Books To Talk About - The Countess by Rebecca Johns

It's Halloween what better way to celebrate then to have a discussion about one of Bram Stoker's inspiration to Dracula.   

The Countess is a historical fiction about Erzsébet Báthory.  Based on the true story of the real Countess Bathory who killed 34 of her servants, mostly woman, for there blood.  One of the things she believed was if she bathed in it would make her young.  From how she became a Countess to her fate of being walled up into  her castle tower for her crimes.  This book brings to life the fascinating tale of the world's first female serial killer.

DISCUSS IN THE COMMENTS

1. Are there characters in the fictional world or the real world now that remind you of Countess Bathory? 


2. Do you think you could ever feel sympathy for a woman who killed 34 people for the reasons she did?


3.  What do you think drove her to kill?

Sunday Salon - Mischief with Books

Tonight is what my town has always called Mischief Night.  The night before Halloween that kids or mostly teenagers go out and teepee a yard or throw eggs at a house.  You know do random mischief. This got me thinking what random mischief have you gotten into over a book?  Have ever damaged a library book?  or Heaven forbid stole a book?  

I have to say I have never stolen probably at least once damaged a library book but I don't really remember.  The most I have gotten in trouble with over a book is for reading a V.C. Andrews book in English class during a lesson.   And even that was mild as the teacher didn't want to really discourage me from reading just not during the lesson.

Review - The Asking And Other Stories by Charles G. Timm

Title: Asking And Other Stories
Series: Charles G. Timm
Genre: Short Stories
Publisher: Charles G. Timm
Received: from author for review
Release Date:  April 2011
Pages: 25
Rating:


What is it About?

Short fictional stories about real life.

My Thoughts:

Not my usual genre. And by that I mean realistic fiction not short stories.  What I mean by realistic fiction is stories bases on pretty much present day with characters that think a lot or have more conversation then really much action.   That would pretty much describe these stories.

I did not dislike it but it also did not feel overwhelmed with love for the stories. I try to think of one that really stuck out to me a memorable I would have to say the second to last story, The Ride, where two co-workers discuss there future, and hopes.

For me there wasn’t enough to the story to really get to know the characters or feel for them.  I see some of them as good starts to something but really unfinished.


Website:
Official Website of Charles G. Timm
http://www.charlesgtimm.com/

Giveaway - Signed Copy of Reverence by Jeanie L.S. Galster

WIN A SIGNED COPY OF REVERENCE BY JEANIE L.S. GALSTER

ABOUT THE BOOK

“Reverence tells an enduring story of a young girl's internal struggles and life's lessons growing up in Philadelphia. As the demographics of the neighborhood change so does the make up of her family. Years later, fate instills upon her a precious gift. Will she use her newfound gift to help society or fulfill her own needs?

Reverence delivers a different level of emotions, one that cause anyone to black out reasoning and teeter on the tightrope of right and wrong. How her life develops will keep readers engaged until the very end.” taken from goodread.com

88 pages

part one in a series

COMMENT BELOW TO ENTER!

DO NOT FORGET EMAILS SO I MAY CONTACT YOU!!

GIVEAWAY WILL END NOVEMBER 10TH 2011

I WILL ANNOUNCE THE WINNERS ON THE 11TH

Yes I am giving as internationally!


Winners Have Been Announced! Congrats!

Review - Animal Naps by Catherine Ham

Title: Animal Naps
Series: N/A
Author: Catherine Ham
Genre: Children, Picture Book
Publisher: EarlyLight Books
Received: from Publicist for review
Release Date: July 2011
Pages: 32
Rating:



What is it About?

Picture book with tidbits about animals taking there naps.

My Thoughts:

This book just did not work for me. The pictures are adorable but the prose switches back and forth to rhyming then not rhyming.   Sometimes it almost seems like the words do not make sense together.    This frustrates me to give it such a low rating but it was not good.
Yes it had some bits of information about animals and how or what they do when they take there naps which was cute when you catch the drift.

For such a cute cover I really thought it would of stayed cute all the way through and not here and there. There are only so many times you can use the word chap for a animal to make it rhyme.  

Website:

N/A

Review - Animal Tails by Beth Fielding

Title: Animal Tails
Series: N/A
Author: Beth Fielding
Genre: Children, Picture book
Publisher:  Earlylight Books
Received: from Publicist for review
Release Date: October 2011
Pages: 36
Rating:

What is it About?

Discusses different animals, there tails and what they use them for.

My Thoughts:

Excellent pictures throughout the book and interesting facts.   I wasn’t fond of the layout between the pictures and text.  It made it less interesting to read. I found some of the descriptions to long and skimmed over the writings more then once to gather the information in my head.

I did not know a lot about animal tails to be honest I never thought about them before.  It was fun learning about them I just wish it had been presented better.


Website:
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Sunday Salon - Royalty Rules

I started a new book club on GoodReads called Royalty Rules.

We read fiction and non-fiction books about Royalty.  I know crazy me starting something else. 

Attended a ghost hunting lecture last night at the Penn Museum.  It was interesting.  That's about all I have done for the Halloween season except watch a horror movie or two and eat some chocolate. lol

Review - Zinnia's Magical Adventure by Pippa Le Quesne

Title: Zinnia’s Magical Adventure
Series: Tales From The Flower Fairies Garden
Author: Pippa Le Quesne
Genre: Children Chapter Book, Fantasy
Publisher: Frederick Warne Publishers Ltd
Received: Swapsite
Release Date: July 2006
Pages: 80
Rating: 

What is it About?

Zinnia the garden fairy gets lost on a adventure.


My Thoughts:

I love Cicely Mary Barker’s art of the fairies always have but the story in the book does not do them justice.  Sadly I was bored with the book.   I read then had to skim the story maybe mostly because well I read a lot of faery books and this one just had no real story.  Most the faery chapter books I have read have a lesson or moral.  I am not saying that every book should have that but the adventure was just plain boring.    

I did like the different character fairies they all seemed to have there own personality including the elves.

The art is great, book cover beautiful with a nothing to write home about tale.  This is first I have read in the flower fairies series and I think I would read another to see how it is but I was really disappointed in this one.

For those that might like the series or something similar take a look at Fairy School series by Gail Herman.

Website:
Official Flower Fairies Site
http://www.flowerfairies.co.uk


Author Pippa Le Quesne Facebook Page

http://www.facebook.com/PippaLeQuesne

Review - Marigold and The Feather of Hope by J. H. Sweet

Title: Marigold and the Feather of Hope
Series: The Fairy Chronicles
Author: J.H. Sweet
Genre: Children, Fantasy,
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Received: Swap site
Release Date:  May 2007
Pages: 128
Rating:

What is it About?

Young Beth Parish learns that she is a Marigold fairy.  She gains new fairy friends and a mentor in her aunt a Monarch Butterfly fairy.

My Thoughts:

Most of the fairy books for kids have the story of how the child finds out she a fairy and she goes on a adventure.   This was the same but the background to the fairy history was different and I enjoyed learning from the fairy handbook of Beth.   

It is cute the way they introduce other species like goblins and brownies into the fray of things.
Once things get going and you get past the introduction of Beth into fairy world all the little tidbits are just fun to read.   Like Dachshunds are good at keeping goblins away and fairies use nuts to keep in contact.   My most favorite little lesson was that when fairies met in circles (which don’t have to be circles by the way) they meet under different trees for the different wisdom or powers of that tree.

Overall entertaining once you get through the intro and I could see reading the rest of the series. Fans of these books might like The Fairy Godmother Academy series by Jan Bozarth.

Website:

Official Fairy Chronicles Website
http://www.fairychronicles.com/

See all of J.H. Sweet’s books
http://jhsweet.com/

Booking Through Thursday - Vacation Reading

Event that takes place at
http://btt2.wordpress.com/

Do your reading habits change when you’re on vacation? Do you read more? Do you indulge in lighter, fluffier books than you usually read? Do you save up special books so you’ll be able to spend real vacation time with them? Or do you just read the same old stuff, vacation or not?

I tend to read less on vacation spend more time with family.   Only time I do read on vacation is sometimes at a poolside or beach.  That is when I use to read stuff like V.C. Andrews now I don't read that particular author any more so I would probably read pretty much anything I would be currently reading. 

Review : The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard

Title: The Walking Dead Vol. 1
Series: The Walking Dead
Authors: Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard
Genre: Horror, Graphic Novel
Publisher: Image Comics
Received: Borrowed
Release Date: October 2010
Pages: 304
Rating:








What is it About?

The dead begin walking the the earth eating the flesh of the living.  Only a hand full of people struggle to survive.




My Thoughts:

I read this before the tv series came out and really enjoyed it!  There are some differences to the comic then the tv show.   Some characters that live in the Tv show die in the comic.  The fact that some don’t survive in the comic seemed more life like then what happens on Tv.

Being that is a horror comic and features zombies the comic does it get graphic and from what I understand gets even more violent as the time goes by.  Now a lot of people compare this to 28 days later which I have not seen.  I am not a big fan of zombie horror but that being said I thought this comic was awesome!

A lot of people also have problem with the way woman are treated in this comic.  I agree to some point that the woman should have more involvement to the protection of the community fighting but I wonder if it will be something that develops within the comic.   So I lean more towards waiting to find out.




Website:

N/A

Follow Friday #6 - TV

Yipee! Life Between The Pages and me are featured this week!

Welcome new followers!

Thank you Parajunkee and AlisonCanRead!

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Q.If you could have characters from a particular book meet and form an epic storyline with characters from a particular TV series, which would you choose and why?

I think it would be hilarious to see the group from Twilight meet How I Met Your Mother.  I picture it as every time Bella and Edward open there there mouth the HIMYM group make fart noises.  Juvenile I know but it would still be funny. LOL 

Review - The Royal Diaries: Anacaona: Golden Flower by Edwidge Danticat

Title: The Royal Diairies: Anacaona: Golden Flower
Series: The Royal Diaries
Author: Edwidge Danticat
Genre: Juvenile Fiction, Historical Fiction
Publisher: Scholastic Inc
Received: Purchased
Release Date: April 2005
Pages: 192
Rating:


What is it About?

Told in diary format the based on true tale of Haitian Queen Anacaona.

My Thoughts:

I have only read two of the Royal Diaries series and while I like them the future never seems to bode well for the history of royalty.  Anacaona does have an unfortunate fate but her life is somewhat unknown.  The author takes some liberties having the future queen fear for her future as if she some how knows what will come.

I do not know much about this history but what is this tale is based on.  So I do not know how much is true.  Reading this children’s book make me want to find a more involved history of the Haitian Queen.   

I picked this up wanted to know more about Haiti after the most resent events there.  There is so much history that gets lost I think this is one tale that does because I have never heard of her.

These Royal Diaries are geared more towards girls being that all of them in the series are royal young girls but this book to me had less of a girly feel to it. It mentions her brother and how close they were.   I think even boys would like this one.

Website:
N/A