Pick My Next Read

Hello Friends!!

I would like you, my fellow bloggers and friends to pick the next book I will read after I finish The Art of Forgetting. So below I have listed 4 titles....leave me a comment with your choice. I will close out the comments Thursday at 6:00 pm EST. I would put it out to later but I can't wait that long!!!

BoneMan's Daughters- My Thoughts

BoneMan's Daughter's
Author: Ted Dekker
Genre: Christian Fiction/Suspense
Published: 2009 by Center Street
Pages: 416

Short Synopsis from Goodreads:
A Texas serial killer called BoneMan is on the loose, choosing young girls as his prey, His signature: myriad broken bones that torture and kill - but never puncture.Military intelligence officer Ryan Evans is sent to Fallujah and captured by insurgents, he is asked to kill children not unlike his own.Returning home after the ordeal, a new crisis awaits. A serial killer is on the loose, and his method of killing is the same. Ryan becomes a prime suspect, which isn't even the worst of his problems: Ryan's daughter is BoneMan's latest desire.




My Thoughts:

I have read Ted Dekker in the past and enjoyed his books. This one is a fast and compelling read, but there were moments for me that just didn't work. The relationship between Ryan, his wife, and daughter was not developed at all. The reader is just suppose to accept the hatred coming from the wife and daughter towards Ryan. It did not ring true to me. When he comes home from his ordeal of being captured and tortured, neither his wife nor his daughter welcome him home. In fact, they treat his so horribly that I was honestly turned off by it. The other thing that distracted me from my reading was Dekker's habit of writing the same thing over and over again. Here's what I'm talking about:

There were two things Alvin loved, three that he would kill for.

There were two things that Alvin Finch, aka BoneMan, wanted; nay, three that he would cut off his own hands to possess.

This is just a few of them...it happened throughout the book. The flow just didn't work for me and I'm upset by that because the story is pretty good, but my mind kept getting hung up on those little oddities. Dekker does make up for most of this in the ending of the book. It kept me hanging on and wondering if what I read was true or not....I'm still questioning who the BoneMan really was. Overall, it wasn't a bad book, and I'm glad that I took the time to read it. If you've enjoyed Dekker in the past , then I'm sure you will like this one too.

Other reviews that are much better than mine!!
Dar- Peeking Between the Pages

If you reviewed BoneMan's Daughter's let me know so that I can post your link here!!

Book Review: Pretty Little Liars

Pretty Little Liars
by Sara Shepard
Published 2006
Genre: YA
304 pages

From Goodreads:

In the exclusive Philadelphia suburb of Rosewood, Alison is the Queen Bee of her elite seventh grade hive. BFs Aria, Hanna, Spencer, and Emily vie for her attention, even as each of them hides a hideous secret only Alison knows. So when Alison goes missing after a slumber party, never to be seen again, each girl is heartbroken, but also a little relieved. Now it is three years later, and though the four girls have grown apart, they are each still hiding something.When the girls begin receiving threatening text messages and emails that from someone known only as "A," they must confront the fact that against all odds, it appears Alison is back. Could Alison still be alive? And if so, why is she so determined to uncover all their dirty little secrets?

My thoughts:

I had passed this book several times when I was browsing at Barnes and Noble and I have to admit that the cover with the Barbie doll girl made me think "FLUFF" immediately. Boy was I wrong!! This book is smartly written with characters that come to life within the pages of the story. You get a peek into each of the girls lives since Alison has went missing and you learn little by little each of their dirty little secrets. Hiding in the background though is an even bigger secret that is shared by all of the girls, including Alison and someone out there knows all!!! The mystery behind the story has captivated me and I need to know what the 'SECRET' is and who is behind it all...could it be Alison? If you enjoy a great mystery with interesting characters and fast plot line then you just may enjoy this book which is the first in a series of 5 books to date.

Check out Pretty Little Liars Website for more information on this fantastic YA series!


Other Reviews:

J. Kaye's Book Blog
Book Girl's Bookshelf
Peeking Between the Pages

If I missed your review, let me know and I will link you!!!

Library Loot- April 15

Library Loot hosted by Eva and Alessandra
asks us to list what we brought home from
the library this week.

So, after last week I was feel pretty ashamed of myself for checking out soooo many books. I think I've gotten a little bit of a handle on the problem and my list will be sort of visual proof to everyone that I'm working on it....I'm taking baby steps!! So here's what I brought home last week:

The Year of Secret Assignments by Jaclyn Moriarty
--Blame is being assigned to Reviewer X. If she hadn't done such a knock-out book review I wouldn't have been compelled to get this!!






A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick
-This book is the fault of Devourer of Books Blog. I loved her review so I knew I had to read this book!!!








The Lost Quilter by Jennifer Chiaverini
-I only have myself to blame for this one. I've been following this series from the very beginning. Some I've loved, while others were just so-so. I hoping that this one won't disappoint!!!







The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Lori R. King
-This one is entirely Lenore's fault. She just writes the best reviews and makes me get that feeling inside that if I don't read this book then I'm missing out on something. So after reading her post this book made it home with me!!!






-To Read List Total today 4/15/2009: 695
Last Week's To Read List total 4/8/2009: 686
Books Read in 2009 to date: 52
Number of Books Checked out from the library: 28

Mailbox Monday- April 13

Mailbox Monday
is hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page.
We share what books that we found in our mailboxes last week.

I have my sister-in-law Heather to thank for all the books that arrived via the mail for me this past week. Not only did she make me that wonderful quilt but she scoured my HUGE to-read list on Goodreads and picked up these following books for me from Bookmooch:

.
The Day I Ate Whatever I Wanted : And Other Acts of Small Liberations
by Elizabeth Berg
--can't wait to read this one and follow some of the advice in it. Added bonus it is an autographed copy!!!







The Perfect Summer by Luanne Rice
-Heather really liked this one so she thought I needed to read it because I wasn't that crazy about Edge of Winter. I blame part of it on the audio book and the narrator. I'm always willing to give authors another chance!!






The Second Virginity of Suzy Green by Sara Hantz
-not sure where I heard about this but the story sounds like a good read!








Annie Freeman's Fabulous Traveling Funeral by Kris Radish
--Some ladies over at a scrapbooking site read this book and liked it so I had marked it to read.







The Kite Runner by Khalid Hosseini
--I know, I know...I'm really behind on reading this great book!!!









I've had a pesky nephew leave me comments about the gifts his mom sent me

Alex said...

that's only half of your belayed
birthday present!

so I wanted to publicly acknowledge the other half of my belayed (Alex's term, not mine) presents. Here they are Alex...are you happy now?

What showed up in your mailbox last week?

Handle With Care- my thoughts

Handle With Care

Jodi Picoult
Published 2009
477 pages

From Goodreads:
Every expectant parent will tell you that they don't want a perfect baby, just a healthy one. Charlotte and Sean O'Keefe would have asked for a healthy baby, too, if they'd been given the choice. Instead, their lives are made up of sleepless nights, mounting bills, the pitying stares of "luckier" parents, and maybe worst of all, the what-ifs. What if their child had been born healthy? But it's all worth it because Willow is, well, funny as it seems, perfect. She's smart as a whip, on her way to being as pretty as her mother, kind, brave, and for a five-year-old an unexpectedly deep source of wisdom. Willow is Willow, in sickness and in health. Everything changes, though, after a series of events forces Charlotte and her husband to confront the most serious what-ifs of all. What if Charlotte should have known earlier of Willow's illness? What if things could have been different? What if their beloved Willow had never been born? To do Willow justice, Charlotte must ask herself these questions and one more. What constitutes a valuable life?

Well, what did I think about Picoult's newest ethical, moral questioning novel? I liked it but there was something missing for me. I enjoy a good book, one that leaves me crying, laughing, mad and one that leaves me unsure and questioning of myself at the end. Picoult's books manage to make me think about issues I would normally never bother with and this one is no different. She made me question myself as to what would I do if I were in this situation and she's very good at making everything grey....there is never a clear cut decision for any of her characters. While I appreciated the spotlight being put on this type of disease Willow had and that there are still some laws on the books that allow people to sue for wrongful birth, which I believe need to be abolished, I couldn't help but walk away from this book not quite satisfied. I've read a lot of other reviews and most everyone does not discount that Picoult is a gifted writer...she is. But I'm finding that her writing is becoming too clinical and stuffy. I liked her books in the past when we actually got to KNOW the characters, now I feel as if the legality and medical issues are the forefront of the book and the characters are in the background, popping out whenever it is convenient. I wanted to get to know Willow from Willow herself, not from all of the other people in her life. I think she had a lot to say but I guess I'll never know. While I don't think this is her best book to-date, it is still a good read. Here are a few passages that hit me in the heartstrings:

You don't have to say I love you to say I love you," you said with a shrug. "All you have to do is say my name and I know."
"How?"
When I looked down at you, I was struck by how much of myself I could see in the shape of your eyes, in the light of your smile. "Say Cassidy," you instructed.
"Cassidy."
"Say...Ursula."
"Ursula," I parroted.
"Now....," and you pointed to your own chest.
"Willow."
"Can't you hear it?" you said. " When you love someone, you say their name different. Like it's safe inside your mouth."

p.172

Here are the things I know for sure:
When you think you're right, you are most likely wrong.
Things that break-be they bones, hearts, or promises-can be put back together but will never really be whole.
And, in spite of what I said, you can miss a person you've never known.
I learn this over and over again, every day I spend without you.

p.475

I will end this by sending out a heartfelt request to Picoult---Please go back to way you wrote at the beginning of your writing career, where your books were so character driven and we actually got a real feeling for these people. They came alive inside our minds. I want to fall in love with your beautiful way with words all over again....Please? I miss that, truly I do.

~ A devoted Picoult Reader from the very beginning
Staci

Other reviews:
BOOKCLUBGIRL
A PATCHWORK OF BOOKS
LESLEY'S BOOK NOOK
LORI'S READING CORNER
ME, MY BOOK AND THE COUCH
JUST ADD BOOKS
SO MANY BOOKS, SO LITTLE TIME



**If I missed yours let me know and I'll add it!!

Shelter Me- my thoughts

Shelter Me
by Juliette Fay
Published: 2009
415 pages

From the back cover:
Four months after her husband's death, Janie LaMarche remains undone by grief and anger. Her mourning is disrupted, however, by the unexpected arrival of a builder with a contract to add a porch onto her house. Stunned, Janie realizes the porch was meant to be a surprise from her husband—now his last gift to her. As she reluctantly allows construction to begin, Janie clings to the familiar outposts of her sorrow—mothering her two small children with fierce protectiveness, avoiding friends and family, and stewing in a rage she can't release. Yet Janie's self-imposed isolation is breached by a cast of unlikely interventionists: her chattering, ipecac-toting aunt; her bossy, over-manicured neighbor; her muffin-bearing cousin; and even Tug, the contractor with a private grief all his own. As the porch takes shape, Janie discovers that the unknowable terrain of the future is best navigated with the help of others—even those we least expect to call on, much less learn to love.

This is a new author to me and one that I will definitely be reading more of in the future. This book was truly a great read. I enjoyed how the author went between entries of Janie's journal and then back to the story. I loved Janie's character and even loved her when she would get pissed off and throw a fit. She misses her husband so much that she is drowning in the day-to-day monotony of life. With the help of her cousin and aunt, plus a few other characters you will get to know, she manages to hold on and make it through that first year of grieving. I found myself rooting for her, wanting her life to be good, wanting her to heal and to start enjoying the life she now had, one without her beloved husband Robby. Her oldest child, Dylan, will make you laugh, smile, and tug at your heartstrings. Fay has captured an old soul with this precious character. An added bonus to this book is an outstanding Author Insights Q&A, recipes (very cool!), questions for discussions for a book club (this would make for a fantastic book club read!!) and a funny story about how this book ended up all over I-89 in Vermont. If you're looking for a good book with a heartfelt story then I would totally recommend this to you.

You can visit the author, Juliette Fay here.

Libray Loot- April 1

Library Loot hosted by Eva and Alessandra
asks us to list what we brought home from
the library this week.

This isn't an April Fool's Day joke...I've been naughty!! I can't stop myself from adding books to my bedside pile and so here they are:

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
--I can't blame this book on anyone except Laurie. She's one of my ultimate favorite authors ever!! I've been so jealous of all the other people who had the opportunity to read this before it was published and when I walked out of the library with it Saturday, I danced to my car and sang a little ditty to myself, "I've got Wintergirls and I can't wait to read it. I've got Wintergirls and I can't wait to read it." Yes, I'm that weird.



The Bright Forever by Lee Martin
- I was just browsing (dangerous thing to do) and the title caught my eye. Pulled it out, loved the cover, and thought the synopsis sounded good. If you've read this let me know what you thought about it.






The Year of Fog by Michelle Richmond
- I again was browsing around the shelves and figured I had enough books when I looked up and saw the title screaming at me, "Hey Staci, this is that book you wanted to read really bad but you were too poor to buy it that time at Barnes & Noble. Grab it now!!" So I did. Have you read this? And if so, what did you think?




Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork
- finally, I get to blame someone for a book. This one is being blamed on Amanda at A Patchwork of Books. I already had this listed to read after reading about it in Junior Library Guild. But the deal was solidified by Amanda's review.





If I Stay by Gayle Forman
--Lenore at Presenting Lenore did a smashing review of this book. When she says it's good I listen! This one is her fault entirely!






The Latent Powers of Dylan Fontaine by April Lurie
--I'm blaming this one on Chris from stuff as dreams are made on because he said he wanted to hug this book!! I've felt like that many times, in fact, I've kissed quite a few books in my day!






What did you bring home from the library?

To Read List Total today 4/1/2009 : 670
Last week's To Read List Total 3/25/2009: 651
Books Read in 2009 to date: 41

Graphic Novel and Manga Round-Up- my thoughts

I finished a bunch of graphic novels and some first-time Manga over the last few weeks so I thought I would just include them all in one post. I've found that I really enjoy Graphic novels and lo and behold, I LOVED my first venture in the Manga genre!! This is what I've read lately:


Laika by Nick Abadzis
-this graphic novel was based on the dog that the Russians sent into space. I've never really heard about this and history class in high school surely doesn't cover any "cool" history. I'm glad that I checked this book out because it made me see that a lot of the people that worked on this project were absolutely devoted to the animals and some were totally oblivious to the fact that the Russian Government was determined to send a man into space before the USA and were willing to do it any cost--even if that meant sending up a helpless animal that would eventually die. I shared this with my son Marc and we both loved this book!! I would highly recommend this to anyone.

Other reviews:
Nymeth @ things mean a lot
The Written World
Bookgirl's Nightstand


Stuck in the Middle: 17 Comics from an Unpleasant Age edited by Ariel Schrag
--I laughed my way through this book and found myself remembering those days, agreeing with one comic where it stated,"You were either rocking with Bon Jovi or you had a crush on at least one band member of Duran Duran." I was the one crushing on John Taylor of Duran Duran. I'll admit it. I'm not ashamed. I was totally into the whole Brit scene of music during the 80's while my brother was the rocker, listening to Bon Jovi, Motley Crue, Poison, Van Halen. I loved the 80's!! My son and I watched 'Purple Rain' the other night. He was laughing at the clothes and the way people were dancing. I was drooling at how hot Prince was back then and singing along to every song that came on. Remember Morris Day and the Time? Apollonia? (what a stupid name)You know you do!! Some of these comics are definitely a trip back in time. My favorites were:

• Crater Face by Dash Shaw- yes, this is all about a kid suffering from acne but it is bittersweet and one not to be missed.
  
• A Relationship in Eight Pages by Jim Hoover (absolutely reminded me of my son's dating life in the eighth grade!!)
• Simple Machines by Aaron Renier- this is one that I think teachers should read because it's about a kid who is ADD but when he's allowed to think outside of mainstream education constraints, he shines and amazes his friends, teachers, and even himself!!

The Walking Dead, Vol 1: Days Gone Bye by Robert Kirkman
--This is a series of Graphic Novels and my son Marc loves them. He begged me a month or so ago to read one. So, I picked up the first one and flew through it. This series is graphic, violent, and at time gory but I can see why Marc likes them. They're based on the concept of An epidemic of apocalyptic proportions that has swept the globe, causing the dead to rise and feed on the living. Not many people have survived and you get to follow along the journey of Rick Grimes to see if he makes it or not! So far he has 9 books which is a compilation of over 50+ comic books. I told him that over spring break I would pick up the other ones. Honestly, they give me the willies because I'm afraid of Zombies!! I may have to read Marc's book titled,"The Zombie Survival Guide: Protection from the Living Dead."


The Wall:Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain by Peter Sis
--excellent book about what it was like to grow up in the Soviet Union before the wall fell in Berlin. He is an artist who loved to draw. He drew what the government dictated to him during the day at school, but at home, in secret, he drew what he loved. Interspersed between his drawings are snippets from his journal that he kept during this time.

November 3, 1957 The Soviet Union launched a rocket carrying a little dog named Laika into space. I wonder how the dog is going to land?

January-February 1969 Jan Palach and Jan Zajic, students, set themselves on fire to "wake up the nation from lethargy."

Gave me some interesting looks into Russia and the time of the Cold War. He won several honors for this book:Sibert Medal; Caldecott Honor Book.

MANGA LOVE!!!

Now, let me be upfront with you all right now....I have never ever understood the appeal of the Manga book. My son Marc faithfully follows Rave Master and so far he has 26 of them, I believe. I've never read one of them. I have tons of kids at my middle school who come into the library looking for them. We don't have any. That is about to change! I'm in the process of researching some series that I could carry in the library that would appeal to 5th - 8th grade. Sometimes you have to be careful because they do include nudity and stuff like that. But there is a big world of MANGA that is entirely appropriate for all ages!! I wouldn't have had my eyes open to this though if I didn't read Nymeth's blog. About a month or so ago, she posted about Emma. A manga series set in England during the Victorian Age. I was intrigued by her reviews so I immediately requested them from my library. I started them on a Friday night, took them with me to Marc's all day wrestling match and had a high schooler raz me about reading Manga!! I told him, "Brice, leave me alone. I'm reading some great stuff here!!" I finished them that night, well 1-4 that is. My library doesn't have the rest but I've requested them from libraries elsewhere and I'm anxiously waiting for the call to tell me that THEY'RE IN!!! If you haven't read these....YOU SHOULD. Enough said.




Other Cool People that liked Emma:
Nymeth
Tanabata: In Spring it is the Dawn
The Written World


Have you read a graphic novel or manga? If so, leave me a comment recommending one that I should read!! If not, what are you waiting for?

Living Dead Girl- my thoughts

Living Dead Girl

Author: Elizabeth Scott
Genre: Young Adult
Published: 2008
Pages: 170

From the inside jacket:

Once upon a time I was a little girl who disappeared.
Once upon a time my name was not Alice.
Once upon a time I didn't know how lucky I was.

When Alice was ten, Ray took her away from her family, her friends -- her life. She learned to give up all power, to endure all pain. She waited for the nightmare to be over.

Now Alice is fifteen and Ray still has her, but he speaks more and more of her death. He does not know it is what she longs for. She does not know he has something more terrifying than death in mind for her.

This is Alice's story. It is one you have never heard, and one you will never, ever forget.

I read this story in one day not because I was in love with it, rather because I needed it to end. Don't take this the wrong way. It was a good book, but the subject matter made me uncomfortable and sick to my stomach. I know that this happens to kids, both boys and girls, all over the world. I realize that there are sick and twisted people that walk among us. But this book brought these people off of the pages and into my world. The book starts out fast and furious and never lets you go. I found myself being truly disgusted with Ray and wanting to kill him with my bare hands. He used psychological terror and deprivation of food to control "Alice," to make her bend to his every whim and sadistic pleasures. Your heart will literally ache at the abuse she endures and how she feels absolutely hopeless. The hardest part of the entire book, for me, is when Alice realizes that the only way out for her is to help Ray find a replacement Alice and how happy that thought makes her. This is not an easy read for anyone and if your child is thinking about reading it I would totally recommend that you TALK about this book with them. Read it before them so that you know what's going on. There is plenty here to discuss and to be totally honest, this book could give you or your child nightmares, especially if you read it before going to bed. I found so many powerful passages but I don't want to weigh this book review down with those so I'm just going to highlight a few that really were gripping and stark.

The day I got too tall to wear the white dress with short, puffy sleeves and little tucks along the chest, he filled the kitchen sink with water and shoved my head into it.

"You'll hold her," he says, and everything I own is easily pushed down, away, clothes falling off me like water. "You'll hold her, and I'll love her."
He grins at me. "You'll like that, won't you?"
I nod because he wants me to. I nod because I will. She will get his love and I will hold her down to take it all because then there will be none for me.
I cannot save myself, and I do not want to save her.

Other reviews:

The Story Siren
Heather @ Book Addiction ***This review is what prompted me to read this book ***
Dewey's Thoughts @ The Hidden Side of a Leaf
Lenore @ Presenting Lenore
Maw Books Blog
Jenn's Bookshelf
Bookshelves of Doom

For other passages I marked please see my other blog, Quotes and Passages.

Library Loot- March 25

Library Loot hosted by Eva and Alessandra
asks us to list what we brought home from
the library this week.








I was very, very, very good this week. I only picked up 3, yes you're seeing the correct number, 3 books this week!!!! I'm actually doing a pretty good job of getting through my existing stack so I'm really trying to restrain myself! Here's what I brought home:



Handle With Care by Jodi Picoult

* I brought this home Saturday and finished it Sunday. Again, Picoult doesn't let me down. After I was done with it I was left with a lot of questions that don't have any easy answers. Totally recommend to anyone out there.







The Girl She Used to Be by David Cristofano

* I'm blaming this book on Melly from Lit*Chick. Read her fantastic review here. Once you've done that you'll understand why I had to get this one!!







North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley

* I read a beautiful review of this book by Amanda at A Patchwork of Books.
I knew that I had to read this book after that, so I get to blame Amanda for getting this one.






Believe it or not, that's all!! I'm slightly bewildered myself but it's a good thing because I really need to get all of those other books read. I hate having to take books back that I never got to open.


To Read List Total today 3/18/09 : 651
Last week's To Read List Total 3/11/2009: 632
Books Read in 2009 to date: 36

Library Loot- March 18

Library Loot hosted by Eva and Alessandra
asks us to list what we brought home from
the library this week.








Geez, I think I just need to step up to the front of the class and tell you all right now, "I'm a bookaholic and I need help." There, it's out in the open and we can all see that I have problems and I'm trying to come to grips with them....maybe!! I went to the library because there was 1 book waiting for me, did you hear me? I said 1, but I came home with 5 extra ones. Somehow when I got up to the check-out counter there were all these "extra" reads. Here is what I brought home:



The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman

--I saw this on someone's blog in reference to the WWII Challenge. I usually always mark where I saw the book review but this time I messed up! I will blame all my book blogging buddies.






The Owl Service by Alan Garner

--This is entirely Nymeth's fault. Read her awesome review here.








Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard

--no one to blame for this one. I saw this at B&N and thought it might be interesting to read. Then I ran across a student that was reading the series and she told me they were good, so I figured why not?






Against Medical Advice by James Patterson

--I thought that this story just sounded interesting. I want to know what is wrong with this little boy and how his family helped him.







Sucks to Be Me- The All-True confessions of MINA HAMILTON Teen Vampire
by Kimberly Pauley

-- I'm a sucker for a teen vampire story!



Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

--I've seen this book and the author on blogs so when I ran across this one I decided to add it to my pile, because I'm INSANE!!!!


What did you bring home from the library? Please include your link in your comments so that I can visit you!! And probably add your titles to my huge TBR list!!

To Read List Total today 3/18/09 : 632
Last week's To Read List Total 3/11/2009: 620
Books Read in 2009 to date: 29

The Polysyllabic Spree- my thoughts

The Polysyllabic Spree
-Nick Hornby
Published 2004
143 pages

From Amazon:
The Polysyllabic Spree collects a year's worth of Hornby’s riotous and informative "Stuff I’ve Been Reading" columns from the Believer, in which Hornby lists the books he’s read, along with what he bought and may one day read. He ably explores everything from the classic to the graphic novel, as well as poems, plays, and sports-related exposés. And if he occasionally implores a biographer for brevity, or abandons a literary work in favor of an Arsenal soccer match, then all is not lost. His warm and riotous writing, full of all the joy and surprise and despair that books bring him, reveals why we still read, even when there's soccer on TV, a pram in the hall, and a good band playing at our local bar.


One of my favorite passages:

Never mind that, as regular readers of this column know, I have over the last few months bought several hundred books I haven't yet read. And never mind that, as it turned out, I found myself passing a bookshop the very next day, and the day after that (because what else is there to do with a new baby, other than mooch around bookshops with him?), and was thus able to buy Mystic River. I didn't know for sure I'd ever go to a bookshop again; and if I never went to a bookshop again, how long were those several hundred books going to last me? Nine or ten years at the most. No, I needed that copy of Prayers for Rain, just to be on the safe side.p. 104

I absolutely identified with this passage because I'm always worried that I might run out of books to read. Which is crazy, because I always check out about 26 from the library, and then I have over 200 books laying around the house, but when I read that Hornby has those feelings about books, I knew that I would like him! I enjoyed the fact that a high-profile author, such as Hornby, also shares the same problems and dilemmas as us "normal" readers. When I read how he enters a bookstore and leaves with several, only to find the next month that he never cracked them open, I rejoice in the knowledge that I am "O.K." There were times, though, during my reading that I had a hard time keeping up with Hornby. Unfortunately, I am not as well-read as he is and some of his jokes or insider humor fell short. That, however, did not stop me from plowing through this book. In fact, it made me more determined than ever to try to read some of the books that Hornby had read and loved. That is the one thing that I took from this book....that we "the readers" share our love of the written word and in return, our knowledge and experiences grow.
I can now blame Nick Hornby for some of the books that I will be checking out of my library in the future!! Here's the list that I walked away with:

Notes on a Scandal- Zoe Heller
Revolutionary Road- Richard Yates (bought this a few weeks ago)
How to Breathe Underwater- Julie Orringer
George and Sam: Autism in the Family- Charlotte Moore
The Sirens of Titan- Kurt Vonnegut
Clockers- Richard Price
David Copperfield- Charles Dickens
Random Family- Adrian Nicole LeBlanc
Mystic River- Dennis Lehane

I am trying to get my hand on Housekeeping vs. The Dirt and Shakespeare Wrote for Money which would round out his column that he wrote for The Believer. I'm sure my TBR list will be out of control once I finish those!!!

Other reviews:

Stuff As Dreams Are Made On
Things Mean A Lot
The Hidden Side of a Leaf
Rhinoa's Ramblings
Tripping Toward Lucidity
Lisa's Review

If you've reviewed Polysyllabic Spree please let me know and I'll add your link!!

Library Loot- March 11

Library Loot hosted by Eva and Alessandra
asks us to list what we brought home from
the library this week.








** So last week I was asking for suckers and high-fives because I was so good and not getting more books than I could possibly read. Well, this week I'm due for a good smackdown!! I'm out of control and I honestly don't know how to stop!! So without further ado is the loot that I dragged home with me this week!!!

The Cellist of Sarajevo
by Steven Gallowy

** I can blame this book on Wendy from Musings of a Bookish Kitty. If she hadn't wrote such a heartfelt review I could've just went on my merry way and never would have known this book existed.




The Story of Forgetting
by Stefan merrill Block

**Lenore from Presenting Lenore left me a comment on my review of Still Alice and she suggested this title....so I will blame her for bringing this little gem home!






Dope Sick by Walter Dean Myers

** I blame myself entirely for this one. I love WDM and this is his new release so I had to get it....plus, a student at school has been dying to read this so I told him I would share!! Wait, I can blame Bobby can't I?






The Handmaid's Tale
by Margaret Atwood

** For some reason I feel like I can blame Nymeth for this one but I could be crazy!! Honestly, I feel that my reading life would not be complete without reading this book.





The Queen's Handmaiden
by Jennifer Ashley

** First off, I didn't realize until I put this post together that I have two books with 'Handmaiden' in the title..weird. No one but myself is to blame for this me. That and my weakness for awesome covers!!!




The Gathering
by Anne Enright

** another one I blame myself for...I liked the cover and the description of the book...all about an Irish family and a secret...made me pick it up and then I read Anna's review at Diary of an Eccentric and felt a little sad about my choice. But I am going to give it a go but if I don't like it...no guilt. I will move on!!



Stuck in the Middle
edited by Ariel Schrag

** I can blame this one on a magazine!! Booklists' current issue featured Graphic Novels and they absolutely recommended this one. It looks like a lot of fun..17 different comics from 17 different comics from 16 talented artists all about those years in middle school!! Can't wait.




Emma- Manga Volumes 1-4
by Kaoru Mori

**The blame goes to Nymeth for these books. I love her reviews and she makes everything sound so great that I feel like I'm missing out on something big if I don't at least try it. So, again, I am stepping outside of my comfort zone and going to read a Manga for the very first time!! You can read her review here and then you too will feel the urgent need to check these out!



So, there's the wrap up for this week's library loot. I truly feel like I've bitten off more than I can chew!!

To Read List Total today 3/3/09 : 620
Last week's To Read List Total 2/25/2009: 562
Books Read in 2009 to date: 26