Nation...random thoughts

Nation by Terry Pratchett.

Where does one begin?!! Yeah, it's a gushfest book for sure. Definitely straight to the favorites list.

Okay, since I've given up on stressing so much over this book babbling thing, and writing a brief, non-spoiler glimpse at the book is always so hard for me, I'm just stealing these lines from the jacket flap:

Mau is the Only one left after a giant wave sweeps his island village away. But when much is taken, something is returned, and somewhere in the jungle Daphne--a girl from the other side of the globe--is the sole survivor of a ship destroyed by the same wave.

Together the two confront the aftermath of catastrophe. Drawn by the smoke of Mau and Daphne's sheltering fire, other refugees slowly arrive...

A few of the many things I loved:

*The questioning. This aspect of the book spoke to me so much. I loved watching Mau deal with matters of faith he'd always taken for granted. I think this must be a fairly universal process when one is raised in a faith, whatever the beliefs might be. It seems everyone must reach a point where they need to question the things they've been taught as fact. For many their faith stands up to their questioning, and for others, like me, it just doesn't. But what I think is important, no matter which outcome is reached, is that the questions were asked in the first place. Due to the abrupt and catastrophic events that completely change his life, Mau is almost forced to deal with these questions. And yet his questioning never feels rushed. It feels so authentic. At first, the questions, and doubts, pop into his mind unbidden. But soon they become a second tidal wave to Mau. I won't tell you how things play out there, but I just had to say how very much I loved this part of the story.

*The writing. Okay, I admit it...I don't notice "writing" as much as I think many people do. I'm more of a tell-me-a-good-story-with-good-characters type of gal. There are exceptions...I think I could happily drown in a sea of Ray Bradbury's words. But for the most part, I'm pretty oblivious. So what was it about Terry Pratchett's writing in this book that made me take notice? I'm not sure I know exactly how to answer that. There was a simplicity that somehow managed to contain such power. He made me feel so deeply with so few words. I could literally pick out dozens and dozens of little snippets that did this to me. Just a few examples:

It rained. It was heavy rain, muddy rain, full of ash and sadness.


There were two dogs, too, and that almost broke him. The people, well, the horror was so great that his mind went blank, but the twisted bodies of the dogs twisted his soul.


They didn't know why these things were funny. Sometimes you laugh because you've got no more room for crying. Sometimes you laugh because table manners on a beach are funny. And sometimes you laugh because you're alive, when you really shouldn't be.


...And now it was two weeks later, and a lot had happened. The most important thing was that time had passed, pouring thousands of soothing seconds across the island. People need time to deal with the now before it runs away and becomes the then.

*The world. This is my first experience with a story in such a setting. It is set in the 1800s on Earth, and yet Earth is not really Earth. A parallel universe. I realize that most of you are quite familiar with this type of setting, but still being new to fantasy and science fiction, this was a fun new adventure in reading for me. The island is in the Great Southern Pelagic Ocean, which seems as if it must be in the area in which the Pacific Ocean lies. But it is not the Pacific that we know. But we are, it seems, at the same time really on Earth, because before the tragic shipwreck, Daphne went to meetings of the Royal Society with her father and met people such as Charles Darwin. As I said, I realize that many of you are probably quite used to this kind of merging of realities, but for me it was quite new. And I absolutely loved it.

*The science. And if you haven't read it, and aren't big on science, please don't let that scare you. No, this wasn't full of scientific facts and figures. But without beating one over the head, it beautifully emphasized the importance of science. And that's just something I feel passionate about. (Brief unimportant note: Though I thoroughly love Daphne, I am going to have to disagree with her a bit on her ranking of scientists. ;) )

*The humor. My goodness, but Sir Pratchett is a gifted man. Understatement, I know. As I was reading this, Rich asked me if it was a funny book. (He still has the experience of his first Terry Pratchett book to look forward to.) I tried to explain to him that, yes, it definitely was, but at the same time it was so deeply meaningful. He said, "So he's like Vonnegut?" I hadn't linked those two in my mind before that, and while they are very different writers, I was immediately drawn to the comparison. I know my reading experience is not nearly as broad as it is for many, but there are no two other authors I've read who so effectively use humor to express the most profound truths, to dig through the layers and get to what matters in this life.

*The depth. Yes, I found myself smiling, even giggling, throughout this book, I also found myself awed. I don't want to say too much and give anything away, but wow...this book just gets to the heart of being human. And while I smiled, I also cried. Sometimes over things so big it's hard to shrink them into mere words. Other times, what I cried over was easier to grasp. There was one short passage that so simply, and yet so heartbreakingly, conveyed the tragedy of colonialism that I just had tears streaming down my face. I guess what I mean to say is that if you read this book, be prepared to feel.

Hmmm...I just read over what I've written here. And while I stand by everything I've said, I know I haven't conveyed the sheer awesomeness of this book. Know that that is my fault, not the fault of the book itself.

And for other perspectives:

*Nymeth at Things Mean A Lot
*Valentina at Valentina's Room
*Chris at Stuff As Dreams Are Made On
*Dewey at The Hidden Side of a Leaf
*Kailana at The Written World
*Bart from Bart's Bookshelf
*Shelley at ChainReading
*Anastasia at Birdbrain(ed) Book Blog
*Melissa at Book Nut
*Darla D at Books & Other Thoughts

If I missed your review, accept my sincere apologies. And then leave me a link in the comments, and I'll add it above. Thanks.

we interrupt this blogging break...

to do some mini babbling...

Because I'm using these books for challenges, I feel I have to say something about them. In other words, this is my pathetic attempt at assuaging my guilt.

Shakespeare Wrote for Money by Nick Hornby.

*I did a really good job at doling these out sparingly (like one a week) for a while. Then I chucked all willpower straight out the window and simply devoured the rest in one sitting. Oh well. I am somewhat comforted by the fact that I have Songbook sitting on the shelf waiting for me.
*I totally lost count of how many times I laughed out loud.
*An unforeseen event: I am now thinking about NOT reading a book I had long planned to read. And it's not even that Mr. Hornby didn't like the book. He did. But in speaking of The Road, he said, "There are some images now embedded in my memory that I don't especially want there."
*At first I was rather proud of myself for keeping down the number of books to add to my wishlist. By the end, though...well...
--Tender Hooks by Beth Ann Fennelly
--Digging to America by Anne Tyler
--Ladies and Gentlemen, The Bronx Is Burning by Jonathan Mahler
--Stasiland: Stories from the Berlin Wall by Anna Funder
--Sharp Teeth by Toby Barlow
--Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block
--A Disorder Peculiar to the Country by Ken Kalfus
--The Abstinence Teacher by Tom Perrotta
--The Ghost by Robert Harris

Looking for Bobowicz and The Hoboken Chicken Emergency by Daniel Pinkwater.




*Our first venture into the books of Daniel Pinkwater. Won't be our last. While not our favorite ever read-alouds, they were still nonetheless very enjoyable.
*Written decades apart, these two books follow the stories of two different generations of kids and their relationships with a 266-pound chicken named Henrietta. Yes, a 266-pound chicken can cause a great deal of mayhem. But trust me, she's a very sweet chicken.
*These books have a wonderful, almost-but-not-quite old-fashioned feel to them. Maybe it's just the way Pinkwater very much captured the feelings of my own childhood, the freedom to explore, the need for adventure. Of course, those things haven't gone out of style (just ask my kids!) so I'm not sure why I used the term old-fashioned. I just can't quite capture the feeling I'm looking for here. Oh well.

Lord of the Flies by William Golding.

*One day, after telling Annie to read the next two chapters of this book, she said, "Good. I love this book...it's so creepy!" And that is exactly how I remember feeling about it when I first read it in middle school. When I read it as a kid, I saw myself on the island and found it very scary. Reading it now, I couldn't help but picture my kids on the island. And that's even more disturbing. A lot more disturbing. One more example of how motherhood impacts my reading. And of course, that's not just true of motherhood but of all our experiences--they all play a part in how any book might affect us.
*I know a lot of people hate this book, but I just can't help but like it. I admit that I'm much more of an emotional reader than an intellectual one. Not that those two things are mutually exclusive by any means. But what I mean is that I'm not all that adept at analyzing what I read. I just go with my gut and my heart. But reading books with Annie tends to make me search a little deeper, and we definitely had some great discussions during this book. Are people born "good" or "evil"? What does it take to be a good leader? What does it mean to be "civilized"? How responsible are we for the well-being of others? Discussions about mob mentality. Racism. Symbolism.
*There were times when the writing frustrated me. Not that it's difficult reading. More that at times I had a tough time visualizing his descriptions. Likely that was just me. At other times, however, I liked the writing a great deal, as here: "He forgot his wounds, his hunger and thirst, and became fear; hopeless fear on flying feet, rushing through the forest towards the open beach." This sentence, in context, was extremely vivid in my mind.
*All in all, while this book may not make my top 5 reads of the year, I really do think I liked it as much this time around as I did as a kid.


Fables: Animal Farm and Fables: Storybook Love by Bill Willingham.

*The Farm really can't be all that far from here...if only I could find my way through their protective spells.
*What are the chances of reading about a pig's head on a stick in two different books on the same day?!!
*Goldilocks--a fomenter of revolution...who'da thunk it?

*As much as I loved Animal Farm, it pained me horribly to see Shere Khan die. In fact, I'm having a hard time accepting it when any of the characters die. I mean, they're just not supposed to, right?!!

*Okay, in moving on to Storybook Love, I have to say I've changed my mind about that last statement. I was more than happy to see a couple someones bite the dust. If they really did. Yeah, I can't really say anything more for fear of spoiling.
*This one started and ended with little side stories that didn't have much to do with the main story arc. While I honestly did enjoy them, especially "Bag O' Bones," I do prefer the main story. And I'm eager as hell to crack open the next one to see what's going to happen with Snow and Bigby!
*Despite the fact that I'm now just through #3 in the series, I'm already soooo sad thinking about getting to the end. I hope no one will hurt me, but I think I may just like these more than The Sandman. Then again, maybe not. That's a very tough call. Especially since I'm not even half way through either series yet.



The Stuff of Life: A Graphic Guide to Genetics and DNA by Mark Schultz.

*This book totally rocked! (Yes, I think my lovable science nerd husband is rubbing off on me.)
*Seriously, if you'd like to learn about genetics, DNA, inheritance, etc., I just can't recommend this book highly enough. It's extremely accessible. In one way, it's a tad cutesy, but it is by no means simplistic.
*Because I read this for the science challenge, I wrote a short review here if you're interested.

Chew On This: Everything You Don't Want to Know about Fast Food by Eric Schlosser and Charles Wilson.

*Yep, same guy who wrote Fast Food Nation, which by the way, I am even more anxious to read now.
*This book made me sad. It also made me mad. Usually at the same time.
*Had I not already joined Annie in the meat-free lifestyle, this book surely would have done it. Not that this book is any way, shape, or form an attack on people who eat meat. Honest.
*Frankly, I think this should be required reading in schools. It is that good. And it is that important.

*****

and while I'm at it, I might as well get caught up on meting out the blame...

from the library:


*Javatrekker: Dispatches from the World of Fair Trade Coffee by Dean Cycon (point for Eva!)
*No More Strangers Now: Young Voices from a New South Africa interviews by Tim McKee
*The Sandman: A Game of You by Neil Gaiman
*The Sandman: Fables & Reflections by Neil Gaiman

from PaperbackSwap:



*Nine Stories by J.D. Salinger (point for Eva!)
*Feed by M.T. Anderson
*Dangerous Angels: The Weetzie Bat Books by Francesca Lia Block
*The Witching Hour by Anne Rice (point for Chris!)

bought with gift card:



*Once Upon a Marigold by Jean Ferris
*Godmother: The Secret Cinderella Story by Carolyn Turgeon (point for Melody!)
*Lux the Poet by Martin Millar
*The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan (point for Becky, who first made me add it to my wish list, and point for Chris, who shoved me right over the edge and made me buy it!)

from the little closeout books store:



*The Midnighters: Blue Moon (book 3) by Scott Westerfeld
*The Magic Thief: Book One by Sarah Prineas (point for DesLily!)
*The Treasures of the Weatherby by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
*The Epidemic: A Global Story of AIDS by Jonathan Engel

and last, but not least, the books I just wanted so bad I had to order them:



*Bad Science by Ben Goldacre (point for Nymeth!)
*The Essential Dykes to Watch Out For by Alison Bechdel

*****

I will publish May's wrap-up tomorrow, but other than that I'm still on my mission to get through this school year. Will hopefully be back in a few weeks. 'Cause damn, do I miss you all!

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time...random thoughts

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon.

Yes, I know the rest of the planet read this book five years ago. What can I say, "cutting edge" and "Debi" just don't belong in the same sentence. Anyway, this is definitely one of those cases of better late than never, because I absolutely loved this book! Really, truly loved it.

You know, I'm not even sure I've ever read a review of this book. (I suspect most of you read it in the days before I started blogging.) But I had certainly heard of it, word of mouth and all. And I've honestly wanted to read it for a very long time, but just could never seem to get around to it. What finally pushed me over the edge was Charlotte Moore, author of George & Sam: Two Boys, One Family, & Autism. She mentioned really enjoying The Curious Incident and stated how very authentic it felt to her. To me that was high praise, and it seemed time to get off lazy butt and go dig the book off the shelves.

So, what did I love so much about this book? Is it cheating to say nearly everything? The book is told from Christopher Boone's perspective. In fact, Christopher wrote the book...it's his written version of the story of finding his neighbor's dog, who had been killed with a pitchfork, and his subsequent story of detecting to find out who had done it. Christopher is a fifteen-year-old boy with an autism spectrum disorder. I fell completely in love with Christopher and found myself feeling utterly privileged to be allowed to view his world through his eyes. (And yes, I do know this is a fictional book, but it was one I found so incredibly believably that I couldn't stop myself from feeling these emotions.)

And speaking of emotions, Christopher does not intuitively understand the emotions others are feeling. So his narrative doesn't ascribe emotions onto others. Yet he talks about the things that happen, the words that are spoken. And somehow you end up with a remarkable full story of what his parents, particularly his father, are going through. In case you haven't read this, I don't want to go into particulars, but Christopher's father does something that I find unbearably despicable. And yet I can't find him thoroughly unlikable. It is so very evident to the reader how much he loves his son. Being human, he is certainly fallible. But he never stops trying to do everything he can for Christopher, even if his judgments are sometimes faulty.

But there is so much more I loved about this book, too. Coming from Christopher's perspective made this a thoroughly unique experience. Christopher loves mathematics and science. He loves logic and figuring out puzzles. And all these things come out in his writing. The chapters, instead of being labeled with cardinal numbers as is usual, are numbered by prime numbers. He includes diagrams and sketches. He explains scientific phenomena. And none of this is ever for a second boring, but instead completely fascinating.

If I have any complaint at all, it would be that it seemed to end so quickly. But to have it done any other way, I suspect, would have taken away from its authenticity. So it's actually not a complaint at all.

Compelling. I see no way this book won't make my top reads of the year list.

*****

Other opinions:

Dewey at The Hidden Side of a Leaf (Okay, how did I not know that Dewey had reviewed this?!!)
Michelle at 1 More Chapter
Rebecca at The Book Lady's Blog
Blue Archipelago
Natasha at Maw Books Blog

If I've missed your review, please forgive me. And leave me a link in the comments and I will gladly add it to the list. Thanks.

*****

I have loads of blame to dish out (yes, Rich spoiled me rotten for Mother's Day), but I'm so behind in absolutely everything (including blog reading, for which I truly apologize) that I'm afraid I'm probably just going to have to wait a day or two to get to it. Hope everyone had a lovely weekend!

The Uncommon Reader...random thoughts

The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett.

I know, I know, everyone and their third cousin-twice removed has already read this book. I hate reviewing (and yes, I use that term veeeery loosely) books like that. I mean, what can I possibly say that hasn't already been said, right? But nonetheless, I must say something because this is a challenge book. So babble, I will...

This book first came to my attention on NPR. I made a mental note of it, and then as so many of my mental notes seem to do, it lost itself among the gobblety-goop which fills my brain. Luckily Dewey brought it back to my attention with her review. I mean really, how could one resist after that, right?

And still it took me a long time to actually get around to reading it. Yeah, it takes me a long time to get around to doing most things. What can I say...I don't like to rush things. ;)

But the book, Debi, what about the book?!! Yes, yes, yes...it was absolutely as delightful as Dewey and everyone else has said it was! Not that I had any doubts. But my goodness, this was such an incredibly fun little read.

In case you've just landed on Earth from a far-flung galaxy and don't know the basic premise (yes, this is why I hate these kinds of reviews...I mean do you tell what the story is about when most everyone already knows? seems horribly redundant, doesn't it? but then again, it seems lazy to skip it? this peek inside my mind is a tad scary, isn't it? and yes, I do swear that I have not been in the gin yet), the Queen of England discovers reading late in life. And it begins to consume her. She just wants to read every waking second. Sound familiar? Sound like you? Yes, but of course, you don't have the whole world (slight exaggeration) watching your every move, do you? And it is the fact that she is the Queen that leads to one amusing predicament after another.

Yes, this book is so charmingly humorous. Ever so easy to relate to, even if royal blood doesn't run through one's veins.

What she was finding also was how one book led to another, doors kept opening wherever she turned and the days weren't long enough for the reading she wanted to do.

'Pass the time?' said the Queen. 'Books are not about passing the time. They're about other lives. Other worlds. Far from wanting time to pass, Sir Kevin, on just wishes one had more of it. If one wanted to pass the time one could go to New Zealand.'

The appeal of reading, she thought, lay in its indifference: there was something undeferring about literature. Books did not care who was reading them or whether one read them or not. All readers were equal, herself included.

The Queen said: 'Yes. That is exactly what it is. A book is a device to ignite the imagination.'

*****

And now, if you'd like to read a review where something is actually said, you might want to try one of these:

Dewey at The Hidden Side of a Leaf
Nymeth at Things Mean A Lot
Chris at Stuff as Dreams Are Made On
Eva at A Striped Armchair
Grad at The Curious Reader
Robin at A Fondness for Reading
Chris at Book-a-Rama
Bermudaonion at Bermudaonion's Weblog
Jenclair at A Garden Carried in the Pocket
Serena at Savvy Verse and Wit

Okay, there's like 40,000 more of these reviews out there, I just know there are. But as I'm really not supposed to be blogging right now anyway, I'm just going to have to call my search quits for now. Please, please, please feel free to leave me a link in the comments, however, if you have a review of this book that you'd like me to add to the list. Thanks.

The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents...random thoughts

The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents by Terry Pratchett.

Let me say right off the top here that there is no way I will ever do this book justice. It is simply so utterly brilliant.

Okay, so I'd been on a streak of reading rather depressing things. Good stuff, but depressing stuff. I was craving something fun and light. For the last couple years, I'd been wanting to give Discworld a try, but balked because I just didn't know where to start. Nymeth kindly put up with all my questions about where to start and whatnot, and suggested that this book was the perfect choice, being a good stand-alone. This seemed like the perfect opportunity to finally put her advice to use. And did it meet my expectations? Well, yes and no. (In the sheer awesomeness category it surpassed them by like half a gazillion miles.) But as for fun and light... Well, fun gets a yes, yes, YES! Light, well, not so much. And by that, I don't for a single minute mean that it's heavy, tedious reading, or that it's obscure or pretentious...I just mean that it really has a lot to say. And in retrospect, I have to say I was an idiot for ever imagining that it would be a light, "fluffy" story...because Nymeth has the most remarkable gift for finding books that satisfy and delight and challenge on a number of levels. And that is exactly what this book does!

So what's it about? Well, let me quote from page 1, where that very question is addressed:

Rats!
They fought the dogs and killed the cats, and--

But there was more to it that that. As the Amazing Maurice said it was just a story about people and rats. And the difficult part of it was deciding who the people were, and who were the rats.

But Malicia Grim said it was a story about stories.

Doesn't seem to tell you much, does it? Of course, after you read it, you realize just how much it says. I'm sorry. I'm really not trying to be so obtuse here. I'm just having a hard time putting this all into words.

Okay. Let's try this again.

The Amazing Maurice is a cat. A talking cat, who is sort of the unofficial leader of an odd group of con artists. The rest of this band consists of a boy named Keith and a bunch of educated rodents. Only I'm not sure "educated" is precisely the correct word. Thinking rodents. And it's not that all cats and rodents can think and talk. No, this is not the norm. (How they came to be this way, I'll leave for you to discover when you read this book. Because you should read this book.) Anyway, this little group has perfected a scam. They head into an unsuspecting town. The rats wreak havoc. And do so in ways that no ordinary rats would even dream of doing. Seriously, how would you react if a rat went tap-dancing across your table before "widdling" in your cream? Okay, so not all the rats are fabulous dancers, but Sardines is quite proud of his talent. Anyway, so the rats put the town in an uproar, and in comes Keith, a piper, and offers to lead the rats away. For a price, of course.

Now this unlikely gang makes quite a fine living at this for a while. Until they come to the town of Bad Blintz. And it is here that the story really takes place. And this is where it turns dark. I don't want to give away any more of the actual story, but I've got all these really cool things floating around in my head that I really wish I could talk about. *sigh* So, I'll just add a couple of disconnected thoughts here, and then urge you once again to go read this yourself.

*I love the names of the rats, and the story of how they got their names. I won't tell you the story. Think you can guess if I tell you some of my favorite names? Hamnpork, Bestbefore, Nourishing, Additives, Inbrine. And my very favorite of all...Dangerous Beans (though I'm dying for someone to explain the "circumstances" of that one).

*This is the PERFECT book for Once Upon a Time. It fills nearly all the categories at once. :) Fantasy--check. Fairy tale--yep, definitely a cool retelling of the Pied Piper. Folklore--again yep, rat kings. *shudder* And you know, someone more learned on such matters might be able to find a way to stick this under myth, too.

*It's loaded with humor, sometimes subtle, always smart.

*And finally, let me leave you with this question:

What is it that defines "civilized"?

Oops, sorry, I'm not really going to leave it at that. But don't worry...I've got a good reason for continuing. See, I have a copy of this wonderful little treasure to give away. NO, not mine--this is a keeper! But a brand new copy, because I accidentally bought two. Want it? Just say so...and I'll do the random draw thingie sometime Monday.

*****

Other views:

Annie at Words by Annie
Jennifer at Jennifer's Book Blog
Lara at Lara's YA Reading Log
Nate at The Chronicles of Nate-ia
Rebecca at Just One More Page
Jenclair at A Garden Carried in the Pocket

Oh, and it won the Carnegie Award...so I'm guessing the judges loved it, too. :)

I'm sure there must be other reviews out there, so if you've got one, please feel free to leave a link in the comments, and I'll add it here. Thanks.

Down to a Sunless Sea...random thoughts

Down to a Sunless Sea by Mathias B. Freese.

Hmmmm. I really don't know where to begin with this one, as I just can't seem to get my thoughts into any sensible order here. If this collection of short stories could be said to have a theme, it would have to be individual pain and struggle. Each story introduces us into the mind of a troubled character, a person battling their own personal demons in one way or another. And yet though there is this sort of thread of commonality running through the stories, they really form quite an eclectic mix. I'm sure it can be said of nearly any short story collection, that some stories will speak more to an individual reader than others. But for me, that seemed exceedingly true of this collection.

A couple of stories, "Down to a Sunless Sea" and "For a While, Here, In this Moment," did very little for me. They almost made me wonder if I was simply missing something. And honestly, that may be the case. Or it may be that I'm simply the wrong reader for those particular stories.

But then there were stories that I loved. When I read "Alabaster," I was truly grateful that I didn't give up on this collection. A little boy finally talks to an old woman who often sits on a bench along the street where he plays. The tattooed number on her wrist tells the reader what the child in his innocence doesn't understand. I also enjoyed "Little Errands," which if you've ever seen OCD in action, you'll understand the veracity of this story. And another I particularly enjoyed was "Billy's Mirrored Walls," in which we again see a child's innocence played against an adult's pain, though not nearly as intensely as in "Alabaster."

The other story that made a real impression on me was "I'll Make It, I Think." As the story begins we meet a boy with CP, and one can't help but ache for him and the difficulties he must face just living his life. But I have to say that by the end of the story, I was left deeply unsettled...I couldn't help but feel I was witnessing the making of a rapist or a serial killer. Maybe that was the intent. Or maybe I've just watched too many true crime dramas. Oh, and the kid from "Mortise and Tenon"...yeah, I'm a little worried about his future as well.

Please don't ask me to sum up my feelings of this book overall, because honestly, I just can't quite get a handle on it. But if you haven't read it yourself, I've got two suggestions: a.) read some of the reviews below, and/or b.) leave me a comment saying you'd like to try the book yourself. (If more than one person would like it, I'll do the random.org thing later this week.)

*****

Other opinions:

Trish at Trish's Reading Nook
Bookfool at Bookfoolery and Babble
Bellezza at Dolce Bellezza
Melody at Melody's Reading Corner
Steve at J.Kaye's Book Blog

If you've reviewed this, please feel free to leave a link in the comments and I'll add it here. Thanks.