Yay Books!

It's time for another mini book review!



I stopped by the library the other day to return my copy of The Murder Room and needed to grab something quickly to listen to during my ride home. If you know me pretty well, you know that Neil Gaiman is my all-time favorite author. In my opinion, he can do no wrong.  I do have to thank my sister, Gretchen, for turning me on to Neil. If she hadn't brought home a copy of Coraline, I may never have become hooked.

Anyway, I decided to see if any Neil Gaiman audiobooks were available in the library. I was in luck! I picked up two. The first, Fragile Things, was a compilation of short stories and poems. The second, Good Omens, a novel co-authored with Terry Pratchett.


Fragile Things:
I do own a signed copy of this book. It is one of my prized possessions. I had the good fortune of meeting Neil at the National Book Festival in DC several years ago. Ok, so when I say meet, I mean I handed him my book and said hello and couldn't think of anything intelligent to say because I was awestruck.  There was also a very long line (I had already waited 3 hours in the rain) of people behind me waiting for autographs.  Anyway, I figured this would be a fun book to listen to during my commute.  I was very happy to discover that Neil would be reading the audio version of the book.  From the few other experiences I've had with authors reading their own work, it's not a good thing. Neil is different. It works. I highly recommend Fragile Things in either book or audiobook form.

I had a discussion with my father on this topic of author-read audio books a while back when I had tried to listen to another book that was horrible (Blood, Bones & Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef) I'm not saying the book was horrible, I didn't make it far enough into it to form an opinion. The reading was so awful that I just had to give up. I might try the actual book form at a later date.  The difference between that author and Neil Gaiman?  Neil is a storyteller.  It is evident in his words and through his voice.



Good Omens:
I own the white paperback copy of this book and I've read approx. 1/3 of it. I don't know how long ago that was or why I put it down. It wasn't boring. I enjoy Terry Pratchett almost as much as Neil Gaiman. I should probably be tarred and feathered for not having read the full book at this point in my life.  From what I recall reading, it was hilarious and had many ridiculously wonderful footnotes.  I just put the first disc in my car on Friday afternoon so I haven't listened to much of it yet.

Well, that's it for today. I hope you enjoyed my little Neil Gaiman lovefest. Feel free to leave comments below!

July 2011 Birchbox - Cynthia Rowley

This July Birchbox got a lot of hype because it was curated by fashion designer, Cynthia Rowley.  I am not super duper into fashion so I'll admit to being a little ignorant of who she is.  I just went to check out her website and it kinda creeped me out. Don't watch the video.  Well, she designed some cute Band-Aids...but they're $10. Who spends $10 on designer Band-Aids? Wait. Don't answer that.  Back to the box.

What you see when you open the box.

I was really entertained by the tissue paper matching my bedsheets this month. They usually wrap everything in pink so this was a fun little surprise. So, here is what I got:

It's like a little present inside a present!

My Impression: Meh.

1. AHAVA Mineral Hand Cream 25ml
2. philosophy purity made simple one-step facial cleanser 1 fl oz
3. Redken shine flash 02 2.1 fl oz
4. Zoya Touch Collection Nail Polish in Shay 0.25 fl oz
5. Kind Almond & Apricot Bar

The hand cream is nice, but I am not too keen on the smell. It's not too strong of a fragrance so I'll probably still use it. The cleanser is also nice, but stinky. It doesn't dry out my skin which is a plus. I haven't tried the Redken shine spray. I usually have my hair up for work and it's been ridiculously hot so I'll get back to you on that one. My first impression of the Zoya nail polish was ugh. It's a light neutral color and I always wear bright colors and I only paint my toes. I tried it out on my thumb and the color is starting to grow on me. Last, but not least, the Almond & Apricot Bar was delicious. I didn't have an afternoon snack on my way home from work so it was the perfect treat. The apricot added a nice tartness to the sweet crunch of the almonds.

Overall, it was not a bad box, but not that great either. The value of the products is about $19 and I paid $10. I wonder what July will bring. Interested in Birchbox? Let me know!

What I'm Reading

A Little Change: If I limit this blog to beauty and crafts, I'll get bored rather quickly.  I'm just going to write about whatever comes to mind.  I don't know how broad this blog will end up being, so bear with me.

What I've decided to do today is give mini reviews of what I'm currently reading. I read purely for pleasure. I do not read, or listen, as the case may be, to find deeper meanings hidden within the story. When I say listen it's because I am quite fond of books on CD. I have a long commute and listening to books makes it go by much more quickly than just listening to the radio.


 
In my car, I have The Murder Room by Michael Capuzzo. I picked this up from the new non-fiction media section of the library on a whim because I am fascinated by forensics. The book chronicles the the founding of the Vidocq Society and the men behind it. You have Frank Bender, a sex obsessed forensic sculptor, Richard Walter, forensic psychologist and profiler, and William Fleisher, U.S. Customs agent, who were brought together by their desire to give voice to the dead by solving cold cases. It is truly amazing what they've set out to do. I've been enjoying the book so far aside from the slightly disjointed way in which it is written. The audio version is read by Adam Grupper. I am quite pleased with his interpretation. Characters are easily distinguishable from one another and he does not read in a monotone voice.





I have a second book on CD at home that I listen to as I'm falling asleep. Fell is a young adult novel written by David Clement-Davies. I tend to read a lot of young adult literature. It's fun and there is usually a happy ending. This is the story of a young girl named Alina and a lone black wolf named Fell. They are an unlikely pair that must fight for their lives and the future of a war-torn kingdom. It is a well written adventure with a strong female lead. It has been a fun book to listen to. Steven Crossley has an absolutely wonderful reading voice. I look forward to finishing this book.






What are you reading right now?