Genre Fiction

Usually I only read one book at a time, but in the past week I have started reading three fiction books. Upon the arrival of my new Latte MP3 player I have started reading Emma by Jane Austen using the player’s book reading feature. I have also started listening to Chasing Harry Winston by Lauren Weisberger that I downloaded with my free trial at eMusic’s Audiobooks. I’ve also begun a new evening book - Knit Two by Kate Jacobs, the follow up read to The Friday Night Knitting Club - which means that I have finished another and so I have a review for you …

I fell in love with Lisa See’s writing after reading her fifth novel, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, which was released in 2005. Loving both her style and the historical fiction genre, I snagged her next novel, 2007’s Peony in Love. The latter was a story with a unique twist: Much like Alice Sebold’s The Lovely Bones, the main character passes away near the beginning of the book and spend most of the story as a ghost. In addition to learning all about 17th century Chinese beliefs about women, literature, and marriage, the reader also gets a first-hand look at the beliefs and rites surrounding death and the afterlife.

While if you are only going to read one of these two See’s novel I certainly recommend Snow Flower over Peony, both of these books are extremely entertaining and historically educational.

In addition to these two novels, See has written four before and one since these, all of which are on my “to read” list:

On Gold Mountain: The One-Hundred-Year Odyssey of My Chinese-American Family (1995)
Flower Net (1997)
The Interior (1999)
Dragon Bones (2003)
Shanghai Girls (2009)

Reading Is Fundamental (RIF), the nation’s oldest and largest children and families’ literacy nonprofit organization, hosted The Gift of Reading Gala earlier this month in Washington, D.C., to raise awareness for their cause … and a phenomenal $430,000 to support their efforts to motivate children to read!

“Our annual Gift of Reading Gala is a way for Reading Is Fundamental to acknowledge those who have committed themselves to improving children’s literacy throughout this country,” commented Carol H. Rasco, CEO and President of RIF.

Also during the fund-raising gala, Macy*s was presented with the Legacy of Literacy award for their outstanding commitment to children’s literacy through continued support and commitment to helping all children discover the joy of reading.

Check out RIF’s Web site to find out how you can volunteer to help encourage the kids in your community to read.

As previously announced, Lauren “LC” Conrad of MTV faux reality shows including The Hills has written and released L.A. Candy, the first teen novel in the three-part series contract that she received with Harper Collins Publishers. All joking aside … well, okay, not all joking because come on, “LC” an author? Really? … but anyways, apparently it’s an entertaining book, according to the Fug Girls. Quality literature? No. Cheesy summer read? Not quite. But entertaining, yes.

The Girls ventured to the book store on the day L.A. Candy was released and quietly picked up a copy so that all of us curious about it, but too embarrassed to actually be seen buying the book, could learn all of the details. Get the gossip on Lauren’s writing ability, the obvious connections and allusions to her real life, and more over at the Fug Girls’ review on the Cut.

As announced by Modality, Inc. and Wiley Publishing, Inc., the popular cheat sheet study guides CliffNotes now has an interactive application available for iPhone users, available in the Apple App Store.

Five individual CliffNotes apps, the first in a series of more than 40, provide comprehensive character, theme, and plot summaries and analysis; multiple choice quizzes; text highlighting; character maps and profiles, and audio CramCasts covering five classics:

* The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
* Macbeth by William Shakespeare
* Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
* The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
* To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

These first five CliffsNotes study guides are available for just $0.99 per application now, and additional titles will debut later in 2009.

It has only been nine months since Harper Collins Publishers contracted Lauren “L.C.” Conrad, of MTV reality show fame, to write a three-part teen book series called L.A. Candy, and already the first book is upon us.

Conrad recently celebrated the upcoming June 16 release of L.A. Candy at the Thompson Hotel in Beverly Hills with BFF and reality costar Lo Bosworth by her side.

According to Faded Youth Blog, the first installment “tells the story of Jane Roberts, a young beauty most notable for her sweet nature and innocence. She eventually packs up and moves to L.A. with her BFF from kindergarten, the gorgeous, smart–mouthed Scarlett. After only a few nights out on the town, the duo are swept up by a producer making a new reality show.”

About the overwhelming similarities between her real life and that of her story’s character, Conrad said that “some of the characters may symbolize people in my life, but it is in no way calling anyone out.”

As for the writing quality and actual content, Teen Vogue helps give a glimpse with the exclusive inside look.
Read an excerpt over at Teen Vogue.

With just one week until the June 14, 9 p.m., season two premiere of the HBO series True Blood, based on Charlaine Harris’s Sookie Stackhouse / Southern Vampire Series. And another five months after that until the November 20 premiere of the second movie based on Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series, The Twilight Saga: New Moon. While you get back into the vampire swing with one show, and await the arrival of the other film, take some time out to enjoy some other vampire novels; all of these are recommended by Barnes and Noble.

For Vampire Romance try:

* Skin Trade, number 17 in the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter Series by Laurell K. Hamilton

* Lover Avenged, number 7 in the Black Dagger Brotherhood Series by J. R. Ward

For Classic Vampire stories check out:

* Dracula by Bram Stoker

If you want a Vampire Thriller read:

* The Strain by Guillermo del Toro, Chuck Hogan

* Deadly Desire, number 7 in the Riley Jenson Guardian Series by Keri Arthur

For Graphic Novels about Vampires look for:

* Dark Hunger, number four in the Dark Series, written by Christine Feehan and illustrated by Zid

* Vampire Knight, Volume 6, written by Matsuri Hino and illustrated by Matsuri Hino

If Vampire Horror is more your taste feast on:

* All four of Anne Rice’s vampiric reads, available in a boxed set titled The Complete Vampire Chronicles, including Interview with the Vampire, The Vampire Lestat, The Queen of the Damned, and The Tale of the Body Thief.

* Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist, translated by Ebba Segerberg

Yesterday I took the whole day off to gallivant around New York City and be a tourist. The first destination on my list was the New York Public Library. Ever since I saw its huge marble stairs and gorgeous interior architecture on the Sex and the City movie I have been wanting to see it in person. I’m not a huge SATC fan, but I am a huge fan of libraries - and this one was over the top.

I visited the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building at Fifth Ave. and 42nd Street, a research-only location meaning that you cannot check out books. You request the books that you need and a librarian brings them to you in a study room for you to use.

I cannot begin to tell you how phenomenal this building was. It was so much more than just a library. There are a number of special exhibits, an art room with several paintings, a children’s section that is home to the original Winnie the Pooh, one of the first Gutenberg Bibles, and so much more. But even if the building were empty, the architecture alone would make it worth while: the ceilings are the most elaborate ceilings that I have ever seen.

I took the tour, led by a volunteer, that lasted just over an hour and I definitely recommend doing the same if you are in the area. Read about the rest of my day in NYC on my other blog, Living Without Meat.

Check out all of my NYC pictures by clicking on the one in this post.

If you have a minute, head to the NYPL Web site to learn the letter writing campaign and how you can help them maintain enough funding to stay open six days a week.

Have a kid’s party coming up this summer that you are responsible for planning? Why not use it as an opportunity to encourage reading early on by incorporating some favorite story book characters?

For one of her oldest son’s early birthdays, my sister hosted a party featuring Eric Carle’s Very Hungry Caterpillar. There was a craft project for the kids, a themed cake, and even a giant a paper cutout of the caterpillar with a picture of the birthday boy in each body segment, starting with one of him as an infant followed by one of him at each month.

Cake Wrecks, a blog about disastrous professionally-made confections, has a “Sunday Sweets” edition each week that features cake successes. Today, the blog included a themed “Sunday Sweets” about cakes honoring favorite childhood books. Blogger Jen found inspirations for The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Where the Wild Things Are, Goodnight Moon and Guess How Much I Love You, Dr. Seuss’s One Fish Two Fish … and Fox in Socks, Golden Book’s Poky Little Puppy, Babar, and Beatrix Potter’s Peter Rabbit.

Click on the picture here to check the rest out for inspiration to make your own - or, for the less creatively confident, print out one of the pictures and take it to your own local bakery.

Don’t forget to spread the theme across the whole party, too! Incorporate the character or characters into the decorations, gift bags, crafts, games, etc.: Play pin the tail on Babar. Make monster masks or rabbit ears. Give out Swedish fish - or even a small copy of the chosen book! Have fun with it, knowing that you’re encouraging reading while celebrating a birthday!

Another book-to-film creation hits theaters next month. On June 26, leaving you just enough time to read the novel before watching the movie, the big screen version of Jodi Picoult’s My Sister’s Keeper releases under the same name.

My Sister’s Keeper is a heart-wrenching, “what would you do if” story about family versus self. It asks the questions how much do you owe to your family members and howw much of yourself should you sacrifice for their health and happiness. It’s the story of child sick with leukemia - Kate, played by Medium’s Sofia Vassilieva - and her sister - Anna, played by Abigail Breslin - who was conceived simply to provide Kate with any necessary transplants.

As they grow up, both girls start to question how much their parents - played by Cameron Diaz and Jason Patric - expect Anna to give up in her own life to save Kate’s. When Anna seeks emancipation so that she can stop undergoing painful medical processes to provide bone marrow and such for Kate, the Fitzgeralds begin to fall apart.

It is a story of familial love, don’t let that fact slip by. These sisters love each other and are connected in a way that most of us will never understand. But also know that you will surely want to bring along a box of tissues … or wait and rent it so that you can watch it and cry your eyes out in the comfort of your own home.

Click to check out more about: the book, the author, and the movie.

Angels & Demons, the film version of Dan Brown’s prequel to his infamous Da Vinci Code, opened a few weeks ago as the top seller of its time despite raking in a good $30 million less than its preceding sequel during each film’s first weekend.

Yes, it is holding its own in the ticket sales world, but there is still plenty of negativity surrounding the story line: Two days before the film premiered Westminster Theological Seminary, one of the oldest and most respected religious institutions, launched www.TruthAboutAngelsAndDemons.com, an online resource dedicated to providing a balanced assessment and factual response to the spiritual, historical, and scientific assertions in the book and movie of the same name. This site follows 2006’s www.TheTruthAboutDaVinci.com that coincided with the film release of Da Vinci Code.

“This Web site will help individuals sift through the mix of fact and fiction woven into the novel and presumably the film,” said Dr. Bill Edgar, professor of apologetics at Westminster. “By providing biblically-sound facts and highlighting issues related to the intersection of religion and science that Angels & Demons presents, we hope to educate people and empower them to engage in conversation about the book and film.”

“In the wake of The Da Vinci Code’s popularity, many people began to question the validity of the Bible’s message and its influence throughout history,” explains Dr. Vern Poythress, professor of New Testament interpretation at Westminster. “The Da Vinci Web site fostered doubt about doubt, which we also hope to again generate as it relates to Angels & Demons.”

I spent my entire day today at the American Vegan Society’s Garden Party. There was veg food, live music, new friends - and a few old ones too, speakers, coupons, and the part that took up the most of my time: a book room.

The Vegan Society’s book room is just a rinky dink, narrow building with two rooms lined with tall metal shelves, each filled with vegan health, nutrition, animal rights, poem, and recipe books, and much more too. But it was heaven to me! With a copy of the New York Times’ best-selling book When Elephants Weep by Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson already on route to me from Paperback Swap I passed that one by. But I still had another three dozen books that I wanted to buy! Making a decision was hard, but I narrowed it down to three (plus a dozen old Vegetarian Times and Natural Health magazines and a few other free pamphlets):

* Raw Food Made Easy for 1 or 2 People by Jennifer Cornbleet, a beginner raw foods prep book that gives a lot of very basic ideas and concepts as well as some more creative creations using the basics.

* The Tofu Cookbook by Leah Leneman, a collection of over 150 meals, desserts, drinks, and more that you can make using the soy veg staple.

* Quantum Wellness: A Practical and Spiritual Guide to Health and Happiness by Kathy Freston, the highly talked and raved about health guide that was featured on both Oprah Winfrey’s and Ellen DeGeneres’ daytime talk show.

What i have been reading you ask? Here’s what’s been getting action on my book shelves lately …

This week I finished up reading Rosy Thornton’s newest novel, Crossed Wires - and I enjoyed it! It’s a great story about people in similar life situations finding comfort in each other and, even though it is ultimately a romance of sorts, it is very realistic. The story is about a slow building relationship between two single parents. It’s not hot and heavy, down in the sheets. You get to know the children too and, as I imagine it is for single parents, just as much about the kids as it is about the adults.

Next, I’ve picked up Lisa See’s Peony in Love and am trying to finish it before she comes to town next week.

Overly similar book cover designs were spotted again by a Totally Looks Like user again.

The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides, also known as the book with the most cover designs ever (my count is at eight, including the one here - two movie ones, one foreign, and at least five others), was originally published in 1993 but I can’t find a specific year on this cover.

Disappearing Ingenue by Melissa Pritchard, which only seems to have two different cover designs including this one, is a collection of eight interrelated short stories was published nine years after Virgin Suicides, in 2002.

And on a separate note … while writing looking these books up, I realized for the first time that the author of Virgin Suicides also wrote Middlesex, whose screenplay rights are owned by Rita Wilson.

My current MP3 player is barely functioning. It is jammed up and only plays about half of the songs on it, never labels them correctly, and won’t let me remove them at all. It also shuts off if it jiggles and occasionally locks up, always on the same songs. Clearly, it is time for me to consider investing in a new MP3 player, especially with my new personal challenge of training for a half marathon.

I don’t have any money to spend; however, I have accumulated enough points in my MyPoints account to earn $75 in gift certificates to spend at Overstock.com (side note: MyPoints is seriously awesome. Leave a comment and I will send you an e-invite.)

I began shopping around the discount site to figure out what kind of MP3 player I want, which is when this story starts to relate to books. I narrowed my many choices down to the ones with the best gigabyte to price ratios - and that’s when I found Latte’s iPearl. It has 8GB of memory, FM radio, and a microphone. It can double as a USB storage device and can hold and show digital pictures. And … you can read e-books on it while listening to music (or with the music turned off if you cannot multi-task that well).

This aspect was the deciding factor for me. I take public transportation a lot and often am already carrying so much stuff with me for work that I sadly don’t have room for a book. This will be the perfect way to always have something to read on me!

I read - and loved - Dan Brown’s 2003 novel The Da Vinci Code before all the hubbub and controversy surrounding the concept of the story truly blew up. In fact, when I picked up my copy I hadn’t even heard of it yet. Brown is a good writer, regardless of whether you agree with his plot about Jesus’ blood line or not. The book is a well-written, suspenseful mystery. The movie, on the other hand, was only enjoyable because I enjoyed the book so much, but I digress … Dan Brown is a good author.

After The Da Vinci Code became a best-selling hit, readers went back in time to appreciate Brown’s 2000 novel, Angels & Demons, which is about the same characters and similar events. I haven’t read the predecessor yet, but it garnered almost as much positive and negative attention as its follow up novel. And now, the one written first is also a movie, which was released this past Friday, May 15. Tom Hanks reprises his lead role as Robert Langdon, while director Ron Howard, producer Brian Grazer and screenwriter Akiva Goldsman also returned. A few newbies, including Ewan McGregor, join the cast.

With the new film release, artsy people are revving up their crafty engines, excited for a movie that prominently features some classic artwork. The folks over at Craftster are so excited that they have put together a collection of angel and demon crafts made by the community board’s members.

Check out the angelic and demonic sculptures, screen printing, photography, stuffed toys, and more, including the hand stitched towel set shown here.