tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66733517389235658972024-02-20T12:48:57.986-08:00A Library of our OwnDebbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12670824639296951235noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6673351738923565897.post-79247706026759552512012-06-18T08:50:00.000-07:002012-06-18T08:50:04.578-07:00Review: Rainshadow Road<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1317794570l/12035802.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1317794570l/12035802.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<b>Title</b>: <i>Rainshadow Road</i><br />
<b>Author</b>: Lisa Kleypas<br />
<b>Length</b>: 308 pages<br />
<b>Publisher</b>: St. Martin's Griffen<br />
<b>Genre</b>: Fiction, Romance, Chick-Lit<br />
<b>Source</b>: Goodreads Giveaway<br />
<b>My Rating</b>:<a href="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php" title="Smiley"><img alt="Smiley" border="0" src="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-basic/smile.gif" /></a><a href="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php" title="Smiley"><img alt="Smiley" border="0" src="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-basic/smile.gif" /></a><a href="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php" title="Smiley"><img alt="Smiley" border="0" src="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-basic/smile.gif" /></a><br />
<b>Synopsis</b> (from <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12035802-rainshadow-road" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>): <span id="freeText15063143489923142905">Lucy Marinn is a glass
artist living in mystical, beautiful, Friday Harbor, Washington, with a
boyfriend, Kevin, who she believes is her soul mate. She has always had a
magical side - a gift that finds its way into the breathtaking
glasswork she creates - and she struggles to keep it contained. But when
Lucy is blindsided by the most bitter kind of betrayal, she questions
many of her choices. Her boyfriend leaves her and his new lover is none
other than Lucy's own sister. Lucy's bitterness over this devastation is
multiplied buy the fact that she has constantly made the wrong choices
in her romantic life.<br /><br />Meanwhile, facing the severe disapproval of
Lucy's family, Kevin asks his friend Sam Nolan, a local vineyard owner
on the San Juan Island, to "romance" Lucy so that she can more easily
move on. But when Sam and Lucy begin to feel real sparks between them,
Lucy must ask herself if she can easily risk her heart again.<br /><br />As
Lucy questions her beliefs about love, loyalty, and old patterns,
mistakes, and new beginnings, she explores the possibility that some
things in life - even after are being broken - can be re-made into
something beautiful. And that is the only by discovering who you really
are that you can find the one who truly deserves you.</span><br />
<br />
<span id="freeText15063143489923142905"><b>My Thoughts</b>: This was a fun book! An easy read, beautiful setting, a little magic, a heart-melting hero, and a happy ending. What more do you need? The backgrounds of both main characters were a little extreme but not necessarily implausible, though they did make the characters a little hard to relate to at times. There were a lot of quirky side characters and you could pick out the budding romance for the second book in this trilogy, which I will happily read! The one thing I would have really liked to see more of was the magic. I do not feel like this aspect was fully developed.</span><br />
<span id="freeText15063143489923142905"><br /></span><br />
<span id="freeText15063143489923142905">If your looking for a nice summer read, go ahead and add <i>Rainshadow Road</i> to your list!</span>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12670824639296951235noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6673351738923565897.post-16672491388412941682012-06-14T03:00:00.000-07:002012-06-14T03:00:15.559-07:00Dancing Naked in Dixie<span style="background-color: white;"></span>Hi everyone! This post is going to look a little different than my other
ones. I am participating, for the first time, in a blog tour hosted by <a href="http://www.virtualbooktourcafe.com/" target="_blank">Virtual Book Tour Cafe</a>.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlKd1_zNYKXy6uLW0dTs-43mYJGqrLI2SMvXEmhSbAN5gfTzxWHIyTKkuLl_Hs_gIlt8vyb9coGjD34PPYuumgbUw2EGwNrFRRrF2SauO6-Wu1ASA6HwvWSUZXfGXfw2EtZD2MMT4K9pU/s1600/3d2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlKd1_zNYKXy6uLW0dTs-43mYJGqrLI2SMvXEmhSbAN5gfTzxWHIyTKkuLl_Hs_gIlt8vyb9coGjD34PPYuumgbUw2EGwNrFRRrF2SauO6-Wu1ASA6HwvWSUZXfGXfw2EtZD2MMT4K9pU/s320/3d2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Dancing Naked in Dixie Travel writer Julia Sullivan lives life in
fast-forward. She jet sets to Europe and the Caribbean with barely a
moment to blink or sleep. But too many mishaps and missed deadlines have
Julia on the verge of being fired.<br />
<br />
With a stern warning, and
unemployment looming, she's offered one last chance to rescue her
career. Julia embarks on an unlikely journey to the ‘Heart of
Dixie’—Eufaula, Alabama—home to magnificent mansions, sweet tea, and the
annual Pilgrimage. Julia arrives, soon charmed by the lovely city and
her handsome host, but her stay is marred by a shocking discovery. Can
Julia's story save her career, Eufaula, and the annual Pilgrimage?<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; line-height: 200%;">
<b><u><span style="color: black;">Lauren
Clark:</span></u></b></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Droid Sans"; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 200%;">Lauren
Clark writes contemporary women’s fiction set in the Deep South; stories
sprinkled with love, family and friendship, and the challenges that life
unexpectedly throws at all of us! </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Droid Sans"; font-size: 11.5pt;">Her characters are real women; smart and sassy, who
tackle complicated issues with tenacity and intelligence. Readers will
empathize and relate to her flawed yet likable </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Droid Sans"; font-size: 11.5pt;">heroines. A former TV anchor and journalist at WWNY
and WTVY, Lauren’s stories allow us an insight into the excitement, drama and
fast- paced world of media. Lauren
is a reformed news junkie, a non-reformed coffee drinker, and an official
library geek. Her big loves are family, paying it forward, eight hours of sleep
a night, and homemade macaroni and cheese. She lives near the Florida Gulf
Coast where she is surrounded by family and and true-blue friends that inspire
her writing and keep her sane.</span></div>
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<a href="http://eepurl.com/gSj0b"><span style="font-family: "Droid Sans";">Sign up to Lauren’s newsletter </span></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "Droid Sans"; font-size: 11.5pt;">to stay in the loop with all of Lauren’s book news!</span></div>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Droid Sans"; font-size: 11.5pt;">I really love the cover and title of this novel. It sets the perfect tone for fun, light chick-lit! Lauren Clark has written a novel with quirky, lovable characters and full of surprises. I really enjoyed the feel that I got for the South while reading, so much so that I wanted to go and visit for myself! </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Droid Sans"; font-size: 11.5pt;">If you enjoy a spunky heroine and an "exotic" setting, and the deep South could fall under that label for many, then pack your bags and join Julia on her trip to Eufaula, Alabama!</span><br />
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You can find <i>Dancing Naked in Dixie</i> on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dancing-Naked-Dixie-Lauren-Clark/dp/0984725040/ref=pd_sim_sbs_b_2" target="_blank">Amazon</a> and at your favorite online or local bookstore!Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12670824639296951235noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6673351738923565897.post-71726890482949078042012-06-11T12:35:00.000-07:002012-06-11T12:35:47.108-07:00Review: The Cranes Dance<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1332944822l/12975068.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1332944822l/12975068.jpg" width="206" /></a></div>
<b>Title</b>: <i>The Cranes Dance</i><br />
<b>Author</b>: Meg Howrey<br />
<b>Length</b>: 384 pages<br />
<b>Publisher</b>: Vintage Books<br />
<b>Genre</b>: Fiction<br />
<b>Source</b>: Vintage Books<br />
<b>My Rating</b>: <a href="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php" title="Smiley"><img alt="Smiley" border="0" src="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-basic/smile.gif" /></a><a href="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php" title="Smiley"><img alt="Smiley" border="0" src="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-basic/smile.gif" /></a><a href="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php" title="Smiley"><img alt="Smiley" border="0" src="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-basic/smile.gif" /></a><br />
<b>Synopsis</b>: (from <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12975068-the-cranes-dance" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>): <span id="freeText11074575532650285560"><b><i>I threw my neck out in the middle of</i> Swan Lake <i>last night.</i></b><i> </i><br />
So begins the tale of Kate Crane, a soloist in a celebrated New York
City ballet company who is struggling to keep her place in a very
demanding world. At every turn she is haunted by her close relationship
with her younger sister, Gwen, a fellow company dancer whose career
quickly surpassed Kate’s, but who has recently suffered a breakdown and
returned home. <br /> <br /> Alone for the first time in her life, Kate is
anxious and full of guilt about the role she may have played in her
sister’s collapse. As we follow her on an insider tour of rehearsals,
performances, and partners onstage and off, she confronts the tangle of
love, jealousy, pride, and obsession that are beginning to fracture her
own sanity. Funny, dark, intimate, and unflinchingly honest, <i>The Cranes Dance </i>is a book that pulls back the curtains to reveal the private lives of dancers and explores the complicated bond between sisters.</span><br />
<br />
<span id="freeText11074575532650285560"><b>My Thoughts</b>: **3 1/2 </span><a href="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php" title="Smiley"><img alt="Smiley" border="0" src="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-basic/smile.gif" /></a>**<span id="freeText11074575532650285560"> I found this book to be incredibly interesting. It's like a behind the scenes look at a ballet company and one dancer's life. Fascinating! Kate Crane is a very reliable, likeable narrator. I felt her pain, drive, guilt. I liked that we followed Kate through both the ups and downs. This is not a book that glorifies ballet or ballet dancers. It is a real look at what it takes to be a ballerina.</span><br />
<span id="freeText11074575532650285560"><br /></span><br />
<span id="freeText11074575532650285560">For those of you who crave a little extra drama you will not be disappointed in Gwen's appearances in <i>The Cranes Dance. </i>I feel like that story line is one better left explored on your own.</span><br />
<span id="freeText11074575532650285560"><br /></span><br />
<span id="freeText11074575532650285560">As an extra bonus, as I hang my head in shame, I now know the story line of Swan Lake. I have never seen Swan Lake but am now looking forward to an opportunity to arise for me to do so.</span><br />
<span id="freeText11074575532650285560"><br /></span><br />
<span id="freeText11074575532650285560">If you are interested in performing arts, family dynamics, and enjoy a compelling read I would suggest picking up <i>The Cranes Dance</i>. If you do, I would love to know what you thought of it!</span>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12670824639296951235noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6673351738923565897.post-28211762276979622672012-06-10T06:56:00.001-07:002012-06-10T06:56:28.692-07:00The Sunday Post #5Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12670824639296951235noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6673351738923565897.post-86836752007498307612012-06-08T03:00:00.000-07:002012-06-08T03:00:13.624-07:00Review: The Solitary House<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1333577737l/13147813.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1333577737l/13147813.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>
<b>Title</b>: <i>The Solitary House</i><br />
<b>Author</b>: Lynn Shepherd<br />
<b>Length</b>: 340 pages<br />
<b>Publisher</b>: Delacorte Press<br />
<b>Genre</b>: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Suspense<br />
<b>Source</b>: Publisher as part of Early Bird Reads<br />
<b>My Rating</b>:<a href="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php" title="Smiley"><img alt="Smiley" border="0" src="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-basic/smile.gif" /></a><a href="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php" title="Smiley"><img alt="Smiley" border="0" src="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-basic/smile.gif" /></a><a href="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php" title="Smiley"><img alt="Smiley" border="0" src="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-basic/smile.gif" /></a><a href="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php" title="Smiley"><img alt="Smiley" border="0" src="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-basic/smile.gif" /></a><br />
<b>Synopsis</b> (from <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13147813-the-solitary-house" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>): <span id="freeText15091459612406221191">London, 1850. Charles
Maddox had been an up-and-coming officer for the Metropolitan police
until a charge of insubordination abruptly ended his career. Now he
works alone, struggling to eke out a living by tracking down criminals.
Whenever he needs it, he has the help of his great-uncle Maddox, a
legendary “thief taker,” a detective as brilliant and intuitive as they
come.<br /><br />On Charles’s latest case, he’ll need all the assistance he can get.<br /><br />To
his shock, Charles has been approached by Edward Tulkinghorn, the
shadowy and feared attorney, who offers him a handsome price to do some
sleuthing for a client. Powerful financier Sir Julius Cremorne has been
receiving threatening letters, and Tulkinghorn wants Charles
to—discreetly—find and stop whoever is responsible.<br /><br />But what
starts as a simple, open-and-shut case swiftly escalates into something
bigger and much darker. As he cascades toward a collision with an
unspeakable truth, Charles can only be aided so far by Maddox. The old
man shows signs of forgetfulness and anger, symptoms of an age-related
ailment that has yet to be named.<br /><br />Intricately plotted and intellectually ambitious, <i>The Solitary House</i> is an ingenious novel that does more than spin an enthralling tale: it plumbs the mysteries of the human mind.</span><br />
<br />
<span id="freeText15091459612406221191"><b>My Review</b>: <i>The Solitary House </i>was a gripping, if somewhat confusing, novel of suspense. Lynn Shepherd did an excellent job of making her reader feel as if they were a part of 1850's London. While reading this book I felt transported which always makes for a better read. As dreary a place as London in the 1850's could be, I enjoyed being there, feeling it, smelling it.</span><br />
<span id="freeText15091459612406221191"><br /></span><br />
<span id="freeText15091459612406221191">I found Charles to to be a bit naive/brash on occasions which caused me to feel a little upset with him at times. This, however, only took away slightly from the overall feel of the book. I loved how Shepherd used perspective in her writing. Writing as if we were an audience watching the story with her. The feeling that we were "in the know". I don't think I've ever read a book from that perspective before.I also must admit that Inspector Bucket became quite favorite at the end!</span><br />
<span id="freeText15091459612406221191"><br /></span><br />
<span id="freeText15091459612406221191">The sub-plot was introduced and played out in a very intriguing way. The ending was a surprise to me and I felt as if there were a few loose ends that weren't tied up. That being said, I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in suspense, mysteries, historical London, and an overall good story. I am looking forward to reading Ms. Shepherd's first book, <i>Murder at Mansfield Park</i>!</span>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12670824639296951235noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6673351738923565897.post-18283439922606976362012-06-04T21:00:00.000-07:002012-06-05T05:56:06.766-07:00Armchair BEA Giveaway!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj61oyHrdjPTSALK4rfx10VQyyyHnEqPj4ohmv0hwDo1zew6J5sOsPnhm5TSfmwFA-2Z4q9hpRLelrmOvdd-wAHk3LKoLbWdZDHPyhRv97mQKkg4U1u7EIdWRohRo9udEdOs-w_NhnkRB0/s1600/armchairbea21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="85" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj61oyHrdjPTSALK4rfx10VQyyyHnEqPj4ohmv0hwDo1zew6J5sOsPnhm5TSfmwFA-2Z4q9hpRLelrmOvdd-wAHk3LKoLbWdZDHPyhRv97mQKkg4U1u7EIdWRohRo9udEdOs-w_NhnkRB0/s320/armchairbea21.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />
<br />
<br />
Hi! It was so nice reading all the Intro posts yesterday and finding lots of new blogs to follow. We have some really interesting and awesome bloggers out there!<br />
<br />
Today is the day for <a href="http://www.armchairbea.com/" target="_blank">Armchair BEA</a> bloggers to host giveaways. I spent some time thinking about this. I knew that I wanted to participate but I was having a hard time coming up with what I wanted to giveaway. I didn't like the idea of picking just one book to offer but I also didn't like the idea of offering any random book. I wanted it, somehow, to be special to A Library of our Own. I've decided that I am going to offer a choice of one of the books I listed as my favorites for 2012 in my <a href="http://alibraryofourown.blogspot.com/2012/06/armchair-bea-hi-there.html" target="_blank">Intro post</a>. I am also adding two additional choices. The first is my favorite book from childhood, <i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29291.Make_Way_for_Ducklings" target="_blank">Make Way For Ducklings</a></i> by Robert McClosky. The second is <i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13059477-overseas" target="_blank">Overseas</a></i> by Beatriz Williams who it looks like I'm going to get to meet at BEA, which was made possible by Armchair BEA!<br />
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All you have to do to win is be an Armchair BEA participant and fill out your email address in the Rafflecopter below. I will offer two additional entries. The first one is for current and new followers and the second one is if you leave a comment telling me which book you would pick! This giveaway will Thursday night at 12am EST. as BEA ends Thursday evening. Good Luck! I can't wait to share an awesome book with one of you!<br />
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As a reminder, these will be your choices;<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9361589-the-night-circus" target="_blank"><i>The Night Circus</i></a> by Erin Morgenstern</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6668467-winter-garden" target="_blank"><i>Winter Garden</i></a> by Kristen Hannah</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40440.The_Thirteenth_Tale" target="_blank"><i>The Thirteenth Tale</i></a> by Diane Setterfield</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13600124-a-night-to-remember" target="_blank"><i>A Night to Remember</i></a> by Walter Lord</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11720964-the-bungalow" target="_blank"><i>The Bungalow</i></a> by Sarah Jio</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8545327-secret-daughter" target="_blank"><i>The Secret Daughter</i></a> by Shilpi Somaya Gowda</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11723817-the-underside-of-joy" target="_blank"><i>The Underside of Joy</i></a> by Sere Prince Halverson</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12959658-calling-invisible-women" target="_blank"><i>Calling Invisible Women</i></a> by Jeanne Ray</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/524878.Without_Reservations" target="_blank"><i>Without Reservations: The Travels of an Independent Woman</i></a> by Alice Steinbach </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29291.Make_Way_for_Ducklings" target="_blank">Make Way For Ducklings</a></i> by Robert McClosky</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13059477-overseas" target="_blank">Overseas</a></i> by Beatriz Williams </div>
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<a id="rc-c04f611" class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script>
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Now see what other participants are <a href="http://www.armchairbea.com/2012/06/participant-giveaway-day.html" target="_blank">giving away</a>!
<script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js">
</script>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12670824639296951235noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6673351738923565897.post-71801181193353853142012-06-03T21:00:00.000-07:002012-06-03T21:48:30.529-07:00Armchair BEA - Hi there!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="85" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj61oyHrdjPTSALK4rfx10VQyyyHnEqPj4ohmv0hwDo1zew6J5sOsPnhm5TSfmwFA-2Z4q9hpRLelrmOvdd-wAHk3LKoLbWdZDHPyhRv97mQKkg4U1u7EIdWRohRo9udEdOs-w_NhnkRB0/s320/armchairbea21.jpg" width="320" /></div>
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<br />
Hi everyone! It's Armchair BEA time! For those of you who do not know, Book Expo of America is being held this week in New York city. This is like a dream come true for most book bloggers! You get to go and interact with all the large publishing houses, and many of the small, check out the upcoming releases, pick up ARCs, meet authors and get books signed, and last but not least meet many of the people you've been connecting with via social media. FUN, FUN, FUN!!!<br />
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Unfortunately for a multitude of reasons a lot of book bloggers are not able to make it to BEA in New York. Then <a href="http://www.armchairbea.com/" target="_blank">Armchair BEA </a>was formed. Armchair BEA will allow bloggers to follow along at home, network with each other, participate in twitter parties. and giveaways from their own home.<br />
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I was lucky enough to win a bloggers pass through Armchair BEA and ended up turning it down because there was no way that I could arrange 4 days in NYC in 16hrs. Today I had the revelation that I didn't have to go for all 4 days! I could go for just one day if I wanted! I contacted Armchair BEA and luckily they still had a pass available, soooooo.....I'm going to BEA!!!! I haven't decided whether it will be Tuesday or Wednesday yet, but I WILL be there! In the mean time I would like to kick off Armchair BEA with an introduction. Participants have been asked to answer 5 questions as a way of getting to know each other. So with out further ado...<br />
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<b>Please tell us a little bit about yourself: Who are you? How long have you been blogging? Why did you get into blogging? </b>Hi, My name is Debbie. I have 3 kids, one of whom is grown, one about to graduate Pre-K, if you can believe it, and one starting Pre-k next year. I'm a retired paramedic and am now playing the role of Stay-at-Home Mom. A Library of our Own has only been active for a little over two months but I have loved it! I started the blog as a way to record what I and my two children were reading. The blog has turned into much more than that on my end but unfortunately I have yet to figure out a good format to highlight G and E's reading. I'm still working on it. Now it looks like my eldest daughter might be joining us too, fingers crossed!<br />
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<b>What are you currently reading, or what is your favorite book you have read so far in 2012? </b> Right now I am currently reading <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12389865-the-uninvited-guests" target="_blank"><i>The Uninvited Guests</i></a> by Sadie Jones, which I won on Goodreads, <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/240453.The_Promise_in_a_Kiss" target="_blank"><i>The Promise in a Kiss</i></a> by Stephanie Laurens, my guilty pleasure, and <i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24178.Charlotte_s_Web" target="_blank">Charlotte's Web</a> </i>by E. B. White with G. I'm ashamed to say that I have not previously read <i>Charlotte's Web</i> but soon that will no longer be the case! I don't know if I can actually pick a favorite for this year so I'll list the top ones; <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9361589-the-night-circus" target="_blank"><i>The Night Circus</i></a> by Erin Morgenstern, <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6668467-winter-garden" target="_blank"><i>Winter Garden</i></a> by Kristen Hannah, <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40440.The_Thirteenth_Tale" target="_blank"><i>The Thirteenth Tale</i></a> by Diane Setterfield, <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13600124-a-night-to-remember" target="_blank"><i>A Night to Remember</i></a> by Walter Lord, <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11720964-the-bungalow" target="_blank"><i>The Bungalow</i></a> by Sarah Jio, <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8545327-secret-daughter" target="_blank"><i>The Secret Daughter</i></a> by Shilpi Somaya Gowda, <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11723817-the-underside-of-joy" target="_blank"><i>The Underside of Joy</i></a> by Sere Prince Halverson, and <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12959658-calling-invisible-women" target="_blank"><i>Calling Invisible Women</i></a> by Jeanne Ray. Wow, that is a lot! I might have to start narrowing down a bit! <br />
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<b>Tell us one non-book-related thing that everyone reading your blog may not know about you. </b>Wow! Just one. That's going to be hard as there are not many non-book-related things that have come up on my blog so far. Randomly, I've danced on the bar at Coyote Ugly in DC. SO MUCH FUN! Feel free to ask for more random pieces of info if you would like to know!<br />
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<b>Where do you see your blog in five years?</b> If my blog lasts 5 years there are many things I would like to see happen. I definitely want to have figured out how to include G and E appropriately, though by then hopefully they'll be able to write their own reviews! I would like to polish the look of my blog and have my own URL. I would like to be entrench in the book blogging community. I would also like to have a lot of author interaction and move more towards recommending books than "reviewing" them as I am by no means a literary critic. Let's not even mention improving my writing! :) Oops, I wasn't suppose to mention that...<br />
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<b>If you could eat dinner with any author or character, who would it be and why? </b>This is an incredibly hard one because there are so many authors and characters I would love to get to know. My answer might also change given any multitude of variables at any time. For right now I am going to say Alice Steinbach, author of <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/524878.Without_Reservations" target="_blank"><i>Without Reservations: The Travels of an Independent Woman</i></a>. This book was given to me at exactly the right time and inspired me so much and gave me the courage to travel as an independent woman myself. I would love to let her know how she affected my life and to learn more about the woman behind the book. Who is she? What led to her travels? How does she feel about them now? There are just so many questions!<br />
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So there you have it! I hope that this has given you a little insight into myself and A Library of our Own. I would be happy to answer any other questions you may have and am looking forward to both Armchair BEA and BEA! <a href="http://www.armchairbea.com/2012/06/kicking-off-armchair-bea-introductions.html" target="_blank">Click here</a> to see other introduction posts! Have a wonderful week! <br />
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<br />Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12670824639296951235noreply@blogger.com40tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6673351738923565897.post-78683031295899388722012-06-02T19:46:00.000-07:002012-06-02T19:51:14.879-07:00Sunday Post #4<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The Sunday Post </span>is a weekly meme hosted by <a href="http://kimbathecaffeinatedbookreviewer.blogspot.com/">Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer</a>
~ It's a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your
blog, showcase books and things we have received and share news about
what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. <br />
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I and also participating in three other memes. The first is Stacking The Shelves hosted by <a href="http://www.tyngasreviews.com/" target="_blank">Tynga at Tynga's Reviews</a> , the second is Mailbox Monday which is hosted by <a href="http://tjbook-list.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Sassy Brit at Alternative-Reads.com</a> this month, and the third is Sunday Showcase hosted by <a href="http://www.booksbiscuitsandtea.co.uk/" target="_blank">Books Biscuits and Tea</a>. Stop by and take a look!<br />
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Welcome to June everyone! I can't believe that half the year is already over! Unbelievable! This was an incredibly slow, alright non-existent, week here on A Library of our Own. I'm not sure exactly why. I finished <i>Rainshadow Road</i> by Lisa Kleypas and read <i>Dancing Naked in Dixie</i> by Lauren Clark, which will be featured as part of a blog tour on June 14th. I have three books waiting to be reviewed and posted, the two I promised you for this week and now Rainshadow Road. have no fear, they will eventually all end up here.</div>
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There was some brief excitement around here when I found out that I had won a Blogger's Pass to BEA from <a href="http://www.armchairbea.com/" target="_blank">Armchair BEA</a> however that was short lived as I reluctantly decided that there was too much that would need to be arranged in a very short period of time. I declined the Blogger's Pass with great regret and many thanks to Armchair BEA. I'll definitely be planning ahead for next year. As for this year I will be following along with all the other great bloggers registered for <a href="http://www.armchairbea.com/" target="_blank">Armchair BEA</a>! It looks like it will be a lot of fun! </div>
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My oldest daughter and I attended a signing of <i>Hush, Hush</i> by Becca Fitzgerald today at the Arlington, VA library! This was a lot of fun and hopefully the beginning of many great book adventures for us! We are already planning a trip to see Emily Griffen in July! I have not read <i>Hush, Hush</i> but my daughter loves it and not only got it signed but also the two following books and the <i>Hush, Hush</i> graphic novel, which we won at the event today! She may be passing these along to me in the not so distant future, Some very exciting news that came out of today is that my eldest daughter may be joining me here at A Library of our Own and doing some book reviews of her own! She already has at least two picked out that she would like to do. Let us all keep our fingers crossed that she finds the time, while working and going to school, so that we may officially welcome her very soon! </div>
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My mailbox was not very active this week but we did get a few things!</div>
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Goodreads Giveaways</div>
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<i><b>The Algebra of Snow: A Bedtime Story for My Mother</b></i> by Ginger Moran </div>
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<i><b>Spin</b></i> by Catherine McKenzie </div>
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To G and E from MeMe and BaBa</div>
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<b><i>The Empty Pot</i></b> by Demi </div>
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<i><b>Grasshopper Pie and Other Poems</b></i> by David Steinberg</div>
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<i><b>Charlotte's Web</b></i> by E. B. White</div>
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<i><b>The Twelve Dancing Princesses</b></i> by Ruth Sanderson</div>
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I hope you all have a wonderful week and that your mailboxes treat you well! </div>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12670824639296951235noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6673351738923565897.post-50877478992481306452012-05-27T07:05:00.001-07:002012-05-27T09:10:34.272-07:00Sunday Post #3<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The Sunday Post </span>is a weekly meme hosted by <a href="http://kimbathecaffeinatedbookreviewer.blogspot.com/">Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer</a> ~ It's a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. <br />
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I and also participating in three other memes. The first is Stacking The Shelves hosted by <a href="http://www.tyngasreviews.com/" target="_blank">Tynga at Tynga's Reviews</a> , the second is Mailbox Monday which is hosted by <a href="http://marthasbookshelf.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">Martha from reviews from Martha's Bookshelf</a>
this month, and the third is Sunday Showcase hosted by <a href="http://www.booksbiscuitsandtea.co.uk/" target="_blank">Books Biscuits and Tea</a>. Stop by and take a look!<br />
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HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY to everyone! I hope that you are enjoying yourselves so far! Last night I attended the wedding of a friend, one of the last in this group to get married, we still have one holdout, and it was lovely! A chance to see them publicly proclaim their love and experience, for the first time, a Thai Water Ceremony. They also did one of those very fun choreographed first dances! This wedding was also a chance for a group of friends who now live in CA, FL, MA and the DC area to get together again and catch up. What a wonderful thing! We will continue this a at a BBQ today with all but one of the couples. Such a special time especially with all the new little additions! Now we just need the last one to get married so we can do this all again and then I guess we'll have to find a new excuse! Anyway, I guess that's enough rambling on about me.<br />
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On the blog this week we had three posts;<a href="http://alibraryofourown.blogspot.com/2012/05/mondays-bookishly-beautiful-6.html" target="_blank"> Monday's Bookishly Beautiful</a> which is definitely worth a look, a review of <a href="http://alibraryofourown.blogspot.com/2012/05/calling-invisible-women.html" target="_blank"><i>Calling Invisible Women </i></a>by Jeanne Ray, and a review of <a href="http://alibraryofourown.blogspot.com/2012/05/when-morning-comes.html" target="_blank"><i>When Morning Comes</i></a> by Francis Ray. I also read two books; <i>The Solitary House</i> by Lynn Shepherd and <i>The Cranes Dance</i> by Meg Howrey. I enjoyed both of these very much and you can look forward to the reviews coming out this week. Right now I've started reading <i>Rainshadow Road</i> by Lisa Kleypas.<br />
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A really exciting piece of news is that I will be participating in a blog tour for I Couldn't Love You More by Jillian Medoff including a Q/A with the author and a giveaway! I am thrilled to be a part of this! It is scheduled for Tuesday, June 26th!<br />
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I've been toying with a few ideas for opinion/discussion blog posts though haven't quite worked out the what and how. Keep an eye out for one of those in the next couple of weeks! <br />
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Now on to the books I received this week! I noted this week that I get a little sad if my mailbox forgets to bring me a book one day but the fact is that there is no way I could ever read a book a day. That means that some of these lovely books will end up neglected which is such a shame. I'm going to start thinking about this conundrum but any suggestions you all have would be greatly welcomed! So without further ado, here are this weeks newest additions!</div>
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<i><b>Girl Unmoored</b></i> by Jennifer Gooch Hummer - Thanks Larraine from The Divining Wand!</div>
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<i><b>The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding Of Facebook</b></i> by Ben Mezrich - Thanks Anchor Books!</div>
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<i><b>I Never Promised You a Goodie Bag</b></i> by Jennifer Gilbert - Thanks Chick Lit Central!</div>
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<i><b>I Couldn't Love You More</b></i> by Jillian Medoff </div>
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<b><i>The Butterfly Cabinet</i></b> by Bernie McGill - Thanks Free Press</div>
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<b><i>Wunderkind</i></b> by Nikolai Grozni - Thanks Free Pree</div>
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I also pick up 3 or 4 free chick lit books for Kindle which are not pictured.</div>
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How was your week and what did your mailbox bring you? I'd love to hear from you! Talk to you again next Sunday!</div>
<br />Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12670824639296951235noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6673351738923565897.post-80252874675526429362012-05-24T04:00:00.000-07:002012-05-25T14:10:14.757-07:00Review: When Morning Comes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Title</b>: <i>When Morning Comes </i><br />
<b>Author</b>: Francis Ray<br />
<b>Length</b>: 352 pages<br />
<b>Publisher</b>: St. Martin's Press<br />
<b>Genre</b>: Fiction, Romance<br />
<b>Source</b>: LibraryThings FirstLit<br />
<b>My Rating</b>:<a href="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php" title="Smiley"><img alt="Smiley" border="0" src="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-basic/smile.gif" /></a><a href="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php" title="Smiley"><img alt="Smiley" border="0" src="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-basic/smile.gif" /></a><br />
<b>Synopsis</b> (from <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13167080-when-morning-comes" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>): <span id="freeTextContainer4399218084821181775">In this unforgettable
new novel, Francis Ray delivers an emotionally powerful tale about the
families we build, the choices we make, and how we find love and family
along the way.</span><br />
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<span id="freeTextContainer4399218084821181775"><b>My Thoughts</b>: I have very conflicting thoughts on this book. This novel is actually two different stories woven together through the two female protagonists being best friends. Other than that, and the very unrealistical ending, which tied everything up into a nice, neat, happy little package, they are almost completely separate. I'm not sure how I would normally feel about this arrangement but in this book it worked OK because I was really irritated by the secondary female lead character and it was nice to be able to separate the two in my mind.</span><br />
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<span id="freeTextContainer4399218084821181775">Sabrina and Cade's story was one I would have really enjoyed. There were two strong characters, engaging plot, very interesting subplot, and who doesn't love a happy ending?</span><br />
<br />
<span id="freeTextContainer4399218084821181775">Kara and Tristan's story was not at all enjoyable. Tristan was an awesome male lead, strong, supportive, rich, handsome, trustworthy, etc. Kara on the other hand drove me crazy. I understand what Ray was trying to do with her character but it just angered me. Kara was such the victim and continuously allowed it to happen. It was to the point where I didn't believe she deserved the guy. There was even a fairly substantial plot point that was never wrapped up.</span><br />
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<span id="freeTextContainer4399218084821181775">Ray would have done well to keep the two stories separate. Unfortunately she didn't. I give <i>When Morning Comes</i> as a whole 2 1/2 </span><a href="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php" title="Smiley"><img alt="Smiley" border="0" src="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-basic/smile.gif" /></a>, Sabrina and Cade's story 3 1/2 <a href="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php" title="Smiley"><img alt="Smiley" border="0" src="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-basic/smile.gif" /></a>. If you like chick-lit and romances I wouldn't say don't read it. Give it a try yourself. I think everyone will probably have a different reaction to this story. If you read it I would love to hear your opinions on it!<br />
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I will definitely read another book by Francis Ray if given the chance!Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12670824639296951235noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6673351738923565897.post-71898179453394207702012-05-22T04:00:00.000-07:002012-05-25T14:10:52.301-07:00Review: Calling Invisible Women<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Title</b>: <i>Calling Invisible Women</i><br />
<b>Author</b>: Jeanne Ray<br />
<b>Length</b>: 256 pages<br />
<b>Publisher</b>: Crown<br />
<b>Genre</b>: Fiction<br />
<b>Source</b>: Goodreads Giveaway<br />
<b>My Rating</b>:<a href="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php" title="Smiley"><img alt="Smiley" border="0" src="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-basic/smile.gif" /></a><a href="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php" title="Smiley"><img alt="Smiley" border="0" src="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-basic/smile.gif" /></a><a href="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php" title="Smiley"><img alt="Smiley" border="0" src="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-basic/smile.gif" /></a><a href="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php" title="Smiley"><img alt="Smiley" border="0" src="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-basic/smile.gif" /></a><br />
<b>Synopsis</b> (from <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12959658-calling-invisible-women" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>): <span id="freeText6502264673584173008">A mom in her early
fifties, Clover knows she no longer turns heads the way she used to, and
she's only really missed when dinner isn't on the table on time. Then
Clover wakes up one morning to discover she's invisible--truly
invisible. She panics, but when her husband and son sit down to dinner,
nothing is amiss. Even though she's been with her husband, Arthur, since
college, her condition goes unnoticed. Her friend Gilda immediately
observes that Clover is invisible, which relieves Clover
immensely--she's not losing her mind after all!--but she is crushed by
the realization that neither her husband nor her children ever truly
look at her. She was invisible even before she knew she was invisible.<br /> Clover
discovers that there are other women like her, women of a certain age
who seem to have disappeared. As she uses her invisibility to get to
know her family and her town better, Clover leads the way in helping
invisible women become recognized and appreciated no matter what their
role. </span><br />
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<span id="freeText6502264673584173008"><b>My Thoughts</b>: What a novel! It brought forward so many points to ponder in such an open way. It was such a quick easy read that I finished it in one day! I will be thinking about it for many more.</span><br />
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<span id="freeText6502264673584173008">You must go into this novel being able to give a little suspension of disbelief. Some things, no matter how you look at them just don't fit, are hard to picture. However, for me, this took nothing major away from the rest of the story. What is the definition of invisible? Is it not being seen, not being able to be seen? What can cause one to be invisible? What does one do when one is invisible? Where does a person's worth stand? In them or in the fact of their visibility? All questions brought to light in the fairly unassuming character of Clover, who could actually be many of us. This is story for any woman.</span><br />
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<span id="freeText6502264673584173008">Ray even manages to bring in the subject of big pharmaceutical companies and their ethics without being overbearing. Does the end justify the means? Are there such things as acceptable casualties? Can "Invisible" people make a difference? </span><br />
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<span id="freeText6502264673584173008">This is an incredibly engrossing and thought provoking read! I highly recommend that you pick it up, read it, and take a look in the mirror! Enjoy!</span>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12670824639296951235noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6673351738923565897.post-79235708886782418232012-05-21T06:43:00.000-07:002012-05-21T06:43:21.871-07:00Monday's Bookishly Beautiful #6Who couldn't use a book lift-me-up on Monday mornings? This meme will
consist of anything related to books that could also be considered
beautiful, art, or uplifting. It could include pictures, quotes, book
covers that caught your eye, products that celebrate books, beautiful
locations that promote books, or anything else pertaining to books that
brightens your day. We all see something different as beautiful which
will make this meme a real joy to peruse through as you and others in
the blogging community join in. Please link back to <b>A Library of our Own </b>and leave a comment with the link to your post. Thank you and I can't wait to see all of your <b>Monday's Bookishly Beautiful</b> posts!<br />
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I sadly did not have a Bookishly Beautiful post last week. However I hope that these beautiful images will make up for it! They are quite stunning and imaginative! Talk about books coming alive! In 4yo G's words "Wow, those are cool!". I found these on <a href="http://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/su-blackwells-creepy-book" target="_blank">My Modern Net</a> and <a href="http://weburbanist.com/2012/04/13/book-art-31-sculptures-worth-reading-about/" target="_blank">Web Urbanist</a>. Please check out <a href="http://www.sublackwell.co.uk/portfolio-book-cut-sculpture/" target="_blank">Su Blackwell</a>'s site for her full portfolio. Here you go, book art in sculpture form allows the story to jump out at you!</div>
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I hope you enjoyed these as much as G, E, and I did!</div>
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<br />Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12670824639296951235noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6673351738923565897.post-54447095518073931152012-05-20T11:31:00.000-07:002012-05-20T11:31:10.223-07:00The Sunday Post #2<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The Sunday Post is a
weekly meme hosted by <a href="http://kimbathecaffeinatedbookreviewer.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer</a> ~ It's a
chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog,
showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is
coming up on our blog for the week ahead. </span><br />
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I and also participating in two other memes. The first is Stacking The Shelves hosted by <a href="http://www.tyngasreviews.com/" target="_blank">Tynga at Tynga's Reviews</a> and the second is Mailbox Monday which is hosted by <a href="http://marthasbookshelf.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">Martha from reviews from Martha's Bookshelf</a>
this month.. Stop by and take a look!<br />
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HI! Everyone! Did you all have a nice week? I certainly did! Unfortunately not a lot went on here this week. Just one post, a review for <a href="http://alibraryofourown.blogspot.com/2012/05/shelter.html" target="_blank"><i>Shelter</i> by Francis Greenslade</a>. I even neglected my Bookishly Beautiful post, don't worry though I have one in mind for tomorrow! I wasn't completely a slacker as I did write two reviews, <i>When Morning Comes</i> by Francis Ray and <i>Calling Invisible Women</i> by Jeanne Ray. I hadn't noticed it before but both these novels have authors named Ray, that's kinda cool! Anyways, you will see both reviews this week.<br />
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I spent a lot of very enjoyable time reading outside in our backyard enjoying the beautiful weather we had this week! My main book of choice has been <i>The Solitary House </i>by Lynn Shepherd which I am enjoying quite a lot. I hope to have that review for you soon though I am not quite finished yet. I've also been making a lot of bookish friends on Twitter this week, wonderful ladies, both readers and authors, who I hope to continue to get to know and hopefully meet one day! The book highlight of the week would have to be attending The 3rd Annual Gaithersburg Book Fair! It was my first book event and definitely won't be my last! I went with my kids and was not prepared at all but I was lucky enough to catch the last part of Meredith Goldstein's talk and get a signed copy of <i>The Singles</i>! I can't wait to read it! Now who can help me figure out how to get to BEA?! How amazing would that be?<br />
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Now on to what I got in my Mailbox this week!</div>
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Won on Twitter</div>
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<i>The House at Tyneford </i>by Natasha Solomons - Thank you Penguin!</div>
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<i>The Dressmaker</i> by Kate Alcott - Thank you Doubleday!</div>
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ARC of <i>When in Doubt Add Butter</i> by Beth Harbison - Thanks St. Martin's Press!</div>
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<i>Fish Tank: A Fable for Our Times</i> by Scott Bischke - Thank you!</div>
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<i>The Sumerton Women</i> by D.L. Bogdan - Thank you <a href="http://www.historyundressed.com/" target="_blank">History Undressed</a>!</div>
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Purchased</div>
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<i>The Singles</i> by Meredith Goldstein</div>
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How was your week? Was your mailbox good to you?</div>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12670824639296951235noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6673351738923565897.post-48622729088484909432012-05-15T03:00:00.000-07:002012-05-25T14:11:12.023-07:00Review: Shelter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Title</b>: Shelter<br />
<b>Author</b>: Frances Greenslade<br />
<b>Length</b>: 376 pages<br />
<b>Publisher</b>: Free Press<br />
<b>Genre</b>: Fiction<br />
<b>Source</b>: Publisher<br />
<b>My Rating</b>:<a href="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php" title="Smiley"><img alt="Smiley" border="0" src="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-basic/smile.gif" /></a><a href="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php" title="Smiley"><img alt="Smiley" border="0" src="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-basic/smile.gif" /></a><a href="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php" title="Smiley"><img alt="Smiley" border="0" src="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-basic/smile.gif" /></a><br />
<b>Synopsis</b> (from <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12920239-shelter" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>): <span id="freeText1793375320891394266">For sisters Maggie and
Jenny growing up in the Pacific mountains in the early 1970s, life felt
nearly perfect. Seasons in their tiny rustic home were peppered with
wilderness hikes, building shelters from pine boughs and telling stories
by the fire with their doting father and beautiful, adventurous mother.
But at night, Maggie—a born worrier—would count the freckles on her
father’s weathered arms, listening for the peal of her mother’s laughter
in the kitchen, and never stop praying to keep them all safe from harm.
Then her worst fears come true: Not long after Maggie’s tenth birthday,
their father is killed in a logging accident, and a few months later,
their mother abruptly drops the girls at a neighbor’s house, promising
to return. She never does. With deep compassion and sparkling prose,
Frances Greenslade’s mesmerizing debut takes us inside the devastation
and extraordinary strength of these two girls as they are propelled from
the quiet, natural freedom in which they were raised to a world they
can’t begin to fathom. Even as the sisters struggle to understand how
their mother could abandon them, they keep alive the hope that she is
fighting her way back to the daughters who adore her and who need her so
desperately. Heartbreaking and lushly imagined, <i>Shelter </i>celebrates
the love between two sisters and the complicated bonds of family. It is
an exquisitely written ode to sisters, mothers, daughters, and to a
woman’s responsibility to herself and those she loves.</span><br />
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<span id="freeText1793375320891394266"><b>My Thoughts</b>:I would say that the title Shelter appropriately sums up what this book is about. It's the search for physical shelter, monetary shelter, emotional shelter. Maggie, Jennie, their mother, and many of the other characters are all searching for it in different ways. Will they find it? You have to read the book to find out.</span><br />
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<span id="freeText1793375320891394266">This book was beautiful in many ways but I found myself having a hard time with the narrative coming from a preteen girl. It just never rang quite true to me. The story it self never became a completely cohesive work for me. I still think that the book has interesting things to say. I especially liked the peek into the life of a logger and the interactions we see with the Indian community in the area. The beautiful friendship between Maggie and Vern is a heart melting coming of age tale.</span><br />
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<span id="freeText1793375320891394266">I'm left with the feeling that I missed something in my reading of this story. A link, an event, a remark that tied it all together. I didn't find it but the book, was still worth the read. Many of the sub-stories made for good stories. I would love to hear others' thought after they've read it. </span>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12670824639296951235noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6673351738923565897.post-32831040918909718402012-05-13T08:42:00.000-07:002012-05-13T08:44:44.617-07:00The Sunday Post<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The Sunday Post is a
weekly meme hosted by <a href="http://kimbathecaffeinatedbookreviewer.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer</a> ~ It's a
chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog,
showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is
coming up on our blog for the week ahead. </span><br />
<br />
I and also participating in two other memes. The first is Stacking The Shelves hosted by <a href="http://www.tyngasreviews.com/" target="_blank">Tynga at Tynga's Reviews</a> and the second is Mailbox Monday which is hosted by <a href="http://marthasbookshelf.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">Martha from reviews from Martha's Bookshelf</a>
this month.. Stop by and take a look!<br />
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I'd like to start off by wishing all the Mothers out there a very Happy Mother's Day!!! Did any of you get any books for Mother's Day? I haven't, but the day is not over yet!<br />
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This was an exciting week for me as I am hosting my first giveaway! It's for a copy of <i>The Underside of Joy</i> by Sere Prince Halverson. I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to pick a winner tonight and share it with them! You can enter <a href="http://alibraryofourown.blogspot.com/2012/05/underside-of-joy-giveaway.html" target="_blank">here</a> if you are interested. I did not get as much reading done as I hoped this week because i had a cold and can never concentrate when I have one. I did however manage to read <i>Shelter</i> by Francis Greenslade, review will be posted on the 15th, finish and <a href="http://alibraryofourown.blogspot.com/2012/05/man-who-changed-way-we-eat.html" target="_blank">review</a> <i>The Man Who Changed the way We Eat</i> by Thomas McNamee, finish and <a href="http://alibraryofourown.blogspot.com/2012/05/temptation.html" target="_blank">review</a> <i>Temptation</i> by Douglas Kennedy, and start <i>When Morning Comes</i> by Francis Ray. My favorite book moment of this week was having G read <i>Lulu and the Brontosaurus</i> to me by Judith Viorst!<br />
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Now for what my wonderful mailbox brought me this week!</div>
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Won on Twitter</div>
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<b><i>The Last Trade</i></b> by James Conway - Thanks Dutton!</div>
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<i><b>How To Marry a Duke</b></i> by Vicky Dreiling - Thanks Forever!</div>
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<i><b>Don't Mess With Texas</b></i> by Christie Craig - Thanks Forever!</div>
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<i><b>The Mask of Destiny</b></i> by Richard Newsome - Thanks Walden Pond Press</div>
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<i><b>The Emerald Casket</b></i> by Richard Newsome - Thanks Walden Pond Press</div>
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Won on Goodreads</div>
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<i><b>Rainshadow Road</b></i> by Lisa Kleypas</div>
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For Review</div>
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<i><b>The Book of Madness and Cures</b></i> by Regina O'Melveny - Thanks Little, Brown, and Co.</div>
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Purchased</div>
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<i><b>Lulu and the Brontosaurus</b></i> by Judith Viorst</div>
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How was your week?</div>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12670824639296951235noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6673351738923565897.post-78529236827056670972012-05-11T11:18:00.002-07:002012-05-25T14:11:41.664-07:00Review: Temptation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1334072284l/12798254.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1334072284l/12798254.jpg" width="206" /></a></div>
<b>Title</b>: <i>Temptation</i><br />
<b>Author</b>: Douglas Kennedy<br />
<b>Length</b>: 320 pages<br />
<b>Publisher</b>: Atria<br />
<b>Genre</b>: Fiction<br />
<b>Source</b>: Publisher<br />
<b>My rating</b>:<a href="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php" title="Smiley"><img alt="Smiley" border="0" src="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-basic/smile.gif" /></a><a href="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php" title="Smiley"><img alt="Smiley" border="0" src="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-basic/smile.gif" /></a><a href="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php" title="Smiley"><img alt="Smiley" border="0" src="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-basic/smile.gif" /></a><br />
<b>Synopsis</b> (from <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12798254-temptation" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>): <span id="freeText18292089847909059526">From the <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author of <i>Leaving the World</i>
comes the brilliant, breathtaking story about a Hollywood screenwriter
whose “overnight success” brings about his biggest downfall. Like all
screenwriters in Tinsel Town, David Armitage wants to be rich and
famous. Finally, after eleven years of disappointment and failure,
big-time luck comes his way when one of his scripts is bought for
television, making him the new toast of Hollywood as the creator of a
smash hit series. Suddenly a major power player, Armitage begins to
reinvent himself at breakneck speed, quitting his day job, trading in
his Reagan-era Volvo for a Porsche, and leaving his wife and daughter
for a sleek, young producer. Enter multibillionaire film buff Philip
Fleck, who proposes an unsavory collaboration to the screenwriter.
Armitage takes the bait and suddenly finds himself entering a decidedly
Faustian pact—and unknowingly hopping an express ride to the lower
depths of the Hollywood jungle.</span><br />
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<span id="freeText18292089847909059526"><b>My Thoughts</b>: Douglas Kennedy takes his readers on a roller coaster ride in Temptation. It comes complete with ups, downs, twists, and surprise turns. Temptation was an easy read but I found that I never knew what to expect next and that kept me turning the pages. The ending came as a surprise but not an unwelcome one.</span><br />
<span id="freeText18292089847909059526"><br /></span><br />
<span id="freeText18292089847909059526">As a character I found Armitage to be shallow, selfish, weak, and over the top. These are traits that are usually not good in a character but I think they work here, and he does eventually redeem himself. </span><br />
<span id="freeText18292089847909059526"><br /></span><br />
<span id="freeText18292089847909059526">Don't let the cover fool you. This is not a book about sex. It is about control and the lack of it, fame and the cost of it, money and the effects of it.</span><br />
<span id="freeText18292089847909059526"><br /></span><br />
<span id="freeText18292089847909059526">There was one character where I felt the bad language was a bit much. I know what Kennedy was trying to do with it but I found it a bit off-putting. On the other hand, I absolutely loved the character of Alison, Armitage's agent. She also had some off colored language but it did not seem as out of place.</span><br />
<span id="freeText18292089847909059526"><br /></span><br />
<span id="freeText18292089847909059526">This was an enjoyable read and more like 3 1/2 </span><a href="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php" title="Smiley"><img alt="Smiley" border="0" src="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-basic/smile.gif" /></a><span id="freeText18292089847909059526">, but I haven't figured out how to do that yet. I would suggest giving it a try yourself if it sounds at all interesting to you. Temptation was an interesting peak into Hollywood and it's players. </span>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12670824639296951235noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6673351738923565897.post-12437157754827364112012-05-08T05:00:00.000-07:002012-05-25T14:12:05.824-07:00Review: The Man Who Changed The Way We Eat<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Title</b>: <i>The Man Who Changed The Way We Eat: Craig Claiborne And The American Food Renaissance</i><br />
<b>Author</b>: Thomas McNamee<br />
<b>Length</b>: 320 pages<br />
<b>Publisher</b>: Free Press<br />
<b>Genre</b>: Non-fiction, Biography<br />
<b>Source</b>: Publisher<br />
<b>My Rating</b>:<a href="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php" title="Smiley"><img alt="Smiley" border="0" src="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-basic/smile.gif" /></a><a href="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php" title="Smiley"><img alt="Smiley" border="0" src="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-basic/smile.gif" /></a><a href="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php" title="Smiley"><img alt="Smiley" border="0" src="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-basic/smile.gif" /></a><a href="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php" title="Smiley"><img alt="Smiley" border="0" src="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-basic/smile.gif" /></a><br />
<b>Synopsis </b>(from <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13260399-craig-claiborne-and-the-american-food-renaissance" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>): <span id="freeText15099891479306764186">From his first day on the job as the <i>New York Times</i>
food critic, Craig Claiborne excited readers by introducing them to
food worlds unknown, from initiating them in the standards of the finest
French cuisine and the tantalizing joys of the then mostly unknown
foods of India, China, Mexico, Spain, to extolling the pleasures of
“exotic” ingredients like arugula, and praising “newfangled” tools like
the Cuisinart, which once he’d given his stamp of approval became wildly
popular. A good review of a restaurant guaranteed a full house for
weeks, while a bad review might close a kitchen down. Based on
unprecedented access to Claiborne’s<i> </i>personal papers and
interviews with a host of food world royalty, including Jacques Pepin,
Gael Greene, and Alice Waters, Tom McNamee offers a lively and vivid
account of Claiborne’s extraordinary adventure in food, from his own
awakening in the bistros of Paris, to his legendary wine-soaked dinner
parties, to his travels to colorful locals from Morocco to Saigon, and
the infamous $4,000 dinner he shared in Paris with French chef Pierre
Franey that made front-page news. More than an engrossing biography,
this is the story of the country’s transition from enchantment with
frozen TV dinners to a new consciousness of truly good cooking.</span><br />
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<span id="freeText15099891479306764186"><b>My Thoughts</b>: This was a fascinating book. My friends consider me a "foodie", though I don't agree. I love to eat at nice restaurants, try new dishes, and experiment with my cooking club. None of those things however make me a true "foodie". I am just not that knowledgeable. Craig Claiborne was a "foodie", perhaps the first in our country, and he brought a desire for that knowledge to a large percentage of people just like me. I never read one of Claiborne's columns but had I, I would have been one of his devoted followers. Learning about the life and career of such a man was a wonderful discovery for me.</span><br />
<span id="freeText15099891479306764186"><br /></span><br />
<span id="freeText15099891479306764186">McNamee makes Claiborne come alive. As I was reading the book</span><b> </b>I found myself making the journey with Claiborne and wishing that I was more than just a voyeur. I wanted to be a part of the lavish dinner parties, on the trips to Europe to explore the newest restaurants, and to have written some of the amazing cookbooks which carry the Claiborn byline.<br />
<br />
However, as is true with anyone, Claiborne was not just his public persona. He had an unseen, and for that time period, scandalous personal life. He lived with the same demons a lot of us do and had the same character flaws too. This does not distract from the persona of Claiborne but serves to make him someone that more of us can relate to.<br />
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If you are interested in food at all I think that this biography is definitely worth the time to read. I not only learned a lot about the food revolution in America but I was left with a respect for what it took to make it come about, not to mention a compelling need to go out and buy The New York Times Cookbook.Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12670824639296951235noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6673351738923565897.post-26606460011017966972012-05-07T04:00:00.000-07:002012-05-07T04:00:18.844-07:00Monday's Bookishly Beautiful #5Who couldn't use a book lift-me-up on Monday mornings? This meme will
consist of anything related to books that could also be considered
beautiful, art, or uplifting. It could include pictures, quotes, book
covers that caught your eye, products that celebrate books, beautiful
locations that promote books, or anything else pertaining to books that
brightens your day. We all see something different as beautiful which
will make this meme a real joy to peruse through as you and others in
the blogging community join in. Please link back to <b>A Library of our Own </b>and leave a comment with the link to your post. Thank you and I can't wait to see all of your <b>Monday's Bookishly Beautiful</b> posts!<br />
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Late last week a few Tweets on Twitter brought <a href="http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2012/05/03/litographs/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+brainpickings%2Frss+%28Brain+Pickings%29&utm_content=Google+Reader" target="_blank">this post</a> on Danny Fein’s <a href="http://www.litographs.com/pages/about" target="_blank"><b>Litographs</b></a> project from <a href="http://www.brainpickings.org/" target="_blank">Brain Pickings</a> to my attention. These lithographs are beautiful and such a tribute to great literature classics. Take a look for yourself and please check the <a href="http://www.litographs.com/collections/all" target="_blank">Lithograph's collections page</a> for more amazing examples and the option to buy the ones you like!</div>
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<a href="http://www.brainpickings.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/litographs_mobydick.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://www.brainpickings.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/litographs_mobydick.jpg" width="473" /></a></div>
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<i>'Think not, is my eleventh commandment; and sleep when you can, is my twelfth.'</i></div>
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<i>This 24 x 36 inch print (full view at top, close-up zoom at
bottom) includes approximately the first third of Moby Dick. The 18 x 24
inch print includes approximately the first sixth of the book.</i></div>
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<a href="http://www.brainpickings.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/litographs_catcher.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://www.brainpickings.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/litographs_catcher.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>'What really knocks me out is a book that, when you're all done
reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of
yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it.
That doesn't happen much, though.'</i></div>
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<i>This 24 x 36 inch print (full view at top, close-up zoom at
bottom) includes the full text of The Catcher in the Rye. The 18 x 24
inch print includes approximately the first half of the book.</i></div>
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<a href="http://www.brainpickings.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/litographs_alice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://www.brainpickings.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/litographs_alice.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<i>'If everybody minded their own business, the world would go around a great deal faster than it does.'</i></div>
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<i>This 24 x 36 inch print (full view at top, close-up zoom at
bottom) includes the full text of both Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
and Through the Looking Glass. The 18 x 24 inch print includes the full
text of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.</i></div>
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<a href="http://www.brainpickings.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/litographs_ontheroad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://www.brainpickings.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/litographs_ontheroad.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<i>'I was surprised, as always, be how easy the act of leaving was,
and how good it felt. The world was suddenly rich with possibility.'</i></div>
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<i>This 24 x 36 inch print (full view at top, close-up zoom at
bottom) includes the full text of On the Road. The 18 x 24 inch print
includes approximately the first half of the book.</i></div>
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<a href="http://www.brainpickings.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/litographs_darwin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://www.brainpickings.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/litographs_darwin.jpg" width="476" /></a></div>
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<i>'...for the shield may be as important for victory, as the sword or spear.'</i></div>
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<i>This 24 x 36 inch print (full view at top, close-up zoom at
bottom) includes approximately the first third of On the Origin of
Species. The 18 x 24 inch print includes approximately the first sixth
of the book. </i><br />
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<a href="http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0098/1582/products/peterbw.jpg?8447" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0098/1582/products/peterbw.jpg?8447" width="426" /></a></div>
<i> Peter Pan</i><br />
<h2 style="color: black; font-weight: normal;">
“All the world is made of faith, and trust, and pixie dust.”</h2>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">This 24 x 36 inch print includes the full text of Peter Pan. </span><br />
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And now...My favorite<br />
<i> </i></div>
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<a href="http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0098/1582/products/emmabw.jpg?8447" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0098/1582/products/emmabw.jpg?8447" width="425" /></a></div>
<i>EMMA</i><br />
<h2 style="color: black; font-weight: normal;">
“If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more.”</h2>
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This 24 x 36 inch print includes approximately the first third of <span>Emma</span>. </div>
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</div>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12670824639296951235noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6673351738923565897.post-73893985034396487522012-05-06T16:20:00.001-07:002012-05-06T17:08:36.693-07:00Mailbox Monday #5<div style="text-align: center;">
Mailbox Monday is hosted by <a href="http://marthasbookshelf.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">Martha from reviews from Martha's Bookshelf</a>
this month. This meme allows bloggers to showcase the new books they
have received over the last week. Warning: this meme can definitely lead
to book envy!<br />
<br />
This week I have also decided to participate in two new memes. The first is Stacking The Shelves hosted by <a href="http://www.tyngasreviews.com/" target="_blank">Tynga at Tynga's Reviews</a> and the second is <a href="http://kimbathecaffeinatedbookreviewer.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Sunday Post hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer</a>. Stop by and take a look!<br />
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<b>Won</b></div>
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<i><b>On Celestial Music</b></i> by Rick Moody</div>
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<i><b>Calico Joe</b></i> by John Grisham</div>
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<i><b>Storms Of My Grandchildren</b></i> by James Hansen<br />
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<b>For Review </b></div>
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<i><b>True Believers</b></i> by Kurt Anderson - Thank you Random House</div>
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<i><b>The Cranes Dance</b></i> by Meg Howry - Thank you LibraryThing and Vintage</div>
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<i><b>Shelter</b></i> by Frances Greenslade - Thank you Free Press</div>
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<i><b>The Solitary House</b></i> by Lynn Shepherd - Thank you Random House</div>
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<i><b>Temptation</b></i> by Douglas Kennedy - Thank you Atria</div>
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<i><b>The Moment</b></i> by Douglas Kennedy - Thank you Atria</div>
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<i><b>Calling Invisible Women</b></i> by Jeanne Ray - Thank you Goodreads and Crown</div>
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<i><b>The Uninvited Guests</b></i> by Sadie Jones - Thank you Goodreads and Harper</div>
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<i><b>IF</b></i> by Jena Rausch (not pictured)</div>
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<b>Purchased</b></div>
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<i><b>Love Always</b></i> by Harriet Evans</div>
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<i><b>Insurgent</b></i> by Veronica Roth</div>
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What goodies did your mailbox bring you this week?</div>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12670824639296951235noreply@blogger.com45tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6673351738923565897.post-48926383254653301512012-05-03T07:25:00.000-07:002012-05-25T14:12:27.583-07:00Review: The Underside of Joy + A Giveaway<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1328005190l/11723817.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1328005190l/11723817.jpg" width="217" /></a></div>
<b>Title</b>: The Underside of Joy<br />
<b>Author</b>: Sere Prince Halverson<br />
<b>Length</b>: 307 pages<br />
<b>Publisher</b>: Dutton Adult<br />
<b>Genre</b>: Fiction<br />
<b>Source</b>: Purchased<br />
<b>My Rating:</b><a href="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php" title="Smiley"><img alt="Smiley" border="0" src="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-basic/smile.gif" /></a><a href="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php" title="Smiley"><img alt="Smiley" border="0" src="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-basic/smile.gif" /></a><a href="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php" title="Smiley"><img alt="Smiley" border="0" src="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-basic/smile.gif" /></a><a href="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php" title="Smiley"><img alt="Smiley" border="0" src="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-basic/smile.gif" /></a><br />
<b>Synopsis</b><b> </b>(from <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11723817-the-underside-of-joy" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>):<b> </b>A<span id="freeText14984781840141657963">gainst the backdrop
of redwood forests and shimmering vineyards, Seré Prince Halverson's
compelling debut tells the story of two women, bound by an unspeakable
loss, who each claims to be the mother of the same two children.<br /><br />To
Ella Beene, happiness means living in the northern California river
town of Elbow with her husband, Joe, and his two young children. Yet one
summer day Joe breaks his own rule--never turn your back on the
ocean--and a sleeper wave strikes him down, drowning not only the man
but his many secrets.<br /><br />For three years, Ella has been the only
mother the kids have known and has believed that their biological
mother, Paige, abandoned them. But when Paige shows up at the funeral,
intent on reclaiming the children, Ella soon realizes there may be more
to Paige and Joe's story. "Ella's the best thing that's happened to this
family," say her Italian-American in-laws, for generations the
proprietors of a local market. But their devotion quickly falters when
the custody fight between mother and stepmother urgently and powerfully
collides with Ella's quest for truth.<br /><br />The Underside of Joy is not
a fairy-tale version of stepmotherhood pitting good Ella against evil
Paige, but an exploration of the complex relationship of two mothers.
Their conflict uncovers a map of scars--both physical and emotional--to
the families' deeply buried tragedies, including Italian internment
camps during World War II and postpartum psychosis.<br /><br />Weaving a
rich fictional tapestry abundantly alive with the natural beauty of the
novel's setting, Halverson is a captivating guide through the flora and
fauna of human emotions.</span><br />
<span id="freeText14984781840141657963"><br /></span><br />
<span id="freeText14984781840141657963"><b>My Thoughts</b>: I really, really enjoyed this book! It was well written and an easy read. The subject matter was not easy but the writing pulled you in and made this book extremely readable. I loved Ella. She was real. I could see myself doing a lot of the things that she does which made me relate to her even though I have not had the same experiences. </span><br />
<span id="freeText14984781840141657963"><br /></span><br />
<span id="freeText14984781840141657963">This is a story about family in it's many forms, about loss, about not being perfect, and about forgiveness. Do yourself a favor and read this book! I don't think you'll be disappointed!</span><br />
<span id="freeText14984781840141657963"><br /></span><br />
<span id="freeText14984781840141657963"><b>Giveaway!!!</b></span><br />
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<span id="freeText14984781840141657963">This is my first giveaway!! Yay!! I purchased this book through Amazon to read for the <a href="http://www.manicmommiesbookclub.com/" target="_blank">Manic Mommies Book Club</a><b>, </b>hosted by <a href="http://www.bookwormwithaview.com/" target="_blank">Bookworm with a View<b> </b></a>and then I received a copy in the mail from a giveaway I'd forgotten I'd entered. Thank you <a href="http://www.manicmommiesbookclub.com/" target="_blank">Manic Mommies</a>! I would like to pass this second copy along so that someone else can experience this lovely book! Please use the Rafflecopter below and I will announce the winner on Monday, May 14th! Good Luck!</span><br />
<span id="freeText14984781840141657963"> Edited to state that this giveaway is for the US only</span><br />
<span id="freeText14984781840141657963"><br /></span>
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<noscript>&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://rafl.es/enable-js"&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;You need javascript enabled to see this giveaway&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;.</noscript>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12670824639296951235noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6673351738923565897.post-66522966194661078372012-05-01T04:00:00.000-07:002012-05-25T14:12:49.322-07:00Review: Little Bee<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1236969700l/4448191.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1236969700l/4448191.jpg" width="215" /></a></div>
<b>Title</b>: <i>Little Bee</i><br />
<b>Author</b>: Chris Cleave<br />
<b>Length</b>: 267 pages<br />
<b>Publisher</b>: Simon and Schuster<br />
<b>Genre</b>: Fiction<br />
<b>Source</b>: Purchased<br />
<b>My Rating</b>:<a href="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php" title="Smiley"><img alt="Smiley" border="0" src="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-basic/smile.gif" /></a><a href="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php" title="Smiley"><img alt="Smiley" border="0" src="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-basic/smile.gif" /></a><a href="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php" title="Smiley"><img alt="Smiley" border="0" src="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-basic/smile.gif" /></a><a href="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php" title="Smiley"><img alt="Smiley" border="0" src="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-basic/smile.gif" /></a><br />
<b>Synopsis</b> (from <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6948436-little-bee" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>): <span id="freeText6867964012238948473"><b>WE DON'T WANT TO TELL YOU TOO MUCH ABOUT THIS BOOK.</b></span><br />
<br />
It is a truly special story and we don't want to spoil it.<br />
Nevertheless, you need to know something, so we will just say this:<br />
This is the story of two women: Their lives collide one fateful day,
and one of them has to make a terrible choice, the kind of choice we
hope you never have to face. Two years later, they meet again-- the
story starts there...
<br />
<br />
Once you have read it, you'll want to
tell your friends about it. When you do, please don't tell them what
happens. The magic is in how the story unfolds.<br />
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<b>My Thoughts</b>:This was a very interesting story. I'm not going to say anything relating to the plot as I wish to respect the author's wishes. I loved hearing from Little Bee. Her character and point of view were compelling and well written. I felt as if she was speaking directly to me. She managed to make me feel empathy for her and slightly ashamed of "Us" as a population at the same time. This book will make you question your own beliefs as well as tell you the story of a world few of us think to consider. Are you curious? If so it is worth your time to see what the fuss is about.Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12670824639296951235noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6673351738923565897.post-85604405638344415352012-04-30T09:02:00.000-07:002012-04-30T09:02:05.779-07:00Monday's Bookishly Beautiful #4Who couldn't use a book lift-me-up on Monday mornings? This meme will
consist of anything related to books that could also be considered
beautiful, art, or uplifting. It could include pictures, quotes, book
covers that caught your eye, products that celebrate books, beautiful
locations that promote books, or anything else pertaining to books that
brightens your day. We all see something different as beautiful which
will make this meme a real joy to peruse through as you and others in
the blogging community join in. Please link back to <b>A Library of our Own </b>and leave a comment with the link to your post. Thank you and I can't wait to see all of your <b>Monday's Bookishly Beautiful</b> posts!<br />
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I LOVE a trip to the bookstore! I could wander, browse, and sit in a corner or on the floor looking at a book for hours. Getting lost in a bookstore is magical. Today I thought I would share my favorites from Flavorwire's <a href="http://flavorwire.com/254434/the-20-most-beautiful-bookstores-in-the-world?all=1" target="_blank">The 20 Most Beautiful Bookstores in the World</a> and <a href="http://flavorwire.com/264130/readers-choice-20-more-beautiful-bookstores-from-around-the-world?all=1" target="_blank">Readers' Choice 20 More Beautiful Bookstores from Around the World</a>. Please check out the links for a full list of all 40. <br />
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<a href="http://assets.flavorwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/barts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://assets.flavorwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/barts.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.bartsbooksojai.com/" target="_blank">Bart’s Books</a>, Ojai, California [photo <a href="http://bookchatter.net/2009/05/10/the-sunday-salon-barts-books/" target="_blank">via</a>]<br />
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Librería El Ateneo Grand Splendid, Buenos Aires, Argentina [images <a href="http://thebookvineyard.wordpress.com/book-mumblings/dream-bookstores-to-visit/" target="_blank">via</a> and <a href="http://boingboing.net/2010/03/13/most-beautiful-books.html" target="_blank">via</a>]<br />
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<a href="http://www.poplar.com.cn/" target="_blank">Poplar Kid’s Republic</a>, Beijing, China<br />
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<a href="http://www.pendulo.com/libreria/" target="_blank">Cafebreria El Pendulo</a>, Mexico City, Mexico [photos <a href="http://11870.com/pro/cafebreria-el-pendulo" target="_blank">via</a>]<br />
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<a href="http://www.shakespeareandcompany.com/" target="_blank">Shakespeare & Company</a>, Paris, France [photo <a href="http://johnrrogers.com/architecture/shakespeare-and-company-paris/" target="_blank">via</a>]<br />
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<a href="http://talesofabritabroad.blogspot.com/2011/06/reading-slowly-at-lisbons-lx-factory.html" target="_blank">Ler Devagar</a>, Lisbon, Portugal<br />
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Livraria Cultura, São Paulo, Brazil [<a href="http://www.worldarchitecturenews.com/index.php?fuseaction=wanappln.projectview&upload_id=15024" target="_blank">via</a> and <a href="http://ssaporestefanodiaz.blogspot.com/2010/11/livraria-cultura-abre-as-portas-no.html" target="_blank">via</a>]<br />
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<a href="http://massolit.com/" target="_blank">Massolit Books</a>, Kraków, Poland [<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ulikleafar/2291093311/" target="_blank">via</a> and <a href="http://booklover.tumblr.com/post/13963210987/bookoasis-massolit-books-english-language" target="_blank">via</a>]<br />
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Chapters Runnymede, Toronto [<a href="http://citywatching.com/2010/05/13/theatre-acoustics-make-big-box-sale/" target="_blank">via</a>]<br />
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The Honesty Bookshop, Hay-on-Wye, UK [<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/38950359@N07/5857853488/" target="_blank">via</a>]<br />
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<a href="http://assets.flavorwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/CooberPedy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://assets.flavorwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/CooberPedy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Underground bookstore in Coober Pedy, Australia [<a href="http://www.wondermondo.com/Attractions/RockCut.htm" target="_blank">via</a>]<br />
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Tattered Cover, Denver, CO [<a href="http://bikingantoine.wordpress.com/?pages-list" target="_blank">via</a>]<br />
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Which is your favorite? </div>
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<br />Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12670824639296951235noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6673351738923565897.post-46092870302994822442012-04-29T18:56:00.000-07:002012-04-29T18:56:39.205-07:00Mailbox Monday #4<div style="text-align: center;">
Mailbox Monday is hosted by <a href="http://cindysloveofbooks.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Cindy's Love of Books</a> this month. This meme allows bloggers to showcase the new books they have received over the last week. Warning: this meme can definitely lead to book envy! </div>
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<i><b>Another Piece Of My Heart</b></i> by Jane Green - Thank you to Colleen at <a href="http://booksnyc.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Books in the City</a>! </div>
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Received from publisher</div>
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<b><i>The Homecoming Of Samuel Lake</i></b> by Jenny Wingfield - Thank you Random House!</div>
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<i><b>Gilded Age</b></i> by Claire McMillan - Thank you Simon and Schuster!</div>
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<i><b>The Underside Of Joy</b></i> by Sere Prince Alverson - Thank you Dutton! - Look for a giveaway soon!</div>
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I am really looking forward to reading all of these! </div>
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What did you get in your mailbox this week?</div>
<br />Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12670824639296951235noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6673351738923565897.post-80807300943868020422012-04-28T09:50:00.000-07:002012-05-25T14:13:16.587-07:00Review: Secret Daughter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Title</b>: <i>Secret Daughter</i><br />
<b>Author</b>: Shilpi Somaya Gowda<br />
<b>Length</b>: 368 pages<br />
<b>Publisher</b>: William Morrow<br />
<b>Genre</b>: Fiction<br />
<b>Source</b>: Purchased<br />
<b>My Rating</b>:<a href="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php" title="Smiley"><img alt="Smiley" border="0" src="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-basic/smile.gif" /></a><a href="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php" title="Smiley"><img alt="Smiley" border="0" src="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-basic/smile.gif" /></a><a href="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php" title="Smiley"><img alt="Smiley" border="0" src="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-basic/smile.gif" /></a><a href="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php" title="Smiley"><img alt="Smiley" border="0" src="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-basic/smile.gif" /></a><br />
<b>Synopsis</b> (from <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7847019-secret-daughter" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>): <span id="freeText15339552078628067240">On the eve of the
monsoons, in a remote Indian village, Kavita gives birth to a baby girl.
But in a culture that favors sons, the only way for Kavita to save her
newborn daughter's life is to give her away. It is a decision that will
haunt her and her husband for the rest of their lives, even after the
arrival of their cherished son.</span><br />
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<span id="freeText15339552078628067240">Halfway around the globe,
Somer, an American doctor, decides to adopt a child after making the
wrenching discovery that she will never have one of her own. When she
and her husband, Krishnan, see a photo of the baby with the gold-flecked
eyes from a Mumbai orphanage, they are overwhelmed with emotion. Somer
knows life will change with the adoption but is convinced that the love
they already feel will overcome all obstacles. <br /><br />Interweaving the stories of Kavita, Somer, and the child that binds both of their destinies, <i>Secret Daughter</i>
poignantly explores the emotional terrain of motherhood, loss,
identity, and love, as witnessed through the lives of two families—one
Indian, one American—and the child that indelibly connects them.</span><br />
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<span id="freeText15339552078628067240"><b>My Thoughts</b>: Gowda provides one of the most thought provoking books I've read in a while. The story is not only a page turner but one that will have you thinking about the characters, locales, and issues long after you've stopped turning the pages. She takes us on a journey into a world that many of us have never even really considered, let alone been part of. </span><br />
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<span id="freeText15339552078628067240">Gowda brings very compelling issues into mainstream thought through an engrossing story. Issues that, but for this story, would remain unknown for a large portion of it's readers. We are presented with the reality of arranged marriage, gender preference leading to infanticide, the brutal truths of life lived in a shanty town in India, infertility, the challenge of raising a child of inter-cultural adoption, the identity issues which arise for an adoptee, and the meaning of family. The beauty of Gowda's writing is that even with all this it is still an incredibly accessible book.</span><br />
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<span id="freeText15339552078628067240">The writing in this book is incredibly descriptive and engrossing. Gowda made India come alive for me. I became so immersed in Gowda's India that I had ended up with such a craving to go out one night and experience some of the wonderful food I was reading about. I have now tasted Bengan bhartha, which is delicious! </span><br />
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<span id="freeText15339552078628067240">This is an amazing debut book by Shilpi Somaya Gowda and I highly recommend it! </span>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12670824639296951235noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6673351738923565897.post-901602876190350192012-04-24T08:24:00.000-07:002012-05-25T14:13:37.813-07:00Review: The Folded Earth<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Title</b>: <i>The Folded Earth</i><br />
<b>Author</b>: Anuradha Roy<br />
<b>Length</b>: 288 pages<br />
<b>Publisher</b>: Free Press<br />
<b>Genre</b>:Literary Fiction<br />
<b>Source</b>: Free Press<br />
<b>My rating</b>:<a href="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php" title="Smiley"><img alt="Smiley" border="0" src="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-basic/smile.gif" /></a><a href="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php" title="Smiley"><img alt="Smiley" border="0" src="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-basic/smile.gif" /></a><a href="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php" title="Smiley"><img alt="Smiley" border="0" src="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-basic/smile.gif" /></a><b><i> </i></b><br />
<b>Synopsis</b> (from<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13512173-the-folded-earth" target="_blank"> Goodreads</a>): <span id="freeText16875601172338849946">An evocative and
deeply moving tale of a young woman making a new life for herself amid
the foothills of the Himalaya. Desperate to leave a private tragedy
behind, Maya abandons herself to the rhythms of the little village,
where people coexist peacefully with nature. But all is not as it seems,
and she soon learns that no refuge is remote enough to keep out the
modern world. When power-hungry politicians threaten her beloved
mountain community, Maya finds herself caught between the life she left
behind and the new home she is determined to protect.<br />Elegiac, witty,
and profound by turns, and with a tender love story at its core, The
Folded Earth brims with the same genius and love of language that made
An Atlas of Impossible Longing an international success and confirms
Anuradha Roy as a major new literary talent.</span><br />
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<span id="freeText16875601172338849946"><b>My Review</b>: I'd first like to direct you to the beautiful cover! Doesn't that cover just draw you in? Make you feel as if something beautiful is waiting within? An awesome cover has me from the word go.</span><br />
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<span id="freeText16875601172338849946">I found this book to be both beautiful, engaging, and frustrating all at the same time. The book is broken up into two parts. Part One just seemed to lay the groundwork for Part Two. Part One was very hard for me to get involved in. Part Two was very engaging. I fell in love with many of the local village characters. I was anxiously waiting to see how Charu's story turned out and whether Veer was really the jerk I thought him to be. The writing made you feel as if you were there with the characters. I came to feel as if I knew Ranikhet, the village where this story was set. I actually found myself wanting more from many of the main characters. This story ended too abruptly, it left me with unanswered questions even though the story lines were all completed.</span><br />
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<span id="freeText16875601172338849946">If you enjoy a well written story, read this for the feeling of village life in India, the quirky characters, the beauty of the mountains. Anuradna Roy showed me a place I'd never been before.</span>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12670824639296951235noreply@blogger.com2