Looking for the perfect book for a Harry Potter fan? Harry Potter Film Wizardry is without a doubt the perfect gift! Get a glimpse inside the world of Harry Potter, one never seen before!
The book opens up with statements by Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson, detailing what it was like to grow up on a movie set. See a timeline of Daniel Radcliff throughout the movie series. One of the best parts of the book? Removable facsimile reproductions of items from the movie, including Harry’s acceptance letter to Hogwarts, a Quidditch World Cup program and a program for the Yule Ball.
You’ll spend hours paging through the glossy photos. This book is truly a work of art! I’ve “read” the book four times now and each time I’ve discovered something new and unique.
I honestly can’t put into words how amazing this book is! I quite literally turn into a kid again when I open the cover. Check out this book trailer and see for yourself!
Pretty awesome, right? I planned on giving my copy of this book to my sister as a Christmas gift, but now I can’t bear to part with it!
The author, Brian Sibley, is known for his “behind the scene books” including The Lord of the Rings: The Making of the Movie Trilogy and The Land of Narnia.
Guaranteed to be the perfect gift for any Harry Potter fan! Want to receive brownie points from your kids or nieces/nephews? Pick up a copy! You won’t regret it!
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading This Week? This is a weekly event to list the books completed last week, the books currently being reading, and the books to be finish this week. It was created by J.Kaye’s Book Blog, but is now being hosted by Sheila from One Person’s Journey Through a World of Books so stop by and join in!
I’m not ashamed to admit that I have an unhealthy addiction to stationary & bookmarks. When I was approached to review In My Book ® greeting cards, I couldn’t say no!
The cards are printed on durable stock, decorated with drawings by book illustrator Meredith Hamilton. Fifteen styles begin with the greeting “In my book…” and conclude with different statements including “you’re a mystery,” “you’re a classic” and “you’re novel.” The card has a perforated bookmark as the cover of the card & is blank inside so you can add your own personal message.
These cards have passed my rigorous testing process! They are super durable, surviving the hands of my five-year old! The illustrations are quite lovely. I really like how the cards are themed, one available for any time of book lover, including mystery, romance, classics, & poetry.
In My Book ® cards are perfect for graduating students, teachers, librarians, anyone who loves gifts. They are available for purchase at www.inmybook.com or at your local indie book store!
Here’s more about how In My Book ® came to be…
The precursors of In My Book were a few homemade, handmade bookmarks given to friends and relatives on their birthdays, usually along with books. As the idea developed, and the bookmark expanded into a greeting card, the concept and format of In My Book® was born (the name was hit upon in the shower). It was clear to Robin K. Blum that the idea could work if the greetings were clever and thoughtful and the graphics were eye-catching and appealing. Blum got the necessary visual helping hand from two graphic artists, Meredith Hamilton (who contributed the illustrations) and Anthony Russo (who designed the bookmark border) and started selling In My Book® cards in May of 2000.
Illustrator – Meredith Hamilton
Although they had never met before the creation of In My Book, it turns out that Hamilton and Blum are neighbors in Brooklyn, NY. Meredith returned to New York from Singapore in 1998, where she resided with her husband and children, having done some wonderful work for Singapore Airlines, among other Asian clients. Back in the U.S., Hamilton’s clients have included Visa International, Broadway Books, Black Dog & Leventhal, Crown Publishing Group, Doubleday, Clarkson-Potter, Steuben Glass and The New York Times.
Raised in Austin, Texas, the daughter of two TU Law professors, Robert and Dagmar Hamilton, Meredith studied literature at Brown University, and received an MFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York City. Formerly Art Director at Newsweek Magazine, and an assistant at Time, Inc., Hamilton learned from the weeklies how to quickly produce an appealing image to illustrate a topic in the news. After years of drawing on computers, Hamilton has found a low-tech technique that is both pleasurable and speedy. She works with an old-fashioned copperplate pen on watercolor paper. The results are whimsical yet sophisticated.
In addition to the company web site, you can also check the out on Facebook and Twitter (@inmybook).
Thanks to In My Book, I have cards to give away! To enter, fill out the form below. Three winners will be chosen on Thursday, December 23rd. Open to US & Canada only. Good luck!
Santiago is a Spanish shepherd boy who sells his herd of sheep to pursue a dream of discovering treasure in the pyramids of Egypt. He leaves everything he knows behind in order to pursue his dream. He meets several people on his trek including a gypsy, a king, & an alchemist. Each give him a “message” to aid him in his journey. Throughout this journey, Santiago comes across various obstacles. Just when he’s about to give up and his spirit wanes, the messages of these individuals gives him the strength to strive forward. He eventually learns that the treasure he is seeking isn’t in a pyramid in Egypt, but within his own soul.
I read the original version of The Alchemist several years ago and it remains one of my most treasured books. The message it relays is simple and on the surface; the reader doesn’t have to delve far into the text to find it.
When I learned a graphic novel of The Alchemist was to be released, I can’t deny that I was skeptical. How would it be possible to transfer the message from a novel to a graphic format?
Daniel Sampere is the artist who rendered the graphic novel. He quite literally brought the characters to life in his drawings. I was concerned that they would be misrepresented in this format, but he has picked up the very essence of the characters.
My only complaint about the illustrations is how women are portrayed as having large busts and tiny waists. While this is a common look of women in graphic novels, I think it took away from the feel & the character of the book itself.
I don’t believe the graphic novel should be read in place of the original. While it does portray and represent the novel accurately, I believe there are key parts that the reader must invision and put to image on their own.
Ultimately, I highly recommend the graphic novel version to anyone who has read the original novel. Reading it reawakened my love of the novel and added a new perspective.
Thank you to TLC Book Tours for giving me the opportunity to review this book. Please be sure to check out the other stops on this tour:
What does Santa do the other 11 months he’s not working? He goes to Hollywood, sumo wrestles in Japan, attends the Summer Reindeer Games, & is even a secret agent! Continuing his education is also paramount, so Santa takes courses like Cookie Baking, Elf Esteem, Basic Reindeer Labor Laws, etc. But by November he’s already preparing for December so he spends the entire month sleeping!
Santa’s Eleven Months Off may be my youngest son’s favorite book of this season! We’ve read it at least a dozen times. He loves the rhyming & lyrical text. The illustrations, by Michael Montgomery, are both classic & comical!
The great thing about this book is that it’s not season specific-you could easily pull it out and read it at any point in the year. It goes through the year, month by month, describing Santa’s activities for that particular month. It’s a great way for young children to learn the months of the year!
The author is known for his children’s books, but parents may recognize him as a former writer for the Simpsons! His comical side clearly shows in his writing!
I highly recommend this book as an addition to your home or public library. It’s guaranteed to put a smile on your face!
Thanks to the publisher, I have an extra copy of this book to give away! To enter, please fill out the form below. The winner will be contacted on Wednesday, December 22nd. In the spirit of the holidays, this giveaway is open worldwide!
Publisher: Forge Books; First Edition edition (September 28, 2010)
ISBN-10: 0765326973
Source: Publisher
Lily Moore is a travel writer, living in Spain. She’s called to return to New York after her sister, Claudia, is found dead in her apartment. Claudia had her share of trouble; she was a recovering heroin addict, living in an apartment Lily paid for. Lily is instantly riddled with guilt; she hadn’t talked to her sister in several months.
When Lily goes to identify the body, she is shocked to find that the body is not her sisters, but another “Claudia” who has been living in her sister’s apartment for months. In investigation is instantly launched, led by NYPD detectives Renfrew & Buxton, aided by Lily.
As if her sister’s death isn’t enough, Lily is forced to deal with her ex-fiance, Martin Sklar, a wealthy hotel owner who can’t seem to get over her. When the police find proof that Martin & Claudia had lengthy phone conversations while she was in Spain, Lily can’t help but wonder if the two were “involved.”
Ultimately, the investigation leads police to a rehab clinic & a doctor who had a reputation of becoming involved with his female patients.
My copy of The Damage Done has been sitting on my TBR shelf for several weeks. I was waiting for some quiet time to sit down & completely devote myself to it. This weekend was the perfect time. Within minutes, I was completely absorbed in the story. My expectations were exceeded, something that hasn’t happened recently.
The Damage Done is a stellar debut novel by Hilary Davidson. I appreciated how she incorporated parts of her life (as a travel writer) into the main character, Lily. Lily is an extremely realistic and flawed character: her exterior reveals a strong, independent woman but inside she’s vulnerable.
The storyline is unique & compelling. Throughout the book, Davidson threw out enough curve-balls that I was completely suprised by the resolution. The ending is wrapped up well, finely paced, not rushed at all. I’m hoping there is a sequel or two…the sexual tension between her & Detective Buxton must be dealt with!
Fans of crime fiction will be enamored by this phenomenal piece of debut fiction. Pick it up; you won’t regret it!
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading This Week? This is a weekly event to list the books completed last week, the books currently being reading, and the books to be finish this week. It was created by J.Kaye’s Book Blog, but is now being hosted by Sheila from One Person’s Journey Through a World of Books so stop by and join in!
Frightful Friday is a weekly meme in which I feature a particularly scary or chilling book that I’ve read that week. Feel free to grab the button & join in! Be sure to include a link to your post in the Mr. Linky at the bottom of this post!
This week’s book is Matched by Ally Condie. You may ask why I deem this book eligible for Frightful Friday…read on to find out why.
Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 369 pages
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile (November 30, 2010)
Language: English
In the world young Cassia lives in, Society Officials decide everything: where you live, who you marry, where you work, & when you die. According to the Society, this is the best course of action. In the past, society had too much technolology, too much of everthing to truly appreciate what they had.
Individuals, upon reaching the age of seventeen, attend the Banquet and are matched with their future spouses. Their names are called & their match’s face appears on the screen. In most cases, they’ve never met their Match before.
However, in Cassia’s case, the face that flashes before her is very familiar: it is the face of her lifelong best friend, Xander. It’s a statistical anomoly to be matched with someone you’ve grown up with. The entire society is quite intrigued. Cassia is certain Xander is the one…until she plug’s in her match’s microchip and a completely different face flashes before her. A face that couldn’t possibly be her match, and individual destined to be a Single, never meant to be matched to anyone.
Cassia can’t help but be confused by these turn of events. Just who is she destined to be with? This, and her grandfather’s “scheduled” passing, forces Cassia to question the society in which she lives.
I learned about Matched at BEA (Book Expo America) earlier this year. I obtained an ARC there and it’s been sitting on my shelf, begging to be read, since then. The wait was well worth it. Condie’s writing is so detailed, every little description & detail is important to the story. The colors, the clothing, every word had a need & purpose to the overall story.
While reading Matched , I had to pause frequently so I could absorb and contemplate the world in which Cassia lived. What would it be like to live in a world when you had no say? The Society tells you how much to exercise, what to eat, monitors your dreams. Nothing is private, nothing is held sacred. They control what you read-in this case, only 100 poems, songs, etc. are kept. All others are destroyed.
What really floored me was that everyone, minus Cassia perhaps, seemed to be okay with this. Perhaps because they’d lived this way for so long. One exclusion to this was Cassia’s grandfather. He remembered life before the Society. He remembered great literature. He prodded Cassia to think for herself, question life, and urged her, to not go gentle into this society…to rage against the world in which she lived in. These sentiments were taken from a poem by Dylan Thomas Do Not Go Gentle Into That Dark Night, a poem that I memorized as a young teen. At his passing, Cassia’s grandfather provided her with this poem and the line that is truly powerful in this situation is the following:
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rage at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Cassia’s grandfather had reached the age of 80, the age in which all citizens of the Society died. Again, just one more thing individuals had no say in. He wasn’t ready to die, he still had plenty of life left to lead. He didn’t want his feelings, his memories, to die with him, so he passed them on to Cassia.
Although it is labeled as a dystopian fiction, it is my opinion that Matched has characteristics of both a dystopia and utopia. On the outside, Society looks perfect. Everyone lives a efficient and successful life. It’s not until you look below the surface that you begin to see how horrific things really are.
Matched is the first in a trilogy. I look forward to the second book, CROSSED, scheduled for release next fall.
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In Amsterdam in 1972, a teenage girl discovers an ancient book and papers in her father’s office. The pages of the book are empty except for the image of a dragon. She confronts her father, Paul, who reluctantly admits its source. Twenty years ago, his mentor, James Rossi, disappeared. Rossi was known for his fascination with Vlad the Impaler, also known as Dracula. Rossi believed that Vlad still existed. In an attempt to find his mentor, Paul (with the aid of Rossi’s daughter, Helen) trapses all over Eastern Europe in the hopes of locating Rossi…and Dracula.
The storyline is split into three parts: 1930 when Professor Rossi begins his search for Dracula, 1950 when Paul, Rossi’s “student” takes up the search for his professor, and 1972, which is the main storyline. While this might seem confusing & distracting, the multiple narrators in this audio helped keep the storylines separate and unique.
Told from a series of letters (Kostova honored Bram Stoker’s DRACULA by mimicking the same format) The Historian is a blend of several genres: horror, history & literary fiction. This is one of the few books I can recommend to anyone, for this blend of genres would make this book appealing to a wide audience.
Despite my many attempts, I’m unable to truly put into words just how much I enjoyed this novel. While I read it when it was originally released and enjoyed it, I had the desire to see what it would be like as an audiobook. I am forever thankful I made this decision. This is one of those books that must be listened to, to savor the characters voices, listen to the letters as they are read aloud. The narrators (Joanne Whalley, Dennis Boutsikaris, Rosalyn Landor, Martin Jarvis, Robin Atkin Downes, & Jim Ward) portrayed each of the characters in a completely unique & memorable way.
In order to prevent further gushing, I’ll wrap up this review with this line: I loved it, now go & buy it!
