Henry Winkler Breaking New Ground with Childrens Books!!

Hello Bookworms!,
            For those of my bookworms who have or work with children, I want to draw your attention to a new development in children's books!


            Many of you will remember the actor Henry Winkler for his work as "The Fonz" on Happy Days. But Henry Winkler has also written children's books with Lin Oliver. His series, Hank Zipzer: The World's Greatest Underachiever includes 9 books so far and is about a 4th grader who, as an added twist, has dyslexia.


             Mr. Winkler, 60, has had dyslexia all of his life and remembers how hard it was for him and has always had a place in his heart for other children and adults living with dyslexia. But what Mr. Winkler has done to help Dyslexic children with the Hank Zipzer books is amazing!


           Christian Boer, 33, from Holland has invented a new font called "Dyslexia font" which makes it easier for those with dyslexia to read. Henry Winkler's new Hank Zipzer books are the first books in the United States to use this font!!


Well done Mr. Boer and Mr. Winkler!!!!


Another fun fact about Henry Winkler? He prefers you to buy books from independent bookstores!! :D


           Pick up a copy of Hank Zipzer in your local indie bookstore, at Amazon, or order them for your school!!


Until Next Time,
               Lizzie <3

Wedding Wipeout by Jacob M. Appel

Hello Bookworms!,

        A few months ago, I won a book on goodreads.com. The book was Wedding Wipeout by Jacob Appel. This was my first time reading a book by Mr. Appel, though I understand that this was not his first book published. The following is what I thought:

Summary

        Two spinsters have been prevented from marrying by a terrible stipulation in their late father’s will: If one sister marries, she is disinherited and the other sister takes the whole fortune.  Suddenly, Florence decides that this stipulation no longer matters to her and she is married but not before 3 extraordinary things happen. First, she tells her family that she’s broken the will. Second, she fights horribly with the one nephew she truly loves. Third, her sister whom she’s lived with and never fought with refuses to come down stairs for the wedding.

        While all these happenings are strange enough, everything changes when Florence is found dead in her bed. Soon, one of Florence’s lawyers will turn to a Rabbi who enjoys proving that every problem has a rational explanation. That Rabbi is Rabbi Kappelmacher.

Review

        I always like a good mystery. When I looked at Wedding Wipeout on Goodreads it seemed like it might be really good.

        The mystery of Florence Einstein’s death was good. The explanation took thought. Unfortunately, there were too many red herrings. It took almost ten pages near the end just to address them and the Rabbi and other members talked in circles so much that it became a headache to keep all the information straight.

        A major issue I had with Wedding Wipeout was Rabbi Kappelmacher’s character. He rarely explained things to his assistant, yet when his assistant asked questions, Rabbi Kappelmacher berated Assistant Rabbi Steinmetz. It was upsetting to read and felt totally uncalled for. Also, Rabbi Kappelmacher is supposed to be a man of faith yet he lies constantly, is very self-centered, is rude, and smokes like a freight train. All of this plus the fact that several elements of the storyline were extremely unrealistic really ruined the story for me.

        Personally, I was just pretty glad when this book was over and I don’t think I’ll be reading any more Rabbi Kappelmacher Mysteries. However, I saw many people who gave the book 5 stars so if you like mysteries, It might be worth a try (Though for me, I’d rather have G.K. Chesterton’s Father Brown. ;) ).

View Wedding Wipeout on Amazon

Until next time,

                Lizzie <3

International Book Giving Day!!

Hello Bookworms!!,
            Every February, we all race to the stores to buy good gifts for our sweethearts! Candy, Cards, and Roses oh my! But there is another holiday on February 14th! International Book Giving Day!!


            On International Book Giving Day, the goal is to spread the love of reading to children  by doing something to put books in children's hands! Donate to a local book drive or library! Give books to an after school program or doctor's office! Have children of your own, little brothers and sisters or nieces and nephews? Give them a book with their candy on Valentine's Day!


            Don't have a child but do have a sweetheart? A book is still a great gift! Give your girlfriend a love story with the flowers that will entertain her for hours! Ladies, give your guy a book he'll enjoy with a red cover to fit the Valentine's theme (like Eldest from the Eregon series or A good James Patterson mystery with a red cover!)!


Remember FEBRUARY 14TH IS INTERNATIONAL BOOK GIVING DAY!!! Help spread the love of reading to a new generation!!


What to know more about the organization working to help kids learn to love to read each year? Click HERE! or Follow them on Twitter: @giveabook and take a look at the hashtag #giveabook!!


Until next time!!,
                 Lizzie <3

A Look Back at 2014!

Hello Bookworms,

          2014 was a great year! In this post I’d like to take a moment and review the highlights of this year’s blog!

Let’s start with interviews!

          This year See Lizzie Read brought you two great reviews!

          This summer I was privileged to get to interview the Countess of Carnarvon, the current lady of Highclere Castle, the setting of Downton Abbey, and author of two books about Highclere’s history!

          This fall I was privileged to interview Maisie Dobbs author Jacqueline Winspear about her famous female detective and her brand new stand-alone novel The Care and Management of Lies!

There were many great reviews as well of fiction and non-fiction, novels as well as short stories! I was able to read 25 books this year and while I haven’t published reviews on all of them yet, I can tell you which 5 (in no particular order) were my favorites!

1. The Sherlockian by Graham Moore
2. Out of the Shadows by Georgina Doyle
3. Hobbit Lessons by Devin Brown
4. The Lost Library by A.M. Dean
5. C.S. Lewis, My Godfather by Laurence Harwood

          I thoroughly enjoyed 2014 and I cannot wait to share more reviews and interviews with you in 2015!!

Until Next Time,

                   Lizzie <3

C.S. Lewis, My Godfather by Laurence Harwood

Hello Bookworms,

            For my first review of 2015, I want to talk to you about a wonderful non-fiction book about the life of C. S. Lewis. This book was written by C.S. Lewis’s godson, Mr. Laurence Harwood, son of C.S. Lewis’s dear friend, Cecil Harwood.

            I would like to apologize for the lack of pictures. There has been a malfunction with my blog and we'll have to work without pictures for a while :-( , however, you can see the cover of the book if you click the link to buy which will take you to the Amazon page for the book.

Summary

            C.S. Lewis was a Christian, a professor, and the author of the Chronicles of Narnia, The Screwtape Letters, Mere Christianity, and many other works. While there are plenty of biographies about the life of Mr. Lewis, few of them are written from the perspective of someone who knew him personally.

            This book takes the letters C.S. Lewis wrote to the Harwood family, comprised of Cecil Harwood, his wife Daphne, and their children, and compiles them into an intriguing narrative about what C.S. Lewis meant to the people closest to him. The Harwoods’ son, Laurence, has lectured on Lewis’ life for years and has now put down his knowledge for posterity so that generations to come may know what it was like to be a friend to and loved by one of the great authors of literary history.

Review

            I loved C.S. Lewis, My Godfather. C.S. Lewis has interested me for some time and to read what it was really like to know him and spend time with him from the perspective of a man who actually did know and spend time with him was amazing. To read Lewis’s own words and see them written in his own hand through the photographs of the letters was such a privilege. I am grateful to Mr. Harwood for making this information available to the public.

            This book gives us a look not just at Lewis the author, but Lewis the friend, husband, father, and mentor to his many godchildren and students. The reader gets an intimate look at what Lewis was like as a friend through good times and bad even through disagreements about religion. The reader also gets to see the playful, boyish side that Lewis kept throughout his life as well as his generosity and heart for people. And it all comes from a man who witnessed it firsthand.

            This book is a great way to learn about who C.S. Lewis was, not just as a writer, but as a person. You’ll enjoy seeing the old photos and copies of his actual letters as well as reading anecdotes about time spent with Lewis, known as “Jack” to his friends. At close to 150 pages, C.S. Lewis, My Godfather is worth the read! I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys C.S. Lewis or literary history in general.

Buy C.S. Lewis, My Godfather HERE

Until Next Time,

            Lizzie <3