A Day in Nerd Heaven With My Daughter...

Let's just start off with saying: I am not above bribing my kids to get them to do well with something.

It seems that even though my husband and I are HUGE bookworms, our 8 year old daughter struggles to share our enthusiasm sometimes. It's not that she doesn't like to read, because when she's into a book, she enjoys it. It's that she's an 8 year old who feel like she has better things to do, and gets lazy about reading.

Her school uses the Accelerated Reader, or AR, program, to test kids on reading comprehension, and each test rewards kids with points that accumulate throughout the year. The school sets a certain goal for each grade (The 3rd grade goal is 35 points for the school year, which in my opinion is really low, but I think it's so that it is achievable for all the kids. Most books are worth 0.5-3.0 points, but the bigger the book, the more points it's worth.) and when the students reach their goal, they get a t-shirt and are entered into book an prize raffles at an end-of-year assembly.

So we've started setting slightly higher goals for my girl, and she gets to choose what rewards she wants. When she reached 100 points, I took her shopping and to lunch at the mall. At 125 points, she got to go to an awesome locally owned paint-your-own-pottery place, called Missus Potts.

So for reaching 150 points, she said she wanted to go somewhere to eat that was fancy. She chose The Cheesecake Factory.

And since her earning 150 points coincided with the most awesome Doctor Who craft boutique ever hosted by Whimsic Alley in Los Angeles (brought to my attention by my good friend Kit, owner of Kit's Designs, who was vending there), I decided to take her to the Cheesecake Factory at The Grove in LA, about a mile from Whimsic Alley.

My girl and me, in our Disney-Who mashup shirts.
Mine is Rapunzel and the TARDIS, and hers is Merida and the TARDIS.
They're Karen Hallion shirts. Karen Hallion shirts are cool.
Also notice the TARDIS necklace, made by Kit's designs...

Even though we're still trying to instill that love of reading in our daughter, she's already a lover of all things geeky, especially Doctor Who and Harry Potter.

And, oh my, this store is HEAVEN for us nerdy types!



Whimsic Alley

Geeky T's! Love me some Firefly!

You walk in, and it's like you're walking into Diagon Alley from the Harry Potter series.

It. Is. AMAZING!

There are all kinds of small shops inside, like a "robes" shop with clothes...


Robes Room!

And a wand shop...


The wand chooses you....

She's been chosen.

And shops themed after Game of Thrones and Sherlock and Doctor Who.

Then you walk through a T.A.R.D.I.S. door, and IT'S BIGGER ON THE INSIDE you guys!! It leads into the great hall, which is a large banquet room that looks like the Great Hall from Hogwarts, and is available to rent for parties and such. They even have a Yule Ball at Christmas, and a Time Lords Ball.

And even though the place was super busy, partly because of the Doctor Who boutique/craft fair going on, and partly because people just like to shop there, the staff are all super friendly, and knowledgeable, and just really cool.

Mommy in the phone booth....

Calling The Doctor...

This is the kind of place worth taking a road trip to LA for, even if it's just for the day.

Ready for flying lessons!

About to get a running start onto Platform 9 3/4!

And if you do get a chance to go to Whimsic Alley, check out the little cookie bakery right next door called Milk Jar. Best cookies ever, served with farm fresh milk, in a milk bottle-shaped jar no less! You can even choose whatever 2 cookies you want (and they are huge!) and they will make you a custom ice cream sandwich with their own homemade ice cream.

Talk about a fantastic day trip, making sweet memories with my girl who is growing up way too fast.

We'll so be going back!!

To All the Twilight Haters and the Twihards alike.

Over the past few years, there has been much love, and more recently much hate, towards The Twilight Saga, created by Stephenie Meyer.

I began as one of those who really liked Twilight, and it's following sequels. I read the books. I saw the movies. (Though I'll be the first to admit New Moon was the WORST of these books, and movies. It was just awful, and I even thought that in the midst of my really liking this series.)

Then I reread the first book, and realized:

"I'm just not that into you anymore."

Sorry Twilight Saga. You have some major flaws, like a not-so-strong female protagonist, and a somewhat controlling (and sparkly) male protagonist.

But still, even now, I don't HATE these books. There is no reason for me to HATE them. Dislike them, even very strongly dislike them, yes. Disagree with the way characters behave? Sure. But full on HATE? That's a strong word.

And I have to admit, it kind of makes me sad, and slightly upset, to see all the Twilight bashing around the interwebs these days, even though I don't necessarily "like" these books anymore.

And my biggest reason for disliking the haters:

These books got so many people to actually READ.

These books, as bad as they might be, looking back on them now, were a "gateway drug", if you will, for many people who don't read much, or even at all, to get into books and find their love of reading. And that is a beautiful thing.

Not since the Harry Potter books, had anything been this popular. So many people jumped right onto this bandwagon, and were happy to do so. It not only got people reading, but writing. Especially fanfiction. The most famous Twihard fanfic, of course, being the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy.(Which, as terribly written as that is, STILL got people to read. Reading is never a bad thing people!)

But now, since the books have been picked apart to death, saying you actually like them is like a death sentence to your social life. Or at least your book club social life. If you like Twilight, you will be judged.

And I don't think that's fair.

In fact, it really verges on bullying.

Even Stephenie Meyer has said she no longer wants to talk about Twilight, and that it's not a happy place to be for her. People have picked it apart to the point that the person who created it, and should be proud to have had her stories published, feels bad about her work.

No one should be made to feel bad for liking something, whether it's Twilight, or some other fandom, or artsy things, or certain cars, or reality TV, or ANYTHING.

We are desperately trying to get this message through to our children every day, and yet, as adults, we do it all the time, to each other.

Why do we feel we have any right to tell someone they can't like something just because we don't like that thing?

So my message to all you Twihards: Don't let the Twihaters get you down!

If everyone else hates what makes you happy, the thing that you love (Twilight or otherwise), don't give them a second thought. Just love the crap out of it. And be happy doing it.

Book Review: Divergent

 

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Beatrice “Tris” Prior lives in dystopian Chicago, where, at the age of 16, children have to choose which of the five factions, or societies based on specific virtues,  they will remain a part of for the rest of their lives. Tris shocks her family by leaving her home in Abnegation, known for selflessness, for the brave and sometimes reckless ways of life in Dauntless. There she is pushed to her limits, finds a possible romance, and discovers a secret that could put her and many others in danger.

Being a huge fan of The Hunger Games, this book was right up my alley! I really enjoyed the story, even if it was a bit predictable. With Spring Break right around the corner, I recommend Divergent if you’re looking for something adventurous, yet quick to read.

I give this a B+.

If you liked this book, I suggest the sequel, Insurgent. The third book, Allegiant, is also out now, but I can honestly say it ticked me off like you wouldn't believe! My husband even said he wished Veronica Roth had never even written it. Not that it wasn't good, just not the direction I would have gone with the story.

Also the movie version of Divergent comes out in theaters next week (3/21). I'll be reviewing at after I see it with my book club, so stay tuned for THAT one, since we ALL know the movie is never as good as the book, and they'll probably completely botch this one...

Book Review: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

 

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

After witnessing the gruesome death of his grandfather, 16 year old Jacob seems to be having a mental breakdown. His father takes him to the remote island his grandfather was from to help him cope, and while there Jacob discovers that his grandfather's seemingly tall tales of monsters and orphans with special gifts might actually be true.

Although the storytelling is a little slow at times, once you get into this book it's fantastic. I loved the X-Men quality to some of the characters, and I'm a sucker for time travel and mysteries, so this was just my cup of tea. And all the creepy photographs  throughout the book (which Ransom Riggs based the whole story around) are fascinating!

I give this one a B.

If you enjoy this book, Riggs just released the sequel called Hollow City. And if you liked the photography, he has another book full of the pictures he's collected called "Talking Pictures".

 

Book Review: The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

After Clary Fray witnesses  the murder of a demon by a group of teenagers called Shadowhunters , her seemingly normal life is turned upside down. Now  the Shadowhunters, whom she has a strange connection to, especially their sometimes-leader Jace,  will have to help Clary find her kidnapped mother, get back a sacred cup, and figure out why she can all of a sudden see things that she once though only found in stories.

Although it's not a literary classic by any means, this book was actually pretty enjoyable, save for the plot twist at the end that grossed me out a little. I'm looking forward to the next books in this series, though there are definitely other books on my-to-read list I'm going to get to first.

I give this book a B-

If you enjoyed this  book, check out the next in installment in The Mortal Instruments series, City of Ashes.

Book Review: Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

 

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by  Lisa See

Living in nineteenth-century China, Lily and Snow Flower are laotongs, or "old sames", meaning they are part of an arranged friendship meant to last throughout their whole lives. They communicate using a secret language for Chinese women, written on a silk fan which they send back and forth to each other.

My love for historical fiction is usually limited to British, and sometimes American, stories, and I am so glad I stepped out of that box for this book. Though there are a few graphic scenes, such as the foot binding ritual, this is an amazing story of the friendship,  love, and forgiveness between these two girls as they grow into women.

I give this one an A.

If you enjoyed this book, try the sequel Peony in Love.

Book Review: Outlander

 

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

In 1945 Scotland, Claire Randall is a nurse, home from the war, and on a sort of second honeymoon with her husband. But while visiting an old stone circle, she is transported back in time to 1743, where she meets Jamie Fraser, a young Scottish warrior, and soon becomes torn between two very different centuries, and two very different men.

Outlander is one of my all time favorite series of books. It is very much historical fiction, but I love the slight Sci-Fi edge, since I'm such a sucker for time travel. But really, it's so well written, I forget about it being even slightly in the Sci-Fi realm. Just a warning though, there are some pretty graphic scenes, of both violent and sexual natures.

I give this book an A.

The next book in the eight book Outlander series is  Dragonfly in Amber.

Book Review: The Fault in Our Stars

Being an organizer of a large book club, I get all kinds of requests, many being from authors, or people who work for authors, wanting our group to read their latest work, most of which is self-published. And usually it's not just their latest work, but their first work. And in our past experiences, not good.

There's a lot of email screening happening on my part. And rejection.

But a little over a year ago, I got an email from a local mom starting up her own local kids magazine, called North County Kids Magazine. It's a great little gem, full of parenting tips, and events taking place in North County San Diego. She wanted to know if I'd be interested in writing book reviews, mom to mom. (In fact, it's called Mom to Mom...)

Um, heck yes I would.  Gosh!

It's seriously so fun and rewarding and I love it. It's brought in a few new members to the Hip Chicks Book Club even.

So I'll be posting some of my short reviews here on MAPC, and hopefully it'll help you find a new great read.

I'll start with one of my more recent reviews, for The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, which also happened to be our book club pick this month.

 

After meeting in a cancer support group for kids at a local church, Hazel and Augustus fall in love, and even find a little adventure, despite their diagnoses.

This is one of the top books I've read recently. I think I fell in love with the characters as much as they fell in love with each other. It's smart, hopeful, funny, and heartbreaking (have a tissue handy for sure! I balled my eyes out!). So many things I love in a book.

I give this book an A.

Bonus: The main character, Hazel Grace, was based on a real person named Esther Earl, who was quite an inspiration. John Green even dedicated TFIOS to her. Here's an article on Esther, and the book This Star Won’t Go Out: The Life & Words of Esther Grace Earl, which I'm very much looking forward to reading.

 

Hip Chicks. AKA The Best Book Club in the World!

It's hard to believe that six years ago, I had no book club to call home, and was left to share my opinions on books with the very few who would (sort of) listen. Basically, my husband, and occasionally, my cousins and mom.

You could say there was a book club shaped hole in my heart. One that desperately needed filling.

All that changed when, after looking for a right book club fit and not finding it, I started my own group. One that has a ton of fun, drinks wine (and beer.), AND ACTUALLY READS THE BOOKS!

And thus, The Hip Chicks Book Club was born.

We're quite the group of ladies, from all walks of life. I've seriously made some of the greatest friends through this group, friends who, at this point, seem lifelong. A few of them I knew beforehand, and helped me get this group going. Most I've just met over the past six years.

This group keeps me sane, giving me much needed "grown-up" conversation at least once a month (usually more, since we go to pretty much any movie based on a book... and that almost always involves food, and drinks, either before or afterwards).

And although we have around 200+ members (it's huge. I know.) at any given time, I am so thankful for every single one of those gals for making this "little" book club the Best Book Club in the World!

For a list of what we've read in the past, and what we're currently reading, CLICK HERE!