Josiah's Updates en-US Sun, 06 Apr 2025 18:28:01 -0700 60 Josiah's Updates 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg Rating844531309 Sun, 06 Apr 2025 18:28:01 -0700 <![CDATA[Josiah Jones liked a readstatus]]> /
Josiah liked Skip’s status update
Skip Skip has read The Breadwinner (The Breadwinner, #1)
]]> Review7452502888 Sun, 06 Apr 2025 17:56:43 -0700 <![CDATA[Josiah added 'Elvis Presley's Love Me Tender']]> /review/show/7452502888 Elvis Presley's Love Me Tender by Elvis Presley Josiah gave 3 stars to Elvis Presley's Love Me Tender (Hardcover) by Elvis Presley
In 2017, the fortieth year since Elvis Presley's sudden passing, two illustrators each released a picture book version of the Elvis song "Love Me Tender" from the 1956 movie of the same name. In this version, illustrator Tom Browning frames the lyrics not as a romantic love song, but one of a father's devotion.

"Love me tender,
love me sweet;
Never let me go.
You have made my life complete,
And I love you so."

Sons and daughters need their dads equally, though in different ways. Sitting outdoors and communing with nature, learning to ride a bike, reading a book together, or celebrating a birthday with cake and presents are all occasions made better by a father's presence and unconditional love. Through activities practical or whimsical, and all seasons of the year, a consistent loving relationship keeps the child's feet on the ground so he or she is confident venturing out and discovering life.

"Love me tender,
love me true,
All my dreams fulfill.
For, my darlin', I love you,
And I always will."

Love is best conveyed through actions. It's more important to behave in loving ways than express lovely sentiments, but when carefully crafted words support one's actions to affirm love, they are a blessing. The recipient of eloquently declared love has those words as reminder of precisely what they mean to that person. It's a gift from the heart and mind, and "Love Me Tender" is a shining example.

"Love me tender,
love me long;
Take me to your heart.
For it's there that I belong,
And we'll never part."

The version of the song in this book is slightly truncated, but Tom Browning's understated, serious illustrations depict the love of parent and child to exquisite effect. I believe Elvis would be happy to see his music used in such a manner. I hope this book ends up in the hands of many parents and children.

"Love me tender,
love me dear;
Tell me you are mine.
I'll be yours through all the years,
Till the end of time." ]]> Review7452519582 Sun, 06 Apr 2025 17:56:39 -0700 <![CDATA[Josiah added 'Elvis Presley's Love Me Tender']]> /review/show/7452519582 Elvis Presley's Love Me Tender by Elvis Presley Josiah gave 3 stars to Elvis Presley's Love Me Tender (Kindle Edition) by Elvis Presley
In 2017, the fortieth year since Elvis Presley's sudden passing, two illustrators each released a picture book version of the Elvis song "Love Me Tender" from the 1956 movie of the same name. In this version, illustrator Stephanie Graegin frames the lyrics not as a romantic love song, but one of family devotion for a newborn baby as it grows.

Seeing your baby for the first time is a revelation. You burp the infant as needed, read to him or her, feed and play with the child. Enjoying nature together is a nice way to decompress, and by the time the baby has its first birthday you'll feel you've been together forever. Through activities practical or whimsical, and all seasons of the year, a consistent loving relationship keeps the child's feet on the ground so he or she is confident venturing out and discovering life.

Love is best conveyed through actions. It's more important to behave in loving ways than express lovely sentiments, but when carefully crafted words support one's actions to affirm love, they are a blessing. The recipient of eloquently declared love has those words as reminder of precisely what they mean to that person. It's a gift from the heart and mind, and "Love Me Tender" is a shining example.

The version of the song in this book has a different ending than most people know, but Stephanie Graegin's cute, warm illustrations depict the love of parent and child to exquisite effect. I appreciate the various Elvis "Easter eggs" hidden in the pictures, such as the children being dropped off at Graceland Preschool, and the endnote from Priscilla Presley is a perfect fit. I believe Elvis would be happy to see his music used as it is in this book. I hope it ends up in the hands of many parents and children. ]]> Review7449640022 Sun, 06 Apr 2025 17:56:34 -0700 <![CDATA[Josiah added 'Howl']]> /review/show/7449640022 Howl by Shaun David Hutchinson Josiah gave 1 star to Howl (Hardcover) by Shaun David Hutchinson
Unique plot styling is the clearest marker of a Shaun David Hutchinson novel. In Howl, fifteen-year-old Virgil Knox's parents are divorcing and his dad has just moved with Virgil from metropolitan Seattle to small-town Merritt, Florida. His dad grew up in Merritt and Virgil's grandparents live here, so the plan is to live with them and earn money to buy a home. Virgil sees the people of Merritt as hayseeds, but resentment morphs into panic on the night of a party when Virgil is attacked by a monster and left bleeding. No one believes a razor-clawed monster assaulted him, not even his dad or grandparents. Virgil longs to return to Seattle where his best friend and boyfriend are, but his dad make it clear that isn't an option.

Those who don't care either way about Virgil's monster story despise him for being gay or his leftist cultural attitude. At least he has drama class with Mr. Hilliker, who understands his craving to disappear into the arts. Virgil's emo cousin Astrid is a decent sort, and he makes friends with quirky Tripp Swafford, whose family history of mental illness helps him understand Virgil's angst. Virgil can't seem to forget the monster, how it slashed his body and left ghastly lingering wounds. Jarrett Hart, a popular high schooler, tries to befriend Virgil, but there's cause to suspect Jarrett had something to do with the monster attack. And what of Jarrett's friend Finn Duckett, whose motives are equally dubious? The monster is still stalking Virgil, and if he can't catch the beast in the act, Merritt will never be a safe place.

"Memories have a unique power...They're not just records of our past that we file away. They're living, breathing bits of us that we can revisit whenever we want. Memories fuel the engine of our souls."

—Mr. Hilliker, PP. 100-101

I usually like Shaun David Hutchinson's stories, but Howl was not enjoyable. Certain repeating scenes that detail Virgil's injuries are gratuitously gross; they upset my stomach and hindered my sleep. The book as a whole confuses me; was there a literal monster, or is it entirely metaphor? The sepsis of politics also infects the novel, resulting in a town and its populace who feel like caricatures instead of authentic characters. I'm not sure Hutchinson can write about small-town America fairly. I rate Howl one and a half stars; it could have been terrific, but carries too many self-inflicted wounds. ]]> ReadStatus9271070635 Sun, 06 Apr 2025 17:56:08 -0700 <![CDATA[Josiah finished reading 'Elvis Presley's Love Me Tender']]> /review/show/7452519582 Elvis Presley's Love Me Tender by Elvis Presley Josiah finished reading Elvis Presley's Love Me Tender by Elvis Presley
]]> ReadStatus9270945840 Sun, 06 Apr 2025 17:56:03 -0700 <![CDATA[Josiah finished reading 'Howl']]> /review/show/7449640022 Howl by Shaun David Hutchinson Josiah finished reading Howl by Shaun David Hutchinson
]]> Review7452502888 Sun, 06 Apr 2025 15:26:42 -0700 <![CDATA[Josiah added 'Elvis Presley's Love Me Tender']]> /review/show/7452502888 Elvis Presley's Love Me Tender by Elvis Presley Josiah gave 3 stars to Elvis Presley's Love Me Tender (Hardcover) by Elvis Presley
In 2017, the fortieth year since Elvis Presley's sudden passing, two illustrators each released a picture book version of the Elvis song "Love Me Tender" from the 1956 movie of the same name. In this version, illustrator Tom Browning frames the lyrics not as a romantic love song, but one of a father's devotion.

"Love me tender,
love me sweet;
Never let me go.
You have made my life complete,
And I love you so."

Sons and daughters need their dads equally, though in different ways. Sitting outdoors and communing with nature, learning to ride a bike, reading a book together, or celebrating a birthday with cake and presents are all occasions made better by a father's presence and unconditional love. Through activities practical or whimsical, and all seasons of the year, a consistent loving relationship keeps the child's feet on the ground so he or she is confident venturing out and discovering life.

"Love me tender,
love me true,
All my dreams fulfill.
For, my darlin', I love you,
And I always will."

Love is best conveyed through actions. It's more important to behave in loving ways than express lovely sentiments, but when carefully crafted words support one's actions to affirm love, they are a blessing. The recipient of eloquently declared love has those words as reminder of precisely what they mean to that person. It's a gift from the heart and mind, and "Love Me Tender" is a shining example.

"Love me tender,
love me long;
Take me to your heart.
For it's there that I belong,
And we'll never part."

The version of the song in this book is slightly truncated, but Tom Browning's understated, serious illustrations depict the love of parent and child to exquisite effect. I believe Elvis would be happy to see his music used in such a manner. I hope this book ends up in the hands of many parents and children.

"Love me tender,
love me dear;
Tell me you are mine.
I'll be yours through all the years,
Till the end of time." ]]> Review7452519582 Sun, 06 Apr 2025 15:26:38 -0700 <![CDATA[Josiah added 'Elvis Presley's Love Me Tender']]> /review/show/7452519582 Elvis Presley's Love Me Tender by Elvis Presley Josiah gave 3 stars to Elvis Presley's Love Me Tender (Kindle Edition) by Elvis Presley
In 2017, the fortieth year since Elvis Presley's sudden passing, two illustrators each released a picture book version of the Elvis song "Love Me Tender" from the 1956 movie of the same name. In this version, illustrator Stephanie Graegin frames the lyrics not as a romantic love song, but one of family devotion for a newborn baby as it grows.

Seeing your baby for the first time is a revelation. You burp the infant as needed, read to him or her, feed and play with the child. Enjoying nature together is a nice way to decompress, and by the time the baby has its first birthday you'll feel you've been together forever. Through activities practical or whimsical, and all seasons of the year, a consistent loving relationship keeps the child's feet on the ground so he or she is confident venturing out and discovering life.

Love is best conveyed through actions. It's more important to behave in loving ways than express lovely sentiments, but when carefully crafted words support one's actions to affirm love, they are a blessing. The recipient of eloquently declared love has those words as reminder of precisely what they mean to that person. It's a gift from the heart and mind, and "Love Me Tender" is a shining example.

The version of the song in this book has a different ending than most people know, but Stephanie Graegin's cute, warm illustrations depict the love of parent and child to exquisite effect. I appreciate the various Elvis "Easter eggs" hidden in the pictures, such as the children being dropped off at Graceland Preschool, and the endnote from Priscilla Presley is a perfect fit. I believe Elvis would be happy to see his music used as it is in this book. I hope it ends up in the hands of many parents and children. ]]> Review7449640022 Sun, 06 Apr 2025 15:26:32 -0700 <![CDATA[Josiah added 'Howl']]> /review/show/7449640022 Howl by Shaun David Hutchinson Josiah gave 1 star to Howl (Hardcover) by Shaun David Hutchinson
Unique plot styling is the clearest marker of a Shaun David Hutchinson novel. In Howl, fifteen-year-old Virgil Knox's parents are divorcing and his dad has just moved with Virgil from metropolitan Seattle to small-town Merritt, Florida. His dad grew up in Merritt and Virgil's grandparents live here, so the plan is to live with them and earn money to buy a home. Virgil sees the people of Merritt as hayseeds, but resentment morphs into panic on the night of a party when Virgil is attacked by a monster and left bleeding. No one believes a razor-clawed monster assaulted him, not even his dad or grandparents. Virgil longs to return to Seattle where his best friend and boyfriend are, but his dad make it clear that isn't an option.

Those who don't care either way about Virgil's monster story despise him for being gay or his leftist cultural attitude. At least he has drama class with Mr. Hilliker, who understands his craving to disappear into the arts. Virgil's emo cousin Astrid is a decent sort, and he makes friends with quirky Tripp Swafford, whose family history of mental illness helps him understand Virgil's angst. Virgil can't seem to forget the monster, how it slashed his body and left ghastly lingering wounds. Jarrett Hart, a popular high schooler, tries to befriend Virgil, but there's cause to suspect Jarrett had something to do with the monster attack. And what of Jarrett's friend Finn Duckett, whose motives are equally dubious? The monster is still stalking Virgil, and if he can't catch the beast in the act, Merritt will never be a safe place.

"Memories have a unique power...They're not just records of our past that we file away. They're living, breathing bits of us that we can revisit whenever we want. Memories fuel the engine of our souls."

—Mr. Hilliker, PP. 100-101

I usually like Shaun David Hutchinson's stories, but Howl was not enjoyable. Certain repeating scenes that detail Virgil's injuries are gratuitously gross; they upset my stomach and hindered my sleep. The book as a whole confuses me; was there a literal monster, or is it entirely metaphor? The sepsis of politics also infects the novel, resulting in a town and its populace who feel like caricatures instead of authentic characters. I'm not sure Hutchinson can write about small-town America fairly. I rate Howl one and a half stars; it could have been terrific, but carries too many self-inflicted wounds. ]]> ReadStatus9271070635 Sun, 06 Apr 2025 15:26:07 -0700 <![CDATA[Josiah finished reading 'Elvis Presley's Love Me Tender']]> /review/show/7452519582 Elvis Presley's Love Me Tender by Elvis Presley Josiah finished reading Elvis Presley's Love Me Tender by Elvis Presley
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