Puss Reboots: Blog: January 2008

Booking Through Thursday: Quirky: 01/31/08

This week's question is suggested by (blogless) JMutford:

Sometimes I find eccentric characters quirky and fun, other times I find them too unbelievable and annoying. What are some of the more outrageous characters you've read, and how do you feel about them?

I love quirky characters. They help liven things up. They linger after the book is done and often times make the book fun to reread.

Here is a list of quirky characters that come immediately to mind:

James Bolivar di Griz aka "The Stainless Steel Rat." He's been around since 1961 but I first fell for him in 1987 with The Stainless Steel Rat Gets Drafted.
Hamlet. I don't normally like Shakespeare's tragedies but this emo prince won me over. OK, it helped that I had a total crush on the guy who was playing him in high school, but he's still pretty memorable.
Carl Corey, aka Prince Corwin. He's the protagonist in the first half of the Amber series. He's one of my favorite fantasy characters and certainly my favorite of Zelazny's creations.
Pippilotta Delicatessa Windowshade Mackrelmint Efraim's Daughter Longstocking. She's a pirate king's daughter, has a mansion of her own, lives with a horse and a monkey and can eat nails. What's not to love?
Edward Wong Hau Pepelu Tivrusky IV, or "Radical Edward." She's the manga / anime hacker-post-apocalyptic incarnation of Pippi. She also has the best theme music from the entire series. It's called "The Egg and I" and it's on my top 25 playlist on iTunes.

booking through thursday | books

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Tom Sawyer, Detective: 01/30/08
Tom Sawyer, Detective is the fourth and final book in a series by Mark Twain. The first two books are more well known than books three and four. In order of publication they are:

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876)
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884)
Tom Sawyer Abroad (1884)
Tom Sawyer, Detective (1896)

I haven't read Tom Sawyer Abroad but of the three I have read, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is my favorite. Frankly, though, this entire series is among my least favorite books by Twain. I much prefer his nonfiction work.

By this final book, Tom and Huck are seventeen. They are old enough to travel on their own on a steamboat. It is as they are returning home that they stumble upon a mystery involving stolen diamonds that later results in a murder.

The edition I read, A 2-in-1 (bound with Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson) volume by Companion Library has illustrations that mistakenly draw Tom and Huck as the would have appeared in the earlier novels. Seeing them illustrated as children makes no sense for the sorts of things Twain has them doing or the way they interact with their elders.

The novel is pretty entertaining until the last (and longest) chapter: "Tom Discovers the Murderers." Then the story drags to its final conclusion. Mark Twain never could figure out how to end his novels and Tom Sawyer, Detective is a prime example of this weakness.

books | fiction | mark twain | samuel clemens

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#43: Cat's Meow: 01/30/08

My themed lists of book cover art have been very popular Thursday Thirteens. A number of folks last week requested I do one with cats. So here is a cat themed book cover list. Once again, click on the title to read the review.

1. Cats Are not Peas by Laura Gould

2. Track of the Cat by Nevada Barr

3. Sock at Work by Shelagh Canning

4. I Went to the Animal Fair by William Cole and Colette Rosselli

The cat is on the top row between the elephant and the chickens.

5. Hello Kitty: Hello Numbers!

Most of the cat themed children's books I have are for my daughter. My son, although he's not much of a cat fan, adores Hello Kitty.

6. Scarface Claw by Lynley Dodd

7. Mrs. McTats and Her Houseful of Cats by Joan Rankin and Alyssa Satin Capucilli

8. Wish You Were Here by Rita Mae Brown

9. Best First Book Ever! by Richard Scarry

10. The Art of Reading by Reading is Fundamental

11. Ginger by Charlotte Voake

12. Sunday's Child by Edward O. Phillips

13. The Little Tortoiseshell Cat Book by David Taylor

thursday thirteen | books

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FSF: Petri Parousia: 01/29/08
The fourth story in the February issue of Fantasy & Science Fiction Magazine is called "Petri Parousia" and is written by Matthew Hughes.

"Petri Parousia" is a classic example of the sorts of shaggy dog stories Isaac Asimov prided himself on. Parousia is Greek for "second coming." This second coming is by way of the petri dish.

The story is narrated by Dr. James Feltham who is conned into going into business with his ex college roommate, Wally Applethorpe. Feltham relays the events in the lab as if he's having a conversation with us, the reader. The tone is up beat and events unfold quickly to a predictable but satisfying punchline.

fantasy science fiction magazine | fiction | short story | matthew hughes

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Eva's Meme: 01/29/08
Morsie Reads has tagged me for Eve's Meme. I'm not surprised that I was tagged; it's a fairly bookish meme. I've been watching the meme make the rounds since Eva made it up; yes I'm a subscriber!

Which book do you irrationally cringe away from reading, despite seeing only positive reviews?

There are many books I cringe from reading and I'm not proud of it. The two that come immediately to mind are the His Dark Materials series by Philip Pullman and the other is the Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket. I've read the back covers of the Pullman books and they just don't appeal to me. The recent film didn't appeal to me either.

The Series of Unfortunate Events has two things against it; the cliche of orphans as protagonists and the really stupid nom de plum. What's a guy from San Francisco doing calling himself "Lemony Snicket"?

If you could bring three characters to life for a social event (afternoon tea, a night of clubbing, perhaps a world cruise), who would they be and what would the event be?

The first person who pops into my mind is young Jim di Griz (from before he married Angela). I'm thinking of how he's described in The Stainless Steel Rat is Drafted. Of course now I'd be way too old for him but at least his future wife wouldn't be trying to kill me.

Guest number two would have to be Christopher Parker Pyne, a little known Agatha Christie detective. He just goes by Parker but in one of the stories it's mentioned that his first name is Christopher. He strikes me as the most interesting of Christie's detectives.

Guest number three would be Corwin from the Amber series by Roger Zelazny. I'd love to listen to him talk and maybe he show me his Trumps.

I don't know where we'd go. Maybe just a nice coffee house or a bar.

(Borrowing shamelessly from the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde): you are told you can't die until you read the most boring novel on the planet. While this immortality is great for awhile, eventually you realize it's past time to die. Which book would you expect to get you a nice grave?

To be honest, I don't really like the Thursday Next series. I like the science fiction stuff but the literary book jumping is poorly executed.

As far as the "most boring novel" goes, that would be Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I stopped reading it about six years ago and haven't had the urge to go back and finish it (or read the books that come after it). But how depressing that Harry Potter would be the last book I'd read!

Come on, we've all been there. Which book have you pretended, or at least hinted, that you've read, when in fact you've been nowhere near it?

Don't presume things, Eva. I have never once pretended to have read a book that I haven't. With reading 300 to 400 books a year, I don't feel the need to lie about reading books.

As an addition to the last question, has there been a book that you really thought you had read, only to realize when you read a review about it/go to 'reread' it that you haven't? Which book?

I don't think so. Usually it is just the opposite. I often think I haven't read a book only to find it in my list of read books. I've been keeping this list since 1987. My most recent surprise read was Stardust by Neil Gaiman which I apparently read in 1999.

You're interviewing for the post of Official Book Advisor to some VIP (who's not a big reader). What's the first book you'd recommend and why? (if you feel like you'd have to know the person, go ahead of personalize the VIP)

Assuming this VIP was in a position of leadership, I would get him or her a copy of The Prince by Machiavelli. It was written for just that purpose!

A good fairy comes and grants you one wish: you will have perfect reading comprehension in the foreign language of your choice. Which language do you go with?

I would like to read Japanese. I watch a lot of anime and I've started to read manga. I don't like being so dependent on the subtitles and translations. I would also like to visit Japan some day and not look like a complete tourist-idiot.

A mischievous fairy comes and says that you must choose one book that you will reread once a year for the rest of your life (you can read other books as well). Which book would you pick?

I would pick A Christmas Carol because I read it most years anyway and it is short.

I know that the book blogging community, and its various challenges, have pushed my reading borders. What's one bookish thing you 'discovered' from book blogging (maybe a new genre, or author, or new appreciation for cover art-anything)?

The book challenges hosted on a variety of blogs and at BookCrossing's release challenge forum have helped me to increase my reading numbers and make for a more varied selection.

That good fairy is back for one final visit. Now, she's granting you your dream library! Describe it. Is everything leather bound? Is it full of first edition hardcovers? Pristine trade paperbacks? Perhaps a few favorite authors have inscribed their works? Go ahead-let your imagination run free.

I think I already have my dream library. I would like more room for bookshelves to better hold my collection. I would also like the books to be better organized. After so many moves I just haven't been able to keep them sorted.

Now I'm supposed to tag four people:

meme | books

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Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire: 01/28/08
In the year I started second grade, Rafe Esquith started teaching. Teach Like Your Hair's On Fire contains what he has learned about teaching and why being a teacher is his calling in life.

He divides the book into three parts: There's No Place Like Home, The Method, and finally, The Madness. The first part describes how to earn the trust of students and help them think beyond themselves. Chapter Two, "Searching for Level VI" is especially interesting and useful for anyone who either works with or lives with children.

Part Two, The Method, takes up the bulk of the book. Here he covers the fundamentals of a good education: reading, writing, mathematics, studying for tests, geography, science, art, sports and economics. By the time you finish chapter 11 you may feel overwhelmed by all the things Rafe manages to accomplish with his students but you will also feel exhilarated by his boundless enthusiasm.

Part Three, The Madness, closes out the book with all the extra curricular things he does with his students. These include the Hobart Shakespeareans, the annual trip to Washington D. C., and the Feed of the World project.

Rafe gives concrete examples in each of his chapters. There are plenty of ways for teachers and parents to inspire an teach the children in their lives.

If you would like a chance to read this excellent book, just leave a comment. I will be drawing the winner at 11 PM on February 7th. The winner will be contacted by email on February 8th.

books | nonfiction | rafe esquith

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Win The Fattening of America: 01/28/08
I am pleased to announce a new book giveaway. This time it is The Fattening of America: How The Economy Makes Us Fat, If It Matters, and What To Do About It by Eric A. Finkelstein and Laurie Zuckerman.

The contest runs from today through 11PM Pacific time on February 28th.

If you are interested in winning a copy, please leave a comment on this post. I will take entries from January 28th until February 28th at 11 PM PST. I will announce the winner on February 29th, 2008. The contest is open to any country where the United States postal service sends packages. I will mail the book out to the winner on March 16th, 2008.

Here is a brief description of the book:

An in-depth look at the economics behind America's growing obesity epidemic

Over two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese. But what's remarkable about the obesity epidemic is not just the volume of Americans who have tipped their scales — it's the velocity at which we're doing it. Dr. Eric Finkelstein is a renowned health economist who has spent much of his career studying the economics of obesity. Now, with the help of coauthor Laurie Zuckerman, he skillfully reveals the economic drivers behind America's growing obesity epidemic, its impact on society, and what can be done to get the epidemic under control.

The Fattening of America brings a complex topic to a broad general audience with engaging examples that are relatable to economists and non-economists alike. The authors explain that America's ballooning weight is a product of our economic success. Because of declining food costs and the increasing usage of technology, America's environment has changed in such a way that we're eating more calories and burning off less.

The rise in obesity rates, in turn, is having a profound impact on our economy — and on Americans' wallets. It's making our businesses less competitive, pushing good jobs overseas, hurting our military readiness, increasing our taxes, and helping to bankrupt the Medicare and Medicaid programs. There is a flip side, however. The rise in obesity rates has created tremendous demand for all sorts of new products and services that has created a flourishing new market that the authors have termed "The ObesEconomy."

The Fattening of America outlines the issues we must battle in order to confront obesity and provides sensible strategies for reducing this burden. It explains that successful obesity prevention strategies, whether they are driven by business or government, need to do exactly the opposite of where the economy is taking us. They need to make it cheaper and easier to be thin — not fat.

Authors
Dr. Eric Finkelstein, Ph.D., M.B.A. (Chapel Hill, NC) has published over 30 peer-reviewed articles on the economics of obesity. His research has appeared in top health and medical journals and been the subject of countless news stories. His research has been featured on the front page of USA Today and has been covered in the Economist, Time, Forbes, the Washington Post, and many other newspaper, radio, and television outlets.

Laurie Zuckerman (Chapel Hill, NC) left her corporate PR job in 1999 to make writing her full-time career. She contributes columns and feature articles to a number of business journals and lifestyle magazines and writes for businesses ranging from Fortune 500s to startups with a focus on healthcare, high tech and business.

The book also has its own website and blog. If you are interested in winning, please leave a comment.

FSF: Memoirs of the Witch Queen: 01/27/08
The third story in the February issue of Fantasy & Science Fiction Magazine is called "Memoirs of the Witch Queen." It is by Ron Goulart, a regular "ghost story contributor" to the magazine.

Paul Sanson is a ghost writer with a miserable life: allergies, debt collectors, an idiot for an editor and alimony payments. Things start to look up when he's assigned the job of spicing up the memoirs of a self described "witch queen." His allergies disappear, his debts are erased, he gets a new editor, a new girlfriend and an unexpected advance.

Thus begins a short and very funny paranormal story. Unfortunately for Sanson, he isn't the sort of fellow to "sell out." Given who he was working with, he probably should have. Let me just leave off with this bit of advice: if you're working for a witch, avoid the temptation of buying a motorcycle.

fantasy science fiction magazine | fiction | short story | ron goulart

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641 Reviews: 01/27/08
I am pleased to announce the Book Reviews: A to Z page here at Puss Reboots. This page represents four years of reviewing books with the bulk of the reviews being done in the last two.

If you are doing the A to Z reading challenge you will find books for every letter of the alphabet (except X). There are newly published books, classics, science fiction, fantasy, children's, mysteries and all sorts of other genres and topics covered.

I am currently working on a page organized by author and hope to have it ready in about a month. If you have any suggestions either for how I can make the page better or for books you'd like to see reviewed, please leave a comment.

books | reviews

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Nine Stories: 01/26/08
It's only in the last couple of years that I've started reading J. D. Salinger but he has quickly earned a spot among my favorite authors. I enjoy his realistic and oft-times mundane characters.

Nine Stories is just that, nine short stories. Nothing earth shattering happens in any of them and yet they are all very enjoyable. They are character studies and brief glimpses into the late 1940s and early 1950s.

The nine stories are:

"A Perfect Day for Bananafish"
"Uncle Wiggily in Connecticut"
"Just Before the War with the Eskimos"
"The Laughing Man"
"Down at the Dinghy"
"For Esmé - with Love and Squalor"
"Pretty Mouth and Green My Eyes"
"De Daumier-Smith's Blue Period"
"Teddy"

It takes a while for each story to explain its title and part of the fun is the sousing out of their meanings. The Laughing Man makes a reappearance from the quote by narrator Holden in Catcher in Rye. Here though the Laughing Man is a mythic figure, disfigured by strange circumstances and the source of inspiration for a bus full of boys.

If I had to pick a favorite, I'd have to go with "Down at the Dinghy." The young girl admiral reminds me so much of myself at that age except I think she has more spunk than I did.

Read the reviews at Where Troubles Melt Like Lemon Drops, Eva.

books | fiction | j d salinger | decades challenge

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Retreat Patio ABC Meme 01/26/08
I was tagged by Mummified Times Five to do this alphabet meme.

Rule #1: Copy all the links below and replace a single link under the appropriate letter of the alphabet. If your domain name, or even the title of your blog, starts with an "A," you'd replace the link under that letter and put the replaced link at the bottom. Also, don't forget to credit the tagger, or where you got the list from, at the end of the list with a full URL of the post so that a pingback gets generated.

A	acowboyswife.com
B	bloggingcents.com
C	caffeine-overload.com
D	DadThing.com
E	everythingandanythingblog.com
F	forumfinder.net
G	GeekMomMashup
H	happykeg.com
I	ipentimento.com
J	juliesjournal.com
K	kabalyero.com
L	ladylike4.com
M	mummifiedtimesfive.net
N	notjustmama.net
O	originalmx5.net
P	pussreboots.pair.com
Q	qweddings.com
R	rowdigrl.com
S	shirleysdelight.com
T	thesocalledme
U	utada-online.net
V	valmg
W	wiredfornoise.com
X	xaviermedia.com
Y	yimto.com
Z	zbudapest.com

Replaced link: peapodsquadstuff.com
Previous tagger: mummifiedtimesfive.net

Rule #2: You now have to "tag" at least five people and encourage them to participate so that this thing spreads like a virus.

meme

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The Blithedale Romance: 01/25/08
I fell in love with Hawthorne's books and short stories when I was in junior high school. Twenty years later he continues to be on my list of top ten favorites. His novels strike me as incredibly modern and relevant to modern day life.

The Blithedale Romance has many elements in common with the much sillier novel Tommy's Tale by Alan Cumming. The events at Blithedale (a commune in the woods) are laid out in chronological order by Miles Coverdale who proves to be as unreliable a narrator as Tommy. Cloverdale's omissions are a result of Puritan embarrassment but the sexual tension is hovering just below the surface of his euphemisms.

Like Tommy who lives in a flat with Sadie, Bobby and Charlie, Cloverdale moves into Blithedale to live with two women (Zenobia, Priscilla) and a man, Hollingsworth. Unlike Tommy's flat, the two men and women pair up in more conventional ways but Cloverdale hints that the four are more open with their adult desires than what Cloverdale feels is proper. Nonetheless, he is a willing participant.

Blithedale, though, ends up being a failed experiment. Puritan mores and hot tempers ultimately brings the downfall of the commune and Zenobia, the liberated modern woman, pays the ultimate price.

If you like character driven tragedies like Hamlet, I highly recommend The Blithedale Romance.

books | fiction | nathaniel hawthorne | alan cumming

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Retreat Patio Did You Find It? 01/25/08
I've had this site for eleven years. Over the years the traffic has steadily grown and what draws people in has evolved. Since 1999 I've offered free items for use in Bryce 4 and 5 and it continues to account for almost 50% of the traffic to my site.

I used to also offer items for Poser but I never really got the hang of Poser enough to feel comfortable offering many of my creations and have since pulled down all of my early efforts. I haven't even used Poser since 2004 when I changed computers.

In 2004 I started blogging to force myself to keep the site more current. From 2001 through the end of 2003 I had let the site languish, using it only for the email. In 2006 a friend of mine asked me for the link to my RSS feed. I didn't have one but I decided to set one up. If one friend wanted to read my site through a reader, others might also. I now have around 160 subscribers.

With so many dedicated readers I decided I needed to focus my efforts on blogging. It made sense to turn my blogging energy on reviewing every single book and story I read. That brings us up to date.

With so many changes to this site in the last decade the search results in my logs show an odd mixture of old and new.

The top 10 searches in the last week:

Bryce 5 Materials:
Actually Bryce 5 searches bring in half of the traffic to this site. The searches include things like "bryce 5 obp", "bryce 5 obsidian material", "bryce files", "bryce freebies" and so forth. It's nice to know my freebies are still popular even now that Bryce has been upgraded to 6.
"hungry hill" + "carole o'malley gaunt":
If you are interested in obtaining a copy of her book, I have a contest. All you need to do is leave a comment with a valid email address.
bookcrossing review:
I've been a member of BookCrossing since January 17, 2003. I sometimes include my BookCrossing reviews (from journal entries) into my reviews here.
album corners create photoshop:
I do have a couple of Photoshop tutorials available. It's been ages since I've written a new tutorial but the older ones continue to bring in a steady trickle of readers. I have never written one about making album corners.
clarence budington kelland:
I'm probably one of a very small group of bloggers reviewing Kelland's books. I was given a bunch of his novels in 2003 and I have been reading and reviewing them every so often. My most recent review is of his novel, Arizona.
jamie ponti:
I do happen to have a copy of Animal Attraction that is on my TBR pile. I mentioned receiving it in my 13th Thursday Thirteen.
letters from iceland:
I reviewed this 1937 memoir at the end of December.
mars: a traveler's guide nestvold:
I'm happy to see my reviews of the stories in Fantasy & Science Fiction magazine bringing in readers. It is a great magazine. If you love science fiction or fantasy, get yourself a subscription. Be sure to check out Susan's silly comment.
on the first night of chanukah review:
Here's a review I'm surprised to see in the top 10. I wrote it six weeks after the holiday ended.
phyllis a. whitney:
Phyllis A. Whitney rounds out the top ten. I reviewed Skye Cameron in July 2007.

search | logs | traffic

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FSF: Retrospect: 01/24/08
The second story of the February issue of Fantasy & Science Fiction magazine is "Retrospect" by Ann Miller. It begins with a philosophical question: "If you could give a book, any book, to someone who had lived before , what book would you choose and to whom would you give it?" This being a science fiction short story, the question is played out to its full extent.

The events of this bookish tale are told by Sam, a buyer of rare books who falls in with a crowd of booklovers. After he answers the question of which book to whom his world changes. While the book talk at the beginning was interesting I loved the world building of the alternate world and seeing the trade-offs between the old world and world.

As a long time Bookcrosser, I want to end this review with a lovely quote from the middle third of the story: "A good book is like a rare wine. It should be shared with friends."

fantasy science fiction magazine | fiction | short story | ann miller

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Booking Through Thursday: Huh?: 01/24/08

Booking Through Thursday

What's your favorite book that nobody else has heard of? You know, not Little Women or Huckleberry Finn, not the latest best-seller ... whether they've read them or not, everybody "knows" those books. I'm talking about the best book that, when you tell people that you love it, they go, "Huh? Never heard of it?"

I'm not sure I can whittle my answer down to just one. As I enjoy reading books long out of print and since I tend to steer clear of "best sellers" most of the books I recommend tend to elicit a "huh" from others, even fellow BookCrossers.

In the question this week we're not supposed to list something as well known as Huckleberry Finn or Little Women. Although I count Mark Twain as one of my favorite authors, I hate Huckleberry Finn. I think it is one of his weakest books. I also don't like Little Women so don't ask me which girl I most relate to. I don't relate to any of them.

If you are a best seller reader and want to expand your horizons, try reading a randomly selected book from your local library. Or purchase a book from your library's "Friends of the Library" sale. If you live near a college, see if you can join their library. Go to the PN through PS section of the library. That's where the fiction is housed. They will have wonderful old volumes of long dead authors. Pick something and check it out.

If you have an account with Google, you can also check out Google Books. There is also Project Gutenberg.

booking through thursday | books

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Tommy's Tale: 01/23/08
Tommy's Tale is Alan Cumming's debut novel. I don't know Cumming's work as an actor but I thoroughly enjoyed his novel. I tore through it in a day, pausing occasionally to laugh myself silly.

The novel is told in diary form akin to the Adrian Mole series, Georgia Nicolson series or the Bridget Jones series. Except that Tommy is an e-popping bisexual suffering from a crisis as his thirtieth birthday looms. It seems that the diary form novel is a mainstay of British humour fiction. This off the cuff style of writing doesn't always carry well to American readers and I've noticed that the book was reviewed more positively among Amazon.co.uk readers than it was among Amazon.com readers.

Although my life is nothing like Tommy's I immediately clicked with him. He recounts a series of benders, a business trip to New York and his desire for a child of his own even if it means growing up.

books | fiction | bisexual | alan cumming

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#42: Bird Brains: 01/23/08

Last week I featured 13 book covers that featured animals. Most commenters thought I was only highlighting children's books, but I wasn't. There were a number of adult books in the set. This week I am featuring books with birds on the covers. Just click on the titles to read the reviews.

In this list you will probably notice a large number of owl covers. My son has been fascinated with owls since he was 18 months old. I could probably do a Thursday Thirteen just on the owl books he owns.

1. Black Swan Green by David Mitchell

2. Developing Feeds with RSS and Atom by Ben Hammersley

3. Ducks in Muck by Lori Haskins and Valeria Petrone (Illustrator)

4. Hide and Seek Duck by Cyndy Szekeres

5. Hoot by Carl Hiaasen

The newer covers have owls from the film but I prefer the minimalist cover from the pre-film editions.

6. I Heard the Owl Call My Name by Margaret Craven

7. A Mother for Choco by Keiko Kasza

8. One Stuck Duck by Phyllis Root

9. Owl at Home by Arnold Lobel

10. A Parrot in the Pepper Tree by Chris Stewart

11. The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog! by Mo Willems

12. Tiger with Wings by Barbara Esbensen.

13. Tomb of the Golden Bird by Elizabeth Peters

thursday thirteen | books

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Make My Day: 01/23/08

Yesterday Joanna of nanashi-inc.net awarded me with the "You Make My Day Award." It is my very first blog award and I'm feeling like Beast Boy on a moped.

Per the rules of this award, I must pass this award on to at least ten other bloggers. So without further ado, I am choosing these bloggers whose sites I must read whenever I see they make a new post.

1. BreeniBooks. Breeni is another BookCrosser and a constant source of new books on my wishlist at Cliff's. She has also RABCKed a number of fantastic books to me so her blog tops my list.

2. The Hidden Side of a Leaf run by Dewey is another great source of books I want to read. She also introduced me to the wonderful world of reading challenges. I started participating last year and they certainly helped me reach my goal of a "book review a day."

3. Mauigirl Meanderings has started posting op-ed pieces by her cat Dexter. I really enjoy Dexter's insightful and humorous takes on current events.

4. My Little Drummer Boys is a blog chronicling the misadventures of young twin boys. They are always getting into something and are always so cute.

5. Raven's Roads is the hub of a number of equally entertaining blogs by another BookCrossing buddy of mine. Of all her blogs, Raven's Roads is the one I read most frequently. Sometimes I feel like it's my second home in the blogosphere.

6. Relaxed Parents is a charming family blog of "supermum, (un)relaxeddad and dudelet discovering parenting skills, working, studying and worrying too much about the world." Now, though, Dudelet has a baby sister so I am having fun reliving many of the same adventures I had when Harriet was just a newborn.

7. Sandier Pastures covers the day to day experiences of living in Dubai. Grace moved there about a year ago and it has been fun to see what life is like for her and her family in their new home.

8. Scribbit's blog is probably one of the first I ever subscribed to. She is a lovely BookCrosser who blogs out of Anchorage Alaska.

9. Skeet's Stuff is my little window into Hawaii. Plus I am completely addicted to her Tuesday Teasers which I've blogged about before.

10. SMS Book Reviews run by Callista is the hub of a number of fantastic book reading challenges. Right now Callista is having internet access issues so her posting schedule is down to once or twice a week. Nonetheless, I love her blogs.

11. Because her blog "goes to 11," I'm including Susan of West of Mars. As she describes her blog: "My fictional characters inhabit my reality. Hang out awhile and let them inhabit yours, too."

blog | you make my day award

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FSF: Balancing Accounts: 01/22/08
The first story of the February issue of Fantasy & Science Fiction magazine is "Balancing Accounts" by James L. Cambias. It is a fun tale of and AI trying to eke out a living on the edge of our solar system.

The robots in Cambia's story pay lip service to Asimov's three laws of robotics but only as willingly as my son takes to doing his chores. They would much prefer to work freelance and send their credits home to the companies who own them or contract with them.

As I was reading, I was picturing a hybrid of the technology of Cowboy Bebop with the attitude of the robots from Futurama. It works remarkably well.

James L. Cambias is a regular contributor to the magazine but as a new subscriber it's the first story of his I've read. I am looking forward to reading more of his stories.

fantasy science fiction magazine | fiction | short story | james l cambias

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Pat of Silver Bush: 01/21/08
When I was entering my teens I fell in love with L. M. Montgomery's heroines. I started with Emily of New Moon and then moved on to Anne of Green Gables. While those two series still hold special places in my heart, I must say that I am baffled by Pat of Silver Bush.

Most of Montgomery's stories are about young women, usually pre-teen through late twenties, tacking adverse situations with grace and brains. Pat, though, comes from a fairly well to do family. She has a comfortable life and wants to keep it that way, no matter what. She has no desire to change or grow or even to leave her family home. In fact, in the end, she chooses Silver Bush over her long time boyfriend.

There is a long narrative tradition of stories ending almost where they started with the protagonist having grown or learned from the events of the story. Pat's resolute desire to avoid change would baffle even Tzvetan Todorov. Pat grows older over the course of the book but she doesn't grow as a character. She is the most boring and depressing heroine in a Montgomery book I've read.

Pat as a character is apparently redeemed in the last chapter of a follow up novel, Mistress Pat (1935). I however have no desire to spend any more time with Pat and her beloved home.

books | childrens | tzvetan todorov | l m montgomery

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Sand Therapy: 01/21/08
Yesterday I took Sean an Harriet to play at the park on Lake Chabot road in Castro Valley. We stayed for two hours and had a great time.

Although it was cloudy, windy and very cold, we had two fun hours at the park.

Here it is almost February and some of the trees are still stubbornly holding onto their leaves.

Harriet and Sean spent the first hour in the sand pit. It was our main reason for coming here. All the parks closer to us have bark instead of sand. They had enjoyed playing in the sand in South Pasadena and wanted a chance to play in sand here.

Here is Harriet watching Sean climb on the older kids' equipment.

Although she can walk, she chose to do most of her exploring on her hands and knees. They only time she walked was when I was holding her hand.

She also decorated the slides with tan bark. This used to be a popular pastime with Sean. He has out grown this now.

Here are Harriet and Sean playing together. Harriet has the sand toys we got for our trip to San Diego last May.

Sean is playing with the truck Glenn got for him on New Year's.

Here is Sean taking a turn.

He also did lots and lots of climbing.

And some photography. He took this photograph on the top of the 2 to 5 year old climbing structure.

But this truck was still the main reason why we went.

sean | harriet | castro valley

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Olivia Forms a Band: 01/20/08
Olivia Forms a Band is the fourth in the series that I've read to Sean and Harriet. The series by Ian Falconer continues to delight all of us.

In this story, Olivia and her family are preparing for a night of watching fireworks. Olivia asks if there will be a band. When she is told there won't be, she decides to make the night perfect by forming a one pig band.

The book is divided into three parts. The first is Olivia's preparation for the night including making her uniform and her band. The second is the actual picnic. The final third is Olivia at home and the consequences of her earlier planning.

Ian Falconer captures perfectly the way in which children can get carried away with their own clever plans and how the parents are often stuck with the aftermath of these crazy schemes.

books | childrens | olivia | ian falconer

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On the First Night of Chanukah: 01/19/08
The first book I finished this year was On the First Night of Chanukah. Sean and I ordered two books about Hanukkah from his school but the orders arrived after the holiday was over. As always my "to be reviewed" pile is longer than my "to be read" pile. We read this for the Jewish Literature Challenge.

I have mixed feelings about On the First Night of Chanukah. I love that it is easy to read being less in depth than The Eight Nights of Hanukkah but I'm irked by the way the book is begging to be sung to the tune of "The Twelve Days of Christmas." Having the song just constantly lingering makes the story too kitschy.

On the hand, I really like Brian Schatell's illustrations. Except for the Saturday Night Fever cover, Schatell's illustrations are both cute and informative. There is more useful information packed in his drawings than there is in the accompanying text.

I think the two books work well together. On the First Night... can get children in the mood for the holiday while Eight Nights... can answer questions about the holiday.

Win Down to a Sunless Sea: 01/19/08
I am pleased to announce a new book giveaway. This time it is Mathias B. Freese's collection of short stories Down to a Sunless Sea.

The contest runs from today through 11PM Pacific time on February 19th.

If you are interested in winning a copy, please leave a comment on this post. I will take entries from January 19th until February 19th at 11 PM PST. I will announce the winner on February 20th, 2008. The contest is open to any country where the United States postal service sends packages. I will mail the book out to the winner on March 2nd, 2008.

From the Amazon book description:

Down to a Sunless Sea plunges the reader into uncomfortable situations and into the minds of troubled characters. Each selection is a different reading experience-poetic, journalistic, nostalgic, wryly humorous, and even macabre. An award-winning essayist and historical novelist, Mathias B. Freese brings the weight of his twenty-five years as a clinical social worker and psychotherapist into play as he demonstrates a vivid understanding of-and compassion toward-the deviant and damaged.

You can also read the review posted on Breeni Books.

books | fiction | contest | mathias b freese

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Blake's Therapy: 01/18/08
Blake's Therapy is another book I've completed for the Jewish Literature Challenge. It was also the very last book I read in 2007, bringing last year's total of books read to 411. I have never managed to read this many before in the 20 years I've been keeping track of my reading.

Although Blake's Therapy is a short book it is one that needs pondering over. It is difficult to discern reality and truth among the conflicting narrative voices. The book opens with a lecture from an unnamed therapist who proclaims that we are here to help Graham Blake. What follows is what appears to be the therapy where Blake, a CEO of a huge multinational company is at the verge of a breakdown and must learn to weigh his power over the personal comfort and freedom of his employees. From there things get sketchy: are the people Blake is interacting with real or just actors? Has his therapy ended by the close of the book? The last chapter is a report from our unnamed therapist to Blake's ex-wife but the details here are still fuzzy.

If you enjoy clear cut plots and well defined characters, Blake's Therapy isn't for you. If however you like to be challenged and enjoy stories with multiple realities, then I recommend Blake's Therapy to you. In terms of tone and general themes, the novel reminds me of the Argentine film Hombre mirando al sudeste (1986). If you haven't seen the film, then I recommend a weekend combo of watching the film and reading this book.

books | fiction | jewish literature challenge | ariel dorfman

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Winners Announced for Four Wives: 01/18/08
It is time to announce the two winners of the Four Wives giveaway. The lucky winners are Mom in Training of The Parenting Diaries and catsalive.

I will be mailing them their books on February 2nd.

I will be announcing chances to win books over the next few weeks. The current giveaways include:

Teach Like Your Hair's On Fire by Rafe Esquith. Enter here.
(Contest ends February 7)
Hungry Hill by Carole O'Malley Gaunt. Enter here.
(Contest ends February 14)

fiction | books | wendy walker

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Mad About Madeline: 01/17/08
Mad About Madeline is a lovely hardbound collection of the six Madeline tales published during Ludwig Bemelmans's lifetime. He wrote a seventh story called Madeline in America and Other Holiday Tales that was published posthumously in 1999. Besides the Madeline stories, there is an introduction by Anna Quindlen on how the stories have enriched her life as a parent and at the end of the volume, there are sketches and a brief history of the Madeline stories.

The six stories in this volume are:

Madeline (1939) (Read my review)
Madeline and the Bad Hat (1956)
Madeline's Rescue (1953)
Madeline and the Gypsies (1959)
Madeline in London (1961)
Madeline's Christmas (1965)

My favorite stories from the book are Madeline and Madeline's Rescue because the are the most grounded in reality. Madeline's life may be filled with routine but it seems believable and something that a little girl living at a boarding school in Paris might do. Her world while exotic my children living in California is nothing beyond what and her classmates can walk to.

With the introduction of "the bad hat", Madeline's world opens up to places beyond Paris. In Madeline and the Bat Hat, the story stays to the form Madeline and Madeline's Rescue the introduction of an ambassador's son is a jumping off point for the next two stories.

The next two stories involve travel to places outside of Paris. In Madeline and Gypsies, the travel is to affect the rescue of Madeline and the Bad Hat. In Madeline in London it is to attend the birthday party of the now relocated Bad Hat. Outside the confines of Paris these stories seem to lose some of their charm.

In the Christmas story, Madeline seems noticeably older. Though she and her classmates are back in the house, the story is out of character for the previous ones because Madeline is now in a position of authority. She is left to care for Miss Clavel and the other girls who are all suffering from winter colds. She also appears noticeably older in this story. The Christmas story almost works as a fitting end to the book except for the inclusion of flying carpets. Until now there has been no evidence that magic might actually be real in Madeline's world. For that reason alone, I can't recommend the story as much as I otherwise would.

Overall, though, I enjoyed Mad About Madeline and I recommend the book to fans of Madeline. It is interesting to see how the stories evolve and it is nice to have all but the last one in one convenient volume.

books | childrens | madeline | ludwig bemelmans

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Booking Through Thursday: Let's Review: 01/17/08

Booking Through Thursday

This week's question is suggested by Puss Reboots:

How much do reviews (good and bad) affect your choice of reading? If you see a bad review of a book you wanted to read, do you still read it? If you see a good review of a book you're sure you won't like, do you change your mind and give the book a try?

I submitted this question to the Booking Through Thursday site after my September 26 Thursday Thirteen: "Reviews of Books I've Hated This Year." Most of the comments left on that post thanked me for telling people not to waste their time on these books. Although I genuinely hated these books I was horrified that so many people wouldn't even bother trying any of these books. Book reading is a very personal experience including the likes and dislikes.

With so many books available for reading and new ones being published every month, I do read book reviews to learn what is out there. I don't pay too much attention to whether the person reviewing it loved it or hated it but I do consider the reasons for the reaction.

For example, I read a number of poor reviews of Tommy's Tale by Alan Cumming. One review included reference to a "bum hole incident" and "doing stuff with carrots." That plus the cover art and I knew I'd love it. I will be reviewing the book soon; I gave it a 10 out 10 at Bookcrossing and a 5 out 5 on GoodReads. If I had just stopped at the review being a negative one, I wouldn't have read and enjoyed the book.

booking through thursday | books

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Women of the Ukiyo-e: 01/16/08
Over Christmas I gave myself a break from my reading schedule and instead enjoyed reading through and coloring in this Dover coloring book of Women of the Ukiyo-e by Ming-Ju Sun. This thin book contains thirty line drawing reproductions of women drawn in the ukiyo-e style.

The copy I was reading was actually a Bookcrossing book ring, so I could only color one page. I liked the book enough that I might get myself a copy so I can color all the pages. My husband is a fan of the ukiyo-e woodblock prints, though he prefers the landscapes.

If you like to color an want to learn something at the same time, I highly recommend Dover's series of coloring books.

books | art | ukiyo-e | ming ju sun

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#41: Animal Books: 01/16/08

This week I'm doing something different. These are books I've reviewed that have animals on the cover. Click on the title to read the review.

1. An Adventure with Morris Mouse by Maurice Pledger

2. Morris and Boris at the Circus by B. Wiseman

3. Olivia Saves the Circus by Ian Falconer

4. Alice, the Cat Who Was Hounded by Jules Rosenthal

5. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

6. Bad Cat by Jim Edgar

7. Coyote Blue by Christopher Moore

8. The Little Lost Puppy by Margaret Glover Otto

9. Little Polar Bear, Take Me Home! by Hans de Beer.

10. Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar by Thomas Cathcart and Daniel Klein

11. Russell the Sheep by Rob Scotton

12. Small Pig by Arnold Lobel.

13. Tears of the Giraffe by Alexander McCall Smith

thursday thirteen | books

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Velocity: 01/15/08
Velocity starts with death by garden gnome and gets weirder from there.

The back of the book has the message: "If you don't take this note to the police and get them involved, I will kill a lovely blond schoolteacher. If you do take this note to the police, I will instead kill an elderly woman active in charity work. You have four hours to decide. The choice is yours." Going on that piece of information alone, one might think that Velocity will be a typical "ticking time bomb" type thriller; it isn't.

Bill Wile is more of an antihero than protagonist. He wants nothing to do with this secret person taunting him and framing him for murders. Because of his own shady past he doesn't feel comfortable going to the police even though he wants to.

For observant readers, Koontz leaves lots of clues. They are hidden in plain sight. This is not a connect the dots mystery but one a second reading, the clues are there, popping out from the most unexpected places.

books | fiction | thriller | dean koontz

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Daily Dose of Imagery: 01/15/08
I am a huge photoblog junkie. One of my favorites is [Daily Dose of Imagery], owned an updated by Sam Javanrouh. He posts photos in and around Toronto, Canada.

The very first post was on July 4, 2003. It was gorgeous macro shot of a fly. I have been following the photoblog since January 22, 2004 with the "random subway" photograph.

Besides the gorgeous photographs, the site has a forum. I've never posted in the forum but if you like that extra bit of interaction, it is available.

[Daily Dose of Imagery] is one of my must read feeds on my day to day blog reading. I highly recommend it.

photos | toronto |daily dose of imagery

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FSF: Mystery Hill: 01/14/08
The final story in the January issue of Fantasy & Science Fiction Magazine is a light-hearted science fiction piece by Alex Irvine called "Mystery Hill." While it was a relatively easy story to read, it wasn't one of my favorites from the issue.

Mystery Hill is your typical mystery spot where water runs up hill and whatnot. The owner of Mystery Hill is Ken Kassarjian. He's been constantly debunked in his thirty-three year tenure and sometimes called a lizard-man. It isn't until a physicist starts to take readings on the fluctuating gravity at Mystery Hill that things get interesting.

It basically comes down to everything that the crackpots have been saying is true and all of this being tied to string theory. Against this is the romance between the proprietor and the physicist but there just isn't enough chemistry between them to keep it interesting. Likewise the revelation of the truth behind the lizard-men doesn't bring the story to a satisfying ending. Things just sort of draw to a close. Irvine seems hesitant to be as silly as he needs to be to tell a broad parody of science fiction. It would have been better if it had sillier.

fantasy science fiction magazine | fiction | short story | alex irvine

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Win Hungry Hill: 01/14/08
I am pleased to announce a new book giveaway. This time it is for Carole O'Malley Gaunt's memoir, Hungry Hill.

The contest runs from today through 11PM Pacific time on February 14th.

If you are interested in winning a copy, please leave a comment on this post. I will take entries from January 14th until February 14th at 11 PM PST. I will announce the winner on February 15th, 2008. The contest is open to any country where the United States postal service sends packages. I will mail the book out to the winner on March 2nd, 2008.

From the back of the book:

On a sweltering June night in 1959, Betty O'Malley died from lymphatic cancer, leaving behind an alcoholic husband and eight shell-shocked children--seven sons and one daughter, ranging in age from two to fifteen years. The daughter, Carole, was thirteen at the time. In this poignant memoir, she recalls in vivid detail the chaotic course of her family life over the next four years.

The setting for the story is Hungry Hill, an Irish-Catholic working-class neighborhood in Springfield, Massachusetts . The author recounts her sad and turbulent story with remarkable clarity, humor, and insight, punctuating the narrative with occasional fictional scenes that allow the adult Carole to comment on her teenage experiences and to probe the impact of her mother's death and her father's alcoholism.

books | nonfiction | contest | carole omalley gaunt

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Four Wives: 01/13/08
Four Wives, the debut novel by Wendy Walker hits bookstores next month. I was fortunate enough to be offered an advanced reading copy for review. I don't normally say this in a review but: PRE ORDER YOURS NOW! The book is that good.

Four Wives pokes fun at Ira Levin's Stepford Wives but without the robots. Chapter Thirty is even called "Stepford Wives." But it's more than just a well-written parody about the bedroom communities of the upper middle class. These Stepford wives manage to escape their artificial world an make something of themselves.

The four wives in Walker's novel are Love, Marie, Gayle and Janie. Each woman has her own story but Walker brings these four interesting threads together at the end to provide a satisfying and thought-provoking ending. I really don't want to go into these four stories together to risk spoiling anything.

Most importantly, Walker's novel is a women coming together to bitch about how clueless men are. They may start off believing that nonsense but as the novel progresses, the four wives start to see beyond this stereotype. Walker also gives the men in the book the chance to give their points of view to round out her novel.

I have two copies of this fantastic book to give away. The contest ends on the 17th. All the details for entering are here.

books | fiction | contest | wendy walker

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