Month: August 2009

Meme, Musing Mondays

Monday Musings – Aug. 10, 2009

Tara

Musing Mondays (BIG)_thumb[3]

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about publishing houses …

Do you have a favourite publishing house — one that puts out books that you constantly find yourself wanting to read? If so, who? And, what books have they published that you’ve loved? (question courtesy of MizB)

Okay, so this is an interesting question. I will have to say that I’ve never really paid all that much attention to publishing houses. Sure, it’s something that I tend to look at when I’m looking at a book, but it’s not something that makes me pick the book up. I really prefer to read books based on my previous experience with certain authors that I’ve enjoyed, or even recommendations from people in real life and the blogger world. To be honest with you, I dont think I could even tell you the publishing houses that are responsible for some of my favorite books, it’s just not something that I’m concerned with in general. However, now that this questin has been asked, I will probably be a little more aware of the publishing houses when looking at books.

Mailbox Monday, Meme

Mailbox Monday, August 10, 2009

Tara

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Mondays

Monday, August 3
Dancing with Ana by Nicole BarkerDancing with Ana by Nicole Barker

Beth is a lucky girl … She comes from a loving family. She has three best friends. She loves to surf and lives five minutes from the beach. She also recently discovered that the boy she’s grown up with has the most amazing green eyes … Beth has every reason to smile. Every reason to be happy. Every reason to feel blessed. Then why is she sticking her fingers down her throat?

I was contacted directly by the author of this book about receiving a review copy. I received it on August 3rd and read it that night in one sitting. It’s a really good book that I simply cannot say enough good things about. Please read my review here.

The Lie by Fredrica WagmanThe Lie by Fredrica Wagman

Ramona Smollens has a chance meeting on a park bench with an older man, Solomon Columbus. The two become lovers, and soon Ramona is leaving the home of her mother and recently deceased father for marriage and the trappings of adult life. She takes with her a dark family secret, the sort of secret one simply did not talk about, one that would stalk her as she matured into her role as wife and mother. Coming of age in 1950s America, Ramona gets her cues about a woman’s role from the world around her, and about female sexuality form the silver screen. But when experience teaches her that Hollywood’s ideal is in fact “the lie,” truth and desire collide with a force that is deeply moving and unforgettable.

I received this book as a review copy from FSB Associates. The blurb intrigues me. I’m definitely looking forward to getting around to this one quickly!

Tuesday, August 4
Blueberry Muffin Murder by Joanne FlukeBlueberry Muffin Murder by Joanne Fluke

Preparations are underway for Lake Eden, Minnesota’s annual Winter Carnival – and Hannah Swensen is set to bake up a storm at her popular shop, The Cookie Jar. Too bad the honor of creating the official Winter Carnival Cake went to a famous lifestyle maven Connic Mac – a half-baked idea, in Hannah’s opinion. She suspects Connie Mac is a lot like the confections she whips up on her cable TV cooking show – sweet, light, and scrumptious-looking, but likely to leave a bitter taste in your mouth. Hannah’s suspcions are confirmed when Connie Mac’s limo rolls into town. Turns out America’s “Cooking Sweetheart” is bossy, bad-tempered, and downright domineering. Things finally boil over when Hannah arrives at The Cookie Jar to find the Winter Carnival cake burnt to a crisp – and Connic Mac lying dead in her pantry, struck down while eating one of Hannah’s famous blueberry muffins. Next thing Hannah knows, the police have declared The Cookie Jar’s kitchen crime scene off-limits. She’s a baker without an oven – and the Carnival is right around the corner. Hannah’s only alternative is to cook up a plan to save her business – by finding the killer herself….

I received this one from a MBS buddy, Stephanie, for my birthday. I haven’t read any in this series, but just wanted to try one out before I committed to the whole series (sometimes if I start with book 1 I feel compelled to finish the whole series).

Valhalla Rising by Clive CusslerValhalla Rising by Clive Cussler

It is July 2003. In the middle of its maiden voyage, the luxury cruise ship Emerald Dolphin suddenly catches fire and sinks. What caused it? Why didn’t the fire-control systems work? What was its connection to the revolutionary new engines powering the ship? NUMA Special Projects Director Dirk Pitt races to rescue the passengers and investigate the disaster, but he has no idea of the bizarre events that are about to engulf him. Before the next few weeks are over, Pitt will find himself confronted by an extraordinary series of monsters, both human and mechanical, modern and ancient. He will tread upon territory previously known only to legend. And, at the end of it all, though many lives will be lost, and many saved, it is Pitt’s own life that will be changed forever…

I chose this one as part of a 2 book BOB from PBS. I’ve only read one Clive Cussler book before, but I really enjoyed it, so I’m always on the look out for more of his books.

The Poe Shadow by Matthew Pearl The Poe Shadow by Matthew Pearl

Baltimore, 1849. The body of Edgar Allan Poe has been buried in an unmarked grave. Quentin Clark is a young lawyer and ardent admirer of Poe’s who puts his own career and repuation at risk in a crusade to find out the truth behind the writer’s death. After discovering that accounts of Poe’s last days are riddled with unanswered questions the police are ignoring, Quentin finds himself enmeshed in sinister machinations involving international political agents, a female assassin, and the corrupt Baltimore slave trade. In order to unchain his now imperiled fate from Poe’s, Quentin must turn master investigator.

This was the second book the the BOB from PBS, and the one I was really wanting. I also have The Dante Club on my shelf and I’m looking forward to reading both of them. (Eventually, lol – I have WAY TOO MANY BOOKS!)

Thursday, August 6
Atlantis by David Gibbins Atlantis by David Gibbins

Marine archaeologist Jack Howard has stumbled upon the keys to an ancient puzzle. With a crack team of scientific experts and ex-Special Forces commandos, he is heading for what he believes could be the greatest archaeological find of all time – the site of fabled Atlantis – while a ruthless adversary watches his every move and prepares to strike. But neither of them could have imagined what awaits them in the murky depths. Not only a shocking truth about a lost world, but an explosive secret that could have devastating consequences today. Jack is determined to stop the legacy of Atlantis from falling into the wrong hands, whatever the cost. But first he must do battle to prevent a global catastrophe.

This is the first book in a two book BOB from PBS. I have had this one on my reminder list for a while and was pleased to see it available in a box. I like adventure type books and am looking forward to this one.

Privileged Information by Stephen White Privileged Information by Stephen White

A successful psychologist in Boulder, Colorado, Alan Gregory has a bright future – until police find one of his female patients dead. In her apartment, they discover a diary describing her sexual obsession with Gregory and his willing involvement. Obligated to keep his patient records confidential – even from the police – Alan faces disgrace and ruin unless he reveals what he knows about her fantasies and his own innocence. But when more of his patients die and Alan becomes the prime suspect, he is desperate to clear his name. Unable to turn to anyone for help, he begins the painful search for the explanation on his own – and soon discovers the terrible truth. Now, only he knows how to stop the killing … if he doesn’t wind up dead himself.

This is the second in the BOB from PBS. I have been wanting to try this series for quite some time, so I went ahead and got the first in the series to see how it goes.

Friday, August 7
An Ice Cold Grave by Charlaine Harris An Ice Cold Grave by Charlaine Harris

Harper Connelly heads to Doraville, North Carolina, to find a missing boy – one of several teenage boys who have disappeared over the last five years. And all of them are calling for Harper. She finds them – buried in the frozen ground. All Harper wants is to get out of town before she’s caught in the media storm, until she herself is attacked. Soon, Harper will learn more than she cared to about the dark mysteries and long-hidden secrets of Dorawville – knowledge of the dead that makes her the next in line to end up in an ice cold grave…

This one I used a credit on at PBS. I have read the first two in this series so far this year and am looking forward to getting to this third one, and hopefully the fourth when it is scheduled to come out later this year 🙂

AUTHOR, Book Review, F, Fiction, Read in 2009, READING CHALLENGES 2008

REVIEW: The Piper’s Sons by Bruce Chandler Fergusson

Tara

The Piper’s Sons
by Bruce Chandler Fergusson

Copyright: 1999
Pages: 424
Rating: 3/5
Read: Aug. 1-8, 2009
Challenge:  2009 100+ Reading Challenge; A Well-Rounded Challenge; RYOB 2009; Random Reading Challenge
Yearly Count: 40

First Line: Would I have gone after the girl if my own daughter, Emma, were still alive?

Paul Sinclair is a haunted man. His brother disappeared many years before. His daughter, Emma, died years ago. But there’s more … there’s a terrible secret in his family. It’s a secret that he will only begin to scratch the surface of, starting with the unexpected death of his father. In his family history is a man called the Pied Piper – a brutal killer who was never caught and was presumed dead. But is he? He seems to be getting closer to Paul and his wife and son. And it’s Paul who is determined to find exactly what is in his past, even if it means losing his family in the process.

Okay, so this was really a strange book. It started out great and had me hooked from the first page. Then I got to the middle and it kind of lulled. Then it picked up again and I was really starting to see what Paul was seeing. But then, in the last 100 pages it hit another lull and I felt bogged down by a lot of unimportant descriptions that seemed more like filler to me than anything of real importance. I just don’t know what to think about this book. I mean, it wasn’t bad, but it was definitely kind of weird. I had a lot of issues with the way Fergusson kept changing who was talking, I had trouble keeping up sometimes. Now I will say this, I hadn’t expected the ending. I was surprised by who the Pied Piper ended up being, but after I finished the last sentence and set the book down and tried to make sense of everything that happened in the last third of the book, I will admit – I was confused. I must have missed something because I never did see how he ended up with the ending he did. But overall it was an okay book, just a little weird that’s all.

Booking Through Thursday, Meme

Booking Through Thursday, Aug. 6, 2009 – Recent Serious

Tara

btt button

What’s the most serious book you’ve read recently?
(I figure it’s easier than asking your most serious boook ever, because, well, it’s recent!)

Okay, so after last week I was pleased to see this question. I guess because as I think I said last week, I tend to read more serious books. But then I get stuck … how does one really define serious in regards to a book? Is serious considered something among the classics (which I tend to want to run away from) or is serious something non-fiction, or is serious a mystery/thriller that is NOT cozy?! I really think it all has to do with how you really define serious. So this issue brings to me to the point where I must define serious in my own terms. I would like to consider serious a non-fiction read. But seeing as how I’ve only read one non-fiction book this entire year (I know, bad Tara … I try and do better than that usually), I’m really going to classify serious as a fiction book that really touches on a serious subject.

Now, as everyone who follows my blog knows that I recently read and reviewed Dancing with Ana by Nicole Barker. Now, I realize that this is technically a YA read, and it wasn’t very long. However, I’m going to call this my recent serious read and here’s why: Beth is a sixteen-year-old high school student. She recently begins a diet. This diet gets out of control before she realizes what has happened. Besides all this going on, she also is feeling the effects of being abandoned by her father after he left the family for a younger woman, not to mention the fact that one of her best friends has a pretty rough home life and she deals with it by cutting herself. Now taking all of what is going on in this book, you really had to admit that it is a serious read simply because of what all Beth experiences. (Plus the fact that I can’t seem to quit raving about this book – seriously give it a chance if you can!) So there’s my answer 🙂

AUTHOR, B, Book Review, Fiction, Read in 2009, READING CHALLENGES 2008

REVIEW: Dancing with Ana by Nicole Barker

Tara

Dancing with Ana
by Nicole Barker

Copyright: 2009
Pages: 170
Rating: 4.5/5
Read: Aug. 3, 2009
Challenge:  2009 100+ Reading Challenge; A Well-Rounded Challenge; Countdown Challenge
Yearly Count: 39

First Line: “Christine McCady’s hair is especially shiny today,” Jenny told the three girls sitting with her at the lunch table.

Four sixteen-year-old friends, Beth, Jenny, Rachel and Melanie are struggling to find out who they are as young women. And they’re also struggling with the fact that there’s always going to be someone skinnier, someone prettier, someone with better hair, the list can go on and on. But for Beth, life is going especially tough for her and she hasn’t even really realized it yet. Her father has left their family for a younger woman, she’s falling in love with her best friend, and she is determined to get down to her “target” weight of 110 pounds. She’s so determined that she has enlisted the help of her closest friends to diet together. But their diets are dangerous – they’re hardly eating. The horrible headaches and dizziness finally makes Beth’s friends realize that they have no business dieting like they’re doing. But Beth is determined. However, when she hits 110 pounds, she realizes that she’s not as happy as she had expected to be. In fact, she’s actually even more depressed. But as she keeps going, her friends and new boyfriend are finally able to step in and help her realize that she doesn’t need to do all this dieting in order to be pretty and happy.

I’m going to include a small selection from page 164 that really highlights what has been going on with Beth. The first girl talking in this blurb is Christine, McCady, the most popular girl in school.

She paused at the door. “By the way, love what you’ve done with yourself. Ten more pounds and you’ll be super hot!”

And she was gone.

Beth looked at herself in the mirror, and for the first time, saw the dark smudges under her eyes. Her hair hung loose, laying flat against her head. Her skin was very pale. Hesitantly, she lifted her oversized t-shirt, exposing her stomach. All of her ribs showed, and her stomach was sunken in. For the first time, she saw how frail her arms looked.

She also finally saw how she’d chosen to deal with her father’s abandonment … by destroying herself.

I was contacted directly by the author, Nicole Barker, to read and review this book. I received it in the mail yesterday and sat down with it last night and read it in one sitting. It was that good. I could really relate with Beth’s character; I was a milder version of her my junior year in high school. Barker’s descriptions of the new love that all four of the girls finally began to experience reminded me of those first few months of young love with my husband when we were in high school. I find it kind of ironic that at the age of 24 I find myself enjoying YA reads, whereas when I was 15 or 16 and should have read a book like this I wanted no part of them. I honestly believe that women of all ages could really relate to the girls in this story, I highly recommend this book to everyone.

Meme, Musing Mondays

Monday Musings – Aug. 3, 2009

Tara

Musing Mondays (BIG)

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is a library habits meme…

This week we have a library meme courtesy of MizB:

Library Habits meme:
1) If you don’t frequent your local library, why not? N/A
2) If you do visit the library, how often do you go? Well, I don’t really have a set schedule of when I go to the library. If it’s not when I get a notice that a book on hold has become available for me or if I have something to return, it’s usually pretty random when I decide to head to the library.
3) Do you have a favorite section that you always head to first, or do you just randomly peruse the shelves? Um, most of the time I am there with a list of books to get. However, I always browse the stuff up front that they randomly place there to attract readers first. Then I will browse through the fiction area, then hit the mystery area, then sometimes I’ll take a stroll through the biographies then the true crime and finally the cookbooks before heading out. Now this is when I really want to browse the stacks … normally I have a list and I just go straight to what I’m looking for.
4) How many books are you allowed to check out at one time? Do you take advantage of this? At our library we can have 20 items checked out at one time; I have never had this many checked out (although when I was in college my senior year writing a huge paper I kid you not, I had 50 books checked out from the universities library … there was no limit there!) but when I go to the library, I usually pick up 2-3 books. I don’t like to pick up a whole lot of different stuff because I have a bad habit of returning books un-read!
5) How long are you allowed to have the books checked out? Three weeks unless there’s a hold on that particular book, and then it’s two weeks.
6) How many times are you allowed to renew your check-outs, if at all? If there’s no hold on the book, I think we have two renewals.
7) What do you love best about your particular library? Well, I don’t really know. Recently I’ve really been taking advantage of hold option online for books that have a waiting list.
8) What is one thing you wish your library did differently? Um, to be honest … I’d really like to know why certain books that I would consider mystery are in the fiction section and not the mystery section and then others are in the mystery when I would put them in the fiction …. I’m not sure I understand their system.
9) Do you request your books via an online catalogue, or through the librarian at your branch? Well, if something has a wait list, I always use the online catalog.
10) Have you ever chosen a book on impulse (from the online catalogue OR the shelves) and had it turn out to be totally amazing? If so, what book was it, and why did you love it? Hm … to be honest, Sweetheart by Chelsea Cain was like that for me. I happened to notice it on the shelf one day and I picked it up on impulse. I hadn’t cared much for Heart Sick and wasn’t sure I wanted to give this one a try, but I ended up absolutely loving it and was very pleased that I picked it up at the library, because I definitely would not have used a PBS credit on it based on my opinion of Heart Sick.

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is a library habits meme…

This week we have a library meme courtesy of MizB:

Library Habits meme:
1) If you don’t frequent your local library, why not?
2) If you do visit the library, how often do you go?
3) Do you have a favorite section that you always head to first, or do you just randomly peruse the shelves?
4) How many books are you allowed to check out at one time? Do you take advantage of this?
5) How long are you allowed to have the books checked out?
6) How many times are you allowed to renew your check-outs, if at all?
7) What do you love best about your particular library?
8) What is one thing you wish your library did differently?
9) Do you request your books via an online catalogue, or through the librarian at your branch?
10) Have you ever chosen a book on impulse (from the online catalogue OR the shelves) and had it turn out to be totally amazing? If so, what book was it, and why did you love it?