Ovid in The Last Frontier ✰✰✰✰

I have long desired to take on a “real” classic.  That is not to say that the likes of Jane Austen do not write real classics.  Simply that I wanted to read a book that Jane Austen would have called a classic.  Play Book Tag, an online reading group on the website Shelfari, gave me just the impetus that I needed through a game that they are hosting.  For many reasons, I am thankful that I stretched myself and took the challenge, as it taught me much.  To meet the rules of the game, I chose Ovid's Metamorphoses.

On an off note, my copy of Metamorphoses traveled a number of fun places with me during the month I spent reading it.  Included here are some beautiful pictures of Ovid’s Alaskan experience.

Montana Creek, Alaska

I approached my translation selection with careful deliberation.  It went without saying that a free online version translated by someone dead two generations before my grandmother was born would not work for me.  In other words, I did not want to have to slog through Latin translated into Victorian Era English.  David Raeburn’s new verse translation for Penguin Classics, translated in a lively and flowing hexameter (it reads like prose once you settle into the rhythm), was absolutely pitch perfect.  I did have a couple of quibbles with the edition.  The brief notes at the beginning of each book summarized the events to follow, taking away some of the element of surprise, and the end notes were not nearly as extensive as someone unschooled in ancient Greek and Latin literature, such as myself, might need and desire.  If you are used to Bernard Knox’s excellent notes in the Fagels’ translations of Homer, you are bound to miss his scholarship here.

Ovid’s stated aim in Metamorphoses is to trace history, from the creation of the world to the deification of Julius Caesar, through a collection of myths and legends, largely Greek but some Roman towards the end, taken from Homer, Virgil, and a few more obscure sources.  This he accomplishes with flair and a surprising amount of wit, using the theme of physical transformation, or metamorphosis, to blend his disparate tales into a cohesive narrative.

Went to sleep in our RV at a roadside pull-off in

the pouring rain...woke up to this view of Mt. Drum.

Wrangell St. Elias National Park, Alaska

One reason that Ovid met the criteria for the above mentioned game on my reading group was his link to William Shakespeare.  Shakespeare acknowledged Ovid as one of his favorite sources for plot ideas, and many, especially the link between "Pyramus and Thisbe" and Romeo and Juliet are readily apparent.  Personally, having spent a great deal of time in the art museums of Europe (a special predilection learned at my art loving mother’s feet) as a child and young adult, I visualized as I read-one great masterpiece after another, through many mediums-painting, sculpture, and even architecture.

Ahtna native salmon fishing wheel
Copper River, Alaska

The thing that surprised me the most was the fact that while the book deals primarily with the immoral and often spiteful behavior of the pantheon of Ovid’s immortals, there where definite points of thought provoking enlightenment from which even our mono-theistic age can learn.  One of my favorite sections had to be the brief segment of Book 12 entitled “Rumour”, in which specious gossip becomes personified, and the reader comes to see that some things, despite the passage of two thousand years, remain unchanged in humanity’s forward progress.  Another section that resonated with me came in the second half of the section entitled “Pythagoras”, in Book 15.  Here a lovely description of the passage of time is given: 

Time itself flows steadily by in perpetual motion. Think of a river: no river can ever arrest its current, nor can the fleeting hour.  But as water is forced downstream by the water behind it and presses no less on the water ahead, so time is in constant flight and pursuit, continually new.  The present time turns into the past and the future replaces the present; Every moment that passes is new and eternally changing.
(David Raeburn translation, Penguin Classics edition)

Native peoples are allowed wheels for
subsistence fishing.  Everyone else gets
the joy of "combat fishing".
Susitna River, Alaska

While the vast majority of the book is composed of stories, and it is their entertaining and even riveting nature which keeps the reader engaged, moments like the quote above are what gives this work enduring nature.  Throughout the ages, mankind has attempted in vain to pin down fleeting time and has felt the corrosive nature of rumour’s virulent tongue; these are elements of existence which define the human condition.

This is a far easier read than you might expect.  My 16 year old son will be reading it this year as part of his Ancient History/Literature/Theology course, albeit in a different translation.  I have awarded this book four stars, mostly because I am unlikely to ever tackle it again (although I will read parts of Aspen’s translation to gage the differences), and because I found the endnotes, a very important element in a work of this nature, to be hugely inadequate.  I highly recommend this translation to anyone looking to take on Ovid.  In addition, this is a book which, given its format of division into fifteen books and sub-division into short stories, could very easily be read in segments, a little bit each day, which is often a good way to conquer an otherwise daunting read.  

About as close as you can get to the middle of
nowhere...and still have a road...of sorts.

THE LAST STAND by Nathaniel Philbrick ✰✰✰

This book was rather a disappointment for me.  Many years ago I read Nathaniel Philbrick’s The Mayflower, which also delved into white/native relations, and I absolutely loved it.  Despite filling it to the tips of every page with detail, he managed to keep the story well paced and engaging throughout.  I wish I could say the same about The Last Stand.

This latest work centers, according to its subtitle, around Custer, Sitting Bull, and the Battle of the Little Bighorn.  The front end of the book spends a great deal of time and detail enlightening the reader as to the previous exploits of George Armstrong Custer and the shaky relationship that they gained him with the army.  I did enjoy this portion of the book, as Custer was the major figure which drew me to the title.  Also, I appreciated the fact that Philbrick gave a lot of ink, and well balanced narrative, to the lives of the Indian chiefs and warriors who made up the other side of the story.  However, the book went off on rather a bit of a tangent once you actually began the run up to the Little Big Horn.

Philbrick regales his readers with the details, and by this I mean every single meticulously plotted movement that the army made in pursuit of the plains Indians who were refusing to move onto the reservations.  When their progress finally brings them to the famed showdown on the banks of the Little Bighorn River, Custer is nowhere to be seen nor heard from.  One thing that I learned from this book was that there was more than one battle front, but given the book’s title one would think that the narrative would focus on Custer’s role in his famed Last Stand.  Instead, the balance of the tale centers around the other two prongs of the attack, one by the drunkard Marcus Reno and the other by Frederick Benteen.  Custer’s role in the battle is dealt with in far less detail, which was confusing for me, as this is one of only a couple of books which I have read on the subject.  Philbrick uses his focus on the other aspects of the siege of the Indian village along the banks of the famed river to illustrate his point that Custer watched from an over looking bluff as the other commanders, who were supposed to be his support, failed spectacularly.  Far from painting Custer as a martyred hero, he is drawn as a man who hoped to ride his own horse to glory on the backs of two other commanders who’s men he should have ridden to support.

I would highly recommend this book to those who are students of the battle and know Custer’s side of the struggle well.  For such a reader, the level of detail would be a plus, and the interesting angles taken by Philbrick to refute and support many of the legends surrounding the events of those days would no doubt be of great interest.  Also, do not listen to the audio for this one.  George Guidall, one of my favorite narrators, does a fine job, but the printed book is full of maps and pictures which would have made the detailed battle movements much easier to follow.  Or, listen to the audio with good maps of the area (or a copy of the book) in front of you. 

FOUR AUDIO BOOKS...

I have really struggled with migraines in the last couple of weeks.  As a result, I “read” next to nothing, but listened to a great selection of audio books.  My kids and I are in the last week of school, and I am working on end of year grades and curriculum planning for next year; time is short.  Instead of writing long reviews for these four books (which three of them richly deserve!), I am forced by time constraints to just write one post with quick blurbs.

THE PLAGUE OF DOVES by Louise Erdrich ✰✰✰✰1/2

This novel just didn’t quite make five stars for me, mostly because the subject matter is not my favored fare.  The general premise of the novel is how the senseless murder of a white family continues to affect the lives of community members, especially those living on the nearby Indian reservation, into the next generation.  I loved Louise Erdrich’s flawed, believable characters and her portrayal of modern day Native American life.  Definitely an author I will read again (any suggestions of other titles?); my thanks to Auntie Nanuuq on Shelfari’s Play Book Tag for introducing me to Ms. Erdrich.

LIFE STUDIES: STORIES by Susan Vreeland ✰✰✰✰

Based on Vreeland’s novels, I expected this collection of short stories to all revolve around the lives of famous painters.  The first few do feature major artists as a main character, but all the others revolve around the presence of art in, and its impact on, the lives of a variety of people.  Some characters are artists working in various mediums, and others are everyday people whose lives are altered by the arts.  As with most collections, some stories were better than others, but none of them would have rated lower than three stars and a couple were outstanding.  While not the best narration I have heard, Karen White does a fine job.

THE SEA by John Banville ✰✰✰

This novel was a disappointment for me.  Perhaps it was over-hyped and simply didn’t live up to my expectation.  After the death of his wife, the main character returns physically to the cottage by the sea where he spent his childhood summers.  The novel revolves around his reminisces.  I had heard so much about Banville’s descriptive writing, and this sounded like just my type of novel.  Let’s just say that if you are looking for a book that will make you aware of body odors which have never previously registered on your olfactory radar, this is your novel.  By the end of the book I was somewhere between fed-up and grossed-out.  Banville’s talents are well employed in the creation of interesting characters; however, not one of them is at all likable, which left me completely indifferent to their fates.  The novel earned three stars based on the stylistic talent of the author-my overall enjoyment of the book would have put it in the two star range.  John Lee’s smooth narration, in his soft, barely perceptible Irish accent, was perhaps the only thing that kept me going.

THE MARCH by E.L. Doctorow ✰✰✰✰✰

I picked this one up for two reasons-I have heard many good things about the author, and it was published in 2005, which is my Pick a Year Challenge year for 2011.  This outstanding work of historical fiction follows the lives of a vast array of characters as General Sherman’s Union Army marches through Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina in the closing days of the Civil War.  Even in audio format, the book is so clearly written that I had no trouble keeping track of the many figures, both historical and fictional, the troop movements, and the overall plot structure.  By the end of the novel I felt as if I knew the characters.  Doctorow does a great job tying up the various lines of the plot and giving glimpses into the future of his fictional characters, but I was not ready to say goodbye and wished for a sequel to let me know what transpired in their lives after the war.  The Civil War is one of those eras about which I keep saying I need to read more.  This book has certainly fueled my desire-I recommend it highly!  For those of you who like audio books, this one, read by Joe Morton, is very, very good.

BIOPUNK by Marcus Wohlsen ✰✰✰1/2

This book definitely has an interesting premise in its theme of do-it-yourself biohackers championing open-sourcing of intellectual property in an effort to pool research regarding DNA.  Don’t let the science scare you; author Marcus Wohlsen makes biology and the blueprint of life very accessible.  In essence, this work deals with young, bright individuals who set up biology wet labs in their garages and kitchens and attempt to do for DNA what Bill Gates and Steve Jobs did for computers.  They are driven by the belief that free access to one another’s findings, as opposed to the strict confidentiality of the major biotech companies, will lead to major discoveries and medical cures.  A pooling of intellectual resources, so to speak.

My first thought was concern that while this group is earnestly seeking cures and diagnostic avenues, there is bound to be another group bent on using the same technology with the opposite in mind.  While the ethical argument is raised, Wohlsen does not spend any ink on how real and present that threat is-information which I would have appreciated in this age of global terrorism.

A number of interesting people are introduced who are involved in various forms of research and who have a variety of world views.  While some have smaller, more attainable goals in mind, such as finding a less expensive early detection test for which insurance companies might be more willing to pay.  Others see the end goal as being able to engineer life itself.

Within the narrow scope of those choosing to use their kitchen sink research for what most would view as positive goals, Wohlsen’s research is impressive.  As I said, the flip side-those who are intent on evil-is not covered at all.  However, the book could use a good editor to help with organization (mine was a pre-editing galley, so that issue might well be ironed out) and the ending was rambling with odd, inconsequential references to punk music.

Ranking:  I would give this book four stars for the excellent job it does presenting the good side of bio hacking, but I really felt that the opposite side needed to be told as well to lend balance to the ethical questions.  So...

✰✰✰✰ I will round to four stars in those venues which do not allow for 1/2 star rankings, but my true rating is ✰✰✰1/2 stars for lack of balance.  I am assuming the organizational issues and ending were worked out in the editing phase.

Literary Blog Hop Winners!!

THE REQUESTS ARE IN,

 THE NAMES HAVE BEEN RANDOMIZED,

AND THE WINNERS ARE...

The Help by Kathryn Stockett...Lisa B.

Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi...Dogwood 

Classical Myths to Read Aloud by William F. Russell...
Mary Ellen


All three of my winners have already responded with their addresses, so these results are final.

Thank-you to Judith for organizing this hop and to all of you who stopped by.  I hope that this will not be the last time you visit!  Visiting all the blogs on the hop was a fun, creative journey.  I also look forward to visiting the blogs and websites of those of you who, though not authors of a participating blog, left comments here over the last several days.  It was exciting to see how many of you "hopped" over from another participating blog and found Lit in the Last Frontier for the first time, because that means that I now get to come and visit your blogs and expand my horizons too!  ☺

THE TIGER’S WIFE by Téa Obreht ✰✰✰✰✰

Unbelievably good first novel!  Ms. Obreht is going to be fun to watch over the coming years.  Initially, I turned down an advanced reader copy of this one because the plot sounded a little chaotic to me.  A reading friend gave it five stars and a glowing review;  we don’t always agree over books, but her review made me give it another look.  Thank you, Susan!  I couldn’t agree more!

Generally, I synopsize my reads in a couple of quick sentences, but there are so many layers to this plot that I am cheating and giving you Random House’s advanced publication copy (the same one that made me turn the book down initially...):

In a Balkan country mending from years of conflict, Natalia, a young doctor, arrives on a mission of mercy at an orphanage by the sea. By the time she and her lifelong friend Zóra begin to inoculate the children there, she feels age-old superstitions and secrets gathering everywhere around her. Secrets her outwardly cheerful hosts have chosen not to tell her. Secrets involving the strange family digging for something in the surrounding vineyards. Secrets hidden in the landscape itself.

But Natalia is also confronting a private, hurtful mystery of her own: the inexplicable circumstances surrounding her beloved grandfather’s recent death. After telling her grandmother that he was on his way to meet Natalia, he instead set off for a ramshackle settlement none of their family had ever heard of and died there alone. A famed physician, her grandfather must have known that he was too ill to travel. Why he left home becomes a riddle Natalia is compelled to unravel.

 

Grief struck and searching for clues to her grandfather’s final state of mind, she turns to the stories he told her when she was a child. On their weekly trips to the zoo he would read to her from a worn copy of Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book, which he carried with him everywhere; later, he told her stories of his own encounters over many years with “the deathless man,” a vagabond who claimed to be immortal and appeared never to age. But the most extraordinary story of all is the one her grandfather never told her, the one Natalia must discover for herself. One winter during the Second World War, his childhood village was snowbound, cut off even from the encroaching German invaders but haunted by another, fierce presence: a tiger who comes ever closer under cover of darkness. “These stories,” Natalia comes to understand, “run like secret rivers through all the other stories” of her grandfather’s life. And it is ultimately within these rich, luminous narratives that she will find the answer she is looking for.

This is one of those books which, when you close the cover for the final time, makes you sit there for a moment staring at the picture on the front and thinking, “Wow!”

In structure, the book has the feel of being composed of a number of short stories.  While this is Ms. Obreht’s first novel, she is an acclaimed short story author, so it is possible that this technique was used intensionally.  What the author manages to do with these segments is what speaks to her great gifts.  Imagine sentences as silken threads of a tapestry, woven into sections.  As the narrative moves forward, many such sections emerge, and the background begins to fill in and connect the seemingly disparate parts.  Téa Obreht is a master weaver.  Never does the book come across feeling as if someone tried to write together a batch of shorter pieces. 

Setting would probably be the weakest point of the novel.  Not that it is poorly done-just not as powerfully written as some of the other elements.  No specific country is given as the setting, but given the author’s birthplace, the novel almost certainly takes place in the former Yugoslavia, just after its partition.  The reader is given a clear picture of place, people, and customs.

Ms. Obreht shows a strong talent for depicting relationships.  The relationship between Natalia and her grandfather is given special attention, but others, such as her grandfather’s relationship with the deathless man, are nicely etched as well.  As might be imagined, given the number of interwoven plots, the cast of characters is rather large.  Despite this fact, each character is given consideration and time to develop within the context of their place in the novel.

What made the book so stirring for me had nothing to do with plot, setting, characterization, etc.  There is such quiet, unforced wisdom here, and it comes through not only in the things characters say, but in the way their very body language is portrayed.  That such prose could come from a twenty-five year old author is nothing short of astounding.  I wondered many times as I read if Ms. Obreht had a wonderfully wise grandfather of her own-and at her obvious ability to absorb his teachings.

My recommendation: Do not let the crazy sounding plot keep you away from this treat of a first novel!  This is one which will stick with you and doubtless leave you waiting eagerly, along with the legion of fans that Téa Obreht is building, for her next offering.

LITERARY BLOG HOP!! HOP WITH US!! 25-29 June 2011

Come join Leeswammes Blog's Literary Giveaway!
(Click here to link to Leeswammes, the host blog)

My fellow blogger, Judith, has an excellent site.  It is our great fortune that she has organized a massive Giveaway involving more than 70 bloggers, each of whom is giving away either books, gift cards, or some other item bound to be loved by bibliophiles.

Each participating blogger is asked to have their post up the evening of the 24th if they are in the United States and by the morning of the 25th if they live in Europe or elsewhere.  Feel free to begin posting comments here right away, but please be patient, as some of the links to other blogs might not yet have an active Giveaway post up until the 25th-if they have not yet posted, be sure to try again over the next few days!

Each blogger has their own Giveaway rules.  Here are mine:

• Comments (ie: requests to be entered to win a book) may be posted from as soon as this post is up until 10 PM, Alaska Standard Time on 29 June 2011. 
• This giveaway is open to all commenters, including INTERNATIONAL.  You do not need to be a blog follower (although I would love it if you choose to become one!) or even have a blog of your own.  If you are not a blogger, you can simply post anonymously.  Just be sure you identify yourself somehow in your comment!
• Please let me know which title or titles you are interested in being entered to win.
• All requesters' names will be put in an online randomizer, and winners will be posted either late on 29 June or sometime during the day on 30 June.  Winners will have until 10 PM, 5 July 2011 to email me their mailing address.  I am giving an extra long time to take into account the holiday weekend in the U.S.  If a winner does not respond within the timeframe, an alternate winner will be announced. 

NOW FOR THE GOOD STUFF!  Here are the books I have on offer:

• The Help by Kathryn Stockett (fiction-new trade paperback).  This debut novel took readers by storm last year.  If you have yet to fit it in, now is a great time to at least get it a well earned spot on your shelf.  Set in 1962 Jackson, Mississippi, and written in alternating viewpoints, this novel tells the tale of a naive, young white woman, fresh out of journalism school, and black maids who work in white people's homes, as they set out to write a book disclosing their social situation and the goings-on in their employer's residences.  An eye-opening rendering of life in the southern United States during the 1960s.
• Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi (non-fiction memoir-gently used).  One of my all-time favorite non-fiction books.  Azar Nafisi was a professor of western literature in Tehran, Iran during the Islamic Revolution.  This book details her experiences and those of a group of her students who meet in her house once a week to discuss forbidden works of literature.  This book is a social commentary of Iran in the late 1990s and a wonderful journey through some of the great works of British and American literature, as seen through the gaze of a group of young Muslim women in an Islamic nation.
• Classic Myths to Read Aloud (The Great Stories of Greek and Roman Mythology) by William F. Russell (family literature-new).  For the younger set, but I guarantee you will love reading them aloud to the little people!  These are adapted to be comprehended by kids as young as five; my eldest read them himself when he was twelve and enjoyed them immensely.  The format is why I prefer this book to others of its type: a quick synopsis, estimated reading time, pronunciation guide, the story itself, then a few notes of historical significance regarding the myth.  Makes a great bedtime story book. 

SEE WHAT OTHERS HAVE TO OFFER!  Below is the list of all the other participating blogs. Enjoy the chance to discover great new book blogs and win some great giveaways!  Notice some giveaways are only open to participants from certain countries, but it is still fun to find new blogs.

http://leeswammes.wordpress.com Leeswammes (Int)

http://boofsbookshelf.com The Book Whisperer (Int)

http://kristilovesbooks.blogspot.com Kristi Loves Books (Int)

http://teadevotee.com Teadevotee (Int)

http://www.bookwormwithaview.com Bookworm with a View (Int)

http://bibliosue.blogspot.com Bibliosue (Int)

http://sarahreadstoomuch.blogspot.com Sarah Reads Too Much (Int)

http://writemeg.com write meg! (USA)

http://books-love-affair.blogspot.com/ My Love Affair With Books (Int)

http://www.seasidebooknook.blogspot.com/ Seaside Book Nook (Int)

http://uniflamecreates.blogspot.com 

Always Cooking Up Something (Int)

http://bookjourney.wordpress.com Book Journey (Int)

http://www.thirtycreativestudio.com ThirtyCreativeStudio (Int)

http://www.colreads.blogspot.com Col Reads (Int)

http://thebookdivasreads.blogspot.com The Book Diva's Reads (Int)

http://hawthornescarlet.blogspot.com The Scarlet Letter (USA)

http://parrishlantern.blogspot.com The Parrish Lantern (Int)

http://lizzysiddal.wordpress.com Lizzy's Literary Life (Int)

http://readwriteandlive.wordpress.com Read, Write & Live (Int)

http://www.bookdout.wordpress.com Book'd Out (Int)

http://www.readerssuite.blogspot.com/ The Readers' Suite (Int)

http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com I Am A Reader, Not A Writer (USA)

http://ephemeraldigest.com Ephemeral Digest (Int)

http://mieletlait.com Miel et lait (Int)

http://bibliophilebythesea.blogspot.com/ Bibliophile By the Sea (Int)

http://bokunosekai.wordpress.com Polychrome Interest (Int)

http://bookworldinmyhead.blogspot.com Book World In My Head (Int)

http://www.inspringitisthedawn.com/ In Spring it is the Dawn (Int)

http://everybookhasasoul.wordpress.com every book has a soul (Int)

http://nishitak.wordpress.com Nishita's Rants and Raves (Int)

http://freshinkbooks.blogspot.com/ Fresh Ink Books (Int)

http://teachwithpicturebooks.blogspot.com Teach with Picture Books (USA)

http://howtoteachanovel.blogspot.com How to Teach a Novel (USA)

http://thebluebookcase.blogspot.com The Blue Bookcase (Int)

http://gaskella.wordpress.com Gaskella (Int)

http://pburt.wordpress.com/ Reflections from the Hinterland (USA)

http://chasingbawa.wordpress.com chasing bawa (Int)

http://51stories.wordpress.com/ 51stories (Int)

http://nopageleftbehind.blogspot.com/ No Page Left Behind (USA)

http://silversolara.blogspot.com Silver's Reviews (USA)

http://www.noseinabook.co.uk Nose in a book (Int)

http://litinthelastfrontier.blogspot.com/ Lit in the Last Frontier (Int)

http://www.thebookclubblog.co.za The Book Club Blog (Int)

http://undermyappletree.net Under My Apple Tree (Int)

http://www.caribousmom.com Caribousmom (USA)

http://breieninpeking.wordpress.com breienineking (Netherlands)

http://headant.com Let's Go on a Picnic! (Int)

http://www.rikkidonovan.com Rikki's Teleidoscope (Int)

http://boekblogger.wordpress.com De Boekblogger (Netherlands)

http://www.knittingandsundries.com Knitting and Sundries (Int)

http://www.elle-lit.blogspot.com Elle Lit (USA)

http://indiereaderhouston.com/ Indie Reader Houston (Int)

http://thebookstop.wordpress.com The Book Stop (Int)

http://lizclutterbuck.blogspot.com Eliza Does Very Little (Int)

http://www.joyweesemoll.com/ Joy's Book Blog (Int)

http://litendeavors.blogspot.com Lit Endeavors (USA)

http://www.roofbeamreader.net Roof Beam Reader (Int)

http://homeofaimala.blogspot.com/ The House of the Seven Tails (Int)

http://www.tonysreadinglist.blogspot.com/ Tony's Reading List (Int)

http://thinkingaboutloud.blogspot.com/ Sabrina @ Thinking About Loud! (Int)

http://reviews.rebeccareid.com/ Rebecca Reads (Int)

http://kinnareads.wordpress.com/ Kinna Reads (Int)

http://inoneeyeouttheother.blogspot.com/ In One Eye, Out the Other (USA)

http://booksnyc.blogspot.com/ Books in the City (Int)

http://lucybirdbooks.wordpress.com/ Lucybird's Book Blog (Europe)

http://blog.chainreader.com Book Clutter (USA)

http://www.exurbanis.com Exurbanis (Int)

http://lusravesandrants.blogspot.com Lu's Raves and Rants (USA & Canada)

http://samstillreading.wordpress.com Sam Still Reading (Int)

http://www.dolcebellezza.net Dolce Bellezza (Int)

http://lenasledgeblog.com Lena Sledge's Blog...Books, Reviews and Interviews (Int)

http://www.bookquotes-bookquotes.blogspot.com a Thousand Books with Quotes (Int)