First Chapter ~ First Paragraph Tuesday Intros - Delivering Death; Julie Kramer

Every Tuesday I host First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros, where I share the first paragraph or (a few) of a book I am reading or thinking about reading soon. Care to join us? Today's pick will be released on January 7th.

Delivering Death; Julie Kramer

Atria / Emily Bestler Books - 2014

" A guard checked a number against the ID bracelet on the man's wrist while marking his name off a clipboard as he stood in line.

Another chained the man's cuffs to his waist and shackled his feet together, so he had to shuffle to board the prison bus behind other stumbling inmates in orange jumpsuits.  He heard some snickering among the jailers about something called 'diesel therapy.' The term puzzled him, but amid the scuffling and stern faces, he had no time or nerve for questions."

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 What do you think? Would you keep reading? Feel free to join us by linking your First Chapter post below.

Mailbox Monday

Rose City Reader is our Mailbox Monday host this month. Mailbox Monday was started by Marcia as a way of sharing your new books and having fun at the same time. 

This weeks new arrivals included:

• On Such a Full Sea; Chang-Rae Lee - (Riverhead)
• The Purity of Vengeance; Jussi Adler-Olsen )Penguin Audio)
• White Dog Fell From the Sky; Eleanor Morse (Viking)

Have you read any of these?

Snow, Candles, Christmas

My Birthday Wish Came True

We just may have a White Christmas!

It's really cold but just so pretty outside. Today the family is going out for Sunday Brunch for my birthday - it's an annual tradition. Mr and Mrs Claus are there as well so it's so much fun with the little one.

This week flew by in a blur with so much going in at work (non work-related). There was a staff appreciation holiday breakfast one day, lunch with the president another day, wellness lunch another day. As my husband always says, "how do people get any work done where you work?"  Truth is working in an academic environment is just so different from most jobs. They are employee friendly - great about arriving late and leaving early, last minute time off, and they try to do a lot of little things for us as well like summer picnics, turkey raffles etc. because there are no year end bonuses for us like in a corporate environment.  The biggest perk however, for me, is the annual winter break where the college closes and pays us to stay home. This year I'll be off from Dec 20th - Jan 6th with pay! I'm so excited. Hope have a nice slower paced time to prep for Christmas,  go to Vermont for a few days, lunch with friends and time with granddaughter as well and I'm sure I'll see a few movies and read a few books as well.

This week's plans include: picking up a few small gifts, wrapping them, baking cookies, writing a few reviews: Eleanor and Park (loved it) and The Preservationist (really good as well), and thinking about my Top 10 list for 2013. Have you decided on your best reads for 2013 yet?

Have a Nice Sunday All!

The Forgiven; Lawrence Osborne

The Forgiven; Lawrence Osborne

Hogarth - 2012

David Henninger, is a British physician who likes to drink a bit too much. He and his wife Jo are an unhappy couple and have been for a while. They've accepted an invitation for the weekend at a lavish estate owned by Richard an old college friend of Davids and his partner, Dally. The estate is located deep in the Moroccan desert. David has already been drinking, the roads are dark and unfamiliar, when suddenly out of nowhere two men leap out from the side of the road. The young men, presumably, were trying to sell fossils by the roadside. David swerves the car but can't stop in time before hitting one of the men and killing him while the other runs off into the desert night. 

Not sure what to do and certainly not thinking clearly, David puts the dead young man in the car and brings the dead body to the estate hoping to get advice on how to deal with the situation.  The hosts try to keep things quiet but word spreads among the servants and before long the father of Driss, the dead boy, is notified and arrives to claim his son's body. The family is poor and the dead boy's father and the host encourage David to return to the dead boy's home in the desert to help deal with the situation. By agreeing to this he hopes they see this as his way of seeking forgiveness. His wife Jo, seems relieved that she won't have to deal with his husband for a few days. She remains behind with the other party-goers trying to pretend that nothing has happened. Everyone seems to enjoy a bit too much of everything: food, booze, sex and drugs.

The Forgiven is very different from anything I've read in a long while, and although there isn't a lot of action, it's what happens behind the scenes that hooks you. The story doesn't even flow all that smoothly, yet there is was this constant feeling of foreboding that compelled me to read on. The interaction and comments from the guests and the servants showcase the great divide between the very rich and the poor and between the Moroccans and the Infidels. This is one of those novels where none of the characters were likeable, yet I was still compelled to keep reading.  The ending was perfect and totally unexpected as well.

Worth Reading - 4.5/5 stars (arc and eGalley)

The Consolations of the Forest: Alone in a Cabin in the Siberian Taiga; Sylvain Tesson

The Consolations of the Forest: Alone in a Cabin in the Siberian Taiga

 Sylvain Tesson - 2013

In The Consolations of the Forest,  author, Sylvain Tesson, 41, is a French born writer who felt the need to get away from the hustle and bustle of life and people. In this book he chronicles his life as a hermit, resulting from a self-imposed exile in a 10’ by 10’cabin in the woods on Siberia’s Lake Baikal, from February – July, 2010.

Tesson got the idea of this undertaking after he spent 3 days in a cabin with a ranger. He knew this was something he needed to do, because of the unexplained peace he had felt after the 3 day stay.  Things were a little different being isolated this time around. For 5 months his closest neighbor and the village was about 75 miles away.

In winter the ice around him would freeze over some 3+ feet thick. The cabin was originally constructed in the 1980’s in a clearing in a cedar forest to be used by geologists.  

Tesson’s staples for his stay included a crate of about 70 books, cigars, rice, pasta, sauce, vodka and 10 boxes of pain relievers for his headaches which would follow drinking too much vodka.  Journaling his experiences the author filled the daylight hours with things like chopping firewood, ice fishing, skating, hiking and looking forward to a daily visit from a titmouse which he would feed. When he had enough daylight, he’d retreat to the cabin for some reading, journaling and drinking.

I enjoyed his journal entries and observations of the world around him. As well as his thoughts on wildlife, reactions to old news obtained from cast of newspapers he received from time to time. Some of the entries are short and others longer, some filled with humor and some deep and thought provoking.

I was very curious about this book after reading a few rave reviews, and while I am glad I read it, I wasn't wowed by it. I have to agree to what another reviewer said: the fact that “the author kept warm in Siberia with vodka much of the time, is only so interesting.”  I did like his response to the question when asked why he chose to do what he did by himself, and his response was, “I was behind on my reading.”

3.5/5 stars (library book)

A Nantucket Christmas; Nancy Thayer

A Nantucket Christmas; Nancy Thayer

Ballantine Books - 2013

A Nantucket Christmas has a picture perfect setting for Christmas. On Nantucket Island in Massachusetts in December, the tourists are gone and year round residents can really enjoy all that this charming town offers. Nicole Somerset is a retired nurse and she is new to Nantucket. She recently married Sebastian a former attorney, and for Nicole, this Christmas will be all about making their together home perfect and homey.  Sebastian had told her that his former wife Kayta hated the mess involved in decorating for Christmas.  For both her personal image and her home, everything had to be just perfect.

This Christmas the couple is expecting a visit from Kennedy, Sebastian’s married daughter, her husband and their 3 year old son Maddox.  Kennedy is childish, rich, pampered and 8 month’s pregnant with the couple’s second child. Little Maddox is adorable and very much wants a dog this Christmas, but Kennedy, much like her mother, is against the idea because of the mess that associated with pet ownership. Kennedy's goal is to get her parents back together – that would make her Christmas perfect. 

We know that things don't always work out the way we planned, but sometimes the outcome is even better than imagined. 

This was a quick, light read which I finished in just 2 hours. Yes, the outcome is predictable and some of the characters are unrealistic, but something about the story made me enjoy it all the same.  If you are looking for some Christmas fluff, where everything works out in the end, I think you’ll be happy with this one. 

3.5/5 stars (eGalley - NetGalley)

2 Books about Bullies for little ones - Woolie and the Bully and Piggy Pug Stops a Bully

Woolie and the Bully  
Mark Jay Bingham (author) and Margo Anhder Mark (Illustrator)

Abbott Press - 2013

This important story targeted at educating very young school age children. Woolie is an adorable white lamb who is brought to school, by little Mary for show and tell.  Woolie is on his best behavior in school and most of the children are impressed by how well behaved Woolie is. Most everyone is friendly and kind to Woolie. One student, Tommy Hupp, the class bully, chooses to pull a prank which causes pain and embarrassment to Woolie.

When the school bully plans another mean spirited attack, he ends up getting hurt instead.  The other students, instead of chiding or making fun of Tommy, rally to his side showing concern and empathy. They make him feel part of the group.

I loved this book; it was so well done.  It demonstrated the emotional pain and embarrassment that Tommy inflicted.  It was also great to see that the other children did not turn against him when he was hurt.  The book is 45 pages, which is long for a book targeted at young children, yet it didn’t seem long at all. The story is told tastefully in rhyme fashion with wonderful entertaining illustrations. The font is attractive and bold.  One minor issue that I had was the choice of one the teacher’s names, “Mrs. Lillywhite.”  In an age when we are trying to encourage diversity, I felt that the choice made for the teacher’s name wasn’t appropriate.

4.5/5 stars (library copy)

 Piggy Pug Stops a Bully 
 Eva Gatlin (author) and Jimmy Gatlin (illustrator)

  Xlibris - 2012

The “bully” in this story is Sam the Ram. One day Piggy Pug can't find any friends outside to play with. It seem all of his friends are hiding because of Sam the Ram terrorizing the other animals.  Freddie the Fox, Gus the Goat, Buzzy Bee, Duster Dog, Tooble Turtle and Cathy Cow are scared and sick and tired of being tormented by Sam the Ram, and they've come up with an idea.   They enlist the help of Smitty Skunk to give Sam the Ram a taste of his own medicine – Smitty gives him a “squirt” and he is left on his own to deal with it.

Piggy then steps in to try and make Gus understand that acting like a bully and hurting others is not cool and not the way to make friends.

This book too is targeted at very young children. The font is larger, the colors bolder, but the illustrations are still wonderful. The story is still told in a fun rhyme pattern with the overall theme of teaching children about kindness and appropriate behavior.  At the end of the book there are (2) exercises that seem great and appropriate for classroom participation. They are: Being a Bully is Not Cool and The Friendship Game.

4.5/5 stars (library copy)

Both of these books would be a great teaching tool in the classroom.