Blue Monday and Bargain Book Bonanza #11 ~ Book Reviews: "Case Histories" and "Heart and Soul"

This morning I was looking around for something else blue to post for Blue Monday, to go along with my blue books.  I found this picture of Nigel and me, taken on a school field trip when he was in 5th grade (around 11 years ago).  I remember that field trip well.  We rode the bus to the Upper McKenzie River near McKenzie Bridge, Oregon.  We went behind a locked gate, to a place where the salmon were busy spawning.   They were all over the place, in shallow water ... you could have petted them if you are the type of person who enjoys petting fish.  It was also the last time that I had longer blond hair.  (I'm giving that a whirl again right now.)  If I remember right, the cool little picture frame was only around $3 or $4; a great bargain.

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

Bargain.  That is the word that leads us into the next part of this post, which is about the weekly meme over at Mrs. Baja Greenawalt's Book Blog: Bargain Book Bonanza.  I bought the two books below as great bargains, and am going to tell you a bit about them.  

First, though, I want to thank JMJ over at Shredded Cheddar for giving me a shout out on her blog.  About a month ago, I was featuring some books that I bought for a steal at St. Vinnies in Mayberry.  It was 1/2 off day.  I got a bunch of The Babysitter's Club books for .25 each.  JMJ is a tutor and she was rejoicing at my good deal, so I sent her some of those books to share with her students.  JMJ is also participating in this week's BBB linky party today.  Please CLICK HERE to visit Shredded Cheddar.


Okay, now on to my bargain book reviews:

Case Histories

Copyright 2004, by Kate Atkinson

This bargain book cost me $2.00, and I LOVE it!  I'm not quite done with it yet, but almost am.  It is an example of 6 degrees of separation at its best.  The plot twists and turns and you don't know what is going to happen next.  It is funny, well-written, action-packed, involves murder, solving mysteries and lost and found. 

The first chapter had me hooked, and then the next chapter was a completely different story.  And then another.  Finally, we are introduced to the hero, Jackson, a cop turned private investigator and learn how things are tied together.

This book is a joy, with many well defined characters.  I would have paid full price for it, if I had known about it when it first came out.  A must read, if there ever was one.

Heart and Soul

Copyright 2008, Maeve Binchy

I always enjoy reading Maeve Binchy books.  This is the 13th one that I have read over the years, and I've read several of them more than once.  They are set in Ireland; past and current.   The characters blend into other books, but not in a series sort of a way.  

I had just finished reading Toni Morrison's "Beloved" when I picked up this book.  "Beloved" is excellent, but it is heavy and I still don't understand it all.  No modern day ghost t.v. shows have dealt with what happened in that book, and it confuses me a bit.  So, needless to say, I was ready for a light, enjoyable read ... and that is what I got with Heart and Soul.  

Maeve Binchy has a lot of characters in her books too.  The heroine of this book is single mother Dr. Clara Casey, who sets up and develops a healthy heart center at the hospital where she works.  So many areas of life are touched upon in this book mainly dealing with relationships between generations.    

I recommend this book and all of her other books.  They are a nice escape from everyday life and have happy endings.

This post is a Blue Monday post, so when you are all through here at Oregon Gifts, please visit Sally and others for lots of neat blue things by  CLICKING HERE.

This is also a Bargain Book Bonanza post too, so when you are all done here, please head on over to visit Lesa, Leslie, DeLynne and Tracy over there, by CLICKING HERE.           

If you miss a day, you miss a lot!  Don't miss out on the news ... Please click here to go to my home page and see what is happening in Mayberry today.

Bargain Book Bonanza #4: Children's Literature Blog and Book Reviews

Hello friends!  Did  you guys know that I have another blog?  Well, actually, I have more than one other blog, and the links to each are located on the sidebar near the top, under "Other Blogs by Kathy Matthews".  Go figure.  Anyway, here is the one that I want to introduce to you this morning ...

Children's Literature, American Folklore and American Traditions:  Remembering the America of my youth...compiled by Kathy Matthews, a baby boomer grandmother living in Central Oregon. This website includes American History, children and youth books, songs, nursery rhymes, movies and stories that we don't want to forget ... with links to websites with similar information.

Please go over there and check it out that website when you have a chance, and make sure that you take a look at all the pages.  Besides books and library links, you will find folk songs, homeschooling info and lots, lots more.  PLEASE CLICK HERE.

I love reading the kids books in our little home library. It has been a joy, and it makes me want to keep adding to it.  Whenever I see used books of any kind at a great bargain, I buy them.  A teacher once told me that if a book written for children is good that people of all ages will enjoy it. That is so true!

I have done this before, in the mid 90's, reading childrens' literature, when I had my home childcare center. I found that it helped me remember what it was like to be a child, to see the world through their eyes. It helped me to remember what made a child happy, proud, sad, scared and worried.  I think that everybody should do it once in a while ... read quality writing for kids.  

Beverly Cleary and Judy Blume are really good about getting inside a kid's head and explaining the world through their eyes. So are many other authors.  Here are a few book reviews that I wrote last year:

Carolina Crow Girl

by Valerie Hobbs, c. 1999

This is a story about an 11-year-old named Carolina. She lives with her mom (who has never been married) and baby sister in a school bus. They find a piece of property to park the bus in a new town on the West Coast, and she finds a baby crow and a best friend named Stefan.  Carolina has to make some big decisions. I enjoyed this book a lot.

Because of Winn-Dixie

by Kate DiCamillo, c. 2000. Newberry Winner

This book is just like the movie, if you have already seen it. It is about a wise and kind little girl, Opal, who is new to town, finds a dog and together they make friends during their first summer there. Full of wisdom and acceptance, there is a lot written into this little book.  It shows how everybody has issues, a story of their lives, and that and everybody is important. So is having a community.

Harriet Spies Again

by Helen Ericson, c. 2002

Harriet the Spy was written a long time ago by Louise Fitzhugh. It was one of my favorites when I was a little girl. Harriet Spies Again is a follow-up book written by somebody else, about Harriet when she is 11 and 12. Her nanny, Ole Golly, returns to their home for several months after leaving her new husband. This book is really well written and captures Harriet to a tee.

Ramona's World

Beverly Cleary, c. 1999

I love Ramona Quimby and know that I am not the only one!  In this book, Ramona's baby sister, Roberta, has just been born and Beezus just started high school. Ramona is just beginning 4th grade, meets a new best friend, has her first crush, and really has a good year, all in all.  

I am submitting this post into Lesa's Bargain Book Bonanza, over at Baja Greenawalt's Book Blog.  Please join in and tell us your story about the great bargain books that you have found, and  CLICK HERE  to see what our other book friends are up to today!

If you miss a day, you miss a lot!  Don't miss out on the news ... Please click here to go to my home page and see what is happening in Mayberry today.