Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Up: The Movie



Up, the movie. has to be one of the best movies I have seen. Yes, it is a children's movie. But the movie is made for all kids at heart. It was a joy and sentimental.

It is the story about a old man that looses his wife. He is about to loose his property too. But he has a idea. He decides he is going to do what he's wife wanted since they were children. He takes himself and the house on a trip.

The rest of the story you will have to see it for yourselves. This movie is just magical. It might be sad for small children. You will have to judge for yourself.

My son,and I went to see the movie. Pixar, are the greatest in graphic detail. I just love to see movies that are CGI. My son, David has a hobby in graphic design. He enjoys seeing movies like this. I have seen many movies in CGI, but Up has to be the best.

I will give it a 5 star for story and graphics. It was just great for children and adults alike.

Monday, June 29, 2009

Mail Box Monday


Thank you Marcia for hosting Mailbox Monday. Every Monday I look forward to reading other posts about the books they recieved in their mailbox.

This is what I found in my mailbox last week:
Belong To Me By Marissa de los Santos thank you Book Club Girl
The Fixer Upper by Mary Kay Andrews thank you Literary Feast
Last Night Over Carolina by Mary Alice Monroe thank you pocket books from Sarah
Rosetti Letter by Christi Phillips
Devlin Diary by Christi Phillips
How to Buy a Love of Reading by Tanya Egan Gibson

I just love getting packages. Federal Express had to have left four at a time last week. But my books were starting to dwindling and now it is starting to rise again. I better start cracking those books again.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

I Missed It, My First Blogaversary


I can't believe I missed it, my first blogaversary and I missed it. I knew that it was on the same day as the book club we are organizing. But for some reason it just went right over my head.

In honor of my blogaverary I am giving away The Flavor Bible and for a added bonus two other books. For information you can go to my previous post of last week.

Good Luck!!

The Proposal: The Movie


I went out to lunch and to the movies with my friends. I have not done this in awhile because I work. I forgot how much fun it was to hang out with them. Before I went back to work I would go out with them often. But because I work now, I just don't have time for it.

I wanted to tell you about this movie, called The Proposal with Sandra Bullock, and Ryan Reynolds. It was a great movie. I expected it to be a chick-flick with alot of fluff. Which I hate. I loved it. I was laughing out loud. It was roll-over on your seat and can't stop laughing. I laughed and cryed at times. But I loved it. I would give this ***** stars. Last week, I saw Life in Ruins and it was mediocre. This was great. This was a great day out with the girls.

About a book editor, that is hated by everyone in the office. Her boss tells her that she is about to be sent back to Canada till she has a brain storm of a idea. The brain storm is to influence her assistant to play a long. Get married and then a quickie divorce. In return she promises a few things.

I loved the shoes, they must have been 5 inch heels. I could never walk in them even when I was younger. Boy, Sandra Bullock has beautiful legs. I wish mine looked that good.

Saturday, June 20, 2009

20 Boy Summer: Book Review


20 Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler
Young Adult
Little Brown and Company
290 Pg.

From the back cover:
According to her best friend Frankie, 20 days in Zanzibar Bay os the perfect opportunity to have a summer fling, and if they meet one boy every day, there is a pretty good chance Anna will find her summer romance. Anna lightheartedly agrees to the game. But there's something that hasn't told Frankie-- she already has that kind of romance, and it is with Frankie's older brother, Matt, just before the tragic death one year ago.

Beware there are sex scenes.

Frankie and Matt are brother and sister. Next door Anna, has been friends for a long time with Frankie and Matt. Anna become more than just friends with Matt. They decide to keep it secret. Matt plans to tell his sister the next day when Frankie and Matt go on vacation. Unfortunately, Matt dies the next day.

Then after that there is alot of emotional upheavals to deal with after Matt dies.
Frankie is still good friends with Anna. The family asks Anna if she would like to go on vacation with them at Zanzibar Bay in California.

The girls, Frankie says during the vacation we will meet 20 boys for 20 days. Anna falls for a boy Sam. But she still has alot of emotion when it comes to Matt. She has alot of guilt. Anna still writes in her journal about her feeling for Matt. Her friendship with Frankie. Her new love Sam.

There are times that the girls sneak out. Alot of summer fun what teenage girls do at the beach. The sneak out at parties, with boys etc.

Frankie reads the journal that Anna writes and is devasting that she did not know that they were more than friends. She can not accept this and throws the journal in the ocean.

Anna's last night she sneaks out to meet Sam and they say their last goodbyes.
Frankie and Anna don't talk for quite awhile. Frankie can't forgive Anna.
They finally forgive each other and come to terms with this.

My thought on the book. I am over the hill about 50. This is the first time reading a young adult book. I don't remember reading books like this. We either read children's books when we were young, and then you went on to adult books when you were a teen reading romance which I don't read now at all. I may be a little old fashioned but I would not like the idea of my daughter reading this at all.

Twenty days with 20 boys I would not promote this. But I am sure this is how teenagers acted when I was growing up too. As I was reading this I thought this is how young love acts, I quess. Sneaking out at the late hours to see your boy friend. There were teenage sex scenes. Many things to aggravate your family.

I felt sorry for the whole family with the pain they were feeling especially her sister. Her mother not wanting anyone in Matt's room and Matt's favorite necklace was finally given to Anna by Frankie. This was finally her acceptance of her friend and brother's relationship.

I would not like this book in a library personally for a teenager. Sorry but I must be a prude. I wander what young parents think about books like this for their teenage daughters. Am I old fashioned or do you agree with me?
I know sex is open now a days but I would have a hard time with this one. I thought I was a pretty open person. But after reading this I don't think I am.

I did like the writing it is poetic. When she describes the book getting thrown in the ocean. The book falls deeper and deeper and she even makes it mystical when she is describing mermaids. I did like the book and the story and how the book developed.
If I forget the sexual scenes then I would rate this book a 4 thumbs up.



Friday, June 19, 2009

Controversary Over Michael Jackson's Death-A Bit Late

Another delayed post this was is from last year after the death of Michael Jackson.

Speculation and contraversary of Michael's death. Always seems to be something with every thing he does.Why did they wait so long to call 9-11. The medications that were found in his house. The prescription drugs are very powerful. The medication has to be administered by a licensed physician with a specialization handling this drug.

I have my suspicions surrounding his death. I have a nursing background. I am no longer a nurse. Licensing could have changed. But what I know is if the toxicology report does show in his blood. Then the doctor that administered it is suspect. The drug has to be administered by a specialized physician in a hospital with special training and equipment(IV,oxygen,etc). If this is what happened there will be changes in medical practice and more control by regulating this kind of thing to never happen again. Not sure if it can be controlled because the rich and famous and powerful usually get what they want.

Monday, June 15, 2009

Book Giveaway Plus A Bonus
















I can't believe I started my blog on 6/22/2008. I have posted 144 entries.
I started blogging because of my book club. To put announcements and blogging about our book club meetings. The members in my book club read books of course. But they do not have the passion about books like I do. I had many people to discuss books with up north in NJ. But here they read the book, and discuss the story. They do not discuss the style and the sentence structure, themes in the novel etc. They just don't get as excited about books as I do.

I decided to blog for a different reason to connect with the book blogging community.
I have made some friends in the community. But I don't have the time like others because I am in Nursing school. I don't do many reviews, or leave comments, or memes, or book carnivals, or in giveaway. But I do write about bookish news, and books coming off the presses that I do get excited about.

I started reading the blogs with with Book Club Girl, and Every Day I Write The Book. After I was reading the blogs it gave me the idea to create my own blog.

I moved to South Carolina from the north. Up norht there were many cultural events. In the south there is not much of cultural events. To connect with other book bloggers and share with the book community is great. It is a whole new world when I started blogging. I now have 17 followers I did not expect.



To connect with bloggers from the north. They sometimes blog about book stores that they visit in New England makes me very happy. Another example is a author speaking that we normally here don't get to see or hear. So bloggers who think that you don't matter. IT DOES AND DON'T STOP!.

After I created Seaside Book Worm I then created a Jewish Book blog. That blog has not blossomed unfortunately. But I did find a Jewish community and one blogger that reads Jewish books. I hope sometime it will catch on. Someone from one of the Jewish sites will spread the word. But, it does not matter. It is my little spot of the world.

The only bad thing about blogging is that I like to surf the blogs. Unfortunately it has become some what of a compulsion. I love to read what others say about books. I used to read alot. But blogging and surfing the blogs has cut into my reading time.


The controversary about lit bloggers and book bloggers that happened at the BEA made me think why I started blogging. The difference between Lit bloggers and book bloggers is ridicoulous. Because at least for me there isn't any comparision. I am not a writer. I don't have fancy language that is up to the professional bloggers. I started blogging to have fun with the passion of the written word. To share my thoughts on books if anyone wanted to listen. I never thought there was a difference of Lit bloggers and book bloggers. They unfortunately feel threatened.

I changed my name not knowing there is a difference of book blogger and literary blogger. The reason I started my blog was to share my passion with the written word. If anyone happens to read my blog that is great and if no one does that is not so great, but I am not going to get upset about it. I created something that I have a passion for, and I started it a year ago. It has blossomed and evolved to something I did not expect.

In honor of my blogaversary I am hosting a book giveaway that will run from June 22nd till July 2nd. The two book I have decided to giveaway is called, The Flavor Bible by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg and Little Red Book. I would like to thank Hatchett books for The Flavor Bible and Little Red Book.

For a added to treat I am adding a new novel that just came into my hands yesterday called ..... Now, come on did you think I was going to tell.

The first book is The Flavor Bible. It is the eight years in the making. The flavor bible is a landmark book that will inspire the greatest creations of innovative cooks and chefs by serving ans an indespensable guide to creativity and flavor affinities in today's kitchen.

The second book is something I am passionate about advocacy on women's rights and and health care in women. The book is Little Red Book. It is a analogy of several women about getting their first periods.

These are the rules to write a comment on my blog this will give you one entry.
To get a second entry tell me why you wanted to blog and what have you learned from it. If you guess the bonus book's title you will get a third entry. Here are a couple of clues. It is a woman author, it is fiction, it does have the name book in the title and it was published in March by Dutton. On the entry you must link up to mine.

GOOD LUCK!!

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

A World I Never Made:


A World I Never Made by James LePore
The story opens with Pat Nolan recieves a call from the French police to come to France to identify the body of his daughter. He leaves the U.S. to go to France to identify the body. He realizes it is not he's daughter.

He realizes something is wrong. He lies and says that it is his daughter. He goes to search for his daughter. There are alot of clues thrown at him. The clues point him to a convent. Where he is told that he's daughter was pregnant and had a baby. The baby he is told is left outside the convent in the cold to the elements. The baby died. This does not make sense to him. The story goes back and forth in present day with her father's prespective telling the story in 2004, and Megan's story a year before.

There is a love story and emotional guilt felt from the father. This will be explained as the book gets more intense. Pat feels alot guilt and shame how he treated his daughter and and wife. He feels it is his fault that everything has befallen her and why they are not close as father and daughter.

Later on when Megan becomes a adult she travels and becomes a journalist. The last assignment is where we find Megan in Morrocco where she is doing research for her story. This is where she meets a business man (she thinks), he's name is Lahani.


This is where the story gets interesting.

She falls in love with Lahani. She finds that she is pregnant. He already knows that she is pregnant. This puts her in danger. She realizes, later who he really is.

SPOILER:Don't read any further if you intend to read the book.

She overhears that he will kill her after she has the child. She realizes that her life is in danger, and she needs to get out of Morrocco before he kills her and for the safety of her unborn child.


This is as far as I am going to tell the story because it will ruin it for you.
I will just say that I enjoyed the book. This was a page flipper. I just couldn't stop once I was half way into the book. I loved the story. There were twists and turns at every corner. Once you thought you knew what was going to happen. It turned into a domino effect. The author did his homework when he did the research on the story.

I most likely would not have picked up this book because it brought up memories of 9/11. But, I am not sorry that I read it. It made my heart thump a extra beat. I would like to thank Julie at FSB for allowing me to review A World I Never Made. Anybody looking to read this casually will be not able to sleep and will keep the pages turning.

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Book Signing-U.S. Holocaust Museum


If you live in the Washington D.C. area and and will be going to the U.S. Holocaust Museum in Washington this weekend. There will be a book signing, I Remember Singing, a children's biography about a holocaust survivor, Hugo Schiller. His wife, Ellie will also be in attendance at the museum.

please support this wonderful children's book. It is a biography about a Holocaust survivor, Hugo Schiller. I don't want to blog to much more. That will be written at another time. I wanted to tell you about this book to spread the word. My friend self-published this book so any of you bloggers are reading this. You all know how hard it is to get recognized in mass book market. You can also purchase it at Amazon.com.

Synopsis:
Product Description
"This I remember was very special about Hugo; he sang for the little ones to comfort them when they were scared and missing their families."Alice Resch Synnestvedt, Rescuer of Jewish children during the Holocaust. Hugo Schiller was seven years old when Hitler's Nazis dragged his father Oskar from their home in Grünsfeld, Germany and took him to the concentration camp Dachau. Two weeks later they brought him back without explanation, and forced him to sell Rosenbusch & Company, the family store. When Hugo's school principal informed him that he could no longer go to school because he was Jewish, Hugo's parents sent him to Offenbach, Germany to live with two aunts and go to school. The morning after he arrived home for vacation break, Hitler's uniformed Nazi troops came for the family, giving them one hour to pack a suitcase and leave. Hugo and his family were deported to Gurs, a refugee camp in the South of France where they were held behind barbed wire in intolerable living conditions and with scanty food. At the muddy Gurs camp near the Pyrenees Mountains, Hugo sang for bread for his Mother Selma and Aunt Hilda who were starving. One day cheerful Alice Resch drove into Camp de Gurs in a truck with a canvas flapping on the back. Working with the Quaker Refugee Relief agency, she had gained permission from the Vichy French Government to help feed the children. Soon after, she gained permission to take Hugo and the other children from Gurs to the children's home in Aspet. In Hugo's true story there is unspeakable loss but also great triumph on many levels. Hugo Schiller, child-hero, bravely survived the Holocaust by helping others. Today, he speaks about his experiences and about how to help make certain a Holocaust never happens again.

About the Author
"Today, I write because I want to help make certain that our world becomes a more humane and peaceful place for our children, grandchildren, families and friends," She said, "and to do that it is necessary to expose those elements that lead to Holocausts." Arielle Aaron writes children's books, poetry, and non-fiction, participates in the Grand Strand Creative Artists' Exhibit, and photographs Brookgreen Gardens. She has published poetry, non-fiction articles, a play, children's stories and a book for her sons titled: THINGS I MEANT TO TELL YOU...IF I DIDN'T. She earned her B.A. degree in English/Writing and Editing, a track in Speech Communications and completed studies for a concentration in Journalism at NC State University. In 1993, she won a Dewitt Wallace Fellowship to study graduate Literature at The Bread Loaf School of English at Middlebury College in Vermont; has completed coursework at the University of South Carolina; attended the Governor's School on Foreign Language at UNC Chapel Hill & Appalachian State University; and did graduate work at Campbell College at Buies Creek. She participated in the North Carolina Writing Project at UNC Wilmington, and participated as a Teacher-Scholar "Writing Children's Books" at the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching. She recently re-organized the Hugo Schiller Holocaust Resource Center for teachers, and participates in "South Carolina Reads about the Holocaust." "In fourth grade--in a little country school--I wrote about Holocaust children. In my stories some of the children survived." She says. "Imagine my surprise upon meeting brave child-hero Hugo Schiller who did survive the Holocaust. The world is a better place because this good man survived."
If you live in the Washington D.C. area and and will be going to the U.S. Holocaust Museum in Washington this weekend. There will be a book signing, I Remember Singing, a children's biography about a holocaust survivor Hugo Schiller. His wife, Ellie will also be in attendance at the museum.