Month: April 2009

Lemonade Stand Award

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I received this award from the wonderful Tonya at Storytime With Tonya.
The Rules:
1) Put the Lemonade Award logo on your blog or post
2) Nominate at least 10 blogs that show great attitude or gratitude
3) Link to your nominees within your post
4) Let the nominees know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog
5) Share the love and link to the person from who you received your award

 Here are a few blogs I’ve recently discovered and if you haven’t discovered them yet, now’s your chance 🙂

1. Kathy at Bags, Books, and Bon Jovi

2. Harvee at Book Bird Dog

3. Cee Cee at Book Splurge

4. Staci at Life in the Thumb

5. Wendy at Musings of a Bookish Kitty

Book Title Help

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I’m hoping that one of my book loving blog friends can help Mary figure out what this book is.  She has already won $10 because I don’t know it, but now I want to know!  Does anyone know the title of this book? 

I’m trying to remember the name of a book I read over and over again when I was younger. It is about a homeless girl that befriends a wolf and they end up taking a train somewhere. For the life of me I can’t remember any more details although I know I read the thing about 20 times.

Long Lost, by Harlan Coben

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Cover ImageFinished 4-5-09, rating 4/5, thriller, pub. 2009

Two days before I learned the secret she’d kept buried for a decade – the seemingly personal secret that would not only devastate the two of us but change the world forever – Terese Collins called me at five AM, pushing me from one quasi-erotic dream into another.  She simply said, “Come to Paris.”

 Chapter 1

This is the 9th Myron Bolitar novel.

Myron, Win, and Esperanza are back in a mystery that takes Myron to Paris, Britain, and an unknown location before returning home to New Jersey and New York lucky to be alive.  Myron is called by an ex-lover, Terese, and she asks him to drop everything because she needs him in Paris.  Myron, coming to the end of a relationship, meets her there and is almost immediately taken into custody under the suspicion of murder of Therese’s ex-husband.   

Therese comes clean to Myron about the death of her daughter and the ex-husband Myron did not know about and Myron confesses that the French police have evidence that her dead daughter may have been at the murder of her ex.    So, the two must enlist the help of badass, best friend Win to help them not only stay one step ahead of police custody, but to learn the truth about her daughter’s death.

I have read all of the Myron books and love the witty repartee and humor.  The mysteries have gotten better over the years and this is the case with this one.  The mystery involves digging up graves, Mosad, secret torture locations, and terrorists sleeper cells in America.  It had much of the sarcasm I’ve always loved with the hard edge of today’s terrorism fears.  The resolution of the book was creepy and on the surface, thought-provoking. 

I loved the back drop of Paris (maybe a nod to the country who made Coben’s book, Tell No One, into an award winning movie?) and Britain and the long lost love of Therese.  Myron is such a romantic that it is always interesting to see how Coben manages to keep him single.  And no one does dialogue better than Coben.

You do not have to read the Myron books in order to enjoy them but I have to think it would make them better if you did.  The first Myron book is Deal Breaker.

One more thing, if you are on Facebook you should add Harlan Coben as a friend.  He updates daily and always has something fun to say.

Teaser Tuesday – Frankenstein

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 Should Be Reading

 TEASER TUESDAYS is a weekly event, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading, where you ‘tease’ others with a little bit from the book you’re currently reading, making them want to read it, too! :D Feel free to play along! You just…

 

  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
  • Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers

    •  

    Some miracle might have produced it, yet the stages of the discovery were distinct and probable.  After days and nights of incredible labour and fatigue, I succeeded in discovering the cause of generation of life; nay, more, I became myself capable of bestowing animation upon lifeless matter.

    Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Chapter 4

    Your turn.

     

    Go Spartans!

    5 Comments

     

    UPDATE – That was tough to watch. 

    Although I’m a Buckeye, my husband is a Spartan.  Tonight Michigan State plays for the NCAA Championship 🙂  I hope Detroit and the whole state of Michigan (excluding Ann Arbor) gets to celebrate tonight! 

    Alternate Bestsellers Quiz

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    Here’s how to play…Identify the correct title of these fiction bestsellers. I’ve  included the author’s initials to help you out.  Leave a comment with the # and the answer and I’ll cross it off the list. No Googling, that’s cheating and no fun!

    These are all current fiction bestsellers.

    1.Real Private Eyes.  JK  TIME DETECTIVES by Jonathan Kellerman

    2. Manage With Responsibility.  JP  Handle With Care by Jodi Picoult, Megan

    3. The  Colleague. JG  The Associate by John Grisham

    4. Flee for your Existence. JP & ML  Run for Your Life by James Patterson – Janet

    5. Vows in Passing. JDR   PROMISES IN DEATH by J D Robb

    6. Pariah. AA  OUTCAST by Aaron Allston

    7. The Party-Giver. SM  The Host by Stephenie Meyer – the word jar

    8. Privateer.  CC  CORSAIR by Clive Cussler

    9. Quest. KR  PURSUIT by Karen Robards

    10. Fulfillment Pier. AP  EXECUTUIN DOCK by Anne Perry

    11. Ticker and Spirit. MB  Heart & Soul by Maeve Binchy – Janet

    12. The Lengthy Decline.  WM  THE LONG FALL by Walter Mosley

    13. Darkness and Sun. RBP  NIGHT & DAY by Robert B Parker

    14. Perished Hush. RWW  DEAD SILENCE by Randy Wayne White

    15. The Island Well-Versed and Spud Skin League. MAS & AB  The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows – Kathy

    Favorite 100 Movies

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    Cover ImageCover ImageCover ImageCover ImageCover Image

    Okay, Jason and I have spent the last 10 years watching all of the movies on  AFI Top 100 Films list (the original version).  It was fun and made us see movies that we never would have watched otherwise.  We ranked them ourselves and it was great discussion starter.  For the most part we felt the same about the movies we loved or hated, it was the ones in the middle we disagreed on the most.  Anyway, so I decided now that we were done and I had my own ranked list of these highly esteemed movies thatI could come up with my own more pedestrian favorite movie list.

    The movies are on here for different reasons.  Some are great movies, some are sentimental picks, and some I’ve seen more times than I can count.  You may also note I love romantic comedies 🙂 I’ll probably post more about movies in the future – maybe once a week.

    The actresses that appeared most – Audrey Hepburn (5). Katherine Hepburn (4), Diane Keaton (3), Sandra Bullock (3), Molly Ringwald (3)

    The actors – Cary Grant (6), Humphrey Bogart (5), Johnny Depp (4)

    So here’s my list (now a page you can find on the top).  Have I forgotten about a good one?  Let me know.  I’m sure this list will change since I will remember movies and I will see more.  And, yes, I realize I am a compulsive list maker 🙂

    Cover ImageCover ImageCover ImageCover ImageCover Image

    The Secret Life of Bees, by Sue Monk Kidd

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    The Secret Life of Bees by Kidd Monk Kidd: Book CoverFinished 4-2-09, rating 5/5, fiction, pub. 2002

    Next to Shakespeare I love Thoreau best.  Mrs. Henry made us read portions of Walden Pond, and afterward I’d had fantasises of going to a private garden where T. Ray would never find me.  I started appreciating Mother Nature, what she’d done with the world.  In my mind she looked like Eleanor Roosevelt.

    Chapter 3

    It’s 1964 in South Carolina and Lily is a fourteen year old living with her abusive dad and the knowledge that she killed her mother.  All she has of her mother is a photo and a picture of a black Mary with the words Tiburon, South Carolina written on the back.  When she chooses to spring her nanny, Rosaleen, from jail they hitchhike to Tiburon so Lily can find the memory of her mother.  What she finds are three African-American beekeepers that live in a pink house.  The three sisters take  in Lily and Rosaleen.

    This novel has been popular for so long, it almost seems silly to to write a review, but I am sometimes silly.  My Mom gave me this book in 2003 and told me I had to read, but I didn’t think it was my type of book.  So, I am silly, a major procrastinator and occasionally wrong.  I absolutely loved this book.

     I thought Lily’s heartbreak over the confusion of her mother’s death and her pain of having T. Ray not love her was touching and real.  I loved her embarrassment over Rosaleen and Rosaleen blossoming in the pink house.  The three sisters were each interesting and August provided Lily with the rock that she needed.  

    I didn’t even mind learning about bees and the Black Madonna.  I’m not sure I totally got the ‘religion’ the small group practiced, but it did provide stability for Lily.  And the bees helped her gain confidence.

    The book was not only about losing a mother, but racial inequality.  Lily was the only white girl in a house filled with black.  Zach, who worked with the bees, provided Lily with the knowledge that desire is color blind and he was also a friend to lean on.   August, June, and May all accepted her even though it was highly improbable at the time.  I loved Rosaleen’s obsession with registering to vote and the full circle the story provided for her.

    This is the best book I’ve read in awhile and I’m happy to have finally read it.  Now I can watch the movie.  Will I be disappointed?

     

    Baron Thinks Dogs are People Too! by Laurie Dean, an Aunt Betty review

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    Baron Thinks Dogs Are People Too!by Laurie Dean, Illustrator Kevin Collier, published 2008, 24 pages

    Product Description
    Cute and lovable Baron wants a best friend but in an effort to get his family’s attention, Baron’s lively antics take him in the wrong direction. After being whisked away to doggie school, Baron learns important lessons about behaving himself. But will he ever find the friendship his furry heart longs for?

    Aunt Betty says

    A dog truly is a man’s best friend and Billy’s too!  Opening our hearts to these loving animals, sharing warmth and love and our attention is a need of all dogs and this is conveyed well in the story. Baron wanted a best friend and he found one by being one himself. When Baron and Billy bond it gave this story a very happy ending!

    Great for K-2nd grade

    Do you want to know more about Baron and his human friends?  Visit his website, http://www.baronthinks.com/

    My Aunt Betty has been an elementary school librarian for 24 years.  This is not surprising because she loves kids and kids appreciate her enthusiasm.  It is because of her that I enjoy a close relationship with my 7 cousins (later, 9).  She always had all of us over for sleepovers and other outings.  All 9 of us would cram into her Rabbit for trips around town.  You never see that anymore

    I asked around for words to describe Aunt Betty and these are the words that came back the most…Happy, Caring, and Thoughtful.  As for me, my top three choices are Fun, Kind, and Full of Life.

    Free Books for April

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    Leave a comment, tell me which book you want and I’ll get the book to you for FREE either by mail or personally if I’ll see you soon.  The first one to request each book wins.  Once you’ve ‘won’ the book I can get your shipping address if I need it.  Also, you can come back and get a free book every month if you want. These have all been read a few times.

    1. Kiss An Angel by Susan Elizabeth Phillips – contemporary romance – paperback in excellent shape- review here  for Mary

    2. The Pleasure Trap by Elizabeth Thornton – historical romance – paperback in good shape – review here  for Gautami

    3. Velocity by Dean Koontz – first-rate thriller – paperback in good shape – review here  for Bridget

    4. Just One Look by Harlan Coben – another first rate thriller – book club hardcover in pretty good shape- review here  for Kathy

    5. Behind the Mask No More by Byron Nease – memoir – trade paperback in excellent shape – I reviewed it here

    Thanks for helping me clear some space on my shelves.  Happy Reading 🙂