June 2012 | Books I've Read

Author's A to Z

Z LAST YEAR nothing :(
THIS Year I am excited to have the letter Z
Mira Zamin

Biography found on Smashwords!
I'm a recent college graduate who loves traveling, eating, and eating while traveling. I majored in ancient and medieval history, which I found to be a constant source of literary inspiration as well as general fascination. I grew up loving to read and write, especially historical fiction and fantasy—anything that can open up amazing new worlds, a philosophy I try to bring to my own writing.

My profile picture and the cover of "Daughter of the Sea" (accidentally) have the same pose. The subconscious is a weird and whacky place.

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Y LAST YEAR Suzanne Young A POEM

I did this thing on goodreads... I found book recommendations and then found a way to request help. I sent out a plea to help me find authors with the letter 'Y'. That lead me to

Mi-Kyung Yun (윤미경) is a Korean comic artist; she is currently publishing the Bride of the Water God series in the Korean comics magazine Wink.

Received the Silver Medal for Seoul Media Group's "Shin-in-gong-mo-jeon" ("New Artist Debut Competition") for Na-eu Ji-gu Bang-moon-gi (The Journey of My Earth Visit) in 2003.

Received a "Shin-in-sang" ("Best New Artist") award from the Dokja-manhwa-daesang organization for Railroad in 2004.

When Soahs impoverished village decides to sacrifice her to the Water God Habaek to end a long drought, they believe that drowning one beautiful girl will bring much-needed rain. Not only is Soah surprised to be rescued by the Water God, she never imagined she'd be a welcomed guest in Habaeks magical kingdom.

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Again this year I have no idea what to do for the letter X! Goodreads wasn’t able to help me out on this one... so instead drop by Proud Book Nerd! and see what she was able to get!!

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- The Poison Diaries by Maryrose Wood

I remember the crazy email I sent out for book club. I was high on something and so very excited to be hosting!!

And this is what I wrote for part of my review
The Poison Diaries is so full of innocence and wonder you just fall in love and then WHAM you get slammed with a complete game changer! I am very glad this is the first book in the series (just got to talk Mr. into letting me buy Nightshade now!). Side note, I am not a fan of the cover, in fact I really wish the cover was a garden like the website. I think it would have more meaning to it. Especially because I can't see Jessamine wearing a strapless dress.

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Sarah Vowell exposes the glorious conundrumsof American history and culture with wit, probity, and an irreverent sense of humor. With Assassination Vacation, she takes us on a road trip like no other -- a journey to the pit stops of American political murder and through the myriad ways they have been used for fun and profit, for political and cultural advantage.

From Buffalo to Alaska, Washington to the Dry Tortugas, Vowell visits locations immortalized and influenced by the spilling of politically important blood, reporting as she goes with her trademark blend of wisecracking humor, remarkable honesty, and thought-provoking criticism. We learn about the jinx that was Robert Todd Lincoln (present at the assassinations of Presidents Lincoln, Garfield, and McKinley) and witness the politicking that went into the making of the Lincoln Memorial.

The resulting narrative is much more than an entertaining and informative travelogue -- it is the disturbing and fascinating story of how American death has been manipulated by popular culture, including literature, architecture, sculpture, and -- the author's favorite -- historical tourism. Though the themes of loss and violence are explored and we make detours to see how the Republican Party became the Republican Party, there are all kinds of lighter diversions along the way into the lives of the three presidents and their assassins, including mummies, show tunes, mean-spirited totem poles, and a nineteenth-century biblical sex cult.

Sounds interesting... different from what I am use to for genre, but I have been wanting to expand my horizons and I might try with this book.

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A rags-to-riches romance from the creator of "Tail of the Moon" Poor Sumi Kitamura... Her irresponsible older brother Eisuke keeps bringing home orphans for her to take care of even though they can barely afford their own basic needs Just when Sumi's financial problems become dire, wealthy Soichiro Ashida enters her life with a bizarre proposition--he'll provide her with the money she so desperately needs if she agrees to marry him. But can Sumi pull off fooling high society into thinking she's a proper lady? Moreover, is it worth it to give everything up for this sham of a marriage?

This one actually reminds me of a TV Series I started to watching Jane by Design... the unrealistic happens and the girl has to try to make it in both worlds. I just hope that the manga will be better executed than the TV show was.

Seasons of the Heart Book 3

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Winter is Not Forever by Janette Oke

Each book is better than the last and yet as I go the less I have to say.

I kinda of enjoyed how Josh continued to look for god's plan for him but didn't even think that he could already be doing it.

I have always hated Camellia and am very glad she married Willie. Her mother is one of my favourite characters

I wonder if Janette Oke has written the story from Lou's point of view? Or even the beginning of all the characters Gramps.

It was strange that there was only one fishing scene in this book

My favourite scene was Josh was on his way to Youth Group with the two ladies and what Aunt Lou says to him at the end!

Off to read the last book

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me with the book!!

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S LAST YEAR L.J. Smith

- The Help by Kathryn Stockett

This is another book club book, that I probably won’t have picked up on  my own, the cover shows a bunch of women in cheesy dresses, with big hair and I probably won’t have picked it up just on the principle of it (I’m weird like that). The book took  me by surprise, it had depth and meaning and good humor. If you don’t know what I mean by Chocolate Pie, you should just go read the book, or if your lazy watch the movie (my old boss to me looks allot like Celia, no one else agrees with me, but I don’t know they are similar...)

SIDE NOTE: I guess the cover doesn't have cheesy dresses.. it's the movie that does. We read the book the same time the movie came out on DVD and I think that's why I have it confused, it was a big deal... It's also surprising cause while looking up the book I discovered that it is Kathryn Stockett first book and it took her five years to find someone to publish it, I suppose all the people who rejected her book now regret it! AND if you can imagine it

As of August 2011, it has sold five million copies and has spent more than 100 weeks on the The New York Times Best Seller list.

WOW, good for her!

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R LAST YEAR Rick Riordan

- Sandstorm by James Rollins

The best part of book club is the variety of books you get. Never in my life would I have picked up this book. First it’s adult and second... well the cover and synopsis is not that great. BUT it was a really good book and I still remember the snake in the bathtub scene like I read it yesterday! And that's the thing about a book, what do you remember about it six months later?

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Q LAST YEAR Nothing... how disappointing
Manga is a guiltly pleasure of mine. I love black butler and when I was searching for author’s I found - QuinRose who co-wrote Alice in the Country of Hearts with Hoshino Soumei. I have never really read the Alice in Wonderland stories but with the latest Johnny Deep version and my friend Cat going to Florida for a Alice in Wonderland Dress Up Party, I kinda want to know more. AND manga seems like the write way to go.

Alice wakes up to find a white rabbit wearing clothes. The rabbit forcefully drags Alice into the rabbit hole, where he turns into a young man with rabbit ears.

Volume 1

Volume 2

Plus I just love the fun covers!!

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P LAST YEAR Christopher Paolini

- 19 by Aaron Patterson
I have only read a short story by Aaron Patterson, but what I have read is his blog, The Worst Book Ever. What I most like is how involved Aaron is in everything he seems to do. He states his opinion and wants a discussion not a fight. He wants to discuss every side of the isses.

Take his Chill Out! The Author's Guide to Chilling Out! post for example. He has some many good posts I won’t link them all, you should just go read! (after leaving a comment, please :))

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Seasons of the Heart Book 2

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The Winds of Autumn by Janette Oke

I have to say this book surprised me. I really disliked the first one, so I was not looking forward to reading this one. But I enjoyed it so much I didn't even stop reading long enough to write down my favourite quotes!

We still have the same main character from the first book, but he's much older and of course there's a girl... and questions. He questions everything but mostly he has questions about god and why god has allowed certain things to happen.

I am now looking forward to Josh's story in book three :)

Welcome to this years 2012 Author’s A to Z Project hosted by the Proud Book Nerd! I am beyond excited to be participating this year and have worked very hard to get Author’s for ever letter. Be sure to leave a comment here and to check out our hosts Author’s as well!! Thanks for dropping by!
J LAST YEAR Michelle Jaffe
- Anathema by Megg Jensen

I loved this booked and I love the cover. Most of Megg Jensen’s covers are pretty fantastic, and she has some many interesting looking books!

A Bit About Megg Jensen from her webpage
When people ask me to tell them something about myself, I kind of stare at them with a dropped jaw and vacant eyes. I've known me since 1975 and there really isn't much to tell that's interesting.
My mom went into labor during my sister's birthday party. Yeah, I kinda wrecked it for her. Poor girl, all she wanted for her 8th birthday was a baby sister and, boy, did she get exactly what she asked for. My mom had to leave the party to go to the hospital. I guess I was a party pooper from the moment I was born.
Want to know where I got my love of writing? From my great-grandma, Ma. She immigrated from Ireland, alone, when she was a young teen. That woman is probably the strongest woman to ever grace this planet. She lived into her 90s and even wrote a book about her life. She self-published it. Yeah, it's soooo in my blood. She left behind a love for writing and, well, quite a few Gaelic curse words.
I grew up on a farm surrounded by corn and soybeans. You're jealous, I know. Try to hold it in. My closest neighbor was a 1/4 mile away and there wasn't much beyond that. I kind of had to live in my own imagination since, well, there weren't any other kids to play with (other than my older brother & sister who spent their childhoods torturing me by tying me to trees and leaving me alone or pretending they were going to flush me down the toilet). I was totally into marching band. I was hot stuff.
I grew up. Went to college. Got married. Got divorced. Got a life. Got married. Had one kid. Adopted a second. And here I am. I love swing dancing, shoes, and my family.

:) Her books are just as good as her writing there!

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Welcome to this years 2012 Author’s A to Z Project hosted by the Proud Book Nerd! I am beyond excited to be participating this year and have worked very hard to get Author’s for ever letter. Be sure to leave a comment here and to check out our hosts Author’s as well!! Thanks for dropping by!
I LAST YEAR Washington Irving
I did this thing on goodreads... I found book recommendations and then found a way to request help. I sent out a plee to help me find author's with the letter 'I'. That lead me to

Kazuo Ishiguro - who wrote Never Let Me Go.

As a child, Kathy–now thirty-one years old–lived at Hailsham, a private school in the scenic English countryside where the children were sheltered from the outside world, brought up to believe that they were special and that their well-being was crucial not only for themselves but for the society they would eventually enter. Kathy had long ago put this idyllic past behind her, but when two of her Hailsham friends come back into her life, she stops resisting the pull of memory.

And so, as her friendship with Ruth is rekindled, and as the feelings that long ago fueled her adolescent crush on Tommy begin to deepen into love, Kathy recalls their years at Hailsham. She describes happy scenes of boys and girls growing up together, unperturbed–even comforted–by their isolation. But she describes other scenes as well: of discord and misunderstanding that hint at a dark secret behind Hailsham’s nurturing facade. With the dawning clarity of hindsight, the three friends are compelled to face the truth about their childhood–and about their lives now.

A tale of deceptive simplicity, Never Let Me Go slowly reveals an extraordinary emotional depth and resonance–and takes its place among Kazuo Ishiguro’s finest work

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Reading a book from the perspective of a 12 year old boy...

"I was busy choppin' wood, admiring myself for my strength, when I heard a funny sound comin' from the direction...

Once Upon a Summer by Janette Oke

I use to love these tales. Sweet girls meeting sweet boys with a minor bad event but in the end everyone is swept off their feet and lives happily ever after. God takes care of everything... and then I remember reality.

The story is cute, the ending is annoying. I liked Gramps and Grandpa and Uncle Charlie. And I will leave off with a quote

"After things sorta settled down. SueAnn started some outside games. I found a spot beside the honeysuckle bush where I could watch the goings-on without bein' in anyone's way. I sat there, cuddlin' Pixie and wonderin' what it would be like to be part of the action. Everytime a girl squealed or giggled real loudly, I was glad that I had no part of it. The fellas didn't seem to mind though; in fact, I kind of got the idea that they deliberately did things that would make the girls squeal even louder."

Read because my sister bought them, loved them, and thought I should read. I have forgotten how much my perspective has changed in the last 10 years.

Author's A to Z

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Welcome to this years 2012 Author’s A to Z Project hosted by the Proud Book Nerd! I am beyond excited to be participating this year and have worked very hard to get Author’s for ever letter. Be sure to leave a comment here and to check out our hosts Author’s as well!! Thanks for dropping by!
H LAST YEAR Anthony Horowitz
- Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel
- Hollowland by Amanda Hocking

I am having a very hard time determining which author to do for ‘H’ I narrowed it done to two, both Author’s books are Zombie Dystopian stories, with strong female lends. Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel has a gorgeous cover but I only rated it 4/5. Hollowland by Amanda Hocking has a horrendous cover but I rated it 5/5.

About Lia Habel (from goodreads)

I'm an author, and consequently spend the majority of my days locked up in my own head. When I'm actually actively participating in the groundbreaking experiment in groupthink known as "reality," you'll find me designing and sewing costumes, trying to teach myself to play roller derby (I do not tackle pedestrians, contrary to popular belief), planning trips, and watching zombie movies.

About Amanda Hocking (from goodreads)

I live in Minnesota, and I write young adult paranormal romance and urban fantasy mostly. The My Blood Approves series is about vampires in Minneapolis, and its available now. I also wrote the Trylle Trilogy, which is a paranormal romance without vampires, shifters, mermaids, fae, angels, dragons, ghosts, or ninjas.

My latest book is Hollowland - a zombie urban fantasy set in the dystopian near future. It's a bit more violent and gritter than my other books, but there is still romance. Mostly though, Remy kicks a lot of butt.

I also enjoy Red Bull, Jim Henson, Batman, Jane Austen, Star Wars legos, and I absolutely hate long walks on the beach out of my intense fear/hatred of wet sand

My favorite authors are Kurt Vonnegut, Chuck Palahniuk, Bret Easton Ellis, Alan Moore, and J. D. Salinger, but I don't write anything like them. I have an obsession with River Phoenix, and I've seen Silence of the Lambs more than any other movie, even The Dark Knight. If I were trapped on a deserted island, the one thing I'd take with me would be a boat capable for taking me home.

I'm also the guitarist in a band called the Fraggin Aardvarks, and even though its even twice as cool as it sounds, we haven't had a practice in like two years, so I'm not sure that technically we are still a band. But we never broke up, and it's an awesome thing to tell people, so I'm sticking with it. (We even had a synethesizer!)

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G LAST YEAR Elizabeth Gaskell

- A Crime Wave in a Corset by Stacy Gail
The letter G is being represented by Stacy Gail, whose short story I read during my Short Story Reading Week - A Crime Wave in a Corset. I received a copy through NetGalley.
While I couldn’t find out that much about Stacy, she does run a blog and released a book called Zero Factor, which has quite the cover.

"Armed and dangerous..."
A "Cybershock" Story Born a psionic-a rare human prized by the government for her gifts-agridome worker Via Brede lives by two simple rules: slip into stealth mode whenever the cybernetic-enhanced militia is near. And never remove the gloves that block her psychic ability. During a routine delivery, a tear in her glove connects her with what should be her worst nightmare. A meched-out soldier with bulging muscles and a scarred face that makes her heart pound like a pneumatic drill. She also envisions his death in an attack that happens..."now." Locke's typically ho-hum mission goes sideways when the stunning, green-eyed bubble farmer plants a sensual kiss that sets fire to every one of his remaining man-nerves. He also sees her vision. His own commander is about to kill him. He needs Via to find out why. First step is to get her to Old Las Vegas without succumbing to a raw, sexual need that burns in him like fever. Getting there will be a snap. Getting out alive-and winning her trust-might be a little tougher. Warning: This title contains mild violence, blow-your-mind Psionic sex, buns of steel (literally) and the usual hanky-panky at a bordello. Author is not responsible for side effects, including locked-and-loaded hunks taking your dreams by force.

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Welcome to this years 2012 Author’s A to Z Project hosted by the Proud Book Nerd! I am beyond excited to be participating this year and have worked very hard to get Author’s for ever letter. Be sure to leave a comment here and to check out our hosts Author’s as well!! Thanks for dropping by
E LAST YEAR Patricia Elliot
- Two Mood Princess by Carmen Ferreiro-Esteban

The letter E is being represented by Carmen Ferreiro-Esteban who wrote Two Moon Princess, which I read via NetGalley October 2011. I read this on a stretch of great books. But I remember this one because it had the journey like Narnia. You travelled between two worlds. But there is where the likeness of the Narnian world and this world ends.
This is what my review said:
“Andrea is a great character. I could picture her as a child playing with the other boys and getting into fights. Her spirit was brilliant and I liked that it stuck throughout the book. I am so happy with the ending and how she fell in love with the right person.”
I also mentioned that I loved this book but hated this cover and that I should design my own. Maybe I will one day, but for now I will just remember the story!

A little about Carmen Ferreiro-Esteban from her website
My writing career started when I came to live in Pennsylvania in the 1990s. Following my first sale, a magazine article on latex allergy, I published four books for Chelsea House (Facts on File): Heroin, Ritalin, Mad Cow Disease, and Lung Cancer. I have also written three short scripts for young children for a Pharmaceutical Company.
As a fiction writer, I have published three short stories on the literary magazine Errata. One of them, a variation on O. Henry's short story ‘The Marry Month of May,’ won second prize in the 2004 Bucks County Writers Workshop Summer Contest.
Two Moon Princess is my first book.

While researching I discovered that Carmen has written a Sequel called The King in the Stone. Can’t wait until that is published and I can read it!