The challenge runs from November 1, 2009 to November 30, 2010.

I can tell you that the challenge will include these three books (as I've read them in November but still need to review them:

• The Kayla Chronicles by Sherri Winston
• Harriet Beecher Stowe by Suzanne M. Coil
• Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

There are three levels of reading to the challenge:

• Philogynist: read at least two books, including at least one nonfiction one.
  
• Bluestocking: read at least five books, including at least two nonfiction ones.
  
• Suffragette: read at least eight books, including at least three nonfiction ones.
  

books | challenge

Comments (0)

Permalink

Follow me on Twitter.

© 2009 Sarah Sammis. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. ]]> challenge books webmaster@pussreboots.pair.com (Sarah Sammis) Sun, 08 Nov 2009 16:00:00 PST http://www.pussreboots.pair.com/blog/2009/comments_11/women_unbound_challenge.html http://www.pussreboots.pair.com/blog/2009/comments_11/women_unbound_challenge.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/pussreboots/~3/u_86gyZOqgE/all_meat_looks_like_south_america.html The paintings are in the style of 1930s through 1950s marketing material and propaganda. The lines are clean, the colors are crisp and everything is either vaguely art deco or bauhaus. All Meat Looks Like South America is an alternate history book with a focus on the engineering and marketing from future histories that didn't happen. Some are silly, some are bizarre and some are nostalgic.

The paintings are in the style of 1930s through 1950s marketing material and propaganda. The lines are clean, the colors are crisp and everything is either vaguely art deco or bauhaus.

Then on second look and with reading the accompanying text, it's obvious that these plausible looking things aren't possible and have never existed. For example the page of WWII airplane designs are full of ridiculous contraptions.

The book is oversized and a perfect coffee table book to keep guests amused. My son and I look at it together to get ideas for our own projects or stories.

Other posts and reviews:

• Devlin Donnelly Design
• EW.com
• Mobjectivist
• Techyum
  

books | graphic novel | Bruce McCall | 2003

Comments (0)

Permalink

Follow me on Twitter.

© 2009 Sarah Sammis. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. ]]> review graphic novel books Bruce McCall 2003 webmaster@pussreboots.pair.com (Sarah Sammis) Sun, 08 Nov 2009 15:08:00 PST http://www.pussreboots.pair.com/blog/2009/comments_11/all_meat_looks_like_south_america.html http://www.pussreboots.pair.com/blog/2009/comments_11/all_meat_looks_like_south_america.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/pussreboots/~3/ZgXeCZFQ1gM/a_civil_campaign.html If I'm standing in a library or a used bookstore with a limited selection of books, the ones available had damn well stand by themselves. A Civil Campaign is the third Lois McMaster Bujold book I've read. Borders of Infinity I tore through in a weekend and wanted more. Falling Free was good for its word building but a little weak on plot. A Civil Campaign has made me glad I haven't gone on a buying spree to collect all of her books.

The Access Romance review sums up what is either right or wrong with the novel depending on your tastes: "regency in space." The few regency romances I've tried have bored me to tears. Now A Civil Campaign isn't just a regency inspired space opera; there are a few nods to the Bard's comedies as well and much of book is centered around the planning of a wedding and the various guests coupling off. Think A Midsummer's Night Dream but in the Miles Vorkosigan universe.

While her other books have stood well by themselves, many reviews point out that A Civil Campaign continues where Komarr ends. Here then is why I am leery of series. If I'm standing in a library or a used bookstore with a limited selection of books, the ones available had damn well stand by themselves.

I got about 100 pages into the book and decided it wasn't worth the effort to finish.

Other posts and reviews:

• Access Romance
• Jennie's Booklog
• Solar Flare
• Tor.com
• Wendy Palmer
• Yet There Are Statues
  

books | scifi | romance | Lois McMaster Bujold | 1999

Comments (0)

Permalink

Follow me on Twitter.

© 2009 Sarah Sammis. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. ]]> review books scifi Lois McMaster Bujold romance 1999 webmaster@pussreboots.pair.com (Sarah Sammis) Sat, 07 Nov 2009 13:12:00 PST http://www.pussreboots.pair.com/blog/2009/comments_11/a_civil_campaign.html http://www.pussreboots.pair.com/blog/2009/comments_11/a_civil_campaign.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/pussreboots/~3/H6idvC792s0/shining.html But that hedge maze was a foot in the door which lead me to watch the film in its entirety with my grandmother. It would be another eight years or so though before I got around to reading the book. The Shining: 11/07/09
The Shining was my first introduction to Stephen King. It was the film, actually just the scene of chase through the maze, that I saw first. The clip was part of a group math project in high school.

Anyone who has read the book knows that the hedge maze isn't in the book. Instead, the garden is filled with topiaries that work much like the angels in the "Blink" episode of Doctor Who. But that hedge maze was a foot in the door which lead me to watch the film in its entirety with my grandmother. It would be another eight years or so though before I got around to reading the book.

I was newly wed and Ian and I would spend our free time together discussing movies and books. I was taking a horror genre film class at UCLA and The Shining wasn't part of the course. Being though in the mind set to think of horror novels and film adaptations, I decided to finally read King's novel.

Stephen King's novel goes deeper into Jack's history and his own abilities. Danny isn't the only one with "the Shining." For Jack, the ability to see the dead combined with an abusive childhood has lead him alcoholism.

Like most of my favorite horror stories, The Shining is grounded in a physical location. Here it is the Overlook Hotel, a remotely located hotel that was once popular with the rich and famous and is now in its last days. To add to the feeling of dread the family is sent in winter to serve as caretakers while it is closed for the season. Left alone in the harsh winter storms, Jack and Danny start seeing things as the hotel begins to reveal its secrets.

Like the manor in The Thirteenth Tale, the Overlook Hotel is a central character. All those years of excesses have piled up to give life to a very angry structure. Who is the greater threat to the Torrance family, the ghosts or the hotel? That's what Danny and his mother must figure out if they are to survive.

The Shining remains one of my favorite Stephen King novels. I love a good ghost story.

Other posts and reviews:

• Betty's Books
• Parallax View
• Pencil-Pushers and Ink-Splotches
  
• Stephen King So Rocks
• Steve Calvert
  

books | fiction | horror | Stephen King | 1977

Comments (0)

Permalink

Follow me on Twitter.

© 2009 Sarah Sammis. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. ]]> review book fiction horror Stephen King 1977 webmaster@pussreboots.pair.com (Sarah Sammis) Sat, 07 Nov 2009 10:55:00 PST http://www.pussreboots.pair.com/blog/2009/comments_11/shining.html http://www.pussreboots.pair.com/blog/2009/comments_11/shining.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/pussreboots/~3/4oh3lFyQfkk/whats_a_groom.html My grandmother worked for about a decade as a wedding coordinator at her church. I spent many summers and weekends working as her assistant. My grandmother worked for about a decade as a wedding coordinator at her church. I spent many summers and weekends working as her assistant. Through her I've probably been hundreds of weddings. So when I saw What the Hell is a Groom and What's He Supposed to Do? by John Mitchell I had to read it.

As the title suggests, Mitchell's book is a wedding planning guide book for engaged or soon to be engaged men. It has tips on how to propose, how to pick an engagement ring and a breakdown of tasks for the wedding planning for the bridge, groom and both to do together.

The book is obviously aimed at heterosexual couples expecting a traditional American wedding. It's not aimed at any particular religion or culture but some of the differences are mentioned in passing. Although it's aimed at a specific type of couple getting married enough of the details are practical advice for any wedding that I'm recommending the book to anyone thinking of getting married.

The book though isn't perfect. There are a few asides that make huge assumptions based on gender that annoyed me. Not every woman has grown up planning her fairy princess wedding from the time she was still in diapers. Not every woman wants a diamond ring no matter how much the diamond industry wants us to believe it to true. On the flip side there are probably men who want who have. So my parting advice is take the book as "guidelines" but feel free to do what feels right for you and your future spouse.

books | nonfiction | John Mitchell | 1998

Comments (0)

Permalink

Follow me on Twitter.

© 2009 Sarah Sammis. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. ]]> review books nonfiction John Mitchell 1999 webmaster@pussreboots.pair.com (Sarah Sammis) Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:48:00 PST http://www.pussreboots.pair.com/blog/2009/comments_11/whats_a_groom.html http://www.pussreboots.pair.com/blog/2009/comments_11/whats_a_groom.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/pussreboots/~3/1xI_9DdsLrE/swanns_way_19.html So for the close of Swann's Way I've picked Thomas O'Malley as my stand-in for Charles Swann. He is the alley cat about town from The Aristocats who helps Duchess and her kittens return to Paris after the butler tries and fails to drown them out in the countryside. I know I said I'd take two more weeks to read Swann's Way (Du côté de chez Swann) but the last section was only sixty pages and I just couldn't wait to finish. Next week's post will start in with volume two, In a Budding Grove.

In "Place-Names" the novel switches gears, moving away from a third person narrative about the courtship of Swann and Odette and returns to the first person narrative of "Combray." We see the world now through older and less sentimental eyes from the beginning of the book and get a sense of how the child narrator has grown into a young adult.

What harkens the change in point of view is Swann's decision to return to Combray. He brings with himself his new bride, Odette, now to the dismay of the narrator, Madame Swann. The changes he sees in Charles Swann helps him see through the performance Odette is putting on. She is taking too much pride in being Mme Swann. The narrator also sees chinks in the armor of his other childhood heroes and the realization that they are perhaps no different in their insecurities and weaknesses than he is leaves him a little jaded.

So for the close of Swann's Way I've picked Thomas O'Malley as my stand-in for Charles Swann. He is the alley cat about town from The Aristocats who helps Duchess and her kittens return to Paris after the butler tries and fails to drown them out in the countryside. He goes from being a complete flirt and carefree creature to wearing a starch collar and bow tie as part of his "marriage" at the end of the film. His domestication through marriage and through becoming a house cat mirrors beautifully the way in which Charles Swann has given his life completely (for better and most likely worse) to Odette.

In the near future I will post a proper review of Swann's Way. In the meantime, stay tuned for next Friday's post from In a Budding Grove.

Previous posts: Lisa's First Word, Baby Mine, I Sing the Body Electric, The Lady in Pink, Bleeding Gums Murphy, Caturday, Cherry Blossoms, Marge Simpson, Liana Telfer, Bender in Love, Margaret Dumont, Hyacinth Bucket, Rose, Mildred Krebs, Pepé Le Pew, Jack Harness, Cordelia Chase, Saffron.

books | fiction | Marcel Proust | 1913

Comments (0)

Permalink

Follow me on Twitter.

© 2009 Sarah Sammis. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. ]]> books Marcel Proust fiction 1913 webmaster@pussreboots.pair.com (Sarah Sammis) Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:33:00 PST http://www.pussreboots.pair.com/blog/2009/comments_11/swanns_way_19.html http://www.pussreboots.pair.com/blog/2009/comments_11/swanns_way_19.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/pussreboots/~3/DM_m3PWPzYo/read_me.html Each poem is assigned a date and the subjects covered are on topic for their date. Read Me: 11/05/09
Read Me is a collection of poems for parents and children to read together over the course of a year. Each poem is assigned a date and the subjects covered are on topic for their date.

The book includes well known poems like Elizabeth Barrett Browning's "How Do I Love Thee" (February 15) and "In Flanders Fields" by John McCrae (August 12). It also has a large number of nursery rhymes and hymns such as "Simple Simon" (May 30) and "O Little Town" by Bishop Phillips Brooks (December 25). Mostly though the poems are playful and unusual.

Someone better versed in children's poetry will recognize more of the selections than I did. I though enjoyed finding so many surprises tucked away in this 470 page volume.

The only disappoint for me was December. Too much of the month is focused on Christmas carols. The book comes to a ho-hum close. I understand that Christmas (especially in a British book) would be the main focus for December but I would have preferred to see the same level of unusual or novelty poems as the other eleven months have.

Finally, one of the poems is mislabeled which makes me wonder about the rest of the attributed poems. November 21's poem is listed as "Daisy" and the author is listed as anonymous. The poem, best known as the song title "Bicycle Built for Two" is actually called "Daisy Bell" and was written by Harry Dacre in 1892.

books | nonfiction | poetry | Gaby Morgan | 1998

Comments (0)

Permalink

Follow me on Twitter.

© 2009 Sarah Sammis. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. ]]> review books nonfiction poetry Gaby Morgan 1998 webmaster@pussreboots.pair.com (Sarah Sammis) Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:51:00 PST http://www.pussreboots.pair.com/blog/2009/comments_11/read_me.html http://www.pussreboots.pair.com/blog/2009/comments_11/read_me.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/pussreboots/~3/9Ydwx9sFhLY/btt_its_all_about_me.html From that entire list of things reviewed, I've only chosen to read six memoirs. I have also read a biography of Harriet Beecher Stowe by Suzanne M. Coil but I haven't reviewed it yet. So that makes 7 books total, or roughly 2% of my total reading this year.

Which do you prefer? Biographies written about someone? Or Autobiographies written by the actual person (and/or ghost-writer)?

Memoirs and biographies aren't something I read all that frequently. This year for example, I've reviewed close to 400 books and stories. From that entire list of things reviewed, I've only chosen to read six memoirs. I have also read a biography of Harriet Beecher Stowe by Suzanne M. Coil but I haven't reviewed it yet. So that makes 7 books total, or roughly 2% of my total reading this year.

The Memoirs I've Read

Wolf Willow by Wallace Stegner:
There were a few moments though that I will remember beyond the point where I forget the title, the author and when I read it. The first of those is Stegner's description of the culture shock between winter and summer. During the winter he traveled north into town to go to school. There he was clearly in Canada. Then during the summer he'd be on the farm plowing the fields that butted up against the 49th parallel. He could through rocks into the United States. He watched life go by on America prairies. As a kid growing on a border town I related to Stegner's sentiments.

Candy and Me by Hilary Liftin:
Despite her addiction to sugar, Liftin comes off as an otherwise normal, happy and well adjusted individual. Her writing style is charming and I'd probably love talking to her if we were to meet in person.

Kampung Boy by Lat:
Besides being a fun coming of age story, Kampung Boy was educational for me. I went into the book knowing next to nothing about Malaysia. I came away with a better feeling for some of the country's culture and a desire to learn more.

Yellow-Lighted Bookshop by Lewis Buzbee:
Lewis Buzbee is a Bay Area native. He was born and raised in San Jose about the same time my mother was growing up in the Bay Area. Many of the places he describes are places I've heard about from relatives or visited as a child on the trips I took to the south Bay with my grandmother.

South-Seas Idyls by Charles Warren Stoddard:
The book has seventeen letters and they bounce around between Tahiti and the Hawaiian islands and points in between. Stoddard starts off the book with letters from his kith and kin back home worried that he'll be miserable on the trip. He's just the opposite and he promptly "goes native." In and amongst his loving descriptions of the native traditions (including hula and luaus) and the gorgeous sunsets, Stoddard also describes the different men in his life. He sometimes dances around his relationships by blaming their native beauty or lamely saying he couldn't tell if his companion was male or female. The latter argument never works because he almost always goes on to say that he doesn't care that he can't tell.

Epitaph for a Peach by David Mas Masumoto:
Epitaph for a Peach by David Mas Masumoto comes in the middle of his writing career but is one of the fist books he wrote after taking over the family farm. Much of his apprehension and frustration is recorded in this memoir but structurally it has many similarities with Four Seasons in Five Senses (2003).

booking through thursday

Comments (0)

Permalink

Follow me on Twitter.

© 2009 Sarah Sammis. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. ]]> booking through thursday webmaster@pussreboots.pair.com (Sarah Sammis) Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:22:00 PST http://www.pussreboots.pair.com/blog/2009/comments_11/btt_its_all_about_me.html http://www.pussreboots.pair.com/blog/2009/comments_11/btt_its_all_about_me.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/pussreboots/~3/bUu1b6-aAXU/wolf_willow.html There were a few moments though that I will remember beyond the point where I forget the title, the author and when I read it. The first of those is Stegner's description of the culture shock between winter and summer. I wish I could remember the name of every author and every book I've ever read. I can't. My memory is reliable for about a year's worth of reading. After that only the most remarkable books (good and bad) stick. To aid my memory I have a list of everything I've read going back to 1987. Despite my list keeping I'm still surprised sometimes when I "rediscover" an author. I've mentioned this happening with Neil Gaiman and now it's happened with Wallace Stegner.

Wallace Stegner was a Canadian author who wrote fiction and non-fiction. Back in 2005 I thoroughly enjoyed Angle of Repose. Now for the Canada Reads 3 challenge, I've read one of his non-fiction books, Wolf Willow.

Wolf Willow is formally a memoir but it's a memoir in the same way that Tales from Margaritaville by Jimmy Buffett is. It's part memoir, part history and part fiction.

Perhaps I don't know enough about the history of the border area between Saskatchewan, Montana and North Dakota but the book didn't hold my attention as Angle of Repose did.

There were a few moments though that I will remember beyond the point where I forget the title, the author and when I read it. The first of those is Stegner's description of the culture shock between winter and summer. During the winter he traveled north into town to go to school. There he was clearly in Canada. Then during the summer he'd be on the farm plowing the fields that butted up against the 49th parallel. He could through rocks into the United States. He watched life go by on America prairies. As a kid growing on a border town I related to Stegner's sentiments.

My second favorite scene was a description of a particular Mountie who was a local legend for his ability to get his man no matter the circumstances. With the rural location and the (I'm guessing exaggerated) description of his feats, I couldn't help but think of Benton Fraiser from Due South.

Other posts and reviews:

• Book Addiction
• Britannica Blog
• Elderly Eclectic Gentleman
• On Fiction
• Serendipitous Reader
• Timothy Egan's Blog at the New York Times
• Wikipedia

books | nonfiction | Wallace Stegner | 1963

Comments (0)

Permalink

Follow me on Twitter.

© 2009 Sarah Sammis. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. ]]> review books Wallace Stegner 1963 nonfiction webmaster@pussreboots.pair.com (Sarah Sammis) Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:06:00 PST http://www.pussreboots.pair.com/blog/2009/comments_11/wolf_willow.html http://www.pussreboots.pair.com/blog/2009/comments_11/wolf_willow.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/pussreboots/~3/Wbu3MAzZnDg/son_of_the_great_river.html In the opening chapter when the stranger from the south dies before Saffu I first thought the novel was taking place somewhere along the prairies of North America but in ancient times. Clearly though as Saffu travels south to take the message of her passing it became obvious that I had the wrong part of the world in mind. I consider a book a success when it makes me put it aside to look something up. In the case of Son of the Great River by Elijah Meeks I ended up spending a half an hour or so looking up pre bronze age history of the middle east. That is the time and roughly the place where this young adult novel is set.

In the opening chapter when the stranger from the south dies before Saffu I first thought the novel was taking place somewhere along the prairies of North America but in ancient times. Clearly though as Saffu travels south to take the message of her passing it became obvious that I had the wrong part of the world in mind.

Son of the Great River is about the mixing of vastly different cultures: some very modern ones with cities and bureaucracies and all the other things associated with city-states, and tribal, nomadic cultures. As the time period is so long ago, the world view covers a very small piece of the world and the cultures live in their own (almost) micro-climates. Imagine if you will San Jose being cut off from Salinas. One is a very urban and crowded city. The other city is rural with the main economy being agriculture. Now imagine someone walking from Salinas to San Jose, knowing that a big city existed up there but not being fully prepared for just how big and how different it was. That's what Son of the Great River manages to convey.

The review at Violet Crush mentions that the novel is confusing. I agree. It is at times and like her I had to go back and re-read passages. Nonetheless, I was so curious about the world of Saffu and how his story would connect with Samhail and Reem's adventures that I didn't mind the effort to re-read.

I received this book from the author for review. I have since released the book through BookCrossing.

Other posts and reviews:

• Flaming Net Young Adult Book Club
• Violet Crush
  

books | fiction | Elijah Meeks | 2009

Comments (0)

Permalink

Follow me on Twitter.

© 2009 Sarah Sammis. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. ]]> review books fiction Elijah Meeks 2009 webmaster@pussreboots.pair.com (Sarah Sammis) Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:26:00 PST http://www.pussreboots.pair.com/blog/2009/comments_11/son_of_the_great_river.html http://www.pussreboots.pair.com/blog/2009/comments_11/son_of_the_great_river.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/pussreboots/~3/_-SwMU-XCv0/blues_of_flats_brown.html Although the main character in this book is a blues playing dog, it's obviously an allegory for the slavery roots of blues. The dog escapes from his master and flees to Memphis where he becomes a blues star. From there he goes to New York and in the Big Apple his fame catches up with him. As I often pick books to read on whims, I am often surprised to see very different books by the same author cross my path. As I'm reading a book I will get a nagging sensation that the author's name is familiar. Thankfully between my own record keeping, review writing and of course the internet, I'm better able to draw connections that I couldn't have ten or twenty years ago.

Take for instance Walter Dean Myers. The first book I read by him came to me by happenstance. It was At Her Majesty's Request. It is a biography of an African princess who spent most of her life in England and was by unusual circumstances, a friend of Queen Victoria. How Myers came to learn of her life was just as random a series of events as how his book came to in my to be read pile.

Now I have crossed paths again with Myers, this time through my public library and through Harriet being drawn to books featuring animals. The book we picked was The Blues of Flats Brown.

Although the main character in this book is a blues playing dog, it's obviously an allegory for the slavery roots of blues. The dog escapes from his master and flees to Memphis where he becomes a blues star. From there he goes to New York and in the Big Apple his fame catches up with him. His owner comes to claim his famous dog.

Naturally then the book brought to light questions: questions about music, about right and wrong, slavery and freedom. I've read reviews that suggest the book should be read to older children but my three year old managed to catch many of the important themes that Meyers has woven through his story. She did this while still enjoying the story of a dog who likes to play music.

See Also:

• Walter Dean Myers site
  

books | mystery | Walter Dean Myers | 2000

Comments (0)

Permalink

Follow me on Twitter.

© 2009 Sarah Sammis. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. ]]> review books childrens Walter Dean Myers 2000 webmaster@pussreboots.pair.com (Sarah Sammis) Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:19:00 PST http://www.pussreboots.pair.com/blog/2009/comments_11/blues_of_flats_brown.html http://www.pussreboots.pair.com/blog/2009/comments_11/blues_of_flats_brown.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/pussreboots/~3/jbbONmWWHys/north_from_calcutta.html More than anything, though, it was the narration (the how the story is told) instead of the narrative (the actual events in the plot) that made me put the book aside. I read through ten reviews (see below) of North From Calcutta by Duane Evans before beginning my own review. All except for the one on Business World, an Indian site, were positive. While I am also giving North From Calcutta a negative review, my reasons are different.

The positive reviews site a fast paced plot, realistic dialogue and a unique plot. I must have been reading a different book because the plot for me crawled, the dialogue seemed wooden and written with an American ear and the plot while perhaps set in a part of the world not recently covered by espionage stories, isn't unique. Sure, there are nuclear weapons involved this time but otherwise it wasn't much different than the underlying plot of Kim.

More than anything, though, it was the narration (the how the story is told) instead of the narrative (the actual events in the plot) that made me put the book aside. Every page was filled with repetitive phrases to the point I wanted a red pen to edit on the fly. The action scenes didn't fare any better, being told in the passive voice and the subjunctive tense. Action scenes need action verbs. Short sentences and phrases. The rhythm of the words should match or mimic what's happening in the story. It doesn't in this book. Instead, the action scenes read like a book report, and a boring one at that.

I received a copy of the book for review. I have since released it through Bookcrossing.

Other posts and reviews:

• Best Seller World
• Blog Critics
• Bookshelf Reviews
• Business World
• Dan's Journal
• Life in the Thumb
• Luxury Reading
• Plants and Books
• POD Book Reviews
• Strategist's Personal Library
  

books | mystery | Duane Evans | 2009

Comments (0)

Permalink

Follow me on Twitter.

© 2009 Sarah Sammis. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. ]]> review mystery books Duane Evans 2009 webmaster@pussreboots.pair.com (Sarah Sammis) Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:49:00 PST http://www.pussreboots.pair.com/blog/2009/comments_11/north_from_calcutta.html http://www.pussreboots.pair.com/blog/2009/comments_11/north_from_calcutta.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/pussreboots/~3/cEO-qGWMsm0/one_lovely_blog.html I subscribe to almost 700 hundred blogs and I haven't kept track of when I subscribed to what. So these fifteen lovely bloggers aren't necessarily new to me but are still worth checking out. Last week Tara at 25 Hour Books awarded my blog the "One Lovely Blog Award." Per the instructions I'm supposed to pass the award along to 15 "new to me" blogs. I subscribe to almost 700 hundred blogs and I haven't kept track of when I subscribed to what. So these fifteen lovely bloggers aren't necessarily new to me but are still worth checking out.

1. Vintage Books My Kids Love
2. A Thin Red Line
3. The Shady Glade
4. Shermeree's Musings
5. Reviews by Lola
6. Novroz' Life
7. My Own Little Corner of the World
8. Kirby's Lane
9. Sumanam: I Read...
10. Gaya Scienza
11. Eclectic Closet
12. Dolce Bellezza
13. Dear Author
14. Charlotte's Library
15. Callapidder Days
    

award

Comments (0)

Permalink

Follow me on Twitter.

© 2009 Sarah Sammis. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. ]]> award webmaster@pussreboots.pair.com (Sarah Sammis) Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:09:00 PST http://www.pussreboots.pair.com/blog/2009/comments_11/one_lovely_blog.html http://www.pussreboots.pair.com/blog/2009/comments_11/one_lovely_blog.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/pussreboots/~3/0y2Wp06hsvg/enemies_and_allies.html I was sent a copy to review it's a book I would have read just as eagerly on my own. I grew up on Batman and Superman and not just the TV reruns and the comics but old radio plays and Fleischer shorts. So coming to book in full fangirl mode, it's hard to write an even handed review. Enemies and Allies is a new Batman, Superman novel by Kevin J. Anderson. I was sent a copy to review it's a book I would have read just as eagerly on my own. I grew up on Batman and Superman and not just the TV reruns and the comics but old radio plays and Fleischer shorts. So coming to book in full fangirl mode, it's hard to write an even handed review.

Enemies and Allies has the feel of the 1990s animated versions of Batman and Superman and some nods to The Batman Superman movie (1998) but firmly planted in the 1950s on an alternate history timeline.

The book delves into what it means to be a superhero and the careful tightrope walk between personas. It also explores Clark's alienness more than most of the other Superman stories I've seen, read or listened to. To bring these two themes together Anderson chooses to have Clark call himself Kal-El when he's in his Superman costume. Thus he has three separate personas that he struggles throughout to reconcile being Clark, Kal-El and Superman.

Fans of both series will nod along as key characters and scenes play out. We have Bruce Wayne throwing cocktail fundraisers where most of the guests are the villains Batman fights. Interestingly though, they don't reappear as their super villain personas. They only super villain actually acting as an antagonist in the book is Lex Luthor. There's of course Jimmy Olson and Lois Lane and their boss Perry White.

Set against the usual world domination schemes of Lex Luthor are some key events from the 1950s: UFO sightings, the HUAC trials, the start of the Cold War and so forth.

Enemies and Allies was a fun read for me. I read it slowly, taking about a week to complete it. I stopped to laugh at certain bits of dry humor (much of Lois Lane's internal monologue) and to re-read favorite scenes. I want to go back and read Last Son of Kryton.

I received this book for review but I would have bought and reviewed a copy of it anyway.

Other posts and reviews:

• AVID
• Fantasy Book Critic
• Genre Go Round Reviews
• Jake's Random Ramblings
• Megalith: Books that Rock
• My Two Blessings
• One Hundred Books, One Year
• Readaholic
• RevolutionSF
  

books | scifi | Kevin J. Anderson | 2009

Comments (0)

Permalink

Follow me on Twitter.

© 2009 Sarah Sammis. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. ]]> review scifi Kevin J. Anderson books 2009 webmaster@pussreboots.pair.com (Sarah Sammis) Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:36:00 PST http://www.pussreboots.pair.com/blog/2009/comments_11/enemies_and_allies.html http://www.pussreboots.pair.com/blog/2009/comments_11/enemies_and_allies.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/pussreboots/~3/S2yGJfBBYxc/mars_red_planet.html As the book was published in 1977 it doesn't have any of the recent expeditions to the planet. There is nothing about the Mars rovers and the data they've sent back. Mars: The Red Planet is a nonfiction introduction to basic astrophysics aimed at "young readers." The book uses Mars to teach key concepts like perihelia vs. aphelia, rotation vs revolution, mass vs. density and so forth. All of the lessons are keyed specifically to Mars.

For someone new to physics and astronomy the book provides a solid foundation. For readers who have had high school or introductory courses in college, it's a good reminder of how things work. It's a fairly quick read for such a heavy subject.

As the book was published in 1977 it doesn't have any of the recent expeditions to the planet. There is nothing about the Mars rovers and the data they've sent back.

I read this book for the Science Book challenge.

books | nonfiction | Isaac Asimov | 1977

Comments (0)

Permalink

Follow me on Twitter.

© 2009 Sarah Sammis. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. ]]> review nonfiction Isaac Asimov books 1977 webmaster@pussreboots.pair.com (Sarah Sammis) Mon, 02 Nov 2009 10:46:00 PST http://www.pussreboots.pair.com/blog/2009/comments_11/mars_red_planet.html http://www.pussreboots.pair.com/blog/2009/comments_11/mars_red_planet.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/pussreboots/~3/8-Z7HttCvzw/duck_in_a_truck.html Duck is driving home from the farmers' market in his red truck. He doesn't see a large rock in the road. : 11/01/09
We go through cycles in our night-time reading. Books that my son has out grown are now being rediscovered by my daughter. Among her current half dozen or so favorites is Duck in the Truck by Jez Alborough.

Duck is driving home from the farmers' market in his red truck. He doesn't see a large rock in the road. Hitting it sends his truck veering off the road into the mud. Duck needs to find a way of getting his truck back on the road.

The story is told in easy rhymes and bright pictures. Sometimes the meter is a little weird to make the rhyming scheme work but Harriet's always laughing so hard at the illustrations of duck, frog and sheep stuck in the mud that she doesn't notice if I goof.

The other Jez Alborough book Harriet has and likes is Tall

Other posts and reviews:

• The Almost Librarian
• Kids' Story Books
• ><((((º>

books | childrens | Jez Alborough | 1999

Comments (0)

Permalink

Follow me on Twitter.

© 2009 Sarah Sammis. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. ]]> review books Jez Alborough 1999 childrens webmaster@pussreboots.pair.com (Sarah Sammis) Sun, 01 Nov 2009 12:32:00 PST http://www.pussreboots.pair.com/blog/2009/comments_11/duck_in_a_truck.html http://www.pussreboots.pair.com/blog/2009/comments_11/duck_in_a_truck.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/pussreboots/~3/gJUB2KePviY/monsters_draw_your_own.html It teaches to draw monsters by focusing on body types, parts and textures. It has a number of tutorials to help teach the basics of drawing.

Sean loves to draw monsters. For his birthday his grandmother gave him a copy of Monsters! Draw Your Own Mutants, Creeps and Freaks by Jay Stephens. It teaches to draw monsters by focusing on body types, parts and textures. It has a number of tutorials to help teach the basics of drawing.

By focusing on a single detail, the book teaches how different eyes, different mouths, different ears and so forth can drastically change the appearance of a monster (or any other creature).

The book is one of series of drawing books. The others include Robots! and Heroes! For more info, see Monsterama.

books | childrens | Jay Stephens | 2007

Comments (0)

Permalink

Follow me on Twitter.

© 2009 Sarah Sammis. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. ]]> review childrens books 2007 webmaster@pussreboots.pair.com (Sarah Sammis) Sun, 01 Nov 2009 09:22:00 PST http://www.pussreboots.pair.com/blog/2009/comments_11/monsters_draw_your_own.html http://www.pussreboots.pair.com/blog/2009/comments_11/monsters_draw_your_own.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/pussreboots/~3/g_5XhI_0bpM/october.html After some exchanges with friends and readers via Twitter I decided to return to posting two reviews on most days. Since I started this new procedure late in the month, I only posted 36 reviews. November is National Novel Writing Month (Nanowrimo) so I will probably cut back to posting one review a day instead of two on days when I am busy writing.
Personal collection books reviewed

Bookcrossing books reviewed

Library books reviewed

After some exchanges with friends and readers via Twitter I decided to return to posting two reviews on most days. Since I started this new procedure late in the month, I only posted 36 reviews. November is National Novel Writing Month (Nanowrimo) so I will probably cut back to posting one review a day instead of two on days when I am busy writing.

My favorite book in October is Wild Wood by Charles de Lint.

1. The Bones of Giants by Yoon Ha Lee personal collection (October 17)
2. Candy and Me by Hilary Liftin bookcrossing (October 9)
3. Color is Everything by Dan Bartges review copy (October 2)
4. The Dancers' War (in Like Twin Stars) by N. K. Jemisin review copy (October 28)
5. Dolphins at Daybreak (Magic Tree House #9) by Mary Pope Osborne library book (October 29)
6. Fairy Hunters, Ink. by Sheila A Dane review copy (October 18)
7. Falling into the Sun by Charrie Hazard review copy (October 5)
8. Fat Tuesday by Sandra Brown bookcrossing (October 22)
9. The Frequency of Souls by Mary Kay Zuravleff library book (October 4)
10. The Goddamned Tooth Fairy by Tina Kuzminski personal collection (October 10)
11. Goldilicious by Elizabeth and Victoria Kann personal collection (October 13)
12. Haunted (Mediator #5) by Meg Cabot library book (October 30)
13. Horrible Harry and the Green Slime by Suzy Kline personal collection (October 26)
14. Hunchster by Matthew Hughes personal collection (October 3)
15. I Spy School Days by Jean Marzollo personal collection (October 6)
16. Icarus Saved from the Sky by Georges-Olivier Châteaureynaud personal collection (October 24)
17. I'd Rather We Got Casinos: And Other Black Thoughts by Larry Wilmore bookcrossing (October 21)
18. A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux bookcrossing (October 23)
19. The Man Who Was Thursday: A Nightmare by G. K. Chesterton library book (October 29)
20. A Matter of Feeling by Janine Boissard bookcrossing (October 25)
21. The Navajo (True Books) by Alice Osinski library book (October 14)
22. The Night Villa by Carol Goodman library book (October 16)
23. No Elephants Allowed by Deborah Robinson library book (October 15)
24. On the Wings of Heroes by Richard Peck library book (October 20)
25. The Others by Lawrence C. Connolly personal collection (October 31)
26. Painting the Invisible Man by Rita Schiano review copy (October 19)
27. Precious Jeopardy: A Christmas Story by Lloyd C. Douglas library book (October 27)
28. Real Sofistikashun by Tony Hoagland bookcrossing (October 28)
29. Robot Dreams by Sara Varon library book (October 12)
30. The Secret of the Pink Pokémon by Tracey West personal collection (October 11)
31. The Shepherd of the Hills by Harold Bell Wright bookcrossing (October 8)
32. The Sky Rained Heroes by Frederick LaCroix review copy (October 30)
33. Synarchy Book 1: The Awakening by DCS review copy (October 27)
34. The Twenty-One Balloons by William Pène Du Bois personal collection (October 1)
35. The Wild Wood by Charles de Lint pesonal collection (October 26)
36. Winter Walk by Ann Burg library book (October 7)

blog | books

Comments (0)

Permalink

Follow me on Twitter.

© 2009 Sarah Sammis. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. ]]> blog books webmaster@pussreboots.pair.com (Sarah Sammis) Sat, 31 Oct 2009 22:31:00 PST http://www.pussreboots.pair.com/blog/2009/comments_10/october.html http://www.pussreboots.pair.com/blog/2009/comments_10/october.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/pussreboots/~3/injMP0EeV04/fsf_others.html As far as I can tell it's the story of a group of warrior clones who are on a mission of some importance. One of them, who has decided to just call herself Cara instead of by her birth order designation, is injured. Today's story from Fantasy & Science Fiction is "The Others" by Lawrence C. Connolly. According to the introduction the story is a direct sequel to "Daughters of Time." The story was "reprinted" on the magazine's website but I missed my chance to read it.

Thus I am coming to "The Others" as a stand alone short story. As far as I can tell it's the story of a group of warrior clones who are on a mission of some importance. One of them, who has decided to just call herself Cara instead of by her birth order designation, is injured. I suppose she was injured sometime in the previous story. The experience of pain and the shut down of her cybernetics has made her rethink her life.

Meanwhile the local villagers who speak with a language of just clicks and whistles are planning something. They aren't keeping their normal schedule. But what they are planning and what their change in behavior means in the bigger picture, I don't know.

I don't think I got much out of the events of the story but I did enjoy the world in which things take place. One of the challenges the clones face are mountain sized snails who disguise themselves with trees, boulders and other large elements from their natural environment. They use a saliva that hardens like glass and apparently can cut like glass too.

The snails and other unusual creatures made the story readable. It doesn't though stand well as a solo piece.

fantasy science fiction magazine | fiction | short story | Lawrence C. Connolly | 2009

Comments (0)

Permalink

Follow me on Twitter.

© 2009 Sarah Sammis. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. ]]> review fantasy science fiction magazine short story Lawrence C Connolly 2009 webmaster@pussreboots.pair.com (Sarah Sammis) Sat, 31 Oct 2009 21:03:00 PST http://www.pussreboots.pair.com/blog/2009/comments_10/fsf_others.html http://www.pussreboots.pair.com/blog/2009/comments_10/fsf_others.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/pussreboots/~3/bOvxfIVp7OQ/wg_monster.html I picked at random one of Sean's recent monster drawings. Sometimes he draws monsters based on his current favorite video games (Pikmin 1 & 2, Spore Hero, Brawl). Mostly though, he makes up his own monsters. At the same time, I'm a real fan of the weird and creepy and I seek it out. So maybe asking me if things are a little weird in here is like asking a fish if the water feels a little wet today. Maybe my barometer is under water.

1. Tell us about something weird, unusual, terrifying, or creepy you've read lately.
2. Tell us what you think. Are things getting a little more weird and creepy than usual, or less? If your choice for the answer to question number 1 was written in a different decade, what does it say about that era? Maybe you think that the weird and creepy is status quo. Or maybe we’re all like lobsters in a pot, and we can’t tell if things are getting hot in here.

I really don't know how to answer the first question. I've been reading horror for most of my life so it takes a lot for a book to terrify me. My son and to a lesser degree, my daughter, have also taken up the love of all things monster. My son especially has been completely enamored with monsters since he was in preschool. My home is filled with monster picture books, monster drawings and monster movies.

I picked at random one of Sean's recent monster drawings. Sometimes he draws monsters based on his current favorite video games (Pikmin 1 & 2, Spore Hero, Brawl). Mostly though, he makes up his own monsters.

He has his own alternate world that he calls Monster City. You might remember that's the name of the city in Monsters Inc. I don't think Sean though remembers that fact. To him, Monster City is something he's created and populated. There are neighborhoods with different ethnicities of monsters. There are vacation spots (for visiting ghosts and what not). There are special portals between dimensions (ours and theirs).

He has drawn maps of the different areas of Monster City. It looks to me like a combination of a typical video game map and San Francisco as it is surrounded by water on three sides.

So on to the question of what have we been reading? If I'm reading with my children, there is usually a monster book involved. I will get all the monster books reviewed on this blog as time permits. The most recent monster books include: There's a Monster in my Closet by Mercer Mayer, Happy Birthday Frankie by Sarah Weeks, I Wish I Had Duck Feet by Dr. Seuss, Monsters Don't Eat Broccoli by Barbara Jean Hicks and If I Ran the Zoo by Dr. Seuss.

Question two I don't know how to answer. People are people. I think it's always been weird and creepy.

weekly geeks

Comments (0)

Permalink

Follow me on Twitter.

© 2009 Sarah Sammis. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. ]]> weekly geeks webmaster@pussreboots.pair.com (Sarah Sammis) Sat, 31 Oct 2009 14:22:00 PST http://www.pussreboots.pair.com/blog/2009/comments_10/wg_monster.html http://www.pussreboots.pair.com/blog/2009/comments_10/wg_monster.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/pussreboots/~3/wdkDQUwjk8U/sky_rained_heroes.html While I'm glad for the author that he managed to accomplish his goal, I didn't agree to review a history book. I agreed to review a memoir. This book isn't a memoir. The blurb needs to be rewritten to be less misleading. The Sky Rained Heroes by Frederick E. LaCroix is described as a memoir that details a son's six year journey to find the family of a Japanese pilot his father had shot down during the Second World War. The son's goal is to return the Imperial flag to them.

Instead, the book is a history book about the American and Japanese forces written in a stilted attempted at academic language. Intermingled with LaCroix's analysis of American and Japanese culture are the letters his father wrote during the war. The juxtaposition between the father's informal voice and the son's ornate style is jarring. It disrupts the flow of events and takes the focus away from the story of the discovery.

While I'm glad for the author that he managed to accomplish his goal, I didn't agree to review a history book. I agreed to review a memoir. This book isn't a memoir. The blurb needs to be rewritten to be less misleading.

I received the book from Phenix and Phenix for review. I have since released the book through BookCrossing.

Other posts and reviews:

• Book Chase
• Downtown Book Blogs
• Read and Blog

books | Frederick LaCroix | nonfiction | 2009

Comments (0)

Permalink

Follow me on Twitter.

© 2009 Sarah Sammis. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. ]]> review books nonfiction Frederick LaCroix 2009 webmaster@pussreboots.pair.com (Sarah Sammis) Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:00:00 PST http://www.pussreboots.pair.com/blog/2009/comments_10/sky_rained_heroes.html http://www.pussreboots.pair.com/blog/2009/comments_10/sky_rained_heroes.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/pussreboots/~3/21UFMJeGnug/mediator_haunted.html I really had wanted to start the series at the beginning but the older style book covers don't make the series order obvious. I really had wanted to start the series at the beginning but the older style book covers don't make the series order obvious. I was at my local library and pressed for time. So I picked Haunted by Meg Cabot, the fifth of the Mediator series.

Coming so far into a well established series it can be hard for a book to stand on its own. I can't say that the book held my attention as much as I had hoped it would but I want to track down Shadowland before I make up my mind about the series.

Susannah Simon and her family have moved to Carmel Beach, California from New York. She's at a new school and in a new home but Paul Slater, a fellow mediator who she sees as an enemy (for reasons probably discussed in a previous book). Slater though has skills that Suze needs and she has to dance between learning from him and staying safe.

Meanwhile there is a dead man, Jesse, who haunts Suze's bedroom and has stolen her heart. There is also the ghost of recently drowned sailing star who wants revenge because his younger, less athletic brother lived.

So much time though is spent on Paul and his competition as a mediator and as a school bully that the interesting plot, namely the dead sailor, is pushed aside. I really wanted a more satisfactory ending. Instead, I got a ridiculously over done fight to the death during a party between Paul, Suze and Jesse. Again, I suppose if I had more invested in this series from having started at the beginning, I would have liked this action packed ending.

The Mediator Series includes:

• Shadowland
  
• Ninth Key
  
• Reunion
  
• Darkest Hour
  
• Haunted
  
• Twilight

Other posts and reviews:

• Anything Just Not Beige
• Miss Cummins's Crew of Critics
• Sarah's Blog
• Teens Review It

books | Meg Cabot | Mediator | fantasy | 2003

Comments (0)

Permalink

Follow me on Twitter.

© 2009 Sarah Sammis. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. ]]> review fantasy Mediator Meg Cabot 2003 webmaster@pussreboots.pair.com (Sarah Sammis) Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:53:00 PST http://www.pussreboots.pair.com/blog/2009/comments_10/mediator_haunted.html http://www.pussreboots.pair.com/blog/2009/comments_10/mediator_haunted.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/pussreboots/~3/KjyrXzWMVD4/swanns_way_18.html stuff I'm on my 18th week of reading Swann's Way (Du côté de chez Swann). I'm up to page 540. In two more weeks, I will have finished this book!

The first volume of The Search for Lost Time is wrapping up. Things between Charles Swann and Odette are coming to a head. Swann's getting suspicious of Odette's intentions, her past and her baser desires. What Swann doesn't want to admit to himself (or anyone else, although they probably already know it) is that Odette is his equal in every way, for the good and the bad. She may even best him if he's not careful.

Love, sentimentality and pig-headedness on Swann's part and luck, good acting and perhaps years of running cons has given Odette a slight upper hand. Perhaps with the recent Halloween Castle episode, my mind was primed for this week's comparison. Through most of these thirty pages, I couldn't help but think of Saffron as first introduced in "Our Mrs. Reynolds" on Firefly.

So far Odette doesn't seem quite as bad or quite as scheming as Saffron (or whatever her name really is) but her history is cagey enough and her behavior coy enough that she might be pulling an excellent con on more than just Swann.

Previous posts: Lisa's First Word, Baby Mine, I Sing the Body Electric, The Lady in Pink, Bleeding Gums Murphy, Caturday, Cherry Blossoms, Marge Simpson, Liana Telfer, Bender in Love, Margaret Dumont, Hyacinth Bucket, Rose, Mildred Krebs, Pepé Le Pew, Jack Harness, Cordelia Chase.

books | fiction | Marcel Proust | 1913

Comments (0)

Permalink

Follow me on Twitter.

© 2009 Sarah Sammis. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. ]]> review books fiction Marcel Proust 1913 webmaster@pussreboots.pair.com (Sarah Sammis) Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:33:00 PST http://www.pussreboots.pair.com/blog/2009/comments_10/swanns_way_18.html http://www.pussreboots.pair.com/blog/2009/comments_10/swanns_way_18.html