Mailbox Monday 9/28

Mailbox Monday is hosted by Marcia at the Printed Page.

What came into your mailbox last week?

I was thrilled to receive an amusing Book called Simon's Cat, by Simon Tofield

I will be posting a review and the giveaway winners this week. So stay turned.

Review - A Summer Affair, Elin Hilderbrand

My Review:

I liked this book a lot. It was better than I expected and I say this because I don't believe the summary of the book does the story justice. The front of my book says, "she was the perfect wife and mother - and he was the perfect temptation." After reading the book I would say that line has no business on the front of the book. I think it cheapens the story.

I enjoyed the Nantucket setting, the characters and the main theme. I thought that Claire was like any normal mother of four. I don't think she was the perfect mother, she was just struggling like the rest of us. And she was afflicted with that " mother guilt" about just about everything. I think many modern day mom's can relate to that. I sure can. "Things" happen. Affairs that should never happen, DO happen. I thought the story was very relevant and gave insight to how something like this can happen. I liked how the story takes us through the affair and to the to the other side of the affair.

There was a best friend element in the story, as well. I liked the element of Claire and Siobhan's friendship. I liked how Elin Hilderbrand wove the elements of a major social event, motherhood, marriage and friendship into a very interesting story.

It was more than just a summery romance book. I don't think everything I read has to be loaded with prose and lyrical writing. I liked this book a lot. I will be looking for more Elin Hilderbrand in the future.

Thank you Valerie from Hachette Books for providing myself and my book club copies of this book for our summer reading selection. I think this makes a great summer book club selection. Check out the Reading Group Guide for more information.

Click here for a video on A Summer Affair, by Elin Hilderbrand.

Did you review this book this summer? Feel free to link your review in your comment here. Thanks for reading this review, and I'd love to hear your comments.

Book Summary

Claire Danner Crispin, mother of four young children and nationally renowned glassblower, bites off more than she can chew when she agrees to co-chair the Nantucket's Children Summer Gala.

Claire is asked to chair the benefit, in part, because she is the former high school sweetheart of rock star Max West. Max agrees to play the gala and it looks like smooth sailing for Claire-until she promises a "museum-quality" piece of glass for the auction, offers her best friend the catering job, goes nose-to-nose with her Manhattan socialite co-chair, and begins a "good-hearted" affair with the charity's Executive Director, Lockhart Dixon.

Hearts break and emotions are pushed to the limit in this riveting story of one woman's attempt to deal with loves past and present, family, business, and high-powered social pressures. Elin Hilderbrand's unique understanding of the joys and longings that animate women's lives will make this her newest summer bestseller.

Traveling With Pomegranates - Winners

A bit delayed on the announcement, but winner news is always good news!

The winners are:

Diane from Bibliophile by the Sea

and

Bermudia Onion.

Thank you Katrina from Wiredset for the great offer!

Thank you all for participating. I will send an email to the winners this weekend.

Toni

Mailbox Monday 9/21/2009

This great meme is hosted by Marcia at the Printed Page. Feel free to join in.

Books I got this week:

Well nothing came from publishers but I got:

The Book Thief, by Markus Zukas from Paperback swap.

And

Tara Road by Maeve Binchy, from a surplus box at my mom's moving day.

I really wanted to buy The Last Symbol.. and I think I will this week. I just want to sit down and devour another Robert Langdon escapade.

Happy Monday.

Ack! What happened?

Ack, where did the week go? It is Thursday...yes.. I have a mailbox and yes there was a book in it, but I just didn't get around to posting or looking in on everyone's mailboxes. I will post next Monday....who knows? Maybe there will be two books to post!

I am reading A Summer Affair. It is enjoyable and I will have that review up. I started Breaking Dawn, and while I was dying to get to it, something about the beginning was too annoying for me. I am sure this wasn't the book, just me. So I long to hunker down and read more about Bella and Edward and Jacob. I need my fix.

I am dying to get my hands on Dan Brown's latest. And I will... Oh I will.

Hubby is recovering well, but we are still two people with only two legs... since the legs are attached to me, I am busier than normal. Yep, I mow lawns now too! I helping my mom move this weekend. Not too far, but still farther than we'd like.

My girl is coming HOME!! Yep.. my daughter is coming back home after being gone 1 year, 2 months.... days... hours....minutes...well I really don't know the exact time but oh how I have missed her. So I am flying to Oklahoma on October 8th and driving over halfway across the country home with her and her dog Lola. Did someone say road trip? I will be using the gps to find book and yarn stores!

So I will be bombarding with comments and reading all the lovely reviews soon. I have been peeking in on the Blogger Awards. So glad that everyone is having a good time. Congrats to the Winners, the Shortlisters, and all nominees. I sure hope to participate and get involved next year. Thank you to all who spent so much time to organize the event.

My blogiversary came and went.... so I will hooplah it up next year or who knows maybe something exciting will come my way to celebrate.

I am good at having giveaways, but very bad about going to the Post to mail the winners prizes. Otherwise I'd be hosting a ton of my own book giveaways. And that is the plan... so if you follow this blog keep following.... there will be good stuff to come.

Reviews will be coming too. I did a lot of knitting and writing for my Knitting blog in August, thank so many of you for stopping by. I posted a lot of pictures of my work, feel free to stop by and leave comments.

Dexter is doing well! Better than well... he is both hellion and dog love of my life. What can I say?

Giveaway - Traveling with Pomegranates - by Sue Monk Kidd and Ann Kidd Taylor

Giveaway!!

Traveling with Pomegranates

Thank you Katrina from Wiredset for the great offer! I have two copies to offer! And this contest is open internationally! Leave a comment on this post to enter. Twitter or Face book, or blog about this giveaway and you get five extra entries into the random drawing. Winners will be announced on or about September 19th!

If you can wait to win, the book is On Sale Now

Order:

Read an excerpt:

Book description

An introspective and beautiful dual memoir by the #1 New York Times bestselling novelist and her daughter

Sue Monk Kidd has touched millions of readers with her novels The Secret Life of Bees and The Mermaid Chair and with her acclaimed nonfiction. In this intimate dual memoir, she and her daughter, Ann, offer distinct perspectives as a fifty-something and a twenty-something, each on a quest to redefine herself and to rediscover each other.

Between 1998 and 2000, Sue and Ann travel throughout Greece and France. Sue, coming to grips with aging, caught in a creative vacuum, longing to reconnect with her grown daughter, struggles to enlarge a vision of swarming bees into a novel. Ann, just graduated from college, heartbroken and benumbed by the classic question about what to do with her life, grapples with a painful depression. As this modern-day Demeter and Persephone chronicle the richly symbolic and personal meaning of an array of inspiring figures and sites, they also each give voice to that most protean of connections: the bond of mother and daughter.

A wise and involving book about feminine thresholds, spiritual growth, and renewal, Traveling with Pomegranates is both a revealing self-portrait by a beloved author and her daughter, a writer in the making, and a momentous story that will resonate with women everywhere.

Sue Monk Kidd:

SUE MONK KIDD is the author of the novels, The Secret Life of Bees and The Mermaid Chair, and the memoirs, The Dance of the Dissident Daughter, When the Heart Waits, and Firstlight, a collection of early writings. The Secret Life of Bees has spent more than 125 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and was adapted into an award-winning movie. The Mermaid Chair, a #1 New York Times bestseller, was adapted into a television movie. Each of her novels has been translated into more than 24 languages. The recipient of numerous literary awards, Sue lives in South Carolina with her husband.

Ann Kidd Taylor:

Ann Kidd Taylor is a graduate of Columbia College in South Carolina. She has published articles and essays in Skirt! magazine in Charleston, SC, where she worked for two years after college as an editorial assistant. She left to pursue a career in writing, working on a book about her travels, which evolved into Traveling with Pomegranates, a memoir she co-authored with her mother Sue Monk Kidd. It is her first book. Ann lives near Charleston with her husband and son.

First September Giveaway - Simon's Cat

The Giveaway is for:
Simon's Cat, by Simon Tofield.

Thank you Anna from Hachette Books for offering this Great Giveaway. I have five copies to giveaway. US and Canada Only, and no P.O Boxes. Please leave me your email address in your comment. If your email is accessible in your profile that works for me.

The contest ends September 25th. Winners to be announced shortly after. Just leave a comment here and you are entered. Become a follower for an extra entry. Tweet, Facebook, or blog and you get five entries!! Leave me a note and link that you have done this pretty please.


Simon Tofield's animations have taken YouTube by storm. Now, the feline Internet phenomenon makes his way onto the page in this first-ever book based on the popular animated series. SIMON'S CAT depicts and exaggerates the hilarious relationship between a man and his cat. The daily escapades of this adorable pet, which always involve demanding more food, and his exasperated but doting owner come to life through Tofield's charming and hilarious illustrations.


Watch all the Simon's Cat Videos.
Become a fan on Facebook.

About the author:
Simon Tofield is an award-winning animator who lives in London.

Thank you and good luck.

Mailbox Monday 9/7/2009

What came in your mailbox this week.

Check out this fun meme at The Printed Page, hosted by Marcia.

This week I got:

Alice Starmore's Book of Fair Isle Knitting.

It is an older publication book that was finally released for reprint. I pre-ordered in February. I couldn't be more thrilled. I will post a review in a few days. Right now I am caught up in the history of the Fair Islands/ Shetland Island and how the Fair Isle type of knitting came to be. I find it fascinating. This is my third Alice Starmore book and I am not disappointed in the least.

Happy Monday!

In loving Memory

A year ago I posted a link about a very dear friend of mine's nephew who was killed in Afghanistan. I just wanted to post a remembrance in his honor today. For him, his family and all the brave military men and women who are continually serving and supporting.

Here is the link I posted last year.

Sending Prayers and love to all that knew and loved Michael.

White Queen - Fans and Future readers!!

White Queen Fans!!!
Check out this giveaway, new widget and trailer. It is all so very exciting.



To celebrate the success of its release, LivingSocial and Simon & Schuster are giving away a trip to London and other great prizes.

http://books.livingsocial.com/the-white-queen

Grand prize package [Retailed at about $4,000]:

· Roundtrip airfare for two to London; hotel accommodations for 3 nights in the Strand Palace, located in the heart of London’s Theatreland

· Tickets for a dinner cruise on the Thames

· A day tour of the Tower of London and St. Paul’s Cathedral

· Day trip to Windsor Castle and Runnymede

· $200 American Express Gift Card

1 first prize winner

· Will receive an e-reader loaded with The White Queen e-book

1 second prize winner

· Will receive a leather-bound edition of The White Queen

Become a fan of The White Queen: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-White-Queen/108761054009

Follow The White Queen: http://twitter.com/WhiteQueen_book