It was a dark and stormy night...(in other words, I MUST HAVE THIS!)

This year marks the 50th anniversary of one of my all-time favorite books: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle. When I was a child I read this book over and over. Long ago I lost the tattered paperback copy that enjoyed so many times in my youth. I do have a paperback copy on one of my bookshelves at home – one that I purchased while a college student after seeing the series available from one book club or another.

On January 31 the 50th anniversary edition will be released. Here is the cover (as shown on the book’s facebook page). 

On the left - the book jacket. Once removed, the book's actual cover is the original cover art.  <3 Love it!  I know what I will be buying very soon!!

Waiting on Wednesday

Last week I ended up with a great reason to look forward to September. My daily email/chat friend, Sharon, and I are going to meet in London, Ontario. Yay! Road trip!! Sharon lives in Canada and will be flying to London, since it is just a few hours from Detroit. So, I will drop off the puppyboy, pick up the mom and we will cross the bridge from Detroit to Windsor.

Today I found a second reason to look forward to September. The next book in the Bloody Jack series by L.A. Meyer is supposed to be available on September 13. I. Cannot. Wait. I think this is my favorite series ever.

September is going to be awesome. Now to just get through the next five months…

hmmm....

Susan at Booklights asks...What's your favorite book today?

The End

One more book review for you:

The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan.

The time has come. Percy, just days from being sixteen, and his fellow demigods must battle to save the world from Kronos and his army. As the gods and goddesses fight Typhon, it is up to the demigods to save Olympus. Can they do it?

Wow. Just wow. The fifth and final installment of this series was artfully packed full of action. Riordan has achieved what few other series authors seem to be able to do. He has written a series where each book is on par with the rest in their excellence. I am only sad that there aren’t more, though he did hint that their might be a companion series in the future. One can only hope.

This series is firmly on my list of All Time Favorite Book Series. That is a short list.

The Lightning Thief hits the theaters later this month. I'm anxiously waiting. I really hope that Hollywood doesn't screw up the film adaptation of the books.

2008 in review

According to my GoodReads list, I read/listened to 69 books in 2008. Granted, that doesn’t count the many children’s picture books that I read for work (and for pleasure). I’m sure that number is well over 200.

Listed below are my top picks for 2008. If you look at my ratings on GoodReads, you may notice that some books that were rated with 5 stars didn’t make the list. Why? Because as I looked over the titles, I picked the ones that stood out. I may have LOVED a book when I first read it, but if months later I don’t think of it to recommend to others, then why should it be on my top list?


My top 10 books read in 2008 (in no particular order)

1. Unwind by Neal Schusterman (Teen)
2. The Wee Free Men: A Discworld Novel by Terry Pratchett (Children's/Tween/Teen)
   
3. My Bonny Light Horseman: Being an Account of the Further Adventures of Jacky Faber, in Love and War by L. A. Meyer (Teen)
4. Babymouse: Queen of the World! Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm (Children's/Tween)
   
5. Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning (Adult)
   
6. The Host: A Novel by Stephenie Meyer (Adult)
   
7. Spanking Shakespeare by Jake Wizner (Teen)
8. The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory (Adult)
   
9. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher (Teen)
10. Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale by Holly Black (Teen)

Top Audiobooks listened to in 2008(in no particular order)

1. Poison by Chris Wooding; read by Virginia Leishman (Teen)
2. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon read by Davina Porter (Adult)
   
3. Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon read by Davina Porter (Adult)
   
4. Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!: Voices from a Medieval Village by Laura Amy Schlitz read by Christina Moore and a full cast (Children's)
   
5. Bloody Jack: Being an Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary "Jacky" Faber, Ship's Boy by L. A. Meyer read by Katherine Kellgren (Teen)
6. A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray read by Jo Wyatt (Teen)
7. Rebel Angels by Libba Bray read by Josephine Bailey (Teen)
   
8. The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray read by Josephine Bailey (Teen)
   

Long overdue update

I've been slacking in the blog department.

Recently, I've finished a couple of books. One was great. One was just OK. My favorite recent read was the latest installment in the Bloody Jack series: My bonny light horseman : being an account of the further adventures of Jacky Faber, in love and war by L.A. Meyer.

Our dear Jacky is enjoying life on the seas, transporting goods between the Caribbean and Boston. But, when she is captured - again - by the British, she is unable to escape. As usual, she befriends the captain and crew of the ship transporting her to her final destination - Newgate prison in London. But when the ship is attacked by the French, Jacky is off on another adventure - this time as a British spy in France.

Full of adventure, and lots of fun, this series is one of my absolute favorites. My mom and sister can't wait to read it. My good friend Tammy said she thinks it's her favorite of the series. It is definitely a well written tale. I would love to see the series made into movies.

The other book I finished recently was Valiant : a modern tale of faerie by Holly Black. I liked it well enough, but not nearly as much as Tithe. The characters and setting weren't as well developed as in Tithe, and the story left me wanting more - more information about the characters, etc. Also, I felt the ending was a bit weak. However, this is not keeping me from reading another book by this author, as next on my list is Ironside : a modern faery's tale, which I think is a sequel to Tithe.

The Host by Stephenie Meyer

Don't walk...RUN to your local library (or the library's website) and place this book on hold NOW!

Yes. I enjoyed it that much. I couldn't wait to get home from work so I could read more. That hasn't happened in some time!

In my humble (but of course, all important - ha ) opinion, this book rocks. Meyer surpasses the writing skills showcased in the Twilight books in this "sci-fi lite" book. While there are aliens, they just don't seem like, well, aliens. It's a great story and well told.

Though, Meyer seems to have a thing for the whole "two men in love with one woman" storyline. At least in The Host, there are actually two women...they just share a body.

So...just do it. Read this book. Now. Or as soon as you can get a copy.

My Favorite Things...

I’ve been writing mostly about teen books, because I read a lot of teen books. I read a lot of picture books, too, as well as some children’s books with chapters, but for some reason I don’t think to write as much about them.

Because of that, I present to you, in no particular order, a list of some of my favorite Children’s Picture Books!

• But Excuse me, That is my Book by Lauren Child (a Charlie and Lola book) – Lola doesn’t understand that her most favorite book in the whole wide world is available to everyone, and not just for her. Charlie tries to explain to his little sister that there are many books that she may just like even more! There are several books in the Charlie and Lola series, and all are lots of fun.
• Skippyjon Jonesby Judy Schachner (series) – The adventures of a Siamese kitten who thinks he is a Chihuahua. There are 4 in the series so far (plus a handful of board books). Sent to his room to think about being a kittenboy, Skippyjon Jones finds adventures in his closet. With his pack of Chihuahua friends (Los Chimichangos), Skippyjon defeats El Bandito, searches for ever lasting peas and more!
• Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak – This is one of my all-time favorite books. The story of Max – a boy sent to bed without supper and ends up traveling to the land of the Wild Things, where he is made king.
• Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina – This classic tale is not only one of my favorites, but also my mom’s all time favorite children’s book. When a peddler falls asleep under a tree, mischievous monkeys steal the caps he is selling!
• The Day Jimmy’s Boa Ate the Wash by Trinka Hakes Noble – Another one of those classic books from my childhood. A young girl is telling her mom about a class trip to a farm that was boring…until classmate Jimmy’s pet boa constrictor sets of a hilarious chain of events.
• Gator Gumbo by Candace Fleming – I think this is my favorite book to read aloud (though The Perfect Nest is a close second). Set down in the Bayou, old Monsieur Gator is tired of eating greens and twigs, and decides to make his Maman’s excellent Gator Gumbo. A trio of critters (who love to sass the slow moving gator) taunt Monsieur Gator as they watch him make his delicious smelling gumbo. This story is a retelling of Little Red Hen.
• The Alexander series by Judith Viorst ( Alexander, who use to be rich last Sunday, Alexander, who's not (Do you hear me? I mean it!) going to move, Alexander, and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day, and I'll Fix Anthony) – More classics from my childhood. Poor Alexander. He’s the youngest of three boys. In these stories, Alexander laments the troubles of being the youngest. I think my top choice of the four would be about his bad day.
• The Perfect Nest by Catherine Friend - this is a new addition to my favorite books, and one of my favorite books to read aloud. I have read this book to children from aged 2-12, and even to adults. All have enjoyed it! Jack the cat wants an omelet, so he builds a nest – complete with signs touting its perfection. In order, a hen (who speaks Spanish), a duck (French) and a goose (straight from the South/Texas) each decide that it is the perfect nest for them, and lays an egg. While the three stubborn birds all try to take over the next, Jack tries to get them to leave. Finally, he convinces them there is an even better nest the next farm over. As he drools over the idea of three meals of omelets, the eggs hatch! What is Jack going to do now?
• Kevin Henkes Mouse books (Weekend with Wendell, Chrysanthemum, Lily’s Purple Plastic Purse, etc.) – Henkes has written several books featuring these mouse characters. The first time I heard one of these books, I was taking a Children’s Lit class as an undergrad. The professor – the head of my school’s library, the wife of a children’s book author, and author of a children’s book as well – read aloud Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse. What child (and adult) couldn’t empathize with Lilly’s love of her awesome purple plastic purse? Although I adore all of the Mouse books, Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse and Chrysanthemum are my favorite of the bunch. Chrysanthemum’s name is perfect…until she starts school and is teased by her classmates. With the help of her parents and her teacher, she realizes that her name is, as she always knew, absolutely perfect.

Now...I should compile a list of my favorite chapter books. Perhaps one day soon.