Contents of blog copyright Book Dragon's Lair 2009-2023
I've been gone a while. I started reading fanfiction to escape and I got sucked in an abyss.

I have no idea if someone else is hosting similar challenges. I just grabbed some of what I have hosted before.

Here's to a happy year of great reading
Jan2023: Not much has changed. Writing a fanfiction now O_o as well as reading but I bought 7 new books in December and hope to get those read soon. Crossing fingers about adding challenges (late!)

Friday, September 30, 2011

Friday Finds

A Weekly Event hosted by mizb at Should be Reading
The idea is to share, every Friday, about books that you’ve recently discovered (never heard of before) that sound really good!

Every Friday, those who have blogs will write a post at their own blog, and then come back and leave others a link to follow on that week’s “Friday Finds” post here at Should Be Reading. For those who don’t blog, you can just tell us about your “Friday Finds” in a comment on that week’s post. )

Let’s try to keep this clean… that’s all I ask, okay?
I found a book appropriate for this week.....

50 Ways to Fight Censorship
by Dave Marsh

"Censorship is defined; an annotated list of ten commandments for the fight are given. Journalism, music, literature, and history instructors, among others, can incorporate this data into their instructional program. Students can be introduced to a blueprint for action to protect their freedom of speech." With Marsh being a rock critic, I thought it might be less book related but really, censorship is censorship.




copyright Book Dragon's Lair 2009-2011

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Homosexuality: And Tango makes Three

And Tango Makes Three tops the ALA's 2006 Most Challenged Book List. Gee, the book was published in April of 2005 so it didn't take long at all for people to get in an uproar. The problem? Homosexuality.

This is a 32-page picture book about a real-life happening. How can you possibly debate the validity of the book when it is FACT? I like what the school librarian did at my children's elementary school. She filed it under "Penguin" instead of with the rest of the picture books. That way some 5-year-old's parents wouldn't get blind-sided with a conversation before they're ready for it but a kid interested in penguins would have access to it.

The book also made #4 on the Top 100 Banned/Challenged Books: 2000-2009. The Harry Potter series was #1.


And Tango makes Three
by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson

Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
April 26, 2005
32 pages

reading level: ages 4 - 8

Two male penguins in New York City Central Park Zoo hatch an egg. Yes, two males. The book is cute but simplistic. It is a "picture book" geared for kindergarten and I can see why some parent's are in an uproar. I also don't see what the big deal is. Male and female Chintrap penguins look the same so if you see a couple, there is no way to tell it is male/male. The two boys did all the mating rituals that the other couples did, there is no way the zookeeper could have been mistaken.

You can only assume that the pair stayed together through more than one breeding season, otherwise why would they try to hatch a rock. Only after seeing the boys try this, did the zookeeper help. He gave the pair an unhatched egg from another couple that did not do well when taking care of two eggs. He DID NOT take another couple's egg from them, but instead relieved them of having to care for two eggs and possibly losing both.

Full color, short & simplistic, looks to be a bit bigger then legal size paper. I don't know what kind of media happened during/after the hatching, but really, no matter what your view on this is, the penguins are together, the zookeeper did a good thing and baby Tango survived when maybe she would not have. We should not throw away our children (the egg) when there is another option for them.


copyright Book Dragon's Lair 2009-2011

Thoughts on...Telling Lies by Cathi Stoler

I love the idea behind this book and I really want to tell you that I loved it but I can't. A woman on vacation bumps into her friend's dead husband. A man with a meeting in one of the twin towers on 9-11 who's body was never discovered. A missing 15 billion dollars. A painting rumored to have been stolen during WWII.

I came to 50 pages and still plugged on. By the time I hit 100 pages, I knew I could finish the book. The book should have grabbed me from the beginning. I don't know why it didn't. Everything was there but I just wasn't feeling it. Good writing, good characters, great story line. Maybe the characters where too pat. The boyfriend she's on vacation with? He works in NYPD's Identity Theft. His best friend? FBI's Art Crimes Team. The women that introduced the boyfriend/girlfriend? P.I.

Maybe it was just reading to a deadline but it took me three weeks to read the book which is an indication that while I may have liked it, I didn't love it.

Will I re-read the book? No.
Will I try Ms. Stoler's next one? Yes.




Telling Lies
A Mystery about Stolen Art and False Identities
by Cathi Stoler

Camel Press
April 2011
paperback
ISBN: 978-1603818438
female detective, 9-11
270 pages



Product Description:
How many lies does it take to get away with murder?

When a chance encounter in Florence’s Uffizi Museum plunges Women Now editor Laurel Imperiole and private investigator Helen McCorkendale into an investigation of missing persons and stolen Nazi art, the women find themselves ensnared in a deadly maze of greed and deceit.

Could the man Laurel bumped into have been Jeff Sargasso, an art dealer and friend who perished in the World Trade Center on 9/11? Was it possible he was still alive and had disappeared without a trace?

Laurel, who was vacationing in Italy with her boyfriend, Aaron Gerrad, a New York City detective, is thoroughly shaken by the experience of seemingly meeting a dead man. Sargasso was supposedly killed that day during a meeting regarding the sale of a 150 million dollar painting between a Japanese billionaire and a Wall Street tycoon. Determined to get to the bottom of things, she and Helen investigate in Italy and in New York.

As she delves deeper, Laurel leaves the truth behind, telling lies to Aaron about her actions and the liaison she’s formed with Lior Stern, an Israeli Mossad agent with an agenda of his own. One lie leads to another, entangling everyone and everything the women encounter, including murder and the painting at the heart of the affair.

Searching for answers, Laurel and Helen thread their way through a sinister skein of lies that take them on a whirlwind journey that could end in death.

This title is available in print as well as several ebook formats: Kindle, nook, and at Smashwords


Disclaimer: I received a complimentary review copy of this book without any obligation to write a positive review. The opinions expressed in this post are mine and may differ from yours. Book information courtesy of the author's website.

copyright Book Dragon's Lair 2009-2011

Purr-sday & Cat Thursday


a place to share the cute/funny/weird pictures I find while surfing....when I should be doing a whole range of things ;)







Someone has an actual meme for "Cat Thursday" so head over to The True Book Addict and see who else is sharing.






































copyright Book Dragon's Lair 2009-2011

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Nudity: In the Night Kitchen

Nudity in a picture book? Well, the boy drops through the floor of his bedroom on the way to the "night kitchen" and he loses his clothes. Yup. HE. I'm sure most kids won't even notice that the boy has a penis. Actually, it doesn't look much like a penis, but the general shape and placement tell those who know that it is.





In the Night Kitchen

by Maurice Sendak

HarperCollins
January 1996
ISBN: 9780064434362
40 pages

reading level: ages 3+

Description:
The child of the story is depicted floating from panel to panel as he drifts through the fantastic dream world of the bakers' kitchen.

I know I read this but I really wish I had written an actual review! I read it too long ago and it was a library book so I can't grab it off my shelves and re-read it. I remember his nudity coming up once during the book and I think it had something about going into space and he needed a space suit.

copyright Book Dragon's Lair 2009-2011

Sorry, Elisabetta, I wouldn't have voted for you


I finally watched Dancing with the Stars, week 2. I'd like to see everyone stay for a couple dances before someone leaves. I mean really, one dance and you're gone? I know it works and they've been doing it all along but now that Ron and Elisabetta are gone I want to see how the rest do over a couple of weeks/dances.

My favorites this week were J.R. and Nancy.






I watched Criminal Minds, "Exit Wounds" (season 5, episode 21). This one got to me more than the others and I startled several time during the show. Gotta love Penelope :)






I also watched Cold Case, "Factory Girls" (season 2, episode 2). You know, there is a reason the police suspect the husband/wife/boyfriend/girlfriend.




Castle is on the DVR....guess what I'm watching tomorrow - oops, later today

Why is it that I have no problem purchasing too many books but won't purchase a season's worth of a TV show?

Numb3rs is streaming on Netflix but Cold Case and Criminal Minds isn't and I'd love to see all of them. Oh, and Remington Steele!

There is a pair of tickets to the county fair hanging on the 'fridge and we missed going through a couple of buildings. Not sure if we're going Thursday or Friday.

What are your plans for the weekend?



copyright Book Dragon's Lair 2009-2011

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Drug Use: James and the Giant Peach

#56 on the Top 100 during 1990-1999. Drug use wasn't the only reason, just the shortest ;)
Other reasons include: not appropriate reading material for young children; promotes the use of drugs (tobacco, snuff) and whiskey; encourages children to disobey their parents and other adults. Plus the parents are eaten at the beginning of the book. Not just killed but eaten! That's too scary for a 7-year-old! Please.


Read it, enjoy it, celebrate 50 years! Follow that Peach



James and the Giant Peach
Roald Dahl, author
Quentin Blake, illustrator

This edition -
publisher: Puffin Books
release date: August 16, 2007
format: paperback
pages: 160



James and the Giant Peach starts by telling us how wonderful James’ life was by the sea. He "lived peacefully with his mother and father in a beautiful house beside the sea. There were always plenty of other children for him to play with...It was the perfect life for a small boy."

When he was four, his parents went shopping in London were they were “eaten by an enormous angry rhinoceros which had escaped from the London Zoo”. Eaten mind you, not just killed. Leaving him to be sent to live with his aunts. So James becomes the drudge. Two aunts, many chores, no children to play with, very little play time, no toys, no leaving the garden, sometimes no food. And he meets a man with magic. And the songs?

A Gnu and a Gnocerous surely you'll see And that gnormous and gnorrible Gnat Whose sting when it stings you goes in at the knee and comes out through the top of your hat.

Yes, I can see where people would complain, it sounds just like a Disney movie. (by the way, that was sarcasm)


Mr. Dahl's first stories were written for his own children. Can you see him in a comfortable chair with his children and maybe a neighbor or two sitting on the floor in front of him? I'm sure he slapped his hands on the chair and bounced, just a bit, when the peach ran over James' aunts leaving them "ironned out upon the grass as flat and thin and lifeless as a couple of paper dolls cut out of a picture book."

Mr. Dahl died in 1990. The edition that I have was published in 2007. That is the extent of his popularity. May it live on forever.


copyright Book Dragon's Lair 2009-2011

Terrific Tuesday

White Sleeper and Thread Reckoning . . . .

Hosted at Bibliophile by the Sea
Every Tuesday, she'll be posting the opening paragraph (maybe two) of her current read. Why don't you join us?

The cadre of black ATF Yukons was spread under a pair of white pines overlooking the wide, rushing Salmon River. The river was also referred to as the River of No Return. Most locals didn't know the story behind the alternate moniker, but names were a peculiar thing in Idaho. Back in the 1800's, when Congress was considering making it a state, a lobbyist named George Willing suggested the Indian name Idaho. It stuck but it was later discovered that the name was a prank by Mr. Willing. The word "Idaho" had no meaning. Mr Willing, however, sealed his place in history by providing the only state name that meant absolutely nothing.

White Sleeper
David F. Rett & Stephen Langford




Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme,
hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

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


I made a mental note to ask Francesca where she got them. I'd never seen imitation jewels of this quality before, and I'd love to carry them in the store.

Thread Reckoning
An Embroidery Mystery
Amanda Lee


copyright Book Dragon's Lair 2009-2011

Monday, September 26, 2011

Unsuitable for age group: The Perks of being a Wallflower

But I thought it was about high school kids? Why can't high school kids read it? The Perks of being a Wallflower is "designated as 4th grade reading level by the widely used comprehension-assessment software Accelerated Reader". Okay, I do have a problem with this book being in an elementary school library but some of our high school students read at this level and I have no problem with it being in the high school library....even middle school! I'm sorry if you don't like part of the book but I've read it. It is life. Arizona seeks banning based on one complaint of one page.




Perks debut on ALA's Top 10 list is at #5 in 2004 and is in the Top 10 again in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009. It make the Top 100, at #10 for the decade, 2000-2009.



The Perks of being a Wallflower
Stephen Chbosky
An Original Publication of MTV Books/Pocket Books
February 1999
213 pages

my library copy is smaller than trade size at 7 x 5.


According to the American Library Association, more than 400 books were challenged in 2007. This book made the Top 10 list.

Reasons: Homosexuality, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group


I'm not sure what to say about this book. Each chapter is actually a letter written to a friend by the main character, Charlie.

"August 25, 1991


Dear friend,
I am writing to you because she said you listen and understood and didn't try to sleep with that person at that party even though you could have..." and so it starts. Charlie is in High School. Remember what it was like? The awkwardness? Wanting to belong? Following along because you thought you had to? This, to me, was real. I wondered if I knew a kid like this when I went to HS.

As for the reasons for the complaints:

Homosexuality - one of Charlie's friends is gay and kisses him. I don't remember any other parts where this comes up. Maybe there was a "that guy's cute" comment or something.

Sexually Explicit - well, yea, this is high school and the kids are experimenting with rubbing and stuff. Charlie gets asked to a dance where he know the couples have sex afterwards and he asks his older sister what he needs to do and she explains, in detail, how to bring a girl to orgasm without penetration. There are mainstream romance novels out there that are much, much worse, and HS kids are reading them!

Offensive Language - isn't this a part of "life" now. It isn't any "dirtier" then mainstream movies.

Unsuited to Age Group - This is a book about high school students why shouldn't high school students read it?

Did I like it? Yes.

Would I recommend it? I'm not at the high school libraries but there were a couple of kids at the middle school I think would enjoy it, and could handle it.

Would I let my kids read it? Yes.







copyright Book Dragon's Lair 2009-2011

Happy Monday!

It's Banned Books Week in the USA so go to the library and check out a banned/challenged book, you never know when it will be removed!


Hope everyone has plans for a great week.


Mailbox Monday is a place to share all the wonderful books that have come to live in your home– including paper books, e-books and audio books. Mailbox Monday was started by Marcia of The Printed Page. When Marcia was ready to move on from being the weekly host, she was kind enough to set up the Mailbox Monday Blog Tour. Check it out so you know where to go next month.

A big Thank You to Staci for hosting in August, the September host is Amused By Books (blog link, not post link).


Received for Review:
Billy Boy by William May

Purchased:
Neighborhood Watch by Cammie McGovern
Serendipity by Carly Phillips
Beginner's Yoga DVD workout (need something to counteract all the sitting I do!)
Willow by Julia Hoban
An Engagement in Seattle by Debbie Macomber
Eve by Iris Johansen
Magic Tree House: Polar Bears Past Bedtime
Magic Tree House: Dolphins at Daybreak
Magic Tree House: Mummies in the Morning

kindle:
:(





What are you Reading?

is a weekly Monday meme hosted by Shelia at Book Journey. Post what you read last week and what you're planning to read this week then link to Shelia's post. Then visit, visit, visit! She has a comment contest going on each week tied to the meme.


Finished:
The Pumpkin Muffin Murder
Bad Kitty Gets a Bath
Three More Wishes (fantasy island like)

wow, that's it? What have I been doing all week? ....oh, yeah, Criminal Minds, FarmVille, Cafe World, Numb3rs....

Reading:
Billy Boy
Bookbanning in America: Who Bans books? and Why


Currently Still Reading:
He Stopped Loving Her Today



Next up:
something from my "read this year" list
something from my "Need to Review" list ;)

Reviewed:


Need to Review-keep a running total and cross off as completed:
(this list is way too long and if they've been reviewed I didn't label them correctly!)

Spin the Plate, short story (current read)
A Modern Witch (current read)
Kekula (current read)
The Man Who Loved Books Too Much
True North
Whiskey Gulf
A Circle of Souls
P.A.C.E.
Benny & Shrimp
The Right Side of the Tracks
Miracle in Sumatra
The Tallest of smalls
Nine Things Nathan Noticed at Night
Second Chance
Red in the Flower Bed


copyright Book Dragon's Lair 2009-2011

copyright Book Dragon's Lair 2009-2011

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Does not reflect community values: 10,000 Dresses

What community? Who's values? Not everyone conforms to society's definition of normal. What is a parent to do when their son wants to wear a dress? What do boys who want to wear dresses read? 10,000 Dresses! When push comes to shove, this book is about accepting who you are (when others don't) and being true to yourself.

I didn't see it at ala.org but I have seen it on other banned/challenged lists, I just can't remember where!





10,000 Dresses
Marcus Ewert
Illustrations by Rex Ray

Seven Stories Press
Nov 1, 2008Ages 4-8
32 pages

source: I checked this book out of the library.

amazon product description:
Every night, Bailey dreams about magical dresses: dresses made of crystals and rainbows, dresses made of flowers, dresses made of windows…Unfortunately, when Bailey’s awake, no one wants to hear about these beautiful dreams. Quite the contrary: “You’re a BOY!” Mother and Father tell Bailey. “You shouldn’t be thinking about dresses at all.” Then Bailey meets Laurel, an older girl who is touched and inspired by Bailey’s imagination and courage. In friendship, the two of them begin making dresses together. And Bailey becomes the girl she always dreamed she’d be!


My Thoughts:
Gay. Lesbian. Bi. Transgender. Transgender? This is a great book for the kid who doesn't quite feel like everyone thinks they should.

This is a cute book. Bold colors, big graphics. Interesting dresses although we only "see" three of them. It's creative, simplistic and goes right to the point. Stay true to your self. I loved it but I wanted more!

copyright Book Dragon's Lair 2009-2011

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Bookbanning in America: Who & Why

A California school district removes the Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary from Shelves. A child (bored?) came across the definition of "oral sex" in the dictionary which prompted a parent complaint and instead of purchasing the children's version of the dictionary for the elementary schools, "is forming a committee of principals, teachers and parents to pore over the book and determine whether it's fit for young eyes. It could take a while: the unabridged edition available online contains over 470,000 entries."

Some good news.... a banned book is being returned to the shelves! Mark Twain wrote a book in 1905 titled Eve's Diary. It was banned because trustee Frank Wakefield objected to nude illustrations of Eve. The Charlton Public Library's trustees this week unanimously voted to return the book to circulation, reversing the board's 1906 decision.

If you're gay and don't want to be...good luck finding a book to help you. A Chicago-based group says they can't give away their books on homosexuality can be "reversed".

The American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression has a page of stories behind some past book bans and challenges, here

An interesting resource is banned books project.

Powell's Books invites you to celebrate your freedom to read with a great list broken down by category....Children's Books, Young Adult, Parenting, etc.

edit: Another great link is Bonnie's blog Banned Books




Title: Bookbanning in America: Who bans books? And Why?
author: William Noble

publisher: Paul S. Eriksson
ISBN: 9780839710806
hardcover
349 pages
categories: Literary Studies: General, Ethical Issues: Censorship, Politics & Government, Freedom of Information, Freedom of Speech

Description:
Censorship has bedeviled free expression in the United States from the time of the Pilgrims. This book reveals how and why it happens, in spite of the First Amendment. Through dramatisation, anecdotes, interviews and actual trial transcripts, it shows how censorship affects politics, religion, social status, education and publishing.


Yikes! It was an extremely scary read. It really is easy to have a book banned. My eyes have been opened to who and I've discovered that the state with the highest recorded challenges is....California. What? My bias is showing because I thought it would be a more poor, less-educated state. Dang. It really does take all kinds and I ashamed of my bias. I think the worse thing is that my librarian didn't know this kind of thing was still going on.

My take on chapter one with lots of quotes and commentary

What do you do if your child comes home from school with an assigned book that they are uncomfortable reading? I would go to the school and ask if there was an alternative. This is exactly what LaDone Hills did and after sending a written request to the teacher, an alternative books was assigned. That should have been the end of the matter but Ms. Hills did something else. She felt concern for other students and "began to pursue a way to get such materials removed from our educational program."

Notice that she has already taken care of her own child but still feels it is her right to take care of ours!

At a school board meeting the question is asked, "Are there any other items?" This question is asked at the end of a meeting where people where hoping to get home early and should have been a formality before closing the meeting. Not so in this case. Mr. Shelton "was the most unpredictable of all the board members because he operated more independently. He was not noted for origination action, but he had the capacity for dominating the plan or agenda of someone else. His education was limited, though he was skilled in his work with heavy machinery. Everyone knew his general nature could be frosty and uncompromising."

Mr. Shelton wanted to know why this book was being taught at the high school. "I looked through some of it, and it would not be acceptable to most of you."

Wait a minute? Looked through some of it? You mean you haven't read it?

Passages were read and a vote was taken. Never mind that the principal of the school in question reminded everyone that there were procedures in place, the school board skipped all that and, against the advice of their attorney, voted to have the book removed from the school district.

Forty percent of county residences are represented by a single committee, The Graves County Baptist Association. It didn't take long for this committee of 82 to take action, after all "it was a moral issue". They had a member write a letter, on association letterhead, in SUPPORT of the banning.

At least the man read the book! Too bad he found it "dull, uninteresting, hardly representative of what a Nobel Prize winner should write." That's right. Nobel. Prize. Winner.

The phrase "all hell breaks loose" should fit what happens in this county quite well. People are outraged that the banning took place. People are supportive of the board. Teachers feel they they have been thrown to the wolves. The ACLU gets involved.

There is a happy ending in that the banning was rescinded but still. It should have been a simple "my child is uncomfortable reading this book, may another be assigned". The whole lesson was supposed to be on stream-of-conciousness writing and this was the best example.

Oh, I never did mention the book did I? As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner. I didn't see it on ALA's Top 100 list for 1990-1999 or 2000-2009 but it was #19 on the banned and/or challenged classics list.




copyright Book Dragon's Lair 2009-2011

Welcome to Banned Books Week


Happy Saturday Everyone!

This "week" will be a little different around the lair. I'm starting off on Saturday with the start of Banned Books Week. Sheila over at Book Journey is going all out for Banned Books Week. I have a soft spot for banned books and have several reviews and soapbox type posts in my archives. This week I'm dragging them out again. With commentary.

from an ALA newsletter: "Banned Books Week is sponsored by the American Booksellers Association; the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression; the American Library Association; the Association of American Publishers, the American Society of Journalists and Authors, and the National Association of College Stores. It is endorsed by the Library of Congress Center for the Book. In 2011, the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund; National Coalition Against Censorship; national Council of Teachers of English; and PEN American Center also signed on as sponsors."

Let's start with The Difference between Banned and Challenged. From an article at ALA.org: "A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group. A banning is the removal of those materials. Challenges do not simply involve a person expressing a point of view; rather, they are an attempt to remove material from the curriculum or library, thereby restricting the access of others. Due to the commitment of librarians, teachers, parents, students and other concerned citizens, most challenges are unsuccessful and most materials are retained in the school curriculum or library collection."

Scary thought....did you see that MOST challenges are unsuccessful? That's great but it means that some are successful. We must fight this!

Don't forget to visit Sheila!

copyright Book Dragon's Lair 2009-2011

Friday, September 23, 2011

Challenge - Dewey's Read-a-Thon


How tall is your book stack?

Dewey's 24-hour Read-a-Thon is back. Pile your books, gather your snackage and turn off your phone! Mini-Challenges every hour and visits by Cheerleaders plus others who are participating. Blog, Tweet, and/or Facebook, online participation is a huge part of the Read-A-Thon experience but it is not required.

And if you can, volunteer to help

Hosted at it's own blog and by a great number of wonderful people!

Sign up here


Start: Saturday, October 22 at Noon GMT


Don't know how well I do starting at 5 a.m. but I'll get a list together and plan a great last hooray before school starts. Why don't you join me?

Twitter: @bookdragonslair


copyright Book Dragon's Lair 2009-2011

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Purr-sday & Cat Thursday





a place to share the cute/funny/weird pictures I find while surfing....when I should be doing a whole range of things ;)







Someone has an actual meme for "Cat Thursday" so head over to The True Book Addict and see who else is sharing.









This one is from The Customer is not Always Right






copyright Book Dragon's Lair 2009-2011

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Terrific Tuesday

White Sleeper and Eyewall . . . .

Hosted at Bibliophile by the Sea
Every Tuesday, she'll be posting the opening paragraph (maybe two) of her current read. Why don't you join us?

The cadre of black ATF Yukons was spread under a pair of white pines overlooking the wide, rushing Salmon River. The river was also referred to as the River of No Return. Most locals didn't know the story behind the alternate moniker, but names were a peculiar thing in Idaho. Back in the 1800's, when Congress was considering making it a state, a lobbyist named George Willing suggested the Indian name Idaho. It stuck but it was later discovered that the name was a prank by Mr. Willing. The word "Idaho" had no meaning. Mr Willing, however, sealed his place in history by providing the only state name that meant absolutely nothing.

White Sleeper
David F. Rett & Stephen Langford




Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme,
hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

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


just a little background first....daughter slipped out to see a guy the parents don't know about before calling her dad's cell to come pick her up.....

"Daddy?"

"Yes."

"I'm scared."

"Don't be Pumpkin. I'll give you a pass on this one."

"No, it's not that."

"What then?"

"The ocean's in the yard and it's like washing over the street."

Eyewall
H. W. "Buzz" Bernard


copyright Book Dragon's Lair 2009-2011

Monday, September 19, 2011

Happy Monday!

Did you have a fabulous time with BBAW? I had great plans to participate but after getting my interview up everything else kinda fell through. I did lurk, and bookmark new blog,s so I'm hoping to visit some later on.

Joined a challenge this week (RYOB read-a-thon), completed a challenge (R.I.P), and started two (Magic Kingdom and Cedar Cove). Actually, I may have completed two by the time this is posted. I finally found my "U" character! I know they're supposed to be "main or strong supporting character" but Henry goes to live with his aunt and uncle because his parents have been kidnapped. No kidnapping? No book. I think that's pretty strong support ;) Oh, his parents? .... Phil & Ursula. I thought I was going to have to read The Little Mermaid!

Hope everyone has plans for a great week.


Mailbox Monday is a place to share all the wonderful books that have come to live in your home– including paper books, e-books and audio books. Mailbox Monday was started by Marcia of The Printed Page. When Marcia was ready to move on from being the weekly host, she was kind enough to set up the Mailbox Monday Blog Tour. Check it out so you know where to go next month.

A big Thank You to Staci for hosting in August, the September host is Amused By Books (blog link, not post link).


Received for Review:


Purchased:
Playing Dirty by Susan Anderson
The Sixth Man by David Baldacci
End of Days, The Fallen 3 by Thomas E. Sniegoski
Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo
100 Cupboards by N.D. Wilson (R.L. 4.7) - great so far
My Pony by Susan Jeffers (picture book!)
Unlikely Friendships by Jennifer S. Holland - fabulous
The Napping House by Audrey Wood & Don Wood (picture book!) - just ok
1105 Yakima Street by Debbie Macomber

kindle:
The Woman in White
The Sleeping Beauty
The Man in the Iron Mask
A Little Princess; being the whole story of Sara Crewe now told for the first time
Nicholas Nickleby
Black Beauty





What are you Reading?

is a weekly Monday meme hosted by Shelia at Book Journey. Post what you read last week and what you're planning to read this week then link to Shelia's post. Then visit, visit, visit! She has a comment contest going on each week tied to the meme.


Finished:
Eyewall
The Napping House
Unlikely Friendships
Sandpiper's Secrets
Home Cookies
All That Glitters
100 Cupboards
Dragongirl
Must Be Love
Dog Next Door (shifter)
Three Wishes (fantasy island like)

Reading:
Three More Wishes


Currently Still Reading:
He Stopped Loving Her Today



Next up:
something from my "read this year" list
something from my "Need to Review" list ;)

Reviewed:
Eyewall

Need to Review-keep a running total and cross off as completed:
(this list is way too long and if they've been reviewed I didn't label them correctly!)

Spin the Plate, short story (current read)
A Modern Witch (current read)
Kekula (current read)
The Man Who Loved Books Too Much
True North
Whiskey Gulf
A Circle of Souls
P.A.C.E.
Benny & Shrimp
The Right Side of the Tracks
Miracle in Sumatra
The Tallest of smalls
Nine Things Nathan Noticed at Night
Second Chance
Red in the Flower Bed


copyright Book Dragon's Lair 2009-2011

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Challenge Completed - Read Your Own Books Read-a-Thon

Read Your Own Books Read-a-Thon
hosted by Monica at The Bibliophilic Book Blog


What: Read your OWN books. Books you've bought for yourself, not review books.
Where: The Bibliophilic Book Blog
When: Runs from 9pm on Thursday the 15th (EST) until Sunday the 18th at 9pm (EST)

Twitter hashtag: #SIRYOBM


Books left unread:

Heart Search by Robin D. Owens
Cowboys & Aliens by Joan D. Vinge
Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent
Ten Things I Love About You by Julia Quinn

~Challenge Completed~

Hey, I did it! My goal was to read three books and I got in four!

The Napping House is a picture book and I read it while playing games on Facebook.

Unlikely Friendships is non-fiction. 47 short stories of unlikely animal pairings, a snake and a hamster???? Fabulous book if you like animals.

100 Cupboards is a children's book (fourth grade) and while there were a lot of pages, it was a fairly fast read. Book two in the series is out and while I may read it...I haven't ordered it.

Dragongirl is a Pern book. I love Pern and was able to spend most of Saturday reading and finished before going to bed. If you want to try reading the Pern series, don't start with this one! Not only is it layered with past book references, you won't understand most of what goes on. Plus, while I liked it alot, I didn't love it. I'd start with Dragonflight then Dragonsong & Dragonsinger. Those are also my favorites.


I'm glad I joined in the Read-a-Thon, even though this was a busy weekend for me, I don't know if I would have read Dragongirl this year without it. It was in my pile but more as a if-you-have-time kind of thing. Now I can move one of the other titles into that spot :D










copyright Book Dragon's Lair 2009-2011

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Saturday Snapshot

Saturday Snapshot
hosted by Alyce at At Home with Books

To participate in the Saturday Snapshot meme, post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky. Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don't post random photos that you find online.





Mike and I went to a county fair yesterday (had a blast). Even though I took my camera, I found that I had taken very few pictures :(

These flowers were on display at the blacksmith demonstration.







copyright Book Dragon's Lair 2009-2011

Challenge Update - Read Your Own Books Read-a-Thon


ALL of the books on my short list were recent purchases but were for "later". I'm pleased to report that I've finished Unlikely Friendships - nonfiction and The Napping House - picture book.

I am currently on page 266 of 100 Cupboards and expect to finish it later today.

I don't know which of the remaining five I'll choose next.



copyright Book Dragon's Lair 2009-2011

Friday, September 16, 2011

Thoughts on...Eyewall by H.W. "Buzz" Bernard

You're retired. Now what?

Buzz brought us Eyewall. Senior Meteorologist with The Weather Channel and Colonel, USAF Weather Officer, has given Buzz the knowledge and experience to give us a knuckle-biting story. This is not a read-with-the-lights-on kind of thriller but I know I'll be looking at rain in a different light and I don't live where hurricanes occur!

Short chapters that bounce around between story lines could have been chaotic but to me added to the urgency. I felt my heart pound through most of the book although it did start a little slow. This was a two day book....started then put down while working on something else then when I picked it up again I could hardly put it down to pick kids up at school!

The main story takes place in less than a day....hours really, and you should devote the afternoon to it so you don't have to put it down.

Really. I mean it. Disconnect the phone and hang up the Do Not Disturb sign then hang on for a great read.




Eyewall
by H.W. "Buzz" Bernard

Bell Bridge Books
ISBN: 978-1-61194-001-5
May 2011
Trade-size paperback
thriller....(History, Literature & Fiction, Mystery & Thrillers, Outdoors & Nature, Parenting & Families, Politics, Romance)
246 pages


Product Description:

A crippled Air Force recon plane, trapped in the eye of a violent hurricane.

An outspoken tropical weather forecaster, fired from his network TV job before he can issue a warning: the storm is changing course and strengthening.

Eyewall takes you on a dramatic ride into the eye of a major hurricane and the lives of the people who challenge it. Major Arlen Walker is on his final mission with the Air Force Hurricane Hunters. As commander of a WC-130, he’s been tasked to recon Hurricane Janet just off the Georgia coast On paper, the flight looks like a milk run. In reality, it turns out to be anything but. Walker, having been briefed that the hurricane is weak, penetrates the storm hat low altitude. Too late, he realizes Janet has turned savage and that he’s chosen a death wish flight level. The hurricane pummels the plane. The aircraft, spewing fuel, limps into the calm eye but is so severely damaged, Walker cannot fly it out. He and his crew are trapped in the center of a catastrophic storm as it swirls toward the mainland.

Brace yourself for the storm.

also available as an ebook.

to read an excerpt, click here or here.


Disclaimer: I received a complimentary review copy of this book without any obligation to write a positive review. The opinions expressed in this post are mine and may differ from yours. Book information courtesy of publisher, author and NetGalley.

copyright Book Dragon's Lair 2009-2011

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Challenge - Read Your Own Books Read-a-thon

no.

NO.

NO!

Don't do it......you're busy this weekend........dang.

Read Your Own Books Read-a-Thon
hosted by Monica at The Bibliophilic Book Blog


What: Read your OWN books. Books you've bought for yourself, not review books.
Where: The Bibliophilic Book Blog
When: Runs from 9pm on Thursday the 15th (EST) until Sunday the 18th at 9pm (EST)

Twitter hashtag: #SIRYOBM


Short list:

Dragongirl by Todd mcCaffrey
100 Cupboards by N.D. Wilson
Heart Search by Robin D. Owens
The Napping House by Audrey Wood and Don Wood
Unlikely Friendships by Jennifer S. Holland
Cowboys & Aliens by Joan D. Vinge
Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent
Ten Things I Love About You by Julia Quinn



NONE of these are on my "read this year" list and certainly weren't on my "this weekend" list but I hope I'll get three of them read.

well, we'll see how it goes!


~Completed~
September 17
read four books!

copyright Book Dragon's Lair 2009-2011

Challenge - Welcome to Cedar Cove

Welcome to Cedar Cove
a series by Debbie Macomber

Ms. Macomber has written a delightful series with the town setting based on her real life home town! Visit her website for a look at all the books she has written or skip right to her Cedar Cove page which has cover graphics, book descriptions and links to excerpts.

As a personal challenge, I will finish reading this series. Why don't you join me?

Must they be read in order? I don't think so but I will be. I think it will spoil some of the previous story lines. I'm pretty sure each is a stand alone book, except book 12. If I remember correctly each book has characters from the other stories but they're there just in passing. Book 12 gives us a chance to catch up with everyone....and say good-bye.

The first 9 books were re-released with new covers in 2010 so they shouldn't be too hard to find and with the author's popularity, your local library may have a copy.

What: Read all the books related to Cedar Cove, maybe not the cookbook ;)

When: now to ???? (hoping for December 31, 2012)


Titles:
16 Lighthouse Road
204 Rosewood Lane
311 Pelican Court
44 Cranberry Point
50 Harbor Street
5B Poppy Lane, a novella in the Hearts Divided anthology
6 Rainier Drive
74 Seaside Avenue
8 Sandpiper Way
A Cedar Cove Christmas (#8.5)
92 Pacific Boulevard
1022 Evergreen Place
1105 Yakima Street
1225 Christmas Tree Lane



Ready? Since I'm still trying to figure out InLinkz.....sign-ups are at the bottom of my blog posts. There are two down there, Cedar Cove and Landover (info, just in case).

edited 9-3-13: 2013! 


copyright Book Dragon's Lair 2009-2011

Purr-sday & Cat Thursday



a place to share the cute/funny/weird pictures I find while surfing....when I should be doing a whole range of things ;)







Someone has an actual meme for "Cat Thursday" so head over to The True Book Addict and see who else is sharing.



I don't remember show you this one alrhough I have seen it before. I still love it!










copyright Book Dragon's Lair 2009-2011

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Challenge - Magic Kingdom of Landover

The Magic Kingdom of Landover
a series by Terry Brooks

I've discovered a new Landover novel and feel I need to read the others again before reading it. I've enjoy reading about Ben and his motley crew, after all, wouldn't it be nice to "purchase" your very own Magic Kingdom?

All is not as easy as it should be at the beginning and I was very pleased with the first three books. I don't believe I've read four and five and I don't even own book six.

So, as a personal challenge: read/re-read the series, in order. Which means that I'll have to find them first ;)

Want to join me?

Books 1-3 are available in a single binding (Volume One) as are books 4-5 (Volume Two)









After Ben Holiday purchased Landover, he discovered the magic kingdom had some problems. The Barons refused to recognize a king and the peasants were without hope. To make matters worse, Ben learned that he had to duel to the death with the Iron Mask, the terrible lord of the demons--a duel which no human could hope to win....











A year had passed since Ben Holiday bought the Magic Kingdon from the wizard, Meeks. But unbeknownst to him, he has been the victim of a trap by Meeks, who has succeeded in stealing the Paladin and appropriating his face. Suddenly none of Ben's friends know him, but all of his enemies do. He must win it all back again--only this time on his own!

















Questor Thews is only a semi-competent wizard, but when High Lord Ben Holiday and his love Willow need use of his powers, he tries to comply. He tries, all right, but he doesn't have all that much faith in himself--not since he turned a terrier into an imp. Still, he'll do what he can....

















OH, WHAT A TANGLED WEB...
Everything should have been quiet and pleasant for Ben Holiday, the former Chicago lawyer who became sovereign of the Magic Kingdom of Landover. But it wasn't.
Horris Kew, conjurer, confidence-man, and trickster, had returned to Landover from Ben's own world. Alas, Horris had not returned of his own volition--he had been sent by the Gorse, a sorcerer of great evil, whom Horris had unwittingly freed from the magic Tangle Box, where it had long ago been imprisoned by the fairy folk. Now it had returned to enslave those who had once dared condemn it. But first, it would rid Landover of all who could stand in its way...
Soon Ben found himself imprisoned within the gloom of the Tangle Box, lost in its mists and its labyrinthine ways. The only one who could free Ben from the Tangle Box was the lady Willow. But she had disappeared, was gone from Landover on a mysterious mission of her own....







Former Chicago lawyer Ben Holiday was proud and happy. And why not? The Magic Kingdom of Landover, which he ruled as High Lord, was finally at peace, and he and his wife, the sylph Willow, could watch their daughter Mistaya grow.
And grow she did--shooting through infancy in months, learning to walk and to swim in the same week. Mistaya had been born a seedling, nourished by soils from Landover, Earth, and the fairy mists, come into being in the dank, misty deadness of the Deep Fell. With dazzling green eyes that cut to the soul, she was as lovely as her mother, and Ben wanted nothing more than to enjoy his daughter's childhood and his peaceful kingdom forever. But his idyll was interrupted when Rydall, a king of lands beyond the fairy mist, assembled armies on Landover's border and threatened to invade unless Ben was able to defeat Rydall's seven champions.
Some counseled the High Lord to refuse Rydall's challenge, but Holiday could not, for Mistaya had been snatched from her guardians by foul magic. And Rydall held the key to her fate...







Ben Holiday, mere mortal turned monarch of the magic kingdom of Landover, has grappled with numerous contenders for his throne, but nothing could have prepared him for the most daunting of challengers: his headstrong teenage daughter, Mistaya. After getting suspended from an exclusive private school in our world, Mistaya is determined to resume her real education—learning sorcery from court wizard Questor Thews—whether her parents like it or not. Then, horrified that a repulsive Landover nobleman seeks to marry her, Mistaya decides that the only way to run her own life is to run away from home.

So begins an eventful odyssey peppered with a formidable dragon, recalcitrant Gnomes, an inscrutable magic cat, a handsome librarian, a sinister sorcerer, and more than a few narrow escapes as fate draws Landover’s intrepid princess into the thick of a mystery that will put her mettle to the test—and possibly bring the kingdom to its knees.



copyright Book Dragon's Lair 2009-2011


Disclaimer

In accordance to the FTC guidelines, I must state that I make no monetary gains from my reviews or endorsements here on Book Dragon's Lair. All books I review are either borrowed, purchased by me, given as a gift, won in some kind of contest, or received in exchange for an honest review.