We FINALLY Moved!!!!

I had my doubts for a while because people were taking their sweet time moving out and all that jazz but last week we finally got the keys to our new apartment. Moving was a B**** though since it was mostly Sheldon (husband) and me moving things. After the first day of packing and moving things we had some divine intervention from a friend which was awesome since the two guys can move furniture a lot better than me and one guy. The going up and down the stairs with heavy boxes took it's toll on my legs and by the end of the 2nd day of moving I flipped out because I couldn't find my PJs and sat in the middle of the floor in the middle of the boxes and cried. After I had a nice hot shower in our new apartment (I am loving the water pressure and the hot water) I felt so much better. The day after that there wasn't really much big things to do just little things had to be moved over and the apartment got a little cleaning so we didn't look like slobs. Husband worked half the day at his job so I did most of the moving by myself during the morning and all that was left was mostly garbage and cleaning.
UNPACKING!!!
This past weekend was spent unpacking... seriously my book shelf looks like a library threw up on it.
I was actually worried for a bit there because I was told the apartment was super small. It is smaller than the one we had but I was under the impression that it was so small that there would be no room for my books. I about flipped a biscuit. When we moved though we noticed there was room for two books shelves and even a third which we don't have yet but I hustled to get all my books on a shelf. I also didn't want to be a hog and hog all the book shelves but I seriously need another shelf because there are books everywhere.

Are clothes are still in the boxes because don't have dressers to put them in since our dressers were crap and broke so we tossed them. Other than that everything is on unpacked except the nick-nacks and clothes.

I almost forgot to tell you that we had little neighbors that we noticed when we first moved in. they only stayed for 2 days then most of them flew away and the runt stayed an extra day. The only problem was that the mother bird wasn't coming back to feed the runt who I named Dale so I figured he might like some food after a day of nothing. I got some of our wheat bread and was going to take him a piece but when I tried to feed him bits of the bread he flew off. I am guessing he just need a little shove to leave the nest.

We also went to see Star Trek on Friday and it was AMAZING! That is coming from someone that doesn't like Star Trek. I hate the show so I figured the movie would be just as bad but it was so good that I want to go see it again!



 

Six - Gun Snow White by Catherynne M. Valente BOOK REVIEW!

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Title: Six - Gun Snow White

Author: Catherynne M. Valente

Published: Subterranean



The fist chapter of the book is just you getting the story from an older woman about a man named Mr. H. You see Mr.H never really believed in love at first sight until he met Gun That Sings who would later become Snow White's birth mother. Gun That Sings was a Native American woman who Mr.H just happened to see while he was in town one day. He fell so hard in love with her that he went searching for her through out town. Gun That Sings didn't live in town you see she lived in a Native American village with her family. Mr. H was pointed to the village in which he quickly rode off to in the hopes of getting Gun That Sings to marry him. Mr.H is very rich and made sure to buy Gun That Sings many gifts in the hopes of buying her hand in marriage.
The gifts didn't take at first it took many tries before Gun That Sings family told her to go with him. Gun That Sings wasn't happy with Mr.H and with his trying to make her "respectable" she felt that he was trying to make her something she wasn't and for that she never really loved him. The only good thing to come from the marriage was the birth of Snow White which inevitably killed Gun That Sings.
From the looks of it Mr.H did in fact love his daughter and lavished her in riches and gifts. Then some years later Mr.H found another wife one of whom Snow was told to stay away from because of her mixed race she fight scare off the new wives family from the home. Snow was fine with that because she had ways of seeing what was going on in places she was told not to be. Which is how she found the mirror...


Rating:

Thoughts: Almost everyone that reads should know that when walking through the library you always find that one odd book that sticks out to you, well this one was mine. An old West take on the fairy tale Snow White! I loved this book I just wished the ending could have been a happier one. I especially love the seven out laws in the place of the dwarfs. There was also a "deer boy" half deer half man in the story that I wish could have had a bigger part. For such a short book thought it was AWESOME!


Quotes:

 " I am freedom and I will eat your heart."

" One thing I have learned about running away is that once you start there is no end to it."



Apache Folktale in the front of the book:

" Coyote had a plan which he knew he could carry out because of his great power. He took his heart and cut it in half. He put one half right at the tip of his nose and that other half at the end of his tail."


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Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury BOOK REVIEW!!!

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Title: Fahrenheit 451

Author: Ray Bradbury

Published: Plaza y Janes



The main story is about a society in which free thinking is frowned upon and books are forbidden. The story follows Guy Montage a fireman who's purpose is to find books and eradicate them even if that means killing people in the process. In this day in age the ownership of a book will not only get you house and all your things burned but it will also get you arrested.
In the first part of the book Guy is coming home from a day of book burning to find his neighbors young daughter outside just standing by the road. This intrigues Guy who sparks up a conversation with the girl. This girl opens Guy's eyes to things that in this day in age go unnoticed by people shell like people that are still alive. She asks Guy if he knew that back before house were make fire proof that firemen actually put out fires instead of causing them. That conversation quickly turns into "have you smelled freshly fallen leaves? They smell like spices don't they?" Guy ask the girl why she is out so late at night and she tells him she likes to walk which most people don't do anymore. The girl has no friends and is deemed antisocial at her school because she "thinks to much and asks questions".
Guy has never really felt like everyone else in the sense that he can't just sit in front of the TV all the time and watch the programs that the government find acceptable. Then one day while Guy is at work a call comes in saying that books have been found in a home and the firemen quickly go to the home.
The woman at the house begins to quote books as the firemen show up and begin tearing up the home looking for the books. Guy feels sympathy for this woman and stays with her as the other firemen toss the found books into a pile in the middle of the house.

What is in these books to make it against the law to own one? What are people so afraid of? Guy runs these thoughts through his mind before quickly reaching down to pick up a book from the burn pile and hiding it in his coat. This is where Guy finally changes, something happened that night to make him snap and after that night nothing was the same ever again.
Guy later tried to read the book but they have been forbidden for so long that most people even if they did read they don't understand the words like should. They get nothing out of the words they read....
War is also always going on with random bombs being dropped in places deemed unacceptable.

War, human shells, no books, and no free thinking.....




Ratings:

Thoughts: I have been wanting to read this book for a few years now and I finally got my hands on a copy! I got this book a day ago and I read through it quickly. The writing was a little odd but once you get used to it the story flows better. There was also two little stories at the end of the book that didn't really go with the main story and I thought were a bit unnecessary. I don't regret reading this book but I find it a bit disturbing because I can kind of picture this really happening and it's scary.




Quotes:

"Titles glittered their golden eyes, falling, gone."

"We are all bits and pieces of history and literature" 


                                                                     ~   ~   ~

I Kiss Your Hands Many Times BOOK REVIEW!

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Title: I Kiss Your Hands Many Times

Author: Marianne Szegedy - Maszak

Published: Spiegel & Grau


"They first met at Kalman Buda's dinner party."


The first chapter of the book starts in 1978 with Marianne's family traveling through Budapest to rekindle old memories of their life there. Though the city was still recovering from WWII at the time and the Hungarian revolution they still found themselves filled with great memories of the place. You see Budapest is the one place where Marianne's father (who was born there) feels truely at home.
You can imagine that after many years away from this place he calls home returning again excites the 75 year old as if he is seeing an old friend again for the first time in years.
Slowly you begin to know the family as the story takes you along the family tree and learn of their finding love in the midst of struggles.
Marianne's mother Hanna was the granddaughter of Manfred Weiss a very sophisticated Jewish man who was not only and art collector but the owner of the largest machine factories in Hungary.
Marianne's father Aladar worked for the foreign ministry during WWII and was in talk was allies.
You uncover their story as Marianne learns as well. By going through some things at their old house Marianne stumbles upon love letters from her father and mother. Even through war you can almost feel how calm and in love these two were.
Then tragedy strikes, Aladar is caught by the Nazis and is arrested and sent to a concentration camp in Dachau. Hanna goes almost two years without hearing anything from Aladar until he was released. Though Aladar was forever a changed man they were still so in love!



Rating:

Thoughts:  This book really wasn't my cup of tea and I wished there were more love letters to read, but I would highly recommend this book if you like memoirs mixed with history. Make sure to pick up this book!


                                                                ~   ~   ~

Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter BOOK REVIEW!

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Title: Beautiful Ruins

Author: Jess Walter

Published: Harper


I wasn't going to read this book, I loved the cover art so checked it out online and didn't think it sounded like my cup of tea. I then signed up for a contest which I won and the prize was the audio book of Beautiful Ruins so I figured hey since I won it and I had looked at it before I thought that I was meant to read this book. I am so glad I did since the story is one that I won't forget.

" The dying actress arrived in his village the only way one could come directly-in a boat that motored into the cove, lurched past the rock jetty, and bumped against the end of the pier."

The story begins in Italy in 1962 when an American actresses arrived at the tiny town of Porto Vergogna. She is sick and being an actress wanted to seek refuge in the tiny hotel to rest. This is where she meets the son of the owner named Pasquale Tursi.
Americans or anybody for that matter ever come to this tiny hotel because there isn't really anything in the town but fishermen. The only guest they get is an American "author" who comes to the hotel every year to bask in the quite and work on his novel/drink.
Pasquale becomes fascinated with the actress and begins spending much time with her. After some talking and spending much time with each other Pasquale begins to learn the horrors of Hollywood complete with scandals and cover ups.



Rating:

Thoughts: I wasn't going to read this book, I loved the cover art so checked it out online and didn't think it sounded like my cup of tea. I then signed up for a contest which I won and the prize was the audio book of Beautiful Ruins so I figured hey since I won it and I had looked at it before I thought that I was meant to read this book. I am so glad I did since the story is one that I won't forget. This book follows many people and spans through many years which can become confusing at times. I especially loved the bond between the actress and Pasquale in the first chapter which made even the boring parts of the book bearable. I got to the last chapter and feared that there wouldn't be a wrap up but then I noticed through the jumbled last chapter that it was wrapping things up though it was a bit confusing for a minute until I figured out what was going on. All in all I enjoyed the out come of the book and I am glad that I gave it a chance, I am also glad that I had the audio book for it because of the Italian that was spoken in certain parts of the story ( I can't pronounce that mess). If you ever wondered about Hollywood READ THIS BOOK! It's sad that they really acted like this back in the day.


Quotes:
"Life, he thought, is a blatant act of imagination."

"Every love is the same love, and it is overpowering."

"Some memories remain close; You can shut your es and find yourself back in them."


                                                                ~   ~   ~

World Book Night 2013!

It's that time of year again for World Book Night. I signed up for it two months ago and I was selected as a book giver this year. I went and picked up my box of books from our local community college and they gave me my books with no problem and they even threw in a little gift bag that included two bottles of water which husband and I drank as soon as we got to the car. Last year we had pick up problems when we got them from a college out of town they treated me like I was criminal.
Anyways I was selected to hand out copies of The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood and I believe that I will hand out a few copies when we go to the laundry mat tonight to do clothes. I saw a lot of people reading books while they were there last time so those I would think would be interested in having a copy maybe. I remember last year people were staring at us with our stack of books then when we asked if they wanted one they shook their heads and ran away like we were handing out the plague. Which is sad because if anyone said would you like to have a free book and hold the book out to me I would jump all over that. People these days don't like to read and that is sad more people should read books! One example of this is that I am getting tired of having to tell people that True Blood is based off the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris because I have a True Blood post that is signed by Charlaine Harris and people get confused by it all the time. SO ANNOYING! I just want to yell that if they would open a book once in a while then they will quickly see that most popular TV shows and movies are based off books. END OF RANT! Below are some pictures of my World Book Night package.

If you are interested in doing this next year then check out their website at www.worldbooknight.org  and find out how you can get signed up to hand out books to people on World Book Night!














 

A Book to Review and My Lost Bookmark

Today didn't seem like anything exciting would happen but I was so wrong. I have been freaking out for a week because my favorite book mark was lost. I don't like going into a new journey of a new book without my favorite book mark. I all but given up on finding it thinking that I may have been careless enough to leave it in a library book that was taken back to the library. Tonight though I figured I would clean out my night stand by the bed because lets face it I'm a night stand slob and when I went to movie a Pokemon book that I got I noticed that hidden in the middle was my book mark. I smiled holding up my book mark and just stood there with it in my hand as the hallelujah chorus rang out inside my head.

I should have known that this would be my week since yesterday when I got a mystery package delivered to me that I had no idea was coming. When I got the package in my hand I noticed that not only did it have my name on it but it also had my blog name on it as well. I flipped a biscuit in the car when I tore open the package and realized that Random House publishing sent me I Kiss Your Hands Many Times by Marianne Szegedy - Maszak to read and review. I was so excited that I have dropped everything I was doing and started the book. I can tell you now that if the book continues with the way that it's going now then I feel and awesome review coming on!