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Great writer! It seems The Rhyme Maidens is finall...

2012-03-14T08:18:49.743-04:00

Great writer!
It seems The Rhyme Maidens is finally going to be published but the price is brutal!
Upcoming4.me The Rhyme Maidens by Neil Gaiman to be published

Wow, thanks for the nice review of my book! It wa...

2012-02-28T16:55:16.629-05:00

Wow, thanks for the nice review of my book! It was fun to write -- in fact, I've been working on it (in the back of my head, anyway), since I was 5 years old!

Quick correction: at the suggestion of my publisher, I've since changed the title to "Kid Confidential: An Insider's Guide to Grown-Ups. You'll find its Amazon page at

http://www.amazon.com/Kid-Confidential-Insiders-Guide-Grown-Ups/dp/0802723535/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1328535705&sr=8-1

and you can watch a fun "book trailer" that I shot at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PdPmBnTTe4

Thanks again!

I really enjoyed this movie. I just finished watch...

2012-02-12T22:05:53.565-05:00

I really enjoyed this movie. I just finished watching both “Sword of Storms” and “Blood and Iron” at DISHOnline.com. It is where I go to aid in passing time when things get slow here in the DISH call center. The fact that actors from the live action films returned to voice the characters for the animated movies adds a level of coherence you don’t often find in animated sequels. This is one of the few instances I would like to see another sequel. These animated movies are very well done and I like the attention to detail from both the perspective of a comic reader and as a movie watcher.

Great review! I read somewhere that Suzanne Collin...

2011-12-06T06:38:32.765-05:00

Great review! I read somewhere that Suzanne Collins herself worked on the film adaptation, so it should be quite close to the book. Here's hoping...

Thanks, babe!

2011-12-04T20:14:58.317-05:00

Thanks, babe!

Good Job!

2011-12-04T20:14:08.946-05:00

Good Job!

Can you believe this was my first time reading it?...

2011-12-04T16:07:11.218-05:00

Can you believe this was my first time reading it? I loved Johnny Tremain when I was in seventh or eighth grade, but hadn't read this one. Wow - what a difference. There's a great interview with the authors at the end of my copy, where they talk about how Johnny Tremain was written after World War II, and My Brother Sam after VietNam, and how those post-war parallels can be seen in the books.

I was also a Revolutionary War nut when I was a kid!

I haven't thought about this book in YEARS. I...

2011-12-03T16:09:19.518-05:00

I haven't thought about this book in YEARS. I read it in fifth grade for class . . . It was one of the books we could have picked to read for a reading assignment, and for some reason, I was obsessed with the Revolutionary War back then, so this is the one I picked.

I love that! I wish they would have had shows like...

2011-11-10T11:16:50.265-05:00

I love that! I wish they would have had shows like this when I was younger!

Oh I love this series. We've listened to the ...

2011-11-03T11:38:42.063-04:00

Oh I love this series. We've listened to the entire series on audio book when we've travelled as a family, and everyone, from age 38 to 4 was completely compelled by the story. Go Daphne and Sabrina! We even ended up loving Puck.

OK this was one of my favs - absolutely!!! Love Ju...

2011-10-13T22:21:07.173-04:00

OK this was one of my favs - absolutely!!! Love Judy Blume!

Such a sad and gripping event. The injustice of it...

2011-10-01T23:31:52.820-04:00

Such a sad and gripping event. The injustice of it is so potent even 100 years later; sad that this is what it took to begin ensuring safety and worker rights. Last year I read Lost by Jacqueline Davies, a fiction YA novel that partially takes place in the Shirtwaist Factory.

Hey, Jen! I'm so glad you liked the review! Yo...

2011-09-16T16:03:29.393-04:00

Hey, Jen! I'm so glad you liked the review! You have a great weekend, too - good to be blogging again. :)

I have not read this yet! I will be putting it on ...

2011-09-16T13:17:38.642-04:00

I have not read this yet! I will be putting it on my 'to read' list.
Thanks for the review - have a super weekend!

Like this idea - thanks for the recommendation!

2011-09-12T21:45:32.480-04:00

Like this idea - thanks for the recommendation!

Jessica Day George has become a staple in our hous...

2011-08-30T19:14:16.624-04:00

Jessica Day George has become a staple in our house. We love her and all her books! Shardas, Fenuil, Velika - all have fueled my children's love of dragons and for that, I'm forever grateful. I'm so glad you read this one and I definitely recommend it's sequels. They are good though not quite as refreshing as the original.

Hi ladies! Laurie, I absolutely agree that the Ga...

2011-08-30T08:31:59.240-04:00

Hi ladies!

Laurie, I absolutely agree that the Ga'Hoole books - even with having read just one - have a great deal of hope and love and courage. To go through what they did (as children, particularly); to endure loss, pain, terror, and ultimately (I assume) prevail is a very worthy message. I just meant that I was not expecting some of the more brutal or cruel passages; it does take you by surprise if you're not ready for it.

You know me - I'm very liberal in what I read, and I wasn't put off by this in the slightest. I hope it didn't come across like that. I wanted to provide an honest reaction to what I read. I welled up during several scenes in the book, especially when putting my own kids into those scenarios (you know as a parent, every kid becomes YOUR kid. Occupational hazard.)

I love that you read the book with Posh, and that's really what I want to have readers take away; for younger ages on the age range, a parent or guardian should read this book at least alongside their child to be able to answer any questions or concerns that may come up. I think I was expecting something very different, and that's what threw me off. It's hard, reading a book that has a hype machine behind it.

Peg, read the book for yourself and determine whether or not it's good for Drew. I finished it in about a day and a half. I think Cutie would like it, but be upset by some of the scenes, but he loved the movie. I didn't see it, but I would guess they downplayed some of the book just because Hollywood usually does; plus, they fit three movies into an hour and a half, so some stuff is getting cut.

I miss our book discussions, I'm so glad we can talk about them here again!

Posh and I read this together. The read aloud was...

2011-08-30T06:59:18.389-04:00

Posh and I read this together. The read aloud was so enjoyable that Spice and my husband both joined in. We have now all read all 15 books in the series - it's amazing! So many good lessons - like what it means to be an individual, what makes up a family, doing what's right even against overwhelming odds and so much more! The book was so much more than the movie could ever be. Yes, there is violence, but there is also courage, hope and love. Keep reading.

Hmm... Drew really wanted to read this series, but...

2011-08-30T01:11:09.578-04:00

Hmm... Drew really wanted to read this series, but maybe we'll wait awhile. There's other stuff he wants to read when he's done with HP, so this sounds like it can wait. He's not quite as mature with all the death and brutality as maybe some other 10 year olds are.

this whole series is lots of fun. My daughter is j...

2011-08-23T13:41:16.742-04:00

this whole series is lots of fun. My daughter is just starting to get into it now.

I love this book. I'm glad you're posting...

2011-08-23T13:40:48.241-04:00

I love this book.
I'm glad you're posting again.
Hope you've had a wonderful summer!

Ok so first, thank you for thinking the same way I...

2011-06-22T22:47:58.817-04:00

Ok so first, thank you for thinking the same way I do about Anne! She's brilliant, no doubt about it, but after Lasher... um... she lost me.

Second, totally geeking out about you seeing Neil! Amazingly brilliant. Would freak to hear him read an excerpt from American Gods.

You can't go wrong with a consumption referenc...

2010-12-13T12:41:18.101-05:00

You can't go wrong with a consumption reference. Happy Birthday!!!

I COMPLETELY agree with you re: Polgara! I love h...

2010-08-25T01:10:07.412-04:00

I COMPLETELY agree with you re: Polgara! I love her as a character - David & Leigh Eddings are right up there on my list of favorite fantasy authors, and part of the reason for this is their ability to craft such amazing characters, and Polgara is one of their best. However, even though I enjoyed 'Polgara the Sorceress,' I didn't feel as if it was as good as the previous books, and it's a little sad that that world's closing chapter ended with what was ALMOST a whimper.

Derek! Awesome! How are you and Bren doing?

2010-08-24T16:25:25.193-04:00

Derek! Awesome! How are you and Bren doing?