Books I have been forced to read

Hello there, bookworms!
I have not been present here in what seems like a lifetime, so let me introduce myself. I am Isabella, an almost fifteen-year-old-girl who loves to read. My specialities include girly-fluff novels (books with no substance), timeless classics I struggle to get through (I'm looking at you, Jane Austen) and of course, those wonderful books I am forced to read at school.

I usually have to write an in-class essay after I've read the book, making reading these books a painfully stressful process. Never have I actually read one of these books for a novel study and liked them. Ever. Here are a few of the wonderful gems I have gotten to read over my advanced English years. 

Outfall by Brian Ridden

I can't really remember much of this book. It was all a frantically-trying-to-get-an-A+ blur. Some details I remember, though, like that it was about a teenage surfer boy, he was protesting against something environmentally destructive and he had nightmares about sharks a lot. And the book had sexual references that we had to read aloud in class. Tee hee! 

A Bridge to Wiseman's Cove by James Moloney

We had to analyse this book so much that by the end I never wanted to hear it mentioned ever again. And I know that even if we didn't have to analyse so heavily, I still wouldn't have liked it. It's just so sad. The main character, Carl, is someone you just can't help but feel sorry for. He has a dysfunctional family, no social skills, and loves a girl who doesn't feel the same. I like to feel happy when I read, and this book just didn't do it for me. Of course it has a happy ending, but it just takes so long to get there. Read this if you're not a massive softie like me!

To Kill a Mocking-bird by Harper Lee

Ah yes, the classic tale of racism and justice. I think. I'm just taking a jab in the dark here because I have not actually gotten past the first chapter. I'll admit, it seems a little more interesting than the others, but I just can't bring myself to read it during the holidays. Boo Radley seems really scary. 

Who knows, maybe I'll read this one and actually enjoy it. Probably not. I'll keep you all posted. 

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Seasons Greetings!

All the best 

to You

from the

Ladies at Baja

Gifts for teenage girls

Hello all,

Now I think you realise that Christmas is just around the corner, whether you want it to be or not. So I'm just going to dive straight into one of the hardest tasks of the season: gift-giving. For teenage girls, to be exact.

I have researched the topic a fair bit and come up with a list of universal present ideas (for example, if you have a very alternative teenage girl this list may not work for you). These are some items I would love to receive/have received and loved. 

1. Magazine subscription

 A failsafe idea, especially if it's only for six months. My all-time favourite magazine is Teen Vogue, I read it like it's the bible. I think most teenage girls would. Here's the website!

2. Books! Lots of books!

(From bottom: Emma by Jane Austen, The Clique by Lisi Harrison, The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot, another Clique book)

This little pile is some great girly reads with a bit of substance, so you don't feel like your brains are going to fall out of your head with every paragraph. And Emma, of course. I have been reading it lately and the plot is not too hardcore for my likings. Use this only for avid reader teenage girls.

3. Cosmetics

(Clockwise from bottom: Burt's Bees lip balm, lip shimmer and deep pore scrub, Prestige Soft Blend Kohl eyeliner in brown, Lucas' Pawpaw ointment, Palmers' Cocoa Butter)

Teenage girls love cosmetics. End of story. Not all of them like the same ones, though, so these are some general products I use for every day. And pretty much every other girl who goes to my school. 

TIP: When in doubt, go sample size! The smaller the better.

4. More books...

(From bottom: Fashionista: A century of style icons by Simone Werle, P.S. I made this by Erica Domesek, Fashion Illustration by Kolon books, What Shall I Wear Today by Fifi Lapin)

...Well this is a book blog. These are fashion/diy/hobby type books, not quite as universal as the other ones but I adore them. Find a hobby, find a book!

Hope these tips come in handy and you stress-less during the holiday season! Isabella X

http://viewsofnow.blogspot.com/ 

Home remedies

Hello book-bloggers! I am not going to even try and excuse my long, dwindling absence but I can say that I am ecstatic to finally be doing a post I have probably had in my mind for about a month. For those who don't know who I am, this basically sums it up.

My hair (among many other beauty issues I am having right now) has become excessively dry lately. My hair is my child. It's as simple as that. I have been growing it since... well, forever... and the most important thing is to keep it nice and shiny. And you know, to respect my friends and family, make the most of life, etc etc.

Treatments for this kind of issue are incredibly expensive, I've discovered! I was displeased and got a cheap one that probably won't work for about $3. Back in the day when Mum used to be a hippie and Dad had a mullet, she made her own versions of these kinds of products out of the DIY beauty-bible, Bodycraft.

Bodycraft, surprisingly, is full of remedies for skin, hair and mind that look like they will actually work. My favourite categories are the bath oils, hair masks and perfumes. If you just buy a few essential oils and work with what you have in your pantry, you should be looking naturally beautiful and feeling pampered. Who doesn't love pampering? And aromatherapy bath oil recipes? 

Aromatherapy Bath Oil

- I cup brandy or vodka

- 5 teaspoons essential oils

- 3 teaspoons glycerine

Shake well and put one teaspoon of it in your bath!

(Excerpted from the book, pg 126)

I will try hard to post soon. When I finally get out of this bath I'm about to have!

http://viewsofnow.blogspot.com/

Jane Eyre: Book or Film?

I would like to say that as an advanced reader for my age, I challenge myself in the books that I read. However, I have found myself lacking in the challenging-book department.

I have been reading what I like to consider brain-mushing books full of nasty girls with lots of money, extensive wardrobes, perfect boyfriends and their preppy school peers at their fingertips. Not that I don't love reading them (they are to me as Mills & Boon are to a middle-aged woman) but sometimes I think I do need that informative literature to enrich the mind.

After discussing Jane Eyre with fellow blogger Maria, I have had the urge to pick up the book, as it seems an interesting story. Though, I have been what most refer to as a "wimp" for my whole life. That, combined with the challenge of trying to translate such old language such as "thou", the dark plot and unspoken feminist controversy behind the book, it might be a little... heavy. As I rarely take the easy way out of these kind of situations, I think I owe it to myself to shortcut my longing to engage in the story a bit.


As the star in one of the book/movie duos that changed my life, Alice in Wonderland actress Mia Wasikowska is, in my opinion, very talented. She plays Jane Eyre in the new movie (I have included the trailer) that I think I will go and see as a sort of alternative to the book. Or is it a must-read, book-lovers?

X.

www.viewsofnow.blogspot.com

Alice in Wonderland is a true story

 Now bloggers, here is the story you asked for in my last post. Just be reminded that some of the information in here is false (I was allowed to alter the truth a little for my assignment) but mostly based on fact. Feedback would be appreciated. Is it worthy of an A?

Alice Liddell was a ten year old girl living in the 1860’s when she acquired a peculiar friend. His name was Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (his pen name was Lewis Carroll).

When he met the Liddell family in 1955, he was a stuttering mathematician with a brilliant mind and knack for telling stories. He would entertain Alice and her siblings with many great tales full of nonsense. Though, it was not until 1964 that he came up with, on the spot, the magical story that we know now to be Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. A story with such detail, such a developed plotline, it seems so (pause) unreal. It was taken straight from the imagination of Lewis Carroll. Or was it?

After he died, a diary was found of Lewis Carroll’s work. Around seven pages were missing from 1853-1863, when he was around 21-30 years old. 1863, the year the missing pages ended, was the year before he supposedly told Alice Liddell the story of Wonderland.

What could he possibly have to hide in these torn-out pages? His experience in Wonderland, that’s what.


Karoline Leach found one of the pages he had ripped out in 1996 in his family archive. The page looked like this (show new slide on screen). It contains what seems to be the first manuscript of the story. In the year 1854, he left the rugby school he was attending and ventured on a period of time explained in a biography (by Karoline Leach, who discovered his missing diary pages) as an “unexplained interval”. The interval was one of the years he had missing diary pages.


Such a mysterious period of time must contain something worth hiding.


Charles must have ventured to Wonderland in his “unexplained interval”. It stands to reason that Charles found the adventure so brilliant and so mysterious that it was something that he could only keep with himself. He then wrote the adventure down in his diary and ripped the pages out before anyone could see.

Now, the idea of travelling down a rabbit hole is a little far-fetched. But is the idea of other worlds or lands so crazy? The universe is basically infinite. The existence of parallel universes is believed by many scientists and physicists, though cases of travelling to these are extremely rare. Charles’ adventures appear to be based on his experience in a different world.


Eleven dimensions actually exist within our universe. The conclusion was made that our universe is merely one membranous bubble floating amongst a large number of other bubbles, which ripple as they travel through the eleventh dimension. When two bubbles touch, a bubble, which clashes the theories of both universes within the bubbles, is formed. If such a clash can occur when merging universes, wouldn’t worlds merge to create such a space as Wonderland?


Some worlds may contain merely a different version of the world we live in.


Sound familiar?


Yes, talking cats, abstract games of croquet and nonsensical tea parties contain elements of the atmosphere around us. Suddenly, the whimsical story of Alice and her adventures doesn’t seem so whimsical.

It’s the missing pages of one of these surviving diaries that leaves a mystery about one critical moment in Carroll’s life: the rift between him and the Liddell family.


What exactly happened that caused Mrs. Liddell to prevent Carroll from no longer spending time with her children?


Alice and Charles had a very special relationship and were friends for many years. Many references to Alice Liddell are made in the book, such as the Mad Tea Party being held on her birthday. In the year Charles travelled to Wonderland, Alice must have been taken with him. When she returned, Alice told Mrs Liddell her stories of Wonderland leaving her very disturbed. She then banned Charles from seeing her children. He describes her adventures in his torn-out diary pages, as the girl in the pages is obviously not a portrayal of himself in Wonderland.


In his poem Epilogue to the Looking-glass, her name is spelt out in acrostic letters. Secrets between them were great, and they believed what they shared was special and only between them. I have exploited the mystery and left you revealed to the monument of a truth that is Alice’s adventures in Wonderland.


As Charles wrote in his secretive acrostic poem, “What is life but a dream?”

X.

www.viewsofnow.blogspot.com

More Fashion... More Alice...

G'day, Izzy here! I honestly did not mean to go this long without book blogging. Honest! I just let time slip away a little, combine that with the fact that I can barely keep up my own blog and I have been reading pure rubbish lately and you have a very lazy book blogger. Sorry!

Okay, I may be a little obsessed with fashion. I know what you're thinking, (Doesn't every little fourteen-year-old want to be a fashion designer?) but I like to think of myself as a little, well, deeper than that. And I am going to be a writer, thank you very much. Or a marine biologist. Or a magazine editor. Or a stylist. But I'm deep, obviously.

Back to the point: I had to blog about this book. 

The Atlas of Fashion Designers is like that magical man-book in Ella Enchanted (excuse the PG children's movie reference). You just think of what you want, look it up and it's there!

It contains what seems to be every fashion designer you ever wanted to know about. And then some. Plus, interesting interviews with the designers, an overview of their work and glossy, full-page pictures.

Who doesn't love glossy full page pictures?

Sketches, close-up shots of their handiwork and exclusive photos are also included. Believe it or not, it's not just full of high-priced couture like Chanel. It also has ethnic designers and accessory masterminds. I don't understand why you wouldn't be interested by now. Unless of course you're not deep enough.

Aside from reading about fashion, I have also been working very hard on a little English project of mine. You should know by now that I am obsessed with Alice in Wonderland. Obsessed to the point that I am convinced it is a true story and someday a rabbit in a waistcoat is going to run by my window and I will have a fabulous adventure.

We were asked in the project to prove the existence of a mythological creature, myth or legend. So I just had to prove Alice in Wonderland was a true story. For those who are interested, tell me and I will do a blog post containing my revealing speech to the monument of truth that is Alice in Wonderland. If you aren't. I'll get the memo. 

X.

My blog: http://www.viewsofnow.blogspot.com/

Books I Could Actually Stand...

Well hello there, book lovers! Okay, I admit, I have been very much on the slack side lately. I have gotten into the habit of just reading the same books over and over again, to avoid having to think. Lazy much? So I developed a post about books I could read again without wanting to shoot myself or the book or the people around me. So here goes.

1. The Key To Rondo by Emily Rodda

I actually didn't have a choice but to read this over and over again because it was for a competition called Reader's Cup. But I found it was the only book I didn't eventually get sick of taking notes about and analysing each paragraph.

I have always had a weak spot for fantasy: Harry Potter, The Shadow Thief, Series of Unfortunate Events, that kind of thing. This book was perfect because it didn't have that really dark aspect that sometimes keeps me away but did have the exciting fantasy.

In the book, A boy named Leo inherits a music box that comes with a strict set of rules. Mimi, Leo's hated cousin, and her dog come to stay. Quickly the strict rules are broken and they find themselves transported to a land ruled by the evil Blue Queen. This book is filled with quirky characters and nail-biting moments. Feel free to read it over and over again.

2. Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

Alright, we've probably all seen the movie, but the book is ten times better!

It talks more in depth about things like her mother's death, her romance with Prince Charmont, and her curse. I guess when you talk about it  like this it sounds pretty typical fairy tale, but if it's anything it's probably anti-fairy tale.

Ella, a beautiful girl from the kingdom of Frell, despises the Prince, the most wanted boy in the whole kingdom. She protests for ogre rights and takes down the king, the evil one in the story. Lucinda, a fairy who bestowed a "gift" on her when she was very young, is a ditzy, stubborn woman.

The whole fairy tale concept gets turned on its head by this story. Lesa actually gave this to me! We all knew she had excellent taste.

3. Teen Vogue

I know, I know, it's not technically a book. I had to write about it, though, because I just read them over and over again! It is amazing the amount of times I can pick one up and notice something new. It's like with a goldfish, you put something new in their tank, and because they have such a short memory span, they get surprised every time they pass it! Okay, not the best comparison, but you get the idea.


 The magazine is filled with advice on problems I actually am facing, amazing fashion (not in my price range but what do you expect) and up-and-coming stars with interesting backgrounds (except that time they put Justin Bieber on the cover). It's also very affordable and I don't feel like my brain cells are frying every time I pick one up!

I really like the section where they photograph girls wearing things from their own closets. It reminds me to op-shop every now and again.

I know it isn't targeted for adults, but it makes a great gift for teenagers from 13-17 years of age. And my Mum likes it, too. But maybe that's just her.

X.

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Top Ten Tuesday: Books We Want To See Made Into Movies

Hi! Lesa here!  Thanks for commiserating last week about my cold of apocalyptic proportions.  Wish I could say it dried up like a well behaved cold should but, NO, it morphed into bronchitis.  The symptoms are not fun and the associated head/eye pain and exhaustion have kept me off the computer quite a bit.  But, I am now with antibiotics so hopefully will kick this crud soon.   Hope all of you are staying healthy and crud-free! 

Now for Top Ten Tuesday hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week's topic is very appealing because some books are just perfect for film. 

 For me, it is usually action thriller or fantasy reads that I'd like to see on the big screen. Surely, I'm not the only girl who grew up watching Bond, Sinbad and all manner of cowboys and swashbucklers. Ooo--love those swashbucklers!

I was very curious which books the other ladies of Mrs. BG would choose so here is our collaborative Top Ten Tuesday!

Lesa's Picks:

1. Fablehaven by Brandon Mull

    This is my favorite newish fantasy series. I would love to visit a sanctuary for fairytale and mythical creatures but the next best thing would be to see it on the big screen.


2.  Any of the Pendergast novels by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child.
Pendergast is an amazing cross between Bond and Sherlocke Holmes. If you aren't familiar with Pendergast, I wrote about him here.

3. Repairman Jack Series by F. P. Wilson.
Jack is so cool-- he lives off the grid in New York City and creatively 'fixes' situations for people who can't go to the authorities for help. If you aren't familiar with Jack, I wrote about him here.

4. Any James Rollins science thrillers-- the old stand alones or the Sigma Force series.

5. Temple by Matthew Reilly but I want to see all his action thrillers made into movies-- reading a Reilly book is just like watching an intense action movie. 

 Temple  takes place in the jungles of Peru with two storylines, one from the past and one in the present. Several factions are furiously hunting for a lost Incan idol that holds the secret to a deadly weapon of war. 

Fun fun fun!! I'd love to have that sort of  jungle adventure--  except for the parasites and creepy crawlies, of course!  

6. Wheel of Time Series by Robert Jordan

This fantasy series is too massive to be made into films but it would make an amazing animated series. I'm thinking something similar to the style and complexity of Avatar:The Last Airbender series. Do you watch it?



Ok, I've monopolized long enough!

DeLynne's Pick:

7. The Phyrnne Fisher mystery series by Kerry Greenwood because the costumes would be stunning!

Phryne (pronounced Fry-knee) has more money than she knows how to spend, luxuriates in expensive cosmetics, wears bespoke clothes, and solves mysteries while shocking society. She is a ballsy, unconventional woman with an amazing intellect who began her life distressingly poor. DeLynne wrote about Phryne here.

Leslie's Pick:

8. The series by Celestine Vaite - Frangipani, Bread Fruit, and Tiare in Bloom.

I think it would be a fabulous movie for a mother, daughter, sister, best friend, aunt, cousin, neighbor....the women in the story are beautiful, hilarious, wise, and familiar...you know these women, you are these women....and it is set in Tahiti...


Tracy's Pick:

9. Wicked by Gregory Maguire... I know, it's been a play, but I don't do jazz hands...

Izzy's Pick:  

10. The Key to Rondo by Emily Rodda.

And a Mary Poppins that is true to the original (i.e. Mary Poppins is stern and a bit scary), not Disney-fied. Also, L.A.Candy by Lauren Conrad.
Love Izzy.

What book would you love to see made into a movie? or a better remake?  That might make an excellent Top Ten Tuesday Topic too. Hmm...

The Devil Wears Prada

I was really quite surprised at myself when I worked out that I hadn't read this yet. A fashion classic! I have seen the movie a countless amount of times, and I love it. The book has to be fantastic, right?

The first thing I noticed was the size. It was pretty thick, considering the size of the brain-dead books I've been reading lately. The plot is roughly the same as the movie. Slight changes- Emily is nice, Miranda is more evil, and there is a large focus on Andrea's best friend, Lilly, who isn't even mentioned on screen.


As I plowed through the book, devouring every couture brand name mentioned, I began to get well... annoyed. Just quit already! She has terrible working conditions, she complains about it on every page, she loses her boyfriend and her best friend, and she stays. By the end of the book, it seems pretty repetitive.

Overall, the book is better than the movie, but so frustrating. I haven't read the end yet, but I'm guessing she finally quits, and all those frustrated readers become relived. And we all go back to eating cereal out of the box and not worrying about Andrea's future.

X.
http://viewsofnow.blogspot.com/

What Shall I Wear Today?- Style secrets of a furry fashionista

Fifi Lapin, (or Fifi Lapip, if you're me because well, erm .... it just sounds cute, okay?!) is a very stylish bunny with a very fashionable book, and also surprisingly helpful. I know. Weird, right?

So the flowerpot-on-the-head thing may be a little out there, but a couple of the outfits are-gasp-wearable! Besides, most people need a little bit of fun in their wardrobe. I mean, suits are nice and all but what you really need is a patchwork v-neck jumpsuit. Fifi will take care of all your style related problems with the flip of a page, show you your essential makeup tools, and some cheap DIY tricks. Don't you wish you were as fabulous as Fifi?

X.
www.viewsofnow.blogspot.com

Our 2011 Bookish Resolutions

Hi, Lesa here!  Every year, I resolutely resolve to boycott making New Year's Day resolutions but the  Top Ten Tuesday Bookish Resolutions hosted by The Broke and The Bookish  swayed me to the dark side.  Bookish resolutions are surely more worthy than the usual old rigmarole-- and surely easier to stick too, right?

After all my holiday bookish musing, it was a breeze coming up with reading related resolutions. Then, I just had to know what my lovely co-blogger's bookish resolutions might be...

Lesa's Bookish Resolutions:
1. Keep a list of all books I read in 2011. I started a list for 2010 but didn't keep it up.

2. Participate in an official challenge and/or readalong. More about that soon.

3. Buy more books!!  Never fear, I am still a library girl! The earth hasn't shifted on it axis or anything BUT after all the bookstore sale,  book fair and  thrift store treasures I discovered in 2010, I am now unashamedly addicted to aquiring beaucoups of bargain books! 

4.  Read as many books that I already own as I can-- there is a monkey on my back, after all. (see #3)

5. Don't horde-- Donate read books to libraries and/or giveaway to bloggy friends. Then, there will be room for more books. Aw, the monkey is clapping his little hands...

6. Buy a bookcase for my child's room. That will free up one or more shelves on three family bookcases! Oooo, more space for bargain books! The monkey just swooned...

7. Stamp out book snobbery whenever it rears its ugly head. I just won't stand for it, I tell you.  Don't make me sic the monkey...

Leslie's Bookish Resolutions:  
I want to try a new author and/or genre. I tend to stick to a series until it's done because I know it will be good and I don't want to waste a reading opportunity.

Izzy's Bookish Resolutions:
My reading resolution is to read something classic, something substantial, and try to stay away from Mary-Kate and Ashley. I need something out of my comfort zone, I only read those ridiculously girly novels because they are so familiar. And all have pretty much the same plot.
:)

DeLynne's Bookish Resolutions:
 I would like to read every book in the Phryne Fisher series. And something totally new, like sci fi which I don't do often. And a classic. And blog more often. xo

Tracy's Bookish Resolutions:
I plan to read all thirteen Wheel of Time books this year. And hopefully, have my book, Dragon Seals,  ready for someone else to read!

Happy New Year and Happy Reading... May all your books be page-turners! 

Package Deal

Well, hello blogging world. I'm Izzy Rose, nice to see you again! Yes, I have been very busy doing large amounts of nothing, and feeling guilty about it. Finally, I have a book worth reading about! (Please excuse my punniness)

Fashion Illustration Step by Step by Loreto Binvingnat Streeter and Chindy Wayne not only shows simple-to-follow instructions for a very basic outfit, but includes many different ways you could draw it, including realistic, digital and watercolour. This gives those who read it the opportunity to distinguish themselves as an illustrator, and to experiment with texture and colour. Plus, for those who aren't exactly artists, the illustration methods are set out from easiest to hardest. Early Christmas present, I think yes.

My drawing skills will be incredibly superior in fashion class next year, and I have another fashion book for my increasing collection. The package deal, you may ask?

That's me. Reader, blogger (sometimes!), student, photographer, budding fashion illustrator and designer.

X.
http://viewsofnow.blogspot.com/

Fruits- by photographer Shoichi Aoki

My sister and I used to fight constantly over who would get to keep this book, week after week. Another art gallery buy, the glossy pictures, short, sharp sentences and vibrant colour, it was the kind of book you were drawn to from about the ages of about 2-13. But this book is not aimed at any age in particular.

Fruits is a collection of photographs of Japanese street style, complete with small descriptions of every look at the bottom. According to the unique individuals photographed, their ensembles are representing a personal point of fashion, from "fluffy alien" to "harmony and unity". The western clothing that you see everyone except these people wearing has only been mainstream in Japan for about fifty years and considered very conservative. The strange outfits of these people are mostly handmade and most link back to their traditional culture- kimonos in bright colours. 

This book makes you laugh occasionally, think often and smile at every page. Definitely worth reading, even if you just want to see the boys with  funny hairstyles.

X.

http://viewsofnow.blogspot.com/

Hats- an anthology by Stephen Jones.

"Wash and go" hat, 1999.

Stephen Jones, the master himself.

Art galleries always have the best books. Those glossy, expensive books with mesmerizing illustrations on every page. I have two art gallery books. One, a Gothic addition of Alice, the other a book I picked up on hats. The kind of hats that you see couture models wearing. The kind of hats you look at and think, 'Who would ever wear that?'

Stephen Jones, I have found to discover, is the only person who can place a shoe atop someones' head, call it fashion and not be questioned.

Hats have always been a love of mine, though admired from afar, as I have never been brave enough to try anything that Stephen Jones would dream up. This book looks over his very interesting life as a milliner, complete with pictures and quotes for the various stages of his life.

The section about the types of people who actually buy these hats, (The Client- pg 94) was what I found the most interesting, The work that goes into making the right hat, for the right client, for the right occasion is exhausting. Yet the reward is sweet, according to the book, when the hat the client wears becomes his or her 'signature look'.

Hats: An Anthology by Stephen Jones is an insightful edition to my duo of art gallery books.
Do you wear hats?

X.

 http://viewsofnow.blogspot.com/

Bedtime Stories

Confession time; I, Izzy Rose, 13-year-old, am not too old for bedtime stories. In fact, I would be very upset if bedtime stories were discontinued in my house. They're not as childish as they may sound, and only the finest shall be read to me as part of my nightly routine. A fine collection of old and new, including A Little Princess, The Secret Garden, A Wrinkle in Time, Chinese Cinderella, The Lost Island of Tamarind and Wee Free Men.

It is comforting to be read to at night and often puts me to sleep before the chapter is even done. The elements of the story and the reader must fit a certain criteria tailored for me and my sister's tastes. Criteria:

• The reader must have a comforting voice, and is not allowed to read in a drab monotone. (no offense Dad)
• The book cannot include any blood, guts and gore, especially no vomit.
• If there is a chapter with a suspenseful, uncomforting ending, the reader must let me stay up late, reading with a huge dolphin torch, to see if everything turns out okay.
  
• Must have a good storyline, and keep me entertained.
• If demanded, reader must read another chapter.
• If book is not liked, reader must switch immediately.

That is all. And they lived happily ever after.