Po(sey) Sessions

The Poison Eaters and Other Stories by Holly Black Publication Date: March 22, 2011 ISBN: 9781442412323 Grades: 9 and up   Thanks to the great Simon & Schuster Galley Grab Program I was able to get an eGalley of this collection of short stories by Holly Black. (Along with some other great books.) One of the hard things I have with short stories is that I don’t want to sit down and read them one after another.  While this it is a challenge, it is also a joy.  But it does make it hard to review a book that collects together so many various types of stories.  So far I have only read the first story, “The Coldest Girl in Coldtown.” I enjoyed it so much I almost don’t want to read any more stories for fear that this one will escape me.   Besides The Sipderwick Chronicles , I have never read one of Holly’s books.  Even though there was no expectations “The Coldest Girl in Coldtown” took me by surprise.  The story is available to read i...

One of the best things about Christmas is telling everyone about all the books that you want and having it be semi reasonable that a few actually make it your way.  I am trying to do a really light Christmas this year.  My girls will be spending the holiday with their father and I don’t think it is good for them to be swimming stuff after we double up on the holiday.  So I have decided to make the best of the pre holiday time and get them just a few gifts.  I have also told Mr. X that I am not planning on exchanging gifts with him.  We will be getting some gifts for other people in our lives, but I already have too much STUFF in my life, and I really want to cut back.   Mr. X has already informed me that he no intention of following my suggestion.  This combines me with a mix of guilt and excitement.  Though I should consider it, I have decided not to waver on not getting him any presents this year.  Christmas gifts for me have been very...

I finished in the nick of time.  I hoped to read twice  as many books as a listed here within the timeframe of the challenge.  As much as I love dystopian fiction I worry a little that I am getting burnt out on it. I definitely need to read something that isn’t related to science fiction in any way.  I am just not sure what or when! For this young adult dystopian challenge I read: Hunger Matched Wither The Hole in the Wall Delirium I finished Delirium at about 3am this Sunday.  It may have been cutting it close but it felt good to get it done.

I have probably said it enough here on the blog and on twitter , but this was not a good reading year for me.  Life just got in the way and reading has slipped out of the priority position.  I am working to remedy that.  When you find yourself reading less do you push yourself to read more, or just go with the flow? Reading is a habit, like many of the things we do daily.  I worry that if I stop reading I will fill up that time with a different habit.  On the other hand, I want to read for fun, sometimes if I force myself to read that feeling is minimized.  I think it is yet another catch-22 and I don’t really have a solution. When I want to watch TV or relax in another way I try not to feel guilty for not reading.  But I also want to make reading a habit again. I think one of the best things I can do right now is really search out those books that are a perfect fit for what I want to be reading right now.  This year that has definitely been a str...

The Hole in the Wall by Lisa Rowe Fraustino ended up being a very challenging read for me.  I enjoyed it right from the beginning but the story began to lose my interest as it continued.  This was unfortunate because it seemed to be written in a style that I enjoyed but the book lacked a driving force that pushed me through  the book. The hardest part was the more I got into the book the less interested I became.  I kept thinking I was just going through a bit of a rough patch and the story would pick up.  But I became more and more disconnected with the events of the story.  Nothing felt pressing or relevant.    This was by no means a horrible book, it just didn’t connect with me.  It has some unique elements, interesting storytelling, and a strong voice.  The story opens with a young boy sitting in his special place in the world.  A hideaway he called the hole in the wall.  The boy is seeing some beautiful, vivid colors ...

Good morning fellow bloggers and blog readers.  It isn't technically morning anymore, but Sundays tend to have that morning all day kind of feel.  Also, I haven't been up for very long. :)  I started my morning off with a bath and a cup of coffee.  I started Silver Phoenix there, which I have been meaning to read for a few months now, or maybe since I got it for myself sometime around last Christmas.   I am totally overwhelmed by all the house cleaning I have to do and how every single year I procrastinate on getting the tree up.  I said I would do it on Dec. 1rst and it is 4 days later and it still isn't done.  Sure, 4 days doesn't seem like a lot but then it blooms into more and more, and I am putting the tree up on Christmas Eve again.   I am doing an very small Christmas this year. There is very little anyone in the house needs and I have been desperately trying to declutter for the last few months.  And decluttering is what...

It is a snowy Sunday morning here in Utah and Mr. X has just left to return home.  He has quite a bit of preparations to do before Thanksgiving and I am getting excited to have a holiday. I will be heading with my girls to celebrate our first holiday with his family on Tuesday.  There are a bit of nerves involved too.  I am sure all will go well.   I am making my girls an activity kit in case they get bored while we are away.  I don’t really know what to expect but I want to set aside some quality time with them anyway. This is the first Thanksgiving I have had with them in 4 years. To me, Thanksgiving is about family. I don’t have any family nearby, so I always let them go with their dad who was born and raised in this town. So this is all kind of new and I have a scavenger hunt and a few crafts in mind. I hope we find time to do at least some of them, but if we don’t need them all it means things are going well.   Do you have any special Thanks...