Wantz Upon a Time Blog

More like a regular blog...

2006-08-15T13:00:00.000-05:00

I haven't been doing much to blog lately, but I realized that a lot of the blogs out there are more personal than I thought. I also haven't had more than one or two comments or readers of this blog, so I'm just going to post as the whim hits me. ;-)

As I type, Zoe is on my lap. She's been playing will miniature Post-It notes. I guess the stickiness fascinates her, especially as it relates to sticking the papers to my arm-hairs.

Right now, I'm reading a book called INVEST IN YOUR NEST. I'm trying to expand by adding nonfiction titles. It's been hard to sit down and read lately, so I'm not even halfway through this book, even though it's been almost a week since I started it. Between Zoe's constant need for attention and the daily business of life, it's been hard to find time to get things done. Things will smooth out once school starts (she'll be going half days) and we're into our new house. Zoe will get to run around and around and around...

We're trying to pick colors for the new house. What an adventure! Well, sort of. LOL

That's it for now. Until next time!

CFix

2006-07-27T17:04:00.000-05:00

I haven't had a lot to say lately. It's been hectic, with selling the house, among other things.

Until I come up with a better way of publicizing the site and this blog, I doubt I'll add much to it.

I WILL tell you, however, that there are two author interviews up. KEVIN J. ANDERSON and JACQUELYN MITCHARD had some great things to say.

That's all I have for now. That has a lot to do with a cuddly four-year-old in my lap. Go Zoe!

Christina

I Fell in Love...

2006-06-19T22:16:00.000-05:00

I fell in love... With a book, and with a boy.

The book: I just read.

The boy: I put a ring on his finger, and vice versa, seven years ago today. It's hard to believe time really does fly. Now we have a gorgeous daughter who will turn four next month. For lunch today, we used a gift card some of our friends gave us for a combined birthday present last year (our birthdays are all within two months of each other). The gift card was for Sal & Carvao: a vegetarian's worst nightmare. But we're not vegetarians (no offense to my friends who are). All the Brazilian charhouse meat you can cram down your gullet.

The book I just reviewed was Between, Georgia. I absolutely loved it and highly recommend it for a good read.

All that said, I am really tired! LOL Time for me to hit the sack. 'Night All!

Christina

The Book of the Dead by Preston & Child

2006-06-17T21:31:00.000-05:00

I finally posted the review for Preston & Child's The Book of the Dead. As a newcomer to the Pendergast "series," I have been sucked in with gusto.

The review could only address some of the book's points, as I refuse to give spoilers. However, if anyone would like to discuss this book, this is a good place to start!

My questions for readers:

I'm not sure that I bought Constance's attraction to Diogenes. She knew he was bad news, and she was shrewd in many ways. Despite his clever charms, shouldn't she have seen through him?
Repressed memories get a lot of air time in regard to abusive relationships. How did you feel about the use of repressed memory in this setting to explain Agent Pendergast's life choices?
Did you have a hard time believing the presence of lesions in the victims' / murderers' brains, given the horrifying explanation at the end? Is it possible to drive someone insane in that manner, especially in an age where we are constantly desensitized?

Any other points you'd like to bring to light? I can think of several, but I want this to be your discussion as much as mine.

Until next time!
Christina

New Reviews Since June 2nd

2006-06-12T17:31:00.000-05:00

Here are the newest reviews since the last posting. Now open to comments!

Horizon Storms by Kevin J. Anderson
12JUN06 Science Fiction 5-BOOKS
The Saga of Seven Suns: Book 3

Dancing in the Dark by Mary Jane Clark
12JUN06 Mystery / Suspense 4-BOOKS

Kitty and the Midnight Hour by Carrie Vaughn
08JUN06 Paranormal ChickLit 4½-BOOKS

Dance of Death by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child
08JUN06 Mystery / Suspense 5-BOOKS

Judge & Jury by James Patterson & Andrew Gross
08JUN06 Legal Suspense 4½-BOOKS

Superman Returns by Marv Wolfman
05JUN06 Fiction 3-BOOKS

Brimstone by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child
05JUN06 Mystery / Suspense 5-BOOKS

COMING SOON: AUTHOR INTERVIEWS!

2006-06-02T21:36:00.000-05:00

"Coming Soon" is loosely defined as "some time this month--I think!"

I'm still working on the format, as I want these interviews to be fun and different from the same old questions everyone asks published authors. If you want to know what inspired the authors to write, this won't be the place.

One of the interview features will be the Weird Question. I'll have a list of strange, fun questions, and each author will be asked to answer one of the questions from the list. I haven't decided yet whether the question will be chosen from the list by the author or by a web poll.

Suggestions for interview questions or format ideas are welcome!

There are some other ideas I'm working on, as well, but I'm going to wait until there's more information before sharing those details.

Until next time!
Christina

My New Favorite Sci-Fi Saga

2006-06-02T21:18:00.000-05:00

In the past week, I have posted five new reviews. There's a lot of good summer reading available!

I have to admit that I'm a big fan of sci-fi writer Kevin J. Anderson, so catching up on his "The Saga of Seven Suns" has been a delight. The fifth installment to this series is due out next month, so I'm doing my best to be ready for that. The thing that gets me the most about his writing is that he knows how to engage you from page one. He doesn't waste time or pages describing scenes down to infintesimal detail. Instead, he gives you what you need and fills the pages with fascinating narrative. I fell under his spell after reading Star Wars' Jedi Academy trilogy, Darksaber, and the Young Jedi Knights series, which he co-authored with Rebecca Moesta. I understand I'm missing out because I haven't read the Dune or X-Files books he also wrote.

I'm learning that people either love or hate Kevin's work with this new series. I think it's because readers of the genre are used to long chapters and a narrower scope. While many sci-fi/fantasy epics have broad scope, not many dare to encompass as much as Kevin does in the span of one novel, nor with so many characters. Personally, I love it. But then, the constantly changing scenes are great for me, as I have ADD and tend to jump around in my thoughts anyway. This is a great way to keep me sitting in one place to read. Okay, even with ADD, I can sit for a long time and read, but I think you get my point! :-)

Well, with all that said, I think I'll drop the actual news into a separate post!

Christina

Family Update

2006-05-27T10:29:00.000-05:00

The ultrasound was not good. Although there is renal tissue, the baby's kidneys are shriveled, and there is no amniotic fluid. This is called Potter's Syndrome. The only hope for this child is to hope for a true miracle.

My brother and his wife seem to be handling this as well as can be expected, but it certainly won't be easy. Considering the situation, they went ahead and learned that this baby is a boy.

This is obviously a sad time, but life does go forward. Beyond that, I'm out of words, because no words can truly represent what a tragedy this is.

Christina

Family Tragedy

2006-05-25T09:06:00.000-05:00

I don't have the heart to rewrite this, so I'm going to copy/past what I wrote to friends.

*****

My brother and his wife are expecting a baby in August. They learned today that the ultrasound tech couldn't find either kidney or the kidneys' blood vessels. Apparently, the baby doesn't appear to be making urine, either.

They're going to a specialist in Fort Wayne soon for a better ultrasound. The doctor has allowed that the baby may have been moving around too much, so they're hoping to find even just one kidney. I have a sad feeling that was said more to comfort them and allow some hope than for any other reason. I hope to God I'm wrong about that. If the initial ultrasound was correct, this baby has no chance of survival.

Either way, they plan to learn the gender (they were going to wait for it to be a surprise) so they can name it.

They've been married just shy of two years and both have had a lot of struggles. This is their first child together (her abusive ex-husband forced her to have an abortion several years ago).

Christina

New Look - I'm Getting Braver with my Blog

2006-05-21T23:03:00.000-05:00

I am SO proud! Everything I know about web publishing is something I learned on my own. Tonight, I finally figured out that I CAN customize my blog without destroying it, and now it will match the main website.

Right now, this blog looks very plain with just the bookshelf image in the background. As I get more time, I'll tinker and make it look better.

For now, it is late and I have a hectic week ahead of me.

Christina

Updates, New Reviews, & Cage of Stars

2006-05-19T18:41:00.000-05:00

I got my Dreamweaver 8 upgrade software today. For those who don't know, Dreamweaver is one of the leading web design tools. This upgrade has mixed reviews, but by all accounts, it should be a step up from Dreamweaver 4, which I've been using for several years. That said, I plan to upgrade the site in some ways. You all might not see the changes, but they'll save me a lot of time!

I'm getting ready to post a review for Showdown by Tilly Bagshawe. The hardcover is scheduled to be released on June 13, 2006.

I reviewed Cage of Stars by Jacquelyn Mitchard this week. I gave it "5-Books" and titled the review "Profound." It WAS profound. The book was told from the main character's perspective and followed the worst four years of her life. As a twelve-year-old, her two little sisters were murdered--almost literally under her nose--by a schizophrenic man. The story stretched from that to the point at which she chose to pursue her version of justice.

This book has been sliding on the bestseller list (#32 on NYT's list as of yesterday), and nobody can figure out why. I certainly don't have answers, but it got me thinking. Do we go through cycles of reading comedies versus tragedies? If so, would this be in response to their lives, world/national news, or the seasons? After 9/11 began to settle a bit, it seemed that comedies were in raving demand. People wanted to think about something happy.

What do you think? For books like Cage of Stars, is success dependent on the news or weather? Or is success dependent solely on the author's storytelling ability and reputation?

Again, I sure don't know. But I'll tell you, when you're in a good emotional place, read Cage of Stars. It will make you think. A lot.

Christina

Welcome to the Wantz Upon A Time Blog!

2006-05-15T16:47:00.000-05:00

I'm Christina, the owner, operator, and head reviewer for Wantz Upon A Time Book Reviews. I started the site in December 2005, and it's been growing ever since. I strive to provide fair book reviews that don't go over people's heads. So many reviewers write in a style more suited to literary academia that the average reader ends up scratching his or her head and saying "Huh?"

The purpose for this blog is to share reactions to the reviews posted on the site. My reviewers and I usually know what we're doing, but we're not perfect, and a review is a matter of opinion anyway.

So feel free to share your opinions, as long as you show respect to the other commenters. I reserve the right to remove offensive or inflammatory posts, and I will do it should that become necessary.

Again, Welcome. I hope you enjoy the Wantz Upon A Time Blog!

Christina Wantz Fixemer
www.wantzuponatime.com