Signed Book Quiz

September 14, 2010September 19, 201024 Comments

Round 4 begins today!! This round lasts for 13 weeks when I’ll give away 2 prizes. I know it’s busy this week due to BBAW so I’m giving you til Sunday to submit answers 🙂 I hope any of you stopping by from BBAW will play along too.

Here are the rules… 1. Open to everyone. Play once or every week, that’s okay. I’m happy to have you here today.

2. No cheating. No googling, other internet searches or looking at other commenter answers. Yes, we’re going by the honor system

3. Your first answers will be the only ones accepted.

I love autographed books. Here are my stacks of signed copies. All you have to do is tell me the author 1-10. Each correct answer is worth 10 points. Since this is the first week I chose the authors with the best penmanship (but you may have never heard of them!).

1. Ciji Ware 2. B.D. Joyce 3. Preetham Grandhi 4. Tomi Akinyanmi 5. J. Everett Prewitt 6. Bob Adamov 7. Greg Cielec 8. Christina Bartolomeo 9. MaryRose Wood 10. Vicki M. Taylor

BBAW Interview Swap – Page Turners

September 14, 201012 Comments

This year I had the pleasure of swapping questions with a new to me blog, Page Turners. Co-owners, Pixie & Stacey, both answered my questions. I hope you’ll take a few minutes to get to know these gals and to check out their very cool blog. I am convinced that I have to read Hunger Games and I LOVE that they both chose an 80’s movie as their favorite. You all know how I love my 80’s 🙂 And I might have to add the Dr. Seuss quote to my favorite list.

1. Tell us a bit about yourself and why you started blogging.

I am a stay at home mom; life can get pretty boring (especially when the kids are at school). A few years ago, I picked up Twilight and fell in love with the story. I started reading more YA, thanks to Twilightmoms book of the month; and I was enjoying everything I read. My preteen daughter and teenage sister-in-law were also into the books, it was fun to discuss the books with them.

Then at a book signing the Forrest of Hands and Teeth was mentioned. I read it and LOVED IT- for the first time I needed to know what happened next. I started researching how people get ARC’s and found that you can get them from blogging. So I asked around and my friend from Twilightmoms (Stacey) was willing to co-run the site with me. Other Twilightmoms wanted to join in and review for us; so, we jumped in head first and started Page Tuners a little over a year ago. Didn’t get the arc I was originally wanting, but have had an amazing year. The Dead Tossed Waves was worth the wait.

2. As a blog with multiple contributors, how are the posts divided up? How often do you blog?

We blog at least once a day, if not more. I do most of the weekly blog post and Stacey handles our twitter account. We don’t really have a schedule; read a book, post a review is the basic set up. Anything else (contest, promos, interviews) Stacey and I discuss on a daily basis.

3. You list The Hunger Games as your favorite book. I’ve never read it (gasp!), tell me why I need to rush to the bookstore and buy it.

Oh man you are missing out. The lead Katniss is a dream character for a female lead. She shows that she is feminine, strong, and doesn’t lay down a take what her government is doing to her. The story makes you think, it isn’t something you can just read and move on. It makes you ask questions, to pay attention to what is going on around you. This is something that could happen, and possibly is happening in other countries to some extent. Not the games, but how the area is set up, how the country is run.

4. Who are some of your favorite YA authors?

Carrie Ryan, Kami Garcia & Margie Stohl, Cassandra Clare, JK Rowling, Stephenie Meyer, Beth Fantaskey, Julie Kagawa,Kimberly Derting,Kody Kelpinger, Suzanne Collins, Kelly Armstrong

We could go on forever….

5. Aside from YA what other genres do you enjoy reading?

Pixie ~ Usually adult sci-fi or paranormal romance. Basically what I read in YA, only in the adult form. I have read a few Jodi Picoult’s books and have really enjoyed those. Classics like Jane Eyre and Pride & Prejudice ~ I also like to read the “spoof” rewrites of these books.

Stacey ~ Black Dagger Brotherhood, Sookie Stackhouse Series, Outlander Series, Tom Clancy & Historical Fiction.

6. What’s your favorite movie?

Pixie ~ GOONIES! I love cheesy 80’s flicks.

Stacey ~ Top Gun

7. What’s the last book you read and would you recommend it?

Pixie ~ The Duff (Designated Ugly Fat Friend) – Bianca, the lead is a very realistic teen voice; who is an easy character to relate to.

Stacey ~ the last book I “read” was Dead in the Family – and yes I would recommend it – I love getting back to the books after watching True Blood

8. I love quotes. Do you have a favorite?

Pixie ~ Umm. I have a few. I quote a lot of movies, or TV shows.

You’re killing me smalls.

I don’t think so Tim (my son likes to remind me that his name isn’t Tim)

I believe whatever doesn’t kill you, simply makes you…stranger

But some of my favorite “to live by” quotes are ~

“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.” ~ Dr. Seuss

“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi

Stacey ~ War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself.
John Stuart Mill

9. If you were trapped in the life of one fictional character who would you
choose?

Pixie~ Man this is a hard question. I think I would choose Wanda/Wander from The Host ~ she has a man who loves her for her. She is able to forgive and see past the bad; see humans for who they really are, loving, caring individuals.

Stacey ~ Claire Randall/Fraser from the Outlander Series

10. What’s your favorite non reading and writing hobby?

Pixie ~ Photography, LOVE IT. I could spend the day driving around taking pictures, if I didn’t have kids to tend to & books to read.

Stacey ~ hanging with friends and a good road trip

Aren’t they great? Head on over to Page Turners and check them out.

The Lake House, by James Patterson

September 8, 201015 Comments

Finished 9-3-10, rating 2/5, fiction, pub. 2003

Sequel to When the Wind Blows

I remember reading When the Wind Blows when it came out and really liking it. I think it may have been my first Patterson novel. It is about six genetically engineered children who were stolen from their parents and experimented on in secret. They were rescued by Frannie, a veterinarian, and Kit, and FBI agent.

Fast forward to this sequel and Frannie and Kit are suing the biological parents for custody, because they love the children so much. The children, with bird genes, have imprinted Frannie and Kit as their true parents. The media are fascinated by these children who can fly and the courthouse is bedlam. When the dust settles the children are sent to their individual homes and a new set of bad guys comes for them. They escape together and find Frannie who finds Kit.

No disrespect to the five people who chose this for me (sorry Mom), but I thought this was bad. I thought Frannie and Kit were selfish. The bad guy and his clones said the silliest things. I thought the love/sex story between 12 year olds Max and Oz was terrible. Here’s a sample…

“Max, you are very young!” I said. “And you, too, Oz.”

“In human years Frannie. But we’re more than human,” Max said. “We’re special, remember? And we’re also in love. Deeply, passionately, wonderfully in love.”

She combed her hair with her fingers and tied it up into a loose knot. “Our bird genes makes us mature for our age. In fact, I think we’re probably about your age,” she added, her eyes twinkling irresistibly. “You’re old enough to mate, aren’t you?”

She had me there.

Chapter 81

It was told in true Patterson style with alternating viewpoints and lots of sentence long paragraphs and even more exclamation points. Um, I can’t recommend this book to anyone. If you liked When the Wind Blows, reread it instead of looking for a great sequel here.

This is from my personal library and was chosen by Donna, GMR, Mom, Sue and Rebecca. Here’s what they had to say…

“I am totally a fan. I like the Maximum Ride Series but they are not as good as the original Max stories of When the Wind Blows and the Lake House.” Rebecca

“Awesome writer and a great book.” GMR

“I havent read this one yet but Patterson’s books never fail to have something in there to surprise me.” Donna

The Sleeping Doll, by Jeffrey Deaver

September 2, 201012 Comments

Finished 8-31-10, rating 4/5, thriller, pub. 2007

Book 1 in the Kathryn Dance series

Kathryn Dance was often called a human lie detector, but that wasn’t accurate; in reality she, like all kinesic analysts and interrogators, was a stress detector. This was the key to deception; once she spotted stress, she’d probe the topic that gave rise to it and dig until the subject broke.

Chapter 2

Kathryn is kinesics expert with the California Bureau of Investigation and she has just been placed in charge of a manhunt for an escaped killer. She had been interrogating the convict, Daniel Pell, before he escaped so she was able to get inside his head which helped her stay on his trail. Pell had been the leader of a small cult and was hoping to start another after he set up after escaping. Kathryn and Pell can both read people by their behavior and manipulate conversations and situations, so they were both evenly matched.

We first met Kathryn in The Cold Moon (a Lincoln Rhyme book), but you don’t need to have read that one to enjoy this fast paced thriller. As with most of Deaver’s books I learned a lot, not only about kinesics, but cult mentality as well. I was disturbed by the interactions of the three women who had been with Pell before he went to prison. I find the reasons behind joining a cult sad and the reality of it bizarre.

I enjoyed this one, but not as much as the Lincoln Rhyme series. The characters were interesting, but not as well-developed. It was a solid beginning to a new series and I plan on giving the second one a chance.

This is from my personal library and was chosen by Kristie, Margie, and Jason. Here’s what they had to say…

“Great book!” Kristie

“Really enjoyed it.” Margie

Free Books for September

September 1, 2010September 1, 20104 Comments

In my ongoing quest to keep books moving out and not just in I give away a few books each month. 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 time or two.

1. Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift. Mass market classic. It’s an old copy (1983) but in good shape. B&N review here. for Sarah E

2. Angel Mine by Sherryl Woods. Mass market romance. Published in 2000. B&N review here. for Gautami

3. The Awakening by Kate Chopin. Trade paperback classic. This edition published in 1993 is in great condition. My review here. for Misha

4. Contemporary Latin American Short Stories. This trade paperback was published in 1996. Never been read. B&N review here. for Carol M

Happy Reading!

Winter Solstice, by Rosamunde Pilcher

August 26, 201011 Comments

Finished 8-23-10, rating 4/5, fiction, pub. 2000

Elfrida is a sixty-something retired actress who moves from London with her new dog Horace to a village in northern England. She can afford a small cottage and has enough money to get by, but not much more. She quickly makes friends with Oscar and Gloria who make her feel comfortable at their luxurious home. When tragedy strikes Elfrida is thrown into an unlikely role, that of caretaker.

Elfrida is one of five people thrown together in a Scottish home over the Christmas holiday. There is also a teenage girl, her aunt, an older man who has lost his faith, and a businessman moving there for work. Elfrida has spunk, warmth, opinions, and I felt as taken in by her as the others in the house. These people are all forced to live together because of events out of their control and manage to make Christmas work for them.

This was a very satisfying read. I enjoyed Elfrida immensely and the house felt so alive and warm with the stories of the characters. Some of the happenings seemed more than a little improbable but I closed the book having spent time with people I liked.

This is from my personal library and was chosen by Linda, Margot, FleurFisher, and Sandy. Here’s what they had to say…

“Set in my part of the world.” FleurFisher

“I love her books and wish there were more of them.” Linda

As I Lay Dying, by William Faulkner

August 25, 2010July 16, 201227 Comments

Finished 8-19-10, rating 3.5/5, fiction, pub. 1930

He had a word, too. Love he called it. But I had been used to words for a long time. I knew that the word was like the others: just a shape to fill a lack; that when the right time came, you wouldn’t need a word for that anymore than for pride or fear.

Addie, page 172

The Bundren family lives in Mississippi in the 1930’s and they are preparing for the death of their matriarch, Addie. Anse, Addie’s husband, has promised her that he will take her body to Jefferson and bury her with her kin. This promise was easily made but not easily kept. There were many obstacles in the way of the family’s journey and Anse and their five children had to band together to make the promise happen.

This is my first Faulkner novel and it was a unique reading experience. Jason tried listening to the audio last year, but gave up and now I see why. This book makes you work for it and I think listening to the audio in the car would be a difficult proposition. There are 15 different narrators in this 261 page novel. I started by writing each of them down for a reference as I was reading and even with that I totally missed who one of the important narrators was and cheated by checking online after I was done. So, you really have to be one your toes! And because of that I really think this books begs to be read in one sitting. Faulkner’s writing is spare, but beautiful, and it takes a few chapters to really get into the rhythm. Once I got it I did not put the book down until I was done.

I liked it because of the innovative writing style, but wasn’t that crazy about the story itself. The Bundren family is full of characters, but not necessarily any that I truly cared about. Since I appreciated the writing I will definitely read Faulkner again, but only when I’m ready to devote some time and brain power to the reading.

This is from my personal library and was chosen by…Candice, Hannah, and Molly. Here’s what they had to say…

“Faulkner is my favorite. This book is a great example of what I love about him. Makes you think, makes you laugh, makes you crazy.” Molly

“Because this one is often read in high school English classes, but somehow you and I both missed out.” Hannah

Pictured Title Quiz

August 24, 2010August 27, 201035 Comments

This week we’re going to try something new. See if you can guess the titles of the books from the pictures. For example, if there was a picture of an executioner and a song the answer would be The Executioner’s Song by Norman Mailer. 8 points for the correct answer and 2 points if you know the author too.

Here are the rules… 1. Open to everyone. Play once or every week, that’s okay. I’m happy to have you here today.

2. No cheating. No looking at other commenter answers or Googling! Yes, we’re going by the honor system

3. Your first answers will be the only ones accepted.

Last week’s answers here. Current Leaderboard here.

You have until Thursday night to submit your answers. If you have a problem with the pics let me know. Happy guessing!

1.The of

The Art of War by Sun-Tzu

Animal Farm by Orwell

3. In

In Cold Blood by Capote

4. The

The Painted Veil by Maugham

5. &

Angels & Demons by Brown

6. The

The Lace Reader by Barry

7. &

War & Peace by Tolstoy

8. The

The Time Machine by Wells

9. The

The Sugar Queen by Allen

10. , ,

Eat, Pray, Love by Gilbert

The Pact, by Jodi Picoult

August 19, 201031 Comments

Finished 8-16-10, rating 3.5/5, fiction. pub. 1998

There was nothing left to say. He covered her body with his, and as she put her arms around him she could picture him in all his incarnations: age five, and still blond: age eleven, sprouting: age thirteen, with the hands of a man. The moon rolled, sloe-eyed in the night sky; and she breathed in the scent of his skin. “I love you,” she said.

He kissed her so gently she wondered if she had imagined it. She pulled back slightly, to look into his eyes.

And then there was a shot.

Opening of book

Right from the beginning we know that Emily is dead and her boyfriend Chris is not. At the hospital Chris tells the police that they had made a suicide pact and he had chickened out in the end. Only the police don’t believe him. Chris and Emily’s parents are next door neighbors and long-time best friends, so this tragedy is compounded by the close relationship the two families share. What really happened that night and can they all get past it?

Chris is the popular high school jock who is unprepared for the storm of accusations coming his way. He is not used to being doubted. His parents, Gus and James, don’t know how to deal with Chris, their daughter, or each other. While Gus hovers around Chris protecting him, James expects things to get back to normal ASAP and refuses to really acknowledge what’s happened.

Emily was an only child, so her death at 17 hit her parents especially hard. Melanie entered the grieving stage with anger and she never really got past it. Michael wanted to do the right thing by his daughter and Chris, but he didn’t know what that was.

I’ve only read a few Picoult novels, but I’ve enjoyed them. There is always a twist in the end, but this one wasn’t really much of a shock. Compelling, yes, shocking, no. This was a story about teen suicide, love, and friendship. I thought the impact of the death on the friendships was the most successful and honest part of the book. It was the teen suicide and love storylines that didn’t work as well for me. It did suck me in and I was very much involved, but some of it fell flat because it just didn’t make sense. I know that suicide rarely makes sense to the living, so maybe that is unfair, but it’s how I felt nonetheless.

I usually love the shades of gray in Picoult’s novels, but this one was more black and white. And the very end disappointed me. Still it made me think and is a great book for discussion.

This is from my personal library and was chosen by Sharyn, Em, Colleen, Sheral, and Margie. Here’s what they had to say…

“Love her books.” Sheral

“Jodi Picoult’s stories are always very compelling and this is no exception.” Colleen

“It got me hooked on her, couldn’t put it down.” Em

The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, by Alexander McCall Smith

August 18, 2010August 18, 201022 Comments

Finished 8-11-10, rating 4/5, fiction/mystery, pub. 1998

She was a good detective, and a good woman. A good woman in a good country, one might say. She loved her country, Botswana, which is a place of peace, and she loved Africa, for all its trials. I am not ashamed to be called an African patriot, Mma Ramotswe. I love all the people whom God made, but I especially know how to love the people who live in this place. They are my people, my brothers and sisters. It is my duty to help them solve the mysteries in their lives. That is what I am called to do.

Chapter 1

When Precious Ramotswe loses her beloved father she gains independence in her inheritance. She decides to open a detective agency in Botswana and becomes the only female private eye in the country. At first she gets only a few small cases and has some mishaps that are both funny and endearing. The cases get more involved and Precious shows her spunk and common sense.

This isn’t exactly what I expected, but I enjoyed it. I thought it would be a mystery and while Precious did solve cases, none of them took too much time, so it didn’t feel like a typical mystery. I really enjoyed the first part of the book as we got to know about her life and the wisdom she accumulated, but it did seem separate from the second half about her agency. I liked Precious and the Botswana setting and can see why so many people enjoy these books. Precious is the reason to read the book and has more appeal than the mystery aspect. Now I want to see the HBO movie based on the book.

This book is from my personal library and was chosen by Hannah, JoJo, Sharon, Alita, Bonnie, Sarah, Wendy. Here’s what they had to say…

“A heart-warming novel about a lady’s detective agency established in Zimbabwe, the many adventures of its owner as she goes about her detective work, as well as wonderful characters in the village.” Sarah

“Sweet mystery series based in South Africa. I love the characters and the mood of these books. A wonderful series.” Bonnie

“Love it! I’ve read this whole series and loved every one. It is not an edge of your seat story, but pulls you along. You wish you could know this woman.” Sharon

“Because it’s a fun, quick, uplifting read with a hint of mystery and a strong female lead. Plus, it’s set in Africa!” Hannah

Stacy's Books

books, movies, and boy

Tag: Books