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53rd Virtual Poetry Circle

Welcome to the 53rd Virtual Poetry Circle.

First, I want to call you attention to the poll I’m hosting about whether or not my reviews should have ratings as well.

I’ve been toying with the idea of creating a unique rating system for my blog.  Take a second and let me know what you think.

Ok, now that all the housekeeping is out of the way, let’s get back to the Virtual Poetry Circle.

Remember, this is just for fun and is not meant to be stressful.

Keep in mind what Molly Peacock’s books suggested. Look at a line, a stanza, sentences, and images; describe what you like or don’t like; and offer an opinion. If you missed my review of her book, check it out here.

Today we’re headed back to the classics. Though we are past Independence Day, it’s never too late to post a revolutionary poem from 1775.

A Political Litany
by Philip Freneau

Libera Nos, Domine.—Deliver us, O Lord, not only from British dependence, but also
From a junto that labour with absolute power, Whose schemes disappointed have made them look sour, From the lords of the council, who fight against freedom, Who still follow on where delusion shall lead them. From the group at St. James's, who slight our petitions, And fools that are waiting for further submissions— From a nation whose manners are rough and severe, From scoundrels and rascals,—do keep us all clear. From pirates sent out by command of the king To murder and plunder, but never to swing. From Wallace and Greaves, and Vipers and Roses, Whom, if heaven pleases, we'll give bloody noses. From the valiant Dunmore, with his crew of banditti, Who plunder Virginians at Williamsburg city, From hot-headed Montague, mighty to swear, The little fat man with his pretty white hair. From bishops in Britain, who butchers are grown, From slaves that would die for a smile from the throne, From assemblies that vote against Congress proceedings, (Who now see the fruit of their stupid misleadings.) From Tryon the mighty, who flies from our city, And swelled with importance disdains the committee: (But since he is pleased to proclaim us his foes, What the devil care we where the devil he goes.) From the caitiff, lord North, who would bind us in chains, From a royal king Log, with his tooth-full of brains, Who dreams, and is certain (when taking a nap) He has conquered our lands, as they lay on his map. From a kingdom that bullies, and hectors, and swears, We send up to heaven our wishes and prayers That we, disunited, may freemen be still, And Britain go on—to be damned if she will.

Let me know your thoughts, ideas, feelings, impressions. Let’s have a great discussion…pick a line, pick an image, pick a sentence.

I’ve you missed the other Virtual Poetry Circles. It’s never too late to join the discussion.

Also, don’t forget the 50th Virtual Poetry Circle giveaway for participants.

Paco’s Story Readalong Week 1

This is week 1 of the Paco’s Story read-a-long, and the first discussion questions were posted on Wednesday, July 7 for Chapters 1 and 2.

Paco’s Story is about the soul survivor of the Fire Base Harriette massacre where Alpha Company was obliterated.  Heinemann’s writing is raw and honest, and in the first Chapters we’re introduced to Paco through an unnamed narrator, who could be the ghost of a soldier killed in action during the massacre.  Readers learn that Paco is the soul survivor from Alpha Company, and his survival had a serious impact on a medic who until he met Paco had failed to save many soldiers injured in the Vietnam War.

The unnamed narrator is brutal in his honesty about Paco’s injuries and the devastation suffered by soldiers in the field.  He wants to tell his story, Paco’s story, even if people are unprepared to hear it or don’t want to hear it at all.  This is a story that must be told.  I wonder if that is how Heinemann felt while he was writing this novel — did he believe that this story was his calling, something he had to tell.

Even if you aren’t participating in the Vietnam War Reading Challenge, we hope that you will join us for the Paco’s Story read-a-long.  Until next week.

The Lace Makers of Glenmara by Heather Barbieri

Heather Barbieri‘s The Lace Makers of Glenmara is set in Ireland as the main character, Kate Robinson, leaves her life in the United States to take the journey to her ancestral lands that she was supposed to take with her mother.   She leaves her home after failing to make it with her own clothing line and the break-up of her relationship with Ethan.  After a rough journey in the rainy countryside, Kate happens upon the small village of Glenmara and its quirky residents from motherly widow Bernice to abrasive Aileen.

“Everyone had been so sure she and Ethan would get married, that she would catch the bouquet at the medieval wedding they attended that March (the couple being devoted not only to each other but to the Society for Creative Anachronism), the event at which he left her, if not at the altar, just southwest of it, next to an ice sculpture of a knight in shining armor that had begun to melt, a moat of water at his feet, his sword soon no more than a toothpick.”  (Page 6)

Switching between points of view, Kate’s perspective is rounded out by the narration of William the traveler, Aileen, and Bernie.  Readers will be drawn into the stories of Kate and her friends as they search for peace and acceptance among themselves and others. Each of these women deals with not only sorrow and loss, but also shaken confidence.

“‘Like Colleen said, mistakes aren’t necessarily a problem,’ Bernie told her.  ‘Sometimes they lead you in a different direction.  Who says you always need to follow the rules?  Breaking the pattern can be the very best thing, even though it can be scary at first.'”  (Page 91)

Barbieri creates a cast of characters as tumultuous as the weather and diverse as the scenery of Ireland.  Kate is broken, and many of the other characters are broken as well.  It takes lace making and camaraderie to heal.  Glenmara, unfortunately, is a town in the middle of nowhere where religion is more than a passing moment on Sundays.  Can these women overcome their own fears and rekindle the beauty within themselves?

The prologue to the novel, however, that outlines what you need to sew and draws parallels between sewing and life changes is a bit overwrought, especially when Kate becomes part of the lace making guild.  Readers are likely to draw those parallels on their own without shining a bright light on it.

Meanwhile, the evolution of these characters and what they cultivate through their friendships is an amazing transformation for these women that will leave readers wondering what relationships in their lives have transformed them.  Barbieri’s writing is captivating and will pull readers into the Irish countryside.  An emotional evolution for the characters and readers set against the backdrop of beautiful Irish hills and cliffs.  Be ready to jump off and join them.

Check out the rest of the TLC Book Tour stops.

About the Author

Heather Barbieri is half-Irish. Her paternal ancestors left counties Donegal and Tipperary  after The Great Famine and worked in the coal mines of Eastern Pennsylvania before settling in Butte, Montana. Her impeccably dressed maternal grandmother was a descendant of a lady-in-waiting to Queen Victoria and instilled an avid interest in fashion in her granddaughters. Barbieri’s first novel, Snow in July (Soho Press), was selected as a Book Sense Pick, a Glamour magazine “Riveting Read,” and a Library Journal Notable First Novel. Before turning to writing fiction full-time, she was a magazine editor, journalist, and film critic. She lives in Seattle, Washington, with her husband and three children, and is currently working on her third novel.

Also check her out on Facebook.

This is my 3rd book for the Ireland Reading Challenge.

This is my 36th book for the 2010 New Authors Reading Challenge.

Batch of Winners

For the Our Choice by Al Gore audiobook giveaway:

Out of 14 entrants, Random.org selected #11 Debbie, who said, “I would love a chance to listen to this audio. As far as how I feel about the climate crisis is not positive, I think we all need to do more to protect our world.”

Congrats to Debbie!

For the Unfinished Business by Lee Kravitz giveaway sponsored by Bloomsbury, there were 17 entrants, and Random.org selected the following winners:

#14 A Bookshelf Monstrosity who said, “As for unfinished business, I moved into my apartment almost three months ago and haven’t finished unpacking.”

#1 Kailia Sage from Reading the Best of the Best, who said, “Honestly, I have so many books on my TBR pile that I really should just read them! And fast!”

#16 Nancye Davis, who said, “My unfinished business would be to get my library/office organized”

Congrats to all the winners.

Random.org selected #15 out of 23 for the winner of The Confessions of Catherine de Medici by C.W. Gortner and a pendant:

Aik from Friends & Family said, “I hope to read a confession about the faults she had done in the past or her deepest secrets.”

Congrats to Aik!

For the largest giveaway in honor of my 3-year blogiversary, here are a bunch of winners and the books they won, thanks to Random.org:

JHS won Little Bird of Heaven by Joyce Carol Oates

Bookstore People’s Kim won Game Control by Lionel Shriver

Arch won Summer at Tiffany by Marjorie Hart

Estrella Azul won Letter to My Daughter by George Bishop

Julie won The Best Teen Writing of 2009

Literary Feline won Checker and the Derailleurs by Lionel Shriver

Alessandra won The Lazy Environmentalist by Josh Dorfman

Congrats to all the winners!

Don’t forget the my giveaway of Free to a Good Home and for the 50th Virtual Poetry Circle.

Worst Case by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge (audio)

Worst Case by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge is the third book in the Michael Bennett detective series.  Readers will not have to read the other two books in the series to follow along as this New York Detective takes on a child kidnapper with a social agenda.  Bennett is a single father with 10 children — not all of them biological — whose holy grandfather Seamus and nanny Mary Catherine make his life a little less hectic and in some cases even more so.

Bennett must not only balance his fatherly duties with detective work, but also must learn to separate the cases he works on as part of major crimes.  New York is an excellent location for this detective, with its high crime boroughs and its high class residents.  Worst Case is narrated superbly by three narrators, Bobby Cannavale, Orlagh Cassidy, and John Glover as each voice takes on either Bennett, FBI child kidnapping expert Emily Parker, or the serial murderer.

“Without pausing, he veered to my left, bounded up onto the low iron railing, and dove without a sound off the bridge.

I think my heart actually stopped.  I ran to my left and looked down.  The guy was plummeting toward the water when there was a strange bloom of color that at first I thought was an explosion.  I though he’d blown himself up, but then I saw the orange canopy of a parachute.”  (page 187)

Readers will enjoy the fast paced, short chapters with their clipped sentences as tension builds and Bennett runs in circles around the city at the behest of the killer.  The narrators of the audio pulled off the New York and Virginia accents as they read through the book, although the sound effects of gun shots and other items were a bit disturbing, especially when driving late a night on dark highways.

Worst Case is another sign that this series about Michael Bennett is just heating up.  Another suspenseful winner.

This is my 11th book for the 2010 Thriller & Suspense Reading Challenge.

Guest Post: Peer Into Eve Marie Mont’s Alternate Writing Space

I’ve got a real treat for you today. Eve Marie Mont, author of Free to a Good Home — a new novel in stores today (July 6) and is available in paperback and Kindle versions — will share with us a peek into her alternate writing space.

Here’s a synopsis of her book, which the author sent along:

Noelle Ryan works as a veterinary technician at a New England animal shelter, helping pets find the perfect homes. If only it were as easy to find the same thing for herself. After discovering that she can’t have children—and watching her marriage fall apart after a shocking revelation by her husband—Noelle feels as forlorn and abandoned as the strays she rescues.

She can’t seem to get over her ex, Jay. Unfortunately, all Jay wants from her is a whopper of a favor: serving as a caretaker for his elderly mother, who still blames Noelle for the breakup. While Jay heads off to Atlanta to live the life of a bachelor, Noelle is left with only her Great Dane, Zeke, to comfort her. But when a carefree musician named Jasper gives her a second chance at life—and at love—Noelle comes to realize that home is truly where the heart is.

Please check out the contest on Eve’s website for a chance to win a book club package of eight signed copies and a Skype call-in. Also, if you’d like to read a sneak preview, click here.

OK, without further ado, let’s check out her alternate writing space; shall we?

Thank you so much to Serena for inviting me to guest post on Savvy Verse and Wit. I was reading all the wonderful posts Serena has compiled featuring authors and their writing spaces, complete with photos of finely appointed offices with antique desks and fireplaces or cozy screened-in porches with Adirondack chairs. Then I looked at the space where I do most of my writing and thought, “I can’t possibly send Serena a photo of a plaid loveseat in front of an air conditioner!” But literally, that is what my writing space looks like. Don’t get me wrong, there are some lovely features to my living room as well — the soothing lemony yellow color my husband painted it, the sun that bathes the room in late afternoon, my favorite Picasso print that hangs across from me. But it’s not a space worthy of showcasing on a blog!

So I’ll tell you a little about my alternate writing space, or more accurately, my alternate thinking space: my backyard. I don’t get much actual writing done out here because the setting is far too distracting, but I take my trusty canine companion, Maggie, and we sit by the creek in the dappled sunshine and watch the goldfinches play and the ducklings swim. The breeze rustles through the trees above, and my favorite blue heron sometimes stops by to feed on the minnows. I finally get some time away from my laptop and get back to the basics: me, a pad of paper and a pencil, and some focused daydreaming time. Maggie sits by my feet chewing on sticks, while I fill my notebook with ideas and characters and settings.

This is not to say that my writing life is all lazy afternoons by a picturesque creek with waves of inspiration washing over me. I teach high school English full-time, so much of my year is devoted to planning lessons and grading papers, and I often get very little writing — or thinking, for that matter — done at all. Another reality is that this very same creek floods nearly every time it rains, often knocking down our fence and creating a lot of headache for me and my husband. But when summer arrives and the weather is fine, this is my “go-to” writing and thinking space. When I think of all the enjoyment and inspiration to be found in my own backyard, I know I’m lucky to live where I do—plaid loveseat and ugly air conditioner included.

What is the place that inspires you most? Leave a comment below for a chance to win a free copy of Free to a Good Home.

Deadline for the U.S./Canada giveaway is July 15, 2010, at 11:59 PM

EST.  Good Luck!

About the author:

Eve Marie Mont lives with her husband, Ken, and her shelter dog, Maggie, in suburban Philadelphia, where she teaches high school English and creative writing. Free to a Good Home is her first novel. She is currently revising her second novel, a YA book inspired by Jane Eyre.

Mailbox Monday #88

In case you haven’t been by The Printed Page lately, Marcia has decided to step down from hosting Mailbox Monday, but she’s created a fantastic blog tour for Mailbox Monday with new hosts each month through 2011.

I’ll be hosting the meme in 2011, and I’m excited.  I hope you’ll consider throwing your name in the hat and join the fun.

Marcia at The Printed Page and Kristi of The Story Siren both sponsor memes in which bloggers share what books they’ve received in the past week.  I’m going to continue calling these Mailbox Mondays, but The Story Siren also has In My Mailbox.  Just be warned that these posts can increase your TBR piles and wish lists.

Here’s what I received:

1.  Hidden Things by Pam Jenoff, which was a happy surprise in the mail and for review. I think the final book will be called A Hidden Affair.

2.  The Outer Banks House by Diann Ducharme, which is another surprise book from the mail.

3.  Dracula in Love by Karen Essex, which I received from Shelf Awareness.

4.  The Recipe Club by Andrea Israel and Nancy Garfinkel, which I received for review from HarperCollins.

5.  The Gentleman Poet by Kathryn Johnson, which I received for review from HarperCollins.

6.  Jane and the Damned by Janet Mullany, which I received for review from Harper Collins.

7.  The Burning Wire by Jeffrey Deaver, which is an audio I received from Simon and Schuster for review.

8.  Spies of the Balkans by Alan Furst, which is an audio I received for review from Simon and Schuster.

What did you receive in your mailbox?

52nd Virtual Poetry Circle

It is July 4th weekend, already!  I cannot believe how time flies.  And as it flies, time to enter a bunch of my international and US/Canada giveaways is running out.  I hope you’ll check those out in the right sidebar.

Also, I’m hosting a poll about whether you think my reviews need ratings or not.  I’ve been toying with the idea of creating a unique rating system for my blog.  Take a second and let me know what you think.

Ok, now that all the housekeeping is out of the way, let’s get to the 52nd Virtual Poetry Circle.

Remember, this is just for fun and is not meant to be stressful.

Keep in mind what Molly Peacock’s books suggested. Look at a line, a stanza, sentences, and images; describe what you like or don’t like; and offer an opinion. If you missed my review of her book, check it out here.

We’re checking out a contemporary poet today.  I wanted to introduce you to the poet Tony Hoagland, and selected the following poem from his latest collection Unincorporated Persons in the Late Honda Dynasty:

Description (from page 3)

A bird with a cry like a cell phone says something
to a bird which sounds like a manual typewriter.

Out of sight in the woods, the creek trickles
its ongoing sentence; from treble to baritone,

from dependent clause to interrogative.

The trees rustle over the house:  they are excited
to be entering the poem

in late afternoon, when the clouds are creamy and massive,
as if to illustrate contentment.

And maybe a wind will pluck off the last dead leaves;
and a cold rain will splash

dainty white petals from the crab apple tree
down to the ground,

the pink and the brown mingled there,
like two different messages scribbled over each other.

In all of this a place must be
reserved for human suffering:

the sick and unloved, the chemically confused;
the ones who believe desperately in insight;
the ones addicted to change.

How our thoughts clawed and pummeled the walls.
How we tried but could not find our way out.

In the wake of our effort, how we rested.
How description was the sign of our acceptance.

Let me know your thoughts, ideas, feelings, impressions. Let’s have a great discussion…pick a line, pick an image, pick a sentence.

I’ve you missed the other Virtual Poetry Circles, check them out here. It’s never too late to join the discussion.

Another Challenge Failure

I signed up for the All About Brontes Reading Challenge last year, and unfortunately, the deadline was June 30.

I only had 6 months to read or watch 3 to 5 Bronte books or movies.  I had planned on reading the following books and watching the following movies:

1.  Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (Book/Movie)
2.  Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte (Book/Movie)
3.  The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Bronte by Syrie James (Book)
4.  Emily’s Ghost: A Novel of the Bronte Sisters by Denise Giardina (Book)

I didn’t read any of these books or watch any of these movies.  I will try to read or watch some of these during the rest of the year.  Hooray for deadline extensions!

Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris

Charlaine Harris‘s Dead to the World is the fourth book in the Sookie Stackhouse southern vampire mystery series, a series that gets better and better.  Sookie faces more obstacles in this novel, but mostly because there are new enemies in town — witches — and her brother has disappeared.  These witches are stronger than the local Wiccans because they are shifters, possibly Weres, and drink vampire blood, which only makes them stronger.

Harris carefully weaves in the main plot and the subplot, while peppering her prose with ethical and emotional complications.  All the while, readers are immersed in backwoods and old world atmosphere of Bon Temps.  The dialogue between the characters is full of humor, and readers will enjoy the author’s sense of fun with shape shifters like Debbie Pelt whose names resemble their two-natured state.

Bill, her former boyfriend and intimate vampire, has left town for Peru, leaving her to mull over their past relationship.  Wallowing a bit in self pity, Sookie soon finds a a half-naked man by the side of the road, and it is none other than Eric, but he’s not so much the Eric she knows.  Their tentative friendship blossoms, but only in a surface kind of way.

Will Sookie find her brother?  Will the vampires and the shape-shifters save Bon Temps and Shreveport from the more powerful intruders?  You’ll have to read Dead to the World to find out.  Looking for a great summer read to kick back in the lounger with, Charlaine Harris is your author.

This is book four out of 10.

This is my 3rd book for the 2010 Vampire Series Challenge.

Silver Lining to the Sookie Stackhouse Reading Challenge Failure

Although Beth Fish Reads‘  Sookie Stackhouse Reading Challenge officially ends today and I’ve only read 3 books, I’m going to make a deadline extension for myself.

I’m in the midst of reading book 4 in the series, and because I am enjoying the books and time simply slipped too quickly for this challenge, I’m extending my personal deadline through Dec. 31, 2010.

So I vow to finish up this series by the end of the year, and start by completing book 4, Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris.

These are the ones I have left in the series, which I plan to finish this year:

  1. Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris
  2. Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris
  3. All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris
  4. From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris
  5. Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris
  6. Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris

What challenges have you finished or are you struggling with?

Join the Paco’s Story Read-a-long

I’ll be participating in the War Through the Generations Vietnam War Reading Challenge read-a-long of Paco’s Story by Larry Heinemann in July.

For those outside of the Vietnam War Reading Challenge who are interested in joining the Paco’s Story read-a-long, you are more than welcome to join us.

How it will work: You read the designated chapter(s) and visit War Through the Generations on the Wednesday for the discussion questions

What you do: You read and then talk about what you’ve read so far and answer the discussion questions provided either in the comments on that Wednesday or on your own blog.

Here’s the schedule:

Week 1: Chapters 1 and 2
Discussion Questions posted on July 7

Week 2: Chapters 3 and 4
Discussion Questions posted on July 14

Week 3: Chapter 5
Discussion Questions posted on July 21

Week 4: Chapter 6 and 7
Discussion Questions posted on July 28

For discussions on twitter use the hashtag #Paco

***Oh, and here’s the button for the read-a-long: (link to image is http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1303/4679014202_5351e02497_o.jpg)

WarThruGen_readalong

Thanks for making the button Monica!