Cozy Little Book Journal

So Cool Sunday: Tent Book on Book

2013-05-19T08:30:00.000-03:00

Oh I want one! It would be perfect for those times when you want your hands free but your book won't stay open. Oh, or if you happen to be reading in the rain for some reason. That's it. I need on right now. So cool! via F***Yeah, Book Arts! and Sumally

James Franco compares The Great Gatsby to Hamlet in Space. Sort of.

2013-05-18T09:00:00.000-03:00

from Baldwin Wallace Theatre & Dance (source) In James-Franco-is-a-stoner-and-I-don't-have-anything-else-to-write-about-today-news, James Franco is a stoner who has decided to write a review for Baz Luhrmann's adaptation of The Great Gatsby in Vice magazine. He argues that critics are being overly harsh about the director's adaptation, saying: "Would anyone object to a production of Hamlet

Shakespeare Roundup: Hamlet

2013-05-17T12:29:00.000-03:00

I didn't really do a "what I learned" from Hamlet for a couple of reasons. One, I had read it several times before and I remembered it fairly well, so I guess I figured everything I had learned from it had already been learned years ago. And two, I had just finished reading a whole bunch of plays fairly quickly, some of which I didn't like at all, and I was relieved to get to Hamlet and have it

Time to Create: Hands-On Explorations in Process Art for Young Children, by Christie Burnett

2013-05-17T08:00:00.000-03:00

Time to Create: Hands-On Explorations in Process Art for Young Children Author: Christie Burnett Publisher: Gryphon House Publication Date: May 1, 2013 Buy Now on Amazon.com Buy Now on Amazon.ca This book is wonderful! I've already used a lot of the ideas with my three-year-old (Magda and I did shaving cream painting today and tomorrow we're using it to paint the windows or shower walls

Knit Your Socks on Straight: A New and Inventive Technique with Just Two Needles, by Alice Curtis

2013-05-16T08:00:00.000-03:00

Knit Your Socks on Straight: A New and Inventive Technique with Just Two Needles Author: Alice Curtis Publisher: Storey Publishing Publication Date: May 15, 2013 Buy Now on Amazon.com Buy Now on Amazon.ca Oh thank goodness I found this book! I'm still a beginner knitter and though I've finally figured out how to follow a pattern (mostly) I'm terribly intimidated by "knitting in the round

The Homegrown Preschooler: Teaching Your Kids in the Places They Live, by Kathy H. Lee and Lesli Richards

2013-05-15T08:00:00.000-03:00

The Homegrown Preschooler: Teaching Your Kids in the Places They Live Authors: Kathy H. Lee and Lesli Richards Publisher: Gryphon House Publication Date: May 1, 2013 Buy Now on Amazon.com Buy Now on Amazon.ca I'm of two minds about this book. On the one hand, I'm thrilled this book exists (it's a good book) but on the other hand, I'm a little sad that it NEEDS to exist. Let me

Help Your Kids with Language Arts: A Step-by-Step Visual Guide to Grammar, Punctuation and Writing, by DK Publishing

2013-05-14T08:00:00.000-03:00

Help Your Kids with Language Arts: A Step-by-Step Visual Guide to Grammar, Punctuation and Writing Author: DK Publishing (Dorling Kindersley) Publisher: DK Adult Publication Date: May 20, 2013 Buy Now on Amazon.com Buy Now on Amazon.ca I read a lot of books about language and education, and I've reviewed some great ones (see below for just a few) but this one is AMAZING.

All You Knit is Love: 20 Patterns for Romantic Handmade Gifts, by Debbie Harrold

2013-05-13T08:00:00.001-03:00

All You Knit is Love: 20 Patterns for Romantic Handmade Gifts Author: Debbie Harrold Publisher: Collins and Brown Publication Date: January 5, 2012 Buy Now on Amazon.com Buy Now on Amazon.ca All I can say is, "Hooray for Debbie Harrold!" Thanks to All You Knit is Love, I can proudly say that I have finally followed my very first pattern. First, a little back story: About two months ago

So Cool Sunday: Celebrate The Great Gatsby with the great Champagne Mint Julep!

2013-05-12T20:30:00.000-03:00

Does anything say "I love F. Scott Fitzgerald" like getting drunk in the middle of the day? Well, I suppose reading his books would, but failing that, here's a recipe for Champagne Mint Julep! My Maureen Petrosky's Champagne Mint Julep Serves 1 3-4 fresh mint leaves1 1/2 ounces bourbon3 ounces of Cavicchioli 1928, Sparkling Wine, NV, very well chilled In a champagne flute, add the mint

UPDATE: Giveaway extended until the end of the month!

2013-05-12T11:29:00.000-03:00

Great news! The giveaway for Joe the Monkey Saves for a Goal has been extended until the end of May! That means you have more time to enter to win a copy for the money-savvy child in your life (or the child who is about to become money-savvy after reading this series)! Have you been trying to think of ways to talk to your child about money? If so, I highly recommend the Money Mammals series

30 Books Your Mom Might Love (for no other reason than that I'm a mom and I love them)

2013-05-11T09:00:00.000-03:00

Hey! It's Mother's Day tomorrow! GO BUY A GIFT FOR YOUR MOM! Here are some ideas. I'm not great at making lists, but here are a few "mom" books I really enjoyed. (Maybe your mom would too.) Bad Mommy The Honest Toddler The Sh!t No One Tells You Who Peed on My Yoga Mat? Women, Sex, Power and Pleasure Sh*tty Mom Here are some of my pics for cookbooks and

Shakespeare Roundup: A Mid-Summer Night's Dream

2013-05-10T08:35:00.000-03:00

What I Learned: A Mid-Summer Night's Dream Is this supposed to look like a bastardized nativity scene? (via) So it was all an elaborate revenge on the women for not doing exactly what their husbands and fathers said? And what happened to the Indian boy that Titania adopted? The one that Oberon was so mad about? Oh yeah, he took the child away from her in the end, "shamed" her by having her

Shakespeare Roundup: Pericles, Prince of Tyre

2013-05-10T08:30:00.000-03:00

I forgot to do this last week, so here's what I've been reading over on My Shakespeare Year: What I Learned: Pericles, Prince of Tyre (from My Shakespeare Year) I'm learning that it's no fun to be a female in any of the societies that Shakespeare describes, whether they're versions of his own or versions of other times or places. Women do not come out on top. In this case, one princess is

Mrs. Queen Takes the Train, by William Kuhn (audiobook narrated by Simon Prebble)

2013-05-10T08:00:00.000-03:00

Mrs. Queen Takes the Train Author: William Kuhn Audiobook Narrator: Simon Prebble Publisher: Harper Audiobook Publisher: Dreamscape Publication Date: October 16, 2012 Buy Now on Amazon.com: hardcover(deckle edge) kindle audio Buy Now on Amazon.ca: hardcover paperback kindle audio Adorable! I read this book and listened to the audiobook at the same time (not the exact same

The Honest Toddler: A Child's Guide to Parenting, by Bunmi Laditan

2013-05-09T08:00:00.000-03:00

The Honest Toddler: A Child's Guide to Parenting Author: Bunmi Laditan Publisher: Scribner Publication Date: May 7, 2013 Buy Now on Amazon.com Buy Now on Amazon.ca I was going to write one of those "10 Books I'd Recommend for Mother's Day" posts but then I thought, as a mother, I'd reward myself for all my hard work by not making myself do one of those posts. It's my Mother's Day

More Money Please: The Financial Secrets You Never Learned in School, by Scott Gamm

2013-05-08T08:00:00.000-03:00

More Money Please: The Financial Secrets You Never Learned in School Author: Scott Gamm Publisher: Plume Publication Date: April 30, 2013 Buy Now on Amazon.com Buy Now on Amazon.ca I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels my stomach leap into my throat when I think about money. Just the words finances, budget and debt make me feel like I'm going to throw up. It's not that I don't

Simply Delicious Amish Cooking: Recipes and Stories From the Amish of Sarasota, Florida, by Sherry Gore

2013-05-07T21:50:00.000-03:00

Simply Delicious Amish Cooking: Recipes and stories from the Amish of Sarasota, Florida Author: Sherry Gore Publisher: Zondervan Publication Date: May 7, 2013 Buy Now on Amazon.com: spiral-bound (worth it for the convenience) kindle (worth it for the irony) Buy Now on Amazon.ca: spiral-bound (worth it for the convenience) kindle (worth it for the irony) I'm not Amish but I'm a sucker

Brilliant Blunders From Darwin to Einstein: Colossal Mistakes by Great Scientists That Changed Our Understanding of Life and the Universe, by Mario Livio

2013-05-07T08:00:00.000-03:00

Brilliant Blunders From Darwin to Einstein: Colossal Mistakes by Great Scientists That Changed Our Understanding of Life and the Universe Author: Mario Livio Publisher: Simon and Schuster Publication Date: May 14, 2013 Buy Now on Amazon.com Buy Now on Amazon.ca Perhaps "blunders" is too strong a word for some of the mistakes Mario Livio talks about in this book, and I think "colossal

Holy Sh*t: A Brief History of Swearing, by Melissa Mohr

2013-05-06T08:00:00.001-03:00

Holy Sh*t A Brief History of Swearing (A History of the English Language in Four Letters) Author: Melissa Mohr Publisher: Oxford University Press Publication Date: May 2, 2013 Buy Now on Amazon.com Buy Now on Amazon.ca Melissa Mohr's Holy Sh*t: A Brief History of Swearing has gotten a lot of positive response, but I'm going to go against the grain and say that I was underwhelmed. It

So Cool Sunday: Day Job of Poets

2013-05-05T08:05:00.001-03:00

If you haven't seen this Book Arts blog, you absolutely must check it out. It's fantastawesomingical. Here's something from the blog called "Day Jobs of the Poets" page source

Cozy Classics: Les Misérables, by Jack and Holman Wang (and Victor Hugo)

2013-05-03T08:00:00.000-03:00

Cozy Classics: Victor Hugo's Les Misérables Authors: Jack and Holman Wang (and Victor Hugo) Publisher: Smith Publicity Publication Date: May 30, 2013 Buy Now on Amazon.com Buy Now on Amazon.ca poor I can't get enough of these Cozy Classics. I wish I knew how to make the adorable little felted dolls that Jack and Holman Wang use for the illustrations. I would play with them all day! Or

Cozy Classics: War and Peace, by Jack Wang and Holman Wang (and Leo Tolstoy)

2013-05-02T08:00:00.000-03:00

Cozy Classics: War and Peace Authors: Jack and Holman Wang (and Leo Tolstoy) Publisher: Simply Read Books Publication Date: May 30, 2013 Buy Now on Amazon.com Buy Now on Amazon.ca soldier Ahhh, War and Peace. The classic Russian novel about...um...war...and...something else. If you're a consummate book lover like I am, it's probably on your "to read" list...because, you know, it's a

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR CONTEST WINNER!!

2013-05-01T09:30:00.001-03:00

Congratulations to the winner of Shakespeare Saved My Life: Ten Years in Solitary with the Bard, by Laura Bates! And the winner is... Entry #258: Monica Thank-you so much to everyone who entered and everyone who left such wonderful comments on my blogs. And don't worry--you can still pick up a copy of the book on Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, or BN.com! And keep checking Cozy Little Book Journal

Rules of Civility, by Amor Towles

2013-05-01T08:00:00.000-03:00

Rules of Civility Author: Amor Towles Publisher: Penguin Publication Date: June 26, 2012 Buy Now on Amazon.com Buy Now on Amazon.ca What can I say about this book that hasn't already been said? I almost don't want to say too much, other than that it really is as good as all the positive reviews would have you believe. Set in New York in 1938, the book is a dazzling ride through the lives

A Bat in the Belfry (A Home Repair is Homicide Mystery), by Sarah Graves

2013-04-30T08:00:00.000-03:00

A Bat in the Belfry A Home Repair is Homicide Mystery Author: Sarah Graves Publisher: Bantam (Random House Publishing) Publication Date: April 30, 2013 Buy Now on Amazon.com Buy Now on Amazon.ca I've only read one other book in Sarah Graves' "Home Repair is Homicide" series, Wreck the Halls, and that was so long ago I don't remember anything about it. I vaguely remember