Pale Phoenix by Kathryn Reiss - quickie review

Pale Phoenix by Kathryn Reiss

Copyright 1994

Harcourt, Inc. - Paranormal YA fiction

326 pages

This is just going to be a quickie review because I've already mentioned the book but want a separate post to refer to for the RIP IV. I read Time Windows, also by Kathryn Reiss, in December of 2007 and really enjoyed it. You can read my review of Time Windows, mixed in with some other nonsense <----here.

In Pale Phoenix, the author brings back Miranda Browne of Time Windows. Now 15, with a friend who might be turning into her boyfriend and an interest in the preservation of history, Miranda meets an annoying young girl named Abby while selling items to benefit an historical home that has been turned partially into a museum. Abby has a strange habit of disappearing, leaving footprints that simply stop in the snow, and crying in the night but without being present. Miranda knows such things because her parents have invited Abby to live with them until her relatives have been located.

Miranda thinks there's something fishy about Abby. The disappearances, the crying, and a large number of photographs of Abby taken in different time periods all add up to something out of the ordinary. An ancient carved whistle in the shape of a phoenix may hold the key, but there is danger in using the whistle and only Miranda can possibly help Abby -- possibly putting herself in danger, as well. Will Miranda and Abby, along with Miranda's boyfriend, disappear forever or end up stuck in time if they try to help Abby? Or can they figure out how to stop Abby's endless cycle of misery?

I loved this book. Like Time Windows, it's a unique story that never reaches freak-out level and the paranormal concept is pretty easy to grasp. I didn't have much trouble with suspension of disbelief. This was a great book for the RIP IV (at least for me) because it's not gory or terrifying. It's mildly creepy and the pages flew.

4/5 - Very good; still sticking with me about three weeks after I finished it.

This was my 3rd read for the RIP IV challenge.

Make-Ahead Meals for Busy Moms by Jane Doiron

Make-Ahead Meals for Busy Moms by Jane Doiron
Copyright 2009
Outskirts Press - Cookbook
208 pages

Seafood Quiche

A great recipe for breakfast, lunch, or dinner!

9-inch deep dish frozen pie crust, thawed
1 can (6 oz.) lump crabmeat, drained
1 can (4 oz.) medium shrimp, drained
1 cup mild cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons green onion, finely sliced
4 eggs
1 1/2 cup half-and-half cream
1/4 teaspoon pepper

~A Day Ahead~

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the crabmeat and shrimp evenly in the bottom of the pie shell. Top with cheese and green onion. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, half-and-half and pepper. Pour the egg mixture over everything in the pie. Place the pie on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for about 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Cover and refrigerate.

~Cooking Directions~

Reheat the quiche in the microwave.
--------------------------------------------------------

This is my favorite recipe from Make-Ahead Meals, so far. Confession: I didn't do the cooking; My husband did. He does most of the cooking in our house, so he evaluates the cookbooks and I evaluate the food.

Husband's opinion about the book: It's not what he expected. He thought when I described the book he could expect a book of meals that you prepared in advance (like over the weekend) and freeze, thawing one every day or two so that you had a full week's worth of meals. When he saw the book, he was surprised at the beautiful cover and disappointed when he opened the book to find it totally unillustrated. He did, however, like the fact that the recipes are simple, require few ingredients and are not time-consuming.

My opinion: I had similar expectations. Neither one of us could quite figure out how there's any time saving during the week. I would have liked recipes that could be prepared in bulk, frozen in several containers and stockpiled. But, I loved that seafood quiche and there are several more recipes I want to try. I like the fact that the ingredients are easy to acquire (very important in our area -- we don't have access to a lot of unique or ethnic ingredients) and recipes are not complex. They appear to be more time-saving in their limited ingredients and the ease with which they can be tossed together than in any other way.

We plan to try a few more recipes, but our kitchen is currently in a state of minor chaos. I didn't realize we were going to end up remodeling at the time this tour rolled around. If I have any further comments about the book, once our mess is gone and we're cooking normally, I'll mention them in future posts!

Thanks to Jane Doiron for the review copy of Make-Ahead Meals! I received this for a book tour.

In case you're interested, here's the portion of the kitchen we've managed to complete:


We just managed to get the bottom doors on that side screwed on, today. However, there are some gaping holes that you can't see outside the picture frame. We used to have a double oven but when the door fell off (sigh -- I'll bet nobody else can tell me they had a door fall off their oven), we opted to replace our oven with a single and create drawer space where the second oven used to be. Husband is making the drawers to fit. We're just refacing the kitchen - painting, putting on new doors and drawer facings (and the necessary hardware) and adding those drawers, but everything has to come out of the cabinets when we paint. And, we have on inky dinky kitchen and breakfast nook, so it's been something.

If you make the seafood quiche recipe, come back and tell me. I agree with that comment (from the book) that it's great for any meal. I mostly ate it for breakfast. I'm known for eating quiche for breakfast, though. Nothing overly unusual, there.

Don't forget to stand up and be counted (comment at my last post, that is). And, note that I have three giveaways going in my sidebar. I hope to get some more listed, soon. I signed up for more than I realized (blush). I don't know if I've put Sanjay Gupta's book in the "Now Reading" section of my sidebar but I read the first chapter and they weren't kidding when they advertised it as "like a thriller". It's gripping and a bit of a horror in that the U.S. is behind the world in a life-saving treatment. I hope it horrifies a few really noisy Americans. You should read it to find out what I mean.

Must go crawl into bed and attempt to sleep for the third time. Nighty night!

Sunday Scatterberry Pie and Roll Call -- a little bit of everything, in the usual fashion

I've just finished giving my cat her medicine, which essentially means trying to get her to swallow some antibiotic drops and ending up with antibiotic spit all over my hands. You've never had any fun until you've tried to pill or give drops to or put ointment in the eye of a lovable but feisty cat. That's an old photo at left, of course. Her left eye is completely black and she obviously can't see out of it, but she's already figured out how to jump up onto the futon and down onto the floor without incident. I'm so impressed with her adaptability. Miss Spooky: my hero.

I finished Crossing Myself by Greg Garrett, last night, and I know I'm going to have a terrible time reviewing it because the book is so meaningful that it hurts my head to think of distilling it down into a few paragraphs' worth of review. I'm considering just posting quotes -- nothing but quotes. Well, maybe a little bit of description, but I'll tell you about it a bit, right now. Greg Garrett is or was a tenured university professor at Baylor in Waco, Texas. He was successful in his teaching and in his published writing, but his private life was a disaster -- three divorces, two kids, often out of money and chronically depressed for over 20 years.

In 2002, he came this close to committing suicide but instead discovered the real meaning of faith and, while teaching at a Baptist university, began attending an Episcopal seminary. He talks about his life in those years, as he went from complete and utter mess to loving his life. This book is so cool. I ordered Crossing Myself from Paperback Swap because I've got another Garrett book for review, a recent release called No Idea. I can't wait to see what new things he has to say.

I heard the best story, yesterday. That's a photo of an iron-clad Confederate boat, at left. You'll understand why I chose that image, shortly. Kiddo has had to throw in the towel for the rest of the swim season because his shoulder injury was getting far too painful, so we were shopping for running shoes in Jackson. I figured if he's not going to have swimming to keep him in shape, we should train to run together (although you can imagine I'll never be able to run at the pace of a 6-foot, 17-year-old boy).

While we were shopping, we ran into one of my husband's work friends and he had a great story to tell. We'll call him Bob. Bob had to speak at a briefing, last week, and he and the other speakers went into it knowing the meeting was going to be extraordinarily dull. So, to ward off the boredom, they dared each other to insert some totally impossible word into their presentations. Bob was challenged to use the word "aluminum" in his part of the briefing. Aluminum, of course, was totally off-the-wall and plays no part in anything about which he was to speak, but he was determined to get that word in there and what he came up with was, "This is not an iron-clad plan. This is an aluminum-clad plan." After the presentation, the Big Boss came up to him and said, "What was the deal with the aluminum remark?" And, Bob went away with a really great story that made us laugh our socks off in the aisle of Academy Sporting Goods. I wouldn't mind hanging out with Bob. He is one great storyteller and an incredibly cheerful, upbeat guy.

I'm currently reading a bunch of books, as always. I sometimes wish I could reign in my ADD brain and focus on one book at a time, but I actually tried to finish up $20 Per Gallon and discovered that it's best taken in small chunks (at least for me). So, I'm back to reading 3-page bits and pieces. It's a good book. I'm particularly fascinated with the descriptions of the new South Korean city, Songdo, which is being built entirely as a compact, energy-efficient satellite city that sounds a lot more like the Jetsons' world than anything I would have expected to exist in my lifetime. I'm thinking the book is a good one for people who plan to do world-building in preparation for writing science fiction.

Milky Way Marmalade seems to be the book that I can't stop burying, lately -- the one that needs a neon flag attached. I may set it aside for a week or two because I've got quite a list of books that I feel obligated to finish before the end of the month, even though I only have one remaining tour. Or, maybe I'll just restart it. I apparently love weighing myself down with nonexistent obligations.

The Interrogative Mood lost me at the halfway point. A book composed entirely of questions is fun . . . to a point. And, halfway was it for me. I can imagine it would generate some great discussion -- say, if a group were to read it and each individual choose his or her favorite questions for everyone to answer. But, as far as reading the entire book, the problem is that there's no story and no particular direction. Its a totally random book with question after question, most of which are not interconnected, although sometimes he goes on for a while with a particular train of thought. It made my son and me laugh when we read it aloud (and blush when one or two of the questions were sex-based) but there's a limit to how far you can take the fun. It should be a board game, not a book, I guess.

The Maze Runner is still grabbing me but took second place while I finished up Crossing Myself, last night. It seems likely that it will be the next book finished, if only because just thinking about it makes me want to kick my husband off the futon and curl up with it. But, I have things to do, so he can stay there and play with his little toy (some electronic Applepod thingy).

As to the Roll Call mentioned in my subject line . . . there's another story. I had around 240 hits in 24 hours, just after posting the zombie book review and I made the assumption that maybe people were looking up the zombie book, but just to find out I went on one of my rare jaunts to StatCounter and discovered that my hits were all over the map, as far as the searches that led them to my blog. When I first put up my stat counter, I fussed over the numbers and wondered what I should do to change things to keep people coming back. And, then at some point I decided that numbers are meaningless and I'm not in this for anything other than a mode of expression. I'm not blogging for free books. I'm not blogging to make money. I just need an outlet to babble about the books I love and a place to write freely.

Yesterday, I made the near-fatal mistake of looking at keyword analysis and then from there I ended up looking at unique visitors vs. return visitors and found that my statistics show that people don't return to my blog. That isn't entirely borne out by the comments but I know that some people I used to think of as "old faithfuls" aren't returning to my blog as often as they used to and that bothers me. After looking at my stats, I was ready to stop blogging right at that moment, close up shop, hide my blog and disappear. But, then I remembered checking off Day by Day Armageddon, last week, and saying to myself, "4 down, 17 to go." All of which means, I still feel burdened by the books that have been sent to me but not yet read or reviewed, so I'll keep chugging away.

But, I'd like to know who is out there lurking. Readers like Google Reader distort statistics because people often read a post but don't click through to comment. I'm pretty sure the fact that 56 people follow me in that little Google Friend thing that you can't find unless you go to my "about" page says something; and, the others who use readers of various types are still there but not always commenting. Still, I'd like to know, so if you could step forward and comment -- just say, "I'm here," it would help ease my mind.

I'm off to get ready for my Bible study. My own reader is oppressively heavy, again, and this week my son is off for "intercession" so I'll be in and out a lot. Kiddo needs to be entertained or he'll spend all day shooting at bad guys and watching movies in the dark. I wish everyone a wonderful week. If I'm unable to comment on posts, it's a temporary thing. I'll be back next week. In addition to dealing with intercession entertainment, we've got the Poison Guy to look forward to and a carpet installation, mid-week. Kiddo has a doctor appointment and will still show up for swim practice, even if he's not swimming. I have photos to load to the swim blog and cleaning and paint touch-up to do in preparation for the carpet dudes. It's going to be a busy week. Happy reading!

Don't forget to tell me you're out there, please!! Happy Sunday!

Bookfool, feeling just a wee bit lonely

Day by Day Armageddon or Pardon me while I bite that juicy ankle of yours and turn you into a zombie . . . by J. L. Bourne

Day by Day Armageddon by J. L. Bourne

Copyright 2009

Pocket Books - Fiction/Horror/Zombies
199 pages

I fell asleep early and woke up late, so I'm not quite finished with this book (and a storm is coming, which means I need to go ahead and write before I must shut off my electronics).

Day By Day Armageddon tells the story of a man in the American military surviving against growing odds. When a plague hits China, American doctors are sent to help determine the cause and stop the plague. But, it quickly becomes apparent that the disease is spreading too rapidly and even the doctors are not returning. Americans are evacuated from embassies in China and other far-east posts, but it's too late. Someone has brought the disease to the United States.

Called in to his military base, the nameless rogue diarist has already been stockpiling Meals Ready to Eat (MRE's), guns and ammunition, water and other supplies he thinks he may need to wait out the spread of the illness. Then, the truth comes out. The plague causes people to die and then come back. Zombies are roaming the streets and they kill with a single bite.

As the book progresses, our hero finds that he is not alone. He and his neighbor John take jaunts out of their homes to acquire food and supplies, then eventually have to leave San Antonio. As the book continues, they slowly pick up more refugees and they're no longer lonely but now they have to deal with the need for more food, more medical supplies, more drinks. Will they survive or is it too late for the few survivors and the world in general?

I flipped to the end of the book because I'm that kind of girl and it turns out the book is "to be continued". So, even if I'd made it to the end before I sat down to write, I know there's more to come.

Written as diary entries, the story is told entirely from our rogue's viewpoint. Harry wrote a fantastic review at Temple Library Reviews. As he mentioned, the nameless protagonist is a bit like McGyver, jerry-rigging devices to keep the zombies out while they forage for food or sleep for the night, hot-wiring cars, creating diversions. I loved that. The book is suitably creepy and sometimes a little gross, with descriptions of rotting flesh -- which, I suppose, you have to expect from a zombie book that takes itself seriously.

The downfall of this book is terrible English. At one point, the protagonist mentions his typos. I'm assuming his entries are typed on a laptop, although there are fake smudges, circles, underlining, etc., in "handwriting"-type script to give it the appearance of having been printed out and remarked upon or added to. Unfortunately, it's not just typos that get in the way of smooth reading. Poor grammar, misused words, misspellings -- you name it, English teachers would have a field day with their red pens (and an editor should have). I'm assuming the idea was to leave it be and make the entries appear genuine, but not editing made the writing very, very rough and sometimes you have to figure out which word is missing or translate the meaning.

Regardless, Day by Day Armageddon is a fun diversion. My son and I had a great conversation about the book, yesterday. I told him it was basically one man against the world and he said, "That would be like Dawn of the Dead." I said, "Really? That's a movie with a rogue hero?" He said yes, and then started to tell me what kind of supplies you need for a zombie invasion and I informed him of what he was forgetting. If you have a teenage boy nearby, preparation for a zombie invasion is a tremendously fun topic. Day by Day Armageddon is not a well-written book, but I like survival and had fun imagining what I would do if I were in our nameless protagonist's place. He doesn't simply hole up in his house for the duration, so there's plenty of action.

3.5/5 - A fun diversion but errors in grammar, spelling, etc. make it hard for a person with an editor brain to get through.

See the little bend in the left-hand side of Mississippi? Mississippi is the state with Jackson as its capital, in case you're not proficient in geography. We're at that bend in the river. I've borrowed this radar snap from Weather Underground to show you what's coming. Yikes. Batten down the hatches! I've got to make a Walmart run, and I think I'd better hurry.

Kitty is on the mend and I should be able to bring her home, this afternoon! Wahoo!!!! Thanks to Sarah Reidy and Pocket books for letting me join in on this tour. Hope everyone has a fabulous day!

Update: Expensive Kitty is home! She looks terrible and appears to be completely blind in her bad eye, at the moment (she's a bit stumbly), but she's obviously glad to be here and is eating well. We only got a little wet. The blustery wind of this morning seems to have petered out when the rain arrived. I've finished the book and toward the end Harry's comments about the book being entirely plot-driven without much depth to the characters has been reinforced but the book is about constantly moving to escape a growing threat so the characters don't necessarily require a great deal of depth. I love the fact that the cast, which grew as Unnamed Protag picked up a few stray humans, seldom stayed in one place for long because it keeps things moving. Hopefully, the publishers will bother editing the second book. All those errors were really annoying, but I still had fun reading and thought it was worth the time.

I neglected to warn that there's plenty of violence, gruesome description and bad language. It's not constant, though. Mostly, it's a story of survival and an entertaining, escapist read.

Update #2: It just occurred to me that since this book is suspenseful and creepy, it qualifies for the RIP IV. All right! Another challenge book down! I'm finally actually succeeding at a challenge!! Party on, dudes.

To Serve Them All My Days by R. F. Delderfield

To Serve Them All My Days by R. F. Delderfield
Copyright 2008 (Orig. published 1972)
Sourcebooks Landmark - Historical Fiction
598 pages, incl. reading group guide

He turned left and cut through the Rogues Gallery to the linen room, thence to his own quarters, glancing sideways at a cherubic Algy Herries, beaming down from the panelling. "I won that round on points, Algy," he said aloud, and little Burnett-Jones, emerging from the linen room with a newly darned pair of socks, scuttled off to tell the Second Form that Pow-Wow was beginning to talk to himself, a certain sign of onrushing lunacy. He was a little crestfallen when this piece of intelligence caused no stir at all. Venn, from the lofty peak of a third-termer, hardly looked up from a count of grimed cigarette cards as he said, "Queen Anne's dead. They all do that. You'll get used to it in a term or two, new kid."

--excerpt from To Serve Them All My Days

To Serve Them All My Days tells the story of David Powlett-Jones. Back in Great Britain after three years serving in the trenches of WWI and severely shell-shocked, his doctor encourages him to continue his recovery by doing what he loves most -- teaching history. P. J., as he's often referred to later in the book (the students refer to him as "Pow-Wow"), takes his doctor's advice and sets off to interview for a post at Bamfylde, a remote boys' school in Devon. Powlett-Jones thinks it's unlikely the headmaster will be interested in a ruined young man who shakes at loud noises. Instead, he finds himelf practically accepted without question by an upbeat, charming and encouraging headmaster by the name of Algy Herries. Herries is desperate for warm young bodies as the war has killed off so many men who might have ended up searching for teaching jobs.

P. J. easily and quickly finds his place at Bamfylde and the job does, indeed, act as therapy. The story continues to follow him through two decades of service at Bamfylde, as he deals with the daily troubles of working with a variety of personalities, dealing with the loneliness, grief, excitement and fears that his students experience and his own ups and downs in the job and in his life. As the book closes, P. J. is reflecting on his time at Bamfylde. He's happy in some ways and just a tad bitter in others. England has taken a battering in the second World War and many of the boys he saw grow up have already been killed in yet another frightful war.

The ending really is lovely as it's beautifully concluded and yet not really an ending at all. Good times and bad have continued throughout his time at Bamfylde and it's clear that more of the same will continue to occur until he retires; and, you're left with the sense that there are many more years of his work at Bamfylde ahead of him.

I absolutely loved this book and looked forward to spending a little time with P. J., each day. In fact, because I enjoyed the atmosphere so much, I admit to deliberately dragging out the reading and I'm afraid I'd go straight into withdrawal if not for the fact that I own a copy of the BBC series on DVD.

The only thing I disliked (apart from a few diatribes about British politics) was that P. J. occasionally was a bit prickly and had a slightly bad attitude toward women. His coworkers blamed P. J.'s Welsh mining heritage for his occasional outbursts of temper. As to his feelings about women . . . this is something I noted in the protagonist of God is an Englishman, as well, and I suspect that the author was simply a product of his misogynistic times but it may also have been his way of portraying how men really felt during the time period. In To Serve Them All My Days, P. J. actually tells his depressed wife that she needs to "snap out of it" after her first child is stillborn. And, then he proceeds to tell her that being his wife should be challenge enough for her. Fortunately, P. J.'s best friend and mentor steps in with a much better plan for helping his wife recover from tragedy and in that way the author redeemed himself.

5/5 - A beautifully-written, emotionally charged and complex tale of one man's life, tragedies, hope and healing, set at an English boarding school. Absolutely engrossing.

Cover thoughts: Even though playing marbles isn't something that was mentioned in the book, I just love the Sourcebooks cover of To Serve Them All My Days. It seems to speak well of the time and place, an atmosphere of joy and learning. The way an older man is crouched near the boy, you can easily imagine he is P. J. or one of the other teachers and get a feel for how they were not just people who dipped into the lives of their students during class time but were involved in every sense. Teaching, at least as described in this book, was not just a calling but a way of life.

Many thanks to Danielle at Sourcebooks for the advanced review copy!

I'm not sure which of the three books I've been reading for a while that I'll end up focusing on with an eye to finishing, next, but I've just begun reading The Maze Runner by James Dashner and it is almost unfairly gripping. I'm also going to be touring that zombie book, Day by Day Armageddon, on Thursday so I need to find an image to place in my sidebar before I completely forget and find that I'm done. That happens; and, it's a pretty short book.

In other news:

We're all on pins and needles as our beloved Miss Spooky is spending the night at the veterinary hospital so that further testing can be done. Her beautiful green eyes have been bleeding (!!!) and the preliminary bloodwork showed that she is anemic and may have kidney issues. The vet has told us that he suspects there may be some internal bleeding, given both the blood work and the fact that she has bleeding in both eyes. Miss Spooky is 15, so I suppose she's reached that age when a kitty's health starts to go, but we're hoping her ills are treatable.

My teenager has already gone through the loss of our Little Miss Sunshine (whom he referred to as "Sunner" and I called "Miss Shiny") so he's acting tough but -- I don't blame him for this -- thinking ahead to the possibility of kittens if the worst-case should occur. It's nice having a son who is so besotted by his pets.

A lot of books have walked in my door, this week, but I'm most excited about God Sightings: The One-Year Bible - a new NLT chronological Bible from Tyndale. I have utterly and completely failed at my goal to read the Bible in 2009, but that was partly because I made the mistake of buying a Bible with teeny-tiny print, just as I've reached the age of bifocals. I like to do my reading at night and by the time I got that Bible out, it was hard enough to focus on regular print. The new God Sightings Bible is the normal size, paperback of the variety that stays open when you flip to a scripture, so that you don't always have to keep one hand on the Bible. I love that. I'll tell you more about it, later, when I've had a chance to get a good long look at it. I've been using my Mosaic Bible for Bible Study and will review that one soon -- hopefully, within the week.

I've been bad about wahooing, lately, so instead I'll ask: What do you have to Wahoo about, today? Tell me! I could use the upper. :)

Breaking the Bank by Yona Zeldis McDonough

Breaking the Bank by Yona Zeldis McDonough

Copyright 2009

Downtown Press - Fiction/General (with a touch of magic)

349 pages

Mia studied the address, somewhere out in Coney Island, a seedy neighborhood way out on Brooklyn's tip. She wrote down the address on the back of the shopping list and then got up to pay for her food. Suddenly, the day had a new shape and purpose to it. She knew, as surely as she knew anything, that what she was about to do was monumentally stupid. Stupid and dangerous. She could get herself killed, just like poor Weed, who, whatever he might have done, did not deserve a blindfold and a bullet in the brain.

But still. Something about her conversation with Patrick that night was haunting her, something that felt authentic, felt real. She was hungry for that feeling. Craving it. Plus, she knew that every single time she had given some of the miracle money away, she had felt so good, so light, so clean, as if her soul had been distilled and purified, refined to its most pellucid, least-contaminated essence. Use it well, right? Hadn't she been trying? She practically ran back to her apartment, moving so fast she actually broke a sweat. She took five hundreds from her shoe-box stash, then was off again, out in the street and down into the subway.

--excerpt from Breaking the Bank, p. 219

Mia Saul is having a rough time. Her husband ditched her for another woman, she lost her job and has only been able to find unfulfilling temporary work, her relationship with her older brother is distant and strained and her daughter, Eden, is having more than a little difficulty with the break-up. Struggling to make ends meet with an ex who sends child support when he feels like it, Mia's been forced to move to a smaller apartment in a shady neighborhood and now there are days she can barely afford food for Eden, who sometimes refuses to eat and can only be tempted by exotic foods.

Mia's nearly at her wit's end when a miracle occurs. The automatic teller machine at her bank begins to give her extra money -- but it isn't deducted from her account. Each time she uses the machine, it gives her a little bit more; and, a mysterious message appears with the magical gift: "Use it well." Mia does her best to use the windfall well, sharing the wealth and putting money away in the hope of moving her daughter to a nicer part of town.

But, her life is still nowhere near perfect. Worried family members think she's out of control and stage an intervention; the police become very curious about the origin of her sudden influx of funds and the beautiful antique necklace whose seller seems to have vanished; and, her love life has suddenly become extremely complicated.

Will Mia end up in prison, her child in the custody of her cheating ex? Or, will the miracle last long enough for her to clear her name and make a better life for herself and her daughter?

Whew! Complicated. Breaking the Bank is a fascinating story of hardship, love, sharing, magic, relationships and self-discovery. There is quite a bit going on in this book and I think that's what really kept me reading. I found it a little difficult to relate to Mia and to like her. She's understandably frustrated and sometimes her attitude is a little tiresome. Like a real human, she tries to do her best for her daughter but makes some truly appalling decisions and ends up digging herself deeper into trouble.

But, the really special thing about Mia is that no matter what's going wrong in her life, her love for her daughter is boundless and when she's handed a miracle in the form of a monetary gift doled out by an ATM machine, she truly does her best to share the wealth. It's her willingness to show generosity, the summoning of her inner strength and the determination to do what's right for her daughter that win out in the end. I can't tell you the ending without ruining it, of course, but I absolutely loved the ending of this book. It reads like a movie ending, with a kind of a tear-inducing beauty as the strands are drawn together and the magic is wrapped up with a nice, neat and very big bow. Some people might not like that kind of an ending, but I thought it was absolutely lovely.

The biggest problems I had with the book boiled down to Mia's character. She's basically a good person but she does some truly idiotic things. Because of language, explicit sex scenes and alcohol use (Mia tends to drink heavily when she's having a really bad day, although generally when her daughter is under someone else's care), I'd give the book an R rating -- it's definitely not family-friendly and I truly don't like it when a character sleeps around and drinks then justifies her actions the way Mia does. That's a personal thing, though, and I'm only going to deduct a point for discomfort with the protagonist.

4/5 - Very good. A complex tale, nicely woven with a touch of magic blended into a tale of harsh realism. Includes some violence, explicit sex and very bad language.

This book contains a reading guide with questions for group discussion and an interview with the author. Actually, I think it would probably make a great book for discussion because of the complexity and a variety of moral dilemmas. What, for example, would you do if an ATM machine suddenly began to dole out extra money without deducting it from your account? Would it make a difference if it didn't appear to be magical, but simply a banking error? Does the fact that Mia really needed financial help make her choice more acceptable than if she really didn't need the money? Lots to talk about.

Many thanks to Sarah Reidy of Pocket Books for my review copy!

I'm touring a second book for Pocket, this week and you guys are going to laugh at me because it's so, so not a typical Bookfool book. Actually, that seems to be a recent theme in Bookfoolery: Time to Shake Up the Reading. The book is Day By Day Armageddon - a zombie book, of all things. I've read one other book with zombies, but it was written by a friend who politely pointed it out as one of her tamer novels, knowing I'm not a fan of gore and violence. We'll see whether Bookfool gets totally creeped out by this one. The "impending zombie invasion" and how to survive it, what to stockpile and where to go, etc., is a frequent topic of conversation between the teens on the way to the pool, which at least partially accounts for my unexpected interest in the title.

I posted a lot, this weekend, so I'll shush for now and wish everyone a Happy Monday!

Photo break!

That last post was just way too black and white for me, so to break the monotony I have a few photos to share. My son's high school swim team's "official" team photo (for the yearbook) was taken on Thursday. I'm just a Mom with a Camera -- not an official photographer -- so usually the photographers just ignore me when I lurk at their shoulders, taking the same picture that everyone else is paying for. This time . . . well, the pro and I have conversed a few times and he asked me for my swim blog URL. I assume that's the reason he was a little prickly with me. He knows I can actually take a decent photo or two, now. Oopsy.

Anyway, it took him forever to arrive, so while we were waiting the kids occupied themselves. They tossed balls or played cards (that's my kiddo in the middle, dealing the cards, above). Some of them went to the playground to climb, chase each other, play ball and swing on the swingset --all of which was frankly adorable. And, then the photographer arrived and, man. He was snippy! The kids had voted to wear their team t-shirts with jeans rather than their swimsuits, just to avoid standing out in the yearbook as the only sports team members dressed in skimpy clothing. The photographer was peeved. He wanted them in the water. Because he was such a pain, the kids started quietly pulling me aside to ask me to take buddy photos.

Such fun. The coach also asked me to snap a photo of him with the team captains, but I had a slight problem in that the boys' captain wanted to look down. He has these gorgeous baby blue eyes and I could not get him to look up! But, since I know him, I figured he'd laugh if someone slugged him and encouraged the girls' captain to give him a gentle punch. Instead, she reached over and twisted his nipple. Yeeeow!

That was a moment, people. And, of course, I was right. When he looked up, his eyes were wide open and he was laughing. How lucky am I, getting to hang out with this bunch?

*Giveaway* - Cheating Death by Sanjay Gupta, M.D.

This post is now closed to further comments. Drawing results will appear in the morning on 10-26 because some crazy book fanatic sort of forgot it was drawing day . . . back tomorrow.

I know you guys are just going to fall all over yourselves with excitement, but yes . . . another book giveaway! Joy channeling. I love those words.

Cheating Death is subtitled "The Doctors and Medical Miracles that Are Saving Lives Against All Odds." I'm not going to copy all the publicity info except for this paragraph:

An unborn baby with a fatal heart defect . . . a skier submerged for an hour in a frozen Norwegian lake . . . a comatose brain surgery patient whom doctors have declared a "vegetable". Twenty years ago all of them would have been given up for dead, with no realistic hope of survival. But today, thanks to incredible new medical advances, each of these individuals is alive and well . . . Cheating Death. (bom bom baaaaah)

I added the dramatic interlude (well, it seemed fitting). Dr. Gupta tells about such medical miracles, what doctors have learned about the human body in recent years and why more patients are surviving than ever before.

I'm a big fan of nonfiction and sometimes fiction books about medical miracles, near-disastrous outbreaks, and other such fun with science so this book piqued my interest and I signed up to review as well as host a giveaway. My copy has not arrived and I don't like to wait too long to post about giveaways, so once again I'm going to offer up the book without having yet read it but I'm really looking forward to reading this one.

The usual Hatchette and Bookfoolery rules apply:

1. Leave your email address OR ELSE the evil side of Bookfool will come out, dance around, wave a wand and zap you off the list. I'm not being literal, but you know what I mean. No email, no entry.

2. Think like a North American and Be One. Hatchette's giveaways are limited to the United States and Canada. No P.O. Boxes.

3. Come up with a cure for migraines and I'll give you an extra 5,000 entries (an automatic win). Or, you can just tweet or post about this giveaway for an extra entry. Put all your info in one post, if you can. Separate entries don't thrill my little heart.

4. There is no #4. Weird.

A lot of people are disinterested in nonfiction and Psychologist Bookfool says this probably has to do with lingering feelings of resentment over the fact that all of you were forced to read boring textbooks at some point during your childhood to young adulthood. I felt the same way (but I'm over it, now, and just ditch the boring books). I'm still going to offer up 5, if that's okay with Anna at Hatchette, and hope that some of you will fight the urge to skip right over this one and go on your merry way without even considering it because you're allowing that lingering distaste for nonfiction to sway you. Bookfool believes it is time for you to move on, try new things, experiment! I'm just saying.

The drawing will be held at 6pm on October 25, 2009.

Important Notice: I now give winners approximately 48 to 72 hours to respond because I'm a busy girl. I strongly advise following this blog in a reader, if you don't, so that you will see your name if something hinky happens to your email (or you just don't check your email often). I'll let you know how long you have to respond within the text of the drawing winners announcement post.

And, don't forget my other drawings: Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month (ends Oct. 15) and The Bible Salesman (ends Oct. 18)!

The Unlikely Disciple by Kevin Roose

The Unlikely Disciple: A Sinner's Semester at America's Holiest University by Kevin Roose
Copyright 2009
Grand Central Publishing - Nonfiction/Memoir
324 pages, incl. selected bibliography
Kevin Roose's Website

You know what happens when Bookfool closes a book and says to herself, "This was a fascinating book but I'm not sure how exactly to go about expressing my thoughts," right? Self-interview, of course! I hear all those adorable mental head slaps. This time, it seems like a good idea to let someone else interview me and I was considering the cat, but she left the room so we'll go with a can of Tab. Yes, it's true. The Coca-Cola Company still manufactures and sells Tab. Ignore the rumors about it being a dead product of our humble past.

Tab: Drink me! Drink me!

Bookfool: This is supposed to be an interview about a book.

Tab: It's in my nature. Okay, first things first. How did you acquire your copy of The Unlikely Disciple and why?

Bookfool: I read whopping fine review written by Alyce of At Home With Books. Then, I read several more reviews that made me think I would surely die if I couldn't get my mitts on a copy. And, since I just happened to be in contact with the publicist for this particular book, I asked her if it would be possible to acquire a copy for review. I don't do that often, but it usually turns out well because I only specifically request books that sound so fabulous I can hardly bear the thought of missing out.

Tab: From my understanding, every book you look at makes you feel that way.

Bookfool: Oh, go recycle yourself. Also, if that was a question, the answer is, "Not true." I'm definitely swayed by a great cover and a positive review, but there are plenty of books that don't interest me.

Tab: Tell us a little bit about The Unlikely Disciple and its author.

Bookfool: The Unlikely Disciple is the memoir of a Brown University student who decided to spend a semester at "America's Holiest University", aka Liberty University -- the university founded by Moral Majority leader Jerry Falwell (who was still alive at the time). Roose got a little advice and tutoring from a Christian friend who suggested it would be best if he began his research at a more liberal Christian university. Roose rejected the idea; he wanted to dive into an extremely conservative atmosphere and find a way to humanize the people who embrace the radical views espoused by their founder.

Tab: What did he find when he arrived?

Bookfool: Roose was, at first, a little astounded by the strict atmosphere. No smoking, no drinking, no cursing, no dancing, no R-rated movies. Here's a little bit of the publisher's summary:

Liberty is the late Jerry Falwell's "Bible Boot Camp" for young evangelicals, his training ground for the next generation of America's Religious Right. Liberty's ten thousand undergraduates take courses like Evangelism 101, hear from guest speakers like Sean Hannity and Karl Rove, and follow a forty-six page code of conduct that regulates every aspect of their social lives. Hoping to connect with his evangelical peers, Roose decides to enroll at Liberty as a new transfer student, leaping across the God Divide and chronicling his adventures in this daring report from the front lines of America's culture war.

Tab: Why do they use the word "daring" to describe Kevin Roose's time at Liberty?

Bookfool: Primarily because Roose came from such a dramatically different atmosphere and background. He moved from an Ivy League university where people partied, sex and drinking were not taboo, he was friends (and relatives) with gays and the obvious emphasis was academics, not beliefs. His new home was one in which homosexuality was openly, verbally slammed, partying was supplanted by prayer sessions, dating involved nothing beyond holding hands and the first thing people asked him was often where he stood with God.

Roose's religious background was Quaker, but he had not attended a service of any kind in many years. For the most part, he'd had little exposure to religion in his home, was not knowledgeable about the Bible and his parents fell to the far left, politically. Walking into a place where he had so little understanding was, in fact, pretty daring. He was unfamiliar even with the order of the books of the Bible (something regular churchgoers memorize at elementary-school level) and had to fake his way through prayer sessions.

Tab: Did you mark any quotes that would illuminate us a bit?

Bookfool: No, unfortunately, I only marked a couple of passages that stood out to me because of his writing style. For a guy who was a mere 19 when he switched schools (and has yet to graduate from Brown, although he will officially graduate in December), he has a startling combination of skill and natural ability. I found his writing impressive. I've got him mentally marked for a long, productive writing life. Alyce used the word "riveting" and I must agree. Although the book stayed in my sidebar for about two weeks, that's only because I was so immersed in the Swim Mom thing that I wasn't reading much of anything. When I finally did pick it up, again, I finished the book in nothing flat.

Tab: You're a Christian. How did you feel about the subject matter Roose said he was taught at Liberty University?

Bookfool: A great deal of it made me cringe. I should mention that I fall on the liberal side of the Christian spectrum. At Liberty University, Roose was taught that the earth is a mere 6,000 years old, the "young earth" theory of creationism. I'm open to the idea that evolution is just a part of the creation process and the idea that the earth is only 6,000 years old is kind of bizarre to me. There's too much scientific evidence to dispute an earth so young.

I was particularly horrified, though, by the same things I believe occasionally paralyzed Kevin Roose, which can be described using a single word: "intolerance". One thing I would have liked to hear more about was the concept of euthanisia and the Liberty/Falwell viewpoint, since it was merely mentioned in passing and I have extremely strong views about euthanasia - that dying humans should be given the same "humane" option we offer to dogs and cats. I'll bet I'd get a bashing about that from the Falwell camp, but that was not elaborated upon.

Tab: Name a few positives to Kevin Roose's experience at Liberty University.

Bookfool: Actually, there were quite a few. He made friends easily and found that not everyone believed absolutely everything they were taught, nor followed the rules to extremes. Roose enjoyed singing in the church choir, discovered that not having the pressure of having to decide whether or when a girl would be interested in sex made dating more fun because he and his dates spent time actually getting to know one another, and he enjoyed praying and being prayed for. Roose was able to interview Jerry Falwell -- in fact, his interview was the last "print interview" with Falwell -- and found him a rather warm, charming individual. Whether or not he agreed with Falwell, Roose thought he was genuine.

Tab: What did you like most about the book? Take a drink before answering.

Bookfool: (gulp) I loved the fact that the author went into his research with an open mind. His intent was to humanize the far right. In the process, he did find areas of intolerance that shocked him, but he also discovered that the students at Liberty were intelligent, questioning individuals in many ways and that they didn't always espouse the radical viewpoints of their founders and teachers. The book is also immensely entertaining and thought-provoking.

Like Alyce, I've seen both sides of the coin. I grew up in a Baptist church and I know the lingo. But, I have atheist, Jewish, agnostic and Catholic friends. I attended a secular university but was involved in church and a Bible Study group in my dorm. I don't remember why I visited Oral Roberts University (which is described, at one point, as one of the few similar institutions that are even more radical than Liberty), but I'm an Oklahoman and ORU was a place we laughed about but where most of us had friends in attendance; I've visited and what stood out most to me was the way people dressed. They had a pretty strict dress code.

Tab: Rating?

Bookfool: 5/5 - An absorbing, thought-provoking, exceptionally well-written memoir in which the author described both sides of the cultural coin in an even-handed manner. The author could easily have been judgmental and provided a totally skewed viewpoint, but he refrained from that; his viewpoints were both fair and thoughtful. The Christian in me was pleased to note that he's carried a few habits he learned from his time at Liberty into his everyday life and I was thrilled that he was able to keep in touch with many of his Liberty friends.

Tab: I'm losing my fizz, but you didn't have to shove me off the thirsty stone! Betrayal!!! Mountain Dew???

Bookfool: Yes, see, the fizz thing is important and I needed a sugar/caffeine infusion, so Mountain Dew gets the place of honor. I'm sorry to say you will be moving to the recycle bin, soon.

Tab: Sigh. It was fun while it lasted. I am caffeinated, by the way.

Bookfool: Yes, yes. Thank you for interviewing me. And, many thanks to Valerie and Grand Central Publishing for providing my review copy of The Unlikely Disciple.

In other news:

Bookfool is a naughty book glutton. Received this week:

Four of the five books in Hatchette's Celebrating Hispanic Month giveaway (the other is back-ordered): Zumba (a fitness program with enclosed DVD); Mamas, Damas & Ana Ruiz, Amigoland, and Evenings at the Argentine Club - from Hatchette

I Sold Andy Warhol (too soon) by Richard Polsky - from Tony Viardo of Other Press

Confessions of a Trauma Junkie by Sherry Jones Mayo - won at 2 Kids and Tired Book Reviews (just walked in - thanks, Holly!)

Breaking the Bank by Yona Zeldis McDonough (which seems to have a slight paranormal aspect . . . maybe) and Day By Day Armageddon by J. L. Bourne (zombies!!) - both from Sarah Reidy of Pocket Books

I am currently behind . . .

. . . on posting giveaways. I've actually got a couple more to post about; I just haven't gotten to them, yet. I don't, however, want this blog to become nothing more than Giveaway Central. I'm just in a mood to pass on some book joy, lately. Since last month was kind of a bad reading month, I dove into giveaways head-first. It's something to do (shrug).

Is Banned Books Week over?

I have so much to say about banned/challenged books, but I just didn't have the time, this week, so I'll just say a few words. Up until the last few years, when I began blogging, I had no idea there were so many challenges, bans and attempts at banning books. Nor did I realize that I'd not only read quite a few of those that have been on challenged/banned lists but have actually handed quite a few of them to my kids, particularly banned or challenged classics. 1984, The Catcher in the Rye, Lord of the Flies and Fahrenheit 451 are all books I recall handing to my eldest when he was in junior high.

Both of my children were reading at adult level by the age of 10; I had to work hard at keeping them occupied and I often did so by pulling classics off our personal shelves. Fahrenheit 451 is still one of my eldest son's favorite books. And, of course, my youngest was a follower of Harry Potter; I still have to snicker about the reasoning for the movement to ban those books. They are wildly imaginative and escapist; my son never had any trouble drawing the line between reality and imagination, recognized the traditional good versus evil theme and appreciated Harry's struggles to overcome his own fears and to deal with hardship. There is much to love about Harry Potter and my personal opinion is that a book that contains themes or acts that a parent considers objectionable is, in general, a good book to read with your child and discuss. I've found my youngest absolutely loves discussing books with me -- and that includes the discussion of morals and ethics.

Gotta go! The guys are home from the swim meet and I need to check on the laundry (then, if possible, try to sneak in some reading time).

Happy Saturday!

Bookfool with Tab and Mt. Dew (going, going . . . )

Reading . . . fell down on the job in September

At least I didn't have to memorize what I read, like Cary. And, the dog, apparently. I managed to read 9 books, this month, but compared to last month and the month before and the list of books I planned to read . . . pitiful. So, I'm trying to be happy with what I read and just stare at Cary because how could you not enjoy looking at that face for any great length of time? Yeah.

Bookfool's September Reads (links to full reviews provided, if applicable):

1. Vanishing by Candida Lawrence (NF/Memoir) - One of 4 memoirs by an author who writes nothing but essays. I found myself instantly bristling; I simply did not like the author. Some of her stories were interesting, but I had trouble getting over my personal discomfort with the writer. It's a quick read; the writing is rather lyrical if you can stand her. It's probably just me.

2. The Greatest Knight by Elizabeth Chadwick (Historical fiction) - The story of William Marshal, a knight who became a favorite of Eleanor of Aquitaine and served under several kings during the time when England and Normandy were closely aligned. It took a while for me to get into this one and then I absolutely loved it. The detail is amazing.

3. Abide With Me by John H. Parker (NF/Photography/History) - A slim, coffee-table type book of photographs and historical sketches describing the people who wrote well-known hymns and the lands from which they hailed. This is a beautiful book and I loved the bios but the photos don't align well with the text, so a lot of flipping is involved. The enclosed CD of hymns is simply wonderful.

4. Bundle of Trouble by Diana Orgain (Cozy Mystery) - A new mother becomes involved in a mystery when a body turns up and the police suspect the dead man is her brother-in-law. When other ties to her family emerge and more people die, she decides maybe she can turn snooping into a home-based business (because she really doesn't want to return to her office job). A good start to a series; characters could have used a bit more depth, but it's a fun book.

5. House of Dark Shadows by Robert Liparulo (YA/Fiction/Paranormal) - This is a nice, creepy story that isn't nightmare-inducing (there's some violence but it's not too gory) about a family that moves into a house with strange, dark secrets -- portals through time, a 40-year-old disappearance and . . . well, Bigfoot or some kind of creature that kidnaps people. Loads of fun, the first in a series, and surprisingly believable for the subject matter. This was my second read for the RIP IV.

6. Sometimes We're Always Real Same-Same by Mattox Roesch (Fiction/General/Alaska) - Cesar's brother is in jail for life because of a gang-related murder and Cesar has done some terrible things, already. To prevent losing both of her sons to the same fate, his mother moves both of them to her hometown: Unalakleet, Alaska. There, he is taken under the wing of his cousin, Go-boy. But, Go-boy has problems of his own. Tackles quite a few issues and I had a little trouble figuring out what the author was after, for a while, but eventually I really got into the story and love the theme that we're all human and alike in many ways.

7. 31 Hours by Masha Hamilton (Fiction/Suspense/Terrorism) - Jonas has not called or spoken to his mother or girlfriend in several weeks. His mother has a bad feeling and Vic is worried, although she also has her sister to watch out for. As the two women search for Jonas, he is staying in a safe-house, preparing for an act of unspeakable violence. Gripping and well-written, but the real impact of the book lies in the depth of its everyday characters, like a homeless man, who will undoubtedly die if the terrorists succeed.

8. The Treasures of Venice by Loucinda McGary (Romance/Adventure) - Ditched by her fiance, Samantha decides to go ahead and take her honeymoon trip to Venice alone and gets swept into kidnapping and intrigue when an Irish rogue pretends to know her and she plays along. They must find the Jewels of the Madonna to save his sister's life. There's a parallel romance that takes place in 1485 and involves the same jewels. A little cliche, but a nice escapist read.

9. Pale Phoenix by Kathryn Reiss (YA/Paranormal) - Miranda can't stand Abby Chandler, so she's not thrilled when Abby comes to stay with her family. There's something very strange about that girl. When Miranda hears Abby crying but she's not there . . . and follows her, only to find that her footprints suddenly stop in the snow, Miranda's suspicious. And, when she sees Abby's collection of photos -- all of Abby but from different time periods -- she knows something is amiss. What does the ancient carving of a phoenix have to do with Abby's disappearances? Can Miranda help save Abby from a fate worse than death? Fun, quick reading and a nice paranormal tale with a great ending. This is my third read for the RIP IV.

9 books finished
2706 pages
146 books read in 2009

I'm behind on a few reviews that were slated for September. I beg patience of anyone who is bouncing upon tippytoes, awaiting Bookfool's Cherished Ponderings. Or, you know . . . whatever. A few I read well in advance of their due dates and then when the time came to review, I was in the mood to sleep or standing around snapping photos of teenagers, or the words didn't come to me and I chose to let them hang, etc. Today, I've also spent time squeezing ointment into a kitty cat's bloody eye. Poor kitty cat.

I hope to do some serious reading and catch-up, this month. Prayer would be welcomed. Knocking wood, tossing salt and other lucky things are fine, as well.

I'm off to bed. I do believe I'll read a bit before I nod off. How about yourself?

Bookfool, whose cat is in serious need of affection and therefore it looks like I'm going to be squeezing my feet into that small space next to her

The Treasures of Venice by Loucinda McGary

The Treasures of Venice by Loucinda McGary

Copyright 2009

Sourcebooks - Romance/Adventure - both modern and historical

318 pages

The Treasures of Venice is not my typical fare (although I don't scorn romance -- there are some excellent romance writers out there) but Sourcebooks accidentally sent me the wrong book and I love it when that happens. Reading a book that is a little outside your normal comfort zone gives you a chance to shake up your reading a bit -- always a good thing, in my opinion.

The Treasures of Venice is an adventurous tale. Samantha Lewis was dumped by her fiance just prior to their scheduled wedding. Instead of canceling her honeymoon, she decided to go ahead and journey to Venice. The book opens with Samantha sitting in a Venice cafe, musing about the betrayal that brought her to Italy alone. When a handsome Irish rogue, Keirnan Fitzgerald, shows up at an outdoor cafe pretending to be her boyfriend, she plays along. His sister has been kidnapped and he must obtain a set of missing jewels in order to save her life.

In 1485, the lovely Serafina Lombardo falls for a painter who can barely afford to feed himself. Nino wants to take her away from Venice to begin a new life with her. But, there is only one way he can possibly save her and Nino quickly finds that it's difficult knowing who to trust.

Can Samantha and Keirnan find the jewels in time to save his sister? What became of the tragic Serafina and how are the two stories connected? Do the Jewels of the Madonna even exist and, if so, what has become of them?

There are a lot of romantic cliches in this book but I was simply in the mood to ignore that and enjoy the adventure. And, I think it was a rollicking fine adventure story -- a little over-the-top, yes, but if you're just looking for an escape, The Treasures of Venice fits the bill.

3.5/5 - Action-packed romance. Be willing to let go of reality and just enjoy the adventure. I'd particularly recommend this one to romance fans but if you're like me and don't mind tossing in something a little different I think you'll find it's a great escapist read. There are some fairly graphic sex scenes but they're usually pretty brief (about a page, as opposed to pages and pages with heavy detail).

Thanks to Danielle at Sourcebooks for being such a total sweetie-pie when things go a little hinky!! Danielle, you're the greatest!

In other news . . .

Oh, baby, this is so big. I mean this is HUGE. Simon Van Booy has won the Franklin O'Connor Short Story Award for Love Begins in Winter!!!! If you've read my blog for any length of time, you know I'm an adoring fan of Simon and his work. His writing is absolutely breathtaking and he is tremendously kind and humble for a man of such talent and genius (see my 2007 chat with Simon, here).

Congratulations, Simon!!

And, to everyone else . . . it's time. If you've missed out on the beauty of Simon's writing, give in. Go buy a copy of Love Begins in Winter. You won't regret it.

Just walked in:

Mama's Got a FAKE I.D. by Caryn Rivadeneira - a book I accepted for review because the author made me laugh. And, it looks terrific, so I'm glad I said, "Oh, all right. Just because I like you."

Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger - a total surprise from Simon & Schuster . . . which is probably going to get shoved to the head of the queue because I have been so dying to read this book and it's the season for ghost stories, after all, isn't it?

Because I am a weak, weak bibliophile:

The Measure of a Lady by Deeanne Gist and Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix ended up in a red plastic bag, dangling from my wrist, this afternoon. I told Kiddo it was dangerous taking me into the bookstore, but did he listen???? Okay, can't blame the kid. I know that.

I don't know if I'll have time to post about Banned Books Week, since we're still in the thick of swim season, we're "remodeling" our kitchen (very slowly -- it's a DIY thing, right now involving paint, a drill, door handles, doors, hinges, wood glue and a lot of sweat), painting our den and trying to level the floor while we await our carpet, and you know . . . the other stuff people do. If we didn't have to eat or wash clothing or sleep, it would really help.

Happy Monday, everybody!!

The Smart One and The Pretty One - Winners!!

Whoop! Whoop! Whoop! Time to draw some names, my smart pretties!! The winners of The Smart One and the Pretty One by Claire LaZebnik are . . .

SnjDebdeb
Jo-Jo
Silent Evil Person
Stacie
holdenj

And, where would you like to go if you were able to hop a plane to any place on the planet? Well . . . you guys are very, very fond of the British Isles (England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland) as well as Italy (Tuscany, Rome) and Greece. Other spots that interest those of you who signed up for this drawing are Mexico, Africa, all of Europe, New Zealand, Fripp Island, and the Lowcountry of South Carolina. I'm rather fond of the British Isles because I love the people and . . . yes, I confess . . . the sheep. I love sheep. But Australia, New Zealand and Italy are at the top of my travel wish list, at the moment.

I will write to the winners. In case my email to you goes astray, you have until Wednesday noon (U.S. Central Time -- that's Greenwich Mean Time minus 5, according to the glorious internet) to write to me. You can whip out a note and send it to me at the email in my sidebar, if necessary -------------------->

Congratulations to the winners!!

New *Giveaway* - The Bible Salesman by Clyde Edgerton

This post has been closed to further comments. I'll post results as soon as possible.

Ask me what it is about The Bible Salesman's cover that appeals to me. Go ahead. Ask.

Okay, since you asked . . . just about everything. The marmalade cat (we still miss our dearly departed little Miss Sunshine), the green door (I Love Green!!!!), the shovel. All combine to give the cover a welcoming "Home Sweet Home" look. At the same time, you can visualize yourself as the person who is about to knock on that door, can't you?

I just had to mention the cover because I appreciate an inviting book cover.

I've signed up to give away *5 copies* of The Bible Salesman by Clyde Edgerton and am eagerly awaiting my own copy for review, thanks to Valerie and the Hatchette Book Group.

About the book:

Preston Clearwater has been a criminal since stealing two chain saws and 1,600 pairs of aviator sunglasses from the army during WWII. Back on the road in postwar North Carolina, now a member of a car-theft ring, he picks up hitchhiking Henry Dampier, an innocent twenty-year-old Bible salesman. Clearwater immediately recognizes Henry as smart but gullible, just the kind of associate he needs -- one who will believe Clearwater is working undercover for the F.B.I.; one who will drive the cars Clearwater steals as Clearwater drives along in his own car at a safe distance. Henry joyfully sees a chance to lead a dual life as a Bible salesman and a G-man.

During his hilarious and scary adventures, Henry grapples with doubts about the Bible's accuracy and we learn of his fundamentalist upbringing, an upbringing that hasn't prepared him for his new life. As he falls in love with the captivating Marleen Green and questions his religious training, Henry begins to see he's being used -- that he is on his own in a way he never imagined.

The Reading Group Guide for Book Clubs:

Questions and Topics for Discussion:

1. Henry sells free Bibles he receives from Bible societies across the country, which he has requested under less-than-honest pretenses. Discuss how Henry reconciles his actions with his morality. Does he feel that his actions are acceptable? Do you?

2. From the moment Henry and Preston meet, Henry's innocence contrasts with the older man's manipulativeness. Discuss the relationship between these two men. How does Henry's naivete ultimately allow him to upset Preston's plans for him? In what ways are the two men similar?

3. Henry's family is charitable (sending blankets to Yancy) but their church is sometimes harsh (warning the child Henry about being a blasphemer). How does Henry's Uncle Jack help him navigate these contradictions?

4. How do the elderly, especially women, contribute to the comic scenes in The Bible Salesman? Does their unworldliness add to their being funny? Are they similar to Henry in this respect?

5. The Biblical characters of Abraham, his wife Sarah, and his mistress Hagar intrigue and puzzle Henry. Does his knowing their story make it easier for him to accept his attraction to Marleen Green?

6. Henry's childhood is revealed over the course of The Bible Salesman, as are the numerous forces that shaped his Christianity -- Aunt Dorie, the Bible Salesman instructor and Henry's church, just to name a few. To what extent does each influence how he approaches his faith? How do his beliefs change over the course of the novel?

7. Although he initially views Henry as a gullible boy, Preston eventually realizes that he is not as clueless as he thought. How do you see Henry? Did your opinion change as you read? Why and in what ways?

8. Henry's beloved Uncle Jack is ejected from a surfside club as "white trash". Clearwater feels justified in burglarizing a plantation house owned by rich northerners in Florida. Does class conflict lead to the doctor's death in Drain, Georgia? Or is Clearwater's character the sole culprit?

9. In what ways does Henry mature from a child to an adult over the course of the novel? How is he still like a boy? What characters and events influence his growth? Do you think it is possible to maintain a positive outlook such as his in the face of the trials of adulthood?

10. Henry and Preston's journey through the South is the focus of the novel, but they travel in other ways as well. How does movement, in both the physical and psychological sense, cause the characters to change? Do you think Henry would be the same man at the end of the novel had he not partnered with Preston?

11. Family reunions play a big part in Henry's past. How does the extended family unify the disparate personalities and bloodlines in The Bible Salesman? Does it assuage the fact that Henry's parents are absent and that his sister's son looks nothing like his brother-in-law?

12. Did The Bible Salesman inspire you to compare parts of the Hebrew Bible to the King James Version and the Chicago Bible? If so, what differences in the interpretations of the text did you find interesting?

***Rules, rules, rules. Always with the rules***:

1. Leave your email address OR ELSE (Big Meanie Alert). No email, no entry.

2. Answer this question: Does the fact that Christianity, beliefs and Bibles play an important part in this book put you off at all or pique your interest?

3. Think like a North American and Be One. Hatchette's giveaways are limited to residents of the U.S. and Canada. No P.O. Boxes.

4. Spread the word and provide a link to your post or tweet for an extra entry. It is not necessary to comment more than once; you can put all the info in a single comment (actually, I prefer it that way). There will be five winners. Wahoo!

The contest ends on October 18, 2009.

Also, don't forget to drop by and sign up for my other two giveaways:

The Smart One and the Pretty One - ends tomorrow night, Sept. 27 at 6pm!

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with Hatchette - a huge giveaway; each winner will receive 5 books!

Important Notice: I now give winners roughly 48 - 72 hours to respond because I'm a busy girl. I strongly advise following this blog in a reader, if you don't, so that you will see your name if something hinky happens to your email (or you just don't check your email often). I'll let you know how long you have to respond within the text of the drawing winners announcement post.

Insomniac's Digest: Because when you can't sleep, you might as well do something useful or at least do something, period

Photo came from this insomnia site.

Ramblings of an insomniac:

11:21 PM - Not bad, but it feels ridiculously late and I'm wired. Both son and I have maddening but limited cases of hives. There must be something in the air. Mold, maybe? All that rain can cause evil things to grow. Evil things that itch.

11:22 PM - I'm going to tell you about all the books I'm reading, now. I hope this doesn't keep you awake unless you need to be awake and doesn't put you to sleep unless you're having a bout of insomnia, too.

11:23 PM - To Serve Them All My Days by R. F. Delderfield - a fictional, classic chunkster about a man who returns to England severely shell-shocked after 3 years of service in WWI (life in the French trenches = misery) and becomes a teacher at a remote boys' school as therapy. Oh, man, am I ever loving this book. You should read this book. I'll review it in about the year 2014, at the rate I'm going, but still . . . you should read it.

11:25 PM - Milky Way Marmalade by Michael DiCerto - A humorous sci-fi tale about a hunter of meaty delicacies who plans to retire until he's offered a chance to make money by capturing the Wisest Substance in the Universe: a gelatinous, pillow-shaped blob known as L'Orange. He decides to save it, instead (according to the cover -- I haven't quite reached that point). So far, this one falls into my Loads Of Fun category. We'll mention the rock 'n roll references later.

11:30 PM - The Interrogative Mood by Padgett Powell - Don't hate me if I haven't read your book, yet, and I shoved this one to the head of the queue, okay? It's just that it's skinny and it looked really, really interesting. Also, apparently I was magnetically attracted to it. I can't locate the magnets at either end, but trust me . . . they are there. I can feel the tug.

Kiddo had to do abdominal exercises poolside, today, because he can't swim for a day or two after his cortisone shot. So I alternated between timing his leg lifts and reading aloud from The Interrogative Mood. It's written entirely in questions and it is . . . humble opinion, here . . . a bit of quirky brilliance. We laughed a lot. I want to laugh more, so I'll keep reading.

11:38 PM - The Treasures of Venice by Loucinda McGary - A romance (gasp!) that takes place in two separate time periods in Venice. Samantha is caught up in an adventure involving a handsome Irish rogue, his kidnapped sister, and some valuable jewels. There's a connection between the historical lovebirds of 1485 and the contemporary couple, but I'm too tired to explain it. This book was sent to me by mistake. I love this kind of error; Bookfool needed something a little light and atypical to toss into the mix.

11:41 PM - $20 Per Gallon by Christopher Steiner - A nicely researched forecast of how our lives will change in America as the remaining gas supply dwindles and prices sharply rise. Fascinating stuff. All those airplanes parked in the desert! Will we end up sailing the Atlantic if we're in the mood for a European jaunt? Will there be a modern Jamaica Inn, where people go rushing off to salvage the goods of ships wrecked on the craggy shore? I don't know, but I'm enjoying the book. And, those were just my questions. Steiner hasn't mentioned sailing or shipwrecks, just FYI. He did mention planes parked in the desert.

11:44 PM - The Unlikely Disciple by Kevin Roose - Brown University student Kevin Roose decided to go undercover at a Christian university (Jerry Falwell's) in order to write about it. I haven't gotten far on this one because I keep burying it, but what I'm getting from it, so far, is a "They're human like us," vibe. I'm anxious to read more. I should possibly attach a neon flag to this book.

11:52 PM - Went on a mental tangent that intersected with a heavy, anomolous brain fog.

11:53 PM - The Mosaic Bible from Tyndale House - You should read yesterday's post; I don't want to describe it, again. And, then come back later in the week because I'm going to have a drawing. One lucky person will win a certificate redeemable for a copy of The Mosaic Bible. I have to ask whether or not it can be redeemed from any place on the planet, though. So, bear with me.

11:55 PM - Aha! Benadryl is beginning to take effect. I prefer oral to topical for hives, don't you? Especially at night, when you're all goggle-eyed and need sleep because somebody is going to come to your house to measure your room for carpet installation and they're planning to call between the Ridiculously Ungodly Hours of 7-9 AM. Too, too early for this gal. Waaay too early.

11:57 PM - Giving up. Think I'll review a couple of children's books, tomorrow. The cat and I always have such fun reviewing children's books.

12:03 PM - Editing your blog posts is obviously time-consuming. I am really going to stop, now. This moment. I'm not going to say another word. Not one. Okay, maybe one or two.

Good night.

She whose eyes were wide, whose stacks are likely to be featured in a horror film and whose cat has given up on her, quietly retreating to a dark spot to meditate.