MJ's literary odyssey

It's Thanksgiving-what are you thankful for?

2011-11-22T13:27:00.000-08:00

The upcoming holiday has made me think about what I am really thankful for in my life. Although my turkey day festivities will be somewhat stunted by the lack of available family/friends in which to partake a feast, I can still say that there are a great many things I am thankful for (don't worry-I get family time the day after Thanksgiving. No food, but still good family time). So here are my top ten things. What are yours? Please post and let me know!

1. Family and friends. I am thankful for my family, small as it is, and for my friends, both old and new.
2. My health. Without which I would be able to live my life in the manner to which I've become accustomed.
3. My job. It does more than just pay the bills-it gives me a sense of purpose. And I love the organization that I work for. Being in a nonprofit and working toward something you believe in is endlessly rewarding.
4. Books! My thirst for the written word will never be quenched, and I am thankful that there are so many wonderful books out there for me to explore.
5. The ability to be myself. This is a newly acquired thing for me to be thankful for. I have recently re-discovered myself and feel that I am at last coming into my own independence. I am truly thankful.
6. Humor. Laughter is the best medicine and there is nothing like having a good laugh to cheer you on a dull, dreary day.
7. Love. While I'm not married and not in a relationship at the moment, I am thankful for love all around me. It doesn't have to be romantic love, but also love of beauty, love of art, love of music, and many more loves that I haven't mentioned here.
8. Dreams. We all aspire to something in our lives, and I am thankful for the ability to dream about the future. Dreaming helps us to know what is truly important to us and what we want to achieve in our life.
9. My dog. He is a little fuzzy ball of happiness! Everytime I see his smiling face I am thankful that he is mine.
10. The world around me. There is so much to learn-so much to explore. I am thankful for living in a country that offers up opportunities to become who you want to be-even though there are flaws in the system. I am thankful for the means to travel and learn about other cultures, even though I can't afford to do it as often as I would want. I am thankful to my ancestors for coming to America way back when in order to start a new life, one which would ultimately shape my destiny as well. Many thanks!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Animal Farm by George Orwell

2011-10-27T14:13:00.000-07:00

A "fairy story" written by Orwell which was published around the same time as WWII was ravaging the world. It is a bitter satire on human society replacing humans with farm animals who overthrow their human masters in a revolution. While the beasts all start as equals in a communist-like utopia, it quickly becomes apparent that the pigs are intent on seizing power for themselves. Which leads to one of the most stirring lines in the book "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others".

After reading the Jungle earlier this year, I noticed many similarities. The horse Boxer for example is a perfect alter-ego for Jurgis of the Jungle, with the mantra "I will work harder" and that blindly loyal faith in those above him. While Jurgis gets disillusioned throughout the novel, Boxer instead works until his usefulness ends, then is cruelly disposed of. This same thing happened a great deal all over the industrialized countries when workers were hurt on the job and had no union representative to stand up for them.

This fable baldly paints the major things that are wrong with a capitalist society, which breeds greed and a lack of empathy for others. It also points out that the communist ideal will never work as long as one group continually sets themselves above others. This book proved to be prophetic, as several decades after the book was written we witnessed the collapse of one of the largest communist societies, which had become so corrupt and abusive that it was a pale shadow of Marx's utopia. Absolute power corrupts absolutely, and the bleakest part of this fable is that good, honest people (or animals) are always the ones who suffer for it.

Top Ten Tuesday: Most Inspirational Characters

2011-01-18T08:39:00.000-08:00

I just love Tuesdays don't you? It means that its time for another Top Ten Tuesday list, sponsored by The Broke and the Bookish.

Inspiration in a character can come from just about anywhere. My interperetation of the term 'inspirational' would be those characters who inspire you to be a better person, or to really examine the way you think about a situation, or the way a character's goodness and strength have shaped the events in a story. So with that in mind, here are my top ten.

1. Jane Eyre. I just finished reading this not too long ago (click here for my review!), and I was struck so much by how Jane would not be pushed around, even though societal conventions left most women in similar situations completely meek and docile. She values herself and her beliefs, and will not be shaken, not by love and not by force or hardship. There is something in Jane that I think we all can look to for inspiration-we can all use a little of her backbone at times!

2. Eleanore Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility. She is the most levelheaded and selfless character I know-and always putting the needs of others before herself. While this almost leads to her perfect unhappiness, Jane Austen thankfully remembered poor Eleanore and her struggles and managed to give her the happy ending she so richly deserved.

3. Lady Jane Gray (lots of Janes, huh?). I know she was a real person, but her story is incredibly inspiring to me. She led a miserable 16 years and was forced onto the throne by her grasping family, supplanting the rightful heir, Mary I. But she was a brilliant scholar at that tender age, corresponding with the great minds of the world. She also had an unshakable devoutness for the Protestant faith-she clung to it to the very end, even when converting may have saved her life. To have such strength of belief and sharpness of mind at 16 years old is just amazing to me. Who knows what she may have achieved had she been allowed to live. See my review for the Alison Weir book based on Jane Grey, Innocent Traitor, here.

4. Benny Hogan, Circle of Friends by Maeve Binchy. Benny is a larger girl with an even bigger heart who refuses to let anyone's preconceived notions of beauty get her down. She is determined to experience life to the utmost, and even when she is betrayed by those closest to her, she still doesn't shake that powerful inner core. Don't mess with Benny!

5. Elphaba from Wicked by Gregory Maguire. She goes to the farthest lengths to fight for what she believes in, despite major setbacks like green skin. Always misunderstood, she doesn't give up and strives to the very end to try to do what is right. I admire her strength of character very much. Before reading this book I never would have thought I'd be rooting for the Wicked Witch!

6. Novalee Nation from Where the Heart Is by Billie Letts. Talk about being given a bum hand. Everything that possibly can go wrong to Novalee does. But with a core of inner strength and a little kindness from strangers, she manages to rebuild her life, making it richer and more beautiful than it was before.

7. Aliena from Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. Another shining example of not giving up even when the odds are against you. Her perserverance and sharp intellect navigated her and her brother from the depths of despair to shining victory. Richard never would have succeeded if it weren't for capable Aliena. Go girl!

8. Jo March from Little Women. Another strong woman who believes in her family, and also believes in her dreams. She gleefully marches to the beat of her own drummer and finds happiness waiting for her at the bend in the road.

9. Anne Shirley from Anne of Green Gables. She talks her way into your heart with every page. Her thirst for life is truly infectious, inspiring you to see it through the rose colored glasses that she made.

10. Will from The Amber Spyglass and the Subtle Knife by Phillip Pullman. I should also include Lyra here too, because they really were a team. But I admire Will's strength in being the sole caretaker of his mother, and for managing to find his way in a completely strange world. And the courage he brings to the team of Will and Lyra is crucial to its success.

I see a pattern up there-I tend to gravitate towards strong women who have to overcome something. How does your list compare?

People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks

2011-01-14T10:44:00.000-08:00

This book is a fantastic tour through history, following the fate of one 500 year old Jewish prayer book, the Sarajevo Haggadah. While the stories are fictional, the actual book does exist, and it was saved by the muslim assistant curator when the museum was being bombed in the Bosnian war. It is also true that it was similarly saved by a muslim during WW2 when the Nazis took over Sarajevo. He managed to hide the book in a library in the country where it remained safely until the war's end. While these amazing true stories are included in the book, the author paints a portrait of other possible adventures the book had throughout history, including the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492, and the harrowing Inquisition that continued long after. Each chapter uncovers a 'mystery' of a certain part of the manuscript, whether it be a wine stain in one corner, or the fate of the missing clasps, or the white hair found on one of the illuminations. These stories are interspersed with the story of Hannah Heath, the modern book preserver who was in charge of preserving the book after the Bosnian war ends. She seeks to learn as much as she can about this book, but in the meantime steps inside her own drama.

I found the historical chapters much more interesting than Hannah's, but thought they were a good way to tie-in all the adventures that this amazing book may have had, and all the history it has witnessed. A truly engaging book from start to finish, and I learned much of the fate of Jews in Europe in history earlier than WW2. I also learned a little about the process of book conversation and preservation, and how much the materials used to make books have changed in the last 500 years.

What is a Haggadah? s It is a Jewish religious text that sets out the order of the Passover Seder. Reading the Haggadah is a fulfillment of the scriptural commandment to each Jew to "tell your son" about the Jewish liberation from slavery in Egypt as described in the Book of Exodus in the Torah. ("And thou shalt tell thy son in that day, saying: It is because of that which the LORD did for me when I came forth out of Egypt. "

As of 2006, the oldest complete readable manuscript of the Haggadah is found in a prayer book compiled by Saadia Gaon in the tenth century. The earliest known Haggadot (the plural of Hagaddah) produced as works in their own right are manuscripts from the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries such as "The Golden Haggadah" (probably Barcelona c. 1320) and the "Sarajevo Haggadah" (late fourteenth century). It is believed that the first printed Haggadot were produced in 1482, in Guadalajara, Spain; however this is mostly conjecture, as there is no printer's colophon. The oldest confirmed printed Haggadah was printed in Soncino, Italy in 1486 by the Soncino family.

The Sarajevo Haggadah (the book in which People of the Book is based) is one of the oldest Sephardic Haggadahs in the world, originating in Barcelona around 1350. The Haggadah is presently owned by the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo, where it is on permanent display.

The Sarajevo Haggadah is handwritten on bleached calfskin and illuminated in copper and gold. It opens with 34 pages of illustrations of key scenes in the Bible from creation through the death of Moses. Its pages are stained with wine, evidence that it was used at many Passover Seders. In 1991 it was appraised at US$7 million

Other Books to Consider: The Virgin Blue by Tracy Chevalier, Girl in Hyacinth Blue by Susan Vreeland, and The Book of Air and Shadows by Michael Gruber.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

2011-01-13T14:28:00.000-08:00

I can see why this book is a classic, and I'm glad I finally got around to reading it. Jane is such an enduring character, and I was thoroughly engaged with her story from beginning to end. For those who haven't read it yet, the story portrays the life of Jane Eyre, a strong woman who was orphaned as an infant and left to the mercy of her Aunt, who treated her unkindly. Then she gets shipped off to an orphans school where the students starve while getting the bible stuffed down their throats. But she thrives into an independant and thoroughly level-headed woman. So she finishes school to become a private governess to the ward of the rich and not handsome Mr. Rochester. Does her wit and intelligence catch his eye? You'll have to read the book to find out. But let me say that it isn't your typical rags to riches fairy tale. It is about finding yourself and staying true to what you believe in no matter what gets thrown in your way.

I kept rooting for Jane the whole time that she would get her happy ending, because a woman with her strength of character definitely deserved to be happy. I see a lot of the person that I continually strive to be in Jane-strong but not forceful, who is always willing to stand up for those she loves and maintains a strong hold on what she believes in no matter what. Three cheers for Jane!

Top Ten Tuesday: Bookish Resolutions

2011-01-11T08:41:00.000-08:00

We are still in the process of creating resolutions here with Top Ten Tuesday, and this year is an overall book habit resolution list. I have a feeling that our lists this week will all be quite similar, but here goes.

1. Read books I own and whittle down that incredibly huge "plan to read" pile.

2. Don't let said "plan to read" pile grow to more than 150 books. This pile is comprised of books waiting to be read that I currently own, and it's in the 130s now. This doesn't include my wish list, which has all the books I'm salivating to own. Really need to cool it on the book buying.

3. Read more classics. I would like to see more of that 1001 books list on the "have read" shelf.

4. Use the library. This will help me with the classics. I plan to get audiobooks from the library to get these classics read while still tackling my physical pile.

5. Post reviews on my blog for just about every book I finish this year.

6. I don't know if this is a resolution or not, maybe just a goal. I'd like to reach 100 followers this year.

7. Get an e-reader. I have been holding off for what seems like forever. I need to get on this bandwagon already.

ok, thats it. I can't think of any more. Oh well.
So how does your list compare?

Literary Blog Hop

2011-01-07T07:54:00.000-08:00

The Blue Bookcase hosts this awesome new-ish blog hop, and I'm happy to participate! This week's question is:
How did you find your way to reading literary fiction and nonfiction?

I've had a great love of reading since I was very small. My earliest memories of books revolve around my mother reading to me every night for many years. We delved into many classics, such as the Hobbit and the Chronicles of Narnia and Little Women, A Little Princess and The Secret Garden, as well as many "biographies for kids" called Value Tales, which featured the lives of many prominent figures in history. So through that I not only gained a love of descriptive literary prose, but also of learning about the people and events that have shaped our past and, therefore, our future. I owe it all to my mom, and I will happily pay this gift forward when I have children of my own.

I look forward to hearing about your literary beginnings!

Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn

2011-01-06T11:40:00.000-08:00

So rarely does one come across something so original and innovative. Ella Minnow Pea and her beloved cousin Tassie live on the independent island nation of Nollop, just off the coast of North Carolina. Nollop is called thus in honor of Nevin Nollop (not backed up by Wikipedia-the name is probably made up), the supposed author of that famous pangram, The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog, , which uses all the letters of the English language. A statue of the "almighty Nollop" stands in the Nollopton square, and has for 100 years, with the famous sentence affixed to it in tiles. But suddenly the tiles start to fall one by one. The Island Council has decided that the tiles falling is a sign from Nollop, who is telling them to strike these letters from every Nollopians' vocabulary. With this decree, things quickly spiral out of control. What can Ella do to save her society without the use of expression?

I loved the format of telling the story through letters, and really felt the struggle for words as more letters of the alphabet were banned with each chapter. A true picture of a dystopian society which becomes ever increasingly fanatical and oppressing, but Ella and her cousin Tassie remain voices of hope that they can make the madness end. A great example that big change can be brought by seemingly insignificant events, or from the unlikeliest of people. A big heart for my first completed book of the year-one I'll recommend to every lover of words!

Background information: "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" is an English-language pangram, that is, a phrase that contains all of the letters of the alphabet. The earliest known appearance of the phrase is from The Michigan School Moderator, a journal that provided teachers with education-related news and suggestions for lessons. In an article titled "Interesting Notes" in the March 14, 1885 issue, the phrase is given as a suggestion for writing practice: "The following sentence makes a good copy for practice, as it contains every letter of the alphabet: 'A quick brown fox jumps over the very lazy dog.'

As the use of typewriters grew in the late 19th century, the phrase began appearing in typing and stenography lesson books as a practice sentence. By the turn of the 20th century, the phrase had become widely known. In the January 10, 1903, issue of Pitman's Phonetic Journal, it is referred to as "the well known memorized typing line embracing all the letters of the alphabet".Robert Baden-Powell's book Scouting for Boys (1908) uses the phrase as a practice sentence for signalling.

Other books you might like: The Giver by Lois Lowry (dystopian culture where no one sees colors), or The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (dystopian religious regime, where women are property)

Top Ten Tuesday: My to-read Resolutions

2011-01-04T13:06:00.000-08:00

We all have those books that we feel incredibly guilty not getting to, whether they be lingering on our shelves since dirt was new, or remain unread as a result of a deficient education (or plain old procrastination, in my case). This year I really resolve to read more books from my physical bookshelf, and try to curttail the amount of books I buy in 2011. It's a goal anyway. That being said, these are the books I hope to get to in 2011:

1. The Princess and the Dragon by Roberto Pazzi. I picked this up at a garage sale for 50 cents about 2 1/2 years ago. While I originally thought it was a fantasy book, it turns out that it deals with Russia around the time of the revolution. Time to dust the sucker off.

2. Hood by Stephen Lawhead. Another rummage sale book from over 2 years ago. I have been told that I will like Lawhead, but have been reluctant to being pulled into another series. Maybe this will be the year.

3. The Secret Bride by Diane Haeger. I took a break from Tudors in 2010, because I felt like I had heard the stories so many times I could recite them in my sleep. But this book is still on my shelf, demanding I read it.

4. The Other Queen by Philippa Gregory. See previous statement about Tudors. I've also resolved to read everything by Gregory, and this book is the next on my list.

5. The Epicure's Lament by Kate Christensen. The book sounded interesting when I snatched it up at a yard sale. Let's see, shall we?

6. Abundance by Sena Jeter Naslund. I really enjoyed Sherlock in Love, also by this author, and am in need of a book that redeems Marie Antoinette just a little. Hidden Diary of Marie Antoinette, which I read a couple years ago, really does a great job of painting Marie as vapid and clueless. Was that all there was to her?

7. Helen of Troy by Margaret George. I read Memoirs of Cleopatra last year and enjoyed delving into Egyptian history. I look forward to doing the same with ancient Troy.

8. P.S. by Studs Terkel. I really want to read more of his books-so far, I've only gotten halfway through Hard Times. This is a short volume written at the end of his life. Let's start at the end and work our way backwards.

9. The Magician's Assistant by Ann Patchett. I have longed to read more Patchett since loving Bel Canto. I hope this one doesn't disappoint.

10. Sputnik Sweetheart by Haruki Murakami. The next step on my quest to devour the complete works of this ingenious author. Should be fun.

There they are. How does my list compare to yours?

Top Ten Tuesday: The Ten (only 10!?) Books I Hope Santa Brings Me!

2010-12-21T09:28:00.000-08:00

I know I've been MIA for a while, but life has sorta swallowed me up the past few weeks. But I'm making an appearance for this special holiday Top Ten Tuesday! The top ten books I hope Santa brings me this year are:

1. Freedom by Jonathan Franzen. I must say I have officially been bitten by the buzz from this book. I must have it-there will be no waiting for the paperback!

2. Room by Emma Donoghue. This sounds so original and engaging-I must have it.

3. 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami. This would take a Santa miracle because it hasn't been released yet in English translation, but Santa can do anything, right?

4. A Dance with Dragons by George RR Martin. While we're on the subject of miracles, could Santa get Martin to finally finish this book already? I've been waiting like 5 years.

5. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. I read the review in Bookmarks magazine and am completely intrigued.

6. World Without End by Ken Follett. If Santa brings it to me I just might get to this book.

7. Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel. Another book to feed my obsession with the court of King Henry VIII

8. Under Heaven by Guy Gavriel Kay. Samurai and fantasy-ooo it sounds good!

9. The Egyptian by Mika Waltari.A richly written novel of 14 century BC Egypt. Right up my alley

10. The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. Having them all together in one set will greatly increase my chances of reading these books, which have been recommended to me over and over.

So there they are! Please please please bring them Santa!

The Man Who Invented Christmas: How Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol Rescued His Career and Revived Our Holiday Spirits by Les Standiford

2010-12-01T11:00:00.000-08:00

I've kick started my holiday reading with a closer look at the classic tale which we all know and love, A Christmas Carol, and getting to know the man behind the story a little better. It turns out that Dickens was actually in a bit of a crisis at the time when inspiration struck him to write his "Little Carol". He was practically broke and had baby number 9 on the way (for a total of 10 children before he divorced his wife-nice.), plus a host of other family issues. Plus his popularity was dwindling, decreasing from the heights of The Pickwick papers with his current periodical, Martin Chuzzlewit. So because of that his publishers were thinking of docking his pay, not very good timing for everything to happen at once. But it took a speaking engagement in the factory swelled hovel that was Manchester for him to spark the idea that would become his greatest achievement: A Christmas Carol. He realized the need to say something on behalf of charity and goodwill toward men, and he certainly succeeded! This book has been called the most perfect case made for charity outside of the Bible. It has been retold in movies, plays, musicals, and been reformatted into hundreds of different editions. True enough, one can hardly have a Christmas without this classic Carol!

I really enjoyed this book because I love reading about the background and origin of things, and the writing style is charming and entertaining. You can tell the reverence the author has for Dickens, and he has really done his homework in getting the facts. And the chapters on the sheer impact of this novel are astounding! A big recommend from me for all fans of Christmas books, especially the Carol. Now I need to go re-read the novel!

About the author: Standiford is the author of the critically acclaimed Last Train to Paradise, Meet You in Hell, and Washington Burning, as well as ten novels. Recipient of the Frank O’Connor Award for Short Fiction, he is director of the Creative Writing Program at Florida International University in Miami, where he lives with his wife and three children.

Other Books to Consider: A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom, Loving Frank by Nancy Horan

Top Ten Tuesday: Characters I'd like to be friends with

2010-11-30T08:17:00.000-08:00

Top Ten Tuesday again, the weekly meme from the Broke and the Bookish. This week we discover who our fictional best friends would be.

1. Anne Shirley. This Anne-girl manages to bring a smile to the face of anyone who encounters her. She warms hearts and is a terrific 'bosom friend' to Diana. And she always has something interesting to say!

2. Jo March. I have always looked up to Jo. Her strength of character is a perfect model for how I'd like to live my own life. True she makes mistakes, but she is human and determined to live her life in the fullest way possible.

3. Alanna of Trebond. She kicks some serious butt, but has a pure heart and a fierce loyalty to her friends. Someone I'd always want in my corner!

4. Jane Bennett. She is so sweet and a great sister to Lizzie. I wish she were my older sister too.

5. Pippi Longstocking. There could never be a dull moment with Pippi around!

6. Dickon from The Secret Garden. He talks to animals and can make things grow-who wouldn't want a friend like that!

7. Eowyn from Lord of the Rings. A shieldmaiden of Rohan who fights to achieve her own destiny. I think she could teach me a thing or two about inner strength.

8. Lestat. He fascinates me, and would love to have many a deep conversation with him.

9. Elphaba from Wicked. Again, she seems like a great person for a conversation.

10. Bridget Jones. She is so scatterbrained and drama-prone that she makes my life seem dull in comparison! Plus we can gush over Colin Firth together.

so there it is-my top ten. How does your list compare?

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Holiday Books!

2010-11-23T08:17:00.000-08:00

Top Ten Tuesday again, a weekly meme from the Broke and the Bookish. This week it's favorite holiday books, just in time for Turkey Day!

1. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. I have read the book and seen countless adaptations of this classic story. I'm also reading a little nonfiction book about how this book changed the way we think about Christmas forever. I don't doubt it. What book can boast that it reinvented Christmas cheer and good will towards all?

2. The Gift of the Magi by O.Henry. This book always brings me to tears, because no matter how bad things are for this couple financially, the love they have for each other keeps them warm.

3. The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Anderson. Another touch-me-to-the-point-of-tears book. And so beautifully written too.

4. The Night Before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore. My mom read this book to me every Christmas Eve when I was growing up. It will always have a special place in my heart.

5. How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss. Love this book. My family used to call me Mindy Lou Who because I loved this book so much.

6. The Snowman by Raymond Briggs. The illustrations in this classic book are fantastic, and the story can warm any cold night.

7. The Littlest Angel by Charles Tazewel. A bit religious but still very sweet, about a little angel who wants his star to shine the brightest.

8. Catmas Carols by Laurie Loughlin. A book of traditional Christmas Carols with a kitty twist. Classics include O Hold Me Right (O Holy Night), O Come All Ye Furful and O Little Town of Cat Mayhem.This book never fails to put a grin on my face!

9. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis. When "always Winter, but never Christmas" begins to melt away, I can't help but feel the touch of the Christmas spirit!

10. The Nutcracker. I don't remember who wrote the picture book version of this story I had when I was a kid, but I remember looking at the pictures an reading along and wishing I was Clara, so that I could be whisked away to an enchanted land by a handsome nutcracker prince too.

well, there's 10. I must say that I had to do some heavy digging through my memory banks for this week's list, but I'm glad I did. These books make me smile with fond memories.

How does your list compare?

Literary Blog Hop

2010-11-19T07:54:00.000-08:00

It's Literary Blog Hop time-a new weekly hop from The Blue Bookcase.
This week's question is: Is there such a thing as literary non-fiction? If so, how do you define it? Examples?

I think there most definitely is such a thing as literary non-fiction. I define it as when an author paints a true event or experience with rich detail and literary prose that it reads like a novel. I wouldn't count your typical dry history book, full of facts which, while interesting, don't move a story along. I do however count many memoirs into this category. For example, I recently read Italo Calvino's Road to San Giovanni, which is a collection of five "memory exercises" about his past, written down in such vivid detail with a healthy smattering of philosophical waxing. While the heart of the book is non-fiction, the book is just as literary as his novels.

So how about you? Does literary non-fiction exist in your reading experiences?

One Good Knight by Mercedes Lackey

2010-11-18T13:52:00.000-08:00

I venture into the fantasy realm with this recent read. This book is the second volume in the 500 kingdoms series, focusing on Andromeda, princess of a small kingdom by the sea ruled by her mother who doesn't think much of her. Andi tries so hard to get her mother to realize that she is bright and intelligent, and can help her run the kingdom, but doesn't quite realize that her mother's attentions might not be the best thing for her well-being. In her eagerness to please, she stumbles upon some details that don't quite add up- for some reason the number of shipwrecks-which the crown profits from- are drastically increasing.

And then a dragon comes to town to further complicate things, and to prevent it from destroying their country, the kingdom starts giving the dragon virgins to eat. The kingdom needs a champion to set things right, but that might be more difficult that originally thought. There is more to the story behind the dragon's sudden appearance and the shipwrecks, and as Andi digs deeper, the more likely she will be to end up as said dragon's latest sacrifice.

A delightful and very quick read-I finished it in a day. I love immersing myself in the world of fairy tales, and love reading about how the characters work with the Tradition, which keeps trying to put everyone on a fairy tale path, whether it be Cinderella or some other tale. It is so interesting hearing what they come up with to circumvent the Tradition and make it work for them instead of forcing them on the path of, say, the helpless princess who falls in love with her protector. Although the first book in the series is still my favorite thus far, this is a welcome addition to the series.

Other Books to Consider: The Fairy Godmother by Mercedes Lackey, Enchantment by Orson Scott Card, Snow White and Rose Red by Patricia C. Wrede

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Nastiest Villans!

2010-11-16T13:38:00.000-08:00

It's top ten Tuesday again, brought to you by the Broke and the Bookish! This week we explore those nasty villains you just love to hate.

1. Jack Randall-Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. This guy is just despicable! He consistently abuses his power and will stop at nothing to not just capture his enemy, but to destroy him entirely-making his life a living hell. Death is easy compared to a fate like that.

2. Blaine the train from The Dark Tower series by Stephen King. What an amazing villain. He is super intelligent and incredibly evil. His set up and entrance into the story was wonderfully imaginative, and the rhyme associated with him is haunting.

3. William Hamleigh from Pillars of the Earth. Everything about this character I hated-as he is supposed to be. There wasn't one redeeming thing about him, and I waited the whole book to see him get his comeuppance.

4. Cathy from East of Eden. I loved Cathy because she was just so completely flawed. She is the perfect villain who shows no remorse at all when she is hurting those around her. She is not really human-something is missing from her soul.

5. Jean-Baptiste Grenouille from Perfume. A lover of beauty to such an extent that he loses touch with humanity. His path is interesting to read, but I certainly wouldn't want to meet him-creepy.

6. Faust-the original villain in my opinion. He sells his soul for youth and beauty, and never falters when he destroys the life of an innocent maiden unfortunate enough to have crossed his path. Some would say that 'the devil made him do it' but he could have refused. His weakness makes him the greater evil.

7. Simon Legree-Uncle Tom's Cabin. He takes pleasure in beating slaves. There is nothing likeable about this character. A true villain.

8. Abigail Williams from The Crucible. She convinces an entire town that she can tell who is a witch and who isn't-thereby destroying said town and turning neighbor against neighbor. A really nasty little girl.

9. Javert from Les Miserables. The villain, but a very dedicated man devoted to the point of mania. He will stop at nothing until he captures Jean Valjean. His heart is in the right place, but his obsession makes him a very dangerous person.

10. Iago from Otello. This guy is just evil to the core. He turns Otello from his wife out of petty jealousy, but he does it so cunningly that Otello doesn't even notice it. Very subtly the seed of doubt and hatred is placed between the once happily married couple.

well there's 10. I think I could have kept going really, but I'll leave it there. How does it compare to your list?

Literary Blog Hop

2010-11-12T12:25:00.000-08:00

I just stumbled upon this new blog hop from the Blue Bookcase, and it hit me like a breath of fresh air. So first off, thank you blue bookcase! I can't wait to join you every week.

This blog hop is open to blogs that primarily feature book reviews of literary fiction, classic literature, and general literary discussion.

How do I know if my blog qualifies as "literary"? Literature has many definitions, but for our purposes your blog qualifies as "literary" if it focuses primarily on texts with aesthetic merit. In other words, texts that show quality not only in narrative but also in the effect of their language and structure.

This week's question comes from Debbie Nance at Readerbuzz
What is the most difficult literary work you've ever read? What made it so difficult?

I think one of the most difficult literary works I've read is Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, and this is because it is just so darn sad. All Lenny and George want out of life is the chance to have one that is worth living, and they are just so overwhelmingly denied that. It makes me angry and sad and somewhat disgusted every time I think of it.

Another one that comes to mind is Notes from the Underground by Dostoyevsky. This is also incredibly depressing, so much so that I had to pause, read something else, and come back to it. Russian literature I can only take in small doses, so that the bleakness emanating from the book doesn't overwhelm me entirely.

What about you? What were your difficult books?

Book Blog hop hop hop

2010-11-12T12:06:00.000-08:00

Hi there! It's time for Friday's book blog hop. I can't wait to check out some new blogs.

This week's question is:

"If you find a book that looks interesting but is part of a series, do you always start with the first title?"

My answer: Yes, I always start with book one. This is something of a pain because I'll pick up a book 2 at a sale or something, and refuse to read it until I've found book one. I just can't stand not starting things from the beginning. I hate being lost, because more often than not the sequels build upon major elements from previous books-I don't want to miss anything!

What about you? Do you start in the middle and work your way out?

The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cicernos

2010-11-10T12:56:00.000-08:00

This book, set in Chicago, portrays a family and a neighborhood of recent immigrants from Mexico. It is told in small vignettes from the point of view of Esperanza, a young girl who has moved to the House on Mango Street from a series of terrible apartments. Through the vignettes, which almost read like little poems, we learn of the people who make up her family and her neighborhood, who become a sort of extended family. The struggles with fitting in, being poor, and making a place for yourself in a new world are all laced within the pages of this short novel. It could really be set in any time, because the problems these immigrants face are the same as they were 50 years ago, only now there is even more scarcity of resources, particularly in Chicago. But the basic human aspiration to succeed is the strongest theme in the book, which had me hoping that Esperanza would not let the depression of her current status get her down- that she would rise above it.

Living in Chicago makes this book even more real to me, because there are tons of neighborhoods just like Mango street all around me. There is that strange mingling of fear and hope, and a desire to provide for your family at all cost. Hispanic immigrants are very quickly becoming the major ethnicity in this town, as more and more flock to the city for the chance of a better life. But with that comes the enormous contingent of hate, crime, and depression which leads to violence. These also appear in this book, from Esperanza's perspective. There is no balance here. It's a sad reality, but reality it is.

About the Author: Sandra Cicernos' work experiments with literary forms and investigates emerging subject positions, which Cisneros herself attributes to growing up in a context of cultural hybridity and economic inequality that endowed her with unique stories to tell. She is the recipient of numerous awards including a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, and is regarded as a key figure in Chicana literature.

Cisneros's early life provided many experiences she would later draw on as a writer: she grew up as the only daughter in a family of six brothers, which often made her feel isolated, and the constant migration of her family between Mexico and the USA instilled in her the sense of "always straddling two countries... but not belonging to either culture." Cisneros's work deals with the formation of Chicana identity, exploring the challenges of being caught between Mexican and Anglo-American cultures, facing the misogynist attitudes present in both these cultures, and experiencing poverty. For her insightful social critique and powerful prose style, Cisneros has achieved recognition far beyond Chicano and Latino communities, to the extent that The House on Mango Street has been translated worldwide and is taught in American classrooms as a coming-of-age novel.

Cisneros has held a variety of professional positions, working as a teacher, a counselor, a college recruiter, a poet-in-the-schools, and an arts administrator, and has maintained a strong commitment to community and literary causes. In 1998 she established the Macondo Foundation, which provides socially conscious workshops for writers, and in 2000 she founded the Alfredo Cisneros Del Moral Foundation, which awards talented writers connected to Texas. Cisneros currently resides in San Antonio, Texas.

Other Books to Consider: Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides, The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton, and Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro.

Top Ten Tuesday: Most Unfortunate Character Names

2010-11-09T07:53:00.000-08:00

So it's Top Ten Tuesday again, from The Broke and The Bookish. Hooray!

I almost didn't participate this week, because I have a hard time remembering my own name let alone someone else's, but one character name in particular stood out so much for me that I decided ti jump in with my list.

1. Renesmee. WTH kind of name is that? It isn't cute, frankly it isn't even English. It is appalling and if I were named that I too would prefer being nicknamed after the Loch Ness Monster. Blech. (this character is from Breaking Dawn, btw.)

2. Mochriadhemiach from the Nine Kingdoms Trilogy by Lynn Kurland. Talk about a mouthful. Thankfully they shorten his name to Miach for most of the book.

3. Boudica. I know she is a real person, but I have always hated the name. For those non history buffs, she was a Queen of old England who rebelled against the Roman invasion, and almost won.

4. Yum Yum from The Mikado by Gilbert and Sullivan. No it isn't a book but an operetta, but this name always makes me think of a candy bar. Who would want to be named after a candy bar?

5. Number 5 is just about every character in Where the Heart is by Billie Letts. Novalee Nation and her daughter Americus Nation, Lexie Coop and her children who actually are named after candy bars, and the drop dead jerk of a baby daddy Willie Jack Pickens. Wow what a collection.

6. Huckleberry Finn. This can't be his real name, can it? But we aren't given any others, so it must be so.

Well there's six. I'll keep thinking about this and update accordingly, so stop by again!

The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

2010-11-06T08:08:00.000-07:00

This mystery thriller follows writer David Martin, a young man and writer full of 'great expectations' but always falling short of the mark. David makes a desperate pact with the mysterious publisher Andreas Corelli to write an unusual story. But what he doesn't know is that he has just set a string of events in motion that strangely, seem to have happened before years earlier. David must try to unravel the story of what happened to Corelli's last employee before he falls victim to their consequences.

This prequel to Shadow of the Wind is nothing short of fantastic. It may take place before Zafon's last novel, but don't expect it to be exactly the same, because it is very different. They simply share some similar characters and of course, the cemetery of lost books plays a role. The writing is so richly developed that you are pulled in every time you pick the book up, and the novel refuses to let you go until every page is consumed.

I loved how all of the characters, despite or maybe because of their many human flaws, are entirely three dimensional and real. My favorite character is Isabella, David's young assistant who more than once rescues David's sanity and humanity.The story is very tragic in many parts, so I would recommend having some tissues handy.

I loved this line from an Amazon reviewer so much that I had to quote it here. It so accurately conveys my feelings. "Most importantly, this novel details the power that books can have in our lives, the voids they fill within us, and the myriad methods by which they can mold us- for better or for worse." I'm sure all of us book lovers can agree to the power that the written word can have on us.

All in all, another masterpiece from Zafon. Looking forward to his next novel!

About the Author:
Carlos Ruiz Zafón (born Barcelona, 25 September 1964) is a Spanish novelist who has lived in Los Angeles since 1993, where he spent a few years writing scripts whilst developing his career as a writer.

His first novel, El príncipe de la niebla (The Prince of Mist, 1993), earned the Edebé literary prize for young adult fiction. He is also the author of three more young adult novels, El palacio de la medianoche (1994), Las luces de septiembre (1995) and Marina (1999).

In 2001 he published the novel La sombra del viento (The Shadow of the Wind), his first "adult" novel, which has sold millions of copies worldwide and more than a million copies in the UK alone. Since its publication, La sombra del viento has garnered critical acclaim around the world and has won many international awards. Ruiz Zafón's works have been published in 45 countries and have been translated into more than 30 languages. According to these figures, Ruiz Zafón is the most successful contemporary Spanish writer, along with Javier Sierra, whose works have been published in forty-two countries, and Juan Gómez-Jurado, whose works have been published in forty-one countries.

The English edition of Zafon's books have been translated by Lucia Graves, daughter of the poet Robert Graves. She has translated over 30 volumes.

Other Books to Consider: Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield, The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

Hippity Hoppity Book Blog time!

2010-11-05T06:05:00.000-07:00

Yay book blog hop time! Brought to you courtesy of Crazy for Books!

This week's question concerns what our feelings are on losing followers, or whether we have ever stopped following someone. I can say that I never have stopped following anyone. I choose to follow because I find a blog interesting or the books reviewed align closely to what I might be interested in picking up one day. The more choices of blogs I have to peruse, the more options I have of finding that new exciting read. So, unless I've been personally offended, I won't stop following anyone once I've joined.

I hope that no one has stopped following me. I try to bring as many thoughtful reviews as possible, but sometimes life intervenes and I'm not able to provide as many reviews as other blogs. But at the end of the day, this blog is simply to have fun and share my book loving experiences with other like minded book nerds. :-)

How about you-inquiring minds want to know! I look forward to your comments!

Top Ten Tuesday: Books that made you cry

2010-11-02T08:27:00.000-07:00

That's right, it's time for my favorite meme, Top Ten Tuesday, brought to you by the Broke and the Bookish.
This week we are examining the top ten books that made us cry. So lets give those tear ducts a jerk and dig right in.

1. Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom. This was inevitable-the book is setting you up for a bawl fest from page one.

2. Marley and Me by John Grogan. Pet book. Nuff said.

3. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. I can't tell you why without giving the plot away.

4. Where the Heart is by Billie Letts. Sister Husband was one of the best characters in the whole book, is all I'm saying.

5. South of the Border, West of the Sun by Haruki Murakami. This book is just so tragically beautiful, I couldn't help shedding a tear or six.

6. The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman. A great end to a great series, but bittersweet as well.

7. Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. "For never was there a tale of more woe, than this of Juliet, and her Romeo"

8. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. The end was nearly unbearably sad.

9. Lioness Rampant by Tamora Pierce. I return to the favorite series of my childhood. This is the last book in the series and Pierce is pretty ruthless with my heartstrings here. So many of my favorite minor characters didn't make it to the end of this book. I mourned them all.

10. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Anne Shaffer and Annie Barrows. Both sad and happy tears were shed during my time with this excellent little novel.

well there they are, my tissue clutching list. How does yours compare?

Book Blogs a Hoppin!

2010-10-29T06:38:00.000-07:00

Yay! It's time for hopping Friday, where tons of book bloggers hop like mad all over the blogosphere. This week's question is:

"What is the one bookish thing you would love to have, no matter the cost?"

This is really tough, because I would love to have a great many bookish things that I can't afford. I think I would go with a house with a dedicated Library, just like the ones in old novels. It would have a fireplace, huge comfy armchairs, and of course, walls of bookshelves filled with all my own books. Literary bliss!!

Something like this would do nicely:

So how about you? What is your bookish dream possession?

Top Ten Tuesday: Scariest Books

2010-10-26T08:28:00.000-07:00

Here it is again, the fabulous list crazy meme from The Broke and the Bookish! This week we are exploring the top ten scariest books, just in time for the day of ultimate spookiness-Halloween!

Now let me begin that I generally tend to shy away from scary books as a rule. I don't have much stomach for scary. My first scary movie was Nightmare on Elm Street at a slumber party, and I was so freaked out I had to call my mom to come get me because I was afraid to sleep. It has of course been downhill from there.

So here are my top ten scary books!

1. Dracula by Bram Stoker. This book is the grand daddy of scary books. This one book began a phenomenon that lingers today-our fascination with vampires. Without it we may never have had Twilight-- well don't blame him for that. It's still a great book.

2. The Witching Hour by Anne Rice. Powerful witches living in the heart of New Orleans. How cool is that? But there is a dark force that has connected generations of the Mayfair family, and now Rowan, who almost escaped when her mother moved her to California when she was little, is back to face that force head on. Is she strong enough to endure? Such an awesome book, and the sequels are equally fantastic.

3. Pet Sematary by Stephen King. I haven't actually read this book-I saw the movie. And this is why I will never read the book. The premise alone gives me the willies.

4. Lisey's Story by Stephen King. This one is considered to be more benign than his straight up horror books, and this is why I read it. But it creeped me out like only King can. I was only able to read this one in daylight.

5. The Nanny Diaries by two chicks whose names I don't remember. It is scary that a book can be this bad. I cower at the very thought.

6. The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe. The king of twisted and his masterpiece. The ominous repetition always has me shaking in my boots.

7. Macbeth by William Shakespeare. Even in print this thing is scary, but mostly because it shows us that there is a dark side to ambition, which is present in each and every one of us, just waiting to manifest itself.

8. Sphere by Michael Crichton. The scariest creatures in this book are located in the minds of the main characters. No one is safe from their own mind when it turns on you. Scary!

9. Flowers in the Attic by VC Andrews. When your own mom decides you are cramping her style, look out and watch what goes into your food. This book is very sad and scary at the same time.

well there they are, my top ten (well 9. I'm tapped out) scary books in all their glory. How does it shape up to your list?

Stone's Fall by Iain Pears

2010-10-25T14:13:00.000-07:00

This is a brilliantly intricate historical novel, which centers on the death of a successful British businessman, and is separated into three parts. In part one, after John Stone falls to his death from a window in his London mansion in 1909, Stone's young widow, Elizabeth, hires journalist Matthew Braddock to trace a child of her late husband's she never knew existed until the child is named in his will. Braddock, a novice in the world of finance, uncovers evidence that Stone's actual net worth was far less than commonly believed, even as he finds himself falling for his client. In part two, set in 1890 Paris, Henry Cort, a shadowy spy, provides another perspective on the bewitching Elizabeth. The third part is told from Stone's own point of view, as he reminiscences of his time in Venice in 1867.

I found it really intriguing how each part of the novel ventured further in the past than the one before it. They all involve the same group of people, but at different points in their lives. All the pieces of the full picture don't really come together until the very very end, but each section has its own small mystery that is solved in that section. It is splendidly written-Pear's writing style makes the book very compelling to read, and I was never bored once throughout the 600+ pages. A great book, filled with mystery, love, betrayal, and a whole lot regarding the world of British finance in the early 1900s, which would normally go over my head but with Pears I was able to keep up. Highly recommended for mystery fans.

Book Hop!

2010-10-22T07:24:00.000-07:00

It's Blog hop time again-something I always look forward to on Fridays. This blog hop is brought to you by Crazy for Books-thanks Jennifer for such a great meme!

This week's question is: "Where is your favorite place to read?"

I actually have a couple of favorite places. My absolute favorite is in my sun room. My apartment has a little room with windows on three sides. I keep my bookshelves there and have some IKEA chairs, some end tables and a stereo. It is my happy place to relax with a mug of tea and read away.

I also love to read in bed. It is a nightly ritual for me to take in a few pages every night before I head off to sleep. But I have to be careful with what I read here-if it is scary or really sad it will keep me up shaking or bawling!

So how about you? Where is your book reading happy place?

Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger

2010-10-20T10:22:00.000-07:00

Description from Publisher:
Julia and Valentina Poole are twenty-year-old sisters with an intense attachment to each other. One morning the mailman delivers a thick envelope to their house in the suburbs of Chicago. Their English aunt Elspeth Noblin has died of cancer and left them her London apartment. There are two conditions for this inheritance: that they live in the flat for a year before they sell it and that their parents not enter it. Julia and Valentina are twins. So were the girls' aunt Elspeth and their mother, Edie.

The girls move to Elspeth's flat, which borders the vast Highgate Cemetery, where Christina Rossetti, George Eliot, Stella Gibbons, and other luminaries are buried. Julia and Valentina become involved with their living neighbors: Martin, a composer of crossword puzzles who suffers from crippling OCD, and Robert, Elspeth's elusive lover, a scholar of the cemetery. They also discover that much is still alive in Highgate, including—perhaps—their aunt.

I chose to use the publisher's description of this book because I didn't think I could objectively describe it. This book is all about twins, really. Two adult twins are separated by mysterious circumstances, and then one, Elspeth, dies. She leaves her estate to her twin's two twin daughters who come to live in her flat overlooking London's Highgate cemetery. But Elspeth isn't really gone. She is stuck as a ghost in her flat, haunting the young twins amidst their backdrop of ever growing discord with each other. This can't end well.

And it doesn't. I stayed up until midnight reading the last 100 pages in a desperate need to see this book rescued from itself. I was very disappointed. The book isn't beautiful, dark and gothic, which is what I think the author was trying for. It is just distasteful. I loved Niffinegger's first book, The Time Traveler's Wife, so I think the fact that this one doesn't fall even close to the same level was the biggest disappointment for me. So sad to say, this book can't get a positive review. I wonder where her magic went. Will I still pick up any forthcoming novels by her? Probably, because I know she has it in her. But this one is a big miss.

A bit about Highgate Cemetery: Highgate is a huge sprawling Victorian era cemetery, which was opened in 1839. Just over three and a half thousand pounds was paid for seventeen acres of land that had been the grounds of the Ashurst Estate, descending the steep hillside from Highgate Village. Over the next three years the cemetery was landscaped to brilliant effect by Ramsey with exotic formal planting which was complimented by stunning and unique architecture by Geary and Bunning. It was this combination that was to secure Highgate as the capital’s principal cemetery.

The unparalleled elevation overlooking London, with its highest point being 375’ above sea level, along with unique architecture, meant that the wealthy were encouraged to invest.

Two Tudor style chapels were built, topped with wooden turrets and a central bell tower. In the very heart of the grounds was created the grandest and most eccentric structure, an avenue of vaults on either side of a passageway entered through a great arch. It was created in the Egyptian style which was so in vogue following the discovery of the Valley of the Kings. These vaults were fitted with shelves for 12 coffins. The avenue led into the Circle of Lebanon, built in the same style. This circle was created by earth being excavated around an ancient Cedar of Lebanon, a legacy of the Ashurst Estate and used to great effect by the cemetery’s designers. Above this, catacombs in the gothic style, with an impressive 80 yard frontage, with room for a total of 825 people, were completed in 1842.

Many famous people are buried there, most notably Karl Marz, father of Marxism. Other famous residents include Douglas Adams, author of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Charles Dickens' parents, and Adam Worth the possible inspiration for Sherlock Holmes' nemesis, Professor Moriarty.

It has recieved numerous references in pop culture, such as a burial place for Dracula's victims in Braham Stoker's novel and the setting inspiration for Neil Gaiman's Graveyard Book. It has also been the backdrop for some scary movies.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Fictional Crushes

2010-10-19T09:37:00.000-07:00

Here it is again. Top Ten Tuesday, brought to you compliments of The Broke and the Bookish. This week we explore those fictional characters you can't help but fantasize about.

1. Mr. Darcy. Whenever I think of the ultimate perfect man, I think of Colin Firth as this character in the wet shirt scene. I can't help it. And every time I read this book I imagine Colin Firth in that role. There will never be another for me.

2. Jaime from the Outlander series. If I had this guy waiting for me, I'd find a way to get back to 1700s Scotland too. In a heartbeat. While I didn't enjoy book 2 as much as book one, Jaime still tops the charts on hotness alone.

3. Chang An Lo from The Russian Concubine. He kicks butt for the woman he loves, and he is so mannered and chivalrous. A true knight in shining armor amidst the backdrop of the budding Chinese Revolution.

4. Jack Builder from Pillars of the Earth. What's not to like? He is extremely intelligent, has a deep passion for the woman he loves, and he has red hair. All major plus points.

5. Laurie from Little Women. When I was younger I used to imagine that I was Jo, and that I had given Laurie a much different answer than she did in the book.

6. Peter Pan. Another little girl crush. I wanted to fly off to Neverland with him instead of Wendy.

7. Wesley from the Princess Bride. Oh man of few words and awesome fighting skills. If he asked, I would answer "As you wish".

8. Aragorn from Lord of the Rings. This crush was hugely maximized after the movies came out. Wow.

9. John Rimer from Snow White and Rose Red by Patricia C. Wrede. One of the princes from this retold fairytale. But this version makes him much more three dimensional that the original story. He isn't the one turned into a bear-he's the bear's brother. I imagine him to be very cute.

10. Lestat from Anne Rice's Vampire series. He is self proclaimed despicable, but his character is so endearing despite being a vampire, that you can't help but adore him just a little.

so there they are! How does your list compare?

Hopping!

2010-10-15T06:25:00.000-07:00

It's Friday again, wow this week has simply crawled by. But finally the weekend is almost upon us. Crazy for Books has this awesome blog hop, and I love to participate-another reason to love Friday!

The question this week is:
"When you read a book that you just can't get into, do you stick it out and keep reading or move to your next title?"

This is a really good question. The answer for me is sometimes. I try not to spend time on books I don't like, but sometimes feel a compulsive need to see it through to the end. It's a commitment thing I guess, telling me that I have committed myself to this book and the commitment only ends when I finish. Also, I've come across books where I actually got into them later on, or when the ending redeemed the book, so I also consider this when deciding whether to go on. But if the book is throw across the room horrible, then I have to stop. Life is too short to read bad books.

So what do you think?

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I'll Never Read

2010-10-12T07:57:00.000-07:00

Its time again for top ten Tuesday, brought to you by the Broke and the Bookish! This week I list the books I'll never read, whether for personal hatred reasons or just because I'll never be quite that bored.

Again, in no particular order.

10. War and Peace. As much as I've heard this book is a classic and whatnot, the sheer size scares me to death. And I really don't think it would be my cup of tea anyway. Let's save the frustration and eyestrain.

9. Moby Dick. I've heard that there are about a hundred pages devoted to the art of fishing, and other lobs of detail for other seafaring topics. I've never been a nautical person so I don't think I would find this interesting. It has that classic compulsion again, but again, I don't think it would be worth the headache.

8. Any more books by Rosalind Miles. I read Guenevere-Queen of the Summer Country and was expecting a strong heroine who could stand on her own and wield power in her own right. What I got was a simpering, needy wet blanket of a main character that I was thoroughly disgusted with because of her extreme weakness and need to lean on Arthur. For that reason I've been completely ruined on Miles' entire body of work.

7. Any more books in the Redwall series by Brian Jaques. This series was pretty highly acclaimed from fellow book lovers. I just couldn't get into it. Oh well.

6. Cujo by Stephen King. This book gives me the shivers just thinking about it. I don't like horror as a rule, and this one for me is a perfect example of the super scary. Must stay away.

5. Gossip Girl books. What can I say? I just don't care.

4. J.D. Robb's In Death series. Murder and romance together? I'd prefer to skip the suspense part in my romance novels. Not for me.

3. Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella. The movie version of this was probably the stupidest thing I've seen in a long time. Will definitely be skipping the book in an effort to retain some brain cells.

2. Anything by John Grisham. Not into court drama, although I did see a couple movie adaptations and they were ok. But 2 hours is really all I can take-not the multiple hours needed to read the book.

1. Anna Karenina. This is more despair talking. For years I've told myself I should read this, but something always gets in the way and puts a wrench in my plans. Maybe there is still hope. But if the current trend continues, maybe not.

So there's my list. What do you think? Agree or disagree? I can't wait to read your lists!

The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson

2010-10-09T17:34:00.000-07:00

The second book in what is shaping up to be a fabulous trilogy. Lisbeth Salander, the series' heroine, is in trouble-a couple investigating and attempting to expose the Swedish sex trade is murdered, and Lisbeth's fingerprints are found on the murder weapon. Her friend Mikael Blomkvist believes in her innocence, but will his help be enough to help her before either the Police or the mysterious thugs also looking for her grab her first?

Another fast paced thoroughly enjoyable mystery with a disarmingly likable main character. It is Lisbeth against the world, and I for one and rooting for her all the way. The cliffhanger ending left me dizzy with anticipation for the next part of the series, so my advice is don't finish this book until you have the next book ready to go!

It is simply a shame that Larsson never got to realize the international success his books have become. It has been the most visible series of novels coming from Sweden since Pippi Longstocking, and the buzz it generates never seems to cease. And now with the movies, both the already made Swedish ones and the upcoming US version, Lisbeth has taken the world by storm. I look forward to the last book in the series with both eager anticipation and a growing sense of melancholy, because I know there will be no more to follow.

Other Books to Consider: The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown, The Raphael Affair by Iain Pears, Beautiful Lies by Lisa Unger

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Authors!

2010-10-05T16:07:00.000-07:00

It's time for Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly meme from The Broke and the Bookish. I love this series because I love to make lists. This week is top ten favorite authors. Here I go!

(in no particular order)

1. Haruki Murakami- a brilliant novelist who paints amazing surreal worlds but are at the same time heartfelt and deeply engaging. I cannot recommend him enough.

2. Italo Calvino- If on a Winter's Night a Traveler is a masterpiece. I think everyone who loves books should read it, and read it through to the end! If you throw the book in frustration, dust it off and pick it back up again.

3. Alison Weir- by far the best historian on British royalty that I've read. She not only covers the facts, but makes the writing interesting and engaging-not an easy task when working with nonfiction.

4. LM Montgomery- The Anne series has been a cherished set of novels for me for a long time. They never fail to put a smile on my face.

5. Anne Rice- I've read just about everything she has written, and in some cases more than once. Her level of detail pulls the reader into the story, so that they are walking that beautiful New Orleans street with Lestat by their side. Absolutely wonderful books.

6. Tamora Pierce- her Alanna series got me through a good portion of young adulthood. She gave me a heroine I could go on adventures with, could cry with and could celebrate victory with. I can't even remember how many times I've reread them. And they are still fantastic every time I do.

7. John Steinbeck- I was blown away when I read East of Eden. While I haven't yet swallowed his collective works, he still remains very high in my esteem.

8. George R. R. Martin- probably the best fantasy series of all time is the Song of Fire and Ice. It is a constant source of frustration for me that he hasn't finished it yet.

9. Jane Austen- the pioneer of woman's literature. Her books remain timeless, with lessons that everyone can relate to, regardless of where they are or when.

10. Philippa Gregory- The Other Boleyn girl inspired a love of British historical fiction in me. While I haven't loved all her books, I do intend to read them all.

So there's my list! How does it compare to yours?

It's Blog Hop TIme!

2010-09-24T07:41:00.000-07:00

Time for another fun blog hop from Crazy for Books! I always look forward to these because it introduces me to so many awesome blogs out there. If you like what you see here, please consider becoming a follower! I'd really appreciate it.

This week's companion question is:

When you write reviews, do you write them as you are reading or wait until you have read the entire book?

I always wait until I've finished a book before I write a review, because so often what happens at the end affects my overall view and experience of the book. I don't think it is fair to judge something until you've listened to everything it has to say. So I always try to reserve judgment until the very end. Unless I hate the book, then I just quit reading it. That is a bit of a jump judgment, but life is too short to waste time on books that rub me the wrong way.

What about you? Agree/disagree?

Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

2010-09-23T12:09:00.000-07:00

The first word that comes to mind when I think of this book was WOW. This is an amazing coming of age story set in Detroit. It follows three generations of a Greek family who was just a little different than other 'traditional' families, but definitely had their fill of family drama and angst. The story is narrated by third generation family member Cal, formerly Calliope, who is the result of the 'close' ties within the family. It is a story of strength in adversity, and of personal discovery with a backdrop of turbulent Detroit as it goes through a Genesis of its own, from motor city to motown to the riots and finally to decrepitude. Cal's narration is witty and delves into the many layers of the family members he focuses upon, which includes for a large portion him/herself and all of the difficulties he faced in learning about who he was. The story moves at a good pace and is compelling throughout-there were no 'lag moments' for me. I can see why this book is on the 1001 books to read before you die list, and I look forward to reading more by Eugenides. What a wonderful author!

About the author: Jeffrey Kent Eugenides (born March 8, 1960) is an American Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist and short story writer. Eugenides has written two acclaimed novels, The Virgin Suicides (1993) and Middlesex (2002). Middlesex, written in 2002, won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction and the Ambassador Book Award. Eugenides currently teaches at Princeton University's Program in Creative Writing.

History time:
The book touches upon many important historical events in the background of the character's lives, but there were two that affected the characters the most-the burning of Smyrna in Greece, and the Detroit riots.

The Great Fire of Smyrna was a fire that destroyed much of the port city of Smyrna in September 1922. Eye-witness reports state that the fire began on 13 September 1922 and lasted for several days. It occurred four days after the Turkish forces regained control of the city on 9 September 1922; thus, effectively ending the Greco-Turkish War (1919–1922) in the field, more than three years after the Greek army had landed troops at Smyrna on 15 May 1919.

According to one witness, the Greek army withdrew troops one day ahead of the Turks' arrival, having had advanced warning. The city was completely destroyed, and thousands perished. Refugees topped 400,000.

The 1967 Detroit Riots began in the early morning hours of Sunday, July 23, 1967. The precipitating event was a police raid of an unlicensed, after-hours bar then known as a blind pig, on the corner of 12th and Clairmount streets on the city's Near West Side. Police confrontations with patrons and observers on the street evolved into one of the deadliest and most destructive riots in American history, lasting five days and surpassing the violence and property destruction of Detroit's 1943 race riot.

To help end the disturbance, Governor George Romney ordered the Michigan National Guard into Detroit, and President Lyndon B. Johnson sent in Army troops. The result was forty-three dead, 467 injured, over 7200 arrests, and more than 2000 buildings destroyed. The scale of the riot was eclipsed only by the 1992 Los Angeles riots.

Other Books to Consider:
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan, East of Eden by John Steinbeck

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Quotes

2010-09-21T07:45:00.001-07:00

Hi all, I know I've been away for a little while, but I just got back from China! I spent some time in glorious Shanghai, Suzhou and Hangzhou. It was amazing, let me tell you. I am currently debating on whether or not to post some pictures and travel commentary here, because I know this is a book blog. Let me know your thoughts- are you interested at all or shall I keep my blog purely book related?

Ok, on to the quotes. I must say I found this difficult, as I'm not a quote underliner. So I had to go back and remember books which really spoke to me, and the passages that moved me the most. Here goes.

1. How many Sundays-how many hundreds of Sundays like this-lay ahead of me? "Quiet, peaceful and lonely," I said aloud to myself. On Sundays, I didn't wind my spring. -Haruki Murakami, Norwegian Wood

2. I believe that there is one story in the world, and only one. . . . Humans are caught—in their lives, in their thoughts, in their hungers and ambitions, in their avarice and cruelty, and in their kindness and generosity too—in a net of good and evil. . . . There is no other story. A man, after he has brushed off the dust and chips of his life, will have left only the hard, clean questions: Was it good or was it evil? Have I done well—or ill?
- John Steinbeck, East of Eden

3. Lord, what fools these mortals be!
- William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream

4. Everyone struggles against despair, but it always wins in the end. It has to. It's the thing that lets us say goodbye.
- Jeffrey Eugenides, Middlesex

5. You deserve to need me, not to have me.
-Augusten Burroughs, Running with Scissors

6. In the shop window you have promptly identified the cover with the title you were looking for. Following this visual trail, you have forced your way through the shop past the thick barricade of Books You Haven't Read, which are frowning at you from the tables and shelves, trying to cow you...And thus you pass the outer girdle of ramparts, but then you are attacked by the infantry of Books That If You Had More Than One Life You Would Certainly Also Read But Unfortunately Your Days Are Numbered. With a rapid maneuver you bypass them and move into the phalanxes of the Books You Mean To Read But There Are Others You Must Read First, the Books Too Expensive Now And You'll Wait Till They're Remaindered, the Books ditto When They Come Out in Paperback, Books You Can Borrow From Somebody, Books That Everybody's Read So It's As If You Had Read Them, Too.
— Italo Calvino, If on a Winter's Night a Traveler

7. Memories are what warm you up from the inside. But they're also what tear you apart.
— Haruki Murakami, Kafka on the Shore

8. None of us really changes over time. We only become more fully what we are.
— Anne Rice, The Vampire Lestat

9. Give me a man or woman who has read a thousand books and you give me an interesting companion. Give me a man or woman who has read perhaps three and you give me a very dangerous enemy indeed.
— Anne Rice, The Witching Hour

10. You're only the fairest when your fairest to yourself.
-Gail Carson Levine, Fairest

Princess Academy by Shannon Hale

2010-09-02T19:15:00.000-07:00

Let me say first off that I am a huge fan of Shannon Hale's ever since I read The Goose Girl a while back. I thought it was such a wonderful retelling of a classic fairy tale that I vowed then and there to read every novel Hale has ever written. This is the next stop on my journey-a delightful YA novel called Princess Academy.

This story follows Miri and all the 'eligible' girls in her town as they are pressed into the service of learning etiquette and country history because some priests have prophesied that the next princess of the realm shall come from their town. Miri is skeptical and headstrong, but strives to achieve highest marks at her school, but does that make her want to be a princess? The stone quarry and the mountain are all she has ever known--would she have to leave all that behind?

A very heartwarming tale about loving your home and family coupled with a desire for adventure. This was a very quick read, and Hale's prose pulls you in completely from start to finish. The characters are pretty young-13/14, so there isn't a great deal of love going on, but there is a smattering of really cute affection in there that makes the book even more endearing. Another fabulous read from Shannon Hale.

About the author:
Shannon Hale is the author of ten novels, including the best-selling Newbery Honor book Princess Academy, the "Books of Bayern" series, two adult novels, and two graphic novels that she and her husband are co-writing. They live with their two small children in South Jordan, Utah.

Before writing professionally, she wrote while pursuing acting in television, stage and improv comedy, as well as studying in Mexico and the United Kingdom. She spent a year and a half as an unpaid missionary in Paraguay, then returned to the United States to earn her bachelor's degree in English from the University of Utah and a master's in creative writing from the University of Montana.

Her first published book, The Goose Girl, was an American Library Association Top Ten Book for Young Adults and Josette Frank Award winner. Princess Academy is a Newbery Honor Book and a New York Times Best Seller.

Other Books to Consider: The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale, Enchantment by Orson Scott Card, and Fairest by Gail Carson Levine.

Top Ten Tuesday: My Top Heroines

2010-08-31T08:57:00.000-07:00

It's time for another venture into Top Ten Tuesday, brought to you courtesy of The Broke and the Bookish! This week's topic is:

My Top Ten Literary Heroines!

Here goes, again in no particular order.

1. Elizabeth Bennett from Pride and Prejudice. I am certain that she will be a frequent character on these lists because, let's face it, she is just that great. She is strong where others around her are weak, intelligent in spite of a silly, grasping mother and even sillier sisters, and able to make the world's most unattainable man fall at her feet. She is witty and charming and is always able to think of just the right thing to say to convey her feelings. I admire that and wish it was a trait I was blessed with as well. Most of the time I turn into a bumbling idiot when I am placed in a stressful position where one would need to tread carefully in the words department.

2. Alanna of Trebond from the Song of the Lioness Quartet by Tamora Pierce. This quartet of YA novels have stuck with me for nearly 20 years because of the wonderful character of Alanna. She defies all conventions and disguises herself as a boy in order to obtain her knighthood, and she won't let anyone push her around. She is strong, smart, braver than most men, and I have always delighted in reading her adventures, even now that I'm older.

3. Mehrunnisa from The Twentieth Wife by Indu Sundaresan. This is actually a real person, and was the aunt of the woman to whom the great Taj Mahal was built for. She was the source of power behind the Indian throne, climbing there through great adversity and much struggle both in the world and 'behind the veil'. I admire her greatly.

4. Aliena from Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. Talk about struggling to get by in a man's world. This woman is completely shattered more than once and manages to keep her wits about her and rebuild from scratch while keeping her dignity, her pride and her core of inner strength intact.

5. Jo March from Little Women by Louis May Alcott. I love Jo. She is warm and caring, and also has a quest for learning which knows no bounds. A wonderful character to read about.

6. Anne Shirley from Anne of Green Gables. She could warm anyone's heart, and she certainly does mine. One of the most charming literary heroines ever written.

7. Sayuri from Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden. She stops at nothing to achieve her goals, even if that means stepping on a few toes on her way there. But she manages to make everything work with poise and dignity.

8. Morgaine from Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley. A beautiful, mysterious and magical heroine who is a delight to read about.

9. Rowan Mayfair from The Witching Hour by Anne Rice. She is a brilliant doctor and the most powerful witch of her age-what's not to love?

10. Vida Winter from The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. Just an amazing character, full of all the virtues and vices that make a great story.

so those are mine, how about you? Agree? Disagree?

Hop to it!

2010-08-27T08:11:00.001-07:00

Welcome fellow lovers of the Book Hop from Crazy for Books! Thanks for hopping by. Pull up a chair, sip some lovely frozen margaritas, and enjoy life. Hey it's 5pm somewhere, right?

This week's question is:

Do you use a rating system for your reviews and if so, what is it and why?

I used to use a ratings system with up to 5 stars, but I stopped doing it because I didn't want to pin my review to a specific numeral. I'm of the camp that feels the reviews should speak for themselves, and readers of my reviews can interpret the content in whatever way they wish.

Which leads me to my question for you: Do you prefer reading reviews that have star ratings, or does it matter that much to you?

Top Ten Tuesday: The Top Ten Books I Can't Believe I've Never Read

2010-08-24T09:35:00.001-07:00

Here it is again, because I'm a listaholic: Top 10 Tuesday brought to you courtesy of The Broke and the Bookish. This week's topic is

The Top Ten Books I Can't Believe I've Never Read

I feel some major shame for having to record these, thinking about how I haven't brought myself to read these has given me pause on whether I consider myself an avid reader, which I am of course but they still make me blush. I blame it all on a deprived childhood. Yeah, that'll work.

Ok, enough excuses. Here's the list:

10. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen. I love the movie and have watched it maybe a hundred times. But sadly this is one of the only Austen books I haven't yet read. I want to, I really do. But I keep getting distracted...

9. The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald. This is a huge hole in my high school education. I cannot believe that this wasn't required reading. But alas because of that it lingers on the shame list.

8. Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier. Everyone keeps telling me how awesome this book is. I see a review every now and again and think to myself that I should pick that book up, but never have.

7. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess. Another potential literary gem left by the wayside.

6. Schindler's List/Ark by Thomas Keneally. I even bought this book thinking I should definitely read it. But I couldn't bring myself to do it-Holocaust books creep me out and give me nightmares. So I had to take a pass and eventually gave the book away.

5. The Illiad- I know the story from the Cliff's notes version provided by Edith Hamilton's Mythology, but never shouldered the epic poem. A major lapse in judgment I think.

4. Beowulf- Speaking of epic poems, I hate to admit that I never read this one. When I talk to friends about books we read in school, the almost always mention Beowulf with a groan. I am saddened that I cannot share their strife. But knowing me I'd probably be among that 1% that actually enjoyed the book.

3. Lord of the Flies – William Golding. Sad to say I don't even know what the book is about. I just know everyone has read it except for me and that it is constantly popping up on those 'must read' lists.

2.The Old Man and the Sea – Ernest Hemingway. I lived in Oak Park for 2 years( Hemingway's birthplace) and still have yet to pick up a single Hemingway book. I've been inside his childhood home and never cracked his book. What the heck is wrong with me?

1. And this one is the worst: The Time Machine by H.G. Wells. I am actually, albeit distantly, related to H.G.Wells from my mom's side. He was my great grandfather's first cousin, and they were pretty close. But has that compelled me to read any of his books? Of course not. I can't believe I haven't gotten to it yet.

So those are my 10 biggest literary embarrassments. What do you think? Any literary skeletons in your closet? I do hope to get to all of these at some point in my life. Hopefully they will just stop coming out with great new books for a bit so I can catch up. Then again, what fun would that be?

Memoirs of Cleopatra by Margaret George

2010-08-23T12:46:00.000-07:00

This epic (epic meaning really freaking long here) book tells the story of the great Queen Cleopatra, last Pharaoh of Egypt from beginning to end. It tells of her relationship with the two great loves of her life-Julius Caesar and Marc Antony, her struggle to keep Egypt independent in a world that is being dominated by Rome, and her determination to rule an Empire and make it one of the World's greatest powers. The story begins with her birth and follows her through her ascension, her failed attempt to fight against Rome, and her memorable death by asp bite.

This book was about 300 pages too long. I understand how George felt the need to create a complete portrait of Cleopatra, but I also believe that her editors should have been a little more strict. But yet still only a couple characters feel more than ancillary. Even Caesar felt a little two-dimensional. It goes on and on about feasts and battle strategy, and often inserts exclamations like "My heart stopped cold" or "The aching need for him was killing me", when Cleopatra is nervous about the safety of someone, or worried about some outcome or another, or longing for her man. Would the real Cleopatra shown such tender weakness? Who knows? It doesn't make her less of a political genius. Still, I do feel like I know a great deal more of the history of that time period, and for that I am grateful.

History time: Cleopatra VII, last Pharaoh of Egypt, (Late 69 BC – August 12, 30 BC)
A descendant of Alexander the Great and member of the Ptolemy line of Greek kings and queens of Egypt, Cleopatra was able to unite both the native Egyptians and the ruling Greeks by accepting both Egyptian and Greek gods and goddesses, and by learning the Egyptian language. By doing this, she earned the respect and loyalty of her entire nation, something most of her ancestors failed to achieve.

When her right to the throne was threatened by her brother, Julius Caesar stepped in to help her ascend to her rightful place. Her alliance with Rome solidified her hold on her empire, while also keeping Egypt safe as an independent nation.

After Caesar was assassinated, Cleopatra allied with a member of the rising Triumvirate, Marc Antony, in an effort to preserve Egypt and become the most powerful nation in the East. But as Antony lost support from Rome due to his alliance with Cleopatra, the campaign failed. Cleopatra was painted as a wicked seductress who led Romans astray, a view heralded by Caesar's nephew Octavian (Or Caesar Augustus as he was later called). Her failed campaign led to the overthrow of Egypt, and the end of the country's independence. As Rome invaded her beloved country, the legend goes that she killed herself with the bite of an asp. She was the last Pharaoh of Egypt-her children never inherited her country.

Other books to consider:
Queen Isabella by Alison Weir, The Twentieth Wife by Indu Sundaresan, and The Royal Road to Fotheringhay by Jean Plaidy

Book Hop!

2010-08-20T06:05:00.000-07:00

Hey all you lovely hoppers-welcome back for another fun and exciting journey on the blog hop. Please click the logo to the right to continue your hop, but if you enjoy what you see, please follow-I'm really appreciate it!

This week's question is:

How many blogs do you follow?

Well at this point I follow 25 blogs. I am fairly selective about the blogs that I follow because I enjoy taking the time to read the posts. This number grows every blog hop though, so eventually it may get overwhelming to read them all. But I just love seeing all the wonderful creative things people do with their blogs, and of course reading all the great reviews! I expect this number to increase very quickly-there are so many great blogs out there!

So how about you? What does you dashboard look like?

Top Ten Tuesday

2010-08-17T08:17:00.000-07:00

This is a feature that I really latched onto from a great blog called The Broke and the Bookish. I didn't get a chance to answer last week's topic, and I really want to, so I'm going to.

The topic is/was: Top Ten Most Dislikable Characters. Here goes! (In no particular order, and watch out for spoilers!)

10. Cathy from Wuthering Heights. I love him! I don't love him! I'm not sure what I want! Basically this is the primary whinings of Cathy throughout this book. She is incredibly selfish and in my opinion really doesn't have any redeeming qualities. As the "heroine" in the book she was just annoying.

9. Uriah Heap from David Copperfield. Every time I came across a passage with him in it, the only thing I could think was "eew". His slippery sliminess just made me feel dirty-almost to the point where I would rather skip those passages altogether.

8. Frances Brandon from Innocent Traitor by Alison Weir. I am so glad that this woman isn't my mother. Her blatant lack of caring for her eldest daughter was just appalling. While I know that this book is a fictionalized version of real events, I believe that Weir probably didn't stray too far from the truth. The woman is despicable and should not have been allowed to procreate.

7. William Hamleigh from Pillars of the Earth. I know he is the bad guy and we aren't supposed to like him much, but there are few villains I've read that have incited me to such levels of pure, white-hot hatred. Just a horrible horrible person. I'm so glad he's fictional.

6. Felicity Worthington from A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray. Can anyone say uber bitch? She wants nothing more than to boss everyone around and for people to think she is the queen bee. Yes her character expands a little bit by the end of book 3 (The Sweet Far Thing), but in my opinion it is never enough to save her from being the annoying bitch character. She always has to have her way, she must not listen to others, she has to make life difficult for everyone. There isn't an eye roll strong enough to suffice.

5. Emma from Emma by Jane Austen. Spoiled little rich girl gets bored and amuses herself with meddling in everyone else's lives. This is the only Austen book I didn't like. All the other characters were lovely, but Emma was just unpalatable. She got on my nerves far too often to redeem the book.

4. Estella from Great Expectations. Here is another one that wins the total bitch award. Throughout the book she is only the puppet of a bitter and vindictive woman. She never actually thinks for herself and is just plain despicable from start to finish. I wonder what Pip ever saw in her.

3. George from Of Mice and Men. Great way to look out for your only friend. Fabulous job you did there. Jerk.

2. Wilbur from Charlotte's Web. Another big fat whiner. Oh what'll I do? Bail me out again Charlotte! She died from exhaustion from constantly having to pull the pig out of danger.

1. Beatrice Lacy from Wideacre by Philippa Gregory. This woman would do anything, and does, to keep her hold on her father's land. The book is full of her disgusting, despicable and just downright dirty doings to everyone who has the misfortune to know her. Probably the biggest literary bitch of all time. Seriously.

So there's my list! What do you think? Have I left off the one character that rubs you the wrong way the most? Do you disagree with my choices? I want to know!

To Hop or Not to Hop

2010-08-13T07:39:00.000-07:00

Stupid question: let's hop again!

This week's question:
How many books do you have on your 'to be read shelf’?

Oh my, my TBR shelf is a mile high. I probably have nearly 100 books on my physical shelf that I have yet to read. And the accumulation never ends. I just can't resist buying new books. Ever. But at least I have the comfort that I will never run out of things to read!

How about you? What are your TBR skeletons?

Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

2010-08-11T11:28:00.000-07:00

What a brilliant memoir. Shattered by a crippling divorce and a very unhealthy rebound relationship, Liz Gilbert strikes out to find herself through a year divided between pleasure (Italy), prayer (India) and the balance between the two (Indonesia).

Through her journey she eats a lot of pasta and ingrains herself with the wonderful decadence that is Rome, she spends four months at an Ashram in India communing with God and getting in touch with herself, and spends time with an ancient medicine man in Bali, learning his secrets about how to live life to the fullest.

She meets the most wonderful characters, that jump off the page and come to life under her excellent narration. I especially loved Richard from Texas, a crass and down to earth man whom Liz meets in India. He is so fully in tune with himself and has accepted who he is so completely--I admire him so much. And he makes me laugh.

Throughout the book I really felt like a part of her journey, and rejoiced with her at the end when everything came into balance for her. She finally was able to come to terms with herself and to let go of the worry and the pain that had consumed her. I admire that very much, and hope someday to begin my own spiritual journey to aspire to the same balance. This book does inspire you to reach beyond yourself in order to see the better, more complete you. I highly recommend this book to anyone who needs this inspiration, or to those who would just like to read an entertaining story full of colorful characters and beautiful backdrops. I think all could get something different out of this book and still be entirely satisfied.

A bit about the locations in this book:
Rome- Home to one of the oldest civilizations in history. Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated municipality (central area), with over 2.7 million residents. The city has been a focal point for arts and culture since the dark ages, and was of the central cities of the Italian Renaissance, which sparked a rebirth of culture for all of Western civilization.

Rome's influence on western Civilization can hardly be overestimated. Due to this influence,[Rome has been nicknamed "Caput Mundi" (Latin for "Capital of the World")and "The Eternal City". In 2007 Rome was the 11th-most-visited city in the world, 3rd most visited in the EU, and the most popular tourist attraction in Italy.

Don't even get me started on the cuisine influence-the entire first third of this book had me craving pasta big time!

India: Instead of an overview on the country as a whole, which would take too much time, I decided instead to shed some light on the Ashram, one of which Liz lived in.

Traditionally, an ashram is a religious hermitage. Additionally, today the term ashram often denotes a locus of Indian cultural activity such as yoga, music study or religious instruction, the moral equivalent of a studio or dojo.

An ashram would typically, but not always, be located far from human habitation, in forests or mountainous regions, amidst refreshing natural surroundings conducive to spiritual instruction and meditation. The residents of an ashram regularly performed spiritual and physical exercises, such as the various forms of Yoga. Other sacrifices and penances, such as Yajnas were also performed. Many ashrams also served as Gurukuls or residential schools for children.

Ashrams have been a powerful symbol throughout Hindu history and theology. Most Hindu kings, until the medieval ages, are known to have had a sage who would advise the royal family in spiritual matters, or in times of crisis, who was called the rajguru, which literally translates to royal teacher. A world-weary emperor going to this guru's ashram, and finding solace and tranquility, is a recurring motif in many folktales and legends of ancient India.

Bali: is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east. It is one of the country's 33 provinces with the provincial capital at Denpasar towards the south of the island.

With a population recorded as 3,551,000 in 2009, the island is home to the vast majority of Indonesia's small Hindu minority. About 93.2% of Bali's population adheres to Balinese Hinduism, while most of the remainder follow Islam. It is also the largest tourist destination in the country and is renowned for its highly developed arts, including dance, sculpture, painting, leather, metalworking and music.

If you like this book, check out: Persepolis, Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi, Don't Lets Go to the Dogs Tonight by Alexandra Fuller, and Mistress of Spices by Chitra Banerjee Divakuruni

We Be Hoppin'

2010-08-06T07:21:00.000-07:00

Welcome Friends to the book blog hop! I'm glad you stopped by. Click on the icon to your right to continue your journey, but please leave a comment before you go! And if you decide to follow, yay! Thank you in advance.

This week's question is: Do you listen to music when you read? If so, what are your favorite reading tunes?

For me, I do sometimes like to listen to music when I read, but more as ambiance music. I put on the radio or LastFM shuffle and delve into the book. I couldn't tell you what specific piece was playing. I do in general prefer classical music as a genre when I'm reading. It sets a nice peaceful mood for me.

How about you?

Mythology by Edith Hamilton

2010-08-04T07:36:00.000-07:00

This book gives a great overview to all the major stories that are prevalent in Greek and Latin mythology. She does a good job of explaining where she took her source information from and why at the beginning of each chapter, which is good because there are many stories that were told by more than one major Greek poet, and then modified when the Romans took over. Included in the book are descriptions of the major and minor gods and goddesses, and information about them is compiled from the major stories in a condensed format, so that you can get the full picture of how each was depicted in the section. It also describes the great heroes (Perseus, Hercules) and their many adventures, and takes a whole chapter to condense the Iliad in a format that is much easier to read. It does the same for the Odyssey. It then describes the tragedies, most chiefly those of Oedipus, and at the end there is a little section on Norse myths, which have been made popular by Wagner's operas. At the end of the book are family trees, which really help to display how the gods and heroes and major characters are interrelated. All in all a very informative book that is easy to read. Highly recommended for every mythology buff.

Mythology Defined:
The term mythology can refer to either the study of myths or a body of myths. The term "myth" is often used colloquially to refer to a false story, however, the academic use of the term generally does not pass judgment on its truth or falsity. In the study of folklore, a myth is a symbolic narrative explaining how the world and humankind came to be in their present form.

One of the foremost functions of myth is to establish models for behavior. The figures described in myth are often the result of circumstances which may have a moral interpretation. They are worthy role models of human beings because they embody certain combinations of human and animal traits. For example, the Centaur is part man, part beast. The upper body, being human is a symbol of rationality. The lower body, being of a horse is a symbol of animal instinct. The Centaur thus represents the uniquely human psychological challenge of animal instinct in relation to the rational mind. This example shows that myths are not only valuable due to cultural assumption (or 'spirituality'), but because they portray a set of symbols which can be interpreted morally. It is not necessary to introduce divine experience to explain these symbols, since a symbol is by definition a depiction of an idea in physical form. (bird = power, horse = beast, tree = knowledge).

In Greek mythology, the oldest known sources are the Iliad and the Odyssey, both of which depict the events of the Trojan War. They also tell us a great deal of the Greek gods and goddesses, and of their personalities and abilities.

Greek mythology has exerted an extensive influence on the culture, the arts, and the literature of Western civilization and remains part of Western heritage and language. Poets and artists from ancient times to the present have derived inspiration from Greek mythology and have discovered contemporary significance and relevance in these mythological themes.

Other books to consider:
The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley, American Indian Myths and Legends by Richard Erdoes, and Chinese Ghost and Love Stories by Pu Singling

Hippity Hoppity

2010-07-30T09:09:00.001-07:00

I really love the Book Blog Hop from Crazy for Books! It really opens me up to a wealth of great book blogs. Thank you for visiting my blog-I'm so glad you've come. Stay a while, pull up a chair-I hope you enjoy your stay.

The question of the week is:
Who is your favorite new-to-you author so far this year?

This is a tricky one, so I needed to go back to my Shelfari shelf and look at all the books I've read so far this year. I've been focusing on mega long books, so there aren't as many to choose from.

I think I would have to say Sarah Addison Allen as my favorite new-to-me author this year so far. Garden Spells was an amazing read, full of magic and warmth and down home southern goodness. I highly recommend it to anyone who hasn't yet read it (click here for my review!)

Who is your favorite newly discovered author?

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephanie Meyer

2010-07-28T09:11:00.000-07:00

A long awaited extra glimpse into the world of Twilight has finally come in the form of Bree Tanner's story, a newbie vampire bred for a single purpose: to beef up Victoria's army to be sent to kill Bella, vampire Edward's love. But Bree doesn't know about any of that at the beginning of the novella. She is 3 months old and still trying to get the hang of being undead. Their 'boss' is Riley, and he looks out for the group of newborns, but Bree knows there is something that just isn't right about what Riley is telling them. She meets Diego, an older newborn, who shares the same reservations, and they become fast friends. But can that friendship last as the vampire army edges closer to their ultimate purpose: a full-out vampire war?

This was a good short story-I enjoyed going back into the Twilight world and seeing the battle in Eclipse from a different angle. Bree is a compelling character, and you wish that her second life wasn't quite so short at the end. Do I believe that Meyer only wrote it to milk some extra cash from the Twilight series? Maybe. But it's her right to do so. People want more Twilight and she has delivered one more morsel. Nothing wrong with that in my opinion. I would love a full set of more Twilight books outlining Bella and Edward's second life together, I would like to see Nessie grow up and would definitely like more Jacob. But we don't always get what we want. This little snack of a book was enough for now.

If you like this book, and the Twilight series, check out: Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles. I believe that this series of books is where the vampire craze of the 20th century began. Start with Interview with the Vampire, a compulsively romantic, beautifully descriptive glimpse into the life of Louis, a centuries old vampire who has lived much and loved and lost. You will be drawn into his world and never want to leave. Fortunately, there are several other books after the first. The Vampire Lestat is next, and will make you love Lestat by the time you're done. Yes, he's flawed, but he is so real and feeling. The other books in the series primarily follow him, but none of them are boring!

Hop Hop Hop

2010-07-23T13:54:00.000-07:00

Welcome back hoppers for another fun filled week! This week's question is:

TELL US ABOUT THE BOOK YOU ARE CURRENTLY READING!

I'm currently reading The Memoirs of Cleopatra by Margaret George, all 900+ pages of it. I'm about 400 pages in, and although I have a long way to go, this book is keeping my interest. I can't wait to be done so that I can check it off my list!

The Raphael Affair by Iain Pears

2010-07-23T13:02:00.000-07:00

I don't usually venture into the realm of mystery, but this book really appealed to my love of historical fiction and art. A mysterious painting is unearthed in Italy that was hidden underneath a mediocre painting for hundreds of years. It wasn't until after the painting was bought by a British art dealer that the discovery was realized. It turns out that a long lost Raphael has resurfaced! Now the Italian government scrambles to get back their lost treasure and eventually recovers it, and will stop at nothing to keep it safe. But there is one British graduate student, Jonathan Argyll, who has been nosing around Italy, and he believes that the painting may not be genuine. So when one evening the newest Italian treasure gets torched, it is up to Jonathan and Italian investigator Flavia to find out whether his theory is indeed reality, or whether it was the genuine article that just went up in flames.

This was a good book, and a very quick read. I hear that this is actually the first part of a series focusing on Argyll, so I may have to look into the next installment.

Making this post educational-About Raphael:
Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino(April 6 or March 28, 1483 – April 6, 1520), better known simply as Raphael, was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance, celebrated for the perfection and grace of his paintings and drawings. Together with Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, he forms the traditional trinity of great masters of that period.

Raphael was enormously productive, running an unusually large workshop, and despite his death at thirty-seven, a large body of his work remains. Many of his works are found in the Apostolic Palace of The Vatican, where the frescoed Raphael Rooms were the central, and the largest, work of his career. The best known work is the The School of Athens in the Vatican Stanza della Segnatura. After his early years in Rome, much of his work was designed by him and executed largely by the workshop from his drawings, with considerable loss of quality.

He was extremely influential in his lifetime, though outside Rome his work was mostly known from his collaborative printmaking. After his death, the influence of his great rival Michelangelo was more widespread until the 18th and 19th centuries, when Raphael's more serene and harmonious qualities were again regarded as the highest models.

Raphael's work can be found all over Italy, due to rather nomadic style of living. He was much admired during his lifetime, even though it was cut tragically short at the age of 37.

About the Author:
Iain Pears (born in 1955) is an English art historian, novelist and journalist. He was educated at Warwick School, Warwick, Wadham College and Wolfson College, Oxford. Before writing, he worked as a reporter for the BBC, Channel 4 (UK) and ZDF (Germany) and correspondent for Reuters from 1982 to 1990 in Italy, France, UK and US. In 1987 he became a Getty Fellow in the Arts and Humanities at Yale University. His well-known novel series features Jonathan Argyll, art historian, though international fame first arrived with his best selling book An Instance of the Fingerpost (1998), which was translated into several languages. Pears currently lives with his wife and children in Oxford. He has written 12 books, 7 of which are part of the Argyll series.

Other books to consider: The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, The Book of Air and Shadows by Michael Gruber, and Angels and Demons by Dan Brown

Giveaway Winner!

2010-07-19T14:08:00.001-07:00

Let's Celebrate!

The winner of my blog's very first ever giveaway is...(drumroll please)

MYSTEE!

Mystee will be receiving a lovely copy of Loving Frank by Nancy Horan.

Thanks so much to all who played. This was fun! It certainly won't be the last giveaway so keep your eyes peeled for the next one.

Book Blog Hoppin'

2010-07-16T14:39:00.000-07:00

So the question this week for book blog hop is:

RIGHT THIS INSTANT, WHAT BOOK ARE YOU DYING TO GET YOUR HANDS ON (PAST, PRESENT, OR FUTURE)?

For me, the same book has been the answer to this question for eons now. I would like so much for A Dance with Dragons by George R. R. Martin to get finished and published already! A Song of Ice and Fire has got to be the best fantasy series I've ever read. It has everything: magic, knights, kings and queens, swordplay, strong female characters, and list goes on. I can't wait to find out what happens to my favorite characters, and who will live to see the end of the series. I certainly hope Martin lives to write the end of the series. I'm getting a bit worried here!

So what's yours?

Labyrinth by Kate Mosse

2010-07-16T13:38:00.000-07:00

This book took me a long time to read, and for a lot of it, it just didn't grab me. The story follows two women, Alais in Carcossone in the 1200s and Alice, an English professor visiting France in 2005. Both stories move consecutively through alternating chapters and both have to do with protection of the Cathar's greatest secret: the Grail.

So everyone wants these books that tell one how to use the grail and gain its rewards. Alais devoted her life to protecting this secret, and Alice gets a lot of 800 year old baggage dumped on her head and people trying to kill her and whatnot because of these actions that happened in her past life-Alais' life. She seems to stumble blindly through almost the entire book, finally getting a clue in the last 50 pages or so.

While the story of Alais during the time of turmoil and the crusade against the Cathars is more interesting, it drags on forever with very little forward motion. And the fringe characters in both stories aren't very developed-they serve one specific purpose then drop off the page-leaving them very two dimensional and utterly forgettable. For example, the closest thing to a love interest in the modern-day part of the story is a completely hollow character who appears with a couple of aside chapters and one meeting with the main character. Then it's right back to the background. And I'm supposed to believe that this tiny bit of interaction should amount to happily ever after? Who is this person anyway?

All in all, not a bad book, but it could have used a bit more tightening to make the middle part less dry and history book-ish. I did gain a decent bit of information about the Albigensian Crusade and life in France in the early 1200's. But this was not enough to completely redeem it in my eyes.

History time: The Cathars:
Catharism was a name given to a Christian religious sect with dualistic and gnostic elements that appeared in the Languedoc region of France and other parts of Europe in the 11th century and flourished in the 12th and 13th centuries. The Cathars did not believe in one all-encompassing god, but in two, both equal and comparable in status. They held that the physical world was evil and created by Rex Mundi (translated from Latin as "king of the world"), who encompassed all that was corporeal, chaotic and powerful; the second god, the one whom they worshipped, was entirely disincarnate: a being or principle of pure spirit and completely unsullied by the taint of matter. He was the god of love, order and peace.

According to some Cathars, the purpose of man's life on Earth was to transcend matter, perpetually renouncing anything connected with the principle of power and thereby attained union with the principle of love. According to others, man's purpose was to reclaim or redeem matter, spiritualising and transforming it.

This placed them at odds with the Catholic Church in regarding material creation, on behalf of which Jesus had died, as intrinsically evil and implying that God, whose word had created the world in the beginning, was a usurper. Furthermore, as the Cathars saw matter as intrinsically evil, they denied that Jesus could become incarnate and still be the son of God. Cathars vehemently repudiated the significance of the crucifixion and the cross. In fact, to the Cathars, Rome's opulent and luxurious Church seemed a palpable embodiment and manifestation on Earth of Rex Mundi's sovereignty.

The Catholic Church regarded the sect as dangerously heretical. Faced with the rapid spread of the movement across the Languedoc region, the Church first sought peaceful attempts at conversion, undertaken by Dominicans. These were not very successful, and after the murder on 15 January 1208 of the papal legate Pierre de Castelnau by a knight in the employ of Count Raymond of Toulouse (a staunch Cathar at the time who then later changed sides and fought with the Catholics), the Church called for a crusade, which was carried out by knights from northern France and Germany and was known as the Albigensian Crusade.

The papal legate had involved himself in a dispute between the rivals Count of Baux and Count Raymond of Toulouse, and it is possible that his assassination had little to do with Catharism. The anti-Cathar Albigensian Crusade, and the inquisition which followed it, entirely eradicated the Cathars. The Albigensian Crusade had the effect of greatly weakening the semi-independent southern Principalities such as Toulouse, and ultimately bringing them under direct control of the King of France. Many thousands of Languedoc citizens were massacred under the flag of religious persecution. Arnaud, the Cistercian abbot-commander, is supposed to have been asked how to tell Cathars from Catholics. His reply was "Caedite eos. Novit enim Dominus qui sunt eius."—"Kill them all, the Lord will recognize His own."

Catharism all but disappeared by the 1260s, under pressure from the Inquisition that followed the crusade.

About the author:
Kate Mosse (born 20 October 1961) is an English author and broadcaster.Kate was born in West Sussex. She was educated at Chichester High School and New College, Oxford. After graduating, she spent seven years in publishing. Her bestselling books have sold millions in over 40 countries[1].

Kate married old school friend Greg Mosse, after meeting him again twenty years later on a train by chance. Mosse lives with her husband and children, Martha and Felix, in West Sussex and Carcassonne. She has written five books, and Labyrinth is her third.

Other Books to Consider:
Queen Isabella by Alison Weir, The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett, The Lady and the Unicorn by Tracy Chevalier, and Katherine by Anya Seton.

Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen

2010-07-12T13:36:00.000-07:00

This book was a wonderful easy read, full of love and magic. It follows Claire Waverly, a very down-to-earth woman who has some real issues with letting people in because of her tumultuous childhood and not so great mother. Then her younger sister Sydney blows back into her life after 10 years away and following the nomad lifestyle of their mother. She has a daughter, Bay, to whom she is fiercely devoted to and committed to never abandoning her like Sydney's mother did to her and Claire. She is fleeing some really bad decisions in her life, and decides to return home to start again and provide a safe home for Bay for the first time.

Meanwhile, Claire's life is turned upside-down with learning to be a sister again and slowly learning to let love in-something she has never done in her sheltered life. And then there is her next door neighbor, Tyler, who is way more interested in Claire than she finds comfortable. He may be the one to help Claire with that little issue of hers. But don't eat the apples in the magical garden, you may see things you wish you hadn't.

I found this to be an enchanting novel, and a really fast read. I felt pulled into this little North Carolina town, and wished I knew the characters personally. I look forward to reading more by this fabulous author.

About the author:
Sarah Addison Allen is an American author who was born and raised in Asheville, North Carolina, a place Rolling Stone magazine once called "America’s New Freak Capital." Garden Spells is her first novel, and she didn't intend it to be magical, but it ended up that way. She can't turn away stray cats and she wanted to be a garbage truck driver when she was little.

Other books to consider:
Jewels of the Sun by Nora Roberts, Stardust by Neil Gaiman, Tam Lin by Pamela Dean, Snow White and Rose Red by Patricia C. Wrede

Hopping around!

2010-07-09T12:30:00.000-07:00

It's book blog hopping time! This week has a question:

Tell us about some of your favorite authors and why they are your favorites!

I have many favorite authors for many different reasons, so I'll just pick one: Haruki Murakami. I love Murakami's ability to paint a world that you can get completely lost in-one that at first glimpse resembles normal life but the further you delve into the book the more surreal it becomes. The prose is so engaging that you find yourself longing to listen to that Shubert piano concerto the characters were listening to, or to eat pasta right along with the characters-it really makes me want to fully immerse myself in Murakami's world.

Here is the link to Crazy for Books to keep on a'hopping!

Loving Frank by Nancy Horan

2010-07-09T11:24:00.001-07:00

Loving Frank follows the story and love affair between architect Frank Lloyd Wright and his mistress, Mamah Borthwick Cheney. When they were both living in Oak Park, IL (a suburb of Chicago) Wright met Mamah while building a house for her and her family (which included a husband and two children). They fell in love and set the stage for one of the most scandalous love affairs of the turn of the century. Mamah left her family to follow Wright to Germany, and Wright left his wife and six kids to have a relationship with Mamah as well. The press were all over their affair, likening Mamah to the Whore of Babylon and Mrs. Wright the angelic victim who never lost faith in her husband.

This book tells the story from Mamah's point of view, and paints a strong woman in search of herself and her place in the world. While both of their actions were incredibly selfish in respect to their families, the book goes to lengths to describe what they meant to each other, spouting Ellen Key's philosophies of the importance of not sacrificing yourself to a loveless marriage. Mamah is a very intelligent woman, who set herself up as a translator of the same Ellen Key's works for America and went through the world with her eyes wide open. The character portrayed by Horan acknowledges the fact that Mamah knew what she was doing to her kids, and Wright's kids, but that she really believed she was doing the right thing for them all long term. Reading this book I was able to understand the point of view of the 'other woman', even though I don't necessarily agree with her actions.

This book is a wonderful glimpse into Chicago in the early 1900s and a good characterization of Frank Lloyd Wright. It also sheds light on Mamah, who in the passage of time has become more of a caricature than a real person. I highly recommend it to all historical fiction fans and lovers of Wright's amazing architecture.

Chicago in Wright's Time:
Frank Lloyd Wright spent the first 20 years of his 70-year career in Oak Park,IL building numerous homes in the community, including his own. He lived and worked in the area between 1889 and 1909. One can find Wright's earliest work there, like the Winslow House in neighboring River Forest, Illinois. There are also examples of the first prairie-style houses in Oak Park. He also designed Unity Temple, a Unitarian church, which was built between 1905 and 1908. Oak Park had just become its own city in 1902, and was vastly underdeveloped at the time of Wright's residence, surrounded by a prairie, which probably served as the inspiration for Wright's Prairie School of architecture. All of Wright's houses that he built in Oak Park still stand, and most of them are still lived in. If you ever take a trip to Chicago, go a little further west to Oak Park to see these houses, and Wright's home and studio, which has been modified into a museum. A must see for any lover of architecture.

About the Author:

Nancy Horan is a writer and journalist whose work has appeared in numerous publications. Loving Frank is her first novel. She lived most of her life in Oak Park, IL, until her recent move to an island in Puget Sound. She was awarded the James Fenimore Cooper Prize for Best Historical Fiction in 2009.

Similar books to consider:
Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson, Dragonwyck by Anya Seton

I'm back! Now it's time for a Giveaway!

2010-06-30T11:43:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, I've been away for a very long time. Life just gets in the way of blogging sometimes, and for that I apologize. But the good news is that I've returned to find that I have reached my goal of 10 followers!! That means it is time to celebrate!

The book I've chosen to give away to one lucky reader is (drumroll)

Loving Frank by Nancy Horan.

I'll shortly post my review of this great book to whet your appetite!

Everyone interested should enter the drawing by putting your name and email address in the comments of this post. You don't have to be a follower, but I would certainly enjoy it if you were! I will close entries on July 19. Best of luck to you all, and thank you for following!

Princess of the Sword by Lynn Kurland

2010-05-10T12:22:00.000-07:00

I felt a compulsive need to finish the Nine Kingdoms trilogy right away after reading book 2 (see my review of The Mage's Daughter). In this book Miach and Morgan race to the finish to stop the well of evil pouring out over the Nine Kingdoms and to defeat the evil black mage before he destroys Miach's kingdom. The King has been king-napped along with the queen, and the kingdom is undefended. Miach and Moragn have to hurry and finish their quest and return home before there isn't a home left to return to.

This is a good end to the series, but it wasn't great. There was a great deal more action than book 2 and the plot moved a lot quicker, which was good, but what left me unsettled was having too many loose ends not tied up at the end. It just didn't seem finished enough for me. If there were a fourth book that would make me feel better. But there isn't. So the book loses points for not finishing up tight and clean.

For information about the author and other books to consider, please see The Mage's Daughter review.

The Mage's Daughter by Lynn Kurland

2010-05-08T14:40:00.000-07:00

I had read the first part of this series a couple years ago (Star of the Morning), and had long wanted to finish off the trilogy. While the first novel of the three is definitely the best, this one has some good things to say about it as well.

The background story for those who haven't read the first book: Morgan is a fierce mercenary and master swordswoman, one of the only women who have such skill with a blade. Her foster father, Nicholas, asks her to deliver a special blade to another kingdom, and even though it is magic, she cannot refuse the person who has given her so much. So she goes and meets adventure in the form of nasty shadow creatures and an archmage in disguise. This archmage is trying to find the one person who can wield a very powerful sword, which may just save his kingdom from an evil black mage bent on destroying him. But he got way more than he bargained for when he meets Morgan, and cannot help himself as he falls for her. Suddenly everything has a new perspective he didn't see coming.

So that is a little taste of book one. This novel is a compelling second part to the Nine Kingdoms trilogy, and it focused a great deal more on the romance between Miach the archmage and Morgan the mercenary. Miach helps her to uncover the past that had been uncovered for so long, but once it began to come to light terrified her to no end. He also offers up a future where he will do whatever it takes to keep her safe. But the peril that is plaguing the Nine Kingdoms is getting worse and Miach must find a way to protect his realm and those he loves. But Morgan will not be left at home while he tries to shoulder this burden on himself. And perhaps she may be the only one who can truly stop the evil that threatens them.

A very quick read (I finished it in a day), and very entertaining. Lots of mushy stuff, but everything entirely innocent. No R rated stuff here. But lots of magic, which I enjoyed. Morgan is a bit too doe-eyed in this volume, which she certainly wasn't hardly at all in book one, but it was still entertaining to read nevertheless.

About the author: Lynn Kurland is a best-selling American author of historical, time travel, and fantasy romance novels. Her novels have appeared on the The New York Times Bestseller List, USAToday Bestseller List, The New York Times Extended Bestseller List, the Amazon Top 100, and the Barnes and Noble, Waldenbooks, and B. Dalton Bestsellers lists. She has won three RITA awards and was a finalist for a fourth. She was born in Hawaii and is a classically trained musician as well. She plays the cello. To date, she has written 31 novels. There are currently 6 books that are set in the Nine Kingdoms.

If you like this, you may also like: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede, and The Song of the Lioness Quartet by Tamora Pierce

At the Hop!

2010-05-07T12:39:00.000-07:00

Hello fellow book blog hoppers! Glad you could stop by, and I hope you like what you see. Here is the link to Crazy for Books to keep on a'hopping!

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke

2010-05-06T11:29:00.000-07:00

I'll bet you were wondering when I would ever get finished with this book. I'll have to beg your forgiveness because this book was 846 pages long and jam packed with content! The book was really really good though, so it was worth the time spent.

This book is definitely one of my new favorites. It is set in England in the 1800s, but in an England where magic has been prevalent throughout its history, but at present dormant. Enter Gilbert Norrell-a very learned magician who learned his craft from buying up all the available books on magic in the land. He is very content to be the world's only practicing magician. But then Jonathan Strange appears. He is drawn to magic, and then to Mr. Norrell who has become the epicenter of English magic. The two are quite a pair of opposites, but their shared love of learning and magic unite them. They begin to aid England in the Napoleonic wars with their skills and are perceived as England's heroes. But a rather foolish pact That Mr. Norrell made with a Fairy will come back to bite both of them. Despite their differences they will need each other to fix things and fulfill a prophecy to bring English magic back to its former strength.

What a great book. Even though it is over 800 pages it was engaging from start to finish. Some parts read like a book right out of Jane Austen's era, but with a twist of magic thrown in for spice. The footnotes that explain references to ancient magical history are also very engaging. This is a wonderful and unique undertaking, and I count Clarke among some of my favorite novelists. I look forward to reading more from this wonderful author.

About the Author:Susanna Clarke is a British author. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell is her debut novel, which is a Hugo Award-winning alternate history. Clarke began Jonathan Strange in 1993 and worked on it during her spare time while editing cookbooks for Simon and Schuster. For the next decade, she published short stories from the Strange universe, but it was not until 2003 that Bloomsbury bought her manuscript and began work on its publication. The novel became a bestseller. Two years later, she published a collection of her short stories, The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories (2006). Both Clarke's novel and her short stories are set in a magical England and written in a pastiche of the styles of nineteenth-century writers such as Jane Austen and Charles Dickens. While Strange focuses on the relationship of two men, Jonathan Strange and Gilbert Norrell, the stories in Ladies focus on the power women gain through magic.

If you find this interesting, also check out: Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley and A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin. Both are excellent novels that really paint the entire history of the magical world around the story.

A Sonnet a day...

2010-04-20T09:14:00.000-07:00

Here is another little nugget of Shakespearean poetry for you, as I still don't have a new review for you. Strange and Norrell have been taking up all my reading energies of late. But I'm over halfway through!

VIII

Music to hear, why hear'st thou music sadly?
Sweets with sweets war not, joy delights in joy:
Why lov'st thou that which thou receiv'st not gladly,
Or else receiv'st with pleasure thine annoy?
If the true concord of well-tuned sounds,
By unions married, do offend thine ear,
They do but sweetly chide thee, who confounds
In singleness the parts that thou shouldst bear.
Mark how one string, sweet husband to another,
Strikes each in each by mutual ordering;
Resembling sire and child and happy mother,
Who, all in one, one pleasing note do sing:
Whose speechless song being many, seeming one,
Sings this to thee: 'Thou single wilt prove none.'

Friday Blog Hop once again!

2010-04-16T13:26:00.001-07:00

I can't believe it's Friday again already! Time again for blog hop mania! Head on over to Crazy for Books to join in the fun and sign up to the McLinky! Happy hop-hop-hopping!

In other news, I'm about 300 pages into Strange and Norrell. Very slow progress, I know. So in celebration of National Poetry Month, I give you a lovely sonnet for a lovely day:

Sonnet 116, by William Shakespeare

Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
O no! it is an ever-fixed mark
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wandering bark,
Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.
Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle's compass come:
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
If this be error and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved.

Happy Monday-what are you reading?

2010-04-12T12:56:00.000-07:00

In an effort to keep the momentum of this blog chugging along, I'll turn the forum over to you: what are you reading? Have you read anything that particularly excited you? Or something just downright awful? Inquiring minds want to know!

I'm plodding my way through all 800+ pages of Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, and while it is an interesting book I am likely not going to finish it quickly. But that does bring me a step closer to my long books challenge-which I notice is not yet on the sidebar! The challenge is to read 3,000 pages from long books of 500 pages or more. So far I've read 2 long books this year-The Stand by Stephen King topping out at over 1100 pages, and the Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, which is around 600. So far my challenge total is 1760. Over halfway there!

Friday Blog Hop

2010-04-09T20:26:00.000-07:00

I just read my comment from the fabulous Wonderbunny who posted about a really neat way to get your book blog known. So hop to it and head on over to Crazy for Books, read the very simple rules and sign up to the McLinky! Take a peek and see what you might find!

To those who have hopped on over to this blog, welcome! Hope you like the place. Thanks for visiting and I hope you do it often.

Cool blog

2010-04-07T09:14:00.001-07:00

Hi all
I recently stumbled upon this neat blog, Daydreams and Wanderings, and wanted to share. She is having a book giveaway soon, so run on over and check it out. This is my inspiration for launching my own follower goal giveaway. So don't forget to follow me too-my book is TBA, but it will be good!

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

2010-04-05T09:57:00.000-07:00

Spoiler Alert!

Three words come to mind when I think about this book: Ignorance is Bliss. I think I would have been better off not reading this book. It isn't because it was poorly written-on the contrary, it is very very well written. It is because the story line disturbed me so deeply that I wanted to shut my eyes and wish it away. This story is about Amir and Hassan, two friends that are set in different places in Afghanistan's caste system. Hassan is a decent, loyal and brave friend to Amir. Amir, on the other hand, is a coward, and when Hassan needs him the most he does nothing. And then Amir feels guilty, and that guilt destroys their friendship. So then he spends the last half of the book trying to make up for what he did to his former friend. I was disgusted at Amir, and felt even sadder that he ruined his chances of reconciliation, because he just waited too long.

Ugh. I can't take it. It was far too depressing. This book has the same place in my mind as when I read about dogs being abused. It is disturbing and makes me feel just terrible. A great novel, yes, but it will never sit right with me. I need to read some fluff now to take my mind off of it.

About the author:
Khaled Hosseini is a novelist and physician who was born in Afghanistan. Since he was 15, he has lived in the United States, where he is a citizen. In 1976, Hosseini's father obtained a job in Paris, France and moved the family there. They chose not to return to Afghanistan because the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) had seized power through a bloody coup in April 1978. Instead, in 1980 they sought political asylum in the United States and made their residence in San Jose, California.

Hosseini earned a bachelor's degree in biology in 1988 from Santa Clara University. The following year, he entered the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, where he earned his M.D. in 1993. He completed his residency in internal medicine at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles in 1996. He practiced medicine until a year and a half after the release of The Kite Runner.

Hosseini is currently a Goodwill Envoy for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. He lives in Northern California with his wife, Roya, and their two children.

The Great Saur revolution, in a nutshell:
In 1973, the King Zahir Shah's brother-in-law, Mohammed Daoud Khan, launched a bloodless coup and became the first President of Afghanistan while Zahir Shah was on an official overseas visit. Mohammed Daoud Khan jammed Afghan radio with anti-Pakistani broadcasts and looked to the Soviet Union and the United States for aid for development.

In 1978, a prominent member of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA), Mir Akbar Khyber (or "Kaibar"), was killed by the government. The leaders of PDPA apparently feared that Daoud was planning to exterminate them all, especially since most of them were arrested by the government shortly after. Hafizullah Amin and a number of military wing officers of the PDPA managed to remain at large and organized an uprising.

The PDPA, led by Nur Mohammad Taraki, Babrak Karmal and Amin overthrew the regime of Mohammad Daoud, who was killed along with his family. The uprising was known as the Khalq, or Great Saur Revolution ('Saur' means 'April' in Pashto). On May 1, 1978, Taraki became President, Prime Minister and General Secretary of the PDPA. The country was then renamed the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan (DRA), and the PDPA regime lasted, in some form or another, until April 1992.

It's a Goood Friday!

2010-04-02T12:15:00.000-07:00

Hi all,
Hope you like what I've done with the place. I now feel like my blog is to my liking (for now anyway). I want to try to bump up my list of followers, so I'm issuing a challenge. When I get 10 followers I will post a book giveaway. It'll be a good book-I promise! So join up, tell your friends and help me reach my goal of generating more traffic!

REVIEW: The Virgin Blue by Tracy Chevalier

2010-03-31T12:13:00.000-07:00

Ella, an American woman, goes to France with her husband and tries to uncover her family's ancestry. She begins having dreams of a vivid blue and begins reciting a psalm in French, a language that she still is grasping to master. During her search for her roots, she meets Jean-Paul, the handsome local librarian with a sardonic sense of humor but a good heart and a willingness to help her find her roots and herself.
The book parallels the story of Isabelle du Moulin, who has married into the same family, but several hundred years earlier, around the time of the massacre of Saint Bartholomew and the fleeing of the Huguenots. Isabelle is very different from her husband's family, who sees her as a witch because of her midwifery skills and her vivid red hair. She struggles to keep her children safe from her husband's wrath, and a dark secret between her husband and his mother that she is not given access to.

Both Ella and Isabelle's stories interweave nicely, with quite a bit of overlap as Ella gets closer to discovering her family's past. It was fast-paced and a very engaging read from start to finish.

This is the second book I've read by this author (the first being The Lady and the Unicorn) and I really like her style. I will be reading more by her in the future.

A bit about the author:
Tracy Chevalier is a novelist born in the US but of Romande Swiss descent (with possible French Huguenot ancestry) on her father's side, and lives in London with her husband and son.

Chevalier was raised in Washington, D.C and graduated from Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School in Bethesda, Maryland. After receiving her B.A. in English from Oberlin College, she moved to England in 1984 where she worked several years as a reference book editor. Leaving her job in 1993, she began a year-long M.A in creative writing at the University of East Anglia.

The Virgin Blue is her first novel, and it closely resembles Chevalier's own connection with and research into her own French/Swiss Huguenot roots. She, unlike Ella, did not find any documented roots in France, as many records just don't go back that far.

Other books to consider:
This book reminded me a little bit of Anya Seton's Green Darkness, which I heartily recommend. Other good books about different periods in French history are the Lady and the Unicorn by Chevalier and Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Suskind, although the characters are fictional, it does give a good picture of what life was like in Paris during the 18th century.

History lesson: A bit about Huguenots and the Massacre of Saint Bartholomew's Day
The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France (or French Calvinists) from the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries. Since the eighteenth century, Huguenots have been commonly designated "French Protestants", the title being suggested by their German co-religionists or "Calvinists". Protestants in France were inspired by the writings of John Calvin in the 1530s and the name Huguenots was already in use by the 1560s. By the end of the 17th century, roughly 200,000 Huguenots had been driven from France during a series of religious persecutions. They relocated primarily in England, Switzerland, Holland, the German Palatinate, and elsewhere in Northern Europe.

The St. Bartholomew's Day massacre (Massacre de la Saint-Barthélemy in French) in 1572 was a targeted group of assassinations, followed by a wave of Roman Catholic mob violence, both directed against the Huguenots (French Calvinist Protestants), during the French Wars of Religion. Traditionally believed to have been instigated by Catherine de' Medici, the massacre took place six days after the wedding of the king's sister Margaret to the Protestant Henry III of Navarre (the future Henry IV of France). This marriage was an occasion for which many of the most wealthy and prominent Huguenots had gathered in largely Catholic Paris.

The massacre began two days after the attempted assassination of Admiral Gaspard de Coligny, the military and political leader of the Huguenots. Starting on 23 August 1572 (the eve of the feast of Bartholomew the Apostle) with murders on orders of the king of a group of Huguenot leaders including Coligny, the massacres spread throughout Paris. Lasting several weeks, the massacre extended to other urban centres and the countryside. Modern estimates for the number of dead vary widely between 5,000 and 30,000 in total.

REVIEW: Innocent Traitor by Alison Weir

2010-03-22T17:31:00.000-07:00

This is a brilliantly written historical fiction novel by one of the best British historians out there. I had read some of her nonfiction previously, but this is my first turn into her fiction (I think she has only 3). What resulted was a well written story backed with many real facts and a feeling for the characters that permeated every page. Weir really seems to get to the heart of all the characters, even the despicable ones. This book focuses on the tragic story of Lady Jane Grey, Queen of England for just nine days between the death of Edward VI(King Henry the 8th's only son) and Queen Mary I (child of Henry the 8th and Katherine of Aragon) in 1553. A brilliant scholar and devout Protestant at the tender age of 15 she is thrust onto the throne by powerful and corrupt men who wished to prevent the fervently Catholic Mary from ascending, one of these men being her own father. What follows is disaster and of course the innocent Jane must face the consequences of these men's actions. A sad tale no doubt, but Weir brings it to life with the skill that only she can.

About the Author: Alison Weir is a well-known historian specializing in British Royal history. She began her adult life as a civil servant and then became a published writer in 1989. Innocent Traitor was her first historical fiction novel. She has another called The Lady Elizabeth, which I have not yet read but definitely mean to get to. A new historical novel is being released this year, on Elanore of Aquitaine. She has written about 17 books.

A brief overview of the Tudors: The Tudor Dynasty began with Henry VII around the time of the Wars of the Roses (around 1485). Henry conquered England at this time and married Elizabeth of York, sister to the recently overthrown ruler Edward V. His son, Henry VIII, is probably the most infamous of British rulers due to his problem with wives- he had six of them, and two of those were beheaded by his order. The dynasty goes through to Henry VIII's son Edward, who died at 15, and next up is Lady Jane Grey, the nine days Queen. Then comes Mary I and of course Mary's sister Elizabeth I, frequently named as one of the greatest monarchs in British history. Elizabeth marks the end of the Tudor era, as she died without an heir in 1603.

Other suggested reading for this time period in English Tudor History: The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir (nonfiction), The Queen's Fool by Philippa Gregory (fiction), Mary, Queen of France by Jean Plaidy (about Mary Tudor, Henry VIII's little sister and grandmother of Lady Jane Grey)

Happy St. Patrick's Day all!

2010-03-17T11:28:00.001-07:00

No I'm not Irish, but I sure love Irish beer! In the spirit of the season, follow this link to discover twelve reasons why Guinness is good for you. That's right, lift that pint tonight with no guilt, because beer is healthy! Slainte!

Click here for the article.

REVIEW: The House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III

2010-03-08T14:58:00.000-08:00

This book tells the story of Kathy Niccolo, who is evicted from her home on a technical error, which is then put up for auction. She is reeling from her husband's recent departure, and trying to pick up the pieces when everything gets thrown out the window. It also tells the story of the Behrani family, driven from their home when the Persian empire fell and fled to the United States. For years they have seen their funds deplete, and when Mr. Behrani sees a bungalow up for auction and going for cheap, he snatches it up in the hopes that this will be his opportunity for a better life-to start again. Both Kathy and Behrani have pinned their dreams and their hopes on this one house, and neither want to let go in submission to the other. It represents too much on either side. What will be the thing that tips the scale? Enter Kathy's married boyfriend, Deputy Sherrif Lester Burdon. He will become more and more involved in this issue of 'injustice' in an effort to get Kathy back what, in his opinion, is rightfully hers. But who is really right here? Who is the good guy, and who is the victim?

This was an extremely well written book, and I was prepared for it not to be happy. But the relentless downward spiral of all the characters was very engrossing, and I found it really interesting that I was able to sympathize with all sides of the argument. My heart was torn in every direction from start to finish, and I did cry at the end. Highly recommended!

My Rating: 5 big stars

Other books to consider: East of Eden by John Steinbeck, Where the Heart Is by Billie Letts

A bit about the author: Dubus is an American writer whose novel House of Sand and Fog was a National Book Award finalist in 1999 and was adapted for a 2003 film of the same title. His other books include the 1989 collection The Cage Keeper and Other Stories, the 1993 novel Bluesman, and the 2008 novel The Garden of Last Days. Dubus's work has been awarded a Pushcart Prize and the 1985 National Magazine Award for Fiction. It has also been included in "The One Hundred Most Distinguished Stories of 1993" and The Best American Short Stories of 1994. He was one of three finalists for the 1994 Prix de Rome given by the American Academy of Arts and Letters. His father was a well known writer of short stories and novellas, and his cousin is the mystery writer James Lee Burke.

REVIEW: The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami

2010-03-08T14:50:00.000-08:00

As always, it is very difficult to describe a book by Japanese author Haruki Murakami. He is so artful of painting this vividly surreal world planted in a 'normal' one. This book follows Toru Okada, an unemployed thirty year old who lives in suburbian Japan with his wife and cat. Then things begin to unravel. First the cat disappears, and then the wife. Through his journey to find out what is going on and attempt to bring his wife back, he meets a colorful group of characters. Sisters Malta and Creta Kano, who were brought in to help find the cat but know more about the situation than they are letting on. A WW2 veteran who lost a part of himself during the war. A woman who has strange powers and her son who doesn't speak. And probably greatest of all is his wife's brother, Noboru Wataya, whose role in all of this may be just a bit more sinister than ever imagined. Once again an excellent book by Murakami!

My rating: 4 stars

Other books to consider: Norwegian Wood and A Wild Sheep Chase, both by Murakami

A bit about the author:
Haruki Murakami is considered an important figure in postmodern literature, and The Guardian has praised him as one of the "world's greatest living novelists." He was born in post WW2 Japan and is the son of a Buddhist priest and daughter of a merchant, but both parents taught Japanese Literature. Murakami's fiction, often criticized by Japan's literary establishment, is humorous and surreal, and at the same time digresses on themes of alienation and loneliness. Through his work, he was able to capture the spiritual emptiness of his generation and explore the negative effects of Japan's work-dominated mentality. His writing criticizes the decline in human values and a loss of connection among people in Japan's society.

Challenge for 2010

2010-03-08T14:47:00.001-08:00

Yes I know its March already, but I have embarked on a new challenge for the year. I am going to try and whittle down my incredibly large stack of books that I currently own, and try not to introduce too many more this year. I mean it-this needs to stop.

So I've made a list of twelve books that I have begun my challenge with.

1.Ravens of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley
2. Virgin Blue by Tracy Chevalier DONE
3. The Other Queen by Philippa Gregory
4. Johnathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
5. The Seeing Stone/At the Crossing Places by Kevin Crossley-Holland
6. Memoirs of Cleopatra by Margaret George
7. Innocent Traitor by Alison Weir DONE
8. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami DONE
9. The Princess and the Dragon by Roberto Pazzi
10. Hood by Stephen Lawhead
11. The House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubuis III DONE
12. The Secret Bride by Diane Haeger

All of these books have been on my shelf for at least a year, and many of them longer than that. As you can see I am making good progress by having completed two so far. Onward and upward!

Welcome!

2008-08-25T13:58:00.000-07:00

I decided to create a blog to talk about books I've read and maybe even try my hand at writing some too. And I'll throw some other stuff up on here just for grins and giggles. Glad you've stopped by!