The World Inside My Head: Emily's Book Blog

BTT: Weeding 'em out

2009-10-15T16:30:00.003-04:00

When’s the last time you weeded out your library? Do you regularly keep it pared down to your reading essentials? Or does it blossom into something out of control the minute you turn your back, like a garden after a Spring rain?
Or do you simply not get rid of books? At all? (This would have described me for most of my life, by the way.)
And–when you DO weed out books from your collection (assuming that you do) …what do you do with them? Throw them away (gasp)? Donate them to a charity or used bookstore? SELL them to a used bookstore? Trade them on Paperback Book Swap or some other exchange program?

I would say that the last time I really weeded down my library was when my mom moved out of the house I grew up in and all my stuff had to either fit in my and my husband's (then boyfriend's) 600 square foot apartment or a handful of bins in a storage unit. It was rough. Most of them ended up in a garage sale and some went to my sister (without my knowledge...ugh...don't even get me started. Her bookshelf full of MY books that she won't give back just makes my blood boil). So, for a couple years I really had to keep my book collection in check which was a little easier than it is now because I wasn't reading quite as much and space was an issue.

Once we moved into our house, a little over a year ago, I really got to enjoy having books again. I've now dug all my books out of storage and have collected new ones from library sales and other (more expensive) means. I still try to keep the collection in check though. I post ones that I'm not in love with on PaperBackSwap (so I can get new ones), pass others around to friends and family, and have sold some duplicates. I don't think that I've ever actually thrown a book away though...Even the horribly water damaged copy of Middlesex is still hanging around!

The Post in Which I Catch Up.

2009-10-07T13:18:00.005-04:00

Well, interwebs, it's been a while. I have no real excuse for why I've been slacking majorly with the blogging! BUT, I have been reading some (whenever football season doesn't take me away) so here's my hopefully quick recap of the past three weeks.

A Prayer For Owen Meany by John Irving

617 pages

I originally picked this up at a library book sale because The Book Lady talks about it quite a bit! I enjoyed it for the most part and really loved Owen's character but the narrator, John Wheelwright, just felt not real enough for me I guess. Also, this book took me FOREVER to get through. I would think this book would have taken me 5-7 days to get through but it was more like 2 weeks. It was definitely worth a read though. 8 out of 10 stars.

Stealing Buddha's Dinner: A Memoir by Bich Minh Nguyen

253 pages

This was my book club's book for September. I found it funny in some parts and fairly relatable, even though it was about a Vietnam refugee trying to fit into American culture. I guess as kids we are all just trying to fit in with the "cool crowd" by having, eating, and doing the cool things, regardless of our ethnic background. We had a pretty interesting conversation about the book but I don't know that there was anyone who really LOVED it. I felt pretty "eh" about it by the end and barely skimmed the last 40 pages. 5 out of 10 stars.

The Last Summer (of You and Me) By Ann Brashares

306 pages

Eh, good summer chick lit. The characters left something to be desired, as did the ending, but I enjoyed it for what it was: total fluff. Not much else to say... 6 out of 10 stars.

Sin in the Second City by Karen Abbot

301 pages

I've had this on my shelf since last Christmas and just now FINALLY got too it! I don't know why, but I wasn't thinking that this book was pure non-fiction, I was thinking historical fiction, but still it was interesting! I had no idea that a lot of the stuff in it even happened. I really enjoyed this one. 8.5 out of 10 stars

From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris

312 pages

The 8th of the Sookie Stackhouse books. The usual Sookie getting in trouble because she's involved too deeply in the supernatural world. Entertaining and with the addition of vampires, Weres, and other supernatural creatures it's a great way to start out my October reading! 7 out of 10 stars.

So there you have it! My super-quick recap of the last few weeks. Hopefully I'll start keeping on top of this blog a little bit better now! *See* you all soon!

BBAW: Reading Meme

2009-09-16T15:24:00.003-04:00

Today's BBAW post topic is a fun little meme about reading habits. I love answering these kind of things :) and I'll try to do so in as few words as possible.

Q: Do you snack while you read? If so, favorite reading snack?
A: I try not to, but I do love salty, crunchy stuff.

Q: Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the idea ofwriting in books horrify you?
A: Only when reading for a class.

Q: How do you keep your place while reading a book? Bookmark? Dog-ears?
A: Bookmarks, the magnet style ones.

Q: Laying the book flat open?
A: Only for a couple minutes.

Q: Fiction, Non-fiction, or both?
A: 75%, 25% respectively.

Q: Hard copy or audiobooks?
A: Hard copy 99% of the time.

Q: Are you a person who tends to read to the end of chapters, or are youable to put a book down at any point?
A: End of the chapter or after a page ending with a period.

Q: If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop to look it up right away?
A: Nope, I go on context.

Q: What are you currently reading?
A: Stealing Buddha's Dinner by Bich Minh Nguyen

Q: What is the last book you bought?
A: A book of short stories for my Grandma.

Q: Are you the type of person that only reads one book at a time or can you read more than one at a time?
A: One at a time.

Q: Do you have a favorite time of day and/or place to read?
A: In bed, before going to sleep or on the back porch swing Saturday mornings.

Q: Do you prefer series books or stand alone books?
A: Either

Q: Is there a specific book or author that you find yourself recommending over and over?
A: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Q: How do you organize your books? (By genre, title, author’s last name, etc.?)
A: Hahahaha...I'm suppose to organize them? Really?? I don't even have the read seperated from the unread.

So, I'm trying my best to keep up with BBAW but man! It's tough! I feel like next year I'm going to have to take days off work to keep up!!

Musing Monday: Reading Trends

2009-09-14T22:17:00.003-04:00

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about reading trends…

Do you find yourself forming trends in your reading? Is this a conscious act, influenced by either your own interests or current publishing fads?

I guess that sometimes I do end up in reading trends. It's definitely not on purpose, but sometimes I'm just not ready to give up a subject at the end of just one book. I guess the whole vampire-supernatural topic has been big on my list in the past year. The Twilight books and Sookie books are some of my favorite quick, fluff reads to pick up. I also have some other Charlaine Harris and vampire-related novels sitting on my bookshelves waiting to be read. I would say that this trend has a little something to do with current publishing fads, considering the popularity of the Twilight books, but it's also just something that I find interesting and action-packed to read. So maybe I'm just influenced by the trends because I already have an interest in the subject!

BBAW: Day 1

2009-09-14T21:32:00.003-04:00

Today (what little is left of it) is the first day of my first Book Blogger Appreciation Week! The plan is to post something everyday and discuss the topic listed on the BBAW website. Today's topic is:

What book blogs mean something to you? Who are your most trusted sources for recommendations, your greatest help, the blogger you turn to for a laugh or to vent? Whose writing do you admire or who introduced you to a whole new genre you didn’t know about? We want to hear all about them…because we want to know them too! Please share about the blogs we haven’t had a chance to meet via BBAW and let the party begin!

Well, since I began this book blogging adventure back in January, there have been many bloggers that I have started to visit on a regular basis. Some are on the BBAW Award shortlists, and some are not but all I love reading!

For informational reviews and recommendations, I usually turn to the Book Lady's Blog and Hey Lady, Whatcha Readin'? They both have a tendency to add a TON of books to my TBR pile, which I'm sure that my husband really appreciates...haha :)

For a good laugh, I definitely head over to Books I Done Read and A Reader's Respite. I love Raych's hilarious commentary like CTRL-Z!!!!, the use of CAPITALS!, and exclamation points!!!! And the fact that her rating system of catepillars makes me giggle a little. Then Reader's Respite fulfills her tag line by presenting us with "Book Reviews, Author News, and Hot Reads with Sassy Commentary."

Other blogs I like to frequent include Just One More Page..., Book, Line and Sinker, Great Books and Fresh Coffee, It's All About Books, and Pop Culture Junkie. These are just the start of my day! Of course there are many, many more that I like to keep up on. And hopefully this week will fill my reader with even more great book blogs!

In which I return to the interwebs...

2009-09-11T15:06:00.003-04:00

Hello everyone! My, it's been a while...apologies all around! My reading time has been lacking lately due to some fun things (the return of football tailgate Saturdays, an OAR concert, and spending time at the lake cottage) and some not so fun (painting around the house, chores, and the like). But I have managed to finish one book and hopefully will finish A Prayer for Owen Meany this weekend since it has taken me WAY longer than I anticipated and I must start the September book club book ASAP. Anyway, on to the review.

Gifts of War

by Mackenzie Ford

350 pages (in ARC)

Isn't the cover of this book beautiful? It's really what first drew me to request this ARC. Then, I read the book description and I knew that I would be hooked.

Hal Montgomery is a British soldier on the front during WWI and on Christmas in 1914, there was a truce between the British and German soldiers for a whole day. They came out of the trenches, shared cigarettes and stories of home, and buried their dead. It was there that Hal met Wilhelm, a German soldier who had a fiancee in England who he was not even able to say goodbye to, due to the war. Wilhelm gave Hal a picture of himself in uniform and asked him that if he ever had the opportunity to please find her and give her this picture. A few weeks later, Hal is shot and discharged from the military. Once recovered, he goes to find Wilhelm's fiancee, Sam, to tell her about Wilhelm but of course, he falls in love with her.

So, since Hal is in love with Sam, he decides not to tell her about Wilhelm and his picture that he's carrying around with him. Even though, she continues to talk about him and HAS HAD WILHELM'S BABY! Seriously, this whole I'm-going-to-keep-this-secret-and-hope-that-it-goes-away thing NEVER works. Didn't work for Bill with Sookie in Southern Vampire Mysteries series, and didn't really work for Marcus in the Jessica Darling series, so it is definitely not going to work for Hal. Sorry buddy, but secrets don't make friends! (or lovers for that matter!) But, regardless of how much I really wanted to grab Hal by the shoulders and shake the living ba-jesus out of him, he really made up for it in the end and it was just so sad and so beautiful and I literally had just one little tear fall as I closed it...and I loved it. I clutched the book to my chest and wiped away the lone tear and just said "wow."

So 8.5 out of 10 stars.

BTT: Fluffy Reading

2009-08-27T13:38:00.004-04:00

What’s the lightest, most “fluff” kind of book you’ve read recently?

Well, it's summertime which means that I've been reading things that can easily be enjoyed while either sitting up at the lake or on my back porch sipping an ice cold drink. This means LOTS of fluff! Most recently was the seventh book in the Southern Vampire Mysteries series by Charlaine Harris, All Together Dead.

I haven't even reviewed it on here because after reading the last 6 Sookie books, there isn't a whole lot that changes. Sookie's living her life partially in the real world where she's a waitress, but mostly in the supernatural world where she's used for her telepathic abilities by the vampires and were-animals. She of course gets herself into some big-time trouble but manages to escape. Such is the main storyline throughout these books, with mostly just the main love interest (that Sookie sure does get around!) and the deadly situation changing . But, they are fun, quick little reads and their mass market paperback size makes for convenient toting around. Perfect for summertime!

What was the last "fluffy" book you read?

Monday Musings: Serial book-ist

2009-08-24T16:04:00.005-04:00

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about book series…

Do you prefer to read stand-alone books, or books in series? Do you stick with a series the whole way through or stop after the first instalment? Are there any particular series you enjoy?(question courtesy of Elena)

Lately, I've been reading a LOT of books in a series. I have been re-reading Harry Potter, finished Jessica Darling's, been slowly but surely taking in Outlander, and every once in a while taking down one of Charlaine Harris's Southern Vampire Mysteries. Out of the 53 books I have read so far this year, 35 of them are stand-alone books. I think that this is a fairly low number of stand-alones compared to most years simply because there are just so many great series out there right now! I guess that I should just put myself in the serial book-ist category.

All the series that I've picked up this year, I have every intention of finishing up (with the His Dark Materials being lowest on the TBR pile) because I enjoy them so much. Unless I really, REALLY dislike a first book in a series, I always eventually finish the series. Outlander is taking a little bit of time just because I like to get in a few shorter books in between the mammoth tomes that Diana Gabaldon writes, but I will definitely get there (hopefully before Echo in the Bone arrives on my doorstep!). The series that I'm really looking forward to starting, but haven't yet, is The Hunger Games. I've heard a lot of good things about it but at this point I haven't received it from PBS yet and I figure that I might as well wait until I own a copy (especially since I'm pretty high on the wishlist for the second book).

Are there any series out there that you really enjoy? Or are you not a fan of the series?

Review: August Book Club

2009-08-20T15:24:00.004-04:00

The Soloist: A Lost Dream, An Unlikely Friendship, and the Redemptive Power of Music

By Steve Lopez

286 pages

My book club this month read this book because it's this year's choice for the One Book, One Community Program. It's a really neat program that gives the community of East Lansing and the students of Michigan State University to read the same book then get together in different settings and discuss it. There's a week of events scheduled to begin August 30th with an evening with Steve Lopez and other seminars, showings of the movie, and workshops throughout the rest of the week. But enough about that; on to the book and what we thought of it!

The Soloist is Steve Lopez, a columnist for the LA Times who, while out looking for a story, came across a man in one of the tunnels of LA playing his heart out on an old violin with only two strings. Seeing that there's was obviously some musical ability in this man, he struck up a conversation with him. Steve discovered that his name was Nathaniel Ayers, he grew up in Cleveland where he learned to play the upright bass then was granted a scholarship to Julliard. During his time at Julliard, Nathaniel began doing odd things, acting out of the norm, yelling at others, randomly taking off his clothes, etc. and it was discovered (after he failed out) that he had schizophrenia. After years of forced treatment, drugs with terrible side effects, and his family not knowing what they could do for him, he ended up in the streets of LA, homeless and pushing around a shopping cart with his prized possessions.

When Steve gets to know Nathaniel, he realizes how much he wants to help him to get better so he begins to try to send him to LAMP (Los Angeles Men's Project), set him up with an apartment and psychiatric help, give him instruments and music that people have donated, and try to get him off the streets. Unfortunately, Steve doesn't quite seem to understand the disease and needed to learn the hard way that Nathaniel's progress wasn't going to be immediate or easy. But, throughout their time together, Steve was able to learn from Nathaniel, just as Nathaniel was able to learn from Steve, and their friendship grew into something very special.

I had really mixed feelings when reading this book. Sometimes I was really touched and liked how Steve was helping Nathaniel, but sometimes I really disliked Steve because I felt like he was kind of using Nathaniel for next week's column or that he was helping him not because he wanted to, but because he felt obligated to since he had made Nathaniel somewhat famous. Steve just pushed and pushed for Nathaniel to do certain things, even leading to tricking him into things and I just wanted to yell "Let him be! He doesn't WANT to!" at him. I guess since I wasn't there and in that situation, then I can sit here all I want and say that we can't make people conform to what we (as society) deem as "normal" but I'm sure that Steve Lopez had good intentions.

One thing that a lot of people at book club said was that this book made them want to go out and help! Get involved! etc. And while I can definitely understand that, I just kept asking myself, Could I go up to some homeless stranger and be their friend? Could I dedicate myself to helping someone who was homeless with mental disabilities? I just don't know. The thought kind of frightens me because I just don't think that I would feel comfortable doing that. I mean, I have no training or experience with people with mental diseases and you really never know what they are going to do or how they are going to react to things. I do think that volunteering and doing something to help your community is a really rewarding thing to do, but I don't think that helping the homeless or mentally ill is up my alley. When I start volunteering again, I think that something at the library or at a school would be something I would be more comfortable doing.

Anyway, Steve Lopez will be coming to East Lansing on August 30th to give a lecture. I'm definitely going to try to make it out there for it because I think that it would be interesting to hear what he has to say about his experiences and what his opinions are about the movie version of the book (which I haven't seen but heard is not very good and very Hollywood-ized). I wonder if seeing him speak in person will affect the way that I feel about the book?

For right now, I give it 7.5 out of 10 stars. I wasn't as inspired as I thought I would be.

Have you read this or seen the movie? What are your thoughts? Do you volunteer on a regular basis? What do you do and what inspired you to do so?

BTT: The Best and the Worst

2009-08-20T14:52:00.003-04:00

I didn't do last week's BTT, so I'm going to combine both last week's and this week's into one since they are so closely related.

8/13/09: What’s the worst book you’ve read recently? (I figure it’s easier than asking your all-time worst, because, well, it’s recent!)

This would probably have to be The Mist by Stephen King. It was cheesy and kind of dumb and really, just like any other lame "monsters are taking over the world!" story. It was way too predictable, the characters were the same ones that you expect in any story like this (the hero, the nonbeliever, the child, the "I told you so!" person...), and the ending didn't give any resolution. Not Mr. King's best and even the prospect of seeing Mark Wahlberg makes me want to see the movie.

8/20/09: What’s the best book you’ve read recently? (Tell me you didn’t see this one coming?)

Now this question is TOUGH. I feel like I've read a ton of really great books lately! Although, a lot of them are a part of a series. I finished the Jessica Darling series recently and that was witty and hilarious, especially the fifth book. And, I also just recently finished the fourth book in the Outlander series, Drums of Autumn which, of course, was wonderful. The only non-series book that sticks out to me lately would be Without You: a memoir of love, loss and the musical RENT by Anthony Rapp. That book just really struck my heartstrings, it was so well excuted. I know that that might by an odd way to describe a book, but the use of the lines and lyrics from Rent in relation to the different points in his life really made the book stick out to me.

What about you? What are your recent bests and worsts??

Musing Monday: Books into Movies

2009-08-17T13:41:00.003-04:00

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about movies …

How do you react to movies made of your favourite books (or even not-so-favourite books)? Do you look forward to seeing them, or avoid them? Do you like to have read the book before seeing the movie?

I would say that most of the time, I really look forward to seeing a favorite book of mine turned into a movie. I always go into it knowing that they are definitely not going to be the same though! I also always try to read the book before seeing the movie, if I know that the movie is based on a book. Although there are a few times when I see a movie and later realize that it was based on a book and if I enjoyed the movie enough, I like to go back and read the two just to compare them.

I think that one of the most true-to-the-book movies out there is Fight Club. A lot of the lines from the movie are taken right from the book. It really transerred well from text to screen. The Harry Potter movies are overall pretty great but they really have to be taken in as a seperate entity from the books because quite a few things are changed or left out in the movies (especially the fifth one...ugh...that was the worst). A couple of movie that I'm looking forward to seeing are My Sister's Keeper (even though I'm nervous for the change of ending) and The Time Traveler's Wife. I really enjoyed both of those books. The one that I'm definitely not looking forward to seeing a movie of is The Road by Cormac McCarthy. *yawn* I think that it would make a pretty boring movie but apparently, it's being released in October.

Finishing up with Jessica Darling

2009-08-14T14:57:00.004-04:00

I read Sloppy Firsts and Second Helpings a couple weeks ago but, alas, had to wait for the library request to go through to get my mitts on the last three books in the saga of Jessica Darling. This was alright though because as much as I like Jessica and have enjoyed reliving my high school days through her journal entries, I just feel very hot and cold about Marcus Flutie. But, I still had to find out how the series ended. (There very well may be spoilers in this...)

Charmed Thirds

by Megan McCafferty

359 pages

In this book, the writing format starts to deviate from the first two books just slightly. Instead of this book being just one year in the life of Jessica Darling, it ends up being all of her college years at Columbia, while Marcus is in California being, well, Marcus. During their first year on opposite coasts everything seems to be going great...then the time apart starts to wear on them a bit (especially Jessica because who in the world knows what Marcus is thinking!?) and after a particularly stressful week of "Are we really ready to be this serious?" thoughts, Jessica gets drunk and ends up fooling around with a Republican (gasp! Oh noes!!!) co-ed. This brought back some raging memories from my past...wow...because I seriously did this same exact thing to MY high-school-into-college-boyfriend, so I can kind of relate (except we weren't soul mates by any stretch of the imagination, like Jessica and Marcus seem to be).

Anyways, when Marcus finds out, he takes a vow of silence then sends himself off to a completely secluded ranch for troubled men (or something like that) in the middle of the desert where he can have no contact with anyone, except by letters. He then begins sending one word postcards to Jessica each month, because leaving her to be alone in the desert without saying goodbye isn't hard enough on the girl. Ugh. Stupid Marcus. At this point, I hate him. But, in the end, he shows up at her door with a Barry Manilow decoupaged toilet seat cover and a box full of his journals that he wrote (mostly about Jessica) while in the desert. Awww...love him again...even though I will never read those journals and desperately want to...

Fourth Comings

309 pages

Now the book format changes again. It's still in journal entries, but it's intended to be read by Marcus. It begins with Jessica explaining why she is getting drunk at 3 in the afternoon at a Princeton college bar. "I'm breaking up with my boyfriend today."

What?!?! But you and Marcus just got back together! Noooo!!!

Okay, well it comes out that Marcus applied to Princeton (without telling Jessica) and got accepted which means he's a 23 year old freshman living in the dorms. And I totally understand what she means when she tells him that she can't handle that because he's going to be the mysterious older guy who gets nicknames (there was a guy in my dorm who was a grad student and looked like D'Angelo so that was his nickname) and girls will throw themselves at him (yup they did). So, when Jessica returns to his dorm from the bar to break up with him, he ends up getting down on one knee and proposing. Everyone say "awwww!!!" Yup, I was excited for them at first too. I really liked Marcus (again) at this point! Jessica is of course shocked, somewhat appalled, yet can't find it in herself to say yes (or no). So she takes the next seven days to write in her journal to Marcus all her thoughts and what leads her to her ultimate decision. At the end of this book, it was my favorite of the series.

Perfect Fifths

255 pages

Then I opened this book and realized that THIS was my favorite of the series. It's written in third person (which completely makes sense when you read the book) so you get to read both Jessica's AND Marcus' thoughts! YAY! Finally! A little insight into Marcus.

So it's three years after Jessica and Marcus ended their relationship (she said no) and they haven't spoken since. Of course neither has gotten over the other, but they can't be the one to make the first contact. Jessica is at the airport, running to catch her flight when she literally runs right into Marcus. She ends up missing her flight and the rest of the book is the 18 hours that follows and how they reconnect and rediscover who the other is and who they can be together. It's all incredibly sweet and I absolutely (FINALLY!) love Marcus because I finally can be in his head a little and he's grown up a bit and doesn't seem to do things just for a reaction so much any more. Seriously, this was the perfect ending to the series and it's worth reading the other four books just to get to this one.

The ratings for Thirds, Fourths, and Fifths, respectively are: 7.5, 8.5, and 9.5 out of 10 stars. I would definitely recommend this series.

Review: Drums of Autumn

2009-08-11T15:53:00.002-04:00

Drums of Autumn

by Diana Gabaldon

880 pages

4th book in the Outlander series

First off, if you haven't read this series yet then read my initial review of the first book in this series, Outlander, and then GO READ IT. NOW! I really can't say enough good things about these books. They are action packed and romantic and funny...I just really enjoy them (and they are LONG so at least you know that the fun will last for a while!).

In DoA, Jamie (*drool*) and Claire are in the 1770's, living in the colonies. Jamie gets a land grant and begins building the Fraser's Ridge community. Claire is with him, of course, and spending her time healing, mid-wifing, ect. Meanwhile, back in USA circa 1970's, Claire and Jamie's daughter is developing a plan to head back to the stones in Iverness to meet her real dad. Roger (the Scotsman who helped Claire find Jamie again) figures this out after the fact and goes after her. They both cross the ocean from Scotland to the colonies (separately), Roger finds her, they separate again, HUGE mistakes are made and a LOT of drama ensues. And it's all very exciting and I could sit here and tell you all about it, but really, you should just go read it.

9 out of 10 stars. I just love me some James Alexander Malcolm Mackenzie Fraser. Oh, and reading about the interaction between Jamie and Brianna just warms my heart (or makes me crack up laughing!)

BTT: Serious Reading

2009-08-06T14:18:00.003-04:00

What’s the most serious book you’ve read recently?

This is kind of a tough one for me because all the "serious" books that I read, while they have serious themes and stories, actually have a lot of humor in them. The two books that come to mind are Without You: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and the Musical RENT by Anthony Rapp and Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi. Without You focuses on Anthony's life and how he deals with his mother's cancer, diagnosis to death. Persepolis is about Marjane's life in wartown Iran where people were dying or disappearing was just an everyday occurance.

But, while both these memoirs are about very serious things, they both have enough sarcasm, wit, and humor to make them just a bit funny too. That helps because when you get done reading them, you can think "wow what a moving book!" rather than "wow, I could use some Prozac now..." I guess that I just need my serious with a good dose of humor!

Musing Mondays: Library Meme

2009-08-03T10:09:00.005-04:00

This week we have a library meme courtesy of MizB:

Library Habits meme:

1) If you don't frequent your local library, why not? I used to go to my actual local library (right down the street about a mile) but the selection was pretty lacking and it doesn't use the MelCat system (explained later) anymore so it's less convenient to request books from other libraries, so I now go to the township library (10 minutes away) especially since I am in a book club there anyway.

2) If you do visit the library, how often do you go? about once every two weeks. Once to grab books I requested and once for book club.

3) Do you have a favorite section that you always head to first, or do you just randomly peruse the shelves? sometimes I randomly peruse but usually I check the New Release shelves first or just head straight to the request pick-up shelves to grab the pouch with my name on it.

4) How many books are you allowed to check out at one time? Do you take advantage of this? I'm really not sure how many we're allowed to check out at a time...I usually only take out one or two at a time and maybe one for Hubs. Right now I have out 4 because three are the last of the Jessica Darling Series.

5) How long are you allowed to have the books checked out? 2 weeks but you can renew online

6) How many times are you allowed to renew your check-outs, if at all? not sure. I think two? This hasn't really come up for me yet.

7) What do you love best about your particular library? it's beautiful and cozy. The people who work there are really nice and they have a lot of evening and summer programs for all age ranges, which is cool. Like Thursday nights they have teenage bands play in one of the extra rooms as a weekly Battle of the Bands. So you don't go on Thursday if you want quiet, but at least they are getting the teens in there because they end up wandering around and checking out books.

8) What is one thing you wish your library did differently? Hmmm...I don't have any complaints as of right now. I do wish that they had a larger audio selection.

9) Do you request your books via an online catalogue, or through the librarian at your branch? I usually request books online, especially if my library doesn't have them. My library is a part of the Michigan Electronical Library Catalogue (MelCat) system where you can request a book through the system and they will deliver it to your home library for no cost.

10) Have you ever chosen a book on impulse (from the online catalogue OR the shelves) and had it turn out to be totally amazing? If so, what book was it, and why did you love it? I'm sure that I have before but not recently. I have way too big of a TBR pile right now so I always have my books already picked out or requested before I go.

Review: Memoir of Anthony Rapp

2009-07-31T13:50:00.003-04:00

Without You: A memoir of love, loss, and the musical RENT

by Anthony Rapp

306 pages

I love the musical Rent. LOVE it. Seriously, it's so great and moving and beautiful and the music just sticks with you. I've seen it a few times live, one of which was at the Barn Theatre in Augusta, MI where Jonathon Larson (the writer of Rent) spent a couple summers earning his equity card prior to moving to NYC and writing Rent. That performance was probably the most moving one that I've seen since a lot of the people there had know Jonathon. Wow. I was left speechless.

If you haven't heard the story of Jonathon Larson and how Rent came to be, then you should read this or rent the DVD of the movie version (which features most of the original Broadway cast including Anthony Rapp) and watch the documentary on the second disk. Look out for the picture of my beloved Barn Theatre (that I've been going to with my parents since I was young).

But, this book really isn't about Jonathan Larson or the making of Rent. It's about Anthony Rapp's experiences with playing the character Mark Cohen for years (from the workshop production to Broadway), living as a homosexual, relationships, and dealing with the loss of him mother to cancer, along with other things that came around. Rent just happened to his backbone through years of strife and heartache in his life. The lyrics to the songs and the core of his character Mark just resonated throughout his real life to make this a very moving memoir. But I think that my favorite thing about reading this was I could distinctly hear Anthony Rapp's voice (as Mark Cohen) while I was reading it. It had a little bit of everything I look for in a memoir: realness, challenges, some hilarity, some heartache, and a good dose of hope at the end.

9 out of 10. Such a good book.

BTT: What's so funny?

2009-07-30T15:48:00.003-04:00

What’s the funniest book you’ve read recently?

Hmmm...this is kind of a tough question for me! I don't really read many books that are flat-out funny. Sure there are plenty that have me giggling at certain parts, but none that I can think of where I'm just laughing out loud the whole time. But I guess the ones that have made my husband look at me like I'm crazy because I'm sitting on the couch, book in my lap, giggling to myself would be the first two books of the Jessica Darling series by Megan McCafferty and the fourth Outlander book (which I'm currently reading) called Drums of Autumn. While there are some serious and some sweet and some HOT things going on in DoA, I have been finding myself giggling a bit at some of the descriptions and reactions of the characters. Of course when you put a 20 year old girl from the late 1960's into the 18th century there have got to be at least a few funny moments huh!?

What's the funniest book you've read as of late? Any good recommendations for a laugh-a-minute book? (fiction or not)

Review: Girl With A Pearl Earring

2009-07-30T14:01:00.004-04:00

Girl With A Pearl Earring

by Tracy Chevalier

233 pages

I read this book back when I was in high school (for pleasure) so when it came up as the July book club book, I decided that I might as well read it again especially since I remember liking it well enough the first time. The one thing that I kept hearing people say about this book is that it's a little slow, but if you like art, art history, historical fiction and the like then you should enjoy it. I would definitely agree with that!

This book is Tracy Chevalier's (fictional) thoughts on who the girl in Vermeer's painting "Girl With A Pearl Earring" was (16 year old Greit, who worked as a maid for the Dutch painter) and how Vermeer came to paint her. While the plot summary sounds like it is about Vermeer, the painter, it's really more of a tale of Greit. She is forced by her family to become a maid for this painter because her father (a tiler) was blinded in a kiln explosion and she must begin helping her family. She must learn to become a servant, deal with Vermeer's jealous wife and mischievous (and evil) daughter, and sneak around to help Vermeer with his painting. Very little is actually known about the life of Vermeer, so it worked that Chevalier made him a very mysterious character. He rarely speaks aloud and allows his mother-in-law to pretty much run the household, which seems in contrast to most men of the 17th century.

The book club discussion was pretty good for this book. I found that we mostly just discussed the characters and what choices they really had in that time, and also found that most of us had characters that we really liked and some that we love to hate. It was definitely different discussing a very character-driven novel versus the plot driven ones that we have read in the past. It was a nice change up from some of the more action packed adventures I've been reading as of late!

7.5 out of 10 stars. Historical fiction and art lovers need only apply.

Reviews: Next in Series

2009-07-16T16:33:00.005-04:00

So I'm trying to catch up on all my reviews and these next two are both from series and are both Young Adult, so I'm just going to put them together :)

Second Helpings
by Megan McCafferty
349 pages

2nd book in the Jessica Darling Series.

So Jessica is moving on to her senior year of high school and trying to forget all things Marcus Flutie related as much as possible. She has a new goal for the next year (go to Columbia U! even though her parents have already vetoed all colleges in large cities), is still dealing with her best friend living far away, and has to come to terms with her grandmother aging and being put into a nursing home. All the while, there's the normal high school angst and drama lurking around every corner between Jessica and her friends/non-friends and new used-to-be-a-nerd-but-now-is-cute boyfriend. And of course, Marcus is there firing off mixed signals and keeping tabs on Jessica by befriending her grandmother because he happens to work at the nursing home.

I love Jessica. But I have a love/hate relationship with Marcus. One minute I'm thinking that he's just leading her on, and then I'm like "Oh my gosh, he's so SWEET! He wrote her a song!!" (which P.S. I had a boyfriend in high school who wrote me a song and it made me swoon, even though the song really wasn't that good...I think that I may possibly have a cassette tape of it somewhere in the "remnants of high school" storage bin...definitely have to find that...) but then I'm all "Ugh! He's leading her on again!!" So now I must continue the series since I would love to hear more from Jessica and I just have to know whether I like Marcus or not. I've already requested 3, 4, and 5 from the library. They should be in any day now...

8 out of 10 stars. This series is PERFECT for summer!

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
by J.K. Rowling
652 pages

I've been rereading this series in preparation for the release of the 6th movie (which is based on this book). I just love Harry Potter. It's going to sit on my bookshelf forever so one day my kids then my grandkids can read it, I swear!!!

I had only read this one once, when it first came out so there was plenty of stuff that I had forgotten. Harry has mostly gotten past his angsty stage that occurred during all of the fifth book, so I was back to really enjoying his character. And Dumbledore was back to being involved in Harry's life and giving him lessons, which were really just preparing Harry for what he must do to defeat Voldemort in the end. There is just so much foreshadowing in these books, I can hardly believe it. I think that that is what makes them so interesting to reread. You can pick up on things that you know hint to things ahead (since you know what happens in the future) but of course, you didn't see it the first time around. So great. JK Rowling is a purty smart lady.

I'm not going to bore you all with a synopsis since I'm sure most people have read it and if you haven't then READ THIS SERIES! I highly doubt that anyone would regret reading HP. But, here are a few of my favorite parts:

Hearing about the early memories of Tom Riddle.
Harry taking the Liquid Luck and getting the memory from Slughorn.
Harry realizing that he likes Ginny and Ron and Hermione finally figuring out that they like eachother!
Hermione getting huffy about Harry doing better than her in potions.
Hermione losing a bit of the goody-goody-ness and Confunding Cormac! LOL
The Tonks/Lupin thing...LOVE!
Draco not being able to do it...there's hope for him, really!
and the end...oh Dumbledore...sooooo sad.

Then I went and saw the movie...and I really think that they did a pretty good job! Especially after the suckfest that was the fifth movie. I still don't know why they don't mention that Ron and Hermione are prefects and that Harry is Quidditch Captain, but I guess that isn't TOO important really. There were some really hilarious parts and while I was nervous that they would focus too much on the teenage love fest, it really was smoothly put in (except the beginning with the Underground coffee shop girl? what was that?). The fight in the end wasn't what I expected either, and the Tonks/Lupin story was pretty much entirely left out so I don't know exactly how they will deal with that story line during Bill and Fleur's wedding (oh and Fleur wasn't in the movie, so how will that work?). I wish that the fight scene would have been more dramatic and had more of the Order involved (like in the book) and I wish that they would have actually shown some of the funeral scene with the white tomb because that really could have been beautiful, but overall not bad for a movie adaptation.

10 out of 10 stars for the book. 8 out of 10 for movie.

BTT: Locating Mt. TBR

2009-07-16T16:19:00.003-04:00

Do you keep all your unread books together, like books in a waiting room? Or are they scattered throughout your shelves, mingling like party-goers waiting for the host to come along?

I definitely do not keep all my unread books together, although it would probably be a good idea! Right now, they are scattered all over the place. I have a good chunk on my nightstand, some in the office on both bookshelves and some on the office floor in a bag (yet to be put away since uh, the beginng of June...), and yet a couple more on the bookshelf in the living room. Not to mention, the couple that I've gotten in the mail this past week that still haven't left their coveted spot on the dining room table... But, I kind of like the disorder of it all. I'm not really good at "scheduled" reading so when I finish a book, I like to meander around the house, picking up a book here and there and THEN decided which one I'm in the mood for. The only drawback right now is that I think that I might have too many books laying-in-wait and making the decision of which one to read next is getting tougher!

Review: Sweeping Up Glass

2009-07-16T15:39:00.003-04:00

Sweeping Up Glass

By Carolyn Wall

319 pages

I got a copy of this book a while back as an ARC (Advanced Reading Copy) from Random House Publishing Group. It was described as "a mystery, a love story, and a haunting rumination on secrets" and it's definitely all of that and more!

Sweeping Up Glass begins with the grown main character, Olivia Harker Cross, living in the house that she grew up in in Pope County, Kentucky with her crazy mother and beloved grandson, Will'm. The wolves that her ancestors had brought to their land are being killed as a warning and she needs to get to the bottom of it before the hunters come after her and Will'm. In order to find out the reason behind the killing of the wolves, Olivia must delve into her troubled past (living with her bootlegger father while her mother is in an asylum, understanding segregation, the return of her mother, a terrible accident, the loss of her love, the birth of her daughter, and the pain of her daughter running away and leaving her infant grandson there for her to raise, etc!). As Olivia looks back, she thought then that she was so smart and understood what was going on around her when really, things occurred that she didn't see at all. Once she figures it out, it changes her life completely.

There were great twists in this book that I really enjoyed. The writing style really brought me into the story by using just enough dialect from the time and location. The only thing that was slightly confusing to me was the time period. It seems like between her childhood and the present time (in the story) there was about a 40 year lapse putting the years of her childhood around 1910-1920s maybe? then her present time around 1950-1960's? But that just didn't seem right to me since things around her didn't change very much technology-wise and there was no mention of the World Wars or any events of the time. I guess maybe things don't change too much when you are in the country...but I think that some time references that the beginning of the chapters or putting the book into sections based on years would have been helpful while reading. Other than that, I really liked it and would recommend it to others if you're looking for a fast-paced, interesting read.

7.5 out of 10 stars.

Review: Sloppy Firsts

2009-07-07T15:48:00.003-04:00

Sloppy Firsts

by Megan McCafferty

304 pages

First in Jessica Darling series.

I've been hearing a lot of great things about this book (the entire series really) lately. I figured that it would be a book that would be just perfect to read while laying in the sun...light read, not needing a lot of thought, if I drift off, no big deal I pick it up later...and I was definitely right. I read this entire book on the 4th of July while laying out on the pontoon boat at my in-laws' lake cottage! It was perfect.

The novel is about Jessica Darling. It follows her through the second half of her sophomore year of high school until the middle of her junior year. The actual dates? January 2000 through December 31st 2000. And ya know what? That's the exact same years that I was a sophomore and junior in high school. Hmmmm...this could be interesting! The novel is also told in monthly letters to her best friend, Hope, who was forced to move away after her older brother had dies of a drug overdose and Jessica's journal entries. Guess what? When I was in high school, at this exact age, I kept journals too. Yup. Sure did. And, they sounded a lot like some of Jessica's entries dealing with the cliques, being a brainiac, nerdy type, captain of a sports team, trying to not be defined by the super jock who may like you...it all hits close to home. And makes me kind of want to read those old journals again (except I can't because I shredded all that incriminating evidence long ago!) All this just shows that Jessica Darling is REAL. and funny. and refreshing. She's not the typical popular high school girl that everyone LOVES but secretly hates. She's friendly but not overly so, sometimes angsty, argues with her parents, and ends up having a pseudo non-relationship with a guy that she probably shouldn't.

Anyways, for this review, I don't think that the plot matters so much. I mean, we've all been to high school and remember what it was like. A lot of Jessica's experiences are ones that we've all had or heard about or were there watching. So far, I'm really enjoying looking back at the high school experience through Jessica's eyes. Just so long as I don't ACTUALLY have to relive it! Oh, and everyone I know LOVES Marcus, except I kinda don't...am I going to start liking him? when?? I know in high school, I probably would have had a huge crush on him though...at least that shows that I've grown up a bit right?? hahaha :)

8.5 out of 10. great for the beach/lake/pool. Now on the Second Helpings!

BTT: Celebrity memoirs

2009-07-02T14:09:00.005-04:00

Suggested by Callista83:
Do you read celebrity memoirs? Which ones have you read or do you want to read? Which nonexistent celebrity memoirs would you like to see?

I'm not a huge reader of celebrity memoirs. Right now, the only one that I can think of that I've read is Tito Ortiz's...and that's only because my husband has it (and many other memoirs of UFC fighters) and I was looking for something light and easy to read. It definitely fit the bill! Other than that, I have Annie Duke's memoir sitting on the bookshelf (picked the hardcover up at a garage sale for 50 cents) and I'm kind of looking forward to reading Forrest Griffin's new (ish) book since I think that he's hilarious and adorable (in an I-punch-people-in-the-face kind of way I suppose). Also, if I find Chelsea Handler's books somewhere on the cheap, then I'd probably pick up those...but other than that, I'm just not too motivated to read a celebrity memoir. I just like novels too much!

As for a non-existent celebrity memoir that I'd like to see? Hmm...well...I don't know! I get all my celebrity juice cravings satisfied by Perez!

Summer Book Challenge List!

2009-07-01T16:15:00.016-04:00

I'm pretty excited for this one. Hopefully I'll be able to do a little better this time around. And I'd like to actually complete one sometime! We'll see though. For now, here's the list! I've put in a couple ideas or books that I'll definitely read, but I'm planning on leaving a lot open since some of the books I want to read will fit into several of the categories.

5 Point Tasks:
1. IHO the Beautiful weather read a book while enjoying the outdoors.
· Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty
2. Take 10 books you want to read and put the titles in a hat, pick one at random and read that book.
·
3. Read a book with a Summer word in the title (sun, heat, sand, hot, etc).
·
4. Read a book considered a beach read (Chick lit, etc.).
·
5. IHO Friendship day (August 2nd) read a book about friends or siblings.
·
6. Read a book with a food or drink in the title.
·
7. Post a poll on NBC of 5 books of your choice and let the nesties pick your next book (leave up for at least a day)
· Perfect Fifths by Megan McCafferty
8. Read a book that takes place at a beach, ocean, lake, or resort.
·
9. Christmas in July, Read a book about/set during Christmas
·
10. IHO Dog days of Summer read a book with the word dog in the title or about a dog.
·
10 Point Tasks:
1. IHO summer blockbusters read a book of your choice and then choose your cast, then share with NBC
·
2. IHO Fourth of July read a book about the revolutionary war or any other important time in your Country’s history.
·
3. IHO Women’s equality day (August 26th) read a book with a woman as the main character or about a woman you admire.
· Sweeping Up Glass by Carolyn Wall
4. Read a book set in a place you have, will, or would like to travel to.
·
5. Read a book about a Summer romance or a romance book.
·
6. Read a book about a library, librarian, book store, or anything else book related.
· The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
7. Read a book about getting married, weddings, being married.
·
8. Read a book with a verb in the title (Walk, run, talk, etc).
·
9. Read a book you first heard about on NBC.
· Moloka'i by Alan Brennert
10. Read a book with a teenager as the main character or set in a high school.
· Second Helpings by Megan McCafferty
15 Point Tasks:
1. Read a book that an author you enjoy has read or suggested.
· All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris, rec by D. Gabaldon
2. IHO back to school in August read a book off your high school’s summer reading list.
· A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
3. Read a book by an author born in July, August, September.
· Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by JK Rowling
4. Read a book about a disaster or tragedy (Tornado, hurricane, 9/11, plane crash, personal, etc.)
· The Soloist by Steve Lopez
5. Judge a book by its cover, read a book based solely on the cover or title.
· Gifts of War by Mackenzie Ford
6. Read a book about Royalty (Tudors, Princess Diaries, etc)
·
7. Read July, August, or September’s NBC book and participate in the discussions.
·
8. Read the first and second (or 3rd and 4th) book in a series
· Charmed Thirds and Fourth Comings by Megan McCafferty
9. Read a book that is at least 500 pages.
· The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon or Harry Potter 7
10. Second chances- Read a book by an author you didn’t enjoy the first time around.
·
25 Point Tasks:
1. Read a book then do an activity that the people in the book did (swim, bike, run, picnic, etc.)
·
2. Read a book and cook a meal inspired by it.
·
3. Read a book with 700+ pages
· Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon
4. Read a book recommended by the staff at your local library or bookstore. Complete the task by posting a review of the book with no spoilers so we can all learn your opinion of the book.
· Girl With A Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier
5. Read a book that you've never read before because it has always intimidated you. Afterward, make a non-spoiler WIJFR post about how you feel about the book now that you've finally read it, and if you feel the original intimidation was justified.
·
6. Read a book written by or about a famous person (living or dead) that you would like to meet. Post a list of questions you would like to ask them, based on what you read in the book.
· Without You: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and the Musical Rent by Anthony Rapp

Spring Book Challenge Wrap Up

2009-07-01T15:41:00.003-04:00

So the Spring Book Challenge has officially ended. I didn't feel like I did as well with this challenge as I did for the winter one. I read a couple of books that didn't fit in anywhere and some books took longer for me to finish than I anticipated. But I still managed to read 7,4, and 8 books in April, May, and June, respectively. Not too shabby! Although, May was a little rough. With those numbers, I'm officially on my 40th book of the year! So I've upped my Total Books In 2009 challenge up to 75. Hopefully I can keep going at this pace, or even up it for the rest of the year.

So my favorites from the past three months? Hmm...I guess I'll go with a top 3:

They Poured Fire on Us From the Sky by Benson Deng, Alephonsion Deng, and Benjamin Ajak
Voyager by Diana Gabaldon
The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

Interesting that my three favorites were all from extremely different genres. I also really enjoyed Sarah's Key by Tatiana De Rosnay but didn't finish the nonfiction book on the Vel d'Hiv in time for the end of the challenge in order to count it. I will hopefully finish it soon and post of review of Sarah's Key and the nonfiction book within the next week or two!

My goals for the next challenge (Summer Book Challenge, which I'll be posting next) are to be able to fit more of my books on the TBR pile in and to keep up with the book bloggin' a little better! My poor blog has been a little neglected the past couple months.

Review: Harry Potter 5

2009-06-30T14:07:00.003-04:00

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

by J.K. Rowling

870 pages

I was taking a nice long break from rereading the HarryPotter series in preparation for the release of the 6th movie. But, I realized that July 15th is fast approaching so I had better get on it! The Order of the Phoenix is probably my least favorite of the Potter series. Before now, I had only read it once all the way through and only made it about halfway before the movie came out (I found my bookmark still in there). I actually made it through it this time and I have to say that I enjoyed it a little more this time around, although Harry still bothered me.

Okay, if you haven't read this book/series...well do it now. I'm going to skip the summary since so many already know what it's about.

This is the first of the series where Harry is REALLY stepping into his teenage years. He's full of angst, hurt, anger and, of course, confusion about girls. I can understand some of his hurt and anger. I mean, he's not being told ANYTHING about what's going on and the Ministry along with that horrible Umbridge woman are making it nearly impossible for anyone to believe him or take him seriously. Then, Dumbledore, his beloved mentor and friend, is avoiding him like the plague. On to top it all off, he's having dreams and experiencing emotions of Voldemort's. I'm sure that's not fun but seriously Harry. Quit with the angstiness and the "You don't understand!"-s. I mean, maybe they would get it if you just TALKED about it! Jeez. Keeping it all bottled in will just make it worse, as Sirius can probably tell him since he's locked up in an old creepy house full of his family's dark, nasty stuff.

The times spend with the secret Dumbledore's Army group doing Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons are probably my favorite parts. Harry is much less angst-ridden then because he's teaching others that actually believe him and doing something that he really enjoys. Plus, all that training really comes in handy at the end. Oh and the prophecy! I love that JK Rowling came up with this. "either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives" Ahh, what a great foreshadowing for the last two books. I'm just gearing up for that epic battle that I know will take place!*

8 out of 10 stars. I really liked it once I got past the angst, plus there's a ton of important back story and foreshadowing in this one.

THEN, I watched the movie again. I hadn't seen it since it was released in theaters TWO years ago! And truthfully, I didn't remember a whole lot about it, just bits and pieces.

Since rewatching it, I remember now why I wasn't really impressed with this movie. So much was left out!!! Nothing about Ron and Hermione being Prefects, or the feud between the Weasley family and Percy, or the cleaning of the Black house, and NO QUIDDITCH! None at all!!! So you didn't get to see Ron become the goal keeper and the twins and Harry never beat up on Draco so no lifelong ban! Ridiculous. Also, they didn't put Firenze in there at all so the angry centaurs weren't 100% explained. Oh and the battle at the end wasn't the same either. I mean, they didn't show any of the students that came to help Harry get hurt and they didn't show the different rooms within the Department of Mysteries. Oh oh oh! AND, Dumbledore didn't tell Harry WHY he needs to stay at the Dursley's! Dude! That is important.

I don't really understand how they are going to work all the left out stuff from the 5th movie into the 6th. I hope that they don't keep getting further and further away from the books because that'd be really disappointing. We'll see though! Only a couple more weeks until Half Blood Prince is released!

6 out of 10 on movie #5. I think that I would like it more if I had never read the book though. too much left out!

*Take notes Stephenie Meyer! This is how epic battles are done!!!!

Book Review: Persepolis

2009-06-29T14:06:00.005-04:00

The Complete Persepolis

by Marjane Satrapi

352 pages

This was my first venture into the world of graphic novels. I've been interested in reading one for a few months now (probably since The Watchmen movie came out and became popular) but I just didn't take the initiative to find one and read it. I was so unsure on if I would like it or not. Well, I got to find out when the book club pick for June was The Complete Persepolis*.

Marjane Satrapi wrote Persepolis as her memoir. It begins by telling stories of her childhood in Iran and the beginning of the Islamic Revolution, when people became oppressed, women were forced to wear head scarves and men to have beards and no one could speak out against the government. As a child, Marjane was incredibly outspoken, perhaps because her parents were very liberal, and had taken her to rallies against the revolution and told her stories of her relatives or friends that had spoken out against the revolution and had died because of it. Even her schooling changes to one where she must praise the martyrs, wear a headscarf, and not play with any boys.

The story continues on into her teen years and early adulthood where Marjane continues to question authority by buying illegal cassette tapes and sporting a Michael Jackson button on her "inappropriate" jean jacket. She never fully comes to terms with having to wear the head scarf (veil) and draping clothing. For example:

While I found that extremely funny when reading this, it was really a serious action to speak out at an official like that. But, it seems like Marjane was always toeing the line. When she was 14, her parents sent her off to a French school in Austria. Especially there, without her parents, Marjane always questioned authority and ran with the wrong crowd, even ending up being homeless for a few weeks.

This was such an interesting, heart-wrenching, hilarious, and informative story. I really didn't know a lot of things about life in Iran before this. I mean, you get a certain stereotype in your head, especially living in America, and it's hard to remember that there are a lot of people there fighting against the Islamic Revolution and against war and oppression. The graphics are just amazing. They are simple since they are all black and white, yet some are really complex and show a wide range of emotions and situations that I didn't think would be so great to be able to see along with the text. This book really worked so well as a graphic novel. I enjoyed it quite a bit and would definitely like to read another one! Maybe Maus next...

9 out of 10 stars. I would highly recommend this as an excellent graphic novel to dip your toes into the genre.

I also read Chicken With Plums by Marjane Satrapi. It's quite a bit shorter at 84 pages, and only

took maybe 45 minutes to read but it was also a really great story. Not quite as serious as Persepolis though. It's about a relative of Marjane's who was a great musician. One day his wife breaks his instrument so he lays down and decides to die. This graphic novel shows the last 8 days of his life. It's funny and sad with a couple of good morals thrown in. If you aren't sure if you would enjoy a graphic novel or not, this would be an excellent place to start. It's short enough that it's not too much of a waste if you don't like it, but it really does have a great story line.

9 out of 10 stars as well.

* Persepolis was originally published in two volumes. It's now available all in one book, which is why the copy show is called The Complete Persepolis.

Monday Musing: Library Limits

2009-06-22T14:43:00.002-04:00

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about library borrowing…

Do you restrict yourself on how many books you take out from the library at a time? Do you borrow books if you already have some out? Do you always reborrow books you don’t get to?

I do restrict myself on the number of books I take out from the library to usually 2 or 3, depending on what they are for (a challenge, book club, or pleasure) and how long they are. Right now I have two books out and two that I am waiting on from another library. One is a short graphic novel that will take me no time at all to read and the other is next month's book club pick. The two I'm waiting on are non-fiction that have to do with the Holocaust and the events mentioned in the book Sarah's Key, which I just finished. The only time I take out more books when I already have some out is if something I'm waitlisted on comes in. And, I really try not to take more than 2-4 out at a time because then I have to hear my husband go "But you have SO many books around here that you haven't read yet!!!" He just doesn't understand.

I don't renew everything if I'm not finished. If i know that I'm going to end up not wanting to pick it up, I just return it. If I do think that I'm going to get to it at some point, renewing at my library is really easy. I just have to log in online and click renew, no big deal.

Book Reviews: a couple of Mass Market PB's

2009-06-22T13:44:00.007-04:00

Okay, so, I've been a very bad book blogger. It's been busy around my household (wedding-related events, family gatherings, painting rooms, water leaks in basements...) and around work (stuff not working right and having to be completely redone, ah, such is life in a lab) so I haven't been able to post in a while. Luckily, I have had some time to read! So you all will be getting a handful of reviews this week, starting with a couple of fun, summertime mass market paperbacks.

Angels and Demons
by Dan Brown
569 pages

I've been wanting to read this (and The DaVinci Code) for a while now and finally picked it when I realized that the movie was coming out soon. Since A&D is technically the prequel, I decided to read it first fully expecting not very much from the book. I seem to hear a lot of good reviews from a more non-literary crowd and a lot of bad "but it's not literature" kind of reviews elsewhere. I get both sides now that I've read it but I thought, for summer and wanting something action packed and not too difficult to read, this was perfect and I really enjoyed it.

So Robert Langdon is a religious symbology professor from Harvard. He's called in to help investigate a super-top-secret murder at a research science place (CERN) in Geneva. (PS they had a crazy fast airplane pick him up and take him from the US to Switzerland in an HOUR! how awesome would that be?!) Anyways, the murder is kept secret because there's a brand on the victim's chest that says "Illuminati" which was a group of scientists that were against the catholic church because well, science and religion don't normally mix well. But they're suppose to be EXTINCT! Since Langdon is an expert on the Illuminati legends and can't believe that they could be back, he sets out to find out who did this exactly, if the Illuminati are back and what their plan is because oh yea, they stole something that could seriously destroy a whole city.

The rest of the book is full of action, people being murdered, a secret scavenger hunt, and a guessing game of Who is the Bad Guy? but it's exciting and as long as you can get past some of the not-so-great writing style, it's worth a read. Just be prepared to be told that you will need to remember something later as in, "so-and-so says that X amount of wind resistance will slow your body enough to reduce the force of impact by X amount. Little did I know that I (Langdon) would find this information useful within the next 24 hours" or something like that. I mean does Dan Brown seriously think that I don't comprehend what I am reading on page 100 enough to remember it when I'm on page 400? I hate when authors give away what's going to happen like that. I mean, couldn't he have just waited until the big fall, have Langdon remember that info and then say something like "man, I'll have to remember to thank so-and-so for telling me about wind resistance!"

So, 7 out of 10. I really like the blend of science and religion and it was action packed but the writing was eeehhhh....

The Mist
by Stephen King
230 pages

I'm not a big Stephen King reader. As a matter of fact, I'm pretty sure the only other book of his that I've read is The Green Mile, but I had to read something because it's worth a whopping 25 points for the Spring Book Challenge. My best friend just happened to have this one on her shelf so I stole, er borrowed, it when I returned her copy of The Historian to her (which I had had for at least two years...)

Anyways, on to the story complete with scary-movie-style commentary in italics. There's a big storm one night and the next morning an eerie looking mist is coming across the lake. "Oh, it'll just burn off later with the sun," says the main guy. Uh huh, yeah right. A few hours later, the mist is still coming. Main guy and his son (who's like 8?) head to the store while wife stays behind. Bad move, wife. Once in the store, the mist comes faster and soon you can't see more than a few feet in front of the store windows. Some people decide to leave but never come back and their screams are heard so everyone else is terrified. At one point a bag boy opens a loading dock door and gets taken by something huge with tentacles. good one, dude. Then a few more people decide sitting around is ridiculous and they decide to leave. Because it worked out so well for the last people... Anyways, they all die and the crazy lady in the store keeps spouting off about how it's the end of the world. There always has to be a crazy lady doesn't there? Main guy finally develops a plan to get out but doesn't know how far the mist goes or if anyone else is alive out there. The ending is one of those non-ending endings, where nothing is resolved and you don't really know what's out there but ya know, there's hope still. But, you're probably going to run out of gas before you get out of the mist, buddy.

5 out of 10 stars. I like my endings to actually explain something. But I might see the movie because Marky Mark = Yum.

BTT: My Book Niche

2009-06-11T08:55:00.003-04:00

There are certain types of books that I more or less assume all readers read. (Novels, for example.)

But then there are books that only YOU read. Instructional manuals for fly-fishing. How-to books for spinning yarn. How to cook the perfect souffle. Rebuilding car engines in three easy steps. Dog training for dummies. Rewiring your house without electrocuting yourself. Tips on how to build a NASCAR course in your backyard. Stuff like that.

What niche books do YOU read?

I'm definitely a science nerd at heart. While I love reading all kinds of fiction, sometimes I really enjoy a good science-based nonfiction book. Books that stick out are The American Plague about the Yellow Fever epidemic and I have The Best American Science Writing of 2008 sitting on my nightstand just begging to be read. One of my favorite science related reads is my Getting a Grip on Genetics book that I received from my 8th grade science teacher when I graduated high school.

It's awesome. It's well written and has tons of information and explanations, as well as pictures and diagrams explaining the principles. It's a little elementary for me at this point, but it's still fun to pick up and flip through every once in a while. Also, this is part of a whole series! They cover tons of topics from astronomy and physics, to philosphy and evolution. I highly recommend them!

The other niche of books that occupies my house is my husband's obsession. Any and all books about MMA, the UFC, and fighters' memoirs. So far he's read about the rise of the UFC, Chuck Liddel, Randy Couture, Tito Ortiz, Matt Hughes, etc. etc. I don't get the appeal but, hey, at least he's reading!

What niche of books do you really enjoy?

Review: Someone Like You audio book

2009-06-10T14:56:00.002-04:00

Someone Like You

by Sarah Dessen

272 pages (paperback)

6 hours and 10 minutes on 6 CDs (audio)

I was scoping out the selection of audio books at my local library (which was not as large as I expected) and I came across this Sarah Dessen book. Since I had never before listened to an audio book (*GASP!*) I decided that I didn't want something really long because I didn't know if I would really like it and I don't have a very long commute or rides in the car in general. I decided this one would be perfect. I've been hearing good things about Sarah Dessen from the YA readers I know plus, at just over 6 hours, it wouldn't take me weeks to finish.

The book is about a girl named Halley who is an angst-filled, not so good with the self-esteem teenager who is *shocker* not getting along with her therapist mother. On top of all these 'growing into a young woman' changes and family issues, her best friend Scarlett's summer boyfriend slash love-of-her-life dies in a motorcycle accident. A few weeks later, Scarlett discovers that she's pregnant with said love-of-her-life's baby. Yikes. While helping her friend deal, Halley meets bad-boy Macon Faulkner who begins to corrupt her into sneaking out, skipping school, etc. He's pretty much every guy I dated in high school when I wanted to upset my parents all rolled into one. Yikes again. So, throughout the book, Halley has to figure out who she really is and wants to be, how to help her friend through this hard time in her life, and how to get along with her mother again.

When I started this audio book, I couldn't decide if I liked it or not. Then, I realized that I was thinking about the storyline throughout the day so it wasn't that I didn't like the characters and plot, I just didn't really like the reader! Her voice was just kind of annoying. She would try to change it for the male characters, but she had such a feminine voice, that it would just end up sounding like Urkle, you know...kind of nasal-y and high pitched for a guy? Not exactly pleasant to listen too. Also, I had to look up what Macon's name was online because at first I thought she was saying 'Nathan' and then I thought it was 'Mathan' and then I thought maybe 'Macon'? but what a weird name! so I had to look it up to be sure. That was annoying. And really, the only thing that really bothered me in the book itself was that one of Halley's pet peeves was how SO many people messed up her name, but I don't see Halley as that odd of a name? I mean, Halley's comet. I get it, so I guess I didn't understand why everyone in the book had such a hard time with it and thought that it was SUCH a strange name. Macon is definitely a lot stranger!

I think that I could really like audio books, as long as I find ones with good readers. Also, I went through this book a lot quicker than a thought I would. I guess the 30-40 minutes round trip to work plus time spent running errands, plus a weekend trip to Kalamazoo (just over an hour) really adds up more than I thought that it would.

Okay, now for the points:

8 out of 10 for the book. Entertaining storyline, fun characters, pretty realistic view of high school drama.

3 out of 10 for the reader. She put forth the effort in trying to do other voices, but it just didn't work for me.

9 out of 10 for audio books in general. I think that I will be trying out another one! Any recommendations??

Monday Musings: Reading Time

2009-06-08T16:25:00.004-04:00

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about reading time…

Do you have a set reading time (before bed, perhaps)? Do you read more at night or during the day? Is there a day of the week, perhaps, that you set aside to catch up on reading?

I'm have certain times during the day when I usually read. On weekdays I read during lunch, at some point during the evening (after dinner), and definitely before bed. Sometimes, if I'm REALLY into the book I'm reading, I'll even get up a little early and read before I start getting ready for work. On weekends, I would absolutely love to be able to have a day to just sit around and read. Unfortunately, our weekends are usually pretty busy with house maintenance, errands, parties/weddings/showers/etc. I just try to fit in as much reading as possible!

When do you like to read? Are you one of the lucky ones who can set aside a whole day to dedicate to reading?

BTT: 15 in 15

2009-06-04T13:39:00.004-04:00

I saw this over at Shelley’s, and thought it sounded like a great question for all of you:
“This can be a quick one. Don’t take too long to think about it. Fifteen books you’ve read that will always stick with you. First fifteen you can recall in no more than 15 minutes.”

Okay, so 15 books that will always stick with me...I guess it doesn't matter WHY they stick with me huh? Some are just good memories of times spent reading them or they might be just a really great book that I will always remember and recommend to others. So here goes!

Frederick by Leo Lionni. My very favorite book as a child.
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. I've read this countless times.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. This one get such mixed reviews, I think that I just read it at the right time in my life.
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson. I was very imaginative as a child and I think that this one really fed that.
The Diary of Anne Frank
all the Harry Potter books by JK Rowling. Such a great story.
The Wind in the Willows.
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. LOVE it.
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger.
Night by Elie Weisel
They Poured Fire on Us From the Sky
Marley and Me by John Grogan
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi. I haven't finished this one yet (about 50 pages left) but it's such a great memoir and it's in graphic novel form so I know that it will stick with me for a while.

So there it is! What are some books that will always stick with you?

Review times two: Dexter and Choke

2009-06-02T16:25:00.005-04:00

Yes, today is yet another two-fer. It's just been so busy in my world, it's hard to keep on track with the reviews! Hopefully June will be a little less busy for me so I can catch up on some extra reading! Anyways, on to the reviews!

Darkly Dreaming Dexter

by Jeff Lindsay

288 pages

My husband is actually the one who brought this little gem of a book into our house. We have been watching Dexter for a while now (and anxiously awaiting the next season to start!) and he wanted to compare the book to the show. Needless to say, he only got maybe halfway through it before he said "It's pretty much just like the show" and moved on to the next MMA-UFC related non-fiction book he could get his hands on. So, I picked it up.

It really is a lot like the show. And, I could really picture Michael C. Hall as Dexter. He really is perfect for that role.

It's full of witty, kind of dry, yet creepy humor and you really want to not like Dexter because, well, he's a MURDERER. But, since he only kills the bad guys...you just can't help but like him. Despite the look of the shiny-knife-with-bloody-happy-face cover, it's really not all that gory. Definitely nothing that will enter into your dreams and make you not be able to sleep or anything.

Oh, and the ending? Not really at all like the show. It's kind of a combination of the first two seasons of the show in this one book, but it's not really the same. For this reason, I'm really interested in reading the next two books of the series that are out because they are bound to be incredibly different from the show!

9 out of 10 stars. I love me some Dexter.

Choke

by Chuck Palahniuk

293 pages

I followed the oddly lovable Dexter book with another book featuring an odd, yet kind of likable main character. Of course, when you pick up a Palahniuk book, you KNOW that it's going to be kind of odd. "Kind of" maybe being an understatement...

So, in Choke, we follow Victor Mancini who has dropped out from medical school and is working at a colonial town setup circa 1734. He seeks sex from women at sex addicts' meeting and, to pay for his mother's assisted living facility bills, he pretends to choke at a restaurant every night so someone will save him then feel somehow obligated to send him money to help with bills (that he makes up). He keeps a detailed list of everyone who has saved him, their name, address, where, etc. All the while, his mother's health is deteriorating and he can't seem to find the reasons to care.

While the book follows Victor's present day life, there are also flashbacks of his childhood, his mother being deemed unfit to care for him and spending her time in and out of jail. Each time he ends up in a foster home, only to have his mother get out of jail and come back to kidnap him. Then she goes on about all sorts of conspiracy theories that she has. No wonder he turned out so messed up!

Everyone in the novel seemed to have really lost touch with reality, but by the end, they all kind of accept the hand they've been dealt. The whole book is centered on Victor going out, choking, then making someone feel like they're a hero, like they have something in their life to be proud of, while he's been lacking that his entire life.

8 out of 10 stars. If you like Palahniuk, I think that this is one of his better novels. And, it's on the 1001 list.

BTT: Wish I hadn't have read that...

2009-05-28T16:18:00.002-04:00

This week's question:

In the perfect follow-up to last week’s question, as suggested by C in DC:
Is there a book that you wish you could “unread”? One that you disliked so thoroughly you wish you could just forget that you ever read it?

This is a tough question! But, I've thought about it long and hard, and I don't think that there is a book that I look back on and say "I wish I hadn't have read that!" I mean, sure, I've read some not so great books (like The Shack comes to mind) but I usually get something out of them or at least am able to have a conversation with someone about it discussing why we did or didn't like a particular book. Also, very recently (as in yesterday), I wished that I hadn't have read the epilogue to The Host because I thought that it would have been better without it, but I still enjoyed the book as a whole.

I guess if there ever is a book that I really wish that I hadn't have read, I would probably quit reading it before I get to the end! Life is just too short to read bad books!

Book Review and a Song: The Host

2009-05-26T16:12:00.007-04:00

The Host
by Stephanie Meyer

613 pages

I would never have picked up this book if Stephanie Meyer hadn't written the Twilight books. It wouldn't normally be my cup of tea...but I kind of enjoyed it.

The Host takes place in generic-time (probably sometime in the 21st century) USA. Aliens, known as souls, have pretty much taken over the Earth by inserting themselves into humans which are their host creatures. Souls are silver, plasma-like ribbon creatures which are inserted into the back of a human's neck (along the spinal cord) and they make connections into their host's brain. They retain all of their host's memories and some even keep their host's name, but the person who was there before is gone...usually. Since souls have taken over the Earth, it's become a more peaceful place. Souls don't want there to be violence, are incapable of lying, and are actually pretty boring. Most normal humans have been taken over by a soul, while some renegades still hide out, trying to avoid getting caught and being taken over by a "parasite."

In The Host, we follow a very particular soul named Wanderer (since she's lived 8 different life-times on 8 different planets while most souls only live one or two then stay in one place), gets inserted into a human who was discovered by Seekers (souls whose calling is to basically be a bounty hunter) and attempted to kill herself rather than be caught. Since this human, Melanie, had been surviving so long and was so against being taken over by a soul, she did not give in once Wanderer had been placed in her. Wanderer has to deal with having another voice in her head and soon realizes that she sympathizes with Melanie and that she cares about Melanie's family as if they were her own.

Once Wanderer figures out that she likes and trusts Melanie (and that the feeling is mutual), she finds a way to lose her seeker and treks out to find Melanie's love, Jared, and brother, Jamie, by clues given by Melanie's crazy uncle Jeb. Jeb finds her in the desert and takes her back to their renegade headquarters inside a mountain filled with lava tubes where 36 humans live. Of course, no one trusts Wanderer and some try to kill her and Jared hates her and much drama ensues....but then people begin to change their minds because Wanderer is just so NICE. One of the humans, Ian, falls in love with her. Jamie loves both Wanderer and his sister because he knows they are both in there. And Jared is just torn because it's his true love's body, and while the person in control is nice and everything, he wants Mel back.

In the end, Wanderer has to decide whether she wants to continue inhabiting Mel's body or sacrifice herself so Mel can return to her family. When I got to the end of the last chapter, wow, it was just this wonderfully perfect bittersweet ending. I was happy for some and oh-so-sad for others, but it was really how this story needed to end. Then Stephanie Meyer, in her true fashion, has to go and add on an epilogue which easily could have had "and they all lived happily ever after" as the last line. Why!!??! Why does Stephanie Meyer feel the need to make every ending so freakin' happy? Don't get me wrong, I like some warm fuzzies every once in a while but seriously, the book would have been GREAT without the epilogue! oh well. I'm docking a star for that cheese ball epilogue.

7.5 out of 10. It was an interesting read for sure, I just wish I would have stopped before the epilogue.

Now, in order to receive 25 points toward the Nest Book Club Spring Book Challenge, I have to think of a song that this book reminded me of, revise the lyrics, and come up with a Haiku. This part was easy because I couldn't get OAR's song The Wanderer out of my head throughout the WHOLE book! Maybe because I had just had that CD in the week before? I dunno. But literally, all day...In.My.Head. So here it is with some revised lyrics:

Down the road there was a girl walking, walking

Knapsack round her back the soul’s talking, talking

And her rental car has run out of gas, but it no matter cause the girl’s on the run

Needs sunglasses for her shining eyes, girl never had nowhere to run when they were found, now found

So she walked along to lava tubes, wanted to find Mel’s long lost love

But no

She's the wanderer looking for her long lost home

She's only got one place to go

She's wandering and wondering when to go home

She's not alone, not alone, not alone

Soul’s been hosted for a thousand years, trying to drive away those fears, but no

Well then she picked up and then she went down south

Jared said nothing and Jamie shut his mouth

Well, she never thought too much, just thought she could bring them around

For Mel needed help and Ian love

And when love came around I heard the sound

Wanderers wandering all round the town

But no, they go

She's the wanderer looking for her long lost home

She's only got one place to go

She's wandering and wondering when to go home

She's not alone, not alone, not alone

Hey, she's the wanderer looking for her long lost home

She's only got one fine place to go

She's wandering wondering when to go home

She's not alone, not alone, not alone

She wan wan wandered along, made new friends and she helped them along

She won won won the war, helped out her friends and they found there were more

And now, a Haiku:

Mel and Wanderer
In the same body both love
Jared and Ian.

And thus commences the longest post ever! *curtsy*

Teaser Tuesday and Memorial Day make-up

2009-05-26T15:49:00.005-04:00

Teaser Tuesday is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.

Grab your current read.
Let the book fall open to a random page.
Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page.
You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
Please, no spoilers!!!

"And here was the message: the head hung separately, the body parts stacked on my ice tray, and that damned mirror again. Combined with the total lack of interest in everything else in the apartment, it all added up to only one thing.

But what?"

page 129 of Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay

Such a good TV show and so far, the book is really good too! I highly suggest both. Review for this one should be up sometime tomorrow since I'm sure I'll finish it tonight.

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about gift certificates…

Do you give gift certificates to book stores as presents? If so, do you give for actual stores or online stores? Do you like to receive them yourself?

I like to give book store gift certificates for presents to people that I know like books, but I don't necessarily know what they've read or would like to read. My husband and I actually gave Barnes and Noble gift cards to our host couple (an aunt and uncle) because we knew that they both like to read quite a bit, and we didn't know what restaurants they had near them, so a restaurant gift card was out. Barnes and Noble is my default gift card to get for a gift since they are pretty much everywhere (there's no Borders here, the closest is an hour away) and if there isn't a B&N around, you can also use it online. Their shipping rates are pretty reasonable as well. Oh, and if I do get someone an actual book as a gift, I almost always get that at B&N as well, and include a gift receipt just in case.

I absolutely LOVE getting bookstore gift cards. I definitely try to use them to get something that I wouldn't normally get for myself, like a hardcover book that I've been waiting for to come out or a couple of paperbacks that I could get from the library, but really want to OWN! The next bookstore gift card I get, I'll be using it to get The Outlandish Companion. Hopefully I get one soon!

Book Review: The Lace Reader

2009-05-21T10:27:00.002-04:00

The Lace Reader

By Brunonia Barry

385 pages

Oh, Brunonia, you have a strange, strange name and perhaps an even stranger story. But I like it. I picked up this book because it was the chosen one for this month at the township library book club (which I've been wanting to join last month, but I completely missed the meeting in April). I made it this month though! And what a fine group of ladies...I'll come back to them...let's talk about the book first.

The first lines of the book draws you right into the story:

My name is Towner Whitney. No, that's not exactly true. My real first name is Sophya. Never believe me. I lie all the time.

This opening paragraph ends up being SO important to the story because by the end, most of it is a lie. Towner grew up in Salem, Massachusetts, where her Aunt Eva lived, and just off the coast of Salem on Yellow Dog Island, where her mother May and Aunt Emma lived and worked a shelter for battered women and children. All the Whitney women were Seers, or psychics who could read the future in a piece of lace. She spent her life going between the her Aunt Eva's place in Salem and Yellow Dog Island, but when her twin sister committed suicide and her Aunt Emma's husband, Cal, beat Emma so badly that she ended up brain damaged, Towner ended up in the psychiatric hospital and opted to undergo shock therapy. Once released, she opted to get as far away from Salem as she could and headed off to California. She then returned to Salem when she found out that her Aunt Eva was missing. Towner was forced to remember the past and see the future once again, which she had been trying so hard not to do.

The ending of this book hits you like a ton of bricks. I never saw it coming!! Of course, looking back, I realize that there were little clues all the way through the book. This would be a good one to reread knowing the ending because you could pick up on all the little pieces that you missed the first time around.

This was a really fun book for a book club. Everyone had different opinions about it and being able to discuss everything that happened in this book in particular helped to piece it all together. I walked into book club really liking this book, and I walked out liking it even more because everything that didn't make sense before, suddenly made a lot more sense. Everyone seemed to pick up different tidbits of info from throughout the story and it really made everything come together nicely. I'm definitely going to be going to this book club next month and not just because there are cookies (really good cookies at that) but because it was really fun, and the next book is Persepolis, which is a graphic novel and I've been wanting to try out reading a graphic novel for a while now.

So The Lace Reader gets an 8.5 out of 10 from me. It was exciting, thought provoking, and had a lot of twists and turns that really had me guessing.

BTT: A Second First Time

2009-05-21T09:33:00.002-04:00

I've been totally slacking in blog-world lately (but really doing a lot around work and the house!) so I'm going to do this week's BTT and last week's just to make up a little :)

5/21/09: What book would you love to be able to read again for the first time?

This one's kind of a tough question! One obvious one would be To Kill a Mockingbird. It is just such a fantastic book that I'd love to be able to read it for the first time again, not knowing how it was going to end. I'd also like to read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe for the first time again because I was young and innocent, and saw it for an awesome adventure, not for all the symbolism. More recently, I would love to be able to read Outlander for the first time once again. The main characters, Jamie and Claire, just pull you into the story and I'd like to experience falling in love with them all over again! (Lucky for me I still have books 4, 5, 6 left to read!!)

5/14/09: Book Gluttony! Are your eyes bigger than your book belly? Do you have a habit of buying up books far quicker than you could possibly read them? Have you had to curb your book buying habits until you can catch up with yourself? Or are you a controlled buyer, only purchasing books when you have run out of things to read?

Ugh, yes! A thousand times yes! I have so many books piled up around the house that I'm excited to read but there's only so much time in the day. And lately, that reading time has been less and less since the weather has been nice enough to do some work to the outside of our house. I have a really bad habit of buying new books when I find ones at book sales, garage sales, or the bargain section of the bookstore. Just last week I had an extra 15% off coupon for B&N and of course I couldn't let that go to waste! (even though my husband was sitting there going "Don't you have enough books to read???")

I have really been trying to curb the book buying for a while so I can get a little more caught up on the books that I have, but then PBS is there saying that books are available from my wishlist and I have 8 credits just burning a whole in my pocket! Oh, what's a girl to do!? Maybe I could quit my job and read for a living?? haha...well, maybe not...

Teaser Tuesday: The Lace Reader

2009-05-12T11:52:00.002-04:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teaser for today:

I don't want to tell her about the voices.
"She knew I was coming," I say. "I'm pretty sure."
Ann considers. "Well," she says, "Eva was a reader. She knew a lot of things, didn't she?"
From page 213 of The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry.

**Don't forget about my book giveaway!**

A week late-a review and giveaway!

2009-05-11T16:29:00.006-04:00

So I was supposed to post this LAST Monday, but unfortunately life got in the way and I didn't even finish this book until late, late Saturday night (as in two days ago). I don't remember the last time it took me that long to finish a book that was just over 300 pages! But this past week was so busy that I went two, three days in a row without reading! That's just unheard of for me. But, without further ado, here's my review:

Enduring Justice
by Amy Wallace
313 pages

Official Summary:
In Enduring Justice, Hanna Kessler’s childhood secret has remained buried for over two decades. But when the dark shadows of her past threaten to destroy those she loves, Hanna must face the summer that changed her life and the man who still haunts her thoughts.

Crimes Against Children FBI Agent, Michael Parker knows what it means to get knocked down. And when the system fails and a white supremacist is set free, Michael’s drive for retribution eclipses all else.

A racist’s well-planned assault forces Hanna and Michael to decide between executing vengeance and pursuing justice. When the attack turns personal, is healing still possible?

This thought-provoking novel deals with healing from sexual abuse, the balance of justice and mercy, and maintaining mixed-race friendships in the midst of racial tension. Readers who enjoy investigative thrillers by Dee Henderson, Colleen Coble, and Catherine Coulter, and who watch crime dramas like Law & Order: SVU, Criminal Minds, and Without a Trace will love this book—and the entire series.

My thoughts:

This book definitely had a lot going on. There was a lot of action, some technical FBI-style jargon to keep it real, and a lot of emotion coming from the characters. The characters themselves, well first, there were a LOT of them. Lots and lots of characters which I think would have been much easier to keep track of if I would have been able to read this book in a few days, rather than over an expanse of 7 or 8. But it was fairly easy to get them all straight again once I got back into it.

Different sections of the book were written in the point of view of three of the major characters. This was kind of interesting because you got the POV of Hannah, the woman surrounded by FBI guys her whole life who gets the sacrifices they make for the job, but who can't quite understand why, Michael, the FBI guy just trying to find some justice in the world, and Sean, the white supremacist. Switching the POVs ended up being a really good tool for Amy Wallace to use to create several different story lines, get the reader invested into each one, then bring them together at the end.

I felt like the back story to the characters was really important, but very slow to come out. I think that I would have liked to have known more about the past of the three main characters in larger chunks. For example, Sean kept referring to his father and finishing what he had started but then you'd only get a little snippet of what his father had done, then maybe another little snippet a couple chapters later. The same went for Hannah and Michael's past relationship, how they met, and what had happened between them. I feel like I would have liked to know MORE! But, regardless, I did find myself really rooting for Hannah and Michael, and hoping the Sean got caught sooner rather than later.

What I didn't know when I read the summary of this book was that there was going to be a Christian theme to it, which is something that I really don't normally read. I lot of times, I feel like they can tend to get a little preachy. But, this one really wasn't at all. There were several mentions of God, and praying, but it was pretty much all things that I could expect in any storyline involving a character dealing with the intense stuff in this book. So, it ended up being a good reminder of how difficult it can sometimes be to "keep the faith" and believe that everything will come out right and that justice will prevail, and sometimes things are just out of your own hands. It definitely didn't come off as preachy, and really most of what was mentioned could be applied to any religious background since you don't have to be any particular religion to have faith or pray that things will work out. (I guess the only exceptions in this book being a mention of a christian singer and Veggietales, but hey, can't blame someone for a pop-culture reference).

Overall, I'd give this book 7 out of 10 stars. I know there are certain people that I would recommend it to, and others that I probably won't. But, it was a good read especially if you are into to crime-FBI style dramas.

Now, I'm giving away a copy of the book Enduring Justice by Amy Wallace! Just leave a comment for this post for one entry, follow this blog for an extra entry, or blog about this giveaway in your blog for another entry (please post extra entries in the comments as well)! Contest ends Friday at 4pm EST. Thanks all!!

And if you don't win the book, you can find it here.

Bad Blogger Reading Recap

2009-05-05T15:46:00.005-04:00

Hey! I'm alive!!! I haven't posted reviews in SO long and have been a bad, bad book blogger, but I hope to get back on track this week with these two catch-up reviews today, a catch-up Musing Mondays in a few minutes, and another review (and giveaway!) later this week! So, watch out for that, since it's my first. :) ooooh, I'm a giveaway virgin! Anyways, on to the reviewin'.

A Wrinkle in Time
by Madeleine L'Engle
203 pages
Juvenile Fiction

I first read this book when I was in 6th grade and I HATED it. Ugh, I can still remember the angst of having to talk about this book and right a report on it when I just loathed it. I don't remember what I was interested in reading at that time in my life, but this book definitely wasn't it. So, when the challenge category of reading a book with The Nest Book Club and participate in the monthly discussion came up, and this was the chosen April book, I for some reason decided that it would be a good idea to read it again because there's a chance that I was just an angst-filled 6th grader who didn't see the wonderful qualities in this book...but then again, it really could just not be my cup of tea.

Unfortunately, it ended up being the latter. I guess that I didn't really hate it as much as my 6th grade self did, but I definitely didn't enjoy it. And, if I would have remembered the ending more clearly, I probably wouldn't have finished it this time around. But, I stuck with it, and was still pretty unimpressed.

The story begins with Meg, a typical, awkward 14 year old girl whose parents are scientists and little brother is "weird" but really is some ahead-of-our-time genius. Meg does poorly in school, even though she's really quite bright, and basically complains a lot about how she's a misfit, awkward, etc. Meg's father has been gone for a few years now doing some top-secret science thing and Meg complains about missing him a lot too. One night, her little brother meets a weird lady named Mrs. Whatsit, and her friends Mrs. Who and Mrs. Which. The three Mrs. tesser (AKA travel through physical space very quickly) Meg and her brother to another planet which is being overrun with evil (a dark cloud around the planet) to find and save her father. Evil-ness occurs, Meg whines, Father is saved, and everyone arrives back at home without making a very big impact on the huge evil.

The one good part about reading this as an adult would be that now I know why I don't care for it. First, I just wasn't interested in Meg figuring things out and defeating evil. I was annoyed by her character's seemingly constant whining and complaining about things that she could change if she just put a little work and effort into it. The other thing that kind of bothered me was that this was a very sci-fi themed book with references to mind reading and control, time and space warping, and rearranging particles yet there were several references to God not just by the Earth people, but by the creatures from other planets. To me, this just didn't really fit because it was basically insinuating that everyone has the same God, when even solely here on Earth, that isn't necessarily the case. The religious God references just didn't quite seem to fit into the theme of the book, in my opinion. I would read a line mentioning religion or God and just think to myself, "huh, that seemed a little out of left field..."

So, I have to give A Wrinkle in Time redo a 4 out of 10. I didn't like it (again) but I'm pretty sure that my sixth grade self would have given it a 0 or 1, so it's a slight improvement over that. I just hope that my someday children won't have to read it...there's definitely better things out there.

Voyager
Book 3 of the Outlander Series
by Diana Gabaldon
870 pages

Ahhhhh, now THIS is more like it!!! After dragging myself through A Wrinkle in Time, a bit of time with Claire and Jamie was JUST what I needed. Voyager picks up where Dragonfly In Amber leaves off. Claire is in Scotland with her daughter, Brianna, and has just discovered that Jamie did not die in the battle at Culloden. She decides that she will find where he ended up with the help of Bree and Roger, and may be able to return to him. The first part of the book alternates between Claire talking about their research to find Jamie's whereabouts after the battle and Jamie actually getting away from the battle alive and what all he is going through. I loved this part because I just ACHED for the both of them. I mean, Jamie knew that Claire was gone and really, he wanted to die at that battle, he really was planning on dying! So they are both just going through life knowing that they will never see their true love again. So. Sad.

Anyways, Claire finally finds where Jamie is at approximately 1768 (since the rocks took her back almost 200 years exactly) and decides to go and find him. I stayed up until well past my bedtime reading this section because I just had to see them reunited!!! And, I almost squee'd out loud when Claire walked into his printing shop and he FAINTED at the sight of her (and I would have squee'd had my husband not been next to me sleeping). Ah, true love! Reunited! And it feels SO good! but of course, the good cannot last because Jamie is always into something not-quite-legal...and this causes Claire to accept Jamie as the man he is now, for the sake of the man she once knew and they embark on a crazy adventure from Scotland all the way to West Indies.

Throughout it all there's love, passion, adventure, and a bit of humor and I just can't get enough! 10 out of 10 stars. Better than Dragonfly in Amber by a smidgen since the newlywed type passion was back.

BTT: When a loved one betrays you...

2009-04-30T16:18:00.002-04:00

Which is worse?
Finding a book you love and then hating everything else you try by that author, or reading a completely disappointing book by an author that you love?

Reading a book that sucks from an author you LOVE is the worst by far!! It takes me a long time to determine whether or not I truly love an author mostly because when I find a book that I like, I'm not one to go out searching for everything else that author has written, it takes time for me to decide to read more of their books. I definitely don't think that if one book is good, the rest of an author's books will be good as well. I mean, a good book could just be a fluke or a one-time-idea kind of thing right?

But, when I do find an author that I love and I have read a lot of stuff from (and enjoyed it all) then I wait impatiently for their next book to come out and then....It SUCKS! there's nothing more disappointing than that. My prime example: Stephenie Meyer. Okay I wouldn't say that she's a GOOD writer or that I really love her, but I really enjoyed the first three books of the Twilight series. But Breaking Dawn...UGH. Awful. Horrible. This can't possibly be the build-up-to-nothing final ending to this series can it?! Blech. I have The Host sitting on my nightstand, waiting to be read, so we'll see how adventures in Meyer-land go with something non-Twilight sometime soon.

PS I'm a bad blogger as of late and have two reviews that I need to write! Hopefully I'll be on it tomorrow...

Musing Monday: Non-fiction preferences

2009-04-27T15:16:00.002-04:00

Musing Mondays is hosted by Rebecca.

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about reading non-fiction…

Do you read non-fiction regularly? Do you read it in a different way or place than you read fiction? (question courtesy of Diane)

I would say that probably about 75% of all the books that I read are fiction. I'm not really a huge non-fiction reader. When I do read non-fiction, it's usually memoirs or the occasional book of science-related essays or studies which I find interesting enough or reads like fiction enough that I really don't change my reading habits too much. If anything, I probably just read in bed for a little less time than I might with a work of fiction that has me drawn in.

Review: The Road

2009-04-23T13:04:00.002-04:00

The Road

by Cormac McCarthy

287 pages

This book was kind of creepy. Like the part in the beginning of 28 Days Later, before the infected people come out, where the guy is wandering around and there is NO ONE there and everything is deserted and just CREEPY. Yup, it's like that.

So a man and his son (young-ish...maybe 8 or 9? the age is never disclosed) are traveling through the now deserted and covered with ash remnants of America. There's little food, no government, very few people of which most are BAD, and you have no idea what happened. The whole story is just the man and his son trying to find food, shelter, and warmth while avoiding the bad people (who happen to be cannibals because ya know, cows are extinct).

I don't really have a ton to say about this book. I suppose that I kind of liked it. The writing was good (really good actually) and I felt for the man and his son because their situation was just so sad, but it was just so darn CREEPY! Maybe I feel this way because I don't think that it completely out of the realm of possibility that America may some day, with all its ego and pride, burn itself down to a bunch of empty abandoned houses and ash over everything? hmmm...maybe....either way, still just creeps me out! But, I'd probably recommend it to someone who didn't mind if a story had a very sad with a little teeny tiny glimmer of hope ending.

7 out of 10 stars. I wouldn't read it again necessarily, but it was worth the one read.

P.S. I heard that this is going to be made into a movie. BLECH. what a dumb idea! The movie would either have to make up things that weren't in the book to explain what happened to America (because in a book you can be all shrouded in mystery, but not so much in a movie) or it's just going to be a really boring, dark movie of a man and his son traveling down a road and seeing depressing, sad things.

P.P.S. Yes, I need a thesaurus to find a different word for CREEPY. ah well. That's just what it is!

BTT: Where's the symbolism?!

2009-04-23T11:13:00.006-04:00

This week:

Question suggested by Barbara H:
My husband is not an avid reader, and he used to get very frustrated in college when teachers would insist discussing symbolism in a literary work when there didn’t seem to him to be any. He felt that writers often just wrote the story for the story’s sake and other people read symbolism into it.
It does seem like modern fiction just “tells the story” without much symbolism. Is symbolism an older literary device, like excessive description, that is not used much any more? Do you think there was as much symbolism as English teachers seemed to think? What are some examples of symbolism from your reading?

Ugh, symbolism. I think that my senior year English Lit teacher, Ms. Rose (yes, Ms. not Miss, not Mrs., MS.!) totally ruined the idea of symbolism for me. She would make us over-analyze every book we read and "find the SYM-bolism!" and then if you were "wrong" should would let you know it with a loud, harsh "NO! That's not it AT ALL!" I think I still have nightmares...Usually I could luck out and go with the easy almost always right answer of light=knowledge, understanding and dark=the unknown, confusion.

I do think that most literature tends to be over-analyzed in hopes of finding all the symbolism. I guess that since now I solely read for pleasure (and of course I gain knowledge through it...but that's not my reasoning behind reading something), I don't even think about finding the symbolism in a book. I'm sure that there's lots there (some that the author put in intentionally, and probably some that the lit crits just SAY is there...) but I just don't need to find it to enjoy the story. I do get some "wow, author, I see what you did there!" moments when I'm reading, but I just don't really go into deep thought about it.

Musing Mondays: Third of the Way Favorites

2009-04-20T12:59:00.004-04:00

Hosted by Rebecca. This week's question is:

Coming towards the end of April, we’re a third of the way through the year. What’s the favourite book you’ve read so far in 2009? What about your least favourite? (question courtesy of MizB)

Good question! I just finished my 25th book of the year last night, so I have quite a few to choose from (and I may have to up my 50 books in '09 challenge to 75 at this rate!). My least favorite book so far this year is easier to decide on than most favorite. My least favorite book that I read so far this year is definitely The Shack by P. William Young. I know this book has been at the top of the NYT bestseller list forEVER, but that does not a good book make. The writing was sub-par and at times came across as preachy or cheesy, and while it COULD have been good and there could be a good message in it, I just didn't really enjoy it.

The best book I've read so far...well I can't really narrow it down to one. They Poured Fire on Us From the Sky was the one that I most recently finished and I thought that it was FAN-tastic. I loved it. I'm giving it to my mom this weekend for her to read. Another favorite book of this year is Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. It had action, adventure, romance...just a little bit of everything, and kept me wanting more the entire way. I'll be starting the third book in this series next and I can hardly wait! (Oh, and I gave Outlander to my mom too and she loves it as well. She's the person that I trade books with the most.)

Book Review: They Poured Fire...

2009-04-17T14:40:00.004-04:00

They Poured Fire on Us From the Sky: The true story of three Lost Boys from Sudan

by Benson Deng, Alephonsion Deng, and Benjamin Ajak

311 pages

You!!! Yes, You! Go read this now. It's amazing and moving and oh-so-profound. and I loved every minute of it.

Benson, Alepho, and Benjamin are three boys (Benson and Alepho are brothers, Benjamin is their cousin) that were born in Sudan. In 1987, when they were very young, ages 5 to 7, the Civil War arising in Sudan reached their village and they were forced apart from their parents, other family, and each other. They were forced to cross deserts with only the rags on their backs, no shoes, and no food or water for months. Most of the time, they were starving or injured or sick with no food or medical treatment. They lost friends and family members along their journey but never gave up hope of being reunited with their family.

Each chapter is written by one of the boys, who are all in their mid twenties at the time the book was published. The chapters go in roughly chronological order from their times in the village before war struck their lives, up until they landed in America in 2001. That's fourteen years of traveling thousands of miles on foot, of having little to no food, and living in refugee camps. The writing is simple yet eloquent and the stories really make you realize how much you had growing up, and now. I have a feeling that I'm going to be recommending this one to a lot of people. It's just a very touching story and would be SUCH a great upper high school or college classroom discussion book, so teachers definitely check this one out!!! If you want more info on this book and the authors check out http://www.theypouredfire.com/

10 out of 10 stars. Just loved it. Oh, and there's some Michigan State University love on the website since it was last year's One Book, One Community book!

BTT: extra moolah.

2009-04-16T15:37:00.002-04:00

This week's question:

Yesterday, April 15th, was Tax Day here in the U.S., which means lots of lucky people will get refunds of over-paid taxes.

Whether you’re one of them or not, what would you spend an unexpected windfall on? Say … $50? How about $500?

An extra $50? oh I'd definitely go out and get a couple books with that...make them paperbacks and I'd probably run into DSW and get a new pair of shoes from the clearance racks too.

An extra $500? Well, I'd get hubs more for his birthday...and I'd probably buy some new summer clothes...but I don't think that I would make any particularly huge purchase with it. Now if it was $500 for me AND my husband it would probably go towards something really boring like grass seed (our lawn is awful) and getting some old bushes taken out from the front garden beds. Ah, the joys of home ownership!!!

What would YOU do with a little extra moolah in your pocket???

Teaser Tuesday 4/14/09

2009-04-14T12:46:00.002-04:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My teaser:

"Three hundred teachers had to help twenty thousand boys. The women and children from Panyid, combined with the Itang and Dima refugee camps, meant our group numbered more than sixty thousand. The front of the walking line could be two days ahead of the last exhausted people who lagged behind with hunger, disease, and wounds."

p. 141 from They Poured Fire on Us From The Sky: The true story of three Lost Boys from Sudan.

This book is SO good and SO sad! I'm enjoying reading it because I hadn't known much (if anything) about the wars in Sudan before picking this up. Also it's going to be my first In Real Life Book Club book!

Review: The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

2009-04-09T15:54:00.003-04:00

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

by John Boyne

216 pages

This book wasn't really what I anticipated. Okay, I'm kind of speechless about this right now so I suppose I'll start with the overview.

Bruno is a nine year old boy whose father is a Nazi officer. He is forced to move with his family from Berlin to Poland, next to a concentration camp. Bruno doesn't understand why the fence is there, who is behind it, or why. He does notice that everyone he can see beyond the fence is male and wearing the same striped pajamas. One day, Bruno goes exploring near the fence and meets another nine year old boy named Schmuel. They become friends and begin meeting every day at the fence to talk to one another. Bruno can never quite understand why his new friend has to be separated from him by a fence, why he's so thin and pale, and why they can't play together.

This book was just sad and oh-so-frustrating. How did Bruno not understand what was going on?? How could he not know that these people were behind the fence because they were Jewish? I mean, you would think that he would have been explained these things by his father, since his father was a Nazi officer. Although, there's argument to be made that Bruno and his sister weren't allowed to hear about it because of their mother since neither one of them were part of the Hitler Youth... AND THE ENDING! Oh my GAWD! I never ever saw it coming. I was horrified and appalled and somewhere I think that I was sort of happy thinking that it could have really happened so maybe some Nazi officer out there was able to realize what he was doing to those people and children....

I think that one of the most frustrating parts of this book is that it's not a children's book...and it's not an adult book....but it's a little too simplistic language-wise for it to be Young Adult even...so it really just doesn't fit anywhere neatly. Which I suppose is true because the Holocaust wasn't a "neat and tidy" event, but I do think that this story could have benefited from some more mature language and style. I suppose that John Boyne was trying to write it with the innocent view of a nine year boy to make the point that not everyone, even those with parents in the thick of it, knew what was happening or why.

Overall, I liked it. It was a very moving story and I think that it could be easily added to the standard Holocaust/WWII curriculum of The Diary of Anne Frank. Although, I wouldn't be surprised one bit if this book ends up on the Frequently Banned/Challenged Book List next year. I think I may have to rent the movie...

8.5 out of 10. Quick enough of a read with a good story line (and ending!) that there's no excuse not to read it. Definitely should be shared with older children interested in Holocaust history, but be around to discuss it with them. (there were even discussion questions in the back of my copy of this book)

BTT: Numbers Game

2009-04-09T13:24:00.002-04:00

This week's question:

Some people read one book at a time. Some people have a number of them on the go at any given time, perhaps a reading in bed book, a breakfast table book, a bathroom book, and so on, which leads me to…

Are you currently reading more than one book?
If so, how many books are you currently reading?
Is this normal for you?
Where do you keep your current reads?

I read only one book at a time 99.9% of the time. I just cannot seem to keep track of different story lines when reading more than one at a time, and if I start two around the same time, I always end up liking one more and just focusing on that one. So having only one book going is definitely normal for me. My mom is the kind of person who always has two going. A "home book" and a "car book." I just can't do that though!

My current read goes EVERYWHERE with me! It's on my nightstand at night/in the morning when I read, it's in the living room in the evening, in the morning it goes in my purse (yes, I always carry a big purse) and I take it to work, lunch, wherever. You never know when you'll have a spare second to read! It's always a bad day when I forget my book.

book reviews: a Two-fer

2009-04-08T13:54:00.006-04:00

I'm being a big blog slacker as of late, so I have a couple of quick reviews today!

Definitely Dead

by Charlaine Harris

#6 in Sookie Stackhouse series

324 pages

Well, I took a nice long break from Sookie (almost 3 months) and I was a little disappointed that I waited so long to read this one. First, I had forgotten some of the things that had occurred at the end of the 5th book which were big parts of this book, so I was a little confused at some points. And second, I really liked this one! It was probably one of my favorites.

Sookie and Bill aren't together any longer and something really awful is revealed about his true reason for meeting her. Having Bill out of the picture opens the book up for new characters to be included. Quinn is a were-tiger that we met briefly in the 5th book and he gets a more starring role in Definitely Dead (as evident by the cover). I really like Quinn so I'm a little anxious to read the next book and see what happens between Sookie and Quinn after all the usual "Sookie almost gets killed a few times" drama that occurs in this book (and every other Sookie book, really.)

Anyways, 8.5 out of 10. One of the best Sookies, in my opinion.

Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim

by David Sedaris

257 pages

This was my first journey into the world of David Sedaris. I really didn't know what to expect because the back cover gives you nothing, but I'm glad I gave it a shot! This book is full of stories from David's childhood to adulthood. His family sounds like something out of a cheesy comedic movie and had me going, "really? this can NOT be real!" but it's all too humorous/dumb/sad to not be true. This book was all that I needed it to be. Light, fun, witty, and at some points it was laugh-out-loud funny. My favorite story is probably the one where he talks about how he asks people in places he has never been before about their gun laws (who knew it was legal in Michigan to hunt if you are blind without the aide of a seeing companion??) and the story of St. Nicholas in Denmark (which is SO much better than American Santa!)

Fun and enjoyable. I'd pick up another of his books for sure. another 8.5 out of 10 stars.

PS I read Sedaris for the SpringBookChallenge, LBGT author or character category.

Musing Monday: Keeping track

2009-04-06T10:13:00.003-04:00

Musing Mondays is hosted by Rebecca.

As a follow up to last week's question, Joseph asked how you keep track of your tbr list. Do you have a paper list or on your computer? Do you take it with you when you go shopping? How do you decide what gets added to it?

I don't have a formal TBR list. I have a big wish list on PaperBackSwap (which gets added to when I find blog entries for books I feel like I HAVE to read) and occasionally, I add to a large post-it note list that I keep at my desk and take with me to the monthly library book sale. Other than that, I just try to remember covers and authors when I'm browsing at the bookstore. Most of the time, when I go to the bookstore, I'm going to make a specific purchase so I really don't need a list.

Overall, I just don't like making a formal TBR list because while I am an avid list-maker, I like to be able to check things off of the list which would make me feel the need to attack a TBR list in the order in which I write them down and books would probably get added to it faster than I read them. That would just take all the fun out of deciding what to read next!

On a non-MM note, the Michigan State Spartans are playing for the men's basketball championship tonight and I will be there (in Detroit) cheering them on!!!! The game on Saturday was SOOOO much fun so I can only imagine how awesome it will be tonight! Hopefully we come away with the W, but even if we don't, what a great season!!!! Oh, and I'm really glad that every fan that came to Detroit from North Carolina gets to experience the awesome Michigan weather! Saturday it was 60 and sunny (I got sunburned a little while tailgating!!!) and today there's 4 inches of snow. Yup. Gotta love it.

BTT: Library Usage

2009-04-02T13:03:00.003-04:00

Suggested by Barbara:
I saw that National Library week is coming up in April, and that led to some questions. How often do you use your public library and how do you use it? Has the coffeehouse/bookstore replaced the library? Did you go to the library as a child? Do you have any particular memories of the library? Do you like sleek, modern, active libraries or the older, darker, quiet, cozy libraries?

I use my public library a couple times a month right now. I've accumulated a lot of books of my own lately, so I've been trying to read those before heading to the library for more. Also, my library doesn't have the largest selection (I'd be surprised if my whole library was any more than 1200 square feet) so there's a lot of stuff that I want to read that I can't get there anyways. The bookstore has replaced the library only a little bit lately just because of the limited selection that my library has.

I went to the library all the time as a kid! My hometown library was at least twice the size of my current library and I thought that it was so cool that I got to go downstairs all by myself (to the children's/YA section) while my parents stayed upstairs.

Now-a-days, I like the sleeker, more modern designed libraries. They tend to have more spacious and convenient shelving layouts. I don't usually go to the library to actually read since I would rather do that at home or at a coffee shop. I like to be able to speak with others about books, find new releases (or old ones I didn't know about), and have a few people around that also enjoy books.

The Spring Book Challenge List

2009-04-01T11:44:00.015-04:00

Here it is...THE LIST. The list of categories that will mold my reading list for the next three months. The spring list feels a little more daunting than the winter list...There aren't as many vague topics where I could perhaps fit a book that I'm really wanting to read so I may stray from this challenge more than I did in the Winter challenge. We'll see though! My ideas for what to read for some categories are written under the category. I will bold the titles as I finish them.

5 Point Tasks:
1. In Honor of Mother’s Day read a book about motherhood (fiction or non-fiction) or with the word mother in the title.
· Jewel by Bret Lott
2. Read a book that is released in April, May, or June of 2009.
· Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris
3. Read 2 of your favorite childhood chapter books.
· The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe by CS Lewis and Summer of the Monkeys by Wilson Rawls
4. Read a book with a one-word title.
· Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
5. Read a book with a flower or plant in the title.
· The Winter Rose
· The Mask of the Black Tulip
6. Read a book with a Spring word in the title (Ex: rain, sun, showers, Easter, Grass, Egg)
· The Art of Racing in the Rain
7. Read a book with one of these words in the title: Old, New, Borrowed, Blue, or wedding (As June is the big wedding month)
8. Close your eyes and point to a book on your bookshelf/tbr pile and read that book.
9. Read a book about Baseball.
· The Last Days of Summer by Steve Kluger
10. Read a book with the name of a character or person in the title.
· Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay

10 Point Tasks:
1. Listen to an audio book.
· Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen
2. Read a collection of short stories/ poetry.
3. Read a book that takes place in your city/state.
· A Cold Day in Paradise by Steve Hamilton
4. Read a book written by a Hispanic author.
· Voyager by Diana Gabaldon
5. Read a book by a Gay, Lesbian or Transgender author or with a GLT character.
· Dress Your Family In Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris
6. Read a Classic.
· Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
7. Read a book where the main character is a child.
· The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne
8. Read a book your Husband/Significant other picked for you.
9. Read a True Crime Book.
10. Read a book about a war/soldier
· They Poured Fire on Us From the Sky

15 Point Tasks:
1. Read one of the NBC books (April, May, or June) and participate in the discussion.
· A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L’Engle (April book)
2. Read a book that was required of you to read in High School that you didn’t finish or appreciate.
· The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
3. Read a book from the 1001 books you should read before you die.
· Choke by Chuck Palahniuk
4. Finish a book you started and never finished (You can’t be more than half way through).
· Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling
5. Read the book that has had a movie counterpart released in 2009.
· Angels and Demons by Dan Brown
6. Read a book with the title format "The _____'s ______." (like The Pilot's Wife, The Time-Traveler's Wife, The Memory Keeper's Daughter, etc)
7. Read a Pulitzer Prize winner.
· The Road by Cormac McCarthy
8. Read a book where the character/or author has the same first name as you or your husband/significant other.
9. Read a book that was released the year you were born.
· The Witches of Eastwick by John Updike
10. Hook up with a nestie and read the book they tell you to.

25 Point Tasks:

Stephen King/Richard Bachman novel
· The Mist by Stephen King
Historical fiction AND a nonfiction on the same subject
Read a book from genre you do not normally
· Enduring Justice by Amy Wallace
Read a book and cook a meal inspired by it
Book inspired by a song you like. Write song verse/haiku and share on NBC · The Host by Stephanie Meyer

If you have any ideas for the categories that are blank, feel free to leave a comment with a suggestion! Some of the ones (like "read a book with a one word title") have so many options that I didn't want to commit to one in writing so I can just read whatever I feel like. But others I just don't have any ideas for yet!

Winter Book Challenge Wrap Up

2009-04-01T09:58:00.003-04:00

So the Nest Book Club Winter Book Challenge has come to an end as of last night!! I'm really glad that I participated in this because it was fun to pick out books that fit each topic and find ways to fit books that I wanted to read next into a topic so I could get points for it! Out of the possible 375 points, I earned 265 and read 20 books. Here's the break down:

5 point books:

Love Walked In by Marisa de los Santos (the word "love" in the title)

The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga (animal in the title)

Dragonfly In Amber by Diana Gabaldon (color in the title)

10 point books:

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (body part in title)

The Chicago Way by Michael Harvey (city, country, or continent in title)

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd (book by author I hadn't read before)

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling (YA book)

15 point books:

Bleachers by John Grisham (book about football, hockey, or basketball)

Dead to the World and Dead as a Doornail of Sookie Stackhouse Series by Charlaine Harris (read a book in a series and the one after it)

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck (book you read in High School)

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison (book by African American author)

Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides (book on 1001 books to read before you die list)

The Chocolate War by Robert Comier (banned book)

The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger (already saw the movie for)

The Shack by William P. Young (on bestseller list)

The Master Butchers Singing Club by Louise Erdrich (occupation in the title)

25 point books:

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman and movie (read book then watch movie)

2666 by Roberto Bolaño (700+ page book)

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon and made Scottish Eggs (read book and cook meal inspired by it)

The books that really stick out in my mind as being GREAT! are definitely Outlander, 2666, and The Chocolate War. Probably the worst book of the bunch was The Shack. I was completely unimpressed and PBS'd that book right away. Now I'm looking forward to the Spring Book Challenge! I'll have my list of topics and options up later today hopefully.

I'm Back! with two reviews :)

2009-03-31T15:56:00.005-04:00

I was away at my husband's cousin's wedding this past weekend in Raleigh, NC. It was a lot of fun and very cool! Both the bride and groom went to West Point so there were a few men in uniform and they entered the reception under a traditional sword arch. It was awesome since I had never seen that before (in person at least).

So, to get to and from this wedding, we drove. a whole 13 or so hours each way. I'm a little disappointed in myself because I was only able to finish two books. But I'm glad I brought a couple extra because my mother-in-law ended up reading Sin in the Second City and liking it, even though she said that it was nothing that she would have picked up on her own.

The Master Butchers Singing Club has been on my bookshelf for YEARS. yes, literally years. I've picked it up several times, read the first 30 or so pages, then put it down and moved on to something else. Finally, (since it would earn a whopping 15 points for the Winter Book Challenge) I was determined to finish it. I'm SO glad that I did because I ended up really enjoying it! The first 60-ish pages are a little slow, but it begins picking up a bit after that and I really ended up getting wrapped up in the trials and tribulations of the main character, Delphine.

The novel first introduces the reader to Fidelis. A master butcher who has learned the trade from generations before him in Germany. After the first world war, Fidelis travels to the United States (Argus, North Dakota to be exact) and begins a butcher shop in order to bring his wife, Eva, and son over. Fidelis and his wife end up having 4 boys. When Delphine is introduced, she is in a travelling Vaudeville act with her partner Cyprian (who is gay). She decides to return to her hometown of Argus where she can care for her alcoholic and potential murderer of a father. She ends up getting a job at Fidelis' butcher shop and becomes close friends with Eva. Drama ensues, and Delphine's life turns upside down rather quickly as she struggles to find which path her life should take and what the secrets of her past are.

There were lots of moments during this novel where I definitely didn't expect what happened! The twists and turns were fantastic, and I felt completely involved with Delphine's life. I think that the difficulty I had when getting into this book was just realizing that it was really about Delphine and not Fidelis, so it was a struggle to stop wanting to know more about him and focusing on her.

9 out of 10 stars. If you are into historical fiction at all, I'd definitely recommend this one!

I pink-purple puffy heart the Harry Potter series. I have reread the first four probably 3-4 times each, but I wanted to go through them all again in preparation to read the fifth, sixth, and seventh (which I've only read once each) again before the sixth movie comes out in July. The fourth book is definitely one of my favorites of the series. It's action packed and so heart-wrenching at the end (OH CEDRIC!!! WHY!??!) and sets the tone for the rest of the series, which ends up getting very serious. I guess that I'm just going to leave it at that! If you've read Harry Potter, then you know what happens and if you haven't then you should! NOW! I mean it!

10 out of 10 stars for Harry numero 4. One of the best in the series, in my humble opinion.

And now for one last non-book related thing...We stopped in a little kind of Podunk town on Sunday while in the midst of driving because they had a B-dubs and we HAD to watch our Michigan State Spartans coached by the wonderful Tom Izzo kick Louisville's booty!

Final four, here we come!!!! Hubs is debating whether or not we will get tickets, since the final four is in Detroit. They are going for around $350 or so, so we're not so sure it's going to happen but East Lansing sure will be a fun place to be that night! Hopefully there won't be any rioting. I was in the dorms there during the 2003 disturbance (locked down!) Fun Times!!

BTT: The Best of the Worst

2009-03-26T12:38:00.002-04:00

Suggested by Janet:
The opposite of last week’s question: “What’s the best ‘worst’ book you’ve ever read — the one you like despite some negative reviews or features?”

This is a tough question! After thinking about it for a bit, I decided that the first book that I really liked, but not many people did (probably due to the Is-It-A-Memoir controversy) would be A Million Little Pieces by James Frey. I thought that it was great, raw and gritty and sometimes really tough to read because of the grotesque descriptions. But, in the end, I really enjoyed it. This could be because I read it like fiction and not like it was a true story. You have to think that even when something is a memoir, details could easily become glorified and stories exaggerated.

The other book that came to mind is Twilight, well the whole series really. While these books are insanely popular in main-stream culture, they are not so well liked by the "literary" community. While I will definitely admit that Stephenie Meyer's writing is NOT good, the characters are really great and the story lines are exciting and action packed. And also cheesy, but I can use some good CHEESE every once in a while!

So are there any books out there they everyone and their mother said are HORRIBLE, but you liked???

So Excited!!!!

2009-03-25T12:48:00.012-04:00

My kitchen is finished. Remodeled. Beautiful and more cooking-friendly than ever. And, on top of that, we now have a DISHWASHER! Oh, the marvels of the 21st century! I know that this is totally not book-related (I'll get to some book stuff later in the post) but follow me now, on a journey through the past THREE WEEKS in my kitchen. (Please keep in mind we didn't have a TON of money to spend therefore, the cabinets were not replaced).

Week one: The cabinets that needed altering were taken by our cabinet guy and room was made for a dishwasher! Beautiful!!

Or something like that...

The cabinet guy also took the cabinet that the hood above the stove was under in order to shorten it so we could install an over-the-stove top microwave.

Mmmmm...don't you just LOVE the sea-foam green/greasy mess that was under that hood?!

Week Two: We got the bottom cabinet back (altered to fit underneath a window) so we could get the counter tops installed.

It's back! woo hoo! and now....pretty counters!

Week The Third: Now the upper cabinets only remained. We had to move the stove top down 6 inches in order to accommodate for the dishwasher, so we needed a 6 inch filler cabinet up top so the microwave would be right above the stove top. Our original idea was that we could have a wine rack made for that spot. Awesome, right? But, then our wonderful cabinet guy said "Wait a minute! I can make you a pull out spice rack right there!" Be still my beating wanna-be chef heart! Yes please!! So, on Friday evening I was waiting on pins and needles for Mr. Cabinet Guy to come and finish!!! But....he showed up with....a wine rack. Oops. So, after another couple days (until last evening to be exact) we were still waiting to be DONE. But now, here it is! Completed! With spice rack!!! Behold the awesome that we did to our 1960 kitchen for under $2K (and that's with the new stove top and dishwasher!)

Awesome, right??? Definitely worth the wait. And now I have a TON of counter space! And I don't have to hand wash every dish!!! It's fantastic! On top of that...you see that beautiful flat stove top? yea, the one with the bridge feature that connects the front and back left side burners for easy use of a large griddle pan?? I got that on Craigslist. For $20. Yes, $20. It's brand new and never been installed before. And it works perfectly. Sometimes I even amaze myself. Oh, and we still have to paint of course (the color from the dining room will also be in the kitchen) but that's for another weekend.

Okay now something book related. Tomorrow night, we're leaving to head to North Carolina for a wedding, and we're DRIVING. yup 12 hours (or more) in a car, EACH WAY. Some may see this as a rare form of torture, but I see it as an opportunity to read! Thank goodness I don't get car sick! So I'm bringing along:

The Master Butchers Singing Club by Louise Erdrich.

I'm currently reading this and am about 70 pages in. I've started this book 3 or 4 times so I'm happy to finally commit to reading it and I'm liking it so far. (I skipped a Teaser Tuesday yesterday so maybe I'll do one later today for this book)

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling

I've been trying to reread this series before the next movie comes out in July but got sidetracked by the Winter Book Challenge. Time to get back on track! Plus it's a light, easy read that would be good for the car.

Sin in the Second City by Karen Abbott

I've heard really great things about this book, especially from those who have also like The Devil in the White City (which I also enjoyed). So I'm looking forward to reading it, since I've had it sitting on my bookshelf since Christmas!

Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris

I haven't read a Sookie Stackhouse book in a while, and this is the sixth in the series. The ninth book comes out in May, so I'd like to be up to date around then. I thought this would be a good car read since these books are usually action packed and fast paced.

So that's all! I should be here for Booking Through Thursday tomorrow but after that, I'll be off for a few days! Hopefully I'll get in plenty of reading and come back with a few good reviews!

Book Review: a bestseller

2009-03-24T14:31:00.006-04:00

The Shack

by William P. Young

248 pages

It's hard for a book that's been on the New York Times' bestseller list for weeks and weeks to really live up to its hype. Add in a bunch of talk about how controversial this novel is, and it gets REALLY tough to go into reading it with an open mind and not expecting too much. I think that may have been one of my problems with this novel...

The Shack is about a man named Mack whose daughter is abducted and murdered while him and some of his other children are camping. Mack gets lost in the grief of losing his daughter, enters into what he calls "The Great Sadness", and quits having a relationship with God. One day, Mack gets a letter in the mail with no post mark. It simply tells him that it's been too long and he should come to the shack (where his daughter's bloody dress was found). It is signed from "Papa" which is Mack's wife's name for God. She has a very personal relationship with God and therefore feels close enough to call him "Papa" rather than God or Father.

Mack figures it's either a cruel joke, the killer trying to get him, or may it really is God. So, his wife and kids head out of town (not knowing Mack's plans) and Mack heads up to the shack. God is up there to meet him and He appears to Mack as a black woman, while Jesus is a homely looking Jewish man, and the Holy Spirit, Sarayu, is a small Asian woman. Mack spend the weekend with God (all three parts) and learns a lot about the relationship you should have with God, what God wants from us, what His plan is, and how to live your life with God's intentions in mind. Once he gets home, few people believe him but, of course, he's a changed man.

Now, the first and probably biggest controversy surrounding this book is the whole "God is a black woman" thing. Well, really, God is just showing himself as a black woman. He even says in the book that he's neither man nor woman, black nor white, etc. Also in the Bible, it says that God may show himself to you whenever, and as whoever or whatever, he pleases. On top of that, this is a work of fiction, so it's not like there aren't crazier things out there written! So I could get past the weirdness of things like that. What I couldn't really get past was the cheesy dialogue. The writing just wasn't GOOD* or engaging really. And that's what I think really got me disliking this book. I understand that it could have a pretty good message within it, and that it could really help some people going through a tough time after losing someone, but I just like my books to be well written on top of having a good message.

Overall, 5.5 out of 10 stars. I wouldn't read it again and I wouldn't really recommend it to anyone personally, but some people may get some good out of it...just not really me.

*Yes, I know that Stephenie Meyer's writing isn't GOOD either, but I didn't really expect a teenage vampire romance book to have good writing on top of all the drama...but a book about someone meeting God and talking with Him all weekend?? I just expected more.

I got tagged! Kreativ Blogger Award

2009-03-24T13:01:00.004-04:00

Thanks to Suey at It's All About Books! Now I'm suppose to list seven things that I love and then tag seven people with this award...

Seven things I LOVE:

1. My husband, especially when he does something thoughtful unexpectedly.

2. Reading on the couch on a rainy day (or any day really...).

3. Cuddling with my pup (he likes to lay under the blankets).

4. Being at the lake cottage in the summer and getting up early (before everyone else) and sitting on the back porch with a cup of coffee and my book.

5. A soy carmel macchiato from Starbucks.

6. Seeing my new baby nephew!

7. New shoes, especially Steve Maddens...

Since I'm not sure who to tag, I'm just going to tag YOU! Yes, you! whoever is reading this!

Musing Monday: Bookstore of choice

2009-03-23T15:15:00.004-04:00

Musing Mondays is hosted by Rebecca. This week's question is:

How many bookstores do you frequent? Do you have a favourite? If so, which one and what makes it so?

Well, I think that I frequent Barnes and Noble the most. I can use my mom's B&N card discount, they are conveniently located, and they almost always have what I'm looking for. There are two B&N in my area, one is closer to my house and attached to the mall and it's smaller and then there's one near the campus of Michigan State University and it's huge, with two stories and plenty of display tables. I definitely prefer to go to the bigger one. There tend to be a lot more options for the buy 2 get 1 free books and more bargain priced books. Also, the tables and bookshelves have much more space between them so you can just plop down and look at the books. There really isn't room to do that in the smaller one!

There's another bookstore in my area called Schuler's which I believe is locally owned, but I can get the same books that they have at B&N and be able to use my mom's discount. Schuler's gift section is much better though, with a huge selection of random stationary, magnets, candles, wall decor, and miscellaneous book related stuff. So I do like to go there to look at the gift section. I also just discovered a used bookstore that's located smack dab in between our house and my in-laws. I've yet to stop in though because they are only open until 7 on weeknights and Saturdays have been way too busy lately. Hopefully sometime this spring I will get out there and check it out though! I'd love to support a local bookstore, but it's just SO much easier (and cheaper usually) to go to the big chain store.

Oh, and for online shopping, I like B&N dot com also. Once again, I can use my mom's discount, the selection of bargain books is HUGE (I cleaned up on cheap books right after Christmas), and there's free shipping on orders over $25. Not a bad deal.

I almost forgot about the open-once-a-month Library used book store! Paperbacks are only a quarter, and hardcovers are a dollar. This past Friday it was open so I stopped in and picked up a mere 21 books (oops...) for only $6! My one big turn off though is that I saw a group of three people, each wielding a palm pilot type device with a scanner hooked to it. They were going around and grabbing the newest, nicest looking books and scanning them to see what they "go for" online. It kind of made me sad that they were taking books out of true book lover's hands only to go and sell them on half.com or something. I guess that they will still end up in some book lover's hands but STILL! Maybe I'm just upset because I peeked in there bag and saw THREE books that I had on my "look for" list in there! No fair! (PS I understand that it's a tough time economically, but I figure if they have enough money to get three palm pilots and scanners for this task then they couldn't be hurting TOO much).

Review: The Devil Wears Prada

2009-03-19T10:58:00.003-04:00

The Devil Wears Prada

By Lauren Weisberger

360 pages

I think that this book is best suited to read when you are lounging in the sun by the lake/pool/beach. But, I read it for the Winter Book Challenge topic "Read a book that you've already seen the movie of." I really loved the movie The Devil Wears Prada. I thought that it was funny and touching and Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway are great, so when I saw this at the library sale for a quarter, I picked it up!

The book starts out pretty similar to the movie. Andrea "Andy" Sachs is hired as a junior assistant for the editor of Runway magazine, Miranda Priestly. Miranda is an insanely powerful woman in the fashion industry and is not the easiest woman to work for, to put it lightly. Andy is hoping that her year of servitude to a demanding and bitchy Miranda will help her to be placed in a position as a writer for The New Yorker. As she gets her life more and more taken over by Miranda's "needs", Andy begins losing her friends, family, and self along the way. Finally, Andy has to make a decision between her career and her friends and moral values when something happens to her best friend while she is in Paris with Miranda. Does she stay and lose her friend? Or does she go and lose her job and future opportunity?

SPOILERS: The main difference between the book and the movie is that in the book, Miranda never has a real human moment. There's one short conversation with Andy where she tells her that she's not doing a terrible job and says that she may get a referral from her for The New Yorker, but that's it. She's really just a mean, nasty person. In the movie, Meryl Streep's Miranda is trying to be unseated from her editor position and is having marital problems so you begin to sympathize with her (as does Andy). Movie Andy quits her job solely because Miranda tells her that Andy is just like her when she was younger. Book Andy quits because not only did Miranda say that Andy was like her, but also her best friend was in a car accident (due to her downward spiral into alcoholism) and is in a coma back home and when Andy tells Miranda that she is going to stay in Paris despite her friend being in the hospital and Miranda approves, Andy gives her a hearty "F*$& you!" and storms off to return to her family and friends.

It seems like the movie just tries to make everything less controversial than the book. No alcoholic best friend, no mean but with a good heart boss, and no huge moral dilemma facing main character. It's tough to like a movie, then read the book and see how much more the movie could have been because I'm starting to feel that I didn't like the movie as much as I thought. I think that the movie people could have hit on some much tougher issues (like alcoholism and making the right choices) than it did now that I've read the book. But oh well, just another case of "book better than the movie" syndrome! Luckily I got to enjoy the movie first this time!

8 out of 10 stars for the book. Would be a great, light summer read.

BTT: The Worst of the Best

2009-03-19T10:01:00.003-04:00

This week's Booking Through Thursday question is:

“What’s the worst ‘best’ book you’ve ever read — the one everyone says is so great, but you can’t figure out why?”

Oh, this is a good question and kind of a tough one! The first thing that came to mind for me was Life Of Pi by Yann Martel. I heard nothing but raves from everyone (my mom, sister, the nest book club board, and it won the Man Booker Prize) so I was pretty excited to read it. BLAH. It wasn't AWFUL but I just don't get how it is SO great. I think that maybe I had my expectations set too high before I started it, and the book just let me down. I remember when I finished the book thinking, "really, that's it?"

The next book that came to mind was The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. Once again, lots of rave reviews for this one and it was given to me to read by my best friend. The beginning really caught my attention and the ending was exciting but oh man, those middle couple hundred pages were like pulling teeth to get through. I would literally fall asleep while reading that middle part. The middle definitely ruined it for me.

I read The Giver by Lois Lowry and A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle in school when I was younger and I hated them. But, I think that if I read them now, I would like them. I'm reading A Wrinkle in Time in April for The Nest Book Club monthly discussion so we'll see! I'm definitely willing to give those ones another shot. But The Historian? Probably not.

Teaser Tuesdays: The Devil Wears Prada

2009-03-17T14:44:00.004-04:00

Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by MizB.

TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:

Grab your current read.
Let the book fall open to a random page.
Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
Please avoid spoilers!

My Teaser:

My head pounded to the tempo of her voice, and it seemed that not matter what I did or how I responded, I was sentenced to forever listening to her talk about bikini waxes. It may have been better to have her scream at me about interrupting Miranda's dinner.
From The Devil Wears Prada p. 115

This is a fun, easy read probably best fit for a couple of afternoons on the beach...but I'm reading it for the Winter Book Challenge as a book that I haven't read before but have seen the movie. It's actually very similar to the movie!

Post Secret book love.

2009-03-16T11:25:00.003-04:00

Does any one else check postsecret every Monday? I sure do. I absolutely LOVE PostSecret. I mean, what a great idea! People can send in their deepest, darkest or most lovely and random secrets anonymously for the world to see. It's beautiful, people. One on there today definitely made me smile though!

How fantastic is that? What a great secret!

Musing Mondays: Stranger Danger?

2009-03-16T10:20:00.004-04:00

As always, Musing Mondays is brought to us by Rebecca.

This week's question is:

We were all warned as children to 'never talk to strangers', but how do you feel about book-talk with random people? When you see people reading, do you ask what it is? Do you talk to people in the book store or the library? Why or why not? What do you do if people talk to you? (question courtesy of Dena)

I love book talking to random people! Whenever I see someone reading, I always try to take a peek to see what it is, although I don't always interrupt them, especially if they look rather into it. I think that I usually book-talk strangers at the bookstore. I like seeing what people have in their hands and seeing whether I've read it or haven't or would like to. I like when people see something that I'm carrying around and give a comment like "Oh I just read that and it's FANTASTIC!" because then I'm even more excited to take it home and read it, so I try to do that for others. Plus, since I read all the book blogs, I like to pass on info on books that I've heard good reviews about.

My most recent book-related convo with a stranger was about the Outlander Series at the library book sale. I got the ever-so-perfect "just you wait for the next book in the series! it's great!" comment. I think that the Twilight series has started the most conversations for me though. I've started conversations with people out at lunch, in the bookstore (when I was picking up my own copies of the books and when I saw others picking it up), and at the library. The Twilight convo at the library is probably why I don't really book-talk with the librarians there though. I was there picking up my on-hold copy of Breaking Dawn and it went like this:

Librarian: Oh, these books certainly are getting requested a lot!

Me: Yea, they are really popular right now and are kind of fun reads. You haven't read them yet?? (assuming when a book because really popular, as a librarian, you would want to read it...)

Librarian: Oh no! I mean, they are just SO LONG!

Me: **head-desk** oh, yea, they are kind of long...but they are Young Adult, so they read really fast...

So that kind of stopped me asking the librarians there for reccomendations or if they've read something because they obviously aren't picking up 2666 (which was fantastic), or Outlander (also amazing), or maybe even the last few Harry Potter books due to the length...which just makes me think YIKES. I mean, I could understand being intimidated by the length of something like Pillars of the Earth, but TWILIGHT??? I mean, come on! It's not exactly a literary masterpiece that takes intense focus to understand.

Overall, I feel like book people are good people, so no worries of stranger-danger for me!

BTT: Book into movie?

2009-03-12T10:58:00.003-04:00

This week's Booking Through Thursday question is:

What book do you think should be made into a movie? And do you have any suggestions for the producers?

Or, What book do you think should NEVER be made into a movie?

The book that I really think should be made into a movie is Outlander. Throughout the whole thing I was sitting there going "Oh my gosh! This would be SUCH a good movie!" And, it turns out that they are making it into a movie!! I think that it's going to be great (hopefully). The Thirteenth Tale could make a good movie too, as long as it was done well. Although, all the people who had read the book would know the surprise ending. Middlesex might be good as a movie also. But, it'd be tough to do a smooth transition from the present time to the flashbacks of family history.

Of books I've read this year, The White Tiger should definitely NEVER be made into a movie. The letter format that it's written in is part of what makes the book so good, and that just couldn't be transferred to the big screen. Oh, and the book that was made into a movie that shouldn't have would be Love in the Time of Cholera. I thought that that was a really great book with a great message about love and fate, but all the internal dialog in the book was lost when it was made into a movie and it turned out just boring and awful.

I love watching movies that are based on books in general, even though the book is almost always better, if for nothing else than to just see how someone else imagined it.

Book Review: The Chocolate War

2009-03-11T15:25:00.005-04:00

The Chocolate War

by Robert Comier

253 pages

One of the 15 point tasks for the Winter Book Challenge was to read a frequently banned or challenged book. I really wanted to read something that I hadn't read yet, or hadn't even heard of before. Looking through the lists, I found The Chocolate War and decided to read it because I wanted to know why people got so worried about exposing our youth to this book. It turns up as #2 on the most challenged books of 2007 list. I like to think that challenging books is a thing from the past, like people today have GOT to have enough sense to know that first, removing a book from a school library isn't going to stop interested kids in reading it, and second that just because someone reads a book doesn't mean they are going to get "bad ideas" from it. But no, people still challenge and try to remove books from libraries today. I have this crazy idea that all previously challenged books should be on school curriculum because then, as the student is reading it, they can discuss what the controversial parts are and how they are feeling about the book. But maybe that's just me...

Anyways, on to the book. The Chocolate War is about a kid named Jerry Renault who is a freshman at Trinity Catholic High School. Every year, the school puts on a chocolate sale to raise money for the school (so tuition rates don't increase, etc.). This year, the students are "asked" to sell twice as many boxes as the year before (50 instead of 25) at double the price ($2 instead of $1). Brother Leon, who is filling in at the headmaster position while the actual headmaster is ill, is heading up the sale and asked the school's secret society, The Vigils, to back the sale. The Vigils aren't publicly talked about throughout the school. They are a small group of students who make "assignments" for other students that include ridiculous pranks, such as loosening every screw in a classroom so that every desk, chair, and even the chalk board falls apart when touched. The Vigils are basically untouchable. No teacher speaks their name, no student defies them, and no one gets caught.

One day, Jerry gets a message for an assignment from The Vigils. He's suppose to say "no" to selling the chocolates for 10 days. For some reason, which Jerry himself can't even put into words, he continues to say "no" to the chocolate sale. He is defying Brother Leon (who is kind of terrifying), The Vigils, and, by the end, the whole school. All the while, the poster in the back of Jerry's locker is asking "Do we dare disturb the universe?"

This novel was fantastic. It was tough, and real, and kind of gritty. Nothing was perfect for any of the characters so they were all very realistic. Was there violence, strong language, and sexual references? Well, yea, in some parts. But there were also some strong, important messages. Any teenager in high school now would have already been exposed to all that there is in this book, whether the parents choose to acknowledge it or not. I think that someone struggling to fit in at their high school could get a lot out of a novel about someone who defies the crowd.

9 out of 10 stars.

Book Review: The Secret Life of Bees

2009-03-10T15:43:00.004-04:00

The Secret Life of Bees
By Sue Monk Kidd
336 pages

I've been wanting to read this book for a long time, since before I even knew they were making it into a movie. I just never got around to it! I even had it held at one point at the library, but never got to it. Then I went to the library book sale and as I was checking out with my goods, I saw the woman collecting money sorting through a stack of books. This one was in that stack so I asked if it was going back into the "sale" piles and she said that it was one of the ones that she was taking. I just shrugged and said alright and went to pay for my books. Then she turned to me and goes "ya know what? I have a huge stack of books to read yet...are you going to be coming back next month?" Um, YES! I love rummaging through piles and piles of books. "Alright," she says, "I'll put my name on a post it in this one and you take it tonight and just bring it back to me next month." I was kind of in shock that she would let me take her book, when I've never met her before! Who says there aren't kind, trusting people still out there in the world!? So, it was by a stanger's act of kindness that this book ended up at the top of my nightstand pile, and boy, am I happy it did!

The Secret Life of Bees is a story of a 14 year old girl whose mother died when she was young and she is living with her jerk of a father, T. Ray, and a black "stand in mother" named Rosaleen. It's 1964 in South Carolina so you can cut the racial tension with a knife. When Rosaleen heads to town (with Lily) to register to vote, she gets in a load of trouble by insulting three white men. Lily, wanting to escape her life with T. Ray, help Rosaleen, and learn more about her mother, breaks Rosaleen out of jail and heads to Tiburon, SC. This particular town was written on the back of a picture of a black Mary that had belonged to her mother.

In Tiburon, Lily and Rosaleen are taken in by the Boatwright sisters, three African American women named August, May, and June. They are beekeepers and August teaches Lily the ropes. Through it all, Lily begins to trust and love August despite the racial stigmas in place in the time and learns about her mother and who her father used to be.

The story is touching and the writing is just beautiful. I thoroughly enjoyed this one and will be looking to pick up the other novel by Sue Monk Kidd, The Mermaid Chair. Oh, and I want to see the movie now. Dakota Fanning isn't what I pictured Lily looking like (since she's described as having dark hair) but I love her and I thought that Queen Latifah would play Rosaleen but really QL is playing August and Jennifer Hudson is playing Rosaleen...not what I was picturing but it looks good!

9 out of 10 stars.

Teaser Tuesday: The Chocolate War

2009-03-10T12:32:00.004-04:00

Teaser Tuesdays are hosted by Miz B. They ask you to:

Grab your current read.
Let the book fall open to a random page.
Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
Please, no spoilers!!

"Well, there's all kinds of rumors around the school. First of all, a lot of kids think that The Vigils are in on the deal, that Renault still isn't selling them because he's still carrying out the assignment."

p. 139 The Chocolate War by Robert Comier

This is a frequently banned book that I've decided to read for the Winter Book Challenge. I'm really enjoying it! What a great concept...a high school kid who goes against the whole school including the school's secret "gang." It's a shame that people try to block such great books from students.

Musing Mondays: Buying New Authors

2009-03-09T13:18:00.003-04:00

Musing Mondays is sponsored by Rebecca.

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about new authors…

What is your policy when it comes to new authors? Do you feel comfortable purchasing a book or do you prefer to borrow new authors from the library? How often do you 'try out' a new author?

I definitely feel comfortable buying books from new authors. I'm not really one of those people who finds an author and reads EVERYTHING that they've written, so I'm constantly on the lookout for new authors. I usually only buy regular priced books if I've heard good things about them though, so that helps keep me from buying not-so-great books. For bargain priced or buy-one-get-one sale books, I'll get just about anything with good cover art and/or a good sounding blurb on the back. And, at the library book sale each month, I even just pick up books that look like they are in like-new condition. I figure it's only a quarter for a paperback and a dollar for hardcover so I can always just throw in on PaperBackSwap if I don't like it!

BTT: The best books I've never read

2009-03-05T11:14:00.003-05:00

I love today's topic!

We’ve all seen the lists, we’ve all thought, “I should really read that someday,” but for all of us, there are still books on “The List” that we haven’t actually gotten around to reading. Even though we know they’re fabulous. Even though we know that we’ll like them. Or that we’ll learn from them. Or just that they’re supposed to be worthy. We just … haven’t gotten around to them yet.
What’s the best book that YOU haven’t read yet?

Wow oh wow. I'm pretty sure that my list of books that I should read but haven't yet is HUGE. I usually go off of the 1001 books to read before you die list to find books that I haven't read that I should. Also, I check out the bestseller list. From those lists, I find that these books are the highest up on my list of best books I've never read:

Everything Is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer
The Shack by William P. Young (I just love a good controversy)
The Hobbit/Lord of the Rings/etc. by JRR Tolkein
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Well, I'm sure I'll get to them someday! It just doesn't help when you get new books ALL the time...the piles just grow and grow!

Book Review: The Bluest Eye

2009-03-04T15:51:00.004-05:00

The Bluest Eye

by Toni Morrison

206 pages

I kind of had to drag myself to the computer to write this review. It's not that I didn't like this book...I just didn't LOVE it. I totally get why it won awards, how Toni Morrison is brilliant, and why I should love it but, I guess it just wasn't my cup of tea.

The Bluest Eye has a very serious topics within it. The title comes from the way that the black girls in the novel are shown that the standards of "beauty" are white characteristics like blond hair and blue eyes. This is addressed by one of the young girls in the book when she receives a baby doll with blue eyes and blond hair and ends up tearing it up out of anger and frustration. The main character in the book, a young girl named Pecola, is raped by her father, becomes pregnant, and the baby dies. I found it interesting that Pecola is the main character, yet none of the chapters focus on her, while they do focus on the lives of the children around her, and her mother and father's childhoods.

Overall, I see that the novel is beautifully written but I just couldn't enjoy the characters like I want to when reading. Although, I don't think that I was really suppose to in this one.

I have to say 6 out of 10 stars. I have one more of her novels sitting on my nightstand that I'll get to eventually. Maybe I'll like that one more.

Teaser Tuesday: The Secret Life of Bees

2009-03-03T14:35:00.002-05:00

Teaser Tuesdays are hosted by MizB. As always, they ask you to:

Grab your current read.
Let the book fall open to a random page.
Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
Please avoid spoilers!

My teaser:

She laughed again. "You know, some things don't matter that much, Lily. Like the color of a house. How big is that in the overall scheme of life? But lifting a person's heart-now, that matters. The whole problem with people is-"

p. 147 The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

Review: Middlesex

2009-03-02T13:28:00.005-05:00

Middlesex

by Jeffrey Eugenides

529 pages

The first line of this book really catches your attention.

“I was born twice: first, as a baby girl, on a remarkably smogless Detroit day in January of 1960; and then again, as a teenage boy, in an emergency room near Petoskey, Michigan, in August of 1974.”

The story is told by a 41-year-old Cal Stephanides, who was born Calliope Stephanides. He tells of his grandparent's journey to America from Turkey, what they experienced once in America, how his parents met, and how he came to be born with 5-alpha-reductase deficiency. 5-alpha-reductase is the enzyme responsible for converting testosterone to dihydrotestosterone, which is necessary for the development of male external reproductive organs in utero. Since Cal lacked this enzyme, his outer genitalia never full developed which caused him to be raised as a girl until the age of 14, when his condition was discovered and he decided to live as a boy.

I got much more from this novel than I expected. I really thought that it was going to be a story of a girl who really felt like she was a boy growing up, only to find out that she really is a boy. But, it was more about Cal's family and life growing up as a teenage girl, who had normal teenage girl worries (when am I going to get boobs???) and then found out about his true sexuality and made a conscious decision to live as a male. It's not quite the "I was born a girl, but really FELT that I was a boy my whole life" story, which makes it very unique. The other thing that surprised me about this novel was that the focus wasn't about Cal the whole time. It really focused on each member of his family at one point so I felt that I knew each one of them and their story.

I can definitely see why this book is on the 1001 books to read before you die list. It's a very interesting read.

8.5 out of 10 stars

Musing Mondays 3/2/09

2009-03-02T13:15:00.003-05:00

Musing Mondays is hosted by Rebecca!

When reading do you read every word? Do you ever skip chapters or skim over parts? (question curtesy of Wendy)

I pretty much read every word if I'm reading something for pleasure. I NEVER skip chapters because I tend to miss out on things and then the book really doesn't make any sense. And, the only time that I skim is when something gets REALLY boring (like the whole middle part of The Historian for me) or if I'm reading an article and just trying to get the jist of it. For me, a big part of really enjoying what I read is seeing how the author uses language and specific terminology to convey their themes and characters. If I skimmed through things, I wouldn't be able to catch most of that. I read because I LIKE to read, so why wouldn't I read every word?

Booking Through Thursday....er, Friday?

2009-02-27T09:39:00.004-05:00

Better late than never right? I meant to answer this week's BTT yesterday, of course, but it ended up just being a crazy busy day! But, since I liked this week's questions, I've decided to still post it even though it's now Friday. I'm such a rebel.

BTT questions are in green :)

Hardcover or paperback?

I prefer paperback since it's easier to carry around and makes my bag a little lighter, but I really love having the hardcovers for my series (like Harry Potter and Twilight) and my favorites. Paperbacks are a little easier to curl up with though.

Illustrations or just text?

Most of the things I read are just text. I do like how the Harry Potter books have a little illustration at the beginning of each chapter though. I guess my answer to this would be that I like illustrations when they fit in with the text and are well done. My favorite children's author/illustrator is Leo Lionni. I could look at his simple, yet brilliantly done illustrations all day!

First editions or don't care?

Eh, I don't really care. I'm not a HUGE book collector. I just like to have my favorites around for easily accessible re-reads. I don't need to have any fancy editions. As a matter of fact, the copy of Middlesex that I'm reading right now (and almost finished with!!!) is a paperback that looks like it once took a dip in a pool. I don't care, as long as it's legible!

Signed by author or not?

I would say not for this one. If I had copies that were signed by the author then I don't think that I would actually read them. I would set it on the shelf so that it would always look pretty and never get damaged. My books usually take quite a beating since I tote them around with me everywhere, just in case I have a spare minute to read. I think that the only signed books I have right now (well, somewhere in storage) are As, A Surfeit of Similes which is signed by the illustrator, David Small, and Night of the Full Moon by Gloria Whelen. Both Small and Whelen had come to my elementary school and we were able to buy one of their books and have it signed. I haven't actually gone to any signings as an adult.

Teaser Tuesday: Middlesex

2009-02-24T12:04:00.005-05:00

As always, sponsored by MizB.
TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:

Grab your current read.
Let the book fall open to a random page.
Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
Please avoid spoilers!

My Teaser:

The chief imperative in cases like mine was to show no doubt as to the gender of the child in question. You did not tell the parents of a newborn, "Your baby is a hermaphrodite."

Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides pg. 413

So far, I'm really liking this book but it's taking me longer to get through that I anticipated. Hopefully I can pick it up a bit this week!!

Book Review: Of Mice and Men

2009-02-23T13:53:00.003-05:00

Of Mice and Men

by John Steinbeck

105 pages

This book fell under the "read a book you read in high school" category of the Winter Book Challenge. I feel like I remember surprisingly few books that I read in High School. To Kill a Mockingbird, Romeo and Juliet, The Grapes of Wrath, and Of Mice and Men are all that really come to mind. I know that there are more, but I just can't think of them! Anyways, I picked Of Mice and Men because it's the one that I remember the least about even though I remember the class that I read it for very well since the teacher, Mr. Bailey, was one of my favorites! He was a laid back, free thinking, varsity baseball coaching, former (?) hippie kind of teacher who every one thought was awesome. Unfortunately, the themes of this book got lost in my memory of that class in exchange for Mr. Bailey's stories of hitch hiking across the US in the seventies. (Don't worry, he always told us that this was a poor decision on his part and hitch hiking is dangerous! haha).

Anyways, this book is about two men, George Milton and Lennie Smalls, who are traveling together and working on ranches during the Great Depression in California. George has promised to take care of Lennie since he is "not too bright" and it is evident that Lennie has some mental handicaps. George has a plan to make some money and buy a piece of land so him and Lennie can live off their own land and Lennie will be safe. Lennie just seems to get in trouble because he doesn't understand rules, social conduct, or his own strength.

As George and Lennie begin working at a new ranch, their dream of owning their own place seems to be becoming more of a reality until Lennie accidentally kills the ranch owner's son's wife while trying to stroke her hair (he likes to pet soft things). A lynch mob is formed to go get Lennie but George finds him first and takes his friend's life himself to save him from a painful death.

I definitely got more out of this book this time around. There are several themes running through this short novella that I didn't remember from reading it the first time such as loneliness, love, dreams, and friendship. All through the book, George is questioned for traveling with Lennie since most migrant ranch workers travel alone and for having a dream of owning his own place when few men actually achieve it. And in the end, with Lennie gone, George just becomes another lone migrant worker with a far fetched dream that will probably never happen.

8 out of 10 stars. Definitely a good read, especially for the hour and a half or so it would take to finish.

Musing Mondays: The Library

2009-02-23T12:50:00.005-05:00

Musing Mondays is hosted by Rebecca.

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about the library…
How often do you visit the library? Do you have a scheduled library day/time, or do you go whenever? Do you go alone, or take people with you?

I probably visit the library about once every other week. My library's check out period is 2 weeks so I tend to stop back in sometime in the second week, once I've finished my books. It's only about a mile or so from my house making it really easy to take a trip to the library whenever the mood strikes me. Usually, I just stop in after work, before heading home. Since lately I've had a specific list of books that I want, I normally just run in, grab what I want, and run out. It's only been taking me 10-15 minutes to find what I'm looking for. My library is teeny tiny!!

I almost always go alone to the library. Hubs is only an occasional reader and is not very good at finding things that he would like to read, especially with our library's limited selection. He tends to get bored quickly and then hang out at my shoulder asking me if I'm done yet. Definitely not a good time for me! Although he did do good at the monthly library sale this past Friday! We stopped at it for the first time after having dinner out and oh my gosh! I'm going to go every month now! He was very patient as I sorted through the boxes of books and didn't say anything about our full bookshelves as I walked out with 8 new books! Of course it helps that I only spent $2.75 on them. Paperbacks are a quarter and hardcovers are a dollar. What a bargain! Next book sale though, I think that I'll go alone. Since he was there, I was careful not to spend too much time looking at books I had never heard of because I didn't want to push my husband's patience by reading back covers or first pages. I could have spent a lot longer there than I did...oh and next time I'll be bringing a reusable shopping bag to fill up!

A Friday MeMe

2009-02-20T14:08:00.005-05:00

I've never done a meme before, so why not start today? This one from Pop Culture Junkie looked like fun because it's all about TV.

1. Name a TV show series in which you have seen every episode at least twice: Scrubs and Everybody Loves Raymond

2. Name a show you can’t miss: One Tree Hill

3. Name an actor that would make you more inclined to watch a show: hmmm...I might watch Dancing with the Stars this season because Steve-O is on it...does that count??

4. Name an actor who would make you less likely to watch a show: I can't think of anyone in particular...

5. Name a show you can, and do, quote from: Um, Scrubs.

6. Name a show you like that no one else enjoys: haha probably One Tree Hill...although my Sister-in-law is in possession of my DVDs as we speak.

7. Name a TV show which you’ve been known to sing the theme song: One Tree Hill just because it's a Gavin DeGraw song, Boy Meets World and Full House are the oldies but goodies.

8. Name a show you would recommend everyone to watch: Dexter, it's so good.

9. Name a TV series you own: One Tree Hill, Scrubs, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Dexter

10. Name an actor who launched his/her entertainment career in another medium, but has surprised you with his/her acting choices in television: Ya know, Britney Spears was pretty good on How I Met Your Mother...so I was surprised by that.

11. What is your favorite episode of your favorite series?

12. Name a show you keep meaning to watch, but you just haven’t gotten around to yet: most recently I've had the first episode of Dollhouse on my DVR for a week now...

13. Ever quit watching a show because it was so bad? ummm yea. Grey's. I'm sure that I will rent this season on DVD when it comes out though.

14. Name a show that’s made you cry multiple times: One Tree Hill. I'm such a sucker for teenage melo-drama

15. What do you eat when you watch TV? ummm cookies or popcorn or any salty snack :) oh and sometimes dinner.

16. How often do you watch TV? probably 1-4 hours a day depending on what we're up to that day. A lot of time it's on in the background or my hubs is watching something while I'm reading though.

17. What’s the last TV show you watched? Nip/Tuck and Hell's Kitchen

18. What’s your favourite/preferred genre of TV? probably drama and comedy. current weekly faves are Big Bang Theory, HIMYM, Nip/Tuck, Criminal Minds, Hell's Kitchen, and One Tree Hill.

19. What was the first TV show you were obsessed with? Probably Full House or Boy Meets World or any of the other TGIF shows from my childhood :)

20. What TV show do you wish you never watched? America's Next Top Model because now I'm obsessed with the drama and watch all the marathons and it wastes my weekend.

21. What’s the weirdest show you enjoyed? probably Nip/Tuck. It's gotten really weird.

22. What TV show scared you the most? When I was younger, definitely Tales of the Crypt Keeper and Are You Afraid of the Dark?

23. What is the funniest TV show you have ever watched? I crack up at Big Bang Theory. Maybe it's my inner-nerd that finds puns about the String Theory just hilarious. That and Scrubs of course. The Janitor is just great.

24. What show was cancelled too early? October Road. I was really enjoying that one!

Feel free to take these questions and answer them on your blog! Just leave a link for my in the comments :)

Book Review: Dragonfly in Amber

2009-02-19T10:38:00.004-05:00

Dragonfly In Amber (Book 2 of Outlander Series)

by Diana Gabaldon

747 pages

Wow oh wow. I love this series. LOVE it. (see Outlander review here) Alright, here's the jist of this one:

At the beginning of the book, Claire is in 1968 and has lived in her correct time for 20 years, none of those years being in Scotland. Frank has died. She has a daughter, the spitting image of Jamie, with whom she finally returns to Scotland with to reveal her true, yet bizarre, time travel story. Of course her daughter doesn't believe her and is all upset and angst-y. So *flashback* while Claire tells the story of how she came to be back in present time, pregnant with Jamie's child.

Claire is back in 1744 and is married to Jamie. Jamie has survived some serious injuries (thanks to Claire) and they've now decided that they must try to stop the Rising of '45 (with Bonnie Prince Charlie and all that) and the battle of Culloden from happening. So, they head on over to France, Jamie takes over his cousin's merchant business while he's away, and they make nice with members of High Society. Jamie makes friends with Prince Charlie to become closer to him and hires a boy, affectionately renamed Fergus, to pickpocket letters to Prince Charlie and other influential people from mail carriers. Through the pick-pocketed letters and their correspondences with people, Claire and Jamie think that they've prevented Prince Charlie from coming to Scotland and initiating the Rising. While all this is happening, Claire is pregnant and a very bad person from the first book comes back into their lives.

Through a series of unfortunate events, Claire loses the baby and Jamie is put into prison (again). Claire manages to get him out but they must go back to Scotland, not really knowing if they'd accomplished their task or not. Once back in Scotland, life at Lallybroch goes on quite nicely for a while until a letter is received saying that Prince Charlie is coming over to Scotland to take over the thrown and it is signed by several clan leaders, including Jamie. Outraged by the Prince forging his signature, Jamie really has no choice but to join in the battle and back the Prince and help him win. Once again, Jamie and Claire are thrown back into a life of traveling, outlaw, battles, and injuries.

In the end, the Battle of Culloden is inevitable but Jamie knows that if he's going to die, then Claire must go back through the stones so she will be safe. Also, they discover that she is pregnant again. Yet another reason for her to go back. Their goodbye is heart wrenching, especially when Jamie tells her that he knows that she has the worse end of the bargain since he will go on to the battle and die, yet she will be the one living with her heart broken. Oh, this definitely brought on my tears! Finally, Claire goes back through the stones. Frank is still there, after three years of her being missing, and continues to be with her even after discovering that she's pregnant.

Come back to current time (1968) and Claire is finishing her story to her daughter, Brianna, and a historian, Roger. Roger believes her and has been helping her find out what happened to the Lallybroch men after Culloden. Claire has been sure this whole time that Jamie died at Culloden but Roger discovers a piece of text indicating otherwise. Pseudo-spoiler alert! (or maybe not since there are several more books in this series...) Jamie didn't die. Somewhere back in the 18th century, he is still alive. Will Claire risk going back again to find Jamie?!?! Duh duhn duhnnnnnnn....

9.5 out of 10 stars. Outlander was slightly better because this one did have some slow parts. Still, it took all of my willpower not to pick up Voyager (the next in the series) when I returned this one to the library. I have to read other books for the WBC!!

Booking Through Thursday: bookshelves

2009-02-19T08:54:00.003-05:00

This week’s question is suggested by Kat:

I recently got new bookshelves for my room, and I’m just loving them. Spent the afternoon putting up my books and sharing it on my blog . One of my friends asked a question and I thought it would be a great BTT question. So from Tina & myself, we’d like to know “How do you arrange your books on your shelves? Is it by author, by genre, or you just put it where it falls on?”

My bookshelves aren't organized at all! I just put the book in where it fits. The only exception to the bookshelf chaos, is series (like Harry Potter) are all in order. Other than that, it's total randomness on multiple shelves, in multiple rooms. And, since I'm currently in need of another bookshelf, some books are just in piles in our office closet. Someday, I will take care of that...

I think that I like having all the books in a random order. I like going into a room and just searching the random titles for my next read.

Tuesday Teaser: Dragonfly In Amber

2009-02-17T15:41:00.005-05:00

As always, sponsored by MizB.

TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:

Grab your current read.
let the book fall open to a random page.
Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
Please avoid spoilers!

My teaser:

"I suppose we could go to Rome, or to Germany," I suggested, tentatively. I wanted nothing more than to go home to Lallybroch, and heal in the quiet peace of the Scottish Highlands. My heart sank at the thought of royal courts and intrigue, the constant press of danger and insecurity. But if Jamie felt we must...

~Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon (Outlander Series #2) pg. 405

Not really a teaser for me since I've already read this part (I'm only 60 pages or so away from finishing this book...review coming tomorrow) but, it's a good one! I'm definitely loving this series. Although, I think that I will take a break from it for a bit after this one to read other things for the WBC.

2009-02-17T14:34:00.003-05:00

I made a wordle with my blog :)

Pretty sweet huh? You can make one too at www.wordle.net

I like that mine proudly features Jamie and Claire from Outlander!

Musing Mondays: Book reviews

2009-02-16T09:44:00.005-05:00

So I've been dipping my toes into some weekly posts to decide which I like and I've come across Musing Mondays hosted by Rebecca. I really have been liking her questions so here's my first Musing Monday!

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about book reviews…
Do you read any non-blogging book reviews? If so, where (newspaper, library etc)? Do you have any favourites sources you'd like to share?

Most of the book reviews I read are from book blogs. I like that I can read multiple posts on lots of different books and figure out which bloggers have my kind of reading tastes. Then I know who will recommend a book that I will like.

I do tend to check out the Amazon and Barnes and noble dot com reviews if I'm buying from them (or if I'm bored at work and looking for some new books...). These reviews just can't be trusted as much as the book blogger's though.

I think that my favorite kind of review though is a in-person-stranger-review. I love when I'm at a bookstore or library and someone sees a book in my hand and goes "Oh my gosh, you HAVE to read that!" (I'm guilty of doing this ALL the time. I'm sure that some people think that I'm a weirdo stranger, but I love recommending books to people!) It just shows that this book really left an impression on them so it must be worth the read.

Review: Outlander!

2009-02-11T14:31:00.004-05:00

Outlander (1st in series)

by Diana Gabaldon

627 pages

The ladies on The Nest Book Club board have been RAVING about this book since I've been frequenting over there (and I'm sure longer than that). The WBC was definitely a good excuse to finally read it! And wow, I'm just so in love with this book, I can hardly stand it. (although I'm not so in love with the romance-ish cover art that my library copy had...)

The story begins in Iverness, Scotland in 1945. Claire and her husband, Frank Randall, are on a second honeymoon to revitalize their marriage since the were separated for most of the war. Frank, a historian, was some sort of officer for the British military and Claire was a military nurse. One day, Claire discovers a stone henge and upon walking through the stones, she is transported back some 200 years to Scotland circa 1743.

Claire doesn't know where (or when) she is at first and is discovered first by Jonathan "Black Jack" Randall, her husband's 6-times great grandfather. Turns out, he's really not so grand and actually a big perv. Then a band of Scottish thieves kidnap Claire and take her to a cottage where she first meets Jamie Fraser. She mends his dislocated shoulder (much to the shock of the Scots, I mean who IS this crazily dressed, odd Englishwoman!?) and they take her with them to the castle of their clan's Laird (er, Lord? in English...).

Well, Jack Randall is definitely NOT done with Claire, and it turns out that he has a wanting for Jamie (an outlaw with a price on his head) as well. This unfortunate series of events leads to Claire having to marry Jamie so she's safe from the English (since now she's a Scot). Anyways, things aren't really "happily ever after" for the Fraser's and Claire is almost persecuted as a witch and Jamie almost gets hanged and it's kind of a big mess. But a wonderful mess that made me want to hug them and cry for them, then hug them some more!! And Jamie, oh Jamie...I love this character. He's strong and brave, and handsome and loving and funny, yet pig-headed and stubborn. And did I mention handsome? and strong?? ummm yea, he's just an amazing character. While reading this, and after finishing it, I would find myself just daydreaming about Jamie and Claire. I loved them so much that I just didn't want to stop having them around yet. Which is probably why I've found a way to fit the next book in the series, Dragonfly In Amber, into my WBC even if it is reading a 700+ page book for only 5 points!

Now the question of the day, if I had my choice of literary crushes, who would I choose? Jamie or Edward (from Twilight)?? Hmmm...I think that Edward may eek this one out by just a smidgen only because Jamie seems to ALWAYS be getting gravely injured and it tears my heart out to read about that!

Rating: 10 out of 10! Go read this NOW! it's amazing and full of love, history, humor, action...it just has it all!!!

Life update

2009-02-11T10:33:00.008-05:00

Whoa, what a busy week this past one was! Lots of excitement and some work here and there. First, I'm now an AUNT!!! Yup. Auntie Em. Don't think that my sister won't use that one at all.

Here's Lukas Hall B. weighing in at a teeny tiny 5 lbs. 8oz. We found out the day after he was born that he was 3 weeks early...her due date was miscalculated...but oh well everyone is happy and healthy!

Just look at that squishy face! he's just SO cute.

THEN, I went to a concert with my friend Angela. We saw the band 100 Monkeys!!! Yup, that's Jackson Rathbone's band. Jackson Rathbone, AKA Jasper Hale from the Twilight movie. And I got THIS CLOSE to him.

Yes, he's hot. and talented. VERY talented. and the band absolutely rocked! I was very impressed. Unfortunately, I didn't get to meet him though. bummer.

In other exciting news, we've been getting quotes for our kitchen partial-remodel and adding a dishwasher! I can't wait until I don't have to wash every dish by hand, you have NO idea. We'll have to shuffle around some cabinets (we're not getting new yet since we're either going to move or put an addition onto the house in 10 or so years so what's the point in doing it now?) and we'll be getting new countertops! Hopefully we will have our contractor picked out and have the kitchen done within a month or so depending on our contractors' schedules. I'll post before and after pics then :)

Oh, I also finished Outlander and love, love, love, LOVED it! Review to follow later today!

BTT: Author TMI?

2009-02-05T12:30:00.004-05:00

Click the link f you want to join in the BTT fun!

Have you ever been put off an author’s books after reading a biography of them? Or the reverse - a biography has made you love an author more?

Nope. I'm not really the type to judge a book based on its author. I'm also not one to read something by an author then run out and read everything else that they have written (series are excluded from this statement though). For me, it's about the story, not about who the author is or what they believe in, have lived through, etc.

For example, Stephenie Meyer, author of the Twilight series, is a stay at home Mormon mom. While I haven't read a biography so to speak on her, I have read her bio on her website and seen several interviews with her. I can't say that I really LIKE her or that I agree with her at all, but I love the story that she wrote and the characters that she created. Of course, I absolutely hated some parts of her books (mostly during the ridiculousness that is Breaking Dawn), which might have been written that way because of Stephenie Meyer's belief system, but I'm not going to judge her other books just because of that.

James Frey is another author that I don't particularly care for as a person since his "memoir", A Million Little Pieces, wasn't actually a memoir at all. Parts of it were completely fabricated. I still read it though, and thought that it was amazing. Maybe this was because I read it after it was discovered that he wasn't truthful about it, so I read it like it was fiction. I don't agree with his decision to market the book as a memoir (why in the world would you not just call it fiction??) but I suppose he just wanted his 15 minutes. This won't stop me from picking up (or not picking up) another one of his books.

In the end, I guess that judging a book by its author is just about the same as judging it by the cover. Sometimes you'll get a really great one, and sometimes not. But that's not necessarily because the author is or isn't a certain type of person.

Outlander Teaser!!!

2009-02-03T16:10:00.004-05:00

It's Teaser Tuesdays, so you know what that means!

Grab your current read.
Let the book fall open to a random page.
Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
Please avoid spoilers!

Hearing her name spoken in that casual Highland lilt-"L'heer"-suddenly made me irrationally angry. "Oh, so you have been with her!" I snapped.

From Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (Hardcover), p. 313, lines 7-9. This is a teaser for me too since I haven't gotten this far yet. I *love* Jamie so far though and I had a hard time not reading more!!!

Crazy February Holidays

2009-02-03T15:27:00.004-05:00

So I just found out that February, along with being Black History Month, is also Library Lovers Month! I just thought that I would get the word out because, well, I LOVE the library. Sure, my library is teeny tiny and when I picked up a copy of Breaking Dawn that I had reserved I asked the librarian working if she had read it yet and she said "Oh no, it's just SO long!" (*le sigh*), but where else can I go and spend an hour (or more) just meandering around and leave with an armload full of books for FREE??? I mean the library is just cheap entertainment folks. So make good use of Library Lovers month and be sure to check out your local library! I know that I'm planning on checking out the brand spanking new county library sometime this month! It's humongous compared to my local city library.

Also, February 1-7 is Children's Authors and Illustrator's week. In light of this, I've decided that I should share my very most favorite book ever from my childhood. I read this book over and over and over again and just LOVED the illustrations on top of that. This will definitely be a book that I will have on my someday-children's bookshelves. It's called Frederick by Leo Lionni. And oh, how I love it!

Frederick is a mouse whose family is preparing for winter by gathering food and preparing shelter. They begin complaining because Frederick doesn't seem to be helping at all, and is instead basking in sunlight, looking at flowers, and daydreaming. When the first snow falls, all the mice go into their shelter and learn what Frederick has really been doing all summer long. He's been collecting the sunshine and colors of summer to share with his family through the long winter. In the end, Frederick also discovers that he's "a poet, and he didn't even know it!"

This book always brings a smile to my face by showing you that the arts (creativity, colors, poems, and literature) are so very important. And that's a lesson that everyone should learn.

P.S.

2009-02-02T13:14:00.002-05:00

For all you Nestie readers...

I'm just starting the much talked about on the boards Outlander! I'm pretty excited :) Hopefully I like it!

Review: The Chicago Way

2009-02-02T12:44:00.003-05:00

The Chicago Way

by Michael Harvey

303 pages

My mom and I picked up this book off the "buy two get a third free" table at Barnes and Noble a couple weeks ago. We each picked one book then needed a third. As we were browsing we picked this one up, read the back (which looked intriguing), saw that John Grisham pimped it on the front, and I needed a book with a city, country, or continent in the title for WBC so we got it. And I got to read it first.

This book is about Michael Kelly, an ex-cop turned Private Investigator in downtown Chicago. His former partner, John Gibbons, who he hasn't seen in years, shows up at his office on day to get his help on a attempted murder/rape case that occurred years before and was somehow "lost" and never solved. The girl who had been the victim had come to John recently since he was the one who had found her and originally arrested the suspect (who was released for some unknown reason). Later that night, Gibbons was found murdered. Michael Kelly began investigating the murder of Gibbons, the attempted murder/rape cold case, and serveral other murders that seem to somehow all be connected.

I got so into this book! The writing style was very fitting for a Chicago, Irish P.I. so I fell right in with the character. And the ending, oh I didn't see this one coming at all! It was a great example of the "good guys" not always being good and "bad guys" not always being so bad, and I kind of love that. I've already told my mom that this book was definitely worth reading, told my husband that he should read it (he's not really much of a reader so it's tough finding things that he might like!), and I put Michael Harvey's second book on my PaperBackSwap wishlist! And maybe I'll even start watching Michael Harvey's show Cold Case Files on A&E, which he hilariously plugged in the book. Hey, can't blame a guy for getting new people to watch his show!

9 out of 10 stars.

Book Review: The Handmaid's Tale

2009-01-29T16:19:00.008-05:00

The Handmaid's Tale

by Margaret Atwood

311 pages

The United States is a completely different world in this book. A military group takes over and everything is changed from a country much like the one we are currently in (except perhaps with more open sexual displays) to one where women are stripped of their jobs, money, and significant others (unless you are in your first heterosexual marriage). The US is renamed the Republic of Gilead. Women are not allowed to be single or live on their own. They are put into a position in society such as a Wife who is married to a ranking officer, a Martha who is a cook/maid in the house, an Econowife married to a poor man, or a Handmaid who is there to conceive a child with the ranking officer. Each caste of women have a specific dress code. The Wives wear blue, Marthas are in green, and Handmaids are in red. This ensures that everyone knows the caste of everyone else.

This story is told by Offred (a name that means she is the Handmaid of Fred, the Commander). She is living at the home of the Commander and it is her third and final chance to conceive a child or else she will be relocated to The Colonies and be declared an Unwoman (infertile woman, unfit for integration into Gilead society). This society structure is a fairly recent occurrence (within the past 10 or less years it seems) so Offred still remembers her past life with her husband (a divorcee), daughter, books (Handmaids aren't allowed to read), and job. It's so sad reading about how Offred (her former name is never revealed) remembers her past life and feels those memories slipping away.

Like any other society, people are corrupt. Offred, like other Handmaids before her, is coerced into spending time with the Commander during the night at times other than the "ceremony" which takes place once a month in attempt to get Offred pregnant. She also begins a relationship with the chauffeur, Nick, which was started by the Wife in order to increase Offred's chances of conceiving. Offred continues to see Nick without the knowledge of the Wife and without knowing whether he is an Eye (member of the Internal Intelligence Agency) or a member of the resistance who can help her.

I'm glad that I read this book since it knocked another one of the 1001 list for me (total up to 17 now!) but, I didn't LOVE it. I was wrapped into it throughout most of the book, but I think that that was only because I was so curious to understand all the parts of Offred's world and what would happen to her. Everything was revealed very slowly since Offred was narrating and revealing things as she remembered them or came across them. I guess sometimes I like rules of the society in the book laid out for me ahead of time. The other thing that bothered me was the ending. The last chapter written by Offred ends with her being taken away. Then it goes to a chapter which is a speaker in the future giving a lecture on Gilead society. It's obvious that the Republic of Gilead came to end but I wasn't really told how or what happened. Also, I never found out exactly what happened to Offred, which just bothers me! You would think that after the rave review of 2666 which had an ending that didn't really resolve a whole lot, I wouldn't mind this ending but man! It bugs me A LOT. I guess I just got attached to Offred so much that I just wanted to know that she ended up okay. Nothing wrong with that I suppose!

7 out of 10 stars

Book Review: The White Tiger

2009-01-27T14:41:00.003-05:00

So, I decided to change the blog look. I like this much better! Anywho, on to the book...

The White Tiger

By Aravind Adiga

276 pages

I picked this book up at the library because I saw it on the "Recent Releases" (which in my teeny tiny library just means that they recently acquired it) and I had remembered hearing something about it and seeing that it won an award (The Man Booker Prize). PLUS! It qualifies for the WBC, which will be a theme present until March 31st.

The format of this book was not what I expected. I went into it thinking that it was just going to be a straightforward, chapter by chapter story told in third person. Nope! It's a first person narrative, told in letters over the course of 7 days (well nights really). The narrator is Balram Halwai and he is writing to the Premier of the State Council of the Republic of China, Wen Jaibao, to tell him of his upbringing in India and his rise to become a great entrepreneur and murderer.

Balram grew up in a small village as the son of a rickshaw driver. He was smart and attended school for a while (where he was given the name White Tiger) until he family became too poor and needed him to work. He learns how to drive and becomes the driver for a very high up family, for which he becomes a faithful servant. Throughout his story, Balram discusses the caste system in place, what makes him different from his masters, and what keeps him a servant. Eventually, his ideas lead him to kill his master and become his own man.

I wasn't sure that I liked this book at first, but after the first couple sections, I got used to the writing style and really got sucked in. The main character is likable and kind of endearing in a way, despite being a murderer and I ended up really enjoying his story.

7.5 out of 10 stars.

Teaser: The Handmaid's Tale

2009-01-27T12:49:00.003-05:00

Grab your current read.
Let the book fall open to a random page.
Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
Please avoid spoilers!

Well, here goes! Today I'm reading The Handmaid's Tale. Here's my teaser from page 95.

"If he were better looking would I enjoy this more? At least he's an
improvement on the previous one, who smelled like a church cloakroom in the
rain; like you mouth when the dentist starts picking at your teeth; like a
nostril."

The World Inside My Head: Emily's Book Blog

BTT: Weeding 'em out

More Supernatural Reading

The Post in Which I Catch Up.

BBAW: Reading Meme

Musing Monday: Reading Trends

BBAW: Day 1

In which I return to the interwebs...

BTT: Fluffy Reading

Monday Musings: Serial book-ist

Review: August Book Club

BTT: The Best and the Worst

Musing Monday: Books into Movies

Finishing up with Jessica Darling

Review: Drums of Autumn

BTT: Serious Reading

Musing Mondays: Library Meme

Review: Memoir of Anthony Rapp

BTT: What's so funny?

Review: Girl With A Pearl Earring

Reviews: Next in Series

BTT: Locating Mt. TBR

Review: Sweeping Up Glass

Review: Sloppy Firsts

BTT: Celebrity memoirs

Summer Book Challenge List!

Spring Book Challenge Wrap Up

Review: Harry Potter 5

Book Review: Persepolis

Monday Musing: Library Limits

Book Reviews: a couple of Mass Market PB's

BTT: My Book Niche

Review: Someone Like You audio book

Monday Musings: Reading Time

BTT: 15 in 15

Review times two: Dexter and Choke

BTT: Wish I hadn't have read that...

Book Review and a Song: The Host

Teaser Tuesday and Memorial Day make-up

Book Review: The Lace Reader

BTT: A Second First Time

Teaser Tuesday: The Lace Reader

A week late-a review and giveaway!

Bad Blogger Reading Recap

BTT: When a loved one betrays you...

Musing Monday: Non-fiction preferences

Review: The Road

BTT: Where's the symbolism?!

Musing Mondays: Third of the Way Favorites

Book Review: They Poured Fire...

BTT: extra moolah.

Teaser Tuesday 4/14/09

Review: The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

BTT: Numbers Game

book reviews: a Two-fer

Musing Monday: Keeping track

BTT: Library Usage

The Spring Book Challenge List

Winter Book Challenge Wrap Up

I'm Back! with two reviews :)

BTT: The Best of the Worst

So Excited!!!!

Book Review: a bestseller

I got tagged! Kreativ Blogger Award

Musing Monday: Bookstore of choice

Review: The Devil Wears Prada

BTT: The Worst of the Best

Teaser Tuesdays: The Devil Wears Prada

Post Secret book love.

Musing Mondays: Stranger Danger?

BTT: Book into movie?

Book Review: The Chocolate War

Book Review: The Secret Life of Bees

Teaser Tuesday: The Chocolate War

Musing Mondays: Buying New Authors

BTT: The best books I've never read

Book Review: The Bluest Eye

Teaser Tuesday: The Secret Life of Bees

Review: Middlesex

Musing Mondays 3/2/09