Introverted Reader

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. Posted:Neil Gaiman Was Here! Neil Gaiman Was Here! Read:I didn't finish anything. Currently Reading: Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan, read by Joshua Swanson Don't Know Much About Mythology: Everything You Need to Know About the Greatest Stories in Human History but Never Learned by Kenneth C. Davis Up Next:I'm not really expecting to finish anything this week either. If I do, I'll try to get started on a banned book. I don't have anything planned for that week yet. What are you reading this week? I have an affiliate relationship with Malaprop's, my local independent bookstore located in beautiful downtown Asheville, NC; and Better World Books. I will receive a small commission at no cost to you if you purchase books through links on my site.

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September 24, 2012

Author Spotlight

Neil Gaimain Was Here! Neil Gaiman Was Here!

In case you missed my extended fangirl squee a few weeks ago, Neil Gaiman came to lil' ol' Asheville, NC Sunday night. He was part of The Unchained Tour, a group of performers traveling around the South and telling stories. As founder and author George Dawes Green explained it, the tour was to bring awareness to local communities. First, they're highlighting the necessity to get "unchained" from the big box bookstores and other stores and shop locally; and second, to get "unchained" from the internet and social media and interact with each other, especially in the format of storytelling. The first storyteller and emcee was Peter Aguero. He and musician Rachel Kate kept us entertained in between stories. He also told a story about a Christmas with his mom a few years after his dad left. It was honest and heartfelt and funny and moving. His might have been our favorite story. Next up was Dawn J. Fraser. She regaled us with a story about her dreams of running in the Olympics; how she came to acquire the nickname "Frizzled Fowl" (My husband was told in no uncertain terms that he will be killed if he ever looks at my hair and just thinks "Frizzled Fowl"); and how her twin brother, who has Down's Syndrome, inspired her to get her life back on track after she was dealt a crushing blow. She was also funny and sincere and we just had to love her when she lapsed into a lilting Trinidadian accent. And then came Edgar Oliver. Oh my. I've never heard a voice like his before, and Peter assured us beforehand that we were going to hear Edgar's real speaking voice. I hate to say it, but he spoke too slowly even for my Southern ears. I kind of…

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September 19, 2012

Bookish Miscellany

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. Posted: Review: The Girl Who Was on Fire: Your Favorite Authors on Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games Trilogy, edited by Leah Wilson Read: The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein From the Ashes by Jeremy Burns Currently Reading: Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan, read by Joshua Swanson Up Next: I'm looking for a new non-fiction book for my bedtime reading. I'm thinking about The Murder of the Century: The Gilded Age Crime That Scandalized a City & Sparked the Tabloid Wars by Paul Collins because I already have it on my nook. What are you reading this week? I have an affiliate relationship with Malaprop's, my local independent bookstore located in beautiful downtown Asheville, NC; and Better World Books. I will receive a small commission at no cost to you if you purchase books through links on my site.

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September 17, 2012

The Girl Who Was on Fire, edited by Leah Wilson: Book Review

Editor Leah Wilson has collected a series of thirteen essays from various young adult authors, each addressing a different aspect of The Hunger Games trilogy. How do I put this? I'm not really a huge analyzer of books. Sure, I write plenty of reviews, but in those I just write what I liked (or not) and why. That's really about as far as I go. Back in my English class days, I could produce solid essays but since graduating, I've gotten to be a lazy reader. I'll occasionally think about the more obvious themes in a book, but then I pick up the next one and move on. This collection impressed me because of the amount of thought that went into each and every essay. I had mused briefly about some of the topics, I think my sister and I even discussed a few of them, but these authors all went above and beyond in their analyses. My favorite was "Team Katniss" by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. This was one essay that overlapped with a conversation my sister and I had. Why "Team Peeta" or "Team Gale"? Why not "Team Katniss"? Katniss is pretty freaking awesome on her own. Barnes presents her argument better than Rachel or I ever did. I just loved it. I also really enjoyed "Community in the Face of Tyranny" by Bree Despain. I don't recall thinking much about the (lack of) community in the world of Panem. Despain argues that part of Katniss's magic comes from her ability to foster a sense of community wherever she goes. It's true, and I liked it. At first, I thought entries by Cara Lockwood and Terri Clark were a little more light-hearted but even these surprised me with their depth. Lockwood writes about the "Not So Weird Science" of…

Bookish Miscellany

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. Posted:Character Connection post featuring Briar Wilkes from Boneshaker by Cherie Priest Read:Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol The Girl Who Was on Fire: Your Favorite Authors on Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games Trilogy edited by Leah Wilson Drama: An Actor's Eduction by John Lithgow, read by the author Currently Reading: Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry From the Ashes by Jeremy Burns Up Next:I was obviously busy last week, so I never even got around to choosing a new audio book. I definitely need to do that tonight. I run better when I'm listening to a book, believe it or not, and after just one week of listening to the radio, I'm already tired of hearing the same songs over and over. What are you reading this week? I have an affiliate relationship with Malaprop's, my local independent bookstore located in beautiful downtown Asheville, NC; and Better World Books. I will receive a small commission at no cost to you if you purchase books through links on my site.

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September 10, 2012

Introverted Reader Features

Briar Wilkes: Character Connection

Briar Wilkes from Cherie Priest's Boneshaker just tries to keep her head down and feed herself and her teenage son. The problem is, her life is overshadowed by her relationships to a couple of Seattle's most (in)famous figures. First of all, there's her father, Maynard. He's a legend for going back into the city during the evacuation and letting criminals out of the city jail. Briar doesn't know what to think of his motives, but most believe that he acted out of a spirit of fairness and justice. The men in the jail hadn't done anything terrible. Why should they be doomed to breathe in the Blight and either die a horrible death or be doomed to roam as mindless, insatiable "rotters"? On the other hand, when she was younger and more naive, Briar made the tremendous error of marrying Leviticus Blue. He's the one who basically destroyed the city. He was building a machine for the Russians that would be able to simultaneously break through the permafrost of Alaska and bring out the gold rumored to be hidden underneath. On a test run, he turned his "Boneshaker" machine loose on the city, headed straight for the financial district's vaults, killed at least dozens, and disturbed the earth so much that the gas known as the Blight burst forth, killing the lucky ones and zombifying the unfortunates. So you see Briar's problem. She's trying to forget the past, but those who know who she is just won't leave her alone. Constantly ruining her equipment at the water purification plant where she works and making snide comments to her, her tormenters just won't quit. She lacks the money to start fresh somewhere else so she just soldiers on the best she can. She dreams about moving to another city where no…

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September 10, 2012

Bookish Miscellany

Weekly Update for September 3, 2012

Welcome to my weekly update for September 3, 2012! It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey [...]

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September 3, 2012

Personal Stories

Exploring District 12: Life and Lit

I met a couple of friends for an un-birthday trip to The Cheesecake Factory a few weeks ago. Yes, I live two hours away from the closest one. So, yes, I traveled two hours for cheesecake. Sometimes, you just need a good cheesecake. Anyway, on the way back to my car, the friend who was driving took us by the place where the District 12 village scenes were filmed for The Hunger Games. She and I went to see the movie together so it was fun to poke around as she reminded me, "This is the bakery, this was Katniss's house, this is the dam she runs across at the beginning." She remembers it better than I do, and she isn't a reader at all! Our other friend, an avid reader, hasn't seen the movie or read the trilogy yet, but hopefully we convinced her to give it a try. She's just wary of all the hype. "Sometimes the hype's there for a reason!" I told her. She's read Twilight and Harry Potter, so she'll get to The Hunger Games eventually, I'm sure. This location is actually an old mill town. I'm not clear on what kind of mill it was. These are historic buildings that the film crew used, they are not sets that were built and made to look old. Anyway, here are the pictures I took. I only had my phone with me so they aren't the greatest, but I thought I'd share them anyway. The place is the Henry River Mill Village, located in Burke County, NC. The aforementioned dam. There were signs up all over the place saying this was a dangerous location and not to go farther, so this is as close as I got. Katniss's living room. My friend said the upstairs scenes…

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September 3, 2012

The Night Bookmobile by Audrey Niffenegger: Book Review

A young woman, out wandering the streets after a fight with her boyfriend, stumbles upon The Night Bookmobile. The books inside are strangely familiar. The librarian tells her that the library contains everything she's ever read in her lifetime. All too soon, dawn comes, the librarian escorts her out the door, and the young woman feels bereft. She can't get The Night Bookmobile out of her mind and she starts to look for it everywhere, choosing her books with the idea of rounding out her collection. I love this premise. Can you imagine seeing all the words you've ever read in one place? They aren't just books. They're cereal boxes and everything. In my library, that reviled copy of Lord of the Flies would be buried somewhere at the back on a bottom shelf while the works of L. M. Montgomery and Charles de Lint would be well-worn but in places of honor at eye-level at the front. How awesome would that be? But almost from the beginning, Niffenegger rings a faint warning bell and it gets louder throughout this short piece. It's very well done, and while it's a warning that most devoted readers need to hear, that doesn't mean that I liked what it led to. Holy cow. I flipped forward and back a few times, just to make sure I'd really read what I thought I'd read. I had. Man. I love my books, but...man. And that's all I'll say about that. Read it for the idea, but don't expect to be charmed at the end. Read an excerpt. Find author Audrey Niffenegger on her website. Read more reviews at S. Krishna's Books, Bibliophile by the Sea, and Linus's Blanket. Buy The Night Bookmobile at Malaprop’s | Better World Books I have an affiliate relationship with Malaprop's,…

The Prince of Frogtown by Rick Bragg: Book Review

4 Stars. Having now read one of Bragg's books and listened to another, I am torn about the best medium. I'm left thinking that the best thing for everyone would be if his publishers just gave us one of those readalong books I remember from when I was little. "You'll know it's time to turn the page when you hear the chime ring like this [...]