Book Meme

I was tagged by Smash from Great Books Fresh Coffee for this book meme. Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I liked writing it.

1. What author do you own the most books by?

Charles Dickens

2. What book do you own the most copies of?

The Bible

3. Did it bother you that both those questions ended with prepositions?

Nope.

4. What fictional character are you secretly in love with?

David Copperfield in David Copperfield

5. What book have you read the most times in your life?

Little Women

6. Favorite book as a ten year old?

Anything Nancy Drew

7. What is the worst book you’ve read in the past year?

Women in Love or Villette

8. What is the best book you’ve read in the past year?

Anna Karenina or 1984 they are tied

9. If you could force everyone you know to read one book, what would it be?

1984 by Orwell

10. What book would you most like to see made into a movie?

Girls in Trucks by Katie Crouch

11. What is the most difficult book you’ve ever read?

War and Peace and I still have not finished.

12. What is your favorite book?

I don't have one I love so many. I would have to say Jane Eyre

13. Play?

Romeo and Juliet

14. Poem?

The Raven by Poe

15. Essay?

Don't have one

16. Who is the most overrated writer alive today?

Stephanie Meyer. I just don't see the hype. No offense

17. What is your desert island book?

Anything by Charles Dickens

18. And . . . what are you reading right now?

Middlemarch by George Eliot.

Thanks, Smash! If anyone wants to snag these questions, I'd love to read your answers.

Friday Fill-ins

And...here we go!

1. It's cold and ___wet__.

2. __Fried Green___ tomatoes.

3. My favorite health and beauty product is __Mizani___.

4. ____Have_ a nice long ride.

5. Well, first of all _I believe I am right____.

6. ____Obama_; those were the cast of characters in a recent dream and it was _Good____.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to _BEATWEETPARY____, tomorrow my plans include CLEANING_____ and Sunday, I want to _Catch up on my reading and blog____!

Friday 56

Rules:
* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of Storytime with Tonya and Friends.
*Post a link along with your post back to Storytime with Tonya and Friends.
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.


Today's snippet comes from Queen Isabella by Alison Weir:

She wrote to her friend Isabella de Vesci, on 27 October, and to the King at Windsor, again "with haste," on the twenty-eighth. On the twenty-ninth, she sent a letter to Adam Osgodby, the Vice-Chancellor.

Review of Innocent Traitor by Alison Weir

From the inside cover: This the story of Lady Jane Grey-"the Nine Days' Queen"- a fifteen year-old girl who unwittingly finds herself at the enter of the religious and civil unrest that nearly toppled the fabled House of Tudor during the sixteenth century.

The child of a scheming father and a ruthless mother, Jane Grey is born during the harrowingly turbulent period that will see the demise of Jane's infamous great-uncle, King Henry VIII. Vexed at not having a male heir, Jane's abusive parents connive to use their intelligent, dutiful young daughter as a pawn in a dangerous dynastic game. But when the premature death of Jane's adolescent cousin- and Henry's successor- King Edward VI thwarts their original ploy, Jane unwittingly finds herself at the center of the struggle for supremacy.

Unabashedly honest and exceptionally intelligent, Jane possesses a strength of character beyond her years that equips her to weather the vicious storm. Although she has no ambitions to rule, preferring to immerse herself in books and relgious studies, she is forced to accept the crown, and by so doing sets off a cataclysm of betrayal and tragedy.

My Review:

Ms. Weir clearly researched the character of Jane Grey but I am not sure she is as good of a fiction writer as she is a non-fiction writer. All the characters seemed to have almost the same personalities and thought processes. I did however find the book very engaging. The character Jane was truly a tragic figure. She was verbally and physically abused as a child and then forced as a teenager to marry a young man that she did not love or even care for only to be sexually abused. This book deals with harsh situations so I would not recommend it for the teenager. Overall I enjoyed this book but its not one of my favorites by this author.

Rating 4/5.

Thursday Thunks

Welcome to the May 28th version of Thursday Thunks!

(which we always seem to post on Wednesday)
Where we make you think a little bit before you blog!

This week we will answer some crazy questions brought to you by THE THURSDAY THUNKERS!!!!!

These questions were submitted by Thursday Thunker participants! (so don't blame Kimber & Berleen for the quality of the questions.....)

we are picking up where we left off last week, which explains why we are starting with #21 instead of #1. Great work on the questions submissions everyone! It gave Kimber & I a much needed mental break.
We posted these questions just as they were listed on the participant's blog.

21. How many states have you been in? Too many. I am a military wife

22. If a sexist Man is called a pig, what is a sexist Woman called? I have no clue

23. You see the one person who you absolutely despise. If you were guarentee'd that he/she couldn't say or do anything back to you.... What would you do?? I would tell them how I really feel about them

24. How many states are to the right of you? And don’t give us a map to look at. Too many I am on the East Coast. I don't have time to count all that.

25. You can go anywhere in the world for free. Where are you? England. I always wanted to visit England.

26. HOW MANY FINGERS AM I HOLDING UP? Zero you are typing this question.

27. Are you a boxing fan? Do you think there will be a rematch of the Hatton-Pacquiao fight? No I am not a boxing fan and I don't know who these people are.

28. What is the most disgusting thing you have ever eaten? Ox Tails.

29. Is it cloudy right now? No

30. What is your dream job? Political Activist

31. Someone gives you a $500 gift card to WalMart or Target. What are you going to buy? A Laptop or a Blackberry Storm

32. When you were little, what did you want to be "when you grow up"? I wanted to be a Nun And, how much different is your occupation now from where you thought it would be when you were younger?
Very different I am married

33. what was your favorite toy as a child? Barbie

34. How do you think these things up?? Off the top of my head.

35. Why do you think so many "fake" veterans get away with pretending? Why don't people question them more (especially the media who eats up their stories?) The media is very gullible. It really very sad. I don't like when people fake their military career

36. What is the last place you had a good cry and why? When I had a miscarriage about a year ago today actually.

37. What do you mean? I don't know what do you mean.

38. Which Sesame Street Character do you relate with the most and why? Oscar the grouch. I am a moody person.

39. What song one would you listen to over and over if you absolutely had to? Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody

40. Did you ever make what you believed at the time to be a horrible mistake - that in hindsight turned out to lead you on the best path in your life? Yes, sometimes and sometimes you should regret it.

41. If you could change one thing on your person, what would it be? My abs. I miss my flat abs without stretch marks

42. What’s your favorite show to watch on television nowadays? So You Think You Can Dance

43. Do you believe there is life after death? Yes.

Tuesday Teasers

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along!

Just do the following:

• Grab your current read


• Open to a random page


• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page


• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)


• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Today's teaser comes from Mary Barton from Elizabeth Gaskell:

Now, poor Jane Wilson had been sorely tried; and at present her trials had had no outward effect, but that of increased acerbity of temper. She wished to show Mary how much she was offended, and meant to strengthen her cause, by putting some of her own sharp speeches into Jem's mouth.

What is your teaser

Review of Girls in Trucks

From the Back Cover:
Never Chase Men or Buses. Don't let yourself be seen in a truck in town. These are simple rules passed down through generations of Camellias, one of the oldest debutante societies in Charleston. Sarah Walters is a member of this antiquated club-whether she like it or not. The society is a privilege one is born to, an it offers rules of etiquette meant to prepare a girl for a charmed life with an appropriate husband. The only problem is, Sarah has a tendency to make life choices that are anything but polite. With biting humor and keen observation, Katie Crouch takes Sarah from a sweaty-palmed eighth-grader at Cotillion dancing lessons to a slightly numb thirty-five-year-old living in New York City. It takes a strange turns of events to make Sarah realize that as much as she tries to deny it, where she comes from will always affect where she ends up.

My Review:

While I liked this book, I think it skipped around a lot. It was like she went from 13 to 25 in two chapters with out really getting to know her. This book left a lot of my questions unanswered about some of the characters. I know her sister got married a few times but did she ever marry the international guy? Why does a girl who is supposed to be the upper crust of society have such a potty mouth. What made her go wild with her relationships?



Some good points:
The depth of emotions of the characters were so vivid.
This is definitely a page turner

Some bad points:

Unnecessary profanity
Jumping around
Unanswered questions

Would I read something else by this author? Yes.

Overall I give this 3.5/5

The Four Month Challenge

Virginie of Virginie Says is hosting her very first challenge.

Virginie Says…

So, I decided to make up my own challenge – mostly to push myself to get off the computer and read more! Plus, it will help me whittle down that TBR list…lol Here it is. Join if you like.

Here's how it works:

5 Point Challenges

• Read a Chick Lit book, Read a historical fiction book, Read a book just because you like the cover, Read anything by Jean Plaidy, Read a book with a number in the title.

10 Point Challenges

• Read a book about Royalty (biography or fiction), Read a classicRead a book by an author you’ve never read before, Read a celebrity biography/autobiography, Read a hardcover book.

15 Point Challenges

• Read a book with a one word title, Read a book based on a Biblical character, Read a book that was made into a movie, Read a book by an author born in June, July, August or September, Read a book with a summer word in the title (summer, sun, sand, hot, etc.).

20 Point Challenges

• Read a book in a series AND the one after it, Read a Danielle Steele AND a Maeve Binchy book, Read a book from the 1001 Books to Read Before You Die list (http://www.listology.com/list/1001-books-you-must-read-you-die, Read a book considered Christian FictionRead a book of your choice BUT read it outside.

250 Points total.

To sign up go to The Four Month Challenge.

I have picked out some books but I will keep you up to date on my progress. Its a good thing a lot of books on my TBR list fit in nicely

Beowolf on the Beach Chalenge

May 25 - September 7, 2009

Books on the Nightstand is hosting the Beowulf on the Beach Reading Challenge.

Beowulf on the Beach by Jack Murnighan is an accessible, funny and extremely readable guide to 50 great works of literature, as chosen by the author.

Rules:

• Read at least one book featured in Beowulf on the Beach, though you can, of course, read more.
• Write about your challenge and reading experience (on a blog, Facebook, Goodreads, Twitter, etc.)

Visit Books on the Nightstand for more information, to sign up AND to win a free copy of Beowulf on the Beach!

The books I choose for this challenge are:

1. MiddleMarch by George Eilot
2. Wings of a Dove by Henry James

Mail Box Mondays

I did not have much in my mailbox last week. I only received two books and a ton of bills lol.

This week I received:

The Girl Who Stopped Swimming (Contest win)

From the back cover: Laurel Gray Hawthorne hasn't seen a ghost in the thirteen years she and her husband have lived in their beautiful gated community. Then, in the dogs days of a Florida August, she wakes to find Molly, her daughter's best friend standing by her bed, who then leads her to her own small body floating lifelessly in the Hawthorne's pool. Laurel's carefully constructed existence cracks, and the past seeps through...
Laurel and her sister , Thalia, grew up in what looked like a typical blue-collar home. But the Grays have long been hiding a s skeleton in their closet. While Laurel built her "perfect" life, Thalia became an actress with a capital A, a woman who doesn't fit in Laurel' s tidy world. Now Molly can't rest until someone learns her secrets. Laurel turns to her sister , and together they begin a journey that will unearth their family's history, the true state of Laurel's marriage , and what really happened to the girl who stopped swimming

The second book I received was:

The White Queen by Philippa Gregory (ARC)

From inside cover:

Elizabeth Woodville, of the House of Lancaster, is widowed when her husband is killed in battle. Aided and abetted by the raw ambition and witchcraft skills of her mother Jacquetta, Wlizabeth seduces and marries, in secret, reigning king Edward IV, of the family of the white rose, the House of York. As long as there are other claimants to Edward's throne, the profound rivalries between the to families will never be laid to rest. Violent conflict, shocking betrayal and murder dominate Elizabeth's life as Queen of England, passionate wife of Edward and devoted mother of their children.

This book is due to be out in August 2009 in UK and Sept/Oct 2009 in the US.

What are you reading on Mondays

Well last week was a slow week again I did manage to complete one book this week.

Books I completed:
Girls in Trucks by Katie Crouch (Review coming soon)

Books I am reading this week:
North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell( will complete this week)
Mary Barton by Elizabeth Gaskell - pg 116 of 379
Of Bees and Mist by Erick Setiawan pg 86 of 403
The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie
Queen Isabella by Alison Weir pg 191 of 388
The Mayor of Casterbridge pg 103 of 306
Persuasion about 10 chapters left.

What I will start this week:

Nothing I am trying to finish these before the first except for Of Bees and Mist.

Wonderous Words Wednesday

Wondrous Words Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Bermudaonion where we share new (to us) words that we’ve encountered in our reading.

Again I will use The Mayor of Casterbridge because its loaded with many interesting words.

1.Bill-hooks - hooked knives
2. mattock- tools used to loosen hard ground
3. butter-firkins- small casks for butter
4. field-flagons- bottles in which field workers carried beer
5. seed-lips- baskets used to carry seed
6. lammigers- Physically disabled people
7. tumuli- mounds of earth marking ancient burial sites
8. brougham- closed one-horse carriage
9. victorine- fur scarf worn by women

This book is full of new words and slang.

Thursday Thunks

Welcome to the May 21st version of Thursday Thunks!

(which we always seem to post on Wednesday)
Where we make you think a little bit before you blog!

This week we will answer some crazy questions brought to you by THE THURSDAY THUNKERS!!!!!

These questions were submitted by last week's Thursday Thunk's participants! (so don't blame Kimber & Berleen for the quality of the questions.....)

1. Have you seen the new Star Trek movie, and if so what did you think? No

2. Which popular sitcom character (past or present) are you most like? Denise Huxtable

3. What kind of dreams do you have? It depend on what happened throughout my day.

4. Bugger it. Go get a tattoo and come back. Right, now answer me this, what ees eet? I don't have a tattoo nor do I plan on getting one.

5. Do you think you could be on American Idol with the singing voice you have now without any voice training? Not unless the judges were deaf.

6. How much wood, would a woodchuck chuck? If a woodchuck could chuck wood? I never did care for that rhyme. So I really don't care to answer that question

7. If you were a tree in a Dr. Seuss book, what would you look like? Green and discombobulated

8. Twilight? I'm addicted/Who cares/What the hell is Twilight? Who cares I really don't see the hype but to each his own.

9. Do you think Kimber and Berleen do a dube while writing these questions? No, I think you try to make the questions fun and silly.

10. What the worst injury you've ever had? I hit my head an received stitches. I was 7 yrs old.

11. What is your favorite dessert? Apple pie

12. What do you prefer...beach or mountains? Beach

13. What movie have you seen that still make you cry? Steel Magnolias and Memoirs of a Geisha. Its a tie between those 2

14. Why are you making me submit a question? Are you too lazy to think of one yourself? She probably wants you to participate. Just do it and stop complaining.

15. how often do you do laundry? almost every other day.

16. What is your favorite movie of all time, and why? Flowers in the Attic. The drama and suspense. I love it. I can watch it back to back over and over again.

17. If you won a million dollars in the lottery, would you keep working? Yes, because if you have not money coming in you would be broke eventually.

18. If there was a war of the gummies, would you be on the gummi bear side or the gummi worm side? Gummie Bear they are just too darn cute.

19. What's your favorite comic strip? I don't have one because I do not read comics.

20. Close your eyes… imagine you are in the perfect room/place… describe it. I nmy bedroom on the coast of France. I would look out the window and see the Arc de Triumfe. Birds are singing and the sun is shining. My maid is making my bed while I am on the balcony sipping tea. One can only hope lol.

....to be continued next week.... (you didn't want all 40-some questions this week, did you?)

Don't forget to go visit your other Thursday Thunkers & comment on their blog post!

Tuesday Teasers

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
  
• Open to a random page
  
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
  
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
  
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Today's excerpt is from Of Bees and Mist by Erick Setiawan

pg 140:

Too astonished for words, Meridia put her hand on Patina's shoulder. The old woman began sobbing and went, "It was my fault."

Mail Box Mondays

This is a weekly event that shows what you have in you received in the mail in the past week.

I received a lot of books this week. I expect it to slowdown a lot in the next coming weeks.

Here is what I received:

John Adams by David McCullough
Truman by David McCullough
Mornings on Horseback by David McCullough
The Course of Human Events by David McCullough
The Hapsburgs Embodying Empire by Andrew Wheat Croft
The Wars of the Roses by Anthony Cheetham
The Middle Ages by John Gillingham and Peter Earle
The House of Windsor by Andrew Roberts
The Preacher by Julie Fritz

What I purchased from the store this week is:
Barnes and Noble Purchases:

Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon
I don't want to be crazy by Samantha Schultz
Skinny by Ibi Kaslik
Prisoner of Tehran by Marina Nemat.

From Target:
Yes We Can by Garen Thomas

What is in your mailbox this week?

What are you reading on Mondays

For It's Monday! What are you reading this week? I post the books completed last week, the books I am currently reading, and the books I hope to finish this week. I usually pile on a little extra. Sponsored by J-kay-book-blog.blogspot.com


What I completed last week:
Emerald City of Oz by Frank Baum
Innocent Traitor

What I hope to complete this week:
North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie
Persuasion by Jane Austen

What I am reading this week:

1. Mary Barton by Elizabeth Gaskell
2. Persuasion by Jane Austen
3. The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy
4.The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie
5. Isabella She Wolf of France by Alison Weir
6. Girls in Trucks by Katie Crouch
7. Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens

Friday 56

Rules:
* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of Storytime with Tonya and Friends.
*Post a link along with your post back to Storytime with Tonya and Friends.
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

It started to snow. I had been excited to see falling snow, but this was not the light, fluffy kind I had seen in pictures. It was heavy and unpleasant and clung determinedly to my nose and hair.

From Girls in Trucks by Katie Crouch

Thursday Thunks

This week we will answer some crazy questions brought to you by Kimber, taken over by Berleen, the color carrot orange and the number 94.

1. You are at the store when suddenly 2 men walk in with guns and rob the place. Are you the hero, quiet & follow the rules type, or try to make a run for it? Follow the rules

2. Do you like Twizzlers? yes, I love them

3. Are you a YouTube watcher? yes, I watch occasionally

4. When a auto glass store calls you and asks if you have a chip or crack in your windshield, what do you tell them? No, I don't have one.

5. What is the age difference between you and your father? 32

6. Have you ever tried to find the end of a rainbow? no

7. Camping - recreational vehicle or tent? recreational vehicle

8. Have you ever had to call 9-1-1? yes

9. Who is your favorite blog in the Thursday Thunk bloggers to visit? I don't have one.

10. How long do you think you could live locked in your house on the food that you have on hand right now? Not, long at all.

11. Pepper - shaker or grinder? Shaker

12. What state (or country if you are not in the US) is 2 states west of you? Kentucky

13. What color do you believe you look best in? Navy Blue

and once again... next week is Thursday Thunkers Questions... so....

14. What is your question submission for next week? What about your city makes it so unique and what is an historical landmark.

Wondrous Words Wednesday

Wondrous Words Wednesday is a weekly meme where we share new (to us) words that we’ve encountered in our reading. Feel free to join in the fun.

Wondrous Words Wednesday is hosted by Bermudaonion's Weblog.

This week's Wondrous comes from the book The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy

1.fustain- Thick cotton material.
2. is a term for a variety of heavy woven, mostly cotton fabrics, chiefly prepared for menswear. It is also used to refer to pompous, inflated or pretentious writing or speech, from at least the time of Shakespeare. Fustian was worn by workers during the 19th century. As such, radical elements of the British working class chose to wear fustian jackets as a symbol of their class allegiance. This was especially marked during the Chartist era. The historian Paul Pickering has called the wearing of fustian "a statement of class without words."^[3] via Wikipedia

2. keacorn- Throat

3. barrow- is a mound of earth erected over a grave.

4. fetichistic- Superstitious

5. sacrarium- Area surround and altar

These were found on the first 17 pages that I have read so far.

Tuesday Teasers

MizB at Should Be Reading hosts Teaser Tuesdays. Here's how it works: Grab your current read; let the book fall open to a random page; and share 2 “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12. For more teasers, click on through to MizB's blog.




This entry is from Queen Isabella by Alison Weir Pg 44:

It is more likely that the barons were only too happy to exploit her plight for their own purposes.

What are you reading on Mondays

So I am a bit of a slow reader. I only managed to complete 2 books this week. I also keep the same books for almost a month. I probably take on too many books at one time but I am moody reader.

Here is what I completed this week:

1. War of the Roses by Alison Weir
2. Innocent Traitor by Alison Weir

Books I am reading this week:

1. Mary Barton by Elizabeth Gaskell
2.Persuasion by Jane Austen
2. Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy
3. The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie
4. The Emerald City of Oz (which I hope to complete this week)
5. Isabella She Wolf of France by Alison Weir
6. Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens
7. North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell (Hope to complete this this week)

Hoping to start at the end of this week when the other two are completed:

1.Girls in Trucks by Katie Crouch

Review of Anna Karenina

This is a different version of the one I have because mine is so old.

From the back cover of the one I own:

Tolstoy's genius for viewing social classes in the largest possible context and for sketching the subtlest human gestures becomes most evident in Anna Karenina. To this novel he brought his troubling conviction that at his moments of most intense experience Man is closed to Death. This double drama of Anna and of Levin. Sensual, rebellious, Anna renounces respectable marriage and fine position for a passionate involvement which offers a taste of freedom and a trap for destruction. Levin, an eccentric and melancholy young nobleman, surrenders his individuality to live as a peasant.

Applauded as the greatest novel of modern social realism, Anna Karenina contains the nucleus of Tolstoy's program for nonviolence and abstention form worldly riches- a program based on personal interpretation of the Gospels that made him one of the world's most venerated teachers.


My Review:

The novel opens with Dolly learning of her husband Stiva's affair. She is devastated. His sister Anna comes to visit her brother and his wife and pretty soon she had an affair with Vronsky. She then goes on to leave her husband for Karenin for him. This story goes on about the lives of these 4 people along with Kitty and Levin's relationship. I really don't want to spoil it for you.

From the beginning this novel captivated me and kept my attention. Although it is a long novel it does not seem that way. It took me a month to read it but then again I was reading several other novels along with it. Tolstoy captures the human emotion and you begin to feel what the character were feeling. This is easily one of my favorites and I would recommend it to anyone.

Some of the meaningful quotes in the novel are:

All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.

That is so true. I think so true every family has problems that can make them unhappy but the the way they deal with their unhappiness varies and is unique.

The last one I would like to quote is this one:

"Respect was invented to cover the empty place where love should be. But if you don't love me, it would be better and more honest to say so"

I think a lot of people can relate to this line from Anna to Vronksy. I think people have experienced that feeling in one of their relationships in life I know I have that is why its very meaninful to me.

Rating 5/5

Review of War of the Roses by Alison Weir

From the Back Cover:

Lancaster and York. For much of the fifteenth century, these two families were locked in battle for control of the English throne. Kings were murdered and deposed. Armies marched on London. Old noble names were ruined while rising dynasties seized power and lands. The war between the royal Houses of Lancaster and York, the most complex in English history, profoundly altered the course of Monarchy.

My Review:

The author starts out giving the background of the two families. The she goes on to tell why the War was started. She gives details on the major battles and who perished in them. She gave a little insight to what was going on in each character's head.

Here writing was not dry at all, in fact more like a novel than a work of non-fiction. The author research was well done. She gave statements to back up her claims. I have read other works by this author and her histories are never dry. Which has made me a big non-fiction fan.

My rating for this novel is 4.5/5

This month I will be starting the sequel to this novel the Princes in the Tower. About the sons of Edward IV.

Review of Women in Love

• Paperback: 576 pages
• Publisher: Modern Library (January 4, 2000)
• Language: English

From the Back cover:

Written during the desperate years of the First World War. Women in Love is the story of two sisters, Ursula and Gudrun , and the men with whom the fall in love. The tew couples yearn for fulfillment and meaning in their romantic lives, yet struggle in a modern world that is is increasingly violent and destructive a struggle that ultimately ends in the demise of one of the intimates. Rich in symbolism and lyrical prose, Women in Love is a complex intellectual meditation on the meaning of love.

My Review:

While this book had no plot, It basically described and question many types of love. I found the language beautiful but hard to understand at times. Basically its about tow sister Ursula and Gudrun. Ursula falls for Birkin and he asks her to marry him. Meanwhile Gerald and Birkin have an intmate affair with each other. This book was probably banned because of the homosexuality in the novel. Lawrence can be bold and sometimes offensively sexual for his era.

I really did not like this book because it jumped around a lot. I was told that I would have probably would have like it if I had The Rainbow first. The best part of this novel would have to be the end because it was shocking I had to reread the last chapter to get over my shock.

Overall rating 3/5

US Presidents Reading Project.

The rules are simple:

1. Read at least one non-fiction book about each of the U.S. Presidents
2. Take as much time as you need
3. Have fun learning about U.S. history and its leaders






1.
2. John Adams by David McCollugh
3.
4.
5.
6.
7. American Lion by Jon Meacham
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
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26.Mornings on Horseback by David McCollough
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33. Truman by David McCollugh
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43. Yes We Can A Biography of President Barack Obama by Garen Thomas

Books I bought Today

I went book shopping and I bought several books. I don't know how to post the pictures without having to do a long process of saving the image etc. I also don't know how to name link.

From Borders:

Andrew Jackson in the White House American Lion by Jon Meacham
Lipstick Jihad A Memoir of Growing Up Iranian in America and American in Iran by Azadeh Moaveni

From Barnes and Noble I bought:

Candy Girl A year in the Life of an Unlikely Stripper by Diablo Cody
Because They Hate A Survivor of Islamic Terror Warns America by Brigitte Gabriel
Testimony by Anita Shreve

From Walmart I bought:

You'll Never Find my Body by Don Lassetter
Stolen Innocence by Elissa Wall
Multiple Bles8ings byJon and Kate Gosselin and Beth Carson

From Amazon I bought:

The Middle Ages by Antonia Fraser
The Wars of the Roses by Antonia Fraser
The Hapsburgs by Andrew Wheatcroft
The House of Windsor by Antonia Fraser
John Adams, Truman, Mornings on Horseback, The Course of Human Events by David McCullough
(Purchased with Amazon Gift Card)

Friday 56

Rules:
* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of this blog.
*Post a link along with your post back to this blog.
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

HAPPY FRIDAY!

This is from the book Candy Girl by Diablo Cody

"Darling," I sighed, employing my favorite term of endearment for the boy. "You'll be the ruin of me."

Thursday Thunks

Welcome to the May 7th version of Thursday Thunks!
(which we always seem to post on Wednesday)
Where we make you think a little bit before you blog!

We pick a subject, and your job is to interpret it anyway you want. Write about it on your blog... simple as that. Maybe you can interpret it as a picture - we don't care!
Please only leave a link if you have written a Thursday Thunks post. Please mention us in your post, and link back to the blog here.
Don't forget to go visit the other participants' blogs. Read and comment about all their Thursday Thunks! Thats what all this is about afterall, isn't it? We'll have so much fun and become lifelong friends....

This week we will answer some crazy questions brought to you by Berleen & Kimber via Skype, the color cranberry (is that a color?) and the number 1,999,784,926,901.

1. Why the heck did you come back this week to do this meme? Its fun.

2. Ever whiten your teeth? Yes,

3. Do you drive the speed limit? Over

4. Did the dog eat your homework? No

5. How many bites does it take to get to the center of a watermelon? Don't know

6. Did you eat paint chips as a child? No

7. If someone rang your doorbell/knocked on your door at 1am, would you answer it? No

8. "Amazingly Smooth" makes you think of what? My daughter's skin

9. What was the last stupid thing someone said to you? (not counting this meme's questions) That the President is not an American citizen

10. Would you eat a stick of butter for $100? No

11. Find the nearest fabric tab, not counting your clothing you are wearing. What does it say the object is made of and where was it made? 100% cotton, Made in Indonesia

12. What is the strangest name you've ever heard someone name their child (or a person you met... however you want to answer it)? Alize

13. Why is some toilet paper really soft and others are really hard? Don't know but I do know the cheaper the product the hard the toilet paper.

Booking Through Thursday

Suggested by Vega:

Last Saturday (May 2nd) is Free Comic Book Day! In celebration of comics and graphic novels, some suggestions:

- Do you read graphic novels/comics? Why do/don’t you enjoy them? No, I would rather read Nonfiction or Historical fiction without the distraction of pictures

- How would you describe the difference between “graphic novel” and “comic”? Is there a difference at all? Graphic Novel is usually a work that reads like a novel but with the pictures and the comic book is like a few short lines and then the storyline changes.

- Say you have a friend who’s never encountered graphic novels. Recommend some titles you consider landmark/”canonical”. I would say either Dracula or Tales from Udolpho are good Graphic novels

Tuesday Teasers

TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:

Grab your current read. Let the book fall open to a random page.

Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.

You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!

Please avoid spoilers!

This teaser comes from War of the Roses by Alison Weir

Margaret, of course wasted not time in demanding of the King that he release Somerset from the Tower, and on the 16th the Duke was set at liberty; the offices that York had taken from him,those of Constable of England and Captain of Calais, were immediately restored to him.

Review of Complete Illustrated Guide of The Presidents of America by Professor Jon Roper

From the Back Cover:
A comprehensive visual encyclopedia of every American President from George Washington to the present -day incumbent.

Each President is presented within the context of the major contemporary social, political and economic events that helped to shape the nation, as well as the international developments and relations that have affected the course of world history.

Special feature boxes present essential facts about each of the Presidents, including their political and military careers prior to the presidency , as well as their family backgrounds, education and religion.

Stunningly illustrated with more than 460 photographs, fine-art paintings, election campaign posters and maps.

About the Author from the inside cover:

Professor Jon Roper received a BA honors degree in philosophy, politics and economics at St. Catherine's College, Oxford, UK , and a doctorate at Georgetown University, Washington,D.C., before becoming a lecturer in the Department of Political Theory and Government at Swansea University, Wales. In 1966 he was made head of the Department for American Studies and was appointed professor of the department in 2005. He has a special interest in the presidency, the impact of war on politics and society, and Anglo-American political ideas.

My Review:

I would have to say that this book is well-written and researched. The author has a lot of knowledge about his subject. I learn a lot about the presidents and some facts I knew and some facts that I did not know. For example: Even though Reagan was Republican he modeled his Presidency after FDR.

In this book it contains information about their wives and key events that happened throughout their Presidency. The Pictures in the book were gorgeous and this book makes an excellent collectible. It should also be used as a reference for your children if they have projects etc.

Overall I rate this book a 4.5 out of 5 because their are some editorial spelling mistakes in some chapters.

Southern Reading Challenge 2009

May 15 - August 15, 2009

Maggie from Maggie Reads is once again hosting her very popular Southern Reading Challenge for 2009. She writes:

It's that time of year!

The time when you pour a glass of lemonade or sweet tea and take your official summer spot on the porch. Lean back in that chase lounge surrounded by geraniums and ferns, and begin the summer long journey into Southern culture.

Participants may choose to read any style of Southern book such as Appalachian tales, Civil War sagas, Gothic myths, Grit lit, etc... The goal is THREE BOOKS in three months. As she did last year, Maggie will be holding weekly drawings and contest

Here are the books that I am reading for the challenge:

1. The Awakening by Kate Chopin
2. Rhett Butlers People by David McCiag
3. Girls in Trucks by Katie Crouch

What are you reading on Mondays

For It's Monday! What are you reading this week? I post the books completed last week, the books I am currently reading, and the books I hope to finish this week. I usually pile on a little extra. Being such moody reader, I need some wiggle room to change my mind during the week.

If you already do a weekly reading post, feel free to add your link in the It's Monday! What are you reading this week? comment section each Monday. It doesn't matter which day of the week you posted it and you don’t need to use the button above. If you don't currently do something like this on your blog but would like to, then feel free to join in each Monday. It's fun to find out what others are reading!

To participate go to J. Kaye's Book Blog to add your link.

Here is what I am reading this week: I don't think it will vary much except it will slowly get smaller but it helps me and everyone else know how I am coming along this month

1. Mary Barton by Elizabeth Gaskell
2.Persuasion by Jane Austen
3.The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie
4. The Emerald City of Oz by Frank Baum
5. Innocent Traitor by Alison Weir (almost finished)
6. Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens
7. Isabella, She Wolf of France by Alison Weir
8. North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
9. War of the Roses by Alison Weir. (almost finished)

April Round up and Challenges I have completed.

Books I have read:

1. Dorothy and the Wizard of OZ by Frank Baum 5/5
I love reading books of my favorite childhood characters.

2. Women in Love by D.H. Lawrence 2/5
This book was slow going and the character like to talk a lot about nothing the only reason I gave it a 2 was the shocking ending.

3. The Golden Bug by Edgar Allan Poe 3/5
Some of the language that was used kind of turned me off on that one. I just don't like what they called the slaves then and think of them of just ignorant people I have to learn to get past that.

4. Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll 4/5
Again I love reading books of childhood. It takes me back. Last month I read Alice in Wonderland. Its amazing I have seen all the the movies but never read the books.

5. Memoir of Jane Austen by Edward Leigh Austin 5/5
I enjoyed this nice biography of Jane Austen and all the reasons about why she wrote her books and what inspired her to write them. This even included the lost chapters of Persuasion which gave me the inspiration to read it this month.

6. 1984 by George Orwell. 5/5
I loved this book one of my favorites. It kept me on my toes as well as making me scared about a government where they control everything you do.

7. Complete Guide to Presidents of America by Professor Jon Roper 5/5
A very well-written book about the Presidents. I learn a lot of things that I did not know about the Presidents.

Challenges Completed:

None.

Challenges Started:

None

Its Friday 56

from Just Jennifer Reading by Jennifer

Rules:
* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of Storytime with Tonya and Friends.
*Post a link along with your post back to Storytime with Tonya and Friends.
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

Here's mine this week:


So this was an excellent opportunity, Messrs. Carson thought, for refitting their factory with first-rate improvements, for which the insurance-money would amply pay. They were in no hurry about the business, however.

From Mary Barton by Elizabeth Gaskell