Here Lies Arthur, by Philip Reeve- Review

I've always loved the King Arthur stories, ever since I was very, very young.  In fact one of my most treasured picture books when I was probably 5 or 6 was an illustrated copy of one of the Arthurian legends.  Later my mom would introduce me to Mary Stewarts Merlin-centric books and it got me into the genre all over again.  I was obsessed and went on to read many series involving the legends from a variety of angles including some of the historical information.

So it only seemed natural that I would want to pick up Philip Reeve's Here Lies Arthur.

One part new story, and one part more historically accurate than possibly anything else I've read, Here Lies Arthur shows such a believable version of both Arthur and how his tales came to be that I had to step back every once in awhile and remind myself this was fiction.

Told from the first person perspective of Gwyna, a servant who's master is killed by Arthurs raid and then rescued by Myrddin, it has the appeal of an outsider looking in.  Throw in the need for Gwyna to be disguised as a boy for many years after participating in one of Myrddin's tricks, and you have both a story and the legends all rolled into one captivating package.

One of the things I especially loved about the story is Gwyna's lack of appeal relationship-wise.  As a boy she is not chased by the girls and as a girl she is not chased by the boys, so although she may be interested in others to some degree the story doesn't have the requisite love story aspect so prolific in YA novels and even middle school books today.  I appreciated that the larger part of the story is swirling around Gwyn/Gwyna and not necessarily sweeping her away within it.

A really page turning read, especially for Arthurian or Celtic history lovers.  Be warned though, very different from Philip Reeve's wacky sci-fi fantasy Larklight series.

Here Lies Arthur, By Philip Reeve
Scholastic, March 1 2010 (paperback)

for those who caught this review in the two hours it spent published (whoops!) while i was out eating brunch, thanks for coming back to read the actual finished review!  Yesh, why are the publish and save buttons so close together!

Exciting October Releases!

October has some great and exciting books!

The Lost Hero, book 1 of The Heroes of Olympus- October 12th

Rick Riordan's 1st book in his revisit to Camp Half Blood, and is thus HIGHLY anticipated by his legions of rabid Percy Jackson fans (myself included!).  Expect to see me at the bookstore upon opening for this one!

Behemoth- October 5th

Scott Westerfelds first book in this series was extraordinary, Leviathan (check out my review) and it left the reader on such a cliff hanger that Tamora Pierce actually wrote a post about how torturous it would be to wait!  But in just a few days the wait will be over; though I have to say I'm disappointed with the covers I've seen floating around out there.  Leviathan was so damned pretty!  I want a matched set!

Tyger Tyger- October 18th

For once we're getting something first! YAY Canada! hahahahah.  Although not out until November 15th in the US, Kersten Hamilton's astounding first book in The Goblin Wars, Tyger Tyger will be out in Canada in time for Halloween.  I couldn't possibly recommend it enough, and I encourage you to run out first thing and pick up your copy!  And by all means, check out my review.

Banned Books Week. no. seriously. You didn't know???!

Sitting up here in the whole-heartedly non-confrontational realms of Canada, I often forget the silliness going on around in the greater world.  I am free to spout my unkind views about Toronto's mayoral candidates and not worry about my safety, walk around in whatever silly outfit I deem appropriate for the day and not even worry about being mocked (trust me, this city is ridiculous, I'd just blend in better!), and even while growing up in Saskatchewan had the freedom to not only read whatever I wanted (fully available at the public library!) but was taught many of the books that are on the American Banned Books list.

I'm sure you've already run into one of the many, many posts this week about Banned Books, as it is the annual Banned Books week put on by the ALA, but in case you have no idea what I'm talking about, here's the American Library Associations blurb on it:

Banned Books Week (BBW) is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read and the importance of the First Amendment.  Held during the last week of September, Banned Books Week highlights the benefits of free and open access to information while drawing attention to the harms of censorship by spotlighting actual or attempted bannings of books across the United States.

Intellectual freedom—the freedom to access information and express ideas, even if the information and ideas might be considered unorthodox or unpopular—provides the foundation for Banned Books Week.  BBW stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints for all who wish to read and access them.

The books featured during Banned Books Week have been targets of attempted bannings.  Fortunately, while some books were banned or restricted, in a majority of cases the books were not banned, all thanks to the efforts of librarians, teachers, booksellers, and members of the community to retain the books in the library collections.  Imagine how many more books might be challenged—and possibly banned or restricted—if librarians, teachers, and booksellers across the country did not use Banned Books Week each year to teach the importance of our First Amendment rights and the power of literature, and to draw attention to the danger that exists when restraints are imposed on the availability of information in a free society.

After flipping through the ALA's lists of banned classics, and then the yearly top tens I realized I've read A LOT of banned books over the years.  And although I may not have loved the whole trilogy of the Golden Compass, I'm astounded to think anyone could grow up without Judy Blume (who has no less than 4 books on the 2000-2009 list), JK Rowling or the chance to read Goosebumps if they felt like it.  

So next time you pick up the Twilight series, Harry Potter, Of Mice and Men or 1984 (not to mention many others) be thankful you live somewhere you're free to read it, even if in the end you don't really like it!

Check out their lists of frequently banned books to see what books you loved were banned now or in the past, and let me know which ones were your favorites!

Practical Jean, by Trevor Cole- Review

I was lucky enough to snag an advanced copy of Practical Jean through Goodreads Giveaway program recently, and was thrilled when on my first day of stay-cation it landed on my doorstep.

Jean has recently spent three months nursing her dying mother until her last breath.  It was awful, and has made a deep and lasting impression on her.  So while spending a girls only evening with her closest friends she realises she can't watch them grow old and suffer, it just wouldn't be the right thing to do.  What she decides is the right thing, turns out to be a complicated and fraught idea. Killing them off, one by one, right after she has given them an event of perfect bliss and happiness.  Because what else are good friends for?

Growing up I had a great love affair with Carey Grant's old black and white movie Arsenic and Old Lace, in which Carey Grant discovers his elderly old aunts have been killing off lonely old men with Arsenic in their tea, and considering it an act of charity.  Putting them out of their lonely misery while in a warm parlour visiting lovely women and drinking comforting tea, who would think that wasn't charity?  My friends and I went so far as to push for it to be the fall play in high school.
Of course to no avail. 
And I suppose between my love of Arsenic and Old Lace, and my great love of the Dexter series (tv and books)  it seemed inevitable I would enjoy Practical Jean.

Funny and oddly touching (I mean she essentially becomes a serial killer), Practical Jean was a great read.  I laughed, and I thought a lot about the relationships we have with others, and in the end put the book down with a sense of total satisfaction and a smile on my face.  Jean (and Trevor Cole) certainly left me happy.

Trevor Cole amazed me with his on the ball narration from a woman's perspective and his keen insight into female friendships.  If I hadn't known the writer was a man I would never have guessed it.  But more than anything I loved the reveals about each of Jean's friends while she was trying to figure out what would make each of them happiest.  And of course, Fran, the woman quite desperate to be one of Jean's inner circle, might have been my favorite character, especially at the end of the book (which you'll just have to read so you know what I mean!).

In some ways not at all what I expected and in others what I expected and more, I would recommend the book to almost anyone.  Though, I suspect it would be an especially good read for a book club full of women friends drinking big 'ol glasses of wine while giggling over it.

Practical Jean, By Trevor Cole
Published by McClelland & Stewart, September 2010

Another great Contest featuring blog

Man I'm finding more and more contest announcing blogs!  Thank the lord as everyone wants a good contest but finding them can be impossible, so we all need whatever help we can get.



is my latest find, but in addition I'd like to recommend these ones as well:
I'm a reader not a writer
West of Mars Win a Book
Busy moms love to read book giveaways
Book addict 4 real giveaway fridays
 Now go win a book already!

Giveaway Scout- For all the Giveaways you could ever hop to find on the internet!

So if like me, you love a good giveaway, I highly recommend Giveaway Scout.  A website where site go purely to post their giveaways, and once you join they email it all to you.  To good to be true, right?  Not so, check their site out yourself!

The Book Blogger Hop- the dance move sweeping the internet

This weeks question:
When you write reviews, do you write them as you are reading or wait until you have read the entire book?


So I've been noticing this blog hop business a lot lately and thought I ought to check it out.  Turns out its a great way to meet and greet and discuss with a bizillion other book bloggers, who knew?  So I'm jumping on board for my Virginal Blog Hop.


I always write my review right after I read it, of course, on occasion I've sat on it for a tiny bit.  But that never seems like the best tacit for me since the minute I put down a book I pick up another, so if I leave it too long then it all gets fuzzy.  Not to mention I just get too involved in the new book to view it with as much focus as I would like. 
No comment on the reviews for books that are so awful I can't even finish them, but let me drop a hint... It sounds like swimming.


Happy reading!

Wild Spirits Giveaway Contest and Interview with Author Rosa Jordan- for Feline Fridays!

Back at the end of August, I read and reviewed the lovely Wild Spirits.  Today I have the great pleasure of sharing my interview with it's author, Rosa Jordan, who's not only a writer but an animal activist/rescuer in her own right.




Santiago!



-The animals in Wild Spirits are all based on real animals that your friend Tracy Wilson has provided a home for.  Which one is your favorite in real life?

Rosa: I am crazy about wildcats, and would have to say that Santiago is my favorite.  But he is an ornery little cuss, and does like to bite. Radar is much sweeter, and he might be Tracy’s favorite.

- I loved that Wendy’s work rehabbing the animals was not glamorized at all (i.e.: smelling like pee all the time), but I also love that it was also presented as something anyone can do if they set their mind to it.  Is this something you had experience in before meeting Tracy Wilson?

Rosa: Yes, I set out to rescue wildcats (margays and ocelots) before I met Tracy. My daughter and I helped a village in Ecuador turn the land they owned into a reserve, so we would have a safe place to release wildcats. You can see pictures of one we rescued on this website: http://walkonthewildside.org/PlayadeOro.html

-You write a lot about animals and animal welfare, it obviously means a great deal to you.  Do you have a defining moment or memory of how you got into it or was it a family trait?

Rosa: The defining moment was when a little margay, owned by my daughter and me, was killed. The reason we had the margay kitten in the first place was because a hunter had shot its mother—this was in Mexico—and was going to skin the kitten, too, as soon as it got big. So we saved it, only to have it escape from the house and get run over by a car. That’s when I realized how few safe places there are in the world for wild things. My daughter and I decided that we would either support some habitat protection project, or we would start our own.  I mean, you can keep wild animals somewhat safe in a cage, but that’s not much of a life. It’s far better if they can live free in their natural habitat.

-How did you start writing?

Rosa: I wrote my first book when I was five years old. It was a folded piece of paper with “My Book” printed on the front. That’s all there was to it. Later I figured out that a book has to have a story inside. However, people are much more willing to pay you for some kind of service they want, like selling stuff or programming computers.  It’s pretty hard to get a job as a writer, especially as a story-telling kind of writer. So I did other things for a long time. I was about 30 before I decided I had to write stories whether I got paid for them or not. It was a VERY long time after that before I actually sold a book.

-Can you tell me about an average writing work day for you?

Rosa: When I am being a “good girl” I spend all morning working on one of my books. When I am not so good, I fool around writing e-mails to my friends.  In the afternoons I do active things, like ski or bike or run errands. In the evening, I read. After that, before I fall asleep, I lie in the dark and think about the story I’m working on. Sometimes my characters “talk” to me, and the next morning, I write down what they said and did. 

-What are some of the books that made it onto your summer reading list this year?

Rosa: THE WILDLIFE WARS, by Richard Leakey.   JAGUAR, by Alan Rabinowitz.

-Who are some of your favorite authors?

Rosa: Beryl Markham, who lived in Africa and wrote WEST WITH THE NIGHT.

Elizabeth Marshall, who wrote THE SECRET LIFE OF DOGS and TRIBE OF TIGER. 

-Reading about the Playa de Oro Reserva de Tigrillos I am amazed by both the scope of you and your daughters foundation (currently 25,000 acres of protected Rainforest!) as well as how difficult it must have been to set up.  Can you tell us what inspired it, as well as some of what is involved in such an undertaking? 

Rosa:  It doesn’t belong to us or Earthways Foundation. It belongs to a very poor village of about 350 people. All they really own is this forest, and the small thatched roof huts they live in. (No cars, no bicycles, no telephones, no computers.) We had no money to buy land. It took my daughter and me ten years to find a place where there was some virgin rainforest that could become a protected place for wild animals. Of course loggers wanted the trees in that forest, and offered the village money for the timber. So it was a big decision for the village, to cut their trees and get the money or to say no-thank-you, we want to keep our forest. We told them that if they would not allow anyone to cut the forest and or hunt wildcats or other endangered animals on the land they owned, but make it all into a wildlife sanctuary where animals would be protected, then we would help bring tourists to stay in their village. They agreed to that, because it allowed them to keep their forest and still earn a little money.

-For some of our older readers can you give me some of the details involved in either volunteering or supporting Playa de Oro Reserva de Tigrillos and Touch the Jungle?

Rosa: We are not using volunteers right now, but there are at least 30 other wildlife rescue places in Ecuador alone that do. You can find out about them on the internet. The best way to support the Playa de Oro Reserva de Tigrillos is to go there. You’d fly to Quito, Ecuador, and from there go by car and boat into the rainforest, and stay at the Playa de Oro lodge, which is in the jungle a little distance from the village.  Besides that, (which most of us can’t do right this second), we are starting a new wildlife rescue project up in the Andes mountains about two hours from Playa de Oro.  Just this month (September 2010) we got our license, so now we can take in orphaned and injured animals, and when they are old enough, or well enough, they can be released back into the rainforest, probably in the Playa de Oro reserve.  The best place to see pictures of some of the wildcats we have rescued already, and pictures of the village of Playa de Oro and the rainforest reserve, is: http://walkonthewildside.org/PlayadeOro.html  There are also a lot of pictures on: www.touchthejungle.org

If anyone wants to send a donation to help us rescue animals and get them back to the wild where they belong, they can do that by sending a check to: Earthways Foundation, Touch the Jungle, 20178 Rockport Way, Malibu, CA 90265.  The money is used for three things. First, we usually have to go get the animal, which might be a long way away, and you can’t very well bring a wild animal on the bus so you have to hire somebody to take you there to get it, and later to take you to the rainforest where you want to let it go.  Second, sometimes the animal we rescue is sick or has been injured, and we have to get a veterinarian and medicine. And third, while we’re looking after it, we have to buy food for it. Monkeys don’t cost much to feed because they eat mostly fruit and eggs. But wildcats must have MEAT, and that is expensive. 

Now it you're turn to read it too!

Enter below, and then leave a comment on the interview to be entered for one of three copies of Wild Spirits!  The winners will be shipped to U.S and Canadian addresses only.  Contest closes Monday October 11th at midnight Toronto time.

Share your love of wild life or animal rescue with someone by passing along Wild Spirits today.

Never let me go, by Kazuo Ishiguro- Review, Movie news and CONTEST giveaway!!

That's right folks, a review, movie info and a fab contest all rolled into one magnificent post!  It must be a day ending in Y for such greatness.  Though I'm still on my mini stay-cation (yes I am sipping baileys infused coffee, this is how I am sure) and all days seem full of greatness, but this one is full of extra great-greatness due to two exciting things:

1. I am a web-master extraordinaire! I have figured out how to embed forms for a super fly, state of the art contest experience.
2. I have a really exciting contest to announce that you would be simply foolish not to race to my state of the art form (see above) to enter!

Recently, my good friend in reading, Jenna, went on a search to find Ishiguro's book Never let me go, because of a movie trailer she's stumbled upon which looked good.  Around the same time the lovely folks promoting the Fox Searchlights movie of the same book contacted me to see if I was interested in hosting a contest for the movie release.  Well, that seemed like pretty spectacularly good timing, so who was I to say no?  Jenna brought the book over and I dug right in, reading while canning the past few days.

Review:

Kazuo Ishiguro, the Booker Prize- winning author of The Remains of the Day (Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson were in the movie, it was one of my Oma and Opas all time favorites), wrote Never let me Go in 2005.  It was also shortlisted for the Booker, as well as the Arthur C. Clarke award and the Book Critics Circle Award.  I thought it was funny I hadn't heard of it, but outside of University, adult lit has not been my forte as far a book genres are concerned.

A moody story, told from one girls first person recollections of her childhood, Never let me go weaves a story telling narrative that gradually reveals a dystopian version of our world where some people aren't what they think they are, and the future holds more promise for some than others.  Through her rambling tales of her various childhood relationships, escapades, and turmoils, Kathy and thus the reader begin to develop theories about why she and her friends exist and what those around her really think of her role in society.

This seemed like a great rainy day, couch and tea kind of book.  It was meandering and on the surface almost seems simple, until you begin to realize what Kathy and her childhood friends are and what horrors are expected of them at the age most of us would normally be trundling off to university to drink too much and gradually fall into the adults we would spend the rest of our lives being.  Without revealing the smaller twists of the story, I can't say much more about the plot.

I alternated between being slightly transfixed by the twisty tales of her childhood and by being a little bit bored by them.  From the first few sentences of the book, you know Kathy has some big revelations for you:

My name is Kathy H. I'm  thirty-one years old, and have been a carer now for over elven years.

What a carer is exactly, among many other things, are part of the slow reveal of this "other" society which really isn't something so odd I can't picture us going that way.  And I suppose that is the oddly creepy element to this story as it involves the possible actualities of life if our current society were to jump on board with some of our more debatable medical/scientific theories.

I enjoyed this book considerably, although I did find it a bit too meandering at points, the central theme of the story- the relationships and how they were affected by the life dictated to these kids- was immersing enough I plowed through the less interesting childhood stories.  And the main three characters, Kathy, Tommy and Ruth were completely engaging.

The Movie News:

Which brings me to the next part of this post, the Movie.  It premiered at our Toronto Film Festival last week and goes into wide release this weekend. Directed by Mark Romanek (one hour photo, and most every music video I can think has been iconic since the late 80's), and starring Keira Knightley as Ruth, 
Carey Mulligan as Kathy and Andrew Garfield as Tommy, has gotten mixed critical reviews but with a fair number of people commenting in a similar style to how I found the book.  I'm not sure how the first person narration will be converted for the movie, but I can see how the tone of the story is what makes a great movie experience.

And finally! The CONTEST!!:


Three great prizes for three lucky winners.
1st Prize- copy of Never Let me go by Kazuo Ishiguro
2nd Prize- Signed Movie Poster for Never let me go
3rd Prize-  Never let me go T-Shirt


That's right two small steps on my State of the art, webmaster contest form and you could be the proud owner of one of these great prizes.  Open to U.S and Canadian address's, enter by letting me know if you are one of my followers, than leave your email address for me to contact you.  Both will be directed to my fancy little spreadsheet entering you for the draw.  Contest closes Wednesday October 6th at Midnight (Toronto time).

Because they're so very popular, and not just with me- New City of Fallen Angels Excerpts

Lookit, these are too much fun not to post, and dude, I can tell by my stats that you love them.  There's no use denying it! So without further ado, some new excerpts!

Curtsey of the excerpt from the back of The City of Glass:

"Nice, he said. "Graceful as a falling snowflake."

"Was I screaming?" she asked, genuinely curious. "You know, on the way down?"

He nodded. "Thankfully no one's home or they would have assumed I was murdering you."

"Ha. You can't even reach me." She kicked out a leg and spun lazily in midair.

Jace's eyes glinted. "Want to bet?"

Clary knew that expression. "No," she said, quickly. "What ever you're going to do-"

But he'd already done it. When Jace moved fast, his individual movements were almost invisible- she saw his hand go to his belt, and then something flashed into the air. She heard the sound of parting fabric as the cord above her head was sheared through. Released, she fell free, too surprised to scream- directly into Jace's arms. The knocked him backward and they sprawled together onto one of the padded floor mats, Clary on top of him. He grinned up at her.

"Now," he said, "that was much better. You didn't even scream at all."

"I didn't get the chance." She was a breathless, and not just from the impact of the fall. Being sprawled on top of Jace, feeling his body against hers, made her mouth grow dry and her heart beat faster. She had thought maybe her physical reaction to him-their reactions to each other- would fade with familiarity, but that hadn't happened. If anything, it had gotten worse-or better, she supposed, depending on how you thought about it.

The Curtsey of Cassandra Clare as the September excerpts:

“You think you’re a vampire,” Simon’s mother said, numbly.

“You think you drink blood.”

“I do drink blood,” Simon said. “I drink animal blood.”

“But you’re a vegetarian.” His mother looked to be on the verge of tears.

“I was. I’m not now. I can’t be. Blood is what I live on.” Simon’s

throat felt tight. “I’ve never hurt anyone. I’d never drink someone’s blood. I’m still the same person. I’m still me.”

His mother seemed to be fighting for control. “Your new friends — are they vampires, too?”

Simon thought of Isabelle, Maia, Jace. He couldn’t explain Shadowhunters and werewolves, too. It was too much. “No. But — they know I am one.”

“Did — did they give you drugs? Make you take something? Something that would make you hallucinate?”

“No. Mom, this is real.”

“It’s not real,” she whispered. “You think it’s real. Oh, God. Simon. I’m so sorry. I should have noticed. We’ll get you help. We’ll find someone. A doctor. Whatever it costs —”

“I can’t go to a doctor.”

“Yes, you can. You need to be somewhere. A hospital, maybe —”

He held out his wrist to her. “Feel my pulse,” he said.

She looked at him, bewildered. “What?”

“My pulse,” he said. “Take it. If I have one, okay. I’ll go to the hospital with you. If not, you have to believe me.”

She wiped the tears from her eyes and slowly reached to take his wrist.

And third and final one, which will really only make any sense to those who've read Clockwork Angel: 

"Camille,” Magnus said. “It’s been a long time, hasn’t it?”

She smiled. Her skin looked whiter than he recalled, and dark spidery veins were beginning to show beneath its surface. Her hair was still the color of spun silver and her eyes were still green as a cat’s. She was still beautiful. Looking at her, he was in London again. He saw the gaslight and smelled the smoke and dirt and horses, the metallic tang of fog, the flowers in Kew Gardens. He saw a boy with black hair and blue eyes like Alec’s, heard violin music like the sound of silver water. He saw a girl with long brown hair and a serious face. In a world where everything went away from him eventually, she was one of the few remaining constants.

And then there was Camille.

“I’ve missed you, Magnus,” she said.

For those of you wanting to relive some of the monthly teasers, or who missed some before, they're all listed on Cassandra Clare's Blog. 


Happy Wednesday!!

Shadow Riders, By B.J. Bayle- Review

Sent along to me by the lovely people at Dundurn Books, Shadow Riders came to me in August during the release times of some my most anticipated reads of the year.  Tough act to follow!

I loved the premise, two young Canadian prairie boys in 1874, head out in search of their families stolen horses and end up on a cross Canada adventure with the newly created North-West Mounted Police (later called the RCMP).  Canadian history is a rich and many colored thing, it has always fascinated me and being a prairie girl myself this story really appealed to me.

While it is both interesting and full of tidbits about the rough start of the NWMP, Shadow Riders was surprisingly dry to read.  I found B.J. Bayle, an award winning author of previous historical children's books, seemed to "report" the action, rather than involve you in it.  For instance, the boys run into a buffalo stampede at one point, one of those now extinct historical things that always got me excited to hear about growing up, and it was literally just a oh look, huge stampede of buffalo, glad we weren't down there, lasting a mere one plus a bit paragraphs.  Which was disappointing as I feel it would have been both an awe inspiring, as well as bone chilling event to witness.  God knows its hard to picture from the quiet buffalo you see in reserves and zoos today!

All of this being said, just as I was about to start skimming the story, a hundred pages from the end, it picked up.  With the introduction of Potts the Indian guide, the story suddenly had a lot more flair and interest for me.

The intriguing part of the story is all the characters are based in fact (except for the two boys and their family), and it's interesting to see the challenged beginnings of what later became the famed RCMP.

It is possible th story would hold more interest for a younger child if read out loud and in smaller chunks, certainly it covers an intriguing time in Canadian history.  Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Shadow Riders, By B.J. Boyle
Published by Dundurn Press, 2010

Caboodle Ranch- Feline Friday...on monday, because everyday is friday when you're on vacation!

In all likelihood, if you have an email account, subscribe to some variety of newsletter or have been breathing air lately, than you've heard about Caboodles Ranch.  If not let me tell you about this wonderful place! 

 Built by Craig Grant it started as a place he and his six cats could enjoy nature safely and without the complaints of neighbors or condo boards.   But six cats led to eleven, elven to twenty-two etc, etc, and now he has roughly 500.  All rescues or donated cats who could no longer live where they'd been living for whatever reasons.  According to his website they live in 7 fenced in acres of his 30 total owned and he expands the fence as it becomes affordable.  Of course between the little "palaces" they've been given, the tree houses, the pond, the dock, the "cabin", the beds, the treats, the food, and the oddles of love, this looks like kitty heaven.  Oh and mine too!

Each of the cats are spayed or neutered, fully vetted and fed a combo of wet and dry food, not to mention turkey for thanksgiving!  They go through 100 pounds of dry food a day and 5 cases of the large wet food tins per day (that's roughly 125 large cans if he gets 24 in a case).  It takes a LOT of hard work to run this place, with the routine starting at 7am and not ending until 10pm.  Even on days when there is extra help from volunteers, and yet Craig says there are no limits to the amount of cats he'll take in.  Apparently people fly in strays from all over the states!

Caboodles is sanctioned by the Tallahassee Humane Society and Tallahasee/Madison County Animal Control and takes donations to run it.  So next time you want to given an unusual gift think of Caboodles and it's residents.  

For more info please check out Caboodles site, dude they have over 10 000 facebook fans!  Those are some popular cats!

A little Stay-cation

So every September I take a little Stay-cation, usually about a week off, and try to do some Ontario things as well as some slouching around end of summer stuff.  But in the past I've had a tendency to book it at around the same time as some of the bigger events I run through my volunteer work and accidentally had my entire week off swallowed whole by other things.  Never fun.  So this year I decided to make it a little later than usual and thus am currently on my chaise lounge lapping up the luxury that is a Sunday off!

You'll notice I went blogging MIA on Wednesday, and yes, Wednesday afternoon was the start of my time off.  So what have I been doing you ask?  Well.... Thursday was a rainy day, and so we picked up my good friend in reading Jenna, a movie, a load of junk food and had a 28 days later movie marathon.  Yesterday we hung out at the local Bloor west Village Ukrainian street sale and festival.  And in between I've been canning up a storm.  1 Batch of brandied peaches, 1 Batch of preserved lemons, two batches of strawberry vanilla bean jam and two batches of peach vanilla bean jam.  I still have pickles, plum cinnamon jam and maybe a chutney and some preserved figs to go (yes, I AM going canning crazy!).  Also on the to do list, Savour Straford festival (yes! more food! plus I've never been to Straford before), reading (not a tone of that going on the past few days), catch up on blogging, and maybe re-finish a dresser.  So yes, a very full week, but full of fun stuff I've been wanting to do all summer.

But admin duties still must go on, though neglected for a few days, so yesterday morning I fortified my coffee (baileys! I love vacation time!) and I sat down to chug through my 48 emails, and today I've fortified my coffee again (did I mention how much I love my holidays??) and I'm going to catch up on my neglected blog.

Coming down the line are some exciting things!  In the next short while I anticipate two great interviews by authors I've recently reviewed as well as a couple of giveaway contests.  Stay tuned for details shortly.  Also the hubby is so excited about my Giving me the Creeps October it seems it's most of what we talk about in reading these days, looks like it'll be a full month of books, I'll have to get to my scary book shopping soon!

In the meantime here are some of pictures of what I've been up too.  Jams, Preserves, and my ring I made in memory of Topaz came back from the setters the other day!  My first cut stone ring (I've only worked with cabochons before),  for the inquisitive types it's two regular blue topaz's, two London fog topaz's and two citrines (the colors of her eyes) gypsy set into a silver band.  I made the band and bought the stones at a wholesalers then paid someone to professionally set the stones.

Unexpected Treasure- on day three of Book Blogger Appreciation Week

Ok, so I did day one, but didn't have a partner for day two....so here I am back on day three!  This was the easiest of all the posts, the question was:

We invite you to share with us a book or genre you tried due to the influence of another blogger. What made you cave in to try something new and what was the experience like?

Now I have two books that fall into the Unexpected Treasure category.  Book one, ironically, lead to book two and introduced me to an author I now truly admire.

As a relatively new book blogger I quickly realised that Presenting Lenore was my kind of girl (as mentioned Monday).  This was further solidified when I won a lovely little package from her including a signed copy of before i fall.
Now I had noticed it on the shelves, and I think I had even picked it up at some point, but I wasn't in any hurry to add it to the collection.  I really didn't know much about it, and there were so many books I was dying for it likely would have taken me months more to finally add it to a shopping trip.  Which would have been a disaster for three reasons.
1. Lauren Oliver rocks my world, that sounds tawdry but it's true.  Uber accessible, very talented writer who inspires me at least once a week to get involved in my promise to myself which is sit down and write already, lets see what comes of it! 
2. Along for the Ride.  I never would have ever picked this up in a million-trazillion years.  It's not my usual genre, it wasn't on my radar and it has a ridiculously cutesy looking cover. 
3.  Most importantly, it was way too awesome and thoughtful a book to be put off for any length of time, no matter what the reason.  Seriously.  before i fall made me think about the important little things, the ones you never appreciate, and at a time when I needed something to appreciate.

Which leads to the previously mentioned book 2.  Along for the Ride. 

By winning and falling for before i fall, I was spurred on to follow lovely Lauren's blog. Through which i came to win a summer read from her, Along for the Ride, during a great little summer read contest she had. 

Now I'm rude enough to admit that the cover is some kind of average girl repellent, which I can't even begin to guess why or how a publishing company would ever, ever, pick.  And I am just that vain folks, it is the biggest reason why I would never have picked up the book on my own.  Coupled with the fact it was a contemporary YA book (not my genre since I was 10, hello Sweet Valley High!), this book was the equivalent of dead to me until Lauren Oliver awarded it to me. 

Ok, so I respected her work enough to give the book a chance, though I was still hesitant (did i mention the cover is average girl repellent? The Barbie shade of pink alone, ugh!).  But once sunny hot day I cracked it open, and low and behold!  Turns out I loved it, loved the genre, loved the sweet summer escape it gave me!

So thank you Lauren and Lenore, you opened my eyes to two amazing books this year, books I was far from picking up myself!
For my reviews of these two wonders, see Along for the Ride and before i fall

First Treasure- Day one of Book Blogger Appreciation week

In an effort to meet even more awesome bloggers I've decided to take part in this years Book Blogger Appreciation week.  Every day they have a different blog topic to post on, then you can go to their site and look up the few hundred posts submitted! It's like blogger show and tell and speed dating all rolled into one, hopefully we can all get to know a few new and great bloggers in the meantime.

So today's blog question is:

We invite you to share with us about a great new book blog you’ve discovered since BBAW last year! If you are new to BBAW or book blogging, share with us the very first book blog you discovered. Tell us why this blog rocks your socks off and why you keep going back for more.

Now since The Diary Of A Bookworm is less than a year old (the thought hadn't even crossed my mind to keep a book blog this time last year), I'll be talking about my first book blog discovery.

Presenting Lenore, oh how I love you...Let me count the ways...
1. You read such great books.
2. Including book genres I thought I didn't like, but turns out I do!
3. You have great Kitties, whom you regularly give blog space too (kitties are fab, and go so very well with books).
4.  You are now going to have almost as many kitties as me, so it makes me feel less crazy, you're obviously not insane... or at least your blog gives the distinct impression you are not.
5. You're hubby, like mine, is an artist.
6. You have such a nice clean, easy to use site, no silly thirty one pop-ups, ads, and facebook/twitter buttons at the end of each post.
7. You're full of great advice for those of us new to the blogging world.
8. You always respond to comments, no matter how many.
9. You so generously open your contests internationally (expensive endeavour!) and have thus introduced me to two awesome books!
10. Although you have such a large following oh goddess of the blogging world you are approachable, and delightful to chat with (via email of course, Germany is so ever far away for coffee after all).

No but seriously, I bumped into Presenting Lenore in my earliest days of checking out book blogs, and I've been a very regular follower ever since. From what I've seen she embodies the best of what we can do.  She reviews honestly but doesn't feel the need to rant on end about all the ways she loathed any book she didn't enjoy.  She mixes her blog with interesting "other" materials, like her Kitty photos, author interviews and the occasional comments on blogging.  And she makes an honest attempt to keep it fresh by varying what she reviews genre wise.

She inspired my Feline Fridays by proving people love a little bit of pet cuteness; and when her beloved cat Finn died she proved no matter where we are in the world or how simple our relationships via Internet may be we can still come together with hugs and well wishes in our own strange little comments, and emails only, kind of way.

I'm sure you, like me, are already a follower (who isn't??) but on the off chance you aren't, you should check her out.

Giving me the Creeps October!

So although you're probably just like me and can barely admit it's fall, we all have to face the facts, and the fact is October is just around the corner.  And yes that makes it sound like I'm rushing you along to winter (cringe) but lets be optimistic about it, October brings some great activities, over-eating and dressing up! 

Now I'm going to preface my announcement by telling you I'm an enormous chicken, like unbelievable, wake up screaming kind of scaredy cat.  Which is not to say I don't like scary things, just that I don't deal with them well.  I very distinctly remember rabidly reading about alien abductions and then driving in the dead of night with my grandparents and mom down some dirt road in the middle of the bald prairies (likely coming home from visiting some great aunt or uncle out on the farm) and practically wetting myself  from my terror that at any minute we were going to be abducted by aliens.  I was probably 8 or 9 and let me just say, not much has changed. 

I couldn't walk past the T.V in the dark for months after I saw The Ring.

This all being said I've decided to dedicate the majority of my October reading (hey! the The Lost Hero, and Behemoth come out in October and I can't make any promises involving holding off on reading either of them right away), to all things scary, creepy, zombies, bloodsucking or otherwise bad ass paranormal.  Currently on the roster of possibles:

The Strain (because it even gave the un-scarable hubby nightmares)

The Fall (because it'll be hot off the presses and part two to the Strain)

Something by Steven King the prince of all things dark and creepy (the hubby is having a terrible time picking which book since IT would take the whole month and make for kind of a lame blog)

The Monstrumologist (it was up for a Pintz, and the hubby loved it, I have to make sure I don't eat while reading though! Cause I hear it's just that gorey!)

The Replacement (it has a super creepy cover and hopefully equally creepy story)
Fallen ( because Torment has a creepy cover and sounds like it has potential but it's book two to Fallen)
Torment (see above)
Married with Zombies (because it's scary and funny sounding!)

What would you suggest to give me the willies? You're fav horror, zombie, blood sucking adventure?

And by all means join in the fun, all month add your creepy reviews of all things horror or horror related to my blog on the tab labelled Giving me the Creeps October!

Rampant, by Diana Peterfreund- Review

The first reason Rampant ever jumped out to me on the shelves was because of it's title.  So very similar to Tamora Pierce's Lioness Rampant, and low and behold, pull it off the shelf and it has got a two thumbs up quote by Tamora Pierce on the cover! 
But that's as far as I got with it for awhile, until I ran into it at the annual Balfour Book Sale back in March.  It came home with me that day, was made comfortable on a shelf and didn't move an inch until last week when I realized part two was on it's way shortly.  At which point I thought, what was Rampant about exactly?
Hold on! killer Unicorns?  SOLD. 
This book had to be read, I mean, what a fresh concept!

So the very brief description is:  Astrid Llewelyn has a crazy mother.  A crazy mother who thinks they're descended from famed Unicorn hunters, that Unicorns are blood thirsty, killer beasts, and that said Unicorns are now extinct.  But one fateful night, in the woods with the boy who wants her to finally go all the way with him, Astrid discovers her mom isn't as crazy as she seems.  So if she can stay a virgin (she's 16, this could be her biggest challenge after all), then she'll be joining the few remaining, virginal descendants, of histories famed Unicorn hunters learning some killer skills and ridding the world of a new plague of dangerous beasties who look a lot like the fluffy my little pony toys of old.

Sounds great right? All the sassy set up of a girly kick ass kind of book.  And the killer Unicorn bit? The icing on the cake.  Unfortunately I felt it got heavily bogged down in the whole sex issue.  Abstinence by force, abstinence by choice, the list of a hundred thousand ways boys try to sneak into your pants, how to make them sneak down your pants, hot and heavy scenes filled with Astrid trying to get them down her pants, even one of the major turning points of the book is another aspect of teen sex.  Seriously, it started feeling a lot like my high school Sex Ed class, and it kinda gave me the willies just like in Sex Ed, which is ridiculous because I'm an adult and trust me, the subject in general gives me no willies.  But something about the way these girls, aged 11-18 were talking about it made me want to throw up in my mouth a little.
Never the reaction you want to a book that's not likely going for that.

However, at about page 300 I found the book was finally going where I wanted it to.  And although I'm not loving the description of Ascendant being put out there by the Diana Peterfreund and the publishing house, I'm still willing to read on to see where its leading.  Hopefully we can drop the constant focus on virginity in its 300 varieties and move on to some kick ass girly hunters killing some evil horned beasts, with just a touch of the required titillating romance.

Rampant, By Diana Peterfreund
Published by HarperTeen, (softcover) September 2010

Belated Feline Friday- Out and about in my city

So my delay this week is due to a very good reason, I've been insanely busy setting up this years Annex Cat Rescues table at the Toronto Vegetarian Food Fair, whose theme this year is Compassion for animals.

If you're in the Toronto area I highly recommend this event as a great way to spend some of your time this weekend. Primarily a food show with lots of delish food and great cookwares (hey I'm not vegetarian and I still love the food, good food is always just good food no matter what the type!) it also has a bunch of rescue groups out there as well as musical performances and tones of samples.

Besides Annex Cat Rescue the good people from Toronto Cat Rescue, Coalition for farm Animals and the Ferret rescue folks are all down there raising funds, educating and sharing their love of animals.
No seriously.
I spent half the night last night hearing peoples great pet stories and sharing mine and Annex's. In fact I met this awesome fellow with his rock star pug called Sir Maximilian (who himself was a rescue). After chatting about how attached you get and general love of pets, Max's dad rolls up his sleeve and shows me a great big tattoo he has of Max! Made me feel like my ring for Topaz was a meager offering!
So for a great time, that also just happens to be great for the world in general, stop on by.

235 Queens Quay, Harbourfront Center, Toronto
Saturday 11-9pm
Sunday 11-7pm

Veggie food fair
Annex Cat Rescue
Toronto Cat Rescue
The Canadian Coalition for Farm Animals
The Ferret Aid Society

Clockwork Angel, Book 1 of the Infernal Devices- Review

After blowing through Cassandra Clare's first trilogy for the The Mortal Instruments last year, it seems like a cruel joke to have to wait for her next two trilogies one by one. But I have waited.
Most patiently.
For months and months (three more months then all the lovely boys and girls that went to the BEA)...I'm just saying folks.  This wait took fortitude.
My just reward was sold to me last Tuesday, upon the release of the first of the Infernal Devices trilogy (the The Mortal Instruments prequel trilogy if your not up on her announcements), and I merrily trundled home with a copy of Clockwork Angel in my hand.

To be honest, I think it could have been total pooh and I would have sung its praises, but it wasn't, not poohy at all.  It was so good, in fact, that I read it a mere week after Mockingjay, and it didn't even pale alongside that little masterpiece.  I will start with this simple fact, Cassandra Clare has made me fall in love with a whole new group of character's, and I am now just as excited to read more about them in a year as I am to read more about Clary, Jace, Simon, Alec and Isabelle in seven plus months.

So to backtrack, in case you've been living in a hole and missed the thirty thousand excited bloggers posting tidbits constantly, and Cassandra's announcements and teasers, the story is basically this:
Victorian England, 1870.
Meet Tessa, young girl discovering she's not as normal as she always thought.  Meet Will (Herondale, ohhh yes, Herondale) the glib young Shadowhunter who rescues her from her captivity.  Meet Jem, his partner Shadowhunter, who has a secret downfall you won't want to be true.  Meet Jessamine, the girly girl fighting her Shadowhunter heritage.  Meet Charlotte, the young woman working hard to be taken seriously among the elders of the clave in her position running the London Institute.  Meet Henry, her husband, and whimsical inventor, totally lost in the clouds of creativity.
They've come together through fate, but it's an ugly fate they might not survive. 

Clockwork Angel has all the traits I loved about The Mortal Instruments, a fast paced story, lots of intriguing character development, a titillating impossible romance, a gutsy heroine and now... great historical fashion too!!  I mean the vintage clothing obsessor in me was salivating at the mention of Charles Worth. 
But wait!
I digress!
Did I mention Magnus Bane and Church make an appearance?  Because they do, and the hints at their carefully unrevealed past has me wanting more.  Did I also already mention I've been obsessing about the next Infernal Devices book, Clockwork Prince since I put Clockwork Angel down?
Sigh, reading a series while it's being published is just such an act of endless patience!  Because now the wait begins anew for the Clockwork Prince next September.
Thank the lord Cassandra will make a pit stop into the The Mortal Instruments April 5th with the release of City of Fallen Angels to distract me a little!

Clockwork Angel, Book 1 of the Infernal Devices (Prequel Trilogy to the Mortal Instruments), by Cassandra Clare
Published by Margaret K. McElderry, August 2010