Ouch! by Natalie Babbitt

by Carol2 Comments
Ouch! by Natalie Babbitt, illustrated by Fred Marcellino (Suggested reading level: Preschool - Grade 3) This is a delightful retelling of Grimms' "The Devil and the Three Golden Hairs," a fairy tale that was unfamiliar to me. This version does leave out some of the original, possibly to make it a shorter story. A baby boy, born to a peasant family, has a birthmark in the shape of a crown, a sign that his destiny is to marry a princess. The King, when he hears this, tries to kill the baby, but his plan fails and the baby is rescued. The child grows up to be a pleasant, hard-working young man named Marco. When the King finds him , he tries again to have the youth killed. The plan backfires and Marco marries the princess. Once again, it was lucky that Marco was so full of confidence because he was going to need it now more than ever. The King came home in the...
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Soulless by Gail Carriger

by Carol13 Comments
Soulless by Gail Carriger This is my first foray into light steampunk, in this case an alternate Victorian England overlayed with advanced mechanicals and technology. Werewolves and vampires are an accepted part of society, at least in Britain, and the science and technological advances are thanks in part to the vampires, who are interested in the sciences for reasons of their own. Actually, for me it read more like a paranormal romance with some steampunk elements. I would also consider the book a comedy of manners, reminiscent of Austen's stories, with  vampires and others included in high society. Alexia Tarabotti is a soulless spinster who would rather sit in the library having tea than attend the fancy ball. Unfortunately, in the first scene of the book, that's where she is rudely attacked by a vampire, and she of course has no choice but to kill him. Luckily her soullessness gives her the ability to negate the magic in others - vampires lose...
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Happy Ending Guaranteed

by Carol8 Comments
With absolute clarity Wyatt watched as Marilee calmly adjusted her earphones and spoke to the nameless, faceless entity at a control tower too far away to do more than listen and record. There was an odd sound that Wyatt recognized in the dim recesses of his mind as wind, whistling past the plane as it hurtled toward the ground at a speed that seemed a hundred times faster than his thundering heart. (pg 99, Montana Destiny by R C Ryan) I just started this one, but one thing I enjoy about romances is that you know true love will win out. There may be plane wrecks, fights, kidnappings, who knows what, but in the end, the two characters are going to be together. I like that predictability; it lets me relax and enjoy the story. Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Play along. The rules are easy and I only cheated a little. Grab your current...
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Some Strange Experiences by Lafcadio Hearn

by Carol2 Comments
"Some Strange Experiences: The Reminiscences of a Ghost-Seer" by Lafcadio Hearn (1850-1904) I'm so glad I started reading short stories, thanks to Short Story Monday. These stories allow me to read new to me authors, or authors I've heard of but never picked up anything by, without the commitment of a full length book. The author of the story I read today sounds like he had a fascinating life. From Greece, to Ireland, to the US and finally to Japan, Hearn was a world traveler, writing about the people, places and stories he encountered along the way. It was during his time in Cincinnati, Ohio that he wrote this article, "Some Strange Experiences: The Reminiscences of a Ghost-Seer," a chat with a girl who sees things other don't. “They do say the dead never come back again,” she observed half dreamingly; “but then I have seen such queer things!” She tells stories about haunted rooms and roads where ghosts roam. She doesn't seek out...
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Another Week in the Books

by Carol5 Comments
Cecile, from All I Want and More,was kind enough to pass on a bunch of awards to a great list of blogger, a list that she was kind enough to include me on. Here are a couple of the awards that I haven't received before. The Bodacious Blogger Award asks me to list the last five books I read, so here they are. The Miracle Worker by William Gibson The Journey that Saved Curious George by Louise Borden Embroideries by Marjane Satrapi Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola Ouch! by Natalie Babbitt And she passed on the Great Neighbor Award, too. Thanks so much, Cecile. I'd like to pass these both on to all of my blogging friends. You are all bodacious bloggers and great neighbors! I only received one book in the mail this week, another comic strip collection. Green Pieces by Drew Aquilina Speaking of cartoons, my giveaway for The Knight Life by Keith Knight is open through June 13. You...
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