“The House at Pooh Corner” by A. A. Milne

After some “serious” readings I needed a lighter reading that I knew I loved. So, of course I had to reread “The House at Pooh Corner.”

Growing up any Winnie the Pooh was a book I read until the covers literally fell off of the book. So, it’s safe to say I love A. A. Milnes’ “The House at Pooh Corner.”

You find the always “helpful,” loving, and kind Winnie the Pooh, Christopher Robin, and his friends in the Hundred Acre Wood.

Each character has their own witty, fun, and silly personality Winnie the Pooh says some of the most reflective, and insightful things – even though he just a bear. Piglet is known for being a bit fearful. Tigger who is introduced in this book is the bouncy, fun-loving animal, and of course he’s one of a kind. Eeyore is the gloomy, dreadful one of the bunch. Rabbit is probably the most practical of the bunch. Owl can be a bit talkative, and somewhat absent minded. And, you can’t forget Kanga and Roo! Kanga is of course very motherly, and Roo is a curious, energetic fellow.

(I love Roo! My nickname for my daughter is actually Roo, and she loves Winnie the Pooh too!)

In this story we find the Christopher Robin has to grow up, and the Hundred Acre Wood creatures struggle to understand why he must grow up. So, although we may be grown we can hold on to a bit of childhood through the Hundred Acre Wood, and it’s loving characters.

One of my favorite quotes from the book;

Hope you’ve enjoyed this post, thank you for taking time to read!

Exploring the world one book at a time,

Book Reflections

Happy Sunday everyone!

Nobody freak out – I recently ran across the news that Netflix has acquired the rights to ALL of The Chronicles of Narnia. This is the first time that all of the book rights are held under the same company.

Netflix has done quite a few book to television adaptions. My personal favorite thus far is “A Series of Unfortunate Events.” They have done a much better job making a series out of the books, verses the hour and forty-eight minute long movie released in 2004.

Anyway, there are currently three Chronicles of Narnia movies which include; “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” (2005), “Prince Caspian” (2006), and “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader” (2010). These movies grossed over one and a half billion dollars.

It sounds like Netflix is wanting to make a “Narnia Universe”. Maybe they’ll do something along the lines of what they’ve done with Cressida Cowells’ “How to Train Your Dragon” series. (Also a very good Netflix book to television series) They kept portions of the books alive, but they also added and went on more “adventures” through the multiple Netflix series.

The Chronicles of Narnia books have sold over one hundred million copies, and have been translated into forty-seven languages. (This lands The Chronicles of Narnia in the top fifty books that have been translated to other languages.)

P. S. I own three sets of The Chronicles of Narnia so I’m quite geeked.

I guess my last question is – Who do you think will land the rolls of Edmond, Lucy, Peter, and Susan? That could make or break the series. Let me know what you think in the comments below!

Exploring the world one book at a time,

Book Reflections

Hello everyone,

I hope everyone has had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and I hope you all remembered to set your scales back ten pounds. This photo is not originally mine however it made me chuckle, and had my brain firing.

I love to watch movies that have been created from books, and in most cases the book is always better. However there are a few exceptions to that rule.

A few movies that I thought were better than the book; almost anything Nicholas Sparks, (sorry!) and please hold your fire on this one Louis Lowerys’ The Giver.

I’m sure there is more I’m not thinking of, but feel free to share your unpopular opinions bellow – without fear! Haha

Happy Holidays everyone!

Exploring the world one book at a time,

Book Reflections

Hello everyone,

I apologize for not posting for a bit. I have been out of the country without internet access. I went on a lovely cruise to the Eastern Caribbean. The cruise stopped in Grand Turk, Puerto Rico, St. Kitts, and Sint Maarten. They are all beautiful islands, and have wonderful people that live on them.

While away I did have a chance to listen to “A Museum of Thieves” by Lian Tanner via overdrive. (Side note: If you didn’t know, you can download books/audiobooks from overdrive to use without WiFi or cellular data)

I was pleasantly surprised by “A Museum of Thieves.” To be honest I was slightly partial to the idea of a book about a museum, because I love them. I’m talking history nerd, science geeking out, Smithsonian loving museum freak.

So, with that in the air I really did in enjoy the story crafted by Lian Tanner. I would put this book at a middle grade reading level. If this book existed when I was in middle school I feel like it would’ve instantly became one of my favorites

Tanner crafts a futuristic, dystopian society where children are basically chained to their parents also know as their keepers to keep them “safe.” Goldie the main character breaks away from the chains and runs away.

By running away she created a big mess of things. She has the Guardians of Jewel after her. But, by a stroke of luck she finds a museum full of interesting characters, and to top that off the museum itself is alive.

I’ll leave the rest of this book a mystery. I surely don’t want to spoil it for you. On the next!

4/5 stars

Exploring the world one book at a time,

Book Reflections

In just a few short weeks Book Reflections has reached over 100 followers on instagram! I am incredibly thankful to all who have decided to take this journey with me! In thanks I would like to host a book giveaway!

Winner will receive three books, bookmarks, and other bookish goodies!

Rules:

– Must like and repost photo with the hashtag #BRGIVEAWAY

– Follow Book Reflections

Giveaway open internationally from 10/30-12/31/18. Winner will be announced 1/1/19

Spoiler Alert 🚨

If you haven’t yet watched the ending to The Great American read, and don’t want it to be spoiled pass on this until you do!

The Great American Read Results:

1. To Kill a Mockingbird
2. Outlander (Series)
3. Harry Potter (Series)
4. Pride and Prejudice
5. Lord of the Rings
6. Gone with the Wind
7. Charlotte’s Web
8. Little Women
9. Chronicles of Narnia
10. Jane Eyre
11. Anne of Green Gables
12. Grapes of Wrath
13. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
14. Book Thief
15. Great Gatsby
16. The Help
17. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
18. 1984
19. And Then There Were None
20. Atlas Shrugged
21. Wuthering Heights
22. Lonesome Dove
23. Pillars of the Earth
24. Stand
25. Rebecca
26. A Prayer for Owen Meany
27. Color Purple
28. Alice in Wonderland
29. Great Expectations
30. Catcher in the Rye
31. Where the Red Fern Grows
32. Outsiders
33. The Da Vinci Code
34. The Handmaid’s Tale
35. Dune
36. The Little Prince
37. Call of the Wild
38. The Clan of the Cave Bear
39. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to The Galaxy
40. The Hunger Games
41. The Count of Monte Cristo
42. The Joy Luck Club
43. Frankenstein
44. The Giver
45. Memoirs of a Geisha
46. Moby Dick
47. Catch 22
48. Game of Thrones (series)
49. Foundation (series)
50. War and Peace
51. Their Eyes Were Watching God
52. Jurassic Park
53. The Godfather
54. One Hundred Years of Solitude
55. The Picture of Dorian Gray
56. The Notebook
57. The Shack
58. A Confederacy of Dunces
59. The Hunt for Red October
60. Beloved
61. The Martian
62. The Wheel of Time (series)
63. Siddhartha
64. Crime and Punishment
65. The Sun Also Rises
66. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime
67. A Separate Peace
68. Don Quixote
69. The Lovely Bones
70. The Alchemist
71. Hatchet (series)
72. Invisible Man
73. The Twilight Saga (series)
74. Tales of the City (series)
75. Gulliver’s Travels
76. Ready Player One
77. Left Behind (series)
78. Gone Girl
79. Watchers
80. The Pilgrim’s Progress
81. Alex Cross Mysteries (series)
82. Things Fall Apart
83. Heart of Darkness
84. Gilead
85. Flowers in the Attic
86. Fifty Shades of Grey
87. The Sirens of Titan
88. This Present Darkness
89. Americanah
90. Another Country
91. Bless Me, Ultima
92. Looking for Alaska
93. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
94. Swan Song
95. Mind Invaders
96. White Teeth
97. Ghostird
98. The Coldest Winter Ever
99. The Intuitionist
100. Doña Bárbára There you have it folks! The long awaited results of The Great American Read. I have to say I wasn’t shocked by the winner. I do like “To Kill a Mockingbird”, but it definitely wasn’t my all time favorite on the list. However, my favorite did end up in the top ten.

C. S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia, so I am satisfied with that.

I didn’t think there were any real shockers. I almost guessed the top five correctly besides “Outlanders.” Apparently I have been living under a rock, and have never read it.

Anyway, let me know what you think about the results, and where your favorite ended up.

Exploring the world one book at a time.

-Book Reflections

“Me Before You” by Jojo Moyes

Excuse me while I obliterate an entire box of tissues. No, seriously this book brings up a huge moral issue, and Jojo Moyes does a fantastic job at portraying the feelings of the main characters throughout the entire story.

26 year-old Louisa (Lou) Clark loses her job, and is “forced” to take a job as a caretaker of a quadriplegic 35 year-old Will Traynor. But, Camilla (Will’s mother) already employs a nurse to care for him. What was she there for?

Lou is a character that I feel most twenty-something females can identify with easily. She’s bubbly, quirky, but realizes the world is a rough and tough place. Will was a former business man before he was made a quadriplegic by being hit by a motorbike. Will is unhappy with life, and tends to take it out on those around him.

A lot happens between the beginning and end, and I surely don’t want to ruin it for you. Drama, love, vacations, and assisted suicide all pop up between the front and back cover. But, I promise you you’ll cry at some point before the end.

This book is outside of my “normal” reading habits. I usually read science fiction or fantasy type novels – rarely do I read romance. But, this book is considered a romance novel. It is hard to place it in that category in comparison to what is usually written, and published in that category.

It was on my “to be read” list since I watched the movie awhile back. The movie and the book share very similar parallels. My only complaint about the book verses the movie is Lou’s fathers character.

Overall I would recommend “Me Before You.” Just be prepared if you are American to decipher a few words from the British meaning to the US meaning.

Happy Reading!

4/5 Stars

Exploring the world one book at a time –

Book Reflections

So, I would love to know what everyone’s grammar pet peeves are! My Mother gets incredibly annoyed at me when I correct her grammar, but I blame my Father for making me such a stickler. 😂

I think some of my greatest annoyances are the use of homophones.

Their, there, and they’re.

This has been drilled into your head since elementary school. Why can’t people get it?

Another annoyance of mine is the use of two. too, and to. It’s another one of those things that has been repeated since elementary school, and people still cannot make it click.

Your and you’re…

Were, where, wear, and we’re –

Finally, then verses than –

Here is any easy chart to help you remember if you forget easily.

Okay, I know that I am certainly not the best at spelling, however it is 2018! You are most likely writing, and posting to social media on a device that has spell check. Do people just blatantly ignore that little red line under the words they “spell”, or do they just think its there for dramatic accent of their work?

I have complied a list of 25 spelling errors that will make us grammar nerds laugh just a bit.

1) Oh snap.

2) Steaks?

3) The committee says so.

4) he might eventually regret going to a tattoo artist that didn’t know how to spell.

5) Whoops, looks like they should’ve spent a little more time there before painting this on the ground.

6) No?

7) This sounds like an interesting place.

8) Pubic School? No thanks.

9) Let me know when you figure out what the Hall of Cost is. I’d be delighted to find out.

10) Do you lack toast?

11) Wash thy hands, or no life shall be granted to you.

12) You May be severed upon entry.

13) Your car may turn into a toad. They’ll send a magical being so watch out.

14) Do you “wont” it gone.

15) But, clearly not spelling.

16) I never thought of this as a problem, but okay?

17) I can’t even…

18) Humm…

19) Who is down for some launch?

20) I think I would just turn around.

21) Except vs accept 🤦‍♀️

22) We’re fairly certain you shouldn’t reproduce…

23) Can we trust the winner actually spelled words correctly?

24) I’ll pass.

25) Looks like they should’ve found another word for synonym.

Well, I hope that you’ve had fun with this one today! Let me know what you think in the comments below!

Exploring the world one book at a time

-Book Reflections

Today is the last day to vote for a book in PBS’s Great American Read!

Here is the link if you haven’t done so yet.

https://www.pbs.org/the-great-american-read/vote/#

I have voted for C. S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia persistently!

As I child I can honestly say these are the books that made me fall in love with reading such a long time ago. You could open the books up, and escape reality. You were now in a new world just beyond reality with mystical, mysterious, and wondrous things.

Some others on the list I have voted for a few times:

• 1984

• Jurassic Park

• The Outsiders

• Charlotte’s Web

• Ready Player One

• Lord of the Rings

As you can see I am definitely a science fiction/fantasy fan.

What have you been voting for?

What book/series do you predict will win?

Exploring the world one book at a time.

– Book Reflections