Po(sey) Sessions

Since mid December I have been working on a reading list for the upcoming months. My  intention was to post the list just for personal record. And time has passed and I never did.  January is a lot like the month of never dids. As I mentioned in my last post, I did turn 30 and I do go on a book shopping spree but other than those things when I think back on the month it feels like the month of not happening.  The last week has been the same way for me too. Where has all the time gone? Why is time folding in on itself and I am left wondering where it went?  In a way it is almost haunting because in The New Policeman , the last book I finished, time really disappear and was being sucked into the fairy world.   There are so many things I want to do, and there are so many things I want to say. And I haven’t done it. I have set some mental goals for 2011. Among them are reading more, blogging consistently, reading one book from each challenge I have joined a mont...

You may have noticed that it has been entirely too long since I have posted.  I was planning on starting 2011 really strongly but so far it has just been a lot of fizzle. Fortunately I AM reading more, but other than that, not much to report. I should be reviewing, researching, and blogging other things of interest and basically I am just sitting here wondering where January went.  Here are some of the things I have failed to tell you about; these are also things I hope to tell you more about, but that probably isn’t likely. I turned 30. I went on a major book shopping spree in Las Vegas. I became addicted to Good Reads. I met Ally Condie, author of Matched (again). I ate some yummy food. I did the assembly and reading points store for the reading program.   Here are some books I read: The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Vol. 1 Wasteland Alice I Have Been Shades of Grey The New Policeman Here are some books I am currently reading: ...

Even before I read The Waters and the Wild I have been fascinated by Francesca Lia Block. Every summary I had ever read from one of her books sounded like something I wanted to read.  Though many of her books graced my wishlist, it took me a long time before I read one.   Francesca Lia Block has a simplistic style reminiscent of poetry. Sometimes, for me, the writing is a little too straight forward, a little too sparse. But there is something about her prose that connects with one’s understanding of magic that keeps me going back.  Block writes something beyond urban fantasy; she calls it urban fairy tales and the genius of it is the way  a reader can connect with moments of their own past through her writing.  And thanks to Goodreads Swap I will soon be the proud owner of many new books by Block.  The first one to show up was Girl Goddess #9 , a collection of short stories published in 1996.     Today I sat down and read through th...

Though I am American through and through, I do connect a strong part of my heritage and culture with the Irish. I have always admitted that were are more Irish in celebration than we are in blood, but I do have the name to back me up. I am planning on going to Ireland with my two daughters within the next year or two. I am looking forward to connecting with my past and my future through the reading choices I explore over the next 11 months. Carrie at Books and Movies is hosting this challenge again. Sign up here . Details following: ~ The challenge runs from January 1, 2011 to November 30, 2011. ~ Any books read for this challenge can also apply to other challenges you are working on. ~ Re-reads are allowed. ~ Any book written by an Irish author, set in Ireland, or involving Irish history or Irish characters, counts for the challenge – fiction, non-fiction, poetry, audiobooks, children’s books – all of these apply. ~ Choose your commitment level: Shamrock level: 2 books Luck ...

I am thrilled that my friend Vasilly is hosting the Graphic Novel Challenge this year. We have had many great discussions on various types of books and I hope more will follow! For the past few years I have had a growing interest in graphic novels and manga. Much like how I felt about science fiction for a long time, I mainly wrote off graphic novels as something that just weren't for me. A friend of mine encouraged me to read Watchmen and that changed everything. I fell in love with the depth of Alan Moore , so expect to see me reading more of his titles in 2011. I already have V for Vendetta here and The League of Extraordinary Men Vol. 1 on its way to me. I have never been a huge fan of manga in the past, but I am using this opportunity to explore these type of books more. I recently received a box full of manga titles and I hope to find something I really connect with there. Intermediate (3-10 books) 1. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Vol. 1

In the past I have joined a challenge to keep track of how many books I have read, but never officially because I keep track of when I finish books, not when I start them. This year I am going to do my best to simply keep up a list of everything I end up finishing. 1. The Passage by Justin Cronin (audio) - dystopian, post-apocalyptic 2. Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde (audio) - dystopian 3. Wasteland by Francesca Lia Block - young adult 4. Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin (audio) - historical fiction 5. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Vol. 1 - graphic novel, steampunk? 6. Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon - fantasy, young adult 7. The New Policeman (audio) by Kate Thompson - fantasy, Ireland, young adult 8. Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder (audio) - young adult, dystopian 9. Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton - young adult 10. The Dark Divine by Bree deSpain (audio) - young adult, paranormal 11. The Legend Of Spud Murphy by Eoin Colfer (audio) - children's, humor, Ireland 12. ...

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...