Reviews By Martha's Bookshelf

Friday, December 25, 2009

MERRY CHRISTMAS - One Child

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

This is one of the songs from our Christmas program. l hope you get the chance to listen and have a truly blessed day!
One Child by Natlaie Grant

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Three Winners of TRUE BLUE by David Baldacci- Audio Book

The Winners of the three audio books of TRUE BLUE by David Baldacci are:

#34 Lag123 #23 409cope

#9 Robynl

I will e-mail you to have you send me your info to send on to Hachette!

Thank you everyone who participated!

Giveaway (2 copies) and Review of Defining Twilight by Brian Leaf, M.A.

GET THIS BOOK TO HELP YOUR STUDENT PREPARE FOR VOCABULARY TESTING!!!

Defining Twilight: Vocabulary Workbook for Unlocking the SAT, ACT, GED, and SSAT (Wiley, July 2009)

by Brian Leaf, M.A.

"Use this workbook side-by-side with your own copy of Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight!"

Paperback: 192 pages
Publisher: Cliffs Notes (July 14, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0470507438
ISBN-13: 978-0470507438

This is a very interesting practice book for SAT and similar tests. The book uses words from Twilight to help build vocabulary. What a great way to get a teenager to study and practice for the standardized tests! I think this is a wonderful method to make learning fun by tying it into something that interests the young people. I was a good student and have always loved words and word games. I would have loved to practice with a book like this! If you have a student at home this would be a great way to help them prepare for their testing!

For each chapter there are 8 word definitions, four Synonyms, two Analogies and two sentence completions. After every five chapters there is a Quiz and after every four groups of quizzes there is a review of those 20 lessons. To view the Cover, Contents page or sample pages you can go to the Amazon link and click on the book to "Look Inside." There is a video there also that tells what inspired the writing of the book.

Here are selected examples from the book:

Group 37 Vampire Etiquette
Find each of the following words on the Twilight page provided. Based on the way each word is used in the book guess at its definition.
1. Seraphic (p. 238) might mean ___________________
2. Buoyant (p. 287) might mean ___________________
8. Reproving (p. 325) might mean _________________

Synonyms: Select the word or phrase whose meaning is closest to the word in capital letters.

1. CHASM                                         3. RHETORIC
A. seraph                                             A. etiquette
B. buoy                                              B. haste
C. abyss                                              C. aerophobia
D. martyr                                             D. abstraction
E. deluge                                              E. style

Analogies: Select the answer choice that best completes the meaning of the sentence.
5. Tenacious is to relent as
   A. buoyant is to chortle
   B. contrite is to atone
   C. flippant is to joke
   D. glowering is to smile
   E. ambivalent is to waver

Sentence Completions: Choose the word that, when inserted in the sentence, best fits the meaning of the sentence as a whole.
7. His buoyant and affable manner caused many at the formal party to overlook his continual slips of ________.
   A. tenacity
   B. etiquette
   C. incandescence
   D. proximity
   E. mercy

THANK YOU MR. LEAF FOR ALLOWING ME THE FUN TO PLAY WITH THIS WORKBOOK AND IN ALLOWING ME TO HOST THE GIVEAWAY!

TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY:
There will be TWO winners as Mr. Leaf has graciously offered to give a copy and I am willing to give my review copy (since I have no SAT aged students around home any more!).

1. Visit Mr. Leaf's website and tell me something you learned about him or his books! Please include your email address, so I can contact you if you win. YOU MUST COMPLETE THIS STEP TO BE ENTERED and be eligible for extra entries.

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. You may make all entries in a single comment or separate comments. Since I haven't numbered the comments yet I have to put names/entries on a list for numbering anyway, so posting separately doesn't make a difference unless you post at different times so your entry numbers are not consecutive!

5. For two extra entries, e-mail me your answers to any two of the example questions! (Try to answer without looking up the answers!) You'll get an extra entry for each correct entry! mesreads@gmail.com PLEASE NOTE - I will reply to e-mailed entries to confirm receipt. If you do NOT get a reply within 48 hours please e-mail again or make a comment here so I can check.

That is five total entries possible.

This contest is open to U.S. and Canadian residents only.

This contest will close Midnight (Central) on January 12, 2009. The winners will be randomly selected from all entries.

Monday, December 21, 2009

Two Winners of Linda Swift's eBooks!

I have two winners of the two Holiday eBooks generously donated by author Linda Swift!

Winner of Let Nothing You Dismay is:

Winner of the 12 Days of Christmas is:

CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU BOTH!

I will e-mail you for confirmation so the eBooks can be sent to you.

Thank you to everyone who entered!

Mailbox Monday December 21, 2009

This Meme starts with Marcia

at The Printed Page

I had a very good week of getting in books I won plus review books! I love weeks like that!

I won My Son John by Kathi Macias at 4 the LOVE of BOOKS

Liz Peterson's mother is brutally murdered-and then her son is arrested for the crime, devastating their family to the point that Liz wonders if any of them will be left standing when it's all over. Can God's love and grace reach even to the deepest agony of the soul and bring, if not a meeting of the minds, a meeting of the hearts-and healing to a family torn apart by murder and betrayal?

THANK YOU Ms. Macias and Abi!

Then I recieved FOUR books from visiting a Champagne Books Chat!!
THANK YOU Champagne Books and Tami!

Blade Dancer by K.M Tolen

Science Fiction

When humans introduce advanced
weapons to her enemies,
Mikial Haran finds that her first battle
will be against those she loves most.

Stupid Cupid, A Valentine Anthology by Liz Hunter, Phyllis Campbell and Rayka Mennen

Contemporary

One tipsy Cupid with a wavering aim.Three mismatched couples.
Suspense, conflict, intense attraction &… the magic of true love.
Stir well for three entertaining, sensual love stories. Serve hot with a glass of bubbly.

Dawn of Redemption by Starla Childs
Paranormal
The world has only one hope to survive … and he has fangs.