One sweet read! June 3, 2009
Posted by carol in Uncategorized.add a comment
There’s something about a feisty female sleuth that draws me into a mystery. I’m pretty sure I’m not alone in this.
Um, hello, Nancy Drew!
Based on reviews I’ve read and word of mouth, I’m also pretty sure I’m not alone in proclaiming my love for The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley. This winner of the 2007 Crime Writers’ Association Debut Dagger is the fabulous first in a planned mystery series starring the wonderful and whip-smart 11-year-old Flavia de Luce as the primary crime solver.
The youngest of the three de Luce daughters, Flavia has a keen interest in chemistry and poisons. She thinks it’s her lucky day when she stumbles upon a freshly murdered corpse on the grounds of her family’s estate in the small English village of Bishop’s Lacey. When her widowed father is fingered for the crime, however, Flavia’s interest in solving the case becomes personal. If you like humorous writing, engaging characters, and a clever mystery too, this delightful read will satisfy your every craving!
~Carol
One Amazing Parrot June 3, 2009
Posted by Evelyn in Non-Fiction, Pets, Thoughtful Ramblings, Uncategorized.Tags: Alex the Parrot, Bird Behavior, Favorite books, Memoirs
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I can’t remember where I heard about the book Alex and Me by Irene Pepperberg, but it sounded interesting so I put a hold on the book on CD thinking that I’d listen to it. Well, I can’t remember when I’ve enjoyed a book as much as this one. Part scientific study and part memoir, Alex and Me is also the story of a thirty-year loving relationship that any pet owner would completely understand. As much as Dr. Pepperberg stresses Alex’s accomplishments in the field of animal behavior, she also shows his unique personality while telling anecdotes about her studies with Alex.
Once, when given a piece of apple to eat, Alex would not repeat the word apple. Instead he gave it the name “ban-nerry.” The more the trainers repeated “apple,” the more he replied ”ban-nerry.” Finally students figured out that Alex coined the word to describe the red outside skin of an apple and the soft inside of a banana.
Alex often got bored with the repetiveness of his training and would say “want a nut.” He expected to receive one right away. Once when he was repeatedly ignored, he sounded out the word nut–nnn…uuuu….tttt. Again, he amazed his trainers because he actually knew the sounds that made up the word and wasn’t just “parroting” other people’s phrases.
If you liked the story of Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat, you’ll love Alex and Me.
~Evelyn
Latest Additions June 1, 2009
Posted by stacey in Uncategorized.Tags: Latest Additions, The Reading Room
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Um. Er. Ah. I don’t know how to say this well, so I’ll just say it quick. There weren’t any new titles added to The Reading Room last week. Eep!
I’m going to reason out that the long weekend made for good reading, but little time to write about what we read. The upside? Over the next few weeks, I bet there will be longer lists coming… Can you hang on just a little while? If not, remember you can surf The Reading Room anytime. Choose a descriptor from the A-Z list, select a publication year, limit the number of pages… go crazy! Maybe this is the week you find a gem from the past. Wouldn’t that be nice?
—Stacey
