Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Just do the following:

1. Grab your current read

2. Open to a random page

3. Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

4. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

5. Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Mine is from p.x of Love in a Headscarf by Shelina Zahra Janmohamed

Love can be the name of the escape from the physical into the spiritual or from the mental into the carnal. The search for love is a resolute journey, to find out what it means to be human, and to share that humanity.

Happy Reading!

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Demon's Lexicon A Review

Demon’s Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan

Book description:

In this riveting debut novel, 16-year-old Nick and his older brother, Alan, are accustomed to life on the run. Since their father was murdered, the boys have been forced to slay demons set on them by magicians seeking the powerful charm stolen by the boys' mother. Nick is furious when Alan receives a first-tier demon mark while saving a neighborhood boy. While seeking to remove it, Nick begins to suspect that his brother is lying to him about the reason for the magicians' attempts to kill them and about why their mother screams whenever Nick touches her. Fans of the Supernatural television series will be hooked from the novel's opening lines (The pipe under the sink was leaking again. It wouldn't have been so bad, except that Nick kept his favorite sword under the sink.). Even teens who don't consider themselves genre buffs will appreciate the solid writing, fast-paced plot, and sense of authenticity that Brennan gives to the shadowy world between ordinary, modern-day London and the otherworld of demons and magicians. Though Nick and Alan's story is mostly resolved with Nick discovering the truth behind his father's death and his mother's fear of him, readers will no doubt clamor for the next book in this planned urban fantasy trilogy.

My review:

According to Wikipedia the definition of urban fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy defined by place; the fantastic narrative has an urban setting. Many urban fantasies are set in contemporary times and contain supernatural elements. However, the stories can take place in historical, modern, or futuristic periods. The prerequisite is that they must be primarily set in a city.

I enjoyed this YA novel. For those who feel sad that Harry Potter has completed his adventure, then you’ll enjoy this beginning book in a trilogy.

This book has no vampires or werewolves, just magicians and demons. It has lots of action and adventure and a little dark humor.

I liked Alan and Nick because they work well as a team and watch out for each other. The writing is well done and the plot is well developed and you’re able to suspend disbelief. I enjoy most urban fantasy and this was a winner. I recommend this book to anyone you likes urban fantasy. This is a good book for boys who are reluctant readers and like adventure and action.

This book was sent to me by the author free of charge for review.

Happy Reading!

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In My Maibox

The idea of In My Mailbox is to bring books to the attention of our blog readers and to encourage interaction with other blogs.

How In My Mailbox works:

1. Every week we'll post about what books we have received that week (via your mailbox/library/store bought)! Preferably posts will be made every Sunday, but feel free to choose a day that works best for you.

2. Everyone that agrees to participate will try to visit each other's list and leave comments!

3. Everyone is welcome to join! You can join at anytime and you DO NOT have to participate every week.

4. Be sure to sign the Mr. Linky Widget (that will be posted each Sunday with my In My Mailbox post) so that others can easily find your "In My Mailbox" post! You DO NOT have to title your post "In My Mailbox"

5. Link back here, to The Story Siren, on your In My Mailbox post, so that other people can find more information about IMM.

Monday

at the crossroads of terror by Lenny Emanulli (phenix & phenix)

Blind your Ponies by Stanley Gordon West (Algonquin) via Shelf Awareness

Tuesday

My Nest Isn’t Empty, It Just Has More Closet Space: The Amazing Adventures of an Ordinary Woman by Lissa Scottoline (St. Martin’s Press)

Wednesday

Crazy Loco Love by Victor Villasenor (Beyond Words) via Shelf Awareness

Counting Chickens by Flensted (Blue Apple Books)

Don’t Let Auntie Mabel Bless the Table by Vanessa Brantley Newton (Blue Apple Books)

Christmas Delicious by Ly Loates (Blue Apple Books)

Great Migrations by Elizabeth Carney (National Geographic Kids)

Jump into Science : Rocks and Minerals by Steve Tomecek (National Geographic Kids)

Friday

Wiretap by Valerie Biamonte (The Woops Inc)

The Art of Intuition by Sophy Burnham (Penguin)

Happy Reading!

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Five children's books

Here are five outstanding children's books that will be a wonderful addition to your home.

Christmas Delicious by Lyn Loates and illustrated by Mark Jones

Book Description:

Celebrate Christmas with Raisin and Rice,

two Manhattan mice who are lucky to live in the storeroom at Zanzibar's Deli, which is filled to the rafters with delectable treats.

What better way to enjoy Christmas than with a delicious feast? But the mice

forget the most important part of their party: their friends!

Includes an easy, child-friendly recipe for Rice and Raisin Treats.

Review:

This will become a family tradition to share this book with your little ones. The illustrations are beautiful and the mice are adorable. You’ll fall in love with this book and your children will enjoy the various animals that are in the book.

This book was sent to me

free of charge by Tracey from Media Masters Publicity for review. This book is published by Blue Apple Books.

Don’t Let Auntie Mabel Bless the Table by Vanessa Brantly Newton

Book Description:

Auntie Mabel and her family and friends have gathered for their bigSunday dinner an dcan't wait to dig into a delicious, mouthwatering meal. Before they can begin, Auntie Mabel starts—and doesn't stop!—blessing everyone and everything she surveys: the yams and Brussels sprouts, the table and chairs—even the president of the United States!

Review:

Most everyone has probably experienced something like Auntie Mabel blessing everything and everyone. This book is a humorous look at how things can get out of hand and how others perceive it. I liked this book and that it has all races of people at this table. A lot of picture books are starting to incorporate more people of color and beliefs. I think all who read this book will enjoy it and can point to their own Auntie Mabel.

This book was sent to me free of charge by Tracey from Media Masters Publicity for review. This book is published by Blue Apple Books.

Counting Chickens Flensted

Book Description:

Don't count your chickens ... but do count your eggs, fish, and elephants! Distinctive Flensted Mobiles are featured in this innovative counting book. Young readers can count from one to ten and back again, by twos or threes, and can even find solutions to simple word problems. Arithmetic has never been so much fun or so colorful! Embossed images make for a multisensory, tactile experience.

Review:

This was a fun way to teach little ones counting. The mobiles are clever and beautiful. I loved the colors and the method used to make counting fun.

This book was sent to me free of charge by Tracey from Media Masters Publicity for review. This book is published by Blue Apple Books.

Great Migrations: Whales, Wildebeests, Butterflies, Elephants, And Other Amazing Animals on the Move by Elizabeth Carney

Book Description:

Great herds of zebra thundering across the African plain…fragile butterflies traveling unbelievable distances…family groups of whales coursing through the waves. Many kinds of animals make annual migrations, and their stories reveal incredible strength and will to survive. These treks are magnificently documented in Great Migrations, the children’s illustrated companion to the upcoming 7-hour National Geographic television special of the same name.

Created for the huge audience of young animal lovers—and for the nation’s schools, where migration is taught as part of the core curriculum—this book spotlights wild creatures of highest interest to children. Action-filled photo spreads deliver immense "wow" appeal as animals vault over obstacles and escape the clutches of predators. Info-graphic spreads pack in the fascinating facts, with at-a-glance information on where, why, and how animals migrate.

Throughout the coverage, this timely book addresses the effect of climate change on animal migration—a story that is just now reaching the public, from scientists and other experts who have witnessed alarming trends.

Review:

The photography in this book is amazing and kids will enjoy learning how different animals move around the world. The shortest migration is the red crabs which travels 4-5 miles per year, while a male sperm whale can swim around the earth 40 times. This book is from National Geographic so the quality of the writing and photography are amazing. It’s written for the 9-12 year old child, but all ages will benefit from this book.

This book was sent to me free of charge by Tracey from Media Masters Publicity for review. This book is published by National Geographic Society

Jump into Science : Rocks and Minerals by Steve Tomecek

Book Description:

Kids will gravitate to Steve Tomecek’s humorously illustrated guide, which surveys the earth’s astounding variety of rocks and minerals and the fascinating ways people have transformed them into usable materials. From talcum powder to silver jewelry, it all comes from inside this great big rock we live on. A high-interest topic for youngsters as well as an important segment of the elementary science curriculum, this book is in a kid-pleasing format and includes a bonus activity.

Review:

As a rock hound I found this book very informative and well done. Kids interested in geology and how the Earth was formed and how rocks are made will enjoy this book. They will learn about the various kinds of rocks and how volcanoes form. I highly recommend this book for a kid interested in the physical world

This book was sent to me free of charge by Tracey from Media Masters Publicity for review. This book is published by National Geographic Society

Happy Reading!

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Thanksgiving

To all my North American friends I wanted to wish you a happy Thanksgiving and I'll see you next week. I'll be enjoying the holiday with family and will be away from my computer for a few days. I will probably have two books finished to review next week.

Happy Eating and Reading!

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Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Just do the following:

1. Grab your current read

2. Open to a random page

3. Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

4. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

5. Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Mine is from p.7 of Kill the Dead : A Sandman Slim novel by Richard Kadrey

Burst water pipes in a sealed-up building. I haven’t moved and I’m sweating like a lawyer at the pearly gates.

Happy Reading!

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An Object of Beauty Review

An Object of Beauty by Steve Martin

Book description:

This thoroughly engaging primer on the art world is unusual on a number of levels. Although the lead characters are unlikable, the novel is hard to put down, offers an enlightening explication of how the market for art is created, and includes photos and absorbing detail on many of the artworks under discussion. The narrator, Daniel Franks, is an arts journalist who relates the story of avaricious, amoral Lacey Yeager, who is willing to do almost anything to move ahead in the art world. After landing an entry-level job at Sotheby’s, where her stint cataloging dusty works in the basement helps develop her eye for good art, Lacey moves on to working in a gallery, where she makes many important connections among collectors and dealers before opening her own gallery in Chelsea. Along the way, she sleeps with artists, collectors, and, finally, an FBI agent who investigates malfeasance in the art world. This page-turner is likely to make readers feel like they have been given a backstage pass to an elite world few are privileged to observe. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: The best-selling author draws on his experience as a renowned art collector for this clever, convincingly detailed depiction of NYC’s art scene.

Review:

I have enjoyed Steve Martin’s movies and this is the first time reading his novel and I was entertained and educated about the world of gallery owners and the art world. My mom was an art teacher so I am familiar with some of the artists named, but this foray goes into collecting and the dealers who help that process along.

There’s intrigue as well as sexual escapades. The other part of the story is the flightiness of Lacey who has relationships with men, but nothing permanent and the unrequited love of two of the men who’d love for Lacey to settle down with them.

If you like a well written and well researched novel, then I highly recommend this novel.

I received an ARC of this novel free of charge for my review.

Happy Reading!

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In My Maibox

The idea of In My Mailbox is to bring books to the attention of our blog readers and to encourage interaction with other blogs.

How In My Mailbox works:

1. Every week we'll post about what books we have received that week (via your mailbox/library/store bought)! Preferably posts will be made every Sunday, but feel free to choose a day that works best for you.

2. Everyone that agrees to participate will try to visit each other's list and leave comments!

3. Everyone is welcome to join! You can join at anytime and you DO NOT have to participate every week.

4. Be sure to sign the Mr. Linky Widget (that will be posted each Sunday with my In My Mailbox post) so that others can easily find your "In My Mailbox" post! You DO NOT have to title your post "In My Mailbox"

5. Link back here, to The Story Siren, on your In My Mailbox post, so that other people can find more information about IMM.

Monday

Love in a Headscarf by Shelina Zahra Janmohed (Beacon Press) won from Library Thing

Tuesday

Hannah’s Winter by Kierin Meehan Kane Miller)

Thursday

Euphemania: Our Love Affair with Euphemisms by Ralph Keyes (Hatchette)

Kick by Walter Dean Myers and Ross Workman (Harper Collins)

Saturday

The Anatomy of Ghosts by Andrew Taylor (Hyperion)

Happy Reading!

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Running the Books review

Running the Books: The Adventures of an Accidental Prison Librarian by Avi Steinberg

Book description:

When Steinberg graduated from Harvard, he expected to become a rabbi, but neither his faith nor his chosen lifestyle made that a suitable career choice. As a stopgap, he applied to work in a Boston jail library. There he was responsible not only for the day-to-day functioning of the library but also for teaching inmates creative writing. A dedicated intellectual and instinctively diffident, he was almost too easy prey for tough, aggressive, streetwise, ever-conniving criminals. To his chagrin, the hard-bitten prison staff equally tested his presuppositions about humanity’s benevolence. Caroming instantaneously from profane comedy to abysmal tragedy, Steinberg recounts his struggles to relate humanely to people at the edge of society. Prison librarianship offers some of the profession’s greatest challenges, and Steinberg tells just what it’s like to suddenly recognize that the mugger attacking him in the park was the same guy he had checked out some books to a few months earlier.

Review:

Being a librarian this book appealed to me on various levels. Like most libraries, this one is a gathering place, a place to collect your thoughts and a place to receive information. As told on page 4:

And it’s not just about the books. In the joint, where business is slow, the library is The Spot. It’s where you go to see and be seen. Among the stacks, you’ll meet older colleagues who gather regularly to debate, to try new material, to declaim, reminisce, network and match wits. You’ll meet old timers working on their memoirs, upstarts writing the next great pimp screenplay.

I could never be a prison librarian, but admire anyone brave enough to try it. Avi shows us the humanity of the prisoners and also he tries to help them become better people, even if he could get in serious trouble for doing so.

If you want a inside view of prison life and the people who live and work there, then you’ll enjoy this book. Avi does a great job of showing us what his life was like while he worked in the prison library and the various characters he met.

I received an Advanced Reading copy of this book free of charge from Random House.

Happy Reading!

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Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Just do the following:

1. Grab your current read

2. Open to a random page

3. Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

4. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

5. Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Mine is from p.31 of The Demon’s Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan

Nick picked up his sword and prowled around the circumference of the rug, hefting the hilt a little against his palm as the mist spread across the floor. You could hardly see it, and then the slow creep caught your eye, the wavering of the air at the edges of the room, and you realized the room was brimming with mist.

Happy Reading!

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In Jordan, a bookstore devoted to forbidden titles

I saw this article about banned books in Jordan and wanted to share with you.

Happy Reading!

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Musings

Hello everyone.

I hope you are enjoying your Sunday afternoon. I haven't done a musings in awhile and so I decided to pose a question to you and see what you think about the following dilemma. Have you ever tried a book that you wanted to read and you just couldn't get into it? What did you do? I recently read M.J. Rose's The Reincarnationist. I tried reading that book last year and just couldn't get into it and now I was able to finish and enjoy this book. I do believe that books be they fiction or non-fiction, have a message to convey to the reader and that to receive that message you must be in the right frame of mind to get it and understand it. Reading is for pleasure, but there are lessons to be learned in the story and even if we aren't aware of it its there. What were some of the books you tried and couldn't get into and then picked them up at a later time and loved?

Happy Reading!

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In My Maibox

The idea of In My Mailbox is to bring books to the attention of our blog readers and to encourage interaction with other blogs.

How In My Mailbox works:

1. Every week we'll post about what books we have received that week (via your mailbox/library/store bought)! Preferably posts will be made every Sunday, but feel free to choose a day that works best for you.

2. Everyone that agrees to participate will try to visit each other's list and leave comments!

3. Everyone is welcome to join! You can join at anytime and you DO NOT have to participate every week.

4. Be sure to sign the Mr. Linky Widget (that will be posted each Sunday with my In My Mailbox post) so that others can easily find your "In My Mailbox" post! You DO NOT have to title your post "In My Mailbox"

5. Link back here, to The Story Siren, on your In My Mailbox post, so that other people can find more information about IMM.

Monday

The Sherlockian by Graham Moore (Hachette)

An Object of Beauty by Steve Martin (Hachette)

Tuesday

The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens (Alfred A Knopf/Random House) Shelf Awareness win

Thursday

Peace and Plenty: Finding Your Path to Financial Serenity by Sarah Ban Breathnach (Hachette)

Happy Reading!

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Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine

Book description:
From inside Caitlin's head, readers see the very personal aftermath of a middle school shooting that took the life of the older brother she adored. Caitlin is a bright fifth grader and a gifted artist. She also has Asperger's syndrome, and her brother, Devon, was the one who helped her interpret the world. Now she has only her father, a widower who is grieving anew and whose ability to relate to his daughter is limited. A compassionate school counselor works with her, trying to teach her the social skills that are so difficult for her. Through her own efforts and her therapy sessions, she begins to come to terms with her loss and makes her first, tentative steps toward friendship. Caitlin's thought processes, including her own brand of logic, are made remarkably clear. The longer readers spend in the child's world, the more understandable her entirely literal and dispassionate interpretations are. Marred slightly by the portrayal of Devon as a perfect being, this is nonetheless a valuable book. After getting to know Caitlin, young people's tendencies to label those around them as either "normal" or "weird" will seem as simplistic and inadequate a system as it truly is.

My review:
I loved this book and Caitlin. She sees the world in a different way and sometimes she says things that make you laugh, but also makes you think. One of my favorite passages is as follows:
Sometimes I read the same books over and over and over. What’s great about books is that the stuff inside doesn’t change. People say you can’t judge a book by its cover but that’s not true because it says right on the cover what’s inside. And no matter how many times you read that book the words and pictures don’t change. You can open and close books a million times and they stay the same. They look the same. They say the same words. The charts and pictures are the same color. Books are not like people. Books are safe.
You see Caitlin struggle to get closure after her brother is killed and trying to make friends and become a good person. You fall in love with Caitlin and want to wrap your arms around her and protect her from harm.
I checked this book out of my local library.

Happy Reading!
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Thanksreading!

With Thanksgiving just a few weeks away I wanted to serve up a feast of Thanksgiving themed books for you. These will not expand your waistline, but hopefully expand your fun. There are books for every member of the family.

Enjoy !

Thanksgiving by Janet Evanovich

Thanksgiving: the pilgrims’ first year in America by Glenn Cheney

Thanksgiving on Thursday by Mary Pope Osborne

Thanksgiving Day : a time to be thankful by Elaine Landau

Thanksgiving cats by Jean Marzollo

Thanksgiving fiesta by Laura Williams

A catered Thanksgiving : a mystery with recipes Isis Crawford

Before Thanksgiving comes by Marisa Carroll

The Thanksgiving Day murder by Lee Harris

Claudia and the First Thanksgiving by Ann Martin

A quilter’s holiday : an Elm Creek quilts novel by Jennifer Chiaverini

The lay of the land by Richard Ford

The Hoboken chicken emergency by Daniel Pinkwater

Speak of the Devil by Richard Hawke

Run, Turkey run by Diane Mayr

Strangers at the feast by Jennifer Vanderbes

Turkey day murder by Leslie Meier

Hang out to die: a stain-busting mystery by Sharon Short

All or nothing by Claire Cross

Dolce agonia by Nancy Huston

Happy ThanksReading!

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Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Just do the following:

1. Grab your current read

2. Open to a random page

3. Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

4. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

5. Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Mine is from p.3 of The Demon’s Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan

The talisman Nick wore always hurt him. It was a constant irritation, an anchor hung around his neck that hummed and stung, but now pain flooded through him like an electric shock with the talisman as its source.

Happy Reading!

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