Author links:

~ The Rabbit Room: A Visit with Wendell Berry – If you’ve never read Berry’s poetry, fiction, or essays, you need to do it soon – he’s brilliant.

Discussion starters:

~ My Friend Amy: What makes a book YA? and The Value in Rereading

Reviews and blog posts that have me adding to my to-read list:

~ Fall by Colin McAdam, reviewed by Heather at Book Addiction

~ Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder, reviewed by Michelle at GalleySmith

~ The Improper Life of Bezellia Grove by Susan Gregg Gilmore, reviewed by Jenn at Jenn’s Bookshelves

~ The Wild Vine: A Forgotten Grape and the Untold Story of American Wine by Todd Kliman, reviewed by Kim at Sophisticated Dorkiness

~ WWW.Wake by Robert J. Sawyer, Nothing But the Truth by Avi, and Trouble by Gary Schmidt, all mentioned at Mental Multivitamin

~ The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths, reviewed by Jenn at Jenn’s Bookshelves

~ Mornings in Jenin by Susan Abulhawa, reviewed by Jill at Fizzy Thoughts

Reading challenges:

~ For the second year, Darren at Bart’s Bookshelf is hosting The YA Dystopian Reading Challenge.

~ Stainless Steel Droppings is hosting the RIP V Challenge.

Other bookish links:

~ The Guardian: When book recommendations go wrong

~ The wonderful Beth at Beth Fish Reads has started a new blog called Audiobook Jukebox – a place for those of us who love and review audiobooks to find new audios and link our reviews.

Bookmark to:

© CarrieK for BOOKS AND MOVIES, 2010. | Permalink | 8 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: audiobooks, reading, reading challenges, TBR list, wendell berry, YA fiction

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Bookmark to:

© CarrieK for BOOKS AND MOVIES, 2010. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: mockingjay

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Author links:

~ Shannon Hale: How to be a writer’s friend (or spouse)

~ Andi at Estella’s Revenge has an interview with Lucy Knisley, author of the graphic memoir French Milk.

~ Beth Kephart: How do you choose the books you are going to read?

Discussion starters:

~ Books Lists Life: The problem with series

~ My Friend Amy: Reflections on Peeta and reading

Reviews and blog posts that have me adding to my to-read list:

~ A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly, reviewed by Rhapsody in Books.

~ Poetry Speaks Who I Am edited by Elise Paschen and Dominique Raccah, reviewed by Vasilly.

~ Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta, reviewed by Pam.

~ The Murderer’s Daughters by Randy Susan Meyers, reviewed by Michelle.

~ Chasing Orion by Kathryn Lasky, reviewed by Amanda.

~ Troublemaker by Janet and Alex Evanovich and Joelle Jones, reviewed by Amy.

~ Room by Emma Donoghue, reviewed by Carrie.

~ A God Somewhere by John Arcudi & Peter Snejbjerg, reviewed by Swapna.

Book lists:

~ EW: Stephen King’s 6 Must-Read Books for Summer

Other bookish links:

~ Guardian: Eighty Years of Book Cover Design by Faber and Faber

And, lastly, I leave you with Jane Austen’s Fight Club:

Bookmark to:

© CarrieK for BOOKS AND MOVIES, 2010. | Permalink | 13 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: author interviews, authors, book lists, jane austen, poetry, reading, TBR list

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Discussion starters:

~ Reading with Tequila: Sex in YA – One Mom’s View

~ Book Lady’s Blog: On the perks of being picky

Reviews and blog posts that have me adding to my to-read list:

~ The Earth Hums in B Flat by Mari Strachan, reviewed by Meghan at Medieval Bookworm.

~ Veracity by Laura Bynum, reviewed by Michelle at Galleysmith.

~ Daughters of the Witching Hill by Mary Sharratt, reviewed by Jen at Devourer of Books.

~ The Singer’s Gun by Emily St. John Mandel, reviewed by Swapna at S. Krishna’s Books.

~ The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender, reviewed by Alayne at The Crowded Leaf.

~ The Lost Origins of the Essay edited by John D’Agata, reviewed by Kim at Bookstore People.

Book lists:

~ The Guardian: Best Children’s Books Ever

~ Read Kiddo Read: Ultimate summer reading list

Other bookish links:

~ If, like me, you’re not lucky enough to be going to BEA, sign up for Armchair BEA – we can still have fun!

Bookmark to:

© CarrieK for BOOKS AND MOVIES, 2010. | Permalink | 10 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: BEA, book lists, TBR list, YA fiction

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Auntie’s is a wonderful independent bookstore. I haven’t visited a large indie bookseller in a while, and I’d forgotten how different the selection is from a chain bookstore. They had a wonderful selection of local authors – including signed copies of books by Chris Crutcher, Glenda Burgess, and Michael Harmon, all Spokane authors whom I have had the privilege of interviewing for Literary Road Trip posts. Jess Walter and Sherman Alexie were also highlighted.

Their essay and poetry sections were huge compared to what I’m used to seeing in a B&N – and their YA section was also much bigger. It was so hard to restrain myself – but I only purchased three books. I told Kevin ahead of time to not worry about getting me a Mother’s Day gift, as I would be picking out my own at Auntie’s. Here’s what I came home with:

Poetry 180: A Turning Back to Poetry edited and introduced by Billy Collins

Beowulf on the Beach: What to Love and What to Skip in Literature’s 50 Greatest Hits by Jack Murnighan

Plum Wine by Angela Davis-Gardner

After Michelle and I shopped for a couple hours, we headed to Starbucks, ordered coffee and sat down to read the first few pages of each of the books we bought. Now, when I go book shopping with my husband, he thinks it’s extremely weird that I want to do this. Michelle, however, is a kindred spirit, so we spent close to an hour sipping coffee, reading, and sharing the especially wonderful or funny bits.

We then drove the hour and a half home, talking so much that my lips were completely chapped by the time I dropped Michelle off at her house around 7 p.m. Like I said, perfect day.

Bookmark to:

© CarrieK for BOOKS AND MOVIES, 2010. | Permalink | 17 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: book shopping, bookstores

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Bookmark to:

© CarrieK for BOOKS AND MOVIES, 2010. | Permalink | 18 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: justin cronin, the passage

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Author links:

~ Ladybug at Escape in a Book has an interview with A.S. Peterson, author of The Fiddler’s Gun. I really want to read this book!

Discussion starters:

~ Heidenkind’s Hideaway: Insufficient Reading and Top Signs Your Book is a Classic

~ My Friend Amy: Christian Fiction – What is Going On?

Reviews and blog posts that have me adding to my to-read list:

~ The Melting Season by Jami Attenberg, reviewed by Amy at Steele Entertainment.

~ Exodus by Julie Bertagna, reviewed by Lenore at Presenting Lenore.

Book lists:

~ Popcrunch: The 16 Best Dystopian Books of All Time

~ Library Journal: 27 Graphic Novels for Women’s History Month

Other bookish links:

~ Baby Blues is one of my favorite comics, and what’s better than library humor? part one and part two

Bookmark to:

© CarrieK for BOOKS AND MOVIES, 2010. | Permalink | 12 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: book lists, christian fiction, TBR list

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

I’ve always resisted putting photos of myself up online because of the first impressions or assumptions people make of me in real life – assumptions purely based on my appearance: lazy, no self-control, uneducated. That’s one of the things that I love about the blogosphere – people get to know me purely for my mind and from the words that I say, the books that I read.

I could give you a history lesson of all the reasons for my weight issues and food addiction: self-protection, hiding, shame, anxiety, depression, emotional eating. But that’s not what I want this post to be about. I want it to be about not hiding anymore, not worrying about the impression people online might have of me if they know what I looked like.

(Please don’t think I’m making light of the issue of obesity. Believe me, I know all the health issues, the reasons why I need to get a handle on it – and the past winter has been about starting to take those steps. It will be a long and painful journey, but one I know I need to take.)

And, I wanted to bring up the issue of book covers and plus-sized characters. The feature that Entertainment Weekly ran was about the covers of books with overweight protagonists, and how many of them feature a “normal-sized” person. (And let me say up front that I’m not blaming the authors of the books – just wondering why the publishing industry feels the need to do it.) Some examples:

The Wife’s Tale by Lori Lansens – The main character is described as weighing over 300 pounds. No way are those the legs of a 300-pound woman – unless she is 9 feet tall.

Size 12 is Not Fat by Meg Cabot – No, it’s not. So why did they put a much smaller-sized woman on the cover?

Life in the Fat Lane by Cherie Bennett – Do teenage girls really need the idea that if they can pinch some skin on their stomach, they’re fat?

Lilian’s Story by Kate Grenville – The main character is described as having “layers of fat” to protect herself from sexual abuse. So why does the cover model have chiseled cheekbones?

I could give you many more examples, but this post is taking long enough to write. Any good books with plus-sized characters to recommend? What do you think about the issue of misrepresenting characters on book covers – whether it is misrepresenting race or size or anything else?

Bookmark to:

© CarrieK for BOOKS AND MOVIES, 2010. | Permalink | 51 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: book covers

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

2009 could be summed up as “Outlander series” + “Stephanie Plum” series + YA fiction. Personally, it was a hard year for a lot of different reasons, and I think that’s probably why my reading leaned more heavily toward what I would consider pleasure reads, comfort reads, and/or escapist entertainment.

Looking over this list, I can see a few goals shaping up for 2010 – some of which I have already addressed in my Year of Reading Deliberately post. I definitely want to read more non-fiction in 2010, as well as more classics, poetry, and short fiction.

It looks like the final tally for 2009 is going to be 151 books – which is a record for me. If I was more ambitious, I would take the time to link each title that I reviewed to the corresponding review post, but it would take forever. If you’re interested in a review of a particular title, head over to my Reviews by Author and Reviews by Title pages.

Christian non-fiction: (4 titles)

The Case for a Creator for Kids by Lee Strobel and Rob Suggs (MG)
The Case for Christ for Kids by Lee Strobel and Rob Suggs (MG)
He Chose the Nails by Max Lucado
The Classic Bible Storybook by Kenneth N. Taylor (MG)

Classic fiction: (7 titles)

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
Tess of the D’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy
Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather
The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
The Watsons by Jane Austen
The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton

Contemporary fiction: (33 titles)

Testimony by Anita Shreve
Corduroy Mansions by Alexander McCall Smith
The Laws of Harmony by Judith R. Hendricks
The Last Bridge by Teri Coyne
The Sense of Paper by Taylor Holden
Everyone is Beautiful by Katherine Center
Crossed Wires by Rosy Thornton
The Knitting Circle by Ann Hood
The Actor and the Housewife by Shannon Hale
Songs of the Humpback Whale by Jodi Picoult
The Sister by Poppy Adams
The Way Home by George Pelecanos
The Widow’s Season by Laura Brodie
The Promised World by Lisa Tucker
Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner
The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry
Holly’s Inbox by Holly Denham
Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson (YA)
Prom by Laurie Halse Anderson (YA)
The Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart (YA)
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares (YA)
The Second Summer of the Sisterhood by Ann Brashares (YA)
Girls in Pants by Ann Brashares (YA)
Forever in Blue by Ann Brashares (YA)
Alibi Junior High by Greg Logsted (MG)
The Penderwicks on Gardam Street by Jeanne Birdsall (MG)
Eleven by Patricia Reilly Giff (MG)
The Deep End of the Ocean by Jacquelyn Mitchard
The Financial Lives of the Poets by Jess Walter
No Time to Wave Goodbye by Jacquelyn Mitchard
Get Well Soon by Julie Halpern (YA)
When She Flew by Jennie Shortridge
Wait Until Twilight by Sang Pak

Essays: (2 titles)

Housekeeping vs. the Dirt by Nick Hornby
In Short: A Collection of Brief Creative Nonfiction edited by Mary Paumier Jones and Judith Kitchen

Graphic novels/memoirs: (8 titles)

Blankets by Craig Thompson
American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang
Mom’s Cancer by Brian Fies
Plain Janes by Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg
Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons
Black: The Birth of Evil by Matt Hansen, Bob Strachan, and Ted Dekker
Red: The Heroic Rescue by Matt Hansen, Bob Strachan, and Ted Dekker
White: The Great Pursuit by Matt Hansen, Bob Strachan, and Ted Dekker

Historical fiction: (20 titles)

The House at Riverton by Kate Morton
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
The Love Letters by Madeleine L’Engle
Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon
Voyager by Diana Gabaldon
Leonardo’s Swans by Karen Essex
The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway
Back Creek by Leslie Goetsch
The Wet Nurse’s Tale by Erica Eisdorfer
The Book of Unholy Mischief by Elle Newmark
Scottsboro by Ellen Feldman
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon
Sacred Hearts by Sarah Dunant
Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata (YA)
The Mayflower Adventure by Colleen Reece (MG)
Plymouth Pioneers by Colleen Reece (MG)
Beside a Burning Sea by John Shors
The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon
Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd (YA)

Non-fiction: (6 titles)

84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
The Boys’ War: Confederate and Union Soldiers Talk About the Civil War by Jim Murphy (MG)
Dear Fatty by Dawn French
The Geography of Love: A Memoir by Glenda Burgess
The Intellectual Devotional: American History Edition by David S. Kidder and Noah D. Oppenheimer
The Guinea Pig Diaries: My Life as an Experiment by A.J. Jacobs

Multi-cultural fiction: (2 titles)

The Blue Notebook by James A. Levine
Life of Pi by Yann Martel

Multi-genre anthologies: (1 title)

The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2008 edited by Dave Eggers

Mysteries: (22 titles)

Two for the Dough by Janet Evanovich
Three to Get Deadly by Janet Evanovich
Four to Score by Janet Evanovich
High Five by Janet Evanovich
Hot Six by Janet Evanovich
Seven Up by Janet Evanovich
Hard Eight by Janet Evanovich
To the Nines by Janet Evanovich
Ten Big Ones by Janet Evanovich
Eleven on Top by Janet Evanovich
Twelve Sharp by Janet Evanovich
Lean Mean Thirteen by Janet Evanovich
Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich
Finger Lickin’ Fifteen by Janet Evanovich
Plum Lucky by Janet Evanovich
Plum Lovin’ by Janet Evanovich
Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich
Visions of Sugar Plums by Janet Evanovich
In the Woods by Tana French
O Jerusalem by Laurie R. King
Justice Hall by Laurie R. King
The Complete Sherlock Holmes, Volume 1 by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Poetry: (2 titles)

Evidence: Poems by Mary Oliver
Where Water Comes Together with Other Water: Poems by Raymond Carver

Short fiction: (1 title)

Speaking with the Angel edited by Nick Hornby

Speculative fiction: (42 titles)

Gossamer by Lois Lowry (MG)
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (MG)
The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey by Trenton Lee Stewart (MG)
100 Cupboards by N.D. Wilson (MG)
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling (MG)
The Purloined Boy by Mortimus Clay (MG)
Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer (MG)
Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler
Sea Changes by Gail Graham
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld (YA)
Pretties by Scott Westerfeld (YA)
Specials by Scott Westerfeld (YA)
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (YA)
Extras by Scott Westerfeld (YA)
The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan (YA)
The Maze Runner by James Dashner (YA)
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (YA)
The Twelve by William Gladstone
Graceling by Kristin Cashore (YA)
If I Stay by Gayle Foreman (YA)
Wings by Aprilynne Pike (YA)
The Dangerous Days of Daniel X by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge (MG)
Daniel X: Watch the Skies by James Patterson and Ned Rust (MG)
The Magicians by Lev Grossman
Tomorrow, When the War Began by John Marsden (YA)
Fire by Kristin Cashore (YA)
Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr (YA)
The Dead of Night by John Marsden (YA)
Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick (YA)
The Sky Inside by Clare B. Dunkle (MG)
The Giver by Lois Lowry (MG)
A Killing Frost by John Marsden (YA)
The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson (YA)
Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer (YA)
On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness by Andrew Peterson (MG)
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare (YA)
The Dead and the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer (YA)
Darkness Be My Friend by John Marsden (YA)
Z for Zachariah by Robert C. O’Brien (YA)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling (MG)
The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness (YA)
City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare (YA)

Bookmark to:

© CarrieK for BOOKS AND MOVIES, 2009. | Permalink | 26 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: 2009 reading wrap-up, book lists

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

The Maze Runner by James Dashner
From my review: “James Dashner has created a unique vision of the future, one that is as terrifying as it is mystifying. This world is full of interesting characters: Thomas, our hero who can’t follow the rules when it means leaving someone to die; Alby, the leader of the Gladers, who is more afraid of going back to the real world than staying in the Glade; Chuck, who just wants to go home to a family who loves him; Newt, the one who believes Thomas may be the answer to it all. The Maze Runner is a very visual book – the images of the Maze, the Glade, the Homestead are all well-drawn. The Grievers are disgusting and horrifying. This book would make a fantastic film. I absolutely can’t wait to read the second – and third – installments in this trilogy.”

The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
From my review: “Wharton explores the themes of family, responsibility, social mores, loyalty, and choices. I wrestled right along with Archer as he struggled to decide between his duty to his suitable wife and his love for the Countess. The author also perfectly captures the hypocrisy of society, the fickleness that has a person in good graces one minute, and the topic of every dinner-table gossip the next. There are authors who can draw rich characters, others who can put you right into a novel’s setting, still others that can craft a compelling plot. Then there are those, like Wharton, who can do all three, and also write beautiful, thoughtful phrases.”

The Purloined Boy by Mortimus Clay
From my review: “Professor Clay has definitely created a world that I will be happy to visit again and again. And I don’t plan to wait until April, when the second book comes out. I plan to revisit very soon, when I read The Purloined Boy aloud to my own kids. I know they will be creeped out by the bogeys and delighted by feisty Maggie. I know that they will shudder at the supremely evil Lucian, that they will want to warn Trevor when we trusts the wrong person, that they will cheer for Trevor as he finds the courage to stand up to the bully, Meno. I know they will be riveted during the final chapters – and then stunned to know that the story doesn’t quite end, and that they will have to wait awhile to find out what happens next. Just like I was.”

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
From my review: “Collins has again created a page-turner of a novel. It took me no time at all to be drawn back into Katniss’s world, and by the time I reached the halfway point, I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. Every time I thought I knew which direction the book was going, there was a turn in the plot that left me reeling. I hated turning the last page, especially knowing that I have to wait a year for the next book in the series.”

Fire by Kristin Cashore
From my review: “Kristin Cashore has the amazing ability to create a completely real and believable world. The vivid colors of the monsters, the gray rockiness of The Dells, the vibrant exuberance of King’s City – I could see it all. She is also able to write strong female characters. Fire is strong, but vulnerable and full of compassion. She is forced to make so many decisions during the course of the book – decisions about her own future, about her relationships, about her ability.”

The Giver by Lois Lowry
From my review: “The fact that Lowry could layer so much depth and truth and thought into such a short book is amazing. Jonas is a wonderful character, as is The Giver himself. The world of Sameness is described so completely as we experience Jonas’s story, that the world becomes real. I became engrossed in Jonas’s story, so much so that I wept in many different parts of the book. Anyone who reads this can’t help but become wrapped up in Jonas and his journey, and along the way be confronted with so many issues: the value of life; the way that only suffering and hardship can bring true meaning to joy and pleasure; honor and respect for the elderly; how a desire for complete comfort can lead to denying the very things that make us human.”

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson
From my review: “Jenna Fox wakes up from a coma that lasted over a year. She has lost the majority of her memories. Her family has moved from Boston to California, but her father still lives and works in Boston. Her mother treats her as a fragile flower; her grandmother won’t even look her in the face. Why? The answer to that question is the premise of the book, and you do not want it spoiled for you. If you come across spoilers in other reviews, please avoid them – you’ll want to experience this book with an open mind. I honestly don’t know how to review this book, to tell you what I loved about it, without giving anything away – so I’m simply going to say that this is a must-read.”

On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness by Andrew Peterson
From my review: “We always enjoy read-aloud time at our house, but every once in a while a book comes along that has us wanting to spend more and more time in the world it creates, and On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness was one of those books. Peterson writes with wonderful description, wry humor, and immense imagination. There were times when the kids laughed out loud; other timed they were very, very quiet, hanging on my every word. They loved the creatures that inhabited the world of Skree – and cheered for ex-pirate Podo, strange but lovable Peet the Sockman, and most of all the Igiby children. As a mom, I loved the relationship that the Igiby children shared – their loyalty and intense love for each other was a huge example to my children of how they should feel about and treat each other.”

Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd
From my review: “This is a beautifully told coming-of-age story that deals with some very heavy issues: terrorism and the IRA, falling in love for the first time, tyranny and freedom, betrayal, choosing your own way in life. Dowd is a gifted author, and she made me fall in love with Fergus and his family. I am Irish by blood, and stories of The Troubles always hurt my heart. I wept for Fergus’s Mam, and the pain she was going through while Joe was on his hunger strike. I ached for the conflict between his Mam and his Pap and their different ideas of how they should deal with the strike. And I loved the bits of Mel’s story that started each chapter. But most of all, this is Fergus’s story – everything is seen through his eyes, described with his words, and felt with his heart – and he is a character whose story will be with me for a long, long time.”

The Dead and the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer
From my review: “The Dead and the Gone is a darker book than Life As We Knew It. The experiences of people living in the city were, in some ways, more horrifying than for people living in more rural areas. Alex is forced to do things he never before would have contemplated in order to provide for his sisters. As a devout Catholic, Alex has to reconcile his ideas of sin and guilt with his need to help his family survive….The Catholic community as portrayed in The Dead and the Gone is a more alive, caring faith community – one who tries to care for their congregants to the best of their ability with their limited resources. I also thought that Pfeffer wonderfully wrote about Alex’s crisis of faith, his wondering about God’s love and provision in the midst of such horror.”

Bookmark to:

© CarrieK for BOOKS AND MOVIES, 2009. | Permalink | 25 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: favorites

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh