Amused By Books

Now I Answer Everything!

2012-02-10T07:00:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday I gave you all the chance the ask me anything you wanted so you could get the chance to get to know me better. I had seen other bloggers do this and I liked the idea of seeing what you all wanted to know more about and making this more of a free flowing exchange of information. Luckily no one asked anything I was uncomfortable answering!

So without further, here goes nothing!

Mrs. Q: Book Addict asked:
How do you choose your next read?
Well before I started blogging life was much simpler, the sky was brighter, raindrops were wetter, and the books I pulled off the shelves were whatever I wanted them to be. I kid, I kid. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't stop blogging for anything, but lately I feel like I am drowning in review books so I have significantly cut back on accepting books (now I just need to get people to stop sending them to me without me asking). SO to get back to your question, I have a stack organized from when I received the books for review and I work my way from the one I received the longest time ago to the present. Every few books I throw in one I want to read for fun to make it feel like I still have some free will in this whole thing and obviously if I have agreed to participate in a tour those come in to play. Luckily, I have become really good at requesting books that I really like so lately it's been pretty much one good book after another. How do you pick your next read?

My reading stacks!

If you had to choose one book to give to teenagers as required reading, what would you give them?
Oh my goodness, that is some pressure! I feel like it should be a book that is a classic, one that will stick with them forever. Although, part of me feels that I should pick this book that I read recently that centered around the lives of teenagers and was so dramatic and powerful and might help get teenagers to think about their actions a little bit more. I am talking about Night Road by Kristin Hannah (click title for my review). Although, if I had to pick a classic, my favorite from high school was Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (click title for my review) and it has always stuck with me. I would hope that all highschoolers should be so well read!

Bermudiaonion asked:
How did you and your fiance meet?
Well, we like to think it's the most romantic story obviously but I am not sure it is! We met on 7/7/07 which is pretty cool ... at a dive bar which is kinda funny. A girlfriend of mine and I went to this particular bar because they always played '80s music on Saturday nights and it was fun to go dancing and when we had a hard time catching the bartenders eye Rob was kind enough to buy our drinks. The rest as they say ... is history. We talked all night, went out for a date the following week and I knew from the get-go that there was something different about Rob from any other guy I'd ever dated. I am so excited to be marrying the love of my life!

Rob and I in Bali this past Sept.

How are the wedding plans coming along?
I think they are coming along pretty well but it's so much work! Since we met and fell in love in San Francisco, it was our goal to have our wedding here, even though neither of our families our from here so it will be a destination wedding for our families and a lot of our friends. This means lots of questions. We've also learned, like I'm sure most major cities are, San Francisco is a very expensive place to throw a wedding and it is our goal to throw a nice wedding on a sensible budget ... ie we will not go into debt! After this, if anyone needs any tips on how to through a wedding on a budget in San Francisco, ask me for tips!

Reading with Tea asked:
How are you getting on with your glasses? I remember when you posted about getting them - and then I got some about six months later and had the same feelings! So I thought I would ask...
Ah, yes, my glasses! I like them ok, although I think I will forever be kind of self-conscious about them. I wear them at work for my computer work and I think they definitely help because every once in awhile I forget them and at the end of the day my eyes are so tired! I hope you are getting used to yours!

Fizzy Thoughts asked:
What Kathy asked!
Hopefully you liked my answers there!

Also, how did you end up in California (from Idaho)?
Ah, well that's a long and winding road! Yes, I was born in Idaho (a very small town!) but I mainly grew up outside of Seattle. That is probably one of the most beautiful parts of the country so if you've never been I highly recommend it! After college (I went to Gonzaga University - Go Zags!), I moved to Portland, Or for a little bit but it was too similar to Seattle and needed a bigger change. A lot of my college friends lived in San Francisco so I thought I would give it a try. Seriously, I had no other reason to move here than, 'why not?!' and I've been here for seven years in March! I love it here. It's a funny, beautiful, friendly city and I've made my life here. I consider myself a San Franciscan now for sure.

And what's your favorite dessert?
Now, that's an easy one! Creme brulee all the way! Every time it's on a menu I will order it. Just don't muck with it. Keep it classic.

Best dessert ever!

Constance Reader asked:
I'd like to know more about your wedding planning! Have you picked your dress yet? Can you describe it to us?
I haven't picked out a dress yet but I am SO excited for this part of the planning for sure! My grandmother has generously offered to buy my dress for me and so she and my mom are flying up to help me pick out my dress in early March. So the three of us, along with my matron-of-honor and another good girlfriend are all going shopping together to pick it out. I can't wait. But of course I have a vision of what I hope it will look like! I've put a picture of my the style I am looking for below. What do you think? I hope I find it!

Love this style!

Blodeuedd asked:
The best book you have ever read? The one you could re-read over and over again.
I know it should be something totally inspirational, like a classic that has moved everyone for generations but for me, it will be and has been for years, Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding. When I am in a sad mood or just need a pick me up all I need to do is read this book and I am smiling again! I adore this book and I think I always will!

Kayo asked:
Where is your perfect vacation spot?
I think I could go to Hawaii over and over again! Living on the West Coast, it's just the perfect location for the beach and total relaxation! Now, I want to go on vacation!

Or where would you love to go on vacation that you haven't been?
So many places! Lately we've been throwing around the idea of South America. I haven't been anywhere in South America. I would also love to go to Australia and New Zealand some day!

Denise asked:
What inspired you to started blogging about books?
Well there were a couple of different influences for that actually. I had been turning to book blogs at the time for book reviews I could trust. At the same time I was also feeling the need for a new creative outlet as I turned 28. The two merged together as I thought, hey maybe I should try book blogging since I love books and it would be a good way to record what I read too. It's totally been a passion project ever since!

Sylvie asked:
If you could live anywhere in the world for a year, where would you go?
London. In a heartbeat. I studied there for a semester in college and always assumed I would live there at some point in my life. I hope I still get to!

Yep, I could live there!

Well that's all the questions! I hope you got to know a little bit more about me. I loved seeing what you all wanted to know about me and to get to take the time to tell you a little more about me.

Legacy of Eden Scavenger Hunt

2012-02-09T07:00:00.000-08:00

I am participating in a blog tour for the new book, Legacy of Eden by Nelle Davy. It involves a scavenger hunt which I have never really been a part of before so I hope I do everything correctly! Here it goes:

“What will you do?” Her voice was careful, deliberate, and I realized with a small shiver that I was being tested and that she had no expectations that I would pass.

“I suppose I will have to call them.”

There was a silence. There was nothing for a moment; just a blank and then when she next spoke her voice had degenerated into a repressed scream of fury.

“Why?!”

This time I spoke without thinking, so that what I said not only surprised me because of my daring, but also because it was true.

“I guess I’m just not ready to walk away yet.”

Even to my mind they were an interesting choice of words. They hung there in the silence between us. I waited for her to speak and I could tell even in the pause how much she wanted to attack me, to use my words as a noose and hoist me up, legs kicking, desperately searching for ground.

“I have to go. I need to pick up the girls,” she said.

All of a sudden I was exhausted. It would never end, I thought. http://mindingspot.blogspot.com/

For more information on the full blog tour, please check out Book Trib. And don't forget to come back here on February 28th when I post my review and host a giveaway of Legacy of Eden!

Ask Me Anything!

2012-02-08T07:38:00.000-08:00

I've seen some other bloggers doing this around the blogosphere and I think it's a really great way for people to get to know the bloggers they read everyday better!

So, here goes nothing! I turn it over to you. Ask me anything you want in the comments and I will answer all of your questions right here on the blog this Friday. Any burning questions about me you've always wanted to know? Any random questions you've always wanted to know? Or maybe, gawd forbid, I've answered everything, and this will be the most silent post ever! At any rate, I am turning it over to you ...

Book Review: Kat, Incorrigible

2012-02-07T07:00:00.000-08:00

'Kat, Incorrigible'
Author: Stephanie Burgis

Format: ARC
Published: Apr. 2011; Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Pages: 304
Genre: Young adult; Historical fiction
Grade: B
Source: Publisher

Synopsis: This first title in the Unladylike Adventures of Kat Stephenson series evokes Jane Austen, Georgette Heyer, Alfred Noyes, and Libba Bray with tongue firmly in cheek. It’s 1803 and 12-year-old Kat must deal with her heritage of as-yet-untrained magic powers while saving her eldest sister from marriage to a wealthy cad old enough to be her father and helping the middle sister connect with her true love. Also in the mix are a loving but ineffectual father, a vicious stepmother, a dashing highwayman, and the mysterious “Order” of witches trying to recruit Kat for proper training in magic. Although it’s unlikely that young readers will be familiar with all the literary references, Burgis’ debut title rides on its swift pace and the delightfully feisty Kat, whose fearless and frequently impulsive actions will have readers cheering her on. Historical-fiction fans will enjoy this quick romp, and romance readers may discover Regency England’s charms, perhaps even enough to seek out Pride and Prejudice and other inspirations. Grades 6-10.

My Take: Even though I had made the declaration that Y.A. was not for me, this book was still in my 'as yet to be reviewed' pile from the publisher and I felt bad. I mean look at that cover? This book looks freaking adorable! I had to read it, even if I knew it wouldn't appeal to me so much by being the type of book that I like wherein I can relate to someone or learn something from the main character. I can at least get some historical fiction fun out of it.

Our little leading lady, Kat Stephenson, is about as precocious as they come. While she had a classic evil stepmom, she drove me crazy and I consider myself pretty easy going around kids. The poor girl just didn't know when to quit in social situations and well, you know, they had a lot more rules and regulations back then than they do now. See this book is set in 1803 England and Kat and her two older sisters are being raised to be nice young ladies. Her two older sisters, Ellie and Angeline, seem to be doing a good job at the social training but it doesn't seem to be sticking with Kat. She cuts her hair short, would prefer to play outside, and often finds herself generally getting into trouble.

Kat's mother passed away soon after she was born so she didn't really know her, and while her father is around, he appears to be more of the quiet type. What Kat soon realizes through the course of this book is that she and her deceased mother share a bond unlike any of her other sisters could ever hope to share, and she doesn't even really know what to do with it or how to handle it. I am talking about some serious magic powers here folks and I am not talking witchcraft! Something else far more serious and guarded. Throughout the course of this short novel you see Kat learn how to harness her magical powers but not before she gets into some serious mishaps in the middle.

So, all told, while I enjoyed the fact that some young readers are being introduced to my all time favorite genre of historical fiction from an early age and I always enjoy books with a little magic in them, it was kind of hard for me to root for Kat because she drove me a little batty!

This is turning into a series and for all of you who loved this book, the next book in the series, Renegade Magic, will be out in April so get excited to have some more fun adventures with Kat soon!

Cover Lust: This cover is seriously adorable!

Mailbox Monday, February 6, 2012

2012-02-06T07:00:00.000-08:00

It's Mailbox Monday time! Mailbox Monday is going on tour and February is being hosted by Metroreader! Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week (checked out library books don’t count, eBooks and audio books do). Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists!

Another weekend has come and gone in the blink of an eye! My poor fiance was sick with a cold all weekend so he was pretty low key all weekend although I did get him to go out to a really nice dinner Friday night. Saturday I got to catch up with a good friend and the rest of the weekend was pretty easy going. Hopefully you all had a lovely weekend too!

More ridiculous piles of fun reads in the mailbox this week!

From Minotaur Books:
1. Dying in the Wool by Frances Brody

A win from Nomadreader:
2. The Personal History of Rachel DuPree by Ann Weisgarber

From Harper:
3. The Boiling Season by Christopher Hebert

From Ecco:
4. Restoration by Olaf Olafsson

From PBS:
5. Kate's Wedding by Chrissie Manby

6. Stiltsville by Susanna Daniel

What did you get?

Book Review: The Girl with No Shadow

2012-02-03T07:00:00.000-08:00

'The Girl with No Shadow'

Author: Joanne Harris

Format: Paperback

Published: Harper Perennial; Jan. 2009

Pages: 480

Genre: Fiction

Grade: D

Source: Personal copy

Synopsis: Harris revisits characters from 1999's bestselling Chocolat in this equally delectable modern fairy tale. More than four years have passed since Vianne Rocher pitted her enchanted chocolate confections against the local clergy's interpretation of Lent in smalltown France; since then, Vianne has renounced magic, changed her name to Yanne Charbonneau and moved with her two daughters to Paris's Montmartre district. There, Yanne embraces conformity and safety, much to the dismay of her increasingly troubled older daughter, Anouk. When Anouk becomes entranced with Zozie de l'Alba, an exotic itinerant who happens upon a job at the new shop, and the relationship grows increasingly sinister, Yanne must call up all of Vianne's powers, culinary and mystical, to save her family. Harris again structures the narrative (told in alternate chapters by Zozie, Yanne and Anouk) around a liturgical season (in this case Advent).

My Take: I am going to keep this review short because I didn't like this book and it was very sad for me and I don't want to make this a long drawn out process. Here's the backstory: Joanne Harris was probably one of my favorite authors when I was in college. At the time I read her entire catalog and my favorite book of hers from that time period was most certainly Chocolat. I freaking loved that book! It was magical and lyrical. Then it became a movie and Juliette Binoche quickly became one of the most beautiful women ever in my mind because of that movie. And let's not even begin to talk about how my love for Johnny Depp knew no bounds! So then I would watch the movie Chocolat over and over again kind of forgetting I guess how fast and lose they played with the time period.

Years passed, gulp. How did I get to be 30? And now I am reading the sequel to Chocolat: The Girl with No Shadow and I stupidly assumed it would be set in the 1950s or 1960s like the movie and not in modern day like, uh the book was? (Well, I can't be that stupid, look at the cover!) The book had become the movie to me and vice versa! So needless to say I was shocked when little Anouk was talking about cell phones and laptops. I sucked it up and persevered but the magic was lost for me. Modern day Paris, no matter how much I like visiting it, is not the place of magic that a small French village is.

Vianne has lost her spark as well. She no longer practices magic but we are introduced to Zozie instead. I don't want to believe that Zozie is my new magician. I would rather have Vianne get her spark back. It all started to become even more depressing as that story progressed and then it became harder for me to finish and that is why, sometimes the sequels for me just aren't worth reading. They don't live up to the mystique I have built from the first book! Have you read this one? If so, what did you think?

Cover Lust: Ok can someone please explain to me what's going on with this cover? Does this look like modern day Paris or the freaking 1950s?! You can see how I was duped, yes?!

February Review Book Giveaway!

2012-02-02T07:00:00.000-08:00

I am happy to bring two more great books to offer on giveaway this month! As before, the titles link to my reviews.

Holy Ghost Girl by Donna Johnson

The First Husband by Laura Dave

All titles are ARCs, have been read once by me, and are in very good condition.

Giveaway Details!

The deadline for this giveaway is February 29th; entries open to those in the US.

To Enter (Mandatory)!
Comment below, indicating which book(s) interest you and a way for me to contact you. You can enter for both but you will only win one.

For Extra entries (Optional), indicate in the comments below that you are:
+1 Follow this blog on Google Connect (see right sidebar)
+1 Follow me on twitter and tweet about this giveaway (include @amusedbybooks in your tweet)
+1 Blog/Post about this giveaway on your sidebar

Three extra entries available. Giveaway open until 11:59pm PST February 29th. I will draw the winners using random.org and announce them here on my blog. Good luck!

January Review Book Giveaway Winners!

2012-02-01T19:26:00.000-08:00

Thanks to everyone who entered my January Review Book Giveaway! The winners, chosen via random.org are:

Louis won the What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty!
JJT won the The Night Circus by Erin Morganstern!

And, if you are still in the mood for giveaways and you haven't entered it yet, be sure to enter the giveaway to win a new paperback copy of the great memoir Blood, Bones and Butter by Gabrielle Hamilton going on now!

In Case You Missed It: January 2012

2012-02-01T07:00:00.000-08:00

How was the first month of 2012 for everyone? Mine was action packed with wedding planning! I feel like we got a lot accomplished though so that was great. We were able to get almost all of our vendors hired so while we have spent a lot of money, maybe now we can move onto the fun stuff like designing Save the Dates, buying a wedding dress ... and planning a honeymoon! I promise once the Save the Dates go out to share some engagement photo pictures!

Around the blog it's been really busy too! Somehow I managed to read nine books this month which kind of amazes me with all I've got going on. You may have noticed that I am not always blogging every day of the work week anymore. That might become the routine this year. As things heat up, working full time, planning the wedding and then hoping to maintain a social life have to take precedence first. However, I am trying really hard to keep up with review requests, although sometimes I look at the book piles and my heart skips a beat there are just too many for me to ever catch up! Just know that I am doing my best and each and every day that I can communicate with you all makes me happy!

As I said, in January I read nine books which was a great start to the new year! I also rated most of these reads highly with all but one out of the nine below a Grade B! Here's how it all broke down:

Sadly one book was given a C rating in January: A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan.
The rest of the month was a raging success though! Three of my books were rated Grade B: Little Princes: One Man's Promise to Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal by Conor Grennan; Confetti Confidential by Holly McQueen; and Tolstoy and the Purple Chair: My Year of Magical Reading by Nina Sankovitch.
I had an amazing month with five reads rated Grade A! I'll be hard pressed to top this again. These were: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee; Here Comes the Guide: Northern California: Wedding Locations and Services by Jen Brenner; Night Road by Kristin Hannah; The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady by Elizabeth Stuckey-French; and All There Is: Love Stories from StoryCorps by Dave Isay.

If I had to pick an overall favorite January read it would have to be Night Road by Kristen Hannah. What was your favorite read of January?

Book Review: All There Is

2012-01-31T07:00:00.000-08:00

'All There Is: Love Stories from StoryCorps'
Author: Dave Isay

Format: Hardback
Published: Penguin Press HC; Feb. 2012
Pages: 176
Genre: Essays; Love stories
Grade: A
Source: TLC Book Tours

Synopsis: In All There Is, StoryCorps founder Dave Isay shares stories of love and marriage from the revolutionary oral history project, revealing the many and remarkable journeys that relationships can take. In stories that carry us from the excitement and anticipation of courtship to the deep connection of lifelong commitment, we discover that love is found in the most unexpected of places—a New York tollbooth, a military base in Iraq, an airport lounge—and learn that the course it takes is as unpredictable as life itself. As the storytellers in this book start careers, build homes, and raise families, we witness the life-affirming joy of partnership, the comfort of shared sorrows, and profound gratitude in the face of loss.

My Take: Short stories and essays aren't normally my thing but when it's about love and it's almost Valentine's Day well I just might get all mushy inside and change my mind! First, I would like to start with a little background about where the essays from this collection came to be. In case you didn't know StoryCorps "is an independent nonprofit whose mission is to provide Americans of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to record, share, and preserve the stories of our lives. Since 2003, StoryCorps has collected and archived more than 30,000 interviews from more than 60,000 participants. Each conversation is recorded on a free CD to share, and is preserved at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. StoryCorps is one of the largest oral history projects of its kind." Um, seriously, how cool is that? Have any of you participated in this before? I would like to make my grandparents do this right now!

So this collection came to be from a collection of approved, recorded stories around the central theme of LOVE! All There Is is divided into three sections: Found, Lost, and Found at Last and I will tell you right now that each and every one of these sections made me cry. I swear to God up until about 3 years ago I never used to cry when reading books but lately books make me cry all of the time and this one was a doozy! Possibly because you know these stories actually happened and you are hearing them from the horses mouth some of them are so heartbreaking, I was just lying in bed, devouring this slim book in one whole night sobbing my eyes out like a big baby!

This book isn't sad, it just makes you appreciate how wonderful and precious true love actually is. My favorite stories in each of the three sections were by far those told from the older folks who had experienced life-long love. They were either talking to each other about how they had met many years ago and it had been the most wonderful and life changing thing that had ever happened to them or one of them was talking to a child/friend about their deceased spouse and how they miss them every day because they were the best partner a person could ever have. Seriously I am tearing up right now just thinking about it. I want that to be the love story I am about to embark on with Rob.

If you are doubting the point of relationships then do yourself a favor and pick up this book!

For other opinions on this book, please check out the full TLC Tour here!

Cover Lust: It's simple and clean with little, tiny hearts floating. Not the biggest wow factor but nothing to hate either.

Mailbox Monday: January 30, 2012

2012-01-30T07:00:00.000-08:00

It's Mailbox Monday time! Mailbox Monday is going on tour and January is being hosted by Alyce at At Home With Books! Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week (checked out library books don’t count, eBooks and audio books do). Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists!

How was everyone's weekend? After a rainy weekend last weekend we got another gloriously sunny weekend! We ended up having a pretty relaxing weekend which is always nice but we ended it on a high note by having dinner at an underground restaurant. Do you have these in your cities? The one we ate at is called Lazy Bear and it is always in our neighborhood but we just heard about it. They host it in a different location every month but only host dinner for two nights a month and you have to sign up in advance to get in. Normally, I would think it was too much work to go out to dinner but since it was supposed to be the best food in the city I thought I would give it a try and guess what? It was great and cool and a totally unusual experience!

Oh that's right, you came here for books, not food! Ok as usual I am totally overwhelmed by the amount of books I received! Here's what came in this week:

From Random House:
1. Paris in Love by Eloisa James

From Putnam:
2. The Song Remains the Same by Allison Winn Scotch

From Atria:
3. There Goes the Bride by Holly McQueen

From BlueBridge:
4. Mr. Langshaw's Square Piano: The Story of the First Piano and How They Caused a Cultural Revolution by Madeline Goold

From Ballantine Books:
5. Point, Click, Love by Molly Shapiro

From PBS:
6. The Brightest Star in the Sky by Marian Keyes

7. Homecoming by Cathy Kelly

What did you get?

Book Review: The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady

2012-01-27T07:00:00.000-08:00

'The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady'
Author: Elizabeth Stuckey-French

Format: ARC
Published: Doubleday; Feb. 2011
Pages: 352
Genre: Humor; Contemporary fiction
Grade: A
Source: Publisher

Synopsis: Glowing with dark humor, Stuckey-French's fabulously quirky second novel (after Mermaids on the Moon) spotlights a wild would-be killer: Marylou Ahearn, a 77-year-old retired teacher in Memphis, Tenn. She's obsessed with killing Dr. Wilson Spriggs, who gave pregnant Marylou a radioactive cocktail in 1953 during a secret government study. Helen, the daughter Marylou gave birth to, died in 1963 from cancer. Accompanied by her Welsh corgi, Buster, and as "Nancy Archer" (the heroine of the 1958 movie Attack of the 50 Foot Woman), Marylou moves in 2006 to Tallahassee, Fla., where Wilson lives with his daughter, menopausal Caroline; her husband, Vic Witherspoon, who's contemplating an affair, and their children: 18-year-old Elvis-obsessed beauty Ava; 16-year-old science geek Otis, who's secretly building a nuclear breeder reactor; and overachieving, attention-deprived 13-year-old Suzi. As "Radioactive Lady," Nance creates mucho mischief for Wilson, but her revenge plans mutate after discovering the old doc has Alzheimer's, and dang it, she really likes his kinfolk.

My Take: I don't read a lot of kooky books just for the sake of them being kooky. I tend towards books that will move me. Now, I don't know why, maybe it was the 1950s cover or the totally wacky concept but something about this book just totally captured my attention. And you know what, every once and a while it's nice to read something unlike anything else I normally read and totally, freaking off the wall! Makes you feel real good about yourself!

The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady is alternately told from each of the main characters in the book so you can really get an idea of everyone's viewpoints in this book. The title character, the 'radioactive lady', is Marylou. She has recently moved to Tallahassee, renamed herself to Nancy Ahern, and as a 77-year old woman, is finally ready to exact her revenge on a doctor from when she was pregnant as a young woman. That doctor is Wilson Spriggs. He now has Alzheimer's but in Nancy's younger days, he gave her a 'vitamin cocktail' to help her unborn baby which was really radiation as part of a study she didn't know she was participating in. Eight years later her daughter died from cancer and eventually her marriage broke up. You could say Dr. Spriggs ruined her life. Now Marylou/Nancy wants to ruin his. Of course since he has Alzheimer's will he even know?!

So now that Marylou/Nancy is in Tallahassee she starts to meet the rest of Dr. Spriggs' family in order to get close to him. He has moved in with his daughter Caroline (harried mother of three), her husband Vic (professor, soon to be philander), their daughter Ava (has Asberger's), Otis (has Asberger's), and Suzi (the 'normal' child). You better believe this is a busy family! Marylou/Nancy decides instead of exacting her revenge on Dr. Spriggs, she will exact it by ruining his family's life instead.

Chaos, as you can imagine, ensues. You kind of just have to sit back and laugh because it's not a serious book. At least I didn't take it as some sort of serious commentary on society, I took as a break from my normal stressful life and was all like 'holy crap this book is full of some seriously crazy people'. It was kind of like watching reality tv. I can say that this book probably isn't for everyone, but if you are in the right mood, it's certainly worth a fun read! Out now in paperback, be sure to get your hands on a copy, or one for the the favorite kook in your life!

Cover Lust: As I said above, I was drawn to this book because of the 1950s cover with the sinister edge!

Book Giveaway: Blood, Bones and Butter!

2012-01-25T07:00:00.000-08:00

In honor of the paperback release of Gabrielle Hamilton's fabulous memoir Blood, Bones and Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef (click title for my review), Random House has been kind enough to let me offer up a brand new copy for giveaway!

I listened to this fabulous memoir last September on audio and thoroughly enjoyed it! Of it, I said, " I admit that I was drawn into this book because it looked a little, well, bad-ass, so I thought it might be a little different from your average food memoir. And it was."

Fans of memoirs and food stories alike will enjoy Blood Bones and Butter!

Giveaway Details!

The deadline for this giveaway is February 8th; entries open to those in the US.

To Enter (Mandatory)!
Comment below, indicating which book(s) interest you and a way for me to contact you. You can enter for both but you will only win one.

For Extra entries (Optional), indicate in the comments below that you are:
+1 Follow this blog on Google Connect (see right sidebar)
+1 Follow me on twitter and tweet about this giveaway (include @amusedbybooks in your tweet)
+1 Blog/Post about this giveaway on your sidebar

Three extra entries available. Giveaway open until 11:59pm PST February 8th. I will draw the winners using random.org and announce them here on my blog. Good luck!

Book Review: Tolstoy and the Purple Chair

2012-01-24T07:00:00.000-08:00

'Tolstoy and the Purple Chair: My Year of Magical Reading'
Author: Nina Sankovitch

Format: ARC
Published: Harper; June 2011
Pages: 256
Genre: Memoir
Grade: B
Source: Publisher

Synopsis: When Sankovitch lost her older sister to cancer, she was determined to "live her life double" in order to make up for her family's painful loss. But after three years spent at a frenetic pace, Sankovitch decided to slow down and rediscover the pleasure of books in order to reconnect with the memory of her sister. Despite the day-to-day responsibilities of raising four sons—and the holidays, vacations, and sudden illnesses that accompany a large family—Sankovitch vowed to read one book a day for an entire year and blog about it. In this entertaining bibliophile's dream, Sankovitch (who launched ReadAllDay.org and was profiled in the New York Times) found that her "year of magical reading" was "not a way to rid myself of sorrow but a way to absorb it." As well as being an homage to her sister and their family of readers, Sankovitch's memoir speaks to the power that books can have over our daily lives. Sankovitch champions the act of reading not as an indulgence but as a necessity, and will make the perfect gift from one bookworm to another.

My Take: When I saw this book I thought I would find my reading soulmate. A year of magical reading. Who doesn't want that?! That sounds fabulous! I figured this slim little memoir would give me the new vigor I needed to read even more than I already do. Well that didn't happen but it didn't stop me from enjoying this slim memoir!

Sankovitch has lost her beloved sister to cancer and felt that in order to make up for the guilt she feels at still being alive while her beloved sister is not she will live life like she never has before. As a mother to four young boys, wife, daughter, and sister after a few years she has worn herself out but find that she is no more over the grief of losing her sister. She decides instead to do the complete opposite. To go back to her roots. She was raised in a family of readers, where you would spend your free time reading and sharing books. So maybe she could find some comfort in books and learn how to slow down and therefore deal with the grief of losing her sister in the process.

As a stay at home mom Sankovitch decides this will become her new job. She will read one book a day for a full year and review each book at her site Read All Day. This is a noble task if I ever heard of it. I can't say that I wasn't a little taken aback by it. I mean I can't find the time to read more than a couple hours max on a good day, how does someone with four kids find the time to read a book a day. It was hard for me at first not to think she was being a little selfish or for me to maybe be a little jealous of this plush life she was getting the chance to lead but as I got over it I enjoyed the story more.

As sometimes happens with books that tell a story through other books, if I haven't read the books that they reference then I find myself not connecting as deeply to the book. For the most part while we may have somewhat similar taste in books, and I don't think I am a slacker in the reading department, I can honestly say that of the 365 books she read, I have read four. Four! Makes me feel like I hardly read at all!

However, as one lover of books to another this book did ring true to me on the parts when she was talking about connections and family which was actually the vast majority of the book so for that I kept reading and because I kept reading I cheered her on until the full end of her year.

Cover Lust: That is one cool looking chair!

Mailbox Monday: January 23, 2012

2012-01-23T07:00:00.000-08:00

It's Mailbox Monday time! Mailbox Monday is going on tour and January is being hosted by Alyce at At Home With Books! Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week (checked out library books don’t count, eBooks and audio books do). Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists!

We had one of our first real stormy weekends of the winter here this weekend and I loved it! Finally a reason to be all snugly and lazy all weekend long! That's not to say I didn't do some stuff. Friday night was my company's holiday party (we always have it in January ... kinda weird I know!) and on Sunday I went to another bridal faire (the last one of those I think I will subject myself too!) but overall it was a little more casual and I liked it. I hope you had a fabulous weekend too!

My mailbox was full this week! Here's what came in:

From Random House:
1. Blood Bones and Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef by Gabrielle Hamilton (look for a giveaway later this week!)

From Harper Perennial for an upcoming TLC Tour:
2. Gillespie and I by Jane Harris

From Crown:
3. The Baker's Daughter by Sarah McCoy

From Dutton for an upcoming TLC Book Tour:
4. Sonoma Rose by Jennifer Chiaverini

From PBS:
5. One Moment, One Morning by Sarah Rayner

6. Pictures of You by Caroline Leavitt

What did you get?

Book Review: Night Road

2012-01-20T07:00:00.000-08:00

'Night Road'
Author: Kristin Hannah

Format: Hardback
Published: St. Martin's Press; Mar. 2011
Pages: 400
Genre: Literary Fiction
Grade: A
Source: Publisher

Synopsis: For eighteen years, Jude Farraday has put her children’s needs above her own, and it shows—her twins, Mia and Zach—are bright and happy teenagers. When Lexi Baill moves into their small, close knit community, no one is more welcoming than Jude. Lexi, a former foster child with a dark past, quickly becomes Mia’s best friend. Then Zach falls in love with Lexi and the three become inseparable.
Jude does everything to keep her kids on track for college and out of harm’s way. It has always been easy-- until senior year of high school. Suddenly she is at a loss. Nothing feels safe anymore; every time her kids leave the house, she worries about them.
On a hot summer’s night her worst fears come true. One decision will change the course of their lives. In the blink of an eye, the Farraday family will be torn apart and Lexi will lose everything. In the years that follow, each must face the consequences of that single night and find a way to forget…or the courage to forgive.

My Take: Looking at the inside flap of this novel I couldn't believe I hadn't read any of Hannah's books before. She is a prolific writer and so I was glad to finally have the chance to read one of her novels. St. Martin's Press was generous enough to send copies over for my whole book club so Night Road was our January Book Club pick. I believe it was a great way for our book club to start off the new year as it was a dramatic read that offered up plenty for discussion.

When you open up Night Road you can immediately tell that it is building towards something big. Naturally I assumed the worst. Something bad must be going to happen and when will it just occur already! The story is told alternately from two points of view: adults and teenagers. We have Jude who is the mom. She is your textbook helicopter parent. She has a beautiful home on an island on the outskirts of Seattle with a loving husband and two teenage twins, Mia and Zach. She is a stay at home mom and other than her passion for gardening, her focus is on making sure her teenagers have the best life possible. While admirable and understandable, at times Jude makes me crazy.

On the first day of high school Mia and Zach meet Lexi. Lexi might be described as being from the 'wrong side of the tracks'. She is a foster child who has recently found an aunt to finally call her own and is now learning how to live in a permanent home. She has never known a life long friend and doesn't want to believe Mia could be that for her and yet her and Mia quickly become BFF's. Zach, the twin brother, is one of the cool kids. He is also really good looking. So while they are all three friends, he is off limits for Lexi.

It's hard to write this review without exposing the crux of this story. To talk about why this story was so moving, why it made me cry into my pillow and made some of our bookclub members question ever wanting to be parents would be to expose what happens to change everything that one fateful night so you know what, I am going to have to stop my review here and just say that I would definitely recommend reading it. I found it very moving and emotional. While not everyone in my bookclub loved it, many did. And it was well worth reading and sharing! I also want to point out that I think this is one of those rare books that could work for both mature young adults and adults because of the narrators.

Night Road is now in paperback so be sure to grab yourself a copy!

Cover Lust: I think this cover fits perfectly with the title and the dark theme of the book.

Upstairs Downstairs

2012-01-18T07:00:00.000-08:00

Upstairs Downstairs

Studio: BBC Worldwide

Originally Released: Apr. 2011

Synopsis: Remade from the hit 1970s serial, this new version of Upstairs, Downstairs, condensed into three hour-long episodes, creates for a modern eye a vision of what 1936 in England must have looked like. That is, if you were royalty, and ran a fantastic mansion at 165 Eaton Place, in one of London's poshest neighborhoods. This show, as indicated in its title, revels in its overall ability to convey life as it unfolds upstairs, among the elite, and downstairs, among those who work tirelessly to keep the palace running. From the first episode, "The Fledgling," the plot is placed politically, socially, and romantically as newlyweds Sir Hallam Holland (Ed Stoppard) and Lady Agnes (Keeley Hawes) decide to sweep the cobwebs out of the old family haunt in favor of modernization. While mundane house dramas unfurl, increasing tenfold once Sir Hallam's nosy, old-fashioned mother, Maud (Eileen Atkins), decides that she and her pet monkey will be moving in, larger political dramas pepper the personal landscape. For example, in "The Fledgling," as well as the next episodes, "The Ladybird" and "The Cuckoo," Agnes's sister, Lady Persephone (Claire Foy), is increasingly misled by the newly formed fascist party, and mounting tensions between Jewish household members and Persie's ilk, including German official Ribbentrop (Edward Baker-Duly), loom large. As would be expected in this royal tale, much of the plot comprises Agnes's ability to bear children and the political expectations Sir Hallam must meet even when morally conflicted.

My Take: In my quest to watch or read everything even somewhat remotely like Downton Abbey (yes, season two is finally back thank God!!!), I turned to the BBC's remake of Upstairs Downstairs. Has anyone else seen this? I felt the need to share this because it was a fascinating look at 1930s London, a time period I love reading about so why wouldn't I love watching it.

Ok, so it's not quite as good as Downton Abbey but it has a lot of similarities to make it worth watching! It's set in the 1930s so obviously it's a different time period but for the clothes and the decor alone I think we can all look past it. The cast of characters of the elite is similar to that in The King's Speech. I think from the title you can gather that we get to know the rich who live upstairs at the beautiful 165 Eaton Place in London and the servants who work downstairs. How they all interact and come to live in the house is what makes this show sing.

One of the stand out characters in this series is Maud, played by Eileen Atkins. Much like Maggie Smith keeps the humor rolling in Downton Abbey, so does Eileen Atkins. As the mother or mother-in-law she is a bit of a know-it-all which sometimes gets her into trouble but I loved the interplay between her and her daughter-in-law Lady Agnes played by Keeley Hawes.

As you can imagine, with it being the 1930s, there is much talk of a coming war and politics in the series so if you don't know much about the time period you might find yourself a little lost but if you do know some, you will find yourself easily immersed. Well worth a couple cold evenings passing the time immersed in this period drama!

Book Review: Here Comes the Guide

2012-01-17T07:00:00.000-08:00

'Here Comes the Guide: Northern California: Wedding Locations and Services'
Author: Jan Brenner

Format: Paperback
Published: Hopscotch Press; 11th Edition; Dec. 2008
Pages: 900
Genre: Wedding Planning
Grade: A
Source: Personal Copy

Synopsis: Often called the “location bible,” Here Comes The Guide features multitudes of Northern California event sites, including private estates, historic gardens, yachts, museums, wineries, hotels, and many others. Engaging descriptions give readers a clear picture of each place, while details about pricing, services, and amenities help streamline the selection process. Here Comes The Guide also includes over 125 prescreened vendors, such as photographers, caterers, florists, and cake makers, along with tips on how to hire and work with event professionals.

My Take: First and foremost let me start by saying that this blog is not about to turn into a wedding blog. However, when I first started wedding planning I did look for reviews of wedding planning books out there on sites other than wedding blogs and Amazon and couldn't find any so I thought it might be useful to review those that I found good and not so good as I go along through this process. Because as I am quickly discovering, wedding planning is not the most painless process in your adult life!

Obviously in this technological age there are countless wedding blogs, pinterest is a timesuck, and google docs is a freaking wedding planning godsend, but sometimes a good old fashioned book is what I crave. Oddly, miraculously (?), a lot of people around me got engaged around the same time I did and we formed some sort of book, websites, and tip swapping cult. These women include both close friends, coworkers, and people I had even lost touch with. It's like, hey I heard you were getting married 'use this, it rocked my world!' and that's how this little gem of a book fell into my hands. Oh wait, it's not little. It's the size of a phone book! Now don't let me fool you, not all women planning weddings are nice. Outside of those who you know, those you might meet just on the street, or at say a bridal faire or interviewing a potential vendor you too want to use, those women with the crazy glint in their eye? Stay away from them. They think you are their competition for some reason. You will steal their date, their ideas, their vendors. It's a jungle out there. I had no idea.

So, anywho this tome fell into my hands called Here Comes the Guide and I was all, 'whatever' I already googled and yelp'ed the heck out of 'cheap wedding venues' and 'inexpensive wedding venues' for San Francisco. Yes, an oxymoron but I am determined! But, I decided to flip through it anyway and what do you know, every venue they have listed in here has the location, what they offer, the amount they cost, how many people they can fit, all amenities, you know all of the useful stuff, all condensed into two pages per site. And wait! There were sites in here I didn't find before. Hmmm, maybe I was onto something! So, I set up a few more site visits and low and behold the very last one we went on, which was one we found courtesy of Here Come the Guide, is to be our very lovely site!

Inside Here Comes the Guide for Northern California you will find some tips on what to think about when hiring a venue and then it is broken down into Northern California's various regions (this place is big, yo). They also offer event services but those are just ads that don't say anything. The real meat is in the middle. At this point they appear to only offer the guides for Northern and Southern California but if you are planning a wedding in this state, I can recommend these guides!

Cover Lust: Two things: She looks like she really likes her bouquet but I'd be more worried that she is ripping up the hem of her dress on those rocks!

Mailbox Monday: January 16, 2011

2012-01-16T07:00:00.000-08:00

It's Mailbox Monday time! Mailbox Monday is going on tour and January is being hosted by Alyce at At Home With Books! Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week (checked out library books don’t count, eBooks and audio books do). Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists!

Well let me just say that I am currently enjoying a three-day weekend! It totally snuck up on me but happy MLK, Jr. day to you and if you have it off too, congrats! On Saturday we were greeted to a beautifully sunny day which was awesome because we were doing our engagement photos! We went up to a local park that overlooks the city and is near our house and spent a couple of hours taking some fun photos. I am so excited to see them! I promise to share a couple with you when I get them back in a few weeks but as our lovely photographer showed them to us on her camera they were looking good so here's hoping they turn out! First and foremost we want one for our Save the Dates.

As for my books, I only received two in the mail this past week which is pretty good since I am trying really hard to cut down so I can catch up. A constant battle of wills for me!

From The Penguin Press:
1. All There Is: Love Stories from StoryCorps by Dave Isay

From PBS:
2. The Island by Elin Hilderbrand

What did you get?

Book Review: A Visit from the Goon Squad

2012-01-13T07:00:00.000-08:00

'A Visit from the Goon Squad'
Author: Jennifer Egan

Format: Paperback
Published: Anchor; Mar. 2011
Pages: 352
Genre: Literary fiction
Grade: C
Source: Personal copy
Awards: Pulitzer Prize for Fiction (2011), Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Fiction (2010), National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction (2010)

Synopsis: Readers will be pleased to discover that the star-crossed marriage of lucid prose and expertly deployed postmodern switcheroos that helped shoot Egan to the top of the genre-bending new school is alive and well in this graceful yet wild novel. We begin in contemporaryish New York with kleptomaniac Sasha and her boss, rising music producer Bennie Salazar, before flashing back, with Bennie, to the glory days of Bay Area punk rock, and eventually forward, with Sasha, to a settled life. By then, Egan has accrued tertiary characters, like Scotty Hausmann, Bennie's one-time bandmate who all but dropped out of society, and Alex, who goes on a date with Sasha and later witnesses the future of the music industry. Egan's overarching concerns are about how rebellion ages, influence corrupts, habits turn to addictions, and lifelong friendships fluctuate and turn. Or as one character asks, How did I go from being a rock star to being a fat fuck no one cares about? Egan answers the question elegantly, though not straight on, as this powerful novel chronicles how and why we change, even as the song stays the same.

My Take: I am well aware that just because a book wins a lot of awards I may not like it, or God forbid, even 'get it'. Perhaps it will even call into question if I am even hip enough to 'get it', and as I read this book I go into some sort of downward spiral of whether I was ever hip enough like all of these kids in these books. Did I ever do enough drugs (no, I had this look about me where people didn't even offer them to me)? Did I ever have enough piercings (I tried to get my ear double pierced and woke up with my ear bleeding and the earring out)? Did I listen to enough cool-kid music (does Backstreet Boys count? Didn't think so)? So yeah this book could have sent me into some sort of downward spiral as I am now the ripe old age of 30. But instead, I realize that I often don't like awards books and I know that I don't like books that have jumpy prose so I was set up to not like this one so screw the cool kids and if this is where literature is going then I'll be reading classics in my old age.

Enough of that though, A Visit from the Goon Squad was the Literary Buzz Book of 2011. It's been everywhere, won every award and so my book club decided to read it. I thought that was a great idea because I knew I wanted to read it too. Rather than a novel though, this one seems almost like a series of short stories with interconnecting people. I was intrigued by the fact that you would be introduced to a certain cast of characters and one particular person from that chapter would be who would lead the next one and so forth. You never knew who were going to get throughout the book. It was interesting. If you didn't like someone, no biggie, you wouldn't have to read about them the whole time. The problem for me was the disjointedness of the story. If all of these stories were supposed to go together to prove Egan's thesis about how everyone will just get old anyway someday and lives and influences change, for me it was messy. For the literati it worked. That's fine. For me it didn't.

Some of the characters you meet include Bennie Salazar. We meet him as a kid in the glory days of the punk rock scene, at the height of his career in the music business, and again when he is trying to rebuild his business. His story is more linear. Others like Sasha's are not. We meet her as a young woman with a great career but a strange addiction. Later we discover her sad childhood and how she developed that addiction. There are many other characters. For me, the story that I liked most and wished the story could have centered around was Stephanie. She was a strong woman in a sad marriage. However, we got her for two short chapters.

I do believe this book is worth reading. It is vastly different from anything I've ever read before and for that reason alone I enjoyed experiencing it. It pushed me. So what, I didn't like it. It happens. Life goes on. I am happy that I can formulate my reasons why and join the conversation. That's worth so much and once again, I remain not the cool kid.

Cover Lust: I love this cover. There are many covers for this book out there. This is mine. I am attracted to pop-art covers and this one is beautiful with people dancing in a circle.

Comment Upgrade!

2012-01-12T20:12:00.001-08:00

Hey ya'll, just a quick note to say I can now respond to your comments directly. This is SO exciting! If you have any issues with the comment system, please don't hesitate to tell me. Bye!

Booking Through Thursday: Interview Part 2

2012-01-12T07:44:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I like to participate in the fun Booking Through Thursday meme and today is one of those days! They have a fun meme going on so you can find out some more about me. Here it goes:

But enough about interviewing other people. It’s time I interviewed YOU.

1. What’s your favorite time of day to read?

At night, when I am all snuggled up in my bed and the day is finally all my own.

2. Do you read during breakfast? (Assuming you eat breakfast.)

Nope. During breakfast I check in with my blog, email, bank accounts, news, etc.

3. What’s your favorite breakfast food? (Noting that breakfast foods can be eaten any time of day.)

Bacon!

4. How many hours a day would you say you read?

1-2 hours

5. Do you read more or less now than you did, say, 10 years ago?

Well 10 years ago I was in school and had a lot of required reading so I did a lot more. However, I do a lot more reading just for fun now than I ever did!

6. Do you consider yourself a speed reader?

I wish!

7. If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

Time travel.

8. Do you carry a book with you everywhere you go?

Heck yeah! Often to the detriment of my shoulders.

9. What KIND of book?

A physical book, not an e-reader. Today I am reading Tolstoy and the Purple Chair.

10. How old were you when you got your first library card?

First Grade. I remember the library as I thought it was beautiful.

11. What’s the oldest book you have in your collection? (Oldest physical copy? Longest in the collection? Oldest copyright?)

It's probably a tie between Lonesome Dove and To Kill a Mockingbird. Both of those have been in my possession since high school.

12. Do you read in bed?

Um, yeah, see question 1!

13. Do you write in your books?

No!

14. If you had one piece of advice to a new reader, what would it be?

Keep reading until you can find a genre you like. I promise there is one out there for you.

15. What question have I NOT asked at BTT that you’d love me to ask? (Actually, leave the answer to this one in the comments on this post, huh? So I can find them when I need inspiration!)

For all other answers to this and the above come on over to BTT and find them, and of course participate yourself!

Where Have My Audio Book Reviews Gone?

2012-01-11T07:00:00.000-08:00

Hey ya'll, I don't know if you noticed but I haven't done an audio book review in quite some time. Early November to be exact. And while that may not seem like that long to you, it is to me.

I haven't listened to a single audio book since. Not one. Blame it on the craziness of the holidays or the fact that my schedule has gotten wildly out of control thanks to this thing called 'wedding planning' that has suddenly taken over all of my free time but really I blame it on the fact that that I changed to a different gym (now I take classes instead of work out on an elliptical!) and my role at work has switched up (it's more fun, woohoo!).

So my question to you is this: How do you fit in your audio books? And before you say, in the car on my long commutes. You can cut that suggestion from the list, as I take public transport and so that is some quality physical book time. I need you to help a sister out so I can go back to my beloved audios! Thanks in advance :)

Book Review: To Kill a Mockingbird

2012-01-10T07:00:00.000-08:00

'To Kill a Mockingbird'
Author: Harper Lee

Format: Paperback
Published: Turtleback; Oct. 1988
Originally Published: 1960
Pages: 281
Genre: Classic
Grade: A
Source: Personal copy (from grade school!)

Synopsis: Set in the small Southern town of Maycomb, Alabama, during the Depression, To Kill a Mockingbird follows three years in the life of 8-year-old Scout Finch, her brother, Jem, and their father, Atticus--three years punctuated by the arrest and eventual trial of a young black man accused of raping a white woman. Though her story explores big themes, Harper Lee chooses to tell it through the eyes of a child. The result is a tough and tender novel of race, class, justice, and the pain of growing up.
Like the slow-moving occupants of her fictional town, Lee takes her time getting to the heart of her tale; we first meet the Finches the summer before Scout's first year at school. She, her brother, and Dill Harris, a boy who spends the summers with his aunt in Maycomb, while away the hours reenacting scenes from Dracula and plotting ways to get a peek at the town bogeyman, Boo Radley. At first the circumstances surrounding the alleged rape of Mayella Ewell, the daughter of a drunk and violent white farmer, barely penetrate the children's consciousness. Then Atticus is called on to defend the accused, Tom Robinson, and soon Scout and Jem find themselves caught up in events beyond their understanding. During the trial, the town exhibits its ugly side, but Lee offers plenty of counterbalance as well--in the struggle of an elderly woman to overcome her morphine habit before she dies; in the heroism of Atticus Finch, standing up for what he knows is right; and finally in Scout's hard-won understanding that most people are essentially kind "when you really see them." By turns funny, wise, and heartbreaking, To Kill a Mockingbird is one classic that continues to speak to new generations, and deserves to be reread often.

My Take: Some backstory first. No, this isn't the first time I have read this. I, like I believe many American children, first read this book in school. I remember it being one of the first (and perhaps only) books that was required school reading that I really enjoyed. I remembered the main story line, perhaps more a product of the fact that every time we had an English teacher substitute we watched the movie than a product of my amazing memory from sixth grade, but I did remember. However, one day while at work I stumbled upon the article of how the Beckhams named their daughter (once you come back from your eye-rolls I'll still be here). After recovering from laughing about "the revelation that it is Victoria's favourite book may surprise some fans, because it was widely thought she had never read a book." I was surprised to see the boost it gave to sales of To Kill a Mockingbird in the UK. Not because it shouldn't. I love this book, but because in the US, wouldn't most people have already read it, if not own a copy somewhere in their house? So I asked around. It turns out the Brits in our office had never heard of it, let alone read it. An office book club was formed!

Rather than attempt to review this beloved masterpiece, I am going to focus on what revelations I discovered upon rereading it from the point of view of an adult. Like I said, I remember loving it as a child but as an adult, I never realized how nuanced this book is. Our leading lady, Scout, is hysterical and very precocious. I can see why this book is chosen in schools because you could relate to her. She speaks up for herself, doesn't want to go to school, and is trying to understand the world around her. Jem, her older brother is a wonderful older brother. He looks out for her yet also often would like his independence as he grows up. Their mother passes away when Scout was young and they are blessed with an intelligent and loving father Atticus. He may seem a little out of his element sometimes with two young children to raise but his reaction to their many antics is calm, cool, and collected.

The meat of the story is that this book has morals to impart where many books these days don't bother with that. Atticus is a judge in a small Southern town in the 1930s and is defending a black man for raping a white woman. Any person reading this book can see that he didn't do it, however at the time it didn't matter. What mattered was a white family, however low class, accused a black man of doing such a thing and he should pay for the alleged crime. These are big issues. Adult issues. And the children in the book and the children who read this book have to wrap their heads around them. It's a fascinating way to deal with such an intense debate.

Of course their is also the infamous Boo Radley who haunts Scout and Jem. Boo never comes out of his house and Scout and Jem hope to someday catch a glimpse of him. Its an age old game of cat and mouse and it is an interesting interplay throughout the story.

Whatever it is that causes you to pick up this book, be it your first time, recollections of your childhood memory, or laughter sparked because of the Beckhams, believe me you will discover that it is always worth it to read this gem of a novel!

Cover Lust: I'm going to be honest, I've seen lovelier covers of this classic out there but it does scream 1980s and it couldn't have more symbolism wrapped up into one cover if it tried!

Mailbox Monday: January 9th, 2011

2012-01-09T07:00:00.000-08:00

It's Mailbox Monday time! Mailbox Monday is going on tour and January is being hosted by Alyce at At Home With Books! Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week (checked out library books don’t count, eBooks and audio books do). Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists!

Phew, this weekend was busy busy! Maybe I am actually looking forward to go back to work to just sit at my cube? Ah, just kidding. Next weekend we have our engagement photos (so excited for those!) so this weekend we had to go shopping for coordinating (not matching!) outfits. That was mildly complicated. We also registered for some things while we were downtown to kill two birds with one stone. That was fun! We went out to dinner for a friends birthday, I went to a bridal fair on Sunday, and went to Mythbusters live!

Ok, now for the peace and quiet that books bring! Here's what came in my mailbox this week:

From BlueBridge:
1. Queen Elizabeth in the Garden by Trea Martyn

From LibraryThing EarlyReviewers:
2. No One is Here Except All of Us by Romona Ausubel

From PBS:
3. The Girl on the Cliff by Lucinda Riley

4. Ellis Island by Kate Kerrigan

5. How to be an American Housewife by Margaret Dilloway

What did you get?

Book Review: Confetti Confidential

2012-01-06T07:00:00.000-08:00

'Confetti Confidential'
Author: Holly McQueen

Format: Paperback
Published: Atria Books; Mar. 2011
Pages: 432
Genre: Brit chick-lit
Grade: B
Source: Publisher

Synopsis: Britain's latest hapless heroine, Isabel Bookbinder, returns in McQueen's third novel. This time she has traded her fashion career for one as a wedding planner. When a mix-up causes two brides to nearly miss their weddings, her perfectionist boss dumps her, and Isabel must strike out on her own. Luckily, she nabs a needy celebrity client who's lured by Isabel's philosophy of bride management, which involves organizing everything from beauty appointments to therapy sessions to the big day. Her best friend, Lara, who has just gotten engaged to Isabel's brother, is not quite as receptive to Isabel's attempts to turn their wedding into a big affair. At the same time, Isabel moves in with her longtime boyfriend, Will, and is now contemplating marriage herself. Wedding- and relationship-related mishaps abound in this fun but frivolous tale. Readers who miss Bridget Jones and Shopaholic's Rebecca Bloomwood can now cheer on Isabel.

My Take: When this book was pitched to me by the publisher I merely accepted it because it was a genre I liked and I am always game for trying new authors. Little did I know a few months down the road, I myself would be in the throws of planning my own wedding and could laugh along with the antics happening in this funny novel!

Confetti Confidential stars Isabel Bookbinder who is taking a turn as a wedding planner. Apparently this isn't McQueen's first novel with Ms. Bookbinder, it's her third, but no matter, they pretty much stand alone. As soon as I opened the page everything was explained and as the crux of this novel was about Isabel being a wedding planner, the other novels I don't believe really played into that.

Isabel isn't necessarily the most skilled wedding planner, although she really wants to be. She doesn't have any contacts yet and she has been working at the profession for the really long time of, oh six months, but she wants to be a celebrity wedding planner, like now! So you can see how this might not all work out.

Luckily for her she is surrounded by people getting married, not least of all her best friend Lara who is marrying Isabel's brother. When they are trying on dresses Isabel stumbles upon a D-list celebrity and wins her over. A business is born.

Will Isabel make it as a wedding planner? Will Isabel one day be able to plan her own wedding with the one she loves, Will? You'll have to read it to find out! I enjoyed the subject matter immensely, it was obviously a product of right book, right time. I also loved the fact that it wasn't an incredibly taxing book during this time of year. However, you might not always appreciate the ridiculous antics so just take it with a grain of salt and go along for the ride!

Cover Lust: Um, what the hell is that thing coming out of the back of the cake? Is that lace? Because wouldn't that get stuck in the frosting? Clearly I'm confused!

January Review Book Giveaway!

2012-01-05T07:00:00.000-08:00

I am happy to bring two more great books to offer on giveaway this month as a great way to kick off the new year! As before, the titles link to my reviews.

What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty

The Night Circus by Erin Morganstern

All titles are ARCs, have been read once by me, and are in very good condition.

Giveaway Details!

The deadline for this giveaway is January 31st; entries open to those in the US.

To Enter (Mandatory)!
Comment below, indicating which book(s) interest you and a way for me to contact you. You can enter for both but you will only win one.

For Extra entries (Optional), indicate in the comments below that you are:
+1 Follow this blog on Google Connect (see right sidebar)
+1 Follow me on twitter and tweet about this giveaway (include @amusedbybooks in your tweet)
+1 Blog/Post about this giveaway on your sidebar

Three extra entries available. Giveaway open until 11:59pm PST January 31st. I will draw the winners using random.org and announce them here on my blog. Good luck!

In Case You Missed It: December 2011

2012-01-04T07:00:00.000-08:00

Another month has gone by and another year! I know the old adage says that the older you get, the faster the years go but it sure is true. I can't believe how fast 2011 flew by. When I look back at it, there are so many fond memories from the blog to take away.

December is always a fun month around the blogosphere because everyone does there yearly wrapups. I love reading my favorite bloggers best of lists because that means I can add many more books to my must read lists! If you haven't yet, please do check out my Favorite Covers of 2011 and my Favorite Reads of 2011!

In December I wrapped up all of my reading challenges. Now I had signed up for 15 so there were a couple I didn't quite finish but I manage to complete most so I was thrilled! Naturally, I've signed up for some more this year :)

As for my December reads, I managed seven books in December. Not my best reading month of the year, but considering how busy December is, I am pretty pleased with my progress. That made my total for the year 97 which is by far the most I've ever read in one year! My reading started off a little rough but it ended on a high note. Over all here's how it broke down:

Sadly one book was given a D rating this month: A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley.
Two books were given a C rating this month: The Mistress's Revenge by Tamar Cohen and The Printmaker's Daughter by Katherine Govier.
Then I started to climb out of my reading slump and had two Grade B reads: From Notting Hill With Love ... Actually by Ali McNamara and Christmas Jars by Jason F. Wright.
I ended my December on a high note with two Grade A reads so no complaints from me!: Dreaming in English by Laura Fitzgerald and More Than Words Can Say by Robert Barclay.

All in all, if I had to pick a favorite read from December it would have to be More Than Words Can Say by Robert Barclay. What was your favorite read in December?

Book Review: Little Princes

2012-01-03T04:00:00.000-08:00

'Little Princes: One Man's Promise to Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal'
Author: Conor Grennan

Format: Paperback
Published: William Morrow Paperbacks; Dec. 2011
Pages: 320
Genre: Memoir
Grade: B
Source: TLC Book Tours

Synopsis: Grennan, who once worked at the East West Institute in Prague, embarked on a round-the-world trip in 2006, starting with a stint volunteering for an orphanage six miles south of Kathmandu. The orphanage, called the Little Princes Children's Home, housed 18 children from the remote province of Humla, rescued from a notorious child trafficker who had bought the children from poor villagers terrified of the Maoist insurgents eager for new recruits; the parents hoped to keep their children safe, but the children often ended up as slaves. Grennan was stunned by the trauma endured by these children, who he grew to love over two months, and after completing his world tour, returned to the orphanage and vowed not only to locate seven Humla orphans who had vanished from a foster home, but also to find the parents of the children in the orphanage. This required starting up a nonprofit organization in America, Next Generation Nepal, raising funds, buying a house in Kathmandu for the children's home, and trekking into the mountains of Humla to locate the parents. Grennan's work is by turns self-pokingly humorous, exciting, and inspiring. (Feb.)

My Take: Let me just say that this was such an inspiring read to start off the New Year with! I must say that of all the books off my shelf, I couldn't have had a better one placed in my hands to make me feel like I should really be doing the right things with my life and not just living it for me, me, me all of the time which is always good to be knocked on the head with every now and again!

I have been seeing this book around the blogosphere and it was being given some seriously high praise so I knew I wanted to read it at some point. I mean, I like travel memoirs too, but this one has a twist. Conor Grennan starts off on an around the world journey for one year when he turns 29 as a way to shrug off a boring job and kind of get out of a quarter life crisis. So when people were starting to tease him for being so frivolous when he should be starting to save for retirement instead, he decided to show them what for by starting his trip with some volunteer work. Little did he know just how life changing this volunteer work would be!

Grennan's volunteer work took him to an orphanage in Nepal at the Little Princes Children's Home that housed 18 of the sweetest little kids I've ever had brought to life via a book. Originally Grennan had no idea how to interact with the kids or what to do to help them but that didn't matter since all of the kids really wanted was love and his friendship. When his stint with them was up, they asked him when he would return and at first he hesitated. Very few volunteers ever came back. Grennan on the other hand promised to come back in one year. And he did!

After the year and upon his return to the Little Princes Children's Home he realized just how much he had missed the children and how integral they were to his life. They had become a part of who he was and he wanted to help them. Especially since Nepal was faced with a civil war that was tearing the children's homeland apart. When Grennan learns some news that reshapes how the children came to the home in the first place, he realizes he can offer a lot more help then he originally thought and a captivating and heart warming story is born.

Please know that a portion of each purchased copy of Little Princes will go to Grennan's Foundation Next Generation Nepal to get these orphans back home!

For other opinions on this book, please check out the full TLC Tour here!

Cover Lust: Seriously, how can that sweet little boy on that sitting on that bright blue stoop not make you smile?!

Mailbox Monday: January 2, 2011

2012-01-02T07:00:00.000-08:00

From St. Martin's Press:
2. The Road to Rome by Ben Kane

3. A Gentleman of Fortune, Or, The Suspicions of Miss Dido Kent by Anna Dean

4. The Judgement of Caesar by Steven Saylor

5. Night Road by Kristin Hannah (10 copies for me and my book club - thank you so much St. Martin's Press!)

From PBS:
6. Second Time Around by Beth Kendrick

What did you get in the mail?

Winners of December Review Book Giveaway!

2012-01-01T19:54:00.000-08:00

Thank you to everyone who entered my December Review Book Giveaway! Using random.org, the winners are:

Rose City Reader who has won Just My Type: A Book About Fonts by Simon Garfield!
Kristen who has won Already Home by Susan Mallery!

2012 Reading Challenges: Part II

2012-01-01T10:25:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you had a fabulous time last night partying it up or staying in. As you may, or may not, recall, I recently signed up for a few reading challenges for this year and I have a few more to sign up for and then we can get this party started! Here are some more challenges in 2012 I am looking forward to joining in:

I am really looking forward to the 2012 Memorable Memoir Reading Challenge hosted by the Betty and Boo Chronicles. I participated last year and read 16 memoirs. Memoirs are one of my favorite genres so I jumped at the chance to participate again. I will be challenging myself to the Memoirist Level which is 10+ memoirs in one year.

While I failed in this challenge in 2011 (reading only 3 out of 4 books that fit the criteria) I am not deterred and will rise again to face the chunkster book! Hosted by CaribousMom, the Chunkster Reading Challenge 2012 is no small feat since you must read books of 450 pages or more but I do like to read big books every now and again so I might as well get some credit for it, right?! So I will once again try to defeat the Chubby Chunkster Level which requires me to read four books next year.

I love reading historical fiction and I was thrilled to see that my intake of historical fiction shot up last year, with me reading 21 books total in this genre! So I naturally jumped on board with participating in Historical Tapestry's Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 2012 yet again. Since one of my big goals for next year is to read more historical fiction, I am going to go big and challenge myself to the Undoubtedly Obsessed Level which requires me to read 15 books in one year. Also, can I just say that they always have the most beautiful buttons!

The final reading challenge I am signing up for The Overflowing Library's British Books Challenge 2012. I have a thing for reading books by British authors. I don't know why but I love their style of writing so I always find myself reading quite a few of them each year. Last year I clocked 16. The goal with this one is to read at least 12 books by British authors. Count me in!

So in total, I am in for 9 reading challenges in 2012. Compared to my 15 last year I think that is a totally manageable number! I will be charting my progress on my 2012 Reading Challenges Tab. Are you signing up for any this year?

My Favorite Books of 2011

2011-12-30T12:00:00.000-08:00

To whittle down a list of 33 Grade A books to a top 5 favorites list from the year was making me pull my hair out! I read so many different categories of books and I have favorites from the year in all of them that I couldn't do it. After reading 97 books I would think you might have more than one favorite too! So I've mixing up my favorites list this year and doing it my genre!

Here are my favorite books of 2011:

Shown above from left to right we have (click on titles for my reviews):

Historical Fiction: Small Wars by Sadie Jones; The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin; The Sandalwood Tree by Elle Newmark; Chick-Lit: There's Cake in my Future by Kim Gruenenfelder; Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler; She's Gone Country by Jane Porter; Women's Fiction: What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty; Literary Fiction: The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown; Her Sister's Shadow by Katherine Britton; The Madonnas of Echo Park by Brando Skyhorse; Faith by Jennifer Haigh; Wrecker by Summer Wood; Contemporary Romance: Already Home by Susan Mallery; Just for Fun: 29 by Adena Halpern; Memoir: Bossypants by Tina Fey; Classics: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte; Mystery: Sister by Rosamund Lupton; Nonfiction: Just My Type: A Book About Fonts by Simon Garfield.

Have you read any of these? What are your favorites of the year?

My Top Five Favorite Covers of 2011!

2011-12-29T12:00:00.000-08:00

In case you couldn't tell by my Cover Lust feature at the bottom of ever book review I love covers! So, it would seem natural that the end of a year of book reviews I would need to analyze which of the last year's books that have come across my desk (ok let's be honest, bed or couch) have been my favorite. Perhaps they weren't published this year but I read them for the first time this year so therefor I am going to shout them from the rooftops that I loved them for the first time here.

In alphabetical order, here are my top 5 favorite covers of 2011 based on eye-catching beauty (click on covers for me reviews)!

What do you think of my choices? What are your favorite covers of 2011?

Related Posts: My Top Five Favorite Covers of 2010

Winner of From Notting Hill With Love ... Actually!

2011-12-28T15:43:00.000-08:00

Thank you to all of those who entered to win the fabulous and fun book: From Notting Hill With Love ... Actually by Ali McNamara! Using random.org the winner of a new paperback copy of this novel is: Meg!

Don't forget, you still have time to enter my December Review Book Giveaway!

Reflections on a Year of Reading: 2011

2011-12-28T15:27:00.000-08:00

I can not believe another year is about to come to a close. 2011 has been a year of many milestones for me. On the blogging front it was my second full year of blogging and it found me far surpassing my goal of reading 80 books, reading the most books I've ever read in one year, with 97 books total read! I also got to make it to the Book Blogger Convention in New York for the first time which was wonderful to get to enjoy meeting a bunch of other book bloggers and trade stories. On a more personal front, I turned 30 this year which was a big milestone for me and I celebrated that by going to Bali. I also got engaged to the love of my life, Rob, and we will be enjoying planning a fun wedding next year which I am really looking forward to!

So, now, without further ado, here are my reading stats for 2011:
In total I read: 97 Books!
Most Books Read in One Month: March, April, May, July, and August all tie for 9 titles each!
Total Number of A and B rated books: 74 (woohoo!)
Total Number of C, D, and F rated books: 23
Total number of pages read: 26,144 (1,801 more than last year!)

I am pleased with the above because this means I really achieved my goals from last year. One of the big ones was to continue to get to know myself as a reader. This blog and keeping a reading journal was supposed to help me better pick out the books that I love over and over again. Seeing that I enjoyed 76% of the books I read this year as compared to 68% last year means I am definitely improving my hit rate!

My other goal for this last year was to have fun with blogging and I most certainly did, and I have you to thank for that!

My Reading Goals for 2012. I can pretty much guarantee that with planning a wedding I won't be able to read as many books as I did in 2011. However, what I do hope is that I have continued success with the books that I read being books that I love. I want to be able to share books that are wonderful with you and to make the time that I do have for reading as enjoyable as possible.

Additionally, I hope to focus on the genres that I know I love and have always brought me enjoyment: women's fiction and historical fiction.

In the coming days you will see my top picks for covers of the year and books of the year!

Book Review: More Than Words Can Say

2011-12-27T07:00:00.000-08:00

'More Than Words Can Say'
Author: Robert Barclay

Format: ARC
Published: William Morrow Paperbacks; Dec. 2011
Pages: 400
Genre: Women's literature
Grade: A
Source: TLC Book Tours

Synopsis: From the author of If Wishes Were Horses comes a novel of long-buried secrets and self-discovery, showing us that sometimes what goes unsaid is more powerful than words. . . .
Chelsea Enright never expected to inherit her grandmother's lakeside cottage deep in the Adirondacks—a serene getaway that had been mysteriously closed up decades ago. This is no simple bequest, however, because when Chelsea finds her grandmother's WWII diaries, she's stunned to discover that they hold secrets she never suspected . . . and they have the power to turn her own life upside down.
Even more surprising is the compelling presence of local doctor Brandon "Yale, and Chelsea soon finds her "short stay" has stretched into the entire summer. She cannot put this cottage and her family's past behind her easily—and the more she learns about the woman her grandmother truly was, the more Chelsea's own life begins to change . . . and nothing will ever be the same again.

My Take: When this book was pitched to me, honestly I saw the words WWII and I was sold. I've said it before and I'll probably say it here a dozen more times but if a book has even a flicker of a setting during WWII than I want to read it. And this one really did only have a flicker and it was enough for me to thoroughly enjoy it!

More Than Words Can Say intertwines two love stories into an easy to read novel that really made for some delightful reading during this often incredibly hectic time of year and I really loved that! In the modern day we have Chelsea who is suffering from the loss of her beloved grandmother. She soon realizes that she has come to inherit her grandmothers cottage on Lake Evergreen way up in the wilds of New York. Having never been there and being told that there are secret journals her grandmother wants her to discover while there Chelsea readily starts on her adventure up north.

Once at the cottage we begin Brooke's journey. Brooke is Chelsea's grandmother who as a young woman escaped to this cottage while her husband was off fighting in WWII. She wrote down all of her thoughts in a journal only to hide it and run away quickly one day leaving her friends there and her family back home knowing nothing of her quick leaving and always wondering why she never went back.

As the story unfolds we get to follow both Chelsea and Brooke on oddly similar, yet sometimes heartbreaking journeys through love as they both live in the beloved lakeside cottage.

Honestly, as melodramatic as this book sometimes was, I got totally swept up in it and loved just escaping in this story. I highly recommend More Than Words Can Say!

For other opinions on this book, please check out the full TLC Tour here!

Cover Lust: This cover certainly fits what's inside. It doesn't wow me but I can't fault it either!

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-22T07:41:00.000-08:00

I want to wish you all a fabulous holiday season! We are off to Colorado tomorrow to celebrate with my future in-laws so I am busy packing all of my largest sweaters! I hope you all have a wonderful time celebrating with you and yours.

I'll be back Tuesday with a wonderful book to review and then my yearly wrap-ups! See you next week!