tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83393483114789526092024-03-12T22:22:47.884-07:00 Classics Without All the ClassWe are a group of readers who want to make reading books accessible and enjoyable for everyone. We talk all things literary and sometimes not so literary just to keep it fresh. We are also a podcast and book group on Goodreads with a specialization in classic books, both traditional and contemporary.CWAtChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355678790898676648noreply@blogger.comBlogger238125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8339348311478952609.post-58633428755319617132013-12-09T09:28:00.000-08:002013-12-09T09:28:23.481-08:00Ep #23 The Midwich Cuckoos<div style="color: #333333; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><a href="http://traffic.libsyn.com/classicswithoutclass/023.mp3" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><<<<Click Here>>>></span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">All good things must come to an end. Join Jeane and Karena as they end the CWAtC podcast and discuss the Midwich Cuckoos. Stay tuned for next month's outtakes episode for all of the Tators' shenanigans that didn't make the cut.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Where's My Bookmark?</span></div>
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<li><span id="docs-internal-guid-18717063-d862-860c-f8a6-9302698a2eff"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17707700-city-of-lost-dreams?from_search=true" target="_blank"><i><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">City of Lost Dreams</span></i></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8706185-among-others?from_search=true" target="_blank"><i><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Among Others</span></i></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11824.The_Whipping_Boy?from_search=true" target="_blank"><i><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The Whipping Boy</span></i></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7624.Lord_of_the_Flies?from_search=true" target="_blank">Lord of the Flies</a> </span></i></span></div>
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<li><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9864.The_Ground_Beneath_Her_Feet?from_search=true" target="_blank"><i><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The Ground Beneath Her Feet</span></i></a></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05811964704923102803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8339348311478952609.post-27674475169299755952013-11-04T07:13:00.005-08:002013-11-04T07:14:12.230-08:00Ep #22: Persuasion<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">>>>>>>>>>>>><a href="http://traffic.libsyn.com/classicswithoutclass/022.mp3" target="_blank">Click here to listen</a><<<<<<<<<<<<</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Could the Tators be persuaded into Jane Austen's final novel? Was Karena losing her voice the act of malicious post Halloween spirits? Did Jared read a book other than the selection of the month? Did Jeane finish her Newbury Award Winners? Find out now! </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Where's My Bookmark?:</span></span><br />
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/857528.Call_It_Courage?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>Call It Courage</i></a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14891.A_Tree_Grows_in_Brooklyn?ac=1" target="_blank">A Tree Grows in Brooklyn</a></i></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6516450-what-the-dog-saw-and-other-adventures?ac=1" target="_blank">What the Dog Saw</a></i></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6547188-black-magic-sanction?ac=1" target="_blank">Black Magic Sanction</a></i></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13438524-flight-behavior?ac=1" target="_blank">Flight Behavior</a></i></span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Websites we mention: </span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><a href="http://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/books/item/Bay-Area-Literary-Map-23355.php" target="_blank">Bay Area Literature Map</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/digital/ep-landing-page?ie=UTF8&*Version*=1&*entries*=0" target="_blank">Amazon Kindle Matchbook</a></span></li>
<li><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/1001-books-you-must-read-before/id707714941?ls=1&mt=8" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">1001 Books to Read Before You Die app</span></a></li>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05811964704923102803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8339348311478952609.post-77831315336822079692013-10-07T08:00:00.000-07:002013-10-07T08:00:01.505-07:00Ep #21: The Handmaid's Tale<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: large;">>>>>>>><a href="http://traffic.libsyn.com/classicswithoutclass/021.mp3">Click Here to Listen!</a><<<<<<<</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">2013 has been the year of the dystopia and science fiction for CWAtC, as Jared, Jeane, and Karena buckle down to discuss Margaret Atwood's arguably most famous book, <i>The Handmaid's Tale</i>. This conversation proves the range of the dystopian genre with how wrong society can go in a variety of ways. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Where's My Bookmark and other books we mention:</span></div>
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<li><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40440.The_Thirteenth_Tale"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The Thirteenth Tale</span></a></i></li>
<li><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13438524-flight-behavior?ac=1"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Flight Behavior</span></a></i></li>
<li><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13602426-the-round-house?ac=1"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The Round House</span></a></i></li>
<li><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16061734-may-we-be-forgiven?ac=1"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">May We Be Forgiven</span></a></i></li>
<li><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13562049-sweet-tooth?ac=1"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Sweet Tooth</span></a></i></li>
<li><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18061861-david-and-goliath?ac=1"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants</span></a></i></li>
<li><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15704458-steelheart?ac=1"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Steelheart</span></a></i></li>
<li><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14891.A_Tree_Grows_in_Brooklyn?ac=1"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">A Tree Grows in Brooklyn</span></a></i></li>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Websites we mention: </span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><a href="http://litreactor.com/tags/culling-the-classics">Culling the Classics</a></span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.booktrack.com/"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Booktrack</span></a></li>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05811964704923102803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8339348311478952609.post-33642964348646091772013-09-16T16:59:00.000-07:002013-09-16T16:59:25.048-07:00Ep #20: LitClubs to Lit Songs<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-large;">>>>>>><a href="http://traffic.libsyn.com/classicswithoutclass/020.mp3">Listen Here!</a><<<<<<</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">How can you get teenagers to enjoy the classics? Jeane and Karena interview Ali Dent about her book <i>The LitClub</i> in which she describes the literature club she created to get her kids and other kids into reading. Then they spotlight fellow CWAtCer Martin Waterhouse's musical take on <i>Brave New World </i>(which the gang talked about back in <a href="http://cwatc-bookclub.blogspot.com/2013/05/ep-11-brave-new-world.html">May</a>).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Where's My Bookmark (and other books we mention):</span><br />
<ul>
<li><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18222194-the-litclub?ac=1"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The LitClub</span></a></i></li>
<li><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6149.Beloved?ac=1"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Beloved</span></a></i></li>
<li><i><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The Color Purple</span></i></li>
<li><i><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Brave New World</span></i></li>
<li><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38447.The_Handmaid_s_Tale?ac=1"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The Handmaid's Tale</span></a></i></li>
<li><i><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Schindler's List</span></i></li>
<li><i><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Inferno</span></i></li>
<li><i><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">A Wrinkle in Time</span></i></li>
<li><i><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The Bronze Bow</span></i></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Seanan McGuire </span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Websites we mention</span></div>
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<li><a href="http://oysterbooks.com/"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Oyster</span></a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CCwQtwIwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DxgElSbZAM6U&ei=2IQ3UsPoH4OKjALl34HYBA&usg=AFQjCNE_89u-BwnpUgDwINfv7osOoz8tiQ&sig2=tsrIP1y16qnNxS4ueoUlvw&bvm=bv.52164340,d.cGE"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Brave New World by Martin Waterhouse</span></a></li>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05811964704923102803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8339348311478952609.post-26999078237661888362013-09-02T09:47:00.001-07:002013-09-02T09:53:50.439-07:00Ep #19 Burn Baby Burn<iframe style="border: none" src="http://html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/2457193/height/360/width/640/theme/standard-mini/direction/no/autoplay/no/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/preload/no/no_addthis/no/" height="360" width="640" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The band is back together on this episode where we chat about upcoming fall television shows that are based on books (the best ones usually are!). There's some chatting about Karena and Jared's recent DC trip and then we move on to delve into our August book, Ray Bradbury's often misunderstood novel, the book burning classic <i>Fahrenheit 451</i>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Where's my bookmark?</span><br />
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17212231-inferno?ac=1"><i><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Inferno</span></i></a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3509.Chris_Bohjalian">Chris Bohjalian</a> novels</span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18222194-the-litclub?ac=1"><i><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The LitClub</span></i></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/256683.City_of_Bones?from_search=true"><i><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">City of Bones</span></i></a></li>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05811964704923102803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8339348311478952609.post-40978636640434140802013-07-29T09:00:00.000-07:002013-07-29T09:00:09.390-07:00Ep #17 The Phantom of the Opera<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><a href="http://traffic.libsyn.com/classicswithoutclass/017.mp3"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Click here to listen to us!</span></b></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Even though they were short a Tator this week, Jeane and Karena delve into what most know as a Broadway masterpiece, Gaston Leroux's <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/480204.The_Phantom_of_the_Opera?ac=1"><i>The Phantom of the Opera</i></a>. They snoop the shadows and discuss the mystery of Erik (don't know who that is? Read the book! Then listen to this!). Also the ladies share the joy which <a href="http://cwatc-bookclub.blogspot.com/2013/07/litstarter.html">will be</a> the California Bookstore Day that is being featured on Indiegogo. Support your local indie bookstores! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Where's My Bookmark? and other books we mention:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span id="goog_1900287968"></span><span id="goog_1900287969"></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a></span><br />
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<li><i><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7743175-a-memory-of-light?ac=1">A Memory of Light</a> </span></i></li>
<li><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8788554-first-grave-on-the-right"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">First Grave on the Right</span></a></i></li>
<li><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8520610-quiet?ac=1"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking</span></a></i></li>
<li><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/190507.Phantom"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Phantom</span></a></i></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6314763-orange-is-the-new-black?ac=1"><i>Orange is the New Black</i></a></span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Websites We Mention:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1407334-historical-accuracy">CWAtC forum - Historical accuracy</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><a href="http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/california-bookstore-day">California Bookstore Day</a></span></li>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05811964704923102803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8339348311478952609.post-86712358046465122242013-07-29T08:00:00.000-07:002013-07-29T08:06:57.688-07:00LitStarter<span id="docs-internal-guid--292c993-1d80-564d-5cc2-b9314e864bc6"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.15; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Welcome to another installment of </span><span style="font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.15; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">LitStarter</span><span style="font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.15; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">! This is a regular look at some of my favorite projects I discovered through two popular crowd funding websites: </span><a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.15; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-style: italic; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kickstarter</span></a><span style="font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.15; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and </span><a href="http://www.indiegogo.com/" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.15; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-style: italic; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Indiegogo</span></a><span style="font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.15; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. The featured projects will be related to literature and comics, but not limited to publishing or writing projects.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.15; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: normal;"><i>Book lovers: this project was made for us -- we need this.</i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><br /></b></span>
<a href="http://igg.me/at/bookstoreday/x/3419124">California Bookstore Day</a></b> is scheduled for Saturday, May 3, 2014. It will be similar to </span><span style="color: #042eee; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><u>Record Store Day</u></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"> in the sense that it will be centered around independent stores selling limited-edition items in an effort to support local businesses and artists. <b>California Bookstore Day</b> will start with over 100 independent book sellers in the state offering more than just signed books. They're planning to sell collector's items, t-shirts, bookish art, and more -- items only available on <b>California Bookstore Day</b>.</span></div>
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</i></span><span style="font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; line-height: normal;">"But I don't live in California -- why do I care?"</span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.15;"><i><br />
</i></span><span style="font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; line-height: normal;">While this project will begin in California, the creators hope to expand <b>Bookstore Day</b> to include all 50 states by 2015. By helping to fund their first effort, you're helping to set the project up for success when it comes to a city near you. You're also bringing the spotlight to independent bookstores that desperately need your support.</span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.15;"><i><br />
</i></span><span style="font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; line-height: normal;"><b>California Bookstore Day</b> is asking for $30,00 so they can hire a coordinator to bring the project to life. The coordinator will be responsible for creating a website, handling publisher submissions, and managing the marketing campaign.</span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.15;"><i><br />
</i></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">All perks include a "thank you" on the website. Rewards</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; line-height: normal;"> begin at $25 with a bumper sticker. Higher tiers include gift cards to the indie bookstore of your choice, a book bag, and books!</span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.15;"><i><br />
</i></span><span style="font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; line-height: normal;">Let's show our love of all things bookish and our support of independent book sellers and back <b>California Bookstore Day</b>!</span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.15;"><i>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10739927673354356506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8339348311478952609.post-22553983567578843432013-07-28T13:11:00.000-07:002013-07-28T13:11:36.545-07:00This Week in Literature<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">August is CWAtC's "Quick Read" Month!</span></b></div>
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<i><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">July 28th - August 3rd</span></b></i></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Percy Bysshe Shelley and Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin elope to France, 1814</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Beatrix Potter is born, 1866</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Natalie Babbit, author of </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Tuck Everlasting</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">, is born, 1932</span></li>
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<li><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Fellowship of the Rings</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> is published in the UK, 1954</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Emily Bronte is born, 1818</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Paperbacks are first introduced, 1935</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Jul 31st</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">J.K. Rowling, born in 1965, and Harry Potter share their birthday!</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Aug 1st</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Herman Melville is born, 1819</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost is first published in the Atlantic Monthly, 1915</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Aug 2nd</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">George Eliot starts </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Middlemarch</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">, 1869</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Aug 3rd</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The last installment of </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Great Expectations </i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">is published, 1861</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Joseph Conrad dies at age 66, 1924</span></li>
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Angie Downshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11031634150104365851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8339348311478952609.post-26721760480705190502013-07-28T12:00:00.000-07:002013-07-28T12:00:03.077-07:00Required Reading <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Our Tators are always reading. Here are some of their favorite books for the month of July.
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<span style="color: #aaaaaa; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-style: italic;">July's Required Reading</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/16728981-all-tators" style="color: #aaaaaa; font-size: .9em;">More of All's books »</a>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Book recommendations, book reviews, quotes, book clubs, book trivia, book lists" border="0" height="53" src="https://www.goodreads.com/images/widget/widget_logo.gif" title="Book recommendations, book reviews, quotes, book clubs, book trivia, book lists" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Angie</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><i>The Ocean at the End of the Lane</i> by Neil Gaiman: Probably one of the strangest stories I've read lately. I was looking for a quick read, and this was perfect. I was hooked on the very first page. A very dark, but perceptive, look at what it means to become a grownup and understanding too much of a good thing can be very, very bad.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Heather</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Jennifer Miller's <i>The Year of the Gadfly</i>. Despite being categorized as young adult fiction, Gadfly is an engaging read for older fiction lovers as well. Miller has worked diligently to bring attention to her debut novel from creating a <a href="http://www.byjennifermiller.com/p/novelade-stand.html"><span class="s1">Novelade Stand</span></a> (complete with homemade cookies) to <a href="http://www.byjennifermiller.com/p/book-clubs-school-visits.html"><span class="s1">setting a world record</span></a>. Her efforts are paying off as she's receiving high praise from a broad swath of readers.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Jared</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I liked<i> The Phantom of the Opera</i> for a few different reasons. The first is how he actually wrote the story. I like that it came across as a true story and he wrote it like a crime novel of which I don't usually read, but it's pretty good. It's also depending on how true it is, it shed some light into the old days and theater life. I would now love to read a book that truly depicts the life in the opera during those times.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Jeane</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> <i>Juliet Dove Queen of Love</i> by Bruce Coville. (one reason I chose this book as Required Reading is because I read some really crappy books in the month of July, except this book). Even though it is for ages 7-12, Bruce Coville is a great author (I got a chance to meet him and he signed a bunch of books for my daughter!) and this is a great book. It is heavily seeped in Greek mythology so kids will even learn things! Don't really recommend for adults unless they like reading children's books like me :) This is also the 5th book in the Magic Shop series, but you can read it stand alone. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Karena</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><i>The Light in the Ruins </i>was a phenomenal book. If you like Italy, WW2, murder mysteries, family, etc. this is your book.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Laura</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><i>The Scarlet Pimpernel</i> is a fantastic mix of adventure, spy action, and romance with the Scarlet Pimpernel as the superhero. At times, it reminded me of <i>Superman</i> with the dual identity factor...meanwhile taking place during one of the most bloody and pivotal points in history, the French Reign of Terror, where the guillotine worked over time. I wrote a paper on the French Revolution in High School, explaining why the Reign of Terror was a "necessary evil." I had nightmares for weeks while writing this paper, so it was cool to revisit this topic. But this time, I saw it from the aristocrat point of view and felt sympathy for the nobility. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">What was your favorite read this month?</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05811964704923102803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8339348311478952609.post-52496230078987480132013-07-27T12:00:00.000-07:002013-07-27T12:00:01.641-07:00Classical Clairvoyance<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Classical Clairvoyance is where we ask our Tators which books they predict will win for the upcoming poll for our Goodreads book club. For October's poll, our winner is Persuasion so Laura's streak has sadly ended. Aww. However, she is tied with Karena on most correct answers! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Our scores for right guesses so far are as follows: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Angie -2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Heather - 1</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Jared - 1</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Jeane - 2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Karena - 3</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Laura - 3</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">November's <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/87967-time-to-vote-for-november-s-book-the-category-is-1910-1959-let-us">poll</a> choices are for the category of 1910-1959:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/127028.The_Magnificent_Ambersons">The Magnificent Ambersons</a>, <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1297123.The_Black_Obelisk">The Black Obelisk</a>, <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/662.Atlas_Shrugged">Atlas Shrugged</a>, <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/184591.The_Innocence_of_Father_Brown">The Innocence of Father Brown</a>, <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/161846.The_Midwich_Cuckoos?ac=1">The Midwich Cuckoos </a></i> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><b>Angie</b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Heather</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><b>Jared</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><b>Jeane</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><b>Karena</b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Laura</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Which novel do think is going to win the poll?</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05811964704923102803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8339348311478952609.post-15825305579726403842013-07-25T12:00:00.000-07:002013-07-25T12:00:01.938-07:00Graphic By Nature<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is the place for graphic novel reviews, but you won't find any traditional superheroes here. If you're like me, you enjoy your comics funny, strange, and sometimes a little dark. But you also value an interesting story and captivating illustration. Sounds like you? Keep reading!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">Instead of the usual graphic novel review, this post will be different because last week was </span><span style="color: #042eee; font-size: 13px;"><u>Comic-Con International</u></span><span style="font-size: 13px;"> in San Diego. I had the privilege of attending this year and wanted to share the two graphic novels I'm most looking forward to this autumn.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">The main part of the convention is comprised of many booths inside of the convention center. To get an idea of what this looks like, check out <span style="color: #042eee;"><u>the exhibit hall map</u></span>. A lot of the booths not only offer an opportunity to purchase artwork, books, and a great variety of wares, but they also giveaway stuff. Lots and lots of stuff. I mailed myself an entire box of free books I picked up at the show, but that's a story for another post. One of the popular giveaway items was samplers: a sneak peek at upcoming books, comics, or graphic novels. There were two graphic novels that stood out to me as ones to watch for this fall after giving them a read.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.topshelfcomix.com/catalog/covers/marchbookone_softcover_lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.topshelfcomix.com/catalog/covers/marchbookone_softcover_lg.jpg" width="136" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="text-align: justify;">Photo courtesy of </span><span style="color: #042eee; text-align: justify;"><u>Top Shelf Productions</u></span></span></td></tr>
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<i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">March (Book One)</i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> is the first story in a trilogy of graphic novels depicting the life of </span><span style="color: #042eee; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><u>Congressman John Lewis (GA-5)</u></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> a civil rights legend known as one of the "Big Six." Congressman Lewis co-wrote the story with aide Andrew Aydin. Artist </span><span style="color: #042eee; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><u>Nate Powell</u></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> brought the story to life with a traditional black and white comic style. This graphic novel will be the first ever authored by a sitting member of Congress. </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">March</i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> looks not only to tell the story of Congressman Lewis but also to make the civil rights movement understood and accessible to generations that might not have been alive to experience it for themselves. View a sample by </span><span style="color: #042eee; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><u>clicking here</u></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">. Congressman Lewis was at Comic-Con this year to discuss and promote his graphic novel -- you can </span><span style="color: #042eee; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><u>read more about it here</u></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">.</span></div>
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<i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">March (Book One)</i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> goes on sale Tuesday, August 13th.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><i>Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children</i> was originally a novel by <span style="color: #042eee;"><u>Ransom Riggs</u></span> As a novel it was on the <span style="color: #042eee;"><u>New York Times Best Seller List</u></span> for more than 52 consecutive weeks. And those are two facts were completely unknown to me before I picked up an exclusive excerpt of <i>Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children: The Graphic Novel</i>. This is the tall tale of a young man in search of the truth after witnessing his grandfather pass away. Grandpa Portman was always telling his grandson, Jacob, about the strange and wonderful people and places of his youth. As Jacob grew older, he believed all of Grandpa Portman's stories to be false -- until he witnessed something strange himself and went in search of Miss Peregrine in the hopes of finding answers. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">Artist <span style="color: #042eee;"><u>Cassandra Jean</u></span> incorporates the creepy pictures that made the novel famous into her work as she translates the original story into a graphic novel form that is both easy to read and exciting.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children: The Graphic Novel </i>goes on sale Tuesday, October 29th.</span></span></div>
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</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10739927673354356506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8339348311478952609.post-46379153105032667892013-07-23T10:00:00.000-07:002013-07-23T10:00:08.374-07:00Tator Tuesdays<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Every week we ask our Tators bookish questions. This week's question is </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">What book have you read that you weren't looking forward to, but ended up liking it a great deal? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Angie</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5129.Brave_New_World?ac=1">Brave New World</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Heather</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21996.The_Devil_in_the_White_City?ac=1">The Devil in the White City</a> by Erik Larson. I was attending an informal book discussion group a year or two ago where it was on the list. One of the members said that, when she read it, it scared her so much she couldn’t sleep. That, coupled with the fact that the book talked a lot about architecture -- a topic I knew little to nothing about and had no interest in -- turned me off. However, while reading, I enjoyed learning about architecture, the World’s Fair, and H.H. Holmes. The research that went into the novel as well as the narrative Larson was able to weave together makes for a very compelling story that shouldn’t be missed!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Jared</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4214.Life_of_Pi">Life of Pi</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Jeane</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4214.Life_of_Pi">Life of Pi</a> and <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1885.Pride_and_Prejudice?ac=1">Pride and Prejudice</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Karena</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4214.Life_of_Pi">Life of Pi</a>. I was not looking forward to that one at ALL, but ending up liking it a lot.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Laura</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53835.The_Age_of_Innocence">The Age of Innocence</a>. I was about to give up on it and if it weren't for CWAtC, I would have stopped reading it early on. I ended up enjoying it very much, and this experience made me realize THAT is the reason why I joined CWAtC.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Do you have any books that surprised you?</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05811964704923102803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8339348311478952609.post-65653392659712935212013-07-21T12:00:00.000-07:002016-01-19T16:25:41.998-08:00Wild @ Heart with YA Lit<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Each month, I choose a different young adult novel to read for a number of reasons. One is that I like to keep up with the type of books my children and students are reading. Another is that reading young adult literature reminds me of the trials and tribulations of growing up. Reading YA literature keeps me wild at heart.</i></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11387515-wonder?ac=1" target="_blank"><img alt="Wonder" src="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1366213431l/11387515.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There is so much I enjoyed about <i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11387515-wonder">Wonder</a></i> by R.J. Palacio, I don't know where to begin. As a children's novel, there is much to be learned by any child who reads it. The lessons in the story cannot be missed and should linger to all who read it. As an adult reading this book, it is a great reminder of the awkward middle school years, somewhere in between being a child, completely dependent on his/her parents, and being a more independent teen. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Wonder</i> is about a young boy named August entering the fifth grade. He is completely average in most ways. He loves to watch television, is a huge Star Wars fan, loves to play his Xbox. Interestingly though, he is also going to school for the first time in his entire life. You see, he's been home-schooled his entire life in order to protect him from humiliating and degrading leers and jabs by other children. August, unfortunately, was born with a severe cranial-facial abnormality, one of such rare case that there was only a one in four million chance that he would get it. His face is so deformed that he won't even try to explain what he looks like and spent two years of his life wearing an astronaut helmet, hiding his face from public view. However, because this novel is told from the perspective of August, his sister, and a few other students and family friends, as we progress through the novel, we begin to get a more accurate picture of his facial traits. August is not a handsome boy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Because August and his parents decide that it is time for him to go to school and try to adjust to having a more well-rounded education, he must face ridicule and bullying from other students. At times, this is a terrifying and heart-breaking task for August. One student actually runs away screaming and crying after seeing him for the first time. However, as time moves on, August makes friends with a few students that step forward in the darkest moments of August's fifth grade year with deep kindness, helping, protecting, and befriending him. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Wonder </i>is absolutely <i>wonder</i>ful. I highly recommend it to all. It is well-written and filled with messages to last a lifetime. Read it for yourself. Read it with your children. Read it to your class. This book will lead to thoughtful discussions about what it means to be a kind person and a good friend.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Verdict: <b>Bookshelf!</b></span></div>
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Angie Downshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11031634150104365851noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8339348311478952609.post-78355296948771425232013-07-21T10:00:00.000-07:002013-07-21T10:00:02.789-07:00This Week in Literature<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>July 21st - 27th</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">21 - Robert Burns dies, 1796</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> Earnest Hemingway is born, 1899</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i> Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, </i>the final book in the series, is published, 2007</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">22 - Ratcatcher's Day: A day to celebrate the day the Pied Piper got all the rats out of </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> Hamelin, 1284</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">23 - Raymond Chandler is born, 1888</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">24 - </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Zelda Sayre, wife of F. Scott Fitzgerald, is born, 1900</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> O. Henry is released from prison after serving three years for embezzlement, 1901</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">25 - Samuel Taylor Coleridge dies, 1834</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> Jack London leaves to join the Klondike Gold Rush, where he will write his first </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> successful stories, 1897</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">26 - George Bernard Shaw is born, 1856</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> Jan Berenstain, co-author of the Berenstain Bears series, is born, 1923</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">27 - Alexandre Dumas fils is born, 1824</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> Radclyffe Hall's </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Well of Loneliness </i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">is published, 1928</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> Gertrude Stein dies in Paris, 1946</span></div>
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Angie Downshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11031634150104365851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8339348311478952609.post-32256627407835759532013-07-18T12:00:00.000-07:002013-07-18T12:00:02.990-07:00Bookshelf, Library Bag or Donation Box - Quick and Dirty<i><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">In Bookshelf, Library Bag or Donation Box, our Tators give their verdict on the books they read, whether they're keepers for the shelves, ones you borrow from your local library, or just give to your local used bookstore.</span></i><br />
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<i><b><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16071831-five-star-billionaire">Five Star Billionaire</a> </span></b></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">This novel tells the story of four very different Malaysians who come to Shanghai in search of a better life. Some of the stories were more interesting than others. I applaud Aw in this; he created a character in Shanghai itself. The city itself became the most interesting "person." I think some of the stories could have been fleshed out a bit, and a few times I wasn't sure if the characters were using a past narrative or one in the present day. All in all, it just wasn't enough to make it a keeper for me. However, I'm interested in reading Aw's previous works.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">*Received from netgalley.com</span></div>
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<i><b><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17165595-stoker-s-manuscript">Stoker's Manuscript</a> </span></b></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Joseph Berkley is a rare manuscript dealer who is hired by an anonymous buyer who commissions him to find and purchase Bram Stoker's manuscript and bring it to Romania. As a book lover, I enjoyed the process Prouty explains on manuscript authentication, and the history of Stoker writing the book was illuminating. Prouty's descriptions are very illustrative; I saw Transylvania and the buildings the character entered. However, Joseph as a character is weak. I didn't relate to him at all, and the climax of the book seems a bit contrived and lacking the horror that it is supposed to have. </span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16045140-the-love-affairs-of-nathaniel-p">The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P.</a> </b></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The story of a man and his relationships, Nate is the son of Jewish immigrants, a Harvard graduate, who is now a writer living in Brooklyn. And, he doesn't let you forget it. He repeats all this over and over again. I had a friend tell me once he couldn't be nice to his girlfriend at the time because she would "start to expect it." Nate never vocalizes this, but he thinks it deep down, and it shows in the majority of his actions towards the women in his life. I was disappointed, since the beginning of the novel states, "he's was a product of a postfeminist 1980s childhood and politically correct, 1990s college education." I never saw evidence of this.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">*Received from LibraryThing as part of their Early Reviewers program</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05811964704923102803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8339348311478952609.post-64796050124128436802013-07-18T10:00:00.000-07:002013-07-18T10:00:01.155-07:00Graphic By Nature at San Diego Comic-Con<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hello dear readers! We know it's not quite time for <b>Graphic By Nature </b>-- that's next week -- but this news it too exciting not to share. I'm at <a href="http://www.comic-con.org/cci">San Diego Comic-Con</a> this week! It's my very first time (but hopefully not the last).</span></div>
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Source: Heather Varanini</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Follow me on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/Heather__Ilene">@heather__ilene</a> as I share my experience; I'll be using #SDCC to denote my con-related tweets.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>If you have any tips or suggestions for my first SDCC, please write to me on Twitter or leave a comment</i>.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10739927673354356506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8339348311478952609.post-69512601718145101572013-07-17T12:00:00.000-07:002013-07-17T12:00:02.090-07:00Book Association<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">In this month's Book Association we're linking our Goodreads group book of the month <i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/480204.The_Phantom_of_the_Opera">The Phantom of the Opera</a></i> with other titles that fit with some different themes. This week's theme is French literature. Now, I think we can all name works by Flaubert, Hugo, Dumas, or even Camus, but how about some lesser known French titles.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49540.Les_Liaisons_Dangereuses"></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49540.Les_Liaisons_Dangereuses"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><i>Les Liaisons Dangereuses</i></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I admit, the most I know about this one is it's the source material for Cruel Intentions, a movie from the late 90's starring Sarah Michelle Gellar and Ryan Phillippe as salaciously scheming step siblings. However horrible you may have found the movie, the underlying plot is pretty scandalous. I might need to move this title up my TBR list. </span></div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19380.Candide"></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19380.Candide"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><i>Candide</i></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The protagonist of this short adventure novel, Candide, goes from one venture to another as Voltaire uses him and his escapades to illustrate scathing satire of the period's current events. </span></div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14662.The_Red_and_the_Black"></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14662.The_Red_and_the_Black"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><i>The Red and the Black</i></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">In society after Napoleon's Waterloo, Julien is trying to rise above his station by embracing the hypocrisy by which French society operated at the time. Another exercise in satire, this novel also is full of romance, drama, intrigue, class disputes and so much more. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">What are some of your favorite French novels?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05811964704923102803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8339348311478952609.post-33490830784698881732013-07-16T10:00:00.000-07:002013-07-16T10:00:08.486-07:00Tator Tuesdays<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Every week we ask our Tators bookish questions. This week's question is:<br /></span><br />
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<i>What is your all-time favorite quote?</i></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Angie</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><i>"So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past." </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">-F. Scott Fitzgerald The Great Gatsby</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Heather</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> I don’t have one but a quote that’s been resonating with me lately is Mary</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">McCarthy’s “<i>We are the hero of our own story</i>.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Hundreds. None of them jump to my mind. I love how authors can put shit together.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Karena</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">“<i>In omnibus requiem quaesivi, et nusquam inveni nisi in angulo cum libro.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><i>(Everywhere I have sought peace and not found it, except in a corner with a book.)</i>” </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Laura</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">“<i>Since you embrace this indiscriminate vice, </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><i>Your friendship comes at far too cheap a price;</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><i>I spurn the easy tribute of a heart</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><i>Which will not set the worthy man apart:</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><i>I choose, Sir, to be chosen; and in fine,</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><i>The friend of mankind is no friend of mine</i>.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">- Alceste from The Misanthrope</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">What's your favorite bookish quote?</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05811964704923102803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8339348311478952609.post-36467863907075500932013-07-15T09:30:00.000-07:002013-07-15T15:31:07.934-07:00Ep #16 Heroes Are Overrated<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://traffic.libsyn.com/classicswithoutclass/016.mp3"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Click here to listen to Episode 16!</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">In this episode the Tators ask what makes them abandon a book and talk about Thug Notes. Then they delve into the second installment of the trope/archetype series in preparation for this month's book selection of <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/480204.The_Phantom_of_the_Opera"><i>The Phantom of the Opera</i></a>. What makes an anti hero? Who are some of literary's most notable? Why do we all love the anti hero even more than the heroes?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Where's My Bookmark and other books we mention:</span><br />
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<li><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5470.1984"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">1984</span></a></i></li>
<li><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8520610-quiet"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking</span></a></i></li>
<li><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16045140-the-love-affairs-of-nathaniel-p"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P.</span></a></i></li>
<li><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12224817-the-year-of-the-gadfly"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The Year of the Gadfly</span></a></i></li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17231.Darkly_Dreaming_Dexter"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Darkly Dreaming Dexter</span></a></li>
<li><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/series/43790-a-song-of-ice-and-fire"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">A Song of Fire and Ice series</span></a></i></li>
<li><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5107.The_Catcher_in_the_Rye"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Catcher in the Rye</span></a></i></li>
<li><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4671.The_Great_Gatsby"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The Great Gatsby</span></a></i></li>
<li><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/series/45175-harry-potter"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Harry Potter</span></a></i></li>
<li><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/series/44598-millennium"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Millenium Trilogy</span></a></i></li>
<li><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/375013.Schindler_s_List"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Schindler's List</span></a></i></li>
<li><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/series/40549-jack-reacher"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Jack Reacher series</span></a></i></li>
<li><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/series/49996-sherlock-holmes"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Sherlock Holmes</span></a></i></li>
<li><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/series/66175-the-lord-of-the-rings"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The Lord of the Rings</span></a></i></li>
<li><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/series/40633-jason-bourne"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Jason Bourne series</span></a></i></li>
<li><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5759.Fight_Club"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Fight Club</span></a></i></li>
<li><i><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1885.Pride_and_Prejudice">Pride and Prejudice</a></span></i></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Websites We Mention:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/blog/show/424-what-makes-you-put-down-a-book"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">What Makes You Put Down A Book? via Goodreads</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.thug-notes.com/"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Thug Notes</span></a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><a href="http://thegreatestbooks.org/">The Greatest Books</a></span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=video&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CDwQtwIwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ted.com%2Ftalks%2Fsusan_cain_the_power_of_introverts.html&ei=-HfkUfaUFo3DiwKA1ICYDg&usg=AFQjCNEcxttxWJtwaUs0APgxEuLAm5Wwew&sig2=mfI4wbDJ3-p4G2UiigfpsQ&bvm=bv.48705608,d.cGE">Susan Cain Ted Talks: The Power of Introverts</a></li>
</ul>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05811964704923102803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8339348311478952609.post-55456230395608332482013-07-14T12:00:00.000-07:002013-07-14T12:00:03.419-07:00Bookshelf, Library Bag, or Donation Box<div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In Bookshelf, Library Bag, or Donation Box, our Tators give their verdict on the books they read, whether they're keepers for the shelves, one you borrow from your local library, or just give to your local used bookstore.</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The story begins by following the lives of an unsuspecting man waiting in an airport, Wil Parke, and a young street hustler named Emily Ruff. There's been an incident in the rural Australian town of Broken Hill, where the entire population of thousands have been wiped out. Rumor has it that only one man walked away: the outlier.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At first blush, <b><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16158596-lexicon">Lexicon</a></i></b> is a novel about the power of words -- the way in which they can be wielded to control people. But not just anyone can use their powers of observation and persuasion this way; only a select few who are admitted into a secret school focused on teaching students to hone their skills through the study of classic literature, psychology, and linguistics even have a chance. They must spend many years of rigorous study, discipline, and constant testing to become masters. The masters of words are called Poets and are named after famous authors like T.S. Eliot, Virginia Woolf, and Emily Brontë. Some work for the school while others work for organizations related to the school but the details of the organization's purpose and true function are unclear.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Lexicon</i> </b>makes for a good summer read. Partly because of the love story, which is the real pulse of the novel, and the importance of love in our lives -- how it keeps us human. Also, the book is well-paced and most will churn through its 400 pages quickly. There's a nice mix of adventure and introspection that keep the story moving.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With that being said, the novel had a few problems. In <b><i>Lexicon</i></b>, words and phrases are means of control and persuasion over others. It was disappointing to discover that these words were just a mishmash of letters -- made up words and phrases. I was expecting something more than that, especially from a book filled with clever nods to classic works and authors. Another factor that made <b>Lexicon </b>a borrow, rather than buy, type of book was that it was difficult to follow, especially in regards to the dialogue in the last third of the book. Often, the dialogue wasn't linear in the typical "person A speaks" then "person B speaks" fashion and made it difficult to distinguish who was saying or thinking what.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you're looking for a smart, fast-paced summer read with a hint of science fiction, this book is for you. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Verdict:<b> Library Bag</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Learn more about Max Barry and his other books at <a href="http://www.maxbarry.com/"><span class="s3">his website</span></a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MaxBarryOfficial"><span class="s3">like him on Facebook</span></a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/MaxBarry"><span class="s3">follow him on Twitter</span></a>. If you're interested in politics and/or international relations, check out <a href="http://www.nationstates.net/"><span class="s3">NationStates</span></a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">*A copy of Max Barry's <i>Lexicon</i> was provided by the publisher via <a href="https://www.netgalley.com/"><span class="s3">NetGalley.com</span></a>.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10739927673354356506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8339348311478952609.post-36734725524162756902013-07-14T10:00:00.000-07:002013-07-14T10:00:06.371-07:00LitStarter: Bringing You the Best in Bookish Projects<div class="p1">
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-0ab3ef29-d5c7-0e96-f4da-103aa94ab6da"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.15; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Welcome to another installment of </span><span style="font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.15; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">LitStarter</span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.15; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">! This is a regular look at some of my favorite projects I discovered through two popular crowd funding websites: </span><a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.15; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kickstarter</span></a><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.15; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and </span><a href="http://www.indiegogo.com/" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.15; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Indiegogo</span></a><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.15; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. The featured projects will be related to literature and comics, but not limited to publishing or writing projects.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>In the Country of the Blind: A Novel of Suspense </b>is actor-turned-novelist Matthew Arkin's first attempt at creating the type of novel he's loved his whole life. Arkin is a voracious reader of suspense novels series. The first book in his series, <i>In the Country of the Blind</i>, is finished. You can read a short excerpt of the book <a href="http://www.matthewarkin.com/itcotb-excerpt.html"><span class="s3">here</span></a> or check out the first five chapters by <a href="http://www.matthewarkin.com/uploads/7/4/7/4/7474492/kickstart5ch.pdf">clicking here</a>. He's asking for money in order to fund manuscript review and editing; custom design for the interior and cover; publishing; and Kickstarter rewards. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whenever I visit a Kickstarter page, I try to learn as much about the project as possible. And this includes watching the video. Thus far, it's safe to say I've seen a lot of videos and most of them are terrible. It's always disappointing when I discover a great project only to see that the posted video detracts from the great ideas or work someone is doing. That's not the case here. Arkin's video is funny and engaging -- definitely worth the watch. His enthusiasm is contagious and his story is one that many readers can respect.</span><br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1815786743/in-the-country-of-the-blind-a-novel-of-suspense/widget/video.html" width="480"> </iframe>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are only a few days left to support <b>In the Country of the Blind: A Novel of Suspense</b>. Rewards range from an eCard to a bookmark to a copy of the completed novel at the lower tiers and hardcover copies, a visit to your book club, as well as the option to name a minor character in the upcoming novel are available at higher tiers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I highly recommend visiting Arkin's <a href="http://kck.st/1api9wr"><span class="s3">Kickstarter page</span></a> and checking out the project for yourself. Let's support fellow readers-turned-writers! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can learn more about <a href="http://www.matthewarkin.com/"><span class="s3">Matthew Arkin</span></a> on his website, <a href="https://twitter.com/ArkinStudio"><span class="s3">follow him on Twitter</span></a> or <a href="https://www.facebook.com/arkinmatthew"><span class="s3">Facebook</span></a>. </span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10739927673354356506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8339348311478952609.post-77329883234935201152013-07-14T09:00:00.000-07:002016-01-19T16:26:42.271-08:00This Week in Literature<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>July is "Read an Almanac Month!"</b></span></div>
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<tr><td><img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c0/Almanac_La_Traca_1916.jpg" height="320" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="214" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">Source: <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/">http://upload.wikimedia.org</a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>July 14th-20th </i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">14 - </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">15 - First item sells on <i>Amazon.com</i>, 1995</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">16 - Ida B. Wells is born, 1862</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Theodore Geisel published his first cartoon as Dr. Seuss, 1927</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> J.D. Salinger's first and only novel, <i>The Catcher in the Rye</i>, was published, 1951</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">17 - Jack Kerouac goes on his first cross-country road trip, 1947</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">18 - </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Hunter S. Thompson is born, 1937</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">19 - Children's author John Newbery is born, 1713</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Herman Bahr is born, 1863</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">20 - Cormac McCarthy is born, 1933</span></div>
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Angie Downshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11031634150104365851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8339348311478952609.post-40350547639558120992013-07-12T10:00:00.000-07:002013-07-12T10:00:03.842-07:00Literary Loot<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9abda0O7PXg9ursBUHKxPDmUIqbkgA0xx6U4bpIe4EIkIWsTQebHCao_dbcdtyKkG8iTH80nT6TETeleK4RvloUwosmZeRqv4FQYLv0suqk6ywg8vK3Ycp_9zcWWgaEKPK036ks6yXQE/s1600/IMG_0029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9abda0O7PXg9ursBUHKxPDmUIqbkgA0xx6U4bpIe4EIkIWsTQebHCao_dbcdtyKkG8iTH80nT6TETeleK4RvloUwosmZeRqv4FQYLv0suqk6ywg8vK3Ycp_9zcWWgaEKPK036ks6yXQE/s320/IMG_0029.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: Karena Fagan</td></tr>
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Wrapping it up with part four of my Santa Cruz Public Library Spring Sale splurge! I know this seems like it took forever. Next time I'll make sure to put them closer because you know I'm going to turn around and do this again next time there's another huge sale.<br />
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So like in <a href="http://cwatc-bookclub.blogspot.com/2013/06/literary-loot.html">part one</a>, I had David Sedaris so I couldn't resist not pick up <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4138.Naked"><i>Naked</i></a> as well as <i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4137.Me_Talk_Pretty_One_Day">Me Talk Pretty One Day</a></i>. Investing that much (which really was like ten bucks) on an author I haven't tried is scary, but I have high hopes.<br />
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<i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19089.Middlemarch">Middlemarch</a> </i>is one I really would like to get to one of these days. I am hoping it gets chosen as a book of the month for the group to help me get it to the top of my list.<br />
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I've heard both good and bad about <i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9712.Love_in_the_Time_of_Cholera">Love in the Time of Cholera</a></i>. I am curious to find out on which side of the debate I will be.<br />
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I feel like I'm missing out as I've never read any Toni Morrison, so I picked up <i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5198.Paradise?ac=1">Paradise</a> </i>because no one wants to be left behind.<br />
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Any plans to pick up your own Literary Loot this weekend? Go support your local library if they have a book store or your local indie library.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05811964704923102803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8339348311478952609.post-15485378461761242442013-07-09T11:00:00.000-07:002013-07-09T11:00:02.325-07:00Tator Tuesday<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Every week we ask our Tators bookish questions. This week's question is:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Who are three authors you'd most like to have dinner with (living or dead)? </span></div>
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<b>Angie</b> </div>
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Alive: Patrick Ness, George R.R. Martin, Sherman Alexie</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Dead: Carson McCullers, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Dorothy Parker</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><b>Heather</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Samuel Clemens, hands down. There’s no way there would be a dull moment. Nate Silver because then I could pick his brain about politics and statistics. And Mary Roach because she’s charming, funny, and deeply curious.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><b>Jared</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> Malcom Gladwell, Nate Silver and Clive Cussler</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><b>Jeane</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Christopher Moore, Anne Rice, and Barbara Kingsolver</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><b>Karena</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Jenny Lawson, Kevin Hearne and Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens). There would be booze and curse words involved and that spells great dinner party. I wonder what Twain would say to alcoholic Otter pops?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><b>Laura</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">V.C. Andrews, Edgar Allen Poe and ... hmmm Marquis de Sade to keep the conversation interesting. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Who would you have dinner with?</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05811964704923102803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8339348311478952609.post-2167524788397001432013-07-08T10:00:00.000-07:002013-07-08T10:00:00.633-07:00Words Words Everywhere and Not a Book to ReadThis doesn't happen very often to me...I'm between books, and I have no idea where I want to go next. It's not like I don't have anything to read. Those days are long gone. I had those days, pre-Kindle and when I was in a safe place where I only read mystery novels and paranormal romance. Those days are long past, thanks to the aforementioned Kindle and its free or cheap books, my obligation to this blog to review books, and the monthly selections for the CWAtC book group.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3hdhl5sJ5AmLKq-YO00w5y6IfIW1wkB6RTS4kqPjOjUxnQCDmcLVVc0LCOYMMOleBvuMVB8XfMHe1AyR1sfZ0zLGjY9UI6p-zu9W0ZFt8IfdpFDSAb_QXY4SHwP2Ek5CvXKQk0qkobOY/s1600/IMG_0067.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3hdhl5sJ5AmLKq-YO00w5y6IfIW1wkB6RTS4kqPjOjUxnQCDmcLVVc0LCOYMMOleBvuMVB8XfMHe1AyR1sfZ0zLGjY9UI6p-zu9W0ZFt8IfdpFDSAb_QXY4SHwP2Ek5CvXKQk0qkobOY/s400/IMG_0067.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: Jared Fagan</td></tr>
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To be fair, I do have a few review books I could read, but none of them are really sparking the interest at the moment. We pick our CWATC books 3 months ahead of time, and even with that, I am ahead because I got some wild hair to finish them all this week. Two of them I've read recently, so no need to pick up again anytime soon (Fahrenheit 451), and with The Handmaid's Tale winning for September, I'm clear there as well.<br />
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I can't even narrow it down to a genre at the moment. A few months ago I was in a slump. I just couldn't get interested in a book to save my life. It wasn't the fault of my literary friends; it was me. I just had a hard time getting started. The thing that pushed me out of it? A reread of one of my more contemporary favorites, The Night Circus. This time, I'm not so sure that would be the case. Plus, I have too many books I want to read for the first time to waste time on a book I've already read, and none come to mind on a "I need to revisit that world/character/whatever" basis.<br />
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I honestly used my Filemaker database of all my books and fed the numbers into random.org to find some suggestions. That was less than satisfying and almost embarrassingly geeky. I was able to narrow it down and say, "I'm only reading books I own." That's not so hard if you've paid attention to my Literary Loot posts. I have a lot to read.<br />
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My question, I pose to you, Dear Readers, is how do you determine the priority on your TBR pile (whether it's digital or physical or even auditory)?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05811964704923102803noreply@blogger.com0