Big Honkin' Giveaway!

The Bodacious Pen is hosting a great giveaway with lots of books and swag! Check out the giveaway HERE. Did I mention it's open internationally? Giveaway ends 7/26/2010.

My Favorite Authors and the Book Blogger Hop

This week Jennifer is asking Blog Hop participants to "share some of your favorite authors and why they are your favorites!" Well I don't mind if I do share!

Sherman Alexie is a recent discovery for me. I read his young adult novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian, last fall, loved it and have been reading and acquiring his works ever since. I've since read War Dances (short stories and poems), Flight (novel) and I'm now reading The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fist fight in Heaven (short stories).  Alexie's works are funny, dark, honest (sometimes brutally so) and illuminating. At the top of the page he has me laughing out loud and by the bottom line he's got me crying tears. Alexie is a Spokane/Coeur d'Alene Indian who grew up in Washington state and many of his stories reflect his experiences growing up on a reservation. He's won numerous awards. I'll let you look them up on his website by yourself. 

Cormac McCarthy is also a new to me author. I read The Road last year and was blown away. I've since read All the Pretty Horses and enjoyed it immensely. McCarthy's writing style is unconventional and out of this world. I don't think I've found anything that compares. He makes me read slowly, deliberately, so as to visualize everything he's saying, every stark detail be it beautiful or frightfully ugly. With his characters he captures humanity at its best and worst. I'm looking forward to savoring more of his works in the future. Plus, I hear he doesn't like Henry James much and neither do I. Actually I can't stand reading Henry James. McCarthy is apparently very private, which only adds to his coolness factor. But for more info check out the Cormac McCarthy's Society's website. Oh, and he's won a Pulitzer so you know I'm not making up his coolness.

Amy Tan got me reading before I knew I liked reading...when I thought I wasn't much of reader.That is to say, Amy Tan was a gateway book to heavy reading. Tan is Chinese American and her stories reflect her rich and often frustrating heritage. She captures mother-daughter relationships perfectly. It doesn't matter what nationality you identify with - mothers and daughters always have quarrels and misunderstandings. I love The Joy Luck Club and highly recommend it if you've never read anything by Tan before.

Well, this was fun. I'm looking forward to reading everybody's posts about your favorite authors. If you're stopping by from the Hop, hey, howya doin? Thanks for stopping. Leave a comment and I'll visit you this weekend. Happy Hopping!

Review: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Catching Fire, book two in The Hunger Games trilogy, captured my attention right away and I was gripped by the story for the entire read. A couple times I had to put the book down for a second, look up at my husband and gasp “No way!” to which he looked at me confused and then I went back to reading. This is a seriously entertaining series. If you haven’t begun The Hunger Games yet, you really need to.

Katniss and Peeta survived the brutal Hunger Games only to become unwitting symbols of resistance to the Capitol. The Districts have become increasingly disgruntled by the Capitol’s abuses. And Katniss’ refusal to be a pawn in the arena has sparked a fire that neither she nor Peeta can control. The Capitol hits hard in retaliation in an attempt to control “the girl on fire.” My reivew of the first book can be found here.

The characters developed nicely in the sequel. I liked getting to know more about Haymitch, District Twelve’s only other survivor/victor of the Games and Katniss and Peeta’s mentor. We really get to see why he has turned to alcohol and also, why he has learned to care so much about Katniss and Peeta and vice versa. We get to see Katniss’ mother more as she springs to action (remember she was mostly depressed and defunct in the first book). I liked seeing the mother daughter relationship being healed. And we see more of Gale’s family so, even while Gale is often absent, we learn more about him through his family.

There’s just as much action and adventure in book two. Things get violent as the Capitol closes in. You can feel the stress riddling the characters. It’s only a matter of time before the spark turns into a fire. As usual, I enjoyed Katniss’ strong personality. She deals with events as best she can. She’s a little head-strong but that’s definitely a quality needed for survival.

The romance between Katniss and Peeta, a forced pretense on her part for survival and genuine on his part, becomes even more complicated. How should she feel about the boy responsible for saving her life? But then there’s her best friend Gale? Oh, dear. I’m not sure yet, but I think I’m voting for Peeta. I reserve the right to change my mind. Lol. The romance is still rather innocent but they do get close and kiss often for the cameras. My slight concern for young readers is Katniss’ melt-down when she gets drunk one night. It’s not something she’s proud of and doesn’t happen again. But adults may want to mention that Katniss’ behavior here is not normal and that alcohol didn’t help her at all to solve her problems. This is a very small incident in the book and I wouldn’t let it stop adults from letting kids read it.

The writing is written with the same POV as the book one – in first person, present tense from Katniss’ perspective. As with the first book, it took be a few pages before I adjusted to the writing style but it was less of a problem for me in book two. Overall, I think Collins is a great young adult writer. I can’t wait for Mockingjay’s release in August!
Publisher: Scholastic, 2009     Pages: 400     Source: U of Iowa Libraries
Rating: 5 Stars     Recommended Age: 13 and up

Heart Throbs: Summer Break Reading Challenge Activity #6

Karin the Librarian asks, "...if I could live in a book which one would it be? I'm going to make that decision by the men I've fallen in love with between the pages of the books." Ok, well here's my selections!

Who didn't fall for Gilbert Blythe in Anne of Green Gables?

And we all know Bella should have ended up with Jacob Black! Sorry, team Edwards!

If I had to endure the Hunger Games, I'd definitely want someone like Peeta Mellark in there with me.  I wonder who they'll get to play Peeta in the movie?

Devoured Bookmark

This is a picture of my bookmark...what's left of it. One minute it was tucked in my book, saving my place, then it was being devoured by my cat. I caught her thrashing around with it, rolling on the floor. She's done this to another bookmark, too - ripped them right out of my books and chowed down. Often I'll tuck a bookmark into the later pages while I read and Max will surprise attack me and leap for the bookmark, running off with it. That little tassel is too much for her. I guess I can't have tassel bookmarks if I want them to last! Anyone else have similar experiences?

Oh, Maxi. What am I going to do with you? 

Review of Summer at Tiffany by Marjorie Hart: A Memoir

There are many reasons why I liked this memoir. First of all, I must confess that I do enjoy perusing Tiffany’s online catalog. I’ve been in a couple Tiffany stores before with my mom in Chicago and Kansas City (My mom and I have taken some fun trips just to go window shopping in the big towns and keep our eyes peeled for a bargain or a little treasure to take home). It’s such fun to look at all the sparklies. And the salespeople always treated us with respect even when we were just looking.

But Marjorie Hart’s memoir, Summer at Tiffany, is about more than just expensive jewelry and timeless heirlooms. It’s about war and loss. It’s about growing up. It’s about friends. About taking risks. And probably my favorite theme, it’s about women forging their way into the work world.

During World War Two, the United States began recruiting women to fill what were traditionally men’s roles as much of the male population had enlisted. One such role was a page at Tiffany, responsible for relaying packages within the Tiffany building to repair shops or the shipping department. Marjorie Hart and her friend Marty were the first women to work as pages at Tiffany let alone work on the show floor. The friends saw actors, actresses and many other famous people which totally tripped their triggers.

Another reason I enjoyed this read was because Marjorie and Marty are from my home state and attended my University. It was fun to see how New Yorkers responded to these small-town Iowan girls. Many still have the same responses today – we must be quaint, naïve and very cute in our small-town ways. And maybe we are, but no more than most young women I dare say. Here’s another reaction Marjorie encountered when helping a well-to-do shopper:

‘I’m from Iowa.’ I said, flustered by the attention.
‘Oh, dear!’ She shook her head, her feather bobbing. ‘Here on the East Coast – we pronounce it O-hi-o!”
I bit my lip… (Hart 185)

Ha! That’s actually happened to me and when I try to tell people it’s IOWA they don’t get it! There were lots of moments like this that had me laughing.

The text is written in a present tense style akin to journal writing. I think it helps the book feel immersed in the 1940s as Marjorie worries about sugar rationing, painting pretend stocking lines on the backs of her legs and getting her hair pinned up for the perfect curls. I remember my grandma talking about painting that line on her legs because pantyhose production was cut for the war effort. Until this past year she always put her hair up in pin curls, too! Marjorie shares many humorous stories that had me chuckling. I enjoyed Summer at Tiffany and recommend it for someone looking for a fun read or for those who like memoirs.

Publisher: Harper Collins, 2007    Pages: 266
Rating: 4 Stars        Source: Purchased at a library sale for 10₵! Can you say bargain!?!

Summer Beach Reads Challenge: 7/1-8/31

I'm signed up for my second reading challenge this summer! A Fanatic's Book Blog is acting as general headquarters. There will be mini challenges, giveaways and lots of book review linking going on. The levels of participation are as follows:

* Tadpole - Read 4 books in this challenge.
* Minnow - Read 8 books in this challenge.
* Dolphin - Read 12 books in this challenge.
* Shark - Read 16+ books in this challenge!
 
I'm shooting for "Minnow." Reading eight books is a bit ambitious for me but I hope being part of the challenge will be motivational! You can check out my full Summer TBR list on my sidebar but a couple are Catching Fire and Northanger Abbey. Join up if the challenge sounds fun!

Things are Hoppin'!

It's time for another Book Blogger Hop! Hosted by Crazy-for-Books the Hop is all about finding new book bloggers, new books to read and getting your own blog some visibility. So what are you waiting for? Get hopping!

If you're stopping by from the Hop, Hi! My name is Chelle and I've been a blogger since late Dec of '09. I heard about using blogs for discussing books last fall. We had a guest speaker in a class who proposed using blogging in the classroom to get highschool students to interact with each other about their reading. I was inspired, and my first blog Time Out was born within a month. I'm now happily blogging here at The Prairie Library and can't imagine ever not blogging! Stick around, check out my giveaway, leave me a comment and I'll visit your blog this weekend! Happy Hopping!

A Sizzlin' Summer Book Giveaway!

This Contests is Closed as of August 21st, 2010.
The Prairie Library is on fire with hot books! Ok, not literally. But these books are too hot and, lest they burn down my bookcase, I’m giving them away!

Grab your oven glove, these books are too hot to handle!

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
Sapphique by Catherine Fisher
Summer at Tiffany by Marjorie Hart
This is Me From Now On by Barbara Dee

Mockingjay, Summer at Tiffany and This is Me From Now On are available to international participants! (Fill out Form One)

Sapphique is only open to those with a U.S. mailing address. (Fill out Forms One and Two) This book is not available until Dec. in the U.S. and I wanted to give someone here a chance to get it early.

Contest begins July 1st, 2010 and ends August 21st, 2010 at 11:59 pm central time. Winners will be notified via email on the 22nd and must respond by August 24th, 2010 at 6 am central time to verify their address. Failure to respond means I choose another winner. All books will be mailed by September 4th, 2010 (unless Mockingjay is on backorder…fingers crossed that Amazon is prepared).

Book specs: I currently own each book but Mockingjay (hardback) which I have pre-ordered. I will read it, then send it to the winner so, it should be in good condition. I will send a brand new copy to the winner since I'm getting another copy for myself (edited8/5/2010). Summer at Tiffany (paperback) is brand new (I’m reading a different copy). Sapphique (paperback) will be gently used. This is Me from Now On (paperback) is a little scuffed around the edges. I just want you to know what you’re getting!

You must fill out the form(s) below to win.

You must be a public follower to enter. Extra entries are optional. There is a maximum of five points per person per form.
     Follower: +1 point (required)
     Blog Post: +2 points (Post title must be "A Sizzlin' Summer Book Giveaway")
     Sidebar post: +1 point (Save and use the picture in this post, creating a link to the giveaway)
     Twitter Tweet: +1 point

If you have any questions email me at ThePrairieLibrary@gmail.com and I will do my best to answer you.

U.S. Residents - remember to fill out both forms if you want to win Sapphique!
Good Luck!!!