Christmas Book

People! What the bloody hell is happening to this blog? Ok, ok. I am at fault. I need to post more. I was thinking we would make this month really easy. I say everyone pick your favorite Christmas book to read and then tell us about it.

I'm making mine really easy, How the Grinch Stole Christmas of course!


It's a classic. My mom use to read it to me when I was young before bed, I plan on reading the book, and both the movies. Gotta get my dose of the Grinch. So tell me what Christmas book you are reading and how you liked it.

Merry Ho-Ho Day!

Merry Christmas to All and to All a Good Night

Hey, everybody!

It seems that I'm not the only one who has been incredibly busy these past several months.

It was a lot of fun being part of this project for awhile, but sometimes you just have to admit when you can't give it your all anymore, or give it any.

After going yet another month without reading yet another book, I have come to realize that it's time for me to remove myself as a contributor to this blog. I still plan to follow along and read the books when I can. I hope one day to get back to the hearty conversation that we once enjoyed and I've certainly been introduced to some great works that I never would have discovered otherwise.

Thank you for allowing me to be part of this group.

What Did You Think Of The Book?

Hey everyone,
I am hoping that you all finished the book and fell in love with the main character as I did. What say you? Did you like the fact that she was a strong and intelligent woman even though it was such an ancient time? Were you as intrigued by the way she could study the dead and determine what happened to them as I was?


Do tell, do tell.....

October/November Pick!!

Hey all,
I am sure that somewhere in the past few months, we have all stopped and said, "Wonder what ever happened to that online book club that I belonged to?" "And what ever happened to that Shawn girl....did she just run away with Johnny or what?"


Well---in my defense, I haven't had much time.

Blah, blah, blah, you say. Who wants to hear that crap? And no.....I didn't run away with my best friend, Johnny, but I still have the occasional dream that I do, does that suffice?

Anywho----congrats to Rachel----who is an ole' married lady now!!! (Ring dem bells, girl!!) Love you tons!!!

I think that it is about time to get back on track again----so I am taking the ball and RUNNING WITH IT----CATCH ME IF YOU CAN!

That said----with holidays right around the corner, I will do the Oct./Nov. pick and it is a goodie, let me tell you!!!

In honor of Halloween and dead things and all, I am going to introduce you to an amazing author and amazing protaganist----hope you haven't read this book or series before, as you will want to----as they are fantastic! The book I chose is "Mistress Of The Art Of Death" by Ariana Franklin. This is just one in a series of amazing books that I couldn't put down.... If you like this one, you will WANT to keep reading the others!

This is Good Reads description:

In medieval Cambridge, England, Adelia, a female forensics expert, is summoned by King Henry II to investigate a series of gruesome murders that has wrongly implicated the Jewish population, yielding even more tragic results. As Adelia's investigation takes her behind the closed doors of the country's churches, the killer prepares to strike again.

And Bantam Press:

A child has been murdered and residents in Cambridge claim he was crucified by the Jews. The Jews provide Henry II with a large part of his revenue and requires that the real killer be quickly found. From Naples come Simon of Naples, an renowned investigator, Mansur the Saracen, and a woman doctor trained in the study of corpses at the School of Medicine in Salerno, Adelia Aguilar. The bodies of other children are found, and Adelia is determined to find their killer.


The best part about this book is the historical aspect of the early forensics in England----and even though the author apologizes for the modern text, I thought that it was quite archaic and right on the money for the time period, which is in the 12th century.

I have to admit that I have read it, but I am planning on re-reading it again, as I enjoyed it so much. If you have already read this one-----read the next one-----"The Serpents Tale" or the third----"Grave Goods"----or the 4th one, "A Murderous Procession". Don't read them out of context or it won't make as much sense, even though the author gets you up to speed, per say.

I hope you enjoy this book....and, hopefully, the series. Amazing writing and just wicked good!

What Happened To Everyone?

Hello. Hello..... I was wondering if and when I get to choose my book----it was supposed to be August----but there was no July....so....

Anywho.....just wondering how things are going out there in book land? Are we ready to get back into the swing of things? I am still one book behind, but am still willing to give this a shot.

And by the by......HAPPY WEDDING IN SEPT----RACHEL AND BRANDON!!! You guys are too cool for school....

Oh....and I just put Johnny Depp on here, cause he is a hottie and I like to think that he is my friend.....

June Book!

Hi Kids...

Sorry I got this up so late, for some reason I had it in my head that I had July, not June.

I proudly present our June book!



Nick Hornby is one of my favorite authors. I have not had a chance to read this book, but I have seen it on the shelf at our bookstore in town and always pick it up. This gave me a chance to take it home. :)

Happy reading!

So??

How was it people? I know I really enjoyed reading this again. I've also read a few books that are in this series as well, and it only gets better with each book. I really love Sookie. She is so brave and child-like at the same time. I like to live inside her head, and especially hear other peoples thoughts around her.

What did you think?

Also, I'm looking forward to the book in June!

Mays Choice

Howdy people!

Welcome to May, and in this magical month of may we will be reading...


Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

This book is short, and silly, just the way I like it. This series also has a great HBO show called trueblood. And since the third season is quickly approaching I feel it is only right to read this book.

So lets get to it people!

Anyone out there? Anyone?

How's It?

Hey Everyone,

I just wanted to see how the reading was going. I quite enjoy this book and have read it several times. I am interested to know all y'alls thoughts. :)

The Great Gatsby

Alright people! I have been sweating over what book to pick this time around. I thought of several things, and I couldn't decide. I have been wanting to read something classic, so I looked down my wish list on Amazon at the list of books I have been meaning to read forever. And I decided that it is finally time for The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

I really don't actually know what it is even about. I just know that a lot of people have recommended it to me, and old people always talk about reading it in high school. I did not read it in high school. So if you did, then my apologies. But it never hurts to revisit the classics.

Let's do this.

March

March has come and gone, and no book.

Brandon what you got? Let us know for April!

Remember Me?

I'm the idiot who hasn't posted in forever. MY BAD!

Well, I have randomly put up another list for the future months. Here they are

Fe - March

Brandon - April

Rachel - May

Brittni - June

Karen - July

Shawn - August

I haven't missed anyone have I? Anyway, I want to apologize for not being more on top of this. I am still fully into this and excited to read the next book! Fe what ya got girl?

:)

That Snow Book.....

I finished this book a few weeks ago, but haven't had the time to write about it..... I wrote my review on my Goodreads site, so I've decided to add part of it here.

This book grabbed me from the beginning, and though it was a bit quirky, and tended to flashback a lot to Smilla's upbringing, which took you out of the story, I really enjoyed it.

There had been a movie quite a few years back, that I had seen, made from this book, but the book must have been so different that I didn't even remember references to the movie.

There was a lot of intrigue in this book, and that kept me wanting to read more, but I also found myself learning a lot about snow....and it was so interesting to learn of the things that Smilla knew about snow and what her mother had taught her. I had never thought of so many different types of cold---and snow will never seem the same to me!

All in all----a good read----good writing and good story. Only thing that annoyed me was the ending....seriously----was anyone else annoyed by the ending? I mean, after all that we went through with her and then to leave us hanging?

Why Don't You Dance?

So I still haven't completely finished Brittni's selection from December, but I have read most of it. I'm going to save the rest for a rainy day(s), so that I can try to catch up again. I have enjoyed a lot of those short stories, although they all tend to be kind of dismal. They are thought provoking, and Raymond Carver does a great job of invoking mood and making you feel what the characters feel.

The story that stuck with me the most is the one called, "Why Don't You Dance?" It kind of bothered me at first actually, because it doesn't explain anything at all. There is no backstory to it. In context of the other stories in the book, one might suppose that it is about a guy whose marriage has failed and he is completely depressed. But I'm not sure we can assume that even. Maybe the wife died. Maybe he killed her and buried her under the floorboards. Maybe the wife just went away for the weekend and the husband had a bit too much to drink. Maybe there never was a wife, and the guy just lived in the house all by himself, and finally just gave in to the despair of loneliness and realized that all of his stuff means absolutely nothing to him.

In any case, the story starts out with him standing inside the house looking outside at all the furniture that he has placed on the front lawn. He leaves to get some more booze and a young couple comes along and, thinking it's a yard sale, stops to check it out. The man comes back and proceeds to sell them everything they want, and more, for as cheap as they are willing to pay. They all get real drunk and dance in the driveway to old records. The girl says, "You must be desperate, or something."

I think the thing that makes this story interesting is that we don't really know what happened to the guy, or how he is feeling. He says very little. Most of the dialogue in the story is from the boy and the girl. We can project our own ideas about it, but we have no idea what happened inside that house, or inside that guys head. We all live inside our own heads. Other people only see the external stuff. The girl sees all of his stuff put out on the lawn and thinks he must be desperate. But I believe the "or something", is closer to the truth. It bothers her because she can't figure it out, and it probably touches some fear inside her about her future together with the boy. But the guy doesn't really act desperate. He really seems as though he doesn't care at all. Desperation would be a few levels better.

Snow, Snow, Snow!

How is everyone doing on Smillas Sense of Snow? I am about half way through it and am looking forward to every night when I can see what is going to happen next! I don't know if we have anyone to pick out a book for Feb., so I thought that I would write and inquire about where everyone was at......

My life has been super busy these past few weeks, with back to back shows and birthdays every week-----ahhhhh-----but I still find at least an hour a day to read----so I hope that we continue on!!

Sooooo----'fess up everyone------where the heck are you and how is your reading going?

If You're All Ready....

Hey, all!

Okay, so there were only three comments and two were definitely ready for the new book, one was on the fence. So I will go ahead and announce it and then you can read it when you get the chance.

I live in the warm and nearly-always sunny Southern California. We don't have winter here. I've experienced winter and I really wasn't a fan. That's why I live 10 miles from the ocean.
But when I thought about the fact that my month was January, I thought about what types of books might be better read when temperatures have dipped and you just want to cuddle up with a blanket and a warm cup of cocoa and get lost in a good story.

And so I looked for winter-type books. Something that would remind me that there are places that have that sort of thing.

That was my motivation for selecting:

From Barnes & Noble:

She thinks more highly of snow and ice than she does of love. She lives in a world of numbers, science and memories--a dark, exotic stranger in a strange land. And now Smilla Jaspersen is convinced she has uncovered a shattering crime...

It happened in the Copenhagen snow. A six-year-old boy, a Greenlander like Smilla, fell to his death from the top of his apartment building. While the boy's body is still warm, the police pronounce his death an accident. But Smilla knows her young neighbor didn't fall from the roof on his own. Soon she is following a path of clues as clear to her as footsteps in the snow. For her dead neighbor, and for herself, she must embark on a harrowing journey of lies, revelation and violence that will take her back to the world of ice and snow from which she comes, where an explosive secret waits beneath the ice....

I hope this sounds okay to all of you. I'm pretty excited about it. I'm always done for a mystery and this one came fairly highly recommended.

January Book

So...I have a book picked out for January. I've even purchased it already.

I picked it awhile ago, and I'm looking forward to reading it.

But I have hesitated because it seems like everyone, myself included, has been incredibly busy with life and other things.

So, instead of announcing the January book quite yet, I thought I'd just ask if you are all ready for a new one or if you'd like to give it a bit more time, finish up the December short stories, recover from the holidays, whatever.

Thoughts?

#1

Well, my favorite story has been the very first one. About the boy who meets another boy and they catch that huge fish... remember?

I don't know but I find it the most disturbing out of all the stories in a very strange way. I'm not sure why either, it's just a feeling I have every time I read it. How old do you think that boy is? Sometimes I think he sounds very young, like 12 maybe. Also at the same time I feel like he is older then I think as well, but he just acts like a child. I'm not sure yet.

I think the entire story seemed so normal. It seemed like an average day for him. I felt sad about his parents not seeming to really care about him, or what he does. It's obvious he wants their approval, real bad. Which is another reason why I believe he is young. You are seeing that through his eyes. Maybe his parents are great people, they were just having an off night?

I don't know, I'm still thinking about it all. What do you think?`

Fat

Well, I didn't hear otherwise, so I figured I'd just go along with Brandon's suggestion on how to discuss the December book: Where I'm Calling From.

I quite enjoyed a lot of the short stories in the book, but one that really kept me thinking afterward was "Fat."

It's one of the shorter stories in the book. Only 6 or 7 pages maybe and probably took fewer than ten minutes to read.

It's the one about the waitress telling her friend a story about this incredibly fat customer that she waited on, and who she seemed to take a bit of extra care of because she felt sorry for him and his girth.

As the waitress tells the story, she includes some details of other conversations she has with coworkers and with her husband. And ends with a bit of introspection.

Now, when I read this story, I was fairly convinced the waitress, our narrator, was relating to her friend, Rita, a dream she'd had. The way the waitress describes the fat man, the detailed way she continues to talk about his fingers. The way the customer repeatedly refers to "us" and "we" instead of "I" and "me."

After doing a bit of google searching, I have yet to come across any critic or commentator or essayist that agrees with my conclusion. It seems that everyone approaches this story in the same way. As though this, fictitiously, actually happened.

But the more I read about it, the more convinced I am that the narrator is telling her friend about a dream she had. A dream that led her to make some conclusions about her own life. At one point, she talks about serving the man some food and then looking in the sugar bowl, saying, "I know now I was after something. But I don't know what." To me, that sounds like the part in a dream when you know you need to find a person or a place or an object, but you don't know what you're looking for.

Does that happen to anyone else, or just me?

At the end of the story, the narrator and her husband go to bed and Rudy wants to sleep with her, but now she feels overwhelmed by size and imagines that she is much larger than the husband that is forcing himself on her.

The story ends when the narrator says, "My life is going to change. I feel it."

This story is so full of symbolism, from the size of the fat man, to the food he consumed, to the need to find something, to the unhappy marriage.

I still believe the whole thing was a dream in need of interpretation. A reflection of a problem the character's mind was trying to work out.

Thoughts?