The Hunting of the Snark by Lewis Carroll

Started: 6/28/06
Finished: 6/28/06
Pages: 126
Year: 1962
Grade: C
Genre: Poetry
Reason for reading: booksfree.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Ever since Lewis Carroll's nonsense epic appeared in 1876 readers have joined his ten-man Snark-hunting crew and pursued the search with great enthusiasm. What are they hunting for? What is the Snark? Numerous theories have been proposed, Carroll himself provides a helpful Preface to the poem and is recorded as having explained to one reader: 'In answer to your questions, 'What did you mean the Snark was?" will you tell your friend that I meant that the Snark was a Boojum. I trust that she and you will now feel quite satisfied and happy.'
"This edition, previously published as The Annotated Snark, reproduces the original illustrations by Henry Holiday, including the suppressed Boojum drawing, Martin Gardner provides an introduction, notes and bibliography, and an Appendix contains F. C. S. Schiller's 'Commentary on the Snark' and J. A. Lindon's 'Fit the Seven-and-a-Halfth.'"
Opinion: The illustrations were great-wish that there were more. I had problem with how the footnotes were done and seemed to overtake the actual poem. Any fan of Alice in Wonderland or other Carroll works would appreciate the silliness of this children's poem.

The Devil of Nanking by Mo Hayder

Started: 6/20/06
Finished: 6/28/06
Pages: 471
Year: 2004
Grade: C
Reason for reading: review for My Shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "Grey is a solitary Englishwoman who comes to Japan looking for a piece of rare film footage shot during the 1937 Naking Massacre-a clip that documents an enormity beyond the reach of history books. Her quest leads her to Shi Chongmiing, a reclusive scholar who is one of the massacre's few survivors; to a crippled gangster who clings to life with the help of a mysterious elixir; and to a handsome American whose interest in her may be more sinister than romantic. Moving from decadent hostess clubs and yakuza mansions to the killing fields of the past, The Devil of Nanking is a pitch-perfect spine-chilling tour de force."
Opinion: Not as good as The Birdman but still has enjoyable moments. I like how the past storyline coincides with the current storyline. For a complete review, please look at MyShelf.com next month.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Publishing Magazine Articles by Sheree Bykofsky, Jennifer Basye Sander, and Lynne Rominger

Started 6/13/06
Finished: 6/20/06
Year: 2000
Pages: 300
Reason for reading: trying to launch my writing career
Blurb (from back cover): "You're no idiot, of course. You have a reporter's eye, a poet's touch, and you absolutely love to write. Stories, journal entries, letters to the editor-you name it, you know you can write it. But when it comes to selling your ideas to magazines, newspapers and web sites, you feel like the less said, the better. Seeing your words and wisdom printed in black and white seems like a lot more trouble than it's worth.
"Don't write yourself out just yet! The Complete Idiot's Guide to Publishing Magazine Articles will help you get where you belong-in print. In this Complete Idiot's Guide, you get answers to all your questions:
"Who hires writers?
"What newspaper, magazine, and online editors want from freelancers-and how much they might pay for it!
"How to write effective query and pitch letters.
"How the internet can help your writing career take off"
Opinion: It was a little outdated but overall contains a lot of useful information. It's a little repetitive with other reference books that I have but the more information I have, the better it is for me.

The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck

Started: 6/8/06
Finished: 6/13/06
Pages: 357
Year: 1931
Genre: Literature
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: booksfree.com book
Blurb (from back cover): "Though more than sixty years have passed since this remarkable novel won the Pulitzer Prize, it has retained its popularity and become one of the great modern classics. "I can only write what I know, and I know nothing but China, having always lioved there," wrote Pearl Buck. In The Good Earth she presents a graphic view of a China when the last emperor reigned and the vast political and social upheavals of the twentieth century were but distant rumblings for the ordinary people. This moving, classic story of the honest farmer Wang Lung and his selfless wife O-lan is must reading for those who would fully appreciate the sweeping changes that have occurred in the lives of the Chinese people during this century.
"Nobel Prize winner Pearl S. Buck traces the whole cycle of life: its terrors, its passions, its ambitions and rewards. Her brilliant novel-beloved by millions of readers-is a universal talk of the destiny of man."
Opinion: Finally finished a book! The first page grabs you just because of the great writing. This is one of the award-winners that I can understand why they won the reward. A truly great book to read.

Fondling Your Muse by John Warner

Started: 6/6/06
Finished: 6/7/06
Pages: 198
Year: 2005
Genre: Humor How-to
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: inhance the writing skills
Blurb: There really isn't one on the book
Opinion: This is just a hilarious book on how to publish a New York Times bestseller. Just lots of over the top antics throughout the book. If you are interested in writing or humor-this is a book for you.

The Chocolate Bridal Bash by Joanna Carl

Started: 6/2/06
Finished: 6/6/06
Pages: 226
Year: 2006
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf
Blurb (from back cover): "Caught up in a whirl of champagne and china patterns, bride-to-be Lee McKinney has butted heads with her future mother-in-law over every detail of the wedding bash. The last thing she needs is trouble with her own mother. But this is bigger than the hot versus cold hors d'oeuvres debate: Sally McKinney doesn't even want to be at the wedding if it takes place in Warner Pier, her hometown.
"Irked that her mom might be MIA on the Big Day, Lee heads to her aunt's chocolate shop, TenHuis Chocolade, for advice. There, the bride is shocked to learn that years earlier, her mother ran away on what would have been her own wedding day-hours before her fiance was found dead, an apparent suicide. Now to smooth things over with her mother-and ease her own way down the aisle-Lee must untangle a mystery older than she is..."
Opinion: Not a bad mystery. Probably would be better if I had read it more together than reading a chapter here and there over the weekend. For a complete review, please check out MyShelf next month.

Grave's Intent by Deborah LeBlanc

Started: 5/31/06
Finished: 6/2/06
Pages: 374
Year: 2006
Genre: Horror
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: booksfree.com book
Blurb (from back cover): "In all their years at the funeral home, Janet and Michael Savoy had never seen anything like the viewing for nineteen-year-old Thalia Stevenson. That's because they had never seen a Gypsy funeral before, complete with rituals, incantations and a very special gold coin placed beneath the dead girl's hands...
"When that coin is stolen, a horror is unleased. If the Savoys don't find the coin and return it to Thalia's grave before the rising of the second sun, someone in their family-perhaps their little daughter-will die a merciless death. The ticking away of each hour brings the Savoy family closer to a gruesome, inescapable nightmare. Only one thing is certain-Gypsies always have their revenge...even the dead ones."
Opinion: A fairly entertaining horror story-complete with suspenseful interactions between characters. I hadn't read a decent horror story in a while so I was glad to pick up this book when I did. A good read for suspense/horror fans.