The Vicar of Nibbleswicke by Roald Dahl

"Dear lady," cried the Vicar, "You must never Plug it!... What you must do is pis. Pis gently. All of you all the way along the rail must pis, pis, pis." "Dog Almighty!" So said a dear sweet innocent Reverend Lee.

The Reverend Lee is suffering from a rare and acutely embarrassing condition: Back-to-Front Dyslexia. It affects only his speech, and he doesn't realize he's doing it, but the parishioners of Nibbleswicke are shocked and confused by his seemingly outrageous comments.

I loved this book as a child, and still hold it among my favorites. And, for the life of me, I can't read it without tearing-up from laughing so hard.

Roald Dahl wrote this book in the last months of his life, and donated all the proceeds to the Dyslexia Institute. "A landmark of both his concern for people and his passionate belief in the importance of reading." - Quentin Blake (illustrator).

If you love to laugh, you must add this to your library!

Buy The Vicar of Nibbleswicke today: Chapters

History's Odds and Sods : Books VS Ereaders

History's Odds and Sods : Books VS Ereaders: Books verse EBooks I love Ebooks!   Yes, I have to be honest, for the convenience, I prefer the ebooks. (Did I really say this, out lou...

I love this Blogger!! Do check it out.

Of Beast And Beauty by Stacey Jay

Release Date: July 23, 2013 | Hardcover

In the domed city of Yuan, the blind Princess Isra is raised merely to sacrifice herself someday to ensure her people''s vitality. In the desert outside, Gem, a mutant boy, fights to keep his people from starvation. Neither dreams that together they could return balance to their world. Isra, a Smooth Skin, bound by magical covenant to the city of Yuan, wants to help the Banished people of her city, second-class citizens despised for possessing Monstrous traits the blind princess believes she also possesses. One night, Gem is captured while trying to steal the city''s enchanted roses, and he becomes Isra''s beastly prisoner from the desert. But when Isra enlists the aid of Gem to help her grow herbs that will prevent mutation, she discovers just how human he is, and she begins to question everything she''s been raised to believe. As dark secrets from the past are revealed and Isra''s sight returned, she will have to choose between duty to her people and the beast she has come to love.

I am pretty excited about this soon to come summer release. It sounds like it has some really intriguing plot potential, and I haven't read many retellings of Beauty and the Beast.

Much thanks to mindfulmundanes.blogspot.ca for bringing this to my attention!

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Jan 29, 2015

I had totally forgotten wanting to read this book. I am very pleased that I finally did!! It was great!!


"But he that dares not grasp the thorn should never crave the rose. " - Anne Bronte

I have loved that quote for many moons. It was this quote that initially inspired me to buy this book. 30 pages in I was regretting the purchase, not to mention I'm not a huge fan of first person. I pressed on though I was not expecting to like this story, much less love it. But it very quickly grew on me, and then reminded me of a belief I've long forgotten... a belief in the power of love.

Its altruistic in an endearingly primitive way. I gave it 5 stars not b/c it was written perfectly, it wasn't necessarily, -at times its down right cheesy- but b/c it has been a long time since a book has made me hope for a fairy tale-like love. And I couldn't put it down until I knew the fate our two heroes.

The loyalty of Isra's maid, Needle, moved me. She is an incredible character throughout the story; completely selfless and the most beautiful, in my opinion. It is so human to believe we are ugly. To not see our own beauty. To quickly believe the worse of ourselves and our enemies. The story battles this like a hero. There are many parallels to the situation of our world... such change, and healing needs to happen for us too.

Manana XVII/Tomorrow 16 Sonnet By Pablo Neruda

I do not love you as if you were a salt-rose, or a topaz,

or a spark from the fire.

I love you as certain dark things are to be loved, 

in secret, between the shadow and the soul.

I love you as a plant that never blooms

but carries in itself the light of hidden flowers;

thanks to your love a certain solid fragrance,

risen from the earth, lives deep within me.

I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where.

I love you purely, without complexities or pride;

I love you because I know not other way.

Than this: where I  does not exist, nor you,

so close that your hand on my chest is my hand,

so close that when your eyes close I fall asleep in your dreams.

No te amo como si fueras rosa de sal, topacio

o flecha de chaveles que propagan el fuego:

te amo como se aman ciertas cosas oscuras,

secretamente, entre la sombra y el alma.

Te amo como la planta que no florece y lleva

dentro de si, escondida, la luz de aquellas flores,

y gracias a tu amor vive oscuro en mi cuerpo

el apretado aroma que acendio de la tierra.

Te amo sin saber como, ni cuando, ni de donde,

te amo directamente sin problemas ni orgullo:

asi te amo porque no se amar de otra manera,

sino asi de este modo en que no soy ni eres,

tan cerca que tu mano sobre mi pecho es mia,

tan cerca que se cierran tus ojos con mi sueno.

By Pablo Neruda

To read more by Pablo Neruda check out this site: http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/search/?keywords=pablo+neruda&pageSize=12

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

I didn't have a clue what this book would be about, and the fact it was in teens made me nervous. My twitter friends recommended it to me several times. Even then, it was only after a desperate soul called me at Chapters (I work at Chapters) praying that we would have a copy that I finally decided to put one aside for me as well.

When I read the first two paragraphs I nearly died thinking 'OH NO! This book is about depression and cancer!?' I don't think I would have picked it up, had I known, and thank god I didn't, because it was fantabulous!!!! Let me say it again: FANTABULOUS!!! A FIVE STAR BOOK! Do you even know how long its been since I've read a five star book!? Jane Austen.

Hazel Grace is an enlightened 16 year old girl, and the narrator of her seemingly inglorious story of her battle with pain and social apathy. "Sickness really does eat up one's passion for life." "That's the thing about pain, it demands to be felt." However, 17 year old Augustus is quickly introduced to the plot and suddenly Hazel has an equal to challenge her mind. It was not long before I had to pry the book out of my hands, find a note book, and start writing out quotes that I'm sure I will be using for years to come. That and a dictionary, from time to time, because words like "hamartia" are regretfully not in my vocab. - Even google's blogger is trying to auto correct the word, right now, which makes me feel a bit better.

The plot moved at a perfect speed, no sooner did I ask a character/plot question, in my head, then it was answered. I felt like I was digesting such a feast, and yet with each page I was still ravenous. The seamless way Green wove Shakespeare and Maslow's Hierarchy all into one story reminded me of Malcolm Gladwell's genius. Both have a way of effortlessly explaining complexities and making it palatable.

But here I am rambling on about the writing style and not the plot. In part, because I don't wish to deprive you from peeling each layer of this onion yourself. And the other part, being, because the style was so fantastic that I feel a healthy portion of this review should just praise it.

One can't help adore the love that blossoms between Hazel and Augustus. Pity and laugh with their blind friend Isaac. And muse at the complexities of Hazel's parents position.

Suffice it to say, "I fell in love <with this book> the way you fall asleep: slowly, and then all at once."

P.S. Big Thank You to all my Twitter peeps who recommended this book to me! @charlie_n_books
For more info on the book and the writer please visit: http://johngreenbooks.com/the-fault-in-our-stars/
If you wish to buy it you can find it here: Great Deals!!