Book Lust - Recently Updated Pages

Favorite Book Club Books

clemmer — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 08:21:32 CDT

Here are some recent popular choices by book clubs. Have a favorite? Add it to the list!

The Electric Michaelangelo
Kafka on the Shore
Shadow of the Wind
Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov
Never Let Me Go
Shipping News
Clara Callan
The Secrets of Jin Shei by Alma Alexander
Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
The Complete Short Stories of Truman Capote
Turn, Magic Wheel by Dawn Powell
The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand
Saturday by Ian McEwan
Shalimar the Clown by Salman Rushdie
The Canongate Myth Series
The Maharishi Effect by Geoff Gilpin
Gossamer by Lois Lowry (YA)
The Thirteenth Tale - Diane Setterfield
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan - Lisa See
Ahab's Wife by Sena Jeter Naslund
Stop That Girl by Elizabeth McKenzie
The Ice Storm by Rick Moody
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
The Knitting Circle by Ann Hood
Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Lying Awake by Mark Salzman
The MouseDriver Chronicles
Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky
Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks
The Island by Victoria Hislop
The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
Broken Verses by Kamila Shamsie
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier
Twist of Gold by Michael Morpurgo
The Cheese Monkeys by Chip Kidd
Thinks by David Lodge
Arcadia by Tom Stoppard (a play actually)
A Prayer for the Dying by Stewart O'Nan
The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien
The Tortilla Curtain by T.C. Boyle
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightime by Mark Haddon
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
The Folded World by Amity Gaige
The Girl in the Tangerine Scarf by Mohja Kahf
The Painted Veil by Somerset Maugham
The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid
Did I Expect Angels? by kathryn Maughan
West With the Night by Beryl Markham
Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz
Fat Girl by Judith Moore
The Outermost House: A Year of Life on the Great Beach of Cape Cod by Henry Beston
--What is your book club reading? Post a comment or review, or click the "EasyEdit" button to add to this list.

Has your club read any of these books? Share the reactions, both positive and negative.

Literary Book Blogs

pdweigandjd — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 01:32:45 CDT

Cheryl Snell's author's blog for her novel Shiva's Arms features Indian culture and literature, book reviews,poetry, recipes and celebrations.

Reader of Depressing Books Author Tao Lin writes about his books and literary editors. Controversial and well-trafficked.

Seedcake Author Matt Briggs writes about literary situations in Seattle and elsewhere. Matt Briggs won an American Book Award for his novel, Shoot the Buffalo.

Billy Sauce's Fortune-Telling Blog Stories and non-fiction relating to the future. Billy Sauce customarily writes about other writers.

Surfer Girl by Penelope Dyan was the winner of the teenage book division at the 2008 New York Book Festival

http://bellissimapublishing.blogspot.com/ Contact Bellissima Publishing, LLC at this blog or go to www.bellissimapublishing.com to check out our website! Also check out www.surergirlsummer.com to find out what is happening with our Surfer Girl Summer and her friends. There is only one Surfer Girl Summer and her home is in California at Bellissima Publishing, LLC! "Surfer Girl" is recognized by the Girls Voices In Literatire Database, and has won honorable mention in both the 2007 DIY Book Festival and the 2007 London Book Festival. Surfer Girl Series author.Penelope Dyan, will also be at the Bellissima booth at the upcomng 2008 NY Book Festival that will be held at the end of June in Central Park, New York, New York! (Updates later) Start spreading the news!
__________________________________________________________________________________________

About the Aurthor, From The Author, Penelope Dyan

I am author Penelope Dyan; and out of all the books I have written, I think "Mary At The Window" is my best work. Of course I love my surfer Girl books and all my other books, but I really want to get the word out on this book and its message about breast cancer, so if you purchase my book through www.belissimapblishingcom I will donate my royalty in your name to breast cancer research. Just mention this donation offer when you place your paypal order through the Bellissima website. I also have a blog at: http://penelopedyan.blogspot.com and there is a wiki blog site at http://surferirlsumer.wetpaint.com; but you have to oder through paypal at www.bellissimapublishung.com for me to work the donation special (Sorry!). A special thanks to you all for buying and reading my books. Penelope Dyan

http://bellissimapublishing.viewwork.com/bellissima_publishing_llc/sellfolio.html

Native American Literature

clemmer — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 14:31:16 CDT

What are your favorite books related to the Native American experience?

Add them to this page by clicking EasyEdit.

1. Fool's Crow--I reread this periodically and own a first edition hardcover. What a story!
2. Blood Land: A Family Story of Oil, Greed, and Murder on the Osage Reservation by Dennis McAuliffe
3. Little by David Treuer
4. The Hiawatha by David Treuer
5. Tracks, Love Medicine, and more by Louise Erdrich
6. The Absolutely True Story of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
7. American Indian Stereotypes in the World of Children by Arlene Hirschfelder, Fairbanks Molin, and Yvonne Wakin
8. Indian Life Transforming an American Myth edited by William W. Savage, Jr.
9. Facing East from Indian Country by Daniel K. Richter
10.Clash of Cultures by Chirstopher Collier & James Lincoln Collier

11.These are unusual: Has anyone read any of the works by Grey Owl? He turned out to be a phony, an
Englishman, who lived his adult life pretending to be Lakota, and who wrote and taught a great deal about
Indian Culture. He fooled both lay and academics, as well as Indians.

12. The Real All Americans: The Team That Changed a Game, a People, a Nation
by Sally Jenkins

Ron Dakron's web site

dakron — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 13:51:43 CDT

www.rondakron.com -- local Seattle author published by Black Heron Press.

Ron Dakron's blog: www.rondakron.blogspot.com

Mantids, a new novel by Ron Dakron, and a paperback edition of Hammers are available for preorder on both the Target and Amazon sites, among others.

An audio reading of Mantids and one of Hammers are now up on their respective web pages at www.rondakron.com, along with a link to a blip.tv video reading of Mantids.

I've posted a PDF of Chapter 5 of my upcoming novel Mantids at www.rondakron.com. The specific URL is http://blackheron.mav.net/dakron/c5.pdf.

Link to Midpoint Trade Books info page at http://www.midpointtradebooks.com/search.aspx?term=dakron&image.x=0&image.y=0

What’s On My Nightstand Right Now

killermouse — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 07:04:04 CDT

M&MMary&Mareena
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
The Knights of Christmas by Suzanne Barclay, Margaret Moore & Deborah Simmons
A Singular Lady by Megan Frampton

M&MMary&Mareena
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
Dracula by Bram Stoker
Sir Apropos of Nothing by Peter David

Cybrarian
Dear John by Nicholas Sparks
Friends, Lovers, Chocolate by Alexander McCall Smith
A Wind in the Door by Madeleine L'Engle
Physik by Angie Sage

Michele:
Well, it's almost the end of March, a tough month in the school year, no less so for those of us teaching than for those of us being taught. I find that every year around this time, I search for true escapes--often, but not always, fantasy--and sometimes even reread. Widdershins by Charles DeLint but am just a chapters from finishing and it has been diverting to read about the romance between Jilly and Geordie (apparantly, two characters whose place as main characters has been long awaited) in the Dreamlands of a fictious city in Canada on the thin border of faerie. I just read Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson and was amazed and moved. Definitely the single best representation of a teenager I have ever read.

I am still recovering from the blow I took a week ago when I finished Wintersmith, Terry Pratchett's latest in the Tiffany Aching storyline. Oh what a glorious three audiobooks they were (Wee Free Men, A Hat Full of Sky, and Wintersmith). In a just world there would be more, right now!

Hmm, what else? Fluke by Christopher is quite funny, and I have finally started to read The Power of One which has been recommended for oh, so long. Happy reading...

Tiffany:
The King of Methlehem-Mark Lindquist
The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets-Eva Rice

Tammy:

World's Fair - E.L. Doctorow
The Poe Shadow - Matthew Pearl
Little Dorrit - Chalres Dickens
Dark Star Safari - Paul Theroux
How Proust Can Change Your Life - Alain De Botton
The Virginian - Owen Wister
Night Watch - Sarah Waters

Victoria: Since I just went to the Library I have a huge stack-
I am half way through Mansfield Park and I really am liking it, though it always takes me a bit to get the characters straight.
The Razor's Edge by W. Somerset Maugham
Fannery O'Connor: The Complete Stories (Which I am very excited about)
Close Range by Annie Proulx
and last but not least Savage Beauty by Nancy Milford a book about the life of Edna St. Vincent Millay.

Amanda: Just finished Heart of Darkness, and now I'm moving on to one of the dozen books I bought around Christmas time. Maybe The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway.

MissRoo: Just finished Henrik Ibsen's Hedda Gabler, and loved it. I hope I can find a performance of it to go to soon--I'd love to see it on stage. Now I'm reading Ian McEwan's Enduring Love. So far, I like it. He has a very interesting voice.

Imiinthemiddle: Right now I am reading Tomorrow, When the War Began by John Marsden, and am really enjoying it.

SOK: I'm working my way through award-winners ... right now I'm reading The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood (and loving it.) I'm also listening to Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor in the car.

Catie:
Life of Pi by Yann Martel

IggyMommy 1/19/07:
I just finished Next by Michael Crichton. There was too much bad language and sex. But the book was fascinating and I couldn't put it down. I finished it in one day. It's a fascintaing fictional novel about the subject of genetics. It shows the complications of this very NOW subject.

I also just finished First Men To The Moon by H.G. Wells. Written in 1901 Wells had to really use his imagination and it was funny to see how he thought it would be and how it really is.

Now I've started Mount Dragon by Lincoln Childs and Douglas Preston. I love anything by these guys.

LibrarianJack:
Today is a relatively melancholy day; I devoured Candyfreak by Steve Almond and am craving more. If you've got a sweet tooth, this book is a must read! Almond takes you on a chocolaty, nostalgic trip through the history of candy bar companies in the U.S. This is not your bore-me-to-sleep history text, however, it's an hysterical account of Almond's obsession with candy and his quest to find a bit of happiness via his childhood chocolaty favorites.

Almond takes you inside a few of the smaller, regional candy companies around the U.S. in efforts of recording their pasts from triumphs during to the candy boom of the mid 1900's to today where they're struggling to keep their doors open amidst the pressure from the Big Three: Mars, Hershey, and Nestlé. Many of these company's have been around since the late 1800's, and most of their original recipes remain intact.

Linda:
Underworld by Don DeLillo. Just started it, so no comments just yet.

IggyMommy 1/12/07:
Hide and Seek With Angels: A Life of J.M. Barrie by Lisa Chaney
Ever want to know who wrote Peter Pan? I've only seen the Disney movie and never even thought about the book. When this new biography came out I was intrigued and checked it out at the library. Hope it's good!

I just finished Archie and Amelie, Love and Madness in the Gilded Age by Donna Lucey. It was an interesting read. Archie Chanler was a descendant of John Jacob Astor. Amelie Rives was a daughter of an engineer and lived at the family plantation in Virginia. They had lost their fortune in The War but had managed to hold onto the house and land. Amelie was supposedly one of the most beautiful women in her time. She had the family, the beauty, and she was ambitious. She dreamed of becoming a writer and did publish a risque novel that was a bestseller. But it gave her a "Vamp" reputation and she played it to the hilt by flirting with every man she thought would be useful to her. She was very proud, vain, spoiled and a master manipulator. Archie was the eldest of 7 or 8 children who were left orphaned when their mother died young at age 37 and their father died suddenly a few years later. He was handsome, healthy, well educated as a lawyer, and one of the richest men in the world. He fell in love with Amelie but their marriage didn't last. Both of them ended up insane and alone. It was very sad. Everything the world had to give and these two squandered their lives. As King Solomon said in his book, Ecclesiastes, "Vanity of vanities, All is vanity...Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man's all."

MsPenrod:
Walk This Way, the autobiography of Aerosmith and Wild Ducks Flying Backwards by Tom Robbins (I love this author!)

Sand Dune Reader:
Eating Fried Eggs with Chopsticks by Polly Evans and Saving Fish from Drowning by Amy Tan.

Califia74:
The Darkest Child by Delores Phillips. Female Chauvinist Pigs by Ariel Levy. Enough by Juan Williams.

LibrarianJack:
I'm smack dab in the middle of Lies at the Altar: The Truth about Great Marriages by Dr. Robin L. Smith. I'm getting married next April, and this book practically jumped off the shelf at me. As with any advice, I take what I need and leave the rest. I'm finding many great points that I've never addressed in the past. Dr. Smith provides unique exercises that seem to work, and she gives specific questions to ask before getting married. Give it a try if you're thinking of taking the plunge!

IggyMommy: 12/8/06 Utopia by Lincoln Child. A new amusement park with incredible state of the art technology is being stalked by a terrorist group demanding their newest technology. Great read! I really like Lincoln Child and his co-writer, Douglas Preston. I just finished A World Made Straight by Ron Rash. His newest book. Do a Google search on "Shelton Laurel Massacre" before reading this. Reading about the incident will give you a deeper insight into the background of this book. Ron Rash is a Southern writer who grew up in the western NC mountains and he writes fiction that is based on his knowledge of that area. Shelton Laurel is a real place and the massacre during the Civil War was a real event. Some of my own family were from there and experienced these gut wrenching times and it changed them forever just as it did the characters in this book based in the 1970's.

SunDiego: Just finished The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters. What a trip! If you like a combination of sci-fi, fantasy, and can suspend your credulity for 600 pages, this is a great read!

JKLibrarian: Malinche by Laura Esquivel. It's a historical fiction novel about Malinalli, Cortez's guide and translator. Long believed to be a traitor to her people, this novel paints her in a much more complex and sympathetic light. I am not as enthralled with it as I have been with Esquivel's other works, but it is certainly worth the read.

Rosencrantz: The Heat of the Day by Elizabeth Bowen. She has been described as Graham Greene meets Virginia Woolf. The prose is very dense, but incredibly poetic. It's about London during the bombings of WWII, and discovering how little you can ever really know about the people you love. I highly recommend it.
Yes, and I'm also rereading The Sisters by Mary S. Lovell. It's a beautifully written biography about the Mitford family, whose many daughters became the talk of England in the first half of the 20th century. The lives these women led were amazing. I usually find biographies boring, but this one is so good that I have to read it again.
Also, The Ordinary Princess by M.M. Kaye. This was my absolute favorite book when I was a little girl, and I still read it every year or two to recapture the magic. The illustrations, also done by M.M. Kaye, are so whimsical and lovely, and the story is precious.
And I'm making my boyfriend read The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler, and consequently reading it again myself. This is a hard-boiled crime classic.

Anon: All Mortal Flesh by Julia Spencer Fleming. This series has great upstate NY atmosphere, Episopalian church politics, a dark mystery and great sexual attraction between the married police chief and the Episcopal priest (younger woman, formal army helicopter pilot).

Erica2 on 11/30/06: The Lost by Daniel Mendelsohn; The Heart Has Reasons by Mark Klempner; Global Problems and the Culture of Capitalism by Richard Robbins. See below for my comments.

IggyMommy on 11/18/06: Obsessed by Ted Dekker, H.G. Wells science fiction omnibus and A Tree Grows In Brooklyn.

Anon: Turn, Magic Wheel by Dawn Powell. It's wonderful.

SOK said: Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee is on my nightstand. (See http://observer.guardian.co.uk/review/story/0,,1890228,00.html.) Next up is The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar.

I'm also listening to The Accidental Tourist on CD on my commute.

Kylerhea said:
I'm finishing The Looming Tower:Al-Qaeda and the road to 9/11 by Lawrence Wright, and have just started The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo, strange bedfellows indeed. On my nightstand also is my MP3 player, because I usually have something I'm listening to. I just finished Running with Scissors for my book club this way, and now I have loaded The Elusive Mrs. Pollifax, which I read many years ago and will provide a friendly familiar contrast to the last listened to "book". The MP3 also has some of Nancy's podcasts and some NPR stuff, too. Looming and Edward Tulane were recommendations from Nancy from a podcast or her website, and I was grateful to be pointed to such great finds.

As for my "waiting to be read" pile, it is a large and dynamic stack, with titles going on and coming off (and getting lost) all the time.

Heidi said:
I've just cracked open Are Men Necessary? by Maureen Dowd. It's fascinating! An early Christmas gift that I'm thoroughly enjoying..

Laurie said: I'm reading Forget The Cures, Find The Cause by Rayna Gangi. What a wonderful journey and an important book to have, especially if you have kids and also if you ae concerned at all about your health. She's such a good writer that I've ordered her other book, Mary Jemison, White Woman of The Seneca, for next week's bed time read.

Indigotima says: Right now it's Babbit by Sinclair Lewis; it's a copy that my mother had when she was in school.

Julie says: Brothers by Da Chen. Brand new, this book will grab you from page one. It's the story of two young men, born at the same time and both fathered by a powerful general. One brother is born to the general's wife and is raised in luxury, groomed as a leader himself. The other is born to a country woman who had a brief affair with the general and who throws herself off a cliff after the birth. The parallell of these two very different lives is utterly enthralling.

Winnie has checked and she has:
In Search of Shakespeare by Michael Woods
Father Christmas by Raymod Briggs (for when I'm too tired to read)
Parallel Lines by Ian Marchant; subtitled "every girl's big book of trains"

On Beauty, by Zadie Smith and Intuition, by Allegra Goodman. Both about academia, even if ithat is not the main thrust of each of the novels. --KBSarah

Plumsicle said:
Thinkertoys by Michael Michalko, which is turning out to be the best creative-thinking technique book out there. I never thought I had a creative cell in me until I started reading this book. A notebook is highly recommended to go through the exercises and catch those new ideas.
History in the Making by Kyle Ward. Illustrates how the recount of the same historical events in textbooks changes over time. Very eye-opening.
The Devils Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger. Want to read the book before I see the movie.
Very random, I know.....

Megan said:
To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee - I haven't read this for ages and it has been so lovely revisiting it. Also just finished 5 people you meet in heaven by Mitch Albom and God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy

See also:

Critter's Mom's Nightstand Reading

Mysteriously Yours

killermouse — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 07:00:07 CDT

I'm adding my mystery favorites here. You chime in too! Whether you like police procedurals, private detectives, mysteries focused on food, suspense, legal, etc.--add it here!

At the top of my list are:

Ian Rankin's Scottish policeman, Rebus
Elizabeth George's Lynley and Havers team--her latest, What Came Before He Shot Her is a clever puzzle.
Henning Mankell's Kurt Wallender and crew

Women mystery writers, all good The only order to this list is as they sprang to mind!

Sara Paretsky
J.A. Jance
Sue Grafton
Kate Wilhelm
Marcia Muller
Diane Mott Davidson
P.D. James

Martha Grimes

Carolyn Keen

Megan says: Being an Aussie, I have to mention author Kerry Greenwood, who has 2 women detective series "Phyrne Fisher" and "Corriana Chapman" - they are fun, suspenseful and most of all you fall in love with the characters. Check out: www.phrynefisher.com and www.earthlydelights.net.au

Favorite Children's Books

Dawno13 — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 13:09:35 CDT

What are your favorite children's books from your own childhood? Click "EasyEdit" and share them with us!

Julia's picks:
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Anne of Green Gables (and the entire series) by L. M. Montgomery
The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis

And going for some real little children's books:
Will It Be Okay?, by Crescent Dragonwagon
The Monster at the End of This Book (the Sesame Street book about Grover)

Amy's Pick:
I Love You the Purplest by Barbara Joosse

Dawn's Picks:
Bedtime for Frances - Russell Hoban
The Berenstain Bears series - Stan and Jan Berenstain
Curious George - H. A. Rey
Green Eggs and Ham - Dr. Seuss
Madeline - Ludwig Bemelmans
Paddington - Michael Bond
The Story of Babar - Jean de Brunoff
Where the Sidewalk Ends - Shel Silverstein

K's Picks:
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery
The Garden of Abdul Gasazi by Chris van Allsburg (and, in fact, anything by Chris van Allsburg)
Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Wayside School is Falling Down by Louis Sachar
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

Tricia's Picks (both wonderful series):
A Wrinkle in Time - Madeline L'Engle
Little House on the Prairie - Laura Ingalls Wilder

Favorite Authors

M&MMary&Mareena — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 09:34:12 CDT

Some authors are so good you want to read everything they've written--they're "Too Good to Miss," according to Nancy Pearl. These pages include some of Nancy's favorite authors who are too good to miss, such as:


Lee Child	Ian McEwan	Iris Murdoch

Visit these author pages recently added by readers:

Adriana Trigliani
Alma Alexander
Anne McCaffrey
Anne Perry
Anne Tyler
Anne-Laure Bondoux
Arturo Perez-Reverte
Barbara Kingsolver
Bernadette Mayer
Beverley Nichols
Bill Bryson

Brandon Sanderson
C.S. Lewis
Charles Dickens
Clive Cussler
Diana Gabaldon
Dorothy Cannell
Dorothy Gilman
Elizabeth Kostova
Ernest Hemingway
Evelyn Waugh
Georgette Heyer
Geraldine Brooks
Graham Swift
Gregory Maguire
J.D. Salinger
Jason Likes
Jeanette Winterson
John Cheever
John Fowles
Barbara Kingsolver
Mark Klempner
Jon Krakauer
Kathryn Maughan
Layne Maheu
Lillian Jackson Braun
Lorna Landvik
Margaret Atwood
Marta Acosta
Melanie Rae Thon
Margaret Moore
Mary Roberts Rinehart
Mercedes Lackey
Neal Stephenson
Nora Roberts
Orson Scott Card
Philip Pullman
Philippa Gregory
Ray Bradbury
Rayna Gangi
Richard Halliburton
Robert McCammon
Saba Sophiya Hasan
Sarah Waters
Stephen King
Terry Prachett
Tom Stoppard
Ursula LeGuinn
Roxanne Henke

Add another author to this section!

It's easy to create a new page (see here for tips).

Are you an author? Create a page for yourself and your work, and list it below!

Alessia Brio
Mark R. Jones
The Paperboy's Sketchbook

Children's Books by Native American Authors

senecacindy — Fri, 30 May 2008 12:47:31 CDT

1. Children of the Longhouse by Joseph Bruchac
2. How Chipmunk Got His Stripes by Joseph Bruchac
3. Seasons of the Circle by Joseph Bruchac
4. Legends of the Seminoes as told by Betty Mae Jumper

Favorite YA Books

edref — Tue, 20 May 2008 12:15:15 CDT

What are your favorite young adult books? Share them with us.

Linda's additions:
These are great lists! Missing from them (in my opinion of course) are:
Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett and the following two in the trilogy: A Hat Full of Sky and The Wintersmith. This series is so funny yet also very smart. The 7th graders I work with through the school library where I work just love Terry Pratchett!
The other series that is fantastic is Sabriel, Lirael, and Abhorsen by Garth Nix.

Mugwumps says: Our book club's YA readers go crazy for Janet Tasjian's books, especially those about Larry. We had one of our best discussions around the anti-consumerism message of The Gospel According to Larry. If you had to pare down your existence to a certain number of items (as Larry does in the book), what things would stay and what things would go?
We also loved:
it's kind of a funny story, a novel by Ned Vizzinni
The Giver by Lisa Lowry
Skellig by David Almond
the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer

MSLibrarian says:
My latest obsession is Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (and New Moon, the sequel, and Eclipse, book 3, which will be published in August).
* When her mother remarries, Bella moves from sunny Phoenix, AZ to the rainiest town in America, Forks, WA to live with her father, the town sheriff. As the new girl, she is an instant fascination and crush for almost everyone at the high school. Except the Cullen family and especially Edward Cullen, the most beautiful boy Bella has ever seen; he seems to be repulsed by her. This book is bigger than basic chick lit -- it is well-written and involves action, adventure, and vampires. It is the sort of book that I read and instantly wanted more, all of my students are begging for subsequent books in the series. Meyer's web site (www.stepheniemeyer.com) has the first chapter of Twilight written from Edward's perspective (a potential book project called Midnight Sun).

A few others that I love:
The Lightning Thief (great fun, although I cannot agree with Amy on the Harry Potter comment), by Rick Riordan
Lush, by Natasha Friend
The Boyfriend List, by E. Lockhart
Looking for Alaska, by John Green
Finding Lubchenko, by Michael Simmons
Tangerine, by Edward Bloor

Amy says:
Copper Sun by Sharon Draper took my breath away.
I Am The Messenger by Mark Zusak was captivating and engrossing
Autobiography of My Dead Brother by Walter Dean Myers broke my heart, and The Lightning Thief and The Sea of Monsters, by Rick Riordan are better than H. Potter, in my book!

LibrarianJack says:
Jane Yolen has written some really interesting books for young adults, my favorite of which is Queen's Own Fool: A Novel of Mary Queen of Scots. It's historical fiction that's full of adventure and a touch of gruesome war for the boys. The story is of royalty told from the vantage point of a poor traveling player whose fate changes when she becomes, as the title indicates, the Queen's own fool.

A few other favorites right now are:
Ashes of Roses by Mary Jane Auch
Chicks with Sticks: It's a Purl Thing by Elizabeth Lenhard
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
Gossamer by Lois Lowry
Make Lemonade by Virginia Euwer Wolff
Sand Dollar Summer by Kimberly Jones
Something Invisible by Siobhan Parkinson
Twilight Child by Sally Warner

Olivia says:
I loved all fantasy books when I was in upper grade school and junior high. Some of my favorite authors were Anne McCaffrey, Terry Brooks, Piers Anthony, and Mercedes Lackey. I think there's just something about that young adult age that draws you to sci-fi and fantasy.

Julia says:
Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Green is one of my favorites.
Holes by Louis Sachar
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
Running Out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix
City of Ember and People of Sparks by Jeanne Duprau.

Young adult books really impress me. There's always something new and unique about them. The stories are so original.

Jane Hyde's Favorites

Airborn -- Kenneth Oppel
Mortal Engines -- Philip Reeve
Redwall -- Brian Jacques
The Dark is Rising -- Susan Cooper
Tamar -- Mal Peet
Goldengrove -- Jill Paton Walsh
Unleaving -- "
The House in Norham Gardens -- Penelope Lively
His Dark Materials -- Philip Pullman

edref says:
Douglas Adams
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe
The Restaurant at the End of the Universe
Life, the Universe and Everything
So Long, and Thanks for all the Fish
Mostly Harmless
M. T. Anderson
Feed
Joan Bauer
Hope Was Here
Edward Bloor
Tangerine
Ray Bradbury
The Martian Chronicles
Fahrenheit 451
Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
For Freedom: The story of a French Spy
Ann Brashares
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
Sherry Bunin
Dear Great American Writers School
Gennifer Choldenko
Al Capone Does My Shirts
Robert Cormier
Frenchtown Summer
The Rag and Bone Shop
Christopher Paul Curtis
The Watsons Go to Birmingham -- 1963
Terry Davis
If Rock and Roll Were a Machine
Jennifer Donnelly
A Northern Light
William Golding
Lord of the Flies
Nikki Grimes
Jazmin's Notebook
Frank Herbert
Dune
Ken Kesey
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Ron Koertge
Confess-O-Rama
John Marsden
Letters From the Inside
Walter Dean Myers
145th Street: Short Stories
Monster
Slam!
Somewhere in the Darkness
Handbook for Boys
Scorpions
Fallen Angels
Lauren Myracle
ttyl
An Na
A Step from Heaven
George Orwell
1984
Boris Pasternak
Dr. Zhizago
Katherine Paterson (Great writer! I want to read more of her books.)
Jacob Have I Loved
Gary Paulsen (Also great -- see Nonfiction, below.)
Hatchet
The Schernoff Discoveries
The Amazing Life of Birds
The Boy Who Owned the School
Richard Peck
A Year Down Yonder
A Long Way from Chicago
Daniel Pinkwater
The Education of Robert Nifkin
Alan Mendelsohn, the Boy From Mars
The Snarkout Boys and the Avocado of Death
Young Adult Novel
The Worms of Kukumlima
Borgel
Uncle Boris in the Yukon and Other Shaggy Dog Stories
Louise Rennison
Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging
Meg Rosoff
How I Live Now
Jerry Spinelli
Stargirl
Neal Stephenson
Snow Crash
Booth Tarkington
Seventeen
Rob Thomas
Rats Saw God
Doing Time: Notes from the Undergrad
J.R.R. Tolkien
The Hobbit
The Fellowship of the Ring
The Two Towers
The Return of the King
Kurt Vonnegut
Breakfast of Champions: or, Goodbye Blue Monday!
Cat's Cradle
Slaughterhouse-five: or, The Children's Crusade, a Duty-Dance with Death
Welcome to the Monkey House
Bill Watterson
The Complete Calvin and Hobbes (3 volumes)
H. G. Wells
War of the Worlds
Gloria Whelan
Homeless Bird
Gene Luen Yang
American Born Chinese
Nonfiction
Always Running: La Vida Loca: Gang Days in L.A., by Luis J. Rodriguez
Apollo 13, by Jim Lovell and Jeffrey Kluger (Original title: Lost Moon)
Between Silk and Cyanide: A Codemaker's War, by Leo Marks
Blind Courage, by Bill Irwin with David McCasland (blind Irwin hiked the entire Appalachian Trail, with his dog, Orient)
Book Review Digest
The Chess Mysteries of the Arabian Knights, by Raymond Smullyan (If you like chess, also try Learn to Play Go)
Critical Path, by R. Buckminster Fuller
Flight of Passage, by Rinker Buck
From Chocolate to Morphine: Everything You Need to Know about Mind-Altering Drugs, by Andrew Weil and Winifred Rosen
Fuller's Earth: A Day with Bucky and the Kids, by Richard Brenneman and R. Buckminster Fuller
Grayson, by Lynne Cox
Guts: The True Stories Behind Hatchet and the Brian Books, by Gary Paulsen
Hokkaido Highway Blues: Hitchhiking Japan, by Will Ferguson
Homage to Catalonia, by George Orwell
Humans in Universe, by Buckminster Fuller and Anwar Dil
I Thought My Father Was God and Other True Tales from NPR's National Story Project, edited by Paul Auster
Journey to the Ants: A Story of Scientific Exploration, by Bert Holldobler and Edward O. Wilson
Learn to Play Go, by Janice Kim (a 5-volume set)
Life in Prison, by "Tookie" Williams
Making Comics: Storytelling Secrets of Comics, Manga and Graphic Novels, by Scott McCloud
Maus: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History, by Art Spiegelman
Maus II: A Survivor's Tale: And Here My Troubles Began, by Art Spiegelman
The Medium is the Massage: An Inventory of Effects, by Marshall McLuhan and Quentin Fiore
My Life in Dog Years, by Gary Paulsen
Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood, by Marjane Satrapi
Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return, by Marjane Satrapi
Puppies, Dogs, and Blue Northers: Reflections on Being Raised by a Pack of Sled Dogs, by Gary Paulsen
Real Lives: Eleven Teenagers Who Don't Go to School Tell Their Own Stories, edited by Grace Llewellyn
Te-Tao Ching, translated by Robert Henricks (other translators call it Tao Te Ching)
The Teenage Liberation Handbook: How to Quit School and Get a Real Life and Education, by Grace Llewellyn
Uncle Tungsten: Memories of a Chemical Boyhood, by Oliver Sacks
Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art, by Scott McCloud
We the Media: Grassroots Journalism By the People, For the People, by Dan Gillmor
Winterdance: The Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod, by Gary Paulsen
Woodsong, by Gary Paulsen
Zombification, by Andrei Codrescu ("Our televisions have turned us into mute extensions of their shadow worlds. This is... zombification.")

Jacksonville University Library

restaurant-discount — Tue, 06 May 2008 22:45:44 CDT

The Jacksonville University Library plays a crucial role in fulfilling the stated purpose of the University by supporting the curriculum with a broad, balanced collection of print, non-print, and electronic materials with particular emphases on specialties, graduate, and professional and pre-professional programs. The library further supports the University's statement of purpose by offering materials and professional information services for library research and for assisting students in developing the necessary skills to stay abreast with information in their field of study over a lifetime.
Specifically, the library will seek to perform the following tasks:

To select, acquire, and organize appropriate print, non-print, and electronic library materials that support the University's curricula.
To provide a physical environment conducive to study and to the use of library materials and facilities.
To provide classroom instruction for the 100 level English courses and in other course-specific subjects in the use of libraries, general reference materials, and research strategies.
To identify, locate, and borrow necessary research materials not owned by this library for students and faculty through cooperative library efforts.
To provide quality reference assistance to students, faculty, and staff.
To provide special programs and exhibits that promote academic and cultural enrichment.

http://www.ju.edu/library/

Qingdao Book club

seantm — Mon, 05 May 2008 09:41:43 CDT

This is a template page

Use this template when you want to use photos and text to tell your story. Click EasyEdit, then highlight this text with your cursor and type over it with your own words: You can write as much as you want!

This sample photo is easy to replace with one of your own: Click the EasyEdit button, highlight the placeholder image at left and hit "delete." Then click the "image" button in the toolbar and use the "browse" button to find the image you want to insert from your computer. It's that easy.

The text can be wrapped around your image, or you can have the text start below the photo. You can also move the photo to the right side of the page. See your choices for photo and text placement by clickin on the photo with your mouse and then clicking "image" on the toolbar.

You can also change the size of your photo by clicking on it once to highlight it, then by clicking the "plus" or "minus" sign in the "Edit Image" toolbox. When you're all done, save your page.

Other Book-Related Blogs

BostonBibliophile — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 07:54:28 CDT

BookClubClassics: The blog for book clubs and book lovers. The moderator spent 15 years coaxing reluctant teens to read and discuss classic literature and now offers her expertise to interested book clubs.

Tammie McElligott Book Review and writer of women's fiction. Reviews run the gamut of most bestsellers and some not so heard of books.

Calling all "Book Lusters"! Tasks for this page:
1. Re-order blogs alphabetically.

A Fuse #8 Production: Children's literature is not for the weak. It's a ruthless cutthroat business with lots of gnashes of the teeth. Children's librarianship, in contrast, is a sweet sweet ride. This site includes links and tips to kidlit related sites of interest as well as reviews of the newest children's books.

Abundant Books: The blog of a self confessed book addict. Reviews and musing about what, where and how she reads. She is a teacher librarian with a bent for fantasy and vampire fiction, as well as popular fiction read with the reading group that she belongs to.
Amazon's Monday Book Blog: nice compendium of book-related news.

Biblio File is where a working librarian and library student who spends too much time reading shares all she has read. She is not genre specific, but her job makes her heavy on children's and YA.

Big A little a--Kelly Herold reviews children's books and links to news items about children's literature. Kelly also edits a children's literature monthly, The Edge of the Forest.

Bluestalking Reader, Independent Reviewer/Freelance Writer and library program coordinator located in the Chicago metro area. Member, National Book Critics Circle.

A Book is Like a Garden Carried in the Pocket

Book-a-rama, a reader's blog, from chick-lit to classic literature. Also general discussions, memes and quizzes on book related topics.

Poet Kay Day's Book Beat is subtitled "Lions, tigers, and books! Oh yes." Her blog is filled with wise advice, humor and news.

BookClubGirl is a blog dedicated to sharing great books, news and tips with book club girls everywhere.

BookFox covers literary fiction, readings and news from the Los Angeles literary scene, includes reviews of recent books, and offers news about authors and prizes.

Bookgasm is a daily book reviews/news website dedicated to genre fiction (thrillers, mystery, horror, sci-fi, fantasy), as well as entertainment, oddball nonfiction and comics/graphic novels.

BookMums is a book review blog site reviewing books for babies and children. All the books have been reviewed by blog owner and mum of three young children, Sinead Hoben, a qualified English teacher.

Book Nut: blog from Melissa of Wichita, KS

BookTryst .. well, after seeing the other blogs here, I can only describe this as my own uncool, un-intellectual but interesting blog on books (new, old, bought, borrowed, found, discovered) I've recently read! And you may enjoy it anyway!

The Boston Bibliophile is a Boston-area librarian who blogs about books, reading and the Internet. It's a fun, chatty blog with reviews and opinions. And every Monday is Graphic Novel Monday, with a new or favorite comic book reviewed and discussed. Come visit!

Brandywine Books: Primarily a book news blog, we talk about literary and non-literary matters as the urge strikes.

Daughters of Catastrophe: Award-winning Seattle fiction writer and playwright S. P. Miskowski prepares for an upcoming production of her play examining American values in the age of affluence. Includes excerpts as well as serialized fiction.

Dotcomwomen's Book Blog (www.dcwblogs.com/books) is written by Pattie Reitz and is updated periodically. She writes about a variety of books and her book addiction.

DoveGrey Reader a daily must-read about books, life and stuff.

Exxie's Book Lounge: A 52 books in 52 weeks yearly challenge.

Great Reads-Book reviews on fantasy, sci-fi and romance in and out of mainstream...all great books you need to read!

Historical / Present

http://dannyreviews.com/ Over 900 book reviews, covering all kinds of books - fiction and nonfiction, with a broad range of genre and subject.

I, The Author, author Ray Wong's blog.

Independent Bookstore Photo Gallery: Our goal is to gain exposure for Independent Bookstores through the posting of photographs and information pertaining to those stores. We strive to be an invaluable resource for the book buying public by giving the reader/traveler the option of viewing the bookshop before visiting the specific area.

In the Pages: Youth Services Librarian shares her reading list. Was started as a way to answer patrons' question: What have you read that's good lately???

It's All About the Book, from librarian Patricia Uttaro in Rochester, NY.

Lesa Holstine's comments about books, with an emphasis on mysteries.

Librarian Maggie Moran inspires Mississippians to read at MaggieReads. Her book talks, mostly non-fiction, appear weekly in five local newspapers in northern Mississippi.

London Review of Books Online

Necessary Acts of Devotion "We visit bookshops not so often to buy any one special book, but rather to discover, in the happier and more expressive words of others, our own encumbered souls."

Occasional Book Reviews

Reader's Advisory Librarian Lora Bruggeman has a new book blog called Pop Goes Fiction. She includes read-alikes and suggestions for further reading, as well as her "Best of" list.

PfeifferBooknotes All things books -- book reviews, news, awards, etc.

Public Readings A blog about books, book news, and using the public library

Reading Life (Days with Cats and Books) is a blog about my reading, which includes a lot of YA and children's literature, and literary fiction. I like sentences and syntax as well as great characters, plots, illustrations, and all that. Philip Pullman, Henry James, Michael Ondaatje, Beatrix Potter and Jane Austen are in my pantheon.

ricklibrarian is a blog for the reviewing of books, media, and the web and commenting on libraries and library services.

Ruining My Eyes: Book reviewer Amy Brozio-Andrews blogs about books!

Santa Monica Citywide Reads Blog: Santa Monica, CA's one city one book program, celebrating its 6th year in 2008 with Jim Lynch's The Highest Tide, has now joined the blogosphere. Check out the blog for information on the program, the book & author, as well as special related events, like a visit from Jean-Michel Cousteau.

Semicolon: A homeschool mom blogs about the books we read.

Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast -- Eisha and Jules are both librarians. They love to read. They need books like they need air and water. And when they review a children's book (which they do -- a lot), they pledge to never use the word "cute" to describe it. Enjoy their blog and all the reviews and links therein.

Soliloquy in Blue is a book review site featuring recent reads and conforming to no specific genre. Historical fiction, mystery, young adult, and manga predominate at the moment.

So Many Books: The agony and ecstasy of a reading life.

Stephanie's Confessions of a Book-a-holic

The Long and the Short of It-- A resource for romance readers including reviews, author interviews, contests, free short stories, and more.

Tillabooks: Will's Book Blog: A reading blog devoted first to science fiction and fantasy, with a good dose of mystery, suspense, other fiction and nonfiction thrown in.

Trashionista "We read books like they're going out of fashion."

Why We Read What We Read: This blog analyzes the themes of bestselling books and what they reveal about American culture. A continuation of the book Why We Read What We Read: A Delightfully Opinionated Journey Through Contemporary Bestsellers by Lisa Adams and John Heath.

Wordswimmer offers writers a chance to explore the writing process, as well as exchange insights into favorite books for children and young adults.

____________________________

Best Books of 2006

edref — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 13:34:49 CDT

What was your favorite book last year?

Let's create a list of the best books that came out in 2006. Tell us the name of the book, the author, and why it should be included among the best. (Naturally, "best" is subjective, so make your best argument!)

Fiction

Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl. This was her first novel, and she's so young! Only 28! For highly literate readers, you will love the hundreds of cultural references to books and other writings. It's a bit of a mystery, set in the mountains of North Carolina, and the characters are a group of teenagers who are seniors in high school. The protagonist is 16-year-old Blue van Meer who moves to the area with her brilliant professor father, and soon becomes part of a elite group of students and their part-time film teacher with a Svengali-like influence over them. Very, very funny, intense, creepy, mysterious, and with a twist of an ending. I can't recommend this book highly enough. It is the book that made me start reading fiction again. My review is on my blog: Atelier of Alacrity
- jazzzytina

The Birth House, by Ami McKay was a bestseller in Canada, knocking The Da Vinci Code out of the #1 spot and staying on The Globe and Mail's list for 29 weeks. Inspired by the life of a midwife who once lived in the author's house, it is a mesmerizing tale of women's wisdom, traditions, and history. Set during WWI - the story and characters felt amazingly important in today's ever-changing political and social climate. Best of all, it's a beautifully written narrative with characters I'll never forget. I know it sounds cliche, but I couldn't put it down - I lost sleep over this book! A great pick for book clubs as well. For more information, check out the author's web site. There's a reading group guide, other book club goodies and there's even a quiz to see how many treatments for "hysteria" you might need. (Based on a funny/juicy bit in the novel on hysteria that involves the history of vibrators!)
- Katamarigirl The Birth House

The Rising Tide, by Jeff Shaara. Following his successful novels about the civil war, revolutionary war, and World War I, Shaara brings his multiple-viewpoint style to the first book in a planned World War II trilogy. His approach, backed up by impeccable research and wonderful craftsmanship, presents us with a coming-together picture of nitty gritty moments as well as the sweep of the war and the politics behind it. We see World War I from the perspective of major figures and ordinary fighting men and we come away enriched by the experience. For more information about Shaara and his books, see Jeff Shaara.com.

The Secret River by Kate Grenville was one of the leading contenders for the Booker Prize last year, and one of the most impressive works of fiction I've read in a while. It's a beautifully written, compelling story about a man and his family struggling to carve out a home for themselves in the Australian outback. It also contains a very powerful statement about how dominant cultures treat aboriginal cultures, unflinchingly portraying violence done on both sides. Grenville managed to write without passing judgment on either side, which is impressive in itself. A daring book, The Secret Riverwas an important book on so many levels, and the fact the Booker committee didn't see fit to give it the prize still baffles me. I'd say it's my hands-down choice for one of the best books of 2006. - Bluestalking Reader, http://bluestalking.typepad.com

In the Company of the Courtesan, by Sarah Dunant. In the genre of historical novels, this is one of the best I've read since the author's last novel (The Birth of Venus). The two main characters, Fiammetta (a wily and beautiful courtesan) and Bucino (a dwarf) are unforgettable--as are the circumstances that surround their friendship. The story opens with them fleeing from Rome with nothing but a few jewels they swallowed, and they set up a new life in Venice. Fiammetta rises in the social ranks and we get a front row seat to the pageantry and politics, fashion and passion, of Renaissance Venice. I really was amazed at how it all came to life, as well as the fascinating role of Bucino throughout the story.

My favorite adult fiction of 2006 was Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky. It was written in 1942, but not published until recently. It didn't appear in English until July, so it totally counts as 2006! Suite Francaise is the first 2 novels of what Nemirovsky envisioned would be a 5 novel series about France in WWII. The first, Storm in June deals with the fall of Paris and the images of a Tolstoian cast of characters fleeing the Germans is pitch-perfect. The second novel, Dolce deals with life in an occupied village. Both are great and we can only sigh over the fact Nemirovsky didn't live to write the other three. Also, I envision authors weeping over the fact that this sterling prose was her rough draft! --kidsilkhaze

Hands down, The Road, by Cormac McCarthy. I've tried many times to read his Border Trilogy with no success. Perhaps I wasn't in the right mood. Whatever the reason, I had a completely different experience with his new book. The writing is sparse, but oh so beautiful. The little boy in the story just broke my heart with his wise observations. --Anonymous

My favourite was Marian Keyes's Anybody Out There? It made me laugh, cry and think, and all in all it was a great read. --Keris

I thought Murakami's Kafka on the Shore was one of the best books I've read in a long time. It is a fantasy, or a metaphor, and sometimes hard to figure out; but I loved it, and it stayed with me for a long time. --Anonymous

It has to be What is the What by Dave Eggers. Well written and well researched, it will give you a lot to think about. --Anonymous

So many books so little time. My current favorite is The Hummingbird's Daughter by Luis Alberto Urrea. A novelized retelling of the story of his great cousin and her magical influence on the Spanish Revolution. She was a healer and was thought of as a saint by the people who came to her. The Mexican government was so intimidated by her power that they deported her and her father. A lovely story of place, history and dynamic personalities. --Terri

The People's Act of Love, by James Meek. It has held on in my memory since Jan '07 - withstanding challenges by Cormac McCarthy's The Road and Phillip Roth's Everyman and Peter Carey's Theft. Reminiscent of Conrad and Dostoyevsky, haunting prose, well-built suspense, big meaty themes, dark desperation and spiritual hunger in the Siberian night - a bravura performance and a sleeper classic. -- Guybrarian

I really enjoyed Between, Georgia, by Joshilyn Jackson. It was a step above the "Southern Girl goes home" novel, and it was just so delightful to read! --Pattie

One of my favorite books to be published in '06 was Wintersmith by Terry Pratchett. While written for around grades 5 to 7 or 8, this third book in the Tiffany Aching trilogy demonstrated how Pratchett can write on many levels and create a story that is at once entertaining for kids and meaningful for the older set, dare I say, adults?! --Linda

My favorite book was A Taste of Darkness a paranormal romance by Nina Bangs. The book had a language all its own and was so realistic it seemed that you were in the story itself. I absolutaly loved this book!

Non-Fiction

Devil’s Teeth, by Susan Casey, exposes a secret society of sharks unheard of beyond Californian myth. Biologists, Pyle and Anderson, have enjoyed fourteen years of uninterrupted studies on an island off San Francsico; where they actually motor out to the kills and film the underwater drama. They refer to their little skiff, usually half the size of the circling sharks, as the “dinner plate.” This non-fiction book is as informative as it is fun, packed full of harrowing, close-encountered shark stories. A book that would make Benchley proud, but still keeps me on dry land. A close encounter with Cal Ripfin, I can miss. ~ maggiereads

My favorite nonfiction book this year was The Heart Has Reasons by Mark Klempner. I've read it twice now, and am amazed that it has not gotten more press because it's so well-written, and impossible to put down. In it, the author juxtaposes his own spiritual quest with the tales of Dutch citizens who risked their lives to save Jewish children during World War II. The result is a book that plumbs the very essence of what it means to live a moral existence. Despite the horrific backdrop of the Holocaust, I found it to be deeply inspiring. --Erica2

I was most moved by The Girls Who Went Away: The Hidden History of Women Who Surrendered Children for Adoption in the Decades before Roe v. Wade by Ann Fessler. Fessler is one of the children who was given up for adoption, and she has spent years interviewing the mothers who lost their children. What she has learned is that most did not give their children away voluntarily; their parents, church, and government officials took the children away. While the book is in some ways history, it is also a call for action to heal women, may of whom still have broken lives. -- ricklibrarian

Georgia author Philip Lee Williams (A Distant Flame) wrote an excellent volume of essays in 2006 called In the Morning: Reflections of First Light. Even if you're not a morning person, you'll love these essays from the world of Wildcat Ridge. Williams has keen powers of observation and a poetic style, and he brings you the natural world after the fashion of Aldo Leopold, David Raines Wallace, and Annie Dillard.

Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic is a memoir by Alison Bechdel written in graphic format. It is rich and complex and very moving. It's one of those works that sneaks up on you until suddenly you have lost your breath, it's so good! --linda

Destructive Emotions: How Can We Overcome Them by Daniel Goleman is the fascinating account of a meeting between Western scientists and Eastern religious experts, most notably His Holiness The Dalai Lama. Goleman narrates the weeklong encounter, during which the scientists and psychology researchers share their most recent findings about emotion with the Dalai Lama at his headquarters in India, and together they all explore the connection between meditation and happiness, a topic that has been attracting much buzz lately. This book is not your typical nonfiction, but is very readable and interesting, not to mention quite educational. ~ misterK

Children's Literature

noosalib — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 21:58:40 CDT

www.surfergirlsummer.com is the place to go to find out about the Surfer Girl Book Series. Also check out www.bellissimapublishing.com and http://penelopedyan.blogspot.com/ and look for the Surfer Girl Summer webpages on this site.

http://jasonrider.blogspot.com/ For a great fantasy series read all about Tucker O'Doyle. Find out more about tucker by going to this blog spot and also by going to www.bellissimapublishing.com for uo to date sale specials on the series,

http://leahfinley.blogspot.com/ Writer Leah Finley is a thid grade teacher who realy loves it when her students get it! That is why she wrote Ms. T a story just for kids that will really help them understand and accept themselves and therefore "get it."

http://paulaparton.blogspot.com/ Check out the latest Paula Parton (writer, teacher, artist) blog and find out what new Parton books Bellissima Publishing, LLC has published or drop in to drop us a line! www.bellissimapublishing.com Latest book? Room17 "Where History Comes Alive!" Book 1, Indians Learn history and be entertained all at the same time! Paula Parton is a fourth grade teacher who just happens to teach in Room 17!

Check out www.surfergirlsummer.com for updates on what is happening with Surfer Girl Summer and her friends! There is onky one Surfer Gorl Summer, and her home is in California with Bellissima Publishing, LLC.

Mister K Reads: On this site, a fourth-grade teacher reviews a variety of children's books.

A Fuse #8 Production: Children's literature is not for the weak. It's a ruthless cutthroat business with lots of gnashes of the teeth. Children's librarianship, in contrast, is a sweet sweet ride. This site includes links and tips to kidlit related sites of interest as well as reviews of the newest children's books.

Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast -- Eisha and Jules are both librarians. They love to read. They need books like they need air and water. And when they review a children's book (which they do -- a lot), they pledge to never use the word "cute" to describe it. Enjoy their blog and all the reviews and links therein.

Semicolon: A homeschool mom blogs about the books we read.

Biblio File is where a working librarian and library student who spends too much time reading shares all she has read. She is not genre specific, but her job makes her heavy on children's and YA.

Big A little a--Kelly Herold reviews children's books and links to news items about children's literature. Kelly also edits a children's literature monthly, The Edge of the Forest.

Blog from the Windowsill

educating alice --- Monica Edinger blogs about teaching (especially 4th grade), literature (especially children's), Africa (especially Sierra Leone where she was a Peace Corps Volunteer), and other sundry topics as they come to her attention.

bookshelves of doom: A small-town librarian in Maine blogs about what she reads -- mostly YA -- and anything else that she feels like blathering on about.

The Class of 2k7: Collective blog of 39 authors with debut children's and YA novels coming out in 2007, presented in an "Ask a Debut Author" format.

http://kiddosphere.blogspot.com/: Fauquier County's youth services blog, featuring reviews of single titles or a collection of reviews centered around a theme (Book Bundles). Folktale Fridays feature a folktale picture book/collection of folktales/folktales on CD. Also features YS events at the libraries.

Boxobooks, a blog devoted to the delight of reading among the stacks of young adult and children's literature old and new, about a review a day, with a smile.

Jen Robinson's Book Page: A blog promoting the love of books by children, and the continued reading of children's books by adults. Features children's and young adult book reviews as well as book and literacy news.

Just One More Book!! Children's Book Podcast: A podcast about the children's books we love and why we love them -- recorded in our favourite coffee shop. Also featuring interviews with authors, illustrators and other book enthusiasts as well as listener submitted reviews.

Reading Life (Days with Cats and Books) I read children's and YA books, as well as good literary fiction and mysteries.. Cross-listed on General Book Blogs.

Ms. Simbe's Book Notes A real classroom teacher finds time to write about the best children and YA books she's enjoyed and has either already used in class or hopes to one day share with current or former students.

Becky's Book Reviews Mainly reviews of children's and young adult literature. Primarily focuses on new literature, 2004-present, but may feature older titles if they are "favorites" of mine. Feel free to leave comments. I always enjoy reading what others have to say!