Once Upon a Read-a-Thon mini challenge #1

Once Upon a Read-a-Thon mini challenge #1

This challenge is by IB Book Blogging

Mini Challenge Question 1:
What is your favorite type of myth (Greek, Roman, Egyptian etc)?


My favorite type of myth is Greek.  Maybe it is because I have visited Greece and have always been in love with the islands, scenery, mountains and it's history.  I hope to retire to a Greek Island someday and live out the rest of my days.  A girl can always dream.  When I was I Greece, I swear I met poseidon, a man that approached my table at an outdoor restaurant on a island.  This man was wearing sea gear and was fully bearded and he slammed an odd looking fish on my table, all us girls screamed, and then he walked away.  It was quite odd, but an experience I will never forget.  One of the girls I was with, stuck the fish in her water bottle and carried it to the next island.  Never did figure out why poseidon put the fish on our table.

Mini Challenge Question 2:
What is your favorite book with some type of mythology in it?

This is easy. Troy by Adele Geras and The Lightning Thief Series by Rick Riordan.  I also love The Odyssey by Homer  All of these books incorporate the Greek gods into the lives of mortals and mess around with their daily existence.  It is fun to imagine and so fun to read about. 

Roots by Alex Haley. Week #4 of the summer Read-A-Long

Roots by Alex Haley.
Read-A-Long Week #4

Pages Read:  302-401
Chapters Read: 48-63

Note:  I am reading ROOTS in honor of my former student Quincy Blue who was recently found murdered, his body burned beyond recognition, in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

A lot of time has passed in this section.  Kunta was 17 when I started reading at page 302 and by page 401, he is 37 years old and thinking about taking a wife.

At 17 Kunta is still quite spirited and very smart and continues to run away.  The last time he is caught, the poor white trash slave catchers cut off part of his foot, crippling him for life.  Kunta no longer runs away.  He is taken in by his massa's brother, who is a doctor and will remain on this plantation.  Kunta actually prefers it here and actually grows to accept his role in life.  When his foot is healed he becomes the master gardener and eventually becomes the massa's carriage driver, driving the doctor all over the county to heal the sick.

The Revolutionary War takes place during this period and the slaves in Virginia share daily gossip and conjecture about what is happening.  Some free blacks fight on both sides of the war.  States up north begin freeing their slaves and banning slavery all together.  The Quakers of Pennsylvania begin helping slaves escape to the north and there is talk of a group of free Africans going back to Africa.  All of this Kunta discusses with his friends, the fiddler, the old gardener and Bell.

On one of Kunta's travels with his master, he hears the African drum playing and runs to meet a man with whom he can speak with in his native tongue.  His friendship and need to speak with this man consumes him and he struggles with identity issues and feels much sadness for his life he left behind.

So far I love this book and am almost half way done.  It is hard for me to stop reading each week as I can't wait to see what becomes of Kunta and his life. 

Kunta is 37 years old.
The year is 1787
Location:  Virginia, USA

These are the bloggers/readers participating in the Read-A-Long.  Please visit them and comment.  Also if you are participating and want to be included on this list, please comment and I will add a link to your blog.
Thanks everyone for participating.

1.  Bre from Booksnob Wannabe
2.  Sherrie from Just Books
3.  Michelle from Truebookaddict
4.  Laurie from Whatsheread

Once Upon a Read-a-Thon starts tomorrow

The Once Upon a Read-a-Thon starts tomorrow and I am so excited. This is my second year participating and it actually makes me slow down and read during the day. Last year I included my kids, Max(13) and Georgia(10)and they will be participating this year as well.

Here are my goals for the three spectacular days ahead of us:
I want to participate in one challenge a day.
I want to read an entire book each day.
The three I have picked out are:
Sugar Changed the World by Aronson and Budhos
The Latte Rebellion by Sarah Jamila Stevenson
The Called Themselves the K.K.K. by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

I also want to read Volume One, Part Two in War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
If I accomplish all of this and keep up with posting, I will be happy.

Georgia goals include: Reading two books: Gruffin and Icefire by Chris D'Lacey.
Chris D'Lacey is her favorite author and if she accomplishes her goal she will be picking out a new D'Lacey book at The Red Balloon Bookstore on Thursday after she gets her braces put on.

Max's goals include: Reading an hour each day. (Max has dyslexia and so reading is hard to do for long periods of time)  He is currently reading Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life by Wendy Mass.  If he accomplishes his goal and hopefully finishes his book, he wants to buy a copy of Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins at The Red Balloon Bookstore in Saint Paul.

OMG, I am so ready, that I want to start right now!!!

Good Luck Everyone, I hope you accomplish your goals.

War and Peace Summer Read-A-Long week #1

War and Peace By Leo Tolstoy
Summer Read-A-Long sponsored by Laurie at What She Read blog.

 Week #1
Pages read:  1-111
Chapter read:  1-25
Volume 1, Part One read.

I have always wanted to read this giant tome of Russian literature and so when Laurie suggested it as a summer readalong, I decided to join.  I know I am overbooking myself so while Laurie will be reading this book much faster than I, I decided to read it at a slower pace, Part by Part, one page at a time and am not going to worry about being behind.

The first thing that struck me about War and Peace is that it is extremely heavy as it was leaving marks on my legs when I would rest it there after holding it up became difficult.  I put the book on the scale and it came up weighing a little over 3 pounds.  WOW!  The other thing that is unique about this book is that it contains several different languages including French and German and I am continually reading translations.  This is the only book I have ever read with two bookmarks.  One in the front, where I am actually reading and one in the back to look up the notes from the author.  Part one of volume one has 53 notes!  So far, I feel really brainy and studious reading this book. 

Part One really focused on introducing the main characters and introducing the readers to Russian society as well as the conflict with Napoleon and the French.  As a history teacher who has traveled to Russia and toured through St. Petersburg and Moscow, I loved it and am thinking I must go back to visit.

There is much talk and conjecture about what to do about Napoleon.  Men have enlisted and are following Alexander I as he journeys to Prussia to change their neutrality and on to Austria to watch their back.  The Germans have already fallen and Napoleon is out to conquer the European world. 

A famous Count has died and left his fortune to his illegitimate son, Pierre, and there is much to gossip about.  The Count never married and appears to have been one of Catherine The Great's lovers as well as fathered so many children that he doesn't know them all.  A fun and interesting part of the book, how all the people are vying for this dying man's inheritance and Pierre has no clue what is happening.

Next week I will post on Volume One, Part Two.
Until then, I bid you adieu.

The Blue Notebook by James A. Levine

The Blue Notebook by James A. Levine

This is a story about slavery, modern day slavery.  The Blue Notebook follows a young girl named Batuk as she is sold into sexual slavery by her father in Mumbai, India.  An all too common story these days as there are thousands of young girls and women held in sexual slavery in India today with the majority of girls sold into slavery between the ages of 10 and 12. 

Batuk is a rare gem as she has learned to write and obtain a notebook in which to record her thoughts.  This blue notebook sustains her and is her legacy to the world.  Most girls sold into sexual slavery in India come from the rural areas and are not literate.  Many girls travel from Nepal and Bangladesh and are sold by traffickers under the guise of work. When they realize they are slaves it is too late, many girls never see their families again.

This is a beautiful, emotional story of hope and innocence as well as a dark and horrific tale of the dark side of the modern world.  I read this book aloud to my 9th grade Humanities class, skipping some of the most sexual parts.  It was hard to read aloud as there are instances of rape and severe violence.  I have to say that my students were drawn to this book and on the last day of school, the last period of the day, they wanted me to read for the last 15 minutes of school.  That says something about a book, when students would rather listen and read, than do anything else.  Frankly, I was shocked as it has never happened before.

Levine is a doctor here in Rochester, Minnesota and traveled to Mumbai.  It was there that he saw a prostitute in the red light district behind a cage writing in a notebook.  It was here that Batuk's story was born.  Levine, writes very well and most of the sexual talk compares to cooking, for example, making sweet cake.  This type of cooking language softens the sexual abuse and content but for me defined the book as extremely creative.  I highly recommend it and hope that Levine takes the time to write another book.

The Blue Notebook is a story that needs to be told and deserves to be read. 

Ghellow Road by T.H. Waters Contest

Ghellow Road by T.H. Waters Contest

Hometown Track Minnesota Author in the Spotlight, T. H. Waters, is generously giving away three personalized copies of her book Ghellow Road to Booksnob followers who reside in the United States.

Here is the synopsis of the book from Goodreads:

Ghellow Road is a literary diary of a young girl's journey through the tangled labyrinth that is her life. Theresa's story begins in a large midwestern city where she is born to loving parents in 1965. For a brief moment in time, her life is full, as is her heart, and the world is hers to receive without consequence. As time passes and Theresa grows, supernatural forces begin to shape her existence, no matter how carefully her father colors the empty spaces of her world. After a series of tragic events, Theresa and her family seek refuge in a small Minnesota town nestled near the shores of Rainy Lake. She creates a new life for herself there, sharing adventures with friends and riding the ups and downs of adolescence. Yet through it all, her mother remains forever lost in the prison of her own mind and forever lost to Theresa. The young girl feels as though she is leading a double life, one that no one else could possibly understand. She begins to peer at the world as if looking through a thick, black veil, never certain which pieces are illusion and which are not. Through the kindness and support of the townspeople, She eventually summons the strength to survive. This is a story of tragedy and triumph. This is the story of my life.

Please fill out the form.
Please leave a comment
U.S. only
Contest ends July 31st at midnight

My Flag Grew Stars Winner!

My Flag Grew Stars Winner!!

And the winner is:

Tiffany H. from Kittanning, PA

Congratulations Tiffany!

If you didn't win the book, don't despair it is available on Amazon. 

An excellent work of non-fiction that reads like a novel.  You will love it!

Centuries of June Contest

Centuries of June by Keith Donohue Contest

The Publishers are offering one hardcover copy of Centuries of June to giveaway to a Booksnob follower.  U.S./ Canada Only!

Here is my review: Centuries of June

Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:
For fans of Nicholson Baker and David Mitchell, a multilayered, lively, and wholly original novel from bestselling author Keith Donohue.

Set in the bathroom of an old house just before dawn on a night in June, Centuries of June is a black comedy about a man who is attempting to tell the story of how he ended up on the floor with a hole in his head. But he keeps getting interrupted by a series of suspects--eight women lying in the bedroom just down the hall. Drawing from 500 years of myths and legends in America, Centuries of June is a stunning tour de force.

Contest Rules:
Fill out the Form
U.S./Canada Only
Must be a Booksnob Follower
Leave a comment
Contests Ends July 21st at Midnight.

Centuries of June by Keith Donohue

Centuries of June by Keith Donohue

You got time for a story?
Centuries of June is a novel that takes place during the wonderful, sensual month of June.  My favorite month of the year.   In the middle of a hot June night, a man got up to go to the bathroom and was hit from behind with an object.  He fell to the floor and thereby tries to figure out what happened.

In his house are seven scorned women with a plan for revenge.  Each of these women has a story and our victim must listen to their tales of adventure and woe.  Each woman has been hurt by a man in the month of June.  Every story is unique and entertaining and keeps your mind working to figure out how all the pieces fit together.   While these women and stories are told in sequential order (sort of), the novel takes place over hundreds of years in history.

Now add to the mixture of the house, an eighth and silent women, a talking cat, a strange man in the bathroom who is vaguely familiar and a baby boy that appears quite strangely out of nowhere and you've got one crazy, wild ride of a story.  Throw in a few ghosts, some reincarnation, singing, dancing, films, tattoos, baseball and possibly murder.  Fasten your seat belts and hold on, something strange is going on here.

This novel is a mixture of genres and reminded me of so many great books that I have read.  You can tell the author is well read and he plays with important works of literature and important events in history.  I was reminded of Alice in Wonderland, Moby Dick, Scott Pilgrim (OK, maybe not great literature but really fun to read) and many more. 

You got time for a story?

I've got nothing but time, though I'd feel a little bit better if you would point that piece in another direction. (pg. 283)

Roots by Alex Haley. Week #3 of the summer Read-A-Long

Roots by Alex Haley.
Read-A-Long Week #3

Pages Read:  201-301
Chapters Read:  35-47

This post is a day late due to the 4th of July holiday.  Hope you all had a fun, firework filled weekend.

Note:  I am reading ROOTS in honor of my former student Quincy Blue who was recently found murdered, his body burned beyond recognition, in Saint Paul, Minnesota.


Kunta is 17 rains during this section of the book and is enduring The Middle Passage across the Atlantic Ocean.  The journey across the ocean from Africa to the Americas lasts about 5 months and is called The Middle Passage.  It is a horrible trip for the slaves and ship crew alike with many people dying on the journey.  The slaves are chained below the deck on a wooden plank that is about the size of 6 feet by 1 foot.  The men are forced to lie down and endure the horrific smells, the hot space and seasickness.  Their are no bathrooms and disease, rats and lice abound.  The men are beaten and wounds become quickly infected and painful.  It is a wonder that any man (slave) survived this horrific journey. 


The women are kept above deck and are used by the sailors night after night.  The women are amazing because when the African men come up to the deck to be scrubbed clean and exercised the women sing to them, and secretly tell what is happening on the boat above deck.  Kunta continues to hold on to his faith to Allah and remains strong in spirit despite how weak his body becomes.


Eventually Kunta's ship arrives in port and Kunta is kept in a hold for 7 days before being sold. The whole time the author keeps the reader in the dark about where Kunta is in America and Kunta remains strong in spirit as his body continues to take many beatings and injuries.  Kunta refuses to be tamed or treated like an animal and continually runs away.  I only wish he wouldn't get caught.


Kunta has a very strong sense of smell and can smell humans and tell them apart.   He can see what part of the blacks is still African even though they have forgotten where they come from and this saddens him.  Kunta faces racism from his black peers who view him as a African animal straight from the trees.  Their ignorance is plain and soon Kunta receives a new name from his master:  Toby. 

The year is 1765.  State unknown.

These are the bloggers/readers participating in the Read-A-Long.  Please visit them and comment.  Also if you are participating and want to be included on this list, please comment and I will add a link to your blog.
Thanks everyone for participating.

1.  Bre from Booksnob Wannabe
2.  Sherrie from Just Books
3.  Michelle from Truebookaddict
4.  Laurie from Whatsheread