Q&A with Rainbow Rowell and YOU ask the questions!

I have another great Questions and Answers coming up with author Rainbow Rowell!  She is the author of the Young Adult Book Club's April book club pick Eleanor and Park.  She'll be stopping by the group here to answer your questions on May 15th. Remember, any time I have a Q&A YOU get to come by and join in so be sure to welcome her and get your questions in by then.  The book discussions about Eleanor and Park will be all month long in May so stop on by and tell us what you think about the book!

Questions and Answers with Rainbow Rowell

Bout of Books 7.0!

I am going to participate again in this read-a-thon!  I really need to get caught up on some books andwhen I saw others participating in it I knew it was perfect for me.  It starts on the 13th!

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 13th and runs through Sunday, May 19th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 6.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog.

Don't forget to use the #boutofbooks hashtag when updating on Twitter and follow boutofbooks.
I will be updating my progress here on my webpage and on my my twitter page. 
I will be doing a master post as the read-a-thon gets closer with all the books I plan to read and with all the challenges I do!  Can't wait to get started!

Harry Potter Moment of the Week!

I am participating in Harry Potter moment of the week hosted by  Uncorked Thoughts .  Here is what we do:

This is a meme hosted by me here at my blog :).The aim of this meme is to share with fellow bloggers a character, spell, chapter, object or quote from the books/ films/ J. K. Rowling herself or anything Potter related! I will be picking a topic within HP for us to focus on each week and then if anyone wants to take part feel free! All I ask is to link back here, to my blog :). There is now a full list of the topics to come here.

This weeks topic is: What is your favorite house?
Well I must confess that I hadn't set my Pottermore account up till tonight.  I guess I just let all this time pass and never got around to it.  I am having so much fun.  I love Slytherin.... I always like the dark side of things.  But I was surprised Pottermore put me in that house!! I didn't pick things that were what seemed to be bad.. though I suppose that Slytherin isn't necessarily evil.

I was on Pottermore all night last night.  I can't believe I waited so long to join.  Though it only goes up to book 3 right now. How cool is the Bloody Baron???  Love him!!  Both Snape and Professor Slughorn are in this house!!!

What about you?  What is your favorite house?

The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo

Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo

I read this book for a coming up Project Disney post I am doing.  But I feel that this book deserves a post of it's own plus the Project Disney one (which will be posted May 3rd so be on the look out!).  Here is the goodreads description:

In the vaulted Gothic towers of Notre-Dame lives Quasimodo, the hunchbacked bellringer. Mocked and shunned for his appearance, he is pitied only by Esmerelda, a beautiful gypsy dancer to whom he becomes completely devoted. Esmerelda, however, has also attracted the attention of the sinister archdeacon Claude Frollo, and when she rejects his lecherous approaches, Frollo hatches a plot to destroy her that only Quasimodo can prevent. Victor Hugo's sensational, evocative novel brings life to the medieval Paris he loved, and mourns its passing in one of the greatest historical romances of the nineteenth century.

This book is amazing. AMAZING. I would like to say though that if you are going to attempt to read this then get ready to struggle through the beginning. I was so confused. It starts out in some sort of "mystery" which is a play. I still have no idea why that was even going on. The there is a chapter about what Notre Dame looks like which is a good chapter. But the chapter right after is about what Paris looks like from the top of Notre Dame. And this chapter goes on and on and on. I was ok ... but then everything started sounding the same and it was just crazy. I know some people like abridged novels but not me. I feel like if I am reading an abridged one then I am not really reading the book. So I went out of my way to find the unabridged. One thing that surprised me the most about this book is that Quasimodo is not the main character. Most of the book concentrates on Frollo who is the priest of Notre Dame. He is in love with Esmeralda... and is really crazy over her. We are talking psycho crazy. So crazy that he kills Esmeralda's love Phoebus. Esmeralda is accused of the murder and since she is a gypsy she really has no chance of anyone siding with her. This books ends tragically too. TRAGIC! Not the happily ever after ending that we expect in books.

This book makes me want to visit Notre Dame. Alas.. I will never get there. But I have seen the National Cathedral in Washington DC and so I have seen a rose window in person and they are beautiful.  I finished this book in like 4 days.  I mean I couldn't put it down.. and hour of reading would go by and I didn't even realize it.  I love this book!

The crystal ball says:

Clouds are covering! A read that lets me down every now and then but peaks out of the clouds!

Reach Out and Read Program!!

I was recently in my local Barnes and Nobles when I saw a box for book donations at the check out line. I discovered this box was for Reach Out & Read! Turns out that here in Colorado (and nationally)   there is a great program for getting doctors and nurses to encourage families to read and they give books to children at pediatric checkups from 6 months to 5 years of age.  This program has been here in Colorado for 15 years and I never knew about it before!!  Reach Out & Read Colorado is really an amazing program and can help out your community. 

As most of you know children's books are quite affordable.   I would highly recommend you finding a drop off location in your neck of the woods.. you can find a list of book suggestions  too. If there isn't one in your area you might consider setting a program up.   Even a few minutes with a book may teach a child that reading is wonderful. Look for a Reach out and Read program here.


Hope you discover some great community events in your area!

Looking for someone to read a Young Adult book with?

Have you been looking to read along with someone so you can discuss the book you are reading?  I run a great group on goodreads called the YA Book Club.   We really do read a lot of fantastic books and have fun discussions.  I (the mod) actually read along every month with you too!!  So stop on by join the group and vote for our next book for November!

Poll

What randomly selected book would you like to read in June?

Torn by Cat Clarke Leap Day by Wendy Mass Homeless Bird by Gloria Whelan The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum Chanda's Secrets by Allan Stratton Eyes Of The Keep by Scott D. Muller Dreams Underfoot by Charles de Lint Rx by Tracy Lynn Soulless by Gail Carriger Not That Kind Of Girl by Siobhan Vivian

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Project Disney -The Great Mouse Detective

Project Disney: The plan is to tackle all of the Disney films, re-reading the classic stories and tales that inspired many of them and to look at how the changes the filmmakers made, the new elements they introduced and the essential elements they kept. We will, of course, be talking about the films as movies as well, saying why we enjoy them and what some of our favorite moments are, but our focus will be on looking at them as adaptations. For the films that are not drawn from any one work we’ll be looking at some of the possible literary influences that we see in the stories. Inspired by Project Disney hosted by Picture Me Reading.

The Game's Afoot!! This week we get to talk about The Great Mouse Detective based off the book Basil of Baker Street by Eve Titus.  I am surprised that this movie isn't more popular right now and that Disney hasn't advertised it a little more with the popularity of Sherlock Holmes right now. The movie was released in 1986, and isn't one of the more popular movies.  The animation is dated but it is back on Netflix right now so if you want to see what it is all about be sure to watch it on there.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to read Basil of Baker Street before this post.  Turns out the book is out of print.  I am trying to get it from the Inter-library Loan from the library so I am waiting patiently to read it.  So this week's post will mainly be about the movie thought I was able to read this synopsis of the story.   I love Basil. He is a great spin on Sherlock Holmes!  Basil knows everything... science, math, disguise! In the movie Basil plays the violin well, but in the book he is no good at it so he plays the flute.  Of course there is a great villain named Professor Ratigan. A young mouse Olivia comes to find Basil to search for her father whom Ratigan has stolen away. (In the book it is parents who go to find Basil because their twin children are missing).  How can you have a Sherlock story without a Watson? Well it just so happens there is a mouse similar to Watson named Dr. Dawson.

Some things in this story you don't see anymore in any film for kids is the smoking.  Basil smokes in a bar.. and there are others in the bar smoking too.  I suppose my generation didn't even think twice about this.  But nowadays people might be offended for their kids to see this. Also.. I love that Basil and all the mice live in the same house as Sherlock Holmes and use his dog to help them out!! They have a mini city under Sherlock's house. Another interesting fact is that the voice we hear of Sherlock Holmes in the Great Mouse detective is clips taken from the original films voiced by Basil Rathbone.  You only see glimpses of Sherlock in the film.. including him playing a violin at the end of the film! In the book.. Basil and Dawson are the only ones allowed in Sherlock's house as a rule.

Even though I only got to read a little of the book I really enjoyed it.  I prefer the villains in the book which are just three mouse thugs.  I thought the villain in the movie was a little over the top.  This movie is not my favorite Disney movie and I think it is because I didn't really think the villain was that great.  I really like the parts though when Basil was being a detective!  By the way.. BUZZ Feed did a great post on the Great Mouse Detective!!

My other PROJECT DISNEY:
Snow White
Cinderella
Peter Pan
Treasure Planet
Sleeping Beauty
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
The Princess and the Frog
Pinocchio 
Fantasia 
Beauty and the Beast
Lady and the Tramp
Alice in Wonderland
The Rescuers
The Rescuers Down Under
Tangled
Oliver and Company
Mulan
The Little Mermaid
Bambi
101 Dalmatians
Frozen
Fantasia 2000
The Jungle Book
The Emperor's New Groove
The Sword in the Stone
Aladdin 
Atlantis
The Aristocats
The Lion King
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Winnie the Pooh (2011)
Robin Hood
Hercules
Pocahontas
Dumbo
The Black Cauldron 
Mary Poppins
Lilo and Stitch  
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
Make Mine Music
Tarzan
Fox and the Hound
Melody Time
Here is the host Picture Me Reading's exciting Great Mouse Detective Post!

Follow Me Friday

 

This is the day of the week where we get to know each other better by answering a question devised by our lovely hostesses Parajunkee & Alisoncanread. We also gain new followers by joining each other's sites via GFC, so please let me know if you're a new follower. And now for this week's question....

Q.  If you could hang out with any author (living) who would it be and what would you want to do?

A.  Wow.  So many authors I would want to hang out with.  I guess for me it would be Stephen King.  I would have so many questions about the Dark Tower.  I would just want to sit around watch some baseball with him and chat about that book.  I run the Stephen King Fans  group on goodreads and I wish King would stop by the group for a Q&A.  Though I suppose everyone wants that right? :)  What about you?  Who would you hang out with???

"

Waiting On Wednesday-Joe Hill NOS4A2

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly book meme hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine, where we have the chance to share what upcoming releases we are on the edge of our seats in anticipation for.

This week I am very excited for NOS4A2 by Joe Hill!!  I am really also excited to find out that he is going to be in Denver at the Tattered Cover for a book signing in May!!  First up I have the limited edition cover.. which I just found out about today.  It is done by the same artist Gabriel Rodriguez who is the artist of Locke and Key Joe Hill's graphic novel.  So of course it's sold out:

 and here is the cover of the copy I will have to get:

 

Here is an excerpt of NOS4A2 if you want to read it.  And here is the goodreads description of the book:  

Charlie Manx burned a man to death in his black 1938 Rolls Royce Wraith, but that’s not the worst of it. Rumor has it that he kidnapped dozens of children, taking them to a place he calls “Christmasland.” The only child ever to escape was a very lucky girl named Victoria McQueen.

Vic has a gift – she can ride her bike through the Shorter Way bridge and she’ll come out the other side wherever she needs to be, even if it’s hundreds of miles away. Vic doesn’t tell anyone about her ability; no one would understand.

When Charlie Manx finally dies after years in prison, his body disappears...after the autopsy. The police and media think someone stole it, but Vic knows the truth: Charlie Manx is on the road again...and he has her kid. And this time, Vic McQueen’s going after him...

What are you waiting for?

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand-Review

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Read Unearthly by Cynthia Hand for my Young Adult Book Club. It was a lot of fun because the discussions are going great and the author even stopped by for a Q&A!  Here is the goodreads description:

Does your home tell the story of who you are? I
Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy. 
 Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place and out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.
As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny? Unearthly is a moving tale of love and fate, and the struggle between following the rules and following your heart.

I thought this book was good I enjoyed it but didn't love it. I think the problem was that for me it didn't pick up and get really exciting till the end. I loved one the Black Wings were introduced and I wish they had been introduced sooner and that might have made it a little better. I knew as the end of the book came closer and closer that it was going to end RIGHT when we got to the "purpose".

I will say the author did a good job with mystery in this book which makes me actually want to read the next book. The mother's story, the brother, will there be a bigger picture in the future with the angel plot? Those questions do make me want to read the next book. Oh and Jackson Hole, WY. First off I love WY. Yes I know who says that? But it is beautiful. I don't normal get up to the part by Jackson Hole. I am usually down by Cheyenne and around Rock Springs since I travel across to go to UT. And at the end of this summer I will be going to Yellowstone for the first time so reading this book made me even more excited for this trip!

The romance was fine in this book. Unfortunately in the Q&A everyone didn't mark their spoilers (they are marked now) so Clara's love was revealed to me too early. :( Sometimes I wanted to strangle Clara's mom when she wouldn't give her answers. How upsetting it would be for your mom to just brush you off. I could feel Clara's annoyance with this.

When I read the part where they are skiing... and for some reason it really bothers me that Christian or Clara aren't wearing helmets. I find that in a YA book it is important to teach people to wear helmets!! One time my husband was on a life and got off it too hard and fell and the lift hit him in the head. Thank God he had on a helmet. My dad was in a terrible motorcycle crash in November (someone turned in front of him) long story short the DR said if he didn't have his helmet on he would've died. Helmets People!!

Be sure to keep an eye out on the Young Adult Book Club to see what we read next!

Classics Retold Project!

Coming September 2013
Classics Retold  is a project hosted by Alyssa @ Books Take You Places, Charlene @ Bookish Whimsy, Wendy @ Excellent Library, The Cheap Reader, and Brittany @ Book Addict’s Guide.
Project: Fairy Tale was a huge hit with everyone so I decided to expand and tweak it a bit. For this project we are reading a classic book and then reading or watching retellings, spin-offs, or adaptations of it!
The details:

• September 2013 will be our month to post everything.
• How You Participate:
  1. You will choose a classic you’d like to read.
  2. You read your classic and read or watch as many retellings, spin-offs, sequels or adaptations of the classic as you can.
  3. You will post reviews or your thoughts on your blog for each one during September.
  4. 1-4 bloggers can work on a “main” text. You can work independently or work together. You’re allowed to all read/watch the same things or split the work up.
  5. To participate in this project, you only sign up for one classic (and its adaptions).
  6. Optional: If you’d like to work on another classic (or adaptation), find the bloggers “in charge” of that text and ask to do a guest review/post.
  7. Optional: Do other posts about your classic: character analysis, where else to find the characters, the book’s influence on culture, memes, etc. It can be literally anything involving your classic.
  8. Optional: Do a sign up post after I clear your classic. It will help spread the word about the project and you’re able to bounce your ideas off of your readers. They may even give you ideas of books/movies to use for your classic!
• For a classic to be useable for this project, it should have at least 2 adaptations, spin-offs, sequels, or retellings.

Obviously this project is going to get pretty big so we’ve split the co-hosting duties up.

It’s all one big project so you only sign up once for one book (not once on each blog).

• Alyssa @ Books Take You Places is in charge of Ancient to Renaissance Lit Classics. Sign up post
• Brittany @ Book Addict’s Guide is in charge of Mythology Classics. Sign up post
• Charlene @ Bookish Whimsy is in charge of 19th Century and Gothic Classics. Sign up post
• Alison @ The Cheap Reader is in charge of Children’s Classics. Sign up post
• Wendy @ Excellent Library is in charge of American & Misc. Classics. Sign up post

I am really excited!  I have signed up for The Wizard of Oz and can't wait to explore it through the month of September.  Be sure to check out each blog and see what books are available! 

Paper Riot's Picture This

This week I am featured over at Paper Riot! I love that this blog does this fun meme.. check it out and sign yourself up too!!

From Paper Riot:  I love books. I love photography. And I love getting to know new people. That's why I decided to combine these three things in this little feature called Picture This, where I ask other bloggers to share five pictures with us, bookish and non-bookish. But mostly bookish. This time, we're admiring snap shots taken by angie angela's anxious life!  

Follow Me Friday

 

This is the day of the week where we get to know each other better by answering a question devised by our lovely hostesses Parajunkee & Alisoncanread. We also gain new followers by joining each other's sites via GFC, so please let me know if you're a new follower. And now for this week's question....

Q. We are about to see a lot of posts and tweets about reader conventions, RT, BEA, ALA, and many more are starting soon. Which one would you love to attend?  Where and Why?

A.  Well, there was a Colorado Teen Literature Conference that I wanted to go to because it was close to home and would've been affordable. But when I went to get myself a ticket it was sold out, and then I heard it sold out in a week!  WHA?  Yeesh!  I would love though to go to BEA.  I mean is that not the ultimate dream of all of us book bloggers?  Unfortunately it's in New York City.. and I have never been there.  Sooooo if I were to go to New York City I would first go as a tourist.  See Times Square, Statue of Liberty, and all that jazz.  Perhaps if I lived on the east coast and had been to New York before things would be different.  I did go to Comic Con in San Diego and there were some book booths there.  I even got Shadow and Bone signed at one of the booths.  Of course at Comic Con there were no free books or ARCs.  :(  

What about you?

This week I am featured at Paper Riot for Picture This!  Stop on over there and check out my photos!!

The Things That Matter by Nate Berkus-Review

The Things That Matter by Nate Berkus

I love Nate... and his style.  And boy is he sexy!  Here is the goodreads description about this book:

Does your home tell the story of who you are? I
The Things That Matter, Nate Berkus shares intimate stories from his life, introduces us to people who influenced him and helped him forge his sense of style, and opens up about the remarkable experiences that have left him forever changed, all of which find expression in how he lives today. From his most cherished flea market finds, to his beloved books and photos, to the many extraordinary mementos he’s collected in his travels, every piece defines who he’s become and what endures in his world. 
 Berkus invites readers into his own home as well as into twelve others, including a sleek steel-and-glass high-rise that soars above Chicago, a rustic cottage in the Hudson Valley, an ultra-chic atelier that maximizes every inch of space, a Greenwich Village townhouse that holds multiple art collections, and a study in meaningful minimalism in Marfa, Texas. The distinctive interiors beautifully displayed in this book offer revealing portraits of their owners’ lives and the inspiring choices that have made them who they are today.
The Things That Matter convincingly lays out Nate Berkus’s philosophy that things do matter. Our homes tell our stories, they reflect the places we’ve been and the people we’ve loved along the way—and there can be no more beautiful design for living than that.

Let me start off by saying I love Nate. Yes I watched Oprah (and I miss that show) and I loved when Nate would be on it. I just love his style. I didn't read too much of this book.. I mainly looked at the pictures. Though I did read the beginning where he discusses losing his partner when they were in Sri Lanka and the tsunami hit. I remember watching Nate talk about it and it was devastating. He has moved on with his life though and today I actually read that he is engaged again! I am so glad he was able to move on with live and just be happy. Ok so back to this book. I didn't love the rooms that were featured in the book. Some of the art was a little out there. I want to look at books and see art I can afford and this just wasn't it. But I enjoy looking into other people's homes.

 I love the theme though... does your home tell the story of who you are. YES ! My answer is YES! I have a wonderful home.  I have a velvet Yoda picture hanging up that my dad brought home to me in the 80s when he was stationed in Korea.  I have lots of art that my dad has brought me from the world.  I have a cat stand for my babies that is ugly and matches nothing but it means something to my cats.  I have Erte art hanging.. I love love his art.  Just a mixture and I feel that it says this is me!!  I am still waiting to do a photo wall.  I think they are very important to have in every home.   I love these ideas here:

I wouldn't recommend this book to other people as far as decorating. Pinterest is better for those of us on a budget.  But I would recommend it though to read the parts about Nate and his experiences of where he is today.

The crystal ball says:

Rain is pouring...  Not sure if this was really worth my time, must get umbrella.