It's Tuesday, Where Are You? | Teaser Tuesdays {3-31-09}

I'm somewhere in the countryside of England. I'm at the home of the Billington-Smith's. General Sir Arthur Billington-Smith is very rude to most everyone in the house, including the invited guests!

• 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.

This week's Teaser comes from THE UNFINISHED CLUE by Georgette Heyer. These sentences come from page 33.

Every annoyance of this disastrous week-end was Fay's fault, from the unwelcome arrival of Dinah to the ill-assorted party assembled for dinner in half an hour's time. Anyone but a fool would have had the wit to wire regrets both to Dinah and (Stephen) Guest.

For more travels visit raidergirl's blog an adventure in reading. For more teasing visit MizB's blog Should Be Reading.

Buy THE UNFINISHED CLUE @ a bookstore near you!

Buy THE UNFINISHED CLUE on Amazon.

Review of: Madame Bovary

Author: Gustave Flaubert
ISBN: 9781593080525
Pages: 368
Published by: Barnes & Noble Classics (March, 2005; first published 1857)
Genre(s): Fiction, Classics, 19th Century, French Lit
Grade: B
Challenge(s): 100+ Reading Challenge - Read 'n Review '09 -


Not really a review, more like my thoughts. After reading some of the things written on SparkNotes about Madame Bovary, I realize that I miss some of the deeper meanings and themes of the book. I did really enjoy it though. I found myself empathizing with Emma. I can't really pinpoint what it was I was feeling connected to, but there was definitely something. This is one classic that I will read again.

Buy MADAME BOVARY @ a bookstore near you!

Buy MADAME BOVARY on Amazon

Musing Mondays {3-30-09}

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about recording your reading…

Do you keep track of what and/or how many books you read? How long have you been doing this? What's your favorite tracking method, and why?If you don't keep track, why not? (question courtesy of MizB)

Like our hostess, I keep track of what I'm reading in more than one way. I am currently keeping track of my 2009 reads in my post for the 100+ Reading Challenge. (You can find this list in my upper sidebar under Kylee's Links - Books I've finished in 2009.) I also have account with GoodReads and Shelfari. I don't use Shelfari anymore (too much spam). On GoodReads though I have list and lists and lists.

Visit Rebecca for more musings.

Review of: King's Fool

Author: Margaret Campbell Barnes
ISBN: 9780356017556
Pages: 304
Genre(s): Historical Fiction
Grade: A+
Challenge(s): 100+ Reading Challenge - Read 'n Review 09 - since this book has been published in the US before it DOES NOT qualify for 2009 Pub Challenge
Release Date: April 1, 2009


I’ve wanted to learn more about Will Somers since reading Philippa Gregory’s books about the women in Henry VIII’s life. How interesting it would have been to be within Henry VIII’s inner circle, but not to be considered a threat by such a powerful man.

Will Somers was in just such a position. Born in Shropshire, England Will Somers was the only son, only child actually, of a churchman father and a Welsh mother, she died of the plague when Will was only four. Will had pretty happy life until his beautiful singing voice broke at 14; his father taught the choiristers and this seemed to be their big connection. Soon after, Will moves in with his Uncle Tobias, a farmer. On his uncles' farm is where Will Somers meets Richard Fermor, a wool merchant. Meeting and becoming part of the household of Master Fermor is only the first of some very big events in the life of Will Somers.

From the back of the ARC I recieved:

When country lad Will Somers lands himself the plum position of jester to the mercurial King Henry VIII, he has no idea that he's just been handed a front-row seat to history.

With a seat near the throne and an ear to the floor, Somers witnesses firsthand the dizzying power struggles and sly scheming that marked the reign of the fiery Tudor King. Somers watches the rise and fall of some of the most enigmatic women in history, including the tragic Katherine of Aragon, the doomed Anne Boleyn, and Mary Tudor, who confided in the jester as she made the best of the fragile life of a princess whom everyone wished was a prince...

Based on the life of the real Will Somers, King's Fool is infused with Margaret Campbell Barnes's trademark rich detail and historical accuracy. This intimate peek into the royal chambers gives readers a unique view into one of the most tumultuous periods in English history.

As you can most likely guess from the grade I gave King's Fool, this book did not disappoint!

Pre-order/Buy KING'S FOOL @ a bookstore near you!

Pre-Order/Buy KING'S FOOL on Amazon

I want to thank Danielle Jackson of Sourcebooks for sending me the ARC to read and review.

For more information about my Hyacinth Award.

Here are other reviews of King's Fool by Margaret Campbell Barnes

• The Tome Traveler's Weblog
  
• historical-fiction.com
• Kittling Books
  

YAY

... just yay!

Review of: Specials

Author: Scott Westerfeld
ISBN: 9780689865404
Pages: 384
Published by: Simon Pulse (April, 2006)
Genre(s): Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Young Adult
Grade: B
Challenge(s): 100+ Reading Challenge - Read 'n Review '09 - Scott Westerfeld Mini-Challenge - 2009 Young Adult Book Challenge



Specials is book #3 in a 4 book series (#1 Uglies, #2 Pretties & #4 Extras). In Specials Tally, Shay, Fausto and others from the Crims clique have been made into Specials. But not just any Special, this group is called Cutters. All Specials have what is described as 'cruel beauty'. Tally is described this way in the first chapter "...all those operations had filled her with icy new muscles and reflexes tweaked to snakelike speed." Some of the things those operations gave to Tally, Shay and the other Cutters: bones made of aircraft ceramics and muscles sheathed with self-repairing monofiliments, flash tattoos and razor-sharp teeth and finger nails. They particular group are called Cutters because they do just that. In order to feel anything, they cut themselves.

Tally (especially) seems to only feel comfortable 'in her own skin' when she is a position to feel superior to someone or a group of people. Anyone who is Ugly or just not Special seems to make her almost physically sick, especially her sometime boyfriend Zane whose brain was damaged due to taking meds he wasn't supposed to take.

Well, I don't want to give away the whole book! I worried about issue of cutting in the book, but the way that Tally relates to cutting changes throughout the book and I like that. I hope the young people that read this realize that cutting is a wrong and dangerous way to deal with their feelings. Tally has a lot to deal with in Specials. A lot goes right and very wrong for her. She has to learn to deal with it all in the right ways; she accomplishes this in my opinion.

I've become a little ambivalent to the characters in this series. I think I will read Extras at some point; just not anytime soon.

Special Circumstances

The words have sent chills down Tally's spine since her days as a repellent, rebellious ugly. Back then Specials were a sinister rumor -- frighteningly beautiful, dangerously strong, breathtakingly fast. Ordinary pretties might live their whole lives without meeting a Special. But Tally's never been ordinary.

And now she's been turned into one of them: a super-amped fighting machine, engineered to keep the uglies down and the pretties stupid.

The strength, the speed, and the clarity and focus of her thinking feel better than anything Tally can remember. Most of the time. One tiny corner of her heart still remembers something more.

Still, it's easy to tune that out -- until Tally's offered a chance to stamp out the rebels of the New Smoke permanently. It all comes down to one last choice: listen to that tiny, faint heartbeat, or carry out the mission she's programmed to complete. Either way, Tally's world will never be the same.

Buy SPECIALS @ a bookstore near you!

Buy SPECIALS on Amazon

It's Tuesday, Where Are You? | Teaser Tuesdays {3-24-09}

I'm still in Paris, just like last week. I'm not anyone in particular, but I interested in finding out more of what the Bonnot Gang is up to.

• 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.

This week's Teaser comes from THE CRIMES OF PARIS by Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler. These sentences come from the ARC so they may vary slightly from the finished version (out April 3, 2009).

He was sent back to a cell at La Santé Prison to think things over. He would remain there for fifteen months before a trial began.

For more travels visit raidergirl's blog an adventure in reading. For more teasing visit MizB's blog Should Be Reading.

Pre-Order/Buy THE CRIMES OF PARIS @ a bookstore near you!

Pre-Order/Buy THE CRIMES OF PARIS @ Amazon

Musing Mondays {3-23-09}

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about bookstores…

How many bookstores do you frequent? Do you have a favorite? If so, which one and what makes it so?

There is a Borders in the mall here. The mall is about a 5 minute drive from our apartment. That is the book store we go to most often for new books. We also go to a (huge) B&N about 20 minutes from here. The nearest indie store is about 40 minutes from where we live. We haven't been to this store yet, but we do plan on it.

The store we shop most often recently is our local Goodwill store. We've made some pretty great finds there!

Review of: Pretties

Author: Scott Westerfeld
ISBN: 9780689865398
Pages: 384
Published by: Simon Pulse (November, 2005)
Genre(s): Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Young Adult
Grade: B
Challenge(s): 100+ Reading Challenge - Read 'n Review '09 - Scott Westerfeld Mini-Challenge - 2009 Young Adult Book Challenge


Pretties is the second in a four books series (#1 Uglies, #3 Specials, #4 Extras) by author Scott Westerfeld. As I stated in my review of Uglies, I became aware of this series through my oldest daughter. Pretties picks up a few months after Uglies ends. Tally is now pretty and living/partying in New Pretty Town. Other than that it almost felt like I was reading Uglies again. However, I found myself zipping right through this one (and the next) in just a few days. Again, I had to know what happened to Tally, Shay and the rest. Not sure what that says about me...

My review of Specials will be more in-depth. Quite frankly, I am writing this about 3 months after I read Pretties. I'm going to skip through Specials and re-read some of the chapters to refresh my memory.

Tally has finally become pretty. Now her looks are beyond perfect, her clothes are awesome, her boyfriend is totally hot, and she's completely popular. It's everything she's ever wanted.

But beneath all the fun -- the nonstop parties, the high-tech luxury, the total freedom -- is a nagging sense that something's wrong. Something important. Then a message from Tally's ugly past arrives. Reading it, Tally remembers what's wrong with pretty life, and the fun stops cold.
Now she has to choose between fighting to forget what she knows and fighting for her life -- because the authorities don't intend to let anyone with this information survive.

Buy PRETTIES @ a bookstore near you!

Buy PRETTIES on Amazon