Hunger Games, the movie??

I just read that The Hunger Games is going to be made into a movie. While I'm glad that one of my favorite recent books is getting so much attention, I shudder to imagine what will end up on the big screen.

Sequels

So, I'm about to dive into the new Artemis Fowl book, when I realize that I really can't remember what happened in the previous book. I strained my brain to remember something - anything - about the plot, but all I could think of were some random bits from some of the previous books in the series. I looked at my Goodreads review, which was pretty vague about the plot. (I avoid plot summary in those reviews to avoid spoilers, so that wasn't a big surprise.) I finally turned to Wikipedia to read a plot summary, and while it sounded familiar, I could barely follow the convolutions of the time travel story. Crossing my fingers about starting the new one...

How to read a good book

Question for you -- when you're reading a book you know is going to be excellent, do you:
1) read it as fast as you can
2) read it slowly so as to savor every word?

I just finished another Laurie King book.... I LOVE those books, so save them to read when I know I'll have long stretches of uninterrupted time. I almost hate to read them because then I won't have a new one to read for a long time. They are the kind of books you know you'll be incredibly sad to finish because you'll miss it. So, I'm torn between reading it as fast as I can because I love it, or purposely reading slowly....to linger over the story, the words, the characters....

Lightning Round!

It's just been too long. I was thinking about all my old childhood summer faves while digging through the library bag.
Ready? Go!

Favorite Laura Ingalls Wilder:
The Long Winter
Favorite BTT:
Betsy and Joe
Favorite Anne book:
Anne of the Island (I wanted to live at Patty's Place)
Favorite Nancy Drew:
Password to Larkspur Lane
Favorite Phyllis Whitney YA mystery:
Mystery on the Isle of Skye
Favorite Trixie Belden:
The Secret of the Mansion
(they find Jim, how can you not like it?)

It was always so easy to head to my bookshelf or library and reread my summer away! Now, as I dig through the aforementioned library bag, there are too many good new books to spend much time re-reading!

The Life Cycle of Basil

It's been quite awhile since I've posted but I thought I'd get back into the swing of blogging by featuring some pictures I took while making a huge batch of pesto a few days ago. I filled two plastic grocery bags with basil and the plants hardly look like I touched them. It's been quite a good month for basil and the tomatos are doing well too. I'll post some pictures of them later. The only drawback to the good plant weather is that the mosquitos are the size of small aircraft. Weeding and even watering often involves a lot of arm and leg slapping. Ah well.

1937

I just finished rading two books: The Shanghai Girls by Lisa See and The Samuri's Garden by Gail Tsukiyama. One was for bookclub, the other recommended by a friend.

And, completely by coincedence, they both revolve around the Second Sino-Japanese War, which began with an invasion of China in 1937.

While I had heard of this, I certainly didn't know anything about it. Not that I do now, but I do know a bit more and have gone looking for information.

I just find it strange that I'd read two books back -to-back that center around the same historical period (unintentionally -- of course I've done on purpose....)

And, it once again, reinforces the thesis of my Historical Methods class I took senior year (whatever it was called) that teaching history through fiction (well-researched fiction) is a valid, valuable method. The professor did NOT agree with me (or maybe it was my orange crew cut he didn't like....)

First Sentence Quiz

Following up on the First Sentence post below, have you seen the First Sentence Quiz on Goodreads??