Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday: 1Q84

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that showcases upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week I'm impatiently yearning for 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami


Goodreads Summary:
Haruki Murakami is an international phenomenon. When Books One and Two of his latest masterpiece, 1Q84, were published in Japan, a million copies were sold in one month, and the critical acclaim that ensued was reported all over the globe. Readers were transfixed by the mesmerising story of Aomame and Tengo and the strange parallel universe they inhabit. Then, one year later, to the surprise and delight of his readers, Murakami published an unexpected Book Three, bringing the story to a close. In order to reflect the experience of 1Q84’s first readers, Harvill Secker is publishing Books One and Two in one beautifully designed volume and Book Three in a separate edition. 

A long-awaited treat for his fans, 1Q84 is also a thrilling introduction to the unique world of Murakami’s imagination. This hypnotically addictive novel is a work of startling originality and, as the title suggests, a mind-bending ode to George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four. (The number 9 in Japanese is pronounced like the letter ‘Q’).The year is 1984. Aomame sits in a taxi on the expressway in Tokyo.Her work is not the kind which can be discussed in public but she is in a hurry to carry out an assignment and, with the traffic at a stand-still, the driver proposes a solution. She agrees, but as a result of her actions starts to feel increasingly detached from the real world. She has been on a top-secret mission, and her next job will lead her to encounter the apparently superhuman founder of a religious cult.Meanwhile, Tengo is leading a nondescript life but wishes to become a writer. He inadvertently becomes involved in a strange affair surrounding a literary prize to which a mysterious seventeen-year-old girl has submitted her remarkable first novel. It seems to be based on her own experiences and moves readers in unusual ways. Can her story really be true?Both Aomame and Tengo notice that the world has grown strange; both realise that they are indispensable to each other. While their stories influence one another, at times by accident and at times intentionally, the two come closer and closer to intertwining.

Sounds really interesting, right?

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Top Ten Tuesday: Fall TBR

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, this week's topic: Top Ten Books That Are On The Top Of My TBR List For Fall.  Wow, this is a really hard one but here goes:
  1. Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern - I've heard a lot of great hype about this one.
  2. The Taker by Alma Katsu - again, I've seen lots of raving about this book.
  3. Kissing the Witch: Old Tales in New Skins by Emma Donoghue - loved her book Room and am excited by the premise of feminist versions of fairytales!
  4. The Informationist by Taylor Stevens - it's about time I read a thriller, and I heard this one is fantastic!
  5. Train Dreams by Denis Johnson - I loooooved his book of short stories Jesus' Son and can't wait to read Johnson's new novella.
  6. Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness - I need to finish this last book in the trilogy!! 
  7. The Game of Kings by Dorothy Dunnett - I love me some good historical romance!
  8. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline - heard this is a fantastic new fantasy novel - sold!
  9. The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman - I've been wanting to read some Hoffman for a long time, starting with her newest novel sounds like a good idea to me :)
  10. The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing by M. T. Anderson - this one is sitting on my shelf waiting patiently to be read...time to get to it this fall!
Wow, that was difficult!  Did I miss any new reads that should make my top fall TBR?

Monday, August 29, 2011

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? & Mailbox Monday


Hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.  We share books that we've read over the past week and those we hope to read this week. 

Last Week:
The Btown Booksters had a fantastic meeting, this time around I procrastinated and started reading our book choice, Back Roads by Tawni O'Dell, only a few days before our meeting - eek!  Back Roads was really good but also really disturbing...so I needed a light read after this dark book.  I decided to read a silly romance (and this one was super-fun) called Face of Danger by Roxanne St. Claire.

This Week:
I really need to get through my library stack...here's my possible reads for the week:

  • Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok
  • The Twelfth Enchantment by David Liss
  • Sister Mischief by Laura Goode
  • The Oregon Experiment by Keith Scribner

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Mailbox Monday is a touring meme where book bloggers share their bookish acquisitions from the week prior.  It is hosted this month by (one of my favorite book bloggers) Life in the Thumb.


This week I bought some great goodies!

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

Biting the Sun by Tanith Lee

Fly by Night by Frances Hardinge

And lastly, American Gods by Neil Gaiman

Friday, August 26, 2011

Friday Hop

Book Blogger Hop

The Book Blogger Hop hosted by crazy-for-books.com.  Click on the icon above to be taken to a list of book blogs...it's enjoyable to peruse and you may just find a couple of fun blogs to follow!  This week's question:

“Non-book-related this week!! Do you have pets?”

Why yes I do!  I'm a huge animal lover and have two lovely doggies! Our eldest pup, Nova, is 8 years old and is a Karelian Bear Dog.  Our youngest, Pippin, joined the family just last Christmas (a present to me from the hubs) and he is a Pembroke Welsh Corgi!  Nova is a quiet and reserved dog (we call her our cat-dog because of how independent she is) whereas Pippin is the most gregarious little pup ever - he just loves people!

Pippin chillin' in the back yard
Nova playing in the snow
How 'bout you guys?  What pet stories do you have to share?

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Top Ten Tuesday

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, this week's topic: Top Ten Books You Loved But Never Wrote A Review For (either books you loved and couldn't bring yourself to write a review for or books that you read long before blogging...time to give them a shoutout!).

  1.  Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See...one of my favorite books about female friendship!
  2. All three books from the His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman...read these as a youngster and loved them!
  3. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett...such a fun book!
  4. The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell...a unique premise and wonderful novel (plus Emilio Sandoz is a fantastic character)!
  5. The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery...loved this character-driven gem!
  6. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger...one of my most beloved books (which elicits quite a response from others, it seems that most people either love it or hate it).
  7. The Book Thief by Markus Zusack...so sad, so lovely!
  8. The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley...childhood favorite :)
  9. The Thirteenth Tale by Dianne Setterfield...read this for book club and had a fantastic time with this gothic bookish mystery!
  10. Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald...my favorite book from one of my favorite writers :)

Monday, August 22, 2011

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? & Mailbox Monday


Hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.  We share books that we've read over the past week and those we hope to read this week.  


Last Week:
Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
Until There Was You by Kristan Higgins
Girls in White Dresses by Jennifer Close
Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Last week was filled with pretty fluffy reads but now I am a big-time fan of Lauren Oliver!  I'm so glad I finally got a chance to read these two fantastic books and I can't wait for the sequel to Delirium!

This Week:
I will hopefully finish up with my stack of library books and if I get a chance I'd love to get started on a fantasy book (it's been awhile since I've read some fantasy and I've got plenty on my shelves waiting to be read)!  So, mayhaps I'll get through:

The Twelfth Enchantment by David Liss
The Little Women Letters by Gabrielle Donnelly
Sister Mischief by Laura Good (be on the lookout for an author interview on this one!)
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N. K. Jemisen

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Mailbox Monday is a touring meme where book bloggers share their bookish acquisitions from the week prior.  It is hosted this month by (one of my favorite book bloggers) Life in the Thumb.


This week I received some great goodies!

Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman by Robert K. Massie (love me some Russian historical fiction)!

Jane Austen Made Me Do It: Original Stories Inspired by Literature's Most Astute Observer of the Human Heart by Multiple authors (including Lauren Willig!!) 

Friday, August 19, 2011

Latest Review: Girls in White Dresses

Goodreads Summary:
Wry, hilarious, and utterly recognizable, Girls in White Dresses tells the story of three young women grappling with heartbreak and career change, family pressure and new love—all while suffering through an endless round of weddings and bridal showers.


Isabella, Mary, and Lauren are going to be bridesmaids in Kristi’s wedding. On Sunday after Sunday, at bridal shower after bridal shower, they coo over toasters, eat tiny sandwiches, and drink mimosas. They’re all happy for Kristi, but they do have the ups and downs of their own lives to cope with. Isabella is working at a mailing-list company, where she’s extremely successful, and wildly unhappy. Mary is in love with a man who may never love any woman as much as he loves his mother. And Lauren, a waitress at a midtown bar, finds herself drawn to a man she’s pretty sure she hates.

With blind dates and ski vacations, boozy lunches and family holidays, relationships lost to politics and relationships found in pet stores, Girls in White Dresses pulls us deep inside the circle of these friends, perfectly capturing the wild frustrations and soaring joys of modern life.



My thoughts:
I've seen a lot of ranting and raving over this one - which is why I picked it up from the library.  But honestly, my reaction was "meh."  It wasn't bad but it wasn't really great either.  The story is told in little vignettes about each of the many characters (delineated by chapter) which didn't allow me to truly feel for the characters.

If I'm giving my recommendation it would be this: it's a decent, sometimes funny read...but nothing mind-blowing.  It does illustrate realistic relationships...but, I don't know, it just wasn't all that compelling of a read for me.  I wish I had known this prior because then I would have put it later on my TBR list.  Recommended for hardcore chick-lit fans and/or folks that are interested in modern relationships of people in their 20s and 30s.

3/5 stars

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday: There is No Dog

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that showcases upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week I'm impatiently yearning for There is No Dog by Meg Rosoff


Goodreads Summary:
Meet your unforgettable protagonist: God, who, as it turns out, is a 19-year-old boy living in the present-day and sharing an apartment with his long-suffering fifty-something personal assistant. Unfortunately for the planet, God is lazy and, frankly, hopeless. He created all of the world's species in six days because he couldn't summon the energy to work for longer. He gets Africa and America mixed up. And his beleagured assistant has his work cut out for him when God creates a near-apolcalyptic flood, having fallen asleep without turning the bath off. There is No Dog is a darkly funny novel from one of our most delightfully unpredictable writers.

I especially want to read this because it's written by Meg Rosoff (Printz Award winner for How I Live Now).  Unfortunately, we all have to wait until January to pick up this little gem!

Monday, August 15, 2011

Latest Review: The Language of Flowers

Goodreads Summary:
The Victorian language of flowers was used to express emotions: honeysuckle for devotion, azaleas for passion, and red roses for love. But for Victoria Jones, it has been more useful in communicating feelings like grief, mistrust and solitude. After a childhood spent in the foster care system, she is unable to get close to anybody, and her only connection to the world is through flowers and their meanings. Now eighteen, Victoria has nowhere to go, and sleeps in a public park, where she plants a small garden of her own. When her talent is discovered by a local florist, she discovers her gift for helping others through the flowers she chooses for them. But it takes meeting a mysterious vendor at the flower market for her to realise what's been missing in her own life, and as she starts to fall for him, she's forced to confront a painful secret from her past, and decide whether it's worth risking everything for a second chance at happiness. "The Language of Flowers" is a heartbreaking and redemptive novel about the meaning of flowers, the meaning of family, and the meaning of love.
 

My thoughts:
This easily makes my list of top books in 2011!  It is gorgeously written and filled with realistic and memorable characters.  I fell in love immediately with Victoria - her misunderstanding of human nature and her communication difficulties are oddly endearing.  I was rooting for her throughout all of her struggles to understand the world around her and find her place in it.  I read the second half of this book on the plane and couldn't prevent my eyes welling up with tears despite trying desperately not to look a fool in front of the other passengers and flight attendants.  While sniffling was inevitable, at least I managed not to let a sob escape (not an easy feat)! 

The inclusion of the Victorian language of flowers as a means of communication was another aspect that I really enjoyed - and my ARC included Victoria's dictionary of flower meanings which I just loved perusing.  The way in which Victoria's flowers impacted people almost reminded me of a floral version of Chocolat.  I heartily recommend The Language of Flowers to ALL readers - I can't believe this is Diffenbaugh's only fictional endeavor to date!

5/5 stars

*I received my advanced copy courtesy of the publisher

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? & Mailbox Monday


Hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.  We share books that we've read over the past week and those we hope to read this week.  

Last Week:
Since I've been away from the blogosphere due to my trip, I actually have 2 weeks worth of reading to report.  Thanks to lots of travel I've managed to read all sorts of goodies:

  • The Secret of Joy by Melissa Senate
  • Castle Waiting by Linda Medley
  • Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini
  • The Leftovers by Tom Perrotta
  • French Lessons by Ellen Sussman
  • The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh (one of my favs of the year!)
  • The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa
 This Week:
Now that I've caught up on some of my ARCs, I'd like to dig into my library stack...here are some possibilities:
  • The Twelfth Enchantment by David Liss
  • Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
  • The Oregon Experiment by Keith Scribner
  • Girls in White Dresses by Jennifer Close
  • The Little Women Letters by Gabrielle Donnelly
  • The Girl Who Fell from the Sky by Heidi W. Durrow



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Mailbox Monday is a touring meme where book bloggers share their bookish acquisitions from the week prior.  It is hosted this month by (one of my favorite book bloggers) Life in the Thumb.


This week I received some great goodies!

Let's Take the Long Way Home by Gail Caldwell (courtesy of Random House)


Romancing the Countess by Ashley March (courtesy of Penguin)


Until There Was You by Kristan Higgins (courtesy of Harlequin)  [no image]

The Lantern by Deborah Lawrenson (courtesy of Harper Collins)


Sunday, August 14, 2011

Summer Giveaway Hop Winner!


I can't believe it, 545 entries this time around - wowza!  Sorry for the delay in getting this news out to you folks...I literally just got home from my trip to California!  So, without further delay, as chosen by random.org, the winner of the Summer Giveaway Hop is:

SpadesHighReads!!!

Congrats to SpadesHighReads and thanks to everyone for participating...what a turnout!

Glitter Text Generator - http://www.sparklee.com

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Winner! The Leftovers Giveaway!

Sorry folks...I know I've been MIA lately!  I just had a fantastic anniversary celebration with the hubs (went and saw "Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me" with special guest Jason Bateman and had a generally great time in Chicago)!  Now I'm about to head out to California...so there'll be a bit of a blogging break (I should have plenty of books read and waiting for review when I get back)!


Anyways, I wanted to announce the winner of The Leftovers by Tom Perrotta before I head out!  As chosen by Random.org the winner is:

Krystal Larson!!!

Congrats to Krystal, and thanks to everyone for participating!  Be sure to enter my upcoming giveaways!

logo maker - http://www.sparklee.com

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday: The Mistress Contract

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that showcases upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week I can't wait to read The Mistress Contract by Anonymous


Publisher Summary:
The remarkable true document that is The Mistress Contract opens with a piece of paper that was signed in 1981 by a woman and her wealthy lover. The contract establishes an exchange that she thinks fair: If he will provide an adequate and separate home for her and cover her expenses, she will provide to him with mistress services : All sexual acts as requested, with suspension of historical, emotional, psychological disclaimers. For the duration of the agreement, she will become his sexual property. Then on a small recorder that fit in her purse this extraordinary and unconventional couple began to tape their conversations about their relationship, conversations that took place while travelling, over dinner at home and in restaurants, on the phone, even in bed. This book is based on those tapes. It is a candid record of what they had to say to each other privately about the arrangement and its power relations, their physical relationship and the sexual forces that shaped it. As private and intimate as it is, though, the book also turns an unblinking light on a period of intense upheaval between men and women. Looking back now, thirty years later, this extraordinary couple who are still together are willing to reveal their most private moments to our scrutiny. What they capture in The Mistress Contract is an unapologetic revelation and a bold provocation.

Sounds really interesting, no? 

Monday, August 1, 2011

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? & Mailbox Monday


Hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.  We share books that we've read over the past week and those we hope to read this week.  

Last Week:
I wasn't as prolific of a reader as last week...but hey, I chose some outdoor activities over reading this past weekend (which I don't regret for a second).  I read some fluffy summer reads:

  • What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen (now I know why everyone loves Dessen!)
  • Rumor Has It by Jill Mansell
Next Week:
I'll be going on vacation for 10 days starting Thursday (my 4 year wedding anniversary)!  Due to travel, I'll probably only be reading on my flights (going on a California extravaganza - look out San Francisco, Napa Valley, and Lake Tahoe)!  I'm still working on The Last Werewolf - the beginning is so slow and I haven't been able to make myself sit down and read more than a handful of pages at a time...but maybe plane travel will change that.  I'm also reading:

  • The Leftovers by Tom Perrotta
  • Karma by Cathy Ostlere
  • Sister Mischief by Laura Goode


Mailbox Monday is a touring meme where book bloggers share their bookish acquisitions from the week prior.  It is hosted this month by (one of my favorite book bloggers) Life in the Thumb.

This week I received some great ARCs!

French Lessons by Ellen Sussman

The Leftovers by Tom Perrotta...enter to win an ARC copy HERE

Winters in Bloom by Lisa Tucker