A meme...

Yes, this is a double post, from my other blog, but I felt it was worth it to post it here as well. After all, the topic is book characters, and what better place to post the meme than on a book related blog?!

A meme:

A while ago (a long while, I'm sorry to say) I asked to be part of a meme that has you commenting on fictional characters, all of whom have names that start with a specific letter. I was given the letter 'S'. Below you will find my answers (and below that the rules to participate, should you so choose).

1.) Scout (To Kill a Mockingbird) Definitely one of my favorite books and a favorite character too. You can almost imagine what a girl of her young age was thinking when the country was trying to deal with segregation. I know that even now it's hard to believe that such things took place. Scout is such a real girl, and you can totally feel like you know what it was like to sneak past Boo Radley's house, but yet to be fascinated by him at the same time.

2.) Severus Snake (Harry Potter series) - he's so annoying, you can't help but like him! I am a fan of the Harry Potter books, and I really enjoyed the role in which Snape had in Harry's adventures.

3.) Pomona Sprout (Harry Potter series) - There was something about this gal you couldn't help but like. I always picture her almost as a Martha Steward of the wizard world. She can grown anything!

4.) Snow White (Disney Princess) - As much as I'd love to say that she really exists, she's just a fantasy. I remember that Snow White was one of the only movies that I went to as a kid, my mom taking me to the theater after my grandfather had died. I like how her character causes girls to dream of being a princess, and of having seven short men helping you out-at your beg and call!

5.) Slightly Sane Georgie (Hat Full of Sky) - He's not a prominent character. He's a Nac Mac Feegle, and those little blue men just make me smile. The fact that his name started with S just was perfect!

(And because I had to)

6.) Jack Schitt (Thursday Next books by Jasper Fforde) - He's an evil man, that Jack Schitt. He's caused Thursday's husband to vanish from the memories of everyone, even poor Thursday! He does such horrible things, it's no wonder he works for Goliath Corp! Definitely a character you love to hate!


Ok. So there they are. Better late than never! :)


Here are the rules to the meme, let me know if you'd like to play too!
1. Comment on this post.
2. I will give you a letter.
3. Think of 5 fictional characters and post their names and your comments on these characters in your blog.
4. Have fun!

Book Give Away

While I have yet to accumulate any books to give away, Booking Mama is giving away a copy of The Uncommon Reader. It looks to be an interesting read, and if you leave her a comment, you just might win. So head on over, and if you want, you can tell her I sent you! :)

Here's a description of the book, as taken from the back cover:

When her corgis stray into a mobile library parked near Buckingham Palace, the Queen feels duty-bound to borrow a book. Discovering the joy of reading widely (from J. R. Ackerley, Jean Genet, and Ivy Compton-Burnett to the classics) and intelligently, she finds that her view of the world changes dramatically. Abetted in her newfound obsession by Norman, a young man from the royal kitchens, the Queen comes to question the prescribed order of the world and loses patience with the routines of her role as monarch. Her new passion for reading initially alarms the palace staff and soon leads to surprising and very funny consequences for the country at large.

A fun read

There's a (Slight) Chance I Might Be Going to Hell: A Novel of Sewer Pipes, Pageant Queens, and Big Trouble by Laurie Notaro

I read this book because I had stumbled upon a few others of her books while I was looking at Borders a few weeks ago. I was trying to figure out what I was going to use my teacher discount on, but I wanted to read some of her work before I actually purchased anything. I went to the library, and the only book on the shelf was this one. It looked intriguing, so I thought I'd check it out. It's hilarious! There are some sad times in the story too, but honestly, I was laughing throughout almost the entire book.

A brief synopsis: Maye finds herself moving from a big city like Phoenix to a small town called Spaulding. Everything in Spaulding is different-it's environmentally friendly, and she doesn't know anyone but her husband. She tries to make friends by joining her neighbor for tea, only to realize that she's one of the few who isn't on a motorized scooter. She then tries to join a Gothic book club, and the results of that are hilarious. She ends up deciding to try to run for Queen of Spaulding, or Sewer Pipe Queen. What ensues is a sweet tale of friendship, with quite a bit of humor mixed in.

Laurie really draws the reader in in this story. It wasn't long before I wanted to know what Maye was going to do next, and if she was going to embarrass herself at her husband's company party again. I would exactly classify this book as 'chick lit' because no one falls in love with someone that you don't expect them too. This book is definitely a work of fiction, and from what I've read, Notaro usually does non-fiction. I think she did a pretty decent job in switching over. But then, I'm not an expert, just a typical person reading a book off the shelf. I definitely look forward to adding Notaro to my list of authors to purchase when I get to use my discount again!