Come Join the Really Old Classics Challenge!

Waaaaay back in March, I decided to get really ambitious and volunteered to help out with the Really Old Classics Challenge. Last year, it was run by Rebecca and Heather. This year, Heather's still on board, joined by me and Ryan.

We've got lots of fun in store, along with lots of great books! The challenge runs from September 1 to December 31, so you have plenty of time to participate!


Even though the challenge starts on Wednesday (Eek!), we're still working out a few of the finer details (Including how to navigate around Wordpress since the three of us are on Blogger). But, go visit the challenge blog, check it out, and start gathering up your Really Old Classics in preparation for this year's challenge!

Review and Blog Tour: Licensed for Trouble (PJ Sugar #3) by Susan May Warren

Title: Licensed for Trouble (PJ Sugar #3)

Author: Susan May Warren

Pages: 369

Rating: 10/10

Source: LitFuse Publicity Group

Challenges: Read 'n' Review Challenge

Summary (From LitFuse):

PJ Sugar receives shocking news that she's inherited the Kellogg family mansion. Though she has no idea why, the timing is perfect-PJ has clearly worn out her welcome at her sister's house. Unfortunately, the mansion is in shambles, and PJ is short on cash. Rescue comes in the form of Max Smith, a mysterious handyman willing to trade his services for PJ's investigative skills. But PJ already has a full docket with cramming for her PI license and nurturing a growing romance with her boss, Jeremy Kane. Can she take on Max's case without dropping the ball?

Find out more about book one, Nothing But Trouble and book two, Double Trouble.

My Two Cents:

I was absolutely pleasantly surprised and enchanted with this book. I don't know what I was expecting, but I just adored this book.

PJ is one of my favorite characters in a long time. She's fun, smart, and sassy, and she has just enough flaws to make her realistic. I loved that she somehow always manages to get herself into trouble, but there's always someone to help her out of the problem. Sure, that may not be absolutely "real life" (Honestly, how many times do people fall into a river and have a friend who just happens to be driving by just in time to save them?), but I liked that little detail.

I've not read any of the other PJ Sugar books, so it took me a little bit to get into all the back story, but I understood what was going on just fine without knowing any of that. So, if you haven't read the first two PJ Sugars, you can still read this one, but just because these are so much fun, I'd recommend reading the first two! :)

This was a nice, clean, quick read that I would recommend to anyone looking for a little fun mixed in with a tad bit of mystery.

Enter PJ Sugar's "Sweet" Giveaway

Licensed for Trouble, Susan's brand new PJ Sugar novel, is in stores now! To celebrate the release, we’re giving away a Kindle!! You can enter using Twitter, Facebook, or e-mail using the icons below.

One Grand Prize winner will receive a A SWEET Kindle prize package that includes:

• A brand new Kindle (Free 3G, 6”, Latest Generation)
• The entire PJ Sugar series by Susan May Warren

About Susan May Warren: Susan May Warren is the RITA award-winning author of twenty-four novels with Tyndale, Barbour and Steeple Hill. A four-time Christy award finalist, a two-time RITA Finalist, she’s also a multi-winner of the Inspirational Readers Choice award, and the ACFW Book of the Year.

Susan's larger than life characters and layered plots have won her acclaim with readers and reviewers alike. A seasoned women’s events and retreats speaker, she’s a popular writing teacher at conferences around the nation and the author of the beginning writer’s workbook: From the Inside-Out: discover, create and publish the novel in you!. She is also the founder of www.MyBookTherapy.com, a story-crafting service that helps authors discover their voice.

Susan makes her home in northern Minnesota, where she is busy cheering on her two sons in football, and her daughter in local theater productions (and desperately missing her college-age son!) A full listing of her titles, reviews and awards can be found at: www.susanmaywarren.com.

Buy the book

Blog tour schedule

Show Me 5 Saturday: Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare by Stephen Greenblatt

From That's A Novel Idea and Find Your Next Book Here
 




 
1 book I read: Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare

2 words that describe the book: Speculative biography

3 settings where it took place or characters you met:

Well, this is nonfiction, so I'm going to tell you about some people we met.


William Shakespeare - The man who inspired this whole book. His story of going from glove-maker's son to the greatest playwright in history is one that has fascinated generations.


Anne Hathaway - Shakespeare's wife who was several years his senior. No one knows whether their marriage was a happy one, but they had three children and she spent most of their marriage in Stratford-upon-Avon while he lived in London. If what Shakespeare bequeathed her in his will is any indication -- his second-best bed -- then the marriage wasn't all roses and sunshine.

Christopher Marlowe - Nearly the exact same age as Shakespeare, Marlowe hit his play-writing stride earlier in life, finding great success. There are indications that Shakespeare admired and even envied Marlowe's success -- There are several allusions to his work in Shakespeare's plays -- but no real evidence the two had any direct contact. Marlowe's unfortunate early death (Barfight? Political murder?) cleared the way for Shakespeare to become the preeminent playwright of his generation.

4 Things you liked and/or disliked about it:

I liked that, since no one really knows any of the details, some of this biography reads like a novel. You're never really sure what's real and what's not, which you usually don't want in a work of nonfiction, but somehow the uncertainty works for a Shakespeare biography.

I liked that, even though Greenblatt used Shakespeare's work to inform his biography, and even though there are very few real records to go on, this whole biography wasn't just speculation drawn from Shakespeare's works. I've seen biographies that say, "Shakespeare's relationship with his mother must have been bad because he writes X in Y play." Uh, no. Not necessarily. Greenblatt didn't do that, which was refreshing, to me.

I didn't like how some of the chapters were laid out. Greenblatt would start a chapter talking about a historical event or social construct of Shakespeare's times, then move on to talking about one or a few of the plays. Then, he would go back to the historical event. I know this book is supposed to be about Shakespeare's life and not a historical criticism of his work, but I would have liked to see some of the history tied in a little better with the reading of the plays. Sometimes, I forgot what historical event I was supposed to be connecting to the plays.

I liked that I got to learn a little more about several of the other playwrights who were contemporaries of Shakespeare, but we don't really hear much about. Sure, we all hear about playwrights such as Marlowe and Ben Jonson, but I never really knew much about the minor players such as Thomas Dekker and Thomas Heywood.

5 Stars or less for your rating?

I'm giving the book 5 stars. I would recommend this book to any fan of Shakespeare and his plays.


The Whys and Wheres: Borrowed from my dad

Challenges: Read 'n' Review Challenge

Review: Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick

Title: Crescendo (Hush, hush Book 2)

Author: Becca Fitzpatrick

Pages: 427 (I have an ARC, so page numbers in the final copy, due out Oct. 19, could be different)

Source: Publisher

Rating: 5/10

Challenges: Read 'n' Review Challenge

First Sentence: "The fingers of the thorn-apple tree clawed at the windowpane behind Harrison Grey, and he dog-eared his page, no longer able to read through the racket."

Summary (From back of book):

Nora Grey should have known her life was far from perfect. Even though her boyfriend, Patch, also happens to be her literal guardian angel (who, despite the title, is far from angelic), things are not looking up. First there is summer school and facing the nightmare of her enemy Marcie Millar as her lab partner. Then Patch starts to pull away with no explanation. And finally, she is having nightmares and visions about her father's murder.

As Nora chooses to ignore her better instincts and delves deeper into the mystery of her father's death, she also begins to question whether her Nephilim bloodline had something to do with it, which casts more doubt on her relationship (or lack thereof) with Patch. Does he know more than he lets on? Why does he always seem to be standing in front of the answers she is looking for? And if he really is her guardian angel, why is her life always in danger?

My Two Cents:

I should have prepared myself better for the letdown after liking Hush, hush so well. There's just something about sequels that just doesn't always live up to the first book in a series (There are some notable exceptions).

Now, Crescendo wasn't bad by any normal standards. It just wasn't as good as Hush, hush. And, it was kind of boring. And, there was very little Patch (You know how all the Twihards complain because New Moon has very little Edward? Yeah, this is the same concept). This series without Patch is like, well, peanut butter without jelly. Nora spends so much of this book being whiny and complaining all the time, that I almost didn't want to finish the book. She complained about things that were her own doing, such as the state of her relationship with Patch, but did nothing to correct them to the way she wanted them to be. Ugh.

I've seen people say that this book allowed them to get to know Nora and Patch more than Hush, hush did, but I just don't see that. I don't see how we got to know more about Nora other than she makes really stupid decisions and she likes to whine a lot. She just kind of exists in this book and doesn't really change.

On the other hand, Vee, who you will all remember I couldn't stand in Hush, hush, actually redeemed herself this time around. In fact, it's almost as if Vee's poor decision-making and air-headedness from Hush, hush is transferred to Nora this time around. I actually liked Vee.

I'm not meaning to be all Debbie Downer on this book, but I was just really disappointed by it. That's not to say that my experience with Crescendo will keep me from reading any further books in this series. Quite the contrary, actually; I plan to read any other books Fitzpatrick writes, as long as Patch is in them. :)

Perhaps I read the two books too close together?

Show Me 5 Saturday: Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

From That's A Novel Idea and Find Your Next Book Here
 





 
1 book I read: Linger (Wolves of Mercy Falls book 2)

2 words that describe the book: Paranormal romance

3 settings where it took place or characters you met:

Setting: Mercy Falls, Minnesota

Cole St. Clair is a new member of the pack of wolves in Mercy Falls. Unlike many of the others in the pack, he chose this new life in order to escape what he thought of as a horrible past. He spends much of his time wishing he could shift back into wolf form because that way, he won't remember anything about being human. Although he seems a little standoffish at first, he pulls through at a crucial moment to help others.



Grace Brisbane finally has her wish -- The wolf with the intense yellow eyes who has spent many winters staring at her from the woods behind her house is now her sensitive full-time-human boyfriend, Sam. But her parents, always hands-off in their dealings with Grace, suddenly decide to become involved parents and try to separate her and Sam. And there's the little problem of Grace running a mysterious fever and suddenly feeling as if she should be shifting into a wolf.

4 Things you liked and/or disliked about it:

I liked Stiefvater's writing. It's smooth and fluid, making this book an easy read, but it's got a lyricism behind it not often found in young adult literature even today.

I liked Sam, as always. He's the teenage boy every teenage girl wishes she could date -- sensitive, caring, attentive, creative. Oh, and he plays the guitar and writes songs about Grace. Who wouldn't swoon for that?

I didn't like this book as well as Shiver, which is definitely among my top reads for this year. I think we had to spend so much time in this book getting to know Cole and watching Grace's problems with her parents that the action just seemed secondary. There's a lot of stuff packed into the last 60 pages, but I think it could've been spread out a little more.

I didn't like that we could pretty much see the ending coming from a million miles away. The second Grace began complaining of a headache, pretty early in the book, I knew where the book would end up. Makes for a less-than-exciting read.

5 Stars or less for your rating?

I'm giving the book 3 stars. It's definitely not nearly as good as the first book in this series, which left me wanting more of Sam and Grace right now, but it's above par for a lot of the genre.


The Whys and Wheres: The library

Challenges: Read 'n' Review Challenge

Review: The Outer Banks House by Diann Ducharme

Title: The Outer Banks House

Author: Diann Ducharme

Pages: 291 (I have an ARC, so page numbers in the finished book may be different)

Source: Publisher

Rating: 9/10

Challenges: Read 'n' Review Challenge

First Sentence: "I was the first passenger off the steamboat."

Summary (From back of book):

When my daddy decided we should have a cottage on the ocean side of the Outer Banks, he hired some of our former slaves to build it. While overseeing part of the construction, Daddy hired a local, a "Banker" as they call themselves, to show him the best places to hunt and fish. This Banker, Benjamin Whimble, really impressed Daddy; so much so that Daddy volunteered my teaching services, telling him that I'd be more than happy to teach him how to read and write. As you can imagine, a seventeen-year-old lady like myself was none too thrilled at the prospect of endless summer days of sitting near such a dirty man -- a man who doesn't even own a single pair of shoes.

But there's something about his eyes -- blue like the ocean -- shining out from his sun-browned skin. And then there's the way he listens as I read him Robinson Crusoe; and how he questions many of my core beliefs, challenges me to think differently than my parents.


And come to think of it, pasty Hector Newman, with his top hat and gloves, doesn't seem like such a perfect match for me anymore, even though my parents would likely disown me if I refused his imminent proposal.

But there's something dangerous going on, something that's had Ben on edge lately, something involving my daddy, and I'm not sure if what will transpire will drive me to make a choice between a life on the Outer Banks with Ben or the eager arms of Hector back in Edenton.

My Two Cents:

At first, I wasn't so sure about this book. I think the tone of the summary on the back of the book kind of put me off, making me think that Abigail was a goody-two-shoes Scarlett O'Hara. But, as I read farther into the book, I grew to like it more and more.

It's obvious that Ducharme knows her setting intimately, even if she's seen it in another time. The descriptions of the ocean and landmarks of the Outer Banks area are rich with detail and make the reader feel the ocean breeze on his or her face. I often longed to jump into the water just as Abigail did!

Abigail makes a solid main character. She's quietly rebelling against the conventions of her social milieu even before we meet her by reading every book she can get her hands on. When she meets Benjamin, though, her rebellion kicks up a notch and takes a much more potentially dangerous turn. She questions the life in which she's been brought up and doesn't silently accept the path her parents have chosen for her.

I wish we could have seen a little more from the perspective of Abigail's father. We hardly ever saw him (He worked back at home during the week and visited the family on the weekends), and usually only heard about his nefarious dealings from other characters. I didn't get the sense of impending danger and doom that Ducharme wanted, especially since Benjamin seemed so afraid of Abigail's father, mostly because I never really saw what he was like until one major event fairly late in the book. I think the book would have been a little stronger had we seen more of Abigail's father and his plans.

This was a great book for those interested in post-Civil War literature and life in the South following the freeing of the slaves.

Ulysses Read-Along: The Schedule

Anyone remember this post from (*ahem*) May?

The one where I proposed a read-along of Ulysses beginning August 1 and promised to have a schedule by the end of July?

Well, uh... I'm a slacker. No other excuse except that.

However, I have finally managed to break down the book into 9 chunks (There are only a couple longer than 100 pages, and not by much) for the read-along, if anyone is still interested.

So, starting August 30, we'll discuss one section of Ulysses each Monday, commiserate about our collective Joycean headaches and try to make it through this monster of a book.

All page numbers are based on my version of the book, which is this one:



You may have to do as I did and flip through your book (With the help of this Wikipedia article) and label each section. Mine always start with a line of all-caps, but not all the episodes are easily distinguishable. I have more than a few crossed-out episode names in my book.

I also have this annotation, which I think will be helpful in getting through this. You could borrow it from your library, buy it or e-mail me with questions that I can try to answer.



Without further ado, here's the schedule:

August 30: Part I: The Telemachiad in full (Episode 1: Telemachus; Episode 2: Nestor; Episode 3: Proteus) and Part II: The Odyssey, Episode 4: Calypso -- Approximately 67 pages

September 6: Part II: The Odyssey, Episode 5: Lotus Eaters; Episode 6: Hades; Episode 7: Aeolus -- Approximately 80 pages

September 13: Part II: The Odyssey, Episode 8: Lestrygonians; Episode 9: Scylla and Charybdis -- Approximately 68 pages

September 20: Part II: The Odyssey, Episode 10: Wandering Rocks; Episode 11: Sirens -- Approximately 73 pages

September 27: Part II: The Odyssey, Episode 12: Cyclops -- Approximately 54 pages

October 4: Part II: The Odyssey, Episode 13: Nausicaa; Episode 14: Oxen of the Sun -- Approximately 82 pages

October 11: Part II: The Odyssey, Episode 15: Circe -- Approximately 180 pages (OK, I lied... This is a loooong one!)

October 18: Part III: The Nostos, Episode 16: Eumaeus; Episode 17: Ithaca -- Approximately 125 pages

October 25: Part III: The Nostos, Episode 18: Penelope -- Approximately 45 pages

Whew! I'd suggest getting started on the first couple parts ASAP to stay ahead of the game!

If you plan to join, just leave a comment on this post. You're not at all obligated to post on your blog about this, but feel free to do so. I think handling the read-along in comments is just fine!