In 1920 Frankie graduates from high school and she is given a scrapbook and her dead father’s old typewriter.  That scrapbook is this novel. Using vintage postcards, letters, swatches, etc., Frankie is able to document her story as she attends Vassar, moves to New York and then to Paris.  She is also able to use captions to tell of her many relationships and make us care about her story.

I liked Frankie immensely and over the few years this novel covered she had many stories to tell.  She came in contact with the wealthy families at Vassar (she was there on scholarship) as well as self-proclaimed spinsters looking for adventure.  She also met the likes of Edna St. Vincent Millay and James Joyce.  Frankie was a girl living in up in the 1920′s.

I was so impressed with the creativity of this book.  I love the fact that Preston thought outside the box and found a new way to tell a story.  The pages were beautiful and fun to look at.  I was surprised at how easily I was drawn in and captivated by the scrapbook.  At the beginning I was taking my time looking over each page but as the story progressed I found myself turning the pages faster and I had to force myself to slow down.

I loved this charming book and think it would be one that you would pick up from time to time to look at the memorabilia that Preston has collected.

I don’t usually watch book trailers but I thought this unique book was served well by it.

I borrowed this from my library.

Jack Reacher series, Book 6 (Book 1) (Book 2) (Book 3) (Book 4) (Book 5)

“A handshake isn’t enough,” she said.  “You’re going to do it for us.”  Then she paused.  “And you were nearly my brother-in-law.”

He said nothing.  Just nodded and shuffled out from behind the table and glanced back once.  Then he headed up the stairs and out to the street.  Her perfume was on his hand.  He walked around to the cabaret lounge and left a note for his friends in their dressing room.  Then he headed out to the highway, with ten whole days to find a way to kill the fourth-best-protected person on the planet.

Chapter 1 

Series Main Character- Jack Reacher.  Many series have a main character or two and many recurring characters.  This series only needs one, loner extraordinaire, Reacher.  He’s a badass.  He makes his way around the country righting wrongs and fighting injustices.  He doesn’t have a home, an ATM card, close friends, but he does have a heart and lots of confidence.  He’s retired military police so he knows his stuff and his talents and he is not afraid to give into his baser instincts for vengeance.  Oh, and he absurdly attractive to women.  Me included.

Story- His dead brother’s ex-girlfriend works for the Secret Service and she is in charge of  protecting the Vice President elect.  When he begins receiving death threats, Froelich tracks down Reacher to help her figure out if they could do it.  Reacher brings in an old military friend, Neagley and the two of them start tracking the would be assassins.

How it stacks up-This is right up there with the best of the series so far.  I love good political intrigue and this was a fun look inside the Secret Service.  The pseudo history with Froelich and the comfortable friendship with Neagley made this one more appealing than some of the others.

Who should be reading this series- A must read for anyone who likes a great fast-paced thriller.

This was from my personal library.

You have until noon Saturday to submit your answers as a comment.  Comment will be hidden until I post the answers.  No Googling, but feel free to use anything on hand – like an in-class quiz  

This round will last til the end of March.  The person with the most points will win a B&N gift card (total $ based on # of total participants, so please play) and a randomly selected participant will win a fun prize from me.

Have fun and Good Luck!

1. This very long classic tome follows a day in the life of Leo Bloom.

2.

3. This post WWI classic follows the life of Clarissa Dalloway. 

4.

5. This recent YA bestseller follows Clay around as he listens to tapes made by Hannah Baker, who recently committed suicide.

6.

7. This day-of-the-week book follows a London neurosurgeon on his daily routine.

8.

9. Ebenezer has a complete change of heart between night and morning.

10.

Details and Leaderboard here.  Last week’s Scholarly Author Quiz here.

My mom officially retired before Christmas but with it being a busy time of year we decided to wait until this weekend to surprise her (and my dad) with a party at their house.  A fun time was had by all, even if the retiree everyone was there to congratulate was over an hour late due to a very busy restaurant.  My aunt and uncle were anxiously watching my dad eat steak while we were all munching away back at the house.

So, what does this retirement mean for Gage?  Way more time with Grandma.  She still lives over 2 hours away, but the visits will be more frequent.  Win for Gage, win for Grandma, and a win for Mom.

The Story/Plot  This is really a coming of age story for Lily, who has the burden of her mother’s death on her shoulders as well as feeling unloved by her father.  Both the movie and the book portrayed that.  They were so close in storytelling that the few differences from the two, Lily and Zach at the movies and the Sunday church services at the pink house, were not enough to make me choose either one.  Tie

The Visual  I thought the movie brought this story to life beautifully.  I loved seeing the richness of the south and especially liked seeing the beekeeping on screen.  I only wish there had been more of it.  Thumbs up-Movie

Characters vs. Actors  I love Queen Latifah and thought she was a great choice for August.  Actually all of the actresses were great.  The only one that didn’t really match my mind’s view was Rosaleen but the actress was fine.  Withe that being said, I loved the characters in the book and felt a much deeper connection with Lily in the book.  Tie

The Ending  The movie had a hollywood ending.  It was fine, but I prefer the slight messiness of the book.  Thumbs Up-Book

And the winner is…I’m giving a very slight edge to the book, but I think both were excellent.

Now it’s your turn to vote

Take Our Poll

Lydia wondered how long it took before all traces of a person disappeared.  Perhaps it was when there were no longer events where people expected someone’s presence, and that person began to cease to exist even in memory.

Chapter 10

What happens in a nutshell- Lydia is a photographer and on the opening night of her first show a murderer targets one of her models.  The models all portray dead girls of unsolved crimes and Lydia worries that one murder is just the beginning. (B&N review here)

What I liked- The gritty struggle of trying to survive in New York as an artist provided a great back drop to this mystery.  I also love the premise of a killer recreating photos of murdered women that were already recreations.  Confused?   Don’t be, it worked.

What was just okay- I didn’t think the killer was all that surprising.  Lydia herself felt distant to me so I was never turning pages as fast as I could to see what would happen next.  Maybe it would have been better in first person?  Maybe not, but I usually like mysteries and thrillers best when told in first person, so that could just be my bias.

The verdict- I liked it but didn’t love it.  But what do I know?  It did win the Malice Domestic Best First Traditional Mystery Novel Competition.

This was from my personal library.

You have until noon Saturday to submit your answers as a comment.  Comment will be hidden until I post the answers.  No Googling!

This round starts today and will last til the end of March.  The person with the most points will win a B&N gift card (total $ based on # of total participants, so please play) and a randomly selected participant will win a fun prize from me.

Have fun and Good Luck!

1. John Grisham        C. Accounting

2. Stephen King          E. English

3. Jean Auel                A. Business Administration

4. David Baldacci       D. Law

5. Michael Connelly    G. Journalism

6. Anne Tyler               K. Russian Studies

7. JK Rowling              I. French

8. Nicholas Sparks     L. Business/Finance

9. Norman Mailer       F. Aeronautical Engineering

10. Barbara Kingsolver    H. Biology

11. Elizabeth Peters      J. Egyptology

12. Danielle Steel           B. Literature & Fashion Design

Details and Leaderboard here.  Last week’s Hero Quiz here.

Off to Class:Incredible and Unusual Schools Around the World by Susan Hughes

5 Stars!  I cannot recommend this book enough!  In my excitement did I forget to tell you what it was about?  Most of you reading this will have gone to school the traditional way-public or private schools with classrooms and teachers and tests and clocks.  What if you lived in the middle of the rainforest or in the mountains of Nepal?  What if your school was washed away by a hurricane or crumbled by an earthquake.  How would you learn?  This book, by highlighting 23 different schools in 14 countries, shows in beautiful pictures and words how very different cultures live and look at life and learning.

A few of the most unusual schools were the boat school in Bangladesh (the school travels to them during monsoon season), the solar school in the middle of the Amazon rain forest where there was no electricity or phones and access takes 40 hours by speedboat, the green school in Canada that does produce any waste that doesn’t go in the compost, the four child school in Iran, and the traveling school that teaches  the Evenks in Siberia as they are constantly on the move herding reindeer.

The schools are interesting, but the inspiration behind these schools is what sets this book apart.   Most of these schools were set up by someone who saw a need, a person just like you or me, and then found the funding and local help to make it happen.  These schools are there because people believe that everyone, no matter what caste, gender, or location deserves an education.  One university student saw a need for street kids in Columbia to learn so he set up cart schools to take to the kids where they lived and earned a living.  One student’s vision led to countless forgotten kids learning how to read, add, and take care of their bodies.

The layout really adds to the enjoyment of the book.  Each school has a two page spread, with lots of pictures, details, and facts about students around the world.  I think this would be perfect for any library and for any student who complains about going to school.  Recommended for ages 8 and older, but I was completely captivated by it.

This book was generously sent to me by Owl Kids.

Nolatari of Phrenetical::A State of Mind sped ahead of the rest of the competition with 29 of the 100 blogger reviews.  Her charity of choice is Give Kids the World, an organization that provides fairy tale vacations to children with life-threatening diseases. 

So, I’m headed over to the website now to contribute $100 to their worthy cause and if you are looking for a new charity you should take a look too.

Give Kids The World is a non-profit organization that exists only to fulfill the wishes of all children with life-threatening illnesses and their families from around the world to experience a memorable, joyful, cost-free visit to the Central Florida attractions, and to enjoy the magic of Give Kids The World Village for as long as there is a need.
Over 112,000 children have had their dream come true at Give Kids The World. No child in need has ever been turned away – and no child ever will. Give Kids The World is a place where families find joy, laughter, serenity, and a lifetime of memories. 

I’ve enjoyed your participation and learning about a new charity so much that I’ve decided to do it again this year.  So, get your snappy 5 word reviews ready and the charity of choice could be yours   Just in case you were wondering how close some of you were Heather and Stephanie finished in 2nd with 15 reviews each.

Unabridged audio 5.5 hours. Read by Tina Fey.

What’s not to love about Tina Fey?  I loved her on Saturday Night Live Weekend Update, her parody of Sarah Palin and still laugh during every 30 Rock episode.  She is one smart cookie.  It was a no-brainer that I would read this book and when I heard so much praise for the audio I thought I’d give it a try.  The book is so well served by Fey’s own delivery that I’m not even interested in reading the actual book because I don’t think it could be as entertaining.

Tina’s childhood was much like many of ours, only seemingly funnier.  Her Clint Eastwood-like Dad sounded like a riot and I could totally relate to a dad with a strong personality.  As she moved into high school I kept thinking that she seemed just as awkward, but so much older than I ever felt.

My favorite part of the book was the second half when she talked about SNL and 30 Rock. I loved the behind the scenes look at how things worked there and liked seeing the emergence of women comedians during her time on the show.  SNL is not the same without them.  My favorite part was being able to listen to the first Sarah Palin skit she did with Amy Poehler as Hillary Clinton.  I laughed through the whole thing.  I liked the balance of personal and professional.

My final assessment?  Tina Fey is smart and funny and so is her book.

I checked this audio out of the library.