Does anyone remember the movie City Of Angels with Meg Ryan and Nicholas Cage? If you do, then no doubt you remember the incredible story line of a love that is so strong it conquers all obstacles. In the end, all is looking so wonderful and then…
the unspeakable happens.
Shock. Despair.
This is a movie I own and love, but can not watch it due to the ending.
While biking today my friend Amy and I were talking about this movie and she said she hated that ending. Well, so did I, but on the flip of it, it was a powerful way to end the movie.
This made me think of books. Are there books out there that we have hated the ending? And by hate – is that a real “throw the book across the room” hate, or do we secretly love to hate them… they make us mad in an infuriating an awesome way.
While thinking of this today, the book that came to mind for me was Jodi Piccoult’s My Sisters Keeper. If you have not read this, really you must. Of all of Jodi’s books I think this one impacted me the most. SO the basic story line is that this Anna’s older sister Kate is very sick with leukemia. Anna, is a bone marrow match for Kate and so Anna is constantly in the hospital giving of herself under her parents requests to help Kate. Anna, who loves her sister very much but is tired of being a pin cushion for her sister and seeks out a lawyer to help her win rights to her own body. The story is brilliant, and I wont give it away but the very end = explosive. Maddeningly so.
Note: If you have seen the movie and not read the book, it is not the same – the move does not even end the same as the book, and that is another rant for another day… 😛
My question before you today is this. What books have made you mad with how they ended? Was it a serious I am so mad, or was it a “that made me mad but I love it anyways” read? I am coming up blank for more books that did that to me but I know they are out there and I hope you can help me get the juices flowing.
In 1890, sixteen year old twin sisters Lia and Alice Milthorpe’s mom died when they were very young, and now with their father’s recent passing, Lia notices a strange mark show up her wrist – one much like her sister Alice has had since she was born…
When a mysterious book shows up in their father’s library, Lia learns that she and Alice are part of an ancient prophesy that involves one being a gate-keeper and one being a guardian… the power of one sister being able to return satan to earth, and the other sister to try to put an end to the prophesy..
but which sister is the good one, and which is evil? Lia does not even know for sure herself….
As the prophesy unfolds Lia discovers the secrets behind her parents deaths, the meaning of the mark on her wrist, and the length Alice will go to put a stop to Lia’s prying.
Why did I choose this audio book? Honestly? Cover pic and title. The cover is phenomenal… it makes me want to know more, and the title speaks of a spooky mystery….
The Prophesy On The Sisters was what I hoped it would be, a mysterious YA book that made me want to know what the prophesy was…. and it was also what I hoped it wouldn’t be, at times pieced together, making me wonder how two twin sisters could be so far apart, a couple of friends of Lia’s tossed in the mix that I either missed how they connected to everything and their role in the prophesy (keys, I believe) or they just sort of dropped into the book…
I think narrator Eliza Dushku saved this 8 hour audio for me, with her mysterious voice which was perfect for a book on prophesy, she connected me to the story wanting to know more. I think if I would have read this one I probably would have given up on it.
In the end, while interesting, you will not find the answers they seek in this book, this is the beginning of a trilogy…. however, before you groan and tell me how much you hate waiting for the next book – know that you do not have to. Guardian Of The Gate (book 2) and Circle of Fire (book 3) are available! I didn’t love love this story, but it was an interesting listen non the less.
Alice Buckle is 44 and for the most part, she has never felt or looked her age. But this morning is different. It could be because Alice is about to turn the same age that her mother was when she died. It could be that after twenty years of marriage there just wasn’t a lot of excitement anymore. She is constantly analyzing her two children, Peter and Zoe…
was she bored?
Then Alice receives an email offering her to be part of a n online Marriage study. Alice fills out the basic information and within a few days discovers she has been excepted into the study, and for the purposes of anonymity, she will now be known as Wife 22 for all correspondence. She is assigned a case worker (Researcher 101) who will coach her through and question she has. And the questions start coming in.
It’s almost like a double life. While Alice on the outside appears to be still Alice, she is also Wife 22. As the questions continue Alice strikes up a side conversation with Researcher 101. Before she knows it, Alice has questions of her own. Questions that could change her family dynamics forever.
Why did I want to read this book? Curiosity. By the synopsis, I knew I wanted to know more about this woman who is my age, and suddenly questioning her purpose. It sounded smart and it sounded funny.
Wife 22 is written much like the Bridget Jones books were, except instead of Bridget writing to her diary, Alice is answering questions about her marriage and chatting with Researcher 101. the book created some realistic scenarios. Job trouble. worrying about your kids, using the internet, in this case Facebook for escapes…
When the questions are presented, all we as the reader see are the answers to the questions, not the questions themselves. Some, by the way they are answered, you can guess what the question probably was… others I had no idea… and some just cracked me up by Alice’s response. What I didn’t know until the end, was that the actual questions are listed in the back of the book which made it fun to peek through the book again, and think how I would answer them.
Written mainly in the conversations between Researcher 101 and answers to questions, the book moves fairly quickly. If you are looking for a book to take to the beach or for sitting with on your deck as I did, summer is a perfect time to sit back and enjoy Wife 22.
Good morning! I mentioned yesterdays storms here in central Minnesota. At that time, and now until later in the day at work did I hear about Duluth Minnesota and the animals in the zoo (a polar bear and a seal escaped when the water rose high enough they could swim out of their cages! And unfortunately, in some cases a few animals drowned).
Ok… that is a downer way to start a post.
In better news, today, if I dare say it out loud looks as though it could be….
sunny.
I hate to even say it out loud as yesterday was off and on too. I would look out the window at work and see the sun come out and think yes! Deck time! Then ten minutes later it would be gray again.. than later sunny… then, well, the gray won out.
And looking at today’s forecast is calls for storms… again.
Ok.. that’s a downer post isn’t it?
Well – for now there is sun so that is what I am going with and maybe this song is premature… but I need it so here we go:
Ok – as part of my book room lets get out act together project 2012 (you will see more on this in the coming weeks…) I have a book giveaway today:
Gorgeous cover yes? This is a duplicate for me so leave me a comment today about your EXTREME weather memories (or maybe they are current…) and I will enter you into a chance to win this book. I will keep this open until next Tuesday.
Good morning people of Tuesday! I come in peace…. and with coffee 😛
Ugh…. raining AGAIN in Central Minnesota…. gloomy and gray….
The view off my back deck this morning.
Anyhoo…
YESTERDAY afternoon I came home from work. The day had a bit of a fall feeling to it, cooler and overcast and I was going to work on some on-line stuff. SO I grabbed my laptop, my mouse, my blanky, and popped into the recliner. Logged on… and for the life of me, could not get the mouse to work.
*Note: I am nothing without the laptop mouse. It is a crutch, I know… but I can not navigate pages, scroll to comments, or I sure can not play Scrabble on Facebook because I can not figure out how to hang on to the tiles to move them into place without the mouse.
The mouse, appears by all appearance to be working fine. The little light on the bottom indicates a good battery. I reset it. I take the battery out and put the battery in. I even get up and grab two more batteries out of the drawer and try them. All the same results… mouse looks fine, will not work.
I… am seriously frustrated. For some reason the mouse will not be acknowledged by the laptop.
I…. am wasting time.
About 30 minutes later I get up go do something else…. as I pass by my kitchen table I see this:
For those unfamiliar with the workings of the cordless mouse, this little do-dad here is what plugs into your computer/laptop to make the mouse work. Without it… by all appearance your mouse is going to look like it should work… it will not. 😯
😛
SO….. once I put that little guy into my laptop side… all was well in mouse world again…. but I….
was feeling pretty foolish and wondering how that detail fell out of my head.
Moving on…. today I work, but tonight… I have no agenda. I LOVE that! And it is rainy but no matter, all my outdoor work – mowing, trimming, is done. 😀 Quite the opposite of last week when I had something going on every night. 😀
How is your Tuesday unfolding? Are there books in your day? Which one(s)? Mine may be the conclusion on Jane Eyre and finishing up Some Girls by Sara Pekkanen as well.
Confession – Rebecca is a book I have never read, have wanted to for some time now and am going to do it in the next month.
If you are interested in doing this read a long with me it is open to those who have not read it before, and to those who feel they may be due for a re-read.
Then… on July 17 here, we are going to have a “Party with Rebecca party” ! You will have a chance to link your reviews and there will be an online book discussion here, as well as giveaways!
Want in?
Please grab the button above and either 1) write a post with the “woo hoo” I am going to do this read a long! or 2) add this button to your sidebar or 3) both!
Please fill out this form if you are planning on participating:
And link up your Participation post here (where you write a post saying you are going to do this readalong and invite others to pop in here and join as well 😀 :
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I have been trying to give highlights but there are so many these posts…. uh…. are a bit longer than I had anticipated. I am hoping to wrap it up with this one, but we will see once I get going here. 😛
Tuesday June 4, was the actual first day of the Book Expo. This is the day that the doors open to Bookish types – Librarians, media, Book Sellers, Press, and yes, Book Bloggers. To my understanding, Book Bloggers have been included the past 4 years. I started attending three years ago.
How to explain what the book expo is like….
Ok… picture Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory. We (Book Bloggers) have a golden ticket. Except once we enter the Chocolate Factory…. errrr….. Javits Center, it is filled with books instead of candy – books beyond our wildest dreams.
Some of us just stand in awe of all the bookish things:
“OOH! Ahhhhhh!”
and some of us….. get a little carried away:
“COWABUNGA!!!!!!!”
I fall somewhere in between….. *sheepish grin*
The Javits is a huge conference center and all the publishing companies you can imagine, books and audio books alike have a space there. Once the doors open…. you explore the booths, connect with the companies you work and the ones you hope to (for me that was Brilliance Audio) and throughout the day(s) many of them offer up ARC (advanced reader copies) of books coming out this summer, fall, and winter. The books, are free to us – preferably we only take what we plan to read and review, and we have to ship them home (I highly recommend the Post office! Less cost and faster than UPS believe it or not) or put them in suit cases.
It is a bookextravaganza.
Ok… so hopefully that paints a picture.
Now for a quick back story. The first year I went to BEA I waited in the LONG line that forms before the doors open and then was pushed with the mob into the expo. Not cool… and a little frightening. 2nd year, Reagan (Miss Remmers Reviews) and I decided we would hang out and go in after the rush of people. I spotted seats behind an unattended info booth – tall cushioned chairs, perfect for people watching and sipping out coffee. Reagan was all “NO way – we could get in trouble.” I was all “What are they going to say? Please do not sit here? Then we will move.” We sat there and the funny thing is people came and asked us tons of questions that for the most part were east to answer:
When does the Expo open?
Where do I get my badge?
Where is Starbucks?
Where is the author breakfast?
Are tickets still available to the author breakfast?
Do I need my badge before I go to the breakfast?
Do you have a map of the expo layout? (We didnt, but I got us some)
It was actually a lot of, passed the time and to this day Reagan and I say it was one of best memory moments of BEA. This year, Reagan was unable to attend, but I went up to our booth day one…. spoke to the attendant, told her about last year – and she hooked me up for this year:
I sent this pic to Reagan via text and she was all “Shut Up! You did not! I am sooooo photo shopping myself in!” LOL
The expo – over the the three days was a lot of fun. I walked the booths, connected with the publishers I work with – and picked up a few coveted books and a few I did not know I coveted until I heard about them. Here are a few highlights:
This is a fun story. I went to Minnesota Press (HELLLLOOOOO! I am from Minnesota!) and was talking with the author of Frozen, Mary Casanova. This story is about a prostitute found frozen in a Minnesota lake int he early 1900’s. This part of her story is factual. From there she built a fictional story around this fact about a daughter who witnesses what happens and does not talk since.
I tell Mary I am from Brainerd Minnesota and she is all, “Really? My brother lives in Brainerd Minnesota, do you know Paul Gazelka?” I actually know Paul pretty well and his wife, so that was just a fun coincidence.
I have reviewed a few Ted Dekker books here over the years. I have a couple of friends who are HUGE fans so when I seen Ted at the expo I could not pass up a chance to hop in the autograph line and get a pic as well while he signed a book to my friend.
Oh yeah… if I left with only one book at BEA it was going to hopefully be The Twelve. I loved The Passage.
And…. I got the book! 😛
This was a drive by shooting (with my camera!) I did not wait in the LONG line for a signed book, but still…. picture worthy.
After a fun event at Penguin (Wednesday Night Penguin Bird Bash) I made a commitment to be sure and get my pic taken in the Reached book cover bubble at the expo. Thursday morning I fulfilled that commitment which was actually a lot of fun!
Meeting the people you share bookish chats with on line is a lot of fun and a big part of the BEA experience. I did not do a good job of catching pics this time of all my great blogger friends. A few I have posted int he previous BEA posts, but this one was of me and Cindy from Cindy’s love of books who I kept running into all week. She was so much fun to talk to!
Beyond the expo – on Tuesday afternoon a few of us went to Harper Collins and learned how E Books are made. This was really fascinating and I had no idea how much work went into an e-book. Later Tuesday, Alison from Alisons Book Marks and I went out to an incredible dinner. On Wednesday we had a power readers breakfast at Random House (no pics… forgot!). Later Wednesday I went to an authors reception for Laura Moriarty, and after that the Penguin Bird Bash. There were two more invites for later that night but I was tired and chose to call it a night.
Thursday evening after the final day at the expo I went to dinner with Gail (roomy) two other new bloggers to me, and John from Brilliance Audio. John is the guy who decides what books are made into audio books. He gave me some great ideas for audio listening.
Friday morning I flew back to Minnesota… thus ending BEA 12, but I am already looking forward to BEA 13.
Friday afternoon, I posted my first BEA recap which pretty much covered Sunday when I first arrived in New York and the Simon Schuster YA event. Today I want to share about Monday, June 3.
Monday was the Book Blogger Conference at the Javits. Gail (A Ticket to Anywhere) who was my roommate, and I, walked the 5 blocks to the Javits from our hotel. Once inside, we got in line for our badges for the week. And from there, in line to go into the breakfast that was the kickoff to our day and a “speed dating” event with authors. You chose a table that the author you wanted to chat with would be at – and then three authors rotated through your table while you ate. I have to break here and share my favorite in line to breakfast comment I heard from the blogger standing in front of me and Gail.
Blogger girl (chatting to friends): SO have you read Insurgent yet?
Blogger girls friends/minions (Gail’s fun word of the week): (a mix of yes and no’s and “huh?”)
Blogger girl: I thought it was good but I am so in love with _________________ (no spoilers for those who have not read it yet) and hope that is who she chooses. *sigh*
Blogger girls friends: * a mixture of head nods and mumblings of agreement
Blogger Girl: I really liked Divergent, but loved Insurgent… I can’t wait for the next book, what do you think they will call it? Detergent?
😯
😆
Ok – so anyway, I sat at Table 7 which was going to have Justin Cronin, author of The Passage and the author of the highly coveted by me, The Twelve. If I left BEA with one book, that needed to be the one. And so yeah, I hung out with Justin Cronin.
Yup, me and Justin. Justin and me. 😀
After the breakfast portion of the day, Jennifer Weiner spoke about books and bloggers and life stuff. She was pretty funny. At lunch we had the authors at the tables again and looking over my itinerary I seen that at my table 7 was going to be a Craft author. Crafts are so not my thing so I checked the schedule and moved to table 12 with Alison from Alison’s Book Marks where Erica Robuck would be the author. I read Erica’s book, Receive Me Falling back in 2009 and loved it. She said I was one of the first bloggers to read and review her book. What is cool about Erica’s story is that her first book was self published, and now this second book, Hemingway’s Girl, was purchased and published by NAL Trade. NICE!
Erica and I
After lunch I took a break from the afternoon sessions as out evening was packed, so I went back to the hotel – chilled for about an hour, changed into my clothes for the evening and came back for the closing talk with Jenny Lawson, The Bloggess, whose book is Let’s Pretend This Never Happened. (Listened to on audio and reviewed last month).
** Later I talked with fellow awesome Minnesotan Kim from Sophisticated Dorkiness about the afternoon break out sessions and here are two things I can take away from that I will apply:
1. Do not put your full reviews on Good Reads…. put a part of the review and then link it back to your blog for people to read the rest. Huh. I hadn’t thought of that before, but it makes sense. Until now, I have posted my full reviews on Good Reads.
2. Twitter is pretty much the best way for bookish communications/ linking posts/ and connecting with authors, publishers, fellow bloggers…. I needed to hear this. It is hard for me to do Twitter because I just dont take the time for it. I am trying now to be more open to Twitter and the possibilities of blog building it has.
So… Monday evening. Alison from Alison’s Book Marks and I made our way to Scholastic’s invite. I was uber excited as I had never been to Scholastic before. Alison graciously walked me through the Scholastic store which was truly drool worthy with all the great books I either have read or want to read…..
Their party was…. AWESOME. I am not just saying that either. They had popcorn and a cotton candy machine. Horduerves and lemonade, ice tea, or cola. It was a wonderful Middle Grade/YA get together! Once there we sat with Kathy from Burmuda Onion and Julie from Booking Mama.
And more was yet to come.
Scholastic had their authors each take a turn talking about their newest book. Then they read from the book, each author taking a character part. The result? HILARIOUS. James Dashner (author of Maze Runner, Scorch Trials…) was a hoot. He was so funny and always seemed to be given the funny parts such as “cranky grandmother” or “angry aunt”. And he played his parts well, even once saying he channeled Mrs. Doubtfire. His newest book Infinity Ring sounds fantastic!
James Dashner and I
Maggie Steifvater (author of Linger, Shiver, and Forever, just to name a few) is not only talented beyond belief, she is cut and funny and someone I think would be a blast to hang out with. Raven Boys is much coveted!
The one that surprised me the most was Eliot Schrefer, who’s book Endangered will be released this November. The book is about the Congo and a girl who is trying to save the endangered bonobos. I knew I did not want to read this book. I have such a soft heart for animals and animals hurting really breaks me up. As Elliot talked about his research with the bonobos, and then read an exert from his book… leaving us with a cliff hanger…
my heart stopped and my eyes welled up.
Then… they showed a picture of the cover:
Damn. Now I have to read this book, and did get an advanced reader copy at BEA.
Next stop (and yes, this is still Monday) was the Harper Collins party. As always, a blast. It was so fun to connect with blogger friends, authors, and Harper Collins peeps. I so enjoy this event every year! AND – it was time for my annual pic with Alison from Alison’s Book Marks. We have a funny tradition now of having a picture together at this event. We met at BEA in 2010 and connected over books and then in 2011, chatted again at the Harper Collins Party and this year, we hung out quite a bit which was a lot of fun.
and here we are in 2011…
and again in 2010…
Alison’s hair stays the same… I am always changing it up…LOL… now seeing these pics, I want to go short hair again. 😛 Its also funny, now that I look at these that we are always on the same side.
Later that evening, roomy Gail (Ticket To Anywhere), two other gals (forgive me… I have lost names and blogs in my head somewhere) went to an Irish pub for dinner. Gail and I are both Irish so this was so much fun and our waiter, Pearce (like Bronson) has such a thick great accent that I wanted to miniaturize him and keep him in my purse to take out for later get togethers. 😀
I was so tired in this pic with Gail. It had been a LONG Monday but filled with such great events!
Just this afternoon I have returned from the Book Expo in New York. What a whirlwind week of books, book events, author events, blogger friends and get together. This is truly one of the highlights of my year and I highly recommend it to anyone who is debating if they should go. YES. GO. 😀
Over two or three posts I am going to share with you the BEA experience I had this year so hopefully you can see it through my eyes. One of the cool things about BEA is that each person has such a unique experience. As people start to post about the books and events there is no doubt in my mind that I will be shocked to see a book I covet that I did not know was there. There will be bookish get together that I did not know about as well.
I arrived on Sunday morning flying from Minneapolis to Chicago to New York. The first time I have ever flown alone. (True story!) I shuttled to my hotel, dropped off my bags and walked around the Times Square area until I connected with my room-mate for the week, Gail from Ticket To Anywhere. Together Sunday evening we went to the Simon Schuster YA event.
These 5 books and authors were presented at this wonderful party that has delicious horduerves and drinks being served. Oh course I was super excited to hear from Lenore Applehans, who blogs at Presenting Lenore and has her first book coming out – Level 2!!!! (I am so excited!!!)
I even did a little video but thought I was recording and I wasn’t so tried again… and only captured a bit of what she was saying:
All the authors and their books sounded wonderful and as each person spoke I would nudge Gail and say “Oh I want to read that book!” At the end of the night we were presented with a swag bag with a copy of each book!!! SQQQUUUEEE!!!!!
Dont these books look wonderful? You might think I am being bias by featuring only Lenore and that is a little true – but it is also due to the fact that I was finishing up some work business on the phone on Sunday evening and I had to keep popping out of the event so the only one I was able to hear talk in their entirety was Lenore.
I am going to write more soon…. I wanted to write more tonight but honestly… I have been up since 3:30 am to catch my flights and I am a bit wiped out. More tomorrow…. promise 😀
Book Journey 