A Midwife's Tale Read-a-Long

I know I'm on vacation and I'm not really supposed to be posting. ;O)  However, I am participating in Wallace's (Unputdownables) read-a-long of A Midwife's Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard, Based on Her Diary, 1785-1812 by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich.  We can always count on Wallace to make excellent literary choices for her read-a-longs.  Sadly, I have failed at two of them.  One was John Adams, which I was enjoying, but fell way behind.  I will finish it, but it's a backseat project at this point.   The second was To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf, which I hate to admit I was having tremendous difficulty with.  It is not a vacation kind of read.  I will pick it up again when I have more time to read it slowly and to absorb the words.  I am determined to stay caught up on this book and complete this read-a-long.  It is a historical book, my favorite subject, so I know it will prove to be interesting.

About the book:
Drawing on the diaries of a midwife and healer in eighteenth-century Maine, this intimate history illuminates the medical practices, household economies, religious rivalries, and sexual mores of the New England frontier.  Winner of the Pulitzer Prize. (from Goodreads)


If you would like to join in on the read-a-long, visit the start-up post HERE.


Wish me luck!

BOOK REVIEW: THUMBING THROUGH THOREAU (EBOOK)

Thumbing Through Thoreau: A Book of Quotations by Henry David Thoreau 
Compiled by Kenny Luck
Illustrated by Jay Luke and Ren Adams


My thoughts:  Kenny Luck was a young man who felt such an affinity toward Thoreau that he spent months studying Thoreau's works from a devotional point of view.  He began collecting Thoreau's quotes and soon found that the quotes had relevance to many aspects of life.  He decided to compile the quotes into a book to share with others.  The book is divided into sections.  The sections are Society and Government, Spirituality and Nature, and Love.  Kenny also includes an index which enables the reader to quickly locate quotes pertaining to subjects they are interested in such as:  war, truth, mankind, sympathy, etc.

I enjoyed this book.  I have long been a fan of Thoreau's writings and I liked the way this book touched on many of his most brilliant quotes, at least in my opinion.  The only downside was reading the eBook on my Sony Reader, which is not color.  The book is purported to have beautiful illustrations and, unfortunately, I was unable to experience them as I was reading.  In the end though, the words are what matter and here are some of the quotes that I found most meaningful....

It is never too late to give up our prejudices.  (Walden, "Economy," p. 9)

There are thousands who are in opinion opposed to slavery and to the war, who yet in effect do nothing to put an end to them...  (Civil Disobedience, p. 362)

The mass of mankind who lives in houses or shops...know nothing of the beautiful days which are passing about and around them.  Is not such a day worthy of hymn?  It is such a day as mankind might spend in praising and glorifying nature.  It might be spent as a natural Sabbath, if only all men would accept the hint, devoted to unworthy thoughts.  (Journal V, vol. II, August 19, 1853, p. 383)

It is astonishing, as well as sad, how many trivial affairs even the wisest man thinks he must attend to in a day...
(Familiar Letters and Index, vol. 6 "Letters to Harrison Blake," March 27, 1848, p. 161)

Nothing can be more useful to a man than a determination not to be hurried.  (Journal I, vol. 7, March 22, 1842, p. 342)

Every man carries a fire in his eyes, or in his blood, or in his brain.  (Journal II, vol. 8, July 16, 1850, p.41)

There is never an instant's truce between virtue and vice.  Goodness is the only investment that never fails.
(Walden, "Higher Laws," p. 241)

I learned this, at least, by my experiment:  that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined,  he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.
(Walden, "Conclusion," p. 356)

If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be.  Now put the foundations under them.  (Walden, "Conclusion," p. 356)

However mean your life is, meet it and live it; do not shun it or call it hard names.  It is not so bad as you are.  It looks poorest when you are richest.  The faultfinder will find faults even in paradise.  Love your life, poor as it is.
(Walden, "Conclusion," p. 361)

Life is so short that it is not wise to take roundabout ways, nor can we spend much time in waiting.
(Familiar Letters and Index vol. 6, "Letters to Harrison Blake," September 1852, p.220)

Great thoughts make great men.  (Journals I, vol. 7, February 7, 1841, p. 2)

All the past is equally a failure and a success; it is a success in as much as it offers you the present opportunity.
(Journal II, vol. 8, 1850, p. 44)

...I have freedom in my thought(s), and in my soul (I) am free.  (Journal II, vol. 8, July 21, 1851, p. 325)

What infinite faith and promise and moderation begins (with) each new day!
(Journal II, vol. 8, August 12, 1851, p. 3)

Book website:
http://www.thumbingthroughthoreau.com

Kenny Luck

Buy on Amazon

Sample Illustrations:
http://www.tribute-books.com/thoreau/photos.html
http://www.tribute-books.com/thoreau/photos2.html

Cover Illustration:
http://www.tribute-books.com/thoreau/photos3.html

Read an excerpt from book's introduction HERE

Visit compiler Kenny Luck on Facebook

Tribute Books website

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Tribute Books on Twitter


Reading Challenges
Monthly Mix-Up Mania
The Dewey Decimal Challenge
Outdo Yourself



I received an eBook copy of this book from Tribute Books to read and review.  I received no monetary compensation and the review is my honest opinion.

A GAME OF THRONES...BOOK AND TELEVISION SERIES REVIEW

My thoughts on the book:
A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin was published in 1996.  I can't believe it took me fifteen years to discover it.  I have always been a lover of the fantasy genre, especially epic fantasy such as this book, so it's quite strange that I never picked it up.  Not until I started seeing previews of a certain series that was coming to HBO in Spring 2011 did I learn that it was based on a book and then my interest was piqued... highly.  This book is both plot and character driven and that is what makes it so great.  The story and setting, while laced with fantastical elements, also have a historical feel.  It really is like a medieval historical in many instances.  As historical fiction and fantasy are two of my favorite genres, the book appeals to my love of both.  And what can I say about the characters?  They are so richly drawn...so fully fleshed out, that it was almost like they were breathing beside me as I read.  These are characters that I bled with, wept with, and mourned for.  Characters I loved so much that when something bad happened I was filled with rage and wanted to throw the book across the room--or go inside the book and throttle the person responsible! While I badly wanted to finish reading it, as I approached the end, I did not want to let it go.  And it has one of the most spectacular endings ever! I am not the type that picks up the next book in a series immediately (often going months or years between books), but in this case, it's going to be very hard to resist.  If you have not read A Game of Thrones yet, I have to ask you.  What are you waiting for?!

A book description will appear at the end of the post.

My thoughts on the HBO television series:
HBO really has a knack for bringing quality entertainment to television.  The task of bringing a story with the epic scale of A Game of Thrones (they drop the 'A' in the series) had to be daunting.  But they managed to translate the entire first book into the first season of the series and they did it without much change to the original story.  Sure there are some differences, as there always are in screen adaptations of books, but it is done so well that any differences are a moot point.  I was reading the book right along with the show and I definitely did not see anything to be outraged about.  I was predominantly pleased with the actors that were chosen to play the roles and there are some damn talented people who make up the cast.  I expect to see Golden Globes and Emmy's in its future.  If there aren't, then people aren't watching the same show.

I want to showcase some of my favorite characters and the actors that portray them.

Eddard (Ned) Stark, portrayed by Sean Bean, is the Lord of Winterfell and becomes the Hand of the king.  He is an honest and just man and prefers to deal with corruption head on which causes him some trouble, but he is a character to admire greatly.  Bean is a favorite actor of mine and he does a great job as Ned Stark.

Jon Snow, portrayed by Kit Harington, is the bastard son of Ned Stark.  He has always lived in the Winterfell household and been close with his brothers and sisters, but he never truly feels he belongs, which isn't helped by the rejection by Catelyn Stark, Ned's wife.  Jon's character is very complex and interesting and he is much like his father, kind and generous.  Harington, a relative newcomer (this is really his first role according to IMDB), is very compelling as Jon with a haunted shadow echoing behind his eyes.

Arya Stark, portrayed by Maisie Williams, is the youngest daughter of Ned Stark.  She is a tomboyish girl who would much rather wear pants and deal in swordplay than wear a dress and practice embroidery.  She has a lot of spunk and she's kind and honest.  Not surprising that she is very close to her half brother, Jon Snow.  They are alike in many ways.  Williams has an elvin quality about her and she becomes Arya, even looking like a boy when the plot calls for it.

Tyrion Lannister, portrayed by Peter Dinklage, is the eldest sibling of Jaime and Cersei Lannister, and he is a dwarf.  Always openly ridiculed by his father because of his dwarfism, he compensated for his lack of stature by building his mind.  A very smart man, he is probably the most clever character in the story.  And he's an ambiguous character.  We never really know if he is good or bad.  Dinklage is absolutely brilliant as Tyrion.  I have admired his work for years and he definitely shows off his acting chops in this show.

Khal Drogo, portrayed by Jason Momoa, doesn't really say much, but the power he exudes, both on the page and on screen, is something that has to be respected.  Momoa is a strapping hunk of a man and brings Drogo's warrior spirit to the screen and hurls it in our faces.  I have to be honest.  Every time he was on screen, I almost swooned.  ;O)

If you haven't had the opportunity to watch this yet and you have OnDemand, GO...WATCH IT! And if you have to wait until it comes out on DVD, I weep for you.  LOL! Yes, it's THAT good!

Book description of A Game of Thrones (from Goodreads):
Long ago, in a time forgotten, a preternatural event threw the seasons out of balance. In a land where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. The cold is returning, and in the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister forces are massing beyond the kingdom's protective Wall. To the south, the king's powers are failing: his most trusted advisor dead under mysterious circumstances and his enemies emerging from the shadows of the throne. At the center of the conflict lie the Starks of Winterfell, a family as harsh and unyielding as the land they were born to. Now Lord Eddard Stark is reluctantly summoned to serve as the king's new Hand, an appointment that threatens to sunder not only his family but the kingdom itself. 


Sweeping from a harsh land of cold to a distant summertime kingdom of epicurean plenty, A Game of Thrones tells a tale of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and bastards, who come together in a time of grim omens. Here, an enigmatic band of warriors bear swords of no human metal, a tribe of fierce wildlings carry men off into madness, a cruel young dragon prince barters his sister to win back his throne, a child is lost in the twilight between life and death, and a determined woman undertakes a treacherous journey to protect all she holds dear. Amid plots and counterplots, tragedy and betrayal, victory and terror, allies and enemies, the fate of the Starks hangs perilously in the balance, as each endeavors to win that deadliest of conflicts: the game of thrones.


Qualifies for the following reading challenges:
Spring Reading Thing
Once Upon a Time
Alphabet Challenge
Monthly Mix-Up Mania
Historical Fiction Challenge
Chunkster Challenge
2011 Fantasy Reading Challenge
Historical Tour De Genre
Outdo Yourself 2011
101 Fantasy Reading Challenge

4 Mini-Reviews...A Catch-Up on Reviews

Queen of the Damned--Anne Rice (audio--abridged)

Book description from Fantastic Fiction:

After 6000 years of stillness, Akasha, mother of vampires and Queen of the Damned has risen from her sleep. Her monstrous plan of ruling the worlds of the living and the undead must be stopped. The challenge is left to the vampire Lestat, for it was he who woke her from her sleep.

My thoughts:

Anyone who knows me knows that this is my favorite book.  This was my fourth reading of it.  Let me give you some advice.  NEVER listen to an abridged version of your favorite book! If this version would have been the way and extent that it was originally written, I would not have even liked it.  All the elements that made it my favorite in the first place are gone.  In the original, it is not just the paranormal element that draws you in.  It has a strong historical element that appealed to my historical sensibilities.  In this book, we learn the history and origin of the vampires and anyone who is familiar with Rice knows that she is very detailed.  Well, not in this version kiddos! All the detail and ancient legacy are stripped away.  People always say, "never judge a book by its movie."  I say never judge a book by its abridged audio version!

The Hunger Games--Suzanne Collins (audio--unabridged)

Book description from Fantastic Fiction:

Katniss is a 16-year-old girl living with her mother and younger sister in the poorest district of Panem, the remains of what used be the United States. Long ago the districts waged war on the Capitol and were defeated. As part of the surrender terms, each district agreed to send one boy and one girl to appear in an annual televised event called, "The Hunger Games." The terrain, rules, and level of audience participation may change but one thing is constant: kill or be killed. When Kat's sister is chosen by lottery, Kat steps up to go in her place.

My thoughts:

One of the best dystopian novels I have ever read.  Okay, well I've only read a handful, but I stand by my opinion.  The premise was believable.  It showed the reader, without coming out and saying it, why the districts waged war on the Capitol in the first place.  It's obvious that the Capitol is barbaric...I mean anyone that would expect children to fight to the death must have been guilty of some pretty heinous practices to begin with.  So fast forward to years past the war and you have districts that are starving while the Capitol exists in all its lavishness and gluttony.  Then they choose two children to fight to the death in The Hunger Games, they parade them around like celebrities only to watch them kill each other on live teleivision.  It's very scary and very heartbreaking.  Collins has written the most wonderful characters.  Katniss and Peeta are so believable,  it's like seeing your own children in them (or, if you're a teenaged reader, seeing yourself).  The only downside to this book was listening to it on audio...the reader had kind of a grating voice.  I can't wait to read the next book, Catching Fire, but I will definitely be reading the print version!

The Dark Divine--Bree Despain

Book description from Fantastic Fiction:

Grace Divine, daughter of the local pastor, always knew something terrible happened the night Daniel Kalbi disappeared--the night she found her brother Jude collapsed on the porch, covered in his own blood--but she has no idea what a truly monstrous secret that night held.

The memories her family has tried to bury resurface when Daniel returns, three years later, and enrolls in Grace and Jude's high school. Despite promising Jude she'll stay away, Grace cannot deny her attraction to Daniel's shocking artistic abilities, his way of getting her to look at the world from new angles, and the strange, hungry glint in his eyes.

The closer Grace gets to Daniel, the more she jeopardizes her life, as her actions stir resentment in Jude and drive him to embrace the ancient evil Daniel unleashed that horrific night. Grace must discover the truth behind the boy's dark secret...and the cure that can save the ones she loves. But she may have to lay down the ultimate sacrifice to do it--her soul.

My thoughts:

This is a hard one to review without giving away "the secret", although I'm sure a lot of people have read it and already know.  But I'm not going to be giving anything away so this will be a very basic review.  I loved this book!!! I read it in one day and it was one of those "can't put it down" books.  I enjoyed the mysterious element behind the secret and the history and aspect of the secret were intriguing.  Some great "world building" here, if I can call it that.  It's not really fantasy, but Despain's whole premise is excellent.  I'm impressed that this is her first novel.  I can't wait until the rest of the series!

The Little Stranger--Sarah Waters

Book description from Fantastic Fiction:

In a dusty post-war summer in rural Warwickshire, a doctor is called to see a patient at lonely Hundreds Hall. Home to the Ayres family for over two centuries, the once grand house is now in decline, its masonry crumbling, its garden choked with weeds. All around, the world is changing, and the family is struggling to adjust to a society with new values and rules.

Roddie Ayres, who returned from World War II physically and emotionally wounded, is desperate to keep the house and what remains of the estate together for the sake of his mother and his sister, Caroline. Mrs. Ayres is doing her best to hold on to the gracious habits of a gentler era and Caroline seems cheerfully prepared to continue doing the work a team of servants once handled, even if it means having little chance for a life of her own beyond Hundreds.

But as Dr. Faraday becomes increasingly entwined in the Ayreses' lives, signs of a more disturbing nature start to emerge, both within the family and in Hundreds Hall itself. And Faraday begins to wonder if they are all threatened by something more sinister than a dying way of life, something that could subsume them completely.


My thoughts:

I really enjoyed this book.  I could immediately see why it was short listed for the Man Booker Prize of 2009.  Waters's writing is SO good.  She is descriptive without being mundane.  The atmosphere of the book is gothic and Waters brings it across effortlessly.  Dr. Faraday is an uncomfortable character and he has you squirming in your seat, almost experiencing his discomfort vicariously.  As far as the supposed "haunting" goes, it's kind of what you expect when reading the description.  However, you're never quite sure if it's really a ghost or more a psychological form of mass hysteria among the characters.  But that is the beauty of this book.  It's very spooky without being obvious.  The feel of it brings to mind the movie The Others, that whole gothic ghost story feel, but without the shocker ending, of course.  That was what I thought I was disappointed with in this book...the ending.  But, as I've had more time to think about it, Waters left things that way purposely, so you could draw your own conclusion.  Not all endings can be wrapped up in a pretty bow and this ending worked for this book.

These books qualify for the following challenges:

(click here to view challenge progress on my challenge blog and don't forget to follow me there--I'm at 15 followers and I've changed the giveaway goal over there to 30 followers!)

Pages Read Challenge (all four)
100+ Reading Challenge (all four)
Countdown Challenge 2010 (The Hunger Games)
Thriller & Suspense Reading Challenge (The Little Stranger)
New Authors Challenge (The Little Stranger, The Hunger Games, The Dark Divine)
Hogwarts Reading Challenge (The Dark Divine)
Take Another Chance Challenge (The Dark Divine)
GLBT Challenge 2010 (The Little Stranger)
Audio Book Challenge (Hunger Games, Queen of the Damned)
1st in a Series (Hunger Games)

Book review--Fragile by Chris Katsaropoulos

Book description from goodreads:

Amelia Geist, Holly Schenck, and Tris Holloway are all broken--in one way or another.

In a lifelong act of penitence and defiance, Amelia Geist has remained a virgin and saved herself for Tris, her first love, who abandoned her more than fifty years ago. A few weeks from retirement, Tris Holloway has led a separate life of his own in the hills above Silicon Valley, sealed by inertia within the confines of a loveless marriage and shattered by his decision to leave Amelia. The only person who can repair the rift between Tris and Amelia is Holly, a single mother without means, who is trying somehow to mend her life while laid out in a hospital bed, a victim of her own suicide attempt. The stories of Tris, Holly, and Amelia are presented in Fragile as broken fragments, woven together by profound truth and an astonishing connection that transcends the boundaries between this world and the next.

My thoughts:

Fragile is an interesting character study of three people--an older woman (Amelia) who gave up her first love and never loved again, a man (Tris) who is the love that was given up and is now in a loveless marriage, and a young woman (Holly) who is looking for love wherever she can find it and no matter what the cost.  It is written in such a way that each character's section picks up without a noticeable transition.  At times you can get lost, at first not knowing that the point of view has shifted.  Also, a little over halfway through the book, Amelia started getting all philosophical and **SPOILER ALERT** I had to go back and reread the section to realize that she had died.   The connection of the three characters comes when Tris and Holly encounter each other at Amelia's funeral, but it's not really profound like I thought it would be.  This book was a fast read because it is relatively short.  However, there really wasn't much character development with the exception of Holly.  Holly was the character with the most depth.  Her pain could be sensed.  A life of being molested as a child and a future of always choosing the wrong men...her need to fill a hole inside herself.  Holly was the character that I found myself having feelings for, as a good character has the power to evoke emotions of love, anger and frustration in the reader.  Holly did that for me.  In all, Fragile is the book to read if you're looking for a short, albeit underdeveloped, character study.



FTC Disclosure:  I received this book for review from Smith Publicity.  I was not monetarily compensated for this review.

TuesBookTalk--Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

Have you been wanting to read the Man Booker Prize winner of 2009, Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel?  Has it been languishing in your TBR stack--looking at you with forlorn eyes?  Well, I have just the thing for you.  On Tuesday, June 1st we will begin discussing Wolf Hall on TuesBookTalk on Twitter.  We are starting with Part One.  The chat starts at 10:30 pm ET (9:30 pm CT) and lasts for an hour.  You can follow @TuesBookTalk and/or @TrueBookAddict for information and updates.  The hashtag we use for the chat is #TuesBookTalk (or #tuesbooktalk).  I hope you will join us! From what I've been hearing around the blogosphere, it's a great book!

Book review--Anastasia's Secret by Susanne Dunlap

Blog Tour

Description from Goodreads:

“Will I never see you again either?” I asked, feeling as though I was about to jump off a high mountain peak and hope to land without hurting myself. That’s how impossible everything seemed at that moment, no matter what I did. “Perhaps we will meet again,” Sasha said, softening his voice. “But you must see that it does not matter. You have so much ahead of you. It’s your choice now. Choose the future! Choose life!”

For Anastasia Romanov, life as the privileged daughter of Russia’s last tsar is about to be torn apart by the bloodshed of revolution. Ousted from the imperial palace when the Bolsheviks seize control of the government, Anastasia and her family are exiled to Siberia. But even while the rebels debate the family’s future with agonizing slowness and the threat to their lives grows more menacing, romance quietly blooms between Anastasia and Sasha, a sympathetic young guard she has known since childhood. But will the strength of their love be enough to save Anastasia from a violent death?

Inspired by the mysteries that have long surrounded the last days of the Romanov family, Susanne Dunlap’s new novel is a haunting vision of the life—and love story—of Russia’s last princess.

My thoughts:

The Romanov family of Russia have always held a certain fascination for me.  I can remember reading about the tragic fate of the royal family when I was a teen and I subsequently looked for any book I could find on the subject.  Then there was a television movie about Anastasia surviving (which starred Amy Irving) and the attempt to prove her identity and I was thoroughly hooked on the notion that she did indeed survive and was living somewhere as a happy old woman.  I think most of us who know what happened to the Romanovs and have heard the legends surrounding Anastasia have always hoped that she did survive.  It's human nature to hope for triumph out of tragedy.

So when I saw this book come up for review on Other Shelf Tours, I signed up immediately.  And I was not disappointed.  The book relates the events leading up to the downfall of the Tsar and the fate of the Romanov family told entirely from Anastasia's point of view.  And a forbidden love enters the mix, which adds to the intrigue as Anastasia struggles to keep it secret from her family.  As time goes by, it becomes increasingly important to keep their relationship secret because Sasha wants to use his unique position as a soldier to save Anastasia.  Ultimately, Anastasia must decide between her family or the love of her life.  I will not tell you her decision.  That you will have to read for yourself!

I really enjoyed this book because it took an intriguing historical event and put a very personal, human face on it.  You feel sympathy for the royal family, yet it is also evident why the royal family's extravagance was misconstrued by the common people.  Yes, they did live lavishly, which is typical of a royal family, but they were a close knit family who spent much time together as a family in activities very much the same as any ordinary family.  Also, it was obvious that the Tsar did care about his subjects.  I found Ms. Dunlap's work to be very historically accurate.  Although it is obvious that this book is written for an young adult audience, it was a fast read and it kept my interest until the end.  I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys YA books, especially those who like the historical genre. 

The awful fate of the Romanovs

One of the greatest mysteries for most of the twentieth century was the fate of the Romanov family, the last Russian monarchy. Following the abdication of Tsar NicholasII, he and his wife, Alexandra, and their five children were eventually exiled to the city of Yekaterinburg. The family, along with four loyal members of their staff, was held captive by members of the Ural Soviet. According to historical reports, in the early morning hours of July 17, 1918 the entire family along with four loyal members of their staff was executed by a firing squad. After a failed attempt to dispose of the remains in an abandoned mine shaft, the bodies were transported to an open field only a few kilometers from the mine shaft. Nine members of the group were buried in one mass grave while two of the children were buried in a separate grave. With the official discovery of the larger mass grave in 1991, and subsequent DNA testing to confirm the identities of the Tsar, the Tsarina, and three of their daughters - doubt persisted that these remains were in fact those of the Romanov family. In the summer of 2007, a group of amateur archeologists discovered a collection of remains from the second grave approximately 70 meters from the larger grave. We report forensic DNA testing on the remains discovered in 2007 using mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), autosomal STR, and Y- STR testing. Combined with additional DNA testing of material from the 1991 grave, we have virtually irrefutable evidence that the two individuals recovered from the 2007 grave are the two missing children of the Romanov family: the Tsarevich Alexei and one of his sisters. (source: Science Blogs)

Romanov Royal Family

(Anastasia is the youngest girl in the center with her brother, Alexei)

This book was read for the following challenges:

I will list the challenges soon.

FTC Disclosure:  I received this book in conjunction with a blog tour.  Book was mailed on to next tour participant.  I was not monetarily compensated for reading or reviewing this book.

Dear Readers...a question?

As many of you know, I was quite ill with strep throat a couple of weeks ago and there was a fear that I might have mono.  Well, I had a relapse over the weekend and as of today, I'm not much better.  I'll probably go to the doctor tomorrow and get tested.  Please God, don't let it be mono!

Anyway, just when I thought things couldn't get any worse...I have actually lost one of the books I was reading! I put down Cardboard (Fiona Place) temporarily so I could get Anastasia's Secret (Susanne Dunlap) read for a blog tour and now I can't find it anywhere! I have never misplaced a book--that I was in the process of reading--in my life.  My apologies to Ms. Place as it looks like there will be further delay on my review until I can hunt down the book.  Shall I place a big "L" on my forehead?!

So, tell me dear readers, have you ever lost a book you were in the middle of reading (please tell me I'm not the only one)?!

Mini Review--Partners in Crime by Agatha Christie

Partners in Crime--Agatha Christie

About the book:
Tommy and Tuppence Beresford were restless for adventure, so when they were asked to take over Blunt's International Detective Agency, they leapt at the chance. After their triumphant recovery of a pink pearl, intriguing cases kept on coming their way.

My thoughts:

This was my first Agatha Christie! We read this for my Tuesday night book chat, TuesBookTalk, on Twitter.  The book is arranged like short stories with each chapter being a new case for Tommy and Tuppence to investigate (some cases were two chapters).  It was a quick and entertaining read.  Some of the cases were easy to figure out, but I have to admit that most of them had me stumped.  Christie truly was a master.  I'm looking forward to reading more of her books.

Mini Review--The Poetry of Cats

The Poetry of Cats (edited by Samuel Carr) is a slim volume choc full of poems about cats, many written by some very famous writers.  I enjoyed it immensely (big surprise)! Anything about cats is always a good read for me.  I love the writing and poetry of Christina Rossetti so the following poem was my favorite from the book:

On the death of a cat
     A friend of mine aged ten years and a half

Who shall tell the lady's grief
When her Cat was past relief?
Who shall number the hot tears
Shed o'er her, belov'd for years?
Who shall say the dark dismay
Which her dying caused that day?

Come, ye Muses, one and all,
Come obedient to my call;
Come and mourn with tuneful breath
Each one for a separate death;
And, while you in numbers sigh,
I will sing her elegy.

Of a noble race she came,
And Grimalkin was her name.
Young and old full many a mouse
Felt the prowess of her house;
Weak and strong full many a rat
Cowered beneath her crushing pat;
And the birds around the place
Shrank from her too close embrace.
But one night, reft of her strength,
She laid down and died at length:
Lay a kitten by her side
In whose life the mother died.
Spare her line and lineage,
Guard her kitten's tender age.
And that kitten's name as wide
Shall be known as hers that died.
And whoever passes by
The poor grave where Puss doth lie,
Softly, softly let him tread,
Nor disturb her narrow bed.

Christina Rossetti

Anyone who has lost a beloved cat...or any pet...will feel the poignancy of this poem.

Book description (from back of book):

A unique celebration of the cat, with over 50 poems reflecting every feline mood.

Verses by famous poets including T.S. Eliot, Ted Hughes, W.B. Yeats, William Wordsworth and Edward Lear.

Beautifully illustrated with drawings and paintings by Renoir, Manet, Picasso and many others.

Read for the following challenges:

Cat Book Challenge  3 / 12 books
Pages Read Challenge  1900 / 30,000 pages
100+ Reading Challenge  9 / 100+ books
Clover, Bee & Reverie: A Poetry Challenge  1 / 2 books
Buck a Book Challenge

Recreate a Book Cover!

Once again, Princess Bookie is having her Recreate a Book Cover Contest.  I thought I would give it a shot this time.  So here is my entry:

What do you think?

Review: Shutter Island...Book and Movie

These are going to be short reviews because to talk too much about either would give away surprise plot twists.  Without further ado...

Shutter Island--Dennis Lehane

Synopsis:

Summer, 1954.

U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels has come to Shutter Island, home of Ashecliffe Hospital for the Criminally Insane. Along with his partner, Chuck Aule, he sets out to find an escaped patient, a murderess named Rachel Solando, as a hurricane bears down upon them

But nothing at Ashecliffe Hospital is what it seems.

And neither is Teddy Daniels.

Is he there to find a missing patient? Or has he been sent to look into rumors of Ashecliffe?s radical approach to psychiatry? An approach that may include drug experimentation, hideous surgical trials, and lethal countermoves in the shadow war against Soviet brainwashing. . . .

Or is there another, more personal reason why he has come there?

As the investigation deepens, the questions only mount:

How has a barefoot woman escaped the island from a locked room?

Who is leaving clues in the form of cryptic codes?

Why is there no record of a patient committed there just one year before?

What really goes on in Ward C?

Why is an empty lighthouse surrounded by an electrified fence and armed guards?

The closer Teddy and Chuck get to the truth, the more elusive it becomes, and the more they begin to believe that they may never leave Shutter Island.Because someone is trying to drive them insane. . . .

My review:

Shutter Island is a first-rate thriller.  Dennis Lehane has succeeded in writing an atmospheric period piece that echoes the conspiracy theories and such that abounded after World War II and at the start of the Cold War.  The book draws you in and then pulls you along...quite willingly...to the shocking conclusion.  Along the way, the protagonists do not know who to trust and even begin distrusting themselves and each other.  More than just a mystery, Shutter Island is a master class on the workings of the human mind. 

Shutter Island...the movie.

My take:

Very seldom is there a movie that does not totally obliterate the book it is based on.  This is one of them.  Scorsese takes Lehane's book and makes a movie that is so very like the book, even large portions of dialogue are exactly the same.  DiCaprio is spot on as the detective who is trying to solve the mysterious disappearance while he wrestles with personal demons from his past.  All the performances are excellent, which I'm sure Scorsese has a hand in, as he is a fantastic director.  The movie may even one-up the book in being even more atmospheric (did I just say that?!).  Some of the critics out there have been less than kind, with which I totally disagree.  And I was shocked the other day when a newscaster on ABC World News Now gave away a major plot surprise!  Very badly done.  If you dislike the movie, say so, but do not give away the plot or at least give a spoiler warning!

Shutter Island...book and movie...definitely a must-read and a must-see!

For the following challenges:

Read the Book, See the Movie Challenge  2 / 4
Thriller & Suspense Reading Challenge   2 / 12
100+ Reading Challenge  5 / 100+
Pages Read Challenge  1429 / 30,000
Monthly Mixer Mele  6 / 74 
A Buck A Book Challenge

Click on any one of these challenges and you will be taken to my challenge blog.  Become a follower...when I reach 40 followers I will be hosting a giveaway!
  

Blog Tour Stop & Book Review--The Aelf Club: Unity by Stuart Brooke Richardson

About the book:

Sara DeVere is special – but until her thirteenth birthday she had no earthly idea why. As she enters the eighth grade, Sara begins a mind-bending journey into the unknown – a journey that will eventually lead her to her destiny with a group of extraordinary friends, and with two unique teachers who come to share a deep secret with Sara. As the storyline progresses, our heroine is faced with some of the greatest tests one could possibly endure – not the least of which includes falling victim to the evil of a rapidly growing global threat. But in the company of good friends her will is strengthened, along with her growing knowledge of ancient Secrets – and the wisdom to use such knowledge in the fight for justice. “Unity” – the first volume in “The Aelf Club” series – contains many facets, combined in such a way as to create a tantalizing ‘rabbit hole’ for the hungry reader; it is at once a coming of age story, a historical saga, an immense spiritual journey, a manual of higher learning, and an epic adventure full of international intrigue and nail-biting suspense! For those diehard fans of Harry Potter and other such mystical adventures, “Unity” is sure to please – offering an alluring combination of elements that will entice the imagination and stimulate the mind. This is a tale of immense proportions…

My review:

This book held such promise in the beginning.  The concept is very unique and interesting, but it was hard to get past the things that were wrong with the book for me to really enjoy it. 

Number 1--I could not help but focus on the overuse of the word gazed, "gazed into each others eyes" or "she gazed around the room" or just plain "gazed" was used on almost every single page of this book.  The book is 310 pages so that's almost 310 times that this word was used!

Number 2--Too much detailed description of the processes of going into the "Moongate" and about the "Unity-Point."  It almost made me feel like I was reading a science book.  Yes, there was adventure in this book, but it was too heavily weighed down with these technical descriptions to enjoy it.

Number 3--The explanation for all the extraordinary persons in history such as Leonardo Da Vinci or Plato is that they were all Aelfs.  So in this book, no ordinary human beings are extraordinary.  If you're gifted, then you're an Aelf.  If not, you're just a lowly human.  While I realize that this is just a fantasy, I still had a hard time swallowing the concept.

I really hate when I do not like a book and I hate it even more to write a negative review.  But after starting this book over two weeks ago (310 pages people!) and just now finishing it, I have to chalk it up to the fact that I was just not that into this book.  If I were to recommend this to anyone, I would say it might appeal to a very young adult or older child because it does have adventurous potential.  This is the first book in a series and I hope that future books will be better.

This book was read in participation of a blog tour for Other Shelf Tours.



FTC Disclaimer:  I received this book to read and review for a blog tour and will not be retaining the copy.  I did not receive any monetary or other compensation.

Mini Review--Zodicat Speaks by Doctor Zodicat

Zodicat Speaks: Discover Your Cat's Astrological Signature, an adorable book that basically allows you to determine your cat's sign (if you know their exact or approximate birthdate).  If you are not sure of their birthdate, there is a section at the beginning that helps you determine their sign in three easy steps.  Since I know the exact birthdate of my cat, Alis (February 24, 2007), I found out that her sign is Pisces.  Here are some characteristics of the Pisces cat from the book:

PISCES (February 19/20 to March 19/20)

Mode:  Mutable
Element:  Water
Rulership:  Neptune

Pisces and Aries are adjacent signs, yet they couldn't have less in common.  The first and last signs of the Zodiac, they represent the beginning and end of the life cycle.  Aries is like the newborn, brimming with untamed impulses, whereas Pisces is the sage--compassionate, wise, and empathic.  This is the pet that senses your feelings, reflects your mood, and offers you comfort when you're feeling blue.  Pisceans do, however, have ideas of their own.  Ruled by fanciful Neptune, they are dreamers who live in an enchanted world that few can enter.

Aptitudes

• Turning banal circumstance into full-blooded drama--the fur along a Piscean spine can go rigid at the spectre of a mark on the floor (on a good day, a Piscean back goes up at the sight of the floor itself)
• Staring at walls
• staring at corners
• Giving you a good scolding when you need it

Attitudes

• Disapprove if they catch you feeling sorry for yourself
• Believe that life is brief and should be filled with as much light-hearted play as possible
• Consider their visions and fantasies to be as real as anything else
• When hunting, do not distinguish rubber bands and cellophane from mice
• Regard themselves as figments of their own imagination

Zodicat's Guide to Pisces

Life Ambition:  None
Pet Peeve:  Missing a nap
Favorite Pastime:  Chasing shadows
Ultimate Pleasure:  Dozing off
Moment of Truth:  Waking up
Highest Expression of Love:  Total identification with the loved one
Karmic Downfall:  Reality
Traumatic Past-Life Experience:  Forced to hunt for food
Possible Professions:  Mystic, martyr, healer
Appropriate Names:  Gandhi, Sebastian, Joan, Tammy-Faye LOL!

This describes darling Alis very well.  She can be a handful, but she's very loving and sweet.  I enjoyed reading this book and finding more insight into Alis.  I've had this book for a few years and I plan on keeping it so I can analyze any future kitties that come into my household!

This was my January read for:

FTC Disclaimer:  This book was purchased by me and is from my personal library.

Book Review--Winter's End by Jean-Claude Mourlevat (mini-review)

This is a dystopian YA book. It is a tale of a suppressed society where the children of a resistance movement have been kept in boarding schools that are not much better than prisons after their parents are dispatched. At the heart of the story is the suppression of arts and freedom. It takes the daughter and son of the resistance movement's most beloved figures to start the movement in motion once again.  The scenario in this book is something that could happen in any nation where censorship is allowed to flourish because censorship of the arts is ultimately at the heart of this story.  Anyone who enjoys reading  books about a suppressive society being overcome by freedom fighters would enjoy this book.  An exciting read containing inspiration and the triumph of the human spirit.

About the Book:

One voice is the weapon against tyranny in this powerful hymn to courage and freedom. Four teenagers escape from their prison-like boarding schools to take up the fight against the tyrannical government that murdered their parents fifteen years earlier. Fleeing across icy mountains from a pack of terrifying dog-men sent to hunt them down, only three of the friends make it safely to Jahn's Restaurant, the headquarters of a secret resistance movement. It is here they learn about courage, freedom and love, and discover the astonishing power of one voice as the battle begins - to free a depressed and terrified nation from a generation of cruelty, and to save their captured friend, forced to fight to the death in a barbaric ancient game.

Read for the following challenges:

ARC Reading Challenge 2010
Thriller & Suspense Reading Challenge 2010
2010 Young Adult Reading Challenge
100+ Reading Challenge

Pages Read Challenge--415 pages (Total to date: 743 pages)


 
FTC Disclaimer:  I received this ARC from Libary Thing as an early reviewer.  I did not receive any monetary compensation for reading and reviewing this book.

Review: The Lovely Bones...Book and Movie

The Lovely Bones is more than just a story of the tragedy of a murdered girl.  It is the story of a family and how the aftershocks of such a tragedy can rend and tear at the fragile threads that hold it together.  For anyone who has children, this is an especially difficult read because there are predators in this world and this story is something that could really happen--albeit without the fantastical elements.  I really liked the way Sebold had Susie in heaven and yet she was able to watch her family and almost make them feel her presence.  The story was really a parallel of a family that needed fixing and a girl who needed to move on to her afterlife.  Only after the family was able to heal (at the level that healing is possible when something like this happens), was Susie able to realize her peace.  The book is also very suspenseful and holds one of the most vial characters I have ever had the displeasure of reading.  I recommend this book for its beautiful writing and its cautionary tone...teach your children to keep their trust close.  There are monsters in this world and they can live right across the street.

The Lovely Bones--the movie

This was a very good movie.  Of course, what can we expect from Peter Jackson?! It stays relatively true to the book, with a few minor differences.  I have read critics complain that Jackson took too soft of a tone by not portraying that Susie is raped and murdered.  Depicting the rape, or even letting on that she was raped, was not necessary.  Anyone with a brain can figure out that this happens...clues are given in the obsessive behavior of the murderer.  It is beautifully acted.  Saoirse Ronan as Susie brings such luminosity to the role.  This girl has a very bright future in acting.  And Stanley Tucci...wow! I knew he was a good actor, but he really brings creepiness to a new level. 

Go see this movie, but read the book first (if possible).  I liked the movie, but I liked the book better (of course).

This book was read for these challenges:

Read the Book, See the Movie Challenge
Monthly Mixer Mele
Countdown Challenge 2010
New Authors Challenge




FTC Disclaimer:  This book came from my personal shelves and I did not receive any compensation for reading and reviewing it.

The Friday 56

Rules:


* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of this blog.
*Post a link along with your post back to this blog.
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

Helen took up her observation post again.  The men and women down below had risen to their feet to applaud the energetic entrance of a powerful man with a red beard, in a sheepskin-lined jacket so worn that it was shiny at the elbows.  He certainly hadn't gone to the trouble of putting on evening dress, and his muddy boots could have done with a good polishing.

Winter's End by Jean-Claude Mourlevat