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 Damned by Chuck P
"In Hell, whenever the demons announce they’re going to treat everyone to a big- name Hollywood movie, don’t get too excited because it’s always The English Patient or, unfortunately, The Piano. It’s never The Breakfast Club."
06 March, 2012
02 March, 2012
Book Review: What The Librarian Did by Karina Bliss
When Rachel meets Devin she has no idea who he is. She develops a friendship with him that quickly becomes more as mutual attraction flares between both adults. However, Devin's friendship and mentor ship of young musician and fellow student Mark threatens to keep the two possible lovers apart.
Mark confides to Devin that he is looking for his birth mother, whom he has never seen but knows works at the Aukland University. He only knows she was a teenager when she put him up for adoption, and wants to show her how being abandoned feels. To find out why she gave him away and in revenge make her feel the conflict he has felt since he discovered he was adopted.
Cautious librarian Rachel's past holds a huge secret that has defined her life for seventeen years. As a teen she made a decision to give up the child from a teen pregnancy. At the start of the school term she sees Mark and recognizes him for who he really is. When her friendship with Devin becomes more than just a casual acquaintanceship she is torn with sharing with him. Because she knows the knowledge will change the relationships she is forming with both Mark and Devin as well as strain Devin's friendship with Mark.
Can she learn to cope with her growing attraction to "bad boy" Devin? Will she find a way to introduce who she really is to Mark without alienating him?
I received this from Shaunesay a few days ago. I actually read this during commute time and finished it this afternoon. It was a fun read. However, there were things included to I'm guessing broaden the characters that were introduced but then never explored. It left the characters a bit flat and not as fully rounded out as they could have been. I'm guessing this was due to the length as it was a fairly short book.
But that aside, I loved the three main characters, Mark - fresh at college trying to find his birth mother for possibly wrong reasons. Devin Freedman retired superstar musician who is starting school in an attempt to change his life, and leave the rock and roll lifestyle behind, and Rachel Robinson a campus librarian with a pension for vintage clothing.
Mark confides to Devin that he is looking for his birth mother, whom he has never seen but knows works at the Aukland University. He only knows she was a teenager when she put him up for adoption, and wants to show her how being abandoned feels. To find out why she gave him away and in revenge make her feel the conflict he has felt since he discovered he was adopted.
Cautious librarian Rachel's past holds a huge secret that has defined her life for seventeen years. As a teen she made a decision to give up the child from a teen pregnancy. At the start of the school term she sees Mark and recognizes him for who he really is. When her friendship with Devin becomes more than just a casual acquaintanceship she is torn with sharing with him. Because she knows the knowledge will change the relationships she is forming with both Mark and Devin as well as strain Devin's friendship with Mark.
Can she learn to cope with her growing attraction to "bad boy" Devin? Will she find a way to introduce who she really is to Mark without alienating him?
I received this from Shaunesay a few days ago. I actually read this during commute time and finished it this afternoon. It was a fun read. However, there were things included to I'm guessing broaden the characters that were introduced but then never explored. It left the characters a bit flat and not as fully rounded out as they could have been. I'm guessing this was due to the length as it was a fairly short book.
But that aside, I loved the three main characters, Mark - fresh at college trying to find his birth mother for possibly wrong reasons. Devin Freedman retired superstar musician who is starting school in an attempt to change his life, and leave the rock and roll lifestyle behind, and Rachel Robinson a campus librarian with a pension for vintage clothing.
01 March, 2012
Books Read in February 2012
Print Books:
1.) Dying of the Light by George R.R. Martin
2.) The Singing Citadel: Four Tales of Heroic Fantasy by Michael Moorecock
3.) My Cat's not Fat, He's Just Big Boned by Hollander (Graphic novel)
4.) The Gargoyle a novel by Andrew Davidson
5.) The Outcast by Louise Cooper
6.) The Master by Louise Cooper
7.) Norse Code by Greg Van Eekhout
8.) The Phoenix Unchained by Mercedes Lackey, James Mallory
9.) Testing Miss Toogood by Stella Cameron
10.) What the Librarian Did by Karina Bliss
E-Books:
1.) Withering Tights by Louise Rennison
2.) All Over Creation by Ruth Ozeki
3.) The Wizard of Oz by Eric Shanower, Skottie Young (Illustrator), L. Frank Baum (graphic novel)
4.) The Riever by Jackie Barbosa (novella)
5.) The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle, Peter Gillis (text adaptation), Renae De Liz (illustrator), Ray Dillon (illustrator) (Graphic Novel)
We've been working our way through one audiobook this month but still haven't finished it.
1.) Dying of the Light by George R.R. Martin
2.) The Singing Citadel: Four Tales of Heroic Fantasy by Michael Moorecock
3.) My Cat's not Fat, He's Just Big Boned by Hollander (Graphic novel)
4.) The Gargoyle a novel by Andrew Davidson
5.) The Outcast by Louise Cooper
6.) The Master by Louise Cooper
7.) Norse Code by Greg Van Eekhout
8.) The Phoenix Unchained by Mercedes Lackey, James Mallory
9.) Testing Miss Toogood by Stella Cameron
10.) What the Librarian Did by Karina Bliss
E-Books:
1.) Withering Tights by Louise Rennison
2.) All Over Creation by Ruth Ozeki
3.) The Wizard of Oz by Eric Shanower, Skottie Young (Illustrator), L. Frank Baum (graphic novel)
4.) The Riever by Jackie Barbosa (novella)
5.) The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle, Peter Gillis (text adaptation), Renae De Liz (illustrator), Ray Dillon (illustrator) (Graphic Novel)
We've been working our way through one audiobook this month but still haven't finished it.
Books Wild Released in February 2012
1.) My Cat's Not Fat, He's Just Big-Boned by Hollander on 2/3/2012
2.) Shadows by John Saul on 2/10/2012
3.) Let Me Call You Sweetheart by Mary Higgins Clark on 2/10/2012
4.) Shibumi by Trevanian on 2/13/2012
5.) City of Golden Shadow by Tad Williams on 2/13/2012
6.) Dune By Frank Herbert on 2/13/2012 Caught!
7.) Freaky Deaky by ELMORE LEONARD on 2/21/2012 Caught!
8.) Code To Zero by Ken Follett on 2/23/2012
9.) Testing Miss Toogood by Stella Cameron on 2/23/2012
10.) Children of the Dark by Charles Veley on 2/24/2012
11.) Murder List: A Novel by Julie Garwood on 2/28/2012
2.) Shadows by John Saul on 2/10/2012
3.) Let Me Call You Sweetheart by Mary Higgins Clark on 2/10/2012
4.) Shibumi by Trevanian on 2/13/2012
5.) City of Golden Shadow by Tad Williams on 2/13/2012
6.) Dune By Frank Herbert on 2/13/2012 Caught!
7.) Freaky Deaky by ELMORE LEONARD on 2/21/2012 Caught!
8.) Code To Zero by Ken Follett on 2/23/2012
9.) Testing Miss Toogood by Stella Cameron on 2/23/2012
10.) Children of the Dark by Charles Veley on 2/24/2012
11.) Murder List: A Novel by Julie Garwood on 2/28/2012
28 February, 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 A Stark and Wormy Knight by Tad Williams. (This is a short story collection that is currently only released as an e-book with a print release later this spring.)
“Oh, those were frightsome days, with knights lurking beneath every scone and round every bent, ready to spring out and spear some mother’s son for scarce no cause at all! So did your wisdominical Great-Grandpap confine himself to plowhards and peasant girls and the plumpcasional parish priest tumbled down drunk in the churchyard of a Sunday evening, shagged out from ‘cessive sermonizing. Princesses and such got noticed, do you see, but the primate proletariat were held cheap in those days (Pg 41)
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 A Stark and Wormy Knight by Tad Williams. (This is a short story collection that is currently only released as an e-book with a print release later this spring.)
“Oh, those were frightsome days, with knights lurking beneath every scone and round every bent, ready to spring out and spear some mother’s son for scarce no cause at all! So did your wisdominical Great-Grandpap confine himself to plowhards and peasant girls and the plumpcasional parish priest tumbled down drunk in the churchyard of a Sunday evening, shagged out from ‘cessive sermonizing. Princesses and such got noticed, do you see, but the primate proletariat were held cheap in those days (Pg 41)
21 February, 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 Food Ethics edited by Paul Pojman. Some nonfiction, but this has been dominating my reading time currently due to it being a class text.
(pg 92) Garett Hardin's Lifeboat Ethics
""Man can not live by bread alone"-the scriptural statement has a rich meaning even in the material realm. Every human being born constitutes a draft on all aspects of the environment-food, air, water, unspoiled scenery, occasional an optional solitude, beaches, contact with wild animals, fishing, hunting- the list is long and incompletely known."
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 Food Ethics edited by Paul Pojman. Some nonfiction, but this has been dominating my reading time currently due to it being a class text.
(pg 92) Garett Hardin's Lifeboat Ethics
""Man can not live by bread alone"-the scriptural statement has a rich meaning even in the material realm. Every human being born constitutes a draft on all aspects of the environment-food, air, water, unspoiled scenery, occasional an optional solitude, beaches, contact with wild animals, fishing, hunting- the list is long and incompletely known."
01 February, 2012
Books Wild Released in January 2012
1.) Catfish and Mandala by Andrew X. Pham on 1/5/2012
2.) Almost Like Being in Love by Christine Dodd on 1/13/2012
3.) Spirit by Graham Masterson on 1/13/2012
4.) Train Your Dog in an Hour by Sandy Butler on 1/17/2012
5.) The Marrying Type by Judith Arnold on 1/17/2012
6.) Crime Scene at Caldwell Ranch by B.J. Arnold on 1/23/2012
7.) Crime Scene at Caldwell Ranch by B.J. Arnold on 1/23/2012
8.) Crime Scene at Caldwell Ranch by B.J. Arnold on 1/23/2012
9.) Crime Scene at Caldwell Ranch by B.J. Arnold on 1/23/2012
10.) Crime Scene at Caldwell Ranch by B.J. Arnold on 1/23/2012
11.) Destiny's Promise by Laurel Pace on 1/24/2012
12.) The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain on 1/24/2012
13.) Crime Scene at Caldwell Ranch on 1/27/2012
14.) The Girl’s Almanac by Emily Franklin on 1/31/2012
15.) Spider Girl Legacy vol. 1 on 1/31/2012
2.) Almost Like Being in Love by Christine Dodd on 1/13/2012
3.) Spirit by Graham Masterson on 1/13/2012
4.) Train Your Dog in an Hour by Sandy Butler on 1/17/2012
5.) The Marrying Type by Judith Arnold on 1/17/2012
6.) Crime Scene at Caldwell Ranch by B.J. Arnold on 1/23/2012
7.) Crime Scene at Caldwell Ranch by B.J. Arnold on 1/23/2012
8.) Crime Scene at Caldwell Ranch by B.J. Arnold on 1/23/2012
9.) Crime Scene at Caldwell Ranch by B.J. Arnold on 1/23/2012
10.) Crime Scene at Caldwell Ranch by B.J. Arnold on 1/23/2012
11.) Destiny's Promise by Laurel Pace on 1/24/2012
12.) The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain on 1/24/2012
13.) Crime Scene at Caldwell Ranch on 1/27/2012
14.) The Girl’s Almanac by Emily Franklin on 1/31/2012
15.) Spider Girl Legacy vol. 1 on 1/31/2012
Books Read in January 2012
Print:
1.) The Nymphos of Rocky Flat by Mario Acevedo
2.) Catfish and Mandala: A Two-Wheeled Voyage through the Landscape and Memory of Vietnam by Andrew X. Pham
3.) Unplanned Parenthood: The Confessions of a Seventysomething Surrogate Mother
4.) The Girl's Almanac by Emily Franklin
5.) Blackberry Wine by Joanne Harris
Audiobooks:
1.) The President's Vampire by Christopher Farnsworth
2.) Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs
3.) Wormwood by G.P Taylor
4.) Thud! by Terry Pratchett
5.) Monstrous Regiment by Terry Pratchett
6.) Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler
7.) Temporal Void by Peter F. Hamilton
E-books:
1.) Falling Fast by Lucy Kevin
2.) The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey by Candice Millard
Graphic Novels:
1.) Spider Girl Legacy volume 1
Total Books read in January: 15
1.) The Nymphos of Rocky Flat by Mario Acevedo
2.) Catfish and Mandala: A Two-Wheeled Voyage through the Landscape and Memory of Vietnam by Andrew X. Pham
3.) Unplanned Parenthood: The Confessions of a Seventysomething Surrogate Mother
4.) The Girl's Almanac by Emily Franklin
5.) Blackberry Wine by Joanne Harris
Audiobooks:
1.) The President's Vampire by Christopher Farnsworth
2.) Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs
3.) Wormwood by G.P Taylor
4.) Thud! by Terry Pratchett
5.) Monstrous Regiment by Terry Pratchett
6.) Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler
7.) Temporal Void by Peter F. Hamilton
E-books:
1.) Falling Fast by Lucy Kevin
2.) The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey by Candice Millard
Graphic Novels:
1.) Spider Girl Legacy volume 1
Total Books read in January: 15
31 January, 2012
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!
For this week's Teaser Tuesday I'm choosing The River of Doubt:Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey by Candice Millard
"Even Rondon was shocked by how pathetic Julio looked, crouching in the gnarled tree like a frightened animal, "imploring for mercy and asking us to receive him on board." Three nights alone in the jungle would have taken their toll on any of the men, but they had been especially excruciating for Julio." (pg. 277)
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!
For this week's Teaser Tuesday I'm choosing The River of Doubt:Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey by Candice Millard
"Even Rondon was shocked by how pathetic Julio looked, crouching in the gnarled tree like a frightened animal, "imploring for mercy and asking us to receive him on board." Three nights alone in the jungle would have taken their toll on any of the men, but they had been especially excruciating for Julio." (pg. 277)
26 January, 2012
Book Review: The Nymphos of Rocky Flats by Mario Acevdo
Title: The Nymphos of Rocky Flats
Author: Mario Acevedo
Publisher: rayo an imprint of Harper Collins Publishers
Published Date: 2006
Felix Gomez went to Iraq as a soldier, fighting against the evils of terrorism to keep his country safe. He returned a vampire, ashamed of his actions during the war and of the innocent deaths he had caused.
He has returned to a life in the States as a private detective. Contacted by a good friend working at the Rocky Flats Weapons Facility, he is hired to find the cause of the mysterious "illness" that is affecting the women of the plant to become nymphomaniacs.
During the course of his investigation, Felix is confronted by women with sex on their minds, integrating into the local vampire community, shadowy government agents, and the mysterious vanatori- Vampire Hunters from Eastern Europe who are preying on the local vampires. Is the cause a virus? Has the nymphomania been caused by a radiation exposure? or is there a more extraterrestrial cause?Felix vows he is going to find the cause of the Nymphomania or die trying, a promise which almost becomes true.
Author Mario Acevedo has created a world where vampires are not an uncommon occurrence. They have local communities (at least in this Colorado setting), can eat human food as long as there is blood covering it (human or animal). His story is humorous with very adult humor. I found myself drawn into the plot, and giggling at events several times while reading. This book reminded me very much of Christopher Moore's vampire books. While I wasn't exactly enamored with the alien plot worked into the story it wasn't distracting or overly silly. I'm looking forward to reading the other books in the series.
19 January, 2012
Worldbuilders
Author Patrick Rothfuss has extended the deadline of his Worldbuilders 2011 charity event to February 7, 2012.
For those who missed last years post, Worldbuilders is an event that raises money for Heifer International. For every $10 donated your name gets put into a lottery for wonderful book oriented prizes.
Pat's Worldbuilders blog
to donate. click on the worldbuilders link below the icon below
Support Worldbuilders
For those who missed last years post, Worldbuilders is an event that raises money for Heifer International. For every $10 donated your name gets put into a lottery for wonderful book oriented prizes.
Pat's Worldbuilders blog
to donate. click on the worldbuilders link below the icon below
Support Worldbuilders
17 January, 2012
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!
For this week's Teaser Tuesday I'm choosing The Horse Boy a Father's Quest to Heal his Son by Rupert Issacson
(pg 217) "This had been the first morning he'd woken up and not sad "Lets go home." Instead he had woken up and said "Let's go see the reindeer people. First the water, then we'kk go see the reindeer people.""
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!
For this week's Teaser Tuesday I'm choosing The Horse Boy a Father's Quest to Heal his Son by Rupert Issacson
(pg 217) "This had been the first morning he'd woken up and not sad "Lets go home." Instead he had woken up and said "Let's go see the reindeer people. First the water, then we'kk go see the reindeer people.""
16 January, 2012
Book review: Cathedrals of the Flesh by Alexia Brue
Title: Cathedrals of he Flesh: My Search fo the Perfect Bath
Author Alexia Brue
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Date Published: 2003
I originally received this book from Morsecode as part of the books she sent when my name had been pulled from a drawing that she did on her blog Morsie Reads!. I had put this on my wishlist after reading the blurb when the book was offered in a swap on one of the forums that I read regularly.
When author Alexia Brue visits her best friend Marina in Paris, they both attend a local turkish bathhouse (also known as a hamam). Alexia and Marina decide to research what it would take to open a hamam in New York City. This research took Alexia's curiosity concerning the history of bathhouses and their current status worldwide. Alexia travels from the US to Turkey, where the hamams are frequented by older generations and looked down on by the younger generations. She then travels to Greece and visits the remains of a Roman bathhouse which is being excavated by archaeologists. From there Alexia travels to Russia and Sweden with their Steam baths. Russians show her their love of the banya with it's ritual of flogging the bathers with bunches of birch leaves (a tradition which brings blood to the skins surface, and promises that those partaking won't get old). Sweden shows Alexia the tradition of the sauna where bathers end their bathing experience by plunging into frigid waters. Alexia finishes he travels by visiting Japan, where bathing occurs in the onsen (the author visits an onsen in Tokyo), to the more famous hot spring baths outside of Kyoto.
I found this book a fascinating way of visiting other countries. While the author's travels and research did not end up leading to the opening of a bathhouse in New York, it opened her eyes to the different types of baths found worldwide, and gave her oppurtunities to become comfortable with these traditions. I enjoyed reading about the authors travels as a single woman through parts of the world where being a woman is not the best thing, and enjoyed reading her relavations about herself as she traveled the world.
11 January, 2012
10 January, 2012
Teaser Tuesday
For this week's Teaser Tuesday I'm choosing The Girl's Almanac by Emily Franklin
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!
Teaser from page 124
In every country it seemed there was a bitter candy or unusual condiment that appealed only to natives; candied cod, or Marmite spread, jellied passion fruit, or baked twists of lime rinds. In Ecuador, the gourd seeds wern't bitter, but they'd been fried in curdled butter. Gabrielle had liked them raw and wanted to bring some back to share with her father, since she knew she couldn't translate their pugnancy or the way they recalled her whole time in Manta, but of course they'd never let her through customs with them.
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!
Teaser from page 124
In every country it seemed there was a bitter candy or unusual condiment that appealed only to natives; candied cod, or Marmite spread, jellied passion fruit, or baked twists of lime rinds. In Ecuador, the gourd seeds wern't bitter, but they'd been fried in curdled butter. Gabrielle had liked them raw and wanted to bring some back to share with her father, since she knew she couldn't translate their pugnancy or the way they recalled her whole time in Manta, but of course they'd never let her through customs with them.
05 January, 2012
food in fiction
when food is portrayed in books are you affected as you read them?
For instance, I found myself buying some Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream the other day while picking up some small sundries at the pharmacy. I blame this on one of the last books I read in 2011. The book in question was Ben and Jerry's: The Inside Scoop by Fred Lager. This book chronicled the birth of Ben and Jerry's Ice cream in 1978 as a one store ice cream shop in Vermont to it's becoming available nationwide in the early 1990's. The book was published in 1994, and left me wondering about the impacts of the company as it continued to grow in popularity and the sustainability of company sponsored charities/event/etc. I don't eat ice cream very often, due to not being able to digest milk very well. However, I do have a fond remembrance of this brand coming onto the market in the Chicago-land area when I was a teenager in the early 90's, and it it one of the few normal ice cream brands I still occasionally buy when buying store-bought ice cream.
It doesn't always happen. When I read the Latest Game of Thrones books, George R.R. Martin's descriptions of feasts didn't leave me hungry. The descriptions of the feasts in The Hunger Games when Katniss and Petta are in the capital did not leave me longing for a suitable snack similar to one I had just read about.
However, Every time I re-read The Lord of the Rings books I end up cooking myself a pan of mushrooms, and every Redwall book that I ever read had me trying to recreat deeper 'n ever pie, and hotroot soup (I was so happy to find the Redwall cookbook - the recipes are not always what I had imagined them to taste like but they are fun to make).
I would love to hear how others are affected by cravings while reading.
For instance, I found myself buying some Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream the other day while picking up some small sundries at the pharmacy. I blame this on one of the last books I read in 2011. The book in question was Ben and Jerry's: The Inside Scoop by Fred Lager. This book chronicled the birth of Ben and Jerry's Ice cream in 1978 as a one store ice cream shop in Vermont to it's becoming available nationwide in the early 1990's. The book was published in 1994, and left me wondering about the impacts of the company as it continued to grow in popularity and the sustainability of company sponsored charities/event/etc. I don't eat ice cream very often, due to not being able to digest milk very well. However, I do have a fond remembrance of this brand coming onto the market in the Chicago-land area when I was a teenager in the early 90's, and it it one of the few normal ice cream brands I still occasionally buy when buying store-bought ice cream.
It doesn't always happen. When I read the Latest Game of Thrones books, George R.R. Martin's descriptions of feasts didn't leave me hungry. The descriptions of the feasts in The Hunger Games when Katniss and Petta are in the capital did not leave me longing for a suitable snack similar to one I had just read about.
However, Every time I re-read The Lord of the Rings books I end up cooking myself a pan of mushrooms, and every Redwall book that I ever read had me trying to recreat deeper 'n ever pie, and hotroot soup (I was so happy to find the Redwall cookbook - the recipes are not always what I had imagined them to taste like but they are fun to make).
I would love to hear how others are affected by cravings while reading.
02 January, 2012
2012 plans
On one of the other forums I read we've been talking about what series we want to keep up with in 2012, what our reading goals are for the year and such. I thought I would share my goals for 2012.
* Read 150 books - this is less than what I read in 2011 but I have a very intense course load this spring.
* Take more advantage of the nook. With the longer commute I see more ebooks and audiobooks in my future.
* Continue to read down the tbr pile of bookcrossing books from past trades.
* balance the bookcrossing books I read with my regular TBR pile.
* Start writing reviews again. - I miss the critical writing these made me do.
* post here once a week or more
* Wild release 1-2 books a week
* Start the Culture series that Elengil has been raving about.
* Read 150 books - this is less than what I read in 2011 but I have a very intense course load this spring.
* Take more advantage of the nook. With the longer commute I see more ebooks and audiobooks in my future.
* Continue to read down the tbr pile of bookcrossing books from past trades.
* balance the bookcrossing books I read with my regular TBR pile.
* Start writing reviews again. - I miss the critical writing these made me do.
* post here once a week or more
* Wild release 1-2 books a week
* Start the Culture series that Elengil has been raving about.
31 December, 2011
2011 wrap up
In 2011 I read 164 books. This count includes all paper, audio book, ebooks, graphic novels, and children's books I read over the year (though I don't keep track of the books I read with the kids at work). The breakdown includes:
164 books read
71 audiobooks
13 ebooks
12 graphic novels
55 bookcrossing books
If you are interested in seeing what I read this past year my 2011 Goodreads shelf
164 books read
71 audiobooks
13 ebooks
12 graphic novels
55 bookcrossing books
If you are interested in seeing what I read this past year my 2011 Goodreads shelf
02 December, 2011
Book Review: The Thirteenth Tale: A Novel by Diane Setterfield
When amateur biographer Margaret Lea receives a letter from reclusive author Vida Winter offering her a job she is stumped as to why she has been chosen. A lover of nineteenth century literature, Margret has never even read one of the contemporary author’s books. However, when Margaret picks up one of the authors well loved books she finds herself drawn into its prose. The book , one that she has found tucked safely in the safe in her father’s rare and antique book store, is a rare copy titled Thirteen Tales of Change and Desperation. This is a collection of short stories by the author that is missing a tale, only having twelve tales rather than the thirteen proclaimed in the title. A fact that causes the early editions to be recalled from bookshops. Leaving readers worldwide to speculate ‘What is the thirteenth tale?
Margaret travels to Vita Winter’s home and finds the woman ill, and facing death. She wants to tell someone the tale of her life before she became Vita Winter the author. Margaret who has her own secret from birth finds herself drawn to parallels in Vita’s story to her own life. As the story unfolds, Margaret finds herself drawn into the history of the Angelfield family. From the beautiful Isabelle, her feral twin daughters Emmaline and Adeline, a ghost, and the governess who comes into the house and changes everything for the girls, Margaret finds the details as gothic and strange as those of her well loved Jane Eyre. But as the tale unfolds, and Margaret researches the facts shared with her, she begins to wonder. What are these ghosts that torment Vita Winters? What happened the night of the fire that disfigured her hand? How did Adeline Angelfield become transformed from a feral and violent girl to the Well loved literary figure of Vita Winter?
I found this story engrossing, and finished it in several days. The mystery of Vita Winter’s past drew me in. I’m extremely glad that I stumbled across it in my TBR pile.
09 November, 2011
Book Review: The Shepherd's Tale (Serenity, #3) by Zack Whedon, Joss Whedon, Chris Samnee, Dave Stewart (Artist), Steve Morris (Artist)
One of the big storyline mysteries that never got answered due to the show Firefly being canceled was “Who is Sheppard Book?” We are given hints that he is more than he seems throughout the short series. He is a man of great faith, with a shadowed and secret past. In the graphic novel The Shepherd’s Tale, we are shown who this mystery preacher really is, and how he ended up on the firefly captained by Mal, Serenity.
One thing I enjoyed about the book was the fact that it starts at the end of Shepherd Book’s life and goes back down to him being a young man living life on the streets. It peels back the layers composing Book’s past. However, this was short . Zack Whedon stated in the foreword that this was based off of notes/timeline written by Joss Whedon. It feels like that at times when reading. The story is presented in a very bare bones way that while answering the question of who is shepherd Book leaves the reader wondering more about Book himself. While answering the question of his past, the vignettes of his history don’t always feel like they are fleshing out the character. My favorite portion of the story is when Book finds faith in a bowl of soup…
I’ve seen many comments in negative regards as to the artist chosen for this graphic novel. I will say now that I absolutely enjoyed artist Chris Samnee’s interpretation of the Firefly universe. Dark and gritty at times, the images capture the story fantastically. The complaints that I read, where mainly centered around the fact that the few images of the crew of Serenity don’t look exactly like the show. But, I thought the artist captured Book with great depth. The thing I love about graphic novels is that you get to see what the story looks like through the imagination of the artist. While this book does not match the earlier graphic novels it stands on its own for it’s own style of drawing involved in it.
As a fan of the series, I was excitedly waiting for the release of this graphic novel. Despite the reservations I had regarding the story I found myself drawn in to it. I miss this fictional universe, quite a lot, so being able to visit it again was fantastic. This is definitely a book for the fans, and I am looking forward to more comic/graphic novel forays into it in the future from Joss & Zack Whedon.
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