Forget Browsing, Let's Talk Holds

I decided after last week's library overload, that I would not allow myself to go back until I had several books read.

Then, my holds came up. Seriously, all of them (well, ok I have around 30 holds, so not all of them). But, I really wanted to read all of these ones, so I got them anyway. I didn't allow myself to browse though :)

Dreamhunterby Elizabeth Knox
The Demon's Lexiconby Sarah Rees Brennan
If I Stayby Gayle Forman
If You're Reading This, It's Too Lateby Pseudonymous Bosch (which came in before the first book in the series - darn!)
A Kiss in Timeby Alex Flinn
The Magician's Elephantby Kate DiCamillo
Silver Phoenix: Beyond the Kingdom of Xiaby Cindy Pon

And as a random note about my libraries: I frequent two public libraries (so lucky to be close to both) and I find they have different practices about renewals. One library lets you renew at least once, even if it is on hold. The other doesn't let you renew if there are holds. I find that this sometimes leads to putting the first library's books at the perpetual bottom of my stack, since they have the latest due date. I can't decide which practice I like better - obviously, I like having three extra weeks for books, but I also like to have my holds come in more frequently. Good thing I have two libraries!

*EDIT*
I forgot to include the books I got for review! They look delicious!

The Smart One and the Pretty Oneby Claire LaZebnik
Legacyby Cayla Kluver

Book Review: Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

Howl's Moving Castleis a story about many things, but mainly follows Sophie, who finds the courage to leave her dull and confining life behind and seek her fortune, despite her oldest daughter status. When she becomes entangled in the mysterious fortunes of the Wizard Howl and his apprentice Michael, not to mention the demon Calcifer, things become decidedly more exciting.

Things I Liked:
I love the rambling nature of the story. It doesn't appear to be going anywhere, but it is so much fun along the way. The end manages to wrap things up neatly and satisfyingly. I really like Sophie and Howl - they are interesting and complete characters. Calcifer is also a lot of fun. The characters and the magic in this book were just plain entertaining. The interactions between characters and some of the adventures are quite humorous.

Things I Didn't Like:
I also didn't like the rambling nature of the story (call me conflicted). I had a hard time feeling connected with anything, despite my feelings for the characters. I wondered throughout my reading what exactly was the purpose, or is there one? There just seemed to be so many random things that happened, I couldn't connect them, until right near the end. The cover shown here is slightly better than the one I read - it was dreadful!

Read-alikes:
Reminded me of Terry Pratchett's books like The Wee Free Menand The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: none

mrg-factor: none

v-factor: none

Overall rating: *** (between 3 and 4)

Follow-up to Twitterings and Followers

Wow. Really. I am overwhelmed by your answers to my queries! I wish I could respond to each person individually (I don't know how those popular bloggers who regularly get this many responses manage to do it)! So, I decided to write an entire post mentioning all that I learned from your comments!

On Twitter:
First off, I totally love the irony that many found my post via Twitter. As Suey mentioned, Twitter would certainly drive traffic here (now, if only I could hire Natasha to tweet about me regularly :) I am so glad I got the courage up to post about this, or I might still have all this wrong ideas about Twitter!

I had a rather incorrect view of just what Twitter can be used for (at least in the book blogging world). I have obviously been missing out! I think I would enjoy "listening" to the bookish chats, but I might feel just a little too shy to actually say much (at first). I'll bet there are all kinds of interesting things, like Jeanne mentioned, that are talked about (or tweeted, I guess) that I am missing.

I really liked what Natasha @ Maw Books (and wordlily and The Book Vixen and Florinda and most everyone else) had to say about Twitter being a "forum where bloggers, authors, publishers, booksellers and reading fanatics all occupy the same space. It's great to be able to discuss issues/reading in ways that you normally wouldn't be able to. " If that doesn't make me want to hop on board right away, I don't know what would!

Melissa said it was fun to talk to people from around the world - which I think is one of the greatest things about blogging; and Rebecca Reid mentioned it is just an "extension of the blog," which I think is fabulous - it's like a blog, but more conversational! Obviously, as this post evidences, I would meet lots of people I wouldn't normally, just as Rasco from RIF says. I still find there are so many other blogs I would love to read, I just don't know where to find them! farmlanebooks said he has "formed better relationships with many bloggers and [found] the best blog posts much quicker than before." All of these things sound like what I need to do!

I'd also like to interact more with authors/publishers like KyleeJ mentioned. I'm just like @mylittlesoapbox, because it's about as close to them as I can get!

I am also a tiny bit afraid that I will, like Lisa, turn into a total addict. I already spend lots of time blogging, how will I drag myself away from more bookish stuff? When I don't check my reader for a day, there are hundreds of posts waiting! What would happen if I started following lots of folks on Twitter too? Ack! I guess I just need to find the perfect balance (any of you have the magic solution to this?)

And I can see why Sheila (bookjourney) said it was different when you can tweet about books and not your everyday cleaning (or not cleaning) habits. Natasha @ Maw Books said it well, "it's not really a 'what are you doing' but rather a 'what am I reading' 'who's blog do I think you should read' and 'let's discuss this issue/book together.'"

largehearted boy pointed out one thing that makes me both interested and cautious: " I can quickly interact with people." I think this is an advantage as well as a drawback. Responding to something quickly is very useful in the fast-paced online world, but sometimes if I respond too quickly, I might say something I'll regret later. I feel like Twitter would be the equivalent of me virtually putting my foot in my mouth. And, without the face-to-face interaction, I wouldn't be able to see the person's immediate reaction (the horrified or crushed look on their face which clues me in to my mistake). And I think this could happen even if it wasn't something nasty I said, but a misunderstanding instead. Amy from My Friend Amy blogged about this much better than myself, so you can just read her words.

I gotta say, though, I love the twitsy language that grew out of Twitter (I can think of all kinds of awesome variantions on that theme).

I do hope others will post thoughts about Twitter (Suey) since I'd love to have my horizons broadened some more!

Um, and hi, I do know how to research, I just obviously didn't do it quite as well as I should. Twitter allows 140 characters (thanks for the probably inadvertent correction, Nikole Hahn) and also it has a LOT more uses than I originally thought!

On followers:
I agree with Nymeth about this aspect: "What if I unfollow some of them for some reason and the owners notice? I'm not saying they'd resent me, but they might feel rejected, or wonder if they did anything to upset me." I think I had one of my (exceptionally large number of) followers drop off. I felt a little sad. I don't know that someone with 400+ followers would notice, but with 10? Yeah. I saw. But, I also got over it. :)

Florinda said just how I feel too, I'm curious about who follows me. I can get the total number of subscribers, but not who it is. Then again, do I want every person whose blog I subscribe to, to know about it? Hm... It makes me want to follow privately (which is possible) instead of publicly.

Amanda mentioned how convenient following can be since it automatically goes to RSS (which is where I read my stuff anyway). Then again, why not just subscribe? As I mentioned, it is to get the extra entries in contests (I promise I would regularly subscribe, even if I didn't follow, Brodi Ashton).

Jenny had some excellent thoughts on personally interacting with followers - good advice for any blog visitors, I'd say! I'd like to "try very hard to remain on a personal level with everyone who follows my blog b/c I don't want it to be a numbers thing ever."

And most of the time, people don't care so much about this. I am still reluctant to post the widget myself, but might just put it somewhere far down my sidebar as a compromise of sorts.

I think that about wraps up my long and excessively rambling response to your kind comments!

Thank you all for sharing so respectfully your opinions!

Oh, and I think I'll get started with Twitter. But as more of a listener than a tweeter. twitterer. twit. whatever. :)

On Twitterings and Followers

I've been thinking a lot about these two aspects of the online and bloggy world:

Twitter - the extremely popular know-what-everyone-is-doing-anytime-in-40-characters-or-less social networking site.

I haven't been able to make myself join this. I am not sure what makes me not like it so much, but I have an inexplicable aversion to joining. I think part of it might be that I am fairly certain I couldn't come up with a single interesting thing to tweet about throughout my day. These would be typical tweets for me:

-sitting at my computer (still)
-wishing students would use the library
-reading a book (shocking)
-pulling weeds in the garden (or since I would be tweeting this, how could I actually be outside weeding?)
-should be cleaning my bathroom
-too lazy to make dinner
-flossing and brushing

Really. No really. That's what it would be like. Who would want to read that? I wouldn't. I rarely use the Facebook equivalent to tell people what I'm doing. I suppose these would be more useful and exciting if I lived a more useful or exciting life. For some reason, I'm just not sold on the whole Twitter thing.

Followers - and the widget to display them on blogger.

What is the purpose of followers exactly? At first, I figured it was some kind of "look at me, I have tons of people who think I'm awesome" - you know, a status symbol - the more followers you have, the more popular you are (which reminds me of my really non-popular high school days) (hmm, maybe that is why I don't like it) (this is probably not a grammatically correct sentence, but I had to add that Trish of Hey Lady! Watcha Readin'? wrote a most lovely post about this feeling). Maybe if I had 400+ followers, I'd want to display them too, but I don't and probably never will. And I honestly don't care (much).

But, then as I thought about it more, I wondered if it might be the way people keep up with new posts and such. Just because I am an RSS fanatic myself, doesn't mean everyone tracks blogs that way. I will shamelessly tell you that I have about 10 followers myself. I honestly don't know how they became followers either, since I don't have the widget. I'm impressed they took that extra effort to sign up with no real incentive.

In the interest of full disclosure, I'll admit that I "follow" about 12 blogs. Why? Because I got extra entries in their contests. Shallow, silly, but true. I read these blogs the same way I do the other hundred or so blogs I subscribe to - on google reader. It makes no distinctions there.

So, here are my questions for you:

If you twitter, why did you start? Do you regularly update? Do you follow other people? Why?

If you have the followers widget, why? Why do you follow other people's blogs? Do you wish some blogs (ie: mine) had the follower widget in order to make it easier for you to follow?

OR tell me any other thoughts you have on these topics!

Book Review: The Season by Sarah MacLean

The Seasonbegins when Alex, Vivi, and Ella are about to make their debut into London society. But, they aren't your typical silly girls seeking a rich, titled husband. Ella fully intends to become a spinster authoress. Vivi is seeking for The One - her true love, scornful of any other arranged match. Alex is uninterested in young men at all and unhappy at her mother's attempts to find a suitable match for her. But these things pale when a mysterious spy threatens the lives of the girls and their good friend Gavin.

Things I Liked:
I don't typically like books with a cover like this. To me, it expresses snooty, Gossip Girl-ish books (which I personally don't enjoy). In this case, however, the cover belies the actual characters of the girls depicted. I liked having the three headstrong ladies who think for themselves and aren't completely flighty. I enjoyed the historical aspects and also the lively dialog that goes on among the girls, Alex's brothers, and Gavin. Also loved the Austen mentions :)

Things I Didn't Like:
I was disappointed there wasn't more about the murder and spying aspect. Perhaps that was because I was expecting more and it didn't really talk much about that until near the end of the book. Most of the pages are filled with the interaction between Alex and Gavin and Alex's frustrations with her mother trying to marry her off. I got somewhat tired of it after a while. Also the mysterious aspect wasn't very mysterious, since I figured out immediately who it was. I really only kept reading (and even sometimes enjoying) because of the dialog. Some of the dialog didn't seem very Regency England, though I couldn't quite point out why, since I'm not a real expert.

Read-alikes:
Reminded me of a less sensual British version of The Luxe, Rumors, and Envy by Anna Godberson

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !
a very few

mrg-factor: none
except kissing

v-factor: none

Overall rating: ***

Book Review: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Catching Fireis the exciting sequel to The Hunger Games (in case you have been living under a rock). Katniss must deal with the consequences, both expected and unexpected, of her actions in the Games. She tries to understand her conflicting feelings for both Peeta and Gale, not to mention the constant threat that the Capitol will exact revenge on her family and everyone she cares about. All this and more when the new rules of the 75th annual hunger games are announced.

Things I Liked:
It lives up to the hype. It is packed with excitement, adventure, twists, and terror. I loved the parts about Katniss questioning her motives for her actions in the last games. Did she do it out of concern for Peeta, was it selfishness, or even an unconscious act of rebellion? I adore the dystopian world Collins has created. Not only is this an exciting page-turning novel, it also addressed ethical and social issues in an interesting way. Oh, and I just love Katniss. One of my favorite quotes about her:

"So it's you and a syringe against the Capitol?" p. 384

Things I Didn't Like:
I admit, it was a bit of a slow start, but I enjoyed being able to learn more about the characters, watching their interactions. I also wish we knew more about the world!

Read-alikes:
Other excellent dystopian books:
Unwind by Neal Shusterman
Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
The Maze Runner by James Dashner

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: none
that I recall

mrg-factor: none
except kissing

v-factor: ->->->->
there is a lot of this - hunger games, what do you expect?

Overall rating: *****

Kralice Bible Museum

The last bookish place we visited in the Czech Republic was the Kralice Bible Museum.

It was here that a secret printing press was used to create the first Czech translation of the Bible, known as the Bible of Krelice (pronounced, I think, kruh-leets-uh). The Bibles on display date mostly from the 16th and 17th centuries.

They also have a working replica of the printing press used there and some other religious volumes from the same time period.

Hymnals




I really loved the beautiful works of art books used to be (instead of just pages of words, which, obviously, I still love)




click to enlarge (you won't be sorry)

Sigh. I need to find more places like this to visit. Though, perhaps a little closer to home.

Book Review: The Hourglass Door by Lisa Mangum

The Hourglass Dooris the story of Abby, who appears to have everything she could want: senior year with a great boyfriend, best friends, and college plans. But, something is missing - things are a little too dull and predictable for her taste. Abby feels like she wants something new for a change and when Dante the exchange student from Italy enters her life, she may just have gotten what she wanted - and a lot more!

Things I Liked:
The book had a very intriguing premise with time travel and all its twisty implications. Some of explanations of time and time travel interested me, though some of them bored me. I think the author has a lot of promise (this is her debut book). Some of the language was beautiful and descriptive:

"I didn't understand a word of his poem, but the music of his native tongue wove its way into my heart. I felt the rolling vowels along the edges of my fingertips; I resonated with the thrum and throb of the rhythm of his words. Sharp consonants prickled under my skin. Liquid vowels dripped over me like honey."

Things I Didn't Like:
I also got annoyed by some of the writing - there was a lot of metaphoric descriptive language that seemed almost forced. Some of the dialog and phrases were just weird coming from teens. Some of the time travel stuff was so vague as to be aggravating; it left me wondering what exactly happened. Abby often didn't act or feel like a teenager to me - more like an adult (except when it came to Dante). The interaction between Dante and Abby felt very much like Edward and Bella in Twilight - even down to the description of Dante's eyes, hair, and jaw line. I also lost interest in about the first half of the book - until the action picked.

Read-alikes:
Definitely for Twilightfans
A little like Need by Carrie Jones

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: none

mrg-factor: X
just plenty of kissing and cuddling

v-factor: ->
some violent behavior, but nothing descriptive really

Overall rating: ***

Not Allowed to Browse

This week, I had an experience in the library. It reminded me why I do not usually allow myself the privilege of wandering through the shelves. My husband and I dropped by to pick up some holds for me, but we decided to spend a few minutes in the stacks.

It has been quite a while since I did this. I remember why I "banned" myself from it. You see, after only about 10 minutes, I had to drag myself away and haul my books upstairs to check out. Here is what I just couldn't leave behind:

Betsy-Tacyby Maud Hart Lovelace
Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesiaby Elizabeth Gilbert
The Eyre Affair: A Thursday Next Novelby Jasper Fforde
The First Part Lastby Angela Johnson
A Gentleman of Leisureby P.G. Wodehouse (my first by him!)
GossamerLois Lowry
If You Come Softlyby Jacqueline Woodson
Shugby Jenny Han
Thornspellby Helen Lowe
Wait Till Next Year: A Memoirby Doris Kearns Goodwin
Graceling by Kristin Cashore (a reread)

(rather an eclectic collection)

I also got a copy of The Private Papers of Eastern Jewel: A Novelby Maureen Lindley from the publisher for review

Oh, and did I mention that I apparently still had a hold on a certain book that I was whining about not getting THE day it came out? Yeah, got it from the library. Thank you library gods!

Book Review: The Maze Runner by James Dashner

*ARC provided by publisher*

The Maze Runnerbegins when Thomas wakes up in the dark with no memory of his family, friends, and past. He arrives in the Glade where he is welcomed by the other boys who have come, one a month, for more than two years. No one really knows why they are here, but they have been trying to find a way out through the Maze - a treacherous, ever-changing, beast-inhabited giant puzzle. When the very next day a girl shows up, things in the Glade begin to change - and not for the better.

Things I Liked:
Throughout the book, we see the Glade, the Maze, and everything through Thomas' eyes - and we feel everything he does: mostly confusion, anger, and fear. I could not put this book down! Every page was filled with terrifying surprises and unexpected twists. We feel Thomas' frustration first-hand! I was really drawn into his character and felt like I was right there running with him. This was exciting, full of adventure, mysterious and thought-provoking. And I CAN'T WAIT for the sequel. Dang cliff-hanger ending!

Things I Didn't Like:
At times I got so annoyed that I didn't know anything (neither did Thomas) that I wanted to throw the book. But, I couldn't unglue it from my hand, because I had to know what happened. I was frustrated with the unfamiliar language, but that was because Thomas was as well. Everything he feels and sees, I did as well. Which made for a lot of frustration, anxiety, fear, and confusion, but a very real character :)

Read-alikes:
Felt a lot like The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: none
they use words that aren't quite cuss words (shuck and shank)

mrg-factor: none

v-factor: ->->->
definitely some violence and scary stuff that happens

Overall rating: *****

Book Review: The Lacemaker and the Princess by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

The Lacemaker and the Princessis the story of a friendship between a bourgoise lacemaker and a princess of France. When Isabelle delivers lace to the palace one day and is saved from being trampled to death by Marie Antoinette, she becomes a companion to the young princess Therese. Isabelle begins leading a double life - hardship and hunger at home, luxury and excess at the palace. But, when rumors of a revolution begin to rock the countryside, can Isabelle reconcile the people she loves at Versailles and the reality that she sees everyday in town?

Things I Liked:
I loved the way Bradley describes the palace and what life was like for both royalty and commoners. I felt like I was in that place, smelling the scents, touching and seeing the beauty and the horrors. I also really liked Isabelle and how she changes and comes to understand both palace life and the poverty and misery that most of the country experienced. She tries to reconcile those two worlds and it makes her grow and change in realistic ways. I also gained more of an understanding of the royal family and perhaps some reasons for their actions (or rather inaction).

Things I Didn't Like:
This was a good book for younger audiences. I found that sometimes I didn't feel compelled to finish the book. It was short enough to make it easier, though. I think it is best suited for grade school and middle grade readers - it might be a bit juvenile for older readers. Still enjoyable for me as an adult, though.

Read-alikes:
Good historical fiction, not necessarily the same time period though:
The Midwife's Apprenticeand Catherine, Called Birdyby Karen Cushman
Crispin: The Cross of Leadby Avi

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: none

mrg-factor: none

v-factor: ->
a little bit frightening sometimes

Overall rating: ****

Arrrr, Me Mateys, We Have a Winner! (Also, I Be Waitin' on A Fiery Book)

Thanks everyone for entering my contest for The Dust of 100 Dogs by A.S. King. Though I didn't enjoy it much, I am positive someone else will! That's the great thing about books - someone can think it was the worst thing ever written while someone else will think it's the best! Definitely a reason to get more than one opinion on a book, before deciding to read it or not.

I really enjoyed everyone's opinions about pirates. They seem to coincide with my own: some aspects of pirates (the excellent lingo, the humor (at least in the movies), the action, the adventure, the rebellion, etc) are fabulous and fun. Other things (dirty, smelly, thieves, immoral, etc) are not as praise-worthy - especially in modern times - I don't know many people who think pirating today is cool (unless they be pirates). Definitely an interesting historical group!

So, without further ado, the winner is:

pirate penguin
(which seems pretty appropriate) who read the book and did like it! Hurray!

I've sent you an email already, just let me know within the next few days your mailing address and I'll get your copy (paperback) out to you!

On to the second subject of the day - the release of the much anticipated sequel to Hunger Games, Catching Fire. I have spent the last several months attempting by any means (except piracy, hmmm) to obtain an ARC, but with no luck. So, I got me an Amazon preorder.

Unfortunately, my husband's credit card was lost and we had to cancel it. And since Amazon doesn't charge until they ship, we got a notice from them indicating our card wasn't working (yesterday). Which means I won't get the book for probably another THREE DAYS!!! I am not sure I can handle it, especially when all the conversations and reviews start popping up!

So, if my posts become increasingly desperate in tone, you'll understand and forgive, right?