Trip and a Challenge and Geeks!

Interested little book full of useless information... just what I love. Where else can you learn to say "Where is the bathroom" in 12 languages?  Or  6 great moments in pre-1980 Kung Fu movies (of which I have seen 2)?  How about Band Trivia from America's Top Universities?  Must have for anyone wanting to add to their ridiculous knowledge basis.  And just for good measure: 5 Latin phrases to shout while heading into battle.  Per aspera ad astra!  (Debuting as my own personal Latin motto) State of the list:

• Bespelling Jane -- Mary Balogh, Colleen Cleason, Susan Krinard, and Janet Mullany
• Holidays are Hell --Kim Harrison, Lynsay Sands, Marjorie M. Liu, and Vicki Petersson
• The New Dead -- edited by Christopher Golden
• This Christmas --Jennifer Coburn and Liz Ireland
• Dashing Through the Mall -- Sherryl Woods, Darlene Gardner, and Holly Jacobs (started yesterday)
• The Geeks' Guide to World Domination -- Garth Sundem
• The Lightkeeper's Daughter -- Colleen Coble (going to not read; wait until Jan. 1 to include in Historical Fiction Reading Challenge)
• Rogue Angel: Destiny -- Alex Archer
• ArchEnemy -- Frank Beddor (going to not read; wait until Jan. 1 to include in Fantasy Reading Challenge)

One more trip and a challenge update to go before it's back to normal. Time to get started on all those reading challenges I signed up for.

Trip and a Challenge and Zombies!

Finished another book and this one was great.  An anthology of zombie stories!  New, classic, twists, different points of view... so many styles to choose from.  Like with every anthology, I find I loved some, was okay with some, and hated some.  For sake of brevity, I am just going to highlight my favorite stories: "Lazarus" by John Connolly -- a retelling of the classic Biblical story, but with a twist

"In the Dust" by Tim Lebbon -- classic survivor story set in a small village; think 28 Days Later

"Life Sentence" by Kelley Armstrong -- a very rich man looking for immortality, who wouldn't think zombie?

"Delice" by Holly Newstein -- voodoo style zombies, very classic

"Ghost Trap" by Rick Hautala -- a long forgotten danger waits at the bottom of the harbor and Jeff finds it

"Kids and Their Toys" by James A. Moore -- kids discover a zombie, they get themselves into a world of mess, interesting progression of a plot

And my absolute favorite, the last story in the book "Twittering from the Circus of the Dead" by Joe Hill -- told entirely through tweets, with one hell of an ending... enjoy!

State of the list:

• Bespelling Jane -- Mary Balogh, Colleen Cleason, Susan Krinard, and Janet Mullany
• Holidays are Hell --Kim Harrison, Lynsay Sands, Marjorie M. Liu, and Vicki Petersson
• The New Dead -- edited by Christopher Golden
• This Christmas --Jennifer Coburn and Liz Ireland
• Dashing Through the Mall -- Sherryl Woods, Darlene Gardner, and Holly Jacobs
• The Geeks' Guide to World Domination -- Garth Sundem (starting today)
• The Lightkeeper's Daughter -- Colleen Coble (going to not read; wait until Jan. 1 to include in Historical Fiction Reading Challenge)
• Rogue Angel: Destiny -- Alex Archer
• ArchEnemy -- Frank Beddor (going to not read now; wait until Jan. 1 to include in Fantasy Reading Challenge)

Not as far as I thought I would be, but I've gotten distracted the last few days with other projects and of course trying to enjoy my time with J.

Trip and a Challenge and the Paranormal!

I know I've missed a day, but it was good day spent relaxing, eating, and watching some Doctor Who.  That said, I've gotten quite a bit of reading done already.  While stuck in various airports (only two but it felt like much more) I read one and a half of the books on my list. Four hour layovers at O'Hare give you a lot of time to do nothing.  I decided to start with some fun holiday paranormal. Holidays are Hell contained four short paranormal themed, holiday centered stories.  I've not read anything by any of the authors included, so it was a nice change of pace.  Out of the four stories, I really like two of them, one not so much, and just couldn't get into the fourth.

• "Two Ghosts for Sister Rachel" by Kim Harrison  included vampires, magic, and a ghost.  I loved this story and have put Harrison on my must read list.
• "Run, Run, Rudolph" by Lynsay Sands focused on a scientifically caused shape-shifter.  An entertaining fast paced adventure.  Another author to add to my list.
• "Six" by Marjorie M. Liu had a necromancer, a government agent, and vampires.  I enjoyed it but just couldn't connect to the characters as much as the previous two stories.
• "The Harvest" by Vicki Pettersson involved Zodiac warriors and a fight against the Shadow.  I just couldn't get into the story at all.  Interesting premise, but the writing was confusing with references to other characters not introduced and a pretty long back story.  I wonder if her other books are of the world.  Maybe if I read her other pieces first, I would have been able to connect to this one.

Oh well, three out of four isn't bad.  I did like how the stories were short enough that my interruptions of changing planes and gates didn't really distract me from the plots.  After fishing Holidays are Hell I moved on to the anthology of zombie stories.  I'm really into this one.  I'll write a mini review when I'm done with it.

Here's the updated list of book:

• Bespelling Jane -- Mary Balogh, Colleen Cleason, Susan Krinard, and Janet Mullany
• Holidays are Hell --Kim Harrison, Lynsay Sands, Marjorie M. Liu, and Vicki Petersson
• The New Dead -- edited by Christopher Golden (120 pages read out of 378)
• This Christmas --Jennifer Coburn and Liz Ireland
• Dashing Through the Mall -- Sherryl Woods, Darlene Gardner, and Holly Jacobs
• The Geeks' Guide to World Domination -- Garth Sundem
• The Lightkeeper's Daughter -- Colleen Coble
• Rogue Angel: Destiny -- Alex Archer
• ArchEnemy -- Frank Beddor

Trip and a Challenge

Christmas Day and I leave to go visit J for a week--a much-needed escape after the last few weeks.  While away from home, I thought I would give myself a challenge.   I have been reading more than usual, but I wanted to take the time to really get into my growing TBR pile.  And so, I packed nine books in my suitcase.  Hopefully I get all nine read, but if not, that's okay.  I'm there not just to read but to enjoy J's company and get some relaxation.  I plan on keeping the list updated throughout my mini vacation. To help, here's the tentative list:

• Bespelling Jane -- Mary Balogh, Colleen Cleason, Susan Krinard, and Janet Mullany
• Holidays are Hell --Kim Harrison, Lynsay Sands, Marjorie M. Liu, and Vicki Petersson
• The New Dead -- edited by Christopher Golden
• This Christmas --Jennifer Coburn and Liz Ireland
• Dashing Through the Mall -- Sherryl Woods, Darlene Gardner, and Holly Jacobs
• The Geeks' Guide to World Domination -- Garth Sundem
• The Lightkeeper's Daughter -- Colleen Coble
• Rogue Angel: Destiny -- Alex Archer
• ArchEnemy -- Frank Beddor

Lots of collections of short stories, some holiday themed, a zombie anthology (of course), a funny how-to, historical Christian fiction, an action adventure paperback, and the conclusion of a The Looking Glass Wars... I'd say a ver eclectic selection, but that's usually how my reading goes.  I figure I'll start with one of the holiday themed collections, but if it doesn't grab me, I can always switch to zombies for guaranteed enjoyment.  As I read, I hope to do a few mini reviews, or just thoughts on the book and/or author.  I have a 3 hour layover at O'Hare today, so I have plenty of time to get started...

New Feature About Books (Of course it's about books!)

I've said it often lately, but I'll say it again... I've been reading a lot of book based blogs lately.  In doing so, I've gotten a lot of great ideas for this blog, great potential additions to be TBR pile, and a few interesting features.  I decided that I like the Booking Through Thursday feature, so I'm joining up.  Every Thursday a new book related question is posted to answer.  Knowing me, I probably won't answer the question every Thursday, but I'm going to try and stay on top of it...

Which Book Changed Your Life?

I would have to go with The Awakening by Kate Chopin.

In 10th grade I was in an American Literature/U.S. History class.  As part of our "final" we were split into groups of 3 or 4, given an American classic to read, and had to present an hour-long lecture/discussion/review of the book.  We were each told to list our Top 3 choices from a lost 25 classic works.  I dutifully listed my Top 3 choices (I think Huckleberry Finn was on the list) and didn't get any of my choices.  My English teacher pulled me aside the day we officially started our project to explain.  She told me that I had probably never heard of The Awakening but she just knew that it was the perfect book for me.  I was skeptical. A book written in 1900 about some women named Edna who I guess has an awakening?  I wanted action and adventure, but I begrudgingly accepted the book and went home to read.

Imagine my surprise when I loved every minute of it!  The characters, the struggle, the setting, the controversial ending (I won't spoil it here for those who haven't read it).  In preparing for the hour with my group, I started to really get into discussing the book.  Previous to 10th grade, I was really pretty quiet and reserved.  I didn't answer questions or speak up in class.  I had a few friends, but mostly kept to myself.  After reading the book, I started to open up.  I started expressing my opinions.  I started to get loud and crazy at times.  I started to reach out to other people.  I started to be more of the person I am today.

On a different but related note, I also found a passion.  After reading the literary criticism on the book, I began asking questions about this feminism stuff.  Why did the word come up often in the reviews?  How did an author 100 years ago relate to women of the 1970s?  I read more... and more... and more about feminism and in general about women in history.  Two years later I started college at Ball State University with a major in Secondary Education Math and a minor in Women's Studies.  When I transferred to IPFW three years later, I was overjoyed that they offered a major in Women's Studies.  I focused on women in U.S. History (I had switched my other major to Secondary Education Social Studies by that time) and women and religion.  I graduated a few years ago with two Bachelors and all because my teacher "made" me read a little, not very well-known book called The Awakening.

Reading Habits Revealed

I thought it was time to share a bit about my reading habits.  I found this book meme on another's blog, so I thought I would participate, too.  So, here's my answers...

Hardback, trade paperback or mass market paperback? Usually I go for a trade paperback.  They tend to be better constructed than the mass market paperbacks, but lighter than hardbacks for carrying around.

Barnes & Noble or Borders? Well, I got to both.  But I have a new found love for Half Price Books and our other used book stores Village Books.  I mainly use the big ones to get ideas, but not really to buy.

Bookmark or dog-ear? Bookmark! I only dog-ear in necessity, if I lost my bookmark and have no receipt or some paper I can put in. Or if I want to remember a line but don’t want to write in the book.

Amazon or brick-and-mortar? Tend to gravitate to brick-and-mortar as I shop by perusal.

Alphabetize by author, or alphabetize by title, or random? Usually a shelf of read and a shelf TBR.  No real order to either shelf.

Keep, throw away, or sell? Keep the favorites, sell the rest.  Better yet, borrow a lot from the library.  If I like one, then I will go out and buy it.

Keep dust jacket or toss it? Neither.  Don't like hardbacks, so don't deal with the dust jackets.

Read with dust jacket or remove it? Usually the hardbacks I read are from the library, so they're taped on anyway.

Short story or novel? Novels

Harry Potter or Lemony Snicket? I enjoyed both, but definitely Harry Potter has a special place in my heart.

Stop reading when tired or at chapter breaks? I always read to a chapter break.

“It was a dark and stormy night” or “Once upon a time”? A little of both... but probably a bit more "Once upon a time"

Buy or borrow? Borrow, I'm too poor to keep up with my reading.

Buying choice: book reviews, recommendations, or browse? Usually I have a list of recommendations and reviews, but then I browse to make my final picks.

Tidy ending or cliffhanger? Tidy endings, please!

Morning reading, afternoon reading, or nighttime reading? Mostly I read at nighttime, but also when I waiting for something or someone.

Stand-alone or series? I do like a good series!

Favorite series? Jane Austen.  Yeah I know, not technically a series, but I tend to see the six novels existing in the same world, so they're like a series.

Favorite children’s book? The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Favorite YA book? From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L Konigsburg

Favorite book of which nobody else has heard? Ummmm... nothing coming to mind right now

Favorite books read last year? Married with Zombies by Jenna Petersen. Castles by Tracie Peterson.

Favorite books of all time? The Awakening by Kate Chopin

What are you reading right now? Check out the My Bookshelf page.

What are you reading next? Probably more Christian historical fiction and a novel about the history of philosophy Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder.

Favorite book to recommend to an 11-year-old? From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg -- must read.

Favorite book to re-read? Any Jane Austen

Do you ever smell books? I love new book smell but also old book smell.  I need a good smelling book.

Do you ever read primary source documents like letters or diaries? Yes, I am a history teacher by trade so I tend to read a lot of these.

My 10 Best Fiction Friends

Among the many bloggers I try to read on a daily basis, I ran across this interesting idea.  Who would be your 10 best fiction friends?  I read a lot, so this should have been easy, right?  Well, it was a lot tougher than I thought it would be.  For example, I love Jane Austen's books, but of all the characters in them, who would I actually like to have a friend?  (Hint: see #1)  The same goes for all the other fiction I read.  Some of it is crazy contemporary romance or chick lit (as an escape).  Some of it is sci-fi where the story and setting is much more interesting than the characters.  After a lot of digging and recalling specifics, I think I've picked my ten.  And so I present my 10 Best Fiction Friends:

1. Anne Elliot from Persuasion -- very down-to-earth and practical; plus who wouldn't want to be friends with Captain Wentworth (WENTWORTH!)
2. Sarah Walker from Married with Zombies -- always good to have a zombie killer for a friend
3. Jay Gatsby from The Great Gatsby -- need a rich friend who can throw a good party; I'll even take the disillusioned youth thing
4. Arthur Dent from Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy -- Douglas Adams created a great down-to-earth likable character thrown into a crazy situation
5. Ford Prefect from Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy -- loving the crazy alien
6. Jo March from Little Women -- another down-to-earth character who I am sure has great conversations; extra plus, she's a teacher in the sequel
7. Edna from The Awakening -- every time I read the book, I want to help Edna find another way to deal with life; I want to be the friend she couldn't find in her world
8. Alice from Alice in Wonderland -- sometimes I feel as lost in Wonderland as Alice; I think we'd get along great and maybe we can help each other navigate the craziness of the world
9. Claire Randall from Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series -- a fiery independent time traveling woman?  I am so there with her
10. Pooh from Winnie-The-Pooh -- who can't just love the cuddly bear stuffed with fluff?   I know I can't.  My personality may be more like Eeyore, but I love the caring nature of Pooh.
11. (I know I put an 11, but I just had to) Hermione from Harry Potter series -- we are a lot alike; I want to be her, incredibly smart and practical and caring; plus she ends up with Ron and he's a huge laugh (third favorite character in the series, second is Luna Lovegood)

Who are your 10?  I would love to hear about them.

Christian Historical Romance

When you read the title, what are your thoughts? Somehow I have found myself reading many books that fall under this category (at least according to my local library).  Why did I start reading these?  I don't actually know.  I'm thinking that I picked up a interestingly covered book that had some sort of historical era setting.  And after reading more than 50 pages, realized what category the book fit into.  And at that point, I wanted to find out the ending.  And then I probably figured out that the book was part 1 of a trilogy or something of the like.  And of course, I had to read the rest of the series.  I am speculating because I really cannot remember how I fell into the genre, but now I'm really into it.

Some interesting notes about the genre:

• Extremely formulaic plot: These books always focus on a single woman who ends up getting married (either the end of the book or the series).  There is always a big obstacle (death, natural disaster, huge misunderstanding, trip) to overcome.
• Characters: The main character is usually a late teen to early 20s single woman who has no real interest in marriage.  Enter at least one potential husband.  Usually there's two to choose from.  If there are two suitors, one always turns out to be a cad in some way.  Usually the woman has some supportive family members.  Often there innocent children (previous child, orphans, etc.)
• Content: The reader is guaranteed that there will be no cuss words (the worst I have noticed was a nonChristian who said Damn).  There will be no sex scenes.  Usually there are a few kisses.  I did read a few books about reformed prostitutes that did allude to sex but talked about it in the way you talk about sex when children are present: vague and using euphemisms.  Even when characters marry in the books there are only allusions to sex.  I would be hard pressed to find one of these books that actually has "sex" in print.  And of course there are many Bible verses and usually sermons.  These are a given being a Christian historical romance, but sometimes these sermons can go on for over three pages.  A little excessive sometimes.
• Authors: There are many authors out there, but they often coauthor a series.  Most of them have 20-30 books authored within three years of publishing.  So I often run into the same names.  Currently I am reading Tracie Peterson's and Lauraine Snelling's libraries.
• Historical content: I am usually pleasantly surprised by the background historical content.  The authors often do research of the area or the events of the time period featured.  As a history teacher, I do appreciate this effort.

With all the issues I have with the genre, why exactly do I keep reading them?  Well, simple answer -- they're easy.  I don't have to think while reading them.  Considering that I read very academic history books, technology and business books, and authors like Melville or Austen, these books are like a vacation.  They're something I can read while waiting in the car line to pick my boys up from school.  I can read them at the coffee-house while listening to others' conversations.  I can read them while in the room with someone watching tv.  I can read them before bed when I am tired, but not tired enough to actually fall asleep.  They are easy and fairly entertaining.  So guess what I got on my last trip to the library?  Yup, that's right, more Christian historical romance.