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Wench. Dolen Perins-Valdez. 2010. HarperCollins. 293 pages.

Six slaves sat in a triangle, three women, three men, the men half nestled in the sticky heat of thighs, straining their heads away from the pain of the tightly woven ropes. The six chatted softly among themselves, about the Ohio weather, about how they didn’t mind it because they all felt they were better suited to this climate. They were guarded in their speech, as if the long stretch between them and the resort property were just a Juba dance away.

Wench is a historical novel set (primarily) in the 1850s, at a summer resort in Ohio. A resort where slaveowners were able to ‘vacation’ openly with their slave wenches. (Slaves were still expected to work, to make themselves useful to anyone and everyone.) Wench portrays the struggles of four slave women–their complicated relationships with their masters, mistresses, and even each other. Lizzie, our heroine, has a complex relationship with her master, Drayle, for unlike the other slave women she feels she actually loves him. The relationship is complex–readers see much of this through flashbacks. They learn how the relationship began–and how it has continued through the years resulting in the birth of a son and daughter. Drayle’s only children. Lizzie prays for freedom for her two children. Her one desire is to have her children be freed by their father. But so far, her requests have been refused.

Reenie, Sweet, and Mawu are the other three slave women readers meet in Wench. Each has a heartbreaking story. We see these characters through their relationship with Lizzie. We learn their stories through Lizzie. Because of these friendships, Lizzie’s life will be changed.

Wench is a compelling novel. Once I started reading, it was difficult to put down. It was easy for me to care about these characters. It was intense and emotional in many ways–because their lives were bittersweet at best. I would definitely recommend this one!

© Becky Laney of Becky’s Book Reviews

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Wench

These are a few of my favorite ‘first’ lines read in August 2010.

Once upon a time, fairy tales were awesome.

Everyone thinks children are sweet as Necco Wafters, but I’ve lived long enough to know the truth: kids are rotten. The only difference between grown-ups and kids is that grown-ups go to jail for murder. Kids get away with it.

Come to think of it, the day my brother tried to eat his first-grade teacher turned out to be the same day that my dad brought me home a very, very strange cat.

I don’t want to die, I thought. Not again.

The big question: Is Origami Yoda real? Well, of course, he’s real. I mean, he’s a real finger puppet made out of a real piece of paper. But I mean: Is he REAL? Does he really know things? Can he see the future? Does he use the force?

Emma Woodhouse–handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition–had lived nearly twenty-one years in the world with very little to distress her. Until the vampire attacks began.

August’s Top Five:

A Tale Dark and Grimm. Adam Gidwitz.
The Convenient Marriage. By Georgette Heyer. (1934) Read by Richard Armitage. (2010)
To Kill A Mockingbird. Harper Lee.
Turtle in Paradise. Jennifer L. Holm.
Pocketful of Posies: A Treasury of Nursery Rhymes. Salley Mavor

Number of Board Books: 6

Baby’s Book Tower. By Leslie Patricelli. 2010. August 2010. Candlewick. 96 pages.
Count My Kisses, Little One. Ruthie May. Illustrated by Tamsin Ainslie. 2010. August 2010. Scholastic. 24 pages.
Five Little Ducks. Beth Harwood. Illustrated by Emma Dodd. 2008. Amazing Baby. 10 pages.
Time for Bed. Mem Fox. Illustrated by Jane Dyer. 1993/2010. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 28 pages.
Amazing Baby: Clap and Sing. Emma Dodd. 2007. Silver Dolphin. 12 pages.
Princess Baby On the Go. Karen Katz. 2010. August 2010. Random House. 14 pages.

Number of Picture Books: 10

Dog Loves Books. Louise Yates. 2010. July 2010. Random House. 32 pages.
Too Pickley! By Jean Reidy. Illustrated by Genevieve Leloup. 2010. July 2010. Bloomsbury. 32 pages.
Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late. Mo Willems. 2006. Hyperion. 40 pages.
Piggy Pie Po. Audrey & Don Wood. 2010. September 2010. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 32 pages.
The Most Amazing Hide-and-Seek Alphabet Book. Robert Crowther. 1999/2010. August 2010. Candlewick. 12 pages.
The Most Amazing Hide-and-Seek Numbers Book. Robert Crowther. 2010. August 2010. (1999) Candlewick. 12 pages.
Time to Sleep, Sheep the Sheep! Mo Willems. 2010. HarperCollins. 32 pages.
One Smart Cookie: Bite Size Lessons for the School Years and Beyond. By Amy Krouse Rosenthal. Illustrated by Jane Dyer & Brooke Dyer. 2010. HarperCollins. 40 pages.
Chicken Big. Keith Graves. 2010. Chronicle Books. 40 pages.
It’s A Book. Lane Smith. 2010. August 2010. Roaring Brook Press. 32 pages.

Number of Children’s Books: 6

In Too Deep (The 39 Clues #6) Jude Watson. 2009. Scholastic. 206 pages.
Complete Adventures of Curious George: 70th Anniversary Edition. Margret and H.A. Rey. 2010. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 432 pages.
Curious George Storybook Collection. 2010. September 2010. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 197 pages.
Otter Everywhere: Brand New Readers. By Christine Webster. Illustrated by Tim Nihoff. 2007. Candlewick Press. 48 pages.
Brand New Readers: Termite Tales. Kathy Caple. 2009. Candlewick Press. 48 pages.
Brand New Readers: Larry and Rita. Jamie Michalak. Illustrated by Jill Newton. 2007. Candlewick Press. 48 pages.

Number of Middle Grade: 7

A Tale Dark and Grimm. Adam Gidwitz. 2010. November 2010. Penguin. 192 pages.
Leaving Gee’s Bend. Irene Latham. 2010. Penguin. 240 pages.
The Strange Case of Origami Yoda. Tom Angleberger. 2010. Harry N. Abrams. 141 pages.
Knightley Academy. Violet Haberdasher. 2010. Simon & Schuster. 469 pages.
Crunch. Leslie Connor. 2010. HarperCollins. 336 pages.
The Witchy Worries of Abbie Adams. Rhonda Hayter. 2010. Penguin. 256 pages.
Turtle in Paradise. Jennifer L. Holm. 2010. Random House. 208 pages.

Number of YA: 6

Kiss of Life. Daniel Waters. 2009. Hyperion. 416 pages.
Glimpse. Carol Lynch Williams. 2010. June 2010. Simon & Schuster. 496 pages.
Passing Strange (Generation Dead #3). Daniel Waters. Hyperion. 400 pages.
Sphinx’s Princess. Esther Friesner. 2009. Random House. 384 pages.
Shiver. Maggie Stiefvater. 2009. Scholastic. 400 pages.
The Half-Life of Planets. Emily Franklin. and Brendan Halpin. 2010. Hyperion. 256 pages.

Number of Adult: 7

The Convenient Marriage. By Georgette Heyer. (1934) Read by Richard Armitage. 2010. August 2010. Naxos Audiobooks. 5 hrs. 6 minutes.
Beauvallet. Georgette Heyer. 1929/2010. Sourcebooks. 301 pages.
Emma and the Vampires by Wayne Josephson. 2010. Sourcebooks. 304 pages.
April Lady. Georgette Heyer. 1957/2005. Harlequin. 270 pages.
The Foundling. Georgette Heyer. 1948/2009. Sourcebooks. 439 pages.
To Kill A Mockingbird. Harper Lee. 1960. 281 pages.
Civil Contract. Georgette Heyer. 1961/2009. Harlequin. 432 pages.

Number of Christian: 6

The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment. Tim Challies. 2007. Crossway Publishers. 208 pages.
Masquerade by Nancy Moser. 2010. Bethany House. 368 pages.
George Whitefield: God’s Anointed Servant in the Great Revival of the Eighteenth Century. Arnold A. Dallimore. 2010. Crossway Publishers. 224 pages.
The Devil in Pew Number Seven: A True Story. Rebecca Nichols Alonzo with Bob DeMoss. 2010. Tyndale. 288 pages.
Choosing to SEE: A Journey of Struggle and Hope. Mary Beth Chapman. With Ellen Vaughn. 2010. Revell. 288 pages.
The Vigilante’s Bride. Yvonne Harris. 2010. Bethany House. 304 pages.

Number of Nonfiction:

Number of Graphic Novels: 2

Koko Be Good. Jen Wang. 2010. September 2010. First Second. 304 pages.
Frankenstein The Graphic Novel: Original Text. Mary Shelley. 2008. Script Adaptation by Jason Cobley, American English Adaptation: Joe Sutcliff Sanders. Illustrations by Declan Shalvey, Jason Cardy & Kat Nicholson, etc. Classical Comics. 144 pages.

Number of Poetry: 1

Pocketful of Posies: A Treasury of Nursery Rhymes. Salley Mavor. 2010. September 2010. Houghton Mifflin. 72 pages.

Number of Short Story Collections/Anthologies:

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August Accomplishments

Happy Sunday! It’s August. It’s hot. And I haven’t been in the best of reading moods lately. (I’m SO happy that Emma and the Vampires and I have parted ways!) But Georgette Heyer has been a great indulgence–a true comfort read!

I recently reviewed several audiobooks of Georgette Heyer’s novels narrated by Richard Armitage. The Book Chook had a GREAT question on my Convenient Marriage post. “My question Becky is this (eventually): I love this book, and have read it often. I hear Horry’s gruff little voice and Cosby’s simper in my head already. Won’t hearing someone else’s interpretation be like going to a movie that mangled a loved book?”

I do have opinions on books that have been made (badly) into movies. I do see it as a form of interpretation/adaptation. Often changes are made. And (beloved) characters can act out of character. Before this question, I hadn’t really seen audio books as a way for a book to be misinterpreted. Not in the same way at least. The words remain the same. Though it’s obvious that some narrators are better than others. There are definitely times when enjoyment is lessened by a bad narration. So it’s more than just the words themselves, how these words are read does influence your experience. The narrator is interpreting the words–perhaps not as much as in the movies–but still there is some interpreting going on.

In the case of The Convenient Marriage–I thought Richard Armitage did a great job. I would almost say a perfect job. But. There is the little fact that it is an abridged audiobook. I thought he did a great job with Horry’s stammer. I thought he did a great job with our hero, Lord Rule. Listening to this one was very happy-making. I do LOVE the book. I’ve read it twice now. And I do love the book all on its own. Richard Armitage’s narration didn’t *make* me love it. But I was certainly very pleased with it. I can’t guarantee that anyone will love it or even like it the same way I did. But I would encourage people to give it a chance. If it doesn’t work out, then it doesn’t work out. But if it does…then those five hours will not be wasted.

What do you think? Have you listened to any great audiobooks lately? Any ‘favorite’ narrators you enjoy spending time with?

What I’ve Reviewed This Week:

Beauvallet. Georgette Heyer. 1929/2010. Sourcebooks. 301 pages.
Emma and the Vampires by Wayne Josephson. 2010. Sourcebooks. 304 pages.
April Lady. Georgette Heyer. 1957/2005. Harlequin. 270 pages.
Sphinx’s Princess. Esther Friesner. 2009. Random House. 384 pages.
Shiver. Maggie Stiefvater. 2009. Scholastic. 400 pages.
Knightley Academy. Violet Haberdasher. 2010. Simon & Schuster. 469 pages.
Complete Adventures of Curious George: 70th Anniversary Edition. Margret and H.A. Rey. 2010. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 432 pages.
Curious George Storybook Collection. 2010. September 2010. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 197 pages.
Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late. Mo Willems. 2006. Hyperion. 40 pages.
Piggy Pie Po. Audrey & Don Wood. 2010. September 2010. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 32 pages.
The Most Amazing Hide-and-Seek Alphabet Book. Robert Crowther. 1999/2010. August 2010. Candlewick. 12 pages.
The Most Amazing Hide-and-Seek Numbers Book. Robert Crowther. 2010. August 2010. (1999) Candlewick. 12 pages.
Masquerade by Nancy Moser. 2010. Bethany House. 368 pages.
George Whitefield: God’s Anointed Servant in the Great Revival of the Eighteenth Century. Arnold A. Dallimore. 2010. Crossway Publishers. 224 pages.
The Devil in Pew Number Seven: A True Story. Rebecca Nichols Alonzo with Bob DeMoss. 2010. Tyndale. 288 pages

Currently Reading:

The Foundling. Georgette Heyer. 1948/2009. Sourcebooks. 448 pages.

What I Hope To Begin/Finish Soon:

The Half-Life of Planets. Emily Franklin and Brendan Halpin. 2010. Hyperion. 256 pages.

© Becky Laney of Becky’s Book Reviews

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Sunday Salon: Reading, Read, To Read #33

Sphinx’s Princess. Esther Friesner. 2009. Random House. 384 pages.

From the time of my first memories, my dreams were filled with lions–fierce, impossibly huge monsters with fiery manes and eyes black and cold as a starless night.

Nefertiti. Sphinx’s Princess is a fictional account of Nefertiti’s early years. Set in Ancient Egypt, the novel is rich in detail–history, mythology, culture. Readers learn what life as a royal might have been like through the eyes of a young woman betrothed to Pharaoh’s son. A young woman royal in her right–the niece of the Queen. Her father has warned her for years of the dangers of becoming too close to the Queen, of being a part of court life. Nefertiti is learning about these risks herself–for better or worse. Her story continues in Sphinx’s Queen which releases in September 2010.

Friesner’s Nefertiti is an intelligent, beautiful, compassionate young woman. She can read and write. She can sing and dance. Her life is saved by a slave–a Hebrew slave–and this changes her. She’s now tender-hearted and devoted to the life of one slave girl in particular. (I’m not sure I *believed* that anyone would take such risks for another person, slave or not.) Friesner’s Nefertiti is not concerned about politics, about power. She just wants a simple, private life.

Friesner’s Nefertiti is VERY different from Michelle Moran’s Nefertiti. Both books are, of course, historical fiction. So neither Nefertiti is the “real” Nefertiti.

I enjoyed Sphinx’s Princess. I look forward to reading Sphinx’s Queen soon.

© Becky Laney of Becky’s Book Reviews

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Sphinx’s Princess (YA)

Happy Sunday!

I know of two great events going on in August. The first I’ve mentioned twice the past week. It is Austenprose’s Georgette Heyer celebration! You can see the full schedule here. There will be reviews of over thirty of her books! I’ve heard there will be interviews as well. And giveaways! If you’ve never read Georgette Heyer, this would be the perfect opportunity for you to explore her books. It should give you a good idea of what to expect, and you might just find one to try! As I’ve mentioned before, it would be nearly impossible for me to name a favorite Georgette Heyer book. But Venetia comes close–for me.

I’m currently listening to THE CONVENIENT MARRIAGE on audiobook. It is narrated by Richard Armitage. And it is so good.

The second event is Presenting Lenore’s Dystopian August. There will be reviews, interviews, contests and giveaways, etc. She’ll have a place for readers to share links to their own dystopian reviews, I hope to read some this month!

Do you have a favorite dystopian or post-apocalyptic novel you’d like to recommend?

What I’ve Reviewed This Week:

Dark Life. Kat Falls. 2010. Scholastic. 304 pages.
Everlasting. Angie Frazier. 2010. June 2010. Scholastic. 336 pages.
Leviathan. Scott Westerfeld. 2009. October 2009. Simon & Schuster. 448 pages.
Fire. Kristin Cashore. 2009. Penguin. 480 pages.
Julia Gillian (And the Quest for Joy). Alison McGhee. 2009. Scholastic. 320 pages.
Julia Gillian (And the Dream of the Dog). Alison McGhee. Illustrated by Drazen Kozjan. 2010. July 2010. Scholastic. 336 pages.
The Everlasting Now. Sara H. Banks. 2010. Peachtree Publishers. 176 pages.
Cloaked in Red. Vivian Vande Velde. 2010. October 2010. Marshall Cavendish. 128 pages.
Nest for Celeste: A Story About Art, Inspiration, and the Meaning of Home. Henry Cole. 2010. HarperCollins. 342 pages.
Ling & Ting: Not Exactly the Same. Grace Lin. 2010. July 2010. Little, Brown. 43 pages.
Word After Word After Word. Patricia MacLachlan. 2010. HarperCollins. 128 pages.
Venetia. Georgette Heyer. 1958/2009. Harlequin. 368 pages.
Fancy Pants. Cathy Marie Hake. 2007. Bethany House. 384 pages.
Sugar Changed the World: A Story of Magic, Spice, Slavery, Freedom and Science. Marc Aronson and Marina Budhos. 2010. November 2010. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 176 pages.
Oscar and the Bat: A Book About Sound. Geoff Waring. 2008. Candlewick. 32 pages.
Oscar and the Snail: A Book About Things We Use. Geoff Waring. 2009. Candlewick. 32 pages.
Oscar and the Cricket: A Book About Moving and Rolling. Geoff Waring. 2008. Candlewick. 32 pages.
Oscar and the Bird: A Book About Electricity. Geoff Waring. 2009. Candlewick. 32 pages.
Oscar and the Frog: A Book About Growing. 2007. Candlewick. 32 pages.
Oscar and the Moth: A Book About Light and Dark. Geoff Waring. 2007. Candlewick. 32 pages.
How Rocket Learned to Read. Tad Hills. 2010. July 2010. Random House. 40 pages.
Ferocious Wild Beasts! by Chris Wormell. 2009. December 2009. Random House. 32 pages
Posy. Linda Newbery. Illustrated by Catherine Rayner. 2008. Simon & Schuster. 32 pages.
When the World is Ready for Bed. Gillian Shields. Illustrated by Anna Currey. 2009. Bloomsbury. 32 pages.
Click, Clack, 123. Doreen Cronin. Illustrated by Betsy Lewin. 2006/2010. Little Simon. 22 pages.
Click, Clack, ABC. Doreen Cronin. Illustrated by Betsy Lewin. 2005/2010. Simon & Schuster. 24 pages.

Currently Reading:

X Isle by Steve Augarde. 2010. Random House. 480 pages.

The Convenient Marriage. By Georgette Heyer. (1934) Read by Richard Armitage. 2010. August 2010. Naxos Audiobooks. 5 hrs. 6 minutes.

Shiver. Maggie Stiefvater. 2009. Scholastic. 400 pages.

Sphinx’s Princess. Esther Friesner. 2009. Random House. 384 pages.

What I Hope To Begin/Finish Soon:

Emma and the Vampires by Wayne Josephson. 2010. Sourcebooks. 304 pages.

In Too Deep (The 39 Clues #6) Jude Watson. 2009. Scholastic. 206 pages.

© Becky Laney of Becky’s Book Reviews

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Sunday Salon: Reading, Read, To Read #31

These are a few of my favorite ‘first’ lines read in July 2010.

I peered into the deep-sea canyon, hoping to spot a toppled skyscraper. Maybe even the Statue of Liberty. But there was no sign of the old East Coast, just a sheer drop into darkness.

Lisabeth Lewis didn’t mean to become Famine.

A definition:
A real live boyfriend does not contribute to your angst.

The movement of the train rocked me like a lullaby.

Strange things can happen at a crossroads.

I don’t trust Clive Fagenbush.

July’s Top Eight:

The Boneshaker. Kate Milford.
Real Live Boyfriends. E. Lockhart.
Cloaked in Red. Vivian Vande Velde.
A Long Walk to Water. Linda Sue Park
Moon Over Manifest. Clare Vanderpool.
The Daughter of Time. Josephine Tey
She Stoops to Conquer. Oliver Goldsmith.
Venetia. Georgette Heyer

Number of Board Books: 9

Welcome Summer by Jill Ackerman. Illustrated by Nancy Davis. 2010. Scholastic. 10 pages.
I Like Bugs. Lorena Siminovich. 2010. March 2010. Candlewick. 10 pages.
I Like Fruit. Lorena Siminovich. 2010. July 2010. Candlewick. 10 pages.
The Napping House. Audrey Wood. Illustrated by Don Wood. 1984/2010. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 32 pages.
Baby at the Farm. Karen Katz. 2010. Simon & Schuster. 10 pages.
Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes. Mem Fox. Illustrated by Helen Oxenbury. 2008/2010. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 38 pages.
All About Me! A Baby’s Guide to Babies by David Salariya. 2008. Random House. 16 pages.
Click, Clack, 123. Doreen Cronin. Illustrated by Betsy Lewin. 2006/2010. Little Simon. 22 pages.
Click, Clack, ABC. Doreen Cronin. Illustrated by Betsy Lewin. 2005/2010. Simon & Schuster. 24 pages.

Number of Picture Books: 15

No T. Rex in the Library. Toni Buzzeo. Illustrated by Sachiko Yoshikawa. 2010. Simon & Schuster. 32 pages.
Swim! Swim! by Lerch (James Proimos). 2010. July 2010. Scholastic. 32 pages.
The Eensy Weensy Spider Freaks Out (Big Time) by Troy Cummings. 2010. May 2010. Random House. 40 pages.
Beaver is Lost. Elisha Cooper. 2010. June 2010. Random House. 40 pages.
Hello Baby! Mem Fox. Illustrated by Steve Jenkins. Simon & Schuster. 32 pages.
Kiss! Kiss! Yuck! Yuck! by Kyle Mewburn. Illustrated by Ali Teo & John O’Reilly. 2008. Peachtree. 32 pages.
My Love Will Be With You. Laura Krauss Melmed. Illustrated by Henri Sorensen. 2009. HarperCollins. 24 pages.
Please Pick Me Up, Mama! Robin Luebs. 2009. Simon & Schuster. 40 pages.
Dinosaurs Love Underpants. Claire Freedman. Illustrated by Ben Cort. 2009. December 2009. Simon & Schuster. 32 pages.
Night Lights. Susan Gal. 2009. November 2009. Random House. 32 pages.
Always in Trouble. Corinne Demas. Illustrated by Noah Z. Jones. 2009. Scholastic. 40 pages.
How Rocket Learned to Read. Tad Hills. 2010. July 2010. Random House. 40 pages.
Ferocious Wild Beasts! by Chris Wormell. 2009. December 2009. Random House. 32 pages
Posy. Linda Newbery. Illustrated by Catherine Rayner. 2008. Simon & Schuster. 32 pages.
When the World is Ready for Bed. Gillian Shields. Illustrated by Anna Currey. 2009. Bloomsbury. 32 pages.

Number of Children’s Books: 10

No New Pets by Hans Wilhelm. 2010. Scholastic. 32 pages.
I Won’t Share. Hans Wilhelm. 2010. Scholastic. 32 pages.
Jake. Audrey Couloumbis. 2010. September 2010. Random House. 176 pages.
Mo and Jo Fighting Together Forever. Dean Haspiel and Jay Lynch. 2008. Toon Books. 40 pages.
Stinky. Eleanor Davis. 2008. Toon Books 40 pages.
The Black Circle (The 39 Clues #5) Patrick Carman. 2009. Scholastic. 176 pages.
Phineas L. MacGuire…Erupts. Frances O’Roark Dowell. 2006. Simon & Schuster. 176 pages.
I Survived The Sinking of the Titanic, 1912. Lauren Tarshis. 2010. Scholastic. 112 pages.
Ling & Ting: Not Exactly the Same. Grace Lin. 2010. July 2010. Little, Brown. 43 pages.
Word After Word After Word. Patricia MacLachlan. 2010. HarperCollins. 128 pages.

Number of Middle Grade: 16

Moon Over Manifest. Clare Vanderpool. 2010. October 2010. Random House. 368 pages.
Julia Gillian (And the Art of Knowing) by Alison McGhee. 2008. Scholastic. 290 pages.
Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos. 2007. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 343 pages.
Theodosia and the Staff of Osiris. R.L. LaFevers. 2008. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 400 pages.
Peter and the Sword of Mercy. Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson. 2009. Hyperion. 528 pages.
A Long Walk to Water. Linda Sue Park. 2010. November 2010. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 128 pages.
The Boneshaker. Kate Milford. 2010. May 2010. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 372 pages.
Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman. 1997. HarperCollins. 80 pages.
Elephant Run. Roland Smith. 2007. Hyperion. 336 pages.
Bamboo People. Mitali Perkins. 2010. July 2010. Charlesbridge. 272 pages.
Julia Gillian (And the Quest for Joy). Alison McGhee. 2009. Scholastic. 320 pages.
Julia Gillian (And the Dream of the Dog). Alison McGhee. Illustrated by Drazen Kozjan. 2010. July 2010. Scholastic. 336 pages.
The Everlasting Now. Sara H. Banks. 2010. Peachtree Publishers. 176 pages.
Cloaked in Red. Vivian Vande Velde. 2010. October 2010. Marshall Cavendish. 128 pages.
Nest for Celeste: A Story About Art, Inspiration, and the Meaning of Home. Henry Cole. 2010. HarperCollins. 342 pages.

Number of YA: 19

Don’t Judge A Girl By Her Cover. Ally Carter. 2009. Hyperion. 272 pages.
The Treasure Map of Boys. E. Lockhart. 2009. Random House. 256 pages.
Scars. Cheryl Rainfield. 2010. WestSide Books. 250 pages.
Real Live Boyfriends. E. Lockhart. 2010. December 2010. Random House. 240 pages.
Wildthorn. Jane Eagland. 2010. September 2010. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 352 pages.
Jumpstart the World. Catherine Ryan Hyde. 2010. October 2010. Random House. 192 pages.
Hunger. Jackie Morse Kessler. 2010. October 2010. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 180 pages.
In a Heartbeat. Loretta Ellsworth. 2010. February 2010. Walker & Company. 216 pages.
Only The Good Spy Young. Ally Carter. 2010. Hyperion. 272 pages.
Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour. Morgan Matson. 2010. Simon & Schuster. 343 pages.
The First Part Last. Angela Johnson. 2003. Simon & Schuster. 144 pages.
Finding My Place. Traci L. Jones. 2010. May 2010. FSG. 192 pages.
Stolen. Lucy Christopher. 2010. Scholastic. 304 pages.
The Gardener. S.A. Bodeen. 2010. May 2010. Feiwel & Friends. 240 pages.
I Kissed a Zombie, and I Liked It. Adam Selzer. 2010. Random House. 192 pages.
Dark Life. Kat Falls. 2010. Scholastic. 304 pages.
Everlasting. Angie Frazier. 2010. June 2010. Scholastic. 336 pages.
Leviathan. Scott Westerfeld. 2009. October 2009. Simon & Schuster. 448 pages.
Fire. Kristin Cashore. 2009. Penguin. 480 pages.

Number of Adult: 15

The Man in the Queue. Josephine Tey. 1929/1995. Simon & Schuster. 256 pages.
Bath Tangle. Georgette Heyer. 1955. Harlequin. 336 pages.
The Daughter of Time. Josephine Tey. 1951/1995. Simon & Schuster. 208 pages.
Star Begotten: A Biological Fantasia by H.G. Wells. 1937/2006. Wesleyan University Press. 172 pages.
The Pirates! In An Adventure with Ahab. Gideon Defoe. 2005. Knopf Doubleday. 160 pages.
The Lost Duke of Wyndham. Julia Quinn. 2008. HarperCollins. 384 pages.
Mr. Cavendish, I Presume. Julia Quinn. 2008. HarperCollins. 384 pages.
An Apology for the Life of Mrs. Shamela Andrews. (Shamela) Henry Fielding. 1741. 40 pages.
Uncommon Reader. Alan Bennett. 2007. FSG. 128 pages.
First Comes Marriage. Mary Balogh. 2009. Random House. 416 pages
Then Comes Seduction. Mary Balogh. 2009. Random House. 448 pages.
At Last Comes Love. Mary Balogh. 2009. Random House. 416 pages.
Seducing an Angel by Mary Balogh. 2009. Random House. 416 pages.
She Stoops to Conquer. Oliver Goldsmith. 1773. 80 pages.
Venetia. Georgette Heyer. 1958/2009. Harlequin. 368 pages.

Number of Christian: 9

Magdalene. Angela Hunt. 2006. Tyndale. 448 pages.
A Morning Like This. Deborah Bedford. 2002/2009. Faith Words. 336 pages.
When You Believe. Deborah Bedford. 2003/2009. Faith Words. 288 pages.
Perfectly Dateless: A Universally Misunderstood Novel. Kristin Billerbeck. 2010. July 2010. Revell. 256 pages.
Touching the Clouds. Bonnie Leon. 2010. July 2010. Revell. 320 pages.
The Sister Wife. Diane Noble. 2010. HarperCollins. 343 pages.
The Church History ABCs: Augustine and Twenty-Five Other Heroes of the Faith. Stephen J. Nichols. Illustrated by Ned Bustard. 2010. June 2010. Crossway. 32 pages.
Courting Morrow Little by Laura Frantz. 2010. Revell. 368 pages.
Fancy Pants. Cathy Marie Hake. 2007. Bethany House. 384 pages.

Number of Nonfiction: 7

Sugar Changed the World: A Story of Magic, Spice, Slavery, Freedom and Science. Marc Aronson and Marina Budhos. 2010. November 2010. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 176 pages.
Oscar and the Bat: A Book About Sound. Geoff Waring. 2008. Candlewick. 32 pages.
Oscar and the Snail: A Book About Things We Use. Geoff Waring. 2009. Candlewick. 32 pages.
Oscar and the Cricket: A Book About Moving and Rolling. Geoff Waring. 2008. Candlewick. 32 pages.
Oscar and the Bird: A Book About Electricity. Geoff Waring. 2009. Candlewick. 32 pages.
Oscar and the Frog: A Book About Growing. 2007. Candlewick. 32 pages.
Oscar and the Moth: A Book About Light and Dark. Geoff Waring. 2007. Candlewick. 32 pages.

Number of Graphic Novels:

Number of Poetry:

Number of Short Story Collections/Anthologies: 1

The Storyteller’s Secrets. Tony Mitton. Illustrated by Peter Bailey. Random House. 128 pages.

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July Accomplishments

The topic this week at Random Ramblings is Favorite Books of All Time. It is extremely difficult for me to even think about creating a top ten. But. I shall try.

Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer.

Lisa is pregnant.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.

You will rejoice to hear that no disaster has accompanied the commencement of an enterprise which you have regarded with such evil forebodings.

Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card

“I’ve watched through his eyes, I’ve listened through his ears, and I tell you he’s the one. Or at least as close as we’re going to get.”

Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell.

Scarlett O’Hara was not beautiful, but men seldom realized it when caught by her charm as the Tarleton twins were.

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston.

Ships at a distance have every man’s wish on board.

Sweet Thursday by John Steinbeck

When war came to Monterey and to Cannery Row everybody fought it more or less, in one way or another.

Book Thief by Markus Zusak

First the colors. Then the humans. That’s usually how I see things. Or at least, how I try.

Venetia by Georgette Heyer

“A fox got in amongst the hens last night, and ravished our best layer,” remarked Miss Lanyon.

The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness

“Your noise reveals you, Todd Hewitt.”

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

Mrs. Rachel Lynde lived just where the Avonlea main road dipped down into a little hollow, fringed with alders and ladies’ eardrops and traversed by a brook that had its source away back in the woods of the old Cuthbert place; it was reputed to be an intricate, headlong brook in its earlier course through those woods, with dark secrets of pool and cascade; but by the time it reached Lynde’s Hollow it was a quiet, well-conducted little stream, for not even a brook could run past Mrs. Rachel Lynde’s door without due regard for decency and decorum; it probably was conscious that Mrs. Rachel was sitting at her window, keeping a sharp eye on everything that passed, from brooks and children up, and that if she noticed anything odd or out of place she would never rest until she had ferreted out the whys and wherefores thereof.

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Top Ten Picks: Favorite Books of All Time

Happy Sunday!

What I’ve Reviewed This Week:

Courting Morrow Little by Laura Frantz. 2010. Revell. 368 pages.
The First Part Last. Angela Johnson. 2003. Simon & Schuster. 144 pages.
Finding My Place. Traci L. Jones. 2010. May 2010. FSG. 192 pages.
Stolen. Lucy Christopher. 2010. Scholastic. 304 pages.
The Gardener. S.A. Bodeen. 2010. May 2010. Feiwel & Friends. 240 pages.
I Kissed a Zombie, and I Liked It. Adam Selzer. 2010. Random House. 192 pages.
The Storyteller’s Secrets. Tony Mitton. Illustrated by Peter Bailey. Random House. 128 pages.
Elephant Run. Roland Smith. 2007. Hyperion. 336 pages.
Bamboo People. Mitali Perkins. 2010. July 2010. Charlesbridge. 272 pages.
Phineas L. MacGuire…Erupts. Frances O’Roark Dowell. 2006. Simon & Schuster. 176 pages.
I Survived The Sinking of the Titanic, 1912. Lauren Tarshis. 2010. Scholastic. 112 pages.
First Comes Marriage. Mary Balogh. 2009. Random House. 416 pages
Then Comes Seduction. Mary Balogh. 2009. Random House. 448 pages.
At Last Comes Love. Mary Balogh. 2009. Random House. 416 pages.
Seducing an Angel by Mary Balogh. 2009. Random House. 416 pages.
She Stoops to Conquer. Oliver Goldsmith. 1773. 80 pages.
Dinosaurs Love Underpants. Claire Freedman. Illustrated by Ben Cort. 2009. December 2009. Simon & Schuster. 32 pages.
Night Lights. Susan Gal. 2009. November 2009. Random House. 32 pages.
Always in Trouble. Corinne Demas. Illustrated by Noah Z. Jones. 2009. Scholastic. 40 pages.
The Napping House. Audrey Wood. Illustrated by Don Wood. 1984/2010. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 32 pages.
Baby at the Farm. Karen Katz. 2010. Simon & Schuster. 10 pages.
Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes. Mem Fox. Illustrated by Helen Oxenbury. 2008/2010. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 38 pages.
All About Me! A Baby’s Guide to Babies by David Salariya. 2008. Random House. 16 pages.

Currently Reading:


Venetia. Georgette Heyer. 1958/2009. Harlequin. 368 pages.

Fire. Kristin Cashore. 2009. Penguin. 480 pages.

Kiss of Life. Daniel Waters. 2009. Hyperion. 416 pages.
What I Hope To Begin/Finish Soon:

Theodosia and the Eyes of Horus. R.L. LaFevers. 2010. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 375 pages.

Knightley Academy. Violet Haberdasher. 2010. Simon & Schuster. 469 pages.

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Sunday Salon: Reading, Read, To Read #30

Random Ramblings Top Ten Picks topic this week is Favorite Male Literary characters. I am going to try my best not to duplicate my Literary Crushes list. (Which is why there will be no Captain Wentworth, Gilbert Blythe, Henry Tilney, John Thornton, etc.)

Don Quixote from Don Quixote. Miguel de Cervantes. My review. I enjoyed both Don Quixote and Sancho Panzo. I loved these two so much that this chunkster was a delight to read. I won’t lie, it took me almost two months to read, but, it was a great two months. It was a journey that I loved taking.

The creature from Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. My review. This novel is one of my favorites. Yes, favorites. For me, it is a comfort read. For me, it is all about the meaning of life, what it means to be human, what it means to feel. Yes, the ‘creature’ mainly feels miserable. But. The fact that he feels at all. Well, it speaks to me. My favorite part of this novel are the sections narrated by the creature, the sections where the creature speaks to his creator, Victor Frankenstein.

Death. From The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. My review. I loved everything about Death in this amazing book by Markus Zusak. The book was truly wonderful and completely unforgettable.

Ender/Andrew Wiggin from Ender’s Game and Speaker of the Dead by Orson Scott Card. I love this character. I love this series. I love how Ender has matured into Andrew. I loved seeing how much he’s grown…changed. He is wise. But his wisdom doesn’t make him less human, it makes him more human. I love how this novel is about taking broken things, messy things, ugly things–and making them whole, making sense of the chaos, making them beautiful.

Rhett Butler from Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell. My review. Rhett is such a strong character in Gone With The Wind. He steals so many scenes in Margaret Mitchell’s classic. He does. Most of the scenes that I love and adore (and read over and over and over again) star Rhett.

Matthew from Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery. I love, love, love Matthew. I do. I love his shyness. I love his stubbornness. I love his devotion. I love his tenderness. Which is why his death makes me cry no matter how many times I read the novel.

Almanzo Wilder from Long Winter, These Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I love the Little House books. I do. I love The Long Winter especially. It makes me cold. It makes me hungry. It makes me desperately hungry. It makes me feel. I love Almanzo because he is a hero.

Spencer Martin from Suite Scarlett and Scarlett Fever by Maureen Johnson. I love Scarlett’s older brother, Spencer.

Marcelo from Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork. I loved Marcelo’s voice. I loved his observations. I loved his interactions, his conversations. I loved that his special interest was God, religion. I loved his intelligence; his way of digesting the world and discerning for himself right from wrong. I loved his strength, his character. Here is a man with heart and soul, with substance.

Gramps from Rash by Pete Hautman. He’s cranky, but he’s fun. He adds a bit of humor and common sense to this futuristic novel.

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Top Ten Picks: Favorite Male Literary Characters

New Loot:

Leaving Gee’s Bend by Irene Latham. 2010. Penguin. 240 pages.
The Aurora County All-Stars by Deborah Wiles. 2007. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 256 pages.
Love, Ruby Lavendar. Deborah Wiles. 2001. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 200 pages.
Half Magic. Edward Eager. 1954/2004. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 240 pages.
Phineas L. MacGuire Erupts. Frances O’Roark Dowell. 2006. Simon & Schuster. 176 pages.
Phineas L. MacGuire Gets Slimes. Frances O’Roark Dowell. 2007. Simon & Schuster. 208 pages.
Phineas L. MacGuire Blasts Off. Frances O’Roark Dowell. 2008. Simon & Schuster. 208 pages.
Princess Diaries. Meg Cabot. 2000. HarperCollins. 240 pages.
Princess in the Spotlight. Meg Cabot. 2001. HarperCollins. 240 pages.
Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor. Stephanie Barron. 1996. Random House. 318 pages.
Jane and the Man of the Cloth. Stephanie Barron. 1997. Random House. 335 pages.
First Comes Marriage. Mary Balogh. 2009. Random House. 416 pages.
Then Comes Seduction. Mary Balogh. 2009. Random House. 448 pages.
At Last Comes Love. Mary Balogh. 2009. Random House. 416 pages.
Seducing an Angel by Mary Balogh. 2009. Random House. 416 pages.
Confessions of a Duchess. Nicola Cornick. 2009. Harlequin. 384 pages.
The Scandals of an Innocent. Nicola Cornick. 2009. Harlequin. 384 pages.

NO LEFTOVER LOOT

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Eva and Marg that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries!

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Library Loot: Fourth Trip in July