Honky Tonk Christmas by Carolyn Brown (Book Review)

Title: Honky Tonk Christmas
Author: Carolyn Brown
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

My synopsis:  Once again we are back in Mingus, Texas at the Honky Tonk bar, which is now owned by Sharlene Waverly.  She inherited the bar and the "Bahamas" house (painted like it belongs in the Bahamas - not actually there) when Larissa fell under the Honky Tonk charm and married her cowboy Hank.  Sharlene has vowed that she will not fall under the charm and will not be marrying any cowboy.  Instead, she decides to expand the Honky Tonk so that the crowds that gather in the parking lot will now be able to come in and enjoy the Tonk's atmosphere, too.

She hires Holt Jackson who is the best carpenter in the area.  He is also a single dad, having taken in his six-year-old twin niece and nephew when his sister is killed by a drunk driver.  Sharlene makes him a deal that allows him, Judd, and Waylon to live in the Bahamas house rent free as long as the addition gets done on deadline.  She settles into a routine of bartender at night, daycare for the 2 kids after school and working on her second book in between.  Her first book, Honky Tonk Charm is due out in December.  What doesn't figure into her routine is the attraction that is growing between her and Holt. 

She finally agrees to a visit with her family in Corn, Oklahoma and drags Holt and the twins with her.  She has been avoiding going home as her family knows nothing about her owning a bar or writing a book.  They think she lives and works in Dallas. She tells herself that she is taking Holt as a buffer, but I think that she just wants him to be with her. Could she be falling under the Honky Tonk charm too?

My thoughts: This is the fourth and last :( book in this series and I have enjoyed them all.  Even if you haven't read the first three - this one gives you all the background to catch you up to speed. I love that even though all the books are centered around the Honky Tonk - the main characters of each are very diverse and the routes the stories take are driven by the characters. There are characters that carry over from story to story to keep them connected, but they each have a different conflict. The books are quick reads and the series would be a great gift for the booklover on your Christmas list!

Ms. Brown will be back in 2011 with a new series called Spikes & Spurs.  The first book, Love Drunk Cowboy is due out in May, 2011.

~I received a complimentary copy of this book from Sourcebooks in exchange for my review.~

Honky Tonk Christmas
Publisher/Publication Date: Sourcebooks Casablanca, Nov 2010
ISBN: 978-1-4022-4201-4
368 pages

ARC Arrival: THR3E by Ted Dekker

THR3E

by Ted Dekker

Center Street

By all accounts Kevin Parsons is leading a virtuous life.  But like all people, Kevin has his secrets.  And someone wants them revealed.

While driving home from graduate school, Kevin receives a call from a deluded stranger who calls himself Slater.  Slater demands that Kevin confess his sin in the next three minutes or the car he's driving will be blown to pieces.  With the threat, he offers a riddle:  What falls but never breaks, what breaks but never falls?

Thus starts a harrowing chain of threats with progressively higher stakes.  Another riddle, another three minutes.  Confess your sin, Kevin.

The problem is Kevin has no idea what sin.  And Slater's cycle won't stop until he's dead.

Now only Samantha, the woman he once loved more than life itself, can help him uncover the secrets of a mysterious past.  But Samantha may soon be dead as well.

About the author: TED DEKKER is a New York Times bestselling author of more than twenty novels with a total of more than 3 million books in print. He is known for thrillers that combine adrenaline-laced plots with incredible confrontations between good and evil.



~ I received a complimentary copy of this book from Hachette Books and hope to have it reviewed by the end of the month.~



Thr3e
Publisher/Publication Date: Center Street, Nov 2010
ISBN: 978-1-59995-314-4
416 pages

ARC Arrival: Trapped by a Dream: When Fates Collide by Leola Butler

Trapped by a Dream: When Fates Collide (A True Account Taken From the Journals of Boots Butler)

by Leola Butler

XLibris

Trapped By a Dream: When Fates collide is the true account of a young Russian girl who is deceived and abducted.  Her rescue mission is detailed from the personal journals of Boots Butler, the team leader.  This story involves the collective abilities of Boots, working with an extraordinary group of comrades in arms, to extract a prisoner.  The rescue takes Boots and his clan to Amsterdam where their most hated enemy, the Russian Mafia, stands between them and the object of the operation.  They do this with complete selflessness and courage.  Once engaged they will not quit.  Their motto is "failure is not an option."  These are the words they live by, and will die by, if necessary.

About the author:  Leola butler is an emerging author recounting the true stories of the recovery of abducted and exploited children performed by A.E. "Boots" Butler, her husband of thirty-six years.  Since 1994 she has been the secretary/treasurer and case assignment controller for the non-profit organization,  Somewhere Out There.  The stories that she writes about tell of the bravery and perseverance of the heroic men that rescue stolen and kidnapped children.  She earned an Associate of Arts degree at Peninsula College and majored in criminal Justice at Washington State University.  Leola and Boots now reside in the scenic Olympic Peninsula of Washington State.  When she is not writing, Leola enjoys spending time with her family, working as a care-giver and is a devoted mother and grandmother of four.

~I received a complimentary copy of this book - but I don't know who sent it!  I have searched my email for any reference to this title and cannot find one.  I feel so bad as I am usually more careful that that.  So if you happen to be the sender - or if someone has received a review copy themselves - please let me know who sent it to me!  Watch for my review sometime in January.~


Trapped By A Dream: When Fates Collide: A true account taken from the journals of Boots Butler
Publisher/Publication Date: Xlibris, May 2010
ISBN: 978-1-4500-9129-9
346 pages

ARC Arrival: The Proper Care and Maintenance of Friendship by Lisa Verge Higgins

The Proper Care and Maintenance of Friendship

by Lisa Verge Higgins

Grand Central Publishing

What makes a wife a lover?

For Kate, the spark went out of her marriage long ago but her husband doesn't seem to notice.  Their role as parents consumes their lives so they need to rekindle the romance they once shared.

What makes a woman a mother?

For Jo, a high-powered career has led her to believe that she doesn't have a single maternal instinct.  When an orphan unexpectedly enters her life, she is forced to confront her own unhappy childhood -- and the wall it has built around her heart.

What makes a man the love of your life?

For Sarah, home is the steamy jungles of Africa while the man of her dreams waits in the air-conditioned confines of Los Angeles.  Her longing for this man from the past is blinding her to a new love standing right in front of her.

What these women all have in common is a friend named Rachel, a brave, vibrant woman whose life has been cut tragically short.  But she's left a legacy of hope for her three closest friends.  Through her final letters, Rachel dares them to change the course of their lives and to value the friends who will always be there.

About the author:  While studying for her Ph.D. in chemistry, RITA finalist Lisa Verge Higgins penned twelve romance novels under her maiden name.  The Proper Care and Maintenance of Friendship is her first foray into mainstream women's fiction. 

She lives in New Jersey with her husband, an attorney, and their children.

Read an Excerpt

~I received a complimentary copy of this book from Hachette Books.  Watch for my review in late January, 2011.~

The Proper Care and Maintenance of Friendship
Publisher/Publication Date: Grand Central Publishing, Jan 26, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-446-56351-2
352 pages

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (Dec 13, 2010)

What are you reading on Mondays is hosted by Sheila at One Person's Journey - You can hook up with the Mr. Linky there with your own post - but be sure and let me know what you are reading too! 


Currently Reading:
Goodnight Tweetheart  by Teresa Medeiros
When No One is Watching  by Joseph Hayes
Euphemania: Our Love Affair with Euphemisms by Ralph Keyes

E-Book:
The Turn of the Karmic Wheel by Monica Brinkman

Bathroom Book:
I currently don't have one.


Audio Book:
The Unnamed by Joshua Ferris

Books Reviewed Last Week:
Let's Eat by Denise Burroughs
The Taming of the Wolf by Lydia Dare


Children's Books Reviewed Last Week:
The Duck Song by Bryant Oden

Ready- Set- Read!

Mailbox Monday (Dec 13, 2010)

In My Mailbox is hosted Sundays at The Story Siren. Mailbox Monday's host for December is Lady Q at Let Them Read Books. Please visit these posts and take a look at what packages everybody else got this week!  Please click on the book titles to learn more about them.

ARC Arrivals

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Angel Harp by Michael Phillips

Aksandar by Judith Montgomery

Chasing Shadows by Fred Burton

Goodnight Tweetheart by Teresa Medeiros

Magel's Daughter by Nancy Baker

Wonderful Win

Night Runner by Max Turner

What great books did you get this week?

Warren Pride Award

My daughter was presented this morning with a Warren Pride Award at her school.  There was about 8-10 kids who won the award for the Nov/Dec months.  It was really cool to see her honored out of the 1000's of kids in her school!  The teachers nominate kids and then a committee picks the final winners.  They are chosen on academic excellence, school spirit, making the school a better place, most improved academically or one more that I can't remember! 

Anyway - this is what her Spanish teacher had to say about her:

Lexi is a very bright student in Spanish 1 and has a lot of friends in class. She does not let this become a distraction but instead is continuously helping other students in class.  She is extremely patient, kind, and positive in her attitude.  Lexi will give up her own time to help someone understand a concept.

Here she is with Dr. Brierton, principal, reading her nomination and presenting her with the award.

Lexi I am so proud of you!!!

The Taming of the Wolf by Lydia Dare (Book Review)

Title: The Taming of the Wolf
Author: Lydia Dare
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

My synopsis: Dashiel Thorpe is a Lycan who grew up with a stepfather believing he was a monster.  He had no idea that there were others like him so kept himself chained whenever the moon was full.  When he finds out there are other Lycans, he goes to them to try to get help with learning how to control his urges.  On the first full moon that he has been unchained, he bites Caitrin MacLeod, unknowingly claiming her as his mate.  She flees in the middle of the night, outraged that she let him bite her, not knowing that he is Lycan.

For him, there will never be another woman as long as either he or she lives.  For her, she can go on and love another, never being the wiser. But to Caitrin, Dash is a refuge in a storm. You see - she is a witch and has the fortunate (or unfortunate) ability to see people's futures.  The exception to this is Dash.  When she is with him, her mind clears of all "futures" and she just feels calm and safe.

This all happened at the home of Elspeth Westfield, one of Caitrin's coven sisters, who herself is married to a Lycan.  As Caitrin flees for her home in Scotland, Dash discovers the full meaning of what he has done.  So he follows her - determined to win her over as he can think of no other.  She continues to push him away, even as she feels herself drawn to him inexplicably. 

Throw in some of Caitrin's coven sisters (witches) to spice things up as well as Dash's estranged stepfather for some added conflict and you have a enticing read.  Great for a cold winter's night!

My thoughts: I don't know what it is, but I love the books about Lycans/werewolves, and this one was no different.  I love the spunk of Caitrin and how she stands up to Dash, but continues to find herself in compromising situations with him.  My favorite part though, would have to be when Caitrin refuses to back down from Dash's father and sort of bullies him into listening to her. 

~I received a complimentary copy of this book from Sourcebooks in exchange for my review.~

The Taming of the Wolf
Publisher/Publication Date: Sourcebooks Casablanca, Nov 2010
ISBN: 978-1-4022-4437-7
384 pages

ARC Arrival: Magel's Daughter by Nancy Baker

Magel's Daughter

by Nancy Baker

North Star Press of St. Cloud, Inc

Everyone in the Olina family, living and dead, knows that Magel keeps human body parts in her freezer.

From the beginning of the novel, the provocative nature of the text defies the Minnesota-nice stereotype, which is, at once, refreshing and original.

Magel's Daughter highlights the deadly manipulations and subterfuge of matriarchal power within a Norwegian family.  It is a dark comedy with a touch of magical realism.  On the surface it's a rapidly paced, episodic blitz through the last days of Karin Brix's sanity.

She's lost it by the end, and it's all her mother's fault.  Magel is a classic femme fatale who grows old and spoils everyone's lives just like her mother and her mother before her.  This is all set in Northern Minnesota, a chilly world of hallucination, incest, and severed heads.

Magel is the reigning matriarch of the family, and Karin is on her way to becoming just like her, struggling to regain herself as an artist after years of raising her two sons.  Karin is assisted in her endeavors by the hallucinations of her grand and great-grandmothers.  Karin's father's glass eye weaves through her imagination as the only sound counsel amid the chaos.

Watch for the Sequel: Magel's Ghost continues the story of Karin as she re-locates to Minneapolis, and follows the characters caught in Karin's web. Her quest for power in the art community, involves her with the grandfather, father, and son of a wealthy Minneapolis family. The ripple effect of her destructive psychosis is hilarious.

~I received a copy of this book from Bostick Communications and Nancy Baker.  Watch for my review by early February.~

 

About the author: Magel's Daughter is Nancy's first published novel, and the sequel is Magel's Ghost. The stories are dark comedies laced with magical realism, and take place in her home state of Minnesota.

She has finished her third novel, Island Adrift, the first in The Mac Books series. The novel is also laced with magical realism while giving us a more serious base to the storyline. She is currently working on the next book in the series.

Her education has taken a varied and unusual route. She holds a BFA from the college of Art and Design in Minneapolis and worked in graphic design for ten years. At the same time she took night classes at The Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis,Minnesota, and has been writing ever since.

Early in her writing career, she tried her hand at children's stories and adult short stories. She is married and the mother of four children who supply her with endless material.


Magel's Daughter
Publisher/Publication Date: North Star Press of St. Cloud, Inc, Sept 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-87839-364-1
320 pages

ARC Arrival: Goodnight Tweetheart by Teresa Medeiros

Goodnight Tweetheart

by Teresa Medeiros

Gallery Books

@WhatTheHeckHappenedToMyLife

Abigail Donovan has a lot of stuff she should be doing.  Namely writing her next novel.  A bestselling author who is still recovering from a near Pulitzer Prize win and the heady success that follows Oprah's stamp of approval, she is stuck at Chapter Five and losing confidence daily.  But when her publisher signs her up for a Twitter account, she's intrigued.  What's all the fuss about?

Trending Topic: True Love

Taken under the wing of one of her Twitter followers, "MarkBaynard" -- a quick-witted, quick-typing professor on sabbatical -- Abby finds it easy to put words out into the world 140 characters at a time.  And once she gets a handle on tweets, retweets, direct messages, hashtags, and trends, she starts to feel unblocked in writing and in life.  After all, why should she be spending hours in her apartment staring at her TweetDeck and fretting about her stalled career when Mark is out there traveling the world and living?

Or is he?

Told almost entirely in tweets and DMs, Goodnight Tweetheart is a truly modern take on a classic tale of love -- a Griffin and Sabine for the Twitter generation.

Read the first chapter.

About the author: Teresa Medeiros is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author.  She currently has more than seven million books in print and is published in more than seventeen languages.  She lives in Kentucky with her husband and her cats Willow and Buffy the Mouse slayer.  Visit her web site Teresa Medeiros, follow her on Twitter, and join her on Facebook.

~I received a complimentary copy of this book from Gallery Books.  Watch for my review on December 16.~ 

Goodnight Tweetheart
Publisher/Publication Date: Gallery Books, Dec 14, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-4391-8815-6
240 pages

StaphAseptic - Giveaway! (Product Review)

StaphAseptic is a first aid antiseptic and pain relieving gel.  I was given the opportunity to review this product early last summer.  I thought with a little boy running around, that I would have ample opportunity to try it out - wrong.  It wasn't until my teenage daughter got a burn on her leg getting off her uncle's motorcycle the wrong way that I had the chance to try it out.  She did it at her Grandma's house the night before we were headed home and didn't really make a big deal out of it.  So we headed out the next day and when we got home she showed us this burn on her leg.  I immediately went for the StaphAseptic as I had been waiting for an opportunity to use it!

It did a great job in aiding the healing process of this burn.  About 2 weeks after it happened, my daughter was at a friend's house whose mother is a nurse.  She took a look at the burn and said she was lucky it didn't get infected because it was a worse burn than we thought and she should have seen a doctor.  I am not advocating that you use StaphAseptic in the place of seeing your physician at all!  But in our case, I am glad that I had the StaphAseptic and used it - as I contribute it to keeping her burn infection free!

Here is some information from StaphAseptic:
Uses:  First aid to help protect against skin infection in minor cuts, scrapes and burns. Temporarily relieves pain and itching associated with minor burns, cuts, scrapes, insect bites and skin irritations.

STAPH PREVENTION PROGRAM:

• Treat and cover wounds
• Don't share personal items (like towels)
• Shower after physical activity
• Properly clean gear and equipment
• Keep hands clean
• Consult your physician for all active wounds

If you think you may have a skin infection, contact your physician immediately.  Staph bacteria, including MRSA, can cause skin infections that may look like a pimple, boil, or ingrown hair and can be red, swollen, painful, or have pus and other drainage.  Serious infections may cause pneumonia, bloodstream infections, or even death.

StaphAseptic is available in a 2oz tube or single use packet. It is available online or in many retail outlets.  See complete list here.  Click on coupon to take you to a link to print one for yourself!

GIVEAWAY!

Thanks to Amelia at APB Communications and Tec Labs/StaphAseptic I have one 2 oz tube to giveaway to a lucky reader.  To enter, just leave a comment telling me who is most likely in your family to be the first to need this product.  For additional entries follow my blog or tweeter/spread the word about this contest.  Just let me know and leave link if applicable.

This giveaway is open to US residents only.  It will end on Dec 30, 2010.

~I received a 2oz tube of StaphAseptic from APB Communications and Tec Labs in exchange for my review.~

ARC Arrival: Chasing Shadows by Fred Burton

Chasing Shadows: A Special Agent's Lifelong Hunt to Bring a Cold War Assassin to Justice

by Fred Burton with John Bruning

Palgrave Macmillan

In July 1973, a gunman stepped out from behind a tree and fired five shots, point blank, into Josef Alon, a kind, unassuming Israeli Air Force pilot.  Sixteen-year-old Fred Burton was deeply shocked by this crime that rocked his sleepy suburban neighborhood in Bethesda, Maryland.  Alan wasn't just a pilot and family man -- he was a high-ranking Israeli military official with intelligence ties.  His assassin was never found.  In 2007, Fred Burton -- now a former State Department counterterrorism special agent -- reopened the case.  From swirling dogfights over Egypt and Hanoi to gun battles on the streets of Beirut, this action-packed history shows how power is used, misused, and sold to the most convenient bidder.  Chasing Shadows spins a gripping tale of secret agents, double agents, terrorists, and heroes as Burton chases leads around the globe in an effort to solve this decades old murder.

About the author:  Fred Burton is one of the world's foremost experts on security, terrorists, and terrorist organizations.  He was deputy chief of the Counterterrorism Division of the State Department's Diplomatic Security Service and is currently a vice president at Stratfor, known as the "Shadow CIA."  He is the author of Ghost: Confessions of a Counterterrorism Agent and appears regularly on The Daily Show, Glenn Beck, and Anderson Cooper 360, and on Fox, ABC, and CBS radio.  He lives in Austin, Texas.

John Bruning is a military historian and the coauthor of House to House.  He lives in Independence, Oregon.

~I received a complimentary copy of this book from Palgrave Macmillan.  Watch for my review in April 2011.~

Chasing Shadows: A Special Agent's Lifelong Hunt to Bring a Cold War Assassin to Justice
Publisher/Publication Date: Palgrave Macmillan, April 12, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-230-62055-1
272 pages

ARC Arrival: Aksandar by Judith Montgomery

Aksandar

by Judith Montgomery

AuthorHouse

Aksandar is a quest for truth and justice by Aziz Rashani who understands that tradition in a land of mountains and desert is a matter of surviving when unrealistic odds favor invaders who use the same tactics as Ghenghis Khan.  For him, the ideal of an independent Afghanistan is a matter of honor.  It is a matter of doing the right thing because that is the right thing to do.  Political blackmail and the corruption of ideals force drastic and dangerous change onto the streets and into the villages where the struggle goes on every day.

Ms. Montgomery has traveled extensively in Afghanistan and over the years has developed a great love and respect for the Afghan people and their struggle to survive as citizens of an independent country.  Much of that struggle to maintain their culture has not been recognized, and through Aksandar, she has put forth a meaningful picture of what it means to wait in a land where waiting means death from strangers and outsiders.  her own personal search for trugh has become the inspiration for Aksandar.

~I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bohlsen PR. Watch for my review by early February.~

Aksandar
Publisher/Publication Date: AuthorHouse, Aug 2009
ISBN: 978-1-4490-1208-3
272 pages

The Meaning Behind - Let's Eat! - by Denise Burroughs (Guest Post)

I want to take this time to share with you the real meaning behind my book.

I came from a large Italian family. As an only child though, the traditions surrounding me growing up are things I will never forget. I started writing my book two years ago and in those two years a lot had happen in my life. Writing has given me plenty of time to think and to reflect on the things around me. One of those things being my family.

As an only child, my mother raised me as a single parent. A budget was a must for her. Times are harder today and family values have been lost. In a world that has enough problems, two parents work for the most part . Money is tight. Dinners and family time are far and few. Today's life style is all about tv, computers, video games, fast food and frozen meals. I wanted to convey in this book, the small less expensive meals that families can make together without breaking their wallet and to help the single mom who is working two jobs or the single dad. I would like to see a time again when a family can pick one night out of a week and just sit together and eat and laugh and share their day. No tv and no cell phone. Family does not have to be ten people at a table. It could be just two, a mom and her daughter or son. You are what makes your family. I believe that we all need something from the people we love and what better way to do that then to sit down at the table and eat. Food warms the heart and soothes the soul.

I'm proud of who I am and how my children value so much because of what I have passed down to them. I want the same for you and your family. At a time where so much is wrong, we can make one thing right and that's dinner.Find that time in your life to change how you spend time with each other and the people you love most. Best wishes and lots of love!

ARC Arrival: Angel Harp by Michael Phillips

Angel Harp

by Michael Phillips

FaithWords

Widowed at thirty-four, amateur harpist Marie Buchan realizes that her life and dreams are slowly slipping away.  A longed-for summer in Scotland offers far more than a change of scenery. Not only does the music of her harp capture the fancy of the small coastal village she visits, but she is unexpectedly drawn into a love triangle involving the local curate and the local duke.

The boyhood friends are estranged as adults because of their mutual love for a woman (now dead) some years before.  History seems destined to repeat itself, with Marie in the thick of it.  Her involvement in the lives of the two men, as well as with quirky characters in the community, leads to a range of exciting relationships and lands Marie in the center of the controversy over a mysterious death.  Eventually she must decide: What is the truth? And with whom will she cast her lot?

In this sparkling new novel, acclaimed author Michael Phillips takes readers on a romantic journey along Scotland's beautiful shores and into a young widow's search for love, faith, and fulfillment.  Only the Giver of dreams can show the way to all she hopes for -- and more.

About the author: Michael Phillips has been writing in the Christian marketplace for 30 years. All told, he has written, co-written, and edited some 110 books. Phillips and his wife live in the U.S., and make their second home in Scotland.

~I received a complimentary copy of this book from Hachette Books.  Please watch for my review in late January.~

Angel Harp: A Novel
Publisher/Publication Date: FaithWords, Jan 26, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-446-56771-8
464 pages

Wonderful Win: Night Runner by Max Turner

Night Runner

by Max Turner

St. Martin's Press

He's on a race for answers -- every step is taking him closer to the darkest of truths.

For Zack Thomson, living in Nicholls Ward isn't so bad.  After his parents died, he developed strange and severe allergies, and the mental institution was the only place where he could be properly looked after.  As strange as it was, it was home.  He could watch as much television as he wanted; his best friend, Charlie, often visited him; and Nurse Ophelia sometimes took him bowling.  Of course, that didn't mean he had it easy.  His allergies restricted his diet to strawberry smoothies, and being the only kid at the hospital could get lonely.  But it never once crosses Zack's mind to leave. . . until the night someone crashes through the front doors and tells him to run.  Along with Charlie and a girl he may or may not be falling in love with, he does just that: run.  Under cover of night, hiding amongst the shadows, he races for the truth.

About the author:  Max Turner has been a high school science teacher for seven years.  He lives in Ottawa with his wife and two children.  This is his first novel, and the start of a series.

~I won this book from a sweepstakes sponsored by St. Martin's Press.~

Night Runner: A Novel
Publisher/Publication Date: St. Martin's Griffin, Sept 2009
ISBN: 978-0-312-59228-8
272 pages
Young Adult

ARC Arrival: Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Across the Universe

by Beth Revis

Razorbill

A story of love, murder, and madness aboard an enormous spaceship bound for the future.

Amy is a cryogenically frozen passenger aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed.  she expects to wake up on a new planet, 300 years in the future.  But fifty years before Godspeed's scheduled landing, Amy's cryo chamber is unplugged, and she is nearly killed.

Now, Amy is caught inside an enclosed world where nothing makes sense.  Godspeed's passengers have forfeited all control to Eldest, a tyrannical and frightening leader, and Elder, his rebellious and brilliant teenage heir.

Amy desperately wants to trust Elder.  But can she? All she knows is that she must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets before whoever woke her tries to kill again.

~I received a complimentary copy of this book from Penguin.  Watch for my review in January.~

About the author:  Beth Revis lives in rural North Carolina with her husband and dog, and believes space is nowhere near the final frontier.  Across the Universe is her first novel.  Visit her blog at http://www.bethrevis.com/.

Across the Universe
Publisher/Publication Date: Razorbill, Jan 11, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-59514-397-6
416 pages
Ages 12 and up

New Giveaway and TV Movie Premiere! - Sundays at Tiffany's by James Patterson

Sundays at Tiffany's

by James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet

AN IMAGINARY FRIEND

Jane Margaux is a lonely little girl. Her mother, the powerful head of a New York theater company, makes time for her only once a week, for their Sunday trip to admire jewelry at Tiffany's. Jane has only one friend: a handsome, comforting, funny man named Michael. He's perfect. But only she can see him. Michael can't stay forever, though. On Jane's eighth birthday he leaves, promising that she'll forget him soon. He was there to help her until she was old enough to manage on her own, and now there are other children who need his help.

AN UNEXPECTED LOVE

Years later, in her thirties, Jane is just as alone as she was as a child. And despite her own success as a playwright, she is even more trapped by her overbearing mother. Then she meets Michael again--as handsome, smart and perfect as she remembers him to be. But not even Michael knows the reason they've really been reunited.

AND AN UNFORGETTABLE TWIST

Sundays at Tiffany's is a heart-wrenching love story that surpasses all expectations of why these people have been brought together. With the breathtaking momentum and gripping emotional twists that have made James Patterson a bestseller all over the world, Sundays at Tiffany's takes an altogether fresh look at the timeless and transforming power of love.

Sundays at Tiffany’s is now a Lifetime original move from Sony Pictures Television, which will be airing TONIGHT Monday, December 6 at 9:00 PM ET/PT, 8:00 PM CT.

Giveaway!

I have one copy of Sunday's at Tiffany's to giveaway courtesy of Hachette Books.  Just leave me a comment with your email address to enter.

Additional entries:  Follow my blog and/or spread the word.  Just let me know how.  All entries can by left in the same comment.  Giveaway open to US/Canada only - no PO boxes. This giveaway will end Dec 27, 2010.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (Dec 6, 2010)

What are you reading on Mondays is hosted by Sheila at One Person's Journey - You can hook up with the Mr. Linky there with your own post - but be sure and let me know what you are reading too! 

It has been a month since I have done this post - so rather than try to catch up with all the reviews from November - we are just going to pick up last week and start from scratch!  Hopefully I will be able to get regular with this again as it helps to keep me on track!

Currently Reading:
When No One is Watchingby Joseph Hayes
Euphemania: Our Love Affair with Euphemisms by Ralph Keyes

E-Book:
The Turn of the Karmic Wheel by Monica Brinkman

Bathroom Book:
Honky Tonk Christmas by Carolyn Brown

Audio Book:
The Unnamed by Joshua Ferris

Books Reviewed Last Week:
The Life Book by Carl Blunt

Ready- Set- Read!

Mailbox Monday (Dec 6, 2010)

It has been so long since I have had time to do a mailbox post that I am going to be doing them differently.  During the week I will be posting any books that come in to my possession - whether they are ARC's, won, purchased, traded or borrowed.  For the mailbox post you will be able to click on the title of the book if it sounds interesting and learn more about it.  Hopefully I will be able to give some of the books some more coverage that way!

In My Mailbox is hosted Sundays at The Story Siren. Mailbox Monday's host for December is Lady Q at Let Them Read Books. Please visit these posts and take a look at what packages everybody else got this week!

ARC Arrivals

Adam: The Eden Chronicles, book 1 by Brian H. Winchester
Unforgivable by Laura Griffin
The Anatomy of Ghosts by Andrew Taylor
Beyond the Wall: A Memoir by Dolores E. Cross

Purchased

Reader's Digest Select Editions, Volume 6, 2010


Hopefully I will get a few more books up this week so my post next week should contain a bit more!

What books came home to you this week?

Kid's Korner: The Duck Song by Bryant Oden (Book Review)

Title: The Duck Song
Author: Bryant Oden
Illustrator: Forrest Whaley
Publisher: Flinders Press

About the book: This book reminded me of the old knock knock joke -
"Knock, knock"
"Who's there?"
"Banana"
"Banana who?"
"Knock, knock"
"Who's there?"
"Banana"
"Banana who?"
"Knock, knock"
"Who's there?"
"Banana"
"Banana who?"
"Knock, knock"
"Who's there"
"Orange"
"Orange who?"
"Orange you glad I didn't say banana?"

Now for the book - A duck comes upon a lemonade stand and asks if he has any grapes - day after day - the same thing - The man always tells him no - even threatens to glue him to a tree.  Until one day the man laughs and takes the duck to a store to buy him grapes - only to have the duck tell him he doesn't want them and that lemonade sounds good. 

It is very cute the way it rhymes and the illustrations are very colorful and bright. A CD comes with the book and the first song on it is The Duck Song (includes 11 other songs)- which tells the same story in a sing-song voice.  Very cute.  You can also press a button on the cover and listen to the song.

My son enjoyed the book and right away wanted to know if he could have the CD for his room.  You can listen to some of Bryant's silly songs at http://www.songdrops.com/.

~I received a copy of this book from Flinders Press in exchange for my review.~

 

The Duck Song

Publisher/Publication Date: Flinders Press, Sept 2010

ISBN: 978-0-9843955-9-0

31 pages

Ages 4-8