June Classics Club Meme: Best First Line

The June Classics Club Question is this:

What is your favourite opening sentence from a classic novel (and why)?

And the line that comes to my mind right off is of course this one:

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way--in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.

Did you notice? We actually get a twofer with this one! The best first line AND paragraph! 

I don't know why I love this one so much, probably because there's so much that it's saying here. It paints the picture of this troubled time so well, right from the start. The opposites of life opposing each other, the frustration, the edge of something big happening yet something terrible had to happen first. I don't know, it just hits you hard, this first line.

By the way, this book has the best last line too:

"It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known."

Yes, that.

Oh, wait! You'd like to know the book? A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens of course!

What would be your favorite first line from a classic?

Author Events: YA Panel and Brandon Sanderson

Another little report on some more author events!

Mette Ivie Harrison
Donna Weaver
Kristen Chandler
J. Scott Savage

A few weeks ago we had a YA panel at the Orem Library. Some of my favorites were there, including the very sweet and knowledgeable J. Scott Savage. They talked mostly about the business and the writing and the secrets they have with all of it. Much of this I've now heard from some of these authors over and over again! But still I go to support them and say hi.

Although I had to rush home this night and didn't stop to say hi or get anything signed (all the recent books I had for these authors were on my Kindle and I forgot to bring my new Kindle signing journal!)

Then just the other day Brandon Sanderson came to the Provo Library. Wow, there were a LOT of people that came out for that one! It seems like just a few years ago I was at a signing where he sat there with no one at his table. Things change!

He talked about his new YA book, The Rithmatist and how that got started. Then  he read a bit from it and then he answered lots and lots of questions. He aslo read a bit from the new Way of Kings book (I forgot what he's calling it) stuff that he had just written that very day. It was pretty cool.

Here's some pictures, and even a little video clip!

Always there's cool things and decorations on the wall!

This is Gene! He's the library director and he says
we bloggers are there so often he needs to get us a room!

Brandon Sanderson

Wait? Is that my cousin Erika?
Yep! She is the new program director for the library!
She has some big shoes to fill, but she can do it!

My buddy Kami from Kami's Library Thoughts was brave enough to ask a question!

Monthly Reading Wrap Up May 2013

This month was like a little mini Utah Book Month for me since most of the books I read were new books released this month (or coming up next week) by Utah authors. In fact, now that I look at the list, only one book was not a new Utah author book. How crazy is that? Wow.

The Lucy Variations by Sara Zarr: A piano prodigy is thinking about starting up again after a devastating even where she up and quit.

 Quintana of Charyn by Melina Marchetta: Can the birth of Quintana's baby bring peace to the two enemy kingdoms?

 Transparent by Natalie Whipple: Being born invisible has its advantages, but mostly it's not fun when your crime boss dad either wants to use you or kill you.

 The Rose Throne by Mette Ivie Harrison: Two opposite kingdoms try to unite with a couple of arranged marriages.

 A Change of Plans by Donna K. Weaver: Lyn doesn't expect to fall in love on her cruise and she also doesn't expect to get hijacked by pirates!

 Everbound by Brodi Ashton: Nikki is trying to save Jack from the Everneath and it looks like Cole might even help her.

 Insomnia by J.R. Johannson: When you see other people's dreams, it makes it hard to do your own sleeping, and then, you might go crazy, and then you might start doing stuff that you don't even remember! (full review to come next week)

Favorites of the month were of course Quintana. As you know, I love this series. I think after that I'd say Transparent, and then perhaps A Change of Plans.

Plans for June:

• Finish Beautiful Ruins
• Read lots of ebooks during vacation 
• Maybe finish Hood
• Probably not finish Paris
• But finish the cute artsy Paris travel book
• Read the cute pocket tour guide books and learn them thoroughly
• Read no review books 
• Read no book club books
• Only read what I want when I want however I want!

This is my vacation attitude which will carry over a little bit into July also. When it's all over, I'll report how this all went down!

I have a bunch of books on my Kindle that I've been wanting to get to forever. This is what I'll be reading from during my vacation. I'll be listing these books in an upcoming Top Ten Tuesday. Stay tuned!

Meanwhile, since that's a few weeks off, I may pick and choose from my stacks on the shelf, but at the moment, I have no idea what it will be! I love that! June's reading is going to be a big surprise!

Top Ten Tuesday: Travel Themed Books

I had fun with this prompt! I think I could have listed a ton more! But see what you think of these books with/about/including travel.

Top Ten Travel Themed Books

1. The Long Walk by Sławomir Rawicz (walking through Siberia/Mongolia/China to escape prison camp)
2. Follow the River by Alexander Thom (following the Ohio River to get back home after being kidnapped)
4. A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson (hiking the Appalachian Trail)
5. Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (floating down the Mississippi)
6. Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry (going on a cattle drive)
7. Paper Towns by John Green (a road trip to find your friend)
6. Sacajawea by Anna Lee Waldo (exploring the Louisiana Purchase with Lewis and Clark)
8. Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien (on a quest to get rid of the One Ring)
9. Ordeal by Hunger by George R. Stewart (a pioneer company gets stuck in Nevada)
10. The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell (space travel to other planets)

Some awesome books in this list! And finally a few that I've not mentioned before! (Sometimes I feel like I'm listing the same books over and over and over again.)

What fun travel books should I be reading? I think I love them actually. Be sure to come and link up over at The Broke and the Bookish!

Authors Pick Five: Donna K. Weaver

As part of the blog tour I'm participating in today, I've asked the author of A Change of Plans, Donna K. Weaver, to answer this question:

What five books are most important or influential to you?

Here's her list:

Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
I discovered this book when I was in fifth grade. My teacher commented at the end of the school year about how many times I’d read it. That was the year the library became one of my greatest resources.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
The summer before I turned fifteen, my mother died from complications following a brain tumor surgery. We’d just moved to San Francisco, school was out, and I knew NO one. I picked up my list of books recommended for college-bound students and headed to the base library. Enjoyed so many books that summer (except Wuthering Heights), but it was Jane Eyre that really stuck with me. Perhaps it was because I was a stubborn little thing, too. Maybe it was because she and I were both lonely. But I still love that story and read it every few years.

Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey
I first discovered this gifted author in an anthology of Hugo winners with her novella, “Weyr Search”. I fell in in love with the planet and the characters. I wanted so badly to read more; the short story wasn't enough. One day a few years later, I decided to check and see if she had written more. I found three books—the first three books of the Dragonriders of Pern series—which became one of my favorites. I love Anne’s vocabulary. She was a prolific writer, and created some fun worlds. Anne died a couple of years ago.

Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
One of my sons discovered this series before the fourth book came out, and I had to read it to see what all the excited was about. Got totally sucked in. I enjoyed the first three books so much that I told my husband he would like them, too, so I went back to the beginning and started reading them out loud to him--and discovered what a hidden treasure was in those books. By the time Half Blood Prince came out I had to talk about it to someone and found The Leaky Cauldron online. I was hooked when I saw the "Dumbledore Isn't Dead" thread. I got so involved in the book discussions that I was asked to be a moderator which I did for six years. Through my own reading of this series and discussion with others, I found what a treat it is to “hide things in plain sight” and to use foreshadowing. Jo spoiled me for many other authors because I keep expecting them to be as clever as she was.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
Set in London and the island of Guernsey right after the end of WWII, it is filled with delightful characters--richly portrayed through letters and telegrams.  While it touches on some of the terrible things people did in the war, it manages to be hopeful and encouraging. Like Prince Edward Island, someday I would love to visit the island of Guernsey.

Thanks so much for participating Donna! I think we are reading soul mates! :)

More about the author:  Donna K. Weaver has always loved reading and creating stories, thus she’s been ever entertained. A Navy brat and U.S. Army veteran, she’s lived in many U.S. states as well as South Korea, the Philippines, and Germany. An avid cruiser, she’s sailed the Pacific four times. When she retired from Shorei Kempo Karate with a black belt, she decided it was time to put her imaginary friends and places on paper. She lives in Utah with her husband. They have six children and eight grandchildren.

Visit her:

Website    Facebook    Twitter    Goodreads

Book Review and Blog Tour: A Change of Plans by Donna K. Weaver

Book: A Change of Plans by Donna K. Weaver
Genre: Romance and adventure
Rating: ★★★★☆
For: Review and Support Local Authors
From: ARC from the publisher (Rhemalda)

Welcome to the blog tour for A Change of Plans! I was so excited to read this book by a brand new local Utah author and fellow city employee!

And boy, what an adventure it was!

I don't usually do the copy and paste synopsises, but I decided to go ahead with this one this time:

What the book's about:  When Lyn sets off on her supposedly uncomplicated and unromantic cruise, she never dreams it will include pirates. All the 25-year-old, Colorado high school teacher wants to do is forget that her dead fiancé was a cheating scumbag. Lyn plans a vacation diversion; fate provides Braedon, an intriguing surgeon. She finds herself drawn to him: his gentle humor, his love of music, and even his willingness to let her take him down during morning karate practices. Against the backdrop of the ship's make-believe world and temporary friendships, her emotions come alive. However, fear is an emotion, too. Unaware of the sensitive waters he's navigating, Braedon moves to take their relationship beyond friendship--on the very anniversary Lyn is on the cruise to forget. Lyn's painful memories are too powerful, and she runs from Braedon and what he has to offer. Their confusing relationship is bad enough, but when the pair finds themselves on one of the cruise's snorkeling excursions in American Samoa things get worse. Paradise turns to piracy when their party is kidnapped and Lyn's fear of a fairytale turns grim. Now she must fight alongside the man she rejected, first for their freedom and then against storms, sharks, and shipwreck.

My Thoughts:

First of all,  I loved that this story (at least the first bit!) is set on a cruise boat. Having been on several cruises myself, I could totally picture these scenes and settings. It's an awesome place for a romance to bloom. I've often wondered why there aren't more cruise ship romance settings.

The romance felt believable and real, and all the emotion felt especially by Lyn was pretty intense. And I really enjoyed Braedon's character too. He seemed all awesome-ness!

So this story is all happy and romance-y and even a bit funny at times. But then it takes a sudden turn, and  things become very very bad. It's almost like we have two different books here. The romance, which then turns into a survival/adventure story. And since I enjoy survival stories, I felt this was not a bad thing at all, in fact the surprising turn was quite fun.

And just when we think things are going to be solved, more stuff happens and another unexpected section of the book begins. It's quite the emotional roller coaster, this book!

Bottom line: I totally enjoyed the ride.

For other reviews be sure to check out the blog tour link list here.

Here's the book trailer:



And there's a giveaway connected with this blog tour! Do enter!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Armchair BEA: Wrap Up

I had a great time participating in Armchair BEA this year... for the first couple of days. And then I had to
participate in life instead and dropped the Armchair BEA thing. I had a feeling this would happen. I hoped maybe I could do both life AND Armchair, but life won out and Armchair fell to the side. But at least I got in about a half a week of blogging fun!

Anyway, here's my wrap up.

On Tuesday
I listed, or at least tried to list, my favorite classics.
Also, you can learn more about me here, only if you want to.
I did a great job with commenting duties.

On Wednesday
If pressed, I'd have to say that fantasy is my favorite genre of fiction, but only if pressed.
As for development, my blog sort of did its own thing.
I did an okay job with my commenting duties.
I caught the Twitter chat pretty much just as it was ending, since I totally forgot about it. (Or was this Thursday morning. I have no idea.)
I posted an instagram picture of my chair.

On Thursday
I really do love literary fiction!
I did a lousy job with my commenting duties.

On Friday
I should really read more  non fiction books!
A bit of my philosophy on ethics which turned out to be basically, be nice and link to people!
Also, on Friday, I went to my son's high school graduation in the afternoon, entertained and feed the grandparents that came for the event, and then we all went to my daughter's three hour dance recital!
I did NOT do my commenting duties.
I did not participate in the chat because I was entertaining grandparents as mentioned above.

On Saturday
I slept in while my husband got up to run a race and my son got up to work.
Then I got up and took my daughter to a bake sale/car wash fundraising event.
Then I got my car washed, and bought brownies.
Then we went to a violin recital,.
And then we came home and went back to sleep at noon.
And I did not write a "keeping it real post" because to keep it real you just, you know, have fun. And try some different things now and then.
And I did not write a children's lit post because I wouldn't even know where to start.
But mostly I didn't write a post because I was too tired and was just not feeling it.
And, I did not do my commenting duties... again.
BUT, I did Twitter chat, sort of.

Hopefully I'll still have a chance to go back and comment on few of the posts!

Anyway, it's been a fun and crazy week!