Friday 56

 Rules:

* Grab a book, any book.

* Go to page 56.  Or 56% on your ereader. 

* Find a snippet, short and sweet.

* Post it and add the url to your post at Freda's Voice

My book this week is The Panacea Project by Catherine Devore Johnson.  Calla's life changes forever when doctors discover that her blood might be the cure for cancer.  She wants to help, she wants to stop the suffering she sees all around her.  But when people start to treat her like a commodity instead of a person how much can she be expected to give of herself?

My Friday 56:

"But we need more tissue samples.  Liver and kidney this time.  We'll have to do them under general anesthesia, and I'd like to get at least thirty-six continuous hours of blood samples."

Calla winced.  She still had stitches from the last round of biopsies.

Calla has agreed to participate in a medical study, but she did not realize what the doctor would demand from her.

I'm really liking this one.  It is an interesting look at the best and worst of human nature as everyone wants something from Calla.  And there is also the moral and personal dilemmas Calla faces.  She can save some people, but not everyone, who does she save, and can she be expected to compromise her health and her life to save others.  Calla is a likeable character, and you feel for her as her life starts to spin out of control.  I can't wait to see how this one ends.

The Friday 56

 

 Rules:

* Grab a book, any book.

* Go to page 56.  Or 56% on your ereader. 

* Find a snippet, short and sweet.

* Post it and add the url to your post at Freda's Voice

My book this week is The Little Book of Sloth Philosophy by Jennifer McCartney.  This book reminds us to slow down and enjoy the moment.  Not exactly a new thought but in our world of constant motion, perpetual activity and a thousand list of things your supposed to do, books you are supposed to read and places you are supposed to go before you die, it is nice to be reminded that sometimes you can just stop for a moment.  You can read my review here.

The Friday 56:

This is page 56 of the book.  There are a lot of words in the book just not on this page.  But you do get to look at this cute sloth.  And who doesn't want to look at a cute sloth?

The Friday 56

 Rules:

* Grab a book, any book.

* Go to page 56.  Or 56% on your ereader. 

* Find a snippet, short and sweet.

* Post it and add the url to your post at Freda's Voice

My book this week is The Hummingbird's Gift by Sy Montgomery.  It is about two women who are trying to raise orphan hummingbirds.  They got them before they even had feathers.  They had to be fed every 20 minutes.  If you feed them too little they die, if you feed too much they die.  Raising hummingbirds is a tricky business.

The Friday 56:

The little bird zigzags after the flies, seizing them in a tweezer-like bill that has grown at least a quarter inch since I saw him.  Zuni's flights last only seconds and sound like a propeller plane - but to me, they are miraculous. 

Apparently when a hummingbird makes a lot of noise when it is hovering it means he is not very good at it.  Zuni is still learning here.  But since mites could kill him, poison to kill mites could kill him, too little or too much food could kill him, everything is seems could kill this delicate little thing it was a miracle he was alive at all.  It was an interesting story and I learned some things I didn't know about hummingbirds.  And at only 79 pages it is a quick read.

The Friday 56

  Rules:

* Grab a book, any book.

* Go to page 56.  Or 56% on your ereader. 

* Find a snippet, short and sweet.

* Post it and add the url to your post at Freda's Voice

My book this week is Serpent by Michael Cole.  Some scientists think that the  cure for all sorts of diseases lies in the DNA of an ancient sea creature.  So they bring one back.  Of course he isn't friendly and of courses he escapes.  So far it is exactly what I expected it to be.  People getting eaten and someone trying to stop people from getting eaten.  If you like monster movies you will probably like this.

My Friday 56:

So far, there were no obvious signs of the creature.  In a way that was good, as some of those signs would include wreckage and death - something he was trying hard to prevent.

You would figure by now scientists would know better.  It never turns out well when you mess with nature.   

The Friday 56

  Rules:

* Grab a book, any book.

* Go to page 56.  Or 56% on your ereader. 

* Find a snippet, short and sweet.

* Post it and add the url to your post at Freda's Voice

My book this week is Jurassic Parts by Byron Frimp and Maggio Slooter.  There is so much going on in this book that I'm not even sure I can find a plot exactly.  There are vigilantes, Trekkies, Big Foot, dinosaurs and all sorts of things.  It is 500 pages long.  Not the longest book I've ever read but it feels like the longest book I've ever read.

My Friday 56:

"Now, you can play these little games and pretend to be noble because you have some code of super-crap, but cape-to-cape confidentiality is not recognized by the law.  You're not a priest and you're not a doctor."

Apparently, the police do not recognize superhero code of confidentiality.  

The Friday 56

  Rules:

* Grab a book, any book.

* Go to page 56.  Or 56% on your ereader. 

* Find a snippet, short and sweet.

* Post it and add the url to your post at Freda's Voice

My book this week is An Elephant in the Garden by Michael Morpurgo.  I liked this one.  It is sad and sweet and hopeful.  And it is inspired by a true story about a zookeeper who, during WWII, is told that if the city is bombed all the large animals will have to be shot so they won't escape into the city.  She saves a young elephant by taking her home and keeping her in the garden.  

My Friday 56:

No one had ever gazed into my eyes quite like this before.  I can only describe it as a look full of curiosity, kindness and love.

This is the daughter of the zookeeper and she is talking about the elephant here.  She must have been quite an amazing animal if this family that was fleeing, running for their lives, was unwilling to leave her behind.

The Friday 56

  Rules:

* Grab a book, any book.

* Go to page 56.  Or 56% on your ereader. 

* Find a snippet, short and sweet.

* Post it and add the url to your post at Freda's Voice

My book this week is Of the Earth by Kim Cousins.  This is a religious fiction book where the U.S. government has fallen and a 'supreme leader' has taken over and rules with an iron fist.  I got it from the Early Reviewers program on Librarything.com so I will post a review at some point.

My Friday 56:

Missing his own family deeply, Miah felt tears well in his eyes.   Embarrassed, the teen picked up Carl, nuzzling his face in the cat's fur to hide his unwanted tears.  Carl didn't mind the subterfuge; he considered himself a man's cat anyway.

This is a story of faith in hard times.  Of the power of God in the lives of those who follow and trust in Him.  And it can tend to get preachy at times.  But my problem with the book is that the animals talk.  Not to the humans, but to each other.  And it strikes me as goofy every time.  Which takes away from the impact of the story for me.

The Friday 56

  Rules:

* Grab a book, any book.

* Go to page 56.  Or 56% on your ereader. 

* Find a snippet, short and sweet.

* Post it and add the url to your post at Freda's Voice

I like sea life.  And I think sharks are cool.  But then I don't spend very much time in the water so I can afford to think that sharks are cool from the safety of my sofa.  I never want to be anywhere near a real, live shark.  That would not be cool.  My book this week is Demon Fish by Juliet Eilperin.  It is all about sharks and people's interaction with them.  Did you know you are more likely to be killed by an elephant than a shark?  I assume that is statistically.  Like, every year more people are killed by elephants than sharks.  Because there are obviously some people who will come in contact with sharks but not elephants,  And it is very unlikely that I will be killed by (or even come near) either.  But I digress.  

The Friday 56:

Now a professional underwater filmmaker living in Santa Barbara, he's ebullient even when he's describing what it was like to feel the life draining from his body.  He shows off his scarred arm, repaired after he underwent two skin grafts and eleven separate operations, without reservation.

This guy gets attacked by a shark and, not only, still goes in the water to make his living but is part of a group of other shark attack survivors who are trying to save sharks. Good for them.  I hope I could feel the same way.  The sharks are just trying to survive.  

The Friday 56

  Rules:

* Grab a book, any book.

* Go to page 56.  Or 56% on your ereader. 

* Find a snippet, short and sweet.

* Post it and add the url to your post at Freda's Voice

My book this week is People I Want To Punch In The Throat by Jen Mann.  I want to start by saying I have never actually punched anyone in the throat.  I have, however, threatened to punch people in the throat many times.  So when I saw the title of this book I knew I had to read it.  It is a collections of essays about suburban life, PTA moms, neighbors and all sorts of things that make Jen want to punch people in the throat.

My Friday 56:

I found myself imagining what it would be like to borrow a cup of sugar from these people or carpool to school someday.  I let myself dream of a friendship that might be.

Given the title of the book and the fact that this comes from an essay titled 'Just Some of the Reasons the Neighbors Always Hate Us' I don't think this is going to go well. Jen is funny.  I like her blunt, sarcastic manner.  I look forward to reading the rest of the essays.

The Friday 56

  Rules:

* Grab a book, any book.

* Go to page 56.  Or 56% on your ereader. 

* Find a snippet, short and sweet.

* Post it and add the url to your post at Freda's Voice

My book this week is Paul Bunyan by James Stevens.  The title kind of says it all.  It is a book about Paul Bunyan.  It is fun to read if you like tall tales.  Paul uses a pine tree for a pencil and can uproot a tree with his bare hands and all those impossible things that an ordinary human couldn't do, but Paul Bunyan the legend can.

My Friday 56:

Among the other livestock on Paul Bunyan's farm, which was down the river from the old home camp, was a herd of grizzly bears.  The great logger often amused himself by playing with them, and he had taught them many tricks.

According to this Paul Bunyan invented logging.  So he is the reason that all our forests are disappearing.  Thanks, Paul Bunyan.  

The Friday 56

  Rules:

* Grab a book, any book.

* Go to page 56.  Or 56% on your ereader. 

* Find a snippet, short and sweet.

* Post it and add the url to your post at Freda's Voice

My book this week is The Brilliant Abyss by Helen Scales.  It is all about sea life in the deep ocean.  Where all sorts of interesting creatures live.  

My Friday 56:

Even if the hunt is over, it can be easy to discern what a gelatinous animal has recently eaten because the prey is visible through its transparent body.  Like a set of glass Russian dolls, there could be a krill inside a ctenophore or a fish inside a scyphozoan.

What is a ctenophore or a scyphozoan?  Not sure.  I'm sure the book will tell me when I get there.  But life has been conspiring to stop me from reading lately.  So I haven't gotten there yet.  I am very interested to find out.  

Friday 56

  Rules:

* Grab a book, any book.

* Go to page 56.  Or 56% on your ereader. 

* Find a snippet, short and sweet.

* Post it and add the url to your post at Freda's Voice

My book this week is Dreaming in Turtle by Peter Laufer Ph.D.  It is an exploration of all things turtle.  From the turtle lore, to turtle soup, to the plight of the endangered turtles, to the people trying to save them.  I haven't gotten very far into it yet.  I just hope it is as interesting as it sounds.

The Friday 56:

The English made turtle broth and used the turtle meat only for the flavoring, tossing it out before the meal.  The French added roux, the Spanish added spices, and some hungry soul added turtle meat and yelled out, "Oh my God, taste this!"  Turtle meat soup was born.

I have never had turtle meat in any form.  They do not look like they would be tasty.  Maybe when it is prepared well it is delicious.  Maybe.  But it is unlikely I will ever find out. 

The Friday 56

  Rules:

* Grab a book, any book.

* Go to page 56.  Or 56% on your ereader. 

* Find a snippet, short and sweet.

* Post it and add the url to your post at Freda's Voice

My Friday 56 this week comes from When Earth Shall Be No More by Paul Awad and Kathryn O'Sullivan.  In one universe the last 49 of Earth's human population are in a decaying orbit around Jupiter.  In an alternate universe a woman (whose counterpart is on the ship orbiting Jupiter) learns that her son may be able to save the 49 doomed humans.

The Friday 56:

"Hmm," Nicolas said.  He inspected each book's cover and description.  "This might take a while."  He retrieved a book from the top shelf, sat on a nearby stool, and turned to page one.

Nicolas is at a book store and has just been told he can only pick out one book.  He is taking the decision very seriously.  I have had that same feeling.

The Friday 56

  Rules:

* Grab a book, any book.

* Go to page 56.  Or 56% on your ereader. 

* Find a snippet, short and sweet.

* Post it and add the url to your post at Freda's Voice

This week my Friday 56 comes from Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir.  Ryland Grace has been sent on a mission that is the last chance to save the human race.  If only he could remember that.  

The Friday 56:

Astrophage can propel itself with light and has absurd energy-storage capability.  It's had God-knows-how-many billion years of evolution to get good at it.  Just like a horse if more energy efficient than a truck.  Astrophage is more energy efficient than a spaceship.

Astrophage - could be the cause of the end of the human race but could also be the only way to save it.  If only Ryland Grace could remember why he is in this spaceship and what he is supposed to do next.  

I'm liking this one.  Weir writes with a lot of wit without making his characters feel absurd and silly and without losing the gravitas of the whole extinction level calamity that is taking place.  This is the first book I've read by Andy Weir but I don't think it will be my last.

Friday 56

  Rules:

* Grab a book, any book.

* Go to page 56.  Or 56% on your ereader. 

* Find a snippet, short and sweet.

* Post it and add the url to your post at Freda's Voice

My book this week is The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster.  It is about a boy named Milo who is bored by everything.  Then one day he receives a mysterious gift of a tollbooth.  When he drives through it he ends up in a land he has never heard of.  I was pretty sure I read this book when I was a kid.  That was a long time ago so except for the title I couldn't remember anything about it.  So I decided to give it another go.  But now 70 pages in I still don't remember anything.  So now I'm not even sure I ever read it.  Well, either way it's been fun so far so I guess it doesn't really matter.

My Friday 56:

The bee, who had tangled himself in some bunting, toppled to the ground, knocking Milo over on top of him, and lay there shouting, "Help!  Help! There's a little boy on me."  The bug sprawled untidily on a mound of squashed letters and Tock, his alarm ringing persistently, was buried under a pile of words.

That's what happens when a spelling bee and a humbug get into a fight at a word market.  It was utter confusion until they could get all the words sorted out.  

The Friday 56

  Rules:

* Grab a book, any book.

* Go to page 56.  Or 56% on your ereader. 

* Find a snippet, short and sweet.

* Post it and add the url to your post at Freda's Voice

My book this week is No Hero by Jonathan Wood.  Poor Arthur Wallace was just a normal cop.  Then he saw something he wishes he could unsee and ends up in MI37, a secret division that deals with the unusual.  

My Friday 56:

Clyde turns, a look of sudden horror on his face.  For a moment I wonder if he's foreign and I've somehow stumbled across a colloquialism that means I've slept with his mother.

Arthur Wallace was good at his job.  Now he has no idea what is going on.  Even talking to his colleague is an impossible task.  But he just asks himself 'What would Kurt Russell do?' and blunders ahead the best he can.

The Friday 56

 Rules:

* Grab a book, any book.

* Go to page 56.  Or 56% on your ereader. 

* Find a snippet, short and sweet.

* Post it and add the url to your post at Freda's Voice

My book this week is Saga of the Swamp Thing by Alan Moore.  It is a graphic novel about a scientist who turns into a, well, Swamp Thing I guess.   I never read any Swamp Thing comics but I have recently become interested after happening upon a series that I didn't know existed until I saw the DVD at my local library.  (Swamp Thing)  So I, again, used my local library to find some graphic novels and decided to start here.

My Friday 56:

The grass outside... I lie a million silver blades threatening the moon and...and the trees!  I.. am. the trees.  A boa of moss hangs about my shoulders... I feel the intricate genius of the lianas... the giant, timeless wisdom of...  the Redwoods?

This poor guy just wanted to make plants grow fast and now he is a plant.  And can feel all the plants for miles around.  Being a scientist in the comic book world is a very dangerous thing.

The Friday 56

Rules:

* Grab a book, any book.

* Go to page 56.  Or 56% on your ereader. 

* Find a snippet, short and sweet.

* Post it and add the url to your post at Freda's Voice

My book this week is The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu by Joshua Hammer.

It is the true life story of a man who smuggled thousands of manuscripts out of Timbuktu to save them from being destroyed.

My Friday 56:

On January 13, 2000, in a ceremony attended by many luminaries, including the ministers of culture of Mali and Morocco, and the first lady of Mali - Henry Louis Gates had conflicting engagements and couldn't make the trip, and the Mellon Foundation sent a representative months later - the Mamma Haidara Commemorative Library officially opened its doors to the world.

Page 56 was the end of the chapter and this was the only full sentence on the page.  It may not sound all that exciting but it was to Abel Kader Haidara, who had put in a lot of work to make it happen.  I have not really gotten to the bad-ass part of the book yet.  It is still setting the stage for why the manuscripts had to be saved and how Haidara came to have the manuscripts and be the one to save them.  I think it will be very interesting.

The Friday 56

Rules:

* Grab a book, any book.

* Go to page 56.  Or 56% on your ereader. 

* Find a snippet, short and sweet.

* Post it and add the url to your post at Freda's Voice

My book this week is Monstrous by MarcyKate Connolly.

An unusual young girl is told by her father that she was killed and he rebuilt her and brought her back to life with a special purpose.  A purpose that necessitates wings, cat claws, and a tail with a stinger at the end.  Kymera doesn't doubt her father at all.  But I have to admit that I do.  I guess we shall see.

My Friday 56:

"I am sorry, but that is exactly why you must stay."  My tail swings out and stings her in the arm.  Father was right, they never understand what we do for them.

   

I hope for Kymera's sake that her father really is a good guy.  But he seems sinister to me so far.  

Friday 56

Rules:

* Grab a book, any book.

* Go to page 56.  Or 56% on your ereader. 

* Find a snippet, short and sweet.

* Post it and add the url to your post at Freda's Voice

My book this week is Rampant by Diana Peterfreund

In this book unicorns are not nice.  They are bloodthirsty creatures that must be hunted down.  Good thing they're extinct.  Or are they?  I just started this one.  I haven't even reached page 56 yet.  So I have no opinion yet.  But bloodthirsty unicorns sound fun.

 

My Friday 56:

I wondered if I could concoct some sort of medical discharge, like one did for the army.  Break my leg, maybe.  Cut off a pinky toe?

This girl really doesn't want to hunt unicorns.  I hope she thinks of a better solution than cutting off a toe.