Little Wonder by Kat Gardiner

Little Wonder
by Kat Gardiner
-Micro-fiction | Goodreads

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Published: 2018
Publisher: Father/Daughter Records LLC
Genre: Micro-fiction, Short Stories
Paperback: 94
Rating: 5

Asymmetric and misremembered, Kat Gardiner fictionalizes the experience of opening and closing an all-ages music venue and cafe with her husband in a small Pacific Northwest town. An adult coming-of-age story told in fragments, Little Wonder, explores the bittersweet love affair that takes place between despair and hope whenever you try with all your heart to do something you believe in, and fail.

My two-bits:

A gem of a book with lots of little stories relating to a sense of home :-)

The End of Eddy by Édouard Louis

The End of Eddy
by Édouard Louis
translated by Michael Lucey

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Published: 2017
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Genre: LGBTQ, France
Hardback: 208
Rating: 5

First sentence(s):
From my childhood I have no happy memories.

An autobiographical novel about growing up gay in a working-class town in Picardy.

“Every morning in the bathroom I would repeat the same phrase to myself over and over again . . . Today I’m really gonna be a tough guy.” Growing up in a poor village in northern France, all Eddy Bellegueule wanted was to be a man in the eyes of his family and neighbors. But from childhood, he was different―“girlish,” intellectually precocious, and attracted to other men.

Already translated into twenty languages, The End of Eddy captures the violence and desperation of life in a French factory town. It is also a sensitive, universal portrait of boyhood and sexual awakening. Like Karl Ove Knausgaard or Edmund White, Édouard Louis writes from his own undisguised experience, but he writes with an openness and a compassionate intelligence that are all his own. The result―a critical and popular triumph―has made him the most celebrated French writer of his generation.

My two-bits:

It's a gem. Although not a pretty story, I loved the telling. I could not help but feel for the protagonist.

~*~
* part of Tournament of Books 2018 (here)

Note to Self by Connor Franta

Note to Self
by Connor Franta

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Just released: April 18, 2017
Publisher: Atria/Keywords Press
Genre: Biography, Poetry, Photos
Hardback pages: 320
Rating: 5

First sentence(s):
I'm a private person, ironically. "Ironic" because I'm in the business of public disclose, and I'm part of a generation that shares everything.

In his New York Times bestselling memoir, A Work in Progress, Connor Franta shared his journey from small-town Midwestern boy to full-fledged Internet sensation. Exploring his past with humor and astounding insight, Connor reminded his fans of why they first fell in love with him on YouTube—and revealed to newcomers how he relates to his millions of dedicated followers.

Now, two years later, Connor is ready to bring to light a side of himself he’s rarely shown on or off camera. In this diary-like look at his life since A Work in Progress, Connor talks about his battles with clinical depression, social anxiety, self-love, and acceptance; his desire to maintain an authentic self in a world that values shares and likes over true connections; his struggles with love and loss; and his renewed efforts to be in the moment—with others and himself.

Told through short essays, letters to his past and future selves, poetry, and original photography, Note to Self is a raw, in-the-moment look at the fascinating interior life of a young creator turning inward in order to move forward.

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My two-bits:

I got this copy at an author meet/greet photo shoot session held at Book Passage, Ferry Building, San Francisco last month (previously mentioned here).

I found this to be a book gem with modern day reflections in essay and poetry forms and personal photos that make this reading a special experience.

Frida Kahlo: An Illustrated Biography by Zena Alkayat

Library of Luminaries:
Frida Kahlo: An Illustrated Biography
by Zena Alkayat
illustrated by Nina Cosford

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Published: 2016
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Genre: Biography, Art
Hardback: 128 pages
Rating: 5

Library of Luminaries series:
Jane Austen
Coco Chanel
Frida Kahlo
Virginia Woolf

First sentence(s):
"i paint myself because i am so often alone, because i am the subject i know best." -Frida Kahlo

Step into the world of one of history's most celebrated artists and feminist icons: Frida Kahlo. This beautifully illustrated biography is full of colorful details that illuminate the woman behind the artwork, including excerpts from Kahlo's personal letters and diaries on her childhood dreams of becoming a doctor, the accident that changed the course of her life, and her love affairs with famous artists. Featuring handwritten text alongside lovely illustrations in a charming case with foil stamping and debossed details, Library of Luminaries: Frida Kahlo provides a captivating window into the vibrant life, work, and creative vision of the beloved Mexican artist.

PeekAbook:

My two-bits:

This is a gem of a book with colorful whimsical illustrations presenting Frida Kahlo's life. The text is brief and basic which was a great quick way to learn about Frida.

Not really a part of the baby book or children's genre.

The One-of-a-Kind Cat Book by Ciye Cho

The One-of-a-Kind Cat Book
by Ciye Cho

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Published: 2015
Publisher: self
Genre: Animals, Cats, Illustrations
ebook
Rating: 4

First sentence(s):
Catalina Deneuve is the only cat with a speaking voice. Yet, this feline has done much, much more than talk.

The One-of-a-Kind Cat Book is a whimsical treat for cat lovers everywhere. Dive into its pages to meet Catalina the narcissistic movie star, Kit the steampunk genius, and Guillaume the macaron chef. Browse through letters, notes, and photos to learn about mystery cats from Svalbard and the Amazon. Follow a detective as he unravels the crimes of “Murder Kitties.”

The OOAK Cat Book is a grown-up picture book full of modern themes: a shameless search for fame (or infamy), an obsession with true crime, and our constant need for adventure and kawaii cats. The felines here will guide you to places like Paris, Varanasi, Woodstock, and the Great Barrier Reef.

Find your adventure amid 127 pages, 16 chapters, and 46 illustrations.

PeekAbook:



My two-bits:

This is a gem of a book in a unique and whimsical format. The stories are in various layouts - magazine, letters, electronic tablet, etc. Also full page illustrations are included that provide very colorful eye candy.

It is fun to flip through this ebook and read whatever catches your eye.

The stories are short and varied. The steampunk one was a treat ;-)


~*~
* review copy courtesy of author

One of Ciye's cat's in galactic glamour joins in the Star Wars mania (here).

Warren the 13th and The All-Seeing Eye: A Novel by Tania del Rio and Will Staehle

Warren the 13th and The All-Seeing Eye: A Novel
by Tania del Rio and Will Staehle

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BookExcerpt
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Activity Booklet: (here)

Just released: November 24, 2015
Publisher: Quirk Books
Genre: Middle Grade, Paranormal, Steampunk, Witches
Hardback: 224 pages
Rating: 5

First sentence(s):
Warren the 13th tiptoed across the roof of the Warren Hotel, and the old slate tiles clattered like bones.

Meet Warren the 13th, a cursed 12-year-old Victorian bellhop who’s terribly unlucky . . . yet perpetually optimistic, hard-working, and curious. Orphan Warren’s pride and joy is his family’s hotel, but he’s been miserable ever since his evil Aunt Anaconda took over the management. Anaconda believes a mysterious treasure known as the All-Seeing Eye is hidden somewhere on the grounds, and she’ll do anything to find it. If Warren wants to preserve his family’s legacy, he’ll need to find the treasure first—if the hotel’s many strange and wacky guests don’t beat him to it! This middle-grade adventure features gorgeous two-color illustrations on every page and a lavish two-column Victorian design that will pull young readers into a spooky and delightful mystery.

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My two-bits:
Loved the illustrations along with this story that has that gothic Edward Gorey feel to it.

It is playful with puzzle/riddle like sleuthing set in a hotel.

Treated to steampunkery scenes.

~*~
* review copy courtesy of Quirk Books

* SIGNUP to win a copy (here)

Upside of Iris by Helen Rose (with giveaway)

Upside of Iris
by Helen Rose

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Release date: September 9, 2015
Publisher: Through the 4th Wall
Genre: Fairy Tales, Illustrated, Romance
ebook
Rating: 5

First sentence(s):
I know what you must be thinking right now: something's gone terribly awry and you do hope this picture is turned right side up immediately.

What does love look like to you?

For young Iris, the whole world looks upside down, and the only person who truly understands and appreciates her perspective is her new friend Charlie, who has his own unique trait: he cannot speak. His silence, her precociousness, and their acceptance of each other make the two a perfect match.

But happiness is fleeting, as Iris’s new stepsisters, skeptical and jealous (as conventional folks often are of those who dare to swim against the tide), manage to drive the two apart. Iris and Charlie are separated for the remainder of childhood.

Grown-up Iris never forgets about Charlie, though, and her love for him influences the charming art gallery she now owns. But despite the visually magical environment she inhabits, Iris finds herself doubting Charlie once again, thanks in no small part to those pesky stepsisters of hers.

Still, before she decides to give up hope altogether, she decides to do one small thing for the other lonely souls around her . . . with wonderful consequences.

The Upside of Iris is an illustrated love story for all ages, and for anyone who has ever felt misunderstood. It is a whimsical, touching reminder that perspective is truly everything, and that a change in perspective can make all the difference in the world.

PeekAbook:



My two-bits:

This is a gem. I would love to see a print version of it as the colors are so warm and whimsical to behold.

I read this on my black/white kindle and did not get the full effect. But looking online at the video clips (here) is a treat.

The story is fairy tale-ish and a cute one with longing and love and some things in between.

~*~
* review copy courtesy of author via Kate Tilton's Book Bloggers

* SIGNUP to win an ebook copy (here).

Young Jane Austen: Becoming a Writer by Lisa Pliscou

Young Jane Austen:
Becoming a Writer
by Lisa Pliscou

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Just released: April 20, 2015
Publisher: Wyatt-MacKenzie
Genre: Biography, Jane Austen
Paperback: 188 pages
Rating: 5

What was Jane Austen like as a child? What were her formative influences and experiences, her challenges and obstacles, that together set her on the path toward becoming a writer?

Drawing upon a wide array of sources, including Austen’s own books and correspondence, Lisa Pliscou has created a “speculative biography” that, along with 20 charming black-and-white illustrations, offers a fascinating glimpse into the world of young Jane Austen. Also included is a richly detailed, annotated version of the narrative and an overview of Austen’s life, legacy, and the era in which she lived, as well as a timeline of her key childhood events.

YOUNG JANE AUSTEN is sure to intrigue anyone interested in Jane Austen, in writing and the creative process, and in the triumph of the artistic spirit.

PeekAbook:


My two-bits:

This is a small cute gem of a book.

A third of the book is speculative biography of what Jane might have been like in her childhood. Brief passages of what could have been Jane are presented like snapshots from a family album.

The next two-thirds of the book is an annotated version with tidbits that include things related to Jane's novels. Fun for those into trivia.

And the final third of the book is a short bio of Jane with a timeline for period covered in the book.

I really like how this story is presented. Sprinkled throughout the book are illustrations with an old classic vibe. The pages are also outlined with a pretty floral background which brings about a cozy feeling while reading.

--~ Book Giveaway courtesy of author ~--signup to win this book
~*~
* review copy and giveaway courtesy of author

* added this to my Books On The Nightstand Bingo challenge - square: Six Words or More in Title

The Golden Mean by Nick Bantock

The Golden Mean
(Griffin & Sabine Trilogy #3)
by Nick Bantock

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Published: 1993
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Genre: Art, Epistolary, Romance
Hardback: 48 pages
Rating: 5

Griffin & Sabine Trilogy series:
Griffin & Sabine
Sabine's Notebook
The Golden Mean

I received your Paris card. I waited but you did not returne the 23rd. I waited until the 31st, but you did not return. What happened? Where are you?
--Sabine

Sabine's Notebook ended with a disturbing disclosure--Griff and Sabine had somehow eluded each other once again. The Golden Mean beings with an even more disturbing development:

I was sure I understood. Yet you were not here when I returned and there was no sign that you ever had been here... Today comes your card saying you were in this house for three days after my return. I am bewildered...
--Griffin

It seems that each cannot exist in the presence of the other. Yet neither can continue without the presence of the other. And so, in this final volume of the Griffin & Sabine trilogy, they struggle against the mysterious forces that keep them apart. Time is running out: Sabine's crystalline visions of Griffin's artwork grow cloudy and dim, and a threatening stranger begins to appear everywhere she goes. The Golden Mean is the tale of Griffin and Sabine's journey towards one another, sometimes dreamy, sometimes desperate, sometimes nightmarish. The golden mean--the harmony of perfect balance--is what they seek in the haunting conclusion of this extraordinary correspondence.

Told in the compelling style of the first two best-selling volumes of the trilogy, The Golden Mean allows readers to open richly decorated envelopes and draw forth intricately illustrated letters, to decipher the quirky handwritten postcards with their macabre and magical artwork, to indulge, in other words, in the wonderfully illicit activity of reading someone else's mail.

My two-bits:

Finally got around to reading the last of this trilogy. It was just one of those books that I took for granted. You know, the kind of book that sits in your tbr pile with the expectation that it will be an automatic 5-star rating. So, you leave it sitting on the shelf for later. Then it turns out to be waaaay later until an opportunity arises that brings it out onto the forefront again.

In this case, it is the Winter Bingo challenge that makes this book jump to the top of my reading pile. The bingo category is Epistolary. This is a category that has limited selection compared to something like Romance.

Fortunately the bingo challenge enabled me to "hit two birds with one stone."

And, indeed the book was indeed a 5-star gem.

The relationship between the two characters concludes in a satisfying way, but first with mystery, uncertainty and a bit of suspense.

The artwork and whimsical nature of the book and how the story literally unfolds (in actual letters) created the same wonder and excitement I had when I first came across the first book in this trilogy.

~*~
* added this to my Bookish Bingo challenge - square: Epistolary

Los Gatos Black on Halloween by Marisa Montes

Los Gatos Black on Halloween
by Marisa Montes
illustrated by Yuyi Morales

Find out more about this book and author:
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Published: 2006
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Genre: Children's, Halloween
Hardback: 32 pages
Rating: 5

Follow los monstruos and los esqueletos to the Halloween party

Under October’s luna, full and bright, the monsters are throwing a ball in the Haunted Hall. Las brujas come on their broomsticks. Los muertos rise from their coffins to join in the fun. Los esqueletos rattle their bones as they dance through the door. And the scariest creatures of all aren’t even there yet!

This lively bilingual Halloween poem introduces young readers to a spooky array of Spanish words that will open their ojos to the chilling delights of the season.

Los Gatos Black on Halloween is a 2007 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year, the winner of the 2008 Pura Belpre Medal for Illustration and a Pura Belpre Honor Book for Narrative.

Zombie sighting:

Next los fantasmas drag their chains;
The ghosts, the phantoms, shriek their pains.
Now come the ghouls. Then zombies march
Beneath the trees where branches arch.
-page 9

My two-bits:

I picked this up to read to fulfill my Bookish Bingo Halloween square and was tickled.

So cute. So fun.

This is a gem of a book that made me hoot at the end.

It is houses rhyming verses with dashes of spanish words to learn along the way.

The illustrations are delightful and captures the spirit of the story well.

~*~
* added this to my Bookish Bingo challenge - square: Halloween

The Future for Curious People by Gregory Sherl

The Future for Curious People
by Gregory Sherl

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Just released: September 2, 2014
Publisher: Algonquin Books
Genre: magical realism
Paperback: 336 pages
Rating: 5

Meet Evelyn and Godfrey. Evelyn is breaking up with her boyfriend, who’s passing out advertisements for his band on a snowy street corner in Baltimore. She’s seen their dismal future together at Dr. Chin’s office--she and her boyfriend, both many years older, singing “Happy Birthday” to a Chihuahua and arguing about cheese. She hopes for more.

Meanwhile, Godfrey is proposing to his girlfriend, Madge, who’s not quite willing to take that leap; she wants to see their future together first--just to be sure they’re meant for each other.

The Future for Curious People follows Evelyn and Godfrey’s soon-to-be-entwined lives, set in motion by the fabulist premise of a world with envisionists like Dr. Chin. As the characters struggle with their pasts and possible futures, they wrestle with sorrow, love, death, and fate.

A novel that will capture you with its wit, its hopefulness, its anxious twists and turns, this love story is ultimately about finding happiness and accepting our fleeting existence.

Zombie sighting:

I just don't feel anything happening. Must be an epidemic or the zombie apocalypse.
-chapter: Godfrey - Learning To Abstract, location 1968 (kindle)

My two-bits:

Loved this book about love in respect to couple relationships.

It is one of those books gems with golden nuggets of wisdom sprinkled in most chapters. There are so many quotable passages that I really was really taken with - so many, that if I had a highlighter, most pages would be well colored.

The concept of envisionists and how they go about exploring our future selves was a fun one to think about during the read. Got me thinking of how some people go to fortune tellers for advice and guidance.

~*~
* review copy courtesy of edelweiss

* added this to my Bookish Bingo challenge

The Witch of Belladonna Bay by Suzanne Palmieri

~*~

The Witch of Belladonna Bay
by Suzanne Palmieri

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Just released: May 18, 2014
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Genre: Romance, Witches
Paperback: 368 pages
Rating: 5

Series:
The Witch of Little Italy
The Witch of Belladonna Bay

Bronwyn "BitsyWyn" Whalen hasn’t set eyes on the red dirt of Magnolia Creek, Alabama, for fourteen years—not since her mama died. But with her brother, Patrick, imprisoned for the murder of her childhood best friend, and her eccentric father, Jackson, at his wits’ end while her eleven-year-old niece, Byrd, runs wild, Bronwyn finds herself once again surrounded by ancient magnolia trees and the troubled family she left behind.

She becomes immersed in a whirlwind of mystery and magic as she tries to figure out what really happened that fateful night her friend died. And as her bond with Byrd deepens, Bronwyn must face the demons of her past in order to unravel her family’s uncertain future.

In Suzanne Palmieri's thrilling new novel, The Witch of Belladonna Bay, readers will learn if love and magic are enough to bring a broken family back together.

About the author:

Suzanne Palmieri Hayes is the author of The Witch of Little Italy and the forthcoming The Witch of Belladonna Bay (May, 2014).

She is also the co-author of I’ll Be Seeing You under the name Suzanne Hayes.

She lives by the ocean with her husband and three darling witches.

She is currently hard at work on her next novel.

My two-bits:

One of those gem of a books with lots of poignant and heartfelt statements and ponderings sprinkled throughout.

This story definitely had a magical feel to it with paranormal incidents and doings.

Loved how the characters loved each other - especially between the main characters Wyn and Byrd which was of the mother-daughter sort.

Really got a sense of the small town and its colorful array of townsfolk in regards to its relationship with Byrd.

~*~
Praise for the book:

"Suzanne Palmieri has crafted a riveting tale that will keep you up late at night guessing what will happen next. It is a story that will intrigue both male and female readers. Guys, don't let this one slip past you."—Jason Mott, New York Times bestselling author of The Returned

"Ms. Palmieri's authentic dialogue, and ability to paint a family in crisis, is both charming and layered. If you're a lover of Southern fiction, magic in its many forms, and the kind of storytelling that keeps you turning the pages, you've come to the right place, y'all."—Lesley Kagen, New York Times bestselling author of Whistling in the Dark

"Murder, mystery and magic meld in a novel of absolute enchantment. About the lies we tell, the love we struggle for, and the way we find our way back to our rightful place in the world, Palmieri's book is a stunner."—Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of Pictures of You and Is This Tomorrow

"Magic weaves its way through this beguiling southern gothic, swirling from the moss-laden trees around the Big House through the misty and menacing Belladonna Bay, and settling into the hearts of Bronwyn and her niece, Byrd, whose Strange Ways most people just don’t understand. Reminiscent of Sarah Addison Allen’s Garden Spells, this bewitching tale of ghostly mystery, love and family ties will enchant you from the very first page and linger in the air around you long after the last."— Wendy Webb, bestselling author of The Fate of Mercy Alban

~*~
* added this to Bookish Bingo challenge

* review copy courtesy of Summer Reading Challenge 2014. It's not too late, join the reading challenge here. @booksparks #SRC2014!

100 Ghosts: A Gallery of Harmless Haunts by Doogie Horner

100 Ghosts:
A Gallery of Harmless Haunts
by Doogie Horner

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Just released: yesterday! September 10, 2013
Publisher: Quirk Books
Genre: Art, Comedy, Ghosts
Hardback: 208 pages
Rating: 5

Amazon | BarnesNoble

Cut two eyeholes into a bedsheet and BOO!

You’ve got yourself a classic Halloween icon. But what happens if you tie the bedsheet in knots?

What happens when you set it on fire, hang it from a clothesline, or put a llama underneath it?

100 Ghosts is a brilliantly simple artistic exploration of an icon as familiar as a grinning jack-o-lantern or an arched black cat.

It’s a delightful gift for adults, kids, and anyone who enjoys spooky design.

My two-bits:
In-a-word(s): ghosts galore
Little (4.50" x 6.14") gem of a book with pages and pages of cute illustrations of themed ghosts to flip through. This is a fun one to have on the coffee table especially during the Halloween season.

May favorite ghost from the collection...

--~ Book Giveaway courtesy of publisher ~--
signup to win this book
~*~
* review copy courtesy of publisher

* part of event: Ghostly Ghosts

Bright Young Things: A Modern Guide to the Roaring Twenties by Alison Maloney

Bright Young Things:
A Modern Guide to the Roaring Twenties
by Alison Maloney

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Just released: March 2013
Publisher: Potter Style
Genre: 1920s
Hardback: 128 pages
Rating: 5

Amazon | BarnesNoble

For lovers of the glamour and scandal of the roaring twenties and the millions of fans eagerly anticipating the return of Downton Abbey (the third season opens in the twenties), an illustrated lifestyle guide to the fashion, the parties, the notrious personalities, and all the glittering trappings from the unforgettable era of the flapper.

Bright Young Things is a perfect guide to the roaring twenties--hot jazz and hotter all-night dance halls, high society's scandalous exploits, fresh new fashions, Prohibition cocktails, costume parties, and of course, the notorious flapper. Decorated throughout with art deco illustrations and packaged in a beautiful foil-stamped case, this book looks stunning resting on a coffee table and makes a fabulous gift.

PeekAbook:

Table of Contents

Welcome, You Bright Young Thing

The Bright Young State of Mind
The Postwar Party
How to Be Bad: The Flapper Life
Liberated Ladies: Meet the Iconic Flappers
Learn the Lingo: The Flapper Vernacular
Across the Pond: Meet the Bright Young People
Rubbing Elbows: Meet the Mayfair Set
Host a 1920s-Themed Scavenger Hunt
Cause a Scandal: Bright Young Shenanigans
Choose a Mentor: Bright Young Influencers
Further Reading: Start Your Own Roaring Book Club

Dress Like a Bright Young Thing
The Sartorial Rebellion
Flirting with Fashion: Flapper Wardrobe Essentials and Accessories
Bright Young Faces: Bold Beauty Tips
Chop Chop!: Get Your Own Bobbed Look
Not Your Father’s Suit: Casual and Formal Looks for the Modern Man
Sporting a Bowtie: How to Properly Tie One On

Hook Up (and Get Hitched)
A Roaring View of Marriage
The Flapper Bride: What to Wear for a Trip Down the Aisle
In the Spotlight: Bright Young Celebrity Couples
Read All About It: Scandals in the Tabloids
Mad About the Boy: Homosexuality in the 1920s

Throw a Scandalous Soirée
The Never-Ending Party
Throw Your Own Bath and Bottle Party
Plan Your Own Red and White Party
Party like a Bright Young Thing: Themes for Your Next Fête

Prohibition Cocktails Guide
The First Mixologists
Criminal Behavior: Bathtub Gin and Bootleg Booze
Pick Your Poison: Intoxicating Homemade Brews
Shaken and Stirred: Mix Your Own Prohibition Cocktails

Dance All Night
The Jazz Age
Roaring ’20s Playlists: Tunes for a Big Night Out . . . and the Morning After
Dance Crazy: Learn the Steps to the Charleston
Speak Easy: The Underground Social Scene
Where to Be Seen: “It” Clubs Abroad
Come to the Cabaret
Cabarets for the Modern Flapper
Nightlife Royalty: Famous Musicians, Dancers, and Club Owners

Entertain Yourself
Entertainment and Glamour
Tinseltown: Hollywood Studios and the Silent Silver Screen
Silent Slapstick: Host a ’20s Comedy Night
Drama and Intrigue: Oscar-Worthy Dramas of the ’20s
Dashing Heroes and Mysterious Villains: 1920s Action Flicks to Get Your Heart Racing
The Jazz Singer: Enter, The Talkie
Dawn of an Animation Empire: Mickey Is Born
Who’s Your Idol?: Celebrities of the Screen and Stage

Sources and Bibliography

My two-bits:
In-a-word(s): the elephant's instep

Absolutely adorable gem of a book! Visually pleasing and fun to just flip through.

This is a mini guide that highlights things in the 1920s with lists, recipes, quotes and illustrations.

--~ Book Giveaway courtesy of publisher ~--
signup to win this book

~*~
* review copy courtesy of publisher

* part of event: Flappers at Floyd's

All There Is: Love Stories from StoryCorps by Dave Isay

All There Is:
Love Stories from StoryCorps
by Dave Isay

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Just released: February 2012
Publisher: The Penguin Press HC
Genre: Short Stories
Hardback: 176 pages
Rating: 5

Amazon | Barnes&Noble

In All There Is, StoryCorps founder Dave Isay shares stories of love and marriage from the revolutionary oral history project, revealing the many and remarkable journeys that relationships can take.

In stories that carry us from the excitement and anticipation of courtship to the deep connection of lifelong commitment, we discover that love is found in the most unexpected of places—a New York tollbooth, a military base in Iraq, an airport lounge—and learn that the course it takes is as unpredictable as life itself. As the storytellers in this book start careers, build homes, and raise families, we witness the life-affirming joy of partnership, the comfort of shared sorrows, and profound gratitude in the face of loss.

These stories are also testament to the heart’s remarkable endurance. In All There Is we encounter love that survives discrimination, illness, poverty, distance—even death. In the courage of people’s passion we are reminded of the strength and resilience of the human spirit. This powerful collection bares witness to real love, in its many varied forms, enriching our understanding of that most magical feeling.

My two-bits:
In-a-word(s): love
Absolutely enjoyed this gem of a book!
Reading the stories is just as enjoyable as listening to them.



--~ Book Giveaway courtesy of author ~--
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Charlie No Face by David B. Seaburn

Charlie No Face
by David B. Seaburn

Published: 2011
Publisher: Savant Books & Publications LLC
Genre: Coming of Age, YA
Paperback: 270 pages
Rating: 5

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Description:
When eleven-year-old Jackie meets every kid’s greatest nightmare–disfigured hermit Charlie No Face–his life is changed forever. Despite nagging questions about the death of his mother when he was an infant, the summer of 1959 is shaping up as the best vacation of Jackie’s short life.

He has friends, baseball, his father’s unanticipated vacation from work, and the hunt for Charlie No Face to fill his days. But in a few short weeks, Jackie’s life is turned upside down. He moves in with a distant relative whose shadowy boarder holds the key to Jackie’s past and, perhaps, his future.

Who is this man who won’t go out in the light of day but who roams the woods at night? Could it be?

Charlie No Face is a coming-of-age story in which a misunderstood recluse and a young boy redeem each other’s lives through a most unlikely friendship.

Quote to note:
Gossip is an ignorant person's truth...
- page 157, chapter 14

PeekAbook:



LISTEN to an interview with David about this book.

My two-bits:
In-a-word(s): buckeye
I loved this gem of a story! It is a beautifully written coming of age story from the perspective of an eleven year old boy during the late 50s.

There are a few moments that just tugged at the heart and others that caused pause for thought.

--~ Book Giveaway courtesy of author ~--
signup to win this book

~*~
* review copy courtesy of author

* part of rrRoad trip event

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch and Jeffrey Zaslow

The Last Lecture
by Randy Pausch and Jeffrey Zaslow

Published: 2008
Publisher: Hyperion
Genre: Memoir
Hardback: 224 pages
Rating: 5

Description from the amazon:

"We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand."
--Randy Pausch
A lot of professors give talks titled "The Last Lecture." Professors are asked to consider their demise and to ruminate on what matters most to them. And while they speak, audiences can't help but mull the same question: What wisdom would we impart to the world if we knew it was our last chance? If we had to vanish tomorrow, what would we want as our legacy?

When Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon, was asked to give such a lecture, he didn't have to imagine it as his last, since he had recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer. But the lecture he gave--"Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams"--wasn't about dying. It was about the importance of overcoming obstacles, of enabling the dreams of others, of seizing every moment (because "time is all you have...and you may find one day that you have less than you think"). It was a summation of everything Randy had come to believe. It was about living.

In this book, Randy Pausch has combined the humor, inspiration and intelligence that made his lecture such a phenomenon and given it an indelible form. It is a book that will be shared for generations to come.

My two-bits:
In-a-word(s): hope
This is one of those gem of books that give you pause. Pause to appreciate life and living.

Randy was a father and today I thought it appropriate to share this special book that houses a special message to his kids.

PeekAbook:



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fyi...

Father's Day Reading Challenge
June 5-25, 2011
at Songs and Stories

Between Two Ends by David Ward

Between Two Ends
by David Ward

Just released: May 2011
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
Genre: Action, Coming of Age, Fantasy, Pirates, YA
Hardback: 304 pages
Rating: 5

Description from the amazon:
When Yeats and his parents visit his grandmother's creepy old house, Yeats reunites a pair of pirate bookends and uncovers the amazing truth: Years ago, Yeats's father traveled into The Arabian Nights with a friend, and the friend, Shari, is still stuck in the tales.

Assisted by the not-always-trustworthy pirates, Yeats must navigate the unfamiliar world of the story of Shaharazad--dodging guards and tigers and the dangerous things that lurk in the margins of the stories--in order to save Shari and bring peace to his family.

Amusing quote:
Skin looked at him expectantly. "Come on, lad," he said. "Another insult."

Yeats shuffled as far from the pirate as he could. Then he cleared his throat. "I've seen better mustaches after a glass of milk," he said.

The pirate twirled the ends of his mustache agitatedly. The insult had obviously been effective, for Skin leaned menacingly toward Yeats one second then forced himself back to the tiller the next.

When he was in command of himself he gasped, "I like that one too. What's the question?"
- page 88, chapter 7

My two-bits:
In-a-word(s): magicals
I'm a sucker for stories about characters who find themselves in books. And, this one is another gem of a story that I thoroughly enjoyed. Indeed!

Bookends as portals, wishes and possibilities are just a few of the fantastical elements of this story.

PeekAbook: a reading snippet by author



--~ Book Giveaway courtesy of author ~--
signup to win this book

~*~
* review copy courtesy of author and netgalley

* part of ...and a bottle o'rum event

Treasure Trouble by Brian James

Treasure Trouble
by Brian James

Published: 2008
Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap
Genre: Action, Pirates
Paperback: 64 pages
Rating: 5

Description from the amazon:
They’ve done it!!! The pirate kids have found buried treasure!!! Too bad Rotten Tooth was there to take it away, mumbling something about scallywags . . .

But when all the pirates on the Sea Rat come down with a mysterious illness, the kids start to wonder if it could have something to do with their treasure.

Could it be cursed?

Amusing quote:
"Blimey, being a pirate kid sure is hard work sometimes," I said.

"Aye, Pete, and splashy work," Gary added.
- page 1, chapter 1

Pirate School series:
The Curse of Snake Island #1
Ahoy, Ghost Ship Ahead! #2
Attack on the High Seas! #3
Port of Spies #4
Treasure Trouble #5
Camp Buccaneer #6
Yo-Ho-Ho! #7
Shiver Me, Shipwreck! #8

My two-bits:
In-a-word(s): arrrrr
First note that this is a chapter book and for ages 4-8. But me being me, doesn't stop me from reading this gem of a book.

Along with friendship, team work and a bit o'pirate-ing with a life lesson or two to be learned this is a book that I enjoyed reading and reading aloud.

AND, the illustrations are a hoot that go well with the storyline as well ;-D

--~ Book Giveaway ~--
Avast, me hearties!

Win my gently read copy of this book!

Open to all.

Offer ends: May 29, 2011

TO DO:
arrrrrrrrrr, tell me a pirate joke.

AND, leave your email (if I don't already have it)

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Contest has ended - winner is here

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LO, and behold, here be the Pirate Brian reading to some young uns...



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* image sources:Brian in Pirate Hat

* read Brian's recent guest post starring this young crew

~-~~-~ ...and a bottle o'rum schedule ~-~~-~

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in A Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland
in a Ship of Her Own Making
by Catherynne M. Valente
illustrated by Ana Juan

Published: Feiwel & Friends
Publisher: May 10, 2011
Genre: Fantasy, YA
Hardback: 256 pages
Rating: 5

Description from the amazon:
Twelve-year-old September lives in Omaha, and used to have an ordinary life, until her father went to war and her mother went to work. One day, September is met at her kitchen window by a Green Wind (taking the form of a gentleman in a green jacket), who invites her on an adventure, implying that her help is needed in Fairyland.

The new Marquess is unpredictable and fickle, and also not much older than September. Only September can retrieve a talisman the Marquess wants from the enchanted woods, and if she doesn’t . . . then the Marquess will make life impossible for the inhabitants of Fairyland. September is already making new friends, including a book-loving Wyvern and a mysterious boy named Saturday.

With exquisite illustrations by acclaimed artist Ana Juan, Fairyland lives up to the sensation it created when the author first posted it online. For readers of all ages who love the charm of Alice in Wonderland and the soul of The Golden Compass, here is a reading experience unto itself: unforgettable, and so very beautiful.

Amusing quote:
A quest, she thought, excitement rising in her like bread, a real quest like a real knight, and she doesen't even see that I'm short and I don't have a sword. - page 35, chapter 3

My two-bits:
In-a-word(s): spoon
Surely a gem of a book with lots of gold nugget ideas to live by.

And, plenty of whimsy and illustrations to make you twirl with delight ;-D

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* ARC review copy courtesy of publisher

* part of Alice in WhoLand event