I have a long-standing policy of reviewing everything I read, so it feels kind of wrong not to write about the two books I just finished. Don't worry, I'm not breaking policy, I'm just not going to review these two right now. I read Lisa Daily's Fifteen Minutes of Shame, a chick lit novel that actually had some substance. If you want a sneak peek at this fun book, check out Lisa's official website. If you want my take on it, come back on April 2, when BBB hosts Lisa on her virtual book tour. The other book I finished is The Hostile Hospital by Lemony Snicket. I've been reading his A Series of Unfortunate Events books. When I've finished them, I'll review the series as a whole.

The other thing I want to mention is a fun new reading challenge called Soup's On. You can get all the details here. Basically, you have to "read" (not every word, just enough so you have an idea what it's about) 6 cookbooks and make 1 recipe from each between April 1, 2008 and March 31, 2009. Sounds fun, doesn't it? My reading list will be on my challenge blog in the next couple of days.

Right now, I'm trying to decide what to read next. I've got a pile of review books, a TBR mountain chain, plus I just ordered a bunch of books using MyPoints rewards (have you heard of MyPoints? If not, check it out. I've been doing it for years, and I love the program. If you sign up, would you mind putting my name in as the one who referred you? You will probably have to use my email address susanrjensen[AT]yahoo[DOT]com. Thanks.), and I've got a bag full of books from the library. Hmmm ... choices, choices.

It's come to my attention that I am earning a reputation as the Simon Cowell of book reviewers. First, I got an email from an author telling me how much she enjoyed my "very honest and candid" reviews. This, she wrote is "something I appreciate very much as a reader but which terrified me a little as an author who is very aware of my own limitations." I laughed at the thought of little ole me being that intimidating. Then, last night, I got an email from a friend who has been telling me about an author she really enjoys. I've "met" this author via email, although I haven't gotten to her books yet (I promise I will, R). Anyway, my friend wrote, "I'm nervous about your review of R's books and I didn't even write them!" Between these two conversations as well as other comments I've received, I've realized that I'm starting to resemble Mr. Cowell (although I don't wear undershirts in public). I really am a very nice person. Seriously. In real life, I'm much more like Paul Abdul (without the hit records). I would be more likely to gush, "It wasn't your best performance, but you look gorgeous" than "It was horrendous. Absolute rubbish."

The funny thing is, I am the least opinionated person you'll ever meet. If my husband asks where I want to eat, I usually say, "Oh, Olive Garden. Or Applebees. Or Outback. Whatever. I don't care." But, when it comes to books, I know what I like and what I don't. Amazingly, I form very strong opinions about the things I read. So, if I slam a book you've written and/or loved, I just want to quote my favorite American Idol judge: "Saw-ree, it's just my opinyon."

(Image from www.starblogs.net)

Okay, I know you think I am just ranting (and I sort of am), but these thoughts really do have something to do with the book I'm reviewing, Magyk by Angie Sage. Of course, explaining how my rant relates will lead to a spoiler (kind of), so I'll leave it 'til the end of the review. Don't worry - I'll warn you with bold type and lots of exclamation points so you won't inadvertently read something that will ruin the story for you.

Magyk tells the story of the Heaps, a family of 8 who live in The Ramblings, a kind of apartment complex for commoners. Although humble, the Heaps possess bright green eyes - telltale signs of a wizarding family. When the story opens, Sarah Heap has given birth to yet another boy. Baby Septimus is the seventh son of a seventh son, a position which destines him to become a powerful wizard. With the infant safely delivered, his father, Silas, treks into the forest to collect herbs for the baby. As he hustles home in the growing darkness, Silas hears something whimpering in the bushes. When he bends down, he's startled to find a baby laying on the cold, snowy ground. Kind-hearted Silas scoops up the infant and heads toward home. Before he can make it to his front door, a tall figure in purple warns him, "Tell no one you found her. She was born to you. Understand?" (5) A confused Silas rushes on, only to be met at his own door by the midwife, who is running out with Septimus' still form. "Dead!" she cries (6).

Although Sarah and Silas grieve for Septimus, they soon settle into life with their 6 boys and baby daughter. They tell no one about finding the infant in the snow. Six months later, Sarah receives troubling news from the castle - the Queen, who has not been seen publicly since her baby was born, has been shot by an assassin. Rumor has it that the infant princess was spirited away before the killer could get to her. Sarah realizes instantly what has happened. Her 6-month-old daughter is, in fact, the princess.

Ten years later, a friendly ghost warns the Heaps that trouble is on the horizon - the castle's new ruler has commanded an assassin to eliminate the princess. The Heaps flee to their Aunt Zelda's cottage on the isolated marshes, dragging an ExtraOrdinary Wizard, a slobbering wolfhound and a terrified boy soldier with them. As the group bands together, they discover a great many things, all of which will help them take on the evil Necromancer determined to finish off the princess for good.

Although it was predictable, the book kept me turning pages. I would have liked more character development, but basically the cast was sympathetic. Several of the characters - Marcia Overstrand, Aunt Zelda and Boy 412, for instance - were more interesting than others. The characters I most enjoyed were magical beings, like Princess Jenna's pet rock, Zelda's helpful Boggart, and the put-upon messenger rat. The magykal world, with its charms, spells and various enchantments, intrigued me. Probably my favorite passages in the book are those in which Marcia terrorizes doors, appliances and mirrors, all of which have feelings about their punishment. Another thing I enjoyed about this book is the Extras at the end. You can get a taste of these delights at Angie Sage's fun website.

Okay, onto the not-so-good stuff. Occasionally, Sage's writing drove me crazy. She shifted viewpoints at random, sometimes in the middle of paragraphs. It wasn't so much confusing as just plain annoying. She also relied heavily on adverbs, another thing which drives me nuts. I counted 8 on one page, and they're small pages. The writing was also very choppy in places. This is small potatoes, however, and I could have lived with it if it wasn't for this ...

WARNING - SPOILERS AHEAD (although they're so obvious, I don't know if I'd really call them spoilers; nonetheless, you've been warned) !!! My biggest beef with this book is Angie Sage's assumption that her readers are not all that smart. I was irritated by sentences like these, which seemed to imply that readers need to have things spelled out to them:

"Then he screamed again, this time in pain. He had broken his fifth metacarpal. His little finger" (133). I don't know about you, but I understood that his fifth metacarpal was his little finger.

"There was an unhappy silence. No one liked what Alther had said" (439). Duh. That's why the silence is unhappy.

Am I being nitpicky? Probably, but I hate it when the author insults my intelligence. As if these examples weren't enough, Angie Sage saves her big reveal for the end. Boy 412 is Septimus Heap. What, you say? Septimus didn't die? No, he didn't, but we know that from the moment we glance at Magyk's cover, which proudly proclaims it to be Septimus Heap, Book One. So, when a 10-year-old boy of unknown origin appears in the story, it's pretty obvious who he is. But, the author waits until the very ending of the book to make the big reveal. To me, that was obnoxious, since I had known his true identity from the beginning. This one thing killed the book for me. Angie Sage made her surprise ending so obvious that it wasn't a surprise at all.

SPOILER OVER!!!!

So, if it hadn't been for that one thing, I really would have enjoyed reading Magyk. Since the big revelation is out of the way, I'm hoping the next volumes in this series continue the exciting story of the Heap Family, without lazing around with surprise endings that aren't surprises at all.
Grade: C

Welcome, Christopher Hoare! Christopher is currently on a virtual book tour with Pump Up

If you do not have a female sibling, you might wonder why authors and filmmakers are so

... so says Carl over at Stainless Steel Droppings (the phrase is eerily familiar - I think he may have stolen it from someone ... ). He's referring to the new challenge he is hosting, Once Upon A Time II. As you all know, I am seriously challenge addicted. I already have a 3-page list of books I've committed to reading; I have been trying so hard not to join any more challenges. There have been so many fun ones announced, and I really wanted to join, but I didn't. Until now. As Carl says, "Resistance is futile." So, with (happy) resignation, I'll tell you about my two new ones:

I was chuckling the other day while reading a post written by Chris over at Stuff As Dreams Are Made On. He says he's stopped buying books because he's getting so many for free. "I'm like a book magnet," he enthused. I feel his "pain." I've been receiving lots of review books lately - I've got a dozen on my shelf, with at least that many more on the way. It's crazy, but a really fun kind of crazy. Also, even though I didn't wear green on St. Patrick's Day (my family is more Scottish than Irish; my mom says we should wear orange on March 17), the leprechauns seem to have forgiven me and sent me some luck anyway: I just won Year of Fog by Michelle Richmonds from Katrina over at Stone Soup.

I was really excited to get a copy of The Sister by Poppy Adams from the Barnes & Noble's First Look Club. My goal was to read it slowly so that I could keep up with the chat over at B&N, but I'm woefully behind. I've finally reached the middle, and I'm enjoying it. Although I try not to read reviews about books I'm reading so that they won't influence my own opinion, I get the feeling that reactions to this book have not been all that positive. Maybe I'm wrong, but that's the vibe I'm sensing. At any rate, I should finish it within the next day or so. After that, I would love to hear everyone else's opinions. Don't tell me anything yet, though!

In other news, I'm sending off interview questions to Amanda Ford, author of Kiss Me, I'm Single: An Ode to the Single Life. I'm excited to hear what she has to say. A friend also connected me with romance writer Robyn Carr. It's been fun getting to know her a little. Look for an interview and more with her in the near future. I will also be getting to those review books I was talking about - I have some really fun ones in the wings. Now, if I'm going to get all this done, I'm going to have to stop typing and get back to reading ...

I haven't read a lot of books about Native Americans, so I guess it's not surprising that I've
(Book Image from Sherman Alexie's official website. The book is semi-autobiographical. Check out the "Biography" section of Alexie's site to read more about him.)

So, I'm admitting defeat on the Winter Reading Challenge. There's no way I'm going to finish it by March 19, especially since I've only read 1 of the books on my list. I do plan to read all the books, but who knows when I will complete them? Thanks, Karlene, for hosting. Sorry I'm bowing out!

Several other fun challenges have been announced lately, but I'm trying to resist ...

(Image from mybookshelf.com)

Kate Connor's got enough on her plate - she's a SAHM to 2 kids, wife to a lawyer with political ambitions, best friend to a woman who suspects her husband may be cheating, and a homemaker with piles of laundry to sort, dinner to make, and a house to clean. Her schedule is jam-packed; she really doesn't have time to resurrect her early career as a Demon Hunter. Resurrect it she must, however, because Demons have descended on her once safe hometown, and only she can stop them.

The problem with coming out of retirement is that her family doesn't know anything about her Demon-Hunting past. She prefers it to stay that way. Besides, this is a one-time gig - as soon as she rids her town of unwanted presences, she's going right back to being Kate Connor, plain old soccer mom. First, however, she's got a mystery to solve. She must determine why her old enemy - a nasty High Demon named Goramesh - is haunting San Diablo, California. The town boasts a large cathedral housing bones of saints and other relics - such powerful religious items should be keeping Demons far, far away. So, what has drawn Goramesh to sunny Cali? Kate begins a desperate dig through the Church's archives to find the answer. Not that anyone's going to let her focus on her task, however - her husband keeps throwing surprise dinner parties in her lap, Demons are lurking around every corner, her 2-year-old's throwing tantrums to get her attention, and her best friend is starting to get susicious. Kate must find the answer to her dilemma, rid the town of Demons, and get back to her normal life before it all disappears in a puff of smoke. A difficult task, yes, but this Demon-hunting soccer mom is up to the task. Or is she?

Okay, I know the plot of Carpe Demon: Adventures of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom by Julie Kenner sounds a little hokey. It is, but the book is a lot of fun. There was plenty in it to irritate me (how often does one person really say the word "schlep?" and what toddler can ask his mom, "Do you have holey sheets?"), but I actually enjoyed this one. It's the first urban-fantasy-with-a-domestic-bent that I've read. I know there are plenty of these kind of books out there, so I don't know whether Julie Kenner is an original or a copycat, but still ... this was a fun foray for me.

Grade: B-

I forgot to mention this in my last post, but I was reading another blog (once again, I can't remember whose - I think that's a sign I read too many blogs) and the author was talking about blogrolls. She mentioned that she always looked on other people's blogs to see if they listed her blog on their blogrolls. Anyway, she said it much better than I did, but I'm in the same boat: I love all of your blogs, but I haven't updated my links in awhile, so don't freak out if your name isn't on there. It will be. As I've mentioned before, I read TONS of blogs (about 200 at last count), and I always forget to stick them on my blogroll. I'm working on it - I promise. If you don't see your blog listed, will you please let me know? I don't usually ask permission to list a blog, so yours may be on their already without your knowledge! Hee hee. Thanks, you guys. This book blogging community is fabulous.

My reading has been a little pokey lately, mostly because my head is swirling with the decision my husband and I just made: We are going to try to adopt a baby girl. We have been thinking about adoption ever since our youngest was born, and my doctor strongly encouraged us not to have any more children (all 3 of ours were preemies). Since then, the idea of adoption has been in the back of my mind. On our way to Disneyland (dh and I really should not go on long drives together - we tend to make life-changing decisions while in the car), we decided that we wanted to pursue adoption. Since then, I have debated, researched, prayed, meditated, and prayed some more to know if it was really the right thing for us. Well, let me tell you, I got a burning in my bosom such as I have never felt before - seriously, it was like really bad heartburn! I know this is right for our family.

Currently, I am filling out applications for various adoption agencies. We are going to certify through LDS Family Services, but we will be working with several different agencies as well as "advertising" on our own. I thought I should mention it here in case you or anyone you know is looking for a good home for your/their baby girl. Now, I know you're probably saying, "But you already have 3 kids," and that's true, but I know there are lots of kids out there in need of good, stable homes. I'm blessed to have one. Anyway, if you know of any situations, or if you have been through the adoption process and have advice/encouragement, I would love to hear from you. You can email me anytime at blogginboutbooks[AT]gmail[DOT]com. I'm working on a blog that birthparents can check out for all our information. It may take me awhile, but eventually all the info will be at: http://leadusguideus.blogspot.com/.

Anyway, enough about that ... let's get on to some more bookish topics:

**Chelsea over at The Page Flipper is giving away 6 books from Simon & Schuster. Check it out! You get an extra entry if you mention her giveaway on your blog.

**I mentioned the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Contest in one of my previous posts. Basically, writers submitted their manuscripts, Amazon customers reviewed excerpts of each one, and 10 manuscripts were chosen from those with the best ratings. The winner gets a publishing contract from Penguin Books. You can read excerpts of the Top 10 and vote for the winner. The one with the highest reviews wins. Now, I'm a little miffed because Amazon promised an award to the best reviewer, and never delivered (winners were supposed to be announced Feb. 29, but it didn't happen). Not that I expected to win, but I rushed to do reviews so that I could be among the contestants for the reviewer prize. ANYWAY, my point is, if you think this sounds fun, go check out the Top 10. There are some really good entries. Unfortunately, only 1 of my favorites (The Wet Nurse's Tale) made it into the Top 10 :( Oh well. Even if Amazon hasn't handled the contest well (which seems to be the general consensus among the writers and reviewers), it's a fun idea and I enjoyed reading a lot (not all) of the entries.

**I promised myself I would read a review book this week (The Sister - I'm woefully behind), but I got sidetracked by Julie Kenner's Carpe Demon. It's light and fluffy (sounds like a meringue), but lots of fun. I'll report on it soon.

**Thanks for reading this long, dense post. Happy reading!

One of the book blogs I read (I peruse so many that I can't remember which one) recently asked if other bloggers create reviews in their heads while reading. I do this frequently. In fact, I mentally bookmark quotes I know I will want to use later. Unfortunately, my "bookmarks" don't work as well as the real thing - I've flipped back through whole books trying to find those magical passages. So, when I started reading The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop by Lewis Buzbee, I grabbed some Post It notes and a pen. This book is so quotable that I used up half the pad marking passages I liked.
Like I mentioned earlier, The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop is immensely quotable. Here are some of my favorite passages:
Books connect us with others, but that connection is created in solitude, one reader in one chair hearing one writer, what John Irving refers to as one genius speaking to another ... Ellis Canetti has described cafes as places we go to be "alone among others," and I've always felt this was true of the bookstore, too. It's a lovely combination, this solitude and gathering, almost as if the bookstore were the antidote for what it sold. (6)
...As a victim of book lust, I've gazed at millions of feet of shelf space, and I should be quite over the allure, the slight magic that's entranced me, but I'm not. (11)
Books ... give body to our ideas and imaginations, make them flesh in the world; a bookstore is the city where our fleshed-out inner selves reside. (19)
The books of our childhood offer a vivid door to our own pasts, and not necessarily for the stories we read there, but for the memories of where we were and who we were when we were reading them; to remember a book is to remember the child who read that book. (36-37)
Grade: A

Deborah Knott is back with more Southern wit and wisdom to dole out to the folks in fictional Colleton County, North Carolina. In Southern Discomfort, the second in

When Dorothy with Pump Up Your Book Promotion first asked me to review Kiss Me, I'm Single: An Ode to the Single Life by Amanda Ford, I thought, "Well, okay, but I'm not really into chick lit." Then, I realized that despite the bubbly pink cover, it isn't actually chick lit; in fact, it isn't even fiction. When I discovered this, I examined the subtitle, An Ode to the Single Life. Hmmmm. How on Earth is this book going to be relevant, I wondered, to someone like me who got married when she was 21 and is still happily wed 10 1/2 years later? Then, I figured, the book was sure to be a feminist rant slamming marriage and upholding singlehood as the desired state of all modern, independent women. Just when I had turned myself completely off the book, I thought, Maybe I should stop postulating and just read the darn thing. So, I did. I was surprised. And impressed.

The format of Kiss Me, I'm Single (pink, bubbly cover; short, breezy chapters; humorous, engaging writing) belies the fact that it contains some real nuggets of wisdom. Contrary to my assumptions, it does not bash marriage. It simply delivers advice to women who seem perpetually single, from someone who has been there. Not that Amanda has come up with some new, magical formula to guarantee a direct hit from Cupid's arrow, but she has a lot of hints on how to stay sane in a world where being a single woman feels like "an emergency ... as urgent as Code Red" (13). Unlike many relationship books, this one is a quick read - it's 203 pages, but some of them only have 2-3 sentences. I literally read it while waiting for pictures to upload onto Blogger (over the course of a few days - my computer's not that slow!)

So, you're wondering, what is the wisdom Amanda Ford imparts? Here's a taste:

It feels like Code Red when I begin doing the math and figure that if I want to be pregnant by one particular age, and if I want to spend a few years traveling the world with my husband before we have children, and if I simply want to date him for a few years before we get engaged, then I should have met him fifteen months ago (emphasis hers).

Okay, maybe that's not the best example, but I thought it was funny. On to the wise stuff:

Falling in love is what happens when you are busy loving your own life. (11)

Do not be one of those foolish women who think that the the love they give themselves is less important and less fulfilling than the love they get from men ... Believe that the most important relationship you will ever have in your life is the one that you have with yourself. Believe it down to your bones: The search for another person must never preclude the search for yourself. (19)

Love has nothing to do with another person, but is the condition of my own heart. (27)

It is a basic fact of life that in order to be truly happy and fulfilled with another person, you must be truly happy and fulfilled on your own first. A good relationship can enhance life for sure, but it cannot take what is only moderately satisfying and turn it into perfection. (33)

Contrary to myths and stories and popular belief, focusing on one person to fill your needs does not provide eternal protection against loneliness and isolation. In fact it's just the opposite. Relying on one person for everything decreases your chances at human connection and increases your odds of feeling lonely and isolated. (142)

So, you can see Amanda's basic principle: Single women should focus on creating fulfilling lives, not obsessing about how to get a man. I agree. In fact, I want to buy 100 copies of Kiss Me, I'm Single and fling them at all my single friends who whine about how their lives can't start until they get married. I think it's a given that falling in love happens when you least expect it, and when you stop thinking about it every minute of every day.

If you, like me, have already found your soul mate, don't dismiss this book. I think the last paragraph I quoted is especially significant for married women. Even in a marriage, we cannot lose sight of who we are and what brings us joy. We have to continue to get to know ourselves, continue to learn and grow. If we base our whole existence on our spouses and children, we will end up as strangers to ourselves.

As much as I liked the book, I have to say that I don't agree with everything Amanda says. Her experience does not seem to include observance of any strong marriages. She was reared by a single mother, went on to have a brief, unsatisfying marriage of her own, and has been single ever since. The marriages she does cite all seem to have blazing flaws - the wives are bored or suffocated by commitment. I just want to say that this is not always the case. Strong, happy marriages exist everywhere. Maybe they're not the norm, but they are out there.

All in all, though, I really enjoyed this read. I found Amanda to be a very personable, fun guide through the single life. Her book really is quick and easy to read, but also very profound. It can be purchased through Amazon or Barnes & Noble. You can also find out more about Amanda on her website, oholive.com. Be sure to check out her "Extraordinary Living Project" - it's inspiring.

P.S. When Amanda sent me her book, it was packaged in the cutest way. I just have to show you the photo I took:

Grade: B+