Author Archives: Marci

The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Warfare – DK Publishing

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We Make War That We May Live In Peace – Aristotle

The most wide-ranging and visually arresting history of wars and warfare ever published, War: Definitive Visual Guide documents every major war or significant period of conflict in over 5,000 years of human history.

A must-have reference gift for military enthusiasts and general readers alike, no other book about warfare contains such a diverse selection of imagery including contemporary paintings and photographs, objects and artifacts, and specially commissioned artworks, maps, and diagrams.

War: Definitive Visual Guide includes a comprehensive directory of every major war, thematic spreads examining broader topics within the history of warfare, from the role of mercenaries, communications, and the treatment of wounded soldiers, and personal accounts and objects from soldiers and civilians that bring to life the human experience of battle.

From the earliest known Wars in Sumeria and Ancient Egypt War to the occupation of Iraq, War: Definitive Visual Guide combines a coherent and compelling spread-by-spread historical narrative with a wealth of supporting features to recount the epic 5,000-year story of warfare and combat through the ages.

This is the ultimate war book.  From the Bronze Age to  present day, which includes every major war, the aspects of war, witnesses to war, as well as the hardware used through the centuries.  There are full colour photographs and artwork that portrayed major battles that changed the world.

Talks about how wars were fought in the ancient world before to Christ to present-day.  Weapons from each period – ancient, medieval, modern – how they have changed as well as the tactics have, as well as categories of weapons had me turning the pages oohing and aweing.

it also talks about the mercenaries, what they fight for, and how long they have been around…Did you know they have been around for thousands of years?  It talks about the french religious wars, the chinese civil war where the communists and the nationalists lost to the communists, and the remaining nationalists retreated to Taiwan to take China’s seat on the United Nations.

As the parent of a boy, I have to say this is one of Nick’s favorite.  He had taken it to school and had it there for a week to read during reading time.  All of his friends were intrigued to see what he was reading.

** This was previously published as War: The Definitive Visual Guide**

DK Canada

Welcome To The NEW Serendipitous Readings ! ! !

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Welcome Back !! I took a bit of time off to get some things in order – mainly some personal stuff that includes me and my son.  So, while that is underway, and probably will for a while, in the mean time I have more news…

So, I will have some great giveaways to entice you back – I have about 20 books waiting in my living room to send to you,  if you’re chosen a winner, there are more waiting in the wings from different offices here in Canada and the US, so, keep your eyes and ears glued to here and twitter!

Nearly forgot – It is also my 3rd anniversary, going into our fourth as having a book blog, sharing my love of reading and books of all different types.

One last thing, I came across  another blog which is hosted on Blogger with the same name .  It was started a few months ago.  They have stolen the name of my blog most likely to fool people in believing that they are me, or impersonating me; which is not correct.   I didn’t think you would fall for it anyways!

I would really appreciate the owner of the blog to delete the entire blog because I have secured the domain name for myself as well as the name.  I am not able to contact the person to ask politely because – their profile doesn’t have much information,or even a way of being contacted, which I am assuming that they did this on purpose who also believe that STEALING someone elses’ blog name that they have had for nearly four years doesn’t mean anything and they can do as they please on the internet.

So, with that out-of-the-way, let’s have some fun and celebrate reading and our love of it !!

I have to Thank all of my contacts, friends, and followers for supporting me and the love of reading that I share with you all.  A special Thank You to my friend  Ben, and of course Jay, who helped me on this quest to make the blog better than ever.

Marci

Q and A with Geraldine Brooks

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How much of yourself exists in your characters ?   Occasionally I hear my own voice a little…Marmee’s thoughts on war, Hanna Heath’s description of working to glimpse the past before the genie fogs it over again, Bethia’s love of the landscape and avidity for learning…When Anna describes her boys in year of Wonders, most of it was about my own young son…

With so many differences in terms of the books you have written, what is it about the subject matter that appeals to you to write a novel about it/ on the subject matter ?  – The books are set in different times and different places, but the themes are fairly constant, I think:  how are people changed by catastrophe/  What does faith do for people, what does it do to people?

What was it that made you or persuaded you to write novels after being a journalist for so long ? -  I wanted to have a baby, and the kind of mother I wanted to be wasn’t all that compatible with the kind of journalist I wanted to be…so I took a chance on a career change, and, happily, it has worked out… so far.

Who are your favorite authors? What have they instilled in you? –   Too long of a list to enumerate.  But I would say Mary Renault’s fiction set in the ancient world is a model for what I try to do.  Marilynne Robinson’s books, Home and Gilead also have been inspirational.  And Jane Austen, of course…

If you were to die, what would you like to come back as, and why? –   An osprey–they have it all–the gift of flight, waterfront real estate, an endless summer and a nice family life.

I am wondering how Caleb would see this world now, do you think he would like it? -  I think he would love the access to information and lament our irresponsible treatment of our environment.

Is there a historical figure you most identify with? Why? –   No, but I would like to be Rachel Carson or Harriet Beecher Stowe, and write a book that changed the world for the better.

Are there and phrases you use/overuse? -   Dessicated. Gnarled.

Besides you talent for writing, what other talent(s) do you have/ wish you had?   I wish I could sing, and I wish I could speak at least six languages.

What is your idea of perfect happiness ? -  In nature, with family (including the dog of course) by water, with something scrumptious to eat and someone telling a hilarious story.

What in your mind is considered the most over-rated virtue? – If it is a virtue, then it can’t be overrated. We need all the virtue we can have in this rather un-virtuous world.

Thank you so much Geraldine for such great answers to the questions I asked ! I hope everyone enjoys them as well.

For my review of People of The Book or  Caleb’s Crossing just click on the titles.

 

#56 – Caleb’s Crossing – Geraldine Brooks

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A richly imagined new novel from the author of the New York Times bestseller, People of the Book.

Once again, Geraldine Brooks takes a remarkable shard of history and brings it to vivid life. In 1665, a young man from Martha’s Vineyard became the first Native American to graduate from Harvard College. Upon this slender factual scaffold, Brooks has created a luminous tale of love and faith, magic and adventure.

The narrator of Caleb’s Crossing is Bethia Mayfield, growing up in the tiny settlement of Great Harbor amid a small band of pioneers and Puritans. Restless and curious, she yearns after an education that is closed to her by her sex. As often as she can, she slips away to explore the island’s glistening beaches and observe its native Wampanoag inhabitants. At twelve, she encounters Caleb, the young son of a chieftain, and the two forge a tentative secret friendship that draws each into the alien world of the other. Bethia’s minister father tries to convert the Wampanoag, awakening the wrath of the tribe’s shaman, against whose magic he must test his own beliefs. One of his projects becomes the education of Caleb, and a year later, Caleb is in Cambridge, studying Latin and Greek among the colonial elite. There, Bethia finds herself reluctantly indentured as a housekeeper and can closely observe Caleb’s crossing of cultures.

Like Brooks’s beloved narrator Anna in Year of Wonders, Bethia proves an emotionally irresistible guide to the wilds of Martha’s Vineyard and the intimate spaces of the human heart. Evocative and utterly absorbing, Caleb’s Crossing further establishes Brooks’s place as one of our most acclaimed novelists. - Publishers Website

I fell in love with Geraldine’s work when I read People of The Book a while back now, and have just loved this one just as much.  From the Great Harbour back in the 17th century,  which is now known as Martha’s Vineyard; she weaves the story around a young man who just happens to be one of the first native Indians to be accepted into Harvard/ Cambridge Universities respectively.

The characters are just as inviting and diverse as the landscape and politics that surround the area.  I loved Bethia, the way she asserts herself in a world that doesn’t yet accept women’s opinions or views on how just about anything is done, except for the household.  It was based on a real person, Caleb is the one who is fictionalized in the novel, but the background story is true as you will see when you open the pages.  Emotional, Gifted, Interesting, as well as inquisitive;  this book will have you clammering for the rest of her work for sure.

I do have a Q and A I will post after my review, so just go back to the main page of the blog.  I loved the answers to her questions!

Geraldine’s Website - Facebook - Book – Author – Reading Group Guide – Excerpt

#55 – My Dear I Wanted To Tell You – Louisa Young

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From the day in 1907 that eleven-year-old Riley Purefoy meets Nadine Waveney, he takes in the difference between their two families — his, working class; hers, posh and artistic — and vows to make himself worthy of the lovely Nadine’s affections.

Nadine’s mother has other ideas for her daughter. Though she tolerates Riley as a young boy, nearly a decade later she attempts to stop the budding romance between the two teenagers. Angry and humiliated, Riley enlists at the nearest recruiting station, and reports for training the very next day.

While Riley and his commanding officer, Peter Locke, fight for their country and their survival in the trenches of Flanders, their loved ones await their return. Peter’s wife, Julia, undertakes a daily ritual to prepare for her beloved husband’s homecoming. Peter’s cousin Rose, with all hope of marriage marching off to war, becomes a nurse at the nearby Queen’s Hospital.

Nadine and Riley’s bond is tested by a terrible injury, and even more so by the ambitious yet imperfect rehabilitation that follows.

Moving between Ypres, London and Paris, My Dear I Wanted to Tell You is a stunning First World War epic of love, war and sacrifice. - Publishers Website

This book had me thinking throughout all of it to myself, What would I have done in this instance?  The love between two people is a strong bond that at least I think should be one that is unbreakable in a situation such as this where the two have grown up with each other, one not knowing how the other feels; at least until they are older and have the courage to tell one another and find out it is mutual.  Such a wonderful surprise!

As the story weaves itself through London, Paris, and Flanders during WWI, it nearly brought me to tears how this man who has loved this woman since they have been children give his one and only thing that he loved and adored up, because of a horrific injury while fighting in the trenches.  Does he change his mind?  Does she give up ? Does their long love survive the trials and tribulations of the time period? Well, I know since I have read the book, but if you really want to know, then pick up a copy and start, you will thank me in the end.  My goodness, go and check out her website to see who she is related to and famous people around her…a literal cornucopia of literary and other famous people, places and things !

Louisa’s Website -Reading Group Questions – Louisa on Twitter – Facebook Page

 


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#54 – The Tiger’s Wife – Tea Obreht

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In a Balkan country mending from years of conflict, Natalia, a young doctor, arrives on a mission of mercy at an orphanage by the sea.

By the time she and her lifelong friend Zóra begin to inoculate the children there, she feels age-old superstitions and secrets gathering everywhere around her. Secrets her outwardly cheerful hosts have chosen not to tell her.

Secrets involving the strange family digging for something in the surrounding vineyards. Secrets hidden in the landscape itself.

But Natalia is also confronting a private, hurtful mystery of her own: the inexplicable circumstances surrounding her beloved grandfather’s recent death. After telling her grandmother that he was on his way to meet Natalia, he instead set off for a ramshackle settlement none of their family had ever heard of and died there alone. A famed physician, her grandfather must have known that he was too ill to travel. Why he left home becomes a riddle Natalia is compelled to unravel.

Grief struck and searching for clues to her grandfather’s final state of mind, she turns to the stories he told her when she was a child. On their weekly trips to the zoo he would read to her from a worn copy of Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book, which he carried with him everywhere; later, he told her stories of his own encounters over many years with “the deathless man,” a vagabond who claimed to be immortal and appeared never to age.

But the most extraordinary story of all is the one her grandfather never told her, the one Natalia must discover for herself. One winter during the Second World War, his childhood village was snowbound, cut off even from the encroaching German invaders but haunted by another, fierce presence: a tiger who comes ever closer under cover of darkness. “These stories,” Natalia comes to understand, “run like secret rivers through all the other stories” of her grandfather’s life. And it is ultimately within these rich, luminous narratives that she will find the answer she is looking for. – Publishers Website

I really enjoyed this book.  I originally had gotten it because it was on the long list for the Orange Prize.  I was immediately absorbed into the story within a story within a story.  Starting with the death of her grandfather, the grief, pain and questions why he went away from his home to die was the first questions on her mind.  As she travels between her job as a Doctor and locating her grandfathers belongings where he died is just at the tip of the iceberg.  Written with the grace and style of someone who is not only learned but talented, Tea does it effortlessly, and get this she is only in her mid 20′s and it is her first novel.  I cannot begin to even wait for her latest, I want it here already.  This is the book that did win the 2011 Orange Prize for Fiction.  She is the youngest winner of that prize ever !!

Tea’s Website – Tea on Facebook  - Twitter

#53 – Up Up Up – Julie Booker

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A radiant debut collection from Canada’s freshest new voice in fiction.

Up Up Up heralds the arrival of a writer of astonishing range, compassion and acuity. In this taut collection of twenty short, sharp stories Julie Booker grabs the reins from writers like Lydia Millet and Miranda July and takes off at full speed, and in directions all her own.

A pair of plus-sized friends make tracks for a kayaking trip in Alaska. A woman vacations with her parents at a Texas trailer park, wondering why she can’t meet a man. A worldly member of a tour group selects sacrifices from among the most cherished belongings of her fellow travellers. A young man dreams of rescuing an abusive friend’s girlfriend — and of having her for himself. Through these deceptively simple storylines, Booker reminds us of the power of words to enlighten and move us — but most of all, to delight us. Her writing is a revelation — wildly whimsical and yet razor-sharp, highly unusual and yet prompting gasps of recognition on every page. Reader, prepare to meet your new favourite writer. – Publishers Website

I really loved this book of short stories.  Julie’s fiction is one of those rare things.  Although short in stature, they contain large immeasurable acts of life.  Sure, they all may be mundane to some, she weaves the stories effortlessly, entangling you into the plot, until she is ready to let you go.  They leave you thinking what would I have done in such a situation? Would I have done exactly that? Would I have done something differently?  Other than that she also gives you some laugh out loud moments especially in the first of the stories  Geology in Motion where two women who are overweight travel to Alaska for a once in a lifetime trip with 2 girlfriends.  From the odd and somewhat quirky owner of the B and B they stay in, to the trip in kayaks to view glaciers up close…she evokes this comedic trip between 2 women who are attempting to do something different, life changing, at least in their own lives.  IF you are in the mood for some short fiction, go and get this one.  Like I stated earlier, it is good.  I cannot wait to see some of her longer fiction, she had promised me on twitter that if I wanted to read it she would write it.   Julie, this is your challenge if you choose to accept …

Follow Julie on Twitter - Goodreads

#52 – The Witch of Babylon – D. J. McIntosh

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Out of the searing heat and sandstorms of the infamous summer of 2003 in Baghdad comes The Witch of Babylon, a gripping story rooted in ancient Assyrian lore and its little-known but profound significance for the world.

John Madison is a Turkish-American art dealer raised by his much older brother, Samuel, a mover and shaker in New York’s art world. Caught between his brother’s obsession with saving a priceless relic looted from Iraq’s National Museum and a deadly game of revenge staged by his childhood friend, John must solve a puzzle to find the link between a modern-day witch and an ancient one.

Aided by Tomas, an archaeologist, and Ari, an Iraqi photojournalist—two men with their own secrets to hide—John races against time to unearth the dark history behind the old science of alchemy: Is the notion of turning lead into gold possible after all?

Against his will John is taken back to Iraq. Awaiting him is a fabulous underground treasure trove and the truth behind a famous story the world believes is only a myth. - Publishers Website

I have to admit, I really loved the suspense, the adventure, and the narrative in this book ! I literally devoured it in one sitting, one night, I could not put this book down for a moment ! This happens to be book 1 of a three book series.  I just realized that and it answers so many questions I had about the book, so I won’t bore you with them, because they will probably show up in book 2 or three of the series.  It had nagged me for a long time, now I can let it go and see if it appears in the next book, which I cannot wait to read and devour maybe just as fast as I did this one.  D.J. sends you on a thrill ride you won’t soon forget.  This book has been compared to some of Dan Brown’s work, but I wouldn’t believe it for a second.  It is much better !

The Babylon Trilogy Website – D.J. McIntosh on Facebook – Twitter

#51 – Jamrach’s Menagerie – Carol Birch

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London, 1857: meet Jaf, a young street urchin who survives an encounter with an escaped tiger in the city’s East End and stumbles into a job for its owner, Mr. Jamrach, a collector and seller of wild animals.

Commissioned by Jamrach to find and collect a half-mythical dragon, Jaf joins a whaling ship headed south and begins a wonder-filled voyage of discovery. But when disaster befalls the crew, Jaf ’s journey becomes a desperate survival tale that pushes love, friendship and humanity to their outermost limits.

Beautifully written and utterly spellbinding, Jamrach’s Menagerie conjures the smells, sights and flavours of the nineteenth century, from the squalor of Victorian London to the lush islands of the Dutch East Indies. A great, salty, historical adventure, with an extraordinary story of love and sacrifice at its core, this book is an astonishing literary achievement. – Publishers Website

I really enjoyed this novel.  With Jaf learning the animal trade as you would call it by being hands on, he realizes that he is doing something he enjoys, as well as learning about all sorts of new and unknown things.  Then comes the ship, with all of its quirky, but hard-working crew.  Some of the crew will never know just how much they gave.  It will only be two people on the boat who will fully know that.  Will they talk about it? Will they agonize over their dire straits and do the unthinkable?  You will just have to read the novel to find out just how much the crew sacrificed.  It was a bit unsettling for me, but Carol swept me up in the narrative, and ultimately spat me out, it was that good, between the long tales the crew told, the adventures, the drink, the animal (at least I think it was an animal) they search for, as well as the sacrifices they all give.  Will they come back the same as when they left?  You will have to be the judge about that.

Jamrach’s Menagerie was long-listed for the 2011 Orange Prize.


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#50 – Pigeon English – Stephen Kelman

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Newly arrived from Ghana with his mother and older sister, eleven-year-old Harrison Opoku lives on the ninth floor of a block of flats on a London housing estate.

The second best runner in his grade, Harri races through his new life in his personalized trainers — the Adidas stripes drawn on with marker — blissfully unaware of the very real threat all around him.

With equal fascination for the local gang — the Dell Farm Crew — and the pigeon who visits his balcony, Harri absorbs the many strange elements of his new life in England: watching, listening, and learning the tricks of inner-city survival. But when a boy is knifed to death on the high street and a police appeal for witnesses draws only silence, Harri decides to start a murder investigation of his own.

In doing so, he unwittingly endangers the fragile web his mother has spun around her family to try to keep them safe.

A story of innocence and experience, hope and harsh reality, Pigeon English is a spellbinding portrayal of a boy balancing on the edge of manhood and of the forces around him that try to shape the way he falls. - Publisher’s Website

I really loved this book!  The innocence of Harrison is incomparable in any sense of the word.  You can feel the innocence in him even before you know anything about him and the world he has moved to from Ghana.  In his home country, he is innocent, open to everything, can do anything within the confines of his little village.  His parents who have strived for a better life – his mother, sister and Harrison move to London, England, to ap lace that is the exact opposite of what they left in a sense.

Will the innocence of Harrison ultimately get him into trouble?  Will his innocence be able to exit him from situations he has no idea what will happen with the neighbourhood gangs?  I have to admit, I was praying that Harrison would find the killer(s) in the end.  Did he ultimately? I know, but I can’t tell you, hence the reason of the book review – for you to go out and get the book !

Guaranteed, one of the best books I have read this year!! Harrison’s innocence and vernacular is laugh out loud funny throughout the book, don’t let this book pass you by, I beg of you !

Wait, cannot forget about the pigeon !! You will know what I mean…when you read the book ;-)   Make sure you also view the videos I have posted as well, stupendous.

Bloomsbury also publishes this book in the UK – Official Website

#49 – Don’t Breathe A Word – Jennifer McMahon

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On a soft summer night in Vermont, twelve-year-old Lisa went into the woods behind her house and never came out again. Before she disappeared, she told her little brother, Sam, about a door that led to a magical place where she would meet the King of the Fairies and become his queen.

Fifteen years later, Phoebe is in love with Sam, a practical, sensible man who doesn’t fear the dark and doesn’t have bad dreams—who, in fact, helps Phoebe ignore her own. But suddenly the couple is faced with a series of eerie, unexplained occurrences that challenge Sam’s hardheaded, realistic view of the world. As they question their reality, a terrible promise Sam made years ago is revealed—a promise that could destroy them all. - Publishers Website

This was an unexpected book from the publisher.  I am almost glad that I didn’t leave it on the bookcase.  From the first few pages I was taken in…In the first few hours I was engrossed in this book to the point where I swear this has NEVER happened before, but, the hair on the back of my neck started standing up.  You have to admit, that is one great book !

It flips  from past to present in the chapter set-up,  where Jenifer gives you a brief glimpse into both, then switches you away to another part.  It was creepy, it was suspenseful, it was scary!  I loved it from the beginning, and if you love books like this you will not be disappointed in the least.

Just don’t read this one on a cold dreary raining night, it will creep you out even more !

Jennifer’s Website – Reading Group Guide – Facebook – Goodreads – Twitter


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#48 – Irma Voth – Miriam Toews

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Irma Voth entangles love, longing and dark family secrets. The stifling, reclusive Mennonite life of nineteen-year-old Irma Voth – newly married and newly deserted and as unforgettable a character as Nomi Nickel in A Complicated Kindness – is irrevocably changed when a film crew moves in to make a movie about the community.

She embraces the absurdity, creative passion and warmth of their world but her intractable and domineering father is determined to keep her from it at all costs.

The confrontation between them sets her on an irrevocable path towards something that feels like freedom as she and her young sister, Aggie, wise beyond her teenage years, flee to the city, upheld only by their love for each other and their smart wit, even as they begin to understand the tragedy that has their family in its grip.

Irma Voth delves into the complicated factors that set us on the road to self-discovery and how we can sometimes find the strength to endure the really hard things that happen. And as Gustavo, a taxi driver, says, you go on, you live and you laugh and you are compassionate toward others.

It also asks that most difficult of questions: How do we forgive? And most importantly, how do we forgive ourselves? – Publishers Website

I really loved this novel, Miriam brings together things that you wouldn’t normally hear or see – Mennonites and Mexico.  She brings them together so swiftly, that you can’t imagine them ever being from two different worlds.    Of course there is something amiss in the family to make the oldest daughter go and marry the first man she comes across just to anger her father, but as she does this something weakens, she is an outcast from the only family she is known, never to return to her family ever again.

What I wasn’t expecting what happens at the end of the novel, which, I won’t and probably ever won’t spill the beans at least on here, because,  you know that’s how I roll.  But wow it really packed a punch, just the immensity of what actually happened just blew me away.  Not only shocked, but angry that someone could do that and still not have any sort of consciousness about it, or the consequences.  I am still shaking my head as I think about that moment and a few before that…How could they do that ?!?

Anyhow, go and get it.  I read her previous novel The Flying Troutmans when it was published and absolutely loved it.  If you have read any of her other previous books, you will love this one for sure.  Trust me right?

#47 – Lyrics Alley – Leila Aboulela

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In 1950s Sudan, the powerful Abuzeid dynasty has amassed a fortune through their trading firm with Mahmoud Bey at its helm. But when Mahmoud’s son, Nur, suffers a debilitating accident, the family is suddenly divided in the face of an uncertain future.

As British rule nears its end, Sudan is torn between modernizing influences and the call of traditions past — a conflict reflected in Mahmoud’s two wives: Nabilah, who longs to escape the dust of “backward-looking” Sudan, and Waheeba, who lives traditionally within the confines of her open-air kitchen. It is not until Nur begins to assert himself outside the strict cultural limits that both his own spirit and the frayed bonds of his family can begin to mend.

This sweeping tale by the IMPAC and Orange Prize– nominated writer is one of the most accomplished and evocative portraits ever written about Sudanese society at the time of independence. – Publishers Website

This is the first of the long-listed books for the 2011 Orange Prize I intend to read in the next few months.  As you may or may not know, the winner of the prize will be announced on June 18, 2011.

I enjoyed getting to see a snapshot into 1950′s Sudan, while this family and many others were trying to establish their own voice.  Something of which is still happening in this area today.  The older parents and elders of the family already stuck in their own ways learnt from their elders, the young people learning those ways and incorporating their own amid turmoil, non acceptance from their parents, and war.

It was interesting how some things do change over time, and some do not.  The accident of Nur twists and turns the family apart and fighting to find their own voice, their way of dealing with the pain and uncertainty of what will be.

Leila’s Website

#46 – The Bayou Trilogy – Daniel Woodrell

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In the parish of St. Bruno, sex is easy, corruption festers, and double-dealing is a way of life. Rene Shade is an uncompromising detective swimming in a sea of filth.

As Shade takes on hit men, porn kings, a gang of ex-cons, and the ghosts of his own checkered past, Woodrell’s three seminal novels pit long-entrenched criminals against the hard line of the law, brother against brother, and two vastly different sons against a long-absent father.

THE BAYOU TRILOGY highlights the origins of a one-of-a-kind author, a writer who for over two decades has created an indelible representation of the shadows of the rural American experience and has steadily built a devoted following among crime fiction aficionados and esteemed literary critics alike. - Publishers Website

This is a great trilogy of books !  You don’t know the year, or the decade that they take place, but it gives you the feeling of a gritty place in Louisiana, where just about anything goes.   Either in town or outside of, everyone seems to have a brilliant idea to get out of the problem they are in, even if crime was the original thing that put them in the predicament in the first place.

All three separately give you a greater sense of the main characters, the town, and the people.  Even though Rene Shade has a past of his own, as all of the people do in this town, it doesn’t stop him from finding the bad guys, he just knows how to get them better than the bad guys think he would.

Just a side note, Daniel is the author of Winter’s Bone, which was also nominated for an Oscar last year.

May the 4th Be With You !! An Extra Special Contest !!

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This is an extra special day.  Today marks the 35th Anniversary of Star Wars ! DK Canada (more importantly one person who works there Chris) has come up with an utterly AMAZING contest.  I have to say, when I first asked him if he had some swag hanging around the office, I was totally knocked off my chair literally when he emailed me to tell me about this.  I LOVE IT SO MUCH !!

Here it is !!

Starting today and running until May 31, 2011 at 6pm EST is to simply send us a photo of yourself, your friends or your family reading a Star Wars book and you could win a complete DK Star Wars library worth over $400 as well as a full set of our Star Wars DK Readers donated to a Canadian school or library of your choice!

For every photo submitted, DK Publishing will donate a “toonie” to Frontier College, Canada’s original literacy organization.

GO HERE TO ENTER

TO ENTER:
Take a photo of yourself, friends or family with a Star Wars book and send it in to us at general@tourmaline.ca (jpgs only, no larger than 5 mb). Please include the headline MAY THE 4th BE WITH YOU in your email. One lucky entrant will win a complete DK Star Wars collection and a Canadian school or library of their choice will receive a complete DK READERS Star Wars set.

Deadline for submissions is May 31st, 2011 6 EDT

This is SUCH a worthwhile cause.  I am literally shocked at how many not only children but adults cannot read today.  So, if you would like more information about the college and what it does, please click the link or on their logo below to learn more.

Frontier College has been a leader in providing literacy programs since 1899. Literacy is an essential skill in today’s world. At Frontier College, we believe it’s a fundamental right. Low literacy skills are directly linked to poverty, poor health and high unemployment. Through a network of thousands of volunteers, Frontier College is helping Canadians to realize their potential and seize the opportunities that come their way. For more information about Frontier College visit www.frontiercollege.ca

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR, GO AND ENTER AND SHARE THE LOVE OF READING !!!

STAR WARS™ and related properties are trademarks and/or copyrights, in the United States and other countries, of Lucasfilm Ltd. and/or its affiliates. TM & © Lucasfilm Ltd.  All rights reserved.  All other trademarks and trade names are properties of their respective owners.

#45 – Star Wars – The ULTIMATE Visual Guide Special Edition 30th Anniversary – Ryder Windham, Daniel Wallace

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The definitive companion to the entire Star Wars phenomenon, in a special updated edition: Star Wars: The Ultimate Visual Guide uncovers the full story of the amazing Star Wars saga, with more than 1,000 images from the movies, cartoons, comics, and novels, along with merchandise, behind-the-scenes photography, and much more!

This Special Edition features brand-new overviews of the latest comic books, new information on merchandise, as well as a special feature on fan celebrations.

The History of the Star Wars galaxy, Key Characters, technology, droids, aliens, and locations.  Behind the scenes information on the making of the movies.  Collectibles and merchandise, Full colour illustrations from the Star Wars Expanded Universe, Comics, Novels, and Video Games. Publishers Website and Back of Hardcover

Seriously, who hasn’t already seen all of the movies at least once?  Either you were a die-hard fan when the first one came out way back in 1976.  Yes, it has been that long.  But in the world of Star Wars, it is just a moment away in one of the extravagant space ships on some far, far away galaxy that we have all come to know and love.

Who was your favorite character?  Luke Skywalker? Darth Vader? Yoda ? Princess Leia? Chewbacca?  Obi Wan Kenobi? Well they are all here and all of the many new characters that have evolved along the years with new and exciting worlds as well.

This book was originally published in 2005, but it was again updated and republished with new content for the 30th Anniversary in 2007.  Since the series came out there have been novelizations, new series, movies, readers, and comics that keep the universe alive even today.

As my son and I looked through the book, we loved the full colour illustrations and the not so new facts that we never knew about.  A few years ago, we entered a contest from DK in the United States for a Star Wars contest, and he happened to win!  I think the blog was asking what his favorite character was, as DK was releasing one of their now best-selling books Lego Star Wars Visual Dictionary.

Another reason he was so into Star Wars, was that he was about to compete in a Lego League competition where the kids built their own robots and competed on a course doing different things with their somewhat homemade robots.  When they did compete, they WON the spirit award for their participation at the event!

So, as May the 4th Be With You Day begins or ends where ever you may be in our own universe, come and take a look inside this book and the many others that DK Worldwide have published in honor of STAR WARS and May the Force Be With You !!

Above this post is an extra special post about May the 4th Be with You and what DK Canada is doing this year in honor of this humble occasion around the world, so it is so exciting that I can hardly contain myself it WILL be so fun, that is if you choose to participate!! For details go click here

Since this book was republished back in 2007 and it was the 30th anniversary,  since it is 2011 that means an even more special anniversary – the 35th one !! Long live the FORCE !

Star Wars Site – DK Canada – DK USA

This is the trailer for Star Wars trailer from 1997 Special Edition ENJOY !!

Mini Q and A With Author Robert Rotenberg

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I have to say this man is so busy, I cannot see where he finds the time for everything he does! I am even tired reading about it !

Without further interruption, please welcome Robert Rotenberg who has published his 2nd book entitled The Guilty Plea.  It has been released in Canada today, so go out and get it, trust me, you will love it !

With such a busy schedule, what or where, when were you hit with the writing bug? – It is hard for me to remember a time when I didn’t want to write. Tell stories. But the reality of my chaotic life, is that it wasn’t until I was finished being a magazine editor and radio producer that I really sat down to write. Logical time. I’d just started practicing law, was broke so was working about 100 hours a week, we were just having our first of three kids, and of course I was still playing hockey every Monday night. Hey, you need energy to do this job.

Have you taken some or many details from your real life cases and incorporated them into this novel or your previous one? – As you know I’m a criminal lawyer and client confidentiality is paramount. (Unfortunate sometimes, you wouldn’t believe the stories I hear. The other day a new client came in and told me…). In fact it’s not a joking matter, I would never betray a confidence.  So the stories are not from my own cases, or any others. But I truly believe the adage, that the great advantage that fiction writers have over non-fiction writers is that we can tell the truth.

Does life imitate art in some circumstances? – Well, in Old City Hall when Nancy Parish, exhausted, flops into the chair in her office and is overwhelmed by the volume of voice mails, emails, letters, demands on her time. Ask any criminal lawyer.

As the lawyer in the book, do you follow the same principles in your real life practice – not letting yourself believe or disbelieve your clients? – The best chess players always try to see the board from their opponent’s point of view.

If you could choose between being a lawyer for the rest of your life or being a writer, what would you choose? – Simon & Schuster want to sign me for two million dollars a book for the next ten years. Brad Pitt wants to star in Old City Hall, and Angelina (I call her Angie now) is dying to play Sam in The Guilty Plea. John Grisham and Scott Turow want to spend the winter with me in Hawaii working on the screenplay.  I think I’ll go back to bail court (where I was on Monday) for a few more clients.

If you had died and had the chance to come back as anyone or anything you wanted what would it be? Why? – See answer to question 5

What is the one talent besides writing would you want to have? – A better slap shot. Thirty years of playing hockey and it still sucks. But hey, I’m an excellent passer.

If you could live in one place in the whole world where would it be? Why? – Paris me manque. With money this time.

I see on your website that you volunteer for a Rehab Clinic in Toronto.  What was the main reason you decided to go this route?  Have you seen  the worst case scenario ever, and the person has turned around to make a full recovery and a good representation of being clean and sober? – I am the least addictive person you will ever meet. But for 20 years I’ve seen people and families torn apart and destroyed by addiction. And yes, I am extremely proud to say that I’ve seen so many of my clients totally turn their lives around. It is the greatest part of my job.

Do you have any pet-peeves? What would they be? – Those tiny tea pots you get in restaurants that always spill no matter what you do. The way we treat poor people in this rich city.

#44 – The Guilty Plea – Robert Rotenberg

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On the morning that his headline-grabbing divorce trial is set to begin, Terrance Wyler, youngest son of the Wyler Food dynasty, is found stabbed to death in the kitchen of his million-dollar home.

Detective Ari Greene arrives minutes before the press and finds Wyler’s four-year-old son asleep upstairs. When Wyler’s ex-wife, a strange beauty named Samantha, shows up at her lawyer’s office with a bloody knife, it looks as if the case is over.

But Greene soon discovers the Wyler family has secrets they’d like to keep hidden, and they’re not the only ones. If there’s one thing Greene knows, it’s that the truth is never simple. - Publishers Website

I really enjoyed this thriller. This is Robert’s 2nd book, I haven’t had the opportunity to read his first.  If it is anything like this novel I am in for a treat.  Well written, deeply plotted to have you thinking about who really did it, will have you turning the pages as fast as you can read, so that you can learn who did it, why, and the secrets that are hidden inside the Wyler family.  Brilliant from the first page.

Stay tuned after this review of Robert’s newest book, as I got to do a Q and A with him recently during his ultra busy full-time law practice, his writing this book, the publicity for it, and the many other activities that he does.  I swear I don’t honestly know where he finds the time!

Today, just happens to be release day !! So go out and get the book !

Robert’s Website – Robert on Twitter - Robert on Facebook -Read the First Chapter - Follow Simon and Schuster on Foursquare

#43 – The Linen Queen – Patrica Falvey

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Abandoned by her father and neglected by her self-centered, unstable mother, Sheila McGee cannot wait to escape the drudgery of her mill village life in Northern Ireland.

Her classic Irish beauty helps her win the 1941 Linen Queen competition, and the prize money that goes with it finally gives her the opportunity she’s been dreaming of. But Sheila does not count on the impact of the Belfast blitz which brings World War II to her doorstep.

Now even her good looks are useless in the face of travel restrictions, and her earlier resolve is eroded by her ma’s fear of being left alone.

When American troops set up base in her village, some see them as occupiers but Sheila sees them as saviors–one of them may be her ticket out. Despite objections from her childhood friend, Gavin O’Rourke, she sets her sights on an attractive Jewish-American army officer named Joel Solomon, but her plans are interrupted by the arrival of a street-wise young evacuee from Belfast.

Frustrated, Sheila fights to hold on to her dream but slowly her priorities change as the people of Northern Ireland put old divisions aside and bond together in a common purpose to fight the Germans. Sheila’s affection for Joel grows as she and Gavin are driven farther apart. As the war moves steadily closer to those she has grown to love, Sheila confronts more abandonment and loss, and finds true strength, compassion, and a meaning for life outside of herself. – Publishers Website

I was looking forward to reading this, after I had read her first book The Yellow House.  I was a bit disappointed in this one.  It just didn’t have that wow factor like it did in her first novel.  Although, it does follow along the same lines, it just didn’t grab me as much as the Yellow House did.

Download the Reading Group Guide

#42 – Guilt By Association – Marcia Clark

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Los Angeles D.A. Rachel Knight is a tenacious, wise-cracking, and fiercely intelligent prosecutor in the city’s most elite division.

When her colleague, Jake, is found dead at a grisly crime scene, Rachel is shaken to the core. She must take over his toughest case: the assault of a young woman from a prominent family.

But she can’t stop herself from digging deeper into Jake’s death, a decision that exposes a world of power and violence and will have her risking her reputation–and her life–to find the truth.

With her tremendous expertise in the nuances of L.A. courts and crime, and with a vibrant ensemble cast of characters, Marcia Clark combines intimate detail, riotous humor, and visceral action in a debut thriller that marks the launch of a major new figure on the crime-writing scene. - Publishers Website

I really liked this book ! Very intelligently written, Marcia takes it one step further in Guilt By Association.  Wise cracking, Good Looking,  with the tenacity, humour, and no-nonsense attitude, with a smidgen of screw you thrown in, she gives the book and her characters that edge that I haven’t seen before.  As for the usual fare of cop and lawyer hooking up scenario, thankfully which isn’t in the book gives it even more authenticity.

Who knows what will happen in the second book, but, I’m hoping that it is just as good or even better than the first.

Listen to an excerpt – Marcia’s Website

#41 – The Finkler Question – Howard Jacobson

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‘He should have seen it coming. His life had been one mishap after another. So he should have been prepared for this one…’

Julian Treslove, a professionally unspectacular former BBC radio producer, and Sam Finkler, a popular Jewish philosopher, writer and television personality, are old school friends. Despite a prickly relationship and very different lives, they’ve never quite lost touch with each other – or with their former teacher, Libor Sevick, a Czech always more concerned with the wider world than with exam results.

Now, both Libor and Finkler are recently widowed, and with Treslove, his chequered and unsuccessful record with women rendering him an honorary third widower, they dine at Libor’s grand, central London apartment.

It’s a sweetly painful evening of reminiscence in which all three remove themselves to a time before they had loved and lost; a time before they had fathered children, before the devastation of separations, before they had prized anything greatly enough to fear the loss of it. Better, perhaps, to go through life without knowing happiness at all because that way you have less to mourn? Treslove finds he has tears enough for the unbearable sadness of both his friends’ losses.

And it’s that very evening, at exactly 11:30 pm, as Treslove, walking home, hesitates a moment outside the window of the oldest violin dealer in the country, that he is attacked. And after this, his whole sense of who and what he is will slowly and ineluctably change.

The Finkler Question is a scorching story of friendship and loss, exclusion and belonging, and of the wisdom and humanity of maturity. Funny, furious, unflinching, this extraordinary novel shows one of our finest writers at his brilliant best. – Publishers Website

I was looking forward to this book, when I started reading it, was a whole other story.  It does sound promising from the book jacket/description.

I stopped reading it at about 100 pages in.  I could not stand one of the characters (Treslove) whining throughout the whole entire book.  The 2 other men are talking about their recently deceased wives, while the Treslove was talking how unlucky in love he has been in…never married, etc., when all of a sudden he is  walking home and stops in front of the old music store where he is robbed by a woman.

There was an interesting thread of both of the men being jewish, what it meant to them, whether it mattered in their lives.  Treslove (the whiner) has always wanted to be Jewish.  He honestly thinks that if he was born Jewish, he would have fared better in live and love.  I did understand the plot of the book, it was Treslove’s incessant whining and complaining that turned me off the book.

From what I understand about the book and consensus is that you either loved it or hated it.  Not a clear definitive between the two.

The Finkler Question won the 2010 Man Booker Prize for Fiction.

#40 – Eona – Alison Goodman

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Eon is now Eona, the Mirror Dragoneye, on the run (with Ryko and Lady Dela) from High Lord Sethon’s army. She is also struggling to bear the anguish of the ten dragons whose Dragoneyes were murdered by Lord Ido; as they focus their grief through her, she becomes a dangerous conduit for their power.

The three renegades are on a quest for two things: first, the black folio, stolen by the drug-riddled Dillon. And then they must also find Kygo, the young Pearl Emperor, who needs Eona’s power and the black folio if he is to wrest back his throne from the self-styled “Emperor” Sethon …- Publishers Website

I could NOT put this book down when I received it.  The first book - Eon Dragoneye Reborn -  (my review) was such a vividly exciting book, I wasn’t sure if I was going to last until the 2nd book was published.  I BARELY made it.  Even though I had another book I was reading, I put it down to immediately get started on Eona, and boy oh boy, I wasn’t disappointed in the least !

I cannot belive that Alison is that talented as a writer.  Especially for young adults, these books encompass just about everything that anyone even adults would want in a thrilling, action packed book such as this.

She is torn between 2 lovers, she is attempting to control her powers, save the country, as well as countless lives all in a short period of time before she is discovered and brought to the dark side.

I cannot believe the imagination that the author has achieved with these two books.  It is so vivid as you are actually there with everything happening the smells, the joyous victories, the ability to heal the earth as well as a few other things you will find out in the book.  I cannot say enough about these books !! GO AND GET THEM !! It won’t matter if you are 12 or older anyone will enjoy these books, I PROMISE !!

I love, love, LOVED these books !!!

Did I mention that there are also fantastic life lessons in these books as well?!?

Destination Elsewhere on Ning (you may be able to enter contests and win yourself a copy)

Eon and Eona Book Site

Become a fan on Facebook of EON: Dragoneye Reborn

Alison’s Website

#39 – Earth Matters – An Encyclopedia of Ecology – David De Rothschild

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With a biome-by-biome structure that mirrors Mother Nature’s own design, Earth Matters is a celebration of our fragile Earth, a warning to protect it, and an inspiring source book full of ideas for making a positive change.

A family encyclopedia, Earth Matters celebrates our incredible world from the Arctic to the Amazon.

It explores our planet’s habitats, examines how climate change effects the animals and plants that live in each one, and advises on the positive practical things we can do to help! - Publishers Website, Back Cover

Did you know that one person can make all the difference when helping to protect our fragile planet ?Just imagine if that one person recruited another and so on !

If only we were the change we all wished to see in the world – We could and would change it for the better.

If everyone made a conscious decision to change just one thing – either by understanding, being motivated  and committed,  we would achieve what all of the scientists are saying now, or at least have the planet last just a bit longer.

This book includes absolutely everything you will ever want to know about the earth’s ecology.  From glaciers to the largest mountains to the bottom of the deepest sea.  With full colour photographs, facts which I have to say are very easily understandable.

What is it you are waiting for?  Let’s change our ways and help our planet live a bit longer so other generations will be able to experience its beauty and awe.

So in honour of Earth Day that is tomorrow do something for the Earth !

#38 – Home Herbal – Cook, Brew, and Blend Your Own Herbs – DK Publishing

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Recommending herbs for both well-being and minor ailments, featuring an A-Z directory of 100 key herbs, and with information on how to grow, harvest, prepare, and use them, Home Herbal offers a wealth of practical advice on the medicinal, cleaning, and consumptive uses of herbs, with the emphasis on what anyone can achieve in their garden and kitchen.

Use the directory of the key medicinal herbs to discover what each herb can treat, how to harvest and grow it.  How to use it to make a remedy, how to apply it – with detailed dosage advise.

Follow the step-by-step photographic demonstrations and recipes to make creams, bath soaks, face masks, soaps, and a hugs variety of homemade remedies in your own kitchen.

Eat to heal with over 70 recipes for herbal teas, tinctures, smoothies, salads, and soups. – Publishers Website and Back Cover

I looked at this for the better part of the weekend and I absolutely fell in love with the book.  Nowadays, more and more people are going back in time to what they used to do in the old days – things that we take for granted today, how we get them, etc.  This book changes that – by going back to what used to be, we are going back to nature – using what is natural instead of just popping a pill that the doctor gave us.  As I type this, I too want to go back in time and use some of these herbs to try to see if it does really work.

I have to really point this out – PLEASE USE CAUTION !

Some of these herbs can make you quite ill, so please only see your doctor if you are already on medication, pregnant, or a qualified herbalist to make sure that you are doing it correctly.  Some of these herbs can make you really ill if taken improperly.

You probably use herbs on your day-to-day life – herbal teas, shampoos, creams, etc., have started making their way back into being “fashionable” once again.  But, really I think it shouldn’t have gone out of fashion.  We pay for expensive items already.  This is a great way of going natural and saving money.

I think that these books are also a great companion to this one – The Cook’s Herb Garden and Grow Herbs

Who is with me ?

#37 – Express Housekeeping – Anna Shepard

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Do you dream of being a domestic goddess but the reality is more of a domestic disaster?

Don’t Despair! Express Housekeeping shows you how to blitz your home in no time at all.

From cleaning and laundry to stain removal and de-cluttering, time-saving techniques are shown step-by-step – and in timed units.

Checklists highlight the essential jobs to do, as well as what not to do.

Shows you how to put together essentials kits for the kitchen and bathroom, for organizing, ironing, and natural cleaning. – Back Cover

I was going through this book on the weekend and the thought dawned on me, this wold be a great book for those that are moving away from home for the first time – college, or even having a new addition to your family.

It is packed with everything you need to know about all aspects of cleaning fast – even ironing!  There are also tips on how to use natural ways of doing it, without harming the environment.

It does have everything and more.  So, guys, if you are reading this, don’t be deterred from all of the pink on the cover, it isn’t only for the girls, it relates to guys as well ! Even with all of our busy lives, there never seems to be enough time in the day, so this book will appeal to everyone that wants or needs to gain some more time in our everyday lives.