11/22/63 To Arrive in Paperback This Fall!!

About This Book

Product Details

Gallery Books, October 2012

Trade Paperback, 864 pages

ISBN-10: 1451627297

ISBN-13: 9781451627299

Browse Inside 11/22/63



Visit the official 11/22/63 site here: http://112263book.com

Oh, the Places You'll Go...

"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go..."

~ Dr. Seuss

Theodor Seuss Geisel was born on this day, March 2, in 1904.  

Ted, Dr. Seuss, died September 24, 1991.  He had written and illustrated 44 children's books, which were translated into over 15 languages, and over 200 million copies had been sold.  

Seuss was Theodor Geisel's middle name and his mother's maiden name.  He chose to use it while writing for a university paper, since he had gotten into a bit of trouble having a party during the time of prohibition, so he used a pseudonym.  The "Dr." reportedly came from his father's desire to see his son earn a doctorate.

Dr. Seuss was one of my very favourites to read with my children when they were little.  I am sure a lot of you could say the same or have fond memories of being read to and reading Dr. Seuss books.  I asked two of my grown children which books of Dr. Seuss' are their favourites, their response was Green Eggs and Ham (they love the rhyming "Sam, I am")  and The Cat in the Hat.  My favourites are The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, which was written as a result of the author's concern that Christmas was becoming too commercialized, and Green Eggs and Ham.  I don't know if I have even read all Dr. Seuss' books but while the kids were growing up, we had a small collection of hard cover Dr. Seuss books.  Which are your favourite?

By chance, have you read The Bippolo Seed?  The Bippolo Seed is a collection of seven stories in one volume.  These stories had not here-to-fore been made public, and were published in this one volume September 2011.

Did you know there is a Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden in Springfield Massachusetts, the city where Theodor Seuss Geisel was born?

And when you have a moment to read "10 Things You Didn't Know About Dr. Seuss" for more investing tidbits about this beloved author, check out the link here.

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!!

My 100 Books in a Year Challenge with Book Chick City

I just posted five reviews on Book Chick City, bringing my total posted reviews for this challenge to eleven.  Do you think I am reading and reviewing enough books to reach my goal of 100 by year's end?

http://www.bookchickcity.com/2012/02/post-your-reviews-100-books-in-year.html

Available Now: Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

Just Released!!  

Get your copy of this sure to be best seller now 

and continue the story we all loved in Delirium!

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore (iPad App)

This is a preview of the 15 minute Animated Short Film that won an Oscar last evening.  Cute, don't you think?  If only I owned an iPad!

Academy Awards Night Highlights!

The 84th Academy Awards

2012

Octavia Spencer received an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for the movie
The Help (she played Minnie).  Woot!  I am so excited for her!  I really enjoyed this movie!


Hugo, the movie, won for Cinematography,
Art Direction, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing,
and Visual Effects.   That's five Oscars!!  I haven't
even seen the movie yet, have you?

Other winners include:
The Artist for Best Picture, Actor in a Leading Role:  Jean Dujardin, Costume Design, Directing, Music (Original Score).

The Iron Lady Actress in a Leading Role:  Meryl Streep  (of course!), Makeup

Christopher Plummer received the Oscar for Actor in a Supporting Role for his part in Beginners.

Animated Feature Film - Rango.  (I saw this one)

Documentary Feature:  Undefeated


Documentary Short:  Saving Face


Film Editing:  The Girl With the Dragon Tatoo

The origins of the movie Hugo

Foreign Language Film:  Iran, A Separation


Music or Original Song:  Man or Muppet 
(from the Muppets)


Short Film (Animated):  The Fantastic Flying Books   
 of Mr. Morris Lessmore


Short Film (Live Action):  The Shore


Writing (Adapted Screenplay):  The Descendents


Writing (Original Screenplay):  Midnight in Paris (I saw this one!)

In Celebration of the Movie Release: The Hunger Games....

Gearing up for the movie, The Hunger Games, themed product has been hitting the store shelves and displays much like when Harry Potter hit the theatres.  As the movie is set to release March 23, 2012, here is a preview of available items that I saw recently in a bookstore.

The Mockingjay pin.  This is a limited edition pin.

The Hunger Games first novel with movie tie-in cover.
















The Hunger Games Tribute Guide

The Hunger Games:  The Official Illustrated Movie Companion

The Hunger Games District 12 Strategy Game

The Hunger Games Jabberjay Card Game

The Hunger Games Bag Clip District 12

The Hunger Games Bandages Tin

The Hunger Games Pencil Case

The Hunger Games Ear Buds

The Hunger Games Tote Bag

The Hunger Games Beanie Slouchie Mockingjay












These items can be found at your local bookstore, i.e..  Indigo books. Check with your store for availability.  (Indigo)

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins - YA book review

Mockingjay
Author:  Suzanne Collins
Published:  2010
Publisher:  Scholastic
pages: 390, including an epilogue
Genre:  YA dystopian fiction
Source:  I bought it
ISBN 9780439023511

My name is Katniss Everdeen.  Why am I not dead?  I should be dead.

Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived, even though her home has been destroyed. Gale has escaped.  Katniss' family is safe.  Peeta has been captured by the Capitol.  District 13 really does exist.  There are rebels.  There are new leaders.  A revolution is unfolding.

It is by design that Katniss was rescued from the arena in the cruel and haunting Quarter Quell, and it is by design that she has long been part of the revolution without knowing it.  District 13 has come out of the shadows and is plotting to overthrow the Capitol.  Everyone, it seems, has had a hand in the carefully laid plans -- except Katniss.

The success of the rebellion hinges on Katniss' willingness to be a pawn, to accept responsibility for countless lives, and to change the course of the future of Panem.  To do this, she must put aside her feelings of anger and distrust.  She must become the rebels' Mockingjay -- no matter what the personal cost.  (from the cover)

Mockingjay is the third and final volume in the Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins.  With the movie, The Hunger Games, coming out here March 23, 2012, the urge to read the series beforehand was strong.  I really enjoyed The Hunger Games, book 1.  It was full of action and adventure and a love triangle.  Book 2, Catching Fire, was less action filled but it continued to build upon the story of the districts and the manipulation and control the Capitol exercised freely over the people of Panem.  It was a necessary build up to the climax, Mockingjay.

I was forewarned I may not like the ending...may not be happy with whom Katniss finds she cannot survive without...may not like the violent nature of the concluding chapters.  Ok, I was forewarned.  Yes, it was violent but not gory.  War is violent; there is just no way around it.  The scenes were edge of your seat reading and, guess what .... I was happy with whom Katniss chose.  I shed tears while reading this book, was angered over the senseless deaths of two of the characters, thrilled to see Katniss evolve and come into her own, as she has done a bit through each novel in the series.  Growth in a fictional character should be equivalent to real life persons and experiences.  If she hadn't grown, despite her circumstances, she wouldn't be a heroine.  She wouldn't have the trust and respect of her fellow characters or the readers.  In fact, it amazes me just how strong she is here. Suzanne Collins shares with the reader Katniss' thought processes, her self-doubt, her qualms, and yet, Katniss rises above it all, being the true leader the people need, despite discovering she was being played as a pawn.  This is admirable and a good read.  I was 257 pages into Mockingjay when I just knew I had to buy the entire series.  I had originally borrowed each book in turn but by book 2, I knew it was a buyer!  I didn't finish reading the original borrowed copy, but rather returned it and bought the set for myself and finished reading from my own copy.  I know my daughter will like it too!

Mockingjay is a roller coaster ride of events, danger, joy, sadness, thrills, edge of your seat reading.  In conclusion, Mockingjay sings!

The Finale of the Hunger Games and Thoughts on the Whole YA Thing

I have come to the conclusion, not only of The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins, but a final verdict upon the series:  worth a read!!!  As you may recall from my earlier post about The Hunger Games, the first book in the series, I had known about the book long before I contemplated reading it.  After all, I do not consider myself a YA (young adult) fiction fan.  Of late, though, I have read several books in that genre (aimed for that audience) that have changed my mind.  There are some incredible authors out there pouring their heart and soul into some of the very best reads available to a younger audience.  Might I say, the audience needn't be limited to teens nor young adult though.  If you are young at heart, believe in love, believe in the right to fight for what's right, to have values and morals, then YA may be for you.  At least, some of it.  In the last few years  I discovered the world of wizardry in Harry Potter, the surreal fantasy of vampires and werewolves in the Twilight series, the importance of love in Delirium (not that I hadn't already discovered this personally, but finally a book that addressed what a world without love could be like, a world without choice), and a world where a young girl of 17 has the power and ability to change a cruel savage existence under a controlling "Capitol" government by fighting for what she believes in, in the Hunger Games series.  Each of these books, in their own way, reinforces values and morals while doing so in an engaging manner that draws the reader into another world, surreal and impossible, yet in some ways not so unlike our own in the challenges we each face in a lifetime.

I'm not hooked on YA fiction, nor would I consider myself solely a YA reader, but I CAN say that I will not turn away from a YA book so readily as I have done in the past.  If you think any of the aforementioned books are airy without substance, then you probably haven't read them.  Being quick to judge a book based solely on its genre or focused audience, may leave you out of a world that is closer to reality than you might think, excluding you from the incredible experience of sharing in what could be some of the most meaningful writing you may have the opportunity to enjoy.  So here's a bit of a challenge to you, pick up something you never thought you'd enjoy before and give it a try.  I did and I was pleasantly surprised!

Have you discovered a genre, style or book that has changed your perspective of a particular kind of book?  If so, I'd love to hear about it.  

Some great Young Adult Fiction I have enjoyed lately!
Sudden Moves by Marissa Meyer, Delirium by Lauren Oliver,
Sudden Moves by Kelli Sue Landon, Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins