Baja Greenawalt's Cozy Book Nook

Current favourites

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 20 Oct 2012 08:29:00 +0000

Hello all! It's me, Adele, and I am terribly sorry for the lack of posts I have done. I have been swamped with... well... life, I guess! This post is about my two current favourite books that I have recently read or am in the process of reading! The first one is Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows! I am a big Harry Potter fan and I think this one is my favourite out of all seven. This book is for anyone, child or adult! Here is a quick summary on the book.

While the magic world is being taken over by Lord Voldemort, Harry Potter and his friends have been set a deathly task by Dumbledore: To collect Voldemort's seven horcruxes. (Little pieces of one's soul hidden in items). They leave Hogwarts and set off in a race around the country. Along the way they find out shocking secrets, surprising information and horrific tales...

Now, the next book, Ruby Redfort Take Your Last Breath, is by my favourite author Lauren Child. I was so excited when this came out sand ended up checking the bookstore every couple of days to see whether they had it in or not! I recommend this one for ages around 8-13.

Ruby Redfort, Spectrum agent, is not easily scared. In fact, there is only one thing she is scared of... Small spaces. For her next mission she has to dive into the ocean, but she won't come face to face with her biggest fear, right?

And there you have it! Hope you enjoyed!

Lesa's Book Banter: The Woman in Black by Susan Hill

noreply@blogger.com (Lesa) — Sun, 27 May 2012 06:14:00 +0000

Synopsis from Amazon: Arthur Kipps is an up-and-coming London solicitor who is sent to Crythin Gifford--a faraway town in the windswept salt marshes beyond Nine Lives Causeway--to attend the funeral and settle the affairs of a client, Mrs. Alice Drablow of Eel Marsh House. Mrs. Drablow's house stands at the end of the causeway, wreathed in fog and mystery, but Kipps is unaware of the tragic secrets that lie hidden behind its sheltered windows. The routine business trip he anticipated quickly takes a horrifying turn when he finds himself haunted by a series of mysterious sounds and images...

ooOOOoooOO-- what a good old fashioned ghost story! The setting is post-Victorian but the style is reminiscent of old Victorian ghost stories by Dickens, Wilkie Collins, ect. So it is not 'in your face' scary like most contemporary horror novels/movies but rather has an eerie slow atmospheric build of suspense and uneasiness. And it has the obligatory tragically horrifying 'drive the hero mad' clencher of an ending.

If you have an appreciation for old fashioned ghost stories, give this novella a try.

Oh yes, I absolutely loved the character of Spider, the brave little terrier. So clever of the author to add Spider to the story because there is nothing more unnerving than a dog growling and bristling at something that isn't there or at least at something we humans can't see.

I abandoned a trek to behind the house last night after dark (even with a flashlight) to turn off the water because my dogs wouldn't go with me. And they always go with me. Then one dog barked. I thought of little Spider and scurried back into the house and locked the door. Bigfoot might have been back there! (I live in the woods and there have been Bigfoot sightings around here.. and mountain lions and bears, oh my!)

One more thing, this book was recently made into a movie starring Daniel Radcliffe. Not sure if I plan to see it or not since the movie is probably way scarier than the book. I may not want to actually see the specter or hear the eerie sounds since I'm easily creeped out.

Do you like ghost stories? Will you watch the movie or read the book? If you already have, what did you think?

My Goodreads rating: four stars out of five which means I really liked it and had fun reading it.

Source: Library

Books I have been forced to read

noreply@blogger.com (Isabella) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 08:26:00 +0000

Hello there, bookworms!
I have not been present here in what seems like a lifetime, so let me introduce myself. I am Isabella, an almost fifteen-year-old-girl who loves to read. My specialities include girly-fluff novels (books with no substance), timeless classics I struggle to get through (I'm looking at you, Jane Austen) and of course, those wonderful books I am forced to read at school.

I usually have to write an in-class essay after I've read the book, making reading these books a painfully stressful process. Never have I actually read one of these books for a novel study and liked them. Ever. Here are a few of the wonderful gems I have gotten to read over my advanced English years.

Outfall by Brian Ridden

I can't really remember much of this book. It was all a frantically-trying-to-get-an-A+ blur. Some details I remember, though, like that it was about a teenage surfer boy, he was protesting against something environmentally destructive and he had nightmares about sharks a lot. And the book had sexual references that we had to read aloud in class. Tee hee!

A Bridge to Wiseman's Cove by James Moloney

We had to analyse this book so much that by the end I never wanted to hear it mentioned ever again. And I know that even if we didn't have to analyse so heavily, I still wouldn't have liked it. It's just so sad. The main character, Carl, is someone you just can't help but feel sorry for. He has a dysfunctional family, no social skills, and loves a girl who doesn't feel the same. I like to feel happy when I read, and this book just didn't do it for me. Of course it has a happy ending, but it just takes so long to get there. Read this if you're not a massive softie like me!

To Kill a Mocking-bird by Harper Lee

Ah yes, the classic tale of racism and justice. I think. I'm just taking a jab in the dark here because I have not actually gotten past the first chapter. I'll admit, it seems a little more interesting than the others, but I just can't bring myself to read it during the holidays. Boo Radley seems really scary.

Who knows, maybe I'll read this one and actually enjoy it. Probably not. I'll keep you all posted.

http://viewsofnow.blogspot.com.au/

The French Foreign Legion

noreply@blogger.com (DeLynne) — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Tonight's conversation started with Hubby mentioning that he had met Bob Irwin, the late Crocodile Hunter's father. That led, naturally to his son, and other adventurous men.

We then wandered on to discuss one of our favourite TV shows, Bear Grylls.

The family reminisced about an episode where Bear joins in a French Foreign Legion boot camp, and the question came up, 'What is the French Foreign Legion?'

I looked in Wikipedia and learned that is was founded in 1831, is still an important part of the French military, and has fought in almost all French wars. I was interested to read that a large number of refugees find sanctuary in the ranks. A few of years of honourable service in the FFL offers citizenship, even though there are no FFL forces based in France except during war.

So we talked of rogues and new identities and soldiers and spies.

We sat around our table and agreed we'd rather be here than wrestling crocs, eating spiders or serving France in a war zone. My spaghetti and meatballs weren't wonderful, but they were definitely better than some other options...

Utterly fantastic fan mail part 2!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 01:09:00 +0000

MEEEEEEEEEEEP!!!

LAUREN CHILD REPLIED!!!

LIFE IS COMPLETE!

............................................................

Okay, okay. As you may have noticed, Lauren Child sent my friend and I a letter back. I was utterly surprised because not only did it come so utterly fast, but we thought it would never come back. But... WE WERE WRONG!

She sent us the letter and 2 fabulous post cards! (It would have been horrid if she only sent 1!). We photo copied the letter so now there is one for me and one for her. The picture on the post card is titled; My dream bed. It says; 'Would your dream bed be your own bed?'

Utterly amazing!

E-readers Are Not Evil! (vlog)

noreply@blogger.com (Lesa) — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 18:55:00 +0000

Hello, book buds! Did you notice my absence around blogland, Facebook and Twitter the last few weeks? No? *note to self: Lesa is not the center of the universe* Well, I have been enjoying a much needed social media sabbatical.

And I have been utterly and completely ~~obsessed~~ preoccupied with my KindleFire.

Yes, I have joined the ~~darkside~~ ranks of the e-reader cheerleaders. (If you missed it, groove here to my KindleFire dance party)

In fact, I am so thrilled with the KindleFire (and e-reading in general) that I decided to focus my first ever solo vlog on it. If you ~~fear brainwashing~~ don't have time to watch, scroll down to read my favorable and convincing first impressions.

Apologies, the camera got too hot and stopped, hence part two.

What I'm liking about the Kindlefire:

It is very user friendly despite a very touchy touch screen.

The background color, font, text size and brightness of a book page can be adjusted to suit personal preferences. It makes reading a book very easy on the eyes. And it does not look or feel like reading on a computer.

The backlit screen allows reading in the dark! My favorite feature!! I can read at night while riding in the car! When I can pry it away from my child...

By the way, if you have children consider getting them their own Kindlefire to fight over. My little boy loves reading books and playing free games on it. He actually prefers it over his DSi XL. Grrr...

I like the novelty of streaming videos, music and accessing the web but the Kindlefire may be redundant if you already do that with other portable devices. If that is the case, try an e-reader that is for books only.

What I'm loving about e-reading:

Free books! And not just classics. There seems to be an unlimited supply of 'new' fiction/non-fiction freebies available.

Convenience! An entire portable library is at hand anytime anywhere.

So any new converts among the e-reader naysayers and fence sitters?

Testify, Brother and Sister Bookworms!

E-readers are not evil!

E-readers are good!

Embrace e-readers!

Really, you will be delighted by how much an e-reader enhances your reading life.

I kid you not. I still can't get over the wonder of this cool fun new way to read.

And I am still reading physical books too... still buying 'real' bargain books... still borrowing books from the library.

Using an e-reader hasn't changed anything regarding my love or use of physical books. It has only enhanced and added a new dimension to my reading life.

So don't be as silly and stubborn as me, try an e-reader soon!

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For those who viewed my vlogs, what did you think?

Have I not made a perfect drinking game vlog for book club night?! Every time, Lesa flaps the Kindle cover take a swig! Every time, she says 'fun', take two swigs!!

Hahahaha! Watching oneself on video is a real eye opener!

I want to get better at this vlogging business so please share your tips and advice. I'm very competitive with myself so I've already noted many ways to improve, such as:

1. Keep it short and to the point! My challenge will be to keep future vlogs between 2 and 4 minutes long. Feel free to place bets among yourselves. hahaha

2. Invest in an external microphone to eliminate camera noise and increase sound quality.

3. Stop saying 'uh'.

4. Stop playing with the props.

5. Sit still. Well, that one may be an impossible goal so at least sit in a non-squeaky chair. Which I did for part two. Did you notice?

6. Vlog when the lighting is best. The lighting had changed during part two and wasn't as nice.

Anything else? Be honest. Don't worry about hurting my feelings. I have no illusions and would prefer to avoid future embarrassment. ;)

Thank you so much for your help.

And many many thank yous for watching (and reading).

Until next time, hugs and happy reading!

Biblio-blunder: Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie) — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 16:25:00 +0000

Biblio-blunder is a sporadic (thankfully) feature in which we share our bookish gaffes with the world. Click on the label biblio-blunder to read more.

Last week Adele wrote about her fan letter to her favorite author. It reminded me when I wrote to an author. But it wasn't a fan letter. It was a desperate plea for help. HELP, I say!

There was a time when I could take a book, read it, and nary a mishap. Then I began to get old and feeble- minded. I got the dropsies in the bubble bathies. And the coffee spillages on the page the killer was revealed.

"As God as my witness...As God as my witness, I will never borrow a friend's precious book. Only from the library because I can always just pay the fine. No harm, no foul."

This entire speech was said with such conviction, such feeling, that all those listening shed a tear. Yes. One single tear. And a rose was involved somehow. Maybe I bit a potato. And I may have been alone. I don't remember. The point is, I could not trust myself with books.

I broke this cardinal rule one fateful day. I broke it and lived to tell the tale.

One of my friends knew I was going on a long car trip. She knew I wanted to read The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. She knew I was clumsy and had children, but that temptress offered the book anyway! I tell you, I couldn't say no. What a fool I was! What a fool.

My old nemesis

What happened, you ask? Oh. I'll tell you what happened. Chocolate milk, the deadliest of all milks happened.

Chocolate milk spilled out of the bottle in the cupholder into my bag o' stuff-to-do-on-a-twelve-hour-car-trip. And worse yet, I DID NOT KNOW, until it glued the middle pages together. A brown gloppy stinky mess. No chance to clean it up.

But the worst, ABSOLUTE WORST, was that this was a hard-bound, PERSONALLY AUTOGRAPHED, FIRST EDITION beautiful book ruined by yours truly. Oh. Yes. I felt so bad. It ruined my trip.

As soon as I got back to the US, I searched high and low for a replacement. I avoided my friend. I searched for a first edition that was autographed for about a week. Finally, I hunted down the address for Rebecca Wells. Then I wrote a particularly pathetic letter, explaining what happened and begging her for an autographed copy. Every possible mean of contacting were included. I didn't hear from her.

I finally gave up. After nearly two months I tracked down an autographed, first edition. I bought it and placed it in the bag with the ruined book. I wrote another pathetic letter apologizing and explaining what happened. I gave it to her husband and, like a coward, left the scene.

My friend called me later that week and told me it was fine. That she hated that I was so stressed about it, I should've told her, no need for another one, etc. She's even offered to let me borrow more books. I always say NO!

But that, folks, is not the end. About two months after this, I get a phone call. Guess who it was? Ms. Wells' assistant! Yes! She called me! They got my letter and wanted to help me. She was so very very nice. I thanked her profusely and told her I had purchased one already. She kind of laughed, apologized for taking so long to get back to me, that they understood what happened and if there was anything else that they could help with to let them know.

So, that, my folks, is my "writing an author" story. Pathetic? Yes. Will I ever borrow someone's book? Unless I can run to Barnes and Noble to replace it, then NO! I learned my lesson. Again.

Please feel free to share your bookish horror stories so I don't feel quite so bad.

Utterly Fantastic Fan Mail!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 09:17:00 +0000

Yes! I did it! I was reading Clarice Bean Utterly Me, when I had this utterly amazing idea: To write to Lauren Child! (My absolute favourite writer in the history of utterly amazing writers!)

So I asked my bestest friend in the whole widest world what she thought, and then it hit me! (Yet another utterly amazing idea!) We could both write to her, she LOVES Lauren Child too, so it works out.

So, we wrote the letter, and we included a drawing that we did. I was quite proud.

And we even decorated both sides of the envelope!

Here is one side:

And here is the other side:

Writing fan mail is so much fun!

Have you ever sent fan mail to a favourite author?

Sorry for the photo quality!

Bargain Book Bonanza (31): Drew in Blue by J. M. Kelley

noreply@blogger.com (DeLynne) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:49:00 +0000

Welcome to Bargain Book Bonanza!

DeLynne is hosting this week!

Drew in Blue by J.M. Kelly was free when I 'bought' it on Kindle, but now I see it's $3.99 or free for Prime members.

Even if you have to pay the full $3.99 I think you will consider it money well-spent.

This is a romance story, but it's also about raising babies and making art and becoming a parent. Drew finds himself unexpectedly responsible for his baby Nick. You can imagine the usual Three Men and a Baby gags about diapers and spit-up, and yes, they are here.

But this is also a well-written story that made me smile and even tear up. Don't expect a sob story because it doesn't take much to make me moist-eyed, it's a genetic thing.

I loved riding along with Drew as he grew up, forgave his mother for dying when he was young, earned a living, fell in love with his son, and found the woman of his dreams.

As an added bonus, Drew is an artist, and we get to see glimpses of an artist's life. You know, painter's block, working at home, choosing a media, meeting buyers, hanging the canvases, etc. Not knowing any full-time artists I am not sure about the accuracy of these details, but they were interesting and made me wish I could paint.

You should know that Drew in Blue gets a little, erm, blue at times. So if you're a stickler for keeping your reading G rated you need to move along. Nothing to see here. It's certainly not erotica (which Lesa says has 'all the particulars') but there are some intimacies and a bit of swearing.

The plot is predictable. I mean Blind Freddy can see where it's going. But it was sweet and funny: certainly more than just a Harlequin, Mills and Boon-type story.

I think you will enjoy getting to know Drew.

Not THIS Drew in Blue.

THIS Drew in Blue.

And to see even more blues, please hop over to Blue Monday hosted by Smiling Sally.

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BBB is a book haul linky party for bargain loving bookworms!

Want to join the party? Just visit the Bargain Book Bonanza page for the particulars.

What Makes a Princess a Princess?

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 04:56:00 +0000

I happened to stumble on the most adorable story. I was at our local library and my little girl was running around (quietly!) yanking any book that was predominantly pink and/or had a princess on the cover. Most of them were the "perfect" blonde princess books. I replaced those. One was different though: Princess Grace by Mary Hoffman.

Isn't that the sweetest cover? So, why is this such a great story? Let me 'splain. No. There is too much. Let me sum up:

There will be two princesses chosen to be in the parade this year. Grace hopes to be one of them - with a pink and floaty dress. But when she asks what a princess does exactly, it actually sounds boring. That is, until her teacher shows her books of real life princess and story princesses from other lands - princesses that wouldn't be wearing pink and floaty dresses

As she learns more, she decides what kind of princess she would really like to be and it doesn't involve pink either! "Will you still like it?" her mother asks. "There's more than one way of being pretty," answers Grace.

Another reason I appreciated this book is that her mother and grandmother remind her that she may not be chosen. THANK YOU! My kids are geniuses, could be models, and are hi-la-ri-ous (as are yours, I am sure). And they don't always get chosen. Positive reinforcement is important, but teaching your kids some of the realities of life is important too. I think this book did a nice job of that. It was light, but got some great messages across.

The illustrations are very colorful, very detailed watercolors. Lovely pictures. There is a brief lesson at the back of the book about princesses - real and legend. The reader is encouraged to learn more. Verrry interesting. I plan on looking up some of these stories.

This book says it is appropriate for K-2 (5-8), but I think you could stretch it a bit further in either direction, especially if you are looking for a positive story about accepting who we are. Have you read this? If you haven't,check it out at your local library. If you have, let me know what you think about it, or if you have a favorite "positive message" book!

Linking to:

Kid Konnection hosted by Booking Mama.
Book Talk Tuesday hosted by The Lemme Library.

Storytime (vlog): I Will Surprise My Friend! by Mo Willems

noreply@blogger.com (Lesa) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 19:50:00 +0000

My, oh, my! Since Leslie raved about Mo Willem's Elephant and Piggie books here, Talon and I haven't been able to get enough. We've read all in the series multiple times. And Leslie was right, these books never get old.

I Will Surprise my Friend! is the first one we spotted at the library. We read it right then and there-- and giggled and laughed out loud. Yes, it is that funny.

Here is Talon's Storytime vlog review:

As you saw briefly in the video, Elephant, Piggie and their friends speak and think in word bubbles. And much of the meaning is conveyed through these cute little animals' facial expressions and body language-- and that adds to the funny.

(Light bulb moment! Just realized these books would be a fun teaching tool for my students who have difficulty interpreting social language cues!)

In this book, Elephant and Piggie decide to surprise each other by the big rock... they wait and wait on opposite sides of the rock and, of course, Elephant's imagination runs away with him...

He imagines scenario after scenario of horrible things that might have happened to Piggie. The ever practical Piggie thinks Elephant must have went to lunch.

Then they nearly give each other a heart attack! Talon loves the next page when they both fall over on their backs.

Such a cute book. Aren't the word bubbles fun?! And the facial expressions are priceless.

That Mo Willems is a genius!

Talon and I join Leslie and her kiddos in highly recommending the entire Elephant and Piggie series. And the Pigeon series too... hysterical!

If you are fans of Elephant and Piggie, which is your favorite book in the series?

If you haven't met Elephant and Piggie yet, go to the library immediately... read one ... don't laugh too loud and get shushed...then come back and report.

Linking to: Book Talk Tuesday at The Lemme Library

Kid Konnection at Booking Mama

Bargain Book Bonanza (30): Wildwood Dancing

noreply@blogger.com (Lesa) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 04:12:00 +0000

Welcome to Bargain Book Bonanza!

Lesa is hosting this week!

Greetings, book buddies! BBB is back in 2012-- hopefully on a weekly or bi-monthly schedule. But possibly less if life gets too busy. That is the great thing about being a blogger: one can make up the rules then change them or break them.

Now on to my BBB book...

I can't wait to show off this beautiful book that I found for one dollar at a Texas Hastings (a chain that sells new and used books, movies, music and video games) during my Thanksgiving week of seriously bizarre bad juju. Finding this book was very good juju and a turning point in the juju department.

Isn't the cover breathtaking? There are so many minuscule delights hidden in the cover art that I discover something new every time I look at it.

But I didn't buy it just for the cover.

The title influenced me too. It was just too evocative for a girl with the soul of dryad. You know how I love trees and forests.

Then the synopsis clinched the deal. One of the shortest and simplest that I've ever seen but irresistible.

Five adventurous sisters...

Four dark creatures...

Three magical gifts...

Two forbidden lovers...

One enchanted frog...

Cross the threshold into the Wildwood, and enter a land of magic, daring, betrayal, and true love.

That is it and all it took.

Wildwood Dancing was lost amid all my bargain books but I found it this past weekend and I can't wait to read it. In fact, I'm going to start it even though I'm absorbed in a reread of Great Gatsby. I'm suddenly in a fairytale mood. Fairytale moods are like that...

Have you read this book or any others by this author?

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BBB is a book haul linky party for bargain loving bookworms!

Want to join the party? Just visit the Bargain Book Bonanza page for the particulars.

Win an IPAD2 and Kindle Fire!! Rafflecopter Launch Party Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (Lesa) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 15:00:00 +0000

The super cool and very generous guys at Rafflecopter are celebrating the launch of the new version of Rafflcopter with an awesome giveaway!

Enter to win an IPAD2!

And whoever refers the winner will win a Kindle Fire!

Suggest a name for the Rafflecopter mascot. If your suggestion is chosen, win a Kindle Fire!!

Wow! What an exciting giveaway!

This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents only. It ends February 9.

For your convenience, enter to win right here at Baja Greenawalt's Cozy Book Nook. And don't forget to say 'Lesa' referred you. I already have a Kindle Fire so will giveaway any that I win.

Have fun and good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

On Fire with Lesa in 2012! Dance Party!

noreply@blogger.com (Lesa) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 17:35:00 +0000

(I have a deep dark bookish secret. Can you guess what it is from the conspicuous clues? And grooving is mandatory-- no matter where you are)

Happy second week of this beautiful new year! Is your year off to a blazing good start?

Great balls of fire! Mine certainly is.

Great Balls by Jerry Lee Lewis on Grooveshark

I've been in a searing frenzy of productivity around the old homestead. Start rearranging furniture at midnight? Hot damn, I'm just heating up at midnight.

Hot Hot Hot by Buster Poindexter and His Banshees of Blue on Grooveshark

And in the blogging department? Well, lately, I've been neglecting poor Baja in favor of my everything else blog, Dusty Us Diaries.

BUT as the embers of 2011 burn to ash, the sparks of 2012 have ignited an inferno of exciting book bloggy ideas. So stay tuned!

And my reading? Off to a sizzling start with Summer by Edith Wharton. It is a scorcher! (teehee)

Using all the these fiery words tickles me. Hope you are amused too and not ready to toss me onto a pyre. Okay, moving along, just in case.

Have you guessed my secret yet? Are you burning to know? (teehee again)

Aw, you're so flaming brilliant, I bet you already figured it out.

Alright, I never in a million years (or at least 5 years) expected to say this but here goes.... the big reveal...

I received a Kindle Fire for Christmas!

I am actually the ~~bemused~~ proud owner of an e-reader. And a super cool high tech e-reader at that. Me. The girl with no ipod. The girl with a dumb phone. (I did just upgrade to a smarter phone with a slide out keyboard and touch screen but kept it deliberately dumb-- no texting/interneting for me!)

And now I am with Kindle Fire.

Dang, I don't know nothin' 'bout reading on e-readers!

Ha, looks like I don't know whether to smile or grimace. Just momentary cognitive dissonance though.

My mind was a whirl of: Uh buh.. no e-reader is my trademark. OMG! A KINDLE FIRE! Uh buh.. I prefer real books. OMG! A KINDLE FIRE! Uh buh... I want to be the last holdout. OMG! A KINDLE FIRE! I CAN GET ALL THE DICKENS' NOVELS FOR FREE! (And that is no lie. Dickens popped into my mind before all others. my bargain book hunting has been thwarted by Dickens all year)

So yeah, I'm fired up about my new book toy!

Fire by Ohio Players on Grooveshark

Now, if I could only try it out. That is right, I haven't even tried it out yet (but I have watched Amazon's cool tutorials).

Why? There is no wi-fi at my house.

Why? My bone idle but charming and bookish (redeeming qualities) Hub bought a wireless router two years ago and has yet to set it up.

Hahahahahahahahahhahahah! This kills me! It is just so typical of our sitcom-esque life.

Is your life like a sitcom too?

Ours is a wonderfully maddening amalgamation of The Honeymooners, I Love Lucy, Andy Griffith Show, Beverly Hillbillies, Gilligan's Island and Fawlty Towers. Really.

So I'm giving Hub until February to hook up the wi-fi so I can set up my Kindle Fire in the comfort of my own home. If there is still no wi-fi on February 1, I'll go use the library's wi-fi.

How much you wanna bet that I will be at the library on February 1?

Until then, I will just stand next to my Kindle Fire...

Fire by The Jimi Hendrix Experience on Grooveshark

Where do you stand regarding e-readers? If you have one, which one do you have? How often do you use it?

Pseudo Celebrity

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 12:37:00 +0000

Ahem. Hello. It's me. I know. I haven't been around lately. I won't go into a looooong boring story about where I have been, BUT I will apologize. I apologize.
I am soooooooo SORRY!

Is that a tear I see? It's ok. I am here. Shh. I am here.

Let's move on, shall we? Stop looking back? Look to the future? A future filled with blog posts about books and book cases and book nooks. Yes. That is what we will do. Look to the future bookish posts. That's why you are my favorite reader. You are always so positive.

Awhile back, my kids' school hosted Celebrity Readers. The idea was to get exemplary people from the community and have them read to a few classes. They would explain why they loved reading, how it made them successful, and whatever else they thought may inspire young people and their spongy little brains. Our future, if you will.

So. Being the world famous blogger that I am, I volunteered. Actually, it was more like, "If you need readers to fill in, I'd be happy to come in. Just FYI: I'm NOT a celebrity. And I am not particularly exemplary. I will, however, sign autographs."

I did, of course, mention that I love to read and, in fact, participate in a witty, fresh, and unique book blog. The organizer was im.pressed. Actually, she did like it. I sent her a link and I was IN, baby!

I got to read for both of my kids' classes. It was fairly easy to find a book for my first grader. But how do you choose a picture book for fifth graders? I asked the school librarian. No help. The books she had chosen, to me, were boring (Yes, I said it. Books a librarian chose were boring. I know that's sacrilege). So, I went online in search of books for fifth graders. It was still difficult, since I had to read reviews and reviews and make trips to our library to find something funny but not too babyish, not too adult, AND that could be read within 15 minutes.

"Wait a minute," you are saying. "Too adult? How could that be?" Excellent question. I am glad you asked. Well, many picture books that I found are, for example, studied in college classes. They use to them analyze attitudes and cultures and child psychology, et cetera, et cetera. And so it seems the author wrote them more for adults than children. Anywho.

Here are the books I chose for my kids.

Scapegoat by Dean Hale, illustrated by Michael Slack.

For my first grader, I chose Scapegoat.

This is the cutest story. It is about a goat named Oat and how she gets blamed for everything bad that happens.

As you can see in the title, the -oat is used throughout. Very helpful for teaching those vowel combinations.
The illustrations were bright and funny. The words had a nice rhythm.

Bottom line: the kids loved the story and asked me to read it twice! Even the teacher was laughing.

The Secret Knowledge of Grown-Ups
by David Wisniewski

For my fifth grader, I found The Secret Knowledge of Grown-Ups.

Ok. This story was hilarious. It finally reveals the real reasons behind all of our rules. Why do we tell kids to eat their vegetables and drink their milk and not to pick their noses?

Life as we know it could end otherwise.

Check out this book for all the details. But I warn you, there are those that would like to keep this a secret, so be very careful!

Bottom line: at first the kids were fidgety. But a few paragraphs in and I had their full attention. They were giggling and "ewwwing", and crept closer to see the pictures. The teacher even stopped her work a few times to listen and laugh.

I am really proud of schools these days. They are really stressing reading, and getting the community involved in these projects is a great idea. I just wish more parents and neighbors would take half an hour occasionally and get involved.

What about you? Do you have a recommendations for next year? Have you participated in a project like this? If there is nothing like this in your local schools, maybe you could take the initiative. Everyone loves being read to, and it's a lot of fun for the reader as well!

Seasons Greetings!

noreply@blogger.com (DeLynne) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 14:59:00 +0000

All the best

to You

from the

Ladies at Baja

Bargain Book Bonanza (29): Kindle Mysteries

noreply@blogger.com (DeLynne) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 14:52:00 +0000

Welcome to Bargain Book Bonanza!

DeLynne is hosting this week!

We all love a bargain, and books don't come any more basement-priced than free. Here are three Kindle mysteries I picked up for nothing, nada, niente. Remember, folks, if you don't have a Kindle you can read these books using your laptop or apps on other devices.

Archie's Been Framed manages to be farcical yet hard-boiled in the best James Bond tradition. Amazing gadgetry, gastronomy, a bon-vivant lifestyle and murder are a wonderful combination. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting Julius and his electronic side kick. Knight Rider eat your heart out, Archie is Julius' friend, assistant, secretary and nagger. This is a series I'd actually pay to read.

The Noon God is a quick read from Donna Carrick, and I do recommend it. The characters and investigation are a bit shallow, but that's understandable for the length of the book. Carrick sucked me in and I was shocked when she revealed the murderer. I'd really like to know if other readers were able to pick who-done-it better than me, and plan to read it again to see which clues I missed the first time through.

It's as much a family saga as a mystery, with tragic characters struggling to overcome damage done by relatives (usually parents). Not a cheerful book, but thought-provoking nonetheless.

Dark Horse is great. I've fallen for Jim Knighthorse even if he is narcissistic and talks to a bum who thinks he's God. Actually, those traits endear him to me, and I was hooked by his story.

Jim tries to prove his client, a high-achieving black high school student, didn't kill his white girlfriend. The plot is tight and quick, and this book has everything a good mystery should. Jim has a troubled past he's trying to resolve, and this is probably the grittiest of the three books reviewed here. There are some moral dilemmas to ponder, too.

Three good reads for free. Actually my grandfather used to say nothing is free, and he would have pointed out that even a $0.00 Kindle book requires internet connection, a reading device, etc. But this is as free as it gets, readers!

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BBB is a book haul linky party for bargain loving bookworms!

Want to join the party? Just visit the Bargain Book Bonanza page for the particulars.

If you have a bargain book post, please link up and share. We love to brag on bargains!

Books in my mother's house

noreply@blogger.com (DeLynne) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 20:17:00 +0000

My mother loves books in the kitchen...

...on a cake stand...

...by the couch...

...near the back door...

...and under a lamp....

Storytime Gift-away Giveaway: Llama Llama Hardback Picture Book Set Of Three ($50 value)

noreply@blogger.com (Lesa) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 04:27:00 +0000

Welcome to the first official Storytime Gift-away Giveaway!

USA entrants only please.

Children's books are the berries!

Here at Mrs. BG, we are big fans of baby board books, picture books, early readers and chapter books.

And as parents and educators, we know that reading aloud to babies and young children can instill an early love of reading and appreciation of books. Even more importantly, it gives little ones a strong foundation for building cognitive, language and pre-literacy skills.

It is any surprise that we feel books make the best children's gifts for any occasion?

The joy and value of a book is endless-- it truly is a gift that keeps on giving.

So we are utterly over the moon and beyond thrilled to share our love of children's books by offering this stupendously spectacular gift to the lucky winner of the Storytime Gift-away Giveaway:

Three hardbook picture books from the Llama Llama series by Anna Dewdney!

A fifty dollar value!

The titles:

llama llama red pajama

llama llama misses mama

llama llama holiday drama

Are you familiar with the llama llama books?

Oh my, they are as cute as can be: absolutely delightful rhymes and illustrations!

And the stories are spot on in showing situations that bring a three to five year old to the end of his/her tether.

llama llama is such a typical toddler and llama mama is such a good mama.

I love these books! My little one and I have paperback editions of llama llama red pajama (about bedtime drama) and llama llama mad at mama (about shopping drama-- not included in this giveaway) and it is really funny how we both relate to the stories.

These books never get tiresome to read aloud-- at least not to me.

This set would make an ideal gift for any child or split it up and give one each to three children. Or gift them to an early childhood teacher.

But before you can hear the oohs and ahs of delight from gifting, you gotta win it!

Enter to win with this nifty Rafflecopter form!

(Rafflecopter is so cool but this is my first time setting up a giveaway with it so fingers crossed that it works)

Alice-Miranda At Sea!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 08:18:00 +0000

Hey!

So sorry I haven't posted in awhile. I finished reading Alice-Miranda At Sea, (awhile ago!) and found it was just fabulous. (As all Alice-Miranda books are.)

The story is about a little girl named Alice-Miranda, and her aunt is getting married. And, of course, the wedding is on a private cruise boat that her other "aunt", Auntie Gee owns. (She isn't actually her aunt, but it's one of those special-connection things, Oh and her aunt is royal!) But there is a twist, there's a stow-away on the ship... Who? Well thats for you to find out!

This book is filled with lots of drama, mystery and intrigue. I recomend this for ages 8 to 12.

Bargain Book Bonanza (28): Narnia Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Lesa) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 04:48:00 +0000

Welcome to Bargain Book Bonanza!

Lesa is hosting this week!

I'm not much of a gambler but book hunting at my particular Goodwill is always a sure bet especially in the children's book section. And at only twenty cents a pop for paperbacks, I splurge like crazy. Why, I've even been known to buy 10 or 15 books at a time!

Love my Goodwill store but sometimes I can't get over some of the books that have been donated.
Recently, I was astounded to see Narnia books offered. Narnia?! What is up with that? Narnia books are keepers!

There were multiple copies of four of the books available and I chose the best of each...

To keep forever and ever... or until they fall apart.

Actually book friends, even fall aparts are safe at my house. Look at this Narnia set that I bought used over twenty years ago.

It has literally been read to pieces... mainly by me.

I intended to give it the old heave-ho as replacements were acquired but it is sooo difficult.

Is it difficult for you to toss tattered copies of beloved books?

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BBB is a book haul linky party for bargain loving bookworms!

Want to join the party? Just visit the Bargain Book Bonanza page for the particulars.

If you have a bargain book post, please link up and share. We love to brag on bargains!

Wishlist Wednesday: Beauty and the Werewolf by Mercedes Lackey

noreply@blogger.com (Lesa) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 18:04:00 +0000

Guess what I spotted in a GoodReads email?

My wish book for this week!

It is the latest in the fun Five Hundred Kingdoms Series by Mercedes Lackey.

The eldest daughter is often doomed in fairy tales. But Bella—Isabella Beauchamps, daughter of a wealthy merchant—vows to escape the usual pitfalls.

Anxious to avoid the Traditional path, Bella dons a red cloak and ventures into the forbidden forest to consult with "Granny," the local wisewoman.

But on the way home she's attacked by a wolf—who turns out to be a cursed nobleman! Secluded in his castle, Bella is torn between her family and this strange man who creates marvelous inventions and makes her laugh; when he isn't howling at the moon.

Have you read any Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms?

In this series, the characters are usually trying to avoid the powerful pull of Tradition or shape it to improve their lot. Tampering with Tradition can cause big trouble so Godmothers must find ways for 'Tradition' to be satisfied while ensuring the safety and happiness of all... even if it is in very unexpected ways.

If you like quirky fairy tale retellings, you are in for a treat.

Please visit Pen to Paper to see more Wishlist Wednesday offerings.

Ruby Redfort Look Into My Eyes by Lauren Child

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 02:44:00 +0000

Hello! Adele here!Remember the books that I wished for a couple of weeks ago?

Guess what?! I went shopping and found both of the books: Ruby Redfort Look Into My Eyes and Alice-Miranda at Sea.

Of course, I bought them immediately and I've just finished reading Ruby Redfort.

Here is my review!

Ok, the story line is that there is a girl, Ruby, from a wealthy family and her best friend is named Clancy Crew.

Ruby is a code cracking genius, and when a suspicious butler, Hitch, comes along she has a "hunch" that he's not a butler.

And, of course he's not.

Hitch is an agent for a spy agency called "Spectrum". And when Ruby finds out why he's there , she gets an invitation to join Spectrum...

I won't spoil any more for you.

It is a fantastic book, with lots of mystery and intrigue. I'm really into mysteries at the moment.

Ruby Redfort is perfect for 8 to 13 year olds. But, of course, whether you're 30 or 6, you can read it if you really want to.

I'm just about in the middle of Alice-Miranda at Sea, so I will review it soon.

Ok, gotta go read!

Wishing for Zombies?

noreply@blogger.com (Lesa) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 02:11:00 +0000

Hi! It is me, Lesa, wishing for a book. I think.

You see the book in question is Zone One, a post-apocalyptic novel about the aftermath of a zombie plague, by Colson Whitehead

Post-apocalyptic novels, I do like.

Zombies, meh... not so much.

Now, no offense to zombies. It is just that I am not a 'Squee! Zombies!' sort of girl. In fact, my interest in zombies is zilch.

Be that as it may, I have enjoyed the occasional zombie movie/book. The friendly but misunderstood zombies from the magically punny Xanth books are funny. And The Forest of Hands and Teeth (with traditional unfriendly zombies) is an excellent post-apocalyptic dystopian YA read.

But do I wish to read another post-apocalyptic zombie book?

My interest waned a bit since first hearing about Zone One a couple of weeks ago in a NPR Fresh Air author interview.

image Erin Patrice O'Brien/Doubleday

After relistening to the extremely engaging author, Colson Whitehead, discuss his novel and share anecdotes from his childhood and prep school days, I was completely enthralled again.

So yes, I do wish to read this book. And Mr. Whitehead's previous non-zombie literary works as well.

Give a listen. Bet you won't be able to resist his giggle. (Or the fact that the book is a tip of the hat to his favorite sci-fi and horror shows/comics/books from childhood. I can't resist, I love that sort of thing.)

Click 'summary' to read a synopsis and abbreviated companion article.

So, book wishing friends, is Zone One a wish-worthy book? And have you read any Colson Whitehead novels?

Wishlist Wednesday is a bookish linky party hosted by Pen to Paper.

Bargain Book Bonanza (28): Before Green Gables

noreply@blogger.com (Lesa) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 16:47:00 +0000

Welcome to Bargain Book Bonanza!

A book haul linky party for bargain loving bookworms!

Want to join the party? Just visit the Bargain Book Bonanza page for the particulars.

Lesa is hosting this week!

Howdy, bargain loving kindred spirits! I have such a sweet little book to show you this week.

See, isn't the cover as sweet as can be?

And it is new! Yes, brand spankin' new! Didn't want you to think I was only obsessed with used bargain books. Oh no, I am an equal opportunity bargain book buyer.

Now, this book did cost a bit more than the one dollar each discounted paperbacks that I usually pick up at Books-a-Million (look for them in future BBB posts) but considering that this book is trade paperback size and the original price was fifteen dollars, $3.97 is quite the bargain.

Really, I just couldn't resist. Sweet cover aside, Before Green Gables is a prequel to Anne of Green Gables!

What kindred spirit of Anne could resist that?!

*giggle* I know you bookworms with a phobia for prequels/sequels written by anyone other than the original author are cringing right now.

Not me. Anne of Green Gables may be one of my top five beloved rereads but I'm not afraid to give this book a try.

And of course, I don't expect this book to be a perfect reflection of L. M. Montgomery's style (that would be silly). I am just excited to read about Anne's life before she was adopted by Marilla and Mathew-- even though it will likely have lots of sad bits.

This prequel introduces Anne's parents who died when she was a baby-- and remember the references Anne made about the horrid foster homes she lived in before Green Gables? No doubt all the particulars will be revealed in Before Green Gables.

So my lovely bookish ones, are you fans of Anne? And if so, would you read this book?
If you have already read this book, did you like it?

If you have a bargain book, please link up and share. We love to brag on bargains!