TGIF: Next Week's Temptations & Fill In Fun

Hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine

Do you know how many books are released into the market each week? An unbelievable number. Here is my short list of the books coming out on June 15th in the U.S. that caught my attention:

Stories: All-New Tales edited by Neil Gaiman & Al Sarrantonio ~ If the list of authors contributing to this anthology wasn't enough to tempt me, then surely Neil Gaiman's name alone might.

"The joy of fiction is the joy of the imagination. . . ."

The best stories pull readers in and keep them turning the pages, eager to discover more—to find the answer to the question: "And then what happened?" The true hallmark of great literature is great imagination, and as Neil Gaiman and Al Sarrantonio prove with this outstanding collection, when it comes to great fiction, all genres are equal.

Stories is a groundbreaking anthology that reinvigorates, expands, and redefines the limits of imaginative fiction and affords some of the best writers in the world—from Peter Straub and Chuck Palahniuk to Roddy Doyle and Diana Wynne Jones, Stewart O'Nan and Joyce Carol Oates to Walter Mosley and Jodi Picoult—the opportunity to work together, defend their craft, and realign misconceptions. Gaiman, a literary magician whose acclaimed work defies easy categorization and transcends all boundaries, and "master anthologist" (Booklist) Sarrantonio personally invited, read, and selected all the stories in this collection, and their standard for this "new literature of the imagination" is high. "We wanted to read stories that used a lightning-flash of magic as a way of showing us something we have already seen a thousand times as if we have never seen it at all."

Joe Hill boldly aligns theme and form in his disturbing tale of a man's descent into evil in "Devil on the Staircase." In "Catch and Release," Lawrence Block tells of a seasoned fisherman with a talent for catching a bite of another sort. Carolyn Parkhurst adds a dark twist to sibling rivalry in "Unwell." Joanne Harris weaves a tale of ancient gods in modern New York in "Wildfire in Manhattan." Vengeance is the heart of Richard Adams's "The Knife." Jeffery Deaver introduces a dedicated psychologist whose mission in life is to save people in "The Therapist." A chilling punishment befitting an unspeakable crime is at the dark heart of Neil Gaiman's novelette "The Truth Is a Cave in the Black Mountains."

As it transforms your view of the world, this brilliant and visionary volume—sure to become a classic—will ignite a new appreciation for the limitless realm of exceptional fiction. [Description from Amazon]

The Ice Princess by Camilla Lackberg ~ I've fallen under the spell of Scandinavian authors and am eager to read this one.

The American debut of internationally bestselling Swedish writer Camilla Lackberg’s haunting first novel. Returning to her hometown of Fjallbacka after the funeral of her parents, writer Erica Falck finds a community on the brink of tragedy. The death of her childhood friend, Alex, is just the beginning. Her wrists slashed, her body frozen in an ice-cold bath, it seems that she has taken her own life.

Erica conceives a book about the beautiful but remote Alex, one that will answer questions about their own shared past. While her interest grows into an obsession, local detective Patrik Hedstrom is following his own suspicions about the case. But it is only when they start working together that the truth begins to emerge about a small town with a deeply disturbing past. [Description from Amazon]

Leaving the World by Douglas Kennedy ~ I haven't read anything by this author before but was quite taken with the description of this novel.

On the night of her thirteenth birthday, Jane Howard made a vow to her warring parents: she would never get married, and she would never have children.

But life, as Jane comes to discover, is a profoundly random business. Many years and many lives later, she is a professor in Boston, in love with a brilliant, erratic man named Theo. And then Jane becomes pregnant. Motherhood turns out to be a great welcome surprise—but when a devastating turn of events tears her existence apart she has no choice but to flee all she knows and leave the world.

Just when she has renounced life itself, the disappearance of a young girl pulls her back from the edge and into an obsessive search for some sort of personal redemption. Convinced that she knows more about the case than the police do, she is forced to make a decision—stay hidden or bring to light a shattering truth.

Leaving the World is a riveting portrait of a brilliant woman that reflects the way we live now, of the many routes we follow in the course of a single life, and of the arbitrary nature of destiny. A critically acclaimed international bestseller, it is also a compulsive read and one that speaks volumes about the dilemmas we face in trying to navigate our way through all that fate throws in our path. [Description from Amazon]

Confessions of a Prairie Bitch: How I Survived Nellie Oleson and Learned to Love Being Hated by Alison Arngrim ~ I generally do not care to read books about or by celebrities, but occasionally I come across one that is hard to resist. As a long time fan of the television show, Little House on the Prairie (I still haven't read the books), a bolt of excitement ran through me when I found out this book was coming out next week.

For seven years, Alison Arngrim played a wretched, scheming, selfish, lying, manipulative brat on one of TV history's most beloved series. Though millions of Little House on the Prairie viewers hated Nellie Oleson and her evil antics, Arngrim grew to love her character—and the freedom and confidence Nellie inspired in her.

In Confessions of a Prairie Bitch, Arngrim describes growing up in Hollywood with her eccentric parents: Thor Arngrim, a talent manager to Liberace and others, whose appetite for publicity was insatiable, and legendary voice actress Norma MacMillan, who played both Gumby and Casper the Friendly Ghost. She recalls her most cherished and often wickedly funny moments behind the scenes of Little House: Michael Landon's "unsaintly" habit of not wearing underwear; how she and Melissa Gilbert (who played her TV nemesis, Laura Ingalls) became best friends and accidentally got drunk on rum cakes at 7-Eleven; and the only time she and Katherine MacGregor (who played Nellie's mom) appeared in public in costume, provoking a posse of elementary schoolgirls to attack them.

Arngrim relays all this and more with biting wit, but she also bravely recounts her life's challenges: her struggle to survive a history of traumatic abuse, depression, and paralyzing shyness; the "secret" her father kept from her for twenty years; and the devastating loss of her "Little House husband" and best friend, Steve Tracy, to AIDS, which inspired her second career in social and political activism. Arngrim describes how Nellie Oleson taught her to be bold, daring, and determined, and how she is eternally grateful to have had the biggest little bitch on the prairie to show her the way. [Description from Amazon]

Will I read it? I don't know. But it sure is tempting!

What's your "waiting on" pick this week? Are there any books coming out this next week that I should know about?

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Graphic courtesy of Tonya!
*Click on the image above graphic to get to the Friday Fill-In headquarters, hosted by Janet!*

1. Losing myself in a good book feels great.

2. The solution is cuddles.

3. My sleep is much more restful if I read before I fall asleep.

4. How about a side of comedy to go with that mystery?

5. Reading Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series is something I highly recommend!

6. Imagine having a day without responsibilities or commitments stretched out before you. You can do anything you want. What would you do?

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to spending a quiet evening with my husband; tomorrow my plans include finding a top to go with that skirt I bought for my brother's wedding; and Sunday, I want to delve more deeply in Frank Delaney's Venetia Kelly's Traveling Show!

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© 2010, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved.If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

TGIF: Music, Wish Lists & Tears

This week Rebecca's Musings Monday question:

Do you listen to music while reading? Does this change if you’re reading in or out of your house? Do you have a preference of music for such occasions?

The soft snores of my dog or the gentle purrs of my cats accompany my reading in the evenings. Murmurs of conversation sound in the background while I read during my lunch break at the office. The music of life going on around me is what I listen to most when I lose myself in a book these days.

There was a time when I insisted on having music on when I read. I used to try and match the music to my book, as if creating a soundtrack. The older I get, however, the more I prefer the quiet and natural sounds as the soundtrack to my reading. It is not that I cannot read to music. I can--on the condition that the volume is reasonable. As it is, I tend to block out all sound when I am truly engrossed in a book.

I do like to listen to music when I am blogging or writing, however. I find it relaxing. Plus, it gives me an excuse to sing to my heart's content.

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For this week's Tuesday Thingers, Wendi asks:

Have you explored/used the Wish list collection on Library Thing yet? If so, have you found it helpful? Do you have any other tips or uses for the Wish list collection? [Question courtesy of Caite of A Lovely Shore Breeze]

A couple of nights ago I was re-labeling books in my library collection that were a part of my BBAW giveaways. Ever since LibraryThing added the collection feature, there is no need for me to completely delete the books I give away (I use LibraryThing as a catalog for all the books I own and have read and reviewed). I simply switch the books from "My Library" to "Gave Away" and all is right in my personal library again.

I had seen the wish list feature before but had not really explored it. I still am not using it, but it is an option I am considering. At the moment I keep two wish lists: one with Amazon and the other is an Excel spreadsheet. There are crossovers, but neither is fully up to date. I have bits of paper here and there too with books I keep meaning to add to my wish list. I am always trying to be better organized, but it never quite seems to work out. Perhaps if I switch solely to LibraryThing's wish list feature it would solve my problem. I could keep better track of where I first heard about a book, search for other reviews to make sure it is a book I want to consider getting, and it would be easily accessible.

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Hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine

The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova
Release Date: January 12, 2010

From Books-A-Million:

Psychiatrist Andrew Marlowe, devoted to his profession and the painting hobby he loves, has a solitary but ordered life. When renowned painter Robert Oliver attacks a canvas in the National Gallery of Art and becomes his patient, Marlow finds that order destroyed. Desperate to understand the secret that torments the genius, he embarks on a journey that leads him into the lives of the women closest to Oliver and a tragedy at the heart of French Impressionism. Kostova's masterful new novel travels from American cities to the coast of Normandy, from the late 19th century to the late 20th, from young love to last love. THE SWAN THIEVES is a story of obsession, history's losses, and the power of art to preserve human hope.

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova is one of my favorite novels. I first heard mention of the author's latest novel over at My Friend Amy's. I was too late to enter the giveaway unfortunately, but at least now I can make room for it on my wish list.

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Booking Through Thursday Website Question:

What’s the saddest book you’ve read recently?

The book I am reading right now is sad. And angry-making. It is called Tears of the Desert: A Memoir of Survival in Darfur by by Halima Bashir with Damien Lewis. Just from the title alone, you can probably guess what the book is about and why I would find it sad. It is even sadder still because it is a true story.

I find myself drawn to sad books now and then. I like books that bring out my emotions. Often the sad books I read offer some glimmer of hope, however small. Ru Freeman's A Disobedient Girl, which I recently read, was one such book, one of the character's stories was devastating. It was a heartbreaking. While the other character's story ended on a more hopeful note. I would offer the details, but I wouldn't want to spoil the story for anyone who has yet to read the book (and that's probably too much information, isn't it?).

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Graphic courtesy of Tonya!
*Click on the image above graphic to get to the Friday Fill-In headquarters, hosted by Janet!*

1. One week ago we were celebrating BBAW.

2. You could often find me daydreaming when I was young.

3. Mama told me to smile and laugh often.

4. We are good bloggers, you and me.

5. Take your time when you read a book and savor every word.

6. If I am offered a book about wave particle duality, I will pass!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to watching the premiere of Flash Forward and Dollhouse; tomorrow my plans include running errands and enjoying my husband's company; and Sunday, I want to try out The Beatles: Rock Band.

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© 2009, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved.
If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

A Week of Bookish Memes on Thursday

This week's Musings Monday question:

Do you have a set reading time (before bed, perhaps)? Do you read more at night or during the day? Is there a day of the week, perhaps, that you set aside to catch up on reading?

June gloom has settled in this week. The sky is covered in gray clouds and the sun is no where to be seen. The week is nearly over. My week of vacation. I had planned to schedule more reading time in, but it did not work out so well. There was company to entertain, errands to run, household chores that couldn't be put off any longer, movies to watch, and all the other stuff that comes up; and, while you would think spraining my ankle (yes, again) would keep me down, not a chance (maybe that's why I'm in this predicament, perhaps?).

I have been fitting in reading time before I drift off to sleep at least. Though, only once this week has my husband had to pry my book from underneath me, save my place and set my book aside. One of my favorite times to read is right before bed, actually. I like to curl up under the covers and read a bit before I can no longer keep my eyes open. My dog settles in for the night in his bed and the cats curl up on mine. It's such a peaceful time. Sometimes my husband will join us and read in bed too, but more often than not, he is still at his computer, typing away.

The weekends trump bedtime reading. If I can swing it, I can sit for hours reading, stretched out on the couch or sometimes even on top of my bed. More often than not though, I snatch an hour or two here and there, in between whatever else I have going.

I also read during my half hour lunch breaks at the work. My staff have gotten into the habit of asking me each day where I am headed. They don't mean the breakroom or my car or even an empty cubicle where no one can find me. No, they want to know what adventure my book will take me on that day.

It is not unusual to find me sneaking a moment with my book here and there: while waiting in line or for an appointment, for example. These moments aren't nearly as fulfilling, but they are rewarding in their own way.

When all is said and done, I never feel as if I have enough time to read. An extra few hours in the day just for reading would be nice. Hours without the distraction of computers and such, included.

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Hosted by MizB Should Be Reading

A little tease from where I was:

When Lilia was very young the entire world seemed composed of motel rooms, strung like an archipelago across the continental United States. Island life was fast and transient, all cars and motel rooms and roadside diners, trading used cars at sketchy lots on the edges of places, long rides down highways in the sunlight, in the rain, talking to waitresses who thought she was too young for coffee, nights spent under the scratchy sheets of cheap roadside motels, messages written secretly in motel-room Bibles. I don't want to be found.
[pg 91, Last Night in Montreal by Emily St. John Mandel, ARC]

A little tease from where I am:

He took my jaw in his hand, and I jerked away. But his hands were firm, and he turned me back, ran a thumb over my broken lip and the other ropy scars, and told me I was the prettiest girl he'd ever seen. I called him a lying dog.
[pg 91, Sweeping Up Glass by Carolyn Wall, ARE]

A little tease from where I will be:

Every time Club Kids showed up on TV, new young converts from middle America would be inspired to run away to New York to join them. Alig let them believe that in his world, they could become freakish superheroes. It was liberating and boundless.
[pg 88, Chemical Cowboys: The DEA's Secret Mission to Hunt Down A Notorious Ecstasy Kingpin by Lisa Sweetingham]

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Hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine

This book caught my attention as I was catching up on my BookBrowse recommendations.

Brodeck by Philippe Claudel
Translated by John Cullen
Release Date: June 23, 2009

Book Description: Forced into a brutal concentration camp during a great war, Brodeck returns to his village at the war's end and takes up his old job of writing reports for a governmental bureau. One day a stranger comes to live in the village. His odd manner and habits arouse suspicions: His speech is formal, he takes long, solitary walks, and although he is unfailingly friendly and polite, he reveals nothing about himself. When the stranger produces drawings of the village and its inhabitants that are both unflattering and insightful, the villagers murder him. The authorities who witnessed the killing tell Brodeck to write a report that is essentially a whitewash of the incident.

As Brodeck writes the official account, he sets down his version of the truth in a separate, parallel narrative. In measured, evocative prose, he weaves into the story of the stranger his own painful history and the dark secrets the villagers have vigilantly keep hidden.

Set in an unnamed time and place, Brodeck blends the familiar and unfamiliar, myth and history into a work of extraordinary power and resonance. Readers of J. M. Coetzee’s Disgrace, Bernhard Schlink's The Reader and Kafka will be captivated by Brodeck.

What's your "waiting on" pick this week?

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There are certain types of books that I more or less assume all readers read. (Novels, for example.)

But then there are books that only YOU read. Instructional manuals for fly-fishing. How-to books for spinning yarn. How to cook the perfect souffle. Rebuilding car engines in three easy steps. Dog training for dummies. Rewiring your house without electrocuting yourself. Tips on how to build a NASCAR course in your backyard. Stuff like that.

What niche books do YOU read?

At first thought, my response is that I do not read niche books, not of the variety the questioner refers to. While I focus mostly on fiction, I read such a wide variety that there is no particular area that stands out for me more than another. I read an awful lot of crime fiction. Perhaps that could be considered a niche. But I also really enjoy reading fantasy of just about every kind. I read and enjoy quite a bit of general and literary fiction as well. The classics and the contempories. Historical time periods: I am especially interested in the World War II era, but I am also interested in other historical time periods too as well as other wars. And locations. Anything overseas. I love to learn about other cultures and people. I also enjoy reading about books set in my own backyard. I enjoy reading series books and non-series books, genre and non-genre. I read a variety of nonfiction when I do read it, although I suppose you could say that my niche in nonfiction is human interest stories--and those come in a variety of forms. That's not so unusual though, is it? When all is said and done, I am just your average reader with no out of the ordinary reading tastes and interests.

Although, I do occasionally pull down the pet medical advice book when I am looking for a specific answer to a question. And I sometimes will read professional journals related my line of work, but not very often (terrible, I know). Does that count?