Pretty Paper Book Club: Corvallis, Oregon.
Alyce, Susan and Jandi
Susan
I started a book club almost two years ago, it has changed and morphed, but just gotten better and better. It has made it through the season where all my friends wanted to come just to hang out, and now only my friends who actually want to read and live in the area come. It is a perfect size now (not that we would ever not welcome other peeps!!) Alyce, a fellow book blogger from At Home With Books is local and is a member of the group as well!
I love it, we go out to eat first and just hang out, then we go to coffee and dessert and talk more and then talk about the books. We all love books, and most of the time we all read the book, our only fault is that sometimes we have a hard time getting (and staying) on the subject of the book we actually read. After we talk and discuss the book and are full to the brim we have been known to go out to a movie (if we can get that figured out) or over to one of the members house to sit and relax in the hot tub.
Our book club I think is a little different than most in that we actually are friends outside of book club, and our relationships go deeper than books. I love my local book club...it is nice to meet once a month for girl time, an evening to just hang.
This month we are going to read Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, next month Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins!
Becky and babe 
Alyce & Susan
Susan & Jandi
I was there too, but I never end up in the pictures, bummer.
These are the books we have read so far in our bookclub, with links to my book reivews:
Half a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
The Wednesday Sisters by Meg Waite Clayton
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith (Not reviewed yet)
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens (not yet reviewed)
Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Out of the Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis
The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom
March by Geraldine Brooks
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
Watership Down by Richard Adams
There are more books, but I'll stop there.
Is your book club as fun as ours????
Sunday Salon: One Thing I Love About my Library? Preloads!
I am currently reading Amy Tan's, The Kitchen God's Wife and it is excellent! I love getting the preloaded audio books from my library. Does every one's library have these? It is the size of a deck of cards and lighter and you just have to plug in your headphones and hit play. No need for an ipod or to put it onto your computer and then transport it into a different format to work on your MP3 player, it fab.This is what they look like:
It really is a great idea. So far I have listened to two of them, last week I listened to Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight, before that John Green's Paper Towns and this week I loving The Kitchen God's Wife. For my little ones I checked out The Island of Blue Dolphins, and Charlie and the Chocolate factory two books I enjoyed as a kid. Our library gets them through Playaway, and the quality is good, you can even mess with the settings and speed up the reading if you want. They are marketing to the military, schools and libraries, places where more than one person would benefit from the usage of the pre-loads, I tell you....I can't get enough!
I have enjoyed the online download audiobooks that our library has, but these are even way more fun!
What about your library? Do they embrace new technology or is your library slower to accommodate the changing times? Tell me something you love about your local library, I'd love to hear it!
Dreadlock Girl’s visit to a Powell’s Books Author Event: Luis Alberto Urrea!!
Even though June was one of the craziest months for us ever, I couldn't handle not heading to Powell's to see an author. And the choice was hard, last month they had Carlos Ruiz Zafon, David Sedaris, Lisa See, among many other equally exciting authors. However, after having twittered with them for months, I just had to choose Luis Alberto Urrea and his lovely wife and kids at the Powell's Books event on his tour to promote Into the Beautiful North. I warned them that I was a tad bit shy in person and they promised to be cuddly and they most certainly were. In all honesty I have never met an author like Luis Urrea, he was kind, attentive and he captured the audience with such ease, as he is just as good at public speaking as he is at writing. I loved him from the minute I saw him, and it was easy to see everyone else there did too. He was swarmed at the end, and he spent time meeting every person individually that wanted to talk or had questions.
Beyond how amazing of a public speaker, storyteller and writer Luis Urrea is, what I most enjoyed was seeing how personable he was with his adoring fans, and with his family. He is a real person, and I loved meeting him!!
When he explained his journey to writing Into the Beautiful North, what stood out to me the most was how he used bits and pieces of his family members, his friends, and people he has grown to admire or fear. Each character is based on someone, someone that has impacted Urrea's life and by sharing those characters with us, he shares them with his readers giving us segments of them as we read. And after finishing Into the Beautiful North I can say that it really works, by making them hold a hint of a real-life person, they become real, they are real.
What is he up to now? You want the full dish? He informed the peeps there that his book Hummingbird's Daughter is going to be made into a film, it is already on its way, and will start filming in January. Also he is working on a sequel to The Hummingbird's Daughter, so keep your eyes open for it.
Urrea is full of surprises and great ones at that!
For more bookie pictures go to my flickr album: All things BOOK related
The Hunger Games
The Hunger Games
by Suzanne Collins
374 Pages
Survival, Adventure, Fantasy
Scholastic Press
If you have made it past the cover, then you are already further along than I was with this book. If I had only seen it once I would have skipped right over it missing all its scrumptious insides. What a loss! I look at that cover and think sci-fi and borring. The Hunger games is not really a true sci-fi and it is the complete opposite of boring. I tore through The Hunger Games like I was rabid for my eyes to suck in the words, the meaning, and the story.
The story is violent, harsh and intense. But since I grew up on a diet of Rambo, Rocky, Die Hard and Terminator I managed to make it through easily, as would an average 12-year-old who hasn't been living in seclusion. As much as The Hunger Games is about a dark time in history, the book does not bring a cloud of murky gloom upon the reader. More than that you'll be rooting for the girl, the unlikely and diamond in the rough heroine Katniss. Katniss Everdeen, ever since her father died she has become the provider for her family, she has made it her calling to hunt enough meat to put food on the table and even uses is to purchase other necessities. Her mom did not immediately wish to survive and out of necessity and hunger Katniss took over to feed her sister and protect her.
The basic concept of The Hunger Games is that somehow for some reason which the narrator does not know, the districts owe the Capitol big time. Each year so as to remind the districts who is really boss, and who owns them there is a contest, a contest in which each district must give up two children, a boy and a girl to fight to the death. There are 12 districts in all and that means 24 contestants or, as they are known in The Hunger Games, tributes. They are selected through a lottery system and then taken to the Capitol to get all glammed up, marketed and trained to be deadly, all to bring awe and importance to the Capitol. They are then all released into the arena, a glass bubble that goes for miles in which the Capitol controls the weather, and the conditions. They are stalked so that their every motion is on screen. It is a forced reality show, which each district watches glued to the screen for fear their own will not make it much longer.
Just the plot in itself really gives only a slice of the cake for me. I am a reader who loves characters and people and character development. The plot is great, but to me the character development really made be turn the pages at warp speed. The plot would be good without the depth, the depth would be good without the great plot, together it is a bond that you will not escape dissatisfied. This was my local book club pick this month, and all of us loved it. They were screaming at me with a death wish because the sequel Catching Fire isn't coming out until the fall!
Throw out the Twilight saga, get rid of the sickly vamps and bring out the real, the tough and the worthwhile YA lit. The Hunger Games will restore what Twilight stole from Young Adult literature, guts. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins will wake you up, and take you to a place in a different time, different and yet so much that we can learn from it, The Hunger Games is an absolute must read! There is no question that this is the most inspiring, the hardest to put down, and the most surprising read for me yet this year! I loved every page and will be reading the sequels when I am able to get my hands on them.
Who else is dying to get the next book in the series? If you aren't it is because you haven't read this one!
Friday Night, Movie Night.
Amazon's Movie description:
American Born Chinese
American Born Chinese
by Gene Luen Yang
233 pages
Graphic Novel, Chinese American Juvenile Fiction
First Second, Square Fish Publishing
Winner of the Michael L Prinz Award
Finalist for the 2006 National Book Awards
First graphic novel recognized by the National Book Foundation
Silly monkey god's trying to feel acepted, a young boy with a Chinese cousin, and images of a little boy in the back seat, hugging a robot and a lone tear sliding down one cheek, all combined to form a whole tale, a story that cannot be forgotten. From the first page, until the last there is nothing in Gene Yang's art and words that is less than perfect. The story twists and turns and finaly merges with such outstanding care and ease. The main story is that of an immigrant chinese boy and his experiences growing up, the way he is treated, and the way he feels about himself.
American Born Chinese is clever, sarcastic, brutal, and %100 honest. It doesn't cut american's any slack in our steriotypes of others, and doesn't cut the Chinese any either in the ones they have of Americans, and even more importantly of themselves. It feels so good that Yang brought the unspoken issues into words and images, I felt he wrote as to lift a weight off, and it worked.
This was a refreshing read, one that dispelled myths and created truths. The amazing thing is that it can be read on many different levels, so everyone reading would be on their own level of understanding of what is happening and the feelings of the characters. The more you know about China and the history, the deeper Yang will take you with him.
I enjoyed so much about this, but if I sat here and told you, then it would ruin it if you haven't read it yet, I couldn't get over the twists, snaps and turns. What seemed so unreal was how Yang gathered up the stories in such a seamless, and yet non-tacky manner. It was so good. I certainly recommend it to graphic novel lovers, to anyone interested in different cultures, but especially this would be a great book for young Asian Americans. Yang's strongest shout in American Born Chinese is for Chinese Americans to be proud of who they are, not apologize or ever make excuses for their culture, their parents or themselves. Perfectly outstanding!
And seriously, could Yang be any funnier, I love the picture of with the puppet sitting on the drum, and this one with the computer is too sweet. The guy has a sense of humor, no question!
I have moved!!! (actually I am in the middle of it)
Hey guys!
I am so sorry to do this, but I have moved to my very own blog! I am so excited to share it with you, so make sure you come check it out and do tell me what you think. I am still in the middle of moving my posts over, as I m having to do that by hand ;( Anyway, pretty please come stop by!!!
dreadlock girl reads you can subscribe there (I moved the toast icon for you to click on).
Or you can subscribe directly here.
I am so sorry for the inconvenience, and I do hope you will all follow me over.
Starting up again, over here!
Welcome to the dreadlock girl reads! (previously known as B&b ex libris)
I am starting up again over here on my own domain! Yes, I am still getting setup so pardon the caution tape and the extreme amount of chaos. If you would like to make sure you don't loose me, click on the toast in the upper right. It is pretty fun to get to re-do everything (ha, not really) but it is fun to have a blog that works better for me.
Happy reading will continue over here, thanks B&b to the year-and-a-half of joy! I will always think on you fondly!
I am still working on the glitches of this site.....but do you have any recommendations??
things left to do:
figure out how to import my blog, all the easy-click buttons aren't doing the trick (blah!)
add in my bloggie buddies into my sidebar
get a photo up in the sidebar
....
and on and on.
The Little Road Trip Handbook
The Little Road Trip Handbook
by Erin McHugh
192 pages
Travel & Reference
Sterling
(May 5, 2009)
The Little Road Trip Handbook is packed with ideas for your very next road trip! There are so many sections in the handbook to rave about. If you have ever been on a road trip you will know that generally the trip is not the fun part, but McHugh argues that it really should be the fun part. That the, " American Road Trip isn't just a pastime it's a birthright, a necessity, a rite of passage, and even in the teeth of spiraling fuel costs, it's a way of life" (p. x introduction). It is made perfectly to fit in your glove box, as it is a smaller sized book. But don't let that lead you to believe it isn't filled from front to back with tips, tricks and plans, because it most certainly is. This little amazing book packs the punch that it promises! If you tick with it you will get from point A to point B in perfect harmony with your surroundings and so much better prepared than the last time.
Because there is so much in it that I would like any potential travelers to see, I am going to post the chapters to give an idea of what I am so excited about:
Part One: Pre-Ignition Check
1. It's All About the Car
2. What are you packing
3. 10 Things You Must Never Bring On A Road Trip
4. Saving the Benjamins (and Lincolns and Washingtons too)
5. The Ultimate Road Trip Music, Movies, and Books
6. What Is (And Isn't ) A Road Trip
Part Two: Trippers: Choosing Your Dream Team
7. The Interview
8. Tripmates and Their Positions
9. Road Trip Etiquette
10. The Frequent Tripping reward Points Program
Part Thee: Road Rules
11. The 10 Commandments of the Road
12. Expenses
13. Take it to the Limit (But No More!!)
14. Foolish Laws from the 50 States
Part Four: Roadside Attractions
15. As Long as We're Out
Part Five: Tips for Trippers
16. Road Games
17. On the Radio
18. Excuses, Excuses!
19. Worst Case Trip Scenarios (and How to Solve Them)
20. The 10 Classic Road Trip Cars of All Time
21. 10 Things You Should Never Pay For
Part Six: End of the Road
22. Home Again
How do I feel about this book? The only thing that I am annoyed at is that McHugh didn't publish it while I was in high school. It would have saved me so much grief. Growing up we traveled A LOT. We traveled for so many reasons, one that my mom is from Southern Jersey and my dad is from Oregon, and two that we were missionaries. I can most certainly agree with Erin McHugh that the journey should be part of the trip, and a fun part at that, because so much of the trip is actually the travel. So, anyway we traveled across the country from Oregon to New Jersey 4 whole whopping round trips-of-a-lot (yes, so that does make 8 times across the US!). Two of the times that were the worst of all, my dad had to fly over to get there sooner and My mom, my little brother and I got to make the trip alone. We did it in a little Toyota Tercel hatchback from the 80's with a u-haul trailer. Oh, if you are confused by why that would be difficult: imagine a little short lady that can barely see over the steering wheel and is also a bad (very distracted) driver. And to top it off we brought our dog. Miserable.
So you see (imagine me holding up a brand new shinny copy of The Little Road Trip Handbook that you see above and gesturing to it like only Vanna could) if we had had this book, we would have known what we were in for, not only because my mother wanted to stop at every historical monument (such as: the first sidewalk, the biggest pancake, the smallest mountain) that there was a road sign for but because we violated the rules of the journey. If my brother and I would have had this book then, we would have known to leave mom behind, ditch the pooch and make the trip ourselves!!! Oh, that would have been a joy! But because we broke rules 1 and 3 of the "10 Things You Must Never Bring On A Road Trip" we are scared for life. Where were you when we needed you, McHugh?!?!
However even if McHugh wasn't around then, she is now and so is The Little Road Trip Handbook, no worries I'll live another road trip the right way (and hopefully another one down to Book Group Expo in October)! And McHugh, it is good for you I am not the type to hold grudges. Even if I were, I don't think I could after reading and loving The Little Road Trip Handbook. A must own for anyone who loves to make the rubber meet the road.
Do you have a fun/horrid road trip story to share? I'd love to commiserate with you! What about a road trip you dream about but have never been on? I dream of so many....most of them in a VW van. Now that I have The Little Road Trip Handbook all I need is that van.
About the Author:
Erin McHugh started her wanderlust Road Tripping years as a college student in a variety of fast cars. Eventually she turned to the working life and publishing industry, where she has held a number of executive positions. Finding she could keep her opinions to herself no longer, Erin turned to writing; she has published more than a dozen books on a wide variety of subjects, and also appears frequently in Time Out New York. She lives in Manhattan and South Dartmouth, Massachusetts, a road trip of 203 miles, door to door.
Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress
Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress
by Dai Sajie ( 戴思杰 )
Novel, International Fiction
208 Pages
published in 2000
Anchor Books
During China's Cultural Revolution, books were banned, children of well-off parents were sent off alone to work in the rural communities, and the government held a fear of anything that did not blatantly support the movement. It was a time of darkness throughout the country, and where regulations and impediments became more important than all else. This is the time period of which Dai Sajie writes in his novel, Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress. A story of love, of jealousy, and of children becoming men and women in this critical time frame in China's government.
In this novel, two city boys are sent to work in the fields in the country. While there they meet and fall for the tailor's daughter, who proves to be the jewel to be had. This little seamstress, who is more beautiful than any of the other girls (at least in the opinion of her suitors).All three of them, the seamstress, Luo and Ma (the narrator) become so obsessed with reading these forbidden books that they are willing to risk it all, for they could be severely punished for their attempts at obtaining any book which is not governmental propaganda.
The longer I waited to review Balzac and the Little Seamstress, the more it sunk in, the more I just really did love it. I really did. I bought this a year ago, mostly because the cover completely captivated me and I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. It was actually even better that I expected, and you had better believe that I had height expectations. The simple and yet stout style of Dai Sijie is perfect for the book. He has written a superb gem here, the inside of the book is even better than the outside! I loved the main characters, the writing was just right and the story/plot couldn't have been any better. Seriously, it was just so good. Plus, it was about another country, and I love to read abroad!
If it could possibly get any better, it does. For all of us who are obsessed with books, it has a hidden special element of attraction. Can you even imagine if all books that were not written to glorify the current government were banned? What would become of us? I became completely entranced. This gets a full five chickens from me peeps, no doubt. So stop drooling over that beautiful cover and start drooling over the inside!
What would you do if books were banned? Can we even comprehend that here with all the freedoms we have?
