A Brief Update and a Smooch

First the smooch.

Isn't that a sweet photo? I went for a drive out to the local prairie dog village and there are tons of youngsters. I'll have to go visit them, again. I could sit all day watching the kids play. Sending virtual hugs to all my blog buddies. I'm missing you!

And, an update:

Not that we're unusual in this, but we've had loads of storms and even a trip to Burger King has been a little difficult to squeeze in. Last time I was here (Saturday), the signal was hinky and I couldn't post a thing. Since I'm getting good work done at my mother's house, I'll probably be here another week and then I hope to get back to blog-hopping when I return home. I miss visiting everyone and reading your posts!!

Bookwise, I've finished the following:

Simple Genius - David Baldacci (audio - listened to it on the drive up) - found this one way over the top, but the author's notes at the end made sense of some of the historical background.

Eat, Pray, Love - Elizabeth Gilbert - Loved it! The portion set in India bored me, at first, but I loved the way that section ended and enjoyed the final third. It ended up a big thumbs up, at least for me. I've noticed reviews on this one are quite polarized.

Overcoming Hurts and Anger - Dwight L. Carson, M.D. - This one came from a stack of books that I'm referring to as my mother's "angst pile". I read it out of curiosity but it was really fascinating and more about discovering how the reader can determine how s/he handles anger and what to change in order to handle daily hurts more effectively than about overcoming past hurts. I really enjoyed reading it and learned quite a bit about myself and my family.

Facts the Historians Leave Out: A Confederate Primer - John S. Tilley - Originally copyrighted in 1951, this one is from my mother's collection of history books. At only 76 pages, it was a very quick read and engrossing. I don't agree with everything Tilley said, but then there's a lot I don't know. It's basically a book that defends Southerners and describes the basis for Confederate secession and I found it very informative.

In the Land of Dreamy Dreams - Ellen Gilchrist - for the Southern Reading Challenge. The verdict: that new cover shown in my previous post is probably stock art and absolutely does not fit the book at all. Most of the stories are set in the South, all have at least a few Southern characters and there's only brief mention of a kimono in someone's closet -- no other Asian references. New Orleans and Mississippi are heavily featured and the stories are amazing. I'll try to do a full review of this one when I return home. It's a great book.

Return from Tomorrow - George Ritchie with Elizabeth Sherrill - Another book in the same vein as 90 Minutes in Heaven (published in 1978 -- the fact that the author's experience occurred during WWII makes the background alone worth the read) but a little harder to believe as the man claimed his spirit tried to travel to Richmond, Virginia and he realized he had left his body when he reached (of all places) Vicksburg, Mississippi. So, he turned around and floated back to where his body lay covered by a sheet . . . and then met up with Christ. I got a kick out of the Vicksburg portion, but I found myself struggling not to laugh or at least roll my eyes. Sorry.

Early Widow - Mary Jane Worden - Another book I read purely out of curiosity. My mother was widowed at 56 and I was so wrapped up in my own grief that I guess I just wanted to know what her side of losing my father was like. It was a heart-rending, grab-the-tissues book. But, it also spoke of healing as it was the journal of a young widow and each month brought progress in her healing and that of her children.

About to finish: The Queen of Sleepy Eye by Patti Hill

Not sure what I'm going to read next. I'm having fun digging through my mother's books. It's been a beautiful day, although it's clouding up, now. Here's a photo from my mother's garden, taken during a sunny break:

Wishing everyone sunny days and happy thoughts!

Little Bookfool on the Prairie

Hello from Oklahoma!

I am here:See me? Okay, the city I'm in is not actually on the map, but we'll forgive whoever made this little map. I'm about in the "r" of "Bartlesville". And, it's gorgeous outside! The sun is shining! It's cool!! There's a nice, pleasant breeze and I can drive around with the windows open!!!! I love my home state.

So, I drove up on Sunday and stopped at my beloved in-laws' house for supper (thank you, again!). They always feed me. Then, I drove the rest of the way because a storm was moving in and I didn't want to get stuck in it. I wish I'd had my camera handy. As I drove into Ponca City, the storm front was plainly visible and it looked -- I kid you not -- like that image of the shark on the Jaws poster turned sideways. Remember the dark, gaping jaw and the jagged teeth? The outer edge of the storm front was white against a darker sky, v-shaped. That was the Great White outline, you see. And, inside was black and ominous. Along the edge of the white front and the interior storm was the ragged fuzz of cloud that looked like teeth. And, of course, I was driving right into the jaws of doom, there. Wait till you've seen Jaws with lightning in his mouth. Creepy. After 10 1/2 hours of driving, the storm didn't faze me when I got myself unlaoded. I just slept right through it.

I'm still recovering, though. I look a little like I was in a fight. Like these guys, kind of puffy and black around the eyes (only I don't think I'm very green, apart from my shirt):

I should have plenty of reading time, since the TV is unplugged in my mother's house and there's nobody around to chat with (and no internet -- I'm at Burger King). More on that, later. I leave you with a bumper sticker that made me laugh (just before my son's driving made me scream):


Finished reading: Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

Still plan to review, in spite of having to leave home without it: Sway by the Brafman Brothers . I will not let the fact that my husband stuck it in his briefcase and left his briefcase at work stop me. But, I have to find a second block of time to spend at Burger King.

Wahoos may be delayed. The camera hasn't come out of the bag because I've been so busy boxing and sorting, but I hope to get out, soon. You know, apart from the BK jaunts.

Happy, happy, joy, joy!

Bookfool, surrounded by big, blue sky

Oopsy and a pet peeve about a ridiculous cover

My apologies to those who subscribe to my blog feed. I tried to edit my Southern Reading Challenge post to reflect updates and accidentally hit the "Save as Draft" button, which meant that it went out again as if it were a brand new post when I hit the "Publish Post" button. I hope that makes sense. Just toss that puppy out with the socks that have holes in them and all that nasty spam.

And, here's something interesting to mull. I'm reading an older copy of In the Land of Dreamy Dreams by Ellen Gilchrist. It was printed in 1981 and, thus far, the stories have been set in the New Orleans of the 1970s. The cover illustration shows a woman lying in repose on a cushioned wicker settee , looking dreamy, a shell in her hand:

It fits. The dress is right for the time of publication -- not sure about the time the stories were written or set, but it's close enough. I can easily visualize one of the female characters, who tend to be off in their own world, lying around with that dreamy expression. The furniture would easily fit that of a nice porch in the Garden District in pre-Katrina New Orleans. So, I cannot figure out for the life of me why on earth the current cover looks like this:

What the heck is that? It will be interesting to find out if there's something beyond the mention of a Japanese kimono on page 140, as I continue reading. Either way, it seems like an awfully odd choice for the cover image on a short story collection by a Southern writer. This is a mystery I must unravel. More on that, later. Gotta keep reading.

The Well-Fed Self-Publisher by Peter Bowerman

The Well-Fed Self-Publisher: How to Turn One Book into a Full-Time Living by Peter Bowerman
Nonfiction - authorship, marketing
294 pages, incl. appendixes and index
Copyright 2007
Author's website

What led you to pick up this book? The Well-Fed Self-Publisher is a book I requested for reviewing purposes. I've read similar books that put me to sleep and wanted to see if this one was an improvement.

Summarize the book without giving everything away. The Well-Fed Self-Publisher is subtitled "How to Turn One Book into a Full-Time Living," so right up front you know what exactly you're looking at. Author Peter Bowerman delves into the process of writing and publishing a book and marketing it to sell, in painstaking detail. He talks about the types of books that work best (nonfiction), how to write (conversationally), how to design, edit, choose a title and cover, apply for ISBN numbers and listings at Ingram's and Baker & Taylor, etc., how to decide whether or not to hire an outside publicist, how to prepare form letters and do a radio interview . . . on and on. It is truly a manual that takes you through every step of the process.

What did you like most about the book? I thought it was very readable and loved the extensive detail. The author delves into how to make sure you have a quality product, which organizations can be helpful to a single-book publisher, how much each part of the process costs and how you can cut corners, as well as when and where you shouldn't. The author includes loads of websites, extensive appendixes, and possible cost scenarios. He's honest; the up-front cost of quality self-publishing can be painful, even if you cut corners. But, I do believe the honesty is a part of the reason it's the best book I've ever seen about self-publishing. If he isn't an expert on a particular area, he loads you down with references that will lead you to the info you need.

What did you think of the concept and how it was described? It's almost ubiquitous, isn't it? The book about writing a book on writing a book? Okay, yeah, it's really about writing nonfiction, self-publishing and marketing to insure continued sales. Point being, I've seen (and read) many similar books and my first thought was, "It will probably be gimmicky." The Well-Fed Self-Publisher is not really gimmicky at all. He's done everything he describes. He tells you to write a story at the head of each chapter to grab people and you immediately take notice of the anecdotes at the beginning of the chapters. He describes how to design your cover for maximum impact and you realize that the cover is exactly as recommended -- it really does grab you, front and back. The fact is, the book is content-rich. A lot of how-to or self-help books are entirely bullets and headers that shout generalities but are low on usable advice. This book really walks you through the process.

Share a favorite tidbit from the book: There were several suggestions that rang true to my own experience. The author's advice about making your cover stand out, for example, is very good. When I worked at an off-price bookstore with primarily remaindered (over-run) books, my boss and I often unloaded the new stock together. He'd been working in book sales for many years and this is what he said as he sorted: "Junk. Junk. That'll be a great seller. Junk. Why do people even bother publishing this crap? Bland covers don't sell! Junk. Junk. Good one. That'll sell like hotcakes." Covers are critical; no doubt about it.

Thumbs up - Excellent detail, beautifully written, and it covers numerous topics that I've seen covered as individual books, this time within a single cover.

In general: I was stunned. Most writing/publishing books are dry as a bone and I was afraid I might not be able to get through the book, but I was wrong. The chatty writing style makes it a comfortable read and (of course, he mentions this as a critical point when preparing your own book). It's extremely well-edited. I've got a natural critic's eye and almost invariably find some sort of grammatical error, typo, misspelling, etc. If there are any errors, I missed them. I did make the mistake of devoting myself to the book for several days. I need fiction breaks or it actually takes me longer to read a nonfiction book. It's been quite a while since I've made that error in judgment. Oh, well. The old lesson has been reinforced.

It would have been exhausting to visit all of the links provided (and pointless, since I'm not writing a nonfiction book) but I did check some out and I only have one quibble. There's one book Bowerman advises the reader to look up at Amazon. He brainstormed the title with the book's author and thought it had tremendous impact. I looked up the book and was rather appalled to find that the cover was all black with the title in gold. All-black and all-white covers with no illustration were the most common titles that my boss threw in the junk pile. Color is good. I would have advised that author to choose a bright background color over black. Nothing else stood out in a negative way and the title was the point of that exercise, not the cover. I'm just being picky.

Other generalities: So much for an attempt at brevity. The header does say "babble", though, so apparently I knew myself well enough when I came up with my blog designation.

Getting back to: Eat, Pray, Love and The Queen of Sleepy Eye

Just read: 2 short stories from In the Land of Dreamy Dreams by Ellen Gilchrist

Considered but rejected: The idea of beginning a short story forum in which collections of short stories are read and discussed. I simply don't have the time, as I'll be continuing to run back and forth between Mississippi and Oklahoma for a while. But I decided to go ahead and set up a short story blog for writing about the short stories I've read (those I feel compelled to talk about). I named it Put Your Shorts On. Ridiculous, but true.

Next review: Sway by Ori and Rom Brafman - the husband took it with him on the plane, so that's why I'm reviewing out of sequence.

Caught on film: My lizard buddy's girlfriend! She has the most glorious, long tail (and lovely orange-rimmed eyes). This isn't my best shot, but I wanted to show that terrific tail:

Wishing all and sundry a lovely, book-filled, relaxing weekend!

Bookfool, off to read another short story

Oh, no!!!

Look what I heard flapping around in the bottom of one of our trash cans!! A baby wren! Just to clarify, he was bogged down but still alive.

I tipped the trash can, he hopped out and an adult wren followed close behind. Baby Wren is under my car. I'm worried about him because we had a visit from Vampire Kitty, this morning. The garage is suddenly quiet -- no baby chirping in the nest! I'm hoping this guy doesn't come for another visit:

Wahoo! Wednesday: The Animal Episode

This is going to be a very text-light Wahoo! Wednesday because I made the mistake of standing in the shade to snap some photos and I can barely type for scratching the mosquito bites. My boy, above, has got a girlfriend! Wahoo for my favorite lizard! He finally attracted a nice, cute little female; I spotted her on his post for the first time, last evening. Way to go! Notice how happy he is? Here are a few bird photos taken this week. A bluejay:


Red-headed woodpecker :


Carolina wren #1 (on our back patio -- we've got a family nesting in our garage):


My favorite outdoor viewing game of choice: Squirrel Chase!!!

And, carolina wren #2 wahooing (actually, he was really hollering at a cat, but it's Wednesday and I can pretend if I want to) :

Wishing you many wahoos!

Bookfool, soaking up nature and paying for it.

Warning

I just realized how long that last post was. Sorry. I'll work on brevity. It's not a natural talent of mine.

Tuesday Twaddle, including buzzy things, a haiku and the weekend that was

Cactus:Son's new haircut:

Argh! The beautiful auburn curls with blond highlights are gone! I'm in mourning.

So, about that weekend. Remember I said I had an interesting weekend? Well, I was planning to drive to Oklahoma to work on getting my mother's house ready to sell. But, my friend Paula reminded me (as I was frantically cleaning and packing), "You know, there's no hurry." I took that to heart and gave myself an extra day to clean and pack. Then, I decided to add another day because I'm married to Mr. Chaos and any little bit helps. The cleaner the house, the less damage he can do (and I was really too tired to drive but that's another story). All of which left us with a Monday departure date.

Sunday morning, however, a vicious storm swept through Tulsa with 70 mile per hour winds. It knocked down trees, limbs and power lines. Of greatest interest to me: my beloved in-laws (with whom I planned to spend the night) lost their power. Had I decided to leave on Sunday, I would have run into the storm in Arkansas around mid-day and ended up in a house with no lights or air. So, we said, "Close call. Good thing about the delay." Always looking at the bright side, here. Then, my sister called to tell me not to bother coming till further notice because her husband had somehow managed to knock a hole in a water pipe at my mom's house. It's bad enough doing without power when it's hitting the 90's, but water? No way. I need my bath or I become seriously scary. So, I'm on hold. Sometimes procrastinating can be a good thing.

This means I get to hang out with my lizard buddies, keep cleaning up after my husband (really, I'm looking forward to a break from that), and listen to the buzzing tree. If you know what kind of tree this is, please illuminate me:

A few years ago, a nasty virus that devastated the European bees in the U.S. visibly caused a population drop of the little buzzers in our area. European bees make the best honey and I recall reading a few rather frantic articles describing how European bees were slowly coming back but mating with African bees, which are not the best honey producers in the world (and not very polite, either -- remember Killer Bees?). So, I was quite surprised, last week, when I stood under the tree and heard a sound that we haven't heard in quite a while -- a noise much like you'd expect from a hovering spaceship or, possibly, a horror movie. It truly sounded like the tree was preparing for departure.

The volume of that buzzing noise is really something; there were literally hundreds, possibly thousands of bees gathering pollen from the tree. The bees are back! And they were swarming all over those pollen shoots. For those who are afraid of stinging things -- no worries. They have absolutely no interest in chicks or dudes standing under the tree with pollen raining down upon their human heads. It's wild. But, I went inside, anyway, because it made me sneeze. I've noticed the bees are a little bizarre-looking; they have an orange spot on their bodies, rather than just the usual black and gold. So, maybe it's a cross-breed that I'm seeing, but it's still nice to see bees, again. I like honey, don't you?

In other news:

The husband says he doesn't like my new profile photo because it looks frighteningly like the real me -- a cross between a laugh and "I'm going to bite you." What a guy.

The electricians came! Two of them! They were cordial! And, more importantly, they fixed our problem, showed me a couple of burnt metal things and explained how lucky we were that the little zapping popping lightning storms that were caused by the metal arching and the electricity jumping to try to find a connection, scorching everything around them (i.e., the mini fires) stayed inside the power box. Actually, the one fellow was kind of stern when he explained it, but you know. I'm thrilled! Wahoo! I will definitely feel better about sleeping at night, now. Maybe that one should have been saved for Wahoo! Wednesday. Oh, well.

I have a favorite lizard. His tail was lopped off, a couple of weeks ago but it's growing back and he's out on his favorite metal post in the herb garden, displaying away. Why do I love him? He's absolutely not afraid of me. I can lean right down next to him and he'll just look at me as if to say, "Well, hi there, human!" He'll let me sit on the garden border and snap away with the camera. If I talk to him, he turns toward me but never skitters away. I think he might even let me pick him up if I so desire. But, no. I don't want to freak him out. He'll be featured in my wahoos, tomorrow.

A Haiku for the latest contest in the Southern Reading Challenge, allegedly an abbreviated description of The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen:

There's something in the closet
Someone on the floor
Magic and love in the air

The new piles from the library are so huge that I'm positively intimidated by them. How did I get them home? No wonder my bad shoulder hurts. I haven't managed to photograph the books, so you just get a list. I finished Sway, yesterday, and will review it as soon as I can. Huzzybuns is taking a turn reading it and then the eldest has next dibs, so it's a popular title with this family. Anyway, the new acquisitions:

Sway - Ori and Rom Brafman
Greetings from Bury Park - Sarfraz Manzoor
Atmospheric Disturbances - Rivka Galchen
The 4th of July - Peter de Bolla
The Story of a Marriage - Andrew Sean Greer
Final Theory - Mark Alpert
So Brave, Young and Handsome - Leif Enger
A Case of Exploding Mangoes - Mohammed Hanif
The Film Club - David Gilmour
The Boat - Nam Le
Unaccustomed Earth - Jhumpa Lahiri
Rattled - Debra Gallant
How the Soldier Repairs the Gramophone - Sasa Stanisic
The Messiah - Marek Halter
Sitting Practice - Caroline Adderson
Rabbit in the Moon - Deborah & Joel Shlian
Evening is the Whole Day - Preeta Samarasan
Sun Going Down - Jack Todd
Maybe a Miracle - Brian Strause
How to Be Single - Liz Tuccillo
Simplexity by Jeffrey Kluger
And there's another one that the kiddo is reading -- Grantville Gazette IV by Eric Flint

I know, ridiculous. But, I'm really, really enjoying them and so are the guys.

Random Simon moment:

My tea is cold, and the moon, anchored by the hopes and wishes of those abandoned souls churning their way home from the pub, has drifted deeper into the sky.

--from "Conception" in The Secret Lives of People in Love by Simon Van Booy

Kiddo took this picture through the window of the car, at my request. In light of yesterday's post (and given the similarities between America's current involvement overseas and Vietnam -- not a political creature, but even Mrs. Politically Stupid thinks she has this one figured out), I think it's especially meaningful:

Welcome home, Brad. I don't know you, but I'm glad you made it back. And, hang in there, Nikki.

Wishing all a safe and beautiful day,

Bookfool

Mrs. Lieutenant: A Sharon Gold Novel by Phyllis Zimbler Miller

Mrs. Lieutenant: A Sharon Gold Novel by Phyllis Zimbler Miller
www.booksurge.com
486 pages
Author's Website, here

What led you to pick up this book? I was asked to review some books for a June blog tour and Mrs. Lieutenant was one that I requested.

Summarize the plot but don't give away the ending. Four women from diverse backgrounds, each with a husband attending 6 weeks of officers' training school (Armor Officer Basic) at Fort Knox, Kentucky in the year 1970 must adjust to being the wives of officers who may end up serving in Vietnam. As they deal with their conflicting emotions, they also become a part of the community of officers' wives and learn to overcome their prejudices.

What did you like most about the book? I loved the fact that it's emotionally involving, sometimes intensely emotional. Three of the women were totally new to army life and one was an army brat; but, regardless of their backgrounds and histories, they all had to contend with the fear that their husbands might end up in Vietnam and they could become widows. They all each had their own concerns about fitting in and different issues to deal with on the home front. One had a pathologically jealous husband and lived in constant fear that her husband would blow up if she even said a word to another man. Sharon, the main character, was a Jew raised in Chicago. She was quite fearful that she'd be an outcast in the South.

What did you think of the characters? I liked them, although at times I found some of their worries baffling. There was a little bit of a forced attribute to the book -- the fact that there was a Jew, a black, a Puerto Rican and an uneducated Southerner in that little group of friends made it seem almost staged. And, yet, from my limited experience around military folks, I've found that there tends to be a fairly representative cross-section of backgrounds and races in the armed forces. In the 1970's, the friendship between such a diverse group of young women probably would have turned heads and that's the major point. Would it be possible for those four women, each raised with their own fears and prejudices, to forge a deep friendship?

Share a favorite scene from the book: Donna's flashback scene was the most moving and meaningful scene, for me. It was the first time I had to trudge off to get the tissues and set the book aside. The fact that it moved me to tears made it a favorite, though. I liked being emotionally involved with the characters. It would give too much away to say anything beyond the fact that Donna had suffered a horrible loss. But, I can say that all 4 women -- Sharon, Donna, Wendy and Kim -- spent the 6 weeks of officer training adjusting but also occasionally coming unglued from the fear of what might lie ahead. Donna's story moved me the most, but there were at least 5 times I had to close the book to wipe my eyes.

Thumbs up - Mrs. Lieutenant is an emotionally engaging book that gives readers a view into the other side of military life -- the wife's viewpoint. I particularly liked the way the author began each chapter with a quote from the news, followed by a quote from the rule book for military wives. The contrast was startling and really made you stop to think about how wives had to present themselves and follow their own strict rules of society while inside they were wrestling with emotion.

In general: There's nothing lyrical or beautiful about the writing in Mrs. Lieutenant, no flowery language, no lovely scenery. In fact, I'd describe the writing as pedestrian -- with almost a Hemingway-like abruptness to dialogue and prose. There are some grammatical errors and a few tense problems. But, it's a quick read and I didn't feel pulled away from the storyline by the writing style. It didn't stop me from caring about the characters or shedding tears when they were distraught.

If I was going to complain about anything at all, it would be the fact that the author didn't seem to have a depth of understanding about Southerners; vernacular should be avoided if you don't know the language. Beyond that, the book is about overcoming prejudices and misconceptions, dealing with the fear of what may come, learning a completely new way of life and banding together. That's what's important and I think the author did a pretty fine job of describing what it's like to be a military wife, thrown into a totally new place with no acquaintances while facing the terror of potentially saying goodbye to a husband.

Almost finished with: Sway by Ori and Rom Brafman

Later on: Babble about the weirdness of my weekend and the tree that sounds like it's going to take off

The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen

The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen
Released May 20, 2008
Bantam Fiction
276 pages

She looked over to the door and locked eyes with Jake. The force of it nearly knocked her over. As much as Julian could do, as much as he wanted to do, he could not affect her the way Jake could. It was the difference between a tickle and a punch.

Jake walked toward her, Adam on his heels. They got caught in the group of shiny women on their way. Walking through that group was like walking into a sudden dust devil. They emerged on the other side looking rumpled and windblown. [pp. 109-110]

"Books can be possessive, can't they? You're walking around in a bookstore and a certain one will jump out at you, like it had moved there on its own, just to get your attention. Sometimes what's inside will change your life, but sometimes you don't even have to read it. Sometimes it's a comfort just to have a book around. Many of these books haven't even had their spines cracked. 'Why do you buy books you don't even read?' our daughter asks us. That's like asking someone who lives alone why they bought a cat. For company, of course." [p. 180]

What led you to pick up this book? I loved Garden Spells, by the same author, and was fortunate (as in "Wow, this is like winning the lottery!" -- it's the simple things in life you treasure) to find an advanced reader copy of The Sugar Queen for free at my public library.

Summarize the plot but don't give away the ending. Josey Cirrini was a terrible brat, as a child and, at 27 years of age, is still trying to make up for her early years by caring for her elderly widowed mother, Margaret. More than anything, Josey desires to escape from the Bald Slope, North Carolina, where her wealth and her history are known to everyone. From a distance, Josey admires her handsome mailman, Adam, but she's not really allowed any social life and is totally inexperienced with men. To assuage her frustrations, she frequently hides in her closet and eats from her stash of candy and goodies. Then, one day she opens the closet and finds Della Lee Baker sitting on her closet floor. Shocked at first, Josey allows her to stay and even offers to bring her food. Della Lee sends Josey out for sandwiches from a shop at the courthouse. As Josey and shop owner Chloe Finley become friends, Josey slowly gets up the nerve to leave the house more often. There are quite a few threads that eventually interconnect and the story is really about three women whose lives are intertwined and who must all learn to be true to their own hearts.

What did you like most about the book? Golly, everything. It's just a lovely, heartwarming, witty, magical tale. I think the author has a way of creating incredibly warm characters with some sort of magical abilities. Chloe, for example, attracts books; they magically pop up nearby and even sometimes follow her around. Josey is a really nice person, much more of a social creature than she realizes after years of doing little but serving her bitter mother. She always senses the mailman's presence as he arrives at her house. The housekeeper is funny and charming with her superstitious ways and has her own special ability, which doesn't become clear until late in the book.

What did you think of the characters? Wonderful, wonderful characters. I felt like they all made sense in light of their pasts. The author has a way of making characters that are so likable that you can't help but think, "I just know I could be friends with that author if I knew her. I'll bet she's nice." Don't worry; I'm not a stalker.

Share a favorite scene from the book: I particularly loved the scenes in which Chloe was chased around by books like Finding Forgiveness. Chloe would tell them to just leave her alone, but then she'd walk into another room and whatever book wanted her attention would pop up, again. In one scene, an entire stack of books practically stalks her, inching their way into the bathroom.

Thumbs up - Absolutely enchanting. I love Sarah Addison Allen's writing.

In general: The author has officially become a personal favorite with this second delightful book.

Now reading:
Mrs. Lieutenant by Phyllis Zimbler Miller (just started!)
Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert (the second section isn't keeping my attention, but we'll see)
The Queen of Sleepy Eye by Patti Hill (crazy about this one, so far, and hope to find more reading time to spend with it, soon)

Oh, I almost forgot! Since The Sugar Queen is set in North Carolina (and so is the author -- I mean, she lives there), it qualifies as book #2 for the Southern Reading Challenge. Woohoo!

Tarnished Beauty by Cecilia Samartin

Tarnished Beauty by Cecilia Samartin (ARC)
Released March, 2008
Atria books - fiction
339 pages

When Carmen came home, she stood frozen in the doorway. The grocery bag she held in one hand slipped through her fingers and dropped to the floor with the unmistakable clunk of a six-pack. Her purse was the next to go.

"My God," she said, tugging on the loose flesh under her chin. "I didn't realize how big this place is." [p. 58]

Who can deny the beauty of the first days of spring, when tender buds begin to yield their secrets, and the sun spreads its glory across the land with unparalleled brilliance? I suppose there are some who when confronted with such beauty are not affected by it. The very same who happen upon the most spectacular of sunsets and continue their daily routines with little more than a glance. I am the sort who stops in my tracks to consider each subtle phase, every errant beam of light that dances across the sky. I am spellbound until the end, and so I was with Rosa. [p. 153]

T wo steaming cups of coffee, one with plenty of cream and sugar, were waiting at the bedside once the morning chores had been completed. The trays and clothes had been moved into the corridor and still needed to be taken downstairs, but the room was spotless and the linens on the bed crisp. Jamilet opened the window and midmorning sun stretched across the room like a soft golden arm, beckoning them to sit and meditate upon the warmth of its embrace.
[234]

What led you to pick up this book? Tarnished Beauty is an advanced reader that was sent to me by Simon & Schuster (thank you!).

Summarize the plot but don't give away the ending. Jamilet is a girl born in Mexico with a huge, ugly birthmark that villagers believe is the mark of the devil. Because of the mark, Jamilet must dress with extreme modesty and endure vicious taunts. She's unable to attend school because of the villagers' beliefs about her birthmark, yet she is a sweet, angelic girl. Eventually, Jamilet manages to cross the border, find her aunt in Los Angeles and obtain illegal documents. With her forged documents and the advice of a friend, Jamilet finds a job at a mental institution, caring for a single patient who calls himself Senor Peregrino. The nurse has warned Jamilet not to listen to Senor Peregrino's ramblings, at risk of losing her job, but when Peregrino saves Jamilet's life and hides the real documents that give away her true identity, Jamilet agrees to hear his story in return for her papers. As the story unfolds and Senor Peregrino eventually teaches her how to read, Jamilet realizes that she and Senor Peregrino have much in common and, in turn, learns how to follow her own heart.

What did you like most about the book? I loved the characters, the way the story is told (with Senor Peregrino telling his story, little bits at a time, when he feels like it), the contrast of beautiful descriptions with realistic dialogue, the relationships -- I really had a terrible time putting the book down, I liked it so much.

What did you think of the characters? You can't help but love Jamilet and Senor Peregrino. Jamilet's aunt Carmen is kind of bizarre and a little disgusting but hilarious. There's an excellent blend of characters.

Share a favorite scene from the book: I'm particular fond of a scene near the end of the book, when Jamilet puts all the pieces of Peregrino's story together and she finally stands up and does what she knows is right rather than what others desire of her.

Thumbs up - Completely captured me. I had so much difficulty putting the book down that it pretty much dominated my weekend. Definitely worth the time; I was particularly fond of the fact that there were likable, unlikable and dubious characters but they were all plain-spoken and easy to visualize. I loved the contrast of beautiful prose with blunt dialogue.

In general: Excellent reading. I did figure out the mystery of Senor Peregrino long before it was revealed and that was a bit of a let-down. But, otherwise, I was utterly captivated.

Tarnished Beauty was also reviewed by Kris at Not Enough Books.

Just Finished: The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen

Just about to: Take a nap. I can't keep my eyes open. Hope everyone has a terrific day!

Wahoo! Wednesday

I really need my wahoos, this week. The lights are still flickering in our house and now it's gotten to the point that we often hear fizzing, popping, crackling noises. The refrigerator goes off and on, the computer monitors blink, the light bulbs are more lightning than light. Scary.

So, wahoo #1 -- Wahoo! for the fact that the electricity problem hasn't killed us, yet. Might want to follow that one up with a request for crossed fingers and prayers till we find an electrician.

2. It rained cats and dogs, this morning, and I had to drive on Interstate 20 to Jackson in a deluge. It was just a wee bit bracing. Fortunately, all went well apart from one brief moment during which an 18-wheeler passed me and I was temporarily blinded by the splash he generated. Well, wahoo! for making it home in one piece.

3. You can't help but love this wahoo if you're a bibliophile (and which of you is not?) . . . Wahoo! for that ARC giveaway at the library. Oh, oh, oh, oh!! I'm so excited to have a fresh, pretty pile. I'll have to take some photos, soon. Both hubby and I are having fun with the new books. But, my most thrilling find on those library carts -- and, I'm telling you, it is such a lucky thing that I held that wahoo noise in because they would have kicked me out faster than you can say, "Gosh, look at the greedy book pig" -- is The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen. Garden Spells was one of my favorite reads, last year, so I've been just salivating at the thought of another luscious read by the same author, ever since a friend told me she'd received an advanced reader. You have never seen an arm move as fast as that motion I made to snatch The Sugar Queen off the FREE books cart.

4. Wahoo! for new life. I meant to mention this little guy, whom I plunked into my sidebar, last week, but then events intervened. Gah, small-town weirdness that I can't talk about, but it's mostly over. Anyway, I was standing out on our driveway, one day (I do that a lot, just watching the birds) and a mockingbird was dive-bombing Gray Kitty, the cat whose image I've just turned into my new profile photo. Naturally, I started to think, "Hmm, maybe there's a nest, nearby." The next day, when I was outside I noticed a nest in a big green thing -- which is either a big shrub or a small tree; honestly, I can't tell. It's just fat and leafy. And, there was a whole lot of tweeting going on. So, I walked across the street and saw this little fellow hanging out of the nest. Up above on the wire was either Mama or Daddy Mockingbird with a mouthful of blackberry. What an awesome sight. Look at that cute, downy little head!!!! And here's Mama or Daddy:5. I signed a contract with a roofer, last week. I told my husband the roofer is very soft-spoken and likable and he has these nice little smile crinkles around his eyes, but I have no idea whether he's any good at replacing a roof. My husband just laughed. So, you know, wahoo! for having a husband who trusts me and thinks I'm kind of funny. I think I'd probably drive most men crazy, so that's a biggie.

In other bookish news . . .

I had this overwhelming need to actually buy a new book, over the weekend, and The Blood of Flowers has been on my wish list for quite a while, so I grabbed that one on a jaunt to Borders. I have no idea when I'll actually read it, but it's very pretty and comes highly recommended.

And from our library's perpetual sale, I got a copy of Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner. Squeee! I've had that one on the wish list forever -- like, years. Again, when I'll get to it is anyone's guess, but I'm happy to own a copy. I love Stegner.

I was also thrilled to see a message saying I've won a copy of The Used World by Haven Kimmel from This Book for Free. I've been planning to give her fiction a try and that'll make it easy. Many thanks to Shoshana!

Wishing everyone a deluge of wahoos,

Bookfool, aka That Greedy Book Pig

A Tremendously Bookish Weekend (a wee bit late)

The following lizard photo is for decorative purposes only. He hasn't objected, but he's totally unaware that his image is being used for blog adornment. The photographer gratefully acknowledges his kindness and patience in posing at great length.

We now return to normality.

Even though it was a holiday weekend that involved a lot of driving kiddo to work and back, entertaining the eldest (sort of) and having a nuisance husband around to make messes (he excels; it's not just a habit, it's a skill set), I got some great reading done. Unfortunately, it's at least in part because I'm so used to a quiet house that sometimes I become Hermit Bookfool and disappear with a stack of books and a pile of pillows while the family hangs out. This weekend, the husband and eldest watched kamikaze insects divebomb into a hot citronella candle while they drank wine on the porch. I tried being sociable but that's just disturbing, watching insects fly to their doom. I had to run away and read. The lightning bugs were enchanting, twinkling all over the back yard, but the kamikaze bugs were just too much.

Anyway, I got a lot of reading done, so here's a run-down.

1. Tarnished Beauty by Cecelia Samartin is the story of Jamilet, a girl born in Mexico with a huge, ugly birthmark and an unfortunate paternal history. The birthmark forces her to dress with extreme modesty and endure vicious taunts. I will write a full review of this one, soon, but I was so completely captivated by this story that I could barely stand to put it down for a breather. I read, I ate, I read, I sipped drinks, I read and read and read. Jamilet and the man she eventually befriends are wonderful characters. Particularly of note is the way the author blends enchanting paragraphs full of beautiful word pictures with honest dialogue. So, one second you may be reading about the beauty of the sunset and the next minute someone is asking the character who is rhapsodizing why the heck doesn't she just get herself a beer instead of staring off into the sunset (that's not an actual part of the book -- just a rough example). That clash of beauty and common language makes it incredibly believable and even a little bit magical.

2. Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert -- I finished the "Eat" section, the portion in which author Gilbert describes her 4-month stay in Italy, during which she worked on improving her conversational Italian, healing from her nasty divorce, traveling around Italy to learn its history and savor its beauty and (most important) eating very, very good Italian food. I really enjoyed that part of the book, so I decided I needed to take a short breather before moving on to India. I've begun the India or "Pray" section, as of last night, and I'm enjoying it. I'm also glad I took a break between sections because the tone is a bit different and I think it might have been a bit jarring to move right from Italy to India. Such a contrast!

3. The Lottery by Shirley Jackson - I read a few stories from this collection, earlier in the week, and decided to read more. This book is an anthology of Shirley Jackson's short stories and most have left me feeling like, "Uh, so what was the point of that?" until this last batch. I love her writing but think it all boils down to endings -- love the voice, the mystery, the suspense . . . often hate the denouement. There's one story, for example, about a girl who claims the world is going to end because an asteroid is going to hit Earth. You don't know whether she's imagining things or predicting the future but either way it's kind of creepy and the suspense builds until the end, which is just a total letdown.

This weekend, I read "Trial by Combat", "The Villager", "My Life with R. H. Macy", "The Witch", "The Renegade", and "After You, My Dear Alphonse". And, I came away from this particular bunch of stories feeling entirely different. There was a depth I thought many of her other stories have lacked. Was it my mood? An ability to relate to some of the characters or situations? I don't know. But, I got so much from those stories that I'm thinking about doing a separate post on them. We'll see. First, what else did the crazy girl read?

Ah, yes, a weekend just isn't right without Alfred Bester. This week, I read "5,271,009" from Virtual Unrealities. It was one of the most flat-out bizarre, mind-boggling stories I've ever read. And, yet, at the same time I have an idea what it was about (but I'm not certain) and it made me laugh several times. There's a character whose mode of speech is so ridiculous that I can't possibly repeat it. I'll just have to post an excerpt:

"It's extremely odd, Mr. Aquila." Derelict seemed to struggle with himself. "Your coming in like this. A Halsyon monochrome arrived not five minutes ago."
"You see? Tempo ist Richtung. Well?"
"I'd rather not show it to you. For personal reasons, Mr. Aquila."
"HimmelHerrGott! Pourquoi? She's bespoke?"
"N-no, sir. Not for my personal reasons. For your personal reasons."
"Oh? God damn. Explain myself to me."

Well, that made me chuckle.

Last, but not least, I read a few nonfiction entries from Best Little Stories from World War II by C. Brian Kelly. There's a pattern to the way he tells the stories and it's a wee bit annoying -- the way he dangles information about some mystery person and you find yourself thinking, "Who is it? Who is it?" But, the story about the young WWI soldier who served as a messenger and repeatedly escaped harm while running messages from place to place -- a job that only about 50% survived -- was fascinating enough to really buck up my interest. That young soldier who repeatedly escaped harm, was injured but not badly, was temporarily blinded by chlorine gas but got his sight back and lived on was Hitler. Oh. I didn't know all that. Yeah, that worked. I'll continue working on this one. Come to think of it, that format is beginning to grow on me.

Had to return High Cotton to the library, today, but they had a cart full of ARCs sitting out with a "FREE" sign, again. Oh, goodness gracious. I cannot resist those free ARCs. I may have to post a list separately, but I began to read one that appealed to me because it will nicely fit the Southern Reading Challenge. The author is from Shreveport, Louisiana. It's a memoir and I just adore the way she tells stories of her childhood. Oops, sorry for the accidental posting at this point. The book is On Our Way to Beautiful by Yolanda Young. More on that, later.

Hope everyone had a terrific weekend!

Moonstruck by Susan Grant

Moonstruck by Susan Grant Copyright 2008
Release date: Today!!!
Harlequin Paranormal Romance (I disagree -- My opinion: Sci-fi Romance)
378 pages

[Finn] walked to a comm panel to assemble his team and sat down. The smart chair sank almost to the floor before rising to the height he'd programmed. Blast the damn thing! "Do that again, and out the airlock you go," he muttered. Was it his imagination or did the chair give an extra jolt?

Only a few amused glances veered in his direction. He altered the settings -- again. No matter what he adjusted, the so-called smart chairs did something else.

What led you to pick up this book? The author sent me a copy. One of her previous books, Your Planet or Mine? was on my 2006 list of favorites reads (see my review, here).

Summarize the plot but don't give away the ending. As a young adult, Brit "Stone-Heart" Bandar witnessed mass murder at the hands of the Drakken Horde. Since that day, she has made it her mission to eliminate as many of the Drakken Horde as possible and has become an admiral in the Coalition fleet, fighting the Horde and attempting to catch rogue captain and pirate Finn Rorkken. When the Coalition and the Horde draft a peace accord and become part of the new Triad -- which includes the Coalition, the Horde and Earth, Bandar and Rorkken are thrown together, obligated to share command of a new space ship and forced to fight their unexpected attraction to each other. When mass murder on a remote planet near the Borderlands throws the light of suspicion on the Drakken Horde, peace comes into question and Brit has no choice but to face the fear and anger that have lingered in spite of her determination to move on.

What did you like most about the book? I liked the action, the characters, the raw emotion and the author's unique brand of humor. While this book is much darker than the previous book I read by the same author, she still managed to sneak in plenty of offbeat, funny moments.

What did you think of the characters? The hero and heroine are both strong characters, strict military leaders who are admired and respected by their crews. Brit's nickname indicates the fact that she's known as a cold-hearted leader. But, both Brit and Finn have their soft spots and have a sweet vulnerability when it comes to each other. There's also a secondary romance and I liked the characters involved in that little love triangle, as well. Actually, the secondary storyline was slightly a tiny bit more appealing because the heroine was such an innocent, naive young lady that you couldn't help but root for her to choose the right fellow.

Share a favorite scene from the book: I particularly love all of the action scenes, when Bandar and Rorkken turn completely serious and are focused on nothing but the mission at hand. Susan Grant's military history is no doubt at least partially responsible for her ability to write crisp, fast-paced action. I also enjoyed the tension and urgency when one of the characters fell victim to a booby-trapped space ship.

Thumbs up - Adventure, love and some rocking fine outer-space action, heavy on the romance. Once I became involved with the characters, I had difficulty setting the book down.

In general: This is only my second book by Susan Grant, so I found myself comparing it to Your Planet or Mine? and I prefer a funny, light-hearted action/adventure sci-fi romance to a darker version of the same. But, I still loved the book. I like the author's sly sense of humor, the worlds that she creates (including all the nano-this and nano-that technology), the characters, the action and adventure. There is more emotion in Moonstruck and less humor, but it's still a terrific blend and I enjoyed it. My only quibble would be that some of the more erotic wording (and Moonstruck is quite heavy on sex scenes) is offensive to me. To regular romance readers, it may not be.

Also, it's worth noting that Bandar uses sex as a defense mechanism. So, the book begins with the admiral in the midst of a paid encounter (and there are quite a few graphic sex scenes). I would say it's not family-friendly, for that reason. But, let's face it, I'm a real priss.

Something to think about: In this particular storyline, sex is crucial because the heroine uses it to keep herself from becoming close to men and, thus, avoid vulnerability. Because it's important to plot, I think the sexual tension and relationship firmly entrenches this particular novel in the "romance" category. And, yet, it takes place in outer space. You simply can't deny that the sci-fi aspect is fantastic and I do think a lot of authors who write excellent sci-fi end up finding their books unfairly categorized as romance rather than science fiction. Not long ago, I recall reading an entry to that effect by another blogger (sorry, I did not save a link) who agrees that some tremendous sci-fi is unfairly plunked in the romance section by publishers. In fact, that particular blogger said she goes so far as to move a particular author's books from the romance section to the sci-fi shelves, where the books will presumably get more exposure.

The question for publishers and readers: Does romance negate the impact of setting? I have a friend who believes that romance is often thrown into a novel because it's a common -- possibly even expected -- technique, adding a subplot involving romance and, in effect, watering down a perfectly decent plot line. I don't know his opinion as to whether the romantic storyline should impact categorization.

Personal opinion: I like a little romance (preferably without graphic sex scenes) in just about anything. Sometimes I agree with my friend; there are stories in which the romantic aspect seems contrived and totally out of place -- and I'm referring to both genre and literary novels. But, I think love and attraction are a fact of life. It's nearly impossible to toss more than a few people/characters (real or imagined) together without some sort of romantic tension between at least a few of them. And, in many cases I think the setting should rule the classification. In fact, I would prefer that books by Susan Grant, Linnea Sinclair, and others who add a heavy romantic touch, were shelved in the sci-fi section. If I'm in the mood for sci-fi, that's where I'm going to go. Add the word "romance" to the spine, if you'd like; but remember that it's really the setting that often guides the impulse to read a particular book.

Back to Moonstruck . . .It is definitely recommended by moi and I am totally annoyed with myself for having misplaced my copy of My Favorite Earthling, which continued the story of Reef from Your Planet or Mine? Now, I'm just dying to read My Favorite Earthling.

What I Read and The Ants Are Dead

My reading break was a success! I finished two books (click on each image to enlarge for detail -- this works on all but The Lottery by Shirley Jackson):













And, I read bits of three more:













Reviews of Moonstruck and Jeremy Visick are forthcoming.

Only two days post grits feeding, the fire ants appeared to be totally dead and thus far they have not returned. A third hill-kicking produced absolutely no movement or life signs. So, listen to your elderly grandmother when she tells you to feed your fire ants grits. She knows what she's talking about.

Wishes to those in the United States for a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day weekend. This weekend is the opening of the City Pool, so kiddo will be busy lifeguarding. The rest of us are going to do whatever house and yard work we can squeeze in, between storms. And, of course, I'll be reading like a mad woman on housekeeping breaks.

Happy Reading!

Back Later with Review of Moonstruck

Slightly Early Wahooey Stuff (unless you're living in my future, aka another time zone)

One more reason lizards are cool, in case you haven't gotten enough of my anole lizard buddies, lately:

Oooh, I want to hang upside down and grin while I'm at it! How wahooey is that?

Today, I read the intro of Beyond the Mommy Years: Empty Nest, Full Life by Carin Rubenstein, which a friend sent to me (thank you, Lover of Books!) bought a copy of The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson in the library sale and hired a roofer to replace the roof before it falls to pieces (bits keep flying off -- we've had an awful lot of storms, this year). I'm really quite proud of my roof. It survived Hurricane Katrina. Good for you, roof; you did your part. When I first opened the door to my roofer, Ronnie, he looked waaaaay up at our two gigantic oak trees and said, "I'd be scared of those trees." Well, they do have a tendency to fall over, around here. But, I told him I figured we'd just be goners if they did, so I don't bother thinking about it.

I didn't get around to Weekly Geeking, although I still have the best of intentions, but I'm all about environmental issues: global warming, saving the rainforests and the polar bears (because it's a bad idea to plunk the polar bears in the rain forest, we keep these two mentally separated, although they're really interconnected), planting trees and subsistence-only whaling, etc. And, I noted this comment in the Alaska Newsreader:

"The ice is melting three weeks earlier in the spring than it did 20 years ago, and it's re-forming a month later in the fall," said Carleton Ray of the University of Virginia, who has studied walruses since the 1950s. "There's no question that these changes are very bad for walruses."

Save the walruses! Stop global warming! Okay, got that off my chest. One excellent book that relates to the whole saving-nature theme is Silence of the Songbirds by Bridget Stutchbury You can read my review of Silence of the Songbirds, here. Wahoo! for songbirds.

And, on the other extreme of life (the exterminating end), I kicked the anthill to see if the fire ants have expired. They're sluggish, but aren't we all? It's hot out there. Still, they're alive so it's possible that the old home remedy won't work. I'll give them another package of cheese grits before making any judgment calls. Maybe their absence will be a future wahoo.

My youngest son is now officially employed as a lifeguard (Wahoo! for the teenager having a job) and I'm not quite ready to let him drive himself to the pool alone, so afternoons involve a lot of zipping back and forth to and from the pool. I'm driving our 18-year-old Honda Accord on pool and school runs. It's the most fuel-efficient vehicle on the Lizard Central Parking Lot and the car the youngster is most comfortable driving when he takes the wheel (with Mom in the passenger seat, of course). I love that car; it's got pep. Never mind the fact that little bits and pieces are falling off because it's elderly. It's your health that counts, even if you're an automobile. Wahoo! for a nice old car that runs like a dream.

The kiddo won't let me photograph him, these days, but I recently sneaked in a photo of his hair. Doesn't he have great hair? Very wahooey hair, if you ask me -- it's auburn and wavy with streaks of blond from sun exposure.


I haven't gotten back to it, but my friend Mike, a very wahooey email pal with whom I exchange lists of books read, finally tipped the scales with his enthusiastic recommendation of Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. So far, I'm really enjoying it. Mike doesn't read blogs or I'd send him a virtual smooch. I've decided that my reading is taking a terrible turn towards Attention Deficit Chaos, though, so I'm going to focus on finishing Moonstruck by Susan Grant before I read another page of anything else at all. Sometimes I just have to tell myself, "Focus, lady, focus."

Vicksburg and Warren County: A History of People and Place by Pamela Lea Grillis -- Book #1 completed for the Southern Reading Challenge -- is probably not of interest to many of y'all, so I'm going to skip reviewing it and return it to the library. But, there are a couple of quotes I have to share because they made me chuckle:

To populate the Yazoo plantations, the French sent peasants, slaves, tramps, prostitutes and anyone out of work for more than four days in France. [p. 27]

In fact, in 1827, a Baptist minister, Zebulon Butler, had visited Vicksburg with an eye toward establishing a ministry there. After less than a year, Reverend Butler had fled, aghast at the "lawless immorality" he had encountered. Indeed, Vicksburg was a wild, rambunctious town of singular personalities at its beginning. [p. 40]

Things have changed a bit. We have a lot of Baptists, now. Wahoo for that, eh?

Must go read before I babble so long that it really turns into Wednesday on our side of the globe.

Bookfool, who used to be able to walk upside-down on her hands but is so over that, doggone it