library loot

I have to admit that despite the fact that we did hit the library yesterday, laziness almost had me skipping Library Loot this week. But then I realized that I had a point to award from my latest haul, so I'd better just get over the lazy streak.






Just picked up a few this week:

Castle Waiting by Linda Medley. Gosh darn that Eva! How was I to resist requesting this one after her review?!! I simply can't be held responsible.









Comic Adventures of Boots by Satoshi Kitamura. Just thought this would be a fun one to read with Max.










Robert Mugabe's Zimbabwe by James R. Arnold and Roberta Wiener and House of Stone: The True Story of a Family Divided in War-Torn Zimbabwe by Christina Lamb. These ones are for homeschooling.

the Christmas haul...

I know I tend to whine too much about the timing of Rich's Bahamas class. (And please do keep your finger crossed for me that we have a very light January snowfall this year, as I really don't want the extra chore of snow shoveling each day on top of taking care of three human children, one dog, two cats, six mice, one tarantula, two hissing cockroaches, and a tank full of guppies and snails.) But in actuality, the timing of his trip actually works in my favor. See, he feels great guilt in leaving me here in upstate New York, with the whole crew to take care of, while he's off teaching in the Bahamas. And as this guilt is being felt during those weeks leading up to Christmas, I rake in a pretty good pile of loot! (And if I keep up the "Oh, woe is me!" for long enough, it also relates into a pretty good haul for my birthday which falls a few weeks after he gets home.)

Anyway, this is what I got for Christmas:



*The Best of John Bellairs (A wonderful book for a family read from Nymeth)
*The Best of Roald Dahl (Also from the incredibly sweet Nymeth...I am soooo anxious to crack this one open)
*The Hoboken Chicken Emergency by Daniel Pickwater (another wonderful family gift, this one from Carl)
*Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott (Also from Carl...and I have to say that it meant a lot that he would pick out this particular book for me...thank you from the bottom of my heart, Carl!)
*Strange Roads by Peter S. Beagle (Admit it, you're feeling a tad envious, aren't you? It won't help to tell you that it's autographed either, will it? Again, thank you, thank you, thank you, Carl! I want to save this for once OUaT, but I'm not sure I'll be able to wait.)
--And the rest are all from Rich:
*Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos by H.P. Lovecraft and Others
*A Few Short Notes on Tropical Butterflies by John Murray
*Just After Sunset by Stephen King
*The Complete Hans Christian Andersen Fairy Tales
*Grimms Complete Fairy Tales
*The Illustrated Treasury of Fairy Tales
*Little Oxford Dictionary of Quotations
*The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World by A.J. Jacobs
*The Plot Against America by Philip Roth
*The Silver Donkey by Sonya Hartnett
*Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott
*Fledgling by Octavia E. Butler
*The Ghost Writer by John Harwood
*My Cousin Rachel by Daphne Du Maurier
*Solstice Wood by Patricia A. McKillip
*The Black Jewels Trilogy by Anne Bishop
*Rising Tide: The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 and How It Changed America by John M. Barry
*The Siege of Mecca: The Forgotten Uprising in Islam's Holiest Shrine and the Birth of Al Qaeda by Yaroslav Trofimov
*Yokohama Burning: The Deadly 1923 Earthquake and Fire That Helped Forge the Path to World War II by Joshua Hammer
*Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner

And as if that isn't bad/good enough...I also acquired these over the holidays:



*An Abundance of Katherines by John Green (Because Looking for Alaska for was so freakin' good that I couldn't resist.)
*Last Night at the Lobster by Stewart O'Nan (My sweet friend, Kara, was kind enough to pass this along.)
*The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz (Also from Kara. Thank you, sweetie!)
*The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears by Dinaw Mengestu (Impulse buy.)
*Crimes Against Humanity by Adam Jones (Another impulse buy.)
*The United States Constitution: A Graphic Adaptation by Jonathan Hennessey (Just because it looked fun for school.)

I probably shouldn't mention at this point that Rich also gave me an Amazon gift certificate (free from using using credit card points), and I've got a bunch of books ordered. Or that my brother gave me a big B&N gift card, and we're headed there shortly. Oh my, oh my, oh my. At least I'm among folks who understand...

*****

I just wanted to mention one thing. Many of the books that Rich bought me came from my wish list, and would have earned people points in the Blame Game. And I know the game was supposed to go until the end of January. But I just haven't had the heart to keep up with it the past month. Dewey made it so much fun, with her "friendly competition" with Nymeth and with her not-so-subtle suggestions and such. I'm sure you all understand why I'm just going to end it. Nymeth and Dewey battled back and forth for the lead. And there's no question in my mind that Nymeth now deserves the prize. And of course, even though the game is over, I know you all will still be responsible for more book piles like those above! :)

this 'n' that

This:

It seems as if it's been a while since I've awarded blame points, but I've got a few to dole out today.

Dewey actually walks away with three this time! I ordered An Age of Extremes and War, Peace, and All That Jazz by Joy Hakim from a series she recommended for home schooling. (Thanks Dewey--they look fabulous!) And while I first added The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett to my wish list after hearing about it on NPR, it was reading Dewey's review that made me finally order it. Really putting the pressure on Nymeth now, aren't you?

Chris earns a point with his review of Dream Homes: From Cairo to Katrina, An Exile's Journey by Joyce Zonana. I never really thought much about reading memoirs before, but I've read a handful this year and found I really enjoy them. This one just arrived on my doorstop and it certainly sounds like a good one!

Finally, Carl earns a point for Mouse Guard: Fall 1152 by David Petersen. I've had this on my wish list taunting me for over a year now ever since reading Carl's review. How did I finally justify buying it? I got it for Annie for Christmas. :)

*****

That:

Just want to remind everyone that if they participated and finished Annie's What's in A Name Challenge this year, they should pop over here and leave a comment to be entered in for the Amazon gift certificate drawing. (Sorry to keep bringing it up, I just don't want anyone to miss out.)

random bookishness

Well, first of all, while this seemingly has nothing to do with books or reading, I just wanted to say how great I feel right now. As it is a crisp, cool, and frankly just perfectly gorgeous morning here, I decided to walk to our polling place this morning. (It's only slightly more than a mile from home.) So I'm now not only feeling invigorated by casting my ballot, but also from a glorious morning stroll. The only disappointment--I didn't have to wait in line. Not for a single second. Walked right in, signed my name, and walked into the booth. I'd taken my book along and was so looking forward to standing in line reading guilt-free while I waited, but it was not to be. Okay, I'm being somewhat facetious here. I am grateful that I didn't have to wait in line for hours on end, but geez, couldn't I have just got a page or two in?

*****

It's Tuesday, Where Are You?

I have just boarded a plane in Monrovia, about to head to the U.S. The date is May 16, 1980, and circumstances are terrifying. (The House at Sugar Beach) I'm also in London in the late 17th century watching Edward Tyson make some fascinating discoveries in comparative anatomy. (The Scientists) And finally, I'm listening to Admiral David Farragut shout, "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!" as he tries to take the port of Mobile, AL, in the summer of 1864. (The Civil War)

*****

Tuesday Teasers
Tuesday Teasers asks you to:
-Grab your current read.
-Let the book fall open to a random page.
-Share with us two “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
-You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!

Richard was smiling and shaking his head. It flashed through my mind: How are you supposed to act at school the day after your father is executed by a firing squad?
(from The House at Sugar Beach by Helene Cooper, p. 187)

*****

And finally, while I did get a couple of new books...The 13 Best Horror Stories of All Time edited by Leslie Pockell, which I guess is part of my prize from the read-a-thon (?) and In The Land of Invisible Women by Qanta A. Ahmed, MD, which I am so excited to dive into (I heard the author on the Diane Rehm Show on NPR and really wanted her book, so imagine my elation when I was actually offered a review copy)...I have no points to award for the Blame Game. And speaking of the blame game, I originally said it would go until the end of April, but I think I'm going to move it up until the end of January and then start a new round, with each lasting 3 months.

random bookish-ness

It's Tuesday, Where Are You?:

My main port of call for the day is Liberia (The House at Sugar Beach by Helene Cooper).

*****

Tuesday Teasers:

TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:
-Grab your current read.
-Let the book fall open to a random page.
-Share with us two “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
-You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from.
-Please avoid spoilers!

The undertow in the ocean was fierce, and we tended to stick closer to the lagoon, which--albeit filled with neegees who sucked you in and took you God-knew-where--at least didn't carry you off to the eaten by sharks. The Americans and French and Lebanese, unburdened by such knowledge, took one look at the miles of white sand along our gorgeous oceanfront and headed straight for the crashing waves. (The House at Sugar Beach by Helene Cooper, p. 58)

*****

The Blame Game:

Two points to hand out this week...

One to Eva for recommending The Fate of Africa by Martin Meredith. I immediately ordered a used copy, which arrived and is in beautiful shape. Thanks, Eva! Can't wait to get to it!

And one point to Chris. Couldn't help ordering The Bat-Poet by Randall Jarrell from the library after reading Chris's wonderful review. Picked it up yesterday, and am hoping to crack it open today.

*****

And finally, I love NPR! Okay, that doesn't seem to have anything to do with books, but really it does. I can't count how many books I've added to my wish list because of NPR! (And it's not just Nancy Pearl either.) Seriously, I can't imagine packing school lunches without Morning Edition or cooking supper without All Things Considered. Anyway, what brought this to mind today, was an interview this very morning on Morning Edition...an interview with Helene Cooper, author of the very book, The House at Sugar Beach, that I happen to reading at the moment. It's really a wonderful book. And if you'd like to hear the interview, it's right here. It's just the fabulous kind of surprise that NPR so often seems to deliver.

Tuesday's book hodge-podge

It's Tuesday, Where Are You?:

Afraid to say, I haven't moved around much over the last week. I'm still in London, trying to figure out what to do about that evil Count. (Dracula) Though Galileo just died, I still haven't left Italy. (The Scientists) I'm outside Petersburg, VA, feeling pretty miserable in this labyrinth of trenches. (The Civil War) And I just arrived in Liberia at a gorgeous home outside of Monrovia. (The House at Sugar Beach)

Tuesday Teasers:

I always enjoy reading Melody's passages when she plays this, so I thought I'd join in today. After all, it fits in so perfectly on Tuesday's schedule. The "rules" set forth by our hostess at Should Be Reading, are as follows:

Grab your current read.

Let the book fall open to a random page.

Share with us two “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.

You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!

From Dracula by Bram Stoker:

"There are such being as vampires; some of us have evidence that they exist. Even had we not the proof of our own unhappy experience, the teachings and the records of the past give proof enough for sane peoples...."

The Blame Game:

Only one point to award this week. I finally picked up a copy of Nation by Terry Pratchett last week. How could one not feel compelled to read it after Nymeth's incredible review?!! So yep, point to Nymeth.

bookish odds 'n ends

If I stick with the "schedule" idea I've set up for myself, Tuesdays will be for book-related stuff. Not reviews...well, because for one thing, you actually have to finish a book now and then to write a review, right? ;)

Raidergirl3's It's Tuesday--Where Are You?" just had to get worked into the "schedule" because I think it's so fun, hence we have Tuesday's theme. So, where am I today? I've traveled back to nineteenth century London, and am currently in a churchyard looking in an empty coffin. (Dracula) And I've traveled back a bit more, into early seventeenth century, where I've just been summoned (oh, okay, it's Galileo who has actually been summoned) to Florence. (The Scientists) And this evening I shall travel back to the current day, but I know not exactly where I will be. "My editor asked me to name the town where the Floods live, but I won't, because you might feel safe and secure knowing they don't live near you--and we wouldn't want that, would we? And if you do live in their town, you might start bothering them and get yourself turned into a toad, and then your parents might sue me, unless being a toad is an improvement on what you are now." (The Floods: Good Neighbors, p. 9)

*****

Laying blame also falls under misc. book stuff. And I've got a pile of points to pass out today. I sort of went on a used book buying spree...



The Graveyard Book, of course, was not part of that spree...it was a gift from Jean. Bet you all wish you had a cousin-in-law that sweet, don't you?

Anyway, many in this pile are point earners:

*2 points for Nymeth. She is responsible for both Fire and Hemlock and The Magic City. (Her review of The Enchanted Castle was what led me to pick up The Magic City. And well, if you know Nymeth, you know how much she loves Fire and Hemlock.)
*1 point for Becky. I place sole blame for Iris, Messenger on her for her great review last fall.
*1 point for Rhinoa. This review left me no choice but to buy Nightmares & Fairy Tales: Once Upon a Time.
*1 point for Dewey. (Though frankly, she probably should get more, because I think part of this used book buying spree was the totally irrational rationalization that many of these books would be good for the read-a-thon!) Anyway, this "Book Coveting" post of hers forced me to order Good Reading.
*1 point for Carl. I've wanted Mary Modern ever since he posted his wonderful review last year.
*1 point for Eva. She has a way of making me want to read soooo many different non-fiction books. Here's the review that made me buy King Leopold's Ghost.
*And finally, last but most certainly not least, 1 point for JP. His review of The Chrysalids left me intrigued, and I finally could resist no longer.

*****

Misc. book stuff day is probably as good a day as any to ask if anyone would like any of these books. I've got three gently used books here for anyone who might want them. Just let me know which one(s) in the comments by next Tuesday. (If more than one person requests one, I'll do the old hat thing.)

*Notes from a Small Island: An Affectionate Portrait of Britain by Bill Bryson

*Home Learning Year by Year: How to Design a Homeschool Curriculum from Preschool Through High School by Rebecca Rupp

*Little Bit & Big Byte: A Day at the Beach by Craig T. Feigh (picture book)

*****

Oh, oh, oh...I'm so excited!!! I just popped over, and found that Jean (yes, the incredible cousin-in-law I mentioned above) had a chance to post about her trip to the National Book Festival. This is the story of incredible generosity to my little girl that I alluded to yesterday. Yes, the Neil Gaiman one. Thanks again, Jean...you're simply the best!

some blame and some babble

I'm doling out those blame points a little early this week, because we're heading out of Dodge in the morning. Off to Gettysburg to get in that "field trip" we had to cancel earlier this summer. But postponing this visit turned out to be a great thing, because now I'm getting to meet Jean, my wonderful cousin-in-law! She's going to drive up and meet us in Gettysburg. Needless to say, we're all more than a tad excited! Rich and Jean haven't seen each other in 30-ish years.

From there we're headed over to see Rich's mom, and visit the Philadelphia Insectarium. And if all goes as planned we'll be home Wednesday evening to regroup before our next outing.

I'm almost ashamed to admit how many books I brought into this house this week. I am getting out of hand! Anyway, here's what made their way in this week:

*from the library:
Genocide: The Systematic Killing of a People by Linda Jacobs Altman (impulse--no points)
Naked in Baghdad by Anne Garrels (impulse--no points)

*from B&N:
The Jaguar Smile: A Nicaraguan Journey by Salman Rushdie (impulse--no points)
What Was Lost by Catherine O'Flynn (impulse--no points)
Heck: Where the Bad Kids Go by Dale E. Basye (impulse--no points)
The Ghost Map by Steven Johnson (blame point awarded to Maggie)

*from Amazon used:
Five Past Midnight in Bhopal by Dominique Lapierre and Javier Moro (impulse--no points)

*from Amazon:
50 Reasons to Buy Fair Trade by Miles Litvinoff and John Madeley (homeschooling--no points)
Lost on Planet China by Maarten Troost (Rich's birthday--no points)
Evolution Man: Or, How I Ate My Father by Roy Lewis (Rich's birthday--blame point for Medbie, I knew as soon as I read her review that I had to get this one for Rich)

And there's more blame to be had soon, as I requested a few more from the library. And have more on the way from Amazon. I must be stopped!

more blame

Again I'm a day late in assigning blame, and I can't even blame the internet, as they came a day early and fixed everything. Took the nice gentleman nearly two hours (turns out there were multiple problems), but everything seems to be working splendidly now. Anyway, I swore to myself when I was writing last week's "blame post" that I wouldn't need to write a post this week, because I absolutely, positively, under no circumstances was going to bring any new books into this house. I started out full of resolve. I spent over an hour at the library on Monday, and didn't bring home a single book. But then forces conspired against me...forces by the names of Nymeth and Stephanie. First I read Nymeth's review of Pedro Paramo, and then I read Stephanie's review of Jamaica Inn...all resistance is immediately vanquished. Add to that a second trip to the library, and well, I really stood no chance, did I?

Unfortunately for me, the library didn't have Pedro Paramo. They did however have a copy of Jamaica Inn. But when I arrived at the shelf to retrieve it, I saw Daphne du Maurier's Classics of the Macabre, and decided to pick it up instead. Short stories just sounded "right" at that particular moment. Stephanie still receives a point on this one, because, well frankly, it's all her fault that book came home with me!

Then, as I was walking around looking for Annie, my eyes landed upon The Missing Girl by Norma Fox Mazer. I tried to stop my arm from reaching out to pluck it off the shelf, but J.Kaye's review was screaming in my head. Resistance was futile. Point for J.Kaye.

And then, as we're heading up to check out, what catches my eye on the "new fiction" shelves...Mudbound by Hillary Jordan. I've known ever since I first read Maggie's review that she would eventually earn a point for this one, but I honestly had no intention of picking up it up at this point. (Face it Debra Anne--you have NO self control!) Point for Maggie.

Okay, I suppose that I should now make one final admission and wipe the slate clean. I convinced Rich that we needed to hit B&N (Ha! Like it takes any convincing to get him there!) See, I really, really, really wanted to get my hands on Pedro Paramo. But alas, Nymeth is going to have to wait to earn her point, as they didn't have it in stock. :( Of course, I didn't come home empty-handed...total impulse buy of The Book of Chameleons by Jose Eduardo Agualusa.

a wee bit of blame

Almost forgot. I do have a point to award. Only brought two books home this week:

*The Greatest Thing Since Slice Bread by Don Robertson (Total impulse buy.)

*Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich (Brought this one home from the library thanks to Kim's review. Point for Kim!)

a little bit of blame

Well, here it is Tuesday already, and I haven't posted last week's point-earners.

A trip to the library netted me:

*Panic in Level 4 by Richard Preston (I've wanted to get a hold of this one since I first heard it was coming out. And it fits right in with this infectious disease kick I've been on lately.)

*Earth: The Sequel by Fred Krupp and Miriam Horn

*Sonny's House of Spies by George Ella Lyon (I knew I had to read this book after reading Medbie's fabulous review. In fact, I was at the library and had it in hand about an hour after reading her review! So, point for Medbie!)

And a trip to B&N sent me home with:

*The Dress Lodger by Sheri Holman (I first wrote this title on my wish list back in January, when I read about it in Alice in Sunderland.)

*Crow Lake by Mary Lawson. From the sounds of it, I may be the only person unfamiliar with this book, but when I read Stephanie's beautiful review, I absolutely knew I had to have it. Of course, when I'll actually get it read it a whole separate question. Anyway, point for Stephanie!)

two week's worth of blame

Didn't post the Blame Game last week, because there was no blame to be placed. Not a lot this week either...I've been fairly good. I've been trying to figure out if I should award points when I buy a book for someone else, and I decided that I should. Why not, right?

So here's the new books with points where appropriate:

*First of all, I was ordering some books for "history through literature" purposes, and it turns out that Amazon was having one of their buy 3, get 1 free deals. But I only needed to order three books for school (The Jungle by Upton Sinclair, Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse, and Dawn of Fear by Susan Cooper). So I checked my handy-dandy wish list to see what might be available as a freebie, and decided to go with Sleeping With Ward Cleaver by Jenny Gardiner. Now, I can't honestly say I've ever read a "chick-lit" book before, so this is new territory...but Jean's review made it sound positively irresistible. So point for Jean!

*Secondly, Dewey earns a second point for The Political is Maternal. Her interview not only made it a must-have for myself, but it convinced me that it would be a great birthday gift for Jean. (I awarded Dewey a point earlier for my copy, but didn't want to ruin Jean's surprise by mentioning it then.)

*And last but not least, Becky earns a point for Cat by Mike Dumbleton, a book I just had to order for the Maxidoodle.

points for the week

Again, I'm a day late awarding the points. And I'm going to try to keep this short and sweet, as I'm so far behind on everything else as well.

*Picked up four books of poetry from the library this week, as that's our literature focus for homeschooling this summer. Boris by Cynthia Rylant. How Did I Get to Be 40 & Other Atrocities by Judith Viorst. Big Backyard by Michael Teig. And last but not least, Transformations by Anne Sexton. And Nymeth earns a point for this one!

*Off topic, but I had to return a pile of books to the library unread, too. Oh, how that makes me sad. :(

*Remember how we had a garage sale a few weeks back? Well, we had tons and tons of change from it. We didn't feel like spending the time to roll it all. So instead, Rich took it to one of those coin counting machines. Now if you get cash for it, they keep a portion, but if you get an Amazon gift card with it, you get to keep every cent. Bet you can guess what option we went with, huh? $106, which Rich and I split equally. What a fun splurge that was! I got 5 books...each of which I get to blame on someone:
The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson was all Becky's fault. And so was Little Brother by Cory Doctorow. Tamsin by Peter S. Beagle was Chris's fault. The Maternal is Political edited by Shari MacDonald Strong is entirely Dewey's fault. And again, last but not least, Nymeth is at fault for The Bromeliad Trilogy by Terry Pratchett.

*Somehow, not sure how exactly it happened, a couple more books came home with me from Barnes & Noble. No one to blame though, dammit. I could claim that I only had the kids in mind with these purchases, but I really hate to lie. So I'm just going to have to suck it up and claim responsibility for Once Upon a Crime by Michael Buckley and Samuel Blink and the Forbidden Forest by Matt Haig.

So, if I've figured right, Nymeth and Becky come away with 2 points each and Dewey and Chris each get 1 point. You all really need to start taking it easy on me, you know.

no points?!!

Can you believe it? A whole week went by with no points to award...unfathomable!

But that's not to say no books made their way into our happy home...

I received a review copy of Don't Know Where Don't Know When by Annette Laing, which I'm really excited to read with the kids.

I received The Sugar Queen, by Sarah Addison Allen from Brenda. Simply because she's an extremely sweet person, and generously passed it on to me. I'm so anxious to read it, and am thinking of substituting it in for Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (which I still want to read someday, but haven't been in the mood to start lately) in the Southern Reading Challenge.

And last, but certainly not least...I received The Book of Ballads, which I won from Chris. I'm having a hard time not cracking it open, but am trying very hard to save for the Read-a-thon next weekend!

Thanks again, Chris and Brenda! You both are too sweet!

Oh, and don't worry...next week there will be points to award...we have an order out to Amazon.

a few more points to award

Sorry that I'm running behind on awarding last week's points. I seem to be running behind on everything these days. It's just one of those times when I feel like I can't keep my head above water and I'm in serious jeopardy of drowning. I know you've all been there.

One of the many things that I'm behind on is reading blogs, for which I feel awful. Haven't even had time to check out this month's Bookworms Carnival yet, and I am so anxious to! I'm sure Nymeth has done an incredible job!

And I'm behind on posting, too. The Blame Game, for one, which I'm now trying to remedy. Nymeth's really cool meme, for another. A book review. A couple of homeschool posts.

And school, whew, talk about being inundated. With the end of the school year upon us, we're trying to finish up a bunch of stuff, then I need to write the quarterly report, then write the "Individualized Home Instruction Plan" (IHIP) that NY requires for next year's school plan, and get a bazillion and a half things done so we can start next year's school year on July 1st.

Let's not even discuss the state of this house at the moment. Heck, I'm even behind on the laundry, the one thing I'm generally good about keeping caught up. Can I just cry now?

No. I will not cry. And I will cease all the ridiculous whining this instant! Forgive me. Now, let's get on to the fun stuff...new books which somehow found their way in this week. And yes, once again, I'm going to make you read through "the others" before I get to the point earners.

*Reflections on a Gift of Watermelon Pickle...And Other Modern Verse. From Paperback Swap. For homeschooling.

*Skeleton Crew by Stephen King. Also from Paperback Swap. Also for homeschooling.

*The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara. From bargain book section at B&N. Also for homeschooling.

*The Strand Prophecy by J.B.B. Winner (ARC). For review.

*Becoming a Superhero: Adventures of an American Superhero by William D. Smith. Also for review.

*ZenZele: A Letter for My Daughter by J. Nozipo Maraire. Impulse buy from used book section at B&N.

*Germ by Robert Liparulo. Impulse buy from B&N.

*The Tenth Circle of Hell: A Memoir of Life in the Death Camps of Bosnia by Rezak Hukanovic. Impulse pick from library.

*Six Modern Plagues and How We Are Causing Them by Mark Jerome Walters. Impulse pick from library--seemed like it would be a good follow-up book to one I'm currently reading.

Okay, and now for the point winners:

*Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill. From B&N. Point for Chris. Even though it wasn't his favorite read, I've wanted to get my hands on this one ever since reading his review!

*Death: The High Cost of Living by Neil Gaiman. From library. Point for Nymeth. Another I've been wanting to get my hands on ever since I read what she had to say.

*The Dream Hunters by Neil Gaiman. From library. Point for Dewey. She suggested this for homeschooling, and it was a recommendation I was thrilled to receive.

*We Are On Our Own by Miriam Katin. From library. Point for Dewey. Couldn't resist.

Whew...will you people please start taking it easy on me?!! :)

Geeking...week 7

Assignment for Weekly Geeks: Photos.

I like it...I can combine it up with this week's Blame Game post and kill those idiomatic two birds.







So here's a pictorial look at the books I managed to drag into our home this week:



I've got a real problem, don't I? But it's not quite as bad as it looks. Honest. Because some of these are for homeschooling next school year. I can be forgiven those, right?

*Books 1 and 2 are the first two books in The Lighthouse Family series (The Storm and The Whale) by Cynthia Rylant. Got them from the library for this month's Celebrate the Author choice.

*Books 3 and 4 were pure impulse buys. Lottery by Patricia Wood and The Digital Plague by Jeff Somers. No one to blame.

*Books 5, 6, 7, and 8 all came from Paperback Swap. Night Shift by Stephen King, The Crucible by Arthur Miller, The Mousetrap and Other Plays by Agatha Christie, and The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. All are for homeschooling.

*Book 9. Bought it, but it's also for homeschooling. All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque.

*Book 10. A Child Called "It" by Dave Pelzer. One point for Joy!

*Book 11. Again from Paperback Swap. The Folk of the Fringe by Orson Scott Card. One point for Chris!

*Book 12. Yet again from Paperback Swap. The Ice Queen by Alice Hoffman. One point for Nymeth!

*Book 13. Library book. Swan Sister: Fairy Tales Retold edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling. Second point this week for Nymeth! (She was kind enough to recommend it after I wrote that I didn't think The Rose and the Beast was quite appropriate for our fairly tales unit. Thanks, Nymeth!)

Book 14. Library book. The Sandman: The Doll's House by Neil Gaiman. Third point this week for Nymeth! It was her review of The Sandman: Endless Nights that finally got me to place a hold on this one.

If I've figured correctly, Nymeth has now pulled into the lead! And you know, somehow I suspect that surprises no one...she's hell on many a person's wish list!

And finally, want to check out a few more Geek's pictures?

Alessandra has posted a photo of her dream rainbow bookshelves.

Chris showed us his latest acquisitions, as well as his TBR shelves.

Maree gave us a glance not only at her bookshelves, but also at a few of her kitties as well.

trying to get my act together

After an exhausting weekend of hosting both guests (my parents were here) and a garage sale, I'm feeling terribly behind on everything else. Which definitely includes blog reading...it's amazing how incredibly overwhelming it can become after just a couple of missed days, isn't it? And as I sat here starting to play catch-up, I realized I'd forgotten to post this week's acquisitions to the reading pile. And I know you're all just dying to hear who earned points this week, aren't you? O.K., maybe not. But I need to update nonetheless. I was a bit better about buying, only one added to the pile in that manner. Another added through J.Kaye's Book Raffles...thank you J.Kaye! And four picked up from the library. Why can I not stop myself from picking up so many library books?!! Why, when I know perfectly well that I cannot possibly finish them all in time? I just can't stop myself...and I'm willing to bet some of you know just what I mean, don't you?

Anyway, on to the blame placing:

*The Massacre at El Mozote by Mark Danner (No blame, just one I've been wanting...this is the one I bought.)

*Through the Devil's Door by Timothy J. Clifford (No blame. This is the one I won.)

*Sky Burial by Xinran (Point for Natasha. This sounded like it might be enjoyable and I need an X author. Library book.)

*The Lost Executioner by Nic Dunlop (Impulse pick-up from the library.)

*Disposable People by Kevin Bales (Point for Eva. Library book.)

*Raising Cain by Dan Kindlon, Ph.D. and Michael Thompson, Ph.D. (Point for Somer. Library book.)

If I've figured things correctly, Eva has pulled into a tie with Dewey for the lead. And we've got two new players to the game, with Natasha and Somer. (Yes, I know that no one has had any say whatsoever when it comes to "playing" this little game...I'm quite good at amusing myself, huh? And someone will eventually be winning a prize, so hopefully you'll all forgive me for including you in my personal amusement.)

the blame game

Sheesh...second week in and I almost forgot to post about who earned points this week. Forgive me, I'm feeling too lazy to take and upload pictures, so I'll just give you a list of what books I couldn't resist bringing into our little abode this week:

*News of a Kidnapping by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (got this from Paperback Swap after reading Eva's review)

*We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson (went right out and bought it last Sunday after reading Eva's review)

*Dark Harvest by Norman Partridge (total impulse buy...sounds perfect for RIP)

*Travels in the Scriptorium by Paul Auster (picked this up at the library after reading Carl's review)

*The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman (got this through inter-library loan...first heard of this one through Dewey and knew it had to make my Graphic Novels Challenge list, then felt compelled to finally order it after reading Nymeth's review...it took quite a while to come, I think they should get some more copies)

*The Borden Tragedy by Rick Geary (picked up from the library after reading Joy's review)

*How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff (ordered from Daedalus books because of Dewey's review)

So, if I have this figured right, Eva and Dewey acquired 2 points, and Carl, Nymeth, and Joy have each earned 1 point. (Yes, I realize I gave out two points for one book, but Dewey and Nymeth are equally to blame. And it's my game so I can play it however I want to...hmmm, Maxidoodle just may be rubbing off on me there.) I think that now puts Dewey in the lead. Just two weeks in and already so much blame to go around!

a week's worth of acquisitions

The preceding week has brought many new books into my life. Thanks mostly to my wonderful husband spoiling me rotten for Mother's Day.


This is the pile I got to unwrap:
*The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
*Such a Pretty Girl by Laura Weiss
*Invisible Prey by John Sandford
*The Rape of Nanking by Iris Chang
*Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
*Winterwood by Patrick McCabe
*Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
*The Film Club by David Gilmour


This is the pile I bought with my gift cards (one from Mother's Day and one from Annie for Teacher Appreciation Day):
*A Death in Belmont by Sebastian Junger
*Looking for Alaska by John Green
*Origin by Diana Abu-Jaber
*Monkey Girl by Edward Hume
*Island of Lost Girls by Jennifer McMahon


This is the pile I ordered from B&N on-line bargain section (also using gift card):
*The Fifth Vial by Michael Palmer
*San Francisco is Burning: The Untold Story of the 1906 Earthquake and Fires by Dennis Smith
*All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren
*Suicide's Girlfriend by Elizabeth Evans
*The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls


Bought this one Friday night at Borders. How nice of Becky to host the It's the End of the World... Challenge and give me the excuse to get it. :)


And finally, this arrived in the mail yesterday. I won it from one of J. Kaye's generous book raffles. Thanks, again J. Kaye!

The horribly sad thing about this excessive accumulation of books is how few I actually finished reading this week. That would be one measly book...and it was a library book to boot. I guess the good news, at least looking at it from the standpoint of "where the hell are we going to put yet more books?!!", is that this is likely to be the last huge haul before Christmas. Well, for me anyway...both Father's Day and Rich's birthday will be coming this summer. I am in the process of gathering up some books for a give-away, too. Hopefully, I'll be organized to do that in the next week or two.

I've also decided that I'm going to start taking names! I'm going to start keep track of who among you are responsible for the dent in my bank account. I'm calling it the Blame Game, and I'm going to keep tallies listed over in the sidebar. I think I'll keep it running for a year (say until the end of April '09). At that time, the one of you that has caused me to purchase the most books (actually I'm going to count putting holds on them from the library as well) will win a prize (probably an Amazon gift certificate, but I haven't yet decided for sure). Obviously not every book I get will earn someone a point, as many books I get are pure impulse buys. And many I pick up after reading several reviews, and I can't really just point to one as the deciding factor.

Anyway, here's a list of who earned points this first week:

1 point for Becky (Such a Pretty Girl)

1 point for Stephanie (Speak) (Though I've read lots of reviews lately for this book, something about Stephanie's review compelled me to finally add this one to the list.)

1 point for Carl (The Film Club)

1 point for Dewey (Looking for Alaska)

1 point for Erin (The Glass Castle)