September Reads

September is over, and I did pretty good this month. 8 books is a good month for me. I have 18 more books to reach my goal of 75 for the year.

Listed here is #50 - 57
Any reviews have been linked.

September 2009

50. The Year of Living Biblically - A.J. Jacobs
51. The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
52. The Sunflower - Richard Paul Evans
53. Duma Key - Stephen King
54. Dead Man's Cell Phone - Sarah Ruhl
55. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
56. What Difference do It Make? - Ron Hall et al.
57. Einstein: His Life and Universe (audio) - Walter Isaacson

One Halloween Read

Unless it is Stephen King, I'm not too into the Horror genre. But I try to read one Horror book in October in honor of Halloween. Last year I read Frankenstein by Mary Shelly. It was one of those books that have been sitting on my shelves for a while.

This year I plan to tackle Dracula by Bram Stoker. One of those books I've always wanted to read but never got to. I was thinking of borrowing it from the library, but then I realized that I already had it in my Kindle (for free).

A-Z Wednesday

A-Z Wednesday is hosted by Vicky of Reading at the Beach

Welcome to A-Z Wednesday!!
To join, here's all you have to do:
Go to your stack of books and find one whose title starts with the letter of the week.
Post:
1~ a photo of the book
2~ title and synopsis
3~ link (amazon, barnes and noble etc.)

Be sure to visit other participants to see what book they have posted and leave them a comment.(We all love comments, don't we?) Who knows? You may find your next "favorite" book.

This Week's Letter is: H


The Hidden Messages in Water by Masaro Emoto

This book has the potential to profoundly transform your world view. Using high-speed photography, Dr. Masaru Emoto discovered that crystals formed in frozen water reveal changes when specific, concentrated thoughts are directed toward them. He found that water from clear springs and water that has been exposed to loving words shows brilliant, complex, and colorful snowflake patterns. In contrast, polluted water, or water exposed to negative thoughts, forms incomplete, asymmetrical patterns with dull colors. The implications of this research create a new awareness of how we can positively impact the earth and our personal health.

Even if you don't buy what Emoto is saying, you can't help feeling that this is a fascinating book. This book is very popular with the "Law of Attraction" circut.

What Difference Do it Make? Stories of Hope and Healing

by Ron Hall, Denver Moore and Lynn Vincent

This charming book consists of intertwining stories. Ron Hall and Denver Moore are an unlikely pair of friends. Denver, a former homeless man was befriended years ago by Ron Hall and his wife Deborah. They each tell the story of their lives through vignettes. Interspersed between Ron and Denver’s stories are other stories of people who have read their previous book “Same Kind of Different as Me”, and had their lives transformed. “What Difference Do it Make?” is an enchanting book of hope that can reach across all religions and backgrounds.

Upon reading the first few chapters of this book, I thought that it was going to be a depressing read. Ron and Denver started both of their stories in their childhood which was filled with anguish, but I suppose the best stories start in the darkest places. As their stories progressed the dark cloud lifted and I became inspired and excited to read more.

Not only did I enjoy Ron and Denver’s stories, but I also enjoyed the stories of the everyday people who sent their stories to the pair after reading their first book, “Same Kind of Different as Me”. Each of these stories gave me hope that this world isn’t such a bad place after all. Each one of these people made a difference in the lives of others, sometimes with a grand gesture and sometimes with just a little blessing.

As a unit, this book worked well. Even though the stories skipped back and forth, it was not hard to follow. The Biblical truth was not buried deep with in flowery prose, it was easy to see what this book was attempting and I felt it was successful.

I would recommend this book to anyone, even the most non-religious cynic I know. If this doesn’t put a crack in their exterior, nothing will.

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

What Difference Do It Make?
Stories of Hope and Healing
by Ron Hall, Denver Moore, Lynn Vincent

"Our pastor had an explanation for why I didn't realize until later how God had held my hand every step of the way."

"He says sometimes you can only understand why things happen when you see them in the rearview mirror."

What Are You Reading on Mondays?

A weekly event hosted by J. Kaye’s Book Blog to discuss your reading week ~ the books you've read and those you plan on reading in the coming week.

I finished To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. What a great book, I rate it 5/5 stars. Don't know why we didn't read this in High School, we read a whole lotta nothing!!


This week:
What Difference Do It Make? Stories of Hope and Healing by by Ron Hall, Denver Moore, Lynn Vincent

When the Heart Cries by Cindy Woodsmall

Library Rant #2

I don't know what is up with the library this year, but I have a mega rant today!!

I have been waiting for Night Flight by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry to come to the library. Finally they get 2 copies in and one is in storage. So I put my order in, it sits in my queue until someone decides to pull it off of the shelf and send it to my 'pick-up' library.

They put the books on the shelves and it is arranged by the last 4 digits of your library card as well as the first 3 letters of your last name.

It isn't there.

I go ask the library check out person about it, she looks it up on her computer and pulls off of the data shelf two DVDs. Only one of the DVDs were mine. She is arguing with me how the other DVD is mine, and if I don't want it I should just say so.

Excuse me, you friggin nut job, does my record say I ordered this? Despite what the record said she argued me down about it. I ignored her, because obviously she is a dumb-ass. So I asked about my book, she said "Did you look on the shelf?". No you yo-yo...WTF! So she goes back to the shelf and of course, it is not there. "Oh I don't know what happened to it," she said. So she had to re-order it for me, even though I've already waited 2 weeks for it. So now I have to wait for it to pop up somewhere, because after all, there is only one in circulation and that one is MIA, and then hopefully get it again. I probably will never get it from the library.

This isn't the first time my book has disappared from the reserve shelf. It boggles the mind because no one can take out a book that is on hold for someone else, the system won't let them. So where is my book?

I told her that perhaps the person that wanted the DVD I didn't order, got my book, and I got their DVD. Maybe whoever shelved them, made a mistake. Still she was with the, "But this is your movie." I wanted to reach over the desk and smack her.

I know good help is hard to find, but there are so many people out of work, they really should find someone knowledgable. I know more about they library system than she does, and they just instituted the new system. And to top it off, not only is she dumb, but she is a nasty little so and so.

So today didn't start off on a good note. Urgh!

Booking Through Thursday

What’s is the saddest book you've read recently?
I guess it would have to be Veronika Decides to Die by Paulo Coelho. Although I didn't much care for the book. It is about a 24 year old woman who has everything in life, but doesn't appreciate it, so she decides to attempt suicide. She fails, and ends up in a mental hospital.
Wikipedia says The gist of the message is that "collective madness is called sanity", which is a nice message, although I didn't get that when reading it.
However, this was a very sad book. The things that Veronika went through broke my heart. Coelho created a character one could have sympathy for.

Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

The Christmas List: A Novel

by Richard Paul Evans

Release Date: October 6, 2009

There is no synopsis written for this book. Here is what is floating around out there in its place. It is written by the author.

Dear Reader,

When I was in seventh grade, my English teacher, Mrs. Johnson, gave our class the intriguing (if somewhat macabre) assignment of writing our own obituaries. Oddly, I don't remember much of what I wrote about my life, but I do remember how I died: in first place on the final lap of the Daytona 500. At the time, I hadn't considered writing as an occupation, a field with a remarkably low on-the-job casualty rate.

What intrigues me most about Mrs. Johnson's assignment is the opportunity she gave us to confront our own legacy. How do we want to be remembered? That question has motivated our species since the beginning of time: from building pyramids to putting our names on skyscrapers.
As I began to write this book, I had two objectives: First, I wanted to explore what could happen if someone read their obituary before they died and saw, firsthand, what the world really thought of them. Their legacy.

Second, I wanted to write a Christmas story of true redemption. One of my family's holiday traditions is to see a local production of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol. I don't know how many times I've seen it (perhaps a dozen), but it still thrills me to see the change that comes over Ebenezer Scrooge as he transforms from a dull, tight-fisted miser into a penitent, "giddy-as-aschoolboy" man with love in his heart. I always leave the show with a smile on my face and a resolve to be a better person. That's what I wanted to share with you, my dear readers, this Christmas -- a holiday tale to warm your season, your homes, and your hearts.

Merry Christmas




What's your "waiting on" pick this week?Want to participate?
Grab the logo, post your own WoW entry on your blog, and leave a link in the comments section!

A-Z Wednesday

A-Z Wednesday is hosted by Vicky of Reading at the Beach

Welcome to A-Z Wednesday!!
To join, here's all you have to do:
Go to your stack of books and find one whose title starts with the letter of the week.
Post:
1~ a photo of the book
2~ title and synopsis
3~ link (amazon, barnes and noble etc.)

Be sure to visit other participants to see what book they have posted and leave them a comment.(We all love comments, don't we?) Who knows? You may find your next "favorite" book.

This Week's Letter is: G

The Giver by Lois Lowry

Amazon.com Review

In a world with no poverty, no crime, no sickness and no unemployment, and where every family is happy, 12-year-old Jonas is chosen to be the community's Receiver of Memories. Under the tutelage of the Elders and an old man known as the Giver, he discovers the disturbing truth about his utopian world and struggles against the weight of its hypocrisy. With echoes of Brave New World, in this 1994 Newbery Medal winner, Lowry examines the idea that people might freely choose to give up their humanity in order to create a more stable society. Gradually Jonas learns just how costly this ordered and pain-free society can be, and boldly decides he cannot pay the price.

I read this book last year around this time. What a great read. I thought it might be too young for me, but it was a very captivating story. It still has me thinking about it. Highly recommend it for people 12 and older (yes adults too).

Dead Man's Cell Phone by Sarah Ruhl

I don’t often read plays, but when I do they have to be recommended. This is the second play I’ve read in recent years that I enjoyed immensely. Dead Man’s Cell Phone by Sarah Ruhl talks about life, death, love and the decisions we make. Each decision we make leads us to the unknown.

Jean is in the wrong place at the right time. She picks up Gordon’s cell phone, he can’t answer it because he is dead. The events that occur because of this decision drives the story forward and the end will surprise you as well as make you think.

This is not a very long read, 99 pages, which took me about 40 minutes to read it on a crowded subway.

Below is a clever exchange in the book, it is toward the end. You have to love the thought process here.

GORDON
…When you die, you go straight to the person you most loved, right back to the very moment, the very place, you decided you loved them…

JEAN
…How about people who loved God best?

GORDON
…Don’t know, Never met’em. The go to a different Laundromat?

JEAN
Laundromat?

This play has been produced and has been playing around the U.S.A. I wonder if it translates as wonderfully.

Duma Key by Stephen King

Duma Key by Stephen King
Pages: 769 (Paperback)

I don’t have a problem with long books, I’ve read some pretty good ones, but “Duma Key” gave me a headache. It started off promising, where we see the Edgar Freemantle’s hardship of losing his arm and his marriage and his attempt to work through it. However, the book has trouble getting started and revving up. There was some promising action that looked like it was going to escalate into something amazing, but it never came to pass. The action dragged for 501 pages, on page 502 (paperback) something happens, and then the story picks up.

There are smaller chapters in between the larger ones. These are entitled “How to Paint a Picture”. I found them very interesting, especially the ones toward the end of the book. These chapters talk about an event that occurred in the 1920s, that has to do with the story as a whole. They were straight forward and riveting. King should have made this a story, it would have made a delightful and horrific novella.

There is very little suspense outside of the “How to Paint a Picture” chapters.

This is a sober, post-accident book so I was prepared to be not blown away, although another sober, post-accident book “Dreamcatcher”, was not as bad as this. That story may have been out there, but stuff happened within the first 100 pages.

This is the first Stephen King book that I finished, that I did not enjoy. It is a psychological thriller, but I am less than thrilled.

What Are You Reading on Mondays?

A weekly event hosted by J. Kaye’s Book Blog to discuss your reading week ~ the books you've read and those you plan on reading in the coming week.


I HAVE COMPLETED THIS PAST WEEK

Nothing (How Sad is THAT!)

THIS WEEK I AM READING

DUMA KEY by Stephen King
Yes I'm still reading it, it is a painful read. I will write a review about it sometimes this week. I only have 60 or so pages to go. I hope to be done by the end of today.

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD by Harper Lee
Yes I'm still reading this too. DUMA KEY is taking all of my time.

DEAD MAN'S CELL PHONE by Sarah Ruhl
This is a play, and it is supposed to be very good.

BBAW - Setting Goals - 50 words or less

Write in 50 words or less…what do you like best about your blog right now and where would you like your blog to be a year from now?

This blog was born in August, what I like about it now is it has a little bit of everything book related.

Next year I’d like to have more detailed reviews, and more interesting challenges, and more traffic.


38 words wow! That wasn't easy!

BBAW - Book Meme

This week: September 14-18, is Book Blogger Appreciation Week. My lazy self has seen it all week, and didn't bother to join in, until today.

This meme encourages us to answer the questions below in a few words. A challenge! Here goes…

Do you snack while you read? If so, favorite reading snack?
Not usually.

Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the idea of writing in books horrify you?
Non-Fiction books get marked.

How do you keep your place while reading a book? Bookmark? Dog-ears?Laying the book flat open?

Bookmark or dog ears.

Fiction, Non-fiction, or both?
Both

Hard copy or audiobooks?

Both (Kindle too)

Are you a person who tends to read to the end of chapters, or are you able to put a book down at any point?

I read to the end of a page at least.

If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop to look it up right away?
No. I lightly mark and look up later.

What are you currently reading?
Duma Key by Stephen King
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

What is the last book you bought?
The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks
The Man who Loved Children by Christina Stead
Bought from library - Total cost $1.00

Are you the type of person that only reads one book at a time or can you read more than one at a time?
More than one.

Do you have a favorite time of day and/or place to read?
No.

Do you prefer series books or stand alone books?
Stand alone (Unless it is Harry Potter or LoTR)

Is there a specific book or author that you find yourself recommending over and over?
Stephen King & Edith Wharton

How do you organize your books? (By genre, title, author’s last name, etc.?)
Whatever fits on the shelf, floor, box...

Booking Through Thursday

What’s the most enjoyable, most fun, most just-darn-entertaining book you’ve read recently?

(Mind you, this doesn’t necessarily mean funny, since we covered that already. Just … GOOD.)



Roasting in Hell's Kitchen : Temper Tantrums, F-Words, and the Pursuit of Perfection by Gordon Ramsay

Most of us know Gordon Ramsay's TV personality. But is he like this in real life? More or less. His memoir talks about many things. The typical sad, dysfunctional childhood, his rise to the top, his exploits with women...


Although there were many sad parts in this book, it was an enjoyable read. Though I wouldn't consider this book 'fun', Gordon gives it a lighter spin. It could have been a real downer, but I suppose when he peppers it with F words, it is hard to take it all seriously.


However, once you read this, you will realize why he is the way he is. He isn't some random A-hole that makes others lives miserable, there is a method to his madness and it will cause you to think differently of this maniac!!

A-Z Wednesday

A-Z Wednesday is hosted by Vicky of Reading at the Beach

Welcome to A-Z Wednesday!!
To join, here's all you have to do:
Go to your stack of books and find one whose title starts with the letter of the week.
Post:
1~ a photo of the book
2~ title and synopsis
3~ link (amazon, barnes and noble etc.)

Be sure to visit other participants to see what book they have posted and leave them a comment.(We all love comments, don't we?)Who knows? You may find your next "favorite" book.

This Week's Letter is: F

Fall Down Laughing: How Squiggy Caught Multiple Sclerosis and Didn't Tell Nobody by David Lander (aka Squiggy)

In the summer of 1999, David Lander revealed publicly that he suffers from multiple sclerosis-a secret he'd kept for fifteen years even while living and working in Hollywood's celebrity fishbowl. Diagnosed with the illness after filming the last episode of Laverne and Shirley, Lander continued to develop his film and television career while hiding his illness. His success was an astonishing testament to his physical and emotional strength and his determination to prove that those with M.S. can still enjoy fulfilling and challenging lives.

Fall Down, Laughing is the humorous and poignant story of Lander's courageous struggle with multiple sclerosis. Over the years, Lander tried everything to improve his condition: exercise programs, alternative medicine, support groups, the latest crop of designer drugs. Weaving his experiences against a backdrop of entertaining celebrity anecdotes, Lander offers a message of affirmation that will provide information and hope to millions of M.S. sufferers, their friends and caregivers.

This is one of my all time favorite books. Sad and hysterical at the same time.

Challenge Update - Bible

In the past week I've read St. Matthew 1-9

I also switched versions. I'm not using the KJV for the New Testement reading, I have decided to use the New Living Bible. It is easier on my eyes and I like the translation.

Richard Paul Evans

The latest book I have read by Richard Paul Evans was entitled "The Sunflower". Evans is known now for his Christmas books, but his first few books did not totally revolve around Christmas. They had a Christmas scene, mostly toward the end. This is one of those books. "The Sunflower" mostly takes place in Peru, South America. It is a wonderful love story about loss and hope. Christine was to be married but shortly before their wedding date, her fiance backs out, leaving her devistated. Christine's friend Jessica signs them up to go to Peru to help work with orphans. Christine is not thrilled with this idea, but she feels called to go. The other story centeres around Dr. Cook and his running away from his life as a doctor in the states. Obviously these two people meet at some point. Very nice story, I think one of my favorite of his.

"Noel" was actually the first book written by him that I read. This was a few years ago. I'll be honest, I was attracted to the shiny ball on the cover. I had never heard of Evans at this point. This story is about two strangers who change each other's lives. Mark's car dies on a snowy night and he goes into a coffee shop and meets Macy. Over the next few weeks, they tell each other their life stories. They become close and Mark wants to Mary Macy but she has baggage. I enjoyed this one, more of a Christmas feel.

"The Christmas Box" was Evan's first novel and it was self-publishedway back in 1994. A young couple are caring for a lonely widow. The widow on her deathbed reveals her secret sorrow through a Christmas box filled with letters. This particular book has a lot of Christian imagry throughout.

Then I went sort of left field and read "The 5 Lessons a Millionaire Taught Me". Not to be confused with his other book "The 5 Lessons a Millionaire Taught Me...For Women". The latter just came out earlier this year.

This is a very interesting non-fiction book about prosperity. In short it is a financial guide
lays out the five principles common to many self-made fortunes. Fascinating reading.

In "The Gift" Nathan Hurst, a frequently traveling, Tourette's-suffering security chief for a retail chain. (I lifted that sentence from Amazon, it is so good). He gets stranded (snowed in) at a Denver airport on Thanksgiving. He meetins Lizzy and Collin. Collin has leukemia but he also has a healing gift and cures Nathan of his Tourette's.

This book really pulled at the heart strings. I think this was my favorite out of all the Christmas books I've read so far.

Then along comes "Grace". This was the Christmas book for 2008. He comes out with one a year. This one was very depressing. Eric finds runaway classmate Grace living in a dumpster. He falls in love with her. Of course Eric's life isn't peachy, his dad is recovering from Guillain-Barré, which puts a lot of strees on his mother. The book went along just find until the end. I did not like this one as much as the others. This is a Christmas season book, it really should be more uplifting.

"Timepiece" was a book I did not read during the Christmas season. But it was an earlier work and didn't really revolve around the Christmas season, although it had the obligitory scene.

This story traces the miraculous lives of David and his wife MaryAnne as they discover the power of love, loyalty, forgiveness -- and a long-forgotten keepsake that will change the fate of their family for eternity (Amazon).
This is another one of my favorite one of his books by Evans. Such a touching and interesting story.

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:


Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"We thought Adie and Emery read about it in the paper and came back, but the Atlanta papers probably didn't even cover the drowing of two little girls in Florida."

Duma Key by Stephen King
Page 703

What are you reading on Mondays?

A weekly event hosted by J. Kaye’s Book Blog to discuss your reading week ~ the books you've read and those you plan on reading in the coming week.

WHAT I HAVE COMPLETED THIS PAST WEEK


The Year of Living Biblically by A.J. Jacobs

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery

I have written reviews on these two.

This week I'm working on

Duma Key by Stephen King

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

August Reads

Now that we are half way through September (almost) I want to list the books I read in August. Looking back, they were varied. In my 75 books for 2009 list these are books 42 thru 49.


42. Old New York - Edith Wharton
Short stories and novellas by Edith Wharton. It was a decent read, the one story I really liked was "The Old Maid", not only because I saw the movie and thought it was fantastic, but it had the most scandal. I liked the way Ms. Wharton went through the decades. If I recall, she starts in the 1840s and each story goes to the next decade. The stories also intertwine.

43. Secret Windows: Essays and Fiction on the Craft of Writing - Stephen King
I love Stephen King, and I will read anything non-fiction he writes. Although my favorite non-fiction book by him is still "On Writing", I thought this collection was well worth the read. Any real fan of King will love this book, although it is not easy to get a copy, but they are out there.

44. Rage to Survive: The Etta James Story - Etta James
Singer Etta James had an incredible life. Her autobiography spans from her childhood until the late 1980s. She talks about her drug addiction and screwed up love affairs, but of course there is a sort of happy ending.

45. Wasted: A Memoir of Anorexia and Bulimia - Marya Hornbacher
A young woman's story about her battle with Anorexia and Bllimia. I think this is the youngest case I've ever heard, she started at the age of 9, and as of the writing of the book, she was still 'working on it'.

46. The Third Jesus - Deepak Chopra
The Jesus none of us know. Deepak Chopra is not a favorite writer of mine, but I gave the book a shot. It wasn't bad. Read my review more more insight.

47. The Last Lecture - Randy Pausch
The premise of this book is sad. He wrote this as his last words to his sons. Coming of age tidbits and stuff like that. It was very entertaining and it is a shame he couldn't write more.

48. Something Wicked This Way Comes - Ray Bradbury
I suppose it was OK, it wasn't my type of book. Coming of age story about 2 boys who experience mysterious things.

49. Finding Peace - Dr. Charles Stanley
I haven't read a Dr. Stanley book in years. This one was very good. Not new information, but a nice refresher.

The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible

The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible by A.J. Jacobs

This was a very entertaining read. A.J. Jacobs. His year long experiment was chronicled in this book. Jacobs, who was born to a Jewish family, decided he was going to delve into the Old Testament full force. This was new territory to him as he was not a very religious Jew. During his experiment he learned a lot about his faith and heritage, and so did I.

I grew up in a primarily Jewish neighborhood (across the street from a synagogue) and have a very good friend whose family recognized some of the traditions, therefore, I knew about a lot of their customs and traditions, but what Jacobs found on his journey was fascinating. He spoke about his trials as his beard grew and his clothes fibers couldn't mix. He made light of his ignorance and his trouble altering his New York attitude. Jacobs found humor on his journey and he wasn’t shy about sharing his thoughts and mis–steps.

After reading this, I have a new respect for those who try to follow the Bible literally. Although I am sure no one has followed it as literally as Mr. Jacobs. What I found nice about his year long journey is that not only did he consult with Jewish authorities, he went to Christian ones as well. His research was very well rounded, which I think gave him more knowledge then he required, but it was a noble effort.

I am going to read his other book “Know-It-All, One Man’s Humble Request to Become the Smartest Person in the World”.

Booking Through Thursday

What’s the most informative book you’ve read recently?

The Complete Stephen King Universe: A Guide to the Worlds of Stephen King

I read this last fall (yes that is the most recent). I was always a Stephen King fan, but I wanted to know more about his works and how certain books came to be. A lot of his stuff, if not all of it, are based on some aspect of his personal life. It was interesting to see what those things were and how he filtered them throughout his works.

Challenge Updates

R.I.P. Challenge
Sept 1 - Oct 31
The Duma Key by Stephen King
Page 20

The Stephen King Challenge
Continuous
The Duma Key by Stephen King
Page 20







New Testament
St. Matthew 1-5 read so far.
Continuous






Banned Book Challenge
Sept 1 - Sept 30
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Page 25
Really good, don't know why it too me so long to read. Do I get points for seeing the movie?




2009 Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge
Jan 1 - Dec 31

The Sunflower by Richard Paul Evans
Page 150

It is taking me a while to get through this, but I suppose reading 3 or 4 books at once is slowing me down

A-Z Wednesday

A-Z Wednesday is hosted by Vicky of Reading at the Beach

Welcome to A-Z Wednesday!!
To join, here's all you have to do:
Go to your stack of books and find one whose title starts with the letter of the week.
Post:
1~ a photo of the book
2~ title and synopsis
3~ link (amazon, barnes and noble etc.)

Be sure to visit other participants to see what book they have posted and leave them a comment.(We all love comments, don't we?)Who knows? You may find your next "favorite" book.

This Week's Letter is: E

My choice from my read list is

Edgar Cayce: An American Prophet by Sidney Kirkpatrick

Synopsis
A New York Times bestselling author presents the definitive biography of the renowned psychic, religious seeker, and father of alternative medicine.

The New York Times once ran a front-page story celebrating him as "the most fascinating man in America." Although educated only through the eighth-grade, he was called upon by world leaders (such as Woodrow Wilson) and prominent scientists (such as Thomas Edison) to advise them on their most pressing issues. Treasure hunters, stock brokers, and oil-men made millions of dollars from his talents. And, in a hypnotic trance so deep he was twice pronounced clinically dead, he diagnosed illnesses with astonishing accuracy and prescribed medical treatments that were years ahead of their time, curing hundreds of people with intractable diseases. Who was this man?

Known as the "sleeping prophet," Edgar Cayce was a simple man from rural Kentucky who went on to lead an extraordinarily eventful life. As a child, he began having visions beyond waking reality, and though he had no idea where his powers of perception came from, through years of hardship and personal struggle, he developed his gifts to help others in need. And even as he became famous for his sensational achievements, and fell in with some of the most influential people of his day, Cayce never courted the limelight, and he lived much of his life in poverty. His greatest legacy may be the spiritual wisdom he brought from the "other side."

Now, in this definitive biography, Sidney Kirkpatrick, the only researcher to have been granted unrestricted access to all of Cayce's letters and papers, is the first to fully crack the code of Cayce's trance readings and reveal how they were used by such prominent individuals as Harry Houdini, George Gershwin, Nikola Tesla, Nelson Rockefeller, and Marilyn Monroe. Kirkpatrick has written a mesmerizing, revelatory account of this legendary figure, a humble man with a radiant gift, whose life and message continue to inspire legions of followers.

My Thoughts

I devoured this book. It was so interesting. I knew only bits and pieces about Cayce's life, but this book gave real insight into how his gift worked and how he used it to help others. I've always been a Cayce fan, after reading this, I am even more so.

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

She turned the boot upside down and cockroaches erupted from the boot in a thick stream.

There are jaguar, puma, vipers, constrictors, wild boars and quicksand, among other ways to ruin your day.

Page 223 -"The Sunflower" by Richard Paul Evans

The Little Prince

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Most people know this story, if not have already read it. At the age of 42, I just read it, and this has been in my house for at least 9 years sitting on my son's bookshelf. I wanted to write a witty review on this book, but I am so taken by the book, I can't even find the correct words to do it justice. So many images were going through my head, and as I was reading it I was saying to myself "Wow, that's deep, Wow that's insightful". I didn't read the Analysis until after I came to my own conclusions.

Adults have no time to enjoy life, no one stops and smells the roses. We are vain, self-indulgent and egocentric.

The Little Prince an analysis

There is a short blurb at the end of the story, that really had me thinking a whole new way. I won't retype the whole thing, but I will type some of the lines. And I read through the lines.

It's here that the little prince appeared on Earth, then disappeared.

Wait a little, just under the star! Then if a child comes to you...you'll know who he is. If this should happen, be kind! Don't let me go on being so sad: Send word immediately that he's come back....

I could be reading way too much into it, but I have my own ideas about the blurb.

Operation Actually Read Bible

I've decided to finally join this challenge. For the last few weeks I've been debating. It sounded like such an undertaking. Therefore, I have decided to break this up in managable pieces. So my first task is to read just the New Testament. Then I'll probably work back to the Psalms and Proverbs, and then I have to see how I will work the rest of the Old Testament.

For this challenge I will be reading mostly from the KJV, I do also have the NKJV, but I dont think I'll be skipping back and forth too much. I've always wanted to do this, I guess the time has come.

How long will this take? I'm not sure. I'm shooting for a year.