April in Review

Wow. It's the end of the month. Craziness.

So-- 11 books read in April... Hopefully 12 by the end of the day, but we'll have to see.

7 reader's choice. Well, 7 including the one I didn't finish. 8 including the one I'm reading now.

Didn't get to- my Book Group book for the month or my Monthly Possibility. But don't worry, they're sitting right here and I'll have them read soon.

Sorry, my brain is gone. (Teenager-sitting will do that to you.) I apologize for the horrid grammar, punctuation, etc. in this post.

To make it up to you-- fabulous contest posts:
100th Follower Giveaway at Melissa's Bookshelf
Treasure Chest Tuesday at Fantastic Book Reviews

Also... coming in May-- my review of Fault Line as part of a virtual book tour. My first such tour; I'm excited.
And-- I am going to have a giveaway! So stay tuned!

Wednesday Morsel

Actually today, instead of a quote, I have a recipe. Shared by Ingrid Law, author of Savvy (AWESOME book!) on Maw Books in this fabulous author interview.

Close to Perfect Chocolate Pie
Crust:1 1/2 cups Nilla Wafer crumbs

6 Tbsp melted butter
Mix well and pat into pie pan.

Chill for one hour (more or less) OR bake it at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.
Filling:

Blend for a minute with a mixer or in a blender:

1 package INSTANT (don’t make the mistake and not get instant) vanilla pudding

1 package INSTANT chocolate pudding

1 1/2 cups milk
Now add one pint (2 cups) of softened vanilla ice cream and mix it into the pudding blend. Pour this into the crumb crust and chill for several hours. Top it with grated chocolate, mini chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, or whatever your heart desires! I tried whipped cream once, but it put it too far over the top!

Does that not sound beyond all amazing???

Now go: read the rest of the interview... enter the giveaway... visit Ingrid Law's website... all that fun stuff!

I'm gonna go make me a pie.

Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen by Susan Gregg Gilmore

4 Stars
R- 3

This was a good read. A little formulaic in places maybe, but good. Kind of your standard "can't wait to get out of the small town" coming-of-age story.

Catherine Grace (everyone goes by first and middle names) is the oldest daughter of a third generation Baptist preacher. She can't wait to get out of the little town of Ringgold, Georgia. After all, it's not always easy being the preacher's daughter.

(For you LDS kids, think Bishop's daughter. In a place where "town" and "ward" are synonomous and EVERYONE knows EVERYTHING about you. Then picture your dad's reaction if, at a Stake Baptism, you shoved another kid into the font while waiting your turn. Hmm. I don't want to picture my dad's reaction.)

Yeah, she does that... granted the kid probably deserved it. And it was a lake, which is probably not as dangerous as getting shoved into a font would be. Yikes.

Anyway. She finally grows up and gets out... but is life in the big city really what she wants? Be careful what you wish for.

Good read, like I said. Wasn't overly memorable for me. (I read it less than 12 hours ago and I'm having a hard time thinking of what else to say about it.) But I enjoyed it.

Only 2 more Reader's Choice books to go! (Yeah, yeah, plus Dead Lucky, but I'm not exactly dying to read that one.)

Searchable

I have an addiction to Google Analytics.

It's silly, really, but I love looking at the map to see where people are reading my blog from. And I LOVE looking at the search terms. (They've gotten more and more interesting as time goes by.) Since nearly the end of the month, I thought I'd give you an "April in Review" of search terms.

The winner in terms of number of hits? "Zach Shapiro 'same boat'". Works for me. It's a great book.

In second place? "able was I ere I saw elba". Hehehe. Also funny to note--other search terms include "able was", "ides elba", and "r saw elba".

I also have 3 versions of "special agent oso is stupid". Well, yes, yes he is. Sorry to the person who found my Oso post looking for "special agent oso dressing up costumes". Can't help you on that.

I also have "tisha by robert specht+summary". I have no idea.

"War of the worlds book quotes" makes sense, though. As does "lisa lutz".

(People don't capitalize anything in search engines, do they? I'm sure I probably don't.)

Rounding out the list-- "blue moo", "goodreads-'good reads'", and "indiebound".

I'm impressed there's only one really really random one in the bunch. (I still haven't figured out what that one is. I've never heard of Robert Specht.)

On a completely different note, did anyone watch Numb3rs last week? I went to GoodReads to look up the book Alan was reading... and promptly forgot the title. Sigh. I'm going to have to watch it again. :D

Oh, and my apologies to those that read the really messy unfinished version of this post. Mister was "helping". While I was in the bathroom. He typed, he linked (I have no idea how) and he published. Sigh.

Pushing Up Daisies by Rosemary Harris

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4 Stars
R- 2.5 (nothing much really happens, but not for lack of innuendo)

I enjoyed this. Yeah, it's the start of yet another fluffy mystery series, but hey. I like 'em.

Paula Holliday is the owner/operator of PH Factor, which I think is a fabulous name for a gardening/landscaping business. Unfortunately for her, nobody gets it and nobody calls. (She reminds me a bit of Izzie Spellman, which is always fun.)

Finally, she's landed a big job. Granted she'll be doing it for almost nothing, but it's all about getting your name out there, right? Maybe with a change of name, since no one gets the PH joke. But when she finds a body her first day on site...

Well, she may have bitten off more than she can chew.

Kind of Rosemary and Thyme. Does anybody else watch that on PBS? Love that show. Keep managing to see the same 4 episodes over and over again, though.

Anyway. Not the most well-written book I've ever read, but I enjoyed the story and the voice. The only real problem I had? Due to lack of dialogue tags, the conversations were hard to follow. Which drives me batty.

But hey, like I said, I love my fluffy mysteries... so I'll be on the look-out for the next Dirty Business Mystery.

Oh, I wanted to share this-- Deanna Raybourn talks about how we see ourselves. It's not technically about body image, but it's applicable. So, as it's still Body Image Week, go check it out.

AND today over at Bitten By Books is an interview with Maria V. Snyder! If you haven't read her books, you really should.

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Saturday with Boo-- Off to School?

So Boo wants to go to preschool. Because she's a preschooler. (Duh, Mom.)

Socially, yeah, it would probably be a good thing. Academically... well, if she's not being challenged, I'm not sure it's worth it. Does anyone have any idea what Challenger School costs? I'm scared to even look.

Anyway.

So, even though I'm not a big fan of homeschooling... this is where I find myself. Add in to that the fact that she's got a late birthday and is going to be one of those hyper bored kids... I don't even want to think about that poor teacher. Really, I don't.

What was I saying? Oh, right, preschool. Homeschooling.

Yesterday she asked me to teach her something. That's more or less how she put it. Well, Mommy had 600 bazillion things to get done because it's going to be a very busy weekend.

"Why don't you practice writing your name? That's a very important thing."

"But I know how to spell my name."

"Well, yes, but it's good to practice. Practice your handwriting."

"I used to know how to write 'A's."

"You know how to write 'A's. You know what they look like."

"Yeah, 'cause they're like mountains. They're like triangles and I'm good at triangles."

*Note there is NOT A SINGLE "A" in her name.

"That's right. Just like a triangle."

So, what did she do? Her magnet board princess playset, of course.

Honestly, what was I thinking?

Oh well, maybe it'd go better if Mommy weren't running around like a chicken with her head cut off. We'll try again next week.

Premio Dardos

I got another award. I feel special! It's from Chronicle of an Infant Bibliophile.

You can see the award post here.

Here are the rules:
1. To accept and show the distinct image
2. Show the link to the blog from which you were given the award
3. Choose 15 blogs to give the Award (Premio Dardos).

Fifteen?!?! Yikes! Um.... I'm going to have to ponder...

Awards are really really fun. But, sometimes it starts to feel like a chain letter, you know? :D

At least they're good for self-esteem though!

Cool Giveaway

Over at Today's Adventure!

Bloody Jack Giveaway.

This book looks like so much fun!! Go check out her review and such!

Dragon's Bait by Vivian Vande Velde

3.5 stars
R-0
YF

I'd call this a short story, really. I mean, it's over 100 pages, and it took about an hour to read, but it doesn't read like a novel.

It was okay. With some depth, it could have been quite good.

Alys is accused of witchcraft and left tied to a stake to be eaten by a dragon. Except the dragon doesn't seem interested in eating her. Instead, he offers to help her get revenge. And off they go to ruin people's lives.

The moral of the story? Revenge doesn't make you feel better. (I'm not kidding, Alys says it.)

So, yeah, shallow and maybe even a little contrived, but it has potential. If it were expanded into an actual novel-- especially if we got some nice rich character development-- I'd read it.

Would I read the short story again? Probably not. But hey, it only took an hour.

Black Ships by Jo Graham

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5 Stars
R- 3.5

This was a really beautifully written piece. Based on the Aeneid, it tells the story of the last prince of Troy from the perspective of Gull, also called Linnea and finally Pythia-- Handmaiden of the Lady of Death.

There were a couple of places where the editor totally missed things, which drives me crazy, but it was still a wonderful book.

I love what Naomi Novik says about it: "Haunting and bittersweet, lush and vivid, this extraordinary story has lived with me since I first read it."

Really really wonderful, if a bit heavy reading at times. Makes me think it may be time to read the Iliad and Odyssey again! And the Aeneid... which I've not fully read. I really need to.

Only 5 Reader's Choice books left! Well, four really, because I'm not planning to read the Mt. Everest survival story one. I can read 4 books in 8 days, right?

Body Image Week

There's a great challenge going on at My Favorite Author starting tomorrow- it's Body Image Week.

Here is the Challenge Info and here is the Body Image Week Info.

Check it out, and spend a week feeling better about yourself!

We're all our own worst critics, but maybe a week can start some new habits.

May I Gripe?

I really need to gripe a moment. No, not about the (sniffle snuffle) mother of all (sniff sniff) head colds that I have. Though it would make for good material.

No, I need a moment to gripe about bad writing. Really really BAD writing. I mean, I know it's a kids show, but come on. So is Phineas and Ferb, and it's pretty darn well-written. And it has great songs!

Special Agent Oso is the newest Playhouse Disney offering. And unfortunately, my kids love it. (Mister spent almost a whole episode pointing at the screen and saying "Ooh, that's good".) Good taste is apparently something learned. (Either that or it's totally hit and miss-- they also both LOVE Phineas and Ferb and The Wonder Pets [wow you find some screwy things looking for the Wonder Pets on youtube...] and Imagination Movers.)

Anyway.

Today the episode was "License to Dress". (There's also a "License to Clean". I kid you not.) Oso has to help whatever-his-name-was to get dressed by himself, because he doesn't know how. This kid is like 5. Seriously? He doesn't know how to get dressed? Boo has been dressing herself for like at least a year.

To top it all off, Oso-- who was in a tux at the beginning of the episode-- isn't sure how to get dressed either. Which begs the question how did he get into the tux to begin with.

Don't even get me started on how he didn't know how to zip up the wetsuit so that the tux didn't get wet.

He's Special Agent Oso, the unique stuffed bear.... he's oh so stupid, I mean Special. That's what the song says. It's a dumb song. Gets stuck in my head.

The only upside-- Boo is now going around the house turning off lights. To save energy. It is Earth Day after all. (One of the others on today was "Dr. Off" where Oso helps a girl save water and energy.)

Anyone else suffering through Oso in the mornings?

Wednesday Morsel

(Yeah, I know. It's Tuesday night. It's been one of those weeks.)

"Furniture Drive for Homeless Launched"

"Researchers call murder a threat to public health"

"Tribal council to hold June meeting in June"

"Man admits killing violated probation"

"Animal unit seeks rabbit witnesses"

"Jail's $34-million price tag doesn't include cell doors"

"Genuine fake eelskin"

"8 bagels for $1.49 (limit 3)"

"9-volt smoke alarm with silencer"

"NEED Plain Clothes Security. Must have shop lifting experience."

And finally: (I love this one)
"NEED BABYSITTER at my home, bring own lunch and dinner. Stay until I get home. 6:15 am until whenever. No overtime pay."

Now I may be crazy... but as a MOM that sounds a LOT like MY job description!!

:D:D

So, What's New With You?

Because there's nothing new with me. I'm not at home today... which is good for posting since my internet is down. I have not finished Black Ships... oh let's be honest, I technically haven't STARTED it. :D

But. I do have something entertaining for you today.

Author contemplates methods of murder. (Sounds like an interesting headline, doesn't it?) If you've ever sat through a middle school concert, you can probably understand why one's thoughts would turn to murder. ;)

Also, if you haven't yet, go back and see how everyone did on the 24 hour Read-a-Thon!

Speaking of headlines-- did you know Jay Leno has put out at least one book of headlines? It's my FAVORITE segment of his show!! (Does anyone else think Conan is all wrong for his replacement? I'm just not feeling it.) Anyway... if I can get internet back I'll post some...

Stuff Going On...

How's that for vague?

So-- I got an award. :D


From Jessica at Books Love Jessica Marie.
Go check out her super cute blog-- and cheer her on as she participates in the 24 hour read-a-thon today!
"Blogs that received the Let’s Be Friends Award are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers."

Hmmm.... eight, huh? Okay, let's see:

1. The Brain Lair-- cheer for KB today too!
2. Book Blather-- go cheer for these gals on today's 24 hour read-a-thon, too!
3. Book Bird Dog-- a cool blog focused on more obscure books!
4. One Librarian's Book Reviews-- :D Love Melissa's reviews-- and she's doing the read-a-thon too!
5. Amy's Haiku Haven-- Haikus with every post-- check out the one abour Mr. Darcy.
6. Library Queue-- another read-a-thon-er! (That's probably not a word...)
7. MawBooks-- Natasha is amazing! (And doing the read-a-thon! Am I the only one NOT doing this today??)
8. Hobo Teacher-- this one is just funny. It's a fictional blog, but so much rings true...

Check out KC's Contests-- a brand new author blog, check out her Love Your Library contest.

GOOD LUCK to everyone doing the read-a-thon!!!!!

Saturday with Boo and Mister-- Bookish Presents

Aunt C just got back from a vacation and brought back the CUTEST book! Coral Reef Hide and Seek is definitely a new favorite with Boo and Mister.

Every page has a slide-out panel where a critter is hiding!

Mister just likes to slide them in and out. (Not always very gently.) Boo loves that it's a game of hide and seek.

The illustrations are delightful and the text is simple and straightforward. A really really fun book!

(She also brought the monkeys, I mean kids, the board book version of Rainbow Fish which is absolutely a classic. We have the original, hardbound, but the board book is nice for Mister to haul around and he LOVES the shiny, pretty pictures.)

The Dark Tide by Andrew Gross

The Dark Tide
3.5 Stars
R- 3-3.5 (All towards the end... it was kind of weird)
Language (out of character... again, kind of weird)

I'd have given this more stars, but the character development was sketchy (characters really do need to speak in a way that matches how you describe them... and it needs to be CONSISTENT) and the editing was TERRIBLE.

Really terrible.

Drove me nuts.

Is it really that hard to keep straight which company the guy worked for? I mean, really? And no editor noticed that? Come on.

Now, I would feel far more forgiving if this was a first novel, but it's not. Andrew Gross has co-written and has at least one other solo novel.

But it was a really good story. Somewhat predictable, maybe, but fun. And fast-paced. I enjoyed it.... even though I want to contact the publisher and offer to copy edit for them.

Bikini Season by Sheila Roberts

Okay, I've capitulated. In looking for blog posts that I didn't bookmark, I've learned that life is easier if the post title includes the book title. So there it is. I'll get on the bandwagon.


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4 stars
R- 3

This book was cute. It's total fluff, but sometimes you need fluff.

Four friends, Kizzy, Erin, Angela and Megan, are in a cooking club together. Or they were. But now Erin's wedding dress doesn't fit... and Angela looks huge in a photo of her next to her husband's hot assistant... and Megan's had yet another run-in with the "pencils" at work... and Kizzy's doctor insists she lose weight.

So the transform their cooking club into the Teeny Bikini Club-- and vow to be in Bikini shape (or at least closer to it) by the 4th of July.

But on the way, they all have bumps in the road-- Kizzy's husband doesn't like skinny women... Angela is uber-threatened by the hot assistant... Megan's got some issues to work out to make herself a "new woman"... and Erin? Well.... Erin is stressed. And stress means chips. Not to mention she keeps finding her brother's no-longer-quite-so-dorky friend in her head.

I enjoyed it. I'm not raving about it, but it was a cute story. Granted you want to head-slap some of the characters, but still. Sometimes you want a little cotton candy.

Though it does make me feel a bit self-conscious about this baby weight left over around my middle... maybe I need to form some sort of club.

Wednesday Morsel-- Special Edition

That's right, in honor of National Library Week, I'm doing Wednesday Morsel a little differently this week.

Rather than a "name that book" quote, I'm going to give you clues and you guess a title I have checked out from the library right now. Pick a title, any title. (I have a lot checked out, so you have options.)

I have 4 DVDs checked out.

I have 9 nonfiction- one of which is a biography by an author I have reviewed before.

I have 5 JF/YF/Early Readers. At least 2 are for me. They may or may not be by Lois Lowry. ;)

I have 10 fiction-- at least 4 of which are Reader's Choice... that I have not read yet.

I have 10 picture books-- one of which is a retelling of a nonfiction I've read and reviewed recently.

I also have 4 books on hold... and 1 DVD.

Have at it. Guess a title, any title. And support your local library!!

AWESOME CONTEST

over on Epic Rat!!

HOLY MOLEY!

All THREE of Lisa Shearin's books!!! WOOHOO!!

Raine Benares Series Contest

"Now a Major Motion Picture"

Splendidly cast, too. I'm actually not planning on seeing it, but Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet are perfectly cast.

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4.5 Stars
R- 3.5 ish
Language

"A deft, ironic, beautiful novel that deserves to be a classic."-- William Styron

I agree, actually. Which surprised me. I'll be honest, I wasn't really expecting to like this one.

The Wheelers are not likeable people. They're just not. They live in a state of existential angst-- the kind that one encounters in high school and college. You know what I mean, the philosophical, coffeehouse intellectual snobs that can talk all day without saying a thing. And you know, if the Wheelers were kids, I'd be fine with that.

That whole feel reminds me of my Humanities classes. And hey, I think there can be a time and place for some of those philosophies and discussions.

But eventually, we must grow up. In one way or another, we have to move on. Either to acting on those philosophies or to withdrawing to a more even-keeled life. Or some combination of the two.

About half-way through the book, you start to feel like they've figured this out-- April wants to move to Europe so that Frank can "find himself" like he should have years ago. (Not what I would consider a sensible plan, but crazy things like that work fine for some people.) When this falls through, Frank wants to be "mature" and take a higher paying job, even if it is still dull, and settle into a "mature" life.

The irony is that the more they desperately try to be painfully honest, the more amazingly deceitful they become.

And Frank's "maturity"? What a crock.

Anyway, I liked Revolutionary Road. It does carry a high risqueity rating, but I enjoyed the book.

(On a completely unrelated note-- we're off to the dentist later. Aren't you jealous?)

Wednesday Morsel Answer Time

Wow. No guesses on last week's morsel. Interesting.
It was from Poisoned Pedigree by G G Vandagriff. Really really fun book.



You should start reading at the beginning, though-- Cankered Roots is first, then Of Deadly Descent, then Tangled Roots and then Poisoned Pedigree.

The Long-Awaited Review-- Lost Boys

Lost Boys by Orson Scott Card
5 Stars
R-3
Some language, violence against children.

Wow. This really was amazing.

From IndieBound: "For Step Fletcher, his pregnant wife DeAnne, and their three children, the move to tiny Steuben, North Carolina, offers new hope and a new beginning. But from the first, eight-year-old Stevie's life there is an unending parade of misery and disaster.
Cruelly ostracized at his school, Stevie retreats further and further into himself -- and into a strange computer game and a group of imaginary friends.
But there is something eerie about his loyal, invisible new playmates: each shares the name of a child who has recently vanished from the sleepy Southern town. And terror grows for Step and DeAnne as the truth slowly unfolds. For their son has found something savagely evil ... and it's coming for Stevie next."

I'd never read anything by Card before-- this was my first. The tone was different than I expected. Okay, it was entirely different than I expected. For some reason (I have no idea what that reason is) I thought this was a Lord of the Flies type thing.

It's not. It is really, in essence, an LDS mystery.

Parts of it were ridiculous. I think there were at least 10 straight pages about the prestige of various church callings. I kid you not. And while, yes, I know there are people who actually think this way... it was ridiculous. And the way each chapter starts-- "This is why" "This is where" etc.-- drove me BATTY.

But I sobbed at the end. (Briefly, anyway. I've mentioned I'm not really a crier, right?)

I knew exactly what was coming, and I still sobbed.

I totally recommend this book-- with just two little... I can't think of the word I want. This is what happens when you get so wrapped up in a book that you don't go to bed until nearly 3... reservations? I guess... or maybe disclaimers. Anyway:

1. Don't read this book late at night. (Obviously I know this from experience.) It is just creepy enough that passing dark windows going to bed is not good for the psyche.
2. DO NOT read this book pregnant. I'm serious. Very serious. If you've ever been pregnant, you probably know what I mean. If you're already a hormonal mommy mess, wait a while to read this. I will not be held responsible for the results otherwise.

Many, many thanks to Mrs. B Roth for recommending it.

Oh, I mentioned that the library is ordering more copies, right? It's a good thing, 'cause this one is old and falling apart.

(Sorry about the IndieBound link-- I was going to put the picture link on, but it's a much creepier cover than the copy I read... Just so you know before clicking it.)

Saturday with Mister

We're getting books for Easter.

Well, okay, technically Boo is getting T-Ball stuff. (We finally found an affordable lefty mitt! YES!)

But Mister is getting books. Kind of like this one:

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But not quite. He's getting mini ones. 'Cause well, they're cute. Though since they're mini ones, I'm not entirely sure how to put the pictures in...

(Actually, I'm writing this post in advance, so by the time you read it, he will alraedy have them in his sticky little hands, because the Easter Bunny comes Friday night. Mommy cannot handle having all that craziness on Sunday. Getting ready for church is quite enough chaos, thank you very much.)

Anyway. I wanted to share these fabulously bookish posts--
Tips for Picking Books for your Kids and Easter Books!

Happy Easter!

And Then There Were Three (Spellman books that is...)

Revenge of the Spellmans by Lisa Lutz
4.5 Stars
R- 1

This is the third installment in the hilarious chronicles of the Spellmans-- PI's all.

It was fun. I didn't think it was quite as good as the first two, but it was still really good.

The ending was... disturbingly final. I hope it doesn't mean there won't be any more. Though I can understand that sometimes you can only write so many books with the same characters.

Apparently there IS going to be a Spellman movie, though, which is very cool.

Here's a fabulous quote for you: (Just FYI, Izzy is taking a case just to get back in the game... Ernie wants to be sure his wife isn't a) shoplifting or b) having an affair or c) both.)

In light of Ernie's recent suspicions, I asked him if he'd ever followed his wife to see whether she was, in fact, only having lunch. He responded,
"No, I'd never do that."
I'm fascinated by ethical decisions like that.

I love that. It's beautiful.

:D

I Have Joined GoodReads

How did I miss this?? I wasted a ridiculous amount of time there today.

Had to enter all the books I've read in like the last... three years or so.

Are YOU on GoodReads?

If so, check out my profile. I need friends.

(Wow, did that sound pathetic. Sigh. Oh well.)

Anyway, it's lots of fun. I like that you can put what you're currently reading-- even what page you're on!

Go check it out!

Moon-Dry

Which given Dava Sobel's description, seems more appropriate than "bone-dry".

Killing Rommel by Steven Pressfield

From the Reader's Choice pamphlet:
"In this WWII historical novel, Lawrence Chapman is part of the Long Range Desert Group that is assigned to assassinate German Field Marshall Erwin Rommel. Superior writing skills bring us into the struggle for survival and mastery in the unforgiving deserts of North Africa."

You may be wondering why I didn't include any ratings with the title. Simple-- I didn't get past page 105. I don't think I've ever been so bored. (Okay, maybe in 8th grade science class, but still.)

I FORCED myself through those 105 pages.

I LOVE historical fiction. One of the best things about historical fiction is that you can learn about the period/events WITHOUT it feeling like a dry text book.

Or you can read this which was drier than many nonfiction books I've read. My thought is, if I want to learn about the North Africa campaigns of WWII, I'll read nonfiction. It'll probably be easier to get through.

I'm really disappointed. This author has a few other historical fictions that looked good, but now I can't bring myself to read them.

Wednesday Morsel

Here we go, another week, another Wednesday...

Another fun quote for you to ponder...

Name that book!

Perhaps that last plea finally did it. She started placing one foot in front of the other. Opening her eyes, she felt the light pierce them and shut them quickly. Her head was pounding. "If you seduce Kerry, I'll kill you," she murmured to Charles.
"Not much chance of that. I'm a little busy right now," Charles told her.

Okay, yeah, it's kind of a hard one. I know.

I'll give you a hint. The "she" is named Alex.

Picture Book Fun

We're All In The Same Boat by Zachary Shapiro
Illustrated by Jack E. Davis
5 stars

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I cannot for the life of me remember which blog I saw this book on. Sorry!

This has got to be the cutest animal alphabet book ever. Seriously.

At first being on the ark is lots of fun... but as the days pass...

"The ants are antsy... the llamas are livid... and the rabbits are getting rowdy."

Finally, Noah has had it. "We're all in the same boat!" he yells. "

"The ants apologized, the bees behaved..." and on through the alphabet.

The pictures are hilarious.

Last Call

Last call for other options for April Possibilities!

Thus far we have The Journal of Curious Letters by James Dashner, which I hope is not mid-series ;), against... well, itself, apparently.\


On a completely unrelated note:
I have a tag cloud now! Isn't it cool?

A Library Victory

The library system is now ordering two more copies of Orson Scott Card's Lost Boys.

I feel utterly responsible and I'm very pleased with myself.

(Okay, so I'm probably not responsible, but since I had to wait WEEKS for it to come in, I feel justified in my being pleased with myself.)

So Not What I Expected

Not that that's a bad thing.

The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry
5 stars
R- 1

This book was fascinating. It was completely not what I thought it was going to be. Not that I'm sure I can put into words what I thought it was going to be.

But it wasn't what I thought.

Anyway.

The story takes place in Salem, Mass. and is full of the mystical and paranormal. It's a very psychological novel.

From the first chapter: "My name is Towner Whitney. No, that's not exactly true. My real first name is Sophya. Never believe me. I lie all the time.
"I am a crazy woman... That last part is true."

Thus begins a story woven through varying points of view... as intricate as the lace Towner and her family reads to see the future.

I really enjoyed it. Try it; tell me what you think.

General Updates

1- Nobody has given me anything for the April Possibilities, so I suppose I'll give you a couple more days to ruminate before I put up a poll. I PROMISE I'll read whatever wins. I'm reading Lost Boys this week.

2- The Ides of March Madness is still going on! If you haven't checked it out, go do it!

3- Um... I forget. Oh yeah! New layout, new colors, etc etc. Whatcha' think?

Saturday with Mister-- My Little Book Thief

Here he is, my book thief. Can you read the title on what he stole?

That's right, he stole Eats, Shoots and Leaves from me.

On the couch behind him you can see HIS red book with a panda on it... apparently since Mommy's book is red and has a panda he thought they should go together. He stacked them, he "read" them, he gave loves and cuddles to the pandas on both covers.

He had LOTS to say about Eats, Shoots and Leaves. Lots and lots.

But, alas, I don't speak toddler as fluently as I should. So we'll have to wait until he's speaking clearly rather than in odd gutteral sounds.

I think it may be safe to say, though, that I've got a little nerd in the making.

Mommy is so proud. (The jury is stilll out on Daddy's feelings...)

:D

Words

Inspired by this WORDY post by Deanna Raybourn, I'd like to share a "song" with you.

Well, okay, I don't know if it can technically be called a song.

It's called "Bulbous Bouffant". And it cracks me up.

You can hear and see it on YouTube--

animated video

photo montage video

(Gotta love Dr. Demento.)

While you're at it, check out Star Trekin' and Dead Puppies or My Dead Dog Rover.

You may also enjoy Fish Heads and Boot to the Head. I know I did.

Sadly, I cannot find "I am a Squid, I am a Mollusk" anywhere. Very very sad.

(I am queen of my own little nerddom.)

ETA- How could I have forgotten to include Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny. (You may want to watch/listen to this one without kids present... it's a little bloody...)

Tag, You're It

I've been TAGGED. (And the best part is I don't have to chase anyone down to tag them...)

Suey at It's All About Books tagged me for the Kreativ Blogger Award. So I'm supposed to list 7 things I love....

1. Books. That's a given, right?

2. Used book stores. There's just something about the smell of really old books...

3. Curry. I have a serious curry obsession. Garlic too.

4. Scrapbooking.

5. Cool sounding words.

6. The color orange.

7. Music.

Now I have to tag 7 people? Hmm. Really?

How about I tag people who read this blog. That's right, I'm tagging you. And you. And you. And... you get the idea.

Tell me 7 random things about yourself.

ETA- Make one of them a book for consideration for my Monthly Possibilities or there won't be anything to vote on. :D

Wednesday Morsel Answer Time

That's right it was indeed--
The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron



I just LOVE that part. Don't you?

Now I'm dying to know why it's been banned in some libraries! I've read it, but what did I miss? What am I forgetting?

And how on earth could anyone ban The Giver?????????? That's positively criminal.

We Need A Little Boynton

As in Sandra Boynton.

I LOVE Sandra Boynton's books. LOVE LOVE LOVE them!

From Moo, Baa, Lalala to Hippos Go Berserk and everything in between, Boynton's books are an absolute must for any kid under the age of... oh, I don't know, 150 or so.

I think my favorite is Blue Hat, Green Hat. Mister loves Oh Me, Oh My Oh Dinosaurs. I'm not sure which is Boo's favorite. Her concept of what an author is is still shaky, so asking her to think of which books are Boynton's (many of which we sadly don't have) and pick something... probably not going to happen. In listing some of the books to her, she says she likes "the turkey one", so there's another vote for Blue Hat, Green Hat.

Our latest find, though, is Blue Moo. (17 Jukebox Hits from Way Back Never.)

Blue Moo comes with a fun cd, the words to all the songs, and, of course, Boynton's classic illustrations. Also, perfect for a young pianist, the music (simple melody line) is included also! How fun is that?!

Some of the songs included are "Speed Turtle", "The Uninvited Parade", "Gorilla Song", "Your Nose", and naturally "Blue Moo '62".

The main reason we checked it out, though? "I Want to be Your Personal Penguin". I have a penguin obsession.

Here are some pics/links to Boynton books: (I love What's Wrong, Little Pookie-- it's so Boo.)


Shop Indie Bookstores


Shop Indie Bookstores


Shop Indie Bookstores


Shop Indie Bookstores

National Poetry Month

Did you know it's National Poetry Month? I didn't either, until I read a post over at Once Upon A Time.

Is that not like the coolest poster ever? Seriously. Very cool.

"Do I dare disturb the universe?"

You can go to the POETS website to learn more about National Poetry Month.

It's That Time Again

While I technically still have not read March's book for my Possibilities, it is now April.

So... What shall I read in April? You can offer suggestions until Monday (April 6?) and then I'll take a poll with what suggestions I've got.

What do I just HAVE to read?

Wednesday Morsel

Name that book:

"Well," Lucky finally said, "what's the deal with the sign?"

"Did you read it?" Lincoln asked.

Lucky skirted around to the front of the sign, which was bolted to a metal post, and studied the words in large black capital letters against the orangy-yellow background:

SLOW CHILDREN AT PLAY

Lucky frowned. "So?" she asked.

"That sign is about us," Lincoln said. "Where's the pen?"...

Next to SLOW, he drew two neat perfect-size dots, one like a period and the other a little above it. Lucky knew it was a colon and it made the sign mean, "You must drive slow: There are children at play."

"Wow," she said. "That is... presidential."

:D