Blog: Wantz Upon A Time Book Reviews

More like a regular blog...

I haven't been doing much to blog lately, but I realized that a lot of the blogs out there are more personal than I thought. I also haven't had more than one or two comments or readers of this blog, so I'm just going to post as the whim hits me. ;-)

As I type, Zoe is on my lap. She's been playing will miniature Post-It notes. I guess the stickiness fascinates her, especially as it relates to sticking the papers to my arm-hairs.

Right now, I'm reading a book called INVEST IN YOUR NEST. I'm trying to expand by adding nonfiction titles. It's been hard to sit down and read lately, so I'm not even halfway through this book, even though it's been almost a week since I started it. Between Zoe's constant need for attention and the daily business of life, it's been hard to find time to get things done. Things will smooth out once school starts (she'll be going half days) and we're into our new house. Zoe will get to run around and around and around...

We're trying to pick colors for the new house. What an adventure! Well, sort of. LOL

That's it for now. Until next time!

CFix

1:00 PM 0 comments

Thursday, July 27, 2006

I haven't had a lot to say lately. It's been hectic, with selling the house, among other things.

Until I come up with a better way of publicizing the site and this blog, I doubt I'll add much to it.

I WILL tell you, however, that there are two author interviews up. KEVIN J. ANDERSON and JACQUELYN MITCHARD had some great things to say.

That's all I have for now. That has a lot to do with a cuddly four-year-old in my lap. Go Zoe!

Christina

5:04 PM 0 comments

Monday, June 19, 2006

I Fell in Love...

I fell in love... With a book, and with a boy.

The book: I just read.

The boy: I put a ring on his finger, and vice versa, seven years ago today. It's hard to believe time really does fly. Now we have a gorgeous daughter who will turn four next month. For lunch today, we used a gift card some of our friends gave us for a combined birthday present last year (our birthdays are all within two months of each other). The gift card was for Sal & Carvao: a vegetarian's worst nightmare. But we're not vegetarians (no offense to my friends who are). All the Brazilian charhouse meat you can cram down your gullet.

The book I just reviewed was Between, Georgia. I absolutely loved it and highly recommend it for a good read.

All that said, I am really tired! LOL Time for me to hit the sack. 'Night All!

Christina

10:16 PM 0 comments

Saturday, June 17, 2006

The Book of the Dead by Preston & Child

I finally posted the review for Preston & Child's The Book of the Dead. As a newcomer to the Pendergast "series," I have been sucked in with gusto.

The review could only address some of the book's points, as I refuse to give spoilers. However, if anyone would like to discuss this book, this is a good place to start!

My questions for readers:

I'm not sure that I bought Constance's attraction to Diogenes. She knew he was bad news, and she was shrewd in many ways. Despite his clever charms, shouldn't she have seen through him?
Repressed memories get a lot of air time in regard to abusive relationships. How did you feel about the use of repressed memory in this setting to explain Agent Pendergast's life choices?
Did you have a hard time believing the presence of lesions in the victims' / murderers' brains, given the horrifying explanation at the end? Is it possible to drive someone insane in that manner, especially in an age where we are constantly desensitized?

Any other points you'd like to bring to light? I can think of several, but I want this to be your discussion as much as mine.

Until next time!
Christina

9:31 PM 0 comments

Monday, June 12, 2006

New Reviews Since June 2nd

Here are the newest reviews since the last posting. Now open to comments!

Horizon Storms by Kevin J. Anderson
12JUN06 Science Fiction 5-BOOKS
The Saga of Seven Suns: Book 3

Dancing in the Dark by Mary Jane Clark
12JUN06 Mystery / Suspense 4-BOOKS

Kitty and the Midnight Hour by Carrie Vaughn
08JUN06 Paranormal ChickLit 4½-BOOKS

Dance of Death by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child
08JUN06 Mystery / Suspense 5-BOOKS

Judge & Jury by James Patterson & Andrew Gross
08JUN06 Legal Suspense 4½-BOOKS

Superman Returns by Marv Wolfman
05JUN06 Fiction 3-BOOKS

Brimstone by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child
05JUN06 Mystery / Suspense 5-BOOKS

5:31 PM 0 comments

Friday, June 02, 2006

COMING SOON: AUTHOR INTERVIEWS!

"Coming Soon" is loosely defined as "some time this month--I think!"

I'm still working on the format, as I want these interviews to be fun and different from the same old questions everyone asks published authors. If you want to know what inspired the authors to write, this won't be the place.

One of the interview features will be the Weird Question. I'll have a list of strange, fun questions, and each author will be asked to answer one of the questions from the list. I haven't decided yet whether the question will be chosen from the list by the author or by a web poll.

Suggestions for interview questions or format ideas are welcome!

There are some other ideas I'm working on, as well, but I'm going to wait until there's more information before sharing those details.

Until next time!
Christina

9:36 PM 0 comments

My New Favorite Sci-Fi Saga

In the past week, I have posted five new reviews. There's a lot of good summer reading available!

I have to admit that I'm a big fan of sci-fi writer Kevin J. Anderson, so catching up on his "The Saga of Seven Suns" has been a delight. The fifth installment to this series is due out next month, so I'm doing my best to be ready for that. The thing that gets me the most about his writing is that he knows how to engage you from page one. He doesn't waste time or pages describing scenes down to infintesimal detail. Instead, he gives you what you need and fills the pages with fascinating narrative. I fell under his spell after reading Star Wars' Jedi Academy trilogy, Darksaber, and the Young Jedi Knights series, which he co-authored with Rebecca Moesta. I understand I'm missing out because I haven't read the Dune or X-Files books he also wrote.

I'm learning that people either love or hate Kevin's work with this new series. I think it's because readers of the genre are used to long chapters and a narrower scope. While many sci-fi/fantasy epics have broad scope, not many dare to encompass as much as Kevin does in the span of one novel, nor with so many characters. Personally, I love it. But then, the constantly changing scenes are great for me, as I have ADD and tend to jump around in my thoughts anyway. This is a great way to keep me sitting in one place to read. Okay, even with ADD, I can sit for a long time and read, but I think you get my point! :-)

Well, with all that said, I think I'll drop the actual news into a separate post!

Christina

9:18 PM 0 comments

Saturday, May 27, 2006

Family Update

The ultrasound was not good. Although there is renal tissue, the baby's kidneys are shriveled, and there is no amniotic fluid. This is called Potter's Syndrome. The only hope for this child is to hope for a true miracle.

My brother and his wife seem to be handling this as well as can be expected, but it certainly won't be easy. Considering the situation, they went ahead and learned that this baby is a boy.

This is obviously a sad time, but life does go forward. Beyond that, I'm out of words, because no words can truly represent what a tragedy this is.

Christina

10:29 AM 0 comments

Wantz Upon A Time Book Reviews
Name: Wantz Upon A Time Book Reviews Location: Chicago, IL View my profile ARCHIVES May 2006 June 2006 July 2006 August 2006 Links to WUAT Pages About the Reviewers New Reviews All Reviews Review Standards Ad Policy Links Contact Home		Wantz Upon a Time Blog
		This is the place to talk about reviews posted on the website. Agree or disagree. Be respectful and you're welcome to comment.
		Tuesday, August 15, 2006 More like a regular blog... I haven't been doing much to blog lately, but I realized that a lot of the blogs out there are more personal than I thought. I also haven't had more than one or two comments or readers of this blog, so I'm just going to post as the whim hits me. ;-) As I type, Zoe is on my lap. She's been playing will miniature Post-It notes. I guess the stickiness fascinates her, especially as it relates to sticking the papers to my arm-hairs. Right now, I'm reading a book called INVEST IN YOUR NEST. I'm trying to expand by adding nonfiction titles. It's been hard to sit down and read lately, so I'm not even halfway through this book, even though it's been almost a week since I started it. Between Zoe's constant need for attention and the daily business of life, it's been hard to find time to get things done. Things will smooth out once school starts (she'll be going half days) and we're into our new house. Zoe will get to run around and around and around... We're trying to pick colors for the new house. What an adventure! Well, sort of. LOL That's it for now. Until next time! CFix 1:00 PM 0 comments Thursday, July 27, 2006 I haven't had a lot to say lately. It's been hectic, with selling the house, among other things. Until I come up with a better way of publicizing the site and this blog, I doubt I'll add much to it. I WILL tell you, however, that there are two author interviews up. KEVIN J. ANDERSON and JACQUELYN MITCHARD had some great things to say. That's all I have for now. That has a lot to do with a cuddly four-year-old in my lap. Go Zoe! Christina 5:04 PM 0 comments Monday, June 19, 2006 I Fell in Love... I fell in love... With a book, and with a boy. The book: I just read. The boy: I put a ring on his finger, and vice versa, seven years ago today. It's hard to believe time really does fly. Now we have a gorgeous daughter who will turn four next month. For lunch today, we used a gift card some of our friends gave us for a combined birthday present last year (our birthdays are all within two months of each other). The gift card was for Sal & Carvao: a vegetarian's worst nightmare. But we're not vegetarians (no offense to my friends who are). All the Brazilian charhouse meat you can cram down your gullet. The book I just reviewed was Between, Georgia. I absolutely loved it and highly recommend it for a good read. All that said, I am really tired! LOL Time for me to hit the sack. 'Night All! Christina 10:16 PM 0 comments Saturday, June 17, 2006 The Book of the Dead by Preston & Child I finally posted the review for Preston & Child's The Book of the Dead. As a newcomer to the Pendergast "series," I have been sucked in with gusto. The review could only address some of the book's points, as I refuse to give spoilers. However, if anyone would like to discuss this book, this is a good place to start! My questions for readers: I'm not sure that I bought Constance's attraction to Diogenes. She knew he was bad news, and she was shrewd in many ways. Despite his clever charms, shouldn't she have seen through him? Repressed memories get a lot of air time in regard to abusive relationships. How did you feel about the use of repressed memory in this setting to explain Agent Pendergast's life choices? Did you have a hard time believing the presence of lesions in the victims' / murderers' brains, given the horrifying explanation at the end? Is it possible to drive someone insane in that manner, especially in an age where we are constantly desensitized? Any other points you'd like to bring to light? I can think of several, but I want this to be your discussion as much as mine. Until next time! Christina 9:31 PM 0 comments Monday, June 12, 2006 New Reviews Since June 2nd Here are the newest reviews since the last posting. Now open to comments! *Horizon Storms* by Kevin J. Anderson 12JUN06 Science Fiction 5-BOOKS The Saga of Seven Suns: Book 3 Dancing in the Dark by Mary Jane Clark 12JUN06 Mystery / Suspense 4-BOOKS Kitty and the Midnight Hour by Carrie Vaughn 08JUN06 Paranormal ChickLit 4½-BOOKS Dance of Death by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child 08JUN06 Mystery / Suspense 5-BOOKS Judge & Jury by James Patterson & Andrew Gross 08JUN06 Legal Suspense 4½-BOOKS Superman Returns by Marv Wolfman 05JUN06 Fiction 3-BOOKS Brimstone by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child 05JUN06 Mystery / Suspense 5-BOOKS 5:31 PM 0 comments Friday, June 02, 2006 COMING SOON: AUTHOR INTERVIEWS! "Coming Soon" is loosely defined as "some time this month--I think!" I'm still working on the format, as I want these interviews to be fun and different from the same old questions everyone asks published authors. If you want to know what inspired the authors to write, this won't be the place. One of the interview features will be the Weird Question. I'll have a list of strange, fun questions, and each author will be asked to answer one of the questions from the list. I haven't decided yet whether the question will be chosen from the list by the author or by a web poll. Suggestions for interview questions or format ideas are welcome! There are some other ideas I'm working on, as well, but I'm going to wait until there's more information before sharing those details. Until next time! Christina 9:36 PM 0 comments My New Favorite Sci-Fi Saga In the past week, I have posted five new reviews. There's a lot of good summer reading available! I have to admit that I'm a big fan of sci-fi writer Kevin J. Anderson, so catching up on his "The Saga of Seven Suns" has been a delight. The fifth installment to this series is due out next month, so I'm doing my best to be ready for that. The thing that gets me the most about his writing is that he knows how to engage you from page one. He doesn't waste time or pages describing scenes down to infintesimal detail. Instead, he gives you what you need and fills the pages with fascinating narrative. I fell under his spell after reading Star Wars' Jedi Academy trilogy, Darksaber, and the Young Jedi Knights series, which he co-authored with Rebecca Moesta. I understand I'm missing out because I haven't read the Dune or X-Files books he also wrote. I'm learning that people either love or hate Kevin's work with this new series. I think it's because readers of the genre are used to long chapters and a narrower scope. While many sci-fi/fantasy epics have broad scope, not many dare to encompass as much as Kevin does in the span of one novel, nor with so many characters. Personally, I love it. But then, the constantly changing scenes are great for me, as I have ADD and tend to jump around in my thoughts anyway. This is a great way to keep me sitting in one place to read. Okay, even with ADD, I can sit for a long time and read, but I think you get my point! :-) Well, with all that said, I think I'll drop the actual news into a separate post! Christina 9:18 PM 0 comments Saturday, May 27, 2006 Family Update The ultrasound was not good. Although there is renal tissue, the baby's kidneys are shriveled, and there is no amniotic fluid. This is called Potter's Syndrome. The only hope for this child is to hope for a true miracle. My brother and his wife seem to be handling this as well as can be expected, but it certainly won't be easy. Considering the situation, they went ahead and learned that this baby is a boy. This is obviously a sad time, but life does go forward. Beyond that, I'm out of words, because no words can truly represent what a tragedy this is. Christina 10:29 AM 0 comments
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