The Sunday Salon: This and That

The first week of summer..... survived!

I didn't get much reading done during the week. My brother got married on Wednesday, and previous to that day, I was working hard on his video presentation. You know, the one where it shows him and his fiance growing up and then together. It turned out pretty good I guess, but it was nice to get it done and to stop worrying about it.

The wedding day was great, long and tiring, but great. Then after the wedding, I sort of crashed. Thursday I felt like a zombie for sure. But Friday and yesterday, I read like crazy.

Friday I read and finished Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson. Such a sad and scary story. It very much lets you feel what an anorexic person feels, I'm guessing anyway.

And then yesterday I finished Beach Trip by Cathy Holton. I'm on schedule for a blog tour later this month. I got very wrapped up in the story as I read yesterday and pretty much could not put it down.

And now it's Sunday, and I can start anything I want again! I'm tempted to nab Edgar Sawtelle from the treadmill, but having a great book on the treadmill really motivates one to use the thing. So I think I'm leaving it there for now. But I'm for sure loving that one so far.

Other things this week. We've got a new bookword for you all to vote on. Be sure to check that out. I caught up on some reviewing, but after yesterday, I'm behind again! The library's summer reading program started, so I'm hoping it helps to motivate the kids to keep reading. We usually don't have too much problem with that. I'm very excited to see Aprilynne Pike at the library in a couple of weeks. Oh, and we got the ball rolling on a Twitter book club this past week. During the BEATwittyParty, it was suggested and many of us thought that would be really fun. Click here on the brand new blog to learn more about it and to make nominations for our first book.

Looking ahead, this week I'll be getting ready for vacation and stressing about what to take to read. What a funny decision this is! When I know what wins, I'll let you know.

What the family is reading:

The Mr: Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein

Bud: Since he's now an LDS missionary for a couple of years, he'll just be reading lots and lots of church stuff!

JJ: not sure... I think last I saw, she had a pile of books on her lap and was trying to decide.

Moder: The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan (Percy Jackson series #5)

Toto: The Merchant of Death by D.J. MacHale (Pendragon series #1)

P.S. Go see the movie Up! It's wonderful!

Review: Just One Wish by Janette Rallison

Book: Just One Wish by Janette Rallison
Genre: YA

Rating: A

For: Fun and sort of for my F2F book club

A few weeks ago when we met for my F2F book club, we discussed Janette Rallison and all her fun books. One of my friends loaned me the two latest books to read. She seemed to think that this one, Just One Wish, was the best one. So I saved it for last. And I have to agree. It is the best one so far!

Why is that? I think because it had a little more depth to it then the others. Yet, at the same time, it was funnier even than the others. Both elements mixed together made it the very best one of all.

Annika's little brother has a brain tumor. She pretends she has a magic genie that will grant him some wishes. She thinks she knows what he's going to wish for, and she has it all ready to give him.... the Teen Robin Hood action figure. But he surprises her and wishes for the REAL Teen Robin Hood!

So in order to keep him thinking positively, she has to go to California and track down the actor and... wow, some funny stuff happens after that.

This book had me laughing and crying both. I loved it.

Here's what the author has to say:

Other Reviews:

Reviewer X

The Book Muncher

Becky's Book Reviews

SherMeree's Musings

Review: Wings by Aprilynne Pike

Book: Wings by Aprilynne Pike

Genre: YA Fantasy

Rating: A

For: Fun (and part of my ongoing "support your local author" quest)


I've been avoiding writing this review because I don't quite know how to describe it without giving away too much.

So, Laurel has just moved with her mom and dad to a new house. She's trying to get used to her new life and new school. Things are going okay. She's made friends with a pretty cool, very nice guy who gets her to eat lunch with him and his crowd.

But then she starts freaking out because there's a lump on her back. This lump does not turn out to be what you might think it is.

Meanwhile, she's very concerned about her old house. It's on some land to which she is very much emotionally attached. Her parents are trying to sell it, and it just doesn't feel right. She is able to go back and visit a couple of times, and while there, she meets another guy. And wow! This guy is amazing!

And so the love triangle is formed. The struggle with her mom and her old house intensifies. Discovering who she really is, is quite mind-blowing. All this makes for a very fun story, and yet another YA fantasy that I couldn't put down!

And from what I understand, there's more on the way. At least I really hope there is because the story is just getting going when this particular book ends.

Other Reviews:

In Search of Giants

Teen Book Review

Reading Keeps You Sane

J.Kaye's Book Blog

Melissa's Book Shelf

Aprilynne Pike's Website

Booking Through Thursday: Sticky

Booking Through Thursday

I saw this over at Shelley’s, and thought it sounded like a great question for all of you:

“This can be a quick one. Don’t take too long to think about it. Fifteen books you’ve read that will always stick with you. First fifteen you can recall in no more than 15 minutes.”

1. Life of Pi

2. The Book Thief

3. The Hunger Games

4. Wuthering Heights

5. Jane Eyre

6. Pride and Prejudice

7. The Longest Walk

8. John Adams

9. Lord of the Rings

10. Harry Potter

11. Pope Joan

12. Pillars of the Earth

13. The Good Earth

14. Twilight

15. Ender's Game

Once again, the list bears a striking resemblance to my all time favorite list! Yep. Funny how that happens.

The Bookword Game: Time to Vote!

Okay, so I forgot to post The Bookword poll yesterday!

It could have been that I was gone all day at my brother's wedding and all its festivities.

It could have been that I was worrying more about The Secret Keeper blog tour post.

It could have been that I just plain forgot!

Whatever the reason, here's the Bookword Game poll a day late. This time, we are choosing a word for a book you buy that you forgot you already read/own.

The nominees are:

Whoopsabooksy by Jenny
DupliBook by Arcona
A Double-Trouble book by Joy
AmnesiBook by Bybee
OubliBook by Bibliolatrist
An Unrecollected-Recollected book by John Mutford

poll by twiigs.com

Review and Interview: The Secret Keeper by Paul Harris

Book: The Secret Keeper by Paul Harris


Genre: Mystery/Thriller


Rating: A-


For: TLC Book Tours

The book begins with a heart-stopping scene in which our hero, Danny, is suffering terrible abuse at the hands of an unknown enemy. It was quite the intense foreshadowing moment.

Next, we learn that Danny had been a war correspondent in Sierra Leone for quite some time, several years before this opening incident. While there, he fell in love with a girl, Maria, who was also working there, though not as a reporter. He little later, he learns that she is trying to rescue the child soldiers; boys kidnapped from their families and forced to fight, including killing their own families.

In the opening chapter, Danny gets a letter from Maria that, in part, says:

Danny,
I need you. I'm in trouble. I know it's been too long. I'm sorry. It's my fault and I hope you forgive me...... I need you to come to Freetown to help me. I'll explain it all then.
All my love as ever,
Maria

So he leaves his life behind once again, even if it is a life full of all sorts of its own problems, to head back to Sierra Leone in order to help his friend. When he gets there, he finds out that he's too late. She has been murdered.

The story then jumps back and forth between the first time he was there, in 2000, and his second trip made in 2004. In the 2000 segments, we learn how he met Maria, some of the war situations he found himself in, and how they parted ways. The 2004 segments are about his mad frenzy to solve the mystery of what's happened to Maria, his struggles with his current girlfriend and his father, and his ongoing fascination with the country of Sierra Leone.

I must say the whole time I was reading, I was anticipating catching up to that first prologue scene... anxious for it and a little bit dreading it. But it did keep me on the edge of my seat that's for sure!

I enjoyed the book simply because I knew nothing about this conflict in Sierra Leone. It was all quite eye-opening. I was also fascinated to read about the life of a war correspondent, and how they seem to live for the danger, to want to get always closer to the action, and that they seem to have no fear. Let me just say, I don't think I could do it. Oh, and the only caution I would give to readers of this book, beware the F-words!

As part of the blog tour today, I've been able to ask the author, Paul Harris, a few questions. Having himself worked as a war correspondent in Sierra Leone, there was one question that I couldn't get out of my head the whole time I was reading. So even though I know it's the same question everyone else is asking, it's the first one on my list. Then, please be sure to read on to see the new feature I'm introducing with this interview!

Suey: The whole time I was reading Danny's adventure, I constantly wondered if you personally lived the same experiences first hand. So which, if any, experiences did the two of you share?

Paul: I don't want to give away too many plot points, but I think I can answer this question without spoilers. Basically, some of the incidents come straight from my own experiences and some have roots in my own experiences that I have then drawn out and expanded. For example, a scene where Danny attends an anti-rebel march at which several protesters were killed was almost the same as my own experience of being there. A scene at the end where Danny ends up in a town where a battle suddenly breaks out was also pretty close in a lot of details to what happened to me. Some of the characters (especially Kam) are drawn exactly to match real people I knew.Others, such as Ali, were inspired by real people but very much took on a life of their own. The romance between Danny and Maria was inspired by a love affair that a colleague in Sierra Leone was rumored to have been having with an aid worker. It was not based in my own experience! That was something I had to explain to my girlfriend when she read the first draft!

Suey: I'm glad you cleared that up about the love affair, because you know I was wondering THAT too!

The scenes with the child soldiers were really heart wrenching to say the least. Were there really those who were trying to save them? Do you know how things stand now for those kids?

Paul: There were some 5,000 to 10,000 child soldiers who fought in the war. There were then and are now numerous charities and individuals who sought to help, either by setting up orphanages or other institutions to care for them and treat their problems and eventually rehabilitate them and their society. They still face problems now. Funds are often short and needs are great. There is also still great local social prejudice against them. Here is a link to a story about them from a charity called SOS Children's Villages .http://www.soschildrensvillages.org.uk/charity-news/donors-urged-to-sponsor-s-leone-s-former-child-soldiers.htm

Suey: Thank you for that link. I think that was the thing that hit me the hardest about this story.

For those of us who are quite clueless to world affairs, describe briefly what was behind the conflict in Sierra Leone and is it all resolved today?

Paul: The war in Sierra Leone has both long-term and short-term reasons. Like all countries essentially created by colonialism and Western involvement in Africa, Sierra Leone ended up as an independent nation full of competing ethnicities and interests who did not necessarily feel the same national awareness that, say, the French or Germans do. That leads to an unstable country, corruption and a competition for resources, in this case usually diamonds. That's a recipe for civil war. The short-term reasons began in1991 when rebels, backed by Liberia, and led by a former army officer called Foday Sankoh, started attacking government facilities. It was theoretically a rebellion aimed at fighting corruption and the domination of traditional elite groups. It ended up a bloody free-for-all that lasted for ten years and destroyed the country. Fortunately, things are better now. After British military intervention in 2000 (described in The Secret Keeper) the rebels were ultimately defeated and Sankoh arrested. Since then peace and stability have returned, elections have been held and economic recovery has begun. It is a slow process. But is it is progress and, most importantly, it is peace.

Suey: I'm so happy that things are looking a little more optimistic these days.

So, now what are your plans for future books? Will you be basing them on more journalistic experiences?

Paul: I'm just starting a second book that will be set against the backdrop of a US presidential primary campaign. That will draw on my journalistic coverage of the 2004 and 2008 elections which should give me a lot of personal experiences to draw upon.

Suey: That sounds like it could be quite intriguing.

And along more personal lines, what would a perfect day be like for you? Orin other words, if you could have a whole day to do whatever you wanted,how would you spend the time?

Paul: What a great question! But hard to answer as I think it varies so much from day to day and one's mood. I have just returned from a week with my family in England and - amazingly - the weather was superb and reminded me how stunning England can be. So at this moment I would say a perfect day would involve rising early, having some strong coffee and then walking through the English countryside on a beautiful sunny day. At the end of the day, I would arrive in a village, tucked away in the hills, and get a room in a B&B next to a good pub, where I would spend my evening chatting to the locals.

Suey: Ah, England! That does sound like a perfect day.

Finally, something new I'd like to start on my blog called Authors Pick Five, which is basically a list of authors' top five most influential/important books they've read. So, what five books would you put on that list? Five books that have greatly influenced you, had some importance in your life, or are simply near and dear to your heart.

Paul:

1) The Therapy of Avram Blok, by Simon Louvish. I discovered this book by accident when I was about 15 years old. It is a strange, rambling hilarious tale that is impossible to describe. I love it.

2) High Fidelity, by Nick Hornby This is the only book that I have read for the first time and then immediately started it again. Perhaps it was the age I was (mid-20s). But it felt like it was a book that spoke intelligently, warmly and above all honestly about what men feel about love.

3) The Lord of the Rings, by JRR Tolkien What can I say? I was a fantasy geek and this was the ultimate hit. Still stands as one of the greatest works of human imagination.

4) Animal Farm, by George Orwell Brilliant and devastating political satire through the medium of animals on a farm. As true and relevant now as it was when it was written.

5) The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold I read this while traveling on holiday in Europe. It was just heartbreaking stuff. I must have looked a sight groaning and sniffling to myself at a variety of restaurants in Central Europe as I was gripped by the tragic beauty of it (marred only by a slightly off-key ending).

Suey: Great list! Thanks so much for these wonderful answers and for visiting my blog today.


For more information, visit Paul Harris' website.
For a list of all the blog tour stops, click TLC Blog Tours website.

Guest Post Review: Don't Call Me a Crook by Bob Moore

Book: Don't Call Me a Crook by Bob Moore

Genre: Memoir

Rating: A- (as per The Mr.)


This book came in the mail from Dissident Books awhile back, hoping to get read and reviewed. I accepted it thinking that it was something my husband might like and so I said to him, "Here, read this.... then when you're done YOU can write a review!" Still, I have plans to get to it myself one of these days, and then you can get my perspective too.

And so, I'd like to welcome to my blog, The Mr., and his wonderful review:



“Don't Call Me a Crook,” is a charming, yet eerily alarming, tale of Bob Moore, a young Glaswegian (a dude from Glasgow, Scotland... don't you just love that word?) who travels the world, steals from anyone and everyone, kills at least one person, and continually runs from his enemies. And yet at the end of the book I found myself genuinely liking the guy. The read was an exciting, brutal, fast paced adventure that extended from Scotland, to New York, to the lawless inner depths of the Yangtze river in China.

The book, written ostensibly as an autobiography of Bob Moore, is a chronological overview of the events of Mr. Moore's life. The book is divided up into short chapters many of which capture an entire little vignette. For light reading, I love this format because I always have a nice close stopping place. But, I found myself, each night, wanting to sneak in just one more, and then just one more..., chapter before turning off the bed table lamp.

The character of Bob Moore is one that would intrigue psychologists, mobsters, and law enforcement officers alike. I was not sure if he was totally delusional, in denial, or just stupid. He defends himself, “I am not a crook at all, because a crook is a man who steals things from people, but I have only swiped things when I needed them or when it would be wasteful to let slip an opportunity.” What?!?!?

The book is full of acts that would repel an average moral person, and yet, Mr. Moore performs them without remorse. His writing is candid, unfeeling, and complete enough that the reader knows what happened but is spared all the gory details. Most of his acts left me thinking, “Wow, this guy is crazy.” but there was one that I just could not believe. I will not bias you by describing it here. You should read it and see if you have the same reaction. It was related in Mr. Moore's typical unemotional way, as if it was of no significance, and yet it forever altered people's lives. After that, I was completely converted to the belief that Bob Moore was more than crazy.

If you are looking for a quick, intriguing read, give “Don't Call Me a Crook” a try. While I did feel pangs of jealousy for his fun and wild life, it also reminded me of why I put importance on responsibility and dedication to family and community.

What a great review, huh? He should start up his own book blog I'm thinking. Or at the very least, we'll just have to have him do this more often!

Other Reviews:

Dan's Journal
Gramma's Reads
Duffbert's Random Musings