Showing posts with label Books Read in 2010. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Books Read in 2010. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

International Giveaway and Review: The Accidental Activist by Alon Shalev

The Accidental Activist is loosely based on the Mc Libel case in London that took place in the 1990's.  Like the real case, the character, Suzie and other protesters took  on a big corporation distributing leaflets about their poor environmental practise and poor working conditions.  The corporation sued for libel.  Back then, people who were sued for libel were not given a public defender but this eventually changed because of this case.  

This is a story of courtroom drama with a bit of romance thrown in.  Matt was a computer geek who happened to meet Suzie by chance.  It was instant love.  When she got sued for Libel from a big oil corporation he found a way to help her with the assistance of his co-workers/ friends.  Back then, websites were very new but they developed a website to get the word out.  This was the first political website as far as it was known.  Matt and his co-workers were basically fired from their jobs for setting it up.

I couldn't help but root for Matt and Suzie throughout the book and the courtroom drama was gripping.  It even had a bit of sardonic humor in it.  I would have liked to have seen a bit more character development but the story itself was great.  Alon Shalev has explained that he likes to write "transformational fiction where ordinary people are drawn into fighting a social injustice and in doing so experience a life-shifting internal change."  He succeeded using Matt as his transformational character.

If you're looking for a John Grisham like thriller that puts the main character in peril, this book is not for you.  However, if you want a well written courtroom drama with British humor and style, I highly recommend this book.

4/5

Please note that I am the coordinator of The Accidental Activist Tour but it in no way influenced my opinion of the book.  My review is my honest and true feelings of the book.  I was not paid for my review.


Also reviewed by:

Me and Reading
Alchemyofscrawl
Books and Things
Bound and Determined to Find a Good Read
Words I Write Crazy
Butter-o-Meter Books
Mad Moose Mama
Popcorn Reads

To Enter:
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That's 46 or more possible entries!  Tthis giveaway is open Internationally.  If you live in the U.S. or Canada, you have the choice of print or ebook.  If you live internationally you receive the ebook version.
The winner's mailing address: No P.O. Boxes
Only one entry per household/IP address

Winners will be subject to the one copy per household rule, which means that if you win the same title in two or more contests, you will receive only one copy of the book.

This giveaway will end on Tuesday, December 6th, 11:59 P.M. E.S.T. The winners will be notified by email. Winners must respond within TWO days or will be disqualified.

Posted by Teddy Rose at 9:01 AM 68 comments  

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Wednesday, January 12, 2011

The Wake of Forgiveness by Bruce Machart


In February 1895 the wife of a Texas landowner, Vadav Skala , died while giving birth to their son, Karl.  Though Karl never knew his mother, he was haunted by thought of her throughout his life. 
Karl had three older brothers who helped to raise him.  Their father Vadav worked all of his sons hard.  He had wonderful horses that he pampered but it was the 4 brothers were the ones that pulled the plow in the fields, with their father cracking the whip.  In fact, Karl's neck leaned to the left his entire life because of this.
Karl excelled in riding horses and his father made land bets against his neighbours with Karl riding.  Karl always won and was reward by not getting a beating.  One day a wealthy  Mexican man, makes a horse race bet with Vadav.  His daughter against Karl.  The outcome was for much more than land and would ultimately break the Skala apart.
Bruce Machart has been compared to William Faulkner and I can see the resemblance.   He captures the desolate landscape and greyness of the story quite like Faulkner would.   Here's and example of his writing:
"He’d known land in his life that, before a few seasons of regular rainfall, had been hard enough to crack a plow point, and he knew that if, by stubbornness or circumstance, that earth became yours to farm, you’d do well to live with the constant understanding that, in time, absent the work of swollen clouds and providence, your boots would fall loudly, giving rise to dust, when you walked your fields."
This is ultimately the story of the bond of family, forgiveness, and redemption.  It has sparse dialogue and lots of narrative.  I would have like more dialogue to break up the long narrative more. 
This is a book that is not to be rushed.  It must be treated like a fine wine and savoured for both the prose and the story.  It took me awhile to appreciate this story and see it's merit.  I must have read a good 100 pages before I decided if I was going to finish it or not.  However, I am glad I stuck with it.  There many pearls to be discovered in the prose.  Machart is an author to watch!
Bruce Machart is the author of the novel, The Wake of Forgiveness, published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in October of 2010, and a forthcoming collection of short stories entitled Men in the Making, due out from HMH in 2011. His fiction has been published in some of the country's finest literary magazines, including Zoetrope: All-Story, Story, One Story, Five Points, Glimmer Train, and elsewhere. His short stories have been anthologized in Best Stories of the American West and Descant: Fifty Years. The winner of numerous awards and fellowships, Bruce is a graduate of the MFA program at The Ohio State University.
3,5/5
Thanks to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Net Galley for the eBook version of this book.
Also review by:
Caribousmom
Cerebral Girl in a Redneck World

Everything Distils into Reading
Did you review this story?  If so, please leave the link in the comments and I will post it here.

Posted by Teddy Rose at 12:01 AM 2 comments  

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Thursday, January 6, 2011

The Broom of the System by David Foster Wallace


I finished listening to the audio version of this book a couple of months ago but have been putting off writing my review of it.  The plot is so scattered that I can't even begin to tell it with my own words without making it sound even more scattered than it is.  So, I'm going to cheat and use the book description from Good Reads:
Published when Wallace was just twenty-four years old, The Broom of the System stunned critics and marked the emergence of an extraordinary new talent. At the center of this outlandishly funny, fiercely intelligent novel is the bewitching heroine, Lenore Stonecipher Beadsman. The year is 1990 and the place is a slightly altered Cleveland, Ohio. Lenore's great-grandmother has disappeared with twenty-five other inmates of the Shaker Heights Nursing Home. Her beau, and boss, Rick Vigorous, is insanely jealous, and her cockatiel, Vlad the Impaler, has suddenly started spouting a mixture of psycho- babble, Auden, and the King James Bible. Ingenious and entertaining, this debut from one of the most innovative writers of his generation brilliantly explores the paradoxes of language, storytelling, and reality.
All the characters in this book seemed to all have serious issues and in need of therapy.  In fact, the main character, Lenore Beadsman did go to therapy, the same therapist that her boyfriend Rick Vigorous went to.  It turned out the therapist discussed Lenore with Rick which is totally against doctor/ patient confidentiality.  Not to mention that this therapist was so "out there" that he was in need of some serious counseling and probably meds as well.  LOL!
As I said above, this book went all over the map, in terms of plot.  So thick with multiple and sub-plots that it was difficult to follow at times.  However, it was so absurd that it was laugh out loud funny.  I listen to it in my car and noticed people staring at me at stop lights, because I was laughing, at times with tears in my eyes.  It had a "grown up" humor to it, surprising to me when I found out that Wallace was just 24 years old when he wrote it.
Although I do prefer a book with a concrete plot that I can follow.   I did enjoy this book at times.  It is full of vivid and quirky characters.  It was that and the humor,  that kept me listening to all 14 discs  audiobook.    Although, I may not have endured if I knew how it was to end.  Not only a disappointment but totally incomprehensible!  Perhaps I would have understood more of if I had read it?  Somehow I doubt it though.
2.5/5
Thanks to Anna Balasi of Hachette Book Group for this audiobook.
Also reviewed by:
A Bookworm's World
Cerebral Girl in a Redneck World
 Did you review this book?  If so, leave the link in the comments and I will post it here.

Posted by Teddy Rose at 3:46 PM 4 comments  

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Monday, January 3, 2011

The Queen of Last Hopes by Susan Higginbotham


Last year I finally read my first Susan Higginbotham novel, The Stolen Crown and was hooked.  I was anxiously awaiting her latest novel, The Queen of Last Hopes and was lucky enough to receive a review copy.  I was not disappointed.

This book is all about the controversial,  Margaret of Anjou, Queen of England, for a time anyway.  She was sent from her native France to marry King Henry VI.  The alliance was to help bring peace between the two countries but it did not.

I took many years for Margaret to become pregnant and she was destined to only have one child.  When Edward was born, King Henry was in a stupor, totally unresponsive.  He eventually came out of it and proudly met his son.  However, there were many months before he recovered and Richard, the Duke of York, decided he should be in charge.  Margaret tried to become Regent until her husband was well again but failed and Richard succeeded.

Even when King Henry is well again, Richard of York has plans to take over.  Thus began the turbulent, War of the Roses.  Richard accused Margaret of having an affair and therefore, Edward was a bastard so could never be king.  There was no proof of course, just speculation, but enough to raise doubts of England.  Enough to help raise an army against the Lancaster king. 

Many battles happened back and forth.  Sometimes Henry was King but and Margaret Queen but for long periods, not.  It was not decided until the final battle between the Yorks and the Lancasters, with many dead or put to death.

I have read other books that take place during the War of the Roses.  Susan Higgnbotham shows Margaret in a more favourable light. 

I liked how she had dates displayed at the beginning of each chapter with little, if any "flashbacks", which can cause confusion.  Each chapter had a different narrator and was in the title of each chapter.  It made it easy to follow along and see history unfold from many perspectives.

Some of the war scenes got to be a bit repetitious for me but were necessary for historical accuracy.  That is my only complaint but I cannot call it a flaw.  I loved Higginbotham's author Note at the back explaining what happened to the remaining main characters, such as Margaret, herself and what parts of the book were completely imagined by her.  However, she did stick to historical fact throughout, with just a few events here and there to spice it up.

4.5/5

Please join me at So Many Precious Books on January 27th in welcoming Susan Higganbothom.  She will be telling us even more about Margaret of Anjou.

Thanks to Beth Pehlke of Sourcebooks for the review copy of this book.

Also reviewed by:

Historical-Fiction

The Burton Review 

Did you review this book?  Please leave the link in the comments and I will link it here.



Posted by Teddy Rose at 11:14 PM 0 comments  

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Thursday, December 30, 2010

Tears of the Mountain by John Addiego

It is July 4, 1876 and Jeremiah McKinley is looking forward to a day of Centennial Independence Day celebration in Sonoma, California.However, a boy shows up at his doorstep claiming to be Jeremiah's deceased father, Daniel.  Then, Jeremiah receives a strange message of warning.

The story takes place on this one day however there are a lot of flashbacks that are from as far back as 1831.  Jeremiah reflects on his youth and all the violence that his family and others endured moving to the West. 

The part of the story taking part on the present day, July 4, 1876 was the best part of the book, IMO.  I don't know how writing about the wild west could be written flatly.  There was so much action and violence going on back then but somehow Mr. Addieco managed it.  

I found myself nodding off durning the flashback scenes.  Also, this book was not marketed as Christion Lit. but you could have fooled me.  A good portion of the book contained quotes from the bible.  I refuse to read Christian Lit.  For that readon and because I could not stay awake while reading it, I did not finish.

This is the second book I have read by Mr. Addiego, the first was The Islands of Divine Music
which, I did finish.  John Addiego has strong character development so he does have potential as a writer.  I recommend he work on his story development.

DNF/5

Please note that I did read a much more favorable review, at Royal Reviews.

If you reviewed this book, please leave a link in the comments and I will add it here.



Posted by Teddy Rose at 8:41 PM 0 comments  

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Wednesday, December 29, 2010

The Nobody by Jeff Lemire


After I completed Jeff Lemire's graphic trilogy,Essex County, I have been craving more by Jeff Lemire. Yes, I am a graphic novel convert.  Blame Jeff Lemire and a couple fellow bloggers for that.  LOL! I checked my local library website and found that The Nobody was available.  So, I snatched it up.

The Nobody is quite different than the Essex County Trilogy.  It is Jeff Lemire's re-telling of H. G. Well's The Invisible Man.
A man all wrapped up in bandages shows up in the small town, Large Mouth.  He calls himself Griffen and he gets a motel room.  There is talk about him in the town bar and the cafe.  Some of the town's people are very suspicious of him.  

However, a teenager, Vickie is curious about Griffen. and goes to his motel room to talk.  They strike up a kind of friendship but Griffen is not the kind of man that Vickie think she is.  He has a big secret and has come to Large Mouth to hide
.
I enjoyed this story but not as much as the Essex County Trilogy.  Lemire didn't capture the emotions of his characters like he did in Essex County.  The characters in this story were quite two-dimensional and quite stereotypical.   However, the relationship between Vickie and Griffen was interesting.  Where Lemire did shine is with his drawing.  It was the calibre of drawing that I have come to expect from him.

3.5

See My reviews of the Essex County Trilogy:

Essex County Vol.1: Tales From the Farm by Jeff Lemire

Essex County Volume 2: Ghost Stories by Jeff Lemire

Essex County Vol. 3: The Country Nurse by Jeff Leire

Also reviewd by:

The Book Mine Set

Did you review this book?  Please leave a link in the comments and I will post it here.

Posted by Teddy Rose at 10:00 PM 2 comments  

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Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Essex County Vol. 3: The Country Nurse by Jeff Lemire

This book is the conclusion of the Essex County Trilogy. It ties the entire trilogy together and we learn about the loss and regret of some of the farming community's inhabitants  

It follows the town's traveling nurse, Anne Quenneville.  As she visits each patient, the story unfolds.  As Anne tends to her patient's we learn more about the town's secrets and the secrets of Anne's ancestors as well.

This didn't flow as well as the other two.  There were flash backs of Anne's family but you don't learn that they are her ancestors until the end.  It made it confusing.  I kept wonder "who are these people that keep popping up."  However, it finally did make sense and I did enjoy the book as a whole.

As in the other two books, the artistry of Jeff Lemire really shined, with both his sparse writing and drawings.  It is amazing how much of the story is told with just pictures and no captions.  He does an amazing job.

4/5

Read my review of the first two volumes, here:

Essex County Vol.1: Tales From the Farm by Jeff Lemire

Essex County Volume 2: Ghost Stories by Jeff Lemire

Also reviewed at:
A Season to Read
The Book Mine Set

Did you review this book?  Please leave the link in the comments so I can include it here.

Posted by Teddy Rose at 12:01 AM 0 comments  

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Sunday, December 12, 2010

The End of the Ice Age by Terence Young

The End of The Ice Age is Terence Young's second short story collection. If the first collection is anywhere near as good as this one, I must read it. I find most short story collects to be very uneven, some really good stories and some not so good or even terrible. There was only one story in this collection I didn't like, 'Rumours of Human Sacrifice'. To be honest, I didn't really get the point of it. Perhaps a discussion with my Book Club would help?

The rest of the stories were quite strong. Back in October, I reviewed one story in this collection, 'That Time of Year.' You can read my review of it here. Reading many of the stories took me on an emotional rollercoaster ride. Never sentimental but very moving, Young wrote of different life circumstances which included people from young to old.

The majority of the stories took place here, in Canada. After all, Young lives here, in British Columbia. I love how he captured the landscape while telling such dark stories. These stories will be in my thoughts for a long time to come, perhaps a lifetime.

Terence Young has published four books before this one and all four have been nominated for various awards. I can see why. Terence Young is a author whose work is not to be missed.

4/5

Thanks to the Vancouver Public Library for circulating such a great selection of great books, including this one.

Also reviewed by:
If you reviewed this book or any of its contents, please leave a link in the comments so I can post it here.

 

Posted by Teddy Rose at 10:30 PM 2 comments  

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Thursday, December 9, 2010

Annexed by Sharon Dogar

Most everybody knows about Anne Frank and her family but, mostly from Anne's point of view. Have you ever wondered what Peter van Pels point of view was? No, he did not keep a diary like Anne, so we will never know for sure however , thanks to Sharon Dogar we can imagine what he thought.


The dreadful day in 1942 when the Franks and van Pels were to meet up in the annex to hide from the Nazis, Peter van Pels decided to run away with his girlfriend, Liesl. He went to meet her but instead, to his horror he witnessed Lisel and her family being taken away from their home by the nazis. Now, with nowhere else to turn, he knew he had to go to the annex as planned.

He spends quite a bit of time there, in bed and thinking of Liesl. Pretty much everyone gets on his nerves, especially Anne with her overly cheery and talkative disposition. He thinks to himself,

"I wonder how this can be called living? How can we be in a space this small?
We’re trapped in this building like rats in a sinking ship,
waiting to be caught. The pain flashes through my head
again, lightning striking a steeple."

Finally Peter's father tells Peter that he must chip in with the work that needs to be done. His father said to him,

“Fight!” he says, and he sits back and shakes his head at
me. “You think you can fight this? Get up and make yourself
useful, that’s how we fight.”

He still dreams of Liesl and wonders if she is still alive. However, he starts to enjoy the company of Anne and her older sister, Margot. More and more the three of them spend time together making jokes and telling each other their fears.

After about a year together, Anne and Peter start to have romantic feelings for each other. The adults notice it and Otto Frank, Anne's father has a chat with Peter telling him that he thinks that Anne and Peter should just remain good friends so that Margot doesn't feel left out. However, love can't be controlled very well and Anne and Peter's relationship deepens.

Despite her strong feelings for Peter, Anne has another love, writing. She spends hours every day writing in her diary. Her father tells everyone how important it is to tell everyone they can their story when they get out. If for some reason they don't make it, Otto keeps Anne's diary for her in a hiding place so people can read it and learn about their circumstances.

Soon before the war ends the Nazis discover the annex and the people in it. They are all shipped off to death camps. The only survivor was Otto Frank. His friend and employee Miep keep Anne's diary and Otto edits it and has it published. It has been read by millions of people all over the world.

I'm ashamed to say, I have never read 'The Diary of Anne Frank.' I don't even know how that's possible, I am of Jewish heritage, why didn't my Sunday school assign it for the holocaust lessons? I don't practice Judaism but I know I must read Anne Frank's Diary. Actually, everyone should read it. IMO.

Sharon Dogar made the life in the Annex real. She gave Peter van Pels a voice, though fiction, it was a wonderful voice. I like to think that she got the essence of his voice right. Her poetic prose was strong and vibrant and never overly sentimental. She tells the fictionalized story of Peter, Anne, and the Annex in perfect pitch. This book is marketed as for young adults but I think it's an excellent book for adults as well.

5/5

Thanks to Net Galley and Houghton Mifflin Books for the ebook galley version of this book.

Did you review this book?  Please leave a link in the comments so I can post it here. 

 

Posted by Teddy Rose at 10:54 PM 5 comments  

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Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Oogy by Larry Levin

Everyone who has visited So Many Precious Books, know what a sucker I am for all living being, cutie and furry, so how was I to resist this book. I took one look at the cover and fell in love with yet another dog, Oogy.

This memoir is about Oogy and the family who adopted him. He wasn't the first adoptee in his family. Larry Levin and his wife, Jennifer weren't able to have biological children so they adopted. They quite surprised when they got the call saying that the mother had given birth to twins. They named the boys Dan and Noah.

It was when Dan and Noah were 12 years old that Oogy came into their life. Larry and the boys had gone to the veterinarian with their ill cat and was greeted by Oogy. He inquired about him and found out that Oogy had been near death when he was brought in by the police after a drug raid. It turned out that he had been a "bait" dog. Used to train other dogs how to fight. Half his face was bitten of along with one of his ears. The fight dogs were suppose to kill him but they didn't quite succeed. Oogy was just a puppy then, only about three months old.

You would have thought that that experience would have affected him for life, become a mean dog himself but he loved people, and it was love at first site for both Oogy and the Levin's. He slept with the boys every night and watched over them. When the boys graduated high school he was there to see them go off to college.

I was worried when I started reading this book. So many books about pets end the same way but this one didn't. It was a heart warming tribute to Oogy and the family who still love him. It wasn't as sentimental as some stories I have read and for that I am thankful. The descriptions of Oogy's experience as a bait dog were painful to read but necessary. Larry Levin treated his entire family, including Oogy with respect.

If you have any suspicions of animal cruelty where you live, please learn from Oogy and call animal welfare immediately. Also, as Bob Barker says, "have you pets spayed or neutered."

4/5

Thanks to Anna Balasi of Hachette Book Group for sending me the hardcover edition of this book.

View the Trailer:



Also reviewed by:

Posted by Teddy Rose at 11:21 PM 14 comments  

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Tuesday, November 30, 2010

The World of the Polar Bear by Norbert Rosing


Product Description

The World of the Polar Bear is an unsurpassed photographic tribute to one of nature's most compelling and beautiful animals and to the world in which it lives. Here, in an unforgiving ecosystem, animals and birds come together in a delicate balance of life. Each year, thousands of people from around the world travel to Churchill, Manitoba, to see polar bears, northern lights, whales and the annual bird migrations.
But the king of the region is the polar bear, or Nanook, as it is known by the indigenous people. Superbly adapted for life in one of the most severe landscapes on Earth, the polar bear holds the record as the world's largest terrestrial carnivore: the female weighs up to 770 pounds, while the male can tip the scales at 1,500 pounds and stand 10 feet tall on its hind legs. 

Norbert Rosing is uniquely qualified to write about polar bears. His fascination with them began in 1983 on his first visit to Canada. After a 1,000-mile train trip from Winnipeg to Churchill, he arrived to find that a sudden arctic storm had transformed the town into an icy desert. Not only did his film freeze and break, but his camera stopped functioning permanently. 

However, Rosing did see his first polar bear. Fascinated by this magnificent white mammal, he now returns to the Arctic up to three times a year to study and photograph polar bears, and he has come to regard Churchill as his home away from home. 

This book is an amazing photographic tribute to polar bears.  It is not only a feast for the eyes but the writing is informative and a joy to read.  I learned a lot about polar bears and the landscape in which they live.  Did you know that a female weight up to 770 pound and a male up to 1500 pounds?  Norbert Rosing does an incredible job capturing these majestic beings on film.  This book would make a wonderful gift for nature lovers.

5/5

I won this book as part of the Canadian Book Challenge 4 from John of The Book Mine Set.  Thanks again for this special treat John, you, your challenge, and you blog all rock! 

Posted by Teddy Rose at 10:02 PM 6 comments  

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Thursday, November 25, 2010

Ansel Adams In the National Parks

Born on February 20, 1902, Ansell Adams has captured the hearts of millions of people with his photographs. He is most famous for his photographs in United States National Parks during the depression.


Ansell Adams in National Parks is a treasure that all fans will adore. With crisp black and white photography, Adams made the parks come alive for people who were unable to see them for themselves. His photographs have inspired a nation to take better care of nature.

Packed with over 225 amazing photographs, some of which have never been published before, this book is perfect for nature lovers and a must have for Ansell Adams fans! This is not a coffee table book that will sit and collect dust. My husband and I have gone through it several times already and will continue to do so. It calls out to me and every time I look through it I notice something that I hadn't noticed before.

Ansell Adams died in 1984 but he lives on through his exquisite photographs. His work will never go out of style. This book is a special keepsake and would make a perfect gift. In fact, we are purchasing a copy of it for a gift for my dear SIL (hope she's not reading this.)

Thanks a million to Anna Balasi of Hachette Book Group for sending me this book for review.

5/5

Also reviewed by:

Do you review this book? Please leave a link in the comments so I can include it here.

Posted by Teddy Rose at 9:35 PM 2 comments  

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Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Lost Lustre by Josh Karlen

Raised in New York city in the 1970's and early 1980's, Josh Karlen's parents split up when he was in grade school. His mother moved to the part of New York with her new husband and children, referred to as the Alphabet City. It was not a nice part of the city at all but Josh's mom reassured her children that it was going to be gentrified soon. Besides, there apartment was really nice.

That was little reassurance to her two young boys who kept getting mugged and beaten for as little as a carton of milk or just because. In Lost Lustre, Josh Karlen re-lives those years growing up on C Avenue. He also tells about his best friend, Tim Jordon who was in a band called the Lustres'.

This memoir is really a book of essays that could stand along from each other. Karlen goes back and forth from adult to childhood, so it's not exactly in chronological order. Some essays worked better for me then others.

In 'Farwell, Avenue C. He recalled the violent neighbourhood he was in and how his mother ignored the complaints and bruises of her children. I get that it was really harsh however, it was a fairly long essay and got quite repetitive, IMO. However, I could really relate to 'My Sixties," since I was born just a year before Mr. Karlen. In 'Lost Lustre,' Mr Karlen pays tribute to his friend Tim Jordon, and his band the Lustres. He reminisced with old friends for this book and recounted Tim's addiction to drugs and alcohol and his untimely death in his late twenties. It was quite touching in parts and again, got a bit repetitive. My favourite essays was 'The Hotel 17 Revisited.' This is where he recounts his first love in high school. It was quite poignant .

3/5

Thanks to Lisa of TLC Book Tours for including me in the tour and for arranging for me to receive a copy of Lost Lustre for review.

Posted by Teddy Rose at 12:11 PM 2 comments  

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Tuesday, November 23, 2010

The Peanuts Collection by Nat Gertler


I was born back in the 60's and when I was growing up The Peanuts were big.  I have two stuff Snoopys' that are almost as old as I am.  I couldn't get rid of them.  My heart just melts every time I see them in my bedroom.  So, when I received the opportunity to review this book, I jumped!
On October  2, 1950, the first Peanuts cartoon ran.  This collection is a celebration of the 60 year anniversary.  This book delivers what it promises, 'Treasures from the world's most beloved comic strip'!  It is an authorized, illustrated collection of everything Peanuts.  It "features high-quality reproductions of original sketches, comics, and photographs from the world of Peanuts. Removable film cels, stickers, and booklets are included, as well as reproduction prints of Peanuts artwork ready for framing."
Honestly, who wouldn't salivate over this book?   Everything about this book is high quality.  When I first opened it, I felt like I discovered buried treasure.  I stayed up most of the night on the day I received it to read and enjoy it.  I just had to get through the entire book, it wouldn't let me put it down.  The Peanuts Collection is a must have for all Peanuts fans!  I can't imagine a better gift for someone.
There are only two things I will caution you on: 1. if you have young children, be sure to supervise them closely when they are looking through this book.  There are several pages that have items that can be pulled out and you wouldn't want them damaged or lost.  2. You will want time to savour this awesome book.  It's not just a book, it's an experience.  I cannot recommend it enough. 
About the Author
Nat Gertler is the founder and author of Aaugh.com, a comprehensive resource for Peanuts collectors and fans. Gertler has written for Speed Racer, Flintstones, and NASCAR Adventures. He has authored horror works for Pocket Books, written a number of titles in the Complete Idiot's Guide series, contributes regularly to Hogan's Alley, a comics-related magazine, and is the founder and publisher of packager About Comics.

5/5

Thanks a million to Anna Balasi of Hachette Book Group for this awesome book.
  
Also reviewed by:
A Circle of Books
Is There A Bathroom On This Ship?
Simply Stacie
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Posted by Teddy Rose at 12:01 PM 5 comments  

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Thursday, November 18, 2010

Essex County Volume 2: Ghost Stories by Jeff Lemire

This book the second book in Jeff Lemire's Essex County trilogy of graphic novels which, is a fictionalized book of  Jeff Lemire’s hometown of Essex County, Ontario.  I reviewed the first one, 'Tales From the Farm', here.

This book has a very loose connection to the first book, as it had two characters that were in the first.  One of the characters, the main character from the first book, Lester, appeared so briefly that it was like a cameo apperance.  The second character was Jimmy.

In this second book Jimmy and his eldest brother, Lou played professional hockey together.  The book goes back and forth from present day with Lou as an old man with regrets, looking back to the days that him and Jimmy were close.

Jeff Lemire captures the feelings of lonliness, desolation, and  regret incredibly well.  I didn't think it was possible to get compleatly lost in a graphic novel like you can with a regular novel.   This book proved me wrong. 

I recommended  'Tales From the Farm' for both young adults and adults.  I feel this book is gear more toward adults.  Not that there is anything in it the teens shouldn't read, it just deals with a subject that I don't think would interest them as much. 

I LOVED this graphic novel.  Don't miss out on this winning goal of a book!

5+/5

Also reviewed by:

A Season to Read
The Book Mine Set

If you have reviewed this book, please leave the link in the comments and I will post it here.

Posted by Teddy Rose at 10:20 PM 5 comments  

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Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Green Books Campaign: {On the Proper Use of Stars by Dominique Fortier}

This review is part of the Green Books campaign.Today 200 bloggers take a stand to support books printed in an eco-friendly manner by simultaneously publishing reviews of 200 books printed on recycled or FSC-certified paper. By turning a spotlight on books printed using eco- friendly paper, we hope to raise the awareness of book buyers and encourage everyone to take the environment into consideration when purchasing books.

The campaign is organized for the second time by Eco-Libris, a green company working to make reading more sustainable. We invite you to join the discussion on "green" books and support books printed in an eco-friendly manner! A full list of participating blogs and links to their reviews is available on Eco-Libris website.

This book is green because it was made with ancient-forest friendly paper.

The year was 1845 and Sir John Franklin and his crews on the Terror and the Erebus set sail on a mission to find the Northwest Passage.  Everyone, 129 men ultimately perished on the mission.  On the Proper Use of Stars is the fictionalized story of what happened. 

Francis Crozier was second in command and kept a journal where he wrote day to day about the mission but also about the woman of his dreams, Sophia.  Back in England Lady Jane Franklin and her niece, Sophia kept busy while waiting to hear word from Sir John Franklin.  After three years have passed Lady Jane used everything and everyone at her disposal to convince the Admiralty to send out a search party.  They refused again and again.  

I took me quite awhile to get into the story.  I found the beginning quite dull.  It wasn't until things started to happen in the story that the pace picked up for me.   This book is translated, so I'm not sure if that could be part of the problem or not.  I did find the writing quite poetic and as the story got going it was very visual.  Ultimately, I warmed up to the story and enjoyed it.

3.5/5

Thanks to The Green Books Campaign for including me and arranging to have the book sent to me.  

If you reviewed this book, please leave a link in the comments and I will post it here.

Posted by Teddy Rose at 10:00 AM 9 comments  

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Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Backseat Saints by Joshilyn Jackson

Rose Mae Lolley and Ro Grandy are the same person with two quite different personalities. No, she doesn't have a multiple personality disorder, she just uses the two to help her figure things out and survive.

Her mother ran away years ago, when Rose Mae was still young. When she was old enough Rose Mae escaped her abusive father and married Thom. Thom turned out to be even more abusive than her father and Ro ended up in the hospital many times. The same nurse saw her over and over and wanted to notify the police however, Ro always used the excuse that she was very clumsy.

One day, while in an airport, a she received a reading from a fortune teller. Ro remembered what she was told, "It was an airport gypsy who told me that I had to kill my husband. She may have been the first to say the words out loud, but she was only giving voice to a thing I'd been trying not to know for a long, long time. When she said that it was him or me, the words rang out like church bells, shuddering through my bones."

These words and Thom's abuse, made Ro realize that she had to leave him. It was Rose Mae Lolley who gave her the strength to follow through. She took to the road and went across the country, from Alabama to California, in search of her mother.

I listened to the audio version of this book which, was read by Joshilyn Jackson, herself. Being southern herself, it was really a treat listening to a true southern accent and she captured the spirit of each of in pitch perfect drawl. There were times that I felt sorry for Ro, times I wanted to scream at her, and times I wanted to cheer.

This is the first time I have "read" anything by Joshilyn Jackson but won't be the last.

4/5

Thanks to Anna Balasi of Hachette Books For sending me this audio book.

Also reviewed by:
Luxury Reading
My Round File
She Treads Softly
Books and Quilts

If you reviewed this book and would like your link listed here, please leave the link in the comments.

Posted by Teddy Rose at 10:30 PM 11 comments  

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