Happy New Year

Google Doodle

This is the time for a 2011 review. It was indeed a true revolutionary year of protests worldwide and that's the reason why Time Magazine's Person of the Year was The Protester. In their own words, "In 2011, protesters didn’t just voice their complaints; they changed the world."
Maps of the World also has a fantastic compilation of the main events and you can even vote for the event of the year. However, as usual, Google has produced a short video reviewing 2011 (embedded below) that's really worth having a look:

By this time, you are already making all the necessary preparations for a farewell to 2011 and for the warmest welcome to 2012, just like everybody else, right? Before you go, have a look at this slideshow by REUTERS.
As far as I am concerned, thank you so much for your trust and inspiration to keep me and this blog going :)
I wish you all a HAPPY NEW BOOK - a brand new book with 365+1 white pages for you to write on the best way possible.

1 day to Christmas - Happy Christmas

Wishing you ALL a Happy Christmas... and Happy Reading :)
                                                                   
                                                                         Teacher Alex

2 days to Christmas

In 1822 Clement Clark Moore wrote "T'was the Night before Christmas" and soon it became so famous that it is now a tradition in many American families to read this poem every Xmas Eve. Have a look at the book cover and the youtube video :)

                *~* Happy Reading... and Happy Christmas *~*

3 days to Christmas

Father Christmas needs a wee by Nicholas Allan is a sweet stocking-filler for children who can easily identify with Santa's situation ;)
By now you may be asking yourself why so many books for children... well, I love these books, I love Christmas and all it involves and so do my children. As Charles Dickens put it in "A Christmas Carol": "It's good to be children sometimes and never better than at Christmas..."

               *~* Happy Reading... and Happy Christmas *~*

4 days to Christmas

For today... well, another delicious children's story this time by Dr Seuss, How the Grinch stole Christmas. Just like with so many bestsellers, this book was also adapted in 2000 into a live-action film starring Jim Carrey.

 

*~* Happy Reading... and Happy Christmas *~*

5 days to Christmas

Almost there!!! Christmas is approaching and fast, isn´t it?
For today I have thought about a book by poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy based on real events, The Christmas Truce, name also given to the unofficial armistice in the WWI trenches.  Hope you like it ;)

               *~* Happy Reading... and Happy Christmas *~*

6 days to Christmas

Good morning from Coimbra, today bathed  in glorious Autumn sunshine :)
In spite of being busy and concerned about more days ahead with school meetings we always have to eat and cook. If you're not that much into Christmas (yet) but enjoy preparing something nice, have a look at a book series by BBC called "GoodFood 101". Though there are "101 Christmas Dishes" and "101 Delicious Gifts" I owe "101 Cupcakes and small bakes" and love it: it contains easy to make small bakes recipes for many occasions including Christmas... Yummi ... Tuck in :)

                *~* Happy Reading... and Happy Christmas *~*

7 days to Christmas

Because it's weekend and exactly the weekend before Christmas, we're all (?) hands on cooking and baking :)))
Today's pick is Gorgeous Christmas, a book by Annie Bell with gorgeous illustrations and gorgeous suggestions from our childhood favorites to drinks, big warming pies... Yummi... Tuck in!!!

               *~* Happy Reading... and Happy Christmas *~*

8 days to Christmas

I'm grateful that my two sons love reading as much as I do and today's tip is one of the books I chose for them for Christmas - yes, for both because though the collection is more appropriate for kiddies (7-10) I'm sure my eldest son will also read it :) Geronimo Stilton Special Edition: Christmas Catastrophe. Hope you / your kids love it!

                *~* Happy Reading... and Happy Christmas *~*

9 days to Christmas

How about some poetry? Poems for and about Christmas, obviously.
Favorite Christmas Poems, ed. by James Daley. This collection ranges from serious seasonal reflections by Martin Luther and John Milton to flights of fancy from Lewis Carroll. Other contributors include Rossetti, Kipling, Poe, Longfellow, Dickinson, Hardy, Donne, and Sir Walter Scott. It also contains 25 black-and-white etchings, engravings, and drawings.

                 *~* Happy Reading... and Happy Christmas *~*

10 days to Christmas

Let's start with a classic, the world famous... A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens - a must read for all people of all ages at this time of the year :)

 

*~* Happy Reading... and Happy Christmas *~*

Countdown to Christmas

With only 11 days to Christmas, it's never too much (or too late) to remind you that books make perfect gifts: for yourself or to offer a relative / friend, there's always a good book to suit every taste and pocket.
I too am worried about budget cuts and the impending (though delightful) costs of Christmas and that's exactly why this year I'm choosing even more books: books are really great gifts any time of the year but now they are superb austerity gifts once they are good value and are not that expensive taking into account the fun they can provide and the fact that we can take advantage of book fairs, book sales, discounts... I believe that the very act of choosing a book shows you care and your affection, don't you agree?
Anyway, even if you are still stuck for inspiration (or lack the time) to choose a fitting book, there's always a bookstore gift certificate - a nice way of saying "you choose".
Sooooooo, why not peeping for some suggestions for some great Christmassy reads to get into the spirit of Christmas, starting tomorrow???