Merry Wanderer of the Night [Search results for quotes] 

This week Terri had us revisiting another old favorite that Dewey had come up with--a week's worth of memorable quotes. It was fun to see the themes some Geeks came up with to organize their thoughts.

Some Geeks focused on one favorite author. Nonsuch Book featured Proust, to go along with a Proustian read-along she'll be leading soon, Between the Covers highlighted quotes from six Jane Austen books, and Paxton offered some of Mark Twain's words of wisdom.

Need a pick-me-up? You'll find an array of quotes about optimism at Erotic Horizon. How about some food quotes? Dave at Gluten-free Portland is happy to provide them! Some of these will make you hungry and some of them . . . won't. But the recipe for Cauliflower Curry posted right below the first quote definitely has my mouth watering. And Claire of Kiss a Cloud posted quotes about the sea.

It's Dark in the Dark can always be counted on for something...peculiar (and usually funny as well) and this week was no exception, with quotes from people as varied as Ezra Pound and Dr. Seuss, and one by poor Oscar Wilde about his duel to the death with the wallpaper in his hotel room.

Can't get enough of the quotes? Neither can Bookish Ruth! In fact, she's decided to make this a weekly feature, so you can find a new "Quotable" passage every Friday on her blog.

Thanks to all of you for participating in Weekly Geeks this week!

One of my favorite Weekly Geeks last year was: A Quote a Day. This will have you pulling books off your shelves and Googling for your favorites. It also means a post a day for the next week - or as many as you can do. Quoth Dewey:

You may want to come up with a theme, such as favorite passages from books, author quotes, political quotes, quotes about books or reading, humorous quotes, whatever. Or you may not want a theme at all; maybe you just want to gather up seven assorted quotes that appeal to you. You may want to start each of your posts of the week with a quote, or you may want to give quotes posts of their own in addition to your regular posts. It’s all up to you!

Signing Mr Linky this week means you’re committing to posting a quote each day for a full week, starting on the day you sign up. You can postdate your quote posts so they appear automatically if you can’t get to your blog each day.

This week's WG brought to you by Terri/teelgee

Shannon is another of my favorite blogging buddies. She blogs over at Books Devoured and her blog makes me happy. She has two kids and they contribute to the blog sometimes too! I love that she includes her kids! And she is also one of my very most favorite people to talk to!! She is just super awesome and amazing, and she doesn't judge Mean Ashley... :) She has put together an awesome top ten list for you today!

Top Ten Quotes:

This week topic was Top Ten Lists and I tried to think a little outside the box. Here are my top 10 favorite quotes from Contemporary Novels. Though the quotes I have chosen are from books that were not released this year, they are all ones that I have read for the first time this year. My top 3 all happen to be from Looking for Alaska by John Green!

10. “Moments, when lost, can't be found again. They're just gone.”
― Jenny Han, The Summer I Turned Pretty

9. “Is it possible for home to be a person and not a place?”
― Stephanie Perkins, Anna and the French Kiss

8. “Every story is part of a whole, entire life, you know? Happy and sad and tragic and whatever, but an entire life. And books let you know them.”
― Sarah Ockler, Twenty Boy Summer

7. “When people don't express themselves, they die one piece at a time.”
― Laurie Halse Anderson, Speak

6. “I mean, really. Who sends their kid to boarding school? It's so Hogwarts. Only mine doesn't have cute boy wizards or magic candy or flying lessons.”
― Stephanie Perkins, Anna and the French Kiss

5. “You should never be surprised when someone treats you with respect, you should expect it.”
― Sarah Dessen, Keeping the Moon

4. “You have to know what you stand for, not just what you stand against.”
― Laurie Halse Anderson, Speak

3. “I wanted to be one of those people who have streaks to maintain, who scorch the ground with their intensity. But for now, at least I knew such people, and they needed me, just like comets need tails.”
― John Green, Looking for Alaska

2. “Thomas Edison's last words were 'It's very beautiful over there'. I don't know where there is, but I believe it's somewhere, and I hope it's beautiful.”
― John Green, Looking for Alaska

1. “So I walked back to my room and collapsed on the bottom bunk, thinking that if people were rain, I was drizzle and she was a hurricane.”
― John Green, Looking for Alaska

I love this post Shannon! I do wish that I paid more attention to specific quotes within books, but I totally agree that these are amazing quotes, definitely ones that I love as well!

1. The Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL). If you haven't heard of this website yet then you are probably constantly walking around in a state of confusion. Like any style guide, this website answers all of your questions about how to write an annotated bibliography or when exactly to use a semicolon. There are also instructions for resumes and research, so it really covers all the bases.
2. Oxford English Dictionary is the best online dictionary (in my opinion) because it not only defines the word for you but it gives you a history of what that word used to mean. This can be extremely helpful for writing papers about a specific word or topic. It takes some getting used to because the site is kind of janky, but I'm sure you'll be able to understand after a couple of tries.
3. Online Literature. The site is laced with ads but once you get past that there is great information to be found. There are forums about books and authors as well as lengthy profiles on many classic authors. It will also lead you to other websites about the author and articles. Oh... and did I mention they have chapters from books and full length poems for each author?
4. Quotations Page has thousands and thousands of quotes. If you are interested in an author or writing a paper about a topic this is a good place to look to either expand or narrow your ideas. If I'm writing a paper about marriage and Jane Austen I can go to this site and look for "quotes about marriage" by "Jane Austen" and I receive two (and 43 quotes about marriage overall).
5. Online Stopwatch is not really specifically for English majors but I'll admit that I use it quite a bit for school related tasks. If you have lots of stuff to work on and not a lot of time this will keep you moving. I personally like the countdown watch because it alerts you when time is up. One example of how I use this is when I'm writing a paper. Let's say I don't need to finish the paper that day but I should work on it for about an hour. I just put an hour on the countdown and it tells me when an hour has happened, that way I'm not constantly looking at my clock. It helps keep me focused.

We all have our favorite bookish quotes. Some well known, and some not so well known. This week for our geeky assignment I thought it would be fun for us to share some of those favorites. It can be just one favorite that you'd like to highlight, or a whole list. It can be quotes from books, or quotes about books and reading. You can tell us where the quote is from, and/or who said it ... or you can create a quote quiz and make you readers guess. (Guessers! No fair googling!) Whatever you decide, have fun!

For those of you who don't normally read my blog I'll let you in on a little secret: I love classic novels (and really I love Victorian literature). My challenge for you is to think of your favorite classic novel, grab it (or you can look it up online), and find a quote from the novel that makes you love it. If your novel is borderline classic that is fine, this is just a chance for us to share quotes from novels we love and talk about why we love them. You can include some context for the quote if you would like so people can understand why it is so important. If you don't have a quote from the book you can also find a quote from the author, or you can do both!

My favorite classic novel, and actually my favorite novel, is Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. I could talk about this novel for hours, but instead I will just make my post because I know you all have reading to do. I chose three short quotes because, well, because I am bad at making decisions.

It is in vain to say human beings ought to be satisfied with tranquility: they must have action; and they will make if if they cannot find it. -Jane

To live, for me, Jane, is to stand on a crater-crust which may crack and spue fire any day. -Rochester

I am no bird; and no net ensnares me; I am a free human being with an independent will, which I now exert to leave you.-Jane

These are three of my favorite quotes from the novel and I picked them out as favorites during different times I read the book. The final quote is the first quote I loved in the novel, I found it the first time I read it when I was seventeen. The first quote I found during my second time reading the novel when I was eighteen. The second quote I found just this year when I read the novel as a 19 year old. I explain this only to show the reason I love Jane Eyre: it's a novel that grows with you. Each time I read it I find something new and I find myself becoming annoyed with Jane in different places and sympathizing with her for different reasons.

Finally I'll include a quote from Charlotte herself:

"I'm just going to write because I cannot help it."
You can post this in a comment to this post or in a link to your blog. Happy Reading!

This week's Top Ten Tuesday at The Broke and Bookish is favorite book quotes. Luckily I have a lot of these! In no particular order:

1. "I had that terrible feeling you get when you realize that you're stuck with who you are, and there's nothing you can do about it. I mean, you can make characters up, like I did when I became like a Jane Austen-y person on New Year's Eve, and that gives you some time off. But it's impossible to keep it going for long." A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby
2. "Sometimes, I look outside, and I think that a lot of other people have seen this snow before. Just like I think that a lot of other people have read those books before. And listened to those songs. I wonder how they feel tonight." The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
3. "I am no bird; and no net ensnares me; I am a free human being with an independent will, which I now exert to leave you." Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
4. "Sometimes I think that knowledge--when it's knowledge for knowledge's sake, anyway--is the worst of all. The least excusable certainly." Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger
5. "It is simply wrong to love music halfway." Perfect From Now On by John Sellers (I love this book! I've never mentioned this on her before because I forgot but I really, really love this book!)
6. "And so now, having been born, I'm going to rewind the film, so that my pink blanket flies off, my crib scoots across the floor as my umbilical cord reattaches, and I cry out as I'm sucked back between my mother's legs. She gets really fat again. Then back some more as a spoon stops swinging and a thermometer goes back into its velvet case. Sputnik chases its rocket trail back to the launching pad and polio stalks the land. There's a quick shot of my father as a twenty-year-old clarinetist, playing an Artie Shaw number into the phone, and then he's in church, age eight, being scandalized by the price of candles; and next my grandfather is untaping his first U.S. dollar bill over a cash register in 1931. Then we're out of American completely; we're in the middle of the ocean, the sound track sounding funny in reverse. A steamship appears, and up on a deck a lifeboat is curiously rocking; but then the boat docks, stern first, and we're up on dry land again, where the film unspoolls, back at the beginning..." Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
7. "Youth and death shed a halo through which it is difficult to see a real face--a face one might see today in the street or here in my studio." Moments of Being by Virginia Woolf
8. "Everything she said was like a secret voice speaking straight out of my own bones." The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
9. "If I broke down here, what would that mean/ Was I not as strong as my father had been?/ But I think I can fight this all on my own/ With a handful of happiness that never was shown/" The Doctor's Waiting Room by Joshua Partington, Part of the anthology Revolution on Canvas
10. "Buy why think about that when all the golden land's ahead of you and all kinds of unforeseen events wait lurking to surprise you and make you glad you're alive to see?" On the Road by Jack Kerouac

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VIA «Quotes by Jim Jarmusch»

Last week's assignment involved creating a review or a scene out of random words and a random phrase. Participation was pretty sparse (was it too hard? Are you all on vacation? Were you trying to make it easy on me when I posted the answers?) but those intrepid Geeks who did it wrote such fun posts! If you haven't had a chance to read them, go do it now, before I give away the answers.

OK, ready? Did you post your guesses in the comments?

Go ahead, the answers will still be here when you're done, and it won't be nearly as fun if you've already peeked at them.

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Ready now?

Let's start with the real books.

1. First of all, please welcome Gigi, the Solitary Spinster. This was her first WG post and she did such a good job that for a moment I thought she hadn't followed the directions. She reviewed a tattoo book called Body Type, using the random phrase psychological sizing therapy, the sentence, the killer listens and the words orientation, indicator, and regret.

2. Jason of Moored at Sea is a relatively new Geek, and I enjoyed checking out his blog for the first time. Beautiful poetry, among other things. He did a stunning job modifying an Elizabeth Barrett Browning poem, Aurora Leigh, modifying the random sentence Extremist trade charms a crown to fit the meter, and adding the random words Junior, Adaptor, and Escape.

3. The book I reviewed is one I got from Mini Book Expo, called Something Drastic. I made up a quote using the random sentence, The debt rattles into the Jack coach, and my random words were robot, slogan, and bus.

4. Lahni, of Nose in a Book, included a scene from a real book but she didn't tell me which one. Her random words were annoyance, delivery and opening. Her random sentence was The hardened likelihood passes the wish.

5. At Farm Lane Books, Jackie reviewed a short piece. Yes, F. Scott Fitzgerald really entitled it Mr. Icky, and the quotes are real. Her random words were Happiness, Prize, and Garble, and her random phrase was The jazz lusts through the pot.

6. Bookworm Kristen used a passage from A Lady Raised High by Laurien Gardner. The added words and phrases were: modeling, sinking, crush, 'furry mixture' and 'The reckless stair weds.'

7. Emily chose a book about an artist, replacing the artist's name to make it especially tricky to guess. She says, "The entry I came up with is a description of an actual piece of art by installation artist and sculptor Louise Bourgeois, and the actual book referred to is Louise Bourgeois: Memory and Architecture." Her random sentence was The cage closes on a lighted landscape, and her three words were career, minus, and conducting.

Now, on to the fake books.

1. Unfinished Person (Just a Reading Fool) kept his short and sweet, using only three sentences to write an intriguingly bizarre scene with the random words wow, Fall, Pumping, and the random sentence, An every realm persists.

2. By contrast, Coversgirl wrote a scene that was almost a short story in itself (not that it was too long, but she managed to fit in some suspense and a plot!), using the random words: pedestrian, notation, miss; the random sentence: The juice disables an idle independence, and the unnecessary random phrase: worthwhile scarlet.

3. Another Cookie Crumbles reviewed a fake book, which the random phrase generator entitled Circumferential Dragon. I want to read this one! The random words were drink, taxi and sneak
and the sentence was The machine despairs.

4. Gautami made up a book with the randomly phrased title, Seraphic Mandrake. Her random words were Hypothesis, hero and enterprising, and she says, "The random sentences were obvious!" so I think we can assume they are the quotes from the book.

5. And, saving the first poster for last, Kerrie was inspired by the random phrase Hot Typewriter to review a fake mystery. Her random words were Witch, Neck and Mean, and her random sentence was An urban heaven blinks.

That's it--but if more come in today, I'll get them added to this post by the end of the weekend.

How'd you do with the guessing?

Today I have Leslie Dubois joining me, author of the new novel, The Queen Bee of Bridgeton. She's joined us for an interview today, but the interview is a bit different than normal. Rather than answering the questions on her own, all of her answers are direct quotes from the books! It makes for some interesting responses and has definitely made me want to move this book a little higher up the tbr pile! ___________________________________________________

Why dance?

“For me, dancing is like an elegant stream of life-giving water. It nourishes my soul. Without it, I’d shrivel up and die.”

What can we expect to see from you next? Farther in the future?

“In a few days, I’m gonna be a fat flower expert.”

Which character in Queen Bee do you most relate to, or find comes more heavily from your own experiences? Why that character?

“Because I didn’t know the slang or the words to the latest rap song apparently I wasn’t black enough.”

Do you have any writing rituals or superstitions? Things you must do or have in order to write?

“I went to my room and turned on Mozart’s Symphony number 25 in G minor in order to drown out the ghetto symphony of gunshots and sirens.”

What do you do to relax, or de-stress?

“First of all, I’ve played basketball my entire life. It’s the only think that keeps me from going completely insane.”

What are some of your favorite books? Both recent reads and long-time favorites.

“Why couldn’t I be dancing with the Russian Ballet instead?”

___________________________________________________
Thank you so much for joining us today Leslie! I love the quotes even if some of them make me more curious than before.:) Readers, if you would like to win a copy of this book for yourself — Just leave me and Leslie a comment letting us know what interests you about the book, the answers here, or why we should send you a copy. US/Canada only. Ends Monday, May 23 Include email with comment.

I am so excited to review Catching Fire

because it means I get to talk about all the things I had to hold back in my Monday review of The Hunger Games. That being said, if you haven't read The Hunger Games yet I wouldn't advise reading this review. Check out the review of The Hunger Games, and then go read it. You know you want to.

When we left the Hunger Games Peeta and Katniss had beat out the Capitol in their sick game. They both won the Hunger Games, which is impossible. When they return to District 12, they both discover things aren't that easy. Katniss realizes she still has feelings for Gale, and let's face it, Gale is kind of pissed that Katniss and Peeta were all lovebirding during the Hunger Games. And maybe he could get past it, if it wasn't for the fact that Katniss and Peeta basically have to pretend they are in love for the rest of their lives if they want to survive the Capitol. (Well Peeta might not have to pretend quite as much. Because Peeta is awesome.)

I loved Catching Fire even more than the Hunger Games, if that is possible. There were so many beautiful moments in this book and I thought the writing was even better. I'll do a few quotes without trying to give anything away. Two of my favorite Katniss quotes fromt his book are "Right before the explosions begin, I find a star" (379) and "I am the mockingjay. The one that survived despite the Capitol's plans. The symbol of rebellion" (387). Ah! Katniss just got even more badass in this book. Katniss becomes so much more confident and daring in this book, even though she faces serious consequences. I won't go into too much detail, but some of the districts are having uprisings and the Capitol thinks Katniss (more than Peeta) is responsible for them.

I finished this book in a ridiculous flurry of emotion. There were so many times throughout the book that I was yelling "No! They can't do that!" I haven't been this sucked in in a long time. For several hours after finishing it I was sitting in my room thinking about it. It probably contributed to my lack of desire to study for the past two weeks. And I think that is the mark of a pretty good book.

Catching Fire earned a freaking A.

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Jack McEnvoy is a crime reporter for a local Denver newspaper. His twin brother, Sean, a homicide detective, is found dead in his car. The cause of death is ruled as a suicide. Jack knows his twin would never commit suicide. He begins to investigate more into the crime scene. A quote was found written on the windshield. The first responders assume it was a suicide note. Afterall, Sean was upset about an emotional case he was unable to close.

Jack takes on his toughest assignment ever and choses to write a story about his brother's death. But with every bit of research he does, the information he uncovers points to homicide instead of suicide. He does a search for homicide detective deaths around the countryand comes up with a handful. Futher research indicates that they all had quotes written somewhere at the crime scene. Jack discovers that the quotes are all from the writings of Edgar Allen Poe. Jack takes his information to the FBI, and soon a search begins for a serial killer/pedophile referred to by the FBI as The Poet. In exchange for the information he's given to the FBI, Jack is allowed to participate in the case. He joins up with the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit and an attractive Agent Rachel Walling. The case quickly picks up speed and Jack becomes closer to the case, the killer, and Agent Walling, than he had intended.

I have to confess..The Poet

is my first Connelly book. Shocking, yes? However, I received a copy of THE SCARECROW thanks to Hachette books and wanted to get my hands on the prequel before I started reading it. All I can say is...WOW! I can't believe I waited so long to read this! Connelly does a stellar job of keeping the reader guessing. I was drawn in from the very beginning. About halfway through the book I thought I knew who The Poet was, but Connelly threw me not once, but twice! It's a book that will grab you and won't let you go. I really liked Jack. He's an average sort of guy, yes, he's a reporter but not one of those that will stop at nothing to get a story. By the end of the book he gained my respect and admiration.

Connelly is now one of my new favorite authors. If you haven't read any of his work, I suggest you do it now!

Note to the squeamish: some of the crimes and crime scenes are described in vivid detail.

Have you ever read a book that sounds amazing, that seems to have every element that will make it a fantastically amazing read, has a million things you pick up on that you just love, lots of thoughts on life, good writing, good characters, great depth, and gives you so much to talk about but somehow, even with all of that going for it, just doesn't really do it for you? Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi was that book for me.

I'm having such a hard time identifying my thoughts on this one, because I don't really actually have anything bad to say about this one. All that I said above is true. There is a lot of brilliance within these pages. But perhaps therein lies my problem with it. It is, perhaps, too caught up in its own brilliance. There is so much to learn from this book. It tackles so many issues. I started to list all the ones I picked up on, but decided after 14 that it was a bit much for this review. The only thing I can think of that makes me not love this book as much as I logically should is that there is just too much hidden behind the words, perhaps too much that the book is trying to teach us and a few of the sections felt a little less... real because of this.

I hate trying to review a book where I can't actually pinpoint my dissatisfaction. I like being able to spot and say exactly where the book didn't quite work for me, so it makes me a little uncomfortable that I can't do that with this one. I want to be able to clearly iterate why I didn't love the book as much as I'd expected too, as much as many other people have.

Now don't get me wrong. This is a very well done book. I don't normally write down favorite quotes, but this one had me copying down several. And the things you can learn from this book, although plentiful, aren't terribly overbearing, especially on their own.

One of the strongest discussions throughout the book is what it means to be human, and if it's ever alright to treat someone as less than human. There are class differences and racial differences at play here and both sides look down on the others. The really poor, like Nailer, our main character, look down on the rich and wealthy. They look down on the people who pay the small children of the poor to crawl inside rotting and rusting ships hoping for small pieces of scrap they can sell, so they can eat. The rich look down on the poor as the extremely wealthy have been known to do throughout all kinds of history. When Nailer and his friend stumble across one of the wealthy and have the opportunity to become rich or to save this girl's life, everything changes.

Loyalty is also a huge theme in this story and when loyalty can go too far. Morals and ethics are debated, lives are changed and the reader is left with thoughts that should nudge about their brain for days and weeks and months. And right there... I think I just identified why I am not as enthralled as so many others are. And it's that, right there. While reading and directly after I knew that this book was supposed to be one of those books that would resonate and stay with you for a long time, perhaps even changing the way you think and view the world. And for a great many people, it has done that. But for me, it missed the mark. I knew after finishing that while I would remember details of the book, the same way I remember details of most of what I read, it is not a book that would stay with me the way that those books who make my favorites list do. And that was disappointing because I was fully expecting it to.

Anyway, this is still a book that I strongly recommend, that I think is important to read. And perhaps it will surprise me. Perhaps the important parts of the book will come back to me at odd times to settle in and make me think. This is also a book that I fully intend to reread. I have a feeling it's one of those books that is even better on the reread.

And now, for the first time, I'm going to end my review with my favorite quotations from the book. I'm not going to give you any background on where or why they are spoken, (perhaps this will encourage you to read the book...) but they really are lines that will make you think, lines that make you questions and quotes that make you wonder.

"The only reason you think you've got morals is because you don't need the money the way regular people do." pg. 194

"Killing isn't free. It takes something out of you every time you do it. You get their life, they get a piece of your soul. It's always a trade." pg. 174

"Lucky girl used to look at me the same way you're looking at me. And now she doesn't. That's why I'm going with you. No other reason. Got it?" pg. 253

Everyone, help me welcome Sierra to the blog today! She has an absolutely wonderful memory to share with everyone today! Help me make her feel welcome!

My name is Sierra, and I blog on Yearning_To_Read. I've been blogging for almost a year now; I started Yearning To Read back in June 2010. It has been an amazing experience, and I feel so priveleged to be a part of a project like this. My blog first started out as a way to review good books (okay, and some bad, too) and have fun with it. Now it has turned into much more: I write about vintage books that I buy, poems, and quotes that I love; and in January I added something new: giveaways, so far my favorite aspect of blogging. I love giving books: What a great way to do it!

About me: I'm a 17-year-old senior in highschool and I've been homeschooled since preschool. I LOVE it. LOVE LOVE LOVE. It has allowed me to study everything that I would study in a public school, but it also gives me a greater freedom to focus on what I love: literature, writing, foreign language, and Photography. It has been a journey, full of adventures. AND... my mom is the best teacher.:) I live in San Diego, CA, which is one of the best places to live. Someday I hope to travel to new ends of the world, but I want to always have a home to come back to in San Diego. I've beed a reading maniac since I was 7, and I've been writing novels (yes, novels) since I was 8. Not that they were any good, of course, but it's the thought that counts, right? I still write all the time... the stories come and come and come relentlessly. I hope to someday be a published author. It's been my goal for 9 years and counting — I'd say that's pretty promising!

And now, for my memory.

It was Easter Sunday, 2008, after church. It's funny, how some days start as one thing, with you having a goal for the day, an idea of what it's going to look like. And then, it all changes. Drastically. Funny what books can do to you in a day.

The day before, I had picked up Inkheart. I'd bought it a while before, with its published companion Inkspell. I'd heard it was good from a friend; the movie was coming out; I had a giftcard. How could I lose?
But anyway, back to the story:

I remember lunch at our house, with our friends. I brought Inkheart to the table with me and had it under my leg. (This is the first time I remember doing this.) Between bites, I'd reach down and feel the cover, the grooves and bumps on it which were (and still are) Meggie's fingers, the gold coins from Treasure Island, the lizzard from the desert, the castle from the fairytales. I wanted to read it; I wanted to be captured in the story and transported.
After lunch, I helped clean up a bit, but I was itching. Itching for the story beyond the covers. The second I was free, I ran upstairs and into my room, where I stayed. I opened the book. And read.

For 6 hours.

Now, let's get something straight here: I'm not a fast reader. I got a total of about 250 pages done in those six hours. I took two breaks. But the rest of the time, I was hooked. I remember it vividly, the first time I read that journey and was immersed. I remember starting by sitting on my bed; that soon got stuffy and uncomfortable, after so much food. Then I sat between my desk and my footboard, legs up, book on my knees. That, too, eventually became uncomfortable. My legs cramped and it was getting hot in the room. (Or was that Dustfinger's fire, leaping out of the pages to catch me?) Then I went outside to the patio, where I read some more. I sat on a reclining chair and my body soaked up the spring sunshine and fresh air — and all the while my mind was soaking up the intense story that isInkheart. My mind was lost in a fantastic world that becomes a part of the reader.

I finished Inkheart two days later. Then, I started Inkspell.

In no way was I prepared for what lay on those pages, in that ink. I'd experienced a ride with Inkheart — but with Inkspell... I don't know. Something was different. Mentally, emotionally. It played with my emotions like Dustfinger plays with his fire, like Mo plays with his words.
In the end... let's just say that not very many other books make me sob. (I am a usual crier, yes, but not a usual sobber.) If a book gets me so emotionally that I cry really hard, it usually ends up on my favorites shelf. It means more to me than most books because it moved me more. It was just so when I finished Inkspell. I was sitting on the couch (I think it was the Thursday after Easter Sunday) and my sister was sitting across from me, reading one of the Madeleine L'Engle books. And as I lay there, reading the last few chapters, sniffling and wiping tears away and burying my head in my arms, she kept staring at me strangely, wondering what the heck could have changed my emotions so drastically.

(Are you wanting to know as well? I advise you read the book. 'Twill be worth it, I promise.)

And that is my memory. My vivid, lovely memory. I remember all the emotions, the sights and smells. In fact, the smell of the Inkbooks are still some of my favorites to date. Oh, and did I read Inkdeath ? Yes, yes I did. I remember longing for it, and when it came in the mail I was proud to know that I was one of the first people to ever hold it in my hands. And I LOVED the book.

This memory is particularly special to me, for a few reasons. Not only were these some of the very first books that I became emotionally attached to, but they were also some of the first fantasy books I'd ever read. They got me hooked on the genre, and they are still an example of what great fantasy is. Since that week I've read Inkheart 3 times total, Inkspell twice total (and the end several times — it makes me cry every single time), and Inkdeath once. Each time I read the first two, those memories come back, swiftly and vividly. It's strange — the books that talk about books catching memories between their pages are the books that have caught the most memories for me.

And they are memories I will always cherish and will never forget.

Thank you so much Sierra, for sharing your memories with us! This sounds like an incredibly important read for you. I remember these life changing reading experiences in my own life, and am so happy that you shared yours with us!

Readers, remember that if you would like to be a Memory Monday guest, in my blog for more information!

My mom gave me a lot of lectures about Teflon pans growing up. It seems like every time she picks up a frying pan she reminds me to never buy a Teflon pan. As it turns out, my mom was right to warn me about them. She was smart and realized very quickly how dangerous it was to have a pan coated with a manufactured chemical.

Unfortunately Teflon is present in more than just pans. It's actually all over the place, in spots we wouldn't even think about. And Teflon isn't the only thing to worry about. Slow Death by Rubber Duck has made me confront the synthetic world I live in, and I have to say that it absolute terrifies me.

Aths has a great post on Reading on a Rainy Day today about Teflon and Mercury. She shares some great quotes and information from the book. I really encourage you all to read her post, and I encourage you to seek out Slow Death. It's an eye opener.

On a happier note, this man is an inspiration:

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Starstruck by Cyn Balog is a book that has me pulled in so many different directions, made me feel so many things, and tossed me around so much that everything kind of balanced the other stuff out and I'm left feeling a little more positive than neutral. Does that even make sense? Let me see if I can clarify a little here.

Gwendolyn (Dough) is the main character of the story and she is very overweight. Her younger sister is perfectly pretty, perfectly skinny and while it's clear that she does love her older sister, it's also pretty clear that she's a bit embarrassed by her. (And she feels bad about that too). Dough has no self-esteem. Like, at all. She constantly puts herself down, believes that everyone else is always watching her, just waiting to mock her and put her down as well. It was very hard to read and after a while, it just got plain annoying. I understand why her character was written the way that she was. It cannot be easy to be heavily overweight in high school, and it's got to be even harder when your younger sister is pretty much perfectly sized (and with bigger boobs... Where's the justice in that?!) So yes, it's hard. I get that. And I know that life is never as easy as 'just fix it'. Life doesn't work that way. But there are things you can do. There are things you can do to improve your life, your self image and pick yourself off the floor.

Reading Dough's thoughts over and over and over and over about how she was never good enough, how everyone made fun of her, how she could never be good/pretty/skinny/cool enough got tedious. If it's really that bad, if you really can't stand to be in your own skin, do something about it. Do something to change it. She starts to do that a little later in the book, because of the boyfriend, and she feels great about herself. She's in better clothes, took time on her hair and make-up and is interested in her appearance. But her self-esteem still yo-yos and it seems to be tied into the boyfriend and his friends, the very people who were so recently so rude to her, and it got tiresome to me.

My favorite times with Dough were when she was talking Christian, the new boy her mom hired to work in their bakery. He was such an interesting character, someone that I personally found to be far more interesting than Wish — the actual boyfriend — and he didn't tiptoe around Dough either. He called it like he saw it, acknowledged her weight, said — so what, who cares — and moved on. He treated her like a real person, not like a caricature or a stereotype and so when she was around him, she acted more like a regular person.

Wish, the boyfriend kind of bored my, to be honest. I never really felt much of anything for or about him. I know I should have, but I didn't. And I hated how Dough put herself down extra hard around him, always waiting for him to dump her, say that he didn't really want to or just really couldn't be with her. And she preempted that a few times too. She jumped in with the — I know you are going to dump me so let's just get it over with — comments on a regular basis, and I don't really know too many guys who aren't eventually going to say — to heck with it, I'm tired of dealing with this every time we try to talk.

Although I really struggled finding a connection to Dough, especially in the beginning, I did really enjoy the story and I do believe that Dough grew and changed a lot of the course of the book. She starts to learn more about herself and build up her confidence. Ya, it's pretty slow, but it is there, and it is happening. And I liked it. I liked watching her come more into her own, learn a little more about herself and accept that she really can be happy as she is.

I also really enjoyed the supernatural element to the story. I knew it was coming (which is usually essential for me — nothing worse than having magic or something pop-up in the middle of what I thought was my good old fashioned contemporary!) and while I didn't know exactly what the magic was going to be, or how it would work out, I liked watching Dough figure it out. The magical element brings up a lot of questions and thoughts about what it means to be beautiful and just how far we, as a society and as individuals are willing to go to get it. (I don't think that's a spoiler... I had figured out the gist of that from the blurb on the back.)

The moments of self discover in this book are really what make it worth reading are what make it a strong novel rather than just a fun read. There were also a lot of thoughts, a lot of quotes that I really enjoyed while reading. Just phrases here and there that make you think, make you wonder, makes you question how you are living and if it's really what you want from life.

*Disclaimer — I won a copy of this book from a contest the author hosted on her blog. Thanks Cyn!:)

I read Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee

as a companion to To Kill a Mockingbird for the 50th Anniversary. Harper Lee doesn't give interviews anymore so this biography was done entirely from interviews Charles J. Shields did with people who knew Harper Lee and from information he could find from the time period involving her. It was also, basically, done without Harper Lee's permission although the fact that the book is out shows me that she doesn't have a huge problem with it. The biography is made up of ten chapters that begin with Harper Lee's childhood to the point where she quit giving interviews and some more present day stories of her. When I first started the biography I was surprised by how novel-like Shields managed to make it. He did a great job setting up the scene of Harper Lee as a child living in a small town called Monroeville, Alabama. While most of the images were probably created by Shields himself I think there was still some truth in them.

What really amazed me about this book was how much of To Kill a Mockingbird is based on Harper Lee's own life. Her father was a lawyer and the character of Atticus is loosely based on him. Scout is really based on Harper Lee herself, who was a tomboy and had a quick mouth as a child. Dill is based on Harper Lee's childhood friend Truman Capote who was also handed around to relatives like a bowl of mashed potatoes and was a bit eccentric as a child. What I gathered from the book is that the case in the book is based off a couple of cases and experiences Harper Lee had as a child. It was really interesting for me to finish To Kill a Mockingbird and then move on to this book because I saw where so many of the ideas came from. Shields also pulls out quotes from the book and since I'd just finished it I could remember exactly where the quotations came from which gave them a little more context in the biography.

Harper Lee attended University of Alabama where she was a writer and editor on a school publication called the Rammer Jammer. While this section was interesting because I got to see some early writing of Harper Lee's I think it dragged on a bit too long. There is also a section about Harper Lee's involvement in the research of Truman Capote's In Cold Blood, which at first is fascinating but turns into a big yawn rather quickly. It's 45 pages! The book is only 280-some pages! I felt like I was reading about Truman Capote and not about Harper Lee for 1/5 of the book. I think that chapter was necessary but really needed to be weeded down. The portrait I came away with was not very different from the portrait I had going into the book, but it was nice to read the story of how To Kill a Mockingbird came to be. There is one point in the biography where Shields makes the suggestion that Harper Lee might be a bit of a one-trick pony. She was asked to submit a short story to a magazine and wrote what sounded like a short story version of To Kill a Mockingbird. He uses this as a possible suggestion for why she has never published a book since To Kill a Mockingbird. I thought this was an interesting idea although I think a lot of authors write similar stories in multiple books.

I give this biography a C.

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So, I'm actually doing a winners post!! I know, right?! I'm terrible at actually getting these things up.: P

First, I had a giveaway from Jill Alexander for a signed copy of her book The Sweetheart of Prosper County. I read and (mostly) enjoyed Paradise, so I'm jealous of this winner! And — it is:

MARY!!
I've already heard back from Mary and will get her book mailed as soon as I hear back from the read-a-thon winners! (So be fast peeps!)

Alright — So... This contest was WAY harder to judge than I thought! I thought I was being all awesome, deciding to pick my favorite recommendation as a winner, but it was hard!! Like, really hard!! So... I'm really sorry if I didn't pick you. There were just WAY too many!

Also, I think random.org is MAGICAL!! I SWEAR!! Because while I was struggling to pick one favorite, random.org picked the recommendation that had my favorite line. That's pretty awesome!

So — The random winner is: UPDATED

Nikki @ Wicked Awesome Books actually already owns each of the books I was offering, so the new random winner is:

Raelena @ Through the Haze She has been emailed!:)

My favorite rec winner is:

Momo @ Books Over Boys
Why did I pick this one? Because Momo took two books that I didn't previously have any interest in reading and made me WANT to read them. Which is unusual for me. And, really, isn't that the point of a book recommendation?! To match a reader with something they might have overlooked? So, yay for Momo! I'll have to see about finding copies soon!:)
Rather than put full recommendations in this post, I do want to give a shout-out to some of my favorites by including my favorite lines from their recs so here are my top favorite lines: All names will link to their posts.

Nikki @ Wicked Awesome Books said of The Near Witch:

It's like a bedtime story come to life... Ya'll know how I feel about fairy tales, yes?

Usagi @ Birth of a New Witch said of Wasteland:

I emotionally connected with the characters and I’m sure you will, too. And I have the heart of a Vulcan. Or maybe no heart at all, I’m not sure. But I felt like I had one while reading this book. Hahaha! This seriously had me laughing. And it made me want to give Francesca Lia Block another try even though I was so not impressed with the one I've read.

Jenna @ Jenna's Blog said of The Book Thief, regarding Death (the narrator):

Any author who can make me feel emotion for a personified abstract noun writes extremely well. Umm. This is truth. Plus I also just really love that book!

Zoe @ A Corner of My Bookshelf said of One Night that Changes Everything:
It was a quick, fun read that was cute and catchy. (Kinda like a Disney movie, but who's asking anyway;) ) Because who doesn't love Disney movies!?: P

Rachel @ Endless Reading said of Les Miserables and The Counte of Monte Cristo:
Les Mis is all about redemption and love and war. Just phenomenal. Monte Cristo is about betrayal and revenge being best served cold. These are two of my very favorite classics and I love that her recs for them are short, to the point and definitely peak my interest.

There were SO many more that I could have chosen quotes from and tons that came close to be favorites! I have tons of new books to add to my tbr now! Thank you to everyone who participated!!: D

Many lovers of books and tattoos have combined the two. In my opinion, there is a magic in being able to carry your favorite quote with you wherever you go. I'm far from being the only one who feels this way. LiveJournal has a group called Bookworms with Ink in which people share their literary tattoos and ask for advice before getting one.

And so I ask:

• Do you have a literary tattoo? Please share it with us and tell us why you chose it.

• Do you have any ideas for future literary tattoos? Are there any quotes that you might one day want to have printed on you? (No plans on ever getting a tattoo? Just let us know what you would get if you were to ever get a tattoo!)

• How do you think the author feels about having their work permanently inked on a fan's body?

*** Don't forget to come back and link-up your post!!

The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank is a book I never wanted to admit I'd never read. I felt like it was something everyone read when they were much younger than me, thirteen or fourteen I figured. It's been on my TBR for a long time even though I've never owned a copy. Even though I'd never read the book, Anne Frank Huis was one of my must sees while in Amsterdam. Just because I didn't read the book didn't mean I didn't know the story. Unlike my experience with Dachau and The Book Thief, I was immediately overcome with emotion upon entering Anne Frank Huis. It's a totally different experience, and for me, a much more powerful one.

Anne Frank Huis does not have any furniture, but the walls are done like they were when the Franks hid there. In the center of the rooms are glass cases with artifacts from their time. What really got to me though, were the pictures of Anne Frank at the very beginning of the museum. She looks so happy.

Throughout the house there are quotes from her diary printed on the walls. It was as if she was telling her story to you, which I guess she was. The experience was also powerful for me because I had so many things in common with her. A love of reading and writing, nature, bicycles, and as a teenager I fought with my mother constantly and was extremely close with my father. When reading her diary I found it difficult to read the parts about her mother because I knew she would never get to experience the close relationship with her mother that I've had with mine.

I can't really review her diary, that seems unfair. It is slow in spots but overall a worthwhile read.

"The best remedy for those who are frightened, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere they can be alone, alone with the sky, nature and God. For then and only then can you feel that everything is as it should be and that God wants people to be happy amid nature's beauty and simplicity.

As long as this exists, and that should be for ever, I know that there will be solace for every sorrow, whatever the circumstances. I firmly believe that nature can bring comfort to all who suffer."

I purchased my copy of the diary at Anne Frank Huis and also purchased The Anne Frank House Authorized Graphic Biography

as a companion. It is an absolutely wonderful companion because it tells the before and after of the story and gives insight into what other characters' experiences were like.

The artwork is more traditional than I thought it would be, but there are some seriously disturbing images of Anne and her sister after they were found and sent to a concentration camp. I think I got a little more emotional looking at those images than I did reading her diary. The experiences are extremely different. While reading the diary I thought about how normal Anne's thoughts were for a girl her age: boy, friends, ambitions. That was what made it difficult, she represents the every girl, which makes you realize something like this could have happened to you. Reading the graphic biography gave me a lot more insight and history into her family, the experience of being in hiding, and what happened to the family after.

If you've never read The Diary of a Young Girl, I would highly recommend it and I would recommend reading the graphic biography after. It seemed to be a more fulfilling experience. If you've read the diary, you might want to try the graphic biography-- it might answer some of your unanswered questions.

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