Jumbled Bestsellers Quiz

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Kathy and Aidan got 2 each 🙂  Thanks for playing!

Here’s how to play…Identify the title and author. Leave a comment with the # and the answer and I’ll cross it off the list. No Googling, that’s cheating and no fun! If you know them all, please don’t guess every one, maybe five max?

THESE ARE THE TOP TEN BESTSELLERS FROM 10 YEARS AGO

1. A AMN NI LULF  by mot wefol A Man in Full by Tom Wolfe – Kathy

2. RROMRI MEGIA by eedilanl leseet  Mirror Image by Danielle Steele – Janet

3. HWNE ETH DINW WSBLO by sjmesa teptesoan When the Wind Blows by James Patterson

4. LAL GRUTHOH HET INTHG by ymar gigsinh carkl  All Through the Night by Mary Higgins Clark – Don

5. GAB FO NOBSE by petshne gink Bag of Bones by Stephen King – Aidan

6. HET RAMPVIE MAADRN by nena crie The Vampire Armand by Anne Rice

7. TEH ATHP FO GAGDRES by borrte dranjo The Path of Daggers by Robert Jordan – Aidan

8. HTE SWINDOOPOO IBLEB by brabraa singrolkve The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

9. BORNIWA XSI by otm cancly Rainbow Six by Tom Clancy – Jason

10. CLOWEEM OT ETH RODWL, YABB RILG by ninefa glagf Welcome to the World, Baby Girl – Kathy

The Gargoyle, by Andrew Davidson

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Cover ImageFinished 11-9-08, rating 4/5, fiction, pub. 2008

“I wanted to cry but my tear ducts had been burned shut.”    -Chapter 2

The narrator of this goth-like tale is a drugged out pornography star who wrecks his car and ends up in the burn unit with severe burns covering his entire body.  When he becomes stuck in the hospital, constant  surgeries and treatments force him to see that he had no real friends before the crash that took his beautiful body from him forever.  He vows to get out of the hospital so he can commit suicide.  Then he meets Marianne, who becomes his friend and protector and she promises him that they have known and loved each other for 700 years.

The graphic burn details turn into a beautiful and confusing love story full of suspicion and obsession.  The enigmatic Marianne opens the narrator’s mind and heart to past experiences and present delusions.  Marianne takes him in and goes about carving out the last of her gargoyles, so that she can give away her last heart.  Is she crazy or is she telling the truth?

When the narrator goes cold turkey in vanquishing his morphine addiction he moves into the many realms of Hell, which anyone who is familiar with Dante’s The Inferno will appreciate.

“Seeing the look of revulsion on my face, Francesco said, ‘None are here by accident.  Hell is a choice because salvation is available to anyone who seeks it.  The damned choose their fates, by deliberately hardening their hearts.’

I couldn’t agree.  ‘No one would choose to be damned.’

Francesco shook his head.  ‘But it is so easy not to be.'”   -Chapter 29

I had read so many reviews of this book that my expectations were high.  I was not disappointed, but I can’t say I completely fell in love with it either.  It is perhaps the most original story and original voice that I’ve read.  Considering this is Davidson’s debut novel, I am impressed.  But the wandering style of moving between centuries and stories was somewhat distracting to me.  I also thought sometimes it was unnecessarily descriptive.  But, that does not take away from the beauty and freshness of the book.  If you get bored by reading the same old thing or are always looking for the next big thing-this is the book for you.

Jane Eyre, 1996 movie

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Jane EyreJane Eyre has always been one of my favorite books.  I think it may have been the first classic I read by choice.  I love the independent Jane Eyre and the mysterious Edward Rochester and the spookiness of Thornfield.  About 5 years ago they opened the musical on Broadway and I loved it.  The music and cast were wonderful.  I think I actually preferred the casting of the Broadway musical to that of this movie.

Anna Paquin plays young Jane Eyre who is orphaned, rejected by her aunt, and mistreated at the school for girls she is sent to live.  After she is old enough she accepts the position of governess at Thornfield and is immediately drawn in by the manor, her ward, Adele, and the master of the house, Edward Rochester.  Edward makes Jane jealous by bringing home a girlfriend, Blanche played by Elle McPhearson.  Jane doesn’t want to believe that Edward loves her and when she does she is crushed by betrayal.

I like the setting of Thornfield in the movie.  It is real and eerie.  William Hurt is Edward Rochester and Charlotte Gainsbourg is Jane Eyre.  They are both adequate, but not great.  I do not think that William Hurt captured the brooding Mr. Rochester.  Although the movie hits the major plot points of the book I think it neglected to show how Jane and Edward fell in love which is the whole point of the book!

This is the first movie adaptation of the book I’ve watched and cannot recommend it.  It does make me curious to check out the other adaptations and see if they did it better.

Ohio Polls

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I returned home from working at the polls 30 minutes ago in Cuyahoga County, Ohio.  Because of early voting and absentee ballots turnout was fairly light.  I see that they have just called Ohio for Barack Obama.

We did not have any problems today.  Because of the light turnout things ran smoothly and s-l-o-w-l-y.  I really needed a nap, but now I will drink my glass of wine and watch the rest of the returns.

I hope you all participated in this momentous election!

Vote!

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“The world will not change until we do.” – Jim Wallis

“Change is a challenge and an opportunity, not a threat.”  – Prince Phillip of England

“Change is often rejuvenating, invigorating, fun…and necessary.”  – Lynn Povich

“If you don’t like the way the world is, you change it.  You have an obligation to change it.” – Marian Wright Edelman

Both candidates represent some sort of change, although I happen to think that one represents more real  change than the other.  But, that is for you to decide.  And you may not want change at all. 

 I’m very excited at the prospect of an overwhelming voter turnout.  It will mean a busy day for me tomorrow, but a satisfying one.  Please be nice to your poll workers 🙂

 

After your vote, go here and get a free book from me.

Free books if you vote

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Every month I pass on books I’ve read and you help me clear off my bookshelves.  For November I’m offering free books, but only if you vote in the Presidential election on Tuesday.  Since some states have early voting and some have voted absentee (like me) so I will start offering the free books today. 

To get your free book  1. VOTE  2. Leave a comment telling me what state you voted in and which book you want  3. I’ll email you and get your address and send the book free of charge. 

You do not have to say who you voted for, but you can if you want.  I will delete anything negative said about either candidate. 

I have plenty of books and can add more later if needed.  I’ll leave this open until the day after the election.

I mailed my absentee ballot from the Buckeye state this week since I will be working at the polls on Tuesday.

These books have all been read once or twice. 

CLOSED

Shutter Island, by Dennis Lehane

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Cover ImageFinished listening to on 10/30/2008, mystery, rating 4/5, pub. 2003

US Marshal Teddy Daniels and his partner Chuck are sent the Shutter Island, off the coast of Boston, where the Hospital for the Criminally insane were housed and treated.  Teddy and Chuck were trying to find  the escaped murderess, Rachel.  While there they also wanted to find out what kind of practices were really taking place on the island.   Teddy had his own reasons for being there.  The man who murdered his wife was there.  A hurricane blows in and the men are trapped on Shutter Island, which provides much of the action. 

I was not all that impressed with the story until the last two cds of seven.  I thought it was slow and weird.  But then the last part of the book just blew me away and made up for all the rest.  That’s really all I can say about it.  To say more would ruin it for you.

This book is in production and slated for an October 2009 release date.  Martin Scorsese directs and Leonardo DiCapprio plays Teddy.  Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Emily Mortimer, and Michelle Williams round out the cast.  I always think the book is best, but this could be a better movie than book, especially with such a compelling cast.

Sarah’s Sin, by Tami Hoag

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Cover ImageFinished 10-29-08, rating 2/5, romance, pub. 1991

Dr. Matt Thorne recuperates from his injuries at his sister’s quaint inn in small town Minnesota.  While there a local Amish woman cares for him and sparks fly between Matt and Sarah.  She is a widow, not well educated, but loves to read and learn.  Matt is a big town doctor who charms women into his bed without much effort.  What will happen when they fall in love and Sarah has to choose between her family and Matt?

I found this romance tedious and very predictable.  It was full of the cliches that riddle bad romances – she walks in on him naked, he walks in on her naked, she needs to shave him because he is too weak to do so…  The book is only 246 pages and it did not really get interesting until the 200 mark.  She could have done so much more with the Amish aspect, but it came too late in the book.

I have read almost all of Hoag’s mysteries and enjoyed them all, but the two romances I’ve read have not been good.  So, even if you like her mysteries I caution you to not waste your time on the romances she wrote early in her career.  She’s gotten so much better since then.