You Are Quite the Human

Book Wrap-Up: February 2010

2010-02-28T20:10:00.000-05:00

Read in February 2010:

9. Hate List - Jennifer Brown
10. Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins
11. Roasting in Hell's Kitchen - Gordon Ramsay
12. Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim - David Sedaris
13. The Knife of Never Letting Go - Patrick Ness
14. Vanishing Acts - Jodi Picoult

Quote of the Day

2010-02-28T19:59:00.000-05:00

"'You give her all your french fries, even when she won't give you back onion rings,' Sophie says. 'And when you say her name it sounds different.'

'How?'

Sophie thinks. 'Like it's covered with blankets.'"

- Vanishing Acts, Jodi Picoult

Library Loot: Week of February 27, 2010

2010-02-27T10:48:00.005-05:00

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Marg of Reading Adventures and Eva of A Striped Armchair that encourages bloggers to share books they've checked out from the library.

I haven't posted in a while so this is list is a compilation of books I've gotten from the library over the last few weeks.

The Five Love Languages - Gary Chapman
The Partly Cloudy Patriot - Sarah Vowell
Assassination Vacation - Sarah Vowell
The Wordy Shipmates - Sarah Vowell
Take the Cannoli - Sarah Vowell
Cleaving - Julie Powell
The Shack - William P. Young
Last Night in Twisted River - John Irving
The Strain - Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan
In Defense of Food - Michael Pollan
Noah's Compass - Anne Tyler

Musing Mondays

2010-02-22T22:50:00.003-05:00

Musing Mondays is a weekly meme hosted by Rebecca at Just One More Page.

Today's Musing Mondays post is about keeping books. Do you keep all the books you every buy? Just the ones you love? Just collectibles? What do you do with the ones you don't want to keep?

I do have quite a collection of books but they're mostly books I want to read, not ones I have read. I don't keep very many of my books. If I like a book enough that I know I will re-read it, or if it's one of my all-time favorites, I definitely will keep it.

The books I don't want to keep I take to a local used bookstore. They take used books in trade for store credit so I take bags of books there and use my in-store credit to buy more books! It's really a win-win situation for all involved. :)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

2010-02-22T22:32:00.004-05:00

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Sheila at
One Person's Journey Through a World of Books.

Read last week...

Roasting in Hell's Kitchen - Gordon Ramsay

I enjoyed this book, but not because it's was particularly well written. It wasn't. It's a typical memoir written by a celebrity, so of course it's not going to be well written. But it was enjoyable, mostly because I just love Chef Ramsay! I recently started watching Kitchen Nightmares and reruns of Hell's Kitchen and wanted to know more about the man. If you're a fan of Chef Ramsay, I would recommend this. Otherwise, you're probably not going to enjoy it, sorry to say.

Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim - David Sedaris

Another one I wasn't quite impressed with. My relationship with David Sedaris' writing is kind of touch and go - some of his pieces are absolutely hilarious while others simply fall flat. This is a mix of both, almost most of them were, to put it simply, just boring.

Currently Reading ...

I just today started reading The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness. I've read so many good reviews of this book so I wanted to give it a try. So far I like it but I'm only about 10 pages in so it's hard to tell yet if I'll enjoy it.

Quote of the Day

2010-02-11T00:01:00.002-05:00

God: I resent you blaming me for everything. And I do not exist to give you what you want.

- Angry Conversations with God, Susan E. Isaacs

Quote of the Day

2010-02-10T13:40:00.003-05:00

All a rainbow is is light that walks behind a raindrop and its colors fall out.

- A Wolf at the Table, Augusten Burroughs

Book Wrap-Up: January 2010

2010-02-01T00:01:00.003-05:00

This is what I read this month:

1. Wishin' and Hopin', Wally Lamb
2. The Unit, Ninni Holmqvist
3. In the Woods, Tana French
4. Twilight, Stephenie Meyer
5. Paper Towns, John Green
6. New Moon, Stephenie Meyer
7. Stardust, Neil Gaiman
8. Eclipse, Stephenie Meyer

I don't think I've ever read so many books in one month! I've been back in college for the last four years and I'm finally finished so I'm using all my new free time to catch up on all the reading I've been backed up on in the last four years! Yay!

Quote of the Day

2010-02-01T00:01:00.001-05:00

"I think it's beautiful when men show their physical strength openly without being ashamed of it or apologizing. And I think it's beautiful when women dare to be physically weak and accept help with heavy jobs."

- from The Unit, Ninni Holmqvist

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

2010-01-31T17:10:00.004-05:00

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by J. Kaye at J. Kaye's Book Blog to discuss what we are reading this, as well as books completed the previous week.

Books completed last week:

Stardust, Neil Gaiman
Eclipse, Stephenie Meyer

Books I gave up on:

Again, none. So far my choices have been good!

What I am currently reading:

Fluke, Christopher Moore

After that:

I will be finishing off the Twilight series with Breaking Dawn.

Quote of the Day

2010-01-31T17:07:00.002-05:00

"There is not one big cosmic meaning for all; there is only the meaning we each give to our life, an individual meaning, an individual plot, like an individual novel, a book for each person."

- Anais Nin

Quote of the Day

2010-01-30T00:01:00.001-05:00

"... then he turned to me in the darkness, pulled me close, one arm around my shoulders, the other holding my head against his chest, and I pressed myself against him with my arm around his waist, my forehead against his breastbone and one leg wrapped around his thighs, almost as if I were climbing him"

- from The Unit, Ninni Holmqvist

Friday Fill-In #161

2010-01-29T00:01:00.007-05:00

Friday Fill-In is hosted here.

1. Wouldn't it be easy to run away and start over.

2. The love is better than ever!

3. I love the taste of chocolate!

4. There are too many books in the living room.

5. The first thing we're going to do is finally watch the last two episodes of Doctor Who.

6. Ting, ting, ting; drip, drip, drip; plop, plop, plop.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to boyfriend time, tomorrow my plans include family time and laundry and Sunday, I want to figure out what I'm doing on Sunday!

Quote of the Day

2010-01-29T00:01:00.006-05:00

"Even more, I had never meant to love him. One thing I truly knew - knew it in the pit of my stomach, in the center of my bones, knew it from the crown of my head to the soles of my feet, knew it deep in my empty chest - was how love gave someone the power to break you.

I'd been broken beyond repair."

- from New Moon, Stephenie Meyer

Quote of the Day

2010-01-28T21:30:00.002-05:00

Starting a new feature here at You Are Quite the Human ... the Quote of the Day. Being a book addict, I of course love words themselves, and oftentimes certain lines or passages in books (or even movies sometimes) catch my eye and I have to remember them. I have a notebook I keep just for these quotes.

So, to get us started, here's a quote about books!

"But the not-very-highbrow truth of the matter was that the reading was how I got my ya-yas out.

For the sake of my bookish reputation I upgraded to Tolstoy and Steinbeck before I understood them, but my dark secret was that really, I preferred the junk. The Dragonriders of Pern, Flowers in the Attic, The Clan of the Cave Bear. This stuff was like my stash of Playboys under the mattress."

- from Julie & Julia, Julie Powell

WWW Wednesdays

2010-01-27T11:33:00.000-05:00

WWW Wednesday is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.

To play along, just answer these questions:

- What are you currently reading?
- What did you recently finish reading?
- What do you think you'll read next?

My Answers:

I am currently reading: Stardust, by Neil Gaiman, and really enjoying it. It got off to a semi-slow start but it's picking up. Neil Gaiman has a great writing style. I've heard him speak before, and I think his voice and accent are beautiful, so I am kind of reading it with his voice in my head (if that makes sense!) and that's making it even better!

Before that, I finished: New Moon, by Stephenie Meyer. It was a lot better than Twilight (which I did enjoy) and I'm really looking forward not only to reading the next in the series but also seeing the movie. ('Cause I think that Taylor Lautner is a cutie patootie!)

Next Up: Continuing the Twilight series with Eclipse...

Teaser Tuesdays

2010-01-26T19:30:00.004-05:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here's this week's teaser:

"Tristran Thorn, at the age of seventeen, and only six months older than Victoria, was half the way between a boy and a man, and was equally uncomfortable in either role; he seemed to be composed chiefly of elbows and Adam's apples. His hair was the brown of sodden straw, and it stuck out at awkward, seventeen-year-old angles, wet and comb it howsoever much he tried."

From Stardust by Neil Gaiman

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

2010-01-25T18:45:00.002-05:00

It’s Monday! What are you reading? is a weekly meme hosted by J. Kaye at J. Kaye’s Book Blog

to discuss what we are reading this week, as well as books completed the previous week.

Books completed last week:

Paper Towns / John Green

New Moon / Stephenie Meyer

Books I gave up on:

Again, none. So far my choices have been good!

What I am currently reading:

I just started Stardust by Neil Gaiman, for the second time. I just love his writing style.

After that:

I will be continuing with the Twilight series and reading Eclipse.

Books for which I still need to write reviews:

Um, pretty much all of them? I’ve read In the Woods, Twilight, and Paper Towns and have to write those reviews. I’m still very new at this blogging thing so I have to find a rhythm for reviews.

Musing Mondays

2010-01-25T18:39:00.002-05:00

MUSING MONDAYS is hosted by Rebecca at Just One More Page.

This week, Rebecca asks:

Where do you keep any books borrowed from friends or the library? Do they live with your own collection, or do you keep separate? Do you monitor them in any way?

I generally don't borrow books from friends, mostly because I have so many books of my own in my to-be-read list that I know I probably won't get to theirs for a while and I wouldn't want to keep them waiting for their books.

As for library books, I do get many, many of them, and they go in a pile separate from my other books. My own books are stacked up in bookshelves in my living room; my library books live in a pile on my desk in my living room. I even try to keep them in order of due date so I can at least try to get them read before they have to go back. It almost never happens, but I try!

Friday Fill-Ins #160

2010-01-22T11:42:00.005-05:00

Friday Fill-Ins is hosted here.

1. You have a chance to change the world. Do it!

2. I need some chocolate right now!

3. There is a castle on a cloud.

4. Break it now and pay later.

5. It's time to eat!

6. His feelings for me are up in the air but it'll all work out in the end.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to boyfriend time, tomorrow my plans include a visit with old friends, and Sunday, I want to clean my kid's room and get some laundry done.

Library Loot: Week of January 17, 2010

2010-01-21T22:11:00.003-05:00

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Eva and Marg that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library.

I didn't bring home much this week, only because I've already got a big pile from my last trip!

Island of the Sequined Love Nun - Christopher Moore

Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins

Booking Through Thursday

2010-01-21T21:43:00.003-05:00

Booking Through Thursday is hosted here.

Who’s your favorite author that other people are NOT reading? The one you want to evangelize for, the one you would run popularity campaigns for? The author that, so far as you’re concerned, everyone should be reading–but that nobody seems to have heard of. You know, not JK Rowling, not Jane Austen, not Hemingway–everybody’s heard of them. The author that you think should be that famous and can’t understand why they’re not.

Without a doubt, I would have to say Christopher Moore. I LOOOOVVVEE this guy's books, and even the people I know who read almost as much as I do haven't ever heard of him. His books (especially Lamb) are clever, funny, smart, and just great reads. He's a fabulous writer.

It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

2010-01-18T14:58:00.003-05:00

It's Monday, What are you Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by J. Kaye's Book Blog to discuss what we are reading this week, as well as books completed the previous week.

Books Completed Last Week:
In the Woods / Tana French
Twilight / Stephenie Meyer

Books I Gave Up On:
None! So far my reading choices for 2010 have all been good ones. I hope I can keep up that trend.

Books I am Currently Reading:
I just started Paper Towns by John Green.

After That:
I think I'm going to keep on with the Twilight series and read New Moon next.

Musing Mondays

2010-01-18T14:42:00.003-05:00

MUSING MONDAYS is hosted at Just One More Page.

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about tidy reading around people.

When is it inappropriate to read in front of others? Is it ever appropriate?

This is a great question! I'm sure the answer would be vastly different if you asked a non-reader, but as a reading junkie, I have to say that, while it can be inappropriate to read in front of others, I still do it! I feel that it's absolutely fine to read while in a waiting room, if you're eating alone at a restaurant, or even if you're hanging out with a friend - in certain circumstances. I have a friend / co-worker who reads just as much as I do, and when the weather is nice, we go outside during our lunch hour and sit and read together. I think it's okay as long as you're not being anti-social, or rude, and if the person with whom you're sitting is okay with it. I even read while spending time with my boyfriend! He's a big sports fan, and when he turns on the hockey game or soccer match, I open my book. He doesn't mind, and it's actually the most peaceful reading time I have, because I'm with the person whose company I enjoy the most, doing the activity I most enjoy.

Friday Firsts

2010-01-15T08:00:00.000-05:00

Friday Firsts is hosted at Well Read Reviews.

The first line can make or break a reader’s interest. Just how well did the author pull you in to the story with their first sentence? To participate in this weekly book meme is extremely easy.

Grab the book you are currently reading and open to the first page.
Write down the first sentence in the first paragraph.
Create a blog post with this information. (Make sure to include the title & author of the book you are using. Even an ISBN helps!)
Did this first sentence help draw you into the story? Why or why not?

This is from my current read, In the Woods by Tana French (really good, by the way!)

"Picture a summer stolen whole from some coming-of-age film set in small-town 1950s."

It's a good first sentence, and does set up the basic premise of the story, although it is a bit misleading, given the rest of the plot. It didn't exactly prepare me for what was coming!

Library Loot: Week of January 10, 2010

2010-01-14T21:00:00.000-05:00

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Eva and Marg that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library.

These books found their way into my home this week. I'm excited for all of them!

Paper Towns - John Green

Stardust - Neil Gaiman

Kiss of Life - Daniel Waters

Hate List - Jennifer Brown

Fool - Christopher Moore

Fluke - Christopher Moore

Coyote Blue - Christopher Moore

Booking Through Thursday

2010-01-14T20:57:00.003-05:00

Booking Through Thursday is hosted here.

Suggested by Prairie Progressive:

Do you read the inside flaps that describe a book before or while reading it?

Absolutely. I absolutely need to know what a book is about before I read, and sometimes I even go back in the middle of reading a book to read the jacket flap. I like to know exactly what I'm reading about, if that makes any sense! I'm not someone who can pick up a book with no knowledge of its plot.

Teaser Tuesdays

2010-01-12T20:20:00.001-05:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. Here's how it works:

- Grab your current read.
- Let the book fall open to a random page.- Share two "teaser" sentences from that page.
- Share the title and author of the book.
- PLEASE AVOID SPOILERS!

"Sometimes Cassie and I forget that we can have that effect on people, especially when we're off duty and in a good mood, which we were. I know this sounds odd, given what we had been doing all day, but in the squads with a high horror quota - Murder, Sex Crime, Domestic Violence - either you learn to switch off or you transfer to Art and Antiques."

In the Woods, Tana French

Review: Wishin' and Hopin' / Wally Lamb

2010-01-12T12:00:00.000-05:00

Title/Author: Wishin' and Hopin' / Wally Lamb
Format / Pages: Hardback / 268 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 978-0-06-194100-9
Genre: Fiction
Where Did I Get It?: Library

From the book jacket: LBJ and Lady Bird are in the White House, Meet the Beatles is on everyone's turntable, and Felix Funicello (distant cousin of the iconic Annette!) is doing his best to navigate fifth grade - easier said than done when scary movies still give you nightmares and you bear a striking resemblance to a certain adorable cartoon boy.

Back in his beloved fictional town of Three Rivers, Connecticut, with a new cast of endearing characters, Wally Lamb takes his readers straight into the halls of St. Aloysius Gonzaga Parochial School - where Mother Filomina's word is law and goody-two-shoes Rosalie Twerski is sure to be minding everyone's business. But grammar and arithmetic move to the back burner this holiday season with the sudden arrivals of substitute teacher Madame Frechette, straight from Quebec, and feisty Russian student Zhenya Kabakova. While Felix learns the meaning of French kissing, cultural misunderstanding, and tableaux vivants, Wishin' and Hopin' barrels toward one outrageous Christmas.

From the Funicello family's bus-station lunch counter to the elementary school playground (with an uproarious stop at the Pillsbury Bake-Off), Wishin' and Hopin' is a vivid slice of 1960s life, a wise and witty holiday tale that celebrates where we've been - and how far we've come.

First line: The year I was a fifth-grade student at St. Aloysius Gonzaga Parochial School, our teacher, Sister Dymphna, had a nervous breakdown in front of our class.

My thoughts: This was a cute little book, a quick read ... that unfortunately wasn't that great. It was good, but it wasn't Wally Lamb good (anyone who has read and loved his previous works should know what I mean by that). I absolutely adored She's Come Undone and I Know This Much is True and was just a little disappointed by Wishin' and Hopin'. It wasn't nearly the same quality of story - but it was worth the read, so give it a try.

Booking Through Thursday

2009-12-30T19:05:00.004-05:00

Booking Through Thursday is found at http://btt2.wordpress.com/

It's the last day of the year, and you know what that means ... nostalgia and looking back.

What were your favorite books of the year? (Books that were new to you in 2009, if not necessarily published this year.)

I read quite a few great books this year and it was hard to pick out my favorites but I managed to! Out of the 77 books I read this year, my top 15 (because I couldn't possibly pick 10!) were, in no particular order:

1) Empire Falls - Richard Russo
2) The Adoration of Jenna Fox - Mary E. Pearson
3) The 19th Wife - David Ebershoff
4) Night - Elie Wiesel
5) Angry Conversations with God - Susan E. Isaacs
6) Inkheart - Cornelia Funke
7) North of Beautiful - Justina Chen Headley
8) The Thirteenth Tale - Diane Setterfield
9) The Book of Ruth - Jane Hamilton - a re-read for about the fifth time
10) Once was Lost - Sara Zarr
11) Geektastic - edited by Holly Black
12) Her Fearful Symmetry - Audrey Niffenegger
13) The Magicians - Lev Grossman
14) The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins - OMG! As good as everyone said it was!
15) Generation Dead - Daniel Waters

Review: Generation Dead / Daniel Waters

2009-12-30T18:56:00.008-05:00

Title/Author: Generation Dead / Daniel Waters
Format / Pages: Hardback / 392 pages
Publisher: Hyperion
ISBN: 978-142310921-1
Genre: Young Adult
Source: Library

From the book jacket: All over the country, a strange phenomenon is occurring. Some teenagers who die aren't staying dead. They are coming back to life, but they are no longer the same. Termed "living impaired" or "differently biotic", they are doing their best to blend into society again.

But the kids at Oakvale High don't want to take classes or eat in the cafeteria next to someone who isn't breathing. And there are no laws to protect the differently biotic from the people who want them to disappear - for good.

With her pale skin and goth wardrobe, Phoebe Kendall has never run with the popular crowd. But no one can believe it when she falls for Tommy Williams, the leader of the dead kids: not her best friend, Margi, and especially not her neighbor Adam, the star of the football team. Adam has realized that his feelings for Phoebe run much deeper than just friendship. He would do anything for her - but what if protecting Tommy is the one thing that would make her happy?

First line: Phoebe and her friends held their breath as the dead girl in the plaid skirt walked past their table in the lunchroom.

My thoughts: Let me first say, they did not make books like this when I was growing up! While there were some very good young adult books when I was a teenager (back in the 90s!) the quality of young adult books has grown so much in the past few years - and this book is no exception.

Waters' first book is smart and funny, thought-provoking, and relevant to the problems teenagers face - although, admittedly, I don't think zombie-ism is running rampant right now. This fabulous book really held my attention. I couldn't put it down and when I turned the last page, the next thing I did was go right to my local library's website and put the next book in the series on hold. I can't wait to find out what happens next.

Friday Finds

2009-12-30T18:46:00.006-05:00

I'm a little late but here goes anyway!

What great books did you hear about this week? Share with us your Friday Finds!

Friday Finds is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.

This is what I saw on the blogosphere this week:

Lies My Mother Never Told Me - Kaylie Jones - seen on Luxury Reading

The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe - J. Randy Taraborelli - as seen on Beth's Book Review Blog

Mennonite in a Little Black Dress - Rhoda Janzen - seen on Chick with Books

Quote of the Day

2009-12-30T10:18:00.000-05:00

"There were moments when my heart ached for him: I loved him so much."

- Dreamland, Sarah Dessen

Quote of the Day

2009-12-29T08:49:00.000-05:00

"I was drowning in broad daylight and no one could tell."

- Dreamland, Sarah Dessen

Teaser Tuesdays

2009-12-29T08:22:00.001-05:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. Here's how it works:

- Grab your current read.

- Let the book fall open to a random page.
- Share two "teaser" sentences from that page.

- Share the title and author of the book.

- PLEASE AVOID SPOILERS!

My teasers:

"His expression didn't change as he laughed again, the sound like that of someone heavy stepping on a dog's squeak toy.

Adam felt himself grinning."

- Generation Dead by Daniel Waters

Teaser Tuesdays

2009-04-21T22:16:00.000-04:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read.
Open to a random page.
Share two "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page.
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! Make sure what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!
Share the title and author too, so that other participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers!

Here we go:

"There were only two occasions of release which were not punishment. Release of the elderly, which was a time of celebration for a life well and fully lived; and release of a newchild, which always brought a sense of what-could-we-have-done."

From The Giver by Lois Lowry

Library Loot

2009-04-21T21:22:00.000-04:00

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by A Striped Armchair and Out of the Blue that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library.

For Me:
Inkheart / Cornelia Funke
I, Robot / Isaac Asimov
The Bar Code Tattoo / Suzanne Weyn
Tarzan of the Apes / Edgar Rice Burroughs
Fool / Christopher Moore
Fahrenheit 451 / Ray Bradbury

For the Kid:
Tiger / Valmik Thapar
Tigers / Gwenyth Swain
Tigers / Melissa Cole
Tigers / Lesley A. DuTemple
The Tiger / Stuart P. Levine
Foxes / Sophie Lockwood
Baby Fox / Aubrey Lang
Foxes / Mary Ann McDonald
Wolves / Dan Greenberg
The Secret World of Wolves, Wild Dogs, and Foxes / Theresa Greenway
Growing Up with Wild Wolves / Sandra Markle
Coyote / Stephen R. Swinburne
Dog / Juliet Clutton-Brock
Lions / Melissa Cole
Lions / Claire Robinson
Lions / Kathy Darling
Face to Face with Lions / Beverly and Dereck Joubert
Big Book of Race Cars / Trevor Lord
The Mouse and the Motorcycle / Beverly Cleary
Dear Mr. Henshaw / Beverly Cleary
Otis Spofford / Beverly Cleary
Sideways Stories from Wayside School / Louis Sachar
How Santa Got His Job / Stephen Krensky
Geronimo Stilton: The Curse of the Cheese Pyramid
Geronimo Stilton: Wedding Crasher
Geronimo Stilton: It's Halloween, You 'Fraidy Mouse
Geronimo Stilton: My Name is Stilton, Geronimo Stilton
Captain Underpants and the Invasion of the Incredibly Naughty Cafeteria Ladies from Outer Space (and the Subsequent Assault of the Equally Evil Lunchroom Zombie Nerds) / Dav Pilkey
Captain Underpants and the Perilous Plot of Professor Poopypants / Dav Pilkey
El Capitan Calzoncillos y la Ridicula Historia de los Seres del Inodoro Morado / Dav Pilkey (I'm thinking he didn't notice it was in Spanish.)

For the Kid but that I intend to read:
Help! I'm a Prisoner in the Library / Eth Clifford

As I'm sure you can tell, our library bag was a bit heavy this evening.

Currently Reading: The Giver / Lois Lowry

Review: Heavier Than Heaven (Charles R. Cross)

2008-10-02T04:42:00.000-04:00

Amazon.com's review.

"He was the shape of suicide." - Ryan Aigner about Kurt Cobain quoted in Heavier Than Heaven.

Like many people of my generation, Nirvana and Kurt Cobain shaped the way I listened to music and what I listened to. Before I found Nirvana, my musical tastes ranged only as far as New Kids on the Block and Paula Abdul. I don't remember when I first heart them - probably when "Smells Like Teen Spirit" came out - but I remember my musical tastes subsequently being transformed.

I remember watching the vigil held after his death and hearing Courtney speak and cry and wail and read Kurt's suicide note. I remember Rolling Stone published some of the note. It really affected me at the time - as it did many other kids my age. So many teenagers were absolutely devastated by his death. It's a sad story. He really was, or could have been, an amazing man. He was, no doubt, a lyrical genius who inspired many, many people.

This book was an extremely interesting read. The author delves into the psychology behind Cobain's oddities and freakishness - because, let's face it, he was a pretty weird dude, even before he began abusing drugs. The book delves into Cobain's childhood, friendships, girlfriends, but hits the heart of the matter when he meets the Great Train Wreck, Courtney Love. The book shows Courtney's "human" side. We all simply see her as a big hot mess but she really was a driving force behind his life. Many people thought of her as Nirvana's "Yoko Ono" and thought she was the one who started Kurt heavily into drugs, but the truth is, he was using long before he met her. She did her best by him, and their love for one another - and their daughter, Frances Bean - clearly shines through.

Review: You Can Run But You Can't Hide (Duane "Dog" Chapman)

2008-09-28T07:12:00.000-04:00

Title and author of book: You Can Run But You Can't Hide - Duane "Dog" Chapman

Fiction or non-fiction? Genre? Non-fiction, memoir.

What led you to pick up this book? I love the Dog! Back when I had cable, I watched his show all the time. Plus, I love biographies and memoirs.

Plot summary:Duane Chapman, aka Dog the Bounty Hunter, has had an amazing life. He had a troubled and trying upbringing, which led to an early life of crime, including numerous arrests for armed robbery and a murder conviction. While Dog claims to be innocent of the murder rap, he maintains that the 5 years he served for the crime changed his life. With a newfound respect for the law, Dog vowed to become a force for change and good. This inspired him to pursue a career in bounty hunting. Dog is now the owner of Da Kine Bail Bonds in Honolulu and self-proclaimed Greatest Bounty Hunter in the World. Six thousand-plus captures over the past two decades have earned this highly intense, charismatic ex-con and born-again Christian such a distinction. He is also a devoted father of 12-and some of his older children work with him as bounty hunters, along with his equally charismatic new wife Beth. In YOU CAN RUN BUT YOU CAN'T HIDE, Dog details all this and more, giving his legion of fans all the details they've been waiting for.

What did you like most about the book? I liked reading about how Dog got started bounty hunting. It doesn't seem to be a career one chooses - it's more of a "I just fell into it" kind of thing.

What did you like least? Dog - no surprise - has a bit of an ego and that shows in his words.

Do you recommend this book? If you are a fan of the Dog, by all means, read it. It's a good story. If you're not, you probably won't enjoy it.

Friday Finds - September 26, 2008

2008-09-26T11:57:00.000-04:00

Friday Finds is hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading.

Here is what I found interesting this week:

Can't remember where I saw it:
Leave Me Alone, I'm Reading: Finding and Losing Myself in Books (Maureen Corrigan)

*****
From A High and Hidden Place:
Garden Spells (Sarah Addison Allen)

*****
As seen on Bibliolatry:
A Good and Happy Child (Justin Evans)
Hurry Down Sunshine (Michael Greenberg)
Angelhead: My Brother's Descent Into Madness (Greg Bottoms)

*****
As received from Dear Reader:
Service Included (Phoebe Damrosch)

*****
From A Life in Books:
An Absolute Gentleman (R.M. Kinder)

*****
As seen on A Work in Progress:
Beasts (Joyce Carol Oates)

*****
From Tiny Little Reading Room:
Rat Pack Confidential (Shawn Levy)

Review: Mercy Unbound - Kim Antieau

2008-09-25T04:59:00.000-04:00

Title and author of book: Mercy, Unbound - Kim Antieau

Fiction or non-fiction? Genre? Fiction, Young Adult.

What led you to pick up this book? I was browsing the young adult section in the library and it sounded very interesting.

Plot summary:

Mercy O'Connor is becoming an angel.

She can feel her wings sprouting from her shoulder blades. They itch. Sometimes she even hears them rustling.

And angels don't need to eat. So Mercy has decided she doesn't need to either. She is not sick, doesn't suffer from anorexia, is not trying to kill herself. She is an angel, and angels simply don't need food.

When her parents send her to an eating disorder clinic, Mercy is scared and confused. She isn't like the other girls who are so obviously sick. If people could just see her wings, they would know. But her wings don't come and Mercy begins to have doubts. What if she isn't really an angel? What if she's just a girl? What if she is killing herself? Can she stop?

What did you like most about the book? I really liked Mercy, the main character. Instead of coming off as simply crazy or stupid, she was a really engaging character. I also like the suspense of it - I couldn't wait to find out if she was just imagining the wings or if it was really happening.

What did you like least? The story turned a little ... mystical, maybe, is the right word? ... toward the end and didn't read as smoothly. It didn't really match the beginning of the story.

What did you think of the writing style? It was a very quick, and extremely interesting read, for the most part.

Have you read any other books by this author? No, I haven't, but I'd like to.

What did you think of the ending? It wasn't what I expected.

Do you recommend this book? If you use a rating system, what’s your rating? I would recommend it, absolutely.

Quote of the Day

2008-09-24T05:02:00.000-04:00

Elizabeth is smart, ruthless, and emotionally damaged ... [i]f Elizabeth's brain was a person, it would have scars, tattoos, and be missing one eye.

- Company, Max Barry

Review - Bitch: In Praise of Difficult Women (Elizabeth Wurtzel)

2008-09-23T05:21:00.001-04:00

Plot Summary: The author of the bestselling Prozac Nation presents a fascinating tract on the history of female behavior and how it has been interpreted and misinterpreted.

My thoughts: I found this book very interesting. It's a little outdated at this point because it was published in 1998, so she references headline news of that time period, like Amy Fisher and Nicole Brown Simpson - both of whom have entire chapters devoted to them.

Wurtzel takes on the idea of women and how the world views them as opposed to how it views men. I found most of her writing interesting but not particularly insightful or shocking. It's not news to me that women are generally paid less than men. It's not news to me that the public views a mother's role differently they they do a father's role. But it was still an interesting read.

The one thing that really bothered me about the book was that Wurtzel basically let Amy Fisher off the hook for shooting Mary Jo Buttafuoco. She goes on and on about how Amy was only seventeen years old at the time she met Joey and was a young, impressionable girl only looking for love and was just happy to have found someone who would pay attention to her. Granted, he did coerce into a life of prostitution and talked her into shooting Mary Jo but Amy was the one who picked up the gun and was one old enough to know that a bullet into someone's head could possibly cause some damage, possibly even death. Amy does deserve a little leeway because of the situations she was put into by Joey but Wurtzel gives her a little too much slack. In my opinion, at least.

Other than that mild faux pas, it's a very good, fast-paced, captivating read - although I wish I had read it when I was younger and could actually learn something from it.

Friday Finds

2008-09-19T09:05:00.000-04:00

Friday Finds is hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading.

These are what I found this week:

From The Friendly Book Nook:

Waiting for Daybreak - Kathryn Cushman

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From Book Chatter and Other Stuff:

Greasy Rider - Greg Melville

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From Salon:

Ceremonial Violence - Jonathan Fast

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From book-a-holic:

The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop - Lewis Buzbee
Mister B. Gone - Clive Barker

Quote of the Day

2008-09-10T05:25:00.001-04:00

"On the dashboard of our family car is a shallow indentation about the size of a paperback book. If you are looking for somewhere to put your sunglasses or spare change, it is the obvious place, and it works extremely well, I must say, so long as the car is not actually moving. However, as soon as you put the car in motion ... everything slides off ... It can hold nothing that has not been nailed to it. So I ask you: what then is it for?"

- I'm a Stranger Here Myself, Bill Bryson

Quote of the Day

2008-09-05T04:31:00.000-04:00

This describes me perfectly:

"Of all things I am not very good at, living in the real world is perhaps the most outstanding."

- I'm a Stranger Here Myself, Bill Bryson

Quote of the Day

2008-09-04T05:09:00.001-04:00

... I love everything about motels. I can't help myself. I still get excited every time I slip a key into a motel room door and fling it open.

- I'm a Stranger Here Myself, Bill Bryson

Quote of the Day

2008-09-03T04:32:00.000-04:00

If you cannot read all your books, at any rate ... peer into them, let them fall open where they will, read from the first sentence that arrests the eye, set them back on the shelves with your own hands, arrange them on your own plan so that you at least know where they are. Let them be your friends; let them be your acquaintances.

- Winston Churchill

Quote of the Day

2008-09-02T05:14:00.000-04:00

I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble.

- Helen Keller

Friday Finds

2008-08-16T00:11:00.000-04:00

As found on Should Be Reading, here are my "Friday Finds". I'm a teensy bit late, but, hey, it's my first time.

What great books did you find or hear about this past week? Share with us your FRIDAY FINDS!

Either leave a comment with a link to your blog post about your Friday Finds, or share your finds in a comment here, if you don't have a blog. Thanks!

So Many Books, So Little Time: A Year of Passionate Reading - Sara Nelson

Missing Mom - Joyce Carol Oates

Righting the Mother Tongue: From Olde English to Email, the Tangled Story of English Spelling - David Wolman

The Girls - Lori Lansens

Mrs. Lieutenant - Phyllis Zimbler Miller

Atmospheric Disturbances - Rivka Galchen

I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone - Stephanie Kuehnert

I don't remember which various book blogs I saw these books, but this is my first time doing this so next time I'll remember to make a note of it!