Perfect On Paper: The Misadventures of Waverly Bryson by Maria Murnane

From the back cover:

When her fiance calls off their wedding at the last minute, Waverly Bryson wonders if her life will ever turn out the way she thought it would... or should. Her high-powered job in sports PR? Not so perfect. Her relationship with her dad? Far from it. Her perfect marriage? Enough said.

Perfect... on Paper is a humorous tale of Waverly's efforts to cobble the pieces of a broken yesterday into a brand new tomorrow. What does the future have in store for her? Will she finally find what she's looking for?

Her dates? Cringe-inducing at times, definitely entertaining.

Her friends? Often amused, definitely supportive.

Her new crush? Possibly intrigued, definitely a catch.

The results? Hardly perfect, definitely just right.

This book made me smile and laugh, I loved it! Waverly Bryson was a great klutz of a character. She was funny, sweet, a giant klutz, and just an interesting person! Quickly, Waverly goes from almost married to single and she has to find herself again. And she doesn't have to do it alone, she has two great friends, Andie and McKenna to help her along. I loved the relationship between these three friends! Their meetups on the weekends and walks made me wish I lived in a city and could just walk outside like that!

One of my favorite things about this book was the humor, Waverly is always finding herself in awkward and embarrassing situations. She goes on several pretty unsuccessful dates including one where right afterwards the guy professes his love to her repeatedly! Also, she and her friend's are always running into a guy named Brad Cantor who is always trying to e-vite them to a themed party of some sort. It's too funny!

I love all the supporting characters in this book, Waverly's work friends, crushes, dates, the friend's she meets through work who are celebrities and even her enemies. A whole well rounded world was created for Waverly! I also loved reading about her job and the office politics. That stuff never used to interest me but now that I have a job of my own I like to see people's work habits, is that weird?

I was totally happy with the ending too. I internally squealed! I couldn't have seen it end any other way! I definitely recommend this book!

5/5 Stars
Review copy provided by author

What book have you read where the main character is a klutz?

We Bought A Zoo by Benjamin Mee

From the Publisher's Website:

In the market for a house and the adventure of a lifetime, Benjamin Mee decided to uproot his family and move them to an unlikely new home: a dilapidated zoo on the English countryside, complete with over 200 exotic animals. Mee, who specializes in animal behavior, had a dream to refurbish the zoo and run it as a family business. Naturally, friends and colleagues thought he was crazy.

Mee’s pipedream became a reality in October of 2006, when he and the rest of the Mee clan—wife Katherine, son Milo (age six), daughter Ella (age four), brother Duncan, and his seventy six-year-old mother—relocated to the Dartmoor Wildlife Park and met their new neighbors, which included five Siberian tigers, three African lions, nine wolves, three big brown bears, two pumas, a lynx, four Asian short-clawed otters, two flamingos, monkeys that wouldn’t stop fighting, several emu, boa constrictors, a llama, and a tarantula.

The grand reopening of the zoo was scheduled for spring, but there was much work to be done and none of it easy for these first-time zookeepers. Tigers broke loose, money ran low, the staff grew skeptical, and family tensions ran high.

Then tragedy struck. Katherine had a recurrence of a brain tumor, forcing Benjamin and his children to face the heartbreak of illness and the devastating loss of a wife and mother. But inspired by the memory of Katherine and the healing power of the incredible family of animals they had grown to love, Benjamin and his kids resolved to move forward. The Mee family opened the gates of the revitalized zoo in July 2007.

Brimming with energy and insight, We Bought a Zoo is a profoundly moving portrait of an ordinary family living in the most extraordinary circumstances.

This was a pretty powerful memoir. It combines a family, a dream, hard work, and tragedy. I think for the most part all the elements are pretty well balanced. I was rooting for this family and the success of their zoo and dream. They worked tirelessly to make improvements for the animals and zoo while trying to remain a close-knit family as the author's wife passes away.

I loved reading about the author's wife and children, especially his love for his wife. I would have loved to learn a bit more about his other family members as well. The author's mother is mentioned several times but I would have liked to learn more about his siblings.

All the stories related to the zoo were pretty amazing. Multiple animal escapes, staff spats, and animal personalities. There was a great deal going on. And I loved it all! At times when the author was talking about the animal enclosers I had a hard time picturing exactly what he meant. I don't know if it was just me or if it's hard for a zoo outsider to understand these things. It was very rewarding to see the zoo's makeover from start to finish and see the staff form and come together to get the zoo ready for inspection.

This was a very original true story and I would like to learn more about this family and their zoo since this book was completed!

4/5 Stars
Review copy provided by publisher

Do you like to go to the zoo? What's your favorite animal?

In the book the author talks about a documentary tv that's being filmed about the zoo called Ben's Zoo for the BBC I believe. I tried to find some more information on it or possibly a dvd but turned up nothing. I did find this video though, which is pretty cool!

Something Happened by Greg Logsted

From Publisher's Website:

"All around me I see people laughing, joking, and walking around with these huge, goofy smiles plastered on their faces. I've begun to wonder how they do it, and more important, will I ever be able to be like that again?"

Five months after his dad's unexpected death, Billy Romero is still struggling with the loss. Billy's mom spends more time talking to her Bluetooth than to him, and his best friend, Ziggy, just doesn't get it. There's no one who understands how alone Billy feels...except his new English teacher, the young and beautiful Miss Gate.

Miss Gate offers support and friendship, even giving Billy extra help with his writing outside of school. Billy isn't really sure how he feels about spending so much time with his teacher. It's a little weird, but it's also kind of exciting that someone like Miss Gate wants to hang out with him. But the closer they get, the more Billy wonders what kind of friendship this really is....

I think because of the cover I assumed that Billy was a high school student of maybe 16 or 17, he was actually a 13 year old in 8th grade. I feel with student/teacher relationships it can go probably one or two ways. #1: The teacher is a predator and their student is the innocent prey or #2: The student isn't completely innocent and encourages the teacher's behavior. I would put Something Happened into the first category. To me, Billy was completely innocent. He was curious and confused but innocent.

This book definitely kept my attention, I had my eyes on Miss Gate/Tess the whole time waiting to see how she was going to behave around Billy. Waiting for that moment where something happens. Billy was so lost, he lost his father, his mother isn't around much and his friends just don't understand anymore. He found a friend in Tess, someone to talk to and someone to just have fun with. Always late for the bus, Billy always ends up sitting next to Amy on the bus and they slowly begin to form a friendship which becomes as important to him as his friendship with Tess. He finds himself trapped between Tess and Amy trying to keep them both happy. Tess's reaction to Billy being unable to attend a poetry group with her one evening is one of the first concrete glimpses of her true personality.

I really liked this book, I was very very very curious to see how it unfolded. I was not disappointed. The only thing that I found lacking was maybe a bit more to the ending, it was satisfying but wrapped up a bit too quick for me.

Have you ever read a book that deals with a student/teacher relationship?

4/5 Stars
ARC provided by publisher

Something Happened was released November 4th.

This Week In Books Or Would You Believe Me If I Told You I Wasn't In Debt? It's True!

Monday:

Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson

Peeled Joan Bauer

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter

The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler

Vegan Virgin Valentine by Carolyn Mackler

Away by Amy Bloom

Veil of Roses by Laura Fitzgerald

Early Bird by Rodney Rothman

The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2007

The Best American Short Stories 2007

So I bet you are wondering where the heck I got all of these books on a Monday, usually the crazy buying is saved for the weekends (or Thursdays). Well I had Jury Duty on Monday and found myself about 5 minutes away from Half Price Books. Can't say no to that! Plus I had a coupon in my purse, honestly, this wasn't planned! I hadn't been to this location in probably close to a year! I've been looking for about 5 of these for a good while and was so excited to find them all! I've already read Veil of Roses which I remember enjoying. I have noticed with the Best American Series titles, if you wait long enough they always appear at Half Price Books and that they did! 

So if that wasn't enough I came home to...

This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen

From a lovely bookmoocher!

Quiet, Please by Scott Douglas

I won it in an auction, Leave a Mark over at Lauren's blog, Shooting Stars Mag! It's no ordinary version of the book, it's marked up by the author! I was very excited that right on the cover he pointed out that the cover model is indeed not him! I had my doubts about that and was happy to know for sure!! Thanks Lauren!

Tuesday: nothing

Wednesday: nothing

Thursday:

Bel Canto by Ann Patchett

Picked this up at my weekly Friends of the Library Bookstore Stop.

When Wanderers Cease to Roam by Virginia Swift

This lovely book came in the mail, it is beautiful! I'm in love with these types of memoirs/graphic novels that are basically hand rendered journals. (I just ordered two more comic journals this morning SHAME)

Friday:

Revenge of the Homecoming Queen by Stephanie Hale

Got this from a bookmoocher! Lots of YA books popping up lately! I'm in love with the colors and fonts used for this the book's cover and other books in the series!

Saturday: 

Something Like Beautiful by Asha Bandele

Woke up to find this sitting outside of my room, most have snuck into the door yesterday afternoon/evening via UPS!

Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before by David Yoo

Yay for another YA find on bookmooch!

Something, Maybe by Elizabeth Scott

GoldenGirl by Micol Ostow

The Fortunes of Indigo Skye by Deb Caletti

Fake Boyfriend by Kate Brian

Expect some YA reviews in the near future! I'm OMG excited!

What did you get this week? How do you pick what to read first!?! What are you reading this weekend, are you enjoying it?

Lookalikes 20

The President's Daughter by Ellen Emerson White

Christina's World (1948) by Andrew Wyeth

This is the original cover. I totally have that copy of the book from 1984 (pretty sure I didn't get it then considering I was one), no idea if I ever read it or where it came from!

Product Description from Amazon.com:

Sixteen-year-old Meghan Powers likes her life just the way it is. She likes living in Massachusetts. She likes her school. And she has plenty of friends. But all that is about to change. Because Meg’s mother, one of the most prestigious senators in the country, is running for President. And she’s going to win.

What do you think of these intentional lookalikes?

This is the first of 4 covers from this series based on famous paintings. Check back over the next few weeks to see the rest!

Booking Through Thursday: Why Buy?

I’ve asked, in the past, about whether you more often buy your books, or get them from libraries. What I want to know today, is, WHY BUY?
Even if you are a die-hard fan of the public library system, I’m betting you have at least ONE permanent resident of your bookshelves in your house. I’m betting that no real book-lover can go through life without owning at least one book. So … why that one? What made you buy the books that you actually own, even though your usual preference is to borrow and return them?
If you usually buy your books, tell me why. Why buy instead of borrow? Why shell out your hard-earned dollars for something you could get for free?

Good question! My answer would have been very different just a few years ago.

Up until recently I was a big library buff, checked out tons and tons of library books. If I really liked something I had read from the library then I would buy it. Besides that I only bought design and art history books, reference type books. 

And then I don't know what happened, I discovered clearance sections or library sales or something and found myself with a bunch of fiction to read that I now owned. But I still checked out lots from the library and found myself reading those library before I ever touched my own books. One day I decided I should focus on all these piles of books I've somehow found myself with. It would be pointless to buy them and then read library books instead!

So that was working for a bit and then of course there were tons of new books I wanted to read and I had decided no library books so I just started buying them because I wasn't about to wait forever to read them (ha, but I am anyways!) And you all know the condition my book habit is in now. 

Oh how I miss the days where most of my books came from the library. I just plain miss the library too! What I have right now is so overwhelming it would just be plain stupid to start checking out books! I really hope and wonder how I can get back to that someday. I used to make lists of books I wanted to read someday but it's just so much easier to find them for a dollar or 50 cents and buy them! I rarely buy a book for full price, if I can't get it for under 3 dollars I'll use a coupon for Borders or order it on Amazon!

So I haven't actually checked out much from the library in the past year. I think the last thing I was checking out were graphic novels, because some of those I can definitely read just once and not buy! And they can be very expensive! I think a lot of my buying recently also has to do with I have a lot more money than I ever have had before (going from pretty much no job to full time job does that!)

What's your advice for me and my cycle of craziness? What's your relationship with your library like?

"Waiting On" Wednesday! 4

Shakespeare Wrote For Money by Nick Hornby

Product Description from Amazon.com:

With an affectionate introduction by Sarah Vowell, this is the third and final collection of columns by celebrated novelist Nick Hornby from The Believer magazine. Hornby's monthly reading diary is unlike any arts column in any other publication; it discusses cultural artifacts the way they actually exist in people's lives. Hornby is a voracious and unapologetic reader, and his notes on books — highbrow and otherwise — are always accessible and hilarious.

Released Dec. 1st 2008.

Earlier this year I read the first two books ( The Polysyllabic Spree and Housekeeping vs. the Dirt) from this collection and adored them. I sort of figured a new one would be coming out soon but am sad to hear that it will be the last! These are definitely great for bookaholics! He often times shares passages from several of the books he reads. It's great stuff!

So I got this post together a few weeks early and between then and now a new cover was posted on amazon. How funny is that! The blue, orange, and yellow cover is the one that's currently on amazon. So that would lead me to believe that's the real one.

What can't you wait for to be released?

"Waiting On" Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine!

Tuesday Thingers!

Today's question: LT Things- t-shirts, bags, cue cats- are you into the "stuff"? Do you use a cuecat to enter your books, or do you enter them manually? What do you think of the stuff?

I've always thought it would be fun to have a cue cat but I don't have one. They look so cute, plus I think it would be fun to scan things. Yeah I'm weird! I don't own any librarything sway though. I used to buy shirts that said things like that but never wore them (I wear band shirts though!). I guess I have some bookmarks I've acquired recently but that's all! Oooh and a Harry Potter poster from the midnight release of book seven!

Do you have any book related swag?

Hardcover vs. Paperback 2

Lost and Found by Carolyn Parkhurst

Hardcover

Paperback

From the author's website:

What do a suburban mom and her troubled daughter, two recently divorced brothers, a pair of former child stars, born-again Christian newlyweds, and a couple of young millionaires have in common? They have all been selected to compete on Lost and Found, a daring new reality TV show. In teams of two, they will scour the globe - from Egypt to Japan, from Sweden to England - to battle for a million-dollar prize. They must decipher encrypted clues, recover mysterious artifacts, and outwit their opponents to stay in play.

What starts as a lark turns deadly serious as the number of players is whittled down, temptations beckon, and the bonds between partners strain and unravel. Before long the question is not only who will capture the final prize, but at what cost.

Ok, have you not seen two more different covers for the same book! From what little I know about the book, the paperback cover isn't a good match but I'm not so sure the hardcover is either. This is a hard one! 

Hardcover or Paperback?

BLOG TOUR: Off the Menu by Christine Son

From the back cover:

In this exhilarating debut, three women find that sometimes the best way to nourish your dreams is with friendship... and by daring to try something that's not on the menu.

If there's one thing these three friends can agree on, it's that being a high-achieving Asian-American woman can mean a lot of pressure. Whitney Lee works at a law firm, but no one- not even her best friends- knows about her fantasies of making it as a singer. Restaurateur Hercules Huang is poised to be the next big name in the cooking world, but her strained relationship with her unassimilated father mars her accomplishments. Audrey Henley, the adopted daughter of Texas billionaires, is thrilled when her less than wealthy boyfriend proposes, but her mother worries that Audrey is repeating the mistakes Mrs. Henley made decades ago.

They're the closest of friends, who still need to learn to trust one another. But through dinners, a weekend getaway, and shared setups and letdowns, these three realize that sometimes, to live the life of your dreams, all you have to do is let go of the need to be perfect...

I loved this book! I identified with all three main characters (Whitney, Hercules, and Audrey) for all sorts of reasons. I definitely understood Whitney's fear of sharing her love of singing with her parents. I went to school for art and make a living from it now, my mother did the same thing but in her case I guess her parents had some doubts about if that was a good idea or not. I got nothing but encouragement and frankly, I have no idea what else i would have done. That's just who I am! You have to be who you are!

I was very excited about the idea of being a modern Asian-American women with families that came to America for a new life. I definitely understand what it is like to grow up in a culture that is different from your parents. It can be hard to understand where each other are coming from!

I also loved the strong bond these three women created and maintained over a long period of time. How they made time for each other in their busy schedules each month at their dinners. They were really there for each other, what a great example of friendship!

Each of the three characters had great individual stories and when they came together everything just got even better! I think my favorite character ended up being Hercules, she has such a spunk and fire, I would love to be around someone like that! I also thought all the secondary characters (the families and other friends of the women) were also really nicely developed as well.

Just like with, The Smart One and the Pretty one, my only wish was that the book had taken a bit longer to wrap up, maybe another chapter or two! Maybe a sequel? Can't wait to see what the author comes up with next!

What is your favorite book about friendship?

5/5 Stars
Review copy provided by publisher

Visit Christine's website here and visit her blog here!

Thanks to TLC Book Tours for asking me to be a part of my very first Blog Tour!!! :)

The rest of Christine Son’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:

Tuesday, November 11th: 8Asians

Wednesday, November 12th: Savvy Verse and Wit

Thursday, November 13th: In The Pages

Friday, November 14th: She is Too Fond of Books

Monday, November 17th: Planet Books

Tuesday, November 18th: B & B ex Libris

Wednesday, November 19th: DISGRASIAN

Thursday, November 20th: Booking Mama

Monday, November 24th: The Literate Housewife Review

Tuesday, November 25th: Feminist Review

Wednesday, November 26th: Diary of an Eccentric

When We Were Romans by Matthew Kneale

From Publisher's Website:

Nine-year-old Lawrence is the man in his family. He carefully watches over his willful little sister, Jemima, and his mother, Hannah. When Hannah becomes convinced that their estranged father is stalking them, the family flees London and heads for Rome, where Hannah lived happily as a young woman. For Lawrence, fascinated by stories of popes and emperors, Rome is an adventure. Though they are short of money, and move from home to home, staying with his mother’s old friends, little by little their new life seems to be taking shape. But the trouble that brought them to Italy will not quite leave them in peace.

Narrated in Lawrence’s perfectly rendered voice, When We Were Romans powerfully evokes the emotions and confusions of childhood—the triumphs, the jealousies, the fears, and the love. Even as everything he understands is turned upside down, Lawrence remains determined to keep his family together, viewing the world from a perspective that is at once endearingly innocent and preternaturally wise.

This book was heartbreaking But it also had a bit of humor to it which I really liked. I think Lawrence's narration is what made this book special. The way he gives animals to everyone he meets, that might have been my favorite thing about the book! I guess when you think about it, people can resemble certain animals! I also really liked his stories about emperors and popes, those definitely caught my attention! And his musings on the solar system, just great!

Lawrence's little sister Jemima was a great character as well. Though not as hilarious, she reminded me a bit of Georgia's sister from Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging. Always annoying their siblings and just being little kids.

I loved the adventures the family goes on, the road trip and the trips in Rome. Also meeting all of Hannah's old friends. I felt like I was there, hanging out with them around the kitchen table.

Maybe Spoiler:

I don't want to go into detail so you can discover the book for yourself as you read it. But it definitely was hard to read at times, it just made me sad. Especially towards the end, things are so hard for children to understand. You trust your parents and believe and do what they say is right. But what if it isn't right? How do you comprehend that?

End of Maybe Spoiler

Though the book was heavy, to me at least, there were definitely a lot of great things happening inside of Lawrence's narration!

What is your favorite book told from a child's perspective?

3.5/5 Stars
ARC provided by publisher

Novel Adventures on CBS.com

So last Monday when I was watching The Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother there was a commercial for the new CBS.com original web series, Novel Adventures! What really caught my eye was that the person that plays Lizzie used to be on How I Met Your Mother! Also the lady that plays Laura also plays Brooke's mom on One Tree Hill (she's much less evil in Novel Adventures!)

The web show is about an unconventional book club where these four members find themselves having all sorts of adventures (always relating to the book of the week somehow!) I've always wanted to be in a book club so I was instantly attracted to it! So far there are two episodes out, with the third being released on Monday the 10th! I've embedded the first episode here for your viewing pleasure!

Here are the books that will be featured in the episodes:
The Old Man and the Sea (Ernest Hemingway)
Girls Like Us (Sheila Weller)
The Bourne Trilogy (Robert Ludlum)
Monster of Florence (Douglas Preston)
The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry (Kathleen Flinn)
Gone With the Wind (Margaret Mitchell)
Life So Far (Betty Friedan)
The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Society (Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows)
Knit Two (Kate Jacobs)

I used to watch a lot of original web shows back before I got my full time job. There are tons of great ones out there! I haven't seen much in the last year though :(

Do you have a favorite show that plays exclusively on the internet?

This Week In Books Or At Least I Didn't Go to Borders...

Monday: 

Testimony by Anita Shreve

The Gifted Gabaldon Sisters by Lorraine Lopez

Your Roots Are Showing by Elise Chidley

Houston, We Have a Problema by Gwendolyn Zepeda

Thanks to Miriam for these review copies!

Cupcake by Rachel Cohn

Thanks to Carol for sending me this book via bookmooch! Must get the first two now!

Tuesday: nothing

Wednesday:

Secret Society Girl by Diana Peterfreund

Got this one from bookmooch as well! I love to refresh my wishlist multiple times a day and see what's available!

Thursday:

Margaux with an X by Ron Koertge

Got this from my weekly library store stop. I recognized the cover from this Lookalikes.

Friday:

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

Knitting Under the Influence by Claire LaZebnik

I was talking to my sister on the phone and she said, "Yeah you got so and so package" and I didn't recognize what it was so I made her open it and it was Outliers!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so excited! I actually talked about it this week for "Waiting On" Wednesday!

Also, while I was reading The Smart One and the Pretty One last week, I popped onto bookmooch to add Knitting Under the Influence to my wishlist and there was a copy available so I requested it!

Saturday: 

Something Happened by Greg Logsted

The Film Club by David Gilmour

I was squealing about Something Happened last week on "Waiting On" Wednesday!

The Film Club I got from bookmooch!

If you noticed, I did a few things differently this week, added author names along with the titles and added amazon links. Is that helpful to anyone? I figure if you are interested in any of these books it's less work for you to find out more information to just use a link!

What books did you get this week?

Lookalikes 19

Sister Chicas by Lisa Alvarado, Ann Hagman Cardinal, and Jane Alberdeston Coralin

Crowned by Julie Linker

I like these both but I have to say the second one I like a little bit more. The purple is totally working and the cute little frame around the title and author's name! And I like the addition of hands!

Which is your favorite?

Booking Through Thursday: Presents

What, if any, memorable or special book have you ever gotten as a present? Birthday or otherwise. What made it so notable? The person who gave it? The book itself? The “gift aura?”

Presents!!! Weeeee!!! Actually I don't get a ton of books for presents. I buy them for myself as presents but that doesn't count! In the past I'd ask for books for my birthday and such and my mom would get them for me (sometimes) but besides that most people assume I have everything and wouldn't even know what to get me!

I do have one friend (waves, are you reading this?) who gets me pretty 
sweet books for presents and I try and do the same for her! One of the books she got me is called Dear New Girl or Whatever Your Name Is, is a book illustrating (by multiple artists) of notes found in Los Angeles schools from 1999-2002. This book is amazing and hilarious and really weird! And it popped up in my mailbox at a great time! I needed a cheering up!

I think any sort of gift is special when it's from someone you care about! I love trying to find the perfect gift for someone but when I'm stumped I usually end up getting a gift card, some people are so hard to shop for! 

What's a memorable book you have received for a present? 

Bible Illuminated: The Book New Testament Published by Forlaget Illuminated Sweden AB

Amazon.com Product Description:

A homeless man walking. A soldier preparing for combat. A mother nursing her newborn child.

Never before has a publisher illuminated the Bible with such an array of striking, even provocative contemporary photographs. Wrapped in an arresting cover, Bible Illuminated: The Book: New Testament presents The Bible in a full-color, glossy magazine format, set in running text with no verses, inviting readers to step into the Bible and experience it in a whole new way.

The Book, using the Good News Translation as approved by the American Bible Society, will introduce believers and non-believers to a culturally relevant, accessible Bible and will encourage dialogue between people from all walks of life.

When was the last time you picked it up and read it?

When picking this up I had nothing to compare or contrast it to. But all of a sudden I found myself interested in exploring the Bible, in a context I could appreciate. Having a background in design I was instantly attracted to the concept for this book. I will be reviewing this book based more on the design aspects, because that is what i know!

Though the symbolism might not be as easy for me to understand compared to someone with a good knowledge of the Bible I still enjoyed trying to make the connections between the quotes and imagery. I found this translation of the Bible surprisingly simple to understand. I was expecting to have to do a lot more deciphering to understand it. That makes it all the more attractive to read, I can just read it!

Bible Illuminated is literally a magazine and a thin one at that! It actually reminds me of NEED Magazine, which is a humanitarian magazine with breathtaking photography and powerful stories. Both Bible Illuminated and NEED Magazine are laid out beautifully, no clutter only the essentials.

A few pages into Bible Illuminated, you see the below image of what I will assume is a mother and child. This image hasn't left my mind since I first saw it.

I love how Bible Illuminated tells a complete story using all sorts of imagery including celebrities, historic events, strange fashion-like photography (see below image) and computer festivals among other things! I like how each section for the most part, used it's own specific theme for photography to separate it from the others. That definitely added to the idea of a magazine with different stories or sections.

It was very helpful for me to have quotes pulled out but for consistency it would have made more sense to stick with maybe large quotes and highlights and gotten rid of the red quotes and black boxed quotes. Too many ways to do one thing gets a little bothersome. Also because this is literally a magazine it's a little hard to read without fearing I would damage it, I think maybe a slightly thicker cover would help make it easier for reading it wouldn't flop around as much. Magazines tend to slip right out of my hands and land on the floor!

I know that the Old Testament is set for release in 2009. I hope this will not be the final book from The Illuminated World. I would be very interested to see if they will continue on this project with other religious texts. That would be amazing.

I know some people are questioning this version of the Bible, but for me I find it fascinating. Honestly, I can't think of a more attractive way to be presented this text, but then again that's just me! I know I will definitely be exploring Bible Illuminated for years to come. This is a fascinating piece that deserves multiple readings.

Read my earlier sneak peek here.

4/5 Stars
Review copy provided by publisher

"Waiting On" Wednesday! 3

Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell

Product Description from Amazon.com:

In this stunning new book, Malcolm Gladwell takes us on an intellectual journey through the world of "outliers"--the best and the brightest, the most famous and the most successful. He asks the question: what makes high-achievers different? His answer is that we pay too much attention to what successful people are like, and too little attention to where they are from: that is, their culture, their family, their generation, and the idiosyncratic experiences of their upbringing. Along the way he explains the secrets of software billionaires, what it takes to be a great soccer player, why Asians are good at math, and what made the Beatles the greatest rock band.

Brilliant and entertaining, OUTLIERS is a landmark work that will simultaneously delight and illuminate.

Released on November 18th 2008.

I really liked Malcolm Gladwell's books, The Tipping Point and Blink (especially The Tipping Point) so when I found out he had a new book coming out I totally got excited. His books are so thought provoking, I just love the things he explores.

What book can't you wait for to be released?

"Waiting On" Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine!

USA Today's Top Selling Books - Meme!

S. Krishna has started a meme for USA Today's Top Selling Books of the last 15 years! Yay!

Here are the rules: 

bold what you've read, italicize what you own, star* books on your TBR list!

1 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J.K. Rowling, art by Mary GrandPre
2 Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution - Robert C. Atkins
3 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
4 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - J.K. Rowling, art by Mary GrandPre
5 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - J.K. Rowling, art by Mary GrandPre
6 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - J.K. Rowling, art by Mary GrandPre
7 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - J.K. Rowling, art by Mary GrandPre
8 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - J.K. Rowling, art by Mary GrandPre
9 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - J.K. Rowling, art by Mary GrandPre
10 Who Moved My Cheese? - Spencer Johnson
11 The South Beach Diet - Arthur Agatston
12 Tuesdays With Morrie - Mitch Albom
13 Angels & Demons - Dan Brown*
14 What to Expect When You're Expecting - Heidi Murkoff, Arlene Eisenberg, Sandee Hathaway
15 The Purpose-Driven Life - Rick Warren
16 The Five People You Meet in Heaven - Mitch Albom
17 The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People - Stephen R. Covey
18 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
19 Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus - John Gray
20 The Secret - Rhonda Byrne
21 Rich Dad, Poor Dad - Robert T. Kiyosaki with Sharon L. Lechter
22 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
23 Don't Sweat the Small Stuff ... And It's All Small Stuff - Richard Carlson
24 The Secret Life of Bees - Sue Monk Kidd*
25 Eat, Pray, Love - Elizabeth Gilbert
26 Twilight - Stephenie Meyer
27 The Notebook - Nicholas Sparks
28 The Memory Keeper's Daughter - Kim Edwards*
29 The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger
30 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden*
31 A New Earth - Eckhart Tolle
32 Oh, the Places You'll Go! - Dr. Seuss
33 The Four Agreements - Don Miguel Ruiz
34 Angela's Ashes - Frank McCourt
35 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
36 Body-for-Life - Bill Phillips, Michael D’Orso
37 New Moon - Stephenie Meyer
38 Night - Elie Wiesel, translations by Marion Wiesel and Stella Rodway
39 Chicken Soup for the Soul - Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen
40 The Greatest Generation - Tom Brokaw
41 Breaking Dawn - Stephenie Meyer
42 The Celestine Prophecy - James Redfield
43 Wicked - Gregory Maguire*
44 Good to Great - Jim Collins
45 Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer
46 Eragon - Christopher Paolini
47 Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood - Rebecca Wells
48 Your Best Life Now - Joel Osteen
49 In the Kitchen With Rosie - Rosie Daley
50 Simple Abundance - Sarah Ban Breathnach
51 A Child Called It - Dave Pelzer
52 A Million Little Pieces - James Frey*
53 The Testament - John Grisham
54 Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul - Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Kimberly Kirberger
55 Deception Point - Dan Brown
56 The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho*
57 Marley & Me - John Grogan
58 Dr. Atkins' New Carbohydrate Gram Counter - Robert C. Atkins
59 Life of Pi - Yann Martel*
60 The Brethren - John Grisham
61 The South Beach Diet Good Fats Good Carbs Guide - Arthur Agatston
62 The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town - John Grisham
63 For One More Day - Mitch Albom
64 The Polar Express - Chris Van Allsburg
65 The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
66 The Last Lecture - Randy Pausch, Jeffrey Zaslow
67 What to Expect the First Year - Arlene Eisenberg, Heidi Murkoff, Sandee Hathaway
68 Love You Forever - Robert Munsch, art by Sheila McGraw
69 Green Eggs and Ham - Dr. Seuss
70 A Painted House - John Grisham
71 The Rainmaker - John Grisham
72 Skipping Christmas - John Grisham
73 Cold Mountain - Charles Frazier
74 The Curious Incident of the Dog In the Night-Time - Mark Haddon
75 Life Strategies - Phillip C. McGraw
76 Seabiscuit: An American Legend - Laura Hillenbrand
77 The Summons - John Grisham
78 Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil - John Berendt*
79 The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien
80 The Runaway Jury - John Grisham
81 Goodnight Moon Board Book - Margaret Wise Brown, art by Clement Hurd
82 The Perfect Storm - Sebastian Junger
83 Snow Falling on Cedars - David Guterson
84 The Giver - Lois Lowry
85 Embraced by the Light - Betty J. Eadie
86 The Chamber - John Grisham
87 You: On A Diet - Michael F. Roizen, Mehmet C. Oz
88 The Prayer of Jabez - Bruce Wilkinson
89 Holes - Louis Sachar
90 Digital Fortress - Dan Brown
91 The Shack - William P. Young
92 The Devil Wears Prada - Lauren Weisberger
93 Water for Elephants - Sara Gruen*
94 A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini
95 The Seat of the Soul - Gary Zukav
96 Chicken Soup for the Woman's Soul - Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Jennifer Read Hawthorne, Marci Shimoff
97 The Partner - John Grisham
98 Lord of the Flies - William Golding
99 Eldest: Inheritance, Book II - Christopher Paolini
100 The Broker - John Grisham
101 The Street Lawyer - John Grisham
102 A Series of Unfortunate Events No. 1: The Bad Beginning - Lemony Snicket
103 The Poisonwood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver*
104 Into the Wild - Jon Krakauer
105 The King of Torts - John Grisham
106 The Tipping Point - Malcolm Gladwell
107 The Horse Whisperer - Nicholas Evans
108 Hannibal - Thomas Harris
109 The Audacity of Hope - Barack Obama
110 Running With Scissors - Augusten Burroughs
111 The Glass Castle: A Memoir - Jeannette Walls*
112 My Sister's Keeper - Jodi Picoult
113 The Last Juror - John Grisham
114 The Devil in the White City - Erik Larson*
115 Left Behind - Tim LaHaye, Jerry B. Jenkins
116 America (The Book) - Jon Stewart and The Writers of The Daily Show
117 The Red Tent - Anita Diamant
118 John Adams - David McCullough
119 The Christmas Box - Richard Paul Evans
120 The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants - Ann Brashares
121 Sugar Busters! - H. Leighton Steward, Sam S. Andrews, Morrison C. Bethea, Luis A. Balart
122 Blink - Malcolm Gladwell
123 The Power of Now - Eckhart Tolle
124 90 Minutes in Heaven: A True Story of Death and Life - Don Piper, Cecil Murphey
125 The Fellowship of the Ring - J.R.R. Tolkien
126 1776 - David McCullough
127 The Bridges of Madison County - Robert James Waller
128 Where the Heart Is - Billie Letts
129 The Ultimate Weight Solution - Phillip C. McGraw
130 Protein Power - Michael R. Eades, Mary Dan Eades
131 Chicken Soup for the Mother's Soul - Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Jennifer Read Hawthorne, Marci Shimoff
132 Into Thin Air - Jon Krakauer
133 Middlesex - Jeffrey Eugenides
134 Three Cups of Tea - Greg Mortenson, David Oliver Relin
135 You: The Owner's Manual - Michael F. Roizen, Mehmet C. Oz
136 1,000 Places to See Before You Die: A Traveler’s Life List - Patricia Schultz
137 Self Matters - Phillip C. McGraw
138 She's Come Undone - Wally Lamb
139 1984 - George Orwell
140 The Chronicles of Narnia - C.S. Lewis
141 The Millionaire Next Door - Thomas J. Stanley, William D. Danko
142 The Other Boleyn Girl - Philippa Gregory
143 The Zone - Barry Sears, Bill Lawren
144 The Pilot's Wife - Anita Shreve
145 The Lost World Michael Crichton
146 Atonement - Ian McEwan
147 He's Just Not That Into You - Greg Behrendt, Liz Tuccillo
148 Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury*
149 The World Is Flat - Thomas L. Friedman
150 Cross - James Patterson

Total Number Read: 32

Tuesday Thingers!

Today's question: Work multiples. Do you own multiple copies of any books? Which ones? Why? Can you share your list?

You can find the link under Statistics, from either your home page or profile.

I only have one book that I have multiples of. Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris. 

Holidays on Ice: Stories by David Sedaris (Back Bay Books (1998), Paperback)

Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris (Little, Brown and Company (2008), Hardcover, 176 pages)

I got the older paperback copy of Holidays On Ice, as a gift a few years ago and the newer edition recently for review (it has a bunch of new stories!)

Librarything claims I have two other books with multiple copies but they aren't the same book, just similar! Lying Librarything! 

Do you have any multiple copies?

Hardcover vs. Paperback 1

Ten Days In the Hills by Jane Smiley

Hardcover

Paperback

From the publisher's website:

In the aftermath of the 2003 Academy Awards, Max and Elena- he's an Oscar-winning writer/director-open their Holywood Hills home to a group of friends and neighbors, industy insiders and hangers-on, eager to escape the outside world and dissect the latest news, gossip, and secrets of the business. Over the next ten days, old lovers collide, new relationships form, and sparks fly, all with Smiley's signature sparkling wit and characterization.

With its breathtaking passion and sexy irreverence, Ten Days in the Hills is a glowing addition to the work of one of our most beloved novelists.

Hardcover all the way for me! The paperback cover could be any assortment of chick lit books.

Hardcover or Paperback?

The Smart One and the Pretty One by Claire LaZebnik

From the back cover:

Smart, successful Ava Nickerson is closing in on thirty and has barely had a date since law school. When a family crisis brings her prodigal little sister Lauren back to Los Angeles, Lauren stumbles across a forgotten document- a contract their parents had jokingly drawn up years ago betrothing Ava to their friends' son.

Frustrated and embarrassed by Ava's constant lectures about financial responsibility (all because she's in a little debt. Okay, a lot of debt), Lauren decides to do some sisterly interfering of her own and tracks down her sister's childhood fiance. When she finds him, the highly inappropriate, twice-divorced, but incredibly charming Russell Markowitz is all too happy toreenter the Nickerson sisters' lives. And always-accountable Ava will soon realize just how binding a contract can be...

I adored this book! I can't say enough good things about it! I knew exactly where Ava was coming from and found myself being eager to see what she did with herself for my own benefit! I really can't think of the last time that I identified with a character in a book so much. I don't dress to impress and hate wearing makeup! And like in the book, my little sister has done my makeup on occasion.

And Lauren, also what a great character. Even though I didn't identify nearly as much with her as I did her sister ,Ava, I saw a bit of my sister in her. Russell was so sweet, I loved him too! These characters were real people to me. (This MUST be made into a movie!)

So besides the fact that I felt like those characters were very real to me, this book was just funny. Your everyday, can't help it funny! That's just who they were. I loved that and found myself laughing often while reading this. Also the whole plot, the idea that people that knew each other as children, but that are now strangers, are thrust together in a variety of situations. It made for some great set-ups and sneaking around on Lauren's part. Ava is so stuck in her ways that Lauren has to trick her into being social with anyone other then their family.

My only unfulfilled wish for this book would have been to see the ending drawn out a bit more, maybe just 20-40 more pages. Without giving away anything, I wanted to hear Russell's thoughts a bit more on a particular character.

Do you know any other books with characters like Ava (because I want to read them!)?

5/5 Stars
Review copy provided by publisher

Swimming With Strangers by Kirsten Sundberg Lundstrum

From ChronicleBooks.com:

Swimming With Strangers -- This Life She's Chosen, Kirsten Sundberg Lunstrum's acclaimed debut story collection hailed as "haunting and inspired" by The Boston Globe introduced readers to her penetrating and delicate voice. In eight new stories, Lunstrum further explores the nuances and complexities of women's relationships with their lovers, friends, and families in a new collection. Authentic, probing, and graceful, Swimming With Strangers reveals the currents hidden beneath the surface of seemingly ordinary events.

I love short stories and thought I'd gotten used to the fact that sometimes they just fade to an ending without anything concrete happening to end the story. Maybe I've had enough of that because I was really hoping for something to happen at the ending of each of these instead of them just ending. Maybe I need a break from short stories?

So because of that I guess this collection was just ok for me. Some of the stories did stand out for me more than others including: Dangerous Women, about a college student that works for her professor at his house; Baby Love, about two young cousins that are picked on by their older siblings, and Islands, which is about two couples staying next door to each other while on vacation over the holidays. In a lot of these stories things almost happen but then don't. That definitely got frustrating after awhile.

I do appreciate going into these worlds and meeting these characters but because of the vague endings I felt like I didn't know them as much as I could have. I guess they were literally snapshots of life, and exciting things don't always happen in life.

Do you find with short stories, that they sometimes just don't have an ending?

2.5/5 Stars
ARC provided by publisher

This Week In Books Or How I Almost Hit A Dry Spell, Almost!

So nothing until Thursday this week! Figured it would be a 2-3 book week but you know me, of course not!

Monday: nothing

Tuesday: nothing

Wednesday: nothing

Thursday: 

From the library sale I got:

Fresh Off the Boat

Sister Chicas

Every Boy's Got One

Goodbye, Jimmy Choo

The House On Mango Street

In the mail I got 3 Willows (AHHHHH!) and Bible Illuminated!

Friday: In the mail I got Wife in the North. 

I also went to Borders and picked up:

Slam (finally out in paperback, YES!)

The Boy's Next Door (per Reviewer X's recommendation)

Reinventing Comics (read Understanding Comics in college, great book!)

Saturday: Confessions of a Contractor came from a very generous Librarything member! Thank you! 

I also got a postcard in the mail letting me know the copy of At Face Value I ordered for in-store pick up was ready! I was going to ask when I was at Borders last night and then I got distracted by some sweet little Buddas near the checkout line. Darn it! So I just got back from picking that up!

What did you get this week?

Sarah Mlynowski Covers get a makeover! (Paperback vs. Paperback)

So I was browsing around Borders last night like I normally do and I noticed that Sarah Mlynowski's titles Milkrun and Fishbowl have been released with new covers. The price of these new editions is $9.99 instead of $12.95.  The original versions were put out by Red Dress Ink and the new editions by Mira, which are both under the Harlequin umbrella. 

I wonder if any of her other adult titles will receive makeovers, I think Monkey Business is a great contender!

I've been familiar with the original covers for several years now so it's hard for me to instantly decide between the two I definitely do like the new ones though! I've read articles in the past about repositioning books with their covers upon paperback release to capture a new audience, I'll have to dig some up and see what you guys thing. 

What's your favorite the old set or the new set?

This Year In Movies: October

This month I watched 10 movies and 2 tv show seasons. Definitely some good things!

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist- Ahhh good! The book is still better but this was a great adaptation! Also, it has a great soundtrack!

Anything Else- I've been meaning to watch this movie for years. It was ok.

Leatherheads- This was a fun movie! I don't really like sports movies but I will make an exception for John Kransinski! Some great scenes in this movie! I liked how they created the era it was set in. 

Married Life- This was an enjoyable movie as well. I also liked how the era was set in this movie. It had a great plot too!

30 Rock Season 2- I can't believe I waited until recently to see this show. Hilarious!

The Visitor- This was a powerful movie. A great storyline and definitely relevant for today.

The Lather Effect- I really liked this movie. Reminded me a lot of St. Elmo's Fire (which I love!) and the Big Chill! I love ensemble cast movies like this!

Goodbye Lenin!- My friend recommended this forever ago! I love the length the son goes to keep his mother happy and comfortable. It's also sort of hilarious at points because of some of the things he does.

30 Days Season 2- I love this show! I wish there were more episodes in a season, only 6. It definitely gets you thinking of the issues at hand, there were some good ones this season including: Immigration, Abortion, and Jail.

W.- I was expecting a little more from this movie. It was more than anything sad and since it's based on fact that's really sad. 

You Don't Mess With the Zohan- I think this is Sandler's wackiest movie yet and I'm not sure that's a good thing. He was very fit in this movie, I couldn't get over that!

It's A Boy Girl Thing- Totally cute! I love Freaky Friday and this movie also deals with body swapping but between a girl and a boy neighbor who hate each other. I bet you can't guess what happens!

What's the best thing you watched in October?

Here is Thursday's Season 3 Premiere of 30 Rock!