Downton Abbey, Season 5: Christmas Special Finale

What Happened (A Very Short Summary)
This was a two hour special episode, so lots happened!  High points included:

• Lord and Lady Sinderby hosted a shooting party at their estate.  I am not a great fan of hunting or guns, but I found much to focus on with the family drama, including Sinderby's mistress and small child showing up at a big gathering.  Rose saved the day by pretending to be friends with the mistress and then seeing her off.
• Mary met a handsome new man, Henry Talbot, at the gathering and flirted with him.  Edith also met a man at the gathering, Mr. Pelham;  he seems like a nice chap.
• After a health scare, Lord Grantham made peace with Edith and welcomed Marigold into the family.
• Lord Kuragin reunited with his princess, a gloomy and unpleasant woman, and went off to Paris with her.
• Isobel received a nastygram from Lord Merton's son, Larry, and broke things off with Merton.
• Tom and Sybbie prepared to move to Boston.  (Insert several 1920's theme sad emojis here.)
• Carson proposed to Mrs. Hughes and she accepted.  I am restraining myself from typing this in all caps, but it is very big news!
• Bates "confessed" to Green's murder to get Anna out of jail.  Molesley and Baxter played detective to get him off the hook ... and reunited with Anna.

Character of the Week
Tom had a lovely farewell to Downton Abbey, both in the children's nursery, remembering Sybil with Mary and Edith, and at the Christmas gathering downstairs.  He is by far my favorite DA character, and as Mrs. Hughes said, a bridge between upstairs and downstairs.  I think he also has served as a bridge between viewers and the the very privileged Crawley family.

Line of the Week
“Why do you always talk of me as if I were a salmon who laid my eggs in the gravel, then swam back to the sea?” (the Dowager Countess - perhaps my favorite Countess-ism of the season)

Most Striking Visual
Christmas at Downton Abbey was so beautiful!  I especially loved seeing the tree, and the children's wonder looking at it.

"Oh My" Moment
Carson's proposal to Mrs. Hughes and her acceptance was sheer perfection.  Finally!  I think this was my favorite scene of the entire 5th season.

What I Hope Will Happen Next Season (All Speculation - No Spoilers!)

• A Carson/Hughes wedding!
• A Baxter/Molesley romance.
• Drama-free Anna/Bates.
• Romance for Mary, perhaps with the new suitor introduced in this episode?
• Happiness for Edith.
• A new puppy at the Abbey (although Isis will still be fondly remembered).
• More great Dowager Countess quotes!

How about you?  What did you think of this episode?  What would you like to see happen next season?

Book Blast and Giveaway: Stellarcadia

Mother Daughter Book Reviews is pleased to be hosting a Book Blast for the third and final book in the "Adventures of Caramel Cardamom" middle grade science fiction trilogy by Julie Anne Grasso: "Stellarcadia".

About the Book

Title: Stellarcadia (Adventures of Caramel Cardamom, Book 3) | Author: Julie Anne Grasso | Publication Date: December 24, 2014 | Publisher: Independent | Pages: 128 | Recommended Ages: 8 to 12 Book Description: Caramel Cinnamon is one lucky elf. She can hardly believe she’s invited to attend the first Intergalactic Youth Summit, on-board the Stellarcadia. Her friends can’t wait to go “hyper,” but even the thought of it chills Caramel to the bone. However, nothing could compare to the icy reception she receives upon her arrival. Keen to get to the bottom of it, Caramel stumbles on a dangerous conspiracy, but no one will believe her. In the exciting conclusion to The Adventures of Caramel Cardamom Trilogy, Caramel will have to do more than outwit her enemies, she will have to convince her friends to take her seriously. For ages 8-12.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

 

The Early Buzz

"The book is also a perfect mix of magic, science, and technology. Don’t be surprised if readers get to use their imaginations and learn something. Julie Anne Grasso has proven herself to be an original and versatile author..." ~ 5 Stars, Ilana W., Amazon

"Couldn't put it down." ~ Jemima P., Goodreads

 

About the Author: Julie Anne Grasso

With a background in paediatric nursing, Julie Anne Grasso spent many years literally wrapping children in cotton wool. Every day she witnessed great courage and resilience from the tiny people she cared for, which inspired her to write stories to encourage and entertain them. She lives in Melbourne, Australia with her husband Danny and their little girl, Giselle.

Website | Blog | Facebook

Twitter | Goodreads

 

* $25 Book Blast Giveaway *

Prize: $25 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal cash (winner’s choice) Contest ends: March 25, 11:59 pm, 2015 Open: Internationally How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below. Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the author, Julie Anne Grasso and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send and email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com. 

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Book Review: Aoléon The Martian Girl PART TWO

Book Description:
Aoléon and Gilbert receive a special mission from PAX, a wanted criminal and leader of the Martian resistance movement to investigate the Luminon of Mars, who he suspects is planning an invasion of Earth to steal its milk cows. Gilbert has an encounter with the Luminess (the mate of the Luminon) and discovers something strange about her during a procession, and the duo are chased by the Royal Paladin Guard.

At Aoléon’s home, Gilbert meets Aoléon’s family, her sister Una, mother Phobos and father Deimos as well as her overzealous pet Zoot. He is also introduced to Bizwat, a covert operator and Procyon Commando, who uses his Saturn Pizza delivery job as a cover.

Gilbert then gets to visit the Martian Space Academy (Aoléon’s school) where he encounters Aoléon’s nemesis, Charm Lepton and her friend Quarkina, as well as receiving a history lesson on the Martian people by Plutarch Xenocrates. After class, Gilbert and Aoléon get to train in zero-G and Gilbert is treated to a Psi-ball match between Martian Space Academy and Martian Science Academy.

My Review:
This book picks up at the exact point that Part One left off.  The reader begins the exciting adventure of Mars with Gilbert and Aoleon.

I really like the details of life on Mars with Aoleon's family.  For instance, "Dinner was being dispensed from tentacle tubing that extended from the ceiling above the table, filling bowls with a milky substance."  Another example was Aoleon's holographic star map, which shone in bright colors and moved in three dimensions.

Aoleon even has a pet, a lovable little animal who looks like a cross between a cat and a pug.  At night she sleeps in a holographic sleep pod that disappears when it is not in use.  Details like this were fascinating, especially as they related to similarities and differences to life on earth.

The Martian Space Academy scenes are fun;  they introduce a diverse student population like the Harry Potter series.  The descriptions of classes on Mars are really interesting

The book is action packed and fast paced, with a mix of dialogue and description that will appeal to young readers.  The illustrations are vivid and exciting, and they really enhance the story.  The colors are especially great - they almost glow.  I would definitely recommend reading this book in color format (not on a black and white reader).

This book has a broad age appeal, but I think middle school students will especially enjoy it.  It has the hallmarks of a book that appeal to young readers - action, vivid imagery, and a sense of fun and adventure.  

Buy the Book:
Pre-order your copy today!

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Buy The Martian Girl Song!
Another World - Single
Featuring Élan Noelle
Download on iTunes

Meet the Author:
Mr. LeVasseur enjoys crafting good stories based on lovable characters designed to translate well to multiple media formats such as books, games, movies, and toys. He lives in New York when he is not commuting between Southern California and Olympus Mons, Mars. His hobbies include writing, 3D animation, musical composition, and intergalactic space travel. He also enjoys various sports such as skiing, running, and exospheric skydiving.

Connect with Brent: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Aoléon: The Martian Girl

I received a copy of this book from iRead Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review and Giveaway: Pants! No Chance! by Susan Lanyi

Book Synopsis:
Lulupop rarely puts up a fuss, except when it comes to wearing pants. Dresses, dresses, dresses, is all she will ever wear! With time, a little drama, and no lack of imagination, Lulupop realizes that wearing dresses is not always the best choice. 

My Review:   
Before I was a blogger and vintage bookseller, I taught 3 and 4 year olds at a play-based preschool.  Each year there were always a couple of little girls who wanted to wear their prettiest dresses to school.  I always reminded parents that we would be fingerpainting, going to the playground, decorating cookies, planting flower seeds - and pants were practical for active play.  I wish that Pants! No Chance! had been in my classroom library.  It would have been a great read aloud to share.

Pants! No Chance! is a charming picture book for young children.  Lulupop wants to wear a dress to school every day, although her mother suggests that pants might be more appropriate.  Because of this, Lulupop finds riding a bike difficult, cannot participate in gym, and scrapes her knees on the playground.  Young readers will find out how she decides that it might not be such a bad idea to wear pants to school.

The storytelling in this book is fun and lively.  A week in Lulupop's school life is presented with details about each day.  The drama and school adventures will make for a great read aloud at home or in a classroom.

The illustrations by Alexandre Rouillard are charming.  The colors are bright and vivid, and the pictures help advance the story.

I would recommend this book for preschool children or early readers (kindergarten to first grade).  It would be a fun book to read at home, but also a nice addition to a school library.

Author's Bio:

Susan Lanyi lives in Montreal with her husband, three children and puppy. She is a writer and has previously been published in The Globe and Mail. When Susan is not busy writing or doing "mom stuff" she is shopping for dresses with her daughter….Too bad her daughter only wants to wear pants!

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Connect with Susan: Website ~ Twitter

Where to buy the book:

Domnizelles Publications
Amazon.com
Amazon.ca
Barnes & Nobles

​Giveaway:​

​Prize: ​One of 5 print copies of Pants! No Chance! Open internationally. Ends March 7.

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Downton Abbey: Season 5, Episode 8 (Season Finale)

What Happened (A Very  Short Summary)
This was an episode packed with plot developments.  Rose married Atticus, after much unwanted drama from her mother, Susan.  Mary had a moment of sadness about the household breaking up, as Rose moved on, Edith busied herself with baby Marigold, and Tom advanced his plans to move to Boston.  Robert realized that Marigold is his granddaughter.  Prince Kuragin suggested to Violet that they move forward as friends - and lovers.  Daisy considered moving to London, but decided to stay on until she finishes her studies.  Robert honored Mrs. Patmore's nephew with a war monument.  Anna was arrested for Mr. Green's murder.
 
Character of the Week
Rose is my choice, since she just got married, and the Rose-Atticus pairing is a true love match. 

Line of the Week
"Love may not conquer all, but it can conquer quite a lot." (the Dowager Countess)

"Oh My" Moment
Anna was in a Scotland Yard line up.   That is a sentence I never expected to type about this show!
 
What I Hope Will Happen Next
I am very curious to see what will happen next with Anna's arrest.  I wonder if Mr. Bates will "take the rap" and confess so she can walk free?   It seemed like he was hinting at that this episode.  I also am looking forward to seeing how the Dowager Countess responds to Prince Kuragin.  From the trailers, it looks like Mary may have a new man on the horizon - so of course that will be interesting as well.

What were your thoughts on this episode?  What do you hope to see in the Christmas episode, which airs next week?