Great Little Gifts to Knit

NOTE: I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is gorgeously photographed and the patterns all look to be clearly written, with easy to follow instructions and charts in many of the patterns. There's a little something for everyone in this pattern book, from beginners to stuff like intarsia that makes me quake in my boots! Each pattern is clearly labeled with skill level and approximate time to complete. The techniques section at the back is especially helpful to someone like me who is ready to try new techniques/stitches.

There are some really cute patterns in this book.

 Deco Backpack: I will admit I am a bit addicted to knit bags. And I already have two knit backpacks. But the look and texture of this bag make me want to go stash-diving!

 Masham Scarf: The trick of using different sized needles to make a light and airy scarf is something I never would have thought of, but oh what a look! The Kidsilk Haze just begs you to reach out and touch it. I love that just by changing that you get two completely different looks.

 Baby Love Blanket: I don't want to make a whole blanket (just did that, took forever and not ready for that kind of commitment again, yet, haha), but I'm tempted to try the center square of the baby love blanket, just for practice at shadow knitting. And the booties from the Shower Set! I may have to make the blanket recipient some booties to go with it.

 On the other hand, I am not a fan of fingerless gloves, (especially froufrou ones!), wristbands or leg warmers (sorry, the 80s are over, I don't want to go back there!) and I don't have a smartphone to make a cozy for. And while I love the Feather and Fan pattern, the Fiesta Shrug that looks to use that pattern makes me cringe.

 All in all though, I would say I like enough of the patterns to make this book a thumbs up.

Where does the time go??

I've been reading as always, just can't seem to find the time to sit down and write about anything I've read!

So instead I'll list the books I am looking forward to reading in the (hopefully) near future. My To Read list at Goodreads has 59 books in it at the moment, but here are some highlights.

FANTASY:
-Shaman Rises, by C.E. Murphy. This one will be bittersweet. I want to read it really badly, but it's the last of the series :(

-Cast in Flame, by Michelle Sagara. Ah, I need more Kaylin!

-The Winter Long, by Seanan McGuire. I pretty much love anything by Seanan McGuire (well,except for Sparrow Hill Road, but that's a completely separate review!).

-Shattered, by Kevin Hearne. The newest Iron Druid book.

 MYSTERY:
-The Good, the Bad and the Emu, by Donna Andrews. Andrews' book are always a fun, light read.

-Festive in Death, by J.D. Robb. I always look forward to a new Eve Dallas mystery.

-Yarn Over Murder, by Maggie Sefton. I wasn't a huge fan of her last book, but this newest book is set during the High Park fire a few years back here in Northern CO, so I want to read it. Although, cynically, I can't help wondering if the next book will be set during the major flooding last fall!

ROMANCE: Only one on my To Read list at Goodreads, Blood Magick, by Nora Roberts. Book 3 of the O'Dwyer trilogy.

Still dry, for now.

Our first sign of serious trouble was when the school district sent everyone home at 11 am Thursday, due to concerns that roads would soon be impassible. Since then, we watched the river rise, first in Estes Park.

To the right is one of two main roads to Estes Park. Totally gone, thanks to flooding. The town of Estes is pretty much inaccessible, with the other 2 main roads crumbling as well. The only way in or out is over Trail Ridge Road, which the National Park Service is keeping open despite snowfall, just so emergency services have a way in and out. Unfortunately, that's one heck of a detour :(

Then they had to release excess water down the Big Thompson which combined with the constant rain, and things went even more wrong, as you can see by the photo of the Narrows part of the canyon.

From the canyon the water raced through Loveland itself, flowing over farmland and neighborhoods alike.

Eventually, the water overran I-25, just south of town this morning. This is the main route in and out of Loveland, Eventually, the entire interstate closed from Denver to the Wyoming border. Crazy when the interstate becomes a river! At that point, every route into Loveland from the south was cut off, due to topped or destroyed bridges.

The river continues to rush east, into Greeley, taking out a trailer park and heading for the Platte River, into which most of them eventually flow.

National Guard helicopters are evacuating residents from areas that are inaccessible.

And unfortunately, more rain is predicted for the weekend.

But thankfully, we are high and dry, safe and well. We send our positive thoughts to those that are out of their homes or have lost their homes, as well as our gratitude for the amazing fire & police, sheriff, State Patrol and National Guard folks out there rescuing people and keeping us safe. Also, a huge shout out for the Searcfh & Rescue folks that have come in from Nebraska & Utah to help out. Bless you all!

*Sigh*

Honestly, I think it must be my attention span right now. I'm reading Carniepunk at the moment, and of course I started with the Kevin Hearne Iron Druid short story. And guess what? I cruised right through it and enjoyed it. I'm going through a bit of a stressful time right now, and instead of being able to escape in to a book, I can't seem to turn off my thoughts for any length at all. So maybe Carniepunk is a good book for me to be reading right now, since it's all shorts.

And I do love compilations, they introduce me to new authors that may become favorites. Like Sword and Sorceress intro'd me to Mercedes Lackey, I still love Tarma and Kethry. And I first read a Michelle Sagara Cast In story in a book of novellas that I got for the Mercedes Lackey story and so on. I always pick up books like this with the hope that someone new will grab my attention and make me search out other works by that author. Seanan McGuire came to me through a Toby short story in Home Improvement, Undead Edition, as a result wanting to read shorts by several favorite authors in it.

Then again, sometimes I end up disappointed, because I love a short so much only to find out that it's a one off and the stuff the author normally writes is completely different, or the author doesn't have anything else published.

Of Two Minds

I just finished reading Tulle Death Do Us Part, by Annette Blair. It's the latest in a series that I've enjoyed over the years, although the last one, Cloaked in Malice, was a bit weak. With Tulle, I'm of two minds. 

Majors spoilers coming so stop now if you want to read it.

On one hand, I liked Nick. And in the last book he and Mad seemed to really commit to each other. So for him to totally blow Maddie off, and with the twit Paisley Sky of all people, yeah, not quite in character. Totally skeevy, in fact.

On the other hand, I do like Werner, and I truly like him and Mad together, so I am willing to overlook Nick's sudden case of MPS. (But only if somewhere along the way Ms. Blair gets rid of Paisley Sky!) All in all, I hope Ms. Blair continues to write this series so we can see more of Maddie/Lytton and Eve/Jay.

I'm alive!

And I've read many books since the last time I was here! So, last 10 books I've read, in no particular order:

1. Cast in Peril, Michelle Sagara. This one is a re-read, leading up to the release of Cast in Sorrow. One more freaking, "demonstrably" thrown in and I would have thrown the book. I love this series, but someone please give Michelle Sagara a list of synonyms!

2. Tarnished and Torn, Juliet Blackwell. I'm still finding this series a stretch. I love her Haunted Home Renovations series, this one I think is going to be a pass from now on. It just isn't doing it for me. Funny how you can love one series, and just not like another by the same author!

3. Magic Rises, Ilona Andrews. Honestly, I think I am in a slump reading-wise. I love this series, but this book just failed to grab my attention. It's technically not a "read" book, since I've yet to finish, but I don't think it will end up on the unfinished shelf. Eventually I will get back to it.

4.- 10. Cast in... Did I mention I re-read the entire series in the last few weeks? Cast in Courtlight is one of my favorites still. I love a series that is re-readable and I still enjoy most of these books.

Anyway, I really am in a reading slump. I've Kevin Hearne's Hunted waiting for me to read it, after months of waiting and now I am just sort of meh. I've got another book, with a short story from Seanan McGuire that I've been waiting ages to get my hands on, finally read it in a break at work today and felt kind of let down. Mind you, it's nice to have the background, but....

Next up is Carniepunk, another books of short stories, so maybe it will pull me out of my funk.

And maybe next post we'll talk about the series books that I've read lately that made me decide I was done with some favorite series for good.

The Queen's Governess

The Queen's Governess, by Karen Harper.

I highly enjoyed this book. It was an interesting peek at what life may have been like in Henry VIII's court and Elizabeth I's early reign, told from not the royal point of view, but from a servant's point of view. I liked the character that Harper developed Kat into, finding her likable, interesting and sympathetic.

I'm now reading The Last Boleyn, the story of Anne's older sister, the Boleyn who dared to break away from the court and marry for love.

Is it just me?

Or are more big list authors caring less and less about their readers and only writing what they want? Or is it they've just written the same characters for so long they can't come up with anything fresh?

I know at least a couple of authors who outright tell fans to bugger off if they don't like the direction their books are going (LKH and now Christine Feehan). Honestly, I used to love so many authors who wrote series, and yet their last few books have made me scratch my head and ask, "Why did I like this author again?"

There are some series that I will still read, Nora Roberts' J.D. Robb books for one. And I still enjoy the Kelley Flynn knitting mysteries. Mercedes Lackey is now revisiting Valdemar and I am thrilled, though many will say the last book was weak. I enjoyed it.

But LKH has disappointed for the last several books, CF is hit and miss, I stopped reading Sherrilyn Kenyon several books ago when she started focusing less on the Dark Hunters and more on the shifters.

I don't know, maybe I am just in a slump again, 'cause not a lot is keeping my attention lately. And what books have managed to do so lately have been totally random grabs at the library. I don't always (often?) seem to find another book by the same author that I like again. *Sigh*

Winter is coming, I guess it's time to pick up my knitting again and leave the books for a bit ;)

Books v. Movies

I've been reading Eat, Pray, Love this week and find it surprisingly good. Normally I give the super popular books a miss (Oh how I wish I had followed that pattern on the Twilight series. Why oh why did I waste my time on that drivel??) but I was at the library and it was on display, so I picked it up and read the back. Hmmmm.

It reminds me a bit of Under the Tuscan Sun so far, but then that could be because she's in Italy at the moment ;).

And of course they've just made it into a movie. Would I go watch it? Probably not. I tend to be very anti-movie when I've already read the book. Under the Tuscan Sun is one of the few movies I liked more than the book. But guess what? I watched the movie before I read the book! Same with the Mists of Avalon (despite the dreadful acting) I watched the movie, then struggled through the book. Despite a love for fantasy and for MZB's Sword and Sorceress books, I just can't say I feel the love for MZB herself.

But I couldn't even watch more than a few minutes of the second Lord of the Rings movie, and never bothered with the third. The first movie made me cringe all too often. Sorry, but there's a reason these books are classics, why change everything?? Oh, Liv Tyler is prettier than Glorfindel.... I get it. But I don't like it. And as a result I waited for the 2nd to come out on video, and boy was I glad!

Harry Potter started out well. But after Goblet of Fire I was so disappointed in the movies that I stopped watching. Actually, the disappointment may have begun with the limited Snape exposure in Azkaban. And the prime role of Snape in the book PoA is why I loved it so ;)

So what do you think? Read the book or wait for the movie?

Help me out here!

The last several books I've read have been major disappointments, from Nora Robert's The Search (boring) to Carrie Vaughn's Discord's Apple (good, but too complex for what I wanted/ needed to be reading right now, I had to really pay attention because there's a lot of switching back and forth from world to world. Sadly, when I get off work I just want an easy read, something to melt into without a lot of effort. Discord's not that kind of book. Would have been a better book to read over the weekend when I had more time to keep things straight.)

Vaughn's newest Kitty Norville book was good, but not my favorite in the series. The White Queen by Phillipa Gregory was so-so, better than the much hyped Other Boleyn Girl, but not by much.

So what's a girl to read?

There are some books coming out next year that I am waiting for:

• River Marked, the next Mercy Thompson book. I'm hoping for more of Samuel, we'll see. Jan. 25, 2011


• Blackveil, Book 4 in the Green Rider series, a loooooong awaited book by Kristen Britain. Feb. 1, 2011


• Twilight's Dawn by Anne Bishop. A Black Jewels book, yay! March 1, 2011.

And of course we have the pre-holiday book season coming up:

• Intrigues: Book Two of the Collegium Chronicles. Yay, another Valdemar book by Mercedes Lackey! Oct.5, 2010.


• A Holiday Yarn: A Seaside Knitters Mystery, Sally Goldenbaum. Nov. 2, 2010


• Double Knit Murders, Maggie Sefton. Nov. 2, 2010


• Happy Ever After, Nora Roberts. Nov. 2, 2010


• Indulgence in Death, J.D. Robb. Nov. 2, 2010


• The Other Side, J.D. Robb, et al. Nov. 30, 2010 (Busy, busy month for Nora!)

And several more I am wanting to read.

But what about NOW?? Any suggestions?

Undead and Unfinished

by MaryJanice Davidson.

If I rated this book, it would get something along the lines of 3 out of 5, with 1 being bad, 5 being good and a three being so-so. I'm very ambivalent about this book.
The bad: It was short, the first portion rehashed a lot of the previous books and don't get me started on the epilogue!

The good: I like finding out some of the back-story on Sinclair and Tina, I liked that Besty and Laura did some good things.

Hrmm. So maybe I lean a little more toward the bad side of things. I get where MJD is going with this, it's time travel and Betsy gets a glimpse of a not so great future and has to try and change it. So that's the hook, read the next book and see if Betsy can change things or if things are destined to get ugly.

But that's also part of the problem. Because time is fluid and things can change depending on the kind of decisions we make who's to say that even if Betsy does change the future for the better (and they go there to prove it) that one small stupid mistake (and Betsy is the Queen of more than just the vamps, she's the queen of acting before she thinks...) wouldn't change things right back or make things even worse?? I don't know, slippery slope you're negotiating, MJD....

Again, I recommend getting this book from your library or waiting for the paperback. It's definitely not the best in the series and may even have a tendency to alienate the reader (that damned epilogue!).

The Sweet Potato Queens'

1st Big-Ass Novel.

I have to say, this wouldn't have been on my usual reading list. I was wandering through the library and the title caught my eye. It was quirky enough to make me pick the book up and read the blurb on the jacket. On to my stack of books to take home it went.

I started reading Nora Roberts' The Search when I got home. By mid-afternoon I had put it down and picked up the queens. I stayed up until 1 AM to finish it.

The characters all matched the title, quirky and fun. It was a story of friendships and life. It was a light, fun read (if you're looking for something deep, look elsewhere).

I shall be searching out more books by Jill Conner Browne.

And maybe now I can go back and finish The Search...

Waking the Witch

by Kelley Armstrong.

Definitely NOT my favorite book by this author. After the last Armstrong book I read, I was really looking forward to this one, but it disappointed me. The main character, Savannah, was cocky, and all together a Mary Sue, capable of everything except asking for help when she needed it.

This book also cut out other favorite characters and focused solely on Savannah. What the heck? Savannah has been in love with Adam since she was a young teen and we get a lousy phone call or two, and a cameo at the end? Most of Armstrong's books are paranormal romances with a mystery plot. This one is all mystery and as such I felt it was missing something. There are reasons people read series books, and the regular characters are usually the main one. I've never been a huge fan of series characters going off on their own and leaving the rest of the cast behind because it's the interaction between those characters that make the books wonderful. I had been looking forward to seeing the Savannah/Adam relationship develop, even if it didn't turn into a full-blown romance between the two.

This is definitely a book I recommend getting from your local library or waiting until it comes out in paperback. And if you are new to Armstrong's Otherworld series, don't start with this one. It's missing to many elements of what makes Armstrong's books a pleasure to read.

Knitting books

I'm a knitter (when I can force myself to put my book down, haha) and any time I see a book with a knitting theme, I grab it.

Take for instance Maggie Sefton's knitting mysteries. I'm anxiously awaiting my turn at Skein of the Crime. I'm finally up to number 6 on the library waiting list ;)

Out of the several knitting mystery series out there, I enjoy Maggie's the most. A big part of that is that she's a local author, so I know the places she writes about, even though she sets them in a "fictional" town. (The places are real, even if Fort Connors isn't. Maggie told me years ago when she was signing books at the Estes Park Wool Market that she changed the town name so she had a bit more leeway in writing, especially the local police force. And I have to say, her version of our local Lambspun wool shop and the place that I've visited just don't tally for me. Her version is friendly and fun. My version is stuffy and snooty and not very helpful at all. All three times I've been there I've been roundly ignored, but I digress...).

Sefton's books are comfortable cozies with enough turns to make them keep your attention. The one drawback is the large cast of characters. If you are going to read this series I highly recommend starting with the first book, Knit One, Kill Two, and working your way through, just so you get to know all the characters.

Give it a miss

War of the Roses trilogy by Rodrigo Garcia y Robertson

This trilogy starts with Knight Errant, a story in which 20 something Hollywood movie producer Robyn meets a man, falls in lust, travels to England to celebrate his birthday only to find out he's married. Enter the scum-sucking ditch pig's sister, who convinces Robyn to go hiking, where she meets a knight out of time and is determined to meet him again. Through witchcraft she is sent back to the 15th Century, gets caught and imprisoned for witchcraft, meets the 15th century version of the scum, his sister and the sister's daughter. Eventually she finds herself back with her knight and falls in love and becomes secretly betrothed to her knight and beloved by the commoners, only to be sent back to modern day England.

Enter Lady Robyn. In this book we find Robyn frantic to get back to her love, Edward of the March (and future King of England as well as the father of the 2 little princes who are later said to be murdered by their uncle in the Tower of London...). Robyn manages to get back to the 15th Century. Robyn is again captured and imprisoned for witchcraft. She spends much of the book lobbying against Edward's uncle's attempt at taking the throne and thus putting Edward in direct line of succession, and therefore making the lives of her future children uncertain (see above comment about the little princes). Robyn and Edward are reunited and publicly flaunt their engagement and everyone is happy. Until...

The White Rose. Here again Robyn finds herself transported back to modern day England where this time she and her sleazy assistant are both transported back to the 15th Century (by the wife of the scum-sucking ditch pig, who greatly dislikes Robyn for sleeping with her husband and realizes that assistant Heidi is ready to seduce the scum as well). Robyn and Heidi are captured (Again. Surpise!) and Heidi takes one for the team and keeps Robyn from being raped by their captor by screwing him herself. Robyn and Heidi leave, travel, get captured and escape, Robyn is in debt to the Venetians and needs Edward to bail her out, blah, blah blah. She uses the Witches' Flight to visit Edward, only to find her rival doing the same thing and Edward of course enjoying himself. She gets pissed, they reunite and NOTHING is tied up and settled. Do they or don't they get married? Does Edward pay her debt? And what about the child that Robyn finds herself carrying early on in the book (because Heidi just happens to have a pregnancy test on her when they are transported to the 15th C...), is it boy or a girl?

Honestly, I enjoyed the first two books in the series, as improbable as they were. I was able to suspend my disbelief and look at this as an alternative history, rather than a true historical account. I mean, for the most part Robyn's witchy-ness was accepted, including the never dying computerized organizer and fancy watch that Robyn wore. Edward even takes to keeping a lighter under his pillow, so it must be an alternate history, right?

But the third book pissed me off. It ended so very abruptly that I thought maybe I had missed something. Were my pages stuck together?? Nope. Ok. Maybe the author decided to add a 4th book. Hmm. Probably not since it's been nearly 6 years since the 3rd book was published. Well what a big ol' pain in the butt.

Because of book 3, I honestly wish I had never picked the series up. It left things too unanswered for me and was decidedly unsatisfying.

Twofer

The Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs.

This was actually the best Mercy Thompson book I think I have read. That's partly because I started with Briggs' Alpha & Omega series, and I've known Samuel longer than I've known Adam and I am heartily sick of the trend of love triangles. But Briggs settled the triangle issue in the last book, pairing Mercy with Adam. She develops that relationship nicely in this book while exploring pack relationships at the same time.

It did make me sad to see Samuel left out in the cold and rather unstable. He's been quite unstable for a while now, seeing Mercy as his chance at redemption and this certainly put an end to that. This book explores his reaction to that and gives us a glimpse of his past as well.

I was certainly left wanting more. More of the pack, more of Samuel's past. (And I certainly want more Alpha & Omega, Fall 2011 is sooo far away...)

My next book is pretty much my answer to the Terry Pratchett-esque Reading Challenge #7: Go to the library and wander into an aisle you do not usually frequent. Pick a book from the shelf and read it. One way to do this is to look in the new books section, and pick something from a category you don’t usually read.

I tend to read anything that sounds good to me, so there really is no aisle that I don't frequent. I even wander through non-fiction occasionally, tending to find a subject and stick with it for a bit before moving on to another subject. So I decided to just look in the new books section and grab something by an author I'd never read before. The title of this book grabbed me.

Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl.

This book was the story of Reichl's reign as chief restaurant critic of the New York Times. It starts with her being recognized on the plane from LA to NYC and told that all the restaurants in town were keeping on eye out for her. Reichl is shocked to find out just how much is known about her and beings to wonder how she can possibly review restaurants when everyone knows her.

She decides to invent a disguise to allow her to visit restaurants anonymously. She ends up with several disguises, each with its own character and personality quirks.

It was a fun read, poignant and thought provoking at times. And it left me hungry as well, with her detailed descriptions of the food she encountered ;) Conveniently, Reichl offers up recipes along with her remembrances.

First Drop of Crimson

by Jeaniene Frost.

This is a new spin off from the world Frost began in her Night Huntress series. It features Cat's best friend, now a widow after losing her husband in the last Night Huntress book.

I really had a hard time getting into it. I missed Cat and Bones. I honestly expected better things from this pairing and I guess maybe my high expectations led me to be let down.

All in all it was an okay book and I'm glad I read it, just because it takes place in the same universe, but I'm glad I got it from the library (which seems to be a familiar theme for me with regular authors lately. Maybe I'm getting jaded, or are the series becoming predictable? Hmmm.)

I'm late! I'm late!

To quote the White Rabbit. Apparently I missed this reading challenge:

POLLYANNA’S READING IN WONDERLAND CHALLENGE
1. ‘…at least I know who I was when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then.’: Read a fiction book in a genre you don’t usually read.

This is a tough one for me, because I read just about anything!

2. “Reeling and Writhing, of course, to begin with,” the Mock Turtle replied, “and the different branches of Arithmetic—Ambition, Distraction, Uglification, and Derision.”: Read a non-fiction or how-to book about a new topic. Choose something that you are curious about, something that is really far from your current life, work, college major, and hobbies.

I just read Origami for Beginners with my kiddo. I still can't fold paper, but she's a whiz at it.

3. “How doth the little crocodile”: Read a biography or autobiography about someone whose life is/was vastly different than yours. Or, read a history book or historical fiction about a completely different time or place.

Lol, Ozzy has to count for this. Drug addicted / alcoholic millionaire rock star who grew up dirt poor. that's pretty much the polar opposite of little ol' teetotaler moi.

4. ”Well, if I eat it, and if it makes me grow larger, I can reach the key; and if makes me grow smaller, I can creep under the door: so either way I’ll get into the garden, and I don’t care which happens”: Read a book that includes food. You could read a cooking or travel book. Or a fiction book with recipes like “Fried Green Tomatoes At the Whistle Stop Cafe” or “Like Water for Chocolate.” Or a book that mentions food a lot, or has food as a plot point or part of the title. Now try some of the food from the book. You can cook it, buy it, or eat out.

Oh! The Apple Turnover Murder, by Joanne Fluke. Cookie baking amateur sleuth Hannah is back. And this time she's trying to find out who killed an old flame. It was an ok book. I'm a little tired of Hannah waffling between the two men in her life. Then again, I'm a little tired of the boring men in her life, period. But as always the recipes in the book sound oh so tempting. Get this book from the library and wander through for the recipes ;) Until I have time or energy to make some apple turnovers for myself, I think I'll head to the local bakery and get one there. Yum!

5. Alice thought the whole thing very absurd, but they all looked so grave that she did not dare to laugh: Read a book that’s just for fun. This could be anything – a historical romance, a cosy English mystery, P.G. Wodehouse, lighthearted non-fiction, a classic Erma Bombeck, complete and utter porn – whatever. Anything that makes you happy.

I've had a real problem finding books lately that just make me happy. I've picked some real snoozers lately. But I have to say Ozzy's autobiography made me laugh from cover to cover, so he wins this category as well. Really though, everything I ready is because I want to and it makes me happy. That's what reading is all about ;)

6. ‘Why is a raven like a writing-desk?’: Find a book that has been made into a movie. Read the book. See the movie. In whatever order works for you.

Harry Potter anyone? Maybe I shall finally watch The Order of the Phoenix.

7. The chief difficulty Alice found at first was in managing her flamingo: Read a classic book you’ve never read and always meant to.

Sadly, I can't really think of any classic book that I've wanted to read, but haven't. I'm a philistine, I don't much go for classics, ever since a bad run in with one in a lit class ;) But I'll see what I can see online. Maybe classic doesn't have to be boring. Or can I cheat and count Jane Bites Back by Michael Thomas Ford? It's about Jane Austen after all...

8. ‘But what did the Dormouse say?’ one of the jury asked. ‘That I can’t remember,’ said the Hatter. ‘You must remember,’ remarked the King, ‘or I’ll have you executed.’: Re-read one of your all-time favorite books. Remember all over again why you love it. Blog about it so we will all want to read it too.

I do this all the time. The real challenge is deciding which one to blog about

9. ‘And what is the use of a book,’ thought Alice, ‘without pictures or conversations?’: Read a children’s picture book. If you don’t have any small ones in your life to share their books with you, go to the bookstore or library. Find a picture book that really appeals to you and read it. I highly recommend you don’t skip this one. There are some amazing picture books out there.

It's funny, because recently at the library my daughter and I were looking through the Carl books by Alexandra Day. She loved those books when she was really little. We would "read" them at bedtime and she would tell me the story. (They are truly picture books, with very few words in them except at the very beginning and the end). Of course now she doesn't remember them at all, but they brought back lovely memories. They are very well illustrated and fun.

10. “Oh my fur and whiskers!”: Read a children’s or young adult book. It can be something you loved as a child, or one you’ve never read.

Which one to pick? Anne, Harry, Claudia or maybe I should read the Fablehaven books my daughter devoured recently.

11. “After a fall such as this, I shall think nothing of tumbling downstairs!”: Read a banned or challenged book.

Sadly, there are so many to chose from.

12. ‘But I don’t want to go among mad people,’ Alice remarked. ‘Oh, you can’t help that,’ said the Cat: ‘we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad.’: Read a book from a different country and culture. The author can be from a country you have never visited. The book can be translated from a different language. The book can be set in a country you have never visited. If you read a lot of books from one country, for this category, read something different.

Just not sure on this one...

Ozzy

I'm a metal fan, I admit it. And I loved Ozzy long before MTV started The Osbournes. So when I was at the library recently and I saw, I Am Ozzy I grabbed it up. I'd been looking for a biography on a person who was still alive for a reading challenge, so it was perfect.

And really, it was. The first page had me giggling,

"My father always said I would do something big one day. 'I've got a feeling about you, John Osbourne,' he'd tell me, after he'd had a few beers. 'You're either going to do something very special, or you're going to go to prison.'

And he was right, my old man.

I was in prison before my eighteenth birthday."

Ozzy got done for burglary, you see. He kept hitting the same store. The first night he forgot a flashlight and grabbed a load of baby bibs and such. Worthless. The second time he stole a TV, but it was too heavy for him and he pretty much ended up crushed by it and left it behind. the third time he managed to get away with some goods, but his gloves were missing a thumb, and they nicked him after he left perfect prints every where.

Ozzy's story is told with an irreverent sense of humor by a man who knows his short comings. He tells things as he remembers them, even if perhaps his memories might not match with everyone else (he's telling his story from the "jelly" that is his brain after all, lol). He's truthful about the dumb things and the bad things he's done in the past. He knows he's no saint. And he isn't afraid to laugh at himself.



Sorry, off topic, but I couldn't help myself, especially since he mentions the commercials in the book ;)

I giggled through out this book and totally enjoyed it. It's funny, it's shocking and in some places it's absolutely touching. If you like metal and you like Ozzy, read it. You won't be sorry.

Jean Johnson

I just finished reading her Sons of Destiny series. I picked them up because I recently read another book by Johnson, Bedtime Stories. Bedtime Stories is very much a modern day, adult spin on classic fairy tales. I loved most of them, though a few were too hard core Science Fiction for me (I found Sleeping Beauty to be just plain weird, though I did like her role reversal).

So anyhoo, after reading BTS, I decided to look into the SoD series. I fought through all of them. There was just something about them I struggled with. Kelly, the heroine in the first book wasn't very likable and since she has a huge presence through out the entire series that didn't help things. And I found Amara, from the 5th book to be absolutely abrasive. I wanted better for Trevan :(

I found myself skipping huge chunks of each book. Out of the 8 books in this series I only completely read 7 and 8. For some reason those two caught my interest and held it all the way through. Book 7 I think was because I'd already had a glimpse of this couple from Bedtime Stories. By the end of The Mage I actually wanted more, lol. But not enough to make me go back and re-read the other 6 books.

To sum up, I highly recommend Bedtimes Stories. I found it to be an entertaining and classy take on light erotica.

The Sons of Destiny, I struggled with, not truly getting hooked in until the very end of the series.