The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society

by Mary Ann shaffer & Annie Barrows

There have been many good reviews about this book posted elsewhere and I'm just going to add - I loved it, too.

The book is written in letters back and forth from a journalist in London and some folks on Guernsey Island. It is the end of WWII and Europe is trying to put itself back together.

This beautiful story tells of the Nazi occupation of the Guernsey Island for five years during the war. We learn of hardships suffered by both the islanders and the soldiers and yet the overall feeling of the book is one of hope, resurgence, and love.

I very seldom cry while reading or watching movies, but there was one part of the book that I couldn't hold back the tears. Don't put off reading this because it contains a little sadness. I thought the book was delightful. I strongly recommend it to all my blogger friends.

A Fatal Grace/ Dead Cold

by Louise Penny

Louise Penny is one of my favorite authors and I absolutely love her Inspector Gamache series.  I listened to this book with Candleman on a trip to southern Utah in Nov.  It was not his choice but he ended up loving it.

This is book 2 in the series.  I'm sure it is advisable to read this series in order especially to follow the continuing story of Gmache's enemies in the force.  Unfortunately, I've been reading them out of order and don't feel like it's detracted from the storyline too much.

I love coming back to this fictitious village just south of Montreal and reconnecting with the people.  They are real, flawed and multi-dimensional - just the type I would love to have for neighbors.  Most of them, anyway.  The setting makes me long to visit that area again.  It reminds me a a beautiful little town called Knowlton we visited that is real and is located just south of Montreal.  Absolutely picturesque and filled with charm.  That's how I think of Three Pines.

The mystery is complex and was hard for me to solve.  One of the things I like best about Penny's books is the wisdom sprinkled throughout.  I am going to need to reread this one so I can book dart those many passages I loved while listening to it.

If you haven't picked up one of these books in the Armand Gamache series, I highly recommend you do.  Start with Still Life.

A Fatal Grace is the title used in the U.S.  Elsewhere it goes by Dead Cold.  Why they can't use the same title is beyond me...

Alice I Have Been

by Melanie Benjamin

I read Alice In Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass for the first time a few years ago for a Classics Challenge.  I totally did NOT understand Lewis Carroll's writing even though I was reading an annotated copy and had seen Disney's version.  I recognized many parts and was surprised to find that many poems and stories I was familiar with originated with the Alice books.

Even though Lewis Carroll's genius soared way over my head, I developed a strong interest in the little girl Carroll wrote about and in the author himself.  Unfortunately, there are not many personal papers remaining to provide insight on the relationship that existed between Alice Liddell and Charles Dodgson.

Benjamin is upfront about informing the reader this fictional story told from Alice's perspective.  Although much is unknown Benjamin weaves her story around substantiated events.

The book is divided into 3 major sections based on the men in Alice's life.  The first is Alice's questionable relationship with Charles Dodgson, one that is both filled with love and mystery and leaves Alice totally baffled when her mother stops them from being with each other even though Dodgson continues to work on campus.  Next is Alice's relationship with Prince Leopold that ends with questions for the reader, at least this reader.  I wish there was more known about why that relationship ended.  The final section is about Alice's marriage to a man who basically rescues her from spinsterhood.  It was during this part that I choked up and even shed some tears.

I loved this book!  Good story, good writing.  I strongly recommend Alice I Have Been, even if you're not a fan of Alice In Wonderland.  I read this book in November and have no worthy excuses for my delay in reviewing it.  I've thought of it many times over the ensuing months and finally decided I needed to review it so I could recommend it to others.

I received this book as a advanced reader's copy.  I did not receive any other payment for my review.

Triangle of Deception

by Haggai Carmon

This is the write-up featured on the author's blog:
"Working in a joint CIA/Mossad sting operation, Dan Gordon chose the path of deception – a triangle of deception.

In this fourth installment in the Dan Gordon intelligence thriller series, Dan is on the hunt for the source of funding to terrorist group Hezbollah. He infiltrates the Lebanese network in the Paraguayan terrorist hub, Ciudad del Este, through a Lebanese expat in Sierra Leone, only to realize the operation is even more far-reaching than he has been told. A chase for false documents turns a Shakespearean drama of double identities and uncertain loyalties into a web of lies.

Caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, Dan lands in a grim Romanian jail. Was it a security leak that got him in trouble? Why was he told to abandon top-secret CIA documents in a hotel room in Turkey? Was Dan made a sacrificial lamb for the CIA to make their plan look credible? Has he stumbled on a much bigger plot, one with the potential to unlock Al Qaeda’s machinations in the Americas? And how will he extricate himself from his stickiest situation yet?"

The Author

Haggai Carmon is an Israeli-born international attorney sharing his time and practice between the United States, Israel and the rest of the world. Since 1985, he has represented the U.S. Department of Justice in its Israeli litigation. Several other federal agencies have also assigned him with worldwide responsibility for undercover legal intelligence gathering outside the United States in complex, multimillion dollar cases, most involving money laundering.

He has performed this sensitive investigative work in more than thirty foreign countries.

The Story Behind My Stories: What Inspired My Intelligence Thrillers

By Haggai Carmon
My intelligence thrillers were inspired by my professional Israeli background, as well as by twenty years of service for the United States Government. During those years, I had a publicly known “daytime” job as well as a covert “nighttime” job. Since 1985, I have represented the United States Government in its Israeli civil litigation, appearing in Israeli courts in lawsuits to which the U.S. is a party. However, away from the public eye, I was also engaged by the U.S. Government to perform intelligence gathering in multi-million dollar, white-collar crime cases that required sensitive undercover work in more than thirty countries. Obviously, while working for the U.S. Department of Justice and other federal agencies, I could not share the hair-raising aspects of my assignments with anyone but my supervisors, and some adventures not even with them. Sadly, many of these events, which are sometimes more fascinating and breathtaking than the best fiction I have ever read, will never see the light of day. The story of Dan Gordon and his battle against the invisible, but very real FOE – forces of evil – is my idea of the next-best thing.

A globetrotting legal practice has left little time in my life for hobbies. However, one night in a small hotel in a faraway country, I finally had the time to fulfill my urge to write. I was on U.S. Government assignment collecting intelligence on a particularly vile and violent criminal organization. Earlier that evening, I’d received a phone call from my local INTERPOL contact. “You’ve been exposed. I suggest you stay in your hotel. We’ll arrange for your safe departure tomorrow morning.” Is it any wonder I couldn’t sleep that night, between jet lag and the rage that came from being unarmed and unable to leave the hotel without my hosts’ protection? I poured it all into the writing, and the result was my first novel, Triple Identity.

This book gives a very real look into the world of undercover operations.  I found myself wondering, "Why would anyone let themselves be talked into this job?"  This is a man's book.  By that I mean it's a book men would feel comfortable picking up and then find themselves totally captured while reading.  That's not to say this is a book women would not enjoy because it is.  I found it captivating as well as interesting. 

Triangle of Deception is the fourth in a series featuring Dan Gordon.  I had not read the first three, so you can easily pick this one up and read it as a stand alone.  I'm looking forward to reading the earlier books and look forward to future releases.

3rd Degree

by James Patterson

 Lindsay Boxer a homicide detective, Cindy Thomas a reporter, Claire Washburn the Chief medical Examiner and Jill Bernhardt a lawyer form the group that meet together as friends that collaborate on solving murders.

One of the girls becomes seriously involved in a dangerous situation in this 3rd installment of the Women's Murder Club.

Syren: Septimus Heap Book Five

by Angie Sage

I hardly know where to start telling you how much I enjoyed this book.  Syren is written for ages 9-12 and yet it held my interest for all 630 pages.  Many Junior and YA adult books are not so well written and as interesting as Angie Sage's series featuring Septimus Heap.  I often find myself thinking, "I can see how this would be good for a younger reader."  Syren draws that same thought and this additional one, "Totally enjoyable for readers 9 through 99."  I loved it.

The writing, the story, and the characters all drew me in.  There were several tales of adventure that intertwined throughout and kept me interested.  Syren has so many endearing characters that are so vividly described, like Aunt Zelda who looks more like a quilted tent than a woman. 

The Septimus Heap series is one of the better fantasy novels I've read and I highly recommend it.

An Offering of Leaves

I feel very fortunate to participate in this very first Green Books Campaign. Today at 1:00 pm Eastern time 100 bloggers will be posting their reviews of 100 different "green" books. The common thread is that each book is printed in an eco-friendly manner.

My book choice was influenced by yoga-guru and longtime blogging friend, Jenclair.  I only have a rudimentary knowledge of yoga but have been interested in her studies and training which she talks about occasionally on her blog, A Garden Carried in the Pocket.

I discovered, after receiving An Offering of Leaves by Ruth Laurer-Manenti, that it is not about yoga but rather a collection of stories "Lady Ruth" shares with her yoga students.  The stories are based on her personal experiences and represent the yogic commitments to non-violence, compassion, and service.  Ruth's stories gently infused my soul with an increased understanding of the philosophy of yoga. 

 One of my favorites was the story of quiltmaking - Handmade Perfection.  She tells of the beauty and perfection of a quilt.  My mother makes beautiful quilts and I have enjoyed making a few quilts myself.  Perhaps this is why I liked this story so much, but I think the concept will resonate for most of us.

    When you look at these quilts, you would never think that because one square is different from the rest, these quilts aren't perfect.  They're complete.  Nothing is missing.  They're stunning.  All the hardship, resourcefulness, and love that is in these women is woven into these quilts.  They're handmade.  They reflect depth of chara ter and depth of life.
   I think sometimes we have a conditioned idea of what perfect is.  Perfect would be like every square being the same, or having exactly the right amount of fabric.  But in thiss case, the perfection of these quilts, just like our perfection, is large enough to contain imperfections, irregularity, or surprise.

An Offering of Leaves is published by Lantern using FSC certified paper.  FCS stands for Forest Stewardship Council, which is an independent, non-governmental, not-for-profit organization established to promote the responsible management of the world’s forests.  Established in 1993 as a response to concerns over global deforestation, FSC is widely regarded as one of the most important initiatives of the last decade to promote responsible forest management worldwide.

The Green Books Campaign has been organized by Eco-Libris and aims to encourage both publishers and readers to get greener and make sure books are printed responsibly.  Visit this page of the Eco-Libris blog to see the entire list of books being reviewed all at the same time, as well as a list of all the bloggers participating.

"Waiting On" Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

I saw this last week on Aarti's blog, Booklust.  The Magicians and Mrs. Quent by Galen Beckett will be released in the US on Nov 24, 2009, so it's not such a terribly long wait.

Looking After Pigeon Review and Giveaway

One spring day in New York City, five-year-old Pigeon’s father disappears, leaving her to face a new and bewildering life with her mother and older siblings in an uncle’s house on the Jersey shore.
“Our mother named her children after birds” – so begins a now grown up Pigeon as she describes the tumultuous events of this pivotal childhood summer with her brother Robin, and her older sister Dove. In the heat and unfamiliarity of a beach town near Atlantic City, each member of her family looks for a caretaker of some kind—Robin in a fortune teller, Dove in older lovers, her Uncle Edward in the feckless owner of a diner, and her mother Joan in a religious cult. All the while, Pigeon, the youngest, searches for her father, believing he will return to the family to care for her. Through the course of the summer, Pigeon comes to the realization that, in spite of disappointments and grief, she has become quite capable of looking after herself. And through the course of narrating this story, the grown-up Pigeon comes to the further realization that she is willing finally to trust in love.


When I was offered this book as part of a TLC Tour, I thought it sounded very interesting.  Unfortunately, I did not connect with the characters or the story.  It may have just been the wrong time for me and this book to come together.  


The first page introduces us to a grown-up Pigeon who is beset with moodiness and bad memories.  Her live-in boyfriend encourages her to seek counseling, which she resists, but she does succumb to his suggestion to write down the events of that summer before she turned six.  That is the summer that troubles her even after 20+ years.   The book is told from the voice of 5-yo Pigeon with some insights thrown in from the grown-up Pigeon. 


I didn't feel like the events of that summer were impressively traumatic to cause Pigeon such unrest for that many years afterwards.  She seemed like such a independent child and so resourceful in entertaining and taking care of herself that I would think she could have healed better than she did.


As a reader of mysteries and thrillers this book seemed quite uneventful.  I expected something more to happen and was disappointed that it didn't.   All that said, I think this book will appeal to many so I'm offering my copy in a

GIVEAWAY!

Be forewarned - the title page has a little water damage, but the outside covers are in great shape.

To enter:

• Leave a comment with your email - encode it something like this: booklogged at gmail dot com

I will draw for a winner on Nov. 8 - one week from today.  This drawing is open to U.S. readers only.

Blogging Around the States - Tennessee

This week we are visiting Amanda from lovely Tennessee.   Her blog is A Bookshelf Monstrosity and she is nearing 100 followers.  When she gets just 3 more followers she's going to host a huge giveaway!  I'm spreading the word because I love giveaways!  In addition to that giveaway, every Thursday she posts a list of all the giveaways she knows about that are happening in the blogosphere.  Check out this last Thursday's List .  There is some good stuff listed, trust me!

1.  Start by telling us a little bit about yourself.  (family, job, likes, dislikes, favorites, idiosyncrasies, pet peeves, or anything else you'd like to share that will help us know you better)

Hmmm...I've lived here my whole life. I'm not single but not married...somewhere in the middle, haha. I'm in graduate school to be a school librarian. I love to read (duh), listen to music, and blog! Oh, yeah, and I love sushi. Can't make a plant grow to save my life.

2.  What do you love about your state?  (please include the name of your state)

I love Tennessee because...
1. It's beautiful!
2. I live within 40 minutes of The Ryman Auditorium (where the Grand Ole Opry once performed).
3. The state parks are great!
4. It's the home of the Tennessee Aquarium! My favorite exhibit there is the seahorses.
5. People are really nice and caring. Example: I rear-ended a lady in my car the other day and she got out and asked if I was okay! Now, where else does that happen?

3.  Is there anything you don't like about where you live?

The weather here in Middle Tennessee is so erratic! We have huge temperature swings throughout the course of one day. I don't ever really pack away any season of clothes, cause you never know when it'll get hot again. I'm still wearing flip flops right now! Not to mention the mosquitoes...

4.  If job, money, family did not enter the equation, would you prefer to live in another state?  Which one?  And why?

I would love to live in North Carolina. My family took a trip to the Asheville area almost every summer when I was growing up; it is so beautiful there!

5.  If I visited your state what cities, sights, and/or activities would you recommend I check out, see and/or do?

Well, I live right next door to the Music City, otherwise known as Nashville, so there are plenty of sights and sounds there. Another quirky little area of interest is the elephant sanctuary a couple of towns over. Yep. That's right. Elephant sanctuary. As for my town (Murfreesboro), we're a run of the mill college town, so we have plenty of pubs and restaurants to keep you occupied :)

6.  Who are some authors that currently live in your state?  Any famous authors from the past?

For a full list of Tennessee authors past and present, check out http://www.lib.utk.edu/refs/tnauthors/authorsAZ.html. Some highlights? Ann Patchett, Shelby Foote, James Agee, Robert Hicks, Nikki Giovanni, William Gay, Roy Blount, Jr., Cormac McCarthy.

7.  Do you have a favorite book set in your state?

Robert Hicks' book Widow of the South is set about 25 minutes east of my house in Franklin, TN.

Thank-you so much, Amanda, for answering my questions.  I love traveling for real, but since I can't right now it's awesome getting to travel like this.  I remember visiting Tennessee 10 years ago.  We drove from Memphis to Nashville in the dark, but we did see the outside of the Grand Ole Opry.  Unfortunately, we just saw the outside and the parking lot.  We tried to imagine how exciting it would be to attend a performance.  I'm sure our imagination fell short. 

SLC Book Festival

While so many of you were reading your hearts out this weekend with the Readathon, I was in Salt Lake City with Candleman and my daughter Katie, attending the annual Book Festival. This is my 3rd year to attend and I've loved every time. Things were a bit different this year with 2 people presenting together for each discussion. I wasn't sure I would like that but I did. All three presentations were wonderful. In the past there are usually 2 days of presentations - this year it was Saturday only and most of the presentations were in the afternoon.

We left home in the morning driving to SLC by way of Provo so we could have an early lunch at Zupas.  I love their mushroom soup and mango/berry salad.  I've only eaten there 2 times and ordered the same things.   If only I lived closer I could eat there more often and try some of their other soups.  We arrived at the beautiful SLC Library about 12:30 which allowed us time to look through some of the shops set up for the Festival.


The first session I attended alone while Candleman and Katie were out doing some shopping.   I wished everyone I knew could have been in that room with me as Carlotta Walls Lanier graciously told of her high school experiences as one of the Little Rock Nine.  Her book is A Mighty Long Way:  My Journey to Justice at Little Rock Central High School.  After hearing Carlotta recount her story I rushed out to buy her book forgetting they were all taken down to the signing.  I rushed to the signing but they ran out of books so I didn't get one.  I really wanted one that was signed so I am really sad that didn't go straight to the signing.  I'm still going to buy the book because I was so touched by the story.  There were so many things I didn't know about the nine Little Rock African Americans marching into that all-white high school.

My second session was to hear Allison Hoover Bartlett, author of the The Man Who Loved Books Too Much, and  SLC's own rare book collector and dealer turned amateur detective, Sam Weller.    It was really fun and I look forward to this nonfiction book about the world of theft in the rare book world.

Candleman, Katie and I went together to hear Shannon Hale and Sara Zarr.  It was fun to listen to them talking, laughing and sparring with each other. They are both so cute and funny, imaginative and creative.  It was a delight to be there and they gave some good advise to future writers which both hubby and daughter appreciated.

Candleman bought 3 books for Katie - the one Shannon Hale book she didn't already own, The Housewife and the Actor, and two books by Zarr who is a new-to-us Utah author, Story of a Girl and Once Was Lost.

It was a wonderful day and we decided that we were definitely going to attend next year even if we didn't know any of the authors.  It was such a worthwhile experience.

The Handy Answer Book for Kids (and Parents)

by Gina Misiroglu

This book is chock full of questions kids might ask and simple short answers to those questions.  Let me share an example:

How much air does a person breathe in a lifetime?  During a person's ife, he or she will breathe about 75 million gallons (284 liters) of air.  Every minute, the human body need 2 gallons (7.5 liters) of air when lying down, 4 gallons when sitting, 6 gallons when walking and 12 gallons or more when running.

I could see using a gallon of milk to show the comparison.  Amazing - 4 gallons of air per minute to just sit here at my computer.  Let's keep that air clean!

If your family was watching The Amazing Race last Sunday you could have quickly looked up the world's tallest building - the Burj Dubai, located in the United Arab Emirates.  Or when Pres. Obama received the Nobel Price and your child asked what the Nobel Price is you could find a short answer in this book.

Did you know the largest nut weighs 44 lbs and takes 6-7 years to mature?  Have your kids ever asked what worms eat?  You can find the answer on p. 77.

Questions are listed in different chapters.  Here's a list of the chapters:

Outer Space

Planet Earth & Our Moon

Creatures Big and Small

Plant Life

People Around the World

Politics & Government

How Things Work

Math, Measurement & Time

All About My Body

Daily Life

There's an index at the back to help you find a specific item.

I'm very impressed with this book and can see it making a good  gift for the curious kids (and parents) in your life.  And what a helpful volume to have in the home schooling library.  As a former teacher, I can see kids using this book as a springboard of ideas for science fairs, research papers, etc.  Very helpful.

In My Mailbox Monday

In My Mailbox is a weekly feature sponsored by The Story Siren.

See who else is participating.

Mailbox Monday is inspired by Marcia of The Printed Page.

Check out came to other peoples mailboxes.

I thought I wasn't going to have anything to mention this week because I have pulled the harness tight and didn't buy any books.  I deserve those cheers and accolades, so let them flow!  LOL   Here are the wonderful books that found their way to my house this week in spite of my great display of willpower:

From BookMooch   (If you bookmooch, let's be friends.  My name is booklogged there, too. Look me up.)

Track of the Cat by Nevada Barr - after reading and loving 13 1/2 earlier this month I decided to try her Anna Pigeon series.

The Secret History by Donna Tartt - a debut novel set in Vermont.

Review Copies
The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova - I loved The Historian so when this offer came, I happily pounced.  I'm going to read this for the Art History Challenge.

Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin - A year or two ago I read Alice in Wonderland for the first time.  Then I followed that up with two wonderful fantasy books by Frank Beddor - The Looking glass Wars and Seeing Redd.  I was excited to be offered a chance to read Alice I Have Been which is told from an 80 YO Alice Pleasance Liddell.

An Offering Leaves by Ruth Lauer-Manenti -  I received this book from Eco-Libris.  They are sponsoring a 1 day event where over a hundred bloggers will simultaneously post their reviews on Nov 10 at exactly 1:00 pm EST of different books published using the "green" criteria (recycled or FSC-certified paper).
The campaign is called Time for a Green Book: 1 Day, 100 Bloggers, 100 Reviews.

Books I've Won - I hit the jackpot this week!


Lies My Mother Never Told Me by Kaylie Jones - This came to me from Jenners of Find Your Next Book Here.  Many thanks, Jenners!

Alex Cross's Trial by James Patterson - I haven't read any of the Alex Cross books, but since this isn't directly about Alex, but his ancestor, I thought it may be a good introduction to Cross.  I won this book from a contest at Karen's blog, Bookin' With Bingo.  Thank-you, Karen!

These last 3 books all came from a mega-giveaway of ARCS.  A mega-size thanks to Wendy's Minding Spot.


Mortal Friends by Jane Stanton Hitchcock - a mystery set in Washington D.C.

Searching for Blue Mercury by J.M.E. Flowers - another mystery.  YAY!


The House of Allerbrook by Valerie Annand -a historical novel set at the time of Henry VIII.


What luscious, inviting books made their way to your house this week?  Please share a link to your list.

I hope your week is filled with lots of cozy reading hours.

Blogging Around the States - Minnesota

Today we are visiting with Sheila from the great state of  Minnesota.  Sheila blogs at One Persons Journey Through a World of Books and her byline is Bookjourney.

Any day of the week you can stop by Sheila's blog and find something new. (Personally, I don't think she sleeps!)  Every morning she shares tidbits from her life and thought in Morning Meanderings.  This weekend she will be away at a Women of Faith Conference so we may have to wait until Monday for further episodes of Meanderings.

She is always on the go and yet she reads lots of books.  (I need lessons, Sheila)  One of my favorite posts was when she shared with us pictures and comments about her f2f book club - Bookies Book Club.  This is a picture of Sheila as the queen of the book club for this year.  Here's just a snippet from that post:

Of course there is always the July Queen event where we all dress up in formal gowns and have speeches to be the Queen of Bookies.  The nominated Queen reigns for one year, receives the royal throne, crown and scepter.  She breaks all ties in voting and chooses where we meet in the event the member who  is suppose to choose is absent.

Running along the top of Sheila's blog are some tabs that offer extra morsels of fun.  One shows pictures of the authors she's interviewed with links to those interviews.  Another  is for giveaways!  I really hate to spread this news around because it lessens my chances but right now there are 8 current giveaways.  There's a tab for Kids Books and another for Guest interviews.  I hope you'll check out all the fun things going on at One Persons Journey Through a World of Books.

Booklogged:  Start by telling us a little bit about yourself. 

 Sheila:  I am a 42 YO action/adventure lover.  I have two grown boys (19 and 21) and a hubby who plays the role of Super Hero in my life (non fiction).  I am an office manager by day, and a reader/ blogger by night.  I enjoy biking, rollerblading, Group Power Classes, hanging with friends and family and just being alone to unwind.  Ummmm... lets see, I have traveled to Honduras 6 times and if all goes well, my 7th time will be on Oct 30 of this year where we will work with kids who live in the streets and in the dump. 

Booklogged:  What do you love about your state? 

 

Sheila:  I love Minnesota Spring through fall - SUMMER being my absolute favorite time of year.  Beautiful summer days in Minnesota sitting on the back deck with a large ice tea and a great read... there is not a whole lot I would trade those moments for.  Minnesota is a beautiful state during these months and the lakes, trees, and fantastic fall colors are just breathtaking.

Booklogged: Is there anything you don't like about where you live?

Sheila:  I am not a fan of Minnesota winters.  The cold and I do not get along.  I really have no outdoor activities I enjoy throughout the winter and if I had my way I would learn to hibernate like a bear. ;)  Or maybe I could just stay in with a blanket and many great books to help me through.... thats pretty much what I do anyway December - March.

Booklogged:  If job, money, family did not enter the equation, would you prefer to live in another state?  Which one?  And why? 
Sheila:  This is a great question and actually one I have pondered.... I think no.  I really do love Minnesota.  I would like to go somewhere for the winters... I wouldn't mind doing winters in Florida - we have some family there or even to go and do longer periods of time in Honduras and then come back in time for spring..... 

Booklogged:  If we visited your state what cities, sights, and/or activities would you recommend we check out, see and/or do? 

Sheila:  Oh we would have a blast!  Come in the sumemr and we would travel to the Mall of America and enjoy a great day of shopping, browsing and eating great foods.  I would hook you up with a bike and we would join in one of the many 50 mile bike tours that go on spring through fall.  We would meet so many great people and experience the great tastes of Minnesota.  A day or two on the lakes - boating or fishing, a day at the Mansions in Little Falls and perhaps the Apple Festival in ALexandria, The Blueberry festival in Ely or the haunted ship tour in Duluth to round out your time.

Booklogged: Who are some authors that hail from your state? 

Sheila:  Tami Hoag, John Sanford, Charles Schultz, Jon Hassler, Lorna Landvik, Scott Fitzgerald, Tim O'Brian, William Krueger, ... I know I am probably forgetting some great ones...

Booklogged:  Do you have a favorite book set in your state? 

Sheila:  I am going to go with The Little House on the Prarie books.  I grew up with them and enjoyed the references in them made to Minnesota. As a young girl my mom had bought me a beautiful boxed set of all the books.  through the years I do not know what happened to them but I do wish I still had them today.

I want to thank Sheila for taking time to answer my questions.  I can't wait to visit Minnesota and spend time enjoying its beauty.  I'll be looking you up when I do, Sheila!

HELP!  If you are, or know someone who is, from one of these states will you leave a comment or email
me.  Thank-you.

• North Dakota
• Alabama
• Oklahoma
• New Mexico 
  

Chin and the Magic Stones

 

by L.J. Salazar

This is Salazar first children's book in English.  It's a fantasy  that addresses issues such as growing up, insecurity and self-doubt, the innate need for confidence and the importance of good relationships with those we love the most - whether they are human or animal.

I am a firm believer in self-realization and visualization, but I think this presentation is somewhat preachy in the early chapters.  True, it's aimed at a middle-school audience and some of these ideas may be new to them, but I kept wondering how my grandchildren would respond to the obvious telling.

There were several times that Chin would visualize something he wanted, like a bow and arrow, and the next day it showed up int the mailbox.  How is that going to be translated by young kids?

The fantasy story was good and I'm sure would appeal to young readers.  And I liked how Chin fights the shadow minions that are whispering negative thoughts to the neighbor children.  Chin has discovered he has a very important mission and in order to accomplish all his tasks he must find all the magic stones and conquer the Shadow Lord.  In this book, Chin discovers two of the stones so there will be more books coming out that will continue the adventure.

My suggestion would be to read this book along with your child so you can discuss the ideas at the beginning of the book together.

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday is a weekly feature hosted by Marcia from The Printed Page.  You can find more Mailbox Monday posts linked at her blog.

 Syren by Angie Sage  is an review copy.  You will all recognize this author's name and her wonderful fantasy series that starts with Magyk and features Septimus Heap.  This is book #5.  I've started reading it already and am loving it.

Mr. Timothy by Louis Bayard  - this is perhaps the most cherished book that came into my mailbox this week.  Cath from read_warbler was doing some shelf-cleaning to make way for new books and I was the lucky recipient of one of those discarded books.  Mr. Timothy features Tiny Tim as a grown man. That and the fact that it's an historical thriller has me anxious to read it.

The Children's Hour by Marcia Willett - I don't know how this one found it's way into my mailbox.  As soon as I opened the package I recognized this book as one I had borrowed from my sister.  It is still waiting on the shelf for me to read!  How do these crazy things happen?

Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man by Fannie Flagg - I have another book by Fannie Flagg that I borrowed from my brother.  He, my mom and a sister have all read it and recommended it, so I went ahead and ordered two more books by her.  Mind you, I haven't read the one I borrowed yet.

Can't Wait to Get to Heaven by Fannie Flagg - (see above)  Also, one of my f2f book club members recommended this one.

Burglars Can't Be Choosers by Lawrence Block - this is book one in a mystery series.  I already have a couple in this series so I thought I better get the first.  I see no problem with that logic, do you?




What did you find in your mailbox this week?

Art History Challenge

 I am going to start joining challenges again.  I decided not to join any for  2009 so I could get caught up on review copies and read some books from my shelves.  The shelf thing hasn't been very successful, seems like I've only added more to them, but I have bridled myself in with regards to review copies. 

My first challenge is Heidenkind's Art History Challenge.  The challenge is to read 6 books and runs from Sep 1, 2009 - May 1, 2010.  I'm focusing on the Fiction Category.  Here are the books I've picked so far:

1.  The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
2.  The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova
3.
4.
5.
6.

DNF & Giveaway - Rough Country

by John Sanford

This a review copy that I thought I would like.  I wanted to like it but after 110 pages I realized I didn't like it.  When I decided to quit I tried to encourage myself to, at least,  find out who committed the murder and how, but I just didn't care.

If you've read a book by John Sanford that you liked please tell me.  I would like to give this author another try because I suspect I may like a different one.  This one just didn't do anything for me.

If you would like to win this book, just say so in a comment.  I will draw a winner on Oct 11.

This contest has ended.

Win a Copy of Cleopatra's Daughter

I sometimes wonder if Michelle Moran makes any money on her books because she gives so many away!  Okay, I know she does because she's an excellent writer and her books are so interesting, but really she does give a lot away.

She is allowing me to host a giveaway for her most recent book, Cleopatra's Daughter.  Read my review.    I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading her earlier books.  The winner of this book will also receive an ancient Roman coin complete with certificate of authenticity.

 Not only do I get to give away this book but the giveaway is OPEN INTERNATIONALLY!  I love that I can offer something for all those wonderful bloggers and readers who live outside the U.S. and Canada.

How to enter:

Mandatory:  Let me know if you've read any of Moran's earlier books and if so, which one was your favorite.  LEAVE AN EMAIL ADDRESS.

Extra Entries:  Leave an additional comment for each.

+1 entry -  Go to Contest Central and enter one of the giveaways listed and tell me which one. (This contest does NOT count.)
+5 entries - Copy the HTML for the Contest Central button and add it to your sidebar.
+1 entry - To to Michelle Moran's website and click on the red Join the Treasure Hunt link.  Tell me the name and location of one of the independent stores involved in the Treasure Hunt.

Speaking of Michelle's website, take time to check out the other contests going on right now.  There's a really terrific contest for teens - Win a $250 gift certificate to Hollister's.  And there's a monthly winner for an ancient Roman coin complete with certificate of authenticity.  I'm hoping for this because I have the book and I NEED a coin!

I love the program Michelle has set up for book clubs.  There are Reading Group Guides for each of her novels and book clubs can request a speakerphone chat.

And can I just say how envious I am of all the traveling Michelle does?!  If you want your wanderlust to heat up just check out some of the wonderful places she's visited.  And to think some of you live in those places.  Awwwwww...

Contest ends on Oct 11 - Next Sunday.  That's my grandson's birthday!

This contest has ended.

It's Saturday & We're Blogging Around the States

This week we are visiting Lisa in South Dakota. Lisa has a book blog, Books Lists Life, and a blog that features her home sewing items, made by lisah.   Her interests include reading, books, quilting, sewing, crochet, parenting and coffee.  (I like how she's listed both reading and books.  It made me smile, because they really can be two separate interests.)  A few of Lisa's favorite books are Gods in Alabama, Gone with the Wind, The Time Traveler's Wife, Speak and The Book Thief.


Have fun reading Lisa's answers to my questions about her and about her state.

ME:  Start by telling us a little bit about yourself.
LISA:  I am the mom of two little boys, The Pirate (4.5) and The Bug (1.5). My husband and I have been married for 5 years (on October 2nd) and have known each other for 10. In 2002 I moved from Alabama to South Dakota so that we could be together. At heart, I am a Southern girl. In addition to being a wife and mother, I work full time as a loan officer and I have a small side business where I sew little gifts- you can see those at http://madebylisah.etsy.com. I've been a reader my entire life, so it's hard to split my time between the two hobbies. I started my blog, Books. Lists. Life. on October 6, 2006- almost 3 years ago.  (ME:   I think this Crayon Roll is super cute.  Her boys are even cuter still - you get to see pictures of them on her blog)

ME:  What do you love about your state?
LISA:  As I said, I live in South Dakota. South Dakota kinda has a split personality- there's the mountains in the west, where I live, and the plains in the east. It really is two different climates and to some extent, cultures. Here in the Black Hills we have moutains and hiking, camping, Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, the Badlands and tons of outdoor activities. It's very small town living, but I love it.

ME:  Is there anything you don't like about where you live?
LISA:  Really the only thing I dislike is how slow Spring is to arrive. My family back in Alabama have flowers in full bloom while we still have winter. Still, it's not as bad as I expected it to be and contrary to what you think there isn't snow year round.

ME:  If job, money, family did not enter the equation, would you prefer to live in another state? Which one? And why?
LISA:  This is such a hard question! We talk a lot about how nice it would be to live in Tennessee, because we both find it to be really pretty. I loved my one and only trip to Vermont, which was in October, so it was stunning there. And I'd love love LOVE to live on the beach somewhere.

ME:  If I visited your state what cities, sights, and/or activities would you recommend I check out, see and/or do?
LISA:  I think I might have already answered this one! My favorite attraction is the Badlands, but you wouldn't go wrong spending a few days in Custer State Park either. If you were in the mood to lose your money, you could visit Deadwood. If you visited THIS weekend, you could go to the South Dakota Festival of Books.

ME:  Who are some authors that currently live in your state?
LISA:  Sadly, I don't know of any living ones! Laura Ingalls Wilder lived here, and many of her Little House books are about South Dakota. Frank Baum lived in South Dakota for a while.

ME:  Do you have a favorite book set in your state?
LISA:  I don't. I haven't read the Little House books since moving here, and the few SD books I've read have all been non-fiction. I'm open to suggestions though!

Thank-you, Lisa, for joining me for this interview.  I enjoyed learning about you and your state.  Happy Anniversary a day late - wishing you years and years of happiness.