Saturday, May 9, 2009
What Would Jane Austin Do Giveaway on The Book Worm
2009 ARC Reading Challenge
I came across the 2009 ARC Reading Challenge on So Many Precious Books, So Little Time and perhaps a bit ambitiously, have decided to sign up!
Here's how it works:
1. To sign up, you visit 2009 ARC Reading Challenge, leave a comment and a direct link to your blog post about the challenge that includes your list from Rule 2. Please also mention that you'd heard about the challenge here!
2. List all of the ARC's that you have to read right at the moment. Throughout the year, you must continue to update this list as you receive more ARCs. This step is critical. Once you finish a book, return to strike out those titles.
3. a. All of us readers who have or will have more than 12 ARC's must read and review 12.
b. All of us readers who have or will have less than 12 ARC's must read all of the ARC's we do have. If you have 11 ARC's and receive a 12th one, you'll be bumped up to category a.
4. You don't have to make a list of the ARC's you plan to read, but you can if you want.
5. Crossovers with other challenges are allowed and Audio-books are allowed as long as they are ARC's.
6. Read the books and review them on your blog. If you don't have a blog, you can post your reviews on sites like Powells, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, etc. Leave a comment on this post with a link to each of your reviews.
7. Also, do subscribe to So Many Precious Books, So Little Time since Teddy Rose will be posting updates to the challenge periodically.
8. Good luck!!
Note: For purposes of this challenge, ARC is defined as anything sent from a publisher or author since the item was sent with the expectation that it will be reviewed.
The challenge ends on December 31, 2009.
Here's my list:
1.The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howes
Here's my list:
1.
2. The Principle of the Path by Andy Stanley
3. Dangerously Innocent by Nesrine Joseph
4. Jesse's Girl by Gary Morgenstein
5. Surviving High Society - Lots of Love Trumps Lots of Money by Elizabeth Marvin Mulholland
6. The Night Gardener by George Pelecanos
7. Man Overboard by Sandy Mason
8. Broken Wing by Judith James
9.Good Things by Mia King
10. I HATE PEOPLE! by Jonathan Littman and Marc Hershon
11.My Forbidden Desire by Carolyn Jewel
12. The Law of Attraction: How to Get Your Man by Sally Huss
13. The Richest Man in Town: the Twelve Commandments of Wealth by W. Randall Jones
14.Shimmer by Eric Barnes
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15. One Scream Away by Kate Brady
16. Too Too Many Tutus by Suzanne Davis Marion
17. How To Score by Robin Wells
18. Haluhalo Espesyal by Yvette Ferreol
Knight of Desire by Margaret Mallory
Of Bees and Mist by Erick Setiawan
The Natural Laws of Good Luck: A Memoir of an Unlikely Marriage
Constellation Chronicles by Vincent Lowry
Two Years, No Rain by Shawn Klomparens
Off Season by Anne Rivers Siddons
The Natural Laws of Good Luck: A Memoir of an Unlikely Marriage
Constellation Chronicles by Vincent Lowry
Two Years, No Rain by Shawn Klomparens
Off Season by Anne Rivers Siddons
I'm promising myself that I won't be overwhelmed and was encouraged to join by the fact that I've confirmed participation in two Barnes and Noble First Look Clubs (FL) this year and have completed one FL one book down.
I read, loved, and reviewed Katherine Howe's The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane, which was the April 2009 Barnes and Noble First Look Selection. The book will be available in June 9, 2009. You can preorder it from Barnes and Noble or Amazon.com.
I've mentioned the Barnes & Noble First Look Book Club before, but since it's such a generous and fun program, in case you're new to my site and hadn't heard of it, here's how it works:
1. Barnes and Noble carefully chooses a debut novel for their First Look Selection.
2. They post the selection on their Book Club discussion boards and on their website before they announce when the club will open for membership. People wait and constantly check the boards for updates. The best place to check for updates is the B&N Book Club Announcement Board.
3. Once B&N posts the date that the FL Club opens for membership, people log in at appointed day and time.
4. Everyone in the world who logs in and requests the book while that FL Club is open is accepted and will receive a free copy. B&N ships the books all over the world!!
5. B&N announces the schedule for discussion, including a week of discussion with the publisher and with the author.
6. The FL Book Club starts and each member is expected to participate in the online discussions. If you just request the book and fail to participate, you lose the chance to participate in future FL Book Clubs.
I haven't yet received book #3, but I received an email saying that it will be sent. More details when I actually get the book.
So, the 2009 ARC Reading Challenge starts!
I read, loved, and reviewed Katherine Howe's The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane, which was the April 2009 Barnes and Noble First Look Selection. The book will be available in June 9, 2009. You can preorder it from Barnes and Noble or Amazon.com.
I've mentioned the Barnes & Noble First Look Book Club before, but since it's such a generous and fun program, in case you're new to my site and hadn't heard of it, here's how it works:
1. Barnes and Noble carefully chooses a debut novel for their First Look Selection.
2. They post the selection on their Book Club discussion boards and on their website before they announce when the club will open for membership. People wait and constantly check the boards for updates. The best place to check for updates is the B&N Book Club Announcement Board.
3. Once B&N posts the date that the FL Club opens for membership, people log in at appointed day and time.
4. Everyone in the world who logs in and requests the book while that FL Club is open is accepted and will receive a free copy. B&N ships the books all over the world!!
5. B&N announces the schedule for discussion, including a week of discussion with the publisher and with the author.
6. The FL Book Club starts and each member is expected to participate in the online discussions. If you just request the book and fail to participate, you lose the chance to participate in future FL Book Clubs.
I haven't yet received book #3, but I received an email saying that it will be sent. More details when I actually get the book.
So, the 2009 ARC Reading Challenge starts!
Friday, May 8, 2009
Special Mother's Day Giveaway from 5 Min for Mom
Here's another generous contest, this time in celebration of Mother's Day hosted by 5 Minutes for Mom. It ends Saturday, May 9, 2009 so check it out!
They're giving away two laptops, a Four Seasons gift card, a digital camera, 5 quart slow cooker, two lovely bags, digital picture frame and much more!
Support Teen Literature Giveaway by Steph Su Reads
Here's a generous giveaway from Steph Su Reads - the books sound fantastic!
She's picking 3 winners - the first prize winner gets 5 books, second prize gets three and the third prize gets 2 books.
As part of the contest, Steph asks us to think of ways that they support or plan to support teen literature in the present and future.
Here are the books:
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler
Flipped by Wendelin van Draanen
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
Saving Francesca by Melinda Marchetta
The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley
Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty
Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey
If I Stay by Gayle Forman
Bad Girls Don't Die by Katie Alexander
Faerie Rebels: Spell Hunter by R.J. Anderson
To Celebrate Shrinking Violet's debut - worldwide free book giveaway
To celebrate her debut novel, Danielle Joseph is holding a worldwide free book giveaway!
Here's how the author describes her novel, Shrinking Violet:
High school senior Teresa Adams is so painfully shy that she dreads speaking to anyone in the hallways or getting called on in class. But in the privacy of her bedroom with her iPod in hand, she rocks out -- doing mock broadcasts for Miami's hottest FM radio station, which happens to be owned by her stepfather. When a slot opens up at The SLAM, Tere surprises herself by blossoming behind the mike into confident, sexy Sweet T -- and to everyone's shock, she's a hit! Even Gavin, the only guy in school who she dares to talk to, raves about the mysterious DJ's awesome taste in music. But when The SLAM announces a songwriting contest -- and a prom date with Sweet T is the grand prize -- Sweet T's dream could turn into Tere's worst nightmare....
The contest ends on Monday, May 11, 2009.
To find out more about Shrinking Violet, check out Danielle Joseph's website
Cindy Pon celebrates her debut novel Silver Phoenix with a major worldwide giveaway: win Silver Phoenix and a painting/$100 Amazon gift card
To celebrate the publication and glowing reviews of her debut novel, Silver Phoenix, Cindy Pon is throwing this generous worldwide giveaway which ends on June 8, 2009.
The prizes are a signed copy of her novel, Silver Phoenix, and either an original framed brushpainting by the author or a $100 gift card to the book store of your choice.
Here's a link to the book's trailer:
A quick description of the novel from the author:
On the day of her first betrothal meeting--and rejection--ai ling discovers a power welling deep within her. She can reach into other people's spirits, hear their thoughts, see their dreams...and that's just the beginning.
Ai ling has been marked by the immortals; her destiny lies in the emperor's palace, where a terrible evil has lived, stealing souls, for centuries. She must conquer this enemy and rescue her captive father, while mythical demons track her every step. And then she meets chen yong, a young man with a quest of his own, whose fate is intertwined with hers. Here is a heart-stopping, breathtaking tale for fans of action, fantasy, and romance -- of anything with the making of legend.
Some of the early reviews:
If the cover image of a fearless Chinese heroine reminds readers of such films as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, that’s intentional; the story inside will, too. First-time novelist Pon has a screenwriter’s talent for producing a sweeping saga, and in this, the first of two books set in ancient China, 17-year-old Ai Ling faces demons, monsters, and gods as she tries to fulfill her destiny. Frightened after a local man tries to blackmail her into marriage, Ai Ling resolves to journey to the emperor’s palace where her missing father was last seen. Along the way, she meets the handsome Chen Yong, who is of mixed parentage and on a quest to find answers to questions about his family that have haunted him his whole life. (In the story’s prologue, readers get hints about his origins.) As in most martial-arts movies, the story sometimes takes a back seat to the action, but Pon doesn’t stint when it comes to her characters. Ai Ling is a clever and determined heroine, Chen’s younger brother is a witty teen whose girl-crazy ways transcend the centuries, and even the monsters have dimension. Pon’s writing, both fluid and exhilarating, shines whether she’s describing a dinner delicacy or what it feels like to stab an evil spirit in the gut. There’s a bit of sex here, including a near rape, but it’s all integral to a saga that spins and slashes as its heroine tries to find her way home.
~Ilene Cooper, ALA’s BOOKLIST, starred review
“I couldn’t put it down. Your heart will be racing, and you’ll be
aching for more. An addictive gem.”
~Meg Cabot, author of The Princess Diaries and Airhead series
“Beautifully written, lush, exotic, and romantic, with a gutsy heroine who defies convention to fulfill her destiny—SILVER PHOENIX has it all!”
~Alyson Noel, New York Times Bestselling author of EVERMORE
I haven't read the book yet, but I'm off to look for a copy. Action, fantasy, young Asian heroine with magical powers - this sounds right up my alley!
Thursday, May 7, 2009
May 11, 2009 - new postal rates take effect
Just a quick reminder that the postal rates go up on Monday, May 11, 2009.
So, if you're like me and have books to send out for Bookmooch.com, Paperbackswap.com and Frugalreader.com - try to send them out this week!
I'm also stocking up on the Forever stamps - at least those keep their value even as the rates go up!
Sherlock Holmes Book Giveaway from Bookish Ruth
I just wanted to share this generous book giveaway that I stumbled across at Bookish Ruth.
http://www.bookishruth.com/2009/05/book-giveaway-new-annotated-sherlock.html
She has a month long tribute to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and is offering The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes: The Short Stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and leslie S. Klinger. It's a 2 volume illustrated set.
Here's the publisher's description:
This monumental edition promises to be the most important new contribution to Sherlock Holmes literature since William Baring-Gould's 1967 classic work. In this boxed set, Leslie Klinger, a leading world authority, reassembles Arthur Conan Doyle's 56 classic short stories in the order in which they appeared in late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century book editions. Inside, readers will find a cornucopia of insights: beginners will benefit from Klinger's insightful biographies of Holmes, Watson, and Conan Doyle; history lovers will revel in the wealth of Victorian literary and cultural details; Sherlockian fanatics will puzzle over tantalizing new theories; art lovers will thrill to the 700-plus illustrations, which make this the most lavishly illustrated edition of the Holmes tales ever produced. The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes illuminates the timeless genius of Arthur Conan Doyle for an entirely new generation of readers. 700+ illustrations.
Personally, I would love to win!
Do check out this Sherlock Holmes book giveaway at Bookish Ruth before it ends on May 31, 2009 for more details. http://www.bookishruth.com/2009/05/book-giveaway-new-annotated-sherlock.html
Here's the publisher's description:
This monumental edition promises to be the most important new contribution to Sherlock Holmes literature since William Baring-Gould's 1967 classic work. In this boxed set, Leslie Klinger, a leading world authority, reassembles Arthur Conan Doyle's 56 classic short stories in the order in which they appeared in late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century book editions. Inside, readers will find a cornucopia of insights: beginners will benefit from Klinger's insightful biographies of Holmes, Watson, and Conan Doyle; history lovers will revel in the wealth of Victorian literary and cultural details; Sherlockian fanatics will puzzle over tantalizing new theories; art lovers will thrill to the 700-plus illustrations, which make this the most lavishly illustrated edition of the Holmes tales ever produced. The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes illuminates the timeless genius of Arthur Conan Doyle for an entirely new generation of readers. 700+ illustrations.
Personally, I would love to win!
Do check out this Sherlock Holmes book giveaway at Bookish Ruth before it ends on May 31, 2009 for more details. http://www.bookishruth.com/2009/05/book-giveaway-new-annotated-sherlock.html
Of Bees and Mist by Erick Setiawan - free ARC from Barnes and Noble First Look Book Club
I'd just heard that I'm in the new Barnes & Nobles First Look Book Club for "Of Bees and Mist", the debut novel of Erick Setiawan.
Here's how B&N describes the book:
Early reads have drawn comparisons to Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell and rightfully so! Setiawan's debut is magical in every sense of the word and it is the absolute perfect book to lead us (and the conversation!) into the ethereal world of summer.
Of Bees and Mist is the tale of Meridia-raised in a sepulchral house where ghosts dwell in mirrors, she spends her childhood feeling neglected and invisible. Every evening her father vanishes inside a blue mist without so much as an explanation, and her mother spends her days venomously beheading cauliflowers in the kitchen. At sixteen, desperate to escape, Meridia marries a tenderhearted young man and moves into his seemingly warm and charming family home. Little does she suspect that his parents are harboring secrets of their own. There is a grave hidden in the garden. There are two sisters groomed from birth to despise each other. And there is Eva, the formidable matriarch whose grievances swarm the air like an army of bees. In this haunting story, Setiawan takes Meridia on a tumultuous ride of hope and heartbreak as she struggles to keep her young family together and discovers long-kept secrets about her own past as well as the shocking truths about her husband's family.
Readers of magical-realist fiction will instantly be captivated by this richly evocative fairy tale. Of Bees and Mist takes place in a nameless town during a timeless era, where spirits and spells, witchcraft and demons, ghosts and clairvoyance-both real and imagined-are an everyday reality. Setiawan skillfully blends the real and the fantastical as he follows our heroine over a thirty year time span in which her love, courage, and sanity is tested to the limits.
The First Look Book Club is still open for membership, so do check it!
Aside from the free book, I have very much enjoyed the online discussions during the last book clubs and the chance to discuss with the author and publisher. The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe was particularly lively!
Here's how B&N describes the book:
Early reads have drawn comparisons to Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell and rightfully so! Setiawan's debut is magical in every sense of the word and it is the absolute perfect book to lead us (and the conversation!) into the ethereal world of summer.
Of Bees and Mist is the tale of Meridia-raised in a sepulchral house where ghosts dwell in mirrors, she spends her childhood feeling neglected and invisible. Every evening her father vanishes inside a blue mist without so much as an explanation, and her mother spends her days venomously beheading cauliflowers in the kitchen. At sixteen, desperate to escape, Meridia marries a tenderhearted young man and moves into his seemingly warm and charming family home. Little does she suspect that his parents are harboring secrets of their own. There is a grave hidden in the garden. There are two sisters groomed from birth to despise each other. And there is Eva, the formidable matriarch whose grievances swarm the air like an army of bees. In this haunting story, Setiawan takes Meridia on a tumultuous ride of hope and heartbreak as she struggles to keep her young family together and discovers long-kept secrets about her own past as well as the shocking truths about her husband's family.
Readers of magical-realist fiction will instantly be captivated by this richly evocative fairy tale. Of Bees and Mist takes place in a nameless town during a timeless era, where spirits and spells, witchcraft and demons, ghosts and clairvoyance-both real and imagined-are an everyday reality. Setiawan skillfully blends the real and the fantastical as he follows our heroine over a thirty year time span in which her love, courage, and sanity is tested to the limits.
The First Look Book Club is still open for membership, so do check it!
Aside from the free book, I have very much enjoyed the online discussions during the last book clubs and the chance to discuss with the author and publisher. The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe was particularly lively!
Maim a Buddy, Kill a Friend Contest by Lisa Gardner, Get a Free Book too
I found this contest on Book Loons and think it's brilliant!!
The Murder Mystery author Lisa Gardner is hosting a Maim a Buddy, Kill a Friend contest. You have the chance to name one of the victims in her next novel. Your friend (enemy) will suffer grievous harm and be immortalized in her next book. You and your friend will receive copies of the book and be acknowledged! Brilliant!!
For more details, please check out her website:
http://www.lisagardner.com/contests/index_kill_a_friend.php
The contest ends on June 26, 2009.
The Murder Mystery author Lisa Gardner is hosting a Maim a Buddy, Kill a Friend contest. You have the chance to name one of the victims in her next novel. Your friend (enemy) will suffer grievous harm and be immortalized in her next book. You and your friend will receive copies of the book and be acknowledged! Brilliant!!
For more details, please check out her website:
http://www.lisagardner.com/contests/index_kill_a_friend.php
The contest ends on June 26, 2009.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Janet Evanovich's contest - Name Book 16
I just found this amazingly fun contest for Janet Evanovich readers!
Help name Book 16 and win a signed, advance copy of Book 16 and an acknowledgment in Janet Evanovich's Book 16!
Here's how the contest works:
To enter the contest e-mail your title ideas to:
sixteen@evanovich.com
Or snail mail to:
Evanovich/Sixteen
PO Box 2829
Naples, FL 34106
Please include your name and a mailing address.
You're allowed to enter as many titles as you can think up, but please try not to enter the same title more than once.
Name the Book Contest Rules
You may enter as many different titles as you can think up. Please try not to enter the same title more than once. You do not have to send in each title separately. Lists of titles are acceptable. This is open to all countries. Please do NOT send in titles for books other than Sixteen.
The contest runs from May 1 through August 31, 2009. A title will be chosen from the list of entries. Everyone who entered the chosen title in the Name Book Sixteen Contest between May 1 and August 31 will have their name added ONCE to a hat. ONE name will be randomly pulled out. That person is the winner.
Runners Up are chosen in the same manner as the Name Book Sixteen winner.
The winner will receive a signed, advanced copy of Sixteen (as soon as it's available) and an acknowledgment in the book.
For more details, please check out her website:
http://www.evanovich.com/funstuff/funfacts/name_book_16
The contest ends on August 31, 2009.
Help name Book 16 and win a signed, advance copy of Book 16 and an acknowledgment in Janet Evanovich's Book 16!
Here's how the contest works:
To enter the contest e-mail your title ideas to:
sixteen@evanovich.com
Or snail mail to:
Evanovich/Sixteen
PO Box 2829
Naples, FL 34106
Please include your name and a mailing address.
You're allowed to enter as many titles as you can think up, but please try not to enter the same title more than once.
Name the Book Contest Rules
You may enter as many different titles as you can think up. Please try not to enter the same title more than once. You do not have to send in each title separately. Lists of titles are acceptable. This is open to all countries. Please do NOT send in titles for books other than Sixteen.
The contest runs from May 1 through August 31, 2009. A title will be chosen from the list of entries. Everyone who entered the chosen title in the Name Book Sixteen Contest between May 1 and August 31 will have their name added ONCE to a hat. ONE name will be randomly pulled out. That person is the winner.
Runners Up are chosen in the same manner as the Name Book Sixteen winner.
The winner will receive a signed, advanced copy of Sixteen (as soon as it's available) and an acknowledgment in the book.
For more details, please check out her website:
http://www.evanovich.com/funstuff/funfacts/name_book_16
The contest ends on August 31, 2009.
Presenting Leonore - ARCs and where to get free books
Thanks to a fellow Barnes and Noble First Looker and blogger, Jennmarie68 of Just Jennifer Reading, I learned about this link from the blog Presenting Leonore. The post has an amazing list of websites and sources of ARCs and free books.
It's so helpful that I'm posting the link here - so that I never lose it and so that others can all about it as well.
http://presentinglenore.blogspot.com/2008/04/where-to-get-free-books-and-arcs.html
Thank you, Jennmarie68 and Presenting Leonore!!!
It's so helpful that I'm posting the link here - so that I never lose it and so that others can all about it as well.
http://presentinglenore.blogspot.com/2008/04/where-to-get-free-books-and-arcs.html
Thank you, Jennmarie68 and Presenting Leonore!!!
The Royal Harlot worldwide giveaway from Passages to the Past book giveaway
Here's another interesting book giveaway - this time it's a historical romance called The Royal Harlot by Susan Holloway Scott.
Here's the blurb on the book:
London, 1660: Ready to throw off a generation of Puritan rule, all England rejoices when Charles Stuart returns to reclaim the throne. Among those welcoming him is young Barbara Villiers Palmer, a breathtaking Royalist beauty whose sensuality and clever wit instantly captivate the handsome, jaded king. Though each is promised to another, Barbara soon becomes Charles's mistress and closest friend, and the uncrowned queen of his bawdy Restoration court. Rewarded with titles, land, and jewels, she is the most envied and desired woman in England--and the most powerful. But the role of royal mistress is a precarious one, and Barbara's enemies and rivals are everywhere in the palace.
The giveaway ends on May 19, 2009. So, do check out Passages to the Past
http://passagestothepast.blogspot.com/2009/05/royal-harlot-giveaway.html
Here's the blurb on the book:
London, 1660: Ready to throw off a generation of Puritan rule, all England rejoices when Charles Stuart returns to reclaim the throne. Among those welcoming him is young Barbara Villiers Palmer, a breathtaking Royalist beauty whose sensuality and clever wit instantly captivate the handsome, jaded king. Though each is promised to another, Barbara soon becomes Charles's mistress and closest friend, and the uncrowned queen of his bawdy Restoration court. Rewarded with titles, land, and jewels, she is the most envied and desired woman in England--and the most powerful. But the role of royal mistress is a precarious one, and Barbara's enemies and rivals are everywhere in the palace.
The giveaway ends on May 19, 2009. So, do check out Passages to the Past
http://passagestothepast.blogspot.com/2009/05/royal-harlot-giveaway.html
Book Giveaways from En Route To Life and Hatchette Book Group
Just wanted to share another book giveaway! En Route To Life has a number of books to give away courtesy of Hatchette Book Club.
Here's a quick run down:
-the contest is limited to the US and Canada
-you have to sign up for each contest separately and on En Route To Life
(1) From the publisher's website, here's the description of One Deadly Sin by Annie Solomon:
Revenge. Edie Swann has hungered for it since she fled her hometown as a little girl. Now she's returned, ready for payback. Armed with a list of names, she leaves each one a chilling sign that they have blood on their hands. Her father's blood. What happens next turns her own blood cold: one by one, the men she's targeted start dying.
Sheriff Holt Drennen knows Edie is hiding something. She has a haunted look in her eyes and a defiant spirit, yet he can't believe she's a murderer. As the body count rises and all evidence points to Edie, Holt is torn between the town he's sworn to protect and the woman he's come to desire. But nothing is what it seems. Long buried secrets begin to surface, and a killer won't be satisfied until the sins of the past are paid in full--this time with Edie's blood.
The One Deadly Sin by Annie Solomon giveaway ends on May 8, 2009
(2) From the publisher's website, here's the description of Testimony by Anita Shreve:
At a New England boarding school, a sex scandal is about to break. Even more shocking than the sexual acts themselves is the fact that they were caught on videotape. A Pandora's box of revelations, the tape triggers a chorus of voices--those of the men, women, teenagers, and parents involved in the scandal--that details the ways in which lives can be derailed or destroyed in one foolish moment.
Writing with a pace and intensity surpassing even her own greatest work, Anita Shreve delivers in TESTIMONY a gripping emotional drama with the impact of a thriller. No one more compellingly explores the dark impulses that sway the lives of seeming innocents, the needs and fears that drive ordinary men and women into intolerable dilemmas, and the ways in which our best intentions can lead to our worst transgressions.
The Testimony by Anita Shreve giveaway ends on May 23, 2009
(3) From the publisher's website, here's the description of The Girl Who Stopped Swimming by Joshilyn Jackson:
Lauren Gray Hawthorne needs to make things pretty, whether she's helping her mother keep family skeletons in the closet or sewing her acclaimed art quilts. Her estranged sister, Thalia, is her opposite, an impoverished actress who prides herself on exposing the lurid truths lurking behind middle class niceties.
While Laurel's life seems neatly on track-- a passionate marriage, a treasured daughter, a lovely suburban home-- everything she holds dear is threatened the night she is visited by the ghost of her 13-year-old neighbor Molly. The ghost leads Laurel to the real Molly, floating lifelessly in the Hawthorne's backyard pool. Molly's death is an unseemly mystery that no one in her whitewashed neighborhood is up to solving. Laurel enlists Thalia's help, even though she knows it comes with a high price tag.
Together, they set out on a life-altering journey that triggers startling revelations about their family's haunted past, the true state of Laurel's marriage, and the girl who stopped swimming.
The Girl Who Stopped Swimming by Joshilyn Jackson giveaway ends on May 9, 2009
For more information, do check out En Route To Life
http://enroutetolife.blogspot.com/2009/04/book-giveaway-testimony-by-anita-shreve.html
Here's a quick run down:
-the contest is limited to the US and Canada
-you have to sign up for each contest separately and on En Route To Life
(1) From the publisher's website, here's the description of One Deadly Sin by Annie Solomon:
Revenge. Edie Swann has hungered for it since she fled her hometown as a little girl. Now she's returned, ready for payback. Armed with a list of names, she leaves each one a chilling sign that they have blood on their hands. Her father's blood. What happens next turns her own blood cold: one by one, the men she's targeted start dying.
Sheriff Holt Drennen knows Edie is hiding something. She has a haunted look in her eyes and a defiant spirit, yet he can't believe she's a murderer. As the body count rises and all evidence points to Edie, Holt is torn between the town he's sworn to protect and the woman he's come to desire. But nothing is what it seems. Long buried secrets begin to surface, and a killer won't be satisfied until the sins of the past are paid in full--this time with Edie's blood.
The One Deadly Sin by Annie Solomon giveaway ends on May 8, 2009
(2) From the publisher's website, here's the description of Testimony by Anita Shreve:
At a New England boarding school, a sex scandal is about to break. Even more shocking than the sexual acts themselves is the fact that they were caught on videotape. A Pandora's box of revelations, the tape triggers a chorus of voices--those of the men, women, teenagers, and parents involved in the scandal--that details the ways in which lives can be derailed or destroyed in one foolish moment.
Writing with a pace and intensity surpassing even her own greatest work, Anita Shreve delivers in TESTIMONY a gripping emotional drama with the impact of a thriller. No one more compellingly explores the dark impulses that sway the lives of seeming innocents, the needs and fears that drive ordinary men and women into intolerable dilemmas, and the ways in which our best intentions can lead to our worst transgressions.
The Testimony by Anita Shreve giveaway ends on May 23, 2009
(3) From the publisher's website, here's the description of The Girl Who Stopped Swimming by Joshilyn Jackson:
Lauren Gray Hawthorne needs to make things pretty, whether she's helping her mother keep family skeletons in the closet or sewing her acclaimed art quilts. Her estranged sister, Thalia, is her opposite, an impoverished actress who prides herself on exposing the lurid truths lurking behind middle class niceties.
While Laurel's life seems neatly on track-- a passionate marriage, a treasured daughter, a lovely suburban home-- everything she holds dear is threatened the night she is visited by the ghost of her 13-year-old neighbor Molly. The ghost leads Laurel to the real Molly, floating lifelessly in the Hawthorne's backyard pool. Molly's death is an unseemly mystery that no one in her whitewashed neighborhood is up to solving. Laurel enlists Thalia's help, even though she knows it comes with a high price tag.
Together, they set out on a life-altering journey that triggers startling revelations about their family's haunted past, the true state of Laurel's marriage, and the girl who stopped swimming.
The Girl Who Stopped Swimming by Joshilyn Jackson giveaway ends on May 9, 2009
For more information, do check out En Route To Life
http://enroutetolife.blogspot.com/2009/04/book-giveaway-testimony-by-anita-shreve.html
Book Giveaway from Julie's Jewels
Julie's Jewels along with Hatchette Book Club is giving away "The Girl Who Stopped Swimming" by Joshilyn Jackson.
Here's the book write up, courtesy of the Hatchette Book site http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/books_9780446697828.htm:
Lauren Gray Hawthorne needs to make things pretty, whether she's helping her mother keep family skeletons in the closet or sewing her acclaimed art quilts. Her estranged sister, Thalia, is her opposite, an impoverished actress who prides herself on exposing the lurid truths lurking behind middle class niceties.
While Laurel's life seems neatly on track-- a passionate marriage, a treasured daughter, a lovely suburban home-- everything she holds dear is threatened the night she is visited by the ghost of her 13-year-old neighbor Molly. The ghost leads Laurel to the real Molly, floating lifelessly in the Hawthorne's backyard pool. Molly's death is an unseemly mystery that no one in her whitewashed neighborhood is up to solving. Laurel enlists Thalia's help, even though she knows it comes with a high price tag.
Together, they set out on a life-altering journey that triggers startling revelations about their family's haunted past, the true state of Laurel's marriage, and the girl who stopped swimming.
The giveaway ends on May 9, 2009, so visit
http://julyso4463.blogspot.com/2009/04/book-giveaway.html
to read more and sign up!
Here's the book write up, courtesy of the Hatchette Book site http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/books_9780446697828.htm:
Lauren Gray Hawthorne needs to make things pretty, whether she's helping her mother keep family skeletons in the closet or sewing her acclaimed art quilts. Her estranged sister, Thalia, is her opposite, an impoverished actress who prides herself on exposing the lurid truths lurking behind middle class niceties.
While Laurel's life seems neatly on track-- a passionate marriage, a treasured daughter, a lovely suburban home-- everything she holds dear is threatened the night she is visited by the ghost of her 13-year-old neighbor Molly. The ghost leads Laurel to the real Molly, floating lifelessly in the Hawthorne's backyard pool. Molly's death is an unseemly mystery that no one in her whitewashed neighborhood is up to solving. Laurel enlists Thalia's help, even though she knows it comes with a high price tag.
Together, they set out on a life-altering journey that triggers startling revelations about their family's haunted past, the true state of Laurel's marriage, and the girl who stopped swimming.
The giveaway ends on May 9, 2009, so visit
http://julyso4463.blogspot.com/2009/04/book-giveaway.html
to read more and sign up!
Goodreads.com
I've just learned about Goodreads.com also through the Barnes & Noble First Look Book Club discussion group.
As I meander through the site, I've been revisiting the book reviews I'd prepared and posted on barnesandnoble.com.
I've added my review of The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane below and wanted to add the review of A Fortunate Age by Joanna Smith Rakoff
A Fortunate Age: A Novel by Joanna Smith Rakoff
rating: 2 of 5 stars
I enjoyed the book very much. It may be in part that I'd recently moved to NYC so the location descriptions and dialogue seemed very plausible. It is also because though my own experience is very different from that of the characters, I could relate to the various dilemmas and complicated relationships that the lead women confronted.
I had expected that I would enjoy the book but thought it would be lighter and frothy and was happy to find it much meatier and engrossing than I'd expected!
View all my reviews.
As I meander through the site, I've been revisiting the book reviews I'd prepared and posted on barnesandnoble.com.
I've added my review of The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane below and wanted to add the review of A Fortunate Age by Joanna Smith Rakoff
A Fortunate Age: A Novel by Joanna Smith RakoffMy review
rating: 2 of 5 stars
I enjoyed the book very much. It may be in part that I'd recently moved to NYC so the location descriptions and dialogue seemed very plausible. It is also because though my own experience is very different from that of the characters, I could relate to the various dilemmas and complicated relationships that the lead women confronted.
I had expected that I would enjoy the book but thought it would be lighter and frothy and was happy to find it much meatier and engrossing than I'd expected!
View all my reviews.
Two more book giveaways from Wrighty's Reads and Hatchette Books
Wrighty's Reads and Hatchette Books are hosting a two book giveaway until May 15, 2009! Here are summaries of the two books - just to get you interested!
The first book is "Testimony" by Anita Shreve. It's an emotional drama that begins in a New England boarding school. More details at www.anitashreve.com
The second book is "Made in the USA" by Billie Letts, the best selling author of "Where the Heart Is". "Made in the USA" is a heartwrenching and uplifting story of two children looking for a place to call home.
Do check out http://wrightysreads.blogspot.com/ for more details!
The first book is "Testimony" by Anita Shreve. It's an emotional drama that begins in a New England boarding school. More details at www.anitashreve.com
The second book is "Made in the USA" by Billie Letts, the best selling author of "Where the Heart Is". "Made in the USA" is a heartwrenching and uplifting story of two children looking for a place to call home.
Do check out http://wrightysreads.blogspot.com/ for more details!
Book Giveaway from In the Shadow of Mt. TBR - Jamie Ford's Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
Here's another amazing book giveaway, courtesy of In the Shadow of Mt. TBR: Jamie Ford's "Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet". The contest ends on May 16, 2009. You can join by entering a comment on the review on from May 11-May 16 and also by spreading the word about the giveaway, by blog, twitter or even email.
More details on the giveaway can be found at
http://thekoolaidmom.wordpress.com/2009/05/05/hotel-on-the-corner-of-bitter-and-sweet-giveaway/
But here is a short description of the book, courtesy of Jamie Ford's website
www.jamieford.com
In the opening pages of Jamie Ford’s stunning debut novel, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, Henry Lee comes upon a crowd gathered outside the Panama Hotel, once the gateway to Seattle’s Japantown. It has been boarded up for decades, but now the new owner has made an incredible discovery: the belongings of Japanese families, left when they were rounded up and sent to internment camps during World War II. As Henry looks on, the owner opens a Japanese parasol.
This simple act takes old Henry Lee back to the 1940s, at the height of the war, when young Henry’s world is a jumble of confusion and excitement, and to his father, who is obsessed with the war in China and having Henry grow up American. While “scholarshipping” at the exclusive Rainier Elementary, where the white kids ignore him, Henry meets Keiko Okabe, a young Japanese American student. Amid the chaos of blackouts, curfews, and FBI raids, Henry and Keiko forge a bond of friendship–and innocent love–that transcends the long-standing prejudices of their Old World ancestors. And after Keiko and her family are swept up in the evacuations to the internment camps, she and Henry are left only with the hope that the war will end, and that their promise to each other will be kept.
Forty years later, Henry Lee is certain that the parasol belonged to Keiko. In the hotel’s dark dusty basement he begins looking for signs of the Okabe family’s belongings and for a long-lost object whose value he cannot begin to measure. Now a widower, Henry is still trying to find his voice–words that might explain the actions of his father; words that might bridge the gap between him and his modern, Chinese American son; words that might help him confront the choices he made many years ago.
Set during one of the most conflicted and volatile times in American history, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is an extraordinary story of commitment and enduring hope. In Henry and Keiko, Jamie Ford has created an unforgettable duo whose story teaches us of the power of forgiveness and the human heart.
Don't forget to check out
http://thekoolaidmom.wordpress.com/2009/05/05/hotel-on-the-corner-of-bitter-and-sweet-giveaway/
More details on the giveaway can be found at
http://thekoolaidmom.wordpress.com/2009/05/05/hotel-on-the-corner-of-bitter-and-sweet-giveaway/
But here is a short description of the book, courtesy of Jamie Ford's website
www.jamieford.com
In the opening pages of Jamie Ford’s stunning debut novel, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, Henry Lee comes upon a crowd gathered outside the Panama Hotel, once the gateway to Seattle’s Japantown. It has been boarded up for decades, but now the new owner has made an incredible discovery: the belongings of Japanese families, left when they were rounded up and sent to internment camps during World War II. As Henry looks on, the owner opens a Japanese parasol.
This simple act takes old Henry Lee back to the 1940s, at the height of the war, when young Henry’s world is a jumble of confusion and excitement, and to his father, who is obsessed with the war in China and having Henry grow up American. While “scholarshipping” at the exclusive Rainier Elementary, where the white kids ignore him, Henry meets Keiko Okabe, a young Japanese American student. Amid the chaos of blackouts, curfews, and FBI raids, Henry and Keiko forge a bond of friendship–and innocent love–that transcends the long-standing prejudices of their Old World ancestors. And after Keiko and her family are swept up in the evacuations to the internment camps, she and Henry are left only with the hope that the war will end, and that their promise to each other will be kept.
Forty years later, Henry Lee is certain that the parasol belonged to Keiko. In the hotel’s dark dusty basement he begins looking for signs of the Okabe family’s belongings and for a long-lost object whose value he cannot begin to measure. Now a widower, Henry is still trying to find his voice–words that might explain the actions of his father; words that might bridge the gap between him and his modern, Chinese American son; words that might help him confront the choices he made many years ago.
Set during one of the most conflicted and volatile times in American history, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is an extraordinary story of commitment and enduring hope. In Henry and Keiko, Jamie Ford has created an unforgettable duo whose story teaches us of the power of forgiveness and the human heart.
Don't forget to check out
http://thekoolaidmom.wordpress.com/2009/05/05/hotel-on-the-corner-of-bitter-and-sweet-giveaway/
Daily Book Giveaway from The Novel Bookworm
Another book giveaway! This time courtesy of Hatchette Publishing (http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/books_9780316025270_Description.htm)
and The Novel Bookworm who is giving out a book a day for the entire month of May. Check out her blog.
So, go to www.thenovelbookworm.com, check out her website everyday in May to try for the daily book giveaway!
and The Novel Bookworm who is giving out a book a day for the entire month of May. Check out her blog.
So, go to www.thenovelbookworm.com, check out her website everyday in May to try for the daily book giveaway!
Book Giveaway - Best Intentions by Emily Listfield from Write Meg!
Another really cool book giveaway that I found through Library Thing!!
It's the thriller set in NYC called "Best Intentions" by Emily Listfield and published by Atria Books.
This is courtesy of the blog, "Write Meg!"
http://writemeg.wordpress.com/2009/04/28/giveaway-best-intentions-by-emily-listfield/#comment-1601
The novel is described as:
What happens when you think you know the person you love — and you’re dead wrong?
It's the thriller set in NYC called "Best Intentions" by Emily Listfield and published by Atria Books.
This is courtesy of the blog, "Write Meg!"
http://writemeg.wordpress.com/2009/04/28/giveaway-best-intentions-by-emily-listfield/#comment-1601
The novel is described as:
What happens when you think you know the person you love — and you’re dead wrong?
“From the acclaimed author of Waiting to Surface comes the story of four college friends whose reunion reawakens old desires and grudges — with fatal results.
After tossing and turning all night, thirty-nine-year-old Lisa Barkley wakes up well before her alarm sounds. With two daughters about to start another year at their elite Upper East Side private school and her own career hitting a wall, the effort of trying to stay afloat in that privileged world of six-story town houses and European jaunts has become increasingly difficult, especially as Manhattan descends into an economic freefall.
As Lisa looks over at her sleeping husband, Sam, she can’t help but feel that their fifteen-year marriage is in a funk that she isn’t able to place. She tries to shake it off and tells herself that the strain must be due to their mounting financial pressures. But later that morning, as her family eats breakfast in the next room, Lisa finds herself checking Sam’s voicemail and hears a whispered phone call from a woman he is to meet that night. Is he having an affair?
When Lisa shares her suspicions with her best friend, Deirdre, at their weekly breakfast, Deirdre claims it can’t be true. But how can Lisa fully trust her opinion when Deirdre is still single and mired in an obsessive affair with a glamorous photographer even as it hovers on the edge of danger?
When Deirdre’s former college flame, Jack, comes to town and the two couples meet to celebrate his fortieth birthday, the stage is set for an explosive series of discoveries with devastating consequences.
Filled with suspense and provocative questions about the relationships we value most, Best Intentions is a tightly woven drama of love, friendship and betrayal.”
For more information - check out "Write Meg!" by Friday, May 5!
http://writemeg.wordpress.com/2009/04/28/giveaway-best-intentions-by-emily-listfield/#comme
Book Giveaway - Chaotic Compendiums
Through Library Thing, I discovered this book giveaway contest on Chaotic Compendiums!
The book, The Girl Who Stopped Swimming, is by Joshilyn Jackson. Here's the brief description from the author:
To find out more check out both: (1) the author's site www.joshilynjackson.com
and (2) the sponsor site http://chaoticcompendiums.blogspot.com/2009/04/book-giveaway-girl-who-stopped-swimming.html#comment-form
The book, The Girl Who Stopped Swimming, is by Joshilyn Jackson. Here's the brief description from the author:
Laurel Gray Hawthorne needs to make things pretty, whether she's helping her mother make sure the very literal family skeleton stays buried or turning scraps of fabric into nationally acclaimed art quilts. Her estranged sister Thalia, an impoverished Actress with a capital A, is her polar opposite, priding herself on exposing the lurid truth lurking behind middle class niceties. While Laurel's life seems neat and on track--a passionate marriage, a treasured daughter, and a lovely home in suburban Victorianna--everything she holds dear is suddenly thrown into question the night she is visited by the ghost of a her 14-year old neighbor Molly Dufresne.
The ghost leads Laurel to the real Molly floating lifelessly in the Hawthorne's backyard pool. Molly's death is inexplicable--an unseemly mystery Laurel knows no one in her whitewashed neighborhood is up to solving. Only her wayward, unpredictable sister is right for the task, but calling in a favor from Thalia is like walking straight into a frying pan protected only by Crisco. Enlisting Thalia's help, Laurel sets out on a life-altering journey that triggers startling revelations about her family's guarded past, the true state of her marriage, and the girl who stopped swimming.To find out more check out both: (1) the author's site www.joshilynjackson.com
and (2) the sponsor site http://chaoticcompendiums.blogspot.com/2009/04/book-giveaway-girl-who-stopped-swimming.html#comment-form
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Free books - Library Thing, Frugal Reader
Through the B&N First Look Book Club discussions, I learned of Library Thing where in exchange for reviewing books you can sometimes receive free copies!
There was a great post on:
http://presentinglenore.blogspot.com/2008/04/where-to-get-free-books-and-arcs.html
I'm just learning about the site - so more to come! I've started reposting my reviews from Barnes & Noble and Amazon and will upload reviews of my recent reads. Check it out and let me know if you find them interesting as well.
Don't forget to check out my favorite bookswapping sites: Paperbackswap.com and Bookmooch.com!!
I'm still learning about Frugalreader.com and comparing it to the old reliables!
There was a great post on:
http://presentinglenore.blogspot.com/2008/04/where-to-get-free-books-and-arcs.html
I'm just learning about the site - so more to come! I've started reposting my reviews from Barnes & Noble and Amazon and will upload reviews of my recent reads. Check it out and let me know if you find them interesting as well.
Don't forget to check out my favorite bookswapping sites: Paperbackswap.com and Bookmooch.com!!
I'm still learning about Frugalreader.com and comparing it to the old reliables!
Worldwide Sign up for the next Barnes and Noble First Look Book Club Still Open!
Barnes and Noble has announced their next First Look Book Club Selection and is still taking members and will ship the ARC for free anywhere worldwide! So far, we have members from Brazil, the Philippines and likely quite a few more countries.
The next selection is "Of Bees and Mist" by Erick Setiawan. Here's a brief description, courtesy of Barnes and Noble.
Of Bees and Mist is the tale of Meridia-raised in a sepulchral house where ghosts dwell in mirrors, she spends her childhood feeling neglected and invisible. Every evening her father vanishes inside a blue mist without so much as an explanation, and her mother spends her days venomously beheading cauliflowers in the kitchen. At sixteen, desperate to escape, Meridia marries a tenderhearted young man and moves into his seemingly warm and charming family home. Little does she suspect that his parents are harboring secrets of their own. There is a grave hidden in the garden. There are two sisters groomed from birth to despise each other. And there is Eva, the formidable matriarch whose grievances swarm the air like an army of bees. In this haunting story, Setiawan takes Meridia on a tumultuous ride of hope and heartbreak as she struggles to keep her young family together and discovers long-kept secrets about her own past as well as the shocking truths about her husband's family. Readers of magical-realist fiction will instantly be captivated by this richly evocative fairy tale. Of Bees and Mist takes place in a nameless town during a timeless era, where spirits and spells, witchcraft and demons, ghosts and clairvoyance-both real and imagined-are an everyday reality. Setiawan skillfully blends the real and the fantastical as he follows our heroine over a thirty year time span in which her love, courage, and sanity is tested to the limits. |
It sounds really interesting. I've signed up and am eagerly awaiting confirmation that I've been admitted.
The First Look Book Club sends each of the members a free Advance Readers Copy of the book and just asks that members join the online book discussions. They arrange for the author and publisher to participate and take questions from members. The last one was particularly fun with Katherine Howe and her publisher patiently describing their writing and publishing process and the ins and outs of the book, The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane. Here's my review of Katherine Howe's debut novel and an earlier post on Katherine Howe.
Check out the site for yourself!
The First Look Book Club sends each of the members a free Advance Readers Copy of the book and just asks that members join the online book discussions. They arrange for the author and publisher to participate and take questions from members. The last one was particularly fun with Katherine Howe and her publisher patiently describing their writing and publishing process and the ins and outs of the book, The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane. Here's my review of Katherine Howe's debut novel and an earlier post on Katherine Howe.
Check out the site for yourself!
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