KindleKaper's 11 in 11 Challenge

This goes hand-in-hand with my 75-book challenge ...actually a 77 book challenge, with a 7-book-goal/category. Will I be able to do it? I don't know...77's A LOT of books! Worth a try though, right? ...and who knows? Perhaps I'll be able to do the whole 121 (11,11,11) challenge! :). Here goes...

1.“Go for the moon. If you don't get it, you'll still be heading for a star.” ~Will Reed (Books that encourage/inspire)
2."Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face” ~ Victor Borge (Books that make me laugh)
3.“My roommate got a pet elephant. Then it got lost. It’s in the apartment somewhere.” ~Stephen Wright (Books about the pets/animals we love)
4.“I beheld the wretch - the miserable monster whom I had created” ~ Mary Shelley (Books about monsters and all sorts of phantasmagoric beings)
5.“There are worlds out there where the skies are burning, where the seas asleep, and the rivers dream. People made of smoke, and cities made of song. Somewhere there's danger, somewhere there's injustice...and somewhere else the tea is getting cold. Come on Ace...we've got work to do!” ~ The Doctor, from Doctor Who (Books about travel to far off lands...both terrestrial and extra-terrestrial)
6.“The dirtiest book of all is the expurgated book.” ~ Walt Whitman (Books that have been subject to censorship throughout time)
7.“All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them.” ~ Galileo Galilei (Non-fiction books)
8. “History is a set of lies agreed upon.” ~Napoleon Bonaparte (Historical Fiction)
9.“I like improvising a lot. What I like about it is that it's extremely unexpected. I love its total randomness.” ~ Kyle Young (Mimi's Choice)
10."A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step" ~ Lao Tzu (Debut Novels)
11."Nowhere am I so desperately needed as among a shipload of illogical humans." ~Spock in 'I, Mudd (Science Fiction)

“Go for the moon. If you don't get it, you'll still be heading for a star.” ~Will Reed (Books that encourage/inspire)

1. Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand

This was my first read of the year and I have to admit that I absolutely fell in love with the inspirational life of Louie Zamperini. Laura Hillenbrand's engrossing style of writing, combined with an amazing tale of Olympic running, being lost at sea, WWII Japanese POW camps atrocities, PTSD, and ultimate redemption makes this book almost impossible to put down!
2. Fat,Forty,Fired: One Man's Frank,Funny,and Inspiring Account of Losing His and Finding His Life by Nigel Marsh (review in Message 45)
3. The Saint by Oliver Broudy (review in Message 63)
4. The Sworn Sword by George R.R. Martin (review in Message 113)
5. The Help by Kathryn Stockett (review in Message 117)
6. A Lion Among Men by Gregory Maguire (review in Message 129)
7. Showstopper by Abigail Pogrebin (review in Message 139)

“Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face” ~ Victor Borge (Books that make me laugh)

1. Fluke, Or I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings by Christopher Moore (review in Message 34)
2. The Island of the Sequined Love Nun by Christopher Moore (review in Message 53)
3. Bossypants by Tina Fey (review in Message 59)
4. I Am America! (And So Can You!) by Stephen Colbert (review in Message 64)
5. Good Omens by Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman (review in Message 127)
6. Go the F**k to Sleep by Adam Mansbach (review in Message 128)
7. If You Ask Me by Betty White (review in Message 143)

“My roommate got a pet elephant. Then it got lost. It’s in the apartment somewhere.” ~Stephen Wright (Books about the pets/animals we love)

1. Inside a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know by Alexandra Horowitz (review in Message 16)
2. Making Rounds with Oscar: The Extraordinary Gift of an Ordinary Cat by David Dosa (review in Message 18)
3. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (review in Message 48)
4. Beatrice and Virgil by Yann Martel (review in Message 121)
5. Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard Atwater (review in Message 122)
6. Animalish by Susan Orlean (review in Message 140)
7. When Cows Fly by Tom Watson (review in Message 141)

“I beheld the wretch - the miserable monster whom I had created” ~ Mary Shelley (Books about monsters and all sorts of phantasmagoric beings)

1. Practical Demonkeeping by Christopher Moore (review in Message 49)
2. The Zombie Movie Encyclopedia by Peter Dendle (review in Message 65)
3. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (review in Message 75)
4. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness (review in Message 75)
5. The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (review in Message 84)
6. A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin (review in Message 98)
7. A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin (review in Message 101)
Opt 11,11,11 Challenge
8. American Gods by Neil Gaiman (review in Message 115)

“There are worlds out there where the skies are burning, where the seas asleep, and the rivers dream. People made of smoke, and cities made of song. Somewhere there's danger, somewhere there's injustice...and somewhere else the tea is getting cold. Come on Ace...we've got work to do!” ~ The Doctor, from Doctor Who (Books about travel to far off lands...both terrestrial and extra-terrestrial)

1. The Marvelous Land of Oz by L. Frank Baum (review in Message 29)
2. Ozma of Oz by L. Frank Baum (review in Message 62)
3. Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum (review in Message 78)
4. A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin (review in Message 103)
5. A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin (review in Message 104)
6. A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin (review in Message 108)
7. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien (review in Message 119)
Opt 11,11,11 Challenge
8. Out of Oz by Gregory Maguire (review in Message 130)
9. Inheritance by Christopher Paolini (review in Message 131)

“The dirtiest book of all is the expurgated book.” ~ Walt Whitman (Books that have been subject to censorship throughout time, according to the ALA's top banned/challenged books and other sources)

1. His Dark Materials Series: The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman (review in Message 17)
2. His Dark Materials Series: The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman (review in Message 19)
3. His Dark Materials: The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman (review in Message 20)
4. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum (review in Message 27)
5. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (review in Message 42)
6. The Fellowship of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien (review in Message 120)
7. The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien (review in Message 123)
Opt 11,11,11 Challenge
8. Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien (review in Message 125)

“All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them.” ~ Galileo Galilei (Non-fiction books)

1. Bonk:The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex by Mary Roach

"People who write popular books about sex endure a milder if no less inevitable scrutiny. My first book was about human cadavers, and as a result, people assumed that I'm obsessed with death. Now that I have written books about sex and death, God only knows what the word on the street is." ~Mary Roach~ This is the matter-of-fact & witty style to be expected of Mary Roach, at least from what I can see in this particular book.

Although admittedly there were times when the specific details got a bit burdensome and repetitive, sex is always a page turner! Ms Roach effectively delves into all you want to know (and perhaps some of those things you really don't want to know ;-)) about how sex has been studied, understood & even misunderstood throughout the ages.

Ms. Roach is a bold researcher who tackles fascinating topics. Looking forward to checking out "Packing for Mars."
2. Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff (review in Message 32)
3. Chinese Dreams by Anand Giridharadas (review in Message 43)
4. Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void by Mary Roach (review in Message 47)
5. I am Ozzy by Ozzy Osbourne (review in Message 58)
6. The Enemy (Kindle Single) by Christopher Hitchens (review in Message 74)
7. An Arm and a Leg (Kindle Single) by Emma Span (review in Message 102)

“History is a set of lies agreed upon.” ~Napoleon Bonaparte (Historical Fiction)

1. Juliet by Ann Fortier

At first I wasn't sure if I'd like this one but I'm a sucker for variations of Shakespeare so I figured I really couldn't go wrong. ..and I was right! :) Ann Fortier did an awesome job putting her own spin on the story of Romeo and Juliet, combining historical fiction, Shakespearean drama, Dan Brown-esque puzzle-solving, Indiana Jones-style action (one part reminded me a little bit of “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade”), Mafioso conspiracies, familial ties and of course romance. She also leaves the reader thinking about curses, destiny and free will. I would love to write more, but I don’t want to give anything away!
2. Chasing After Wind (LRRP Rangers Vietnam) by R.W. Holmen (review in Message 76)
3. Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay (review in Message 87)
4. 11/22/63 by Stephen King (review in Message 133)
5. The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt (review in Message 134)
6. The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman (review in Message 136)
7. Rules for Virgins by Amy Tan (review in Message 138)

“I like improvising a lot. What I like about it is that it's extremely unexpected. I love its total randomness.” ~ Kyle Young (Mimi's Choice)

1. Squidge - Little Elf, Big Trouble by Andrew Thomas (review in Message 33)
2. Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke (review in Message 39)
3. The Madman on the Roof by Kikuchi Kan (review in Message 52)
4. Goody Two Shoes by Anonymous (review in Message 66)
5.
6. The Sign of Four by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (review in message 83)
7. A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan (review in Message 86)
Opt 11,11,11 Challenge
8. The Scent of Rain and Lightning by Nancy Pickard (review in Message 95)
9. The Hedge Knight by George R.R. Martin (review in Message 112)

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step" ~ Lao Tzu (Debut Novels)

1.The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield (review in Message 22)
2. Swamplandia! by Karen Russell (review in Message 46)
3. Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson (review in Message 90)
4. Robopocalypse by Daniel H. Wilson (review in Message 91)
5. The House of Tomorrow by Peter Bognanni (review in Message 113)
6. Storm Front by Jim Butcher (review in Message 118)
7. A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (review in message 67) - the story that introduced the world to Sherlock Holmes!

"Nowhere am I so desperately needed as among a shipload of illogical humans." ~Spock in 'I, Mudd (Science Fiction)

1. How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe: A Novel by Charles Yu

A time traveler and a guide to the universe? My initial thoughts were a Tardis and something akin to "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy"...not even close!

I get the overall theme...we are all time travelers who shoot our own futures in the stomach by constantly looking to change the past while projecting ourselves into the future, never living in the " elastic present, which can accommodate as little or as much as you want to put in there." We create our own boxes, never venturing beyond its confines, imprisoning ourselves in a perpetual timeloop. (I notice this made it on "The Funniest Reads of 2010" list here on Goodreads...really? funny? Although the Hans Solo/Chewbacca reference made me laugh, I found it the story kind of depressing)

A unique way of presenting this theme, indeed! That being said, being a sci fi fan, I personally didn't enjoy the book as much as I thought I would, which disappoints me since there have been such positive reviews. Found myself skimming through much of it...I guess I just like to escape my personal box with the physics-defying space-&-time travelers like the Doctor, Arthur Dent, Marty McFly and the Terminator when it comes to sci fi.

2. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (review in Message 78)
3. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (review in Message 79)
4. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (review in Message 80)
5. Foundation by Isaac Asimov (review in Message 92)
6. Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov (review in Message 93)
7. Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov (review in Message 94)

I love your quotes! They lead into some interesting categories - can't wait to see you fill them.

Some great categories and book picks here! I love the Walt Whitman quote. Also, I've read the first three Temeraire books and really enjoyed all of them!

#14 Glad to hear that about the Temeraire books! I already have His Majesty's Dragon on my Kindle so I'll hopefully get to that one shortly.

Book: Inside a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell and Know by Alexandra Horowitz
Category: My roommate got a pet elephant. Then it got lost. It’s in the apartment somewhere.” ~Stephen Wright (Books about the pets/animals we love)



I usually don’t include autobiographical information in a book review, but in this case I’ll make an exception! Like Alexandra Horowitz, I am and always will be a dog person and since the day I was born, a doggie has shared my world. It all started with Marshmallow, a lovely golden mutt who lived amongst us until I was 13-years old (she was 16 at the time). Then, to my wonderful pleasure, my parents first adopted Roxy, the quirky basset hound, and then came Maggie the English Bulldog…and this is when things really got wildly fun as my Mom and Dad entered the wonderful world of bulldog breeding and dog shows. What fun! After getting married, my husband and I went to the local animal shelter and adopted Irving…a little mutt who we think could best be called a corg-huaua (a corgi-Chihuahua mix? Perhaps…) He was with us for 12-years before the inevitably sad moment was upon us…and although our hearts were broken, we knew our lives would not be complete without a canine companion, so we adopted Moe. Moe is still with us…and so is Rudy, a funky & cute stray mutt who wandered into our lives 4 months ago. Dogs are an integral part of my consciousness, evoking important memories of the past while providing an ongoing source of companionship and love.

I share this because I think it has a great deal to do with my feelings about this book. Inside a Dog is an amazing exploration of the dog’s unwelt (or subjective reality). In other words, it’s a serious attempt to delve into the life of a dog and try to understand the world from the dog’s point of view. Through in-depth discussion of domestication, sensory awareness and canine-human connections, the author effectively elicits a greater understanding of a canine’s reality.

One thing I particularly appreciate about the way Ms. Horowitz presents this information is that while so much of it is based on very sound scientific research, she, like me and many of her readers, is a dog lover. As a result, she applies this science while not reducing our relationship with our doggie friends to science alone. Throughout her research, she provides supporting anecdotes about her sweet Pumpernickel…reminding us of the magically non-scientific, poignant aspect of our relationship with our furry, slobbery companions.

A must read for dog lovers…or anyone interested in animal research!

Book: His Dark Materials Series:The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
Category: “The dirtiest book of all is the expurgated book.” ~ Walt Whitman (Books that have been subject to censorship throughout time, according to the ALA's top banned/challenged books)



Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials Series has been calling to me for a while. My daughter read it when she was in middle school and she always said how these were her favorite books, right up there with Harry Potter. I hadn’t thought much else about them until the move The Golden Compass was released, along with all the controversial hubbub surrounding it. …but for some reason I never got to reading them. Well just recently I read a blog discussing some of these controversial issues…and I have a “Censored/Challenged Books” category in my 11 in 11 Challenge …so I decided to finally join Lyra Belacqua on her fantastical quest .

First I’m going to pretend not to know anything about the controversial philosophical issues that are raised in this series, and talk about my feelings about the writing and the story of "The Golden Compass". Don’t want to give anything away, but I just think that Lyra is an incredible character who is on a path toward fulfilling some sort of prophecy of which she knows nothing. No one can interfere and help her fulfill this destiny because she needs to find her own path, with freedom to make mistakes if need be. So far I see this as an excellent “coming-of-age” lesson. Pullman does an amazing job integrating high action, emotion and a cast of wonderful beings – humans, daemons, armored bears, witches, etc – to make this a page-turner of a fantasy for all ages.

Now in terms of the controversial aspect, indeed the author is expressing an anti-Church/anti-establishment theme in his story. I’m going to wait before delving further into this issue until after I read the other two books, but I do think that the philosophical issues raised here surrounding destiny, free will, original sin and Dust are thought-provoking and intended more for adults or older teenagers. However, that doesn’t mean that younger teenagers won’t enjoy this book (my daughter was 13 when she read it). If a parent is concerned about what their young adults are getting out of the messages presented in Pullman’s works, my personal feeling is that a more productive approach to making the books “forbidden fruit” would be to read the books and discuss them with the kids, giving them a chance to ask questions and analyze. That's what reading and learning is all about, after all!

Book: Making the Rounds with Oscar: The Extraordinary Gift of an Ordinary Cat by David Dosa
Category: "My roommate got a pet elephant. Then it got lost. It’s in the apartment somewhere.” ~Stephen Wright (Books about the pets/animals we love)



Oscar is the feline nursing home resident who somehow senses when a patient is about to die and feels it is his duty to spend time with the dying patient as the end approaches. A simple matter of chemical attraction? Instinct? Empathy & Compassion? Or something more spiritual? This is what Dr. Dosa, the primary care physician for dementia patients at Steere House Nursing Home in Rhode Island, tries to discover in this informatively sensitive and poignant book.

Actually, when I first heard about this book, I thought it would be all about the life of Oscar the cat…and cats in general. It is, however, much more than that. As Dr. Dosa explores the “secrets” of Oscar’s apparent ability to sense death before the medical community is able to do so, he learns about the emotional toll that old-age dementia takes on the families involved and how this kitty provides an incredible source of comfort to those whose lives he touches.

Although I admit that parts of this book brought me to tears, I think the good doctor did a great job being both compassionate and objective in his discussion of the impacts of the range of dementia he has encountered. I think it’s great that, through Oscar, Dr. Dosa develops greater empathy towards both his patients and their families while better understanding the course his own life is taking. Another example of the important role our animal friends play in our lives!

Book: His Dark Materials: The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman
Category: “The dirtiest book of all is the expurgated book.” ~ Walt Whitman (Books that have been subject to censorship throughout time, according to the ALA's top banned/challenged books)



Philip Pullman is an amazing writing with an incredible ability to draw the reader into his vivid fantasy world while once again pondering the issues of destiny, chance and the impact of organized religion on humanity as a whole.

Picking up where The Golden Compass left off, I immediately was hooked as I was introduced to Will and his world. I think it’s really cool how now we get to view Lyra from Will’s perspective and it is good to see Lyra develop such a close relationship with a peer, especially after Roger’s tragedy. I couldn’t stop reading as I joined them in learning about other worlds (those Specters sure are frightening!) and the subtle knife (even if the scene when Will learns how to harness its power really reminded me of Luke Skywalker learning how to “use the Force!” :P).

The Subtle Knife did not disappoint and left me on the edge of my seat, with a lot of thoughts about the philosophical themes involved here…looking forward to reading “The Amber Spyglass” next to both see what happens to all the intriguing characters and also to further explore how Pullman infuses his own views into the story’s conclusion.

Book: His Dark Materials: The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman
Category: “The dirtiest book of all is the expurgated book.” ~ Walt Whitman (Books that have been subject to censorship throughout time, according to the ALA's top banned/challenged books)



I am always impressed by an author’s ability to create a fantasy world with unusual characters and foreign & fascinating landscapes. So, when it comes to “The Amber Spyglass”, I am especially astonished by Philip Pullman’s ability to not just create one such alternate universe, but a multitude of them!

"The Amber Spyglass" is the conclusion of the "His Dark Materials" series and, in my opinion, the best. Lyra and Will’s travels from one universe to another as they work together to fulfill Lyra’s prophesized destiny…Mrs. Coulter’s fall from grace and ultimate redemption…Dr. Mary Malone and the mulefa (my favorite non-humans in these books!)…the death of Death…good vs. evil…love…and of course, Dust (or Shadows…or Dark Matter…depending on your universe) – all these topics are combined into a unique story that I just couldn’t stop reading!

The censors have had a field day with this series because of the atheistic theme involved here. I personally think that Philip Pullman is very bold to incorporate his atheistic philosophy into a fantasy such as this. I’m not going to get into my own thoughts about “life, the universe and everything in it” but as far as my feelings about whether or not Pullman should have created a piece of young adult fiction with atheism as an underlying agenda, these are my thoughts:

1. First of all, I think it really depends on how one defines “YA fiction.” From definitions I have seen, YA fiction roughly is meant for ages 13 through 21 – that’s a really wide age-range (big difference between a 13-year-old and a 19-year-old!). I honestly think that while a younger young adult (13-14) might find the fantasy aspect of this tale intriguing, some of the deeper religious and philosophical issues would likely go over his/her head. (My daughter, who is now 16, attests to this – she says she wants to re-read them because although she remembers loving the books when she read them at age 13, she admits that there was a lot that she just didn’t “get”…)

2. As far as my feelings about the underlying anti-religion agenda of this book, it doesn’t really bother me. Throughout my life as a reader, I have read fiction with underlying religious and philosophical messages, some of which adhere to my personal beliefs and some of which do not. I have read many comparisons to the underlying Christian morality of The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, with Aslan the lion being described as an obvious Christ figure. Since I have not actually read this series yet, it’s hard for me to say for sure. However, I remember when I first introduced my children to the Veggie Tales books & movies and being shocked to discover that these cute, animated vegetables really had a very religious agenda. A hidden religious agenda cloaked as stories for even younger children?!? But, like the His Dark Materials Series, I think lessons can be learned from different ideas about the world, even if they don’t jive with your own…it’s just a good idea to be able to talk freely about these issues and encourage children to ask questions.

3. In one of the college classes I teach, we start off with a discussion of human commonalities and differences. We talk about how in all cultures throughout times, people have asked questions about the nature of the universe – Who are we? How did we get here? What happens after we die? The difference has always been how we answer those questions. Philip Pullman is an atheist and he takes an atheistic approach to these questions…so while some storytellers may write stories or parables addressing these questions from a Christian, or Judaic, or Islamic,or Hindu (etc. etc) perspective, this author chooses a different way of looking at things. Nothing wrong with that, even if you don’t agree with or even like the conclusion…and after all, it is just a story – and a really entertaining one at that!

>20 KindleKapers: Very nice analysis. I feel the same way. And I really loved Pullman's trilogy.

Book:The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
Category: "A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step" ~ Lao Tzu (Debut Novels)



It’s been so long since I lost myself in a Gothic tale and it has been such fun doing it as part of a group read! In her debut novel, Diane Setterfield hypnotized me with this engrossingly haunting tale of family bonds, scandalous secrets and ghostly mysteries. Both protagonists – Margaret Lea & Vida Winter –have their own stories to reveal and their unusual relationship with each other provides the vehicle for their stories to be told. As each new character is introduced, more pieces to the puzzle that makes up Miss Winter’s 13th Tale are added, providing an incredible depth to the story. There are so many questions posed & answered in this tale & I really don’t want to give away plot Instead I would like to share some thoughts I have about the important role that books play in both Margaret and Miss Winter’s lives.

I think Margaret considers books as a way to immortality, especially for those who write these books. According to Margaret, “People disappear when they die. Their voice, their language, the warmth of their breath. Their flesh. Eventually their bones. All living memory of them ceases. This is both dreadful and natural. Yet for some there is an exception to this annihilation. For in the books they write they continue to exist. We can rediscover them. Their humor, their tone of voice, their moods. Through the written word they can anger you or make you happy. They can comfort you. They can perplex you. They can alter you. All this even though they are dead. Like flies in amber, like corpses frozen in ice, that which according to the laws of nature should pass away is, by the miracle of ink on paper, preserved. It is a kind of magic.” To me it seems like her desire to connect with those who have died through her reading and her career as a biographer, is somehow linked to her connection with her twin sister…I personally think books are an awesome way to time travel, getting to know those shadows of the past as well as what is possibly to come.

Margaret also sees books as a great way of getting to know another person. When she is first summoned to meet Vida Winter, she arrives in her library early so she had time to explore. She says “and for me, what better way to get to know someone than through her choice and treatment of books.” This made me wonder what Margaret would make of me, with my eclectic choice of books in my library! ;)

As far as Vida goes, the books she reads and writes have all mixed together with her life experiences to fuel her imagination. She uses the “life in compost” metaphor to describe this which I think is kind of cool. I also think that Vida has used her writing as a means of escape from herself…from her own past.

…and sometimes books can provide clues...but again, I don’t want to give anything away!

A great review of such an excellent book. I know already that this book will linger on in my mind for some time. I agree it was a perfect book for a group read as there were so many things different people picked up on, and so many ways things be interpeted.

I agree! I really feel like I can read it again...just to pick up on some of those innuendos that I missed.

I agree.... what a perfect book for a group read!

I enjoyed reading it with you!

Book: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
Category: “The dirtiest book of all is the expurgated book.” ~ Walt Whitman (Books that have been subject to censorship throughout time)



I’ve seen the movie more times than I could ever count. I’ve read Gregory Maguire’s Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West and Son of a Witch (not A Lion Among Men yet, although it is on my list) and I’ve seen the Broadway production of Wicked twice. Heck, I’ve even experienced the bizarre synchronicity of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon and The Wizard of Oz! (if you’ve never seen this, check it out on YouTube starting here -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uw9sSL48Hw4 – coincidence?? ;)) …yet, incredibly, I have never read the L. Frank Baum’s books! So after getting a free collection of all these books for my Kindle, I finally decided to begin reading these classics.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is the first of 14 Land of Oz books written by L. Frank Baum (not to mention the 18 written by Ruth Plumly Thompson, three by John R. Neill, two by Jack Snow, one by Rachel S. Cosgrove, and one by Eloise Jarvis McGraw & Lauren Lynn McGraw.) With the movie, play adaptations, spoofs, and variations that have been written about this one, I hardly find a need to summarize the plot. I once again loved traveling along the Yellow Brick Road with Dorothy, Toto, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodsman and the Cowardly Lion as they headed to the Emerald City to seek their heart’s desire. I did find some of the plot differences between the movie and the book interesting, the biggest one being that in the book, Dorothy’s journeys in Oz are not ascribed to a dream at the end. I like this because it leaves the conclusion up to the reader’s imagination – the reader gets to decide whether the Land of Oz really exists. Also, in terms of characters, we don’t meet the Wicked Witch of the West until the Wizard sends the trio to kill her…and we don’t meet Glinda, who is the Good Witch of the South in the book, until the end of the story (it’s the unnamed Good Witch of the North that Dorothy first meets after her crash landing in Munchkinland.) There’s also some additional characters, like the kingdom of mice who rescue the Lion from the poppy field and the people made of china…and the real story behind those flying monkeys that scared the heck out of me as a child (they’re not as scary in the book…capable of scary stuff, but also capable of good).

In addition to the story itself, some other things really interest me here. First of all, the whole censorship issue…I found it hard to believe that this tale, that is such an integral part of our imagination and popular culture, has actually been challenged to the extent that it has. Back in the day, when the books were published, some ministers and educators were opposed to the stories, claiming they promoted witchcraft and were too fanciful. There were some who even said that the books were “ungodly” in their depiction of strong-willed & powerful female characters, an idea that was amazingly supported by many librarians. The 20th century also saw its share of anti-Oz sentiments. In 1928, the Chicago Public Library refused to put the book on its shelves, stating that the books were “not literature, but somehow evil for children.” Living in Florida, I find this embarrassing, but in the 1950s, Florida’s state librarian, Dorothy Dodd, sent out a memo to all the librarians in the state denouncing the Oz series, saying that they were “unwholesome for children in your community.” She took this a step further when she declared that the Oz books were “not to be purchased, not to be accepted as gifts, not to be processed and not to be circulated.” …and wait…there’s more - even more recently, in 1986, fundamentalist parents in Hawkins County, TN challenged the books used in local public schools, claiming that they promoted witchcraft and secular humanism. To further explain this assertion, the lead plaintiff, Vicki Frost, explained that the stories depicted some witches as good, while of course they are always bad. Yikes! (“A federal court handed Frost a limited victory by holding that the public school system would have to allow parents who objected to "opt out" of lessons featuring the offending literature. The U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned that ruling in 1987, and the U.S. Supreme Court later refused to hear the case. That action led Religious Right attorney Michael Farris, who represented Frost, to call on "every born-again Christian to get their children out of public schools." http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3944/is_200203/ai_n9019625/). …and the list goes on…

I also always like reading about the possible underlying political symbolism in The Wizard of Oz. This is something that I learned in a college history course and that my daughter is learning in her AP American History class right now. Before I get into it, I always kind of wondered about this. L. Frank Baum undoubtedly wrote these stories for children as an alternative to some of the stories that were told to him during his childhood…but he also wrote for children of all ages, stating, "My books are intended for all those whose hearts are young, no matter what their ages may be" (http://www.literarytraveler.com/literary_articles/l_frank_baum.aspx). So I think it is totally possible that Baum added a little something else that would get the grownups thinking…take a look at some of this symbolism, which comes from the article Lions, and Tigers, and Political Symbols, Oh My!:

• Dorothy: Dorothy is thought to represent the American people or values. She proves herself to be determined, resourceful, and loyal. Another speculation is that she represents Theodore Roosevelt, the United States president. Some people believe this theory more than the other because of the similarities in the names. (Think: Dor-o-thy and The-o-dore).
• Toto: Small and seemingly going unnoticed, Toto is the one who reveals the Wizard for the fraud he is. He is thought to be another representation of the average American people.
• Uncle Henry: In the late 1800's, there was a famous farmer who was the editor of a leading farm magazine. His name was Henry Cantwell Wallace, and everyone called him Uncle Henry.
• Cyclone: The tornado is thought to represent political upheaval, or the free silver movement. During the time period in which this story was written, farmers were suffering from federal deflation; they were receiving less money for their goods, and their debt was getting larger. They wanted the value of a dollar to have a fixed ratio of both silver and gold. Some politicians were behind this movement while others were not.
• Munchkins: The munchkins were little people who represented the common folk. They were ordinary citizens of the United States. And in the same breath, the Lollipop Guild is said to represent child labor.
• Silver Slippers: In the book, the slippers that appear on Dorothy's feet are silver, rather than ruby. Silver relates to the monetary political issues. Farmers wanted the value of a dollar to have a fixed ratio of both gold and silver. Some have also speculated that the silver slippers represent the power to vote.
• Yellow Brick Road: This represents the gold standard, such as a brick of gold. The road of gold leads to power.
• Oz: Oz is an abbreviation for gold, which was a hot political topic with people rallying for a fixed ratio of silver and gold.
• Tin Woodman: The Tin Woodman has a more obvious meaning. He represented the industrial workers who were often dehumanized. He was rusted an immobile, which is a feeling that many factory workers when businesses began shutting down because of a nation-wide depression. After losing their jobs, they felt helpless.
• Scarecrow: The scarecrow is thought to represent the western farmers. While his complaint was that he didn't have a brain, he ended up being the most clever problem solver of the four travelers.
• Cowardly Lion: There was a politician named William Jennings Bryan in the late 1800's who supported the free silver movement. The Cowardly Lion is said to represent Bryan, who was seen has having a loud roar, but no bite, or no power.

Now I plan to read Baum’s other 13 books!

>27 KindleKapers: That's very interesting. It might be time to revisit this old childhood favorite. Just have to figure out when I can "squeeze" it into my busy reading schedule.

Book:The Marvelous Land of Oz by L. Frank Baum
Category:“There are worlds out there where the skies are burning, where the seas asleep, and the rivers dream. People made of smoke, and cities made of song. Somewhere there's danger, somewhere there's injustice...and somewhere else the tea is getting cold. Come on Ace...we've got work to do!” ~ The Doctor, from Doctor Who (Books about travel to far off lands...both terrestrial & extra-terrestrial, real & fantasy)



Pumpkinheads, Saw-horses and Woggle-Bugs, Oh My! The second of L. Frank Baum’s Oz series, this story is set during the post-Wizard regime and introduces a whole new group of unique characters as well as some old favorites who have a whole new quest to pursue. Such fun traveling once again with the Scarecrow & the Tin Woodman, as well as Tip, Jack the Pumpkinhead, the Saw Horse and H.M Woggle Bug, T.E. as they restore the rightful ruler of Oz to the throne.

Fantasy accompanied by words of wisdom as well as progressive messages abounds throughout this story. Baum, being married to a strong-willed woman and who had a feminist mother-in-law with personal connections to Susan B. Anthony & Elizabeth Cady Stanton, shows himself to be a man-ahead-of-his-time by creating female characters capable of greatness in their own right.

..and, as Princess Ozma tells her friends, the Tin Woodman & the Scarecrow, “your riches are the only riches worth having – the riches of the content.”

A charmingly imaginative and funny continuation to this children’s fantasy, with of course the bit of social & political humor/satire for adults to enjoy… next in this series – Ozma of Oz.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was one of my childhood favorites. Read it many times when I was young and then again to my children and recently to my granddaughter (who loved it). Sadly, I have never followed up on this series, perhaps it's time I did.

I have an omnibus edition (The Wonderful World of Oz on my tbr shelves which includes three of the stories: The Wizard of Oz, The Emerald City of Oz and Glinda of Oz. One of the options I was thinking about for a category in my own challenge was to read books from Heinlein's World as Myth theory contained in The Number of the Beast. It didn't make it this time around but there's always next year, right?

Also, I didn't realise that there were so many Oz books. Anyone read all 40?

Book: Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff
Category: “All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them.” ~ Galileo Galilei (Non-fiction books)



Wow…there have been some really good reviews of this book! …and I sooo wanted to like it. But surprisingly, I just wasn’t crazy about this particular piece of non-fiction.

Don’t get me wrong…Cleopatra was a fascinating woman and I think that Stacy Schiff did a very thorough job portraying her as a powerful queen as well as an intelligent strategist, diverting the focus the manipulative-seductive Shakespearean/Liz Taylor image that has shaped pop culture’s definition of Cleopatra’s life. She also paints an incredible literary picture of the Ptolemaic rule and life in Alexandria, as well as Cleopatra’s role in the political turmoil & subsequent growth of the Roman Empire. However, I found my mind wandering as specific military maneuvers of Caesar, Mark Antony and Octavius were discussed in detail (and this took up large sections of the text) as well as some of the other historically technical sections of the book.

I would recommend this work for those readers who really enjoy detailed accounts of Ptolemaic & Roman History…and who would also be interested in learning and speculating about the final Queen of Egypt.

Book: Squidge - Little Elf, Big Trouble by Andrew Thomas
Category: I like improvising a lot. What I like about it is that it's extremely unexpected. I love its total randomness.” ~ Kyle Young (Mimi's Choice)



Saw this one available for free download via amazon.com and I thought it would be fun to read it. This is a children's story about a little elf who coincidentally knows karate and uses it to save Christmas! Cute.

Book: Fluke, Or I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings by Christopher Moore
Category: “Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face” ~ Victor Borge (Books that make me laugh)



Now that I’ve read five of Christopher Moore’s books since discovering him about eight months ago, can I call myself a Moore groupie? :)

When I first saw this title – Fluke, Or I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings – I thought this might be a whales-are-communicating-with-the-mother-ship knockoff of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home…or perhaps a whaley version of Douglas Adams’ So Long and Thanks for all the Fish. I was wrong though…Christopher Moore ended up creating an original story combining some factual info about cetacean research with an incredibly imaginative fantasy world peppered with his typically fascinating and very funny characters unlike any I’ve met anywhere else in literature.

…and I even learned some very interesting “facts” about the anatomy of the male right whale…and who knew that all killer whales are really named Kevin and that most of them “are just four tons of doofus dressed up like a police car.” ;)

I really had a great time reading this one and Christopher Moore remains in the top of my favorite author list, especially when it comes to bizarre humor/fantasy!

I read A Dirty Job last year and really enjoyed it. I've been meaning to read more of his work so thanks for the reminder.

A Dirty Job was my first Moore book...since then I've read Fool, Lamb and Coyote Blue. I really want to get to his Vampire trilogy next...and I hear through the literary grapevine that he has finished his next book, although there is no news about the actual publication date yet. So excited to see what he'll come up with next!

Fluke sounds great. My first introduction to Christopher Moore was Lamb, and I absolutely adored it. I have several more Moores, but I've been a little hesitant because I don't want to be disappointed!

Lisa - I don't think you'll be disappointed. After looking at your profile, I think you would really like A Dirty Job...and Fool was such a creative black comedy variation of a Shakespearean tragedy (King Lear). I loved that one!

Book: Chocolate Chip Cookie Mysteries by Joanne Fluke
Category: "I like improvising a lot. What I like about it is that it's extremely unexpected. I love its total randomness.” ~ Kyle Young (Mimi's Choice)



It’s funny how we discover writers and books sometimes. For instance, I was googling up Christopher Moore’s Fluke after I read it, and the name Joanne Fluke kept appearing. No, Joanne Fluke is not a whale or even a reasonable facsimile thereof, but a clever mystery writer who has written a series of mysteries revolving around an unlikely amateur detective/entrepreneur/baker extraordinaire….so I decided to give the first book in the series, Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder, a try.

Hannah Swenson decides to leave college when her father died so she could help out her family in the seemingly crime-free small town of Lake Eden, Minnesota. She then uses both her baking talents and her entrepreneurial spirit to establish the very popular Cookie Jar Bakery/Café. Little did she know that she would also become an “undercover agent” for her brother-in-law/police officer when a murder takes place right outside her bakery…and a darn good one at that!

This was a light, fast book to read and it was fun solving the murder mystery with this most improbable of crime solvers! …and she never could have done it without those delicious cookies, the recipes for which are included throughout the book (Mmmmm…Chocolate Chip Crunch Cookies, Regency Ginger Crisps, Pecan Chews, Black and Whites, Chocolate-Covered Cherry Delights, Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies & Lovely Lemon Bar Cookies!) I have to admit, the book made me hungry for something sweet… ;)

Your review of Joanna Fluke's novel has made me hungry! I am almost tempted to check out the series just for the recipes. :-)

The recipes make it all worthwhile! :D

Book: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Category:“The dirtiest book of all is the expurgated book.” ~ Walt Whitman (Books that have been subject to censorship throughout time)
Censorship Issue: ALA, Banned and/or Challenged Books from the Radcliffe Publishing Course Top 100 Novels of the 20th Century –Challenged at the Baptist College in Charleston, SC (1987) because of "language and sexual references in the book."



Although I first read by The Great Gatsby back in my junior year in high school (1984…gulp!!), I decided to revisit this classic American novel after my daughter, who is now a HS junior herself, also read it. Her questions and thoughts about Nick, Gatsby, Daisy and Tom inspired me!

Re-reading books that we were required to read in school is a great experience. Not only does it refresh those stories buried in the library of our brains, but it also gives us a different perspective than we may have had as 16, 17 & 18 year olds. Our life experiences often lead us to delve into a piece of literature on a whole new level. As I read Gatsby this time around, I have a more life experience when it comes to striving for that elusive American Dream and have seen those in the “valley of ashes” who are endlessly struggling to no avail while the proverbial East Eggers continue to remain on the top. I have also seen the Nick Caraways who reject hypocritical materialism and forge their own way in the world. Definitely adds to my admiration for the themes presented by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

There’s also a nostalgic aspect to this story and that revolves around the fact that I was born on Long Island and lived there until 2005. Granted, I did not grow up on either the East or the West Egg (I’m a South Shore girl), but I am very familiar with those communities, and as a former LIRR commuter, I have a pretty good image of the “Valley of Ashes.” I also waxed nostalgic as Fitzgerald’s poetic prose gently described that Long Island summer weather, which remains the same even in the 21st century (with the air conditioning, of course ;)).

WhileThe Great Gatsby is most certainly a period piece reflecting the historical, political, economic & social forces of the 1920s, the ideas of an unattainable American Dream, social stratification, and the emptiness of loveless materialism are all topics that can be applied to our 21st century world.

Book: Chinese Dreams by Anand Giridharadas
Category: “All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them.” ~ Galileo Galilei (Non-fiction books)

Chinese Dreams, a Kindle Single written by International Herald Tribune & New York Time Online columnist Anand Giridharadas, is a fascinating journalistic novella that delves into China’s view of itself. After spending time interviewing different representatives of Chinese culture, Giridharadas provides a non-Eurocentric view of China’s possible future, based on its own history. There are fascinating and important cultural differences between the Eastern and Western world and this short work does a great job illuminating some of these differences. ...and I find it interesting how the author speaks primarily to the youth of China, asking them what they want for the future as compared to what the older generation wants.

Since this is the first time I've read any of this journalist's work, I googled him and came across his bio at http://anand.ly/bio.

Kindle Singles are an excellent idea and I look forward to downloading and reading more of them.

I am positive that if I read The Great Gatsby again today, I'd enjoy it more. I think it's probably one of those books they force on you too young to really understand in high school -- though I'm not sure what you *could* read in a high school if the curriculum didn't include books that you'd get more from if you waited.

Book: Fat,Forty,Fired: One Man's Frank,Funny,and Inspiring Account of Losing His and Finding His Life by Nigel Marsh
Category: “Go for the moon. If you don't get it, you'll still be heading for a star.” ~Will Reed (Books that encourage/inspire)
(I debated whether to put this in this category or in the humor category since it is quite funny in parts. However, I feel that the author really did experience a great emotional & physical transformation as a result of his experiences that could be encouraging & helpful to some readers, so I decided that it belongs here).



I thought this was a fun-to-read memoir about a male midlife crisis of sorts. Nigel Marsh, a UK expatriate living in Australia, turns forty, and due to corporate downsizing, decides to take a year off from the business treadmill to conquer some of his personal demons and better himself while reconnecting with his family & friends.

Marsh’s stand-up comic past is evident in his humorous, sometimes satirical, writing style. He made me laugh (and even cry a little) as he addressed his triumph over alcoholism, his swimming & running adventures, his Australian/British/Italian travels, his poignant relationship with his parents, and his growing understanding of how to become a better husband and father.

Nigel Marsh arrives at interesting conclusions as a result of his fortieth year hiatus … conclusions that may help define what it means to live (or not live) a “balanced life.”

Book: Swamplandia! by Karen Russell
Category: "A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step" ~ Lao Tzu (Debut Novels)



What an incredible book!

Set in the gator-wrestling theme park attraction run by a pseudo-Native American “tribe," the unusual cast of characters, some surreal forays into the world of ghosts & the occult and a misleading cartoonish book cover might lead some to believe that this is yet another example of paranormal bizarre fiction, Florida-style. The story, however, is so much more than this, though…

The plot itself revolves around the children of Hilola & Chief Bigtree, proprietors of Swamplandia!, the gator-wrestling attraction located in the Thousand Islands of the Florida Everglades. After the death of their mother, the central attraction at Swamplandia!, each of the children experiences his/her own coming-of-age-battle-against-inner-demons in a very unique way, while coping with the ongoing grief resulting from the loss of their mother. Much of the story is told from the point of view of 12-year-old Ava Bigtree, through whose eyes we see the emotional & physical downfall of her family, as well as the dramatic release of her own childish perceptions of the world. Karen Russell is an amazing writer in that she really uses her words to get into Ava’s head, leading the reader along the same path toward maturity that the young girl experiences, making her a truly empathetic character.

This is a creative, engrossing and very moving tale of loss, growth and family ties like nothing I’ve read before and I hope to see more from Karen Russell in the future!

Book: Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void by Mary Roach
Category: “All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them.” ~ Galileo Galilei (Non-fiction books)



After reading both this book and Bonk, I am convinced that “TMI” is not an acronym in Mary Roach’s vocab…which, in my book, is a positive thing when it comes to fascinating scientific research!

In this book, the author “explores strange new worlds” as she delves into both the weird and mundane aspects of the Space programs throughout the world, as they developed throughout the 20th-century through the new millennium. What makes Ms. Roach’s work unique is that she approaches this topic from a more human perspective – in other words, she investigates the nitty-gritty of how the terrestrial human race can withstand the other-worldly rigors of Space Travel at zero-gravity. From eating and sleeping to pooping, vomiting, sex, many natural biological issues are explored, no holds barred.

You’ll laugh…you’ll say “Ewwwwww!”…. and you’ll learn so much about what the human body might have to endure on a 2-year mission to Mars…or any space travel for that matter! Through her honest, humorous and informative words, Mary Roach raises some very thought-provoking questions regarding the future of the Space Program. A great read!

Book: Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Category: “My roommate got a pet elephant. Then it got lost. It’s in the apartment somewhere.” ~Stephen Wright (Books about the pets/animals we love)



This one has been on my to-read list since it was first published and when I heard the movie in being released next month, I decided that indeed there is no time like the present…

What an amazing story! Originally written by Sara Gruen as part of National Novel Writing Month, this tale takes us back and forth in the life of Jacob Jankowski, from his current life as a 90-ish man in a nursing home to his incredible experiences as a circus vet for the Benzini Brothers, a traveling circus of the Great Depression. Based on her thorough research of the golden years of the Circus, Ms. Gruen creates a fascinatingly beautiful yet sleazy circus world, filled with beautiful performers, an elaborate . menagerie, clowns, freaks, prostitutes, passion, greed, mental illness, physical abuse and true love. She paints such an incredible picture with her words that I can absolutely picture this as a movie…as long as the movie can do these words justice.

To me this is also a story of beginnings and one man’s ability to not see life as a series of endings but as an opportunity to carry on in the face of grief, old age, and even unexpected elephant ownership! ;)

…and in terms of the cast for the movie, if I didn’t know better, I’d think that the character of August Rosenbluth was actually written for Christoph Waltz! Perfect choice!

Book: Practical Demonkeeping by Christopher Moore
Category: “I beheld the wretch - the miserable monster whom I had created” ~ Mary Shelley (Books about monsters and all sorts of phantasmagoric beings)



I could say this is a strange story, but anyone who has ever read any Christopher Moore books would expect that! :) If you haven't read any of his tales and are in the mood for some humorously bizarre fiction, then I hope you love his books as much as I do. Very funny!

After reading some of Moore's later books, I finally decided to go back and read his debut novel, the first of his Pine Cove trilogy...and he definitely started off on the right foot. From the very beginning of his novel writing career, Christopher Moore showed his incredible skill at creating a fascinatingly eccentric cast of characters who, as I have already seen, tend to show up randomly in some of his later unrelated books as well. Colorful characters such as Travis O'Hearn, the man-eating lizard-esque demon Catch, Augustus Brine and Mavis Salt, etc., all play essential roles in drawing the reader into the story of how a demon from Hell terrorizes the small town of Pine Cove.

Next in the series..."Island of the Sequined Love Nun…”

Christopher Moore is definitely an author I keep meaning to go back to having only read A Dirty Job so far. So it's good to know that his earlier books are just as much fun to read.

Absolutely! ...and if your read A Dirty Job, you'll get to see where it all started for Detective Rivera :). Actually reading this book helped me understand where the scene from Lamb with Catch the demon came from...I remember when I first read that scene thinking the whole thing was kind of random (but of course writing it off as being typically Christopher Moore). Now I understand Catch's origins.

Book : The Madman on the Roof by Kikuchi Kan
Category: "I like improvising a lot. What I like about it is that it's extremely unexpected. I love its total randomness.” ~ Kyle Young (Mimi's Choice)

I stumbled upon this play when skimming through an anthology of Asian literature & decided to read it with my college students. We really enjoyed reading this funny and sweet play about family, love and acceptance.

Written by Japanese playwright Kikuchi Kan, often known as the tycoon of the literary world, the plot basically revolves around a father who is concerned about his 24 year old son who climbs on the roof to watch the sunset. Dad's worried that his son is not right in the head and will hurt himself & embarrass the family. His brother helps Dad realize that as long as bro own't hurting himself, why not let him enjoy the sunset. In other words "a madman who is able to enjoy the beauty of a sunset is far better off then the fully sane man who doesn't.

Book: Island of the Sequined Love Nun by Christopher Moore
Category: “Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face” ~ Victor Borge (Books that make me laugh)



This is yet another example of Christopher Moore's just-not-right-yet-entertaining stories with a beta male protagonist whose a little bit Hamlet, a little bit Moses, surrounded by a cast of eccentric characters, from a phony Sky Priestess & Sorcerer to a transvestite-turned-lesbian navigator (don't ask...I couldn't explain that if I tried :P), a talking bat named Roberto, Shark People and a pilot god named Vincent who plays poker with Jesus.

This is the 7th Christopher Moore book that I have read and although I do think that Moore's writing only gets better with each book that he writes,these characters combined with a highly imaginative story incorporating cargo cults, satirical commentary about religious corruption, gratuitous (& very funny) sexual encounters, and supernatural phenomena kept me reading & wondering up until the end.

His titles are starting to rival that of another Christopher for fun and imagination, that of Mr Brookmyre.

Dave - Thanks for the Christopher Brookmyre recommendation! Never read any of his books but from the titles, looks like I'm going to have to give some of his books a try. :)

I've just read the last of his books that I had so I'll have to wait until he releases his new one before I get to add him back to the unread pile. I should add a warning that the humour in his books is usually of the quite dark variety and I hope you're not put off by offensive language. If you are then I'd suggest to keep clear. If not then I'd recommend that the two series he has should be read in order so as to avoid spoilers from previous books. The starter books for each are Quite Ugly One Morning and A Big Boy Did it and Ran Away. There are also a couple of stand-alones that aren't tied to either series including my favourite of his work, One Fine Day in the Middle of the Night. Hope you enjoy if/when you read him.

I have kind of eclectic tastes in books so dark plots and offensive language don't bother me as long as it makes sense in context of the plot ( I'm reading I am Ozzy right now which has plenty of offensive language...but considering it is in Ozzy Osbourne's voice, I wouldn't expect anything else ;) ). Thank you for the tips on where to get started with these books!

Book: I am Ozzy by Ozzy Osbourne
Category: “All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them.” ~ Galileo Galilei (Non-fiction books)



Growing up in the ‘70s and ‘80s, I have to admit that I never really appreciated heavy metal music & was not exactly a fan of Black Sabbath & Ozzy Osbourne. However, as I’ve “matured”, some of my musical tastes have “immatured,” and I’ve started to like some classic Ozzy music, particularly “Crazy Train”, “Changes”, etc. With Ozzy’s celebrity re-emerging due to the MTV reality show featuring his family (and some REALLY funny TV commercials), I have become more and more interested in his life story, so “I am Ozzy” was a great way to satisfy my curiosity.

This was an awesome memoir…but before I get into that, here’s a disclaimer. This book is for those readers who are interested in reading an honest autobiographical account tracing the life of an important heavy metal rocker who has run the gamut of experiences, including a prison sentence, extreme drug & alcohol abuse, wife abuse, animal cruelty issues, superstardom and ultimate rehabilitation. Written completely in Ozzy’s voice, the reader will feel like he/she is actually have a conversation with the rocker himself, one who doesn’t water down the details of the past or soften his language to do so. This is what makes the memoir so wonderfully real because it truly shows Ozzy how he really IS…but if you are someone who might not appreciate this type of language and candor, you may not want to read this one.

However, that being said, I LOVED this book for the very reasons mentioned above. Starting with his childhood & traveling to the present day, Ozzy gives the real scoop about his life, without leaving anything out. I think it’s great that he does not try to gloss over the negative elements of his past and he doesn’t try to make excuses for himself…while he is not proud of many of his actions, he knows that these are the experiences that make him who he is, and he should not deny his past. …and despite the seriousness of many of these issues, Ozzy is an outstanding storyteller who is also soooo funny…he definitely had me laughing aloud throughout the book (sometimes after saying to myself “Ewwwww…TMI Ozzy!”, but that’s beside the point :P).

I definitely think this is an important book for anyone who loves Rock & Roll and wants to learn as much as possible about the history of Rock. I’ve seen books about many musicians, singers, etc, but never such a revealing memoir dealing with heavy metal music. Many (including Ozzy himself) have called the rocker a medical miracle…with all the drugs and alcohol he has consumed, a doctor once asked him “How are you still alive?” I think of other musicians from the 60s & 70s who were sooo talented, but who just couldn’t survive the substance abuse…too bad they couldn’t tell us their stories in their own words! Fortunately, Ozzy has survived, and is willing to talk so openly about his memories of his past. His road to rehabilitation has been a long one, and hopefully he will have continued success with it.

Book: Bossypants by Tina Fey
Category:“Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face” ~ Victor Borge (Books that make me laugh)



This was a cute memoir in which Tina Fey talks about how she developed into a star producer while dealing with everything from pimples and quirky cruise experiences to photo shoots and breast feeding. Growing up with SNL, I thought it was fun to read about the "behind the scenes" life there (well, at least one version of it :) ) and although some of what was discussed was a review of what I already knew (I remember the whole hilarious Sarah Palin impersonation like it was yesterday, and I still watch 30 Rock), I found myself laughing out loud in many parts. Especially during those important "beauty" tips!

Talk about an eye catching cover! I knew something was off but it took me a minute to figure it out. Another memoir that I will definitely want to get to sooner or later. I enjoy her work a lot.

I had the same reaction to the cover....I was like "What is not right here?" I'm still trying to figure out whose arms those are...Alec Baldwin? Lorne Michaels? Her dad? Definitely a fun read :)

Book: Ozma of Oz L. Frank Baum
Category: “There are worlds out there where the skies are burning, where the seas asleep, and the rivers dream. People made of smoke, and cities made of song. Somewhere there's danger, somewhere there's injustice...and somewhere else the tea is getting cold. Come on Ace...we've got work to do!” ~ The Doctor, from Doctor Who (Books about travel to far off lands...both terrestrial and extra-terrestrial)



L. Frank Baum strikes again! In the third of his ongoing stories about the inhabitants of the Land of Oz and other nearby Fairy lands, we are re-acquainted with Kansas-girl Dorothy Gayle who once again gets sent to these enchanted lands, this time be a sea storm while traveling via ship with her sickly Uncle Henry to Australia. She arrives in the Land of Ev with her talking, egg-laying hen and is there joined by the copper man, Tik Tok as they encounter the evil King of the Nomes and are almost made his prisoners for eternity. Then in comes the cavalry...Princess Ozma to the rescue (of course with the help of the Scarecrow, Tin Woodsman, Cowardly Lion, the Saw Horse...and even a Hungry Tiger)!

Another enchanting tale of danger & magic in which the little person (or in this case the little chicken!) can make all the difference...this would have made a great sequel movie to "The Wizard of Oz!"

Book: The Saint by Oliver Broudy
Category: “Go for the moon. If you don't get it, you'll still be heading for a star.” ~Will Reed (Books that encourage/inspire)



This piece is an awesome example of a Kindle Single...short enough so the author is able to get to the point without feeling a need to add extra embellishments, but long enough to tell describe the fascinating mental & physical journey of both a journalist and a multi-millionaire. Although the title may lead one to believe otherwise, the message of this work is not necessarily religious. While dealing with many of the premises of Buddhism & Jainism, the themes, which include passive resistance, freedom, search for self and happiness in an often isolating world, are universal.

In this mini-memoir, Oliver Broudy becomes fascinated with James Otis, a wealthy collector of Gandhi-related memorabilia who goes on a quest of redemption after selling Gandhi relics to an auction house for an exorbitant monetary sum. Broudy, who is also trying to come to grips with his own mixed feelings about New York life, accompanies the millionaire in his travels to India, with plans to fuel the Tibetan rebels through both non-violent resistance & monetary assistance. Throughout this journey, Broudy is thoroughly honest about his mixed feelings toward James and tries to come up with a contemporary definition of Sainthood, while attempting to discern that fine line between saintliness and selfishness.

Really enjoyed it!

Book: I Am America (And So Can You!) by Stephen Colbert
Category: “Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face” ~ Victor Borge (Books that make me laugh)



First of all, YES Stephen Colbert! I still here your voice in my head after finishing your book! Satisfied?!? :D

Stephen Colbert is incredibly funny, in a highly satirical way of course! He has an awesome knack for stirring.....everything. Religion, politics, science, sexuality....nothing is sacred. And in my opinion, that's what makes this book so hilarious. It gets us to laugh at ourselves.

Book: The Zombie Movie Encyclopedia by Peter Dendle
Category: “I beheld the wretch - the miserable monster whom I had created” ~ Mary Shelley (Books about monsters and all sorts of phantasmagoric beings)



When I won this book in the Early Reviewers program, I really wasn't sure what to expect. Campy Zombie Spoof? Bizarro Fiction? Really creepy, scary stuff of nightmares? As it turns out, none of the above is the correct answer. This book starts with a fascinating study of the Zombie as it evolved from the African-Caribbean tradition to the Western Suburban Mythological tradition. Written by Peter Dendle, an Associate Professor of English at Penn State Mont Alto who focuses on the monstrous (in film, folklore, and society), this discussion of how the image of the Zombie continuously reinvents itself, reflecting the concerns, socio-political issues and paranoias of society is really intriguing.

The rest of the book is truly an encyclopedia of Dendle's reviews of Zombie-themed movies and stage productions in which he provides honest & entertaining discussions about these films. Since each review is short, they can read separately, making this one a great coffee table book to read sporadically (if you don't mind having zombies on your coffee table of course :P) . I also think it would be a lot of fun to go through the encyclopedia and watch as many of these zombie movies as possible. (Although I wonder if "Nudist Colony of the Dead" is even available anymore... :o) )

This book is fascinating and fun for those of us who love our monsters!

Book: Goody Two Shoes, Anonymous Author
Category: “I like improvising a lot. What I like about it is that it's extremely unexpected. I love its total randomness.” ~ Kyle Young (Mimi's Choice)



So this is how the expression "Goody Two Shoes" became popularized?!?

I came across this children's tale through the Project Gutenberg Internet Archive and I decided I wanted to read a bedtime story before falling asleep last night so I decided on this one. Originally published by John Newberry in 1765, this is a simple, moralistic tale about the characteristics of what society deemed the idealistically virtuous person at that time. I chuckled at the obviously allegorical names used by the anonymous storyteller - Margery Meanwell, Sir Thomas Gripe and Farmer Graspall (the very greedy one of course!).

...But of course, this is a period piece as the reward of the virtuous person was a popular theme in children's literature when it was written. Fun to read this blast from the past!

Book: A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Category: "A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step" ~ Lao Tzu (Debut Novels)



Although Sherlock Holmes has been an integral part of our literary consciousness & pop culture since Sir Arthur Conan Doyle first created the character. I have not read any of the books until now. Inspired by the wonderful BBC series, "Sherlock "starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman, I decided to read to the book that introduces us to Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson. Really enjoyed it too. Sherlock Holmes, through the eyes of Doctor Watson, is such an awesomingly eccentric, irritating and brilliant detective who has a most fascinating method of solving difficult crimes and I was surprised that this story even took me to the early days of the Church of Latter Day Saints in Utah....I never realized that the crimes solved by Holmes & Watson took the reader beyond the UK. It's interesting to see how an author from the UK in 1887 viewed America & Mormonism, a religion steeped in American tradition...not to mention the controversy that it created.

The first episode of the BBC series, by the way, was called "A Study in Pink" and although he plot has been re-vamped for a 21st century audience, co-creators Steven Moffat & Mark Gatiss do a wonderful job keeping many of the details true to the original plot...it was fun seeing that as I read the original 1887 publication. Looking forward to reading more of these mysteries!

Hi Mimi - Coincidentally, I watched a DVD with the first three episodes of the BBC series "Sherlock", just this past weekend. A very refreshing, modern spin on the Sherlock Holmes stories. I came across the DVD at my local library and just about had a heart attack when I discovered that was all they had for the series..... is this a recent BBC series? If so, that might explain why the library only had the one DVD.

I am guessing that "A Study in Pink" is the modern, re-vamped version of "A Study in Scarlett"? I read every one of the Sherlock Holmes stories years ago when my sister bought me the complete anthology. This may be a good time to revisit the stories.

Lori -

Those three episodes made of Season One of "Sherlock", and fortunately I read that filming is in progress for season two which will air sometime in the Fall. Steven Moffat is one of the main writers of this program, and he is also really busy with "Doctor Who," so this may explain why there are so few episodes. Here's a link to an article about it - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-10925753

The plot of "A Study in Pink" has been changed slightly to make it more contemporary but there are remarkable similarities. Here is a link to the official BBC "Sherlock" site - http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00t8wp0. I'm going to read The Sign of the Four next

>66 KindleKapers: I hadn't thought about Goody Two Shoes for years! I had the book when I was a very little girl, and remember not quite being able to believe that someone didn't have shoes!

Book: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Category: “I beheld the wretch - the miserable monster whom I had created” ~ Mary Shelley (Books about monsters and all sorts of phantasmagoric beings)



Such a wonderfully spooky coming-of-age tale! I'm so glad that I chose this one as my first Neil Gaiman read...

The author makes wonderful use of language to create a creepy graveyard environment in which the living boy, young Nobody ("Bod") Owens, grows up, protected by both the dead and the undead interred there. This piece of young adult fiction appeals to all ages of readers as a ghost story, a murder mystery, an adventure amongst vampires, werewolves & ghouls, and a story of friendship, love and growing up, even in the eeriest of places!

I can definitely see why this story is the first to win both the Carnegie Medal and the Newbery Award!

I loved The Graveyard Book when I read it earlier this year. It was my second Neil Gaiman, my first being Neverwhere which was also a fantastic book. He is truly an awesome author!

I'm in the middle of The Graveyard Book at the moment. Started it at the weekend but just haven't had the time to finish it off. Enjoying it at the moment as I have done with all of the pencil-necked weasel's books that I've read.

Book: The Enemy (Kindle Single)
Category: “All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them.” ~ Galileo Galilei (Non-fiction books)



A very interesting Kindle Single written by English-American author/journalist Christopher Hitchens in which he discusses Bin Laden and bin Ladenism as a form of tyrannical despotism and includes his own critique of those who attempt to soften the deeds of Bin Laden...

This was a short read, although quite intense so it took me a little longer then expected to complete...the dictionary function on the Kindle really came in handy here

Book: A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
Category: “I beheld the wretch - the miserable monster whom I had created” ~ Mary Shelley (Books about monsters and all sorts of phantasmagoric beings)



I am a big fan of books about otherworldly creatures, but I have very mixed emotions about this one…

The whole concept of a witch who is also an Oxford historian who somehow summons an ancient manuscript that is important to witches, vampires and daemons sounded fascinating to me. …and I still like the way that particular aspect of this story played out…however I just feel that the plot of the story would have flowed much better without all the intricate nuances of forbidden vampire-witch romance, from the physical intimacy to getting along with the “in-laws” (imagine going hunting with your vampire mother-in-law? :P). I know that the relationship between Diana Bishop & Matthew Clairmont is central to the story but I found the details overbearing at times.

I did, however, enjoy the way history, witchcraft and “vampire-ness” wind together to create an interesting underlying plotline that should carry through all three books in this All Souls Trilogy. I just feel that the story was could have been told more concisely.

Book: Chasing After Wind (LRRP Rangers Vietnam) by R.W. Holmen
Category: “History is a set of lies agreed upon.” ~Napoleon Bonaparte (Historical Fiction)



I received this novella as part of a LibraryThing member giveaway and I really found it both interesting to read and insightful.

I didn't know anything about the author, R.W. Holmen, before reading this Vietnam vignette, but I could tell from his bold figurative language and intense description, that this was written based on personal experience. The poker game metaphor really stresses the sometimes ironic nature of war, leaving us with the ongoing question, "Who is the enemy, really?" Very thought provoking and I look forward to reading the other installments of "LRRP Rangers Vietnam."

Thank you, Mr. Holmen, for giving me the opportunity to review your story...and with Memorial Day just around the corner, I would also like to take this opportunity to thank you for your service to our country!

Book: Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz by L. Frank Baum
Category: “There are worlds out there where the skies are burning, where the seas asleep, and the rivers dream. People made of smoke, and cities made of song. Somewhere there's danger, somewhere there's injustice...and somewhere else the tea is getting cold. Come on Ace...we've got work to do!” ~ The Doctor, from Doctor Who (Books about travel to far off lands...both terrestrial and extra-terrestrial)



I am loving reading this classic series!

Once again we meet Dorothy as she experiences yet another natural disaster - this time a "Californy" earthquake that sucks her into more magical adventures. This time she is accompanied by her maniacally mischievous kitten, Eureka (who makes the reader long for Toto's company), the rancher boy Zeb and his old cab horse and even the good 'ol humbug Wizard as they travel through the lands inhabited by Mangaboo Vegetable People, Invisible People & Invisible Bears, Wooden Gargoyles, Dragonettes and of course Munchkins, Winkies, Gillikens and Quadlings. This is a fun adventure that even gives us a little more info about the background of the Wizard and the History of Oz as a whole,adding more depth to the story as we proceed to the upcoming adventures in Oz.

...and all I can say is that I wish I had Princess Ozma's magical belt...Princess Ozma & Dorothy were able to beam people in and out of Oz before Captain Kirk ever uttered those legendary words - "Beam me up, Scotty!" :D

Book: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Category: "Nowhere am I so desperately needed as among a shipload of illogical humans." ~Spock in 'I, Mudd (Science Fiction)



So glad that I finally started this trilogy! Fantastic...and one of the more unique stories in this genre that I've read in quite a while!

Set in Panem, the civilization that arose from the ruins of the place once known as North America, Ms. Collins offers a frightening dystopian vision of a possible future in which a central autocracy uses public entertainment as the ultimate means of punishment and control. The central government in the Capitol has sought revenge on the 12 outlying Districts for rebellions many years before in the form of “The Hunger Games.” Each of the Districts are required to randomly choose one teenage boy and one teenage girl annually to compete, with the goal being a fight to the death. To make matters worse, this “competition” becomes a media extravaganza, initially inspired by Greek mythology and more contemporarily by “the much more recent experience of channel surfing between reality TV programming and actual war coverage.” This really conveys the creepy feeling that humankind has become numbed to human struggle, sacrifice & suffering by the callous/flip treatment of such matters via the media!

Katniss Everdeen is a 16-year old girl who represents both a courageous & “street smart” heroine who would do anything for her family as well as a typically emotionally naïve & confused adolescent girl who is unaware of her own personal charisma. That’s what makes her such a likeable character… She’s a survivor who still has emotional growth in her future. I’m heading in to “Chasing Fire” to see what happens to Katniss, Peeta, Gayle and others in District 12 and Panem as a whole.

** According to Suzanne Collins. “It’s hard to choose one element that inspired The Hunger Games. Probably the first seeds were planted when, as an eight-year-old with a mythology obsession, I read the story of Theseus. The myth told how in punishment for past deeds, Athens periodically had to send seven youths and seven maidens to Crete where they were thrown in the Labyrinth and devoured by the monstrous Minotaur. Even as a third grader, I could appreciate the ruthlessness of this message. ‘Mess with us and we’ll do something worse than kill you. We’ll kill your children.’

“Other early influences would have to include watching too many gladiator movies, which dramatized the Romans’ flair for turning executions into popular entertainment; my military specialist dad who took us to battlefields for family vacations; and touring with a sword fighting company in high school. But it wasn’t until the much more recent experience of channel surfing between reality TV programming and actual war coverage that the story for this series came to me.”

Book: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Category: "Nowhere am I so desperately needed as among a shipload of illogical humans." ~Spock in 'I, Mudd (Science Fiction)



I am crazy about this series!

I got right into this after finishing The Hunger Games and this one was equally as good, perhaps even better as the suspense builds in the frighteningly totalitarian world of Panem. Just when I thought that this totally maniacal Hunger Games punishment couldn't get any worse, the Capitol finds a new way to torture the citizens of the 12 Districts via the Quell games, in which Katniss and Peeta once again find themselves participating. But there's only so long that hopeless oppression like this can last before the people revolt, and of course Katniss becomes the catalyst and symbol for the inevitable rebellion.

These books are so totally engrossing and I thought the arena for the Quell, while horribly sadistic, was also a very interesting design on the part of the Capitol and of course the author herself...Tick Tock! Tick Tock!

My only regret was that when I got to the end of the book, I had to go to work and couldn't start Mockingjay immediately! ;-) But now I'm already into Book 3, so back to Katniss Everdeen's world I go! :)

Book: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
Category: "Nowhere am I so desperately needed as among a shipload of illogical humans." ~Spock in 'I, Mudd (Science Fiction)



One week ago my book club decided to read Hunger Games this month...and this morning I finished Mockingjay, the final book in the trilogy. I have been addicted to this story line all week!

In this book we find Katniss Everdeen in the heart of the rebellion, trying to figure out the difference between reality and illusion, up until the very last moment. Suzanne Collins is an amazing author in that she creates believable characters who are infused with the full range of human emotions. She writes an incredible coming-of-age story, in which Katniss learns about family loyalty, loss, grief, fear, courage and love even while overcoming the horrors of a sadistically dystopian society which will sacrifice its own children as part of its socio-political agenda.

I am looking forward to seeing what is done in the movie that is currently in production. Although I'm not familiar with many of the actors, I think Woody Harrellson as Haymitch and Donald Sutherland as President Snow work well. I just hope that the movie doesn't make it all about the relationships that Katniss has with Gayle and Peeta. Although this is integral to the story, Panem, the Hunger Games and Katniss' role in the games is central to the plot and it would be a shame if the movie doesn't highlight that.

Highly recommended to those who have not yet read these books!

I'm reading Catching Fire now. Such a good trilogy. I'm excited about the movies too.

I am hoping to get to the Hunger Games trilogy before the movie comes out. Glad to learn you found the storyline addicting!

Book: The Sign of Four by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Category: “I like improvising a lot. What I like about it is that it's extremely unexpected. I love its total randomness.” ~ Kyle Young (Mimi's Choice)



A detective running around with a magnifying glass & a tape measure...a crime-sniffing hound...a man with a wooden leg...a wild boat chase! I love it when I get to read the stories that started all the cliches! :)

This is the second of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s books that I have read so far, the first one being A Study in Scarlet. This time, instead of a crime based on 19th century American Mormonism, the criminal investigation brings the reader on a treasure hunt that includes a wild boat race on the Thames and greedy pillaging in British Imperial India, once again from an extremely Anglo-centric point of view. The criminal investigation in this one is much more complex than that in “A Study in Scarlet”, with many different players involved in the crime. I enjoyed reading it, although at times I had to go back to review some of the elements of the investigation to keep all the details in order (I didn’t find I needed to do that in A Study of Scarlet).

Sherlock Holmes, as seen through Dr. Watson’s eyes, continues to fascinate me in The Sign of the Four and my favorite part of this book is seeing how this private investigator’s brilliant yet dysfunctional personality is developed. …and of course our narrator, Dr. Watson, is likeable as always and I was happy for him when he became engaged to marry (even if Sherlock Holmes couldn’t say the same! ;-) ).

As I read these books, what truly fascinates me is how this series was truly unique in its day. The idea of a brilliant, bipolar, cocaine-addicted private investigator protagonist such as Sherlock Holmes was new and his character still fascinates modern readers/audiences. This following dialogue sums up the essence of this story for me:

"It's a romance!" cried Mrs. Forrester. "An injured lady, half a million in treasure, a black cannibal, and a wooden-legged ruffian. they take the place of the conventional dragon or wicked earl."

"And two knight-errants to the rescue," added Miss Morstan, with a bright glance at me

Book: The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Category: “I beheld the wretch - the miserable monster whom I had created” ~ Mary Shelley (Books about monsters and all sorts of phantasmagoric beings)



“As you value your life or your reason keep away from the moor.” These mysterious words of warning as well as some really ominous descriptions of the moors, make for an engrossing story!

This is such a cool mystery, featuring my favorite brilliant, OCD, substance-addicted, biplor private investigator and his loyal sidekick/chronicler, Dr. Watson. I love the way the possibility of a frightening legend of a maniacal hound haunting the moors infuses elements of the supernatural into the story....and then, of course. Holmes, as a man of logical reasoning & scientific thought, effectively dispels the paranormal through fascinating deductive investigation, once again solving a conundrum that eluded the professionals at Scotland Yard.

I have been fascinated by the canon of Sherlock Holmes lately, having read A Study in Scarlet and The Sign of Four in succession before reading this one...and I agree with what many others have said - that so far The Hounds of the Baskervilles is the best of the Holmes novels. Of the three that I have read, I feel that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle really perfected his style here, truly focusing on how Holmes and Watson solve the mystery, while incorporating the legend of the Hound and the motives of the suspects into the framework of their investigations.
Now onward to his short stories and The Valley of Fear

>78 KindleKapers:-80 Nice reviews of The Hunger Games trilogy! I just finished Mockingjay last night.

Book: A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
Category: “I like improvising a lot. What I like about it is that it's extremely unexpected. I love its total randomness.” ~ Kyle Young (Mimi's Choice)



A Pulitzer Prize winner should be something like nothing else you’ve read before…unique in style, filled with interesting characters, packed with powerful social/cultural/political messages. At least this is my opinion…and I’m happy to say that “A Visit from the Goon Squad”, the winner of the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for fiction fits the bill.

The style is certainly different and admittedly it does take some reader-effort to get through because in addition to telescoping back forth in time, each chapter is almost like a short story unto itself, with characters that ultimately link together, and each one is written using a different style. By different style, I mean that they are written in the 1st person, 2nd person and 3rd person; there’s time telescoping; there’s the journalistic style; there’s even an awesomely creative chapter written as a PowerPoint presentation. Each time I started a new chapter, I felt kind of confused and hoped I would be able to get through the book. However, after the initial confusion, the pieces would fall together and I just kept on reading, amazed by Jennifer Egan’s ability to connect all the dots using this diverse assortment of writing gimmicks.

Someone explained it to me this way – since the book revolves around characters associated with the music industry, the book reads like a song list in a good old fashioned record album, with a break between Side A and Side B. Once I thought of the book this way, it shed a whole new light on the tale. I became engrossed in the lives of the intentionally flawed characters and I really liked the conclusion, leaving the reader thinking about the passage of time as well as a possible somewhat dystopian vision of the future of social media.

Overall, this was an intriguing read that challenged me and got me involved in a cool online reading book club. Now I can see myself going back and re-reading some of the chapters now to fill in the blanks and get a fuller understanding of all the characters and how they related to one another (in a sort of “six-degrees-of-separation” way).

I can see this being made into a movie…and there were a few times when the name Quentin Tarantino came to mind because of his ability to successfully jump from scenario to scenario, time shifting in the process.

Here are some of the thoughts that I posted in a book club discussion forums on the chapters that constitute this unusual ”record album”… (may contain some spoilers):

Chapter 1 – “Found Objects”

I can definitely see how this could stand alone as a short story in a magazine like the New Yorker.

Like others have stated, I really thought the time transitions were an important part of the story because they allowed me to really get into Sasha's mind. Coz told Sasha that he liked the couch during therapy sessions so you didn't have to make eye contact. He was uncomfortable with eye contact and felt that the couch allowed both the patient and the therapist to look wherever they wanted to look. I kind of felt that way about these transitions...they allowed me to glimpse pieces of Sasha's psyche and life as a whole without making direct "eye contact" with her, symbolically speaking…

Chapter 2 – “The Gold Cure”

Another reader wrote: "I'm not sure how much I like Bennie. He's so wrapped up in his gold flakes he's missing everything else...

I think (another reader) makes a good point here. He is so wrapped in the gold flakes that he's missing everything else, like cultivating a positive relationship with his son. It seems to me that the gold flakes represent easily dissolved wealth that he is just swallowing up without giving much thought to its intrinsic value (or lack thereof). I see this when I read, "They each took a pinch of gold flakes and placed them on their tongues. Bennie tried not to calculate the dollar value of what was inside their mouths. He concentrated on the taste: Was it metallic or was that just his expectation?...He tongued the gold in a tight knot and sucked the juice from within it; sour, he thought. Bitter. Sweet? Each one seemed true for a second, but in the end Bennie had an impression of something mineral, like stone. Even earth. And then the lump melted away."

Knowing about Sasha's kleptomania from chapter one, I think it's interesting how Bennie feels a "trance-like dependence" on Sasha because of her seeming ability to find things he has "misplaced", before he even realizes that these items are missing. Kind of ironic dependence since the assumption is that she is stealing these items from him and then feeling pangs of guilt and returning them...I'm wondering if Sasha recognizes the impact that here habit is having on her relationship with Bennie.

Chapter 3 – “Ask Me if I Care”

J wrote: "I like the shift in style. Each chapter feels like a snap shot of someones life. I liked the use of "goes". I used to talk like that. I remember my 5th grade teacher always correcting my class ..."

J - I like the use of the language for the same reason as you...as a teenager in the '80s, I often used "he goes/she goes" lingo and I remember my Mom, who was a high school English teacher constantly correcting me ;)

Although I was not part of the punk rock culture, I certainly feel a connection with the 1980s young adult angst seen here amongst the characters. Although I got a little confused as to who-liked-who, I don't think it really mattered. The slice of life this chapter describes is engrossing.

I found Lou appallingly interesting and I am still on the fence about his developing relationship with Rhea as it stands at the end of the chapter...

Chapter 4 – “The Safari”

I also like the flashforwarding and found the ultimate fate of Rolph the saddest, since he is the most likeable character in my opinion. I like the flashforward about how those who witness the lion attack will Facebook and Google each other in years to come, only to discover that sharing a shocking experience on a safari really doesn't make them all best friends with lots in common. So true! ;)

Chapter 5 – “You (Plural)”

Although I felt sorry for Lou, as I would for anyone who lost his son and is facing the end of his life, I'm not sure if he really redeemed himself. According to Dictionary.com, "redemption" isan act of redeeming or the state of being redeemed ...deliverance; rescue...deliverance from sin; salvation. I just don't see how that applies to Lou here since he seems to end up where he was so many years before at the end of the chapter. I think that the pool incident with Jocelyn awakened something of his old self within him,and at least he was able to face the end of his life feeling like himself, although I don't see that he really thinks that he has done anything wrong in his life.

His comment about Rhea's daughter just shows how, in spite of his age and infirmity, he really has not changed and thus has not really achieved redemption.

I am really fascinated by this story. I may not love all the characters but I don't think that is the author's intention. These are very flawed yet very human players ... and, as I see it, perhaps the idea is to look at the lives of these imperfect, sometimes downright despicable, individuals and then look at ourselves, evaluate our own faults and then figure out how to go ahead and improve our own lots in life.

Chapter 6 – “X’s and O’s”

I actually liked Scotty and I'm not totally sure why. Perhaps it is because he is borderline crazy...and he really doesn't care what anyone else thinks. He is not ashamed of who he is. For instance, after he mentions that he is a janitor and he cleans the East River coastline, he stresses how he feels no shame in these activities because he "understands what almost no one else seems to grasp: that there was only an infinitesimal difference, a difference so small that it barely existed except as a figment of the human imagination, between working in a tall green glass building on Park Avenue and collecting litter in a park. In fact there may have been no difference at all."

As far as the fish, I thought that was kind of funny. Here Scotty is, dropping in on his old friend Bennie in his posh Park Avenue office, and bringing him a stinky fish from a polluted river. It's almost as if Scotty is bring a piece of raw reality into Bennie's false world.

I also like the way that Scotty gave the dude in the park Bennie's card and felt bad that he could never do that for someone again. He's one of the few characters that I've seen here that seems to gain satisfaction in helping a stranger.

After reading this chapter, I'm thinking that Scotty & Sasha are my two favorite characters so far...

Chapter 7 - "A to B"

I've actually been thinking about the outcast Noreen, "their neighbor to the right, who had clanging mannerisms and wore oversize sunglasses, whose hands shook violently - from medication, Stephanie presumed. Noreen had three lovely children, but none of the women talked to her. She was a ghost. No thank you, Stephanie thought." Stephanie wanted to be accepted by ,what would be called in a teen novel, the "popular girls." Kathy represented status and "the beautiful people", and Stephanie felt that being part of this was of the utmost importance. However, her acceptance was a mirage, as she discovered when Kathy's gold bobby pin stuck to the bottom of her bare foot and betrayal was revealed. This bobby pin seems to symbolize the piercing of Stephanie's illusions about this gilded world and she wanders out into a flowerbed, where she crunches the plants that she and Bennie planted together beneath her feet, ignoring the calls from her family. This is when she encounters Noreen, who generally hovers along the fence line.

What's interesting is that Noreen doesn't pry...she doesn't seem to criticize or show bitterness for being shunned..."and as the minutes passed she seemed to fade into the rummaging breeze and chatter of insects, as if the night itself were alive." Then the chapter ends as the two woman say "Good Night." So what does Noreen symbolize?

One thought I have is that perhaps Noreen represents reality beyond a shattered illusion. When Stephanie sees things as they really are in her personal life once and for all, this is when Noreen appears not a strange, skittish outcast but as a somewhat comforting figure who just is...who seems to blend into the world , accepting that which is around her in a non-judgmental way. Perhaps Stephanie recognizes that Noreen's real existence is what is really important and this is why she knows she must be divorce Bennie and move on with her life.

Any other thoughts about Noreen?

Chapter 8 - "Selling the General"

"C" wrote: "I enjoyed this chapter - Dolly, Lulu and Kitty were all interesting characters. Liked the way that characters are starting to tie into each other's lives. I'm reading this as an ebook but not find..."

C - I also was ok reading this on my Kindle...just got really good using the "Go To" and "Table of Contents" features :)

This was one of my favorite chapters in the book! Between the macabre party debacle and the idea of a ruined PR Guru trying to rejuvenate her career by portraying a genocidal dictator as being all warm and fuzzy, this was such a bizarrely cool read. As far a "plot of a not terribly believable 90s movie", like Patrick said, I absolutely agree...but I think this is what made me enjoy it so much...and this is also what made me think the Quentin Tarantino should be involved in the movie production of this chapter (Heck...he can produce the whole book if he wants ;)!

Chapter 9 - "Forty-Minute Lunch"

"S" wrote: "Ok this chapter both made me cringe and yet I liked the way Jules wrote. I hate him, obviously but at the same time I appreciated the humor and the way the details of his personal life are revealed..."

I feel the same way, S. I thought it was important to find out what happened between Jules and Kitty after meeting Jules following his prison term. When I met Jules in his later life, I wasn't sure how I felt about him...after reading this chapter, from his point of view, I can honestly see how creepy he really was ... and I'm not really sure that prison changed him all that much.

Chapter 10 - "Out of the Body"

"J" wrote: "Candice wrote: "I have two questions about this chapter. I've done a re-read of a few parts trying to figure this out but can't. There are spoilers in my questions though:spoilers removed"

R..."

J - now that I have finished the book, I am re-reading certain sections for this very reason. I know that there is foreshadowing (if you can call it that since we move back in forth in time so much). Thank you for pointing that one out in Chapter 1.

S - I read this on my Kindle too and I found myself using the bookmark features and the "Go To" and "Table of Contents" feature quite often...I think this is the most I have used these features since I first got my Kindle in March 2010! :)

As far as the style of this chapter goes, it took a bit of getting used to and at first I found the perspective annoying. However, once I got used to it, I found myself drawn into it and I really think that the tragic fate of Sasha's dear friend is important in understanding Sasha's future and is once again mentioned in Ch 12 - "Great Rock and Roll Pauses."

I am trying to recall where else I've seen this technique used...

Book: Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
Category: “History is a set of lies agreed upon.” ~Napoleon Bonaparte (Historical Fiction)



I have read so many novels based on the events of the Holocaust and yet, amazingly, this is the first I’ve read about that horrible roundup of French Jews in 1942 by the French police in German-occupied France. Tatiana de Rosnay did a good thing when she brought this horrific event to the attention of readers around the world, reminding us all not to forget those who died so brutally, encouraging us to fight xenophobia & genocide everywhere.

The heartbreakingly tragic story of Sarah Starzynsky and how, despite her courageous efforts, she lost her family during the roundup of French Jews in 1942 is uncovered over 60 years later by journalist Julia Jarmond. Sarah’s story was oh-so-sad…especially the loss of her brother! Julia’s story was one of self-discovery…as she uncovered Sarah’s story, she realized that those who she loved had a direct and disturbing connection to Sarah, one that led her on an incredible journey that forced her to see the reality behind some of her own illusions. The very poignant conclusion leaves me hoping that Julia and those whose lives she has impacted with her connection to Sarah Starzynsky’s dreadful past will truly find happiness.

Good review of Sarah's Key. I read A Secret Kept by de Rosnay as an LTER and was only somewhat impressed with that one. I should probably give de Rpsnay another change and pick up Sarah's Key.

Thanks for the great review of Sarah's Key. The cover had caught my attention but I had not read about it in detail yet :)

Book: Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson
Category: "A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step" ~ Lao Tzu (Debut Novels)



Major Pettigrew is my hero! Although he appears to be a rigid representation of old-time local tradition, Major Pettigrew is much more a symbol of the droll chivalrous romantic who, like Don Quixote de la Mancha, is willing to fight the “dragons” of closed-mindedness and intolerance for both love and passion.

This is such a beautiful multi-layered story, with Major Pettigrew at its center. The 68-year-old Major is a widower and has also just lost his brother, making him feel like the last of a dying breed….that is until his friendship with the Pakistani shopkeeper, Jasmina Ali, flourishes. The budding romance is so much more than the standard “boy-meets-girl” story however. In the Major’s ethnocentric world, cultural diversity is still not widely accepted and he is ultimately forced to make some important decisions that refute the community’s prejudicial social structure and alter his family relationships, transforming himself into a more modern man, while still maintaining those wonderfully chivalrous qualities. …he also proves, through his relationship with his son, that even an aging father always has something to teach his adult son about life and love, and I really like the way the relationship between the Major and Roger develop.

As far as the writing style goes, I wasn’t sure how I felt about it at first. There is a great deal of description, which normally I don’t like. However, in this case I really felt that the description really allowed me to see the world as Major Pettigrew saw it...very well written!

Book: Robopocalypse by Daniel H. Wilson
Category: "A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step" ~ Lao Tzu (Debut Novels)



Disclaimer: This book is not for the technologically-paranoid being that, according to this story, our electronics are becoming independent thinkers, deeming us obsolete and are planning to (and on their way in succeeding to…) kill us all. Aaaaaaah!! ;) That being said, I found this book engrossingly entertaining in a Spielberg-esque way (which is convenient since Stephen Spielberg will be producing the movie to be released in 2013).

The message of this book is not new – there have been a number of other works of science fiction that deal with idea of technology & science outgrowing & overpowering its human creators (from Frankenstein to Terminator and beyond!). However, in his debut piece of fiction, Daniel H. Wilson creatively touches on such a theme in an action-packed story about a Robot vs. Human war. The story begins at the end of the war, with some of the survivors finding a black box in which all the memories of the war are stored. Each chapter represents one of these digitally stored memories, from the perspective of different individuals involved worldwide. Even though the chapters sometimes read like independent stories revolving around a central theme, it all ties together in a smooth yet powerful way at the end.

Overall, this was a fun, fast-paced and thought-provoking read recommended for the sci fi fans out there!

Book: Foundation by Isaac Asimov
Category: "Nowhere am I so desperately needed as among a shipload of illogical humans." ~Spock in 'I, Mudd (Science Fiction)



This is my first time reading the Foundation series & I really enjoyed the first book! Asimov created something original starting back in the 1940s that endures today…so much so that it is finally going to be released as a movie this year sometime!

This is an awesome multi-leveled story. On one level, we have a fascinating sci fi tale of a Galactic Empire whose fall and eventual revival is predicted by psychohistorian Hari Selden through a combination of history, mathematical statistics and sociology. On another level, the predicted fall of the Empire, followed by the feudal period that begins in this first book, influenced first by fraudulent religious dogma (Scientism) then by economics & trade, reflects human history from the fall of the Roman Empire through the time when Asimov wrote this series (published as a book in 1952). Very interesting, and with the exception of the use of microfilm as a spying device, relevant to the modern-day sci fi fan.

I’m continuing now with Foundation and Empire.

Book: Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov
Category: "Nowhere am I so desperately needed as among a shipload of illogical humans." ~Spock in 'I, Mudd (Science Fiction)



Before Star Trek…before Star Wars…before all those other classic, high-tech galactic fliks, there was Isaac Asimov’s Foundation series. Foundation and Empire is the second book in the original trilogy and as much as I liked Book 1, Book 2 was even more engrossing. While Book 1 was more of a set-up book that dealt with the prophecies of Hari Seldon as well as the first 100 years of the Foundation, Book 2 was more action-packed as it dealt with the battle between Empire and Foundation.

In addition to awesome descriptions of the galaxy of the First Galactic Empire and the First Foundation, some very unique characters were introduced. Besides the Scientists, the Generals , the Mayors and the Emperors, we are meet Baytya, the first strong female character the reader meets in these books, Magnifico the weird refugee clown, and the mutant named Mule.

Now to find that Second Foundation! :)

Book: Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov
Category: "Nowhere am I so desperately needed as among a shipload of illogical humans." ~Spock in 'I, Mudd (Science Fiction)



Wow! The Second Foundation, with its powers of mental/emotional control, is really scary and really does shed a more maniacal light on the whole Selden plan!

I enjoyed this third book in the initial Foundation trilogy, although I found some of the technobabble about psychohistory and mathematics a bit confusing at times. The first part of the book, about the Mule, was my favorite. Once we started getting into the war with Kalgan and all the “I-know-the-location-of-the-Second-Foundation” speculations, my mind was a bit boggled. But Asimov of course does an awesome job of drawing it all together, leaving the reader hanging until the very last line of the book.

It took Asimov almost 30 years before he published the next book in the Foundation series ….fortunately I don’t have to wait that long! :)

Book: The Scent of Rain and Lightning by Nancy Pickard
Category: “I like improvising a lot. What I like about it is that it's extremely unexpected. I love its total randomness.” ~ Kyle Young (Mimi's Choice)



Although I originally expected this to be primarily a crime thriller, to me it was more a story of family tragedy, for both the Linder and the Crosby family, as it reveals itself over 20-plus year time period. For me, the crime thriller aspect was resolved in my mind to early in the book, although it was interesting to see how the details of this story ultimately panned out.

It was the way that Ms. Pickard used the natural environment & weather in rural Kansas metaphorically to express fear, doom and ultimate peace of spirit that really kept my attention. Underlying themes such as familial bonds, murder, revenge and the always timely discussion about the fairness of the American justice system are woven into the story and also give the reader something to think about.

>95 KindleKapers: It certainly wasn't my favorite book, but it was well-written.

Lori - That was my feeling too...when I read a crime thriller, I like it when the resolution of the crime is not quite so transparent. But I agree that it was well-written.

Book: A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
Category: “I beheld the wretch - the miserable monster whom I had created” ~ Mary Shelley (Books about monsters and all sorts of phantasmagoric beings)



Remember those fairy tales we were told as children about knights in shining armor, happy princesses, and charming princes all living happily ever after in their elegant castles? If you’re looking to return to those innocent tales, run away…and fast! ;-) However, if a fantasy world filled with dragons, a dwarf, walking dead and a wide variety of characters, ranging from kings, queens and knights to children, thieves, old crones, prostitutes and murderers, you just might love this book as much as I did.

Incredibly, I had not heard of George R.R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire series until HBO started airing Season One of The Game of Thrones series. I started watching it before I started reading the book and my husband recommended the books to me. I decided to take his advice in the hopes that reading the book would help me gain a more comprehensive understanding of the story & greater insight into character motivation before continuing with the television series. So glad I did too because I really found Martin’s writing style engrossing and he just creates such an incredible, albeit quite dysfunctional, fantasy world. Especially like the way each chapter is told from a different character’s perspective…and I love the way the book ended! Now I’m going to continue with A Clash of Kings…

I really hope to get to A Game of Thrones this year. I've heard such great things about it, but its length is intimidating me!

It's definitely long...but it's so engrossing that it goes relatively quickly

Book: A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin
Category: “I beheld the wretch - the miserable monster whom I had created” ~ Mary Shelley (Books about monsters and all sorts of phantasmagoric beings)



Well, the second book in the series is as good if not better than the first! George R.R. Martin creates a fascinating fantasy world where the knights are trained to kill, not to rescue the fair maidens, and where the outcasts can be the unspoken heroes, in an epic way. His writing style inherently builds suspense, making the reader want more and the descriptions are incredibly life-like and really allowed me to visualize every details (even some of the more sexually explicit, brutal and gory scenes)...which brings this unique fantasy world to life. I especially like the way this book starts to stress some more supernatural elements and I can't wait to see more of the dragons and Melisandra, the Red Priestess.

Next on the list...A Storm of Swords

Book: An Arm and a Leg (Kindle Single) by Emma Span
Category: “All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them.” ~ Galileo Galilei (Non-fiction books)



This Kindle Single is a short analysis of the life and career of baseball phenom, Jose Reyes. It's definitely interesting if you're a baseball fan, and even more so if you're a NY Mets fan. Since I still lived in New York when Reyes first wowed all us Mets fans with his youthful energy and talent, much if this brought back Major League baseball memories.

This work also delves into some important questions about free-agency and whether or not the Mets should offer Reyes the money needed for him to remain on the team. Again, these are issues that are most relevant to baseball/sports fans which is generally who would be reading a piece of non-fiction like this anyway.

Book: A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin
Category: “There are worlds out there where the skies are burning, where the seas asleep, and the rivers dream. People made of smoke, and cities made of song. Somewhere there's danger, somewhere there's injustice...and somewhere else the tea is getting cold. Come on Ace...we've got work to do!” ~ The Doctor, from Doctor Who (Books about travel to far off lands...both terrestrial and extra-terrestrial)



This is the longest of the first three books in GRRM's series and, in my opinion, it is the best one yet. No spoilers here, but again the story never gets boring and I love the way the lives of the point-of-view characters weave together through unlikely alliances and unexpected plot twists. So great how there are so many surprises buried in the many layers of plot as I continued to see the world of Westeros and the Free Cities through the eyes of Tyrion, Jon Snow, Arya, Sansa, Danerys, Catelyn and even Jamie Lannister, who develops into an interesting character after a life-changing incident. I also look forward to reading more about the Lady Knight, Brienne of Tarth and in seeing how some of the seemingly supernatural elements of the story develop.

...and whatever you do, don't skip the epilogue...very important to read up until the very last word!

Book: A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin
Category: “There are worlds out there where the skies are burning, where the seas asleep, and the rivers dream. People made of smoke, and cities made of song. Somewhere there's danger, somewhere there's injustice...and somewhere else the tea is getting cold. Come on Ace...we've got work to do!” ~ The Doctor, from Doctor Who (Books about travel to far off lands...both terrestrial and extra-terrestrial)



Although I've heard mixed reviews of Book 4, overall I really like this one too!

The first 200 pages or so were admittedly a bit slower than the other books and some of the chapters took a little more time to get through only because I had to keep flipping to the appendix just to keep my Tyrells, Martels & Greyjoys straight in my head, However, it was cool how GRRM divided Book 4 and Book 5 by characters rather than by time. This way, in "Feast of Crows" the reader really gets to focus on those lives that generally revolve around King's Landing, particularly Cersie, Jamie, Brienne, Samwell, Alayne & Arya as well as important players from the other smaller Houses of Westeros. Once again, the plot twists were fascinating and I was left with as many questions as I was answers.

I'm just glad that I read this now, when I don't have to wait six years for the publication of A Dance with Dragons...I am dying to see what Tyrion, Bran, Jon Snow and Danerys are up to while this King's Landing drama is boiling over!

KindleKapers -- did you know Chris Moore's new book is a graphic novel? Supposedly I have it saved for me at my boyfriend's comic book shop. I found it when I was at a bookstore, and it looks decent. (Not my preferred artistic style, but it's Chris Moore! How can you go wrong?)

reflexandresolve - Cool! I'll definitely check it out....thanks for letting me know!

reflexandresolve - Christopher Moore also announced that his next regular novel, "Sacre Bleu: A Comedy d'Art", is being released on April 3, 2012. Check out the cover:

Book: A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin
Category: “There are worlds out there where the skies are burning, where the seas asleep, and the rivers dream. People made of smoke, and cities made of song. Somewhere there's danger, somewhere there's injustice...and somewhere else the tea is getting cold. Come on Ace...we've got work to do!” ~ The Doctor, from Doctor Who (Books about travel to far off lands...both terrestrial and extra-terrestrial)



Wow! After being held hostage in Westeros by George R.R. Martin for the past two months as I read my way through Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords and A Feast for Crows , I am proud to say that I have just finished the last book in the series - A Dance with Dragons. Overall, the series has so far has fascinated me, frustrated me, scared me, grossed me out, made me laugh, and it ABSOLUTELY has made me cry - all elements of a great literary experience! …and thanks to the detailed descriptions throughout all the book, the story has left me with such a thorough understanding of Westerosi culture, that I feel like I could visit there and understand what to wear, what to eat, etc. (Hey, maybe GRRM should write a “travel guide” – “Vacationing in Westeros & the Free Cities for Dummies”! :D)

After reading all these books consecutively, I really feel that this most recent publication was excellent. I have read some reviews that are critical of the book, saying that it doesn’t advance the plot. I honestly don’t believe that advancing the plot was the author’s intent here since the story line in this book runs concurrent with that in A Feast for Crows. While A Feast for Crows focuses on one group of characters, particularly those whose lives are associated with King’s Landing, A Dance with Dragons is geared around the Free Cities and the Wall, with only some overlap between the two books. GRRM does an amazing job expanding on the current state of affairs in Westeros by delving into this highly complex story in incredible detail, interconnecting the characters in ways I never predicted.

…and of course the final chapters left me with more questions than answers, making me very excited for the next installment in "The Song of Ice and Fire."

Ack! Everywhere I go these days I am running into reviews praising George R.R. Martin's series - I guess I better get to it sooner rather than later!

Judy - It's a HUGE time commitment, but it's definitely worth it! :)

Count me in as another LT reader sold on Martin's series. I now need to figure out when I will get around to it...... maybe in 2013?

Book: The Hedge Knight by George R.R. Martin
Category: “I like improvising a lot. What I like about it is that it's extremely unexpected. I love its total randomness.” ~ Kyle Young (Mimi's Choice)



After completing the first five books of A Song of Ice and Fire series, I decided to begin these novellas about the adventures of Ser Duncan the Tall (aka "Dunk") and Aegon Targaryen V (aka "Egg") that take place about 100 years before the events in Game of Thrones transpire. These were initially written as regular novellas and were later also translated into graphic novels. I am reviewing the written novella, however, as I have not yet read the graphic novel.

The Hedge Knight introduces us to Dunk before he was Ser Duncan, when he was living the life of a Hedge Knight whose life is about to change when he takes on a young squire who, unbeknownst to him is really a Targaryen prince. (Aegon V/"Egg" is Danyeras Stormborn's great-grandfather, btw)

Once again, Martin's descriptions give a very vivid image of the action as he addresses how a good knight is not necessarily defined by birth. It was fun reading more about these characters only mentioned in "A Song of Ice and Fire," and I especially liked the references to the young Maester Aemon, a character who we meet in "Game of Thrones". Looking forward to the next one...

Book: The House of Tomorrow by Peter Bognanni
Category: "A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step" ~ Lao Tzu (Debut Novels)



This is a strange yet oddly real and touching story that explores coming-of-age in a non-traditional family environment, friendship and familial bonds against all odds.

Through first-person narration, we get to know Sebastian Prendergrast, who was orphaned very young and has since been raised by Nana, his off-beat grandmother who lives in a geodesic dome home in Iowa and is a die-hard adherent to the philosophy of R. Buckminster Fuller. When Nana has a stroke, Sebastian is thrust into the world beyond his Geodesic Dome Home where he truly learns the meaning of friendship when he meets Jared Whitcomb, a teenage heart transplant recipient. Together, the two social outcasts learn to face both their present and their future through, of all things, their own punk rock band!

This is truly a unique story that is wonderfully weird, funny, bittersweet and uplifting…a great debut novel!

Book: The Sworn Sword by George R.R. Martin
Category: “Go for the moon. If you don't get it, you'll still be heading for a star.” ~Will Reed(Books that encourage/inspire) - The reason I am including this seemingly unlikely GRRM novella here is because I found Ser Duncan the Tall's chivalry and honor in an otherwise generally unchivalrous world both moving and inspiring!



Another fun-to-read episode in the adventures of young Aegon Targaryen V ("Egg") and Sir Duncan the Tall ("Dunk")! This time we join them in their exploits at with Ser Eustace and the Red Widow at Castle Coldmoat as GRRM once again delves into the characteristics of a "good knight" as well as the ambiguities between the "good guys" and the "bad guys." I'm looking forward to seeing how Dunk's sense of honor and chivalry rubs off on Egg, and how Egg ends up rising to power.

Book: American Gods by Neil Gaiman
Category: “I beheld the wretch - the miserable monster whom I had created” ~ Mary Shelley (Books about monsters and all sorts of phantasmagoric beings)



This was a fascinating tale! American Gods accompanies Shadow, a released convict, as he journeys into the heart of America with the forgotten gods, mythical beings and legendary figures who “traveled” to America with the immigrants and were, over time, neglected and forgotten. Shadow innocently becomes integral to the old gods’ plot to regain power from the newly emerging gods of technology and progress.

The worldwide mythological references masterfully incorporated into this story include Norse, German, Native American, African and Egyptian beliefs (etc.) as well as American legends such as John Chapman and Paul Bunyan. I made sure to have the Google search app on my Smartphone ready to go as I read so I could reference the different myths as I read, which added another dimension to this reading experience. This story, however, goes beyond a reminiscence of these past ideas…it encourages the reader to consider the importance of remembering our immigrant roots and perhaps finding ways to incorporate the traditions of our past into our modern lives, without denying the necessity and beauty of progress.

As I read this book, the only thing that bothered me was that I felt that it got a bit wordy in parts and certain sections could have been edited slightly. Then I discovered that I had been reading the 10th Anniversary Edition of the novel published by William Morrow in June 2011, with the "author's preferred text", which includes an additional 12,000 words. Perhaps I would have been better off reading the book as it was originally published in 2001, when it was awarded both the Hugo and Nebula Prizes.

Other than that, though, I love Neil Gaiman’s writing style and I was totally entranced by many of his descriptions, such as the science fiction-y passage describing Las Vegas…and I was captivated by the journey into the Egyptian afterlife! After reading The Graveyard Book (which is still one of my favorites) and American Gods, I am definitely looking forward to reading another one of Neil Gaiman’s works.

Nice review of American Gods, I hadn't realised there was a "preferred text" version and I must admit I am intrigued. I thought the original was very well paced so it would be interesting to see what's changed.

Book: The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Category: “Go for the moon. If you don't get it, you'll still be heading for a star.” ~Will Reed (Books that encourage/inspire)



It took me way too long to pick this one up and I am so glad I finally did! The Help has been crowned as the modern day version of To Kill a Mockingbird and I can certainly see how that’s true as this is an effective indictment of racism and segregation in America during the early 1960s, when the Civil Right movement was in full bloom. As we delve into the lives of domestic help in Jackson, MS through the eyes of three incredible women, we not only explore racial relationships, but we also probe the strength of the feminine spirit in the face of domestic abuse, lost love, sickness and death. The three main point-of-view characters – Abilene, Minnie (whose chocolate pie you just may want to avoid! ;-) ) and Skeeter- lead the reader through some horrific situations with compassion, humor and, most of all, courage, proving that things can change when action is taken.

This is also an excellent piece of historical fiction in its portrayal of everyday life in the early 1960s. While the racism that prevailed was ever-present throughout the story, I thought it was cool to read about JFK, MLK, the newly formed zip code system, pop culture references like "My Favorite Martian" and even the wonderment experienced by a family who just installed their first air conditioning unit on a hot day in Mississippi.

A beautifully touching and inspiring tale which reminds us of the common bonds amongst humanity as a whole! I’ve heard such good things about the movie, and now I’m looking forward to seeing it.

Book: Storm Front (Book 1 of the Dresden Files) by Jim Butcher
Category: "A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step" ~ Lao Tzu (Debut Novels)



I have been wanting to "meet" Harry Dresden for a while now and I'm glad I finally picked up the first of the Dresden file stories. After all, I like crime thrillers and I like fantasies dealing with the magic and supernatural as a whole, so the mixture of the two was lots of fun!

In this book, the reader is introduced to Harry Dresden, a private investigator/wizard who is often hired by the Chicago police department to consult on those supernatural matters that are beyond the scope of normal investigation. Combine that with the Mafia, sex, pizza-loving faeries, toad-like demons, a White Council of Wizards, dark magic and even giant killer scorpions, all experienced via a fast-paced first person narration, and you've got yourself a great read. I will definitely be reading more of Jim Butcher's novels when I want a fun, fast read.

Book: The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
Category: “There are worlds out there where the skies are burning, where the seas asleep, and the rivers dream. People made of smoke, and cities made of song. Somewhere there's danger, somewhere there's injustice...and somewhere else the tea is getting cold. Come on Ace...we've got work to do!” ~ The Doctor, from Doctor Who (Books about travel to far off lands...both terrestrial and extra-terrestrial)



Before there was Harry Potter...before there was Eragon & Saphira...before there were Starks, Lannisters & Targaryens...there were hobbits, wizards, elves, Wargs, goblins and other inhabitants of Middle Earth! J.R.R. Tolkien is the proverbial grandfather of many of these fantasy worlds that we have come to love over the years, so I figured it's about time that I actually sit down and read these books. I loved reading about how Gandalf and the dwarves inspired Bilbo Baggins to travel beyond the Shire and experience many incredible adventures, while doing his part in fulfilling a prophecy. Still an awesome read after all these years!

...and now I can't get "The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins" (you know, the one that Leonard Nimoy sings...http://youtu.be/XC73PHdQX04 out of my head! :D

In the middle of the earth,
In the land of the Shire,
Lives a brave little hobbit whom we all admire.
With his long wing hight,
Fuzzy wolly toes,
He lives in a hobbit hole,
And everybody knows him.

Bilbo, Bilbo Baggins,
Only three feet tall.
Bilbo, Bilbo Baggins,
Bravest little hobbit of them all.

Now hobbits are peace loving folks you know,
Never in a hurry and they take things slow.
They don't like to travel a way from home,
They just want to eat and be left alone.
But one day Bilbo was asked to go,
On a big adventure to the caves below.
To help some dwarfs get back there gold,
What was stolen by a draken in the days of old.

Bilbo, Bilbo Baggins,
Only three feet tall.
Bilbo, Bilbo Baggins,
Bravest little hobbit of them all.

Well he fougth with the goblins,
Battled with trolls,
He wrilde with Gollem,
A magic ring was stole.
He was chased by wolves,
Lost in the forrest,
Escapet yet a barrle from the elve king ohhh.

Bilbo, Bilbo Baggins,
Bravest little hobbit of them all.

Now he's back in the Shire,
That brave little hobbit whom we all admire.
Just sitt'n on a treasure of silver and gold,
Puffing on his pipe in a hobbit hole.

Bilbo, Bilbo Baggins,
Only three feet tall.
Bilbo, Bilbo Baggins,
Bravest little hobbit of them all.

Bilbo, Bilbo Baggins,
Only three feet tall.
Bilbo, Bilbo Baggins,
Bravest little hobbit of them all. :D

Now onward to LOTR!

Book: Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
Category: “The dirtiest book of all is the expurgated book.” ~ Walt Whitman (Books that have been subject to censorship throughout time, according to the ALA's top banned/challenged books and other sources)



Regarding Censorship: According to www.ala.org, "Burned in Alamagordo, NM (2001) outside Christ Community Church along with other Tolkien novels as satanic."

Furthermore, according to the article Banned Book Awareness: Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, "According to a National Health Service anti-smoking group in Plymouth, England, children should be banned from watching films like Lord of the Rings because they feature people smoking. NHS Plymouth states that about 40% of school-age children have admitted smoking regularly and that research showed children were more likely to start smoking if they had been exposed to certain images, including people smoking on television and in films.

Russ Moody, from the Plymouth Stop Smoking Service, said, “This is not about being a busybody – this is about protecting young people from harm and the aim is not to stop children from watching otherwise “enjoyable films”, but to put pressure on film makers not to include any smoking scenes.” The article also discusses the NM Christ Community Church incident.

Summary/Review:

So here I am, 44-years old and embarking on my first quest with Frodo Baggins as he does his best to destroy the infamous Ring - "One Ring to rule them all/One Ring to find them/One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them/In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie." I just really felt that, despite the fact that I've lovingly read the likes of Rowling, Martin, Paolini, etc., I could not truly call myself a Fantasy fan without reading the granddaddy of all these wonderful books - The Lord of the Rings.

I'm very glad that I read The Hobbit first because it transitioned me from Bilbo's to Frodo's story with ease. Although I really had to concentrate when reading this one, especially when reading the chapter titled "The Council of Elrond," I just love how Tolkien intermingles his very detailed description of the landscape into his narrative about how Frodo and the Fellowship of Nine - Sam, Merry, Pippin, Gandalf, Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas & Boromir - begin the journey to Mordor, where the Ring it ultimately destined to be destroyed according to prophecy. As I was reading this, I enjoyed thinking about the impact that this masterpiece has had on other fantasy writers, particularly on the young writer of the Inheritance Series, Christopher Paolini. Always fun to see where literary ideas originate!

Now that Frodo and Sam(my favorite character in the book so far...well, Sam and Bilbo Baggins! :)) are off to continue their quest, I plan to join them soon in The Two Towers.

Book: Beatrice and Virgil by Yann Martel
Category: "My roommate got a pet elephant. Then it got lost. It’s in the apartment somewhere.” ~Stephen Wright (Books about the pets/animals we love) - I included this book in this category because the book uses taxidermy and a stuffed howler monkey and donkey as an expression of the horrors of animal extermination, which in turn is a metaphor for the Holocaust and genocide as a whole. It almost seems like it belongs in another category, but I suppose I never said the animal category has to include warm and funny animal stories, so here we are...



My October 2011 Book Club Read

First let me say that I have not yet had the opportunity to read Yann Martel’s “Life of Pi”, so I am unable to make any comparisons between the two works. So this works stands alone in my mind. That being said, I very rarely write a one-star rating for a book, and I waffled between one and two stars for this one. On the one hand, I thought this was a unique approach to the genocide of the Holocaust, and on the other hand, the whole metaphor completely disturbed, perhaps even disgusted me on several levels.

The central question that the protagonist, Henry, explores is whether he can write a piece of metaphorical fiction about such a serious topic as the Holocaust, in the same way that George Orwell did when he addressed totalitarianism in “Animal Farm.” Although his attempt at doing this is turned down by his publisher, he ultimately has an unusual series of encounters with a taxidermist who is writing a play about the brutal extermination of animals in something called “The Horrors.” So this is the metaphor for the Holocaust, in parable format. A creative idea, yet I just didn’t like the metaphor comparing Holocaust victims to donkeys and other animals. …and the fate of Erasmus and Mendelssohn along with vivid description of animal brutality just made me sick to my stomach.

I know a great deal about the Holocaust and have read many books, both fiction and non-fiction, pertaining to this and other horrific genocides so I am fully in touch with the details of these events. But this particular story just really made me feel very sad & upset, without adding anything to my understanding of and already existing empathy for the victims of the Holocaust.

Book: Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard Atwater
Category: "My roommate got a pet elephant. Then it got lost. It’s in the apartment somewhere.” ~Stephen Wright (Books about the pets/animals we love)



I first read this book with my children when they were little and I have been re-reading it on and off on my Android Kindle app ever since the Jim Carey rendition of this adorable story was released. After hearing the poor reviews of the movie, I decided not to pay to see it, but I still had a good time re-reading this children's classic.

What can be more charming then a tale about an unsuspecting, somewhat befuddled, house painter who unsuspectingly becomes the owner of a whole flock of penguins who are destined for fame and even evolutionary history? Reading this innocent tale of penguin fun released my inner child, especially the silly scene with the penguins and the seals in the Regal theater, wearing fireman and police man hats! :D Great fun!

...and here is my review that I wrote back on September 26, 2002 -

It's so hard to believe that I never read this book as a child. I actually heard about it from my sister-in-law who said it was her favorite book as a child and, after reading it to both my children (8 years old and 4 1/2 years old), I can see why!

This is a charming tale of how a small-town housepainter and his family achieved fame through the their amazing performing penguins. It all started when Mr. Popper received a penguin in the mail and the population increased from then on! Amusing and heartwarming all at once!

Book: The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
Category: “The dirtiest book of all is the expurgated book.” ~ Walt Whitman (Books that have been subject to censorship throughout time, according to the ALA's top banned/challenged books and other sources)



Wow!! That was sooo cool!

Continuing with my first foray into Middle Earth and Tolkien's universe of the Ring, so far this my favorite of the books I have read so far (even liked it better than The Hobbit). I love the way the book was divided, the first half traveling and adventuring with Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Gandalf, Merry and Pippin toward Isengard in the quest to defeat Saruman and the second half journeying with Frodo and Sam as they encounter the likes of Gollum, Farimer and the very scary Shelob. These are the books in which true courage and loyalty is revealed in the face of intense evil and treachery.

Tolkien's writing is amazing and it's incredible how he is able to create a landscape that so effectively mirrors the emotions of the characters as well as the state of affairs in the lands of Middle Earth. ...and the ending made me so relieved that I don't have to wait to read the next book (I haven't watched the movies yet, believe it or not, so I really don't know what will happen next...). All set for Return of the King!

Wow, it's amazing (and wonderful) that you're a Tolkien virgin! LOTR is one of my favorite books of all time, so I'm really glad you're enjoying it! :) You're in for a treat with The Return of the King! The movies are very good too, although some details were changed (of course).

Book: The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien
Category: “The dirtiest book of all is the expurgated book.” ~ Walt Whitman (Books that have been subject to censorship throughout time, according to the ALA's top banned/challenged books and other sources)



“Well, I’m back.” ~ Sam Gamgee

…and yes! I finally FINALLY did it – after all these years, I finally succumbed to the lure of the Ring and completed the Lord of the Rings trilogy! Part Three of this epic tale, The Return of the King, is the amazing conclusion, from the events leading up to the inevitable events at Mount Doom to the dramatic return of Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin to the Shire!

Since this book has been summarized and discussed ad infinitum, I’m just going to jot down some thoughts I had as I completed this trilogy:

• This may be cliché, but Hobbits are remarkable beings! I loved how both Merry and Pippin develop from comic relief characters who just come along for the adventure into truly courageous little warriors who play important roles in defeating the forces of Mordor, but also save the Shire from oppressive rule.

• …and speaking of Hobbits, I think everyone should have a friend with the loyal heart of Sam Gamgee!! He is my favorite character (probably one of my favorite literary characters of all time) and his fate made me smile at the end.

• I know the climax of the story is the ultimate destruction of the Ring, but I also found the final two chapters of the book, which dealt with what had happened in the Shire while the “Fabulous Four” were off saving Middle Earth, are fascinating! Tolkien’s genius continues to shine here because he effectively shows the ripple effects of oppression even in the far reaches of a Kingdom and how it takes just a few brave souls to rise against tyrannical rule. Very thought provoking and it left me pondering what would come in the New Era in the Shire and beyond.

“Still round the corner there may wait
A new road or a secret gate
And though I oft have passed them by
The day will come at last when I
Shall take the hidden paths that run
West of the Moon and East of the Sun.”

Congratulations on completing the trilogy - that's quite a feat!

Book: Good Omens by Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman
Category: “Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face” ~ Victor Borge (Books that make me laugh)



Wow! Who knew that Armageddon could be so funny?!? Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman wrote a humorous satire about good, evil and the End of Times, partially as a reaction to the rash of Antichrist-centered movies that were being released prior to the years this book was published…movies such as The Omen, The Exorcist and Rosemary’s Baby, to name a few. (and, on the non-Satanic level, there were even some bizarre ET references, which I got a kick out of… :) ) …and although this was published in 1991, it’s references to the Rapture and Armageddon still ring a bell with today’s readers.

I like the way I was able to pick out the different writing styles in this book, especially some of the parts that sounded very “Gaiman-ish” to me… this is the third Gaiman work that I’ve read this year, so his style is happily becoming more familiar. I have never read any of Pratchett’s work before so this was a great introduction. In any case, the collaboration was quite successful as I enjoyed the way the two styles blended together, with my favorite parts to read being those about Adam and his adventures with the Them as well as the approach of the Four Horsemen (or should I say Bikers) of the Apocalypse (I personally got a little impatient with some of the other story lines, but I know they were all integral to the story). …and the fact that Pratchett and Gaiman were able to incorporate these intense ideas into a light-weight and fun-to-read story, while still satirizing these ideas in a sensitive yet thought-provoking way, really shows writing talent!

Book: Go the F**k to Sleep by Adam Mansbach
Category: “Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face” ~ Victor Borge (Books that make me laugh)



Ha! Ha! Just read this one as a short diversion and all I can say is that it's an absolutely hilarious adult "children's book" for tired parents everywhere! Now I want to listen to the audiobook, which is read by Samuel L. Jackson...it'll be like Pulp Fiction for Little Ones...LOL!

Book: A Lion Among Men by Gregory Maguire
Category: “Go for the moon. If you don't get it, you'll still be heading for a star.” ~Will Reed (Books that encourage/inspire)



Lions and Witches and Dwarfs, Oh My!

I really liked this third installment of the Wicked Years series! This one is a bit more of a character analysis than the other books, which I see is a negative for some other readers. I actually enjoyed the change of pace and view this as more of a transition book which I imagine will ultimately link the various subplots together. Once again Gregory Maguire takes one of our Ozian favorites, in this case the Lion, and delves into his background and how, for the most part through a series of misunderstandings, he came to be officially known as The Cowardly Lion. In addition to being the story of Brrr's important encounter with Yackle , this is also an incredible tale of a search for self in an often intolerant world and the ultimate discovery of inner-strength. In other words, forget his humbug encounter with the great WOO...this is where the so-called Cowardly Lion really finds his courage! (Which is why I am including this in the "encouraging/inspiring" category...)

Now I can go on to read the newly released Out of Oz...

Book: Out of Oz by Gregory Maguire
Category: “There are worlds out there where the skies are burning, where the seas asleep, and the rivers dream. People made of smoke, and cities made of song. Somewhere there's danger, somewhere there's injustice...and somewhere else the tea is getting cold. Come on Ace...we've got work to do!” ~ The Doctor, from Doctor Who (Books about travel to far off lands...both terrestrial and extra-terrestrial)



I have enjoyed this series and Gregory Maguire's writing since I read Elphaba's story in "Wicked" and I think this was a fitting conclusion to the series. Although I felt that too much time was spent on information extraneous to the central plot and, like many fantasies I have read, the traveling narrative got too extensive in parts, and some of the character development (i.e. Shell Thropp) was lacking, I thought the separate yet interlocking stories of Rain, Brrr, Liir, and Dorothy were brilliant. I like the way that Maguire incorporates so much of L. Frank Baum's original series while also referencing the original Wizard of Oz movie as well as subsequent versions. His other literary and pop culture references were also fun...I wonder if Margaret Mitchell and E.B. White would have thought the same... ;-) (Hey, I also saw a bit of J.K.Rowling's influence in certain parts of the story)

Generally, this final book in the series, wraps things up well, and yet, it still leaves room for the imagination to run wild when considering the ultimate fate of certain characters and the future history of Oz!

>130 KindleKapers: Glad to know that you enjoyed the whole series! I really liked Wicked and have meant to continue with the series -- I even have the next 2 books! Maybe next year...

Book: Inheritance by Christopher Paolini
Category: “There are worlds out there where the skies are burning, where the seas asleep, and the rivers dream. People made of smoke, and cities made of song. Somewhere there's danger, somewhere there's injustice...and somewhere else the tea is getting cold. Come on Ace...we've got work to do!” ~ The Doctor, from Doctor Who (Books about travel to far off lands...both terrestrial and extra-terrestrial)



I have read some mixed reviews of the grand finale to this series, but overall I have to say that I think Christopher Paolini did a pretty good job bringing the story to a conclusion while still leaving the reader with the ability to imagine what’s in store for the main characters and the lands in which they live…the fact that some issues are left open for speculation makes me think there are short story and novella possibilities in Paolini’s future ( I would love to see something more about Elva, the blessed/cursed witch-child, for instance).

The best part of this series, for me, has always been the dragons. I personally was mesmerized by the dragonology, from the eggs, to the moods and inner thoughts of the likes of Saphira and Thorn and the bonds they form with their Riders, to the Eldunari and other magical dragon discoveries revealed in this final book. This part of the fantasy seemed extremely memorable and original. While the author also does a very good job delving into the politics behind the destruction and rebuilding of an Empire and I enjoyed the interaction amongst the different characters for the most part, there were some parts that I felt were highly influenced by other fantasy series such as LOTR, Star Wars and even the Wizard of Oz ((with a very very sadistic and evil "Wizard" in charge ;-) ).

…and of course there was some silliness interwoven into the plot, like a sword named “Tinkledeath”, for instance, and the improbable use of a spoon as a weapon…but considering the length of the book and the bittersweet emotions flowing throughout, a little comic relief was welcome.

Book: 11/22/63 by Stephen King
Category: “History is a set of lies agreed upon.” ~Napoleon Bonaparte (Historical Fiction)



There was a time when an 800+ page book may have intimidated me, leading me to assume that I would be inundated with irrelevant details & boring description. While this may still be true in some cases, 2011 has been a landmark literary year for me with the likes George R.R. Martin & the great Stephen King changing my mind. Details? Yes! Description? Absolutely! But both of these authors have the uncanny ability to make me want to hang onto every word, knowing that somehow things will eventually tie together in intriguing and often surprising ways. This is certainly the case in 11/22/63!

This is definitely one of my favorites of the year! The basic premise of time travel back to a watershed moment in American history was what first attracted me to this book. Time travel and its potential consequence is one of my favorite sci fi themes & I like the way King incorporated the concept of the Butterfly Effect into the story. I also was fascinated by the portrayal of Cold War America in the years between 1958-1962, and not just the far-reaching political and social happenings, but also the everyday lives of country folk and city folk alike.

Beyond the obvious historical fiction/sci fi elements of this intricately woven tale, however, King really moved and surprised me as he delved into themes such as the impact of individual decisions & actions as well as the power of love....and through his main character, Jake Epping, he really defines the meaning of a hero! Loved it...I'm just wondering if there will be a movie and who will play Jake, Sadie, etc......

Book: The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt
Category: “History is a set of lies agreed upon.” ~Napoleon Bonaparte (Historical Fiction)



This month it was my turn to recommend a book for book club and I wanted to choose something a little different so one I heard about this comic noire-style Western and how it appeals to those who generally do not read Westerns, I decided that The Sisters Brothers would be a fun option. I can’t compare it to other westerns, because I honestly can’t think of the last western I’ve read, but I can say it that it was a very interesting approach to the historical events surrounding the Gold Rush as seen through the eyes of an assassin with a developing conscience.

This a strange yet fun and sickly comic story about Eli and Charlie Sisters, outlaw assassins who have been hired to kill Hermann Warm, an eccentric yet brilliant gold prospector. Rather than a romanticized version of the glory of the Old West, Eli tells the tale of this quest from his point of view, delving into his somewhat bizarre experiences with fellow outlaws, wayward cowboys, eccentric prospectors, lovingly vengeful whores, raiding Indians and even the miracle of dental hygiene…I found myself laughing at the most surprisingly unlikely scenes.

I read somewhere that this book had a “Kill Bill” quality to it and I definitely felt that…as a matter of fact, I felt that if this was ever produced on the Big Screen, it has Quentin Tarantino written all over it!

Nice review, I am looking forward to reading it next year even more now :)

Book: The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman
Category: “History is a set of lies agreed upon.” ~Napoleon Bonaparte (Historical Fiction)



Since I was a child, I have learned about the tragic events at Masada, seeing the calamity from different viewpoints throughout my life, always leaving me wondering what really happened inside King Herod’s seemingly impenetrable fortress. Like Alice Hoffman, I too have often wondered about the experiences of the two women and five children who escaped the suicides/massacres, so I was especially interested in The Dovekeepers when I heard about it.

As I am a newbie to the literary world of Alice Hoffman, I am unable to compare this to any of her other works. However, I can say that I really like the way the destinies of these women, as told through alternating first-person narrative, are woven together in sometimes surprisingly ways. I have read several books about Jewish women during ancient times, including The Red Tent by Anita Diamante and The Queenmaker: A Novel of King David’s Queen by India Edghill, so I am familiar with the fictional female voice of Jewish women in ancient days, and I thought that Ms. Hoffman did a very good job bringing this voice to Masada in a way that kept me reading as I delved into the background and ultimate fate of each of these women.

From the historical perspective, the author effectively combined history, archaeology, Judaic beliefs and folklore to give the reader a good feel for the era when the Second Temple was destroyed by the Romans and refugees found their way to King Herod’s ancient fortress. I especially feel that she did an outstanding job showing how Masada was home not to a homogenous group of Jews who all adhered to the same ways of interpreting Jewish life, but to a diverse people that included Sicarii, Essenes and other Judaic sects, thus adding depth to the story and a deeper understanding of the possible motivations of those involved in this tragedy.

After enjoying The Dovekeepers, I would definitely consider reading another Alice Hoffman title…

That is a great review and the second one that has me eager to read The Dovekeepers. I, too, am a Alice Hoffman newby, so I am looking forward to being introduced to this author.

Book: Rules for Virgins by Amy Tan
Category: “History is a set of lies agreed upon.” ~Napoleon Bonaparte (Historical Fiction)



Having read Joy Luck Club, The Kitchen God’s Wife, The Bonesetter’s Daughter and A Hundred Secret Senses, I can honestly say that I am a die-hard Amy Tan fan! So I was so excited when I saw that she had written Rules for Virgins, a short novella spoken in the voice of an aging courtesan who is providing advice and “on-the-job” training to a virgin courtesan in China on the proverbial “eve” of her deflowering.

Like Ms. Tan’s other stories, the main theme revolves around traditional female roles in Chinese culture, but this time it addresses the role that the courtesan played in this society. Through this first-person advice session, the reader both learns the intricate technicalities of successful courtesanship, while also empathizing with the likes of young Violet, who is destined to have her heart broken and suffer a lonely, loveless life.

I am happy that Ms. Tan is working on a new full-length novel, The Valley of Amazement, to be released in Fall 2012. Welcome Back, Amy!

Book: Showstopper by Abigail Pogrebin
Category: “Go for the moon. If you don't get it, you'll still be heading for a star.” ~Will Reed (Books that encourage/inspire)



Growing up on Long Island with parents who introduced me to the awesomeness of Broadway at a very young age, I really enjoyed reading this Kindle Single about the anatomy of the rise and fall of this short-lived musical. It was especially cool since, although I did not get to see any of its few performances (It would have been neat to see a young Jason Alexander in action!), I remember going to the theater quite often at the time this one was on Broadway.

Abigail Pogrebin's memoir goes beyond the interesting events surrounding this production; it is inspiring in its message about not passing up on opportunities because you never know what the future brings...and it gets the reader to ponder ways to return to the magical enthusiasm of youth.

Book: Animalish by Susan Orlean
Category: “My roommate got a pet elephant. Then it got lost. It’s in the apartment somewhere.” ~Stephen Wright (Books about the pets/animals we love)



Filled with dogs, chickens, goats, cows, horses and other members of the animal kingdom, this is a very cute autobiographical account by Susan Orlean about the role that animals have played in her life. The line I like the most - Animals "have no real purpose other than to give a warm, wonderful, unpredictable texture to my life every day. I wouldn't have it any other way." I couldn't agree more!

Book: When Cows Fly by Tom Watson
Category: “My roommate got a pet elephant. Then it got lost. It’s in the apartment somewhere.” ~Stephen Wright (Books about the pets/animals we love)



I downloaded this for free when I got my Kindle Fire to test out what it was like to read a picture book on the device. That worked out just fine and I got a good laugh as I read how Farmer Jake and his flying cows with their powerful poo saved the natural environment from a big pile of garbage! Cute!

I picked up When Cows Fly as a Kindle freebie too. I read it to my grand-nieces back over the summer, and they loved it!

Book: If You Ask Me by Betty White
Category: "Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face” ~ Victor Borge (Books that make me laugh) (of course, this one could also beincluded in either my "Animals" category or even my "Inspiring" category too...)



As a child during the 1970s, shows like "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" filled an important entertainment role in my life and I thus grew up with Betty White always there, making me smile. I have always admired her animal right activism and love her recent resurgence, beginning with that Superbowl Snickers commercial & her hilarious SNL appearance. So this short & sweet autobiography was a fun read and it was as though I could hear Betty's voice speaking as I read these words. :)

Finis! :) Stay tuned for my 12-in-12 challenge...

Congratulations!

Congratulations on completing your challenge!

Thanks! Here's my 12-in-12 thread - http://www.librarything.com/topic/129451

Congrats, and see you at the 12 in 12!

Congratulations on finishing your 11 in 11 and look forward to following your 12 in 12!

Congratulations!

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