Salon: BEA, Gone Winner, & Richard

First: I’m going to BEA!!! And I am very, very excited! (Wow, that was actually rather tame. Inside I’m jumping up and down like a little kid in a bounce house.)

Next up, the winner of Gone, chosen by Random.org is: Tina!

Thanks to every one who read the interview and threw there names in the hate. I’ll have another giveaway coming up soon, so keep your eye out for that.

Ever aware of my tally (bottom left sidebar,) I thought to myself recently how it’s been a while since I’ve last blogged about Richard Armitage. Well, I can’t let that stand, and so here’s what I’ve got: a Guy of Gisborne necklace. (I made it as an example of a DIY photo necklace for one of my library’s teen programs.) Please forgive the bad lighting – fluorescent! – and the general blur of the picture.

But there he is, in all of his Gisbourne glowering glory! Note the lovely leaf beads, the coin, and the plastic crystals that adorn the string. (Perhaps not my finest crafting moment, but I had fun.)

And with this, I add another mark to the tally. I’ll be nearing double digits very, very soon. Any guesses on where the tally will stand at the end of the year…?

In Pursuing the Lioness Challenge news…Rhiannon is a total PLC rockstar! She’s been reviewing Pierce books and dropping the links back here. (I really need to pull it together and start the Immortals series myself.) You can find links to all of her reviews here.

I was walking by a store window the other day and saw the t-shirt on the right. Of course they were out of my size (that’s always the way it goes,) but isn’t it, well, awesome?

Since my French – meaning what little of it I picked up in high school – is now beyond rusty, I looked up “lire” and learned that it means to read. (Which makes an awful lot of sense, really, and works out better than “to carry,” which it might have been.)

And finally, a few books I received this week that I wanted to mention:

Sourcebooks was kind enough to send me Read, Remember, Recommend for Teens, a neat journal that offers suggested reading and allows you to keep track of what you’ve already read.

From Henry Holt I received Claire Harman’s Jane’s Fame: How Jane Austen Conquered the World. I was on the waiting list at the library for this one, and so was thrilled to get a copy.

And in the middle there, Justin Cronin’s The Passage. I’ve heard so many good things about it; can’t wait to see what all the buzz is about!

The Sunday Salon: A Neat Music Video, for one

For starters, a quick reminder about the Gone giveaway I’m holding (link over there in sidebar –>) It’s still going on, till March 27th. It’s super easy: If you’re interested in the giveaway, leave a comment on the post. Simple!

Before I get to talking books…

I was exploring a few new-to-me blogs and stumbled on a really cool music video on Manda’s Movements. Not sure – yet – how I feel about the music itself, but the animation, that’s a whole other story. Check it out: The Raveonettes’ “Heart of Stone” -

Actually, I don’t have much book talk today. Several reviews coming up this week – including the one that I was supposed to post last week about the book that I loved. That’ll go up on Tuesday. Oh, and I finished Phillips’ Natural Born Charmer, and though I’m not planning on reviewing it it turns out I didn’t end up hating it. (Always a plus when it comes to obligation reading.) Oh, and one more thing: If you’d like a shot at Garth Stein’s Raven Stole the Moon, head on over to Iron Inklings and enter her giveaway. That’s it for me!

The Sunday Salon: My Week in Wanting, Buying, Reading

Buying…
I was blog hopping on Thursday when I stopped to read Nymeth‘s review of Dorothy L. Sayers Gaudy Night. Wait. That’s not right. I didn’t read it in it’s entirety; I got to a point and knew I had to stop. That’s what I do when I know without a doubt I want to read the book in question. But in this case, what I read of her review made me want to read not just the single book, but the entire series. (That would be the Lord Peter Wimsey series, and there are twelve books in front of this one alone. Cripes.) Who knows where I’m going to dig out the time to actually do so, but I now own Whose Body? and am ready to get started.

Not sure where I saw the original mention – Twitter, maybe? – but Meg Cabot posted something about her Mediator series being repackaged in the UK, and included a link to a page with the new covers. Ten minutes later I was over at the Book Depository, placing an order.

In this case, I like the uniformity of the covers. Though the girl looks a little, ah, intense, they are pretty, what with the swirls and scrolls and illuminated letters. And I kind of like that there are two books in one, too. (I should probably note that I’ve wanted to read these for a while, so it wasn’t just a case of cover temptation.) The first two books have May release dates and the last one will follow in August. (And, yup, the covers are out of order up there.) And since I’m on the subject of Meg Cabot…Anyone planning to read Insatiable? I’m sort of curious about it.

Reading…
As for actual reading this week…I didn’t get much done. But! I read one book that I loved. The writing, the atmosphere, the story…all of it added up to be something wonderful. More on that later this week.

For work I need to read Natural Born Charmer (Susan Elizabeth Phillips) and…well. It starts off with a beaver. Or rather, a woman dressed in a beaver costume. After reading the first chapter four times in a row and still not getting what the heck was going on, I decided to put it down. For now. Just hoping I can weather that bad first impression to get through the rest of it.

Wanting…
For various reasons, I like to look way, far ahead to see what’s being published so that I can keep track for ordering/budget purposes (for work.) I was doing a little bit of that yesterday, and saw that Susan Cooper’s The Dark Is Rising sequence is being republished in one volume. If you can believe it, I’ve never read this series. What better way to tackle it then to have it all on hand at once? I put this one on my wishlist and will hopefully be picking it up when it’s released this August. (Not loving the cover – I mean, it’s alright – but I do like the idea of all the books bundled together.)

But what do I really want? To read the copy of Shalador’s Lady I have sitting on my shelf. Until I get my work reading done, however, I can’t. And yes, I am absolutely pouting right now.

So that was my past week in wanting, buying, and reading. What was yours like?

The Sunday Salon

This week I read Everlasting by Angie Frazier. I won’t have a review up for a while – the book isn’t being released until June – but I can say this: Oscar is wooonderful and I think you’ll be very happy to get to know him. Shaun Hutchinson, author of the forthcoming The Deathday Letter, wrote this about Everlasting: “Frazier’s world is gritty and beautiful and enchanting.  EVERLASTING is the story of Camille Rowen’s adventure to find her mother, a map, and a mysterious treasure.  A little bit Jane Austen and a little bit Indiana Jones, this book was fantastic.” That’s pretty much spot-on. More from me on this one closer to the release date.

My recent library haul is going to keep me busy, but did that stack of books stop me from running out to scoop up a copy of Deanna Raybourn’s The Dead Travel Fast? Nope. I hope to get to it soon, though maybe not too soon. Right now I’m reading Louise Erdrich’s Shadow Tag (it’s in that pile, so almost one down.)

The two dvd’s on the top of the stack actually make for a good segue to…

How I got to thinking while I was rewatching A Holy Wholly Happy Ending that of the books Harry (Richard Armitage) mentions, I’ve read none. Not John Le Carre, Birdsong*, or…who is the other author? I can never quite make out the name. And since I want to read North and South, and am listening to Sylvester…why not make it into a sort of Richard Armitage reading challenge? (I can see the button now. *grin*) Anything that is even remotely related to him is game. (This is the way my mind is working these days.) And since he is taking over my Sunday Salon posts, I can add another hatch mark to my tally. (Scroll down, left side.) I love that tally.

I’m taking on another challenge, too: Clover, Bee, and Reverie: A Poetry Challenge. This April I hope to do quite a bit with poetry here on the blog, and while years ago I read collections all the time, I’ve not done so in a while; this challenge will hopefully get me back to it. Still, I’m going to aim low and go with the Couplet level and read at least two books of poetry.

On a completely unrelated note, we’ve begun to watch Deadwood. The swearing? Threw me off at first with its…constancy. Were they going for grit? Is it nothing more than an attempt at an honest representation of the rise of the American West? Or is it an HBO thing? I’m not sure how I feel about the show yet, but Timothy Olyphant’s character, Seth Bullock, is intriguing. Especially when he takes off his hat. (And by that I mean that it changes the dynamic of his character. Oddly enough.)

That’s it for me. How has your reading week been?

*I’m assuming the book referenced is by Sebastian Faulks. Any other ideas?

The Sunday Salon: In which I say, Self, just pick one already!

Don’t you hate being unable to settle on a book? I do.

Over the past four or five days I’ve picked up, read a few pages, and put down at least six to seven different books. And they’re all over the place in terms of genre: a few YA, a classic, a thriller, a paranormal romance. Looking at my shelves doesn’t help, either. If anything it makes it worse because there are so many there, unread, and I begin to feel overwhelmed. It’s not the worst problem to have, but still…

Plus there’ve been distractions. Someone with excellent taste gifted me with MI-5: Volume 7. I’ve been trying to sample the episodes, spread them out, extend the pleasure of watching Richard Armitage in something new-to-me, but I’m burning through them fast. Though typically not a fan of espionage or political television shows, this one has completely sucked me in – thanks to, in large part, Richard’s character, Lucas North. And while we’re on the subject, I also watched The Impressionists, and realized how little I know about the lives of some of the most renown artists ever. And since I’m still on the subject…Does this cover it, guys? Have I missed anything that he was in that I absolutely should not miss? (I’ve also watched {about a million times} his episodes of The Vicar of Dibley. Oh, and I have Shakespeare Retold and the Miss Marple thing he was in. And all three seasons of Robin Hood.) So, anything else? (That’s somewhat readily available here in the States?)

And look at how he hijacked this post! Moving back to books now. *grumble*

So, yup, can’t settle on anything. Which I really hope doesn’t last long. I just pulled Stieg Larsson’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo out of one of my piles; hopefully this will engage me from the start, putting an end to my can’t-read-anything-for-long streak.

Does this happen to you, too? And if so, what do you do to put an end to the restlessness?

The Sunday Salon: Audiobooks & Awards

Perhaps I’m the only one to do this (though surely not,) but…When I find something wonderful, be it a poem, song, or actor, I furiously search for and gobble up anything else related. I suppose you could call it obsession. Or preoccupation. Whatever you want to call it, I am guilty of it. That said, who, you might be asking yourself, has got me wrapped around his little finger now? Well, that would be Richard Armitage. (Saw that one coming, did you?)

I’m currently consuming season one of Robin Hood, have on order at the library MI-5 (season 7,) Shakespeare Retold, The Impressionists, The Vicar of Dibley, and…You get the idea. But this time I’ve sunk to new lows (soared to new heights?) and have done what I never thought I’d do…bought an audiobook.

Yes, a ton of people love audiobooks, but try as I might, they just don’t work for me. My mind wanders too easily, I guess. However, a commenter (Donna) mentioned that Armitage narrated Georgette Heyer’s Sylvester, and since I’ve been wanting to read one of her novels, and since Mr. Armitage has that Voice…I checked iTunes, saw that they had it available for purchase, and the next thing I know I’m listening to an audiobook on my iPod. And I’m pretty sure, if there had been people around me as I began to listen, they would have thought me an idiot. I couldn’t stop grinning. I even laughed. Not because there was anything particularly funny going on in the story, but because R.A.’s narration got the best of me. (Oh, his Voice is honey, no doubt about it, but some of the things he has to say, and the way he says them – priceless! And why didn’t someone think to put a camera in the booth while he read? I’d watch all of the almost five hours of the recording, and probably hit rewind to fully appreciate his…enunciation.) I’m only about an hour in, and as much as I’m enjoying this one, I think it’s solely, perhaps superficially, due to the Voice.

What about you? If you listen to audiobooks, how much of your enjoyment is based on the narration?

I’ve come into an embarrassment of riches recently! A few lovely bloggers have bestowed awards on me and my blog: Laurel has given me the Happy 101 Award, author Sheila A. Neilson the One Lovely Blog Award, and Jessica the Prolific Blogger Award. Thank you all so much! Each one made my day.

Sunday Salon

Thanks to a snowstorm last weekend I got a fair amount of reading done. I discovered Alice Hoffman’s beautifully written Green Witch, which led to me pick up Incantation at the library, and left me with plans to purchase The Foretelling.

I also – finally! – read Emily Whitman’s retelling of the Persephone/Hades myth, Radiant Darkness. (Review) I enjoyed it thoroughly, even if it left me wanting more. (Because too much of a good thing is never really enough, right?)

And thanks to a post from Angie, my Pursuing the Lioness challenge is really beginning to take off. (So excited!) If you’re interested, there’s a link to the intro post in the sidebar. Check it out. You can join at any point during the six months of the challenge. And several sure to be fantastic guest posts will be coming your way over the next couple of months, too, so make sure to check back for ‘em.

A few new books found their way into the house this week, including:

Tamora Pierce’s Wolf-Speaker, C.J. Henderson’s Brooklyn Knight, Charles Finch’s A Beautiful Blue Death, Elizabeth Chadwick’s The Greatest Knight, and Antonia Michaelis’ Tiger Moon.

Today, though, today is dedicated to Sarah Rees Brennan’s The Demon Lexicon. Now, if you’ll pardon me, I must get back to it.

Sunday Salon: It’s Snowing on my Blogoversary

It’s my blogoversary! And how does it start out? Noticing that I accidentally published Monday’s post! Ah, well. So, if you noticed that a review of Alice Hoffman’s Green Witch has come and gone, it will be back. Tomorrow. Like the good little post it was supposed to be.

Lots of things doing in this Sunday Salon. Like, I’m hosting my very first sort-of challenge: Pursuing the Lioness. It’s not really a challenge because there are no rules, no pressure, just people getting together to read Tamora Pierce over a certain period of time. I’m still looking for guest posts and you can join up at any time. Click on the banner to the left and read what’s-up.

Because I posted about that, though, I totally missed out on talking about the Cybil’s shortlist for fantasy in the YA category. Here’s what I’ll greedily be reading over the coming weeks:

• Candor by Pam Bachorz
• The Demon’s Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan
• The Dust of 100 Dogs by A.S. King
• Fire by Kristin Cashore
• Lips Touch by Laini Taylor
• Sacred Scars by Kathleen Duey
• Tiger Moon by Antonia Michaelis

What a great looking list! I can’t wait to get started. (Which I probably should. Soon.)

It’s been snowing steadily for the past two days. I’ve been in my house for the past two days. Reading, not finding the movie I wanted to watch, taking pictures. I’m totally in love with my new camera and, as I did warn you, I’ll be posting lots of photos. I’m still trying to get the hang of the features, but it’s fun just playing with it, snapping away. Generally annoying everyone who might be in range.

As always, click on any one to make larger.

Now I’m off to celebrate my blogoversary by doing some blog reading. Hope everyone is having a wonderful Sunday!

Sunday Salon: A book under the tree, a few won, & so on

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday!!

Our Christmas day was lovely and we were all spoiled, myself most especially. My husband bought me an awesome digital camera (that has a built-in smile detector! As soon as it recognizes that someone in the frame has smiled it automatically takes the picture. Seriously, the first time that happened? I’m sure my reaction was priceless.) Expect lots of pictures in the future! And, for once, he actually bought me a book. I was shocked. And it was one I really, really wanted.

Not too long ago I read Laini Taylor’s Blackbringer (the first book in the Dreamdark series) and it was love. Ever since Silksinger has called my name. And now I can actually answer that call! Opening one of the presents up to find that book was a joy, even moreso because my husband went out and got it for me. Hopefully I’ll be able to catch up with Magpie and Talon real soon.

Speaking of Magpie and Talon…They made the list of my “best of’s” of 2009. The whole list can be found here.

A few bookstore coupons found their way into my pocket, too, but I’m not sure how soon I’ll use them. I tend to hoard gift cards (and drive my family nuts in the process, but I can’t bring myself to spend them right away, willy-nilly.)

As I was doing my daily blog reading I tabbed over to The Book Smugglers and gasped. I won one of the super giveaways they were holding as part of Smugglivus! :::Happy Dance:::  What did I win? Well, since you asked…I won ARCs of: Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce, 13 Treasures by Michelle Harrison, Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi, Guardian of the Dead by Karen Healey, and Prophecy of the Sisters: Guardian of the Gate by Michelle Zink. What a haul, right?! I’m most excited about Pearce’s Sisters Red – I’ve been drooling over that cover since it was first posted on her blog.

So what’s coming up this week? Reviews! Shocking. But I have been able to get some reading done. And real soon I hope to post my thoughts on Sherlock Holmes. The short of it? I loved every minute of it! It might take me a while to post about it, though, because when I love something I tend to not be able to write about it very well. But I’ll leave you with a pic I took of the theater’s lobby display. Dude, if I could’ve gotten that thing home!

Sunday Salon: Snowy Day

That’s the view from one of our back windows. It’s brightened up a bit, but snow is still falling heavily, and the sound of a plow thudding down on the street outside our house is still startling me.

The little miss and I bundled up and took the pup out. He had a blast, jumping and sticking his entire face into big drifts. But that’s not all we’ve been up to. When the weather requires you to stay in, what do you do? Bake!

I pulled out Nestle Classic Recipes – one of my favorite sweet tooth cookbooks – and we made snowball cookies. We also made peanut butter fudge bars, and they’re chilling in the fridge.

Since it’s the perfect day for it, I’m really going to try to get some reading done. That is, after some wrapping. And a few household chores. Oh, and after the little miss and I have our Rankin/Bass marathon. On second thought…If I ever do get around to reading today I’ll have plenty to choose from.

I took next week off, which meant stocking up on library books. The ones pictured here are actually in addition to a few – or six – that I took home last week.

My hope is to actually finish a few I’ve started but haven’t been able to due to a total lack of motivation. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with the books, it’s just my concentration.

So that’s it. We’re going to enjoy the snow day. I hope you have a wonderful one, snow-filled or not.