What are you reading?

Ok, so this is a little off the bump and baby topic but ever since my Omega supplement cured my baby brain I can't stop reading. At least I'm using my new powers for good!

I ordered four books from The Book Depository (I never use book shops anymore, so much cheaper and free worldwide delivery). Before I placed my order I spent an entire night reading reviews on GoodReads. I love using that site for reviews as I can check in with others who like the same type of books as me.

I'm a big fan of the urban fantasy genre... werewolves, fairies, witches, vampires but set in modern times. There are certain authors within this genre who write smutty, romance type novels and then call then Urban Fanstasy. I don't really like those. I like a good story. I also like the Young Adult genre. I'm not really into serious, thought provoking reads at the moment. Reading for me is an escape so I don't want to cry, worry, feel stressed or sad when I read.

With all of that in mind I chose four. All of which are the first in series. I do love a series!!

 

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead - Loved this! It's a young adults series, well written, fast-paced with intriguing, likeable characters. I ordered the next three in the series to read by the beach next month.

Some Girls Bite (Chicagoland Vampire Series) by Chloe Neill - I actually liked this one even more. The  main character is funny and strong. It's a lighthearted read and I couldn't stop turning pages. I also ordered the next three of these for the beach - I'm clearly planning an exciting holiday :)

The Huger Games by Suzanne Collins - I feel like I'm the last person to catch on to this trilogy! I haven't seen the film, I wanted to read the books first. I'm about half way through and I was enthralled from the first page. The tone is much more serious than the other three books but the pace makes it read like a movie. I can see why it was adapted for the big screen.

First Grave on the Right by Daryna Jones - There is a recommendation on the front of the book from JR Ward who couldn't put it down. Now, if you're a fan of JR Wards books you will probably like this. Unfortunately,  I'm not her biggest fan. This is the absolute worst cover for a book of this genre I have ever seen! It looks like an holiday novel. I found the lead character contrived and the humour forced. It felt like the funny lines were written separately and then spread around through the book. There were also sections of dialogue that were so choppy that I lost interest. Admittedly, I did enjoy the second half significantly more than the first but this book really didn't do it for me.

When I'm finished the Hunger Games I will order the last two books from the trilogy and then I'll see where I go from there.

What types of books do you like and what are you reading?

Amy x

Ps My 27 Week Pregnant post will be up tomorrow!

An essential for Baby Sign Language

I recently posted about baby sign language. I mentioned how effective it has been for my 12 month old - she can communicate simple things instead of getting frustrated at me for not understanding. I was contacted about a brilliant little book called SuperHands to see if I would like a copy to help at home. I had to share it, it's fantastic!

 

As you can see from the photos I took, it's an illustrated dictionary. There are 40 of the most commonly used signs included. I love the illustrations, as does Eve. The pages are thick so she happily sits there perusing the images.

I read through the book and had an initial practice in about 10 minutes. I looked at it again the following day and realised I remembered them all. I think this is down to not only the illustrations but the short description of the actions. It helped me make associations and therefore made it much easier than an of the other articles I have read on baby signing.

At the back of the book there is a poem and a song with the signs - Eve LOVED these. She kept tapping the book for me to do it again (she has yet to master the sign for 'again'). There rare also tips and information bubbles throughout the book which are very useful and informative.

So far she knows:

Milk
Cookie
Thank you
Please
Bird
Drink
Hungry
Finished
Book

This is making our day to day life so much easier. To be honest, it will be a godsend when the new baby arrives. Eve has been getting frustrated for the past few months since she only know a few words but yet she knows what she wants. This book is perfect for people with babies and parents in a similar situation. I was expecting to have to put in a bit of slog to learn it myself, but this certainly was not the case. As I said, it took ten minutes.

I introduce one sign at a time so it's not over-whelming. Eve seems to pick up the association immediately but it can take her a few days to use the sign herself. For example, when I taught her milk and used the sign, she ran over to me and pointed at the fridge if that is what she wanted. If she didn't want it she put her hand up at me and walked off. After three days she started to use the sign herself.

I highly recommend!

For more information on Superhands Baby Sign Language check out their website link!

Baby Books - Useful or the Devil?

I'll just dive right in. I have a ridiculous amount of pregnancy and baby books. I have a problem.

Some of these have been given to me from friends and family as gifts but the vast majority I have picked up since Eve was born. I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with baby books, hence the blog post.

I plan to review these books and discuss their merits in a more detailed blog post later this week. But before I do so I felt the need to have a little rant about my attitude and experience with these books. I would also love to know what your thoughts are on the matter.

Useful or the devil?

The use of the word 'devil' might seem extreme but I have found myself cursing some of these books on occasion - I have also thrown one off the bed in a huff (take a guess which one that was!).

Have they been useful to me? Without a doubt, yes. There have been times that I've found myself at my wits end, confused, unsure of where to go next etc and I have always found solace in one of these, if not an answer. Last week for example, Eve woke three nights in a row at 3am (unheard of for Eve), not hungry but wide awake. I knew it was probably something simple so I picked up two of my books and went the appropriate section - both authors spoke about this being a common issue for babies at Eve's age and after walking starts. They recommended I cut back her morning nap by a few minutes. It took me 5 minutes to consult my books and problem solved.

Unfortunately it's not always that simple. Actually, it usually isn't. There is far too much information. It's overwhelming. Before I had Eve a friend gave me The Contented Little Baby Book  by Gina Ford. I have since come to understand that Gina is highly controversial. I can see why. When I read the book, I was terrified - routines timed down to the minute, babies who nap in only complete darkness, not going out around naps, feedings etc, breastfeeding timetables. Terrifying. I will talk about this book more in my follow-up review post but for now know that this book is the devil, but it's also useful. It's good for problem solving and dipping into. It has saved me on a few occasions. That being said hubby has wanted to burn it on a number of occasions. It makes me feel inadequate and on one or two occasions, like a bad mother. I read recently on a mummy forum about a woman who's husband grabbed this book off her while she sobbed over her inadequacies and he put it on the barbecue. I suspect this is a common  occurrence. It's not really the information in the book, it's the condescending, know-it-all tone of the author that makes you feel like poo.

So the book you own isn't doing it for you. You start to wonder if there is an author out there who shares your views on nursing, gut instinct, routines etc Low and behold, you purchase another book. This is  where The Baby Whisperer came in from me. Great advice, more relaxed, but then it's just another set of ideals to take on board. Again, too much information. I read the bits relevant to me and took a few things on board but again, felt over-whelmed.

Then I found The No Cry Sleep Solution and thought to myself, you need that! I didn't. It was a nice book to read and suits my parenting style but it wasn't practical for me and I ended up ignoring everything I read.

What I learned from reading all of these books was that there is extremely useful advice inside. There is also too much advice. Dip in where you need and let it go. I have picked up quite a few tips and tricks but then the book is sent to the shelf until the next issue arises. I refuse to be controlled by another baby book!

Do you love or hate parenting books? Have a lovely evening everyone!

* Just updated my beauty blog with a review on Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser - 2 people have commented on my glowing skin today, it's all in the make-up baby! Link

Amy x