Blog Link-Up #15 - 5/10/09

f it's Sunday, it must be time for the Weekly Link Round-Up!!  Those of you that answered my survey, this feature tied for favorite feature along with Wednesday Wanderings.  Glad to know that you like it!

Before I give you this week's links, I want to say, Happy Mother's Day!  Whatever you do today, do something for your mother, however you can.  Today is her day.  If you are a mother, I hope you have a wonderful day; you deserve it!

Now, for the links.  Here's what my blogging buddies chose as their favorite posts of the week:

Devourer of Books is a library lover!  She is always tweeting about what she got, has on hold, or wants to get from the library.  Every week she participates in a meme called Library Loot.  Take a look at what she checked out!  Even though she's expecting soon, she has a hefty review schedule so she continues to read and crank out some great reviews for her readers.  This week she reviewed The Brightest Moon of the Century by Christopher Meeks.  One thing she says is, "Not all authors can successfully make the jump from short stories to novels, but with “The Brightest Moon of the Century,” Meeks succeeds."  Great review!

Beth Fish Reads has 2 reviews this week, one of which is perfect for Mother's Day!  Earlier this week, she reviewed A Killing Frost by John Marsden, of which she says, "Without giving away major plot lines, it is difficult to convey the depth and reality of Marsden's series."  This is book 3 in a series, so there are spoilers from the first two books in the review.  Yesterday, she reviewed a book that's just perfect for Mother's Day!  Beth does admit that this one was hard to review, but it also caused her to reflect on her own mother.  I love the personal aspect of her review.  The book is Not Becoming My Mother by Ruth Reichl.

Have you read The Hunger Games? Alot of people have, but there's still alot who haven't.  I would be one of the have nots, although it is in my TBR pile.  Books and Movies reviewed The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins this week.  She gave it 5/5 stars; see what she had to say!  I love reading her "favorites" posts.  This week she has given us some of her favorite books on reading and writing.

Don't forget that I have 3 copies of The Host to giveaway!  I will be touring this book in June with some other bloggers, so enter to win a copy if you haven't read it.  Yesterday I posted a review of Because I Love Her: 34 Women Writers Reflect on the Mother-Daughter Bond.  It is a great book for Mother's Day.  I also asked some authors and bloggers what the best thing about being a mother is; see what they had to say.  Also, tomorrow starts my Children's Book Week celebration.  There will be guest posts, interviews, children's book reviews, and lots of giveaways!

Blog Link-Up #14 - 5/3/09

It's that time again!  time for the weekly round-up of bloggers' favorite posts from the previous week. Many of you who have taken my blog survey said that this was one of your favorite features on my blog.  Thank you for that!  I love linking to other bloggers, giving them a shout-out and sending readers their way.  It is a way we support each other.  You, the reader, are what keeps us doing what we do, so thank you for stopping by to see what I have to say and what I'm reading.

If you haven't filled out my little blog survey, I'm extending the deadline for a couple of reasons.  One, there haven't been that many people fill it out, so I'm trying to get the word out.  Two, I want to use the information to drive this blog, so I need to know what you think.  It is a win-win situation.  I get to hear what you think, and you get the chance to win a $10 gift card to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Powell's (your choice).  So, please take the survey.

There have been some great discussions on the blogs lately.  Here are a couple of them for you to check out.

If you have a favorite author, chances are, you've read any and everything they've written.  If you're like me, when you read a good book by an author, you go looking for others they have written.  What if the others aren't as good as the first one you read?  Devourer of Books took on this question in her blog post, Three Strikes You're Out? How Many Chances Does an Author Get? 

Beth Fish Reads is seeking opinions on yet another great discussion topic, Unfinished: Post or No Post?  When I read her post, I thought she was talking about me, because I did that this week, posted about a book I was unable to finish.  She poses some great questions for you at the end of her post.

Now, for some book reviews.

My Friend Amy reviewed The Midwife by Jennifer Worth.  She says, "I seriously loved this book. I wasn't sure if I was really going to like it, but I was hooked from the first story."  She has some great thoughts on the book, so go see what else she has to say. Another title she reviewed this week was Either You're In or You're In the Way by Logan and Noah Miller.  Her thoughts?  "It's the PERFECT book for our tough economic times..because this book IS the American dream."  Go read about it!

Books and Movies reviewed a new-to-me book, The Last Bridge by Terri Coyne.  I loved her first thoughts, "I was thrilled to read a novel that grabbed me from the first sentence and wouldn’t let me go until I turned the last page, with tears streaming down my face."  That's the kind of book I like to read, so I'll probably be adding this one to my wish list.  

Here are reviews for two more books that are new to me.  Linus's Blanket reviewed The Little Book on Meaning by Laura Berman Fortgang.  This book was just released on April 30th.  She says, "This was a lovely book to read and ponder, and one whose passages  I would definitely like to refer back to and examine further."  The other book she reviewed was The Obama Revolution by Alan Kennedy Shaffer.  In her review she states that, "It is literally  jam packed with coverage of the beginning of Obama’s campaign for the presidency through his swearing in- has a lot of examination of  the rhetoric of the campaign, speeches and proposed policy of the new president."  What an extensive read!

Finally, if you are an Historical Fiction fan, then you need to read Book and Movies' list of favorite historical fiction.  Maybe you'll find a new read or two.

That's it for this week's round-up.  Don't forget to check out the right sidebar for current giveaways on this blog.  Some of them are ending soon!  Until next week, happy reading!

Blog Link-Up #13 - 4/26/09

It is time for this week's edition of the blog link round-up.  Each week a group of us link to each others' favorite blog posts from the previous week.

I have 3 reviews for you this week as well as a giveaway post.

If you haven't read Uglies, then head over to Devourer of Books and read her review.  She says that the book was well written even though she was skeptical of it at first.

Beth Fish Reads has reviewed a mystery this week, A Cold Day for Murder, by Dana Stabenow.  This is the first book is a series.

Over at Books and Movies, there's a review for a book that's new to me, Leonardo's Swans by Karen Essex.  This is an historical novel set in 15th century Italy.  

Last week I blogged about Books and Movies moving to a new site.  Well, this week, she is saying thank you to everyone who has followed her to her new home, by having a Blogwarming Giveaway.  There are 6 books to choose from and there will be 6 winners.

Don't forget that I have giveaways going on.  Some are ending this week, so make sure you're entered!  Check the right side bar for all the current giveaways.

Blog Link-Up #12 - 4/19/09

I'm still feeling the after effects of just a few hours sleep.  The 24 hour read-a-thon has come and gone until October.  I definitely did better this time, than last October, when I first participated.  I was very pleased with what I accomplished, although I know I could have done better had I not left for 2 hours, but I needed the break.  I also had to give up around 2 and get a little sleep.  I awoke again at 5 to finish the last 2 hours.  You can see my stats here.  I have to say a HUGE thanks to the organizers, Trish, Nymeth, and Hannah.  They worked so hard to continue this event in honor of our beloved, Dewey.  I also have to give a shout-out to all the cheerleaders; I kept going because of your support.  A very special thank you to my Twitter cheerleaders: @BethFishReads and @toodondofbooks.  These 2 ladies are part of the reason that #readathon was trending on Twitter yesterday; woohoo!  Thank you to everyone who hosted the mini-challenges and donated prizes.  Last but not least, to my fellow read-a-thoners - you are all winners, however long you participated and for whatever reading you accomplished!  I'm so glad to be part of this wonderful Book Blogging Community!!!

Now, for the Weekly Link Round-Up.  I have a lot of good things to share with you this week, from my fellow book bloggers. 

For those of you who know Devourer of Books, you know that she is going to have a baby.  This week she posted a Baby Shower Children's Book Quiz.  Being a children's book lover, I had to try this one, and will be saving it when and if I have to host a baby shower.  She reviewed another great book this week too; First Comes Love, Then Comes Malaria.  Not so sure that's a good thing, but here's what she had to say.  "I seriously very highly recommend this book, whether you’re an idealist who wants to go out and make the world better, someone who wishes they had the cajones to follow love and their ideals to third world countries, or someone who likes an entertaining story; in other words, basically everyone!"  Go read the rest of her review.

Beth Fish Reads has two reviews that she wants to share this week.  First, she not only reviewed the YA novel Zamora's Ultimate Challenge, but she got the chance to interview the author, M.K. Scott, as well.  She has an audiobook review as well of Queen Lucia by E.F. Benson.  Her thoughts, "The unabridged audio production (narrated by Nadia May) was nicely done, but I think Lucia is much better savored in print."  See what else she has to say.

Do you sometimes wonder about starting a blog of your own, or if you have one, why did you start it?  My Friend Amy answered that question for us this week in her post, Why I Blog.   There have been many discussions about this very thing over the past couple of weeks, in the blogosphere, and I feel that Amy makes some very valid points.  I for one am glad that her blog is a serious hobby.  I respect her and what she has to say, therefore I follow.  You should also read her review of Thirteen Reasons Why.  This is a YA book that many book bloggers read and reviewed in the past month.  She said, "This book is absolutely riveting."

Have you heard that Books and Movies has a new home?  Read the announcement here!  

Many of my blogging buddies chose not to share this week due to the Read-a-Thon.  Look for more from them next week.

Blog Link-Up #10 - 4/5/09

It's time for this week's blog posts from my fellow blogging buddies group.  This is not an exclusive group, so if you'd like to join, please let me know and I'll let you know how it works and what to do.  

Sharing these posts is the highlight of my week.  All of these blogs are ones I read daily, so it's great to see the posts they choose every week as their favorite or ones that they would like to see get more exposure.  That is the gist of this project: to support each others' blogs and expose some of our posts to others that don't normally read them.  Here is what I have for you today.  Please stop by one or all of these posts and let them know what you think.

Funny the posts we choose, because most of this week's are book reviews.  If you are looking for that next book to read, or one to add to your TBR pile, here are some good ones.

Devourer of Books reviewed a book that I have heard lots of good things about.  This is one that I'm looking forward to reading.  Her thoughts on A Reliable Wife, "This is a lovely piece of fiction that should appeal both to those who like mainstream fiction (’literary’ fiction) and those who lean more towards mysteries and thrillers.  Definitely anyone who appreciates good writing with great characters should go straight out and get this book to read."

Beth Fish Reads has reviewed a book that many of us are reading for a book club, Thirteen Reasons Why.  I just finished this one last night and will have my review later.  Please read her thoughts as she was able to read the book as well as listen to it on audio.  She also has links to other bloggers' reviews so that you can get other perspectives as well.  She has also reviewed the first book in a series of children's books, Swallows and Amazons.  This is a series I had not heard of, so I was very interested in reading this one.

The Lost Hours by Karen White is a book that many of us are touring this month for Pump Up Your Book Promotions.  S. Krishna reviewed it on her blog this week.  She says, "I thoroughly enjoyed The Lost Hours and am very glad I read it." She also reviewed A Reliable Wife, so you can see what she thinks about the same book that Beth Fish read.

Over at My Friend Amy's blog, she did a review with Ali of Worducopia.  Their review of Etta is actually the conversation that they had, via Google chat, to discuss the book.  See what they have to say!

Looking for a fun Harlequin romance with that happily ever after ending?  Then take a look at Wendi's review of Married by Mistake.  If that's not your genre of choice, then she also has a non-fiction review of Thrive, Don't Simply Survive.  This is a FIRST Wild Card tour book so you can read about the author and read an excerpt of the book.

Books and Movies has a review of Sea Changes this week.  I hadn't heard of this one, an d after reading her review, it looks and sounds like an interesting read. 

The last two reviews are from Linus's Blanket.  First, she reviewed The Light Across the River.  Here's a quote from her review, "This novel is a great mix of love, duty, mystery, suspense and history. The Light Across the River by Stephanie Reed was an exciting read, and definitely a page turner."  Her other review is for the book Will Marry for Food, Sex and Laundry.  The title itself piques your interest.

Other posts of interest:

Many bloggers do a Reading Wrap-Up for the month.  Here is what Devourer of Books accomplished in the month of March.  Wow! She read 20 books last month!

April is National Poetry Month.  Books and Movies has a post about her favorite poets and peotry collections. 

Don't forget about my April Fool's Giveaway or my Name the Baby contest!

I hope you enjoy this week's picks for the Weekly Link Round-Up.  Come back next week for more.

Blog Link Up #1 - 1/24/09

It is the week for new additions!  This weekly round-up is the brainchild of My Friend Amy.  She is always coming up with great bookish ideas! 

In a way, this is similar to my Wednesday Wanderings, but in that post I usually highlight giveaways and new happenings around the blogosphere.  This weekly post will be a "best of" approach to what a group of bloggers posted on their blogs this week.  This is our first go at it and we may be tweaking the button, format, etc, but I hope you'll enjoy it.  You may even find a new blog to follow.  If you so desire, please Stumble these posts and fave them in Technorati.

Have you read Rebel by Bernard Cornwell?  Beth of Beth Fish Reads reviewed it this week, and it sounds intriguing!   Kathy reviewed American Savior over at Bermudaonion's Weblog.  It is a campaign book with a twist; read the review and see if it's one you'd like to read.  Julie's reviews always lead me to books that I have to read and this week is no exception.  She reviewed Beat the Reaper at Booking Mama.  Just in time for Valentine's Day, Wendi's Book Corner has a great romantic book review of The Valentine Edition.  The Bibliophile's Retreat is a new blog for me and I'm glad she's joining us in this round-up because I've made a new blogging buddy.   Head over and read her review of The Centurion's Wife; you'll be glad you did!  Conscience Point is a book I've been thinking of adding to my wish list.  Definitely doing that after reading S. Krishna's review this week.  Are you a LOST fan?  I watched it in the beginning, but didn't get hooked.  Amy did though, and this week at My Friend Amy, she started her LOST challenge.  Are you game?  Hey Lady! Whatcha Readin'? doesn't have a review for us, but she has a post titled The Ethics of Book Reviews.  If you review books, you will want to read her thoughts.  Finally, Marta at Marta's Meanderings reviewed Houston, We Have a Problema, which is a book in my TBR pile.  Now I need to move that book closer to the top of the pile after reading her review.

There you have it, the links for this week.  Enjoy!