10/31/09
WIN THE SILENT GIFT BY MICHAEL LANDON JR - Literary Local - October, 2009
Beastly by Alex Flinn (Book Review 195)
Beastly by Alex Flinn
LOVED IT
This is a wonderful young adult retelling of Beauty and the Beast which has been modernized perfectly. This is an easy to read story that should be familiar to most teens. There are drugs mentioned since Beauty's father is a drug addict, but the mention is a negative one. Just a few kisses, so nothing much to worry about on the sex front either. You can see Linda bloom like one of Kyle/Adrian's roses as the story develops. I know the upcoming movie (due 7/2010) is going to be wonderful. The actors chosen really look just as the author describes them.
I think this should appeal to everyone who loves a good romance. Again, now I can't wait for the movie! I am definitely going to look for more books by this author!
Product Description
A beast. Not quite wolf or bear, gorilla or dog but a horrible new creature who walks upright—a creature with fangs and claws and hair springing from every pore. I am a monster.
You think I'm talking fairy tales? No way. The place is New York City. The time is now. It's no deformity, no disease. And I'll stay this way forever—ruined—unless I can break the spell.
Yes, the spell, the one the witch in my English class cast on me. Why did she turn me into a beast who hides by day and prowls by night? I'll tell you. I'll tell you how I used to be Kyle Kingsbury, the guy you wished you were, with money, perfect looks, and the perfect life. And then, I'll tell you how I became perfectly . . . beastly.
About the Author
Alex Flinn loves fairy tales and is also the author of a modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast titled Beastly, which was named a VOYA Editor's Choice for 2007, a New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age for 2008, and a 2008 ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers. Her other books include Breathing Underwater, an ALA Top 10 Best Book for Young Adults, Breaking Point, Nothing to Lose, Fade to Black, and Diva. She lives in Miami with her husband, two kids, a cat, and a dog.
Product Details
Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: HarperTeen; Reprint edition (September 23, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 006087418X
ISBN-13: 978-0060874186
10/30/09
The Wyrm King (Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles) by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi (Book Review 194)
In the final installment of Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles, Nick and Laurie had thought they solved their giant problems when they drove all the giants into the sea. But now, the Grace kids have come back to tell them they may have more trouble coming their way!
It turns out the giants control the population of Hydra, a dragon like creature that is creating sinkholes all over Florida. But with the mermaids refusing to return the giants to the shore, the nixie's still missing and the threat of a destroyed Florida drawing closer, the kids have to take matters in their own hands.
Will Nick and Laurie be able to stop the destruction they unwittingly caused? Can a new giant hunter help save the day? Can Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide help them out of this or are they on their own?
Find out in the final conclusion of the Spiderwick saga!
About the Authors
Holly Black spent her early years in a decaying Victorian mansion where her mother fed her a steady diet of ghost stories and books about faeries. Her first book, Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale, was an ALA Top Ten Book for Teens, received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly and Kirkus Reviews, and has been translated into twelve languages. Her second teen novel, Valiant, was an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, a Locus Magazine Recommended Read, and a recipient of the Andre Norton Award from the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. She lives in Amherst, Massachusetts. Visit Holly at www.blackholly.com.
Tony DiTerlizzi is co-creator and illustrator of the bestselling Spiderwick Chronicles, the author and illustrator of Jimmy Zangwow's Out-of-this-World MoonPie Adventure, as well as the Zena Sutherland Award winning Ted. In 2003, his brilliantly cinematic version of Mary Howitt's classic The Spider and The Fly received stellar reviews, earned Tony his second Zena Sutherland Award, and was honored as a Caldecott Honor Book. Tony's art has also graced the covers of such well-known fantasy writers as Peter S. Beagle, J. R. R. Tolkien, Anne McCaffrey, and Greg Bear. He has also made significant contributions to Dungeons and Dragons and Wizards of the Coast's Magic; The Gathering. His first chapter book, Kenny & the Dragon, was published in August 2008 and debuted as a New York Times Best Seller. He lives with his wife, Angela and their daughter in Amherst, MA Visit Tony on the world wide web at diterlizzi.com.
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Hardcover: 224 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing (September 8, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0689871333
ISBN-13: 978-0689871337
The Silent Gift by Michael Landon and Cindy Kelley (Book Review 193)
The 1930s were a decade of enormous uncertainty--for the world, for America, and in particular for one lonely, struggling mother and her disabled son. Their story is one of love and enormous sacrifices in the face of circumstances horrendous beyond belief. When her husband leaves her for someone whose time isn't wrapped up in a silent, handicapped kid, Mary and little Jack are out on their own in a world that has no room for the poor and disabled. Especially not at a time when most Americans are simply trying to survive their economic woes and job losses. But then arrives The Gift...where has it come from, and why? How can a young boy who can neither hear nor speak provide comfort, direction, and sometimes challenges to seekers who learn of the special ability? Whatever the source, its presence brings a single shaft of light and hope to Mary and her beloved Jack. Will it be enough?
Product Details
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Bethany House (October 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0764203630
ISBN-13: 978-0764203633
10/29/09
Alice I Have Been: A Novel by Melanie Benjamin (Book Review 192)
Alice I Have Been: A Novel by Melanie Benjamin
SPECTACULAR!! ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT
Melanie Benjamin weaves fact and fiction together to bring a cohesive story about Alice Liddell Hargreaves who inspired Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. I think this book captures the mores of the Victorian era perfectly. This will be in my top ten for the year.
I really needed a book like this right now. I was going to try and wait until closer to the release date for my review of this book, but I want to tell everyone about this book, NOW. It combines the best of historical fiction with romance and intrigue. I really felt like I knew Alice after reading this story and I need to go back and reread Alice in Wonderland. It is also fortuitous that this novel is coming out right before Tim Burton's film about Alice is to be released in March, 2010.
Anyone who has read any Victorian fiction like The Dress Lodger by Sheri Holman or Michel Faber's The Crimson Petal and the White understands the peculiarities of Victorian sexuality, but whether Alice and Lewis Carroll had an illicit relationship with Alice can only be speculation. The whole era of Victorian culture is a difficult one to capture and the use of Alice's real diary shows emphasizes the restraint placed on women during this time period. Alice comes off as a real person and whatever really happened between her and Charles Dodgson (Lewis Carroll) could well be explained by the author's theory. I received this copy from the publisher.
Don't miss this one!
Product Description
Few works of literature are as universally beloved as Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Now, in this spellbinding historical novel, we meet the young girl whose bright spirit sent her on an unforgettable trip down the rabbit hole–and the grown woman whose story is no less enthralling. But oh my dear, I am tired of being Alice in Wonderland. Does it sound ungrateful? Alice Liddell Hargreaves’s life has been a richly woven tapestry: As a young woman, wife, mother, and widow, she’s experienced intense passion, great privilege, and greater tragedy. But as she nears her eighty-first birthday, she knows that, to the world around her, she is and will always be only “Alice.” Her life was permanently dog-eared at one fateful moment in her tenth year–the golden summer day she urged a grown-up friend to write down one of his fanciful stories.That story, a wild tale of rabbits, queens, and a precocious young child, becomes a sensation the world over. Its author, a shy, stuttering Oxford professor, does more than immortalize Alice–he changes her life forever. But even he cannot stop time, as much as he might like to. And as Alice’s childhood slips away, a peacetime of glittering balls and royal romances gives way to the urgent tide of war. For Alice, the stakes could not be higher, for she is the mother of three grown sons, soldiers all. Yet even as she stands to lose everything she treasures, one part of her will always be the determined, undaunted Alice of the story, who discovered that life beyond the rabbit hole was an astonishing journey.A love story and a literary mystery, Alice I Have Been brilliantly blends fact and fiction to capture the passionate spirit of a woman who was truly worthy of her fictional alter ego, in a world as captivating as the Wonderland only she could inspire.
About the Author
Melanie Benjamin lives in Illinois, where she is at work on her next novel.
Product Details
Hardcover: 368 pages
Publisher: Delacorte Press (January 12, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0385344139
ISBN-13: 978-0385344135
10/28/09
Puppy Profile: Ellie Mae from Reading in Appalachia
This is Ellie Mae -- isn't she adorable? Ellie Mae lives with Shawnee from Reading in Appalachia. Stop by and read some book reviews!
1. Favorite place to sleep?
In my bed, I let my owner sleep with me.
2. Favorite food?
Bacon or cookies. (shh..beggin strips and dog treats - shawnee)
3. Wet or Dry food?
Dry
4. Favorite thing to chew?
Stuffed Bunny
5. Indoors or Outdoors?
Both, unless it's raining. I don't like to get wet.
6. Favorite place to walk?
Up and down the sidewalk where other dogs have gone before me.
7. Do you have a costume for Holloween?
No way, I hate Halloween. Scary things walk by my house that night!
8. Are you embarrassed by dog outfits?
I've never been around one but in general, yes.
9. Favorite collar?
It's broken but I looked beautiful in my aqua blue patterned necklace. (shh-we tell her it's her necklace)
10. Hair cuts or the natural look?
My long natural hair.
11. Do you like baths?
That's a bad word! I will fall on the floor and not get up!
12. Favorite place to watch your territory?
In my seat on the porch.
13. What cute thing do you do for a treat?
I can jump on your chest and almost knock you over. Is that a trick?
14. What most do you like to bark at?
Anything that comes near my yard. It's my yard.
15. Cats: Take them or leave them?
Take them or eat them? Ha ha, I made joke. I don't like cats.
16. Would you chase a squirrel right now if you could?
Yes.
17. What else do you like to chase?
Cats.
18. If you catch something, what do you do with it?
I shake it and shake it.
19. Does going to the vet upset you?
Oh yes, they scare me.
20. Do you prefer to walk or go for a car ride?
I like to go on a short car ride if the car is going very, very slow. I do not like long rides or going fast!!
Want to see your best friend here, leave a comment!
10/27/09
The Bibliophilic Book Blog hosts a Tempted Giveaway....
Check this out....
A signed copy of Tempted by PC and Kristin Cast
20 QUESTIONS WITH SCHATZE
1. Favorite place to sleep? IN BED
2. Favorite food? CHEESE
3. Wet or Dry food? DRY
4. Favorite thing to chew? DINGOS CHEWIES
5. Indoors or Outdoors? INDOORS
6. Favorite place to walk? WETLANDS
7. Do you have a costume for Holloween? NO!
8. Are you embarrassed by dog outfits? YES!
9. Favorite collar? USC COLLAR!
10. Hair cuts or the natural look? I HAVE NATURALLY SHORT HAIR.
11. Do you like baths? WHEN THE WATER IS WARM.
12. Favorite place to watch your territory? WINDOW SEAT IN DAVID'S ROOM.
13. What cute thing do you do for a treat? SIT UP AND BEG
14. What most do you like to bark at? ANYTHING THAT MOVES
15. Cats: Take them or leave them? LEAVE THEM!
16. Would you chase a squirrel right now if you could? YES OF COURSE
17. What else do you like to chase? ANYTHING THAT MOVES.
18. If you catch something, what do you do with it? EAT IT IF IT IS SMALL ENOUGH.
19. Does going to the vet upset you? YES.
CAN I PROFILE YOUR PUPPY ?
Just send me a note at MaryinHB@gmail.com
10/25/09
Ravenous: The Dark Forgotten by Sharon Ashwood (Book Review: 191)
Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Signet (February 3, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0451226178
ISBN-13: 978-0451226174
Hallowe’en Goodies from Sharon Ashwood!
Step into the mysterious paranormal world of The Dark Forgotten with me. I love a good mystery, so I’m going to give away a mystery box to a lucky winner—but I also love humour, so it’s going to be fun! I’ve collected Hallowe’en paraphernalia for years, and I’m going to include some pieces I love, some treats, and a copy of my first book, RAVENOUS.
Enter Contest
There’s nothing like that first snap of fall to remind us of the comforts of bookstores and coffee shops. Since this is the kick-off for my promotional campaign for SCORCHED, the second in the Dark Forgotten series, I’m giving one lucky reader a chance to catch up with my series! I’m giving away a copy of book 1 (RAVENOUS), a $10 Starbucks coffee card, and a $10 Barnes and Noble gift card. That’ll get you ready for the December 1 release of SCORCHED:
Enter Contest
10/24/09
HUSH HUSH BY BECCA FITZPATRICK GIVEAWAY
10/23/09
Kith (The Good Neighbors) by Holly Black Book Review (190)
About the AuthorHolly Black is the #1 bestselling author of The Spiderwick Chronicles (with Tony DiTerlizzi) and the novels Tithe, Valiant, and Ironside. Ted Naifeh’s graphic novels include Polly and the Pirates, Courtney Crumrin, and Death, Jr.
Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 128 pages
Publisher: GRAPHIX; 1 edition (October 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0439855632
ISBN-13: 978-0439855631
10/21/09
Strange Things Happen: A Life with The Police, Polo, and Pygmies by Stewart Copeland -- Book Review (189)
When Stewart Copeland gets dressed, he has an identity crisis. Should he put on "leather pants, hostile shirts, and pointy shoes"? Or wear something more appropriate to the "tax-paying, property-owning, investment-holding lotus eater" his success has allowed him to become? This dilemma is at the heart of Copeland's vastly entertaining memoir-in-stories, Strange Things Happen. The world knows Copeland as the drummer for The Police, one of the most successful bands in rock history. But they may not know as much about his childhood in the Middle East as the son of a CIA agent. Or be aware of his film-making adventures with the Pygmies in the deepest reaches of the Congo, and his passion for polo (Brideshead Revisited on horses). In Strange Things Happen we move from Copeland's remarkable childhood to the formation of The Police, their rise to stardom, and the settled-down life that followed. It ends with a behind-the-scenes view of The Police's extraordinarily successful reunion tour. It's a book of amazing anecdotes, all completely true, which take us backstage in a life that is fully lived.
Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: HarperStudio (September 29, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0061791490
ISBN-13: 978-0061791499
10/20/09
Book Review: Possession by Devyn Quinn (188)
Opening a rare book on demons in an occult collection, Kendra Carter trembles before the power she is about to unleash. A man like no other has been awakened - but is he more than human? From his first caress, Remi gives her incredible pleasure she's never felt before...Night after night, in his secret chamber, Kendra explores her most intimate and hottest sexual fantasies. His passion for her is a supernatural force. He controls her body. He steals her soul. He is her demon lover.
Paperback: 302 pages
Publisher: Aphrodisia (September 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 075822852X
ISBN-13: 978-0758228529
10/19/09
RUSTY ANDERSON WHERE WOULD WE GO
Where Would We Go by Rusty Anderson
Ok, you do have to download and install Amazon's mp3 player, but it is well worth it.
Here is Rusty playing Hurt Myself...
You can also check out his website
http://www.rustyanderson.com/
Book Review: Retail Hell: How I Sold My Soul to the Store Confessions of a Tortured Sales Associate by Freeman Hall (187)
“I think you left these behind,” I said, handing them to her. This happens all the time when women try to return bags they’ve used. Tampons, lipstick, coins, Tic Tacs, and condoms are the top treasures found.
‘Greasy’ let out a sigh, as if I were the problem. “I was just trying my things in it. I really don’t see what the problem is here. It’s none of your business what I keep in my handbag.”
It is when my commission is at stake! I’m not your Designer Handbag Rental Service! My name is not BagBorrowOrSteal.com!
Enter Freeman Hall, an aspiring screenwriter who sets out to realize his Hollywood dream, but instead plunges into the seventh circle of Retail Hell when the rent comes due, selling animal-hide Hobos and overpriced clutches to Lookie-Loos and Picky Bitches—but always with a sunshiny smile.
Freeman toils in the handbag (that’s handbag, NOT purse) department of the Big Fancy department store, where he sees, hears, smells (and unfortunately, feels) it all! Here, he provides a true—and truly shocking—account of life from the other side of the handbag display. From early-morning RA-RA RALLIES to the craziest crazy-lady customers, Freeman’s horrific and hilarious workday tales redefine Juicy Couture.
As Freeman begins to plots his escape, he realizes that despite the Big Fancy’s lax return policy, for him, there really may be no returns . . . no exchanges . . . no way out.
About the Author
Freeman Hall (Los Angeles, CA) is a retail survivor who began slaving in retail at the age of twenty at Macy’s. His most notable retailicious experience was with specialty clothing store Nordstrom, where he spent fifteen years as an award-winning handbag manager and salesperson. Check out RetailHelltheBook.com for his blog, videos, sounding board, and more.
Hardcover: 272 pages
Publisher: Adams Media; 1 edition (September 18, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1605501026
ISBN-13: 978-1605501024
10/18/09
GIVEAWAY! STRANGE THINGS HAPPEN BY STEWART COPELAND
When Stewart Copeland gets dressed, he has an identity crisis. Should he put on "leather pants, hostile shirts, and pointy shoes"? Or wear something more appropriate to the "tax-paying, property-owning, investment-holding lotus eater" his success has allowed him to become? This dilemma is at the heart of Copeland's vastly entertaining memoir-in-stories, Strange Things Happen. The world knows Copeland as the drummer for The Police, one of the most successful bands in rock history. But they may not know as much about his childhood in the Middle East as the son of a CIA agent. Or be aware of his film-making adventures with the Pygmies in the deepest reaches of the Congo, and his passion for polo (Brideshead Revisited on horses). In Strange Things Happen we move from Copeland's remarkable childhood to the formation of The Police, their rise to stardom, and the settled-down life that followed. It ends with a behind-the-scenes view of The Police's extraordinarily successful reunion tour. It's a book of amazing anecdotes, all completely true, which take us backstage in a life that is fully lived.
I ended up with two ARCs for this book, so one needs to go away!
How to Enter:
Leave a comment here with a way to contact you (1 entry)
Repost this giveaway on your blog with a link (1 entry)
Become a follower (not sure how to do this, click here) (2 entries)
Download Where Would We Go by Rusty Anderson for free from Amazon! click here (1 entry)
Please leave a separate comment for each entry since I am using Random.org to pick the winner on November 1, 2009. I am mailing this one myself, so entries are limited to the USA and Canada.
Why Rusty and why this song? Well, Rusty played in a band with Stewart Copeland called Animal Logic and he was the best man at my wedding. So there!
Check out more of Rusty's music here
10/16/09
Book Review: Seraph of Sorrow (Jennifer Scales, Book 4) by MaryJanice Davidson and Anthony Alongi (186)
Seraph of Sorrow (Jennifer Scales, Book 4) by MaryJanice Davidson and Anthony Alongi
LOVED IT
This book will be a great relief for those confused by The Silver Moon Elm. The fourth book in the Jennifer Scales series answers all of the questions raised by that book and in great detail. I loved how the authors gave a voice to each character involved with the series. I am not sure as this will be the end of the series, as the ending left an opening for Jennifer to continue on. I think you could probably read this book without the whole series, but the first two books are magic.
Product Description
Half weredragon. Half beaststalker. All heart.Slowly coming into her own, Jennifer Scales just may be the bridge to bring the two warring sides of her family together—provided she can survive learning the most ancient skills of dragonkind.
http://www.jenniferscales.com/
About the Author
http://www.maryjanicedavidson.net/
Product Details
Paperback: 448 pages
Publisher: Ace (January 27, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0441016669
ISBN-13: 978-0441016662
10/14/09
Book Review: Half Broke Horses: A True-Life Novel by Jeannette Walls (185)
Half Broke Horses: A True-Life Novel by Jeannette Walls
Product Description
Jeannette Walls's The Glass Castle was "nothing short of spectacular" (Entertainment Weekly). Now she brings us the story of her grandmother -- told in a voice so authentic and compelling that the book is destined to become an instant classic.
"Those old cows knew trouble was coming before we did." So begins the story of Lily Casey Smith, in Jeannette Walls's magnificent, true-life novel based on her no-nonsense, resourceful, hard working, and spectacularly compelling grandmother. By age six, Lily was helping her father break horses. At fifteen, she left home to teach in a frontier town -- riding five hundred miles on her pony, all alone, to get to her job. She learned to drive a car ("I loved cars even more than I loved horses. They didn't need to be fed if they weren't working, and they didn't leave big piles of manure all over the place") and fly a plane, and, with her husband, ran a vast ranch in Arizona. She raised two children, one of whom is Jeannette's memorable mother, Rosemary Smith Walls, unforgettably portrayed in The Glass Castle.
Lily survived tornadoes, droughts, floods, the Great Depression, and the most heartbreaking personal tragedy. She bristled at prejudice of all kinds -- against women, Native Americans, and anyone else who didn't fit the mold. Half Broke Horses is Laura Ingalls Wilder for adults, as riveting and dramatic as Isak Dinesen's Out of Africa or Beryl Markham's West with the Night. It will transfix readers everywhere.
About the Author
Jeannette Walls was born in Phoenix, Arizona, and grew up in the southwest and Welch, West Virginia. She graduated from Barnard College and was a journalist in New York City for twenty years. Her previous book was the memoir The Glass Castle. She is married to writer John Taylor and lives in Virginia.
Product Details
Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: Scribner; First Edition, First Printing edition (October 6, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1416586288
ISBN-13: 978-1416586289
LOVED IT
Half Broke Horses is beautifully written and a pleasure to read. I really wish that this book didn't have to be termed a "novel" since the author based everything on the truth, but since she wasn't there when everything took place, this is the best it will get. It is truly one of those books based on simple life experiences that all families have and most of us could find something like it in our own lives. If you enjoy memoirs, then you will probably like this one.
10/13/09
GIVEAWAY! HUSH HUSH BY BECCA FITZPATRICK
Book Review: The Tales of Beedle the Bard, Standard Edition by J. K. Rowling (184)
The Tales of Beedle the Bard, Standard Edition by J. K. Rowling
LOVED IT
This is a great book to read out loud and have discussions about the stories. Like all good fairy tales, there is always a message of truth and Rowling does a wonderful job at creating new messages. Anyone who read the Harry Potter books will adore this short book.
Product Description
The Tales of Beedle the Bard, a Wizarding classic, first came to Muggle readers’ attention in the book known as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Now, thanks to Hermione Granger’s new translation from the ancient runes, we present this stunning edition with an introduction, notes, and illustrations by J. K. Rowling, and extensive commentary by Albus Dumbledore. Never before have Muggles been privy to these richly imaginative tales: “The Wizard and the Hopping Pot,” “The Fountain of Fair Fortune,” “The Warlock’s Hairy Heart,” “Babbitty Rabbitty and Her Cackling Stump,” and of course, “The Tale of the Three Brothers.” But not only are they the equal of fairy tales we now know and love, reading them gives new insight into the world of Harry Potter.The stories are accompanied by delightful pen-and-ink illustrations by Ms. Rowling herself, featuring a still-life frontispiece for each one. Professor Dumbledore’s commentary—apparently written some eighteen months before his death—reveals not just his vast knowledge of Wizarding lore, but also more of his personal qualities: his sense of humor, his courage, his pride in his abilities, and his hard-won wisdom. Names familiar from the Harry Potter novels sprinkle the pages, including Aberforth Dumbledore, Lucius Malfoy and his forebears, and Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington (or “Nearly Headless Nick”), as well as other professors at Hogwarts and the past owners of the Elder Wand. Dumbledore tells us of incidents unique to the Wizarding world, like hilariously troubled theatrical productions at Hogwarts or the dangers of having a “hairy heart.” But he also reveals aspects of the Wizarding world that his Muggle readers might find all too familiar, like censorship, intolerance, and questions about the deepest mysteries in life.Altogether, this is an essential addition to our store of knowledge about the world and the magic that J. K. Rowling has created, and a book every true Harry Potter fan will want to have for their shelves.This purchase also represents another very important form of giving: From every sale of this book, Scholastic will give its net proceeds to the CHILDREN'S HIGH LEVEL GROUP, a charity cofounded in 2005 by J.K. Rowling and Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne, MEP. CHLG campaigns to protect and promote children's rights and make life better for vulnerable young people. www.chlg.orgPublished by the Children's High Level Group, in association with Arthur A. Levine Books, THE TALES OF BEEDLE THE BARD will be available December 4, 2008.
About the Author
Since the publication of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in 1997, the Harry Potter novels have sold 400 million copies worldwide and have been translated into 65 languages. J. K. Rowling has generated huge popular appeal for her books across the generations in an unprecedented fashion: she was the first children's author to be voted the BA Author of the Year, and also to win the British Book Awards Author of the Year. J. K. Rowling lives with her family in Edinburgh.
Product Details
Hardcover
Publisher: Children's High Level Group; Standard edition (December 4, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0545128285
ISBN-13: 978-0545128285
10/12/09
This is sad....
AIRWAY HEIGHTS, WA - Firefighters were called to a garage fire in the 9200 block of North Brooks Road in Airway Heights Monday morning. Turns out that location also serves as a dachshund rescue.
Seven dogs died in the fire, 16 survived. Two adults in the home made it out safely.
The fire started in the garage, and spread to the home. Firefighters say the garage is destroyed, and there is significant damage to the home.
The operators or the dachshund rescue and the Red Cross are now working with local animal shelters to find temporary homes for the surviving dogs.
No word yet on the cause of this fire.
Book Review: Juliet, Naked: a novel by Nick Hornby (183)
LOVED IT
Product Description
From the beloved New York Times- bestselling author, a quintessential Nick Hornby tale of music, superfandom, and the truths and lies we tell ourselves about life and love.Annie loves Duncan-or thinks she does. Duncan loves Annie, but then, all of a sudden, he doesn't. Duncan really loves Tucker Crowe, a reclusive Dylanish singer-songwriter who stopped making music ten years ago. Annie stops loving Duncan, and starts getting her own life.In doing so, she initiates an e-mail correspondence with Tucker, and a connection is forged between two lonely people who are looking for more out of what they've got. Tucker's been languishing (and he's unnervingly aware of it), living in rural Pennsylvania with what he sees as his one hope for redemption amid a life of emotional and artistic ruin-his young son, Jackson. But then there's also the new material he's about to release to the world: an acoustic, stripped-down version of his greatest album, Juliet-entitled, Juliet, Naked.What happens when a washed-up musician looks for another chance? And miles away, a restless, childless woman looks for a change? Juliet, Naked is a powerfully engrossing, humblingly humorous novel about music, love, loneliness, and the struggle to live up to one's promise.
About the Author
Nick Hornby is the author of the novels A Long Way Down, Slam, How to Be Good, High Fidelity, and About a Boy, and the memoir Fever Pitch. He has also written Songbook, a finalist for a National Book Critics Circle Award, and The Polysyllabic Spree, as well as edited the short-story collection Speaking with the Angel. He is the recipient of the American Academy of Arts and Letters' E. M. Forster Award and the 2003 Orange Word International Writers' London Award
Product Details
Hardcover: 416 pages
Publisher: Riverhead Hardcover (September 29, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1594488878
ISBN-13: 978-1594488870
Book Review: Barely Bewitched by Kimberly Frost (182)
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Berkley Trade (September 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0425229610
ISBN-13: 978-0425229613
Book Review: Parties & Potions (Magic In Manhattan) by Sarah Mlynowski (181)
Product Description
Perfect hair, cute clothes, healthy tans—life’s a breeze when you’re a witch! Even special witchcraft classes Rachel agrees to attend with Miri turn out to be fun. The sisters meet other teen witches just like them—who knew? Everyone’s preparing for a magical party called a Samsorta—a debutante ball for witches. And it wouldn’t be a ball without warlocks. Cute ones. Like Adam, who wants to slow dance with Rachel, and ski with her in the Rockies—on a school night! Of course, Rachel is madly in love with her boyfriend, Raf. So why can’t she bring herself to tell Adam—funny, charming Adam—that Raf exists?Rachel knows Raf likes her. Maybe even, gulp, loves her. But Raf doesn’t know her secret. Unlike Adam, Raf doesn’t know who she really is. And she can never tell him. Or can she?
About the Author
Product Details
Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (December 23, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0385736452
ISBN-13: 978-0385736459
10/6/09
Book Review: Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick (180)
With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment.
But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure who to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is, and to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.
For Nora is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost her life.
Product Details
Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 400 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing (October 13, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1416989412
ISBN-13: 978-1416989417
10/5/09
FTC: Bloggers must disclose paid reviews
FTC: Bloggers must disclose paid reviews
But commission did not specify how conflicts of interest are to be disclosed
PHILADELPHIA - The Federal Trade Commission will require bloggers to clearly disclose any freebies or payments they get from companies for reviewing their products.
It is the first time since 1980 that the commission has revised its guidelines on endorsements and testimonials, and the first time the rules have covered bloggers.
But the commission stopped short Monday of specifying how bloggers must disclose any conflicts of interest.
The FTC said its commissioners voted 4-0 to approve the final guidelines, which had been expected. Penalties include up to $11,000 in fines per violation.
The rules take effect Dec. 1.
Book Review: This Is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper (179)
This Is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper
ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT
I borrowed this book from the library.
This is just an overall fun read. I found myself taking notes to use some of snarky comments I found inside this book. I had never heard of this author until I read a review of it in Entertainment Weekly. I am glad I glanced at it, since it turned out to be a fabulously wonderful book. The plot is a little far fetched, but it could really happen. I mean there are so many shock jocks in each city that you could just imagine one of them sleeping with his producer's wife, right? And then his wife gets pregnant and tells him the same day his father dies. All in all, a story about how much family can mess up your life at the same time as being the one thing that makes you sane.
Product Description
The death of Judd Foxman's father marks the first time that the entire Foxman family-including Judd's mother, brothers, and sister-have been together in years. Conspicuously absent: Judd's wife, Jen, whose fourteen-month affair with Judd's radio-shock-jock boss has recently become painfully public. Simultaneously mourning the death of his father and the demise of his marriage, Judd joins the rest of the Foxmans as they reluctantly submit to their patriarch's dying request: to spend the seven days following the funeral together. In the same house. Like a family. As the week quickly spins out of control, longstanding grudges resurface, secrets are revealed, and old passions reawakened. For Judd, it's a weeklong attempt to make sense of the mess his life has become while trying in vain not to get sucked into the regressive battles of his madly dysfunctional family. All of which would be hard enough without the bomb Jen dropped the day Judd's father died: She's pregnant. This Is Where I Leave You is Jonathan Tropper's most accomplished work to date, a riotously funny, emotionally raw novel about love, marriage, divorce, family, and the ties that bind-whether we like it or not.
About the Author
Jonathan Tropper is the author of How to Talk to a Widower, Everything Changes, The Book of Joe, and Plan B. He lives with his family in Westchester, New York, where he teaches writing at Manhattanville College. He is currently adapting This Is Where I Leave You as a feature film for Warner Brothers Studios.
Product Details
Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Dutton Adult (August 6, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 052595127X
ISBN-13: 978-0525951278
Book Review: Give Up the Ghost by Megan Crewe (178)
Cass McKenna much prefers ghosts over “breathers.” Ghosts are uncomplicated and dependable, and they know the dirt on everybody…and Cass loves dirt. She’s on a mission to expose the dirty secrets of the poseurs in her school.
But when the vice president of the student council discovers her secret, Cass’s whole scheme hangs in the balance. Tim wants her to help him contact his recently deceased mother, and Cass reluctantly agrees.
As Cass becomes increasingly entwined in Tim’s life, she’s surprised to realize he’s not so bad—and he needs help more desperately than anyone else suspects. Maybe it’s time to give the living another chance….
Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) (September 15, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0805089306
ISBN-13: 978-0805089301
Book Review: One Day by David Nicholls (177)
LOVED IT
One Day is a wonderful read and reminded me of my favorite UK Chick Lit authors and Nick Hornby. A few blurbs say it reminds them of The Time Travelers Wife, but the only thing similiar to me, is that the story flips back and forth between different periods in the main characters' lives. There were a few moments in the book that I thought could have been shortened but overall this makes some great light reading. The book could really be made into a movie as well. Nicely Done!
Product Description
'I can imagine you at forty,' she said, a hint of malice in her voice. 'I can picture it right now.'He smiled without opening his eyes. 'Go on then.'15th July 1988. Emma and Dexter meet for the first time on the night of their graduation. Tomorrow they must go their separate ways. So where will they be on this one day next year? And the year after that? And every year that follows?Twenty years, two people, ONE DAY. From the author of the massive bestseller STARTER FOR TEN.
About the Author
http://david-nicholls.livejournal.com/
Product details (from Amazon.uk)
Hardcover: 448 pages
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton (11 Jun 2009)
Language English
ISBN-10: 0340896965
ISBN-13: 978-0340896969
10/2/09
September Recap
155 The White Queen Philippa Gregory 4.5
156 A Change in Altitude Anita Shreve 4.5
157 Her Fearful Symmetry Audrey Niffenegger 4.5
158 It's Not That I'm Bitter Gina Barecca 3.5
159 Would Be Witch Kimberly Frost 3
160 Demon Can't Help It Kathy Love 3
161 Hothouse Flower and the Nine Plants Marogt Berwin 4
162 Wishful Drinking Carrie Fisher 4
163 Dexter By Design Jeff Lindsay 4.5
164 Thorn Queen Richelle Mead 4.5
165 Thirsty MT Anderson 3
166 I Can't Keep My Own Secrets Larry Smith 5
167 The Lost Symbol Dan Brown 4.5
168 Ghost Huntress #1 Marley Gibson 4
169 Mercury in Retrograde Paula Froelich 4
170 Hedge Fund Wives Tatiana Boncompagni 4
171 The Forest of Hands And Teeth Carrie Ryan 3.5
172 Hot Dogs Nicholas Noyes 4
173 The Wednesday Sisters Meg Waite Clayton 4.5
174 Stakes & Stillettos Michelle Rowen 4.5
175 Zombie Queen of Newbury High Amanda Ashby 4
176 Tall, Dark & Fangsome Michelle Rowen 5