October Book #1

Book: Fly By Night by Frances Hardinge

Book in a sentence: Mosca Mye takes up with a silver-tongued conman named Eponymous Clent in order to get to the city Mandelion and go to school, but ends up starting something of a revolution.

Best thing about this book: The delicious joy Ms. Hardinge takes in words. The names are inventive, the world is built so well you actually believe it could have existed, and she uses so many beautiful words. This is a book that I've read about 3 times, years apart, and I'm always amazed by the beautiful language.

Happy reading!

The Friday Five

Five Books I Like to Give as Gifts
(in no particular order)

1. Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie
2. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
3. The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen
4. The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy
5. Olivia by Ian Falconer

What books do you like to give others?

September Book #2

Book: The Girl With No Shadow by Joanne Harris

The sequel to Chocolat. Skip it.

The Friday Five

Five Awesome Opening Lines (in no particular order):

• There was once, in the country of Alifbay, a sad city, the saddest of cities, a city so ruinously sad that it had forgotten its name. -Salman Rushdie, Haroun and the Sea of Stories
• When Josey woke up and saw the feathery frost on her windowpane, she smiled. Finally, it was cold enough to wear long coats and tights. It was cold enough for scarves and shirts worn in layers, like camouflage. It was cold enough for her lucky red cardigan, which she swore had a power of its own. She loved this time of year. -Sarah Addison Allen, The Sugar Queen
• It is a day of yellow fog, and the Folk are hungry. -Franny Billingsley, The Folk Keeper
• A surging, seething, murmuring crowd of beings that are human only in name, for to they eye and ear they seem naught but savage creatures, animated by vile passions and by the lust of vengeance and hate. -Baroness Orczy, The Scarlet Pimpernel
• I have been afraid of putting air in a tire ever since I saw a tractor tire blow up and throw Newt Hardbine's father over the top of the Standard Oil sign. -Barbara Kingsolver, The Bean Trees

September Book #1

Book: Chocolat by Joanne Harris

Book in a sentence: A woman opens a chocolate shop in a town in France that is filled with secrets.

Best thing about this book: I bought this book back in 2005 while I was staying in London for a semester. I had seen the movie, of course, but wanted to read the book that it inspired. Needless to say they are vastly different. I love the way Ms. Harris moves back and forth from Vianne's point of view to the priest's. They are so vastly different, yet both think they are doing right. It's such an interesting juxtaposition. I found out that this is the first of three books about Vianne, so expect those to be coming soon!

Happy reading!

August Book #3

Book: The Love Goddess's Cooking School by Melissa Senate

Book in a sentence: A chick inherits her grandmother's cooking school and cafe, but doesn't know how to cook.

Best thing about this book: The prose was really beautiful and there were moments when I would get lost in it. There were, however, a lot of typos in the copy I read and that was annoying. If you're looking for a sweet, albeit predictable, read then this book is for you!

Happy reading!

August Book #2

Book: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Book in a sentence: Two teens with cancer fall in love.

Best thing about this book: John Green has this amazing ability to make you laugh at one sentence and cry at the next. This book is amazing and touching and funny and I absolutely loved it. Apparently there's going to be a movie made about it, but don't let that stop you from reading it.

Happy reading!

August Book #1

Book: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Book in a sentence: A super-creepy book illustrated with super-creepy pictures of super-creepy children.

Best thing about this book: It was compelling, well-written, and moved quickly.

Happy reading!

July Book #1

Book: The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There by Catherynne M. Valente

Book in a sentence: The sequel to The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making. This is the continuing story of September's adventures in Fairyland.

Best thing about this book: Ms. Valente's writing is beautiful, poetic, and amazing. I used a notecard as a bookmark because I kept wanting to write down lines from the book. It's not a quick read, by any means, but it's well worth it.

Happy reading!

Great Googly Moogly

Okay, so I use this blog to post about every single book I finish reading. Every. Single. One.

If you're doing the math (or, if you're bad at math, but really perceptive) you'll see that the last time I blogged about a book was in April.

April.

That was the last time I finished a book.

You could say I'm in a bit of a dry spell. I'm reading a book now that looks promising, however. Maybe I'll actually be able to finish this one.

In the meantime, got any good book suggestions?

April Book #3

Book: Life is a Verb: 37 Days to Wake Up, Be Mindful, and Live Intentionally by Patti Digh

Book in a sentence: Part memoir, part self-help, part guide to making it through when you're having a midlife crisis at 30.

Best thing about this book: I read it all the way through without doing any of the prompts at the end of the chapters. I'm planning on re-reading it this week, this time absorbing everything a little more and actually acting on it. It was the perfect book for me to start with on my quest to figure out what the heck I want to do when I grow up. Stay tuned for more books with similar subjects.

Happy reading!

April Book #2

Book: Everbound by Brodi Ashton

Book in a sentence: Nikki whines a whole lot while she tries to save her boyfriend Jack with help from the boy who is in love with her, Cole; she does a lot of stupid things and let's herself be taken advantage of.

Best thing about this book: Brodi's writing is amazing. Even though I find Nikki to be a total whingeing baby throughout the entire book, I forgot about it several times because of Brodi's great writing.

April Book #1

Book: Boneshaker by Cherie Priest

Book in a sentence: A steam-punk, zombie, WWII, science fiction adventure.

The best thing about this book: The first 2/3 of the book were amazing and fascinating.

February Book #1

Book: Chapter After Chapter: Discover the dedication and focus you need to write the book of your dreams by Heather Sellers

Book in a sentence: A great writing book for anyone who isn't quite an amateur anymore, but isn't exactly where they want to be as a writer.

The best thing about this book: Sellers prose is so approachable and easy-to-read. She makes you feel like she's a friend who is discussing your writing with you. I especially appreciated the chapter on slowing down. Sometimes I feel so much pressure to get things done NOW, that I forget to slow down and enjoy the journey. Slow down and focus on the things that are important. Just slow down. A must-read for any writer, especially if you're stuck in a funk.

Happy reading!

January Book #2

Book: The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde

Book in a sentence: The first in the series of adventures of Thursday Next, a LiteraTec with SpecOps. Set in an alternate United Kingdom.

The best thing about this book: My friend Jenel put it best when she said this book could never be made into a movie. It's a book that celebrates it's bookliness by doing things that can't be done in any other media. Jasper Fforde's writing is entertaining, witty, and there are so many inside jokes for English Literature lovers that it will keep you on your toes. The tongue-in-cheek names will make you smirk, and Thursday's adventures will intrigue you so much that you'll run out and grab the next book in the series!

Happy reading!

January Book #1

Book: Godmother by Carolyn Turgeon

Book in a sentence: A banished fairy deals with old age, guilt, and trying to survive in a world that is not her own.

The best thing about this book: It was completely unique and unexpected. The premise is so far-fetched and yet the author made it believable, sometimes painfully so. Though there was a repetition of phrases and she has a serious crush on New York City, the writing was beautiful. It had the feel of a literary novel while still being engrossing and easy to read.

Happy reading!

The 100 Book List

I have been in a reading funk, as you can see by the fact that I haven't finished a book since November. As I was reading a fabulous book I just bought on writing, the author suggested making a list of 100 books you plan to read over the year. Books that have to do, in some way or other, with the book you're working on. So that I won't lose this list (and to perhaps give other people ideas) I am posting it here on my blog. I'm starting with books I own and moving on to ones that I hope to read. They are in no real order. Enjoy!

Pam's 100 Book List for 2013

1. The Arabian Knights translated by Sir Richard Burton
2. Fairest by Gail Carson Levine
3. A Tale of Two Castles by Gail Carson Levine
4. The Witch's Boy by Michael Gruber
5. The Complete Fairy Tales and Stories of Hans Christian Andersen
6. The Tales of Guy de Maupassant
7. Everneath by Brodi Ashton
8. The Uncrowned King by Harold Bell Wright
9. Wildwood by Colin Meloy
10. Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale
11. The Princess Tales Vol. I & II by Gail Carson Levine
12. Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
13. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
14. The Fairy Book by Dinah Maria Mulock
15. Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie
16. Treasury of Fairy Tales retold by Geraldine McCaughrean and Sophy Williams
17. Ever by Gail Carson Levine
18. Fairest of All by Serena Valentino
19. The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
20. Enna Burning by Shannon Hale
21. River Secrets by Shannon Hale
22. Forest Born by Shannon Hale
23. Fly By Night by Frances Hardinge
24. Toads and Diamonds by Heather Tomlinson
25. The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
26. Ophelia by Lisa Klein
27. The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo
28. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo
29. A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz
30. The Folk Keeper by Franny Billingsley
31. Water Song by Suzanne Weyn
32. Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George
33. Chocolat by Joanne Harris
34. Once Upon a Marigold by Jean Ferris
35. Twice Upon a Marigold by Jean Ferris
36. Rapunzel: and Other Maiden in the Tower Tales From Around the World by Heidi Anne Heiner
37. Princess of Glass by Jessica Day George
38. The Night Dance by Suzanne Weyn
39. Sunlight and Shadow by Cameron Dokey
40. Scarlet Moon by Debbie Viguie
41. The Swan Kingdom by Zoe Marriott
42. Zel by Donna Jo Napoli
43. The Storyteller's Daughter by Cameron Dokey
44. Midnight Pearls by Debbie Viguie
45. The True Story of Hansel and Gretel by Louise Murphy
46. The Magic Three of Solatia by Jane Yolen
47. The Rumpelstiltskin Problem by Vivian Vande Velde
48. Bound by Donna Jo Napoli
49. Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce
50. My Mother She Killed Me, My Father He Ate Me by Kate Bernheimer
51. Mirror Mirror by Jane Yolen and Heidi E.Y. Stemple
52. The Amaranth Enchantment by Julie Berry
53. Fairy Tales and After by Roger Sale
54. Breaking the Magic Spell by Jack Zipes
55. Fairy Tales for Writers by Lawrence Shimel
56. Why Fairy Tales Stick by Jack Zipes
57. Off With Their Heads! by Maria Tatar
58. The Magic Circle by Donna Jo Napoli
59. Unenchanted by Chanda Hahn
60. Cloaked in Red by Vivian Vande Velde
61. Cloaked by Alex Flinn
62. Entwined by Heather Dixon
63. The Extra-Ordinary Princess by Carolyn Ebbit
64. The Fairy Tale Fiction of Anne Isabella Thackeray Ritchie
65. Fairy Tales Every Child Should Know by Hamilton Wright Mable
66. The Healer's Apprentice by Melanie Dickerson
67. Never After by Rebecca Lickiss
68. The Twelve Dancing Princesses: Tales From Around the World by Heidi Anne Heiner
69. The Red Fairy Book by Andrew Lang
70. The Pink Fairy Book by Andrew Lang
71. Darkwood by M.E. Breen
72. Can You Guess My Name by Sierra Judy
73. The Fairy-Tale Princess by Su Blackwell
74. Mermaid by Carolyn Turgeon
75. Fairest Beauty by Melanie Dickerson
76. From the Beast to the Blonde by Maria Tatar
77. From the Forest by Sara Maitland
78. Godmother by Carolyn Turgeon
79. Haunted Legends by Ellen Datlow
80. The Next Full Moon by Carolyn Turgeon
81. Heart's Blood by Juliet Marillier
82. Birdie's Book by Jan Bozarth
83. Aesop's Mirror by Maryalice Huggins
84. Grey Fairy Book by Andrew Lang
85. A Long, Long Time Ago and Essentially True by Brigid Pasulka
86. The Unhandsome Prince by John Moore
87. Dreaming Anastasia by Joy Preble
88. The Beautiful Between by Alyssa B. Sheinmel
89. The Poison Eaters by Holly Black
90. Bridge of Birds by Barry Hughart
91. Thornyhold by Mary Stewart
92. The Stepsister Scheme by Jim C. Hines
93. Troll's-Eye View by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling
94. Fortune's Folly by Deva Fagan
95. The Complete Tales of Ketzia Gold by Kate Bernheimer
96. Elementals by A.S. Byatt
97. The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye by A.S. Byatt
98. Grimm's Last Fairytale by Haydn Middleton
99. Swan Sister by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling
100. Sometimes the Soul by Gioia Timpanelli
101. Rowan Hood by Nancy Springer
102. Storyteller by Edward Myers
103. Enchanted Hunters by Maria Tatar
104. Whirl by Emma Raveling
105. How to Spin Gold by Elizabeth Cunningham
106. The Snow Queen by Eileen Kernaghan
107. The Godmother by Elizabeth Anne Scarborough
108. Shadow by Jenny Moss
109. Fairy Tales and Feminism by Donald Haase
110. Sirena by Donna Jo Napoli
111. The Complete Tales of Merry Gold by Kate Bernheimer
112. Hannah's Garden by Midori Snyder
113. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
114. The Fox Woman by Kij Johnson
115. The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
116. Shapeshifter by Holly Bennett

Wow! I thought 100 would be hard, but it wasn't. In fact, I'll probably keep adding to this all year.

Any that you think I've missed?