Books Read in July 2013:

Print Copy:

1.) Seraphim by Michele Hauf
2.) Death Drops by Chrystle Fiedler

3.) Sam's Letters to Jennifer by James Patterson

4.) His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik

5.) Throne of Jade by Naomi Novik

6.) Black Powder War by Naomi Novik

7.) Isis by Douglas Clegg

8.) Treasure Box by Orson Scott Card

9.) Shabanu: Daughter of the Wind by Suzanne Fisher Staples

10.) Star of Wonder by  Jo Beverley, Alice Alfonsi, Tess Farraday, Kate Freiman

11.) One Wish by Linda Lael Miller
 

Audio Books:

1.) Hunted by Kevin Hearne

2.)The Grimoire of the Lamb by Kevin Hearne

3.) Imager by L.E. Modesitt Jr.4.) Imager's Challange by L.E. Modesitt Jr.

E-Books:

1.) xkcd: volume 0 by Randall Munroe

Books Wild Released in July 2013:

1.)    The Celery Stalks At Midnight  by James Howe on 7/3/2013

2.)    Seraphim  by Michele Hauf on 7/3/2013

3.)    The Fallen Man  by Tony Hillerman on 7/9/2013

4.)    Sam's letters to Jennifer  by James Patterson  on 7/10/2013

5.)    Shoot the Moon  by Billie Letts  on 7/10/2013

6.)    October Song  by Beverly Lewis on 7/13/2013

7.)    Thinner  by Richard Bachman on 7/16/2013

8.)    The Bridge of Peace  by Cindy Woodsmall on 7/16/2013

9.)    Star: A Novel   by Pamela Anderson  on 7/18/2013

10.)  Sarah's Key  by Tatiana de Rosnay on 7/23/2013

11.)   The Poisonwood Bible  by Barbara Kingsolver  on 7/23/2013 Caught!

12.)   The Templar Legacy: A Novel  by Steve Berry on 7/23/2013

13.)    Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest  on 7/23/2013

Bout of Books Read a Thon

I have decided to try and take part in the Bout of Books Read a thon from 19 August - 25 August 2013. As this is the last free week I will have before classes start for the semester I am going to spend it reading!

About the Read a Thon:

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 19th and runs through Sunday, August 25th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 8.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

Book Review: The Sushi Economy: Globalization and the Making of a Modern Delicacy

The sushi book is divided into 4 parts. First is an exploration of sushi. How the first Atlantic bluefin tuna were shipped to Japan fresh, how sushi evolved from its fermented origins as a way to preserve rice to the popular forms it is enjoyed in now: futomaki, nigiri, sashimi, and the box sushi which is still a regional fermented delicacy. The second portion of the book looks at the expansion of sushi from a Japanese delicacy into the well loved globally enjoyed delicacy it is today. The book focuses on the introduction of sushi into Los Angeles, and the spread of sushi as a food for first the rich to becoming widely available across the US and into the rest of the world. The third portion of the book focuses on the fishing industry in different ports where tuna is a primary catch crop. How over fishing has decimated wild tuna populations, and how farming tuna has become a profitable option that still depends largely on wild fish. The book ends with a look at the future of sushi. How changes in tastes in other Asian powers such as China may change the purchasing pattern of tuna (both fresh and frozen, wild and farmed), the tuna pirating that is occurring in the Mediteranian, and the effects of trying to propigate tuna in farms rather than catching wild tuna and fattening them on fish farms.

I thought this was an interesting look at the complexities of the tuna fishing trade specifically, and how sushi has increased the demand for this fish worldwide. Since it was written using 2005 and 2006 statistics as the most recent I was left wanting to know more about how what I was reading about was current now in 2013.

Books Read in June 2013

Print copy:

1.) Something to Hide by Patricia Robinson
2.) Samurai Game by Christine Feehan
3.) Deadly Safari by Karin McQuillan
4.) The Ill-Made Mute by Cecilia Dart-Thorton
5.) Where the Heart Is by Billie Letts
6.) Shoot the Moon by Billie Letts
7.) Lily's Crossing y Patricia Reilly Giff
8.) Beyond Sanctuary by Janet E. Morris

E-Book:

1.) Vesper by Jeff Sampson
2.) The Tale of The Wicked by john Scalzi (short story)

Audiobook:

none finished this month

Books Wild Released in June 2013:

1.) Samurai Game (Game/Ghostwalker) by Christine Feehan on 6/13/2013
2.) War on the Middle Class: How the Government, Big Business, and Special Interest Groups Are Waging War on the American Dream and How to Fight Back by Lou Dobbs on 6/13/2013
3.) Something to hide by Patricia Robinson on 6/13/2013
4.) Original Encyclopedia of Comic Book Heroes, Volume 3: Superman by Michael Fleischer on 6/20/2013
5.) Man of Steel: Superman's Superpowers (I Can Read Book 2) by Lucy Rosen on 6/20/2013
6.) Happy Graduation! (Ready-to-Read, Level 1) by Margaret McNamara on 6/20/2013
7.) Deadly Safari by Karin Mcquillan on 6/22/2013
8.) Where the Heart Is (Oprah's Book Club) by Billie Letts on 6/24/2013
9.) Lily's Crossing by PATRICIA REILLY GIFF on 6/30/2013
10.) The Shape-Changer's Wife by Sharon Shinn on 6/30/2013

Books Read in May 2013

Print:
1.) The Horse Boy: A Father's Quest to Heal His Son by Rupert Isaacson
2.) Over the Moon at the Big Lizard Diner by Lisa Wingate
3.) Lint by Steve Aylett
4.) Champions of the Sidhe by Kenneth C. Flint
5.) Kingdom of Cages by Sarah Zettel
6.) The Sushi Economy: Globalization and the Making of a Modern Delicacy by Sasha Issenberg
7.) Spring Moon: A Novel of China by Bette Lord
8.) The Buried Pyramid by Jane Lindskold
9.) Still Waters by Tami Hoag
10.) Ghost of a Chance by Yasmine Galenorn
11.) Whirlwind by Charles L. Grant

Audiobook:

E-book:
1.) Kitty Goes to War by Carrie Vaughn
2.) Brother to Dragons, Companion to Owls by Jane Lindskold
3.) Kitty's Big Trouble by Carrie Vaughn
4.) Sense and Sensibility by Nancy Butler, Sonny Liew, Jane Austen (Marvel Graphic Novel Adaptation)
5.) Kitty Steals the Show by Carrie Vaughn
6.) The Girl Who Sang Rose Madder by Elizabeth Bear (short story)
7.) Kitty Rock's the House by Carrie Vaughn
8.) The Fox Woman by Kij Johnson

Books wild Released in May 2013

1.) Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry, Ridley Pearson on 5/1/2013
2.) Amazing Grace by Danielle Steel on 5/1/2013
3.) A Stranger is Watching by Mary Higgins Clark on 5/1/2013
4.) The Horse Boy: A Father's Quest to Heal His Son by Rupert Isaacson on /7/2013
5.) Middle School, The Worst Years of My Life by James Patterson on 5/7/2013
6.) The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood on 5/7/2013
7.) Riders of the Sidhe, The by Kenneth Flint on 5/14/2013
8.) Champions of the Sidhe by Kenneth C. Flint on 5/14/2/13
9.) Time Flies by Bill Cosby on 5/14/2013
10.) World Without End by Sean Russell on 5/22/2013
11.) Spring Moon: A Novel of China by Bette Lord on 5/23/2013
12.) Julius Caesar (The New Folger Library Shakespeare) by William Shakespeare on 5/23/2013

Books Wild Released in April 2013

1.) Too Late to Say Goodbye: A True Story of Murder and Betrayal by Ann Rule on 4/3/2013
2.) The Innocent Man by John Grisham on 4/3/2013
3.) Beloved by Toni Morrison on 4/3/2013
4.) Kill the Messenger by Squire on 4/8/2013
5.) Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare on 4/8/2013
6.) The Life and Loves of a She Devil by Fay Weldon on 4/8/2013
7.) Barefoot: A Novel by Elin Hilderbrand on 4/15/2013
8.) The Pelican Brief: A Novel by John Grisham on 4/15/2013 CAUGHT!
9.) One Hot Summer (harlequin Romance #1818) by Norrey Ford on 4/15/2013
10.) The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood on 4/23/2013
11.) The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood on 4/23/2013
12.) The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood on 4/23/2013
13.) The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood on 4/23/2013
14.) The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood on 4/23/2013
15.) The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood on 4/23/2013
16.) The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood on 4/23/2013
17.) The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood on 4/23/2013
18.) The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood on 4/23/2013
19.) The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood on 4/23/2013
20.) The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood on 4/23/2013
21.) The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood on 4/23/2013
22.) The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood on 4/23/2013
23.) The Handmaids Tale by Margaret Atwood on 4/23/2013

Books Read in April 2013

Print Copies:

1.) Kitty and the Dead Man's Hand by Carrie Caughn
2.) The Thirteenth House by Sharon Shinn
3.) Dark Moon Defender by Sharon Shinn
4.) Steel Town by Jonah Winter, Terry Widener (Illustrator)
5.) Duck On A Bike by David Shannon
6.) A Child's Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson, Cooper Edens (Compililation)
7.) Sing a Song of Piglets: A Calendar in Verse by Eve Bunting, Emily Arnold McCully (Illustrator)
8.) Owl Babies by Martin Waddell, Patrick Benson (Illustrator)
9.) Blackout by John Rocco
10.) Reader and Raelynx by Sharon Shinn
11.) Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry, Ridley Pearson, Greg Call (Illustrations)
12.) The Princess and the Goblins by George MacDonald, Arthur Hughes (Illustrations)
13.) Oz: Road to Oz by Eric Shanower (Goodreads Author) (Text), Skottie Young (Illustrations)


E-books:

1.) Wolf Moon by Patricia Rosemoor
2.) Six-Gun Snow White by Catherynne M. Valente
3.) Kitty Takes a Holiday by Carrie Vaughn
4.) Kitty and the Silver Bullet by Carrie Vaughn
5.) Kitty Raises Hell by Carriie Vaughn
6.) Kitty's House of Horrors by Carrie Vaughn

Audiobooks:

1.) The Honor of the Queen by David Weber
2.) The Short Victorious War by David Weber
3.) Succubus Blues by Richelle Mead
4.) Field of Dishonor by David Weber

Last month was finishing up the children's lit course, and concentrating on some of the series I've been wanting to read. I finished the original 4 books of the Twelve Houses Series by Sharon Shinn (Fantastic), got 4 books into the Honor Harrington Series (Unpredictable and good sci-fi), and took a big chunk out of the Kitty Norville series.

Book Review: The Kings and Queens of Roam by Daniel Wallace

Roam, a town found in the middle of the wilderness. Once, it was the home of a great silk factory built by Elijah McCallister. When the silk worms stop producing the town slowly falls into disrepair as it's inhabitants slowly move away.

Helen and Rachel McCallister are the great-granddaughters of Elijah McCallister. Orphaned when their parents perished in a car crash, the girls live together in the home that their great grandfather built when the town was established. Helen the eldest sister is ugly, while Rachel is beautiful. Helen is bitter, and Rachel cheerfully naive. Helen can see, while Rachel is blind as a result of a childhood illness. the girls are dependent on each other. Helen believes that Rachel can not survive without her daily help.

Helen's bitterness towards Rachel's beauty and the extra attention paid to her by their parents when they were alive leads to her uttering a lie one rainy afternoon when they were both children. This lie leads Rachel to gow up believing the worst about herself and her town. However, when Helen taunts Rachel with her inability to survive on her own Rachel decides to prove Helen wrong. What will happen to Rachel as she makes her way outside of roam? what will go through Helen's mind when she realizes that Rachel is going to find out the truth that will change everything that she believes to be true?

I am a fan of Daniel Wallace's books. I was delighted to receive an inquiry if i would be interested in an advanced readers edition of his book. I loved how the story alternated between Rachel and Helen's point of views, and how their story alternated with that of the town's past.This was written in a way that pulled me as the reader further into the setting rather than distracting from the main story. It was wonderful to see how the story lines intertwined and the effect each had on the other. I found myself drawn into the subtle weaving of magic and whimsy the story unfurls, and if not for other obligations could have easily spent an afternoon reading the entire book.


The Kings and queens of Roam will be released in May of 2013

Books Read in March 2013

Print:

1.)Twilight Warrior by Aimee Thurlo
2.) Darkness Falls by Les Martin
3.) Through the Sheriff's Eyes by Janice Kay Johnson
4.) Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
5.) Harvest the Fire by Poul Anderson
6.) YUKIKO AND A JAPANESE CARNIVAL
7.) Thunder Rose by Jerdine Nolen, Kadir Nelson (Illustrator)
8.) Lewis & Papa: Adventure On the Santa Fe Trail by by Barbara Joosse, Jon Van Zyle (Illustrations)
9.) Working Cotton by Sherley Anne Williams, Carole Byard (Illustrator)
10.) I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen
11.) The Kings and Queens of Roam: A Novel by Daniel Wallace
12.) Jewels of the Sun by Nora Roberts
13.) The Shape-Changer's Wife by Sharon Shinn
14.) Mystic and Rider by Sharon Shinn


Audiobooks:

1.) Terminal World by Alastair Reynolds
2.) On Basilisk Station by David Webber

E-books:

1.) A Cook's Tour by Anthony Bourdain
2.) 5 Ronin by y Peter Milligan (Text), Tom Coker, Dalibor Talajić, Laurence Campbell, Goran Parlov, Leandro Fernandez (graphic novel)

Books Wild Released in March 2013

1.) Outlander on 3/4/2013
2.) Through the Sheriff's Eyes - on 3/4/2013
3.) Hidden Army: Clay Soldiers of Ancient China - on 3/4/2013
4.) Darkness Falls by Les Martin on 3/6/2013
5.) Twilight Warrior by Aimee Thurlo on 3/6/3013
6.) Harvest the Fire by Poul Anderson on 3/12/2013
7.) When Darkness Falls (The Obsidian Trilogy, Book 3) by Mercedes Lackey, James Mallory on 3/12/2013
8.) Dune Messiah (Dune Chronicles) by Frank Herbert on 3/20/2013
9.) Jewels of the Sun: The Gallaghers of Ardmore Trilogy (Irish Trilogy, Book 1) by Nora Roberts on 3/20/2013
10.) That's the Way It Crumbles, Cookie by Suzanne Weyn on 3/20/2013
11.) The Little Pilates Book by Erika Dillman on 3/20/2013
12.) Just Another Day in Paradise by A. E. Maxwell on3/26/2013
13.) Maximum Ride Saving The World And Other Extreme Sports by James Patterson on 3/26/2013
14.) Battlestar Galactica by Jeffrey A. Carver on 3/26/2013
15.) 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson on 3/26/2013

Book Review: The Goblin Wood

Title: The Goblin Wood (Goblin Wood, #1)
Author: Hilari Bell
Published on: June 15th 2004

Makenna is a young hedgewitch who watched her mother die at the hands of the villagers she had helped with her small magical ability. Unable to cope with the laws abolishing magic practiced outside of the church, Makenna strikes off into the wilderness of the north. On her travels, she saves the life of a goblin, who teaches her of the goblins sense of debt and loyalty.

Tobin is a knight who has lost everything. In order to save his brother he has been stripped of his title, his responsability, and his rights as firstborn. When given the chance to reclaim these lost parts of his life by killing the great sorceress who leads the goblin rebelion in the North he reluctantly takes the offer. His actions will he believes allow the goblins to disperse and free the Northern lands for resettlement by his own people as they are forced to leave their homes due to barbarian invasion.

However, when Makenna catches Tobin, he is forced to spend time with the goblins. As he gets to know the goblins he is forced to face the facts that perhaps his actions will lead to the destruction of a magical race. in order to save his own people, can he cause the destruction of another people, even if they are not human? Can he force the goblins from their homes the same way the barbarians are forcing his people from their own homes?

Hilari Bell's The Goblin Wood is an engaging fantasy story. It introduces reader's to and draws them into a realm of conflict. Ifound this story short, but sweet and look forward to reading the next chapter in Makenna and Tobin's adventures together as they try to help their goblin friends.

Books read in February 2013

Print Books:

1.) World Without End by Sean Russell
2.) American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang
3.) The Man Who Walked Between the Towers by Mordicai Gerstein
4.) Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U. S. Marshal by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson, R. Gregory Christie (Illustrator)
5.) Sea without a Shore by Sean Russell
6.) The Secret of Lost Things by Sheridan Hay
7.) The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
8.) Criss Cross by Lynne Rae Perkins
9.) Bailey's Cafe by Gloria Naylor
10.) The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory
11.) Clementina's Cactus by Ezra Jack Keats
12.) Peter's Chair by Ezra Jack Keats
13.) Whistle for Willie by Ezra Jack Keats
14.) Time Flies by Eric Rohmann
15.) Anno's Flea Market by Mitsumasa Anno
16.) Sidewalk Circus by Paul Fleischman, Kevin Hawkes (Illustrator)
17.) The Boy, The Bear, The Baron, The Bard by Gregory Rogers
18.) Hidden Army: Clay Soldiers of Ancient China by Jane O'Connor
19.) Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett, Jon Klassen (Illustrator)
20.) Shadow Blade by Seressia Glass
21.) This is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen

Audio books:

1.) Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
2.) The Stupidest Angel: A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror by Christopher Moore
3.) Dark Lords of the Sith by Tom Veitch, Kevin J. Anderson
4.) Year Zero by Rob Reid

E-books:

1.) The Goblin Wood by Hilary Bell


Lots of children's books this month for class reading.

Book Review:The Bretton Katt Alliance – The Lorrondon Saga book 1 by Margaret Garside

Read and reviewed for Front Street Reviews.

It is the year 2441. The two major powers in the galaxy are the Terrans and the Neorans. Currently it is a time of strife between the two races. Great civil unrest is occurring because of the Terran military leader Victor Bastian’s movement against Neoran populated planets in Terran Space. This leaves more and more Neorans fleeing for the safety of Neoran space as refugees with little to their names besides the clothes on their backs.

Anna Lorrondon-Helsak The chancellor of the planet Bowman secretly breaks the long term alliance with the Neorans. Unknown to anyone, she makes a new alliance with old enemies of both the Terrans and the Neorans. When she is approached by her old friend Russorin the Neoran representative she holds fast to her idea of neutrality for Bowman. This is despite Russorin’s predictions of bad things to come for both races.

With no other choice left to her, Russoran turns to the free city of Breton-Katt for help. The city, a center for learning and commerce, is the Neoran’s last hope for an ally in Terran space. There, she uncovers a web of murder and blackmail Helped by Rob Lorrondon Anna’s son Russoran needs to get the alliance made and stop Anna’s plan to annex Bretton –Katt into Bowman. She needs to keep Anna from handing the city over to its enemies. But, will they be able to do this without triggering an all out war?

Science fiction can be hard genre to write. With so many books written already, it is very easy to start sounding like a rehashed plot. I’m glad to say that The Breton-Katt Alliance is not one of these books. Margaret Garside introduces her readers to a society in upheaval. Her story takes place in a universe which holds inhabitants whose ideals and communities are struggling with the ideas of sharing their resources and land with outsiders. Led by the stronger opinions of their leaders, the universe as they know it has become an unstable place to live. I look forward to the next installment of the Lorrondon Cycle, and seeing what sort of resolution to the conflict that has been introduced, in this first book of the series, is brought into action.

Books Wild Released in February 2013

1.) Around the World in the Middle Seat: How I Saw the World (and Survived!) by Joyce Brooks on 2/4/2013
2.) Are You Afraid of the Dark? by Sidney Sheldon on 2/5/2013
3.) After All These Years by Susan Isaacs on 2/6/2013
4.) The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison on 2/11/2013
5.) Bayou Bride by maxine patrick on 2/13/2013
6.) Killer Gorgeous by Jane Holleman on 2/13/2013
7.) The Texan's Tiny Secret by Peggy Moreland on 2/21/2013
8.) The Client by John Grisham on 2/21/2013
9.) The Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios by Yann Martel on 2/21/2013
10.) After Midnight by Ruth Alana Smith on 2/25/2013
11.) Many Mansions: The Edgar Cayce Story on Reincarnation by Gina Cerminara on 2/25/2013
12.) Western: A Saga of the Great Plains by Frank Yerby on 2/25/2013

Books wild Released in January 2013

1.) The X-President by Philip Baruth on 1/4/2013 - Caught!!!
2.) Time Out Boston 1 (Time Out Guides) by Time Out on 1/4/2013
3.) Beulah Land by Lonnie Coleman on 1/4/2013
4.) Daughter of Fortune: A Novel by Isabel Allende on 1/8/2013
5.) Eloise (Dumarest of Terra #12) by E.C. Tubb on 1/8/2013
6.) The Lady of Serpents (Vampyricon) by Douglas Clegg on 1/8/2013
7.) My Year of Meats by Ruth L. Ozeki on 1/16/2013
8.) Lady Of The Forest by Jennifer Roberson on 1/16/2013
9.) Hypocrite in a Pouffy White Dress by Susan Jane Gilman on 1/16/2013
10.) Winter Bride, The by Lynne Graham on 1/24/2013
11.) Sphere by Michael Crichton on 1/24/2013
12.) Awakened (House of Night, Book 8) by P. C. Cast, Kristin Cast on 1/24/2013
13.) Then the Troll Heard the Squeak (Picture Puffins) by Kevin Hawkes on 1/29/2013
14.) Family Trip (Look-Look) by Richard Scarry on 1/29/2013
15.) HILDA'S TEA PARTY (The Busy World of Richard Scarry) by Richard Scarry on 1/29/2013

Books Read in January 2013

Print Copy:

1.) D'Shai by Joel Rosenberg
2.) Eloise by E.C. Tubb
3.) Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende
4.) Hypocrite in a Pouffy White Dress: Tales of Growing up Groovy and Clueless by Susan Jane Gilman
5.) Dragonhaven by Robin McKinley
6.) Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name by Vendela Vida
7.) In Golden Blood by Stephen Woodworth
8.) From Black Rooms by Stephen Woodworth
9.) Are You Afraid of the Dark? by Sidney Sheldon
10.) Around the World in the Middle Seat: How I Saw the World (and Survived!) as a Group Travel Leader by Joyce Brooks

Audiobooks:

1.) The Long Earth by Terry Pratchett, Stephen Baxter
2.) The Ring of Solomon by Jonathan Stroud
3.) The Drowned Cities by Paolo Bacigalupi
4.) The Ringworld Engineers by Larry Niven
5.) The Ringworld Throne by Larry Niven
6.) Ringworld's Children by Larry Niven

Books wild Released in December 2012

1.) High Noon by Nora Roberts on 12/3/2012
2.) Ambulance Girl: How I Saved Myself By Becoming an EMT by Jane Stern on 12/3/2012 CAUGHT!
3.) Does Anything Eat Wasps? by New Scientist on 12/3/2012
4.) True Spirit: The True Story of a 16-Year-Old Australian Who Sailed Solo, Nonstop, and Unassisted Around the World by Jessica Watson on 12/10/2012
5.) The Firm by John Grisham on 12/10/2012
6.) Just Grandma and Me by Mercer Mayer on 12/11/2012
7.) The Rainforest Grew All Around by Susan K. Mitchell on 12/11/2012
8.) Little Monster's Bedtime Book by Mercer Mayer on 12/11/2012
9.) One to Ten by Richard Scarry on 12/11/2012
10.) A Fish Named Yum: Mr. Pin by Mary Elise Monsell on 12/11/2012
11.) Ten Little Ballerinas by Wendy Cheyette Lewison on 12/11/2012
12.) Little Monster at School by Mercer Mayer on 12/11/2012
13.) Friends in Need by Amblin Entertainment on 12/11/2012
14.) Bright and Early Thursday Evening: A Tangled Tale by Audrey Wood on 12/11/2012
15.) The Magic of Christmas Miracles: An All-New Collection Of Inspiring True Stories edited by Jamie Miller on 12/20/2012
16.) Cadre Lucifer by Robert O'Riordan on 12/22/2012
17.) The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer, Annie Barrows on 12/30/2012
18.) The Maelstrom's Eye by Roger E. Moore on 12/31/2012
19.) Small Favor by Jim Butcher on 12/31/2012

Books Read in December 2012

Print Copy:

1.) Does Anything Eat Wasps by New Scientist Magazine
2.) Battleborn by Claire Vaye Watkins
3.) True Spirit: The True Story of a 16-Year-Old Australian Who Sailed Solo, Nonstop, and Unassisted Around the World by Jessica Watson
4.)The 100 Dresses by Eleanor Estes
5.) Coraline by Neil Gaiman
6.) The X President by Philip Baruth
7.) The Magic of Christmas Miracles: An All-New Collection Of Inspiring True Stories edited by Jamie Miller
8.) Cadre Lucifer by Robert O'Riordan
9.) The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer, Annie Barrows
10.) The Maelstrom's Eye by Roger E. Moore


Audio Books:
1.) Click Clack the Rattlebag by Neil Gaiman (short story)
2.) The Sagan Diary by John Scalzi (novella
3.) Red Country by Joe Abercrombie
4.) Cold Days by Jim Butcher
5.) Two Ravens and One Crow by Kevin Hearne
6.) Trapped by Kein Hearne
7.) Mirror Dance by Lois McMaster Bujold
8.) The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker
9.) Black Prism by Brent Weeks
10.) The Blinding Knife by Brent Weeks

E-Books:

1.) Penny Arcade Volume 1: Attack of the Bacon Robots by Jerry Holkins, Mike Krahulik

Merry Christmas

Have a very merry book filled holiday!

Reading Through the End of the World read-a-thon

I have been taking part in a read-a-thon with my friends on the bookobsessed boards.

It ran from 12/20/2012 - 12/24/2012

here is what I read during this time.

1.) The Magic of Christmas Miracles: An All-New Collection Of Inspiring True Stories by Jamie Miller (Editor) 165 pages read. 12/20/2012 physical copy
2.) Cadre Lucifer by Robert O'Riordan 202 pages read. Finished Reading on 12/21/2012. Physical Copy.
3.) Penny Arcade Volume 1: Attack of the Bacon Robots by Jerry Holkins, Mike Krahulik.. 168 pages read. E-book copy (read on Nook color)
4.) The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker. 269. Audiobook. Finished on 12/23/2012.
5.) The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer, Annie Barrows. 277 pages read. Physical Copy. Finished 12/23/2012
6.)The Black Prism by Brent Weeks. listened to parts 1 - 6. Audiobook (unfinished at end of the read-a-thon)

Book Review: True Spirit The True Story of a 16-Year-Old Australian Who Sailed Solo, Nonstop, and Unassisted Around the World by Jessica Watson

Title:True Spirit: The True Story of a 16-Year-Old Australian Who Sailed Solo, Nonstop, and Unassisted Around the World
Author: Jessica Watson
Publisher: Atria Books
Publication Date: September 7, 2010

After 210 days at sea, Australian teen Jessica Watson sailed into Sydney Harbor on May 15 2010 completing a trip that circumnavigated the globe. Jessica sailed a 33 foot boat nonstop through some sever weather conditions unassisted to complete her dream of becoming the youngest person to sail around the world. At an age where most teenage girls are thinking of boys and school and clothes, Jessica took a dream that many adults would not get a chance to fill and with the help of a very supportive family and a team of experts on sailing, weather, and mechanical parts made that dream a reality.

I thought that this was an interesting book.

Since I first stumbled on a copy of Dove back in high school, I have loved travelogues that involve sailing. I've done a little sailing on Lake Michigan, nothing larger than a 19 foot boat (with no motor just sails only). It was something that I have enjoyed doing a lot, and now that I don't I enjoy reading about other people's sailing adventures.

I thought it interesting that Jessica took her blog entries made during her sailing and expanded them for the book. It showed her immediate reactions to situations, as well as what she remembered afterwards. It's a shame her trip is not recognized by certain sailing organizations as circumnavigating the globe (and that there is not a youngest sailor record anymore). However, you get the idea that while it might have been nice to have her name put to a sailing world record, Jessica is more thrilled with the fact that she dreamed making this trip and actually getting a chance to fulfill it. It was refreshing to witness this journey through Jessica's own words without the passage of time between the events that happened, and the writing of the book.

I was a little annoyed by the vast use of QC codes throughout the book linking to her video blogs. As someone who lacks a smartphone I thought this a tad annoying to include as not everyone has the technology to use the codes.

book review: All In A Day’s Work for Real Estate Agents: Humorous & Heartwarming Stories

Author: TC McClenning,
Publisher: Work Like a Dog Books
Publication Date: April 2009
ISBN-10: 0982090714
ISBN-13: 978-0982090718

For those people selling a house, it can be hard to do sometimes. This is true for both the house owners and the real estate agents who are showing the house to prospective buyers. Real estate agents are faced with the unexpected at times: unexpectedly discovering a corpse in a home, getting locked out on a balcony while doing a walkthrough, learning that the pets who were supposed to be out of the
home for the showing are still in the house, and angry at strangers coming inside, or finding wildlife inside the house such as a raccoon or skunk. But despite these negative things, selling a home can be a rewarding and happy experience for the men and women who work hard to sell the homes they have been entrusted with.

All in a Day’s Work for Real Estate agents collects true stories that have been submitted by real estate agents from across the USA into a compelling and funny read. I am not involved with real estate,and I found myself drawn in and laughing along with many of these stories. There were a few of the sections that dealt with terms that were very specific to the trade, but I found there were good introductions that explained those terms to the non real estate savvy. For those readers who do sell homes, they may find that they are not alone, or get to see what other sellers have encountered on the
job. Editor TC McClenning has put together a solid collection of stories that show the hard work, and the above and beyond steps many realtors do to sell their buyers the home of their dreams. This book seems to be a good look into a job that is often overlooked.

Book Review: Ambulance Girl by Jane Stern

Title: Ambulance Girl
Author: Jane Stern
Publisher: Three Rivers Press
Publish Date: April 27, 2004

Jane Stern had hit her fifties with a thud. A successful food writer with her husband Michael, she had fallen into depression and had started collecting phobias, and her marriage of thirty years was struggling. A chance noticing of the volunteers needed sign outside the Georgetown, Connecticut fire station put an idea into her head. She was going to become an EMT. She, who had trouble helping herself at times was going to help other people in need.

So, she signed up for EMT training through the volunteer EMT program in her township. Despite her fears of being too old, too fat, and too squeemish, Stern found herself doing well in her classes. She passed the local exams, the practical exams, and the national board certification to become an EMT-B. In doing so, she becomes a member of a community of firemen and emergency response personnel that allows her to become more than she expected.

Ambulance Girl is a retrospective of Stern's first year as an EMT. She revisits her struggles through the initial certification process. Her first months as a woman in a male dominated fire department. We see her struggles with her claustrophobia, her fears of dying, and her ongoing struggle with depression. When a good friend suffers a brain hemmorage, and is "saved" only to end up in a long term care facility half the person he was, Stern starts to question her role as an EMT.

I was drawn into this story. I have read a couple of the author's food books, and found this chapter of her life enthralling to read. She shares her journey from neurotic and depressed to the first female officer of the fire station (station secretary) in a way that is both humorous and warm. I found myself turning page after page wanting to know how she was going to handle the next situation.

Books Read in November 2012

Print books:

1.) The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
2.) Click Clack Moo: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin, Betsy Lewin (Illustrator)
3.) The Windy Day by G. Brian Karas
4.) Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey
5.) Hey, Al by Arthur Yorinks, Richard Egielski (Illustrator)
6.) June 29, 1999 by David Wiesner
7.) Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann
8.) The Ex Files by Jane Moore
9.) Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
10.) The Widows of Wichita County by Jodi Thomas
11.) Necklace of Kisses by Francesca Lia Block
12.) Killing Me Softly: Erotic Tales of Unearthly Love by Gardner R. Dozois (Editor)
13.) The Map of Love - Ahdaf Soueif (a.k.a), أهداف سويف
14.) Last Chance Saloon by Marian Keyes
15.) Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde
16.) Troubletwisters by Garth Nix
17.) High Noon by Nora Roberts

Audiobooks:

1.) Cleopatra's Moon by Vicky Alvear Shecter
2.) Cetaganda by Lois McMaster Bujold
3.) Voice of the Whirlwind by Walter Jon Williams
4.) Ethan of Athos by Lois McMaster Bujold
5.) Borders of Infinity by Lois McMaster Bujold
6.) Brothers in Arms by Lois McMaster Bujold

Books Wild Released in November 2012

1.) The Ex Files: A Novel by Jane Moore – on 11/6/2012
2.) Passing Glory by Reay Tannahill - on 11/7/2012
3.) Dark Sunlight (Postcards From Europe) by Patricia Wilson – on 11/7/2012
4.) The Widows of Wichita County by Jodi Thomas - on 11/12/2012
5.) Timeline by Michael Crichton - on 11/16/2012
6.) Killing me softly by Gardner R. Dozois - on 11/16/2012
7.) Music Makers by E. V. Thompson – on 11/17/2012
8.) Map of Love by Soueif Afdaf - on 11/20/2012
9.) Last Chance Saloon by Marian Keyes – on 11/23/2012
10.) Rosa Farm by Liz Wu - on 11/23/2012 CAUGHT!
11.) Wanderer by Donald E. Mcquinn – on 11/23/2012
12.) Troubletwisters by Garth Nix - on 11/27/2012
13.) Drinking Coffee Elsewhere by Z. Z. Packer – on 11/28/2012
14.) All In A Day’s Work for Real Estate Agents: Humorous & Heartwarming Stories, by TC McClenning – on 11/28/2012

Books Read in October 2012

Audiobooks:

1.) Dead Men Kill by L Ron Hubbard
2.) Naamah's Curse by Jacqueline Carey
3.) Naamah's Blessing by Jacqueline Carey
4.) Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold
5.) Barrayar by Lois McMaster Bujold
6.) The Warrior's Apprentice by Lois McMaster Bujold
7.) The Vor Game by Lois McMaster Bujold


e-books:

1.) Big Big Love, Revised: A Sex and Relationships Guide for People of Size (and Those Who Love Them) by Hanne Blank
2.) Ragnarok by Paul Park (novella)
3.) How I Proposed to My Wife: An Alien Sex Story by John Scalzi (novella)
4.) Judge Sn Goes Golfing by John Scalzi (novella)
5.) The Strange Case of Mr. Salad Monday by G.D. Falksen (novella)
6.) The Girl Who Ruled Fairyland - For a Little While by Catherynne M. Valente (novella)

Print Copies:

1.) Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
2.) Delirium's Party: A Little Endless Storybook by Jill Thompson
3.) Oz: Dorothy & the Wizard in Oz by Eric Shanower, Skottie Young (Illustrator)
4.) Stealing Buddha's Dinner by Bich Minh Nguyen
5.) A Door Into Ocean by Joan Slonczewski
6.) Blood Debt by Tanya Huff
7.) Scary Godmother: Omnibus by Jill Thompson
8.) Feynman by Jim Ottaviani, Leland Myrick (Illustrator)
9.) Growing Pains: The Autobiography of Emily Carr by Emily Carr
10.) Drinking Coffee Elsewhere by ZZ Packer
11.) The Eternity Code by Eoin Colfer
12.) Song of the Trees by Mildred D. Taylor, Jerry Pinkney (Illustrator)
13.) Uneasy Alliances by by Robert Lynn Asprin (Editor)
14.) Blackwater Spirits by Miriam Grace Monfredo
15.) Heroics for Beginners by John Moore
16.) Ruan by Bryher
17.) Veil of Roses by Laura Fitzgerald
18.) Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block
19.) Witch Baby by Francesca Lia Block
20.) Cherokee Bat and the Goat Guys by Francesca Lia Block
21.) Missing Angel Juan by Francesca Lia Block
22.) The Gates of Rome by Conn Iggulden

Books Wild Released in October 2012

1.) Lean Mean Thirteen: A Stephanie Plum Novel by Janet Evanovich on 10/1/2012
2.) After You've Gone: A Novel by Jeffrey Lent on 10/1/2012
3.) The Brethren by John Grisham on 10/1/2012 CAUGHT!
4.) Storming Heaven by Dale Brown on 10/8/2012
5.) Stealing Buddha's Dinner by Bich Minh Nguyen on 10/8/2012
6.) Wedding Of Her Dreams (Harlequin American Romance) by Karen Toller Whittenburg on 10/8/2012
7.) Dragon Wing (The Death Gate Cycle, Book 1) by Margaret Weis on 10/15/2012
8.) Growing pains: The autobiography of Emily Carr by Emily Carr on 10/15/2012
9.) The Moorchild by Eloise McGraw on 10/15/2012
10.) Victoria: On Being a Mother on 10/15/2012
11.) Duane's Depressed by Larry McMurtry on 10/15/2012
12.) Last of the Breed by Louis L'Amour on 10/15/2012
13.) Artemis Fowl: The Eternity Code by Eoin Colfer on 10/24/2012
14.) Song of the Trees by Mildred D. Taylor on 10/24/2012
15.) Juliet: A Dream Takes Flight by Anna Kirwan on 10/24/2012
16.) Heroics for Beginners by John Moore on 10/24/2012
17.) Horns to Toes and In Between by Sandra Boynton on 10/24/2012
18.) Star Wars Episode I - The Phantom Menace by Terry Brooks on 10/29/2012
19.) The Security Man (Men Made in America: North Carolina #33) by Dixie Browning on 10/30/2012
20.) The Ultimate Choice (Harlequin Presents, No 1288) by Emma Darcy on 10/30/2012

Book Review:Veil of Roses by Laura Fitzgerald

Publisher: Bantam
Publication Date: December 26, 2006

Tamil Soroush is depressed. Living in Iran as a teacher at a girls school, she becomes depressed. The regime ruling the country and it's anti women laws are smothering her dreams. Her parents, who have had their passports confiscated and cannot leave the country manage to get her a passport, and a visitor's visa to go visit her older sister in the United States. The unspoken wish is for her to be able to find a husband who is a citizen so that she does not have to continue to live in her home country.

When she steps off the plane in Tuscon, she is overwhelmed with the differences between the countries. She enrolls in an English language class, and starts to really explore the freedoms that she sees as taken for granted here in America. As she documents her experiences through photographs that explore these "little freedoms" and makes friends she id followed by the threat of "if I don't get married I have to go back home and may never get a chance to come here again."

Her culture is one that follows the custom of arranged marriages. She is resigned to the fact that she will get married and then grow to know her husband. This is challenged when she meets and falls in love with Ike, an American barista at Starbucks who is not Persian, not financially stable, but who loves her for herself. When the man she is arranged to marry presents her with a prenuptial agreement that includes a clause that states that if there is a divorce Iranian laws concerning custody would be followed, Tamil knows she can not get married. The threat of losing her future children and not being allowed contact if divorced is one that she will not have hanging over her marriage.

With the date of her return to Iran as an unmarried woman looms closer, Tamil wonders if her life will include the happiness that she dreams of.

This chick-lit book was one that I absolutely loved. I was drawn into Tamil's conflicts between the way she was raised in Iran and the freedoms she experiences as she starts her travels in the United States. While the book does gloss over the way women are treated in Iran under it's very religious rule, it humanized the struggles experienced there in a very engaging way. This story, like most chick lit books had a happy ending but what amazed me was the fact that it was one that was not just "The main character falls in love and gets married." Instead it focused on Tamil embracing her dreams and learning to live life for herself as well as the man she loves. I loved the fact that while her family expected her to follow tradition and marry a man from her culture in order to stay in America, they stood by her when she falls in love with someone who is not what they expected.

This was a sweet and thought provoking story that I could not put down.(less)

Books Wild Released in September 2012

Books wild released in September 2012
1.) Rich in Love by Josephine Humphreys on 9/5/2012
2.) Don't Sit Under The Grits Tree With Anyone Else But Me by Lewis Grizzardon 9/5/2012
3.) Over the Horizon (Harlequin Superromance No. 479) by Kaye Waltonon 9/5/2012
4.) The Emperor of Ocean Park by Stephen L. Carteron 9/5/2012
5.) Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton on 9/5/2012
6.) Vegetable Soup (Sesame Street Book Club) by Judy Freudberg, Tony Geiss on 9/7/2012
7.) Joined By Marriage by Carole Mortimerv on 9/10/2012
8.) Of Love and Intrigue by Virginia Coffman on 9/10/2012
9.) A Quiver Full of Arrows by Jeffrey Archer on 9/11/2012
10.) Licence to Kill by Michael G. Wilson, Richard Maibaum on 9/17/2012
11.) Rat Race by Dick Francis on 9/17/2012
12.) The Different Drum: Community Making and Peace by M. SCOTT PECK on 9/17/2012
13.) A Time for Love (Harlequin Presents, No. 1566) by Amanda Browning on 9/24/2012
14.) Murder at the Feast of Rejoicing (Lord Meren Mysteries) by Lynda S. Robinson on 9/24/2012
15.) Centaur Aisle (The Magic of Xanth, No. 4) by Piers Anthony on 9/24/2012

Books Read in September 2012

Audiobooks:

1.) Naamah's Kiss by Jacqueline Carey
2.) Cinder by Marissa Meyer
3.) The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens
4.) The Eleventh Plague by Jeff Hirsch

e-books:

1.) A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
2.) All about Emily by Connie Willis, J.K. Potter (Illustrator) (novella)
3.) All Seated on the Ground by Connie Willis (novella)
4.) And Other Stories by Emma Bull, Will Shetterly

Print Copies:

1.) Port Eternity by C.J. Cherryh
2.) The Black Mountains by Fred Saberhagen
3.) Wolf Pack by Robert N. Charrette
4.) Joined By Marriage by Carole Mortimer
5.) Of Love and Intrigue by Virginia Coffman
6.) Virginia Coffman by Jeffrey Archer
7.) Dragon Wing by Margaret Weis, & Tracy Hickman
8.) The Rat-Catcher's Daughter by Laurance Houusman, Julia Nooman (Illustrator)
9.) After You've Gone by Jeffrey Lent

Books Read in August 2012

Print Books:

1.) The Rebel Worlds by Poul Anderson
2.) Curfewed Night by Basharat Peer
3.) Komarr by Lois McMaster Bujold
4.) The Snake River by Winfred Blevins
5.) Cautionary Tales for Children by Hilaire Belloc, Edward Gorey (Illustrator)
6.) Scones & Bones by Laura Childs
7.) Eric by Terry Pratchett
8.) Baby Be-Bop by Francesca Lia Block
9.) Sinbad's Guide to Life [Because I know Everything] by Sinbad
10.) Kitty Goes to Washington by Carrie Vaughn
11.) Latte Trouble by Cleo Coyle
12.) Wait Until Midnight by Amanda Quick


Audiobooks:

1.) Fuzzy Nation by John Scalzi
2.) Little Fuzzy by H. Beam Piper

E-Books:

none read this month

Books Wild Released in August 2012

1.) The Going-To-Bed Book by Sandra Boynton on 8/1/2012
2.) The Partner by John Grisham on 8/2/2012
3.) Men Made In America #49, Starstruck, Wisconsin by McAllister Anne on 8/2/2012
4.) Enemy Women by Paulette Jiles on 8/2/2012
5.) Rebel Worlds by Poul Anderson on 8/2/2012
6.) Curfewed Night: One Kashmiri Journalist's Frontline Account of Life, Love, and War in His Homeland on 8/6/2012
7.) Love Is The Key (Harlequin Presents) on 8/10/2012
8.) A Grandmother's Guide to Babysitting: Times-Have-Changed Practical Advice and Space for Important Information (Capital Ideas) on 8/10/2012
9.) Animal Babies on the Farm on 8/13/2012
10.) But Not the Hippopotamus on 8/13/2012
11.) Spot Counts from 1 to 10 on 8/13/2012
12.) One Little Sheep on 8/13/2012
13.) Haunted Highways: Spooky Stories, Strange Happenings, and Supernatural Sightings on 8/16/2012
14.) The First Thing Smoking on 8/16/2012
15.) Till Murder Do Us Part on 8/21/2012
16.) Bloodline on 8/22/2012
17.) Scones & Bones on 8/24/2012
18.) Driftwood Summer by Patti Callahan Henry | on 8/24/2012
19.) Sinbad's Guide to Life: Because I Know Everything by Sinbad on 8/27/2012
20.) SNAKE RIVER, THE (Rivers West, Book 8) by WINFRED BLEVINS on 8/27/2012
21.) Smiley's People by John le Carré on 8/29/2012

Books read in July 2012

Print Books:
1.)Blood Lines by Tanya Huff
2.) Driftwood Summer by Patti Callahan Henry
3.) Enemy Women by Paulette Jiles
4.) The Virgin's Lover by Phillipa Gregory
5.) The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder
6.) Picture Maker by Penina Keen Spinka
7.) Blood Pact by Tanya Huff
8.) Coffee With Marilyn by Yona Zeldis Mcdonough
9.) Mutiny on the Enterprise by Robert E. Vardeman
10.) New Writings in SF-2 edited by John Carnell (Editor)


Audiobooks:
1.)Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
2.)Old Man's War by John Scalzi
3.) The Ghost Brigades by John Scalzi
4.) The Last Colony by John Scalzi
5.) Bleak Seasons by Glen Cook


E-Books:
1.) Superliminal by Andy Kaizer
2.) 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
3.) Mannequin: a short story by Susan Helene Gottfried (short Story)

Books Wild Released in July 2012

1.) The Sea-Wolf by Jack London on 7/2/2012
2.) The Bridge of San Luis Rey: A Novel by Thornton Wilder on 7/3/2012
3.) Giant Treasury of Beatrix Potter by Beatrix Potter on 7/3/2012
4.) The Poisonwood Bible: A Novel by Barbara Kingsolver on 7/3/2012
5.) Return of the Jedi: The Storybook Based on the Movie by Joan D. Vinge on 7/9/2012
6.) The Vicar's Daughter by Betty Neels on 7/9/2012>
7.) The Bridge of San Luis Rey: A Novel by Thornton Wilder on 7/11/2012 (rerelease)
8.) The Virgin's Lover by Philippa Gregory on 7/13/2012 CAUGHT!
9.) Tales for Children by Aesop on 7/14/2012
10.) The Penguin Book of Sick Verse edited by George MacBeth on 7/18/2012
11.) Main Street by Sinclair Lewis on 7/18/2012
12.) Out of Town: The Williamsburg Paradigm by Jonathan Fineberg
13.) Picture Maker: A Novel by Penina Keen Spinka on 7/19/2012
14.) Coffee with Marilyn (Coffee with...Series) by Yona Zeldis Mcdonough on 7/22/2012
15.) Night Mare (The Magic of Xanth, No. 6) by Piers Anthony on 7/26/2012
16.) Point of Origin by Patricia Cornwell on 7/26/2012
17.) The First Eagle by Tony Hillerman on 7/26/2012
18.) MUTINY ON THE ENTERPRISE by Vardeman on 7/26/2012
19.) Gendered Lives : Communication, Gender, and Culture by Julia T. Wood on 7/26/2012
20.) One Month to Live: Thirty Days to a No-Regrets Life by Kerry Shook, Chris Shook on 7/26/2012
21.) New Writings in SF-2 Edited by John Carnell on 7/30/2012
22.) Moo Baa La La La by Sandra Boynton on 7/30/2012
23.) Through Western Eyes: Walls of China Through Photographs by Krannert Art Museum on 7/31/2012

Books Wild Released in June 2012

1.) Calypso's Island (Harlequin Presents, No 18*) by Rosalie Ash on 6/4/2012
2.) Daddy's Little Matchmaker (Harlequin American Romance) by Nikki Rivers on 6/4/2012
3.) A Ghostly Affair (Harlequin American Romance, No. 488) by Charlotte Maclay on 6/4/2012
4.) The Magic of Krynn (DragonLance Tales, Book 1) by Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman on 6/5/2012
5.) Marry Me, Cowboy by Janet Dailey, Margaret Way, Susan Fox, Anne McAllister on 6/13/2012
6.) Sleeping Partners (Harlequin Presents) by Charlotte Lamb on 6/13/2012
7.) Valentine Bachelors by Elisa Title, Pamela Bauer, Tiffany White on 6/13/2012
8.) Through Violet Eyes by Stephen Woodworth on 6/14/2012
9.) With Red Hands by Stephen Woodworth on 6/14/2012
10) Black Beauty by Anna Sewell on 6/18/2012
11) Black Beauty by Anna Sewell on 6/18/2012
12) Black Beauty by Anna Sewell on 6/18/2012
13) Erath Grosser Als Des Menschen Herz by Vom Wahren Leben on 6/20/2012
14) Black Cherry Blues: A Dave Robicheaux Novel by James Lee Burke on 6/20/2012
15) J is for Judgment by Sue Grafton on 6/20/2012
16) Heartstone by Phillip M. Margolin on 6/20/2012
17) Unplanned Parenthood: The Confessions of a Seventy-something Surrogate Mother by Liz Carpenter on 6/20/2012
18) The environmental handbook by Garrett De Bell on 6/20/2012
19) Island Turmoil (Harlequin Presents) by Annabel Murray on 6/20/2012
20) Is Salami and Eggs Better Than Sex? Memoirs of a Happy Eater by Alan King, Mimi Sheraton on 620/2012
21) Happy New Year Darling (American Romance) by Margaret St George on 6/20/2012
22) Midwest Gardens by Pamela Wolfe on 6/26/2012
23) The Emerald Atlas (Books of Beginning) by John Stephens on 6/26/2012
24) Lady Chatterley's Lover by D. H. Lawrence on 6/27/2012
25.) Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne on 6/29/2012

Books Read June 2012

Audio Books

1.) Bone Crossed by Patricia Briggs
2.) The Android's Dream by John Scalzi
3.) The God Engines by John Scalzi
4.) Under Heaven by Guy Gavriel Kay
5.) Zero History by William Gibson
6.) Redshirts by John Scalzi
7.) The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente
8.) Robopocalypse by Daniel H. Wilson

E-Books

1.) Caressed By Ice by Nalini Singh
2.) The Language of Baklava: A Memoir by Diana Abu-Jaber

Physical Books

1.)Friday by Robert A. Heinlein
2.) Through Violet Eyes by Stephen Woodworth
3.) With Red Hands by Stephen Woodworth
4.) Into This Air by Cindi Miles
5.) Water Bound by Christine Feehan
6.) The Vanishers by Heidi Julavits (ARC)
7.) The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón, Lucia Graves (Translator)
8.) Lady Chaterly's Lover by D.H. Lawrence
9.) Grunts! by Mary Gentle
10.) Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne

Books Read in May 2012

Print Books:

1.) Summer Chills: Tales of Vacation Horror by Stephen Jones
2.) Asking the Right Questions by M. Neil Browne
3.) Breakfast with Buddha by Breakfast with Buddha
4.) Paula Deen: It Ain't All About the Cookin' by Paula Deen
5.) Girl Cook by Hannah Mccouch
6.) Spaceman Blues: A Love Song by Brian Francis Slattery
7.) All in a Day's Work for Real Estate Agents

Audiobooks:

1.) Tricked by Kevin Hearne
2.) Sacre Bleu: A Comedy d'Art by Christopher Moore
3.) Red, White, and Blood by Christopher Farnsworth
4.) I Shall Wear Midnight by I Shall Wear Midnight
5.) Chandra's Secrets by Allan Stratton

E-Books:
1.) Visions of Heat by Nalini Singh

Books Wild Released in May 2012

1.) On a Pale Horse (Incarnations of Immortality, Bk. 1) by Piers Anthony on 5/7/2012
2.) Chow Down (Melanie Travis Mysteries) by Laurien Berenson on 5/7/2012
3.) Shadow of an Angel by Mignon F. Ballard on 5/7/2012
4.) America's Wild Woodlands (People, Places & Discoveries) on 5/7/2012
5.) Perfection by Walter Satterthwait on 5/8/2012
6.) The Bride Of Santa Barbara by Angela Devine on 5/8/2012
7.) Saint Among Savages: The Life of St. Isaac Jogues by Francis Talbot on 5/8/2012
8.) Ladysmith by Giles Foden on 5/8/2012
9.) The Spirituality of Imperfection; Storytelling and the Journey to Wholeness by Ernest Kurtz and katherrine Ketcham on 5/8/2012
10.) Kristin Lavransdatter III: The Cross by Sigrid Undset on 5/8/2012
11.) The Gardens of Kyoto: A Novel by Kate Walbert on 5/8/2012
12.) Liszt by Sacheverell Sitwell on 5/14/2012
13.) The Painters of Lexieville by Sharon Darrow on 5/14/2012
14.) Goddesses in Everywoman: Powerful Archetypes in Women's Lives by Jean Shinoda Bolen on 5/17/2012
15.) The Taming of the C.A.N.D.Y. Monster by Vicki. Lansky on 5/21/2012
16.) Witch by Donald E. Mcquinn on 5/22/2012
17.) Spaceman Blues by Brian Francis Slattery 5/22/2012
18.) A Flame in Hali by Marion Zimmer Bradley, Deborah J. Ross on 5/23/2012
19.) Sandry's Book (Circle of Magic, Book 1) by Tamora Pierce on 5/31/2012
20.) Tris's Book (Circle of Magic #2) by Tamora Pierce on 5/31/2012
21.) Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul: 101 Stories of Life, Love and Learning (Chicken Soup for the Soul) on 5/31/2012

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday

The rules come from MizB of Should Be Reading.

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This week's teaser comes from: Caressed By Ice by Nalini Singh

There was no need for Brenna to worry that her tormentor had come back from the grave. Of course that was Psy logic at work and she was indisputably a changeling. More to the point, she didn't know that Judd been present at Enrique's execution and, by extension, her rescue. He had no intention of changing that.

Books Wild Released in April 2012

1.) S by John Updike on 4/2/2012
2.) Deadly Medicine by Kelly Moore, Dan Reed on 4/2/2012
3.) The Crepes of Wrath (Pennsylvania Dutch Mystery) by Tamar Myers on 4/4/2012
4.) Sky Burial by Xinran on 4/10/12 CAUGHT!
5.) Zel by Donna Jo Napoli on 4/10/2012
6.) Haunted Heartland by Beth Scott, Michael Norman on 4/11/2012
7.) Classic Irish Short Stories (Oxford Paperbacks) by Various Authors on 4/16/2012
8.) Being a Green Mother (Book Five of Incarnations of Immortality) by Piers Anthony on 4/16/2012
9.) Fire by Sebastian Junger on 4/19/2012
10.) Snow Flower and the Secret Fan: A Novel by Lisa See on 4/21/2012
11.) The Book Thief by Markus Zusak on 4/23/2012
12.) The Book Thief by Markus Zusak on 4/23/2012
13.) The Book Thief by Markus Zusak on 4/23/2012
14.) The Book Thief by Markus Zusak on 4/23/2012
15.) The Book Thief by Markus Zusak on 4/23/2012
16.) The Book Thief by Markus Zusak on 4/23/2012
17.) The Book Thief by Markus Zusak on 4/23/2012
18.) The Book Thief by Markus Zusak on 4/23/2012
19.) The Book Thief by Markus Zusak on 4/23/2012
20.) The Book Thief by Markus Zusak on 4/23/2012
21.) The Book Thief by Markus Zusak on 4/23/2012
22.) The Book Thief by Markus Zusak on 4/23/2012
23.) The Book Thief by Markus Zusak on 4/23/2012
24.) The Book Thief by Markus Zusak on 4/23/2012
25.)The Book Thief by Markus Zusak on 4/23/2012
26.)The Book Thief by Markus Zusak on 4/23/2012
27.)The Book Thief by Markus Zusak on 4/23/2012
28.) The Noonday Friends (Harper Trophy Books) by Mary Stolz 0n 4/24/2012
29.) Vixen (The Flappers) on 4/30/2012
30.) Key Witness on 4/302012
31.) Tree of Promise on 4/30/2012

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday

The rules come from MizB of Should Be Reading.

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This week's teaser comes from: Does Anything Eat Wasps by NewScientist

(pg 108) "We found that a 750-milliliter wine bottle emptied in 9.9 seconds if inverted, but in 8.1 seconds if held at 45 degrees. Swirling the bottle so that a little tornado forms in its neck, allowing air to enter continuously and replace the liquid, brings pouring time down to just 7.7 seconds."


I'm being geeky and pulling from a science related trivia type book which is a compilation of question and answers from the column "The Last Word" in New Scientist.

Books read in April 2012

Print Books:

1.) Zel by Donna Joe Napoli
2.) Sky Burial by Xinran
3.) Food Ethics edited by Paul Pojman
4.) Fire by Sebastian Junger
5.) Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
6.) The Noonday Friends by Mary Stolz
7.) Powering the Dream: The History and Promise of Green Technology by Alexis Madrigal
8.)Tree of Promise by Juliet Shore
9.) Haunted Highways: Spooky Stories, Strange Happenings, and Supernatural Sightings by Tom Ogden

E-Books:

1.) Old Nathan by David Drake
2.) Clockwork Fairies by Cat Rambo (Short Story)
3.) Ghost Hedgehog by Nina Kiriki Hoffman (Short Story)


Audiobooks:

1.) Ship Breaker by Ship Breaker
2.) The Quantum Thief by Hannu Rajaniemi
3.) The Spirit Thief by Rachel Aaron
4.) The Spirit Rebellion by Rachel Aaron
5.) The Spirit Eater by Rachel Aaron

World Book Night 2012 Recap.

My original idea was to try and pass out my copies of The Book Thief at the Skokie Holocaust Museum. Which is a fantastic place with the mission of informing and remembering what happened during WWII to the Jewish people. However due to logistics issues it ended up not happening.

Then I ended up with a crazy hectic day, and between school work, classes and more end o the term schoolwork didn't have much free time to go someplace and hand out books.

So, being a bookcrosser and being used to wild releasing books I threw my copies into my bag and took them with me. In the early morning while working at a computer lab before class, I left five copies of the book on free paper racks in the hallway. Since my computer was right across from where the books were, I got to see people picking up the books to see what they were, I witnessed several get picked up (and the exited response by one of the finders). I left five more copies at the Skokie campus of Oakton Community College later that afternoon, and was able to hand a copy off to an interested person walking out from the cafeteria. I left three more copies on a ledge in the front window of the place I stopped for lunch as you entered(all of which were gone by the time I finished eating). And finally left my last four books in various parts of the hospital nearby (one in the professional building, One on a bench in the hall to the cafeteria, and two in the ER waiting room). I have also passed along my last three copies by hand through people I know.

It was a fun day. I was surprised at how quickly the books were picked up - It was either the eye catching green "pick me up!" notes I put on the covers or the striking cover image for the books themselves. Hopefully World Book Night will continue to occur here in the USA. I would love to hand books out again, and do it in person next time.

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday

The rules come from MizB of Should Be Reading.

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This week's teaser comes from: Powering the Dream: The History and promise of Green Technology by Alexis Madrigal

"Coal is a flammable rock. You can put it in a pail and carry it to your house. Or, you can pack it into one hundred cargo containers and load it onto a rain. It's plentiful and spread pretty evenly around the world.Take a pound of it. Burn it completely and you would generate ten thousand British Thermal Units (BTUs) of heat. Dirty and heavy, coal has exactly one thing going for it: price." (pg 201)

World Book Night 2012

The date draws near! Yesterday I picked up my box of books to pass out for World Book Night on 23 April 2012.

I am passing out copies of The Book Thief by Markus Zusak which I read in 2009. You can see my response to the book here I was thrilled to see it on the list of 30 books chosen for this first year of giving away books on World Book Night here in the United States.

My original idea for passing out books fell through due to complications in logistics.

So, I'm thinking of where to leave 20 books for light readers to find, and figuring how to register the copies on bookcrossing without obscuring the World Book Night information found on the covers.

Celebrating the release of King Trevor by Susan Helen Gottfried

One of my good online friends is a writer. We met through bookcrossing, and the now defunct book relay site. We've traded opinions on books over the years, chatted on forums,and reviewed books for Front Street Reviews.

A few years back Susan started to post outtakes on her blog from the world she had created for her then looking to be published novel. When we her readers clamored for more she jumped on the self-publishing bandwagon and put out three volumes collecting the outtakes by year called The Demo Tapes. Shortly before the third demo tapes book came out she published her novel Trevor's Song. I read this last year and have yet to add a review here as I've been struggling to write it without revealing too much. It had a powerful story, and a very sudden ending leaving me wanting more.

Today, I get more of Trevor's story. Today the sequel King Trevor is being released.

In celebration, I have a book giveaway. One person will get signed copies of the Demo Tapes years 1,2, & 3 as well as Trevor's Song.

Two other people will get a copy of a book Susan recommended to me in the past that I found amazing.

I have One copy of Snow flower and the Secret Fan and 1 copy of Cowboys are my Only Weakness to pass along.

Leave your name a way to contact you and a way music has touched your life. I'll draw winners on Monday 16 April 2012

Swing by her blog over at West of Mars to see what Susan has in store for everyone on her release date, and to congratulate her on the new book and a happy birthday!

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday

The rules come from MizB of Should Be Reading.

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This week's teaser comes from: The Kittens of Boxville by Ryosuke Handa (this is a book that should be read as it is very dependent on the photos of the kittens in the story)

(pg 30) "Today of course, Pauly Pancakes is on vacation, and the kitchen of the resteraunt is quiet and still. Minnie sits in front of the stove and pouts. "If Pauly was here he would make us some breakfast." she says sullenly, watching Borris from the corner of her eye as he tries without sucsess, to scratch open the pantry door. "He keeps crackers and stuff in here!" Huffs Borris. "Tinned Fish!""

Books Wild Released in March 2012

Here are the books I wild released in March:

1.) Acts of Malice by Perri O'Shaughnessy on 3/1/2012
2.) What the Librarian Did (Harlequin Super Romance) by Karina Bliss on 3/3/2012 Caught!
3.) 7th Heaven (Women's Murder Club) by James Patterson, Maxine Paetro on 3/6/2012
4.) Moonlight Becomes You by Mary Higgins Clark on 3/12/2012
5.) See No Evil (Smallville Series for Young Adults, No. 2) by Cherie Bennett, Jeff Gottesfeld on 3/14/2011
6.) Jewel (Oprah's Book Club) by Bret Lott on 3/14/2012
7.) Point of Origin (Kay Scarpetta) by Patricia Cornwell on 3/14/2012
8.) Lavender Morning by Jude Deveraux on 3/19/2012
9.) Beyond and Back: Those Who Died and Lived to Tell It by Ralph Wilkerson on 3/19/2012
10.) The Eye of the World: Book One of 'The Wheel of Time' by Robert Jordan on 3/19/2012
11.) Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston on 3/27/2012
12.) What Looks Like Crazy by Charlotte Hughes on 3/27/2012
13.) The Dead Zone by Stephen King on 3/27/2012