Poe Fridays: Annabel Lee

I'm a little late in getting this posted, but I figured better late than never, right?!?! This week over at We Be Reading: Poe Friday's is Annabel Lee. This is one of my favorite pieces by Poe. For those that have never read it or for those that need a refresher, here is the poem in its entirety.

Annabel Lee

It was many and many a year ago,
In a kingdom by the sea,
That a maiden there lived whom you may know
By the name of Annabel Lee;
And this maiden she lived with no other thought
Than to love and be loved by me.

I was a child and she was a child,
In this kingdom by the sea:
But we loved with a love that was more than love -
I and my Annabel Lee;
With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven
Coveted her and me.

And this was the reason that, long ago,
In this kingdom by the sea,
A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling
My beautiful Annabel Lee;
So that her high-born kinsmen came
And bore her away from me,
To shut her up in a sepulchre
In this kingdom by the sea.

The angels, not half so happy in heaven,
Went envying her and me -
Yes! - that was the reason (as all men know,
In this kingdom by the sea)
That the wind came out of the cloud one night,
Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.

But our love it was stronger by far than the love
Of those who were older than we -
Of many far wiser than we -
And neither the angels in heaven above,
Nor the demons down under the sea,
Can ever dissever my soul from the soul
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;

For the moon never beams, without bringing me dreams
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And the stars never rise, but I feel the bright eyes
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side
Of my darling -my darling -my life and my bride,
In the sepulchre there by the sea,
In her tomb by the sounding sea.

I love the way this poem sounds, especially when read aloud. It has a rhyme and rhythm that I believe to be perfect . . . almost an obsession of Annabel Lee that has formed in Poe's mind. It's rather catchy, to put it simply!

Rumor has it that this poem was actually written about his very young bride that died a few years earlier from tuberculosis. Whether true or not, I think that whomever this poem was written for, you can tell that the love was strong. The love could conquer "those who were older" and "many far wiser" and even angels and demons could not separate their souls . . . rather endearing . . . in a way!!

What do you think?

Next Week: The Tell-Tale Heart (another favorite of mine!)

NaJuReMoNoMo Challenge Update

Today is the final day for the National Just Read More Novels (or NaJuReMoNoMo) Challenge Month. My original goal was to read 3 novels to earn the green award, but unfortunately I have been unable to quite get there! I actually have a young adult book that may count, but I just don't have the time to review it tonight. So, I am going to settle for the blue this year! Maybe next year . . .


For those who may be curious, I did complete two novels. I've listed the books with links to my reviews below:

• Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
• Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
  

Literary Locals: January 2009

For our very first monthly Literary Locals piece, I wanted to actually take the time to highlight some reviews that are already in my archive! Feel free to click on each one for more information.

Pete Fromm is one of my favorite Montana authors! I've included a couple of links for my recent reads, one of which includes a brief mention of one of my favorite books of his, Indian Creek Chronicles. Someday, I intend to re-read and post a review that gives that book the justice it deserves!! And, I plan on eventually getting around to reviewing his other books that I have read pre-blog!

• Night Swimming by Pete Fromm
• How All This Started by Pete Fromm

The next author is much more well-known around the country, but because he is another Montana author, I thought that I would cover him here as well. Christopher Paolini began writing his trilogy when he was only 15 years old. That is very impressive in my eyes!! His latest book in this series (that is no longer a trilogy!), Brinsinger is currently sitting on my nightstand, waiting for me to pick up!

• The Inheritance Trilogy by Christopher Paolini

Many people are aware of this next author, Chuck Palahniuk of Washington State. I have yet to read his most talked about novel, Fight Club, but it is definitely on my must-read list.

• Invisible Monsters by Chuck Palahniuk

Having lived in multiple states with another move in the near future, I know that I will never be short of discovering my local authors! Though many may come from Montana, you can expect to see many other locals from all across the country from me!

---------------

Support your local authors and post a review through the comment section (either via a link or directly embedded). As reviews are posted, I will update this post to reflect your local author highlights as well!

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

In nineteenth-century China, in a remote Hunan county, a girl named Lily, at the tender age of seven, is paired with a laotong, or “old same,” in an emotional match that will last a lifetime. The laotong, Snow Flower, introduces herself by sending Lily a silk fan on which she has written a poem in nu shu, a unique language that Chinese women created in order to communicate in secret, away from the influence of men. As the years pass, Lily and Snow Flower send messages on the fan and compose stories on handkerchiefs, reaching out of isolation to share their hopes, dreams, and accomplishments. They both endure the agony of footbinding and together reflect upon their arranged marriages, shared loneliness, and the joys and tragedies of motherhood. The two find solace, developing a bond that keeps their spirits alive. But when a misunderstanding arises, their deep friendship suddenly threatens to tear apart.

That would be the description on the back cover of See’s novel, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. After reading this description and recently reading the young adult novel, Ties That Break, Ties That Bind, I knew that I had found a topic that was intriguing to me and I had to add this book to my collection! The first young adult novel mentioned is the one that brought forth my interest in the old tradition of footbinding (as you may see from my discussion in that review). Lily, the narrator of this novel, shares her own painful experiences (in great detail) of her footbinding. She talks about the old Chinese traditions of the process of arranged marriages, of the almost forgotten secret language of women (nu shu), and of the precious laotong relationship. And, most importantly, though women at this time were considered weak and worthless, Lily’s story shows just how strong and important women really were.

One little detail in See’s writing, though it played a much larger role in the story, was the Chinese character that stands for a mother’s love. One part of the character was “pain”; the other “love.” Being a daughter and now a mother of two, I myself can relate to this particular Chinese character. BUT, reading this story, knowing that many women can relate to such painful motherly memories, I found this alone to be an important part of the story. A mother’s love is a very rewarding love, but it can also be a love that brings so much pain, one that no one else knows and shares unless she is a mother herself.

See did her research on this novel. She does a fabulous job of bringing the reader a piece of this long-lost past. And, for me, she helped me to better understand some of these traditions that I previously had known little about and only had negative views of (i.e., footbinding, arranged marriages, etc.). She opened my eyes a little bit more with her work of fiction and I thank her for that!

Looking for more reviews?

Rebecca Reads

A to Z Reading Challenge

A to Z Reading Challenge

Joy from Thoughts of Joy originated the idea for an A to Z Reading Challenge. I participated in this challenge in 2008. Since Joy is stepping down as host this year, I volunteered to host this challenge in 2009. She did give permission to change the rules. And you'll notice a few changes. One, I could never hope to live up to the awesomeness that is the A to Z Reading Challenge blog. (While I know that many people love Mr. Linky, I just don't have the funds to get all the privileges that I'd need to compete with last years. Free accounts only allow for one working Mr. Linky at a time per blog.) Two, I thought I'd create some new options. Perhaps breathe some new life into the challenge.

Option A: Read authors A to Z. Commit to reading 26 books theoretically speaking.
Option B: Read titles A to Z. Commit to reading 26 books theoretically speaking.
Option C: Read both authors A to Z and titles A to Z (52 books; this is the challenge Joy created)
Option D: Read internationally A to Z (books representing 26 different countries) (The books could be from international authors (writers from that country); however, it's fine if a book is only set in that country. If need be, instead of countries one could use cities, states, regions, etc. The idea is to use proper place names. If you'd like you could even use a few fictional countries.)
Option E: Read 26 Alphabet books. Embrace your inner child and go visit the children's section!

General rules:

How strict is the 26 or 52? I know it isn't always easy to find those difficult letters. The thought of finding the X's (for example) might scare folks away. It shouldn't! I'm a merciful host! (Ask anyone!)

If you want to give the X's a go... For authors, try to find an X in the first name, middle name, or last name. For titles, it doesn't have to be the starting word. Try to find an X somewhere in a title, and it'd count in my book.

Still can't find a book for the letter you need? I'll take your word for it. I've been there. I know. If your library doesn't see the need to order books just because it starts with an X, then I don't blame you for not wanting to special order a book that you may or may not enjoy. You gave it your best, don't feel bad. You can still make this challenge work for you.

Don't be afraid to ask for recommendations. Look at the previous site. Ask other participants. Or ask me, your host. I may not have the "right" recommendation for every letter, but working together, I bet you'll find something that interests you.

Audio books count in my opinion. If you take the time to listen to books, then that should count towards something.

What about rereads? I don't have a problem with rereads. I would hope that you'd want to mix it up a bit and read some new authors, new titles, etc. But I'm not going to require that by any means.

What about children's books? Children's books and YA books count along with adult fiction and nonfiction of all sorts. (Poetry and plays too. Short stories count if they're in a collection.) I don't see a need to discriminate between "adult" and "kiddie" books. Even picture books can count if you like. Though try to use them in moderation. I used a few picture books to get tricky letters this year.

Overlaps are allowed with other challenges. In fact, you'd be a bit silly not to take advantage of this!

I'm going for Option B: Titles from A to Z. My titles as they are completed can be found below:

• A:
• B: Brisinger by Christopher Paolini
• C: The Conspiracy Club by Jonathan Kellerman
• D: Dancing with Ana by Nicole Barker
• E: Every Last Cuckoo by Kate Moloy
• F: Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl
• G:
• H: Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
• I:
• J: Jantsen's Gift: A True Story of Grief, Rescue, and Grace by Pam Cope & Aimee Molloy
• K: King by Right of Blood and Might by Anna Walls
• L: Legacy by Cayla Kluver
• M: Matilda by Roald Dahl
• N:
• O:
• P: Project 31 (Dark Worlds 1) by Zack Daggy
• Q:
• R:
• S: Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
• T: Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler
• U:
• V:
• W: Wait Until Twilight by Sang Pak
• X:
• Y:
• Z:

UPDATE: Completed 14 of 26 books, some of which have not yet been reviewed. I will be participating again in 2010, hopefully with better results.

A to Z Reading Challenge

Yep, I've signed up for yet another challenge!! I seriously need to limit myself on these challenges, at least until I have others completed! Therefore, this and one other that I am posting soon will be my final challenges for the time being!! I have to keep reminding myself that I've got a very busy year coming up!! ;)



Joy from Thoughts of Joy originated the idea for an A to Z Reading Challenge. I participated in this challenge in 2008. Since Joy is stepping down as host this year, I volunteered to host this challenge in 2009. She did give permission to change the rules. And you'll notice a few changes. One, I could never hope to live up to the awesomeness that is the A to Z Reading Challenge blog. (While I know that many people love Mr. Linky, I just don't have the funds to get all the privileges that I'd need to compete with last years. Free accounts only allow for one working Mr. Linky at a time per blog.) Two, I thought I'd create some new options. Perhaps breathe some new life into the challenge.

Option A: Read authors A to Z. Commit to reading 26 books theoretically speaking.
Option B: Read titles A to Z. Commit to reading 26 books theoretically speaking.
Option C: Read both authors A to Z and titles A to Z (52 books; this is the challenge Joy created)
Option D: Read internationally A to Z (books representing 26 different countries) (The books could be from international authors (writers from that country); however, it's fine if a book is only set in that country. If need be, instead of countries one could use cities, states, regions, etc. The idea is to use proper place names. If you'd like you could even use a few fictional countries.)
Option E: Read 26 Alphabet books. Embrace your inner child and go visit the children's section!

General rules:

How strict is the 26 or 52? I know it isn't always easy to find those difficult letters. The thought of finding the X's (for example) might scare folks away. It shouldn't! I'm a merciful host! (Ask anyone!)

If you want to give the X's a go... For authors, try to find an X in the first name, middle name, or last name. For titles, it doesn't have to be the starting word. Try to find an X somewhere in a title, and it'd count in my book.

Still can't find a book for the letter you need? I'll take your word for it. I've been there. I know. If your library doesn't see the need to order books just because it starts with an X, then I don't blame you for not wanting to special order a book that you may or may not enjoy. You gave it your best, don't feel bad. You can still make this challenge work for you.

Don't be afraid to ask for recommendations. Look at the previous site. Ask other participants. Or ask me, your host. I may not have the "right" recommendation for every letter, but working together, I bet you'll find something that interests you.

Audio books count in my opinion. If you take the time to listen to books, then that should count towards something.

What about rereads? I don't have a problem with rereads. I would hope that you'd want to mix it up a bit and read some new authors, new titles, etc. But I'm not going to require that by any means.

What about children's books? Children's books and YA books count along with adult fiction and nonfiction of all sorts. (Poetry and plays too. Short stories count if they're in a collection.) I don't see a need to discriminate between "adult" and "kiddie" books. Even picture books can count if you like. Though try to use them in moderation. I used a few picture books to get tricky letters this year.

Overlaps are allowed with other challenges. In fact, you'd be a bit silly not to take advantage of this!

I'm going for Option B: Titles from A to Z. I will keep a running tally on my sidebar along with all my other challenge reads!

Best Reads of 2008

I meant to do this at the beginning of the month, but completely forgot all about it until now! Anyways, here are a few of my top reads from 2008 . . .

General Fiction: Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
Young Adult: Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling
Children's Picture: N/A (I cannot believe that I did not review any of these this year!)
General Nonfiction: Man's Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl

Honorable Mentions:

• The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards
  
• The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
  
• A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
• My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
• Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer
  
• Tunnels by Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams
  
• The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
  

What Kind of Reader Are You?

I found this quiz floating around the book blogging world and had to share! When you take the quiz, what kind of reader are you?

What Kind of Reader Are You? Your Result: Dedicated Reader You are always trying to find the time to get back to your book. You are convinced that the world would be a much better place if only everyone read more.
Obsessive-Compulsive Bookworm
Literate Good Citizen
Book Snob
Fad Reader
Non-Reader
http://www.gotoquiz.com/what_kind_of_reader_are_you">What Kind of Reader Are You? http://www.gotoquiz.com/">Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

2009 Caldecott Medal Winner

I just wanted to post the latest Caldecott Medal Winner since I am currently reading and reviewing all these books! From the ALA website . . .

The 2009 Caldecott Medal winner is The House in the Night, illustrated by Beth Krommes, written by Susan Marie Swanson (Houghton Mifflin Company)

Richly detailed black-and-white scratchboard illustrations expand this timeless bedtime verse, offering reassurance to young children that there is always light in the darkness. Krommes' elegant line, illuminated with touches of golden watercolor, evoke the warmth and comfort of home and family, as well as the joys of exploring the wider world.

I've updated my Caldecott Medal Winners post to incorporate this new winner!

Literary Locals: Supporting Our Local Authors

UPDATE:  I have updated this feature since its beginning, including a new date (the first of the month) and button art.  Please visit the *NEW* Literary Locals post for more information.

Many of us are aware of the popular authors from Stephen King to Toni Morrison to James Patterson and more; however, what about those local authors that do not receive as much PR as the big-named ones that have movies made out of their books? I have a special place in my heart for these "little" authors and wanted to give them a bit more kudos for their work! So, I thought . . . "Why not start a "little" monthly meme or challenge highlighting our local authors?!?!" And, here we are!!

On the last day of every month, I will post a reminder here on this blog. I encourage all my readers to post links to their reviews on these reminder posts or if you do not have a blog, feel free to post reviews in the comment section itself. As for the guidelines, I've posted a few below:

• Local Authors Defined: Authors that you can find in either your hometown or homestate, or the equivalent if you are not in the States.
• Home Defined: Your hometown or homestate can be either past or present, meaning you can use your current location or anywhere you have ever lived.
• Type of Books: The books can be children's picture books to adult novels and everything in between.
• Literary Local Icon: Feel free to copy and paste my little icon for the meme/challenge on your own blog and proudly support those local authors!!

If you are interested in participating, please post a comment on this post with a link to your blog and I will keep a running list here. If you have any questions, just let me know. Thanks!

1. Alabama Book Worm
2. The Holistic Knitter @ Lynda's Book Blog
3. Tony
4. J. Kaye @ J. Kaye's Book Blog
5. Rebecca :) @ Lost in Books
6. Mary @ Books Gardens and Dogs
7. Mark @ Random Ramblings from Sunny Southern CA
8. TexasRed @ TexasRed Books
9. Missy @ Missy's Book Nook
10. Laura's Reviews
11. Beth @ Beth's Book Review Blog
12. Kristen @ BookNAround
13. Teddyree @ The Eclectic Reader
    

These Books Were Made For Walking! (January)

Strumpet over at Strumpet's Life has started a new monthly meme . . . These Books Were Made For Walking!! Here's her quick description . . . "Every third Wednesday of the month . . . I thought we could blog about a book and travel in some way." This month's theme: beach reads!! I've posted my response below, but I would also love to hear what you have to say as well!

What book do you most associate with the beach and why?

I don't actually have one particular book that I associate with the beach. In fact, I have not been to the beach in so long, that I sometimes wonder if I would remember what it looks like!! Just kidding!! How could I forget one of my favorite places to relax?!?! Hopefully, in the near future, we will be back within driving distance! Anyways, I digress . . . back to beach reads . . . like I mentioned, I don't associate one particular book with the beach, but I do associate particular authors. When I'm chillin' on the beach, I like to read what I call "brain candy." For me, that is absolutely nothing complex, but rather something just for fun, something that does not require my full attention at all times, something that I can easily set aside without forgetting the story line or getting lost in the details. As I think about all these things, one author in particular comes to mind for me . . . James Patterson!! His short chapters and fun reads are just perfect for lying on the beach with! Hmmm . . . do you think that if I pick up one of his books now that I would be able to at least imagine myself laying on a beach instead being in this frigid weather?!?! Maybe I should give it a try!!

ATTN: Poe Fans, Must Read!

For all you Edgar Allen Poe fans out there, Kristen over at We Be Reading is celebrating the works and life of the infamous author in honor of his 200th birthday. Every Friday, she will be highlighting and discussing a piece of Poe's work, either short story or poem as well as posting the next feature. Her first pick is his short poem titled, "A Dream Within A Dream," and it is already posted here. When you get a chance, check it out and join in on the freaky fun!! :) I will try to periodically post my own thoughts here on some of my favorite pieces as they come up.

Just a personal side note . . . I discovered Poe in high school (as I am sure many others did with their required reading!), but I became a bit obsessed with him and his poetry during those dark teenage years! I came across a copy of his completed works while I was in college and could not resist a little blast into the past. What did I discover? I still love the author and probably more than I did during my younger years. Looking at the works with more maturity and experience behind me helps me to appreciate him (and understand his personal demons) a little bit more.

Now, I'm off to find my copy of his completed works!!

Caldecott Medal Winners

As I mentioned in my Reading Resolutions post, I have decided that I have a personal goal of reading all book award winners. This year, my goal is to read and review all books that have received the Caldecott Medal. Since I am about to head out to the library, I thought that I had better get my list together! I also wanted to have the complete list here on my blog for my own personal reference and even for the interest of my readers.

According to the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), the Randolph Caldecott Medal, or known as simply the Caldecott Medal, is "awarded annually to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children published in English in the United States." It is awarded by the ALSC. Honor books are also noted for those that do not receive the award, but were considered for it. For more information, I would suggest that you visit the ALSC by clicking here. (Note: The webpage is showing up a little odd for me. If you click on this link and only see a list on the side, simply keep scrolling down and you will get to the information.)

At this time, I am only going to include the winners of the award since its inception in 1938. I may or may not highlight the honor books at a later date. If you are currently interested in these, you can visit the link above. ***DRUMROLL*** The winners of the Randolph Caldecott Medal are:

• 1938: Animals of the Bible, A Picture Book illustrated by Dorothy P. Lathrop
• 1939: Mei Li by Thomas Handforth
• 1940: Abraham Lincoln by Ingri & Edgar Parin d'Aulaire
• 1941: They Were Strong and Good by Robert Lawson
• 1942: Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
• 1943: The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton
• 1944: Many Moons illustrated by Louis Slobodkin
• 1945: Prayer for a Child illustrated by Elizabeth Orton Jones
• 1946: The Rooster Crows by Maud & Miska Petersham
• 1947: The Little Island illustrated by Leonard Weisgard
• 1948: White Snow, Bright Snow illustrated by Roger Duvoisin
• 1949: The Big Snow by Berta & Elmer Hader
• 1950: Song of the Swallows by Leo Politi
• 1951: The Egg Tree by Katherine Milhous
• 1952: Finders Keepers illustrated by Nicolas, pseud. (Nicholas Mordvinoff)
• 1953: The Biggest Bear by Lynd Ward
• 1954: Madeline's Rescue by Ludwig Bemelmans
• 1955: Cinderella, or the Little Glass Slipper illustrated by Marcia Brown
• 1956: Frog Went A-Courtin' illustrated by Feodor Rojankovsky
• 1957: A Tree is Nice illustrated by Marc Simont
• 1958: Time of Wonder by Robert McCloskey
• 1959: Chanticleer and the Fox illustrated by Barbara Cooney
• 1960: Nine Days to Christmas illustrated by Marie Hall Ets
• 1961: Baboushka and the Three Kings illustrated by Nicolas Sidjakov
• 1962: Once a Mouse retold and illustrated by Marcia Brown
• 1963: The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
• 1964: Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
• 1965: May I Bring a Friend? illustrated by Beni Montresor
• 1966: Always Room for One More illustrated by Nonny Hogrogian
• 1967: Sam, Bangs & Moonshine by Evaline Ness
• 1968: Drummer Hoff illustrated by Ed Emberley
• 1969: The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship illustrated by Uri Shulevitz
• 1970: Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig
• 1971: A Story, A Story retold and illustrated by Gail E. Haley
• 1972: One Fine Day retold and illustrated by Nonny Hogrogian
• 1973: The Funny Little Woman illustrated by Blair Lent
• 1974: Duffy and the Devil illustrated by Margot Zemach
• 1975: Arrow to the Sun by Gerald McDermott
• 1976: Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears illustrated by Leo & Diane Dillon
• 1977: Ashanti to Zulu: African Traditions illustrated by Leo & Diane Dillon
• 1978: Noah's Ark by Peter Spier
• 1979: The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses by Paul Goble
• 1980: Ox-Cart Man illustrated by Barbara Cooney
• 1981: Fables by Arnold Lobel
• 1982: Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg
• 1983: Shadow translated and illustrated by Marcia Brown
• 1984: The Glorious Flight: Across the Channel with Louis Bleriot by Alice & Martin Provensen
• 1985: Saint George and the Dragon illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman
• 1986: The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
• 1987: Hey, Al illustrated by Richard Egielski
• 1988: Owl Moon illustrated by John Schoenherr
• 1989: Song and Dance Man illustrated by Stephen Gammell
• 1990: Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story from China by Ed Young
• 1991: Black and White by David Macaulay
• 1992: Tuesday by David Wiesner
• 1993: Mirette on the High Wire by Emily Arnold McCully
• 1994: Grandfather's Journey by Allen Say
• 1995: Smoky Night illustrated by David Diaz
• 1996: Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann
• 1997: Golem by David Wisniewski
• 1998: Rapunzel by Paul O. Zelinsky
• 1999: Snowflake Bentley illustrated by Mary Azarian
• 2000: Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback
• 2001: So You Want to Be President? illustrated by David Small
• 2002: The Three Pigs by David Wiesner
• 2003: My Friend Rabbit by Eric Rohmann
• 2004: The Man Who Walked Between the Towers by Mordicai Gerstein
• 2005: Kitten's First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes
• 2006: The Hello, Goodbye Window illustrated by Chris Raschka
• 2007: Flotsam by David Wiesner
• 2008: The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
• 2009: The House in the Night illustrated by Beth Krommes

**As I review each book, I will link the review to this list!

Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

**NaJuReMoNoMo Challenge**

If you are at all familiar with the book world, you have probably at least heard of this book. It has been on national bestseller lists and has been talked about since it was first released in 2002. For those that have not heard of it or are not sure what the book is about, the first two sentences pretty much wrap it all up . . .

My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973.

It was these first two sentences that hooked me in right away! This book was so intriguing, viewing the characters from the point of view of a dead victim, precious Susie. Susie tells us the story of her life and those in it, those that were affected by her mysterious disappearance and death and those that were never expected to be affected as much as they were. She remains in all these characters lives, looking down upon family, friends, and even her murderer.

Sebold has told quite a story on these pages and I highly recommend the book to one and all. It's a book that allows the heartache, but also inspires hope. It is also one that makes the reader possibly wonder . . . "Who may be looking down on me from their heaven?" And, it reminds those who have lost, that our loved ones are still with us . . . and that is OKAY!!

**Spoiler Alert**

Before I can close up this review, however, I feel that there is one topic that I wanted to discuss . . . the ending of Mr. Harvey. For those that have read the book, what did you feel about his death? Did you feel it just? Maybe a bit of retribution? For me, I wish that there would have been a bit more closure for the families. I know that in the real world, this closure does not always happen, so Mr. Harvey's demise may be truly realistic. Bodies may not always be found. Murderers may not always be caught. Knowing this and just having my own personal wish for a little different ending for the man creates in me very mixed feelings. I was glad that the final girl was saved her life. I felt that those in Susie's life knew that Harvey was a guilty man from his sudden disappearance. But for me, I just don't know if that is enough for all those other victims and their families and friends. I wanted more! I wanted a more public justice! But, then I think . . . some of the best books are those that have "real" situations within them. And, I believe this to be one of the best!

Want another opinion?
Book Journey

Enter to Win!!

Becky over at Becky's Book Reviews is having a giveaway for 3 books!! See the details by clicking here and add your name to the list! These books look very interesting to me, so I've already added my name!!

Scottish Fairy Tales Retold by Philip Wilson

This is another book that my mother-in-law picked up during her Europe travels! According to its description, it contains “the traditional stories of the Celtic lands,” some of the “best and most gripping of Scotland’s traditional tales.” For those who may be curious, I have included the list of the tales below:

The Sprightly Tailor
Gold-Tree and Silver-Tree**
The Black Bull of Norway
The Well at the World’s End**
The Princess of the Blue Mountains
The Widow’s Son and the King’s Daughter
Kate Crackernuts**
The Son of the King of Ireland
The Black Horse**
The Greek Princess and the Young Gardener
Canobie Dick
The Knight of Riddles
The Humble-Bee**
The Seal Woman
Rashen Coatie

I’ve marked some of my personal favorites with the asterisks (**)!!

Some things that I noticed as I read these stories . . . The stepmothers are always the evil or jealous ones! Why is that?!? And, it always seems that the stepmother’s children are just not as pretty or desirable as the king’s? Isn’t it amusing that this is always the trend in fairy tales?!? I also discovered that there were many similarities between the Scottish fairy tales and those that I grew up with here in the States. Not only because of the details mentioned above, but in many of the story lines as well. I’m curious . . . does anyone out there have some history on these and why these similarities exist? I would be very curious to learn more!!

From The Stacks Challenge Complete!!!

Back in November, I posted that I had decided to participate in the challenge, From the Stacks (under the post, "Feeling Challenged?"). Well, today, I can officially say that I have completed my very first challenge . . . and I did it with time to spare!!! Woohoo!! For those interested, I have posted all my books and links on the sidebar, but I will also post my final list with links here as well as a wrap-up!!

• Lucky by Alice Sebold
• How To Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish
• Eye Contact by Cammie McGovern
• Peace Like A River by Leif Enger
• The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

And, if anyone is wondering . . . of these five, which would I say was my favorite? I think it would be a toss-up between Eye Contact and The Devil in the White City, with Larson's nonfiction account maybe slightly ahead!

Just a personal note to Marg over at Reading Adventures . . . You were right!! I was trying to limit myself to only a certain amount of challenges because I am a newbie, but now I am on the lookout for more and more challenges. I think I'm addicted!!

Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America by Erik Larson

**From The Stacks Challenge**

Is there anyone else out there that has specific books that have more value to you than just the story itself? Is there a story behind the purchase of the book or the receiving of a gift? For me, there are many times that I can remember exactly where I have bought my books or who has given the books to me. Some are definitely more special than others. Some stories are better than others. However, it is these little stories that make a book worth more than just the price on the tag.

This is just one of those books! My story behind this book . . . I bought it in a bookstore on Michigan Avenue in Chicago. It was my first trip to the Windy City. I was there for a conference at work. I was absolutely amazed by the city and what a way to remember it by than a good book on the area’s history?!?!

Larson brings to life Chicago’s history in the late 1800’s by visiting the history of the legendary 1893 World’s Fair. The Fair brought so much to our country . . . hope, admiration and competition from the world, and even a serial killer. The killer used the Fair to lure victims to his heinous crimes with charm and his alluring blue eyes. This piece of history outlined by Larson is one of the most interesting pieces of non-fiction, if not THE best non-fiction that I have ever read! It reads like fiction, but the facts in and of themselves are so intriguing. I never knew that so many different pieces of our current culture were based in this place of history . . . Pabst Blue Ribbon Brew, Shredded Wheat, Walt Disney, the Ferris Wheel, and so much more.

Larson has a way with words! His story of Chicago and Holmes was one that I could not put down! I could not wait to find out more little interesting facts. I kept wondering how this evil man was going to be apprehended. As I turned the last page of the book, I found myself feeling the same sense of loss that Burnham may have felt as he saw his dream of the Fair come to end . . . okay, that may have been a bit of an overstatement . . . but I will say that I was disappointed to simply just be done with the book! I wanted it to keep going and going and going . . . I guess it will just be one that I will have to pick up again in the future and dive back into the adventures of the past!

Tales by Mike O'Donovan

A couple of years ago, my mother-in-law took a trip through Europe. As a gift to my son, she picked up a few different books, including these tales by Mike O’Donovan. The best part of all . . . they are personally addressed to my sweet little man and autographed by the author! A wonderful gift!!

Timmy and the Dragon
Timmy, a lone child is left after great destruction brought forth from a dragon and his master, Giles De Montefiore. When he least expects it, the young boy finds a little help from an unexpected source, the Leprechauns.

Cormac: King of the Leprechauns
In the follow-up tale to Timmy and the Dragon, we once again meet the Leprechauns and their king, Cormac. Will Cormac’s decisions help to save their treasures? Will De Montefiore win out this time around?

Overall, I thought these tales were cute. Personally, I did enjoy Timmy and the Dragon more so than the follow-up companion. In the follow-up, I was a bit confused about the relevance of the worms in fact!! Maybe I was missing something?!?! In addition, I did read these books aloud and found it difficult at times to do so due to many grammatical errors within them. I found myself starting and stopping multiple times, creating a very uneven flow while reading and to put it simply, interrupting my enjoyment of the tales. I was disappointed to see that these simple errors were not fixed prior to publication.

In the end, despite my complaints, these stories brought a little bit of Ireland to the States for us and they will always be cherished gifts in our family!

The Good Liar by Gregory Maguire

The year is 1940 and France has fallen to the German army. But to Marcel and his two older brothers, Pierre and Rene, the war seems far away from their tiny village of Mont-Saint-Martin. They spend a happy summer fishing, playing soldiers, and holding contests to see who is the biggest liar. Then the Germans occupy their village – and Marcel and his brothers learn who is the best liar of them all.

Before Maguire became so well known for his first adult novel, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, he wrote books for young adults, including this title. The Good Liar is a work of fiction that attempts to explore World War II from a French perspective. It is written more as a recollection, a letter to a young bunch of girls working on a school assignment. It’s a simple read with wit and humor. It provides an interesting perspective and overall, is an enjoyable read. I will admit that I do prefer his adult fiction though!

The most important result from this book for me, however, was the opportunity for the younger generation to connect with their elders. Maria, Meg, and Reenie-Tawnetta were able to share in Marcel’s story. If a child is entertained by this story, just think how entertained s/he could become by their own grandmother or grandfather’s stories that are true!! What I see is an opportunity for the young adults to spur up conversations with their elders, to get the “real” scoop on their lineage and the long-ago adventures!

More Challenges!!

I have signed up for two more challenges!!! My husband thinks that I may be a bit crazy since we are anticipating a chaotic year, but I think that these are completely feasible!!

The first challenge is the Fourth Annual National Just Read More Novels Month or NaJuReMoNoMo! Basically, I just have to read one book during the month of January. How simple is that?!?! Here are the rules from the host blog (link listed above):

1. Only Novels Count. This means no non-fiction books, memoirs, short stories, essay collections, or books based on internet memes like LOLcats. The judge is out on graphic novels. It's your call.
2. Memoirs Don’t Count. Even if they are fictional. And especially if they are fake memoirs about the Holocaust.
3. It Can’t Be A Novel You Have Already Read. Expand your horizons. Try some new authors.
4. You Must Start At The Beginning. If the book is on your nightstand, you have to start over. We are looking at January 1 to January 31. That is 31 days. We are on a deadline.
5. Have Fun. This a lark. You wouldn't be reading if you didn't enjoy it.

That's it! There are actually different levels to this challenge, so you can actually read more than one book if you so choose. I've decided to go for the green (that's 3 books)! We will see how it goes! I'm not sure of my books yet. I guess we will see what I can pull off my shelf at the time I'm in need of another read!

The second challenge is the Young Readers Challenge of 2009. This one is in complete congruence with my personal goal of reading more children's books this year. Here is more information from the host blog (link above):

• Read 12 children's books in 2009. 'Children's books' are defined as anything written to be read (or read aloud) to children 12 and under. Examples of children's books are: board books, picture books, early readers, chapter books.
• No list is required. If you choose to post one, you can change it as needed. But it isn't required at all.
• Audio books work.
• Rereads are acceptable, but try to mix it up old and new if you can.
• Overlaps with other challenges are acceptable.
• You may consider yourself 'finished' with the challenge if/when you complete the twelfth book. (You could finish it January if you're ambitious. But there is no requirement to read one book per month all year long.) If you want to keep going past twelve books, that's fine. I won't stop you!
• If you want to challenge yourself further you might consider going with a theme:*Read twelve picture books published in 2009*Read twelve children's fantasy titles published since 2000*Read twelve children's books that have been made into a movie*Read three books on shapes, three books on numbers/counting, three books on the alphabet, three books on colors.

As mentioned in "Reading Resolutions," I have decided that I want to read as many books that have received the Caldecott Medal as possible this year. I will post a list of the winners at a future date.

Reading Resolutions

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

This year has been a great year for reading for me! I feel good about the books that I have read and I believe that my reviews have progressively improved since I first started this blog. (I hope that my readers agree!!) I am looking forward to another great year in 2009. In fact, I wanted to share a few of my personal reading resolutions for this upcoming year:

1. Double the amount of reviews that I write! I know that this may be a lofty goal, but I truly believe that I can meet this goal, especially when you read some of my additional goals below. The way I see it, I had 53 reviews in 2008. Some of these reviews included multiple books, but I want to increase my number of reviews (not books!) based on this set number. So, all in all, my goal is 100 reviews for 2009 . . . a little short of double, but a nice round number nonetheless!
2. Complete ALL challenges that I am currently signed up for and for those that I sign up for in the future months. Since I am a first time challenger this year, I will try to be realistic and sign up for a reasonable amount of challenges! I will post periodically in regards to my updates! Today's update: 4 total challenges (details on 2 more coming soon!), 3 just beginning, 1 almost done (half a book left).
3. Review more children's books. This is one that I have been wanting to do for some time now. I love children's books, read quite a few of them with my two kids, and know many of my friends that are always looking for good ones. I have decided to make it a personal goal of mine during these next few years to read all prize winners (e.g., children, adults, fiction, non-fiction, etc.). This year's award that I will be focusing on is those books that have received the Caldecott Medal (the honor of the best children's picture book of the year). I will post the list of award winners in the near future for my own personal interest and for anyone else that may be interested.

That's it! As I review my reading resolutions for the year, I feel really positive that I will be able to meet these goals! I do have a busy year, but I remain confident . . . we will see if it lasts!!

Now, my questions for you . . . do you have any 2009 reading resolutions? If so, what are they? Please feel free to share them here or post a link to your blog in the comments section. I want to hear your ambitions too!!