Contact email: mesreads AT gmail.com
###Winner Announcement Posts are linked here.###

GIVEAWAYS ARE NOW LOCATED ON THEIR OWN PAGE - CLICK ON TAB ABOVE; Giveaways also linked on right sidebar.

Thursday, December 31, 2009

November 2009 Reading List!

November 2009  Books 156 - 172

Links will take you to the reviews!

Guide: 
BTL = Between the Lines with Writers and Readers of Distinctive Fiction
CR = CataRomance (eCR= eBook) (ST = Single Titles)
MBS = Martha's Bookshelf
YGR = You Gotta Read

156.    Mirror Mirror by Karen Wiesner (eBook) Contemporary Romance 4.5  Need to Read YGR
157.    Time Storm by Samantha Winston (eBook) Time Travel 3.5 eCR
158.    Fire Eyes by Cheryl Pierson (eBook) Historical Western 4.25 MBS
159.    A Matter of Class by Mary Balogh Historical Regency 5.0 CRST
160.    Winter Wheat by Barbara Wohlschlegel (eBook) Contemporary Romance 5.0 Gotta Read YGR
161.    Confederate Rose by Sarah  Macatee (eBook) Historical, Civil War 4.25  Need to read YGR
162.    Noelle’s Gift by Donica Covey (eBook) Paranormal 5.0 Gotta Read YGR
163.    Cupid’s Folly by Erin Sinclair (eBook) Fantasy 4.5 eCR
164.    Queene of Light by Jennifer Armintrout (eBook) (Blog with Bite) Fantasy 4.5 MBS
165.    End the Fed by Ron Paul (Audio CD) Financial 4.0 Need to read YGR
166.    Avenging Allaire by Margie Church (eBook) Suspense 4.5 MBS
167.    Kismet by Kissa Starling (eBook) Contemporary Romomance, Mature 4.5 MBS
168.    Christmas Sin by Ed Williams (eBook) 1970s Deep South;  4.25 Need to Read YGR
169.    Hope for the Animals by Jane Goodall (Audio CD) Informative, NonFiction 4.5 (MBS)
170.    Time Plains Drifter by Cheryl Pierson (eBook) Historical Time Travel 4.25 MBS
171.    Maggie, A Savannah Dog by Pat Andres Childrens Book 4.25 MBS
172.    Defining Twilight by Brian Leaf, M.A. Study Resource 4.5 MBS

Winner of Evidence of Angels by Suza Scalora!


CONGRATULATIONS
to the winner of Evidence of Angels:
www.bigoo.wswww.bigoo.wswww.bigoo.wswww.bigoo.wswww.bigoo.wswww.bigoo.wswww.bigoo.wswww.bigoo.wswww.bigoo.ws


I have emailed Rubynreba to send me snail mail info for the book! Please reply and confirm within 72 hours!

Thanks again to everyone who participated!

2009 Suspense/Thriller Challenge Completed!

Completed Reading List for 2009 Suspense& Thriller Challenge

1.  Amateur - It's Elementary, My Dear Winifred by Miss Mae
2.  Conspiracy or Medical (psychic)- The Midnight Effect by Pamela Fryer
3.  Cozy - Said the Spider by Miss Mae
4.  Eco-Thriller - Killer Dolls by Angelica Hart and Zi
5.  Forensic - Every Skull Tells a Story by Anne Patrick
6.  Futuristic - Blood Bytes by Susan Phelan
7.  Hardboiled - Hardball, a VI Warshawski Novel by Sara Paretsky
8.  Historical - Murder on Nob Hill by Shirley Tallman
                  - Druid's Daughter by Jean Hart Stewart
9.  Legal -  First Degree by David Rosenfelt
10.  Private Detective - Russian Roulette, A Hannibal Jones Thriller by Austin S. Camacho
11.  Police Procedure or Crime thriller - Death Dance by Linda Fairstein
12.  Psychological - Circle of Souls by Preetham Grandhi and
                          - Ravens by George Dawes Green
13.  Romantic Suspense - The Suspect by Jasmine Creswell
                            - Trust Me by Brenda Novak
                            - In A Heartbeat by Donna Richards
                             Plus others
14.  Sci-Fi or Spy - Stella by Colin Galbraith
15.  Serial Killer - I Can See You by Karen Rose
        - Looking Through the Mist (psychic) by Rebecca Vickery

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Review of CALL ME KATE by Molly Roe

Title:  CALL ME KATE, Meeting the Molly Macguires
Author:  Molly Roe
Genre:   Historical Fiction
Publisher: Tribute Books
Buy Link:   http://www.tribute-books.com/minicart/products.html#Call
ISBN:  9780981461939 (PB)
Release Date:  November 2008
eBook $4.95
Paperback $12.95
Hardback $19.95
Pages 168

Rating:  4.5 of 5.0

Author Blog:  http://conversationsfromthesideporch.blogspot.com/

Blurb:  The Civil War Draft Meets Immigrant Coal Miners

Fourteen-year-old Katie McCafferty risks job, family, and eventually her very life to rescue a lifelong friend. Disguised as a draft resister, Katie infiltrates a secret Irish organization to prevent bloodshed. Tragedies challenge her strength and ingenuity, and she faces a crisis of conscience. Can Katie balance her sense of justice with the law?

Call Me Kate is suitable for readers from eleven to adult. The story is dramatic and adventuresome, yet expressive of daily life in the patches of the hard coal region during the Civil War era. This novel will appeal to readers of the Dear America series, as well as more mature readers who will enjoy the story’s rich context and drama.


Review:  This is a wonderful and engaging story that taught me much more of the coal miner difficulties during the Civil War than I remember from history classes!

Kate is just as you might imagine a young feisty Irish lass!!  She loves her family, is loyal to her friends, hardworking, determined and stubborn!  She is the eldest of three girls born to Irish parents who lost their infant son on the passage to America - the land of opportunity.

The story tells you of the hardships that Kate’s family and young friends struggle with in a coal town in Eastern Pennsylvania.  It describes the colliery and the close knit "patch" – the small village of company owned homes built near the mines.  Kate has to cope with the grief of injury and death consistent with coal mining.  After her father is injured and unable to work, Kate accepts domestic employment at the wealthy home of one of the mine owners.  There she hears plans to capture the Molly Maguires – one of the groups who are rebelling against the conscription (draft) of the Irish men for the Union army. One of the conspirators at risk is her close childhood friend.

Many of the Irish have not been given citizenship and are looked down upon and ridiculed.  They are working in terrible conditions in the coal mines where they are often paid in script that can only be spent in the company owned stores. Now the men are being forced to go to war and risk their lives leaving behind families with no man to support them.

This would be a wonderful book for teens to read for fun learning and it is a very engaging read for adults too!  The book comes with Literary Circle Questions for discussion and a glossary of terms that may be unfamiliar – like colliery and patch. The writing is easy and flows with good story telling. I was sorry when the book suddenly ended as I was ready for more of Kate’s story!

I am pleased that this is just the first of a series. The working title of the next book is Sarah’s Story: The Curse on Centralia. This one is also about the Molly Maguires, but this time the story follows Kate’s younger sister, Sarah McCafferty, to the town of Centralia.
Summary:  A devastating mine fire that started in the 1860s has reduced Centralia to a mere six residents. Was the fire the result of a curse placed on the Mollies a hundred years earlier? That’s the question that inspired Sarah’s Story.

 THANK YOU to Tribute Books for providing this book for review!

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Winner of KISMET by Kissa Starling


CONGRATULATIONS to

www.bigoo.wswww.bigoo.wswww.bigoo.wswww.bigoo.ws

who won the eBook copy of KISMET!

I will send your e-mail to Kissa to send on the book!  I hope you enjoy it!

211 Followers! THANK YOU Giveaway $20.00 GC PLUS!

WaHoo! Somehow between early December and now the followers slid from 152 to 211! I am thrilled and so it is time to celebrate again with another "Thank You" Giveaway for the Followers!

As I have done before, this giveaway is ONLY for the 211 people who are following when this Giveaway posts! I hope you will join if you are new but you will have to wait for the next Follower giveaway to enter please!  I have noted a couple of people have said they are following but I have not been able to confirm them through the Google Friend Connect on the sidebar. It is great if you are doing the subscribe thing - I like that for some blogs I follow because I get the summary each day - but that isn't the Google follow where I can confirm you are following.

 This Giveaway will be for a $20.00 gift certificate, online or gift card, of the winner's choice so it can be accessible to international followers too!


To Celebrate the New Year I am adding Second and Third winners to get their choice of the Friday Pick books if US or Canadian residents or $5.00 credit if international!

Since everyone included in this is already a follower you only need to make One entry! Leave your e-mail so I can contact you if you win!

The contest will remain open until Friday January 15, 2010 at midnight central time, with the winner to be announced on Saturday morning!

I really do want you to follow the blog but here is another sign I couldn't resist!!
Thanks again to each and every one of you for your support!!

A Link to Winner Announcements


I have had a couple of comments asking where to find winners.  I generally post winners within two days of the close of the Giveaway.  To facilitate finding the winner posts I have included a link to Winner Announcement Posts in the fixed box at the top where Giveaways are listed.
I am working on doing tabs for Reviews, Interviews, Giveaways, etc. -- a project to be completed in the New Year! =0D

Monday, December 28, 2009

Three Winners of What the Dog Saw

www.bigoo.wswww.bigoo.wswww.bigoo.wswww.bigoo.wswww.bigoo.wswww.bigoo.wswww.bigoo.wswww.bigoo.ws




CONGRATULATIONS 
TO WINNERS OF

What the Dog Saw and other adventures
by Malcolm Gladwell

 Carolyn,     

Wheresmyrain 

   and    

Janet Faye

I'll email you to fill in the form - please confirm reciept! 

Thanks to all for participating and believe me this audio book is a lot more interesting than it might sound!

Thanks again to Hachette and Anna!

Mailbox Monday December 28, 2009

This Meme starts with Marcia
at The Printed Page






For the Love of St. Nick by Garasamo Maccagnone from 4 The Love of Books
Thank you Abi!



Parallel Attraction by Deidre Knight at Twitter contest.
Thank you Deidre!







Dear Prince Charming by Donna Kauffman
from Michelle and Leslie's Book Picks - first Giveaway!
Thank you Michelle!











Secular Sabotage by Bill Donohue from J. Kaye's Book Blog November.
Thank you J. Kaye!




A Creed Country Christmas
by Linda Lael Miller from J. Kaye's Chat.
Thank you J. Kaye again!








Cat O' Nine Tales by Deborah MacGillivray
from Long and Short Romances Tuesday Author Chat.
Thank you LaSR!


What are you reading on Mondays? December 28, 2009



Join this meme at:
J. Kaye's Book Blog

Again, I only finished a couple of books last week but I am halfway through three others. Plus I got six reviews written that needed to get sent in!

[Note re codes:  YGR is You Gotta Read Reviews; CR is CataRomance Reviews, BTL is Between the Line/WRDF - these are the three sites where I read and review.  There are links under Some Friends on the sidebar for each of these. MBS is this blog - Martha's BookShelf!]

Finished:

PB:  Getting Lucky by Carolyn Brown. J.Kaye and I did a Twitter read along on this.  It started with a hero we weren't sure we would like. I thought the book got better as it went along. Review to be sent this week to CR.

Kindle2:  Released by Kimber Chin. This was a Great short story!! Kimber really gets you caught up with her stories! Review to be sent this week to YGR.

Audible: ---------

Audio CD:  ----------

**************************

Currently reading:

PB:  Don't Look Down by David Laing Dawson. I am a third into this and although the language is rough it is very well written! 
A thriller about four murderers, 18 to 81, in a forensic psychiatric ward.  Reviewing on MBS for author through Bostwick.

Hope to start by end of the week: Lucifer Rising by Barbara Fifield.
The reporter heroine Elsa learns the answer to this question: If Lucifer could incarnate, what vocation would he choose in order to steal the most souls away from God?  Reviewing on MBS for author through Bostwick.

Kindle2:   Call Me Kate, Meeting the Molly Maguires by Molly Roe.  I am at 50% on this and I really like the authentic history as well as the story!
Historical fiction about a 14 year old who infilitrates a secret Irish organization to rescue a friend. Set in coal region of Pennsylvania during the Civil War.  Reviewing on MBS for Tribute Books. 

Cotillion Christmas Spirits Anthology - four regency romances.  I loved the first story and the second was good too! Two more to go. Reviewing for CataRomance.

Next up - another Christmas story:  Three Minutes Before Christmas by Paige Ryter. 
Can a Christmas miracle save their love? Check the clock because they've only got Three Minutes Before Christmas until the magic is lost.  Reviewing on MBS for the author.


Audible: on hold.

Audio CD:  On hold as I am reading/listening to review eBooks on Kindle instead.

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Sunday Words of Encouragement December 27, 2009


We had a good Christmas - in spite of the economy, terrorism, wars, illness, pain and evil in the world.  We are still BLESSED!

Now that Christ has been born, our guest Pastor this morning reminded us: Who is Jesus? I had picked this song out earlier and this seems a good time to post it!

Emmanuel: God WITH US



A Verse for today:
Revelation 19:16
On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

My prayer this morning is that you may find PEACE as you remember each day how blessed you are even in a world of hardship.

Saturday, December 26, 2009

The Second Part of my Holdiay Swap Gift!





I got the second part of my Holiday Swap package before Christmas from
Serena at Savvy Verse & Wit!




It is way cool but I didn't get a chance to get a separate picture.  It is a typewriter key pendant with my initial M.  Here is a picture of a group of the M pendants from the site JuNxtaposition where the charms are produced as jewelry.  Mine is like the one in front: yellow type on black background. I don't really wear a lot of jewelry but I am wearing this one!!




Thank you again Serena!




Martha's Bookshelf *** Friday Pick Giveaway December 25, 2009


Here is a new set of books plus those left from pick#1, pick#2, pick#3 and pick #4.  At the end of each month (next Friday) I will put the lists together so you won't have to chase down four or five links!

Remember for the overseas participants I am willing to give a $5.00 book certificate to international winners - Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders, TWRP, ClassAct Books, eTreasures, Desert Breeze, etc....you tell me where and I'll set it up. Overseas visitors your comment may indicate your choice of gift card.

Now here are this week's books!
 
See Jane Lead by Lois P. Frankel
Jake's Return by Liana Laverentz (A)
The Jester by James Patterson - Audio Tapes
Firestorm by Nevada Barr
Manhunt by Janet Evanovich - Audio CDs
Bloodlines by Dinah McCall (slightly creased "SC")
The Darkroom by Minette Walters
Wish You Well by David Baldacci - Audio Tapes
The Daddy Spell by Patti Ann Cole
Ice Hunt by James Rollins
Surrender a Dream by Jill Barnett
Irresistible by Mary Balogh
Misfortune by Nancy Geary
False Prophet by Faye Kellerman
Cold Hit by Linda Fairstein - Audio Tapes
A Kiss of Fate by Mary Jo Putney (SC)

Winner of Friday Pick 12-18-09

Congratulations to Friday Pick 12-18-09 Winners:


Marjorie chose Whispers and Lies by  Joy Fielding
and

www.bigoo.wswww.bigoo.wswww.bigoo.wswww.bigoo.wswww.bigoo.wswww.bigoo.wswww.bigoo.ws


Cheryl C chose Lightkeeper by Susan Wiggs!

I have e-mailed for you to please send me your addresses!!

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