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February 2008
Witch Week: 02/29/08
Witch Week is the fourth book in the Chrestomanci series by Diana Wynn Jones.
This story reminds me of both the Harry Potter series (except that it predates the series by a decade) and Among the Impostors by Margaret Peterson Haddix.
The story opens with a teacher at a boarding school finding a note that says: "someone in this class is a witch." In this alternate earth magic exists but is illegal in Britain. Fear of having an Inquisitor come to the school causes trouble for a number of the students.
Like the Shadow Children of Among the Impostors, the school has been protecting a number of witches, old and young. Under the stress of having the school under such close scrutiny causes a number of magical flare ups. Each of these events allows Jones to drop hints at the historical events that lead to the modern day situation of witches being forced into hiding and witchcraft being an automatic death sentence (by burning, of course).
To tie up the original quartet, the Chrestomanci from the first book makes an appearance to set things straight. His involvement helps to tie this alternate world to the worlds of the previous books and to create a much richer universe than the world Rowling has created for Harry Potter et al.
If you haven't read the other books in the series, it isn't necessary to start at the beginning. Each book can be read as a stand-alone volume.
Read the review at Rhinoa's Ramblings.
books | scifi | childrens | diana wynn jones
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Searching for Rebecca's Locket 02/29/08
It's Friday and time to sum up the ways that people came to my site in the past week.
The top 10 searches of February 22-28:
- gilbow s. l. locket:
Up from #6. People still want to know about S. L. Gilbow's upcoming story. It will be called "Rebecca's Locket" but so far The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction hasn't announced which issue it will be in.
In the meantime you can read my review of S. L. Gilbow's story "Who Brought Tulips to the Moon."
- "japanese table" pussreboots:
On February 26 I blogged about how Japanese culture has influenced my art. One of the pieces I mentioned is called "Japanese Table" and was done in August 2006.
- why does harriet stand on a stack of boxes pussreboots:
For the third week in a row, folks want to know why Harriet stands on a stack of boxes. She still hasn't told me why. This search string has been #2, #1 and has now dropped to #3.
- Harriet Sammis:
Up from #5, people want to know about Harriet Sammis. She is my 18 month old daughter. She likes to climb everything and adores cats. Her favorite color is purple and her favorite fruit is the tomato.
- bryce obp, materials, 5:
Bryce makes a return in the searches.
- "slatton" immortal:
I am giving away my review copy of Immortal by Traci L. Slatton. It's her debut novel. If you would like to enter, leave a comment explaining why. Contest ends on March 20th.
- "the halloween tree":
The Halloween Tree is my favorite Ray Bradbury book and on my short list of all time favorite books. I reviewed the book on October 24, 2007.
- puss like that:
Sorry folks, this isn't a pornography site. The only puss here is Caligula the cat.
- reviews of down to a sunless sea, freese:
I reviewed Down to a Sunless Sea by Mathias B. Freese on February 11th.
- victor - carrara:
Victor is the name of a Poser model. He can be used in Carrara. I don't offer any freebies for Victor or Carrara.
Win Leadership Brand: 02/29/08
I am pleased to announce a new book giveaway. This time it is Leadership Brand by Dave Ulrich and Norm Smallwood.
The contest runs from today through 11PM Pacific time on March 29th.
If you are interested in winning a copy, please leave a comment on this post. The comment must include your reason for wanting to read the book. Just leaving your name will not qualify as a comment. This blog uses "do follow" in all links so if you have a blog, please include your URL. 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 April 2, 2008.
Here the Amazon.com blurb:
Your company's brands hold intangible value and differentiate your firm from rivals. So does your leadership brand—a shared identity among your organization's leaders that differentiates what they can do from what your rivals' leaders can do. —In Leadership Brand, Dave Ulrich and Norm Smallwood show how branded leadership delivers unique value for firms' investors, customers, and employees—elevating market value and creating a sharp competitive edge.
The authors present a six-step process for creating leadership brand in your organization. A wealth of tools helps you differentiate your firm's leaders from those of rivals, craft a unified identity among them, and articulate a unique statement of your brand. Additional chapters and tools show you how to assess and measure your leadership brand, where to invest in the brand, which practices instill the brand, and how to communicate the brand to your many stakeholders.
With its compelling new model and hands-on approach, this book helps you clarify what makes your leaders unique—and use your leadership brand to leave rivals far behind.
If you are interested in winning, please leave a short comment about why you want to win this book.
books | nonfiction | contest | dave ulrich | norm smallwood
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Commander Toad and the Voyage Home: 02/28/08
Commander Toad and the Voyage Home is the seventh and final book in the Commander Toad series by Jane Yolen. This time the series is parodying the "Lost Planet of the Gods" episode from the original Battlestar Galactica.
Commander Toad and his crew want to go home for some well needed shore leave. Unfortunately when they ask the computer to take them "home" they don't specify earth. The ship's autopilot takes them somewhere very different indeed.
The series ends with the crew of the Star Warts rediscovering their heritage and making some amazing amphibipological discoveries in the process. Of course, Commander Toad in his usual boneheaded fashion has to leave his own mark on the Home.
Of the seven books, Commander Toad and the Voyage Home is my favorite.
Here are the reviews of all the books in the series:
books | scifi | childrens | jane yolen
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Booking Through Thursday: Heroine: 02/28/08
Who is your favorite female lead character? And why? (And yes, of course, you can name more than one ... I always have trouble narrowing down these things to one name, why should I force you to?)
Pupil Delicatessa Windowshade Mackrelmint Efraim's Daughter Longstocking (or Pippi to her friends) is one of my favorite children's fiction heroines. I also adore her anime / manga incarnation as Radical Edward (Edward Wong Hau Pepelu Tivrusky IV) in Cowboy Bebop.
I like Pippi because she's always true to herself and her father throughout the series no matter how much folks try to "civilize" her. Sure, she has an unconventional childhood but she seems to thrive in it.
booking through thursday | books
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The Voluntary State: 02/27/08
The second story in Science Fiction: The Best of 2004 is "The Voluntary State" by Christopher Rowe.
Imagine a modern day Philip K. Dick story set in Tennessee where cars are sentient and everything and everyone requires a license. Now imagine freedom fighters in Kentucky trying to bring down Tennessee. That's the basic idea behind "The Voluntary State."
From reading through reviews online, I gather that the story was very popular when it was published. I personally didn't enjoy it as much as "The Best Christmas Ever." There were just too many off the wall details crammed into this short story for me to parse. I think the story could have worked better if it had been longer, either as a novella or as a full novel.
If you don't want to buy the book, you can read the story online.
My theme this week is "Food on Books." Six of these are children's books. the rest are not. All of these books are ones I've reviwed. Click on the title to read the review.
1. Imaginative Still Life by Moira Huntly. |
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2. The Fattening of America by Eric Finkelstein and Laurie Zuckerman. |
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3. Barnyard Dance! by Sandra Boynton. |
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4. The Boy Who Wanted to be a Fish by Le Grand. |
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5. Hide and Ghost Seek by Carol Thompson. Pumpkins! |
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6. Little Pea by Amy Krause Rosenthal |
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7. How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food? by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague. |
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8. Never Nosh a Matzo Ball by Sharon Kahn. |
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9. Once Upon a Town by Bob Greene. The basket is full of sandwiches. |
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10. How to be a Canadian by Will and Ian Ferguson. Doughnut. |
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11. Something Rotten by Jasper Fforde. Toast. |
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12. Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser. French fries. Given how processed they are, I'm not sure they count as food any more. |
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13. The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog! by Mo Willems. Hot dog.
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thursday thirteen | books
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He Says, She Says on Inheriting a Condom Company: 02/27/08
ALICE BEASLEY says:
The reading of my god-mother's will shocked me speechless. I assumed I'd inherit money or jewelry. A condom company came way down the bottom of my list of expectations! Who'd have thought? My god-mother offered me a share in a condom company or a small monetary inheritance. My boyfriend, Steven wanted me to take the money and run. Me—I saw possibilities, the answers to making my dreams come true. We fought about it. Embarrassing? Oh, yeah. We were the center of attention and there were quite a few sniggers from the other occupants of the hall.
I think I stepped into an Alice in Wonderland type rabbit hole on arrival for the reading of the will, not a plain old town hall. I caught sight of this man. Tall, dark and sexy. I dubbed him Mr. Dashing, and spellbound, my attention kept wandering to him. Imagine my blush when I discovered I'd have to work with him at the condom company. Things went downhill from there. Steven left Sloan in a huff because I wouldn't follow his orders and two weird women accosted me shouting anti-condom slogans. Luckily, they didn't seem violent but they gave me two business cards, one bearing a clown and the other a dog. Goodness knows what they mean. Life in Sloan looks as if it might be interesting, but I'm a bit wary about condoms. After all, it's not as if I have experience in that arena...
JAMES BATES says:
I can't believe Alicia expects me to train this girl. And Alicia's death couldn't have come at a worse time. Someone is out to sabotage Fancy Free. It's been one thing after another. Financially, we can't take much more. I hope the new design goes well because the company sure needs the boost of funds.
Will Alice and James make a good team? Will she make up with Steven? How do they test the condoms? And who is out to destroy Fancy Free?
Read Alice and James story in FANCY FREE by Shelley Munro to discover all the answers. Available from Ellora's Cave on 7 March 2008.
To read an excerpt visit Shelley Munro's site.
This was a guest post by author Shelley Munro. If you would like information about guest blogging, please contact me.
The Enchanted Castle: 02/26/08
Edith Nesbit's fantasies all seem to follow a similar pattern. A large family of children are left to adventure on their own and find real magic beyond what they can conjure with their imaginations. Usually their dabbling in magic leads to trouble and of course life lessons. The Enchanted Castle falls squarely in this category.
The book follows the misadventures of siblings Jerry, Jimmy and Cathy and their new friend Mable. Mable lives in the enchanted castle but most of the magic happens due to the wishes granted by a troublesome ring.
Like The Five Children and It, the book mostly focuses on the wishes that each character makes and consequences of them. As each character in turn uses the ring to wish (including the unnamed Nanny, known only as Mademoiselle) the wishes become more fantastical and the results more surreal and potentially dangerous.
I read this novel for the 2008 Decades Challenge. The novel was originally published in 1907 and it holds up well.
books | fantasy | edith nestibt
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Soy Sauce: 02/26/08
I have done a number of Japanese inspired pieces. My most recent one, "Soy Sauce" was inspired by Michael Naples lovely painting "Chopstick Reflections."
"Soy Sauce" draws on work done in "Coeur de Verre". Reusing the white background and lighting set up.
Previous Japanese inspired pieces include:
"Soy Sauce" is available through Zazzle.
digital art | zazzle
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The Best Christmas Ever: 02/25/08
Ian received Science Fiction: The Best of 2004 as a Christmas gift last year. I've been slowly reading through it, going through one story on those rare days when I can sneak away to a local coffee shop for some "me time."
The first story in the book is appropriately called "The Best Christmas Ever" and is written by James Patrick Kelley.
Aunty Em is the caretaker of Albert Paul Hopkins, a 56 year old widower. Em wants to give him a Christmas he'll remember and this story chronicles how she brings about the "best Christmas ever."
While following Aunty Em through her chores, Kelley peppers the story with details of a catastrophic disaster mentioned in passing as the "Boston Plague."
I really enjoyed this story. It has the same eerie atmosphere as Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake where things are just too cheery for all the horror that has happened.
If you don't want to buy the book, you can read the story online.
books | scifi | james patrick kelley
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Magic Condoms: 02/25/08
Alicia started her company, Fancy Free on a whim—a business to occupy her time and keep her old school friends busy. Many of Sloan's residents considered Fancy Free a strange business, and some were plain shocked, but Alicia didn't believe in following conventions. Condoms were something she knew about. She'd researched them enough, heck, she'd even used a few in her time. Condoms were her passion, and so condoms were what her company produced. On her death, she left her precious company to her god-daughter Alice Beasley.
A snippet from Alicia's collection of condom notes:
During Roman times, a magic condom became popular. This condom supposedly protected the users from pregnancy and from evil spirits. To make a magic condom the woman collected a large handful of fur from a she-mule's mane. During the foreplay stage, the man and woman wove a condom from the fur, which was then used during lovemaking.
Alicia's note – sounds uncomfortable and itchy but the foreplay might be interesting. Did it leak? Source: Humble Little Condom by Aine Collier
Get your copy of FANCY FREE, an erotic romance about condoms by Shelley Munro, from Ellora's Cave on March 7, 2008.
To read an excerpt visit Shelley Munro's site.
This was a guest post by author Shelley Munro. If you would like information about guest blogging, please contact me.
books | romance | shelley munro
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Olivia Counts: 02/24/08
Olivia is one of my children's favorite characters. Olivia Counts is a board book that teaches with the typical humor of the Olivia books counting one to ten.
Of all the Olivia books I've read to Harriet, Olivia Counts is by far her favorite. It is short, cute and heavy on the illustrations.
Harriet's favorite part of the book is where Olivia counts to ten. The page is covered with ten Olivias doing typically silly things and dressed in costumes from previous books.
books | childrens | ian falconer | harriet
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During my crazy-busy week planning for the Oregon road trip, Linda awarded me me E is for Excellence Award. Then today I see that Grace has also given me the award. In between I had completely forgotten to pass along the award so now I am finally taking the time to pass along the award to 10 blogs per the rules set up by Project Mama. I made my decision by the ten most recent bookmarked posts.
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2. M. Collier's Paintings from the Point. |
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3. Dewey of the Hidden Side of a Leaf. |
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4. L. C. Neill of Still River Studios. |
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5. Ann Elizabeth Schlegel of Painting Each Day. |
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| 6. Sharon Baker of Bibliobibuli. |  |
| 7. Michael Blamey of Melbourne Today. |  |
| 8. Keeping it real at 66 degrees north latitude. |  |
| 9. Colleen Gleason of For All the World to See. |  |
| 10. Lines and Colors. |  |
award | blog
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How Do Dinosaurs Clean Their Rooms? 02/24/08
Jane Yolen and Mark Teague have collaborated on a number of these How Do Dinosaurs... books. They have the longer format books and some board books. How Do Dinosaurs Clean Their Rooms?
is a board book. It is half the length of the longer books, How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food?, for example.
Jane Yolen's humor works perfectly with Mark Teague's illustrations. These books remind me a bit of the old pamphlets and propaganda that came out of the WPA. Imagine an old school reel of "How to Clean Your Room!" but with dinosaurs. That strange disconnect of dinosaurs with a 1930s style how-to book is what makes these series so charming for both children and adults.
My only complaint about How Do Dinosaurs Clean Their Rooms? is that the rhyming scheme isn't as smooth as it was in How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food? The final page especially seems to have the wrong number of syllables which brings an otherwise fun book to a clunky ending.
books | childrens | jane yolen | mark teague
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A Lady's Life in the Rocky Mountains: 02/23/08
One hundred thirty-two years before Linda Moore set out for the BookCrossing convention in Texas on her bike "Beastie", Isabella Bell set out by ship, train and finally beastie (in this case, horse) for Estes Park in the Rocky Mountains. Like Linda, Isabella wrote about her entire journey in a series of seven letters which were later published in book form, A Lady's Life in the Rocky Mountains. Linda blogged about the experience and later published her experience as A Little Twist of Texas.
When I read through the first letter I was afraid I was reading another Riding the Iron Rooster because the first letter is nothing more than a long diatribe about how lousy the second leg of her trip was (San Francisco to Sacramento) and much she regretted leaving Hawaii. But by her second letter I was madly in love with the book. Isabella's letters reflect her mood as well as record the places and people she met along the way. When she is tired she grumbles. When she's well rested, she thrills at her adventure. She even includes passages about the history of the areas she visits and all I could think was: "She's snarfing!"
If you like travelogues and you like history, get yourself a copy A Lady's Life in the Rocky Mountains. Then read A Little Twist of Texas and enjoy a modern version of the adventure.
books | nonfiction | linda raven moore | isabella l bird
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Sabrina at Breeni's Books tagged me for that Meme 123 that's been going around for just about ever.
The tag says to turn to page 123 of the nearest book, go to the fifth sentence and post the next three! Then tag five more people.
Since I'm constantly reading a huge pile of books, this will take a while. Not all of my books go as far as page 123, so I'll skip those.
Last Chance Saloon by Marian Keyes: It was a nod to the weekend, an assumption that everyone was nursing a hangover. From ten thirty onwards, as soon as the breakfast bacon sandwiches were out of the way, people began to plan what they'd have at the greasy. 'Fried bread, scrambled eggs, mushrooms, tomatoes, a KitKat and a glass of Coke,' Teddy announced, without looking up from his screen. |
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Flush by Carl Hiaasen: "He and Bull what?" asked Dad. "Nothing." "Noah, what's going on?" my mother said like she'd already forgotten about my black eye. |
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The Rocky Mountain Moving Picture Association by Loren D. Estleman: He took a bulky wallet from his hip pocket and gave him two tens. "Don't buy any liquor till after the doc's come and gone." "Thanks Mr. Bensinger." |
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Don't Stand Too Close to a Naked Man by Tim Allen: "So it's big?" "No, it's just I like the way it looks in those pants." "Meaning you didn't like it yesterday because it was bigger in those other pants?" |
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The Hotel Cat by Esther Averill: Then the President remained silent, as if putting his great mind to work, and next he gave a mysterious chuckle and finally in a serious voice, he said, "Pray continue." While Tom unfolded the plans for the Stardust Ball, the President paced to and fro along side his side of the door. |
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I could go on with more examples for this meme, but I think that's enough for now. All of these books will be reviewed here in the following weeks.
Now to tag five people:
books | meme
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Coeur de Verre: 02/23/08
In November I saw a fantastic photograph called "Color Beads" on the blog Postcards from the Clouds. I liked the different colors and the simplicity of the concept.
I decided to try something similar in Bryce using spheres and a variety of glass materials. It took a number of attempts to get something that would render to my satisfaction. I ended up having to render the piece much darker than what I wanted and then adjusting the brightness and contrast in Photoshop to make it pop. The piece I finally rendered is called "Coeur de Verre."
I am now offering "Coeur de Verre" for sale at Zazzle in three forms: a poster, a greeting card and matching postage.
With future holidays coming up, I plan to a series of glass bead pieces. For St. Patrick's day I am offering cards and postage that feature a shamrock made of glass beads.
digital art | zazzle
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Imaginative Still Life: 02/22/08
Imaginative Still Life (1983) is one of the more upbeat how-to paint books I've read in a while. These books walk a fine line between dot-to-dot instructions and building fundamentals while still allowing room for creative growth.
Moira Huntly places her emphasis on the fun of painting an on creative experimentation. Of course she does include the basics of shading, composition, and color but her tutorials don't expect readers to copy her pieces as part of the learning process. Moira's enthusiasm for art and the still life is infective. Moira, by the way, is still actively painting and seems to still be having fun.
The book's biggest weakness though, is its lack of full color illustrations. Full color printing hasn't really become affordable until recent years so like most older art illustrations, Imaginative Still Life is mostly illustrated in black and white with some limited color prints.
When I showed the book to some non-artist friends, they were taken aback with how ugly the paintings looked in the book. The color plates do not do Moira Huntly's talent justice but this is just a fact of where printing was in 1980. Ignore the plates and enjoy Moira's many pen drawings which are excellent. Pay attention to her words and her enthusiasm. Sure the book isn't as colorful as modern how-to paint books but it is just as valuable a resource.
books | nonfiction | still life | moira huntly
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Why Does Harriet Stand on a Stack of Boxes? 02/22/08
It's Friday and time to sum up the ways that people came to my site in the past week.
The top 10 searches of February 15-21:
- why does harriet stand on a stack of boxes:
People still want to know why Harriet stands on boxes. This search was in the #2 spot last week and is coming in strong as #1 this week. Harriet started climbing long before she started walking.
- Bryce 5:
Although Bryce is currently up to version 6 and I think version 7 has been announced, I am still exclusively working in Bryce 5. You can see my art in my gallery, buy it from Zazzle, and download my Bryce freebies for your own projects.
- harriet sammis:
Harriet is my daughter. She's 18 months old an into everything.
- pussreboots and puss reboots:
Puss Reboots is the name of the site. When I started allowing comments and started leaving comments on blogs I read, I started calling myself pussreboots because it doesn't get dinged by spam filters as easily as "puss reboots" does. Puss Reboots is a pun on Puss in Boots from the days when Caligula the cat would reboot my computer.
- Harriet Sammis:
I don't know who is searching for Harriet.
- gilbow s. l. locket:
I have written a review of S.L. Gilbow's story "Who Brought Tulips to the Moon." Gilbow has a forthcoming short story called "Rebecca's Locket" that will be in Fantasy & Science Fiction Magazine. When it comes out, I will review it too.
- heard the owl call my name summary:
I have written a review of Margaret Craven's I Heard the Owl Call My Name but I don't think I put many spoilers in it. Read the book; it's not very long and it's very well written.
- under the sea pics:
I have some of my digital art divided into themes. One of those galleries is dedicated to my "under the sea" pieces.
- "four wives" by wendy walker israel:
I still don't know why israel is tacked onto this search. The book, Four Wives has nothing to do with Israel.
- "pride and prometheus":
"Pride and Prometheus" by John Kessel was included in the January 2008 issue of Fantasy & Science Fiction magazine. I reviewed it on January 4th.
search | logs | traffic
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Winner Announced for Down to a Sunless Sea: 02/21/08
It is time to announce the winner of Mathias B. Freese's collection of short stories, Down to a Sunless Sea. The winner of this book is Penelope Anne of Cafe at the End of the Universe.
I will be mailing the book out on March 3rd.
If you would like to learn more about this book, please read my February 11th review.
I will be announcing chances to win books over the next few weeks. The current giveaways include:
contest | fiction | books | mathias b freese
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Rusty's Train Ride: 02/21/08
Rusty is a dog. He belongs to Mrs. Boot and her children and they take him along when they go to visit a local historical steam train. Although Rusty is a good dog, he ends up riding the train by himself. That's the gist of Rusty's Train Ride.
Given that there is an old steam train, there should be more about the workings of the train. By leaving the Boot family while Rusty rides off, the train is basically ignored.
As a lost dog story, it's a mediocre tale. There isn't much drama as everyone knows the train only goes so far before returning. As a train book, it's even less satisfactory, as it teaches almost nothing about trains.
books | childrens | heather amery | stephen cartwright
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The Halloween Play: 02/21/08
Ten years before Felicia Bond became known for her illustrations of Laura Joffe Numeroff's books (If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, for example), Bond wrote and illustrated The Halloween Play.
The story follows the planning and performance of a Halloween play by class of young mice. There's the anticipation of the parents, the nerves of the children and finally the performance and the excitement of a job well done.
The illustrations lack the vibrancy of her newer illustrations but the spirit is there. There are hints of her later successes as an illustrator. If you are a fan of Bond's work and want to round out your collection, get a copy of The Halloween Play.
books | childrens | felicia bond
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Booking Through Thursday: Format: 02/21/08
All other things (like price and storage space) being equal, given a choice in a perfect world, would you rather have paperbacks in your library? Or hardcovers? And why?
When it comes to printed material, I don't really care what the format is: hardcover, paperbacks, magazines, board books. I love them all. I love to hold them and turn the pages, feel their texture, and so forth.
When a printed option isn't available, I'll settle for an electronic format. So far the only electronic books I've read are ones offered for free either through Project Gutenberg and Google Books. I have yet to buy an ebook because I can't hold them and I can't easily BookCross them.
I'm also not much of an audio book user. I don't like listening to them while I drive as they are too distracting. I don't like sitting through listening to a reader go at a snails pace or mispronounce words (R is for Ricochet comes immediately to mind).
booking through thursday | books
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The Fattening of America: 02/20/08
The Fattening of America looks at the economics behind obesity. It looks at the possible economic causes of obesity, the costs to health care, the costs to businesses and the rise of "wellness programs" as a reaction and what people can do to lose the extra weight they've gained.
The book is full of charts and data and when the focus is on economics, it is a fascinating read. Unfortunately the book tends towards the same chit-chatty approach that is so popular with self-help books. This informal voice strives to make the data more approachable but it just gets in the way of the over-all message of how changing economic conditions may be contributing to rising rates of obesity.
One large focus of the book is also the rising rates of children who are overweight (government speak for obese). While I agree that childhood obesity is something that parents should strive to avoid, I found parenting advice too heavy handed.
I enjoyed reading The Fattening of America but it could have been better. The bits about Uncle Al and all the parenting examples get in the way of an otherwise fascinating economic study.
If you would like a chance to win my review copy, please leave a comment. The contest ends February 28.
books | nonfiction | eric finkelstein | laurie zuckerman
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Win Immortal: 02/20/08
I am pleased to announce a new book giveaway. This time it is debut novel Immortal by Traci L. Slatton.
The contest runs from today through 11PM Pacific time on March 20th.
If you are interested in winning a copy, please leave a comment on this post. 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 April 2, 2008.
Here the Amazon.com blurb:
Book Description
In an age of wondrous beauty and terrible secrets,
one man searches for his destiny...In the majestic heart of Florence, a beautiful golden-haired boy is abandoned and subjected to cruelty beyond words. But Luca Bastardo is anything but an ordinary boy. Across two centuries of passion and intrigue, Luca will discover an astonishing gift—one that will lead him to embrace the ancient mysteries of alchemy and healing and to become a trusted confidant to the powerful Medicis... even as he faces persecution from a sadistic cabal determined to wrest his secrets for themselves.
But as the Black Death and the Inquisition wreak havoc on his beloved city, Luca's survival lies in the quest to solve two riddles. One is the enigma of his parents and his ageless beauty. The other is a choice between immortality and the only chance to find his one true love. As Luca journeys through the heights of the Renaissance, befriends Giotto and Leonardo Da Vinci—140 years apart—and pursues the most closely guarded secrets of religious faith and science for the answers to his own burning questions, his remarkable search will not only change him... but will change the course of history.
About the Author
Traci L. Slatton is a graduate of Yale and Columbia, and she also attended the Barbara Brennan School of Healing. She lives in Manhattan with her husband, sculptor Sabin Howard, whose classical figures and love for Renaissance Italy inspired her to write a novel set during that time period. Immortal is her first novel.
If you are interested in winning, please leave a comment.
books | fiction | contest | traci l slatton
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#46: Broads on Books: 02/20/08
You probably noticed my lack of participation in last week's Thursday Thirteen. I posted mine just before leaving on a six day road trip from California through to Portland, Oregon and back. Traveling left no time for replying to comments. This week, though, I am home!
My theme this week is "Broads on Books." All of these books are ones I've reviwed. Click on the title to read the review.
1. The Dame in the Kimono by Leonard J. Leff and Jerold L. Simmons |
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2. Hungry Hill by Carole O'Malley Gaunt |
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3. The Blithedale Romance by Nathaniel Hawthorne |
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4. Women of the Ukiyo-e by Ming-Ju Sun |
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5. Better than Running at Night by Hillary Frank |
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6. To Bathe in Lightning by Anne Gay |
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7. Auntie Mame by Patrick Dennis |
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8. Bleach 3: Memories of the Rain by Tite Kubo I could have just as easily used volume 2. |
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9. Gag by Lovechild |
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10. The Game by Laurie R. King. Look, it's another dame in a kimono! |
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11. The Happy Prince and Other Stories by Oscar Wilde |
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12. Black's Beach Shuffle by Corey Lynn Fayman |
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13. Being Committed by Anna Maxted
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thursday thirteen | books
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Heavens to Betsy: 02/19/08
Heavens to Betsy was first published in 1955 and is still in print. I think by 1955 most of the "curious sayings" were already falling out of common use and by now this laundry list of sayings seems more like a strange historical document than a current look at popular expressions in day-to-day speech.
Funk's begins the book with an explanation as to why "Heavens to Betsy" inspired the writing of the book. Although he gives no definitive explanation about the history or origin of the saying the process of researching it makes for the only truly interesting read of the entire book.
So many of the "common" expression are ones I've never heard or even seen written outside of this book. Then the ones that Funk asserts are no longer in use are the ones that I personally use on a regular basis or at least hear or see frequently.
books | nonfiction | charles earle funk
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Searching for Paul Revere: 02/19/08
I plan to make Friday my day to post about the previous weeks' search results but last Friday I was in Bend Oregon after a long day of driving and I just couldn't face blogging.
The top 10 searches of February 7-14:
- "and then what happened, paul revere?" controversy pussreboots:
Coming up from the #7 spot, folks are still looking for the controversy behind this odd biography of Paul Revere. If there is controversy surrounding it, I don't know what it is. You can read my review here.
- why does harriet stand on a stack of boxes pussreboots:
It's true. Harriet loves standing on boxes. She'll climb anything, the higher, the better.
- baby einstein aquarium:
Harriet has one, although it has run out of batteries and I've been thinking of freecycling it. I don't think I've blogged about it except for when we first bought it.
- bryce:
Searches for Bryce objects and materials come in at 4th.
- Harriet Sammis:
I don't know who is searching for Harriet.
- review "if angels fight":
I reviewed the short story on February 5th.
- allen j scott february 2008:
I wrote a review of his book The City on February 7th.
- bird shaman's girl and judith moffett:
Judith Moffett's story was published in October / November issue of Fantasy & Science Fiction and I reviewed it on November 30th.
- demon named catch:
Catch is a character created by Christopher Moore. He shows up in Practical Demonkeeping and again in Lamb.
- ian mound:
I don't know who Ian Mound is. My Ian has mounds of papers and I've been known to bitch about them.
The Dame in the Kimono: 02/18/08
Back in the 1920s, the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors Association (precursor to today's MPAA ratings board) created the production code, a list of Dos and Don'ts which Hollywood then promptly ignored. By the 1930s, William Hayes with help Joseph Breen forced Hollywood to play along (more or less) for the next twenty years.
The Dame in the Kimono is a brief look at the history and people behind this era of Hollywood filmmaking. For the most part, it is a rather dry biography of Joseph Breen's career. The films chosen are obvious choices and very little in the way of true analysis or ground breaking research is revealed in this book. For someone looking for an introduction into the subject, The Dame in the Kimono is a decent foundation. More familiar readers can skip the book or spend a couple hours breezing through it.
books | film history | leonard j leff | jerold l simmons
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Non-fiction Meme: 02/18/08
While I was on a five day road trip with my husband and our two children, Darla tagged me with a Nonfiction themed meme. If you'd like to see photographs of the trip, I'm slowly getting them posted at my livejournal blog.
- What issues/topic interests you most — non-fiction, i.e., cooking, knitting, stitching, there are infinite topics that has nothing to do with novels?
Art has been a passion of me since I was about 18 months old. Digital art and interior design are two current forms of that passion. If you would like to help support my hobby, please buy a print, some cards or postage from Zazzle. Or make a request for a product I don't currently offer.
As an ex-film major, books about film theory and history still fascinate me. I'm also subscriber to Bordwell and an Thompson's blog. I will be reviewing a film history book later tonight called The Dame in the Kimono.
- Would you like to review books concerning those?
Absolutely. If you'd like to send me some, contact me.
- Would you like to be paid or do it as interest or hobby? Tell reasons for what ever you choose.
I do it as a hobby. Books I receive specifically for review I give away. I try to review everything I read and have been doing this since August 2006. I am well over 600 reviews.
- Would you recommend those to your friends and how?
Sure. I recommend books to friends, family and strangers all the time. I love talking about books. I do it through my blog, through Bookcrossing, through Goodreads and to a lesser degree on Amazon.
- If you have already done something like this, link it to your post.
With close to 700 reviews, this could be a long list:
After the Funeral (stories of famous corpses)
Air Disaster, Volume 1 (famous airplane disasters)
Animals that Live in the Sea (oceanography for children)
And Then What Happened Paul Revere? (biography for children)
The Art of Reading (illustrators talk about reading)
Art Work (being a professional artist)
The Art World Dream (being a professional artist)
The Australian Slanguage (language)
The Autobiography of Malcolm X (biography)
The Baby Catcher (biography)
Blood Sweat and Tea (biography)
Castro Valley (history)
Cathedral Cats (local color)
Cats Are Not Peas (genetics)
Cats of Moon Cottage (biography)
A Century of America's Favorite Foods (history)
The City (urban theory)
Civil Wars (LGBT)
The Cork Boat (biography)
Death's Acre (biography)
Dirty Jokes and Beer (biography)
Divided by a Common Language (language)
Doctors (biography)
Driftwood Whimsy (art history / local color)
Dr. Seuss Goes to War (biography / art history)
Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life (biography)
Fastfood Nation (history)
From Bauhaus to Our House (art history)
Game of Shadows (history / sports)
Gems and Minerals (geology)
Geology (geology)
Headache Relief for Migraines (self help)
How to be a Canadian (humor / local color)
How Big is Your God? (self help / spirituality)
How to Deal with Difficult People (self help / spirituality)
The Humane Interface (technology)
Hungry Hill (biography)
In the Beginning... was the Command Line (technology)
In Cold Blood (history)
The Left-Handers Handbook (humor / history)
The Leopard Hat (biography)
Letters from Iceland (travel)
The Little Tortoiseshell Cat Book (cats)
A Little Twist of Texas (travel)
The Liveliest Art (film history)
Living Lean (self help)
London: The Biography (urbanism)
Lost and Found (biography / pets)
Lucky Man (biography)
The Magic of Encouragement (parenting)
Marine Aquariums (pets / oceanography)
Mind the Gaffe (language)
The Modern Researcher (reference)
97 Ways to Make a Baby Laugh (parenting)
On Writing (biography / writing)
On the Way Home (biography / local color)
Once Upon a Town (history / WWII)
100 Words Per Minute (biography)
The Orchid Thief (travel / history)
A Parrot in the Pepper Tree (biography)
Patterns of Culture (anthropology)
Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar... (philosophy / humor)
The Practical Surveyor (surveying)
The Quest for Kim (history / travel)
Seabiscuit (history)
Shooting Polaris (surveying / biography)
A Simple Monk (biography / spirituality)
Simplify Your Life (self help)
Signspotting (urbanism / local color)
Storage (interior design)
Strange Mr. Satie (biography)
Teach Like Your Hair's On Fire (biography / teaching)
Teaching Your Children Values (parenting)
Teasing Secrets from the Dead (biography)
Tiger with Wings (owls)
Temples, Tombs and Hieroglyphs (egyptology)
Travels with Charley (biography / travel)
Twelve Caesars (history)
Underground London (urbanism / history)
The Unfinished Revolution (technology)
The Velvet Rage (lgbt)
The Wilcox Quilts (art history / hawaii)
The Women of the Ukiyo-e (art history / japan)
- Link back to whomever tagged you and tag 10 people.
I've already linked to Darla.
CheriePie, 100 Scope Notes, 1 More Chapter, 5 minutes for mom, 50 Books, A Book Blogger's Diary, A Reader's Journal, A Was Alarmed, Apprentice Writer, and Back to Books
books | nonfiction | meme
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Maxine and the Ghost Dog: 02/17/08
Maxine is a young and eager dalmatian. She lives at a fire house and wants to ride in the engine with the fire fighters but she's too jumpy to ride along.
Maxine finds mentorship in the ghost of a previous fire house dog who probably died in the line of service. Through a series of lessons, Maxine learns how to harness her enthusiasm to be a trustworthy fire dog.
I liked the ghost story and how it incorporated the history and techniques of fire fighting. As to be expected with this sort of story, Maxine gets to prove herself in dramatic fashion at the close of the book. Although predictable, it is rewarding.
books | childrens | linda pack butler
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The Toontown Players Present Chicken Little: 02/16/08
Ten years before Disney decided it would try a CGI film without Pixar's help, they released a little book also about Chicken Little. In The Toontown Players Present Chicken Little, the standard set of Disney characters are cast in the roles of characters from the old fable.
This Chicken Little version is as much about the putting on of the show as the fable itself. Fans of the classic Disney characters will enjoy this children's book.
For everyone else the book is probably still too sugary and cute. It's certainly better than the more recent Disney version but it still suffers from the ever-present Disney stamp on it.
books | childrens | margaret snyder
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Winner Announced for Hungry Hill: 02/15/08
It is time to announce the winner of Carole O'Malley Gaunt's memoir Hungry Hill. The winner of this book is Vicki Wurgler.
I will be mailing the book out on March 2nd.
If you would like to learn more about this book, please read my February 5th review.
I will be announcing chances to win books over the next few weeks. The current giveaways include:
contest | nonfiction | books | carole o'malley gaunt
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Win Forgive Me: 02/15/08
I am pleased to announce a new book giveaway. This time it is Forgive Me by Amanda Eyre Ward.
The contest runs from today through 11PM Pacific time on March 15th.
If you are interested in winning a copy, please leave a comment on this post. 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 April 2, 2008.
Here the Amazon.com blurb:
From the acclaimed author of How to Be Lost comes a gorgeous new novel about love, memory, and motherhood.
Nadine Morgan travels the world as a journalist, covering important events, following dangerous leads, and running from anything that might tie her down. Since an assignment in Cape Town ended in tragedy and regret, Nadine has not returned to South Africa, or opened her heart–until she hears the story of Jason Irving.
Jason, an American student, was beaten to death by angry local youths at the height of the apartheid era. Years later, his mother is told that Jason's killers have applied for amnesty. Jason's parents pack their bags and fly from Nantucket to Cape Town. Filled with rage, Jason's mother resolves to fight the murderers' pleas for forgiveness.
As Nadine follows the Irvings to beautiful, ghost-filled South Africa, she is flooded with memories of a time when the pull toward adventure and intrigue left her with a broken heart. Haunted by guilt and a sense of remorse, and hoping to lose herself in her coverage of the murder trial, Nadine grows closer to Jason's mother as well as to the mother of one of Jason's killers–with profound consequences. In a country both foreign and familiar, Nadine is forced to face long-buried demons, come to terms with the missing pieces of her own family past, and learn what it means to truly love and to forgive.
With her dazzling prose and resonant themes, Amanda Eyre Ward has joined the ranks of such beloved American novelists as Anne Tyler and Ann Patchett. Gripping, darkly humorous, and luminous, Forgive Me is an unforgettable story of dreams and longing, betrayal and redemption.
If you are interested in winning, please leave a comment.
books | fiction | contest | amanda eyre ward
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Murder in the Place of Anubis: 02/14/08
Murder in the Place of Anubis is the first book in a series of mysteries that take place during the reign of Tutankhamen. The detective-protagonist is named Lord Meren and he reports directly to the pharaoh.
Meren is called to investigate a murder when a corpse is found in the Place of Anubis (where bodies are mummified).
The novel is part period piece and part standard, no frills, murder investigation. Like Lt. Columbo, Lord Meren knows early on who has done it and the likely motive behind the murder but he still needs enough evidence to prove his case.
While I did enjoy the scenes of interaction between Lord Meren and Tutankhamen, I found the rest of the book too bland to interest me in reading any more books in the series.
books | mystery | lynda s robinson
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Yours Turly, Shirley: 02/14/08
Yours Turly, Shirley is the story of Shirley and Jackie. Shirley is learning to cope with her dyslexia and Jackie is trying to fit in as she is newly arrived from Vietnam. Shirley's parents have adopted Jackie and now these very different girls are sisters.
The story would have worked better if Yours Turly, Shirley were longer. Martin is trying to cover so many tricky subjects in the course of a 150 or so pages and ends up glossing over everything.
Then there is Jackie's country of origin. Had it been published in the early 1980s, it would have fit right in with so many of the children of American soldiers and Vietnamese mothers being adopted into families at the end of the Vietnam war. But by 1988, the war had been over for 15 years and Jackie is 8. It makes me wonder if Martin polished off an manuscript that had been sitting in her closet for a few years.
Although Jackie is described as being from Vietnam, her mannerisms and language mistakes make her sound Japanese. Her "Engrish" unfortunately paints all people from Asia as being the same and interchangeable. While I'm all for the universality of the human experience, I think Martin missed an opportunity to teach a little bit about Vietnamese culture.
On Shirley's side of the story, there's the dyslexia. She's supposedly been diagnosed a number of years ago and yet now that Jackie has appeared she's just starting extra studies with a counselor to learn how to cope. The dyslexia seemed to be a plot device to make the "competition" between Shirley and Jackie more even as Jackie learns to read and write in English. Otherwise, Shirley's dyslexia is about as convincing as Jackie's back story.
#45: Old MacDonald Had a Book: 02/13/08
My themed lists of book cover art have been very popular Thursday Thirteens. Last week I had a request for sheep and for cows. To combine both requests, I'm doing farm animals.
1. Olivia Forms a Band by Ian Falconer. |
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2. Castro Valley by Devon Weston, Robert Phelps, and Lucille Lorge. |
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3. National Velvet by Enid Bagnold. |
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4. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick |
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5. Barnyard Dance by Sandra Boynton. |
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6. Small Pig by Arnold Lobel. |
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7. And Then What Happened, Paul Revere? by Jean Fritz |
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8. Ask Mr. Bear by Marjorie Flack. |
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9. The Hat by Jan Brett |
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10. The White Sea Horse by Helen Cresswell. |
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11. Russell and the Lost Treasure by Rob Scotton. |
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12. Animal Kisses by Barney Saltzberg. |
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13. Mom, There's a Pig on My Bed by Francess Lantz
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thursday thirteen | books
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The Mariah Delany Lending Library Disaster: 02/12/08
Mariah Delany always has an idea for making some extra money. She's not especially fond of books even though her parents are bibliophiles. When her mother laments about the local library being closed, Mariah sees her next great venture: turning her parents' collection into a lending library for her school chums. Things, understandably, go down hill from there.
The Mariah Delany Lending Library Disaster is a 1970s vision of BookCrossing gone horribly wrong. In their enthusiasm to finally see their daughter interested in books, Mariah's parents are blind to what she's really doing. I find it baffling that Mariah would end up such an opposite of her parents but perhaps that the personal conceit of being a parent of two budding bibliophiles.
Mariah's parents also haven't ever bothered to tell her about the gems in their collection. So to Mariah, these books are just a resource that is going to waste. The story is built around a family that never communicates.
As this book is aimed at the upper grades of elementary school, Mariah's crash course in the value of books both in monetary terms as sources of information and entertainment is a lesson for children reading the book. Of course, if they're already reading books, they probably don't need this lesson reiterated.
books | childrens | sheila greenwald | bookcrossing
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