Poem - Golden Gate Bridge

 *Inspired by my recent trip to San Francisco, I post this poem.  For trip details check out my other blog.

The Mighty Task is Done

By Joseph P. Strauss, Chief Engineer
Golden Gate Bridge and Highway District

Written upon completion of the building of the Golden Gate Bridge in May 1937

At last the mighty task is done;
Resplendent in the western sun
The Bridge looms mountain high;
Its titan piers grip ocean floor,
Its great steel arms link shore with shore,
Its towers pierce the sky.

On its broad decks in rightful pride,
The world in swift parade shall ride,
Throughout all time to be;
Beneath, fleet ships from every port,
Vast landlocked bay, historic fort,
And dwarfing all--the sea.

To north, the Redwood Empire's gates;
'To south, a happy playground waits,
in Rapturous appeal;
Here nature, free since time began,
Yields to the restless moods of man,
Accepts his bonds of steel.

Launched midst a thousand hopes and fears,
Damned by a thousand hostile sneers,
Yet ne'er its course was stayed,
But ask of those who met the foe
Who stood alone when faith was low,
Ask them the price they paid.

Ask of the steel, each strut and wire,
Ask of the searching, purging fire,
That marked their natal hour;
Ask of the mind, the hand, the heart,
Ask of each single, stalwart part,
What gave it force and power.

An Honored cause and nobly fought
And that which they so bravely wrought,
Now glorifies their deed,
No selfish urge shall stain its life,
Nor envy, greed, intrigue, nor strife,
Nor false, ignoble creed.

High overhead its lights shall gleam,
Far, far below life's restless stream,
Unceasingly shall flow;
For this was spun its lithe fine form,
To fear not war, nor time, nor storm,
For Fate had meant it so.

To Kill a Mockingbird - 50th Anniversary

I came home from work, got the mail, sat down and started reading.  I stopped only to post this little note!!!!

 I am reading To Kill a Mocking Bird, by Harper Lee courtesy of Harperperennial (Modern Classics)   Thank you Amy.

Yesterday marked the 50th anniversary of the book, and I have never read it.  I have seen the movie a few times.   I have to say out of all the book notes and commentary I have ever heard, this one seems to top many, if not, most lists.   I am sorry I haven't read it but in a way it is cool to have something so great to read now when I can appreciate it most.

I am so thrilled  to be reading this book this Summer.   I can't wait to report back on it.

Book Description

Harper Lee's classic novel of a lawyer in the Deep South defending a black man charged with the rape of a white girl.

One of the best-loved stories of all time, To Kill a Mockingbird has earned many distinctions since its original publication in 1960. It won the Pulitzer Prize, has been translated into more than forty languages, sold more than thirty million copies worldwide, and been made into an enormously popular movie. Most recently, librarians across the country gave the book the highest of honors by voting it the best novel of the twentieth century.

For more info click here.

New Book! Far Bright Star, Robert Olmstead

Hello Everyone:
I haven't participated in Mailbox Monday in a while, but I wanted to post about this great book I received from Algonquin! Thank you!  I think this book sounds awesome and I wanted to share with everyone.  

About Far Bright Star

The year is 1916. The enemy, Pancho Villa, is elusive. Terrain is unforgiving. Through the mountains and across the long dry stretches of Mexico, Napoleon Childs, an aging cavalryman, leads an expedition of inexperienced horse soldiers on seemingly fruitless searches. Though he is seasoned at such missions, things go terribly wrong, and his patrol is suddenly at the mercy of an enemy intent on their destruction. After witnessing the demise of his troops, Napoleon is left by his captors to die in the desert.

Through him we enter the conflicted mind of a warrior as he tries to survive against all odds, as he seeks to make sense of a lifetime of senseless wars and to reckon with the reasons a man would choose a life on the battlefield. Olmstead, an award-winning writer, has created a tightly wound novel that is as moving as it is terrifying.

About Robert Olmstead

Robert Olmstead is the author of six previous books. Coal Black Horse was the winner of the Heartland Prize for Fiction and the Ohioana award and was a #1 Book Sense Pick and a Borders Original Voices selection. The recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship and an NEA grant, he is a professor at Ohio Wesleyan University.



Update on me!  I am slowly getting some readng Mojo back. I am reading Hungry Woman in Paris, by Josephina Lopez and I am re-reading The Witching Hour by Anne Rice.   So many of you have sent me regards and love regarding my mom. I wanted to report to everyone that she is now cancer free.  She had her PET Scan a few weeks ago and all is great!  Thanks to all for you kind words, notes, prayers and thoughts.

Happy Hump Day and before you know it I'll be popping by your blogs!!  

Love and Sunshine,
Toni

Hark.... A Book Review!

Everyone is Beautiful,  by Katherine Center, a review by Toni.

First of all, I want to thank Dar from Peeking Between the Pages for this book.  I won the ARC on her blog a long time ago.  Thank you Dar.

I started this book about three weeks ago.  I planned to just devour it in a day or so.  It didn't happen that way for me and that is my fault, not the book's.   I had heard so many wonderful things about the book, but a few pages into it,  all the mommy stuff, sticky hands, brat kids and what not, it just drove me nuts. I didn't even find it all that funny either.  I kept thinking, why do I want to read about this mother of three, pudgy from pregnancy, blah blah ... once again......been there done that and DON'T want to read a book about it (anymore) Once again, I will tell you that it was entirely my attitude or maybe just my mood.

Final result: The book was heartwarming, down-to-earth, and yes, funny. Before long I found myself enjoying it, smiling through the kid episodes. For me the book took off when issues were more centered around  Lanie, Peter, Amanda, Nora, Nelson and Josh.  I liked the adult elements/themes of the book.    After all is said and done, I put this one in the pile of books I would recommend, and books I enjoyed.   I shed a tear at the end and did a girl power fist pump too!  ( I am passing it along to my daughter).

It was charming and if you want to get lost in a sweet book, I'd say this should do the trick. I don't usually categorize books as a "beach read" or "summer" read because all books are anytime read depending on life.   But if you need one for the beach bag, or travel tote, I'd toss this one in for sure.  I hope this is the book that breaks my reading slump. 

Have a great weekend!

Vacation at Home...

Hello!

I have been MIA in the blog world.  Trying to find the balance and get out of my reading slump. I have literally been having to sit down and tell myself to read.   I am reading Everyone is Beautiful by Katherine Center.  When I started reading it, I kept rolling my eyes.  It was my bad attitude and not the book.   As my attitude gets better, so does the book. I should finish today or tomorrow.

I had some Toni  time on the patio for my first day of vacation.  I was unable to go on vacation, but I felt peace and quiet this morning.

Here is the patio:
















And of course Dexter says "Hi" from the bathtub!

I have also been reading Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel.  It is a really good read in my opinion.  I don't know what book I will pick up next but I look forward to reading something really good.  I am thinking it will be something Tudor related.

Happy Wednesday.

Mailbox Monday 5/24/2010

Hello everyone!  Happy Monday.

Welcome to Mailbox Monday.  A great weekly blog ring of folks who post what came in their mailboxes in the way of books.  It is hosted by Marcia at the Printed Page. 

I haven't been posting as I haven't been accepting books for review for a while.  Trying to catch up.  Before I share what I received, I just want to say I am still out here.  I  still do read blogs.  Many days I make the choice of reading a few and commenting on a few or getting to read more and not commenting.  I never found that right balance for 2010 that I wanted, but I still love books and book blogs/bloggers.   I will be seeing you around the web.  Maybe mid to late summer I can get caught up and I can offer some book giveaways. 

This week I got:  The Lion, by Nelson DeMille.  And it is coming out June 8th, 2010!!!!!

About the book:

 

In this eagerly awaited follow-up to The Lion's Game, John Corey, former NYPD Homicide detective and special agent for the Anti-Terrorist Task Force, is back. And, unfortunately for Corey, so is Asad Khalil, the notorious Libyan terrorist otherwise known as "The Lion." Last we heard from him, Khali had claimed to be defecting to the US only to unleash the most horrific reign of terrorism ever to occur on American soil. While Corey and his partner, FBI agent Kate Mayfield, chased him across the country, Khalil methodically eliminated his victims one by one and then disappeared without a trace.

Now, years later, Khalil has returned to America to make good on his threats and take care of unfinished business. "The Lion" is a killing machine once again loose in America with a mission of revenge, and John Corey will stop at nothing to achieve his own goal -- to find and kill Khahil.

About the author:
Nelson DeMille is the author of 15 previous novels. He lives on Long Island, New York.

 

Thank you Henry from Hachette Book Group for sending me this ARC to review. 

Details:

Category:FICTION

Format:HARDCOVER BOOK

Publish Date:6/8/2010

Price:$27.99/$29.99

ISBN:9780446580830

Pages:448

Size:6" x 9"

Winners - Delayed

So sorry about the delay.   I am actually sick as a dog today.  This post was to go out last week but it has been lingering as a draft because I wanted pictures.  But I did add links so if you want to know more about the books, click on the links to go back to the original giveaway link.



Winners of the audio set of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith:

Anne - From Ontario.
Anne-Marie T
Dawn M

Winners of Presumed Innocence by Scot Turow:

Gwendolyn B
Kaye (Pudgy Penguin)
LA Musing

Winners of The Cradle by Patrick Somerville:
Shelburns
Nicole C
Jennifer (Crazy for books)   

Have a great week.  I will be sending you all an email.  If you want to forward your mailing address to me in advance, feel free to do so. Just put the title of the book and WINNER in the subject line.

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

Love in Mid Air Blog Tour and Giveaway and Review

The story of a woman who meets a man on an airplane and, suddenly, is willing to risk everything: her safe but stale marriage, her seemingly perfect life in an affluent Southern suburb, and her position in the church. As Elyse embarks on a risky affair, her longtime friend Kelly and the other women in their book club begin to question their own decisions about love, sex, marriage, and freedom. In the end it will take an extraordinary leap of faith for Elyse to find--and follow--her own path to happiness.

My thoughts:
I think it is a solid book on a topic that affects many in this day and time.   I believe the story to be believable.  Affairs happen, and many times it effects more than just the couple.  I liked the style of the book and the different angles of the effects of Elyse's actions.  You don't have to condone affairs to enjoy the book.  You can be for a person and not the action.  You don't have to take sides.   Just read the book and see what you think.    I think the book stirs up interesting conversation and questions. This would be a great book club selection.  I was drawn into the story right away.  I wanted to keep reading to find out Elyse's path. From the beginning I was on this "ride" with Elyse, with pretty much no judgment.  I don't relate with the story because I am not in an unhappy marriage, but I can understand what the pain of an unhappy marriage (or just emotional pain in general) can do to a person to set them on a course that seems to medicate the/ a situation.

I have five copies to giveaway courtesy of Hachette Book Group.

All you have to do is leave a comment on this post with an email address.  This contest is open to all readers of A Circle of Books.  Unfortunately only open to US and Canada at this time. No P.O. boxes.   You do not have to be a follower of this blog and this is a ONE Entry per person giveaway.
This contest ends April 14th, 2010. 



***As part of a special promotion the first five people to enter this contest will win a special bottle of complimentary body lotion from Naturally Luxurious Bath and Body Company.  (US only, sorry)  To check out the products go to the website. 
These are provided by my son who is doing some promoting of these products.

There are other stops on this tour.  Here are a few!  My post is long so I trimmed the stops. 


March 29
http://www.peekingbetweenthepages.blogspot.com  
(Guest post included)
http://www.redladysreadingroom.blogspot.com/
http://www.bermudaonion.wordpress.com

March 30
http://www.luxuryreading.com
http://frugalplus.com/
http://bookingmama.blogspot.com/

March 31
http://thecajunbooklady.blogspot.com/
http://www.bellasnovella.com

April 1
http://www.stacievaughansblog.blogspot.com
http://www.bibliophilicbookblog.com
http://memybookandthecouch.blogspot.com/

April 2
http://www.booknaround.blogspot.com
http://bookinwithbingo.blogspot.com
http://www.dreyslibrary.blogspot.com

The Bride Collector - a review by Toni

The Bride Collector, by Ted Dekker

I really enjoyed this book.  I thought it was going to be a super scary slasher book and it was not.  It was a good serial killer mystery.    I mentioned before that this is my first Dekker book and I was not let down.    I was able to connect with all the characters and stay connected and enjoy the plot through out the whole book.  I read the book in a few sittings because it was "that interesting."   I could totally see the movie version of this book while I was reading.

I liked how the plot included  the patients at the Center for Wellness and Intelligence. I enjoy plots that have this element of  "weaker" individuals that rely on their unique gift or intelligence to help in the race to stop a killer.   It is also reminder that not all mental illness is a curse and that there can be a wealth of intelligence behind those that are otherwise doomed to a medicated life of seclusion. (It sparked an interest in this topic for me).

To read more about the book check out my giveway post.   Anymore that I have to say about the characters or connections in the story I feel spoil the plot. I also think it will spoil whether I say I love or hate the ending.  You are on  your own for this! 

I liked the book and had have a great time participating in the Blog Tour.    Thank you Hachette books for my free ARC copy. 

This book comes out 4/13/2010. Snatch it up for your Summer Reading.

60 Days of Ted Dekker - The Bride Collector Blog Tour and Giveaway!

 

The Bride Collector Blog Tour and Special Giveaway!

Ted Dekker has a new book coming out on April 13th, 2010.  You have got to check out his blog here.  It is a great site! This is my first Ted Dekker Book.  I will be reading more.  Please tune in tomorrow (3/26) for my review.   Today we will talk about the book and the author.

About Ted Dekker:

TED DEKKER is a New York Times bestselling author of more than twenty novels with a total of more than 3 million books in print. He is known for thrillers that combine adrenaline-laced plots with incredible confrontations between good and evil.

About the book: (from  Hachette Book Group Web-site) 

FBI Special agent Brad Raines is facing his toughest case yet. A Denver serial killer has killed four beautiful young women, leaving a bridal veil at each crime scene, and he's picking up his pace. Unable to crack the case, Raines appeals for help from a most unusual source: residents of the Center for Wellness and Intelligence, a private psychiatric institution for mentally ill individuals whose are extraordinarily gifted.

It's there that he meets Paradise, a young woman who witnessed her father murder her family and barely escaped his hand. Diagnosed with schizophrenia, Paradise may also have an extrasensory gift: the ability to experience the final moments of a person's life when she touches the dead body.

In a desperate attempt to find the killer, Raines enlists Paradise's help. In an effort to win her trust, he befriends this strange young woman and begins to see in her qualities that most 'sane people' sorely lack. Gradually, he starts to question whether sanity resides outside the hospital walls...or inside.

As the Bride Collector picks up the pace-and volume-of his gruesome crucifixions, the case becomes even more personal to Raines when his friend and colleague, a beautiful young forensic psychologist, becomes the Bride Collector's next target.

The FBI believes that the killer plans to murder seven women. Can Paradise help before it's too late?

Ted Dekker become a fan on Facebook.

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Thank you Hachette Books (Miriam and Henry).  I have five copies of this new book to offer!  As a special offer for followers of this blog I have knitted a little spooky man doll. (see the above photo).  He is the perfect companion while reading this suspenseful, cool, book. Unlike Dexter, he doesn't drool.  If you win, you get the book and the doll. Four others will get the book only.

To enter, leave a comment on this blog with your email. (unless it is available on your profile).  This will get you one entry into my random drawing.  You must follow my blog.  If you don't blog, it is easy to make a quick google account and start following. 

If you want an extra entry, you can tweet, blog or announce this contest. Just do something to ham it up a bit.  Let me know what you have done for the extra entry.  It is okay to sum it all up in one comment.

Rules:

US and Canada Only.

No P.O. Boxes

You must enter by April 10th.  Winners will be announced on April 13th!!!

Friday March 26th -  Me, My Book and the Couch will continue on the 60 day Blog Tour.  Join the Tour, it is not too late.

Have fun everyone.    Thanks for following and tune in for a my review on Friday.

Disclosure: The spooky doll is made from acrylic and wool, a blend with Poly Fiberfill stuffing.  It is not intended for children under five.  I do have an inside dog so if you have allergies, I warn you that Jack has been exposed to Dexter fiber.   The books are shipped from the publisher.

Mailbox Monday 3/22/2010

Welcome to Mailbox Monday.
It is hosted by Marcia at the Printed Page.  It is a fun weekly book activity where we get to share what books we got this week.  If you don't have a blog, I still would love to hear what you are reading and what came in the mail.

From Harper Perennial:  I got a galley (uncorrected proof) of:

The Queen of Palmyra by Minrose Gwin.

Here are some reviews of this one. I can't wait to read this one.  (my cover is very different from this one...I will have to post a photo of it soon!)

“The most powerful and also the most lyrical novel about race, racism, and denial in the American South since To Kill a Mockingbird.”
— Lee Smith, author of On Agate Hill
 
“Exquisitely beautiful… The novel grips the reader from its first page and relentlessly drives us to its conclusion.”
— William Ferris, author of Give My Poor Heart Ease: Voices of the Mississippi Blues 
 
An atmospheric debut novel about growing up in the changing South in 1960s Mississippi in the tradition of Sue Monk Kidd’s The Secret Life of Bees and Kathryn Stockett’s The Help. In the words of Jill McCorkle (Going Away Shoes), “Minrose Gwin is an extremely gifted writer and The Queen of Palmyra is a brilliant and compelling novel.”

Book Description

"I need you to understand how ordinary it all was. . . ."

In the turbulent southern summer of 1963, Millwood's white population steers clear of "Shake Rag," the black section of town. Young Florence Forrest is one of the few who crosses the line. The daughter of a burial insurance salesman with dark secrets and the town's "cake lady," whose back country bootleg runs lead further and further away from a brutal marriage, Florence attaches herself to her grandparents' longtime maid, Zenie Johnson. Named for Zenobia, Queen of Palmyra, Zenie treats the unwanted girl as just another chore, while telling her stories of the legendary queen's courage and cunning.
The more time Florence spends in Shake Rag, the more she recognizes how completely race divides her town, and her story, far from ordinary, bears witness to the truth and brutality of her times—a truth brought to a shattering conclusion when Zenie's vibrant college-student niece, Eva Greene, arrives that fateful Mississippi summer.
Minrose Gwin's The Queen of Palmyra is an unforgettable evocation of a time and a place in America—a nuanced, gripping story of race and identity.

I also received:

Broken Birds, by Jeannette Katzir.  (Thank you Jeannette)

For more about this book visit this awesome web-site.

Broken Birds, The Story of My Momila, is Jeannette Katzir's achingly honest memoir of the enduring effects of war.  From her parents' harrowing experience during the Holocaust to her own personal battles, Katzir exposes the maladies of heart and mind that those broken by war inevitably and unintentionally pass down to the generations that follow.
From Algonquin: (Thank you) I received:

I Thought You Were Dead, by Pete Nelson.

About I Thought You Were Dead

For Paul Gustavson, a hack writer for the wildly popular For Morons series, life is a succession of obstacles. His wife has left him, his father has suffered a debilitating stroke, his girlfriend is dating another man, he has impotency issues, and his overachieving brother invested his parents' money in stocks that tanked. Still, Paul has his friends at Bay State bar, a steady line of cocktails, and a new pair of running shoes (he’s promised himself to get in shape). And then there’s Stella, the one constant in his life, who gives him sage advice, doesn’t judge him, and gives him unconditional love. However, Stella won’t accompany Paul into his favorite dive bar. "I'll roll on dead carp, I'll even eat cat turds, but that place grosses me out." Stella, you see, is Paul's aging Lab-shepherd mix, and she knows Paul better than he knows himself.

In I Thought You Were Dead, author Pete Nelson delivers a novel that is all at once heartwarming, heartbreaking, and heart-wrenchingly funny. Most of all, it’s a story that proves that when a good dog is by your side—especially one with whom you can have an engaging conversation—life can be full of surprises.

From Jenna from Mariner Books:  (Thank you!!) I received:

The Russian Dreambook of Color and Flight, by Gina Ochsner.

The Russian Dreambook of Color and Flight is a bewitching novel of post-Soviet lives. It moves between the magical, the comical and the transcendent to portray a people who rely on dreams to defy the coming of dereliction and decay. Tanya tries to persuade American benefactors to revitalize her very dusty provincial museum, where fake exhibits have been lovingly crafted from cardboard, wire and glue. Meanwhile, in the courtyard of Tanya's apartment complex, a corpse refuses to decompose, taking flight, and dispensing more advice than anyone desires. "A heartbreaking comic masterpiece that already has a place in the literature of protest," says The Guardian.


Have a great week!   I owe a few email replies, please bear with me.  All the giveaways have been finished..but tune in later this week for a great giveaway!  I will have some more giveaways and reviews coming this month.

Disclosure:  I received all of the above books free of charge from the publishers.

Winners- Black Hills by Dan Simmons - Audiobook

I owe some winners some audio books.  Thanks for your patience!

Congratulations to:

MonieG

TJ

Justpeachy36 

They have won an audiobook copy of Black Hills by Dan Simmons.

Thank you Anna from Hachette Books for this fantastic giveaway.