Library Loot – April 16, 2009

Apr 162009

library loot picture Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Eva and Alessandra that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library.

So in the last week I discovered what the maximum hold number is at my library. Evidently I can only have 35 books on hold at any one time. Since discovering this I’ve been a bit pickier about what I actually put on hold and what I simply leave in my preferred searches. Things I want sooner or that have wait lists go in my holds, everything else I remember in my searches. Even with that knowledge, I managed to take 9 things out of the library this week (and still got to this point in the week with 32 things on hold). Hopefully during the Read-athon this weekend I can knock out a number of books and get them ready to take back.

Here’s this week’s library loot:

DVD:
Fast Food Nation

Audiobook:
The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett

uncommon reader picture

Books:
Expecting Adam by Martha Beck
Epitaph for Three Women by Jean Plaidy
The King’s Confidante by Jean Plaidy
The Witch’s Trinity by Erika Mailman
Specials by Scott Westerfeld
Serendipity by Louise Shaffer
Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

expecting adam picture epitaph for three women picture kings confidante picture witchs trinity picture specials picture serendipity picture wicked lovely picture

Preliminary Read-athon Book List

Apr 152009

So I ‘ve been seeing everyone else’s book lists of what they will be reading for the Read-athon this weekend, and I realized that I need to figure out what I’m going to read! I’ll put together my ‘final’ book pile tomorrow night since I have book club on Friday, but here’s what I’m thinking right now, based on some review books, library books, and my TBR pile.

Review books:

You have to be careful during the Read-athon with books you ‘have’ to read, it can take the fun out of it. HoweverI’m going to put on my pile some of the review books that I REALLY want to read NOW. I’ll try to keep towards the ones coming out sooner, but no promises. I figure “Tunneling to the Center of the Earth” will be a must-read as it is short stories, I’ll at least use some of them as breaks from longer pieces.

tunneling to the center of the earth picture lucky girl picture shanghai girls picture blue notebook picture in the sanctuary of outcasts picture

Library Books:

I have a whole bunch of library books, but I don’t want to completely overwhelm myself with too huge of a pile, so here’s what I’ll put out for my reading pleasure. I intend to start “The Last Days of the Romanovs” today or tomorrow, so it might be done before the Read-athon, but if it isn’t, I should probably work on it a bit at least.

last days of the romanovs picture uglies picture pretties picture wild things picture kings confidante picture witchs trinity picture

TBR Pile:

Some things that I have been meaning to get to, but haven’t yet.

little bee picture book theif picture long history of a short war picture

Audiobooks:

Thank you SO much to Ali of Worducopia for reminding me about audiobooks! Unfortunately the fact that going to work pregnant wears me out means that I can’t have a weekend day where I don’t do any chores around the house (especially because Sunday will be busy). Because of that, I will need audiobooks to listen to when I can’t be reading. Here’s what I’m thinking, keeping in mind that I may or may not finish The Help before then:

the help picture uncommon reader picture cutting for stone picture

Clearly there is no way I can actually read all of these books, particularly since I won’t be staying up all night to read (my church is giving me a baby shower after the service on Sunday, and I don’t think it would be very polite to fall asleep in the middle of it). I’m just going to put my pile next to me and pick up whatever moves me.

Are you participating in the Read-athon? How are you selecting what to read? Do you already know what you’re reading? Aren’t you excited?!?

Baby Shower Children’s Book Quiz

Apr 152009

As promised, here are the questions from the children’s book quiz my sister made up for my baby shower last weekend. See how much you know, answers are at the bottom. In the first question, you get a point for each correct answer.

1. Name 5 Dr. Seuss books.

2. Who is the author of “Where the Sidewalk Ends?” and “A Light in the Attic?”

3. What holiday-themed children’s book was turned into a movie in 2004 starring an animated Tom Hanks?

4. What is special about the book “The Very Quiet Cricket” by Eric Carle?

5. Finish the quote… “I do not like green eggs and ham…”

6. What famous book’s main character is Max, a boy who is sent to bed with no supper?

7. What is the name of the pig in Charlotte’s Web?

8. What kind of tree were the alphabet letters racing to the top of in Chicka Chicka Boom Boom?

9. What storybook character always gets into Mr. McGregor’s garden?

10. Besides the moon, name one other thing the bunny says “goodnight” to in “Goodnight Moon”?

11. What city does Madeline live in?

12. What kind of animal is Babar?

13. If you give a mouse a cookie, what is he going to ask for next?

14. What color hat did the man wear in Curious George?

15. What children’s book author/illustrator is celebrating his 80th birthday and the 40th anniversary of his VERY famous book?

Answers:
1. You cannot possibly expect me to list all of his books, so you’ll have to check your answers to this question on your own.
2. Shel Silverstein
3. Polar Express
4. It chirps/makes cricket noises
5. “I do not like them, Sam I Am!”
6. Where the Wild Things Are
7. Wilbur
8. Coconut tree
9. Peter Rabbit
10. Again, I can’t list them all, sorry. Some of them are room, red balloon, cow jumping over the moon.
11. Paris
12. Elephant
13. A glass of milk
14. A yellow hat
15. Eric Carle, it is the 40th anniversary of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, which is our nursery theme

Wintergirls – Book Review

Apr 142009

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

“Wintergirls” is the heart-breaking story of Lia, an 18-year old girl who is anorexic and has been hospitalized twice for her problem. Until her hospitalizations, Lia shared everything – including eating disorders – with her bulimic best friend Cassie. After Lia was hospitalized, Cassie began to ignore her. Until, that is, the night Cassie called Lia’s cell phone 33 times before being found dead alone in a motel room.

Laurie Halse Anderson seems to specialize in young adult books on difficult topics, and “Wintergirls” is no exception. Lia is both dealing with Cassie’s death and her own illness. The hospitalizations have not solved the root of her problem and she is continuing to do whatever she can to get more and more weight off, to eat less and less, without her father and stepmother finding out.

This book was definitely disturbing, mostly because you as the reader are so deep inside Lia’s very disturbed mind. You watch as you censor her own thoughts in an attempt to convince herself that she is not hungry and doesn’t need to eat. This story is grim, yet hopeful. It is incredibly painful being inside Lia’s mind, reading the names she hears about herself inside her head, but there is the promise of the possibility of redemption. I think this is an important book for teenage girls and for those who deal with teenage girls, to understand how eating disorders grow and the effect they have on lives. Anderson did her research and consulted with mental health professionals so that her book would ring true. You will be engrossed by this book.

Buy this book on Amazon.

Download this audiobook from Audible.

Teaser Tuesday – Expecting Adam

Apr 142009

TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:

Grab your current read.

Let the book fall open to a random page.

Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.

You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!

Please avoid spoilers!

expecting adam picture “I examined this new face with some care. The fear in it spoke to me of a lifetime spent desperately avoiding the stigma of stupidity, of failure, of not measuring up.”
- Expecting Adam by Martha Beck, p. 222

Ready to Laugh?

Apr 132009

first comes love picture In case you missed the huge fuss I made about it, “First Comes Love, Then Comes Malaria” was my favorite book last month. The release date for the book is actually tomorrow, and my review will post here on Wednesday so you can see exactly why I liked it so much. In the meantime, though, I know of a way that you can win your very own copy. Please, don’t enter unless you want to read a smart, sassy story (emphasis on the ‘sassy’). If you think you can handle it, though, head on over to the blog The Debutante Ball, where five great debut authors regularly share their thoughts and feelings about a variety of different topics. Yesterday’s News Flash post announced a contest in honor of the release date of “First Comes Love, Then Comes Malaria” – each person that comments this week will be entered to win and autographed copy. So go over and enter, I promise you won’t be disappointed if you win.

Invisible Sisters – Book Review

Apr 132009

Invisible Sisters by Jessica Handley

Jessica was eight when her little sister Susie was diagnosed with leukemia. That’s tough for a kid (and her parents) to deal with, right? Try dealing with a six year old with leukemia when you already have an even younger child with Kosmann’s Syndrome, a disease that is almost leukemia’s mirror reflection (one has a surplus of white blood cells, the other a deficit). This si what Jessica’s family went through as she was growing up.

Growing up, Jessica was the invisible sister, the one who was well, who didn’t require frequent trips to the hospital. Growing up, Susie was the invisible sister, the one who died, whose presence was still felt but could not be seen. Growing up, Sarah was the invisible sister, the sister with a life, but no future, the one who would never be married, never survive long enough to be a mother.

“Invisible Sisters’ is Jessica’s memoir, her tale of a life as and surrounded by invisible sisters. It was not an easy life. In addition to dealing with sick and dying sisters, Jessica also had to deal with parents who were not always there, whether because they were at the hospital, or because the stress of sick daughters caused them to disconnect. Their children’s illnesses destroyed Jessica’s parents’ marriage and drove her father to destructive behavior.

I appreciate Jessica’s candor and willingness to be vulnerable about these difficult times in her life. Yes, she ended up pretty screwed up herself for some time, but she presented this matter-of-factly, and did not proclaim herself to be a poor, sad, victim of her circumstances. Reading about how Jessica and her family dealt with these illnesses was very moving and is something I hope to continue to experience only vicariously.

Buy this book on Amazon.

TSS: Beautiful Easter Morning

Apr 122009

tss picture Good morning saloners! I hope your Easter morning is just as gorgeous as this Chicago Easter morning. It is neat thinking that next year we’ll be making an Easter basket for our little boy. My mom actually made the baby an Easter basket – and filled it with stuff – this year, even though he is not yet born. I think he probably could have waited for one until next year, but that’s okay. The baby has actually gotten a lot of stuff this last week, between his California grandma visiting and our family baby shower. With the clothes he got yesterday and the hand-me-downs we got, I don’t think he’ll ever have to wear the same outfit twice, as long as he is in 0-3 and 3-6 month clothes. The baby shower was great, and one of our games was a children’s book quiz, which was very fun (even if my husband’s grandma DID keep trying to cheat). I’ll probably post the quiz later this week.

This was just a productive week all around, including with reading and posting. I managed to finish 4 books this week (well, actually I have about 30 pages left in the 4th book, but it will be finished today).

mercy seller picture girl she used to be picture lucky child picture wintergirls picture

This week I posted reviews of two books (click the book titles to see my reviews):

I also announced giveaways for two books (click the covers to find out how to enter):

Other posts this week include a search terms post; a guest post by Christine Blevins, author of “The Tory Widow;” a Teaser Tuesday post about “The Mercy Seller;” my weekly Library Loot; some interesting bookish links; and a discussion about whether you are a monogamous or promiscous reader.

Have a fantastic Easter and a great week!

This Week’s Links

Apr 112009

Discussions

There were some great bookish discussions around this week. Beth of Beth Fish Reads just posted a really interesting question about publishing and Twitter. Would you read a book being published 140 characters at a time on Twitter? Is it a good idea for authors to try this? Click over, join the conversation, and let Beth know what you think.

This week also saw a huge controversy over how book bloggers should be treated by publishers and publicists. It all came about when a blogger posted a very condescending letter that was sent out by a publicist to book bloggers. Once this went up, conversation exploded online. Here are some interesting posts from a book blogger’s perspective, a publicist’s perspective, and two posts from someone who talked to the publicist in question.

Book Reviews

My Friend Amy reviewed a surprisingly literary horror novel called “The Ruins” this week. Go on over and see why it was exactly why it was just what she needed this week and why this story really fascinated her.

Giveaways and Bookish Information

Carrie at Books and Movies has a giveaway of five copies of “Jantsen’s Gift,” which sounds like a great inspirational story of surviving loss. Five copies, that’s good odds, get over there!

tears of the desert picture In case you missed it, I currently have two giveaways going on myself. I’m giving away two copies of “Tears of the Desert,” a really fantastic memoir of a girl growing up in Darfur and her strength in dealing with the genocide, in honor of Genocide Prevention Month. I also had a really fantastic guest post this week from Christine Blevins, author of “The Tory Widow” (see my review). You can read her post and enter to win your own copy, along with an 18th-century survival kit (you’ll have to click over to find out what it is).

Check out the information on Rock the Drop over at Write for a Reader. Essentially, Rock the Drop is a campaign to leave new young-adult books in hospitals for teens around the country.

The Last Dickens – Book Review

Apr 102009

The Last Dickens by Matthew Pearl

Evidently Charles Dickens’ last novel, “The Mystery of Edwin Drood,” is a very popular topic right now. Like Dan Simmons’ latest novel, “Drood,” “The Last Dickens” is centered around this unfinished final novel of Dickens. When Dickens dies halfway through “The Mystery of Edwin Drood,” his American publishers Fields, Osgood, & Co are desperately worried. Harper Brothers, a predatory New York publishing house, has already threatened to print cheaper, unauthorized versions of this latest Dickens phenomenon and with the author’s death, it is likely they will see no reason to honor Fields, Osgood, & Co’s exclusivity agreement with Dickens. Add this to the pure intellectual curiousity of wanting to know the fate that Dickens envisioned for Edwin Drood, and the publishers decide to do something, sending Osgood to London in order to try to find some hint of Dickens’ intentions.

I thought “The Last Dickens” to be far more enjoyable than Pearl’s last book, “The Poe Shadow.” However, I think that his first novel, “The Dante Club” is still his best. I appreciated that “The Last Dickens” returned to the same sphere as “The Dante Club,” with many of the same characters reappearing. The stories were also somewhat more similar – a murder mystery and someone recreating parts of a deceased author’s works in real life – without seeming derivative of one another. There were three main threads of story, which was a bit obnoxious at the beginning, but two of them eventually pulled together nicely. The third, the story of Dickens’ son in India, seemed to provide nothing but some rather unnecessary (in my view) historical context to the story.

Even though I figured out the main twist a good ways before the end of the book, “The Last Dickens” was enjoyable. If you like Dickens or you enjoyed Drood, I would guess that you would like this book.

Buy this book on Amazon.