The State of the Stack - 1/26/17

Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake -


Picked this one up because of ALLLLLL the hype, and because YA fiction with strong female protagonists always sounds good to me. So far, so good.

Wild and Free: A Hope-Filled Anthem for the Woman who Feels Like She Is both Too Much and Never Enough by Jess Connolly and Hayley Morgan

Catching up on this for an online book club - honestly, what woman doesn't feel Too Much and Not Enough at some point in her life? Interesting so far.

Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah

My current audiobook, this was gifted to me by a friend. Read by the author, Trevor Noah is someone I don't know a lot about, but this book is making me more and more curious. Very good so far.

Upstream: Essays by Mary Oliver

I've read Oliver's poems, but never her essays, so this seemed like a good time to start.
















What's on your nightstand? Have you read any of these?

The State of the Stack - 10/17/16

City of Mirrors by Justin Cronin -

I'm SOOOOO close to finishing the series, and I'm doing that thing I always do with a series I love, which is dragging it out so that I don't have to be done. I WANT to know how it ends, but I don't want it to be over. Weirdo.

(I'm listening to this on audio, and the narrator is fantastic!)

Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs -

See above. I just don't want it to be over! I will so miss these characters. I can tell this will be a series I revisit many times in the years to come, because for me this series has been magical.

Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren -

Reading this aloud with the kiddos, in preparation for a fun surprise this weekend - we're going to see the play! It will be their first time to see live theater, and I can't wait to see how excited they will be.















What's on YOUR nightstand??

The State of the Stack - 10/7/16

It's the time of year where I start looking for books that are a little darker, a little moodier, a little spookier...




Here are a few I have on my stack - which one would you start with? What else can you recommend??

The State of the Stacks - 9/26/16

Love Does by Bob Goff -

I am having a really hard time getting on board with this one. It's not poorly written, and I fully agree with the basic idea - love should be shown with actions, not just words - but something about it is just hitting me wrong. Trying to figure out why I'm in the huge minority on this one.....

Three Sisters, Three Queens by Philippa Gregory -

Some day I will, once and for all and forever, have my fill of fictionalized accounts of the Tudor dynasty. Today is clearly not that day.

Happy Birthday to You! by Dr. Seuss -

Because we have two SIX-year-olds in the house today!!! SIX. How did that even happen???

















What's on YOUR nightstand?

The State of the Stacks - 9/19/16

Lots of work-related business to tend to at home this week, so not much movement on the stacks.....

Still just starting to dig into these two....they are both beautiful, so I simultaneously want to read as fast as I can, and slow down and savor the experience. 

What's on your nightstand??

The State of the Stacks - 9/12/16

The Best American Essays, 1990 - edited by Justin Kaplan

Still working my way through this one - most of the essays have just been okay, but I've read one or two that have been quite interesting, so that keeps me chugging along.

Love Warrior by Glennon Doyle Melton

I pre-ordered the signed edition of this book months ago, and it just arrived last week. I love Glennon's words, and I know this book will bring tears and joy.

Cry to Heaven by Anne Rice

For our anniversary Jeremy got me signed editions of some of my favorite books. I love this novel, and reading it again has been so satisfying.

Hopeless Savages, vol. 3 - Too Much Hopeless by Jen Van Meter

Pretty sure I heard about this series from Book Riot, since that's where I get most of my graphic novel recommendations from. This series is mostly just fun, but the characters are really starting to flesh out and become people I am starting to care about. I'm always interested to see what these crazy kids will be up to next.


What's on your nightstand??

The State of the Stacks - 7/15/16

The Best American Essays, 1990 - edited by Justin Kaplan

I collect these books, because I think they sound like such a good idea, and then never get around to reading them. So, this year, I'm going to start reading them. From my shelves.

The Twelve by Justin Cronin

A re-read, because I have the third and final in the trilogy which just came out this spring. I have enjoyed the first two novels very much, and I'm looking forward to completing the story. From my shelves.

Resistance: A Woman's Journal of Struggle and Defiance in Occupied France by Agnes Humbert


My current non-fiction read. From my shelves.

Flight Behaviour by Barbara Kingsolver


On loan from my mom. I'll be seeing her in a couple of weeks, so I'm hoping to return this to her then.
















What's on your nightstand??

The State of the Stacks - Blogging Vacation Edition

I've been trying to write my "Year In Review" post for about 10 days now, and each time I sit down at the computer I get stuck. It's not that I don't want to talk about the fantastic books I've read - because I do! I just, for some reason, don't have the motivation to write about them on this platform right now.

I started this blog in May of 2008 - that means I've been writing, fairly regularly, for almost 6 years. My life has changed A LOT since then - new house, 2 kids, busier work environment and additional responsibilities - and keeping up here has become more and more of a challenge. I love the community of bloggers I have come to know, but because of the constraints of my life I feel like I barely have time to keep up with them.

So I think I'm going to take a bit of a "vacation" - a little time off to rest, catch up with the bloggers I love to read, and re-evaluate what part blogging should play in my life. Hopefully, this means you will see me more often at YOUR blog, because I will actually have time to read and comment! I will still depend on you all for book recommendations, and I will let you know when I read something you've suggested.

I don't know how long my "vacation" will last - I don't feel ready to abandon this place forever, but it seems like it's time for a sabbatical of sorts. Until my next post, keep reading, and I'll see you around the blog-o-sphere!

The State of the Stacks - It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

You probably won't be surprised by this, but I LOVE Christmas books. Last year, I posted about the books I enjoy reading for myself - this year, I am posting about books I have collected for my kids that are also fun for ME to read.

Little Tree by e.e.cummings and Chris Raschka
published 2006

Synopsis from publisher -

" Little tree/ little silent Christmas tree/ you are so little/ you are more like a flower/ who found you in the green forest/ and were you very sorry to come away? " So begins e. e. cummings` beloved tribute to the tiny evergreen tree, taken away from the cold forest to be decorated and adored by two children in their home at Christmas. Simply and sensitively told from the innocence of a child`s eyes, e. e. cummings` little tree comes to life as the children bestow upon it their heart-felt promises of comfort and love.

My thoughts -

This sweet board book is one of the first Christmas books I read to my kids, and it is such a favorite that we leave it out all year long. It's illustrations are very geometric in design, and contain lots of little surprises to keep young readers engaged. This is a great read-aloud story for young ones, but has enough depth to engage older readers as well. I will probably have to get a new copy soon - we've almost read it to pieces!

Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus by Frances P. Church and Joel Spector
text originally published in 1897; this edition 2001

Synopsis from publisher -

In 1897, a young girl wrote to The New York Sun asking whether Santa Claus truly existed. The paper's response, written by reporter Francis P. Church, has become a beloved holiday literary tradition. An original approach to a children's classic, this captivating book creatively reinterprets that heartwarming letter about the truth behind Santa Claus and Christmas. It is accompanied by charming Victorian artwork. Joel Spector is an artist and illustrator known for his elegant pastel images. His work appears regularly in magazines and newspapers including Business Week, Newsweek, Good Housekeeping, and The  New York Times.

My thoughts -

This classic is probably a bit old for my kids yet - the text, while lovely, is still a little dry for their taste. They can, however, appreciate the beautiful illustrations, and it's fun to watch them sit and turn the pages, completely entranced by the artist's evocation of the Victorian era.

A Snowman Named Just Bob by Mark Kimball Moulton and Karen Hillard Crouch
published 2003

Synopsis from publisher -

Sometimes life presents us with unexpected magical moments. So it is in this tale of a snowman named just Bob: when a young child builds a snowman, he comes to life just long enough to impart a few thoughts about the importance of building and holding friendships dear. Illustrated with warmth and whimsy, this book is a classic story the whole family can share.

My thoughts -

This book has wonderful illustrations as well as a delightful story about a young boy and his snowman. Bob is the kind of snowman I always wished I could build, and he introduces kids to the magic of winter and friendship. It's a book for kids that I don't mind reading over and over again.

The Christmas Story by the Metropolitan Museum of Art
published 2009

Synopsis from publisher -

The timeless story of Christmas is beautifully retold through paintings by some of the worlds greatest artists. Borrowing from The Metropolitan Museum of Arts extensive and rich collection, The Christmas Story depicts the Nativity through visual narration with the aid of paintings by, among others, Petrus Christus, Gerard David, and Hans Memling. Gold accents on the book jacket and interior pages make for a glorious and lush book.

The artworks, sensitively coupled with excerpts from the King James Version of the Bible, create a book that will be treasured by the entire family for years to come.

My thoughts - 

What more is there to say? The King James Bible mixed with great works of art from the Met make this a true piece of art - again, my kids are too young to truly grasp it's merit, but it will be a book they will grow into through the years.

Christmas in America edited by David Cohen
published 1988

Synopsis from publisher -

A photographic panorama of our nation during the holiday season. From Thanksgiving to Epiphany, 100 of the country's top magazine and newspaper photographers scattered across the nation to document how we prepare for, celebrate, survive and clean up after Christmas. 175 photos.

My thoughts -

This is a fantastic collection, ranging from humorous to poignant. It's a book to page through, not necessarily to read from cover to cover, but each page has a treasure to discover. While not specifically designed for kids, mine absolutely love it.

The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore and Robert Sabuda
published 2004


Synopsis -

It's the classic Christmas story paired with incredible paper popups by artist Robert Sabuda. Breathtaking.

My thoughts -

We have 4 holiday books by Sabuda, and each is absolutely gorgeous. These are, clearly, not great for younger kids - mine still have to be reminded to be gentle each time they look. But oh, the wide-eyed wonder these books elicit in children.


These are just a few of the (ever-growing) stacks of holiday books that have found a spot on our shelves. What are your favorite holiday books to share with the youngsters?

The State of the Stacks - Anticipation.....

I've seen a lot of bloggers/booksellers/other book related outlets start listing the books they are most anticipating for 2014, and I started thinking about what I was looking foward to. I realized that the books I am MOST excited about are "next-in-the-series" novels that are set to be published in the coming few months - series that I've LOVED and can't wait to read more.

Hollow City: The Second Novel of Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs - available 1/14/14

I read Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children at the beginning of the year and was completely captivated by a novel that was truly unlike anything I'd ever read before. In addition to the wonderful use of some very creepy pictures, I thought the story was compelling and original, and I'm VERY excited to read the next chapter in the adventures of Jacob and his new friends.


It has another great book trailer - check it out....

Cress: Book 3 of the Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer - available 2/4/14


I've read the first (Cinder) and second (Scarlet) books in the unique series of fairytale retellings, and think this third has the potential to be the best. It's the tale of Rapunzel, which is one of my favorites, and I'm already fascinated by Cress from just the brief glimpses we've seen of her in the first two books. This is a really great series, and I'm excited to read the next installment.

The One by Kiera Cass - available 5/6/14


I've read and enjoyed both The Selection and The Elite, and feel like this series is only getting better with each book. I love the combination of royalty meets reality tv, and America is a truly delightful heroine. I think I can honestly say I don't care WHO she picks, I just can't wait to find out!












And, of course, the book I'm most excited for is The City of Mirrors by Justin Cronin, rumored to be dropping in 2014. Please, please, please let it come!! The Passage and The Twelve are absolutely fantastic, and I can't wait to see what happens - Cronin has promised that all the answers will be revealed. There's no synopsis, no cover art, no release date - but I'm sure hoping 2014 is the year!




Alright, your turn - what are you eagerly anticipating in 2014? My bookshelves need to be filled!!

The State of the Stacks - Book Hoarding edition

Who likes to know what other people are reading? I do! Here's a look at what's currently stacked next to my bed.


I recently received a fantastic gift from my Grandpa -

A big chunk of his collection of James Michener books. Seeing these titles all stacked together made me think of one of my worst bookish habits - Book Hoarding. Now, I'm not talking about obsessively seeking out and buying more books - while I certainly have that disease as well, this is slightly different. Book Hoarding, to me, is purchasing a whole bunch of titles by an author that I KNOW I am going to like and then.......not reading them.

It's like I'm saving them for some nebulous, disastrous future in which authors only write bad books, or publishers only publish 50 Shades of Grey knock-offs, but NEVER FEAR! For I have hoarded all the books by all the Really Great authors, so I will still get to read Good Books. (or something.)

So, what authors am I currently hoarding?

Matt Ruff - I read his novel Set This House in Order several years ago, and it was SO fantastic. I had never read anything before that made multiple personality disorder seem so logical and understandable. So then I started collecting his books. So far I have accumulated -

Fool On the Hill
Sewer, Gas, and Electric: The Public Works Trilogy
Bad Monkeys
and
The Mirage


Patrick Ness - I'm fully aware that I am going to love his Chaos Walking series - it sounds like exactly the thing my brain craves. So I bought copies of the whole thing.....to read someday. I also bought a standalone novel, because really, why not. So, these have found a home on my shelves -

The Knife of Never Letting Go
The Ask and the Answer
Monsters of Men
A Monster Calls


Guy Gavriel Kay - His novel The Lions of Al-Rassan is one of my favorite books of all time. His writing is purely magnificent. I've built up quite a collection that I know I will love....as soon as I start reading them. I have collected -

The Last Light of the Moon
Ysabel
Tigana
A Song for Arbonne
Under Heaven
The Last Light of the Sun


Margaret Atwood - why? because she's a rock star author, whose books are constantly unique and challenging. Even her novels that are not my favorites are still better than average, and some of her work is truly genius. Atwood novels I own but have NOT read include -

The Blind Assassin
The Year of the Flood
MadAddam
Surfacing
The Edible Woman
Cat's Eye


And in case you think it's just fiction I hoard....

Sarah Vowell - Honestly, I haven't read ANY of her books yet. I've just convinced myself that I am going to love them, so I'm collecting them. I mean, they sound SO funny. I'm going to like her stuff, right?? I hope so, because I own -

Assassination Vacation
The Partly Cloudy Patriot
The Wordy Shipmates
Unfamiliar Fishes


And these are just the authors on the bookshelves in my bedroom. As you can see, I have a bit of a problem. Am I the only one who does this? Is there anyone else out there saving up their favorite authors for a rainy day??

The State of the Stacks - Dog Days of Summer Read-a-thon edition

I will be participating in the Dog Days of Summer Read-a-Thon hosted by the fabulous ladies at the Estella Society, and I thought it might be fun to take a look at the book stack I've prepared for this event.


The purpose of the event is a weekend of reading fun, fluffy books -specifically books you read as a teen. Now, I missed a lot of the typical "teen" fare when I was growing up - too busy reading the Austens and Brontes, so I thought it would be fun to go back and catch up on some of the stuff I missed as a youngster.

So here's what I have on deck -

Witch World by Christopher Pike - I know this author has been around since I was a teen, but I think this is his newest release. Oh well - it will still give me a taste.


The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares - I've actually seen this movie, and thought it was cute enough to want to read the book at some point. Now's the time!

Heart to Heart by Lurlene McDaniel - I know I read something by McDaniel growing up - she's the author where someone always dies, right? But I feel like a "teen read" weekend wouldn't be complete without SOMETHING by her.

Looking for Alaska by John Green - so technically NOT from when I was a teen, but since I was only so-so on the one book of his I've read, I wanted to give him another shot.

The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening by L.J. Smith - Oh, come on, of course I'm going to read this. The darn tv show is one of my guilty pleasures.

Just as Long as We're Together by Judy Blume - I honestly don't think I've ever read a Judy Blume novel. Kinda amazing, really.

My Sweet Audrina by V.C. Andrews - because how could I NOT include the queen of the cheesy teen horror novel genre. Also, I've never read anything she's written, so it fits.



Okay friends - what should I read first? I am fairly certain I won't get through all these in one weekend - I do still have 2 year olds to wrangle- so I want opinions on what I definitely shouldn't miss!!

The State of the Stacks

Who likes to know what other people are reading? I do! Here's a look at what's currently stacked next to my bed.


Here's a new situation - I am currently in the middle of 5 - that's right, FIVE - books. It's almost unheard of for me to be reading this much at once, but somehow here I am. I have one fiction, one audiobook, one nonfiction, one book of essays, and one that I'm reading on my phone. I'm not even sure how this happened exactly - I'm always reading a novel at any given time, and supplementing that with some nonfiction isn't that unusual. The book of essays kinda slipped in because I'm interested in starting to read more shorter works, especially for times when I only have 20 minutes or so and don't want to start digging in to a longer work. The audiobook is for my commute, and housework, and those moments. And then I recently discovered that I can read a book on my phone while my kids are in the room, and for some reason they don't mob me like they do when they see me with a book in my hands. And there you go - suddenly I've got 5 things going at once. We'll see how long I can keep this up.

The Dinner by Herman Koch - I've just started this one, so don't have a real feel for it yet, but the blurb says it "reveals the dark side of genteel society", so I'm expecting some surprises.

A History of God by Karen Armstrong - this is completely fascinating to me, but also quite dense, so it's a bit slow going. I love nonfiction like this, and almost always end up underlining and/or highlighting a huge portion of the book.

The Best American Essays - .....okay, my copy is upstairs, so I don't actually know which year this volume is from. But I'm about 5 essays in, and it's a great collection. I've been a bit obsessed with collecting these over the past couple of years, so I decided it's about time I actually start reading them.

Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler, narrated by Kristine Hvam - I noticed this was by the author of the Lemony Snickett novels, but it was clearly not of the same genre, so I was interested. It's definitely YA, but so far entertaining.

Finding Colin Firth by Mia March - I was drawn to this novel because really, who DOESN'T love Colin Firth. I expected a light, breezy read, and am actually finding it to have a surprising amount of substance. This has been a delight so far.

















So there you have it - what's been keeping me busy lately. What books are in YOUR stack?