NPM: A Poison Tree

A Poison Tree

by William Blake

I was angry with my friend.

I told my wrath, my wrath did end.

I was angry with my foe.

I told it not, my wrath did grow;

And I water'd it in fears,

Night and morning with my tears;

And I sunned it with smiles,

And with soft deceitful wiles;

And it grew both day and night

Till it bore an apple bright,

And my foe beheld it shine,

And he knew that it was mine,

And into my garden stole

When the night had veil'd the pole.

In the morning glad I see

My foe outstretched beneath the tree.

The Accidental Demon Slayer by Angie Fox

Publisher: Love Spell
Publication Year: 2008
ISBN: 0505527693
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Pages: 292
Websites:
http://angiefox.wordpress.com/

Place(s) Traveled to: Atlanta, Georgia; Memphis, Tennessee; Yazoo River, Mississippi

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

The Accidental Demon Slayer by Angie Fox is the start of a new series starring Lizzie Brown, pre-school teacher. Lizzie has a neat orderly life filled with plans and lists but on the night of her 30th birthday her entire world gets turned upside down when her long-lost biker grandma roars into town. Shortly after Gertie arrives, a demon appears in her bathroom, her dog (a Jack Russell named Pirate) starts talking and the life that she has always known goes up in a flash. For Lizzie is a Demon Slayer and she's been lost to those who would train her and now she has only a few days to learn everything in order to prevent a very bad demon from breaking out of hell.

As the first book in a series this novel had some flaws. There was much that was never explained even though various characters all promised to tell Lizzie "later". Lizzie herself also became annoying at times and I kept yelling at her to stop being a doormat to those around her and stand up for herself! And need I mention the Smucker's jars? But while there were flaws there was also promise. The writing flowed well and the dialogue was realistic (for the most part). And I loved Pirate the dog! I've read some reviews that find Pirate to be an annoying 'character' but I loved him. Fox gave him a believable voice and one that is very fitting to what I know of Jack Russells. Lizzie herself also shows some promise and I look forward to reading about her future adventures in The Dangerous Book for Demon Slayers.

NPM: Prophecy

Prophecy
by: Jules Supervielle

One day the Earth will be

just a blind space turning,

night confused with day.

Under the vast Andean sky

there’ll be no more mountains,

not a rock or ravine.

Only one balcony will remain

of all the world’s buildings,

and of the human mappa mundi,

limitless sorrow.

In place of the Atlantic Ocean,

a little saltiness in the air,

and a fish, flying and magical

with no knowledge of the sea.

In a car of the 1900s (no road

for its wheels) three girls

of that time, pressing onwards

like ghosts in the fog.

They’ll peer through the door

thinking they’re nearing Paris

when the odor of the sky

grips them by the throat.

Instead of a forest

there’ll be one bird singing,

which nobody will ever place,

or prefer, or even hear.

Except for God, who listening out,

proclaims it a goldfinch.

NPM: Spellbound

Spellbound
by Emily Brontë

The night is darkening round me,
The wild winds coldly blow;
But a tyrant spell has bound me
And I cannot, cannot go.

The giant trees are bending
Their bare boughs weighed with snow.
And the storm is fast descending,
And yet I cannot go.

Clouds beyond clouds above me,
Wastes beyond wastes below;
But nothing dear can move me;
I will not, cannot go.

Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas

Publisher: Avon
Publication Year: 2006
ISBN: 006056251X
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Pages: 384
Websites:
http://www.lisakleypas.com/

Place(s) Traveled to: London, England (1843)

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas is a book that comes highly recommended by author Sarah MacLean...if it was good enough to make her Top 10 Historical Romance books then it was good enough for me to check out of my local library. Devil in Winter is the third installment in Kleypas's series, The Wallflowers and tells the story of Evie Jenner and Lord Sebastian St. Vincent, Viscount St. Vincent. At the start of this book Evie is desperate, her vial relatives are trying to force her to marry her cousin in order to lay claim to her inheritance. They will stop at nothing to make the match and so Evie does the unthinkable she runs away and enters the home of someone who might be even more desperate then her, Lord Sebastian St. Vincent. St. Vincent is a member of the nobility but thanks to some very poor investments that his father makes the family is borderline bankrupt. So when Evie proposes marriage St Vincent sees no reason not to accept. St. Vincent has a reputation for being a rake but with Evie's goodness to guide him he may not be irredemable.

I have to admit, Devil in Winter was a fun read. I enjoyed this book so much more than Secrets of a Summer Night and I am glad that I skipped over the second book in the series to read it. There just seemed to be a little more substance to this novel then was in Summer Night. The characters seemed a bit more real, perhaps this is because they were more flawed and because of those flaws they were easier to relate to. If you are looking for a fun, light hearted book to pass away a few hours then you might want to consider Devil in Winter. It was a quick read but the plot moved along fast and kept me engaged in wanting to see how it was all resolved. Thanks again Sarah for the recomendation!

NPM: We Address

We Address
by Norma Cole

…a lead pencil held between thumb and forefinger of each hand forms a bridge upon which two struggling figures, "blood all around"…

I was born in a city between colored wrappers

I was born in a city the color of steam, between two pillars, between pillars and curtains, it was up to me to pull the splinters out of the child's feet

I want to wake up and see you sea green and leaf green, the problem of ripeness. On Monday I wrote it out, grayed out. In that case spirit was terminology

In that case meant all we could do. Very slowly, brighter, difficult and darker. Very bright and slowly. Quietly lions or tigers on a black ground, here the sea is ice, wine is ice

I am in your state now. They compared white with red. So they hung the numbers and colors from upthrusting branches. The problem was light

Our friend arrived unexpectedly dressed in black and taller than we remembered. In the same sky ribbons and scales of bright balance

The problem and its history. Today a rose-colored sky. Greens vary from yellow to brown. Brighter than ink, the supposition tells the omission of an entire color

Which didn't have a musical equivalent. In those days the earth was blue, something to play. A person yearned to be stone

Clearly a lion or sphinx-like shape. The repetition of gesture is reiterated in the movement of ambient light on the windows, curtains, and on the facing wall, the problem

and its green ribbons. The hands almost always meet. Turquoise adrenaline illusions adjacent to memory, to mind. We address

memory, the senses, or pages on a double sheet, classical frontal framing. I want you to wake up now

NPM: O Captain! My Captain!

O Captain! My Captain!
By WHITMAN, WALT

O CAPTAIN! my Captain! our fearful trip is done,
The ship has weathered every rack, the prize we sought is won,
The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting,
While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring;
But O heart! heart! heart!
O the bleeding drops of red,
Where on the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.

O Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the bells;
Rise up -- for you the flag is flung -- for you the bugle trills,
For you bouquets and ribboned wreaths -- for you the shores a-crowding,
For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning;
Here Captain! dear father!
This arm beneath your head!
It is some dream that on the deck,
You've fallen cold and dead.

My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still,
My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will,
The ship is anchored safe and sound, its voyage closed and done,
From fearful trip the victor ship comes in with object won:
Exult O shores, and ring O bells!
But I with mournful tread,
Walk the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.

NPM: The Children's Hour

The Children's Hour
by: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Between the dark and the daylight,
When the night is beginning to lower,
Comes a pause in the day's occupations,
That is known as the Children's Hour.

I hear in the chamber above me
The patter of little feet,
The sound of a door that is opened,
And voices soft and sweet.

From my study I see in the lamplight,
Descending the broad hall stair,
Grave Alice, and laughing Allegra,
And Edith with golden hair.

A whisper, and then a silence:
Yet I know by their merry eyes
They are plotting and planning together
To take me by surprise.

A sudden rush from the stairway,
A sudden raid from the hall!
By three doors left unguarded
They enter my castle wall!

They climb up into my turret
O'er the arms and back of my chair;
If I try to escape, they surround me;
They seem to be everywhere.

They almost devour me with kisses,
Their arms about me entwine,
Till I think of the Bishop of Bingen
In his Mouse-Tower on the Rhine!

Do you think, O blue-eyed banditti,
Because you have scaled the wall,
Such an old mustache as I am
Is not a match for you all!

I have you fast in my fortress,
And will not let you depart,
But put you down into the dungeon
In the round-tower of my heart.

And there will I keep you forever,
Yes, forever and a day,
Till the walls shall crumble to ruin,
And moulder in dust away!

Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Publication Year: 2008
ISBN: 031238369X
Format: Paperback
Pages: 224
Websites:
http://courtneysummers.ca/blog/
http://twitter.com/courtney_s

Place(s) Traveled to: NA

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

If you had said a year ago that Parker Fadley was in danger of graduating people in her school would have laughed. But that was then. That was before. Now its all Parker can do to get to school and to survive the day. Due to coming into school 'under the influence' she has weekly counseling sessions with her clueless school counselor. She must not miss a day of school nor can she miss turning in any homework assignments. Each day for Parker is an endurance in will, keeping an eye on the prize....that of graduating high school to keep from repeating another year. Cracked Up to Be is the debut novel of Courtney Summers and yet another book that came highly recommended to me by Tiffany. As Tiffany hasn't recommended a bad book to me yet I knew I was in for a real treat. And fortunately, this is a book that I read on a Friday because once I started it I couldn't put it down.

Parker is an amazing character. She is filled with wit and sass and sometimes brutally honest to those around her. But Parker is also hurting and she thinks the only way to keep from others is to shut them out. The only problem is that those around her refuse to let her fade away. This book would bring me to tears one moment and then laughter the next. It also keeps you guessing at the secret that Parker is keeping. The one that lead her from being the perfect student at her school to one who may not graduate. But Parker isn't the only person to make this book great. The secondary characters are the ones the really escalate this novel into something amazing. There is Becky - the girl who is trying to take Parker's place as most popular, Chris - her ex-boyfriend and the new guy Jake - who refuses to back down and manages to do the one thing that those who have known her for years have been unable to do. I found Parker, her friends and the high school world that Summers created to be realistic and I hated when this book ended. Cracked up to be is sad and funny and its a book that is well worth the time spent reading it. I can't wait to see what stories Courtney Summers comes up with next.

NPM: Between the Miles

Between The Miles

by Heather Stoop

Because existence can become severe
in one day,
just sense me and I'll be there.
In the minds eye,
I'm not so far away.
If you hold out your hand,
in the whispers,
I'll become the zephyr.
and besiege you.
If your eye's upon the stars,
in the crystalline darkness,
I'll become the moon.
And the light shall guide you.
If you rest upon the ground,
in the warmth,
I'll become the grass.
And embrace you.
If you turn outside,
in the wetness,
I'll become the rain.
An upon your forehead, kiss you.
If you free the air,
in the light of day,
I'll become the sun.
And smile for you.

Between the miles-
if you need me.
If you need a friend.
Let me be the friend, I want to be.

NPM: In April

In April
by James Hearst

This I saw on an April day:
Warm rain spilt from a sun-lined cloud,
A sky-flung wave of gold at evening,
And a cock pheasant treading a dusty path
Shy and proud.

And this I found in an April field:
A new white calf in the sun at noon,
A flash of blue in a cool moss bank,
And tips of tulips promising flowers
To a blue-winged loon.

And this I tried to understand
As I scrubbed the rust from my brightening plow:
The movement of seed in furrowed earth,
And a blackbird whistling sweet and clear
From a green-sprayed bough.

Carpe Diem by Autumn Cornwell

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends (website)
Publication Year: 2007
ISBN: 0312367929
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 368
Websites:
http://www.autumncornwell.com/

Place(s) Traveled to: Washington, Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Carpe Diem by Autumn Cornwell is the story of sixteen year old Vassar Spore. Vasser isn't like your normal teenager though she is driven and has a ten year plan for her life that includes things like getting into Vassar College and obtaining her pH.D. before age 25. Her goals are often unrealistic and leave little time for her to enjoy life. Every moment is focused around school and how she can win Valedictorian before starting her illustirous college career. That is until a long distance phone call from her grandmother turns her world completely upside down. Before she knows it, Vassar is flying off to Malaysia to spend the summer helping her grandmother with an art project that she is working on, a project that will take them all over Malaysia, Cambodia and Laos. Over the course of her summer, Vassar is to write a book that will count for school credit and help to keep her 10 year plan in action. The book is an only slightly fictionalized account of her actual adventures. Much like Carpe Diem is a fictionalized account of Cornwell's own experiences during various trips to Southeast Asia.

I found the character of Vassar to be an uptight and unrealistic girl. Her journey to finding herself seems very contrived and happens in all too rapid a fashion. Vassar's grandmother is also very artifical and I found it hard to grow attached to any of the characters. I remember have very increduous thoughts while reading this book. And yet there was something about it that kept me reading. For while I might not have liked the characters I did like how Cornwell wrote. She was very descriptive and I could almost see myself standing inside of Angor Wat, among other locals. Overall I didn't hate this book but I'm not sure if its something that I'll ever read again. Or one that I'll recommend highly to friends. It wasn't a bad read, just a bit to over the top for me at times. I will however probably read other books by Autumn Cornwell for as I've said I do like her style of writing. Carpe Diem is the debut novel by Cornwell so I am sure that her storytelling and characterizations will only improve over time.

NPM: If

If
By: Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too,
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream--and not make dreams your master,
If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much,
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!

Many thanks to Tiffany for helping me to select another poem!

NPM: I Am Vertical

I Am Vertical
By: Sylvia Plath

But I would rather be horizontal.
I am not a tree with my root in the soil
Sucking up minerals and motherly love
So that each March I may gleam into leaf,
Nor am I the beauty of a garden bed
Attracting my share of Ahs and spectacularly painted,
Unknowing I must soon unpetal.
Compared with me, a tree is immortal
And a flower-head not tall, but more startling,
And I want the one's longevity and the other's daring.

Tonight, in the infinitesimal light of the stars,
The trees and flowers have been strewing their cool odors.
I walk among them, but none of them are noticing.
Sometimes I think that when I am sleeping
I must most perfectly resemble them--
Thoughts gone dim.
It is more natural to me, lying down.
Then the sky and I are in open conversation,
And I shall be useful when I lie down finally:
The the trees may touch me for once, and the flowers have time for me.

NPM: An Afternoon In The Stacks

An Afternoon In The Stacks
By: Mary Oliver

Closing the book, I find I have left my head
inside. It is dark in here, but the chapters open
their beautiful spaces and give a rustling sound,
words adjusting themselves to their meaning.
Long passages open at successive pages. An echo,
continuous from the title onward, hums
behind me. From in here, the world looms,
a jungle redeemed by these linked sentences
carved out when an author traveled and a reader
kept the way open. When this book ends
I will pull it inside-out like a sock
and throw it back in the library. But the rumor
of it will haunt all that follows in my life.
A candleflame in Tibet leans when I move.

The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan (Audio)

Publisher: Listening Library (website), Hyperion Books for Children (website)
ISBN: 073936474X (audio), 2007 (Hardcover)
Format: Audio
Pages: 368
Audio Length: 9 discs (~11 hrs)
Narrator: Jesse Bernstein

Websites:
http://www.rickriordan.com/
http://voice123.com/jessebernstein

Place(s) Traveled to: New York, New York (and others that I can't quite recall at the moment, if you know please leave a comment!)

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 star

The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan is the fourth book in his series called Percy Jackson and the Olympians. The books star Percy Jackson who is a demigod, his father is one of the Greek gods and his mother is a mortal. As a demigod Percy has powers available to him that he must learn to use and keep control of all while trying to keep his special abilities under wraps from mortal eyes. Which isn't easy when mythogical monsters are always on the hunt for demigods and don't care who is around when they attack. This tends to get Percy into more trouble then he can explain and is the main reason why he has a tough time staying in a school for more than a year. In Battle of the Labyrinth, Percy finds that he'll be lucky if he makes it to the start of the school year....because during his summer orientation program he runs into some demonic cheerleaders and the result is a band room on fire. Fearing what people might think and knowing that Kronos's power ison the rise Percy hurries off to Camp Half-Blood and finds himself smack in the middle of yet another quest. This time the stakes are even higher as the fate of the Greek gods and the world as he knows it is in the balance. As with the previous installments in this series, Battle of the Labyrinth was a fun fast paced read. Its not a perfect book but it is one that does suck you in and has you cheering for the good guys. I love reading about Percy's adventures and thinking that the Greek gods might still exist in the world. As with the previous books I listneing to this one on audio and Jesse Bernstein continues in doing a good job in his performance. Yes, his characterizations do slip sometimes and there is the occiassional huh moment when trying to figure out who is speaking, but over all I can't imagine any other voice for our young hero and his friends. I look forward to the next (and final) book in this series, The Last Olympian, of which I am currenly on the wait list for the audio. Fingers crossed that it becomes available soon!

NPM: I Stand Alone

I Stand Alone
By Harrison Tobin

I stand alone,
I stand alone on this path to no where
Looking every which way for help
People see me for something i'm not
When I ask them for directions
They don't understand
So they turn their backs and walk away
I try to fallow them but can't catch up
So I then give up
And all hope is lost
I sit empty minded for as long as I can
And soon I can't take it anymore
I feel as though I don't belong
And I constantly think about if dying would be best
But.....
In that very same moment I change my mind
The figure came up and held out it's hand
Telling me it cares and that i'm not alone
I stand up strongly and give it a nod
It simply nods back
And together
We walk away side by side
Watching eachothers backs
Through the long path in nowhere
Until together
We reach
Some where

Read-a-thon update: 1 - 1:30 am (the final update)

Title of book(s) read since last update:
Fragile Eternity by Melissa Marr

Thoughts on current read:
Not much to add here, but so far so good with this story.

Number of books read since you started: 2 & 1/4
Willow by Julia Hoban (had started this one before the read-a-thon)
Red-Headed Stepchild by Jaye Wells
The Frozen Thames by Helen Humphreys

Pages read since last update: 10

Running total of pages read since you started: 642

Amount of time spent reading since last update: 15 min

Running total of time spent reading since you started: 590 min

Running total of hours slept since you started: ~5 hrs

Mini-challenges completed:
hour 1 meme (is that considered a challenge?)
hour 4 challenge: blogger spotlight
YouTube video chain mini challenge
Love Your Local Library mini-challenge
First Line mini-challenge
Mid-event survey
A Nod to Non-fiction

Other participants you’ve visited (running list from start to finish - this way I can easily find my way back to all the new blogs!):
Book Gazing
Just add books
A Stripped Armchair
Bart's Bookshelf
Rhinoa's Ramblings
Diary of an Eccentric
Lissa's Long Yarn
Books Movies & Chinese Food
Maw Books
Biblioaddict
Marta's Meanderings
Behold the Things that Reads Alot
1MoreChapter
Reading Room
The Curious Reader
Sophisticated Dorkiness
S.Krishna's Books
Ramblings of a Hopeful Artist
Tammy's Book Nook
The Biblio Brat
Book Club Girl
Life on the Shelves
Melissa's Bookshelf
Life in the Thumb
vvb32 Reads
Filling my patch of sky
Jenn's Bookshelf

Mostly tweeting on Twitter during this event

Prize you’ve won:
None

Links:
Official Read-a-Thon page is here
Keep track of readers and cheerleaders here

Read-a-thon update: 12 - 1 am

Title of book(s) read since last update:
Fragile Eternity by Melissa Marr

Thoughts on current read:
Still just getting into the story...its moving forward slowly as they toss in bits of recap from other books without being super recap-y

Number of books read since you started: 2 & 1/4
Willow by Julia Hoban (had started this one before the read-a-thon)
Red-Headed Stepchild by Jaye Wells
The Frozen Thames by Helen Humphreys

Pages read since last update: 18

Running total of pages read since you started: 632

Amount of time spent reading since last update: 20 min

Running total of time spent reading since you started: 575 min

Mini-challenges completed:
hour 1 meme (is that considered a challenge?)
hour 4 challenge: blogger spotlight
YouTube video chain mini challenge
Love Your Local Library mini-challenge
First Line mini-challenge
Mid-event survey
A Nod to Non-fiction

Other participants you’ve visited (running list from start to finish - this way I can easily find my way back to all the new blogs!):
Book Gazing
Just add books
A Stripped Armchair
Bart's Bookshelf
Rhinoa's Ramblings
Diary of an Eccentric
Lissa's Long Yarn
Books Movies & Chinese Food
Maw Books
Biblioaddict
Marta's Meanderings
Behold the Things that Reads Alot
1MoreChapter
Reading Room
The Curious Reader
Sophisticated Dorkiness
S.Krishna's Books
Ramblings of a Hopeful Artist
Tammy's Book Nook
The Biblio Brat
Book Club Girl
Life on the Shelves
Melissa's Bookshelf
Life in the Thumb
vvb32 Reads
Filling my patch of sky
Jenn's Bookshelf

Mostly tweeting on Twitter during this event

Prize you’ve won:
None

Links:
Official Read-a-Thon page is here
Keep track of readers and cheerleaders here

The Frozen Thames by Helen Humphreys

Publisher: Delacorte Press (website)
Publication Year: 2009
ISBN: 0385342810
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 192
Websites:
NA

Place(s) Traveled to: London, England

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

In the known history the Thames has frozen over 40 times, a time period spanning from 1142 to 1895. In her book, The Frozen Thames, Helen Humphreys writes 40 short stories to try to capture those rare moments in the life of this river in when it has frozen. I was excited when I saw this book at the libary and so snapped it up eager to read it. Curious to how Humphries would capture these momentous historic events. Sadly the content of the book failed to live up to the promise given in the synopsis. Most of the stories were far to short to garner any interest and there were very few that captured my attention. In some ways I probably should not have been surprised at the meh feeling that this book left me with seeing as how it is a very small book...dimentionally speaking weighing in at 6.1 x 5.2 x 1.1 inches and under 200 pages. Often the stories contained inside would be a page or paragraph long and the images used while interesting took up space that could have been used to tell a story. When I look at the price ($22!) I become overly glad that I found this on my library shelf. Far too expensive for what is inside this little tome. For me this book was a bit of a yawn and I cannot recommend it to others. As for the author, Helen Humphries, does show a promising writing style so I may check out something else that she has written.

Read-a-thon: 11 - 12

Title of book(s) read since last update:
The Frozen Thames by Helen Humphreys
Fragile Eternity by Melissa Marr

Thoughts on current read:
Overall, found Thames to be just meh. Not terrible but not great either. Won't be rushing out to get others by Humphrey's. Starting Fragile Eternity only a chapter or so in but liking it so far. Picks up shortly after Ink Exchange ends and continues story of Seth and Aislinn.

Number of books read since you started: 2 & 1/4
Willow by Julia Hoban (had started this one before the read-a-thon)
Red-Headed Stepchild by Jaye Wells
The Frozen Thames by Helen Humphreys

Pages read since last update: 58

Running total of pages read since you started: 614

Amount of time spent reading since last update: 40 min

Running total of time spent reading since you started: 555 min

Mini-challenges completed:
hour 1 meme (is that considered a challenge?)
hour 4 challenge: blogger spotlight
YouTube video chain mini challenge
Love Your Local Library mini-challenge
First Line mini-challenge
Mid-event survey
A Nod to Non-fiction

Other participants you’ve visited (running list from start to finish - this way I can easily find my way back to all the new blogs!):
Book Gazing
Just add books
A Stripped Armchair
Bart's Bookshelf
Rhinoa's Ramblings
Diary of an Eccentric
Lissa's Long Yarn
Books Movies & Chinese Food
Maw Books
Biblioaddict
Marta's Meanderings
Behold the Things that Reads Alot
1MoreChapter
Reading Room
The Curious Reader
Sophisticated Dorkiness
S.Krishna's Books
Ramblings of a Hopeful Artist
Tammy's Book Nook
The Biblio Brat
Book Club Girl
Life on the Shelves
Melissa's Bookshelf
Life in the Thumb
vvb32 Reads

Mostly tweeting on Twitter during this event

Prize you’ve won:
None

Links:
Official Read-a-Thon page is here
Keep track of readers and cheerleaders here

Read-a-thon Update: 10 - 11 pm

Title of book(s) read since last update:
The Frozen Thames by Helen Humphreys

Thoughts on current read:
This book is no Wow book but an easy read for the read-a-thon

Number of books read since you started: 1 1/4
Willow by Julia Hoban (had started this one before the read-a-thon)
Red-Headed Stepchild by Jaye Wells

Pages read since last update: 48

Running total of pages read since you started: 556

Amount of time spent reading since last update: 50 min

Running total of time spent reading since you started: 555 min

Mini-challenges completed:
hour 1 meme (is that considered a challenge?)
hour 4 challenge: blogger spotlight
YouTube video chain mini challenge
Love Your Local Library mini-challenge
First Line mini-challenge
Mid-event survey
A Nod to Non-fiction

Other participants you’ve visited (running list from start to finish - this way I can easily find my way back to all the new blogs!):
Book Gazing
Just add books
A Stripped Armchair
Bart's Bookshelf
Rhinoa's Ramblings
Diary of an Eccentric
Lissa's Long Yarn
Books Movies & Chinese Food
Maw Books
Biblioaddict
Marta's Meanderings
Behold the Things that Reads Alot
1MoreChapter
Reading Room
The Curious Reader
Sophisticated Dorkiness
S.Krishna's Books
Ramblings of a Hopeful Artist
Tammy's Book Nook
The Biblio Brat
Book Club Girl
Life on the Shelves

Mostly tweeting on Twitter during this event

Prize you’ve won:
None

Links:
Official Read-a-Thon page is here
Keep track of readers and cheerleaders here

Red-Headed Stepchild by Jaye Wells

Publisher: Orbit (website)
Publication Year: 2009
ISBN: 0316037761
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Pages: 352
Websites:
http://jayewells.com/

Place(s) Traveled to: California

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

After reading Willow by Julia Hoban I was in some serious need for some happy. Willow was such a heart-wrenching book that I needed something fun and entertaining that I could use to escape the harsh realities of the world we live in. So with that in mind I picked up Red-Headed Stepchild by Jay Wells. And let me tell you this book did not disappoint. This book is the start of a series involving Sabine Kane, a half-vampire/half-mage mix who is working as an assassin for her vampire family. Sabine has been raised to dislike her Mage family and to hate that half of herself that makes her less in the eyes of the hierarchy in her vampire clan. Yet despite her background she grows up to be a smart, witty and only slightly dysfunctional person. Because really as a ½ vamp-1/2 mage assassin you can’t be all that…well….normal (whatever normal is).

First books in a series can always be give or take, but this one was so damn good it isn’t funny. Only it was. Really. This book had so many LOL moments…and there is one scene around page 150 in which I almost choked to death because I was about to take a bite of something when I read it & because overcome with laughter. Hmm…maybe I should sue Jaye Wells for this near death experience…after all it was traumatic…really, it was. LOL so much so that I put all food and drink aside for the duration of my read. After all one never knew when the next hysterical moment would occur and I didn’t want to risk another close call. I can not tell you enough just how much I love this story. The plot and the writing were great. The characters all feel like old friends and I was deeply sadden to have to say good-bye to them at the end of the book. My only consolation is that this is a series and so they will all be back. Although not until sometime in 2010!!! (Jaye Wells told me the date when I stalked her on Twitter, but I’ve totally spaced on it right now) All I know is that 2010 seems way way way too far away to wait. I want the next book, currently titled Mage in Black, like now. No, not now…yesterday. Yes I want it yesterday. Must try to remember that patience is a virtue. *pouts*. I never was very good at waiting…

Willow by Julia Hoban

Publisher: Dial (website)
Publication Year: 2009
ISBN: 0803733569
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 336
Websites:
http://gettingtoknowwillow.blogspot.com/

Place(s) Traveled to: Unknown, America

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

First word that comes to mind when I think about Willow by Julia Hoban is WOW. OMG I can’t even begin to tell you just how fan-freakin-tastic this book is! Willow is the main character of the story and the book starts only a few months after she has lost her parents in a horrible car crash. What makes a horrible accident even worse is that Willow was the one driving the car and so she blames herself for their deaths. On top of dealing with the loss of her parents, Willow now lives with her older brother, his wife, their new baby and is trying to adjust to a new town and school. Any one of these events would be difficult for a person to deal with but all at once its even more overwhelming. Willow feels lost and disconnected from everything and she turns to cutting herself as a way to remind herself about that she should be feeling something…anything.

At her new school she avoids people and doesn’t have very many friends that is until Guy discovers her secret. But some twist of fate there is something in Guy that makes he want to help Willow. He is drawn to her and the pain that she must be feeling. Not just the physical pain that she causes herself through her cutting but also the mental & emotional pain of trying to come to gripes to all the changes that are going on. My heart broke while reading this book. It made me cry and want to go out and hug every teenager that I saw. I wanted to tell them that they were loved, that someone cares about them and that no matter what tragic thing they might be facing that it wasn’t their fault and they could overcome it. When I closed the back cover on this book I just sat in silence totally blown away. I was so shocked by the story and so very grateful that Hoban felt the need to bring it to life.

Like many others out there I have heard about people cutting themselves and I always thought to myself, why? Why would someone do that? I am such a pain phobic person that I couldn’t comprehend why someone would willingly cause themselves pain. This book helped to open my eyes and made me aware of why a person might cut themselves. I was blown away by this book and can’t recommend it enough. This is a must read for everyone: young, old, boy, girl….everyone. Just make sure to have a box of tissues handy and something (or someone) to hug afterwards.

Read-a-thon update: 9 - 10 pm

Title of book(s) read since last update:
The Frozen Thames by Helen Humphreys

Thoughts on current read:
Getting a bit tired of how in every story the author says things like 'this is the coldest its ever been' or 'rules on the ice are different than rules on land'. For such short stories it gets very repetitive very fast.

Number of books read since you started: 1 1/4
Willow by Julia Hoban (had started this one before the read-a-thon)
Red-Headed Stepchild by Jaye Wells

Pages read since last update: 15

Running total of pages read since you started: 523

Amount of time spent reading since last update: 15 min (was a bad reader this leg, but got caught up in Tweeting. Oops. ah well breaks are good.

Running total of time spent reading since you started: 505 min

Mini-challenges completed:
hour 1 meme (is that considered a challenge?)
hour 4 challenge: blogger spotlight
YouTube video chain mini challenge
Love Your Local Library mini-challenge
First Line mini-challenge
Mid-event survey
A Nod to Non-fiction

Other participants you’ve visited (running list from start to finish - this way I can easily find my way back to all the new blogs!):
Book Gazing
Just add books
A Stripped Armchair
Bart's Bookshelf
Rhinoa's Ramblings
Diary of an Eccentric
Lissa's Long Yarn
Books Movies & Chinese Food
Maw Books
Biblioaddict
Marta's Meanderings
Behold the Things that Reads Alot
1MoreChapter
Reading Room
The Curious Reader
Sophisticated Dorkiness
S.Krishna's Books
Ramblings of a Hopeful Artist
Tammy's Book Nook
The Biblio Brat

Mostly tweeting on Twitter during this event

Prize you’ve won:
None

Links:
Official Read-a-Thon page is here
Keep track of readers and cheerleaders here

Read-a-thon: Mid-Event Survey

Mid-Event Survey:

1. What are you reading right now?
Right now I am reading The Frozen Thames by Helen Humphries

2. How many books have you read so far?
So far I've read 1 & 1/4 books...and I'm about 1/2 through Thames.

3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon?
I don't have a list that I'm following so nothing in particular

4. Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day?
Nope, just called the friend that I usually hang with on Saturdays and asked if we could push to Sunday...provided I'm not too tired.

5. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those?
I live alone so no interruptions that haven't been by choice.

6. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far?
How fast time is going by!

7. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?
If Twitter is still popular maybe hold a contest at the end for who tweets/trends the most. Other than that I think that the organizers, readers & cheerleader's have done and excellent job.

8. What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year?
Maybe convince a friend to take part with me....the wee hours of the night I think would be easier with another body in the room to cheer one on and help keep awake. (B...you in??)

9. Are you getting tired yet?
A little. But nothing a little coffee won't cure.

10. Do you have any tips for other Readers or Cheerleaders, something you think is working well for you that others may not have discovered?
Not really...so far I've been relying on the tips of others to get me through...that and the promise of virtual brownies from BethFishReads!

Read-a-thon Update - 8 to 9 pm

Title of book(s) read since last update:
The Frozen Thames by Helen Humphreys

Thoughts on current read:
Just read some stories that were more interesting than the first 1/2....still wish that they were longer though. Book is only 6.1 x 5.2 x 1.1 inches (according to Amazon) and so most would barely make a paragraph in a regular sized book. Also, full price of book is $22! Yikes! Good thing I got this from the library.

Number of books read since you started: 1 1/4
Willow by Julia Hoban (had started this one before the read-a-thon)
Red-Headed Stepchild by Jaye Wells

Pages read since last update: 36

Running total of pages read since you started: 508

Amount of time spent reading since last update: 30 min

Running total of time spent reading since you started: 490 min

Mini-challenges completed:
hour 1 meme (is that considered a challenge?)
hour 4 challenge: blogger spotlight
YouTube video chain mini challenge
Love Your Local Library mini-challenge
First Line mini-challenge
Mid-event survey

Other participants you’ve visited (running list from start to finish - this way I can easily find my way back to all the new blogs!):
Book Gazing
Just add books
A Stripped Armchair
Bart's Bookshelf
Rhinoa's Ramblings
Diary of an Eccentric
Lissa's Long Yarn
Books Movies & Chinese Food
Maw Books
Biblioaddict
Marta's Meanderings
Behold the Things that Reads Alot
1MoreChapter
Reading Room
The Curious Reader
Sophisticated Dorkiness
S.Krishna's Books
Ramblings of a Hopeful Artist

Mostly tweeting on Twitter during this event

Prize you’ve won:
None

Links:
Official Read-a-Thon page is here
Keep track of readers and cheerleaders here

Read-a-thon update - 7 - 8 pm

Title of book(s) read since last update:
The Frozen Thames by Helen Humphreys

Thoughts on current read:
Short stories from each of the 40 times that the Thames has frozen over. Some of the stories I've enjoyed. But most are falling flat for me. They are two short and end before they have a chance to become interesting.

Number of books read since you started: 1 1/4
Willow by Julia Hoban (had started this one before the read-a-thon)
Red-Headed Stepchild by Jaye Wells

Pages read since last update: 49

Running total of pages read since you started: 472

Amount of time spent reading since last update: 40 min

Running total of time spent reading since you started: 460 min

Mini-challenges completed:
hour 1 meme (is that considered a challenge?)
hour 4 challenge: blogger spotlight
YouTube video chain mini challenge
Love Your Local Library mini-challenge
First Line mini-challenge

Other participants you’ve visited (running list from start to finish - this way I can easily find my way back to all the new blogs!):
Book Gazing
Just add books
A Stripped Armchair
Bart's Bookshelf
Rhinoa's Ramblings
Diary of an Eccentric
Lissa's Long Yarn
Books Movies & Chinese Food
Maw Books
Biblioaddict
Marta's Meanderings
Behold the Things that Reads Alot
1MoreChapter
Reading Room
The Curious Reader
Sophisticated Dorkiness
S.Krishna's Books

Mostly tweeting on Twitter during this event

Prize you’ve won:
None

Links:
Official Read-a-Thon page is here
Keep track of readers and cheerleaders here

Read-a-thon Update: 6 - 7 pm

Title of book(s) read since last update:
Red-Headed Stepchild by Jaye Wells

Thoughts on current read:
Loved Loved Loved this one. Want book 2, like now. Don't like this waiting thing. Maybe there is something to my mother's waiting until a whole series is out after all. *le sigh* If you like vampires you'll love this one. Wells has such an interesting take on the mythology.

Number of books read since you started: 1 1/4
Willow by Julia Hoban (had started this one before the read-a-thon)
Red-Headed Stepchild by Jaye Wells

Pages read since last update: 79

Running total of pages read since you started: 423

Amount of time spent reading since last update: 50 min

Running total of time spent reading since you started: 420 min

Mini-challenges completed:
hour 1 meme (is that considered a challenge?)
hour 4 challenge: blogger spotlight
YouTube video chain mini challenge
Love Your Local Library mini-challenge
First Line mini-challenge

Other participants you’ve visited (running list from start to finish - this way I can easily find my way back to all the new blogs!):
Book Gazing
Just add books
A Stripped Armchair
Bart's Bookshelf
Rhinoa's Ramblings
Diary of an Eccentric
Lissa's Long Yarn
Books Movies & Chinese Food
Maw Books
Biblioaddict
Marta's Meanderings
Behold the Things that Reads Alot
1MoreChapter
Reading Room
The Curious Reader
Sophisticated Dorkiness
S.Krishna's Books

Mostly tweeting on Twitter during this event

Prize you’ve won:
None

Links:
Official Read-a-Thon page is here
Keep track of readers and cheerleaders here

Read-a-thon Update: 5 - 6 pm

Title of book(s) read since last update:
Red-Headed Stepchild by Jaye Wells

Thoughts on current read:
Sabine Kane and Adam Lazarus I <3 you both. Lavinia you are evil & I wish there was more of you in the book. Vinca & Gighul you both crack me up. Need to pick up the pace, want to know how your stories end.

Number of books read since you started: 1/4 (had started this one before the read-a-thon)
Willow by Julia Hoban

Pages read since last update: 19 (eek! how dismal)

Running total of pages read since you started: 363

Amount of time spent reading since last update: 20 min

Running total of time spent reading since you started: 370 min

Mini-challenges completed:
hour 1 meme (is that considered a challenge?)
hour 4 challenge: blogger spotlight
YouTube video chain mini challenge
Love Your Local Library mini-challenge
First Line mini-challenge

Other participants you’ve visited (running list from start to finish - this way I can easily find my way back to all the new blogs!):
Book Gazing
Just add books
A Stripped Armchair
Bart's Bookshelf
Rhinoa's Ramblings
Diary of an Eccentric
Lissa's Long Yarn
Books Movies & Chinese Food
Maw Books
Biblioaddict
Marta's Meanderings
Behold the Things that Reads Alot
1MoreChapter
Reading Room
The Curious Reader
Sophisticated Dorkiness

Mostly tweeting on Twitter during this event

Prize you’ve won:
None

Links:
Official Read-a-Thon page is here
Keep track of readers and cheerleaders here

Read-a-thon Update: 4 - 5 pm

Title of book(s) read since last update:
Red-Headed Stepchild by Jaye Wells


Thoughts on current read:
This book has a little bit of everything: action, mystery, romance, sadness, intrique. I hope that its not long before book 2 is out. Less than 100 pages to go.

Number of books read since you started: 1/4 (had started this one before the read-a-thon)
Willow by Julia Hoban

Pages read since last update: 32

Running total of pages read since you started: 344

Amount of time spent reading since last update: 30 min

Running total of time spent reading since you started: 350 min

Mini-challenges completed:
hour 1 meme (is that considered a challenge?)
hour 4 challenge: blogger spotlight
YouTube video chain mini challenge
Love Your Local Library mini-challenge
First Line mini-challenge

Other participants you’ve visited (running list from start to finish - this way I can easily find my way back to all the new blogs!):
Book Gazing
Just add books
A Stripped Armchair
Bart's Bookshelf
Rhinoa's Ramblings
Diary of an Eccentric
Lissa's Long Yarn
Books Movies & Chinese Food
Maw Books
Biblioaddict
Marta's Meanderings
Behold the Things that Reads Alot
1MoreChapter
Reading Room
The Curious Reader

Mostly tweeting on Twitter during this event

Prize you’ve won:
None

Links:
Official Read-a-Thon page is here
Keep track of readers and cheerleaders here

Read-a-thon Update 3 - 4

Title of book(s) read since last update:
Red-Headed Stepchild by Jaye Wells
The Battle for the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan (audio)

Thoughts on current read:
Didn't get much reading done of RHS, took a break and listened to some of The Battle for the Labyrinth. I love this series. The narrator sometimes confuses his voices but he still does a wonderful job of bringing this story to life.

Number of books read since you started: 1/4 (had started this one before the read-a-thon)
Willow by Julia Hoban

Pages read since last update: 18

Running total of pages read since you started: 311

Amount of time spent reading since last update: 40 min (listening time)

Running total of time spent reading since you started: 3200 min

Mini-challenges completed:
hour 1 meme (is that considered a challenge?)
hour 4 challenge: blogger spotlight
YouTube video chain mini challenge
Love Your Local Library mini-challenge

Other participants you’ve visited (running list from start to finish - this way I can easily find my way back to all the new blogs!):
Book Gazing
Just add books
A Stripped Armchair
Bart's Bookshelf
Rhinoa's Ramblings
Diary of an Eccentric
Lissa's Long Yarn
Books Movies & Chinese Food
Maw Books
Biblioaddict
Marta's Meanderings
Behold the Things that Reads Alot
1MoreChapter
Reading Room
The Curious Reader

Mostly tweeting on Twitter during this event

Prize you’ve won:
None

Links:
Official Read-a-Thon page is here
Keep track of readers and cheerleaders here