In Memoriam: Ray Bradbury

(Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times / June 6, 2012)

I was saddened to hear today that Ray Bradbury has passed away at the age of 91.  My stomach actually lurched when I read the news and I felt tears coming to the surface.  Bradbury was one of my early introductions to the science fiction/speculative fiction genre.  I read The Martian Chronicles when I was about ten years old and I fell in love with his writing.  Another favorite was Something Wicked this Way Comes and, of course, his many short stories.  All of his books are worthy of a reread, especially the two mentioned above, which I plan to do in the future. Also, I love his book of essays on writing, Zen in the Art of Writing.  And we certainly must not forget Fahrenheit 451, which I have not yet read...shocker! But, read it or not, I think we can all agree on its iconic status, both as a literary classic and a frequently banned title.  And so, a legend has passed and I say, rest in peace, Mr. Bradbury.  You will be sorely missed.

Read this letter that Bradbury wrote to a Fayetteville librarian in 2006 at lettersofnote.com.

Check out this great video with him talking about writing persistently:

Armchair BEA: Networking in Real Life

I wasn't going to post today because, honestly, I haven't done much networking outside of online.  But then I read today's guest post over at the Armchair BEA blog and I saw a little thing on their top five suggestions for real life networking...charity book sales! In other words, library sales! Yes, I'm a big patron of library sales.  We have a monthly Friends of the Library sale at my local branch, the Second Saturday Book Sale.  I attend every month.  And I have even done some networking by discussing my blog and the book blogging community while I'm there.  I've also become friends with one of their regular volunteers on Goodreads.  I do utilize the site they mentioned, booksalefinder.com so I frequent other library and charity sales throughout the year as well.  I donate books to the library for their sales too.

So, I'm not a huge real life networker, but I have my little niche.  I hope to expand my horizons and I'm hoping my trip to the Southern Festival of Books this Fall will be more of a success than last (long story...I could only stay for about 30 minutes).

Armchair BEA: Best of 2012 and a {Give@way}

Today for Armchair BEA we are to list our top reads of 2012 (so far) and/or offer a giveaway.  I'm going to do both! Since the focus on this blog is primarily historical fiction I will be listing my top five historical fiction reads so far this year.  The giveaway will be for one of my favorite HF books of all time (details below).  Now...on with the list!

If you like, you may click the title to read my review of each book.

The King's Agent by Donna Russo Morin

The Crown by Nancy Bilyeau

At the Mercy of the Queen: A Novel of Anne Boleyn by Anne Clinard Barnhill

The Sister Queens by Sophie Perinot

The Sumerton Women by D.L. Bogdan

Now for the giveaway! One of my most favorite historical fiction books, arguably my number one favorite, is The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett.  I read it long before it became a selection for Oprah's Book Club, but once she selected it, it gained in popularity and received the recognition it deserved.  

About the book:

This book tells the tale of a twelfth-century monk driven to do the seemingly impossible: build the greatest Gothic cathedral the world has ever known.

Everything readers expect from Follett is here: intrigue, fast-paced action, and passionate romance. But what makes The Pillars of the Earth extraordinary is the time—the twelfth century; the place—feudal England; and the subject—the building of a glorious cathedral. Follett has re-created the crude, flamboyant England of the Middle Ages in every detail. The vast forests, the walled towns, the castles, and the monasteries become a familiar landscape. Against this richly imagined and intricately interwoven backdrop, filled with the ravages of war and the rhythms of daily life, the master storyteller draws the reader irresistibly into the intertwined lives of his characters—into their dreams, their labors, and their loves: Tom, the master builder; Aliena, the ravishingly beautiful noblewoman; Philip, the prior of Kingsbridge; Jack, the artist in stone; and Ellen, the woman of the forest who casts a terrifying curse. From humble stonemason to imperious monarch, each character is brought vividly to life.

The building of the cathedral, with the almost eerie artistry of the unschooled stonemasons, is the center of the drama. Around the site of the construction, Follett weaves a story of betrayal, revenge, and love, which begins with the public hanging of an innocent man and ends with the humiliation of a king.

At once a sensuous and endearing love story and an epic that shines with the fierce spirit of a passionate age, The Pillars of the Earth is without a doubt Ken Follett's masterpiece.

Giveaway Details:

I will purchase a gently used copy of the book from Better World Books (their used books are great quality.  I've ordered from them many times) and have it shipped to you.  Since they ship free worldwide, this giveaway is international! Please do not enter if you are not okay with a gently used copy.  To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter form and complete both entries.  Giveaway will end on Friday, June 8 at 11:59pm EST.  Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

TTBA Weekly News and Mailbox Monday

This feature was inspired by It's Monday! What are you reading? hosted by Sheila at Book Journey and by The Sunday Salon.

It's Armchair BEA this week! For those of us who don't want can't afford to make the trip to New York for the real thing, this is definitely the event that is the next best thing! If you haven't heard about it. (Have you been under a rock?  Just kidding!), you can go HERE to check out all the details and I think you can still jump in and participate (but don't quote me on that).  Today we were to post an introductory 'interview ourselves Q & A' for other participants to get to know us better.  You can read my post HERE.  Now, on to the happenings and goodies!

What's going on in my/the reading world....

Dream, the awesome site to help promote new books and win some in the meantime, has launched a brand new site.  It's in beta right now, but they have given me access and allowed me to pass access on to my readers.  Here are the details from Dream:

The new version of the site will be heavily focused on book critic reviews. This version is currently under invite-only beta and can be accessed through the following information:

Visit http://idre.am/newbooks

Special access code: discover_books

All you have to do to win some great new books is click on the Giveaways tab at the top of the site and click on 'see all giveaways'.  See a book you like?  Click enter to win to read all about it and then click enter to win again.  It will ask you to Tweet or share on Facebook (you can do both) and that gains you an entry.  Please keep in mind that you will need to sign up and link your Twitter and Facebook accounts.  Good luck!

The dedicated blog for my seasonal read-a-thons, Seasons of Reading, is live! I still have some things to add and I have to work on the official announcement and sign-up for the High Summer Read-a-Thon, but you can stop by over there and follow so you can stay up to date on all the read-a-thon news.   Click HERE, or the button above, to check it out!

Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia and is currently on tour. This month's host was a no show so Marcia is hosting at the MM blog this week.  Next week, my friend Marie at Burton Book Review will be hosting for the rest of June.  (You can click the book covers in the BookBox to view the book(s) on Amazon)

WON:
Switched by Amanda Hocking....from Book Goonie

Imperial Scandal by Teresa Grant...from the author (RHFL anniversary chat)

BOOKMOOCH:
The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie

GOODWILL:
Needful Things by Stephen King
Sapphique by Catherine Fisher
The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera
Uther by Jack Whyte

{Book Tour} Dear Michael: The Michael Jackson Book Monument

About the book:
The world today offers unprecedented opportunities for collaboration and co-creation as people across the globe share their views, feelings and personalities online. Now Bungalow Publishing, a specialty publishing house, is tapping this potential to involve people worldwide in a monumental off-line expression of human creativity: the Michael Jackson Book Monument.

For the first time ever, fans will have the opportunity to co-create “a unique monument of historic proportions” to Michael Jackson and his impact on their lives in a personalized work of art celebrating the legendary performer.

The Monument consists of a strictly limited edition of 5,000 copies of a bible-like book, each copy containing 1,000 stories by fans on the impact of Michael’s music and personality on their lives. Each numbered book will feature a cover portrait of Michael created from over 3,000 Swarovski crystals. Each will come with two cases, one made of stone and one made of walnut, which together create a unique way to exhibit the book, as well as a specially designed and numbered MJ medal. In addition to the limited edition, Bungalow Publishing will offer regular editions available to everyone.

All Michael Jackson fans will have a chance to participate through a contest Bungalow Publishing has launched. Visit http://dear-michael.com/participating-is-easy/ to participate in three easy steps:

• Sign up, create an account and log in.
• Write your personal story to Michael. Save it, preview what it would look like on a page from the book, and share it on Facebook – all at no charge.
• Submit your story for $10 USD to be entered in the contest to win one of 1,000 chances to have your story published on a page in both the regular and limited edition of the monument (both editions feature the 1,000 winning stories).

Story submissions must be in English. The 1,000 winners will be chosen by judges selected by Bungalow Publishing.

About the authors:

MARISA GARAU

Marisa Garau (SAY Ga-row as in “wow”) is co-founder of Bungalow Publishing. The specialty publishing house is pioneering a new art form with the Michael Jackson Book Monument. The memorial consists of a strictly limited, luxury edition book crafted from wood, stone and crystals that will contain 1,000 personal fan farewells to The King of Pop. Marisa worked for 10 years as a creative director, copywriter and journalist within her Amsterdam-based advertising agency. She is a bestselling author whose books include From Stress To Strength – Enrich your life with the power of mindfulness and ABBA – The Inner Circle Interviews.

Learn more at www.dear-michael.com.

ARJAN VAN WOENSEL

Arjan van Woensel (SAY Ar-yan van Woon-sol) is co-founder and creative director of Bungalow Publishing. The specialty publishing house is pioneering a new art form with the Michael Jackson Book Monument. The memorial consists of a strictly limited, luxury edition book crafted from wood, stone and crystals that will contain 1,000 personal fan farewells to The King of Pop. Arjan is an award-winning Creative Entrepreneur, self-proclaimed magazine fetishist, tech aficionado, designer, surf enthusiast and aspiring adventurer.

Learn more at www.dear-michael.com.

This book tour is with Pump Up Your Book Virtual Book Publicity Tours.

Armchair BEA: Introductions

Welcome! For those of you who are regular visitors, welcome back.  For newcomers, I hope you enjoy getting to know me.  I can't believe this is my third year participating.  I'm looking forward to a great week of Armchair BEA fun!


Please tell us a little bit about yourself: Who are you? How long have you been blogging? Why did you get into blogging?

Hi! I'm Michelle and in August, I will have been blogging for three years.  I was introduced to book blogging by my friend Ryan at Wordsmithonia.  I had been informally blogging about what I was reading on MySpace when I discovered Twitter.  I met Ryan, checked out his blog, and the rest is history.  After a few pointers from him, I jumped in feet first! Now, not only do I host this blog, but I also have a horror/speculative fiction blog, Castle Macabre, and twelve other blogs including a Christmas blog, a writing blog, a history blog plus a reading challenge blog and blogs for the four reading challenges I host (check them out in the left sidebar, if you like).  I host four week long, seasonal read-a-thons a year and have recently created a dedicated blog to host them from (Seasons of Reading).  I have always been an avid reader, but in the past three years, reading (and blogging about it) has taken over my life...literally.  I wouldn't change that for the world!

On a personal note, I'm the mom of two boys (who recently started their own blog, G n R Book Club) and two cat daughters, Alice and Arya.  I'm a stay-at-home mom, only just recently employed (see below) and I'm writing my first novel, set in 14th century Italy.  It's a full life!

What are you currently reading, or what is your favorite book you have read so far in 2012? 

What am I not currently reading?  *wink*  Let's see...The Edible Woman by Margaret Atwood, Middlemarch by George Eliot, The Queen's Pleasure by Brandy Purdy, and A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin.  My favorite read so far this year?  Ghost Story by Peter Straub

Tell us one non-book-related thing that everyone reading your blog may not know about you.

I have been searching for years and years for a legitimate work from home job.  I've made many attempts to work as a virtual assistant because my past job experience qualifies me for that type of work, but no one would ever give me a chance or what I did find was not legit.  Well, all of my hard work finally paid off.  I was recently hired on as a Virtual Assistant and although I'll be in a trial period at first, I finally have the work from home job I have long sought after.  Yay!

What is your favorite feature on your blog (i.e. author interviews, memes, something specific to your blog)? 

I'm a firm believer that cats and books go together so every Thursday, I host a feature called Cat Thursday.  Within this feature, every second Thursday of the month is Cat Thursday:  Authors and their cats.  I have several participants who are of a like mind about cats.  Cats are just so lovely. <3

Which is your favorite post that you have written that you want everyone to read? 

I'm a firm believer in being yourself in blogging so this post is a favorite I wrote just a little while back:   http://thetruebookaddict.blogspot.com/2012/04/why-i-like-your-blog.html 

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed your visit. 

Novel Glimpses (8)--Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Without Mercy, The Mysterious Affair at Styles

Novel Glimpses is my feature for mini-reviews...really just a fancy name for them! The only difference than with my traditional mini-reviews is that I will include my Goodreads rating, something I do not do with my regular reviews. Feel free to participate...just credit me and link back if you do. (want to read a book description?  Clicking the book covers will take you to the book's page on Amazon).



Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll
My Goodreads rating:  4 stars
I remember reading Alice in Wonderland as a child, but I think it was some of the condensed versions and I know one was the Disney version storybook so reading the original classic was somewhat of a new experience for me.  I have to admit that I found parts of it annoying, but yet other parts were brilliant.  In a way, I enjoyed Through the Looking Glass even more.  I like the idea of the entire adventure being played out on a chess board and the incorporation of the kittens and Dinah, Alice's cat, at the end was wonderful.  Big surprise from a cat lover.  So, while I enjoyed the read overall, I am ready to get back to more adult literature. =O)

Reading challenges to be added.

Without Mercy by Lisa Jackson
My Goodreads rating:  4 stars
This was my first Lisa Jackson novel.  I listened to it on audio over a few months (yes, it takes me a few months to listen to an audio book since I only listen to them in the car).  I have to admit that I picked this one to fulfill the letter J (J for Jackson) for the A-Z Mystery Challenge I'm participating in.  It was actually pretty good, but I had a hard time getting past the voice of the reader.  Some of her character voice portrayals were really grating.  Besides that minor annoyance, the story was fairly riveting.  The killer was one sick individual and man...is there ever a twist at the end.  In all, an entertaining and well-told mystery/thriller.

Reading challenges to be added.

The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
My Goodreads rating:  4 stars
I love Agatha Christie! This is only my third book of hers (Partners in Crime and Ordeal by Innocence were the others) and I'm well on my way to reading all of them because of the wonderful Agatha Christie Book Club hosted by Books, Biscuits and Tea and Kindle and Me.  What I love the most about her books is that I never figure out who the killer is.  Her books are so intricately plotted that you would have to be Poirot himself to solve the mystery.  Speaking of Poirot...I love him! He is second only to Sherlock Holmes in my eyes.  Such a unique and quirky individual and so clever.  Christie really invented a gem with him.  I just can't wait to read more of the books and stories featuring Poirot.  And then, of course, there's Miss Marple.  Who would have thought I would get so excited by Agatha Christie.

Reading challenges to be added.