Author: stacybuckeye

Book Problem, Year 4

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Every May for the past few years I’ve stacked up all of of my unread books (always the same way) and taken a picture to share with you all.  In May 2008 my stack looked like this. My post lamenting my problem in May 2009 is here. Last year’s picture is here with its 407 books plus those 5 box tops I did not count.

So, when I recreated the stacks this year I was happy to discover that I’d read 32.  I think that’s pretty good considering how my reading time has suffered this past year. I gave away or will give away 24 more.  I even took out a whole box of books from the bottom and have been giving them away this year.  This was what it looked like with all of those books gone.

So, I was feeling good.  Until I added in the books I bought or received this year, which was 104.

So, the grand total of unread books, when I add in the 149 from the boxes that I didn’t include last year is…

604!

To get to this number I pulled out 15 old titles that I know I will never read and will be giving them away on June 1st, so come back for that.

So, c’mon, fess up.  How many books do you have sitting around waiting to be read?

Tangled Webs:How False Statements are Undermining America: From Martha Stewart to Bernie Madoff, by James B. Stewart, part 1

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Tangled Webs by James B. Stewart: Book CoverRating so far 4/5, current events, 441 pages

When I was offered the chance to read this book for the TLC book tour I jumped at the chance.  I follow the news fairly voraciously (at least I did before Gage was born) and I was interested in the four stories this book covers: Martha Stewart, Scooter Libby, Barry Bonds, Bernie Madoff.  I knew the most about Libby and Madoff.  I am embarrassed to say that I am only halfway through the book, so I will write about the first two cases today and you can come back on Friday for the last two and my final thoughts.

To lie, or not to lie, that is the question.  In my humble opinion, which is also the law of the land, it is illegal to lie to the police or government officials.  Stewart, a Pulitzer Prize winner, argues that these high-profile cases show how morally corrupt we’ve become.  In so many instances the lying and cover-up is so much worse than the crime.

Martha Stewart was and is a successful businesswoman.  She was and is a woman who lied and to presecutors and got an assistant to erase an incriminating email.  She was first investigated for insider trading, but they couldn’t prove that.  Had she not lied she never would have gone to prison, end of story.  I am not a Martha fan, don’t watch her show or read her books or magazines, but I have purchased her products and liked them very much.  Only now I’d think twice.  Not only is she not a very nice person, but to maintain that you are innocent against clear facts otherwise is insulting to my intelligence.

The Scooter Libby case is one that I was the most familiar with and so I was surprised that of all the myriad of people involved in this story he was the one I felt the most sympathy for, maybe because he got thrown to the wolves.  The case stemmed from a Novak article that gave the name of a CIA agent (Valerie Plame).  This is illegal.  He had two sources who in the course of the investigation outed themselves, Richard Armitage and Karl Rove.  They broke the law.  What happened to them?  Nothing.  President Bush said he would fire anyone who leaked information and even when Karl Rove admitted he was one of the leakers, President Bush kept him in the White House.  I remember being disgusted by it at the time and still am.  So, if these were the main culprits why did Libby get in trouble?  Because he lied to investigators.  Or at the very least has a very, very bad memory which is hard to believe of someone of his success.  The rule breakers got away with it, but the liar did not.

I have taken two main points from the first half of the book.  This book is for detail oriented readers and will appeal to them best.  There are lots of details and they sometimes repeat themselves a few times in a few different recollections. The second and most sad for me is that people don’t seem to be swayed by the truth.  Do they like the fact that you bake a pretty cake on tv?  Then you are being railroaded.   Are you a Republican or Democrat?  Because whatever I’m not is wrong 100% of the time.  Both of these drive me crazy.  You are allowed to still like a person if they broke the law, but please don’t make excuses for them.

Part 2 reviewed here.

This book was sent to by the publisher for this book tour.

James’ Tour Stops

Wednesday, May 11th: Take Me Away

Thursday, May 12th: Laura’s Reviews

Tuesday, May 17th: Power and Control

Tuesday, May 17th: Marathon Pundit

Wednesday, May 18th: Man of La Book

Wednesday, May 25th: Stacy’s Books

Wednesday, June 1st: Bibliophiliac

Monday, June 13th: Lisa Graas

Tuesday, June 14th: Ted Lehmann’s Bluegrass, Books, and Brainstorms

Wednesday, June 15th: Deep Muck Big Rake

Book Sale Quiz & Giveaway – closed

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On Saturday I made my yearly trip to the Case Western Reserve University Book Sale.  I usually spend hours and hours looking over the thousands of books filling the auditorium, but I had to be quick since my father-in-law was on his way.  So, I picked up the first books I saw that were on my extensive wish list.  Here’s a view of the fiction section of the sale.  I left as soon as my arms were full, which was at 14 books.

So, here’s the quiz ad giveaway…I chose 10 first lines from 10 of these novels and all you need to do is tell me which line belongs to which book.  No googling, no matter how tempting.  I know this will mainly be educated guessing so to make it more fun I’m offering the person who guesses the most correct (and first) will get to choose a book from the stack for free!  You have until noon Friday to submit your answers.

No cheating.  No Googling, researching, or looking at other commenter answers.  Yes, we’re going by the honor system    Your first answers will be the only ones accepted.  Play every week or just one time, you are always welcome   It only takes once to be eligible for a prize.

Current Leaderboard here.  Last week’s April Showers Quiz here.

1. The sheets are dirty.  An Indian Health Service hospital in the late sixties.  Indian Killer

2. As Corradino Manin looked on the lights of San Marco for the last time, Venice from the lagoon seemed to him a golden constellation in the dark blue velvet dusk.  The Glassblower of Murano

3. “Jorg, expect $7 million from Credit Parisien in the No.2 account by 6 pm tonight, Central European time, and place it with first-class banks and triple A commercial names.”  Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less

4. The final dying sounds of their dress rehearsal left the Laurel Players with nothing to do but stand there, silent and helpless, blinking out over the footlights of an empty auditorium.  Revolutionary Road

5. The rain kept falling, swelling the creek until it lifted the girl into its muddy flood.  Turning Angel

6. On the banks of the mighty Columbia River, in this icy season when every breath became visible, the orchard called Belye Nochi was quiet.  Winter Garden

7. Midnight in the garden of the dead.  The Devil’s Punchbowl

8. In early May, the summer came, at last, to Scotland.  September

9. How lucky were they?  A heat wave in the middle of the school holidays, exactly where it belonged.  Case Histories

10. Maggie an Ira Moran had to go to a funeral in Deer Lick, Pennsylvania.  Breathing Lessons

Monday Movie Meme – Writers

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Feature Presentation…MONDAY MOVIE MEME
…The movies like to pay tribute to writers as well. After all, without them we’d be hard up for a good flick. Here are some writers in film that we came up with. Share on your blog movies that feature writers, authors, poets and scribes, linking back here so that others can find you.
There are so many to choose from but these four classics are favorites of mine and they all feature a writer, so I’ll go with these.  Yes, I know, these movies make it onto my Monday lists often. So, why haven’t you seen them yet?!
1. Macaulay Connor in The Philapelphia Story  James Stewart was the underdog author/reporter that you were rooting for to win the girl.  Except you wouldn’t really be upset if she ended up with Cary Grant.  It was a win-win for Katherine Hepburn’s character, Tracy Lord.
2. Fred/Paul Varjak in Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961) A well-kept author who was trying to write a second book.  Did he and Holly Golightly deserve each other?  I say yes.  Oh, And George Peppard is surprising easy on the eyes (since before this I only remembered him from The A-Team in the 80’s)
3. Joe Bradley in Roman Holiday (1953) Gregory Peck has the story of his life land in his lap and as a reporter in Rome it’s hard to resist the girl, especially when she’s Audrey Hepburn.  Again, a writer easy on the eyes.
4. Peter Warne in It Happened One Night (1934)  Clark Gable is a reporter following a story and the story happens to be Claudette Colbert.  Another handsome writer.  I’m sensing a theme here.
I could try to come up with another, but Gage thinks I need to be done.  So, is there a classic movie that I missed featuring a writer.  Do tell.  And please visit The Bumbles to participate.

Sundays with Gage- The long and short of it

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Gage’s grandpa (and new grandma) came to visit this weekend and it’s obvious he has a lot of growing to do.   Daddy is 6’4″ and Daddy’s daddy is 6’5″. When I took Gage to the doctor a month ago he measured in the 7th percentile for height, which got me nervous that he may have inherited Mommy’s legs.

So, I looked around for height predictors and came up with anywhere from 5’9″ to 5’11.5″, but this is based only on the height of the mother and father.  A more accurate indicator is the baby’s height at age 2.  They say by the time a baby is two if you double the height that will be their adult size.  We’ll have to wait for that one.

So, how tall are your kids compared to you and the father/mother?

The Glass Flame, by Phyllis Whitney

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Product DetailsFinished 5-18-11, rating 3.5/5, mystery, 317 pages, pub. 1978

Karen’s husband, David, has been killed in a fire and she thinks it was murder because of a letter he sent her just before the explosion that claimed his life.  Their marriage wasn’t a good one, but she did feel an obligation to check out the situation surrounding the fires that he had gone to Tennessee to investigate.  David’s half-brother, Trevor, is an architect and the victim of the fires.  Trevor was also Karen’s first unrequited love.  Now she is staying in his house with his wife and child and there is no end to the weirdness happening there.

I thought the mystery was good.  It was creepy and there were just enough people involved that you got to know them but not too many that you got confused.  I liked getting to know more about architecture and photography.  The book is dated, but not in a bad way.

I will say that the characters didn’t really behave in a way I expected, so I didn’t really connect with them, but I still enjoyed the mystery.  The only thing that seemed over the top was Karen’s love for Trevor.  For some reason it annoyed me, maybe because it seemed so baseless.

If you like Barbara Michaels or Victoria Holt, I think you’d like Whitney.

This was from my personal library.

April Showers Scrambled Quiz – guessing closed

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April Showers bring May…Easy right?  Not if you’re in Ohio and many other places in the middle of the US, where the showers have continued.  But let’s think positive thoughts and hope for the best.  See if you can unscramble books that all have one thing in common.  8 points for the title and 2 for the author.  5 easy peasy bonus points if you tell me what they all have in common.  You have until Friday noon to submit your answers in the comments.

No cheating.  No Googling, researching, or looking at other commenter answers.  Yes, we’re going by the honor system    Your first answers will be the only ones accepted.  Play every week or just one time, you are always welcome   It only takes once to be eligible for a prize.

Current Leaderboard here.  Last week’s Color Me Published Quiz here.

1. HTE ATE ORES by NNEFIRJE LNLNYOED  The Tea Rose by Jennifer Donnelly

2. ETH CALBK HIDALA by EJSAM LOLREY   The Black Dahlia by James Ellroy

3. OLYLS’H XOBIN by LYLHO ENDHAM   Holly’s Inbox by Holly Denham

4. RUNDE HET ACLSIL by OUISAL YAM TOCATL  Under the Lilacs by Louis May Alcott

5. OPPYP ENDO OT AEDTH by RAILCHANE RRSHAI   Poppy Done to Death by Charlaine Harris

6. CHRIOD ACEBH by UTTARS DOOWS  Orchid Beach by Stuart Woods

7. IVOLTES REA LUBE by MESJA TERSONPAT  Violets are Blue by James Patterson

8. SYAID LILMER by RYENH MAJSE  Daisy Miller by Henry James

9. THELO RIIS by KOOY GAWAO  Hotel Iris by Yoko Ogawa

10. CAMIG ROF GOILDRAM by ML ROYMMNTGOE   Magic for Marigold by LM Montgomery

(Go ahead and print it to work on You know you want to :))

Monday Movie Meme- Farms

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Feature Presentation…MONDAY MOVIE MEME
This week’s movie topic is all about Farms…
Movies have featured farms and farming forever. Their roles in film have changed and even diminished some as the industry of farming has waned. But there are plenty of examples out there. Here are a few that we thought of. Share on your blog movies that are set on a farm, focus on farmers or reference farming in some way, linking back here so that others can find you.
Brought to you by The Bumbles
1. Children of the Corn (1984) was a hit at slumber parties when it came out.  If only to see who would hide in their sleeping bag, who would scream, and who would pretend it wasn’t the creapiest movie ever.
2. Grapes of Wrath (1940) is a the serious side of what happened to farmers during the Great Depression.  A downer of an awesome movie.
3. Footloose (1984) isn’t necessarily a farming movie, but the scene where they play chicken with the tractors is one that came to mind. 
View Image4. Man in the Moon (1991) is a surprisingly good movie.  See it to check out a young Reese Witherspoon.
5. Signs (2002) is a good one.  Who was doing all that damage to the fields?  The answer may surprise you (or not).  This was before Mel Gibson became taboo.
Go to fullsize imageSo, what farming movie would you recommend?
Please contribute your thoughts to my 5 word movie reviews for charity. Post here.  So far, we’re up to $66.

Sundays with Gage- Can I have some church with those teeth?

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Today we took Gage to church for the first time.  It would also be the first time we’ve left him alone with anyone but my parents and I was nervous.  Not that he’d be neglected, but that he’d cry the whole time.  The reason we’ve waited so long to do this is because for the first 6 months he’d been a fussy baby, but the medication for his acid reflux has helped him immensely and we were ready to take the plunge.

The church we attend, Parkside, is a great church.  There are 3 morning services with about 2000 regular attendees.  It also houses a very small cafe and bookshop.  For such a large place it does feel like a community.  With its size also comes some perks.  Like lots of nurseries.  There is one for 0-6 and one for 7-12 month olds.  Since Gage will be turning 7 months old this week we decided to go with the 7-12 nursery.

We managed to keep him awake so that when we delivered him he was snoozing away his morning nap.  We took our pick up card and walked around before entering the service.  We were ‘by ourselves’ with perfect strangers looking after our kid.  Weird feeling.  Well, an hour or so later after a great sermon on the prodigal son we went to the nursery to find Gage being carried around by one of the four people working there.  And he wasn’t crying 🙂

So, mission accomplished.  Next up is trying the day care our community center provides so that I can start to lose some of this baby weight.

Oh, and how many pictures does it take to finally get one that shows his two new bottom teeth without him sticking out his tongue or closing his mouth?  19.