Where I share my love of books with reviews, features, giveaways and memes. Family and needlepoint are thrown in from time to time.

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Mailbox Monday 1-19-09



Mailbox Mondays is hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page so drop by and see what everyone else got in their box last week!
This week I received what look to be some very good reads!!!


I received the first two from Shelf Awareness

Title: Cutting for Stone
Author: Abraham Verghese
Publisher: Knopf
Available: Feb 3





Title: Nine Lives: Death and Life in New Orleans
Author: Dan Baum
Publisher: Spiegel & Grau
Available: Feb 10




I received this next one from Audra Jennings and First Wild Card Tour.



Title: The God I Don't Understand
Author: Dr. Chris Wright
Publisher: Zondervan
Available: Now (First Wild Card Tour 2/10/09)






And from First Wild Card Tour:

Title: This Side of Heaven
Author: Karen Kingsbury
Publisher: Center Street
Available: Now (First Wild Card Tour 2/13/09)







And I was lucky enough to win these next two books!


Title: The Summer the Wind Whispered My Name
Author: Don Locke
Publisher: NavPress Publishing Group
Won from Projecting A!





Title: Guernica
Author: Dave Boling
Publisher: Bloomsbury, USA
Won from BlueStockingSociety!




What did you get this week?

Chunkster Challenge 2009


Ok - I had been holding out signing up for this challenge, but seeing that I have some "chunksters" coming up in some of my arcs - I didn't feel that I could avoid it any longer! And the sign up is ending March 1!
Here are the rules:
*A chunkster is 450 pages or more of ADULT literature (fiction or nonfiction) Don't complain folks, I read all thousands of pages of the Twilight series and they were good, but not a challenge. A chunkster should be a challenge.
*If you read large type books your book will need to be 525 pages or more I asked around and the average LT book is 10-15% longer or more so I think that was a fair estimate.
*No Audio books in the chunkster. It just doesn't seem right. Words on paper for this one folks.
* You may start any time after signing up. You must complete your reads before or on Nov 15th.
*Short Stories and Essay collections will not be counted.
*Books may crossover with other challenges (see option 4 for a collaborative effort with TBR challenge)
*Only option 4 requires that you make a set list of books to complete the challenge
Those are the basics. Here are your options:
*The Chubby Chunkster - this option is for the reader who has a large tome or two to read, but really doesn't want to commit to more than that. 2 books is all you need to finish this challenge.
*Do These Books Make my Butt Look Big? - this option is for the slightly heavier reader who wants to commit to 3-5 Chunksters over the next ten months.
*Mor-book-ly Obese - This is for the truly out of control chunkster. For this level of challenge you must commit to 6 or more chunksters OR three tomes of 750 pages or more. You know you want to.....go on and give in to your cravings.

And lastly, in an intriguing collaboration with the wildly popular Miz B of the TBR Challenge we have:
*Too Big To Ignore Anymore - this option is for those chunksters on your TBR list. You may select any number of books over 450 pages but you must LIST THEM to complete the challenge and they must be on your TBR list as well (honor code folk, I don't have time to be the challenge police)
I think that I am going to have to go for the Mor-book-ly Obese - Starting with the following books:
  1. Scream for Me - Karen Rose
  2. The Four Corners of the Sky - Michael Malone
  3. Holly's Inbox - Holly Denham
  4. The Kingmaking - Helen Hollick
  5. The Stones - Eleanor Gustafson
  6. Frederica - Georgette Heyer
  7. Miranda's Big Mistake - Jill Mansell

Saturday, January 17, 2009

The Red Siren by M.L. Tyndall (Book Review)


Title: The Red Siren (Charles Towne Belles/Book 1)
Author: M.L. Tyndall
Genre: Christian fiction/Romance
Available: January 2009
First sentence: This was Dajon Waite's last chance.


I thought twice about giving you more than the first sentence - but I want you to read the book! So now you are thinking... last chance for what? Love? Life? the Lottery? (ok.. so that last one is a little corny.. I was going for some alliteration.. )


The Red Siren is the name of a pirate ship, and also the lady pirate that commands her. She has a dual identity as the daughter, Faith (1 of 4) of an Admiral by day - and the captain of the Red Siren whenever there is a ship to plunder.


After her father married off her older sister Charity to a vile man, and Faith's mother died, Faith vowed to protect her 2 remaining sisters Hope and Grace from the same fate. She feels that she needs to acquire enough wealth, so that they will not need to rely on men to take care of them. So Faith becomes a pirate.


One of her first conquests is a ship captained by Dajon Waite. Not only does she take all of his goods, but his ship as well. This changes the course of Dajon's life and puts them back on a collision course 5 years into the future.


Can Faith save herself and her 2 sisters from Charity's fate? When Dajon reenters her life, as a captain in the British Royal Navy, will he be forced to arrest her for being a pirate? Or can the God-fearing Dajon Waite help the faithless Faith Westcott rediscover the God she thought had abandoned her?


I really liked the way the author named the daughter's Charity, Faith, Grace and Hope. We don't learn a lot about Charity in this book - just that she has been married to someone the other sisters do not like (for good reason.. ). Faith is the main character in The Red Siren, and is the one that has lost her faith. Grace is full of God's grace and does much to help the less fortunate. Hope is the youngest, and though she has been through some terrible travesties, she still has hope that there is love for her - either the love she is yearning for from her father, or from Lord Falkland.


I enjoyed reading The Red Siren - it grabbed me quick, kept up the pace throughout the book and wrapped the main story up nicely, but also left a hanger for the second book - The Blue Enchantress coming in the fall of 2009! For a peek at the cover of the Blue Enchantress - visit the author's blog here.


Come back on Monday, Jan 19 for the First Wild Card Tour!

Friday, January 16, 2009

WINNER of All About Us Books!


I know, I know - I am seriously late in posting the winner - she was notified this week though! Just hadn't had the opportunity to get it up here - and the winner is.......DIVAQUEENIE


I hope that you enjoy the books. I have only read the third one, but I just got the first one from the library so I am now playing catch up! Congrats!

The Well Worth Watching Blog Award


I feel so honored! J.Kaye of J.Kaye's Book Blog bestowed upon me the Well Worth Watching Blog last week - It has been a rough week around here, first with kids and then I was having computer issues (I think it froze as the temp went down!) that I hadn't been able to properly thank her and pass on the award. So J.Kaye - Thank you so much!!!!!!
The award was created by The Book Zombie for these reasons: "This is for all those blogs you cannot wait to read every day, that you look forward to seeing updates on and that have inspired you in your own blogging. There are no rules for this one, but feel free to pass it on to whomever you feel deserves it!"
J.Kaye added that she wanted this to go to 10 blogs that were well worth watching - so here are my ten! (J.Kaye would have been in that list too!!!)

The Friday 56 - 1-16-09

This is my first time I have had the chance to participate in this meme - but it catches my eye each week!

Rules:
* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog then in the comments section at Story Time with Tonya - your host!)
*Post a link along with your post back to Story Time with Tonya.
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

The one laying next today - and has been for the better part of the last two days - is Scream for Me by Karen Rose - The child had no one. So you have to handle it this time, Alex. Although in the quiet of her mind she knew she hadn't handled it well so far.

Friday Finds 1-16-09

Well, it has been awhile since I have participated in Friday Finds - and I have a big list, but I will only share a few -


Title: The Purity Code

Author: Jim Burns



I found this through Deena back in December - here is her review. I am hoping to get this and read it with my 14 year old. We have been watching the series - The Secret Life of the American Teenager, and she came to me and asked me to get her a purity ring!






Title: Until We Reach Home

Author: Lynn Austin


I read A Woman's Place this author last summer and fell in love with it! When I saw this book, I knew that I had to add it to my TBR's. I found it at novels-now - go here for their review.


Title: Stolen Innocence: My Story of Growing Up in a Polygamous Sect, Becoming a Teenage Bride and Breaking Free of Warren Jeffs

Author: Elissa Wall

This story was all over the news - tragic story, but one I feel led to read! Found this book at Maw Books - here is her review.


Title: Gallimore
Author: Michelle Griep
I have been trying to win this book for months! But no luck. Still sounds good to me. I discovered it over at Trish Perry Books - go here for her review.
That will have to do it for this week. Head on over to Should Be Reading to see what everyone else "found" this week!

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Life 1-14-09

I feel like I have been absent from this community for the last few days. Normally I don't blog about family, personal stuff, but I want to share this. Yesterday I had a bad day where I just finally hit the wall.. I actually told my husband (well, let's be honest - I yelled at my husband over the phone) and told him that I no longer wanted to be a stay-at-home mom. That I was sick of SpongeBob and playing cars, and little boys who wouldn't get dressed, or eat, or get their hair brushed to get to the bus on time. Not a real proud moment in my life. In addition to my 4 year old son, I have also raised two beautiful teenage girls. But I was not a stay at home mom with them. When I quit my job to stay at home with my son, I did not realize that it was going to be so hard. (Kudos to all those moms at home - and especially to those that homeschool - I don't know how you do it.) Well, I got my boy off to school and had a couple of hours to sulk - and eat chocolate - and try to bounce back.

Now, flash forward to today. I was supposed to start the second half of a Precept Bible Study on Isaiah this morning (if anyone is familiar with precepts, you know that it has ALOT of homework). I came to the realization this morning, that this was not the study I needed - so I jumped classes at my church and crashed a course called Sweeter than Chocolate. It is a study on just Psalm 119. The calm began as soon as I made this choice. My son was still a handful at Bible study and did not want to go to childcare, but today I just sat and held him for awhile before I left him in his room at church. He is the "Star of the Week" this week in his Early Learning Program, so I was taking him to school today and spending the afternoon with him. I was not really looking forward to this after yesterday morning with him.. I was still holding on to some of that anger (I know, against a 4 year old! Shame on me!) I found myself relaxing at school and playing at the sensory table with him, and helping him cut out gingerbread men - but the absolute best time - and the reason for this post - was when he motioned for me to come over to him during PE, where him and a little girl where partnered for dancing - when I got to him, he made me bend over at which point he kissed me on the cheek and gave me a hug - then told me I could go back and watch. It melted my heart, and made me remember why I wanted to be a stay at home mom to begin with. These days are going to be gone before I know it and I am going to wonder why he doesn't want me to play cars with him anymore.... Sometimes it's hard, but who cares if I don't get to blog every day - or if I am a day late with that book review - or the dishwasher doesn't get unloaded - or any of those lists of things that you think you have to do - I just have to remind myself - I am the Mom - so I am the Boss! and this stuff really isn't that important. It took God's love in the form of a small kiss on my cheek to restore peace to my heart, and for that I am thankful.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros (Book Review)

Title: The House on Mango Street
Author: Sandra Cisneros
Genre: Fiction/Short stories

I didn't know whether or not to include the first sentence here, as it is a short book with short stories - but it seemed appropriate given the title of the book. So here it is: We didn't always live on Mango Street.

I am not a short story lover, and probably would not have read this book other than I needed a quick read for the New Classics Challenge which ends in a few weeks. I am not even sure that these would classify as short stories. They brought to mind journal entries that a young girl/teenager may make. Does anyone remember back to a time in school where you had to keep a journal that you wrote in daily as an assignment, but the subject matter was your choice? Then think of having it published - and you would have a book of this type. There is a progression through the book though, and you begin to see how the author is maturing -- even as the stories begin to get slightly longer and subject matter of some of them more serious. The book also showed me a different perspective than the one that I had growing up in predominately white, small-town Iowa.

Esperanza (narrator of stories) lives in a small red house on Mango Street with one bedroom and one bathroom for her Mama, Papa and 3 brothers/sisters. Even so, you see that it is an improvement over their previous homes, as this is not an apartment and they do not have a landlord. This home is theirs. I am just going to share with you a couple of stories that stuck with me.

The Family of Little Feet - A family gave Esperanza and her sisters/friends a bag of shoes. These were lemon shoes, red shoes, and dancing shoes that were pale blue but used to be white. The little girls pranced all over the neighborhood taking turns with the different shoes until an old bum tells them they are pretty. He asks one of them, named Rachel, if she will kiss him for a dollar. Esperanza grabs her hand and they run all the way home. They hide the shoes and don't play with them again.

Louie, His Cousin and His Other Cousin - Basically about a boy who shows up with a Cadillac. He gives all the neighborhood kids rides in it. The police show up and he makes them all get out and then tries to get away. But the police catch him and arrest him. They all wave to him as he is being driven away.

And now, here is what it says in the book: Ostensibly, The House on Mango Street provides a framework for the first tentative writings of a young girl finding herself by recording her own feelings about the world around her. But in a deeper sense, the book chronicles in a highly poetic style, the psychological and social development of a writer who struggles to derive emotional and creative sustenance where material and educational resources are absent. Her sensitive portrayal enchants us and reaffirms our belief that art and talent can survive, even under the most adverse conditions.

Like I said in the beginning, I am not a lover of short stories. I am sure there is much that can be gleaned from these, but I was not reading them critically, to obtain any higher meaning. They tended to be depressing, showing the not so savory side of (assuming) Chicago. The last few stories showed a desire on the part of the narrator to want to get out of Mango Street, but she always knew that no matter where she went, she would come back for those who were not as lucky as she, and were not able to get out.


Where are you? 1-13-2009




The car that I am a passenger in has just crashed through a guardrail into a lake. The car is filling up with water quickly, I cannot even remember who I was with and I can't figure out why I cannot get free. (Black Water by Joyce Carol Oates)


Where are you?

Teaser Tuesday 1-13-2009




Posting for the new weekly event, “TEASER TUESDAYS“!


Visions of Faith handling herself fearlessly with the ruffians on the street shot through Dajon's mind, followed by her declaration that she could take care of herself and her sisters without him. But as he felt the heat from her body close to his and as her lemony scent swirled beneath his nose, Dajon had difficulty forming a rational thought from the memories. (pg 116)
This week's teaser comes from The Red Siren by M.L. Tyndall - it goes on tour next Monday with First Wild Card Tours - so be sure to come back and check out my review!






Monday, January 12, 2009

Mailbox Monday - 1-12-2009



Mailbox Mondays is hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page so drop by and see what everyone else got in their box last week!


I had another great mailbox week!

The first book I received I won in a book giveaway over at A Pen For Your Thoughts. This book would be Fudge-Laced Felonies by Cynthia Hickey.

While transplanting the rosebush her church's handsome greeter, Ethan Banning, inadvertently killed, Summer and Ethan discover a hidden stash of diamonds, a rusty can full of cash, and a bloody gardening glove. This discovery sets Summer and her candy-making aunt on a search for a killer.


As Summer gets closer to the truth-not only of the theft but of her true feelings for Ethan-the diamond thief hatches a plan to hush the feisty sleuth.


Ethan's love for Summer stays buried beneath his teasing, especially when she appears to be attracted to someone else. Summer's quirky and daring resolve to crack the case has him acting heavy-handedly in order to protect her-but will it push her away for good?




Next up are John's Quest and Milk Money - both by Cecelia Dowdy. I received these for First Wild Card Tours.

John's Quest - Overnight, Monica Crawford finds her neatly organized world turned upside down. Her sister abandons her blind son, Scotty, leaving him on Monica's doorstep. Caring for a handicapped child brings unexpected conflict -- but unexpected joy as well.

When John French volunteers to tutor Scotty, he finds himself irresistibly drawn to Monica. But John and Monica are very different. She is a strong believer, determined to live her life for Christ. John is an agnostic who wants nothing to do with God.

Will John see the light? Will Monica realize that sometimes letting go of a dream is the way to achieve it? Only in full surrender will either of them be happy -- whether they end up together or alone.

Milk Money - When her dad dies, Emily Cooper must work hard to save the family farm. She manages -- until the day a CPA pulls in her driveway and announces he's there to do an audit.

Franklin Reese is appalled at the lack of interest the Cooper women have in the financial aspect of thier livelihood, but he dives in, determined to help them learn. The further he looks into Mr. Cooper's dealings, however, the more uncomfortable he becomes.

Can he uncover the trugh of the situation and still earn the love of the amazing Emily Cooper? Or will issues in Franklin's own life keep them apart, even after the farm is taken care of?

The next three books I received from Renee at Hachette books. Thanks Renee!


Scream For Me by Karen Rose

Special Agent Daniel Vartanian vows to find the serial killer whose crimes mimic a thirteen-year old case. His only leads are some photographs that belonged to the ruthless murderer who was his brother. But Daniel will delve into a mind even more sinister...
His search leads to Alex Fallon, a beautiful nurse who bears a striking resemblance to one of the earlier victims and whose troubled past reflects his own. She's soon the target of the inspired killer and a perverse plan stretching to the very pillars of their community. Now Daniel must catch a diabolical criminal and untangle a dangerous conspiracy...if he is to save the woman he has begun to love.

Simple Wishes by Lisa Dale
Adele Matin couldn't wait to put her lonely childhood and hometown behind her. Amid the bright lights and hustle and bustle of New York, she built a life for herself -- until one terrible mistake brought it crashing down. Now Adele is running again, this time to a cottage she inherited from her mother in rural Pennsylvania. And she's about to realize that a small town has more to offer than she ever dreamed.
An artist and woodworker, Jay Westvelt knows a thing or two about living in the country. Adele is intrigued by her mysterious and sexy green-eyed neighbor, a man who took care of her house and soon cares deeply for her. But even as Adele's heart begins to soften toward him, secrets from her mother's past threaten to send her fleeing back to the city. Can Jay convince her to stay with him?




For the Love of Pete by Julia Harper

Free spirited Zoey Addler is about to hijack a federal agent. And not just any federal agent, but very Special Agent Dante Torelli, a man whose designer suits and Italian shoes are more GQ than FBI. But when her baby niece, Pete, is snatched right in front of her eyes, Zoey doesn't hesitate to scramble into Dante's spotless BMW. She needs his help to rescue the baby . . . if only she can ignore his Lips of Sin.

Dante's original mission is down the drain and he's dodging bullets with a loopy redhead by his side. He likes quiet. She never shuts up. He likes to follow the rules. She throws the rules out the window. But these opposites do more than attract -- they ignite. With a henpecked hit man running wild, cooking-obsessed matrons chasing down contraband spices, and a relentless killer tracking them all, Dante and Zoey will risk everything for themselves and . . . for the love of Pete!

Saturday, January 10, 2009

From the Stacks - Challenge Completed!

Yeah! I completed my first challenge of 2009 - the From the Stacks Challenge that was being hosted! Of course this one started back in November, but was ending at the end of the month. My finished list did not resemble my actual completed list, but I got some of those TBRs out of my pile! For the challenge I read the following books:

Assaulted by Joy - Stephen Simpson
In the Shadow of Lions - Ginger Garrett
Drinkwater - Eric Hopkins
The Road - Cormac McCarthy
Walking with Wolf - Kay Chornook & Wolf Guindon

It feels good to have completed a challenge! Out of the 5 books The Road was probably my favorite, followed closely by Assaulted by Joy. My least favorite was Drinkwater.

Friday, January 9, 2009

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold (Book Review)



Title: The Lovely Bones

Author: Alice Sebold

Genre: fiction

First sentence: My name is Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973.

This was the most original book that I have read in quite awhile. The narrator of the story, Susie, is the murder victim. We see her family, her friends, and even her murderer, Mr. Harvey, in the days and years after her death through her eyes.

She leads us down that road as her friends and her 'crush' Ray try to understand and come to terms with her murder. As her family disintegrates, she begins to see them as individuals - even as those around them on Earth only see them as shadows of Susie.

Her father is convinced he knows who committed the crime and one night he follows a light into a neighbor's cornfield, only to be clobbered with his own baseball bat by some innocent high school kids. This is the last straw for Susie's mother. Her mother's loneliness is only amplified with Susie's death and she seeks comfort away from her husband. This eventually leads her to the other side of the country where she tries to forget.

Grandma Lynn moves in with her dad, brother Buckley and sister Lyndsey to try to help them cope with Susie's loss and their abandonment by their mother. The police have pretty much told the family that they have no leads and they are closing the investigation so Lyndsey decides to go looking for evidence herself. She watches Mr. Harvey's house, and one afternoon when he leaves, she breaks in and actually finds some evidence. She barely gets out of the house in time, but Mr. Harvey has seen her so knows that he needs to leave.

Come and read this book and follow her family as they move from her murder and their isolation as they come together year's later and are finally able to say out loud 'Susie is not coming home again.'

This novel was wonderfully written and gives us a picture of one little girl's heaven, which, while not always joyous, is stable and safe. Susie's heaven allows her to mature and move on in much the same way that her family does.

Thursday, January 8, 2009

The Road by Cormac McCarthy (Book Review)


Title: The Road
Author: Cormac McCarthy
Publisher: Knopf
Genre: Robinsonades/Fiction
First sentence: When he woke in the woods, in the dark and the cold of the night, he'd reach out to touch the child sleeping beside him.
I listened to this book on audio tape and fell in love with the narrator's voice, Tom Stechschulte. The book was so good, that about 1/2 way through, I checked out the written version from the library so I could enjoy it whenever I was able. Well, after a few pages, I missed the narrator so much that I returned the book and continued with the audio version. I could just hear him saying "It's okay, it's o-kay."
The Road tells the story of a father and son in a post-apocalyptic world. The bond between them is evident from the beginning. The hope that the father is able to instill in the son in this seemingly hopeless and dire environment is amazing.
Though place names are not mentioned, they are following a map, and it seems they are going through the mountains to the ocean - so I pictured heading west to the Pacific. Along the way they are able to stay one step ahead of the 'bad guys' and with the boy's insistence, help others whenever they are able. People are few and far between, and food and supplies are even scarcer.
With every step traveled, every tin of food found or lost, every imagined and unimagined danger, I was kept on the edge of my seat. Travel with the boy and his Papa on their search for any good that is left in the world as the continue to carry The Light.
I just discovered that this book has been made into a movie to be released this year! This will be a must see for me!
Other reviews:

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Butterfly Award!



My first award! (This must be the week for firsts!) I received this award from Kim over at Cloud 9 . Thank you Kim!


I get to pass The Butterfly Award on now to some wonderful blogs. The rules are quite simple:



  1. Put the logo on your blog.

  2. Add a link to the person who awarded you.

  3. Award up to ten other blogs.

  4. Add links to those blogs on yours.

  5. Leave a message for your awardees on their blogs.

Everyone should go check out these other cool blogs as well as Kim's at Cloud 9!


Zoealea at Zoe's Book Reviews


Cheryl at Adventures of a Somewhat Crunchy Mama


Mary at Books, Gardens and Dogs


Audra at Seriously?


Becky at Becky's Book Reviews


Anysia at Booklorn


Wendy at Caribousmom



Walking with Wolf by Kay Chornook & Wolf Guindon (Book Review)

Title: Walking with Wolf
Author: Kay Chornook & Wolf Guindon (can contact the author at kchornook(at)rogers(dot)com)
Publisher: Wandering Words Press (2008)
Genre: Biography/Memoir

First Sentence: "I'm out here looking over the treetops, across the old clearings to the ridge and the Continental Divide, thinking about those early years."

At first, this book was hard to follow – it has so many people and places, many with unfamiliar names to me, that I was not sure how I was going to keep up. The style was also a little hard to follow –but I kept with it, and am glad that I did.

The narration of the book jumps back and forth between Kay and Wolf – and this was confusing in the beginning. As I read, I learned to watch for the “quotes” – as Wolf’s stories were “quoted” and Kay’s were not. I would also recommend that you allot enough time to read complete chapters at a sitting, as they are each like short stories.

Like chapter 4, Stepping Stones, which tells how the Quakers from America were accepted by the people of Costa Rica and how together the started building their community and businesses. From page 49:

“Monteverde felt like it was to be our home right from the beginning and it has continued to feel that way. The economics of it were and still are bouncing on the borderline. There have been opportunities to go into something better economically, but we’ve made our choices and feel very satisfied with them. I remember thinking, ‘Well, if the dairy plant fails and if Monteverde fails,’ and under the circumstances they very well could have, I felt I’d enjoyed the experience and could always start over and survive. Besides, at the time to me it wasn’t work, it was just part of the project of the community we were living in.”

I also liked chapter 6, The Path to Extinction, which tells the story of the golden toads and the part they played in helping bring awareness to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve.

I cannot do justice in trying to give a complete overview of this book, as it encompasses so much time and important material, so I am going to cheat and include the words from the inside cover:

From the lush, windy cloud forest of Monteverde in Central America comes the story of pioneering conservationist Wolf Guindon. Jailed in the United States in 1949 as a conscientious objector, Wolf and his bride Lucky were among a small group of Quakers who left Alabama a year later in search of a new life and found it on a wet mountaintop in Costa Rica. For the next twenty years, Wolf labored to transform the land to make it habitable and productive, even as he was falling in love with the flourishing jungle around him. In 1972, he found a new purpose when he helped establish the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. Since then he has worked relentlessly to secure the protection of the surrounding wilderness so that the flora and fauna of this vast, incredibly beautiful and biologically diverse region will be intact for generations to come.
In 1990, following her first experience of walking with Wolf for several days through the rainforest, Canadian social activist Kay Chornook gave Wolf a tape recorder. She encouraged him to record his many remarkable tales of cutting trails through the dense vegetation, following tapir tracks across the ridges, discovering the wonders of the wild abundance, and sharing innumerable cups of coffee with homesteaders, biologists and fellow adventurers. Walking with Wolf is a personal memoir, but it is also the history of a place and a movement as well as a celebration of lives lived amongst the trees of both Canada and Costa Rica.

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

My First Official Book Giveaway!

It's All About Us, The Fruit of My Lipstick and Be Strong and Curvaceous - by Shelley Adina




I have been fortunate enough to win a nice handful of books over the last couple of months, and so when Miriam at Hatchette offered me the chance to give some away, I jumped at it!
Up for grabs is a set of three books from the All About Us series by Shelley Adina. (See here for my review of book 3 - Be Strong and Curvaceous).
To be entered, please tell me who YOU would like to read these books (yourself, daughter, cousin, etc).
This contest is open to U.S. and Canada - no PO boxes.
Please leave a way for me to contact you in your entry!
One winner will win all 3 books! Drawing will be held Jan 13 - so spread the word!

Monday, January 5, 2009

Mailbox Monday - 1-5-2009

Mailbox Mondays is hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page so drop by and see what everyone else got in their box last week!



I received Trail of Crumbs by Kim Sunee from Hachette Books
From the cover: Kim Sunee was abandoned in a Korean marketplace at the age of three and raised by adoptive parents in New Orleans. But by the age of twenty-two, her life was totally transformed-she found herself the companion of a French mogul, and mistress over his homes in Paris and Provence. Yet despite the glamourous trappings, Kim never felt quite at home. It was only in the kitchen where she encountered exotic ingredients and fed crowds of friends, that she felt she truly belonged. TRAIL OF CRUMBS is a compelling personal narrative of the search for hom pursued among the tastes, aromas, and sensuality of food across three continents. I can't wait to start reading this one!

The Valentine Edition by Robin Shope - I received this as an E-book from First Wild Card Tours. I reviewed Robin's book The Christmas Edition and loved it!
From Amazon: The last place in the world Jodi Williams wanted to live was Turtle Creek, Wisconsin, but when her stepdad refused to put in a good word for her at the Chicago paper, she had no other choice than to accept the first job offer that came her way. Josh Thomas was Turtle Creek's veterinarian, but he also happened to be single and quite handsome. His life was pretty peaceful until a pretty, young stranger came to his clinic with a dog that had been hit by a car. While his first reaction was to care for the injured animal, he couldn't help a few glances at this unique young woman. That day was one of quite a few new beginnings. Jodi came to the aid of an injured animal, earning her the respect of a handsome man, she started a new job as a reporter for The Turtle Creek Newspaper, and she gained the wrath of the vet's receptionist. Della had her sights set on Joshua, and she wasn't about to let anyone come between her and the man of her dreams.


Most Likely You Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine - Ben Tanzer
I won this from JKaye's Book Blog -Thanks JKaye!
From the cover: This is a story about relationships, between father and son, friends, and most importantly between two newly formed couples. Following the lives and thoughts of four people in their mid-twenties, already experienced in dating but starting to wonder if that one person is out there. Taking a look inside the thoughts and conversations on both sides of the fragile world of romance and pain, friendship and fear, and life in New York, Most Likely... is filled with culture, laughter, quasi-advice, and the idea of wanting everything but knowing nothing. As the characters seek advance, their confusion mounts, emotions break down and get rebuilt, and the reader is left to wonder if men and women will ever really learn how to love.

What did you get last week?

Be Strong & Curvaceous



It is time to play a Wild Card! Every now and then, a book that I have chosen to read is going to pop up as a FIRST Wild Card Tour. Get dealt into the game! (Just click the button!) Wild Card Tours feature an author and his/her book's FIRST chapter!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!


Personal note: Great book! For my review - please go here.

Today's Wild Card author is:




and the book:



Be Strong and Curvaceous (All About Us Series, Book 3)


FaithWords (January 2, 2009)


Plus a Tiffany's Bracelet Giveaway! Go to Camy Tang's Blog and leave a comment on her FIRST Wild Card Tour for Be Strong and Curvaceous, and you will be placed into a drawing for a bracelet that looks similar to the picture below.








ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


Shelley Adina is a world traveler and pop culture junkie with an incurable addiction to designer handbags. She knows the value of a relationship with a gracious God and loving Christian friends, and she's inviting today's teenage girls to join her in these refreshingly honest books about real life as a Christian teen--with a little extra glitz thrown in for fun! In between books, Adina loves traveling, listening to and making music, and watching all kinds of movies.

It's All About Us is Book One in the All About Us Series. Book Two, The Fruit of my Lipstick came out in August 2008. Book Three, Be Strong & Curvaceous, came out January 2, 2009. And Book Four, Who Made You a Princess?, comes out May 13, 2009.

Visit the author's website.


Product Details:

List Price: $ 9.99
Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: FaithWords (January 2, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0446177997
ISBN-13: 978-0446177993

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:



BE CAREFUL WHAT you wish for.

I used to think that was the dumbest saying ever. I mean, when you wish for something, by definition it’s wonderful, right? Like a new dress for a party. Or a roommate as cool as Gillian Chang or Lissa Mansfield. Or a guy noticing you after six months of being invisible. Before last term, of course I wanted those wishes to come true.

I should have been more careful.

Let me back up a little. My name is Carolina Isabella Aragon Velasquez . . . but that doesn’t fit on school admission forms, so when I started first grade, it got shortened up to Carolina Aragon—Carly to my friends. Up until I was a sophomore, I lived with my mother and father, my older sister Alana and little brother Antony in a huge house in Monte Sereno, just south of Silicon Valley. Papa’s company invented some kind of security software for stock exchanges, and he and everyone who worked for him got rich.

Then came Black Thursday and the stock market crash, and suddenly my mom was leaving him and going to live with her parents in Veracruz, Mexico, to be an artist and find herself. Alana finished college and moved to Austin, Texas, where we have lots of relatives. Antony, Papa, and I moved to a condo about the size of our old living room, and since Papa spends so much time on the road, where I’ve found myself since September is boarding school.

The spring term started in April, and as I got out of the limo Papa sends me back to Spencer Academy in every Sunday night—even though I’m perfectly capable of taking the train—I couldn’t help but feel a little bubble of optimism deep inside. Call me corny, but the news that Vanessa Talbot and Brett Loyola had broken up just before spring break had made the last ten days the happiest I’d had since my parents split up. Even flying to Veracruz, courtesy of Papa’s frequent flyer miles, and being introduced to my mother’s boyfriend hadn’t put a dent in it.

Ugh. Okay, I lied. So not going there.

Thinking about Brett now. Dark, romantic eyes. Curly dark hair, cut short because he’s the captain of the rowing team. Broad shoulders. Fabulous clothes he wears as if he doesn’t care where he got them.

Oh, yeah. Much better.

Lost in happy plans for how I’d finally get his attention (I was signing up to be a chem tutor first thing because, let’s face it, he needs me), I pushed open the door to my room and staggered in with my duffel bags.

My hands loosened and I dropped everything with a thud.

There were Vuitton suitcases all over the room. Enough for an entire family. In fact, the trunk was so big you could put a family in it—the kids, at least.

“Close the door, why don’t you?” said a bored British voice, with a barely noticeable roll on the r. A girl stepped out from behind the wardrobe door.

Red hair in an explosion of curls.

Fishnet stockings to here and glossy Louboutin ankle boots.

Blue eyes that grabbed you and made you wonder why she was so . . . not interested in whether you took another breath.

Ever.

How come no one had told me I was getting a roommate? And who could have prepared me for this, anyway?

“Who are you?”

“Mac,” she said, returning to the depths of the wardrobe. Most people would have said, “What’s your name?” back. She didn’t.

“I’m Carly.” Did I feel lame or what?

She looked around the door. “Pleasure. Looks like we’re to be roommates.” Then she went back to hanging things up.

There was no point in restating the obvious. I gathered my scattered brains and tried to remember what Mama had taught me that a good hostess was supposed to do. “Did someone show you where the dining room is? Supper is between five and six-thirty, and I usually—”

“Carrie. I expected my own room,” she said, as if I hadn’t been talking. “Whom do I speak to?”

“It’s Carly. And Ms. Tobin’s the dorm mistress for this floor.”

“Fine. What were you saying about tea?”

I took a breath and remembered that one of us was what my brother calls couth. As opposed to un. “You’re welcome to come with me and my friends if you want.”

Pop! went the latches on the trunk. She threw up the lid and looked at me over the top of it, her reddish eyebrows lifting in amusement.

“Thanks so much. But I’ll pass.”

Okay, even I have my limits. I picked up my duffel, dropped it on the end of my bed, and left her to it. Maybe by the time I got back from tea—er, supper—she’d have convinced Ms. Tobin to give her a room in another dorm.

The way things looked, this chica would probably demand the headmistress’s suite.

* * *

“What a mo guai nuer,” Gillian said over her tortellini and asparagus. “I can’t believe she snubbed you like that.”

“You of all people,” Lissa agreed, “who wouldn’t hurt someone’s feelings for anything.”

“I wanted to—if I could have come up with something scathing.” Lissa looked surprised, as if I’d shocked her. Well, I may not put my feelings out there for everyone to see, like Gillian does, but I’m still entitled to have them. “But you know how you freeze when you realize you’ve just been cut off at the knees?”

“What happened to your knees?” Jeremy Clay put his plate of linguine down and slid in next to Gillian. They traded a smile that made me feel sort of hollow inside—not the way I’d felt after Mac’s little setdown, but . . . like I was missing out on something. Like they had a secret and weren’t telling.

You know what? Feeling sorry for yourself is not the way to start off a term. I smiled at Jeremy. “Nothing. How was your break? Did you get up to New York the way you guys had planned?”

He glanced at Gillian. “Yeah, I did.”

Argh. Men. Never ask them a yes/no question. “And? Did you have fun? Shani said she had a blast after the initial shock.”

Gillian grinned at me. “That’s a nice way of saying that my grandmother scared the stilettos off her. At first. But then Nai-Nai realized Shani could eat anyone under the table, even my brothers, no matter what she put in front of her, so after that they were best friends.”

“My grandmother’s like that, too,” I said, nodding in sympathy. “She thinks I’m too thin, so she’s always making pots of mole and stuff. Little does she know.”

It’s a fact that I have way too much junk in my trunk. Part of the reason my focus is in history, with as many fashion design electives as I can get away with, is that when I make my own clothes, I can drape and cut to accentuate the positive and make people forget that big old negative following me around.

“You aren’t too thin or too fat.” Lissa is a perfect four. She’s also the most loyal friend in the world. “You’re just right. If I had your curves, I’d be a happy woman.”

Time to change the subject. The last thing I wanted to do was talk about my body in front of a guy, even if he belonged to someone else. “So, did you guys get to see Pride and Prejudice—The Musical? Shani said you were bribing someone to get tickets.”

“Close,” Gillian said. “My mom is on the orchestra’s board, so we got seats in the first circle. You’d have loved it. Costume heaven.”

“I would have.” I sighed. “Why did I have to go to Veracruz for spring break? How come I couldn’t have gone to New York, too?”

I hoped I sounded rhetorical. The truth was, there wasn’t any money for trips to New York to see the hottest musical on Broadway with my friends. Or for the clothes to wear once I got there—unless I made them myself.

“That’s it, then.” Gillian waved a grape tomato on the end of her fork. “Next break, you and Lissa are coming to see me. Not in the summer—no one in their right mind stays in the city in July. But at Christmas.”

“Maybe we’ll go to Veracruz,” Lissa suggested. “Or you guys can come to Santa Barbara and I’ll teach you to surf.”

“That sounds perfect,” I said. Either of Lissa’s options wouldn’t cost very much. New York, on the other hand, would. “I like warm places for my winter holidays.”

“Good point,” Gillian conceded. “So do I.”

“Notice how getting through the last term of junior year isn’t even on your radar?” Jeremy asked no one in particular. “It’s all about vacations with you guys.”

“Vacations are our reward,” Gillian informed him. “You have to have something to get you through finals.”

“Right, like you have to worry,” he scoffed, bumping shoulders with her in a chummy way.

“She does,” Lissa said. “She has to get me through finals.”

While everyone laughed, I got up and walked over to the dessert bar. Crème brulée, berry parfaits, and German chocolate cake. You know you’re depressed when even Dining Services’ crème brulée—which puts a dreamy look in the eyes of just about everyone who goes here—doesn’t get you excited.

I had to snap out of it. Thinking about all the things I didn’t have and all the things I couldn’t do would get me precisely nowhere. I had to focus on the good things.

My friends.

How lucky I was to have won the scholarship that got me into Spencer.

And how much luckier I was that in two terms, no one had figured out I was a scholarship kid. Okay, so Gillian is a scholarship kid, too, but her dad is the president of a multinational bank. She thinks it’s funny that he made her practice the piano so hard all those years, and that’s what finally got her away from him. Who is my father? No one. Just a hardworking guy. He was so proud of me when that acceptance letter came that I didn’t have the heart to tell him there was more to succeeding here than filling a minority quota and getting good grades.

Stop it. Just because you can’t flit off to New York to catch a show or order up the latest designs from Fashion Week doesn’t mean your life is trash. Get ahold of your sense of proportion.

I took a berry parfait—blueberries have lots of antioxidants—and turned back to the table just as the dining room doors opened. They seemed to pause in their arc, giving my new roommate plenty of time to stroll through before they practically genuflected closed behind her. She’d changed out of the fishnets into heels and a black sweater tossed over a simple leaf-green dress that absolutely screamed Paris—Rue Cambon, to be exact. Number 31, to be even more exact. Chanel Couture.

My knees nearly buckled with envy.

“Is that Carly’s roommate?” I heard Lissa ask.

Mac seemed completely unaware that everyone in the dining room was watching her as she floated across the floor like a runway model, collected a plate of Portobello mushroom ravioli and salad, and sat at the empty table next to the big window that faced out onto the quad.

Lissa was still gazing at her, puzzled. “I know I’ve seen her before.”

I hardly heard her.

Because not only had the redhead cut into line ahead of Vanessa Talbot, Dani Lavigne, and Emily Overton, she’d also invaded their prime real estate. No one sat at that table unless they’d sacrificed a freshman at midnight, or whatever it was that people had to do to be friends with them.

When Vanessa turned with her plate, I swear I could hear the collective intake of breath as her gaze locked on the stunning interloper sitting with her back to the window, calmly cutting her ravioli with the edge of her fork.

“Uh oh,” Gillian murmured. “Let the games begin.”



© 2008 by Shelley Adina.

Used by permission of the author and Hachette Book Group USA.

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