'Til We Read Again: October 2010

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

The Next Queen of Heaven-Blog Tour

8:07 AM |

Posted by Bobbie

About The Next Queen of Heaven

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Harper Paperbacks (October 5, 2010)
With the new millennium approaching, the eccentric town of Thebes grows even stranger. Mrs. Leontina Scales begins speaking in tongues after being clocked by a Catholic statuette. Her daughter, Tabitha, and her sons scheme to save their mother or surrender her to Jesus—whatever comes first. Meanwhile, choir director Jeremy Carr, caught between lust and ambition, fumbles his way toward Y2K. The ancient Sisters of the Sorrowful Mysteries join with a gay singing group. The Radical Radiants battle the Catholics. A Christmas pageant goes horribly awry. And a child is born.
Only a modern master like Gregory Maguire could spin a tale as frantic, funny, and farcical as The Next Queen of Heaven.

About Gregory Maguire

Gregory Maguire is the bestselling author of Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, Lost, Mirror, Mirror, Matchless, Making Mischief, and the Wicked Years series that includes A Lion Among Men, Son of a Witch, and Wicked, now a beloved classic and the basis for the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical of the same name. Maguire has lectured on art, literature, and culture both at home and abroad. He lives with his family near Boston, Massachusetts.
Visit Maguire at his website.

Gregory Maguire’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS

Tuesday, October 5th: Sara’s Organized Chaos
Thursday, October 7th: Raging Bibliomania
Tuesday, October 12th: Colloquium
Wednesday, October 13th: Booksie’s Blog
Thursday, October 14th: The Lost Entwife
Monday, October 18th: Dolce Bellezza
Wednesday, October 20th: In the Next Room
Thursday, October 21st: The Scholastic Scribe
Monday, October 25th: Fyrefly’s Book Blog
Wednesday, October 27th: Til We Read Again
Thursday, October 28th: All About {n}
Friday, October 29th: Reviews from the Heart
Tuesday, November 2nd: Nonsuch Book

My Review:
I am really shocked that out of all the books I have read for blog tours this is the first one that I really did not enjoy. The characters never really stood out to me and I just couldn't get into the story. I tried, I really tried. However, in the end I ended up closing the book half way through and not finishing. I sometimes wish I could write these flowery, wordy reviews that would explain the depth of my feelings for a book. But I am not a flowery and wordy person. I didn't like it, plain and simple. Which was really upsetting too me because I loved Maguires Wicked ( I am going to go see the Broadway Musical May 4th, 2011, SQUEE!) and really thought I would enjoy this one.
I would never not recommend a book and of course I am sure there are others that would really enjoy it. So if it looks like something you are interested in give it a try:) It just wasn't the book for me.

Til We Read Again,
Bobbie

Labels: Book Reviews |

4 comments

Friday, October 15, 2010

Mini Book Reviews/Misc Stuff

8:21 AM |

Posted by Bobbie

Wow, what a big two weeks. I don't think I want to ever relive them. I don't talk about my personal life often but I feel I must give you a run down so you will understand why I have been not posting. Quick run down: It started with my daughter ending up in the emergency room with a full blown asthma attack and if any of you has gone through that you know how scary it is. Then we were hit with Nicole and our basement flooded, as if that was not enough we were without internet for over a week which spawned 3 different comcast visits, a new thing on our internet pole, our service completely shut off for over 8 hours and then we find out I was right all along. It was the splitter downstairs,ugh. As if that was not enough my furbaby ends up with a life threatening uterine infection, has to have immediate surgery and now we have a huge vet bill because of course it had to be done at the emergency vet hospital. So there is my two weeks. I wasn't making it up when I said we had a lot of drama here.

Anyway, things have settled down and now I can post what has been piling up. First on the agenda is mini book reviews about the books I read during the read-a-thon. Then I have some blog tours coming up, I want to visit my good friend Sheila on Monday and get back into the swing of What are you reading Mondays and I have some fabulous books to read:)

Mini Reviews:

When Crickets Cry by Charles Martin: I had a friend tell me I had to read this author and she was right. This story was so heart felt and emotional. I fell in love with all the characters and I can tell you that I cried a lot during this book. My heart broke so many times but man when the end came I was crying tears of joy. This will definitely be on my list of must reads 2010. I recommend this book to anyone that wants a heart felt, emotional story full of wonderful characters.

Hana's Suitcase by Karen Levine: I enjoyed this book. It was a kids book but it had a lot of meaning behind it. It really made me think about what Hana must have gone through at the hands of the Nazi soldiers. This is another one that broke my heart but Ms. Levine really handled the sensitive material well and it was great to read the adventure the kids had learning about Hana. I actually passed this one on too both my girls and they enjoyed it as well.

The Karma Club by Jessica Brody: I had actually given up on YA books. I just don't relate well to them. Plus most of the subject matter is just not interesting to me. However, I had a book bloggy friend recommend this one too me and guess what? I loved it! What a fun book! Probable? No, but fun anyway. I would recommend this one to anyone that enjoys YA books. The characters were fun and the subject matter was a hoot.

Beauty: The Retelling of Beauty and The Beast by Robin Mckinley: This is the only book I read during the Read- A- Thon that I didn't like. I struggled to finish it and when I did I wasn't satisfied. I knew going in this was no Disney story but I thought there would be more meat to it. The characters were never fleshed out and by the end I really didn't care if she ended up with the Beast or not because Belle was boring. Her whole family was boring and the Beast, he was ultra boring. I never got a clear picture of how he looked, how Belle looked, or even how they fell in love. When the end came it was so quick that it was a let down. To be honest I was more like Uh? then Wow. I would be hard pressed to recommend this book to anyone. I guess I would recommend it to you if you wanted a book that would put you to sleep just before bed.

That is it for this post!

'Til We Read Again,

Bobbie

Labels: Book Reviews |

3 comments

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

The Debutante-Blog Tour

11:14 AM |

Posted by Bobbie

About The Debutante

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Avon A (October 5, 2010)
A gifted artist, Cate has come to London from New York to escape her recent past. Working for her aunt’s auction house, she is sent down to Devon to value the contents of Endsleigh House, the once gracious but now crumbling estate of a former socialite. There, hidden in the back of a dusty bookshelf, Cate discovers an old shoebox. Inside is a strange assortment of objects: an exquisite pair of dancing shoes circa 1930; a diamond brooch; a photograph of a young sailor; a dance card; and a pearl and emerald Tiffanys bracelet.
Intrigued by her find, Cate sets out to solve the mystery of the box, becoming immersed in the story of its owner, Baby Blythe. Bright, beautiful, and reckless, Baby was the most famous debutante of her generation . . . and the most dangerous. As the clues begin to reveal a shocking tale of destructive, addictive love, Cate finds herself being drawn deeper into Baby’s tragic life story—a story that will force Cate to face some dark truths about her own.

About Kathleen

Born in Pittsburgh, Kathleen Tessaro emigrated to London where she worked as an actress in films, television, and theater, while training to be a drama teacher and voice coach. She is the author of the novels Elegance, Innocence, and The Flirt. Kathleen currently lives in Pennsylvania.

Kathleen Tessaro’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS

Tuesday, October 5th: Rundpinne
Thursday, October 7th: The Lost Entwife
Monday, October 11th: Reviews from the Heart
Tuesday, October 12th: Til We Read Again
Thursday, October 14th: All About {n}
Monday, October 18th: Thoughts From an Evil Overlord
Wednesday, October 20th: Books Like Breathing
Thursday, October 21st: red headed book child
Tuesday, October 26th: Write Meg
Wednesday, October 27th: Daydream Believer
Tuesday, November 2nd: Hospitable Pursuits
Wednesday, November 3rd: Confessions of a Bookaholic
Monday, November 8th: BookstackTuesday,
November 9th: Life in the Thumb

My Review:

Can you eat a book? I mean besides ripping it out page by page and eating the paper? I felt like I did with this book. When I closed the last page I felt like I had just eaten a 8 course meal at a 5 star restaurant and savored each mouthful. Crazy description, uh? It had everything I could want in a book. Intrigue, romance, and delicious socialites. I want to say so much more but I am afraid I will give the whole story away. This book should have the element of surprise and a surprise it is. I looked at the bubblegum cover and thought " Good, I have some fluff reading to read in between my literary masterpieces". How wrong I was. I will admit I liked the past tense more than the present tense but with any multi-course meal you always like some courses more than others. I have Kathleen's book Flirt on hold at the library. If it is anywhere near as good as this one I am in for a real treat.

I would recommend this book to just about anyone because it is that good.

'Til We Read Again,
Bobbie

Labels: Book Reviews |

5 comments

Sunday, October 10, 2010

READ A THON WRAP UP

8:13 AM |

Posted by Bobbie

We finally got internet service and it was just what I said it was. The splitter in the basement. So we went without service for over a week, it had to be shut down to be fixed, I missed out on the Read-A-Thon that I have been waiting over two months for and the stress was horrible. All of that for an easy 5 minute fix that I suggested 8 days ago. But hey, I am a girl, what do I know about cable and splitters. Umph! By the time it was back up I was so peeved that everyone stayed out of my way, lol.

Well I did get some reading done yesterday. Here are my statistics:
Total Books Read: 4
When Crickets Cry
Hana's Suitcase
The Karma Club
Beauty: The Retelling of Beauty and The Beast)
Total Pages Read: 1080
Total Hours Reading: 13 hours and 33 minutes. ( I did not meet my goal:()

I did not do anymore mini challenges. All in all considering it was good day reading wise. All book reviews will be up next week.

Thanks for bearing with me during this mess.

Til We Read Again,
Bobbie

0 comments

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Main Read- A -Thon Post!

8:37 AM |

Posted by Bobbie

** ALL POSTS WILL BE IN THIS POST**
Iternet is being shut off to be worked on. I am not sure when I will get back. I will write all my progress done on a sheet of paper and will hopefully be back soon.

Hour 2 Mini Challenge:
My Child Hood Books:
I grew up reading Little House on the Prairie, Anne of Green Gables and Nancy Drew. There was something so special about getting up on Saturday morning, turning on Cartoons and spending the day reading. I spent Saturday nights with my grandmother who was an avid reader like me. Many Saturdays were spent in her living room reading together and eating popcorn. These are still my favorite childhood memories.

Hour 2:
Title of book(s) read since last update:
Still Reading When Crickets Cry
Number of books read since you started:
Half of One
Pages read since last update:
133
Running total of pages read since you started:
133
Amount of time spent reading since last update:
1 hour 45 minutes
Running total of time spent reading since you started: (keep track of this one to be eligible for a prize!)
1 hour 45 minutes
Mini-challenges completed:
Hour 1 Meme
Other participants you’ve visited:
None Yet
Prize you’ve won:
None

Hour 1 Meme:

Where are you reading from today?
Beauty: A Retelling of the story of Beautyand the Beast ( Robin Mckinley)
Fever, 1793 by Laurie Anderson
Hana's Suitcase by Karen Levine
Irreplaceable by Stephen Lovely
The Karma Club by Jessica Brody
Ragtime by E.L. Doctorow
The Shack by William P. Young
When Crickets Cry by Charles Martin
3 facts about me …
I am a single Mom with two kids
I work for one of largest art licensing companies on the net.
I am Copyright Agent for 100 plus artists.
How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours?
8
Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon (i.e. number of books, number of pages, number of hours, or number of comments on blogs)?
I plan on reading 18 hours.
If you’re a veteran read-a-thoner, any advice for people doing this for the first time?
Take it easy. Change positions frequently. Keep snacks handy. When you get tired take a break there is no reason to torture yourself. Start with harder books and work down to easier books when you get tired. If you need to sleep, sleep! I promise there is no Dewey Jail and we won't toss you in there:)

'Til We Read Again,
Bobbie

17 comments

DEWEY'S 24 HOUR READ-A-THON IS HERE!

7:00 AM |

Posted by Bobbie

It's time, It's time!!! As of right now it is actually 2:30 PM on Friday, lol. But I am having internet issues so I am writing this to make sure it goes out Saturday. Because whether I have internet or not I am reading all day Saturday. I have the cable/internet man coming between 10 and 1 today ( Saturday) so hopefully all will be fixed.
Hey Bobbie, how does this work?
Good question! Well basically I am going to be reading as much of the 24 hours as I can. My goal is 18 hours. While I am reading I will also be posting about my progress, any mini challenges I am a part of, and about anything else going on. All the posts will be in one post for your reading enjoyment:)

Hey Bobbie, What are you going to be reading?
Another good question! I have several books picked out just for this. I have some easy, some medium and some hard! I have no idea what kind of mood I will be in today so I thought it was best to get a bunch of books. Here is my list. Click on the link to read more about the book:)

Beauty: A Retelling of the story of Beautyand the Beast ( Robin Mckinley)
Fever, 1793 by Laurie Anderson
Hana's Suitcase by Karen Levine
Irreplaceable by Stephen Lovely
The Karma Club by Jessica Brody
Ragtime by E.L. Doctorow
The Shack by William P. Young
When Crickets Cry by Charles Martin

Great list:)

Hey Bobbie, Are you still co-hosting?
Ahhh, funny you should ask that:) I will be as long as my internet holds up! My hours to co-host are 7PM to 12AM EST. Hope to see you come by Dewey's and say hey. Oh and if you don't mind bring some coffee too please:)

Hey Bobbie, What if you don't have internet!
Well that would be really sad:( However, life happens and if I don't have internet I will keep notes and make a long post when I do:) Like I said, internet or no internet I am reading all day!

I think that is about it. For those that are joining me in todays read-a-thon, Good Luck and Happy Reading! Let me know and I will come by and cheer you as I can:)

"Til We Read Again,
Bobbie

1 comments

Friday, October 8, 2010

Are you Ready?

8:00 AM |

Posted by Bobbie

Squeeee! I have internet again! I have missed all my book bloggy friends. Well are you ready for the Dewey's 24 Hour Read-A-Thon? I am! I did this back in April and had a blast. I can't wait for Saturday to be here:) I have my books already picked out, my snacks planned out and I am ready to rock:)
So what will be happening here during the read-a-thon? Well if you choose to come visit me that day you will find one really long post about the books I am reading, how I am doing, any challenges I am participating in, and anything else that comes up. It really is a blast and you really don't know what you will find here, especially if I am suffering from sleep deprivation, lol. I don't plan to be up the whole 24 hours but I do try to pull in a good chunk of time. Also, I will be co-hosting the event tomorrow so make sure you visit here http://24hourreadathon.com/ during my hosting hours:) They will be in my first post tomorrow.
It is not to late if you want to sign up:)
I do this strictly for the fun of it. It gets me some much needed time to read and a chance to interact with all kinds of book bloggers. I am so happy to be able to do it:)
Hope to see you here Saturday!
Til We Read Again,
Bobbie

5 comments

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Jane and The Damned-Blog Tour

8:00 AM |

Posted by Bobbie

About Jane and the Damned

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Avon A (September 28, 2010)

In 1797, when aspiring novelist Jane Austen becomes one of the Damned, the beautiful, fashionable, sexy vampires of Georgian England, her family insists she takes the waters at Bath, the only known cure. But the city becomes a blood bath when the French invade and the Damned are the only ones who can overthrow the French and save England. Jane now regards her creation as a vampire as a gift. She rejects the cure and discovers a world of freedom, love, and adventure as a vampire. But as an immortal, she loses her ability to write and must sever ties with her beloved sister Cassandra and the rest of her family. Under the shadow of the guillotine, Jane will have to decide whether eternal life and love are too high a price to pay for the loss of what means most to her as a mortal.

About Janet Mullany

Janet Mullany was reared in England on a diet of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer, and now lives near Washington, D.C. She has worked as an archaeologist, waitress, draftsperson, radio announcer, performing arts administrator, proofreader, and bookseller.

Connect with Janet:

• On her website
• On Twitter: @Janet_Mullany
• On Facebook

My Review:

I am very excited to say say that Jane Austen and I have finally bonded. Not over her classic writings but over a delicious book where Jane becomes one of The Damned. Who knew I would like Jane so much better when she wasn't so prim and proper.

This book was really good. It is one of the few mish mash monster books I have enjoyed. I may not understand Austen's wit, writing style or her way with words but I have had no problem understanding Janey Mullany's. No this book isn't one of the great literary fictions of the year but it definitely was one of those sinfully delicious books that you can read in a couple of sitting. I am not sure I agreed with the ending. I understood why the author did it that way but I am not sure if I agreed with it.

I would recommend this book to anyone that likes these type of books or too someone that is wanting to dabble in this genre but not sure. I think it would be a great book to start with because I found it a great stand alone book.

'Til We Read Again,

Bobbie

Labels: Book Reviews |

1 comments

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Washington-Ron Chernow-Blog Tour

8:00 AM |

Posted by Bobbie

About Washington: A Life

Hardcover: 869 pages
Publisher: Penguin Press HC, The (October 5, 2010)

From National Book Award winner Ron Chernow, a landmark biography of George Washington

In Washington: A Life celebrated biographer Ron Chernow provides a richly nuanced portrait of the father of our nation. With a breadth and depth matched by no other one volume life of Washington, this crisply paced narrative carries the reader through his troubled boyhood, his precocious feats in the French and Indian War, his creation of Mount Vernon, his heroic exploits with the Continental Army, his presiding over the Constitutional Convention, and his magnificent performance as America’s first president.

Despite the reverence his name inspires, Washington remains a lifeless waxwork for many Americans, worthy but dull. A laconic man of granite self-control, he often arouses more respect than affection. In this groundbreaking work, based on massive research, Chernow dashes forever the stereotype of a stolid, unemotional man. A strapping six feet, Washington was a celebrated horseman, elegant dancer, and tireless hunter, with a fiercely guarded emotional life. Chernow brings to vivid life a dashing, passionate man of fiery opinions and many moods. Probing his private life, he explores his fraught relationship with his crusty mother, his youthful infatuation with the married Sally Fairfax, and his often conflicted feelings toward his adopted children and grandchildren. He also provides a lavishly detailed portrait of his marriage to Martha and his complex behavior as a slave master.

At the same time, Washington is an astute and surprising portrait of a canny political genius who knew how to inspire people. Not only did Washington gather around himself the foremost figures of the age, including James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson, but he also brilliantly orchestrated their actions to shape the new federal government, define the separation of powers, and establish the office of the presidency.

In this unique biography, Ron Chernow takes us on a page-turning journey through all the formative events of America’s founding. With a dramatic sweep worthy of its giant subject, Washington is a magisterial work from one of our most elegant storytellers.

About Ron Chernow

An honors graduate of Yale and Cambridge, Ron Chernow is one of the most distinguished commentators on politics, business, and finance in America today. The St. Louis Post-Dispatchhas hailed him as “one of the pre-eminent biographers of his generation” and Fortune magazine has dubbed him “America’s best business biographer.” His first book, The House of Morgan, won the National Book Award as the best nonfiction book of 1990 and is considered a modern classic. The Modern Library Board voted it one of the 100 best nonfiction books published in the twentieth century. His second book, The Warburgs, won the prestigious George S. Eccles Prize for the best business book of 1993 and was cited by the American Library Association as one of the year’s ten best works. In reviewing his 1997 collection of essays, The Death of the Banker, The New York Times called Mr. Chernow “as elegant an architect of monumental histories as we’ve seen in decades.” His 1998 biography of John D. Rockefeller, entitled Titan, was nominated for a National Book Critics Circle Award for biography and remained on The New York Times bestseller list for sixteen weeks. Both the Times and Time magazine voted it one of the ten best books of the year, while The Times of London praised it as “one of the great American biographies.”

Mr. Chernow’s much anticipated biography of Alexander Hamilton was published by The Penguin Press in April 2004 to extraordinary acclaim. The New York Times praised it as “moving and masterly…by far the best biography ever written about the man” while USA Today hailed it as “a must-read. Ron Chernow’s masterpiece.” Excerpted by Business Week and chosen as the main selection of both The Book-of-the-Month Club and the History Book Club, the book spent three months on the New York Times bestseller list and was the first recipient of the George Washington Book Prize for the year’s best book about the founding era. It was nominated for a National Book Critics Circle Award in biography.

A frequent contributor to The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, Mr. Chernow is a familiar figure on national radio and television shows and has appeared in numerous documentaries. He lives in Brooklyn, New York and recently served as president of PEN American Center, the country’s pre-eminent organization of authors. In recent years, he has received honorary doctorates from Marymount Manhattan College, Hamilton College, and Long Island University. In October 2010, The Penguin Press will publish Mr. Chernow’s long-awaited biography of George Washington.

My Review:

At a whopping 869 Pages Washington is a comprehensive biography of our first president, George Washington. Reading this book is no small undertaking. It took me a solid 2 months too read it. However when I was finished I was rewarded with what I feel is a true sense of George Washington.

I would love to call this book fabulous but lets face it this is a history book and fabulous is what I reserve for my latest fiction foray. So the only way I could call this book fabulous is if George Washington was crossing the Delaware because he was a blood thirsty vampire looking for new settlers. I would call this book a comprehensive guide to the life and times of Washington. While reading this book the reader senses Chernow left no stone unturned in his quest into Washington's life.

I would recommend this boo too any history lover, to anyone that has an interest in our Presidents, or to anyone that wants to learn more about the man called George Washington.

'Til We Read Again,

Bobbie

Labels: Book Reviews |

3 comments

Monday, October 4, 2010

Drama Drama Drama

9:58 AM |

Posted by Bobbie

Well to top of last week we were hit with the remnants of Nicole. Our basement flooded and we lost a lot of stuff. Including a box of my beloved books. If anyone knows me they know I only keep books that mean the most:( It was very hard. As if that wasn't bad enough we also lost the internet and cable. So I am without internet until Wednesday. I am at my Uncles right now using the Wi-fi. I want to get my blog tours up because I have an obligation to the authors. I hope to be back to full swing after Wednesday. Deweys 24 hour read a thon is Saturday and I will be back for that.

Thanks for your patience with me during this time.

'Til We Read Again,
Bobbie

7 comments