Image Credit

I have a passion for the Classics. Classic movies. Classic Cars. Classic Rock. Pretty much anything old school totally rocks my boat. So of course I am a fan of Classic books. I think more readers should be too. But time and again I run into The Three Classic Excuses. Too much work. Too boring. Too long. Baloney. Not all Classics fit these stereotypes. I try to dispel these myths through my posts here on Quirky Girls Read on a regular basis. Many kind visitors leave comments stating that they will add a Classic to their To Be Read pile. But you and I both know all that means is that it will be used to prop up the pile rather than being picked up and actually read any time soon. So out of desperation I am resorting to bribery to show readers that Classics can be fun, entertaining and even accomplished in a short period of time! Take a gander at the challenge and giveaway below. Then fit a Classic into your summer reading and have a chance to go shopping for whatever book you like to get you ready for the Fall.

The Classic Bribe – Challenge & Giveaway:

• Read at least 1 Classic over the summer – between Memorial Day and the end of Labor Day Weekend, September 3rd
• You can have begun the Classic prior to Memorial Day, but it needs to have been completed between the challenge dates above
• Post a review on your blog of each Classic that you read during the challenge period and reference a link to this “The Classic Bribe” challenge page
• Link to each of your reviews separately by clicking on Mr. Linky below
• Each linked review counts as 1 entry – no entry limit per blogger – read and review as many as you like
• Each entry builds up $1 toward an Amazon gift card – the more entries the higher the balance can grow – capped at $35
• Random winner selected Labor Day weekend from all entries- no restrictions on region
• Winner receives the full Amazon gift card balance accumulated based on entries received

Sixteen different bloggers entered the inaugural challenge/giveaway last year, linking up to reviews of 65 different Classics! The variety of titles and eras represented proved that Classics are found in all genres. If you need help finding one to match your style preferences, peruse last year’s link list, ask your librarian or leave a comment below – I’m happy to make suggestions! And gather some inspiration from fellow Quirky Girl, Margot, who joined another worthy long-term Classic reading challenge – I couldn’t be more proud!

~Molly

**CLICK THE MR. LINKY BUTTON BELOW TO LINK TO YOUR REVIEW POST(S) (not your home page!) AND BE ENTERED INTO THE GIVEAWAY**

Author

Narrator: Scott Sowers

Publisher: Doubleday

Copyright date: 2010

Pages: 432

Genre: Legal Thriller

Reason for Reading: I love this author’s work

Rating: A+

Award Won: Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction

Summary (from the book jacket):

In 1998, in the small East Texas city of Sloan, Travis Boyette abducted, raped, and strangled a popular high school cheerleader. He buried her body so that it would never be found, then watched in amazement as police and prosecutors arrested and convicted Donté Drumm, a local football star, and marched him off to death row.

Now nine years have passed. Travis has just been paroled in Kansas for a different crime; Donté is four days away from his execution. Travis suffers from an inoperable brain tumor. For the first time in his miserable life, he decides to do what’s right and confess. But how can a guilty man convince lawyers, judges, and politicians that they’re about to execute an innocent man?

My Thoughts:

I’ve read everything John Grisham has written. He almost always manages to give me a book that is both entertaining and thought provoking.

On the entertaining side, I love that he takes me to places I’ll never experience in real life. The story was told from a variety of character’s perspectives. I especially liked the characters of the young minister in Kansas and the defense attorney in Texas. There were others but these two were well developed.

When it comes to making me think, this book gave me a triple dose of thought provocation. At the heart of the story is the subject of the death penalty, but Grisham  also highlights how poor police work and the prosecution’s push for convictions can corrupt the whole system. Politicians don’t fare well in this story either. If that’s not enough, I also contemplated ministerial ethic.

Three of my fellow Quirky Girls are Texans and I say this in all due respect: Texas comes off very poorly in this book. Halfway through the novel I vowed to never visit Texas again. By the end, however, I backed down on that vow. Some of my favorite traveling time has been in the Bluebonnet State and I’d hate to deny myself future fun trips. In spite of what’s happening in Texas, this is a great inside look at our legal system.

The pros and cons of the death penalty question is something I’d like to see resolved within my lifetime. I serious doubt I’ll see that. In the meantime, if you’d like a fictional look at the subject, this is a great one.

About the Harper Lee Prize For Legal Fiction:

John Grisham is the inaugural winner for the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction for his work in The Confession. The new literary award will be given annually to published fiction that “best exemplifies the positive role of lawyers in society and their power to effect change.”

The award, named after the author of To Kill a Mockingbird, who approved the award, marks the 50th anniversary of the classic book’s publication and is co-sponsored by The University of Alabama School of Law (where Lee attended) and the ABA Journal, the American Bar Association’s flagship magazine.

From: Leave Me Alone: Memoirs of an Ex-Mormon by B.E. Hewson

So what do you think? Sound interesting? What are you reading this week?

Author: Darynda Jones

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, January 2012

Format: Hardcover, 320 pages

Reason for Reading: Devoured the first two books in one sitting while on vacation, snapped up the third one at the library last week.  Hilarious engrossing paranormal mysteries with absolutely no vampires or werewolves.

Grade: A+

The Gist: Charley Davidson is a grim reaper; in point of fact, she is the grim reaper.  Minus the creepy cloak and scythe, put plus lots of attitude and moxy.  With her mad “I see dead people” skills, she parlays her super-secret identity into a career as a Private Detective.  In this, the third outing of Darynda Jones’ wicked sexy series, Charley has two mysteries to solve.  One, where oh where is the good doctor’s wife?  And two, what’s up with Reyes anyway?  Any more than that constitutes a spoiler I’m unwilling to share.

My Thoughts: I am in love with this series, a wildly funny, original take on ghost whisperers and ”crossing over,” with an easy-to-root-for herione.  Charley is the kind of person I want for a friend-fiercely loyal, utterly fearless, confident, and kind.  She has plenty of faults; for example, some well-meaning people consider her fearlessness more akin to wrecklessness, plus when it comes to a certain unbelievably smokin’ hot son of Satan (yeah, that one) she has absolutely no good judgement or self-preservation skills whatsoever.  Not to mention, she’s a grade A smartass.

Of the three books in the series, this is easily my favorite installment.  In typical Charley Davidson fashion, I LOL’d all the way through, only to find myself weeping at the end.  The mysteries have some sneaky twists and the supporting characters are almost as awesome as Charley herself.  Keep an eye for Cookie, Charley’s lovable underpaid receptionist/research assistant/bestest friend as well as the continual character development of skip tracer extrordinaire, Garrett Swopes.  And Reyes.  Sigh.

Bottom Line: Highly recommended to fans of the paranormal as well as fans of good mystery of the goofy, sexy, sassy Janet Evanovich variety.  Though technically classified as a paranormal, I found it in the mystery section of Barnes and Noble.  One caveat: I really recommend reading in order.  It will make a lot more sense that way, plus the end of Book Three will resonate much more.

Title: Cut, Crop & Die

Author: Joanna Campbell Slan

Publisher: Midnight Ink

Format: Kindle

Number of Pages: 336

I had taken two steps toward the dirty dish cart when I heard a glass hit the floor behind me.

I whirled around to see Yvonne’s hands moving across the table, searching blindly, knocking her plate and utensils to the floor in ineffective sweeps. I tossed the dirty plate at the cart and ran to her side. A wheezing sound rumbled deep inside her.

“Get help! Call 911!” I yelled to Dodie.

Kiki Lowenstein is really having a rough go of things. Her husband’s murderer is still out there somewhere. With Yvonne kicking the bucket at the scrapbooking event she and her employer worked so hard to organise, business is now down pretty dreastically at Time in a Bottle (“TinaB to those in the know”). Her 11-year-old daughter Anya has turned into a raging teenage hormone-fueled ball of rage. Her mother-in-law definitely has something up her sleeve (in addition to trying to get rid of the moles that have taken over her front yard). And Detweiler, the detective for whom Kiki’s developed a keen interest, has secrets of his own.

My thoughts: I “purchased” this book for a whopping $0.00. Always a good thing, unless the book is dreadful. But this one isn’t. It’s actually quite good. And yes, there are more in the series (this is actually the 2nd book in the series), and yes, they’re on my wish list at Amazon. This is the kind of book that benefits from being offered free, because it’s so good that you’ll definitely want to go read the others. Slan does a fantastic job of character development. My one quibble is that Kiki, once she’s done up right, is drop dead gorgeous. I guess I get a little frustrated with that trope, because how many of us would that really apply to? I dress up nicely and all, but am far from drop dead gorgeous. Nonetheless, I adore Kiki and her friends and her family and definitely her dogs.

Score: A+

Image courtesy Molly @ The Bumbles Blog

So the other day, I was perusing the job boards. I subscribe to a variety of Freelance Writing sites and receive messages with links to all kinds of writing work. Usually they are things that I am not qualified to do. Or they are so bizarre or specific that I have no interest in tackling them. But every now and then I see something that looks like it might be enjoyable to do and so I apply – along with a gazillion other writers receiving the same job lists, mind you, but that’s a topic for another day. What does any of this have to do with being a Quirky Girl who reads, you ask? Well, I inquired about an opening for a writer of book reviews.

What Are They Paying For?

This particular ad stated that they were in need of someone to provide reviews for Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other such sites. It offered payment to bloggers but not to book clubs. Because I was intrigued, I followed the inquiry instructions and sent an e-mail with my contact information. But I must say, I felt this particular role would be less for the types of reviews we provide here at QGR and more along the lines of pumping up titles in exchange for cash.

This position was being offered by a new publishing outlet. My guess is that they need bookies to read their catalog and write up “customer” reviews online lauding the works as terrific. I have no idea how much payment would be or what their guidelines are, but it got me thinking about the ethics of paid reviews.

In my message to them, I explained who I am and the experience I have in writing reviews, both personally and as a part of this more formal group effort. I also asked what genre the books would fall under, since I have no plans to devote limited reading time to a style I dislike. But my most important question was to find out if they expected positive reviews in exchange for payment, or if they expected honest reviews in exchange for payment.

Are Book Bloggers Killing Off Book Critics?

I fully understand how someone promoting a book, in need of reviews, would not be interested in paying for ones that were not overly flattering. But I don’t have it in me to write up glowing words about something that I think is a piece of crap. Even if I get paid to do it. That just feels icky.

I suppose I am looking to be a paid critic, not a paid reviewer. Are there such opportunities anymore? With the demise of the newspaper, book critics seem to be in less demand. Are book bloggers such as ourselves helping to put paid critics further out of business? Is our forever willingness to provide free press keeping us from being able to use our review talents in a paid capacity?

If someone gave me the choice to write honest, critical reviews in exchange for cash versus a free copy of the book, I would take the cash. But no one ever offers me cash. I think it’s because they know they don’t have to. There are tons of other book bloggers out there ready to provide a review for free.

It seems to me, that as the book blogging community continues to grow, and as bloggers in general are gaining more respect across all industries, our options and structure should improve. If we are providing reviews for publishers or PR firms on a regular basis, drumming up business and attention to their titles, shouldn’t we be more highly valued in that process?

Does Cash Influence Honesty?

It seems sketchy to get paid to write a review though. It implies the thoughts are influenced by the dollar signs. I don’t think this when I read a review in a magazine or newspaper. Because the paycheck isn’t coming directly from the book industry. But if I read a book blogger’s review and then discovered through their footnote statement that it was a paid (although still honest) review, I would still wonder if it was REALLY honest.

I have a hard enough time writing something honestly about a book I have read when I have any sort of relationship with the author. It is very hard for me to be critical of things I dislike when the person who created them is someone I like very much. It’s probably why I usually review books written by people long dead and buried! Now, if someone was paying me to read a particular book and then write a review, would I be able to stick to my guns and express the negative points? Or would I just gloss over them, trying not to hurt feelings or reputations in order to continue to have the opportunity to provide paid reviews?

It is an ethical issue I’m sure all book bloggers have an opinion about. Would you take a job reviewing books for cash payment? Would you pretend to be a reviewing customer on Amazon if your true opinion on the book was positive and someone was paying you to post it? Do you think book bloggers should try to be a legitimate professional part of the publishing community? Or would that create a conflict of interest if money were involved?

Title: Tales For Very Picky Eaters

Author and Illustrator: Josh Schneider

Publisher: Clarion Books, 2011

Genre: Chilren’s Fiction

Award Won: Geisel Award for Early Readers, 2012

My Rating: B+

One of the most important things about learning to read is having books that are super enjoyable. Books for early readers are usually best if they make the child laugh or fire their imaginations. It sends such a positive message about reading.

My seven-year-old granddaughter is now reading what she calls “chapter books.” She loves them! They make her feel like she’s one of the big kids. And, like most seven-year-olds, my granddaughter loves to laugh at silly jokes. I was so happy to discover Josh Schneider’s Tales For Very Picky Eaters and also glad it won one of this year’s top prizes.

The book is silly enough to make both granddaughter and her nana laugh and giggle. Here’s a summary of the story from the publisher:

Each of the five chapters in “Tales for Very Picky Eaters” recounts James’ refusal to eat yet another disgusting, smelly, repulsive, lumpy or slimy food. Not only picky eaters, but all readers will delight in the outrageous suggestions along with the off the wall rationale from his very clever dad for why he should become more adventurous in his food selections. James turns the table on his father when he decides to become more daring and bold in his meal choices and actually tries something new.

Let me share the first paragraph of the first chapter with you so you can get an idea of the reading level:

I can’t eat broccoli,” said James. “It’s disgusting!”

“Maybe there’s something else you can eat,” suggested James’s father.

“What else is there?” ask James.

Now this is where the stories get fun. James’ father offers James the finest dirt available anywhere. It is specially prepared and served directly on the most spectacular floor. When James says “Ugh” his dad offers him another delicacy: the very fine gum that has been chewed 1000 times by children with very clean teeth. James is also offered some very smelly socks. As you can imagine james finally decides that maybe the broccoli isn’t quite so bad.

The other four chapters in this book are The Tale of Those Smelly Lasagna, The Repulsive Milk, and A Slimy Egg. They are just as silly as the first chapter. The illustrations add a lot to the story. They remind me of cartoons with nice bright colors.

Geisel Award Committee Chair, Carole D. Fiore, had this to say about the book: “The dialogue presents some preposterous situations but even the most challenging words are presented in context so beginning readers can easily discern their meaning. The touches of humor make this book an engaging page turner.”

If you are one of those lucky persons who has a beginning reader in your life, I recommend Tales for Very Picky Eaters. 

About the Author: (from the back of the book)

Josh Schneider’s first book for Clarion, You’ll Be Sorry, was named “Book That Provides Best Ammunition to Parents Weary of Warning Their Kids About Socking Their Siblings” by Publishers Weekly magazine. He lives in Chicago, Illinois.

About the Award:

The Geisel Award is one of the children’s book awards given by the Association for Library Services to Children, a division of the prestigious American Library Association. It’s named in honor of our beloved Theodore Geisel who has also given millions of young readers a life-long love of books. It’s given annually to the author(s) and illustrator(s) of the most distinguished American book for beginning readers published in English in the United States during the preceding year. Visit their website here: Geisel Award

How to be Richer, Smarter and Better Looking Than Your Parents by Zac Bissonnette

I heard the author interview on NPR a few days ago and it intrigued me. The cheeky title caught my ear, but listening to the author talk about student loans and what life is like for students coming out of college, made me want to pick this up. Sometimes I forget that college is closer to ten years away. I’m part of the ‘a generation ago’ that Bissonnette refers to. I’m on pretty good financial footing so I’m not sure if I’d like to learn something new, but the author piqued my curiosity.

Rather Outspoken: My Life in the News by Dan Rather

Before listening to this interview, I wasn’t very familiar with Dan Rather’s work. I knew his name, of course, who doesn’t? But I don’t watch news shows and it’s only been in the last couple of years that I started reading a national newspaper daily. Also, I didn’t start listening to NPR until mid-January of this year. All this to say that everything Dan Rather spoke about was news to me. I was fascinated and curiosity duly piqued.

The First 20 Minutes: Surprising Science Reveals How We Can: Exercise Better, Train Smarter, Live Longer by Gretchen Reynolds

This is not a title I heard about via NPR. I became aware of it in this past Sunday’s New York Times. I have been reading Reynold’s Well Blog articles with avid interest the past few months. She writes a lot about what living a sedentary life does to our bodies. Reading her articles has made me more committed to finding ways to combat the effects of my desk job. In short, her articles have freaked me out. I know sitting all day is bad for me. I can feel it in the way my body feels achy, and not in a good way. My body feels unused, I can literally feel my muscles atrophying, and guess what? That is exactly what is happening, not to mention a score of other unpleasant things. When I discovered she had compiled all of her research into a book? Yes, please. This may very well be the first exercise book I ever read. And according to the reviews, it’s not really an exercise book, per se. I can’t wait to dive in.

So there you have it. I may not actually be reading much right now, but I have plenty of books to look forward to in my future.

Author: Katie Ward

Published by: Scribner, a Division of Simon & Schuster

Copyright Date: 2011

Pages: 337

Score: A

The Gist: Seven stories about seven pieces of art-Ward explains it best in her last, rather meta, story: The photo came to life as it were; it started to reveal its story-a story, at any rate.  The history of the picture was shown to me as if it had always been there, waiting to be discovered.  It appeared in fragments and glimpses, at first.  There were echoes of conversations between these people, hints as to their relationships and tribulations.  It was like I was alone in a theater, and the ghosts were putting on a play just for me.

My Thoughts: I used to be good about going to the museum.  I confess, of late, that I haven’t gone nearly as much.  But I used to love it.  I would fixate on a painting here, a sculpture there and imagine the story behind it, because as people who like to read know, there’s a story behind everything.  In Girl Reading, Katie Ward writes seven stories about seven different paintings, vividly creating small time capsules, moments frozen forever on canvas.  Her stories span from 1333 to 2060 and all feature one central commonality: a girl caught reading.  They are remarkably feminist stories, even the 1333 Annunciation piece by artist Simone Martini.  More importantly, the themes are fully relatable-every woman can identify.  I Google searched the paintings on-line after finishing the book, and was pleased to find that Ward had told the stories so well, the paintings were completely recognizable.

Ward makes a specific stylistic choice in her story-telling, which I confess, put me off at first.  Without giving too much away, she forces you to pay close attention to each moment, to truly study the canvas, not just to view it casually and depart, none the richer or wiser for having spent a moment in the company of a piece of art.  In essence, she forces the reader to slow down.  I should probably be ashamed that I needed the reminder.  Her final story ties all the thematic elements of all the short stories together and reminds the reader why art is important; why it is relevant to each of us, individually and as a society; and she does so without resorting to precious techniques or preaching.

Bottom Line: Completely engaging and has me contemplating my next trip to the museum.

Name of Book:

The Gist:

Isa and Terry complete their trifecta of pint-sized dessert books with a pie edition. It has fruit pies, harvest pies, cheesecake pies, and chocolate pies, not to mention cobblers and tarts. Isa and Terry strike pie gold, not that I’d expect anything less.

My Thoughts:

I was delighted to find this little sucker in my stocking. As B and I observe both Solstice and Christmas, I was able to put this book to immediate use for the holidays. The first recipe on the list was the pumpkin pie cheesecake. The picture looks absolutely delectable. And I will admit to having big doubts that my efforts would live up to my expectations. I am very much a novice pie baker. I can barely get a cobbler together. My efforts at pies usually are somewhat disappointing. However! Isa and Terry guide the novice with a well practiced hand, laying out all the handy tools and ingredients in a section of their own, and peppering little tips and tricks throughout. Who knew the key to preventing cheesecake cracking was a pan of water in the oven with the pie. (Who knew, for that matter, that cheesecake was in danger of cracking?)

I devoured all the recipes in mere spaces of time, wanting to try every.single.one. I was excited about hand pies! Cheesecake pies! Fruity pies! I promptly ordered mini cookie cutters, a tart pan and pie weights. In hindsight a pie shield should have been included in that list.

The recipes themselves  have lived up to the Isa and Terry standard. They are fantastically delicious. The pumpkin cheesecake? It turned out almost exactly like the picture and tasted divine. It was a hit at Christmas dinner, even with my lemon-loving father-in-law. The second pie recipe I tried was the blackberry brambles pie. Seriously, this was my first time EVAR making my own pie crust FROM SCRATCH. Usually I cheat and just buy one and pour in my handmade filling.  I admit to feeling very intimidated and perhaps a bit petrified, but I did it. I had to make some substitutions since I didn’t buy enough blackberries nor did I have blackberry liqueur on hand, however, I did have some white chocolate liqueur and strawberries hanging around. My pie crust (barely) held and I managed to cut out cute star shapes. And the pie? Seriously, this is the best pie I’ve ever eaten. It was sooooo good. The crust was buttery and flaky and so freaking tasty. The fruity interior was decadent paired with the nommy crust. (I’m not gonna lie, B and I ate half the pie, half the pie, in one sitting). After that outstanding achievement I was ready to fully flex my pie making muscles. I made the brownie bottom peanut butter cheesecake for B’s birthday. It was so vulgarly good that I made it again a week later in addition to the Café Mocha Cheesecake for the SAA Challenge.

This book has brought all my pie making dreams come true. So, um, if I haven’t made it clear, Isa and Terry are amazingly awesome. This book is a must have for anyone wanting to create their own delicious confections at home.

Last Words:

It’s pie heaven, people! PIE HEAVEN contained in a cute tiny, portable volume. Isa and Terry strike gold, per usual, raising the bar yet again in the world of vegan baking.