Grave Secret by Charlaine Harris
Berkley Publishing Group
306 Pages
Copyright 2009
Harper Connelly and Tolliver Lang are back. Harper is a young woman with an unique ability - she can located the bodies of the dead and tell how they died. It’s an ability she was left with after being struck by lightening.
The pair, once step brother and sister and now lovers, are back in Texas, hired by a wealthy young woman to determine how her grandfather died. The only problem is the fact that it turns out he was most likely murdered and his caretaker died in childbirth, not of a ruptured appendix as everyone believed.
From the Joyce ranch, the pair heads to Garland to visit their sisters who are being raised by Harper’s aunt. The four are the victims of a horrible childhood, raised by drug addicted parents unable to care for themselves much less their children. The return raises the specter of Cameron, Harper’s sister who vanished after school one day, her body never being found.
A tense time is made all the more tense when Tolliver is shot and then the police receive a death threat aimed at Harper. The following investigation leads the pair back to the very time in their lives that they want nothing more than to forget - their childhood and the loss of Cameron.
This is the fourth book in the series. I’ve enjoyed them all, but this one, in my opinion, is the weakest of the series. Too much clutter, too many characters that seemed to be more filler than character, and too much of the story relied on the past for my tastes. And, the ‘ick’ factor was out in full force every time Harper introduced Tolliver as her brother. Hopefully that will stop in the next book.
Recommendation: The mystery of the grandfather and his caretaker are almost lost in the past in spite of the connection between the events. But, I read it in two days and like Harper and Tolliver enough to suggest it as an enjoyable story, for the most part.
12.31.2009
Book Review: Heat Wave by Richard Castle
Heat Wave by Richard Castle
Hyperion
196 Pages
Copyright 2009
Detective Nikki Heat doesn’t like being saddled with hot-shot reporter, Jameson Rook. He’s too smug, too much of a smart-ass, too meddling by far. And the fact that he’s also too good looking isn’t exactly lost on Heat, either.
During the middle of a heat wave, real estate tycoon Matthew Starr, takes a swan dive from the sixth floor of his apartment building, landing in the middle of a sidewalk café. The investigation leads Heat to further encounters with Rook, the not-so grieving widow, Kimberley Starr, and a variety of mobsters and moguls, all of whom have secrets that they will go to any lengths to protect - including murder. Detective Heat quickly finds herself trying to solve the crime, cope with the heat wave, and with Jameson Rook all at the same time. Luckily, she is more than up to the challenge:
Castle, on ABC, is a well-done cop show with a twist - a bestselling author, Richard Castle, has used his connections to gain permission to hang around an elite New York City homicide team. From the experience, he has written a book, Heat Wave, based on the detectives he ‘works’ with and the cases he has seen. The twist is the fact that when Castle’s book was released on the television show, it was also released in real life.
Recommendation: Slick, cute, and a decent, easy read; not a bad promotional gimmick at all. And if you haven’t watched Castle on ABC, you’re missing one of the best shows on television.
Hyperion
196 Pages
Copyright 2009
Detective Nikki Heat doesn’t like being saddled with hot-shot reporter, Jameson Rook. He’s too smug, too much of a smart-ass, too meddling by far. And the fact that he’s also too good looking isn’t exactly lost on Heat, either.
During the middle of a heat wave, real estate tycoon Matthew Starr, takes a swan dive from the sixth floor of his apartment building, landing in the middle of a sidewalk café. The investigation leads Heat to further encounters with Rook, the not-so grieving widow, Kimberley Starr, and a variety of mobsters and moguls, all of whom have secrets that they will go to any lengths to protect - including murder. Detective Heat quickly finds herself trying to solve the crime, cope with the heat wave, and with Jameson Rook all at the same time. Luckily, she is more than up to the challenge:
Okay, so I admit it. I feel for a slick marketing promotion and did it with a certain amount of glee.Rook rolled a chair over and sat. “Quite a coincidence.”
“Weird, yes. Coincidence, no,” said Detective Heat. “You still taking notes for your article about Homicide? Get this one down. Coincidences break cases. You know why? Because they don’t exist. Find the reason it’s not a coincidence, and you can pretty much get out your handcuffs, because you’re going to be slapping them on somebody damn soon.”
Castle, on ABC, is a well-done cop show with a twist - a bestselling author, Richard Castle, has used his connections to gain permission to hang around an elite New York City homicide team. From the experience, he has written a book, Heat Wave, based on the detectives he ‘works’ with and the cases he has seen. The twist is the fact that when Castle’s book was released on the television show, it was also released in real life.
Recommendation: Slick, cute, and a decent, easy read; not a bad promotional gimmick at all. And if you haven’t watched Castle on ABC, you’re missing one of the best shows on television.
Book Review: Night by Elie Wiesel
Night by Elie Wiesel
Hill and Wang
120 Pages
Copyright 1958 (this edition, 2006)
In 1941, Elie Wiesel was a 13-year-old boy living in Sighet, Transylvania. He was a devote Jew, a student of the Talmud. He was also a student of Moishe the Beadle, a foreign Jew, who had agreed to teach him the Kabbalah. Then, in 1942, Moishe, along with all foreign Jews were removed from Sighet. Months later, Moishe returned. He told how he and the others had been taken into the woods on trucks, forced to dig trenches, and then shot by the Gestapo, their bodies dumped into the very trenches they had just dug. No one believed him.
Wiesel tells how, after Moishe, the Jews of Sighet were moved into one ghetto and then another and then into cattle cars that were nailed shut to be transported to Birkenau, where his mother and younger sister were sent to the crematoria. He survived by saying he was 18; his father by saying he was 40 instead of 50.
From Birkenau, Wiesel and his father were sent to Auschwitz and then, finally to Buchenwald. Wiesel tells of the inhumanity of the camps in stark, simple words that convey the horror of what he endured.
This is one of those books - the kind that embeds itself inside you and will never completely let go. I cannot do it justice but I will include two passages that resonant with me. The first is from the book; the second from Wiesel’s acceptance speech in 1986 when Wiesel was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize:
And, then, in 1986:
Those words, said 23 years ago, resonant even more today than in 1986. They are more relevant now. And the book reinforces what could happen if we fail to heed them.
Recommendation: Read it. We should never forget. We can never forget. Anything else I might say is superfluous.
Hill and Wang
120 Pages
Copyright 1958 (this edition, 2006)
In 1941, Elie Wiesel was a 13-year-old boy living in Sighet, Transylvania. He was a devote Jew, a student of the Talmud. He was also a student of Moishe the Beadle, a foreign Jew, who had agreed to teach him the Kabbalah. Then, in 1942, Moishe, along with all foreign Jews were removed from Sighet. Months later, Moishe returned. He told how he and the others had been taken into the woods on trucks, forced to dig trenches, and then shot by the Gestapo, their bodies dumped into the very trenches they had just dug. No one believed him.
Wiesel tells how, after Moishe, the Jews of Sighet were moved into one ghetto and then another and then into cattle cars that were nailed shut to be transported to Birkenau, where his mother and younger sister were sent to the crematoria. He survived by saying he was 18; his father by saying he was 40 instead of 50.
From Birkenau, Wiesel and his father were sent to Auschwitz and then, finally to Buchenwald. Wiesel tells of the inhumanity of the camps in stark, simple words that convey the horror of what he endured.
This is one of those books - the kind that embeds itself inside you and will never completely let go. I cannot do it justice but I will include two passages that resonant with me. The first is from the book; the second from Wiesel’s acceptance speech in 1986 when Wiesel was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize:
Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, that turned my life into one long night seven times sealed.
Never shall I forget that smoke.
Never shall I forget the small faces of the children whose bodies I saw transformed into smoke under a silent sky.
Never shall I forget those flames that consumed my faith forever.
Never shall I forget the nocturnal silence that deprived me for all eternity of the desire to live.
Never shall I forget those moments that murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to ashes.
Never shall I forget those things, even were I condemned to live as long as God Himself.
Never.
And, then, in 1986:
And now the boy is turning to me. “Tell me,” he asks, “what have you done with my future, what have you done with your life?” And I tell him that I have tried. That I have tried to keep memory alive, that I have tried to fight those who would forget. Because if we forget, we are guilty, we are accomplices.
And then I explain to him how naive we were, that the world did know and remained silent. And that is why I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Sometimes we must interfere. When human lives are endangered, when human dignity is in jeopardy, national borders and sensitivities become irrelevant. Wherever men and women are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political views, that place must - at that moment - become the center of the universe.
Recommendation: Read it. We should never forget. We can never forget. Anything else I might say is superfluous.
Book Review: Letters to the Oval Office: Dear Mr. President by Dwight Young
Letters to the Oval Office: Dear Mr. President by Dwight Young
National Geographic
191 Pages
Copyright 2005
It’s exactly what the title suggests it is - a compilation of letters received by various occupants of the Oval Office, beginning with a letter to George Washington and ending with one to Bill Clinton.
Each letter can be viewed as a small snapshot view into what the country was thinking at the moment it was written. They are simple. They are humorous. They evoke strong emotions. They capture a moment in time.
Here’s the letter to George Washington:
It was sent by John Langdon, president of the Senate.
In another, the King of Siam, states his desire to send elephants to the United States in a letter to Abraham Lincoln. The king believes that given a few years time, the elephant will roam the country as numerous as they do in Siam.
There is a letter that speaks out against the Klan and there is a letter from the Woman of the Ku Klux Klan; letters for Prohibition and letters against Prohibition. Annie Oakley wrote to William McKinley offering him 50 lady sharpshooters in the event that America is drawn into war with Spain after the sinking of the Maine in the Havana harbor. Upton Sinclair wrote to Theodore Roosevelt about his investigation into the abhorrent conditions revealed in Sinclair’s The Jungle. Amelia Earhart wrote to Franklin D. Roosevelt seeking military assistance in refueling during her flight around the world. Fidel Castro also wrote to FDR, asking for a $10 bill. So did Winston Churchill. Churchill’s letter clearly shows the friendship that existed between the two. Three young ladies wrote to Dwight D. Eisenhower beseeching him to keep Elvis out of the military, or at the very least, to save his sideburns. Queen Elizabeth sent Eisenhower her recipe for drop scones. In 1946, Ho Chi Minh sent a telegram to Harry S Truman requesting US help in maintaining his country’s independence. Mother Teresa wrote to Jimmy Carter, pleading with him to do something about ‘the murder of the unborn children’ and to abolish abortion.
My favorite is the letter from Andy Smith to Ronald Reagan in which he states his mother has ‘declared my bedroom a disaster area’ and requests federal funds to hire a crew to clean it up. Reagan answered the letter by pointing out that procedure would require that the person that declared the disaster apply for the funds and suggests that the young man roll up his sleeves and do the job himself.
Recommendation: If you enjoy historical works, this one is an intriguing enjoyable look into the Oval Office.
National Geographic
191 Pages
Copyright 2005
It’s exactly what the title suggests it is - a compilation of letters received by various occupants of the Oval Office, beginning with a letter to George Washington and ending with one to Bill Clinton.
Each letter can be viewed as a small snapshot view into what the country was thinking at the moment it was written. They are simple. They are humorous. They evoke strong emotions. They capture a moment in time.
Here’s the letter to George Washington:
Sir:
I have the honor to transmit to your Excellency the information of your unanimous election to the office of the President of the United States of America. Suffer me, Sir, to indulge in the hope, that so suspicious a mark of public confidence will meet your approbation, and be considred as a formal pledge of the affection and support you are to expect from a freee and an enlightened people
I am, Sir, with sentiments of respect, J. L.
It was sent by John Langdon, president of the Senate.
In another, the King of Siam, states his desire to send elephants to the United States in a letter to Abraham Lincoln. The king believes that given a few years time, the elephant will roam the country as numerous as they do in Siam.
There is a letter that speaks out against the Klan and there is a letter from the Woman of the Ku Klux Klan; letters for Prohibition and letters against Prohibition. Annie Oakley wrote to William McKinley offering him 50 lady sharpshooters in the event that America is drawn into war with Spain after the sinking of the Maine in the Havana harbor. Upton Sinclair wrote to Theodore Roosevelt about his investigation into the abhorrent conditions revealed in Sinclair’s The Jungle. Amelia Earhart wrote to Franklin D. Roosevelt seeking military assistance in refueling during her flight around the world. Fidel Castro also wrote to FDR, asking for a $10 bill. So did Winston Churchill. Churchill’s letter clearly shows the friendship that existed between the two. Three young ladies wrote to Dwight D. Eisenhower beseeching him to keep Elvis out of the military, or at the very least, to save his sideburns. Queen Elizabeth sent Eisenhower her recipe for drop scones. In 1946, Ho Chi Minh sent a telegram to Harry S Truman requesting US help in maintaining his country’s independence. Mother Teresa wrote to Jimmy Carter, pleading with him to do something about ‘the murder of the unborn children’ and to abolish abortion.
My favorite is the letter from Andy Smith to Ronald Reagan in which he states his mother has ‘declared my bedroom a disaster area’ and requests federal funds to hire a crew to clean it up. Reagan answered the letter by pointing out that procedure would require that the person that declared the disaster apply for the funds and suggests that the young man roll up his sleeves and do the job himself.
Recommendation: If you enjoy historical works, this one is an intriguing enjoyable look into the Oval Office.
Book Review: All Things Wise and Wonderful by James Herriot
All Things Wise and Wonderful by James Herriot
St Martin’s Press
440 Pages
Copyright 1977
The James Herriot stories were a mainstay during my high school years. This one, All Things Wise and Wonderful, is the last of the original series. The titles were based on a wont by Cecil Frances Alexander (1818 - 1895), which in turn was inspired by a passage in S. T. Coleridge's The Rime of the Ancient Mariner:
Each book contains stories based on Herriot’s real life adventures as a country vet in the early years of the 1900’s. This one mixes Herriot’s time in training to be an RAF pilot during World War II with his memories of his friends and patients back home in Yorkshire. The characters, both human and animal are memorable and often times humorous. The people are hard-working farmers, the animals both farm animals and beloved pets. It was a different time when veterinary medicine was, at best, primitive. Herriot’s love for his home, the people, and the animals shines through every story he tells.
Herriot, of course, was the pen name of James Alfred Wight.
Recommendation: If you love animals and haven’t read Herriot’s stories, give them a go. They’ll leave you smiling at the very least.
St Martin’s Press
440 Pages
Copyright 1977
The James Herriot stories were a mainstay during my high school years. This one, All Things Wise and Wonderful, is the last of the original series. The titles were based on a wont by Cecil Frances Alexander (1818 - 1895), which in turn was inspired by a passage in S. T. Coleridge's The Rime of the Ancient Mariner:
All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.
Each book contains stories based on Herriot’s real life adventures as a country vet in the early years of the 1900’s. This one mixes Herriot’s time in training to be an RAF pilot during World War II with his memories of his friends and patients back home in Yorkshire. The characters, both human and animal are memorable and often times humorous. The people are hard-working farmers, the animals both farm animals and beloved pets. It was a different time when veterinary medicine was, at best, primitive. Herriot’s love for his home, the people, and the animals shines through every story he tells.
Herriot, of course, was the pen name of James Alfred Wight.
Recommendation: If you love animals and haven’t read Herriot’s stories, give them a go. They’ll leave you smiling at the very least.
12.25.2009
Merry Christmas
1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. 2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) 3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) 5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. 6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. 16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. 17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. 18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
Remembering the reason...
May you all have a joyous Christmas
12.24.2009
Holiday break
It's that time.
I need a break from the craziness to refocus and recenter myself on what truly matters.
I'll be back after Christmas (maybe New Year's).
I hope you all have a blessed Christmas and a joyous New Year...
And may we all find the peace and comfort we so desperately need.
12.20.2009
Book Review: Stolen by Kelley Armstrong
Stolen by Kelley Armstrong
Plume
399 Pages
Copyright 2002 (This edition, 2009)
Stolen is book two in the Women of the Otherworld series by Armstrong. In it, Elena Michaels is back. Elena is the only female werewolf, becoming so after being bitten by her lover, Clayton. Clay is the enforcer for the Pack leader, Jeremy, and after some trials and tribulations, Elena and Clay are once again together.
In Stolen, Elena is contacted by a pair of witches who proceed to tell her that the Pack and the other supernatural species on the planet are all in danger. There’s an internet billionaire and a group of scientists collecting supernaturals to study and exploit.
Elena, after falling prey to the group, finds herself imprisoned below ground with a ragtag collection of other supernaturals facing a sadistic billionaire, his henchmen, and unscrupulous scientists in a life or death struggle.
Kelley Armstrong has a strange ability when it comes to authors, at least with me. She writes stories that both make me crazy and make me want to keep reading. This is another one of those. I like Clay. I like Jeremy. Elena drives me absolutely nuts. Here’s an example as to why: when told by the witches that vampires, witches, and demons are real, Elena finds it impossible to believe. My question? Why? She’s a werewolf. Why would she have such a hard time believing that other supernatural creatures exist? She also does such stupid things that I want to shake some sense into her. At the same time, the story is well enough told that I want to keep reading. I can’t name another author who has the same sort of affect on me.
Recommendation: This is a tough call. It took me awhile to warm up to this one - for the above reasons - but once I did, I didn’t want to put it down. Armstrong does werewolves well, so if you like the genre, you might want to give it a go. I'm glad I did.
Plume
399 Pages
Copyright 2002 (This edition, 2009)
Stolen is book two in the Women of the Otherworld series by Armstrong. In it, Elena Michaels is back. Elena is the only female werewolf, becoming so after being bitten by her lover, Clayton. Clay is the enforcer for the Pack leader, Jeremy, and after some trials and tribulations, Elena and Clay are once again together.
In Stolen, Elena is contacted by a pair of witches who proceed to tell her that the Pack and the other supernatural species on the planet are all in danger. There’s an internet billionaire and a group of scientists collecting supernaturals to study and exploit.
Elena, after falling prey to the group, finds herself imprisoned below ground with a ragtag collection of other supernaturals facing a sadistic billionaire, his henchmen, and unscrupulous scientists in a life or death struggle.
Kelley Armstrong has a strange ability when it comes to authors, at least with me. She writes stories that both make me crazy and make me want to keep reading. This is another one of those. I like Clay. I like Jeremy. Elena drives me absolutely nuts. Here’s an example as to why: when told by the witches that vampires, witches, and demons are real, Elena finds it impossible to believe. My question? Why? She’s a werewolf. Why would she have such a hard time believing that other supernatural creatures exist? She also does such stupid things that I want to shake some sense into her. At the same time, the story is well enough told that I want to keep reading. I can’t name another author who has the same sort of affect on me.
Recommendation: This is a tough call. It took me awhile to warm up to this one - for the above reasons - but once I did, I didn’t want to put it down. Armstrong does werewolves well, so if you like the genre, you might want to give it a go. I'm glad I did.
Sifting thoughts... late night version
So, I know I just did one of these but it's been one of those nights.
I know my animals aren't really trying to drive me crazy. They aren't built that way but let me tell you... there are times when I really, truly wonder.
Tonight it was the dog's turn. Yes, that sweet beast in the photo above. Around 11:00 tonight, she started getting pacey. I figured she needed to go out, so out she went. When she came back in, however, she didn't settle down. She continued to pace and tried to get behind the couch to hide. In short, she was acting like she acts when there's a thunderstorm.
One problem - thunder in winter is rarely heard of in this part of the world.
The more she paced, the more I wondered if there wasn't something wrong so off I went on Riley's version of a snipe hunt. First, we went upstairs. The students I have living on my second floor are gone for break so I thought maybe there was something going on up there - an alarm clock, a timer, something. There was nothing. Riley checked every room.
Next, the third floor, which is nothing but storage. Nothing out of place up there.
Finally, we came back downstairs and headed for the basement. Except, it's not really a basement. Remember my house is 100+ years old; I have a root celler and I hate going down into it. Riley wasn't about to come down with me. She doesn't do basements. There was nothing amiss but I did hear something.
A chirp.
When it chirped a second time, I realized it wasn't in the basement but in the backroom - it's my pantry/laundry/junk room located off my kitchen. I don't use it in the winter because it's too hard to heat.
By this time, it's 2:00 in the morning. I've been to bed once but had to get up because the dog refused to settle down. We've toured the house twice by this time. I'm standing in a room with no heat, listening for... what?
A smoke detector with a dying battery.
A chirping smoke detector.
I pulled the battery and the chirping stopped.
Next, the dog and I went for a drive. I took her to campus, let her out of the car and let her run along next to the car for about a mile. She had a lot of excess energy to run off by this time.
So, it's now 3:00. I'm wide awake because I'm on nights and sort of conditioned to be up at this time. I was tired when I went to bed three hours ago but now I'm awake...
Oh, the reason I posted a picture of Riley and Maddie? She's gone AWOL. I figure she's upstairs and I'm not going after her. She's safe inside.
But really. They aren't truly trying to drive me nuts... are they?
UPDATE:
So, how bad do I feel?
I should've gone looking for Little Miss Houdini.
Turns out she'd followed me up to the third floor... and got herself shut in up there.
Thank God one of my tenants was still here. He heard her meowing and rescued her but she spent the night in the cold.
Good grief. What a night.
12.18.2009
Opinions wanted... Reading 'The Classics'
I've been a reader as long as I can remember, which I'm sure holds true for most of us.
In spite of my love of reading, I've never taken a literature class. Not in high school, not in college. I guess I didn't want to make reading work and wanted to read what I wanted to read.
But, given that, I feel like I haven't read some of the books I should have read. You know, The Classics. I'm ashamed to admit that I hadn't read "To Kill A Mockingbird" until about four years ago. It's now my favorite book.
The question got me looking for a list of "The Classics"; the books everyone should read in their lives. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be one set list. So, I went looking and I found a list of books recommended for AP classes in high school. It seems to fit the bill, at least to some degree:
1. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
2. The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
3. Animal Farm by George Orwell
4 Anne of Green Gables (the series) by Lucy Maud Montgomery
5 Anthem by Ayn Rand
6 Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne
7 Beloved by Toni Morrison
8 The Black Rose by Thomas B. Costain
9 The Black Stallion by Walter Farley
10 Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
11 The Call of the Wild by Jack London
12 Captains Courageous by Rudyard Kipling
13 Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
14 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
15 The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
16 The Color Purple by Alice Walker
17 The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
18 The Crucible by Arthur Miller
19 The Diary of Anne Frank edited by Otto Frank
20 Dracula by Bram Stoker
21 Emma by Jane Austen
22 Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
23 The Far Pavilions by M.M. Kaye
24 Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
25 The Giver by Lois Lowry
26 The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
27 Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
28 The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
29 Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift
30 Harry Potter (the series) by J.K. Rowling
31 The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
32 Holes by Louis Sachar
33 The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
34 Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet A. Jacobs
35 The Incredible Journey by Sheila Every Burnford
36 The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks
37 Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott
38 The Invisable Man by H.G. Wells
39 Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
40 Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne
41 The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
42 The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling
43 Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson
44 The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper
45 The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving
46 The Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder
47 The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery
48 A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
49 Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
50 Lord of the Flies by William Golding
51 The Lord of the Rings (the trilogy) by J.R.R. Tolkien
52 Macbeth by William Shakespeare
53 The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury
54 The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
55 My Antonia by Willa Cather
56 My Bondage and My Freedom by Frederick Douglass
57 Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave by Frederick Douglass
58 Night by Elie Wiesel
59 The Odyssey by Homer
60 Old Yeller by Fred Gipson
61 The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
62 The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
63 The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
64 Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw
65 The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane
66 The Red Pony by John Steinbeck
67 Redwall (the series) by Brian Jacques
68 Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe
69 The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
70 The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
71 Shane by Jack Schaefer
72 Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
73 The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
74 The Tempest by William Shakespeare
75 The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
76 Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll
77 The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
78 To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
79 Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
80 A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
81 The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
82 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
83 The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells
84 War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
85 Watership Down by Richard Adams
86 White Fang by Jack London
87 Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
88 A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
89 The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
So, I'm looking for opinions:
First, what do you think of the list?
Second, are there any books not on it that you think should be included?
I'm interested in anything that you would consider a classic, which is a nebulous classification at best. Think back to all those books that you had to read in school and let me know if you think I should add it to my list.
The titles in bold are ones I've already read, which leaaves me with 58 on the list. There are some that I think I've read but I'm not sure if I've read them or if I'm simply familiar with them because of their status in the bookworld, so I'm leaving them on the list.
I'm looking forward to any suggestions you guys may have, if you feel so inclined.
Friday night free-for-all
This has been an interesting day. Honestly.
It started with Mad Max doing what he does best - driving me nuts.
Once it starts snowing my cats become homebodies. They don't so much as poke their noses out the door.
Except for last night. Max took it into his head to bolt out the door when I let the dog out before going to work. So, he spent a long, cold night outside. Then, when I got home this morning, as I let the dog out, I called the cat. At first, there was nothing, but then I heard scratching sounds like he was trying to get over the fence. It didn't work but I could hear him over there, crying. He sounded so pitiful. I went into the neighbor's yard and found him huddled under their deck. Problem was, I couldn't get to him and it was 0715 in the morning. I don't know my neighbors well enough to be standing in their yard at 0715 calling my cat. Who, by the way, refused to come to me. He came out from under the deck but not to where I could get him. He kept meowing pitifully but refused to budge.
Long story short, he was still gone when I got up this afternoon but finally came in after I got back from running some errands. He's trying to make me crazy, I swear.
The day improved after I got up because on of my errands was to get my hair cut. Man, I needed it. I felt like a shaggy dog. I don't like long hair and wear my seriously short so now I feel so much better. I've also made a decision. I think I'm going to stop coloring my hair to hide my gray. We'll see how long that thought lasts.
And finally, I got the best news ever this afternoon, after my haircut. I had a message on my cell asking me to call my niece, so I did and she gave me the best Christmas present ever. She got a job! She graduated back in May and has been plugging away at the application process since. She even contemplated selling her horse in order to pay her bills. Now, that's all over. She's thrilled, relieved, and excited. She starts on January 4th and I know she'll do an amazing job.
It will truly be a happy Christmas around the table this year, that's for sure.
12.17.2009
So, apparently, it's time for a change...
Not that there was anything wrong with my old look, but I felt the need to spiff the place up for the coming new year.
I am not, however, one of those people that loves to tinker with things like HTML and all that other stuff, so I go with ready-made. I sorta like the simplicity of this one; that and the lighter quality. I think I was tired of the green...
If anything's not right, please let me know.
I am not, however, one of those people that loves to tinker with things like HTML and all that other stuff, so I go with ready-made. I sorta like the simplicity of this one; that and the lighter quality. I think I was tired of the green...
If anything's not right, please let me know.
12.16.2009
Memories of Christmas
Today is my day to participate in The Advent Blog Tour. I hope you enjoy my small part in it.
I grew up the fifth of six children. My parents did their best and, in spite of not having a lot of money, they did a remarkable job. We were raised to be hard-working, decent, loving people and that's what we are, I'm proud to say.
My mom passed away in October of 2003 and Christmas has been hard ever since. My family has fractured - we're spread out and distant from each other so the days of the entire family gathering around the table at the family homestead are gone. I miss those days.
Whe we were kids, there was one rule on Christmas morning: no going downstairs until our parents called us to come down. I'm not sure which was the bigger reason - to allow for last minute details or to allow them to celebrate with a few minutes of quiet togetherness before chaos descended.
It always did, of course. Some years we'd simply tumble down the stairs at break-neck speed to see what Santa had left us. Other years, we would all gather in the oldest sister's room to await the call and devise a more 'civilized' way to make the descent. One year it was by height; another by age; a third by sex (girls first); and another girl-boy.
As we grew older, those days of huddling together diminished; the older kids wanted to sleep as long as possible and there was always one lay-about that had to be dragged out so we could go down.
Once downstairs, we kissed our parents and then took our special spots throughout the room to await the goodies. We have home movies of those days, dizzying shots of mayhem and chaos that can still bring a smile to my face. One is still completely clear; me, holding up a small chalkboard as though it was the grandest treasure ever. I have no idea now why I was so thrilled to get it but I do remember it was broken by Christmas night, thanks to my sister.
We may not have gotten the most expensive presents but we usually got what we wanted and our parents always made sure we got the things we need most year-round. They instilled in us so many good things it's hard to recount them all. Love, hope, dedication, charity, generosity, and faith...
I will be with family on Christmas - one sister, her husband, and my two beloved nieces will get together at their house. It will be quieter but none the less joyous, and I'm certain some of the memories of Christmas past will be with us.
And finally, I'd like to share my favorite Christmas song with you: Silent Night by Mannheim Steamroller:
May this Christmas bring us all love, joy, kindness, and peace.
Especially the peace.
I grew up the fifth of six children. My parents did their best and, in spite of not having a lot of money, they did a remarkable job. We were raised to be hard-working, decent, loving people and that's what we are, I'm proud to say.
My mom passed away in October of 2003 and Christmas has been hard ever since. My family has fractured - we're spread out and distant from each other so the days of the entire family gathering around the table at the family homestead are gone. I miss those days.
Whe we were kids, there was one rule on Christmas morning: no going downstairs until our parents called us to come down. I'm not sure which was the bigger reason - to allow for last minute details or to allow them to celebrate with a few minutes of quiet togetherness before chaos descended.
It always did, of course. Some years we'd simply tumble down the stairs at break-neck speed to see what Santa had left us. Other years, we would all gather in the oldest sister's room to await the call and devise a more 'civilized' way to make the descent. One year it was by height; another by age; a third by sex (girls first); and another girl-boy.
As we grew older, those days of huddling together diminished; the older kids wanted to sleep as long as possible and there was always one lay-about that had to be dragged out so we could go down.
Once downstairs, we kissed our parents and then took our special spots throughout the room to await the goodies. We have home movies of those days, dizzying shots of mayhem and chaos that can still bring a smile to my face. One is still completely clear; me, holding up a small chalkboard as though it was the grandest treasure ever. I have no idea now why I was so thrilled to get it but I do remember it was broken by Christmas night, thanks to my sister.
We may not have gotten the most expensive presents but we usually got what we wanted and our parents always made sure we got the things we need most year-round. They instilled in us so many good things it's hard to recount them all. Love, hope, dedication, charity, generosity, and faith...
I will be with family on Christmas - one sister, her husband, and my two beloved nieces will get together at their house. It will be quieter but none the less joyous, and I'm certain some of the memories of Christmas past will be with us.
And finally, I'd like to share my favorite Christmas song with you: Silent Night by Mannheim Steamroller:
May this Christmas bring us all love, joy, kindness, and peace.
Especially the peace.
12.15.2009
Book Review: A Christmas Secret by Anne Perry
A Christmas Secret by Anne Perry
Ballantine Books
208 Pages
Copyright 2006
Dominic Corde, former brother-in-law of Charlotte Pitt, and his wife, Clarice, have been sent to the village of Cottisham as temporary replacements for Reverend Wynter, the much loved vicar gone off on a holiday. Dominic and Clarice are thrilled to be out from beneath the caustic eye of his superior, and want to make as good an impression on the village as possible. Things become dicey, however, when Clarice discovers the Reverend’s body in the cellar, clearly the victim of murder. With no real police around, the pair takes it upon themselves to figure out who killed the kindly old vicar and why. They’re soon up to their necks in the unhappy secrets of the villagers - one such secret being the basis for murder.
Anne Perry is a favorite author but I hadn’t gotten around to her ‘Christmas books’ series until now. And, to be perfectly honest, I have no idea how long this one has languished in my TBR stack. It isn’t a complicated book by any means, but it is a delightful Christmas read filled with cold, snowy images, interesting characters, and an adequate mystery with an adequate (but uncomplicated) solution.
The best part of this was the fact that Perry brought back two somewhat minor characters from her Charlotte and Thomas Pitt series - Dominic, the man Charlotte thought she was in love with until Thomas came along, was married to Charlotte’s sister until she was murdered back at the beginning of the series; and Clarice, a minor character from another book that fell in love with Dominic and together the pair found their salvation in each other. Revisiting them to see how they’re getting along was a wonderful treat.
Recommendation: Perry writes solid, enjoyable stories set in a time that is long gone. Her characters are well enough constructed that I remembered Dominic and Clarice despite the fact that was originally introduced to them years ago. It’s a lovely book and I’ll be looking forward to reading the others in the series.
12.13.2009
Book Review: Flesh Circus by Lilith Saintcrow
Flesh Circus by Lilith Saintcrow
Orbit
304 Pages
Copyright 2000
Time to go to the back of the book:
Lilith Saintcrow is, without a doubt, a master of the urban fantasy genre. Jill Kismet is a tough, no-nonsense hero who fights the nightside forces and herself with the fate of humanity hanging in the balance. The action jumps off the page and pulls you in with a choke hold that doesn’t let up until the last word:
Recommendation: Flesh Circus is the fourth in the Jill Kismet series, which keeps getting better. If you like kick-ass action, strong characters, and urban fantasy, check it out. I doubt you’ll be disappointed.
Orbit
304 Pages
Copyright 2000
Time to go to the back of the book:
With the usual hellbreed causing trouble, the Cirque drawing the suicidal, the weak, and the depressed into their midst, zombies stalking the night, and average people being possessed by the loa of voodoo, Jill really doesn’t need anything more to deal with and of course, she gets it. Saul, her werecat partner and mate, is back from attending his mother’s funeral but is his return permanent or will Jill be finding herself alone once again? What’s a hunter to do, besides putting all of the pieces together and figuring out, once again, how to save the city she has sworn to protect?The Cirque De Charnu has come to town…
When circus performers start dying grotesquely, Jill Kismet has to find out why, or the entire city will become a carnival of horror. She also has to play the resident hell breed power against the Cirque to keep them in line, and find out why ordinary people are needing exorcisms. And then there’s the murdered voodoo practitioners, and the zombies.
Jill Kismet is about to find out that some games are played for keeps…
Lilith Saintcrow is, without a doubt, a master of the urban fantasy genre. Jill Kismet is a tough, no-nonsense hero who fights the nightside forces and herself with the fate of humanity hanging in the balance. The action jumps off the page and pulls you in with a choke hold that doesn’t let up until the last word:
Like all of Saint crows ‘heroes’, Jill Kismet is strong, yet vulnerably flawed. She may have superhuman abilities but she is clearly not superhuman. That makes her a far more likable character, one you can’t help but root for.The trailer was small, and every surface inside was crawling. Little bits of darkness moved, fluttering chitinous legs and wings twitched as the roaches spilled over every surface. A pinprick of laser-red light glowed on the back of every goddamn insect, and they startled into flight as I let out a half-swallowed, childlike cry of revulsion.
Hey, they were bugs, and they surprised me.
The tide of insect life streamed past me, little hairy legs touching and brushing. Saul’s coughing growl warned me.
I couldn’t worry about the inside of the trailer just at the moment. There was something behind me, and Saul barely managed to get the warning out in time.
I threw myself back and down, landing hard on the two portable wooden steps leading up to the crumpled door. I’d blown a hole in the side of the trailer, and I shot the Ringmaster four times as he hung in the air over me, the crystal knob atop his cane ringing a high-piercing note as a silverjacket bullet bounced off or past it, whistling until it smashed into the side of his leering, screaming face. It even knocked his hat off.
He dropped straight down. My knees jerked up, I rolled backward down the steps. My shoulder grated hard and popped against straining wood, the edge of a step biting the back of my neck before I made a lunging, fishlike twist and was suddenly, irrationally on my feet but facing the wrong way, whirling and dropping to one knee as the whip flicked out. The silver falsettos tied to the end of its length jingled sweetly before they flayed flesh from the Ringmaster’s wrist, and his cane clattered away, the crystal bouncing down first as if it was too heavy for the laws of physics.
Recommendation: Flesh Circus is the fourth in the Jill Kismet series, which keeps getting better. If you like kick-ass action, strong characters, and urban fantasy, check it out. I doubt you’ll be disappointed.
12.07.2009
Music Mundays 8
Christmas time makes me think back to my childhood quite a bit. I'm sure I'm not the only one...
So, today, in honor to my childhood days, I thought I'd present the 'soundtrack of my childhood'... TV wise, that is:
First, one of my all-time favorites, I Love Lucy, this version is the opening theme but it isn't the opening. Did you know there are words to it?
Then, one of the coolest songs ever: Mission: Impossible. I wanted to be one of the cool guys ont the IMF team.
And, who wouldn't want to spend their days traveling from place to place on a private train? James West was the cool secret agent before they were cool.
Book 'em, Dano! Nothing more needed to be said...
The start of my love affair with space:
And can't forget the coolest cab drivers ever:
How cool would it have been to spend the night driving a taxi in NYC?
And finally, one more. This one holds a special place in my heart because it was the first cop show that seemed truly real to me; gritty, raw, funny, heart-wrenching. Hill Street Blues had it all. It was a must watch when I was in college - all of us studying criminal justice watched and talked about the next day. It always blew me away.
So, how about you? What show's music can instantly take you back?
12.04.2009
Friday Night free-for-all
I love the magicaly quality a snowfall can give the land. Everything is covered in a sparkling blanket of white, like a fairy land. There is a hush that comes with a blanket of snow that is difficult to explain unless you've experienced it. I love standing in my backyard in the early morning and simply listening to that quiet.
February, however, is another story...
So, speaking of book covers...
There's a book making the rounds in the book blog realm. It seems to be a well received book but I cannot for the life of me work up the desire to read it. Because of the cover:
I have no idea why I have such a negative reaction to the cover but I do. It isn't a book I would pick up in the bookstore and I still have no desire to read it, in spite of the fact that it does seem like my kind of book.
Compare that to this cover, the cover of a book I loved, one I picked up because of its cover:
For me, it's a beautiful cover, one that makes me want to learn what secrets are locked inside. And, as I said, I was drawn to it by the cover.
So, any theories on why one cover draws us in and another one doesn't?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)