Books in Bed

Adam & Eve

5 Comments / 2006, Books in Bed, Favorites, Fiction /

Thank you Sassymonkey! Thank you for choosing such a good book for me to “steal” from your Summer Reading Challenge.

I like Mark Twain but have never read The Diaries of Adam & Eve before. I loved it all and cannot believe I have never read it. What was I waiting for? Very amusing, very Twain-like, very sweet. Very good. I even enjoyed the foreword and afterword and that never happens.
This was the fourth book from my Summer Reading Challenge, now onto number five!
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Valiant

2006, Children's Literature, Sci Fi and Fantasy /

Valiant, by Holly Black, was not nearly as good as Tithe. It tried but it just didn’t succeed – until the last few chapters. Those did make it worth reading.

As TW said, it felt like I’d read it before. The storyline was a little tired – bad thing happens to a girl, she runs off to NYC and finds some troubling people who take her in. Drugs (granted, these are faerie drugs) and crime and in the end, happily ever after.

I liked Val. I liked the Troll. I even liked Luis and Dave and Lolli and Ruth. The story was just a little tired. It’s a young adult novel though, so maybe 13 year olds haven’t already read a zillion of these stories? Maybe they don’t notice the same tired storyline? Maybe they simply see a modern faerie tale?

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Cloud Atlas

5 Comments / 2006, Books in Bed, Fiction /

I finished Cloud Atlas and it feels like I’ve been trying to read it for longer than I had been trying to read The Moonstone. The first story, it didn’t grab me. The second story, much better and the third better still. Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, rather ho-hum but I stuck it out and I suppose I’m glad I did.

It was different. It felt a wee bit too full of itself, in places. A bit cliche’d and a bit contrived too. But different and interesting. I almost feel like I need to read it again. Like I missed something important, somewhere in those stories. Like maybe I’ll enjoy it more on the second reading. Unfortunately, there are too many books and not nearly enough time to go back and give it another shot. Maybe in my next life?
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Witness

2006, Books in Bed, Fiction /

Witness, by Karen Hesse , was surprisingly good. And not just because I like a fast read, either! I really didn’t expect to like this book. I peeked over TW’s shoulder last week when she read it and though “bah, boring” and I almost skipped it completely, because I am so far behind… I’m very glad I did not skip it.

Story of a Vermont town and it’s problems with the KKK. The story is actually a lot of short, almost monologues, by residents of the town. Some townies active in the KKK because they believe in them, some lured in by social or financial pressure. A jewish girl. A black girl. Some townies fighting against the KKK’s attempt to take over the town.

Really surprisingly good book.

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Anne McCaffrey, I am still not a fan

1 Comment / 2006, Books in Bed, Fiction, Sci Fi and Fantasy /

I am surrounded by McCaffrey fans and it makes me nervous. I’ve tried to get with the program and love her the way they do but it is just no use. I don’t get it.

I do really like the Acorna series. I might even love it. I don’t often read books about female unicorn-like aliens, do you?

Dragons, on the otherhand, are a dime a dozen. I think that’s why I just can’t love McCaffrey and her Dragons of Pern. Big deal. I understand that these books were written dozens of years ago and were sort of original back then. I understand the social commentary in them. I really do understand the big deal for some of you. But for me, they’re just more dragon books and not the best dragon books I’ve ever read.

I will say that I did not hate Dragonflight like I expected to. I didn’t enjoy the first part at all, but once Lessa joined the Weyr, I did enjoy the story. The folks of Pern are not ever going to be my favorite characters and McCaffrey is never going to make it on my favorites list, with her dragon stories, but that’s ok. I have more than enough favorites, anyway.

Sorry People of Pern. I tried but I just can’t join you in your McCaffrey worship.

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Imaginary Friends

2006, Books in Bed, Fiction /

My family loves the movie, Drop Dead Fred. I think it’s probably on the top 5 list for most of us. If You Could See Me Now is a good bit like Drop Dead Fred. A kid sees a grown up friend who nobody else can see – but then weird things happen, adults start seeing him too…

The “best friend” helps folks sort out things in the way a good “best friend” should – go read it, see for yourself. And rent Drop Dead Fred, while you are at it, ok?

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More Trillin

Books in Bed, Non-Fiction /

Remember last week when I posted about Calvin Trillin’s “Tummy Troubles”? Well here’s a bonus, from my pal Ed! You can read another of Trillin’s stories or listen to it on audio. Cool, eh?

I downloaded “Speaking of Soup” last night and am planning on listening to it later this evening. I wonder how the kids will feel about the story? We’ll see….
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Here Be Dragons

2006, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Favorites /

We listened to Book 2 of the Muddle Earth series, Here Be Dragons, on the way down to Miami and we enjoyed it very much. Some of the kids had listened to it or parts of it before but they all enjoyed it again (well except RJ, who listened to her mp3 player as usual).

Muddle Earth is fun – dragons and warrior heroes, flying wardrobes and wizards, evil in the form of Dr Cuddles. Great family fun, particularly on audio.

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The Naked Woman

2006, Books in Bed, Non-Fiction /

TW stole this book out from under me and read it first. I thought I might kill her before she finished it. She spent a lot of time staring at me and asking me weird questions like “Can I feel your ear?” and “Can I look at your belly button?” I thought RJ (the 10 year old) was also going to kill her for similar reasons.

Now that I’ve read The Naked Woman: A Study of the Female Body I see why she was staring and asking ridiculous questions. The book should not be read by people like TW because it’s just too much for them to handle. I, on the otherhand, found it interesting but found no need to wander around and compare various female bodies with mine or with other female bodies.

Very interesting book. Quick read. I’m not sure I want to read any of his other “studies” though. I really hope he doesn’t have a Cow Watching book… TW could be really embarrassing with that one.

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The Moonstone – Page 403

11 Comments / The Moonstone /

A bunch of my friends joined me in my quest to finally finish The Moonstone and they’re grumbling through each and every page of it.  (I should say that my significant other is not grumbling, she’s actually enjoying the book.  Odd woman.)

In an effort to encourage them, I mentioned that I really enjoyed pages 403-405 of my version… unfortunately none of them have the same version that I have! So I guess my encouragement isn’t working all that well.

If you own The Moonstone or have a library copy around, could you open it to page 403 and tell me what it says?  Just the first line… mine says:

eighty years of age- never mind exactly where!

 

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