This & That

This & That

Nightstand September 5, 2008

Is everyone ready for the weekend? I know I am but first I have a bunch of things to tell you about.

First off, the winners of my book giveaways. Congrats you guys! Here’s who gets what:

If you are looking for a good read this weekend, click over to All Things Girl. Christine has two beautiful pictures featured and Jodie has an excellent review of Pat Barker’s Life Class. Way to go girls!

Also, if you haven’t checked out Natasha’s Reading & Blogging For Darfur project please go check it out. Spread the word and let’s raise awareness.

And, last but not least, thank you to Marg & Melody who passed on the Super Commenter award to me.

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Isn’t that sweet? I do love to chat so I guess this proves it. heehee.

This weekend I’m hoping to catch up on some reading and you know, it’s been a while since I’ve gone to the library so maybe I’ll have to spend an afternoon among the stacks.

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Friday Finds

Friday Finds

Nightstand September 4, 2008

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I never did get a chance to tell you about the books I added to my wish list last weekend. My husband and I went out to BookPeople and while he read the latest Spiegel magazine, I wandered over to the fiction section. I found a lot of good books, and what’s best is that some of these are from Independent presses.
So here are the books that I added to my wish list:

  • The Girl on the Fridge by Etgar Keret. Synopsis: A birthday-party magician whose hat tricks end in horror and gore; a girl parented by a major household appliance; the possessor of the lowest IQ in the Mossad—such are the denizens of Etgar Keret’s dark and fertile mind. The Girl on the Fridge contains the best of Keret’s first collections, the ones that made him a household name in Israel and the major discovery of this last decade.
  • The People of Paper by Salvador Plascencia. From the Publisher: An astonishing debut novel about the anguish of lost love. Author Salvador Plascencia, a “once-in-a-generation talent” (George Saunders), weaves together the stories of a large cast of colorful characters, including: a disgruntled monk, a father and daughter, a gang of carnation pickers, and a woman made of paper.
  • The Facts of Winter by Paul Poissel. Synopsis: A series of dreams, all dreamed by people in and around Paris during the winter of 1881. It is historical fiction once removed.
  • Now is the Hour by Tom Spanbauer. From Publisher’s Weekly: In the summer of 1967, 17-year-old Rigby John Klusener is hitchhiking from his hometown of Pocatello, Idaho, to San Francisco to escape a life of religious, racial and sexual bigotry. He leaves behind a pregnant girlfriend, a hopelessly mystified mother, an embittered father and a sister trapped in a brutal marriage.
  • This Will Go Down on Your Permanent Record by Susannah Felts. Synopsis: When the school year at tony Nashville Arts and Science ends, Vaughn Vance ditches her upper class friends for a summer of solitude. Content to be alone and work on her photography, Vaughn’s seclusion is disrupted when she meets her new neighbor, Sophie Birch.

You know I’ll be off to the bookstore again this weekend so let’s see what I find this time around. Looking forward to hearing what you’ve added to your wish list recently!

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Books Reviewed & To Share

Books Reviewed & To Share

Nightstand September 3, 2008

I’ve finished a couple of books recently that I wanted to tell you about and also pass along.

amnesiac-1.jpgFirst up is The Amnesiac by Sam Taylor. When I first heard about this book I thought it was going to be a straightforward mystery but although it has some mystery elements, this is really more of a character study and the journey into memory and amnesia.

The main character, James suffers a fall and while at home recuperating he begins to think. He becomes obsessed with the three years of his past that he cannot recall.

The book is complex and I found it a bit slow going but I did enjoy a lot of aspects about it. If you want to read a bit more about the book, here is my full review.

suckstobeme-1.jpgThe other book which I’ve finished is Sucks to be Me by Kimberly Pauley. Yes, another YA Vampire novel is on the scene. This one is more lighthearted than the Stephenie Meyer books but it still very enjoyable.

Mina Hamilton’s parents have told her that she has to decide if she wants to become a vampire like them or not. The poor teen not only has to suffer through high school, but she also attend vampire classes.

I found myself laughing a couple of times and although I’m not sure if the author has a sequel planned I think there’s definitely room for that and I’d certainly read a follow-up book. Here is my full review. For those of you participating in the R.I.P. Challenge, this could be a good choice.

Now for the giveaways. Both of these were sent to me by the publishers and I’d love to share these so if you are interested in any of the books leave me a comment and let me know. I’ll do the drawing and announce the winner over the weekend.

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