Archive for the ‘Book related stuff’ Category
Tuesday, September 7th, 2010
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| Last week I received a Halloween decoration flier in the mail for a home decor store featuring witch’s shoes and hats – amazing orange and black stripped witch’s shoes with curled toes (I need these). The next day I was browsing a local things-to-do magazine and came upon an ad for the witching festivities at Gardner Village – a little village of shops that comes alive with witches each year. They host Breakfast with a Witch, Witch-a-Palooza, Witches Night Out and A Ride with a Witch events all through September and October. All of this witching news got me excited for the season (you can bet my little boys will be eating pancakes with a green-nosed lady in the near future) and got me to thinking about books (okay, everything gets me thinking about books).
Now, a little confession: I would like to be a witch. A real witch. I would like to own a cauldron, jars full of frog’s toes, newt’s eyes, wool of bat (what is that?) and scale of dragon. I would like hocus-pocus, abracadabra, and shazam to be part of my daily vocabulary. I would like to trade in my minivan for a broom with a few miles, turn my multicolored cats a midnight shade of black and get on speaking terms with the local owls. I could fine tune my already cacklely laugh into something more sinister and oh …. I’m gonna need those shoes.
With that off my chest, let’s get back to books. Books on witches. Since my minivan is probably with me for the near future, I would like to dive into some great books about witches. Real witches, not Salem witches or mean women, but good old fashioned spell casting, wart-nosed, wand toting witches. Where to start? |
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I read Witches by Roald Dahl last year and was a little disappointed. I don’t think of witches as bad or scary – but fun with maybe a tad bit of evil. I liked Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman and Wintersmith by Terry Pratchett. My boys and I love the children’s book Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. I have ordered The Witching Hour by Anne Rice from Paperbackswap and have searched for more, but I need some help. |
| What witch books can you recommend? Help me compile a definitive list of witching books – just in time to get in touch with our inner cackle. |
Posted in Book related stuff | No Comments »
Sunday, August 22nd, 2010
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| Goodbye to Sookie |
| It has been a lovely summer for me – reading, reading, reading. My kids have been busy with some fun activities, which has given me lots of reading time while I wait for karate, swimming and soccer to end. The Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris have been wonderful companions for me – during a hectic, crazy time. It was nice to escape to the South with a cute barmaid and her even cuter boyfriends.
While I haven’t wanted to review each of the books individually, there are a couple of things to chat about since I’ve finished that last few. During the 2nd-5th books, I was a little bugged by the mundane constant retelling of details from the previous books. I think that in each of these novels, a fourth of the story was retelling. Ugh. Who would jump into the series midway? Why retell? If you did pick up book in a series and felt lost…wouldn’t you realize that there were previous books and seek those out? But, the good news with the Stackhouse books is that at least with the 7th-10th books, the retelling is kept to a minimum and it is assumed the author has been along for the ride the whole time. Whew.
This point ties in with another thing – why don’t publishers let you know in some big and bold way which book is which in the series? Why not have a number somewhere on the cover – even the back – to let readers know what order to read the series? There are a few series out there that use clever titles to gently nudge us along: James Patterson’s Women’s Murder Club Series uses the number in HUGE letters as part of the title, Sue Grafton’s books follow a letter of the alphabet and Janet Evanovich is up to a Sizzling Sixteen in her Stephanie Plum books. Thank you for these not so gentle ques on which books to read!
My last comment on the Stackhouse books, before I jump into some other exciting books (more Patterson and of course Mockingjay!) is that the most recent book in Harris’ vampire books is a dud. I was so excited to get to book 10 and am now left with a weird feeling (a book hangover) of ‘why did I do that’? What a poor way for me to exit a series – I was on such a high with the previous 9 books, but am now left with the impression of reading something of poor quality. Dead in the Family is boring, with the most mundane details drawn out to a painful extreme. Sookie turns downright nasty – an irritating character I wouldn’t walk across the room to meet. She is so mean to her cousin Claude – to the point it makes no sense and is embarrassing to the reader. Her frugality is also embarrassing – why does Harris have to mention being paid back for every tiny thing? Again, ugh. Charlaine, please tell us you have something better planned for book 11 (I will read it – even with my disappointment in 10). Bring cute Sookie back!
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| Have you read all of the Sookie Stackhouse books? What did you think? |
Posted in Book related stuff, Reviews, Uncategorized | 4 Comments »
Tuesday, August 17th, 2010
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| Picture a warm August day in the mountains with a cool breeze (fall is coming?), granite peaks high in the distance and the chance to chat about books with one of America’s most beloved authors. Throw in a decedent brunch with crepes, smoked salmon and truffles. Nirvana? I think so! |
| This was how I got to spend last Saturday, with my wonderful hubby by my side, at the beautiful resort of Sundance (Thanks Bob!). The author? Ann Patchett. And yes, she is just as pixie cute as she looks on her website and jacket cover. |
| I have been lucky enough to attend quite a few author events in the past decade (Margaret Atwood, Jane Hamilton, Jim Harrison, and Ann Cannon to name a few) and I think this was one of the best. Ann’s talk was more of a cozy conversation among friends – 50 of your closest, book-loving Utah friends. There was a moderator from the Redford Institute who kept the discussion lively – sticking to questions readers would want to ask Ann about books, her writing and her life. |
| Admittedly, I have read only Bel Canto, Patchett’s most well-known work, and felt a little behind the class since a lot of the discussion pertained to her latest novel Run. But, while the novel was a main topic, major events in the book were skirted enough that I am very interested in reading it without that feeling of having the end ruined. |
| It was interesting to learn that Ann has had a clear vision of what she wanted to do her entire life – write. She spent the first part of her career writing for magazines – from Seventeen to Vogue. She was very humble about this part of her writing – saying it was ‘junk’ and that she had filled boxes with all of these articles. After meeting her, I can’t really picture her writing about ‘how to decorate your locker’, fashion trends and weddings. She is so down to earth, it would be easier to imagine her with National Geographic, Woman’s Day or Travel.
As with Bel Canto, Ann’s newest novel, out next June, also takes place in South America. But, from her description, that is the end of similarities to Bel Canto. It involves a woman scientist who treks through the Amazon searching for compounds for a pharmaceutical company. Ann seemed very excited about the novel – she had even traveled to the Amazon for research.
Ann has written 2 works of nonfiction (out of nine published works). She spent quite a bit of time discussing one of these: Truth and Beauty. This memoir concerns her friendship with Lucy Grealy, a poet and author, whom Ann meant in college and remained friends with throughout their lives. When Lucy was nine, she was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in her jaw. Subsequently, her jaw bone was removed and she endured countless reconstructive surgeries throughout her life to replace radiation damaged areas of her face. This event shaped her entire life. She is perhaps most famous for her novel, Autobiography of a Face, describing her childhood spent with a disfigurement. Lucy’s life came to a tragic end when she overdosed on heroin. A progression from pain medication to heroin was a result of a life of operations and pain. She was 39. |
| Ann ended her discussion with a great direction on creating life-long readers. She pointed out that her parents never read to her, but that she was told countless times to go outside and play because they were reading. Her sharp wit helped drive home the point that in order for kids to make books important parts of their lives, they need to see adults doing the same. Thanks Ann, for a wonderful day! |
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We here in Utah are blessed to have such a wonderful resource as the Sundance Resort. While author events are a small part of the activities at the resort (these include skiing, hiking, concerts, plays, fine dining, etc.), they are definitely my favorite. How lucky to have such a place to meet beloved authors, other bibliophiles and hear some amazing discussions. |
| I will make everyone in the book world jealous by mentioned that Kathryn Stockett is the author for December. A day without kids, a scrumptious brunch AND time with the author of Help? Merry Christmas to me! |
| BUT, I didn’t forget about all my bibliophile friends out there – and have a special signed copy of Run to giveaway within the next few months. |
| Have you read any of Ann Patchett’s novels? What did you think? |
Posted in Book related stuff, Uncategorized | 3 Comments »
Tuesday, August 10th, 2010
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Read: Under the Dome, by Stephen King
Journal Entry for: August 10th, 2010 |
| Remember and Recommend: My on-again, off-again love affair with Stephen King’s thrillers started a long time ago. I was but a wee teenager when I first started down the path of being scared senseless, riveted to books that would haunt my dreams (and my family’s nights) and start me on the path to being an addicted reader. Yes, it was King who brought out the bibliophile in me. And although I think King is a truly amazing writer, for someone who prides themselves in reading the best of the best in literature, the classics and award winners, this is a hard thing to admit. |
| When my twin sister and I were young teenagers, too young to drive, my sweet mom was worried that we would be bored during our summers at home. Both of my parents worked full-time, so we were a captive audience in our house. With amazing foresight, my mom took us to a bookstore and said she would buy us anything we would read. We spent the next days on our cool patio, reading, reading, reading. The next week, my mom did the same thing – and every week throughout the summer. That was the summer I discovered Stephen King. I started with Carrie and then moved on to my all-time favorite, Salem’s Lot and from there it was a fast ride to clear the bookstore shelves of all things scary. I tackled It and become the subject of family lore when I woke my entire vacationing family in our hotel room screaming about a clown in the room….”Can’t you see him?”. I spent the next Christmas vacation pouring through some of King’s short stories – Skeleton Crew and Night Shift contain some of the scariest stories I have ever read – and I can still recount some of them over twenty years later.
Stephen and I parted ways a few years later over The Talisman and Tommyknockers. His writing took a different turn, one that seemed more science fiction than horror. But, a love of books, reading and the joy of exciting escapes was embedded in me – something I have retained to this day. I have returned to King a few times over the years and will be forever grateful to him and my mom for culturing my love of reading – even if it was with *blush* horror.
When Under the Dome was released last year, I anxiously waited for reviews. I saw several good ones from known publications, but the best came from a trusted reading friend on Goodreads. I have been keeping my eye out for a paperback copy ever since and was excited to find a huge, whopping version at Costco a few weeks ago. In this summer of fun, light reads, I put Sookie down for a while and picked up my old friend for a fun reunion and trip down writing’s memory lane.
While Under the Dome does have a slight twinge of science fiction, it was more classic King than I have read in a long time. The familiar expanse of amazingly developed characters and setting (Maine, of course) was like slipping into an old pair of tennies. The story was a social scientist’s dream – Lord of the Flies meets Armageddon. It was an interesting study on what stress, power and loss can do to an isolated community – with a smattering of the supernatural thrown in.
I enjoyed reading Under the Dome and completed the 1,100 page tome in just a few days, but I discovered something about my now much older reading self; I’ve become a bit of boob when it comes to horror. What enthralled me and kept me glued to every page as a teenager stressed me out as an adult with a family, pets and a house. I had a hard time falling asleep after reading this and found myself recalling some of the more horrific scenes during the day. I would recommend this to anyone who loves good old classic King novels and am glad I read it, but I think I will return to Sookie for a while.
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Posted in Book related stuff, My Journal, Reviews, Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
Saturday, July 31st, 2010
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Read:The Good Thief by Hannah Tinti
Journal entry for 07/31/2010
Remember, Recommend: I picked this up on a whim at Costco a few weeks ago because it looked vaguely familiar. I read so many reviews online and in magazines that they get a little jumbled, but I had seen some praise for this debut novel a few times. As with most books I journal about here, I wasn’t disappointed.
Looking back, I can’t believe this is the first novel by Tinti. It was an amazing debut – and one we will be hearing more about as awards are announced. The story of an orphaned boy with only one hand, The Good Thief has been compared to both Oliver Twist and Harry Potter – with good reason. |
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While there are moments of sadness, there is also a bit of magic threaded throughout the story. And the characters are a diverse mix of good and bad – a giant hitman, con-artists, a dwarf, a colorfully dressed villain and a hard-of-hearing heroine make this story truly memorable. Set in the industrial revolution of New England, hardships abound and the simple acts of finding food, clothing and shelter are at times overwhelming. There are times for growing up, learning about love, family and friendship – even when those family and friends aren’t ideal. This would make a poignant movie for adults and teens alike.
Accolades for The Good Thief:
New York Times Notable Book of the Year
Winner of the John Sargent Sr. First Novel Prize
American Library Association’s Alex Award.
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| Have you read The Good Thief? What did you think? |
Posted in Book related stuff, My Journal, Reviews, Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
Sunday, June 6th, 2010
| Books for Dads |
| Father’s Day is only two weeks away! Looking for a great gift for a reading dad? Below are some father-related timeless classics that would make great gifts for anyone who loves to read – especially a dad.
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The Road, by Cormac McCarthy
Described by the author himself as a love story between a father and his son, this is the ultimate Father’s Day gift book. A dystopian novel set in the middle of a nuclear winter, The Road is an amazing mix of imagery and haunting emotion. A true masterpiece that will leave any reader thinking over the events long after the story is finished.
Accolades:
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction
James Tait Memorial Prize for Fiction
The Oprah Winfrey Show: Oprah’s Book Club
Indies Choice Book Award for Fiction (Book Sense Book of the Year) Shortlist
Tournament of Books—Rooster Award
Best Books for Discussion from Book Club Classics
American Library Association Notable Books for Adults
National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction Shortlists
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Out Stealing Horses, by Per Petterson
The Nordic setting alone is reason enough to read this beautiful novel. A father and son spend a summer in a cabin in remote Norway. A complement to this summer story is the narration, told by the much older son, as he reflects back on that summer from his own remote cabin late in life. A story of loss and growing up, good friends and the truths of life, Out Stealing Horses is a classic to be shared.
Accolades:
International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award
New York Times Best Books of the Year for Fiction
American Library Association Notable Books for Adults
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Peace Like a River, by Leif Enger
What lengths will a father go to in protecting a son – even a son accused of committing a terrible crime? Peace Like a River is an amazing debut novel, telling of the bonds of one family as they travel across the country in search of a son, brother and protector.
Accolades:
ForeWord Magazine Editor’s Choice Prize Winners for Fiction
Best Books for Discussion from Book Club Classics
Indies Choice Book Award for Fiction (Previously the Book Sense Book of the Year Award for Fiction
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| Shadow Country, by Peter Matthiessen
This epic story, a compilation of three books into one volume, will give any father a summer’s worth of amazing reading. E. J. Watson is a father, sugar planter and outlaw. Shadow Country is his story, told in three different narrations, including his own memoir. His life as an outlaw, failed father and farmer and his struggles to tame the wild country of the Everglades in the late 1800’s will leave a lasting impression on any reader.
Accolades:
National Book Award for Fiction
Tournament of Books—Rooster Award
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| Cry the Beloved Country, by Alan Paton
Perhaps the most famous novel of South Africa and its racial injustice, Cry the Beloved Country is a novel of enduring love, hardship and survival. First published in 1948, it was an immediate success. The story centers around Stephen Kumalo a Zulu pastor as he leaves his village in search of his son. Kumalo’s courage, being a black man in a while man’s land, searching for a missing son is a beautiful inspiration.
Accolades:
Madison, Wisconsin, Public Library: Readable Classics
The Oprah Winfrey Show: Oprah’s Book Club
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| Do you have any great suggestions for Father’s Day reads? Leave a comment! |
Posted in Book related stuff | 3 Comments »
Friday, May 21st, 2010
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| I’ve joined the HOP! |
| In the spirit of the Friday Follow, the Book Blogger Hop is a place just for book bloggers and readers to connect and find new blogs that we may be missing out on! This weekly BOOK PARTY is an awesome opportunity for book bloggers to connect with other book lovers, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books! It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs that they may not know existed! |
| Click here to find a list of amazing book blogs to check out! |
Posted in Book related stuff | 3 Comments »
Thursday, May 20th, 2010
 Isn’t always a bummer to miss out on all the fun? Well, this year, a few creative bloggers have started Armchair BEA for those us who can’t attend the real book bonanza shindig in New York (me!). I’m happy to say that I’ve joined the ranks of this fun venture and will be posting some fun BEA related stuff next week. There will book blogger interviews, a Twitter party with tons of giveaways, BEA news and round table discussions. Make sure to check out all of the other participating blogs. |
The Schedule for the Week of Arm Chair BEA:
* Tues. May 25th – BEA Related Posts
* Wed. May 26th – Blogger Interviews
* Thurs. May 27th – BEA Related Posts & Giveaways on Participating Sites
* Friday May 28th – BBC Roundtables
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Here are some links to find out more about Armchair BEA:
What is Armchair BEA?
Participants
Giveaways
Twitter Party
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Posted in Book related stuff | 1 Comment »
Friday, April 30th, 2010
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| WELCOME To BLOGMANIA! |
| You’ve arrived at exactly the right time to explore lots of new blogs, all of which, ARE GIVING AWAY A VERY SPECIAL BLOGMANIA GIVEAWAY (For One Day Only – April 30th) .
Each blog will have a number and each new blog link will have a number. These numbers will allow you to keep track of which blogs you’ve visited and how many are left to visit. Take a moment to make a list of blog numbers 1-123 and check off the blogs as you go. If you see something that interests you on any of our participating blogs, why not bookmark that site. Later, when you have more time, you can discover all its fabulous treasures. |
| Bibliobabe is blog 117 |
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| Bibliobabe’s Blogmania Giveaway: |
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| Bibliobabe is giving away a Reading is Sexy Messenger Bag AND one of EACH of the Read, Remember, Recommend reading journals – all in one bundle! |
| To win, become a Bibliobabe Follower on Twitter and then leave a comment on this post with your email address. If you win, you will be contacted for shipping instructions. This is for US and Canadian residents.
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| Make sure to enter to win the Fiction Book Giveaway and YA Book Giveaway – they end today as well! |
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| Other places to visit: |
(Blog- 1 – HOST OF BLOGMANIA) Between The Pages
(Blog -2 – CO-HOST OF BLOGMANIA) The Black Sheep Dances
(Blog-43 – CO-HOST OF BLOGMANIA) Books, Books Everywhere
(Blog-99) LB and J
(Blog-78) Stiletto Storytime
(Blog-37) Babbling Brooke
(Blog-19) Star Shadow
(Blog-10) Romance With an Attitude
(Blog-96) Lovin and Livin Life in the 808
(Blog-52) Sky Purington Writes
(Blog-49) Tethered Mommy
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Posted in Book related stuff | 172 Comments »
Thursday, April 22nd, 2010
| My publicist at Sourcebooks sent a snapshot of reviews from the blogosphere and I wanted to say thank you to everyone! I have received such positive feedback for my reading journals from book bloggers all over the world. I appreciate the time all of you all have taken in reviewing my books!
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| Read, Remember, Recommend: |
| A Bookworm’s World: |
| “…a great, reasonably priced gift for the booklover on your list.” |
| Book Chic: |
| “I can’t recommend this journal enough to those who are like me: you love books, and you wish that you had one place where you could record everything to do with your reading. I’m sure when I’ve used up the pages provided I’ll have to go out and buy an updated version. Now that I have one, I can imagine being a reader and blogger without one!” |
| Booking Mama: |
| “…an absolute must-have for all book lovers. I can’t even begin to tell you how much fun I’ve had looking through this book. This book has so much information in it that I hardly know where to start.” |
| Books and Quilts: |
| “This is the coolest book journal that I have seen and used.” |
| Bermuda Onion: |
| “I love this reading journal and think it would make a fabulous gift for the readers in your life!” |
| Book Club Classics: |
| “Who would appreciate Read, Remember, Recommend? Honestly, any reader!” |
| Pencil Pushers and Ink Splotches: |
| “A lovely jumping off point for building your own library, or for sharing titles you might not have thought of before.” |
| Bibliophile by the Sea: |
| “It’s GREAT, and would be a welcome addition to any book lovers collection.” |
| You’ve GOTTA Read This: |
| “You want a list of all Pulitzers, National Book Awards, National Book Critics Circle Awards, Hemingway Foundation/PEN Awards, Governor General’s Literary Awards, Scotiabank Giller Prizes, Trillium Book Awards, Man Bookers, Costas, Orange Prizes, Miles Franklins, New York Times Best Books of the Year, (and more but I’m starting to run out of breath) BY YEAR, here it is in one place. With little boxes next to each book that say “Own”, “Recommend”, “To Read” and “Want”. Oooh, I want, I want, I want.” |
| Books Like Breathing: |
| “Anyone who is a compulsive reader, like me, will understand the difficulty of managing the habit. The book buying and reading compulsion that results in manic book buying and lazy days on the couch with nothing to do but read. Read, Remember, Recommend provides so many tools to manage the reading life. It is one of the most useful reading journals that I have found.” |
| Well Mannered Frivolity: |
| “This is where I gush like a frickin’ waterfall and demand that you pick up this book immediately if not sooner! Forgive my text-speak here but OMG! Where has this book been all my life?!” |
| Reviews By Lola: |
| “This journal is a terrific resource. Definitely better than any reading journal I have come across thus far.” |
| Read, Remember, Recommend for Teens: |
| SLJ Practically Paradise: |
| “Don’t miss out on this title… it will be loved, used, read, written upon, and referenced again and again.” |
| Story on a Page: |
| “I definitely recommend this journal for people who like reading challenges, collecting/recording reading recommendations, and/or would like to read some good books published in the past that they may not have heard of.” |
| Bookworm Readers: |
| “Not only helpful to teachers, bloggers, and people in book clubs, Read, Recommend is the ideal book journal for everyone who loves to read–and to have one specialized in YA is just a cherry on top!” |
| Bookmac: |
| “Overall this was a very unique journal that every major book lover should have. It is great help in finding and recording books and I loved the colorful tabs that were easy to flip to.” |
| Michelle and Leslie’s Book Picks: |
| “I totally recommend this journal to anyone who enjoys reading YA and is a pen/paper journal writer type like me. But even if you’re not a pen/paper type this book is great anyway because it’s a fantastic resource book for YA lovers because like I mentioned above, there are hundreds of books listed here as well as helpful websites and blogs and it even list and defines literary terms and all nicely organized. I think this book journal deserves 5 out of 5 stars!” |
| The Book Cellar: |
| “I absolutely love this journal! I think it’s an absolutely great idea. I love how it is set up. It’s really simple to record everything and keep organized.” |
| Mrs. Magoo Reads: |
| “Read, Remember, Recommend for Teens Created by Rachel Rogers Knight is an incredibly useful resource for all teen readers. It is divided into six main sections, each of which is invaluable.” |
| Mundie Moms: |
| “This is a definite MUST HAVE!” |
Posted in Book related stuff | 3 Comments »
Friday, April 9th, 2010
| Do you have a Mom in your life who loves to read? It can be hard to buy an avid reader a book – how do you know what they have read? I’ve put together a great list of gifts I think would be great for any reading Mom (and ones I would love to receive – hubby take note!). These are all site and products I have happened upon and really like – none of this is for advertising purposes. Happy Reading Mother’s Day Shopping! |
| #1 Book Bags – from Spoon Full of Chocolate |
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| These bags make me smile each time I check them out on Etsy. What a wonderfully creative idea! Any hip reading Mom would love one of these bags created from classic books. |
| Have a different book cover in mind? Custom bags are available upon request. |
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| #2 Note Cards, bookmarks and posters from Owl Square Press |
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| Haven’t seen this site before? You’ve gotta see all the bookish delights they offer! Note cards, bookmarks and posters with the best book and reading related quotes ever uttered! And the graphics are beautiful. I have three posters from Owl Square Press that I gaze at daily – oh the inspiration! |
| The posters come in all sizes and the note cards can be purchased with one theme or an assortment. |
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| # 3 Book Plates |
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| I wrote a post a while back about book plates. I love mine and think they would make a great gift for an avid reader – especially one that loans her books! |
| Here are some great sites to get a variety of book plates: |
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- Fun, whimsical bookplates can be found at Expressionary (these are the bookplates I use).
- Very classic bookplates can be found at Bookplates.com. These are printed on acid-free archival quality paper and are made to be pasted on; the traditional method of applying a bookplate.
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- Another site for more classical plates is Bookplateink.com. These are also printed on acid-free archival paper, but are self-adhesive.
- If you search online, there are also sites offering free, printable bookplates that you could print on sticker paper.
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| # 4 Books, Books, Books! |
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| If you do want to get your reader Mom a book or two, here are some Mom-related books – in a variety to please even the pickiest reading Mom. |
| Mister Pip, by Lloyd Jones |
| This coming-of-age story of Matilda, a thirteen year old girl growing up on a war ravaged remote island in the South Pacific is a beautiful and tragic reminiscence of the relationship between a mother and daughter . Matilda’s alliances are caught between Mr. Watts, an eccentric teacher and her overly protective and religious mother. The title of the book refers to the hero in Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations. Any mom who loves great literature will appreciate the intricate weaving of Dickens’ story with the lives of Matilda and her mother. |
| The Poisonwood Bible, by Barbara Kingsolver |
| The story of a mother who is forced by her religious husband to move their four daughters to the Congo of Africa in the 50’s. This dramatic story, told in the voices of the five women, tests the bounds of a mother’s love against the commitment she feels towards her husband. The historical background gives light to a political and social story that has been little portrayed in fiction. |
| The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood |
| This dystopian tale brings the role of fertile women in a futuristic society to that of surrogate child bearers for privileged and political figures. Ofred, the heroine of the story, had a child and husband in a previous time, before being captured to be the chosen handmaid for a political leader. Her only thoughts are of being reunited with her daughter and Luke, her husband, while continually being subjected to a offspring producing rituals. |
| Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott |
| Marmee March, mother of the beloved March sisters , is undoubtedly the greatest mother in all of literature. The story takes place while Robert, Marmee’s husband serves as a chaplain in the Civil War. During this time Marmee endures financial and emotional hardships while guiding her daughter’s morals, shaping their characters and engaging in charitable works. This wonderful classic is the perfect book for any mother. |
| We Need to Talk about Kevin, by Lionel Shriver |
| This bold, if somewhat dark novel about a mother’s journey with a ‘trying’ child and the tragedy this child causes brings the nature versus nurture question to the forefront of any mother’s mind. Although the feelings and events of the story seem very polarized towards the negative and extreme, the author accomplishes the goal of forcing the reader to explore their own feelings towards a child’s nature. Who is responsible for a child’s actions once he is grown? Are children blank slates, waiting for our complete guidance and love to show them how to behave and live? Or, are their personalities so engrained that no matter how much love and attention we shower them with, their fate (and ours) are left to chance? |
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| #5 – Games for the Book Lover |
| I haven’t tried either of these – but I think they would be so much fun for a book club – or any gathering with lots of book lovers. |
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| Table Topics – Book Club Edition |
Here’s what the site says:
“When someone finds a really good book, they want to share it with their friends. And, after they’ve all read it, they want to talk about it. Our Book Club edition helps launch fun and engaging conversations about the books people love. These questions provide an easy way to explore things like the plot, the setting, the characters and so much more. Perfect for energizing the discussion in an official book club setting or just among a group of book loving friends. These questions are designed specifically to get people sharing their thoughts and impressions of their favorite classic novels or contemporary reads. It’s the perfect gift for book lovers.” |
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| Bookopoly |
| From the website: “Perfect Gift for your Book Aficionado! Book-opoly allows players a glimpse inside the many worlds of classic literature. It’s a traditional property trading game where players buy, sell and trade their way to fun with family and friends. Interesting facts about the books and the authors are printed on the back of each property deed.
Roll the dice and advance to Read. Collect Bookstores and trade them in for Libraries. Who knows! You may soon be elected President of the Book Club…or you may be tossed out of the game for three turns and sent to WATCH TV! |
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Posted in Book related stuff | 6 Comments »
In all of my travels and sickness, I completely forgot to choose a winner for each of my monthly giveaways. So, the contest for each has been extended until the end of July. Make sure to enter – these both look like great reads!
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