Authors and Publishers, I am happy to receive ARCs and published children's, middle grade, and YA books for review. When I finish it, I will review it. If you need the review posted in a certain time period, please let me know and I will move it to the top of the stack. Please note: my reviews are honest, but they are my opinion. If you don't want that, please don't ask. Email Me for reviews.
This week, I'm waiting on Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick. I won't have to wait long on this one, because it's release date is October 13, 2009.
Summary:
For Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch came along.
With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment.
But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure who to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is, and to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.
For Nora is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost her life.
When I first saw the cover for this one, I was drawn to it. Then, I read the synopsis and wanted to read it even more.
What book are you waiting on? To see what others are waiting on, visit Jill at Breaking the Spine.
I wander around the blogosphere and bring you what I find.
Lee Verday, husband to Jessica Verday, author of The Hollow, is hosting a fabulous contest! What is he giving away? Well, a signed ARC of The Hollow, of course!! You can read more about The Hollow in his blog post. Be sure to tell him I sent you; it's a bonus contest!!! Enter until Jessica's birthday.
Monday was the kick-off to Stephanie Kuehnert's Ballads of Suburbia Cyber-Launch Party. You definitely want to be a part of this! Don't forget, you can pre-order a signed copy of Stephanie's new book, Ballads of Suburbia from Women & Children First. After you order it, send me a copy of your receipt and be entered in the Ballads Blitz!!
Author Elizabeth Scott, is giving away an ARC of The Blonde of the Joke, by Bennet Madison. Answer a simple question to be entered to win. You have until Friday, July 17th.
I am always plugging my friend Vania's work because I think her photography skills are awesome!! Well, she is sharing those skills with one lucky person, via a contest on her blog. You can win an 8X10 of one of her prints from one of her awesome photo shoots! There are pics from the Beautiful Creatures, Eyes Like Stars, and Prophecy of the Sisters shoot. You know you want one!! I'm having a hard time picking just one!
Author, Jo Knowles is not only giving away a copy of Swinging, but also a paperback copy of Lessons From a Dead Girl, both of which release on Aug. 11th. Head over to her blog and enter for your chance to win. Deadline is Aug. 10th.
This week we take a break from our authors to bring you a blogger. Alexandra Cenni, or Lexie as she is known on the web, blogs about books at Poisoned Rationality, and personally at Lotuseyes. Go visit her!! Here's a little about Lexie, in her own words. I'm just your run of the mill book-obsessed girl. I'm the oldest of four kids, I read voraciously, studying to be a paralegal and I love working with younger kids. I mostly read fantasy (of all sub categories), historical romances, paranormal romances, young adult (most sub divisions there of) and manga.
And now, help me welcome Lexie to the blog today.
My friends have a couple of jokes and they go like this: 'Hello my name is Lexie and I like books more than I like you' and 'Did someone say books? As in the very thing that Lexie lives for?'
Why? Because the very first thing I unpack when I move and the last thing I pack up are my books. For the last twelve years I’ve asked for more books then anything else on my birthday and Christmas lists. I’ve been known to give up my bed to make room for my books (I hate stacking them on the ground) and when I had to sleep in a bunk bed my little single bed was surrounded on all sides by boxes of books so I could only sleep on my side. It's also quite possible I love my books more than I love my boyfriend, parents, friends or siblings.
I don’t say these things to brag, they’re just facts. They’re who I am and who I choose to be. I could have been a ballet dancer or a soccer player or a drama student or any number of things I dabbled in growing up. Except that every time any of those things got serious--and by serious I mean began eating into my reading time--I dropped it quicker then a hot potato. Nothing came before my being able to read as often as I liked.
So its with some difficulty I tried to figure out what book made me this way. I can point to books that were important in shaping my reading tastes, or books that were part of an event in my childhood that encapsulates that memory, but I honestly can not remember what book made me want to read so voraciously.
Was it Robert Louis Stevenson's 'Leaves from a Child's Garden of Verses' (illustrated by Donna Green)? Or maybe Little House in Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Or no, it must have been The Complete Mother Goose! No that's not quite right, I'm sure I read Bulfinch's Mythology before Mother Goose...do you see what I mean? Like a needle in a haystack the more I try to remember the farther I push the memory.
That's not the important part though surely. What's important is that I've had a love of books and reading since I can remember. One of my dad's favorite stories to tell new friends is how I would sit in front of one of his huge books (he has a lot of big academic historical books about Rome and Ancient Cultures), open it up to a page and then 'read' it out loud. I couldn't be more then two he says, and thus not really reading the book at all, but I had such an intense look on my face and would fly into such a tizzy if disturbed, that it was the cutest thing he had ever seen.
My ultimate fantasy (aside from ruling the world and having a harem of hot men at my beck and call) is to just to read all the time. No matter what I'm doing, or where I'm at or who I'm with I want to read without problems. Sadly bosses frown on this sort of behavior (or at least mine do)...and my family/friends/boyfriend do as well.
That's okay though! ::wink:: Luckily I only need three hours of sleep!
Thank you for stopping by today, Lexie!!!
Learn more about Lexie's book picks!
About A Child's Garden of Verses: In this well-known collection of poems, master poet Robert Louis Stevenson captures all the joy and magic of childhood.
About Little House in the Big Woods: Meet Laura Ingalls, the little girl who would grow up to write the Little House books.
Wolves and panthers and bears roam the deep Wisconsin woods in the late 1870's. In those same woods, Laura lives with Pa and Ma, and her sisters, Mary and Baby Carrie, in a snug little house built of logs. Pa hunts and traps. Ma makes her own cheese and butter. All night long, the wind howls lonesomely, but Pa plays the fiddle and sings, keeping the family safe and cozy.
About The Complete Mother Goose: This collection of children's favorites features rich, full-color illustration throughout. Ideal for reading aloud, or for children to read on their own.
About Bulfinch's Mythology: Here are the worlds most-loved stories, in a dynamic visual tour de force for todays readers. Each timeless myth is superbly presented in story form and enhanced with original art work by world-renowned artist Giovanni Caselli. Though Bulfinchs has been heralded for more than a century, it has never been published in so beautiful and accessible a format. Evocative four-color illustrations, many full-page, bring to life key events and characters of these universal tales and sagasfrom the Greek and Roman pantheon of gods to the heroes of the Crusades, from the exploits of Robin Hood to the feats of Richard the Lionheart. As enjoyable now as when Bulfinch first assembled them, these selections come from a variety of worksOvids classic Metamorphoses, Egyptian myths, Eastern mythology, and Hindu, Norse, and Celtic sources. Together they form a remarkable tapestry of human endeavor: dreams, illusions, adventures, loves lost and loves found.
Before I give you my Mailbox Monday, I wanted to let you know why I've been semi MIA the last couple of days. I've been on Twitter less, and didn't blog yesterday. Well, Friday, my husband wrecked his truck, so I had to drop everything around lunchtime to go and get him. He wasn't hurt. He ran into a concrete pole in a parking lot. Hurt the truck and his pride. So, we spent Saturday getting him mobile again. A friend had a truck that needed some minor brake work and TLC, that we are buying, so all is well again in that department. Also on Friday, my great - aunt passed away, so I spent all day today with my mom and grandmother at the funeral. Needless to say, it's been sort of a tumultuous weekend. Yesterday, we were able to get the yard mowed and cleaned up. It's been so hot here lately, that we ended up taking a 3 hour nap afterwards, so last night we just went and ate, watched True Blood and then went to bed.
Not blogging yesterday and not being on Twitter much has made me feel a little out of the loop. I've got to get some much needed reading done this week, so I can schedule some posts. The next two weeks I will be in trainings all day.
Mailbox Monday is brought to us every week by Marcia at the Printed Page. To see what others got in the mail, head on over. Her's what I received...no pictures this week because of the lateness of my post.
The Unexpected Gift by Michell Bulmer Atha & Meaghan Gonzales Wagar (4 copies, 1 to read/review, 3 to giveaway) - from Phenix & Phenix
The Spies of Warsaw by Alan Furst (2 copies, 1 to read/review, 1 to giveaway) - from Random House
The Hollow (ARC) by Jessica Verday - from Simon Pulse
Fire by Kristin Cashore - from Gail who picked it up for me at BEA...thank you Gail!!
This is not my contest, but one that I wanted to make sure and draw your attention to. Pam Bachorz, author of Candor (Sep. '09), is hosting a great contest right now! Have you entered? NO!! Well, you NEED to!!! It's the Candor Book Trailer Contest! Don't know about Candor? Here's some info and the book trailer to get you up to speed!
Oscar Banks has everything under control. In a town where his father brainwashes everyone, he's found a way to secretly fight the subliminal Messages. He's got them all fooled: Oscar's the top student and the best-behaved teen in town. Nobody knows he's made his own Messages to deprogram his brain. Oscar has even found a way to get rich. For a hefty price, he helps new kids escape Candor, Florida before they're transformed into cookie-cutter teens. But then Nia Silva moves to Candor, and Oscar's carefully-controlled world crumbles.
So, what are you waiting for? Head over to Pam Bachorz's website and get entered! The contest ends July 25th.
Friday Fill-Ins are brought to us each week by Janet.
1. The last thing I ate was pork chops and rice for dinner last night.
2. Eyes Like Stars is something I recently bought.
3. When it rains, it might make everything around here come back to life; it's so dry.
4. My husband was the first person I talked to today.
5. Hugs are welcome, anytime.
6. A feather pillow gives me extra comfort.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to a quiet evening with my husband, tomorrow my plans include working around the house and Sunday, I want to read!
I love being home for the summer because I get to see some interesting things on television. Since I don't have a lot of "me" time between summer school ending, training classes for my new job, and starting work on Aug. 3rd, I'm taking advantage. I'm spending a lot of time reading, blogging, tweeting, and just relaxing. I should feel guilty, but I don't. During the school year, I don't get to do this enough.
So, this morning, I was watching Good Morning America, which I try to do daily during the summer, and they got my attention when they mentioned Nancy Drew. I grew up with Nancy Drew! Actually, had ND books hid behind the seat of the car in case I left home without one; wow, some things never change...I still hide books, just now, in the truck. Anyway, I digress. GMA gave a snippet about the segment, saying that Nancy Drew was a role model to many accomplished women, like Oprah and the soon-to-be Supreme Court justice, Sonia Sotomayor. Well, I had to watch this. What were they going to say about my beloved Nancy Drew?
Modern female role models might include Hannah Montana or Beyonce, but there was a time when pre-teen girls would pick up a Nancy Drew book and be transported to a world where a brave, smart young woman fought villains and solved mysteries.
Okay, so, only smart women read Nancy Drew? I have a problem with titles like that! The segment, though was a great plug for books, timeless books, that should still be read and loved by young readers. It was all about how Nancy helped to inspire and influence girls, some of whom are now very accomplished women in our society. Who knew that so many women today were Nancy Drew readers as girls? Diane Sawyer had this to say:
"I discovered that all around me, among my friends, are Nancy Drew fans. Back in the '50s, back in the '60s, in the world of Donna Reed and then Barbie dolls, there was an intrepid young woman who inspired women like this."
I did not grow up in the 50's and 60's, but my mother did, who is responsible for getting me hooked on Nancy Drew; thanks mom!! I spent many days and nights living vicariously through Nancy's bravery and tenacity.
So, go watch/read GMA's segment and tell me what you think! Were/are you a Nancy Drew fan? What book character inspired/inspires you? (This question is part of the inspiration behind my Because of A Book feature - see what book(s) inspired Lisa Mantchev, Margaret Stohl, and Kami Garcia) Who is today's equivalent of Nancy Drew?
The Harmattan wind scorches across Nigeria, and an old man lies dying. His community gathers to pay its respects; their haunting songs echoing in the warm twilight. Tomi Akinyanmi, his eldest granddaughter, is present along with the rest of the family, and as she listens to Grandpa’s last words, she feels a resonance deep within her heart. For Grandpa doesn’t talk of regrets, or petty grievances, instead he talks softly about life; how to survive, how to be happy, how to achieve self-respect.
A year on from her Grandpa’s death, Tomi returns to his village. The family bonds have crumbled, no longer held strong by their patriarch. Searching for some link to her Grandpa, in the hope of understanding more, Tomi looks for the journal she once wrote and in which Grandpa would set thought-provoking essays. She finds the journal, but instead of one last essay, she finds Grandpa has left her his thoughts, a continuation of those spoken on his deathbed.
He explains to Tomi that life is a gift, and that it should be treated as such. He also writes of love, and the importance of giving love to others to allow them to love in return. His final words speak of happiness and how it can be achieved through four different disciplines, each balanced and working together.
“Hard work does not mean wealth; Neither does wealth mean class. Age does not mean wisdom, And Love does not mean bliss. Hard work drives vision. Class comes with confidence. Wisdom is found in experience, And love is but a shelter for him who finds it. Amid all the life storms, A man would wade through; Confidence and vision, wisdom and love, Together pull him through.”
My Review: A Worthy Legacy is a powerful book, in spite of it's size. They say good things come in small packages, and that's true for Tomi's book. Coming in with just 101 pages, it's a quick read, but not a light one.
The entire book is filled with great quotes and thoughtful, sage advice from Tomi's grandfather. It reminded me of my own grandfather as he has always offered up his thoughtful words of wisdom. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I found lots of quotes/advice that I will be using, reading, and sharing with others. Here is a quote from the beginning of the book, when Tomi visited her grandfather on his deathbed, that I loved:
I therefore plead with you that you wear a smile just for me, for like the lightning lights up the darkness of the earth in the storm, so does a smile light up a gloomy face; then it extends its glow down into the heart, to lessen the sadness within.
Tomi and her grandfather shared a private journal, which is where she found his thoughts to her after his death. What a very powerful thing for a child, to have a journal that is shared with someone, someone who understood Tomi's dreams. It's something more parents/grandparents should do with their children/grandchildren. We can all be inspired by Tomi's grandfather.
I hope that you'll consider reading this little, powerful, wealth of wisdom book! 4 out of 5 stars to Tomi and A Worthy Legacy!
Make sure you visit the other tour stops for A Worthy Legacy.
Summary:
