World Book Night: Cops are called as Idaho teen hands out challenged book!!

I found reading the following headline so disheartening!! I came across an article on The Christian Science Monitor titled World Book Night: cops are called as Idaho teen hands out challenged book by Molly Driscoll.... I simply had to read the article to see why the cops were called in while a teenager hands out a book to read on World Book Night.... And, of course, to read which challenged book was causing such a stir that police arrived on the scene! 

Seriously, after reading Molly Driscoll's article, I still can't believe the police were called to the scene! Basically, a teenager named, Brady Kissel, along with a couple of bookstore employees passed out copies of 'The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian' by Sherman Alexie at a high school in Idaho on World Book Night. Essentially, 'The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian' by Sherman Alexie had been removed from the school's reading list because parents had complained about the book. 

So, when Brady Kissel and a couple of bookstore employees passed out copies of 'The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian' by Sherman Alexie on World Book Night to other students, "police arrived at Kleiner Park, saying someone had called them, worried that young people were getting copies of the book without having permission from a parent." 

Gawd, I'm rolling my eyes here... I'm an adult in my 40s and I've read 'The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian' by Sherman Alexie. 'The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian' is awesome and I can't believe parents have an issue with this book. If I had a teenager in high school, I'd have no problem whatsoever with letting them read 'The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian'. 

I believe in the freedom to read books without censorship. We live in the land of the free for goodness sake. Everyone, including our children, has the right to read books and other printed material without censorship. This banning and challenging of books is out of control and needs to stop. 

However, there is some good news to share here. In Molly Driscoll's article, she writes the following:

However, after talking with Kissel, police “said they found nothing wrong with what was going on in the park,” according to Shelf Awareness. 

The books that weren’t given away on April 23 were stored at Rediscovered Books for students and “Diary” publisher Little, Brown has said it is donating another 350 books. According to Rediscovered Books, those copies will be given to local libraries, school libraries, and teachers who are in need of more copies. 

Laura “Wally” Johnson, one of the bookstore workers who handed out copies of “Diary” with Kissel, told Publishers Weekly that her time doing so “was a fantastic experience with a warm and enthusiastic atmosphere and a steady stream of polite and engaged young adults.”

“We got to have a lot of conversations with students about the history of censorship and book banning and we got to talk a lot about World Book Night,” she said. 

Alexie himself praised the efforts of those involved, particularly Baker and Lott, to get copies of "Diary" to students. 

"I am honored by the hundreds of Meridian students who showed incredible passion and courage for books,” he said, according to Publishers Weekly. “Mine, yes, but literature in general. And Sara Baker and Jennifer Lott are friggin’ superheroes. If I ever get caught in a fire, I’m calling them." 

"Diary" placed at number three on the American Library Association's list of most-banned or -challenged books in 2013. 

Yes, you have to love a happy ending to a story!! 

Friday Finds #33

Friday Finds is a book meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. Friday Finds is a chance to share and show off the books you discovered during the week and would like to add to your reading list...

Or a place to simply feature the books you've actually purchased throughout the week and have added to your to be read pile!

This week I added a single eBook to my reading pile. I've added I Am Livia by Phyllis T. Smith.

Which books have you added to your reading collection this week?

Hothouse Orchid by Stuart Woods

Unabridged Audiobook

I recently listened to the unabridged audio version of Hothouse Orchid by Stuart Woods. 

I really enjoyed listening to Hothouse Orchid and thought it was really well read. I'm a fan of thrillers and mysteries, so I enjoyed the storyline and characters in Hothouse Orchid. My only minor disappointment with Hothouse Orchid was that I felt the ending of the novel was a bit on the weak side... I would have enjoyed a stronger ending much better.

Here's an overview for Hothouse Orchid from Barnes & Noble:

A brand-new page-turning Holly Barker novel from the perennially entertaining New York Times-bestselling author Stuart Woods. 

After Special Agent Holly Barker lets international terrorist Teddy Fay slip through her fingers for a second time, the CIA thinks she might want a long vacation, at least until Teddy is captured and the bad publicity has blown over. So Holly returns to her hometown of Orchid Beach, Florida, where she had been police chief for many years. But a very unpleasant surprise awaits her. Many years earlier, Holly and another female army officer had brought charges against their commanding officer for sexual harassment, attempted rape, and rape. Holly had managed to fight him off, but the other woman, a young lieutenant, had not. The officer in question was acquitted of all charges, and has also left the army-for a job as Orchid Beach's new police chief. 

Will Holly return to the CIA? Or will she challenge her old nemesis for control of the Orchid Beach Police Department?

Overall Hothouse Orchid is a fast, fun read that I'd enjoyed quite a bit. I'm giving Hothouse Orchid a 7 star out of 10 star rating.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch & Jeffrey Zaslow

Hardback Edition

I remember a few years ago, when Randy Pausch'a Last Lecture at Carnegie Mellon became an internet sensation and also hearing about it through various media news outlets. So, when I came across a used copy of The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch & Jeffrey Zaslow at our local Friends of the Used Library Bookstore not long ago, I decided to read it.

I enjoyed reading The Last Lecture. It's a heartwarming read and more inspirational than sad. Although, I must admit that the last two chapters of The Last Lecture did have me in tears just to let you know. I enjoyed reading the short chapters that read more like sound bites. I not only learned about Randy Pausch's life, how he met his wife, and other essentials that one expects to learn about the life of someone who is writing about their life... But Pausch also imparts pearls of wisdom that are meaningful, poignant, and worthwhile in incorporating into ones own life or at very least keep in mine. He's one of the most positive people I've ever read.

Here's an overview of The Last Lecture from the Barnes and Noble website:

A lot of professors give talks titled "The Last Lecture." Professors are asked to consider their demise and to ruminate on what matters most to them. And while they speak, audiences can't help but mull the same question: What wisdom would we impart to the world if we knew it was our last chance? If we had to vanish tomorrow, what would we want as our legacy?

When Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon, was asked to give such a lecture, he didn't have to imagine it as his last, since he had recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer. But the lecture he gave—"Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams"—wasn't about dying. It was about the importance of overcoming obstacles, of enabling the dreams of others, of seizing every moment (because "time is all you have…and you may find one day that you have less than you think"). It was a summation of everything Randy had come to believe. It was about living.

In this book, Randy Pausch has combined the humor, inspiration and intelligence that made his lecture such a phenomenon and given it an indelible form. It is a book that will be shared for generations to come.

I'm giving The Last Lecture a rating of 8 stars out of 10 stars!

Until my next post, happy reading!!

The Christmas Train by David Baldacci

Unabridged Audio Version

I usually have mixed feelings about reading Christmas holiday themed novels because sometimes these novels can be pretty sappy and predictable in their attempts to convey the message of the holiday season. 

So, when I made the decision to listen to the unabridged audio version of The Christmas Train by David Baldacci, I had expected it to be both sappy and predictable in its holiday cheer and message of the season. But alas, I was pleasantly surprised by the storyline and its characters! Yes, there is a holiday message contained within its pages, but it isn't an over the top, in your face one.

What did I liked about The Christmas Train? Well, I'm glad you asked! I liked that it is a holiday novel and the story takes place on a cross country train trip from Washington, D. C. to Los Angeles. I personally like train trips and have always wanted to take a long distance train trip, so this novel was a fun read for me. I also loved the eclectic characters and the storyline. Mishaps take place like an train delays and a thief who steals stuff. A wedding also takes place and a story of love for another couple happens. I enjoyed the unexpected ending!! The reader for this novel was also awesome. It all made for a great read.... Or listen in my case.

Here's an overview of The Christmas Train from the Barnes and Noble website as follows:

Disillusioned journalist Tom Langdon must get from Washington D.C. to L.A in time for Christmas. Forced to travel by train, he begins a journey of rude awakenings, thrilling adventures and holiday magic. He has no idea that the locomotives pulling him across America will actually take him into the rugged terrain of his own heart, as he rediscovers people's essential goodness and someone very special he believed he had lost. The Christmas Train is filled with memorable characters who have packed their bags with as much wisdom as mischief...and shows how we do get second chances to fulfill our deepest hopes and dreams, especially during this season of miracles.  

Tom Langdon, a weary and cash-strapped journalist, is banned from flying when a particularly thorough airport security search causes him to lose his cool. Now, he must take the train if he has any chance of arriving in Los Angeles in time for Christmas with his girlfriend. To finance the trip, he sells a story about a train ride taken during the Christmas season.

I'm giving The Christmas Train a rating of 8 stars out of 10 stars. Until my next post, happy reading!! 

Indie Bookstores Are Perfect Models for American Small Businesses

It's no secret that I love independent bookstores. So when I came across an article I discovered on the Flavorwire website titled, 5 Reasons Why Indie Bookstores Are Perfect Models for American Small Businesses by Jason Diamond, I couldn't resist reading it and sharing it here on my blog! In the article, Diamond writes:

The thing is, people are fanatical about independent bookstores. In a 2011 Slate article about why you should shop for your books on Amazon, Farhad Manjoo talked about “bookstore cultists,” or the type of people who might stop talking to you if you tell them you purchased The Flamethrowers on Amazon. Now, if anybody were so radical as to cut you out of their life because of where you shop, then yes, that’s a little excessive. But in focusing primarily on price, Manjoo ignored two simple things: you go into an indie bookstore and deal with a real person instead of clicking your mouse a few times, and people are simply loyal to certain brands and businesses. No matter what sort of discount they’re offering, it’s often difficult for online businesses to build up a devoted customer base because they feel so impersonal.

While I don’t necessarily foresee these indie stores banding together to defeat another evil corporate giant that is looking to crush them, reading Boris Kachka and Joshua David Stein’s New York magazine piece, “6 Independent Bookstores Are Thriving — and How They Do It,” got me thinking that while each of the examples cited in the piece has its own story, what successful independent bookstores share is more important than what sets them apart. There’s no secret recipe, but any young entrepreneur looking to start their own business should consider walking to their local bookstore to see how it gets the following things right.

Click on the top link to read Jason Diamond's five reasons why indie bookstores a perfect small business models.

Until my next post, visit an indie bookstore!

World Book Night 2014

Happy World Book Night 2014!! Today I had a blast passing out twenty free copies of The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman within my local community!

I released my twenty copies of The Zookeeper's Wife all over the place today! A total of six copies of The Zookeeper's Wife went to two different Little Free Libraries. 

I also gave away three copies of The Zookeeper's Wife in downtown Santa Barbara. 

One copy went to a friend and another to a family member... Both of whom I'm trying to encourage to read more and am hoping that The Zookeeper's Wife will do the job! 

I gave four of my books to neighbors. And my last five copies of The Zookeeper's Wife were given out to people I met within the local community near the beach.

Interestingly enough, my books were evenly distributed between both men and women. One of the guys began reading the book right away. :-) 

If you were a book giver this year for World Book Night, please share which book title you gave out today and where did you hand out you books?

Bookish Image of the Day!!!

What type of book are you??

I enjoy taking book related online quizzes every so often. I found a quiz on Buzzfeed titled What type of book are you? by Issac Fitzgerald. Take the quiz and find which type of book you are. Share your results with me in the comments section below. 

I took the quiz on ... See which book I am below!

Secondhand Book:

Sure, you’re a little tattered around the edges, and you might not smell the freshest. But that doesn't matter: People are so blown away by your wit and wisdom that they want to share your words with everybody they know. Whether you’re handed from one friend to another or discovered on a travel lodge bookshelf, you bring the magic everywhere you go.

The 118th Boston Marathon is Today!

Rhoda in Boston!

Today the famed Boston Marathon takes place. I'm not a runner, but a few of my family members are big time runners. 

My sister-in-law, Rhoda, is a competitive runner and she is participating in the Boston Marathon today for the 4th time. Way to go, Rhoda!! I'm so proud of your success as a runner. You've managed to juggle competitive running, with working a full-time job, and also as a busy wife and mother to two fabulously children.

Below are a few questions I posed to Rhoda not long ago about here life as a runner. Read on!

1. When did you become interesting running?
 
RS: RUNNING HAS ALWAYS BEEN PART OF MY LIFE SINCE I WAS A KID THROUGH SPORTS. COMPETITIVE RUNNING AS AN "AGE GROUPER" CAME LATER ON IN MY ADULT LIFE.

2. Why is running important to you?
 
RS: RUNNING ENCOMPASSES STRENGTH (BOTH PHYSICAL & MENTAL), DISCIPLINE AND DETERMINATION - ALL OF WHICH ARE MY EVERY DAY WAY OF LIFE. RUNNING IS PARALLEL IN THE WAY I CONDUCT LIFE WITH REGARDS TO MANAGING WORKING FULL TIME, BEING A WIFE AND MOTHER OF TWO KIDS.

3. How often do you run and what is your training schedule like when you train for events like the Boston Marathon?
 
RS: I RUN ALL YEAR ROUND FOR FITNESS AND SELECT KEY RACES AND TRAIN ACCORDINGLY. SINCE I ALWAYS HAVE A FITNESS BASE & FOUNDATION, MY TRAINING SCHEDULE FOR AN EVENT SUCH AS THE BOSTON MARATHON REQUIRES ABOUT 14 WEEKS OF TRUE MARATHON TRAINING. AS I'M CONSIDERED A "MASTERS RUNNER" NOW, I HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT BALANCING WEEKLY MILEAGE AND SPEED TRAINING. MY PREVIOUS PEAK MILEAGE USED TO BE 70 MILES BUT HAVE HAD TO LOWER THE VOLUME DOWN TO 50 MILES. I RUN 5 DAYS A WEEK WITH A PURPOSE FOR EACH RUN. EVERY SUNDAY RUN IS ON HILLS AND ROLLING TERRAIN TO MIMIC THE BOSTON COURSE. WITH REGARDS TO TRAINING TIME ON MY FEET, THIS EQUATES TO 10+ HOURS WEEKLY.

4. Do you listen to music or audiobooks while you run?
 
RS: NO - I FOCUS ON THE RUN AND STAY IN TUNED WITH MY BODY. EVERYTHING ELSE WOULD BE A DISTRACTION FROM WHAT I NEED TO GET DONE.

5. Which books, blogs, or websites about running have you read and/or visited that have helped you become a better runner?

RS: I FREQUENTLY VISIT RUNNING COMPETITOR AND TRIATHLETE COMPETITOR AND READ ARTICLES IN GENERAL.

6. This is your fourth time running the Boston Marathon. What are your future running goals? Ultra-marathons, Ironmans?? 

RS: THIS WILL BE MY LAST COMPETITIVE MARATHON FOR A WHILE. MY FOCUS AFTER THE MARATHON WILL BE WORKING TOWARD COMPETING IN A FULL IRONMAN TO QUALITY FOR KONA IRONMAN BEFORE I TURN 50. 

 
Thank you, Rhoda for taking the time to answer a few questions about your life as a runner. I wish you the best on your run today in the Boston Marathon. May you receive your best running time during today's event.

Good luck with your future goal of competing in a full Ironman. I know you'll be successful in your dream of qualifying for the Kona Ironman before you turn 50 years old! You glow!!

Happy International Bookcrossing Day!!

I'm an active member of Bookcrossing and have been since January 2007. I love Bookcrossing!! 

So, what exactly is Bookcrossing? Bookcrossing is defined as "the practice of leaving a book in a public place to be picked up and read by others, who then do likewise."

I do leave books in public places for other readers to find and read and then release again in public places. But, Bookcrossing is much more than reading books, leaving them in public places and finding books in public places... You can learn more about Bookcrossing from their Frequently Asked Questions page.

Here are just some of the things I like about Bookcrossing... I love the Forum Section. I post frequently in the forums and enjoy interact with other readers around the world. 

I have also exchanged books with other readers within the USA and also other readers from foreign countries. I've participated in release challenges, attended Bookcrossing meet-ups to discuss and exchange books with other readers in my community. entered bookrays, bookrings, and read-a-longs and so much more! There are even Bookcrossing conventions to visit as well.

I love seeing where the books I have released travel to and what other readers think of the same exact book I've read. Did they love the book or hate?? What did they think of the writing and so on. It's really a lot of fun.

So, today is International Bookcrossing Day... It's time to celebrate being part of the Bookcrossing community and releasing books in public places!! UPDATE: I released five books around my local area today!! I'm hoping that they will be picked up by other readers and read. :-)

Until my next post, happy reading!

Bookish Quote of the Day!

Ways to Fit a Home Library Into a Small Space

My hubby and I live in a small space. I love books and am always interested in creating an in home library for my large book collection. I found an article on the Apartment Therapy website titled 5 Ways to Fit a Home Library into a Small Space, which has some wonderful ideas for creating a library for us.

Which ideas have you used to create your own library at home??

Friday Finds #32

Friday Finds is a book meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. Friday Finds is a chance to share and show off the books you discovered during the week and would like to add to your reading list...

Or a place to simply feature the books you've actually purchased throughout the week and have added to your to be read pile!

Believe or not, I have not purchased any new books this week to add to my 'to my reading' stack. However, I've added my a few titles to my reading wishlist as follows:

1. Stitch 'n Bitch: The Knitter's Handbook by Debbie Stoller

2. The Chicks with Sticks Guide to Knitting: Learn to Knit with more than 30 Cool, Easy Patterns by Nancy Queen and Mary Ellen O'Connell

3. Knitting For Dummies by Allen, Tracy Barr & Shannon Okey

4. Knitting Patterns For Dummies by Kristi Porter

I just started knitting two weeks ago and am taking a free knitting class at a local knitting, crochet, and quilting store. I'm loving life as a newbie knitter!! I've attend three classes so far and find the instructor to be an excellent one. She's really patient and great at explaining how to knit, along with answering questions I have. I'm also enjoying the interaction with the other women in the class as well. There's nothing like meeting a friendly group of new people.

Eggs by Jerry Spinelli

Cover of Eggs

I'm a fan of Jerry Spinelli's novels and Eggs happens to be my sixth read by Jerry Spinelli to date.

Eggs is approximately 240 pages and I finished reading it in a single day. It is a book intended for young adults and is written in Spinelli's trademark style.

I have mixed feelings about this novel. Although I feel that Eggs is well written, filled with excellent character development and also has a great storyline with a good message, I must admit that Eggs is currently my least favorite novel I've read by Jerry Spinelli.

The following is the product overview of Eggs from the Barnes and Noble website, which pretty much sums Eggs up in a nutshell:

Eggs is a quirky and moving novel about two very complicated, damaged children. David has recently lost his mother to a freak accident, his salesman father is constantly on the road, and he is letting his anger out on his grandmother. Primrose lives with her unstable, childlike, fortuneteller mother, and the only evidence of the father she never knew is a framed picture. Despite their age difference (David is 9, Primrose is 13), they forge a tight yet tumultuous friendship, eventually helping each other deal with what is missing in their lives.  

In general, I liked both of the main characters, David and Primrose. Both of them are dealing with loss, grief and/or anger in some way. Each of them is trying to deal with their emotions in their own way, which allows them to form a unique friendship that eventually helps them heal their lives.

I am giving Eggs a rating of 7 stars out of of 10 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!

13 Literary Power Couples

As always, I find interesting article through the Huffington Post website and 13 Kickass Literary Couples is no exception! In the article, I read the following:

It’s common to think of great writers as congenital loners -- the iconic isolated genius too egotistical or socially inept to have fulfilling personal relationships. If a writer does have a spouse or partner, we imagine they would choose someone wholly different from themselves, preferably someone entirely uninterested in writing so that the genius can work undisturbed.

Yet, as The Guardian observed in 2007, despite the competitiveness and jealousy that may arise when two writers fall in love, literary-minded people tend to be drawn to each other. Whether it’s two brilliant authors or an author and an insightful editor/advisor, astute literary minds have always found ways to each other, and these pairings aren’t always disastrous. In fact, sometimes these partnerships result in even greater artistic productivity.

And yes, I've been guilty of thinking great writers are loners or at the very least not interested in marrying another writer! 

I was surprised by some of the literary couples mentioned and yet a couple of them seemed like obvious choices. Click on the above link to discover which kickass literary couples made the list.

Calling ALL Dictionary Lovers!!

I came across an article in the National Post titled 10 great reads for dictionary fanatics by Peter Norman. So, for those of you who love dictionaries and the written word, you may enjoy reading the books about dictionaries recommended by Peter Norman. I now have a list of titles I've added to my reading wishlist. :-)

Happy 75th Birthday to 'The Grapes of Wrath' by John Steinbeck

75 years ago today, the novel, The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, was published!

According to the Wikipedia site, the following information was provided about The Grapes of Wrath:
 
The Grapes of Wrath is an American realist novel written by John Steinbeck and published in 1939. The book won the National Book Award[2] and Pulitzer Prize[3] for fiction, and it was cited prominently when he won the Nobel Prize in 1962.[4]

Set during the Great Depression, the novel focuses on the Joads, a poor family of tenant farmers driven from their Oklahoma home by drought, economic hardship, agricultural industry changes and bank foreclosures forcing tenant farmers out of work. Due to their nearly hopeless situation, and in part because they were trapped in the Dust Bowl, the Joads set out for California. Along with thousands of other "Okies", they sought jobs, land, dignity, and a future.

Have you read The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck? If so, what did you think of this novel?

50 Essential Books of Poetry!

Happy National Poetry Month! I came across an article on Flavorwire titled 50 Essential Books of Poetry That Everyone Should Read by Emily Temple. In the article, Temple writes the following:

It’s National Poetry Month, and you’re probably thinking: “I should really read more poetry. But where oh where do I start?” Well, sound the trumpets, because here is Flavorwire to the rescue! After the jump, you’ll find a list of 50 essential books of poetry that pretty much everyone should read. There’s something for everybody here, from the deeply established canonical works to riveting, important books by newer poets, from the Romantics to the post-modernists, from the goofy to the staid. NB: as with other lists like these, only one work per author has been included, and there is a bias against the “Collected Poems of” unless necessary. Obviously, inevitably, painfully, there are many, many poets and works of poetry, both of great renown and less so, that are missing here and should still be read by everyone. This list can only reflect personal taste, chance meetings, and wild subjectivity, so please add on your own favorite collections in the comments.

Until my next post, have a happy time reading poetry!!

Paths of Glory by Jeffrey Archer

Abridged Audio Version

I listened to the abridged version of Paths of Glory by Jeffrey Archer and read by Roger Allam. Paths of Glory is the third novel I've listened to by Jeffrey Archer and I enjoyed it very much.

I felt that Roger Allam did a terrific job of reading Paths of Glory. I also thought the abridgement of Paths of Glory was well done --- Many times I've listened to abridged audiobooks, only to feel like the storyline was jumbled and didn't flow so smoothly due to the abridgement. I also enjoyed the storyline and characters of Paths of Glory. Paths of Glory is well written and makes for captivating reading.

Below is an overview if Paths of Glory from the Barnes and Noble website:

Some people have dreams that are so magnificent that if they were to achieve them, their place in history would be guaranteed.  People like Christopher Columbus, Isaac Newton, Florence Nightingale, Thomas Edison, Nancy Astor, Charles Lindbergh, Amy Johnson, Edmund Hilary and Neil Armstrong—their unparalleled success has made their stories into legend.  But what if one man had such a dream, and once he’d achieved it, there was no proof that he had fulfilled his ambition?

Jeffrey Archer’s new novel, Paths of Glory, is the story of such a man—George Mallory. Born in 1886, he was a brilliant student who became part of the Bloomsbury Group at Cambridge in the early twentieth century and served in the Royal Garrison Artillery during World War I. After the war, he married, had three children, and would have spent the rest of his life as a schoolteacher, but for his love of mountain climbing.

Mallory once told a reporter that he wanted to climb Mt. Everest, “because it is there.” On his third try in 1924, at age thirty-seven, he was last seen four hundred feet from the top. His body was found in 1999, and it remains a mystery whether he and his climbing partner, Andrew Irvine, ever reached the summit.

In fact, not until you’ve turned the last page of Archer’s extraordinary novel will you be able to decide if George Mallory should be added to that list of legends, while another name would have to be removed.  Paths of Glory is truly a triumph.

I am giving Paths of Glory a rating of 7 stars out of 10 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!

Read These Books About Intelligent Animals!

If you love animals as much as I do, then you may want to checkout the following article I discovered through The Guardian titled, Top 10 books about intelligent animals by Karen Joy Fowler. 

Several of the titles mentioned in Fowler's article I'm already familiar with, but I have yet to read any of them yet. I'll have to add a few of them to my reading wishlist.

Do You Ever Wonder Where Your Books Travel to After You Pass Them On?

I've always wondered where my books will travel to after I've passed them along to another reader. I've also wondered what other readers have thought about the book too... Did they like reading the book as much as me or not?

Well, through Bookcrossing, I've been able to see where my books have traveled to and what readers have thought about the book as well. For instance, I read The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler, then registered the book on Bookcrossing, placed a special label on the inside of the book with a tracking number and passed the book along to another reader. And that's where the magic of Bookcrossing begins!!

So far, twelve people have read my copy of The Vagina Monologues!! It has traveled around the USA, four countries in Europe, and is now currently in Australia, where it will be traveling around Australia and New Zealand before heading back to the USA and Canada... Amazing!! The average overall rating of The Vagina Monologues by the readers is 8 stars out of 10 stars. Pretty exciting news if you ask me. 

I've also had similar experiences with other books I've read through Bookcrossing as well.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

April is National Poetry Month!!

Happy National Poetry Month!! Reading poetry, especially reading it aloud, can be fun!! 

Benedict Cumberbatch has a wonderful voice for reading poetry aloud. Checkout this audio clip of Benedict Cumberbatch reading Kubla Khan by  Samuel Taylor-Coleridge.

Spice Up Your Books With Beautiful Bookplates!!

Do you like using bookplates?? Then checkout these beautiful bookplates I found through the Huffington Post Website in an article titled 23 Gorgeous Bookplates That Will Give Your Books Serious Style!! 

I'm sort of partial to the Watermarks Personalized Bookplates, Library Card Bookplates, and the Vintage Butterflies Bookplates. Which bookplates do you like?

Happy Wedding Anniversary to Us!!

Today is cause for celebration!! My husband and I celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary today... Boy, have the years really flown by for us. It's difficult to believe that it's been twelve years since we were married!! We had a terrific time celebrating us this weekend.

One of our mutual hobbies is geocaching, which we have been doing together since May 2005! We even found six geocaches this weekend among other fun activities.

For those of you unfamiliar with geocaching, checkout the following YouTube video.

  
So, are you now interested in participating in geocaching?? Checkout the following article titled Nine Great Geocaching Books to help you get started in this wonderful adventure called geocaching!

Until my next post, happy reading!!

What Would Your Victorian Pen Name Have Been?

So, I came across an article I discovered on the Huffington Post website titled, Name Generator: What Would Your Victorian Pen Name Have Been? In the article, I came across the following information:

The Victorian era in particular saw slews of women writing under male pen names, including the Brontë Sisters, who wrote as Acton, Currer and Ellis Bell, and, of course, Mary Ann Evans, who wrote as George Eliot. Of her pseudonym, Charlotte Brontë said: "we did not like to declare ourselves women because – without at that time suspecting that our mode of writing and thinking was not what is called 'feminine' – we had a vague impression that authoresses are liable to be looked on with prejudice."

Click on the above link to read the full story. You may also discover a Victorian pen name generator as well. Apparently, my Victorian Pen Name would have been Laurence Vosper, should I have been a female writer during the Victorian Era who wanted to use a pen name.

Falling Awake by Jayne Ann Krentz

Unabridged Audiobook

Yesterday, I finished listening to the unabridged audio version of Falling Awake by Jayne Ann Krentz and read by Laural Merlington. This is my first experience with anything written by Jayne Ann Krentz and I really enjoyed it immensely. Laural Merlington's reading of Falling Awake only enhanced my listening experience. I've actually heard Laural Merlington read another novel in the past and she's an amazing and very talented reader!!

Here's an overview of Falling Awake from the Barnes & Noble website:

"Isabel Wright spends her days at the Belvedere Center for Sleep Research analyzing the dreams of others. Dr. Martin Belvedere, a pioneer in the field, recognized her unique talent for what he calls Level Five lucid dreaming - and rescued her from a dead-end job at the psychic dreamer hotline. It's satisfying, lucrative work, but it can be emotionally draining at times. Especially when one of her anonymous subjects, known only as Client Number Two, captures her imagination through his compelling dream narratives. Secretly, she thinks of him as "dream man."" "Client Number Two's real name is Ellis Cutler. A loner who learned long ago not to let anyone get too close, he works for a highly classified government agency with an interest in the potential value of lucid dreaming. And he has just been ordered by his boss to make contact with Isabel, who's been fired after the sudden death of Dr. Belvedere. Heading to California, he pushes his own fantasies out of his mind, determined to maintain a professional relationship with the woman who reads his dreams, the mysterious figure he has come to think of as "Tango Dancer."" But when they meet in the flesh, the dream becomes real enough to touch. And a waking nightmare begins - when a suspicious hit-and-run leads them into a perilous web of passion, betrayal and murder, and forces them to walk the razor-thin line between dreams and reality. 

As I already mentioned, I really enjoyed listening to the unabridged version of Falling Awake. The storyline was fun and entertaining. I loved the main characters of Isabel Wright and Ellis Cutler... Ellis Cutler's character is sexy as hell! There was also enough mystery, suspense and romance to keep the reader captivated from start to finish. I look forward to reading another novel by Jayne Ann Krentz in the future.

 

I'm giving Falling Awake an 8 stars out of 10 stars rating.

Until my next post, happy reading!

7 Self-Help Books That Offer Advice That Works!!

This morning, I discovered an article through Oprah.com titled Self-Help Advice That Works by Leigh Newman. The subtitle of this article reads as follows: "We sifted through recent life-improvement books and found the can-do strategies to help you become more successful, calmer, happier, more focused and more connected to others—and to yourself." 

This sounds good to me, so sign me up!! I mean really, like who wouldn't want to "become more successful, calmer, happier, more focused and more connected to others—and to yourself"? 

Click on the above link and checkout the self-help books listed in Newman's article.

Until my next post, happy reading!