Little Red Riding Hood

I've come across quite a few awesome Little Red Riding Hood-inspired items lately, so I decided that a post was in order.

First,
corset-maker Damsel in this Dress has a fun, sexy Little Red Riding Hood costume for sale in her Artfire and Etsy shops (special price until the end of the day today) as part of her 13 Days of Halloween celebration.

You can read all about the costume, see the three color options (I'm quite fond of the patchwork version), and watch a hysterical reality tv-inspired video on Damsel's blog.

I'll admit that I do question whether I'd be able to pull off any of her costumes, but I'm really curious about what else she's come up with. So far there's Little Red, a Where the Wild Things Are-inspired Monster, and the forthcoming pumpkin (I desperately need the hat that goes along with that costume).

Second,
I discovered artist Christian Jackson and his wonderful minimalist Children's Story Posters via WORD for Teens. They are all so clever, but my favorites are Alice in Wonderland and Little Red Riding Hood.

Little Red Riding Hood and his other posters are available through Jackson's Imagekind shop. You can get framed and printed in/on a variety of different sizes/media, so there's an option to meet nearly any price point.

Third,
The Woods Belong to Me, a wonderful design by radiomode (aka Budi Kwan), is currently in-print at Threadless.

I bought the style pictured (I had a Groupon for Threadless), but scoop neck and zip-up hoodie versions are also available.

Lastly,
I just created a Little Red Riding Hood-themed treasury list on Etsy.

I'm having a lazy Saturday and I figured I might as well.

more liquid shopping

As of yesterday everything is 50-70% off at Borders. Russell and I went again last night. This morning as I was filling out my expense report paperwork I noticed something interesting on my receipt (see image on right). The free space in our store is now filled with miscellaneous stuff (this post at The Book Frog will give you an idea) and it warms my heart that someone had enough spunk in reserve to make that snarky, but apropos adjustment.

While I did pick up one book for myself (One of Our Thursdays Is Missing by Jasper Fforde; I needed it since I have all the other books in the series), the shopping experience was more depressing than anything else.

I spent some time in the history section, doing some collection development work. At least this time others will benefit from our Borders-liquidation obsession.

• American Colossus: The Triumph of Capitalism, 1865-1900 by H. W. Brand
• Founding Gardeners: The Revolutionary Generation, Nature, and the Shaping of the American Nation by Andrea Wulf
• Stone by Stone; The Magnificent History in New England's Stone Walls by Robert M. Thorson
• Ten Hills Farm: The Forgotten History of Slavery in the North by C.S. Manegold
• Under the Black Flag: The Romance and the Reality of Life Among the Pirates by David Cordingly

We also picked up another book that I may end up donating to the library: Ghosts from King Philip's War by Edward Lodi. It ended up in Russell's pile during the pre-checkout sort.

As for Russell, he made out like a bandit:

• The Accidental Guerrilla: Fighting Small Wars in the Midst of a Big One by David Kilcullen
• Bloody Mohawk: The French Wars and Revolution on New York's Frontier by Richard Berleth
• The Peasant Prince: Thaddeus Kosciuszko and the Age of Revolution by Alex Storozynski
• The Pity of War by Niall Ferguson
• Teapot Dome Scandal: How Big Oil Bought the Harding White House and Tried to Steal the Country by Laton Mccartney
  (I exclaimed when I found this one and practically threw it at him; one of his forebears was implicated in said scandal and if that's not a good excuse to buy a book on the subject, I don't know what is)
• Worlds at War: The 2,500 - Year Struggle Between East and West by Anthony Pagden

And last, but not least, we got Minotaurus, the Lego boardgame, for both of us. We're going to try it out this weekend.

dare I admit that there was another trip to Borders

Don't mock Russell. I encouraged him this time.

The Monday-Wednesday special this week was buy six, save an extra 10%, buy 8, save an extra 15%. It seemed like a good deal (provided the liquidator made good on it, unlike the last time) so we decided that Russell should go on a reconnaisssance and possible shopping mission today.

Russell made out pretty well and reported that it wasn't busy at all. He didn't even have to wait in line!

For me:

• Bumped by Megan McCafferty (I've been dying to read this one)
• Delirium by Lauren Oliver (on my 2011 challenge reading list assigned by Jessica)
• Encounter by Milan Kundera (to complete my collection; I own everything Kundera's written that's available in English)
• The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey (because I'm not a fan of Simon & Schuster at the moment; see why)

For Russell:

• Colonel Roosevelt by Edmund Morris
• The Complete Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi
• Triumph Forsaken: the Vietnam War, 1954-1965 by Mark Moyar

For both of us:

• Forbidden Island (a board game)

Yes, that's a total of eight items. And, yes, we did get an extra 15% off.

giveaway winners and their prizes

I finished ordering the prizes for my three winners this morning.¹ When I started shopping for them, I decided that I'd be sending each a book from her² wish lists as well as two of my own selections.

Wendy V

From her wishlist:

Huntress by Malinda Lo

This one was released in April and has been getting pretty good reviews.

The focus of Wendy's book blog, A Cupcake and a Latte, is young adult fiction so I limited my choices to that genre (or near enough) so that she could write about them on her blog if she chose to.

Stravaganza: City of Masks by Mary Hoffman (my review)

The first in Hoffman's wonderful Stravaganza series, which I'm rereading myself now.

Zahrah the Windseeker by Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu (my review)

I adore this book. I think everyone should read it and I've lost count of how many copies I've purchased to give to others.

Nimrodiel

From her wishlist:

Cathedrals of the Flesh: My Search for the Perfect Bath by Alexia Brue

I'd never heard of this book before I starting shopping Nim's wishlist, but it sounds wonderful.

I've actually known Nim since before I started this blog (she's an online friend). We've shared books and book recommendations enough that she trusts my taste and would be open to books that she wouldn't necessarily pick out for herself.

Shades of Grey: The Road to High Saffron by Jasper Fforde (my review)

I know Nim's read and enjoyed Fforde before and Shades of Grey is quite wonderful, though more sedate that his usual work.

Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Story by Leonie Swann (my review)

This is my more "out there" selection for Nim. I hope she likes it!

Nulaanne

From her wishlist:

Kissing the Witch: Old Tales in New Skins by Emma Donoghue

Another one that I wasn't familiar with before. I do like Donoghue, though, so I think could be quite good.

My choices for Nulaanne:

Motel of the Mysteries by David Macaulay (my review)

One of the questions on the giveaway entry form was "Any of my favorites that you're dying to try?" Nulaanne mentioned Motel of the Mysteries and I'm happy to oblige.

The Witch's Boy by Michael Gruber

I haven't written a review about The Witch's Boy for the blog, but it is fantastic. I listed to the audio (read by Denis O'Hare) years ago and decided that I needed to pick up a hardcover copy for my library. Concerned with fairy tales, I think The Witch's Boy makes a good traveling companion for Kissing the Witch.

I do so hope that Wendy, Nimrodiel, and Nulanne enjoy the books I've selected for them.

1. For those who are interested this (books plus shipping) tidily ate up all my Powells affiliate program earnings. I had to add five dollars and change to complete the payment of the final order.
2. In this case, all the winners are female.

Russell can't stay away... from Borders

Yes, Russell went back to Borders yesterday.

He called me during my lunch break keen on going after work. I was a bit perplexed by his enthusiasm as the prices hadn't dropped since the last time we'd been to the store. Apparently, though, shoppers get deeper discounts on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. I had no desire to fight the crowds to I sent him off on his own, but gave him a little list (arranged by department) of books I wanted annotated with their current Amazon prices.

He came home with three books (one of these was Shades of Grey for me), a DVD set, and a case of buyer's remorse compounded by sticker shock.


In his defense, he saw an (intentionally) misleading flyer on the Borders website (see above), which is still up as I type this.¹ Customers shopping on Monday did not get an additional 10% off on items, not even items from the specific departments listed. Russell brought something from the politics area (listed) and it was 46% off. Not 40% (regular discount), not 50% (regular discount + 10), but 46% off (?). Everything else he got was at the regular departmental discount (25 or 30%). So, he thought he was going to be getting a much better deal on all this than he actually did.

Now he's sworn off Borders... at least until the discounts are 50%-.

1. There's more than what's shown in the image above, but I figured I'd just show the relevant section.

another trip to Borders, books found, and an idea

First of all, before I forget:
Those of you interested in the Borders liquidation might want to check out The Book Frog, who has been posting about her experience living through it. She's also gearing up to open an indy bookstore so her blog is very interesting reading.

We decided to run over to Borders on Thursday after work since the discounts had gone up (on Wednesday?) to 25-50%. Well, I didn't really want to go, but Russell did and I'd much rather go on a Thursday evening than on a busy weekend day. This time I actually prepared for the trip. I went over to my Amazon wishlist and made note of the current Amazon prices for some of the books on it.

Russell ended up buying two books -
1453: The Holy War for Constantinople and the Clash of Islam and the West by Roger Crowley from the history section. It was only 25% off, but the history section in our Borders was already decimated.
The Anti-Federalist Papers and the Constitutional Convention Debates by Ralph Ketcham at 40% off since it was housed in the politics section.

I didn't get anything. The prices on the knitting books (30% off) were still not as low as on Amazon. The general fiction/literature section was 30%, but again the prices on the majority of the books that were in stock were not competitive. YA books were only at 25% off (as were the genre fiction sections except romance, which was 40% off). At one point I had three books in my hands. Two were from my wishlist, while the third was one that just jumped off the shelf at me.

I put back the newly discovered book--The Map of Time by Felix J. Palma--first as it was hardcover with a high list price in addition to being an admittedly intriguing unknown entity. When we got home I looked it up. I'm happy I didn't get it at only 30% though since Amazon has it for 38% off.

The wishlist books--Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde (which I reviewed in February after listening to an e-audio version from the library) and The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender (which is a personally much-anticipated book club section for October)--were both general fiction trade paperbacks and were ever-so-slightly cheaper at Borders than on Amazon. I might have bought these two, but the longer I stayed in the store the more I felt irritated with the shopping experience (it was a bit zooy as they were closing early for inventory) and unable to justify spending the money given that there were more than one copy of each (2 of the one, 3 of the other) still in stock.

Also, I finished reading the book I bought during our first Borders liquidation trip (see post), The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross. I have to admit that I was disappointed in it. Not enough romance for a book published by Harlequin. Two different love triangles, but if I remember correctly only one kiss in the entire book. If there had been enough romance I might have been able to overlook the other problems I had with the book (two love triangles, far too much in the way of anachronism, the author always using the same adjective to refer to one of the character's hair, how the author skipped over the big action, etc).

I know many people are upset about the downfall of Borders and worried that their book-buying options will be limited. Yesterday as Russell and I were planning to visit a local used book shop (to check it out and see if we could pawn some of our weeded books off on them), an idea occurred to me. Russell and I will make an effort to visit local (and not-so-local) bookstores and then feature them on the blog. Expect to see the first of these features in the next week.

a trip to Borders

Today Russell and I decided to visit our local Borders to check out their going-out-of-business sale.

I have to say that the store wasn't nearly as busy as I expected it to be. The majority of the store's stock was 20% off so I suspect that many shoppers are holding out for deeper discounts.

My mom asked me to pick up a book she wanted to send to a friend (A Vintage Affair by Isabel Wolff). For myself, I only got one book and some knitting magazines¹ since magazines were 40% off.

The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross is the book that came home with me. I've wanted to read it since I first saw the description and I didn't manage to snag a review copy. Seeing all the blogger reviews has been a bit of cruel and unusual punishment so when I noticed one copy on the shelf, I snagged it.

Russell's purchases:

• The Historical Atlas of the World at War by Brenda Lewis and Rupert Matthews
• The Inheritance of Rome: Illuminating the Dark Ages, 400-1000 by Chris Wickham
• Song of Wrath: The Peloponnesian War Begins by J.E. Lendon

We'll be going back as the liquidation proceeds though I (at least) will try not to bring too many more books home.

1. Creative Knitting, Sept 2011; Debbie Bliss, Spring/Summer 2011; Knitscene, Summer 2011, Fall 2011; and The Knitter, issue 31

more book buying

So, I went to the Strand today. It was just a quick visit, which is probably just as well because I could spend lots of time (and money) there.

I only bought two books. I picked these two because (1) they caught my eye, (2) I hadn't heard of them before, and (3) they were on sale. I may have also bought a tote bag and coffee mug, but those are destined to be gifts (and this neat bookmark for Russell; he loves it).

The Dream of Perpetual Motion by Dexter Palmer

Imprisoned for life aboard a zeppelin that floats high above a fantastic metropolis, greeting-card writer Harold Winslow pens his memoirs. His only companions are the disembodied voice of Miranda Taligent, the only woman he has ever loved, and the cryogenically frozen body of her father, Prospero, the genius and industrial magnate who drove her insane. As Harold heads toward a last desperate confrontation with Prospero to save Mirandas life, he finds himself an unwitting participant in the creation of the greatest invention of them all: the perpetual motion machine. Beautifully written, stunningly imagined, and wickedly funny, The Dream of Perpetual Motion is a heartfelt meditation on the place of love in a world dominated by technology.

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

Dozens of children respond to this peculiar ad in the newspaper and are then put through a series of mind-bending tests, which readers take along with them. Only four children-two boys and two girls-succeed. Their challenge: to go on a secret mission that only the most intelligent and inventive children could complete. To accomplish it they will have to go undercover at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, where the only rule is that there are no rules. But what they'll find in the hidden underground tunnels of the school is more than your average school supplies. So, if you're gifted, creative, or happen to know Morse Code, they could probably use your help.

book buying

I'm feeling so virtuous after my massive book weeding project and successful personal library organization (see post) that I allowed myself to purchase a few books with my Amazon-gift-card balance.

Ghost Ship by P.J. Alderman,
the second Port Chapman mystery (sequel to Haunting Jordan, see post).

The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook.
I put this one on my wish list after reading this post.

Soulless by Gail Carriger, the first Parasol Protectorate book.
I've heard good things about this series (and the outfits on the covers are from Clockwork Couture).

I'm perfectly okay with breaking my book-acquisition ban, but I suspect I may run into problems tomorrow. I'm going to be within spitting distance of the Strand tomorrow and I can't not pop in for a visit.

Park Guell

Park Güell: Gaudí's Utopia
by Jose Maria Carandell, Pere Vivas Ortiz (photographer)

Uncharacteristically, I didn't give many books as presents this holiday season. I did pick up this gem for my father, though. When my parents visited Barcelona last year my dad became smitten with Parc Güell (oh the photos he took!).

I decided that Park Güell: Gaudí's Utopia would be a perfect gift for him. It's a nice size (not a coffee table book, but one you can easily hold in your hands), enough (but not too much) text, and the photographs are absolutely gorgeous. It's out of print, but I was able to find a like-new copy for a decent price. (he loved it!)

On a side note - I discovered The Gaudí Key by Esteban Martin and Andreu Carranza while searching for book ideas for my dad. I requested a copy through BookMooch, which arrived recently. I'm sure I'll get around to reading it at some point.

Valentine's Day

I'm really not a huge fan of Valentine's Day, commercial holiday such as it is, but I did manage to share some books this year.


Russell and I weren't going exchange any gifts, but then I decided that I needed to have a sock kit from Wool Girl. So, when he found I book he's wanted for a while -- Perestroika!: Raucous Rebellion in Political Science by Kristen Renwick Monroe -- at a good price on half.com, I got it for him.


My sister, who is not a big reader, and I usually exchange gifts. Since I'm always trying to find a book that'll get her to read, I decided to sneak The Royal Treatment, the first book in the Alaskan Royals series, in with her gift. Eureka! She loved it (we exchanged gifts early). She's already requested the other two books in the series and asked if I thought she'd like other books by MaryJanice Davidson.

Scholastic warehouse sale

So, yesterday after work I got wrangled into going to the Scholastic warehouse sale. I didn't want to go. Last time I went I spent lots of money and our place is overflowing with books as it is. But, I did end up going and I was actually very good. I only bought five books (strangely enough they had computer games, though, and I ended up buying three of those for Russell).

The Artemis Fowl Files by Eoin Colfer.
I've actually read this book (a library copy), but I picked it up in order to complete our collection of Artemis Fowl books.

Princess Academy by Shannon Hale.
After reviewing River Secrets, I really wanted to read more of Hale's fiction so I was tickled to be able to pick up this book yesterday.

The Shadow Thieves by Anne Ursu.
This book, the first installment in a new fantasy series (the Cronus Chronicles), looked so good I just had to pick it up. It was my impulse buy.

Skippyjon Jones by Judith B. Schachner.
With Simi and Maaji at home I couldn't pass up this story of a Siamese kitten with an overactive imagination. I keep seeing it featured (accompanied by a cute plush) in the children's catalogs we've been receiving lately.

Stravaganza: City of Masks, the first book in a YA trilogy by Mary Hoffman.
I've heard good things about this series (good enough to get the books on my BookCrossing wishlist) so I picked up this book just before I reached the check-out counter.

selected holiday shopping (3)

Because books are the best presents...

(Scroll down for the first and second of these little teasers)

The other kids in my family are getting Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer, Pirate Girl by Cornelia Funke and Kirsten Meyer (illus.), and Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief by Wendelin Van Draanen respectively:


My dad is getting a few books from his wishlist, including Charles de Lint's The Blue Girl:

selected holiday shopping (2)

Because books are the best presents...

(Scroll down for the first of these little teasers)

My mom is getting the three books in Susan Carroll's "sweeping historical trilogy," The Dark Queen, The Courtesan, and The Silver Rose:
I haven't read them yet, but hopefully she'll let me borrow them.


My nieces are getting the first two Magic Tree House Box sets:

selected holiday shopping (1)

As you can imagine, lots of people on my list get books. Here's the first taste of my holiday shopping so far...
and, no, I'm not worried about spoiling surprises as none of these people actually read my blog ;)

One of my coworkers is getting Naomi Novik's Temeraire trilogy


My nephew is getting Jolly Roger and the Pirates of Captain Abdul and Captain Abdul's Pirate School by Colin McNaughton

I love picking out books for people!

A couple of months ago I came across this book that I thought would be perfect for my friend Susan. I was right! Check out her journal entry and blog post.

It's such a lovely feeling when you find out that someone really likes a book that you picked out for them.

Happy Halloween

As I've mentioned before, I take part in "secret santa" exchanges all year long. Halloween, of course, is a perfect excuse for an exchange... bring on the wishlist books!

My secret spook (my friend Milan!) sent me some wonderful stuff:
~ The History of Danish Dreams by Peter Hoeg,
~ Snow by Orhan Pamuk, and
~ The Way to Paradise by Mario Vargas Llosa,
as well as a few other goodies including The Blue Day Book by Bradley Trevor Greive.

I sent my partner (my friend Rhonda)
~ The Samurai by Shusaku Endo,
~ The Spring Tone by Kazumi Yumoto, and
~ Strange Bedfellows, Jeff Gelb and Michael Garrett (eds.)
as well as a few other goodies.

More friendly book buying

After spending a little more time searching wishlists over on amazon.com, I picked out a couple more books:

For Kristen...

Rome Sweet Home by Scott and Kimberly Hahn. Subtitled 'Our Journey to Catholicism,' the book is a joint memoir in which the couple recounts their conversion to Catholicism.
The publisher, Ignatius Press, says:
[The Hahns'] conversion story and love for the Church has captured the hearts and minds of thousands of lukewarm Catholics and brought them back into an active participation in the Church.
Written with simplicity, charity, grace and wit, the Hahns' deep love and knowledge of Christ and of Scripture is evident and contagious throughout their story. Their love of truth and of neighbor is equally evident, and their theological focus on the great importance of the family, both biological and spiritual, will be a source of inspiration for all readers.


For Lizzie...

Lost in a Good Book - the second book in Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next series.
In my journal entry, I wrote:
Because so often the second book in a series doesn't measure up the to the first, I was a little worried about starting this one. I am happy to report though that I was not disappointed. I loved this book as much as The Eyre Affair.
Jasper Fforde has an amazing imagination--I am in awe--and I love all the literary references in these books (after reading The Eyre Affair I decided that I really needed to reread Jane Eyre since its been many years since I first read it).
Beyond all the new developments in this book (more "extinct" species, different villians, the Jurisfiction, the footnoterphone, and all the other new things we learn about Thursday's world), I really like the fact that Pickwick's character is more developed in this book. Yes, I'll admit it... I love the dodos!


Again, Happy Buy a Friend a Book Week!

Buying friends books

Giving gifts is one of my favorite things to do. So I definitely can't pass up an opportunity like Buy a Friend a Book Week. Here's what I've done so far:

For Jessica...

Twilight, the 6th book in Meg Cabot's Mediator series.
She's been trying to get her hands on a copy for quite some time.


For Karina...

Lord John and the Private Matter by Diana Gabaldon. She loves Gabaldon's Outlander series and I'm pretty sure she's never heard of this (tangentially-related) book.


For Russell...

Dangerous Waters: Modern Piracy and Terror on the High Seas by John Burnett. It's on on his wishlist and it's about pirates.

busy weekend

For some reason reading has been slow going for me this month. I don't really know why... but then again maybe I've been spending too much time on the computer. LOL

Anyway, I had a busy weekend.

Saturday I went to St. Catharines, Ontario for a meetup extravaganza with my local BookCrossing friends.
We started out at the Book Depot (the Book Closeouts retail outlet). I spent $102 and got lots of goodies. Here's a little sampling:
~ I & Claudius by Clare de Vries (my friend Janelle told me about this one, it sounds so cute)
~ King Leopold's Ghost by Adam Hochschild (this one has been on my wishlist for a long time)
~ The Poet and the Murderer by Simon Worrall (I'm going to need this one for my book club)
~ The Secret River by Kate Grenville (longlisted for this year's Man Booker Prize)
~ Wicked Women of the Raj by Coralie Younger (I'd never heard of this before, but when I saw this on the shelf in the clearance section, I just had to buy it)

Then we went out to dinner at Spice of Life in Port Dalhousie: great food, amazingly slow service. I'm interested to see what Lauren writes about it in her review blog, ResToronto Reviews.

Today I managed to finish reading The Blue Taxi by N.S. Koeenings (the name is spelled Koenings with an umlaut over the o, but I'm too lazy to look up the proper way to code that character), a book I'm reviewing for Armchair Interviews. I also read The Man of My Dreams by Curtis Sittenfeld from start to finish. That puts me at 7 books read this month.