Allison's Book Bag

Posts Tagged ‘Wishlist Wednesday MEME’

Wishlist Wednesday #15

Posted by: on: November 2, 2016

Wishlist Wednesday

Wishlist Wednesday is a book blog hop from Pen to Paper that invites ones to post about one book per week that has been on their wishlist for some time, or just added, and that you can’t wait to get off the wishlist and onto your wonderful shelves.

When I started this blog over five years ago, I made the decision to read almost exclusively books for young people. As I tried to add more variety to my blog, I sometimes focused on certain themes such as bestselling, award-winning, multicultural, or regional. For a time, while trying my hand at writing a young adult novel, I sought out books on troubled teens. Eventually, to honor my husband’s recommendations, I began to throw in the occasional adult book. It’s been quite the interesting reading journey and it’s about to change again.

Animal cozy mysteries are my newest reading quirk. This interest came about in two ways. When I started volunteering for animal welfare groups, I naturally began to read a lot about pets, and so I found myself attracted to pet books at sales. I’d heard the term “cozy mysteries” sometime back as part of hearing about possible genres that authors might attempt. After discovering pet cozies were a popular genre to show up at book sales, I decided to start collecting ones.

(If you don’t know what cozy mysteries are, Wikipedia says that they’re a subgenre of crime fiction. GoodReads elaborates by saying that, “Cozies very rarely focus on sex, profanity, or violence. The murders take place off stage, and are often relatively bloodless.” In addition, the mystery usually takes place in a small town or village.)

Here’s the list of pet cozies for which I have some titles:

CAT SERIES

  • Perkins & Tate by Marian BabsonThe Cat Who…. by Lilian Jackson Braun
  • Mrs. Murphy (& Sneaky Pie) by Rita Mae Brown
  • Ashton Corners Book Club Mystery by Erika Chase
  • Cat in the Stacks by Miranda James
  • Magical Cats Mystery Sophie Kelly
  • Joe Grey Cat Mystery by Shirley Rousseau Murphy
  • Biscuit McGree Mystery by Fran Stewart

DOG SERIES

  • Dog Lover’s Mystery by Melissa Clearly
  • Corduroy Mansions Series by Alexander Smith
  • Chet and Bernie Mystery by Spencer Quin

Should you wish to read about other animals, there are cozies about exotics, birds, horses, etc. It’s a booming industry!

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Wishlist Wednesday #14

Posted by: on: September 29, 2015

Wishlist Wednesday

Wishlist Wednesday is a book blog hop from Pen to Paper that invites ones to post about one book per week that has been on their wishlist for some time, or just added, and that you can’t wait to get off the wishlist and onto your wonderful shelves.

Seven years ago, I discovered Plum Creek Children’s Literacy Festival and fell in literary heaven. At that time, I didn’t even have a blog. Since then, my reportage of the festival here at Allison’s Book Bag has increased from simple highlights to the inclusion of author interviews and guest posts. This year, for the first time, I’ve even put books on my Wish List.

Who am I most looking forward to seeing at the festival? Richard Peck! An American novelist known for his prolific contributions to modern young adult literature, I first discovered him through a poetry collection I read in high school. For his cumulative contribution to young-adult literature he received the Margaret A. Edwards Award from the American Library Association in 1990. To the book signing, I’ll bring the below books, which I’m also eager to read:

  • A Long Way from Chicago (novel)
  • Past Perfect, Present Tense: New and Collected Stories
  • Anonymously Yours (autobiography)

Another author whom I’m also excited to see is Andrew Clements. An American writer of children’s books, his debut novel Frindle won annual book awards determined by the vote of U.S. schoolchildren in about twenty different U.S. states. In June 2015 it was named the Phoenix Award winner. Fittingly, I discovered him as a teacher, and have long wanted to take the time to read his books. To the book signing, I’ll bring the below books, all of which feature main character with creative interests:

  • Frindle
  • The Landry News
  • The School Story
  • Lunch Money
  • Extra Credit
  • Trouble Maker

There are other authors I hope to see too! In addition, I’m eager to attend a session about regional books and a session on the publishing industry. Check back next week for full coverage. 🙂

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Wishlist Wednesday #3

Posted by: on: April 17, 2013

Wishlist Wednesday

Wishlist Wednesday is a book blog hop from Pen to Paper that invites ones to post about one book per week that has been on their wishlist for some time, or just added, and that you can’t wait to get off the wishlist and onto your wonderful shelves. 

On my list this week is the young adult novel Tempest by Julie Cross. Over the years, my younger sister has recommended many books to me, this being her most recent. To be honest, I don’t know anything about the book except that it’s a combination of time travel and romance, which sounds like an intriguing match. Also, it’s part of a trilogy, the second of which just came out in January. But, my sister often has pretty good book taste, and so I hope to soon give Tempest a try.

You can view the book trailer here:

And even read the first four chapters here:

Click to access Tempest.pdf

What’s on your wish list?

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Wishlist Wednesday #2

Posted by: on: March 13, 2013

Wishlist Wednesday

Wishlist Wednesday is a book blog hop from Pen to Paper that invites ones to post about one book per week that has been on their wishlist for some time, or just added, and that you can’t wait to get off the wishlist and onto your wonderful shelves. 

Back when I had more time to actively participate at Good Reads, I tried reading the most interesting books recommended by the groups to which I belonged. This is how I discovered Neal Shusterman and his young adult novel, Unwind.

Cover of "Unwind"

Cover of Unwind

Picture a futuristic world, where a war has occurred between the pro-life and pro-choice groups. In the end, neither group really won. The representatives merely reached a compromise that suited both sides. They allow parents to “unwind: their teenagers.

What does it mean exactly to “unwind”? Well, next time, you pass a group of adolescents, imagine how that girl’s blonde hair would beautify a homely neighbor, that athletic guy’s legs would speed up a couch potato, that girl’s math smarts would enhance the performance of an accountant, or that guy’s perfect eyes would eliminate your need for glasses.

In my review of Unwind, I wrote: “Plot, character, theme…. Shusterman has masterfully handled everything. Yes, even setting and style are perfect.” Obviously, I became a fan.

Now wait a minute! So far, all I’ve done is talk about a book I’ve already read. Isn’t Wishlist Wednesday supposed to be about those books I haven’t read?

On my wish list is UnWholly, the sequel to Unwind which was released this past summer. If I can cheat and add three more books, I’ve also been wanting to read Shusterman’s popular Everlost trilogy.

Thanks to our local Plum Creek Literary Festival, I even have a date set for when I’ll read (and review) these books.  You see, Neal Shusterman is coming to that event. Yes, I’ll get to meet Neal Shusterman, have him sign copies, and act like a giddy fan. Can’t wait for September!

What’s on your wish list?

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Wishlist Wednesday: I Can’t Wait To Read This Book!

Posted by: on: March 6, 2013

Wishlist Wednesday

Wishlist Wednesday is a book blog hop from Pen to Paper that invites ones to post about one book per week that has been on their wishlist for some time, or just added, and that you can’t wait to get off the wishlist and onto your wonderful shelves.

If not for seeing the movie version of Silver Linings Playbook for Valentine’s Day, I might have continued to ignore this MEME. However, I am now desperate to read the book which inspired the movie.

Granted, it’s going to take sometime for me get Silver Linings Playbook off my wishlist. I had hoped to read it over my spring break, which is just next week. However, when I requested it back on February 14, there were thirty people ahead of me on the reserve list. Then again, it still might take less time than I originally thought. I just checked and now there are only fifteen people!

So, I know this MEME just calls readers to post about one book. I’m going to cheat because Matthew Quick has also written three young adult books, all three of which are available at my local library. I hope to review them here at Allison’s Book Bag in May.

Oh! In case you haven’t heard of Silver Linings Playbook, it’s about Pat who has bipolar disorder and has been recently released from a psychiatric hospital. He’s determined to win back his estranged wife, who incidentally has a restraining order against him, except then he meets recently-widowed sex addict Tiffany who tells Pat that she will help him get his wife back if he enters a dance competition with her. The two become closer as they train, which causes them examine their relationships with each other as they cope with their disorders. It’s one of my favorite movies!

What’s on your wish list?

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