Wish list

I've read his two books for adults and can't wait to read this one. He is a wonderful lyrical writer and I think young readers will enjoy him as well.

The Prince Of Mist

The Prince of Mist, by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, hardcover, 224 pages, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, list price: $17.99

Although new to the U.S., The Prince of Mist is actually the first book written by the best-selling author of The Shadow of the Wind. Technically a young adult book, it really is for readers "ages 12 & up" (emphasis on the "& up"), and it has all the fantastical and spellbinding elements of Zafon's adult novels.

Early clues to the mysteries to come include a clock that runs backward and a garden where the statues change positions. An old lighthouse keeper regales three teenagers with tales of shipwrecks and deals made with the devil. These teens find themselves in a mortal battle with an unknown entity that may or may not be the devil. This evil force is determined to get what he considers is owed to him. After all, a promise is a promise. (Read what happens when Max's father decides to move his family out of the city to a small coastal town.)

What's on your reading wish list.

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What's on your Reading Pile?

I'm starting a weekly meme that's about what books are on your reading pile. It can be library books, ARC's, whatever. This is what's on my pile, what's on yours?

1. Forty Rules of Love by Elif Shafak
2. The Essential Rumi by Coleman Barks
3. The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place :the Mysterious Howling by Maryrose Wood
4. Ashes by Kathryn Lasky
5. Does My Head Look Big in This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah

What's on your reading table this week? All of these came from my local library.

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Forty Rules of Love

I'm enjoying this book a lot and wanted to share a passage with you from the book. It's one of the forty rules.

The whole universe is contained within a single human being--you. Everything that you

see around, including the things you might not be fond of and even the people you despise or abhor, is present within you in varying degrees. Therefore, do not look for Sheitan

outside yourself either. The devil is not an extraordinary force that attacks from without.

It is an ordinary voice within. If you get to know yourself fully, facing with honesty and

When a person know himself or herself, he or she knows God.

Teaser Tuesday

This is from The Forty Rules of Love p.43

Choose Love, Love! Without the sweet life of Love, living is a burden---as you have seen.

The Dreamer

The Dreamer by Pam Munoz Ryan and Peter Sis (juvenile chapter book).

This is a fictionalized biography of the poet Pablo Neruda beautifully illustrated by Peter Sis. I enjoyed this book. I had heard of Pablo Neruda, but never read any of his poems. After reading this book I plan to read more of his poetry.

He had a father that didn't appreciate reading or "daydreaming" as he put it. He wanted Neftali, Pablo's real name, to be a doctor or dentist.

This book for children shows them to never give up on your dreams and to wonder and day dream. As Neftali grows up and is preparing to go to college he helps his uncle out with his newspaper, which prints stories protesting the development of the land that the Mapuche Indians live on. He learns about standing up for the rights of all people. After his uncle's office burns and he reads about the death of an admired poet who is jailed after a student protest he wonders, "How could a government arrest someone for writing what he knew, in his own heart, to be true? Should all writers pass along only the beliefs of their government? How could a writer be considered treasonous when all he did was present another view? Were not two views better than one? Was it not better to ask questions of readers and allow them to make up their own minds?"

This is a great book to show children to stand up for your beliefs, even if others disagree with you.

What Are You Reading?

This is a great weekly meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. We simply post what we finished reading over the the last week, what we plan on reading this week, etc. It is a good way to get ideas about what to read next and it's fun to find out what our Book Blogger Buddies have in the works!

I finished only two books last week Dingo by Charles de Lint (see review below) and The Dreamer by Pam Munoz Ryan and Peter Sis.This is a fictionalized biography of the poet Pablo Neruda beautifully illustrated by Peter Sis.

Good Monday to you! Here's what on my reading table this week:

The Forty Rules of Love by Elif Shafak

This is about a contemporary woman who becomes a reader for a literary agent. The book she's asked to read is about Rumi and the reader falls in love with the author of the book.

Renaissance Genius: Galileo Galilei & His Legacy to Modern Science by David Whitehouse

An exploration of the life of Galileo and his contributions to science.

Review of Dingo by Charles de Lint

High school senior Miguel's life is turned upside down when he meets new girl Lainey, whose family has just moved from Australia. With her tumbled red-gold hair, her instant understanding of who he is, and her unusual dog—with fur the same colour as her hair—Lainey is unforgettable. And, as he quickly learns, she is on the run from an ancient bargain made by her ancestors. There's no question that Miguel will do whatever he can to help her—but what price will each of them have to pay?

This is one of my favorite authors. His books combine Native peoples mythology be it Celtic or Native American. I've read many of his books and they are always great for transporting me to another world just beyond the realm of our own. If you want to know more about him and his work go to Charles de Lint's website.

I enjoyed this YA novel because it has all the elements of fantasy, shape shifters, another world different from our own and characters that take your breath away. All of his books make you feel good about humanity and also shows the good and the bad of society. If you've never read any of his works try Dingo.

I won

I want to thank Julie @ Reading without Restraint for the ARC of Neighborhood Watch by Cammie McGovern. If you haven't checked out her blog, please do.

Have a great weekend and I hope you have some great reading.

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Secret of the Seventh Son Review

Secret of the Seventh Son is a debut thriller by Glenn Cooper about predestination and fate.(from the author's website)

What if you knew when your death was coming, what would you do? Will Piper is close to retiring from the FBI when he's pulled into what appears to be a serial killer on the loose. It's much more than that and starts in the year 777 with a seventh son of a seventh son.

This book was slow to start and Cooper spent a lot of time setting up the storyline by going from biblical times to present day. I enjoyed the book, but it wasn't a favorite and I'm not sure if I'd read the sequel coming out later this year. If you want a quick read and like conspiracy theories and prophecy stories then try this book. I would have like the action to have been throughout the book instead of near the end, but it was an enjoyable read all in all.

Library Loot May19

Here's what I brought home yesterday:

Dingo by Charles de Lint

The Heroines by Eileen Favorite

The Forty Rules of Love by Elif Shafak

Renaissance Genius: Galileo Galilei & His Legacy to Modern Science by David Whitehouse.

Support your local library! It's free and you can travel anywhere in the world without leaving home. Have a great reading day.

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme hosted by Miz B of Should Be Reading and asks you to :

1. Grab your current read

2. Open to a random page
3 . Share 2 "teaser" sentences also citing the title of the book and the author and in that way people can have great recommendations if they like the "teaser".
4. Please avoid spoilers!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

This is from Secret of the Seventh Son by Glenn Cooper

When Peter got back to his small ranch house in Spring Valley that night there was an envelope sticking out from under his welcome mat. He tore it open and read the handwritten letter under the porch light.

If you like Tom Clancy...

If you're a fan of Tom Clancy here are some authors you might like as well :

Dale Brown
Stephen Coonts
Jack Higgins
Clive Cussler
Larry Bond
Joe Weber
Robert Ludlum
Jeffrey Archer
Lee Child
Len Deighton
Nelson DeMille
Ken Follett
Frederick Forsyth
Jack Higgins
John LeCarre
W E B Griffin
Daniel Easterman
Eric Van Lustbader
David Hagberg
Gerald Seymour
Patrick Robinson
Larry Bond

What Are You Reading?

This is a great weekly meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. We simply post what we finished reading over the the last week, what we plan on reading this week, etc. It is a good way to get ideas about what to read next and it's fun to find out what our Book Blogger Buddies have in the works!

I'm currently reading the following books:

Neuromancer by William Gibson

Girl from Foreign by Sadia Shepard

The Lost Origins of the Essay by John D'Agata

What are you reading today?

Review of Kitchen Chinese by Ann Mah

Isabelle is an American born Chinese twenty something who loses her job at a magazine in NYC and decides she needs a change and moves in with her older sister in Beijing.

I loved this book. The writing is superb and loosely based on some of the same experiences the author had during her time in Beijing, working at an expat magazine. Isabelle, like the author, only knows a little Chinese and has a culture shock when she relocates. Even though she considers herself American, everyone there believes she is Chinese. Isabelle thinks:

Now that I'm in Beijing, I've realized that other people's perceptions are as important as my own. I may

think of myself as American, but that is an identity that a whole city, a country, my friends, cannot accept.

I may think of myself as an American,but it is my race, my Chineseness, that is the only part of me people understand.

As the novel progresses and Isabelle becomes more comfortable in Beijing. A coworker, also American quips,

Fifty years ago our grandparents left their native countries to make a better life in the new world. Andy yet

two generations later we're in China, finding better opportunities than in the States. Back home we'd be

just cogs in the wheel. Here, we're inventing the wheel.

Even though I've never lived in another country I think a lot of Americans who go to other countries probably feel the same way Isabelle and her friend do about making a difference.

I highly recommend this book if you love travel, food and want to experience life in another country, but can't afford to then Kitchen Chinese is the book for you.

Review of Liar by Justine Larbalestier

Liar by Justine Larbalestier

Micah has a secret and a family curse that only effects her. I'll not give away her secret because Micah is also a liar so you're not sure if what she says is the truth.

I enjoyed this book. As the book starts out you just think she's a liar, but then you get knocked out by her secret. This story was fast paced, fun and full of teenage angst. I would recommend this book to a patron who likes books with a surprise ending and twists and turns.

Library Loot May 3-6

The Girl From Foreign by Sadia Shepard (book description from Amazon.com)

Fascinating and intimate , The Girl from Foreign is one woman's search for ancient family secrets that leads to an adventure in far-off lands. Sadia Shepard, the daughter of a white Protestant from Colorado and a Muslim from Pakistan, was shocked to discover that her grandmother was a descendant of the Bene Israel, a tiny Jewish community shipwrecked in India two thousand years ago. After traveling to India to put the pieces of her family's past together, her quest for identity unlocks a myriad of profound religious and cultural revelations that Shepard gracefully weaves into this touching, eye-opening memoir.

The Lost Origins of the Essay by John D'Agata (book description from Amazon.com)

An expansive and exhilarating world tour of innovative nonfiction writing

I think the reason we’ve never pinpointed the real beginning to this genre is because we’ve never agreed on what the genre even is. Do we read nonfiction in order to receive information, or do we read it to experience art? It’s not very clear sometimes. This, then, is a book that tries to offer a clear objective: I am here in search of art. I am here to track the origins of an alternative to commerce.

John D’Agata leaves no tablet unturned in his exploration of the roots of the essay. In this soaring anthology he takes the reader from ancient Mesopotamia to classical Greece and Rome, from fifth-century Japan to nineteenth-century France, to modern Brazil, Germany, Barbados, and beyond. With brief and brilliant introductions to seminal works by Heraclitus, Sei Sho-nagon, Michel de Montaigne, Jonathan Swift, Virginia Woolf, Marguerite Duras, Octavio Paz, and more than forty other luminaries, D’Agata reexamines the international forebears of today’s American nonfiction. This idiosyncratic collection makes a perfect historical companion to D’Agata’s The Next American Essay, a touchstone among students and practitioners of the lyric essay.

Devotion: a memoir by Dani Shapiro (book description from Amazon.com)

Approaching her mid-forties, novelist Shapiro (Black and White, 2007) finds her life dominated by a seemingly unending list of to-do’s and a constant feeling of anxiety over which she has no control. Much of her unease comes from the effort to make sense of certain events in her past—including her father’s death and a frightening health condition that affected her infant son—along with struggling to understand the turmoil that defined her relationship with her mother. While her childhood had been infused with religious tradition, Shapiro doesn’t consider herself a believer or a nonbeliever. Yet, she is pulled to understand and deepen her own personal sense of faith as a means to calm the deep-rooted uncertainty and chaos of everyday life. In doing so, she seeks out a variety of different experiences and practices, such as yoga and silent meditation retreats, along with visits to the local synagogue and her Orthodox Jewish relatives. Shapiro’s journey is a deeply reflective one, and her struggles are as complex as they are insightful, philosophical, and universally human.

Guest Blogger

Head over to Today's Adventure http://ultimatebookhound.blogspot.com/ and read Vanessa's Tuesday Top Five.

This is a new blog feature where readers and guest bloggers will be popping in to tell what their top five picks are be it books, movies, etc. I'm the featured blogger today. I was thrilled to be included in this new feature and hope you become of fan of her blog and mine.

This is a great weekly meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. We simply post what we finished reading over the the last week, what we plan on reading this week, etc. It is a good way to get ideas about what to read next and it's fun to find out what our Book Blogger Buddies have in the works!

I'm currently reading the following books: (reviews to follow upon completion)

Liar by Justine Larbalestier (YA novel)

Kitchen Chinese by Ann Mah

What are you reading this week?

Philosophical Fiction

If you'd like to read books that are philosophical here is a small list that members of Library Thing came up with.

I've read several by Jostein Gaarder (philosophy teacher) and they are very good and fun reads.

Most often tagged philosophical fiction (from Library Thing)

. Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand

. Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse

. Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder

. Nausea by Jean-Paul Sartre

. Steppenwolf by Hermann Hesse

. Les Misérables by Victor Hugo

. The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand

. Anthem by Ayn Rand

. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

. The Plague by Albert Camus

. The Stranger by Albert Camus

. Life of Pi by Yann Martel

. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

. Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach

. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig

. The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

. Utopia by Thomas More

. . The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

. The Mandarins by Simone de Beauvoir

. The Philosopher's Pupil by Iris Murdoch

. In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust

. Animal Dreams by Barbara Kingsolver

. His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman

. The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli

. Within a Budding Grove by Marcel Proust

. The Guermantes Way by Marcel Proust

. The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco

. The Solitaire Mystery by Jostein Gaarder

. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

. Candide and Other Stories by Voltaire

. Anathem by Neal Stephenson

. Remembrance of Things Past: Cities of the Plain, The… by Marcel Proust

. Inferno by Dante Alighieri

. Paradiso by Dante Alighieri

. The Dispossessed: An Ambiguous Utopia by Ursula K. Le Guin

. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

. Swann's Way & Within a Budding Grove by Marcel Proust

. Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell

. Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy

. Justine by Lawrence Durrell

. We the Living by Ayn Rand

. Narcissus and Goldmund by Hermann Hesse

. The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery

. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

. Animal Farm by George Orwell

Review of How Philosophy Can Save Your Life

This is a book that is hard to review because each person that reads it will see it differently. I enjoyed this book and met some philosophers that I'd not heard of before. The main goal of the book I feel is to help you to simplify your life and become more serene.

"Better understanding of each of the philosophical topics we address in this book will

contribute to serenity."

"Serenity is the possession of a steady spirit that provides a consistent way of being

in the world no matter what."

I hope you will read this book and get something from it as I did.