Trick-or-Treat, Smell my Feet, Give me Something Good to READ !

You all must hate me by now, but I can't resist. I love Halloween and everything and anything connected to it. I wanted to feature books or stories about Halloween candy and how it became a popular tradition, but I can't find anything GOOD !

I am very disappointed to say the least. I thought I hit the jackpot when I located a book called, "Candy Man," but sadly it had very little to do with candy. Side note here, if any of you know of such a book can you let me know ? Its turning into a must-find for my sanity and curiosity.

Nonetheless, as I was perusing the web and my usual sites, I stumbled upon two lists of Halloween reads. These books are nothing like the ones I posted on Monday. Some of these are creepy, very creepy.

Barnes & Nobles held a Halloween book discussion, http://bookclubs.barnesandnoble.com/t5/Paranormal-Urban-Fantasy/Halloween-Reads/m-p/394502, and I suggest checking it out. Were not talking Twilight or Dracula here. These books are scary.

And of course, good old Goodreads came through with numerous lists of books. There is fiction, non-fiction, children, adults, you name it they have it ( except for a book about candy !!!) . Here is the adult list, http://www.goodreads.com/search/search?q=halloween+books+for+adults&group_id=&search_type=books&search[source]=goodreads&search[field]=on, but once you are on the site, just search for what genre you are looking for. Good luck and have a fantastic Halloween !!

Baseball and Lords of Rings ? Find out if this is what Fellow Students are Planning to Read.

So after my post about what I'm looking forward to reading over the breaks, I decided to ask some of my fellow students. Check it out !

Audio Project sound clip

Books Instead of Candy for Halloween

From the "Books For Treats" site

Over the years, I've heard people talk about handing out books  for Halloween instead of candy. I always thought that it was some joke, or that one of the old ladies in the neighborhood decided to do it on their own. I was shocked when I learned that it is now a nation wide "treat."  The event, "Books For Treats" started in 2001 in San Jose, and has handed out over 6,000 books each Halloween.

According to their site, "Books For Treats," "is a program that encourages you to give 'gently read' children’s books at Halloween instead of candy." The program's slogan, "Give Brain Candy. Feed Kids' Minds Not their Cavities," pretty much sums up their goals.

So why do this ? The site offers some pretty crazy stats - "Recent statistics show that annually Americans spend $950 million on Halloween candy, and that 20 million pounds of candy corn alone is purchased. The average person spends nearly $15 on the Halloween candy — much of it being consumed before Halloween by the adults or their kids."

This program was originated in an attempt to help fight childhood obesity and diabetes, and to get children to read more. I don't know how I would have felt if someone dropped a book in my trick-or-treat bag all those years ago, but I think this is a fabulous idea now. The site, http://booksfortreats.org/, lists information on how to get involved and where and how you can donate books.

Halloween ! A list of spooky reads !

Halloween is on Sunday ! It is one of my favorite holidays. Decorating, eating treats, and watching the little kids get all dressed up, it makes me miss my childhood. I even remember reading my favorite Halloween themed books as a kid. Which got me thinking, what spooky or history-rich books are available for the young at heart ?

As I searched, I stumbled upon numerous web sites. Since I love Halloween as much as I do, I think I might dedicate the week to spooky books !

Here's what the associated content from Yahoo picked for their top ten, http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2157879/top_10_halloween_books_for_adults.html?cat=38.

1. "Dracula," by Bram Stoker
Simon & Schuster, 2003 (Originally published 1897)

I couldn't resist !

2. "The Shining, " by Stephen King
Pocket, 2002 (Originally published 1977)

 3. "Frankenstein," by Mary Shelley
Penguin Classics, 2003 (Originally published 1818)

4. "The Exorcist," by William Peter Blatty
HarperTorch, 1994. (Originally published 1971) 

5. "A Stir of Echoes," by Richard Matheson
Tor Books, 2008. (Originally published 1958

6. "The Best of Poe: Tell-Tale Heart, The Raven, The Cask of Amontillado and 30 Others," by
Edgar Allan Poe
Prestwick House, Inc., 2006

7. "The Graveyard Book," by Neil Gaiman
HarperCollins, 2008

8. "Interview with the Vampire," by Anne Rice
Ballantine Books, 1997. (Originally published 1976)

9. "Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West," by Gregory Maguire
Harper, 2007. 

10. "Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night," by Nicholas Rogers
Oxford University Press, 2002. 

The link also provides some pretty detailed descriptions of the books. Check them out before the bewitching hour passes !

Blogs, and Lots of Them !

Before I even started Page Turner, I did some research. I looked at what similar blogs were doing, their content and what seemed to attract their readers. Over time, some blogs became more helpful than others. So I started to look for an expanded list of book or reading blogs.

As I was searching, I stumbled upon gold. The site, Online Universities.com, has complied a list of "101 Book Blogs You Need to Read." The list includes blogs for every genre and interest.

http://www.onlineuniversities.com/blog/2009/10/101-book-blogs-you-need-to-read/

The site also complied a list of what it considers to be the top 10. According to the site, "these ten book blogs are the most popular, most informative out there, and they contain information about the widest number of genres." Check them out !

1. The Millions: This book blog is like an all-inclusive resort for readers and literature buffs. With all genres and cultures included, it contains news and book reviews every reader can use.
2. Critical Mass: Critical Mass is written by professional book reviewers. Rather than review books, they provide book and author news that only they, as professionals, get to hear.
3. Baby Got Books: Reviews and commentary by readers who keep you informed about the year’s biggest releases.
4. The Elegant Variation: The list of book recommendations on this literary news site will never leave you disappointed.
5. Blog of a Bookslut: Bookslut is famous among book blogs, and one of the most popular in the the world of online book news and reviews.
6. A Life in Books: This librarian shares her passion for books and reading, and her professional commentary is useful for followers looking for a great read.
7. Beth Fish Reads: This book lover and freelance book professional posts book reviews and participates in reading challenges and bookish memes.
8. Bluestalking: A reading enthusiast shares her years of literary reviews and criticism with the world in this interesting and thorough blog.
9. Book Addiction: Heather, a 25-year-old book addict from Chicago, keeps track of her reading conquests, shares her opinions of recent releases, and develops a list of recommendations on this blog.
10. Candy Covered Books: This blog "gathers reviews from a wide variety of sources and averages them into a single rating so you don’t waste valuable time reading anything less than fabulous."

Golden Oldies Got Me Thinking...What Were my Favorite Books in the 90s?

So I have really been thinking a lot about the books I read during my childhood. Then I started thinking about the books I read in the 8th grade onwards. Its funny how quickly time moves and how things that were so important or "in" are now a thing of the past. While that can be said for a lot of things in my childhood/teen years, it seems not to be the case with books.

Goodreads has a list of teen books from the 90s, and I have to say it it spot on if you where a teenage girl, http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/2658.Teen_Novels_of_the_90s. The funny thing is, that the majority of the books listed are still read and enjoyed today. Here's what Goodreads is calling their top 10...

1.  "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," by J.K. Rowling
2.  "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," by J.K. Rowling
3.  "Speak,"by Laurie Halse Anderson
4.  "The Giver," by Lois Lowry
5.  "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets," by J.K. Rowling
6.  "Wild Magic," by Tamora Pierce
7.  "Keeping the Moon,"by Sarah Dessen
8. "Saving Jessica," by Lurlene McDaniel
9.  "Love among the Walnuts," by Jean Ferris
10. "Wolf-Speaker," by Tamora Pierce


While I haven't read all of the book here ( I was all over  "The Giver" and the Harry Potter series), the complete list, in my opinions, best represents what we females were reading all those years ago. It make me want to revisit some of them, and either give them another try or still see if they are as enjoyable as they were then. Guys, I think you fit on here in some instances. But, and because I was never a teenage boy, can judge. What were you reading in the 90s?

Golden Oldies - My Favorite Childhood Books

I decided to grace my parents this weekend with my presence, and they put me to work. This is typical, but for once I was shocked. My parents are finally empty nesters and are trying to rearrange the house. Over the years, my brother and I have complied several large piles of books and my mom wanted to consolidate some ( which I thought would never happen because my mother can be defined as a borderline hoarder! )


Never in my whole 22-years have I ever had trouble throwing something away. But when she asked me to pitch my childhood books, I refused. Tons of memories came flooding back as I reread "Goodnight Moon" for the first time in years.

I grabbed as many books as I could hide under my bed and decided to put them away for my theoretical children. I think there is something special about sharing something from your childhood with your children, or so I'm told.

Which got me thinking. What were the top five books from my childhood? It took me awhile, but I think I've narrowed it down.

1. "Were the Wild Things Are," by Maurice Sendak
2. "Goodnight Moon," by Margaret Wise Brown
3. "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie," by Laura Joffe Numeroff   
4. "The Rainbow Fish," by Marcus Pfister
5.  "The Very Hungry Caterpillar," by Eric Carle

 I still love these books, and I think it is safe to say that they'll continue to transcended the generations.