Mailbox Monday - February 16th

Every Monday on The Printed Page, people list the books that arrived the previous week. Last week, three books entered my home. I'm also listing a book I forgot to post about last Monday:

Jane Jakeman. In the Kingdom of Mists (arrived 2/4/2009)
Gregory Maguire. Son of a Witch
Jim Butcher. Fool Moon
Joyce Carol Oates. The Gravedigger's Daughter

A Natural History of the Senses by Diane Ackerman

First sentence:

"How sense-luscious the world is."

Description:

"If Colette had studied science and spent time listening to icebergs in Antarctica and interviewing a professional nose in New York, she might have written a book as luscious and erudite as A Natural History of the Senses. In the course of this grand tour of the realm of the senses, Diane Ackerman writes about the evolution of the kiss, the sadistic cuisine of eighteenth-century England, the chemistry of pain, and the melodies of the planet Earth with an evocativeness and charm that make the book itself a marvel of literate sensuality." -- from the back cover

My thoughts:

This was a beautifully written, informative book about the five senses. Ackerman's descriptive writing kept me engaged and I enjoyed learning about the different ways we perceive the world.

Date read: 2/11/2009
Book #: 13
Challenges: 999 Challenge, Dewey Decimal Challenge
Rating: 4*/5 = great
Genre: Nonfiction

ISBN-10: 0679735666
ISBN-13: 9780679735663
Publisher: Vintage
Year: 1991
# of Pages: 309
Binding: Trade Paperback
LibraryThing Page

The Cadaver's Ball by Charles Atkins

First sentence:

"Come on, Beth."

Description:

"Ed, Peter and Beth have been close friends ever since medical school. But for Ed it’s much more. He loves Beth—intensely. He even proposed to her once, but she turned him down because she’d already agreed to marry Peter. From that day on, Ed has been determined to prove to Beth that she married the wrong man…

Ed never got the chance to convince her. A tragic car crash took Beth’s life. Peter was at the wheel. Suddenly all of Ed’s burning hatred for his old friend flares to life, and Ed won’t rest until he’s destroyed Peter. Bit by bit, Ed sets out to ruin the unsuspecting Peter and everything that’s important to him—his reputation, his career…his very life." -- from the back cover

My thoughts:

This was a very intense thriller which kept my interest throughout. I liked how Peter knew something was wrong and that Ed was somehow involved even if he didn't know exactly what was going on. I also liked the way the point of view switched from third person (Ed) to first person (Peter).

Date read: 2/10/2009
Book #: 12
Challenges: 999 Challenge
Rating: 3*/5 = good
Genre: Thriller

ISBN-10: 0843957573
ISBN-13: 9780843957570
Publisher: Leisure Books
Year: 2006
# of Pages: 342
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
LibraryThing Page

Gravity Wells by James Alan Gardner

First sentence:

"I told my kid sister Muffin this joke."

Description:

"Award-winning author James Alan Gardner evokes a sense of wonder that is synonymous with great speculative fiction. Now, in his first short-story collection, he brings together the numerous tales that have made his reputation, ranging from the everyday experience to the cosmic, from peanut butter sandwiches to space drives. There are stories of wonder, imagination, humanity, and the unknown and tales that remind us of the importance of possibility.

Some of the stories in this collection have won the Aurora Award and the grand prize in the prestigious Writers of the Future contest and been nominated for both the Hugo and Nebula Awards, while others are completely new and undiscovered. " -- from the back cover

My thoughts:

I enjoyed this collection of short stories as they made me think at times and laugh at times. I especially liked the stories "The Last Day of the War, with Parrots" in which knowing someone's thoughts isn't always a good thing; "A Changeable Market in Slaves," or, in other words, how many different ways can a story's opening go and "A Young Person's Guide to the Organism," as different people see the same creature in many different ways.

Date read: 2/2/2009
Book #: 11
Challenges: 999 Challenge, Celebrate the Author Challenge 2009, Winter Reading Challenge 2008
Rating: 3*/5 = good
Genre: SF

ISBN-10: 0060087706
ISBN-13: 9780060087708
Publisher: Eos
Year: 2005
# of Pages: 344
Binding: Trade Paperback
LibraryThing Page

Mailbox Monday - February 2nd

Just one book arrived at my door last week, but I was glad to get it:

Nick Smith. Milk Treading

Naming Conventions Challenge

Naming Conventions Challenge
When: September 1, 2008 - January 31, 2009
What: Pick books that have a relationship to the letters of your name - initials of author's first name and/or initials of author's last name and/or first initial of the title. See the website linked above for more information

Using my first name Karen, here's my list of books that start with each letter of my name:

• Raymond E. Feist. The King's Buccaneer -- finished 1/20/2009
• Jonathan Stroud. The Amulet of Samarkand -- finished 1/30/2009
• Patricia McKillip. The Riddle-Master of Hed - finished 9/21/2008
• K.J. Bishop. The Etched City -- finished 11/20/2008
• Michael Palmer. Natural Causes -- finished 9/4/2008

Unread Authors Challenge 2008

Unread Authors Challenge
When: August 1, 2008 - January 31, 2009
What: Read six books by authors you've never read before

My list:

• Eleanor Mathews. Ambassador to the Penguins: A Naturalist's Year Aboard a Yankee Whaleship -- finished 8/24/2008
• A. A. Attansio. Wyvern -- finished 8/29/2008
• Jennifer Traig. Devil in the Details: Scenes from an Obsessive Girlhood -- finished 8/30/2008
  
• C.J. Westwick. Emerald Enigma -- finished 10/19/2008
• Patrice Harwin. Arson and Old Lace -- finished 11/24/2008
• Jonathan Stroud. The Amulet of Samarkand -- finished 1/30/2009