I forgot to include a fruit & veg count yesterday, so here they are for the last two days:

Fruit & Veg Count, 12/12: 1 organic gala apple, 1 small organic banana

Fruit & Veg Count, 12/13: 1 organic gala apple, 3/4 cup mixed veggies (carrots, peas, broccoli), 3/4 cup green beans

And now on to BOOKS!

As you can see from the December Book List, Tamora Pierce is rapidly becoming a favorite author. Thanks Trista!!

I’m upgrading my ratings of Trickster’s Choice & Trickster’s Queen based on the fact that I’ve already re-read them. Some books simmer in the back of my mind before I figure out how much I like them.

The Immortals series is much earlier work by Pierce, focusing on the story of Daine, the wildmage who can communicate with, and eventually transform herself into, any mortal animal. She’s a recurring character in all of Pierce’s later series’ that I’ve read so far.

I don’t think this series is quite as compelling as her later work, but Daine is another wonderful, strong, interesting female character. And this series is interesting for the additional background on Pierce’s imaginary world and many of the characters who continue to play small-but-important roles in it. As is often the case, Pierce’s writing improves over time.

I also enjoyed The Three Martini Playdate, by Christie Mellor. However, the fact that it’s already slipping from my memory even though I read it less than a week ago has me thinking about revising the rating down a star. Really, I think I need a more granular rating system.

Three Martini, in spite of the title, doesn’t actually advocate getting drunk while watching your kids.

It does, however, entertainingly attempt to remind parents and parents-to-be that we are in charge of our households, we are the adults, and we are not going to scar our children for life if we fail to organize every aspect of our lives around theirs. In fact, it might even be better for the kiddies to see parents enjoying their own lives instead of just managing playgroups, soccer practices, dance lessons, and other activities designed to reinforce childrens’ opinions that they are the center of the universe.

It also advocates teaching your children good manners, including both with other adults and with their peers, and your opinions on behavior that is good, bad, and totally unacceptable.

The opening stories about Mellor’s little boy being beaten on by his 4 year old playmates, only to have their parents stop the behavior AND comfort their own children in case being told "don’t hit and choke your friend, it’s inappropriate" hurt the child’s feelings, were chilling examples of the kind of parenting Mellor’s book opposes. And they were very funny — that’s Mellor’s real gift. She’s a very witty and opinionated storyteller.

I forgot to include a fruit & veg count yesterday, so here they are for the last two days:

Fruit & Veg Count, 12/12: 1 organic gala apple, 1 small organic banana

Fruit & Veg Count, 12/13: 1 organic gala apple, 3/4 cup mixed veggies (carrots, peas, broccoli), 3/4 cup green beans

And now on to BOOKS!

As you can see from the December Book List, Tamora Pierce is rapidly becoming a favorite author. Thanks Trista!!

I’m upgrading my ratings of Trickster’s Choice & Trickster’s Queen based on the fact that I’ve already re-read them. Some books simmer in the back of my mind before I figure out how much I like them.

The Immortals series is much earlier work by Pierce, focusing on the story of Daine, the wildmage who can communicate with, and eventually transform herself into, any mortal animal. She’s a recurring character in all of Pierce’s later series’ that I’ve read so far.

I don’t think this series is quite as compelling as her later work, but Daine is another wonderful, strong, interesting female character. And this series is interesting for the additional background on Pierce’s imaginary world and many of the characters who continue to play small-but-important roles in it. As is often the case, Pierce’s writing improves over time.

I also enjoyed The Three Martini Playdate, by Christie Mellor. However, the fact that it’s already slipping from my memory even though I read it less than a week ago has me thinking about revising the rating down a star. Really, I think I need a more granular rating system.

Three Martini, in spite of the title, doesn’t actually advocate getting drunk while watching your kids.

It does, however, entertainingly attempt to remind parents and parents-to-be that we are in charge of our households, we are the adults, and we are not going to scar our children for life if we fail to organize every aspect of our lives around theirs. In fact, it might even be better for the kiddies to see parents enjoying their own lives instead of just managing playgroups, soccer practices, dance lessons, and other activities designed to reinforce childrens’ opinions that they are the center of the universe.

It also advocates teaching your children good manners, including both with other adults and with their peers, and your opinions on behavior that is good, bad, and totally unacceptable.

The opening stories about Mellor’s little boy being beaten on by his 4 year old playmates, only to have their parents stop the behavior AND comfort their own children in case being told "don’t hit and choke your friend, it’s inappropriate" hurt the child’s feelings, were chilling examples of the kind of parenting Mellor’s book opposes. And they were very funny — that’s Mellor’s real gift. She’s a very witty and opinionated storyteller.