Modern Library Top 100

Oh, Modern Library...

Let me just start by saying, I know that I am a well read person.

I know that I am open to any and all literature and feel comfortable recommending to readers of all types. I am educated. I know my shit...I mean, stuff.

Then why does this bloody Modern Library Top 100 List

hang over me like

a giant fricking boulder?

No, I don't have an English degree.

No, I didn't graduate from college.

And because my high school English classes were taught by the football coach, we only read The Scarlet Letter. (I'm pretty sure it was only because he didn't want us to be having sex and that was the way he could lecture us all about it).

But I am good enough and smart enough and darnit, people do like me.

And I am going to conquer you once and for all you...you persnickety

You-are-nothing-if-you-have-not-read-this list, you.

How many? I don't know. But some will be read this year, by golly.

Because seriously, 9 books read total? That is just lame sauce.

The Board's List The Reader's List

(4 read) (5 read)

Anyone with me?

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

Oh Audio Books some of you have failed me!

This year I have jumped into the world of "listening" to books as well as reading them. This adventure into audio books has been quite lovely however, I have stumbled on a few clunkers. I decided at the beginning of this year to not do reviews for everything and anything I read or listen to. I wanted to be a bit more selective and just post what I wanted whether I felt it should be recommended or not.

I do want to share with you all my thoughts on some audio books I did not finish and to get your feedback on what you all look for when you pick a book to listen to.

I have listened now to almost five audio books now in their entirety and I am starting to get what works and what doesn't...for me. The number one thing I feel strongly about is the narrator. They have to be believable. I have to feel that they are indeed the character they are reading about and portraying. Second, I think I just have to stick to fiction. Non-fiction feels like I am listening to NPR for ten hours. Interesting yes but not as captivating as the ups and downs of a fictional tale. This could change, however. I am still a newbie in the world of audio books. Third, I think I have a disc limit, meaning I don't have the attention span to listen to anything over ten or eleven discs. So many rules, I know! But really, I am only listening to them in my car and it is taking me about a week and a half to get through a 10 disc book, maybe two weeks. I looked into listening to The Game of Thrones by George R.R Martin. It's almost 28 discs. Good lord! No thank you!

With this said, here are some of the "clunkers" that I tried to listen to within the last few weeks.

Swamplandia by Karen Russell

The narrator was flat. The story was boring and did not go anywhere. And alligators scare me.

Enough said.

The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka

Unfortunately, for how interesting in sounded in description, it was a bit too disjointed to listen to. Because it was a story of a group of women, there was no real character connection for me. It was all told in a more generic sense. "We did this" "We did that" I just didn't feel it.

The Tiger's Wife by Tea' Obreht

I liked this but I don't think it came at the right time for me. It was a bit too involved and I was looking for a lighter fare. Perhaps I may save this one to read. My book club may want to pick this one up.

Not too many, I guess but it felt like a lot of my time was spent trying to find my interesting next pick. I think I found it though in Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro.

Any thoughts from any audio book listeners out there?

Happy Reading (or listening) and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

The Year of Mysterious Giveaways: March 2012

The Book of Lost Fragrances by M.J Rose

I've only read M.J. Rose's novels, not her mystery/thrillers. These all sound fascinating. I had a chance to meet her last year at BEA and get a signed copy of The Hypnotist.

I've seen this book circulating around the blogosphere and have read some wonderfully passionate reviews. I am happy to have an extra ARC of this to give away to one of you.

Here's the description from Goodreads:

A sweeping and suspenseful tale of secrets, intrigue, and lovers separated by time, all connected through the mystical qualities of a perfume created in the days of Cleopatra—and lost for 2,000 years.

Jac L’Etoile has always been haunted by the past, her memories infused with the exotic scents that she grew up surrounded by as the heir to a storied French perfume company. In order to flee the pain of those remembrances—and of her mother’s suicide—she moves to America, leaving the company in the hands of her brother Robbie. But when Robbie hints at an earth-shattering discovery in the family archives and then suddenly goes missing—leaving a dead body in his wake—Jac is plunged into a world she thought she’d left behind.

Back in Paris to investigate her brother’s disappearance, Jac discovers a secret the House of L’Etoile has been hiding since 1799: a scent that unlocks the mysteries of reincarnation. The Book of Lost Fragrances fuses history, passion, and suspense, moving from Cleopatra’s Egypt and the terrors of revolutionary France to Tibet’s battle with China and the glamour of modern-day Paris. Jac’s quest for the ancient perfume someone is willing to kill for becomes the key to understanding her own troubled past.the ancient perfume someone is willing to kill for becomes the key to understanding her own troubled past.

Contest Rules:

* Contest Runs from March 7- April 4

* Please leave an email address

* Please reside in the United States

* Please be a follower

Thank you!

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

The Year of Mysterious Giveaways: February Winner

Thanks to all for entering my latest Mysterious Giveaway.

The winner of Defending Jacob by William Landay is...

Jess!

"This book sounds very exciting and I bet reading it would put me right on the edge of my seat! I like that you got to meet the author- how cool.

I am a GFC follower: Jess/Fairday Morrow

email: haightjess at gmail dot com

I am looking forward to checking out his site!"

I will be sending out January, February and March's winner at the same time so it will be a little bit before you all get your packages. Thanks for the patience!

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

Pistol Annies

I don't normally post music on my blog but sometimes I just have to share! I am a huge fan of country music. I grew up on it. Love it. Love it. Love it. I mostly listen to old country but have always had a few newer artists that I have followed. Miranda Lambert is one of those newer artists I think rocks! Her new trio Pistol Annies is also on my top of favs to listen to. The other two ladies in this band are amazing vocalists and the album does not have one song that I don't like. The song "Lemon Drop" makes me smile and I've been listening to it non stop.

Click on the title of the song for a listen. Check out their website too!

Pistol Annies "Lemon Drop"

"My muffler's tied on with a guitar string
I owe 7,000 dollars to a bank machine
Before this car is ever really mine
And some fine day I'll drive her downtown
Get a burger, fries and a royal crown
Thankin' God that I'll never
Have to pay another dime

My life is like a lemon drop
I'm suckin' on the bitter to get to the sweet part
I know there are better days ahead

I got dirty shirts and worn out jeans
I owe two dozen quarters to a washin' machine
Before these clothes will ever really shine
But I got me a man, that just don't care
If his little darlin's got underware
I know someday I'm gonna be his wife

My life is like a lemon drop
I'm suckin' on the bitter to get to the sweet part
I know there are better days ahead

I got thrift store curtains in the windows of my home
I'm payin' for a house that the landlord owns
Bought a TV on a credit card
It'll take me ten years to pay if off
But some fine day I'll be drinkin' a beer
In a big backyard I own free and clear
All I know, there's better days ahead

So I play my hopes and play my dreams
Just like two coins in a slot machine
Sing "Glory, Hallelujah" if everything works out fine

My life is like a lemon drop
I'm suckin' on the bitter to get to the sweet part
I know there are better days ahead

Lord I know there are better days ahead
Thank God"

Happy Listening and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

Guest Review: Helpless by Daniel Palmer

Format: Review Copy

Source: Author

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Purchase: Indie Bound

Michelle's Two Cents:

Last year I had my good friend, Cheryl, review on my site a few times. Much like with Sean (my husband), I enjoy sharing my opportunities with those that I care about, especially if they are huge book nerds like me. Cheryl is indeed that.

She reviewed Daniel Palmer's first novel last year and was thrilled to be able to read and review his follow up. Thank you Cheryl for taking the time to do this. She also had the wonderful opportunity to see Daniel at a book signing event in Atlanta along with his father, author Michael Palmer.

Cheryl's review:

Last year I reviewed Delirious by Daniel Palmer (http://www.redheadedbookchild.com/2011/01/delirious-by-daniel-palmer-guest-review.html) and I was excited to get the opportunity to review his new book, Helpless.

From the author's website:

Nine years after he left Shilo, New Hampshire, former Navy Seal Tom Hawkins has returned to raise his teenage daughter, Jill, following the murder of his ex-wife, Kelly. Despite Tom’s efforts to stay close to Jill by coaching her high school soccer team, Kelly’s bitterness fractured their relationship. But life in Shilo is gradually shaping up into something approaching normal. Normal doesn’t last long. Shilo’s police sergeant makes it clear that Tom is his chief suspect in Kelly’s death. Then an anonymous blog post alleges that Coach Hawkins is sleeping with one of his players. Internet rumors escalate, and incriminating evidence surfaces on Tom’s own computer and cell phone. To prove his innocence, Tom must unravel a tangle of lies about his past. For deep amid the secrets he’s been keeping—from a troubled tour of duty to the reason for his ex-wife’s death—is the truth that someone will gladly kill to protect.

My review:

The book opens with Tom Hawkins on the field coaching the high school girls soccer team, where he sees the police approaching him and he thinks, “They know what I did. They’re coming for me. The secret is out.” I’m a sucker for a story that starts with a secret. And I have to keep reading until I know what that secret is. And all the characters in Helpless are hiding something. As the book develops, you discover the secrets bit by bit. But one of the great things about this book is that as you discover the secrets, you still do not know how they all intersect until the very end.

Palmer’s theme of utilizing technology as a basis for his thriller works very well. While I’ve always been a fan of the Mission Impossible/James Bond type of technology and gadgets that are unbelievably (and unrealistically) fantastic, I like that Palmer instead uses everyday technology that we’re all familiar with, therefore easy to understand and relate to. That simplicity is what makes the story so scary. Seemingly innocent and private interactions can quickly spiral out of control, causing irreparable damage to people’s lives. Bad people with too much knowledge can manipulate technology in ways to benefit them. And you always think it won’t happen to you.

As with Delirious, I read this book in only a few days. Everytime I thought I was close to figuring it out, something happened to keep me guessing. Like Michelle, I want and expect twists and turns in my thrillers and this one delivered. Up until the very end, there were unexpected events that I did not see coming.

In Helpless, I see a tremendous amount of growth in Palmer’s writing since his first book last year. The story is more detailed and more suspenseful. The characters are likeable and relatable. As part of this thriller, Palmer explores the depths and bonds of multiple relationships – parent-child, adult friendship, teen friendship, colleague, adult-teenager, with a little romance thrown in. Palmer’s only written two novels but he has me hooked. I read a lot of suspense and mysteries and, but only have a few authors where I anxiously await the next book. Palmer is definitely one of those authors for me.

Author Website:

Daniel Palmer

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

Make it Happen March

Location: My head

Voice: Me

Time: Earlier today

"Books.

Books, Books, and still, more books.

Do I love it? Yes

Can I read them all? Hell, no.

Why am I keeping them? I have a problem

A problem? Yes, an addiction.

An addiction? Yes, an addiction to collecting books.

Perhaps you need to see someone? Perhaps you are right."

This is the conversation I have in my head on an almost daily basis. As I get older and more aware of the space issues I have in my house, I realize that there is no way I can house this many books any longer. My house is tiny. My family is busy.

We fill up every inch. I need to down size.

But how? How do you ask an addicted book lover like me to part with so many books that I have not read?

Logic. That's my answer.

Let's break it down. I have, probably 400 books in my possession. Let me clarify.

400 books that I HAVE NOT READ. Yes.

So, if I only read what I own and average 1 book per week, I'm looking at roughly the next 8 1/2 years of my life dedicated to only the books I have right now. That's 8 years of books I am going to overlook outside my house. Holy crap, I am now having an anxiety attack over this.

Can't be done. Won't be done. See I'm not just the average little ol' lover. No.

Number 1:

I am a library employee. That means I see a ton of books cross my path that I have access to for FREE. I can't possibly be expected to resist this temptation!

Number 2:

I am also a bookstore employee. Same thing. I see a ton of ARCs come in. I hear so and so co-worker recommend a great book. A customer comes in looking for a good read. I open up new product. The stimulation goes on and on and my powers in resisting new books fail me.

Number 3:

Oh yeah, did I mention that I'm a book blogger? Hello? The worst temptation there is! Email after email asking "Do you want to review this book? It's great! It's free! I'll send it to you!"

(sigh)

So, I am admitting defeat. There is no possible way I can read all the books I own. And conisdering I have had some of these books on my shelf for OVER A DECADE, I think it's fair to say, they've had their time. Time to go to another home where they MAY get read.

My mission is for March to become Make it Happen March. I am going to give away a large chunk of my books. I am going to donate them to my library. I am going to sell some of them to my bookstore. I am going to give away many of my old ARCs to my family, friends and my book club ladies. Take them. I don't want them back. Be gone.

I will keep atleast 20 books that I know I really want to read. For example, A Game of Thrones by George R. R Martin, Kite Runner, The Shadow of the Wind and Ahab's Wife.

Will I cry during this purge? Probably.

But it needs to happen. The opportunity to get more and more books is there and probably will be for a long time to come. ( knocking on lots of wood)

So, any words of support, encouragement or wisdom would be greatly appreciated. Maybe a rollicking version of "We are the Champions". Whatever. I'm game.

Happy Reading to you all, and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child