Fairy Tale Catchall

Woven Pages Card

And the winner is...

Congrats to the winner of the signed,  first edition copy of "The Buried Giant" - Brianie G.!

Our 2nd place winner of the spout bookmarks is Carolyn I.

Thanks for all the entries. Happy reading!

Bookish L.A. - Venice Beach

 

On a trip to Los Angeles we decided to head to Venice Beach for some Peruvian Cuisine at El Huarique (which was delicious, by the way). We came across a really neat bookstore called Small World Books. It's behind the seating area of a cafe and can be accessed by a door that doesn't look like much on the surface. 

Once inside the whole place opens up. There are both new and used books, some quirky and others bestsellers.  The staff is very knowledgeable and friendly. I loved the shelf of Staff Picks at the front of the store. It's a great way to discover your next favorite book! 

Venice Beach is amazing for the people watching,  vendors, music, and lounging. Now it will also be on my list of great places to go to pick up my next vacation read.

Book Spine Poetry

Happy National Poetry Month! To celebrate, my public library is holding a book spine poetry competition. Basically one just stacks books to that the titles make a poem.

I am going to head to the library to look at books for poems but I thought I would give it a try at home first. I limited myself to choosing books from my downstairs bookshelf only for my first attempt. It was interesting how many meanings could come from rearranging the same books. I think this would be really fun to make a cute poem and hang a photo of it in a kid's room.

A Discovery of Witches Book Review

Book: A Discovery of Witches (All Souls Trilogy: Book 1)

 

Author: Deborah Harkness

 

Given by: No one. I checked it out from the library.

 

Rating: 4/5 Won-derfuls (I loved it)

Blurb:
"A richly inventive novel about a centuries-old vampire, a spellbound witch, and the mysterious manuscript that draws them together.

Deep in the stacks of Oxford's Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell."

This was a great book! I have only one eye-twitching observation before I sing its praises. There was quite a lot of obnoxious dominance cloaked in valor from our handsome vampire. I get where this was coming from and understand this part of his character but it bugs me that our strong, brilliant heroine falls for this crap. There are times when she appears to be standing her ground, but is really just negotiating for things and decisions that should be non-negotiable. Diana will glare and protest but eventually gives in when she has moments of feminine weakness. It drives me nuts.

My pet peeves aside, this is a fantastic book. I mean magic in the Bodleian? Nerd girl fantasy! The manuscripts and texts described sucked me in immediately. I can feel my own fingers tingle at the thought of holding such precious historical literature in my hands. Mmmmm... Alright, back to reality.

Deborah Harkness uses brilliant language without ever seeming pretentious. The story flows and is easy to escape into. There are many unique scenes that held me throughout this book. My favorite involved witches, vampires, and daemons doing yoga together. Very cool! There are close calls, magical discoveries, and a bit of saucy romance. I already have the next book in the series on hold!

Interested? More about the book here.

Morse Code Bracelets

Have you ever ever wanted to carry your favorite bookish quotes with you throughout the day? Morse Code jewelry is the answer! These bracelets and necklaces are super fun and easy to make. I use fishing line, small glass beads, and clasps from the craft store when making mine. 



Step 1: Choose a favorite quote.

Step 2: Change it into Morse Code (I use a free online translator).

Step 3: String beads with round beads for dots and long beads for dashes. I use slightly larger beads for spaces between words.

Step 4: Feel stealthy and awesome wearing your words.

Visiting F. Scott Fitzgerald's Grave

When I was looking for bookish sites to visit in Washington D.C. I had a little bit of a challenge ahead of me.  It's not that there aren't many sites to see,  but that I was only able to look around in the evenings because I was in town for a conference that occupied most of my days.  Imagine my excitement to discover that F. Scott Fitzgerald was buried a short metro ride away!

Turn left out of Rockville station

Rockville, the second to last stop on D.C.'s Red Line, stops very close to St. Mary's church where Fitzgerald is buried. When leaving the station you turn left toward the line of newspaper dispensers and the tall building with the clock on top.


Follow Church Street until you see the cemetery on the right. The church and cemetery are less than half a mile away.

I did not see a single person on this visit but found tributes left by those who visited before me. There were flowers, coins, pens, liquor, and a copy of The Great Gatsby.  It was odd to be in this tiny graveyard surrounded by traffic and buildings while still feeling quite alone. If you're in the area this is definitely worth the stop.

Giveaway: The Buried Giant - signed first edition

Enter for your chance to win a signed first edition of The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro! Just for fun I'm also throwing in a set of my favorite "sprout" bookmarks to a second winner.  There are three ways to enter and you can enter once per day - so come back often!

Here is the description of The Buried Giant from Goodreads:

"An extraordinary new novel from the author of Never Let Me Go and the Booker Prize-winning The Remains of the Day.

'You've long set your heart against it, Axl, I know. But it's time now to think on it anew. There's a journey we must go on, and no more delay...'

The Buried Giant begins as a couple set off across a troubled land of mist and rain in the hope of finding a son they have not seen in years.

Sometimes savage, often intensely moving, Kazuo Ishiguro's first novel in nearly a decade is about lost memories, love, revenge, and war."

I began reviewing books several years ago. I enjoyed it so much that  I later started this blog.  From the time I started I have received more than 100 books from publishers and authors,  had 150,000 hits on my reviews,  and 10,000 views on my blog. This may be small potatoes in the larger internet world, but it's fun for me. To say THANK YOU I am hosting this giveaway. 

Complete the entry form below for your chance to win.  Selection of winners will take place on May 1 and be posted to the blog (I will post first name and last initial).  Individual winners will also be notified by email.  Only entries from the US and Canada will be excepted. Good luck!

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Stitch it Simple Book Review

This is a (kinda) book review for Stitch it Simple: 25 hand sewn projects to make and share by Beth Sheard. What makes this a "kinda" book review? I wasn't able to access the templates on the digital version that was given for review via NetGalley so I couldn't actually make any of the projects. This would not typically be a problem because this book is sold as a paperback. I still wanted to complete a review, however, because it has some really cute, simple projects.

The beginning of the book features information about supplies, preparing to sew, cutting fabric, and how to do a variety of stitches. The pictures of each stitch help the reader interpret the written directions. This would be a great section for people who need a refresher on stitches or people learning for the first time. It also helps figure out what stitch is most appropriate for the task at hand.  I learned ways to applique and attach binding than what I have done previously.

While I was not able to complete any of the projects without the templates, it seems that the step by step directions are thorough and simple. It also helps that each pattern has pictures to help understand the steps. Patterns include stuffed letters, a butterfly mobile, adorable pillows, and much more. You can check out the book, pictures of the projects in the book, and information about the author here.

Reader Recommends: Ghost Stories

Ramblings on Readings has started hosting a weekly "Reader Recommends". Readers "choose up to five books or series you would recommend based on the topic or genre. If you haven’t read the topic, you can post books you are interested in reading based on the topic. Add your post to the Link-up at the bottom of each Reader Recommends post to see other bloggers’ suggestions, and make some new friends!". Sounds fun, right? This week the topic is ghost stories.

I haven't read a lot of good ghost stories. I think this is partly out of cowardice. I see one that looks good and put it on my "to read" list rather than actually reading it. I'm not as scared to read those with lower ratings. Embarrassing? Yes. But there you have it. Here are three I have enjoyed and three I will someday get the courage to read.

Read

I absolutely LOVE the Charlie Davidson series by Darynda Jones. There are lots of ghosts, but the books are more mystery than scary. The main character, Charlie, is the Grim Reaper. Ghosts, including a ghost dog, cling to Charlie day and night. Lots of supernatural with a dose of the sexy (it gets pretty steamy!) means my kind of series.


The spirits in Dante's Inferno are probably closer to souls than ghosts, but they have still terrified me from the first time I read this book. I like this one because it is a classic I actually enjoy reading every time. Plenty of creepy in this one!

Rooms by Lauren Oliver is a ghost story in the more classic sense as the living and the dead share the same residence, but it's still not creepy. The dead observe and comment on the living but can only communicate through the house itself - creaking walls, etc. Lots of family drama from both the ghosts and those still alive dominates much of the book.

Want to Read

Want to join in on the fun? Link up your post with your favorite ghost stories here.