From Amazon.com... "It is 1940. France has fallen. Bombs are dropping on London. And President Roosevelt is promising he won't send our boys to fight in "foreign wars."
But American radio gal Frankie Bard, the first woman to report from the Blitz in London, wants nothing more than to bring the war home. Frankie's radio dispatches crackle across the Atlantic ocean, imploring listeners to pay attention--as the Nazis bomb London nightly, and Jewish refugees stream across Europe. Frankie is convinced that if she can just get the right story, it will wake Americans to action and they will join the fight.
Meanwhile, in Franklin, Massachusetts, a small town on Cape Cod, Iris James hears Frankie's broadcasts and knows that it is only a matter of time before the war arrives on Franklin's shores. In charge of the town's mail, Iris believes that her job is to deliver and keep people's secrets, passing along the news that letters carry. And one secret she keeps are her feelings for Harry Vale, the town mechanic, who inspects the ocean daily, searching in vain for German U-boats he is certain will come. Two single people in midlife, Iris and Harry long ago gave up hope of ever being in love, yet they find themselves unexpectedly drawn toward each other.
Listening to Frankie as well are Will and Emma Fitch, the town's doctor and his new wife, both trying to escape a fragile childhood and forge a brighter future. When Will follow's Frankie's siren call into the war, Emma's worst fears are realized. Promising to return in six months, Will goes to London to offer his help, and the lives of the three women entwine.
Alternating between an America still cocooned in its inability to grasp the danger at hand and a Europe being torn apart by war,The Postmistress gives us two women who find themselves unable to deliver the news, and a third woman desperately waiting for news yet afraid to hear it. "
I really wanted to love this novel. Upon opening it and reading the introduction (see Favorite Quotes), I immediately fell in love with the language and the idea of the novel.
Unfortunately, no matter what I did, I could not connect to the plot or characters. As a result, I was unable to finish this book. Reading became a chore and I found that I was picking up other books to read instead. I did stick to my Review Policy and made it through 100 pages — but I just couldn't go on. I think this has a lot to do with my inability to connect with the story, plot, or characters.
Again, I feel awful because I was so prepared to fall in love with this book. I've heard wonderful reviews! It could be because of where I'm at in my life; what with student teaching and "having" to read books that I don't choose to (such as "All Quiet on the Western Front" etc), maybe I'm just looking for something lighter and more Young Adult-ish. Because of this possibility, I'll be keeping "The Postmistress" for my bookshelves until at a later time I can pick the book up again and see if I missed the excitement due to where my life it.
I do want to say a big thanks to Lydia at Putnam books for sending this wonderful ARC. I apologize for not being able to finish it.
Favorite Quotes: "Long ago, I believed that, given a choice, people would turn to good as they would to the light. I believed that reporting — honest, unflinching pictures of the truth — could be a beacon to lead us to demand that wrongs be righted, injustices punished, and the weak and the innocent cared for" (3). "Every story — love or war — is a story about looking left when we should have been looking right" (3).
Janet Fox is here today to talk about her newest book, Forgiven. It was released earlier this month.
Janet has answered some questions for me and one lucky winner will receive a copy of her book.
1. You have accomplished so many amazing things already. Including diving to the bottom of the ocean! Do you like to bring in any of those experiences into your writing?
Thank you! All of my experiences feed my writing, even when I haven’t used or shown the specific experiences. My ocean diving experience, for example – and I should let readers know that I was in the submersible ALVIN and working on my MS, diving to the bottom of the Cayman Trough – does not yet appear in any of my stories. But my geology experience and knowledge of geology certainly do, in both Faithful and Forgiven. In Faithful, my knowledge of the geology of the Yellowstone region informs my descriptions. And in Forgiven, I focus in part on the earthquake of 1906 in San Francisco, and I had lots of geologic material to examine as I wrote.
I should also add that, in the case of diving in the ALVIN, there’s a certain emotional factor involved: fear of the deep, of the darkness, of enclosed spaces; excitement at exploring the unknown, at seeing what no one else has ever seen. Those emotions do indeed feed my work.
2. You've written a variety of stories and poetry that include a wide range of topics. Can you tell us a little about what other types of stories you would love to tackle?
What a wonderful question! I’m working on a story right now that is my dream story. It’s a middle grade fantasy that involves angels and demons, talking animals, death and what happens in death, love and desperation – in short, I’m hoping to tackle subjects that enthrall me through the lens of fantasy. Can I succeed? I can only hope. I feel that as a writer my job is to challenge myself to write what I think is impossible to express. Art is all about expressing the otherwise inexpressible. I’ll let you know how it goes.
3. Can you tell us how Faithful and Forgiven are connected?
Faithful is the story of Maggie Bennet, a society girl who longs to fulfill her dream of a society debut, a society marriage, a predictable life. Forgiven is the story of Kula Baker, a girl raised in poverty who desires to raise herself up to be a respectable lady. Maggie’s dream is withdrawn, and she’s forced to face the false promise of her expectations and to recognize who she really is inside and to recognize her abilities aside from those expectations. Kula’s dream is thwarted, and she’s forced to face her fears and the true desires of her heart. If I say too much more I might add spoilers.
4. If you had to describe Kula in 3 words, how would you describe her?
Stubborn, feisty, courageous.
5. What are you currently working on that you can share with us?
I’m working on the third book in what I hope will become a quartet. This third novel is titled Moll and takes place in 1925 in New York City. It features a girl trying to save her family, her brother’s ghostly presence, a gangster and his moll (who becomes my protagonist’s friend), lies, secrets, illegal doings, flappers, romance, and a noir mystery. I’m planting seeds so that characters from Faithful, Forgiven and Moll can meet in book 4, tentatively titled Paradise. I’m excited to be able to give these stories resonance in what I’m thinking of as an American saga. Fingers crossed.
Janet Fox will donate a portion of the proceeds from FORGIVEN to The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. To learn more about what you can do to help agencies that actively fight the exploitation and trafficking of children, visit the following websites: The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
Unicef
Stop Child Trafficking
Forgiven by Janet Fox Publisher: Speak (June 2nd, 2011) Reading Level: Young Adult Paperback: 288 pages Series: Faithful #2 Kula Baker never expected to find herself on the streets of San Francisco, alone but for a letter of introduction. Though she has come to the city to save her father from a cruel fate, Kula soon finds herself swept up in a world of art and elegance — a world she hardly dared dream of back in Montana, where she was no more than the daughter of an outlaw. And then there is the handsome David Wong, whose smiling eyes and soft-spoken manner have an uncanny way of breaking through Kula's carefully crafted reserve. Yet when disaster strikes and the wreckage threatens all she holds dear, Kula realizes that only by unlocking her heart can she begin to carve a new future for herself.
Prize:
1 winner will receive a copy of Forgiven by Janet Fox.
Rules:
You must be at least 13 to enter.
Name and email must be provided and counts as 1 entry.
Extra entries are possible and links must be provided.
Contest is US Only and ends June 30th.
Once contacted, the winner will have 48 hours to respond.
The form must be filled out to enter.
Find Janet Fox Website | Goodreads | Blog | Twitter | Facebook
Purchase Forgiven Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository
"The story, the message, and the love are so real and pure. My students are going to devour this book!" — Miss Remmers
From Amazon.com...
"Still haunted by nightmares of her mother’s death, fifteen-year-old Sienna Jones reluctantly travels to Indonesia with her father’s relief team to help tsunami orphans with their post traumatic stress disorder—something Sienna knows a lot about. Since her mother’s plane went missing over the Indian Ocean three years before, Sienna doesn’t do anything if it involves the ocean or planes, so this trip is a big step forward.
But the last thing she expects is to fall for Deni, a brooding Indonesian boy who lives at the orphanage, and just so happens to be HOT. When Deni hears a rumor that his father may be alive, Sienna doesn’t think twice about running away with him to the epicenter of the disaster. Unfortunately, what they find there could break both their hearts."
"Sea" was one of the books I most excited for at BEA that I hadn't heard a lot of — I just absolutely adored the cover (a bit shallow, I know). So when I won it I was ecstatic!
Besides a fantastic "I want this now" cover, the story behind the cover is just as mouth-watering. I found that I could not put this book down and read it in only two sittings. It took me a bit longer to actually get into it simply because the love interest (sweet and innocent love interest) disappears just when I think I can't handle any more suspense. But then as soon as Sea begins her journey, I just had to find out what happened!
Parts of this book were a bit predictable, but as soon as I began to get "bored" a new fantastic twist took place and the whole story changed — it really kept me on my toes. So much so that we had just sat down at the best seats in the Jim Patterson stadium and I just had to finish the last few pages. Rude, I know.
Like "Before I Fall," I fell in love with how innocent and real the love interest (preferably #1 — in my opinion) of this story is. The whole time I was reading I was texting my own love interest gushing about how sweet Spider was. I may also have text him the most romantic line in the whole movie — "It's always been you."
Now that I can almost smell your saliva escaping your open mouth — that's all that you get!
Really, this book is fantastic! The story, the message, and the love are so real and pure. My students are going to devour this book!
Moonglass by Jessi Kirby Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing (May 3rd, 2011) Reading Level: Young Adult Hardback: 224 pages Source: Publisher Rating: 4 of 5 stars I read once that water is a symbol for emotions. And for a while now, I've thought maybe my mother drowned in both.
Anna's life is upended when her father accepts a job transfer the summer before her junior year. It's bad enough that she has to leave her friends and her life behind, but her dad is moving them to the beach where her parents first met and fell in love- a place awash in memories that Anna would just as soon leave under the surface. While life on the beach is pretty great, with ocean views and one adorable lifeguard in particular, there are also family secrets that were buried along the shore years ago. And the ebb and flow of the ocean's tide means that nothing- not the sea glass that she collects on the sand and not the truths behind Anna's mother's death- stays buried forever. Review: Moonglass is a great summer read but the story goes much deeper than you may expect. Anna is forced to leave her home after her father gets a job offer. She is not happy with the fact she has to leave her friends behind right before her junior year. But this new location holds many secrets. It's the same beach where her father and mother met years ago.
While Anna tries to get used to her new surroundings, she finds out more about her mother and father's relationship than she thought she would. Her mother died when she was young so Anna is fascinated with the bits of information she is able to get from this new place. But these memories are painful and Anna and her father are trying to deal with the pain in their own ways.
The setting for Moonglass is stunning. The vivid descriptions made me truly feel as if I was there on the beach with Anna. Jessi Kirby really knows how to bring a setting to life! Anna was a terrific character and it was easy to see the similarities between her and her father. She was strong, determined, and adventurous. It seems that her past has shaped her into a person that appreciates what she has. She seems more wise than others her age.
While at Crystal Cove she meets a lifeguard, Tyler. Their relationship starts very slowly because of her father's strict nature when it comes to Anna dating a lifeguard. But it was nice to see each character unfold and embrace each other in a more natural way. There are so many terrific characters in this story. Anna's father, James, Jillian, Ashley.all brought very interesting details to this book.
If you are looking for a great summer read that holds a lot of mystery, Moonglass is a great pick!
1. Everlasting was your debut novel. What has been the most surprising part of the process from writing to promotion? The most surprising part was discovering just how much marketing the authors must do themselves. My expectations were so far above the reality, so with my next few books I feel I much better prepared to be my own advocate.
2. You have done a lot of historical research in the past. What was the most fascinating thing you learned during that experience? So many amazing tidbits captured my imagination. When researching, it’s a risk that I’ll stumble onto something that will distract me and make me want to write a new book! For Everlasting, I loved learning about sailing and a sailors life at sea. The superstitions, the work sailors were expected to do, the risks and the dangers of the ocean. All very fascinating!
3. If you could go back in time, what time period would you like to visit, and why? Regency England would be my first stop, and the next would be Civil War era America. Someone better invent a time machine, pronto.
4. Your next book, The Midnight Tunnel: A Suzanne Snow Mystery, is set to be released next March. Can you tell us about this story? Zanna is an 11-year-old girl who lives at the grand hotel her parents manage in New Brunswick, Canada. All she wants is to be a detective like her famous uncle, Bruce Snow. When a young guest goes missing and her uncle writes off the case as unsolvable, Zanna sets out to prove him wrong. I’m really excited about this new mystery series! It’s a fun one.
5. What other things do you have in the works right now? Other than a few more Suzanna books and a possible third Everlasting novel, I am concentrating on a new historical paranormal YA. All I can say is Paris, 1899, and gargoyles. I’m still figuring it out!
Everlasting by Angie Frazier Publisher: Scholastic Press (June 1st, 2010) Reading Level: Young Adult Hardcover: 336 pages Sailing aboard her father’s trade ship is all seventeen-year-old Camille Rowen has ever wanted. But as a girl of society in 1855 San Francisco, her future is set: marry a man she doesn’t love, or condemn herself and her father to poverty.
On her final voyage before the wedding, the stormy arms of the Tasman Sea claim her father, and a terrible family secret is revealed. A secret intertwined with a fabled map, the mother Camille has long believed dead, and an ancient stone that wields a dangerous—and alluring—magic.
The only person Camille can depend on is Oscar, a handsome young sailor whom she is undeniably drawn to. Torn between trusting her instincts and keeping her promises to her father, Camille embarks on a perilous quest into the Australian wilderness to find the enchanted stone. As she and Oscar elude murderous bushrangers and unravel Camille’s father’s lies, they come closer to making the ultimate decision of who—and what—matters most.
Beautifully written and feverishly paced, Everlasting is an unforgettable journey of passion, secrecy, and adventure.
I'd like to welcome this week's Guest Reviewer, Esme!
******************** Canadian Author Lawrence Hill is the author of this epic historical novel about the slave trade. In Canada the book was published under the title The Book of Negro. In the United States and elsewhere the book was renamed Someone Knows my Name-due to concerns about book sales and controversy.
No matter what title you choose to read the book under, it is a phenomenal piece of writing. You are introduced to Aminata as an old lady, reflecting on the life she led. The book is told by Aminata, a young twelve year old girl who is kidnapped from her idyllic life in her village along with other villagers. Aminata's childhood is showered with love and education. Her mother has her assist her with her midwifery, her father teaches her from the Quran. When a group of bandits raid and burn her village, this life comes to an end. Having witnessed her mother being brutally murdered, Aminata is forced to walk across Africa to the Atlantic Ocean where she is branded before boarding a slave ship.
Aminata's voyage across the Atlantic proves to be more arduous than her march across Africa. Her wit allows her to make herself helpful on the ship and gain extra food and living conditions while she watches her fellow Africans die of disease and despair.
Aminata is taught how to read by one of the other slaves on the plantation. When she is sold to a Jewish merchant, he continues her education, encouraging her to speak the Queen's English, improve her reading and learn how to how to handle money and the books. Aminata is helped by a free slave during a visit to New York with the merchant. As tensions rise between the British and the Americans Aminata is asked to assist the British compile The Book of Negroes- — a record of Black British loyalists promised freedom and passage to British North America.
The Book of Negroes is a little unknown part of Canadian history. This book's records descriptions and information on African American slaves who fought for the British Crown in the American Revolution. These free slaves were then relocated to Nova Scotia, becoming the first Black community in Canada. Others moved on, via the auspices of the Sierra Leone Company, to Sierra Leone, where they formed the original settlers of Freetown and founded the Krio people. As a Canadian, born and educated in Canada, I was completely unaware of this piece of history until I read the book.
Life in Nova Scotia was encountered with many of same racist attitudes these former slaves had faced in the United States.
Aminata returns to Africa even though the risk of enslavement still exists. Here she meets British abolitionists, who use her as the mouthpiece to end slavery.
This story is truly an amazing combination of history and emotion. Hill tells a memorable story that captures Aminata's desire and dream to return to her homeland. This was one of my favorite reads of 2009. It amazed me that I had never heard of the Book of Negroes or the first Black community in Canada. I was fascinated that a book actually exists recording free slaves that were loyal to the Loyalists. Quite simply I was enthralled by the story of Aminata, and her desire and will to escape slavery.
Born in Toronto in 1957, Hill is the son of a black man and a white woman, civil rights activists Daniel and Donna Hill. His African Canadian heritage and mixed race identity frequently inform his writing. The Book of Negroes is his third novel, following Some Great Thing (1992) and Any Known Blood (1997).
Hill came upon the idea for The Book of Negroes in a book he borrowed from his parents about 20 years ago. The Black Loyalists, written by historian James Walker and published in 1980, tells how black Americans settled in Nova Scotia after serving the British in the Revolutionary War. Walker described how many of these men and women later abandoned harsh racism in Nova Scotia for life in Sierra Leone. Canada, Hill learned, was home to the world’s first “back to Africa” movement. What most captured his imagination, however, was this single, astonishing fact: A number of the blacks traveling to Sierra Leone had originally been born in Africa.
“Wow! What a story,” Hill recalls thinking at the time. “What kind of person – what kind of woman – might have lived in such a way as to be born in Africa, shipped into slavery in the United States, made it up to Canada, and then chose voluntarily to go back to Africa? I was very impressed by the idea.”
In Canada, you can purchase an illustrated version of this book. I saw the book when I was home at Christmas. It is gorgeous with it's illustrations of the lives of black in the 1700's. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a great novel or historical fiction. Author Hill has brought to life a little unknown piece of history.
********************* Thank you Esme for such a wonderful review! I've never heard of his book — I'm definitely intrigued. Please visit Esme at Chocolate and Croissants!
Hello everyone! I will be skipping my In My Mailbox post this week (but I did get some amazing books!). I will post 2 weeks worth next weekend. But for now I'm getting ready to see…
and some of these…
and maybe even a few of these…
because we are going on vacation to the BEACH!! Our first real vacation and we just celebrated our 4 year anniversary this past Thursday. I just finished my grad. school finals and I NEED A VACATION! Plus I can't wait to see how my daughter reacts to seeing the ocean for the first time. I will miss you all! I have a few posts planned just in case I can't pick up internet and I will be back late Thursday. Have a great week everyone!: )
P.S.- If anyone needs to get in touch with me (for the Halloween event, questions, or if I win a huge book spectacular giveaway and only have 48 hours to respond, EEK)… contact Lisa at A Life Bound By Books at alifeboundbybooks(AT)hotmail(DOT)com.
Rachel applied the last stroke of mascara and turned the power off on the stereo. The music that pumped from the speakers stopped and silence fell around her. This was the first time in her life she’d lived on her own without roommates and getting used to the solidarity was taking longer than she expected.
A loud bang sounded behind her and she jumped. Darkness filled the hallway behind her and she stared into the shadows. Chills ran down her spine as the hairs rose on the back of her neck, and she crept forward.
“Hello?” she asked, but naturally there was no answer. Her bare feet pressed into the carpet as she stepped closer to the edge of the hall. The silence was a weight bearing down around her and she jumped as something moved in the shadows. A dark blur slid from one room across to the other, and she shivered. Rachel swore the chill wasn’t just in her bones, the room was colder now.
As she came to the opening of the hallway she reached for the light switch but hesitated. The thought of dipping her hands into the shadows for even a moment had her on edge. Images of a rotting hand with sores and callouses pulling her into the darkness flashed through her mind and she pulled her hand back.
Cool air tingled along her neck like someone was blowing against her skin and Rachel flinched, quickly flicking the light switch up and turning around, but there was nothing there. She rubbed the side of her neck and found her skin cool to the touch. She shivered again and stared down the now well-lit hall.
This wasn’t the first time she’d had a strange feeling about this place, but the rent was cheap and cheap was what she could afford. Not having roommates was a little harder on her bank account. “This is ridiculous. Get yourself together,” Rachel said, storming down the hall and flicking on the lights to each room. With the exception of the bathroom and her bedroom, all the other rooms were empty. No furniture and definitely no corpses that roamed in the shadows.
She turned the lights off and went back to the kitchen, slipping on her high heeled shoes. A loud horn honked from the street outside and her pulse leapt again. A checkered yellow cab idled on the street, waiting to take her to the party.
Tucking a loose strand of hair that dangled around her face behind her ear, she adjusted her outfit in the mirror. After a quick once-over of her ensemble she gave a silent nod of approval. She took a few items out of her purse and transferred them into a small clutch, taking only what she needed for the night and snapped it shut. Smoky, her poised black cat leapt onto the table, rubbing against her arm and pawing at the clutch. A single white tuft of hair formed a triangular patch on her chest and she meowed in protest.
“I’ll be home soon, baby,” Rachel whispered, scratching Smoky just under her chin. The purring response was immediate.
The horn sounded again and Rachel sighed. “I’m coming!” she yelled, as though the driver could hear her scream from inside. “You be good.” She smiled and gave Smoky a long, smooth stroke along her back before moving towards the door.
As she walked past the mirror she’d just spent hours in front of something moved in the reflection. She took a few more steps and then stopped, debating whether or not to take a second look.
After getting herself worked up in the hallway she refused to be pushed around by her own imagination and she gave into her curiosity. Stepping back in front of the mirror she found a long couch and a single painting of the ocean looking back at her.
“I told you,” she said, looking herself in the eye.
She tore her gaze away as Smoky meowed again. The cat sat perfectly poised on the table, studying her face with vibrant green eyes. The horn honked again and Smokey released another meow. “I’ll be home later,” she said, trying not to sound annoyed and turned back towards the mirror.
The couch and painting were gone, blocked by a mass of decrepit faces and bodies that filled her living room. Solid white eyes stared back at her, while flaps of skin dangled from their faces. Green rot and blood-stains filled in the gashes along their skin, and they stood silent, staring into the mirror. Rachel screamed and ran into the kitchen. Her heels clacked twice along the tile before she slipped.
One shoe folded out sideways beneath her and her leg twisted hard and fast to the side. She lost her balance and pain split across her ankle. She fell to the ground and hit the kitchen table with her hands, pushing it a few inches in the opposite direction.
Adrenaline pulsed through her veins and her heart palpitated like it was going to be torn from her chest. A gut-wrenching pang twisted in her stomach and she turned onto her back, skittering backwards across the floor. But to her surprise, nobody was after her. In fact, her living room was empty.
Heavy pants slipped through her freshly painted red lips and her eyes panned the room. She could hear a pounding in her ears as her heartbeat raced. Smoky stood between her and the living room and hissed at the air. Goosebumps trickled down Rachel’s shoulders and she trembled.
She took a few deep breaths before recomposing herself. She slipped her shoe back on and climbed to her feet. Her ankle hurt, but not enough to cancel a night of fun with the girls. She’d been waiting far too long for this, plus, it was her favorite night of the year: Halloween. Nothing was keeping her down. Not tonight.
She cautiously approached the mirror and the goosebumps prickled up and down her arm with each step. She looked into the living room, then took another step forward and peeked into the mirror. A sign of relief filled her as the painting and couch were back in the reflection or a near-empty room.
She let out a deep breath. “What’s gotten into me?” She asked, looking down at Smoky. “I need this night out more than I thought.” She grabbed her clutch and disappeared out the door towards an impatient and aggravated cab driver.
After hours of dancing, drinking, and laughing with friends, Rachel returned home feeling renewed, exhausted, and more than a little off balance. She fiddled with her keys and stumbled into the doorway, kicking her shoes across the floor. Smoky meowed, awaiting her arrival on the kitchen table.
“Hey kitty,” she said, the words somewhat slurred from her mouth. She threw her clutch and keys on the table and ran her fingers through the cat’s fur. Opening the fridge she grabbed a cold bottle of water and flicked off the kitchen light. “I may have had one drink too many,” she said, pausing to stare blankly at the cat. After a moment she snapped out of her daze and smiled. “Bed time, Smoky, let’s go.”
Drinking half the water bottle in her first gulp, she screwed the cap on and placed it on the bedside table. She tore her clothes off piece by piece and left them strewn about the room. While pulling back the purple and red duvet on her bed, a strand of crispy hair fell from its place on her head and danced along her shoulder.
“Dammit. I can’t go to sleep with all this crap in my hair.” Rachel sighed and ran her hands through the sticky hair-sprayed locks.
The bathroom was already full of steam as she dropped her underwear to the floor and stepped into the shower. Hot water nipped at her skin while her body adjusted to the temperature, and all the warm feelings of her evening began to wash away. She tilted her head back and water splashed over her face and hair, breaking down the product she’d invested hours of time putting into it.
As the buzz of alcohol began to run down the drain, images of what she’d seen in the mirror flashed through her mind. Both of her eyelids shot open and tension crept into her shoulders. Hard streams of water beat against her skin as the fear returned and she felt something slide over her shoulders.
She paused, standing still in the water, telling herself it was all in her head. She tried to picture something else, remembering the tray of shots they’d had at the club. When that didn’t work she pictured the young kid who still appeared to be in his ‘awkward’ phase hitting on her. One cheesy pick-up line after another echoed through her head, but even that memory was overrun with anxiety when she realized the feeling wasn’t leaving.
The water seemed to tighten its hold, squeezing her skin. That gut-wrenching pain filled her stomach again and her breath caught in her throat. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths. This isn’t happening, she thought to herself. It can’t be. She slowly lifted her eyes and glanced down at her shoulder, but there was nothing there. The water continued to splash against her skin, and although she couldn’t see it, she could still feel something squeezing against her skin.
The feeling vanished as Rachel turned in the shower, and her fear faded. She was looking at a tile wall littered with drops of water that looked back at her — there was nothing in there with her. “I’m having serious issues tonight?” She shivered and let the water rush over her face, but even in the heat of the shower, the chill didn’t leave her bones. It ran down her arm and along the sides of her body, only to find its way back up to her neck.
She stayed in the water until after the hot had turned cold. She let the stream snap her back to reality and sober her up. When she finally summoned the courage to move, she leaned forward and turned off the water.
Pulling back the shower curtain in a rush, she stepped onto the fuzzy bathmat and turned on the ceiling fan. The steam drifted upwards and as the room cleared, she saw what looked like hand prints in the foggy mirror.
She tried to ignore them. It was nothing. She didn’t know what she’d seen earlier. Maybe it was just the hype from Halloween. She was excited, she’d had a few pre-party beverages and now, after more drinks than she could count, she was over-tired and intoxicated.
Living on her own had her imagination running wild and tonight, she was letting it play tricks on her. She’d lived here for four months and every once in a while she got these strange feelings. So far, she’d just chalked it up to the adjustment. No roommates, no boyfriend, just her and Smoky; the way she wanted it to be. It was a big change and all of this was just part of it. As she got used to being alone, it would fade. At least that’s what she kept telling herself.
As she crawled into bed, the duvet felt cool against her skin. Rachel squirmed against the silky white sheets and let them wrap themselves around her.
“Come on, Smoky,” she called, but the cat didn’t come. Strange, she thought. Smoky is always waiting in bed for me. She waited a few moments and called out again, but still, nothing. “Suit yourself.”
Rachel turned in the bed, spreading out along the cool sheets and stirring as she tried to find the perfect position. She tried her left side, then her right, and finally her back, but she couldn’t get comfortable. It was like there was something bulging from her mattress that refused to allow her comfort.
Using her shoulders and feet, she lifted her body up and dropped it against the bed. Over and over again her body hit the mattress until she was certain she’d broken in her spot and found a way to get comfortable.
She pulled the blankets up to her chin, glanced at the clock, and closed her eyes. It was after three in the morning and the house was silent. She fought to keep her eyes closed, hoping she could bask in the quiet and fall asleep, but when the bed creaked, the stillness of the room became overwhelming. She waited to hear the footsteps of Smoky crunching across the duvet, but they never came.
The creak came again and the muscles in Rachel’s shoulders tensed. Deep breaths in and out were all that kept her from jumping out of bed. This is all in my head. I’m getting myself all worked up, and thinking about it is only amplifying everything. She flipped onto her back and repeated those thoughts again and again.
The bed squeaked and this time she felt something putting pressure on the far end of the mattress — more pressure than a cat could manage.
That’s it. I can’t do this. She tried to sit up, but her body wouldn’t comply with the demand. Cold air brushed her feet as the blanket lifted slightly and her pulse became thick in her throat. She wanted to pull her feet back but she couldn’t. She couldn’t move at all.
Chills shuddered across her shoulders as something trickled across her ankle. With the panic that lunged in her chest came the pain of twisting it in the kitchen all over again. She gasped and tried to scream, but all that came out was air.
The blankets moved again and more cool air washed over her legs. She could feel the weight of something… someone, moving up the bed beneath the covers. The blankets shifted and moved and she felt fingers sliding up the outside of her ankle.
This isn’t happening. This isn’t happening.
The fingertips walked higher, moving along both sides of her legs.
This is just a dream. No, it’s a nightmare.
The fingers’ pressure increased as they scaled her body, digging into her flesh. Her heart flung from one side of her chest to the other, ready to burst at any moment. Sweat had gathered on her brow and she realized she was moving, but it wasn’t in the way she wanted. Her body trembled and shook violently as beads of salty sweat ran down her face.
On three, I’m going to wake up.
She winced in pain as the fingers turned into full-on grabs.
One.
Fingers nipped at her hips and tore themselves up her torso.
Two.
The duvet moved again and the cool air touched her skin as another set of hands joined the first. Three! She shouted in her head, but nothing happened.
The second set of hands squeezed against her calves and Rachel cried out silently, her voice ensnared in her throat.
Stop. Please stop.
The mattress shifted as something climbed higher up the bed.
Smoky! She screamed the name in her head. Smoky where are you?
The first set of hands pulled at her breasts and moved higher over her chest. She could feel the invisible intruder’s fingers reaching for her throat. Tears streamed down her face as her body convulsed. She was sobbing uncontrollably but there was still no sound escaping her lips. Cold, unseen fingers wrapped around her throat. She screamed silently for Smoky again. Please come. Please help me…
The hand began to squeeze and the air was slowly stolen from Rachel. A loud hiss came from the door way and the hand around her throat pulled away. The cold fingers slid down her body and across her stomach before they vanished. Another hiss came, this time it was louder, and the mattress moved as something heavy moved across it.
Smokey jumped onto the bed and the duvet crunched beneath her paws. It was too dark to see, but Rachel could feel a strange energy coming off the feline. She was so close and the cat gave off an aura of protection. The mattress shifted and something retreated as Smoky stalked across the bed until eventually, Rachel felt whatever it was slip off the edge.
“Oh god, thank you, Smoky!” she said, and the words managed to spill from her lips. She tore her body up from the mattress and covered her face, crying so hard it hurt.
Smoky meowed and crawled up the blankets, nuzzling her head against Rachel’s chest. “Thank you, baby, thank you,” she whispered, pulling Smoky close. Her limbs were still shaking and her heart hammered inside her chest, but as the cat began to purr, it pushed calmness inside her.
Rachel didn’t move from her bed for the rest of the night. She sat perfectly still, gripping Smoky against her body. She watched as the red digits on the clock changed every so often until sunshine crept through her blinds, breaking away the cold energy of the room. Only then did she have the nerve to pull the blankets back and move.
When she finally managed to coax herself out of bed, she found red scratches, swollen skin, and finger-shaped bruises that covered her from her neck to her feet. A chill had instilled itself inside her bones and no matter what she did, she couldn’t shake it.
She called her friends later that day and tried to explain what had happened, but naturally, nobody believed her. They claimed she must have had too much to drink, or perhaps it was a nightmare. One of them even asked if she’d taken any drugs that night. Rachel wasn’t surprised by their reactions, but she knew it was none of those things. It was something in this house and if it wasn’t for Smoky, well, she didn’t like to think what might have happened if Smoky hadn’t been there. One thing was for certain, whether her friends believed her or not, she wasn’t staying here. The next day was the first of November and the perfect time to find a new place to live.
Shift by M.R. Merrick Published: February 1st, 2012 Reading Level: Young Adult Series: The Protector, #2 Devastated by a terrible loss, Chase is trying to balance the life he’s been left with, a family he’s still getting to know, and power he never thought he’d have. He doesn’t understand why the Goddess has named him the Protector and granted him two gifts: the Mark, a tattoo that now covers his back, and the ring. But between getting interrogated by the Circle and psychic attacks from Riley, the Mark is the least of his concern. There’s a demon inside Rayna that’s fighting to be released, and it’s not her inner witch. It’s something else—a monster threatening to tear her apart.
As Chase struggles to control his magic, his enemies are closing in. Everyone has staked a claim on his ring, and destroying it may be his only chance to stop Riley. But Chase must decide if stopping him is worth risking the lives of everyone he cares about, or if protecting the ring will be enough to save his world.
Prize:
1 winner will receive a n ebo ok of Exiled (book #1).
Rules:
You must be at least 13 to enter.
Name and email must be provided and counts as 1 entry.
Extra entries are possible and links must be provided.
Contest is International and ends November 16th.
Once contacted, the winner will have 48 hours to respond.
The form must be filled out to enter.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Website | Goodreads | Twitter
Amazon | Barnes & Noble Reminder: If you are interested in the COMMENT CONTEST, remember to include your email address with your comment for an extra entry! Please read full entry rules here. Don't forget to check out Lisa's Haunted Halloween post for today!
"I can't think of a single thing I didn't like about this book." — Miss Remmers
From Amazon.com...
"How far would you go to protect your family?
Ann Brooks never thought she’d have to answer that question. Then she found her limits tested by a crisis no one could prevent. Now, as her neighborhood descends into panic, she must make tough choices to protect everyone she loves from a threat she cannot even see. In this chillingly urgent novel, Carla Buckley confronts us with the terrifying decisions we are forced to make when ordinary life changes overnight.
A year ago, Ann and Peter Brooks were just another unhappily married couple trying–and failing–to keep their relationship together while they raised two young daughters. Now the world around them is about to be shaken as Peter, a university researcher, comes to a startling realization: A virulent pandemic has made the terrible leap across the ocean to America’s heartland.
And it is killing fifty out of every hundred people it touches.
As their town goes into lockdown, Peter is forced to return home–with his beautiful graduate assistant. But the Brookses’ safe suburban world is no longer the refuge it once was. Food grows scarce, and neighbor turns against neighbor in grocery stores and at gas pumps. And then a winter storm strikes, and the community is left huddling in the dark.
Trapped inside the house she once called home, Ann Brooks must make life-or-death decisions in an environment where opening a door to a neighbor could threaten all the things she holds dear.
Carla Buckley’s poignant debut raises important questions to which there are no easy answers, in an emotionally riveting tale of one family facing unimaginable stress."
"The Things That Keep Us Here" is a surprisingly riveting novel; I couldn't put it down. Not only that, but this book genuinely had me thinking and analyzing my own life. While it could be read for purely enjoyment, it can also be read in depth and be analyzed.
Even while reading this book I was talking about it to my family, friends, and residents, anyone who would listen really. I would ask them, "How far would you go for the ones you love? Would you steal? Would you lie? Would you become savage?" Like Peter and Ann in the novel, I'd like to think that even when my children were starving I'd be able to resist such temptations, but I'm not sure I could.
This book is so good because it's so realistic; whether it be bird flu, swine flu, or whatever comes next — this could happen. After reading this book, I think we're lucky it hasn't happened yet!
The characters were great and believable and the plot kept reading (I loved getting to the end of a chapter because there was always something that kept the story moving). The language and tone of the novel was wonderful, even the scientific parts. When science was involved, I would have argued that Buckley herself was a budding scientist! It sounded believable and arguable — which only added to the realism of the novel. For the life of me I can't think of a single thing I don't like about this book — which doesn't happen a lot.
Highly recommended, I will be keeping this book. I'll put it onto my classroom shelves, but it's definitely suited for the upper grades or reading levels. I don't see any reason why an advanced reader wouldn't like this novel as much as I did.
Thank you so much to "Pump Up Your Book Promotions " for sending me a review copy.
For day two of BBRAW we are focusing on a specific moment or a specific reader that has left a permanent positive impact on you. Lately it seems like so much of the negative has been discussed in regards to the blogging community, this is your time to share why you continue to blog (despite the few and far between negative "for instances").
Today commemorate a specific reader or moment in your blogging career that has made a significant difference in your IRL or blogging life. It might be that first comment you ever received, the first follower, the first interaction with a reader of your blog on Twitter, the first time an author commented on a review, etc.
You know, there are so many readers that I have built lasting relationships with (especially through my BEA travels) but I'd like to focus on the specific moments. Yesterday I mentioned those first couple of comments and the first regular reader (remember how SCARY that was to think this one person is looking at me, reading what I have written, and obviously WAITING for me to post something interesting?!) — but at what point did blogging become a "job" (albeit one that I adore)?
That first summer I was unable to find employment at the local resorts so I basically hung out on the lake, sipping iced tea, and reading. I walked the dog a lot, I fished a lot, and I read more books that summer than I had since high school. I was posting everyday and often times several reviews a week (oh, how sorry those first reviews actually were). Back then I was probably a better blog writer than I am today because my own responsibility (as I wasn't working) was to read, tweet, and blog.
Today there are so many other things going on! We're in the process of adopting a puppy, I'm learning how to sew, I'm coaching hockey, we're working on our financial stability, we're planning vacations, I'm learning how to cook, I'm trying to keep house, I have two new preps (English 10 and English 12), and the list just continues on. But I still try to find the time to blog, read, and tweet (although some days are more sparse than others).
WHY?
Well, it'd be nice if I could get paid — but it's simply because through my readers (YOU!) and the blogs I read, I have become part of a community. A community that fosters a love for a hobby that not many people I know IRL share with me. Dan occasionally reads the good book, Button and I talk books a lot, but besides that, without blogging, I feel like I'm on a deserted ocean alone (with only bad books). Because of this community I know what great books are out there before they become movies. Because of this community I've traveled to NYC twice for BEA and have met countless authors, publishers, and agents (not to mention fellow bloggers). And, now especially, this community has given me the confidence to pursue a master's degree in Library Media Information Services (LMIS). YES, this community has impacted my career, my schooling, and, essentially, my life in so many different ways.
But it still comes down to you, the reader. If no one was reading and this more of an online diary, I really don't think any of this would have happened. As I mentioned yesterday, I read for me but I write for you. But if I wasn't writing for you, I'm not sure how much I'd be reading for me... you know? I know that's probably completely ridiculous — but it's the honest to goodness truth. I read because I enjoy it but I also read so that I can share my thoughts with you. So, at least for me, it always comes back to you — the reader. Thank you!
If you write a post for today please link it in the comments below! I can't wait to stop by!
If you're new to BBRAW it's not too late to join in on the fun! Monday's prompt and linky and the MVR competition are still up and running (not literally).
A few weeks months ago I asked for your opinion: what books would you recommend to my students. I had a fantastic response. If my stats for that post are any indication, this question has been asked many times before and people, especially teachers, are still looking for those great recommendations. Well, after asking my mom (a school librarian) and the librarian at my school, I'm finally making public what we have put together. I'm pretty sure everybody can find something on this list; I know that nonfiction is an area I need to work on as well and as I'm expecting one nonfiction read from my students by the end of the semester I've set the same standard for myself.
If you'd like to look at these lists in a Google Doc format: Recs from Readers and Recs from Teachers
Here are the recommendations from other readers: Title of Book Diary of Anne Frank In the Garden of Beasts Manhunt Farewell to Manzanar Graphic Novels: Maus and Persepolis Half Broke Horses I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings The Meaning of Matthew: My Son's Murder in Laramie, and a World Transformed What is the What I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Freakonomics Under the Black Flag Cleopatra: A Life All But My Life Freedom Riders Einstein's Refrigerator Brothers in Arms The Devil In The White City Little Princes 360 Degrees Longitude Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
You Had Me at Woof Decoded Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us Night Eat, Pray, Love I am Scout: The Biography of Harper Lee I am Scout: The Biography of Harper Lee The Glass Castle The Children's Blizzard Rocket Boys Stitches: A Memoir
And here are the recommendations compiled by two fantastic school librarians:
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"Commemorate the Titanic 's disastrous voyage with this harrowing tale of survival. Follow the true story of young Ruth Elizabeth Becker as her awe of the mighty Titanic turns to horror when she is separated from her mother and siblings."
Wait, what!? A picture book on Miss Remmers' Review!!
Yes, folks — today I am reviewing a 34 page picture book! With the centennial of the Titanic this year, I am on a binge (or so it seems). Anyway, as this the first picture book I've ever reviewed — I didn't really know what to expect. It was definitely quick and, while I couldn't see the pictures in color (old Nook), the pictures looked great too! The story moved really fast, but I guess that can be expected?
My favorite part of this story is definitely the end; turns out our protagonist really lived and survived the Titanic. I don't want to give anything away, but it's definitely the end of the story that has the most heart.^
^No pun intended as to Heart of the Ocean, Celine Dion, Titanic 1997.
-Connect with the author: Website | Goodreads -BUY THE BOOK: Amazon | Barnes and Noble
1. Everlasting was your debut novel. What has been the most surprising part of the process from writing to promotion? The most surprising part was discovering just how much marketing the authors must do themselves. My expectations were so far above the reality, so with my next few books I feel I much better prepared to be my own advocate.
2. You have done a lot of historical research in the past. What was the most fascinating thing you learned during that experience? So many amazing tidbits captured my imagination. When researching, it’s a risk that I’ll stumble onto something that will distract me and make me want to write a new book! For Everlasting, I loved learning about sailing and a sailors life at sea. The superstitions, the work sailors were expected to do, the risks and the dangers of the ocean. All very fascinating!
3. If you could go back in time, what time period would you like to visit, and why? Regency England would be my first stop, and the next would be Civil War era America. Someone better invent a time machine, pronto.
4. Your next book, The Midnight Tunnel: A Suzanne Snow Mystery, is set to be released next March. Can you tell us about this story? Zanna is an 11-year-old girl who lives at the grand hotel her parents manage in New Brunswick, Canada. All she wants is to be a detective like her famous uncle, Bruce Snow. When a young guest goes missing and her uncle writes off the case as unsolvable, Zanna sets out to prove him wrong. I’m really excited about this new mystery series! It’s a fun one.
5. What other things do you have in the works right now? Other than a few more Suzanna books and a possible third Everlasting novel, I am concentrating on a new historical paranormal YA. All I can say is Paris, 1899, and gargoyles. I’m still figuring it out!
Everlasting by Angie Frazier Publisher: Scholastic Press (June 1st, 2010) Reading Level: Young Adult Hardcover: 336 pages Sailing aboard her father’s trade ship is all seventeen-year-old Camille Rowen has ever wanted. But as a girl of society in 1855 San Francisco, her future is set: marry a man she doesn’t love, or condemn herself and her father to poverty.
On her final voyage before the wedding, the stormy arms of the Tasman Sea claim her father, and a terrible family secret is revealed. A secret intertwined with a fabled map, the mother Camille has long believed dead, and an ancient stone that wields a dangerous—and alluring—magic.
The only person Camille can depend on is Oscar, a handsome young sailor whom she is undeniably drawn to. Torn between trusting her instincts and keeping her promises to her father, Camille embarks on a perilous quest into the Australian wilderness to find the enchanted stone. As she and Oscar elude murderous bushrangers and unravel Camille’s father’s lies, they come closer to making the ultimate decision of who—and what—matters most.
Beautifully written and feverishly paced, Everlasting is an unforgettable journey of passion, secrecy, and adventure.
50 THINGS THAT SCARE THE BEJEZUS OUT OF US: by Stacy Kramer & Valerie Thomas
Snakes
Global warming
Really mean reviews of our books
Really mean reviews of our books that are accurate
Undercooked egg yolks
Swimming in murky, weedy water
Huge ocean waves
Snooki
Toddlers in Tiaras
Moms of Toddlers in Tiaras
Beauty pageants
The Real Housewives (all of them)
J-Wow
Fox News
Anchorwomen hair
Deep fried butter
Bad drivers
The blank page
Our hormonal teenage daughters
Our own raging hormones
Show tunes
Psycho soccer moms
Psycho school moms
Paris Hilton
Disease
Emergency rooms
Intolerance
Spilled glitter on the carpet
War
Bats
Our computers crashing
Dengue Fever
West Nile Virus
Loneliness
Pain
Canned meat
Mold
Death by drowning
Murder
Deadlines
Small-mindedness
Complex math
Big fights
THE SHINING
CARRIE
Snooki’s baby’s future
Falling behind
Getting old
Mysterious odors
Mice
From What I Remember… by Stacy Kramer and Valerie Thomas Publisher: Hyperion (May 15th, 2012) Reading Level: Young Adult Hardback: 462 pages KYLIE: MEXICO WHAT? I should be putting the finishing touches on my valedictorian speech. Graduation is TODAY, and is this a wedding band on my finger.
MAX: It all started with Kylie's laptop and a truck full of stolen electronics. Okay, it was kind of hot, the way she broke us out like some chick in an action movie. But now we're stranded in Tijuana. With less than twenty-four hours before graduation. Awesome.
WILL: Saving Kylie Flores from herself is kind of a full-time occupation. Luckily, I, Will Bixby, was born for the job. And when I found out she was stuck in Mexico with dreamy Max Langston, sure, I agreed to bring their passports across the border — but there's no reason to rush back home right away. This party is just getting started.
LILY: I just walked in on my boyfriend, Max Langston, canoodling with Kylie Flores, freak of the century. Still, I can't completely hold it against him. He NEEDS me. It's even clearer now. And I'm not giving him up without a fight.
Prize:
2 winners will receive a SIGNED copy of From What I Remember…
Rules:
You must be at least 13 to enter.
Name and email must be provided and counts as 1 entry.
Extra entries are possible and links must be provided.
Contest is US Only and ends November 5th.
Once contacted, the winner will have 48 hours to respond.
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository Reminder: If you are interested in the COMMENT CONTEST, remember to include your email address with your comment for an extra entry! Please read full entry rules here.
"This is definitely a 'Sorry, I can't hang out because I'm reading' book." — Miss Remmers
Release Date: February 7th, 2012 Publisher: Simon and Schuster/Simon Pulse Challenges: 75+ Challenge
"Ethan was abducted from his front yard when he was just seven years old. Now, at sixteen, he has returned to his family. It’s a miracle…at first. Then the tensions start to build. His reintroduction to his old life isn’t going smoothly, and his family is tearing apart all over again. If only Ethan could remember something, anything, about his life before, he’d be able to put the pieces back together. But there’s something that’s keeping his memory blocked. Something unspeakable... "
Okay, can I just say — WOW! A relatively short book (less than 300 pages) that had me from the first page. But this isn't a new thing for me. Lisa McMann and I have an ever growing relationship where she hooks my interest from the first page, first paragraph, first line. I still think this has something to do with the short and to the point sentences — but anyway, the first thing you need to know about this novel is that it's awesome.
Quick things: "Mama" drives me crazy — why would a sixteen year old call his mother "Mama"! I don't get that. Also, Ethan does this hysterical laugh thing that is super weird. I understand traumatic influences etc etc — but there were whole paragraphs describing his break down. Finally, Gracie was the most adorable thing EVER!
Okay, now that I got those things out of the way — let me just say, this book is made of awesome (oh, wait, did I already say that?). Well, believe it! Like I mentioned, it does hold true to McMann's writing style in that the sentences are choppy and short — but, for me, I find it refreshingly different and captivating. I enjoyed Ethan's character and I felt so bad for everyone involved.
Do you remember that movie "The Deep End of the Ocean" with Michelle Pfeiffer, Ryan Merriman, and Jonathan Jackson (swoon) from 1999? Where the son gets kidnapped while the mom and family are at a high school reunion and then they reconnect years later and the boy has a hard time fitting in with the family? I swear I have a point.
This book is just like that. Except different.
I will say the "twist" at the end had me exploding on Twitter asking if this was a series or a standalone (any one know?). I don't want to say anything more — but let me just say, I didn't see that coming (although I knew something was up). Those last couple pages, my heart just stopped, I couldn't breathe, and I couldn't read fast enough. This is, yet again, another book by Lisa McMann that leaves me waiting for more (whether in the form of a second installment of her next book in general).
-Visit Lisa around the web here: Website | Blog | Goodreads | Twitter -BUY THE BOOK: Amazon | Kindle | Barnes and Noble | Nook
To the FTC, with love: ARC received from Publisher
Continuing today's unofficial theme, here is another holiday article from the author of "I Used to Know That," which I will be reading/reviewing in the very near future. Thanks to Caitlin from FSB Associates for providing me with this article.
12 Days and 12 Facts for This Holiday Season — Caroline Taggart Author of I Used to Know That: Stuff You Forgot From School
Ever catch yourself saying I Used to Know That?
Each holiday season brings another round of cocktail parties, family get-togethers, and corporate gatherings — and invariably, lots of small talk. It's easy to feel overwhelmed when discussing politics, literature, and other intellectual "stuff," especially when what is thought to be general knowledge is often long-forgotten. Enter I Used to Know That: Stuff You Forgot From School. From English and Literature to Math and Science, from History and Geography to Religion and Other-Worldly Topics, this book leaves you equipped to handle any topic of conversation.
Here we've cherry-picked twelve fun facts for the holiday season — one for every day of Christmas (or whatever holiday you prefer!) Quiz yourself to see how much "stuff" you need to brush up on before hobnobbing with the boss or office crush.
1. On building sentences: Just what is a "clause"?(Not to be confused with Santa Claus.)
Answer: A clause contains a subject and a verb and may stand alone as a sentence or as part of a sentence (when it is often called a subordinate clause): Santa Claus loves cookies but can't eat them without milk.
2. How many bones is the spine made up of?
Answer: 26 small bones called vertebrae (Be careful lifting all those heavy holiday boxes.)
3.Acclaimed author Charles Dickens (1812-70) wrote which Christmas classic?
Answer: A Christmas Carol. The miserly Ebenezer Scrooge tries to ignore Christmas and is haunted by the ghost of his former partner, Marley, and by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come, who show him the error of his ways.
4. The fist chapter of this famous book opens with "Call me Ishmael." Name the book and author. (Hint: it makes a whale of a gift!)
Answer: Moby Dick by Herman Melville. Melville is also the author of Pierre and the unfinished Billy Budd.
5. There's a name for the process of watering your Christmas tree? Who knew?
Answer: Grab the kids and give them this science factoid as they nurture the family tree: Osmosis is a form of diffusion that is specific to the movement of water. Water moves through a selectively permeable membrane (that is, one that lets some types of molecules through but not others) from a place where there is a higher concentration of water to one where it is lower.
6. Can you name all 6 wives of Henry VIII, father of the Church of England?
Answer: (Listed in order) Catherine, Anne, Jane, Anne, Catherine, Catherine. They are often remembered as divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived. Sure makes you think twice when complaining about bad relatives.
7. Who was the 7th President of theUnited States?
Answer: Abraham Lincoln (R, 1861-65) and yes — he really was born in a log cabin on a winter's day. Notably famous for many reasons including his Gettysburg Address: "Four Score and Seven Years ago our fathers brought fourth upon this continent a new nation conceived in Liberty... "
8. 'Tis the season to be jolly giving! Don’t forget to tip well this season — etiquette coaches will tell you that means no less than 18%. So just how much should you tip on a bill of $50?
Answer: Percent means by a hundred, so anything expressed as a percentage is a fraction (or part, if you prefer) of 100. So 18% is 18 parts of 100, or 18/100 or. 18. If your bill is $50, multiply 50 by. 18 to get your tip total of $9. If you're feeling generous, a 20% tip would require you to multiply 50 by. 20, for a total of $10.00
50.00 x. 18 = 9.00
50.00 x. 20 = 10.00
Percentages can also be holiday-relevant when it comes to figuring out in-store sales. In this case, you want to multiply by the inverse of the percentage listed. So if you have a $50 sweater that's on sale for 25% off, multiply 50 by. 75 for your total of $37.50. That same $50 sweater on sale for 40% off would equate to $30, or $50 multiplied by. 60.
50.00 x. 75 = 37.50
50.00 x. 60 = 30.00
9. Brr, it's cold outside. But just how cold does it have to be to get some snow around here?
Answer: Did you know that the freezing point of water is 32 degrees Fahrenheit? Keep an eye on the temperature and watch your footing for ice on the ground. (See previous fact about those treasured vertebrae!)
10.Everyone knows Santa and his elves live in the North Pole. But what about the South Pole (akaAntarctica)?
Answer: The South Pole was discovered by Roald Amundsen (1872-1928, Norwegian), who was also the first to sail though the Northwest passage, the sea route from Pacific to Atlantic along the north coast of North America. Antarctica is the only continent that contains no countries — instead, it is a stateless territory protected from exploitation by an international treaty. A good place for the elves to protest low wages?
11. Which Ocean is bigger: the Pacific or theAtlantic?
Answer: The Pacific Ocean is larger at 69,374 square miles — that's almost double the Atlantic, which comes in at 35,665 square miles. Making it evenmore astonishing that St. Nick can cross the globe in just one night.
12. Remember the reason for the Season!Can you name a few things that both Judaism and Christianity have in common?
Answer: Both are monotheistic religions that share the first five books of the Christian Old Testament. Both religions view Jerusalem as a sacred site, the former for the Wailing Wall (contains the remains of the temple that was thought to be the place where God resides on earth) and the latter for Christ's burial and resurrection site.
Author Bio Caroline Taggart, author of I Used to Know That: Stuff You Forgot From School, has been an editor of non-fiction books for nearly 30 years and has covered nearly every subject from natural history and business to gardening and astronomy. She has written several books and was the editor of Writer's Market UK 2009.
Once upon a time in the kingdom of Taylor, Michigan, there was a lonely girl named Beth who longed for someone to love her. Despite studying hard in school and working to support herself, she very rarely found herself enjoying life and wondered when people would stop disappointing her.
Then one day, in the neighboring kingdom of Dearborn, Beth attended a yearly music competition. While there, she sat next to an acquaintance she’d known for years who noticed she seemed a little down in the dumps. The acquaintance, whose name was Wendy, said she had just the thing to cheer Beth up — she was going to set her up with her good friend Johnathon.
Plans were made a few weeks later to have a group go see a concert together. It was there that Beth and Johnathon hit it off immediately and a few days later, Johnathon called Beth to ask her on another date the next week.
It was on that date that Johnathon talked excitedly about some news he received at work that day. He was a few months away from graduating from college and his boss called him into his office right before the end of the day to ask if he’d like to go to Germany for three years after graduation. The details of the offer were still to come, but from the way he was talking, Johnathon appeared to already be packing his bags in his mind.
Beth knew at that moment that she shouldn’t fall for someone who was probably leaving the country in a few months, but fall she did, and that proved to change the course of her life forever.
Not long after Beth and Johnathon began officially dating, Johnathon accepted the job offer to go to Germany. Because of this huge, life-changing move, he knew that if he didn’t do something even more life-changing, he was going to let the love of his life slip through his fingers.
So four months after they began dating, Johnathon proposed to Beth. She of course said yes, and despite the short amount of time they had been together, when they shared the news with everyone, most people were supportive since they decided to set their wedding date for a year and a half later on June 7, 2003 so that Beth could finish college.
This meant that the newly engaged couple would be spending a year and a half an ocean away from each other. So web cams were purchased and trips back and forth from Germany to Michigan — and vice-versa — were planned. The couple always appreciated the time they were together but it was always too short.
Finally, a year and a half passed and it was their big day. Family and friends from far and wide came to share in their joy. It was truly the best day of their lives, one that they would always treasure.
*~*~*~*~* In fairy tales, this is normally where the story ends, but you see, eight years later, and the story is still going strong. Beth and Johnathon have lived in Germany and since moved back to the states. Their life together is happy and fulfilling. They will always remember their wedding day, and equally they’ll remember the time they spent living in Germany and traveling through Europe. But ultimately, they continue to look forward to what other exciting adventures life will bring. That is what marriage is about, that despite the difficulties, you are always looking ahead and seeing a happy and contended future with the person you promised to love forever. It won’t always be “happily ever after.” There will be times when you wonder how you’ll get through that rough patch, but keep looking forward. The future should always be hopeful.
Happy (Belated) Wedding Anniversary on June 7th to Beth and Johnathon! What beautiful pictures and what a wonderful story! Thank you so much for sharing with us! Beth blogs at A Foodie Bibliophile in Wanderlust — stop on by and congratulate her and her wonderful husband!
