A Book in Review: America's Cheapest Family

America's Cheapest Family Gets You Right on the Money By: Steve and Annette Economides
Non-fiction, Economics 276 pages
Book Count: 65

First, this really is their last name. Second this book was overall a good book for people interested in learning how to get the most out of their money. It includes at the end of most chapters 3 levels of things that you can do to help save/better use your money depending on where you are at now in the process. It has only a couple of things that I disagree with. One, I know from others experience that not having any credit cards does have a negative effect on your credit score. (Even if you have paid off your mortgage, car(s) and have worked for years.)Of course, if you are planning to pay for everything with cash and have money saved for emerengices then all you would need is a debt card that can be used as a credit card, like they have. Two, I have found that shopping once a week lets you take advantage of all the best deals in a stores sales cycle. Shopping once a month causes you to miss too many deals and spend more. And three I have no idea what making your kids dress up has to do with saving money. The part about not buying the trendiest clothes makes cents (ha ha puns!) but how dress pants and button downs save you money is beyond me. Expecaily, when they talk against letting their kids dress in grunge style (why do they think kids wear grunge as a major trend in 2007???) It is a style that is perfect for resale/consignment store shopping. Besides that I can't think of anything in the book that jumped out at me as not a good idea. Many of the things are found in lots of other books on the subject. It does have a lot of tips on all different types of money saving. And it has info on how to teach your kids how to handle money, which most books don't have.

A Book in Review: i know i am but what are you?

i know i am but what are you? By: Samantha Bee
Non-fiction: humor, biography, essay 239 pages
Book Count: 64

This book is by the Most Senior Correspondent of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. It is a series of essays on different times in her life. It includes stories from when she was little and wanted to be Jesus' girlfriend up to her current inability to give her husband a good gift. (Who by the way she meet before the both were working on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.) As one would expect the essays are all rather funny and on odd topics. And according to the back cover someone that is not Nelson Mandela called it "Smutty".

A Book in Review: Made by Hand

Made by Hand : Searching for Meaning in a Throwaway World By: Mark Frauenfelder
Non-fiction DIY, farming, 223 pages
Book Count: 63

First, I would like to say given a number of books that I have read in the last couple months, I am not reading books to prepare for the Zombie Uprising. In a couple months it will be too cold for zombies anyway. I only read this one as Adam Savage (from Mythbusters) said I must read it on both covers! Given that I was amazed that nothing exploded in this book. It was fun to read the author's adventures in DIY. And it did succeed in making me want to do some making of something, nothing to do with chickens, but maybe something with the kids.

A Note to Self: Butterflies, Flowers vol 3

Butterflies, Flowers vol 3 by: Yuki Yoshihara
non-fiction, manga, romance 190 pages
Book Count: 62

A Note to Self: Butterflies, Flowers vol 2

Butterflies, Flowers vol 2 by: Yuki Yoshihara
non-fiction, manga, romance 188 pages
Book Count: 61

A Note to Self: Butterflies, Flowers vol 1

Butterflies, Flowers vol 1 by: Yuki Yoshihara
non-fiction, manga, romance 190 pages
Book Count: 60

Note: all the notes are on the series as a whole.
This manga is called Chou yo Hana yo in Japan. It is from Shojo Beat Manga, but is actually josie manga. (shojo is geared for 10-18 year old girls, josie older teens and adult women.) As such it is rated M or mature. It has some nudity and sexual situations (think R movie level: breast, views from the waist up, carefull placements, lights going out.)

The story line is that the main character used to be part of a rich noble family, but they went bankrupt when she was 7. She is now 20 and got a job at a office. She finds out that her boss used to be a servant boy of her's. Note: he is at most 9 years older then her as he states that he isn't 30 yet whenever anyone calls him old. And now they are in a weird relationship where he is her boss, but also her servant and they fall in love.

Note on Picture Books

The next three books that I will be writing on are volumes of Manga. And I have already posted on a graphic novel this year (or last, not sure). This lead me to think that I should have a clear rule on books that are mostly pictures. So the rule for book counts will be: graphic novels and volumes of manga count as books. Comic books and magizines of manga will not count as they are too short. Online reading of chapters of manga that would add up to a volume in book formate will also not count as it is too hard working out page count. Also, because I am not physicaly holding the book much like how audiobooks are not added to the book count. (If I somehow read an e-book [not getting into why I think e-books suck] I will deside then how I will count them.)

A Book in Review: Haunted Heartland

Haunted Heartland By: Beth Scott & Michael Norman
non-fiction paranormal 468 pages
Book count: 59

This book is an odd combination of very well known stories and ones I have never heard of before even after reading other books on ghost stories only from the same areas. For example, the first story of the book is Resurrection Mary. Even if that name doesn't ring a bell you have heard some variation of the story as it is a well known urban legend. Resurrection Mary is a teen age girl that died long ago, but still enjoys going out dancing and getting rides back to her home. In this story she directs the young man she was dancing with or a cabbie to her current home, Resurrection Cemetery and either disappears on the way or walks thru the car/gate to get inside the graveyard. See, you do know the story. But, most of the stories I have never heard before, even in the MI part where I have read multiple books with ghost stories from this state.

The book is divided by state and includes a long list of sources in the end of the book making it different from most books of this type. It also works hard to be factual, so some of the stories do not have all the details added that books mainly interested in telling ghost stories do. It also will add commentary on some or additional information when the story and provable facts do not line up (dates etc.)or when they found additional information.

A Book in Review: The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove

The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove By: Christopher Moore
Fiction: humor, Sci-fi 304 pages
Book Count: 58

First, as you can tell with a quick search of this blog, I have liked every Christopher Moore book that I have read. (Go ahead and look, we'll wait.) Are you back? good. Now this book is about a small town in the fall. Due to a death, the town shrink takes everyone off their meds and puts them on a placebo, in case the antidepressant caused the death. As they are all dealing with the withdraw a giant sea beast moves into town. Along with causing an explosion and eating a few people it also causes all the townspeople to be horny. In then chaos/fun ensues. Also this book stars Kendra, Warrior Babe of the Outland.

A Book in Review: First You Build A Cloud

First You Build A Cloud and Other Reflections on Physics as a Way of Life By: K.C. Cole
Non-fiction, Science 212 pages
Book Count: 57

This book does a good job of explaining different ideas/theories/concepts in physics for people with a basic understanding of science (i.e. some high school/ college level science, but not majoring in science.) It talks about major scientist in the field as wall as tries to explain how things work/ why you don't understand a concept easily.

July- August Book Count:

Number of books read: 12
Pages read: 3784
Average number of days to read a book: 5
Average number of pages read in a day: 61
Average number of books read in a month: 6
Average number of pages read in a month: 1892