zBook Review Blog for Moms and Kids

Book Review: The Other Boleyn Girl

Author: Philippa Gregory
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Reviewed by: Kath

We all know the famous Boleyn girl, don't we? The one who married King Henry VIII after his famous divorce (which led to his rejection of the authority of the Pope in Rome and ultimately the creation of the Anglican Church) and ended rather -- ah, shall we say -- badly? She's famous for saying (as she was being led to the scaffold) "I heard say the executioner was very good, and I have a little neck".

I refer, of course, to Anne Boleyn, second and most famous of Henry VIII's six wives, first to be beheaded, and mother of Elizabeth I, arguably one of England's greatest and most famous monarchs.

But what about her sister, Mary? Many wouldn't know that Mary Boleyn (Anne's older sister but portrayed in the novel as her younger sister) was Henry VIII's mistress well before Henry ever set eyes on Anne. Interesting historical fact, no? Two sisters, the same powerful lover...you can see where it might lead...and this is where Philippa Gregory's novel (due to be released in film version in February 2008) takes off.

Through the eyes of Mary, the lesser known of the two sisters, Gregory paints a remarkably vivid picture of the glamourous Tudor court and the inevitable sibling rivalry as Henry's interest in Mary wanes and Anne is manoevred in by The Family to take her place in Henry's bed and, incredibly, on the throne.

Historically accurate enough, Gregory still takes a good deal of creative license (this is historical fiction, after all folks), and the result is a page-turningly vivid yet authentic snapshot of a remarkable family in Europe's most exciting court. In the end, readers will identify with and cheer for Mary who, as a woman in Tudor England, was nothing more than a pawn for her family's political ambitions, yet nonetheless managed to break free of her bondage, follow her heart, and survive where her royal sister did not.

My opinion? I loved this book; read it twice in a row, then ran out and read its (then) sequel: The Queen's Fool (also twice!). Since I first read The Other Boleyn Girl and The Queen's Fool, Philippa Gregory has written three other books in this loose "series": The Constant Princess (about Katherine of Aragon), The Boleyn Inheritance (about Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard, Henry VIII's 3rd and 4th wives, respectively) and The Virgin's Lover (about Elizabeth I and Robert Dudley).

Shoud you read it? Emphatically, yes. I say run, don't walk to get your hands on this book. Due to the impending movie release, copies will be hard to come by at your local library, but I've never felt that buying a book was a waste of money. Even if you're not a re-reader like me, you can give the book to someone else when you're done.

Have you read it? If so, let the rest of us know what you thought! Rate The Other Boleyn Girl below.

About the reviewer: Kath is an urbanmoms.ca staffer and blogger AND an avid reader. Check out her weight loss blog, Losing It right here on urbanmoms.ca, and her brand-spanking-new indie blog, This Is Kat.

Urbanmoms.ca Book Review: Ecoholic

Urbanmoms.ca Book Review:
Ecoholic - Your Guide to the Most Environmentally Friendly Information, Products and Services in Canada, by Adria Vasil

Global warming, carbon emissions, toxic waste, landfills, climate change, endangered species, unsustainable farming practices, diminishing natural resources, deforestation, over population and the list goes on. They are all hugely hot topics of major environmental concern and resulting health problems, even more so today than ever.

Just in time for Earth Day, celebrated globally April 22, a fabulous new book called Ecoholic – Your Guide to the Most Environmentally Friendly Information, Products and Services in Canada published by Random House is a must have for every urban mom’s library.

Adria Vasil’s Ecoholic is a fantastic resource for practical tips and products that help you do your part for the earth. You’ll get the dirt on what not to buy and why, and the dish on great gifts, clothes, home supplies and more. Based on the popular and authoritative "Ecoholic" column that appears weekly in NOW, Ecoholic is a cheeky and eye-opening guide to all of life’s greenest predicaments. It is filled with all sorts of green products from all natural cleaning supplies, to eco-friendly paints, insulation and flooring. Need recipes for window cleaners or home-made laundry detergent?, you’ll find it here, along with cool clothes, shoes and beauty care. Want the best for your baby, and concerned about those plastic bottles? Check out the kids section for everything environmentally friendly and safe for baby. Need tips on how to make your home more energy efficient and even how to buy green energy? How about wonderful eco-friendly vacation ideas? It’s not just the eco-tourist holiday anymore, check it out for lists of green hotels in Canada.

This book gives you all the up to date hard facts and information on how to avoid toxins in the home, buying pesticide-free food, sustainable seafood, and meat and veggie choices. Tips for reducing energy and water use, keeping your home and garden pest-free without harmful chemicals, green gift-giving and ethical investing, choosing an environmentally friendly career, and the big issues facing Canada and how to get involved are all included.

"This book is for people who want to do something to lighten their impact on the planet. The small steps cost us little in the way of effort, money or time, but the cumulative effects can be enormous."
—David Suzuki

We sent a copy of Adria Vasil’s, Ecoholic to our urbanmom’s book review panel and here is what they had to say about this comprehensive guide to going green.

urbanmoms: What was your initial impression of this book?

Jill: Ecoholic is fantastic, it’s hard to put it down, it’s chock full of so much information. I do try to do my bit for the environment but clearly not enough. Ecoholic educates you on everything “green” from cleaning supplies to renovation materials to local organic food delivery. It’s a must have.

Paddi-Anne: I loved Ecoholic right from the start. Adria's tone is casual but she gets right to the point, lightly mocking how we have, "hundreds of products to preen every part of our bodies".

urbanmoms: What do you think are the key messages of this book?  Did they resonate with you?

Jill: I think the key message is that the environment is a major concern and something that is very topical right now and on everyone’s minds but many aren’t sure what they can do about it. Ecoholic has a solution for almost everything, full of great ideas on how to make your home and family more environmentally friendly.

Paddi-Anne: Adria keeps it simple, encouraging the reader to think about what they eat, drink, wear, and use everyday. She approaches everything in a holistic way, tackling where things come from and the impact they make along the way. The topic of environmental change can be overwhelming but she stresses keeping it simple. Even changing just one little thing is worth it.

urbanmoms: What would another mother find most appealing about this book?

Jill: There is a whole section devoted to kids, we all do our best to keep our kids healthy and safe but wow is there a lot of bad stuff out there. Like everything, you go away feeling a little overwhelmed and paranoid that you did certain things wrong but this section is very informative on everything from clothes to baby bottles to what to feed your kids. So many toys are made of PVC plastic so get rid of them, Ecoholic provides all sorts of cool eco-friendly toy options too.

Paddi-Anne: The book is structured as an easy reference tool. The "Kids" chapter has tons of easy ideas for "greening" your home and making it as safe and non-toxic as possible.

urbanmoms: What stood out about this book?

Jill: It’s really thorough; so many things that you had never even thought about that you can do to better for the environment. There is a really great resource guide in the back that has lists of all the places you can get organic foods, farmer’s markets and even car sharing companies.

Paddi-Anne: Ecoholic is incredibly comprehensive. It covers everything from diaper options to lawn mowers.

urbanmoms: Would you recommend this book to a friend?  Why/why not?

Jill: I would definitely recommend this book to a friend, it has so much to offer.

Paddi-Anne: Absolutely!  Every house should have a copy of Ecoholic.

urbanmoms: Please share any other comments about your experience with this book:

Jill: After reading Ecoholic, I feel like there is so much more I could be doing. Just this week, I bought a recycled grocery bag from the PC “Green” line so that I can do small grocery shops in my neighbourhood without collecting all those plastic bags. I heard this week that San Francisco has even pasted a by-law prohibiting plastic bags in grocery stores… so we have a long way to go but every little bit helps.

Paddi-Anne: I loved the easy reference "green tips" boxes!

Paddi-Anne and Jill are urbanmoms.ca members and participants in our book review panel. A great big urbanmoms.ca THANK YOU goes out to them for sharing their thoughts on Ecoholic with us.
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About the Author
Adria Vasil has been writing the Ecoholic column for NOW Magazine since the spring of 2004 and has covered environmental issues for NOW’s news section for four years. Vasil has a degree in development politics and cultural anthropology from the University of Toronto and a degree in magazine journalism from Ryerson. An advocate for the earth, women’s issues and human rights since her teens, Vasil has appeared on MTV Canada and CBC’s Newsworld to promote environmentalism.
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Would you like to review a book for urbanmoms.ca? To join the Book Review Panel, you need to be a member. Click on the “Join Us” link in the right navigation bar to join, and select the book category/ies you're interested in. If you're already a member, log in to urbanmoms.ca and update your membership preferences, and then make sure you've selected the book category/ies you want. Book Review Panelists are selected at random based on the category/ies selected.

Did you read this book? Tell us what you thought:

Breaking the Good Mom Myth, Every Modern Mom’s Guide to Getting Past Perfection, Regaining Sanity, and Raising Great Kids

Urbanmoms.ca Book Review:

Breaking the Good Mom Myth, Every Modern Mom’s Guide to Getting Past Perfection, Regaining Sanity, and Raising Great Kids
--By Alyson Schafer

Psychotherapist and Parenting Expert, Alyson Schafer offers a brilliant and hilariously revealing exploration of today’s misguided motherhood. Discover the truth behind the myths that keep moms flying at a frenetic pace, spending countless dollars they often don’t have, and losing endless hours trying to become “experts” on everything from ear infections to the safe heating points of hard plastics.

When did neurotic become normal?

This book explains the psycho-social phenomena of how each person creates their own unique “good mother myth” and then examines why these myths are not only faulty, but could in fact lead to poor parenting, marital disaster and often individual crisis.

Alyson has worked with a great many mothers who, in the quest to be a “good mother” have ended up on the door step of despair. She is a forty-something, suburbanite, working-mother of two and can speak to these issues both personally and professionally.

You can even catch her live this month at various speaking engagements in Newmarket, Barrie, Oshawa and Mississauga. Go to www.alyson.ca to see a list of her upcoming appearances this week!

We sent a copy of Alyson Schafer’s Breaking the Good Mom Myth, Every Modern Mom’s Guide to Getting Past Perfection, Regaining Sanity, and Raising Great Kids (published by John Wiley & Sons Canada) to Andrea, urbanmoms.ca member, book review panelist and mother of four kids under four years old!

Speaking from a lot of great experience herself, she shares her thoughts on this smart, witty and humorous novel about motherhood idealized for us below:

urbanmoms.ca: What was your initial impression of this book?

Andrea: I immediately appreciated the simple layout of the book.  The author Alyson Schafer takes common myths that we hold in society and gives humorous, constructive answers on how to deal with these misconceptions.  I was also impressed by the author’s background.   She is a mother of 2 with the education and experience to really back up all her opinions.

urbanmoms.ca: What do you think are the key messages of this book?  Did they resonate with you?

Andrea: I felt the overall messages in this book were to get beyond the idea that we have to be perfect to raise our children.  The ideas were based on our modern lifestyle that dictates that our children are a reflection of ourselves.  As a teacher and a mother of 4, I see the consequences and feel the strain of this unobtainable ideal all the time!

urbanmoms.ca: What would another mother find most appealing about this book?

Andrea: I believe that most moms will enjoy her ‘non-blaming’ approach to improving family relationships. Too often with parenting today, you come away feeling full of guilt; not so with Breaking the Good Mom Myth.

urbanmoms.ca: What stood out about this book?

Andrea: The humour and real-life examples used made this book a standout.

urbanmoms.ca: Would you recommend this book to a friend?  Why/why not?

Andrea: I have already recommended this book to several friends.  It is a refreshing take on modern parenting.

urbanmoms.ca: Please share any other comments about your experience with this book?

Andrea: I found the section on how to deal with children fighting particularly interesting.  I have a 4 year old and a 2 1/2 year old who have just started to fight in earnest and the advice given in the book made a lot of sense to me.   Now I step back for a minute to assess exactly what has happened and sometimes find that the “victim” (usually my youngest) has provoked the other one just to grab my attention.  I don’t immediately jump to blame someone at a first glance any more! 

Andrea is an urbanmoms.ca member and participant in our book review panel. A great big urbanmoms.ca THANK YOU to Andrea for finding the time in her busy mom schedule to share her thoughtful review of this book.

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About the Author - Alyson Schafer
Alyson Schafer is a psychotherapist and recognized as one of Canada's foremost parenting experts. She is the host of The Parenting Show, a call-in advice show on Rogers Television, and the regular guest parenting expert on CBC television’s The Gill Deacon Show. Alyson is also a Chapters’ Indigo Trusted Advisor and a popular corporate speaker for Lifespeak. Alyson is the selected speaker for Rainbow Canada's 2007 speaker series. You can find Alyson's advice in articles in Today's Parent, Canadian Family, Chatelaine, Canadian Living and Readers Digest and through her website: www.alyson.ca.

Alyson brings the age-old topic of parenting to a twenty-first century audience of educated, enlightened and motivated parents. Her style is fast and witty, and her information is grounded in theory and research. Alyson educates, inspires and entertains — whether speaking to an audience of parents, presenting workshops, or one-on- one in private parent coaching sessions.  As a mother of two and a former nursery school teacher, Alyson brings real life experience and passion to her work.

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Would you like to review a book for urbanmoms.ca? To join the Book Review Panel, you need to be a member. Click on the “Join Us” link in the right navigation bar to join, and select the book category/ies you're interested in.
If you're already a member, simply sign in to urbanmoms.ca and and update your preferences, making sure you've selected the book category/ies you want. Book Review Panelists are selected at random based on the category/ies selected.