Books in Bed

Journal Junkies Workshop

1 Comment / 2011, Books in Bed, Favorites, Non-Fiction /

My library’s new website (which really isn’t that new) has this little feature when I first log in that shows “recently reviewed books” in a little flippy slideshow thing. I cannot tell you how many books I’ve reserved just because I saw the cover flip by after I’ve logged in.

Journal Junkies Workshop is one of those books.

I’ve read a lot of books about journaling, altered bookmaking etc… and this is actually one of the best. It’s interesting. There’s a nice intro about Dan Elden and visual journalists that really puts you in the mood to play with your own journal. The information about different supplies you might use and techniques you might use with those supplies was also excellent.

I’ve been putting off my altered book project for YEARS (literally) and I swore I would do something before this month ended. I’m ready now. I even have some ideas about what I might do on a few pages.

Posted via email from Life. Flow. Fluctuate.

Journal Junkies Workshop Read More »

Harmonic Feedback

1 Comment / 2011, Books in Bed, Cybil Challenge, Fiction, Young Adult /

I was leery of Harmonic Feedback because I do not like the cover. Sassymonkey said it wasn’t a bad book so I kept reminding myself of that and she was right. It wasn’t a bad book. I ended up enjoying it, even though I didn’t particularly love the Asperger’s theme.  The weird part is that I don’t really know why it didn’t work for me. I liked Drea. I really did. I even believed she is on the spectrum somewhere. It all just felt a little… flat.  Like the cover… ?

Posted via email from Life. Flow. Fluctuate.

Harmonic Feedback Read More »

Two Cybils – One I Loved, One — Not So Much

2011, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Cybil Challenge, Favorites, Fiction, Young Adult /

First, Some Girls Are… Yes, I know. Some Girls Are… a lot of girls are. And some books make reading about some girls a painful, painful experience. It’s not that the book was badly written – it wasn’t. It’s not that it was a bad topic – it wasn’t. It was just a trouble book blown to smithereens by trouble. I kept picturing mean girls reading this book and victims of mean girls reading this book and none of the pictures popping into my head were good ones.

I do not think I can read another Courtney Summers book – so I hope she doesn’t make the Cybils shortlist again. I just… can’t do it. There’s no pay off for me when it’s over.

Now a book that I did love – Ninth Ward. That was a painful book, too. But not painful the way Some Girls Are was painful. It hurt to listen to Lenesha and Mama Yaya all the while knowing what was going to happen to them in the Ninth Ward. That helpless feeling… I remember that feeling. And I loved Lanesha and Mama Yaya and Tashon and even Spot.

When Mama Yaya said “how can it be mandatory when I don’t have a way to go…” yea, that right there… painful.

But the story was beautifully told. The characters wonderfully written. The hope… The universe shines with love….

My goodness I loved this book.

Posted via email from Life. Flow. Fluctuate.

Two Cybils – One I Loved, One — Not So Much Read More »

Rereading Women

2011, Books in Bed, Feminism, Non-Fiction, Women /

I picked up Rereading Women because I thought Michelle might find it interesting. She did but she didn’t read every essay and now that I’ve been reading it for a couple of days, I see way. Feminist theory – oy. Interesting stuff but it can be pretty dry. The first and last essays in the book were the best or maybe I was just more enthusiastic about the specific topics covered in those two? (Collaboration and becoming feminists and mother rites.)

Posted via email from Life. Flow. Fluctuate.

Rereading Women Read More »

Cybils – 5 Fiction Picture Books

2011, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Cybil Challenge, Daily Dose /

I’m so far behind on my Cybils Challenge that I’m pretty sure I will never catch up. The least I can do is knock the picture books off the list, right? Right!  Five down… a bunch more to go.  And these five were all pretty darn good. I don’t have any big complaints with any of them (which is rare – since I’m often less than impressed with a couple…)

Interrupting Chicken made me laugh. Then again, I’m all about the chickens right now. (I just don’t want to own them.)

Chalk also made me laugh and I was surprised. On the first page… I thought I was really going to dislike this book. But I didn’t. I do wonder why it had to be the boy who drew the dinosaur while the girls drew suns and butterflies…

A Beach Tail was cute, too. I was confused by the spelling of “Tail”… until I saw that the tail was connected to a lion which stayed connected to Greg the whole time… lol

Flora’s Very Windy Day – brothers are a-noyyyy-ingggggg and I can’t blame Flora for being a wee bit tempted to let the wind carry her brother off.

The Cow Loves Cookies was a rhyming farm story, like most of those you’ve seen before. Each page adds an animal which adds to the rhyme and it’s all about what farm animals like to eat. The cow, obviously, loves cookies. And I’m pretty sure you know why.

Posted via email from Life. Flow. Fluctuate.

Cybils – 5 Fiction Picture Books Read More »

Hex Hall and Demonglass

1 Comment / 2011, Books in Bed, Favorites, Fiction, Sci Fi and Fantasy, Young Adult /

I could have sworn I read Hex Hall last year but apparently I only thought I read it – or maybe I started it and never finished it? Whatever – I’ve read it and Demonglass and I’m dying for the next book. I really hated the cliffhanger in Demonglass – what in the heck are they going to do NOW? And where is Jenna?? And… and… and… great series. I just need book three immediately!

Posted via email from Life. Flow. Fluctuate.

Hex Hall and Demonglass Read More »

The Kitchen Daughter

2011, Books in Bed, Chick Lit, Favorites, Fiction, Women /

The Kitchen Daughter is about a young woman with Aspergers. She lived with her parents … until they died in a freak accident while on vacation. She’s left with a younger sister who doesn’t think she can live on her own… no friends… no job… she just cooks and when she cooks, sometimes ghosts come to visit. Real ghosts. I mean as real as ghosts can be?  You know what I mean, right?

It’s a good book – I wasn’t sure I was going to like it at first, but I definitely did. I even liked the ending. And the cover is fabulous.

Posted via email from Life. Flow. Fluctuate.

The Kitchen Daughter Read More »

Bitter Bitch

2011, Books in Bed, Favorites, Feminism, Fiction, Women /

Who could pass up a book titled Bitter Bitch? Not me, that’s for sure – maybe because I am one? And I have good reason to be – so do you. So does the main character – a Swedish woman who rants about the patriarchy more than anyone I’ve ever read.

The book doesn’t always read like a novel – it reads more like a feminist rant that you might find on… well a blog. Or in a women’s studies class. It’s got just enough of novel in it that it doesn’t read like a textbook and that makes it just about perfect for anyone who feels like a good bitter bitch session about the patriarchy.

Posted via email from Life. Flow. Fluctuate.

Bitter Bitch Read More »

Slow Love

2011, Books in Bed, Non-Fiction, Women /

I was looking forward to reading Slow Love because I was interested in what happened to Dominique Browning after Conde Naste closed Home & Garden — but the book didn’t quite live up to my expectations.

I can’t decide whether it was my expectations that were the problem or the book itself.

I expected to find, if not inspiration, at least something significant to think about and I didn’t get either of those things. Instead, I found myself wondering why I was reading a book about a smart, powerful woman wallowing around for a year after a job loss. Why I was reading a book about a smart, powerful woman in a really bad relationship that she didn’t seem to realize (or care?) was bad.

There just wasn’t anything inspiring for me. Sleep all day – no. Sell a house in the NYC suburbs and move to a second house in Rhode Island – no. Bake cookies and muffins – no. Pine away over a relationship that was never going to work out – no. The whole idea of “Slow Love”, which Browning does a good job of talking about on her blog (which I love, by the way), never really came through for me.

If I step back and think about it more as memoir and less as inspirational memoir, I like the book better – so maybe it was my expectations and not the book, after all?

Read more about Slow Love in the BlogHer Book Club and join the Slow Love discussions.

Posted via email from Life. Flow. Fluctuate.

Slow Love Read More »

Sisterhood Everlasting (The Final Book in the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants Series)

1 Comment / 2011, Books in Bed, Fiction, Women, Young Adult /

I cannot write about Sisterhood Everlasting without giving away spoilers – thankfully, Sassymonkey created a Sisterhood Everlasting spoiler thread on BlogHer.com. If you want to hear me rant, click over to that discussion.

I just cannot believe that this is the book Brashares gave us.

Posted via email from Life. Flow. Fluctuate.

Sisterhood Everlasting (The Final Book in the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants Series) Read More »