Age 30+ ... A Lifetime of Books

Dueling Monsters: Dr. Moreau Recap

2011-10-31T08:52:00.063-04:00

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Dr. Moreau portion of this year's Dueling Monsters read-a-long! I hope you enjoying getting to know Moreau - he certainly gave me the creeps ...

Be sure to check out all the reviews and see if others had the same reaction to the book that you did. And if I forgot to include your review here let me know in the comments.

Nick @ Lions and Men - "the novel was a fun ride through a haunted house of grotesque beasts and even more nefarious men"
Trisha @ eclectic/eccentric - "the main premise in this short novel is about playing god"
Bev @ My Reader's Block - "hands down, Wells writes a nightmare like nobody's business"
Erin @ Erin Reads - "Moreau [...] should appear next to this particular meaning of “monster” in the dictionary"
SFP @ Pages Turned - "Doctor Moreau is, in short, as psychopathic as they come"
Jill @ Fizzy Thoughts - "Wells managed to create a character utterly lacking in morals"
and mine - "The cruelty of humanity scares me more than just about anything else in this world"

One of my favorite podcasts, Guys Can Read, also read and discussed Moreau this month. You can check out their fascinating take on the book in their two part review.

Thank you to everyone who participated! I hope you had a good time with this year's monsters! Now to figure out which ones we'll pick in 2012 ...

The Call of Cthulhu - quick thoughts

2011-10-30T21:35:00.001-04:00

The Call of Cthulhu

by HP Lovecraft

50 pages

In this short story, a classic of the horror genre, a young man discovers references to a creepy cult in his deceased uncle's paperwork. The cult has apparently been around since the dawn of time and it's followers are quite creepy and violent. Others who come into contact with the cult - or the god behind it, Cthulhu - often go crazy and may even commit suicide. The god hails from the distant stars and personifies creepiness and chaos.

The book is basically a summary of the information the young man has compiled about the cult. There isn't much of a storyline here. Cthuhlu is creepy, yes, but that's about all there is to it. It is a quick, rather dry, story, and I can't say that I felt strongly about it one way or the other.

I read this for part of this year's Dueling Monsters challenge. Check out Fizzy Thoughts on 10/31 to see what others thought of this tale.

The Island of Dr. Moreau

2011-10-30T20:32:00.000-04:00

The Island of Dr. Moreau

by H.G. Wells

audiobook: 5.25 hours

narrated by Simon Prebble

About the Book

Edward Prendick is rescued from a life raft at sea by a ship ship carrying an odd cargo that includes myriad wild animals and two unusual men named Montgomery and M'ling. After a series of confrontations between the crew and the two odd men, the captain arrives at their destination, a solitary island in the middle of the sea. The captain is only too glad to rid himself of the animals and the men, and forces Edward to leave the ship at well. Once on the island Montgomery introduces him to Dr. Moreau, a scientist who uses the island as the base for his experimentation. Over time Edward learns the details of Moreau's experiments on the other inhabitants of the island and he must decide for himself whether Moreau is brilliant or insane.

Why I Read It

I chose this book as my side of this year's Dueling Monsters challenge because H.G. Wells fascinates me. I don't always love his writing but I am constantly amazed by the ideas in his stories.

My Thoughts

This is one CREEPY story. From the very first time Edward steps on board the rescue ship I had the feeling that things were Not Right even though I couldn't put my finger on what exactly was wrong. Once on the island things got even weirder for Edward, and for me as the reader. I had an idea of what Moreau was up to before I started this book but I didn't have the details right.

*** SPOILER ALERT #1 ***

I didn't realize that Moreau was experimenting on animals and turning them into people. I had thought he was grafting animals parts onto human bodies. Although both are horrible, Moreau's actual experiments were worse than what I thought ahead of time. The idea that he could CREATE humanity - and that he does so with some success - is so beyond what I can accept that I had a hard time with this part of the book. Still, the issues it raised are valid ones: At what point is someone considered human? Can one loose one's humanity? If animals could communicate in our language, would we grant them humanity?

*** END SPOILER #1 ***

As Edward learned the details of Moreau's experiments I became more and more horrified. For me it wasn't the actual experiments that got to me - it was the abject cruelty involved.

*** SPOILER ALERT #2 ***

Moreau performed vivisection on his subjects with no anesthesia, and continued his experimentation for weeks on end, sometimes until the subject died. His justification was that the more evolved one is, the less pain matters.

*** END SPOILER #2 ***

And that, for me, is the scariest part of this book. It isn't the creatures that Moreau creates that scare me. Rather it is the fact that Moreau can literally torture other living things without a single care. He has no greater purpose - not that it would justify his actions - and he doesn't see anything at all wrong in what he is doing. The cruelty of humanity scares me more than just about anything else in this world.

I can't say that I'm a huge fan of Wells' writing style and my experience with this book didn't change that. However I am fascinated by the issues he raises and will continue to read his books as they always give me a great deal to think about.

Your Thoughts

If you read this book for the Dueling Monsters Challenge this year be sure to link up to your review here. I'm posting a list of all the reviews on Halloween so don't miss out!

Song of the Nile

2011-10-27T10:30:00.000-04:00

Song of the Nile

by Stephanie Dray

398 pages

About the Book

From Amazon.com: Sorceress. Seductress. Schemer. Cleopatra's daughter is the one woman with the power to destroy an empire... Having survived her perilous childhood as a royal captive of Rome, Selene pledged her loyalty to Augustus and swore she would become his very own Cleopatra. Now the young queen faces an uncertain destiny in a foreign land. The magic of Isis flowing through her veins is what makes her indispensable to the emperor. Against a backdrop of imperial politics and religious persecution, Cleopatra's daughter beguiles her way to the very precipice of power. She has never forgotten her birthright, but will the price of her mother's throne be more than she's willing to pay?

Why I Read It

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed Stephanie's previous book, LILY OF THE NILE, and have be anticipating the release of this new book for months. Stephanie was kind enough to hand me a signed copy when I saw her at the Baltimore Book Festival last month, and needless to say I dove right into it.

My Thoughts

This book completely surprised me. Based on events in the previous book I had a very clear idea in my mind of the direction the story would take in this book. I WAS SO VERY WRONG! I spent the first several chapters arguing with Stephanie in my head, insisting that she had done it all wrong. *smile* That's not to say that this book didn't make logical sense based on previous events. It is more that the story could have gone in several directions, and way it went was not the one I expected. (I realize that this all sounds rather cryptic but I don't want to say a great deal about the story - I'd rather you experience it for yourself.)

Once I adjusted to the plot of this book I began to enjoy all the characters again just as I did the first time around. I especially enjoyed Selene - she is so bright and independent! Most of the characters introduced in this book weren't all that developed, though they didn't really need to be in order to move story ahead. Many "old" characters played important parts and I enjoyed getting to know them in different ways.

There were a few things in the book that bugged me, but not enough to dampen my enthusiasm for this series. Although I didn't expect or necessarily want the story to go where it did, Stephanie made sure that every event followed logically from previous events - I really appreciate that. So though I didn't love this book as much as I did LILY OF THE NILE, I am still highly anticipating the next (final?) book in Selene's tale!

*** Please check out the guest post that Stephanie did for me yesterday. There's a link to a really fun quiz that tells you which "bad girl" of ancient times you are most like. I'd love to hear which ones you end up with and why! ***

Which Bad Girl of the Ancient World are you?

2011-10-26T12:58:00.001-04:00

Please welcome author Stephanie Dray to my blog today. Stephanie is a local author who I had the great fortune to meet at the Baltimore Book Festival. I was already a fan of hers after reading LILY OF THE NILE last year, and I was super excited to have her hand me a copy of her latest book, SONG OF THE NILE. Check back tomorrow for my review of her new book!

Which Bad Girl of the Ancient World are you?

Stephanie Dray

One of the favorite presentations I give is entitled Bad Girls of the Ancient World. I love to give this talk, because most of the powerful women in the ancient world have some sort of relation to the heroine of my novel, Cleopatra Selene.

Selene wasn’t, herself, a bad girl. At least, she was never vilified the way her mother before her had been. She had a nearly unblemished personal reputation, in spite of some of the provocative things she did--many of which I explore in my new novel, Song of the Nile.

But just because she doesn’t come down to us as one of the bad girls of history doesn’t mean she was a pushover. And thinking about how they may have inspired her began to inspire me to think about who I might have been like in the ancient world.

To that end, I’ve created this fun little quiz specially for this guest blog appearance, and I’d love to discuss the results with your readers. So, here you have it. WHICH BAD GIRL OF THE ANCIENT WORLD ARE YOU?

[Heather's Note: Ends up I am Cleopatra VII - what fun! Please share your results in the comments and let me know if you think they are accurate!]

Bio
Stephanie graduated from Smith, a small women’s college in Massachusetts where–to the consternation of her devoted professors–she was unable to master Latin. However, her focus on Middle Eastern Studies gave her a deeper understanding of the consequences of Egypt’s ancient clash with Rome, both in terms of the still-extant tensions between East and West as well as the worldwide decline of female-oriented religion.
Before she wrote novels, Stephanie was a lawyer, a game designer, and a teacher. Now she uses the transformative power of magic realism to illuminate the stories of women in history and inspire the young women of today. She remains fascinated by all things Roman or Egyptian and has–to the consternation of her devoted husband–collected a house full of cats and ancient artifacts.

Blurb
Sorceress. Seductress. Schemer. Cleopatra’s daughter has become the emperor’s most unlikely apprentice and the one woman who can destroy his empire…

Having survived her perilous childhood as a royal captive of Rome, Selene pledged her loyalty to Augustus and swore she would become his very own Cleopatra. Now the young queen faces an uncertain destiny in a foreign land.

Forced to marry a man of the emperor’s choosing, Selene will not allow her new husband to rule in her name. She quickly establishes herself as a capable leader in her own right and as a religious icon. Beginning the hard work of building a new nation, she wins the love of her new subjects and makes herself vital to Rome by bringing forth bountiful harvests.

But it’s the magic of Isis flowing through her veins that makes her indispensable to the emperor. Against a backdrop of imperial politics and religious persecution, Cleopatra’s daughter beguiles her way to the very precipice of power. She has never forgotten her birthright, but will the price of her mother’s throne be more than she’s willing to pay?

Berkley Trade October 2011 (Trade Paperback)
# ISBN-10: 0425243044
# ISBN-13: 9780425243046

Purchase Info
Amazon
B&N
IndieBound
Constellation Books (Heather's Note: This is our local indie!)
Powell's

Dueling Monsters: Dr. Moreau Link-up

2011-10-15T09:48:00.000-04:00

Are you reading The Island of Dr. Moreau for this year's Dueling Monsters read-a-long? When you post your review, leave a link to it in the comments on this post. I'll be recapping the challenge on 10/31 and including links to all the reviews - don't get left out, or I'll have to sic Dr. Moreau on you!

.

Book club recruiting

2011-10-12T11:32:00.001-04:00

Over the past year my book club got smaller and smaller due to changes in the ladies lives. We had our last meeting in May and decided to take the summer off. Then Fall came and a few die-hard members emailed me to ask when we were meeting again. The thing is, I think we need more ladies in order to make a viable group.

Because of this I'm issuing an open invitation to female readers in Maryland between Baltimore and Annapolis (or the general area) to join us for a trial meeting on Oct. 22 at Arundel Mills Mall. We'll be discussing THE ABSOLUTELY TRUE DIARY OF A PART-TIME INDIAN by Sherman Alexie. If you are interested let me know and I'll email you the details!

The Piano Teacher (mini review)

2011-10-05T09:16:00.000-04:00

The Piano Teacher

by Janice Y. K. Lee

audiobook:10.75 hours

narrated by Orlagh Cassidy

From my library's website:

In the epic tradition of The English Patient, this gripping tale of love and betrayal is set in war-torn Hong Kong. It is 1942, and Will Trusdale, an Englishman newly arrived in Hong Kong, has fallen headlong into a passionate relationship with Trudy Liang, a beautiful Eurasian socialite. But when WWII strikes, Will is sent to an internment camp, while Trudy remains outside. Trudy is forced to form dangerous alliances with the head of the Japanese gendarmerie, whose desperate attempts to locate a priceless collection of Chinese art lead to a chain of terrible betrayals. Ten years later, Claire Pendleton comes to Hong Kong and meets the enigmatic Will. As long-buried secrets start to emerge and she begins to understand the true nature of the world she has entered, Claire learns that sometimes the price of survival is love.

My Thoughts

I'm torn about this book. On the one hand I really, really liked Will's story. Once it got started it completely sucked me in. This part of the book is what I was hoping for from Heart of Lies. The characters were so real and their lives often so unexpectedly (to them) tragic that I did not want to stop listening. On the other hand, Claire's story, though somewhat interesting, seemed superfluous. It was merely a vehicle to bring out Will's story, and in my opinion Will's story could easily stand on it's own.

So, overall a really good book BUT you have to wade through Claire's story off and on to get there.

Dueling Monsters Kickoff: Go Dr. Moreau!

2011-10-01T07:45:00.002-04:00

And so begins the Duel!

If you are joining in on the side of Dr. Moreau (or are at least giving him a chance) let me know in the comments.

The read-a-long starts today and you can post your review any time this month. On Oct. 15th I'll put up a call for reviews - post your link in the comments there whenever you get your review up.

And if you want to be a traitor and side with Jill and Cthuhlu (boo! hiss!) you can sign up at her blog today.

Go Moreau!

Love Times Three

2011-09-29T07:46:00.082-04:00

Love Times Three:

Our True Story of a Polygamous Marriage

by Joe, Alina, Vicki, and Valerie Darger with Brooke Adams

audiobook: 9.25 hours

narrated by Jamie Lurie, Eliza Foss, Kathleen McInerney, and Karla Kendrick

About the Book

Joe is Independent Fundamentalist Mormon and he has three wives. Together they wrote this book to help counteract the often incorrect assumptions about their culture and way of life. Told through four perspectives, the book gives a look at the reasons behind their decision to live a polygamous marriage and the challenges and blessings that are part of their everyday lives.

Why I Read It

I was a huge fan of the HBO series Big Love and am fascinated by people who can make polygamous marriage work. This book sounds like a realistic look at a successful family; I wanted to see how they do it.

My Thoughts

One of the first things that caught my attention was the fact that this family was part of the basis for the HBO series Big Love; series creators pulled lots of details from a magazine article that profiled the Darger family anonymously. Apparently the show included quite a few situations that were taken directly from the Darger's life. Of course there were lots of other situations that were purely created for the show (and Joe was quick to point those out).

Another interesting part of the book for me was the actual relationship between Joe's wives. Alina and Vicki were cousins who both became interested in the same man. Knowing that they wanted to be part of a plural marriage they decided to pursue Joe as a pair. About ten years later, after the collapse of her own plural marriage, Vicki's twin sister Valerie became Joe's third wife. An usual situation in so many ways.

The "everyday" part of the book was the most fascinating to me, dealing with sister wives and loads of children and sharing a husband. And of course there were the logistical challenges of a family with 24 children (5 in diapers!). Since I have just one child this was the craziest part of the book for me - I can't imagine dealing with a family that large, let alone sharing my husband with other wives.

This book was a quick and easy listen. It gave me a lot of insight into a culture, religion, and lifestyle that I am not all that familiar with. I found it well written and well narrated, and definitely worth listening to.

The Hum and the Shiver (and giveaway)

2011-09-27T06:37:00.000-04:00

The Hum and the Shiver

by Alex Bledsoe

352 pages

About the Book

from the author's website:

No one knows where the Tufa came from, or how they ended up in the mountains of East Tennessee. When the first Europeans came to the Smoky Mountains, the Tufa were already there. Dark-haired and enigmatic, they live quietly in the hills and valleys of Cloud County, their origins lost to history. But there are clues in their music, hidden in the songs they have passed down for generations….

Private Bronwyn Hyatt, a true daughter of the Tufa, has returned from Iraq wounded in body and spirit. But her troubles are far from over. Cryptic omens warn of impending tragedy, while a restless “haint” has followed her home from the war. Worse yet, Bronwyn has lost touch with herself and with the music that was once a part of her. With death stalking her family, will she ever again join in the song of her people, and let it lift her onto the night winds?

Why I Read It

Come on now, didn't that summary intrigue you in the least?! It completely captured my attention and I immediately agreed to be part of the PR by the Book book tour.

My Thoughts

Once I got halfway through this book I COULD NOT put it down - I stayed up until 2am on a weeknight because I simply HAD to know how everything would turn out. If that isn't a great recommendation then I don't know what is!

But seriously, this is a fantastic book. Take a wounded female Iraqi War veteran, toss her into a music-filled mountain culture, and throw in a bit of old-world mystery and magic and you get a wonderfully original story. The poor girl finally makes it home after being shot and partially blown up only to have her mother tell her that a ghost has been hanging around waiting to give her a message. Say what?!?! This mix of modern and magic may make you think of Urban Fantasy but the book is anything but Urban and it doesn't fit with my idea of UF. Not sure what exactly I would call it, but it's good!

The Tufa people were created by the author but based on a real group of people whose origins are unknown. You can read about it on his website if you are interested. The fact that the idea for the Tufa came from real people made me love this book even more - the world, though magical, seemed all the more possible.

This book is meant to be the first in a series about the Tufa. I'm excited about that because I definitely want to get to know these characters better. That said, for those who don't want to be sucked into a series, this book also works as a stand alone novel. Although there is an overarching storyline that will continue into the next book, the plot of this book comes to a satisfying conclusion by the end; no cliffhangers to torment you until the release of the next book (I'm thinking of you, Maggie Steifvater!).

I hope many of you will give this unusual book a shot - I'm thinking it may be one of my top reads this year!

Giveaway

Thanks to PR by the Book I have one copy of this fantastic novel to give away.

The Rules:
- This giveaway is open to the US/Canada.
- To enter leave a comment on this post.
- If your email address is not easily accessible via your blog, please include your email in your comment.
- A winner will be chosen randomly on Oct. 11 and will be contacted by email.
- The winner must reply to my email within 48 hours or a new winner will be chosen.

Thanks and good luck! I hope that the winner enjoys this book as much as I did!

to my NOVA blogger buddies ...

2011-09-25T09:55:00.000-04:00

For all my Northern Virginia blogger buddies, I don't know if any of you are interested but Kiddo's ice hockey team plays in your area several times this season (in one of the 36 games between now and February). I, of course, would love to meet up with other bloggers, and Kiddo, of course, would love more people cheering for his team at away games. :)

He'll be playing in the following cities:

Ashburn
Reston
Ft. Dupont
Charlottesville

If you are interested in coming to a game, let me know and I'll get you all the details. And if you are in MD/DC area, he'll also be playing in these cities:

Frederick
Hagerstown
Laurel
Chevy Chase
Rockville

Man, I'm going to be exhausted after this season, not to mention the mileage I'll be putting on my car. :)

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand

2011-09-23T11:13:00.001-04:00

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand

by Helen Simonson

audiobook: 13 hours

narrated by Peter Artschuler

From my library's website:

You are about to travel to Edgecombe St. Mary, a small village in the English countryside filled with rolling hills, thatched cottages, and a cast of characters both hilariously original and as familiar as the members of your own family. Among them is Major Ernest Pettigrew (retired), the unlikely hero of Helen Simonson's wondrous debut. Wry, courtly, opinionated, and completely endearing, Major Pettigrew is one of the most indelible characters in contemporary fiction, and from the very first page of this remarkable novel he will steal your heart. The Major leads a quiet life valuing the proper things that Englishmen have lived by for generations: honor, duty, decorum, and a properly brewed cup of tea. But then his brother's death sparks an unexpected friendship with Mrs. Jasmina Ali, the Pakistani shopkeeper from the village. Drawn together by their shared love of literature and the loss of their respective spouses, the Major and Mrs. Ali soon find their friendship blossoming into something more. But village society insists on embracing him as the quintessential local and her as the permanent foreigner. Can their relationship survive the risks one takes when pursuing happiness in the face of culture and tradition?

My Thoughts

At first this book bored me. I got through one or two discs and almost gave up. I didn't like the Major - he was opinionated and stuffy - and nothing else about the story captured my attention. But then. I don't know exactly what it was that happened but something caught me and I fell headlong into this story. Turns out that I really did like the Major after all, in spite of his flaws, and I was rooting for him to overcome his own prejudices and those of his neighbors. But then. Say what?! Things at Mrs. Ali's house went a bit batty to say the least. And in my opinion the bit of violence that occurred only served to reinforce stereotypes about Muslims. (Did anyone feel that way? I'm talking about what the aunt did ...) But then. I got into the story again and was rooting for the Major and Mrs. Ali.

And it bugs me that the book brought up a very important issue then simply brushed it aside: can a mixed religion marriage really work? The Major's minister brings this up in conversation at one point. He complains that parishioners come to him asking for his blessing on their marriage to someone of a completely different religion and they are hurt when he questions their decision. The minister wants to know if he is supposed to deny what he believes to be true, or if the couple is each going to deny what they believe in order to be happy together. The conversation ends there and the end of the book doesn't give any better of an ending to the discussion in my opinion. I mean, if people are nominally religious and marry outside their faith, that shouldn't end up being an issue in the marriage. But if people are true followers of their religion then the fact that their spouse believes something totally different will cause huge issues, even if those issues are never openly discussed. (Am I alone in thinking this?!)

So on the whole I did enjoy this book but it also had some flaws. I'm glad I kept listening to it as I really enjoyed parts of it, but at the same time the ending - though I thought it fit the story and was beautifully done - will continue to bug me for reasons mentioned above.

Doc (the latest by Mary Doria Russell)

2011-09-21T09:49:00.000-04:00

Doc

by Mary Doria Russell

416 pages

About The Book

Using the best historical documentation available, Mary Doria Russell brings to life John Henry Holliday, the man behind the overblown myth of Wild West gunslinger Doc Holliday. From his childhood in antebellum Georgia and his dental education in the North through his diagnosis of tuberculosis and his move West, the reader learns about the real John - the talented dentist who above all things loved his mother. If you think you know Doc, you've got another thing coming!

Why I Read It

First off, it's by Mary Doria Russell. I would read a GROCERY LIST if that woman wrote it! Seriously, she is the author of some of the best books I've ever read: The Sparrow, Children of God, A Thread of Grace.

Second, it's Doc Holliday! Who doesn't love Doc Holliday?! Especially when played by Val Kilmer in Tombstone:

My Thoughts

This book was not exactly what I expected but once I got past that I really and truly loved it. I thought I'd see Doc's adventures in Tombstone told from a new perspective; when the book ended prior to that I was a bit shocked. So just know up front that the OK Corral and the whole Tombstone story aren't included, and you'll be fine.

Otherwise, LOVED this book. As always, Russell's writing is gorgeous and she sucked me into the story from the very beginning. She doesn't just tell Doc's story in straight narrative format. Rather she adds in asides from time to time that touch on later events or the myths that grew up about them. Imagine someone telling you a story and occasionally interrupting himself to throw in a related bit of info - it's like that. I found it fascinating, and it didn't pull me out of the story in any way.

One of the things that always troubles me about historical fiction is this: how much of the story is true? Russell addresses that in the front of the book with an extensive character list and in the back with a detailed authors note (which I read before starting the actual book). The character list shows actual historical figures in regular print and any fictional characters in italics; very few characters are italicized. The author's note explains what liberties Russell took with the story and where she stayed with historical fact. Basically what she did was create a fictional character who knew Doc and the Earps and she killed that character off. The investigation into his death allows Russell to bring in real historical figures and events and show who Doc really was.

As I said, I really and truly loved this book. I recently expressed disappointment in another book dealing with the Earps and Doc Holliday - comparing that one to this book shows what a brilliant author like Russell can really do.

Oh, and I definitely heard Val Kilmer's Doc Holliday in my head as I read this book - what a treat!

Your Thoughts

Are there any authors who are to you like Mary Doria Russell is to me?

Wherever You Go

2011-09-19T09:21:00.000-04:00

Wherever You Go

by Joan Leegant

253 pages

About the Book

Yona, Mark, and Aaron don't know each other but their lives will soon intersect in a very dramatic way. Yona is in Israel to try to heal the broken relationship with her sister and put her own life back together in the process. Mark is returning home to Israel to teach a college course while reevaluating his religious beliefs. Aaron is adrift in Israel after his plans fall apart, but he finds purpose in life when he joins a group of settlers building a new community. An act of terrorism and the resulting explosion will affect these three very different people and turn each of their lives in a new direction.

Why I Read It

The author pitched this book to me and I was intrigued by the summary. The topic and setting were out of my normal reading habits yet they captured my attention.

My Thoughts

I loved this book! It was one of those where I wanted to read it non-stop until the end, but since I couldn't do that I had to sneak in a few pages whenever possible. So, so good!

Each of the three main characters, Yona, Mark, and Aaron, felt to me like real people. Their personalities, actions, and motivations all made sense. Their relationships (most of which were broken in some way) also felt real - a parent's disappointment in an adult child for choosing a different life, a sister's anger over a personal betrayal, a son's opinions forced aside by an overbearing parent, and so many, many others.

I could understand how each character got to his/her place in life, and each subsequent action made sense based on that character. This is important to me - I really don't like it when a character behaves in a way that doesn't make sense with what I know about him/her.

I'm so glad I had the opportunity to read this book. I really, really loved it and will be lending my copy to some local friends very soon.

A Side Note

In reading other reviews of this book I saw that Ryan @ Wordsmithonia has an issue with the portrayal of one of the secondary characters. I kept this in mind while reading as I wanted to see if I had the same reaction. I didn't. I see Ryan's point, but in my mind this particular character was not completely stable (not sure if he was mentally ill or not, but something was definitely not right with him) and his actions were a manifestation of that.

Dueling Monsters 2011: H.G. Wells vs. H.P. Lovecraft

2011-09-17T10:51:00.000-04:00

It's that time of year again,

time for Dueling Monsters!

In this third year of our reading challenge, Fizzy Thoughts and I are delving into some early science fiction/horror stories as we pit H.G. Wells' The Island of Dr. Moreau against H.P. Lovecraft's The Call of Cthulhu.

Fizzy Thoughts will host the Cthulhu side and I'll host the Dr. Moreau side. The challenge officially begins on October 1, and you'll see posts at each of our blogs that day announcing the kick-off. You can choose to read one or both of the books - whatever works for you.

Sometime during October you will post your review of your chosen book(s) on your blog and provide us with the link (we'll each have a post on our blog for that specific purpose). On Halloween Day, October 31, I'll recap all the Dr. Moreau posts on my blog and Fizzy Thoughts will recap all the Cthulhu posts on her blog.

You don't have to officially sign up now, just start thinking about it. If you do decide to join us feel free to grab a button or two or three.

I'm looking forward to this duel and I hope you are too!

BEA Book Review: The Beekeeper's Lament

2011-09-15T07:50:00.005-04:00

The Beekeeper's Lament

by Hannah Nordaus

288 pages

About the Book

The subtitle of this book is "How One Man and Half a Billion Honey Bees Help Feed America" and that is really what the book is about. The author profiles one of the largest (and most interesting!) beekeepers in the US and shows how vitally important bees are to each and every one of us. She also presents the myriad problems facing beekeepers and their bees in today's world.

Why I Read It

This book was in the swag bag I received at the Harper Collins cocktail party at BEA earlier this year. The title and the cover intrigued me so I was excited to bring it home with me.

My Thoughts

I LOVED this book! Who knew bees (and their keepers) could be so fascinating?! And I honestly had NO CLUE about the massive numbers of bees being moved around the United States in order to pollinate all the farms that stock all the stores across the country.

I was marking pages left and right as I read this book. Here are some of the tidbits that fascinated me:

About 20 years ago a bee disease killed off almost all of the feral bees in the US - today there is approx 2% of the pre-1987 feral bee population, and those 2% are likely escapees from beekeepers' hives.
Due to various diseases in the current bee population, the Western honey bee would not survive without the intervention of beekeepers.
Most farms and orchards WILL NOT produce crops if they don't contract with beekeepers to pollinate their fields/trees. The country's mono-crop landscape cannot support wild pollinators, even if there were enough in the local area to do all the pollinating. And the addition of pesticides makes this an even larger problem.
Did you know that, by US Postal Code, the Postal Service is required to deliver live bees by mail? Fascinating!

If you have any interest in agriculture, insects, quirky people, strange businesses, or little-known topics, you should definitely give this book a try. It is well-written and fascinating non-fiction and I highly recommend it.

Getting to know amused, bemused and confused

2011-09-13T07:03:00.001-04:00

I haven't participated in BBAW this week simply because I haven't been blogging as regularly as I used to. That said, I knew I didn't want to miss out on Interview Day so I made sure to sign up. I love interviewing other bloggers and always enjoy this part of BBAW the most. So without further ado, allow me to introduce Lyndsey from amused, bemused and confused!

So, since your blog address is teadevotee.com, what is your favorite kind of tea?

English Breakfast. But at all times of day, not just breakfast.

Now that we've gotten that cleared up, give me three books that you recommend to just about everyone.

Ooooh. Just three?! The Blind Assassin, by Margaret Atwood - I'm a huuuuuge Atwood fan. I'm very big into biographies (and am currently studying for an MA in Life Writing) and one of my favourites is The Mitford Sisters, by Mary S. Lovell. And a book I've read and loved recently is How To Be A Woman, by Caitlin Moran. Definitely get this, even if (especially if?) you are a man :)

How has becoming a mom (congrats on that by the way!) changed your reading? Are you making/finding time to read? Are you drawn to some books more than others? etc.

HAHAHAHA SO MUCH! Mostly because it's totally slowed down. But I've got an iPad now which means I've got my reading back on. Before I was just struggling with trying to hold book open and not drop it on the nugget's head. Now I can actually concentrate on the book. I need to find things which are easy to pick up and put down again - so I just re-read Emma, which was ideal. I am reading a lovely book called How Mothers Love, by Naomi Stadlen, which is based on what real women say about how they develop a relationship with their child. It's extremely gentle and reassuring.

Are there any not-to-be-missed bookish events in London? (Or, if you haven't attended any, which author do you wish would do an event near you?)

The events at Foyles are always worth checking out as are those at Daunt Books. Nicole Krauss was here earlier in the year and I wanted to go SO MUCH, but couldn't

I'm a huge fan of audiobooks. What are your thoughts on them? If you are a fan, do you have any narrators you particularly enjoy? If you are not a fan or haven't tried them much, why is that?

Argh, audiobooks, you are my nemesis! Well, not nemesis exactly, but I feel like we should get along better than we do. My ears are just not able to stop my multi-tasking brain from multi-tasking. If I start to listen, I almost immediately start to think about something else. That said, I do like them for the car - and Tina Fey saved my life earlier in the year when I was painting my house.

Is there a particular author that you love so much that you would read anything he/she wrote, including a grocery list?

Virginia Woolf. Erm, I may have read every single biography of her that exists in print. And some that are out of print. Her Writer's Diary is just extraordinary.

What books are you most excited to share with your daughter when she is 4? 10? 16? 25?

Ooooh, we've already started :) She's currently reading The Tiger Who Came To Tea with her Dad. Four - maybe Narnia? Seems young, but my five year old niece loves them (I think she may have a crush on Aslan). Ten - The Exiles, by Hilary McKay. My sisters and I laughed hysterically at this. There are four girls who are obsessed with reading and their Grandma tries to break them of the habit by making them entertain themselves, so they are forced to resort to things like fishing in a bucket. 16 - I hope she'll be into the classics by now - Jane Eyre, The Woman in White, and Jane Austen. And 25 - I hope she'll be sharing books with me by then, so I know what the cool kids are reading when I'm old :)

If you were a Muppet, who would you be?

Beaker. My voice is kind of high pitched and squeaky ;)

I hope you all enjoyed getting to know Lyndsey as much as I did. Her blog was new to me but it is now a part of my Google Reader!

BEA Book Review: 9/11: the world speaks

2011-09-10T07:58:00.089-04:00

Excerpt from the back cover:

Almost two million people from across the United States and around the world have come through the museum galleries of the Tribute WTC Visitor Center since it opened in September 2006 across the street from the World Trade Center site. Many of these visitors have written their poignant reflections about the impact of September 11 on visitor cards collected in the Center's final gallery. To date, the Center has collected 200,000 cards written in 48 languages by people from 120 countries.

Why I Wanted This Book

Back in 2001 my husband was a firefighter/paramedic in the Baltimore City Fire Department. After the attacks in New York and DC (this was before we knew about PA) my husband wanted to drive directly to NYC and help out. I had to use all my energy to convince him to come back in the house - there was nothing he could have done to help because he had dislocated his shoulder and was on heavy pain medication while he waited for surgery to be scheduled. As the days wore on we found out that he knew several of the firefighters who were killed in New York, and also two people who were on the planes. Today my husband is not the same person that he was on 9/10/11; the events on 9/11/01 changed him forever. They changed me as well, but not in the same way. I was 5 months pregnant with Kiddo, and I grieved for the world that he would grow up in.

My husband and I watch the 9/11 programming every year, and we have DVDs of many of the memorials, newscasts, and movies related to it. I want to visit the place where the World Trade Center once stood (my husband was there on the 6 month annivesary of the attacks) and see the Tribute Center across the street. This book features notes from the Tribute Center, and I think they are important to share with the world.

My Thoughts

This is a book that with both make you proud and make your heart hurt. The majority of the messages included are from people outside New York reflecting on how 9/11 affected them. Most of those are inspiring to read and made me optimistic about the future of the world. Some of them expressed such compassion and love that it literally made me cry. Other messages are from people who lost loved ones in the attacks and those broke my heart. One particular message was from a child who was born two months after his father died in one of the towers. All I could think about was how that child could have been Kiddo. Quite a few of the messages included drawings that expressed more than words could ever say.

My husband started reading this book but he didn't get too far - some of it was just too painful for him. I think he'll continue reading though, and I think it will be good for him. I read some of the messages to Kiddo to help him understand the enormity of the tragedy - it isn't as real for him, and I think personal notes like this will help with that.

A Book from BEA

I wish I could remember which publicist at which BEA booth handed this book to me. I remember talking to a woman about several books at the booth and getting very excited when she showed me this one, but I can't remember anything other than that. If anyone knows which booth this book came from please let me know - I'd love to thank the person who gave it to me.

Dueling Monsters is coming soon!

2011-09-08T08:52:00.000-04:00

Dueling Monsters Round 3 is coming in October! Details will be announced on Sept. 17. Any guesses as to what we'll be reading this year? Hint: Check out the button below.

Mini Reviews: 4 books

2011-09-07T09:33:00.002-04:00

I'm still behind on reviews so here are a few quick thoughts on some of my recent read/listens. For a summary of these books please click on the title.

The Bonesetter's Daughter, by Amy Tan - audiobook (11.9 hours) - narrated by Amy Tan and Chen Joan Tan - I enjoyed THE JOY LUCK CLUB year ago and haven't read anything by Tan since then. This was available for download from my library so I decided to give it a listen. And it was ok. Not great, but ok. Parts of the book were very moving and other parts were very intriguing, but the story as a whole didn't capture me. I think in part this was because I didn't identify with the relationship between the mother and daughter main characters. Still, it was generally enjoyable to listen to, even if it won't stick with me long-term.

Heart of Lies, by M.L. Malcolm - 352 pages - I've had this book since BEA in 2010 - sad, right?! I met the author and really enjoyed chatting with her, so I was definitely looking forward to reading this. Unfortunately I didn't end up loving the book. The story is strongly based on the love between the two main characters, but I wasn't convinced of that love so the story didn't really work for me. I picked up the follow-up book, Heart of Deception, at BEA 2011 and I still plan to read it, but I'm not in any hurry to do so.

The Gunman's Rhapsody, by Robert Parker - audiobook (5.3 hours) - narrated by Ed Begley, Jr - This is a retelling of the Wyatt Earp story. Although it was well-written and I enjoyed listening to it, I can't say that it gave me any new insight into the story or the people involved.

The Authentic Life of Billy the Kid, by Pat F. Garrett - audiobook (5.5 hours) - narrated by Daniel Luna - Alright, I have to admit that I didn't finish this one. My husband and I started listening to it on a long drive and we made it about halfway through. Once we got home, we never got around to listening to the rest of it. It wasn't bad but it didn't really pull me in either, so I didn't feel like I was missing out on much by not finishing it.

Olga: A Daughter's Tale

2011-09-05T13:32:00.001-04:00

Olga: A Daughter's Tale

by Marie-Therese Brown

266 pages

About the Book

All her life Marie's mother, Olga, has been secretive about her past. Marie doesn't even know the name of her father. So when Olga ends up in the hospital, Marie realizes that if she ever wants to know about her family history she will have to find out for herself. She begins researching, using what little facts she has, and ends up discovering her mother's family in Jamaica. Through fictionalized journal entries, letters, and actual news clippings, Marie tells the story of Olga's childhood (happy yet with little to live on), her family, and the trip to England to visit her (horrible and vindictive) aunt - a trip that was supposed to last just a few months (but turned into the rest of her life).

Why I Read It

I love researching my own family history and I'm intrigued with family history stories of all kinds. I received an email from the author describing her book and I knew I wanted to learn more about Olga's story.

My Thoughts

First off, I like the cover, though that was not my first though upon seeing it. After finishing the book however, I feel like it fits very well.

As for the story itself - Olga's life - well, that was fascinating. I loved learning about how her (white) mother, Becky, came to Jamaica from England, and how she bucked society when she chose to marry a black Jamaican. Becky was an amazing woman and I enjoyed reading about her. It was clear that she loved her children and wanted the best for them even though she couldn't always provide it.

Race and color issues loomed large in Olga's childhood. In Jamaica at that time, lighter skin meant better status in society. Olga's siblings varied in skin tone and this led to a variety of conflicts in the family and community. And of course there was also Becky's white family to contend with. Some of them accepted her marriage but most did not. I learned a lot about Jamaican society and class issues while reading this section.

Olga's story took a turn for the worse when her journey to England coincided with the start of World War II and she was unable to return home as planned. Olga was a resourceful young woman and I enjoyed reading how she made the best of the situation. Things might have turned out alright had it not been for the intervention of her vindictive aunt - and boy, what a creep this aunt was!

The format of the book really worked for me. By using fictionalized journal entries and letters Marie-Therese allowed the reader to get to know a variety of Olga's family members early on. And by following Olga through her life in England I came to understand why she wanted to keep her life hidden away from her daughter.

All that being said, I think this book could have done with some grammatical editing. It wasn't written in dialect, rather it was written the way some people speak - including misused words and phrases. I don't know if it was the author trying to make certain letters and journal entries sound "authentic" but it was very distracting to me. If it was intentional, I think the book would have been better without it. If it was unintentional, then a good editor would fix it all up.

I'm so glad that Marie-Therese was able to put together her mother's life story and reunite with the family she never knew. I love reading family history tales, and I hope that I'm able to find more like this one!

My (Quick) Thoughts on Self-Publishing

I do accept self-published novels for review but only if I can read an excerpt of the book ahead of time. This helps me eliminate any books that haven't been edited or that are simply not well written. I am not comfortable rejecting all self-published books because I think there are lot of amazing stories out there that are worth reading, even if they aren't perfect. That was certainly the case with this book, and I'm very glad I read it!

Fabulous Authors Coming to Baltimore!

2011-09-04T23:10:00.001-04:00

I've been a bad blogger lately, and it's not that I don't have tons to write about ... I just need to sit down and WRITE! Until then, check out this list of the fabulous authors who will be at the Baltimore Book Festival on Sept. 23-25.

I'm super excited to see Sherman Alexie! I've read one of his books and plan to read the other this year. And the author of THE NIGHT CIRCUS, Erin Morganstern, will be there! And Stephanie Dray, author of LILY OF THE NILE (I really liked that one). And Alma Katsu (THE TAKER), and Janet Mullaney (JANE OF THE DAMNED) and Laura Lippman, and many, many more! I am so excited about all this. :)

If you are planning to go to the festival please let me know - I'd love to meet up with you.

UPDATE: I forgot to mention that Matthew Norman, author of DOMESTIC VIOLETS will be there as well. And that there will be TWO panels on Steampunk - woohoo!

Faith

2011-08-23T07:58:00.001-04:00

Faith

by Jennifer Haigh

audiobook: 10.6 hours

narrated by Therese Plummer

Why I Read It

I don't generally read books like this but after seeing all the fantastic reviews for it during the TLC Book Tour (and hearing that it was not a Catholic-bashing book*) I knew I had to give it a try.

About the Book

A Boston priest is accused of molesting a young boy and the fall-out in the community is huge. The priest's mother and sister family stand by him but his brother (father of two boys himself) wants nothing to do with him anymore. Parishioners struggle to match this horrible accusation with the priest they've trusted for years while the media crucifies him in light of all the other scandals in the Catholic Church in recent years.

The story is told by the priest's sister as she tries to put together the chain of events that led to the accusation.

My Thoughts

This is a fantastic book! I feel like these characters are people I know in real life. They are each unique and real enough to walk off the page. The story kept my attention from the start and I held my breath in anticipation as secrets were revealed in the latter half of the book.

Some of you know this already but my husband was molested by a teacher at a Christian school. It took years for him to tell anyone about it. When he finally did, the teacher was brought to trial and eventually convicted and sent to jail. School staff and students' families were split over the issue; some believed the kids (there ended up being more than just my husband) while others accused them of lying and stood by the teacher. It was a painful time for everyone involved. That anger and pain and confusion were all captured by Haigh in this book, and she did it in a very convincing way.

In retrospect I should have seen how the book would turn out but I was so engrossed in the story that I didn't think ahead and the ending took me by surprise.

As I said at the beginning of my review, it was a great, great book. I am very glad I broke out of my normal reading range and gave this one a chance.

* I was raised Catholic and although I now attend a non-denominational church I still have a great love for the Catholic Church.

American Gods

2011-08-20T08:29:00.000-04:00

American Gods

by Neil Gaiman

audiobook: 19.65 hours

narrated by Dennis Boutsikaris, Daniel Oreskes,

Ron McLarty, Sarah Jones (a full cast production)

Why I Read It

Back when I reviewed Stardust I said that even though I enjoyed the book I wasn't really a Gaiman fan. I also said that I still wanted to give American Gods a shot because the idea of the book intrigued me. So when the 10th anniversary edition of AG was offered to me on audio for review I was quite pleased to give it a listen.

About the Book

Shadow is serving his last few days in jail when he gets the news that his wife was killed in a car accident. He is released a few days early and has to decide what to do with his life from here on out. Having few other options, Shadow takes a job as a body guard/chauffeur by a mysterious man named Mr. Wednesday. During his travels with his new employer he meets an odd assortment of characters and comes to realize that these "people" are actually old world gods who are down on their luck because they don't have enough worshippers anymore. He is drawn into Mr. Wednesday's plot to gather the old world gods to fight for turf against the new gods of America - Media, Computers, etc. But things may not be exactly as they seem ...

Note on the 10th Anniversary Edition

This edition of the book includes all the sections that were originally edited. The book is now the way that Gaiman originally intended it to be.

My Thoughts

Gaiman fans will probably want to throw tomatoes at me but I have to admit that I was more impressed with the IDEA of the book than with the book itself. I loved the way that Gaiman took America's obsessions with the latest and greatest thing and turned those obsessions into actual gods. I also loved how the old world gods (and their current jobs) were described. But that was about all that I really did like. I couldn't really get into the story and I often felt like I was missing something important. Maybe I just didn't get it?

On the other hand the actual audio production was great. I'm not generally a fan of full cast productions because I often can't recall which character belongs with which voice, but I didn't have that problem here. With only four narrators - and each of those having a unique voice - it was easy to follow the narration.

Your Thoughts

Did you love this book? If so, what am I missing?! Are you a Gaiman fan? What makes you love him? Honestly most of his books sort of give me the creeps, and that's just from reading the summaries!

NPR's Top 100 Fantasy/SciFi Books

2011-08-19T08:08:00.011-04:00

It's been a while since I've posted a list of any sort but I got a bit excited when I saw the one Ryan from Wordsmithonia posted. It was a list of the top 100 fantasy/scifi books as compiled by NPR. There are some great books on there and a lot that I haven't heard of either! Of course there are also a lot that I don't want to read either ...

Check out the list for yourself below. The ones in red are books I've read (27.5 books) and the ones in blue are ones that I've seen the movie/tv version but not actually read (7 books). Does this list make you want to add anything to your TBR list?

1. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien
2. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
3. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
4. The Dune Chronicles by Frank Herbert
5. A Song of Ice and Fire Series by George R.R. Martin
6. 1984 by George Orwell
7. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
8. The Foundation Trilogy by Isaac Asimov
9. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
10. American Gods by Neil Gaiman
11. The Princess Bride by William Goldman
12. The Wheel of Time Series by Robert Jordan
13. Animal Farm by George Orwell
14. Neuromancer by William Gibson
15. Watchmen by Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons
16. I, Robot by Isaac Asimov
17. Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein
18. The Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss
19. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
20. Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
21. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick
22. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
23. The Dark Tower Series by Stephen King
24. 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke
25. The Stand by Stephen King
26. Snow Crash Neal Stephenson
27. The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury
28. Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut
29. The Sandman Series by Neil Gaiman
30. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
31. Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein
32. Watership Down by Richard Adams
33. Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey
34. The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein
35. A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr.
36. The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
37. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
38. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
39. The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells
40. The Amber Chronicles by Roger Zelazny
41. The Belgariad by David Eddings
42. The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley
43. Mistborn Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson
44. Ringworld by Larry Niven
45. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
46. The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien
47. The Once and Future King by T.H. White
48. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
49. Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke
50. Contact by Carl Sagan
51. The Hyperion Cantos by Dan Simmons
52. Stardust by Neil Gaiman
53. Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson
54. World War Z by Max Brooks
55. The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle
56. The Forever War by Joe Haldeman
57. Small Gods by Terry Pratchett
58. The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, The Unbeliever by Stephen R. Donaldson
59. The Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold
60. Going Postal by Terry Pratchett
61. The Mote in Gods Eye by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle
62. The Sword of Truth Series by Terry Goodkind
63. The Road by Cormac McCarthy
64. Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
65. I Am Legend by Richard Matheson
66. The Riftwar Saga by Raymond E. Feist
67. The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks
68. The Conan the Barbarian Series by Robert E. Howard & Mark Schultz
69. The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb
70. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
71. The Way of the Kings by Brandon Sanderson
72. Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne
73. The Legend of Drizzt Series by R. A. Salvatore
74. Old Man's War by Jon Scalzi
75. The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson
76. Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke
77. The Kushiel's Legacy Series by Jacqueline Carey
78. The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin
79. Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
80. Wicked by Gregory Maguire
81. The Malazan Book of the Fallen Series by Steven Erikson
82. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
83. The Culture Series by Iain Banks
84. The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart
85. Anathem by Neal Stephenson
86. The Codex Alera Series by Jim Butcher
87. The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe
88. The Thrawn Trilogy by Timothy Zahn
89. The Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon
90. The Elric Saga by Michael Moorcock
91. The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury (I've read some stories from this collection)
92. Sunshine by Robin McKinley
93. A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge
94. The Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov
95. The Mars trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson
96. Lucifer's Hammer by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle
97. Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
98. Perdido Street Station by China Mieville
99. The Xanath Series by Piers Anthony
100. The Space Trilogy by C.S. Lewis

Three Mini Reviews - vacation books

2011-08-18T09:17:00.001-04:00

August has been a travel month in my house. We drove 7 hours to North Carolina to take Kiddo to camp then 7 hours back home the next day. At the end of camp we flew to North Carolina, drove an hour to pick up Kiddo, drove an hour back to the airport, then flew to Disney World in Florida. After a week we flew home again. Needless to say, all that travel time gave me lots of opportunities to listen to audio books and to read. Here are some quick thoughts on a few of those books.

Forever, by Maggie Stiefvater (400 pages) - This is the final book in the Wolves of Mercy Falls series. I mentioned in my reviews of book one and book two that although I really like the author's twist on werewolf mythology I'm not really in love with the story itself; that continued for me in book three. The relationship between Grace and Sam just doesn't move me. Isabel is still my favorite character (she's nothing like me but I feel like I really understand her) and Cole yet again adds some excitement and intensity to the story. And even though I didn't love it I still felt like it was a good end to the series, so I'm not disappointed in it either.

Drums of Autumn, by Diana Gabaldon (44.75 hours, narrated by Davina Porter) - This is book four in the Outlander series and continues the story of Jamie and Claire, but with a twist. I'm looking forward to continuing the series soon. *** MINOR SPOILER ALERT FOR PREVIOUS BOOKS IN THE SERIES *** I didn't think I'd like the story as much once it moved to pre-revolution America but I actually really enjoyed the setting and the new characters. I also liked the way Briana's and Roger's relationship developed - I figured they'd end up in the past somehow but I wasn't sure how or why. I'm definitely excited to see what happens next for all of them! (And as a side note, much of the story takes place in the Cape Fear River area so imagine my delight as we drove through North Carolina and saw signs for the Cape Fear River!)

Other Kingdoms, by Richard Matheson (8.5 hours, narrated by Bronson Pinchot)- Hubby and I needed a book to listen to on one of our drives without Kiddo and this was available for download from our library. It is the story of a young American man named Alex who survives WWI and goes to live in a small village in England. While there he discovers that the forest in inhabited by The Little People, and that they may not be as friendly as he has always heard. We wanted to listen to the book because it is by the same guy who wrote I AM LEGEND, and we figured that was a good enough recommendation. Sadly it was not. The first half of the book was great! The story is told by Alex at age 82. He's spent his life writing cheesy horror stories and now he wants to share the truth about what happened to him at age 18 in England. The writing is fun to read - Alex continually comments on his sentence structure or word choice, critiquing himself as if he were editing one of his horror tales. This made the storytelling aspect of the book very entertaining. Unfortunately the plot became rather predictable and boring and really didn't keep our attention once we hit the midway point. I finished it on my own once we got back home and told Hubby he didn't miss much. (Oh, one quick note about the narrator. He did a very convincing New York accent - appropriate for Alex - but I wasn't a huge fan; that accent drove me a bit batty! I don't know why, since my mother and lots of relatives talk that way, but for some reason it really got to me.)

I've read a few more books but they were sent to me for review and I always give review books their own posts. They should be coming up in a few days, if I can make time to write them!

BEA (mini) Book Review: Lebensborn

2011-08-16T09:10:00.000-04:00

Lebensborn

by Jo Ann Bender

364 pages

While wandering the aisles at BEA back in May I came across author Jo Ann Bender signing copies of her WWII fiction novel and had to get a copy for myself. The book sounded familiar to me, and I thought maybe I'd read a review of it on someone's blog. And of course I'm intrigued by anything set in this time period.

Antoinette is the main character in this story. She is a young French girl living in a town which has just been occupied by the Nazis. The officers move into her house (her father is the mayor) and one of them takes an interest in Antoinette. Although he doesn't rape her, he does coerce her into his bed, and eventually she becomes pregnant. At this point the officer ships her to a Lebensborn, a home for women bearing racially pure children for the Fuhrer. And now Antoinette's adventures are just beginning!

The book got off to a great start. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and I felt like the story was very believable. It was a bit wordy and overly descriptive, but I could ignore that as long since the story was moving along at a nice pace. About halfway through the plot began to get more and more far-fetched. Around this time those excessive descriptions began to really annoy me. Add in a few plot holes and, in the end, I have to say that I was rather disappointed. It's a shame, because this book had a lot of potential.

BEA Book Review: Waltzing With The Enemy

2011-08-07T12:49:00.000-04:00

Waltzing With The Enemy

by Rasia Kliot and Helen Mitsios

287 pages

During the panel I moderated at BEA I mentioned that I enjoy non-fiction. Immediately after the panel author Helen Mitsios introduced herself, thrilled to finally find a non-fiction fan (she hadn't had much success connecting with the right bloggers at that point). When she told me about the book she'd written with her mother, I knew I wanted to read it.

In the first part of the book Helen's mom, Rasia, explains how she used her wits and some luck to survive the Holocaust. In the second part of the book Helen describes her own life and how her Rasia's experiences affected her daughter. Helen didn't find out she was Jewish until she was almost a teenager. Combined with other issues in her family, this fact had a huge impact on how Helen viewed herself, which she shares in her portion of the book.

Other than one minor thing which I'll discuss next, I really enjoyed this book. Rasia's experiences and the way she survived are simply amazing and would make for fascinating reading on their own. The fact that her experience affected her daughter's life should be obvious, but I have never read anything about the children of survivors and how they deal with their own (and their parents') issues. Helen's part of the book was well-written and (for the most part) interesting.

And here we come to the one thing I didn't like about the book. A huge part of Helen's story is how she came to grips with her own issues. That's great, because I was very interested in it. However I felt that she spent too much time focusing on which psychologist said what in his latest book and which researcher has a new theory. This section dragged for me and I feel it could have been cut down considerably.

Other than that one issue though, I really enjoyed this book. I'm so glad Helen came up and introduced herself!

BEA (mini) Book Review: Something Inside of Me

2011-08-02T22:40:00.000-04:00

Something Inside of Me

by Chitoka Webb

200 pages

I met Chitoka while I was at BEA in New York back in May and I really enjoyed the time I spent chatting with her. She is a lovely conversationalist and it was for that reason that I decided to read her book, even though it isn't something I'd normally pick up.

This book is a short memoir that seeks to inspire readers to fight through hard times. Chitoka overcame a variety of obstacles to become a successful business woman and she relied on "something inside of her" to get her there.

Although I enjoyed learning more about Chitoka's life I can't say that I loved the book. It wasn't bad but it wasn't great either. I think perhaps I'd have enjoyed it more if it had been shortened and included in a collection with other inspiring true stories.

One Second After

2011-07-24T09:00:00.001-04:00

One Second After

by William R. Forstchen

audiobook: 13.3 hours

narrated by Joe Barrett

About the Book

In a small mountain town in North Carolina, the electricity suddenly goes out. Soon enough the town realizes that America has been attacked by EMP weapons - the kind that permanently knock out all electrical equipment. Over the first few days the people come together to support each other and share their food and supplies. But as time goes by and things become more scarce, will kindness prevail in this small town or will harsh reality force people to make unpleasant decisions? What happens when strangers come to town? And will the power ever come back on?

My Thoughts

When I read the description of this book it immediately reminded me of the short-lived-but-well-loved TV series, Jericho. That was enough to convince me to pick it up. And ok, the premise is basically the same - people coming together to survive and defend themselves.

Although I did like most of the characters in this book, I didn't feel all that connected to them. One character did strike a chord though: a little girl who relied on insulin to survive reminded me of Kiddo and his reliance on his medications and feeding tube. That one definitely kept me thinking about what I'd do in a similar situation!

My biggest problem with this book is that so much of it was exposition. There needed to be much more "show" and a lot less "tell." Also, so many times the exciting parts of the story were told in retrospect rather than as they happened. This slowed the pace of the story and, combined with the extensive info dumps, made the book drag.

Another thing to note is that the book is told from a conservative standpoint. Not to the extreme, but it is clear that the author is solidly in the politically conservative camp.

I'm not sorry that I listened to this one; it made me think about the "what if" scenarios and how I'd handle them, and that is definitely a plus. But at the same time it could have been SO MUCH better.

When The Killings Done

2011-07-21T12:30:00.000-04:00

When the Killing's Done

by T.C. Boyle

audiobook: 11.2 hours

narrated by Anthony Heald

About the Book (from my library's description)

"From the bestselling author of The Women comes an action-packed adventure about endangered animals and those who would protect them.

Principally set on the wild and sparsely inhabited Channel Islands off the coast of Santa Barbara, T. C. Boyle's powerful new novel combines pulse-pounding adventure with a socially conscious, richly humane tale regarding the dominion we attempt to exert, for better or worse, over the natural world. Alma Boyd Takesue is a National Park Service biologist who is spearheading the efforts to save the islands' endangered native creatures from invasive species like rats and feral pigs, which, in her view, must be eliminated. Her antagonist, Dave LaJoy, is a dreadlocked local businessman who, along with his lover, the folksinger Anise Reed, is fiercely opposed to the killing of any species whatsoever and will go to any lengths to subvert the plans of Alma and her colleagues.

[...]. In dramatizing this collision between protectors of the environment and animal rights activists, Boyle is, in his characteristic fashion, examining one of the essential questions of our time: Who has the right of possession of the land, the waters, the very lives of all the creatures who share this planet with us?

When the Killing's Done will offer no transparent answers, but like The Tortilla Curtain, Boyle's classic take on illegal immigration, it will touch you deeply and put you in a position to decide."

My Thoughts

I really loved THE TORTILLA CURTAIN because Boyle made me think about the illegal immigration of Mexicans into California in new ways. He presented people on both sides of the issue and made me feel for them all. I was hoping for the same thing from this book, but it isn't exactly what I got.

In this book the controversial issue tackled by Boyle is invasive species versus naturally occurring species. If a non-native species is endangering the survival of a native species, what is the right course of action to take?

As in TORTILLA, Boyle presents both sides by introducing characters on either side of the issue. Alma, the scientist, is working to eradicate the non-native species on the islands. I understood her and her beliefs and I felt that she was a realistic character. Dave is with an organization similar to PETA and he is working to save the lives of all animals on the island regardless of how they got there. Dave's characters was more volatile and unpredictable, and I didn't always understand his motives.

The book and the issues it tackles are fascinating and I enjoyed it. However I felt that Dave's character represented all the negative stereotypes of an animal rights activist, and this led me to have very little sympathy for his cause. Had Boyle chosen to portray the animal rights side of the issue in a less extreme way I think I would have gotten more from the book, that I'd have been more challenged by both sides of the issue. By focusing on the extreme, Boyle enabled me to distance myself from that side of the issue; that is not what I was hoping to do.

All that said, the very very end of the book made me reevaluate some of my opinions and it turned part of the story on it's head. Well done!

So I didn't love this one but I didn't dislike it either. It's definitely worth reading, and I'm certainly going to look for more by this author.

Photo of the day

2011-07-12T20:24:00.001-04:00

As we pulled into the gas station just now Kiddo hollered "Mom, it's a vampire truck!" It took me a few minutes to figure out what he was talking about but I finally got it.

BEA Book Review: Next to Love

2011-07-11T07:55:00.117-04:00

Next to Love

by Ellen Feldman

304 pages

From the epigraph:

War ... next to love, has most captured the world's imagination. - Eric Partridge, 1914

While meandering through the aisles on the last day of BEA the cover of this book caught my eye. When I saw that the author was at the booth signing the last few copies of the book I immediately rushed over to see what it was all about. During my chat with the author I discovered that the book was set during World War II and I knew that I had to read it.

Turns out, this is THE BEST BOOK that I brought home from my BEA/BBC trip!

About the Book

The story centers around three female friends who got married at the start of WWII. Each of their husbands is sent off to war but not all of them come home again. Can these women maintain their friendship when some are widowed and others are not? For those whose husbands did return, what happens when the man you married is not the same man who came back to you after the war? The book relates the tragedy and triumph the war years but it doesn't stop there. It goes on to explore what happened in the lives of these women in the 20-odd years that followed.

Why I Read It

A few years back I sat down with my grandma and helped her move all her photos out of the old, crumbling album where they'd been for 50 years and into a new album. During that project Gram shared tons of stories with me about her childhood and early married life. I knew the war stories - those were common tales in our house - but much of the rest was new to me. By the time we finished I felt like I knew Gram as a young woman rather than only as my grandma. That's one of the reasons I was so drawn to this book - it gives me insight into the WWII generation and helps me see them as young people in the heyday of their lives instead of the senior citizens they are today.

My Thoughts

I was sucked into this book from the very first pages. It begins in the middle of the war with one of the main characters getting news that several young men from town died in battle. From there the story goes back in time to the first days of the war. That scene from the start of the book? It actually happens about halfway through - I loved that, since I had expected it to be closer to the end.

The point-of-view switches between the three main characters, sometimes covering the same event from more than one perspective. Again, I loved that - it was interesting to see how the same situation could be viewed so differently by these women.

Reading this book gave me insight into what the lives of my grandparents generation were actually like, both for the good and for the bad. For that alone I would have enjoyed the book, but add in realistic characters, a compelling story, and great writing, and you've got an all-around fantastic book.

Your Thoughts

Have you read this one yet or seen other reviews? It comes out in hardcover on July 26 - will you be buying a copy?

Also, I want your opinion on the cover. The image at the top is the ARC cover, the one that I have. The image down here is from the hardcover. Which one do you like better? I LOVE the ARC one - it's what drew me to the book in the first place. I'm not a big fan of the new cover. To be honest, I'd have walked right past it ...

another DNF

2011-07-09T11:22:00.007-04:00

I've been trying to listen to the audio of THE GENDARME by Mark Mustian for weeks now. I was SO excited when this came out - it looked like exactly the kind of book I most enjoy. I picked it up from the library a few weeks ago, popped in the first CD, and ... just about fell asleep. I made it through one CD then took a few weeks break to listen to other books, thinking that maybe the timing was off for this particular book. I popped in the second CD today and nothing has changed. I love the premise of the book but it is just boring me to death. I am officially calling it quits on this one.

Outlander: The First Three Books

2011-07-07T09:09:00.000-04:00

Outlander and Dragonfly In Amber and Voyager

by Diana Gabaldon

audiobooks: Outlander = 32.75 hours, Dragonfly in Amber = 39 hours, Voyager = 43.33 hours

narrated by Davina Porter

After years of hearing about these books I finally decided to give them a try and I am HOOKED.

About the Books

Book 1: For those unfamiliar with the story, the first book begins just after World War II. Claire has just reunited with her husband after spending the war years working as a nurse in a field hospital. The two plan to spend some time in Scotland where Claire will relax while her husband does geneological research. However, while walking through an ancient stone circle Claire is suddenly pulled back in time to approximately 200 years in the past. She finds herself in danger at every turn and - through a series of events - is forced to marry a young man named Jamie in order to gain his protection. Although she is still in love with her (future) husband, Claire finds herself drawn to Jamie as well. The central question of book one is this: given the chance to go 'back to the future' will Claire choose her old life and her first husband or will she remain in the past with Jamie?

Book 2: SPOILER ALERT: don't read this summary if you haven't read book 1 - Ok, so, this book starts in the "modern" day with Claire and her daughter Brianna. They are hoping to find out what happened to Jamie's men after the battle which led to Claire's departure. The story then flashes back to the 1700s and we find out what happened to Jamie & Claire that led to their separation.

Book 3: SPOILER ALERT: don't read this summary if you haven't read book 2 - Claire found out at the end of book 2 that Jamie didn't die in the battle as she'd always thought,. Now she must dig through the historical record to find out what happened to Jamie and where he went next. Once she finds out all she can she must decide whether to risk yet another trip through the stones to find him.

My Thoughts

I knew I would love these books but I put off reading them because I feared getting sucked into a long series. Now that I've started I really DO love them but I've been able to pace myself, listening to a book a month.

The books are sprawling and epic in scope. They contain a large number of characters and deal with quite a few historical events. At times the author tends to ramble (the books could have been quite a bit shorter) but I really like that - I love all the extra details and side-stories that are included. There are some graphic sex scenes - both consensual and forced - that may turn off some readers but I found the consensual ones quite good and the forced ones fitting to the story.

I think the thing that makes me really love these books is that I identify with the characters. Claire and Jamie act in ways that I recognize as real, even if it isn't the way I would act in a given situation. I love them together and I cannot wait to start the next book.

Your Thoughts

Are you a fan of this series? If so, which is your favorite book? Is there another book/series that you think I'd enjoy since I love this one so much?

Mini Reviews: 6 Books

2011-07-05T12:39:00.000-04:00

I hope that you all are enjoying your summer (or, for those in the other hemisphere, your winter) as much as I am. Things have been super busy here BUT I am reading some and definitely listening to lots of audio books. Below are some quick thoughts on some of my latest finished books. I didn't provide summaries because 1) most of these are books you've probably heard of, 2) I'm trying to keep this short so I actually get a post written, and 3) you can click on the titles to read the summaries at GoodReads.com.

Stardust, by Neil Gaiman - audio, 6.5 hours, narrated by the author - I'm not a huge Gaiman fan so this was actually the first book by him that I've read/listened to. I had seen the movie and loved it so I figured I'd give it a shot. All in all I enjoyed it. It wasn't anything that blew me out of the water but it was entertaining and original and I'm glad I listened to it.

Crossed, by Ally Condie - ARC from BEA (no idea of the page count as I don't have the book anymore) - I enjoyed Matched (liked but not loved) and I wanted to see what happened to the characters next. I picked up this book to send to Amanda but of course I had to read it first. :) Although I did like it I also felt that not a whole lot happened; it definitely had the feel of a "second in a trilogy" book. I'm not particularly invested in the series but I will read the final book when it comes out.

The Girl Who Fell From The Sky, by Heidi W. Durrow - 264 pages - This book was not what I expected AT ALL but it was strangely fascinating. I didn't necessarily love it but I was totally intrigued by it. What I did love was the examination of race and class that the author showed through the main character and her interactions with those around her. I need to look up some info about the author and see if her writing was influenced by her own experiences with race in any way ...

Master and Commander, by Patrick O'Brian - audio - DNF - This is a book that I SHOULD love. It has everything that I enjoy - historical detail, epic adventure, good narration - but I just couldn't get into it. I listened for about 5 hours before finally calling it quits. Of course, the fact that I fell asleep in the movie version might have given me a clue ...

A Woman of Independent Means, Elizabeth Forysthe Hailey - audio, 1.9 hours, narrated by Barbara Rush - I really wanted to love this story of a real woman in the early 1900s making her way through marriage and family while retaining her independence. Unfortunately I found that I really didn't like this woman. This became very clear to me via her dealings with her adult daughter late in the book; I couldn't imagine having to deal with this woman as my own mother!

Don't Breathe A Word, by Jennifer McMahon - 464 pages - I saw a ton of reviews for this book over the past few months so when I got a copy in a BEA swag bag I decided to give it a try. I don't usually read "missing children" books but I was intrigued by the fantasy element in this one. It kept my attention and parts of it slightly gave me the creeps but overall it was just okay. The problem for me what that I wanted more of the fantasy than I got.

Have you read any of these? What did you think of them?

Hopefully I'll have more short reviews soon ...

What I've Been Up To ...

2011-06-28T09:30:00.006-04:00

It's been quiet around here lately but that's because summer is in full swing and I'm doing everything BUT reading. To see what crazy adventures I got myself up to last week, check out my guest post at Wordsmithonia today. I can just about guarantee that my week was more ... um ... dangerous? ... than yours!

BEA Book Spotlight: Gluten-Free, Anyone?

2011-06-20T08:21:00.001-04:00

Over the next few weeks I will feature books that I received at Book Expo America and the Book Blogger Convention. In most cases I have not read the book yet, but simply want to share with you my first impressions from the conventions and let you know why the book attracted my attention.

Kiddo is, among other dietary restrictions, on a gluten-free diet. Have you ever tried to find gluten AND dairy free cookies that actually taste good? It's quite difficult (and expensive, but that's another story). So I was pretty excited when I saw this book:

Gluten Free Cookies, by Luane Kohnke

(You can check out the first few pages on Amazon.com.)

Not only are the cookies in this book delicious LOOKING but I'm pretty certain most of them will be delicious TASTING as well, at least for Kiddo (who is used to gluten free foods). Why? Because Ms. Kohnke did her homework. She tested her cookies using four different types of gluten free flour, and her taste-tasters were both gluten and non-gluten eaters. She explains all this in the introduction to the book and I have to say that I am impressed - I can't wait to try out some of these recipes!

Kiddo and I rarely (as in maybe once a year) make cookies together. That's because there aren't that many cookie recipes that we can make from scratch that actually taste good. I'm really excited about some of the recipes in this book though - each recipe has an accompanying picture and they all look delicious! I'll have to do some substitutions (non-dairy milk and butter are the biggest issues) so I know that our cookies won't be exactly the same but I trust that they will be good anyway!

If you know of anyone who is living gluten free, consider this book as a gift to them. Good gluten free desserts are hard to find!

Fire On Dark Water

2011-06-17T08:36:00.017-04:00

Fire On Dark Water

by Wendy K. Perriman

326 pages

About the Book

Lola was a young child when she was stolen from her gypsy family in England and sold into prostitution. Through a combination of spirit and luck (both good and bad) she eventually finds herself indentured to a wealthy family in the southern United States. Learning quickly that she can rely on no-one but herself, Lola finds a way to strike out on her own and she heads for Nassau. It is there that she meets (and falls for) the dread pirate Blackbeard ...

Why I Read It

This book arrived in the mail as an unsolicited review copy. Generally I donate all unsolicited books to charity but this one caught my attention for some reason. I guess I was in the mood for a pirate adventure!

My Thoughts

The cover is very eye-catching, don't you think? I'm not usually one to notice a book cover but this one is pretty striking. A friend saw me reading it and was enthralled by the cover so apparently I'm not alone in this. What do you think of it?

Okay, on to the actual review ... Do you remember when I wrote about the Bloody Jack books? I couldn't help but compare those books with this one since they have a lot of the same subject matter. Whereas Jacky seems to catch all the breaks (at least, all the ones having to do with her "virtue"), Lola's story is much more realistic. Bad things happen to Lola again and again, but - sad, but true - they are the kinds of things you would expect to happen to a young, pretty girl without family in this time and place. My heart broke for the situations she found herself in (some of them were truly horrible). Still, Lola is a great character and I was rooting for her throughout the book.

Another thing I really liked about the book was the fictional set-up in the first few pages. Apparently Daniel Defoe (author of ROBINSON CRUSOE) saw Lola and heard that she was Blackbeard's last wife. He became fascinated with writing her story, and the book is the extensive interview he conducted with Lola. I don't always like it when real people are pulled into fictional stories but in this case it worked really well for me.

I'm not at all knowledgeable about piratical history but there is a great deal of it in this book. It has the ring of truth so I suspect that the author did a great deal of research. However, not having the background knowledge myself, I can't say whether the historical details are correct or not. They do make for a fascinating story though, and if the ARE true then there was some craziness going in in the Caribbean in those days!

There were parts of the story, especially near the end, that seemed rushed or that didn't fit so well with the rest of the book, but in spite of that I still enjoyed this one a great deal.

Oh, one more thing! There's a line on the cover that reads, "Life isn't kind ... Neither is she." I really don't like this line. Having read the book, I don't feel like it fits Lola at all. She was hard, yes, but I wouldn't say she was unkind.

The Language of the Sea

2011-06-15T08:06:00.012-04:00

The Language of the Sea

by James MacManus

295 pages

About the Book

Leo Kemp, professor of marine mammal studies, is fascinated by seal communication; it is his life's work. His dedication to the subject has led to problems in his marriage and even (in a roundabout way) to the death of his 10-year-old son.

A freak wave results in Leo being swept overboard during a research trip and he finds himself in the midst of a seal pod. Through some strange miracle he is able to swim and survive alongside the seals. Now he has a choice: will he return to his family on shore or spend the rest of his life in the sea?

Why I Read It

Seals have been my favorite animals since childhood but they don't appear in many stories so I was excited when I received a pitch for this book. The pitch also mentioned the Celtic legend of selkies (seals who come on land, shed their skins, and become human for a time). That was enough to get me hooked.

My Thoughts

I've got mixed feelings about this book so I'm finding it hard to write a review. Let me start by telling you what I liked, then I'll share what didn't exactly work for me.

The characters in this book are fantastic. The main characters (other than Leo) are fleshed out in enough detail to make them interesting and real. Leo's wife was especially well-written - I feel like I know her. And Leo's friend Sandy was endearing to me because he is literally addicted to buying second-hand books. The secondary characters weren't as developed (of course) but they also weren't stereotypical; each was unique and I could picture them as real people.

I loved the idea of this story but the execution fell flat at times. I was hoping for an explanation of how Leo was able to survive with the seals but it wasn't given. That really wasn't a big deal though - I think it was meant to be unexplainable, and I'm okay with that. What WAS a big deal was Leo's reason for wanting to live with the seals in the first place. I felt like I didn't know Leo enough before the boating accident and therefore I had difficulty understanding his actions afterward. For example, he had a dream since childhood of disappearing into the sea but that doesn't come out until much later in the book, and by the time it does come out it seems like an afterthought to explain the way the plot developed.

I really enjoyed the epilogue. The story progressed in a way that made complete sense based on what had come before, and I liked the ending a great deal.

As I said, I'm torn on this book. I can't recommend it whole-heartedly but I can't say not to read it either. I'd love to know what other people thought of it, so if you've read this one please do let me know!

Hobbit to Hobbit

2011-06-10T10:00:00.034-04:00

The Hobbit, by JRR Tolkien

audiobook: 11.1 hours

narrated by Robert Inglis

A few weeks ago Sheila @ Book Journey mentioned that she was starting the audio of JRR Tolkien's classic, The Hobbit. As luck would have it I had just checked out that same audiobook from my library so I suggested that we review it together. And thanks to Sheila we even have a cool header with our pictures in it for this review!

About The Book

I assume that just about everyone has at least HEARD of this book before but here's a quick description anyway: Bilbo Baggins is a slightly adventurous hobbit living a quiet life when Gandalf the wizard arrives on his doorstep and convinces him to help a group of dwarfs steal their treasure back from a dragon.

My History With This Book

When I was in the first grade I saw my dad with this book and asked him to read a little of it to me. He didn't think I'd like it but he agreed to read aloud for a while. When he finished I asked him if I could borrow the book and read it myself, and he said yes (I'm pretty sure he didn't think I'd actually read it). I sped through it in a very short time, and then moved on to the rest of the Lord of the Rings books. From there I picked up books by David Eddings, and my addiction to reading and fantasy was born.

My Quick Thoughts

I absolutely loved listening to this book. I remembered a lot more of it than I expected to but there were also things I did not remember at all. One thing I found interesting was the way the author spoke directly to the reader throughout the book. I'd forgotten that, but it definitely made the book seem more like the children's story it was written to be. In fact, it reminded me of being told stories as a child.

One thing that was odd to me was the way the elves were portrayed. They came across as extremely light-hearted and almost silly at times. My vision of the elves has, of course, been influenced by the movie productions of the Lord of the Rings books; in the movies the elves are very serious, but I honestly cannot remember how they were portrayed in the actual books. Does their description in The Hobbit match their description in the rest of the series or is it different? It's got me in the mood to listen to the Fellowship of the Ring next just to figure it out!

Sheila's Questions For Me

1. What did you think of the narration? (Can you think of another narrator who would have done a good job with this read?) I'm picky about my narrators but I can say that Robert Inglis did a very good job. He was able to convey a lot of different characters but he didn't do all sorts of vocal tricks to do it, and that's a good thing. The only other narrator I can think of off the top of my head who would do a good job with this is George Guidall - he's got an excellent voice and is very talented. If you haven't listened to any books he's narrated, definitely look for one!

2. Favorite part to listen to? I always enjoy the parts with Gollum, but to be honest I enjoyed most of the book. I'd be listening and suddenly remember parts from the cartoon movie or from when I read the book as a child, so that made the entire thinng a lot of fun for me. (If you want to listen to Tolkien himself reading the Gollum section you can do that here: http://youtu.be/7VOdv2RE4jg.)

3. I know you listened to this with your son, did he have a favorite part? I originally got this book so that Kiddo could listen to it but then he found the beginning boring so I continued without him. As the story progressed he got into it more. He really liked the parts with Gollum (he remembers Gollum from the movies) and was very excited to get to the parts with Smaug the dragon.

4. Having read the book, what are the benefits to finding a book you once read and enjoyed and listening to it on audio? What different perspectives does this bring to the surface? For me, listening to this book was a trip down memory lane. I LOVED the cartoon as a child (I've included an excerpt below) and as I listened I realized that much of the narration of the cartoon was taken directly from the book. That made me very happy! But more than that, I love to revisit my favorite books on audio. Having read them once, I'm familiar with the story and the characters, so listening to the audio is like visiting an old friend. Many of us enjoyed being read to as children - for me audiobooks give me the chance to experience that joy again. And just like when I was a child and wanted to hear the same stories again and again, I love to listen to my favorite books again and again.

You can check out Sheila's answers to my questions at her blog - hop over there and check it out!

The Cartoon

This movie came out in 1977 and I watched it again and again as a child. I still have a copy of it on VHS ... unfortunately I no longer have a VHS player. *sniff* Here's a clip from the beginning of the movie in case you haven't seen it before. The description of Bilbo's house is a direct quote from the beginning of the book. And the song that I always remember starts at the 8:10 mark.

Thank you so much to Sheila for reviewing with me! Please hop on over to her blog to see what she thought of this book.

Audiobook Midweek Meme

2011-06-08T08:11:00.006-04:00

Current/most recent audiobook: Last night I finished WHEN THE KILLING'S DONE, by TC Boyle.

Impressions: This is a book I need to review ASAP. I loved the last book that I listened to by this author - THE TORTILLA CURTAIN (mini review here) - and was very excited about this one, but I ended up being disappointed by some of the choices the author made. I'll explain more when I review it, hopefully within the week.

Current favorite audiobook: This is a hard one!

One narrator who always makes you choose audio over print: I love George Guidall for historical fiction, Katherine Kellgren is fantastic for accents, David Case for British books, and I could go on an on ...

Genre you most often choose to listen to: I really like non-fiction in audio but I can't say that I listen to more of that than anything else. The genres of the last few books I listened to were: fiction, fantasy, non-fiction, historical fiction, and paranormal.

If given the choice, you will always choose audio when: I love the narrator, or when I know I'll be doing lots of chores or driving and won't have a lot of time to read.

If given the choice, you will always choose print when: I always check who the narrator is before deciding to listen to a book, and if the narrator is one I don't like I'll always get the book in print.

For more on Audiobook Week, click here.

Something Missing

2011-06-07T09:15:00.000-04:00

Something Missing

by Matthew Dicks

audiobook: 9 hours
narrated by Jefferson Mays

About the Book

Martin has made quite an interesting career for himself, stealing from the same "clients" for over ten years. Through meticulous research he has learned about these couples in detail - their likes and dislike, their routines, their schedules - and he feels like he knows them even though he's never seen them face to face. He usually steals small things (half-empty bottles of salad dressing, vegetables on the verge of going bad, drain cleaner from the back of the closet, etc.), but occasionally he'll take something bigger if he knows it won't be missed. Through the years he's come to care about his clients, so when he suspects that one of them is in grave danger he knows he has to do something to protect her.

Why I Read It

This is not the kind of book I'd have picked up on my own, but I heard the author speak on a podcast and was totally captivated by him. He's hilarious! He talked about how he feels that more people should be writing because so many people have stories to tell. At one event an 80-something year old woman came up to him and told him that one day she was going to write a book because she had a story inside of her. His response? That she'd better hurry up and get started! LOL You can listen to Matthew Dicks on the Books On The Nightstand podcast at this link: http://booksonthenightstand.com/2011/04/botns-podcast-125-because-you-asked-for-it.html You won't regret it!

My Thoughts

This book is quirky and unique and oddly fascinating. It doesn't move quickly and not a great deal happens, but it is strangely enjoyable all the same. I couldn't help but like Martin in spite of the fact that he is a criminal (and an OCD criminal at that!) and I was always hoping that things would turn out well for him.

One side effect of listening to this book? Whenever I can't find something in my house I immediately think that it could have been stolen by someone like Martin. Odd, right?!

If you want a book that is a bit out of the ordinary but still a great read (or listen), give this one a try.

BEA Book Spotlight: A Unique Cookbook

2011-06-06T08:31:00.003-04:00

I'm not a foodie. Not to say that I don't enjoy good food, but I don't like to cook, I'm not good at it, and I don't often eat fun and exciting food at restaurants. Part of that is just me, but a big part of that has to do with Kiddo's allergies. When you have a kid who is so allergic to so many foods that he needs a feeding tube to get nutrition, you find that you don't eat out as a family all that often, and you tend to eat the same few foods at home.

All that said, there was a cookbook featured at BEA that I knew I wanted to get my hands on. I don't think I've ever been excited about a cookbook before but I was definitely excited about this one!

The Mitsam Cafe Cookbook: Recipes from the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian

by Richard Hetz

First of all, I love the concept of this cookbook. The author is the executive chef at the Mitsam Cafe in DC and has created these recipes from traditional Native American recipes and ingredients. The historical aspect behind the recipes really appeals to me.

Second, the fact that the recipes feature "old-fashioned" ingredients led me to hope that there would be things in here that Kiddo could eat.* And boy, was I ever right! A quick browse through the book showed me recipes featuring quinoa, bison, corn, and potato, and Kiddo could eat most of them with just a few ingredient substitutions. WOOHOO!

Most of the ingredients in the book are standard items you can find in your grocery store but there are some unique items as well (dried hibiscus flowers, yucca, fiddlehead ferns ... just to name a few). Thankfully the back of the book suggests places to purchase these less common items. I'm confident that I could find the items I need without too much hassle.

I haven't made any of the recipes yet but I hope to do so within the next few weeks. [Who am I kidding?! It will be my husband who actually makes these - he's the chef in our house!] When I do I'll be sure to post pictures and let you know what Kiddo thought of each dish.

In the meantime, definitely check out this cookbook if you are into traditional foods, foods with history behind them, or you simply want something a little out of the ordinary.

*As a reminder, here are the foods Kiddo is allowed to eat: rice, potato, quinoa, carrot, corn, broccoli, shellfish, bison, apple, orange, grape, mango, peach, berries, and a small handful of other foods. Everything else is off limits.

The "Bloody Jack" Series - 7 books (so far)

2011-06-04T08:41:00.001-04:00

The "Bloody Jack" Series

by L.A. Meyer

I can't remember where or when I first heard of the book BLOODY JACK but I do know that I didn't think it would be my kind of read. It was supposed to be a young adult story of an orphaned girl on the streets of old London who dressed as a boy and went to work on a ship where she had all sorts of adventures. Now why I wouldn't like that I'm not certain, except maybe because it was YA? Anyway, when I got laid off back in November I simply couldn't stand to read or listen to audiobooks for quite a while. My life was crazy and everything was turned on it's head. One day I decided that I needed a light, fun audiobook to entertain me as I cleaned the house. I saw that BLOODY JACK was available for download from my library so I decided to give it a shot. HALLELUJAH! I found a jem of a book! This series is exactly what I was looking for at the time and I'm thrilled that I found it.

This series is laugh-out-loud funny yet filled with enough historical detail to seem (at least somewhat) realistic. Jacky is tough and wiley and downright lucky, plus she's got attitude and to spare. You can't help but love her and hope for the best for her.

Rather than review each book individually I'm going to give you a few sentences on each one all in this post. I'll do my best to be spoiler-free but there might be a few minor things in the later books that might be considered spoilers for the first few books (nothing that would ruin the story though!).

Bloody Jack - This is the book that made me fall in love with the series. It is fun and funny, yet historically detailed and interesting. It follows Jacky from the streets of London on to the HMS Dolphin where she disguises herself as a ship's boy. She forms a brotherhood with her fellow ship's boys and does her best to keep anyone from figuring out that she's a girl (which becomes more difficult as she hits puberty). (7.36 hours)

Curse of the Blue Tattoo - Jacky navigates new waters when she finds herself enrolled at the Lawson Peabody School For Young Girls in Boston. Can a wild and willful orphan/ship's boy learn to be a lady? Maybe, but it will be VERY difficult ...  (14.15 hours)

Under The Jolly Roger - Jacky's back at sea in this book, and she's in a bit of trouble (no big surprise by this point!). Can she keep herself clear of a creepy captain who wants her as his prize? And will she make it back to London to be reunited with her true love? And how does Lord Nelson and the Royal Navy play into the story?  (14.73 hours)

In The Belly Of The Bloodhound - The girls from the Lawson Peabody are ALL in trouble this time around. The focus of this story is slavery in its many forms, and there were parts of this book that actually brought me to tears (chills first, then tears). Although this wasn't one of my favorites in the series I have to admit that it packed more of an emotional punch than the others. (15.35 hours)

Mississippi Jack - Jacky finds herself on a journey down the Mississippi River in what may be my least favorite book in the series. There was one particular character who drove me crazy in this book, and I also felt like coincidences were stretched to their breaking point quite often. It wasn't nearly enough to put me off the series but I was glad to move on to the next book.  (17.4 hours)

My Bonny Light Horseman - Several characters from previous books make appearances in this adventure which finds Jacky as a spy in Napoleon Bonaparte's army. Again, chance and circumstance are stretched beyond belief in this book but I still quite enjoyed it. Jacky seems to be turning into a deeper character as she grows up a bit and I really enjoyed that aspect of the story.  (12.01 hours)

Rapture of the Deep - I couldn't believe how this story started out (one of those crazy coincidences again) but once I got past that I really loved this book. It incorporated both treasure hunting and scientific discovery and the story was downright entertaining.  (12.33 hours)

I really do love this series in spite of the flaws. It is fun and entertaining, it makes me laugh and cry, and it is simply a good series of books. If you can take it just as seriously as it takes itself (which is not very) then you will probably enjoy it as much as I did.

The next book, The Wake of the Lorelei Lee, is out in hardcover but not in audio yet. I'm still deciding whether I want to read it now or wait for the audio ...

A quick note on the narrator: Katherine Kellgren narrates all the Bloody Jack book and she is AMAZING. She has a great ability with accents and voices and also with songs (there are lots of songs in these books). I will definitely be on the lookout for other books she's narrated; she is incredibly talented and versatile and she's a joy to listen to.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - mini review

2011-06-02T09:02:00.000-04:00

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

by Rebecca Skloot

audiobook: 12.5 hours

This book made all sorts of waves when it came out (last year, I think) and I really wanted to read it but of course it got put off and put off. Finally I decided to get the audio from the library and just listen to it rather than reading it. Boy, am I glad I did - I can't believe I waited so long to dig into this book!

Here's part of the summary from Amazon.com (since I'm feeling really lazy right now - still recovering from BEA!):

Henrietta Lacks was a mother of five in Baltimore, a poor African American migrant from the tobacco farms of Virginia, who died from a cruelly aggressive cancer at the age of 30 in 1951. A sample of her cancerous tissue, taken without her knowledge or consent, as was the custom then, turned out to provide one of the holy grails of mid-century biology: human cells that could survive--even thrive--in the lab. Known as HeLa cells, their stunning potency gave scientists a building block for countless breakthroughs, beginning with the cure for polio. Meanwhile, Henrietta's family continued to live in poverty and frequently poor health, and their discovery decades later of her unknowing contribution--and her cells' strange survival--left them full of pride, anger, and suspicion. For a decade, Skloot doggedly but compassionately gathered the threads of these stories, slowly gaining the trust of the family while helping them learn the truth about Henrietta, and with their aid she tells a rich and haunting story that asks the questions, Who owns our bodies? And who carries our memories?

This is one of those knock-your-socks-off kind of books. As you read (or listen) you are constantly thinking, "How did I not know this story before?" and "How did this actually happen to these people?!"

By the time you gather in all the science, the history, and the people, there is a LOT going on in this book. The author did a great job gathering all the threads of the story and weaving them together into one. I never felt confused about what was going on or who someone was. I also cared a great deal about the people in the story, though there were times when I was amazed at the author's patience with Deborah (Henrietta's daughter, and the main contact for the story) - I am certainly NOT that patient!

I realize this isn't really much of a review. Unfortunately it's been about a month since I finished listening to this book and though I really enjoyed it I didn't make any notes about what I wanted to write. Instead I can just give you my lingering impression of the book, which is this: this is a story EVERYONE should be familiar with and I cannot recommend it enough.

NYC Recap - A Few More Pictures

2011-06-01T08:56:00.000-04:00

I don't have it in me to do a full recap of the lunches and dinners I attended during my time in NYC so I hope you'll enjoy these pictures and quick notes - I think they give you an idea of the great time I had!

Tuesday Night:

The Bookrageous Bash at Lolita Bar was a hot and crowded affair, but since I'd arrived early I was able to snag a seat in the corner with some fabulous bloggers and authors.

me, Alma Katsu (author of THE TAKER), Katie from One More Page (bookstore), and Jenn from Jenn's Bookshelves

Reagan from Miss Remmers' Review, Cass from Bonjour, Cass!, and Amy from Amy Reads

Megan from Leafing Through Life (aka my roommate) and Kim from Sophisticated Dorkiness

Wednesday Night:

I organized a dinner for a group of bloggers, some of whom I'd been wanting to meet, some of whom I wanted the chance to chat with again this year. We ate at an Italian place called Bice that was just down the street from the Harper Collins reception we were coming from.

Florinda from The 3 R's, Michelle from Red Headed Book Child, and Alie from Alison's Book Marks

Ann Kingman from Books on the Nightstand, Stacy from A Novel Source, and Natalie from Coffee and a Book Chick (with her husband, Jason)

Reagan from Miss Remmers' Review, me, Megan from Leafing Through Life, Sheila from Book Journey, and Florinda from The 3 R's

a view of the entire table of bloggers, taken by Jason (Coffee and a Book Chick's lovely husband)

Thursday Afternoon:

I joined a group of bloggers for a hike through the city to a lunch spot called The Ginger Man. It was quite tasty! Two other bloggers didn't get in the pictures but they were there: Memory from Stella Matutina, and Jenny from Jenny's Books.

Kim from Sophisticated Dorkiness, Theresa from Shelf Love, Anastasia from Birdbrain(ed) Book Blog

Megan from Leafing Through Life and Ash from An English Major's Junk Food

Rebecca from Rebecca Reads and me

Memorial Day: Remembering Joe Tofinchio

2011-05-30T08:24:00.004-04:00

In honor of Memorial Day here in the US - a day set aside to remember those who have died in war - I want to tell you a bit about Joe Tofinchio.

My Grandpa, Nick Fontana, met Joe Tofinchio when they were in the Army together. They became great friends, and Grandpa even brought Joe home to meet his family before they shipped out to England. After training there for what seemed like forever, they found out that they would be part of the assault on German-occupied France (aka D-Day). On June 6, 1944 they landed on Utah Beach. Three days into the fight, Grandpa got word that Joe had been killed. After 35 days of combat, Grandpa was injured in the leg by exploding shrapnel and he was sent to England to recuperated.

Grandpa didn't know much about Joe's family, and it was years before he made it home himself. By the time he did get home he was engaged to my Grandma, Eileen Hunt, who he'd met in England and he was busy trying to get her over to the US so they could get married. Years and years went by during which he often thought about Joe.

Around 2004 or so my extended family took a trip to the D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Virgina. While we were there we helped Grandpa look up Joe's name in their files. Grandpa was furious when he found out that Joe was listed as a Private - Grandpa KNEW he'd been a Sergeant. That mistake bothered him tremendously and it came up in conversation many times over the next few years. In 2008 I decided to do a bit of digging and see what I could find out about Joe. Through an amazing set of circumstances I eventually got in contact with Joe's surviving sister and brother. I exchanged letters with them and spoke to them on the phone. It was unbelievable and fantastic. I was able to share with them all the memories Grandpa had of Joe (Grandpa is hard of hearing and can't talk on the phone all that well, so I talked to them and passed messages back and forth) and tell them that Joe is still remembered all these years later. They in turn were able to clarify the story of Joe's move from Sergeant to Private; apparently he asked to be demoted because he didn't feel comfortable leading his men into the battle on D-Day since he felt it would be a death sentence for them. This news gave Grandpa a huge amount of peace, knowing that the official records hadn't made a mistake.

I was also able to learn that a man in France takes care of Joe's grave in Normandy as part of a project that pairs local families with the graves of American soldiers. This was yet another thing that gave us all a great sense of peace and comfort, knowing that someone we (and Joe) didn't know cares enough to keep up Joe's grave.

I hope that you will take time today and throughout the year to remember the people like Joe who didn't come home from war. These men and women left behind families who had to go on without them. Years go by and fewer and fewer people are left to remember them, especially fallen soldiers from long ago wars. I never knew Joe Tofinchio but I remember him today.

Kiddo carrying his Cub Scout Pack's flag in our local Memorial Day Parade

If you have a minute I'd love for you to listen to the words of this song. I can't help but think of Joe whenever I hear it, and it always makes me think of all the men and women whose memories are slowly fading away.

NYC Recap - Friday Night

2011-05-28T14:54:00.001-04:00

This was THE.BEST.NIGHT I had in NYC. Barbara @ Reading Group Guides, Candace @ Beth Fish Reads, and Jenn @ Jenn's Bookshelves joined me for dinner at Becco (an Italian place) in the theater district. It was a hot night but the food and wine were fantastic and the company was even better. After dinner we went to the bar at a nearby hotel where we had an amazing view of Times Square from 8 stories up. A lot of wine was consumed by all. Here's to doing it again next year - cheers!

NYC Friday Recap - BBC portion

2011-05-28T14:47:00.001-04:00

For getting only 6 hours of sleep I woke up feeling surprisingly chipper Friday morning. I had breakfast with some bloggers and an author at the BBC dining area then listened to the opening/keynote speech. Then it was time for the panels. I spent the first two hours flitting back and forth between the panel on time management and the one called Ask the Publisher/Publicist. One of the best things I heard in the P/P panel was that reviews of ARCs can go up whenever the book is available for preorder - now THAT is helpful to know.

I ate lunch with Raych from books i done read and her lovely artist sister. This made me very happy as Raych was one of the people I most wanted to meet in person.

After lunch it was time for my panel on the Grey Areas of Blogging. I hope someone took pictures because I didn't. I'll write up a summary of what we discussed and post it later this week, but for now I'll say that it went smoothly and I hope people got something out of it.

The final panels of the day were on technology and niche blogs. I spent some time in each one but also hung out chatting with a few lovely bloggers. Then it was time to go. SAY WHAT?!?! I cannot believe the day went by so fast.

Pictures:
- Meg @ Write Meg! & Ana @ Book Smugglers
- Raych @ books i done read, me, & Jenn @ Jenn's Bookshelves

Lost in Shangri-La

2011-05-27T09:33:00.001-04:00

Lost in Shangri-La

by Mitchell Zuckoff

audiobook: 8.5 hours
narrated by the author

About the Book

The subtitle of this book is "A True Story of Survival, Adventure, and the Most Incredible Rescue Mission of World War II" and that really say it all. It's the story of a plane crash in the remote and inaccessible mountains of New Guinea that left only 3 survivors, and the amazingly risky plan to rescue them. Check out this video for a bit about the story and to see what the survivors (and the local people) looked like.

My Thoughts

I'm a fan of WWII stories, probably because of my grandpa's involvement in the war, so books set in that time and place - especially non-fiction books - always capture my attention. But I have to admit that I'd never heard of this plane crash or the rescue before this book. It's always great to discover new stories like this!

The author begins by introducing the people who found themselves on the fateful plane that day. I got to know a bit about their families, what life was like on base, and something of their personalities. He then goes on to explain the discovery of the hidden valley of Shangri-La and the lives of the native population. When the plane crash happened I felt so sad for the families of the people who died, families I'd just learned about a short time before.

In addition to the people on the plane I also learned about the rescue crew, the reporters, and several other important players. Knowing about their backgrounds and their families added a lot to the story for me.

The book is not all that long and it moves quickly. It was over before I knew it and although the story comes to a definite conclusion I was left wanting more. Not to say that the book left out anything important, more that I was enjoying the experience of listening and could have continued for many more hours.

Oh, and the book is narrated by the author - he does a very good job with it.

Recommend?

You'd like this book if you are a fan of WWII stories, tales of survival and/or rescue, of if you are looking for a little known bit of history. I quite enjoyed it.

NYC Thursday Recap

2011-05-27T09:21:00.001-04:00

Today I slept in and it was glorious. I had breakfast around 9:30am and made it to BEA around 10:30am. I wanted to get a book about Hank Williams so that was my one planned stop. After that I worked my way through every.single.row in the convention center. It was fantastic! I got to see everything that was there and had a chance to talk with lots of new contacts at various publishers. This was the highlight of my time at BEA. I'll tell you about the books when I'm back at home - I finally found some interesting and unusual books that really appealed to me.

At 1pm I met up with a group, of bloggers and hiked a ridiculously long way through the city to have a lovely relaxing lunch. By the time we got back to the convention center it was time for the Book Blogger Convention reception. It was a mix and mingle event with bloggers, authors, and publishing people. It was here that I finally got to meet Raych from books i done read - woohoo!

From here I headed to a bar with some people from Tor and other publishers. That was an experience deserving of it's own blog post, which I promise to write once I'm home.

Today involved lots of cab rides, hence the picture of the view from the cab.

My next event was dessert at Serendipity with JKS Communications and some of their authors and bloggers. I had the chance to talk to author Chitoka Webb and found her to be a wonderful lady. I'm hoping to check out her memoir soon. (That's us in the very bad picture below.) My roommate Megan got a frozen hot chocolate - yum.

I was back to the hotel by 10:30pm, in bed by 11:30pm, and reading CROSSED until 12:30am.

BOOK BLOGGER CONVENTION TOMORROW!

NYC Recap - my hotel

2011-05-27T08:23:00.001-04:00

I'm staying at the Best Western right near the convention center. The room is tiny but just fine for me. It is literally a block from the convention center - so convenient! The picture below is the view from the front of the hotel. The convention center is the big black building at the end of the street. As you walk from the hotel you pass the "stable" where the carriage horses are kept. Across the street is an auto repair shop.

I could not be happier with this hotel and I highly recommended it to anyone who comes to BEA next year.

NYC Wednesday Recap - part 2

2011-05-26T22:45:00.001-04:00

After a few hours I headed back to the hotel to do a book drop and ran in to a very exhausted man who couldn't handle the lines at BEA anymore. He offered me his ticket for the Rick Riordan signing - going on at that very moment - and I gladly accepted since I'd missed the chance to get my own ticket that morning. I rushed back to BEA and got there in time to get one of the very last copies of his new book without having to wait more than 10 minutes. Score!

Next I worked my way through the convention center to pick up a few specific books. I felt like there were fewer review copies available compared to last year, but more importantly there were fewer books that really appealed to me. When I'm back home and able to blog from my computer I'll link up to some of the books that caught my attention last year, just so I can show you what I'm talking about. Still, I had a good time on the show floor checking things out. Oh, and I got to chat with author ML Malcolm - she's such a lovely lady. Check out our picture below.

That evening Megan and I FINALLY found a cab and made it to the Harper Collins reception about 30 minutes late. We had a good time chatting with other bloggers and authors but it was very crowded and rather hot so we weren't disappointed when it was time to go.

Our next stop was for dinner at an Italian place about a block away. There were 11 of us and we had a blast (at least, I did!). I took pictures on my camera rather than with my phone so I'll have to share those with you after I get home. And since I haven't figured out how to link to anyone's blog when I'm writing from my phone, I'll just wait until I get home to tell you who was there too.

Back at the hotel I stayed up WAY too late reading CROSSED by Ally Condie then finally fell into a Benadyll-induced sleep (I forgot to mention that my allergies are going wacky this week, didn't I?).

More to come soon ...

NYC Wednesday Recap - part 1

2011-05-26T12:49:00.001-04:00

It was an early morning for me - up at 6:30am to get author signing tickets - and I STILL missed one for Rick Riordan. Hung around and chatted until 9am when the exhibit hall opened then went directly to the line for Ally Condie's new book CROSSED. Both Amanda @ Zen Leaf and I want to read this one but I could only get one copy so I'll read it then mail it to her.

For the next few hours I browsed the booths in search of books
... without a ton of success. It seems like there are fewer books I'm really interested in this year. I did pick up a few for Amanda though - Tayari Jones' SILVER SPARROW and Scott Westerfeld's GOLIATH.

More happened on Wednesday but I have to go to lunch now so I'll leave you with a few pictures.

NYC Tuesday Recap

2011-05-25T08:17:00.001-04:00

I got New York by 11am and was checked into the hotel and BEA by noon. I hooked up with Florinda from The 3 R's and Kim from Sophisticated Dorkiness for lunch at a diner, then Florinda and I went to the Discovery Museum Pompeii Exhibit.

The exhibit was amazing. The way it was set up allowed the plaster casts of the bodies to have maximum impact when you finally got to them. No pictures allowed inside so I can't show you what I mean, but it was pretty amazing.

After a short break at the hotel I got to meet my roommate, Megan, from Leafing Through Life. We had dinner together at a little dinner down the street then got dressed for the Bookrageous Bash.

Megan and I met up with Reagan from Miss Remmers' Review and figured out how to take the subway to Chinatown. From there we walked to the bar where we met lots of other bloggers and chatted for hours.

I have photos on my camera that I'll share when I get home (I'm blogging via phone here) but here's a quick peek at some I took with my phone.

- the Pompeii Exhibit sign
- 42nd Street
- the subway in Chinatown
- me with Lori from TNBBC

Good News and Bad News

2011-05-24T07:39:00.001-04:00

I'm on my way to NYC! Well okay I'm at the train station getting ready to be on my way, but you get the idea.

Packing took less time and effort than I thought and getting here this morning by 7:25am was a breeze. I kept telling my husband that this all seemed too easy.

Then I checked my email and found out that, due to a cancelled flight, one of my roommates now can't make it to BEA at all - nooooo! So I won't get to spend time with Amanda from Zen Leaf after all. So sad!

Still, its going to be a great week and I'm so excited. Stay tuned for quick updates and photos over the next few days. NYC HERE I COME!

The Red Thread & The Blessings of the Animals

2011-05-23T09:05:00.000-04:00

The Red Thread

by Ann Hood

304 pages

This was my book club's pick a few months back, chosen by a member of my club who is currently waiting for her adopted son to come home to her from South Korea.* It is the story of Maya (a mother whose baby daughter died due to an accident) and the adoption agency she establishes. It is also the story of several couples, Maya's clients, and the daughters they hope to adopt from China.

The book was a very emotional read for just about everyone in the club, though for a variety of different reasons. One of the best parts for me was the story of each baby girl - how and where she was born, what her birth family was like, and why she was given up for adoption. I have to admit that many of these stories made me cry. The other emotion I felt was anger, though this was directly mostly at a few specific adoptive families. There were definitely some unlikeable people in this book! It was interesting to discuss with my club which characters we liked the least - very few people agreed with me on who the worst character in the book actually was.

As I read this book I realized that certain scenes would stay with me for a very long time. It's a quick read but it packs an emotional punch.

* Update: My friend got the call from the adoption agency last week and is in Korea right now. If all goes as planned, she and her husband will meet their son today!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Blessings of the Animals

by Katrina Kittle

428 pages

This was another recent book club book, and one that I voted against reading. It is just not the kind of book I would ever pick up on my own. I don't tend to read womens fiction, books about divorce, or books focused on animals - all of which are good descriptions of this book.

Unfortunately this book met my rather low expectations. It was easy to read but not at all memorable. I didn't identify with any of the characters nor did I find the story all that appealing or all that believable. I know that a lot of people loved this book ... sad to say, I was not one of them.

An Author Appreciating Bloggers on Wed. at BEA

2011-05-22T10:31:00.000-04:00

I had the good fortune to meet M.L. Malcolm at BEA last year. She was a wonderful person to chat with and she had a very distinctive style of dress - you'll never see her without a gorgeous hat. She'll be at BEA again this year so keep your eyes out for her.

Anyway, I received an email from Ms. Malcolm about something she's doing at BEA on Wednesday and I'm excited to share it with all of you, especially since it involves appreciating bloggers!

Here's what she wrote:

I’ll be signing “Heart of Deception,” Wednesday, May 25th, from 3:00 to 3:30 at Table Six in the main autographing area. I’ll also be at the Book Bloggers Convention cocktail reception on Thursday, from 3:00pm – 5:00 pm, in Javits Center, Hall E – Room 1E12, and at the “Speed Dating” event at BBC on Friday.* As a thank you for all the support I’ve received from readers in the Blogsphere this year, I’d like to treat the first 25 Book Bloggers who come by my signing on Wednesday to a glass of wine at the BBC reception. All they have to do is come by Table 6 at 3:00 on Wednesday, pick up a signed copy of “Heart of Deception,” give me a card with the name of their blog on it, and I’ll give them a ticket for a free libation when they come to the reception on Thursday.

What a wonderful idea, no?! You'll certainly find me in line to get HEART OF DECEPTION on Wednesday, but don't worry, I'll leave the drink tickets for someone else to claim - maybe you'll be one of the lucky 25!

*I'm sad that I'll miss the author speed dating session on Friday (I think it would be a lot of fun!) but I'll be moderating the "Grey Areas of Blogging" panel at exactly the same time.

Doing Our Part

2011-05-21T09:08:00.003-04:00

Last year Kiddo got to go to a sleep-away summer camp for the first time. This may not seem like a big deal to some people but for us it was huge. A kid with a feeding tube and life-threatening food allergies can hardly spend the night at a friends house, let alone at a summer camp! But then we learned about Victory Junction - a camp build just for kids with special needs - and we knew we were set. Victory Junction was founded by the Petty family (of NASCAR fame) to give all children a fantastic summer camp experience in spite of any physical or mental challenges they may face. Each week during summer the camp features 2-3 diseases/disorders so kids can spend time with others just like themselves. And with a staff of doctors and nurses available 24/7, the kids are kept safe and healthy (the camp can even to chemotherapy for kids with cancer). You can check out a video of the camp here: http://victoryjunction.org/video_player/index.php - it's worth watching!

Kiddo had the MOST AMAZING WEEK of his life last year. He sobbed when we came to pick him up from camp - he absolutely did not want to leave, even though we were going straight to Disney World from there. And we just got the news that he gets to go back to camp again this summer - woohoo!

Did I mention that camp is completely free for all children? As long as a child qualifies and gets in (there is a waiting list), there is no cost to the family.

That said, running a camp like this isn't cheap. If we had to pay for it, camp would cost us $2,500 for a 5-day session. Because of this my family does anything we can to help raise awareness and money for Victory Junction, and on May 15 we had the chance to do just that.

We drove 90 minutes away to the race track in Dover, Delaware to volunteer with the NASCAR Foundation before the race started. This year the Foundation is donating all of the profits from the sale of NASCAR Day Pins directly to Victory Junction.

We spent about an hour working the crowd outside the booth, encouraging people to purchase pins to support Victory Junction. Having Kiddo there to talk to people - the child is NOT shy, that's for sure - and tell them about his time at camp was a great bonus! I think we sold about 100 pins while we were there, and at $10 each, that's a pretty good donations for camp. This sale is going on at every race track for the entire NASCAR season so that will add up to quite a hefty sum.

We had a great time helping out and are hoping we get the chance to do it again soon. The fact that we're doing our part to say thanks to Victory Junction for Kiddo's wonderful experiences meant a great deal to us.

As a thank you for helping out we were given free tickets to the race - which we hadn't planned on attending. Kiddo has never been to a race (Hubby and I have gone several times over the years) so we decided to stay for a little while at least. KIDDO LOVED IT. The noise of the engines is simply unbelievable until you hear it for yourself. It's too bad we couldn't stay, because we were all having a great time.

Victory Junction is a amazing, fantastic, inspiring place.

If you know any child with special needs, please check out the camp - that child will thank you forever. Oh, and for those not on the East Coast, they are building a new camp somewhere in the Midwest right now!

And if you ever want a new charity to donate to, please Please PLEASE consider donating to Victory Junction. Your money will make a huge difference in the lives of special kids just like Kiddo.

BEA: What I Look Like

2011-05-20T20:24:00.000-04:00

I post pictures of myself on my blog all the time but just in case you haven't seen me before, here's what I look like so you can find me at BEA next week:

I'm on the right, but my hair is a little big longer now ...

This time I'm on the left, with Jenn from Jenn's Bookshelves - do you think I should bring that outfit to NYC? Thoughts?

I'm on the left, with Monica from Bibliophilic Book Blog ...

Me reading ... you know I'll be doing a lot of that during BEA!

If you see me, please do come up and say hello. Tell me about your blog, give me your business card, chat with me! I have a horrible memory, so please don't be offended if I don't recognize your blog (or your face!). I don't bite and I love to talk, so find me, introduce yourself, and let's talk books.

BEA on Tuesday?

2011-05-19T19:30:00.002-04:00

If you will be at BEA on Tuesday morning and you'd be willing to pick up a book for me, please let me know. I really REALLY want Dava Sobel's new book - it's called A MORE PERFECT HEAVEN: HOW NICOLAUS COPERNICUS REVOLUTIONIZED THE COSMOS. Sobel is one of those amazing authors who writes science as if it were art. I've written about my love for her writing before so I'm really bummed that I'll miss her talk and the chance to meet her. She'll be at the Midtown Stage from 10:30-11:00am and then at Booth 3358 between 11:30am-12:30pm. If you are willing to pick me up a copy, I'd really appreciated it!!!

I get to NYC late Tuesday morning and I'm planning to visit the Discovery Museum's Pompeii Exhibit in the afternoon. I'd love to have company, so if you'd like to take a break from books for a while and wander through history, please let me know.

Forbidden Creatures

2011-05-19T09:34:00.000-04:00

Forbidden Creatures

by Peter Laufer

272 pages

About the Book

Laufer examines the exotic animal trade - legal and illegal - and the types of people who keep "big cats, long snakes, and great apes" as pets.

Why I Read It

I picked this up at BEA last May. The first thing that attracted me was the cover - that yellow snake is actually a shimmery, reflective color when you see the book in person. I'm fascinated by people who keep exotic animals so the topic of the book intrigued me as well. And since BEA is coming up next week I thought I'd better finish reading the books I brought home last year before I bring home another stack. :)

My Thoughts

The subject matter of this book is absolutely fascinating to me. I'm a huge fan of TV shows like Fatal Attractions and Python Hunters and many of the stories in the book were ones I recognized from those types of shows. Having a big dog is about all the pet I can handle so the idea of owning a tiger, a chimpanzee, or a 200 lb snake is rather beyond my comprehension. Still, I do understand the appeal.

Laufer looks at the exotic animal trade from a variety of perspectives in order to understand what it is that drives people to capture, breed, sell, and/or own these very wild creatures. He also examines the unique position of wild animals bred in captivity:

They're not wild. They're not domesticated. They're not feral. They're not tamed. Perhaps we need to create a new classification: captive bred, untamable, and latently wild. It's awkward but descriptive. (p95)

As I said, I'm very interested in this topic so I found the book quite intriguing. At the same time, I felt that Laufer's writing was somewhat choppy. I also got the impression that each chapter was written more as an essay than as a chapter, which resulted in a lot of repetition at the beginning of the book; this did improve as the book progressed though.

Recommend?

If you find the idea of exotic animals living with people to be an "interesting" situation then you will likely enjoy this book. Read it for the topic not for the writing and you won't be disappointed.

The debate between the exotic pet lovers and those opposed to their relationships with their animals polarizes participants and observers. Like abortion, capital punishment, and the viability of Sarah Palin as a presidential candidate, there seems to be precious little middle ground or room for compromise among the participants. (p105)

Kiddo's Hockey Yearbook Pictures

2011-05-18T13:21:00.000-04:00

I just finished putting together photos from Kiddo's first ice hockey travel team season and, lo and behold, there is an option to share the photo book on your blog! What fun! So, for those of you who are interested, feel free to check out Kiddo's pics.

Click here to view this photo book larger

Upcoming Event: Gaithersburg Book Festival

2011-05-17T22:27:00.000-04:00

For those in the MD/DC/VA area, do you have plans for this Saturday? If not, you should check out the Gaithersburg Book Festival!

The quick rundown:

-- appearances and signings by more than 60 authors, including dozens of national/New York Times best-sellers; winners of the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, the Newbery Medal; and many excellent up-and-comers.

-- workshops for aspiring writers and children

-- a Children’s Village full of fun readings and activities for the little ones

-- a Coffee House, where you’ll have a chance to sit back, relax, and enjoy a day’s worth of poetry, stories, and song

-- a slew of vendors

Get all the details at the Festival website:

http://gaithersburgbookfestival.org/default.htm

Who has that BEA/BBC contact list?

2011-05-16T09:14:00.000-04:00

I know that I added my contact info to a list on someone's blog for BEA/BBC week but I can't remember which blogger created the list. Was it you? Do you know who it was? I'm just wondering if/when this list will be shared with the contributors, or if I need start getting phone #'s on my own. If you have any info on the list please let me know!

A Walk On The Wild Side: being a review of Eat, Prey, Love

2011-05-14T10:46:00.000-04:00

Eat Prey Love

by Kerrelyn Sparks

narrated by Gia St. Claire

audiobook: 10.1 hours

Confession time: Every once in a while I like a book with a lot of steamy scenes in it. And I also have a thing for shapeshifter type characters. I can't read these kinds of books all the time, but I do like to pick one up now and then just for fun. When I saw a review of this book at my friend Monica's blog I had to laugh out loud at the title - I mean, right?! But when the review said the book could stand on it's own and that I didn't have to read the rest of the series to enjoy it, AND that it was "HOT, HOT, HOT!" I knew it was time to take a dip in the paranormal romance genre again. When HarperAudio offered this for review I jumped on it like a cat on a mouse.

About the Book: Carlos is a shapeshifter searching for a mate of his same species. He fears he may be the last of his kind, other than the children he's adopted, and he's determined to search the world over in the hopes that he is wrong. Caitlyn is an otherwise normal human who happens to be able to communicate with cats. When Caityln and Carlos meet the sparks fly, but they know they are wrong for each other. Is there any way around this? The drama of their relationship takes place in the larger story of the ongoing battle between the "good" vampires, shapeshifters, etc. and the "bad" ones, a story which frames this entire series of books.

My Thoughts: I have some very strong opinions about this book. Let's split them into sections, shall we?

The Narration: This is a case where the narrator actually ruined the book for me. Being an audiobook afficionado, I am very picky about the narrators of the books I listen to. There are so many fabulous narrators out there - why could the powers that be not have picked someone who fit this book better?! This narrator should be working on YA titles - she's certainly got the voice for it. Other than seeming rather young, she also reads with a smile in her voice, a habit that can be rather distracting. If you don't know what I mean, try reading a sentence out loud, then read that same sentence while smiling. It changes the entire feel of the sentence, doesn't it?! She read most of the book like this, even parts that were supposed to be more serious. She even read chapter titles like this. Ugh. And then! She butchered the accents. Now I know that not everyone can do accents, but there are a lot of narrators who can, and if your book has lots of accents in it then you really need a narrator who can make them sound at least believable. It was actually painful to listen to some of the accents in this book. *shudder*

The Steamy Scenes: As I said earlier, one of the reasons I wanted to read this book was for the steamy scenes. Some of them were good and those definitely kept my attention and got my pulse to speed up. Then there were others. I don't want to go into detail but let's just say that things were a bit too easy for Caitlyn. Carlos must have some sort of magic touch because he didn't have to do much of anything, if you know what I mean. I want my steamy scenes to be realistic, ones where I can imagine myself having that same experience. If I were Caitlyn I'd have been disappointed time and time again.

The Rest: You'd think after all those complaints that I really hated this book - not true! The story was over the top but fun and the characters were definitely interesting. I can see how this series might be a good escape from reality - it is certainly a walk on the wild side. However the narrator really did ruin it for me; I simply couldn't enjoy it. I know I'd have had better luck had I chosen to read it in print.

Your Thoughts: Are there any "guilty pleasure" books that you're willing to admit that you like? When you indulge in them do you review them on your blog? And have you ever had a narrator completely ruin a book for you?

BEA: Questions For You

2011-05-13T12:47:00.001-04:00

I’m so excited about BEA and BBC this year! Having attended last year (check out my recaps!) I feel like I have a good idea what to expect and how to plan. Still, there are some things I’d like to discuss with you.

Is anyone interested in checking out the Pompeii Exhibit at the Discovery Museum on Tuesday afternoon? I’ve been to NYC a bunch of times so I didn’t plan any sightseeing last year. BAD IDEA, because I ended up missing out on the amazing King Tut exhibit! So I definitely want to see this exhibit. I mean, this is Pompeii we’re talking about! You can check out the details at this link. Leave me a comment or shoot me an email/tweet if you are interesting in coming to this exhibit with me.

If you are a local and were planning to commute to BEA, consider staying with us for a night or three! We have a great rate and are very close to the convention center. Plus we’re cool gals. :) [UPDATE: We may have filled the spot but it's not certain yet - please let me know if you are interested!]

I’m moderating a panel at BBC on Friday at 1pm. The topic is “Navigating the Grey Areas of Blogging.” We’ll be discussing the author/blogger relationship, negative reviews, professionalism, and much more. Do you have any topics or issues you’d like us to address? Are there certain aspects of blogging that you find tricky or hard to handle? Leave a comment or email/tweet me and I’ll make sure we include it!

And finally, I’ve been scouring the BEA site and working out a plan of attack for my time on the convention floor, however I know I’m missing things. I’d love to hear from each of you with the top one or two books/authors that you don’t want to miss. Let me know which ones I might have accidentally overlooked.

So that's all I've got - I can't wait to hear what you all think!

Reading a Classic for the First Time: To Kill A Mockingbird

2011-05-09T10:59:00.000-04:00

To Kill A Mockingbird

by Harper Lee

284 pages

About the Book:

In a sleepy Alabama town in the 1930s, young Scout Finch grows up on a quiet street with her brother, Jem, and her father, Atticus. The town is shaken up when a black man is accused of raping a white woman and Atticus is assigned to defend the man. This big event, seen through the eyes of Scout, consumes the town for over a year.

My Thoughts:

I never had to read this book in high school or college, but my husband (a non-reader) said it was the best book he'd ever read. I watched the movie many years ago and thought, "eh, it's a nice story," but that's about it. Still, after my husband's high recommendation and all the good things I'd heard about this over the years I figured I ought to give it a chance. So I recommended it to my book club and they decided to read it for our May meeting.

I picked this up a few days ago and couldn't put it down. Even knowing how the whole plot turned out (from seeing the movie), I was captivated by the writing in this book. I mean, the writing - it is just beautiful! The characters are so real, so vivid ... it's like I know these people. Harper Lee has a way with words that makes her story flow like water, like a smooth, slow river. I don't know how else to explain it. And I certainly understand why people love this book!

My Book Club:

We're meeting to discuss this book on May 22 and I can't wait to see what everyone else thought of it. I think most of the ladies have read it before, and one of them teaches it in her high school class every year, so I'm sure there will be lots of interesting discussion.

Upcoming Author Events in the MD/DC/VA Area

2011-04-27T12:18:00.000-04:00

For anyone in the Maryland/DC/Virginia area, here are some events coming up over the next few weeks:

Margaux Fragoso, author of TIGER, TIGER, in Baltimore - Thursday, April 28 - 1-2:30pm

In recognition of National Child Abuse Awareness month, the Baltimore Child Abuse Center (BCAC) is hosting an event this Thursday with Margaux Fragoso, author of the controversial new memoir Tiger, Tiger in which she chronicles her experience with childhood sexual assault. She will be speaking and reading excerpts from her book at the Enoch Pratt Free Library on Thursday, April 28 (see the media advisory below for more information). Her memoir was reviewed by the New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/06/books/review/Harrison-t.html) and many other credible outlets.

Her appearance and talk in Baltimore will mark the first time she is willing to speak with the media.

Child abuse is a very real and prominent problem here in Baltimore and the Baltimore Child Abuse Center is committed to providing all victims of child sexual abuse in Baltimore – and their non-offending caretakers – with interviews, medical treatment, referrals and crisis counseling in a child-friendly setting. Last year, they supported more than 900 children and 600 families locally.

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H. T. Narea, author of THE FUND, at Georgetown University - Tuesday, May 10 - 6:30-8:30pm

Panel discussion on the book and the idea of financial terrorism - click here for more details

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Justin Kramon, author of FINNY, at Howard County - Thursday May 12, 7-8pm -

According to Justin's email, "The talk is about my life as a writer and how I've used things that have happened to me in my fiction. It's a talk I've given at other libraries and at book clubs, and it's pretty light and hopefully funny, so I thought it might appeal to a range of different readers and writers. [...] The event is free and open to the public, but they're asking that people register here: http://host.evanced.info/hclibrary/lib/eventsignup.asp?ID=30810&ret=http://host.evanced.info/hclibrary/lib/eventcalendar.asp?ln=ALL"

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quick thoughts on more books

2011-04-26T14:00:00.011-04:00

Here are a few more quick reviews ... I'm just about caught up now!

Matched, by Ally Condie - There was a big fuss about this book last year and I basically ignored it because this isn't the type of book I usually read (it's YA dystopian). However, when the audio version popped up as a downloadable option from my library I figured I'd give it a shot. And I have to say ... I quite enjoyed this one! The first part of the book was okay but by the end I was really into it. I'm definitely looking forward to the next book in the series. (9.8 hours)

20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, by Jules Verne - I've mentioned before that I have a literary crush on Jules Verne, and that I love the old movie of this book. I can't believe it's taken me so many years to actually get around to the book. Parts of it were really good but parts of it dragged as well. It was interesting to see how our views of nature have changed since Verne's era. Many times in the book the characters mentioned that the ocean has such an abundance that man will never be able to use it all up - how different than what we know now! I'm glad I listened to this one but it isn't my favorite Verne. (11.5 hours)

Cesar Millan books - I skimmed through both Cesar's Rules and A Member of the Family just after we got Bullet. I didn't read them thoroughly but rather focused on sections that I thought might be helpful. I'm a huge Cesar fan and can't recommend these enough - if you have a dog or want to get a dog, definitely check into Cesar's methods. (320 pages each)

quick thoughts on a bunch of books

2011-04-23T18:42:00.001-04:00

I've gotten very behind on reviews over the last few months. My goal was to slowly get caught up again but it isn't working. When all else fails, make a new plan!

New Plan: I'm going to write up quick thoughts on a bunch of books over the next few days until I get completely caught up and then I'll (hopefully) be able to stay current again. *crosses fingers*

Super Mini Reviews

Towers of Midnight, by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson - I loved this one even though it was different from the previous book in the series (The Gathering Storm). For one thing, it focused heavily on one of my favorite characters: Perrin. I also liked that we're finally starting to see the whole epic story coming together. I can't wait for the final book! (861 pages)

The Prayers of Agnes Sparrow, by Joyce Magnin - I was looking for a light fun read and thought this would be it. It was, until about halfway through, at which time it took a rather dark turn. The book wasn't bad but it was definitely NOT what I was expecting nor what I wanted it to be. Still, I loved the characters and thought they were very real - they were my favorite parts of the book. I got this from BEA last year and it took me until January to read it ... oops! (398 pages)

Twelve Angry Men, by L.A. Theater Works - This was a fascinating story. When you have twelve people stuck in a room arguing over the fate of one person things can get rather interesting. If you have a chance, definitely listen to this short play - it's worth your time. (1 hour, 50 minutes)

The Tortilla Curtain, by T.C. Boyle - This book gave me a lot to think about regarding illegal immigration. It's a complicated yet simple story of two families living in California and the ways that their lives intersect. These families couldn't be more different yet I identified with both of them in some way. I'm definitely interested in checking out more by this author! (11 hours, 47 minutes)

Ok, that's all I've got for now! Has anyone read or listened to these? What did you think of them?

my current series reading

2011-04-22T00:04:00.000-04:00

I am currently immersed in two audio book series' and cannot wait for the next books to be available through my library.

The first series is the Bloody Jack books by L. A. Meyer. I've made it up through book 5 so far and am totally loving them. These are fun historical fiction that can make me laugh out loud but also shed a few tears. I never thought I'd like these books but now I can't get enough of them. Honestly, these are the books that pulled me out of my book rut a few months ago.

I also gave in and finally started the Outlander books by Diana Gabaldon. I knew I'd love these but I didn't want to start another series just yet. Still, I finally gave in and WOW - how great are they?! I just finished book 2 and can I just say "cliffhanger"?! This is historical fiction of a completely different type from the Bloody Jack books and I'm enjoying it in a completely different way.

I'll share my thoughts on each series when I get to the last books in each, but meanwhile I'm wondering if you are fans of these books as well? If not, what's stopping you from giving them a shot?!

BEA/BBC Roommate Update

2011-04-17T14:42:00.000-04:00

I've got 2 roommates for BEA/BBC! I'm thrilled to say that I'll be sharing a room with Amanda from Zen Leaf and Megan from Leafing Through Life. I met Amanda last year and though we didn't know it at the time, we have a whole lot in common. We've gotten to know each other via our blogs over the past year and now I can't wait to hang out with her in NYC - it will be a blast! Megan is new to me but I'm looking forward to getting to know her as well - I'm sure she's great!

That said, there is still space for ONE more person in our room! Our hotel is less than a half mile from the convention center and we got a great rate on the room (the only downside is that it is very small - clean, but small). If you'd like to be part of our super cool group of bloggers AND be close to all the convention events AND save a ton of money, we'd love to have you in our room.

Email me or post a comment if you are interested, and feel free to share this with anyone you know who might still be looking.

NYC HERE WE COME!

Kiddo Update and Pics

2011-04-15T09:25:00.000-04:00

It's been a while since I updated everyone on how Kiddo is doing healthwise (for a bit of background, start with this post). Things are actually going very well on that front! His last endoscopy showed that he isn't allergic to bison so that was a great thing. It means he can continue to eat bison burgers, roasts, steaks, etc. and that makes him VERY happy. (As a reminder, the only other meat he could eat prior to this was shellfish, and they get boring very quickly when you are also a picky eater.) Because of the latest test results the doctors think that his allergy to beef MAY have been a false positive. So we are currently nearing the end of a three month trial of beef that appears to be going well. Kiddo will have another endoscopy in May to determine if beef can stay in his diet or if he'll have to give it up. To be honest, other than from a convenience and cost standpoint (beef is much cheaper and easier to get than bison), none of us really care if beef can stay or not - if it has to go, Kiddo can continue to eat bison and it is so incredibly similar to beef that he's good with it either way.

In hockey news, Kiddo's team didn't do so hot in their regular season but they came in 2nd place in a recent weekend tournament - woohoo! Below are some pics from that weekend. Kiddo is #9.

We recently went to see The High Kings, a completely fabulous Irish quartet. We saw them a few years ago and we all love their music. Here's Kiddo with the guys:

And here he is holding The High Kings guitar pick that the guys all signed for him. How cool is that?! Of course Hubby and I couldn't find anyone handy to take our picture so we relied on his long arms to do the trick, hence the odd angle of the photo. :)

Oh, and I'm getting ready for BEA/BBC in New York in May and I'm still looking for a few more roommates so if you're planning to go and need a place to stay PLEASE GET IN TOUCH ASAP!!!

There are other things going on, and of course I have some book reviews, but this is what's on my mind right now. :)

Our New Dog: Meet Bullet

2011-04-14T12:25:00.000-04:00

Hubby and Kiddo have been asking me for a long time to get a new dog. It's been about 3 years since the older of our two dogs passed away, and about a year since the second one passed away, and I have to admit it's been mighty quiet around our house. On the other hand I've really enjoyed not having dog hair everywhere, or worrying about who will care for them if we're not home, or the myriad other things that go along with dog ownership.

Still, we are dog people and we always will be so it was only a matter of time before another dog came into our lives. We knew we wanted an adult dog because puppies are too much work. We also knew we wanted a big and/or strong dog, since that is what all three of us like the best (our previous dogs were 90 lbs and 140 lbs, though the bigger on was a bit overweight). No little yippy pooches for this family!

With that in mind Kiddo and I have been watching Dog Whisperer and It's Me Or The Dog! on TV for the past few months. I didn't want to make the same mistakes with a new dog that we did with our previous ones, and I also wanted to be sure that there would be nothing to scare people about our dog other than the way he looks. Little dogs can get away with bad behavior because they really don't seem that scary, but if you have a big dog barking and jumping at you, you're most likely going to be petrified!

Things just have a way of coming together, don't they? Amidst all this dog talk, my sister informed me that her neighbors were looking for a new home for their 2 year old Rottweiler. The family has three children plus the mom watches my sister's three kids a few days a week, so they really don't have time to care for such a big dog. The dad is a police officer so he's on shift work, and that makes things all the more difficult. The dog came to them as a little puppy; the dad adopted him after he was seized during a drug raid. The dog, Bullet (the dad is a police officer so of COURSE the dog is named Bullet!) had puppy training classes and is great with people and other dogs, according to the family.

SO we decided to do a weekend trial and see if Bullet would be a good fit at our house. He came home with us on March 17 (that's St. Patrick's Day!) and has been here ever since.

Oh, did I mention that he JUST turned two on March 19 and that he already weighs 120 lbs? I haven't measured his height, but this is THE BIGGEST Rottie I've ever seen. He's fantastic!

Of course things did not go quite as smoothly as they could, but I was prepared for this and had already lined up a trainer in advance. I'll tell you more about Bullet's issues and how we're handling them in another post (which I promise will come soon).

I know that many people are very afraid of Rotties (and Pit Bulls) as a breed , and though I understand why, I also hope to change that perception both through sharing Bullet's experiences here and getting people to meet him in real life. I hope you'll keep in mind that it is often the owner and the lack of training (or the wrong kind of training) that make a dog mean rather than the breed that makes it that way.

Stay tuned for more on Bullet coming soon!

(Kiddo isn't home or I'd take a picture of him with Bullet so you get a better idea of the dog's size ...)

The Tiger

2011-04-05T12:40:00.000-04:00

The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival

by John Vaillant

audiobook: 12 .1 hours

narrated by the author

I was REALLY looking forward to this book. It is a true story, and one that greatly intrigued me.

Check out this video to get an idea of what the book is about:

This book turned out to be very different from what I expected, in both good and bad ways.

On the one hand the story is much MUCH more complex than simply a tiger stalking and killing a man. I learned about the religious beliefs of the native Siberian people (and those of neighboring Asian countries), the status of animals during and after the Soviet government, poaching for survival and for profit, tiger biology and habits, and so much more. The story in incredibly and fascinatingly complex, yet unbelievably simple at the same time.

On the other hand, I was sort of expecting more of the book to be about how and why this particular tiger had a vendetta against this particular man. Although I did learn the answers to both questions, this comprised a much smaller portion of the book than I expected and I was a bit disappointed in that. I think it was more a issue of how the book had been marketed than a fault of the book itself though.

On the whole I found this book fascinating and educational, if not always completely thrilling. It wasn't one that I rushed back to whenever possible but it held my attention completely whenever I had it playing.

Oh, and the author did a great job narrating this one so that was a definitely bonus for me.

Roommates for BEA/BBC?

2011-04-01T10:50:00.000-04:00

BEA and BBC are now less than two months away and I'm really getting excited about it now. I had such a FANTASTIC time last year and cannot wait to see what this year brings.

I'm starting to get my plans organized and the first thing to do is find a few roommates. So ... is anyone planning to go to New York and still in need of a roommate? I promise I don't bite, and I don't snore (at least, not most of the time), and my roommates last year had no complaints! :P

If you are interested in sharing a room with me leave a comment below or email me via my profile. I'd love to get to know some of my readers, and what better way than by sharing a room?!