Friday Firsts (and a quick note)

Head over to Wendy’s blog to participate in Friday Firsts.

Reach out and pick up the nearest book to you right now (don't go the bookshelf and pull off War and peace). What's the first line...

I did consider picking a nice fancy book (even if it wasn’t War and Peace – don’t have that one) but just new that if I did I would get busted. But I will admit to this not being the first book I picked up cause that was a graphic novel and that just seemed too complicated.

“Tyler gets me a job as a waiter, after that Tyler’s pushing a gun in my mouth and saying, the first step to eternal life if you have to die.”

The Fight Club – Chuck Palahniuk

Quick Note

Some of you may recall my mentioning, a few weeks back, that I was feeling a little under the weather. Turns out that I had glandular fever and the doctor says I have to rest as much as possible. Apparently those are the magic words and now I’m even sleepier than before.

So! Even though Musing Mondays will be going up as usual posts may be a little slow over the next few weeks. I’m not planning an actual hiatus, but I’m not going to worry if other things are going up later than usual (a Friday meme on a Monday night for instance).

Musing Monday (April 27)

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about reading non-fiction…

Do you read non-fiction regularly? Do you read it in a different way or place than you read fiction? (question courtesy of Diane)

PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own Musing Mondays post, or share your opinion in a comment here (if you don’t have a blog). Thanks.

 

 

I like the idea of reading non-fiction, there are many things I wish I knew more about, but I don’t really read as much non-fiction as I would like or even should (and yes, that includes the reading I should be doing for school).

When I do read non-fiction books, they’re usually ones I’ve picked up from the ‘new books’ shelf at the library, and yes, it’s usually the cover that draws me in.

I do find that I tend to read them differently. I usually sit up and read instead of sprawl on my bed or squish into the comfy lounge up the back. I also tend to take more notes - I’m a note taker anyway, but this is increased. Thinking about it now, it sounds a little strange, as if I’m sitting in a class or doing homework or something. I suppose it doesn’t come up enough for it to be too strange.

Read With Kids Challenge

 

 

I thought I’d let you guys know about the Read With Kids Challenge, which was very successful last year and is running again from April 1 – June 30.

Designed to encourage children to discover the joy of reading, parents log time reading with and to their children all across the nation* with the chances to win prizes – including a trip to Disneyland.

So if you have kids, or work with kids, or would just like to make a donation to the project head on over and sign up.

 

 

 

*I know that this is an American thing as well as, you know, aimed at parents – both of which does not apply to me – but I just loved the idea behind the project.

Whoops…

Look what happens when you have an off week…

I’ve got some reading to do, huh.

*dives in*

Dare to read aloud….

Inkheart Cornelia Funke
543 pages; published 2003

So Mo began filling the silence with words. He lured them out of the pages as if they had only been waiting for his voice, words long and short, words sharp and soft, cooing, purring words. They danced through the room, painting stained-glass pictures, tickling the skin. (252)

There are books, and then there are books for booklovers. Inkheart definitely falls into the second category.

Twelve year old Meggie Folchart inherited her love of reading from her father Mo (Mortimer), a dedicated bookbinder. Everything about their lives together revolves around their shared passion: reading books, talking about books, collecting books…

Until the day a strange man, with an even stranger name (Dustfinger) turns up and disrupts Meggie’s understanding of the world. Suddenly books aren’t quite as safe as they used to be, her father is not the simple man he always seemed, and villains are no longer limited to the page.

I hate the idea of seeing a movie based on a book BEFORE actually reading the book, so I’ll admit that I bought this book before I really knew what it was about – just that it was had a pretty cover and was something about books… luckily it all worked out well.

Inkheart was a very enjoyable read, a real adventure story for booklovers. The idea of people and creatures literally leaping out of a book through the power of a reading voice is an amazingly beautiful one – even if it’s uncontrollability did have dire consequences in this book. How many times have you wished the books you love could just come to live beside you?

The relationship between Meggie and Mo was heartwarming, a father and daughter with no one but each other, and I hope to see that that progresses with the rest of the trilogy, as Meggie continues to mature – especially in face of everything Inkheart puts her through.

I did feel that the book was a little on the long side, like it dragged a little towards the end, however I will own up to having spent a rather long – and interrupted – time reading it. I am very curious to see how the rest of the series unfolds in Inkspell and Inkdeath. 4/5

My Sister’s Keeper

Oh oh, I’m so excited! And yet also so worried. I know it’s not going to be the same as the book, I know I’ll probably be cranky but still – so excited.

I don’t know about everywhere else, but it apparently comes out in July here in Australia.

Embedding has been disabled, but head over here to see the trailer.

 

 

Jodi Picoult:
"I had the chance to see the movie when I was on tour in LA. Yes - it ends differently from the book. And yes, you’re still going to like it The acting is phenomenal; the movie is beautifully shot; and I highly recommend investing in Kleenex before you go."

I do believe in fairies…

Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale Holly Black
331 pages; published 2002

A man was sprawled in the mud only a few steps from her, clutching a curved sword in one hand. It shone like a sliver of moonlight in the hazy dark. Long pewter hair, plastered wetly to his neck, framed a face that was long and full of sharp angles. Rivulets of rain ran over the jointed black armour he wore. His other hand was at his heart, clutching a branch that jutted from his chest. The rain there was tinted pink with blood.

“Was it you, girl? … [have you] come to finish me off?” (24-5)

Kaye’s mum is a unknown rockstar-wannabe, her grandmother disapproves of everything, and she hasn’t been to school in years. Her life couldn’t be less magical. It is a far cry from the happy life she enjoyed as a small child, surrounded by her fairy and pixie friends, even if no one else could see them.

When Kaye and her mother move back to town, however, her little friends are nowhere to be seen, and life just isn’t the same without them. And the friends who are around aren’t quite the same either. Even the people she meets are a little unusual. Roiben, the young man she meets in the woods is… well, he’s not human for starters.

But as it turns out, neither is Kaye.

Having proof that fairies are real makes life different but no less hard when Kaye finds herself the target in a battle of good and evil in the world of faerie.

It is so good to finally read a book that has been on your tbr list for so long… not so good when it’s the first in a trilogy and you don’t have the next two books (stupid, stupid). Despite that little hiccup however, it was still a pretty good read – hard to make a final judgment until I read the rest of the series.

I was a little bugged to read another ‘normal-girl-loves-supernatural-boy’ story (was written before Twilight) but got over it pretty quick because there were a few spins on it – namely that the girl herself isn’t exactly normal.

For the most part, Tithe was a good first book, it set up the world well – a somewhat intimidating world, I might add. Kaye was an interesting character, damaged enough to make you very sympathetic toward her, but curious enough to make her interesting. My only real concern was the language; it was a little strong in the first part the novel which, while somewhat confronting (and may need a warning for some readers), worked quite well within the context of the world they were setting up. 3.5/5

Library Loot

Oh, how I love library day… guilt free book gathering…

I probably borrowed more than I will have time to read, but that’s half the fun.

 

 

 

 

YA Fiction

• Betrayed (A House of Night novel) – P.C. and Kristen Cast
• Sucks to Be Me: The All-True Confessions of Mina Hamilton, Teen Vampire (maybe) – Kimberly Pauley
• The Dead and the Gone – Susan Beth Pfeffer
• The Bermudez Triangle – Maureen Johnson

General Fiction

• Fight Club – Chuck Palahniuk

Graphic Novels

• Complete Maus – Art Spiegelman
• Wonder Woman: Love and Murder – Jodi Picoult

Non-Fiction

• The Funny Thing Is – Ellen Degeneres
• The Children’s House of Belsen – Hetty E. Verolma
• Harry, A History: The True Story of a Boy Wizard, His Fans and Life Inside the Harry Potter Phenomenon – Melissa Anelli

DVDs

• To Kill a Mockingbird – Dir. by Robert Mulligan

Teaser Tuesday (April 21)

Teaser Tuesday is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.

• Grab your current read.
• Let the book fall open to a random page.
• Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page.
• You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
• Please avoid spoilers!

 

All I’m saying is that maybe it wouldn’t be the end of the world to be a vampire. The end of your life, yeah, kind of. But not the end of the world. (78)

Sucks to Be Me: The All-True Confessions of Mina Hamilton, Teen Vampire (maybe) – Kimberly Pauley

Musing Monday (April 20)

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about 2009 favourites…

Coming towards the end of April, we’re a third of the way through the way through the year. What’s the favourite book you’ve read so far in 2009? What about your least favourite? (question courtesy of MizB)

PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own Musing Mondays post, or share your opinion in a comment here (if you don’t have a blog). Thanks.

 

 

 

For the award of ‘best-book-so-far’ my first answer was either March by Geraldine Brooks, or To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee (which I finished about an hour ago)…

 

… but as they were both re-reads for me, I went back to my list.

I suppose the favourite book I’ve read so far this year (and I haven’t written the review for it yet, which makes me feel a little slack) would have to be John Green’s Looking for Alaska. I only discovered John Green’s books this year, reading An Abundance of Katherines in January (which I also haven’t reviewed – I AM slack), but it was Looking for Alaska that I feel in love with. I’m hitting Paper Towns next.

As for my least favourite… hmmm… that would probably have to be The Origin of Lament by Emma Magenta.

You know, I would have thought that a much easier question to answer, especially seeing as I rate them as I go. But nope, hard to decide. I’m not looking forward to my end of year top 10.

Friday First… on a Sunday (just)

I didn’t forget, just been busy – no really. Plus, this one was a hard one to answer.

Do you have any fond memories from your childhood or can you share any remarkable firsts that, like E.B White's, were a bit... unexpected?

In participating in Friday Firsts, I have learnt one very important thing… I’m TERRIBLE at remember first lines. I spend most of my time jumping up and down and running to the book shelf and then still not answering the question. I find this really odd, because I think that the first line can truly make a great book. Oh well, I’ve decided to focus on the first part of the question and think of some fond reading memories.

I don’t remember learning to read. I truly wish that I did, because the thought of it – especially considering the fact that no one else in my immediate family is a reader – fascinates me. My mother tells me however that as soon as I was old enough to hold a book I was getting her to read. I do remember sitting curled up in her lap our our back verandah, on the old brown chairs with the cracks in the arms, while she read to me though.

The memory of the transition from her reading to me to my reading myself is practically non-existent (why, oh why can I not remember this?), and again falls mostly on what my mother tells me – that she looked for chapter books young enough for me to read without pictures. This, if my bookshelf is any indication, meant Enid Blyton.

I don’t remember receiving Little Women – which I got for my 8th birthday from my grandparents – but I do remember reading and re-reading it constantly, along with Heidi, The Secret Garden and The Little Princess.

One of the strongest memory I have of reading when I was very young mostly revolved around reading the Babysitter Club books. I would take my little list in it’s shiny green clipboard to the library and get a stack then sit on my bed, propped up by a whole heap of pillows, the pile sitting on the floor next to my bed (not at all unlike how I read now, in fact). I would read and laugh and enjoy every minute of it, running out to my mother at the start of every chapter to get her to read the indecipherable handwriting.

Another memory that I can think of comes out of the holidays I would spent at my grandparent’s house. It seems that I would go for the night and just never leave – I don’t remember ever being home for the holidays! I would take my pile with me and would read my way through them – my grandfather watching disbelievingly all the while. One holiday I remember very clearly because it was the year he voiced his believe that I couldn’t possibly be reading all these books. I remember that I took a book of the pile and read it just so he could quiz me when I was done. He actually seemed a little put out when I could answer his questions… though funnily enough, it was also the year I read the final draft of his memoirs, so I guess I passed the test.

Thank you to the commenters

I have been thinking a lot about commenting and commenters lately. This is mostly because I think it’s an important thing to be thinking about if you’re participating in a blogging but also because I feel that I don’t comment enough. I try to comment here and there, but, as we all discussed on MM last week, it doesn’t always work that way.

Last week, however, I was very surprised (happy, honored, giddy, take your pick) to see that Diane over at The Book Resort had kindly awarded me with a commenter award. I  was very happy to see that I was getting better.

Firstly I’d like to say a big thank you to everyone who stops by here now and then – especially those who come by every week for MM – and leaves comments. I appreciate all of you and am always very excited to read your comments.

I want to say an extra big thank-you to the people I’m going to pass this award onto, these are the people who visit all the time and comment the most. Their comments usually make me laugh and smile or think of books differently than I may have before, so thanks!

 

• Ladytink @ Up Close and Personal with Ladytink
• Beth F @ Beth Fish Reads
• Serena @ Saavy Verse and Wit
• Jenny Girl @ Jenny Loves to Read
• Nise @ Under the Boardwalk
• Kaye @ The Road Goes Ever On
• Sherrie@ Just Books
• Zetor @ Mog’s Blog
• Wendy @ We Read to Know

Also, I kinda want to award it back to Diane cause she’s currently on the top of my shiny new comment tally thingy over on the sidebar… am I allowed to do that?

“…aaaaand we’re walking.”*

Starting out on a walking tour is hard work I tell you. There are many things you need to consider. You need to get a map that folds up nice and little, you need a new water bottle, a good pair of sturdy shoes (did actually buy new shoes, they’re pink), an itinerary, a compass, some …

What?

It’s a VIRTUAL walking tour?

You don’t need all that stuff?

Really? You sure?

Well…

Despite my little hiccup last week, I did indeed head out on my virtual (geez, I didn’t need my pink shoes after all) walking tour and hit the first two stops along the way. MsMazzola over at State of Denmark, and Kim over at PageafterPage kindly signed up as my first two stops on the trail. They kindly opened their doors and let me visit and so I’d like to give them a big thanks right now. THANKS!

I’ve got to say that I’ve browsed over at MsMazzola’s blog before, because the fact that she’s an English teacher has me curious. I’ve only got a little over a month (and I’m not freaking, truly…) of my degree left and I figure if maybe I listen hard enough, some of her teachery-ness will rub off on me. Perhaps I should stop using words like ‘teachery-ness’.

I enjoyed reading her blog – she’s got an interesting range of book reviews (several of which making it onto my list, so thanks!) and has participated in some challenges which I’ve not heard of. I like that she talks about reading as well, rather than just reviewing or participating in memes – both wonderful things to do, of course, but I like to read people’s general opinions as well because that way I get to know people better. I particularly like that she defended her reading of chicklit - “They’re fun and damnit, I like them.” I also liked the way she had short memo-like posts about books she was currently reading/was going to read and the posts with cool book images or links to other places.

And over to Kim’s place…

The thing I loved best about Kim’s blog was the way she did up her reviews. I always panic a little about the way I write mine (too long? too short? too much summary not enough opinion etc…) She has a nice clear format with an Amazon review, a solid amount of her thought on the book, cover, first sentence and some admin like challenges it falls into (which I think is a great idea btw). Very easy to read.

I was also very impressed with how bowed her shelf of cook books was. Very impressive indeed. There are also a lot of nice pictures in her posts, which it always nice. Another big plus is that she has a lot of books on her blog – I know, it’s a book blog, what do you expect, but she has links to a lot and has a lot of interesting covers and things for books she’s bought/found/heard of.

Her sidebar shows that she’s a reading challenge fiend, which I highly respect (good luck on your challenges, btw). Oh, and plus, she’s a knitter, and the world ALWAYS needs more knitters.

I’d also like to take this opportunity to congratulate Kim on her upcoming grandmother-hood. I see lots of picture books in your future.

I had a wonderful first leg of the walking tour and I highly encourage you to follow me along to visit both these lovely blogs.

* bonus points if you can tell me why this makes me laugh (without googling, be honest). In fact there will be a prize, because I like prizes… not sure what the prize will be but it will probably be something both nerdy and bookish

EDIT: Note, it's not from Dave... well... apparently it is, but it's from something else too

Q&A

I have a very fervent believe that every single person in the world – each and every one – is so utterly complex, so totally unique unto themselves that it is impossible to every completely know a person. I believe that every person inherently faceted to the point that it is not even possible to adequately describe any one person in detail and come close to doing them any form of justice.

But of course, as with most people, these beliefs tend to go out the window when said person starts to consider themselves.

As such, I think that I could provide two personality traits that so closely define myself that no others are required.

1. I become easily obsessed and fixated… and on anything.

2. I will do anything – ANYTHING – in the name of procrastination.

You would think that those two traits would cancel each other out yet they don’t (so I guess I’m a little complex after all).

Why am I telling you this? Well, because I have an essay to write (which I don’t want to) and a new found determination to comment (and reply to comments) more. I received several comments over the past few days and, since I’m bored and there’s no way I’m about to do actual work, I thought I’d reply to them here.

So here goes…

Jenny Girl said... I have never read Peter Pan either or Alice in Wonderland. I wonder if there is a Disney Classics challenge somewhere?

Why, yes, Jenny there is. I told you I’d try to look for it for you, and here is the link. I may just sign up myself.

Ladytink_534 said... I'll have to play along this upcoming Friday! [on Friday Firsts]

Yay! please do, I' know Wendy would love to see you all play, and I always like when there’s something new to read/watch/play along. [As an aside, come back some time next week when I talk about the new thing I discovered… which you probably already know about… but oh well]

Beth F and Robin of My Two Blessings congratulated me on the awards I received last week.

Thanks! I appreciate the congrats :)

Ladytink_534 said... Oh have you finished Inkheart yet? I finally did today.

No I have not. And it is sitting right next to me on my bedside table glaring at me because I have been ignoring it of late. It has buddied up with To Kill A Mockingbird (bookclub book) and I think they are planning to kill my by papercuts in my sleep. Let it be known that books, while enjoyable, are also mean and do not take interruptions to their reading schedule kindly.

Having said that. I plan to get back to reading something more exciting than textbooks and journal articles next week.

To everyone who commented on my book buying post, I’d like to say thanks for the endorsement of the retail therapy plan. While it’s not something I usually do (please ignore the spluttering of my family) it was fun and did fix the mood.

J.S. Peyton said... I always wander into the bookstore when I'm depressed and it always picks me up. I don't think I've ever gotten away with 16 books for $6.50 either! lol. That edition of Lord of the Rings does look pretty sweet, especially for .50 cent.

I have the bargain book nose. Don’t know how I do it but I’m not complaining. And yes! My LotR purchase has been validated!

wendy said... well, many things, but this is what I get for converting her to blogging.

yes, even I (having seen Becca’s bookshop mania firsthand) was shocked by 16 in one go.

And I thought I was past shocking you :)

You'll notice that most of the books are horizontal on her shelves...it's because she can't FIT any more books on them - hence the book-buying ban.

NOT TRUE!

Okay, maybe it’s true. But you didn’t need to dob me in!
She also wrote up a post about the Booklover list, here on her blog. She claims I laid down the gauntlet – I should have expected her to pick it up. I will be furthering this gauntlet to every one else post-essay so I’ll see you all then.

Dot said... Wow! Well done for getting 16 books for $6.50, I am so impressed! I don't think I have ever bought that many books at once! Have fun reading them!

Thanks, I will! I think my best bargain was 80 books for $20. Apparently if you say things like “how much if I take them all?” people get very nervous. They said $10, but I thought that was a little ridiculous.
Oh! and then there was the time my brother got nearly as many for a $1 because they didn’t want to pack up all the books at the end of the day… that was a good day.
I have got to say, that while that was a REALLY long post, far longer than I had anticipated, it was really fun. I may respond to comments (less though next time) like that in the future. What do you think, does it work?
And for all of you who managed to get to the end of this post, I think you deserve a cookie. I didn’t bake them, but they look nice, don’t you think?

Books? What books?

Hello, and welcome to today’s (well, tonight’s, actually) multiple choice post. If you are my mother/Wendy(possibly)/anyone who knows that I am supposed to be on a book buying ban, please read POST A. Everyone else, head over to POST B (it’s better, trust me, there’s pictures).

 

POST A
Today I spent all day in the library studying and doing research for my assignment – yes, that one I was whinging about having to do. I was there from 8:30 (…well, I was there at 7:50 but turns out I was early, do I get bonus points for that?) right through till 1:30 at which point I promptly returned home. That’s all.

 

POST B
Okay, so today, after whinging incessantly and doing everything else I could possibly do instead, I headed off to the library to do research for this assignment I have to do. I was pretty crabby with the general state of things so, after putting in a decent amount of time (I really was there until 12 … I have solid pages of notes to prove it) I decided to partake in a little retail therapy.

Book retail therapy.

It was, of course, a total abandonment of my new-book-less-ness but I came home with sixteen new books.

Now before some of you freak out*, they were all from the two op-shops near my uni. So even though they are new TO ME, they’re not really NEW NEW. Plus I got all sixteen for … $6.50. Now come on, that’s a pretty good bargain. What’s more, I managed to get them home, catalogued and shelved on my bookshelf without anyone noticing.

It really cheered me up.

So what did I get? Well, let’s have a look.

• 10 The Babysitter’s Club books. Last year I was struck with the overwhelming urge to re-read the series (which I loved as a kid) to see if they were as good as I remembered, and, even more, to see if I could remember them at all… I haven’t actually got to the reading part, but I pick them up when I see them. All together these books were $2.50.
  
• Kidnapped by R.L. Stevenson – Never read it, though I’ve read Treasure Island.
  
• The Time Keeper by Emily Rodda – I haven’t read this one, but I remember having it’s prequeal, Finder’s Keeper’s, read to me in primary school as a class novel.
  
• Fugitives and Refugees by Chuck Palahnuik – I’ll admit, I recognized the name and picked it up because I hadn’t read him before.
  
• Antarctica on a Plate by Alexa Thompson – Okay, I have no idea what this book is about, and quite frankly don’t want to know until I read it. All I know is that the cover sports a big penguin with a whisk and a chef’s hat, and the tag line reads ‘She came, she saw, she burnt the toast’… it was enough for me. Instant sale.
  
• A Prayer for Owen Meaney by John Irving – on a lot of my lists**
  
• And finally… Lord of the Rings (all in one) by J.R.R. Tolkien. I already have this book, but in seven smaller volumes. So I don’t really have any strong logic backing up this purchase except for the fact that it was only 50c and it was darn pretty.

 

See, perdy.

 

So there you go. The very reason why I shouldn’t (should?) go shopping while depressed…

 

 

* yes Wendy, I know you read this post even though I told you not to.

** are those of you in Australia aware (I’m sure you are) that the 2009 Dymocks 101 Booklover’s List is now out. Have you got it yet? Have you checked it off? Have you compared it to last years? What do you think of the changes? What was your score? Did you go up or down? Did you get the top ten? What do you think? Huh? Huh?… yeah, the girls at Dymocks think I’m crazy too…

Friday Firsts

I like new things! New books, new activities, new everythings. And so I’m very happy to inform you all that there’s a new weekly meme around. Yep, that’s right, a new one!

Wendy over at We Read is hosting her very own new meme called FRIDAY FIRSTS. So go on over and check it out.

Favourite Firsts: Do you have one or many? Share one of your favourites. with us. Why do you love it, remember it or feel connected to it.

I really wanted to past my response to this last Friday when it came out but, unfortunately, I’m not very good at these things. Mostly because I hate to make decisions of this kind but also because I couldn’t think of any this week. But I’ve been thinking since and come up with two of my favourites – knowing full well that I will think of a hundred more once I hit post.

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife."

Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen

Yeah, I know, everyone picks this one, but as soon as anyone talks about first lines, this is the one that springs to mind first.
"All children, except one, grow up."
Peter Pan – J.M. Barrie
Can’t pass up Peter Pan. And what a perfect opening.

Musing Mondays (April 13)

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about blog comments

How do you respond to the comments on your blog? Do you try to email individually or comment on post yourself answering the comments above? What do you think is the best way to respond to comments and do you respond to all of them? Do you feel slighted if you don't receive a response back from the blog owner? (question courtesy of Jenn)

PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own Musing Mondays post, or share your opinion in a comment here (if you don’t have a blog). Thanks.

 

 

Firstly, I think this is a really good question from Jenn – if for no other reason than I really never know what to do myself. Do I just reply to everything? Nothing? What?! I like to reply to things, but not really being sure how means that I reply to a lot less than I would otherwise.

For the most part I usually reply to several commenters on the one comment on the post, but I find that a little confusing sometimes. I prefer Blogger for most things, but I must say, I prefer the flow-chart-like commenting system of livejournal.

I have just realised, however, that I can hit reply on the comment notification emails I get and reply directly to the commenter, which I have done from time to time, especially if my response is a little longer, but I feel a little weird doing it. I love to get emails (so, please, feel free to reply to me this way if you feel inclined) but I wouldn’t want to intrude by emailing people who I don’t really know. What do you think? Do you like this mode?

As for getting responses to my own comments, I certainly don’t feel slighted if I don’t get one, however I’m so paranoid that I’ll miss something that I usually hit the subscribe email and then get even more emails (and trust me, sometimes there are heaps)…

So come on, answer the question and try to solve my issues. Thanks.

Belated Thanks

I’m a little behind in thanking some very kind people this week. I always feel very special when someone passes on an award to me, and so I’d like to give a very big thanks to these people, I really appreciate it.

 

Dot from Scribbles

 

 

Sherrie from Just Two Books

Tonya from Storytime with Tonya and Friends

I’d love to do something a little different with the passing on (if that’s okay) I’d like to pass on the Lemonade Award to everyone who signed up for the Walking Tour (you should know who you are). Thanks for giving me something to look forward to and a new project to work on.

Happy Easter!

 

Hope you’re all having a wonderful weekend!

Virtual Walking Tour Update2

Dear MsMazzola and Kim,

You guys are on the top of my list for the Virtual Walking Tour; you are, for all intents and purposes, my unwitting guinea pigs – and for that I feel a little sorry for you.

I visited your blogs, wrote up my post … and then didn’t like it. My post, that is, not your blogs. Guinea pig-status aside, I didn’t want your turn to be dodgy because I hadn’t worked out the kinks in the system.

So, hope you don’t mind, but I’ll be back next week.

Thanks!

me.

Let me just check my notes…

Twilight: Director’s Notebook Catherine Hardwicke
163 pages; 2009 published

Yep. I read another Twilight related book. I know you’re not likely to believe me, but I’m actually not a big Twilight-er. That would be my sister, I’m just the one who can’t let a book pass through the house without reading it, no matter what it is.

It was actually a pretty good (and very quick) read actually. There were some pretty interesting little tidbits about bts-Twilight, with a sections on location scouting, shooting, stunts and costuming. However, the very best thing about the whole book was the layout. In fact, if I was rating the book on the layout alone I’d have to go 5/5, 10/5 even. It was gorgeous, and the compulsive notebook-keeper in my practically swooned.

 

Over all, give it a read if you’re a big Twilight-fan. It was interesting, but you’d probably get the same info by watching the movie’s audio commentary and reading a few online articles/interviews. 3.5/5

Teaser Tuesday

• Grab your current read.
• Let the book fall open to a random page.
• Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
• You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given : ) !
• Please avoid spoilers!!!
  
  

Lying back, Kaye tried to imagine herself as a faerie, all sparkly withhair that was always blowing in the breeze. The only image she could summon up, however, was that of a pale green face she had thought she'd seen as she was leaving the diner batheroom. (104)



Tithe - Holly Black

Musing Mondays (April 6)

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about your to be read list…

As a follow up to last week's question, Joseph asked how you keep track of your tbr list. Do you have a paper list or on your computer? Do you take it with you when you go shopping? How do you decide what gets added to it?

PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own Musing Mondays post, or share your opinion in a comment here (if you don’t have a blog). Thanks.

My tbr list is mostly made up of books I've read reviews for on various blogs, and it lives on a sheet of the excel spreadsheet I talked about last week.

I don't print it out or anything, but I do have a copy of it on my phone (I love my phone) so I can take it with me that way.

I suppose the biggest way I track my tbr is, when I get some built up, I look them up on the library catalogue (both the public and uni library) and then sort them that way so I know where to go to find them. Plus, if I'm running in the library and don't have time to browse, then I've got a ready list of books to grab.

Yes Grasshopper...

I have a very good friend named Wendy. If you read my blog regularly, my may have noticed the occasional reference to her lately. This is because she has recently started blogging ... or as she puts it, recently become hooked on blogging, something that is (apparently) all my fault.

If you were to know Wendy in real life (or hey, via her blog) you would know that not only is she very kind and sweet, but she also knows a lot of stuff. No, seriously. She knows the answers to all sorts of weird questions, so much so that she frequently leaves me amazed. So, needless to say, I get a bit of a buzz being Master to her Grasshopper when it comes to blogging (though calling me a 'Master' is ridiculous, lol).

So the result of all this is that Wendy has designed her own blog award (see, she's catching on quick) to that those who have been helping her out, inspiring her and the like and I am very happy to be displaying it here!

So why don't you all head over to Wendy's blog and officially welcome her to the world of book blogging.

Last wish…

Change of Heart
Jodi Picoult
438 pages; published 2008

When it first happened, I used to make bargains with myself. I’d say that I could handle their deaths, as long as – and here I’d fill in the blank. As long as they had been quick and painless. As long as Elizabeth had died in Kurt’s arms. I’d be driving, and I’d tell myself that if the lights turned green before I reached the intersection, surely those details were true. I did not admit that sometimes I slowed down to stack the odds. (193)

 

When June Nealon’s husband was killed in a car accident, she thought the worst had happened.

When, five years later, her second husband and seven-year-old daughter were murdered in their home she thought she couldn’t possibly go on.

But then, after soldiering on for the sake of her only surviving family, her daughter Claire, June is dealt yet one more blow. Claire has a fatal heart condition; she needs a transplant.

Meanwhile, Shay Bourne, the first New Hampshire man on death row in over sixty years sits watching television in his cell. Seeing Claire on television, the sister and daughter of the people with whose murder he is charged, Shay is now determined to do the unthinkable: he wants to donate his heart to Claire after his execution, to give back what he took.

But this man’s one dying wish is not an easy one to grant. Can the courts be persuaded to make the changes to procedure necessary to allow this? Can June Nealon live with the consequences of accepting – or not accepting – this heart? And, most complicated of all, how does this desire fit with the sudden miracles coming out of prison? Is hay Bourne a murderer or a messiah? Should his wish be granted?

You only have to look at my bookshelf to know that I’m a true Jodi Picoult devotee. Change of Heart, while not making it to the top of my favorites, was definitely an enjoyable read. It held all the things I love about her books: beautiful writing, a heartbreaking situation and relatable characters (I just loved Maggie and little Oliver – read it and you’ll know) … but I have to say, I predicted the end of this one long before I got there. It didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the story and I still read it pretty solidly for two days, but there was no (or little) surprise at the end.

A good read for Picoult fans, probably not the best to start with though. Oh, and for those who read all her books, there was a returning character to spot! 4/5

Update on the Virtual Walking Tour

Wow.

I had no idea so many people would be interested in playing along with the Virtual Walking Tour (VWT). I posted yesterday and I already have fifteen people on the tour list. So, yay!

In the comments yesterday, Serena asked who I would be visiting first. Well, I figured the easiest way would just be to go via whomever comments first. So, on the slate for next Friday will be MsMazzola and Kim.

I have compiled a list of ‘stops along the road’ so that I can keep track, but what do you think, should I put the list up so you know when I’m stopping by? Or should I be a rude guest and turn up on your doorstep unannounced?

Virtual Walking Tour

I mentioned last week that I wanted to start visiting more blogs and so, ta-dah! The Virtual Walking Tour was born.

My grand plan: to visit at least one new blog every week and then tell you guys all about it every Friday

Why am I doing this: Mostly cause I want to get to know you all better instead of just reading your MM posts, but also because, well, I like projects

What you can do: Well, if you’re happy to have me traipsing about your living room – please say yes, I’m very neat (well not really, but I can pretend) and always say thank you – then leave your address in the comments below and I’ll get to you. [Note: if you commented when I mentioned this last week, you’re already on the list]

Why should you do this? Cause it’d be fun! … well I don’t know, it might not be fun, but we’ll see. And hey, I’ll talk about you here (nice things, I promise) and put your link up.

Hope to visit you soon!

AAARGGH! ZOMBIES!!

While normally I'd be somewhat scared (okay, scared and then morbidly intrigued) by the thought of a hoard of zombie chickens coming my way, I gotta say, at this point I'm just kind of curious how one got a hoard of zombie chicken's in the first place. Any ideas?

So, even though I'm hoping beyond hope that they're not putting them too evil use (though what GOOD use there are for zombie chicken's, I don't know) I'm very grateful to both The Book Resort and The Electic Reader for sending them my way!

"The blogger who receives this award believes in the Tao of the zombie chicken - excellence, grace and persistence in all situations, even in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. These amazing bloggers regularly produce content so remarkable that their readers would brave a raving pack of zombie chickens just to be able to read their inspiring words. As a recipient of this world-renowned award, you now have the task of passing it on to at least 5 other worthy bloggers. Do not risk the wrath of the zombie chickens by choosing unwisely or not choosing at all..."

I'm going to send on the zombie chickens to:

• Caite @ A Lovely Shore Breeze
• Becky @ Becky's Book Reviews
• Ladytink @ Up Close and Personal with Ladytink
• Melissa @ Book Nut

Randomly off-topic…

…and yet totally in character.

AKA: Reason #476286 you should be happy that you only know me online and not in person

Okay, so, as I mentioned, I have this week off (yay!) and am using it to get caught up on reviews. I wrote one yesterday and wrote another two and a half today… however I still have another three to go to be in-the-clear enough to stop feeling guilty.

So did I keep going until I got my assigned three done? Ah, no. Instead I said to myself, “Self,” (as I always do when I talk to myself). “Self, you’re not going to post these reviews until you get them done. The longer it takes you to do them the more the Internet will be cranky with you and no one likes a cranky Internet, especially with the end of semester coming up.”

You see, if I talk to myself I feel like I get more done. Not quicker, I should point out, but (eventually) more.

In the meantime I couldn’t go completely blogless when I am actually in such a blogging mood, and so here comes the random/in-characterness of this post:

Look at my pretty new socks. They’re fluffy, and squishy and why yes, that is pom-poms there. A wonderful new gift for a sock freak.

Tune in tomorrow for actual book blogging.