The Book Hook giveaway: It is a tie!

Thank you to all readers for your great comments.  Let me introduce the judges:  

Judge no. 1: 

Megan of ONA INK blog fame.  Do you read her?  If not start!  We've been friends for 10 years.  She's a great writer and has been a great travel companion.  Check out our travels in Greece of 2008 here.  Someday we are both going to write about our exciting trip to Morocco where we both thought we were going to die.  yep.  die.  (Nov of 2010)

Megan's top Book Hook winners were:
1. Tiana- Under the condition that she sends a picture of her using the Book Hook in any of the ways she describes in her comment. I am very curious about this "gold spray painted lingerie."  She also wrote interesting comments on each of your posts.  Finally, her whole life has been leading up to this moment. She is an avid reader, she is a librarian and her last name is Page. Of course she is destined for the Book Hook. 
2. Hannah- Like Arwen, the story of the 8 year old niece tugged at my heart-strings, and I really love the idea of a child getting excited about a hunk of wood and not a shiny electronic device.  Hannah also made very insightful comments. 
3. Mad Hadder- You had me at "gejumpen and gescreamen"!!!! 

Judge no. 2
Let me introduce Arwen:  She just graduated from Library Science school.   She is a great writer but no longer a blogger.  She's my little sister and I still torture her in a big sister way even though our combine ages almost qualify us for a senior citizen discount at Sizzlers.  i.e.  On Saturday she claims she called shotgun, but she didn't.  it. was. a. lie.  

1. I chose Hannah as winner because she had relevant comments to the posts and also because she mentioned wanting to give the book hook to her eight year old niece.  I was eight when I learned to love reading and it struck a cord with me.
2.  For second place, I chose Tiana because she commented on every post and always had something interesting to say about one or more of the books.
3.  For third place, I chose Jani, because she is my sister and she loves to read.  Hail nepotism! 

How in the world do I decide now that my judges have caused this tie and neither of them will break it?  You get to decide!  Please vote in the poll!  Hurray for all the readers of the world.  The spines of books are hoping this book hook idea will take off!

Book Hook...the end is near

The reviews are all posted.  The comments are incoming.  I'm excited for the winner of the Book Hook.  I've stepped out of the mix.  Arwen and Megan will choose by Tuesday March 20, 2012 8:00 PM Mountain Daylight time.  Good luck to everyone and thanks for reading my blog!

The last book reviews from 2011: Winter Books

In Defense of Food

Author: Michael Pollan

First Published: 2008

Where I read it: I listened to this just after Thanksgiving as I commuted.  

Pollan starts off with this sentence:  Eat food.  Not too much.  Mostly Plants.  You don’t really need to read much after that.  It was interesting to hear about the development of the food industry and how it convinced us all that cooking like our Grandmas did on the farm was bad.  But his first line was also his bottom line.  Eat food.  Not too much.  Mostly plants.   

Maniac Magee
Author: Jerry Spinelli
First Published: 1990
Where I read it: I listned to this book while I was working 100 hours of overtime for my school directing “Joseph and the Amazing Technicholar Dreamcoat.”  After teaching singing all day and then staying after to direct the musicl sometimes the LAST thing I wanted to do was get into my car and listen to more music.  Reading Maniac was a great way to get my mind off of school and Go, Go, Go Joseph out of my head.

This is a great story geared toward children that tacles the tough issue of racisism.  I got totally wrapped up in Maniac’s journey as he moved between the white and black sides of town.  I love his relastionship with Amanda McBeal’s family.   I’ve liked Jerry Spinelli since I read Stargirl.  I’ll make sure to read this one to my children.  

Jane Eyre

Author: Charlotte Brontë

First Published: 1847

Where I read it:  I listened to this one around Christmas.  It is a good book to read in the dark of winter.  

I read this in high school.  At least I think II remember reading it.  I remember the “big secret”  I think I remember...Maybe. I do remember madly trying to finish Jane Eyre for a book report in my AP English class.  I probably  got an A on the report.  But if I did, Mrs. Forsgren must have been very tolerant to her young and naive readers.  Reading Jane Eyre as an adult I gleaned so much more than my teenage self did.  All I remembered as a 16 year old girl was: Wife.  Tower. Fire. Marriage.  Drama.  As an adult I found the narrative much more interesting than the story.  Jane’s upbringing at boarding school was fascinating.  Her transition from wayward student to model teacher was especially interesting and I would have loved a little more insight into that part.

The first part of the book is flooded with Jane’s feelings and thoughts.  She hated Mrs. Reed.  She was confused at the discipline of school.  Her ideas flowed freely on the page.  But as Jane grew up her fiery thoughts became more guarded.  The reader had to decipher Jane’s ideas and passions based on her conversations.  Her conversations with Mr. Rotchester offered the most insight into Jane’s adult life.  This is a great story and I’ll reread it several more times.   

Stargirl

Author: Jerry Spinelli

First Published: 2000

Where I read it: I listened to this book with my entire family.  We did the yearly exodus from snowy Salt Lake City to warm(ish) Tucson for Christmas.  It was a fun book for the whole family.  

This was a re-read.  I read (listened to) Stargirl a few years ago.  I loved it then and I loved it the second time too.  But the re-reading made all of Leo’s silly high school insecure decisions seem almost tragic.  How could he let Stargirl slip through his fingers?  Why would Stargirl try to be Susan?  Yes this book was sadder the second time through.  

Howl’s moving Castle
Author: Diana Wynne Jones
First Published: 1986
Where I read it: I read this down in Ariozona during my Christmas Break.  We all got the stomace flu and were in and out of the bathroom around the clock.  It’s never fun to be sick, but having an easy fairy tale to read while you are makes it a little easier.  I recommend this book when you want something light and fun. Read it to your children who have never been to a Castle but are enchantented by pictures of them.   If your children are lucky enough to have been to castles then read it to them anyhow.

My review: I didn’t get Howl’s Moving Castle the first time and turned around and re read it.  The plot was better than the writing, but the writing wasn’t by any means painful.  The idea of a moving castle is so romantic. I’ll recomend it to my children.  It isn’t as good as the hype but still fun.   

Book Hook

Attention potential Book Hook owners.  Megan and Arwen decided that March 10th was not enough time for a give away.  This means that the Book Hook Give Away continues.  Until March 20th.  If you haven't commented yet please make sure to do so!  I'm shocked how few comments I received.  Isn't the book hook the coolest thing ever?  Don't you want one?!?!  That is all.  Happy reading in 2012 and stay tuned for my last set of book reviews.  

Remember here is how to get the Book Hook:

How to get the Book Hook. 

1.  Make a comment about one of my book reviews (upcoming) on one of the next 4 blog posts where I will review all the books I read in 2011 per season.  Let me know if you liked one or more of the books, or liked/disliked my reviews -or- post your own review of one of the books. 
2. Leave a comment on this post and tell me how you would use the book hook.  Be creative. 
3.  Become a follower of my blog. 

I'm going to have my "committee" composing of me, Megan (remember she was present during the making of the book hook.) and Arwen my sister and recipient of the first Book Hook choose a winner.  All comments need to be finished by March 19, 2012.   Megan, Arwen and I will choose winners by March 20th.

Just to remind you how beautiful it is.

2011 Fall Books - Book Hook winners soon!

Thanks for everyone who commented and is a follower of this blog and wants the book hook. Megan and Arwen are now reviewing and will post winners by March 10th. I'm going to let them decide together and stay out of it. I'm no big time blogger, but this was a fun thing. Thanks all!

Here are more books from 2011

The Pillars of the Earth

Author: Ken Follett

Date Published: 1989

Genera: Adult Fiction

Where I read it:  I can’t even remember.  Fall was kind of a blur with starting back to work when Baby G was 12 weeks old.  

The review: No doubt about it this is an epic adventure story.  It spans the lifetime of several diverse characters.  The plot kept me turning pages, and I enjoyed parts of the journey.  It also inspired me to finally buy this painting which I'd been thinking about getting for years.  But, I can't say that I liked it or would recommend it. Pillars just had too much rape and torture and not enough virtue, lovely, good works and praise worthy.  I can see why people really liked it, but violence against women really turns me off.    

City of Angles

Author: Cheralyn Pratt

First Published: 2010

Genera: LDS Fiction (good LDS fiction)

Where I read it:  I read this book while nursing, stirring pasta, waiting to fall asleep, on Saturday mornings, in the bathroom.  I couldn’t put it down.  

This book was fun and refreshingly humorous.  Also, I know the author.  Sherilyn has a whit that I really underestimated while sitting across from her in relief society meetings (church.)  City of Angles has a good cadence and a refreshing mix of clever humor and insightful reflection.

I never read the back covers of books.  I like to experience the everything first hand with out waiting for “that part I saw on the movie trailer.” I don’t watch movie trailers either.  The first half of the book seemed such a different flavor from Deseret Book that I actually had tricked myself into being surprised when Ms. Pratt brought religion on the crime scene.   

I like church.  I like reading, but I don’t like reading pop culture books about “coming to God.”  I wasted too many hours as a pre-teen reading Jack Wayland’s Charly type novels.  Part of me feels only Victor Hugo and George Elliot type authors can do conversion justice.  When Rhea, the heroine of City of Angles, met a couple of Mormon missionaries I expected the whole thing to blow up.  But it didn’t!  It was funny and thoughtful and with out being overly sentimental. Congratulations to Ms. Pratt!.  I feel honored to know the author and I can’t wait for the next one in the series.  I recommend this to all my LDS friends and anyone who can handle a fun crime novel with a little religion in it.

Left to Tell

Author: Immaculee Ilibagiza

First Published: 2006

Genera: Christian Non-Fiction

Where I read it:  I listened to this commuting to work around Thanksgiving 2011.

The Rwandan Holocaust happened during my life time.  I was a teenager in 1994. During this terror 1,000,000 people were hacked to death by their former friends and neighbors. At the time I had no idea where Rwanda was.  My life concerned of who said hi to me in the halls and who I sat next to in class.  Teenagers are very self centered.  I was no exception.  I like to think I’m less selfish now. But even now that I listen to NPR and know where Rwanda is, I still felt disconnected from African History. Immaculee Ilibagiza’s story makes it personal.  She survived the killings staying hidden in a crowded bathroom with other women for 91 days.  Left to tell was a quick read and well worth the time.  The story was about faith, and survival. It informed me about the history but still left me with lots of questions the most important being: How could people turn on their friends and slaughter them? I wanted more insight into the killers brain. I read next Machete Season but it wasn't really worth my time.

Machete season

Author: Jean Hatzfeld

First Published: 2006

Genera: Non-Fiction

Where I read it:  I skimmed this one sitting in my arm chair nursing my baby.  Somehow having a nursing baby while I read it made reading about killings much more painful.  

This book was pretty graphic.  I wish I could have read it in the original French because the translation wasn't very good.  It didn’t really give me the insight into the minds of the Rwandan killers like I was hoping for.

Poison Study

Author: Maria V. Snyder

First Published: 2007

Genera: Adult Fiction (the fluffy kind)

When I read it:  While nursing and in bed when I didn’t have anything else to read.  

Disgraceful. I read this book because it is a cousin's favorite. I like my cousin but this book is atrocious. I'd rate it only slightly above a dime store bodice buster but with out any steamy romance to redeem it. (I realize the word redeem is a poor word choice to describe positive qualities of a romance novel but I'm happily just a book critic NOT an aspiring author.) Sadly this book had no romantic chemistry between the main characters. Anachronisms really bother me and Poison study is full of them. I kept trying to figure out when it was set: medieval Europe? The Midwest? Middle earth? The author referenced factories, leotards and coffee beans but her characters were carrying candles and fighting with both guns and broadswords. 

To be fair the plot wasn't bad. It really want bad. I just wish Ms. Snyder had sold her plot idea to someone who could actually write. 

Middle March

Author: George Elliot

First Published: 1871

Genera: Classics

Where I read it:  Late summer going into Fall.  I listened to it.  I walked over to the Utah State Capiotol overlook on A street and 7th Ave to finish it.  

Brilliant. Brilliant. Brilliant. Reviewing this book is so intimidating.  I love George Elliot.  I love her insight into human nature.  I love her whit and humor.  This could be one of the best novels every written.   If I didn’t have equally insurmountable goals of someday learning to play the piano, I might cut off my right arm if I could write like her.  I’ll buy this book in hard cover and read it again and again.  10 stars.  

When you reach me

Author: Rebecca Stead

First Published: 2009

Genera: YA Fiction, Newberry

Where I read it:  I listened it to it mostly while deep cleaning my kitchen as my baby slept.  

I really had a hard time getting into this one.  But I kept at it and it got more interesting.  The ending makes it all worth while.  I would expect more from the Newberry Award winner.  I’d give the middle 3 stars and the ending 5 stars.

Book a Thousand days

Author: Shannon Hale

First Published: 2007

Where I read it: I listened to this book with my little sister while driving back from our family cabin in Montana late fall.  

This was my favorite Shannon Hale yet.  Imagine two girls stuck in a tower for a few years.  How can you make that interesting?  Shannon did!  I liked this adventurous story.  It was light and easy to read but had some depth exploring feudal systems.  The thing that bothered me was the singing (I listened to it)  It drives me crazy when authors make singing magical.  I know that is funny coming from a singer!  Maybe it is because in the past for me singing has been the result of lots and lots of hard work NOT a magic wand.

2011 Summer -June and July (Books I read after giving birth to baby G)

The King of Attolia

Author:  Megan Whalen Turner

First Published: 2006

Genera: YA

Where I read it. I rewarded my self a re-read of this entire series after I endured natural child birth.  The day after Baby G was born I started The Thief, then the Queen of Attolia then the King then Conspiracy of Kings.  Then...I waited two weeks and.....re-read the entire series.  I haven’t re-read a book so fast since My Fathers Dragon when I was seven under the covers with a flashlight.  

The review: I think I'm emotionally attached to this series. For the last 30 days the only thing I've done is feed my tiny new baby and read and re-read. I love the adventure and the politics. Ms. Turner is a master at foreshadowing events. And as for a plot, my goodness, this is a great story. 

But I’m a girl, and a romantic, so the best part of the series is the relationship between Attolia and Eugenides. It. is. completely. captivating. I find myself opening the books again and again to re-read my favorite parts. Example: The time the King and Queen are dancing and he pulls all of the hair pins out of her hair. This is subtle romance, not sex on every page, or sappy teenage angsty love. 

At the risk of offending Twilight fans (speaking of teenage angst love) I want to say that the relationship between the King and the Queen is exactly what twilight should have been given all of it’s hype. I feel bad comparing the two since really The Queen’s Thief books are far superior, but if this review entices any of the billion twilight fans to read this series instead then all the better! I give The Queen and The King of Atolia both 5 ½ stars and if you give them any thing less than 4 stars I demand you to justify your decision. (Like Megan McMurrin for example who only gave this book 3. Explain!?!) 

I also read:

The Theif - twice

The Queen of Atollia -three times

A Conspiracy of Kings - twice

Pride and Prejudice
Author: Jane Austin
First Published: 1813
Where I read it:  I listened to it while walking very slowly around my neighborhood with my newborn baby strapped to my chest.  

The review: I have a confession.  I’ve told people  for years that I’d read P&P but I really only had seen the movie.  (Every version of the movie)  Even Spencer, my husband, who only reads books about athletes had read Pride and Prejudice.  Incidentally this is what Spencer had to say about Jane Austins most read novel “It was much more clever than I would have thought.”    I felt so embarrassed to say I never had never experienced the written version of Mr. Darcy.  I decided to make myself honest this summer and I read it just after Geneva was born.  Pride and Prejudice is fantastic.  Obviously I am the last person to read it on the planet so I won’t do any kind of a summary.  I’ll close with this admonition: If you, like me, have only seen the movie.  Do your self a favor and read the book.  Amen.  

Stranger in a Strange Land

Author: Robert A. Heinlein

Date Published:1961

Where I read it: I read this while painting and cleaning an apartment after one of our tenants moved.  The guy left the place trashed.  

The review: I hated this book.  I like lots of science fiction but this one left a bad taste in my mouth.  The author seemed obsessed with sex.  very obsessed with sex.  Spencer, my husband, had to read it in high school for his English class.  Really?  This book?  With all the great literature in the world I’d have to give his teacher an F for picking this book.  Off hand I can think of a number of books that explore the same concept and are more appropriate.  

The plot is interesting.  A man was raised my martians on Mars and then comes to earth to be with is “people.”  He realizes his alien upbringing has made him a stranger  There is really much more too it than that and I did “get” the book.  I just didn’t like it.  Two thumbs down.

Entwined -
Author: Heather Dixon
Date Published: 2011
Genera; YA

Where I read it:  I read this book up at my Grandparents cabin in a very isolated valley in Montana surrounded by all of my sisters.  I read it in the loft of the cabin around the solstice so it was light till 10:30 every day.  It was the perfect time to read it.

The review: This was a fun retelling of the 12 dancing princesses. I like the Gothic imagery of the run down castle and the old magic juxtaposed into a more modern life. The scene where the princess first find the hidden ballroom was enchanting. However, some of the princesses were stock characters. This is really no discredit to Ms. Dixon, I don't think even the best author could avoid this literary trap considering their need to be twelve princesses. My chief complaint was the dialogue. It was too Nickelodeon and diminished the romanticism otherwise achieved by her setting and descriptions. On another note it made me wish I were a dancer. I've got two left feet.


To get the Book Hook remember:

1.  Make a comment about one of my book reviews (upcoming) on one of the next 4 blog posts where I will review all the books I read in 2011 per season.  Let me know if you liked one or more of the books, or liked/disliked my reviews -or- post your own review of one of the books. 
2. Leave a comment on the Book Hook Post and tell me how you would use the book hook.  Be creative. 
3.  Become a follower of my blog. 


I'm going to have my "committee" composing of me, Megan (remember she was present during the making of the book hook.) and Arwen my sister and recipient of the first Book Hook choose a winner.  All comments need to be finished by March 6, 2012.   Megan, Arwen and I will choose winners by March 10th.