Happy Birthday, Leanne!

DUDE!  Happy birthday!

Look, everybody knows!

even the hedgies...

erm... and him... hummina hummina...

Or the value pack...

All topped off with a viola cake...

Have a fantastic birthday. Leanne!!!

Monday Musings: Chary's thoughts on A-Z 2013 Challenge

I'm really excited about this A-Z Challenge.  I attempted them in the past and never really pulled through to the end.  Okay, I abysmally failed after the first week.  Like a paradigm shift, I realized where I went wrong- I didn't PLAN AHEAD.  I don't have an explanation why nor do I even understand how this incredibly essential component of a month-long bloghop eluded me for so long. 

However, this has been remedied.  So far, I have decided on the theme, drabbles and photographs.  By doing this now, there will be more time for me to visit blogs in April.  



Drabble- n. story told in exactly 100 words.
Word-count Tool


I will be participating on the A-Z 2013 Challenge on Bronx Tales & Inner Musings.  Come and join the fun!  For more information, please click here.

Take care,
Chary

Reading Monday: Book Review

Hello sweetie!!!  Dr. River Song here . . . Oh wait, nope.  Chary here bringing you my current reading list book review thingamajiggy with an additional recommendation from my nine-year-old daughter, Zionne.  With family, graduate school and work, you are probably thinking, "How does she do it?"  I have no flipping idea.  I sneak-read on my iPad as often as I can- on the train, on the bus, even on the boat.  I kid you not.  On Staten Island, we are accustomed to three forms of transportation when venturing into Manhattan.  But I digress . . . 

Just Read-
I am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

I made the mistake of watching the movie and then reading the book.  I was somewhat skeptical at first, however, I truly enjoyed reading this science fiction, young adult novel.  The protagonist, John and his protector, Henri are alien life forms from a planet called Lorien.  They are being chased by the Mogadorians, a barbaric alien race that has laid waste to Lorien.  John must master his emerging supernatural powers before he can claim his Legacy.

I have also read several textbooks, specializing in education law and policy, but will not give a review.  I don't want to kill you with legal and educational jargon.  :)

Currently Reading-
At my job, we decided to begin a book club.  Well, only a handful of people in our school office have joined but word will spread of all our partying and fun and they will come.  Book Club at my job, really in my office

The Between by Tananarive Due

Because I have just begun to read this science fiction novel, here is amazon.com book snippet:

When Hilton was just a boy, his grandmother sacrificed her life to save him from drowning. Thirty years later, he begins to suspect that he was never meant to survive that accident, and that dark forces are working to rectify that mistake.

When Hilton's wife, the only elected African-American judge in Dade County, FL, begins to receive racist hate mail, he becomes obsessed with protecting his family. Soon, however, he begins to have horrible nightmares, more intense and disturbing than any he has ever experienced. Are the strange dreams trying to tell him something? His sense of reality begins to slip away as he battles both the psychotic threatening to destroy his family and the even more terrifying enemy stalking his sleep. Chilling and utterly convincing, The Between follows the struggles of a man desperately trying to hold on to the people and life he loves, but may have already lost. The compelling plot holds readers in suspense until the final, profound moment of resolution.

 Zionne's pick of the week for the little kiddies is:

Sweet Farts, Book 1 by Raymond Bean  

Yes, my daughter chose a book about the expulsion of methane from one's anus.  In the words of Mrs. Puff, "Why?  Spongebob!  Why?"  However, perhaps it is a grade school thing but somehow kids just love anything that is gross!  Anywho, that is a whole other post.

This is a hilarious book about the protagonist's, Keith, adventure in finding a cure for the fart.  He endeavors on a scientific journey of discovering the conversion of a foul-smelling, noxious fume into a sweet, delectable and enticing aroma of heavenliness.  To keep it simple, he is making Sweet Farts!  My daughter highly recommends this book for individuals of all ages.  

For channel 4 news, I'm Veronica Corningstone.  Thanks for stopping by San Diego. . . Damn, can't keep up with all these personalities!  

Take care and have a great week,
Chary Perez

ALA Winners

Okay, so I'm the adult who reads a ton of kidlit, so what?  It's better than ever these days, and Monday's list of award winners had many wonderful titles on it (especially the Morris, for a debut author, which went to Seraphina which is totally still my favourite book, yay!  Also, I love Tamora Pierce and I'm psyched she got the Edwards).  As ever, the list is a great place to start if you're looking for quality and don't have a clue which of the hundreds of lovely covers on the shelves to open first.  I have to say though, I was pretty surprised by the Printz list (that's the teen one), which for the second year in a row included mostly titles I'd never heard of before the winners were announced.

Now, I'm not saying I'm some kind of all-knowing book guru (all my friends are rolling their eyes at me behind my back right now, I know they are), but not only do I read a TON (we're talking 10-15 books a WEEK here, people {yes, frequently more than one a day}) but I actually work in a bookstore.  And receive newsletters from two more.  And can't pass one without going in.  So is the question "how did I miss these?" or is it "where did they find these?"

Especially since one of them figures in multiple categories.  And one of them is about an Aspie (a topic dear to my heart).  Where did these books come from?  It can't be a bad thing for these books to get more exposure - I read the summaries, they do indeed sound very interesting - so where have they been?  Where's the marketing?  And how did they get to the committee without it?

I'm going to go ponder those questions while I finally get around to reading Code Name Verity - which is one of the ones I HAVE heard of.  And boy does it sound fantastic...