Nicholas St. North Video Version

Here is the latest video in case you'd rather go with this route. I recorded this video on Friday, and I don't know what it was about that day, but I was feeling very lazy. I think we need lazy days every once in a while, don't you? Still, I did manage to get done everything that needed getting done that day, including filming for the video! Aside from that, I was true to my word and did in fact complete the last dungeon in The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds. Now that I've saved all the sages, all that's left is to go back to the castle and kick some serious butt! Oh yeah, I rock at saving the world! Ha!

And hey, The Legend of Zelda requires some reading so it's not like I was totally slacking off on the reading front :P

Enjoy the video, and please feel free to read along as I delve into book 2 of The Guardians series.

Nicholas St. North and the Battle of the Nightmare King

Rating: 3.5/5

Author: William Joyce

Pages: 228

Genre: Children’s Fiction/Fantasy

Synopsis:

Everyone loves a good dream, but the thing children fear the most as they drift off to sleep is that nightmares will be waiting for them instead of dreams.

There was a war fought long ago that not many on Earth know of, a war of light versus dark. At the peak of the war, the dark armies of fearlings and nightmare men were led by Pitch, a sinister creature who wants nothing more than to fill the world with fear and nightmares. But the legions of the moon fought back with great forces of light that the darkness could not withstand. It was a close call, but in the end Pitch was trapped and peace was restored.

Until now…

Join Ombric, a wizened old wizard, Katherine, an imaginative and loving child, and North, a notorious outlaw who had no plans whatsoever of being anyone’s hero as they face the renewed forces of darkness and fight with their might to restore peace once more.

My Reaction:

Let me say first of all that I’m not one of those people who will be disgusted in a book/movie because it’s not a copy and paste version of the book/movie. I’m a weirdo who likes to look at both mediums and telling of the story and compare and contrast and sometimes get more meanings and morals out of things (can you tell I was an English major and had to write papers on this sort of thing?). Anyway, we won’t go on a soap box about that.

Even though I’m not bothered if a movie based on a book is completely different from the book, I do think it’s important to note that this book is nothing like the movie at all (perhaps that’s a little ironic as the author co-directed the movie). I only bring that up because a story can be dashed by your expectations or preconceived notions. So don’t go in thinking this book is exactly like the movie or you may be disappointed. It’s very different. It is possible that there will be more similarities as the series continues. Time will tell.

Aside from all that, I thought this was a good, adventurous book that would appeal to a variety of readers. There are themes of friendship that I enjoy. I think my favorite idea of the story is the idea of becoming a better version of yourself because someone already sees you as that better version—they believe in you.

I feel like the jacket flap of the book is deceiving, making the book sound almost like an origination story of St. Nick, but it doesn’t really feel like that at all. In the movie we clearly see him as a swashbuckling, Russian version of Santa Claus. In the book he’s definitely a swashbuckling rogue turned wizard’s apprentice and inventor, but there’s no clear connection to Santa except for that his full name is Nicholas St. North. Perhaps there will be clearer ties to an unconventional Santa Clause later as North is still a character moving forward.

I’m curious to see how this series plays out in its entirety.

Reader Guidance:

There’s not really anything I could think of that may be of concern. There’s nothing graphic. I would feel comfortable with letting a child read it.

A guy is swallowed whole by a bear, but (spoiler) he’s saved. That same bear is also stabbed by North. When Pitch is first mentioned in captivity, the thing that’s keeping him from escaping is a dagger he was pierced with at some previous time.

Similar Books:

Here are some other fantastical adventure series you may enjoy!

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Leven Thumps and the Gateway to Foo by Orbert Skye

Fablehaven by Brandon Mull

Next Book:

Up next is the second book in the series: E. Aster Bunnymund and the Warrior Eggs at the Earth's Core! That sounds pretty exciting! Adventure awaits!

The One and Only Ivan

Rating: 5/5

Author: Katherine Applegate

Pages: 304

Genre: Children’s Fiction

Synopsis:

First, I must say how completely wonderful this book is. Because of that, I’m afraid I’m going to give away too much. This is a book that you need to experience for yourself. I’m serious! Go out and get a copy and read! It’s a quick read despite its 304 pages. There are big gaps between paragraphs and the chapters are short and there are even a few pictures! Please do yourself a favor and read this book!

Now then, time for a brief synopsis in which I try not to give too much away.

Ivan is a silverback gorilla and has spent the majority of his life in a small domain inside the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade. Mostly, he’s content with life. He has some great friends—Stella, the elephant next door, and Bob, a stray dog who spends each night curled up on Ivan’s rather large stomach. He has his TV, plenty of his favorite treat (yogurt raisins), and his art (Ivan loves to draw and paint).

But the animals and their daily shows are losing popularity. In an attempt to save the show and his income, their owner, Mack, brings a new friend to their domain—a baby elephant named Ruby, and suddenly everything is different. It’s like Ivan’s eyes are being opened for the first time. Change is coming—there’s no doubt about that—and Ivan realizes he has the power to make it become a change for the better.

My Reaction:

There. That will do. No spoilers there.

Now, how can I convey to you just how truly magnificent this book was?

By showering it with compliments obviously.

This book is the reason that I enjoy children’s fiction. Every once in a while you get a gem of a book that is so completely golden! The sort of story with life and depth that sucks you right in from start to finish and finds a special place in your heart to curl up in and remain forever. It makes you think. It makes you smile. It makes you tear up a bit. It’s brilliant.

Yes, it really is that good. It is well deserving of the Newbery honor it received.

This book actually made me gasp and tear up multiple times. It’s such a beautiful, at times heartbreaking, story. I was so immersed in it, and I love the characters!

You truly just need to experience this book for yourself. This is one of the best books I’ve read for a long time. It’s definitely going on the “Danielle’s Most Favorite Books Ever” list.

Interesting note: Ivan is based off a real gorilla! He passed away in 2012, and the Seattle Times wrote an article about him. Read it here.

Reader Guidance:

This book has a few heart wrenching moments. Nothing overly graphic. The story deals with animals that were taken from their parents at a young age, their parents were killed, some weren’t treated super well in a circus environment.

I really don’t want to give any of the story away, but know there is mention of what is called a “claw stick” being used on animals, animals being killed or dying, and a mention of limbs of animals being cut off to be used for other things and sold.

Similar Books:

The way I felt about this book reminded me of a few other children’s books I love:

Winne the Pooh by A.A. Milne

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo

Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie

Next Book:

Do you guys remember that movie Rise of Guardians that came out in like 2012? Did you know it's based off a book series? There are four books total starting with Nicholas St. North and the Nightmare King. 

I'm really curious about this series, so let's give it a go!

Please go out and read The One and Only Ivan and tell me what you think! And don't forget to send along your recommendations!

Enna Burning

 

          

Rating: 3.5/5

Author: Shannon Hale

Pages: 317

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Synopsis:

Enna Burning is the sequel to The Goose Girl. In this story, Enna is the main character whereas Ani/Isi has a supporting role.

A few years have passed since Isi married Geric, and Enna finds herself back at home in the forest and no longer working in the city. When her brother, Leifer, starts behaving strangely and suddenly demonstrates the ability to wield fire, Enna returns to the city to talk to the only person who would understand—Isi who not only has the power to speak with birds but to speak with the wind. Upon her return, Enna discovers that there is more to worry about than this sudden appearance of fire. War is upon them from the land of Tira in the south. Determined to stay by her friend’s side, Enna joins the war effort as Isi’s maiden. But when Leifer gives his life using the power of fire in a major battle, Enna can’t fight the need to do more and to understand her brother’s sacrifice.

Before she realizes what she’s gotten herself into, Enna herself has learned the gift of fire, but this is a gift that needs to be controlled. If she masters the skill, she can aid in the victory of Bayern. If she can’t, she could find herself consumed by the flames.

My Reaction:

Enna Burning is a well crafted story, much like The Goose Girl. It is somewhat darker than its predecessor in that much of the story deals with this inner struggle to control the fire within her. Fire has a need to consume and burn, so it encourages her to burn, even to burn other people especially since she’s in the middle of a war.

One of the things I liked best about this story is how it all wrapped up in the end. The last few chapters were honestly my favorite (and no, it wasn’t just because it was all over!). I think for me it was in those last few scenes where I personally connected most with the characters. Speaking of which, there are a few other characters from The Goose Girl that make reappearances as well, most notably Finn and Razo.

In the end, I gave this book a little bit of a lower score than The Goose Girl. It was a good read with some good conflict and resolution, but it just didn’t quite pull me in to the same level that The Goose Girl did. I’d still say it’s worth a read if you enjoyed the first book.

Reader Guidance:

It shouldn’t surprise you that a book dealing with war is going to have some violence to it. For the most part, I felt the violence was dealt with appropriately and wasn’t overly graphic. The thing that would probably be most concerning to me was when she burns people or fights the urge to burn people. When I was reading this book, a 9 year old girl asked me to read out loud to her, and because it was a little darker and dealt with this people burning aspect (and because I didn’t know the sorts of things her parents might approve of) I didn’t really feel comfortable reading it to her. I’d say it’s more for a mid-teen audience.

Here are some of the things to consider for this book:

•       The book opens with a woman burning to death
•         Battle descriptions—arrows biting soft flesh, metal tearing their middles, delivering death blows, etc.
•         The dead from battle are stacked in a heap and burned
•         There’s a fight to the death
•         It causes Enna physical pain to use the fire—describes the pain and her screaming
•         Enna burns a man to free herself
•         There’s a story mentioned of a mother who bathed her child in blood to make him an invincible warrior
•         Mention of soiling oneself
•         A man comes to taunt Enna and possibly take advantage of her, but another soldier shows up just in time and beats up the first guy.
•         There are two instances of language, both times using the ba— word
•         There are a few instances of people being stabbed or shot in the back or people punching other people
•         There are some more instances of people being burned alive

As I mentioned above, I didn’t feel like these were overly graphic.

Similar Books:

There are currently four books total in the stories of Bayern:

The Goose Girl

Enna Burning

River Secrets

Forest Born

Next Book:

I was ready for a break from the world of Bayern, but I wasn’t quite sure where to go next. I ended up doing exactly what I told my husband I would do: I went to the library, stepped into a random aisle, and checked out the first book I randomly set my hand on. As it happens, I recognized the cover as being a book I’d noticed before while perusing books, and it was one I was interested in reading. Clearly fate has brought us together! So next up is The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate.

                                                    

I must say, yesterday I started reading the first little bit of this book (I even read it out loud to that same nine year old mentioned above), and I'm already enjoying it (as was the nine year old). I'm excited to see how this one progresses!

Books That Terrified Me as a Child

Hello fellow bookworms!

Confession: I haven't finished reading Enna Burning. I'm about halfway through. This is my own fault since I didn't do much reading last week. I can't remember why. That was a whole week ago! I'm sure you'll forgive me. You understand.

Being at the halfway point, I can say that I'm thinking this book is around the same level as its predecessor The Goose Girl. I will also admit that I've been distracted reading it mostly due to a group of small children. Once again, I'm sure many out there will be understanding. Even with the distraction, I'll try and give my honest opinion of the book...next week!

The big question now is, "What do I talk about?"

...

...

...

I'VE GOT IT!

When I was a kid, I was one of those children who listened to tapes as I went to sleep, and a lot of those tapes I listened to were books on tape. Now, perhaps it was all about the reading and the musical ambiance that some of those tapes had playing in the background, but some of those stories frankly terrified me. Thanks, Mom and Dad, for sending me to bed with frightening images, music, and the multiple dings to turn the page! Just kidding. I love you both. Thanks for fostering my love of reading.

There's my faithful Spike!

I shared a room with my sister at the time, and I'm pretty sure she wasn't bothered at all (she is nearly four whole years older than me after all and thus more brave.) I'm pretty sure she most often would fall asleep before that first ding. So there I was alone in the dark with nothing but my giant, stuffed, blue rabbit named Spike to protect me (I'm not sure what happened to Spike. I have theories he was lost in the great lice epidemic of 1997.). I would squeeze him so tight during the scariest moments. He proved a most loyal companion, and together, we survived!

Here are a few of the books that came to mind in no particular order:

1. The Pig Who Saved the Day by Thomas Crawford

Judging by the scarcity of this book as I searched the internet, I'm left wondering if many other children were scarred for life upon hearing this children's tale resulting in low sales and no one caring about it anymore. I'm being dramatic. I'm sure it's a great book. In essence, what I remember is a happy little farm...with a pig. The most traumatic moment is when a wolf comes probably to eat some of the animals. And I guess the pig saves the day. I don't really know. I don't remember that bit. Pretty much I just remember the wolf, and I'm pretty sure that story is what caused me to wake up in the middle of the night one time and see a wolf shape. He was surely going to eat me until I realized it was just a trick of the light on our coats hanging up. Still, terrifying!


2. Lost in Dinosaur World by Geoffrey T. Williams

When I think of this, I'm kind of reminded of Jurassic Park. This is the story of a young boy who gets lost in a dinosaur theme park. I don't know if I ever made it to the end of the tape. I don't remember how the story ends. He either makes it out alive and people rejoice over that fact, or he gets eaten. Either seems probable. This tape is probably the reason for my dinosaur themed dreams of my childhood (that and the dinosaur sequence of Fantasia, which was also an emotionally scarring thing for me. I totally hid behind furniture to save myself from that scene. My little brother did too until he decided I was silly and dinosaurs were cool...Betrayed by my own brother...). Click on the title of the book to listen to an audio clip on Amazon. I'm pretty positive that's the same recording I grew up with. Only my sister would be able to confirm or deny that fact.



3. Jorinda and Joringel by The Brothers Grimm

Well, do I need to say more than the fact that I was terrified by a brothers Grim fairy tale? For some reason I'm thinking this tape was originally from my grandma. I don't know if that's fact though... Either way...scary! Mostly what I remember about this tape is the lady narrating it saying "jug, jug" when Jorinda is turned into a bird by an evil witch in a wood. Then Joringel is turned to stone. The end. Nah, I'm just kidding. It has a good ending. The curses are broken. The witch is defeated. Oops. Spoilers.

4. Ruby and Sputters by Stephen Cosgrove

If my sister reads this post, she'll probably be saying about now, "Really, Danielle? Ruby and Sputters?" Either that or she won't even remember what I'm talking about. I included this one, not necessarily because it was terrifying like the others, but I do remember it giving me a bad dream about being attacked by a dog. There is no dog attack in this story though. I'm just strange. If I remember correctly (more spoilers are coming), it tells the story of a cat and a dog who get caught out in a snowstorm and die, or are very close to death, but it all ends okay because they are turned into angels. I actually liked that one despite the sadness and dog attack dream. This book was actually one in a series, Earth Angels. We had a bunch of them and listened to many of them on tape. Others include Finnegan Firewing and Hannah Go Brightly. I should mention that this is the same author who did the Serendipity books. Does anyone else remember those? This is another one that has an audio clip.

5. Peach Boy

Okay, so I don't think this one actually terrified me, but we did use to listen to it on tape. If you flipped it over it would just have the music. My siblings and I would listen to it, jump onto one of our waterbeds with all of stuffed animals, and pretend we were on a boat in crazy conditions. The big goal was to keep the animals in the boat. That should tell you how epic Peach Boy was.

The last book on tape that I could think of was not scary at all, but I have to mention them because I still thing they are pretty awesome kids books and those are the Little Miss and Little Mr. books.

What are some of your fondest memories of books when you were a kid? More importantly, was anyone else terrified of the books intended for small children but possibly traumatize them for life? Or was that just me?

German Apple Cake

Nom! Nom! Nom!

One of the things I've really wanted to do with this book club/blog is to try foods that are mentioned in the books! That's what I call making reading interactive...and delicious!


There was actually a lot of different foods mentioned in Shannon Hale's The Goose Girl. I kept a list
as a read. Some things sounded much more delicious than other things. As delicious as bean and lard stew sounds, I decided to go with something else for my culinary experiment.

There was one food mentioned twice, and that was apple cake.

Seeing as the book is based off of a German fairy tale, I went in search of German apple cakes. There are many varieties, and I may try another one at some point just to compare. I wanted something more on the authentic side, and since the recipe sharer said her German mother used to make the recipe, I'm thinking I found a good option.

I followed the instructions almost exactly (I will elaborate in a moment). It ended up differently than I expected, but not in a bad way. Mostly just the texture and sweetness was different. Having been in Europe before and having desserts that are no where near as sweet as out desserts, I was surprised to find that this cake is indeed sweet. It's a bit firmer around the edges (although, that could just be because my timer mysteriously turned off, so I'm not actually sure how long I left it in the oven...not long enough to destroy it, and that's all that matters). The middle is soft and, I almost want to say, chewy. That with the apples and cinnamon make a pretty good combo.

My fellow destiny seekers lent a hand.

The Equipment:

The first thing you'll want to know is this lovely cake requires the use of a springform pan. The other equipment I used was a Kitchenaid mixer and one of these fancy schmancy apple corer, peeler, slicer machines of goodness. You may not actually want to use one of those fancy schmancy things and choose to do it by hand instead. Keep reading to find out why!

What I Did Differently:

This section seems to need bullet points! Make it so!

• I didn't use Granny Smith apples. This was mostly because I already had gala apples, and I was perhaps too lazy to go and buy some Granny Smiths. That being said, it still worked, but I think the Granny Smiths would be a nice touch as they are more tart than gala apples and would therefore create a beautiful balance between tart and sweet. 
• I used a fancy schmancy apple corer, peeler, slicer machine of goodness. The pro of this it that it takes care of all three steps in one! The con in this case is that you get very thin slices of apple. I ended up doubling up in layers of apple to make sure I had enough apple on there. If you compare my pictures with those in the original recipe you'll be able to see the difference. I think I may slice the apples by hand next time so I can get bigger chunks of apple.
• I didn't use shortening to grease the pan. Sure it's a little thing, but hey, I'm kind of anti shortening. I never use it when recipes call for it, and so far the recipes have turned out great. What I did in this case was sprayed it with some Pam and then dusted it with the flour. You could just use butter instead, or if you're not anti shortening, feel free to use that.
• I added a dollop of whipped cream to my piece. I couldn't resist.

Recipe Side Note:

Yes, I'm going to make you scroll all the way to the bottom to get to the recipe, but I want to make sure you read these notes for consideration before you actually get started. I've had to many times where I'm in the middle of the recipe and realize there were totally tips and tricks or important directions that I skipped over.

Here's your side note: this is a thick, sticky batter. You'll have to work it with a rubber spatula to
spread it evenly along the bottom of the pan. Also, it's not a very thick cake.

The Recipe:

Since I didn't change enough of this recipe to make it my own, just click here to be taken to the recipe.

Final Thoughts on the Recipe:

Judging by the fact that it disappeared withing a few days at my house, I'm taking it to mean that the recipe has earned a stamp of approval! I enjoyed the texture, and like I mentioned above, next time I'll make the apple slices bigger.

Now it's your turn! Make this cake for yourself and share pictures and impressions. Is there anything you would change about the recipe?

The Goose Girl

Rating: 4.5/5

Author: Shannon Hale
Pages: 383
Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy

Synopsis:

Anidori-Kiladra Talianna Isilee, or just plain ol' Ani, is the crown princess of the kingdom of Kildenree, although she doesn't think she's very good at the role. As a child she would much rather spend time listening to her aunt's stories and learning to talk the language of the birds, something the queen frowned upon to say the least. As she grew older, she tried to be the princess she ought to be, and often found solace is long rides on her horse with her father riding his own steed beside her.

But when the king dies, Ani's mother determines that the best use for her first born is to marry her off the prince of the neighboring kingdom Bayern and thus avoid any potential future threat of war. Ani reluctantly sets off never guessing what her future would hold. Before they reach her destination, Ani's lady in waiting, Selia, rises up against her with a devious plan to take over Ani's identity as princess of Kildenree. Ani's only choices are to run or lose her life. Forced into hiding and finding work tending the king of Bayern's flock of geese, Ani must form a plan and bide her time to stop Selia before her treachery leads to, not only the deaths of many of her kinsmen, but the death of Ani herself!

My Reaction:

The Goose Girl is a book I've been meaning to read for a long time. I enjoy a good retelling of a fairy tale, and when I saw the cover of this book on a bookshelf some years ago it stuck out to me. It's about time I actually got around to reading it!

The story is based of off the fairy tale of the same title by the Brothers Grimm. It wasn't one I was familiar with, so I didn't know entirely what to expect, which I think was a good thing because I had no idea where things were going. In retrospect, I feel like I really should have seen some of those things coming. So I suppose Shannon Hale gets some points for keeping me interested with some surprises.

I really enjoyed this book. I read a synopsis of the original fairy tale, and I feel that Hale did a good job of staying true to the story while at the same time making it uniquely her own. She has good use of simile in her writing that I enjoyed. Ani is a relatable character with some insecurities, but also with such a great desire to do her part and to do well. It's good to see her change over time and become more of the princess she always wanted to be--strong, confident, capable of changing lives for the better.

It's a great story with some great characters. I also loved the way things were wrapped up in the end. Overall, a good book I could recommend, and I look forward to reading the companion books to it!

Reader Guidance:

It shouldn't surprise you that a book based on one of Grimm's fairy tales should have some grim moments...pun intended. I'll try not to give any spoilers, but here's some bullet points of violence and suggestive material in the book:

• The queen near the beginning pricks her finger with a broach to put a few drops of blood on a handkerchief as a symbolic gesture when Ani leaves on her journey.
• A man hits on Ani a bit, saying something like, "You like that I'm a man." I don't recall the exact quote.
• There are multiple stabbings in the back, a few mentioning swords going clean through the chest, some just cuts because the attacker was unsuccessful in getting their sword/knife deep enough in to kill. There's also a javelin to the back at one point.
• In Bayern, after men have been hanged for their crimes, their bodies are left hanging from the wall of the city. This sight and the sickening effect it has on Ani is mentioned a few times.
• There's one scene at a knacker's yard, a place where dead or unwanted animals are disposed of, especially those not fit for human consumption (some of the meat would be used for dog food). It's a bit of a gross and traumatizing scene through the eyes of Ani. It mentions blood and things like fur and feathers and discarded animal parts.
• A horses head is hung up at a gate.
• At one point a character relates an old story about women encouraging their men during war by alluding to the fact that they would be captured and the enemy would have their way with them.
• There is one line that says, "You would have touched [her]. You would have shared her bed." The man who says it is jealous and angry towards a man that was meant to marry.
• There's also someone who gets stabbed with a knife to the side and a man who receives a sword wound to the shoulder.

With things like war and treachery, there's bound to be some dark stuff. It is intended for a teenage audience. 

Similar Books:

There are three other books that take place in Bayern. My understanding is that they are independent stories from The Goose Girl, but they do involve characters first mentioned in this book. They are:

Enna Burning

River Secrets

Forest Born

Other fairy tale type books you may enjoy include:

- Anything by Gail Carson Levine

- Beauty by Robin McKinley

- Beauty Sleep by Cameron Dokey

Next Book:

I think I've got to give one of these companion books a try! I really liked Enna in The Goose Girl, so I think the next book up will be Enna Burning.

What did you guys think of The Goose Girl? What should we read after Enna Burning? Happy reading!