Do you read special holiday books at this time of year? Do you need some suggestions?
I finally read The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, and I wish I had found it sooner. What a great read-aloud for the kids, or even adults.
Last December, a friend gave me Skipping Christmas as a fun read for a stressful, busy time. It was light-hearted, but with a good message. Who knew that John Grisham did humor?
Click on the titles above to read my full reviews.
What books can you recommend for holiday reading?
Favorite Things Giveaway
Don’t forget to leave a comment with your favorite book from 2013. You could win a book or B&N gift card. Find all the details at the Giveaway Announcement
Thanks for stopping by! I’ll be back from vacation next week.
Wondrous Words Wednesday this week has a twist; I’m sharing some words from one of my favorite books, The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien.
“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo.
“So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
What wonderful and wise words, from a wizard, of course.
Don’t forget to leave a comment with your favorite book from 2013- you could win a book or B &N gift card. See the Giveaway Announcement for details.
I haven’t. In fact, right now I’m on vacation, hopefully shooting awesome pictures on a black sand beach, no stores in sight. But I want to help you get ready.
Next, go to Barnes and Noble. If you’re not sure what book to buy, get a gift card. This year, I gave my nieces and nephews gift cards with a handful of “Smarties” candies. I put the goods inside cute holiday boxes (thank you, Dollar Store) and included a note that said: “Kids who read are SMARTIES. We recommend…” My kids helped me generate a list of books appropriate for each cousin’s reading level and interest. This added a thoughtful touch to the gift card.
Don’t forget to browse the fun stuff at the front of Barnes and Noble: magnets with literary quotes, book bags, beautiful leather journals.
Finally, check out Common Sense Media’s Holiday Gift Guide for 2013. The reviews and suggestions include books as well as movies, games, and music. The guide is broken down into categories: ages 2-6, 7-12, 13-17.
Don’t forget about my Favorite Things Giveaway! I’d like to collect a list of favorite books read (not necessarily published) in 2013. If you share a book title or two in the comments, I’ll enter you in a drawing for one of my favorite books of 2013 or a B & N gift card. You can find all the details in my Giveaway Announcement.
Happy Shopping!
Where do you like to shop for “word nerdy” gifts? What has been the best “literary” gift you’ve received?
Welcome to Wondrous Words Wednesday, a great meme from Kathy at Bermudaonion.net if you want to learn new words. My kids are even in on the game. Last night, as we were looking at an Advent Frieze project, my son asked, “What is a frieze?” and my daughter said, “A-ha! Word nerd word!”
Love that! This word appeals to the word lover and the art lover in me. And even though we had snow last week, it has nothing to do with cold.
frieze \frēz\ noun; from Middle French frisium, embroidered cloth; a sculptured or richly ornamented band, as part of furniture or architecture; a band, line, or series suggesting a frieze.
According to Concise Encyclopedia, a frieze is a long, narrow, horizontal panel used to decorate the walls of a room or a building. There’s a famous frieze on the Parthenon in Athens.
Frieze at the Parthenon
We’re packing up to leave for vacation, so we won’t make an Advent frieze until we get back home. And ours will involve paint and cardboard, not stone carvings like the picture above!
Word Nerd Workout
Have you ever seen a frieze in architecture? At the museum? Tell us about it. Also, if you enjoy an advent craft or custom, share that too!
And don’t forget about the My Favorite Things Giveaway. Leave the title of your favorite book from 2013 in the comments and enter to win one of my favorite books of 2013 or a Barnes and Noble gift card. See the giveaway announcement for details. I’d like to generate a list of recommended reading that we can all use for gift ideas. Thanks for your help!
Let’s face it: holiday shopping season is upon us. Of course, this word nerd recommends giving books as gifts, but there are so many to choose from! Together, I think we can collect some great ideas.
My Favorite Things Giveaway
I’d like to compile a list of Favorite Books from 2013. I’m hoping all of us can use this list for gift ideas or our own pleasure reading during the cold months ahead. All readers leaving a reply will enter into a drawing to win one of my favorite books of 2013.
The details:
You may enter by commenting on my blog, my Facebook profile, or my Twitter feed between December 6 and December 19, 2013.
Your comment must include your favorite book from 2013 and a short explanation of why you recommend it.
Available anywhere Amazon ships.
I will announce the winner on December 20, 2013.
The winner will choose his or her prize from my favorite reads of 2013; click on the titles to read my reviews.
Happy Thanksgiving and Wondrous Words Wednesday! Visit Kathy at Bermudaonion.netfor links to more words that will get your brain clicking.
I have the perfect word for this week. As I prepare to welcome twelve guests into my home (six of them children) for Thanksgiving, as well as pack for a trip to Hawaii the first week of December, I find myself rather tightly wound.
I’ve warned my family and asked them to be patient with me. I’m praying for peace, grace, and the wisdom to realize that finding a pillow on the floor of the playroom is not cause for a foofaraw.
Yup, that’s right, a foofaraw. It’s a real word. Came to me from Merriam-Webster.com.
My daughter’s version of The Scream
foofaraw \’foo-fuh-raw\ noun; first used in the American West during the pioneer days to describe trinkets or baubles used in trade. Experts think it may have started as a variation of the Spanish fanfarrón, a braggart, or the French froufrou, showy ornamentation, or the French expression fou faraud, meaning “foolish dandy”.
Definition:
frills and flashy finery
2. a disturbance or to-do over a trifle : fuss
I hope that this silly word will help me to remember that working myself up into a swivet over things like dust and dog hair is a waste of my energy. I have so many blessings in my life, so many things to bring me joy.
Word Nerd Workout
Do you know another word or phrase for making a “to-do” over a trifle? Please share it!
Wishing you a very Happy Thanksgiving without any foofaraws!
I finally read The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, and I wish I had found it sooner. What a great read-aloud for the kids, or even adults. 
Favorite Things Giveaway
