What Would Harry Read?

Since I think this is a great idea, I thought I would share it with all you Harry Potter fans out there, and even those who are still waiting to figure out why Harry is so popular. Harper Collins has created a blog where they will be showcasing books that they think Harry would read. This is a sort of count down to the new release in July of the latest addition to the series. They did not stop there, though, they also chose books for Dumbledore, Hermione, and Ron. I think it is cute, so, to see what I am talking about, learn more about it, and get some great book recommendations for young adult readers and the young at heart, click here.

New Book

So, I got a new book in the mail today from Random House called Send: The Essential Guide to Email for Office and Home by David Shipley and Will Schwalbe. I have not read it yet, but I like the back of the book and thought I would share.

The Eight Deadly Sins of Email

1. The email that's unbelievably vague.
("Remember to do that thing.")

2. The email that insults you so badly that you have to get up from your desk.
("HOW CAN YOU NOT HAVE DONE THAT THING?!!!!")

3. The email that puts you in jail.
("Please tell them that I asked you to sell that thing when it hit $70.")

4. The email that is cowardly.
("Here's the thing: you're being let go.")

5. The email that won't go away.
(Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re: that thing.)

6. The email that's so sarcastic you have to get up from your desk.
("Smooth move on that thing. Really smooth.")

7. The email that's too casual.
("Hiya! Any word on that admissions thing?")

8. The email that's inappropriate.
("Want to come to my hotel room to discuss that thing?")

There you have it, some deadly sins to mull over.

Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink

Caddie Woodlawn, which has been captivating young readers since 1935, was awarded the John Newbery Medal for the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. Now it is in a brand-new edition with lively illustrations by Trina Schart Hyman. In her new foreword, Carol Ryrie Brink lovingly recalls the real Caddie, who was her grandmother, and tells how she often "sat spellbound, listening, listening!" as Caddie told stories of her pioneer childhood. Children everywhere will love redheaded Caddie with her penchant for pranks. Scarcely out of one scrape before she is into another, she refuses to be a "lady," preferring instead to run the woods with her brothers. Whether she is crossing the lake on a raft, visiting an Indian camp, or listening to the tales of the circuit rider, Caddie's adventures provide an exciting and authentic picture of life on the Wisconsin frontier in the 1860s. And readers will discover, as Caddie learns what growing up truly means, that it is not so very different today.

There is a reading challenge happening right now where people are reading the Newbery Award winning books over the years. I did not officially join, but I was organizing my bookshelves and I accidently left out a pile of young adult books from the to be read pile, so I decided to read them instead of rearranging everything again. This meant that there were a few Newbery winners to read, so I will be reading a couple.

Caddie Woodlawn was originally published in 1935 and it really reminds me of Little House on the Praire, so if you have read all the books you want to read in that series, you might be interested to read this book. It is a cute novel about a rebellious youth that spends her childhood playing with the boys and avoiding being a girl. During the course of this book, though, she starts to make a transformation into her own person. Her mother was never happy with her rebellious ways because it was not the correct way for a young lady to act and her father adored her because she was her own person and did not act like everyone expected her to.

I thought this was a good young adult book and I think it was worth the award that it won. It is also based on the authors grandmothers life, so that makes it even more interesting.

4/5

28: Stories of AIDs in Africa by Stephanie Nolen

Books Completed: 72
Completion Date: May 2007
Publication Year: 2007
Pages: 416
Received from Random House in 2007

From one of our most widely read, award-winning journalists – comes the powerful, unputdownable story of the very human cost of a global pandemic of staggering scope and scale. It is essential reading for our times.

In 28, Stephanie Nolen, the Globe and Mail’s Africa Bureau Chief, puts a human face to the crisis created by HIV-AIDS in Africa. She has achieved, in this amazing book, something extraordinary: she writes with a power, understanding and simplicity that makes us listen, makes us understand and care. Through riveting anecdotal stories – one for each of the million people living with HIV-AIDS in Africa – Nolen explores the effects of an epidemic that well exceeds the Black Plague in magnitude. It is a calamity that is unfolding just a 747-flight away, and one that will take the lives of these 28 million without the help of massive, immediate intervention on an unprecedented scale. 28 is a timely, transformative, thoroughly accessible book that shows us definitively why we continue to ignore the growth of HIV-AIDS in Africa only at our peril and at an intolerable moral cost.

28’s stories are much more than a record of the suffering and loss in 28 emblematic lives. Here we meet women and men fighting vigorously on the frontlines of disease: Tigist Haile Michael, a smart, shy 14-year-old Ethiopian orphan fending for herself and her baby brother on the slum streets of Addis Ababa; Alice Kadzanja, an HIV-positive nurse in Malawi, where one in six adults has the virus, and where the average adult’s life expectancy is 36; and Zackie Achmat, the hero of South Africa’s politically fragmented battle against HIV-AIDS.

28 also tells us how the virus works, spreads and, ultimately, kills. It explains the connection of HIV-AIDS to conflict, famine and the collapse of states; shows us how easily treatment works for those lucky enough to get it and details the struggles of those who fight to stay alive with little support. It makes vivid the strong, desperate people doing all they can, and maintaining courage, dignity and hope against insurmountable odds. It is – in its humanity, beauty and sorrow – a call to action for all who read it.

For one of my last papers in university, I discussed how not enough attention was being given to AIDs and other life-threatening illnesses, while the Bird Flu is on the news with every new reported case. AIDs in Africa is a television special, it is not something that is looked at with any real regularity and concern. There are 28 million people living in Africa with AIDs right now. This book has one story for each million.

Some people may be wondering why I chose to look at the monetary side of things. It is frankly because these people all ready have the disease, it is the health care that is lacking. The scarest thing I ever saw on television was a woman that was dying from AIDs and instead of being treated for that disease, she was being treated for her symptoms. In Africa, more people die sooner than they have to because the money is not there to provide the necessities to keep a person with HIV from contracting AIDs and dying. It is sad but true. People are not dying from AIDs alone, they are dying from a combination of the disease and poverty, and then we are in our First World nations wasting money on things that we do not need. It's a sad world.

All that is even before I get into the book. I am not sure why the AIDs struggle has always struck a cord with me, I know of people with the disease, but I have never known someone well with the disease and I have never had to watch someone die from it. I think Stephanie Nolen's book is long overdue. With these 28 stories she puts a face on people who live with this disease everyday. People think that AIDs is not a problem, but you look into the eyes of these people that are suffering, you see the statistics and you tell me how it is not a problem. Parents die leaving their children to fend for themselves, grandparents are forced to be parents all over again to countless children, whole families have been wiped out, worlds have been torn apart.

I can not say that this is the best book ever written, what I can say is that I wish it was a book that never had to be written. I wish that people were more aware, but people need to read this book. It was one of the most touching, informative, and heart-breaking books I have ever read. These are real people who suffer from a real disease. In these pages you hear just how hard it is, just how limited the health care system is, how even eating correctly is not something open to many of these people. You see the doctors that are fighting for a cure, you see the ordinary people that have rose to places of power to get their communities the help they need, and you learn of the stigma that continues to surround this disease in many places.

This is a book that had to be written. It is not someone on the outside telling the world how it is, it is the people on the inside showing you what life is like for them. 28 million people living with AIDs in Africa today, here are 28 of their stories. Be aware that this review is my opinion, I am not expecting everyone to agree with me and I am not speaking for Stephanie Nolen. This is just how I see the situation and how her book relates to it.

5/5

More Pictures From Nova Scotia

Since my Thursday Thirteen was mildly popular, I thought I would share more pictures. I took some of the net, but I have some of my own that I might hunt down and post in the future.


First up is the Bluenose II, the schooner that is one of our most popular features. The original is found on our dime


Before the Cat, this was the ferry that sailed between Nova Scotia and Maine. My father actually worked on this boat until 1997 when it was retired and The Cat arrived. The boat, last I heard, was still running somewhere foreign. It was also known as the Bluenose.



This is a picture of the Church at Grand Pre. The statue you see is Evangeline. She is the female lead in a poem that Longfeller wrote about the deportation of the Acadians. It is a love poem, really. Many French communities have festivals where the leaders of the events are Evangeline and Gabriel, the lovers from the poem.



This is a picture of the waterfront in Lunenburg. In many ways it reminds me of the waterfront in Yarmouth because those red buildings are sort of a staple of fishing towns in this province. Lunenburg used to be a ship-building town, but Confederation was a contributing factor to the death of ship-building in Nova Scotia. It is not an impossible thing to consider that maybe joining Canada did not really work out for Nova Scotians, but it all depends on how you look at it.

This is the lighthouse in Yarmouth. Most people have seen Peggy's Cove light because I really think it is credited with being the most photographed either lighthouse or tourist attraction in general in the world, but do not quote me on that. It was years before I saw Peggy's Cove in person, but I grew up with this lighthouse. My grandmother informs me that in the summer it is a restauant, so that might be something that people would want to check out. Eating in a lighthouse.

And that is just some more of the wonderful things that you can see in Nova Scotia. I feel like a tour guide. haha

Thursday Thirteen - Nova Scotia Take Two

I had so much fun sharing Nova Scotia with people last week, that I am back again this week with another list! Last week I stuck with mostly human-made things to see. This list will have a bit of everything.

1. The Cabot Trail - duh! Although, I personally do not think this trail does any justice unless you travel it during the fall when the leaves are changing, it is a really beautiful trail that is worth driving, or even seeing! It is located in Cape Breton, and is one of their major tourist attractions.

2. The Beaches - You cannot come to Nova Scotia without seeing the beaches. You have to be careful of location, though, because I personally am not a big fan of the rocky beaches you can find here. I prefer the sand. I like the beaches along the south shore and north shore, it is the space in between that is not as sandy.

3. The Tides - I know, people are looking at that going "huh?" Interesting fact: Here you can see the highest tides in the world! I personally recommend the Tidal Bore in Truro. You can search for a schedule online and basically you look at a dry river bed and then all of a sudden "whoosh" all the water comes in. It's pretty cool. Other than that, I don't really understand how you can tell you are looking at the highest tides, but I live here... so.

4. Yarmouth - I used to live there, if you hadn't guessed, but what I actually want to point out is that Yarmouth is the town where Izzak Walton Killiam came from. He donated money to build what us locals know as the "IWK". He also has a library in Yarmouth named after him, gave money to universities, and a hospital in Montreal, etc. In Yarmouth there are museums and things dedicated to him and other important historical families, like the Sweeney's who were members of the "rum running" phase of history. (I'm related to the Sweeney's, but I disagree with them. They built a house in Yarmouth for looks, no one actually lives in it!) Anyways, very historical town.

5. Pictou County - The birth of New Scotland. It is interesting, the french and English were here first, but it is the Scottish that named us. Pictou is one of the nicest places to visit in Nova Scotia, but I caution you for the smell. Kimberly Clarke STINKS! It makes me so mad, let me tell you. I still really like the place, though.

6. The Valley - This includes Annapolis Royal, Kentville, New Minas, Wolfville, Middleton, etc. These towns are known for their apples. You should come to see the trees in the spring, but year round these towns are farming villages and picturesque. There is Blomidon and other natural sites to see that I cannot do justice to in words.

7. Smuggler's Cove - This is a place where you can go in a cave that was actually used by rum runners. It's very picturesque, but why people come from all over to go there is beyond me. Come to think of it, everytime I have been there the cave has had water in it and I have never been able to see inside, but it is a nice place. (But still just a cave).

8. Oak Island - No, you cannot go there, but you can go near it. Oak Island is by far one of the coolest mysteries ever! There is supposedly a buried treasure and even with the modern technology of today, no one has been able to get to it! It is an interesting story to read, I might point out. I will not outline the whole thing in this post, but I recommend reading about it!

9. The Tall Ships - Everytime they are here, I want to go and something ALWAYS comes up. I LOVE sailing ships, and in July there is going to be a big festival of them in Halifax. I am SO excited because I might actually get to go. I have seen tall ships before, of course, we get them here all the time, but this is a lot of them at one place at one time. I am REALLY excited... did I say that already...

10. Mahone Bay - I put Lunenburg on the last list because it is the Historical Site, but Mahone Bay is practically down the road and very lovely to view. There are also the three churches. To see what I am talking about, go to mahonebay dot com.

11. The Cat - The ferry that runs between Maine and Yarmouth. I am told that this is a tourist attraction in other places.

12. Sable Island - The graveyard of the Atlantic and the island of wild horses.

13. There are much more I can talk about, so I will leave this to all the sites that did not fit on the list.

There are MANY other things to see: Museums, natural sites, historical sites, etc. It all depends on what you are looking for when you are here. If anyone has any questions, just ask! And now I live you with some Irish wisdom, in Gaelic: Is minic a gheibhean beal oscailt diog dunta!

(That means: An open mouth often catches a closed fist! Brilliant, huh? haha)

Everybody Laugh at Me and a Review

Is it sad that I am going through watermelon withdrawal? It is my favourite fruit ever, and it is not really its season, but for some reason I have just wanted watermelon for days. I am trying to eat healthier, which is actually not a big stretch because I like my fruits and veggies, but I wanted watermelon! So, I went to the store just now and they had some watermelon cut up for a dollar. Normally, I prefer the "cut your own" variety, and I am sure the taste would not be as good as it will be soon, but I bought it and have ate it all ready. If you think I am a pig, there really was not that much there! I just really wanted watermelon. I miss it during the winter. I eat a lot of it during the summer. If I go to a bbq or whatever and I am supposed to bring food, I always choose dessert and carry along a trusty watermelon. Sad or what! I should be splurging my friends in chocolate or some exotic dessert, and I bring a watermelon. haha. My friends are used to it by now, and believe me, you do not want to eat my cooking anyways! And that is my sad, but true, story.

In other news, I am getting lazy and instead of my nice little format thing, I will just post the link. I reviewed The Briar King by Greg Keyes today on Twisted Kingdom. The review can be found by clicking here.

The Invasion of Canda by Pierre Berton

Books Completed: 71
Completion Date: May 2007
Publication Year: 2001
Pages: 368
Purchased in 2007

To America's leaders in 1812, an invasion of Canada seemed to be "a mere matter of marching," as Thomas Jefferson confidently predicted. How could a nation of 8 million fail to subdue a struggling colony of 300,000? Yet, when the campaign of 1812 ended, the only Americans left on Canadian soil were prisoners of war. Three American armies had been forced to surrender, and the British were in control of all of Michigan Territory and much of Indiana and Ohio.

In this remarkable account of the war's first year and the events that led up to it, Pierre Berton transforms history into an engrossing narrative that reads like a fast-paced novel. Drawing on personal memoirs and diaries as well as official dispatches, the author has been able to get inside the characters of the men who fought the war — the common soldiers as well as the generals, the bureaucrats and the profiteers, the traitors and the loyalists.

Berton believes that if there had been no war, most of Ontario would probably be American today; and if the war had been lost by the British, all of Canada would now be part of the United States. But the War of 1812, or more properly the myth of the war, served to give the new settlers a sense of community and set them on a different course from that of their neighbours.

As many people know, I went to Ontario for my grad present to myself. While there, I found that my Canadian history was not as up to speed as it once was. I was at the memorial to the Battle of Queenston Heights, and I found that I remembered learning about it, but I could not remember what the details of the battle were. The war is referred to the War of 1812, the last time that war was battled on Canadian land, but it actually extended from 1812 to 1814. This book covers the first years of the battle.

I have, of course, heard of Pierre Berton I actually own some of his books already, but this was the first time I read a full book by him. I found it interesting to read. Berton is very readable, but he offers his opinion on the events as they play out. It is helpful to read another author in order to see other opinions on the battle, but Berton writes an interesting account. For those that are unaware of what the War of 1812 was, I will provide a brief overview:

Basically it is a war between the British and the newly formed Americas. Britain was also involved in war with France at the time, so most of the war took place on what would become Canada in about 50 years time. This war decided the borders of the U.S. and Canada, because if Canada had lost, we would have very easily have lost a large amount of our landmass to the Americans. The war plays out interestingly, with some very bad moves by the U.S. and some very amazing victories by the Canadians. The Battle for Queenston Heights was one of the most famous battles because the U.S. crossed near Niagara Falls where no one thought it would be possible, so they almost caught the British off-guard. It is one of the most talked about battles of the entire war.

It was an interesting read with lots of names to keep track of. I plan to read the sequel, Flames Across the Border soon because that is a year that was hardly covered in history in school, so I should learn new things. Anyone interested in reading Pierre Berton should read this book.

4/5

Can you Imagine?

One of the blogs I read always has interesting articles up on historical events, and one of the recent ones made me raise an eyebrow. Apparently Genghis Khan was a very busy fellow! Some families are dying out, but not his, it looks like he has 16 million male descendants living today. Yes, you read that right. I did not think I did at the time, at first I thought it said "16" and did not know why that was a big deal. This means that he would have had to father anywhere from hundreds to thousands of children! How on earth did the guy manage to create an empire and still manage to spend so much time in the sack! So, that was my interesting read for the evening. To read the full article on Michelle's blog, click here. I must point out that the number only represents the men, there would be women too. Someone was a very busy fellow!

The article originally appeared in the Globe and Mail, and is linked directly to it on Michelle's blog.

Good Ole Series

Marg from Reading Adventures was talking to me last night about how many series she had on the go, so I just had to figure out my own list. The problem with fantasy is that it is mostly trilogies and series, and I always seem to find myself reading authors that have been out for a while, so they have a lot of books out before I have even decided to read them! This means that I have a lot of books to read by them in order to reach the point where I am excited for a new release. Couple that with the fact that I hardly ever read the same author in a row, and it leads to a long list of books for me to read.

Series I am Waiting for the next book in:

The Morganville Vampires series by Rachel Caine
Glass Houses
Dead Girl's Dance
Midnight Alley - October 2007

Mercedes Thompson Series by Patricia Briggs
Moon Called
Blood Bound
Iron Kissed - out in January 2008

A Great and Terrible Beauty Trilogy by Libba Bray
A Great and Terrible Beauty
Rebel Angels
The Sweet Far Thing - out December 26, 2007

Twilight Series by Stephenie Meyer
Twilight
New Moon
Eclipse - out August 7, 2007

Five Hundred Kingdom Series by Mercedes Lackey
The Fairy Godmother
One Good Knight
Fortune's Fool - waiting for release date for paperback

Daughters of the Earth Series by Susan Carroll
The Dark Queen
The Courtesan
The Silver Rose
The Huntress - out July 31, 2007

The Gardella Vampire Chronicles by Colleen Gleason
Rest Falls Away
Rises the Night - out June 5, 2007

Fourth Realm Series by John Twelve Hawks
The Traveler
The Dark River - out July 10, 2007

"Study" Trilogy by Maria Snyder
Poison Study
Magic Study
Fire Study - next book out in 2008

War of the Roses Series by Anne Easter Smith
A Rose for the Crown
Daughter of York - out in Spring 2008

The Looking Glass War Trilogy by Frank Beddor
The Looking Glass Wars
Seeing Redd - Out October 2007

Series where books are out that I have not read yet:

Wives of Henry VIII Series by Laurien Gardner
Spanish Bride
Lady Raised High
Plain Jane

Winter's King War Trilogy by Susan Dexter
The Ring of Allaire
The Sword of Calandra
The Mountains of Channadran

Black Jewels Trilogy by Anne Bishop
Daughter of the Blood
Heir to the Shadows
Queen of the Darkness
The Invisible Ring
Dreams Made Flesh
Tangled Webs - out in March 2008

Samaria Series by Sharon Shinn
Archangel
Jovah's Angel
The Alleluia Files
Angelica
Angel-Seeker

Into the Wilderness Series by Sara Donati
Into the Wilderness
Dawn on a Distant Shore
Lake in the Clouds
Fire Along the Sky
Queen of Swords

Wizard's War Quartet by Elizabeth Boyer
The Troll's Grindstone
The Curse of the Slagfid
The Dragon's Cabuncle
The Lord of Chaos

Camulod Chronicles by Jack Whyte
The Skystone
The Singing Sword
The Eagle's Brood
The Saxon Shore
The Fort at River's Bend
The Sorcerer:Metamorphosis
Uther
The Lance Thrower
The Eagle

The Symphony of Ages Series by Elizabeth Haydon
Rhapsody: Child of Blood
Prophecy: Child of Earth
Destiny: Child of the Sky
Requiem for the Sun
Elegy for a Lost Star
The Assassin King

The Enchanted Forest Quartet by Patricia Wrede
Dealing with Dragons
Searching for Dragons
Calling on Dragons
Talking to Dragons

History of Canada Series by Pierre Berton - Not necessarily a series, but the books are all related to each other. I just recently started reading him.

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams - I have to read the fourth book and then the other books that are not included in my 4-in-1 book.

Women of the Otherworld Series by Kelley Armstrong
Bitten
Stolen
Dime Store Magic
Industrial Magic
Haunted
Broken
No Humans Involved

"Light" Series by Marion Zimmer Bradley
Ghostlight
Witchlight
Gravelight
Heartlight

Claire Moffat Trilogy by Marion Zimmer Bradley
Dark Satanic
The Inheritor
Witch Hill

The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher
Storm Front
Fool Moon
Grave Peril
Summer Knight
Death Masks
Blood Rites
Dead Beat
Proven Guilty
White Night
Small Favor - April 2008

Riftwar Saga by Raymond Feist
Magician:Apprentice
Magician:Master
Silverthorn
A Darkness at Sethanon
Prince of the Blood
The King's Buccaneer

Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde
The Eyre Affair
Lost in a Good Book
The Well of Lost Plots
Something Rotten
First Among Sequels - July 2007

Ink Trilogy by Cornelia Funke
Inkheart
Inkspell
Inkdeath - 2008

Sandman Series by Neil Gaiman - Trying to read his other books before continuing with this series, because I would like to own them and they are a bit pricey.

Troy Trilogy by David Gemmell
Lord of the Silver Bow
The Shield of Thunder
Fall of Kings - October 2007

Fairy Tale Series by Shannon Hale
The Goose Girl
Enna Burning
River Secrets

Rachel Morgan Series by Kim Harrison
Dead Witch Walking
The Good, the Bad, and the Undead
Every Which Way but Dead
A Fistful of Charms
For a Few Demons More

Stravaganza by Mary Hoffman
City of Masks
City of Stars
City of Flowers

The Tales of Arthur by Patricia Kennealy
The Hawk's Grey Feather
The Oak Above the Kings
The Hedge of Mist

Once Upon a Time Series by Dennis McKiernan
Once Upon a Winter's Night
Once Upon a Summer Day
Once Upon an Autumn Eve
Once Upon a Spring Morn
Once Upon a Dreadful Day - October 2007

The Golden Book of Faerie by O.R. Melling
The Hunter's Moon
Summer King
The Light-Bearer's Daughter
The Book of Dreams

Emily of New Moon Trilogy by Lucy Maud Montgomery
Emily of New Moon
Emily Climbs
Emily's Quest

Temeraire series by Naomi Novik
His Majesty's Dragon
The Throne of Jade
Black Powder War
Empire of Ivory - September 2007
Book 5 - August 2008

In Death series by J.D. Robb
Naked in Death
Glory in Death
Immortal in Death
Rapture in Death
Ceremony in Death
Vengeance in Death
Holiday in Death
Midnight in Death
Conspiracy in Death
Loyalty in Death
Witness in Death
Judgment in Death
Betrayal in Death
Interlude in Death
Seduction in Death
Reunion in Death
Purity in Death
Portrait in Death
Imitation in Death
Remember When
Divided in Death
Visions in Death
Survivor in Death
Origin in Death
Memory in Death
Haunted in Death
Born in Death
Innocent in Death
Eternity in Death
Creation in Death

Sigma Force Series by James Rollins
Sandstorm
Map of Bones
Black Order
Judas Strain - June 20, 2007

Cato Series by Simon Scarrow
Under the Eagle
The Eagle's Conquest
When the Eagle Hunts
The Eagle and the Wolves
The Eagle's Prey
The Eagle's Prophecy
The Eagle in the Sand
Centurion

The Bronze Horseman Trilogy
The Bronze Horseman
Tatiana and Alexander
The Summer Garden

Dragonlance Chronicles by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
Dragons of Autumn Twilight
Dragons of Winter Night
Dragons of Spring Dawning
Dragons of Summer Flame

The Safe-Keeper's Series by Sharon Shinn
The Safe-Keeper's Secret
Truth-Teller's Tale
Dream-Maker's Magic

Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone Trilogy by Gregory Keyes
The Briar King
The Charnel Prince
The Blood Knight

Amber Series by Roger Zelazny
Nine Princes in Amber
The Guns of Avalon
The Sign of the Unicorn
The Hand of Oberon
The Courts of Chaos
Trumps of Doom
Blood of Amber
Sign of Chaos
Knight of Shadows
Prince of Chaos


There are a few Series that I am not sure if I will continue on with:
The Forever King Trilogy by Molly Cochran - book one was just okay.
Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon - have tried to read book two and cannot seem to get into it, so not sure if I will ever finish this series.
Jane Austen Mysteries by Stephanie Barron - I am not huge on mystery books, so this is not on my necessary reading.
Modern Faerie Tale Series by Holly Black - I really was not fond of Valiant, so I do not know if I will continue with this series or not.
Avalon Series by Marion Zimmer Bradley - I have read the books that she actually wrote, but not the ones that have come out since she died. Not sure if I am going to read them, or just let the originals be the end for me.
Cat Who Series by Lilian Jackson Braun - Another mystery series, so not on my priority list.
Anita Blake Series by Laurel Hamilton - Not sure if I will bother with this series or not.

I think I have some reading to do...

Thursday Thirteen

With the meme going around about what people may not know about you, it made me think of good Thursday Thirteen. I live in Nova Scotia, Canada, and while there are times that the smallness of it is restricting on jobs and having a future, I still have lots of things that I really like about it. So, Thirteen Things I like about my province. It will probably be from a historical point of view.

1. Fortress Louisbourg
- I went here when I was ten, and I thought it was amazing. It was built for a very violent part of history, but it was a huge enterprise and they have restored it really well. I really want to go back now that I am older, but in the meantime, I enjoy this aspect of Canadian history.

2. Grand Pre
- They may have been deported and it may represent a very dreary part of history. I say this about the Acadians. If you do not who they are, they were stuck in the middle of a conflict between the French and the English. We are one of the oldest part of the "new world".

3. Yarmouth Lighthouse
- I get really mad that they have changed this more than necessary, but this is one of the nicest lighthouses I have seen. The oldest lighthouse in, I want to say North America (but I might be wrong), is in Cape Breton. (When I say changed, they took out the fog horn because it made too much noise! Stupid politicians, it's a FOG HORN!)

4. Peggy's Cove
- This is like the most photographed thing in the world. It has a nice location, but I think it is a little overdone. That is not to say that I really do not enjoy it. It is also a memorial to the Swiss Air Flight and there is a little area dedicated to that tragedy.

5. The Citadel
- This fort is nice, but I have been there so many times over the years that I know it is as well as the people that work there. I remember one time I went with my parents and I was in like elementary school. The tour person asked questions to make it more interactive, and I was the only one that knew the answers. Makes me wonder what people learn nowadays.

6. The Alexander Graham Bell Museum
- He invented the PHONE. How would we get by without it? And, even the outside of the building and the nature around it is wonderful. I still remember it and I have not been here since I was ten.

7. Ross Farm
- This is pretty cool. It is an actual working farm from about the 18th century. There is no modern technology, they all dress in period clothes, and it is actually functioning as it would have. It is open year round, and was an interesting experience.

8. The Firefighter's Museum
- This is pretty cool. Last checked, it was the only one in the world, and after 9/11, it is an important museum to have. My grandfather was actually one of the founding members because he was a firefighter, so it was pretty cool to tell people that when I was a kid.

9. The Bluenose II
- This boat is very important to the country as a whole. Originally built in what was a vying boat building industry in Lunenburg, it is a pretty cool thing to see. It travels all over during the summer, and I have seen it a bunch of times in various ports. Confederation destroyed the ship-building industry, so this is an important part of our past.

10. Lunenburg
- I LOVE Lunenburg. The whole town is a National Historical Site because all the buildings are very classic and historical. Combine that with the water and you have a very quaint town to visit and enjoy.

11. Sherbrooke Village
- I have never actually been here yet because it is in a weird part of the province in relation to me, but I want to go so bad. It is an actual working historical village, and it sounds like it would be an experience. Maybe this summer!

12. Port Royale
- The Fort is not as impressive as Louisbourg, but it is the oldest town in Canada, so it is an important place to visit. Annapolis Royal is also a lovely town to visit.

13. So many other places... But, I will leave this to grow on.

Booking Through Thursday

It happens even to the best readers from time to time… you close the cover on the book you’re reading and discover, to your horror, that there’s nothing else to read. Either there’s nothing in the house, or nothing you’re in the mood for. Just, nothing that “clicks.” What do you do?? How do you get the reading wheels turning again?
- This happens to me surprisingly a lot. I have plenty of books in the house, but there are always times when I look at them and nothing is really calling to me. Normally, I will take a few hours off and then try again, while other times I will take a quick trip to the bookstore to see if there is anything there that is appealing to me. I find that when I normally feel like this, it is because I am a little reading burned out, so I just try and not pressure myself into finding something.

The Huntress by Susan Carroll

For those, like me, wondering what this book is about because none of the the book sites (last I checked) had an info, someone filled me in on my comments and I thought I would share.

FYI – found this via Google search
(http://www.midwestwritingcenter.org/Writers%20Conference.htm) :

“Ms. Carroll launched a new series with the publication of the The Dark Queen , The Courtesan, and The Silver Rose set during the turbulent days of the French Renaissance. A blend of history, magic, romance and intrigue, these books relate the saga of the Cheney sisters, three women of extraordinary abilities who live in constant peril of being accused of witchcraft. The novels combine fictional characters with real events and personages such as the enigmatic Catherine de Medici and the lusty Henry of Navarre. The fourth book in this series, The Huntress is slated to be released in summer of ’07.”

And this from http://www.historicalnovelsociety.org/forthcoming.htm:

“Susan Carroll, The Huntress, Ballantine (Catriona O'Hanlon, a pagan Irishwoman accused of witchcraft, must foil a plot against Queen Elizabeth)"

I am excited to learn that this book is related to the last three books, and hopeful it will both be good and promising for more books in the series.

The Measure of a Man by Sidney Poitier

Books Completed: 66
Completion Date: April 2007
Publication Year:
Pages:
Purchased in 2007

"I have no wish to play the pontificating fool, pretending that I've suddenly come up with the answers to all life's questions. Quite that contrary, I began this book as an exploration, an exercise in self-questing. In other words, I wanted to find out, as I looked back at a long and complicated life, with many twists and turns, how well I've done at measuring up to the values I myself have set."
—Sidney Poitier

In this luminous memoir, a true American icon looks back on his celebrated life and career. His body of work is arguably the most morally significant in cinematic history, and the power and influence of that work are indicative of the character of the man behind the many storied roles. Sidney Poitier here explores these elements of character and personal values to take his own measure—as a man, as a husband and a father, and as an actor.

Poitier credits his parents and his childhood on tiny Cat Island in the Bahamas for equipping him with the unflinching sense of right and wrong and of self-worth that he has never surrendered and that have dramatically shaped his world. "In the kind of place where I grew up," recalls Poitier, "what's coming at you is the sound of the sea and the smell of the wind and momma's voice and the voice of your dad and the craziness of your brothers and sisters...and that's it." Without television, radio, and material distractions to obscure what matters most, he could enjoy the simple things, endure the long commitments, and find true meaning in his life.

Poitier was uncompromising as he pursued a personal and public life that would honor his upbringing and the invaluable legacy of his parents. Just a few years after his introduction to indoor plumbing and the automobile, Poitier broke racial barrier after racial barrier to launch a pioneering acting career. Committed to the notion that what one does for a living articulates to who one is, Poitier played only forceful and affecting characters who said something positive, useful, and lasting about the human condition.

Here is Poitier's own introspective look at what has informed his performances and his life. Poitier explores the nature of sacrifice and commitment, price and humility, rage and forgiveness, and paying the price for artistic integrity. What emerges is a picture of a man in the face of limits—his own and the world's. A triumph of the spirit, The Measure of a Man captures the essential Poitier.

Another buddy review with me and Marg from Reading Adventures. Marg is in black and I am in blue.

My journey toward blogging pretty much started with joining Oprah's Book Club, and that is where I originally 'met' Kailana, and so it is somewhat apt that we do a joint review of this book, which was an Oprah pick earlier this year. It took a while for me to read this book because I am not really of the generation which was a big Sidney Poitier fan, so I read it because I have read most of the Oprah books over the years. It was also fitting to final buddy review an Oprah book with Marg.

I will start off by saying that Sidney Poitier stars in one of my favourite movies ever, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner....yes, the original version, not the Ashton Kutcher version, but other than the fact that he was generally regarded as one of the major Hollywood stars during the 60s I didn't really know all that much about him. I had heard of Sidney Poitier before, but I have never seen any of his movies before. One of these days I will have to because I have of course heard of his movies before. Most of my knowledge of him comes from my grandmother and mother who both were happy to see me reading his memoir.

In some ways this book wasn't actually what I expected. I think I expected more of a traditional autobiography following a chronological order, but instead this book was more a series of reflections on some of the issues that people face in life. One of the major focusses of the book was racism, and the discrimination that Poitier faced throughout his career, and also the opposition that he faced as a man who was seen to be typecast as a good guy, and not necessarily someone who fought against the racist Hollywood system. I thought it was interesting to hear what Poitier went through to get where he is. It is really an amazing story, even if we know that it would have had to been hard considering the time that he grew up in. Growing up in a white, middle-class home, it is always helpful to see other sides of the picture and to know what other people had to get through to become the people that they are today.

Along the way there was also reflections on the current generation of kids who need everything now, particularly material goods, and on near death experiences that he had.
In terms of the writing style, there were occasions throughout this book where I could just hear the voice of Sidney Poitier, with his distinct accent, coming through on the pages. It wasn't however consistent, and there were definitely other times when that voice was indistinct. I was interested to see how he sees the society today, though. We are from very different generations and from different societies, so it is always interesting to see what society is like from a different point of view. I do think that I would have liked this book more if I really knew who Poitier is, because while I have heard him talk, it is not enough that I heard his accent in my head while reading it. I did reflect on how he talks about his education and how he went for years with little education and yet was able to write such a reflective book.

After reading books like this, I am reminded that I really should read more non fiction....one of these days! I have actually been reading a resonable amount of non-fiction lately, so this just adds to the ranks.

Rating 4/5
3.5/5

Back Again

It's offical, I graduated a few hours ago! Thanks to everyone for their congrats, I was pretty excited about the whole thing. It's scary to reach a point where you are not labeled by your schooling. People ask you to tell them about you, you say you are a freshman or in grade 10, etc. Now, I have to think of something else to say!

Overall, the ceremony was not bad. They have been doing this for a while (we were the 165th graduating class, with my school being founded in 1836), so even when it looked disorganized to us, they seemed to know what they were doing. My advice after four years of university? Do not live off-campus. It is very hard to make lasting friendships because most friendships are made in residence becaues you are thrown together with these people. It does not work well. I know lots of people from my graduating class, but good friends, there are only a few, and even them I am not sure I will really talk to a lot.

Anyways, the ceremony was a tad bit old-fashioned, but the president of the university right now is a woman, so that is revolutionary. She is only the second! We also were the largest class to ever graduate from Acadia, so we made history.

I started this post like two hours ago, but I got distracted. I got a gift card for Amazon, and was sort of lost in book world. I have no will-power. Remember the Bluenose book I wanted? I noticed it took a while to ship on Amazon, so I deleted it and placed the order... then I went to Chapters to see how long it took on there, and well, ended up buying three books on there too to get free shipping. So, looks like I bought myself three books. Let's not talk about it... What did I buy all together? Thanks for asking, I will share:

From Amazon I got:
Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight: An African Childhood by Alexandra Fuller
- This is why I was on Amazon while writing this post in the first place, because this charming author recieved an honourary degree from Acadia today. She talked, and I bought her book. Have to support my local graduates, right? (haha, yeah, right, like I need an excuse).

Canada: a Portrait in Letters, 1800-2000 by Charlotte Gray
- This book just sounded different, and I need something different history-wise once in a while. I have looked at it before in a brick and mortar store, but now I finally bought it.

Witch Child by Celia Rees
-This is one of the books that I added to replace the book about the Bluenose. I have heard about it on the blogosphere and decided today was the day to buy it.

The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor
- Same as above.

All in Together Girls by Kate Sutherland
- I am not a huge fan of short story collections, but I read her blog and I have been meaing to buy her book since it came out a couple weeks ago, but this is my first chance.

Then, over to chapters...

Witch In The Wind: The True Story Of The Legendary Bluenose
- The reason I was on Chapters in the first place.

Always Fresh: The Untold Story Of Tim Hortons By The Man Who Created A Canadian Empire
- I have been meaning to get this book since it came out because it is about Tim Hortons, and that is a big industry around here. What surprised me is that it is not about Tim Horton, it is about his partner who is from my neck of the woods, so I am curious what he has to say about everything.

Scribbling The Cat by Alexandra Fuller
- The other two books were plenty, but this book was in the bargain bin for 5 bucks. I had planned to wait and get it later, but I couldn't turn down the great price!

Congrats to Me!

I graduate from university tomorrow! I am very excited. I have my gown here at my house, and I am looking at it and thinking crazy thoughts. I don't think I expected to get here. I hated university, couldn't found my calling at all, and almost dropped out in my second year because I was so frustruated. Now, here I am, about to walk across the stage tomorrow. Scary stuff! I still probably could have done a lot better than I did, but I really struggled to get my degree. In a way, even though my marks could be better, I feel like this is a very big accomplishment because I struggled and had such a hard time with it. So, by the time I post again, I should be a university graduate! Then, I will catch up on reviews, telling everyone about my trip, and finishing all I had planned with the Ten Books Bloggers Cannot Live Without.

Fun New Book Service

Booksprice.com is a free service of finding the best price on books among the major online stores. Our real time engine can help you save as muchas 80% from the retail price on new & used books,cds and dvds. We have introduce innovative features and tools like finding the best price of several books together, which might reduce the high shipping costs and save even more money. And now we are offering the new "RSS Price Watcher" that enables you to track the price of a specific book and with your own preferences (shipping, currency, condition, etc) using RSS feeds.

I have not actually used this yet, but I plan to! There are always books that I am price watching to get the best deal on, especially when they are out of print, so I look forward to using this great idea. It's amazing when things like this come out, so logical but took so long to come to my attention. Hopefully this will help people out.

I got tagged

- you need to state 8 random things/facts about yourself if you're tagged
- don't forget to include these rules in your post!
- you need to tag 8 other persons
- comment on the blog of your 8 tagged persons, so they know they've been tagged

I have seen this circulating, and then I got tagged, so looks like I have to do it now.

1. I REALLY want a puppy. It's been 11 years or so since there was a puppy in my house, and it seems to be puppy season. The people that live above Tom just got TWO puppies and I have to admit I am a bit jealous, but at the same time I would never pay 400 bucks a piece for a pet store dog and I would never have two dogs in an apartment.

2. I am worried that the dog I do have is nearing the end. She has a bad hip and I promised I would never make her suffer, so I am keeping my eye on her. She seems to be still doing well, when I put her leash on and delay the actual walk she can still jump on me, but her legs have been giving out on her off and on lately.

3. I have no clue what I want to do for the rest of my life. I graduate on Sunday and I am totally blanking on what to do next. It's scary because I don't know if I want to be a student for the rest of my life and go to do more, or what. I think I really need to wait until I know what I want to do before I go back to school, but who knows what I will decide.

4. I am bored with the computer lately. I like my blog, don't get me wrong, but since my trip the computer has not really been that interesting to me lately. I think it is the nice weather, I want to do something fun.

5. I am reading a really great book right now that I think should have been written 20 or 30 years ago. It is 28 stories from real people who are living with or are affected by AIDs in Africa. It puts a real spin on a very serious problem present in Africa right now. In the Western world it is a problem too, and many people do not think it is.

6. I drink too much Pepsi. It is really bad. I have stopped before, but when I get stressed out I find myself drinking too much again. I think it is one of my worst habits.

7. One of my kittens is hillarious. After all the canned food recalls we switched the cats to Fancy Feast. With only two cats eating it, we can split the can between the two and then they will eat the whole can. If we put the can in the fridge, they won't eat it because of the crust that the food gets on the edge of the can. Anyways, we buy the variety pack and set out all the different varieties and one of the kittens chooses which one she wants. It's cute.

8. I am currently addicted to X-Files reruns. I have been buying the DVD sets when I find them at the store. That show is that last one that was on television that I watched religiously, so it is great to have a chance to travel down memory lane again.

I don't know who to tag, I will have to think about it.

Tempting Darkness by Rene Lyons

Books Completed: 65
Completion Date: April 2007
Publication Year: 2007 in eBook format
Won in 2007
Book Three of the Templar Vampire series

Trapped in the dark, can two lost souls find their way back to the light?

Book Three of the Templar Vampire series

Once a proud Templar Knight, Lucian of Penwick lost his faith when God damned him as a vampire. Tormented by guilt, he is dragged back to his ancestral home and forced to confront the sins of his past. As he struggles to uphold his oath, Lucian knows if he falters, it’s not just his own soul on the line…

Ripped from life as she knew it, Jessica Vargo is held prisoner in a world of darkness and torment. Deep in the bowels of a medieval castle, the line between myth and reality blurs and the only one she can trust is the seven-hundred-year-old vampire.

But as darkness tempts, can Lucian and Jessica find their light?

Look Rene, I FINALLY reviewed your book. I won this book in a contest, and I will point out that it is book three in her series, so you probably want to read the first two books in the series first. The first one is currently out in paperback and the second one is going to be released soon in paperback, I believe this month. After reading this one, I acquired the other two to read as soon as I get a chance.

This book is not my usual read, but I thought I would give it a try. It was actually not what I expected, and while I do not see me reading a lot of books in this genre, I really think I will be reading more Rene Lyons. The heroine is not annoying, that is a big thing for me. I hate the whinny girls in books, I am more fond of girls with backbones. They guy does not count because he is a vampire, and they have supernatural abilities anyways, so it is a given that he has more staminia than the average person. Overall, this was a different sort of read for me, but I think that Rene has potential, so it was worth it. I will at least read the other two books in the series, but we will see what happens after that.

3.5/5

Glass Houses by Rachel Caine

Books Completed: 59
Completion Date: April 2007
Publication Year: 2006
Pages: 256
Owned Prior to 2007

From the author of the popular Weather Warden series. Welcome to Morganville, Texas.

Just don't stay out after dark.

College freshman Claire Danvers has had enough of her nightmarish dorm situation, where the popular girls never let her forget just where she ranks in the school's social scene: somewhere less than zero.

When Claire heads off-campus, the imposing old house where she finds a room may not be much better. Her new roommates don't show many signs of life. But they'll have Claire's back when the town's deepest secrets come crawling out, hungry for fresh blood.

I have heard a lot of interesting things about Rachel Caine throughout the blogsphere, but mostly for her Weather Warden series. While I own the first book in that series, I was drawn to read this young adult series first. Following the footsteps of the paranormal-type books that are currently very popular, it was an interesting debut for a new series. I was happy that I read it right around the time when the new book in the series came out because the ending annoyed me. Not that it was a bad, but because it left things without a conclusive ending.

Claire is an interesting character. She is a normal teen with problems of fitting in a very prevalent image to her character. Things have been very bad for her, though, because she has unintentionally found herself the enemy of the majority of the "cool" kids simply because she corrected one of them in their knowledge. This leads to her having to escape from the campus because she is in fear for her life. She ends up at the home of three outcasts that help her find her way in this strange town.

She goes from being the enemy of all to having people protecting her back and siding with her when trouble arises. She suddenly has friends that help her out and show her the secrets of the town that she has wound up going to university in. I look forward to seeing what happens next in this series. The vampires are interesting in this series, too.

4/5

Flight of the Nighthawks by Raymond E. Feist

Books Completed: 58
Completion Date: April 13, 2007
Publication Year: 2007
Pages: 400
Purchased in 2007
Book One of the Darkwar Saga

A portent of annihilation awakens the powerful sorcerer Pug in the dead of night—a dread vision warning of a vast and terrible army descending upon the exposed heart of Midkemia. Even the formidable might of the Tsurani Empire will not beat back the alien invaders. And in far Stardock town, two boys—untrained, unready, and barely come of age—will be called upon by the mysterious Conclave of Shadows to confront a sinister plot that implicates even the highest-ranking nobles in the land. For a nightmare of treason, intrigue, and murder is brewing among an ancient Brotherhood of Death—a clan of merciless assassins whose name is spoken only in fearful whispers . . .

Raymond E. Feist is a fantasy author that has interested me for a while as someone that I want to read, but despited owning several of his books, I had never read him. This was my first attempt at reading him, and while I am aware that it is one of his newest books, I still felt the need to read it and then backtrack to his older books. I really liked the writing style of this author, so I will look forward to reading more from him.

The problem with this book is it is about characters that are first introduced in Feist's first books, so in a way it is a spoiler to earlier books to tell everything that happens in this book in case someone intends to read them. I do not mind because at least I know now that I like the author, but other people are more concerned with reading books in order. There are a lot of main characters in this book. I will just be very general with my comments on this book so I do not reveal too much to anyone interested in this series.

I will say that I think this is an interesting series from an interesting author. I really enjoyed the characters as well. There were a lot of different personalities shown that show an interesting contrast. I look forward to going back to the older books and talking about all the characters in their early start.

4/5

April in Review

So, I am back from my trip and I am trying to get everything organized. The first thing I did was finish off some of my challenges. I was thinking of them as reading one book each month for each challenge, but it sort of limited my ability to go in any other challenges because I already had so many things to read. That meant that I finished off all of them except for the O'Canada Challenge and the Back to History Challenge. I had been reading books that fit the criteria for the challenges, so it is nice to have them finished off and be able to start some other books and challenges.

Reads in April:

For the Back to History Challenge, I read I Was Amelia Earhart. It had been on the reading pile for a while, so it was nice to finally read it.

Then, I read Coraline by Neil Gaiman for the Once Upon a Time Challenge. I have decided to continue to include any fantasy books I read in that challenge until its completion, even if I am done.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret was an impulse buy and read which I really enjoyed was a very nice change from the "regular" reading.

Helpless by Barbara Gowdy and The Extra Large Medium were both for the Spring Reading Challenge which I have completed.

The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale, Inkheart by Cornelia Funke, Flight of the Nighthawks by Raymond Feist, and Glass Houses by Rachel Caine are all for the Once Upon a Time Challenge.

Then, there were the school books:
The Great Influenza
Cultural Anthropology
Classic Readings in Cultural Anthropology
The Greatest Benefit to Mankind
The Victorian Era

Tempting Darkness was a book by Rene Lyons that I received from the author, and I look forward to reading the other two books by. The second book in her series comes out in print this month, actually, so be sure and check that out.

The Measure of a Man by Sydney Poitier was my non-fiction read for this month. It was a very interesting read.

I read three Kelley Armstrong's books in April: Bitten, Stolen, and Dime Store Magic.

So, for April I read 19 books. Hopefully now that classes are done I can read for fun and in larger quantity. Any books that have not been reviewed yet are forth-coming.

My favourite read of the month is hard to pick. I really liked Kelley Armstrong, Raymond Feist is an author I am looking forward to reading more from, and The Goose Girl was an interesting fairy tale retelling. Overall, other than the dull school books, it was a good month, and some of the school books were actually not that bad.

The Extra Large Medium by Helen Slavin

Books Completed: 55
Completion Date: April 5, 2007
Publication Year: 2006
Pages: 240
Received prior to 2007

In this delightful debut novel, Helen Slavin takes the ghost story into a new dimension. Ever since she was a child, Annie Colville has been talking to the dead. She knows they’re dead because for some reason they’re always dressed in chocolate brown. But Annie’s grown up now, and things are getting serious. Especially after she falls for and marries Evan Bees. It’s hard enough to lose someone you love; but what if you know they could come back to you? And they just . . . don’t? During her long wait for her missing husband to come back to her, in chocolate brown or not, Annie searches through her mother’s vast collection of lovers for the other missing man in her life — her father — and struggles with the questions her gift asks of her. Quirky, irreverent, moving and a little bit spooky, The Extra Large Medium will charm you completely — even as it’s raising the hairs on the back of your neck.

I feel bad that it took me so long to read this book. I received it from a fellow blogger last year for Buy a Friend a Book Week and had the best intentions to read it, but other books kept getting in the way. The Spring Reading Thing offered me the chance to move the book up the reading pile. I was glad I did that because it was an interesting read.

Mediums are something that has interest in society over and over again. There are the skeptics that think that they are crazy and then there are the believers who seek them out to help them out of rough points in their life or because they still have need of their loved ones after they are gone. Anne was an interesting character. She was aware of her power, but she did try to ignore it for a while and lead a normal life, but her true character seemed to follow her no matter how hard she tried to ignore it. The Medium ability appeared to run in the family because one of her relatives was The Extra Large Medium that the title mentions. It is him that she follows in the path of.

One of my favourite parts of this book is when Anne points out the fakes. The "mediums" that are not really communicating with afterlife or anyone in the room, but are just picking common names that suggest to people in the room that it is them that they are speaking to. Overall, it was a very different sort of read. I am not sure that I would have bought myself, so I am glad that I received it from another blogger. I had been looking for something different, and it is the first time that I had read a book where a Medium was the main character.

4/5

Dime Store Magic by Kelley Armstrong

Books Completed: 69
Completion Date: April 27, 2007
Publication Year: 2004
Pages: 448
Owned Prior to 2007
Book Three in The Women of the Otherworld series

From Canada’s new queen of suspense, another hugely entertaining supernatural thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat. Prepare to be enchanted . . .

Forget the cackling green hag in The Wizard of Oz, forget Samantha from Bewitched. Real witches are nothing, NOTHING like this. For years real witches have hidden their powers, afraid of being persecuted. They have integrated so well into the community, you could have a witch living right next door and never know about it. Take Paige, for instance, whom we first met in Kelley Armstrong’s novel Stolen. Just an ordinary twenty-something who runs her own website design company, worries about her weight and wonders if she’ll ever find a boyfriend. Okay, so she’s leader of the American Coven and guardian of Savannah, the teenage daughter of a black witch. Really, life is ordinary. But then a telekinetic half-demon, Leah O’Donnell, shows up to fight for custody of Savannah. And although Paige is ready for her, she’s not quite so prepared for the team of supernaturals that Leah brings with her, including a powerful sorcerer who claims to be Savannah’s father.

When all hell breaks loose -- literally -- and Paige is accused of witchcraft, Satanism and murder, the Coven, fearing exposure, abandons her. Cut off from her friends, Paige is forced against her better judgment to accept the help of a young sorcerer lawyer. And she quickly comes to realize that keeping Savannah could mean losing everything else.

Breathtakingly thrilling, hip and funny, this new novel is another page-turning triumph from an author who is going from strength to strength.

To read the review to this book on Twisted Kingdom, click here.

Book Twelve in the TBR Challenge, Book Twelve in the Chunkster Challenge, Book Twelve in the 12 Months of Fantasy Challenge, Book Ten in the Once Upon a Time Challenge.

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

Books Completed: 57
Completion Date: April 9, 2007
Publication Year: 2005
Pages: 560
Owned Prior to 2007

One cruel night, Meggie's father reads aloud from a book called INKHEART-- and an evil ruler escapes the boundaries of fiction and lands in their living room. Suddenly, Meggie is smack in the middle of the kind of adventure she has only read about in books. Meggie must learn to harness the magic that has conjured this nightmare. For only she can change the course of the story that has changed her life forever. This is INKHEART--a timeless tale about books, about imagination, about life. Dare to read it aloud.

To read the review of this book on Twisted Kingdom, click here.

The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

Books Completed: 56
Completion Date: April 6, 2007
Publication Year: 2005
Pages: 400
Owned Prior to 2007

Anidori-Kiladra Talianna Isilee, Crown Princess of Kildenree, spends the first years of her life under her aunt's guidance learning to communicate with animals. As she grows up Ani develops the skills of animal speech, but is never comfortable speaking with people, so when her silver-tongued lady-in-waiting leads a mutiny during Ani's journey to be married in a foreign land, Ani is helpless and cannot persuade anyone to assist her. Becoming a goose girl for the king, Ani eventually uses her own special, nearly magical powers to find her way to her true destiny. Shannon Hale has woven an incredible, original and magical tale of a girl who must find her own unusual talents before she can become queen of the people she has made her own.

To read the review of this book on Twisted Kingdom, click here.

Book Seven in the 12 Months of Fantasy Challenge and Book Four in the Once Upon a Time Challenge.

Hiatus

I just finish up exams, and now I am going away for a week starting today! So, if anyone is looking for me, I am in Ontario until about May 3rd. If I get a chance to use a computer, I will keep people posted on what is going on. If not, I will talk to everyone when I get back.

While I am away, Twisted Kingdom will continue, and I have a review of The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale and Inkheart by Cornelia Funke saved as draft, so they might get posted while I am away. Also, Kelley Armstrong, author of Bitten and Stolen will be appearing on Twisted Kingdom. First on May 1st to do an interview, and then at some point after that she will be guest blogging, so be sure to check that out. Just click here to be taken to all the fun.

Have a good week everyone!