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Title: For the Love of St. Nick
Author: Garasamo Maccagnone
ISBN: 9781439227602
Pages: 61
It is a story abpout two boys, whose mother has died and father is trying to cope with the loss and also has to bring them up. When he, a Navy Commander, is transferred to a base in northern Michigan, they are uprooted from their familier surroundings. Mrs. Pennington is hired as their nanny and loves them both as her own. The younger child, Johnny is always sick due to a difficult birth. The doctor has told them that he will never recover fully.
The older boy is the narrator of the story and his love for Johnny shows through. He, at a young age does know what to do when Johnny gets sick. Then their father has to leave on a secret mission few weeks before Christmas, promising to return soon. Meanwhile, Johnny gets sick, with heavy snow all over, no one to turn to, the older brother can only pray and wait. It is a matter of life and death and he can't do a thing.
An unexpected encounter with a stranger changes everything....This book produces positive vibes, reinforces our faith that miracles do happen. For a thin book, it sure makes an impact on us.
Title: Breath, Eyes, Memory
Author: Edwidge Danticat
ISBN: 9781569471425
Publisher : Soho Press
Pages: 236 pages
From Publishers Weekly
A distinctive new voice with a sensitive insight into Haitian culture distinguishes this graceful debut novel about a young girl's coming of age under difficult circumstances. "I come from a place where breath, eyes and memory are one, a place where you carry your past like the hair on your head," says narrator Sophie Caco, ruminating on the chains of duty and love that bind the courageous women in her family. The burden of being a woman in Haiti, where purity and chastity are a matter of family honor, and where "nightmares are passed on through generations like heirlooms," is Danticat's theme. Born after her mother Martine was raped, Sophie is raised by her Tante Atie in a small town in Haiti. At 12 she joins Martine in New York, while Atie returns to her native village to care for indomitable Grandmother Ife. Neither Sophie nor Martine can escape the weight of the past, resulting in a pattern of insomnia, bulimia, sexual trauma and mental anguish that afflicts both of them and leads inexorably to tragedy. Though her tale is permeated with a haunting sadness, Danticat also imbues it with color and magic, beautifully evoking the pace and character of Creole life, the feel of both village and farm communities, where the omnipresent Tontons Macoute mean daily terror, where voudon rituals and superstitions still dominate even as illiterate inhabitants utilize such 20th-century conveniences as cassettes to correspond with emigres in America. In simple, lyrical prose enriched by an elegiac tone and piquant observations, she makes Sophie's confusion and guilt, her difficult assimilation into American culture and her eventual emotional liberation palpably clear.
Skin by Mo Hyder
Book Blurb
When the decomposed body of a young woman is found by near railway tracks just outside Bristol one hot May morning, all indications are that she’s committed suicide. That’s how the police want it too; all neatly squared and tidied away.
But DI Jack Caffery is not so sure. He is on the trail of someone predatory, someone who hides in the shadows and can slip into houses unseen.
And for the first time in a very long time, he feels scared.
Police Diver Flea Marley is working alongside Caffery.Having come to terms with the loss of her parents, and with the traumas of her past safely behind her, she’s beginning to wonder whether their relationship could go beyond the professional.
And then she finds something that changes everything. Not only is it far too close to home for comfort – but it’s so horrifying that she knows that nothing will ever be the same again.
And that this time, no one – not even Caffery – can help her …
Who’s your favorite author that other people are NOT reading?
I can only think of one, who despite being a prolific writer and producing real good work, has simply disappeared from the reading world.
Warwick Deeping (1877-1950): A medical doctor, native of England, he left his practice to write novels. His most creative period was 1903-1950 and his most famous work was Sorrell and Son, 1925. He wrote some 60 odd novels and was very widely known in England and America. He wrote many historical novels and excelled in the Edwardian period. I have read around 10 of his novels, mostly pertaining to the time period he lived. The simplicity of the prose and complexity of the story make some of his novels outstanding. I would have read more but his books are unavailable. Right now I am trying to get hold of ebooks which are available for free. I do think that he needs to be read. Despite being a best-selling author in the 1920s and 1930s, for some reason, he is not at all known now. I hope some publisher thinks of resuscitating his books. It would be worth anything. Do check him out at wikipedia.
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Title: The Crab with the Golden Claws
Author: Herge
ISBN: 9780316358330
Publisher: Little, Brown Books/1974
Pages: 62
The Crab with the Golden Claws introduces us to one of our all time favorite characters: Captain Haddock. A bumbling drunken wretch, he enderas himself to us right from the beginning and stays through all the Tintin Albums.
The plot is great too what with drug smuggling rings in north Africa. These really present Tintin with so many challenges, and TIntin gets out of all those with his usual aplomb!
Title: Tintin and The Shooting Star
Author: Herge
ISBN:978-1405206211
Publisher: Litle, Brown Books/1984
Pages: 62
The Shooting Star tells the story of Tintin's voyage to the Arctic Ocean to recover a meteor that is composed of Phostlite, an unknown metal.
Walking home one night, Tintin sees a large star in the sky, a star that hadn't been there before. The astronomers have spotted it too, and predict that it will collide with the Earth and that would be the end of it.. The meteor causes an earthquake on impact but nothing else. The astronomers believe the meteorite is made of a mysterious new metal, and decide to make a trip by boat, led by Captain Haddock, to the Arctic Ocean to investigate. An oil company from Sao Rico has also decided to visit the meteor, to take the new metal for themselves. It becomes a race filled with sabotage and seasickness. Tintin and the astronomers have to beat them, no matter what.
It has got a few elements of sci-fi to it and a dream sequence. And It is always a pleasure to read about Captain Haddock. Another good Tintin album.
Title: After Innocence
Author: Brenda Joyce
ISBN: 9780061235269
Publisher: Avon Books/1994
Pages: 422
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From the back cover
Estranged from society, wealthy and beautiful artist Sofie O'Neil finds her private world. She longs just once to taste a forbidden love—to follow the dangerous diamond smuggler Edward Delanza to paradise. but Edward wants far more from the innocent young heiress than a brief and passing encounter. For he is determined to heal her and possess her- now...and for all time.
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The Xibalba Murders by Lyn Hamilton
Product Description from fictiondb
The co-owner of a Toronto antiquities store, Lara McClintoch is obsessed with finding rare and beautiful artifacts. Her travels take her to the ends of the earth, where history jealously guards its treasures--and where the mysteries of the past meet the dangers of the present...
After receiving a cryptic phone call from Dr. Hernan Castillo, an expert in Mayan history, Lara travels to Merida, Mexico, to help him with a mysterious project that he has undertaken. But on arriving in Merida, Lara sees no sign of the good doctor--until his lifeless body turns up in his office at the museum. Retracing the doctor's recent footsteps, she is drawn into the jungles surrounding Merida. For in this lush paradise are the temples of Mayan gods--and the camps of modern-day rebels fighting to save their Mayan heritage. As the body count escalates, Lara must uncover the secrets of the Mayan underworld known as Xibalba--and journey into the very heart of darkness...
TItle: Tintin & The Secret of the Unicorn
Author: Herge
ISBN: 978-0316358323
Publisher: Little, Brown Books/1974
Pages: 62
Tintin buys a boat model of an old ship for Captain Haddock, but soon after, two man try to buy it off him. The first is a Mr. Ivan Ivanovitch Sakharine, and the second is, Barnaby. Sakharine calls on Tintin at his flat, seeking to convince him to sell his ship, and leaves his card. Sometime later,the mainmast of the model ship gets broken, thanks to Snowy, and Tintin repairs it.
When the Captain visits Tintin, he sees the ship and reacts with astonishment. Haddock takes Tintin back to his apartment and shows him a portrait of one of his ancestors, Sir Francis Haddock, the captain of a 17th century naval vessel. In its background is the very same ship, called "the Unicorn". When Tintin and the Captain return to Tintin's flat, they find that the model boat has been stolen. Tintin visits Sakharine, accusing him of having stolen it and discovers an identical ship in Sakharine's collection, but it is a different one, as the mast has not been broken. This ship too carries the letters "Unicorn" on the back. When Tintin returns home, he finds that his flat has been ransacked, and while cleaning up he finds a mysterious parchment. He realizes that it must have been hidden within the mainmast broken by Snowy, and subsequently rolled out onto the floor. He guesses that the parchement holds the clue to finding treasure and rushes back to the Captain's flat.The boat model which was stolen is just one of three constructed by Sir Francis for his three sons. Each one holds a parchment which, when placed together, will give the treasure's location. Tintin and Haddock then visit Mr. Sakharine, hoping to examine the parchment in his model, but find him unconscious in his apartment and the parchment taken from the model. Sakharine's description of his attacker matches Barnaby.
Tintin is later kidnapped by the perpetrators of the shooting, by two unscrupulous antique dealers who believe that he possesses the parchments. They are behind the theft of Tintin's model, having discovered the third parchment and have figured out that they needed all three to decode the clue to the treasure's location.
Tintin later escapes. Captain Haddock and Thompson and Thomson arrive to help their friend and they capture one of the kidnappers. As their prisoner confesses, which ultimately enables them to capture the fugitive at the national border. This was one of the favourite albums of Herge too. Very adventurous, hilarious and rollicking fun! Go for it!
For all those who read poetry, this is a good challenge to read poetry. There are four levels and you can join any. Check out, Clover, Bee and Reverie: A Poetry Challenge, for more info and do join in.
The challenge will go through 12/31/2010.
Here are the four levels of participation:
Couplet: Read 2 books of poetry
Limerick: Read 5 books of poetry, and finish at least one badge
Octave: Read 8 books of poetry, and finish at least two badges
Sonnet: Read 14 books of poetry, and finish two badges, and one expert badge
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I will go for the Octave level. My tentative list of poetry books are:
1) Selected Poems by Robert Lowell (1917-1977)
2) Renascence and Other Poems by Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892–1950)
3) Thirst: poems By Mary Oliver
4) Becoming The Villainess by Jeannine Hall Gaily
5) At the Threshold of Alchemy by John Amen
6 Poetic Musings of an Old, Fat Man by Harry E. Gilleland, Jr.
7) Slamming Open The Door by Kathleen Sheeder Bonanno
8) The Essential Keats: Selected by Philip Levine
