New books

Nerida delivered a pile of books this afternoon.

Persuasion - Jane Austen
Perfume : The Story of a Murderer - Patrick Suskind
The God of Small Things - Arundhati Roy
Wicked : The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West - Gregory Maguire
The book thief - Markus Zusak

Oddly enough, three of them were on that unread list that prompted this exercise. Nerida doesn't read the blogs I read and as far as I know hasn't seen that list. Maybe they are books that people pick up at random!

I know Wicked made into this pile because she wants to read it, which is as good a reason as any. :)

That silly book

I am constantly astounded at the magic of this cheap little book my mother bought my kids. Whizz! has the most amazing ability to captivate very young babies. I can put Elissa in bed to screaming of the "Help! Help! She's cutting my throat!" variety, and within five words (Benny Bee and Lucy Ladybug to be precise) she is quiet and by the time I'm finished "were playing in the vegetable patch" she is giggling. (Of course, by kid #3 I am reciting rather than reading.)

This week she is even looking at the pictures. The boys were the same. If you know someone who is having a baby, buy them this book. It is a blessing to anyone's bedtime routine. I don't really know why. Sound effects have something to do with it, but other sound effect books don't seem to do so well.