Reviews By Martha's Bookshelf

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Thinking of One Special Holy Night

There are so many beautiful songs to share at Christmas.
My week got busy and I didn't post a song/video each day as I had originally planned so I will share videos today, tomorrow and Monday.
As I head off to our Christmas Eve service I share a beautiful traditional Hymn to prepare for this special night.

Oh Holy Night

Sharing Beyond Books #28 Comment Giveaway December 24, 2011

Welcome once again to Sharing Beyond Books! Less than 1 day left until Christmas. THANK YOU TO ALL WHO HAVE BEEN WISHING ME MERRY CHRISTMAS IN COMMENTS AND WINNER REPLIES!!

Thank you for commenting last week. (Sorry I had the wrong link up last week - I did include Abby who commented on the previous week's post.) If you haven't finished shopping now... guess you'll be getting in on the post Christmas shopping! LOL

Only about 1/3rd of us read classics. Many of us have such large TBR piles that we do not include classics. That is a bit of a shame. I love that Ricki started reading classics thanks to Marvel Comics and Krystal gives credit to a teacher. Interesting that Dickens was mentioned a couple of times and Birgit included The Christmas Carol as a Christmas fav even if it is in movie form. :-)

Most of you do not read a traditional holiday book - again too many TBRs! Those who do read holiday books read Twas the Night Before, the Nativity or some Holiday Romances. It sounded like a couple purposely avoid holiday reads. What? Maybe you should be reading The Grinch? Just kidding. :-)

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The Winner from SBB #27 comments is: #13 Llehn who will most likely get a PayPal credit or pick a book at the Book Depository. There are still 9 'love' books to pick from, 3 Christmas choices and 2 Summer titles below. Llehn please let me know if you want a PayPal credit, or choose a book from the remaining Love Books List for Giveaway or remaining Christmas Giveaway Books, the one summer book below OR pick from the ARC box and let me know your choice, your address and a choice of bookmarks by completing the WINNER FORM.

WEEK #28 Questions

Q1. This week Abby asks: If you could be a character in a book, which universe (realm/period) would you choose to be in??

A: That isn't an easy question as there are too many good choices! The first one that popped into my mind was The Lord of the Rings; then Harry Potter. But I like some of the future/Sci Fi worlds too. And to be a character in a book I would want to lose at least 30-35 years in age! If I am picking the actual character I pick Doc (Delilah Oliver Clementyne) in the future space world of Girl Gone Nova by Pauline Baird Jones. This is part of a series I will be featuring (finally) in January.

Q2. Since it is Christmas Eve I want to know: Do you open presents on Christmas Eve, Christmas morning or Christmas later in the day?

A: We had a family tradition of opening one gift on Christmas Eve. When we were kids it was always pajamas. :-) Now that the kids are grown we aren't planning to open any of our few gifts tonight but we do have a special one our daughter has to open tonight. I can't say what it is in case she peeks at the blog today. :-) Then tomorrow we will be at their house to help the little ones open ALL of their (too many) gifts.

Whenever you open your gifts I hope each of you, my blog friends, have a
WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS DAY

And for me it's nice to know I can open the Gift of God's Love every day of the year.

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Thanks to those who are sending in Questions. DON'T BE SHY! Surely everyone has a Q or two you'd like to ask. Input suggestions in this Suggested Question Form. At the end of each month I will draw from the suggestions I used the month before and that person will get a book choice or GC. I thank everyone for submitting questions but some of you others might want to get in a question or two as we have a few people submitting most of the questions so far. Either way - it works for me. :-)

Your turn to share:

1. If you could be a character in a book, which universe (realm/period) would you choose to be in??

2. Do you open presents on Christmas Eve, Christmas morning or Christmas later in the day??

SBB Comment Winners can choose a selection from the remaining Valentine and "Love" books or the remaining Christmas Giveaway Books - there are still about 12 books available plus 2 left in the Summer titles to choose from. Also I have added the Review and ARC Box now.

The Days of Summer: A Novel

My copy is a paperback from 2006

with a different cover.

A Summer Affair (Calhoun Chronicles)
I love Susan Wigg's historicals!

SBB Rules: a) Must be a follower;
b) Share a comment on any (or all) of the two/three questions above.
Open internationally and an international winner may get a smaller book or a $5.00 GC if I decide the mailing is too much.

I will pick a Comment winner from all comments made by Friday, December 30 at 10PM central.

Winners: Creative Spirit, Hot Zone, Gift of the Heart

Giveaways Ended December 21

eBook of Creative Spirit by Scott Nicholson

Giveaways Ended December 23

ARC of Hot Zone by Catherine Mann

Lag123

eBook Gift of the Heart by Suzanne Barrett

Elizabeth L

ALL WINNERS please fill in the Winner's Acceptance Form so I can mail the book out and let Authors know to send ebooks to winners. Please reply within 72 hours!

Friday, December 23, 2011

Martha's Bookshelf***Friday Pick Giveaway December 23, 2011

[** If you are new to Friday Pick Giveaway, scroll down a bit (below book group #19) for instructions on how to enter.]

Oh boy---one more week gone and Christmas only two days away! I thought I'd get a few extra days off but it hasn't happened yet.

Thank you to all who entered December 16 Pick. There were NO Automatic winners :-( this week (those who requested the book four times and I did not note other people asking for that book during those weeks).

CONGRATULATIONS

to Random.org picked Winners from December 16 Pick:

Heavensent1 chose Scavenger

Louisa chose A Marked Man

and
Chickadee chose Lucifer Rising

All winners please fill in the Winner's Acceptance Form or email me to confirm your win, send your snail mail address information and let me know if you would like bookmarks - sensual or sexy +plus - I am still low on just sweet.

Does anyone have visions of BOOKS for Christmas?!
Found at Life Gets in The Way.
BTW- I love to look for book pictures online. :-)

New Group #24 Pick Books November 25, 2011
(The only Thanksgiving title I found is a Harlequin I'd like to read someday so no Thanksgiving titles for November.)

~~Skin Tight by Susan Andersen (Cover has one thin black marker stripe)~~
Hour Game by David Baldacci
After Dark by Beverly Barton(spine wear)
The Shattered Rose by Jo Beverley
Final Justice by Jasmine Cresswell
Green Calder Grass by Janet Dailey
Praying for Sleep by Jeffery Deaver
~~Lucifer Rising by Barbara Fifield~~
Cry Wolf by Tami Hoag (spine wear)
Sunset Bay by Susan Mallery
Sweet Vengeance by Kat Martin
~~Lost Highways by Curtiss Ann Matlock~~
The Wedding Wager by Cathy Maxwell
Moon Racer by Constance O'Banyon
~~Cause for Alarm by Erica Spindler~~
Destiny Unleashed by Sherryl Woods

New Group #23 Pick Books October 14, 2011
I tried to pick some books that would be good for October - Halloween or dark minded.

Ghost Writer (Shivers #3) by M.D. Spenser
Witch by Barbara Michaels (spine wear)
Walking After Midnight by Karen Robards (spine wear)
Emily's Good Nightmare by Cosmic Debris Cosmic
Death Angel by Linda Howard
~~A Marked Man by Stella Cameron~~
~~Bone Cold by Erica Spindler (spine wear)~~

New Group #22 Pick Books September 2, 2011

Singles:
Tender Triumph by Judith McNaught
A Far and Deadly Cry by Teri Holibrook

Blackwater Sound: A Novel (Thorn Mysteries) by James W. Hall

New Group #21 of Pick Books July 29, 2011

There are eight mysteries and I have asterisked nine books that are smaller and would be good for oversea choices if so desired.

Coffin Underground (Inspector John Coffin) by Gwendoline Butler

Mallory's Oracle (Kathleen Mallory Novels) by Carol O'Connell

* I. O. U by Pickard, Nancy (spine creased)

Stand by Me Anthology with Dallas Schulze, Roberta Leigh and Linda Randall Wisdom (spine creased)

* Rogue Stallion (Montana Mavericks) by Diana Palmer

May, 2011 New Group of Pick books

Group #20

Singles

Luciano's Luck by Jack Higgins - Audio Cassettes

3/25/11 I did get to set up a new group of books:

Group #19

Singles

~~Second Chance: A Novel Second Chance: A Novel~~

Disguised Blessing

Rhapsody: A Love Story

Primary Colors - audio tapes

~~A Little Magic~~

Note of Peril (black strip on cover)

2/19/11 Book Group #18- Pairs!

Not all of these are two from a series but several are. Each pick gets two books.

Patricia Cornwell Pair:

Cruel and Unusual

At Risk (Win Garano)

I have finally updated the intro and Entry paragraphs here:

If you saw the pictures posted of my bookshelves and boxes you know I do have lots of books! And that doesn't include the other eight or so boxes at my office!! And more books as I find deals too good to pass up! I am sharing my book bounty by these Friday Pick Giveaways.

I started Friday Pick in November 27, 2009 and in two years I have posted 24 groups of 16 books to find new homes!

I have periodically update the lists - deleting those won. You can still go to the Friday Pick list link to see older posts and the older lists book pictures if you want! I am happy to say that so far about 286 books have found new homes! YAY. I have to update my print out to check the exact number sent out - a few were never claimed.

Note rules here regarding international entries.

Because postage to overseas can be prohibitive I am willing to give a $5.00 book certificate to international winners - Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders, ARe, TWRP, ClassAct Books, eTreasures, Desert Breeze, etc....you tell me where and I'll set it up. So for my overseas visitors your comment may indicate a smaller book and I'll check postage or note your choice of gift card.

I learned that The Book Depository does not ship to everywhere. The postage for some of the books to far away places runs between $5.00 and $6.00 and up. Since I would award $5.00 for The Book Depository to an international winner, as an alternative you may choose a smaller book and we will hope the postage will not exceed $6.00. If the postage is more, or if you want to pick a larger book and you are willing to pay any extra postage beyond the $6.00 I will work with you on that. This may not make a difference to many but if it helps one or two of you to give one of my books a home that will make me happy too. :o)

TO ENTER:

Leave a comment and tell me WHICH BOOK you would like to get from the Friday Pick lists.
CUT OFF TIME IS THURSDAY NIGHTS AT 10:00 PM CENTRAL so I do not have to stay up past midnight to do the winner post!
I will randomly pick two winners to announce Friday mornings with the next Pick post.
Automatic wins are those who requested the book four times and I did not note other people asking for that book during those weeks.

WINNERS PLEASE CHECK THE WIN POST ON FRIDAYS AND fill in the Winner's Acceptance Form or email me at mesreads@gmail.com. [I will confirm receipt of the addresses- well I realize I haven't always done this. But if you filled out the form and don't get the book within two weeks nudge me with an email please!] If I have the winners e-mail I will send a reminder in a week or so....

Thanks for helping these books find new homes!!

Repeating this helpful blog tip: You can right click on a link and you will be given the choice to open the link in a new window or tab so you do not navigate away from the screen you are on!! I use this all the time!

1/14/11 New List
#17

~~Scavenger by David Morrell~~
Moonfire by Judith Redman Robbins
Saving Faith by David Baldacci (Audio Book)

12/3/10 Book Set:

#16

Best Of Enemies by Taylor Smith

Sleight of Hand by Robin Hathaway

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

Uneasy Alliance (Famous Firsts) Jayne Ann Krentz (slightly worn)

List #15

The Texas CEO's Secret (Silhouette Special Edition) by Nicole Foster

List #14

Blood And Glory (Soldiers Of War) (Soldiers of War, Book 1) by Larson Reed

Lines of Defense by Barry Siegel
Gospel Truths by J.G. Sandom

Here is set #13 of Used books!

Pearl Beyond Price by Claire Delacroix

This is a group of books I have had for several years but not gotten to read. Since it doesn't look like I will get to read them for another year (or more!) I am passing them on. Although as I type them part of me still says "But you may want to read that some day!" Yes, yes; along with the other 700 books I am housing! Must Let goooooo.....

Group #12

The Ripple Effect by Lynn Erickson

Double Jeopardy by William Bernhardt

The Genesis Code: A Thriller by John Case

Group #11

Cat's Eyewitness by Rita Mae Brown

Alien Chronicles - The Crimson Claw by Deborah Chester

Snow in April by Rosamunde Pilcher

Looking Back by Belva Plain

The Ring on Her Finger by Elizabeth Bevarly

List #1 Circle of Stars by Anna Lee Waldo

Pick #2