My Thoughts on the "Inconsistent and Unreliable" Label of Book Bloggers

After reading Staci's post about whether book reviews still matter and the discussion she and other bloggers commenting have been having on whether this quote

Print coverage is shrinking and the shift to online is marked by inconsistent, sometimes unreliable information by bloggers.

by a Publisher's Weekly panel (that includes no book bloggers, mind you) is offensive and/or relevant, I had to put in my own two cents.

(NOTE: This whole post will make more sense if you go over to Staci's post and read it first, if you haven't. Besides, it is a good post.)


While I think they may have a point as far as "inconsistency" goes, I do think the wording is a little insulting. But, then again, look who is writing the words.

As a reader, I trust book bloggers much more so than the professional critics- the critics who are paid to write these reviews. Sometimes paid to have a certain opinion. I never feel obligated by a boss to write a review at a certain slant because he and the author are golfing buddies. I never feel the need to show the world I have a large vocabulary that I hardly know how to use or that I had a degree in English Lit once upon a time because the gal over at the rival magazine is vying for my position.

I don't even trust the NYT Bestseller label. As it has been said before, the requirements for this "prestigious" label are simply to have your family buy an obscene amount of the author's novel for one week and Bam! you are forever a "bestselling novelist." Give me a break!

I think, truly, that the critics are simply scared that the readers/bloggers are going to put them out of a job. And in this recession, who can blame them? I think that book bloggers are not going away anytime soon, and any attempt to discredit us makes them look worse than it does us. For if you haven't heard of us, we can only go up from there, right?

My Month in Movies: January 2010

SKY CAPTAIN & THE WORLD OF TOMORROW
When scientists the world over keep disappearing without a trace, it's up to intrepid reporter Polly Perkins (Gwyneth Paltrow) and top aviator Sky Captain (Jude Law) to uncover the truth in this futuristic, Art Deco-style actioner. The task involves putting their lives at risk as the pair travels to treacherous locales, hoping to throw a wrench in the plans of a villain who aims to wipe out the planet. Angelina Jolie and Giovanni Ribisi co-star. MY RATING: ***

LOST SEASON 5
After crashing on a mysterious island and encountering all manner of strange forces, a few survivors of Oceanic Air Flight 815 return to civilization where they wrestle with the dramas of those who were left behind. The saga continues for Jack (Matthew Fox), Kate (Evangeline Lilly), Hurley (Jorge Garcia), Sayid (Naveen Andrews), Locke (Terry O'Quinn), Sawyer (Josh Holloway) and the gang in this penultimate season of the immensely popular series. RATING: *****

TRADE
Based on a New York Times Magazine story, this crime drama starring Kevin Kline delves into a sordid world of international sex trafficking that leads from Mexico City to a New Jersey stash house. In a bid to save kidnapped 13-year-old Adriana (Paulina Gaitan) before she's sold into sexual slavery, her desperate brother (Cesar Ramos) teams with a Texas cop (Kline). Can they find her before she vanishes into a hellish underworld? RATING: ****

THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PAJAMAS
When his family moves from their home in Berlin to a strange new house in Poland, young Bruno (Asa Butterfield) befriends Shmuel (Jack Scanlon), a boy who lives on the other side of the fence, where everyone seems to be wearing striped pajamas. Unaware of Shmuel's fate as a Jewish prisoner or the role his own Nazi father plays in his imprisonment, Bruno embarks on a dangerous journey inside the camp's walls. RATING: ****

DOCTOR ZHIVAGO
This British miniseries created especially for television is a remake of the classic 1965 film. Hans Matheson plays the title role of the doctor trapped between the affections of his wife, Tonya (Alexandra Maria Lara), and feelings he has for his mistress, Lara (Keira Knightley). Throughout war and turmoil in their native Russia, the love triangle continues ... but soon, the beginning of the Russian Revolution will change their lives forever. RATING: ****

MOLL FLANDERS
Born in an 18th-century English prison and immediately orphaned, Moll Flanders (Robin Wright Penn) grows up in a convent. After a priest sexually assaults her, she escapes, ending up pretty and penniless on the streets of London. She becomes a prostitute and meets the love of her life, a poor artist from a rich family. Moll becomes pregnant with his daughter, who ultimately narrates the story of her mother's tumultuous life and enduring spirit. RATING: ****

What did you watch this month? Any recommendations?

Winner of The Wives of Henry Oades Giveaway!

The winner of The Wives of Henry Oades by Johanna Moran Giveaway is book blogger

fredamans

of the book blog, Freda's Voice!

Congratulations, Freda! Your book will be sent to you this week. Remember that upon winning this book, you have agreed to a book review on your blog since the book is an Advanced Reader's Edition. Simply e-mail me your mailing address!

20 Questions with Jemima of The Reading Journey

Welcome back to 20 Questions, where we get to know our fellow book bloggers a little better.

Today I would like to present to you Jemima of The Reading Journey. Welcome, Jemima! Thanks for sharing with us today!

20 QUESTIONS

1. Last book you bought: Henry James: The Imagination of Genius A Biography by Fred Kaplan (it was second-hand)
2. Last book you got in the mail: Writing About Literature 9th Edition by Edgar V. Roberts
3. The first book you read over and over: It would have been a children's book, but I don't remember which one.
4. Children’s book every child should read: The Potato People by Pamela Allen
5. Favorite place to read: On the couch
6. A book you bought just for the cover: The Dover Thrift Edition of Austen's Emma
7. Scariest book ever read: I don't really read scary books.
8. Most romantic book ever read: Well, I like romance that ends tragically and my favorite is The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James.
9. Book that changed your life in some way: The Bible
10. Book you’ve re-read the most times: Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton
11. Book you needed the Cliff’s Notes for: None that I can think of specifically, though I do like to research some books to see if I missed any themes. The postmodern authors are sometimes difficult for me.
12. Book you needed the dictionary for: I don't use the dictionary when I read. If there are difficult words, I just guess the meaning from the context.
13. Book you like that no one else seems to: I love the classics and a lot of my friends haven't read them at all. They are bored by classics and excited by the latest release books.
14. Book you don’t like that everyone else seems to love: James Patterson books
15. Number of books you own (you can guess): Approximately 200 (I don't often keep books I don't love)
16. Number of books on your TBR list (that you have not acquired yet): Approximately 20
17. Must-have reading accessories: Book marks, track pants, soft couch and good lighting.
18. Literary Destination You Want to Go to: Nathaniel Hawthorne house/museum
19. Top Three Favorite Authors: Henry James, Edith Wharton. Erick Setiawan and Miles Franklin (having focused so strongly on literacy, my numeracy skills suffered)
20. Three Bloggers You Want to See Featured for 20 Questions in the Future: Beth of http://bookaholicmom.blogspot.com/
Jenny Girl of http://jennylovestoread.blogspot.com/
Sheila at http://bookjourney.wordpress.com/


Thanks so much, Jemima! I am all for the latest releases, but I am also a fan of the classics. I haven't read many but I have read several and I love a lot of the language and ideas. I do tend to get bored at the beginning because I am ADD and older literature does generally begin slowly, but once you get past that a lot of the stories are great. They are classics for a reason!

Check below to see who is appearing on 20 Questions next!:

~Deb of Bookmagic
~Heather of Tales of a Capricious Reader
~Susan of The Book Chook
~Kristen of We Be Reading
~Jill of Fizzy Thoughts
~Michelle of Galleysmith
~Trisha of eclectic/eccentric
~Natasha (aka Vasilly) of 1330v
~Staci of Life in the Thumb


Do you want to be featured on 20 Questions? Send me an e-mail (which you can find on my Blogger profile!) with your answers to the questions! Please include questions and answers together, which makes it easier for me to post, plus a photo if you want me to put a different one than your blog's profile picture. I will then e-mail you and let you know when you will be featured! Thanks!

Bookish Discoveries 1-26-10

Bookish Discoveries

1. India's "Pink City", Jaipur, just concluded its 5th Literary Festival complete with over 20,000 attendees and over a hundred writers. From Ali Sethi, author of The Wish Maker, about his coming of age in Pakistan to the award-winning poet Tishani Doshi, who will also be talking about her first novel, The Pleasure Seekers, India's festival is the biggest and hottest literary ticket in Asia and is fast gaining a respectable reputation on a global scale. Here is a list of this year's speakers.

2. The book blogger is definitely a member of the "sharing books" club. But, as this article points out, reading is a private pursuit that some people want to share about later, but that others keep to themselves like hidden treasures.

3. The largest book in the world- an atlas made for King Charles II- is to be opened up for public display for the first time in its 350 year history at the British Library.


4. The winner of the Costa Book Prize is Poet Christopher Reid, whose book, A Scattering, has only sold 1,000 copies. Also check out Judge Sandra Howard discussing the joys of judging the awards, the running themes in this year's books, and her husband unexpectedly enjoying a story on lesbian love in wartime.

5. Former BBC TV and radio presenter Jonathan Ross embarks on a new career path as a writer. His comic book- a Prohibition-era vampire story set in New York- comes out this April.


6. Genetically modified food, vaccines and synthetic biology are all hot-button issues. But they shouldn't be, according to guest Michael Specter, author of the new book Denialism. He argues that the scariest threat is not science itself, but the reluctance to discuss it. Listen in at NPR.org.

7. Author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie discusses the influence Chinua Achebe's stories had on him. In 1958, the question surrounding the publishing of Achebe's Things Fall Apart was "whether anyone would read a novel written by an African." Now it is hard to imagine not having novels written by people of every culture. The publishers made the right decision, as I can't imagine that I would have ever become much of a reader without the influence of other cultures.

Post-It Note Tuesday

I saw this over at Jenner's blog, Life with a Little One and More.

If you would like to play, head over to Supah Mommy, where you will get the directions. I am not a mom, but this was too fun to pass up on. I mean, come on, POST-ITS!!!

The Book List for 01-26-10

The way you do this meme is simple:

• There is a different topic each week, which will be posted here.
• You write a post on your own blog about the topic.
• The post will be a list of 3 books pertaining to the topic. So, for example, if the topic were, say, 3 Books That Make You Want to Go Shopping, you would write a list of 3 books that when you read them made you want to max out your credit card. I have no idea what those books would be, but you get the picture.
• You may include photos with your lists, especially if that helps illustrate your point.
  
• You link back to the week's post here on Lost in Books in your post so if someone else wants to play, they can find their way here.
• Then you come here and leave your link in the Mr. Linky so other people can find your post and your list!
• There is no obligation to post every single week. Participate when you can!
  

Sound fun? I hope so!

Thanks to Susan of The Book Chook for this week's topic!
This Week's Topic is:

3 Fiction Worlds I Would Like to Hang Out In

Here is my own list:
1. Pride & Prejudice- I love the era and I think I would have fun hanging out there like in Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict or Lost in Austen.
2. Harry Potter- I haven't even read the books but I know I would love to hang out in that wickedly awesome castle for a while and just explore. Oh, and ride a broomstick.
3. I can't think of another one off hand. Maybe you can help?


Want to play? It's easy and fun! Here is the Mr. Linky. If it does not work for you, you may leave your link in the comments section, too. I will be making a master list for all of the Book Lists too.






Upcoming Topics:
~3 Books I Read When I Need a Good Cry
~3 Anti-Love/Anti-Couple Books (in lieu of the predictable Valentine's Day list :)
~3 Books That Make Me Long for Warmer Weather
~3 Books That Should Be Made Into Movies

Thanks to Pam of Bookalicio.us for the Meme Button!

Beat the Reaper by Josh Bazell

BOOK #: 3
REASON READ: 100+ Challenge; Random Reading Challenge; RYOB; Countdown Challenge; New Authors; A to Z Titles Challenge
PUBLISHER: Little, Brown
GENRE: Fiction, Medical Fiction
FORMAT/PAGES: Hardcover/304
RATING: 4.5/5 Stars

"Still, it would be dishonest to place the origin of my becoming a doctor in my love and respect for my grandparents, since I don't believe I even considered going to medical school until eight years after they were murdered." -pg. 22

Peter Brown is just your ordinary medical resident shuffling his way through Manhattan Catholic- that is if your ordinary medical resident is actually a former mafia hit man who is now in the witness protection program. Peter's new identity is shattered when one morning a patient recognizes him as Pietro Brnwa, or Bearclaw. It is like a horrible train wreck that you don't want to look at but can't take your eyes off of. And it is fascinating.

Bazell writes an intriguing and intricately woven medical drama/gangster thriller. The back story is as rich and vibrant as the present story, which the book goes back and forth between. I love the story of Auschwitz, of the Lucano family, of Pietro and Magdalena's great love, and of how Peter deals with having his cover blown.

Parts are hard to believe (Can you really do that to your leg? Do mobsters really discuss the details of a hit at the sauna and think they are safe as long as they don't actually say they are mobsters?) and some parts are just downright witty (I love Mershawn. He should have been in more of the book.) and some parts, like the footnotes, solve great medical and mobster mysteries such as how to get around leaving your footprints behind at a crime scene, and why malpractice suits are not as good an idea as your attorney would have you think.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It took me a while before I could decide whether I liked the ending, but as I was talking to @vasilly on Twitter one day she said how she hoped there would be a sequel and I was thinking how a sequel would tie up all the loose ends to the one story line that did not get resolved. I could definitely go for a sequel. I think there are many more tales that Peter/Pietro could tell.

Things you should be aware of:

• Strong language
• Some graphic violence
• Some graphic medical situations

Other Reviews/Opinions on Beat the Reaper:
~books I done read
~The New Dork Review of Books
~Hey Lady! Whatcha Readin'?
~Bermudaonion's Weblog
~She is Too Fond of Books
~Rhapsody in Books Weblog

If I missed the link to your review, please let me know!

Carrie of Books and Movies Answers 20 Questions

Welcome back to 20 Questions, where we get to know our fellow book bloggers a little better.

Today I would like to present to you Carrie of Books and Movies and Mommy Brain! Thanks so much, Carrie, for sharing with us today!

20 QUESTIONS

1. Last book you bought: The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson
2. Last book you got in the mail: Almost Home by Pam Jenoff
3. The first book you read over and over: From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsberg - I must have read that book a dozen times during grade school!
4. Children’s book every child should read: That's a tough one! For picture books, I guess I'd choose Goin' Someplace Special by Patricia C. McKissack. I'd have a really hard time narrowing it down to one children's novel, but a recent one we have loved is The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart.
5. Favorite place to read: In bed.
6. A book you bought just for the cover: A Sense of Paper by Taylor Holden.
7. Scariest book ever read: The Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rule
8. Most romantic book ever read: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, with Outlander by Diana Gabaldon as a close runner-up.
9. Book that changed your life in some way: The Bible.
10. Book you’ve re-read the most times: Trinity by Leon Uris.
11. Book you needed the Cliff’s Notes for: I didn't actually use the Cliff Notes, but I had to keep a note card on which I jotted down the names and relationships of all the characters when I read Anna Karenina by Tolstoy.
12. Book you needed the dictionary for: Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy.
13. Book you like that no one else seems to: I can't think of one!
14. Book you don’t like that everyone else seems to love: The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver.
15. Number of books you own (you can guess): Probably 500.
16. Number of books on your TBR list (that you have not acquired yet): Hundreds - too many to count!
17. Must-have reading accessories: A bookmark and good lighting.
18. Literary Destination You Want to Go to: Bath, England - my best friend just went there and visited the Jane Austen museum! She brought me back a DVD postcard, and the pictures are gorgeous!
19. Top Three Favorite Authors: Leon Uris, Edith Wharton, Jane Austen - those are the three that come to mind right now. :)
20. Three Bloggers You Want to See Featured in the Future: Word Lily (http://wordlily.com/), 1330v (http://classicvasilly.wordpress.com/), and You've Gotta Read This (http://sandynawrot.blogspot.com/)

Thanks so much, Carrie! I am right there with you on Jane Austen and P&P, but The Poisonwood Bible is one of my favorites! But no one is going to like all the same books. I also enjoy reading in bed. It is so snuggly. :)

Check below to see who is appearing on 20 Questions next! There's a great lineup!:

~Jemima of The Reading Journey (1-28)
~Deb of Bookmagic (2-4)
~Heather of Tales of a Capricious Reader (2-11)
~Susan of The Book Chook (2-18)
~Kristen of We Be Reading
~Jill of Fizzy Thoughts
~Michelle of Galleysmith
~Trisha of eclectic/eccentric
~Natasha (aka Vasilly) of 1330v
~Staci of Life in the Thumb


Do you want to be featured on 20 Questions? Send me an e-mail (which you can find on my Blogger profile!) with your answers to the questions! Please include questions and answers together, which makes it easier for me to post, plus a photo if you want me to put a different one than your blog's profile picture. I will then e-mail you and let you know when you will be featured! Thanks!

I am Officially a Challenge Junkie

The challenge runs from November 1, 2009-November 30, 2010, but you may join in the fun whenever you wish! Participants are encouraged to read nonfiction and fiction books related to the rather broad idea of ‘women’s studies.’

For nonfiction, this would include books on feminism, history books focused on women, biographies of women, memoirs (or travelogues) by women, essays by women and cultural books focused on women (body image, motherhood, etc.). In the case of fiction, if the book takes a thoughtful look at the place of women in society, it will probably count. At the end of the day, it’s up to you to explain in your review why you chose this for the challenge and its connection to women’s studies.

I am participating at the Philogynist level. This requires me to: read at least two books, including at least one nonfiction one. Of course, if I want to read more I can.

Here is my tentative reading list:

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson (about the victimization of a teenage girl)
Emma by Jane Austen (about a woman struggling with identifying her wants and needs)
When I Was Puerto Rican by Esmeralda Santiago (a coming-of-age memoir of a Puerto Rican girl)
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi (memoir about her life as a girl in 1970s-80s Iran)
Not Without My Daughter by Betty Mahmoody (memoir of a woman and her daughter who visited Iran and became captives)

MY REVIEWS:
1. The Heretic Queen by Michelle Moran (March 2010)
2. Bright Lights, Big Ass by Jen Lancaster (May 2010)

CHALLENGE COMPLETE! :)


the Life (and Lies) of an Inanimate Flying Object is hosting this challenge.
Rules:

--Anyone can participate. Bloggers: leave a link to your challenge in the comments. Non-bloggers, leave your name (and e-mail if you like)

--Levels:

**Newbie 2 books by J. Austen, 2 re-writes, prequels, sequels, or spoofs (by other authors)

**Lover 4 books by J. Austen, 4 re-writes, prequels, sequels, or spoofs (by other authors)

** Fanatic 6+ books by J. Austen, 5+ re-writes, prequels, sequels, or spoofs (by other authors)

--Challenge books can overlap with other challenges.

--Any format counts: bound book, e-book (check online for free downloads of J.A’s copyright-free books), audio book, or any other thing you can think of.

--Challenge runs January 1st 2010—December 31 2010.

--You can change which level you read!

My Reviews:
1. Persuasion by Jane Austen (May)
2. Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler (July)
3.
4.

This challenge is hosted by The Betty and Boo Chronicles:
Here are the details:

The challenge will run from January 1, 2010 - December 31, 2010. You're welcome to join anytime.

Memoirs, letters, diaries, and autobiographies count as reads for this challenge. (Basically, if you think it is the stuff of memoir, it counts.) Overlaps with other challenges are allowed. Audiobooks and e-books are also allowed. Participants are encouraged to read at least 4 memoirs/diaries/letters/autobiography books in 2010. Of course, more are fine!


Reading List:
1. Recovering My Voice: A Memoir of Chaos, Spirituality, and Hope by Aruni Nan Futuronsky (May)
2. Bright Lights, Big Ass by Jen Lancaster (May)
3. Children of Dust: A Memoir of Pakistan by Ali Eteraz (June)
4.

The Book List Meme for 1-19-10

If you missed last week's Book List, you can click here to see the topic and read participant's lists.

The way you do the meme is simple:

• There is a different topic each week, which will be posted here.
• You write a post on your own blog about the topic.
• The post will be a list of 3 books pertaining to the topic. So, for example, if the topic were, say, 3 Books That Make You Want to Go Shopping, you would write a list of 3 books that when you read them made you want to max out your credit card. I have no idea what those books would be, but you get the picture.
• You may include photos with your lists, especially if that helps illustrate your point.
  
• You link back to the week's post here on Lost in Books in your post so if someone else wants to play, they can find their way here.
• Then you come here and leave your link in the Mr. Linky so other people can find your post and your list!
• There is no obligation to post every single week. Participate when you can!
  

Sound fun? I hope so!

This Week's Topic is:

3 Characters I Love to Hate

Here is my own list:
1. "Mister", Celie's husband, from The Color Purple by Alice Walker
2. The scientists from "the School" in When the Wind Blows, The Lake House, and the Maximum Ride Series by James Patterson
3. "Ingrid" from White Oleander by Janet Fitch


Want to play? It's easy and fun! Here is the Mr. Linky. If it does not work for you, you may leave your link in the comments section, too. I will be making a master list for all of the Book Lists too.




Upcoming Topics:
~3 Fiction Worlds I Would Like to Hang Out In (Thx to Susan of The Book Chook!)
~3 Books I Read When I Need a Good Cry


Thanks to Pam of Bookalicio.us for the Meme Button!

Bookish Discoveries 01-18-10

Bookish Discoveries

AROUND THE BOOKISH WORLD:

1. When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead wins the 2010 Newberry Medal. The book is a YA mystery about a 12-year-old named Miranda who finds clues to the mystery in the classic literature "A Wrinkle in Time" by Madeline L'Engle. It is being said that Rebecca received a tweet (via Twitter) by an eager Random House employee that gave it away minutes before it was announced at the awards ceremony.


2. Miep Gies, the woman who helped hide Anne Frank and her family during the Holocaust, passed away in the Netherlands January 11th. She was 100 years old. Thanks to Anna for this story!

3. Here is an excerpt from a Salon.com article on Susan Clancy's book on child abuse that I think you might find interesting. I did, at least.

"More than a decade ago, a 42-year-old man walked into the office of Susan Clancy, then a Harvard graduate student working with child abuse victims, and made a revelation that would help shift how she viewed her entire field. When he was 9 years old, the man said, a friend of the family had sexually molested him over a six-month period. The man kept the abuse a secret from his wife and family for more than 30 years and was struggling with feelings of shame and problems at work. But this wasn't nearly as surprising as what he revealed next: When the sexual abuse was happening, the man said, he wasn't even upset.

Clancy tells the story in her new book, "The Trauma Myth," not only to startle readers, but also to describe the extent to which she believes many people in the medical establishment have misrepresented the realities of child abuse. The book marks a controversial break with the current line on sexual abuse."

Continue reading the interview at Salon.com.


4. Best-selling author Jackie Collins admits to affair with Marlon Brando at the age of 15.

5. After years of children's fantasy literature being the top tier, it looks like this year might be the year for children's lit's more serious stories.

6. Great piece on "The Elizabeth Gilbert Experience" on Bookslut. I adored Gilbert's Eat Pray Love and I am hoping to get to her other books soon, as I was discussing with Monica and Vasilly on Twitter the other day. So this one is for you guys. :)

7. Claudia Roth Pierpont dives into contemporary Arabic literature. If nothing else, it makes you ask yourself the question, when is the last time I picked up Arabic novel? If you're like me, it was exactly 4 weeks and 2 days from never. Reading this article will give you insight into it and give you some reads to start off with as well.


INTERESTING DISCUSSIONS GOING ON:

8. The Story Siren asked the question, am I a bad person for not noticing race as an issue? And Black-Eyed Susan defends her stance in pointing out race in literature. What do you think?

9. Misfit Salon discusses judging a person by the book they are reading. I know I have been guilty of it. Have you?

10. Have you seen Presenting Lenore's brilliant idea for an International Book Blogger Mentoring Program?

11. This post was from last week, but I really enjoyed reading why Chelsea of The Page Flipper loves to read YA books.

12. This post is also from last week but I had to give a shout out to Amanda of The Zen Leaf blog for her post on why GLBT reading is important.

Diversity Role Call: Best of 2009

Ali says:

I've enjoyed reading the many "best of" lists and reading summaries that have been posted lately, especially the Top 10 Lists that Doret's been posting all week at the Happy Nappy Bookseller. So, for this Roll Call, over the next two weeks or so I invite you to select your favorite read of the year by a non-white author. (Doesn't have to be a 2009 book, as long as you read it in 2009).

Can't pick just one? No problem. Do a top 10, or do one from each genre that you read--whatever works. If you've already written a Best Of 2009 post and authors of color are featured on it, feel free to link to that post.

This could also be a good opportunity to post recommendations by authors of color for one or more of the many Reading Challenges for which people are creating their reading lists right now.

I did read some good books by authors of color this year. Here is my list:

Khaled Hosseini- A Thousand Splendid Suns
June Cross- Secret Daughter: A Mixed-Race Daughter and the Mother Who Gave Her Away
Pearl Cleage- What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day
Lori Arviso Alvord- The Scalpel & the Silver Bear
Toni Morrison- Beloved
Haruki Murakami- Norwegian Wood
Ishmael Beah- A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier
Ru Freeman- A Disobedient Girl
Alice Walker- The Color Purple
Shaila Abdullah- Saffron Dreams

I had the most trouble leaving any out, but I managed to whittle it down a little. But, as you can see, so many could not be left off my list!

What were your favorite reads by non-white authors last year?

Click here to read Ali's post and to visit other blogger's Best Of 2009 lists.

INTERVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Author Johanna Moran and The Wives of Henry Oades

INTERVIEW
Johanna Moran is the author of The Wives of Henry Oades, which I reviewed here. It is slated to be released February 25th. I got the awesome opportunity to ask her a few questions.

Hi Rebecca,
Great questions. Here you go...

1. I found the story of Henry, Meg, and Nancy in The Wives of Henry Oades very interesting. When I found out it was based on a true story, I was even more intrigued. Can you share with my readers a little about the court case that inspired you to write this novel?

More than a half century ago, my father, a law professor, came across an abstract on the Oades case. He brought it home to my mother, who was trying to write short fiction in her nonexistent spare time. She gave thought to fleshing out the story, but that's as far as she got. She squirreled the abstract away, perhaps thinking she'd get to it eventually. She gave it to me ten years ago. I was drawn in immediately and went from there.

2. You were a flight attendant for seventeen years before you decided to go back to school and become a writer. When did you first realize that writing was your calling?

Getting to this place was a plodding, gradual process. There was no one "aha" moment of discovery. I wrote two other novels before THE WIVES OF HENRY OADES. Many if not most writers have an unpublished manuscript or two under the bed. I do.

3. Organizing is not one of my strong suits. How do you organize your research and writing so that you can work easiest and most efficiently?

I'm not organized. I wish I were. My work space is typically a towering mess of books and papers.

4. Did you enjoy writing about any one of the characters in The Wives of Henry Oades more than the others? Did you feel a special kinship with any of them?

I lived with these characters for nearly a decade. I love and respect all three. They are decent people caught up in an impossible situation. Simply put, they are doing the best they can under the circumstances.

5. What are you working on now?

I'm working on a story about a friendship between two nineteenth-century prostitutes, one of whom was in fact murdered by Abraham Rothschild.

6. What book are you reading now?

I just started ON BEAUTY by Zadie Smith. I loved WHITE TEETH by the same author. She has a spot-on ear for dialogue.

7. Your book launches on February 25th. How do you plan to celebrate?

I'm excited about my launch here in Sarasota, which will be co-sponsored by the University of South Florida, my alma mater, and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. My agent is coming down from NY. We've had a lovely working relationship for over two years, but have never met face-to-face.

Thank you so much for sharing with us today, Johanna! I look forward to the release of the story you are working on now. It sounds really interesting!

GIVEAWAY
I am giving my copy of The Wives of Henry Oades to one lucky book blogger to read and review!
All you have to do to enter is leave a comment telling me what part of this book intrigues you the most, plus a way for me to contact you.

Extra Entries:

+1 New Follower
+2 Old Follower
+5 Comments rock! Leave a comment on my book review.
+5 Post about this giveaway on your own blog (sidebar is fine) or on Twitter.

The contest runs until Wednesday, January 27th. Good luck!

REVIEW: The Wives of Henry Oades by Johanna Moran

BOOK #: 2
REASONS READ: ARC/ARE
PUBLISHER: Random House
GENRE: Historical Fiction
FORMAT/PAGES: Paperback/347
RATING: 4 Stars

In Moran's debut novel an unusual family saga unfolds. Margaret and Henry Oades and their children move to Wellington, New Zealand in 1890 after Henry accepts a bank post there. Margaret is less than thrilled but Henry promises that the post will only be for 2 years. But in just one night, every plan the family has comes to a screeching halt when Margaret and the children are taken from their home one night during an uprising by the native Maori. Henry's family is presumed dead. Completely heartbroken with grief, Henry moves to Berkley, California. Eventually, Henry marries a young widow with a baby.

This is when it gets interesting. Soon after Henry and Nancy marry and settle down to domesticity on Henry's newly acquired farm, his first wife and children show up, alive and having escaped captivity. Henry is overjoyed and he and Nancy invite them into their home. However, this is not a happy ending with nice neat wrapping and a bow. Some lovely ladies in town decide that the Oades' all living together constitutes bigamy and what follows is a powerful tale of marriage, family, courage, and honor.

I enjoyed reading about the Oades family. What is most remarkable to me is that this novel is based off of a real-life court case. The story is remarkable in more ways than one, however. It is a powerful testimony to the fact that family can not be defined in terms of a father, mother, and children. It is remarkable in that it is the story of two courageous women who must deal with the fact that their husband has another wife and family. It is remarkable in that Henry is a man of honor and bravery and would rather go to jail for bigamy than see any of his children become society outcasts with the label of "illegitimate." It is also remarkable for the way it explores society's perceptions and fears, and for the way it explores the law and its flaws. Did I mention it was remarkable?

I admit I had trouble getting into the story during Part One. I found there was too much of life on the boat and not enough of a setup into the true heart of the story. However, once the kidnapping happened, I was enthralled with the story. I mourned with Henry. I rejoiced when Margaret and the children escaped. I cringed when Margaret discovers he has a new family. I hated the ladies who crafted the plot against Henry, Margaret, and Nancy. I feared for their children. And when I feel that range of emotions in a book, I know it is being told passionately and with skill.


I recommend this book to any fans of historical fiction, family sagas, or stories of overcoming adversity.

20 Questions is Back with Jeanne of Necromancy Never Pays!!

Welcome back to 20 Questions, where we get to know our fellow book bloggers a little better.

Today I would like to present to Jeanne of the blog Necromancy Never Pays. Thank you so much for sharing with us today, Jeanne!



20 QUESTIONS

1. Last book you bought: I had been reading about Justine Larbalestier’s new novel Liar since the cover controversy and saw some comments about spoilers over at John Scalzi’s Whatever that made me think I needed to read the book itself before I read anything more about it, so I went by Borders after class because the kids had rehearsal after school--so I didn’t have to rush home—and also I had some free book coupons (the last I will get from a now-defunct credit card offer).

2. Last book you got in the mail: Dangerous Angels, ordered from Amazon after reading Nymeth’s enthusiastic review.

3. The first book you read over and over: Harriet the Spy, by Louise Fitzhugh. I read it throughout my eleventh summer because we were in Hawaii and I didn’t have many other books with me.

4. Children’s book every child should read: The Hobbit, A Wrinkle in Time, A Child’s Garden of Verses, The Secret Garden. I think children should read a lot of books, so stopping at four should actually qualify as restrained.

5. Favorite place to read: well, my favorite place to read would have to be on Waikiki beach! My usual place to read is in an armchair with a footstool and a cat on my lap.

6. A book you bought just for the cover: I checked out Donna Tartt’s The Little Friend from the library just for the cover—it had a creepy but intriguing picture that followed me with its eyes.

7. Scariest book ever read: When I was a kid I read a book of vampire tales my parents told me not to read, and I had nightmares about it for years. The scariest book I’ve read as an adult was Andrew Klavan’s Empire of Lies, because it’s scary to think there are people in the world who think like the main character does.

8. Most romantic book ever read: Sense and Sensibility. I like the gentle way Austen makes fun of the attempt to be rational and practical about love.

9. Book that changed your life in some way: (I always answer The Handmaid’s Tale for this one, so I think I’ll pick a different one this time.) When I was in college, I read The Magus by John Fowles. Not only did the dreamy mystery of it haunt me for years, but I read everything else by him I could lay my hands on, and he was trendy in literary circles throughout the 1980’s. When it was time to take my graduate record exam in English, I found that several of the questions were about Fowles novels, so I scored even higher than I would have anyway, being such a voracious reader even outside of classes.

10. Book you’ve re-read the most times: The Lord of the Rings. Some people (like Christopher Lee, who plays Saruman in the movie) reread it annually. I dip back in every couple of years or so.

11. Book you needed the Cliff’s Notes for: Ahem, as an academic I don’t exactly approve of those. I did need help to read James Joyce’s Ulysses the first time. I used a guide that related each chapter of Ulysses to the episode it referred to in Homer’s Odyssey.

12. Book you needed the dictionary for: I think I may have looked up a word used in a footnote by David Foster Wallace in his collection of essays Consider the Lobster. He’s the only writer I can think of who has a bigger vocabulary than I do and can manage to make me that curious.

13. Book you like that no one else seems to: A Door Into Ocean by Joan Slonczewski. This is the first of her science fiction novels that are again available courtesy of print on demand.

14. Book you don’t like that everyone else seems to love: The Time Traveler’s Wife. It’s not very good romance and doesn’t even try to be good SF, so I found it unremarkable and am puzzled by the response it continues to get.

15. Number of books you own (you can guess): My guess is that my household contains around 3,000 books, many of them paperbacks. I haven’t moved since 1990, and we have bookcases the way other people have wallpaper.

16. Number of books on your TBR list (that you have not acquired yet): around 30. Since I don’t like to make lists, my TBR list is somewhat elastic. Some things I keep track of, and others can wait for years until I’m reminded I did want to read that.

17. Must-have reading accessories: a cat for my lap. If I have time to sit down, I need a feline lap warmer.

18. Literary Destination You Want to Go to: the lake country of England. My whole family wants to go sailing like the kids in the Arthur Ransome books. And I want to see where Wordsworth and Coleridge went walking, of course.

19. Top Three Favorite Authors: W.B. Yeats, Anne Tyler, Robert Heinlein

20. Three Book Bloggers You Want to See Featured in the Future: Memory at Stella Matutina, Care at Care’s Online Book Club, Kristen at BookNAround



Thanks, Jeanne! I love that you scored higher on your exam because you were a voracious reader outside of class! Score! I agree that Austen poking fun of love being sensible is one of my favorite aspects of that novel.

Don't miss out! Check below to see who is appearing next on 20 Questions:

~Carrie of Books and Movies
~Jemima of The Reading Journey
~Deb of Bookmagic
~Heather of Tales of a Capricious Reader


Do you want to be featured on 20 Questions? Send me an e-mail at mycreativeimagination (at) yahoo (dot) com with your answers to the questions! Please include questions and answers together, which makes it easier for me to post, plus a photo if you want me to put a different one than your blog's profile picture. I will then e-mail you and let you know when you will be featured! Thanks!

IT IS HERE: The Book List Meme

You may remember me asking you a few weeks back if anyone would be interested in a new meme about book lists?

Well, here is the first meme post about it. I am going to call it the really uber-creative name The Book List. :) Pam of bookalicio.us made me this button for the meme. Thanks, Pam. There would not have been a button without you!

The way you do the meme is simple:

• There is a different topic each week, which will be posted here.
• You write a post on your own blog about the topic.
• The post will be a list of 3 books pertaining to the topic. So, for example, if the topic were, say, 3 Books That Make You Want to Go Shopping, you would write a list of 3 books that when you read them made you want to max out your credit card. I have no idea what those books would be, but you get the picture.
• You may include photos with your lists, especially if that helps illustrate your point.
  
• You link back to the week's post here on Lost in Books in your post so if someone else wants to play, they can find their way here.
• Then you come here and leave your link in the Mr. Linky so other people can find your post and your list!

Sound fun? I hope so!

You guys came up with some great topics for this meme already. If you ever have ideas for it, please do not hesitate to share them with me. I will always give credit to whomever came up with the list idea. I'm no idea stealer!

The first topic for The Book List is going to be one I actually came up with, but your ideas will certainly be integrated in to the ideas (see Upcoming Topics below the Mr. Linky).

This Week's Topic is:

3 Book Titles That Made Me Laugh Out Loud When I First Read Them

Here is my own list:

1. Things I Heard While Talking to Myself by Alan Alda

2. Babies and Other Hazards of Sex: How to Make a Tiny Person in Only 9 Months, with Tools You Probably Have Around the Home by Dave Barry

3. Still Stripping After 25 Years by Eleanor Burns
(Not what you think, is it? :)







Want to play? It's easy and fun! Here is the Mr. Linky. If it does not work for you, you may leave your link in the comments section, too. I will be making a master list for all of the Book Lists too.





Upcoming Topics:
~3 Characters I Love to Hate
~3 Fiction Worlds I Would Like to Hang Out In (Thx to Susan!)
~3 Books I Read When I Need a Good Cry

Thoughts on Religious Freedom

This year I am participating in the Social Justice Challenge because it is near and dear to my heart and I cannot express how excited I am that we have this challenge.

This month the focus is on Religious Freedom. The freedom to practice your own religion, to follow your own set of beliefs, to worship your God in the way you want to, or the freedom to choose not to believe in anything at all is a very important freedom to me. I apologize in advance for the lengthy post but I felt it necessary to explain where I am coming from in order for you to understand, hopefully, where I am now.

My road through religion and spiritual practices has been one that people generally make light-hearted fun of because I have bounced a lot from one place to another. When I was a child my mother took me to a Methodist church where I was eventually baptized. I didn't like that church though and when my mother got a job at a Baptist church I began going to the youth group there and found I enjoyed these people much better. On a trip with this youth group, I realized I had not given my heart to God and did so. I came back and was re-baptized in the Baptist Church. When I left to go to college, I did not attend church. I hardly even thought about it because there was always such a flurry of activity around me. I knew I believed in God, but I also knew that my beliefs were not fully formed yet and that I was edging away from the beliefs that people I knew had, including my overly zealous roommate.

I changed schools in 2003 and met some very nice people who went to a non-denominational group at my new university. The people were awesome and were open to all kinds of deep discussions on faith so it was very interesting to me. However, in 2004 I met and fell in love with a man who was a devout Catholic. We talked a lot about what the differences were between Catholicism and Protestantism. I read Catholicism for Dummies a lot and let me tell you that book can really explain a lot! I began going to classes for people who wanted to become Catholic. My intentions were just to learn more about my fiance's faith. However, I soon realized that so much of the Church's teachings aligned with beliefs I already had that did not fit into the Baptist faith. My relationship did not last, but I went ahead and finished those classes and became a member of the Catholic Church.

You'd think I would be finished at this point, right? But, no, not I! While I still consider myself Catholic, there are some teachings in the Catholic Church that I do not believe, namely their stances on abortion, homosexuality, and birth control. This, I think, puts me out of communion with the Church, but everything else I am right in line with. I probably should talk with a priest about all of this. Anyways, I love learning about religion and other cultures and beliefs, which you *may* have gathered from reading my blog before. :) I began reading about Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Judaism, Islam, and even Navajo traditional beliefs.

After reading about all of these religions, you realize that all of them have pretty much the SAME ultimate goal: to become better people than you are right now and to love others and give of yourself more than anything else. What differs really is the path of how you arrive at this destination. Now, some Christians will say that the ultimate goal is Heaven, which is true, but the goal of brotherly love and self-improvement are also goals.

At this point in my life, I believe there is a God, or Higher Power, but I also believe there is more than one pathway to God. This is very much against traditional Church doctrine that says the only way to God is through Jesus Christ. But where I am right now Jesus is amazing and I believe in him and what he did, but that cannot be the only way. Perhaps that is a Hindu belief coming out in me. They believe and respect the right of everyone to reach God in their own way. The Truth and God is one, but different people call it by different names and different cultures have created different ways to reach the same conclusion- call it Enlightenment, call it Heaven, call it whatever you want.

So, since my religious views are ever evolving, I cannot imagine living in a place where I was not allowed to express my religious and spiritual views freely. I believe that everyone should be allowed this freedom, if for no other reason than to find what makes sense to them. The threats and restrictions against religious freedom in this world are upsetting at best, and infuriating and suffocating at worst. I am continually angered by religious persecution around the world. So many people of all different beliefs are persecuted instead of being allowed to be human and reach their own conclusions about their ideas, beliefs, and dreams.

Even in America where freedom of religion is in our Constitution, people are persecuted. I am allowed to express my beliefs but hailstorms come down on me because I don't follow strict doctrine rules for any one organized religion. In high school a Jewish substitute would chastise us randomly because we weren't Jewish. In the Baptist church I was baptized in so long ago, they look at me as if I had joined a cult because I am Catholic. And it is so much worse for others out there.

There are several books I would like to read that fit into religious freedom:

• The Unlikely Disciple: A Sinner's Semester at America's Holiest University by Kevin Roose
• Eat Sleep Sit: My Year at Japan's Most Rigorous Zen Temple by Kaoru Nonomura
• Infidel by Ayann Hirsi Ali
• Dawn by Elie Wiesel
  
• Confessions of a Closet Catholic by Sarah Darer Littman
• A Lucky Child: A Memoir of Surviving Auschwitz as a Young Boy by Thomas Buergenthal

But I will probably read A Lucky Child because I have already started reading it, although I had put it down 2 months ago because I was trying to finish some other books before challenges were over.

How do you feel about religious freedom? Have you ever felt or been persecuted for your beliefs? How do you think we should help those who do not have religious freedom? Do you want to tell me off? What book or books would you like to read on religious freedom?

TSS: Organizing

I was going through Google Reader yesterday and I was just overwhelmed by how many blogs there are that I want to read. I have organized my subscriptions somewhat:

• all my book blogs are together
• I have a folder for my absolute must-visit book blogs
• I even have a separate folder to keep track of Amanda's blogs :)

The problem is I look at that long, long list of book blogs and I get overwhelmed. I need an organizational system to break them down into manageable chunks so my ADD brain doesn't spaz out and shut down.

The question is: What is a good way to organize the book blogs in Google Reader?


Here are some ideas I came up with:

• a folder for all of the Historical Fiction blogs I love
• a folder for all the mainly YA book blogs
• a folder for new-to-me book blogs
• a folder for blogs that follow me so I can be sure to comment on them weekly

How do you break your folders down? Is there a system that makes more sense to you than another one? What are your suggestions?

Happy 1st Blogiversary to Me!!!

Happy Bloggiversary to me!
Happy Bloggiversary to me!
Happy Bloggiversary to Lost in Books!
Happy Bloggiversary to me!

I can't believe my first book review was an entire year ago! Granted, I had absolutely NO followers at this time last year, but it was the day I decided that I wanted this blog to be not only where I kept track of reading challenges and books read, but also what I thought of books.

Slowly I began getting one follower here, two followers there, and today I have 240 followers! I continue to be surprised and humbled that anyone would care what I have to say about books and reading.

Today I thought I would celebrate by sharing ten of my favorite posts from the past year on Lost in Books. Thanks again for being here. And here is to another even more fabulous and fun year in 2010!

Ten of My Favorite Posts From My 1st Year Blogging

1. My First Book Review: A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini 1/9/09
2. BTT: Symbolism in Literature 4/23/09
3. My First Take Me Away Saturday Post 5/23/09
4. What's in a Name? 5/24/09
5. The State of Mt. TBR- What's on My Desk Wednesday 6/24/09
6. Diversity Role Call- Gender Diversity 07/26/09
7. Take Me Away...to India 8/8/09
8. The Very First 20 Questions Post 11/11/09
9. TSS: Book Blog Post Turn Ons/Turn Offs 11/30/09
10. Taking a Cue: My Year of Reading Deliberately 1/7/09

Do you have a favorite post from Lost in Books? What would you like to see more of in the next year? Click here to take the Lost in Books Reader Survey.