Win an Audio Copy of The Horse Boy (Unabridged) By Rupert Isaacson

Win an audio copy of THE HORSE BOY (Unabridged) By Rupert Isaacson, read by the author

*****
THE HORSE BOY is the dramatic and heartwarming story of that impossible adventure, undreamed of landscapes and people, unbearable setbacks, and advances beyond their wildest dreams. This is a deeply moving, truly one-of-a-kind story--of a family willing to go to the ends of the earth to help their autistic son, and of a boy learning to connect with the world for the first time.
*****

Same rules apply as usual - Please comment below if you are interested. Be sure to include some way for me to contact you (if I can't find you I can't get you the book). Three people will be drawn at random on June 5th So enter now!

This contest is eligible to those 18 years of age that are residents of the US and Canada. We will not be able to mail to P.O. Boxes. One entry per person.

All entries are due by June 5th - so enter now!

Win an Audio Copy of No Matter What (Unabridged) By Lisa Nichols

Win a copy of NO MATTER WHAT! (Unabridged) By Lisa Nichols

*****
From bestselling author and motivational speaker Lisa Nichols comes a unique and powerful inspirational program that will both move you and empower you to realize your dreams. In this powerful guide Lisa Nichols introduces her dynamic plan, shares her own remarkable story, and prescribes specific exercises and action steps to inspire listeners to learn from their past and move toward a courageous future.
*****

Same rules apply as usual - Please comment below if you are interested. Be sure to include some way for me to contact you (if I can't find you I can't get you the book). Three people will be drawn at random on May 18th So enter now!

This contest is eligible to those 18 years of age that are residents of the US and Canada. We will not be able to mail to P.O. Boxes. One entry per person.

All entries are due by May 18th - so enter now!

Win an audio copy of 8th Confession By James Patterson and Maxine Paetro, read by Carolyn McCormmick

Win a copy of THE 8TH CONFESSION By James Patterson and Maxine Paetro, read by Carolyn McCormmick

*****
The exhilarating new chapter in the Women's Murder Club series, THE 8TH CONFESSION serves up a double dose of speed-charged twists and shocking revelations as only James Patterson can. And remember, this is the only Murder Club episode of the year.
*****

Same rules apply as usual - Please comment below if you are interested. Be sure to include some way for me to contact you (if I can't find you I can't get you the book). Three people will be drawn at random on May 29th So enter now!

This contest is eligible to those 18 years of age that are residents of the US and Canada. We will not be able to mail to P.O. Boxes. One entry per person.

All entries are due by May 29th - so enter now!

Win a copy of Too Hot to Handle by Robin Kaye

This is is your chance to win an copy of Too Hot to Handle by Robin Kaye

Same rules apply as usual - Please comment below if you are interested. Be sure to include some way for me to contact you (if I can't find you I can't get you the book). One person will be drawn at random on May 8th So enter now!

This contest is eligible to those 18 years of age that are residents of the US and Canada. We will not be able to mail to P.O. Boxes. One entry per person.

All entries are due by May 8th - so enter now!

Author Post: Robin Kaye

Robin Kaye Guest Blog

A Blog of Books; May 5, 2009

When I wrote Romeo, Romeo, I thought I was writing a stand-alone book. When I sold Romeo, Romeo to Sourcebooks, the first thing Deb Werksman, my editor, said to me was what’s the next book in the series? The next book? What book? So, I did what I usually do, I punted and pitched Too Hot To Handle, Dr. Mike Flynn and Annabelle’s book.

The only problem with Too Hot To Handle was that Annabelle, the heroine, wasn’t very likeable in Romeo, Romeo. Of course, being the author that I am, I knew there was more to Annabelle then just a nasty attitude. There was some major baggage causing all that attitude. At the time, however, I hadn’t delved deeply into the reason. When I started writing Too Hot to Handle, that had to change. In the first scene all the baggage jumped out at me. It all started with the first line, “Ghosts don’t have sex, do they?”

After I wrote that first line, I knew all there was to know about Annabelle’s baggage. When, in the book, Annabelle had been going to art school several years before, she falls in love and gets engaged to Chip Larsen, the twin brother of her roommate, Becca. Chip dies of cancer and Annabelle returns to Brooklyn after his death. Her family doesn’t know Chip existed because she and Chip lived together and that is unacceptable in the Ronaldi family. When she comes back home, her family assumes that she runs home with her tail between her legs because she can’t make it on her own which, in their minds, is not unexpected.

For the two years since Chip’s death, which occur before the book begins, Annabelle gets very good at repressing her feelings. It works well until, at her sister Rosalie’s wedding, she runs into Mike who has an uncanny resemblance to Chip. After way too much champagne, Mike and Annabelle return to her new apartment and fall into bed together. The next morning, hung over and confused, she awakens with Mike wondering if ghosts have sex. Either she is sleeping with the ghost of her dead fiancé—in which case he’s learned a few things since his demise—or she is in bed with a total stranger.

Mike also comes with a fair amount of baggage. He’s worked his way through college and med school and is up to his stethoscope in debt. He’s in the process of buying his way into a practice when he finds out that one of the partners is a malpractice suit waiting to happen. This is definitely not the right time to find the woman of his dreams.

There are obstacles to overcome for both our hero and our heroine. But if there weren’t twists and turns in the relationship, Too Hot to Handle would be a very short book. And what would be the fun of that?

Book Review: Too Hot To Handle

Too Hot to Handle by Robin Kaye
Description: Mike Flynn is a doctor who wants nothing more then to take care of a woman. He isn't afraid to admit that he loves to cook and clean. How is that not every woman's dreams.

For Annabelle Ronaldi he seems perfect. She hates cooking and cleaning and loves that Mike is willing to do that for him. But she has a secret - he looks just like her now dead love. Their personalities are different but their looks are exactly the same. So when she wakes up next to Mike after attending her sister's wedding she knows she should stay away from him.

But she can't! And that means trouble for both of them - for there is a lot more going on then is obvious.


Thoughts:
I thought this book was a fun and flirty read. I love that the main hero likes to cook and clean (who doesn't want a man like that). I love that the woman is ok with that and that finally someone who took care of everyone else in her life is now being taken care of.

The best part of this book is that there is so much being told behind the scenes. It isn't just about sex and relationships between a man and a woman. It tells the story (in a not heavy-handed way) of relationships between parents and children, of lovers who were separated, of friendship and death.

What genre would you consider this?
Contemporary Romance

Overall:

Remember to enter our contests!

• Mother's Day Giveaway - Deadline: May 11th
• The Girl Who Stopped Swimming - Deadline: May 15th
• Testimony by Anita Shreve - Deadline: May 22

Book Feature: The Light, The Dark, & Ember Between

By: J.W. Nicklaus
Pages: 196
Publisher: Bedside Books
Publication Date: May 2009
Cost: $18.00
Description: A collection of short stories that should uplift you at every turn. Whether you want to laugh, cry, or just ponder the deeper meaning this book is a set of timeless thought provoking stories.

Fifty is Not a Four-Letter Word

Fifty is Not a Four-Letter Word by Linda Kelsey

Description:
Holly is a woman who has it all. A loving husband, a teenage son who loves her, a great job, wonderful friends. But just as she is starting to approach fifty years old things start falling apart. This 50 year old birthday thing symbolizes something to her and she just isn't sure it is a good thing. She looses her job, her husband begins to distance himself, and her son moves on with his life.

So Holly begins to have a crisis. Her relationships - whether they are with her mother, her father, her best-friend, her husband, or her son have all changed. Have they changed because she is so depressed about what being fifty means?

But Holly will learn that fifty is just a number and that there is so much more to her life then she ever imagined. She just needs to get there.


Thoughts:
I love these sort of women telling stories through their eyes about their lives books. I am not close to 50 but I can't tell you how many of my friends had problems with their 30th birthdays. I personally didn't let it bother me but many had major issues with getting older in that fashion. For me this book shows that life is not over at any age. The character is strong and caring and a good person - but this mid-life crisis and her behavior during it shows that even a good person can falter. And sometimes it seems like everything bad that is happening is the fault of this one thing - when really it is something that has been building up for a long time. Who knows - maybe what seems like the most devastating of things can actually be something that is the best for you and those around you.

Usually when a book ends a bit on a cliffhanger I don't like it. But in this experience (I won't tell you what the cliffhanger is) I actually think it made it a better book. You can pick how you think it should be ended. You pick where you think the main character should end up.

As a side note - the mother/daughter relationship in this book is quite interesting. Hope feels like she was never a good enough daughter and that her mother never loved her. Where as her mother always felt a bit of jealousy in regards to hope. I actually know several people who have that sort of relationship with their parent - and I don't know if their parent would ever admit it (except maybe under the possibilities of death). That behavior is one of those ones that scar a child for life and seeing it out in the open may bring some sort of freeness for those that experienced it themselves. They are not the only one.

What genre would you consider this?
Family Dynamics

Overall:

Mother's Day Giveaway

Be one of three people to win a copy of each of the following books to celebrate Mother's Day

1. Miracles of Motherhood
2. Odd Mom Out By Jane Porter
3. Mommy Grace By Sheila Schuller Coleman
4. Beginner's Greek By James Collins
5. The Road Home By Rose Tremain

Same rules apply as usual - Please comment below if you are interested. Be sure to include some way for me to contact you (if I can't find you I can't get you the book).

This contest is eligible to those 18 years of age that are residents of the US and Canada. We will not be able to mail to P.O. Boxes. One entry per person.

All entries are due by May 11th 8AM EST- so enter now!

SEVEN WAYS & SEVEN DAYS TO RENEW YOUR LIFE
By Carole Lynne,
Author of Cosmic Connection: Messages for a Better World

To renew and reinvent our lives, WE NEED A PLAN! Here it is: a seven-day process to work with over and over. This plan incorporates physical, mental and spiritual work. Use the whole seven-day process, or choose any one of the days to work with as you create the life you want.

DAY 1: RE-CHARGE A Day of Commitment

Focus on changing your mind-set: This is the day to change the thought patterns playing in your mind. Get rid of phrases such as "I can't." "Why does this happen to me?" "Things always seem to go wrong." "After three bad things happen, life will change for the better." Insert thoughts such as "I can do it." " There are creative solutions to any problem."

Create a visual logo that works for you: Imagine the ocean or the lake, water falls, butterflies, sunshine, moonshine --- whatever works for you. Note the image or images that work for you, and if you begin to feel negative, simply bring one of your positive images to mind. Your image is your logo for positive energy.

Tools for Day 1: Motivational books, music, dance, art, all that is inspirational.

DAY 2: RE-VAMP A Day of Planning

• What changes do you need to make in your home?
• What changes do you need to make in your office?
• What changes do you need to make in your exercise routine, OR do you need to begin an exercise routine (with doctor's permission of course)?
• What changes do you need to make in your diet?

Tools for Day 2: A notebook and pen, or computer.

DAY 3: RE-CYCLE A Day of Throwing Out

Choose an area of your home, your garage, your backyard, and clean it out thoroughly. Have three boxes set up: one for things to keep, one for things to repair, and one for things to give to others. The hard work begins.

Do not tackle your whole house on this one-day. This seven-day program can be repeated again, and each time you can choose a new area. You can repeat Day 3 every week for six weeks.

Tools for Day 4: Boxes to sort things in, vacuum cleaner, broom, dust rags, music to play to cheer yourself on through this hard day of work.

DAY 4: RE-FRESH A Day of Refreshment

This is a day of reward. If you cleaned out your office or home on day 3, then refresh this space with a new plant or bunch of flowers. Give yourself a present. Open the windows and make sure the light can shine in.

Tools for Day 4: A present for yourself.

DAY 5: RE-TURN A Day of Spiritual Contemplation

This is a day to contemplate your spiritual values and re-turn to the values that are important to you. This is a quiet day of soul searching. In the past two days you have re-cycled some of your belongings and you have refreshed an area of your house or office: you did a lot of physical work. You were involved with a lot of "things." Today, focus on the soul level. Sit and connect with the God of your understanding and ask questions:

• What is the meaning of my life?
• What am I here to do in this lifetime?
• What am I proud of and what advances have I made in my life?
• Which areas of my life need work?

This is the day to take an honest look at the way you spend your time, the people you associate with, the worries that occupy you too much, the fears that you allow to control you, the anger you may have towards others.

Tools for Day 5: An honest heart and an inquiring mind.

DAY 6: RE-INVENT A Day to Change Patterns

Yesterday was an assessment day. It was a hard day. Today is a day to make plans to change the parts of your life that need changing.

• Do you have health problems you are not facing? Make an appointment with a health professional or get back to taking care of yourself in the way that you know is best for you.
• Are you allowing the problems of others to dominate your life? If so this is a day to make plans to change your schedule. If you are a caregiver, find creative ways to get time off. And do not say, "There is no way." Find out what your community has to offer. If the person you are taking care of does not want to receive care from others, then you must be strong and explain that you have to have time off.
• If you spend all your time compassionately listening to others, remember that you will burn out if you do not have time for yourself. We all know this, but we do not always allow time for ourselves.

Tools for Day 6: A notebook, pen, computer, a telephone, appointment book.

DAY 7: RE-INVEST A Investment Day in All That is Positive

While I hesitate to use the word "re-invest" during this financial crisis, it is time to think about how to best spend your money, how to best spend your time. You have spent an entire week taking a look at your physical and spiritual life. Today is the day to take a good look at your financial life as well. Another coffee for five dollars may not be the best way to go. A lot of takeout food costs money. Are there ways to organize your cooking so that you do not pick up as much food?

Tools for Day 7: Your financial records, your checkbook, a willingness to make changes.

OKAY LET'S GET STARTED AND CHANGE OUR LIVES

©2009 Carole Lynne, author of Cosmic Connection: Messages for a Better World

Author Bio
Carole Lynne is the author of Cosmic Connection: Messages for a Better World. She is also the author of the award winning book Consult Your Inner Psychic, and How to Get a Good Reading From a Psychic Medium. To learn more about Carole Lynne visitwww.carolelynnecosmicconnection.com or www.carolelynne.com

Book Feature: What Would Jane Austen Do?

Author: Laurie Brown
Pages: 335
Cost: $6.99
Publication Date: May 2009
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Description: Eleanor is a girl who loves Jane Austen. When she visits England for a festival and finds herself back in time - that is what she thinks of. She must help a pair of ghosts prevent a deadly dual - and save a special man.

Knit Two

Knit Two by Kate Jacobs
Description:Another part of the A Friday Night Knitting Club story. We revisit our old favorite characters five years after the death of friend Georgia Walker. Each person has progressed with their lives and things are not always going their way.

Darwin has finally gotten the children she has always wanted. But it is overwhelming being a mother. She feels closer then ever to the other knitters but can they be what she needs when she is so desperate for help?

Lucie is a single mother who wants it all. But life is never that easy. Her daughter seems out of control and her mother is getting older and more dependent on her then ever.

Anita and Marty have had their relationship progress but now that their wedding is upcoming Anita realizes what is missing in her life. She decides to find it - no matter how much pain and heartbreak it brings.

Catherine just wants love. She misses Georgia terribly and has been unable to move on. She wants a family and children - but love is what she needs most of all. Catherine has been unable to open herself up that way though - can she let her heart go if someone is deserving.

Peri has kept Walker and Daughter open - but at the expense of some of her own dreams. Can she find the guts to walk away? Is that what she really wants to do?

Finally we have Georgia's daughter Dakota. Dakota is in college and trying to find her own way in the world. She still loves her mother's friends but between her mother's legacy and her fathers goals - can she find the place she belongs.

Thoughts:
The first book in this series touched me and this one continued that feeling. You can't help but see how death has changed each of the characters in this book - some in good ways and others in bad. They each want to hold on to a memory. Their idea of what Georgia was is inspiring - they only remember the good.

Seeing a child move on and deal with her mother's death is interesting. She has all sorts of mother figures that are willing to step in and be different sorts of mother's to her when she needs them. But the thing is she doesn't' really want them. She wants what she can't have.

These books are touching and an interesting perspective on a variety of women's lives and how they interact together.

What genre would you consider this?
Family Dynamics/Women

Overall:

Book Feature: The Nonesuch

By Georgette Heyer
Pages: 337
Price: $13.99
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Publication Date: April 2009
Description: Ancilla Trent is a chaperone for wild girl Tiffany Weld. Ancilla is willing to do anything to get Tiffany under control. But Tiffany is one to rebel and she takes off to London leaving Ancilla in the middle of a great scandal. Sir Waldo Hawkridge is a generous man who decides to help Ancilla recover Tiffany (and save them both from scandal). But as they travel together trying to find her they find love between themselves.

Book Feature: Outcast

by Cheryl Brooks
Pages: 343
Price: 6.99
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Publication Date: June 2009
Description: Their planet was destroyed and they are the last of their race. A special part man part cat breed. They definitely are good at loving those around them. But because Lynx has a past he will do anything to keep his distance from those around him. He has been hurt and he won't let Bonnie get past his defenses. But she needs and loves him - she can make him more then what he is right now.

Guest Post: J.W. Nicklaus Author of The Light, The Dark & Ember Between

It all starts at the heart . . .

An astronomer doesn’t just gaze at the stars; she looks into them, through them. The fledgling botanist hunches tenderly over a single daisy studying the petal pattern, then glances up in quiet awe at the spread of wildflower color and patterns present in a meadow full of flowering life.

What do they both have in common? A passion that drives them from within. It’s not something that can be taught, but that’s not to say it can’t be learned. Sometimes it doesn’t take much at all to start a flame anew from a glowing ember.

I’ve known plenty of people who have told me they would love to be able to write better, or even write a book they’ve always had tumbling about in their heads. For some it comes down to simple lack of confidence, while for others it may be fear of rejection. Both only need to be acknowledged and accepted. It’s that easy, and that complex. But like the amateur stargazer or budding botanist, all you really need is that inner voice urging you forward. Somebody, somewhere, will love to read your story, whatever form it may take—not everybody, but if you make so much as one person smile, think, or feel, then isn’t that worth all the effort?

What if you haven’t so much as written the first sentence of your tale? Don’t worry about that, for I guarantee it’s safely stowed and locked away in a tiny sanctuary in your heart. You’ll find it again, I promise. In the meantime read anything and everything. Read what interests you, read for information, read for the sheer pleasure of the act. Most importantly, read with an open mind. Then, if you have the opportunity, discuss what you’ve read with others. The internet is one place to start with if you prefer some level of anonymity. Look for forums or bulletin boards that pertain to your current obsession; it doesn’t matter if it’s discourse on the variants of butter pound cake recipes or heated debate over the virtues of rice paper over tissue paper for origami. Get involved! Search your local newspaper (if you still have one *sigh*) for interest groups that pertain to your particular pursuit.

Reading or writing groups are great for learning the ins and outs of writing. They can seem a bit intimidating at first, but if you remain open to it, and positively constructive, then you can glean an amazing amount from those who have been in your shoes at some point or other.

Next arises a really interesting phenomenon: the urge to write will come to you, unbidden, at the strangest times, moreso as you start writing more often. You’ll be driving and see something, or hear something on the radio that will fire a spark, make some cerebral synapse flare. To pay it disregard is to cheat yourself from exercising your passion. Write as often as you can, as often as you read if possible. Remember, not everything you write will be for public consumption (unless you want it to be). The mere act of writing strengthens links which were once weak.

“Okay,” you say, “I’ve read all my life, and I’ve been trying to write. When do I become an author?”

“When you can snatch the pebble from my hand, Grasshopper.” Simply stated, when you’re ready to be. When you’re comfortable enough to have others parse through your words and thoughts. When you can accept another approach and then re-work it into something stronger. When you can see through the words and understand their proper place in the universe that is your story. When you can see how every letter in your words brings forth the subtle color and evocative feelings that your paragraph ‘meadow’ contains.

You’ll know when you’re ready, just as the astronomer and botanist know. That little voice inside you will tell you . . . but you have to listen.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

J.W. Nicklaus resides in a place not entirely fit for human habitation about five months of the year. No pets to speak of, only the apparitions from which all romantics suffer.

An Arizona native, he’s been from one coast to the other, and a few places in between. College brought an AA in Journalism with a minor in Photography, and a Bachelor of Science in Telecommunications. His work experience has run the gamut from Creative Director for a small advertising firm in Tucson to a litigation support bureau in Phoenix (and assuredly some awkward stuff in the mix).

Snow has been featured prominently in his stories, perhaps because of the seasonless cli-mate he lives in. Nature was meant to be enjoyed and experienced, not hidden from the senses. So to that end, he hopes someday to live amongst those who are able to live through four true seasons, and not just blast furnace and warm.

He enjoys the occasional Arizona Diamondbacks game with his son, as well as watching him grow up. The experience of being a single dad has taught him far more about himself than he ever thought possible.

Within the expanse of every waking moment, he hopes his guardian angel keeps its arms open wide and heart ever watchful, for there but for one true Hope goes She.

For more about J.W. visit www.avomnia.com.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

A collection of short stories, each a splinter's reflection of the human condition, firmly centered upon our oft tenuous, sometimes tensile bond with Hope, and careening flirtation with Love.

Fifteen stories: From the wispy fog of a love lost at sea, to an orphaned child who delivers a present of her own during a war-torn Christmas. These stories are gentle reminders to each of us of what it is to be human, and certainly of our affinity for the slightest glint of Hope.

Mischief Becomes Her

Mischief Becomes Her by Kasey Michaels

Description:Jessica Sunshine and her sisters will do anything to prove that their father was murdered and that he did not kill someone. So in an effort to prove it they decide to take on the dead PI's cases and solve them. One of them must lead them to the murderer.

Jessica Sunshine is a TV reporter who will stop and nothing to get her man. She may be younger the homicide detective Matt Denby but she definitely is a match for him. Neither can deny their attraction for one another. Matt must keep Jessica out of trouble while helping her solve a case if he wants to put his friend (and her father's) name to rest.

Thoughts:
I am very interested in seeing where this series ends. I love the little mysteries in the story that help the main characters progress along in their relationships. Unfortunately I feel like there are still a lot of things to be solved before it can end - and as far as I can tell there is only one book left.

What genre would you consider this?
Romance

Overall:

The Well-Read Commuter Reviews The Accountant’s Story

The Accountant’s Story

Roberto Escobar with David Fisher

Few men in history have been more beloved and more hated than Pablo Escobar, the most famous drug lord in the history of the world. Born into poverty in Columbia during a time of extensive violence Roberto tells the story of Pablo’s rise from a humble beginning in rural Columbia to the head of a multi-billion dollar drug cartel.

I was hesitant that this book would be a swan-song or love letter of sorts from one brother to another. Instead, I found myself unable to put the book down as I ignored my weekend obligations and opted to be transported into the world of the Medillin Cartel. During the narration Roberto plays the roles of family insider, business partner and historian seamlessly as he recounts both his role in the cartel and his brother’s rise and fall. Roberto leaves a successful career in sports to help Pablo in his illegal business where one of the problems Roberto must deal with is what to do with all of the money coming in from other nations where . It is estimated that Pablo spent $2,500 a month on rubber bands just to hold the money together. As Roberto flips between his roles of telling his story and Pablo’s story he examines the role of the drug trade and how it impacted Columbia both for the better and for the worst. An interesting read for sure. For Roberto who now lives quietly on a ranch in Columbia nursing physical and emotional scars the book must have served as a way to set the record straight on Pablo who plays the dual role in history as philanthropist/ hero and violent drug lord.

Remember to Enter our contests!

• The Girl Who Stopped Swimming - Deadline: May 15th
• Testimony by Anita Shreve - Deadline: May 22

The Ten Year Nap

The Ten Year Nap by Meg Wolitzer

Description: Being a mother in New York City is no easy task. And each of these mother's decided to stay home and raise their children. But now their children are getting to the age where they need them less and less. This allows or forces the women to realize where their lives are at.

Are they happy in their relationships? What have they been ignoring the last years as they focused on their child and less on the other things going on around them.

What do they really want out of life? Can they get back in to achieving the life goals that they put on hold for their children?


Thoughts: I definitely appreciated the subject matter of this book. The idea of staying home with your children is definitely appealing. Many feel like they have to. They mentally compete with those that have to or chose to go back to work.

What does it mean to go back to work after years of being a mother? How does that affect you in the job market? What does it mean for you in terms of relationships with other mothers? Should you do more or less if you don't have a job outside of motherhood? What happens if you don't feel the connection to your child that you should? How are you supposed to feel if your child doesn't live up to your expectations?

All these are things that anyone who is a mother or who is contemplating motherhood thinks about. How do you be your own person while still being a good mother.

The only thing that I didn't like about the book is I felt there were almost too many prospective. Because it jumps from person to person allowing you a glimpse into each life all of the people and all of the connections were almost too much for me to follow and remember. There were times I would get into a section and be like - oh - I remember that person and what is going on with them.

What genre would you consider this?
Family Dynamics/Motherhood

Overall:

Well-Read Commuter Reviews Undress Me In The Temple of Heaven

Undress Me In The Temple of Heaven

Sarah Jane Gilman


What this book was about: A memoir of the author Sarah Jane Gilman and her friend Claire’s 1986 globe trotting adventures. The girls have never left the U.S. when inspired by a "Pancakes of Many Nations" promotion during a drunken night at IHOP they hatch a plan to circle the world, starting in China, which has just opened to tourists. From the moment of arrival, they're out of their depth, perpetually hungry, foolish, and paranoid from relentless observation.

From start to finish this book was fantastic. This is the type of book where midway through the first chapter you are not only hooked, you are recommending it to others. Fantastic writing, an exciting story and rich cast of international characters deliver. It also appeals on many levels, it’s a story of travel and adventure in a time before cell phones and the internet, a story of friendship and a story of humanity. It had me yearning for the impulsive days of my youth. Sadly, until I saw the word “memoir” on the cover of the audio book I almost skipped over it. The cover photo and title suggested to me this was a cheesy fiction romance novel. The audio book is read by the author and also contains an interview with the author at the conclusion of the novel. It was interesting to switch from the conclusion of the adventure in 1986 to an interview of the author’s views over two decades later. Not only would I recommend this book, I will be sure to check out Gilman’s two earlier books, Hypocrite and Kiss My Tiara.

At Grave’s End

At Grave’s End by Jeaniene Frost (Night Huntress Novel)

Description: Cat Crawford is the Night Huntress. She is part vampire and part human. She is in love with a very old (and powerful vampire – Bones). She and her friends must stop the vampires (and other creatures) that are evil – stop them from hurting people.

But her hard work is paying off with not only defeating the bad guys – but now everyone knows who she is. In her line of work this isn’t a good thing.

A vamp has come back to town to defeat Bones, hurt Cat, and also destroy everything she loves. Is Cat strong enough to do whatever it takes to defeat this evil?

Thoughts: Loved it, loved it, loved it. This is my first Night Huntress Novel and from now on I won’t hesitate to pick them up.
The character of Cat is a strong woman who wants to make the world a better place. Even though she has some super powers – she has to deal with things like an unhappy mother, relationship problems, and friends who don’t get the idea that she isn’t available.

For anyone who likes paranormal books – I think this is a great one for you to pick up.

What genre would you consider this?
Paranormal

Overall:

Win a copy of Testimony by Anita Shreve

This is is your chance to win an copy of Testimony by Anita Shreve.

Same rules apply as usual - Please comment below if you are interested. Be sure to include some way for me to contact you (if I can't find you I can't get you the book). Five people will be drawn at random on May 22nd!

This contest is eligible to those 18 years of age that are residents of the US and Canada. We will not be able to mail to P.O. Boxes. One entry per person.

All entries are due by May 22nd - so enter now!

For more information on Testimony read below:

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.

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PRAISE FOR TESTIMONY:

"Shreve, consummate craftsman and frequent provocateur, is on fire in her latest novel, a mesmerizing read centering on a sex scandal at a prestigious Vermont prep school....Shreve views all of the characters, even the most flawed, with a good deal of compassion, revealing the heartbreaking consequences of a single reckless act."--- Joanne Wilkinson, Booklist (starred review)

Anita Shreve is the critically acclaimed author of fourteen novels, including Body Surfing, The Pilot's Wife, which was a selection of Oprah's Book Club, and The Weight of Water, which was a finalist for England's Orange Prize. She lives in Massachusetts.

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Book Feature: Too Hot to Handle

Author: Robin Kaye
Pages: 405
Price: $6.99
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casblanca
Publication Date: May 2009
Description: Annabelle is a woman who doesn't want to cook or clean or do any of those traditional woman roles. Dr. Mike Flynn is a doctor who loves to do those things. So when they meet it seems like a match made in heaven. But there are secrets that could keep their love apart.

Bone Crossed

Bone Crossed by Patricia Briggs (A Mercy Thompson Novel)

Description: Mercy is overcoming a horrible incident in which she was hurt and forced to kill someone. For Adam the man that believes he is her mate - this is difficult. When the Vampire Queen punishes one of Mercy's friends because of Mercy's actions she knows it is time to get out of town. Surprisingly an old college friend has a problem - a ghost that needs to be removed from her house - and Mercy is the one to do it.

Of course things are not always what they appear. Can Mercy save her friends from the Vampire Queen's wrath? And what really is going on with the ghost that is infecting the house - it is dangerous and that is unusual for a ghost. Can Mercy figure it out in time before someone gets hurt? Mainly her?


Thoughts:
I know I have read a Mercy Thompson Novel before but it must have been pre-blog because I didn't find it on here. And I definitely think it is one of the earlier ones because I don't have all the story in my head. For me it took a little while to catch up. I was able to catch up and feel like I knew enough about what happened to know how it related to this story - but it took a while. Personally, I would have liked to start over from the beginning and I think I would have enjoyed it all the more because of it.

But the story is great on its own and definitely kept me intrigued. I think I will be picking up the next Mercy Thompson book that I see.

What genre would you consider this?
Paranormal

Overall: