Happy Presidents Day!

This video recaps all the presidents in under 4 minutes! Pretty cool, I thought. I'm glad I'm not the President of the U.S.--way too much responsibility! I'm amazed anyone wants that job but I'm sure glad some people do. I found this over at MaryTheKayTheBlog on her Honoring our Greatest Presidents post. She has a trivia quiz over there for you too!

"The Wee Free Men" by Terry Pratchett Is Very Strange

The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett is teen fantasy which I read for a change of pace and enjoyed.  I normally do not read fantasy books but the teaser I saw for this one at The Adventures Of An Intrepid Reader got my attention.  It looked like it would be a funny book and it is.  I was not at all disappointed.  It's a story about a little girl who wanted to be witch.  When her little brother is missing, she goes after him into Fairyland to get him back from the Queen.  It is sort of a combination of "The Wizard of Oz" and "Alice in Wonderland" and does not make much sense.  The Wee Free men (Nac Mac Feegle) were blue with red hair and about six inches tall, noted for stealing, fighting and drinking.  They were very fast, strong and helped Tiffany get her brother back.  I liked them especially but it wasn't always easy to understand them.  I especially liked the part of the Nac Mac Feegle steeling the sheep and at the end about the lawyer humor. 

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to escape reality for awhile and just be entertained.  Oh, it's such a crazy book that the printing is upside down so you actually read it backwards!  It's hilarious--a fun read!  You can read my teaser. 

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

"Black Seconds" by Karin Fossum

Black Seconds by Karin Fossum is a quick read which is always good.  A little girl goes missing and is found weeks later.  As usual, in a mystery there are quite a few suspects.  This is a page turner.  I didn’t know who did it until the very end.  I liked it and recommend it!
(Gerard's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

"America By Heart: Reflections On Family, Faith and Flag" by Sarah Palin

There is really no grey area when it comes to Sarah Palin.  You either like her or you don’t.  I do.  America By Heart:  Reflections on Family, Faith, and Flag is her second book; her first was Going Rogue: An American Life.  She touches on a number of subjects.  The chapters of this book that I enjoyed most were:  “Why They Serve,” “The Rise Of The Mama Grizzlies,” “I Hear America Praying,” and “Common Sense Constitutional Conservatism.”  I liked both her books. 
 (Gerard's review)

 Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

For The Thrill Of It by Simon Baatz

I don't think I will read anything better this year! This will be hard to beat!
For The Thrill Of It by Simon Baatz takes place in 1924 is just riveting. It tells the story of the killing of Bobby Franks by Nathan Leopold and Richard Leob. What makes the book so good is that you feel like you are right there while all this is going on! The writing is that good.

This book grabbed me from the first page and held me to the last. The first part of the book is especially good, focusing on the planning that went into the so-called perfect crime and then picks up again in the courtroom. You will keep turning pages with this one. It is hard to put down! It would make a very good movie. Well done, Mr. Baatz. Do yourself a favor and read this book.
Gerard's review (2/25/09)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?