NEW READING CHALLENGE

I was over at Beth Fish Reads place, she has a few reading challenges posted, so I went to check the out. This one sounds really good, so I am going to join in. What is this new challenge called:



TWENTYTEN READING CHALLENGE

Bart over at Barts Book Shelf is hosting this reading challenge. There are several different levels to this challenge. All together you have to read 20 books. Here are the rules and levels:

The aim is to read a total 20 books, over ten categories, in 2010. (Was this challenge based solely around the name? I’ll let you decide!)

Rules:

* Read 2 books from each category, making a requirement of 20 books total.
* The categories are intended to be loose guidelines only, if you decide it fits, then it fits. (Apart from those marked **)
* Categories marked with ** have tighter rules, and these must be followed.
* Each book can only qualify for one category.
* Crossovers with other challenges are allowed.
* Books read from 01/01/2010 to 31/12/2010 are eligible.

So, on with the categories

1. Young Adult
Any book classified as young adult or featuring a teenage protagonist counts for this category.
2. T.B.R. **
Intended to help reduce the old T.B.R. pile. Books for this category must be already residents of your bookshelves as of 1/11/09.
3. Shiny & New
Bought a book NEW during 2010 from a bookstore, online, or a supermarket? Then it counts for this category. Second-hand books do not count for this one, but, for those on book-buying bans, books bought for you as gifts or won in a giveaway also count!
4. Bad Blogger’s ***
Books in this category, should be ones you’ve picked up purely on the recommendation of another blogger count for this category (any reviews you post should also link to the post that convinced you give the book ago).
*** Bad Bloggers: Is hosted by Chris of Stuff as Dreams are Made on.
5. Charity
Support your local charity shops with this category, by picking up books from one of their shops. Again, for those on book-buying bans, books bought for you as gifts also count, as long as they were bought from a charity shop.
6. New in 2010
This category is for those books newly published in 2010 (whether it be the first time it is has been released, or you had to wait for it to be published in your country, it counts for this one!)
7. Older Than You
Read two books that were published before you were born, whether that be the day before or 100 years prior!
8. Win! Win!
Have a couple of books you need to read for another challenge? Then this is the category to use, as long that is, you don’t break the rules of the other challenge by doing so! ;)
9. Who Are You Again?
This one isn’t just for authors you’ve never read before, this is for those authors you have never even heard of before!
10. Up to You!
The requirements for this category are up to you! Want to challenge yourself to read some graphic novels? A genre outside your comfort zone? Something completely wild and wacky? Then this is the category to you. The only requirement is that you state it in your sign-up post. [For this category I'll be reading some Western Books]

Sounds like lots of fun trying to find all the books that fit into the levels. I'll have to do some digging on this one. Hop over to Bart's and check this one out. As usual I'll put my list of books on my sidebar when I get them picked out.

REVIEW - MARCH - GERALDINE BROOKS

This book is for 3 of my reading challenges.
Countdown to 2010 Challenge
Fall Into Reading 2009 Challenge
Clear Off Your Shelves Challenge

"March" by Geraldine Brooks
(Product Description - Amazon.com)
From Louisa May Alcott’s beloved classic Little Women, Geraldine Brooks has animated the character of the absent father, March, and crafted a story "filled with the ache of love and marriage and with the power of war upon the mind and heart of one unforgettable man" (Sue Monk Kidd). With "pitch-perfect writing" (USA Today), Brooks follows March as he leaves behind his family to aid the Union cause in the Civil War. His experiences will utterly change his marriage and challenge his most ardently held beliefs. A lushly written, wholly original tale steeped in the details of another time, March secures Geraldine Brooks’s place as a renowned author of historical fiction.

MY THOUGHTS: This is the first book I have read from Geraldine Brooks. I enjoyed her writing very much. As I read Little Women years ago as a child and more recently re-read it again, I often had questions about Mr. March. Little Women doesn't actually tell you anything about the Civil War. Geraldine Brooks goes beyond the book Little Women and answers all those questions with extra thrown in. Mr. March's experiences are not good ones, but then war is not a very good thing to experience. Mr. March's ideas of what it was going to be like and what it really was like was a little naive. But he does come home to his wife and his little women. As to whether he is a whole person after his experience is another question all together.

MY RATING: 5

VIRTUAL COOKIE/CHOCOLAE SWAP

Bermudaonion and Booking Mama are the hosts for the Virtual Cookie/Chocolate Swap. Have a favorite recipe to share. Head on over and check this out.

My cookie recipe is an old favorite for most. Oatmeal Cookies. My mom's recipe is probably like everyone Else's. But it is a very favorite comfort food in the preparing and eating.



OATMEAL COOKIES
1 1/4 C. Butter
3/4 C. Brown Sugar
1/2 C. Sugar
1 Egg
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 1/2 C. Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
3 C. Uncooked Oatmeal

Heat oven to 375. Beat together butter and sugars. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda, salt and spices; add to butter mixture, mixing well. Stir in oatmeal. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8 to 9 minutes. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet; remove to wire cooling rack.

As for something Chocolate. I went for Chocolate Fudge. I went searching for a recipe and found one over at The Food Network. It is Alton Brown's recipe. I love watching him and recently read a book by him called "Feasting on Asphalt". Really great book.




CHOCOLATE FUDGE
* 2 3/4 cups sugar
* 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
* 3 tablespoons butter, plus more for greasing pan
* 1 cup half-and-half
* 1 tablespoon corn syrup
* 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
* 1 cup chopped, roasted nuts, optional

Directions

Grease an 8 by 8-inch pan with butter. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the sugar, chocolate, 1 1/2 tablespoons of the butter, half-and-half, and corn syrup. Over medium heat, stir with a wooden spoon until sugar is dissolved and chocolate is melted. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and boil for 3 minutes. Remove the cover and attach a candy thermometer to the pot. Cook until the thermometer reads 234 degrees F. Remove from the heat and add the remaining butter. Do not stir. Let the mixture cool for 10 minutes or until it drops to 130 degrees F. Add vanilla and nuts, if desired, and mix until well-blended and the shiny texture becomes matte. Pour into the prepared pan. Let sit in cool dry area until firm. Cut into 1-inch pieces and store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Go check this out, share a recipe, find a recipe. It's lots of fun sharing!!

BOOKING THROUGH THURSDAY

The question this week at Booking Though Thursday is.............

It’s Thanksgiving in the U.S.A. today, so I know at least some of you are going to be as busy with turkey and family as I will be, so this week’s question is a simple one:

What books and authors are you particularly thankful for this year?

I have read lots of books this year. Some old favorite authors and new authors. I really like the old favorites such as James Patterson, Janet Evanvich, Nicolas Sparks, and Joanne Fluke. But I have also read some great books by new to me authors. "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle" by David Wroblewski was an awesome book. "Mudbound" by Hillary Jordan was another good one. "Trespassers Will Be Baptized" by Elizabeth Emerson Hancock is another good one. I am pretty sure everyone has already these authors books, but to me they were new. And I really enjoyed reading them and look forward to reading more of their works. Right now I have a book waiting for me at the library. It is Nicolas Sparks new book. I have my name of a list of all my favorite authors and when they have a new book the library will hold it and give me a call. I just finished James Patterson's new book "Alex Cross's Trial". It was wonderful, if you like the Alex Cross series you will want to read this book as it takes you back in time to explain a lot about Alex Cross.



And if you celebrate Thanksgiving, have a wonderful day!!

REVIEW - THE BLUE NOTEBOOK - JAMES A. LEVINE

"The Blue Notebook" by James A. Levine
(from Amazon.Com)

Product Description
Every now and then, you come across a novel that moves you like no other, that seems like a miracle of the imagination, and that haunts you long after the book is closed. James Levine’s The Blue Notebook is that kind of book. It is the story of Batuk, an Indian girl who is taken to Mumbai from the countryside and sold into prostitution by her father; the blue notebook is her diary, in which she recalls her early childhood, records her life on the Common Street, and makes up beautiful and fantastic tales about a silver-eyed leopard and a poor boy who fells a giant with a single gold coin.

How did Levine, a British-born doctor at the Mayo Clinic, manage to conjure the voice of a fifteen-year-old female Indian prostitute? It all began, he told me, when, as part of his medical research, he was interviewing homeless children on a street in Mumbai known as the Street of Cages, where child prostitutes work. A young woman writing in a notebook outside her cage caught Levine’s attention. The powerful image of a young prostitute engaged in the act of writing haunted him, and he himself began to write.

The Blue Notebook brings us into the life of a young woman for whom stories are not just entertainment but a means of survival. Even as the novel humanizes and addresses the devastating global issue of child prostitution, it also delivers an inspiring message about the uplifting power of words and reading–a message that is so important to hold on to, especially in difficult times. Dr. Levine is donating all his U.S. proceeds from this book to help exploited children. Batuk’s story can make a difference.

MY THOUGHTS: Although I really wanted to read this book, once I started it I couldn't put it down, but I couldn't read it all, I had to stop now and then because I couldn't read on. But I had to pick it back up and continue on. I wanted to find out what happened to Batuk. It is a very disturbing book. Knowing that this is going on in the world and no one to help these children. But be warned there is lots of sexual talk that is very frank and to the point. Very descriptive sexual talk.

MY RATING: 5

WONDROUS WORDS WEDENSDAY & A-Z WEDNESDAY

These are two of my favorite book memes for Wednesday. Wondrous Words Wednesday is over at BermudaOnion and A-Z Wednesday is over at Reading at the Beach. Go check them out!

WONDROUS WORDS WEDNESDAY



These words come from "March" by GeraldineBrooks



Exculpation - There are many things I have told myself since, in exculpation for what I felt at that moment.
excuse: a defense of some offensive behavior or some failure to keep a promise

Lamentable - He had invited me to speak, and I was in full flight, denouncing, as I recollect, the Lamentable exclusion of the president's slave from the state funeral that had taken place earlier in that week.
deplorable: bad; unfortunate;

A-Z WEDNESDAY




The letter this week is "P".

I was going through some books on my book shelf and found this book. I bought it years and years ago. So thought I would drag it out and bump it up on my TBR list. Here is a short synopsis from Amazon.Com

In this ingenious puzzler-the last novel Agatha Christie ever wrote-Tommy and Tuppence Beresford discover a clue to a killer's identity within the pages of a children's storybook.

REVIEW - TWO FOR THE DOUGH - JANET EVANOVICH

This book is for 1 of my reading challenges.
Stephanie Plum Challenge

"Two for the Dough" by Janet Evanovich
(from inside cover)
Stephanie's back, armed with attitude--not to mention stun guns, defense sprays, killer flashlights, and her trusty .38. Stephanie is after a new bail jumper; Kenny Mancuso, a boy from Trenton's burg. He's fresh out of the army, suspiciously wealthy, and he's just shot his best friend.
With her bounty hunter pal Ranger stepping in occasionally to advise her, Stephanie staggers knee-deep in corpses and caskets as she traipses through back streets, dark alleys, and funeral parlors.
And nobody knows funeral parlors better than Stephanie's irrepressible Grandma Mazur, a lady whose favorite pastime is grabbing a front-row seat at a neighborhood wake. So Stephanie uses Grandma as a cover to follow leads, but loses control when Grandma warms to the action, packing a cool pistol. Much to the family's chagrin, Stephanie and Granny may soon have the elusive Kenny in their sights.
Fast-talking, slow-handed vice cop Joe Morelli joins in the case, since the prey happens to be his young cousin. And if the assignment calls for an automobile stakeout for two with the woman who puts his libido in overdrive, Morelli's not one to object.
Low on expertise but learning fast, high on resilience, and despite the help she gets from friends and relatives, Stephanie eventually must face the danger alone when embalmed body parts begin to arrive on her doorstep and she's targeted for a nasty death by the most loathsome adversary she's ever encountered. Another case like this and she'll be a real pro.

MY THOUGHTS: This is number 2 of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series. I really enjoyed this book. All the charcters flowed together. Plus some from the first book are back. Like Grandma Mazur. She has a bigger part in this book. And I thought for sure Stephanie and Morelli were going to get together this time, but.....
Oh well you'll have to read the book to find out!!

MY RATING: 5

100+ READING CHALLENG - 2010

J. Kaye is hosting her 100+ Reading Challenge for 2010. I made it this year with 100 books. So am joining her again. Here are the rules:

1. The goal is to read 100 or more books. Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate.

--Non-Bloggers: Post your list of books in the comment section of the wrap-up post. To learn how to sign up without having a blog, click here.

2. Audio, Re-reads, eBooks, YA, Library books, Young Reader, Nonfiction – as long as the book has an ISBN or equivalent or can be purchased as such, the book counts.

3. No need to list your books in advance. You may select books as you go. Even if you list them now, you can change the list if needed.

4. Crossovers from other reading challenges count.

5. Challenge begins January 1st thru December, 2010. Books started before the 1st do not count.

I will be putting my books on my sidebar as I finish them.

REVIEW - THE GIRL WHO STOPPED SWIMMING - JOSHILYN JACKSON

This book is for The Ramdom Reading Challenge.

"The Girl Who Stopped Swimming" by Joshilyn Jackson
(from back cover)
Laurel Hawthorne hasn't seen a ghost in years, until she wakes to find the ghost of her daughter's friend, Molly, who leads the way to her own body, floating in the Hawthornes' pool. While Laurel built her life in the suburbs, her estranged sister, Thalia, became an actress with a capital A. Molly can't rest until someone learns her secrets, and she has opened a door to the past that Laurel can't close alone. She turns to Thalia, and they set out on a journey that will reveal their family's buried history, the true state of Laurrel's marriage, and what happended to the girl who stopped swimming.

MY THOUGHTS: This is my first book from Joshilyn Jackson, but it won't be my last. I really enjoyed her form of writing. To the point, plus all the little details that make a great story. She interweaves the present with the past flawlessly. So that you don't get lost. I really enjoy the charctrer of Laurel, Thalia, David and Shelby. I did feel sorry for Bet, who is the girl who comes from Delop. And causes all kinds of havioc. If you haven't read this book, put it on your list. It's really good!!

MY RATING: 5

REVIEW - THRILL KILLERS - RAYMOND PINGITORE

This is my last book for the Suspense & Thrillers Reading Challenge.

"Thrill Killers" by Raymond Pingitore
(from inside flap)
Gripping and terrifying until the very last scene, this true crime chiller begins in the early morning hours of June 9, 2000. Amy Shute and Jason Burgeson are saying goodnight to each other after a night out dancing with friends at a popular downtown club in Providence, Rhode Island. They were talking beside Burgeson's SUV when ten gaping eyes with malicious intentions fell on them withour their knowing; young men their own age who had been prowling the streets of Providence all night looking for victims to make some money off. They had fatened on Amy and Jason earlier in the evening, and now the young couple were alone in a desolate parking lot, making them prime targets. They forced Amy and Jason into the backseat of the truck and drove to a remote and inaccessible area of the local golf course, where the couple were ordered out of the vehicle and told to kneel down on the ground as the thugs acoured thier belongings for anything of value.

"They saw my face," one of the men observed. "We have to kill them!"

MY THOUGHTS: It grabs you from the first page until you have finished the book. This is about 2 young people who are just starting to get to know each other. They are out on a date with some friends. They are standing next to the truck just talking and then they are kidnapped. Taken to a remote area and killed for $18 and a truck. There is no reason why this crime was committed other than the face the 5 people that killed them where out to make some money. Amy and Jason were in the wrong place at the wrong time. That's the only conclusion I could make. But the worst is that that wrong place had an impact on their family, the community, the police officers, and to some extent the 5 people that killed them. From one bad choice it changed the lives of everyone.

MY RATING: 5

This is my wrap up of the Suspense & Thrillers Reading Challenge. This is the list of books I read for this challenge.

1. True Life Thrillers
Thrill Killers – Raymond Pingitore

2. Religious Thriller
The Last Oracle - James Rollins
3. Historical Thriller
The Bone Garden – Tess Gerritsen

4. Drama Thriller
Only the Cat Knows – Marian Babson

5. Serial Killer Thriller
A Circle of Souls – Preetham Grandhi

6. Horror Thriller
City of Bones – Cassandra Clare

7. Conspiracy Thriller
Thief of Hearts – Tess Gerritsen

8. Forensic mystery
Grave Secrets - Kathy Reichs

9. Comic Thriller
Finger Lickin' Fifteen - Janet Evanovich

10. Amateur Detective Mystery
Dead Man's Bones - Susan Wittig Albert

11. Police Procedural Thriller
City of Bones - Michael Connelly

12. Psychological Thriller
Retribution - Jillian Hoffman

You can see my reviews of any of these books by clicking on the title. That will take you right to the review page of that book.

A-Z WEDNESDAY

What is A-Z Wednesday? Here's the info:

Go to your stack of books and find one whose title starts with the letter of the week.
Post:
1~ a photo of the book
2~ title and synopsis
3~ link(amazon, barnes and noble etc.)
4~ Come back here and leave your link in the comments.
If you've already reviewed this book you can add it also.
Be sure to visit other participants to see what book they have posted and leave them a comment.
(We all love comments, don't we?)
Who knows? You may find your next "favorite" book.
THIS WEEKS LETTER IS: O

I bought this book at a rummage sale this summer. Haven't had a chance to read it yet. The lady happens to be a friend and she told me the book was really good. Here is a little about the book:

"One Thousand White Women" by Jim Ferguson



Product Description
(Amazon.Com)
One Thousand White Women is the story of May Dodd and a colorful assembly of pioneer women who, under the auspices of the U.S. government, travel to the western prairies in 1875 to intermarry among the Cheyenne Indians. The covert and controversial "Brides for Indians" program, launched by the administration of Ulysses S. Grant, is intended to help assimilate the Indians into the white man's world. Toward that end May and her friends embark upon the adventure of their lifetime. Jim Fergus has so vividly depicted the American West that it is as if these diaries are a capsule in time.

Hop over to Reading At The Beach and check out all the folks doing A-Z Wednesday. You might find your next book to read.

REVIEW - THE MANUFACTURED IDENTITY - HEATH SOMMER

This is another review books. I actually got an email from the author asking me to review his book.

I have been reviewing your blog and am interested in offering you a complimentary copy of my debut novel The Manufactured Identity in exchange for your candid and honest impressions to be listed on your blog. As a clinical psychologist, my writings are always about characters with genuine psychological distress attempting to find their way through the at times hostile world. I specifically write contemporary mysteries, with strong mainstream fiction underpinnings.

# Paperback: 308 pages
# Publisher: Tate Publishing & Enterprises (June 23, 2009)
# Language: English
# ISBN-10: 1606965506
# ISBN-13: 978-1606965504


MY THOUGHTS: As a psychological thriller "The Manufactured Identity" is a strange tale that will keep you reading the book. From one moment to the next the characters are keeping you on your toes. The first chapter will grab you as soon as you read it. You read about a guy that can't remember who he is and has thousands of dollars on him. Wouldn't you want to know what happened and where all that money came from. As you keep reading and meeting all these people you begin to wonder what they all have in common. But you will have to read the book to find out! Besides that the book cover is really awesome!

MY RATING: 5

REVIEW - ONLY IN NEW YORK DARLING! - VIRGINIE SOMMET

I got an email asking if I would review this books.

My name is Florencia and I am Virginie Sommet's assistant and she is the author of "Only in New York, Darling!". I am writing on her behalf to inquire about getting her book reviewed on your blog. I was referred to you through J. Kaye’s Book Blog that kindly sent me a list of bloggers interested in reviewing books.
"Only in New York, Darling! " a book that serves as a "log book" but is also a look into the life of a underground french artist moving to New York and how she experiences the city. The book also includes illustrations and interviews.

# Paperback: 292 pages
# Publisher: Lulu.com (September 8, 2008)
# Language: English
# ISBN-10: 1435711009
# ISBN-13: 978-1435711006

Product Description
(Amazon. Com)
**English version** Edgier than the Lonely Planet, hipper than the Village Voice, more intellectual than the New York Times... I've found my Bible to carry me through the funkiest city on the planet! A trippy "logbook" written by a French girl from Normandy landing in Manhattan and slowly making it on her own as an uderground artist, this chronicle plunged me into the maze of New York City's daily life, its pleasures, risks, hassles, encounters and wonders. The language is incomparable, the narration fluid, the tone incisive, at times hilarious, and at times intimate and moving. Reflection of the New Yorkers'psychology, the necessary melting pot of cultures, and the virtues of immigration. The question of identity is featured at he heart of the rhetoric developped. It is New York that possesses us, never the opposite! The writer, she knows it by heart! Bravo! Catherine Vachon

MY THOUGHTS: This was a very interesting book. Full of the insights of a French girl's visit to New York that turns into her living there. The book is written in log or diary form. There are interviews with people, poems and illustrations. It is sometimes funny and sometimes very truthful as to what is happening and going on in this girl's life.

MY RATING: 5

REVIEW - ALEX CROSS'S TRIAL - JAMES PATTERSON

This book is for 1 of my reading challenges.
Fall Into Reading 2009 Challenge

Alex Cross's TRIAL" by James Patterson
(from inside flap)
SEPARATED BY TIME

From his grandmother, Alex Cross has heard the story of his great-uncle Abraham and his struggles for survival in the era of the Ku Klux Klan. Now Alex passes the family tale along to his own children in a novel he's written--a novel called Trial.

CONNECTED BY BLOOD
As a lawyer in Washington, DC, early in the 1900's, Ben Corbett represents the toughest cases. Fighting against oppression and racism, he risks his family and his life in the process. When President Roosevelt asks Ben to return to his hometown to investigate rumors of the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan there, he cannot refuse.

UNITED BY BRAVERY

When he arrives in Eudora, Mississippi, Ben meets the wise Abraham Cross and his beautiful daughter, Moody. Ben enlists their help, and the two Crosses introduce him to the hidden side of the idyllic Southern town. Lynchings have become commonplace, and residents of the black quarter live in constant fear. Ben aims to break the reign of terror--but the truth of who is really behind it could break his heart. Written in the fearless voice of Detective Alex Cross, Alex Cross's "Trial" is a gripping story of murder, love, and above all, bravery.

MY THOUGHTS: This is James Patterson's new book. If you are a follower of the Alex Cross series you will enjoy reading this book. It gives you some insight into Alex Cross's ancestors. Abraham Cross is an old man who is dying. President Roosevelt, Abraham, and Ben were all in the war together. President Roosevelt sends Ben to his home town to find out what is going on. Ben meets some of his old friends from his younger days. Also his father, who doesn't approve of Ben's way of life. And an old flame who is married to a State Senator. When Ben starts investigating the lynchings that are taking place, he causes an uproar that is going to get him in trouble. As the men that are suppose to be his friends turn on him. I am not telling any more, I don't want to ruin the book for you. It's really good!!

MY RATING: 5

THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS COOKIES

I was over at Beth's place, Beth Fish Reads for her Weekend Cooking feature. I found the info for The Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies there. So went to take a look and see what it's all about. This is what I found:

Earlier today, Julie, of Booking Mama fame, and I both reviewed The Christmas Cookie Club by Ann Pearlman – you can read my review here and her review here. We both enjoyed the book and it got us thinking about the importance of friends, especially during this time of year. Julie and I both wanted to do something a little special for the upcoming Holiday Season, and since we live so far away from each other, we can’t get together to celebrate. We thought we’d do the next best thing – a Virtual Cookie Swap with all of our book friends!

For the next twelve days – hence the title The Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies – Julie and I will take turns posting some of our favorite cookie recipes. (We might even throw a surprise or two in there to make things more fun.) And then, on the Friday after Thanksgiving (November 27th), we want you to share some of your favorite cookie recipes with all of us. We will set up Mr. Linky’s on both of our blogs, and we ask that you link your cookie recipe blog posts to us. I will be hosting the traditional cookie recipes and Julie will be hosting the chocolate cookie and candy recipes.

To entice you to join us in our little Cookie Swap, we will both be giving out copies of The Christmas Cookie Club to two lucky participants who link their recipes to our blogs. That means that you can enter to win on both of our sites by linking a traditional cookie recipe to my blog and a chocolate treat to Julie’s. Don’t worry if you don’t have a blog — just leave you recipes in the comments section!

And to make things even “sweeter,” each of us will be giving one of our winners a BIG Cookie Prize Pack which includes one of the copies of The Christmas Cookie Club, a cookbook, and other cookie-related items. You’ll have through Thursday, December 3 to leave a link if you want to be eligible for a prize.

We’re hoping that a lot of our friends out there in the blogosphere will join us. Please think about what recipe you want to feature and help spread the word about not only the virtual cookie exchange but also some of the great prizes you can win! Make sure to check Julie’s blog tomorrow because she will be kicking off Day 1 of The 12 Days of Christmas Cookies with a very easy and very yummy treat!

So if you like cookies and want to share some recipes hop over to Bermudaonion and BookingMama's places and check this out. Sounds like it will be lots of fun. And you never know you might find a new old family favorite recipe.

FRIDAY FILL-INS

Go over an visit Janet for your Friday Fill-Ins.


1. The last band I saw live was B. J. THOMAS.
2. What I look forward to most on Thanksgiving is FAMILY AND SOME GOOD FOOD.
3. My Christmas/holiday shopping is GOING TO BE LIMITED THIS YEAR.
4. Thoughts of WINTER COMING is filling my head.
5. I wish I could wear FLIP FLOPS ALL YEAR.
6. Bagpipes MAKE GREAT MUSIC.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to RELAXING AFTER WORK, tomorrow my plans include CLEANING THE BEDROOM and Sunday, I want to READ THE JAMES PATTERSON BOOK "TRIAL"!

REVIEW - THE LAST ORACLE - JAMES ROLLINS

This book is for 3 of my reading challenges.
Countdown to 2010 Challenge(2008)
Fall Into Reading Challenge
Suspense & Thrillers Challenge(Religious Thriller)

"The Last Oracle" by James Rollins
Product Description(Amazon.Com)

In Washington, D.C., a homeless man takes an assassin's bullet and dies in Commander Gray Pierce's arms. A bloody coin clutched in the dead man's hand—an ancient relic that can be traced back to the Greek Oracle of Delphi—is the key to a conspiracy that dates back to the Cold War and threatens the very foundation of humanity. For what if it were possible to bioengineer the next great prophet—a new Buddha, Muhammad, or even Jesus? Would this Second Coming be a boon . . . or would it initiate a chain reaction that would result in the extinction of humankind?
Vital seconds are ticking rapidly away as Pierce races across the globe in search of answers, one step ahead of ruthless killers determined to reclaim the priceless artifact. Suddenly the future of all things is balanced on the brink between heaven and hell—and salvation or destruction rests in the hands of remarkable children.

MY THOUGHTS: This was a very well written book. It was also the first book I have read of James Rollins. His writing reminds me of James Patterson. The chapters are long but they are broken up into segments. This is going on in 3 countries at the same time. Russia, India, and the U.S.A. As these three groups of people are all trying to find the reason why a well known professor is killed and what links they all together. It is one little girl, but one group wants the girl back and other group wants to know why they want her. They are all chasing each other and trying to figure out what the heck is going on. It all ends at the blast site of Chernobyl, Russia. And what does this have to do with being a religious thrill you might ask? This is all connected through the ancient religion of the Greek Gods.

MY RATING: 5

REVIEW - FEASTING ON ASPHALT - ALTON BROWN

This book is for the Spice of Life Reading Challenge. This is also my wrap up of this challenge. I have done this level of the challenge.

WRAP UP:

A Sampler: Joining the Spice of Life Challenge for “a sampler” means that you want to balance your food book diet with variety, for variety is the spice of life. You will read and review a book from each category for a total of four books.

These are my four books.

1. Paula Deen’s Kitchen Classics – Paula Deen
2. Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café – Fannie Flagg
3. The Recipe Club – Andrea Israel & Nancy Garfinkel
4. Feasting on Asphalt – The River Run – Alton Brown

"Feasting on Asphalt" by Alton Brown
(Product Description-Amazon.Com)
He’s on the road again. This time, Alton Brown and his motorcycle-mounted crew are off on a thousand-mile, south-to-north journey that follows America’s first “superhighway”—the Mississippi. Starting at the great river’s delta on the Gulf of Mexico and ending up near its headwaters in Minnesota, Alton and buddies travel the heartland’s byways to scout out the very best of roadside food—and to get to know the people who spend their lives preparing and serving it.
A companion to the six-part Food Network series airing in fall 2007, Feasting on Asphalt: The River Run is a travel diary, photo journal, and, of course, cookbook. Alton’s itinerary includes big-city eateries and small-town chat ’n’ chews, as well as markets, inns, ice cream parlors, museums, barbecue joints—and even an alligator farm.
Louisiana-style Grilled Alligator Tail (served simply, with lemon and butter) is one of the book’s forty original road-food recipes. Others include Pecan-Coconut Pie from an Arkansan roadside restaurant; BBQ Pork Ribs in Mississippi that Brown eats over pancakes; Vegetable Borscht from St. Paul’s Russian Tea House; and Fried Catfish from a riverside burg in Illinois. When it comes to America’s foodways and folkways, there’s no better tour guide than Alton Brown.

MY THOUGHTS: This is a very informative book! You have notes from the author, maps, and recipes. And lots of pictures. Lots of the recipes in this book I would probably never make. Like the one for alligator. There are lots of recipes for barbecue that sounds really yummy. This recipe comes from Prince Pit BBQ in Bardwell, Kentucky.

For the barbecue Sauce:
32 oz. tomato ketchup
48 oz. White Vinegar
8 oz. light brown sugar
1/2 oz. ground cayenne
1/4 oz. red pepper flakes
Combine all the ingredients in a large stainless-steel pot. Stir and place over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 1 hour. Let the sauce cool, then pour it into a clean container with a lid. Store in the fridge until ready to use. This yields about 3 quarts of sauce.

MY RATING: 5

TUESDAY BOOK MEMES

Well it's Tuesday again. And time for 2 of my favorite memes. It's Tuesday, Where Are You? over at Raidergirls' place, An Adventure in Reading. Teaser Tuesday over at MzB's place Should be Reading.

IT'S TUESDAY, WHERE ARE YOU?



The Last Oracle - James Rollins

I am all over the place in my current book. India, Russia, and Washington, D.C. In Russia I am trying to get 3 children to safety. In India I am trying to get a scientist out of the country as he is about to be assassinated. And in Washington, D.C. I am trying to figure who is behind the kidnapping of a little girl. What does this all have in common? They are all linked to the theory that Autistic Savant children are capable of remarkable feats. With a little help from some scientists.



TEASER TUESDAY

Southern Ural Mountains
"We have to cross that?" he asked. "There's no other way around?" Konstantin folded the map. "Not withourt going hundreds of miles to circle it, which would take many days. The mine we must reach on the far side of Lake Karachay lies only twelve miles away if we cross here." P. 313 The Last Oracle - James Rollins

REVIEW - THIRSTY - KRISTIN BAIR O' KEEFFE

Title: Thirsty
Author: Kristin Bair O’Keeffe
Publisher: Ohio University Press/Swallow Press
Publisher website: www.ohioswallow.com
Book website: www.thirstythenovel.com
Category: Fiction
Date of publication: October 2009
ISBN-13: 978-0-8040-1123-5
Pages: 216

This is a review copy I was sent by Shelby Sledge,Senior Publicist,Phenix & Phenix Literary Publicists.

"Thirsty" by Kristin Bair O'Keeffe
(from inside cover)
It is 1883, and all of Klara Bozic's girlish dreams have come crashing down as she arrives in Thirsty, a gritty steel town carved into the slopes above the Monongahela River just outside of Pittsburgh. She has made a heartbreaking discover. Her new husband, Drago, is as abusive as the father she left behind in Croatia.
In Kristin Bair O'Keeffe's debut novel, Klara's life unfolds over forty years as she struggles to find her place in a new country where her survival depends on the friends who nurture her: gutsy, funny Katherine Zupanovic, who isn't afraid of Drago's fist; BenJo, the only black man in Thirsty to have his own shop; and strangely enough, Old Man Rupert, the town drunk.
Thirsty follows a chain of unlikely events that keep Klara's spirit aloft: a flock of angelic butterflies descends on Thirsty; Klara gives birth to her first child in Old Man Rupert's pumpkin patch; and BenJo gives her a talking bird. When Klara's daughter marries a man even more brutal than Drago, Klara is forced to act. If she doesn't break the cycle of violence in her family, her granddaughters will one day walk the same road, broken and bruised. As the threads that hold her family together fray and come undone, Klara must decide whether she has the courage to carve out a peaceful spot in the world for herself and her girls.

MY THOUGHTS: This is a wonderful book! I really enjoyed reading about Klara and her family. Mz. O'Keeffe has written a wonderful book of life with Klara and all her suffering. But Klara also has some happy times in her life. Her friends and her children are what keeps Klara together. I really liked the character of Klara and Katherine. I could feel her pain and happiness. When she had her first baby in the Pumpkin Patch at Old Man Rupert's, I felt her happiness. When the butterflies came I could feel them fluttering around. This book takes you to Thirsty and into Klara's home and life. Truly a wonderful book and beautifully written by Mz. O'Keeffe.

MY RATING: 5

MUSING MONDAY

Over at Just One More Page, Rebecca is the host for Musing Monday. She has a really great question this week.

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about your bookshelf…
Does your house have a communal bookshelf? If not, is your bookshelf centrally located so everyone has access to it?

I recently cleaned off my book shelves. I had lots of quilt books, cross stitch books, and other unread books. Boxed up the the cross stitch and quilt books and sent them on their way to the auction. I was amazed at how much I got for those. Don't fret, I did keep a few of my favorites. The idea was to clear off some shelf space so I could put all the books I seem to be picking up. I also placed them on the shelves in alphabetical order by author. This is what it looked like before all the books were arranged. That whole top shelf is quilt books and cross stitch books.



As for the question fo a communal bookshelf. Well, if anyone wants to read them they are very welcome to do that. But I am the only one that lives in this house that actually reads. My hubby doesn't read and my son only reads his collage books. The book shelf is centrally located so most everyone goes past it. This is the book shelf now, sorry about the poor quality of the picture. My camera is having flash issues.



Are your book shelves communal property? Go check out all the folks who are participating this week.

REVIEW - TWO BOOKS AND A WRAP UP

These 2 books are for 4 of my reading challenges
What An Animal 2(Wrap-up)
Countdown to 2010(2007 - 2008)
Fall Into Reading 2009
Clear Off Your Shelves(18%)

"Good Dog. Stay." by Anna Quindlen
(from back cover)
"The life of a good dog is like the life of a good person, only shorter and more compress," writes Pulitzer Prize-winning author Anna Quindlen about her beloved black Labrador retriever, Beau. With her trademark wisdom and humor, Quindlen relfecst on how her life has unfloded in tandem with Beau's, and on the lessons she's learned by watching him: to roll with the punches, to take things as they come, to measure herself not in tems of the past or the future but of the present. Sometimes an old dog can teach us new tricks.

MY THOUGHTS: Wonderful book on life. If only we would learn some things from our pets. Ms. Quindlen did a wonderful job with this book. As I was reading this book I kept saying yea, that's right. I could compare my life to my dogs life. Just like she did. If you look at that way our lives are exactly the same.

MY RATING: 5

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"The Adventures of Songha: The Amazing Savannah Cat" by Linda R. Caterine
(from Amazon.com)
"The Adventures Of Songha" is the story of a rare exotic cat, as seen through the eyes of Songha, a beautiful Savannah cat. Songha is half African Serval leopard and half domestic cat, and this unusual combination sets her apart from most other cats. She has a domestic temperament, but her wild leopard blood drives her to seek adventure by escaping from the safety of her wonderful home. Her restlessness takes her into exciting, and sometimes dangerous territory, as she follows her wild urges to run free.Songha tells us about leaving her leopard father, to come and live with her new family in Las Vegas, Nevada. She loves her new family, but when she is not allowed to go outside and run free, she begins searching for ways to escape. She doesn't want to run away from her family. She just wants to run free for a little while, and then come back to her loving home.From her daring first escape, through an upstairs window, to her confrontation with a notorious wild coyote, Songha gives us a "cat's eye" view into the heart and soul of this exotic feline. She is wild and sweet, endearing and infuriating, all at the same time. And of course, she is always entertaining. As Songha pursues her adventures, she learns some valuable life lessons along the way, and also gains some much needed wisdom.This is the story of Songha, the amazing Savannah cat.

MY THOUGHTS: This book is written with the voice of Songha. She is telling the story. Her discover of her "Neighborhood Kingdom" when she escapes from her home. She meets Jacques Cousteau, a Siamese cat and Kitty and her 3 "cubs". Then Songha finds out about El Diablo, a Coyote that runs the neighborhood hunting and killing cats, dogs,and other animals. Songha feels that she must protect her Kingdom and goes after the Coyote. She keeps the Coyote busy all night until morning, when the animal patrol comes along and picks up the Coyote and takes him away. Very good book. I really enjoyed this book lots.

MY RATING: 5

WRAP UP FOR WHAT AN ANIMAL 2

1. Read at least 6 books that have any of the following requirements:

a. there is an animal in the title of the book

b. there is an animal on the cover of the book

c. an animal plays a major role in the book

d. a main character is (or turns into) an animal (define that however you'd like ;o)

Here are my 6 books:

1. Dewey – Vicki Myron
2. Only the Cat Knows – Marian Babson
3. The Adventures of Songha – Linda R. Caterine
4. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle - David Wroblewski
5. Good Dog. Stay. - Anna Quindlen
6. Dog Years: A Memoir - Mark Doty