Librocubicularist Aug./ Sept. 2016

Things have been pretty average around here lately. The fall season is when I work the most hours so I've been busier at work. Fall, particularly October is a big time for me personally because it holds both my birthday and wedding anniversary so we are making plans for those events as well.

Trying to fit in time to work on the giant string art is tricky mainly because I have to keep moving it out of reach of our three cats and their attempts to play with the sting. I have managed to (mostly) finish the first color/ stage and plan to start the sword sections later this week.

Since I was out sick last month my whole posting schedule got off and I never posted book reviews for that time. Let me share them now.

August Reviews

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is a really entertaining book about much fun the library can be. 12 kids are chosen to attend a lock-in for the opening of the town's new library, which happens to be the most awesome sounding library ever. I won't tell you about the all the amazing features the library has because some of them are tied to the storyline but I wish I had a library nearby with even some of its features. The party ends with a contest in which the kids have to find a hidden way out the library using only the resources and clues available in the library. The main focus is on the joys of the reading and libraries but also friendship and teamwork.

Incarnation by Emma Cornwall

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Lucy Weston wakes up as a vampire with no idea what's happened. She has only a few memories of her human life. When she stumbles across a copy of Bram Stoker's Dracula she decides to seek him out for answers. Her search for answers reveals all sorts of secrets and complications. On the surface, this book is a vampire story set in a steampunk version of London but there are several other themes. Tied into the futuristic setting is a discussion of ever increasing technology and its impact on the world. There is also a debate about what humanity really is, what exactly makes someone human. While some of it is a bit over the top (a subway in Victorian London for example), overall I really enjoyed the story.

September Reviews

Mend It Better: Creative Patching, Darning, and Stitching by Kristin M. Roach

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This a great book about how to mend and care for your clothes. It covers a variety of things from simple fixes such as patching holes or sewing torn seams to more advanced repairs like zipper replacement. There's even a chapter about repairs for special fabric types including lace, leather, and velvets. Whenever possible the author tries to include instructions to complete repairs either by hand sewing or using a sewing machine so you can use whichever method you're more comfortable with. There are also examples of creative fixes throughout the book to offer inspiration for your own repairs (some include instructions but not all). One of my favorite things was the instructions for how to make your own mending tools like a darning eggs or tailors ham. The final chapter gives tips for washing and caring for your clothing to prevent the need for repairs in the first place.
I saw another review where they questioned who exactly the intended audience for this book is because of a lack of instructions or pictures for some projects and maybe more than necessary for other but I had no problems following any of the instructions. At the start of the book, there is an overview of basics including how to thread a needle and a variety of stitches for both hand and machine sewing that can be referred back to for most of the other projects.

Whatever the Weather: Science Experiments and Art Activities That Explore the Wonders of Weather by Annie Riechmann

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Whatever the Weather is designed to get your family outside to explore in a variety of weather conditions. It begins with an overview of weather exploration: questions to ask, basics of the water cycle and other science behind weather, and measurements such as the Beaufort Scale for wind speeds. The following chapters are organized by various weather phenomena; cold/snow, rain, sun , and wind. Each contains ideas and projects to learn more about that particular phenomena and art projects that use the weather as a key component. There are also sidebars that provide a refresher for parents on the science behind each project and offer suggestions for ways to extend the investigation if you have kids that want to learn more. There's an emphasis on observation and the art projects tie in as ways to either record your findings (such as tracing your shadow at various times of day to track the sun) or to help make observations easier (painting leave to help highlight the veins or building a boat to see how water moves). Finally, there's a section in the back with a great list of resources for even further explorations.


I'm trying to get better about typing up reviews for books right after I read them so that everything is fresh in my mind and I might get more reviews finished. I read so much more than what shows up here. Right now I have a bunch of books about photography. We are planning a trip for our anniversary next year (it will be our tenth) and I want to learn more about getting great shots of our celebration. This is  my current library stack...