Recommended for Readers of the Future

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Unlike most books that catch my fancy, this one actually had to work at it. But it was in a dump (re: cardboard display) near the front and so I always saw it. The cover really is nice, and eventually I snuck a few peeks. Eventually I discovered that after all the rationalizing in my head I'd done about why I didn't want to read this book, I really ought to read this book. So I did. And I enjoyed. Very much. Amy is set to be cryogenically frozen for 300 years, but is awoken 50 years too early - and not by accident. Someone is killing the other frozens, and the only one that can help her is Elder, a boy set to take control of the ship. But everything on the ship seems to be fashioned from lies. Amy knows she can't trust anything - maybe not even Elder. There's a lot to be enjoyed here, so if you haven't visited a spaceship in a while, now is the time to do it.

Read the Epinions review here!


Notes from the playlist: "Major Tom" by Shiny Toy Guns

Fledgling by Octavia E. Butler

Fledgling by Octavia E. Butler

After The Curse of Chalion, our next Calico Reaction's 2011 Book Club book ended up to be Octavia E. Butler's Fledgling. Butler is yet another author that falls into the I-should-have-read-by-now category. So even though a large part of me was busy thinking, "Aw man, a vampire book? I don't want to read a vampire book - I'm so sick of vampires!" another part of me thought, "Well, it's Octavia Butler - maybe this will be interesting."

Interesting is what it was. Satisfying, not quite. It almost ended up in the same place as The Curse of Chalion in terms of how I felt about it. However, there was a bit more excitement, a lot more tension during the second half of the book (and closer to the end), and I really liked Shori, the main character. Here's a quick synopsis:

After a horrific attempt on her life, Shori awakens in a cave with no memory of what has happened to her. What she soon discovers is that the small community she lived in was destroyed and that she is 53-year old vampire. But as she tries to rebuild her life in a way that feels right, plenty of questions remain. Who is responsible for the attack? Will her memory return? Will she be able to protect those around her who are willing to help? And most important of all - will the killers try again?

Because of the synopsis, I thought this book would be a bit more exciting than it actually was. Instead it had its ups and downs, and I've decided this book requires me to split them up so I don't get all muddled as I type.

The Good

Shori. I liked her. A lot. And I liked Wright, her "first" (or I occasionally thought of him as her chevalier - too much Blood anime I guess). In a nutshell, when people are bitten, they're keen on sticking around said vampire. What I thought was really impressive - and I think this is just because it's so unexpected and different - is that Shori and Wright hook up several times. Now, some people will have a problem with this because even though Shori is 53 years old, she essentially has the body of a child. Normally that would be creepy, but the way Shori acts and talks, it's fine. The simple fact that Butler pulled it off is awesome.

I also enjoyed the way Butler crafted her vampires. She stuck with some of the old legends, such as sunlight doing harm, having to sleep during the day, and the pale skin and lean look. But she also gave them a different angle, putting them in interesting little communities and with a whole cultural way of working. It wouldn't surprise me if Butler has done research in anthropology. Because her vampires weren't exactly the traditional type as we think of them, it made for a nice difference. And no, none of them were sparkly.

She also gets points for killing a single person. Why? Because I never, ever saw that one coming. When it did, I was really bummed and really hoped that Shori would get her revenge because geez, the poor girl needed it.

The Not-So-Cool

When I reached the halfway point in the book, I was starting to get bored. It's actually a rather fast read (done in two days), but when you go so long without anything that feels like serious progress, you can get impatient. You want to know who's doing the killing. You want to know why. But first you have to go looking for more vampires that might be able to help. While it is necessary, it's a pain because you're so far in, you're ready for a few clues or something as to what the heck is going on.

When you do discover who is doing it, there is no big reveal. It's more like, "Hm. Those guys are doing it. Guess we'd better do something about that." There's no get up and go. There are phone calls to be made. A council to be had. And while I admit the council proceedings were interesting, I object to a few things.

First, one vampire Shori talks to claims that their Council of Judgment is better and more effective than human trials. Then he explains them. And they sounded exactly the same. He claimed that human trials are a "game" and the truth can easily go unpunished or overlooked. And yet, when the Council reaches its judgment, I immediately thought, "Bullsh*t." There you have vampires who were hundreds of years old, knew for a fact who was lying, and yet still ignored those facts. That ticked me off. It made them look exactly like the humans that some of them disliked so much - arrogant, shameful, and extremely stupid. I think some of the other vampires should have called them on it.

I was also highly displeased with the verdict and the way the book ended. If you don't want to know, skip to the last paragraph. I'm not going to give away details, but the gist might be enough to ruin it for you. Essentially it went: "Well, you've murdered a whole bunch of vampires and their humans, thus killing maybe 100 people, but we're going to leave you alive with only your word that you won't try to kill Shori and everyone around her. For a fourth time." Boo! Hiss!

The way this book ended just made me think, "So...that's it? Um, is there another book?" (there isn't) I literally made a face once I closed it.

Overall

It was interesting, and had several high points. I enjoyed the characters and the emotion that Butler brought onto the pages. But the ending annoyed me and left me rather unsatisfied. I'm sure other people will feel differently though - it's one of those sorts of books where everyone will have a different take. This book is a tricky one when it comes to giving it a star count. I think in the end, due almost wholly to its anticlimactic ending, it's a solid 3.5 star book.

NT

Would I read another Octavia E. Butler book? Sure I might. But if the second one I read ended anything like this one, I think I would have to be done.

Originally posted on Epinions.com


Notes from the playlist: "If I Was Your Vampire" by Marilyn Manson

February Book Giveaway Winners!

Wow! After a stunning (at least to me) number of entries, the time has finally come for me to announce the winner of the I Am Number Four ARC. I honestly wanted to go out and buy another copy as a surprise for a second winner, but I just don't make enough to justify dropping money on random books for people the way I can for a bit of shipping (as much as I'd love to. You'd think with all the stupid ads I have on this blog, I would, but the truth is that these ads have actually made me ZERO dollars so, psh).

I'm always delighted to see comments on my blogs and loved the enthusiasm so many of you had. I even had a few favorites:

Manu - for calling me "buddy" (I'm a girl, but high-five anyway)
Anonymous @2:10 - for noticing pracitically no one commented anywhere else on this blog (I know...aww)
Another Anonymous - who actually DID comment somewhere else (under the Lord of the Rings post) and made it a nice long comment too. :)

Anyway, after using a random number generator, the winner is.....

I Am Number Four!

Iris! Contratulations! Hope you like the book!

If you didn't win, better luck next time ("Next time?" you ask)! Yep, you never know what books I might be giving away. If you have any genres you'd like to see or authors you hope we get ARCs of, feel free to let me know and I'll keep an eye out for them. Until next month!

Purchased for My Shelf

The Elements by Theodore Gray

The Elements: A Visual Exploration of Every Known Atom in the Universe is the official title of this awesome book. Theodore Gray is a collector of elements and has put together this book with excellent pictures and information. That's right - Gray actually collects elements in their pure forms, from Argon to Zinc, Boron to Xenon. Bulbs of oxygen and chunks of germanium. When you were in chemistry class, the elements were never this fun (unless, of course, you were setting magnesium on fire or had a teacher cool enough to throw sodium into a lake). It's a nice hardcover book with pages done in black at about $35. The Barnes & Noble edition of this book (which is what I have because after Christmas this baby went on sale - whoohoo!) contains a DVD with some neat goodies on it as well. Have kids that don't like chemistry? Show them this. Just want a really sweet compendium of the elements for reference or for fun like me? Here you go.


Notes from the playlist: "Haven't Met You Yet" by Michael Bublé

Recommended for Caldecott Award Readers

Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears by Vera Aardema

This is another book that I'm sort of surprised took me so long to recommend. I remember this book from when I was a kid - and now I'm 27! It's pretty impressive when a book can stay with you for that long. Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears is a tale of exactly that. It's a West African tale explaining why mosquitoes do that annoying buzzing in your ear. It all starts off with a story the mosquito tries to tell the iguana and sets off a chain reaction of events that ends with Mother Owl refusing to wake up the sun. It will take King Lion to sort all this out. I think these tales are fun (I'm also a fan of the story of how the zebra got his stripes) and kids will like the bright colors of the illustrations, which is exactly what helped it land the Caldecott award in 1976. Probably not a story kids have heard before - so why not try something different?


Notes from the playlist: "Tourniquet" by Evanescence

FEBRUARY BOOK GIVEAWAY!

Yep, it's that time again. Time for a book you can get for free without lifting a finger (ok, well, you'll have to lift a few fingers in order to comment, but it's a lot better than forking over some dough!) So what do I have for you this time?

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

Why not read the book before you go see the movie? There were nine of them...but someone or something is systematically hunting them all down. They are all that is left standing between humanity and ruination. Three are dead. Number four is left - and next in line to die.

I thought maybe I'd chuck this one out there since the movie is due out the 18th. I also thought it was pretty impressive that this book got picked up so quickly to be turned into a movie. Some books take decades before they're noticed by Hollywood. I Am Number Four has been out 6 months, tops. And I think even that is stretching it. They sent the ARC (advance reading copy) to our store and I took one look at it and thought, "Ooh." Now I'll pass it on to you.

All you have to do is comment. Anywhere on this blog. Be sure to include your email address or some way for me to contact you if you've won. The contest will run until February 22nd, which gives you time to see the movie if you're the type that likes to do that before reading the book.

**Note: Please understand that because this ARC came through my place of work, in order to keep people from reselling them, the edges of the book have been marked (the way libraries or publishers do with remainder books) with "ARC." If you like your ARCs completely clean, it's best not to enter this contest. :)

Haven't seen the trailer for I Am Number Four yet? Well then, here you go!

This is the new cover the book has recently been released with. The copy you receive will be paperback and be the image at the beginning of this post.

Recently Finished (and Recommended)

Shadowfever by Karen Marie Moning

Yes! The final installment of the Fever Series has arrived! Actually, it arrived back in January, and I actually finished it a week or so ago, but who cares? It's a great finish to the series. Though I personally felt some of it could easily be cut out to help speed the book along and Mac started to really annoy me at several instances, as a whole it's satisfying. It wraps up every loose end, and while one or two tiny things still hang out there, it's okay to let them go for now since they're not imperative to know. Even if you aren't interested in the series, go to your local bookstore and check out the cover simply because it's gorgeous. Once I finished the book and closed it, I stared at the cover before laughing. Now I know what it's meant to look like. Nice.

Check out the rest of the Fever Series:
Darkfever
Bloodfever
Faefever
Dreamfever

Notes from the playlist: "Time" by Hans Zimmer

Recommended So People Never Forget

Night by Elie Wiesel

This is one book that everyone should read if they've never read The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank. And then you should read that too. Night is a true story, experienced by Elie Wiesel, about the horrors of enduring the holocaust. In 1944, he and his family were taken to the now infamous concentration camp at Auschwitz. It's a short, gripping story. Elie watches his family die and tries to understand the evils that man is capable of, all while doing everything in his power to survive. Not only does Elie offer the events of that horrific time, but also posits questions and thoughts that will have you thinking, wondering, and perhaps delivering insight you've never had before. If you want something real and powerful, this is it.

Notes from the playlist: "Psychological Recovery...6 Months" by Hans Zimmer

The Curse of Chalion

Many people I know might have thought that, being that I'm a fan of fantasy, I would have read work by Lois McMaster Bujold already.  Or at least, the people who might know who she is.  Big in the fantasy and science fiction world of novels, I've known her name for a long time, but never read anything.  Then I joined in on the Calico Reaction 2011 Book Club because I was starting to run out of book ideas and thought it might be fun to read something I might not pick up otherwise.

January's selection ended up being The Curse of Chalion.  Carazil, a soldier who has long since seen his days of death and pain, stumbles back to his home, hoping for a simple life and easy days.  But Carazil is instead given to the young Royesse Iselle to be her tutor.  That means eventually going to the court of Cardegoss, the one place he would prefer never to visit again.  As court politics unfold and old enemies reappear uglier than ever, Carazil is forced to make choices of life and death, discovering not only the curse that lies upon Iselle and her entire royal family, but that he is something vastly important in the world of both men and gods.

To be blunt, this book was interesting.  Understand that interesting is not necessarily the same as engrossing or couldn't-put-it-down.  The book moves at an easy pace, which actually matches well with Carazil's character.  You like the guy, and it's frustrating to wait alongside him and watch as he deals with all the court politics that flow through the kingdom.  And that's what most of the book is.  Hanging out with Carazil while he walks Iselle through dangerous influential people and teaches her how to survive in such a world.  It isn't exciting, and there are only a handful of moments when the tension truly ratchets up.

This is a difficult book for me to really describe, something that doesn't happen often.  The story was interesting, the characters had a realistic ring to them, it was easy to sink into the events, you were indeed happy when certain people died, grew impatient for others to stand up for themselves, or for certain characters to kick the bucket.  I generally hate politics of any kind, and I tended to teeter on a knife's edge when it came to being interested in things that were going down and getting irritated with the entire situation.

I read along in a way that one might read a history textbook - and it's history you actually don't mind reading about.  It's not enthralling, but it's, well, interesting.  *shrug*  That truly is the best I can do in describing how I feel about this book.

As for other things, I did like that the five deities weren't just there for religion's sake and actually had a few hands in several things.  I particularly liked the inclusion of a god dubbed the Bastard.  I thought that was a pretty cool concept on Bujold's part.  Bujold also gets a high five for her strong female characters.  Every one of them.

On the flip side, by page 400 I was waiting for something - anything - to happen.  For Carazil to die.  For him to not die.  For Jironal to die.  For the curse to be lifted and the book to end.  And then after I got my resolutions, the book kept going and I got impatient as to what else had to happen for things to finally be finished.  You know, when you flip to the end and look at the page number and think, "Man...I still have 20 pages to go?  What the heck else is there?"

I also had a small issue with the names and titles and the way Bujold went about them.  Everybody was "dy" something.  Men.  Women.  Ser dy Ferrej.  Lupe dy Carazil.  Castillar dy Carazil.  Lady dy Huelter.  Those two Carazils are the same main character, by the way.  And much of the time I had no idea what the titles meant.  What's the difference between March and Castillar?  It took some time to get used to, and what really sucked was when two brothers made their appearance on the page.  Jironal.  Half the time I had no idea who was who or who had what title.  It made everything so much easier when someone died off.  A neat system, but confusing to a newcomer.  Oh, and a map would have been awesome.

So, all in all, good.  Not amazing for me, but I wasn't bored and overall it was a good read.  Will I read more of Bujold?  Perhaps.  Will I read the second book of Chalion?  No.  I have other things I'm much more interested in.

NT


Notes from the playlist: "The Death of Queen Jane" by Loreena McKennitt

Recommended for Teens (Alive or Otherwise)

The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade

There are certainly plenty of good things I can say about this book, but for a better review, click the Epinions link below. Suffice to say that Stacey Kade doesn't deliver the same old tired out plot. You think the main man is a goth - he's not. You think the girl is a bratty cheerleader - ok, so she is, but she's got some spice on her side that gives her a more interesting personality. And the problem they face? Definitely not what you were expecting. Certainly not what I was expecting. I had a great time reading this and trouble putting it down. I don't doubt that you will do the same.

Read the Epinions review here!

Notes from the playlist: "Black Black Heart 2.0" by David Usher

Purchased for My Shelf

Natural History: The Ultimate Visual Guide to Everything on Earth

If you've followed this blog at all, you may have picked up at some point how much I adore DK books (that is, the folks at Dorling Kindersley Publishing). This was one of those books that, while in the receiving room pulling it out of the box, I got all googly-eyed over and knew I had to have. Hands down. The second I knew I could get it at a lower price (because it's list price is a whopping $50 though completely understandable), I nabbed it. This book is like every DK book ever made about the natural world. It is, in a single word, AWESOME. Every glossy page is filled with brightly colored pictures of mushrooms, fish, ferns, big cats, bears, spiders, dragonflies, and virtually everything that walks, crawls, swims, or wriggles on the planet. Ok, so maybe not everything, but it's pretty darn close. Just by flipping through it, I've already discovered all sorts of things. The fossa in Madagascar are real and do eat lemurs, and there really are deer out there with fangs (I knew it!).



Notes from the playlist: "TRON Legacy (End Titles)" by Daft Punk

Currently Reading

Intellectual Devotional: Biographies by David S. Kidder & Noah D. Oppenheim

Happy New Year!

Another year, another Intellectual Devotional to be read! Tonight I'll be on Day 1 and learning all about...hold on a moment...Khufu, ancient Egyptian pharaoh. Nifty. These books are great because you glean all sorts of tidbits about people and culture that you may not have known before. This time it's biographies only (in case the title didn't give it away). A different page about a different person every night for the next year. You never know who you're going to get! From thieves to presidents, singers to architects, and much more, it's another intelligent way to end the day.

Past volumes:
Intellectual Devotional (Original)
Intellectual Devotional: American History
Intellectual Devotional: Modern Culture


Notes from the playlist: "Zombie Fight" by Ilan Eshkeri

Purchased for My Shelf

My Fair Succubus by Jill Myles

I do enjoy good romance from time to time, but Jill has actually made it to my shelf. Yes. I'll read romance, but books have to be something special, different, or just flipping good to end up on my bookshelf, and Jill Myles is actually the first author to do it. Maybe she got the timing just right, maybe it's her smart use of vampires, angels, and succubi, or maybe it's her steaming hot sex scenes. I think it's a mix of all those things. Her books are fun to read, characters are enjoyable, and these make for great reference books when it comes to writing my own love scenes. In the end, though, they're enjoyable and a great change of pace. Kudos Jill.

Previous books:

Gentlemen Prefer Succubi

Succubi Like It Hot

Notes from the playlist: "Don't Stop" by Fleetwood Mac

Recommended for A Merry Christmas!

The Chronicles of Narnia (Leatherbound Edition) by C.S. Lewis

Can it really be Christmas without a little Narnia magic? Perhaps, but it probably won't be the same!

Have I read all of the books yet? I admit that, no, I haven't. I'm taking my sweet time (and of course, reading them out of order). I read the first one back in college, a few weeks before the movie came out. Yeah, I'm one of those geeks that likes to compare the movies to the books. But it only takes one book before you realize that they're going to be great fun. I love Lewis's writing style - it's like a fun sort of omniscient. Aslan is always impressive, and you never know what's going to happen next or where you might go - since on occasion you do venture outside of Narnia. It's not all witches and wardrobes you know!

And yes, I totally own the leatherbound edition made by B&N. And why not? It's gorgeous, affordable, and will last a lot longer than paperbacks. Of course, if you have kids, they might be better off with something you don't expect to last for very long. Whatever the format, kids and adults all want to visit Narnia!

Notes from the playlist: "From Western Woods to Beaversdam" by Harry Gregson-Williams

December Book Giveaway Winners!

The winners have been chosen. It was a pretty tight little contest this time, with only four entries, giving each person a 25% chance of winning. This time I didn't even bother with the random number generator - I went even more random, writing names on pieces of paper, balling them up, mixing thoroughly, and then picking two with my eyes closed. So who won?

Mekaela won Gary Braunbeck's Mr. Hands!

Adriana won L.J. Smith's The Forbidden Game!

Congratulations guys! Extra Christmas presents for you this year, eh?

For those of you that didn't win, stick around - you never know when I'll have another giveaway!

Recommended for Kids and Parents Alike

I Spy Fantasy by Jean Marzollo and Walter Wick

Christmas is coming, so it's time for dreams and wishes to come true and for flights of fancy to sprout wings and really soar. For kids, they can dive into an I Spy book and discover all the hidden goodies throughout its pages and enjoy the fun rhymes that announce what objects to look for. Since I did I Spy Christmas last year, this year it's all about the fantasy - mystifying and magical. Sand castles besieged by knights, cities made with wooden blocks, sparkling jewels, and of course, a unicorn hidden on every page.

Read the Epinions review here!


Notes from the playlist: "Macedonian Morning" by Bill Whelan

DECEMBER BOOK GIVEAWAY!

Merry Christmas everyone! Last month I didn't do a book giveaway because I figured everyone should be grateful for what they already have. I just forgot to mention that somewhere.

But now tis the season, and I've already bought 5 books to donate to Head Start of Kansas City (and if your B&N is doing a book drive - and it probabaly is - if you can, buy some books to donate before Christmas!). I've also been feeling very generous this season. So much so that I actually purchased a book specifically for this giveaway.


The Forbidden Game Trilogy by L.J. Smith

THAT'S RIGHT! This book again! That's how much I love this trilogy (previous posts are here and here). Maybe some people think I'm over the top, but Julian kicks butt and it's just a whole lot of fun. I enjoy it so much I wanted to spread the love around by putting this brand spankin' new copy up for the giveaway. Our store is supposed to have 6 in stock as often as possible - I ordered an additional 3 because I handsell these as often as I can. So we had 9 in the store a few days ago. Now we have 7. (Told ya!) So if you want to try outwitting a Shadow Man like Julian, go right ahead.


Mr. Hands by Gary Braunbeck

For those of you who like to have something totally different for Christmas, here's a bit of horror for you. I have to say - I almost don't want to give this book away just because I freakin' love the cover so much. And it's a good book, of course. And Gary's a cool guy. But I'd like to pass it on to others so you can see for yourself. If horror is your game, then this is what you want to play. While this is my copy, trust me, I'm one of those people that keeps her books in pristine condition (or as close to as humanly possible).

If you want to join in on the giveaway, just leave a comment and some way for me to contact you in case you win. Pick one book or put your name in for both - doesn't matter to me! This contest will run until midnight December 19th - that way I have time to ship these out and you (might) get them by Christmas - or at least hopefully by the new year.

How can you say no to free books??


Notes from the playlist: "I Can't Take It In" by Imogen Heap

Recently Finished (and Recommended)

Bad Kitty vs Uncle Murray by Nick Bruel

Every time I flipped through this book, I found myself giggling. I made a note to find the time to actually sit down and read it - and I did. Bad Kitty is a chapter book series by Nick Bruel. There are only a few of them right now, but with the way these are becoming more popular (and with good reason), I wouldn't be surprised to see more and more come out. Kitty is the main character of these books, but hangs out with Puppy (who is absolutely adorable and reminds me of my sister's dog with his goofy face). In this book, Uncle Murray is coming over to take care of Kitty and Puppy while their owners are away. Of course, with Kitty being the sort of cat she is, that won't be easy. It's a really funny book (I particuarly liked the bit where Kitty was in the closet with Puppy and you get diary entries from Kitty - where one day is about equivelant to 6 minutes). Kids will laugh and have a good time with this, and I highly recommend picking this up - especially if your family has a cat!

Read the Epinions review here!


Notes from the playlist: "O Tannenbaum" by Vince Guaraldi

Recommended for Pretty Much Anyone Willing

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

Contrary to popular belief, The Lord of the Rings isn't actually a trilogy. It is one novel simply split into three parts - that and many people find it easier to read three separate books rather than deal with one massive tome. Like me. Why else do you think I sprung for the 50th Anniversary Edition with it's gorgeous hardcover and gilded pages? Whatever way you prefer to read it, this is the fantasy story, the quintessential tale of the battle between good and evil...with a few Hobbits stuck in the middle of it.

If you haven't read this, but you've seen the movies, then you ought to read this (...just read it in any case). Besides, even though I'm not a naysayer of the movies (love 'em), in the book Frodo isn't a total pansy, that whole Warg thing never happened, King Theoden was always ready to rock, and Sam ruled even more of the universe. Overall? A long, albeit good, read.

Notes from the playlist: "The Bridge of Khazad Dûm" by Howard Shore

Currently Reading

A World Without Islam by Graham E. Fuller

Yet another book spotted while at work. This is in the current affairs section, and it caught my eye and my interest. It's in this book that Fuller intends to show what the world may be like without Islam - and it may not necessarily be any different at all. Indeed, if not Islam, then what religion, what politics might have come into play and would they be the same in terms how how the West is viewed, etc? Very intriguing questions. I'm not yet very far into the book, but look forward to see how Fuller's ideas unfold.


Notes from the playlist: "What I've Done" by Marié Digby

Recommended for Fantasy Readers (Kids and Adults)

Mariel of Redwall by Brian Jacques

I threw young readers in there because the Redwall books are placed in both the adult fantasy section as well sa the young readers section of the store. I read them when I was young, but I would totally read them as an adult as well. In the end it just depends upon the book style you want. But whatever you decide, these are a lot of fun. I actually found Watership Down through these. I chose Mariel of Redwall because it was my first Redwall book and my favorite. The main characters are mice, otters, moles, and other woodland creatures while the bad guys include stoats, weasels, and rat pirates. They're fun to read and I must say, the food always sound delicious, haha.

Notes from the playlist: "Unopened" by Sonata Artica

Recommended for Travelers and the Curious

God's Middle Finger: Into the Lawless Heart of the Sierra Madre by Richard Grant

I first spotted this book two, maybe three years ago when working at my other store. It's kind of hard to ignore a book called God's Middle Finger. It's equally hard to forget about it after reading what it's about. With phrases like, "[...] his reckless adventure spiraled into his own personal heart of darkness when cocaine-fueled Mexican hillbillies hunted him through the woods all night, bent on killing him for sport." Whaaaat? Really? Of course, I didn't get the chance to read it right away, but that book stuck with me until years later I finally got my hands on it. It's a great read. Definitely worth it. Grant travels all along Sierra Madre and learns about how the police and the drug dealers co-exist, sees abject poverty, the nonstop machismo that saturates the culture (and the men), and quickly discovers that it's all about who you know.

I put this book near Thanksgiving because after reading this book, it just makes me thankful for everything I have here. I'm sure Grant's happy to be alive and well on the opposite side of the Mexican border...

Read the Epinions review here!


Notes from the playlist: "Silver Springs" by Fleetwood Mac

Recommended for Kids, Camels, and Beach Bums

To the Beach by Thomas Docherty

"Take an adventurous trip to the beach and hang out with the best camel ever."

That's what my Bookseller Recommends card read when I stuck this book on the recommendation shelf (back when I worked in a store that had one...my newest store did away with employee recs - VERY sad about that). It's a simple story about going to the beach - but this boy does it in a very unexpected way. And the camel is awesome - and adorable. That was actually one of the things that made me pick up this book, the cuteness of the camel. Who doesn't love a camel that knows how to have fun? I know we're in November, so read this and think of sunny days, or hang onto it until beach days come again.


Notes from the playlist: "Love Song" by Sara Bareilles

Recently Finished (and Recommended)

Star Island by Carl Hiaasen

I was in the mood for something different, and having read the book blurb about Carl Hiaasen's newest book, thought that might just do it. I've never read anything by him before and figured now was a good time to see what Carl's all about. Though Star Island doesn't really fit the mystery genre by any real definition, it was still a fun romp. Weird, wacky, and amusing at every turn, I had a great time and polished this off in a single day. It's all about the trials and tribulations of pop star Cherry Pye - or at least, her double Annie, who slips in when Cherry's too coked out/drunk/unconcious to do the job. I guess it's in mystery because A.) the rest of Carl's books are in there and B.) you really don't know who is going to do what next. It may be your cup of tea and it may not be, but I say definitely give it a try and see what happens.

Read the Epinions review here!

Notes from the playlist: "Who Wants to Live Forever" by Queen

Recommended for Bakers of Cookies, Cakes, and More

Nestle Classic Recipes by Nestlé

Mmm. Who doesn't love Nestle goodness? From their classic chocolate chip cookie recipe to a few surprising ideas (key lime pie, anyone?), this book is choc-a-bloc full of delicious goodies ready for baking. And guess where I found this? In the bargain section of the store! Haha! Always great stuff in the bargain section. This book is a total joy to have around and I'm always eager to make something mouth-watering. The best part is that most of the recipes are simple, so for when I want something sweet and awesome and don't have the time or money for a recipe from Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey, this is the way to go. Yummy!


Notes from the playlist: "Vianne Sets Up Shop" by Rachel Portman

Recommended for Readers of Dystopia

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Dystopia. The opposite of utopia. This is one of the quintessential dystopian novels, alongside others like 1984 and Brave New World. Book burning is what Guy does as a fireman. He starts the fires - he doesn't put them out. At least, until he discovers that there is more to life than burning books. That in the past, books weren't set on fire - they were read. He begins to discover how ridiculous and meaningless most of his life is. Soon, ideas of escape begin to form... This was indeed a good book and it is more than interesting to watch Guy change as he learns more and more. But when a novel rests in a dystopian society, how it ends can be anyone's guess...

Notes from the playlist: "Reunited" by Alan Silvestri

October Book Giveaway Winners!

Well, the winners have been chosen via Random Number Generator and the ballots are in (wait...numbers? Ballots? Nevermind). The winners are:

Anonymous for The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff! (wow, it seemed like everybody wanted this book...)
David for Little Bee by Chris Cleave!
Nicole C. for Zoo Story by Thomas French!
MayinJune for The Search for Wondla by Tony DiTerlizzi!

Congratulations guys! I hope you enjoy your new reads!

Thanks to everyone who participated and keep checking back for more cool books to read. And you never know when I'll have another book giveaway!

Ciao!