Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Button You Eyes



A kickback to the 2nd best book we've read in Book Club. (I have fat pregnancy face right now so I tried to suck in my cheeks to look like the other mother.)

You can "button your eyes" too, by clicking here. I am so stoked we read this book Spence... great suggestion; the movie looks like it's going to be awesome.  And the flash on the site is pretty cool!  Check it out at www.coraline.com
 

 

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Delilah

FYI: Last night I was listening to Classy 100 which is Erie's FM100 and Delilah was on. Guess what she put in her Christmas Gift Bad Giveaway...

The Shack.

I almost laughed out loud. You have to read the Christmas Box now.

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

The Christmas Box

Ok. Sabrena and I made an executive decision and our book for December is:

The Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evans.

You can read it in a few hours (or minutes if you are Sabrena) and seems appropriate for the holiday season.

Spence- I'm looking forward to your take on it.

ps. I'm making Dave read it too.

-Cicely

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

I am still waiting on the book

It is taking forever. Do you want to count me out of this one?

Sunday, November 23, 2008

When did Danny have such and influence?

OK, so Danny saw me reading the book -- it's totally depressing... I started reading it and had to put it down because I felt like I was watching a Zoloft commercial:

"Do you feel lonely? Tired? Sad? Depressions is real. . . "

Like I said, I heard really good things about this book... I just hope it gets a little happier.

Anyway, um.... Danny saw my book "THE SHACK, by William P. Young" ... and said, "Hey, I read The Shaq Once... it was about Shaquille O'Neil." But um, seriously Darth... change the picture. It's creeping me out.

Since we're going to MCO (airport code for Orlando) in less than a week, I'm pretty sure I'll get some quality reading time.

I also told him (Danny) if he joins book club, he can pick the book... maybe we'll get our chance to read about "the shaqtus" (his words, not mine) down the road... but until then:


THE SHACK, by William P. Young (not the NBA player)


Also Cic, I think Coraline is a cool name... and so is Cora... but I think people would ask your daughter if her name was Caroline, a lot... but who cares?

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Cora

Ok. I don't know if this is due to my crazy obsession with finding a name for my baby, but I keep coming back to Coraline or Cora. I like the name and isn't "Cora Cain" adorable? But, for some reason I am nervous that I may wake up one morning and she may come into my room with Buttons for eyes.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Have you Guys Got the Book Yet?

So just as a reminder, the book we are reading for November is: THE SHACK, by William P. Young.

Please tell your friends and servants...

And Cicely, I nominated you a long time ago to change out the photo of our new books... Maybe Spencer can teach us how to do that one thing that says "what we're reading now" and get more than one book up there?

I've never been in a book club before. And since Friday is my last day of work for while; I want to make sure my outlets are thriving. ;)

Monday, November 3, 2008

My Thoughts On Coraline

Stardate 11-03-2008

First I must apologize for my absence. I need to be more vigilant at checking out our book club blog. Next let me clear up some issues (though it appears that you've already done that). Coraline was originally written as a young adult novel. That's the one that Sabrina and I read. Because of its sheer awesomeness, it was then converted into a graphic novel. I'm sure they turned up the creepiness for the Graphic Novel. I would love to read the graphic novel. The next media medium on the list for Coraline is a stop action claymation movie. I think the same people who did Nightmare Before Christmas and such are also doing Coraline. I also read that they are making it into a musical/play. Lets hope it makes it way to Shakespeare Festival in a few years.

This was my first time reading Coraline. I can't wait until Owen and Eli are old enough for me to read it to them. I thought the story was great and I loved the drawings that accompanied each chapter. I thought the story did an excellent job of playing on very deep fears that children have. The foremost of course are having our parents stolen from us and being kidnapped. Pretty freaky stuff for children to deal with. I once had a dream when I was probably 15 years old where President Hinckly told me that I had had enough time to live my my parents and that he had to take them away from me and that it was time for me to go to different parents. I remember waking up in tears. Yeah, I'm awesome.

I loved how brave Coraline was. Though she was terrified, she still saved her parents and the other kids that the Other Mother had stolen.

I still can't figure out the symbolism with the button eyes. Maybe its not supposed to be symbolic, just freaky. Any thoughts?

The Other Mother was referred to as "the Beldam." I looked up Beldam online. Here is the definition:
1. An old woman, especially one who is considered ugly.

Yay for me for picking this awesome book. Where do we go from here? Is there any more discussion involved?

Check this out. Its a short clip from the movie.

Sunday, November 2, 2008

November's Book: THE SHACK, by William P. Young

It's all in the title of the post... until Spence responds back to start the discussion on Coraline... we'll be reading "The Shack, by William P Young" (at least that's the book for November) and here's why.

It was a recommend by two people I adore:

#1 This amazing gay guy that I work with that wanted to be a minister like 30 years ago and went to theology school.. until he realized it (being a Christian Minister) was going to be a hard-sell with his sexual preference ... he's currently exploring Buddhism. He also worked in radio and owns property in Hawaii. 

#2 One of my best friends from Indiana Wesleyan University (a private protestant school)... she's an evangelical "born again" ... but was singing it's praises. She also told me the other day that in no uncertain terms "I don't think you're going to hell for being a mormon" so she can be trusted." ;)

Also, it's a NYT Best Seller... not that that means anything, but I thought it would be worth checking out.

So read on, my friends....


PS. My Dad said Coraline was too creepy for my mom to read... I said it's a good read for October, so maybe next year Mama Suite will check it out.  Cic, Dad said it's got the same feeling as "Nightmare before Christmas," which Mom didn;t like, but apparently you love...  

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Holy Crap.

I just did a search for Coraline on the web to find a new pic per Sabrena's request and there is a book called Coraline, written by Neil G. only it is a book. Not a comic book! I'm mad. Stupid Erie County Library system. So- you guys read the book, not the "graphic novel" right? So- does that mean that all my questions were answered in the reading of the story? I'm pissed.

Creeps and a Half

Alright. First of all, why didn't I know that "graphic novel" meant comic book? I grabbed it at the library and didn't look through it until I got in car. I was shocked. Especially when I saw crazy button eyes lady.

Now, maybe it's because I have never read a comic book before, but didn't the story seem to take random turns? I wanted there to be an explanation for the crazy sisters submerged in slime on the wall or the reason that Caroline could pass through the closet that held the spirits, but they couldn't or what was up with the rats. I don't know. How did Coraline know that she could find the souls of all the captured people? How did she know that they were going to be something tangible?

Is this just due to the comic book style that I'm not used to? Or was this book lame?

Oh, and Spence- did you read it before book club blog? And did you say that my father owns it?

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Coraline the Strange

Well, it appears that the three of us actually reading this book have completed it... if not "SPOILER ALERT" ... go find the book, give yourself an hour and 1/2 or so, and then join in the conversation.

****

I thought this book had mixtures of Alice in Wonderland, Emily the Strange, Chronicles of Narnia (Lion, Witch & Wardrobe), Where the Wild Things Are and something Alford Hitchcock would've put together for a 7th grade creative writing class... although I think there was some nice alliteration, as well as some great phrasing…

There’s a part in the book, can’t remember what page (I’ll look it up and get back to you) that talked about the emptiness of the “mist” … Danny and I went into Hot Topic the other night and I have to say, I think a lot of the inspiration for this book could’ve come from the feeling I get when I walk into that store…

So before I delve in and spill all my juicy insights here… I welcome your comments. Let the Book Club discussion officially begin:

(I told you I’d finish it by the end of the month…)

And good pick for Halloween Spence.

-ssm

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Whats the deal?

Why haven't you two read it yet? I'm dying to talk about it, but I don't want to spoil anything. Hurry!

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Try Again

Ok everyone! There has been a request to start Book Club again. This month we are reading:

Coraline by Neil Gaiman.

Thanks to the reccommendation by Darth Spencer.

I'm quite excited to get this going again.

Saturday, September 20, 2008

BOOK CLUB ANYONE?!?!?

Cicely (and everyone else who has not written in this blog for ages);

Um, what book are we reading now?  Spence said he was still working on the Vampire books... so um, are we going to revitalize this thing or what? 

And we even had someone ask to join our book club (of course you can join).  But if we NEVER spend time here then how are we even going to have a book club.

Right now I am reading "what to Expect" and "Touchpoints 1-3" but I am dying for a book that's a page turner that I can't put down and can easily be completed in a few flights (I used to be able to sleep on planes.  Not so much any more). 

So what's the deal, who's with me?!?!?!
What's our next book?

P&P was and is always fabulous... but it's been a few months so if you haven't finished Lizzie and William Fitzpatrick's big story, you might want to look into renting the movie (or movies. I prefer the extended 7 hour BBC version to Kiera Knightly's (sp?) bit... but it was still good.)

Love - 
Mother of Holden 

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Juicy.

So, I just read the part in Chapter Five where Lizzy promises her company never to dance with Mr. Darcy! Oh! I love this book!

I find it so interesting that just after Lizzy makes that promise Charlotte chimes in with this- "His pride does not offend me as pride often does, because there is an excuse for it." And that excuse is that he is rich. In those days, where marrying for money rather than love was not only accepted but encouraged, is it okay to agree with Charlotte? Is it okay to agree with her now or have times changed our view of what's important?

I, for example, am proud of my husband and my son. I have heard recently that to be proud is sinful, but I think of my pride for my family as a part of my love for them. I don't feel bad about it.

Any thoughts?

-Cicely the sinner

P.s. I also love Mary's quote about the subject at the end of the chapter. She says pride is a form of vanity, but I think that Mary secretly thinks higher of herself than those around her.

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Who are you?

Take the quiz and report back.

I am Elizabeth Bennet!


Take the Quiz here!



I'm happy to be Elizabeth Bennet. In fact, I do remember in high school everyone thinking that David didn't like them because he was not very soical, but turns out he's the nicest guy ever. Sounds like another certain gentlemen we all know and love.

I'm totally Elizabeth Bennet.

-Cicely

Monday, April 21, 2008

What's Next?

While I'm thinking about it- does anyone have any suggestions for our next read?

Momma Suite has suggested we read Dreams of My Father by Barack Obama.

I am also thinking about Kite Runner.

Or maybe something a little more upbeat? Anyone have any suggestions. Oh, and you can't suggest Ramona Quimby: Age 8, because I just read it before A Quick Bite. :)

Pride and Prejudice

Ok team! While we are waiting for Spencer to finish A Quick Bite- I see no reason why we can't start Pride and Prejudice (especially since he won't be reading it with us).

So grab the best novel in the world and lets get ready to get romantic! If you have any thoughts or feelings along the way please feel free to post them.

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Finished

I am finished with A quick bite. Does anyone need more time? Or are we ready to discuss?

Friday, April 18, 2008

Ok. I've figured it out.

I think I figured out why I don't like Lissiana- she's immature. I just can't believe that she is really a vampire and really two hundred years old. She is still 23 to me.

When something happens I want her to be all calm and cool (like some other handsome vamp we all know) and have things thought out but she is running about like a teenager who is afraid of her Mom. You'd think at 200 she'd be capable of making a good decision.

I can't wait to finish so I can talk more about it...

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Lissiana- how do you feel?

Maybe it is just because I am going to read Pride and Prejudice next, but I want Lissiana to be more likable- a better heroine. She gives me nothing. I don't find her interesting and I can't imagine her facial expressions or movements- I really hate that.

Is this due to the author? Or is this character just not as interesting as I want her to be.

Cass- what do you think? Do you identify with any of the characters in this book or anyone of Sands' other books?

Also, I posted a poll- so vote one way or another.

-Cicely

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Cassandra Says:

Well I actually suggested this book for Cicely to read because I was reading the series and found the #3 book "Awesome and Sexy". I hadn't read it yet and it ended up being #7 likable out of the 8 I have read so far. Sorry Cicely. You would really like Rachel and Ettinne okay maybe not but Celeste would.
I just found out our home didn't sell and so now I just want to drown my sorrows in vat of vanilla ice cream. wish I could write something happy but such is life. I feel now like I am one of the stories on NPR...this just in. thinking her life was fine and bills would be getting paid Cassandra Suite-Smith and her husband Wade decided to take a year off and head to Cincinnati for some extra training. Little did they know that there "homes" would be rented HAHAHA. And their "big Ship" would be coming in, in June. "well its really been stressful, I have been getting movies at the library and only going to free days at the museums and things around town. We switched cars because its $95 to fill up the BIG HUGE SUV we had to buy when Times Were Good. I feel really let down. And Wade is a giant ball of stress. I hope this recession doesn't turn into a depression. I dont think I could stand in the bread lines".
On a lighter or fatter note I think I will just go grab a pint of Graters. (a cincy institution)

A Quick Bite




Our first book is A Quick Bite, by Lynsay Sands.

I'm about half way done. It is my very first romance novel, but I am sort of surprised that Twilight seemed much more romantic than this book is. Don't get me wrong, it's not bad, but it's not my favorite. I just don't identify with any of the characters.

The she-vamp and main character of the book is Lissiana. She does nothing for me. I'm just not sure she is interesting. And Greg- her sexy therapist seems like an actor to me and not a real person. I feel sort of like I'm watching a bad movie when I read it.

Also, I can stop reading it whenever I want. I love books that I can't put down. I don't even mind stopping mid-chapter.

I would love to hear some thoughts or comments...

Book Club Begins!

Hello all! I have decided to start a book club using the blogging world. I am not going to be around much longer, so I have devised a plan to hold an ongoing book club meeting. If you would like to be a part of this- please leave a comment and I will add you to the list of blog authors.

Our first book is: A Quick Bite written by Lynsay Sands. If this doesn't interest you- don't worry. You can get a head start on our next book: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (as if you didn't know).