The Best Reader:
food

"I can't help but relate to and feel apart of this wonderful family." — Miss Remmers

From Amazon.com...

"Da Cajn Critter is a gumbo of old family, friends, and personal recipes from Louisiana, Europe and all over the U.S. It is a way of life for someone who wants to eat good food, be with real people and make cooking simple and easy so you actually want to cook. This collection of cajun and creole favorites is a must for anyone looking for authentic Louisiana flavors!"

I thought that this would be the perfect book to follow the Thanksgiving holiday. I know, we are all extremely full... actually, in retrospect, perhaps a Work Out book/review would be better suited... nah! I figure, this past weekend kitchen's everywhere were exhausted with the traditional Thanksgiving feast, now their ready for something new, exciting, and "Cajn"!

"Da Cajn Critter" is the first ACTUAL cookbook I've reviewed — I'm not counting "The Recipe Club." The first thing that grabbed my attention upon opening this book is the tone — yes, the tone — of the book. The tone, or voice, is so unbelievably vibrant and alive! Probably due to the fun font, interesting illustrations, and uplifting voice — I may like the tone of the book better the actual recipes (gasp!)... okay, maybe not...

Along with tone, I love the little stories (if you can call them that) — for instance, the very first recipe, "Mama Bea's Cheese Cookies," is followed by a brief explanation of where the recipe came from. After reading these explanations — I can't help but relate to and feel apart of this wonderful family.

Full of all different kids of recipes and successfully separated by "Appetizers," "Breads, Breakfast, and Brunch," "Soups, Salads, and Dressings," "Meats, Fowl and More," "Seafood," "Vegetables, Potatoes, Pasta and More," "Desserts," and "A Little Something Extra," this recipe book is a great addition to my future kitchen (and Momma Remmers' until I graduate and actually have a kitchen).

The last section of the book, "A Little Something Extra," includes an awesome pronunciation guide for Northerners like me, a guide to decorating with candles to create the mood you want, and, for the inexperienced cook (again, like me), there is a section full of UBIs (Useful Bits of Information).

"Da Cajn Critter" includes traditional recipes with a twist, like "French Toast," and fun family recipes, such as "Aunt Norma Blintzes." If you are looking for a fun recipe book full of voice and character — I highly recommend "Da Cajn Critter."

I am most looking forward to creating the following recipes:

• "Cherry Squares"
• "Jeff's Favorite Mashed Potatoes"
• "Peppermint Shake"
  

Apparently a lot. As most of you know, I was married in June and as my blog's title happens to deal quite a bit with my maiden name I was posed with the question: Do I change my blog name or keep it the same?

I've taken polls, asked friends, and contemplated on this idea for over a year (pretty much since our engagement in October 2010). And I am finally prepared to deliver my conclusion. If it isn't already apparent, I will not be changing this blog title for several reasons.

First of all, I love the alliteration. Maybe it's just the English teacher in me, but "Mrs. Urbanec's Reviews" just doesn't have as catchy-a-sound to it. I considered playing around with it: Urbanec's Utopian Reviews (completely senseless) or Mrs. U's Reviews (a bit of assonance rather than alliteration). But overall, I just like the title of my blog.

Next, I've been to BEA twice and a few other conferences. Not only have I handed my business card out to several different publishers, agents, bloggers, authors, but I have about 300 business cards left! While they weren't SUPER expensive, I feel like I'm not in a position to throw them away at this time financially and order new ones.

With that, I need to consider that this blog has been around for two and a half years. While I don't have a huge outreach of readers, the ones I do have are friends and colleagues. I feel like to change my name (of the blog, obviously) could potentially hurt blog traffic — something I've struggled with from the beginning to promote. While many people have done this effectively (most recently Ash from English Major's Junkfood to English Major's Narrative) , I'm just not sure I could. I loved how Ash incorporated her old name to the new with this subtitle: "English Major Junk Food All Grown Up," because what she's going to be talking about has changed. If you're interested in some fantastically cute pictures and the reason why — it's in this post. But Ash's blog name change and my potential blog name change (say that six times fast) are different and I'm not sure I could come up with as brilliant of connection between the two as Ash has.

There's another obvious reason: I have this really cool stamp that I stamp all my books with. It has my blog title and url. I don't want to RE-stamp all my books (talk about a hot mess) much less order a new stamp.

And finally, I kind of like having this blog a little bit separate from my students/school. Obviously I'm not going to rant about my students or job (as I love them both), but I do like the little bit of anonymity that comes a long with using my maiden name. Have I shared this blog with students? A few. Do I have anything to hide? Absolutely not! But when I created this blog in the beginning, (before teaching, the politics of teaching, and before discovering this amazing blogging community) it was meant to be a place to have students review their own reads. But now, (you can call me selfish) I kind of like my own place on the web. I like the freedom to post my own thoughts without trying to suede students to just pick a book up. I like the freedom to "geek out" or talk about personal events in my life (weight loss, weddings) — rather than feeling censored.

Will I continue to blog with students? Probably, it's something I would like to foster in my classroom, but until I get my feet more off the ground in this new school I think I'll wait. Will I share my books and thoughts with students? Everyday! Because of my profession, I am lucky that I am able to talk books on a daily basis and this is one area that blogging has helped me tremendously! Even if I haven't read a book, I'm able to give thoughts and recommendations based on YOUR reviews! My book group (now called Word Shakers) will still be meeting to read, write, and talk books. But for now, I just want Miss Remmers' Review to be just that — my reviews, my thoughts, and my life. While there are a lot of "my's" in there, I don't think I'm being selfish. And even if I am, oh well... it's my blog.:)

So for anyone who has skipped my rant and arrived at the bottom: I'm not going anywhere. Miss Remmers' Review is here to stay!

The authors of The Recipe Club have written a Thanksgiving article that, thanks to Caitlin from FSB Associates, I am able to post for your Thanksgiving holiday taste buds. I hope you are all gearing up for a wonder Thanksgiving Holiday!

Tales of Thanksgiving Food and Friendship By Andrea Israel and Nancy Garfinkel, Authors of The Recipe Club: A Tale of Food and Friendship

For some people, Thanksgiving evokes warm feelings triggered by memories of a close-knit family gathering, where relatives share traditions and a home-cooked meal.

For others... it's the beginning of a holiday season stuffed with lunatic relatives, family dysfunction, bitter recriminations, and heartburn.

We heard a wide range of Thanksgiving Tales this year while traveling around the country for our Recipe Clubs. Inspired by the plot and structure of our book, Recipe Clubs are storytelling and friendship circles in which women gather to share true-life food-related stories along with recipes. Recipe Clubs are not about cooking; they're about creating community and fostering friendship... they're about laughing and crying... they're about honoring our own lives and the lives of others. They show us how the simplest, sweetest, or funniest tales about food can turn into deep revelations about our lives.

Just about everybody has at least one quintessential Thanksgiving food memory that perfectly captures the complicated feelings surrounding the holiday. Here are some of our favorites:

GIVING THANKS One Recipe Club friend recalls the first time she ever cooked a Thanksgiving meal on her own. Her mother, who traditionally did the meal, was recovering from surgery. Her father was working. And her sister was flying in just in time for the meal, but not early enough to help cook.

So our friend rose to the challenge, proclaiming that she would do the entire meal, on her own. No problem — until reality set in. She woke at dawn, shopped, chopped, and soon realized her oven was half the size it needed to be. By the time the turkey wanted basting the chestnut stuffing required baking — and the brussel sprouts were definitely not cleaning themselves!

But things really went south when it came time prepare her grandmother's famous pumpkin pie. This was the pie recipe that had been handed down through generations. If it didn't come out perfectly, our friend knew she'd feel like a failure.

Of course, nothing went right. The pie crust was too wet, then too dry. There was too much nutmeg, not enough ginger. With every crimp of the dough her head swam with the imagined voice of her southern grandmother: "A woman is judged not just by who she is, but by what she can bring to the table."

When the pie came out of the oven, the crust was too brown, and there was a giant crack running down the middle of the filling. Our friend fought back tears, took a deep breath, and set the pie out to cool, knowing more clearly than ever that neither it — nor she — was, or would ever be, perfect.

But when it came time for everyone to gather at the table, something shifted. Her parents and sister praised her hard work and loved the meal. And our friend realized she had somehow been carried on the wings of the generations of women who had cooked before her, without complaining, to serve a Thanksgiving meal to their family. She felt truly thankful for all the work that her mother, grandmother, aunts — indeed all the women she'd known through her life — had accomplished each holiday. Triumphant, connected, and happy, she understood that food cooked with love is its own kind of perfection.

FINALIZING THE DIVORCE One Recipe Club friend recalled her first Thanksgiving after her divorce.

Since carving the bird had always been her ex-husband's job, she delighted in finding a new, turkey-free recipe. She settled on an apricot-glazed ham, and went to work cooking a glaze of brown sugar, cloves, and apricot nectar (an ingredient that gave her extra pleasure knowing her ex-husband detested it.)

When her grown children came for dinner, they were childishly upset not to have their usual 12-pound bird. But it was delicious, and in the end each one complimented the chef. On her way out, the youngest daughter told her mother, "maybe we all need to learn how to gracefully accept change."

For this new divorcee, serving ham became a way of asserting her independence, showing her children there was life after marriage, and teaching the whole family to find new ways to be together.

IT'S ALL RELATIVE The truth is, we don't pick our relatives. So if the Thanksgiving gathering of the clan is an annual emotional challenge, you aren't alone.

In a recent Recipe Club circle of old friends and new acquaintances, we met a woman who admitted that for most of her life she dreaded Thanksgiving; all it evoked for her were memories of family fights. The contrast of what she knew Thanksgiving was "supposed" to be, versus what it was in her home, always made her feel ashamed and disappointed. And yet every November she felt compelled go home for a family Thanksgiving meal.

But one year, that changed, when her parents and brother decided to have Thanksgiving away from home. They journeyed together to Nantucket, where they ate dinner at a seaside inn. The inn served a New England clam chowder, rich with cream and warm on a cold autumn night. And they discovered that a new location, with new foods, away from the house where memories were often more fiery than the jalepeno cornbread, turned out to be just what the family needed.

Now, every year, back at home, they have a new tradition: serving New England Clam Chowder at their Thanksgiving feasts, each spoonful bringing back fond memories of a peaceful and loving family holiday.

A FAMILY OF FRIENDS Finally, a little tale of food and friendship.

A reader of our book told us that she had a choice this year. She could invite Uncle Tim and Aunt Zoe, the way she does every year, and spend the entire holiday worrying about whether or not the perpetually complaining couple were happy. She could include cousins Beth and Sean, knowing they would be competitive, putting down her choice of food, her way of cooking, her table setting. She could extend an invitation to her brother and dreaded sister-in-law, who would sit in silence the entire meal and pick at the food.

Or... she could shake things up and do something entirely different: invite only friends. True friends. People she enjoyed being with. Who made her laugh. Who spoke truthfully. Who shared her passions for good books, good wine, and good music.

She took the leap. She dumped the whiners, broke with tradition, irritated several family members — and never looked back. The moral: good food and good friends are the perfect combination. Sometimes it's a good idea to trim the guest list before you serve the bird with all its trimmings.

©2009 Andrea Israel and Nancy Garfinkel, authors of The Recipe Club: A Tale of Food and Friendship

Author Bios for The Recipe Club: A Tale of Food and Friendship

Nancy Garfinkel is co-author of The Wine Lover's Guide to the Wine Country: The Best of Napa, Sonoma, and Mendocino(Chronicle Books, 2005). A creative strategist, design consultant, writer, and editor for magazine, corporate, and non-profit clients, she has won a host of graphic arts and editorial merit awards. She has written extensively about food and graphic arts.

For more information please visit www.therecipeclubbook.com

This week I'd like to welcome back Sharon from Sharon's Garden of Book Reviews as this weeks Guest Reviewer!

******************** The Time It Snowed in Puerto Rico — Sarah McCoy Shaye Areheart Books (Random House); $19.99 From Amazon.com...
"Maria Flores Ortiz-Santiago, known to her family and friends as Verdita, has spent 11 happy years in her peaceful Puerto Rico neighborhood. One night, she witnesses her parents making love, and her world irrevocably changes. She cannot look her mother in the eye after seeing her in such an exposed position. It takes months, a botched bleached-blond hairdo, and her mother's near death in childbirth before Verdita begins to understand her parents' love for one another and for her. The book is ripe with the lush island's landscape, culture, and foods, as well as the political upheaval of the 1960s. Verdita's experience, though, is universal, as she must reconcile both the passion she witnesses and the changes in her own body with a child's perspective of the world."

Coming of age is difficult in any culture. But for 11-year old Verdita, life in the slow-paced Puerto Rican mountain village where she grew up is deadly dull. As Puerto Rico struggled internally with independence and statehood issues, Verdita struggles with her own disappointments and heartaches. She dreams of excitement, glamour and absolutely anything American, but in the turbulent year of 1961, dreams could not always come true easily.
In Sarah McCoy’s debut novel, “The Time It Snowed In Puerto Rico,” she takes her readers on a journey to the verdant tropical island where attitudes and conditions are as turbulent as the oceans that surround it. Through McCoy’s magical use of words you can almost feel the humidity, taste the sweet coconut milk and hear the call of the native birds.
Verdita’s story is fraught with the emotional ups and downs of a pre-teenaged girl. After accidentally witnessing her parents making love on the living room couch, Verdita is dismayed to learn her mother is pregnant. She fervently prays that the baby is not a boy who would take her father’s attention away, but she also doesn’t want a sister, who might be prettier than she is.
Verdita adores Elvis Presley, desperately wants her hair to be blond, experiences a romantic crush, and feels the thrill of disobeying her parents for the first time. Typical teenage rebellion, yet there lies a gentleness in Verdita that cherishes her family, wants to be a good girl, and loves her country. But there is something more out there that she wants, she just doesn’t know what it is yet. Sarah McCoy delivers a brilliant coming-of-age novel that will appeal to both adults and young adult readers. Being part Puerto-Rican herself, McCoy drenched herself in the atmosphere and culture of her mother’s homeland, and the result is a rich, satisfying novel that is fascinating to read.
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Thank you so much Sharon for such an awesome review! Sounds like an AWESOME book! Check out Sharon's original review. Make sure to stop by and share some Book Love with Sharon too! What an awesome lady she is!

Hosted by Sheila — Thank you!

This week I finished listening to "Crescendo" and am planning to finish "Ashfall" by Mike Mullin this week. I am absolutely loving this book. It's the mega survival story of all times. It's heartbreaking but hopeful at the same time. If you are a fan of survival stories — this is fantastic. I'm having a hard time putting it down.

"Under the bubbling hot springs and geysers of Yellowstone National Park is a supervolcano. Most people don't know it's there. The caldera is so large that it can only be seen from a plane or satellite. It just could be overdue for an eruption, which would change the landscape and climate of our planet.

Ashfall is the story of Alex, a teenage boy left alone for the weekend while his parents visit relatives. When the Yellowstone supervolcano erupts unexpectedly, Alex is determined to reach his parents. He must travel over a hundred miles in a landscape transformed by a foot of ash and the destruction of every modern convenience that he has ever known, and through a new world in which disaster has brought out both the best and worst in people desperate for food, water, and warmth. With a combination of nonstop action, a little romance, and very real science, this is a story that is difficult to stop reading and even more difficult to forget."

This week I'd like to welcome Sharry from Always Dream. Thank you so much!

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Synopsis: Sloe barely remembers the city where she grew up. Her earliest memory is of arriving at the dirty, unfriendly prison camp called the Settlement, a rundown collection of factories built in a cold, dark wilderness of perpetual blizzards in winter and muddy marshes in spring. Sometimes, on cold evenings after the work quota for the day is finished, her mother would light the oil lamp, and under it's warm, cozy glow, show her the secret magic. She would lovingly open a tiny nutshell containing six vials, and on these vials Mama's magic would work. Soon, tiny little creatures with quivering noses and nailpin eyes would roll and tangle playfully about inside the little nutshell case, full of life and love, their tiny paws pressed against the glass dome of their little home. "One day," says Mama, "maybe quite soon, or maybe years and years from now, when you are grown-up, it will be time to take them to the city... Not our city, another city. Where the sun always shines. It's a long journey, hundreds of miles to the north and west, through the wilderness and the forest, through the forests to the sea, and across the ice to the other side". Sloe always imagined going on the trip with her mother and escaping the hopeless tired life of the Settlement, but she soon finds herself the sole guardian of the little creatures, and this faraway dream becomes a direction for her hope and the survival of both herself and possibly, the regeneration of life on earth itself.

Review: I was really moved, disturbed, and hypnotized by this story. Sloe's struggle to survive and find the truth of her mother's words propel the story forward all the way to the last page of this story, in which I clamped the book shut with awe and content.

When I first picked this novel up, I assumed it was going to be a sort of Historical Fiction, possibly about WWII and the Holocaust. I didn't read the jacket flap synopsis very closely so I didn't pick up on the hints put there. I sort of took the book up on a whim. Now I want a copy! And I want more of Ann Halam's work!

There is a unique mixture of fairytale and science at play. Because Sloe lived in an environment where people cared more about day to day survival than proper education, she grew up sort of in awe of this scientific secret her mother made her keep and take care of, this secret that was like magic to her. Even when she grows up into a headstrong, intelligent young woman, the beautiful mystery of the nutshell case remained something to ponder over. Through the course of the book — as she grows up and leaves to another prison-like school, stumbles through early teenage years that slowly harden her pains and losses into bittersweet memories, falls into wrong hands, escapes, trudges through the vast landscape of a perpetual Siberia, narrowly flees from a strange pursuer — she slowly pieces together the truth and the importance of the mission her mama gave her long ago.

I read this novel all in one sitting, it was that compelling! It really had fairytale echoes in it, and I don't want to say too much because I might give away some important parts of the plot. But, this novel was truly a gem! I'm so excited to have come across Ann Halam and I have a feeling that she has written more little treasure worlds that I can let my mind and imagination wander in. With adventure, fantasy, and a tale of a headstrong girl with her wits about her, Siberia is one of those novels that will fully transport you into a different world, keep your heart pumping, your eyes glued to the page and provide much food for thought!

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Thank you so much Sharry for such an awesome review! I will definitely be sure to add this to my list!

Please share some book love and visit Sharry at Always Dream!

Author Nicole Barker was kind enough to send me a copy of "Dancing with Ana" to review. I finished it in two sittings. Be prepared for a glowing review.

"Beth is a lucky girl... she comes from a loving family, she has three best friends. She loves to surf and lives five minutes from the beach. She also recently discovered that the boy she's grown up with has the most amazing green eyes... Beth has every reason to smile. Every reason to be happy. Every reason to feel blessed.

Then why is she sticking her fingers down her throat?"

I absolutely loved "Dancing with Ana." I'm so excited to say that this is the first book I've read all summer that I will be putting in the box labeled "Miss Remmers' Classroom". I am so thankful to Nicole Barker for emailing me and sending me this book. It will be a great asset to my future classroom.

It's a quick read, like I said — I finished it in a couple hours. And when I had to go to church, I found myself thinking about Beth and her friends during the extremely long winded homily (gasp!). Female students will not be able to put this book down after they read the first page. The cover won't bring them in (not a big fan), but if I challenge them to read the first two pages I know that they will need to finish it. It's a short book (170 pages) with big font. So even very reluctant readers won't feel intimidated. But don't let the size bother you — there's a lot of story between the covers of this book.

It has the right amount of romance — but the romance is the supporting issue. Teenage girls dieting is the big issue (obviously). Girls who weigh 120 pounds who decide to lose 10 pounds and try to hide it from their questioning mothers. It's been a while since high school, but I remember that game. "Dancing with Ana" is written so honestly that it's inspiring.

The language is beautiful and moving. When Beth describes her hunger for food — I was literally craving HoHos (no joke)! When Beth feels sick and guilty, I felt sick and guilty. It was astonishing. There's a lot of story in these pages and I'm glad that the book is this size — it's emotionally draining to read about eating disorders. The girls' thoughts are so honest (askew — but honest). Their relationships with their mothers, fathers, boys, and girlfriends are believable and easy to relate too.

If I could change anything — I would change the cover. It doesn't draw people in like it should for such a great book. Overall, it's an amazingly inspiring, honest, good book. But like I said, it's emotionally draining to read. But for the sake of my students (gasp) I'll suffer through it. That's complete sarcasm — I hope you got that. I'm going to email the author to see if I can set up an interview. And I'm hoping she'll send me another copy with a short letter inside for my female students so I can giveaway the original 'once read' copy of "Dancing with Ana". Stay tuned — because you'll definitely want to get your hands on this book.

If you're wondering about the title (I really was) stay tuned, hopefully Nicole will answer that question for us.

Find out what other readers are saying about "Dancing with Ana".
Tara — Tales of a Book Addict
Missy — Missy's Book Nook
The Eclectic Reader

This past weekend Sheila (Book Journey) wrote a fantastic post on her love of audiobooks and some great recommendations. But this isn't the first time Sheila has mentioned audiobooks, if you look on her sidebars you'll see what she's listening to in her car, in her kitchen, and on her ipod! I've always loved how Sheila is always moving and reading at the same time.

It was probably when I first started talking to Sheila some two years ago that I started thinking more and more about audiobooks. While I never actually tried to listen to one until just recently, I did find myself thinking about them more than I ever had before. During all of those mundane tasks and chores that I loathe I found myself thinking "Wow, I wish I could multitask" or "I'd so rather be reading a book." Conversations similar to that continued in my head for, as I said, years.

It wasn't until this past spring when I was traveling from SD to ND to visit D and was in the car for 14 hours that I decided "enough was enough" and that I just couldn't waste all that time driving and accomplishing nothing — you know, besides getting from point A to point B in one piece. So I started listening to "Eragon " — a book that I've meaning to read for years. I only listened during the long car trips and even then (I'll admit) I may have switched back to the radio or ipod for a few odd hours at a time. It took me months to finish it and many renewals from the library — but I finished.

By the time I was nearly finished it was the 4th of July weekend and I was headed to Northern Minnesota to visit my parents. D had to work so it was just me and the dog. I knew I'd finish "Eragon" before I was 40 miles away so I stopped by my library and picked up "Wintergirls " — another great "read" that I finished during that one trip.

And then I was done. No more big trips. No more need for audiobooks.

And then all of those thoughts returned: "I'm so bored folding this laundry," "I hate doing dishes," and then the worst: "I wish this darn dog would walk himself." No, really. (This will seem like a random tangent but I swear it relates) So I have this overweight Golden Retriever — Pippin. Throughout my college years Pip obviously stayed with my parents. Now that I am officially an adult with a house and a job and a husband, Pip has come to live with us. D and I are on a mission to "healthy up" his lifestyle with loads of walks, no table scraps, and a strict diet. (I swear this has a point) Pip and I go on about four or five walks a day around our neighborhood with each walk being a half of a mile and fifteen minutes in length. About the time that that last comment erupted into my brain I realized that I was wasting fifteen minutes of my day at least four times a day — an entire hour!

Now "wasting" may be a bit harsh as each of those minutes is being spent with the most lovable overweight dog ever — but still. At about that time I was talked into buying an iPhone. Now (without continuing this tangent longer than necessary) I have an iTouch that I adore and I don't really plan on moving my music over. So with my new "empty" iPhone in tow, we went to the library and I swear got six audiobooks including "All Together Dead," "The Giver," "The Maze Runner," "Speak," "Entwined" and a few others I can't exactly remember at this point. Now, along with Pip, I'm excited for these walks (apart from picking up poop). They no longer feel super tedious and I feel like I'm being productive while actually being productive. I recently finished "The Giver" and "Entwined" on these daily walks with the dog.

I also started listening to audiobooks on my way to and from work (summer school). I found that in one day's running (to work, from work, to the library, to the bank, to the post office, to the grocery store etc) I can almost finish an entire disc! Simply while running errands — isn't that crazy! I thought it would be hard to pick up and put down so many times, but it went really smooth and flawless. I finished "All Together Dead" this way and loved how even the most mundane and boring task (like going to pick up dog food at 10pm because we forgot earlier) is now no longer a waste of time. Now that summer school is out I'm not driving as much anymore this poses a bit of a problem because I do end up forgetting the story line a bit. As a result I've had to take out the audiobook and put it on my iPhone so instead of listening to two audios at a time (walking and driving) I'm really only listening to one (walking and sometimes driving).

Now I listen to books while I do dishes, cook, scrub the floor, clean the bathroom, etc etc.

Since June 1st I've "read" nine books and five of them have been audiobooks and three of those audios have been in the last two weeks! Audiobooks have definitely pulled me out of this summer reading slump I've been in. As a result of Sheila's post I've added even MORE audiobooks to my library loan list and I don't see that stopping for a while. If you're a fan of not wasting time in your busy lifestyle, I highly recommend attempting to listen to an audiobook. Of my limited experience, I'd recommend "Wintergirls" by Laurie Halse Anderson to anyone interested in delving into the world of audio for the first time but I'm sure by the end of the summer I'll have even more audiobooks to recommend.

For the more experience audiobook club, any recommendations?

I told you the whole "dog walking" story had a point.:)

"When reading this novel I was enjoying a good read. When I wasn't reading it, all I could think about was the next time I could!" — Miss Remmers

From Amazon.com...

"Three years ago, Sophie Mercer discovered that she was a witch. It's gotten her into a few scrapes. Her non-gifted mother has been as supportive as possible, consulting Sophie's estranged father--an elusive European warlock--only when necessary. But when Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it's her dad who decides her punishment: exile to Hex Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward Prodigium, a.k.a. witches, faeries, and shapeshifters.

By the end of her first day among fellow freak-teens, Sophie has quite a scorecard: three powerful enemies who look like supermodels, a futile crush on a gorgeous warlock, a creepy tagalong ghost, and a new roommate who happens to be the most hated person and only vampire on campus. Worse, Sophie soon learns that a mysterious predator has been attacking students, and her only friend is the number-one suspect.

As a series of blood-curdling mysteries starts to converge, Sophie prepares for the biggest threat of all: an ancient secret society determined to destroy all Prodigium, especially her."

This was one of those books I had to have. I didn't know much about the premise, but the cover alone was enough to make me yearn for this book. After much inner-battling (as a broke college student), I purchased my own copy of Hex Hall. It wasn't until the fourth of July, however, that I finally had a chance to sit down and read this novel. We were at a lake and it was too windy to do any of the fun water sports so I, naturally, went out on the dock with a book! My book of choice (obviously) was "Hex Hall."

This will be an odd review because, while I loved this book, I can't really put a finger on what exactly I loved about it. The premise, while much like "Harry Potter," was predictable with a twist at the end. This predictability didn't bother me and I found myself actually looking for the similarities between the two novels. I also appreciated that the author recognized the similarities in a line (I don't have my book with me or I'd quote it) about "Hogwarts." The twist on the last page made my reading skin shiver with anticipation for the next novel.

The characters were likable and real. I loved the idea of vampire student at school as an outcast; with the recent fame of Twilight and Sookie, it's refreshing to have a different, less popular, view of vampires in a literary sense. I fell in love with Sophie's character — the girl's got spunk!

The plot and setting of the novel was fantastic — it's what kept me reading! The plot was fast paced, keeping this book fun and a page turner.

While reading this book I encountered something that I never have before; when reading this novel I was content, when I put the novel down (for food, for fun, for spending time with actual people) my mind kept wandering back to Sophie and her predicament. While this sounds odd and contradictory, I loved this book more when I wasn't reading it than when I was! (That sounds awful doesn't it! I mean it like this... ) When reading this novel I was enjoying a good read. When I wasn't reading it, all I could think about was the next time I could! Hawkins has somehow found a way to write an unforgettable novel, in my opinion. I am very excited for book two!

Originality: 6/10
Ending: 8/10
Characters: 10/10
Plot: 9/10
My reaction/enjoyment: 10/10
Theme: 10/10
Imagery: 10/10
Setting: 5/5
Voice: 5/5
Style: 5/5
Tone: 5/5
Cover: 10/10 (The reason I HAD to have this book!)
Overall: 93/100 A

To the FTC, with love: Bought

"I feel like I've been humanized by this novel — that I have a deeper understanding and a deeper empathy for girls who struggle with eating disorders... I remember this feeling of suffocation while listening, like I couldn't bare to go on but I didn't dare stop." — Miss Remmers

Release Date: March 2009
Publisher: Viking Juvenile
Challenges: Audiobook Challenge and 100+ Reading Challenge

"Lia and Cassie were best friends, wintergirls frozen in matchstick bodies. But now Cassie is dead. Lia's mother is busy saving other people's lives. Her father is away on business. Her step-mother is clueless. And the voice inside Lia's head keeps telling her to remain in control, stay strong, lose more, weigh less . If she keeps on going this way—thin, thinner, thinnest—maybe she'll disappear altogether.
In her most emotionally wrenching, lyrically written book since the National Book Award finalist Speak , best-selling author Laurie Halse Anderson explores one girl's chilling descent into the all-consuming vortex of anorexia."

Wow, after listening to "Eragon" I chose "Wintergirls" simply because I was looking for another audiobook and wanted a story that I had been looking forward to reading for a while. I can't imagine a better way to read this story than by audiobook. The narrator did a fantastic job and the rawness and honesty of the plot has stayed with me the few weeks since finishing.
I listened to this book while on my way home to Northern Minnesota for the 4th of July. There was a point, rather towards the beginning, where I stopped to eat at Burger King. I didn't go through the drive thru, but it seemed as though I had. I went to eat my wonderfully "crafted" burger of grease but found myself all of a sudden no longer hungry. I did end up eating the burger, but I threw most of my fries away. It's hard to explain or describe, but as a girl who has never really struggled with food or felt the need to diet hardcore (I have dieted, but it never seems to last very long. Food and I have a very tight relationship) this honest story hit me hard. So hard that even when I was trying to enjoy my time at home (and inevitably pig out) I found myself thinking of Lia and her family.
While at first I found myself chastising Lia and Cassie for their disorders and thinking — "Really? Why can't you just eat!" — but so gradually I didn't even notice it was happening I realized how real this life struggle with food can be. I feel like I've been humanized by this novel — that I have a deeper understanding and a deeper empathy for young girls who struggle with eating disorders. I remember this feeling of suffocation while listening, like I couldn't bare to go on but I didn't dare stop.
This was such an amazing audio — I just can't state that enough. Absolutely fantastic.
-Visit Laurie around the web here: Website | Blog | Goodreads | Twitter
-BUY THE BOOK: Amazon | Kindle | Barnes and Noble | Nook

To the FTC, with love: Library Audio

Thanks to my Blogoversary, I have a few Guest Reviews to share! This weeks Guest Reviewer is Amber from Just Your Typical Book Blog.

**************************** Love ties them together. Death can't tear them apart.

Best. Birthday. Ever. At least, it was supposed to be. With Logan's band playing a critical gig and Aura's plans for an intimate after-party, Aura knows it will be the most memorable night of her boyfriend's life. She never thought it would be his last.

Logan's sudden death leaves Aura devastated. He's gone.

Well, sort of.

Like everyone born after the Shift, Aura can see and hear ghosts. This mysterious ability has always been annoying, and Aura had wanted nothing more than to figure out why the Shift happened so she can undo it. But not with Logan's violet-hued spirit still hanging around. Because dead Logan is almost as real as ever. Almost.

It doesn't help that Aura's new friend Zachary is so understanding--and so very alive. His support means more to Aura than she cares to admit.

As Aura's relationships with the dead and the living grow ever complicated, so do her feelings for Logan and Zachary. Each holds a piece of Aura's heart... and clues to the secret of the Shift.

Step aside werewolves, vampires, fairies, there's a new obsession in my reading pile and it's ghosts! Everyone loves a good ghost story. The unanswered questions of what happens when we all leave this world, but could you image what our lives would be like if ghosts were a normal thing to be around? In Shade we meet Aura, your typical music loving teenage girl who just so happened to be born into a generation of kids who can see and communicate with ghosts. It's not exactly a huge deal to these teens. Sure it gets annoying when you're out with friends and a random ghosts is standing in the middle of the food court table demanding you help her out. But Aura handles a lot of it like it's a piece of cake.
Until her boyfriend, Logan the future rock star, becomes a ghost.
The relationship between Aura and her boyfriend Logan is not only truly realistic but so heartbreaking. I didn't expect to tear up while reading this, but I did. I loved learning bits of pieces of how these two formed their relationship together. Aura is my type of female character. While most characters would be moping around, Aura takes it a day at a time. She's head strong, tough, but at the same time she sensitive.
The plot to this story is fast paced which kept me glued. There are many hints of things that keep you guessing what's going to happen next. I was constantly wondering what Aura was going to do with Logan on the verge of turning into a Shade. Not to mention the new guy in town, Zachary. My alerts were going off like crazy when he was introduced. We all know how those new boys can be. My only dislike throughout this novel was how fast Aura and Zachary's relationship developed, but the two have a certain connection that has many unanswered questions — ones I'm very excited to see in the next installment.
Jeri Smith-Ready writing is very addictive and wonderful. She knows how to hook a reader. If you weren't aware she's also a bit evil. Yes, you've been warned this one has a cliffhanger, a wonderful teasing evil one that has me dying to read more. I haven't read anything else by Jeri, but if this is just a taste of what her adult books are like, then consider me sold!
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Big thanks to Amber from Just Your Typical Book Blog! I bought my copy of Shade during BEA at the signing at Books of Wonder but it's currently under a large pile of "To Be Read" books so I really appreciate the review! This review definitely made me want to move the book up in the pile! Please visit Amber at Just Your Typical Book Blog and check out her original review.
If you're interested in becoming a Guest Reviewer, please visit this page and email me at google at gmail dot com for more information!