On Vacation

Hi Everyone,

I just wanted to let you know that I will be on vacation for the next two weeks. I am taking a tour of England, Scotland, and Wales and am leaving today. When I get back, I will post reviews for The 19th Wife (my library book club's selection) and getting ready for Barney's Online Book Club meeting in October. Thanks for all the comments and I will 'see' you when I get back!

jess

BBAW -- Book Blogger Interview!

As part of the Book Blogger Appreciation Week, I had a fantastic pleasure of interviewing Lizabeth over at Book Hoot. She has a wonderful blog filled with great reviews and information on young adult novels. Let's get to the questions!
1. Why did you start blogging?

I started blogging because a friend and I were thinking about presenting a paper at a national English conference about young adult fiction for teenage girls. We were sick of the sort of books that kill off the mother and focus on female teenage characters who are disempowered, or just plain old sad. So the search for “kick ass female protagonists” was on! Since then, I’ve blogged about the sorts of books I want to teach in my English classes.

2. Tell me something about your blog that visitors might not notice at first.

I think they will see my obsession with owls! I try not to be too overt about the teaching, because I don’t want to be overly teachy/ preachy. I’ve dropped my teaching ideas for texts for that reason. My (small amount, but most welcome!) followers aren’t teachers they just love books!

3. What is you all time favorite book and why?

This is WAY TOO HARD! When I was a teenager, my favourite book was John Fowles The French Lieutenant’s Woman. I think it was the first ‘post modern’ text I had read- I loved the way the ending messed with my head. Then there’s a whole list of classics that I read and reread all the time: Pride and Prejudice, Wuthering Heights, The House At Pooh Corner, Atonement… Like I said too hard!

4. What is your favorite thing about blogging?

I like comments! It’s nice to know that someone is reading all my random thoughts. I like thinking about my writing, and how it is improving too.

5. How do you choose the books that you review?

This changes all the time. Sometimes I review something that comes across my desk at work. We have been looking for some year nine (14 year old) texts recently, so this had been my focus in my choices. But I also try to look at the current and controversial texts that are getting press coverage.

Thanks Lizabeth and keep up the great work -- your blog is fantastic!

Barney's Online Book Club -- October 2009 Selection

Testimony by Anita Shreve is the book club's selection for October 2009. Thanks to everyone who voted. The discussion take place on Sunday, October 25th. There will be no live commenting this month (I have tickets to a play that night), but everyone is welcome to answer the questions and check in throughout the day to read and reply to other member's comments.

Questions? Concerns? Want more info on the online book club? Email me at jedziedz@hotmail.com.

It's Monday! What are you reading? -- 9/14

Happy Monday! Well, I am still working on David Ebershoff's The 19th Wife, which is wonderful but slow going. I am also reading Dreamfever by Karen Marie Moning, which is the 4th book in the Fever series. I am only a few chapters in, so the jury is still out on this one. I have also started Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson which is great. All these great books, but I just don't seem to have enough time to read them!

What are you reading this week? This meme is hosted by J. Kaye over at J. Kaye's Book Blog!

BBAW -- Favorite Blogs

Happy BBAW! The topic for today is favorite blogs. Below is a list of blogs that I love because they give great reviews on all sorts of books from YA and chick-lit to literary and women's fiction. If you haven't already, then definitely check them out!

Bookfan-Mary

All about {n}

Cindy's Love of Books

mis(h)takes

Peeking Between the Pages

Trisha's Reading Nook

Thanks to all the great ladies who run these blogs -- keep up the great work!

Friday Finds -- 9/11

My Friday Find this week is By the Time You Read This by Lola Jaye. I found this book while reading Book Chatter, Harper Collins online newsletter. Here is a description from their website:

When he discovered that he had only six months to live, thirty-year-old Kevin Bates picked up his pen and wrote The Manual—advice for his five-year-old daughter, Lois, to live by, laugh at, and follow from twelve until thirty. Seven years later, when Lois is given The Manual, she can barely bring herself to read her father's words, the pain of his loss is still so raw. Yet soon Kevin's advice is guiding her through every stage of life from teen angst to career arcs, to knowing when she's at long last met "the one." While The Manual can never be a substitute for having Kevin back, the words left behind become Lois's steady support through all of life's ups and downs, and prove invaluable to unlocking the key to happiness.

What did you find this week? Friday Finds is a meme hosted by Should Be Reading.

Barney's Online Book Club -- Vote for the October book!

Time to chose a new book for the month of October! Here are your choices taken from member recommendations:
1. Testimony by Anita Shreve
2. Pope Joan by Donna Woolfork Cross
3. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
4. The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
5. Bird in Hand by Christina Baker Kline

In the comments section, tell me your first and second choices. All the titles are linked to their Barnes and Noble page, please take a few minutes to read the summaries and physical descriptions. Please also make sure that the book is available in your area.

If you are not on the email list, please leave me your email address so I can add you. New members are always welcome! If you are on the email list, you will receive book club news and links to all the posts. I will not count your votes if you are not on the email list. The voting will end on September 13th at 8pm EST. The results will be posted on September 15 and the discussion will take place on Sunday, October 25th. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at jedziedz@hotmail.com.

It's Monday! What are you reading? -- 9/7

This meme is hosted by J. Kaye over at J. Kaye's Book Blog.

This Monday I am reading The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff. I am about 130 pages in and enjoying it. I just finished Hot Six by Janet Evanovich for the Stephanie Plum challenge. Even though High Five was my favorite so far, Hot Six comes in at a close second.

Have a great Labor Day! What are you reading?

Friday Finds -- 9/4

My Friday Find is Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson. I won a copy of this book from Liz over at BookLover and am really looking forward to reading it. Here is the Barnes and Noble description:

Scarlett Martin has grown up in a most unusual way. Her family owns the Hopewell, a small hotel in the heart of New York City, and Scarlett lives there with her four siblings - Spencer, Lola, and Marlene.When each of the Martins turns fifteen, they are expected to take over the care of a suite in the once elegant, now shabby Art Deco hotel. For Scarlett's fifteenth birthday, she gets both a room called the Empire Suite, and a permanent guest called Mrs. Amberson. Scarlett doesn't quite know what to make of this C-list starlet, world traveler, and aspiring autobiographer who wants to take over her life. And when she meets Eric, an astonishingly gorgeous actor who has just moved to the city, her summer takes a second unexpected turn.

What did you find this Friday? Friday Finds is a meme hosted by Should Be Reading.

Month in Review -- August 2009

Books Reviewed:

The Bronte Project by Jennifer Vandever

The Lost Recipe for Happiness by Barbara O'Neal

Montana Rose by Mary Connealy

Already Dead by Charlie Huston

Evermore by Alyson Noel

No One You Know by Michelle Richmond

Dancing with Ana by Nicole Barker

Julie and Julia by Julie Powell

Misc.:

Barney's Online Book Club Discussion of Julie and Julia by Julie Powell

Best Books: No One You Know, Julie and Julia

Just Okay Books: Montana Rose, Evermore

Barney's Online Book Club -- October Book Suggestions

It is time to suggest books for the next discussion of Barney's Online Book Club. So far, we have read The Late, Lamented Molly Marx by Sally Koslow (July) and Julie and Julia by Julie Powell (August). Thanks to everyone who participated in the discussion posts! I have decided to skip the month of September because I will be away on vacation at the end of the month and with the BBAW this month I thought we all could use a month off. So the book suggestions will be for a discussion post at the end of October. Please feel free to leave your suggestions in the comments section or you can email me at jedziedz@hotmail.com. I will take suggestions until Saturday, September 5th (midnight EST) and then email everyone about voting. Not a member yet? Then just leave your email address in the comments section and I will add you to the email list. Once on the list, you will receive updates to book club posts here at Barney's Book Blog.