The Reapers Are The Angels by Alden Bell... A Review

"The world is pretty much what she remembers, all burnt up and pallid - like someone came along with a sponge and soaked up all the color and the moisture too and left everything gray and bone-dry."

When I first opened the pages of The Reapers Are The Angels by Alden Bell I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I knew there were zombies, and I knew there was a young girl on her own trying to survive the post-apocalyptic world that the story takes place in. Were the zombies suppose to "lighten" the story up? There have been so many zombie mash-ups lately that I wasn't quite sure where this novel was going to fit in. I couldn't help thinking the story was Cormac McCarthy's The Road with a sprinkling of Zombies. But as I started reading I found out that this wasn't your average zombie novel. The Reapers Are The Angels is true Southern Gothic, that delivers a haunting story of survival and the longing for forgiveness.

This is the story of 15 year old Temple, who has always lived in this world where the meatskins, the disease carrying zombies, have over run the suburbs and the inner cities, and no one is safe. It's been 25 years since civilization had turned into a vast wasteland, and where the zombies amble along aimlessly, attacking any living creature they encounter. Temple has lived a lot in her 15 years. She has learned to survive with her wits and her knife. She's alone, traveling the roads by herself, and punishing herself for something she shouldn't really blame herself for, until she reaches out to a feeble minded young man, Maury, who reminds her of another innocent in her life. Maybe this time she can redeem herself for last time...

Alden Bell paints a vivid picture of a devastated world. Through Temples eyes we see the emptiness, the hopelessness, but the need to work together and move forward. It's eerie how whole cities seem untouched, yet no one exists there. And how some people have built communities in places that you normally wouldn't and have created "safe" zones in other places. Well written interesting characters whose instincts to survive and try to live a normal life are very realistic. The portrayal of what goes on in this world, and how Temple handles it all is what will keep you turning the pages. Temple herself has an interesting way of philosophizing about life that you wouldn't think a 15 year old with little education and who can't read would, but I chalk that up to having good common sense and having to grow up fast in order to survive her day to day life. The Reapers Are The Angels is gritty and harsh, but tempered with a young girls need for redemption.

The Reapers Are The Angels should appeal to people who enjoy dystopian fiction with a splash of the undead, but Temple herself may attract fiction readers who would enjoy reading about this one tough gal!

Thanks to Jason of Henry Holt and Company for sending along a review copy of The Reapers Are The Angels.

Michael Jordan jumps on top of the LeBron dogpile

About two seconds after LeBron James made "The Decision" to pull a Hollywood Hogan on the city of Cleveland so he could team up with the Super Friends of South Beach -- hereafter referred to as "The Nazgul" -- the Internet almost crashed under the electronic weight of newspaper articles and blog posts proclaiming that: Michael Jordan never would have wimped out like that...he wanted to beat his opponents not join them.

Because of course nothing LeBron has ever done or apparently will ever do -- no 50-point performance, no triple-double, no buzzer beater, no playoff performance, and now no contract decision -- is complete until the Michael Jordan comparisons are made. It's like the huge glop of cheese on top of an order of cheese fries. If LeBron's tree falls in the woods, nobody will hear it unless it gets compared to how loud Jordan's tree was when it fell.

Anyway, all that "MJ wouldn't have done that" stuff was all idle speculation until now. The GOAT has spoken:

"There's no way, with hindsight, I would've ever called up Larry, called up Magic and said 'Hey, look, let's get together and play on one team. But...things are different. I can't say that's a bad thing. It's an opportunity these kids have today. In all honesty, I was trying to beat those guys."

So Jordan has officially confirmed what we were all already thinking. Thanks for that, MJ. Personally, I was tired of all that thinking. My brain is more paper weight than functioning organ. Mind you, this latest pronouncement comes on the heels of His Airness stating that (in his opinion) Kobe is better than LeBron.

So...how does it feel under that dogpile, LeBron? Do you have enough, ahem, air in there?

The funny thing is, this isn't the first time MJ has fired a few warning shots across LeBron's bow. This has been forgotten in the annals of NBA lore, but check out Jordan's comments about the soon-to-be-a-rookie version of King James:

"He may think he's great enough to be on this level now. But when he gets on this level and plays against guys who've been competitive and very good on this level, he's going to find it's a big difference from that 5-10 high school kid.

...

"I think he's talented for 18 years old. Once he gets to this level, I don't think he's in the upper echelon of two guards or small forwards. I think he's toward the bottom -- respectively so, because there's so much about his game that he's going to have to adapt to. He has unbelievable potential. I think that's what everybody is looking at, everybody is raving about. But he hasn't played against competition consistently, college or pros. He's played against high school kids ... You have to give that some credence.

"When you look at the skill level and his maturity at his age, he's definitely talented enough. Five years from now? If he takes on the dedication of being the best basketball player he can be, and continues to improve and accept challenges and not get comfortable with what's been given to him or what the expectations may be, he could definitely be a good pro."

Well, I guess MJ was right...LeBron is definately a good pro.

There was also this exchange between MJ and Charles Barkley:

With cigar in hand and sarcasm dripping from his words, Michael Jordan posed a question for Charles Barkley.

"Charles, what would you have done if Pip (Scottie Pippen) and I called you up and asked you to come join us in Chicago?" Jordan asked.

A look of disgust flashed on Barkley's face. Not in a million years, he scoffed, and his colorful language made Jordan smile with pleasure.

It was nothing more than a humorous exchange between close friends on the driving range of the American Century Championship. Yet it spoke volumes of how the NBA's old guard views LeBron James and his ignoble departure to Miami.

"Let me just tell you this," Barkley said. "Mike and I are in 100 percent agreement on this. If you're the two-time defending NBA MVP, you don't leave anywhere. They come to you. That's ridiculous.

"I like LeBron. He's a great player. But I don't think in the history of sports you can find a two-time defending MVP leaving to go play with other people."

Speaking of Sir Charles, The Round Mound had this to say to 790 the Ticket in Miami last week:

"He'll never be Jordan. This clearly takes him out of the conversation. He can win as much as he wants to.

"There would have been something honorable about staying in Cleveland and trying to win it as 'The Man' ... LeBron, if he would've in Cleveland, and if he could've got a championship there, it would have been over the top for his legacy, just one in Cleveland. No matter how many he wins in Miami, it clearly is Dwyane Wade's team."

Just like with MJ, Chuck is simply saying what we were all already thinking. But here's the thing: Maybe it doesn't matter. Maybe, in part, this was LeBron's way of saying, "I know I'm not Michael Jordan. And I don't want to try to be Michael Jordan."

Personally, I think LeBron wants to be "Mega Pippen." Back in the day, Scottie Pippen wanted to be considered equal to Michael Jordan without shouldering the responsibility of being Michael Jordan. I mean, he tried (when he wasn't getting a migraine or refusing to check into the game because the game-winning play was written up for somebody else), but Pippen simply wasn't that kind of player. And, frankly, he wasn't Jordan's equal.

However, LeBron is at least D-Wade's equal. And yet now he has a teammate who has killer instinct and championship pedigree. Now, King Crab can do his "a little bit to a lot of everything" act -- ala Pippen -- and potentially turn to Wade when things get ugly. And, as Barkley said, it's always going to be Dwyane's team, so the greatest burden of responsibility will always been on Wade.

At any rate, it all comes back to the same thing, and I've said it over and over on this site: All comparisons between LeBron and MJ should stop immediately (if they haven't already). If not because they were ridiculous to begin wtih, then because LeBron himself made has made "The Decision" not to be like Mike.

So, D-Wade, Tell Us How You Really Feel

To nobody's surprise, there is yet another story about the Wade/LeBron/Bosh situation on an NBA website. This Tim Povtak article on NBA Fanhouse is another example of some of your generic "this Heat team will be really good" fare. However, what's this?

Editor's Note: Because of a transcription error, an earlier version of this story contained an incorrect quote from Dwyane Wade. The full and accurate version of the quote is contained in this story. We deeply regret the error.

Wait, what? What could be so bad?

Courtesy of tweet by Pete Gaines, here is a screen capture of the original story:


...Okay then. Wow. Way to be sensitive there, D-Wade. I think the national Terror Alert Level just went up from yellow to a-kinda-sorta-orangey-yellow. And I'm sure conspiracy theorists have already decided D-Wade was somehow involved in the September 11th attacks.

So, Fanhouse claimed there was a "transcription error." Not really sure how you can have a transcription error that egregious slip through the editors, but let's give them the benefit of the doubt. So what was the actual quote, NBA Fanhouse?

"Plus, there's going to be times when we lose 2-3 games in a row, and it seems like the world has crashed down. You all are going to make it seem like the World Trade is coming down again, but it's not going to be nothing but a couple basketball games."

Oh, because that's so much better without the parenthetical "(Center)."

Memoir Monday... Bonobo Handshake by Vanessa Woods

A young woman follows her fiancé to war-torn Congo to study extremely endangered bonobo apes—who teach her a new truth about love and belonging

It's funny how you come to find a book sometimes. How I found Bonobo Handshake by Vanessa Woods is first I read Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen and loved it! Then I went to BEA and heard that Sara Gruen was going to be there signing her new book Ape House. Next I briefly meet Sara Gruen, she signs her new book Ape House for me and off I go to read away. What I didn't know at the time was that Ape House was a story of Bonobo's, and that Bonobos are our closest relatives, sharing 98.7% of our DNA. I thought it was fascinating and had to look into Bonobos a little more. While I was researching, I found Bonobo Handshake by Vanessa Woods which had been recently published and tells the story of Vanessa following her fiance into the Congo to study the Bonobos, and her story and the story of the Bonobos was all so interesting. So Bonobo Handshake is in my TBR pile, I'll be reviewing Ape House by Sara Gruen shortly, and in the meantime here's what Bonobo Handshake by Vanessa Woods is all about right from Vanessa's website BonoboHandshake.com...

In 2005, Vanessa Woods accepted a marriage proposal from a man she barely knew and agreed to join him on a research trip to the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo. Settling in at a bonobo sanctuary in Congo’s capital, Vanessa and her fiancé entered the world of a rare ape with whom we share 98.7% of our DNA. Vanessa soon discovered that bonobos live in a peaceful society in which females are in charge, war is nonexistent, and sex is as common and friendly as a handshake.

A fascinating memoir of hope and adventure, Bonobo Handshake traces Vanessa’s self-discovery as she finds herself falling deeply in love with her husband, the apes, and her new surroundings. Courageous and extraordinary, Almost French meets The Poisonwood Bible in this true story of revelation and transformation in a fragile corner of Africa.

I look forward to reading Vanessa's book, as the story of the Bonobos is an important one. The adults have been hunted and killed for the bushmeat trade, and the babies are either left on their own or illegally poached as pets. There is only one sanctuary in the world that rescues and rehabilitates these innocent victims, and that is Lola ya Bonobo in the Congo. If you'd like to learn more about the Bonobos before you read Vanessa's book, you can visit Friends of Bonobos , it was an eye opener for me.

The Sunday Salon and Treasures Found at a Used Book Store

Happy Sunday! Pull up a chair and relax, grab a cup of iced joe ( it is about 80 degrees outside right now!) and welcome to The Sunday Salon! All over the blogosphere, bookish people are virtually sitting down together to talk about something they love... BOOKS!

I've been on vacation this week and enjoying the nice weather, catching up on some reading and of course exploring some bookish things! One thing I wanted to do while on vacation this year was take a leisurely drive to The Book Barn! So today I thought I would share what books I brought home with me. It's always an adventure going to used book stores or sales. And I happily came home with a bag of books. But first, what is The Book Barn? The Book Barn is located in Niantic, Ct. and its primary mission is "uniting people and books together in biblioholic bliss." And with over 350,000 used books housed in 5 buildings and numerous kiosks on the grounds, it is amazing. The atmosphere is light, fun, almost like being at a country fair. It's kid friendly, spouse friendly (plenty of outside seating), and there are friendly cats (which found my DH and his Kindle very companionable) that wonder in, out and all around the buildings.

First there is the Main Barn where you'll find art, history, children's and teen books. Then there is The Annex, which is where I found fiction, poetry and romance. Hades is where you'll find the mass market paperbacks before finding their permanent homes (see photo on right). It's called Hades because they aren't alphabetical, just grouped in categories. Next I wondered into The Haunted! This is where the mysteries are! And then I wondered to The Last Page, which is where their "last chance" books are and more obscure titles, although the Nature books were in there, and I did find a great old bird book!

So, what about the books I can home with?! First book I picked up was Promise Not To Tell byJennifer McMahon. I really enjoyed her last book, Dismantled, which was this great murder mystery/thriller/ghost story. And I also enjoyed her book Island of Lost Girls, which was another literary mystery part coming-of-age story. Promise Not To Tell is Jennifer McMahon's debut novel. This is what Publisher's Weekly says about it..."Part mystery-thriller and part ghost story, McMahon's well-paced debut alternates smoothly between past and present. In the fall of 2002, 41-year-old Kate Cypher, a divorced Seattle school nurse, returns to New Hope, the decaying Vermont hippie commune where she grew up, to visit her elderly mother, Jean, who's suffering from Alzheimer's. Kate has avoided New Hope since the grizzly, unsolved murder of her fifth-grade friend, Del Griswold, 31 years earlier. Kate fears she betrayed Del, a free-spirited farm girl. Did her betrayal cause Del's death? Who killed Del? Another local girl is murdered in a similar manner at the time of Kate's return. Could the killer be loose again? Meanwhile, Jean appears to be possessed with Del's spirit and may have the answers to these questions. As Kate investigates, she learns stunning truths about many events and people from her youth." I'm really looking forward to reading this. Jennifer McMahon's writing is great and she really has the ability to get underneath the skin of her characters.

Next book I picked up was Evermore by Alyson Noel. I know I'm a little late getting to this series, but now that I've finished the Twilight series, I thought I would try some of the other YA literature I've heard great things about. This is what Booklist writes about Evermore... "This opening book in a new series, The Immortals, will thrill many teen fantasy-suspense readers, especially fans of Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series. Seventeen-year-old Ever survived the car crash that killed her parents, younger sister, and their dog. Now she lives with an aunt in Southern California, plagued not only by survivor guilt but also by a new ability to hear the thoughts of all around her. She tries to tune out all these distractions by keeping her hoodie up and her iPod cranked loud, until Damen, the cute new boy at school, convinces her to come out of her shell. Damen, however, is frighteningly clever—and has the strange ability to produce tulips from nowhere and disappear himself at critical moments. Noël creates a cast of recognizably diverse teens in a realistic high-school setting, along with just the right tension to make Ever’s discovery of her own immortality—should she choose it—exciting and credible." There are 4 books in the "Immortal" series, the latest, Dark Flame, just released last month. The series has gotten good reviews, and I'm up for a new series. Has anyone read these yet? What did you think? What series would you recommend?

Next pick was The Collected Stories of Eudora Welty. Eudora Welty is one of our great American authors who wrote stories and novels about the American South. She lived during the Great Depression and won numerous awards, including The Pulitzer Prize in 1973 for her novel, The Optimist's Daughter. I signed up for the Short Story Challenge this year and have been enjoying the sampling of stories written by some great authors. So, since I have Eudora's book The Optimist's Daughter in my TBR pile, it felt natural to pick this up too!

Then I saw a copy of Waiting by Ha Jin. I had always meant to read this book. It even won the National Book Award in 1999. A love story, and a love triangle that spans 18 years. Here's what the publishers write... "This is the story of Lin Kong, a man living in two worlds, struggling with the conflicting claims of two utterly different women as he moves through the political minefields of a society designed to regulate his every move and stifle the promptings of his inner most heart. For more than seventeen years, this devoted and ambitious doctor has been in love with an educated, clever, modern woman, Manna Wu. But back in the traditional world of his home village lives the wife his family chose for him when he was young--a humble and touchingly loyal woman, whom he visits in order to ask, again and again, for a divorce. In a culture in which the ancient ties of tradition and family still hold sway and where adultery discovered by the Party can ruin lives forever, Lin's passionate love is stretched ever more taut by the passing years. Every summer, his compliant wife agrees to a divorce but then backs out. This time, Lin promises, will be different. Tracing these lives through their summer of decision and beyond, Ha Jin vividly conjures the texture of daily life in a place where the demands of human longing must contend with the weight of centuries of custom". I really enjoy Japanese fiction and part of that enjoyment is being able to glimpse inside a culture I am not familiar with. Ha Jin accomplishes giving us a glimpse into the Chinese culture with Waiting. This story is also based on a true story Ha Jin was told by his wife. This book is now going to make into the TBR pile.

Finally, I made my way to the mystery building (The Haunted) and not being frightened away by any ghosts, I picked up some Stuart Woods. Now I mentioned Stuart Woods in my "Literal" Beach Reads post last month, and how he writes a series of mystery thrillers with a female police chief by the name of Holly Barker. So for the bargain price of $1 each, I picked up Orchid Beach, Blood Orchid, Orchid Blues and Reckless Abandon. Holly's series are all "Orchid" books, but Reckless Abandon is both Holly Barker and Stuart Woods other great character Stone Barrington, a lawyer with a detectives mind. I recently listened to the audiobook Hot Mahogany by Stuart Woods and loved the story (and the narrator!), and thought it was about time to invite Stuart Woods into the mix. (BTW, I'll also be posting the review of Hot Mahogany soon, so keep your eyes out for that!)

Final thoughts on The Book Barn... Prices were reasonable with trade paperbacks mostly $4, Teen trades were $3, Hardback prices varied, and mass market paperbacks were a dollar each. Conditions of books varied too, but the books I carried home with me, with the exception of Waiting by Ha Jin, were in excellent condition. Waiting by Ha Jin's cover was well worn, but otherwise in very good condition. So, I have plenty of "oldies but goodies" in the TBR pile and had fun wondering around thousands of books! I could have put so much more in that bag, but tried to remember that once they were home, I'd have to find a place to put them! Oh, and the staff were very friendly, helping people find books they wanted and recommended books to some of the teens looking to grab a good read.

So, that was my week, how was yours!? Do you enjoy used book sales? What "Book Barns" are near you?! And what books caught your attention this week?! And what books filled the void you felt after finishing Twilight?! The Giveaway for Into The Beautiful North by Luis Alberto Urrea ended last night, so I'll be picking the winners today, but there's still time to enter the Giveaway for The Impostor's Daughter by Laurie Sandell, which is such a fun memoir drawn like a graphic novel. And girls you will laugh! There's also still time to enter the Giveaway for Barely a Lady by Eileen Dreyer, a sexy romance during the time of Waterloo. A sneak peek at next week... a Giveaway for an audiobook! Think James Patterson and his newest book, Private!

Happy reading! Thanks for stopping by!.... Suzanne

Do You Have a little Chick in your Lit? or the Strong Female Protagonists We've Loved All Along...

Do you have a little Chick in your Lit?...

or the Strong Female Protagonists We've Loved All Along

Chick Lit...

"Chick Lit" refers to books featuring hip, stylist female protagonists. We usually follow their struggles with their love life and careers. Some excellent books that come to mind are Bridget Jones Diary by Helen Fielding and Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner (BTW, if you haven’t read either of these books put them on your reading list!) ... But before the invention of “Chick lit” there were still some powerful chicks out there worth reading about! Anne Shirley of Anne of Green Gables who must overcome the loss of her parents and the start of a new life away from what was once called home. Francie Nolan of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn who blossoms out of the pavement just like the tree that grows in the tenements where she lives, Cassandra Mortmain of I Captured the Castle, who struggles to grow up and learn about life & Love in a decaying English castle. These coming of age books are timeless. And have always been a popular read. I Captured the Castle was recently reissued after being out of print for many years and is enjoying popularity among reading groups too. Relive your youth and read one of these classics. P. S. speaking of strong women-don't forget those March Sisters (Meg, Jo, Beth & Amy) of Little Women.

So, here's the start of a list of some timeless classics that star a girl with guts... what books can you add to the list?

*I Captured the Castle by Dodie Smith published 1948 ( author of The Hundred and One Dalmations)

*Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery published 1908

*A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith published 1943

*Little Women by Louis May Alcott published 1868

*Nancy Drew by Carolyn Keene, mystery series published starting 1930

*Trixie Belden by Julie Campbell, mystery series published starting 1948

*Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte published 1847

*The Millenium Series by Stieg Larsson 1st in series published 2008

*Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen published 1813

*Sharon McCone Mysteries by Marcia Muller mysteries published starting 1977

*Thursday Next of the Jasper Fforde Novels starting in 2001

Julie of Reading Without Restraint commented to add Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden to the mix! Both are teenage girls with an amazing ability to solve a good mystery! Independent & fearless, both girls are good examples of strong female characters! Nancy Drew was written by various ghost writers under the name Carolyn Keene and began publishing in 1930, and Trixie Belden was written by Julie Campbell in the beginning, starting in 1948, and then by various ghost writers under the name Kathryn Kenny after Julie Campbell decided to stop writing the books. Thanks Julie for adding these great heroines!

BookishBarney (aka Ellie!) of Musings of a Bookshop Girl adds Jane Eyre to the list! She points out that Jane is calm & proper on the surface, but strong & passionate underneath. What a wonderful example of a woman who knows her own mind! Jane Eyre is one of my favorite classics and thanks Ellie for adding her to the list!

PaulGuy adds a contemporary girl to the list(but she's all class!)... Lisbeth Salander! Talk about strong women protagonists! She's definitely not chick lit, but I'm betting that she'll be a classic someday! Lisbeth stars in Stieg Larsson's (Girl with The Dragon Tattoo) "Millenium Series" and really shows us how to stick up for ourselves. Thanks Paul for adding one of my favorite women to the list!

Fantasylover12001 of A Fangirls View reminds us that Jane Austen really opened the door for chick lit, and strong women protagonists with Pride and Prejudice! How could we not add Elizabeth Bennet of Pride and Prejudice! She had spunk and a mind of her own! She endures in our hearts because of her fierce independence and is what makes Pride and Prejudice a book club favorite almost 300 years after she lay pen to paper. Thanks Fantasylover12001 for adding Jane Austen and her novel Pride and Prejudice to our list!

Kathy of Bags, Books & Bon Jovi adds Sharon McCone and her mysteries penned by Marcia Muller to the list! Kathy points out that "In mystery circles, she (Sharon McCone) is credited as being the first female protagonist, and not just a secondary character to a male PI." Thanks Kathy for mentioning her! I have never read any of Marcia Muller and now I'm going to grab one of these Sharon McCone mysteries to see where it all started!

Stpand adds another contemporary girl who really has her feet firmly planted in the classics, Thursday Next! Thursday Next lives in a parallel world and is a literary detective. With all these wonderful literary "classic" characters living in her world, Thursday Next is a girl worth remembering! Thanks Stpand for adding her to the list!

Sorry for the lack of updates...

...but this has been my week:


Things will return to normal on Monday. Well, normal for Basketbawful.