What are you Reading Monday? March 29, 2010

This meme starts at One Person's Journey Through A World of Books!

I got to visit a few blogs this week for this meme and for Friday's Blog Hop meme.  Very fun.

I still have lots of books to review; two interviews with Giveaways to prepare and at least three other Giveaways to post soon.  Staying busy!

Finished:
PB -------------------

Kindle2 - Alone and Afraid by Karen Lewis.  This was a very quick interesting read.  Reviewing for You Gotta Read Reviews.

Publisher's website: http://www.heartsonfirebooks.com/downloads.aspx?categoryid=55 

Blurb: Life hasn'’t been easy for Shannon Knight, raised by a single mother, money’s been tight, but it’s about to get a whole lot worse. When her mother uproots them, to be with a boyfriend, then suddenly goes missing, it leaves Shannon facing homelessness in a strange city where she knows no one. Convinced that this man is responsible for her mother’s disappearance, Shannon sets out to prove it, with surprising consequences.

Audio CD:  Marriage and Other Acts of Charity by Kate Braestrup. Review and Hachette Giveaway are posted.




Audio CD:  Lost in Paradise by Allie Boniface.  I listened to this in two evenings - very easy and enjoyable!  Reviewing for You Gotta Read Reviews.

Ashton Kirk, youngest daughter of a prestigious senator, fiancée of a hotshot attorney, and fresh Harvard graduate, is headed for a promising law career when scandal breaks apart her family. Suddenly, she finds herself newly single and ashamed of her name. To escape, she rents an apartment in the sleepy town of Paradise, New Hampshire, where no one knows who she is.
Ashton hopes for solitude, but all bets are off when Eddie West, the town’s most eligible bachelor, moves in downstairs. The brawny auto mechanic loves his women and his cars shiny, sleek, and fast, and when he meets his new housemate, he wastes no time getting friendly. While Eddie is looking for a no-strings romance, though, he gets more than he bargained for in Ash, who sees through his bravado to the pain of a loss too fresh to mention.
Can two people from different worlds find common ground, a place to fall in love and build a future together? Or will Ashton’s past and Eddie’s scars keep them apart just as the summer heat brings them together? Is it possible to find your soul mate in the place you least expect to?

Currently reading:

PB:  Death Mill Mansion - A Lighthearted Comehy by Will Hartzell-Baird. I am two thirds done this very crazy murder mystery!
Books provided by author.

As has been documented in any number of movies and books, there is a particular class of mansion that, through some indescribable means, bestows unanticipated engine/tire difficulty upon passing cars, forcing the unsuspecting occupants to knock on the door, asking to use the phone, never to be seen or heard from again. Countless motorists have been lost to these devious abodes, as well as to the mysterious mansion's close relatives, the darkened gas station and the eerily silent farm community looming unassumingly in the distance. Coincidentally, on a dark, stormy night while driving on an unfamiliar country road, Robbie inexplicably experiences car trouble...

Dead, Undead or Somewhere in Between by J.A. Saare. I am really enjoying this Urban Fantasy! About 65% completed.

One bad corpse can ruin your whole day.
No one knows that better than Rhiannon Murphy.
She left behind the flash and sass of Miami for the no-nonsense groove of New York City, eager for a clean slate and a fresh start. A bartender by trade, a loud mouth by choice, and a necromancer by chance; she managed to keep her nifty talent hidden from those around her—until now.
The deliciously good-looking vampire, Disco, knows her secret. When he strolls into her bar to solicit help investigating the mysterious disappearances of his kind from the city, Rhiannon discovers he’s not the kind of person that appreciates the significance of the word no.
But in a world where vampires peddle their blood as the latest and greatest drug of choice, it’s only a matter of time before the next big thing hits the market. Someone or something is killing vampires to steal their hearts, and unlike Rhiannon, this isn’t their first stroll around the undead block.

Audio CD -----------------I need a new Audio :)

Same old story:  This week I am again committed to writing more reviews!

Upcoming books:
Highest Stakes by Emery Lee.
Review (with Giveaway of the ARC copy provided by Sourcebooks) to be posted around the first week of April.

God Never Blinks - 50 Lessons for Life's Little Detours by Regina Brett
Review and Hachette Giveaway to be posted soon.

Sunday Words of Encouragment March 28, 2010

Our Pastor's message today was "Choose Your Attitude."  There are those who are hostile to Jesus; those who are bystanders and never really a part of the message of Christ; there are those who follow Him but do not give all their best; and then there are those who take off their coats to lay them at His feet and give Him the best that they have.  Interesting comment - the unridden colt allowed Jesus to ride it into Jerusalem - the colt was obedient and gave his best.  What is your attitude?

Here is a song of praise I found for the triumph of Palm Sunday.
Did you know that Hosanna means "Save us now"?

Verses for Today:
Luke 19: 35-38  NIV

[35] They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. [36] As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.

[37] When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:

[38] "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!"

"Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"

Today we dedicated knit hats and shawls made by ladies in the church. We prayed, and I pray, for healing and comfort to those who are blessed with the hats and shawls, and symbolically for others who need that healing and comforting touch.

Giveaway - Three Audio Books of Marriage and Other Acts of Charity

Thanks to Hachette there will be THREE  WINNERS of this Audio book.
MARRIAGE AND OTHER ACTS OF CHARITY by Kate Braestrup

Publisher: Hachette Audio; Unabridged edition (January 13, 2010)
Genre: memoir
ISBN-10: 1600247784
ISBN-13: 978-1600247781
Buy Link 
Price:  $22.78
Author website

Product Description
In her award-winning memoir Here If You Need Me, Kate Braestrup won the hearts of readers across the country with her deeply moving and deftly humorous stories of faith, hope and family. Now, with her inimitable voice and generous spirit, she turns her attention to the subjects of love and commitment in MARRIAGE AND OTHER ACTS OF CHARITY. As a minister, Kate Braestrup regularly performs weddings. She has also, at 44, been married twice and widowed once, and accordingly has much to say about life after the ceremony.

TO ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY for the AUDIO CD:

1. I'll give you a choice for the entry Comment: you can do any ONE or all if you wish - it will only count as ONE entry.
a) Tell me how you would fill in the blank:  "What matters most is ___________."  (See my review.) Since that may be too personal for some there are other choices.
b) Check out the Author's Website and tell me something you found interesting there. (You might find the link to her husband's art work.)
c) You can listen to an excerpt here and comment on it.  OR
d) You can just tell me why you are interested in winning this audio.

2. For an extra entry, become a follower or tell me if you are already a follower.

3. For another entry, blog, facebook, tweet (any of those networks!) about this giveaway and tell me where you did.

4. Comment on my Review for another entry.

It isn't necessary to use separate entries unless you want them in different chronological order.
(Four total entries possible.)  MAKE SURE YOU LEAVE YOUR E-MAIL!

THERE WILL BE THREE WINNERS!

THANKS ONCE AGAIN TO HACHETTE AND VALERIE!

* This contest is only open to residents of US and Canada.
* No P.O. Boxes Please - for shipping reasons
* This contest will close Midnight (Central) on April 16, 2010. The winners will be randomly selected from all entries.

Review - Marriage and Other Acts of Charity by Kate Braestrup

Title:  MARRIAGE AND OTHER ACTS OF CHARITY
Author:  Kate Braestrup
Publisher: Hachette Audio; Unabridged edition (January 13, 2010)
Genre: memoir
ISBN-10: 1600247784
ISBN-13: 978-1600247781
Buy Link 
Price:  $22.78
Author website

Rating: 4.0

Product Description
In her award-winning memoir Here If You Need Me, Kate Braestrup won the hearts of readers across the country with her deeply moving and deftly humorous stories of faith, hope and family. Now, with her inimitable voice and generous spirit, she turns her attention to the subjects of love and commitment in MARRIAGE AND OTHER ACTS OF CHARITY. As a minister, Kate Braestrup regularly performs weddings. She has also, at 44, been married twice and widowed once, and accordingly has much to say about life after the ceremony.

REVIEW: This is interesting, humorous and thought provoking.  Have you ever realized: 100% of marriages end?  All will end eventually by death or divorce.

In this memoir Ms. Braestrup uses good storytelling to tell about experiences of conflict and commitment in marriage; loss of a spouse and the resulting struggles and fears of further loss;  betrayal of relationships and finally the willingness to allow a second chance at love.  As a chaplain for the Maine Warden Service the author blends in work and scenery details that fit nicely in the flow of her message.  She incorporates counseling and wedding decisions of one of the young game wardens and the divorce dilemma of a fictionalized game warden to help describe the difficulties of love and marriage.

Underlying her narrative is the simple (or not so simple) question “What matters most is ___________.”  She encourages each person to fill in the blank.  The author fills in the blank with “love”.  Not eros (physical) love or philos (brotherly) love,  but agape love which she presents as God’s selfless loving of another as yourself, with sincere caring.

Although Ms. Braestrup is a minister, the book is not religious. She does briefly express some theologies, several of which I personally cannot agree with.  However I did appreciate her conviction of faith and her message of God’s love which was presented in the aspects of relationships and not through preaching.

I was a little disconcerted by her use of some “50 cent” words that even I didn’t know or had to stretch to remember. [I say that because as an undergrad journalist and graduate lawyer I have a pretty extensive vocabulary. I even read through the dictionary and encyclopedia in my early teens - not that I remember all of that! I used to love to do the Reader Digest word matching.]  Some of the words she uses are just not everyday language.  Fortunately most of that is in the first disc and does not fill the book.

This audio book is read by the author in a smooth and expressive manner.  It is laced with humor and pathos.  I really enjoyed the easy style and chuckled out loud several times.  It presents engaging storytelling that affirms love and marriage.

xxx

This book was provided by Hachette for review and Giveaway.  Thank you Hachette and Valerie.

Book Beginnings Friday March 26, 2010

This post is a bit late too but another I found and want to try!

Book Beginnings on Friday is a meme hosted by Becky at Page Turners.  Anyone can participate; just share the opening sentence of your current read, making sure that you include the title and author so others know what you're reading.  If you like, share with everyone why you do, or do not, like the sentence.

1.  Death Mill Mansion - A Lighthearted Comedy by Will Hartzell-Baird

Prologue 

The second strangest creature in the known universe is the almost unheard of Sliv Lizard.

That sentence did get my attention - I certainly had never heard of the Sliv Lizard.  And don't you wonder then what is THE strangest creature?  This story had me chuckling in the first page!

2.  Dead, Undead or Somewhere in Between by J.A. Saare

Rhiannon's Law #27:  When you're working in a gentlemen's club and one of your dancers takes off those heels, alert the big guns, an [butt] kicking is on the menu.

I changed the word [butt] as a milder word than what is used.  You still get the picture - trouble is about to start!!