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.
Today's Because of A Book guest is the lovely Lauren Becker from Shooting Stars Mag. Lauren's going to tell us a little about herself.
I run Shooting Stars Mag, a multi-purpose magazine online with a main focus on all things entertainment. I do write-ups for the show Royal Pains on Teen Scene Mag, I do reviews for Romantic Times Magazine, and have written for Sadie Magazine and Venus Zine in the past.
As far as I can remember, my parents never read to me. This is important because it's how most book-lovers start out, isn't it? Therefore, I don't have a favorite book from when I was "yay-high" and listening to my parents at night. However, as far as I can remember, I've loved to read. Going to the library doing school was one of my favorite things to do and I'd always find a new book to bring home and check out. Orphan of Ellis Island, Little House on the Prairie, BFG, Tears of a Tiger, and many, many more.
The point I'm getting to is that I don't have just one amazing book in my life, unless you count Harry Potter...because it definitely made up my childhood. I don't want to focus on that one though, so I finally decided to tell you about Stuck in Neutral by Terry Trueman. When I was in middle school, my sister checked this out from the library and I thought it looked really good so I decided to read it after her. It became a favorite of mine from that point on and I even have my own copy for my personal library.
Stuck in Neutral is about a boy named Shawn who has cerebral palsy. He can't go to the bathroom by himself, he can't talk, and he has a really hard time eating...just to name a few symptoms. Basically, Shawn just sits there and everyone else has to live his life for him. However, Stuck in Neutral is told in Shawn's point of view. It gives Shawn a personality, a voice. He isn't some mindless kid that everyone believes him to be...he has crushes, hopes, fears, and more. One of his main fears is that his dad wants to kill him because he believes that Shawn is in pain from his seizures...but really, the seizures set Shawn free. I won't go into detail, because it's a book everyone should be able to read for themselves. It's pretty short too, for those of you who don't have much time.
I love realistic fiction and this is definitely one of the first ones that I read that really stuck with me, so I think it's an important book in my life, in my childhood.
-Lauren Becker
About Stuck in Neutral: Shawn McDaniel is an enigma and a miracle--except no one knows it, least of all his father. His life is not what it may seem to anyone looking at him. Not even those who love him best have any idea what he is truly like. In this extraordinary and powerful first novel, the reader learns to look beyond the obvious and finds a character whose spirit is rich beyond imagining and whose story is unforgettable.
My life is like one of those "good news-bad news" jokes. Like, "I've got some good news and some bad news--which do you want first?"
I could go on about my good news for hours, but you probably want to hear the punch line, my bad news, right? Well, there isn't that much, really, but what's here is pretty wild. First off, my parents got divorced ten years ago because of me. My being born changed everything for all of us, in every way. My dad didn't divorce my mom, or my sister, Cindy, or my brother, Paul--he divorced me. He couldn't handle my condition, so he had to leave. My condition? Well, that brings us to the guts of my bad news.
Today is the release of Ballads of Suburbia by Stephanie Kuehnert. I am so excited for Stephanie! Here is a note from her, about the release...
Today, my second novel, BALLADS OF SUBURBIA, will be released in stores everywhere! I hope you’ll check it out, tell your friends, and let me know what you think of it.
If you want to order a signed copy from a great indie bookstore, Women & Children First, who will ship nationwide, you should do that ASAP since I will be signing the books on Friday. All the details are here.
No matter where you buy your book, if you do so before July 31 you can enter a very cool contest that some bloggers are running here.
If you are in the Chicago area, come out to my event at the Beacon Pub tonight or at Women & Children First on Friday. All the details and some August events can be found here.
And no matter where you are, drop by my cyber launch party at stephaniekuehnert.blogspot.com, which features guest blogs from amazing authors, tons of prizes and runs through 8/14! Today I’ll be telling the story behind the writing of the book.
Thanks for celebrating this amazing day with me! xo Stephanie
The contest Stephanie speaks of is hosted here on this blog and is full of great prizes. Please consider purchasing Ballads today. When you do, just send me a copy of the receipt and you are entered; it's that easy! The contest runs until the end of the month.
Mailbox Monday is hosted every week by Marcia at the Printed Page. Head over there to see what others got this week.
My mailbox wasn't very busy this week. For that, I am thankful. Yes, I love getting packages in the mail, but I have more than enough to keep me busy for awhile. I have gotten real selective about the books I receive/request for review, and I think the mailbox has finally caught up. Since the list is short, I'll be sharing covers with you this week. Here's what I got...
The Weight of Silence (ARC) by Heather Gudenkauf, from Mira
It happens quietly one August morning. As dawn's shimmering light drenches the humid Iowa air, two families awaken to find their little girls have gone missing in the night.
Seven-year-old Calli Clark is sweet, gentle, a dreamer who suffers from selective mutism brought on by tragedy that pulled her deep into silence as a toddler.
Calli's mother, Antonia, tried to be the best mother she could within the confines of marriage to a mostly absent, often angry husband. Now, though she denies that her husband could be involved in the possible abductions, she fears her decision to stay in her marriage has cost her more than her daughter's voice.
Petra Gregory is Calli's best friend, her soul mate and her voice. But neither Petra nor Calli has been heard from since their disappearance was discovered. Desperate to find his child, Martin Gregory is forced to confront a side of himself he did not know existed beneath his intellectual, professorial demeanor.
Now these families are tied by the question of what happened to their children. And the answer is trapped in the silence of unspoken family secrets.
South of Broad (ARC) by Pat Conroy, from Doubleday
Against the sumptuous backdrop of Charleston, South Carolina, South of Broad gathers a unique cast of sinners and saints. Leopold Bloom King, our narrator, is the son of an amiable, loving father who teaches science at the local high school. His mother, an ex-nun, is the high school principal and a well-known Joyce scholar. After Leo's older brother commits suicide at the age of thirteen, the family struggles with the shattering effects of his death, and Leo, lonely and isolated, searches for something to sustain him. Eventually, he finds his answer when he becomes part of a tightly knit group of high school seniors that includes friends Sheba and Trevor Poe, glamorous twins with an alcoholic mother and a prison-escapee father; hardscrabble mountain runaways Niles and Starla Whitehead; socialite Molly Huger and her boyfriend, Chadworth Rutledge X; and an ever-widening circle whose liaisons will ripple across two decades-from 1960s counterculture through the dawn of the AIDS crisis in the 1980s.
The ties among them endure for years, surviving marriages happy and troubled, unrequited loves and unspoken longings, hard-won successes and devastating breakdowns, and Charleston's dark legacy of racism and class divisions. But the final test of friendship that brings them to San Francisco is something no one is prepared for.
John Newton led a rich life. He was a God-fearing man and a successful seafaring trader; his cargo was a lucrative business, for his wares were human beings. In 1748, Newton’s ship, the Greyhound, sailed the triangular trade route from Liverpool to Africa and on to Antigua as it had many times before. But on one journey, at the height of the slave trade, a storm raged. Feeling all was lost, Newton prayed that if he were spared, he would leave the cruel world of slave trading behind forever. That night, Newton’s prayers were answered, and true to his word, he turned his back on the slave trade. In fact, he went on to become an ardent abolitionist. Among Newton’s many achievements, his greatest legacy would be the most beloved hymn of all: “Amazing Grace.”
It's a Snap!: George Eastman's First Photograph by Monica Kulling, from Tundra Books
In 1877 in Rochester, New York, George Eastman couldn’t understand why picture-taking was so difficult. Having left school at fourteen to support his mother and two sisters, George decided to find out by making photography his hobby. He packed up glass plates, a plate holder, a tent, a heavy tripod, a thick piece of black cloth, a water jug, and chemicals and set off to take his first photograph.
George realized that not many people could own a camera — they were too expensive and the size of today’s microwave ovens! But how could he make picture-taking easier? Eventually, George created dry plates, and they were such a success that he opened his own dry-plate company in 1881. But this was only the beginning — George went on to invent film and the Brownie camera. The rest is history.
Before I post the winners of my last two contests, I want to apologize to some of you whom I still owe books to. I haven't forgotten you; life has gotten me. I recently mailed off some and will be mailing the rest at the end of the month. Please forgive me as I got overwhelmed and just got behind. I promise not to be so slow next time. Some of you are waiting on books from publishers and I am checking into that as well.
Today, I have the winners from my Secrets to Happiness and Harry Potter contests. Please help me congratulate them today!
The winner of a hard cover copy of Secrets to Happiness by Sarah Dunn is:
ALEXA
The winners of the Harry Potter prize pack (paper backs of bks 5, 6, & 7) are:
LIMERICK
SUE W
ANGIEGIRL
SUSAN KUSEL
CHERYLS22
I will be emailing all the winners and hope to hear from you within 48 hours or another winner will be chosen. The HP books will be coming from the publisher and Secrets to Happiness will be mailed by me.
Thank you all for entering. We had 85 entries for HP...woohoo!! Look for the winners of the Eyes Like Stars Extravaganza to be posted this week. More contests to come!
This week's snapshot is a request. If you are a frequent reader or Twitter follower, you know that I have horses. You also know that we spent the month of March anxiously awaiting the arrival of a new addition to our herd. That addition, Kiddie, who was named with the help of one of my readers, came into the world on March 30th. She was born at our vet's in Angleton (their stallion is the daddy), and she stayed there until the 4th of July when we brought her and momma home. The homecoming was met with some trepidation from the other horses in the pasture as well as the momma. The others wanted to "check out" the baby, and the momma wanted them to stay away. It was not a pretty scene at first, but horses are herd animals and they just had to get their "pecking" order. Now, they are fine. Well, I said all that to say, it's about time you got some new pictures of Kiddie, because she has really grown! Also, because I have one Twitter friend who keeps bugging me for pictures. So, here she is!
This picture was taken on 4/23, almost 1 mo. old. I show you this so that you can see her growth.
These next pictures were taken last night (7/17) so she is 3 1/2 months old. I got her next to momma for perspective.
Here she is walking toward me. It was hard to take pictures because she follows me around. I'd get far enough away from her to get the picture and she would come towards me.
She is following my nephew. And with that, I leave you...until next Saturday.
What snapshot will you share this week? Leave me a link in the comments.
About the Book: James and David had always known there was something unusual about their elementary school teacher, Miss L'eau, but they could never quite put their finger on it. David discovered their first clue, was in her eyes-- Miss L'eau had the most unusual pair of eyes! She wore glasses when she taught, but when she had to deal with just you--she would lean over your desk, move her glasses down to the end of her nose . . . and there they were! Miss L'eau's eyes were as blue-green as the sea, and if you could get up the courage to stare right into them, you'd swear you could see angel fish, sea plants, coral beds and even sea anemones! It was the most wonderful, yet frightening, experience when she would talk to you face-to-face. The boys lived their whole lives near the ocean, but never thought about how import it was or how vulnerable it might be. Through Miss L'eau, and her unexpected relationship to the sea, they develop a love and understanding of the ocean and become involved with the nearby aquarium and organize an annual clean-up.
About the Author: T. Katz, a resident of Southern California has been involved in the children's entertainment industry since the early 80's working on hundreds of episodes of animated television and as a music instructor to hundreds of very animated children. She is also the honorary conductor of a four-part harmony household, consisting of her two children (three if you count the spouse on a bad day) and Alice the cat. The people that surround her help her to continue seeing the world with all its magic, beauty and potential. She lives by the motto "a good book, a cup of tea and somehow all is right with the world." Her adventures in life are adding welcome lines of character to her face and scattered optimistic silver linings all over her head. You can visit her website at www.tkatz.com.
My Review: This is a quick read, small book, with a powerful message! I wish school age kids could read this as part of an ocean unit. It would so enhance their learning. No, this book does not teach about the ocean, per se, but it does teach about how to take care of it and keep it around for the generations that come after us.
I don't want to say too much about this one, as I don't want to give the whole story away. The main character is a boy, in 5th grade, so I'm sure that will appeal to boy readers. This book, I think, would also appeal to reluctant readers because it is not overwhelming in length, but strong in story! I will definitely share it with some of the boys in my school this year. The main character and his best friend are strong, determined characters, who put aside what others might think, to help out someone they love, their teacher. They swear to keep her secret, even though it is hard for them to let her go. I loved the premise behind this story! Teach kids to take care of the ocean, by bringing a part of the ocean to them.
4 out of 5 stars for T. Katz and Miss L'eau. Be sure to visit the other stops on the tour.
2. Nothing But Ghosts is the book I'm reading right now.
3. July brings back memories of vacations in Arkansas with my grandparents.
4. The answer was obvious.
5. They say if you tell your dreams people might think you are crazy because of them.
6. It's okay to take the time to think it over.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to getting some sleep, tomorrow my plans include reading and Sunday, I want to spend the day with my husband!
Today's review is part of a Blog Tour with Unbridled Books. I'd like to thank them for providing me with this book and the opportunity to be part of this tour.
About the Book:In just three years, CEO Robbie Case has grown Core Communications, a data technology company, from 30 people to over 5,000. Now a $20 billion company made legendary by its sudden success, Core is based on a technology no other company can come close to copying, a revolutionary breakthrough known as drawing blood from a mainframe. And Robbie, its 35-year-old CEO, is acclaimed worldwide for his vision, leadership and wealth. Except that all of it is based on a lie. The technology doesn t work, the finances are built on a Ponzi scheme of stock sales and shell corporations, and Robbie is struggling to keep the company alive, to protect the friends who work for him and all that they ve built. Each day, Robbie tries to push the catastrophe back a little further, while his employees believe that they are all moving closer to grace, the day their stock options vest, when they will be made rich for their faith and loyalty and hard work. The details of the lie are all keyed into a shadowy interface that Robbie calls Shimmer, an omniscient mainframe that hides itself, calculates its own collapse, threatens to outsmart its creator and to reveal the corporation s illegal, fragile underpinnings. Shimmer is the story of a high-tech crusade nearing its end. The shell game Robbie has created is finally running out of room. And Robbie is the only one who knows or who has a chance to make things right. Or is he? A breathless debut novel that charges the atmosphere with suspense and surprise and delivers complex characters you can root for in spite of their flaws, Shimmer is Robbie s race against the truth.
About the Author: Eric Barnes is the writer of the novel, Shimmer (Unbridled Books, July 2009). Eric has been writing fiction for many years and published a number of short stories before finding a home for Shimmer at Unbridled.
He is the publisher of The Daily News and The Memphis News, two local publications covering business and politics in Memphis. Eric was once COO (and, before that, Publisher and Managing Editor) of Towery Publishing, a publisher of city guides, books, maps, city sites and business directories for cities around the country. Towery went under in 2003, a sad and endless and unforgettable experience that culminated in the purchase of a few cases of beer for the remaining staff at one final staff meeting at Union and Mclean.
Prior to that, Eric was managing editor of a business magazine in New York City, which was in the midst a transtion from what's known as a "business opportunities" magazine to a legitimate business magazine. Business opportunities magazines run ads for get rich quick schemes and, it seems now, those ads were an influence on the much bigger schemes in Shimmer.
Eric is the father of Reed, Mackenzie, Andrew and Lucy, and husband to Elizabeth, a wonderful person and incredible teacher at Memphis University School. These things are very important.
My Review: I haven't read a thriller in awhile, so this was a welcome change for me. It's nice sometimes to take a break from your current genre of reading, to spice it up a little with a good thriller.
I enjoyed the characters in this story. They are the kind that keep you glued to the book because you want to know what happens to them. The main character, Robbie, seems like the kind of person who just got involved in something that got him in over his head. I feel like he inherently wants to do good, but he got into the swindle and then spent the rest of the book trying to figure out how to "fix" everything.
When Ponzi schemes are relevant in the news right now, this book is "right on time." It gives you a look at a Ponzi scheme from the inside. Barnes writes about corporate America in a way that will keep you asking for more, hoping for the best, and clinging to the characters even after you close the book.
I enjoyed this one and hope that you will take the time to read it. 4 out of 5 stars for Eric Barnes and Shimmer.
