Books and Needlepoint

Friday, April 30, 2010

BLOGMANIA IS HERE! WIN - WIN - WIN!

Shared by Kristi

WELCOME TO BLOGMANIA!!

My blog is #50 of 123!

You’ve arrived at exactly the right time to explore lots of new blogs, all of which, ARE GIVING AWAY A VERY SPECIAL BLOGMANIA GIVEAWAY (For One Day Only – April 30th) . (Don't forget to come back the next day though to sign up for my other giveaways on going in the right sidebar! - all g/a ending april 29 will be extended through the weekend!)

We’ve done all the work for you. No hunting or surfing. Each blog will have a number and each new blog link will have a number. These numbers will allow you to keep track of which blogs you’ve visited and how many are left to visit. Why not take a moment to make a list of blog numbers 1-123 and check off the blogs as you go.

I know you’ll want to visit as many blogs today as you can. So, if you see something that interests you on any of our participating blogs, why not bookmark that site. Later, when you have more time, you can discover all its fabulous treasures.

CLICK! CLICK! CLICK!

MY GIVEAWAY and RULES:

From the list of books below 2 winners will be able to choose as many books as I can get to fit into one of these boxes.

This will be limited to U.S. only - I am sorry that I don't have the funds to ship a box of books like this elsewhere. This giveaway will end tonight - April 30th - at midnight CST.

All you have to do to enter is ~~tell me how wonderful I am~~ leave a comment WITH your email address. You don't even have to follow me - but if you already do, or decide to - leave me another comment and you can have another entry. That's it! Easy!

To keep you rolling along - there are a few blogs listed below - each blog should give you some links to continue on - but if you should get lost, overwhelmed, kidnapped by pygmies, or have to stop to feed the kids - just check back here to pick up another link and get rolling again.

(Blog- 1 – HOST OF BLOGMANIA) Between The Pages
(Blog -2 – CO-HOST OF BLOGMANIA) The Black Sheep Dances
(Blog-43 - CO-HOST OF BLOGMANIA) Books, Books Everywhere
(Blog-101) Sarah's Blog of Fun
(Blog -89) Crush
(Blog-15) Survey Junkie
(Blog-44) The Neverending Shelf
(Blog-17) Tairon’s Image
(Blog-115) The Whatcom Marine Mammal Stranding Network
(Blog-24) Shelley’s Swag

Now - for the list of books! (I may add more before the contest is over. . .)

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Everybody Needs a Piece of Pi

Shared by Kristi

Math you say? But this is mainly a book blog. Well, I hate to tell you - but math was my absolute favorite class in school - hands down. So I feel privileged to share this post with you from Jamie Buchan - the author of Easy as Pi: The Countless Ways We Use Numbers Every Day.

Brushing Up on Math is Easy as Pi

By Jamie Buchan,

"World War II? I don't know much about it. You've lost me. I'm sorry, I was always terrible at history. I just don't have the brain for it!"

Few people would willingly admit to this level of ignorance about key events that shaped the world. But when it comes to math -- which shapes not only the world but the entire universe -- many otherwise highly intelligent and educated people will happily proclaim ignorance. In many cases, there's the implication that math is boring and difficult -- the exclusive domain of the severely geeky.

This may seem merely frustrating for mathematicians and scientists in social settings, but it has serious and wide-ranging consequences. On an everyday level, a lack of confidence about math makes it hard to split a bill, work on a spreadsheet, or help a child with homework (and this can easily become a vicious circle, since anxiety about math can be passed on to the next generation).

If you feel like you're math averse, be not afraid: the book Easy as Pi can help. Math itself is based on a limited number of very logical rules and, whether we like it or not, it surrounds us in everything we do. As Pythagoras (the guy behind the famous Theorem) remarked: "Number is the ruler of forms and ideas, and the cause of gods and demons." The head of a sunflower has evolved with mathematical precision into a double-spiral pattern that packs the most seeds into the smallest available space. The computer on which you're reading this, and every electronic device -- from cheap digital watches counting seconds and minutes to NASA's Columbia supercomputer, which simulates the collisions of entire galaxies -- is powered by a vastly complex system of ones and zeros, which only works at all because they can be interpreted mathematically.

Just like our explorations of science, humanity's understanding of math has advanced amazingly since we were counting how many mammoth hides it takes to wallpaper a cave. The concept of zero -- a number representing nothing -- is taken for granted today (apart from anything else, how could all that electronics work otherwise?). However, for centuries it was a thorny philosophical and mathematical question. Roman numerals stopped being used in Europe when medieval Italians learned the zero from the Arabs, who in turn had picked it up from India. The ancient Greeks gave us much of our understanding of geometry, and the Romans put it into practice with structural engineering. We've come a long way. The Pirahã tribe, a few hundred people living in a remote area of Brazil, reminds us just how far -- with almost no contact with outside cultures, their math is limited to counting "one, two, many."

Numbers have also slipped into our language and culture in various ways -- the third degree, the fourth estate, and fifth columnists spring to mind. And have you ever been asked to "deep six" something? Intelligence agencies use "numbers stations" -- radio stations broadcasting strings of numbers -- to communicate in code with spies in other countries. And they've gained a cult following of fascinated civilian listeners. The controversial conviction of the Cuban Five came after FBI agents found a decryption program for a Cuban numbers station on their computers.

The influence of numbers in our everyday life also seeps into our superstitions. The number 666 -- still feared by many people as the "number of the beast" -- is believed to be based on gematria, a form of numerically encoding Hebrew words, which is also at the root of claims about a "Bible code." Math anxiety and ignorance allows people who practice numerology and astrology to make a lot of money by claiming to imbue numbers with a spiritual and cosmic significance. Not only is this completely unproven, it masks the far greater beauty of a mathematically ordered universe.

To sum it all up, math and numbers are everywhere, and they are embedded in our lives in every respect. Anxiety about them is really worth trying to overcome. The benefits they bring us are countless.

© 2010 Jamie Buchan, author of Easy as Pi: The Countless Ways We Use Numbers Every Day

Author Bio

Jamie Buchan was educated at Westminster School and is completing a Master of Arts degree in Architectural Studies at the University of Edinburgh. Many of his family members are involved in books: his great-grandfather John Buchan is the prolific novelist famous for The Thirty-Nine Steps; his grandfather D.J. Enright is a well-known Movement poet; and his uncle James Buchan is an award-winning novelist and historical writer. Both of his parents work in publishing.

For more information, please visit http://www.rdtradepublishing.com/ .

How Do You Tuck in a Superhero? by Rachel Balducci - Blog Tour and Book Review

Shared by Kristi

Title: How Do You Tuck in a Superhero?
Author: Rachel Balducci
Publisher: Baker (Revell)

Synopsis: When Rachel Balducci looks for material for her writing, she doesn't have to look far. Her subject matter can be found climbing through the window, hanging on to the edge of the roof, and rummaging through the refrigerator. Here she chronicles the exuberant, awesome life of boys through bizarre conversations overheard, unbelievable rules she's been forced to make, and the many episodes of boy behavior that continue to mystify mothers worldwide. From the care and feeding of her team, to travels out in public, to their wide-eyed adoration of Chuck Norris, this laugh-out-loud celebration joyfully explores the sweetly wild side of boyhood.

My thoughts: What a entertaining book this was! Rachel's love for her family and her boys shines through in every story that she tells, from the list of things she never thought she would say (What do you mean you accidentally kicked your brother in the lip?) to the list of rules posted in her kitchen. I like her list of "unpublished" rules that she adds to daily - like "no beating the tops of trucks with bats".

Rather than curb her boys' zest for life, she embraces it - embraces the fact that they are boys and that God made them with their own personalities - even though she sometimes thinks they are clones of her husband. Having only one boy myself (the 2 teen girls bring enough drama!) I could relate - just not on the level that she deals with. My boy is definitely different that my girls, but from the sounds of Rachel's life - mine would definitely fit right in.

I would recommend this book to anyone raising sons, grandsons, nephews - or anyone who wants to commiserate with mom's who do.

Available April 2010 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

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

How Do You Tuck in a Superhero?
Publisher/Publication Date: Revell, Apr 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-8007-3372-8
203 pages

Waiting on Wednesday: Frankenstein: Lost Souls

Shared by Kristi

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Frankenstein: lost souls

by Dean Koontz

Publication Date: June 15, 2010

#1 New York Times bestselling author Dean Koontz brings his fertile imagination and unparalleled storytelling abilities to one of the most timeless—and terrifying—creations in all of fiction: the legend of Frankenstein.

In Lost Souls, Koontz puts a singular twist on this classic tale of ambition and science gone wrong, and forges a new legend uniquely suited to our times—a story of revenge, redemption, and the razor thin line that separates humanity from inhumanity as we consider a new invitation to apocalypse.

The work of creation has begun again. Only now things will be different. Victor Leben, once Frankenstein, has not only seen the future—he’s ready to populate it. Using stem cells, “organic” silicon circuitry, and nanotechnology, he will engender a race of superhumans—the perfect melding of flesh and machine. With a powerful, enigmatic backer eager to see his dream come to fruition and a secret location where the enemies of progress can’t find him, Victor is certain that this time nothing and no one can stop him.

It is up to five people to prove him wrong. In their hands rests nothing less than the survival of humanity itself. They are drawn together in different ways, by omens sinister and wondrous, to the same shattering conclusion: Two years after they saw him die, the man they knew as Victor Helios lives on. Detectives Carson O’Connor and Michael Maddison, Victor’s engineered wife, Erika 5 and her companion Jocko, and the original Victor’s first creation, the tormented Deucalion, have all arrived at a small Montana town where their old alliance will be renewed, as well astested, by forces from within and without, and where the dangers they face will eclipse any they have yet encountered. Yet in the midst of their peril, love will blossom, and joy, and they will discover sources of strength and perseverance they have not imagined.

They will need all these resources, and more. For a monumental battle is about to commence that will require all their ingenuity and courage, as it defines what we are to be . . . and if we are to be at all. (synopsis from Barnes and Noble)

Waiting on Wednesdays is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

What are you waiting for?

Frankenstein: lost souls

Publisher/Publication Date: Random House, June 15, 2010

ISBN: 9780553808018

368 pages

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

One man's junk. . .

Shared by Kristi

Is another man's treasure! Check out these great finds from the Thrift Store today!

On Mystic Lake

by Kristin Hannah

Annie Colwater's husband has just confessed that he's in love with a younger woman. Devastated, Annie retreats to the small town where she grews up. There, she is reunited with her first love, Nick Delacroix, a recent widower who is unable to cope with his silent, emotionally scarred young daughter. Together, the three of them begin to heal. But just when Annie believes she's been given a second chance at happiness, her world is turned upside down again, and she is forced to make a choice that no woman in love should ever have to make. . .

On Mystic Lake is the story of one woman, but it speaks to all of us -- to anyone who has ever had to find the courage to choose between what is. . .and what could be.

Born of Ice (The League series - book 3)

by Sherrilyn Kenyon

In the Ichidian Universe, the League and its ruthless assassins continue to keep rule. But at what cost? Welcome back to the future. . .and a whole new world.

He is an outlaw who offers no quarter.

Devyn Kell spent his life in service to the League until he learned of the double dealing and backstabbing that was costing innocent people their lives. Refusing to play those politics, he became a Runner -- someone who makes sure planets get the weapons, medicine, and supplies they need to survive. May the gods have mercy on any who get in his way, because he definitely won't.

She is on the run from her past that could end her life.

Alix Garran is a woman on the run from a past she can't escape. Signing on to work for Devyn as a Systems Engineer, she finds a cause she can fight for -- and a man she can respect. But as Alix's past catches up to her, and Devyn's old enemies turn lethal, they have to fight together. . .or fall alone.

Born of Fire (The League series - Book 2)

by Sherrilyn Kenyon

In a universe where assassins make the law, everyone lives in fear -- except for Syn. Born of an illicit scandal that once rocked a dynasty, he always knew how to survive on the bloodthirsty streets. But that was then, and the future is now. . .

He takes no prisoners.

Syn was raised as a tech-thief until his livelihood uncovered a truth that could end his life. He tried to destroy the evidence and has been on the run ever since. Now trained as an assassin, he allows no one to threaten him. Ever. He is the darkness that swallows his enemies whole.

She offers no escape.

Shahara Dagan is the best bounty hunter in the universe. When Syn comes back on the radar, she's the only one who can bring him to justice. There's only one problem: Syn is a close family friend who's helped out the Dagans countless times. But if she saves him, both of their lives will be on the line. Is Syn's protection worth the risk? The only hope Shahara has is to find the evidence he buried long ago. Now it's kill or be killed -- and they, the predators, have just become the hunted. . .

Born of Night (The League series - Book 1)

by Sherrilyn Kenyon

In the Ichidian Universe, the League rules all. Expertly trained and highly valued, the League Assassins are the backbone of the government. But not even the League is immune to corruption. . .

He was born and trained to kill.

Command Assassin Nykyrian Quiakides once turned his back on the League -- and has been hunted by them ever since. Though many have tried, none can kill him or stop him from completing his current mission: to protect Kiara Zamir, a woman whose father's political alliance has made her a target.

She must accept his protection -- or die.

As her world becomes even deadlier, Kiara must entrust her life to the same kind of beast who once killed her mother and left her for dead. Old enemies and new endanger them both and the only way they can survive is to overcome their suspicions and learn to trust in the very ones who threaten them the most: each other.

Lucia, Lucia

by Adriana Trigiani

It is 1950 in glittering, vibrant New York City. Lucia Sartori is the beautiful twenty-five-year-old daughter of a prosperous Italian grocer in Greenwich Village. The postwar boom is rife with opportunities for talented girls with ambition, and Lucia becomes an apprentice to an up-and-coming designer at chic B. Altman department store on Fifth Avenue. Engaged to her childhood sweetheart, the steadfast Dante DeMartino, Lucia is torn when she meets a handsome stranger who promises a life of uptown luxury that career girls like her only read about in the society pages. Forced to choose between duty to her family and her own dreams, Lucia finds herself in the midst of a sizzling scandal in which secrets are revealed, her beloved career is jeopardized, and the Sartoris' honor is tested.

Books Kids Will Sit Still For - 2nd Edition

by Judy Freeman

More than a read-aloud handbook, Books Kids Will Sit Still For is the definitive guide to picture books, fiction, poetry, folklore, and nonfiction books recommended for children from preschool age through sixth grade.

In this fully-revised and expanded second edition of Books Kids Will Sit Still For, author Judy Freeman, elementary school librarian, Rutgers University instructor, and popular lecturer on children's literature, reveals her personal treasure trove of tried-and-true, teacher-and child-tested titles for reading aloud, along with practical chapters covering both the how to's and why's of book-sharing techniques.

Teachers as well as school and public librarians will welcome this one-stop source for selecting good books for children and making read-aloud an indispensable part of their daily programs.

Plum Lucky (Stephanie Plum Novel)

by Janet Evanovich

Stephanie Plum has a way of attracting danger, lunatics, oddballs, bad luck . . . and mystery men. And no one is more mysterious than the unmentionable Diesel. He's back and hot on the trail of a little man in green pants who's lost a giant bag of money. Problem is, the money isn't exactly lost. Stephanie's Grandma Mazur has found it, and like any good Jersey senior citizen, she's hightailed it in a Winnebago to Atlantic City and hit the slots. With Lula and Connie in tow, Stephanie attempts to bring Grandma home, but the luck of the Irish is rubbing off on everyone: Lula's found a job modeling plus-size lingerie. Connie's found a guy. Diesel's found Stephanie. And Stephanie has found herself in over her head with a caper involving thrice-stolen money, a racehorse, a car chase, and a bad case of hives.

Plum Lucky is an all-you-can-eat buffet of thrills, chills, shrimp cocktail, plus-size underwear, and scorching hot men. It's a between-the-numbers treat no Evanovich fan will want to miss!

Twelve Sharp (Stephanie Plum Novel)

by Janet Evanovich

First a Stranger Appears.

While chasing down the usual cast of miscreants and weirdos, Stephanie discovers that a crazed woman is stalking her.

Then the Stranger Reveals Her Secrets

The woman dresses in black, carries a 9mm Glock, and has a bad attitude and a mysterious connection to dark and dangerous Carlos Manoso. . .street name, Ranger.

Next, Somebody Dies

The action turns deadly serious, and Stephanie goes from hunting skips to hunting a murderer.

Soon the Chase is On

Ranger needs Stephanie for more reasons than he can say. And now the two are working together to find a killer, rescue a missing child, and stop a lunatic from raising the body count. When Stephanie Plum and Ranger get too close for comfort, vice cop Joe Morelli (her on-again, off-again boyfriend) steps in.

Will the ticking clock stop at the stroke of twelve, or will a stranger in the wind find a way to stop Stephanie Plum . . . forever? Filled with Janet Evanovich's trademark action, nonstop adventure, and sharp humor, Twelve Sharp shows why her novels have been called "hot stuff" (The New York Times), and Evanovich herself "the master" (San Francisco Examiner).

Monday, April 26, 2010

It's Monday! What are you reading? 4-26-2010

Shared by Kristi

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:

This World We Live In (The Last Survivors, Book 3) by Susan Beth Pfeffer - I know, I know - this one seems to be lingering - It is an e-book and I just can't seem to adjust to reading anything other than blogs!

Skin and Bones by D.C. Corso

How Do You Tuck In a Superhero?: And Other Delightful Mysteries of Raising Boys by Rachel Balducci

New this Week:

Hannah's List by Debbie Macomber - I just didn't get this one started last week like I wanted to!

Glaen: A Novel Message on Romance, Love and Relating by Fred Lybrand

Burn by Ted Dekker and Erin Healy - I don't think I will be disappointed!

Current audio books:

Twilight (The Twilight Saga, Book 1) by Stephenie Meyer

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith

Books finished and reviewed last week:

Beautiful People by Wendy Holden

My Own Personal Soap Opera by Libby Malin

Necessary Heartbreak by M.J. Sullivan

A Certain Wolfish Charm by Lydia Dare - Easily my favorite book last week!

Books still waiting to be reviewed:

The Poacher's Son (Mike Bowditch Mysteries) by Paul Doiron

101 Glam Girl Ways to an Ultra Chic Lifestyle: A Cheeky Book with Tidbits of Advice for a Glamorous Lifestyle by Dawn Del Russo

and a whole slew of kids books!

Ready - Set - Read!

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Checklist for Blogmania!

Shared by Kristi

Blogmania Early Bird Check List:

We want all of our visiting guests in our first Blogmania Event scheduled for April 30th to Get On Their Marks-Get Set…

It’s not time to go yet, but if you want to have the most fun and scoop up as much loot as possible, here are a few Early Bird Reminders to help you do just that.

1. Be at any of the blogs participating in the Blogmania Event as early as possible on April 30th. The easiest way to find a Blogmania Blog is to look for the Blogmania Badge (but you don't have to look any further because you can start right here!)

2. This is an international event, so understand that there will be some differences in time zones. My advice is to start early and stay late to catch all the blogs.

3. Each blog will have their own giveaway requirements. Read them carefully, follow through, and then move on as quickly as possible. If you run across a blog that you really like and want to spend some
time exploring, copy their URL and then visit them after Blogmania is over.

4. We have 123 blogs for you to visit. Each one will post their number like this. ( This is blog 50 of 100) This is to help you keep track of which blogs you’ve visited, and which ones you still need to reach. I’d suggest that you prepare a blog sheet which is numbered from 1 – 123, then mark off each numbered blog as you visit them.

5. All blog links provided will also have a number like (Blog 89 of 100). Look for the blogs that you haven’t yet visited and follow those links until you’ve checked off all the blogs on your sheet.

6. We have all types of blogs participating in Blogmania, which means that the range of items in their giveaways are diverse. I have previewed many and they are awesome.

7. Why not contact a friend and partner up. Compare notes, share loot, or organize your own friendly neighborhood Blogmania Competition.

You Cannot Hide From Blogmania!

This is our first Blogmania Event, but it isn’t our last. Blogmania is a bi-yearly Giveaway Extravaganza. In fact, our next Blogmania Event will start September 15th, and do we have some cool stuff planned for you! So keep in touch with our Blogmania Blogs, because they will be giving sneak previews, secret codes, and who knows what else in the weeks and months ahead.

BLOGMANIA IS COMING!

Shared by Kristi

What is Blogmania??

For one day only - April 30th - there will be 123 blogs giving away a range of prizes from books to jewelry to gift cards to baby stuff! You will be able to come to Books and Needlepoint on that day and find the entire list of blogs participating! This event is being hosted (and was originated) by Between the Pages Blog. She will be helped by her two co-hosts - The Black Sheep Dances and Books, Books Everywhere.

So, if you want to have access to hundreds of prizes and discover a lot of great new blogs - be sure to come back on the 30th to start clicking away!