This challenge keeps calling my name! I have discovered some new authors over the past couple years that I would like to read again, so the 2nds Challenge is a perfect reason to read a few of them sooner than later. This challenge runs October through December and I think it would fit nicely into my time frame of other reading challenges.
And, now, here's my list:
Watermelon by Marian Keyes
I discovered this author from someone's blog earlier this year. I read Keyes' collection of essays called Under the Duvet and loved it. Now I would like to try one of her fiction books.
Atonement by Ian McEwan
A little over a year ago, after I read Saturday and loved it, this book was recommended to me. I bought it right away, but it has since sat on my shelf waiting to be read. More recently, I have read several reviews by fellow book bloggers about the book, so now I am ready to read it myself.
The Patient by Micheal Palmer
This summer I read The Fifth Vial for the Medical Mystery Challenge and now want to read another book by this author. I have been told by others that he is a very good medical mystery writer. I haven't read many mysteries this year, so I thought I would add this one to the challenge list.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Indoctorination
Booking Through Thursday for August 23, 2007
When growing up did your family share your love of books? If so, did one person get you into reading? And, do you have any family-oriented memories with books and reading? (Family trips to bookstore, reading the same book as a sibling or parent, etc.)
Both my immediate and extended family shared my love (and their love) of books. My mom loved to read when she found the spare time to do so while raising three kids. My brother read occasionally, enjoying Jack London and Mad Magazine. My sister read as well, but with five years between us I don't know what her favorite books were as a teen. There were always books in our house, from Dr. Seuss to Scholastic Books ordered from school to various books on loan from the library. We always had a newspaper in the house, which my dad read as well as the rest of the family. So, I did see my entire family reading at various times during the week. My aunt was an elementary school teacher and gifts from her often included a good book.
One of my fondest childhood memories is the frequent family trips to the library. Mom would pack us up and head to the city library to explore and check out several books for our reading enjoyment. As we grew older, there were the summer reading programs that we would join and expand our reading worlds. And, of course, when we outgrew the trips to the library with Mom, there was always the Bookmobile that would park in the neighborhood and have several books to offer.
Eventually, when I was in high school, I became an employee of the city library as a page in the young adults section and later in the children's section. This was one of my favorite jobs ever! To be surrounded by books was one thing, but to also be surrounded by readers is equally exciting because we were always recommending good books to one another!
A more current memory that always pulls at the heart strings is the memory of watching my children read to each other when they were very young. As each child was learning to read and needed to practice their reading skills, they would read their favorite stories to a younger sibling who would just marvel in admiration at the new skill being shared. I have pictures of my children sprawled out on the floor sharing books with one another. All four of my children currently share my love of reading!
When growing up did your family share your love of books? If so, did one person get you into reading? And, do you have any family-oriented memories with books and reading? (Family trips to bookstore, reading the same book as a sibling or parent, etc.)
Both my immediate and extended family shared my love (and their love) of books. My mom loved to read when she found the spare time to do so while raising three kids. My brother read occasionally, enjoying Jack London and Mad Magazine. My sister read as well, but with five years between us I don't know what her favorite books were as a teen. There were always books in our house, from Dr. Seuss to Scholastic Books ordered from school to various books on loan from the library. We always had a newspaper in the house, which my dad read as well as the rest of the family. So, I did see my entire family reading at various times during the week. My aunt was an elementary school teacher and gifts from her often included a good book.
One of my fondest childhood memories is the frequent family trips to the library. Mom would pack us up and head to the city library to explore and check out several books for our reading enjoyment. As we grew older, there were the summer reading programs that we would join and expand our reading worlds. And, of course, when we outgrew the trips to the library with Mom, there was always the Bookmobile that would park in the neighborhood and have several books to offer.
Eventually, when I was in high school, I became an employee of the city library as a page in the young adults section and later in the children's section. This was one of my favorite jobs ever! To be surrounded by books was one thing, but to also be surrounded by readers is equally exciting because we were always recommending good books to one another!
A more current memory that always pulls at the heart strings is the memory of watching my children read to each other when they were very young. As each child was learning to read and needed to practice their reading skills, they would read their favorite stories to a younger sibling who would just marvel in admiration at the new skill being shared. I have pictures of my children sprawled out on the floor sharing books with one another. All four of my children currently share my love of reading!
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Strawberry Girl
The 1946 Newbery Medal winner was Strawberry Girl by Lois Lenski. When I chose this book for the Newbery Challenge, I did not know that it was part of a regional series that Lenski wrote.
Here, then, in the Florida backwoods, a world exists, which few people, town residents or northern tourists, see, realize or even suspect. Many who see it fail sadly to understand it. Here is a real and authentic corner of the American scene, a segment of American life. In this series of regional books for American children, I am trying to present vivid, sympathetic pictures of the real life of different kinds of Americans, against authentic backgrounds of diverse localities. We need to know our country better; to know and understand people different from ourselves; so that we can say: "This then is the way these people lived. Because I understand it, I admire and love them." Is not this a rich heritage for our American children? (from the Forward, p. xi)
Birdie Boyer, nicknamed the strawberry girl, and her family have just moved to the ol' Roddenberry house in the backwoods of Florida. Her family is planning to farm the land with the main crops being strawberries and oranges. The story revolves around the Boyer family and their neighbor the Slater family. A feud begins almost immediately and many events unfold as the two families live in the harsh times of their Florida region. The dialect is delightful and the families' antics are interesting as well as amusing.
My favorite chapters include Chapter 2: Fences; Chapter 4: Hogses; Chapter 7: Cane Grinding; and Chapter 14: The Preacher. The regional flavor that Lenski was trying to portray is richly felt and makes for a very delightful read.
I know Lois Lenski from other children's books that I have read to preschoolers, but I never knew about the wonderful books that she wrote for older children. I loved this book and would like to see if more stories from the American Regional Series can still be found. My daughter read Strawberry Girl before me and devoured it as well. A highly recommended read to all those who enjoy this kind of fiction.
Here, then, in the Florida backwoods, a world exists, which few people, town residents or northern tourists, see, realize or even suspect. Many who see it fail sadly to understand it. Here is a real and authentic corner of the American scene, a segment of American life. In this series of regional books for American children, I am trying to present vivid, sympathetic pictures of the real life of different kinds of Americans, against authentic backgrounds of diverse localities. We need to know our country better; to know and understand people different from ourselves; so that we can say: "This then is the way these people lived. Because I understand it, I admire and love them." Is not this a rich heritage for our American children? (from the Forward, p. xi)
Birdie Boyer, nicknamed the strawberry girl, and her family have just moved to the ol' Roddenberry house in the backwoods of Florida. Her family is planning to farm the land with the main crops being strawberries and oranges. The story revolves around the Boyer family and their neighbor the Slater family. A feud begins almost immediately and many events unfold as the two families live in the harsh times of their Florida region. The dialect is delightful and the families' antics are interesting as well as amusing.
My favorite chapters include Chapter 2: Fences; Chapter 4: Hogses; Chapter 7: Cane Grinding; and Chapter 14: The Preacher. The regional flavor that Lenski was trying to portray is richly felt and makes for a very delightful read.
I know Lois Lenski from other children's books that I have read to preschoolers, but I never knew about the wonderful books that she wrote for older children. I loved this book and would like to see if more stories from the American Regional Series can still be found. My daughter read Strawberry Girl before me and devoured it as well. A highly recommended read to all those who enjoy this kind of fiction.
Friday, August 17, 2007
Medical Mystery Challenge---Completed
I have officially completed another challenge: The Medical Mystery Challenge. I completed three books to meet this challenge:
Toxin by Robin Cook
Cruel and Unusual by Patricia Cornwell
The Fifth Vial by Michael Palmer
Robin Cook is a familiar author to me and I wanted to read something by him for this challenge. I started the Kay Scarpetta series earlier this year, so I included the next book that I needed to read into this challenge. And, I stumbled upon Michael Palmer when I went to Amazon and typed in medical mystery books to see what might be suggested. I was also told by a couple different people that he is a very good medical mystery author.
Overall, I really enjoyed this challenge! I hope to continue with this genre by reading from my alternate list as time allows.
Toxin by Robin Cook
Cruel and Unusual by Patricia Cornwell
The Fifth Vial by Michael Palmer
Robin Cook is a familiar author to me and I wanted to read something by him for this challenge. I started the Kay Scarpetta series earlier this year, so I included the next book that I needed to read into this challenge. And, I stumbled upon Michael Palmer when I went to Amazon and typed in medical mystery books to see what might be suggested. I was also told by a couple different people that he is a very good medical mystery author.
Overall, I really enjoyed this challenge! I hope to continue with this genre by reading from my alternate list as time allows.
The Fifth Vial
"So, every patient you draw has extra tubes of blood frozen and put in storage?"
"Just a green top. ... We've been told that thanks to new technology, that's all they need. We draw an average of four vials of blood on each of our clients --- red tops, gray tops, purple tops, black tops. The color of the rubber stoppers refer to the chemicals that are inside the vials. We refer to the green top as the fifth vial, even if we only draw two on a given patient." (p.111)
What do a private detective, a medical student, and a research scientist have in common? What do Boston (USA), Cameroon (Africa), and Dom Angelo (Brazil) have in common? And what do bone marrow, a lung, and a heart have in common?
The Fifth Vial is Michael Palmer's latest medical mystery. With a slow start, it eventually begins to pick up interest with a few twists that lead you on a path of secrecy, deception, and finally, investigation.
"Believe me, I'm no hero, but folks are already getting hurt, maybe lots of them. And there'll be more and more until these people are stopped. A doctor orders a blood sugar and his patient unknowingly gets tissue-typed. It's like they're walking around with time bombs in their pockets. How many of those vials of blood --- those so-called quality control tubes --- are getting sent off...? How many profiles do you think are added to the data base?" (p. 155)
One person is a patient recently receiving a much needed lung transplant. Another person is a victim in a horrible crime. And another person is a PI investigating the death and possible murder of a young John Doe that may be connected to a longstanding investigation by the watchdog agency Organ Guard.
But... are these three people and events more interconnected than anyone realizes?
The suspense begins when the reader finally makes the several connections between them. Then the action gets quick and everything is soon resolved. Although not my favorite suspense book, it did hold my interest and I liked the unwinding of details that brought all the characters and events together. This was my first Michal Palmer book and I understand that he is a very popular author for medical mystery readers. I would like to try another of his books in the future. The Fifth Vial was good, but just a bit of a slow read in my opinion.
"Just a green top. ... We've been told that thanks to new technology, that's all they need. We draw an average of four vials of blood on each of our clients --- red tops, gray tops, purple tops, black tops. The color of the rubber stoppers refer to the chemicals that are inside the vials. We refer to the green top as the fifth vial, even if we only draw two on a given patient." (p.111)
What do a private detective, a medical student, and a research scientist have in common? What do Boston (USA), Cameroon (Africa), and Dom Angelo (Brazil) have in common? And what do bone marrow, a lung, and a heart have in common?
The Fifth Vial is Michael Palmer's latest medical mystery. With a slow start, it eventually begins to pick up interest with a few twists that lead you on a path of secrecy, deception, and finally, investigation.
"Believe me, I'm no hero, but folks are already getting hurt, maybe lots of them. And there'll be more and more until these people are stopped. A doctor orders a blood sugar and his patient unknowingly gets tissue-typed. It's like they're walking around with time bombs in their pockets. How many of those vials of blood --- those so-called quality control tubes --- are getting sent off...? How many profiles do you think are added to the data base?" (p. 155)
One person is a patient recently receiving a much needed lung transplant. Another person is a victim in a horrible crime. And another person is a PI investigating the death and possible murder of a young John Doe that may be connected to a longstanding investigation by the watchdog agency Organ Guard.
But... are these three people and events more interconnected than anyone realizes?
The suspense begins when the reader finally makes the several connections between them. Then the action gets quick and everything is soon resolved. Although not my favorite suspense book, it did hold my interest and I liked the unwinding of details that brought all the characters and events together. This was my first Michal Palmer book and I understand that he is a very popular author for medical mystery readers. I would like to try another of his books in the future. The Fifth Vial was good, but just a bit of a slow read in my opinion.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Monogamy
Booking Through Thursday for August 16, 2007
One book at a time? Or more than one? If more, are they different types/genres? Or similar?
(We’re talking recreational reading, here—books for work or school don’t really count since they’re not optional.)
I read one book at a time. I have tried reading more than one, but then I can't seem to focus on the book that I'm reading at the moment because I'm thinking about the one that I'm not reading. I also tend to blur the story lines.
I read to escape and as the ol' saying goes: I can't be in two places at one time.
So, yes, I am monogamous... one book at a time!
One book at a time? Or more than one? If more, are they different types/genres? Or similar?
(We’re talking recreational reading, here—books for work or school don’t really count since they’re not optional.)
I read one book at a time. I have tried reading more than one, but then I can't seem to focus on the book that I'm reading at the moment because I'm thinking about the one that I'm not reading. I also tend to blur the story lines.
I read to escape and as the ol' saying goes: I can't be in two places at one time.
So, yes, I am monogamous... one book at a time!
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Transparent
In many of the stories..., these women too have experienced the tearing off of their costume, or an outer layer of skin. Looking within yourself can be a frightening experience, but as a result these women have seen things in themselves that they never knew were there. A lot of what these fifteen women wrestled with could be described as fear. We mask some of who we are because of fear. And it is like trying to win a battle without a full army. We need those strengths that God has given each one of us. But so often our strengths also become our weakness and our shame. We need to take it back, redeeming that strength, because after the pain of shedding the old layers, what remains is fresh and new skin. (p.191)
Transparent: Getting Honest about Who We Are and Who We Want to Be by Sarah Zacharias Davis is a collection of fifteen interviews that reads like a collection of personal and touching essays. It explores fear, truth, and personal discovery. And each chapter covers an issue that almost any woman can relate to at sometime in her life. As the back cover describes:
Reading this book may be like looking in a mirror. Yet these stories provide glimpses of triumph and recognition that God is with you and working in you as you grow more comfortable with yourself. Transparent is not a book of packaged solutions but of dynamic possibilities. So no matter who you are or where you are in life, this book will provide hope and encouragement for the journey.
The honesty hits you immediately and you feel as though you are sitting right there with the women as they share their stories. Beautifully written, it allowed me to think about my own journey in life while saying, "Yeah, I can relate to that!"
My favorite chapters were Finding the Courage to Be Me, Living with Intention, Jealousy, and Listening to Lies. I almost wanted to go through and underline passages where I felt like the women were relating my own story. Yes, it was a powerful read for me.
I don't tell them who I really am. And, I guess, why would I? Oh, there are times when I want to shed my tough outer skin. In a moment of wanting to be known I reveal the desperation underneath. And each time, people respond with shock, which is not the reaction I want. I want sympathy or empathy, not disappointment. (p.38)
When I consider my value as a woman, I know that Jesus held women in very high esteem and not because of their physical beauty. And I know that it is the reflection in his eyes that matters the most. (p.88)
And I still might hang on to a little bit of fairy tale. Though there is death, the death of dreams, out of the ashes the phoenix rises, so the legend goes. For like Sabrina's life, my life hasn't taken me where I wanted to go, but maybe I'll find something special in the places I find myself instead. A girl's gotta dream, right? (p.127)
I absolutely loved this book and will keep it on my shelf for future re-reads. I found it very uplifting and thoughtful. It was exactly what I needed at this time in my life.
(And I loved the cover art of the book as well.)
Transparent: Getting Honest about Who We Are and Who We Want to Be by Sarah Zacharias Davis is a collection of fifteen interviews that reads like a collection of personal and touching essays. It explores fear, truth, and personal discovery. And each chapter covers an issue that almost any woman can relate to at sometime in her life. As the back cover describes:
Reading this book may be like looking in a mirror. Yet these stories provide glimpses of triumph and recognition that God is with you and working in you as you grow more comfortable with yourself. Transparent is not a book of packaged solutions but of dynamic possibilities. So no matter who you are or where you are in life, this book will provide hope and encouragement for the journey.
The honesty hits you immediately and you feel as though you are sitting right there with the women as they share their stories. Beautifully written, it allowed me to think about my own journey in life while saying, "Yeah, I can relate to that!"
My favorite chapters were Finding the Courage to Be Me, Living with Intention, Jealousy, and Listening to Lies. I almost wanted to go through and underline passages where I felt like the women were relating my own story. Yes, it was a powerful read for me.
I don't tell them who I really am. And, I guess, why would I? Oh, there are times when I want to shed my tough outer skin. In a moment of wanting to be known I reveal the desperation underneath. And each time, people respond with shock, which is not the reaction I want. I want sympathy or empathy, not disappointment. (p.38)
When I consider my value as a woman, I know that Jesus held women in very high esteem and not because of their physical beauty. And I know that it is the reflection in his eyes that matters the most. (p.88)
And I still might hang on to a little bit of fairy tale. Though there is death, the death of dreams, out of the ashes the phoenix rises, so the legend goes. For like Sabrina's life, my life hasn't taken me where I wanted to go, but maybe I'll find something special in the places I find myself instead. A girl's gotta dream, right? (p.127)
I absolutely loved this book and will keep it on my shelf for future re-reads. I found it very uplifting and thoughtful. It was exactly what I needed at this time in my life.
(And I loved the cover art of the book as well.)
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