Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Teaser Tuesdays

Hosted by Jenn at Should Be Reading

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly event which asks readers to:
Grab your current read.

Let the book fall open to a random page.

Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.

You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!


Please avoid spoilers!

Visit Jenn's blog each Tuesday and leave a link to your Teaser Tuesday post.

Here's my Tuesday teaser:

from 'The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson'

"That observation is academic, I suppose, but my reaction to the idea of her carving me was entirely visceral. It's flattering when an artist wants to do you, of course, but it also made me feel awkward to comtemplate that my hidousness would be so permanently captured."


Posted by Teddy Rose at 9:55 PM 8 comments  

Labels:

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Teddy's Update

I haven't had much reading time lately. My mom was out here for a visit and just went home. We had a very nice visit and I will see her again in September.

Above is a picture of Kootney Lake, which I took last summer. Bill and I will be leaving next Tuesday August 4th for a much needed vaction. Our first stop will be at the Royal Terrell Museum in Drumheller Alberta. After that, were off to a four day folk music festival in Edmonton Alberta.

We'll only be gone a week, but we are both really looking forward to getting out of town. The house is so quite now without Robbie.

I'm off to try to catch up on some reading now, so stay tuned!


Posted by Teddy Rose at 5:26 PM 14 comments  

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Brillante Weblog Award Nomination

Lezlie at Books 'N Border Collies and Chris at book-a-rama both nominated me for this award.

Thanks so much for this honour!

These are the rules:

1. Put the logo on your blog.

2. Add a link to the person who awarded you.

3. Nominate at least seven other blogs.

4. Add links to those blogs on your blog.

5. Leave a message for your nominee on their blog.

Here are my nominations:

Wendy at caribousmom- She is well know in the book blogging community and deserves lots of awards! She is who I turn to to find out whats going on in book blogs and challenges.

Joy at Thoughts of Joy- She sets such a good example for always keeping her blog up-to-date.

Linda at Your History-She not only writes wonderful reviews, but takes snippets of history and writes and informs about them. If your a knitter, be sure to check out her other blog, Dances With Wools, a knitter paradise!

Marg at ReadingAdventures- An Aussie blogger. She shares her passion for books, especially historical fiction. No news to anyone here, I'm an historical fiction fanatic!

Myrthe at The Armenian Odar Reads- Is not afraid to read books about
controversial or uncomfortable topics. I admire that and her blog.

Nymeth at Things Mean a Lot- She has a beautiful blog and keeps it so neat and tidy.

Bookfool at Bookfoolery and Babble- She has such a fun blog to visit!

Please stop by at the above blogs, you'll be glad you did!



Posted by Teddy Rose at 10:20 PM 11 comments  

Labels:

Monday, July 21, 2008

The Host- Book Giveaway

Dar at Peeking Between the Pages is hosting her first book giveaway. The Host by Stephenie Meyer.

I don't normally read Science fiction, but I have been reading some awesome review by bloggers that rarely lead me astray. If you would like to enter the contest, follow the link to Dar's blog.

Posted by Teddy Rose at 10:47 PM 6 comments  

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Look for Me by Edeet Ravel




Not Just Black and White, There’s Gray

Dana Hillman is an Israeli woman who falls in love. Her husband Daniel is a soldier who is burned badly in the conflict. He disappeared from the hospital on the day Dana was finally allowed to see him. He’s been missing for over 11 years, but Dana’s search for him continues.

Throughout this time, Dana also stays true to her beliefs and protest on behalf of Palestinians who are treated so badly by most of Israel.

There is a rather eccentric cast of characters throughout this book, especially those living in Dana’s building. This thought provoking work of fiction is a love story, a character study, and a political statement. However, don’t let the mention of politics keep you from reading this book!

In the news, we never see all sides of the conflict in the Middle East. Edeet Ravel really captures the conflict between Israel and Palestine, showing all sides. It’s not just black and white; there is a lot of grey. For instance, Edeet shows us that there are Israelis who protest and support the Palestinians right to live free not corralled in little settlements.

This is the second book in Ravel’s Tel Aviv trilogy. I didn’t find this out, until after I finished reading it. This book can be read as a "stand alone" book. However, since I enjoyed it, I plan to read the first in the trilogy, ‘Ten Thousand Lovers.’

4/5

Did you also review this book? Leave a link to your review in the comments and I will post it at the bottom of my review.

Posted by Teddy Rose at 12:11 PM 9 comments  

Labels: , ,

Monday, July 7, 2008

Elizabeth Gaskell Mini-Challenge 08- Completed

Thanks to Becky at Becky's Book Reviews for hosting this challenge!

I chose to watch the BBC 'Cranford' mini-series and the BBC 'North and South' Mini-series.



Based on the book of the same name, Cranford was set in an 1842 rural Cheshire town. It was about the trials and tribulations of the town's people. The town is going through modernization, namely with a railroad being built. Some of the town embrace this change, but many fear it.

I really enjoyed getting to know the Cranford people, warts and all. I hoped and dreamed with them. The crisp filming showed a beautiful landscape.


4/5

Also based on the book of the same name, North and South takes place in 1800's Milton, England. Margaret Hale is uprooted from her southern home because her father has a mid-life crisis of sorts and decides to move the family to Milton, a small cotton-milling town in the north.

With no income, her father decides to teach philosophy. One of his students is the mill owner, mill owner John Thornton. Margaret does not approve of Thorton, thinking he is too harsh with his employees. However, like the leading woman in Jane Austin's Pride and Prejudice, Margaret starts to see some good in him.

There have been some comparisons with Pride and Prejudice done with North and South, and I certainly see some similarities. However, this is an excellent story in it's own right and there are some differences. Especially how Margaret befriends the poorer towns people.

I truly enjoyed North and South and highly recommend it. I can see myself re-visiting it from time to time, as I do with Pride and Prejudice. I also hope to read the book North and South one of these days.

5/5

North and South was also reviewed at:

Reading Adventures

Posted by Teddy Rose at 1:04 PM 8 comments  

Labels: ,

Historical Fiction Reading Challenge Completed!

Thanks to Anne over at Reading Writing and Ranting for hosting this challenge.


Here are the books with links to my reviews that I read for the challenge:


Congratulations to all of you who joined the challenge, even if you don't finish. It was a fun challenge and I have and will continute to enjoy reading all of your historical fiction reviews!

To see my origional post and find out more about this challenge, please go here.





Posted by Teddy Rose at 12:57 PM 4 comments  

Labels: ,

Mr. Bones by Paul Theroux



A Short Story in Review

This short story appearing in The New Yorker on September 17, 2007. Thanks to Wendy at Caribousmom for reviewing this story and bringing it to my attention.

The narrator of the story reminiscences about growing up with his "impossible" to know father. Around 1956 his father lost his job and became a shoe salesman, which he hated. He bought a house in disrepair without consulting his wife.

He joined up with some men who decided to perform a minstrel show. His solo rehearsal started at home, making his wife play piano for him. After awhile he started making up his face in the traditional black and called himself Mr. Bones. He became Mr. Bones, to the horror of his family and would not take anything seriously. He teased his family members mercilessly and would not address real household concerns.

The story touches on themes of race and a dysfunctional family life. This was a kind of bizarre story, but I quite liked it. The writing was rich and immersed the reader in the story.

To read the full short story, go here or click on the picture.

4/5

Also reviewed at:

Posted by Teddy Rose at 12:06 PM 5 comments  

Labels: , ,

Sunday, July 6, 2008

Ringside 1925: Views From the Scopes Trial by Jen Bryant





Written for Young Adults, but Just as Engaging for Adults


The year is 1925 in small town Tennessee. The school year is winding down and the children are excited about having a laid back summer. However, when it comes to the towns peoples attention that the science teacher, J. T. Scopes taught Darwin’s theory of evolution in class, he is arrested and the children realize it won’t be the same summer they planned after all.

The title Ringside is quite accurate, as the town turns into a virtual circus for the trail with nationwide publicity: reporters, lawyers, scientists, religious leaders, and tourists.

The only drugstore in town orders in all kinds of monkey memorabilia to sell and even rents a real monkey to sell the items. Many of the towns people also cash in by setting up tables outside the courthouse to sell food and all kinds of things.

Some of the friendships in town became strained because of the differing point of views. In the end, some friends were able to come to terms with their differences and even see their friend’s point of view but a few could not.

Bryant tells the story from the town’s people’s and reporter’s point of view, each narrating in turn. By writing it this way, we really get to know the town and all it’s people, both it’s children and adults with differing point of view.

She writes in fresh lyrical prose. This small and fast paced book really packs a punch. Both children and adults will learn more about the real life Scopes trial while being thoroughly entertained at the same time.

I loved this book and highly recommend it!

5/5

A special thanks to Jen Bryant for sending me a copy of this extraordinary book!

Note: If you have also reviewed this book, please feel free to post your link in the comments. I will then add it to the end of my review.

Posted by Teddy Rose at 10:08 PM 3 comments  

Labels: , ,

The Horseman's Graves by Jacqueline Baker



A Worthwhile Journey

This is Jacqueline Baker’s first novel. Set in the early 1900’s in the Saskatchewan’s Sand Hills, The Horseman’s Graves is about a community of German immigrant settlers’ in particular, two families; the Schoffs and the Krausses.

Both families have lived next door to each other since their families immigrated. Now in the second generation, the families continue to hold a grudge for each other. Leo Krauss is scorned by the community for his rudeness and his odd behavior. Stolanus and Helen Schoff are outcast from the greater community after their son gets run over by a wagon. He lives but must endure growing up physically scarred, perhaps with mild brain damage, and suffering from seizures. Many of the superstitious community still believe that seizures are the work of the devil.

Despite all this, the Schoff farm prospers and with the help of Lathias, the Schoff's young farmhand the boy grows up. Meanwhile, Leo Krauss gets married to a woman who has a teenage girl, Elizabeth. Lathias and the Schoff boy befriend Elizabeth and starts taking almost daily horseback rides to the river. One day in the winter the Schoff boy and Elizabeth go to the river alone and argue about Lathias. The boy walks away, but looks back and no longer sees Elizabeth. It is presumed that she fell through the ice and drown, but the body is not recovered. There is speculation the Schoff boy may have done something intentionally, but this is never proved.

Though this story takes a slow meandering path, it depicts the beautiful yet harsh landscape of the Saskatchewan Alberta boarder and has many plot twists and turns. It does go somewhere, but you must be willing to travel slowly, at least at the beginning. I am not always the most patient reader. I usually like to get into the plot rather quickly. However, I enjoyed the slower journey that Jacqueline Baker’s takes us on. The journey of passion, sin, redemption, through an amazing landscape of time, place, and people.

I look forward to reading more by Jacqueline Baker and recommend this book.

4/5

Thanks to Harper Collins for a copy of this book!

Note: If you have also reviewed this book, please feel free to post your link in the comments. I will then add it to the end of my review.

Posted by Teddy Rose at 1:01 PM 12 comments  

Labels: , , ,

Thursday, July 3, 2008

New Classics Challenge August 1, 2008-January 31, 2009



Heres how she explains the challenge:

Deb from the A Novel Challenge yahoo group posted a link to this list of Entertainment Weekly's list of new classics, what they call the best reads from 1983 to 2008. I loved the list - many of my recent favorites are on it so I'm intriguedto see what some of the ones I haven't read yet will be like.

So the challenge rules are:

1) Copy the list and bold the titles that you have already read.

2a) Choose at least 6 other books from the list , read and review them between August 1, 2008 and January 31, 2009.

2b)Come back here and post links to your reviews.

3) In January 2009, cast your vote for which one of the 100 books on the list is your favorite (and write a post on why). The winning book will be sent to a lucky winner chosen by the scientific method favored here in the blogosphere, i.e. names in a hat. Other contests are very probable too, I have some ideas, but they need planning.

4) Have fun! :-)

THE LIST
1.The Road , Cormac McCarthy (2006)
2. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, J.K. Rowling (2000)
3. Beloved, Toni Morrison (1987)
4. The Liars' Club, Mary Karr (1995
5. American Pastoral, Philip Roth (1997)
6.Mystic River, Dennis Lehane (2001)
7. Maus, Art Spiegelman (1986/1991)
8. Selected Stories, Alice Munro (1996)
9. Cold Mountain, Charles Frazier (1997)
10. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, Haruki Murakami (1997)
11. Into Thin Air, Jon Krakauer (1997)
12. Blindness, José Saramago (1998)
13. Watchmen, Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons (1986-87)
14. Black Water, Joyce Carol Oates (1992)
15. A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, Dave Eggers (2000)
16. The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood (1986)
17. Love in the Time of Cholera, Gabriel García Márquez (1988)
18. Rabbit at Rest, John Updike (1990)
19. On Beauty, Zadie Smith (2005)
20. Bridget Jones's Diary, Helen Fielding (1998)
21. On Writing, Stephen King (2000)
22. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Junot Díaz (2007)
23. The Ghost Road, Pat Barker (1996)
24. Lonesome Dove, Larry McMurtry (1985)
25. The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan (1989)
26. Neuromancer, William Gibson (1984)
27. Possession, A.S. Byatt (1990)
28. Naked, David Sedaris (1997)
29. Bel Canto, Anne Patchett (2001)
30. Case Histories, Kate Atkinson (2004)
31. The Things They Carried, Tim O'Brien (1990)
32. Parting the Waters, Taylor Branch (1988)
33. The Year of Magical Thinking, Joan Didion (2005)
34. The Lovely Bones, Alice Sebold (2002)
35. The Line of Beauty, Alan Hollinghurst (2004)
36. Angela's Ashes, Frank McCourt (1996)
37. Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi (2003)
38. Birds of America, Lorrie Moore (1998)
39. Interpreter of Maladies, Jhumpa Lahiri (2000)
40. His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman (1995-2000)
41. The House on Mango Street, Sandra Cisneros (1984)
42. LaBrava, Elmore Leonard (1983)
43. Borrowed Time, Paul Monette (1988)
44. Praying for Sheetrock, Melissa Fay Greene (1991)
45. Eva Luna, Isabel Allende (1988)
46. Sandman, Neil Gaiman (1988-1996)
47. World's Fair, E.L. Doctorow (1985)
48. The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver (1998)
49. Clockers, Richard Price (1992)
50. The Corrections, Jonathan Franzen (2001)
51. The Journalist and the Murderer, Janet Malcom (1990)
52. Waiting to Exhale, Terry McMillan (1992)
53. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, Michael Chabon (2000)
54. Jimmy Corrigan, Chris Ware (2000)
55. The Glass Castle, Jeannette Walls (2006)
56. The Night Manager, John le Carré (1993)
57. The Bonfire of the Vanities, Tom Wolfe (1987)
58. Drop City, TC Boyle (2003)
59. Krik? Krak! Edwidge Danticat (1995)
60. Nickel & Dimed, Barbara Ehrenreich (2001)
61. Money, Martin Amis (1985)
62. Last Train To Memphis, Peter Guralnick (1994)
63. Pastoralia, George Saunders (2000)
64. Underworld, Don DeLillo (1997)
65. The Giver, Lois Lowry (1993)
66. A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again, David Foster Wallace (1997)
67. The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini (2003)
68. Fun Home, Alison Bechdel (2006)
69. Secret History, Donna Tartt (1992)
70. Cloud Atlas, David Mitchell (2004)
71. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, Ann Fadiman (1997)
72. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Mark Haddon (2003)
73. A Prayer for Owen Meany, John Irving (1989)
74. Friday Night Lights, H.G. Bissinger (1990)
75. Cathedral, Raymond Carver (1983)
76. A Sight for Sore Eyes, Ruth Rendell (1998)
77. The Remains of the Day, Kazuo Ishiguro (1989)
78. Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert (2006)
79. The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell (2000)
80. Bright Lights, Big City, JayMcInerney (1984)
81. Backlash, Susan Faludi (1991)
82. Atonement, Ian McEwan (2002)
83. The Stone Diaries, Carol Shields (1994)
84. Holes, Louis Sachar (1998)
85. Gilead, Marilynne Robinson (2004)
86. And the Band Played On, Randy Shilts (1987)
87. The Ruins, Scott Smith (2006)
88. High Fidelity, Nick Hornby (1995)
89. Close Range, Annie Proulx (1999)
90. Comfort Me With Apples, Ruth Reichl (2001)
91. Random Family, Adrian Nicole LeBlanc (2003)
92. Presumed Innocent, Scott Turow (1987)
93. A Thousand Acres, Jane Smiley (1991)
94. Fast Food Nation, Eric Schlosser (2001)
95. Kaaterskill Falls, Allegra Goodman (1998)div>
96. The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown (2003)
97. Jesus’ Son, Denis Johnson (1992)
98. The Predators' Ball, Connie Bruck (1988)
99. Practical Magic, Alice Hoffman (1995)
100. America (the Book), Jon Stewart/Daily Show (2004)

The 6 books I plan to read for the challenge:

1. Selected Stories, Alice Munro (1996)

2. On Beauty, Zadie Smith (2005)


4. Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi (2003)

5. The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini (2003)

6. Cloud Atlas, David Mitchell (2004)

Posted by Teddy Rose at 8:28 PM 8 comments  

Labels:

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Presidential Reading Challenge July 4- November 4, 2008

Becky from Becky's Book Reviews is hosting yet another Challenge! The Presidential Reading Challenge is set up to allow participants to pick a level of reading which suits their needs.

Heres how the challenge works:

For levels I through 3, readers are asked to read books which are either "fiction or nonfiction, for adults or for children.They need to be about a president or first lady or in someway connected to the President (children, pets, other relatives, friends, etc.) The book can be written from other points of view--from a servant, slave, friend, aide, employee, etc.--but the President and/or someone from his family would need to enter into it at some point."

I am going to participate in Level one:

Level one: Commit to reading ONE book between July 4, 2008 and November 4, 2008.

The book I plan to read for the challenge is (subject to change):

Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings: An American Controversy by Annette Gordon-Reed

Posted by Teddy Rose at 9:36 PM 4 comments  

Labels:

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

What An Animal Challenge July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009

Oh no, Teddy's joining yet another challenge. I know, I know, but this one is too tempting to pass over.

Kristi from Passion For The Page is hosting the What An Animal challenge and it’s her first time hosting a challenge. Good for you Kristi!

I decided to participate in this challenge in memory of Robbie.

Please show your support by clicking on this link and donating free pet food (that's right, no cost to you, just the time it takes to click.) Here's the link or you can click on the picture of Robbie. Once there, you can also subscribe to get a daily email reminder to click to donate free food.

Please leave a comment to let me know you donated food. Thanks!!

I have quite a few books om my TBR that will fit this challenge. Here are the rules:

Read at least 6 books that have any of these requirements:

An animal in the title of the book
An animal on the cover of the book
An animal that plays a major role in the book's main character that is or turns into an animal (define that however you’d like.

The animal can be any type of animal (real or fictitious)--dog, cat, monkey, wolf, snake, insect, hedgehog, aardvark...dragons, mermaids, centaurs, fairies, vampires...you get the idea...

Crossovers are okay and lists are not necessary and can be changed at any time.

Here's a list of what I intend to read (subject to change):

1. The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
2. Bark Up the Right Tree by Jessie & Ruth Tschudin
3. The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson
4. Dear John by Norma L. Betz
5.Amos's Sweater by Janet Lunn
6.Finklehopper Frog Cheers by Irene Livingson

Posted by Teddy Rose at 6:13 PM 9 comments  

Labels:

Newer Posts Older Posts Home

Subscribe to: Comments (Atom)