REVIEW - MY SISTER'S KEEPER

This book is for 4 of my reading challenges.
Books to Read Before I Die Challenge
100+ Challenge
Countdown 2010 Challenge[2004]
Monthly Mixer Melee

"My Sister's Keeper" by Jodi Picoult
Product Description[Amazon.com]

Anna is not sick, but she might as well be. By age thirteen, she has undergone countless surgeries, transfusions, and shots so that her older sister, Kate, can somehow fight the leukemia that has plagued her since childhood. The product of preimplantation genetic diagnosis, Anna was conceived as a bone marrow match for Kate -- a life and a role that she has never challenged...until now. Like most teenagers, Anna is beginning to question who she truly is. But unlike most teenagers, she has always been defined in terms of her sister -- and so Anna makes a decision that for most would be unthinkable, a decision that will tear her family apart and have perhaps fatal consequences for the sister she loves.
# Paperback: 448 pages
# Publisher: Washington Square Press; Mti edition (May 19, 2009)
# Language: English
# ISBN-10: 1439157383
# ISBN-13: 978-1439157381

MY THOUGHTS: It has taken me forever to get to read this book. Everyone has read this book long ago. I am probably the only person that HASN'T read this book. The one reason I didn't read this book is that Jodi Picoult is such a good writer that she makes you stop and think about the subject of her books. Her books also don't have good endings, or should I say happy endings. This is a book that makes you think, would I do this for my sister, give my kidney to her, knowing full well that if something happened to my other kidney I could die. This is a terrible decision for an adult. I couldn't possibly put a decision like this to a 13 year old child. But this book does just that. Anna has made the decision not to give her kidney to her sister and has taken her parents to court. To be medically emancipated from her family, that is to make her own decisions concerning her body. If you haven't read this book yet, please read it! It is beautifully written and leads you into some interesting questions you have to answer for yourself.

MY RATING: 5

REVIEW - THE CHIMERA SEED

This book is for 3 of my reading challenges.
Read Your Own Books Challenge
100+ Challenge
Reading From My Shelves Project

"The Chimera Seed" by Matthew Tully
Product Description[Amazon.com]
Richard Tiernan created a bridge to immortality. Unfortunately, he died of a heart attack before he had a chance to drink the elixir that would have prevented his demise. Now his son Matthew, who was unaware of the discovery until his father's death, must decide its fate. When large pharmaceutical companies learn of its existence, a struggle develops to determine who will acquire the chemistry that would make them billions of dollars. But Richard Tiernan had a partner and co-developer of the immortality elixir. Upon realizing that a disastrous world situation could develop, he reverses his opinion about releasing the elixir to the public and conspires to destroy it. Matthew Tiernan becomes caught between the desire to mass produce the elixir for profit, or preserving it for a select few. The Chimera Seed is a story of greed, power and pharmaceutical espionage that attempts to shape the quality of life for those who can afford it.
# Paperback: 384 pages
# Publisher: Comfort Publishing (June 30, 2009)
# Language: English
# ISBN-10: 1935361325
# ISBN-13: 978-1935361329

MY THOUGHTS: This is a very good first by Matthew Tully book, written very well and I really enjoyed all the characters in this book. While I was reading this book I was thinking about the author's story line, Immortally. If you could make that choice would you take it? Although the after effects would surly not turn out good. If everyone was immortal what would this do to our resources? What would the moral issues be? This book really makes you think about all this. If you get a chance, pick this book up and read it. It is full of suspense and espionage. You will really enjoy this book!

MY RATING: 5

[This is a free review book]

REVIEW - CATALOOCHEE

This book is for 3 of my reading challenges.
100+ Challenge
52 Books in 52 Weeks Challenge[Wk. 8]
Year of the Historical Challenge

"Cataloochee" by Wayne Caldwell
Product Description(Amazon.com)
Against the breathtaking backdrop of Appalachia comes a rich, multilayered post—Civil War saga of three generations of families–their dreams, their downfalls, and their faith. Cataloochee is a slice of southern Americana told in the classic tradition of Flannery O’Connor and William Faulkner.
Nestled in the mountains of North Carolina sits Cataloochee. In a time when “where you was born was where God wanted you,” the Wrights and the Carters, both farming families, travel to the valley to escape the rapid growth of neighboring towns and to have a few hundred acres all to themselves. But progress eventually winds its way to Cataloochee, too, and year after year the population swells as more people come to the valley to stake their fortune.
Never one to pass on opportunity, Ezra Banks, an ambitious young man seeking some land of his own, arrives in Cataloochee in the 1880s. His first order of business is to marry a Carter girl, Hannah, the daughter of the valley’s largest landowner. From there Ezra’s brood grows, as do those of the Carters and the Wrights. With hard work and determination, the burgeoning community transforms wilderness into home, to be passed on through generations.
But the idyll is not to last, nor to be inherited: The government takes steps to relocate folks to make room for the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, and tragedy will touch one of the clans in a single, unimaginable act.
Wayne Caldwell brings to life the community’s historic struggles and close kinship's over a span of six decades. Full of humor, darkness, beauty, and wisdom, Cataloochee is a classic novel of place and family.
# Paperback: 368 pages
# Publisher: Random House Trade Paperbacks (June 10, 2008)
# Language: English
# ISBN-10: 0812973739
# ISBN-13: 978-0812973730

MY THOUGHTS: This is a well written book, following the people and families that live and travel through Cataloochee. It makes you want to uproot your family and move to Cataloochee. I can vision the apple trees growing, the steep climbs up the mountain to visit family and neighbors. Wonderful book!

MY RATING: 5

IT'S TUESDAY, WHERE ARE YOU? AND TEASER TUESDAYS

Raidergirl over at An Adventure in Reading is the host for It's Tuesday, Where are You? and MizB over at Should Be Reading is the host for Teaser Tuesdays.

For both of these I am using the book, My Sister's Keeper - Jodi Picoult.



IT'S TUESDAY, WHERE ARE YOU?



I am in Rhode Island hiring a lawyer.
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TEASER TUESDAYS



There's way too much to explain, and so I do the best I can. "It's not God. Just my parents." I say. "I want to sue them for the rights to my own body." P.19 My Sister's Keeper - Jodi Picoult

REVIEW - THE WITCHES OF WORM

This book is for 2 of my reading challenges.
100+ Challenge
Winter Words Challenge[Snow]



"The Witches of Worm" by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
Product Description(Amazon.com)
Cats. Jessica's never liked them. Especially not a skinny, ugly kitten that looks like a worm. Worm. Jessica wishes she'd never brought Worm home with her, because now he's making her do terrible things. She's sure she isn't imagining the evil voice coming from the cat, telling her to play mean tricks on people. But how can she explain what's happening?

Witches. Jessica has read enough books to know that Worm must be a witch's cat. He's cast a spell on her, but whom can she turn to? After all, no one will believe that Worm has bewitched her...or worse!
# Reading level: Ages 9-12
# Hardcover: 192 pages
# Publisher: Atheneum (September 15, 2009)
# Language: English
# ISBN-10: 1416995315
# ISBN-13: 978-1416995319

MY THOUGHTS: This is a very interesting book. It takes you along with Jessica into the thinking of a child's mind. How you can make yourself believe you are a witch and your cat is a demon. Jessica is very angry at her mother for always leaving her alone. She is also very angry an her best friend for abandoning her for new friends. Which makes Jessica very susceptible to her imagination working into believing that her cat, Worm, is possessed by demons. It's also a little scary if you think about it. That something like this could really happen.

MY RATING: 5

IN MY MAILBOX

Kristi over at The Story Siren is the host of In My Mailbox. What is this? Here are some details:

In My Mailbox explores the contents of my mailbox on a weekly basis. Of course I only mention the really cool things, like books!

It was a great week for books here. 2 books I ordered from my book club and 2 reviw books.

Book Club

Saving CeeCee Honeycutt - Beth Hoffman

# Hardcover: 320 pages
# Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books (January 12, 2010)
# Language: English
# ISBN-10: 0670021393
# ISBN-13: 978-0670021390


Victim Six - Gregg Olsen

# Paperback: 320 pages
# Publisher: Pinnacle; 1 edition (February 1, 2010)
# Language: English
# ISBN-10: 078602044X
# ISBN-13: 978-0786020447


Review Books

The Lumby Lines - Gail Fraser

# Paperback: 336 pages
# Publisher: NAL Trade (May 1, 2007)
# Language: English
# ISBN-10: 0451221397
# ISBN-13: 978-0451221391

A Story of Hope: She - Rain - Michael Cogdill

# Paperback: 360 pages
# Publisher: Morgan James Publishing (March 31, 2010)
# Language: English
# ISBN-10: 1600377025
# ISBN-13: 978-1600377020

Don't forget to go over to Kristi's place to check out what everyone got in their mailbox. You might find your next book to read.

NEW READING CHALLENGE

I was over at the 52 Books in 52 Weeks challenge home site. Robyn is the host. She is also hosting the Mind Voyages Reading Challenge. I thought I would join her for Mind Voyages. What is this you might ask? Here are some details.

Science Fiction and Fantasy - what do you think of when you hear those words? I think of books with adventure, exploration, mind altering worlds, knights, dragons, cool space ships, alternate realities, magical quests, new technology, evil villains and heroes. Books that entertain and enlighten, books that take you away, books that take you on a voyage - a mind voyage.
So come take a mind voyage with me - explore the hugo and nebula winners, take side trips through the different decades reading the nominees, check out Philip K. Dick and Robert Heinlein. Plus, since I like a wide variety of books and like to explore, can't possibly imagine a reading challenge without exploring new releases that come out in 2010.
Voyages

Moon Voyage : Read at least 6 winners on the Hugo Winners List

Sling shot back to Earth: Read at least 3 winners on the Nebula Winner's List

Venus Voyage: Philip K. Dick Quest - Read at least 2 of his books

Mercury Voyage: Robert Heinlein Quest - Read at least 2 of his books

Mars Voyage: Read at least 6 winners on the Hugo List and take a side trip through the 21st century and read at least 4 nominees.

Go into Warp Drive and visit the other planets


Jupiter Voyage: Go side tripping 90's Style

Saturn: Go Side Tripping 80's Style

Uranus: Go Side Tripping 70's Style

Neptune Voyage: Go Side Tripping through the 50's and 60's

I will be going to the Moon Voyage. I went looking through my library data base on line and found 6 great books that are Hugo winners. These are my 6 books.

The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
The Yiddish Policeman's Union - Michael Chabon
To Say Nothing of The Dog - Connie Willis
Forever Peace - Joe W. Haldeman
Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card
Dreamsnake - Vonda N. McIntyre

REVIEW - 13 LITTLE BLUE ENVELOPES

This book is for 6 of my reading challenges.
100+ Challenge
52 Books in 52 Weeks[WK. 7]
Countdown to 2010[2007]
2010 Global Challenge[Europe]
Monthly Mixer Melee
Colorful Challenge[Blue]

"13 Little Blue Envelopes" by Maureen Johnson
Product Description[Amazon.com]
Inside little blue envelope 1 are $1,000 and instructions to buy a plane ticket.
In envelope 2 are directions to a specific London flat.
The note in envelope 3 tells Ginny: Find a starving artist.
Because of envelope 4, Ginny and a playwright/thief/ bloke–about–town called Keith go to Scotland together, with somewhat disastrous–though utterly romantic–results. But will she ever see him again?
Everything about Ginny will change this summer, and it's all because of the 13 little blue envelopes.
# Reading level: Young Adult
# Paperback: 352 pages
# Publisher: HarperTeen; First Edition edition (September 26, 2006)
# Language: English
# ISBN-10: 0060541431
# ISBN-13: 978-0060541439

MY THOUGHTS: Would you get on an airplane with no explanation and travel around the world? I wouldn't! This is what Ginny does. Her Aunt Peg has died and left her 13 Blue Envelopes. So Ginny gets on the plane and heads to England not knowing what she is going to find. In each envelope Ginny is off to another location. And she doesn't know what she's looking for. But everything works out fine. This is a really good book. You should read it! Not to mention, don't you love that book cover!

MY RATING: 5

WEDNESDAY BOOK MEMES

A - Z Wednesday is over at Reading At The Beach and Wondrous Words Wednesday is over at Bermuda Onions place. Go check them out. You might find your next book there.

A - Z Wednesday



The letter this week is "B". My book is "Burn" by Ted Dekker

The past Janeal thought had burned away is rising from the ashes.

Years ago, the Gypsy Kumpania where Janeal Mikkado lived was attacked by outsiders. With her best friend about to be consumed by a fire, Janeal had two options: try to save her friend--at serious risk to her own life--or disappear with the million dollars that she had just discovered . . .
But the past is quickly coming back to haunt her. Both the best friend and the boyfriend that she was sure were dead have reappeared in her life, as has someone who knows about the money. There's a debt to be paid for the money she found, but there's an even greater debt she must face--and if the chaff isn't burned from her own heart, it will consume her.
Amazon.com
# Hardcover: 384 pages
# Publisher: Thomas Nelson (January 12, 2010)
# Language: English
# ISBN-10: 1595544712
# ISBN-13: 978-1595544711

I reviewed this book here if you want to see my review. It was a very good book and you wouldn't believe the ending!

Wondrous Words Wednesday



My words come from "Cataloochee" by Wayne Caldwell



Misanthropes - They passed frame houses, some with banks of yellow and purple irises beside inviting porches, others facing away from the road like misanthropes.

mis⋅an⋅thrope - a hater of humankind.
*****************************************
Trepidatious - I'm trepidatious to bed down here, there ain't nothing to hide behind.

trep·i·da·tion - A state of alarm or dread; apprehension.
*****************************************
Loquacity - Except for a rare fit of loquacity, she was silent.

lo⋅quac⋅i⋅ty - the state of being loquacious; talkativeness; garrulity.
*****************************************
Pone - The table, which old Levi had made years before from a chestnut log, held dishes of ham hocks in their own juice, pintos, a pone of corn bread, a bowl of applesauce, and another of kraut.

pohn - Also called pone bread. a baked or fried bread usually made of cornmeal.
*****************************************
Catafalque - Mule and wagon with the supine clock reminded him of a catafalque.

cat⋅a⋅falque - 1.a raised structure on which the body of a deceased person lies or is carried in state.
2.a hearse.
*****************************************

Don't forget to head over to Reading at the Beach and Bermuda Onion's place. Go visit all the folks with books and words to share.

TUESDAY BOOK MEMES

Raidergirl over at An Adventure in Reading is the host for It's Tuesday, Where Are You? and MizB over at Should Be Reading is the host for Teaser Tuesdays. Go and check them out. All of my info today comes from the book "13 LIttle Blue Envelopes" by Maureen Johnson.



It's Tuesday, Where Are You?



I am currently in Rome, Italy in front of the Vestal Virgins.


Teaser Tuesdays




She grabbed the button that Beppe had been reaching for and yanked it from her shorts. She leaned over the metal bar that kept people back from the statues and tossed it onto the ground between two of the most complete ones.
"Here," she said, "From one virgin to another." P. 154 13 Little Blue Envelopes - Maureen Johnson

Don't forget to head over to Raidergirl's place and MizB's place to check out all the folks participating this week.

MUSING MONDAYS

Rebecca over at Just One More Page is the host for Musing Monday. What is the question this week:

Do you keep reference books on your shelves at home? What’s your first port of call when you need information – the internet or a book?

I have a full set of Encyclopedia's on my book shelf. I bought them years ago, I mean like lots of years! They are so old that the info is probably outdated. I got them when my son was little and he's 40 now. Anyway I usually use the internet, Google to be exact, to find most everything my little heart desires. If I can't find it there then I head to the library.



Don't forget to head over to Rebecca's place to check out everyone's thoughts on this subject.

WEEKEND COOKING

Beth over at Beth Fish Reads is the host for Weekend Cooking. What is this? Here are some details:

Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, fabulous quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page. For more information, see the welcome post.

I recently read and posted a book here at Just Books called Ladies of Liberty by Cokie Roberts. It is the second book in a series of books about our first years as a country and the women behind the men that found our country. Her first book is Founding Mothers and was a very good book. You can find both of these books at Amazon.com. I read it a few years ago. There is lots of information in both books to help you figure out who is who and to whom they are all married to. Ladies of Liberty also has some recipes at the back of the book. One is from Nelly Custis Lewis. She is the granddaughter of Martha Washington. I haven't actually tried any of the recipes, but this one sounds so much like my mom's recipe, which has been lost over the years, that I am going to give it try. It's called Potato Fritters. We just called them Potato Patties.

Potato Fritters

Beat the yolks of 6 eggs very light, add to them a quart of milk, boil as many Irish potatoes as will make a quart, skin & beat them very fine, put them into the milk & eggs, & thicken with flour, the thickness of common ritter batter, beat all till very light. Fry in lard as common fritters.

I don't think my mothers recipe called for so much milk and any kind of potato would probably do for this recipe. I will probably mess around with this recipe a bit to get it to my liking. For one I don't think I would use lard. Oil would do the job.

Have you found a great recipe in a book to share? Head over to Beth's and share it with everyone.

REVIEW - THE LITTLE GIANT OF ABERDEEN COUNTY

This book is for 4 of my reading challenges.
Read Your Own Books Challenge
100+ Challenge
TwentyTen Challenge[Shiney & New]
Reading From My Shelves Project

"The Little Giant of Aberdeen County" by Tiffany Baker
(from back cover)
Meet Truly Paice--part behemoth, part witch, part Cinderella. Born larger than life into a small-minded town, Truly breaks her family into smithereens. Her mother dies during Truly's birth, and when her father follows shortly afterward, Truly and her dainty sister, Serena Jane, are destined for very different fates. As Truly grows larger and larger on a rundown farm, she watches lovely Serena Jane become the town's adored May Queen and the obsession of a local boy, Bob Bob Morgan--the youngest in a line of Aberdeen's doctor's, who for generations wove their influence among the town's citizens. Yet no matter how far apart life propels them, Truly and her sister are forever linked. And Truly will find her future shaped by Serena Jane's relationships, a centuries-old antique of Dr. Morgan's, and the reality that love cannot be ordered to size.
Amazon.com
# Paperback: 368 pages
# Publisher: Grand Central Publishing; Reprint edition (January 25, 2010)
# Language: English
# ISBN-10: 0446194220
# ISBN-13: 978-0446194228

MY THOUGHTS: I really liked this book!! And I love the book cover! I had heard lots of good things about this book through lots of the book blogs I visit. So it was on my TBR list. This is my February book for my book club. Following Truly through her trials and tribulations was a wonderful read. I laughed and I cried. When Truly lost her love, Marcus, was one event. Then she loses her sister. And when Truly finally figures out the puzzle of the quilt, I was amazed. I never would have figured that one out! My favorite part of the book is the ending. This book actually ended with all the ends tied into a neat little bow. It doesn't leave you hanging and asking questions. You should really read this book!

MY RATING: 5

REVIEW - BURN

This book is for 5 of my reading challenges.
A - Z Challenge[Titles]
Read Your Own Books Challenge
100+ Challenge
Reading From My Shelves Project
Monthly Mixer Melee

"Burn" by Ted Dekker
(from back cover)
Janeal has long felt trapped in her father's Gypsy cultrue. Then one night a powerful man named Salazar Sanso promises her the life she longs for--if she will help recover a vast sum of money tied to her father.
When the plan implodes, Sanso and his men attack the gypsy settlement and burn it to the ground. During the blaze, Janeal is faced with a staggering choice.

The impact of that moment changes her forever.

As her past rises from the ashes, Janeal faces a new life-or-death choice. And this time, escape is not an option.
Amazon.com
# Hardcover: 384 pages
# Publisher: Thomas Nelson (January 12, 2010)
# Language: English
# ISBN-10: 1595544712
# ISBN-13: 978-1595544711

MY THOUGHTS: This is a very good book, well written and very mysterious. It is a on the edge of your seat book. You want to know what happens to Janeal, Robert, Katie and of course Sanso. They are the main characters in this book. The decision Janeal makes the night here family and friends are all killed and her home burned down will come back to haunt her. But will it change anything in Janeal's life? How will Robert and Katie handle this? And what happens to Sanso? You will have to read the book to find out. And you won't believe what happens!!

MY RATING: 5

[This is a free review copy.]

REVIEW - THE WITCH OF BLACKBIRD POND

This book is for 4 of my reading challenges.
100+ Challenge
What's in a Name3[Body of Water]
Shelf Discovery Challenge
52 Books in 52 Weeks[Wk. 6]

"The Witch of Blackbird Pond" by Elizabeth George Speare
Amazon.com Review
Forced to leave her sunny Caribbean home for the bleak Connecticut Colony, Kit Tyler is filled with trepidation. As they sail up the river to Kit's new home, the teasing and moodiness of a young sailor named Nat doesn't help. Still, her unsinkable spirit soon bobs back up. What this spirited teenager doesn't count on, however, is how her aunt and uncle's stern Puritan community will view her. In the colonies of 1687, a girl who swims, wears silk and satin gowns, and talks back to her elders is not only headstrong, she is in grave danger of being regarded as a witch. When Kit befriends an old Quaker woman known as the Witch of Blackbird Pond, it is more than the ascetics can take: soon Kit is defending her life. Who can she count on as she confronts these angry and suspicious townspeople?
# Reading level: Ages 9-12
# Mass Market Paperback: 256 pages
# Publisher: Laurel Leaf; 38th THUS edition (May 15, 1978)
# Language: English
# ISBN-10: 0440995779
# ISBN-13: 978-0440995777

MY THOUGHTS: This is another book I never would have read if not for the reading challenge Shelf Discovery. I loved all the characters in the book. They were all so real. And the story had a wonderful ending. It was very frighting to read when Kit is accused of being a witch. I often wonder about that time, when people where accused of being witches for any excuse. A cow quit giving milk, a child was misbehaving, or the chickens quit laying. It doesn't really sound like a good excuse to accuse someone of being a witch, but they were. If you were in any way different during those times you were looked upon as being a witch. That really sounds absurd now a days, but back then it was very serious. If you haven't read this book you should, it will give you some insight as to how people lived during those hard difficult times.

MY RATING: 5

MITTEN CONTEST

Heather over at Books and Quilts is having a contest at her place. What is this contest? Mittens, the Olympic Mittens of Canada. She is giving a pair of them away. Want more details? Here they are:

As I have been typing this, I have decided to have another little contest. This one is open to a follower of this blog who does not live in Canada. To gain extra entries
1) blog about this contest
2) Tell about this contest elsewhere, twitter etc.
3) Show me a picture of the gear that your country will be wearing when they compete in Canada in the next few weeks. email picture to heatherdpear @ hotmail dot com

[Leave one comment with all your entry information.
** Special, If you live in Canada and want to join the fun, you can enter (become a follower) and have me send the mitts to someone else (international).]

So hop over to Heather's place and get in the drawing for these great mittens.

REVIEW - LIFE OF PI

This book is for 3 of my reading challenges.
Books to Read Before I Die Challenge
100+ Challenge
Monthly Mixer Melee

"Life of Pi" by Yann Martel
(from back cover)
Pi Patel, a God-loving boy and the son of a zookeeper, has a fervent love of stories and practices not only his native Hinduism, but also Christianity and Islam. When Pi is sixteen, his family and their zoo animals emigrate from India to North America aboard a Japanese cargo ship. Alas, the ship sinks--and Pi finds himself in a lifeboat, his only companions a hyena, an orangutan, a wounded zebra, and 450-pound Bengal tiger. Soon the tiger has dispatched all but Pi. Can Pi and the tiger find their way to land? Can Pie's fear, knowledge, and cunning keep him alive until they do?
Amazon.com
# Paperback: 326 pages
# Publisher: Harvest Books (May 1, 2003)
# Language: English
# ISBN-10: 0156027321
# ISBN-13: 978-0156027328

MY THOUGHTS: This book has been on my TBR list for ages. I finally got around to reading it. I am so glad I did. This is great book of survival, determination, and the will to survive. Pi is floating around the ocean with Richard Parker, fishing and collecting water, trying to survive until he finds land or a boat finds him. This is a great story and I could almost believe it was true, actually I wanted it to be a true story. But it isn't. Yann Martel is a great storyteller. I will be reading more of his work. Does Pi and Richard Parker make it to land? Do they get rescued? You will have to read the book to find out. You really should read this book. It's awesome!

MY RATING: 5

IN MY MAILBOX

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren.



I got this book in the mail this week. It is a free review copy.

Product Description[Amazon.com]
It all started when 14-year old Hannah Salwen, idealistic but troubled by a growing sense of injustice in the world, had a eureka moment when a homeless man in her neighborhood was juxtaposed against a glistening Mercedes coupe. "You know, Dad," she said, pointing, "If that man had a less nice car, that man there could have a meal."
This glaring disparity led the Salwen family of four, caught up like so many other Americans in this age of consumption and waste, to follow Hannah's urge to do something, to finally just do something. And so they embarked on an incredible journey together from which there would be no turning back. They decided to sell their Atlanta mansion, downsize to a house half its size, and give half of their profits to a worthy charity. At first it was an outlandish scheme. "What, are you crazy? No way!" Then it was a challenge. "We are TOTALLY doing this." Each week they met over dinner to discuss their plan. It would transport them across the globe and well out of their comfort zone. Along the way they would inspire so many others wrestling with the same questions: Do I give enough? How much is enough? How can I make an impact in the world? In the end the Salwens' journey would bring them closer as a family, as they discovered, together, that half could be so much more.
Warm, funny, deeply moving and wholly uplifting, The Power of Half is the story of how one family slammed the door on the status quo and threw away the key.
# Hardcover: 256 pages
# Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (February 10, 2010)
# Language: English
# ISBN-10: 0547248067
# ISBN-13: 978-0547248066

It sounds like it will be a good book. Don't forget to head over to Kristi's place.

REVIEW - A DAY NO PIGS WOULD DIE

This book is for 4 of my reading challenges.
A - Z Challenge[Title]
100+ Challenge
Shelf Discovery Challenge
Monthly Mixer Melee Challenge

"A Day No Pigs Would Die" by Robert Newton Peck
(from back cover)
A novel about a boyhood on a Vermont farm, the love between a father and son, and a coming to manhood.
Amazon.com
# Paperback
# Publisher: Random House Spinter Books (First Spinter Edition Nov. 1994) (1994)
# ASIN: B001QVA02K

MY THOUGHTS: I probably would never have read this book if not for the Shelf Discovery reading challenge. I am glad I read this book. It is all about Rob and his family and growing up a Quaker living on a farm. Rob and his father have a great bond. As they work and live on their farm. When Rob's father dies he is the man and has to run the farm and take care of his mother and aunt. This is a very moving book about a little boy becoming a man and a son's love for his father.

MY RATING: 5

THE FRIDAY 56

I found a new to me meme to do. It's called The Friday 56 and is over at Tonya's place, Storytime with Tonya. Don't know what to do? Here are the details:

Rules:
* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of this blog.
*Post a link along with your post back to this blog.
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

Mine comes from the book "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel



Love, said Father Martin.
And this Son appears only once, long ago, far away?

Head on over to Tonya's place and check this out.

REVIEW - DINO VICELLI PRIVATE EYE

[This is a free review copy]

"Dino Vicelli Private Eye" by Lori Weiner

Product Description[Amazon.com]
This story transports the reader to an alternate-reality version of New York City, in which talking dogs interact regularly with humans. The hero, Dino Vicelli, is a private investigator who just happens to be a sharply dressed Italian greyhound with a great fondness for cigars. He takes on what initially appears to be a routine missing person case but soon finds himself in the midst of a sinister plot that involves kidnapping, murder, and bizarre scientific experiments aimed at controlling the world. As he investigates this strange case, Dino repeatedly encounters mortal danger, while also finding romance with a beautiful blonde Afghan dog.

With its unusual twists on the traditional detective story genre, this book blends elements of humor, suspense, and fantasy into a truly unique and entertaining tale.
# Paperback: 98 pages
# Publisher: Dorrance Publishing Co. Inc. (June 8, 2009)
# Language: English
# ISBN-10: 1434902943
# ISBN-13: 978-1434902948

MY THOUGHTS: This is a very unusual book, as it has it's main character as a dog. It really reminded me of the old movie's of the P.I. from the 40's and 50's. With humor thrown in. Very good murder mystery along with the humor of it being a dog. The dogs intermingle with the humans. Dino, Jezebel, and the cops are all dogs. They are trying to catch someone that killing people. First a missing woman then the bodies start piling up around Dino. He is soon the suspect in all the murders. But he keeps on going until he catches the really guy. Well, maybe he didn't catch him or maybe he did. That's about all I can say without giving away the plot of the book. Really good book. If you have a chance, pick it up. It's only 98 pages long, but lots of mystery are packed into that 98 pages. Not to mention it's got a great cover, don't you think so!

MY RATING: 5

REVIEW - THE GIRL MADE OF COOL

[This is a free review copy]

"The Girl Made of Cool" by Alan Fox
Product Description[Amazon.com]
THE GIRL MADE OF COOL (First Edition) -- Featuring a new novel and two other stories by Alan Fox. ---- Author ALAN FOX writes love stories, filled with a sense of awe and wonder, and set against a brutal world. "THE GIRL MADE OF COOL" is his vibrant new novel and the centerpiece of this collection. Here, Fox tells the story of a young man and woman who are falling in love with each other, but the young woman doesn't know it. She believes that she's falling in love with the man's far more handsome, more perfect friend. ... As the story unfolds and deepens, we see how these two highly talented young men must suffer, struggle, and wage battle to woo this young woman. This, as all the while, she grows into an ever greater beauty, a more charismatic personality, and an all-the-more alluring woman. ... This, as all the while, this young lady grows to become an elegant woman made of shining love and elusive cool. -- Also featured here in this collection, you will find: The Novel "HELL HAS BLUE SKIES" -- A love story about intense relationships in an office, whose unusual line of business is to train people to become 'world-class experts.' And the short story "THE LOVELY LADY AT THE LOVE MUSEUM" -- A colorful tale of romance and high-level maneuvering in the big city. ---- ABOUT THE AUTHOR. Alan Fox writes love stories about people looking for a sense of wonder in a brutal world, people pursuing beauty in the face of insanity. His previous novel, "The Seeker in Forever," is now available in a second revised edition.
# Paperback: 240 pages
# Publisher: StoryFocus Communications (July 14, 2009)
# Language: English
# ISBN-10: 0976227622
# ISBN-13: 978-0976227625

MY THOUGHTS: This book is written as if you are reading a play for stage. This is the first time I have read a book written like this. It was kind of confusing at first, but I finally got it. You also get 3 stories in one book. The Girl Made of Cool is really good. You think that she is going for the really handsome, charming guy. While all the time the man that is Jayne's friend is the one she actually loves, but doesn't really realize it. I didn't realize it myself until about the end. But I did think Jayne should like Ridley more. Chet was cheating on her. The book as a whole was really good. I liked all three stories, The Girl Made of Cool was my favorite.

MY RATING: 5

REVIEW - KIT'S WILDERNESS

This book is for 5 of my reading challenges.
A - Z Challenge[K]
100+ Challenge
TwentyTen Challenge[Young Adult]
Monthly Mixer Melee Challenge

"Kit's Wilderness" by David Almond
(from inside flap)
"It was very deep, Kit. Very dark. And every one of us was scared of it. As a lad I'd wake up trembling, knowing that as a Watson born in Stoneygate I'd soon be following my ancestors into the pit," so Kit's grandfather tells him.

The Watson family moves to Stoneygate, an old coal-mining town, to care for Kit's recently widowed grandfather. When Kit meets John Askew, another boy whose family had both worked and died in the mines, Askew invites Kit to join him to play a game called Death. As Kit's grandfather provides stories of the mine's past and the history of the Watson family, the boys search the mines to find the childhood ghosts of their long-gone ancestors.

Written in haunting prose and lyrical language, Kit's Wilderness explores the bonds of family from one generation to the next, and how from the depths of darkness, meaning and beauty can be revealed.
Amazon.com
# Reading level: Young Adult
# Hardcover: 240 pages
# Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers; First American Edition edition (November 10, 2009)
# Language: English
# ISBN-10: 0385326653
# ISBN-13: 978-0385326650

MY THOUGHTS: This book has been on my TBR list for awhile. But for some reason just kept putting it off. I'm sorry I didn't read it sooner. It's a very good book and very moving in it's effect. Some parts of the book are very depressing, but it has it's moments of happiness and love. The stories that Kit writes relate to the main story so much it's uncanny. Mr. Almond did a great job getting is thoughts down and for me to understand what it was he was telling about in this book. It's all about family and love.

MY RATING: 5