Book Round Up

I’ve been neglecting my Goodreads account lately. That and sharing books I’ve read with my blog readers. So, when a friend asked me if I’d read anything good lately (she just got an ereader), I said, “You betcha.”

And then I had to try and recall something I’d read in the past few months.

Fortunately, that wasn’t a problem. Briefly, here are a few…

Room by Emma Donoghue. Room is about a girl who is kidnapped and has a baby while in captivity (the kidnapper is the father) and when her child turns five, they manage to escape. It wasn’t nearly as disturbing as I thought it would be–which is kind of a relief, actually. I don’t like it when books mess with my mind in a huge way. The first half of the book deals with their imprisonment, the second half with… well, I won’t spoil it by telling you what they deal with.

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The Immortals by J.T. Ellison. This one also had mind messing potential, but thankfully didn’t leave any scars. It is about some teens involved in dark magic and murder. Fast and entertaining while the main character tries to track down the murders. Uses several point of views which works well for the story.

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Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda. I really enjoyed this one–more than I thought I would. It follows two families–an American family that adopts a baby from India who was given up because the family was too poor to raise her. It also follows that Indian family. I was worried it would be slow and work to read, but I couldn’t stop reading it! It also shows you a bit about Indian culture and the way things aren’t as balanced as you may think.

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The Irresistible Henry House by Lisa Grunwald. This was an intriguing book as Grunwald set her story of a man unable to commit to relationships in a university practice house during the 1940s. These practice houses existed (my grandmother-in-law attended one as part of her home economics education) and were intended to teach students the latest in home economics. Babies (supplied by an orphanage) included. My grandmother-in-law said there was a waiting list for babies who had been in the practice house as they didn’t play strange. Go figure, having how many mothers. Anyway, this story follows one baby who stays in the practice house instead of being adopted out and his own journeys into making lasting bonds with the women who come and go in his life.

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Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls. This was pretty good, as I do love Walls’s voice. However, I did like her memoir about her own life better–The Glass Castle. Half Broke Horses was about her grandma (who was a pretty amazing woman and character), which was cool, but at times I wanted to reach in the book and smack the grandma.

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Love the One You’re With by Emily Giffin. A chick lit novel that had me waffling back and forth on what I thought the main character was going to do… go back to her husband? Get back together with the ex-boyfriend who still stirs her heart? There were times when I wanted to shove the character one way and other times that I wanted to smack some sense into her and drag her back the other way.

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People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks. A novel that moves back in time, following the story of a religious text from it’s daring wartime rescues back to its creation. While it may sound technical and dry, its a great story that is an intriguing mystery and is tied together by a current day protagonist who is not only dealing with her own issues, but also with solving the mystery and history of this book while restoring it.

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How I Became a Famous Novelist by Steve Hely. A humourous novel about a guy who decides he’s going to become a famous novelist to ‘get back’ at his ex-girlfriend who is getting married. He decides he can add in all the great elements of the nation’s greatest best-selling novels to make his The Big One. That means road trip, exotic locations, war, love stories, and philosophical moments. The novel (not the one he writes) follows his progress, downfall, success, downfall, and ultimate… share it… or spoil it? Nah… I couldn’t spoil it for you.

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P.S. Full disclosure: If you purchase one of these books using the links I’ve provided, I get a couple of cents. Does that make me an enterprising sell-out? (However, I haven’t ever ‘sold’ anything from my blog, so maybe it doesn’t–or just makes me an ineffective one. Har, har.)

I Won a book!

Wow! I won something. I haven’t won anything in a random draw since that peanut butter brittle when I was 15. Yes! The peanut butter brittle was good, but guess what’s even better? A brand new book! That’s right… a book. And even better, it is SIGNED by the author. WOO! Signed books always feel so much more special.

Here’s the scoop of chocolate: Kay Elam, over on her blog, had a contest where one could win a brand new copy of the just released book THE IMMORTALS by J.T. Ellison. I’m scared though. She says her books are scary. As in nightmare worthy… I’m going to be reading this thing through the cracks in my fingers as I hold my hand over my eyes! I love it!

Want to check it out? Here’s a linky for you:

Merry Christmas!

Poached from IndieBound.org

If you are a bit geeky and looking for some holiday cheer, click here.

Looking for Something to Read?

If you’re looking for something to read, it has become incredibly easy to do some snooping around. By that, I mean that there are many sites out there where people–just like you–have listed their favourite reads. That means, all you have to do is see what they are reading to find your next favourite read. I know! It’s so easy!

Here are a few places I like to find some good reads (other than bargain bins, the local library and my book club):

Goodreads.com This site has a pile of people blogging, reviewing, rating and talking about books. There are even book clubs and book topic discussions you can join. It’s like book central! (P.S. I’m on GoodReads. I’m still trying to get my account caught up to me though! I’m ‘jeanoram’ if you want to seek me out.)

Chapters, Amazon, indiebound, etc. Most online bookstores have created an online community where you can read reviews, see what other customers have bought or recommended. It’s a great way to fill your shopping cart, that’s for sure!

Girl Meets Book Good reads for chicks. There are a lots of great reads on this site along with reviews written by the site editor who happens to be a literary agent. That means she knows her stuff.

Chatelaine, my favourite Canadian magazine has a book of the month as well as other topics like beach reads. Online, search for ‘book of the month’ and you’ll get a nice list.

Those are a few places I go to get myself started. Where do you go?

Happy reading!

On Their Way!

My books are on their way! They have left Vancouver! I’m so pumped. I might get my books from Chapters today or tomorrow! Weeeeeeee! I love books!

Did I even mention what I ordered?

Here’s the list:

How to Write a Damn Good Novel II by James Frey (Originally, I was going to buy the mystery one so I could slip mysteries into my books as one slipped into ‘The 15 Date Rule’. But then I got distracted. I almost bought then both, but I will hold off–for now. I am also hoping that I won’t miss out on too much having skipped book one.)

Sleeping With Ward Cleaver by Jenny Gardiner (I told you I’d have to buy it now!)

Creating Unforgettable Characters: A Practical Guide to Character Development by Linda Seger (I’ve heard good things about this one and hope that it solves some of my character issues.)

I’ll keep you posted on the books.

Currently I am reading As Seen on TV  by Sarah Mlynowski which is good. You know everything is going to blow up for the main character, Sunny. So you wait, dreading it. http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/As-Seen-On-TV-Sarah-Mlynowski/9780373250363-item.html?ref=Search+Books%3a+%2527as+seen+on+tv%2527

Enjoy!

Best Day Ever!

Best day ever!

Decided to start the day by going to the book store, where once again we got a PILE of books for great discounts. For example, eleven books for under a hundred bucks–but worth over two hundred. You gotta like that. And so I’m in there cruising the tables, looking for a deal and the Starbucks lady comes up and asks if I’d like a free sample. And she is holding the largest drink I think I’ve ever seen and it has a pile of whipped cream. I’m thinking, ‘so, do I take a sip off the top? Can’t be.’ And as if reading my mind, she goes, “It’s a bit large. It’s a gingerbread Latte.”

And here was my momentary dilemma. It seems that coffee (as well as wheat) gives me a rash–nothing major though, just annoying. And this morning I was thinking, ‘to have a coffee today, or not?’

Anyway, there is this FREE, HUGE Gingerbread sprinkled, whipped cream covered coffee. Like I could say no.

Anyway, she totally made my day. Rash or no rash.

Then later, this other lady who works in the book store comes up with these coupons. She’s like, “Here, put this 20% off sticker on your most expensive book. All you have to do is spend over $35.” And she eyes my huge pile of books in my arms (eight) and almost (almost) smirks. As if $35 is a problem when I go in a bookstore. More like trying NOT to spend $35.

So, the day is pretty great. Then we find a geocache. And then, I don’t have to make lunch because we go out. And then we rent movies.

And then, ahhhh, we relax.

Ahhhh…what a great way to spend the day.

Come on Versa!

So, I was finally getting motivated to do all these things in the yard that I have been putting off. I planted the 50-60 bulbs I had bought (tulips and daffodils) and was moving on to mowing the lawn so it would look less scraggly over the winter. And guess what I did? I broke the mower. After, embarrassingly, having the neighbour come over and remind me that I had to prime the engine, (I hate looking that dumb), we got it going. But then it died and then it wouldn’t stay going at all. So something somewhere is screwed up. Or maybe I am just supposed to have a scraggly lawn all winter–just so we don’t start looking too uppity.

I voted for going out and buying an electric mower, but the idea was ixnayed.

Anyway, I was all motivated to mow and the mower broke. I was all motivated to build a wind screen trellis thing for our deck–and now I have an awful cold. I even finally bought the wood and have all our tools that I will need returned. And now I don’t know what to do. Other than watch a pile of TV. And read–except that my eyes burn.

I keep hoping my cold will go away if I do nothing.

But oh, I should be getting my call from Nissan today or tomorrow telling me that I won the Versa! Cross your fingers for me! The draw is today. Please, please, please! I need a new car. My exfoliating one is getting pretty wobbly!

I picked up a book at Chapters: ‘The Feminists Go Swimming’ (by Michael Collins) for something like two bucks. It isn’t what is sounds like. Not at all. It is a bunch of short stories by an Irish male writer. Basically, they are gloomy, hopeless stories and women tend to be these total downers. Does he hate women? Or is life really that oppressively gloomy in Ireland? What about the happy little leprechauns dancing around after rainbows? Is that all an American myth? Maybe leprechauns are really vicious little ankle biters. The stories are well-written but I’m not sure if I am going to finish reading the book. Unless he puts in some leprechauns.

I am also reading ’4Blondes’ (by Candace Bushnell, writer of Sex in the City–which I have never watched–only female on the planet that hasn’t, I am sure) which I got for 50 cents at the second hand store. It is about a bunch (4) of unhappy women who are big shots in New York. There seems to be a lot of unhappiness and anal fixations in all of their lives. Maybe if they knew that the Ps go in their Vs, they’d be happier.