South of Broad, by Pat Conroy - book tour April 30th

About South of Broad

Leopold Bloom King has been raised in a family shattered—and shadowed—by tragedy. Lonely and adrift, he searches for something to sustain him and finds it among a tightly knit group of high school outsiders. Surviving marriages happy and troubled, unrequited loves and unspoken longings, hard-won successes and devastating breakdowns, as well as Charleston, South Carolina’s dark legacy of racism and class divisions, these friends will endure until a final test forces them to face something none of them are prepared for.
Spanning two turbulent decades, South of Broad is Pat Conroy at his finest: a masterpiece from a great American writer whose passion for life and language knows no bounds.

About Pat Conroy:
Pat Conroy is the bestselling author of nine books: The Boo, The Water is Wide, The Great Santini, The Lords of Discipline, The Prince of Tides, Beach Music, My Losing Season, The Pat Conroy Cookbook: Recipes of My Life and South of Broad. He lives in Fripp Island, South Carolina.
Visit Pat Conroy’s website for more info about his work.

I am the last stop on the Tour.  Please check out all the stops! 

Pat Conroy’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:

Thursday, April 1st:  Jen’s Book Thoughts
Monday, April 5th:  Lit and Life
Tuesday, April 6th:  Rundpinne
Wednesday, April 7th:  Meanderings and Muses
Friday, April 9th:  Luxury Reading
Monday, April 12th:  Books and Cooks
Tuesday, April 13th:  The Brain Lair
Wednesday, April 14th: Po(sey) Sessions
Thursday, April 15th:  Raging Bibliomania
Monday, April 19th:  Life in the Thumb
Tuesday, April 20th:  Maggie Reads
Thursday, April 22nd:  Stephanie’s Written Word
Friday, April 23rd:  Sherri’s Jubilee
Monday, April 26th:  The Literate Housewife
Tuesday, April 27th:  Peeking Between the Pages
Wednesday, April 28th:  Library Queue
Thursday, April 29th:  Lakeside Musing
Friday, April 30th:  A Circle of Books

Stayed Tuned for my Review in the next week.  Prince of Tides is one of my favorite books ever. And one of my favorite book to movie stories also. I am not disappointed by this book so far in the least.  A bit of "life" happened and I need to catch my breath and finish this book.   Thank you Lisa (TLC book tours)  for allowing me to be a part of the great tour.

Mail Box Monday April 26th

Hello and Happy Monday:
Welcome to Mailbox Monday hosted by Marica at the Printed Page.  It is a great big Monday blog event to see what books arrived  this past week(s).   I saved about three weeks of books to add on this lovely Monday.  I will be around on Mailbox Monday but I am seriously cutting off the supply of books coming to my house, so that I can systematically devour my piles.  

I received Presumed Innocent, by Scott Turow.  Thank you Hachette Book Group.
(see my giveaway ending April 27th for this one.)

I received Black Hills by Dan Simmons (Audiobook) I am so eager to bust this one out and listen.  Thank you Hachette Book Group.

A bit about this book:

In BLACK HILLS, Dan Simmons weaves the stories of Paha Sapa and Custer together seamlessly, depicting a violent and tumultuous time in the history of Native Americans and the United States Army.

The other audio book that I received is:  Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter, by Seth Grahame-Smith.  Thank you Hachette Books.  Please enter my giveaway here.

From Stephanie at Workman, I received: College in a Nutskull, compliled and edited by Professor Anders Henriksson.  

About the book:

He's back. Anders Henriksson, author of The New York Times bestseller Non Campus Mentis (retitled Ignorance Is Blitz), returns with even funnier, nuttier, more outrageous material culled from the actual exam books of real college students. And it's a hoot that covers all subjects of the core curriculum, including: American History: "The Underground Railroad was built as the nation's first public transit system." Art: "Cubism is art from Cuba." Religion: "Moses led his Islams out of Egypt. Bananas from heaven arrived to feed the hungry people. These events are described in the Book of Zeus." Philosophy: "Plato did his thinking in the Cave of Al Gore." Economics: "The theory of surplus value is Marx’s idea that you always shop with coupons." Music: "Bach's sacred choral music includes the B Minor Mess. . . . All one million of his famed works can be found in his BMW. He had over one hundred children and was, of course, very famous for his work with his organ. Two of his successful sons were Jesus Christ Bach and Bacherini." Literature: "Jay Gatsby moved to East Egg because it would be a good place to raise his chickens." And Psychology—or is it Theater Arts: "Most people are either straight, gay, or thespian."

Published in the irresistible form of a spiral notebook, a pure parody of a course-by-course study guide (complete with doodles), College in a Nutskull is stuff that just cannot be made up—bloopers and blunders and desperate attempts to bluff the right answer, woven together to give a hilarious, unintentionally brilliant report on the state of American higher education. A comedy, that is, for anyone not paying tuition.

And once again from the wonderful Hachette book Group, I received The Cradle by Patrick Somerville. Please enter my Giveaway.

Thank you for the books publishers.  Everyone have a great week. I hope you can read to your hearts contents.

Winners - Love in Mid Air by Kim Wright!!

Congratulations to the winners of Love in Mid Air, by Kim Wright.  I had great fun with the Tour.  Thank you Hachette Book Group!!  The winners are:

Doreen F.
Serena (SV&W)
Kelsey
Debsdesk
Teresa (teresasreadingcorner)


Those receiving the Complimentary lotion will be notified by email.
Thank you for commenting and participating.

Winners!! Ted Dekker Tour Prizes -

Sorry for the delay folks!

The Grand Prize winner of the book The Bride Collector and the Spooky Guy is:  

Jennygirl

Runner up winners of the book only are:

  Mystica,

  Luanne, 

Wendy (Hines),

and Janel.

Congratulations to the winners!  Thank you Hachette books for the Giveaway

National Poetry Month Blog Tour

Click here for all the stops!  And a big thank you to Serena from Savvy Verse and Wit for arranging this wonderful tour.

Today I'd like to share a very very favorite book of mine.  It is a poetry anthology.  I am one of those people that loves poetry. But most of the time I need help "getting it." When I do get it, I simply melt, or whatever appropriate emotion should happen, will happen.

The book that I love so much is called Wordsworth, The Eternal Romantic.    My favorite poem of all time is:  I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud.    You have to check it out.  And I do know it by heart.

What I like about this type of lovely compact book, is that I get what I want to know about Wordsworth  in the introduction.  It is nice and short and filled with the details of his life, there is a very nice time line, and a note from the author.   The book is full of gorgeous illustrations such as There is Sorrow on the Seas.  The works of Wordworth are loaded with life, love, nature and God.   He is one of the greatest poets of the Romantic Period.  This book is a sampling of that beauty.

I have carried this book around for over ten years.  It is my "go to" book of beautiful things to read and behold.

Here is another favorite from the book.

 The Solitary Reaper

Behold her, single in the field,
    Yon solitary Highland Lass!
    Reaping and singing by herself;
    Stop here, or gently pass!
    Alone she cuts and binds the grain,
    And sings a melancholy strain;
    O listen! for the Vale profound
    Is overflowing with the sound.

    No Nightingale did ever chaunt
    More welcome notes to weary bands
    Of travellers in some shady haunt,
    Among Arabian sands:
    A voice so thrilling ne'er was heard
    In spring-time from the Cuckoo-bird,
    Breaking the silence of the seas
    Among the farthest Hebrides.

    Will no one tell me what she sings?—
    Perhaps the plaintive numbers flow
    For old, unhappy, far-off things,
    And battles long ago:
    Or is it some more humble lay,
    Familiar matter of to-day?
    Some natural sorrow, loss, or pain,
    That has been, and may be again?

    Whate'er the theme, the Maiden sang
    As if her song could have no ending;
    I saw her singing at her work,
    And o'er the sickle bending;—
    I listened, motionless and still;
    And, as I mounted up the hill,
    The music in my heart I bore,
    Long after it was heard no more. 

 

What you do you think?   I love that last line. It is how I often feel about music and every once in while a poem.   That last line of the poem sums up how I feel about the actual poem.  Does that make sense?

The book is written by K.E. Sullivan

Gamercy Books, New York

Copyright 1996 Brockhamptom Press

The Cradle, by Patrick Somerville - Giveaway

About the book:

Early one summer morning, Matthew Bishop kisses his still-sleeping wife Marissa, gets dressed and eases his truck through Milwaukee, bound for the highway. His wife, pregnant with their first child, has asked him to find the antique cradle taken years before by her mother Caroline when she abandoned Marissa, never to contact her daughter again. Soon to be a mother herself, Marissa now dreams of nothing else but bringing her baby home to the cradle she herself slept in. His wife does not know-does not want to know-where her mother lives, but Matt has an address for Caroline's sister near by and with any luck, he will be home in time for dinner.

Only as Matt tries to track down his wife's mother, he discovers that Caroline, upon leaving Marissa, has led a life increasingly plagued by impulse and irrationality, a mysterious life that grows more inexplicable with each new lead Matt gains, and door he enters. As hours turn into days and Caroline's trail takes Matt from Wisconsin to Minnesota, Illinois, and beyond in search of the cradle, Matt makes a discovery that will forever change Marissa's life, and faces a decision that will challenge everything he has ever known.

Elegant and astonishing, Patrick Somerville tells the story of one man's journey into the heart of marriage, parenthood, and what it means to be a family. Confirming the arrival of an exuberantly talented new writer, THE CRADLE is an uniquely imaginative debut novel that radiates with wisdom and wonder.

Looking for a good book club read?  I think this sounds like a great one. Please click here to find a link to the reading group guide.

Author Website
View the Video

Thank you Valerie  at Hachette book group for offering A Circle of Books three copies of this book.


To Enter:

• Leave a comment on this blog with your email address. (one entry)
• Followers of this blog receive and addition entry. (two entries)
• Blog or tweet about the contest and receive five entries.
• US and Canada only / No P.O. Boxes / Books ship from the publisher.
• Contest ends 4/28/2010

Presumed Innocent, by Scott Turow - Giveaway

 

About the book:
Presumed Innocent brings to life our worst nightmare: that of an ordinary citizen facing conviction for the most terrible of crimes. Prosecutor Rusty Sabich is transformed from accuser to accused when he is handed an explosive case-that of the brutal murder of a woman who happens to be his former lover.

In anticipation for the highly-awaited sequel to Presumed Innocent, Innocent, which releases May 4, 2010, I have three copies of Presumed Innocent to offer courtesy of Valerie at Hachette Book Group.  Thank you!

Rules:
US and Canda Only.
N.O. P.O. Boxes.

• Leave a comment on this post w/ your email for one entry.  
• Follow this blog for an additional entry (google reader, friend etc. all count!!)
• Twitter or blog about the comment and receive  five entries.
• Contest ends 4/27/2010.

Other ways to get involved with upcoming news on this book.
Join Scott Turow on Facebook.
Check out the Author web-site.

Audio Book- Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

Hello Everyone:

Thanks to Anna at Hachette Book Group I am offering three copies of the unabridged audio of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith.

About the Audio Book:
Indiana, 1818. Moonlight falls through the dense woods that surround a one-room cabin, where a nine-year-old Abraham Lincoln kneels at his suffering mother's bedside. She's been stricken with something the old-timers call "Milk Sickness."

"My baby boy..." she whispers before dying.

Only later will the grieving Abe learn that his mother's fatal affliction was actually the work of a vampire.

When the truth becomes known to young Lincoln, he writes in his journal, "henceforth my life shall be one of rigorous study and devotion. I shall become a master of mind and body. And this mastery shall have but one purpose..." Gifted with his legendary height, strength, and skill with an ax, Abe sets out on a path of vengeance that will lead him all the way to the White House.

While Abraham Lincoln is widely lauded for saving a Union and freeing millions of slaves, his valiant fight against the forces of the undead has remained in the shadows for hundreds of years. That is, until Seth Grahame-Smith stumbled upon The Secret Journal of Abraham Lincoln, and became the first living person to lay eyes on it in more than 140 years.

Using the journal as his guide and writing in the grand biographical style of Doris Kearns Goodwin and David McCullough, Seth has reconstructed the true life story of our greatest president for the first time-all while revealing the hidden history behind the Civil War and uncovering the role vampires played in the birth, growth, and near-death of our nation.

About the Author:
 Seth Grahame-Smith is the New York Times bestselling author of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. He lives in Los Angeles.

Listen to the Excerpt.
Become a Fan on Facebook.
Join the Undead  Book Club.

• To enter, simply leave a comment on this blog with your email address (if it is not attached to your profile).  I have to have a way to get a hold of you.
• If you follow this blog you get an extra entry (let me know if you follow, google reader does count).
• If you blog or tweet about the contest you will get 3 more entries. (total of five max).You can post all of this info in one comment, or  more, it is up to you.
• This Contest ends on April 28th.  Good luck.

US and Canada only.
No P.O. Boxes
Your books will ship from the publisher.

Audio and Video

• Mocumentary
• Listen to an Excerpt