The Deserter's Tale by Joshua Key

The Deserter's Tale: The Story of an Ordinary Soldier Who Walked Away From the War in Iraq by Joshua Key (with Lawrence Hill)

"I never thought I would lose my country, and I never dreamed it would lose me. I was raised as a patriotic American, taught to respect my country and to believe my president. " So begins this memorable, heart-felt account of Joshua Key's enlistment in the army as a way to lift his growing family out of the poverty of rural Oklahoma. In the book, he tells of his betrayal by a recruiter who guaranteed that he wouldn't see combat, his training that taught him to see Muslims of all ages as non-human terrorists...and his disillusionment when ordered to participate in raids on homes of ordinary citizens or when fellow soldiers used dead Iraqi bodies for sport. He found he could not give voice to any of his questions because anyone who questioned or disobeyed orders was severely ridiculed, punished, locked up, etc. After seven months in Iraq, Key was granted a 2-week home leave. When his return was unexpectedly delayed, he decided to follow his conscience, and he disappeared underground for 14 months with his wife and children before crossing the border into Canada in March 2005. He applied for refugee status.

I ordered this book from Paperback Swap for my mother -- it's the January selection for her book club. When it arrived, I couldn't put it down. Joshua Key provides a unique perspective on experiences in Iraq -- I pray that the war ends soon.

An Internet search revealed that Canada's Immigration & Refugee Board denied Joshua Key's initial request for refugee status; however, on July 4, 2008, Federal Court ordered the board to hold a new hearing for Key's refugee claim. This is considered a landmark decision by Justice Barnes; no further updates at this time.

What are you reading??

I really miss seeing what everyone is currently reading!

Tallgrass by Sandra Dallas

"The summer I was thirteen, the Japanese came to Ellis. Not Ellis, exactly, but to the old Tallgrass Ranch, which the government had turned into a relocation camp. Tallgrass was a mile and a half from Ellis, less than a mile past our farm, and it was one of the camps the government was building then to house the Japanese...." so begins the book, told from young Rennie's viewpoint as she watches the Japanese arrive and the events in the town unfold around her and in front of her. Life is no longer the same; instead, her sister leaves unexpectedly to live in Denver, her brother Buddie enlists and is captured in Europe, and Rennie is left to care for her ill Mother and forgetful grandmother. But when Rennie's best friend is raped and murdered, tensions in the town heighten and people point accusingly at the Japanese 'invaders.' Rennie's family surrounds her with lots of integrity, honesty, humor, and love as they face challenges together. This is an excellent coming of age book...with some good twists and surprises.

About 3 years ago, we stopped just west of Granada, Colorado at the site of Amache, the World War II Japanese relocation camp. There is little left except for a tower, concrete slabs all precisely arranged, and a cemetery. This past October, we stopped again, and new signage guides the visitor to learn more about the camp history. It's a sobering statement of how Americans treated Americans...and a must-see if you are traveling along US 56 in eastern Colorado.

For more info on this book, take a look on Sandra Dallas' website: http://www.sandradallas.com/fiction/tallgrass.html

For more info on Amache, the camp upon which Tallgrass is loosely based, see http://www.colorado.gov/dpa/doit/archives/wwcod/granada.htm and http://www.amache.org/

I'm All About the YA LIt Lately

It's a hazard of the job...books come across your desk that catch your eye and you find yourself thinking..."ooo I've got to read this book!!"

Tamar by Bill Peet

Carnegie Medal winner

also on 5 "best books" lists

In England in 1995, fifteen-year-old Tamar, grief-stricken by the puzzling death of her beloved grandfather, slowly begins to uncover the secrets of his life in the Dutch resistance during the last year of the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, and the climactic events that forever cast a shadow on his life and that of his family. [My note: a real shocker of an ending!]

Huck Finn & Tom Sawyer Among the Indians by Mark Twain and Lee Nelson

Mark Twain began this story in 1885 and then stopped in mid-sentence and never finished it! Lee Nelson has done such a fine job of finishing the story that if one doesn't know where Twain stopped, you'd never know where Nelson begins. It's a rip-snorting adventure! Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer mount a daring rescue after their friend Jim, a runaway slave, as well as the daughters of a family that had befriended the boys, are kidnapped by a group of Sioux Indians.

Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt

YA National Book Award Finalist

Anyone steeped in traditional fairy tales will feel nothing but admiration for the way Leavitt constructs this story with the voice of 16 yr. old Keturah. When Lord Death comes to claim sixteen-year-old Keturah while she is lost in the King's Forest, she charms him with her story and is granted a twenty-four hour reprieve in which to seek her one true love.

The Moon is Down by John Steinbeck

In only 112 pages, this is a masterfully told story. The emotions and reactions struck me as being so universal. A beautiful, provincial Norwegian town is invaded by German soldiers. An act of brutality begins an uncontrollable, unalterable chain of events.

What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell

YA National Book Award Winner 2008

In 1947, with her jovial stepfather Joe back from the war and family life returning to normal, teenage Evie, smitten by the handsome young ex-GI who seems to have a secret hold on Joe, finds herself caught in a complicated web of lies whose devastating outcome change her life and that of her family forever. Great coming of age story for teen girls.

Heartbreaking news...

Attached is the link with an article regarding the sudden death of Michael Crichton, one of my favorite authors. I will never forget reading "Jurassic Park" for the first time; unable to put it down, enraptured from start to finish, lost in a world of prehistoric wonder.

You will be greatly missed, Mr. Crichton.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081106/en_nm/us_crichton_9

Eek! New book alert!

I LOVE Greg Maguire! Check it out! Finally a new book...A Lion Among Men...cowardly lion point of view...wicked! :-)

http://www.borders.com/online/store/TitleDetail?sku=0060548924&cmpid=SL_20081007_REW

Homestead by Rosina Lippi

Homestead is a collection of short stories about different intertwined characters in the town of Rosenau, a village high in the mountains of western Austria. The stories are told by different characters from 1909 to 1977 -- each story adds layers of undertanding to the whole. Through their eyes, I watched the gradual transformation of Rosenau from an isolated village to one that is connected to the world. I thoroughly enjoyed the characterizations -- sometimes sparse, sometimes detailed and complex, but always providing a window into another world where strong and gentle women and men work hard to maintain lives of honor, quality, courage...and love. There are mysteries and secrets not unlike those in today's world: a hidden pregnancy, a secret lover, a wish to leave small-town life, a naive betrayal, silent courage...and more. This is a must read!

Homestead is the first of Lippi's novels. It won the PEN/Hemingway award. On her website, Lippi states, "Homestead grew out of my conviction that the quiet lives of women in an unfamiliar corner of the Alps were stories that I could not keep them to myself. These women lead hard lives, but they have such rich inner resources, and in the most important ways they are like women everywhere. And so I started with Laura’s story and the novel grew organically out of her broken wedding ring."

The author, Rosina Lippi also writes under the pseudonym Sara Donati. She maintains a website with blog: http://rosinalippi.com/weblog/

Salem Falls

I'm starting my first post with a confession...
I like reading Jodi Picoult.
Like, a lot.
Yesterday, I went to the library and picked up all these great books, and the first one I grabbed, over the historical novel and the selected short stories, was Salem Falls by Jodi Picoult.
And I read it already.

I think I like reading her so much because she's a good, solid, easy read. Her writing flows nicely, and she creates wonderful word pictures. Plus she tackles some really interesting subjects in her novels--school shootings, infidelity, teen pregnancy, kidnapping--and she weaves characters skillfully. There's no black & white, no complete protagonist, which I find refreshing.

Salem Falls centers on a man who has been convicted of sex with an underage girl, his student, in fact. He plea-bargained his way into an 8-month sentence and the novel begins with him leaving the prison and trying to begin again in the small town of Salem Falls. He begins work as a dishwasher in a small diner and finds a true friend in the owner of the diner. Unfortunately, his good looks also spark the teenage passion of one of the town's most lovely--and troubled--girls.

It's a fascinating read, and it's obvious that Picoult does her research. Except in her Spanish phrases, which are grammatically incorrect. Sorry, but that just bugs me. (And I find it somewhat fitting that I initially misspelled the word "grammatically")

So, on to more challenging reads. Until I find a Picoult novel I haven't yet read. :)

Pope Joan : a novel

There was a 9th-century Pope who ruled for 2 years who was not a man, but a woman...but the facts have been changed and hidden for over 1000 years. Could this be true, or is it only legend??? It's this intriguing idea that author Donna Woolfolk Cross turns into an excellent historical novel centered on Joan, an unforgettable woman. Pope Joan tells of a young girl who has an insatiable desire for learning. After her brother dies in a Viking attack, she assumes his identity and enters a Benedictine monastery. Joan becomes Brother John Anglicus--scholar and healer. As a Benedictine, with its rules that foster privacy and solitude, her secret is safe, and she is free to read and learn to her heart's content. Except that she isn't exactly content. Joan/John keeps looking for ways to make people's lives better-- often going against tradition. Joan/John makes her way to Rome and finds herself in the middle of politics...and passion. I found the ending sequence a bit abrupt and a bit too inconceivable, but nonetheless, it was a page turner. Thanks to Kim for sending this my direction. Anyone else want to read it?

More info: http://www.popejoan.com/author.htm

Mozart's Sister...

(This is an actual photo of Mozart and his sister, Nannerl, at the piano.)

I loved this book!

She (Rita Charbonnier), beautifully portrays the masterpieces created by Mozart: the crescendos and decrescendos of not only their personal sibling relationship, but of the scores of music itself. From the two musician's compositions, (Mozart and his sister) to their performances, their ultimate falling out and Wolfgang's tragic death, it was a story I couldn't put down.

If no one else wants this book, I'm keeping it!!

Really just wanted to post this in order to say thank you to whoever gave me this one... Kim? Kari? Either way, thanks, I thought is was wonderfully crafted and stayed true to the musician's style of writing.

xo

feedjit...

Anyone know what this feedjit is?

The Friday Night Knitting Club

"Once a week, an eclectic group of women comes together at a New York City yarn shop to work on their latest projects - and share the stories of their lives...

At the center of Walker and Daughter is the shop's owner, Georgia, who is overwhelmed with juggling the store and single-handedly raising her teenage daughter. Happy to escape the demands of her life, she looks forward to her Friday Night Knitting Club, where she and her friends - Anita, Peri, Darwin, Lucie, and K.C. - exchange knitting tips, jokes, and their deepest secrets. But when the man who once broke Georgia's heart suddenly shows up, demanding a role in their daughter's life, her world is shattered.

Luckily, Georgia's friends are there for encouragement, sharing their own tales of intimacy, heartbreak, and miracle making. And when the unthinkable happens, these women will discover that what they've created isn't just a knitting club: it's a sisterhood."

It sounds almost picture-esque and not so fraught with emotion when you read the above info from the back of the book, when in actuality it is a much deeper and emotional book than they make it out to be. Knitting is optional. If you are clueless about knitting it's okay because it doesn't get caught up in many technicalities or descriptions of knitting. It's more about the knitting group...just meeting to hang out; it could easily be a book club, a sewing group, quilters, scrapbookers, any group that shares a craft. And be prepared for heart-wrenching twists towards the end...I cried!

This will be PaperBackSwapped...so look for a copy at Half-Price Books if you are interested. :-)

request...

Who has The Red Tent? Can you send it my way?! I had just put it on my Paperbackswap list, but I see it has been recently read here. Also, Esther I'm going to request one of you pbs books! lol! It's fun to get the credits :-)

World Without End...

I have finally started Ken Follett's sequel to Pillars of the Earth, World Without End... and I cannot put it down!! It is so good! Oh my goodness, I just needed to shout it from the rooftops that I'm halfway through, and just started it yesterday. I sat and read all evening. Had no idea of the time, didn't stop to eat dinner. Nope, just sat and read into the further saga of Kingsboro and its inhabitants.

Lame posting, I know, but I just had to tell you how much I love it so far! Has everyone but Kim and I read this one??

The Name of the Wind...book 1

It seems I began a series, that's going to be called the Kingkiller Chronicle(s) by Patrick Rothfuss.

From the inside cover..."My name is Kvothe, pronounced nearly the same as 'quothe.' Names are important as they tell you a great deal about a person. I've had more names than anyone has a right to. The Adem call me Maedre. Which, depending upon how it's spoken, can mean The Flame, The Thunderer, or The Broken Tree...

So begins the tale of Kvothe - from his childhood in a troupe of traveling players, to years spent as a near-feral orphan in a crime-riddled city, to his daringly brazen yet successful bid to enter a difficult and dangerous school of magic. In these pages you will come to know Kvothe as a notorious magician, an accomplished thief, a masterful musician, and an infamous assassin. But the name of the wind is so much more - for the story it tells reveals the truth behind Kvothe's legend."

This was truly devouring in an adult Harry Potter kind of way. I borrowed it from Warren's friend Pedro and have to return it, but if anyone is interested I'll look for a copy to pass around via paperbackswap.com. I am now in angst for the next book to come out! Check him out at his website: http://www.patrickrothfuss.com/content/index.asp

Family Tree by Barbara Delinsky

This is a title I picked up in the New Orleans airport last Thursday morning. It accompanied me home, and I was pleasantly surprised by the engaging and unique plot.

Barbara Delinsky is known for her romantic, sexy novels, but this has very little romance, and no sex. Instead, it explores issues of trust, privilege, honesty, identity.

All was going on smoothly in Hugh and Dana's life. Hugh came from a very privileged family that traces its roots to the Mayflower; he is a lawyer who champions minorities and those who don't have a voice. Dana does not know her father, so her family origins are unknown. They have forged a strong, loving marriage. But how should they react when their absolutely beautiful newborn has distinctly black features? They're both blindsided, Hugo's family makes unfounded accusations. Since the baby IS theirs, they both start digging for answers in their own unique ways...and in the process, each unearths issues that go beyond that of their daughter's racial mix.

I enjoyed Delinsky's detailed characterizations.. I found myself thinking about the "what if..." issues that were raised. We all think we know how we'd react (or how we would like to react) when presented with unexpected or unplanned events, but how would we REALLY react? This was a quick, but satisfying read.

Karleen Koen series...

Ok, I've been a lazy poster...but I just finished a series that Mom posted the basic info about these three books a few months ago...Dark Angels, Through A Glass Darkley, & And Now Face to Face and I just finished up the series a couple of weeks ago. It was a nice epic read...all fatt books!! I liked the progression of following the family through a long time period.

Karleen Koen blogs here: http://karleenkoen.wordpress.com/

if you are interested in keeping up with her!

What a page-turner!!!

I started this book Saturday night....and read until 3:30 am!!! It's quite a page-turner...and there are 700+ pages to turn! :)

The year is 1699...the place is Fount Royal in the Carolina colony...a beautiful young woman who in the gaol accused of being a witch---she's blamed for the bad weather, for deaths of the locals, for people moving away, for the crops failing and for the murder of her husband. Several people claim to have seen her performing sex acts on devils. Naturally, the town leaders what her burned at the stake...as quickly as possible, however, they do feel the need to abide by the law, so a magistrate is summoned and he happens to bring with him a young clerk named Matthew Corbett. Matthew is secretly told by the housekeeper of the town town founder that Rachel is innocent and that she needs a "champion of truth." Matthew tends to have a natural curiosity coupled with a logical mind, so he finds himself walking a fine line with the magistrate and his role of Rachel's champion.

Right now I'm in the middle of witnesses being questioned, the magistrate falling quite ill which delays the trial, Matthew having to spend 3 days in jail, and various strange happenings going on the the town...nothing is quite as it seems to be.

I've also got the sequel to read--The Queen of Bedlam.

Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Fight Terrorism and Build Nations...One School at a Time

by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. After reading starred reviews and taking peeks in airport bookstores, I was able to get this book via Paperback Swap! This is Greg Mortenson's story: for many years he lived to conquer the highest mountain peaks. In 1993, when he fell just short of the summit of K2 and fell dangerously ill, he was sheltered for two months by the Balti leader of Korphe, a tiny remote Pakistani village. "The first time you share tea with a Balti, you are a stranger," a villager tells Greg Mortenson. "The second time, you are an honored guest. The third time you become family." In gratitude, Mortenson promised to return and help the villagers build their first school. He surprised the villagers by keeping his promise. Mortenson's Central Asia Institute now works with villagers in rural Pakistan and Afganistan to construct schools with the hope that alleviating poverty and improving access to education, especially for girls, will promote understanding and peace. Could use some editing, but it's a great read. I highly recommend it. For more info: http://www.threecupsoftea.com/Intro.php

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
I started this book and had difficulty putting it down. Set in 19th century China, this is the story of two women who live during the time when bound feet was the norm and women lived their lives in relative seclusion. From the publisher: "Illiterate and isolated, [women] were not expected to think, be creative, or have emotions. But in one remote county, women developed their own secret code, nu shu – "women's writing" – the only gender-based written language to have been found in the world." In this book, a young girl, Lily, tells of her life journey -- from being paired with Snow Flower as "old-sames" (an emotional match that lasts between two women for their entire life), boot-binding, arranged marriages, joys, motherhood, tragedies. They learn nu shu and other womanly arts -- sharing from each other's experiences. When apart, they paint letters on a special secret fan and embroidered messages on handkerchiefs. A misunderstanding about a message on the secret fan estranges them for years. A great story of friendship. This is a MUST READ. It is also a great choice for a women's book club.

For more information about the author, this title, and to see links for more information on foot binding or nu-shu, go to: http://www.lisasee.com/snowflower.htm

More juvenile fiction...

When we attended AASL and TLA, we picked up dozens of advance reading copies...and that's what all of these are except for The Black Book of Secrets (but it was a freebie, too!)

The Calder Game is the third book in the series by Blue Balliett. Fast reading-- Great opportunities for introducing kids to art, pentominoes, mazes, mobiles!

Written from the point of view of Monna Elizabeth or Mona Lisa as the youngest Medici son called her---Napoli is known for her historical novels that are quick immersions into specific time periods. Great coming of age novel as the young Elizabeth falls in love, experiences heartache, and sees political changes in Florence. Loved the way Napoli weaves in how the famous portrait came to be painted!

F. E. Higgins is a new author for me....and I love his books! Kids will eat this up....very fast paced...lots of tension and excitement....dark and dreary at times, but never in a plodding, hopeless way.

Update on reading....

I'm having a real love/hate relationship with the main character of this book!! At times I really dislike her and think she is incredibly stupid!! Then something happens and I think she is going to turn her life around and live sensibly and make good choices....but she just can't seem to help herself so far because she is so wildly crazy about Lord Carlton!

So...I tend to get caught up in specific time periods or genres....after having finished 2,046 pages with the Alice, the Duchess of Tamworth and family during the English Restoration Period...now I'm in a 976 page magnum opus about Amber St. Clare set in London just as Charles II returns to the throne in 1660....still in the Restoration period and featuring most of the same historical figures.

Charles II had been exiled and wandering around in France, Spain, and Italy for the past 10 years while Oliver Cromwell ruled. There was religious division between Catholics, Protestants, and Puritans. People were moving to America. Novels became popular.

Charles II married Catherine of Braganza (Portugal) [she is credited with introducing the custom of drinking tea] and they had no children together (she had at least 2 miscarriages). Charles did have his mistresses tho---Barbara Villiers, Duchess of Castlemaine, Louise, Duchess of Portsmouth, Moll Davis, a singer and actress, Lucy Walter, a Welchwoman who was the motherof his first child, and Nell Gwynn who really had the "rags-to-riches" story. Nell started out as a common orange seller and eventually became an actress which led to her becoming the King's favorite mistress! Charles II had 14-17 children with 15+ mistresses!!

After I finish this book, I'm going to read Speaks the Nightbird and Queen of Bedlam, both by Robert McCammon, set in America from 1699-1703 ....then I'm on to some Gilded Age mysteries and putting the Restoration Period to "rest" (pun intended! lol).

An English family saga...

If you want to immerse yourself in a family saga that has love, betrayal, court intrigue, wantoness, death, twists and turns galore---all steeped in historical happings of the late 1600's in England and France---this series if for you!

These books are 500-700+ pages in length, so it has literally taken me over a month to get through them (been busy time--no time to read except at bedtime for a bit). I feel like I've had quite the escape with these books!

Innocence in Oklahoma...

I know we all tease when one of us picks up an "airport" read, but I have to admit that "The Innocent Man" (John Grisham's non-fiction based on the murder trials in Ada, Oklahoma) has been a page-turning, horrifying account of what these men went through due to outrageous trial mistakes.
11 years in prison!! 11 years!!
Its amazing that this was happening in my backyard in good 'ole Ada from the time I was two until I graduated high school. Nuts.
I recommend it-- not flowery at all, just giving the facts, and yet I can't put it down. (Be prepared to get very angry...)

Duchess: a novel of Sarah Churchill by Susan Holloway Scott

I got this book for a steal at Half-Price Books for a dollar!! It was very interesting following the life of Sarah and John Churchill the great-great-great-great-great-great grandmother of Winston Churchill.

She lived during the late 1600's and into the 1700's and was a great friend to Queen Anne.

She (and her husband) have an interesting story because they were both "common-born" and through nothing but sheer will and wit they work their way up out of the caste system (he was a soldier and she started by being a Lady of the Bedchamber). They eventually become the Duke & Duchess of Marlbourough. Very interesting historical reading, I liked her character and how she was constantly working for her family and 'for England'.

Also, can ya'll make posts now? Has anyone tried? Maybe I need to submit a complaint or something to Blogger??

Issues...

Apparently most of you are having posting issues from some computers...maybe blogger is having something glitch-y going on. Aunt Lisa and I are trying to fix her account problems...bear with the blogging silence...

Reading frenzy continues...

Am currently reading Mississippi Sissy by Kevin Sessums...a coming-of-age memoir...even as young as 3 1/2, Kevin felt "different"...he wanted a skirt to wear, he wanted to be Arlene Francis from What's My Line and wear cat-eye glasses, he pranced instead of running, he wanted to stay indoors and listen to the women talk instead of run wild outside with his younger brother and sister. His father was a promising NBA candidate who gave up that career to "come home" to his wife and son. His father constantly called him a sissy when he was in a good mood and a g-d sissy when he wasn't. His father died in a car crash when Kevin was 8....and a year later his mother was dead of esophageal cancer. This is his story of growing up during the 60s and 70s raised by his grandparents, doted on by the family maid, and befriended by Eudora Welty. Would probably be a good YA book in a liberal community/school.

Loved The Irish Country Doctor by Patrick Taylor! Set during the 1960s, Dr. Barry Laverty is fresh out of med school when he becomes an assistant to Fingal Flahertie O'Reilly in a small northern Irland town. It doesn't take Dr. Laverty long to find out that one must sometimes throw out "standard practice" when dealing with the town's odd assortment of patients. This story is filled with humor, lots of side stories, and great dialogue....a fast-paced and entertaining read.

The Midwife's Tale by Gretchen Moran Laskas is set in West Virginia during the 1930s. This is the story of 3 generations of mifwives while mainly focusing on the youngest of the three--Elizabeth Whitely. At times the knowledge becomes a burden to the teenage Elizabeth and eventually she faces a crisis when she learns that not all births are welcome.....and not all love is welcome. This was enjoyable for the layers of knowledge and levels of relationships portrayed along with truths about love and loss. I think this would probably be a good YA book in high school libraries.

Never too late!!...

I've been trying to catch up on all those children's classics I missed as a kid. I wasn't quite the reader then (Now don't you worry, I was ALWAYS a reader!! But, I was very interested in the mysteries and mysteries only at that time. Hence my obsession with Nancy Drew.) Within the past year I have read the entire Chronicles of Narnia, original Alice In Wonderland, and What Alice Saw (is that the correct title??), Wizard of Oz, and now I'm halfway through J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan.

What am I missing?
I have never read Treasure Island, so that's one to put on the list, but other thoughts/ recommendations of a classic children's tale I've missed??

Catching up on Reading

Homestead...loved the format...it began in late 1800's in a small village located in the very western tip of Austria. Each succeeding chapter was a later year, but would skip gaps of years. Each chapter would focus on a different person or family in the community which you'd already "met" in a previous chapter. It ends in 1977, if I remember correctly. Think of all the historical events that happened during that time in Europe. It was very interesting and insightful. The only problem I had with it was my lack of experience with pronouncing the German place names and people names. I want to pronounce things correctly in my head! [I'm sending this one to Esther to read where it may get passed on to her mother and sister, etc. before it comes back to me.]


The Masque of the Black Tulip is the 4th in the Pink Carnation series which Kari and I have really enjoyed reading. This one was a bit slower for me to get into, but probably because it has been so long since I've read the third one! It picked up for me as soon as I devoted some time to reading it at length.


A Flaw in the Blood is a new author for me.....it was an unusual plot and very fast paced! It begins with the death of Queen Victoria's husband, Albert and races off with murder and mayhem galavanting all around Europe all because someone wants to know why there is a "flaw in the blood"...in the royal blood....which we know as hemophelia. Quite entertaining. The two main characters are an Irish lawyer and a female doctor who happens to be the niece of THE Dr. Jenner. Oh, and there is an evil best friend from childhood of the Prince Consort.




The Tailor's Daughter is also another new author for me, but I'm really enjoying the story so far. Set in Victorian England (can you tell I'm on a reading "theme"?), it tells the story of the daughter of a tailor who has an establishment on the famous Savile Row in London. She has the talent and passion to be a seamstress, however, her mother has much higher aspirations for her--such as marrying into the aristrocracy instead of sewing for them. Veda becomes ill and loses her hearing and the story really begins.

Jubilee Trail....I bought this book because Sandra Dallas recommended it so highly as great historical novel and it has a 5-star rating on Amazon along with all the review rantings and ravings about how great it is. It is lengthy...almost 600 pages....and in the length of time I have been reading it, I could have traveled the Jubilee Trail! It's the story of a New York socialite freshly graduated from a finishing school who is bored beyond tears when she suddenly meets a young man who offers adventure and excitement. They marry and thus begins one adventure after another with an interesting cast of characters. I don't know why it is taking me so long to finish this book! I was shocked to find out after I bought the book, that it had actually been published in the 1950's!! I don't know what the story is about re-printing it now....I saw it on shelves in bookstores and Target forever.

Any Takers?

I'm going to Paperbackswap the following two books...does anyone want them before I do?

James Rollins...Map of Bones

and

Zoe Heller...Notes on a Scandal

Let me know ASAP! I want to post them in the next 24-48 hours.

Kari's Recently Read, too!:

1. Let Me Call You Sweetheart is a very classic MHC murder mystery. I got it for Christmas and I think I had actually read it a long time ago in high school. But I couldn't remember it so I re-read it. It has a very twisty plot, kind of a "cold-case" file, suspenseful, and can keep you guessing...even when you know you've already read it! I went through a phase of her stuff a long time ago, but then petered out when they all began to be too much the same.



2. Knit One, Kill Two by Maggie Sefton is the first book in a knitting mystery series. It all revolves around Kelly Flynn a corporate accountant who is called back to Colorado from D.C. when her aunt dies under mysterious circumstances. Kelly is suspicious of how the police are handling the investigation of her aunt's death and begins to do some snooping around of her own. Meanwhile, she also learns to knit from friends of her aunt who just happen to have a yarn shop right next door to her inheirited cottage...I'm enjoying the series and especially like how the book include a food and knitting recipe at the end! YUM!


3. A Deadly Yarn is the third book in the knitting mystery series by Maggie Sefton. I know, I know, I read them out of order! Which I hate to do! But I didn't have the 2nd book and couldn't resist going ahead and reading it. Again, a very engaging story...it makes me crave coffee and yarn!! Very inspirational to get me knitting again!



In other news, I joined the paperbackswap.com website this past week! Soooo cool! As you can see, I found the 2nd book to the series above and promptly swapped out the other two! I swapped three books this week! It was very exciting...has anyone tried Starbuck's new honey latte??!!

A Stack of Books

#1 -- About a week ago, I finished reading A Midwife's Story by Penny Armstrong & Sheryl Feldman. ©1986. It was a great read about Penny Armstrong's life as a nurse midwife. She began her training in Scotland and completed it in Philadelphia. While working in hospitals, she was especially upset by inflexible hospital regulations and the lack of respect for the birthing process. After training, she began working in Lancaster County, PA where she brought back dignity to home births and celebrated women's right to be in control of their birthing experience. She became an integral part of the community. In over 1000 births, she experienced only one stillbirth. Pretty amazing. I've had trouble learning anything new about her -- where she is, what she's doing, etc. (Thanks, Kim, for sending this one my direction!)
Then I needed some quick reads after a stressful week... so I picked these off of the YA shelf:

#2 -- life on the refrigerator door by Alice Kuipers ©2007. This first novel by Kuipers, and is intended for a YA audience. It's a series of notes that fifteen-year-old Claire and her mother post back & forth to each other as they go about their busy lives of school and work. Their normal mother/daughter relationship and interactions are shattered by a diagnosis of breast cancer. The format may be short, simple and straight-forward, but the emotions and interactions are poignant and touching. This one will stay with me for a long time.

#3 -- The Readheaded Princess by Ann Rinaldi ©2008. Another fine YA historical novel. It's told in first person by the young Princess Elizabeth (the daughter of King Henry VIII and the ill-fated Anne Boleyn) as she watches first her younger brother Edward and then older sister Mary take the throne of England and then succumb to ill health. The intrigues of court, the changing alliances, the lessons learned from tutors and her wise nanny -- all work together to help create a girl who grows into a great leader. Rinaldi works her magic to bring Elizabeth to life. A great YA read! It reminded me once again why I enjoy historical fiction.

Escape! The Story of The Great Houdini

This is one of the new books I received at school....it has had rave reviews. I started reading it this morning while monitoring the hallway during testing....and got so into it that I had to bring it home!

Fascinating story--extremely well-written! Highly recommend for grades 4-adult.

Sign-off cards...

Hmm, ok, so I think that we need to start signing-off on our books if we have read them!! I was going thru my stack to get Nat a box together and I've no idea if she's read them or not! (Well one or two I'm pretty sure of...) I'll call ya later Nat and check. So, maybe a sticky note in the fronts now? Sign at the top? Then the person who's name is on the top we will know that's the person to ultimately return the book to!! :-) Sound like a plan?

Free Paperbacks!

Do you have some paperback books you don't want to keep? If nobody else wants them, try out PaperBackSwap. Once you join, you can list any books you want to give away, and you can then request titles you want to receive. It's all free. The only thing you pay for is the postage (usually about $2/book) when you send a book to someone. It's quick and easy...and a good way to recycle the books you no longer want on your shelves. I have belonged to PaperBackSwap since last October. I've been able to get rid of lots of the "airport" books I've picked up for light last minute reading on the plane. http://www.paperbackswap.com

Any Four Women Could Rob the Bank of Italy

I just finished re-reading this book by Ann Cornelisen. Like most of Cornelisen's books, this is set in Italy and opens with two women discussing how, in a summer of kidnappings & robberies, they are just waved through roadblocks. They're indignant that Italian police assume that females are incapable of any premeditated crime. ''I say women are as innately evil and grasping or selfish as men and fully as criminal,'' one character says. ''They have a right to equal suspicion.'' The friends conclude that "any four women could rob the Bank of Italy, and the police would still go around looking for four men." What begins as a light-hearted comment evolves into one character developing the idea into a movie script. As she involves her friends in helping solve the challenges of the robbery, the entire idea changes from "what if we did?" to "let's do it," and eventually becomes a stunningly successful robbery of a mail train-leaving the perpetrators in a hilarious struggle with their own consciences and the local police. The conclusion is a satisfying surprise.

I reread this OP book because I remembered it as one I really enjoyed, but I couldn't remember the details of how the women pulled off the robbery and then righted the wrong. Once again, I enjoyed the women's ability to triumph over a men's world well before the more vocal feminist movement. I found many passages overly long and would have loved to edit them, but the descriptions of the land and the relaxed Italian way of life made me want to book a trip to the Tuscan countryside! All in all, a quick, satisfying read. No murders, no violence, no bad guys vs good guys -- just a good surprise mix of mystery and artful woman-power!

NYTimes article written at the time of the author's death in November 2003: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C07E0D61438F937A25752C1A9659C8B63

Book Without End...

Holy cow, World Without End is epic! I love it! :) I think what I've enjoyed most from his books (being this one and the previous one) is that you follow the characters throughout their whole lives...that's really interesting, and while this one pretty much has the same plot design as Pillars, it is still an engaging story. Who needs it next?

Amazon loves me....

Once I finish all the YA reading (I don't know why I'm in such a YA frenzy of late), I've got a shelf full of titles I've accumulated (ok, purchased) that I'm anxious to start reading. I did take a break and read a quick "hysterical" romance the week before Christmas.

I'm listing the titles of what I have on hand to read (so ya'll won't go buy any of them):

The Queen of Bedlam by Robert McCammon (645-page historical mystery)
Girls of a Tender Age by Mary-Ann Tirone Smith (memoir of French-Italian family struggling to survive in 1953 in a housing project in Hartford, CT)
Paula Deen: A Memoir--It Ain't All About the Cookin' by Paula Deen
Dark Angels and Through a Glass Darkly and Now Face to Face by Karleen Koen (hysterical romance series)
Thirteen Moons by Charles Frazier (author of Cold Mountain)
A Midwife's Story by Penny Armstrong & Sheryl Feldman (first-hand account set in Lancaster County, PA)
The Star Garden: A Novel of Sarah Agnes Prine by Nancy E. Turner (4th book in series--first one is one of my all-time favorite books--These is My Words)
Between, Georgia by Joshilyn Jackson
Consuelo and Alva Vanderbuilt: The Story of a Daughter and a Mother in the Gilded Age by Amanda Mackenzie Stuart
Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia by Elizabeth Gilbert
Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer
The Egyptian Coffin by Jane Jackman (2nd in the Lord Ambrose Historical Mystery series--I think I sent the first one to Kari or to Mother)
The Seduction of the Crimson Rose by Lauren Willig (4th in the Pink Carnation series)
Forever Amber by Kathleen Winsor (a hysterical romance)
Jubilee Trail by Gwen Bristow
Tallgrass by Sandra Dallas (I think I've read all her books except one--she's a great writer! I especially recommend The Persian Pickle Club, The Chili Queen, and The Diary of Mattie Spenser)
The Serpent's Tale by Ariana Franklin (2nd in the Mistress of the Art of Death series)
A Flaw in the Blood by Stephanie Barron (set in Queen Victoria's court)
A Fatal Waltz by Tasha Alexander (3rd in the Lady Emily Ashton series--the series actually doesn't have an official name that I've found--Lady Ashton is a widow who takes up solving mysteries)
Queen of Swords by Sara Donati (5th in the Into the Wilderness series--am having this one shipped directly to Mother.)

As you can see, this is why I need a 2nd job! LOL OH...and I still have to read World Without End!!!

YA Frenzy!

Like Kari, I've been on a YA kick during the month of December...Here is what I've read: The Trailblazing Life of Daniel Boone: How Early Americans Took to the Road by Cheryl Harness (published by Nat'l Geographic--interesting read to me--my early Hopkins family traveled and settled in the same Missouri area as Boone and family at about the same time); The Unrivalled Spangles by Karen Wallace; The Ramsay Scallop and The Bediuns' Gazelle by Frances Temple (sadly, she died before she wrote the 3rd book of this intended trilogy--picked these up for cheapo at Books A Million). I'm currently reading Primrose Past: The 1848 Journal of Young Lady Primrose by Caroline Rose Hunt (from the famous oil Hunt family of Dallas--this is an autographed copy I picked up at Half Price Books--will put it up to give to Olivia someday because her mom works for the Hunt family) and Voyage by Adele Geras. (Does anyone else read more than 1 book at a time??)

YA titles still to read are: Keeping Corner by Kashmira Sheth; 100 Cupboards by N. D. Wilson (this was an advance copy I picked up at AASL); Mable Riley: A Reliable Record of Humdrum Peril and Romance by Marthe Jocelyn; Willow Run by Patricia Reilly Giff; Stolen Voices: Young People's War Diaries, From World War I to Iraq edited by Zlata Filipovic and Melanie Challenger; Green Jasper and Blaze of Silver by K. M. Grant (books 2 and 3 in The De Granville Trilogy--highly recommend, esp. if you love stories about horses and the medieval period).

Most of these are books I've rec'd from publishers.

Labyrinth by Kate Mosse

Happy New Year! I have several books going at once, and have really been reading alot of "young adult" but this was the one I had posted that I've finished. Not sure who needs it next?

Anyway...Sorry, I didn't crop the picture, but pulled it from her website. http://www.labyrinthbook.net/home/index.asp

This was a fast action-packed story that centered around the Holy Grail legends...very similar to Da Vinci Code, but certainly with it's own storyline. I liked it, it was a quick read.