6/29/2023 0 Comments Ice by sarah beth durstSo what's with the bear? Years ago the North Wind had promised Bear Cassie's mom, his adopted daughter, who instead shunned her mystical heritage to marry a human scientist. Since when did bears pitch their woo at human teenagers? Who knew meteorological phenomena have human families? These are things you have to roll with when you're the star (or reader) of a fairy tale, even one with snowmobiles and post docs. The daughter of a biologist, Cassie balks at the talking Ursus maritimus on her doorstep, not to mention the ensuing revelation that she's the granddaughter of the North Wind. When protagonist Cassie turns 18 in her father's research station in the Arctic Circle, a polar bear aptly named Bear comes seeking her hand in marriage. While the GPS coordinates heading each chapter suggest Durst meant Ice as an “East of the Sun” for the tech-savvy set, the novel turns out to be less about the iPhone Age than about the age of consent. In her 2010 retelling, Ice, Sarah Beth Durst underscores these themes of agreement and refusal, updating them for today's post-feminist audience. FAIRY AND FOLK TALES are stuffed with magic words and phrases, from “mirror, mirror on the wall” to “open sesame” to “bibbidi-bobbidi-boo.” But in Norway's “East of the Sun and West of the Moon” the most powerful hocus pocus comes from the simple “yes” and “no” - words of bargains and betrothals.
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6/29/2023 0 Comments Cat in the hat story
6/29/2023 0 Comments Sigh goneIf this is the talk of my life, if I’m never going to have an audience or a platform this big, I might as well go for it.” “I think that they were just trying to impress upon me how important the talk was. “As I was preparing for the TEDx talk, one of the refrains that my coach and TEDx organizers kept using was that this is a talk of your life,” says Tran during a phone interview. The longtime Latin teacher and tattoo artist discussed grammar and meaning, but he also told the story of his life: What would have happened if he hadn’t started to cry that night in 1975 when his family decided to escape Saigon? While Tran’s new memoir “Sigh, Gone” explores his subsequent life as an American-raised Gen X kid steeped in pop culture, the book’s roots come from a TEDx talk that Tran gave in 2012. It was a fateful decision that first bus exploded and everyone on board died. When his family left Saigon for the United States, Phuc Tran, then an infant, cried so much that his family had to exit the bus they’d intended to take and wait for another one. Poignant and powerful, Without Merit explores the layers of lies that tie a family together and the power of love and truth. When her escape plan fails, Merit is forced to deal with the staggering consequences of telling the truth and losing the one boy she loves. Fed up with the lies, Merit decides to shatter the happy family illusion that she’s never been a part of before leaving them behind for good. Merit retreats deeper into herself, watching her family from the sidelines, when she learns a secret that no trophy in the world can fix. His wit and unapologetic idealism disarm and spark renewed life into her-until she discovers that he’s completely unavailable. While browsing the local antiques shop for her next trophy, she finds Sagan. Merit Voss collects trophies she hasn’t earned and secrets her family forces her to keep. The once cancer-stricken mother lives in the basement, the father is married to the mother’s former nurse, the little half-brother isn’t allowed to do or eat anything fun, and the eldest siblings are irritatingly perfect. They live in a repurposed church, newly baptized Dollar Voss. Sometimes the only thing it deserves is forgiveness. Not every mistake deserves a consequence. From Colleen Hoover, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of It Ends With Us, comes a moving and haunting novel of family, love, and the power of the truth. 6/29/2023 0 Comments Watership down authorLed by a stouthearted pair of brothers, they journey forth from their native Sandleford Warren through the harrowing trials posed by predators and adversaries, to a mysterious promised land and a more perfect society. Set in England's Downs, a once idyllic rural landscape, this stirring tale of adventure, courage, and survival follows a band of very special rabbits on their flight from the intrusion of man and the certain destruction of their home. A phenomenal worldwide bestseller for almost forty years, Richard Adams's Watership Down is a timeless classic and one of the most beloved novels of all time. Discover-or revisit-the enchanting world of the Sandleford Warren rabbits in this first-ever illustrated edition of a celebrated modern classic. If you’re looking for an entertaining series with a kinder main character check out the Jada Jones Series by Kelly Starling Lyons. Jones starts learning kindness, empath,y, and boundaries in the books to come, this series will be one that’s entertainment value fails to outweigh the life lessons that it imparts. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus will no doubt entertain readers, the bigger question is whether parents want their children reading a story with a terrible role model. And guess what? I didn’t have to ride on the stupid smelly bus.” Even after causing a commotion by hiding in the school, her main thought is, “my mother got to take me home. She shouts, she calls people dumb, she demands to get her own way, and she does not listen to her parents or teachers. is a spoiled child with no respect for others’ boundaries. When emergency responders show up, Junie B. When she finds all the doors are locked, she calls 911 and announces she is having an emergency. Eventually, though, she has to use the bathroom. enjoys exploring the teacher’s desk, the nurse’s room, and the empty school halls. decides to hide in the school rather than take the smelly bus home. But after hearing about a kid who rode the bus and had chocolate milk poured on their head, Junie B. Once at school, she enjoys her day but struggles using her inside voice. When she gets on the bus, she meets Jim, who she decides she hates. Jones is excited to start school, but she is NOT excited to ride the bus. 6/29/2023 0 Comments The night circus novelThe novel begins as a story of orphanhood, as neither Celia nor Marco has a mother figure in their life, and their paternal influences are distant and mission-oriented. That this bond is stronger than many blood relations suggests the power and importance of chosen families, which offer refuge to those who feel excluded from their own kin or otherwise marginalized in society. The community in The Night Circus provides the performers and organizers a sense of belonging that, for most of them, would not be available otherwise. I felt like I finally had a home, a place I could belong.” This sense of community is played out in the novel not only in the relationships among the performers, but in the profound connection among the devoted fans of the circus as well. As Isobel the fortune-teller affirms, “I loved the circus. Set in Victorian London, the novel reflects the fact that historically, the circus was known as a refuge for performers who were shunned for their differences or unique abilities and, in turn, looked to the circus community for acceptance and shared experience. The Night Circus presents an unconventional view of family structures, as most of the characters have, for one reason or another, separated from their biological families and adopted the circus as a de-facto family unit. 6/28/2023 0 Comments Out of position by kyell goldIf they're exposed, they could lose the careers they've fought so hard for. Their secret romance is hard enough for them to handle, but that's only the beginning of their problems, as their friends, family, and co-workers keep mounting the pressure to find out what's going on. He's a gay fox who never thought he'd fall for a football player, until he met Dev. That's all he wants-until he meets Lee, a fox with an agenda and an attractive body. He and his teammates still get to strut around and have their pick of the girls on Friday nights at the local meat market. "Dev is a football player at Forester University, a small liberal arts college where football isn't a big deal. Here's the book synopsis, from Kyell Gold's website: At FC, I do believe there's some kind of author signing scheduled at the Sofawolf dealer's table on Saturday. :]įor those who may not know, I did the cover and 9 interior illustrations for the book, plus chapter heads. Kyell was kind enough to send a photo of the book so I could see how the cover printed. Happy to say that the Out of Position novel, by Kyell Gold, is scheduled to release next weekend at FC! (And it'll be available on, after the convention, if you're interested and unable to attend!) You’ll be on your way up! You’ll be seeing great sights! You’ll join the high fliers who soar to high heights. Step with care and great tact, and remember that life’s a great balancing act. You’re in pretty good shape for the shape you are in. So, open your mouth, lad! For every voice counts!įrom there to here, and here to there, funny things are everywhere. It’s not.Īnd will you succeed? Yes you will indeed! (98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.) Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. I’m afraid sometimes you’ll play lonely games too, games you can’t win because you’ll play against you. There is no one alive who is youer than you.īe who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind. Today you are you, that is truer than true. Today I shall behave, as if this is the day I will be remembered. You oughta be thankful a whole heaping lot for the people and places you’re lucky you’re not. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. It’s not about what it is, it’s about what it can become. If things start happening, don’t worry, don’t stew, just go right along and you’ll start happening too. A person’s a person, no matter how small. Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.ĭon’t give up! I believe in you all. " I felt the story was very lame and not all that well written. " again, the movies are good, but never do justice to the book! " - Rhiannon, " Brilliant book a must for anyone especially those with an interest in spirituality and the after life " - Lisa, It makes some interesting observations about life and death but at it's core it's a love novel and people generally really like it or really dislike it and find it boring. Overall Performance: Narration Rating: Story Rating:.Perfectly entertaining, couldn't put it down." However, I'm so glad I finished! LOVED the last half. And Richard Matheson should have left off the introductory note. "The descriptions of Summerland ("heaven") bored me enough that I took a few weeks to read this. When tragedy threatens to divide them forever, Chris risks his very soul to save Annie from an eternity of despair.īased on a wealth of research into the subject of life after death, this powerful story of the boundaries of existence and the love that transcends them was the basis for the Oscar-winning film starring Robin Williams. But even heaven is not complete without Annie, and the divided soul mates will do anything to reach each other across the boundaries between life and death. Now Chris must discover the true nature of life after death. What happens to us after we die? Chris Nielsen had no idea, until an unexpected accident cut his life short, separating him from his beloved wife, Annie. |