Annette's Book Spot

Friday, April 22, 2011

Announcing my Giveaway Winners!

The Winner of Eli the Good is:

Jinky!

The winner of The Limping Man is:

Erinberry!

I will be emailing you soon, and I'll give you until next Monday to respond, since for many of us this is a holiday weekend, and blogging might not be a top priority.

Thanks to all of you who entered!

Time for Blog Hoping after a very difficult week...

A week ago my dog, Mollie, got sick. After monitoring her for a couple of days, we decided she was getting worse, so we took her to our local animal emergency hospital in the wee hours of the morning last Sunday. After a long process, it was determined that she had eaten some rat poisoning. What that poison does, is strip your body of vitamin K, which makes it so your blood cannot clot. So she was bleeding into her chest and lungs. I'll make a long story short - she came home Wednesday morning, feeling better, but still fairly weak. We have to keep her quiet and calm for at least two weeks, until her blood is all back to normal. She's 4 1/2 years old and very active. So far, she hasn't felt good enough to beg us to go out, but eventually, it will be quite a challenge to keep her calm. We are very grateful that she is on the mend, and have some wonderful doctors and veterinary techs to thank for her excellent care.

So, I'm ready for some blogging fun!

Parajunkee's Follow Friday question is:

Q. What is on your current playlist right now?

I have over 1200 songs on my iPod, that I usually just keep on "shuffle." I like a variety, and I like to be surprised at what song gets played. I listen to everything from classic rock, punk, pop, classical, and jazz.

Most of the time, I'm listening to audiobooks, though....

Jennifer, at Crazy For Books' question of the week is:

"If you find a book you love, do you hunt down other books by the same author?"

Yes, many times I do. Most of the time I already know about other books that they've written. But one great book is certainly a reason to read other books by that author!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a great weekend!

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Book Review: The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag, by Alan Bradley

I was delighted, once again, by Flavia De Luce in The Weed that Strings the Hangman’s Bag. She continues to be one of my favorite characters of all time. She’s an intelligent, nosey, precocious little girl that will steal your heart.

This mystery is about a puppeteer and his mistress who come to Bishop’s Lacey and perform Jack and the Beanstalk. The puppeteer is electrocuted during the performance, and of course, Flavia is right on it. She also becomes curious about the details of an eight-year-old boy’s accidental hanging five years ago. It all becomes one big mess and Flavia happens to be the only one able to sort it out, of course in her usual flamboyant fashion.

There are things in this book that I usually don’t care for. Some of Flavia’s descriptions and stories go on and on and wander far from the story line – but I simply love every word. There are detailed technical descriptions of chemicals and poisons and experiments and I didn’t mind that a bit. I think it’s because of the tone with which Flavia describes things. She’s so darn happy with herself for figuring everything out, that it makes me happy too.

If you like a good mystery, and don’t mind wandering around a bit, you’ll love Bradley’s books. These stories take place in 1950 in England, so the bonus is a wonderful exploration of that time in history. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie was our first introduction to Flavia, and The Weed that Strings the Hangman’s Bag just left me wanting more. The third book, A Red Herring Without Mustard came out in February, and is definitely on my list. I’ll be reading everything Bradley writes about Flavia!

I listened to the audio version of this book and Jayne Entwistle was born to read these characters. She’s simply exceptional. Just listen, and you’ll see what I mean.

Published by Delacorte, 2010
Audiobook obtained from the library
384 pages

Rating: 5/5

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Book Review: Shine, by Lauren Myracle

Shine is a story that will take you on an emotional roller coaster ride. Cat is a teen with many problems, and lives in a small town with its own problems. The story starts out with Patrick in a coma in the hospital because he has been beaten up. Patrick is gay, from this very small town, and this is being labeled as a hate crime. But, did someone from out of town do this? Or is it a local? Cat is determined to find out. Patrick was her absolute best friend, until “something” happened three years ago, and since then Cat has ignored everyone.

So as Cat makes contact with all of her old friends to find out what happened to Patrick, she also begins a monologue about what happened to make her close herself off.

I’m not going to give away anything more, so I’m just going to tell you that you will root for Cat as you slowly begin to understand her pain. This is a story about small town life, where everyone knows everyone’s secrets, some of these “secrets” are kept swept under the rug, and if you are different, you will suffer. Cat does a lot of growing up, and learns a lot about her peers that makes her realize that things are not always what they seem.

Shine paints a realistically horrible picture of meth usage, which is a contributing factor in many of the situations in this book.

The story also involves some tension at the end. I like the end of the book – I think this is probably how teens would deal with this type of situation (not that this situation is a common one.)

The supporting characters are each individual, well-drawn characters that we can relate to. Most of the grownups in the story are supportive, but not perfect. These are teens with different home lives and different personalities. But as I’m reading about each character, I could always think, “Oh, he/she reminds me of XXXX, a teen that I know.” I guess what I’m trying to say is that, while the specific situations might not be relatable, the characters are. They are typical teens that we see every day.

Lauren Myracle has written a dark tale, and I think that’s unusual for her. She has crafted an interesting story that will keep you wondering, thinking, rooting, and in the end leaves you with hope. Teens will love the realism and depth of this story.

Published by Amulet Books, May 1, 2011
Ebook obtained from NetGalley for review
376 pages (qualifies for my 350 Page Book Challenge!)

Rating: 3.5/5

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Book Review: Out of Time, by Monique Martin

I have mixed feelings about Out of Time: A Paranormal Romance. It almost felt like a book in two parts; there was the romance that was the first half, and at almost exactly 50% (on my Kindle) the book mentioned “vampire” for the first time.

I didn’t enjoy the romance part as much as the rest. Simon Cross, a professor, and his graduate assistant, Elizabeth West, have had a very respectable, professional relationship. But there has always been some romantic tension on both of their parts, but neither has been willing to take the first step. Simon gets his grandfather’s old pocket watch, and as he is showing it to Elizabeth, something happens, and they both end up in New York City, circa 1929! They decide to act like they are married, and as they follow through with this premise, the sexual tension builds and builds (and builds.) I got really tired of each of these character’s inner dialogs. They go on for pages and pages, and I began to skip over these parts. Yes Simon, I get that you don’t think you are worthy of Elizabeth and that you are too old for her. Yes, Elizabeth, I get that you don’t think Simon is interested in you in “that way.” Finally, they profess their true feelings, have sex, and we can get on with the story.

It is prohibition, and the only jobs they can find are in a speakeasy – Elizabeth as a cocktail waitress, and Simon as the piano player. I really liked how the romance continued to deepen in the second half; it was realistic and touching. The proprietor, Charlie, is one of my favorite characters. He’s a sweetheart and I though he added a lot to the story. King Kashian is the king of the underworld that supervises these speakeasies and offers them protection. There is something weird about King, and when he takes a particular interest in Elizabeth, both Charlie and Simon become very worried. It turns out their fears are justified.

The story gets very exciting and dangerous. Of course, Simon and Elizabeth are desperate to get back home, but while they are waiting for the opportunity, they must avoid King. The ending is tense and exciting and I was happy with the way things turned out.

Monique Martin is publishing a sequel this summer called When the Walls Fell, and I will be interested in reading it. I would recommend this for adults or mature teens that are paranormal romance fans.

Published by Amazon Digital Services
Ebook purchased for my Kindle

Rating: 3/5

Monday, April 18, 2011

Monday Memories - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Welcome to my new meme, Monday Memories, where I'd like to feature favorite books we've loved from the past. You can link to an old review, or write something new about a beloved book from your past. Really, what's important is not the book, but why it is memorable to you. So, have fun reminiscing, and add your link below, so we can all enjoy your memories.

I was one of those "I hate fantasy" people. Then along came Harry, and I couldn't be out of the loop, so I picked this book up and devoured it! I've read the entire series twice, (which is the only series I can say that about -- I rarely even read an individual title twice!) And needless to say, I've read and enjoyed many, many other fantasy, paranormal, magical books since this one. Thanks, J.K Rowling!

Share one of your cherished book memories!

1. Do a Monday Memories post on your blog. Copy my button and link back here, so others can see all the other posts.

2. Enter your Monday Memories link in the Link List below.
3. Visit some other blogs who have posted their links.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

In My Mailbox -- Another Great Week!

Thanks to Kristi, The Story Siren, we have this really fun meme to participate in. I had an exciting week book-wise!

Won from Sarah @ That Bookish Girl:

The Long Weekend, by Savita Kalhan

Very excited about this one, since I really think it sounds great, and it's not available in the US. The package came all the way from the UK!

Won from Aimee @ Getting Your Read On:

Accross the Universe by Beth Revis

Won from Cyndi @ Dog-Eared & Bookmarked:

Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen

For review from NetGalley:

The Betrayal of Maggie Blair, by Elizabeth Laird, ebook

From the library:

Daughter of Xanadu, by Dori Jones Yang

I'm pretty happy with these selections, and wish I could read 24/7! Hope you had a great week too. Thanks for stopping by. There are only a couple days left to enter my giveaway, if you are interested!

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Book Review: White Cat by Holly Black

White Cat is one of those novels that I really enjoyed, but it took me a while to get involved. The first 100 pages moved slowly, but after the action heated up, I couldn’t put it down.

Cassel is the only one of his family that isn’t a Curse Worker. There a many different types of these powers, such as bringing people luck (good or bad), changing people’s memories, and even causing people’s deaths. The government has made using these powers, or “working,” illegal. Because of this, a criminal underworld has developed involving the use of this magic, and Cassel’s brothers, who do have these abilities, are involved.

The best part of the story is the Curse Workers’ world that Black has created. Her creative details make everything seem very realistic. The gloves, the stone charms, the blowback, as well as the Curse Working itself are totally unique and described in such a way as to seem completely plausible. But, setting up this world and introducing Cassel takes a large portion of the book.

The relationship between Cassel and his brothers has all the typical elements of sibling conflict, but with a paranormal twist. It is apparent that there are many secrets in this family, and figuring out those secrets is what keeps the reader involved.

Once we realize that Cassel is in extreme peril, the pace is unstoppable. Over and over again I kept thinking, “Now, how in the world is he going to get out of this?” There are twists and turns and, while the immediate threat is over, the ending leaves plenty of questions for future adventures of the Curse Workers.

Paranormal fans will be interested in this one, but this will also appeal to fans of crime fiction. It’s basically a story of the mafia in this very fascinating magical world.

Published by Margaret K. McElderry, 2010
Copy obtained from the library
310 pages

Rating: 3/5

Friday, April 15, 2011

It's Friday and the Apple Trees are in Full Bloom!

For your enjoyment, I thought I'd include a picture of the apple blossoms at my family's apple orchard. Imagine walking through hundreds of trees full of these beautiful blossoms. It's an experience! Hope you had a great week, and are looking forward to a wonderful weekend.

Let's see what's up at some of our favorite blog memes.

Parajunkee's View asks the following for her Follow Friday meme:

Q. Do you have anyone that you can discuss books with IRL? Tell us about him/her.

Not really. That's one reason I started blogging. I guess my daughter would be the person who I have most in common with as far as reading.. We read some of the same stuff, so we get to chat about exceptional books. I talk to some of my teens at my library about various books, but not very in depth. My husband reads too, and there's an occasional book that we share, but we read a lot of different things. So, it's not great, but I do get some interaction IRL.

Crazy-For-Books hosts the weekly Book Blogger Hop and asks this:

"Pick a character from a book you are currently reading or have just finished and tell us about him/her."

I just finished reading White Cat by Holly Black, and the main character is a teenager named Cassel. He pretty much gets his life turned upside down during this book. He finds out he's not what he thought he was, and his family, in particular his brothers, aren't what he thought either. He's filled with guilt because he was responsible for the death of a childhood friend, and he is doesn't really know how to be close to anyone. The book is about Curse Workers, people who have special magical powers, and it is also about the underworld of crime. It's a very unique and interesting book.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoyed my blog. I do have a giveaway going on right now, so if you are interested check it out!

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Book Reviews: Orca Publishing-- B Negative and The Drop

I’ve read a couple more of the Orca Publishing books for reluctant readers. In case you haven’t seen it, here’s my post about these books.

B Negative, by Vicki Grant

This is from the Orca Soundings collection. This collection is for older teens. Paddy lives with his mother and his step father, Anthony. He really doesn’t get along very well with Anthony, who he sees as lazy and thinks he just lives off the child support sent by Paddy’s real father. Paddy has a great relationship with his dad, but he really just wants to get away. Paddy threatens to enlist in the army, and then finds it difficult to back out of this decision. He takes a physical which changes his life completely, after he finds out his blood type.

Lots of teens will relate to this story. It is common for teens to have difficulty with their family situations, and also struggle with decisions about what to do with their lives. Along with challenging personal relationships, this book offers some dangerous and tense moments that keep the pages turning.

125 pages

Published April 1, 2011

The Drop, by Jeff Ross

The Drop is from the Orca Sports collection. This book would be appropriate for older teens. I think younger teens would be able to read this too, but there’s a little bit of alcohol consumption. It’s not a big part of the story, though.

The sport in this story is snowboarding, so this would have wide appeal to many teens. Alex and three other teens are training to be members of the back country ski patrol. If successful, they will be in a unique position, because instead of skis or snow mobiles, they will be on snow boards.

When one of their group turns up missing, the teens decide that the only probable scenario is that he has been kidnapped. So, the training turns into a harrowing back country adventure complete with dangerous temperatures, guns, and avalanches. Some of the descriptions of the snow formations and also some snowboarding terms were a bit confusing to me, but that just might be the attraction for teens who know more than I do.

This book is really a page turner, and teens who like to read about sports or love a good adventure will enjoy this one.

159 pages

Published May 1, 2011

If you haven't entered my giveaway, check it out here!