Memorial Day

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Wishing all of you a lovely and safe holiday!  I'm currently on vacation myself, so no Listless Monday today.  I'll have a new list next Monday!  To tide you over and help celebrate Memorial Day, check out last week's list of 1940s books that include plenty of WWII historical fiction.  I've also scheduled a review of A Golden Web by Barbara Quick for today as well, so be sure to scroll down and check it out.  Finally, last day to enter my contest of a copy of Life As We Knew It - check out the post for details!If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percent...


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Book Review: A Golden Web by Barbara Quick

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A Golden Web by Barbara Quick Publisher: HarperCollinsPublication date: April 2010ISBN: 9780061448874Source: ARC from Traveling ARC Tours Alessandra is not like other women.  Growing up with her doting father and despicable stepmother, she hasn't had as much freedom as she'd like.  All that is taken from her when they arrange a marriage for her to an unknown man, thus depriving her of the slim chance she had of studying medicine at Bologna University.  It is unheard of for a woman to study medicine, but with her life mapped out for her, she may as well give it up.  But, she simply can't and finds herself going to great...


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Book Review: The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott by Kelly O'Connor McNees

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The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott by Kelly O'Connor McNeesPublisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Publication date: April 2010ISBN: 9780399156526Source: ARC provided by publicist (one of the most beautiful ARCs I've ever gotten, BTW) Louisa May Alcott is twenty-two when her family spends a summer in Walpole, New Hampshire.  Louisa is itching to be back in Boston, pursuing a career in writing, but feels obligated to help the family settle, especially since they are nearly destitute because their father won't work.  When she meets the aggravating and handsome Joseph Singer, her plans start to change a bit.  She faces a difficult choice,...


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Book Blogger Conference via Armchair BEA

7:16 AM mixagrip

Welcome to my attempt at Book Blogger Conference ideas.  Really, at this point I'm wishing I was there to hear other folks ideas on these things.  However, here's what I have to say about writing and content on blogs.Tips and tricks on writing good book reviews:The best I can say is to write what you feel.  Almost all book reviews are subjective.  You as a reader had a reaction to the book and the experience of reading it.  You share those reactions and feelings in a review.  It is so difficult to say objectively something about a book, writing, story, because everyone has their own opinions on the matter and we...


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Necroscope: Harry and the Pirates

7:00 AM Nikki

As you will all recall, our Fantasy 202 post involved a lot of Horror. It is an under-appreciated genre that contains one of (in our opinions) the best writers out there: Brian Lumley. His novels, over the years, have continually been able to impress our critical minds. With the paperback due out soon, Tor sent us a copy of Lumley’s NECROSCOPE: HARRY AND THE PIRATES.Upon first taking the book in hand, the reader will first notice two things. First, the cover is done by the true Necroscope series artist, Bob Eggleton (one of our favorite artists)…and yet it seems almost YA. Second, PIRATES is very thin, only 189 pages. Suffice it to say,...


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Dystopian Love and A Giveaway!

9:15 AM mixagrip

As I noted yesterday, I'd love to have attended the dystopian panel for BEA.  Dystopian lit is a new favorite of mine.  Except, it isn't entirely new.  Back in high school, I remember reading and loving Fahrenheit 451.  That was my first taste of this sci-fi futuristic dytopian look at society.  That was followed closely by Nineteen Eighty-Four, which I didn't enjoy quite as much, but still found fascinating.  Those books have stuck with me for all these years, but it wasn't until I picked up Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer that I rediscovered my love.Ever since I first read this book, I have thought about,...


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Book Review: Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn

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Ella Minnow Pea by Mark DunnPublisher: AnchorPublication date: October 2001ISBN: 9780385722438Source: Library On the island of Nollop, off the coast of North Carolina, lives a young girl named Ella Minnow Pea.  Her linguistically lovely nation prides themselves on their learning and especially on Nevin Nollop, creator of the beautiful pangram "the quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog."   But, when the letters of this sentence begin to fall off of Nollop's revered statue, the council officials believe it is Nollop, communicating from beyond the grave, that those letters should be excised from Nollopian use.  Things...


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Paneling is More Than Just Really Ugly Wall Covering

10:07 AM mixagrip

Second day of Armchair BEA, and apparently I really dropped the ball on this one.  Blogger interviews?  Oops.  Well, I've been enjoying reading all of yours and getting to know new bloggers.  Instead of interviewing myself (which really sounds horrifying), I'm taking a page out of Marg at Adventures of an Intrepid Reader's book and mentioning some of the panels/events I would love to attend.BEA Young Adults Editor’s Buzz Blurb: Insightful and passionate, this intimate editorial exchange will provide you with an editor’s perspective on some of the Fall’s new YA discoveries and potential breakouts.YA Authors of YA Editor's...


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Book Review: Bel Canto by Ann Patchett

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Bel Canto by Ann PatchettPublisher: HarperCollinsPublication date: May 2001ISBN: 9780060838720Source: Library (for book group)This is a story about hostages taken by a terrorist group in an unnamed South American country.  Among the party are a famous soprano opera singer and a Japanese business man, whose birthday they were celebrating, a translator, a young priest, a French diplomat, and many other foreign dignitaries.  The ensuing standoff shows what kinds of unlikely friendships and alliances can arise between terrorist and hostage.Things I Liked:The writing in this novel is really superb.  I love how the phrases flow and how...


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Sign Me Up!

2:11 PM mixagrip

When I saw this lovely idea show up in the blogging world, I was very excited!  I mean, I already whined about reasons I'm not going to BEA, so here was a chance to experience some of the fun right from my own armchair.  Hooray!  I've noted some of the book signings I've been to before.  When I went through my books last night to see how many I had signed, I was surprised at the number!  I never thought of myself as a big collector of signed books, but apparently I'm off to a pretty good start.  Nearly all of my books are from local authors, who I love and adore.  A few were from visitors to the great state...


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Watcher of the Dead

7:00 AM Nikki

New J.V. Jones? Yes please. WATCHER OF THE DEAD made us want to sing the "we love J.V." song over and over. Yes, we wrote a song about her. We are Gods to you, our loyal reader-slaves, who are you to judge us!?There are very few authors we like as much as J.V. Jones, and even fewer with the attention for detail that she has. If you couldn't tell from our previous mention of her, we just might have a little (OK, huge) crush on her. But it is with good reason!As we flipped open the cover to the first page and began reading, we were blasted by the cold of her setting. The world she has created is so real and believable that it was hard for us not...


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Listless Monday, the War Years Edition

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Listless Monday was inspired by both Amanda at A Bookshelf Monstrosity's feature Books by Theme and Court at Once Upon a Bookshelf's Listed feature.  Be sure to check out their lists! (My mother in the 1940s)This is my last week for the decade lists (for now).  My family is having a reunion this summer with a 1940s theme (my parents were born then) and being the family librarian, I am compiling a list of books for people to read.  So, here's at least the start of the list:Published in the 1940s:The Age of Reason by Thomas PaineAll the King's Men by Robert Penn WarrenAnimal Farm by George OrwellBlack Boy by Richard Wright Brideshead...


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Book Review: Little Bee by Chris Cleave

8:31 AM mixagrip

Little Bee by Chris CleavePublisher: Simon & SchusterPublication date: February 2009ISBN: 9781416589648Source: LibraryWell, the blurb for this book says, "We don't want to tell you WHAT HAPPENS in this book."  It then goes on to give you a few basics of the story, "This is the story of two women. Their lives collide one fateful day, and one of them has to make a terrible choice, the kind of choice we hope you never have to face. Two years later, they meet again - the story starts there ... Once you have read it, you'll want to tell your friends about it. When you do, please don't tell them what happens. The magic is in how the story...


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Book Review: The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong

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The Awakening by Kelley ArmstrongPublisher: HarperCollinsPublication date: April 2009ISBN: 9780061450556Source: LibraryThis book picks up right where The Summoning left off.  Chloe is being held in an experimental institution, awaiting further tests or tortures, she's not certain.  With Derek and Simon still on the run, her captors are making every effort to bring them in.  When Chloe finds out a secret about her and her supernatural friends, she is desperate to escape.  When she does, they end up on the run again.  But, she's beginning to fear her own powers of necromancy might be out of control.  Can they find...


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Acacia: The War With the Mein

7:00 AM Nikki

We have received quite a few requests to review ACACIA: THE WAR WITH THE MEIN, and we decided that we should probably honor those requests. We ARE very kind and giving, after all. Yeah, we know the book isn't a new release, but it seems a shocking number of people haven't read it. Luckily, our good buddy Rob was all sorts of anxious to do this review, and you all get to benefit. Enjoy--EBR.****Is your George R.R. Martin starting to sag? Do you still love his epic storyline, but hate the wait? Do you find yourself wondering if there will ever be a way to get that same gritty, edge-of-your-seat sensation without waiting years (or is it decades?)...


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Loot From the Library

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(hosted by Marg of Adventures of an Intrepid Reader and Eva of A Striped Armchair)Library loot has multiple meanings this week:Checked out from the library: The Mark by Jen NadolThe Demon's Covenant by Sarah Rees Brennan (yeah!)The Red Tent by Anita Diamant (for book club)Gone by Michael GrantPurchased at the Provo Children's Book Festival (which was filled with awesome): Penny from Heaven by Jennifer Holm (didn't get it signed - came at the wrong time for her)Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson (unfortunately didn't meet him - the hubby was in his line while I waited for Shannon Hale to sign my River Secrets book...


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