Carol's Notebook – Page 681

Rapunzel’s Revenge

March 5, 2009March 5, 2009 by Carol2 Comments

Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon and Dean Hale, illustrated by Nathan Hale Published : August 2008, Bloomsbury USA Children's Books From the cover: Once upon a time, in a land you only think you know, lived a little girl and her mother...or the person she thought was her mother. Every day, when the girl played in her grand villa and lush garden, she grew more curious about what lay on the other side of the ridiculosly huge garden wall. Year after year, things just seemed weirder and weirder, until the day she finally managed to sneak over the top of the wall and was horrified to see what lay beyond... Newbery Honor-winning author Shannon Hale teams up with husband Dean Hale and brilliant artist Nathan Hale (no relation) to bring readers a swashbuckling and hilarious twist on the classic story. Watch as Rapunzel and her amazing hair, along with a mysterious outlaw named Jack, gallop around the wild and Western landscape, battling creatures and outrageous villains,...

Stardust

March 4, 2009March 4, 2009 by Carol7 Comments

Stardust by Neil Gaiman From the back: What happens when you make a promise to bring back a fallen star? Teenager Tristran Thorn is about to find out, as he ventures beyond the wall of his English countryside town. After falling in love with the hauntingly beautiful Victoria Forester, he sets out on a quest to fulfill his promise to his beloved—and stumbles into the magical realm that lies beyond. My thoughts: This is a beautiful fairy tale, full of magic, both good and bad, gorgeous women, brave men, mystical creatures and, of course, love. Tristran has to find his star, protect the star from others, including an evil witch and a Lord of Stormhold. He has help along the way, from various people and things. It has a happy ending, of course, where all the various story threads are tied up. I would say this is a great story for the whole family, but there are a couple scenes that are not appropriate for kids....

Wondrous Words Wednesday

March 4, 2009 by Carol3 Comments

I only ran into one new-to-me word this week. Well, it's not really new to me, but I've never looked it up before. I just had a general idea of what it means. braggadocio - empty boasting, bragging “to attract associates and positions through charisma and braggadocio" -pg. 126, My Goodness: My Kids by Nesta A. Aharoni Head over to Bermudaonion’s Weblog for some more wondrous words....

MBA in a Book Giveaway

March 4, 2009 by Carol17 Comments

MBA in a Book: Fundamental Principles of Business, Sales, and Leadership edited by Leslie Pockell and Adrienne Avila Description: MBA in a Book offers the kind of information graduates of MBA programs ought to have, but usually gain only after years of hard-won experience. This volume contains essential advice about the fundamentals of business, sales, and leadership from some of history's most influential thinkers and doers: entepreneurs, executives, scholars, statesmen, and philosophers. The business principles section includes wisdom about the fundamentals of business practice and theory and important advice on investment, leadership, management, marketing, and success. The following section includes observations and insights that offer useful sales advice and ingenious techniques. Readers will discover gems of wisdom that address both the daily practicalities and the grand ideals of leadership in the final section. Updated with a new introduction, this valuable collection will provide readers with the keys to mastering timeless and essential business skills. MBA in a Book will inspire, guide, and support anyone...

Wicked Widow

March 3, 2009March 4, 2009 by Carol2 Comments

Wicked Widow by Amanda Quick Description: Award-winning author Amanda Quick weaves a tale of a man and a woman who understand just what it means to be haunted. Artemis Hunt, the mysterious master of a secret society, has been obsessed by the knowledge that he was unable to protect his mistress from a brutal death, and has spent the last five years plotting her revenge. Madeline Reed Deveridge, known as the infamous Wicked Widow by polite society, is rumored to have murdered her husband. But now Madeline is afraid that her dead spouse has returned from beyond the grave to terrorize her. In fear for her life and that of her beloved aunt, Madeline blackmails Artemis into aiding her by threatening to expose his ownership of the Dream Pavilions, London's premier pleasure garden--an association, if revealed, that would destroy his reputation and put his long-held plans of vengeance at serious risk. The two are drawn together at first by necessity, but Artemis...

Tuesday Teaser

March 3, 2009March 3, 2009 by Carol6 Comments

TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to: Grab your current read. Let the book fall open to a random page. Share with us two "teaser" sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12. You also need to share the title of the book that you're getting your "teaser" from...that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given! Pease avoid spoilers! My teaser: It was an obvious solution. After all, the unicorn had been ambling hugely behind them for most of the morning, occassionally nudging the star's shoulder with its big forehead. -pg. 170, Stardust by Neil Gaiman Check out some other teasers and see what grabs you....