This book is intended to educate and send a message to a wide audience, both children and adults, about what I feel defines a real mother. In our society, a real mother continues to be thought of as the female who gives birth. Although, that is often the case, it is certainly not always true. With this book, I hope to be a voice for the many women who have had the experience and privilege of raising a child, whether or not they gave birth to that child. May these women be recognized for whom they are: the real mothers.

*Book source ~ Home library

Orb Kaftan is born into a special family. Her father can make magical music and her mother was once an aspect of Fate. Her half-brother is a powerful magician and her niece can see auras and paint them. Orb herself has an incredible amount of music magic. As she grows her talent grows with her and when she becomes an adult she sets out to find the ultimate music of all, the Llano. Traveling all over Europe to various gypsy camps, she seeks the elusive music. In India she falls in love, but he’s taken from her. Continuing her quest in the United States has her meeting several new people who become important to her including Natasha, a handsome man who teaches her more about the Llano. But is everything the way it seems? Her mother has taken up the mantle of Fate again and comes to warn Orb about the prophecy that she will marry Evil and to offer her the job of the Green Mother. Orb has some big decisions to make and having lost one man she loved will she lose another?

I know I’ve said that I love this series, but if I had to pick a favorite inside it I’d say this one was it. Of course, it’s been many years since I read books 6 & 7, so I’ll need to reread those to be sure, but for now, this book is the one. Starting when Orb is four and following her into adulthood I love reading about all she has experienced. Though she is a tad obsessive about the Llano, at least she’s a decent person. My favorite part of the whole book is at the end. I’ve cried each time I’ve read it and I can’t remember what happens in the next book. So, I’m really looking forward to reading For Love of Evil. Of course, neither library system near me has it and I have no idea where I’ve stored my copy. Gah! 

This was selected for my real-life mother-daughter book club.  I really like the mother-daughter combo who picked this book, but I was still dreading it mightily.  I'm afraid it was about what I expected and, quite honestly, maybe even a little worse. 

The premise is that four mother-daughter pairs start a book club - the first selection is Louisa May Alcott's Little Women.  I have my issues with that book, but I still think it's a solid classic worth sharing and discussing with young readers so I tried to get on board.

But, oh dear, there just isn't much here to satisfy an adult reader.  I try to remind myself that book club isn't always about reading great books (although we have read so many great ones over the years - The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate, Wee Free Men, etc.)  The real point is to come together and discuss books in a meaningful way and I can tell there will be a lot to discuss here, plus I do think most of the girls are really going to like this book.

Unfortunately, the book club is really just a plot device to tell a run-of-the-mill story about middle school angst.  I didn't really find any of the characters to be at all realistic or relatable and no one in the book really behaves in a way that is believable or authentic. 

I also just got kind of an icky vibe while reading the book.  For example, there is this running gag about one particular character's fat ass - presented as acceptable because the character being fat shamed is an extremely odious individual.  I was also super annoyed by some really dated and negative stereotypes about feminists and vegans.  Really?  What decade is this? 

I think the worst thing for me is that the link to Little Women was pretty tenuous. I don't feel it was incorporated in a meaningful way at all.  I think at first that made me angrier than I really should have been.  I was looking for this book to offer up some insights into literature and life when really it's just a shallow, forgettable kind of book.  

40 Weeks on 40 Pages - A Book With a Pregnancy Belly

No, I am not pregnant but this is very first time I see something like this and had to share. 

This is the "Bell-Net Mother Book" created by Japanese (boy, they are creative) medical service network presenting 40 weeks of pregnancy on 40 pages printed in 3D.

The book grows (literally) with future mother's belly and is a sort of pregnancy diary: the left side is empty and ready for mum's notes and the right side shows what's happening to woman's body from week to week. 

I must say that this publication looks very neat and elegant. Graphics are subtle and delicate with nice design. I can imagine that this is just different representation of mum-to be, see-what-to-expect-while-expecting books. 

I'm not mum so it's hard for me to evaluate. Dear mums out there, would you like to have Mother Book like this? 

Some of the weeks look like this: