and Cyborg)–giving her Ehlers–Danlos syndrome was an interesting move (and might have got my daughter to read the whole series).

I’m already missing David Smith (and, yes, Grainger fooled me).

What do you think you’ll read next?

Cover of Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan Cover of I Hope This Finds You Well by Natalie Sue
Altered Carbon
by Richard K. Morgan
I Hope This Finds You Well
by Natalie Sue, read by Nasim Pedrad

Altered Carbon is one of those that I think I might have read a couple of decades ago, but I’m not sure. Anyway, this is the book for the Sci-Fi book club.

it was a while ago that I put a hold on I Hope This Finds You Well at the library, and I honestly don’t remember what it was about the book that intrigued me. It looks promising, and I trust post-me. Mostly.

Tell me what you’re reading–help me feel like I’m not in this rut I’ve been in lately (you’ll note how slow things have been turning over here lately).

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: Kavithri by Aman J.Bedi

I’m pleased today to welcome The Write Reads Blog Tour for the Indian Progression Fantasy, Kavithri, the first book in The Ghosts of Ethuran. If this looks as good to you from this Spotlight as it does to me, you should go to https://twitter.com/WriteReadsTours feed to see all the great things that people are saying about it. But since you’re here already, you might as well read what I have to tell you about it first.

Kavithri Tour Banner

Book Details:

Title: Kavithri by Aman J.Bedi
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Gollancz
Format: Hardcover/Ebook/Audiobook
Length: 448 pages
Publication Date: Oct. 1, 2024
Kavithri by Aman J.Bedi Cover

About the Book:

Meet Kavithri. Outcast. Underdog. Survivor.

Kavi is a Taemu. Her people, once feared berserkers and the spearhead of a continent-spanning invasion, are the dregs of Raayan society. Their spirits crushed. Their swords broken. Their history erased.

But Kavi has a dream and a plan. She will do whatever it takes to earn a place at the secretive mage academy, face the Jinn within its walls, and gain the power to rise above her station and drag her people out of the darkness.

Except power and knowledge come at a cost, and the world no longer needs a Taemu who can fight. So they will break her. Beat her down to her knees. And make her bleed.

But if blood is what they want, Kavi will give them blood. She will give them violence. She will show them a berserker’s fury.

And she will make them remember her name.

An no-holds-barred progression fantasy and empowering South Asian epic – featuring necromancers, djinn and visceral action sequences. An underdog story like no other, Kavithri is perfect for fans of Fonda Lee, Tamsyn Muir and John Gwynne.

‘A richly detailed, darkly gritty world’ Sunyi Dean, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Bone Eaters

‘[A] grim and relentless exploration of colonialism, power, resistance and courage’ Samit Basu

‘Seamlessly packs South Asian lore and progression fantasy into a relentless rollercoaster’ Gourav Mohanty

Book Links:

Amazon UK ~ Amazon ~ Goodreads

About the Author:

Aman J.BediAman was born in Mysore, India. He grew up in Vizag, studied in Bangalore, lived in Bangkok, completed a PhD in experimental psychology at the University of Canterbury, and has settled (for now) in Melbourne, Australia. His writing draws from modern Indian history and is influenced by writers and artists like David Gemmell, Brandon Sanderson, Takehiko Inoue, and Kentaro Miura.

Author Links:

Website ~ Twitter ~ Instagram


My thanks to The Write Reads for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials they provided.

PUB DAY REPOST: The World According to Cunk by Philomena Cunk: The Story of the World (abbreviated and only accidentally accurate)

Cover of The World According to Cunk by Philomena CunkThe World According to Cunk:
An Illustrated History of All World Events Ever*
*Space Permitting

by Philomena Cunk

DETAILS:
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Publication Date: November 19, 2024
Format: eARC
Length: 256 pg.
Read Date: November 2-5, 2024
Buy from Bookshop.org Support Indie Bookstores

This Was Harder to Write than I Expected

There was a part of me that wanted to just do a light edit of my post about Cunk on Everything: The Encyclopedia Philomena and call it good. But that seemed like cheating. But there are giant parts of it that would work.

Still, I’m borrowing a little here and there from it, just so I don’t have to re-invent the wheel. I apologize in advance if you don’t appreciate that. Also, let this section serve as an all-purpose footnote so no one accuses me of plagiarism.

What’s The World According to Cunk About?

It’s a history of the world, as much of one as Cunk can fit into 50,000 words with minimal research, anyway. The point is to get it out in time for the holiday season—targeted toward the UK and the US, so it’ll predominantly be about the history of that/those cultures, while remaining the sort of history book that recognizes that things happen in parts of the world that aren’t dominated by Western Culture.

Also, we’re told, that she’s taking the innovative approach to history and will be writing chronologically, not alphabetically or by some other standard. Whodathunk it? History in order. I tell you, what this Philomena Cunk is a gutsy maverick.

If you’ve watched YouTube videos, Instagram reels, or any of the other quick ways we share videos online (with or without copyright infringement), or if you’ve seen any of the various series/specials on Netflix or British TV networks that I can’t remember the names of, you know what you’re getting into with Philomena Cunk. If you haven’t, well, that’s trickier. It means you’re a reader or something rare like that—Cunk is a fictional documentarian (or at least the presenter of them). her approach to the documentary specials or the history in this book are a combination of naĂŻvetĂ©, misunderstandings (especially in mispronunciation/misspellings), and cynicism.

Miscellaneous Observations

Doing a deep dive on this would be difficult for two reasons—I read an ARC, so I don’t want to quote anything (also, it would be very hard to know when to stop. Ask my wife, after you read the end). The second, and primary reason, is that if I talk too much about things, it’ll ruin the jokes for you when you read this (and you really should)

In lieu of that, here are some miscellaneous observations:
bullet Every time Cunk looks at non-English speaking cultures was a win.
bullet You’d think that there are only so many jokes you can make about “the Dark Ages” involving the absence of luminescence—and that few of them would be funny. And you’d be wrong on both counts.
bullet Best WWI humor since Black Adder Goes Forth. I don’t know that there’s a lot of competition there, but Cunk nailed that material.
bullet The technology jokes landed every time.
bullet I’m still chuckling at the phrasing for Caesar’s cause of death
bullet You are going to hear Diane Morgan’s deadpan delivery in your head whether you read this or get the audiobook. Just know that going in. (you likely assumed it that already, so know that you’re right).

It Did Falter a Bit

The last chapter, “The Global Globe” started off strong, but as the history got more and more current, the humor changed. Maybe it’s that Cunk’s particular brand of absurdity requires some distance to really work. However you explain it, this just didn’t work for me.

Now, was it funny political humor? Satisfying satire? Yes—I truly appreciated almost all of it. It just didn’t feel very Cunk-like. I couldn’t “hear” Diane Morgan’s voice. If it’d been in another book, I’d have really liked the end of this last chapter. But here? It just felt out of place.

So, what did I think about The World According to Cunk?

I didn’t see (but maybe overlooked) the writers behind this book listed anywhere—but whoever they were, they deserve a round of applause. Or two.

I chuckled and laughed out loud a lot while reading this. There’s really not much more to say—that’s what they were going for.

My wife doesn’t get the appeal of Philomena, I don’t know why, I think it’s undeniable and obvious. So I really annoyed her by reading lines or paragraphs to my daughter while the three of us were in the same room. Sometimes, I had a stockpile of parts my daughter would like from reading when we weren’t in the same room. My kid and I had a lot of fun laughing together at this while my wife just looked at us strangely. I don’t share this to give you more insight into our fun little family dynamic—but to say that at least once (maybe three times, but Mrs. Reader denies this) even she laughed.

Seriously, up to the end of the last chapter, this was about as fun as you could want. Since I discovered Dave Barry Slept Here decades ago, I’ve been a sucker for history comedy—and The World According to Cunk by Philomena Cunk is a great entry in that category. (you might want to skip most of what happens after 1980).


4 Stars

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Grand Central Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for this post—thanks to both for this.

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.
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PUB DAY POST: King Arthur & The Ladies of The Lake by Vincent Pompetti: The Once and Future Graphic Novel For Our Time

Cover of King Arthur & The Ladies of The Lake by Vincent PompettiKing Arthur & The Ladies of The Lake

by Vincent Pompetti

DETAILS:
Publisher: Black Panel Press
Publication Date: November 19, 2024
Format: eARC
Length: 113 pg.
Read Date: November 9, 2024
Buy from Bookshop.org Support Indie Bookstores

What’s King Arthur & The Ladies of The Lake About?

This is a telling of the Arthur legend with a focus on the women in his life—his mother, sisters, Guinevere, the Lady of the Lake, and so on.

It’s also a telling of the clash between (a) Celtic religion and Christianity, with Arthur trying to maintain an atmosphere that allows both to coexist. I think the version of Celtic theology reeks of anachronistic thinking, and the “new” religion also feels a little off. But it works for this telling. It’s not just about religion—but about the way it works out in the lives and attitudes of Arthur’s people.

It’s really hard to say more than that—it’s Arthur from infancy through the end of his life, the growth of his reputation and kingdom, the controversies and losses.

A Word About the Art

So I really dig the watercolor art—it works well with the subject and the feel that Pompetti’s going for with the storytelling. There’s a dreamy quality to it that matches the storytelling, the magic and the visions that drive Arthur. I don’t know if that’s just how Pompetti works, or if he chose that deliberately for this story. Either way, it’s a win.

Yeah, there’s part of me that would appreciate a good inker and some more standard art and coloring. I think that’s primarily because that’s what I was raised with and am used to. But it just wouldn’t work as well for this work.

Here are a couple of sample pages to give you a taste (obviously, click the thumbnails to see more):

Thumbnail of king-arthur-excalibur.jpeg Thumbnail of king-arthur-goes-to-war_sm.jpeg

So, what did I think about King Arthur & The Ladies of The Lake?

I tipped my hand earlier when I talked about the clash of cultures driven by religion. Whoops (in my defense, I was trying to stretch that section beyond a couple of lines). While I didn’t appreciate the historical depictions, I did think it worked for a Fantasy tale.

In Pompetti’s telling there’s a feeling of groundedness to some of the standard elements of Arthurian legend—Excalibur, Guinevere’s affair, and so on. Yet, he didn’t remove magic and supernatural elements (I did wonder if that was the direction he was going for a moment)—it’s just not entirely the way we’re used to it with this story.

Like most people, I’m game for a good Arthurian retelling—and this is a pretty good one. I think the medium hurt it a little. 113 pages works for graphic novels, but it’s hard to squeeze in a lot of depth into those pages—particularly when the art looks like his does—the pictures are larger than they’d be with other artists, so the story details have to be lighter. It’s a tradeoff that’s worth it, I wouldn’t want Pompetti’s art to be smaller.

I enjoyed this on an initial read, and the bits I reread while preparing this post held up pretty well. I think it’s one of those books that I’ll appreciate more on successive re-reads, too. I’d absolutely read more by Pompetti and would encourage you to do the same.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this from ARC from the Author via Edelweiss, and i appreciate that, but the thoughts expressed are my own.


3.5 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.
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Book Blogger Hop: Annotate or Untouched?

Whoa…it’s been 2 months since I’ve done one of these?


Book Blogger Hop

 

This prompt was submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer:

Do you like to annotate your books or leave them untouched?

I’m not sure what kind of monster you take me for. Write in a book? I’d just as soon dog-ear a page. Yeah, yeah, yeah…history is replete with examples of marginalia (and it’s proved to be a helpful resource for scholars), and if you own a book, you should be able to write in it–some people insist on it. But every book in the H.C. Newton Not-Yet-Memorial Library is untouched by pen, pencil, highlighter, or (shudder) Sharpie (outside a handful of autographs, which is totally different*).

There are (at least) two reasons for this–I don’t want to ruin a book with my lousy handwriting, or inability to use a highlighter or pen to draw a straight line. Let’s keep these pretty. But more importantly, I don’t like to be trapped by what I thought was interesting, important, noteworthy, and so on last time I read a book–I want to get impressions this time. (if for no other reason than I don’t want to be disappointed in previous-me). Does this hamper going back to find that one quotation, that killer argument, that metaphor that rocked my thinking? Yes. And that has been a problem. Still…books that please my eyes are worth a little effort/memory-straining.

I’m apparently so well-known for this in my social circles that friends and acquaintances will apologize to me before showing a marked-up book. Which is unnecessary, if a little nice. I bear no ill will towards people who choose to riddle their books with graffiti, sure, I wonder about their priorities, but I know they do the same for mine 🙂 I actually used to know someone who’d borrow books from me and then end up buying me a new copy of whatever book they borrowed because they just had to write in something they read. That actually worked out pretty nicely for me.

* Or is it an inconsistency that frees me from Emersonian hobgoblins?

What about you, do you deface or keep ’em clean?

Opening Lines: Empowered Witness by Alan D. Strange

We all know we’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover (yet, publishing companies spend big bucks on cover design/art and we all do judge them that way). But, the opening sentence(s)/paragraph(s) are fair game. So, when I stumble on a good opening (or remember one and pull it off the shelves), I like to throw it up here. There are so few writers that can grab you like Winslow can from the get-go.

from Empowered Witness: Politics, Culture, and the Spiritual Mission of the Church by Alan D. Strange:

The calling, or mission, of the church as the church is to proclaim the gospel to the ends of the earth, not to be another merely (or even chiefly) political, social, or economic institution. The church, in its full-orbed existence, may have political, economic, or social concerns that develop out of its mission, but those aspects are not what primarily mark and define it. Our Lord Jesus Christ, who is head and King of the church, made it clear in his marching orders to the church—what we’ve come to call the Great Commission—that he intended the church to go to every people group (often translated “nations”) and to evangelize and disciple them (Matt. 28:18-20), enfolding them into his kingdom, which is “not of this world” (John 18:36), a kingdom that does not have the transitory but the eternal at its heart (2 Cor. 4:18). It is Christ himself, our heavenly King—since he is with us even now by his Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 15:45)—who gathers and perfects his church (Westminster Confession of Faith 25.3) through the appointed means.

The gospel is not about worldly success in any proper sense, then, but is rather about deliverance from the penalty, power, and ultimately the presence of sin, a message that comes to permeate the whole of the lives of those transformed by it. We can rightly say that the message of the church is a spiritual one, coming to people of every sort in every land to bring them here and hereafter into the spiritual reality of the kingdom of Christ. Therefore, Paul encourages the Christians in Corinth, “In whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God” (1 Cor. 7:24). Paul makes clear that the bondservant may and should avail himself of the opportunity of freedom (1 Cor. 7:21). He also makes clear, however, that whatever condition one finds himself in, even whether one is married or not, is not paramount: what is most important is not one’s vocation or life circumstance but being called by and coming to Christ, being a new man or woman in Christ. Paul’s concern is that his readers are Christians, whatever else may be true of their lives. His concern for them, to put it another way, is chiefly spiritual.

This is the spiritual message that the church is privileged to herald to the world (salvation by grace alone), the good news—the meaning of gospel—without which there is no good news. The story of the world after Adam’s fall is nothing but bad news since all is sin, darkness, and hopelessness without the good news of the gospel. The gospel of salvation in Christ, however, is the good news that transforms the worst into the best, seen particularly at the cross, where humanity at its worst not only fails to defeat God but where God uses humanity’s attempt to do so as the centerpiece of our salvation. Christ has overcome the world. This is the message that the church joyfully preaches to the world. It does not preach itself, nor does it promote some sort of political, social, economic, or cultural utopia to be achieved in this age.

The church preaches that we are to live in this age not for this age but for the coming age that has broken in on this age and beckons us to a new heavens and a new earth that await all who trust in Christ alone.

Opening Lines Logo

Saturday Miscellany—11/16/24

A small list this week–between be so tired after work this week that I didn’t have the energy to do much online, I seemed to have spent most of my social media time following new people on Bluesky rather than actually, you know, seeing what anyone was saying. The X-odus is real (and “Hi!!!” to anyone who’s here for the first time because of it.)

But I do know that miscellanies are going to get long soon, one post from Pages Unbound has pointed out to me that we’re about to enter the Season of Lists–which is both fun and overwhelming. (and budget straining). I’m pretty much looking forward to it, while also feeling daunted about having to come up with my own soon.

Odds ‘n ends about books and reading that caught my eye this week. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:
bullet Rushdie’s ‘Satanic Verses’ can be imported in India after court is told 1988 ban order can’t be found—Dogs still eat homework, eh?
bullet Maximizing Time for Reading: Why reading—and reading widely—is more important than ever, and how to go about creating habits and practices to allow yourself the space and time
bullet Florida’s Education Dept. releases a list of over 700 books removed in K-12 schools —I can understand (if not agree with) why some of these were removed from schools…but you gotta shake your head at a lot of these
bullet Gifts for Babies and Toddlers (Board Book Edition) 2024—it’s that time of year again, isn’t it?
bullet 5 years of Spells & Spaceships: the journey so far and my 10 favourite books.—only 5? I thought I’d been reading this longer. And picking a top 10 from that period? No small feat.
bullet I’m Okay with Books Being Perceived and Sold as Products (Rather Than Art)—I get this. I may have a knee-jerk reaction against the premise, but I see Krysta’s point.

A Book-ish Related Podcast episode (or two) you might want to give a listen to:
bullet Under the Radar SFF Podcast Blogger Interview with Jodie from W&S Blog—to discuss authors, favorite stories, and Jodie’s love for Dragonlance. Haven’t listened to it yet, but am looking forward to it.

To help talk about backlist titles (and just for fun), What Was I Talking About 10 Years Ago Week?
bullet Poison Fruit by Jacqueline Carey
bullet Personal by Lee Child
bullet The Slow Regard of Silent Things by Patrick Rothfuss
bullet Pickles and Ponies: A Fairy-Tale by Laura May

This Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
bullet From Great Heights by Bryan McBee—SF and Magic. Very curious to see what McBee does with this.

Image of a man laying on a lawn with a book open over his face, with the words 'Literature is the most agreeable way of ignoring life.' over him

Game Night Book Tag 2

Game Night Book Tag 2
Last week just as I was scheduling the publication of my responses to Game Night Book Tag, I thought, “ooh, I wish she’d included Game X and Game Y.” Next thing you know, I had a whole roster of games for this sequel (maybe I should say expansion pack?). If you use this version yourself, I’d ask that you include this post as well as the original from Witty and Sarcastic Book Club.

Pictionary: A Book with a Dynamite Cover

The cover of Pictionary boardgame and the cover of The Name of the Wind: 10th Anniversary Deluxe Edition by Patrick Rothfuss

The Name of the Wind: 10th Anniversary Deluxe Edition by Patrick Rothfuss

I had a realy hard time narrowing this down to one, and had started to think of a different category/game (which was extra-annoying because this was the first one I thought of). But then I remembered this cover by artist Sam Weber and designer Paul Buckley and settled down. The original cover was more than good enough–but this one went the extra mile.


Stratego: A Book with an Epic Battle Scene (or Some Complicated Scheme)

The cover of Stratego boardgame and the cover of The Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames

The Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames

I could’ve named any number of thrillers, SF adventures, or Fantasy epics (and even as I type this, I fight off the impulse to make a half-dozen replacements). But there’s something just right about the way that Eames handles fight scenes–no matter the scale. But that last one? Chef’s kiss.


Candyland: A Book from Your Childhood that Brings Back Fond Memories

The cover of Candyland boardgame and the cover of The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles by Julie Edwards

The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles by Julie Edwards

You thought I’d say The Westing Game here, didn’t you? It seems to be the first book from my childhood I tend to mention. But from Edwards’ descriptions of the characters–particularly the Whangdoodle himself, the solution to the big problem, and a large part of the setting–there’s little about this book that isn’t as sweet as Candyland. As for memories…from the time Mrs. Jennings first read this to our class through me repeatedly checking this out from the Library (and eventually it being the first hardcover book I remember getting), few books evoke fondness like this for me.


Sorry: A Book about Revenge

The cover of Sorry! boardgame and the cover of Light Bringer by Pierce Brown

Light Bringer by Pierce Brown

Okay, sure, any of Brown’s Red Rising qualifies as being “about revenge.” But Light Bringer seemed to be vengeancier than the rest.

(my post about it)


Life: A Book that Tells the Story of a Life

The cover of Life boardgame and the cover of A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman, Henning Koch (translator)

From the flashbacks to his childhood or over the course of his marriage and up to the events that changed his life/attitude in his later years (and the last chapter that probably helps the bottom line for whatever facial tissue companies the readers use), this book is a sure-fire winner. Funny, touching, inspiring…Backman knows how to deliver the goods.

(my post about it)


Operation: A Book with a Lot of Technical Details (that may or may not be true)

The cover of Operation boardgame and the cover of Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

(I really should’ve thought about the two yellows there when I combined them into that image…gak)

First, Adjei-Brenyah gets the fight scenes (the ugly and the beauty) just right and delivers them in such a way that you feel like you can see them–and he gives enough detail in the SF-ish elements and all the rest to bring this to life. But the part that brought this book to mind for this category for me (and why I cancelled my first pick in its favor) are the footnotes–those that are actual documented history and those that are fictional (from a future to us, but history to the characters), these details, studies, and quoted documents add a weight and depth to the narrative to make this feel like a non-fiction work that had slipped through a wormhole to arrive in our time. (the narrative didn’t need that weight and depth, I stress…)

(my post about it)


Trivial Pursuit: A Fun Non-Fiction Book

The cover of Trivial Pursuit boardgame and the cover of The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe

The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe

I probably use this too often for Non-Fiction prompts in Book Tags–but every alternative that I came up with didn’t feel as right. So…here we are. Wolfe’s book is probably my all-time favorite Non-Fiction, it captures the spirit of the Space Race, the way it depicts the individuals involved is so vivid and lifelike, the way the narrative moves, and Wolfe’s style make this both informative and enjoyabler.

(my post about it)


I don’t typically tag anyone in these, but I’m making an exception here. I’d love to see what Jodie has to say about my amendments.

Image by OTH Amberg-Weiden from Pixabay

Grandpappy’s Corner: The Box by Jo Linsdell: Imagination + Cardboard

Grandpappy's Corner Logo with the Cover of The Box by Jo Linsdell

The Box

by Jo Linsdell

DETAILS:
Publication Date: March 14, 2024
Format: PDF
Length: 44 pg.
Read Date: November 13, 2024

What’s The Box About?

This is a glimpse into some of the many ways a boy uses a box to play. His imagination fuels his useage and we get a little glimpse into what he sees—like pirate ships or caves—that box becoming.

Let’s Talk about the Art for a Minute

This is just cute. That’s all there is to say.

I really liked the way that Linsdell superimposed a drawing of whatever it is the boy is imagining (e.g., a robot or treasure chest) on top of the box.

How is it to Read Aloud?

It’s pretty straightforward, the text is really about getting the child you’re reading to to pay attention to the pictures and get their imagination going.

There’s a refrain repeated throughout. Initially, I thought Linsdell overused it. But then I realized it would function as a line that a child would pick up on and chant along with whoever’s reading it. It’s also the kind of phrase that you and/or the kid could use during play as well. So, whatever reflex I had about the frequency was off.

So, what did I think about The Box?

Anyone who’s had—or known—a small child (or a cat), knows that for certain ages a cardboard box is far more entertaining than the toy inside. This little book is a good reminder of that time (for us older readers), and either an encouragement for younger readers to do similar things—or to be reassured that they’re not alone in using boxes for many, many ends.

It’s a cute read, it’s a quick one—one of those books that the pictures and the ideas within are far more important than the story or text.

It’s worth your time, and I bet it’ll make a fan of younger readers.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author for this Tour.


3 Stars

Grandpappy Icon

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: The Box by Jo Linsdell

Welcome to today’s Tour Stop for Jo Linsdell’s children’s book, The Box. We’ll visit it in Grandpappy’s Corner here in a little bit, but for now, let’s learn a little about it.

Book Details:

Title: The Box by Jo Linsdell
Format: Kindle/Trade Paperback
Length: 44 pg.
US Publication Date: March 15, 2014
Cover of The Box by Jo Linsdell

About the Book:

A Fight for Lost Innocence
“Because a box is just a box, except when it’s not.”

Join in the creative fun as a little boy explains why his box is his favourite toy.

Book Links:

Print:

Amazon US ~ Amazon UK ~ CreateSpace

Kindle:

Amazon US ~ Amazon UK ~ Amazon CA

Goodreads

About the Author:

Jo LinsdellJo Linsdell is a best selling author and illustrator and internationally recognized marketing expert. To find out more about Jo and her projects visit her website www.JoLinsdell.com.

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