Mini Challenge - Book Puzzle

Can you guess what book I am describing in pictures below?  To check out this mini challenge, visit Melissa @ One Librarian's Book Views.

Book 1:

Book 2:

Book 3:

This was fun!  I could go on and on with book titles.  I will post the answers in a couple of hours.  I am going to have to start playing Melissa's weekly game!





Readathon - Hour 1

Our first assignment is to answer some questions - so here we go!

1)Where are you reading from today?
I am reading from Gurnee, IL


2)Three random facts about me…
I am very close to deciding to go back to college, I bowl on a league with my sister, and of course - I love needlepoint.

3)How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours?
I made a random list of books - but am not tied to it - so it is just as many as I can get to!

4)Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon (i.e. number of books, number of pages, number of hours, or number of comments on blogs)?
I would like to read for more hours this time than in the past - and to keep better track of my progress.

5)If you’re a veteran read-a-thoner, any advice for people doing this for the first time?
Make sure the kids are busy!  Have great snacks and don't be afraid to take breaks!

Let's go!

Yanni - Truth of Touch - CD Review

YANNI - Truth of Touch

I love listening to instrumental music and Yanni does it best!  When my family is home it seems like the TV is on ALL the time - so usually the first thing I do when they leave is shut it off and turn on some music.  I prefer just instrumental as it doesn't intefere with anything else I might be concentrating on - reading, blogging, trying to interpret crazy instructions for a needlepoint project, and this CD is perfect for that. 

Yanni has had a varied musical career - starting in 1977 when he played keyboard for Chameleon, a rock and roll band that toured regionally through Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, and North and South Dakota.  He released his first solo album, Optimystique in 1980 that featured his own compositions and electronic keyboards. I had no idea that his career started in the midwest! 

Through the late 80's and early 90's he released numerous albums, toured in the U.S. and received several Grammy nominations.  Also in the 90's he began touring internationally.  He continued to expand his horizons with highly successful tours in varied locales.  He performed at both the Taj Mahal in India and the Forbidden City in China, being the first western artist to do so.

Truth of Touch is Yanni's first instrumental release of original compositions in over eight years and returns him to the genre he helped create.  There are a couple of songs with lyrics, but they do not detract from the album at all.  Actually, Can't Wait, one of these songs, is one of my favorites on the album.  I also like Long Way Home and Echo of a Dream. 

Yanni began a 40-date tour of the US on March 22. Some of his concerts are already sold out, so be sure and check to see if he is coming somewhere near you!  You can find out more about Yanni and what he has been involved in lately by visiting his website, Yanni.

If you are looking for some fantastic instrumental music, this album should definitely be in your collection!

Songs include:

Truth of Touch

Echo of a Dream

Seasons

Voyage

Flash of Color

Vertigo

Nine

Can't Wait

Guilty Pleasure

O Luce Che Brilla Nell'Oscurita

I'm So

Long Way Home

Yanni and Arturo

Mist of a Kiss

Secret

~I received a complimentary copy of this CD from One 2 One Network in exchange for my review.~

Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-thon is Almost Here!

Well, the read-a-thon starts in about 16 hours - Yay!  My kids are all accounted for tomorrow and my husband knows to keep himself busy. . .  I declared earlier this week that I would be on mom strike starting tomorrow morning for 24 hours.  My daughters thought that was cool (interpret - no mom to interfere with their plans. . .) and my son adores his Aunt Kim so is always very excited to spend time at her house. 

I went to the store today and bought some snacks for tomorrow - some healthy (grapes, strawberries), some not-so-much (3 Musketeers, Cadbury Eggs) and some inbetween (Pretzels and Chip Dip, Wheat Thins).  As for actual meals - I am leaving that up to my husband - hopefully he will make sure that I get some real nourishment.  I also have plenty of tea, coffee, soda and I guess I should throw some water in there as well - Maybe I will make some sweet tea.

As for list of books - I have added a list below - but I am going to keep it kind of loose this year.  These are all review books - some are past due so I am going to concentrate on those.  I plan to throw in some kids books that I am reviewing to give me a sense of accomplishment.  I also am going to be reading some books on my Nook.  Hopefully this will keep it mixed up enough.  We are finally supposed to have a nice day tomorrow so I will get to sit in my three-season room and read!  Might even sit outside if it gets nice enough, who knows?

Is anybody else participating in the Read-a-thon?  Go here for more information.  Hope to see you all reading tomorrow!

Texas Blue by Jodi Thomas (currently reading)
The Silenced by Brett Battles
Cold Wind by C.J. Box
So Close the Hands of Death by J.T. Ellison
The Deepest Waters by Dan Walsh
Reading Lips by Claudia Sternbach
Alice in Zombieland
Invincible Summer by Hannah Moskowitz
Stay by Deb Caletti
Wither by Lauren Destefano
Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton
Code of Justice by Liz Johnson
Fur and Feathers
Goodnight, Little Sea Otter
The Witches Lottery by Krystal McLaughlin
Turned by Morgan Rice
Uncommon Grounds by Sandra Balzo

Well, that should give me a good variety to choose from - something for whatever mood I am in - Now that I have taken the time to make this list - I see myself choosing something completely different   See you!

In Zanesville by Jo Ann Beard - Giveaway!

The beguiling fourteen-year-old narrator of IN ZANESVILLE is a late bloomer. She is used to flying under the radar-a sidekick, a third wheel, a marching band dropout, a disastrous babysitter, the kind of girl whose Eureka moment is the discovery that "fudge" can't be said with an English accent.

Luckily, she has a best friend, a similarly undiscovered girl with whom she shares the everyday adventures of a 1970s American girlhood, incidents through which a world is revealed, and character is forged.

In time, their friendship is tested-- by their families' claims on them, by a clique of popular girls who stumble upon them as if they were found objects, and by the first, startling, subversive intimations of womanhood.

With dry wit and piercing observation, Jo Ann Beard shows us that in the seemingly quiet streets of America's innumerable Zanesvilles is a world of wonders, and that within the souls of the awkward and the overlooked often burns something radiant and unforgettable.

Thanks to Hachette Books I have 2 copies of In Zanesville to giveaway! This giveaway is open to US/Canada (no P.O. boxes) and will end at midnight CST on April 28, 2011.

Mandatory Entry:  Just leave a comment with your email address.

Additional Entries: Follow my blog - just tell me how you do it - (up to 2 ways, good for 2 entries)

Twitter - leave me the link

Blog post - leave me the link

A total of five entries are available - please leave each entry in a separate comment.

Winners will be subject to the one copy per household rule, which means that if you win the same title in two or more contests, you will receive only one copy of the title in the mail.

Winners of all giveaways on Books and Needlepoint are chosen using Random.org. 

In Zanesville: A Novel

Publisher/Publication Date: Little, Brown and Company, April 25, 2011

ISBN: 978-0316084475

304 pages

Song of the Silk Road by Mingmei Yip (Book Review and Giveaway!)

Title: Song of the Silk Road
Author: Mingmei Yip
Publisher: Kensington Publishing

As a girl growing up in Hong Kong, Lily Lin was captivated by photographs of the desert -- its long, lonely vistas and shifting sand dunes.  Now living in New York, Lily is struggling to finish her graduate degree when she receives an astonishing offer.  An aunt she never knew existed will pay Lily a huge sum to travel across China's desolate Taklamakan Desert -- and carry out a series of tasks along the way.

Intrigued, Lily accepts.  Her assignments range from the dangerous to the bizarre.  Lily must seduce a monk.  She must scrape a piece of clay from the famous Terracotta Warriors, and climb the Mountains of Heaven to gather a rare herb. At Xian, her first stop, Lily meets Alex, a young American with whoms she forms a powerful connection.  And soon, she faces revelations that will redefine her past, her destiny, and the shocking truth behind her aunt's motivations.

Powerful and eloquent, Song of the Silk Road is a captivating story of self-discovery, resonant with the mysteries of its haunting, exotic landscape.

My thoughts: I don't think that I have read a book set in China before.  I really liked the story line as it was peppered with descriptions of beautiful locations and much cultural history. It moved along pretty quickly, changing locales and "tasks" and keeping me interested in to where Lily would have to go next and who she might meet along the way.  There were many colorful characters from monks to fortune tellers to other travelers. 

After starting it, I was not readily invested in the character of Lily Lin.  She seemed very shallow and self-centered and sometimes the dialogue seemed a little stilted. I think that Lily comes full circle though and even though the ending contained an unforeseen twist, it had a very satisfactory conclusion.

Yip has two previous novels out, Peach Blossom Pavilion and Petals from the Sky that I think I will adding to my TBR list. 

~I received a complimentary copy of this book from Meryl L. Moss Media in exchange for my review.~

Meryl L. Moss also is letting me give away a copy of Song of the Silk Road to one of my readers!  This giveaway is open to US/Canada only.  It will end at midnight CST on April 27.

Mandatory Entry:  Just leave a comment with your email address.

Additional Entries: Follow my blog - just tell me how you do it - (up to 2 ways, good for 2 entries)
Twitter - leave me the link
Blog post - leave me the link

A total of five entries are available - please leave each entry in a separate comment.



Song of the Silk Road
Publisher/Publication Date: Kensington, April 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-7582-4182-5
356 pages

Winners!

I had to draw a new winner for one of the copies of Highland Master - as one of my winners already had the book!  So the new winner is. . .

 Hana Kabashi!

The winner of the 2 book prize package of Miss Scarlett's School of Patternless Sewing and Waking Up in the Land of Glitter is. . . .

Marie (mparke)

Both winners have been notified! 

Congrats winners and thanks to everyone who entered.  I will have some new giveaways going up this week so stay tuned!

It's Monday! What are you reading? (April 4, 2011)

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:  
Texas Blue by Jodi Thomas
Deepest Waters, The: A Novel by Dan Walsh

Next Up:
Legacy by Jeanette Baker
The Promises She Keeps by Erin Healy
The Silenced: A Novel by Brett Battles


E-Book:
Sudden Moves: A Young Adult Mystery by Kelli Sue Landon

Next E-Books up:
The Witches Lottery (Enchanted Island Series) by Krystal McLaughlin
Life From Scratch by Melissa Ford
Deadly Errors by Allen Wyler


Bathroom Book:
Surrender the Dark by L.A. Banks


Audio Book
One for the Money (Stephanie Plum, No. 1) by Janet Evanovich

Reviewed Last Week:

God's Healing Words by Siloam
Murder Takes the Cake by Gayle Trent
Merely Magic by Patricia Rice


Waiting for Reviews:
Song of the Silk Road by Mingmei Yip

GIVEAWAYS:
The Truth About Vampires

Upcoming giveaways:
The Girl in the Green Raincoat by Laura Lippman
Redeemer by Jeffrey S. Williams
Daddy's Little Squirrel by Kayla Shurley Davidson
Texas Blue by Jodi Thomas

READY - SET - READ!

Mailbox Monday (April 4, 2011)

 Mailbox Monday's host for April is Amy at Passages to the Past. In My Mailbox is hosted Sundays at The Story Siren. Please visit these posts and take a look at what packages everybody else got this week! 

I Wonder Why Penguins Can't Fly
by Pat Jacobs


Colorful, surprising, and full of information, the I Wonder Why books have set thousands of young minds buzzing.  I Wonder Why Penguins Can't Fly is the perfect introduction to polar lands, featuring grumpy bears, record-breaking birds, polar pioneers, and much more.


What do you want to find out?  Clear, lively text answers all those tricky questions about how the world works, while friendly, funny cartoons add interest.  With more than 35 titles across a mind-expanding range of subjects, this is a series guaranteed to amaze and amuse.


Build your treasure-trove of big questions and amazing answers at http://www.iwonderwhybooks.com/.

That's When I Talk to God
by Dan and Ali Morrow
illustrated by Cory Godbey


A little girl discovers that she can talk to God anytime, in any place, and about anything.


As a little girl says her bedtime prayers, her mother asks a simple question that sparks a powerful discovery:  "You know we can pray to God anytime we want to, right?"  With that, the little girl suddenly finds things to talk to God about everything -- in her garden, in a friend's backyard, and on the soccer field -- and learns how God talks to her, too.


That's When I Talk to God is a sweet story that will help deepen the prayer lives of children everywhere.  This charmingly illustrated tale steps beyond explaining prayer and models constant communication with God.


Includes a letter to parents from real-life grandpa Lee Strobel.

Doctor Confidential: Secrets Behind the Veil
by Richard Sheff, MD


In the hushed stillness of a late night hospital room, confronted with a dead patient and an ethical dilemma, Dr. Sheff wonders, "What's love got to do with medicine?"  The answer he finds for himself in that darkest of hours, and now shares with all of us in Doctor Confidential, is "Everything!"


From the unique perspective of a nationally respected, mature physician, Dr. Sheff reflects deeply on the formative experiences of medical school and residency, giving the reader unexpected insights into the heart and mind of doctors, the experience of patients and their families, and ultimately the connection between love, medical practice, and the healing we all seek.


The unique stories in Doctor Confidential speak directly to anyone in medical training or considering a career in medicine, but also to the patient in all of us.  Pulling back the veil of secrecy that too often surrounds medicine, Doctor Confidential provides compassion, humor, and ultimately hope that, when sick and most vulnerable, each of us can be heard, understood, and deeply touched by our physician.

Ada Legend of a Healer

by R.A. McDonald

No sickness, no injuries, no pain, no limits.

If you had the power to heal, what would you do?

For fifteen-year-old Ada discovering that she can heal feels more like a curse than a gift.  When she learns of the mystery surrounding her mother's disappearance, and sees the indifference of so-called friends, she sets out for Paris to find her.

The power to heal protects her, but also has her hunted by a man who sees her as nothing more than his fountain of youth.  Ada realizes her true power is her will to survive, and that her only chance at freedom is to become the best at escaping.

The Fitting Room: Putting On the Character of Christ
by Kelly Minter


An irresistible invitaiton to a spiritual makeover.


Colossians 3:12 tells us to "clothe" ourselves in classic Christian virtues such as peace, forgiveness, compassion, kindness, humility, and patience.  But what does that look like in real life?  (And where do we shop to find these supernatural clothes?)


Writing with warmth, humor, and down-to-earth honesty, Kelly Minter explores what it means to take off negative traits and emotional entanglements and put on the character of Christ.  There's no guilt here, just a lot of grace, insight, warm encouragement, and an irresistible invitation to a spiritual makeover.  Through Scripture and story, Kelly gently shows you how to put on virtues that were truly made for you, personally tailored by the One who knows and loves you best.

The Bond: Our Kinship with Animals, Our Call to Defend Them
by Wayne Pacelle


A fascinating exploration of humanity's eternal bond with animals, and an urgent call to answer the needs of millions of at-risk creatures.


A landmark work, The Bond, is the passionate, insightful, and comprehensive examination of our special connection to all creatures, written by one of America's most important champions of animal welfare.  Wayne Pacelle, the president of the Humane Society of the United States, unveils the deep links of the human-animal bond, as well as the conflicting impulses that have led us to betray this bond through widespread and systemic cruelty to animals.


Pacelle begins by exploring the biological and historical underpinnings of the human-animal bond and reveals our newfound understanding of animals, including their remarkable emotional and cognitive capacities.  In the book's second section, Pacelle shows how the bond has been broken.  He takes readers to a slaughter plant shuttered for inhumane practices, as well as the enormous egg factory farms of California.  We visit Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary in Kansas to speak with NFL star Michael Vick, then serving his sentence for dogfighting.  Pacelle paints a portrait of New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and highlights the heroic actions of residents and volunteers to reunite pets with their owners.  Pacelle's narrative also leads the reader to remote locations in which conflicts over the killing of wildlife continue to play out -- from the fields outside of Yellowstone National Park where bison are slaughtered with the encouragment of federal authorities, to the ice floes of Atlantic Canada where seal nurseries turn into killing fields.


In its final section, The Bond takes on the arguments of opponents and critics of animal protection and spotlights the groups and industries standing in the way of progress -- from the National Rifle Association and such agribusiness organizations as the American farm Bureau, to surprising adversaries like the American Veterinary Medical Association and the American Kennel Club.  Ultimately, Pacelle points the way to a new, humane economy -- one not built on extraction, suffering, and killing, but on the celebration, stewardship, and care of animals.


An eye-opening must-read, The Bond reminds us that animals are at the center of our lives, they are not just a backdrop.  How we treat them is one of the great themes of the human story.

Revise Us Again: Living from a Renewed Christian Script
by Frank Viola


Every person follows a script for living, a life guide that directs our behavior and shapes our choices. As believers, we find the original script for living woven throughout the Bible.  Yet while the Christian message is simple, it can become complicated by our environment, our culture, and our religious ideas and traditions.  For this reason, we are all in constant need of revising the scripts by which we live.


Author Frank Viola believes we need to revisit and revise what it means to live the Christian life.  Drawing from his rich background in ministry, Viola examines ten key areas that impact every believer and explores fresh ways to revise them.


Conversational, insightful, and practical, Revise Us Again encourages us to examine those religious habits that we unconsciously pick up from others and rescript them with new habits that line up with our new nature in Christ.

Quiet Anchorage
by Ed Lynskey
(ebook)


Quiet Anchorage, Virginia, is like any other peaceful small town in America. Until the murder of Jake Robbins rocks Quiet Anchorage, and his fiancée Megan Connors is charged for it. Her elderly aunts, the tenacious Isabel and Alma Trumbo, then decide it's left up to them to do some shrewd detective work to unravel the knotty mystery, identify the true killer, and clear Megan's good name. Quiet Anchorage offers a pleasant small town setting, credible characters, droll dialogue, good-natured humor, and intriguing subplots. This cozy mystery follows in the tradition of lady amateur sleuths such as Anne George’s Southern Sisters Mysteries and Rita Mae Brown’s Merry Minor Harristeen titles also set in Virginia.

Predators of Darkness
by Leonard D. Hilley II
(ebook)


Fear What Lurks In The Shadows

The desolate streets of downtown Pittsburgh in 2073 are a reminder of the missile attack that forever changed the lives of the surviving scientists and students hidden in the fallout shelter of Helmsby's Genetic Research Center. Believing themselves to be the only survivors, they station themselves inside the center until food supplies near depletion. Thinking the fallout has lessened, they emerge three years later to discover strange creatures patrolling the streets in search of human flesh and blood. The creatures possess the ability to shift their genomes and alter their appearances by realigning their genetic sequences. Daniel Hutchinson, their leader, teams with Lucas Ridale and together they set out to scavenge the area for food and supplies with the hope to find other survivors. But Daniel's most recent journey uncovers mysteries more frightening than the shifters. He discovers the tip of Pittsburgh has been fenced off from the rest of the area. Low-flying helicopters observe the streets, making him ponder the question: Were the shifters released as simply part of a military experiment with humans being their prey?

Beyond the Darkness
by Leondard D. Hilley II
(ebook)

The Darkness Continues . . .

Three years after Daniel and the other survivors escaped the terrorizing, blood-thirsty shifters in Pittsburgh, his friends have moved forward with their lives, but Daniel cannot. He believes the conspiracies within TransGenCorp have not ended and more shifters exist.

Then Daniel receives a phone call from Lucas that bolsters his paranoia.

Lucas is being charged with murders he insists his clone committed.

Daniel soon discovers darker atrocities are emerging, which not only place his life in immense danger, but all his friends as well.

The Game of Pawns: Book Three
by Leonard D. Hilley II
(ebook)

Pawns are expendable. . .
Twelve execution-style murders have occurred in Newark, New Jersey, in less than a week. Each murder has a calling card - a red pawn on each corpse. Kat Gaddis and Lucian investigate the homicides and discover the last four victims were employed by GenTech, a company that recently merged with Mech Cybernetics. After FBI director Mike Carpenter shares evidence with Kat, they soon discover political ties and corruptions that place Kat's life in direct danger. New players emerge and what seems like serial murders suddenly becomes a struggle for biotech knowledge and power. Kat is thrust into their game - The Game of Pawns.


What books came home to you last week?

Interview with Mingmei Yip - (Song of the Silk Road Author)

1. Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer.


Romantic adventure on the Silk Road with the lure of a three million dollar reward.



2. What inspired you to write SONG OF THE SILK ROAD?

I owe this novel to a brave and unconventional writer -- and a dream.


In the seventies, Taiwanese writer San Mao’s adventures with her husband in the Sahara Desert captivated many readers, including myself. Inspired by her, I decided to write about a young woman’s adventures in the desert. But instead of the Sahara, my lifelong fascination with the romantic history of the Silk Road led me to write about its Mountains of Heaven and the Taklaman Desert, also named Go-In-But-Never-Come-Out.

Then I had a dream.

In my dream a young woman receives a letter from an aunt whom she had never known existed. The niece was told to undertake a long journey in China, retracing the same routes the aunt had taken, meeting the same people, and doing things the aunt had done. The niece would receive a big sum of money, if she successfully carried out all the tasks – and if she survived.


I remember the dream, but not when it came to me. The young woman had a strong personality and I knew she wanted me to give her a voice. The result is this adventure and love story, Song of the Silk Road.



3. Where do you do most of your writing?

At home. I can’t write at cafes, since most have loud music which is a distraction for me. However if they play classical music, then I stop writing and listen.



4. What is your favorite book?

The 2,500 year old Daode Jing, Classic of the Way and Virtue. This is about the Way of the Universe and how to live in accord wth it. A central theme is how the soft, feminine power can overcome brute strength. I imbibed a lot of its philosophy over the years and it crops up in my novels.


5. Which part of SONG OF THE SILK ROAD was the most enjoyable to write?


There are a few. First, the love-making scene in the desert, imagining golden singing sand dunes, the unrelieved heat, the passion…all aphrodiasical.


Another sequence I particularly enjoyed is the protagonist Lily Lin’s platonic love with one of her admirers – an Ughur healer who loves and protects her without asking anything back from her. Later, upon learning his tragic story she discovers she can open her yin eye to see beings from the realm of the dead.



6. Can you tell us something about yourself that not a lot of your readers don’t know?

Besides my hectic writing schedule, that I still manage to take time to perform the Chinese zither (guqin) professionally – last year I was invited by Carnegie Hall to play at its Chinese Music Festival -- and teach calligraphy workshops.

Mingmei - thank you so much for the interview and readers - please come back and visit me again this weekend to see my review of this amazing book!

Song of the Silk Road
Publisher/Publication Date: Kensington, March 29, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-7582-4182-5
352 pages