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Sunday, October 05, 2008

The Sunday Salon: My first, with a giveaway!

The Sunday Salon.com

You know how all the cool people do something that looks cool and you always feel too dorky to ask to join in? Well finally, I'm going to do the Sunday Salon with the rest of the cool peeps. (Is "peeps" still cool? I don't know. Mmm sugary goodness.) I'm finally starting to get a rhythm going again with reading, and I hope having a regular posting schedule will help. I plan to blog more too, I'm sure you're all excited.

This week I finished reading Another Day in the Frontal Lobe: A Brain Surgeon Exposes Life on the Inside by Katrina Firlik. I love memoirs that show a life I'll never lead. I love learning the fascinating details that you'd never hear in a book about something else. I have a huge stack of these waiting for me, some of them were gifts/contest winnings from some of you- A Piece of Cake and Queen of the Road, for example. Anyway, Another Day in the Frontal Lobe is about Firlik's experiences as a neurosurgeon. It has a lot of potential as an interesting book, but in the end it kinda falls short. Firlik seems to lack some of the cues to make a person empathetic, even though she takes great pains to emphasize her great bedside manner. She is arrogant and a bit conceited, clearly thinks she's better than her readers due to being a brain surgeon, and even more so for being female. The chapters are only vaguely cohesive, one anecdote running headlong into the next before she finishes the point in the first. Regardless of this, I read the book over the course of a couple of days because I found the idea of reading about brain surgery fascinating. I finished it early in the week, and even now can't remember what I learned from it.

Next I read the short story by Patricia Briggs about Anna and Charles from On the Prowl, and got a good start into Cry Wolf. It is excellent, and I'd have finished it last night except I left my bag at the hospital while visiting a relative and haven't had a chance to go back for it.

Because this is October and signs of Halloween are appearing everywhere, I've considered limiting my reading to my insane backlog of spooky and paranormal stories. I know there are a couple challenges out there dedicated to this, but is anyone else thinking of just reading on topic like this? I have some Laurell Hamilton, Kim Harrison, Jim Butcher, Rachel Caine, the last Carrie Vaughn, along with some new to me authors sitting in the TBR. I could so easily make it the entire month, especially now that I only manage a couple books a month. (I'm trying to rectify that, too.)

Last month I read and reviewed The Thirteenth Tale. Because this is my first Sunday Salon and it's a respectably spooky tale, I'm gonna give it away! If you're one of the 4 people in blog land who has not read it, please leave a comment and I'll draw for it next Sunday in my second Sunday Salon. It is not in pristine condition, but is definitely not worn. I tried to give away A Nation of Wimps a few weeks ago, and had not ONE taker, so if you're reading this and want that, let me know and I'll draw for it too.

My plans for today: go get and finish reading Cry Wolf, clean my house so my father-in-law can visit, get a little sewing done for tomorrow's Etsy update, and list this Halloween bag in the shop (It's gonna be cheap, it has a tiny flaw on the back that bothers me!) What are your plans for today? Are you reading anything spooky for October? Have you read Cry Wolf?

18 comments:

  1. Welcome to the Salon. I'm afraid I wasn't impressed by 'The Thirteenth Tale' so please don't include me in the draw, but I just wanted to say it's nice to have you around.

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  2. You know, I've always thought about joining Sunday Salon (along with all the cool "peeps") but the thought have having a weekly committment really freaks me out. I can feel the stress boiling up just thinking about it. :) Glad things are starting to even out for you a bit--we've missed having you around.

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  3. My dad always likes to buy peeps and store them for a few months before eating them. I never really understood that . . .

    Welcome to the Salon, Lisa! It looks like you have some great reading ahead of you. :-) I really enjoyed reading The Thirteenth Tale too.

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  4. Actually I am one those four who is yet to read The Thirteenth Tale! So please do count me in for the giveaway!

    I so want to win it!

    gautami.tripathy[at]gmail.com

    SS 1: Burning up in October Sun
    SS 2: A Dog About Town

    Kill word Verification

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  5. Welcome to the Sunday Salon! We can be "uncool" together! We can start our own uncool corner in the salon! :) I've just been doing this for a couple of months and have found it fun to have a weekly report of my reading plans.

    Well, hopefully you'll have a bunch of takers on this 13th Tale giveaway. But don't put me in it since I have already read it. Read it and loved it!

    Happy Sunday! :)

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  6. I am a big betty boop fan! she rocks!Really cute bag.

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  7. i'm not reading anything particularly spooky right now, i should it's a good idea thanks for that : )

    i would love to try and win a thirteenth tale i keep hearing so much about it that it's somewhere on my tbr list but...i kinda sorta haven't gotten to it yet : )

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  8. Thanks for the welcome, Table Talk.

    trish, I'm glad to see things even out too. I need routine. Let's see how long until the boys mix it up. Did you want in the 13th Tale drawing?

    Mz. Feline, I occasionally enjoy a stale peep. Your dad has good taste.

    gautami, you're in!

    suey, we'll be in the corner together!

    thanks, mistress m.

    l.c., you're in!

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  9. I've never heard of The Thirteenth Tale, so I guess I am one of the 4 people in the book blogosphere who hasn't read it :-). Don't include me in the draw, though; after reading your review, I don't think the book would be my cup of tea.

    BTW, thanks for visiting my blog.

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  10. Clearly I need to give away better books, or maybe just read the popular ones BEFORE everyone else!

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  11. Happy Anniversary. Put my name in for the drawing. I am one of the four people who hasn't read this book:)

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  12. I'm with Trish, I don't think I could handle The Sunday Salon. The thought stresses me out. I enjoy reading them though!

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  13. Welcome to the Salon! I think it's a great idea to read some 'spooky' tales this month - which is why I chose to go gothic with Northanger Abbey.

    I would LOVE to win A Thirteenth Tale - it's been on my wish list for months.

    Hope to see you next Sunday :)

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  14. I haven't read it either. I'd love to be in the drawing. Thanks!

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  15. I've heard that this is a spooky book about books! Sign me up. Congrats on joining the cool peeps. I still haven't found the nerve.

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  16. I would love a copy of A Thirteenth Tale. Almost bought it last week.

    Cry Wolf looks good. I may have to put this on To Read List.

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  17. Hey thanks for stopping by I Smell Books! Cute blog too - I've added you to my reader :-)

    I love the Betty Boop Halloween bag, what a great idea. I'm also thinking of starting an Etsy shop, if I can only find the time!

    Kimberly

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