The Stuffed Shelf

The Classics Challenge 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Susie) — Fri, 30 May 2008 03:13:00 +0000

I just can't pass this one up... The Classics Challenge 2008 is now open for sign ups and will begin on July 1 and will last through December 31, 2008. There are a few options to choose from, and the goal I've selected is to simply read five classics. Audiobooks are okay, and cross-posting is allowed. Here is my list:

Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom
The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky
A Night to Remember by Walter Lord
The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham

I am also planning on doing the "bonus round" where we will read a book that we consider to be a new classic. I'll be reading Atonement by Ian McEwan for the sixth bonus book.

Review: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

noreply@blogger.com (Susie) — Thu, 29 May 2008 22:26:00 +0000

Rating: 9 · 552 pages
Read for The tl;dr Challenge

This book came highly recommended and positively reviewed by so many different readers, both offline and online. In the back of my mind, I knew there was a possibility that this would be one of those books that become popularized in the reading world for no real concrete reason. Thankfully, that wasn't the case with The Book Thief.

Narrated by Death himself, you'd think this novel would be mostly depressing. Quite the opposite; it is life-affirming. As we walk with Liesel through her formative years we watch as she becomes wise beyond her time, thanks to her surroundings, choices, and circumstances. Living as a foster child in Germany during World War II, Liesel's life is enriched by her friends, neighbors, family, and is damaged irretrievably by enemies she didn't deserve. Although this is a fictional account, I feel that in many ways, Liesel's experiences are symbolical and utterly essential to learning about the inexplainable truths and disappointments that so many have had to face. As she makes her way through the terrors of war, Liesel conveys a heart of courage and thoughtfulness that many would have trouble displaying in peacetime.

Throughout the novel, Liesel steals books. Sometimes from desperation, sometimes from anger, and sometimes just because they are there for the taking. But Liesel isn't a typical thief, not by any means. Books mean even more to Liesel than they do to most of us who consider ourselves bookworms. Her books are real, sacred connections to her past, present, and future.

It's not often you find a novel that is written so simply yet so lyrically. The way the author used words, it was just amazing. Here are a few quotes:

It kills me sometimes, how people die.

Even the wrinkles around her eyes were joining hands.

Imagine smiling after a slap in the face. Then think of doing it twenty-four hours a day. That was the business of hiding a Jew.

She could see the light on Max's eggshell face and even taste the human flavor of his words.

I can now officially join the multitude of people who hold this book and its deeply creative author in high esteem.

Vacationing

noreply@blogger.com (Susie) — Sun, 25 May 2008 12:58:00 +0000

Gosh, I cannot believe it's been over a week since I posted. When I started this book blog, I planned to post at least every other day. And I still want to do that, I just simply have not had the time to this past week or so. I've been working some overtime at my job, plus I've been getting ready to go on vacation! My husband and I are traveling to Charleston, South Carolina today and we'll be back on Friday. I'm very much looking forward to seeing a city I've never visited, but I must admit also being excited about getting away and having a chance to read some!

I actually finished Prince Caspian last night. It was pretty good, but I felt like it was a bit discombobulated. Like Lewis was trying to fit 30 different characters into a 234-page book. I'm not knocking it, don't get me wrong; and I'm still going to go see the movie. I just wasn't totally impressed like with The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.

Anyway, I will be back on Friday, hopefully with some fun vacation pictures as well as a few book reviews! Happy Memorial Day, to those of you in the U.S. Remember those who have given their lives for our freedoms.

Review: Pretty Little Mistakes by Heather McElhatton

noreply@blogger.com (Susie) — Sat, 17 May 2008 15:53:00 +0000

Rating: 6 · 501 pages

I wouldn't go so far as to say that buying this book was, in itself, a "pretty little mistake", but I will admit that this is yet another lesson I've learned in not judging a book by its cover. I purchased Pretty Little Mistakes because it looked cool. I did read the premise, and thought an adult version of the choose your own adventure would make for a fun read. And it did, kind of. Maybe I'm just too much of a traditionalist to be able to truly enjoy a book that is written this way. You have to keep going back to the first page to start over on a new adventure. I did this about 10 times, but each adventure only lasted about 12-20 pages each, and then you were dead and had to go back to the beginning all over again.

Eventually, I gave up and just read the book straight through. The various story lines ranged from interesting or fulfilling to scary or depressing. Obviously, the author wrote this book for women to read, because the main character (you) is a female. She meets all types of people, travels to different areas of the world (most of them outside the U.S., I noticed), and ends up in situations good, bad or terrible. If you read the book straight through, you'll find that near the end, you die on every other page. It's an interesting reading experience.

This book made me thankful for my own very uneventful life and for the ultimately mundane choices I've made.

The busiest week

noreply@blogger.com (Susie) — Thu, 15 May 2008 22:51:00 +0000

Goodness, gracious, it's been a busy week! Not my favorite kind of week, either, let me tell you. I've been working 9-10 hours on my job every day. I do love my job, and I'm very thankful for the company I work for, but dang, I'm tired! And it's cutting into my reading time, too (and apparently my blogging time as well), which certainly isn't cool. I'm pretty much worthless each night when I finally get home, so mentally and intellectually drained I can only concentrate long enough to read a chapter or two before I realize the words on the page are swimming around and fading in and out.

Oh well. Next week promises to be better, as my boss will be back in the office and she will take a lot of the load off (I have a fantastic boss, another big blessing in my life). And then the next week will definitely be even better, because I will be on vacation! I can't wait. Jeff and I haven't decided if we're going to take a trip or just stay home. Our house is in severe need of some spring cleaning (pretty soon it's going to have to be called summer cleaning, and who wants to do anything in the summer? Not me!). So we thought about staying here and doing some small home improvement projects and general cleaning. But we haven't been on a real vacation in 3 years, so we think it's time for a getaway. I'm craftily nudging Jeff toward agreeing to us going to a beach and being complete and total bums for a week. I can't think of anything that sounds better at this moment as I recover from another long, hard day at work!

Got any recommendations on where we could go (preferably somewhere in the Southeast USA)? And what about you? Are you going on any vacations this year?

I like movies, too!

noreply@blogger.com (Susie) — Sun, 11 May 2008 00:14:00 +0000

Last week, Jeff and I went to see Iron Man. It was a fantastic film, one of the best we've seen in the theater in a long time. The other night, we watched Deja Vu, which we got from our Netflix queue. I hopped on IMDB to check out the cast, and I always like to surf around there a little and see what movies are in the works. I'm pretty excited to see that they're supposedly (hopefully) making a film about the early life of a Vivaldi. It will be starring Joseph Fiennes (loved him in Shakespeare in Love!), and will be set during the time period when Vivaldi became a music teacher for the illegitimate children of Venice's courtesans.

I'm also excited about some other movies that will be coming out soon. Indiana Jones 4, Prince Caspian (I'm currently reading the book), and The Happening all look like they'll be good.

What movies are you looking forward to seeing this summer?

Booking Through Thursday: Manual Labor

noreply@blogger.com (Susie) — Thu, 08 May 2008 14:16:00 +0000

Writing guides, grammar books, punctuation how-tos . . . do you read them? Not read them? How many writing books, grammar books, dictionaries–if any–do you have in your library?

Because of my love affair with words, letters, etc., I have more of these types of books that I probably even should. One of the more recent ones that came into my possession was The Bibliophile's Dictionary: 2,000 Masterful Words and Phrasesby Miles Westley. I adore small, fun reference books like this one. Last year, I read The Gilded Tongue by Rod Evans, about especially eloquent words, which was pretty good.

I also own a few thesauri, copywriting books, and special dictionaries (like one all about words that rhyme). I was very blessed to have great teachers who taught me proper punctuation, spelling, and grammar (even though I do occasionally struggle with the latter).

Covergazing: Twenty Wishes by Debbie Macomber

noreply@blogger.com (Susie) — Wed, 07 May 2008 15:49:00 +0000

I've never read a book by Debbie Macomber, although I do own The Shop on Blossom Street. Twenty Wishes is the new one by Macomber, and the cover should appeal to any booklover. Of course, I love the bookshelves in the picture, but the little dog is adorable and the chair looks mighty comfy. This book is about a woman who owns a successful bookstore in Seattle, but feels empty despite her accomplishments. I may have to pick up a copy of this one sometime, probably after I read the other Macomber book I have on my shelf!

Do you like this cover?

Review: Bulls Island by Dorothea Benton Frank

noreply@blogger.com (Susie) — Tue, 06 May 2008 19:14:00 +0000

Rating: 9 · 334 pages

I was the lucky recipient of an Advance Reader's Copy of Bulls Island by Dorothea Benton Frank. When I got the note that this was the one they were going to send me, I was really thrilled, because I have enjoyed previous novels by this author. Bulls Island was yet another great book, written as most of her others are in the setting of the South Carolina Lowcountry. I've never visited that area of the U.S., but I long to go now that I have "traveled" there through her novels. There's something extra-special about that area, I can tell from just reading about it.

Bulls Island was one of those books that start off fast, then slow (way) down, and then pick up to a nice speed for the last set of chapters. I particularly enjoyed the story of Betts & J.D., the main characters. In a way, I wished that Betts had had the opportunity to tell her big secret before fate told it for her; I would have liked to see her family's reactions (and J.D.'s) in a more normal setting. But maybe it was better the way they did come to find out. The shock of the recent events probably helped to dull the anger that would have inevitably cropped up after finding out what Betts had been hiding for so long.

There were 2 characters I loved to hate: Louisa and Valerie. And maybe this is bad, but I had very little sympathy for Valerie. What a total witch! At the end, at least Louisa redeemed herself somewhat by insisting on some morality and decency regarding the situation between her son and Betts.

Overall, though the story was a bit unbelievable in certain parts, I found myself turning the pages happily, excited to find out what was going to happen next. I wish we would have been able to find out more about how Betts and J.D.'s relationship ended up - an epilogue including their wedding would have been nice. I really wanted to see those two make it happily ever after. But we're led to believe that's what would happen anyway, so I guess that will have to do!

Weekly Geeks #2

noreply@blogger.com (Susie) — Mon, 05 May 2008 15:56:00 +0000

I seriously considered joining in this week's Weekly Geeks idea, but since my book blog is still a baby, I'm going to take a pass on this one. I wouldn't want to commit to something and not be able to deliver. Not that I don't plan on continuing writing here; I just want to concentrate on getting it going well before I promise to do anything extra special such as what is being proposed. Basically, the idea is: When you review a book, if one of your readers emails you their link to their review of the same book, you include their review link on your blog. If you're interested in joining in with this initiative, click on over to Dewey's to sign up!

Six Things About Me

noreply@blogger.com (Susie) — Mon, 05 May 2008 02:10:00 +0000

This Redhead Reads tagged me for this meme. Let's see if I can come up with six things about myself to share with you...

1. My favorite vacation destination is Williamsburg, Virginia. I am fascinated with the Colonial American period, so I'm like a kid in a candy store when we visit Williamsburg.

2. I love to laugh, listen to others laugh, and to make other people laugh whenever I can. And laughing babies are the absolute best.

3. I'm a news junkie. I have to know what is going on in the world, or I just don't feel right. I check the Drudge Report at least 10 times a day.

4. I just turned 30 last March 16th. I hear that this is supposed to be a great decade, and I hope that will be proven true!

5. My husband and I are both only children. We both admit to being spoiled brats. We try to spoil each other as much as possible.

6. When I was little, I wanted to be a meteorologist. I wish I had pursued that.

And now I'm supposed to tag some other bloggers, so I choose:

Chick Lit Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Susie) — Sun, 04 May 2008 22:54:00 +0000

Because I've decided that I *heart* reading challenges, I'm going to sign up for yet another one: the easy and fun Chick Lit Challenge, hosted by Debi. I've got several chick lit books on my TBR shelves, and this will be perfect for some summertime reads. The challenge goes from June 1 - September 1. The goal is to read at least 3 chick lit books. So here's my list:

1. Angels by Marian Keyes
2. He Loves Lucy by Susan Donovan
3. P.S. I Love You by Cecilia Ahern

Reading Links Roundup

noreply@blogger.com (Susie) — Sun, 04 May 2008 13:17:00 +0000

3m at NovelsNow is giving away a hardcover copy of The Forgery of Venus by Michael Gruber. The drawing is tomorrow, so go over there and leave a comment, pronto!
Kimbooktu is back! Yay! She's one of my favorite bloggers; she always posts the neatest stuff.
Debi at Journey to the End of the TBR Pile is hosting a Chick Lit Challenge. I'm going to pick my books and sign up for this one.
Lynne just celebrated her 38th wedding anniversary!
I added This Redhead Reads to my blogroll yesterday. Her blog is just as young as mine, so I'm looking forward to our blogs growing up together!

1% Well-Read Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Susie) — Sun, 04 May 2008 02:27:00 +0000

The goal of this challenge is to read 10 books in 10 months from the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die list. For you non-math people, 10 out of 1001 is approximately 1%, hence the title. The challenge will run from May 1, 2008 through February 28, 2009. Here's the link to the challenge page.

Thank you to 3M who is hosting this great challenge. I'm going to be so proud when I'm officially 1% Well-Read! Here's my list:

1. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
2. Atonement by Ian McEwan
3. Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
4. A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
5. A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
6. Waterland by Graham Swift
7. The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende
8. Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
9. The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky
10. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

And you know what's ultra-cool? I already own all of these! Nifty.

Weekly Geeks #1

noreply@blogger.com (Susie) — Thu, 01 May 2008 19:17:00 +0000

Dewey has put together a wonderful themed blogging challenge called Weekly Geeks. I'm looking forward to participating in all of the upcoming weeks. The first theme is Discover New Blogs Week! which is lucky for me, since my blog is still so new and I'm looking to grow my blogroll.

Here are just a few of the fabulous blogs I visited from the huge list:

Reading Reflections - Laura recently reviewed The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Her high praise made me glad that I chose this one to read for the Herding Cats Challenge. A couple of the phrases that stood out in her review were "unforgettable story", "vivid imagery", and "emotionally involved". That sounds like my kind of book and I have moved it up a few notches on my TBR list.

This Book is For You - I had to click on this one because of the totally cool title. And it turns out that the title isn't the only thing that's cool about Mary's blog. I enjoyed perusing her recent posts, such as her review of Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri, her post about her seasonal reads, and a job meme she did (she was once a grape picker, how cool!).

1330V - Vasilly has read 38 books so far in 2008; I'm jealous, but I'm glad she has because she writes awesome reviews! One of her reviews was about Love Walked In by Marisa De Los Santos, a book I read last year and really enjoyed. She reports that Sarah Jessica Parker may be the one to play Cornelia (the main character) in the film version. I'll be kinda disappointed if that holds true, because she does not fit the role at all.

So Many Books, So Little Time - I must admit, I have been subscribed to Alison's blog via Bloglines for at least a couple of months. While I was getting ideas together to start my own blog, I perused many different book blogs. So Many Books, So Little Time was one that stood out as especially spectacular, and I just really like the way she does things over there!

Educating Petunia - Here's another one that I confess isn't entirely new to me. I discovered Educating Petunia a couple of weeks ago. I was first drawn in by the pretty, bright, happy colors on her blog, but of course I also like her posts and reviews. She also has a fantastic book and movie group, if her latest post is any indication.

Now it's your turn! Join in the geek-filled fun!

Booking Through Thursday - Mayday!

noreply@blogger.com (Susie) — Thu, 01 May 2008 15:24:00 +0000

Quick! It’s an emergency! You just got an urgent call about a family emergency and had to rush to the airport with barely time to grab your wallet and your passport. But now, you’re stuck at the airport with nothing to read. What do you do??

And, no, you did NOT have time to grab your bookbag, or the book next to your bed. You were . . . grocery shopping when you got the call and have nothing with you but your wallet and your passport (which you fortuitously brought with you in case they asked for ID in the ethnic food aisle). This is hypothetical, remember….

Assuming I had at least a few minutes before having to board the plane, I would most definitely find the nearest airport store and pick up a paperback or two to get me through the trip. Or maybe a nice hardcover if I had the cash. I'd likely choose something with a subject that would allow me to chill out a little bit while I read, to take my mind off the subject of whatever the family emergency was.

Luckily, all of my family members are within 6 or so hours of driving time, so I probably wouldn't have to worry much about hopping on a plane to get somewhere. But hopefully, Jeff would be available to drive me wherever I needed to go, so I could read on the way! ;)

342,745 Ways to Herd Cats

noreply@blogger.com (Susie) — Thu, 01 May 2008 03:57:00 +0000

Although my blog is still rather new, I'm to go ahead and commit myself to a reading challenge. Renay is so graciously and impressively hosting 342,745 Ways to Herd Cats. It's official start is tomorrow, and I'm terribly anal about things like this, so I absolutely had to get my lists ready tonight!

First, we're supposed to make a recommendation list of 10 of our favoritest books. Here's mine, in alphabetical order:

Apathy and Other Small Victories by Paul Neilan
If you have ever worked in a cubicle, and if you like quirky, dark humor, then this book should be on the top of your must-read list. It is the funniest book I have ever read, and it's on my keeper shelf.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
This book was popular a few years ago. I read it in 2005 and found it a fascinating, yet fictional, account of a young boy with autism.
The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland by Jim DeFede
In case you're feeling a little disappointed by mankind and its tendency to be mean, thoughtless, and even downright evil, find yourself a copy of this book and read it to restore your faith in goodness.
Eat Cake by Jeanne Ray
Light in spirit (and calories!), this novel is a quick, fun read with some truly delightful characters.
Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader by Anne Fadiman
What?! You're an avid reader and you haven't read this yet? Shame...
How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie
It hasn't sold, like, a billion copies for nothing. At the risk of sounding like a commercial, this stuff really works!
Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri
A beautiful and colorful selection of short stories, written in a way that makes your senses feel as if they're part of the narrative
Marrying Mozart by Stephanie Cowell
If you're interested at all in the lives of composers, this is one you shouldn't miss.
Rescuing Sprite: A Dog Lover's Story of Joy & Anguish by Mark Levin
Get some tissues (or maybe even a towel), read this book, and then go hug your pet.
The Tea Rose by Jennifer Donnelly
One of the best historical novels I've ever read. Great characters, strong storyline.

And now we're supposed to pick at least 3 books from other people's lists, to be read between May 1st and November 30th. I'm going to be adventurous and choose 5:

Bitter is the New Black by Jen Lancaster [recommended by Katherine]
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak [recommended by 3M] (finished 5/29/08)
Atonement by Ian McEwan [recommended by Melody]
March by Geraldine Brooks [recommended by Dewey]
To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis [recommended by Melissa]

Check out the awesome master list and, if you're like me, add about a dozen books to your wish list! Oh, and don't dare forget to join the challenge.

Review: 100% American by Daniel Evan Weiss

noreply@blogger.com (Susie) — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 19:15:00 +0000

Rating: 6 · 218 pages

I can't really make this a long, detailed review, because 100% American was basically just a book of percentage statistics that were researched and written in the 1980s. It is written in the fun format beginning with 1% (for example, 1% of Americans speak Italian at home) and going all the way through the numbers to 100% (ending with "100% of Americans are, if nothing else, Americans.")

It was an amusing little book, mostly due to the time period in which it was published (1988). I had to keep remembering how the world was when I was 10 years old. A lot has changed since then, in many ways. Anyway, here are a few of the interesting statistics that I noticed:

1% of Americans are color-blind.

7% of American teenage girls own golf clubs.

14% of Americans snack all day.

26% of American husbands would agree to pay their wives a weekly salary.

33% of Americans think robots and automation will worsen the quality of life for people like themselves.

42% of American women think there will be a black president by the year 2000.

45% of American women weigh 140 pounds or more.

50% of Americans read books

73% of Americans prefer not to work around people who use foul language.

79% of American grits-eaters eat a cup or less at one sitting.

86% of Americans like mashed potatoes.

I like to read fun little reference books like this one every once in a while. They don't require a lot of thought, yet they provide some conversation starters and tidbits of knowledge that are always good to have laying around in your brain.

Bookstores help me save money.

noreply@blogger.com (Susie) — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 00:44:00 +0000

I really should know this by now. I cannot go into a bookstore and come out empty-handed. Leaving a bookstore without at least some little thing is practically impossible. In fact, I think it's only happened two or three times in my entire lifetime. This evening was not one of those times. My loot:

Cute Magnet Coffee Clip Bookmarks
The Power of Being Positive by Joyce Meyer
Pretty Little Mistakes by Heather McElhatton
Set of 3 Small Black Moleskine Cahiers

But, I saved almost $8 with my B&N Membership Card! Isn't that's really what it's all about? Saving money. Right?

*crickets chirping*

Review: With Charity Toward None: A Fond Look at Misanthropy by Florence King

noreply@blogger.com (Susie) — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 03:50:00 +0000

Rating: 9 · 208 pages

As bad as this may sound, I've wondered from time to time if I might just be a misanthrope (defined: misanthropy is a hatred or distrust of the human race, or a disposition to dislike and mistrust other people). I have always tended to be a bit antisocial, and I admittedly hold disdain for certain kinds of people (mainly those who are willfully stupid, troublemakers, or backstabbers). So when I read about Florence King, who is herself a misanthrope (and also a conservative, like me), I added With Charity Toward None to my wish list at PBS. As soon as my wish was granted and I received the book in the mail, I put aside my other books-in-progress, and read it. I wanted to know for sure whether or not I am a misanthrope.

I am not. But I'm close. I'd say I'm about 80% misanthropic, if that is possible. Completely full-blown misanthropes truly hate 100% of all people. I'm not that far gone, and don't really want to be. In my opinion, if everyone were honest, we'd all admit to having some misanthropic beliefs. I mean, come on - people are annoying.

I found myself nodding a lot while reading parts of this book. Misanthropes are frequently mistakenly categorized as "shy" when the truth is, if you were to ask a young misanthrope why they won't talk to you, they might blatantly reply "I doan yike you," as the author herself once told someone.

King wrote this book by using examples of famous misanthropes. Ty Cobb sported a fiery temper, Irving Berlin was "emotionally incapable of entrusting his work to others," and Ayn Rand frequently used the word "contempt" to describe her feelings for the majority of the human race (this became apparent in her work Atlas Shrugged, in which she made the mediocre people the villains).

Overall, to me it was most interesting to read how misanthropes personally dealt with their negative feelings toward others. It is not easy to be a misanthrope in this very social world in which we live. Another misanthrope, author James Gould Cozzens, made the observation that "You must be careful how you treat people as your equals. The average person has much more respect for you if, even though he resents it, you make it plain to him that you consider him of no great importance." That's difficult to do, in most situations, but many misanthropes probably feel this technique is necessary in order to tolerate most of the people they have to be around on a regular basis.

Covergazing: Shakespeare's Wife by Germaine Greer

noreply@blogger.com (Susie) — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 00:03:00 +0000

I've been seeing this cover around a lot. I think it's very nice; simple, but pretty. And it seems to fit the idea I've always had about how Shakespeare's wife may have looked - slim, delicate, and attractive. I also like the shade of blue in her dress and the single flower she's holding.

Happy Birthday: William Shakespeare

noreply@blogger.com (Susie) — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 15:41:00 +0000

Today is the 444th anniversary of the birth of William Shakespeare. He was born on April 23, 1564. His work is world-renown and has been performed in probably thousands of different forms. My personal favorite is the popular movie Shakespeare in Love. Romeo & Juliet, Macbeth, Hamlet, and Much Ado About Nothing are among his many notable plays.

As is to be expected, there are countless resources online if you want to learn more about Shakespeare or read his plays or sonnets. Here are a few you might want to check out:

Shakespeare Resource Center

A Shakespeare Timeline Summary Chart

Shakespeare's Houses - get tickets to visit his home

Internet Shakespeare Editions - a neat exhibit-type site

Shakespeare's Biography - tons of historical, family, and burial information here

Review: The Quotable Ronald Reagan by Peter Hannaford

noreply@blogger.com (Susie) — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 01:07:00 +0000

Rating: 10 · 351 pages

My first 10 of the year, The Quotable Ronald Reagan is a fantastic compilation of some of the famous words of America's 40th President. Personally and politically, President Reagan is one of my heroes. So it's no surprise that I thoroughly adored this quotation collection. I marked 55 of my favorite pages, and it's going on my keeper shelf.

I could go on and on about why I love President Ronald Reagan, but I think I'll let his timeless, funny, poignant, and true words show you why I hold him and his ideas in such high esteem:

We will always remember. We will always be proud. We will always be prepared, so we may always be free.
--Remarks commemorating the 40th anniversary of D-Day, June 6, 1984

Government is the people's business, and every man, woman and child becomes a shareholder with the first penny of tax paid.

A truly successful army is one that, because of its strength and ability and dedication, will not be called upon to fight, for no one will dare to provoke it.

The best view of big government is in the rear view mirror as you're driving away from it.

I told Nancy, "This is the other woman in my life."
--to Mrs. Reagan as their helicopter circled the Statue of Liberty

Covergazing: I Was Told There'd Be Cake by Sloane Crosley

noreply@blogger.com (Susie) — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 15:36:00 +0000

I must confess my guilt and shame regarding a very bad habit of mine. I often judge books by their covers. I know, I know, it is totally going against a good and important rule in life. I just can't help it. There are so many pretty and interesting book covers nowadays! It occasionally gets me into trouble when I fall for a book because it has a beautiful cover, yet I eventually discover that the inside isn't enjoyable. But I can't stop doing it, so I've decided to give up and embrace my addiction. Therefore, this is the first of many posts that will be in the category of Covergazing.

This is just one example of the numerous types of covers that catch my eye while browsing bookstores or online sites. The delicate-looking fabric was what initially grabbed my attention. But I could tell that I Was Told There'd Be Cake probably wasn't some frilly romance novel, going by the font on the front. I clicked on the book over at Amazon and read the book details. And I knew I had to add it to my ever-growing wish list. It's a "breezy series of vignettes with uproariously unpredictable outcomes" centered around being a female in her mid-20s. (I just turned 30 last month, but that doesn't mean I'm too old to remember that particular phase!)

What do you think about this cover? Would this be something you'd pick up and flip through if you saw it in a bookstore?

Happy Birthday: Gertrude Chandler Warner

noreply@blogger.com (Susie) — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 01:42:00 +0000

Gertrude Chandler Warner was born on April 16, 1890. She is an especially dear author to me because it was one of her books that I recall being the first pleasure read that I deeply enjoyed. I was about 10 or 11 years old, I think, and I checked out Surprise Island (one of the Boxcar Children series) from my school's library. I remember wishing that I could frolic along with the children in that book while I enjoyed reading about their adventure. I re-read Surprise Island in 2007, just for the fun of it. While I could certainly see that it was written for children (and it was also apparent that the book was written in the 1940s, which was actually a delightful change of pace), it was a joy to go back in time a little bit.