Just Another Girl and her Books: September 2017

Saturday, September 30, 2017

Platypire Read-A-Thon September Results

Photo courtesy of Platypire Maribel

How is September over already? I swear it was just March a couple days ago. I'm not going to lie, this month was a total bust for reading for me. Seriously, I feel like I didn't get any reading done, and my blog has been seriously lacking in reviews this month (I'm going to pretend that's purely because Joood - Hooligan and I put Review or Regret on hold for the month so she could recuperate from the devastation of Hurricane Harvey without having to worry about singing Justin Bieber. But really, I'd planned on trying to get all caught up on reviews this month anyway, and that did NOT happen. Maybe next month.)

But anyway, without further ado, here are my reading/reviewing results for September.

R - Read

C - Currently Reading

T - To Be Read
NR - Needs Reviewed

Read
R - Sneak Peek: The Devils Claw by Lara Dearman (Sept.) - Review
R - Sneak Peek: Calling Major Tom by David Barnett (Sept.) - Review

Reviewed
Titles link to reviews.
(I have nothing to put here, that's how bad I did at reviewing books this month.)

Needs Reviewed

NR - Mary Ting Proofread (Not yet listed on Goodreads)
NR - Alexandrea Weis Proofread (Not yet listed on Goodreads)
NR - Bicycle Thieves by Mary di Michele (March)
NR - Alexandrea Weis Proofread (Not yet listed on Goodreads)
NR - Ginna Moran Proofread (Not yet listed on Goodreads)
NR - Mary Ting Proofread (Not yet listed on Goodreads)
NR - Princess of Draga by Emma Dean (July)
NR - Damned by Alexandrea Weis and Lucas Astor (July)
NR - ISAN by Mary Ting (2016)
NR - Strike a Pose by Ginna Moran (August)
NR - The Witches: Salem 1692 by Stacy Schiff (July)*
NR - The Lost Letter by Jillian Cantor (June)*
NR - Cooking for Picasso by Camille Aubray (July)*
NR - Son by Lois Lowry (May)*
NR - A House for Happy Mothers (April)*
NR - The Address by Fiona Davis (July)
NR - The Library of Fates by Aditi Khorana (June)
NR - Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor (June)
NR - Only Ever You by Lisa Suzanne (July)
NR - Impossible Views of the World by Lucy Ives (July)
NR - Mask of Shadows by Linsey Miller (July)
NR - 7th Grade Revolution by Liana Gardner (Sept.)
NR - The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (2015)*
NR - Thommy Hutson Proofread (Not yet listed on Goodreads)

Currently Reading

C - The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd (2015)*

C - The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin (2016)*

C - Sweetwater: The Kihn by Rivi Jacks (2015)*

C - Give Me Your Answer True by Suanne Laqueur (2015)*

C - The Voyage by Tammie Painter (2015)*

C - Black Earth: The Holocaust as History and Warning by Timothy Snyder (2015)*

C - The Road Home by Kathleen Shoop (2015)*

C - Troll by Ashley C. Harris (2015)*

C - The Sanctum of Souls by R.K. Pavia (2015)*

C - The Travelers by Chris Pavone (2015)*

C - Back of Beyond by Neeny Boucher (2016)*

C - The Things We Wish Were True by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen (2016)*

C - Letter's From Paris by Juliette Blackwell (2016)*

C - An Exaltation of Larks by Suanne Laqueur (2016)*

C - River of Ink by Paul M.M. Cooper (Jan)*

C - The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco (Jan)*

C - Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor (2016)*
C - My Sister's Grave by Robert Dugoni (Feb)*
C - Everything Belongs to Us by Yoojin Grace Wuertz (Feb)*
C - Eleanor Roosevelt: The War Years by Blanche Wiesen Cook (Feb)*
C - What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty (April)*
C - The Women in the Castle by Jessica Shattuck (May)*
C - The Witchwood Crown by Tad Williams (June)*
C - Artemis by Andy Weir (August)
C - Handbook for Mortals by Lani Sarem (Sept.)
C - The Sacred Knights by Mary Ting (Sept.)
C - Beauty and the Mustache by Penny Reid (Sept.)
C - A Kiss So Deadly by Mary Reason Theriot (Sept.)
C - How to Change a Life by Stacey Ballis (August)

To Be Read

T - The Devil's Prayer by Luke Gracias (Feb)

T - Courage to Soar by Simone Biles (March)
T - In Such Good Company by Carol Burnett (March)
T - The Idea of You by Amanda Prowse (April)
T - The Radium Girls by Kate Moore (April)
T - Betwixters: Once Upon a Time by Laura C. Cantu (June)
T - Emma in the Night by Wendy Walker (July)

T - Everything We Left Behind by Kerry Lonsdale (July)
T - Zoonauts by Richard Mueller (July)
T - Cooking for Ghosts: The Secret Spice Cafe by Patricia V. Davis (July)
T - The Scary Train Ride by Marlene Bischoff (July)
T - Skyward Bound: Hot-Air Ballooning by Alese & Morton Pechter (July)
T - Roxie the Doxie Finds Her Forever Home by Jody A. Dean, Ph.D. (July)
T - Gerome Sticks His Neck Out by L.S.V. Baker (July)
T - The Adventure of Thomas the Turtle by Stuart Samuel (GR) (July)
T - The Fable of the Snake Named Slim by Doug Snelson (August)
T - How to Behave in a Crowd by Camille Bordas (August)
T - Spellbook of the Lost and Found by Moira Fowley-Doyle (August)
T - Ramses the Damned by Anne Rice & Christopher Rice (August)
T - Nyxia by Scott Reintgen (August)
T - Beasts Made of Night by Tochi Onyebuchi (August)
T - A Thousand Rooms by Helen Jones (August)
T - The Border by Steve Schafer (August)
T - Berserker by Emily Laybourne (August)
T - Nemesis by Anna Banks (August)
T - The Vengeance of Mothers by Jim Fergus (August)
T - Sneak Peek: The Returning Tide by Liz Fenwick (September)
T - Sneak Peek: Little Sister by Isabel Ashdown (September)
T - Lords of the Underworld Sampler by Gena Showalter (September)
T - The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud (September)
T - Sneak Peek: Nadiyah's British Food Adventure by Nadiyah Hussain (September)
T - How to Find Love in a Bookshop by Veronica Henry (September)
T - A Conspiracy in Belgravia by Sherry Thomas (September)
T - The Salt Line by Holly Goddard Jones (September)
T - Emma Dean Proofread (September)

So I only finished reading five books and two sneak peeks in September. But aside from starting to read A Handbook for Mortals (check out my slow as molasses live tweeting of that experience here), the only books that got added to my list that weren't there at the beginning of the month were either last minute proofreads (or proofreads I managed to have put on my calendar in the wrong month), and my book club book which wasn't selected yet at the beginning of September. And other than that, I stuck to my list (which is way easier for me to do when I only read five books apparently.)

So September was a bomb for me reading-wise. On the bright side October can only be better! - Katie

Have you joined the 12 Books of Christmas Challenge yet? Find out more details and sign up here.

Stacking the Shelves 30 September 2017

(Titles link to Amazon via Amazon Affiliate links)

Stacking The Shelves is a feature/weekly meme created by Tynga’s Reviews in which you share the books you are adding to your shelves, both physical and virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical stores or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

Now, I already have a monthly post I do featuring the books I get in the mail (and it's a lot because I have a serious Goodreads First Reads giveaway addiction), and I'm going to try to start posting my monthly Read-A-Thon posts again too (even if none of the Platypires will be joining me), which will cover the books I receive through Netgalley. But I also go to my thrift store at least once a week, and often leave with a bag full of books. It's such a common occurrence that I'm known as The Book Lady to the frequent volunteers (and I suspect that they've started scheduling their $1 bag of books sales for Thursdays simply because that is the day I usually visit.) So my Stacking the Shelves posts are going to focus on my thrift store hauls, because this is my blog and I do what I want.

On that note, here are the books I picked up this week.

Haunted by Chuck Palahniuk - I've mentioned before that I collect everything by Chuck Palahniuk and at some point I'm even going to read his books. I happened to "steal" this book from another thrift shopper, but I don't really feel too bad about that, because I waited outside the thrift store for over an hour for it to open, whereas he'd seen it on his lunch break and had just come back to buy it. I also got them impression that he only bought books to resell at higher prices, whereas the book will have a home on my shelves forever.
Consuelo and Alva Vanderbilt: The Story of a Mother and Daughter in the Gilded Age by Amanda Mackenzie Stuart - I recognize the Vanderbilt name, but I don't really know much about them aside from the fact that their ridiculously wealthy. This biography should help me learn some more.
The Vanderbilt Women: Dynasty of Wealth, Glamour, and Tragedy by Clarice Stasz - Clearly someone who was interested in the Vanderbilts is clearing off their shelves.
Killing the Rising Sun by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard - I'm not entirely sure what to expect from this book, but I sort of suspect Dugard did most of the writing while O'Reilly just added his name to it for publicity purposes to sell more books.
Sylvester and Tweety: The Treasure Map by Sid Jacobson - My son asked for this book, because the copy we bought is dual language, English and Spanish, and he thinks it might help him learn some Spanish. I'm not sure exactly how successful that will be, but it certainly won't impede his learning.
Pokemon Black and White: Vol. 14 by Hidenori Kusaka - This is another book purchased for my son. He loves Pokemon, and while I'm personally not fond of comic books, if they get my son loving to read, I'll buy them.

Islands in the Stream by Ernest Hemingway - Compared to some of the other Hemingway novels I own, this one is kind of a beast (most of his novels are on the short side).
The Fate of Africa: A History of Fifty Years of Independence by Martin Meredith - This should be educational.
The Wings of Merlin by T.A. Barron - I've always been a fan of stories involving magic, even before Harry Potter was a thing, and I love the idea of Merlin in general.
Suite Française by Irène Némirovsky - This book is set during WWII...and I didn't read enough of the back matter to discover this when I picked up the book, but the author was arrested and sent to Auschwitz before she completed the series this was supposed to be part of.
Sphinx's Princess by Esther Friesner - YA historical fiction about Nefertiti. This was a must buy for me.
Personal Effects: Dark Art by J.C. Hutchins and Jordan Weisman - I'm not sure I'm really interested in reading this book...but I always buy the ARCs when I see them on the shelves at the thrift store. And I'm always a bit curious as to where they're coming from.
Star Wars Origami by Chris Alexander - My parents got me interested in origami...I've only ever been able to make flying cranes (and I used to make those by the dozen while sitting in class bored during lectures), but maybe I have a little bit more patience now to tackle this. ($2.50)
Louisiana Legacy by Thibodaux Service League - I proofread for two authors who are from Louisiana, and their books always talk about these amazing sounding foods that I've never had before. Hopefully this book can help me out with that. ($1.50)

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary - My son wanted this. He seemed to be quite impressed that over 40 million copies have sold. I explained to him what a dictionary is used for and he still said he wanted it so he can look up words. Hard to argue with that even if we do already own a dictionary or two.
I Spy A Scary Monster by Jean Marzollo - My daughter asked for this book. She's apparently into the I Spy thing right now.
West of Kabul, East of New York an Afghan American Story by Tamil Ansary - This should be an interesting read I think.
Say You're One of Them by Uwem Akpan - This is a diversity read.
Medium Raw by Anthony Bourdain - I building a collection of Anthony Bourdain's books, I think...At least I'm pretty sure I already own Kitchen Confidential, and I think I own A Cook's Tour as well.
Before the Deluge: A Portrait of Berlin in the 1920s by Otto Friedrich - Like I've mentioned many times, I'm fascinated by WWII. That fascination includes the events leading up to it, so this book should be fascinating.
Penmarric by Susan Howatch - I had no idea what this book was about when I picked it up, because it's a naked hardback book. No dust jacket means no book blurb. But I had room in my second bag of books so I decided to grab it anyway. The name sounded somewhat familiar.

So that's all the books I picked up this week. This haul cost me a whopping $5 (in large part because of the origami book and the cookbook). I'm not sure what's going on at my thrift store right now, but the books are consistently 50 cents a bag when I go in and the shelves are always super stocked, so I take full advantage.

What books did you add to your shelves this week? - Katie

*If you're stopping by from the linkup, please be sure to leave a link to your post so I can be sure to see what you got this week.*

Have you joined the 12 Books of Christmas Challenge yet? You can find out more details about it and sign up here.

Friday, September 29, 2017

Book Blogger Hop 29 September 2017

We are on to a new week for the Book Blogger Hop hosted by the lovely folks over at Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer. This weeks questions is:

Have you ever slept with a favorite, beloved book under your pillow, or cradled in your arms? (submitted by Maria @ A Night's Dream of Books)

My answer to this question is probably, I think. You see, when I was a kid I used to only sleep on half of my bed, and the other half had all sorts of random stuff on it like toys, stuffed animals, and books (I'm sure). My pillow would be pushed up against this mass of stuff, so at some point I'm sure I technically slept with one of my favorite books underneath my pillow. It wasn't, however, a conscious decision made simply because I love the book so much.

What about you? Have you ever slept with a favorite book under your pillow or in your arms? - Katie

*If you're stopping by from the link up, please be sure to leave a link to your post so I can see your answer too.*

Have you signed up for the 12 Books of Christmas Challenge yet? What are you waiting for. Find out more details by clicking here.

Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Deja Revu 25 September 2017

Déjà Revu is a weekly review round-up that is open to all book review blogs.

Original

August Favorites - Platypires @Platypire Reviews

Meme

Boho Book Club:

Reading Challenge:

Contemporary

Her Book Boyfriend (The Awkward Duckling #1) by K.R. Grace - Curly Carla @Celebrity Readers

Fantasy

Paranormal

Romance

Live Fast, Die Young by Vanessa Barneveld - Caroline Andrus || Author & Blogger

Dystopian/Post Apocalyptic

The City: The Jane Harvesting by A. Nicky Hjort - Bob @ Platypire Reviews

Fantasy

The Collectors' Society (The Collectors' Society #1) by Heather Lyons - Curly Carla @Celebrity Readers

Romance

Return (Coming Home, #1), by Meli Raine - Curly Carla @Celebrity Readers

Science Fiction

The Deftly Paradox by M. D. White - Bob @ Platypire Reviews

Contemporary

Dystopian/Post Apocalyptic

Puppeteer of the Dead by Troy McCombs - Luna @ Platypire Reviews

Historical

Mystery

#SneakPeekSunday: The Devil's Claw by Lara Dearman - Katie @Just Another Girl and Her Books

Non-Fiction

Paranormal

First Grave on the Right (Charley Davidson #1) by Darynda Jones - Curly Carla @Celebrity Readers

Romance

Science Fiction

#SneakPeekSunday: Calling Major Tom by David Barnett - Katie @Just Another Girl and Her Books

Suspense/Thriller

Revelation by Carter Wilson and Timothy McKean - Bob @ Platypire Reviews

Romance

Belong to You by Vi Keeland - Lenoreo @Celebrity Readers

Top Ten Tuesday Books that Feature Katies Who Die Spoilers

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Joood - Hooligan of Platypire reviews bossed me into doing this, so I guess this is a thing I do now.

This weeks theme is books that feature characters______. So you may not know this about me, but I strive to get people to write me into their books to kill me off (because it's easier to become a dead body than a main character). I have have some measure of success with this because I'm super persuasive (aka, I will annoy the fuck out of you until you want to kill me off a thousand times over).

So here is a list of books where Katie (or some variation of my name like Katherine, Katerina etc. if it was more fitting for the character) dies. And yes, this is spoilers (obviously), but she's usually a pretty minor character, so there's that.

1: Squirrel Bait by C.P. Davis - I'm fairly certain that Mr. Davis is upset with me because I still haven't read this book even after he wrote me into it and killed me off. I've tried suggesting to him that killing me again could relieve that anger, but he's resistant at this point.

2: The Golem of Solomon's Way by Jon Messenger - I haven't read this book either, but in my defense on this one, it's the third book in the series and I haven't had time to read the first two. I did get to read a brief excerpt with my character, but not my death, so I'm not sure how I die. One day I will find the time to read this series though.

3: Destiny's Wings by D.S. Schmeckpeper - This book I've read and I know exactly how I die, but I'm not telling you. I will tell you that the book is fantasy if that helps you figure it out (it probably doesn't though).

4: Destiny's Flame by D.S. Schmeckpeper - This is the second book in a series and I die in it too (I'm supposed to be dying in the third book as well, but the author has taken a break from this series to work on another project). I found my death in this book much more fun than the first.

5: A Thousand Rooms by Helen Jones - I haven't read this book yet either, but I requested it on Netgalley specifically because the synopsis clearly states that Katie is dead. Even though that Katie wasn't based on me exactly, it's still a dead Katie.

6: Vintage Volume One by Lisa Suzanne - I've read this book, but I've read so many of Lisa Suzanne's books that I couldn't remember exactly which one my death was featured in (I'm trying to get her to kill me off again in another series. I'll wear her down eventually) so I had to ask. She says my death was pretty brutal, so if you'd like to see me brutally killed, this is the book for you to read.

7: Midnight Moonrising by K.S. Haigwood and Anne Conley - Even though I've read this book, I don't remember exactly how I die. The book does feature vampires and werewolves though, so I'm pretty sure I was killed by one of them.

8: Peace in Flames by Caroline Andrus - This book is currently in the editing process and is not yet listed on Goodreads even. But I'm friends with the author so I've gotten to read about my death. It hits a bit close to home without being at all like an event from my past that almost actually killed me.

Alright, so it's not ten books, and one of them wasn't using me specifically as the name inspiration, but this is still quite an accomplishment if you ask me. I mean really, can you think of anyone else who has been intentionally killed off in seven books? - Katie

*If you are stopping by from the link-up, please be sure to leave a link to your post so I can see your take on this topic.*

Saturday, September 23, 2017

Stacking the Shelves 23 September 2017

(Titles link to Amazon via Amazon Affiliate links)

Aztec by Gary Jennings - I have been eyeing this book for about a month now, I might have bought it sooner had I realized it included a post-it note with some random phone numbers on it. Think I should give them a call?
The Holiday Gift by RaeAnne Thayne - I picked this book up with my 12 Books of Christmas Challenge in mind. You can see more details about that by clicking on the name. I'd love to have you join.
Frozen Heat by Richard Castle - My husband and I enjoy watching Castle together occasionally (or at least we did, we haven't watched it in a couple years now), so I'm intrigued by the idea of the books at least.
Little Bee by Chris Cleave - This cover called to me. And the synopsis is rather uninformative and that apparently appealed to me this week.
Marco Polo by Laurence Bergreen - I believe that anyone who has spent even a small amount of time at a public swimming pool knows this man's name. I can honestly say that I don't know a whole heck of a lot about why it's so famous though. Maybe this book will change that.
Whose Baby Am I? by John Butler - My daughter asked for this book because she is obsessed with baby everything. She even wants me to have another baby and I keep telling her that ship sailed the day she was born (I had tubal ligation done following a c-section).
Jules Verne Collected Novels by Jules Verne - So I have only ever read Around the World in 80 Days, but this seemed like too good a deal to pass up.
Presidential Trivia by Ernie Couch - When I was in school, I was in Scholar's Bowl/Quiz Bowl (because I've always been a nerd), and this book contains some of the types of questions that can be asked during those meets. I'm hoping my kids will be equally nerdy and find this book interesting.

Beyond the Valley of Thorns by Patrick Carman - I am pretty sure I got the first book in this series a week or so ago (the cover art looks very familiar) so I figured I ought to get the second book when I saw it.
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett - I'm pretty sure this book appears on some of those lists of books everyone should read that I so love...Either that, or the name just sounds super familiar to me because I come from a musically inclined family and bel canto is an operatic term.
Only Twice I've Wished for Heaven by Dawn Turner Trice - This cover really intrigued me.
The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan - I'm like 98% positive I already bought a hardback copy of this book, which means I need to find that to take it back to the thrift store because I much prefer paperbacks like this in my collection.
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls - I hear this book is soon to be a major motion picture, or is a major motion picture by now I suppose. I haven't read it yet though, but at least now I have a copy in case my husband wants to watch the movie.
The Piano Tuner by Daniel Mason - Historical fiction, and like I mentioned before, I come from a musically inclined family. I grew up in a house with a piano room (that's what we called it) that housed my mother's Steinway grand piano (or maybe it was a baby grand, but I'm pretty sure it was just a standard grand).
The Half Has Never Been Told by Edward E. Baptist - This book is about the legacy of slavery in America, I think. I mean, I'll have to read it to figure out for sure how I would describe it.
Mud Soup by Judith Head - My son asked for this level 3 beginner reader. A part of me wanted to say no because he should be reading chapter books fairly exclusively at this point, but then I remembered that I'm a 33 year-old woman who sometimes enjoys the ease of reading a middle grade novel. Plus, my daughter can read this as well.
I'm So Grumpy by Hans Wilhelm - This is a level one beginning reader that I bought for my daughter to read. It should be relatively easy for her, but that helps to inspire reading confidence in my opinion.

Meet Kaya by Janet Shaw - This is a book from the American Girls collection about a Native American girl. Definitely the kind of books I want my kids reading.
Kaya and Lone Dog by Janet Shaw - This is book 4 in the Kaya collection.
Kaya Shows the Way by Janet Shaw - This is book 5 in the Kaya collection.
Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power by Jon Meacham - I'm building myself a rather sizable collection of non-fiction books about America's founding fathers.
Jonathan Edwards: A Life by George M. Marsden - Another non-fiction book about an early influential American.
A Leap in the Dark: The Struggle to Create the American Republic by John Ferling - It's becoming quite clear to me that a political science major is preparing to PCS out of here. At least that's the way it seems based on the books I've been picking up lately.
Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters - Not going to lie, I was intrigued by the old-timey naked ladies on the cover. Apparently this is a historical lesbian romance, so that should be interesting.
You Can't Scare Me by R.L. Stein - I found another Goosebumps book so I had to buy it.
Athena the Brain by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams - This is the first book in the Goddess Girls series. I haven't read any of these books, but I like the idea behind them and think they may appeal to my daughter in a year or two.

The Post-American World by Fareed Zakaria - I have wanted to get my hands on a copy of this book since the controversy surrounding former President Obama reading it. I mostly remember a whole lot of "He's trying to sabotage America" from a bunch of people judging the book purely on it's title. It made me curious to see what was on the inside.
The Riverside Chaucer edited by Larry D. Benson - I am actually surprised that I wasn't supposed to already own a copy of this book. You see, the last semester I was in college (before I dropped out) I took a Chaucer seminar (I was an English major). You would think a book about Chaucer's life and writings would have been required reading for something like that, wouldn't you? Oh well. I got it MUCH cheaper this way than if I'd had to buy it through the University Bookshop.
Crippled America by Donald Trump - I already own a copy of this book (thanks to Jude and Bekah of Platypire reviews), but I'm pretty sure there is going to come a time when I can repay their "kindness" with a promised reviewed, and this will come in handy.
Washington's Crossing by David Hackett Fischer - More non-fiction about American history.
John Adams by David McCullough - So when I went to get the link for this on Amazon, the cover looked awfully familiar to me, but maybe that's just because old white dudes in wigs all look alike. It's also possible I bought a different copy of this book at the thrift store somewhat recently. If so, one will be going back.
Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow - This book has some underlining, and also an airplane pass for someone heading to Kansas City airport from Georgia (KCI happens to be the airport I'm most familiar with as a native Kansan. I just thought that was a strange coincidence.)

So that is all the books I picked up this week at my thrift store. This haul only cost me $1.50 because the books were on sale for 50 cents a bag (and several of these were hefty books so I required three bags). It's still a super good bargain and I've got some great educational materials in this haul.

What I just said in the previous paragraph is a lie, and while this is still just a draft and I could just delete it, I'm choosing to leave it because I do what I want. I made a second trip to my thrift store this past week, because I have a standing date with the Jehovah's Witnesses on Thursday afternoons that I like to avoid being around for, so I went to base for some more thrift shopping and picked up another bag of books (as well as a Dr. Who ice cube tray and what I would call a cathedral shaped bundt pan). So here are the rest of the books that I got this week.

Mennonite Community Cookbook by Mary Emma Showalter - So this book is actually available on Amazon which makes it not quite the same as my beloved church cookbooks, but it is over 65 years old, which means the recipes will be of the caliber of recipes found in church cookbooks, but with a bit more organization probably.
Ghost Game by Marcia Thornton Jones & Debbie Dadey - This is from the Ghostville Elementary series and is by the authors of the Bailey School Kids series, which I really enjoyed as a child.
Cruel Kings and Mean Queens by Terry Deary - This is from the Horrible Histories series, which is history for kids that doesn't necessarily gloss over the negative aspects, apparently. I don't know for sure, but I think they look fun and will probably read this myself.
Pirates on the Chesapeake by Donald G. Shomette - It's a non-fiction book about pirates, and pirates are fascinating.
Too Great a Lady by Amanda Elyot - This cover fascinated me.
In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson - This books tagline is "Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin" and the cover features a few swastikas. You know I had to buy it considering my fascination with WWII era books.
The Crusades Through Arab Eyes by Amin Maalouf - This book has some highlighting, so hopefully I will find it at least a little bit thought provoking.
In the Footsteps of Mr. Kurtz: Living on the Brink of Disaster in Mobutu's Congo by Michela Wrong - I confess I do not know a lot about the history and politics of the African continent as a whole, let alone much about any of the countries in particular. This seems like a fascinating and informative read though.

We Wish to Inform You that Tomorrow We Will be Killed with Our Families: Stories from Rwanda by Philip Gourevitch - I imagine this will be a rather intense book.
The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon - I wrote a fake review of this book on my other blog, Whose Review is it Anyway, because a friend had mentioned that there was an excessive use of italics in the book, and we decided it was all part of a secret code. I bought the book because I immediately noticed it at the thrift store simply because of that review.
Fugitive Pieces by Anne Michaels - This book at least starts during WWII, in Poland. I had to buy it for that fact alone.
A Bed of Red Flowers: In Search of my Afghanistan by Nelofer Pazira - It's a big week for non-fiction books for me. This one sounds pretty interesting and relevant with current events.
My Giant Dress-up Doll Book - My daughter asked for this book. It's used and most of the pieces have been pressed out, and while some of them are almost definitely missing, the previous owners very clearly took care to keep most of them with the book. There are also little stories in it, so that's a bonus even if pieces are missing.
5,000 Awesome Facts About Everything by National Geographic Kids - My son asked for this book. Considering my recent purchases of yearly almanacs for kids, I was thrilled to say yes to this request. It at least lends plausibility to the fact that some of those almanacs may see use as well.

And that's it. That is absolutely all of the books that I picked up this week at the thrift store. This bit of my haul cost me $2.50 (because the Mennonite Community Cookbook was $2). So my entire book haul for the week ran me $4.

So what books did you add to your shelves this week? - Katie

*If you're stopping by from the link-up, please be sure to leave a link to your post so I can stop by and see your list.*

Friday, September 22, 2017

Book Blogger Hop 22 September 2017

We are on to a new week for the Book Blogger Hop hosted by the lovely folks over at Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer. This weeks questions is:

In regards of Banned Books Week (www.bannedbooksweek.org/), what are your favourite books that has been banned or challenged? (submitted by Kristin @ Lukten av Trykksverte)

I'm pulling the titles for my answer from the ALA most frequently challenged list.

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz - Now I understand that the original illustrations in this series were creepy, but that was part of the beauty of the stories. Seriously, if you're reading this book without the original illustrations, you're missing out.
The Giver by Lois Lowry - I do not know why people object to The Giver, but I imagine the reasons are ridiculous and tied into the fact that this depicts a dystopian society.
Goosebumps by R.L. Stein - Parents always seem to be objecting to "scary" stories as if their children can't handle anything the least bit frightening.
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood - I imagine this book hits a little too close to home for certain demographics and they don't feel like it's a particularly positive depiction. I can't really blame them, but maybe they should look into their practices instead of trying to stop people from reading about them.
The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling - Alright, I get it. There's magic and that just ain't natural. Apparently having a vivid imagination ain't natural either according to some people.

So most of my most favorites from the list are children's books, which kind of makes sense when you think about it. I mean, adults should be more worried about what their children are reading than what other adults are reading, right? I just think there are better ways of keeping your kids from reading books you don't want them exposed to than trying to get said books banned outright.

What about you? What are some of your favorite banned books? - Katie

*If you're stopping by from the link up, please be sure to leave a link to your post so I can be sure to see your answer too.*