Weekly Geeks #24 - Favorite Author Fun Facts

This week’s theme is: fun facts about authors.

How to:

1. Choose a writer you like.

2. Using resources such as Wikipedia, the author’s website, whatever you can find, make a list of interesting facts about the author.

3. Post your fun facts list in your blog, maybe with a photo of the writer, a collage of his or her books, whatever you want.

4. Come sign the Mr Linky below with the url to your fun facts post.

5. As you run into (or deliberately seek out) other Weekly Geeks’ lists, add links to your post for authors you like or authors you think your readers are interested in.

Elizabeth Haydon is the author of one of my favorite series. Rhapsody: Child of Blood was her debut novel (1999). She has been compared to Terry Goodkind, JRR Tolkein and Robert Jordan.

• She is an herbalist.
• Can play the harp.
• Knew she wanted to be a writter in the 4th grade.

I have read all of the Symphony of Ages series and Requiem for the Sun. She has such a terrific way of melding fantastic storytelling and music. They are just... awesome. =)

Some WG posts about authors I enjoy and some that I have been meaning to read:

1. Sherrie's post about James Patterson - I've only read one of his so far (Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas), but it won't be my last.
2. Maree's post about Gabriel Garcia Marquez - haven't read any, yet
3. Juliann's post about Alexander McCall Smith - highly recommended by my Aunt Gerry and cousin Molly.
4. Jill's post about Neil Gaiman - haven't read any, yet
5. Marina's post about Mercedes Lackey - I have read only one of her's so far, but I have 2/4 of her Halfblood Chronicles - you can read my review of Burning Water here.
6. Icedream's post about Fannie Flagg - I have not read any of her's yet (I have Welcome to the World Baby Girl in my TBR), I watch Match Game on GameShowNetwork a lot and I love when she's on, she's so funny! I've watched Fried Green Tomatoes a dozen times at least.
   

Review of: Third Girl

Author: Agatha Christie
ISBN: 0671805304
Pages: 248
Genre(s): mystery, cozy
Grade: B







Third Girl is a Hercule Poirot novel. Poirot is my favorite Christie detective to watch, but he's not a favorite to read. (I much prefer Miss Marple for reading.)

Three single girls share a London flat. The first works as a secretary; the second is an artist; the third, who comes to Poirot for help, disappears believing she is a murderer. There are rumours of revolvers, flick-knives and blood stains. But, without hard evidence, it will take all Poirot's tenacity to establish whether the third girl is guilty, innocent or insane.

I've enjoyed every Christie that I've ever read. I don't know what it is about her characters, her writing. And I can read them more than once. For me they are the literary equivalent to a sip of water (in the case of food judges); they cleanse my mental palette. This one was interesting. I had a feeling from the beginning that the girl, Norma, was being gas-lighted. I wasn't sure who was doing it (if anyone). There is a nice little trick at the end. I will definitely read this one again; see if I can spot any clues now that I know 'who dunnit'.

Shared Reviews: If you've reviewed this book too, please send me an e-mail or leave a comment with the link to your review, and I will add a link to it at the bottom of my review. Please, for convenience, if you leave a comment, leave it in the review-post.

Friday Finds {11-7-08}

Here are my Friday Finds for this week.

• The Pirate's Daughter by Margaret Cezair-Thompson - found @ S. Krishna's Books
• Somebody Else's Daughter by Elizabeth Brundage - found @ S. Krishna's Books
• Exit Lines by Joan Barfoot - found @ Peeking Between the Pages
• Immortal Warrior by Lisa Hendrix - found @ The Book Czar
• Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler - recommended to me by s-i-l Jenn

More Friday Finds can be found here.

Booking Through Thursday {11/6/08}

What, if any, memorable or special book have you ever gotten as a present? Birthday or otherwise. What made it so notable? The person who gave it? The book itself? The “gift aura?”

I don't know if this particular book was a present, a just because, or what. The book that first came to mind when I read this question was The Fall of Freddie the Leaf. I actually dug it out last night because of another post. I hadn't even realized that the book is about loss. It's written by a PhD (Leo Buscaglia) and is meant to help children understand death. There is even a series of videos.

Anyway, I don't remember it making me feel sad. I always felt hopeful at the end of the book (which ends with The Beginning instead of the usual The End). Freddie learns lessons about life from one of the other leaves, named Daniel. Daniel teaches Freddie about Spring and Summer, the people that come to their park, that everyone and everything has a purpose in life. I ends with the first snowfall and Freddie letting go of his branch and falling to a snowbank and seeing 'the big picture' (aka the whole tree), feeling peaceful and going to sleep. The author then reminds us that Freddie will then breakdown with the snow as the winter turns to spring again and help nourish the tree for new leaves. It's a really great book. I read it for hours in our 3rd floor attic; I could see nothing but treetops out of one window. I always have a happy/light feeling when I come to The Beginning of The Fall of Freddie the Leaf.

USA Today's Top Selling Books - Meme-style

S. Krishna has converted USA Today's List into a meme!

I've decided to turn USA TODAY's Best-Selling Books of Last 15 Years into a meme. Why? Because I'm a total nerd and enjoy stuff like this!!

So here's the deal: bold what you've read, italicize what you own, star books on your TBR list!

Here is my list:

1 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone - J.K. Rowling, art by Mary GrandPre
2 Dr. Atkins’ New Diet Revolution - Robert C. Atkins
3 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
4 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - J.K. Rowling, art by Mary GrandPre
5 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - J.K. Rowling, art by Mary GrandPre
6 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - J.K. Rowling, art by Mary GrandPre
7 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - J.K. Rowling, art by Mary GrandPre
8 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - J.K. Rowling, art by Mary GrandPre
9 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - J.K. Rowling, art by Mary GrandPre
10 Who Moved My Cheese? - Spencer Johnson
11 The South Beach Diet - Arthur Agatston
12 Tuesdays With Morrie - Mitch Albom
13 Angels & Demons - Dan Brown
14 What to Expect When You’re Expecting - Heidi Murkoff, Arlene Eisenberg, Sandee Hathaway
15 The Purpose-Driven Life - Rick Warren
16 The Five People You Meet in Heaven - Mitch Albom
17 The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People - Stephen R. Covey
18 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
19 Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus - John Gray
20 The Secret - Rhonda Byrne
21 Rich Dad, Poor Dad - Robert T. Kiyosaki with Sharon L. Lechter
22 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee*
23 Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff ... And It’s All Small Stuff - Richard Carlson
24 The Secret Life of Bees - Sue Monk Kidd
25 Eat, Pray, Love - Elizabeth Gilbert*
26 Twilight - Stephenie Meyer (technically, my oldest daughter ‘owns’ this one)
27 The Notebook - Nicholas Sparks
28 The Memory Keeper’s Daughter - Kim Edwards
29 The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger* (started this 3 times, never finished)
30 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden*
31 A New Earth - Eckhart Tolle
32 Oh, the Places You’ll Go! - Dr. Seuss
33 The Four Agreements - Don Miguel Ruiz
34 Angela’s Ashes - Frank McCourt
35 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
36 Body-for-Life - Bill Phillips, Michael D’Orso
37 New Moon - Stephenie Meyer*
38 Night - Elie Wiesel, translations by Marion Wiesel and Stella Rodway*
39 Chicken Soup for the Soul - Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen
40 The Greatest Generation - Tom Brokaw*
41 Breaking Dawn - Stephenie Meyer*
42 The Celestine Prophecy - James Redfield
43 Wicked - Gregory Maguire
44 Good to Great - Jim Collins
45 Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer*
46 Eragon - Christopher Paolini*
47 Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood - Rebecca Wells
48 Your Best Life Now - Joel Osteen
49 In the Kitchen With Rosie - Rosie Daley*
50 Simple Abundance - Sarah Ban Breathnach
51 A Child Called It - Dave Pelzer*
52 A Million Little Pieces - James Frey
53 The Testament - John Grisham
54 Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul - Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Kimberly Kirberger
55 Deception Point - Dan Brown
56 The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho*
57 Marley & Me - John Grogan
58 Dr. Atkins’ New Carbohydrate Gram Counter - Robert C. Atkins
59 Life of Pi - Yann Martel*
60 The Brethren - John Grisham
61 The South Beach Diet Good Fats Good Carbs Guide - Arthur Agatston
62 The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town - John Grisham
63 For One More Day - Mitch Albom*
64 The Polar Express - Chris Van Allsburg*
65 The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
66 The Last Lecture - Randy Pausch, Jeffrey Zaslow*
67 What to Expect the First Year - Arlene Eisenberg, Heidi Murkoff, Sandee Hathaway
68 Love You Forever - Robert Munsch, art by Sheila McGraw
69 Green Eggs and Ham - Dr. Seuss*
70 A Painted House - John Grisham
71 The Rainmaker - John Grisham
72 Skipping Christmas - John Grisham
73 Cold Mountain - Charles Frazier
74 The Curious Incident of the Dog In the Night-Time - Mark Haddon
75 Life Strategies - Phillip C. McGraw
76 Seabiscuit: An American Legend - Laura Hillenbrand*
77 The Summons - John Grisham
78 Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil - John Berendt*
79 The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien
80 The Runaway Jury - John Grisham
81 Goodnight Moon Board Book - Margaret Wise Brown, art by Clement Hurd
82 The Perfect Storm - Sebastian Junger
83 Snow Falling on Cedars - David Guterson*
84 The Giver - Lois Lowry*
85 Embraced by the Light - Betty J. Eadie
86 The Chamber - John Grisham
87 You: On A Diet - Michael F. Roizen, Mehmet C. Oz
88 The Prayer of Jabez - Bruce Wilkinson
89 Holes - Louis Sachar
90 Digital Fortress - Dan Brown
91 The Shack - William P. Young
92 The Devil Wears Prada - Lauren Weisberger
93 Water for Elephants - Sara Gruen
94 A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini*
95 The Seat of the Soul - Gary Zukav
96 Chicken Soup for the Woman’s Soul - Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Jennifer Read Hawthorne, Marci Shimoff
97 The Partner - John Grisham
98 Lord of the Flies - William Golding*
99 Eldest: Inheritance, Book II - Christopher Paolini*
100 The Broker - John Grisham
101 The Street Lawyer - John Grisham
102 A Series of Unfortunate Events No. 1: The Bad Beginning - Lemony Snicket*
103 The Poisonwood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver*
104 Into the Wild - Jon Krakauer
105 The King of Torts - John Grisham
106 The Tipping Point - Malcolm Gladwell
107 The Horse Whisperer - Nicholas Evans
108 Hannibal - Thomas Harris
109 The Audacity of Hope - Barack Obama*
110 Running With Scissors - Augusten Burroughs
111 The Glass Castle: A Memoir - Jeannette Walls*
112 My Sister’s Keeper - Jodi Picoult*
113 The Last Juror - John Grisham
114 The Devil in the White City - Erik Larson
115 Left Behind - Tim LaHaye, Jerry B. Jenkins
116 America (The Book) - Jon Stewart and The Writers of The Daily Show
117 The Red Tent - Anita Diamant
118 John Adams - David McCullough*
119 The Christmas Box - Richard Paul Evans
120 The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants - Ann Brashares
121 Sugar Busters! - H. Leighton Steward, Sam S. Andrews, Morrison C. Bethea, Luis A. Balart
122 Blink - Malcolm Gladwell
123 The Power of Now - Eckhart Tolle
124 90 Minutes in Heaven: A True Story of Death and Life - Don Piper, Cecil Murphey
125 The Fellowship of the Ring - J.R.R. Tolkien
126 1776 - David McCullough
127 The Bridges of Madison County - Robert James Waller
128 Where the Heart Is - Billie Letts*
129 The Ultimate Weight Solution - Phillip C. McGraw
130 Protein Power - Michael R. Eades, Mary Dan Eades
131 Chicken Soup for the Mother’s Soul - Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Jennifer Read Hawthorne, Marci Shimoff
132 Into Thin Air - Jon Krakauer
133 Middlesex - Jeffrey Eugenides*
134 Three Cups of Tea - Greg Mortenson, David Oliver Relin
135 You: The Owner’s Manual - Michael F. Roizen, Mehmet C. Oz
136 1,000 Places to See Before You Die: A Traveler’s Life List - Patricia Schultz
137 Self Matters - Phillip C. McGraw
138 She’s Come Undone - Wally Lamb
139 1984 - George Orwell
140 The Chronicles of Narnia - C.S. Lewis*
141 The Millionaire Next Door - Thomas J. Stanley, William D. Danko
142 The Other Boleyn Girl - Philippa Gregory
143 The Zone - Barry Sears, Bill Lawren
144 The Pilot’s Wife - Anita Shreve
145 The Lost World Michael Crichton
146 Atonement - Ian McEwan*
147 He’s Just Not That Into You - Greg Behrendt, Liz Tuccillo
148 Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
149 The World Is Flat - Thomas L. Friedman
150 Cross - James Patterson

I've read 42/150 .

Teaser Tuesdays {11-4-08}

• Grab your current read
• Let the book fall open to a random page
• Share with us two (2) "teaser" sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
• You also need to share the title of the book that you're getting your "teaser" from ... that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you've given!
• Please avoid SPOILERS.

Restarick's words came fast now. It was as though he was feeling a definite solace at being able to pour out his story to a sympathetic listener. It was a reaction that Poirot had often noticed before and he encouraged it.

This weeks Teaser comes from page 118 of Agatha Christie's "Third Girl"; a Poirot mystery.

What kind of reader are you?

Your Reading Personality: Serial Reader!

Start quiz You may read a lot or a little, but either way you're a publisher's dream, because once you discover a favorite writer you stick with him/her through thick and thin and eagerly await the next in the series; but even you need to discover some new blood from time to time! I found this quiz at: ~Red Lady's Reading Room~

Booking Through Thursday {10-30-08}

Conditioning

Mariel suggested this week’s question.

Are you a spine breaker? Or a dog-earer? Do you expect to keep your books in pristine condition even after you have read them? Does watching other readers bend the cover all the way round make you flinch or squeal in pain?

With new paperbacks, I do 'condition' the spine. I try hard NOT to break the spine, just loosen it up a bit. I don't dog-ear. It does make me cringe when I see others folding books back. The worst is when I see someone one doing this in a bookstore; most of the time I'll see them put the book back on the shelf with the broken spine and pick up an unbroken copy to buy! That makes me see red. I want to hurt those people... badly.

I don't expect my books to stay pristine (especially not with a 2 year old running around), but I do try to keep them looking nice. I'm more careful though if it is a borrowed book.

Review of: Burning Water

Author: Mercedes Lackey
ISBN: 9780765313171
Pages: 312
Genre(s): paranormal, urban fantasy, mystery
Grade: C






I wanted to like this book. I've heard good things about Lackey's Halfblood Chronicles. The friend who loaned it to me (aka my s-i-l Jenn) seemed to really like it. I just couldn't love it. I DID like Burning Water, but I definitely didn't love it. Something to do with the style or her writing; like she's more comfortable writing her Elvish tales than contemporary fiction (Burning Water was published in 1989).

From Ms Lackey's site: Something is stalking Dallas. First it attacked cattle, leaving bloody corpses. Now it is going after people. Detective Mark Valdez feels the evil surrounding the city and calls in a specialist, Diana Tregarde, a romance novelist and practicing witch. But will Diana be an avenging angel or a willing sacrifice?

Shared Reviews: If you've reviewed this book too, please send me an e-mail or leave a comment with the link to your review, and I will add a link to it at the bottom of my review. Please, for convenience, if you leave a comment, leave it in the review-post.