Proclaiming My Love for Paperbackswap

I don't know about anyone else, but I love Paperbackswap.  It has been a great way for me to get "new" books to read without paying a fortune.  My library is quite small and doesn't typically have much to offer.  Plus, I'm really terrible at remembering to return my books on time. 

For those who aren't familiar with Paperbackswap, here's the basic gist of it.  Paperbackswap is a book swapping site.  You post books that you own to your Bookshelf.  Other members browse for books and can request books from you.  Once someone have requested a book from you, you're responsible for mailing it to them.  Shipping is typically a few bucks.  When the person receives their book, you receive a credit.  You then use a credit to pick a book that you would like.  Basically, you get a book for a few bucks. 

My swapping had been slow until a couple of weeks ago.  Books that I'd had posted for months were finally requested.  I also finished a few other books and an audiobook that I could post.  I found myself with 6 credits.  What could I get? 

I recently ordered a Nook, so I'm trying to whittle down my collection of paper books.  I decided I'm only going to keep series and stand alone books that I love.  Recently, I got the first book of the Temperance Brennan series by Kathy Reichs.  I haven't read it yet, but I love the show Bones.  So I decided to start ordering the rest of the books from the series.

Here's my list of requests (sorry, no cover pictures):

Death du Jour (Temperance Brennan Book 2) by Kathy Reichs

Fatal Voyage (Temperance Brennan Book 4) by Kathy Reichs

Grave Secrets (Temperance Brennan Book 5) by Kathy Reichs

Bare Bones (Temperance Brennan Book 6) by Kathy Reichs

I wasn't able to order the third book in the series, because it wasn't available.  I'll be keeping my eye out for it, though.  Sorry I didn't post any cover pictures.  My computer was being a PITA and wouldn't let me copy and past any.

Keeping Faith

I've had Keeping Faith by Jodi Picoult sitting on my bookshelf for awhile.  As I was reading it, I decided to have my own personal reading marathon and read the rest of the Jodi Picoult books I own.  I thought this would be a good way to plow through the books I own but haven't read yet.

Keeping Faith is the story of  Mariah and Faith White.  Mariah's marriage ends after she discovers her husband's affair.  As if coping with this wasn't bad enough, Faith begins exhibiting strange behaviors, like saying God talks to her. 

  Cover: The cover of Keeping Faith was quite beautiful. It was simple, and yet I felt it conveyed a lot of emotion. My edition had an image of a young child wrapped up in someone's arms. Without being able to see the other person's face, it made me wonder who was holding that child. Once I began reading the book, I found more meaning in this cover. Was the child being held by her mother, father, or God?




Characters: The main characters were Mariah White, Faith White, Colin White, Millie Epstein, and Ian Fletcher. Mariah is a weak woman who has been broken by her husband's antics but still seeks out his approval and love. I felt she measured her self-worth through the approval of others and craved routines and perfection. Faith White is a typical child who is suddenly put between her parents and develops a special gift. Throughout it all, though, she maintains the innocence of a child. Colin White is Faith's father and Mariah's husband (ex-husband). He has been the catalyst for problems in Mariah's life, and one might argue, set off the gift that Faith develops. Millie Epstein is Mariah's mother. She's a strong, outspoken woman who cares for her daughter and granddaughter deeply. Ian Fletcher is a teleatheist ( I know, it sounds weird). He makes a living trying to get others to accept that God doesn't exist. He has some sneaky qualities but shows some endearing ones later on.



Writing: I thought Picoult's writing was lovely. She did such an amazing job at conveying Mariah's feelings, whether they were regarding her husband, daughter, or herself. It was easy to imagine what she was going through. I also thought she did a wonderful job expressing what Faith was experiencing, feeling, and thinking. At times, there was some dialogue from Faith that I thought sounded a little old for a 7 year old. But from working with kids, I know it's possible.



Plot: The plot of the story had a general predictability to it. Husband cheats and leaves his wife. Family falls apart. Child has some sort of difficulty. What I liked about this story, though, was that Faith's difficulty was unique. It wasn't the typical behaviors one might see in a child whose parents have divorced. I also liked the way Mariah changed from the beginning of the book. I don't want to give too much away, but her growth was different than what I'd expected. I've always enjoyed that Picoult's books have a main topic that is typically one that causes debates. In this book, it was the existence of God. As an atheist myself, I found it extremely interesting to read about all of the different viewpoints regarding God. There were many characters that believed and many that didn't. I also liked that a simple answer was never given. It's still left up to the reader to have his or her own beliefs.



Overall: 4/5 I really liked this book. It kept me interested all along the way and also caused me to think about things in new ways. The characters were easy to care about, especially little Faith. Once again, another tough topic tackled in a unique and clever way.

Jason and Me

One day during a break at work, I was browsing the free eBooks on my iPhone's Barnes & Noble eReader. I saw a cute cover and clicked to read the synopsis. The story was about a girl who fell for her best friend, and the synopsis alluded to things not turning out as one would hope in a love story. I thought, "Ooh! A cute little love story!" and downloaded it.




I began reading this book only to find that it ended rather quickly. It turns out that it was just a short story. Once I realized this, I understood why the book seemed crammed. There were several parts that I felt were important that just seemed rushed. The author didn't develop a lot of detail, and there wasn't a lot of history given on the two main characters.



The premise of the story was enjoyable, and I liked the outcome. I just think the story would have been better if it had been expanded.

Reading Marathon (1)

You know how exciting it can be when your favorite TV show is running a marathon? I definitely squee when Law and Order:SVU or Bones is running a marathon. What could be better than a TV marathon? A reading marathon with some of my favorite authors. I've decided that to help me tackle my TBR list and bookcase stacked with books, I'll have some reading marathons involving authors that I've loved or have stumbled upon. To start with, I'm going to have a Jodi Picoult reading marathon. I chose her mostly because I'm reading Keeping Faith right now and have a ton of her books on my shelves at home.




So after I finish Keeping Faith, here's what I will be working on.



Mercy


Second Glance


Handle with Care


My Sister's Keeper



This should keep me busy for awhile. I can't wait to read all of these!
 
What author would you choose for a reading marathon?

Teaser Tuesday (4)

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme held by MizB over at Should Be Reading. Grab a book and play along!

Open your book up to a random page and share 2 teaser sentences.  Be sure to not give anything too juicy away.  You don't want to spoil the book for anyone else!  Also, remember to share the title and author.  You know.  In case your teaser is just so good we want to read the book!

My Teaser Tuesday is from Mercy by Jodi Picoult.


Allie touched her finger to the spot on Maggie's cheek that Jamie was kissing, then touched her own mouth.  Feeling slightly guilty, she pulled the photo from its clip and tucked it into the pocket of her chamois shirt.     p. 138

What's your Teaser Tuesday?

Confession: I Should Be On A Makeover Show

I am a mess.  I don't know how to style my hair.  I don't know how to pick out cute outfits.  I don't know how to put on makeup.  I'm a plain, frumpy 24 year old, and I feel sorry for my fiance.

He loves me and thinks I'm beautiful.  I, on the other hand, don't think I'm attractive enough for him.  He's known me for so long and knows me as the Plain Jane that I am.  I can't remember a time that he's ever said anything negative about the way I look.  Well, there were a few times when he told me I couldn't wear sweatpants to the bar.

So, my confession for this week is that I need a makeover.  Here are the things I'd like to change:

My hair.  It's super long and curly.  And unruly.  I have a really hard time managing it.  Typically, I shower at night and throw my hair into a ponytail.  Occasionally, I might put some product into my hair after washing it and let it dry curly.

Makeup.  I don't wear makeup, mainly because I don't know how.  Sometimes I'll wear eyeliner, eyeshadow, and mascara.  When I do, I usually just wear a neutral color on my eyes.  I'm not one to play with color.  Clowns scare me, and I don't think the people in my life would appreciate that. 

Clothes.  I am TERRIBLE at putting outfits together.  I wish someone would sort through my clothes and pair outfits together for me.  Getting dressed for work is like pulling teeth for me.  I have to dress up, and I have such a hard time finding tops that match my dress pants.  I also hate wearing heels.  It's not uncommon for me to rock a pair of tennis shoes with my dress pants.

My body.  I'd love to lose 20 lbs and a good percentage of my ass and thighs.  Seriously, my thighs are as big around as my fiance's head.  I've never been one to stress over my weight.  My motto was always, "I'm happy as long as my belly doesn't hang over my pants."  Well, that time has come. 

So, if anyone has any ideas or would like to invade my life and make me over, feel free!  In the mean time, I'll continue using brains to make up for my lackluster looks.

Somebody Else's Kids

Awhile ago, I wrote about a book I was reading in the hopes that it would get me out of my work funk.  That book was Somebody Else's Kids by Torey Hayden.

Cover:  The cover was rather plain.  There was a small picture of 4 real live children portraying the children of the story.  I was impressed by how the children in the picture resembled the descriptions in the book.

Characters:  The main character was the author, Torey Hayden.  I find her extremely inspirational.  She comes across as a devoted teacher and someone who genuinely cares about her students.  The four children she worked with were Boo, Lori, Tomaso, and Claudia.  Boo is a low-functioning autistic child.  Lori suffered severe physical abuse when she was much younger and developed brain damage that prevents her from learning to read or write.  Tomaso is a foster child with severe behavioral problems.  Claudia is a pregnant 12 year old from a good family and parochial school.  These kids may be considered to be "throw away" children.  No one else wanted to be bothered with them, so they sent them to be hidden away in Torey's classroom.

Writing:  Hayden does an excellent job of getting beyond the surface of the children.  She doesn't just write about their problems but spotlights their strengths.  That's one reason I love reading Hayden's books.  She does such a great job at pulling out their strengths and helping them build on them.  The book was easy to read and written to create an interest in what comes next.

Plot:  Hayden's books are all similar in the sense that she is given children who seem to be a lost cause.  Sometimes Hayden makes great progress, and sometimes the obstacles are just too great.  The plot of this story was predictable in general.  There were, however, some surprises along the way.  I personally enjoy that Hayden tells her story in a chronological manner.  The changes that occur are best understood that way.

Overall: 5/5  I love Hayden's books!  I always develop a soft spot in my heart for her kids.  Her books also motivate me to not give up on the kids I work with, even if everyone else has.